《Empire of Souls》 Chapter 1: It all began with the press of a button At the city gates, a throng of travelers were impatiently waiting for the inspections to be completed so they could enter the city before nightfall. It had been a busy day, with many new faces finding their way to the City of Andor¡¯s Edge. One of the busiest days this month, thought Gries. He was a city guardsman who was tasked with inspecting the people wishing to enter the large city. It was a mostly thankless job, but it was one of the only options for a third son of a farmer. ¡°Hey Bren,¡± he called out to his colleague, ¡°looks like we¡¯re almost finished for today. We heading to the usual place afterwards?¡± ¡°And watch you pathetically hit on Francine again? Haha! I wouldn¡¯t miss it for the world!¡± ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t remind me,¡± groaned the unfortunate guard. ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever talk to me again!¡± Bren leaned on his spear after the two gate guards returned to their posts, he was thinking about his own failures at finding a good girl he could settle down with. It was difficult for a guard to woo a decent girl, especially when all the girls were too busy fawning over adventurers. ¡°I told you, she has a thing for that adventurer - Julias. Every time he¡¯s at the tavern, she starts acting all proper!¡± Gries didn¡¯t want to hear it, but he couldn¡¯t deny it. If only I¡¯d been an adventurer, he sighed while gazing towards the clear blue sky. Wiping the sweat off his brow due to the burning sun he couldn''t help curling his lips in a snarl, ¡°Those damn adventurers, they are all cocky bastards!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just mad because you aren¡¯t one of them! I bet you¡¯d jump at the chance.¡± Gries wasn''t too happy to hear that, mostly because it was true. He just didn¡¯t have what it took to be an adventurer. It was dangerous exploring the unknown and fighting monsters on a daily basis. He could fight against men well enough, but monsters were another story, not to mention dangerous dungeons and unexplored places, which were essentially deathtraps. The disillusioned guardsman looked out into the distance. There seemed to be an endless amount of travelers waiting to enter the city, and evening couldn''t come soon enough. The two of them would eventually be relieved from their watch, and then they would be able to enjoy a good drink at the tavern before possibly heading to a brothel. He continued to idly gaze upon the crowd as he was in no specific rush to carry out his inspection duties before asking his friend, ¡°Do you think there is anything else for us out there?¡± Curiously, there was no answer from his fellow guard. He shot a quick peek at him and noticed that he was approaching him in a sluggish manner. Gries turned towards him with a look of concern on his face. ¡°Bren, you okay?¡± His friend continued to approach while mumbling something under his breath. His walk was unsteady and wobbly, almost as if he were drunk. Gries could just barely make out the sounds coming from his mouth as he kept drawing closer ¡°Nine-nine-eight,¡± he repeated incessantly. The confused guard was becoming seriously concerned. ¡°Bren, what the hell is wrong with you?¡± He approached his friend cautiously, not knowing what to expect. The stumbling guard had been fine just moments ago, so Gries couldn¡¯t fathom what had brought on this sudden change in his demeanor. He reached out to the strangely lethargic guard, placing his hands on his shoulders. ¡°Bren, snap out of it!¡± These were the last words he would ever say. Bren thrust his spear upwards, right through Gries¡¯ lower jaw, puncturing his skull and ending his life in an instant. As his blood gushed forth from the wound, Bren continued with a twisted smile. ¡°998.¡±Stolen novel; please report. Both their bodies fell to the floor in unison to the sound of screams.
A dense, swirling mist formed, spiraling out of control and driving more deeply towards its center. It was blindingly cruel in its ferocity as it violently dragged something along in its midst. It was a strange and powerful soul which was not constrained by the laws which seemed to govern this world. It was meant to be reincarnated, but somehow, it had escaped the confines of whatever system was in place for reincarnating souls. Well, in truth, it was quite a bit more complicated than that. I hate this part¡­ As the soul swirled furiously towards the center of the strange mist-like world, it was once again able to glimpse images of the past. ¡°Ishmael¡­ I can¡¯t believe you actually accomplished it. Is it truly finished?¡± The soul could feel itself saying surprisingly out of its control. Bright laughter filled the well lit and spacious room situated towards the top of a tower that reached endlessly into the skies above. The tower was so tall that it had long ago breached the clouds and begun to grasp the very heavens. It was right at the cusp, like a knife¡¯s edge with its blade pushing against skin yet not fully penetrating it. Two men in luxurious skin tight metallic colored suits with handsome and noble demeanors stood side by side as they stared out of a window overlooking the great beyond. Nothing could be seen from the window but the clouds below and the darkness of the heavens above. One man, Ishmael, especially gave off a royal and magnificent aura as he smiled towards his companion beside him. ¡°An-Namrud, look yourself. Can you not see this wondrous scene before your very eyes? Can you not feel the power thrumming through the very walls of this tower? This wondrous work which was only made possible through your vision and through the efforts of the entire world!¡± The soul which had previously been spiraling towards the center of that foreboding mist had now found itself seeing through the eyes of the man called An-Namrud. In this vision, or perhaps a better way to understand it would be as a memory, it was once again the man that it was so long ago. The soul glanced briefly down to look at its former self but its vision was focused not on the front, but angled on the back. This was a very distant memory, its first memories before it became all those others and before the tragedy that ruined its life. Is this truly just a memory? It feels so real¡­ The one that was once An-Namrud thought for a moment that it had some control over its former body, but it soon became nothing more than a hapless passenger. Its vision hazed over and its perspective changed, it was now peering out of its former body. The soul lacked any sort of control and could only helplessly look on as its vision shifted with the movements of its former body. It was clear that the room the soul was currently in was the control room of the entire tower. Strange beeping sounds and the thrumming of powerful energies filled the room with a steady cadence. The soul could feel the very energies of the Earth poised to assault the heavens in its mighty rage. Machines and other gadgets of strange design lit up randomly with no real rhythm or reason to them. A large screen emitted a radiant glow from a wall on the other side of the room. Many images could be seen flickering in small windows on the screen showing the great work that was being done. There were a diverse range of people from many ethnic and racial groups visible on many of the screens and they surprisingly spoke the same language clearly and perfectly as if they all had the same origin. Smiling faces and congratulatory scenes could be easily made out in many of the screens as well as from the soul¡¯s once co-workers and fellow engineers who were within the control tower itself. Ah, not this moment again¡­ Must I be tortured so thoroughly? Never allowed to forget my shame¡­ The soul who was once An-Namrud could only lament its misfortune, but the body it was inhabiting continued to move and speak completely on its own. ¡°Hmm.. it is still beyond my expectations¡­¡± Ishmael chuckled, ¡°What¡¯s wrong, brother? Are you feeling hesitant now? After all we¡¯ve done? The very answers we have sought are right before us! We shall pierce this villainous sky that oppresses us, and we shall become like gods!¡± ¡°The gods are nothing but fairy tales to keep children in line.¡± Stated An-Namrud methodically without even considering his words. This was a phrase he had said countless times and had already become quite the habit whenever gods were mentioned. ¡°That is exactly why we built this tower! To learn the truth of course¡­ and more than that.¡± Is it though? ¡°Is it though?¡± I remember every line like it was yesterday. ¡°Relax, your nerves are tense, but that is to be expected. This is a momentous occasion!¡± The excitement could be seen clearly on his partner¡¯s face. ¡°Let us toast!¡± Ishmael lifted his glass, striking it against An-Namrud¡¯s as he laughed cheerfully. Ah, this is the moment. Suddenly, Ishmael put on a serious expression and looked at An-Namrud solemnly. ¡°You should be the one to turn it on.¡± The soul could feel its vision turning again as its former body turned to look at Ishmael. The soul couldn¡¯t remember the expression it once had on its face, but it could imagine it must have been one of hesitation. ¡°Okay.¡± If the soul had breath, it would have sighed at those words. Chapter 2: A horrible curse The soul was once again back in that hateful place. It was a strange place that wasn¡¯t easy to describe. There was no life in this place, other than strange and gleaming lights. These lights lacked any color and were just incomprehensible glows. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± The soul was met with that disembodied voice once more. It was a voice that lacked any semblance of emotion. It reminded it much like that of the robotic voices from the machines of its former life. ¡°I despise you!¡± The number of times this soul had said those words could not be counted. There was nothing this soul hated more than that wretched and unfeeling sounding voice whenever it returned. ¡°I really wish you would speak to me in a more fitting tone.¡± ¡°Just let me die already! I can not bear this curse any longer. Must I suffer for an eternity for your selfish desires? Must I bear these consequences alone? I do not desire to be nourishment for your path to power, nor do I want to fight for your supremacy or your pride. If you do not end me, I promise that I shall seek my vengeance throughout a thousand lifetimes. As long as it takes!¡± ¡°The mark is upon you, whether you wish it or not. You will serve your punishment until the end of time, just as the one you called brother shall serve out his. Be grateful that your punishment is far more lenient. Repent, and forgiveness is still a possibility. The gods are merciful if you serve them faithfully.¡± ¡°FORGIVENESS!? I SHALL NEVER BEG FOR YOUR MERCY! IT IS NOT OVER! I WILL FIND A WAY TO GAIN VENGEANCE! THIS I PROMISE!¡± The soul spoke in anger; an anger fueled by pain. ¡°Now, now, please be calm. Can¡¯t you the see the blessing that has been given to you? What other soul can say they remember all the lives they¡¯ve lived? What other soul can reflect on its past mistakes and repent of its sinful ways?¡± The being laughed. It was a laugh that lacked any mirth or cheer. A laugh of derision and condescension. ¡°Is this a joke to you!? This is a blessing? You may be able to fool another, but I am no fool. I know there is something in my soul you want but you will never get it from me!¡± If the soul had a body it would be gritting its teeth, but it soon calmed itself and took on a bearing of disdain. Or at least, as much so as a soul without a body could. ¡°Are you even capable of mirth? Are you even alive? Or are you nothing more than a lifeless husk of a being forced to live in servitude to your masters?¡± ¡°Ha, ha, ha, ha. Foolish soul. Your words have no meaning to me. The choices you made while living were your own; you were blessed with free will after all. You have no one to blame but yourself and your foolish heart. I am but a construct created to manage this system of reincarnation and to carry out the judgement placed upon you by the gods.¡± ¡°Free will you say? Yes, I had the choice to give you everything for my survival but I chose to give you nothing. I do not regret nor will I ever regret this decision. I will not be a puppet in your hands. I will never dance to your strings or those of your master! Try as you may, I will never hand it over!¡± The soul paused for a moment sensing a change in this strange place that it had grown quite familiar with. ¡°It looks like it is time for my 999th soul! Make sure to welcome me when I return! If I cannot be free, then I shall ruin your master¡¯s plans, one soul at a time!¡± The soul had found a peculiar way to avoid what it hated most, which was being reincarnated into a new life. The reason being that it knew that this so-called gift of reincarnation was nothing more than a lie. It was a means to break it, to crush its spirit, to force it to submit. All for the sake of one thing, something which resided deep in its soul. It was not something they could forcefully take from it as it was now, but it was something they desired above all else. The soul had suffered for so long that it no longer had an inkling of time¡¯s passing and though this being before it had kept it imprisoned in this strange cycle of reincarnation, somehow the soul had found a means of escaping a portion of its fate. It had found a fortuitous loophole, one that had never been intended by the gods who had cursed it.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. While reincarnated, the soul would forget the role it had played in that calamitous event which shook the heavens of its once thriving world. The same that left it writhing in despair. It would always return to this place once every lifetime ended, and in each lifetime, it would suffer the most cruel of fates. This particular soul would never know when, or how it would come but come it always did. Each joy, each triumph, throughout every lifetime would eventually end in despair. This was its punishment, the so-called ¡°lesser of the two.¡± The greater punishment had been given to the one it had once sworn brothership with. For at least this particular soul was allowed to enter reincarnation despite having to suffer countless woes and remember them all at the end of each life. Its brother¡¯s fate was far worse. Its brother was a soul trapped and doomed for all eternity within a solid gold mask. It could only see the world through its tiny prison, never gaining freedom nor hope. Driven mad, it had just mere moments of lucidity but even those moments could only remind it of its past glory and shame before once again spiraling downward into madness. As for the one cursed as the ¡°lesser of the two,¡± the loophole it found was completely unintended. At the very moment when it was time for reincarnation. It noticed that a thin veil, which divided the earthly realm with that of the Heavens, broke. At that moment, it could feel the vastness of life that existed. It could sense the souls of the living upon the vast world, like a beacon of light in the darkness. This was the birth of a being known as the ¡®Soul Eater.¡¯ Its power allowed it to slip inside the body of someone who had already been born, avoiding its own reincarnation. The unfortunate soul of its victim was swapped out and ended up being reincarnated into a new body, while the ¡®Soul Eater¡¯ took over the old one. It could only do this for a short time, and it often failed, but time was not an issue for it. The soul would just try again. Its goal, to devour the potential that developed in one¡¯s soul throughout their life. This was the accumulation of their experience, strength, desires, faith and innate power which fed the ever growing ambitions of the gods and those like them. In doing so, the cursed soul hoped to weaken the gods that had doomed it. Its struggle was most likely futile. There were countless souls, more than it could ever devour, but it didn¡¯t matter. This was its only recourse, the only way it could get some semblance of revenge. The time had come once again. Its only hesitation was that each time it returned, it had to face its greatest regret. I¡¯ll take each moment one step at a time. What else is there for a cursed being such as I?
¡°Honey.¡± A young woman in her mid-twenties called out to her beloved husband. They were in the early years of their marriage and were still filled with marital bliss. ¡°Yes, my love, what is it?¡± The young wife¡¯s husband had just finished a long day of work and was resting by the fireplace in his favorite chair. She approached him with a coquettish smile, wrapping her arms gently around him and playfully kissing his neck. Nighttime was swiftly approaching, and the warmth of the fire was always a welcoming place for young lovers. ¡°I love you.¡± She whispered into his ear. The husband smiled at her before pulling her into his embrace, gently kissing her lips. ¡°I love you more.¡± Their second kiss was more passionate, but the young wife pulled away from her husband, smiling. ¡°Not now.¡± The husband made a disappointed face towards his wife in playful jest. He tried to pull her back, but she avoided him, taunting him with a smile. ¡°I said not now, later.¡± The husband gave up begrudgingly and winked at his wife. ¡°Alright, anyway what¡¯s for dinner? Do you need any help?¡± The husband rose from his seat and followed his wife into the kitchen. He always found it relaxing to help his wife with the cooking. While cooking, he would often try to grope her, but she would usually swipe his hand away with a gentle laugh. They truly were a happy couple, one with few cares in the world and plenty of hope for the future. They even had plans to bring a child into this world, something that they were putting on their efforts towards this evening. Often when cooking, the young wife would sing unconsciously. Her husband would rarely point this out as he enjoyed listening to her sing. He especially loved the twinkle in her eye whenever she realized what she was doing or when she caught him listening. There was something he found special with her eyes. Whenever he would tease her about her singing, he would usually do so while wrapping his arms around her, hugging her closely. She would then kiss his hand, before resting her head on his arm in a loving embrace. Because of this habit, she failed to see the sudden and strange emotionless gaze that suddenly filled her husband¡¯s eyes. He carefully moved his hands around her neck and started to choke her. She barely realized what was happening as her body began to spasm, due to being unable to breathe properly. Her husband was clearly intent on ending her life. He then threw her to the ground before pinning her down. All she could see in his eyes filled her with dread. In the very last few moments of her life, all she could do was try to claw at the face of the one she loved. But that wasn¡¯t enough for him, and as she gasped for one last breath, her husband opened his mouth and placed it over hers. Her soul never made it back to that place. Chapter 3: An end and a beginning ¡°Do you feel regret? Or perhaps guilt at what you¡¯ve done?¡± asked the faceless being. ¡°None, do you?¡± The soul returned the question right back at the being knowing there wouldn¡¯t be any substantial response. No matter what the soul did, it didn¡¯t seem to affect the being much. This seemingly infuriating carefree attitude only served to annoy the ¡®Soul Eater¡¯ even more.However, the stray soul didn¡¯t understand the being¡¯s way of thinking. Did the creator of this seemingly bizarre and twisted place actually care at all what happened to the other souls?This great architect that helped shape the very system which brought out new life, did any of this matter to it? What of those other gods? Did any of this matter at all? ¡°It is time for your reincarnation, won¡¯t you accept this life that has been chosen for you? Acceptance will bring salvation. Once the gods have what they seek, you will no longer need to suffer.¡± The words of the being woke the ¡®Soul Eater¡¯ from its thoughts. ¡°Never! I will make my own path! You¡¯ll be seeing me again soon!¡± The soul went on its merry way, thinking it would devour another soul, but this time, something changed.The broken veil that it sought was nowhere in sight; it had been sealed shut. The loophole it had found, seemed to be gone. ¡°Did something happen?¡± That creation that tried to slip into another body to swap souls instead found itself being sucked into a very familiar, and despicable hole. Had it been tricked by those beings which it hated most? But why now? the bewildered soul thought.
Once the bright light that had blinded the ''Soul Eater'' had gone, it was then greeted by the sound of a wailing baby. But it wasn''t hearing the sound; it was emitting it. Wait! What the hell is going on? Oh no! I''m a baby? I can''t believe this! Wait a second¡­ I have my memories? What''s going on!? That being had indeed prepared a surprise.Normally, when being brought back into this world, the soul would be transported into the body of a baby. But at some point, the soul had discovered it could take the body of another being if it were quick enough. Doing so would inevitably cause the new host body to die, but during a short period of time, it would be able to operate it and devour other souls. As a newborn child, it was almost impossible for it to take its own life. The lack of freedom was also an annoyance. Dammit, living as a baby is going tobe a nightmare! I can''t move my body freely! Normally when the soul was reincarnated, it wouldn''t retain its memories of past lives until after it died, but something had changed. This time, things were different, the cursed soul retained its memory and consciousness. Am I even a boy? Wait, yes, I am. At least there''s that. I hate being a girl the most. Women have to suffer too much pain. Those are always the worst memories.... The ''Soul Eater'' did its best to look at its surroundings, but it could only see blurry figures of a few individuals. As the baby boy was still crying, one of the individuals stepped forward and lifted him up, bringing him towards a pair of breasts. Even though the soul''s consciousness had now started to merge properly with the mind, it still had little control over the body and immediately begun suckling at the nipple that was presented. The cursed soul tried to control this new body and stop from drinking from the woman''s breast, but there was very little it could do to stop it from reacting. At least when it started drinking the milk from her teat, its body calmed down to a certain degree. For now, it would accept its new family''s warmth, but unfortunately, there were no feelings of love. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Those feelings had disappeared many lifetimes ago. I can''t believe this, this is humiliating¡­ The body the cursed soul had come to inhabit continued to suckle at the breast of the strange woman despite the souls attempt to do otherwise. Its current experience was vastly different from any before, and there was a dissonance as the soul and consciousness merged with the body of the baby. Without a doubt, the cursed soul had somehow been tricked by that being and placed within this baby. Just thinking about how it must be laughing up in that place infuriated the cursed soul. If it could gnash its teeth, it certainly would, but unfortunately, the body of the baby was still not responding. It must be because this is an unnatural occurrence. A baby is not meant to have a fully formed consciousness and soul. I don''t think that this was ever intended to happen. I wonder if this is some strange unforeseen consequence of devouring the potential within souls. Strangely enough, the cursed soul was able to think properly despite not being in full control of its body yet. I will just have to put up with this humiliation for now¡­ just thinking about having to live as a baby with my fully formed consciousness is terrifying. I guess I should also start considering myself as a ''he'' now since I know I am a male. The baby which had previously been crying and somewhat out of control of its limbs had become much more calm. It no longer moved its arms and legs seemingly without purpose, and its eyes had a tinge of intelligence which had not previously been there. The two adult individuals had not noticed this and were busily speaking to each other in a language the cursed soul was not fully familiar with. No, it is somewhat familiar but also different. Hmm¡­ it definitely has elements of the Qunic language, but the dialect is strange. Some of the words I somewhat recognize, it must be a derivative language. Who knows how much time has passed since I was last born normally. While the newly birthed body of the cursed soul continued to drink from the woman''s breast, the cursed soul struggled to move its eyes to observe the two adults as they conversed. It listened carefully in an attempt to pick up familiar words and hopefully to familiarize itself with the language. Thankfully, the more it heard the two adults speak, the more familiar the language sounded until it began to pick up words. "Lenia¡­. ¡­.. ¡­. fine ¡­.. ... okay ¡­.?" Lenia, it must be the name of the woman. I suppose she must be this baby''s mother. "Did ¡­. ¡­.. ¡­. .. name ¡­ Kithe? He is .. ¡­.. ... boy. Look ¡­. ¡­." The baby''s mother looked gently at the baby as she spoke. Her laughter was gentle and filled with warmth and her eyes, though tired, were joyful. She exuded a motherly warmth that was filled with love and hope for her newborn son. It''s truly a shame. I almost feel bad for these two poor souls. They don''t know yet that my birth is meant to be a curse and that calamity will certainly come to this warm home. Well, you can only curse those despicable gods for your ill fortune. I am already prepared for what is to come, it no longer matters either way. Once I return to that place, I will definitely say something to that being for the both of you. The man the cursed soul assumed was the baby''s father leaned over with a thoughtful expression and then said with a smile. "His name ¡­. ¡­. Aleksandros." Aleksandros¡­ I guess that''s this body''s name¡­ my name. I suppose it is as good as any. I am much calmer than before, strangely. Is it because I have accepted my fate? No¡­ perhaps it is the calmness of knowing what is to come. Should I stick around to see what the gods have in store for me this time? Or should I jump into a river somewhere and drown before that happens? No¡­ something is different this time... perhaps I should let things play out... for now. Either way, there is no rush. The adults he assumed were his parents continued their conversation with Aleksandros in his baby''s body picking up words here and there. Mostly his eyes wandered about observing his surroundings. He was hoping to gain as much information as he could despite his helpless state. After finishing his meal, another woman took Aleksandros from the arms of the woman laying on the bed and placed him inside an old-fashioned looking crib. Despite looking to be of an ancient style, it was beautifully decorated and well cushioned. Aleksandros didn''t feel any discomfort as he was laid within it. He began to feel somewhat sleepy, but he struggled to keep his eyes open as much as possible. The young man he assumed to be his father looked down at him and smiled. It was clearly a smile of joy and expectation. He had no idea that the baby which was his son, was looking at him with eyes of pity, nor what the baby was truly thinking as it met its father''s eyes. I know some may think me evil for the things that I have done, but I am the only one that knows what happened so long ago. Even though the taint on their souls disgusts me, I still feel pity for this young couple who will surely face calamity only because they were unlucky enough to know me. The man was surprised to see a peculiar look on his newborn son. He already found it strange that the baby had stopped crying and was eerily calm. Although he was inexperienced when it came to babies, he didn''t think this was natural. A look of concern creased his eyes, but it was only for a moment as others beside him assured him with their words. Aleksandros couldn''t follow their entire conversation, but he could make some simple assumptions about it. However, he could no longer bring himself to care about what was going on around him as he drifted off to sleep. Chapter 4: The onset of a cursed life "You should have the honors, brother." The man in a strange silvery metallic and flexible suit nodded. There was only a slight hesitation before the man gathered his resolve and approached the button which would start this wondrous tower they had built over an entire lifetime of hard work and dedication. There were many that looked on in rapt attention. The excitement of the countless mass of people watching from below could be felt even from where he was at the top of the tower. He could feel their desire and their hope. Of course, turning on all the functions of the tower wasn''t as simple as pressing a single button ¨C this was more of a formality. The tower was already powered, and most of its functions were active. However, this button would turn on the most important part of the tower. The function which would allow all the energy of the earth to pierce that unknowable and unreachable sky. "Here I go¡­" the man mumbled to himself before pushing the button. Nothing¡­ no, everything turned on just as expected. The tower thrummed and hummed as the energy built up within. All could feel the shaking of the earth, and a magnificent aura poured forth into the tower rising towards the top. The energy was immense and overawed everyone who witnessed this moment. It gathered at the very top, building a pressure that could crush the very stars, and then it shot upwards into space like an endless stream. "Strange¡­ why can I hear the sound of singing? What beautiful voices¡­" Yes, I remember now. The chorus of a legion. The beginning of the end. Black wings, dark hearts¡­ the voices became a crescendo and then despair¡­ A quiet fell upon the earth as all eyes looked on with wonder, mesmerized by what they saw. They couldn''t even voice words of horror or screams of terror. They died in droves without even knowing what was happening, so transfixed they were by that beautiful sky. And the world that I loved, all that I loved, was gone just like a dream.
Aleksandros grew up well enough, and his parents showered him with love despite his inability to respond to that love. Though his parents found him to be strange and his actions to be unnatural for a young child, they did their best to understand his temperament. For the most part, their young child did not act as a normal child should. He never cried or complained, and there was never so much as a smile that graced his face. He didn¡¯t laugh or play like the other children, and in his eyes shone a solemn intelligence that did not fit his age. Nevertheless, this did not deter his parents from their affection towards him. I suppose I should feel guilty, but I must keep up my guard. Regardless of their love and kindness, it is only a fleeting thing. This was all the consideration that Aleksandros could give them. He knew that it was only a matter of time, that eventually his cursed fate would ruin the peace and serenity of this household. One might think themselves lucky to be born into a noble house, and Aleksandros¡¯ parents were nobles of some fame within the Alsworn Kingdom. Their territory was of moderate size and wealth, enough to give any a luxurious and comfortable life. While Aleksandros had only been alive for a few years, it was enough for him to learn a few things in passing. Being that he had been too young, it wasn¡¯t easy for him to learn anything of importance about the state of the world he had been born into. However, once he was able to walk, he would attempt to learn whatever he could. Books were difficult to come by, due to his small size and it wasn¡¯t as if he could just ask for them. It was only recently that he was able to acquire a few in secret and glean some information from them. Being only at the age of five, it would be strange for a child to be seen reading historical texts and other such informative works. He was especially interested in the state of the current world he was in and how much time had passed since his last reincarnation. It was difficult to ascertain how much time had passed and how developed the world might be. Thankfully, his parents being nobles had a rather large library. Unfortunately, it was difficult for him to openly access the books in the library and he had to act in secret which limited how much he could learn in a short period of time. It didn¡¯t help that he was constantly followed around by maids and his own personal servant, Brock. ¡°Young master, it is time for noon meal. After your meal, you will receive instruction in basic reading and writing as well as basic arithmetic. Your parents have spent quite a considerable sum in hiring a respectable teacher. You must show diligence in your studies!¡± A male servant that appeared to be approaching middle age, called out to Aleksandros with some urgency. He was wearing a traditional butler outfit and had a certain reserved and dignified air about him. This was none other than Aleksandros¡¯ personal servant, Brock. He was an average-looking man who was well learned among the servants and had been beside Aleksandros since his birth, having taken care of many of his needs. Aleksandros showed little emotion in response to Brock, but he was sighing deeply in his mind as he continued to reflect on the lack of knowledge available to him. He had to pretend that he was an ignorant child in most things and couldn¡¯t show his true intelligence.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Despite holding back, he was already considered to be somewhat of a genius because of how fast those around him perceived his learning ability was. Of course, the truth was, he was already much better educated than any other. He had only just begun his education in this lifetime and so had to be careful in how much progress he showed. Of course his knowledge of the current world he was in was limited so there was some use in the education he was receiving. Other than this, he was also quite frustrated by how underdeveloped the current world seemed to be.In his original lifetime, his world had been much more advanced technologically than this one. In the reincarnations that he lived, he never retained his former memories while he was living those lives so the lack of amenities wasn''t an issue. With his memories somehow being retained this time around, it was a nuisance. Although, he had to admit that the existence of magic within the world brought its own flair and usefulness. He felt it still couldn''t compare with the luxuries afforded through technological advancement though. I suppose I shouldn¡¯t complain too much. My family¡¯s castle is considered to be luxurious for this time period, and it¡¯s not as if I lack for any of my basic needs. Much better than being born into poverty, but how long will this truly last? ¡°Young master, are you listening? Your parents are waiting for you in the dining hall.¡± Brock was impatiently motioning for Aleksandros to follow him.He could only lament the fact that his young master was such a strange child. He still cared deeply for him, having helped raise him since he was only a baby. He also found pride in how intelligent his young master was and could foresee a truly wondrous future for him. Ah, if only his personality was just a bit more normal. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Said Aleksandros emotionlessly. The young boy of five sauntered towards the dining hall seemingly without a care in the world. However, in truth, his mind never grew careless as he continued to remain vigilant for the future he knew would undoubtedly come. The hallways of the castle were decorated in a very flamboyant manner with many gilded decorations and impressive-looking displays. Everything was neatly organized and diligently cleaned; nothing was out of place. The stone floor that resembled a type of marble was covered in impressive and expensive-looking rugs. Much wealth must have gone into the construction of such a large and architecturally impressive castle. On the outside, the castle appeared a formidable fortress, but from within it resembled an opulent palace. Most of the castle had been designed and later redesigned by several ancestors of the family over a long period of time. This showed the extensive roots that Aleksandros¡¯s current family had within the kingdom. Throughout the hallway at set intervals, one could even see paintings of these ancestors spanning back many generations. ¡°Aleksandros, you must strive to be more like your ancestors. They were brave and formidable nobles who brought immense wealth to our house. Do not forget the great responsibility that rests on your shoulders. You are the future of our house.¡± Noticing Aleksandros¡¯s passing glances at the paintings of his ancestors, Brock once again reminded him of his solemn duty as the heir while bearing a look of respect and admiration towards these formidable and influential ancestors. As usual, Aleksandros kept silent. He felt no need to comment on Brock¡¯s lecturing. This was all taken in stride by Brock who was well aware of the boy¡¯s temperament. As they entered the dining hall, his noble father, the Duke of Ianice, was already seated at the head of the table and his mother was seated at his side. They smiled when they saw their beloved son enter. The maids and servants were busily preparing the hall for the meal, and there were other members of the Ianice family seated around the table. These were relatives that were not in the direct line of inheritance as well as some of the nobles under his father. Many greeted him as he entered, despite him being such a young child. He was the heir to the dukedom, and there was proper protocol which needed to be observed, regardless of age. This seemed to be a grand occasion of some kind, but Aleksandros wasn¡¯t sure exactly what was going on. Normally, there wouldn¡¯t be such a fuss for just a noon meal. ¡°Father, this son has arrived. I hope your day has been pleasant.¡± Aleksandros said in practically a whisper. He was extremely articulate for a five-year-old. His father happily nodded his head, ¡°What an intelligent son I have! Truly the pride of this family!¡± Many around the table smiled at his words and added on their own words of praise towards him. The Ianice family was something of a peculiar noble family in that its members were of a much more kind and caring disposition than that of other noble families. It was rare that each of its members were rather close and had excellent relationships with each other. There was none of the backbiting and political intrigue that plagued many of the other powerful noble families that existed within their world. ¡°Father, may I ask what is the grand occasion?¡± Aleksandros asked while taking his seat. His mother turned to him and laughed, it was a pleasant sounding laugh that matched his mother¡¯s beauty and charm, ¡°You are surprisingly talkative today, my son.¡± Both his parents were exceptionally good-looking. His mother had long blonde hair that flowed down her back like a gentle stream. His father especially loved her hair, and she kept it well maintained. Her eyes were sparkling sapphires that shone with a love of life and a certain charismatic glow that had gained the adoration of countless admirers. Her skin was of a light and creamy complexion without scar or blemish. His father, on the other hand, was much more rough-looking but still ruggedly handsome. He was an exceptionally fit man and a powerful swordsman in his own right. He was one of the greatest swordsmen in the kingdom and had won many a duel and competition. He had a majestic presence that inspired fear and awe in many a foe and ally alike. They were the golden couple of the kingdom and one of the pillars that kept it together. ¡°Well, normally speaking, the news we have to share would not necessarily be one for celebration. However, it has been a long time since our country has been involved in any conflicts, and as you know, the republic and some of the outlying kingdoms have been causing trouble for us as of late. We just reached an accord with the Asparian Empire and are finally going to get some payback on all of those scum. There¡¯s going to be war!¡± Aleksandros¡¯s father slammed the table in excitement and loud murmurs spread throughout the dining hall. Most of the nobles and family members present were excited and looking forward to the conflict. However, there was one who was not expressing any sign of excitement or expectation. The young Aleksandros¡¯s expression was completely devoid of any emotion. Looks like it has begun. Chapter 5: The curse rears its ugly head It wasn¡¯t long before they rode to war. Aleksandros watched his father, the Duke of Ianice, and the many nobles under him riding in splendor with all of their knights and levies. Their most elite soldiers wore shining and gleaming mail that glistened in the sunlight. Even the levies were excellently equipped with new oiled leather armor and well-sharpened blades. Assembled were many thousands of men eager for the honor and privilege of fighting for their country and their king. Tch.. fools. Aleksandros couldn¡¯t help but sneer at them in his heart, although he didn¡¯t allow his feelings to show on his face. War is not honorable, and it is not something to seek in eagerness. These fools ride to their deaths, what honor is there in that? No, they are just mere sustenance for the gods. For their deaths and the reincarnation of their souls will give the gods they worship nourishment and strength. Aleksandros certainly didn¡¯t know everything about the gods, but he knew some things. He knew that believers were essential to their growth and power. The stronger those who worshipped them grew in both power and faith, the more the gods would gain upon their deaths. Their souls would grow in potential and the gods would devour that potential, growing ever stronger. His reasons in the past for devouring that potential within whatever souls he could were to disrupt that process. Of course his actions hardly even put a dent in the system of reincarnation which was created by those gods. Nonetheless, he was determined at that time to do whatever he could, given his limited strength. It wasn¡¯t that he believed he could actually make a difference. It was a way for him to vent his frustration and to keep his sanity. Well, whatever was left of it. The procession had gone smoothly, and the Duke had spent considerable time with his wife, his son and his younger daughter over the days preceding the procession. Indeed, Aleksandros had a younger sister who was two years his junior, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to care too much for her. Although he also couldn¡¯t say he cared nothing for her. I suppose she is cute enough. His thoughts were quite complicated on the topic of his sister. She was definitely an exceptionally beautiful little girl. She was still very young, but even still, one could tell she would one day be a beauty. This didn¡¯t matter much to him, he no longer cared about such things. He was much more concerned about what might happen to her because of the curse which affected him. For some reason, this left him with a bit of distaste in his mouth. Either way, he was forced to spend time with his family before his father left. His mother cried tears watching her husband go. Aleksandros¡¯s baby sister was too young to realize what was going on and acted as she usually did. Brock stood beside Aleksandros in order to comfort him if he so needed it, but it seemed his concern was in vain. There were many with varying emotions. Wives watched as their husbands slowly marched away. Children shouted and cried out to their fathers, mothers and fathers to their sons. It was an event both joyous and sad. None of this mattered to Aleksandros, however. He showed no sign of sadness, loneliness or any other emotion regarding his father¡¯s departing. He only looked on while contemplating much within his mind. I have a feeling this war will not be so simple He was busily trying to predict what might be coming due to this war and of course because of his curse. He knew very well that he was never destined to live a peaceful or happy life. This was why he was incapable of feeling anything at the current moment. At least in the past lives he lived, while he was alive as those other people, he remembered nothing about who he truly was.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. It was only this life that was different. Why? Why now? Why can I remember everything? What does it all mean? Unfortunately, he had no answer to these questions. Brock continued to observe his young master with concern, but Aleksandros was too busy to bother with him. As Aleksandros predicted, the war turned out to be not as simple as was thought by all in the kingdom and by his father. The war lasted ten long years with much bloodshed and destruction. Ultimately, many countries were drawn into the conflict. Even the Asparian Empire was drawn into the war despite their previous agreements to remain uninvolved. Many countries fell, hundreds of thousands dead, cities abandoned and ruined. It was a nightmarish, hellish landscape far beyond what anyone expected. Diseases and famine spread throughout the region, leaving many hungry and ill. Being relatively far away from the fighting and the worst of the carnage, the people of the Dukedom of Ianice continued to live their lives in relative peace. But as the war dragged on, it inched and creeped ever closer to where Aleksandros made his home. There was never any doubt in his mind that it would come, only when. He was close to 16 when the war finally reached his doorstep. He had never expected that it would take so long, and he had taken to thinking that each day would be his last. But the days dragged on and the years passed fleetingly. His family grew older. The Duke had long been absent from fighting on the front lines. He had come home a time or two, but he hadn¡¯t returned in many years. Aleksandros¡¯s sister continued to grow even more beautiful than anyone had imagined, but his mother had surely wilted as the war continued. The stress and worry burdened her endlessly. She didn¡¯t even have time to concern herself with her son and daughter. Instead, Aleksandros spent all his time studying and learning as much as he could of the state of the world, given the time he had been granted. He was hardly ever seen walking the halls of the castle or among the many gardens that surrounded it. The maids and servants were deeply concerned with his odd hermit-like behavior, but there was nothing they could do but leave him alone. There was only one person who continued to disturb him despite his self-banishment to the depths of the library. ¡°Brother! Where are you? Are you hiding in this dusty old place again?¡± Aleksandros sighed. Why won¡¯t she just leave me be? Haven¡¯t I made it abundantly clear that I do not wish to be bothered by anyone? ¡°Brother!?¡± His sister shouted with her melodic and song-like voice. Aleksandros attempted to slink away into a corner with the book he was reading. It was a book titledHypothetical Magical Formations and Theories.Aleksandros was especially enthralled by the concept of magic which didn¡¯t exist in his former, original lifetime. Well, he shouldn¡¯t say that magic didn¡¯t exist. Perhaps it always did exist; it was just that they hadn¡¯t tapped into it due to their world being focused on the study of the sciences. He had some theories about this particular topic but had no one to discuss his theories with, and ultimately, they were only conjectures. There was no way for him to test his theories at all, and the world he was living in now was clearly one of magic and not science. It¡¯s strange actually, but I believe that power was magic. When we built the tower of Babel, there were some questionable theories that I developed through inspiration. Could it be that there was more to that than what I thought at the time? I always found my inspiration for the construction of the tower to be almost mystical and strange. It was as if there were something, or someone guiding me. ¡°BROTHER!?¡± The shouting had become almost a squeal of anger as his sister became more frantic while looking for him. If he didn¡¯t come out now, her voice would probably go hoarse from the shouting. ¡°Shelise, I am here.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come out sooner? You surely heard me! Were you hiding from me on purpose?¡± Her glare was almost frightening, but Aleksandros remained unmoved. His expression was bland as it always was. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look, can¡¯t you at least move your lips a little bit? You are worse than a doll!¡± Aleksandros sighed inwardly as his sister went off on one of her tirades. ¡°Well, enough lecturing. Brother, let¡¯s go outside for a walk! I want to see the western garden, and I want you to accompany me!¡± His sister was always like this, and it was most likely another one of her attempts to introduce him to some young lady in hopes of piquing his interest. He was about ready to refuse, but the gong of bells rose furiously, uprooting the quiet noon. ¡°Those are alarm bells, are we under attack?¡± Shelise gave Aleksandros a questioning look which was laced with a twinge of concern. ¡°Is it that time?¡± Aleksandros mumbled under his breath, causing his sister to give him a second glance. ¡°Brother, do you know something?¡± ¡°Shelise, get to safety quickly. We are all in danger.¡± Chapter 6: The one who cant escape its fate "We must hurry and escape. Run as far away as possible. We must not remain here, no matter what. We must escape!" Shelise had never seen her brother speak so passionately or show such emotion before. She couldn¡¯t speak for a moment due to the shock of seeing her brother¡¯s strange actions. ¡°Are you listening to me!?¡± Aleksandros shouted, probably the first time he had ever done so. This only perplexed his sister even more. "Brother, what''s wrong? Do you know what is going on?" Her voice was shaking. The words and actions of her brother were scaring her. ¡°A calamity is about to fall upon our heads. I¡­. don¡¯t wish for you to be hurt by it. So please, we must run. Run away as fast as we can!¡± Aleksandros words became calmer, and he returned to his usual demeanor which only confused Shelise more. ¡°Brother, you must be joking with me.¡± Aleksandros shook his head and realized it wouldn¡¯t be so simple to convince her. ¡°Let¡¯s go, follow me.¡± Aleksandros took Shelise¡¯s hand and pulled her along. She was surprised by his touch and almost pulled herself free, but Aleksandros gripped her firmly and didn''t let go. Shelise had never seen her brother act as he was now doing. She couldn¡¯t even remember the last time he took the initiative to actually touch her. Her brother pulled her along, and they ran out of the library into the main castle hall where there was now a large commotion. Servants were running around chaotically to and fro. Brock finally noticed Aleksandros and rushed towards him. ¡°Young master, young lady, we must go! Quickly now!¡± Shelise yanked her hand away from her brother and asked in a quivering voice,¡°What¡¯s going on Brock? Can someone please explain to me what is going on?¡± ¡°The Dukedom is under attack. I don¡¯t know much more than that. Let¡¯s hurry to the Duchess.¡± Brock led the way as the three hurriedly dashed through the castle to the assembly hall where the Duchess was sure to be. There were servants and soldiers everywhere running to complete their orders and objectives. Aleksandros wasn¡¯t entirely sure of what was going on, but he could guess. The enemy most likely had finally reached their home after so many years, and this meant that the armies of the kingdom at the battlefront had lost. The Duke must be dead, and perhaps even the king for the enemy to have breached so far into this kingdom. Well, I knew this day would come sooner or later even if I didn''t know exactly how it would come. Aleksandros was not surprised in the least. He had been preparing his heart for this day for a long time now. He was only surprised that it had taken so long. It was rare he was able to live as long as he had in this lifetime. When they arrived in the assembly hall, Aleksandros could see his mother frantically giving out orders to the commanders left defending the castle. She was clearly preparing to abandon the castle and escape with as many people as possible. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, what does this mean? Has my husband lost the war? How could the Republics and the Empire have broken through our battle lines?¡± The Duchess was shouting at no one in particular. She was clearly perturbed and having difficulty composing herself.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "Mother, what is going on?" Shelise rushed towards her mother and asked frantically. ¡°Good, Aleks and Shelise, you are here. You must escape towards the capital. It is no longer safe here!¡± ¡°Mother I don¡¯t understand. Where is father and the king? Aren¡¯t our armies fighting the enemy at the border?¡± The Duchess halted and calmed herself momentarily, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t even want to imagine what this means. Do you understand Shelise? The only thing now we can do is escape. We do not have the manpower to hold this castle. It''s not safe here, and we must escape. Our soldiers and commanders will handle the defense, and we will retreat to the capital with the people." Shelise was about to speak but was stopped by Aleksandros who placed his hand on her shoulder. ¡°Just listen to mother.¡± Shelise nodded and visibly calmed after hearing her brother¡¯s words. "We will only take the bare necessities and leave immediately. We don''t have time to take much. The people are already being gathered, and soldiers have been assigned to guard us on our escape to the capital." A small regiment was quickly put together to guard the citizens living in the castle and its surrounding areas, although it would be too difficult to gather everyone in such a short time. Those who could assemble quickly attempted to head towards the convoy which was set to head towards the capital. Within an hour those who could be gathered had been, and the convoy left the castle with five hundred soldiers to escort them. It wasn''t a large force, but their scouts had reported the enemy still being a day away even if they marched quickly. There were thousands of civilians among the convoy, all of those who could assemble within that time period. Unfortunately, there were many thousands who could not be assembled. The word had been spread regardless and they would still have the opportunity to escape if they so wished. Most of the people gathered here were maids and other servants as well as those living within the castle town itself. The convoy left the castle and headed as quickly as it could in the direction of the capital. Despite their best efforts, the convoy creeped along slowly due to the sheer number of people on foot and the chaos of their situation. It was difficult to keep the people calm and moving along at a steady pace. Aleksandros acted as if he were an observer watching the chaos unfold from atop his horse. He could only feel like none of this were real. It was as if he were just a passenger in someone¡¯s life not his own. His sister remained near at his side, but she was strangely quiet. Being near her brother calmed her nerves. She could see that nothing ever seemed to bother him and this gave her confidence. Their mother rode at the front of the convoy, she didn''t bother to look back, and one could easily see that her nerves were taut. She had once been a great beauty, but the stress and worry visible in her bearing and face had marred that beauty. Nonetheless, she was a great noble with a proper upbringing and she wouldn''t allow any of her worry to hold her back. She still had the poise and charisma of the duchess that she was as she led the convoy. A few hours after they had left the castle, the sound of horns blared from somewhere in the distance in the direction they had traveled from. The Duchess called a stop to the convoy and summoned one of her officers to her side and proceeded to discuss something with him in whispered tones. She suddenly turned to look at her son and daughter with a look of worry that spoke volumes. It seems that the danger has caught up to us. I''m strangely calm. Is it because I have already accepted my fate? Aleksandros was well aware of what those horns meant. ¡°Brother, do you know what is going on?¡± Aleksandros turned to look at his sister, but he remained silent. She didn''t bother to say anything further and looked towards her mother discussing with the officer ahead. Their mother soon rode back towards their side. ¡°Aleks, Shelise. The two of you¡­ I am going to send the two of you away from the convoy. You must travel quickly and keep yourselves well hidden. Aleks, do you understand my meaning? Brock will go with you and keep you safe.¡± Aleksandros simply nodded, he was clear on what was going on and what his mother intended. Brock, on the other hand, wore a grim expression. One might not be able to tell from his usually servile demeanor, but Brock was a powerful warrior in his own right. He had even achieved an advanced class and had some fame within the kingdom. With his experience and strength, he would be able to keep the two safe or so their mother hoped. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t understand. Won¡¯t it be safer if we stay with the convoy? Why are you sending us away?¡± Before her mother could respond the sudden sound of bangs could be heard somewhere in the distance. "Those are the sound of gunshots from a magic-infused gun. These guns are newly invented magic guns from the republic. Their dragoneers are outfitted with these as standard equipment.¡± They were surprised to hear that Aleksandros was so knowledgeable about the weapons of the republic and that he could tell just from the sound of those distant bangs. ¡°Are you certain of this?¡± Asked the Duchess with some doubt. ¡°Yes.¡± Replied Aleksandros firmly leaving little doubt that he was confident in his assessment. A look of fear momentarily crossed his mother''s face but was replaced in the next moment with fierce determination. Chapter 7: Why do I care? Aleksandros had spent much of his time studying and was especially interested in magic despite not being able to use magic himself. Strangely enough, he appeared to have no real talent as a wizard or warrior unlike his prodigy of a father. It didn''t stop him from studying as much as he could about it. Magic guns were something that was newly invented and being researched in several nations. They were a combination of magical research and the ingenious engineering of the dwarven race. Originally the dwarves had created guns which made use of gunpowder, but these weapons were of limited use and were more for artistic expression and perhaps the thrill of hunting rather than weapons of war. These guns were reminiscent of ancient flintlock pistols but functioned very differently. The reason being, magic. The reality was, that magic was far more powerful than science could ever be in many respects. This was perfectly showcased in Aleksandros memories of the destruction caused in his earliest of memories. He shuddered at the horror of that time. Magic came in many shapes and forms. From powerful spells to powerful abilities. Even warriors used a form of latent magic when using their most powerful of abilities and skills. Clerics called on the divine for blessings and to use their healing spells and supportive auras, but even this was a kind of magic, divine magic.In simple terms, magic could be described as anything which caused a supernatural or unexplained phenomenon. Meaning, phenomenon that could not be explained by science or traditional common sense. The world Aleksandros currently found himself in was a world dominated by magic but there were bits and traces of the sciences still evident in it. Although this would be considered knowledge that was extremely ancient to what Aleksandros knew in his original lifetime.However, Aleksandros conjectured that magic could replace science in many respects and that society could eventually develop into something far more advanced than his former world. Of course, this was something which wouldn''t happen for a long time based on the rate of progression of the world from what he could see. Either way, he knew very well what these guns represented. A fusion of magic and science with lethal practicality. The guns didn''t even require gunpowder. There was a sophisticated and intricate magical formation carved on the body as well as the hammer of the flintlock styled gun. The hammer struck the body causing the magic within to be activated. The formation would then draw on the magic infused into the bullets. It wasn''t even necessary for the gun user to be able to use magic themselves.For those who were capable of magic though, they could even draw further power from the guns and use various abilities with the gun as a catalyst. With this knowledge in mind, Aleksandros realized that the convoy was in a very precarious situation that would be difficult to be extricated from. "I have spent considerable time studying the latest in military technology, especially in regards to the application of magic within a variety of weaponry and arms." "Mother just trust him. Aleksandros has spent the last several years living in that dusty old library! It''s all he does. You might not be aware of it, but he almost never leaves it." Chimed in Shelise from the side. Clearly, she didn''t have a good impression of her brother''s hobby. The Duchess frowned at hearing this. It was true that she had greatly neglected her children over the past several years due to her depression and increase in duties because of the absence of her husband. She hadn''t truly been able to take care of her children. This was something she regretted immensely. "I see. I didn''t know, I''m sorry." "There is no need to apologize mother." "If what you say is true then we need to quickly set up a defense. The dragoons are light cavalry with small arms, and we won''t be able to outrun them! The two of you, go now. Brock, take them and go! I will remain here with the soldiers." "Mother no! You must come with us!" Shouted Shelise unwilling to abandon her mother.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The Duchess brought her horse close to her daughter''s and raised her hand to gently cup her daughter''s face. Her smile was one filled with sadness and grief which she couldn''t keep hidden from her children. "My daughter, you must live. No matter what happens to me, you and Aleks must live on. You two are the only ones of our family left." The Duchess released her daughter as tears rolled down her once young and lovely cheek. She turned and rode away without looking back. She immediately began shouting orders to the soldiers who began getting into a defensive position. Aleksandros attempted to grab his sister''s reigns to pull her along, but Shelise forced his hand away. "No! I won''t go." She protested. "Brock." Said Aleksandros without any need for further instruction. "Young miss, it is time to go. Please don''t make me force you." Shelise looked at Brock with tears in her eyes and looked one last time at her mother and then angrily turned her horse to follow along without saying anything else. The three turned in a western direction and left the convoy. The convoy was a large enough distraction that they thought they could easily get away in the chaos. They were riding for only a couple minutes when they could hear the sound of dozens of bangs from the magic pistols of the dragoneers. Some loud shouts which were carried across the wind made their way to the three who were hastily making their escape. Shelise attempted to turn back but Brock forced her to continue. They rode as fast as they could through the brush and trees hoping to get as much distance as they could. It was a warm and sunny spring day. Normally, it would be a perfect day for a ride but for these three the day had become one of despair.The world had turned strangely quiet except for the sound of the horse''s hooves against the hard earth and their ragged breathing as they galloped. It was a speed which was unsustainable for a long period of time but they pushed the horses as hard as they could. This is not good. Aleksandros had a sudden sense of ill foreboding. From the south, he could see dozens of soldiers on horseback appearing unexpectedly. This was not the direction they had escaped from which meant these particular Dragoons had separated from the main group at some point in time. Most likely they had sent several small groups in different directions in order to spread out a wide net. For what purpose, he had a pretty good idea. He was certain that they were searching for him. "Dammit! Why are they here now!?" Brock shouted, "You have to keep going! Don''t slow down! I will hold them off as long as I can." Brock turned his horse and pulled the thin blade out of the scabbard at his side. It was similar to a rapier and he was quite proficient in it. He charged towards the rushing dragoneers who aimed their magic pistols at him and fired. A torrent of magic surged around Brock''s blade as he swiped his rapier in an arc deflecting the magic bullets which were aimed at him. They streamed out of the guns like beams of elemental light and collided with the magical energies of Brock''s thin blade. He charged into their formation, killing two of them in one fell swoop. There were dozens however, and they surrounded him, forcing him back while several others charged forward ignoring him. He was only one man and couldn''t stop the others from charging after the two siblings. They were apparently the target of these dragoneers and Brock was a mere distraction. Aleksandros and his sister didn''t look back. They rode on without hesitation. Shelise was scared out of her wits and was barely holding on as best she could. She couldn''t even afford the luxury of looking back. Aleksandros, on the other hand, was determined to see his sister to safety although he wasn''t quite sure why. His feelings were complicated. Naturally, he should feel nothing for her, this was only a temporary stop for him. He knew that soon he would die and return to that horrid place only to be taunted by that being. What did one short lifetime matter to him? Why should he care about this sister who was only related to this physical body he was currently inhabiting? If not for her, he would have long welcomed the embrace of death. Maybe it''s because of her smile.. No.. It''s the way she never gave up on me no matter how I pushed her away. Enough! These kinds of emotions are the last thing that I need! His thoughts were muddled but he shook them off and urged his sister on. They soon lost sight of Brock but could still hear the sound of gunshots. They rode for several minutes before the enemy was once again in sight, rushing towards them and firing their pistols. Their horses were clearly of a superior breed and were perhaps even enhanced with some type of magic. Is there really no way that I can escape my fate? At least let her live¡­ These thoughts crossed his mind as time seemed to slow, strangely, but surely he could feel it. A strong and queasy feeling hit him very unexpectedly, and for a moment he heard the sound of angels. No¡­ BANG Chapter 8: The birth of the Soul Eater A loud gunshot broke through his strange mental state. It was closer than he expected and the sound of angels disappeared from his mind. Instead, he heard the scream of a young girl. He turned his head and watched as his sister fell from her horse and tumbled roughly across the ground. "NO!!" Aleks shouted, pulling the reins of his horse violently which caused the horse to throw him. He flew off the horse and hit the ground almost causing him to become winded. He could hear the laughter of the soldiers as they slowed their horses and surrounded him. "The girl is dead for sure. The son seems to be the only one left of their family alive." Aleksandros could hear the dragoons talking to each other, and he knew. They were all dead. His father, mother, and his sister. It was too late, but he realized that there may be a chance he actually loved them in some strange and twisted way. The world suddenly went dark. A thunderous and agonizing scream broke forth from his lips without him being aware of it. His mind went blank and then filled with the sound of a thousand wails like the harrowing screams of a horde of banshees.Strange numbers and symbols flitted across his eyes which reminded him of the computer screens he once stared at while avoiding sleep developing the technology necessary for the Tower of Babel. He was only partially conscious unable to fully process the extreme amount of information flitting across his eyes and drilling into his brain.His body shook and twitched violently shocking the soldiers who were previously laughing at his misfortune. "What''s going on? What the hell is wrong with him?" "I don''t know. Let''s just kill him quickly and get out of here. This kid is freaking me out!" The soldier next to the officer nodded his head in agreement and lifted his magic pistol to fire at Aleksandros. But before he could pull the trigger, the soldiers were suddenly blinded by an excruciating light that exploded like a flash of lightning. The wails and cries that blared in Aleksandros''s mind were no longer just figments of his imagination but had become tangible and real. The Banshee''s wail, the souls of the departed wailing in despair and in grief. Strange, eerie, and ephemereal wraith like beings flew out of Aleksandros''s body and released their soul crushing screams. The horses of the dragoneers went wild, throwing off the soldiers as they crazily jumped around in fear and madness.The thrown soldiers covered their ears and shouted in pain as they rolled on the ground. Their pain was not from the collision with the earth, but a soul searing pain that drove them insane.They felt as if their very souls were being brutally torn from their bodies in the most excruciating way possible. They weren''t wrong. Their bodies soon shriveled up as the ghastly wraiths released from Aleksandros''s body savagely ripped their souls from them, turning their bodies into decayed husks.The experience wasn''t any better for Aleksandros whose brain felt like it was being clawed and dug into by ravenous worms. His hands grabbed viciously onto the side of his head as his nails dug into his skin cruelly.He was unaware of what was happening as the pain he was feeling was too great. An exorbitant amount of power was fluctuating rapidly around his body as the wraiths swarmed around him feeding off the souls of the dead dragoneers. A gleaming pillar of light soared into the sky seemingly piercing the heavens with its majesty and power. Brock who was still engaged with several dragoneers turned along with them to look at the pillar of light coming from where the others had run off to. Their fight halted momentarily and the dragoneers shuddered in fear. Brock steeled his nerves and pulled on the reigns of his horse, driving it towards the light.The other dragoneers who were making quick work of the convoy saw the pillar of light as well. The massacre had temporarily ended as they stared into the sky, their hearts slowly being overcome with dread. They had already killed hundreds of those who had fled with the convoy and hardly any of the kingdom''s soldiers remained. The body of the Duchess was visible and unmoving within a pool of blood on the floor. She died with a look of self-pity and grief. The soldiers of the kingdom and the Duchess had fought them with murderous fervor but had been outnumbered and defeated with little effort. They couldn''t match up against the dragoneers with their magic pistols and superior mobility.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. All eyes within the area were staring at that strange and unyielding pillar of light which was gone almost as quickly as it had appeared. A loud rumble shook the earth in the vicinity of Aleksandros, and his body finally calmed from the violent shaking. He had regained his consciousness but was shocked into silence. What is this? Words flashed across his eyes. It reminded him of the visors some wore in his original lifetime which were computer screens. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing. How is this possible? Booting¡­ Tower of Babel activated¡­ Refreshing and analysing status¡­ Can not connect with host frame¡­ aborting¡­ loading local data¡­ "I can''t believe this. This screen, this information. Tower of Babel? I don''t understand, the tower was destroyed.. Wasn''t it?" Aleksandros muttered under his breath with confusion. This was clearly the operating screen of the Tower of Babel, but how was it visible within his mind''s eye? "Is it within my mind¡­ Could it be connected with my soul? Is this the reason I was able to deviate from the gods'' plans for me?" Checking Status¡­ Class: Soul Eater (Level 10 MAX) Race: Human Ascendant Health: Injured Soul Potential (SP): 10017 "This¡­ I know I devoured the potential that was in many souls, but Soul Eater? I have a class? Wait, this is similar to the system that the gods created, but I have never heard of this class before. Also, it is impossible for someone to view their class and status without seeking the gods at a church or temple. How am I able to see this? It must be connected somehow to the events that took place at the Tower. It''s all too much for me right now. I will have to carefully review this at another time." Aleksandros shook his head and cleared his mind. The information continued to process across his retina but he wasn''t in any condition to look through it now. He willed it away and the information disappeared from his sight. He realized he could control whether the information was present or not. "Ugh.. my head is pounding. I feel like someone beat me with a hammer." Aleksandros struggled to his feet and finally realized where he was and quickly glanced around is surroundings. "It''s too quiet¡­" All of the dragoneers were dead to his surprise but even worse was the state their bodies were in. They were dried husks and decayed corpses. "What could have done this? Did I do this? I vaguely remember something strange happening. Even the horses are dead¡­" Aleksandros stumbled his way around the area inspecting the bodies. The corpses didn''t bother him in the least. He had already witnessed countless deaths. After inspecting the bodies he was uncertain what to do, but he knew he had to get as far away as he possibly could.He saw the silhouette of a single rider approaching in the distance. Aleksandros couldn''t recognize him at first, but then he realized who it was.It was Brock, and he was riding fast towards Aleks. Once he could clearly see Aleksandros standing there surrounded by corpses, his first reaction was relief and then shock. "Young master! You''re okay! What.. happened here?" He was at a loss for what to say and could only stutter as he spoke. Aleksandros observed the state that Brock was in. He was visibly ragged with cuts in his uniform in several places. Blood stained the lapels of his uniform and also smeared his chest. He frantically looked around the area with his sword still unsheathed but couldn''t find a single enemy or strange occurrence remaining. "I don''t know Brock.. I blacked out, and when I came to, they were already dead." Brock looked at Aleksandros for a long time before finally sheathing his sword. He felt like he had truly gotten old. "Your sister.. I''m sorry I couldn''t save her.. And your mother.." "That''s enough, don''t say any more." It was clear that anger frosted his voice which surprised Brock. He had never seen such emotions of rage in his young master but thinking about what had transpired he could understand. Even though Aleksandros had been one who never showed emotion or care for anything, Brock thought it would be more monstrous of him to not show any at this moment. "Young master, we should quickly leave this place before more dragoneers come." Brock walked his horse over to where his master was struggling to keep on his feet and dismounted. He helped lift him carefully up onto the horse and got on the horse in front of him. The two rode off into the horizon in search of safety. Neither of them knew what was to come. "They will pay Brock. I will make them all pay. Every. Last. One." Brock could feel the determination in his young master''s voice, but he completely misunderstood his words. In his mind, his master was seeking vengeance against the countries that caused the death of his family. However, this was only part of his intent. It was the gods that he wished vengeance upon within his heart. Chapter 9: The passionate (K)night (1) Andor''s Edge, a city built along the great Andor river. This river stretched for thousands of miles and stood as a gateway between the North and South of the vast continent of Lotheran. Because of its central position along the river, Andor''s Edge was an important and prosperous city of trade. Its wealth lined the pockets of many merchants as well as the lord''s who ruled this powerful city state which was a member of the Federation of Lords. Being the second largest city and the wealthiest among the several city states, it was an influential part of the Republic. Since the great Andor river split into two separate arms which ran parallel to each other, the city was built in parts spreading out from the central area located between the northern and southern arms of the river. The Lord''s district was built on the northern bank of the north arm of the river and was a home to the wealthy merchants and powerful families that ruled the city. The central area between the northern and southern arms was the center of commerce for the city and it was where many of the merchants and citizens belonging to the middle class lived. On the southern bank across the southern arm of the river was where the slums were located and where the poorer denizens of the city lived. Those who could not afford to live even there, hid deep within the sewers and labrynthine pathways below the city. It was in the slums that a person of questionable origins appeared to be wandering aimlessly through the cities darkened alleyways.This was a darkness that could easily eat away at a man¡¯s heart.In this world, the darkness held untold dangers. Amongst them, walked a man whose face was covered in cloth.Between the dim moonlight and the garb he wore over his head, the fact that his face was covered in bandages mattered little. Most of his body was covered by his cloak which prevented others from seeing the bloodied shirt he wore within.The smell was also obstructed by his own foul stench. Brock would not be pleased. It¡¯s a good thing I left him where I did. I don¡¯t want him to be a part of this if it can be helped. The blood on his shirt belonged to an unfortunate thug, one who had tried to rob him thinking that he was an easy mark. Little did the thug know that it had all been a ploy. For the cloaked and mysterious individual needed coin, and the thug was going to provide him with it.A prostitute was the reason that he sought coin. Neither the appearance, the age nor the health were of importance to him. His only prerequisite being that the prostitute was female and alive. This was going to be the first time for him, and he wanted it to be memorable, but he felt no need to be too discriminating. Many were seduced by the city of Andor¡¯s Edge. It catered to both the upright, and the more nefarious denizens of the society. Anything could be procured, for a price. Whether that be life, death, or something in between. The city was a playground for the rich, built on the backs of the unfortunate.Finding a willing prostitute in such a place would be as simple as flipping a coin. However, the thug did not have much coin on him, and so it would be impossible to hire a high-class prostitute. He ventured into a back alley leading to the run-down area of the city. While not as safe as the other areas, this one was more convenient for what the hooded man intended to do. It didn¡¯t take long to find that which he was seeking. A heavily muscled man was standing outside the door of a low-class brothel, a crude drawing of a woman¡¯s lips kissing a phallus was visible on a wooden plaque next to him. It would have been difficult to find were it not for the illuminated torches. The burly man was most likely a handler. He was responsible for the safety of the prostitutes and would also collect the brothel¡¯s fee at the door. These individuals were often connected to large criminal organizations and tended to act with a certain amount of impunity. Coin was exchanged, it mattered little that the client had wrappings covering his face. There were plenty of clients who did not wish anyone to see them entering a brothel. Nobles with power and wealth, merchants of high standing, even those in religious orders. To the handler, this was just another client who didn¡¯t want to be seen.As long as the price was paid, anything was fine, and so the handler let the mysterious man enter the brothel. The hallway inside of the brothel was narrow, with just enough room to walk single file. The building itself was small, huddled into a corner of the already densely packed city. It was hardly a surprise that the inside of the building was so compact. This is a low-class brothel after all. Not only was it dirty, but there was a distinctive odor which was made up of a myriad of scents.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Cheap perfume, liquor, smoke, and I think... sex. The cramped hallway eventually broadened, opening up into a central area with many doors on either side. There were also additional hallways, each with doors lining the corridors. In many of these rooms, there would be other clients who having paid the fee, were now being accompanied by one of the low-class brothels¡¯ prostitutes.All the hooded man had to do was choose from one of the open doors. Inside he would find his prize. Inside he would a find a woman, a woman who would soon become his. Lacking any semblance of privacy, other than that of a closed door, the sound of moaning, fucking, and screaming could be heard from within. The man with his face in cloth wrappings paid them no heed. Instead, he walked towards the farthest open door in the brothel. He was of one mind, and nothing else in this place mattered to him. He approached the door, entering and closing it behind him. It was a simple room with no decorations. It had a bed and a chair, and that was all. It wasn¡¯t necessary to provide the prostitutes with much in the way of luxuries.However before the man could finish closing the door, a woman had put her arms around him from behind. She whispered in his ear, ¡°hey baby, I was waiting for you.¡± Her voice was sultry and tantalizing, and of course what she said was a lie. It wasn¡¯t as if she was waiting specifically for him, anyone would do.Turning, he gently pushed her away at arm¡¯s length and looked at her through the slit in his wrappings. She doesn¡¯t seem afraid, he mused to himself. She was wearing heavy makeup, and was nothing special to look at. Her body was somewhat malnourished and the cheap perfume she wore tickled his nose. He didn¡¯t really expect much from a cheap prostitute, but this one was even less than he had anticipated. A thought came to him as he looked at her with pity, This poor soul, she is probably just happy someone came. He had every intention of saving her from this life of poverty and shame. The prostitute lifted her hands to the man¡¯s face, ¡°won¡¯t you take off these wrappings so I can see your handsome face?¡± The man took her hands in his and brought it to his side, placing her arm around his waist. ¡°There is no need for that right now, why don¡¯t you take off your clothes and lie down on the bed,¡± the man instructed her with a firm, but calm voice. The woman gave him a demure smile and tried her best to seductively remove her clothing. She then laid down on the bed in a provocative manner, legs outstretched, revealing her well-trimmed groin. She teasingly played with her labia while moaning and stretching her neck. The man began undressing, taking off his cloak, loosening his belt, and removing his pants and finally his shirt. He was naked from the neck down, with only the cloth wrappings still visible on his face. The prostitute made sure to visibly ogle his manhood which was surprisingly not yet erect. This did not dissuade her however. ¡°See how wet you¡¯re making me? Hurry over here baby, I will show you how good I am with my mouth,¡± the prostitute lightly bit her lip in anticipation while calling the man over to her. He walked over to her and stood over the bed she was laying on. He stood directly over her body. The prostitute sat up on all fours and attempted to bring her mouth to his phallus, but the man stopped her. ¡°Do you wish to see my face?¡± he asked her. She was a little surprised that he stopped her, but only momentarily. She recovered and gave him a coy smile, ¡°I would love to see your handsome face baby.¡± ¡°Then lay down on your back.¡± The naked woman laid down on the bed as the man had instructed her. She wasn¡¯t expecting the man to get on the bed as well, but it didn¡¯t bother her. He kneeled on the bed with her legs between his, and he began to unwrap the cloth on his head. The cloth wrappings seemed to consist of multiple pieces. The woman let out a slight gasp. The man was far more handsome than she had expected and her heart began to beat even faster. She could barely look at him at first out of shock, but she smiled, happy at her good fortune meeting such a handsome and well-endowed man. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind, I have a¡­ certain fetish.¡± The prostitute gave no reaction to the man¡¯s words, many of the clients who frequented the brothel had one strange fetish or another. These women¡¯s lives were not really their own, so anything was allowed in this place. All the prostitutes here could do was hope the client wasn¡¯t too violent. Prostitutes had even been killed by clients. Anything was allowed, but if a client was too violent or killed one of the prostitutes, they would have to pay an additional fee. She really hoped he wasn¡¯t the violent type. Chapter 10: The passionate (K)night (2) Numbers, symbols, and words flashed across Aleksandros¡¯s retina. Something only he could see. The woman before him was not aware of this, and she shirked back slightly at his words. ¡°What¡­ what do you want me to do?¡± She didn¡¯t plan to say that so nervously, but she couldn¡¯t hide the concern in her voice. The man noticed her concern and said, ¡°don¡¯t worry, you have nothing to fear from me. This is my first time you see, and I have always wanted to try bondage. I want to tie you up, is that okay?¡± Surprisingly, the man¡¯s voice was gentle and soothing, there was no hint of violence in his voice.She visibly relaxed. She was used to clients who liked to tie up the prostitutes. It got them off and made them feel like they were dominating the women. It gave them a sense of power and superiority, at least this man didn¡¯t seem as if he wished to harm her. She didn¡¯t believe for a second that he was a virgin though, but she would play along. ¡°Of course, baby, you can tie me up any way you like. What position would you like?¡± The handsome man seemed happy with her answer and replied, ¡°just like that, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tie it too tight.¡± He proceeded to tie the woman¡¯s arms and legs to the bedposts with the same cloth wrappings that he had used to hide his face. He was true to his word and didn¡¯t tie the cloth tight enough that it would cut into her skin, but she was unable to break free. He had been very gentle while doing so which is why she felt relaxed with him. In fact, as he tied her, she continued to entice him with her body. When he was done tying her up, he still had one piece of cloth in his hands, the others had all been used up, ¡°this will be the most unpleasant part, I apologize in advance.¡± She didn¡¯t understand what he meant by those words, but never the less they sent a chill down her spine. What does he plan to do? That question lingered in her thoughts, and now she was afraid.The man leaned forward, stuffing the remaining cloth into the prostitute¡¯s mouth. She reacted slowly as she didn¡¯t fully realize what the man was doing. She tried to scream, but the sound was muffled. She was now terrified of what the man was going to do to her, and no one would be able to hear her scream. While the woman¡¯s body began to tremble in fear, the man stood up and then walked over to his belongings which were strewn across the floor. He removed a dagger from somewhere and walked over to the prostitute. He looked down at her, he could see the fear deep in her eyes and he tried to calm her, ¡°you have nothing to fear my dear, you will soon be free, that I promise you.¡± These words did not alleviate the prostitute¡¯s fears and she tried to struggle against the bindings that tied her to the bed. She could not break free, but she was not deterred, she was far from willing to just accept her fate and so, she struggled with all her might. The bed shook with her efforts, but no matter how she tried, it was in vain.She screamed, hoping that her voice might reach someone, but no one came. Her world felt small, and she thought it would soon come to an end. Even though her life had not amounted to much, she would regret losing it. She ceased her struggle abruptly and looked up helplessly at the man standing over her, naked and holding a knife. There was no expression on his face, neither one of pleasure nor of pain. She couldn¡¯t understand what was motivating him and all she could do was beg him with her eyes not to kill her. What he did next was unexpected, he suddenly cut his left arm with the knife and began applying the blood that came out over her body. First, over her head, which caused her to wince in disgust. He then sprinkled his blood on her breasts, and down her body. There didn¡¯t appear to be a pattern with how he was applying his blood on her. From what she could gather, all she could tell was that he did not seem particularly bothered by what he was doing. After the man was done, he dropped the knife to the floor and applied pressure on the wound with his right hand and waited patiently. The prostitute who was now covered in blood could only stare in shock, not knowing what the man planned to do next. He seemed to be watching, observing her for some unknown reason.It was more than that though. He was analysing all of the data before his eyes and communicating with the system within his mind. Tower of Babel activate, creation menu. Creation menu activating¡­ Begin creation process. Creation process begun... Scanning...Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. All of a sudden, her entire body was wracked with extreme pain. Her body started to convulse, but because of the bindings, her body could only move slightly. The cloth in her mouth also stopped her from biting her own tongue as her body violently spasmed. She could no longer think, it felt as if her brain was rattling against her skull.The pain she felt was greater than anything she had ever felt before. It was an indescribable and excruciating pain. What was worse was that she felt it in her entire body and within her soul. Scanning of Human body and soul complete¡­ Begin soul purification process? ¡°Yes.¡± Soul purification process activated¡­ The man stood over her once more, now with a twisted and smug smile on his face. The first real emotions he had shown since coming to the brothel. He looked down, satisfied, as if he had finally accomplished something he had been longing to do. ¡°Don¡¯t worry dear girl. I will mold you into something truly beautiful. You will be untainted and pure in both body and soul. You will be mine and mine alone. The gods shall not have you!¡± Soul purification complete¡­ Begin physical molding process? ¡°Begin.¡± Aleks went to work placing his hands over the body of the prostitute whose soul was now pure. No longer was it tainted by the mark of those foreign beings he hated. It wasn¡¯t actually necessary for him to touch the woman, it was enough that his mind envisioned the changes. Her physical form had already been scanned into the system within his mind which had mystical and magical properties.This was only one of his abilities but certainly the one he considered the most important to his plans. The power of creation. It wasn¡¯t quite as lofty as it sounded. He couldn¡¯t create something from nothing, but the system granted to him by the Tower of Babel allowed him to create a new life using the shell of someone already living. His power would purify the soul, and then he could shape the body of the living. In turn, he would create a new life with a new consciousness and a pure soul untainted by the mark of the gods.They would truly and surely belong to him alone. It is a power similar to a god. If I were my old self, I would certainly have laughed and criticized my hypocrisy. However, I can¡¯t change the reality. This power has been granted to me. I am an Ascendant, one who could become a god. One who stands on the threshold of divinity. I only lack the fusion of laws within my body. At least this is what the system tells me. I do not wish to be a god, but this is the only way I can achieve my revenge. I don¡¯t quite understand it all just yet. I¡¯ll make it up as I go. Aleks had come to terms with it. It had already been years since the death of his family in this life and the onset of his powers. He had studied them profusely, but there was still not enough information. If he could connect with the main tower core, perhaps he would gain some more answers.For now, he was pleased with the changes that were happening to the prostitute and was eagerly watching as her body was being molded and shaped in accordance with his will, her soul also being warped and purified by his influence. Because this was his first time creating a new life, he didn¡¯t want to make any mistakes. He had studied the details in his mind meticulously, looking through the various menus in his head, each one explaining the process of creation. He had already prepared the settings to shape the prostitute¡¯s body into a form that he found aesthetically pleasing. The only issue is the cost. Several thousand SP. This is going to hurt. SP is necessary for me to use any of my abilities. It is the power I gain when I absorb the souls of the living. I have become a parasite, just like those despicable beings called gods. But I must fight fire with fire. It¡¯s what I have chosen. The shape of her face, the color of her eyes, race, hair, chest size, everything could be modified according to his will. Every change came with a cost, but at least the molding of the body was nothing compared to creating a higher level being. For his first creation, it would be important to empower her with enough strength to be of use to him. It would be relatively costless to create a low-level being, but she was to be his first commander and companion. No, she must be great in every way. She must have beauty, strength, and skill. Nothing less will do! She must have blonde hair and sapphire eyes just like my mother. Long legs, graceful and well shaped. A bevy of curves and fine-tuned angles... Fuck I sound like a pervert. Aleks shook his head and composed his thoughts. So what? Who would judge me? Why wouldn¡¯t his creations be anything but beautiful, and more importantly, aligned with his tastes? He continued to modify her body in his mind. Thankfully the settings were intricate, and everything could be changed down to the smallest detail.He found it enjoyable sculpting her body and once she was done, he would be familiar with every detail of her. He would be aware of every curve, and any small imperfections that were left out of fondness. Every single aspect of her. The process was not as enjoyable for the former prostitute however, it was in fact, very painful. If it had been the him before his family died, perhaps he would have had some slight hesitation. As he was now, the only thing that mattered were the results. Bah, 500 SP just to shape her body! That¡¯s the equivalent of the souls of 5 basic class ranked Humans. Hmm¡­ I hope I have enough SP to accomplish what I want. It¡¯s worth it though, her beauty is unexcelled in this world. She reminds me of my sister.... Chapter 11: The passionate (K)night (3) Once the body was sculpted, there still remained much to do. For now, she was a body without a personality, and the soul still needed to be shaped properly as well. The person she was no longer existed, not in body nor in mind.He continued his efforts to shape her by shifting through the menus in his mind, looking through the various traits that he could assign to form her personality. In essence, he had to choose the essential core positive traits and/or essential core negative traits. These core traits would form the basis of her personality and would guide her existence, but she would still be able to learn and grow. She was a living being after all, and as such, was not limited by these essential traits. Instead, they were more like a starting point for her personality. As for negative traits, it would seem unwise to select any, but there were benefits to selecting negative traits. First, it would help offset the cost of creation in SP and secondly, there were benefits to be gained if the negative trait aspect could be overcome. These benefits could be boosts to abilities, new skills, or even positive attributes. There was one limiting aspect to his creation: Every change he made to her whether physical or mental required ¡®Soul Potential¡¯ or SP. SP could only be obtained by devouring the souls of the living.It was similar to a point system with well-defined costs. His abilities also incurred costs in SP to use. His body strangely contained no mana and instead was filled with a different but equally mysterious power. Sculpting an entire body incurred a cost in SP dependant on the sheer magnitude of changes. The more he shaped and sculpted the body, the more SP it would cost. There was a scale which wasn¡¯t made visibly apparent, but he could at least see the cost being deducted in real time in his retina.He had to be careful while shaping the body so as not to waste any of his SP. Once this was finalized, he would not be able to go back and change anything without incurring a greater cost in SP. On top of that, each positive personality trait would cost a specific amount of SP depending on the type and effect of the trait. Positive personality traits were costly, while negative traits would refund some of the cost of SP used in creating the personality. It was an intriguing and well thought out system. He could only wonder at how such a thing came to be and what was its origin. I never designed this into the Tower of Babel so I can only speculate on how I was granted this power. Not everything about the Tower of Babel can be so simply explained. Even I, the one who designed it, received mystical inspiration that I can¡¯t fully explain. There is also the influence of that strange power which radiated from the Tower itself when I activated it. It''s just a shame I can''t use this system on myself. If I could alter my appearance and strengthen myself with this system, things would be a lot easier for me. Aleks browsed through the traits, and also looked at the negative ones. He realised that while the refund given when choosing negative traits may not seem that appealing at first look because one could always just acquire more SP, there were underlying benefits to choosing a negative trait. A negative trait could eventually be overcome with time and effort which would lead to many benefits. My first must be a great commander and general and she must have tact and wisdom. I will need her to not only command my future subordinates and soldiers but be able to navigate the intrigue of politics. I don¡¯t need her to be specifically a diplomat or skilled in coercion, but she must not be easily fooled by plots and manipulation.Hmm, Charismatic is the first choice. She must have charisma. It¡¯s expensive¡­ it might not seem like much but choosing classes and ranking them up is going to be quite exorbitant. 100 SP down the drain. Charisma is a primary trait, so it is expensive, as is Wisdom but they are necessary. Another 100 SP spent! That is a total of 200, but let me pick a few of the lesser traits. These are 50 SP each, so I will choose two. Loyalty, this is important not because I am concerned for myself, but this will ensure her loyalty to her subordinates so that she will consider their worth and not expend them needlessly. The other should be prudence which is a sub-trait of wisdom, but necessary I think. I really want Courage too¡­ but to spend another 100 SP¡­ I have to. That is a total of 400 SP. It¡¯s almost as much as it cost me to shape and mold her body. I could offset the cost with negative traits... Well, let me continue for now. Once the personality was set, he would need to decide what kind of profession she would have as well. This meant deciding a general direction that the creation would take. For example, there were combatant and noncombatant professions. When designating a creation as a combatant, a direction would need to be chosen.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. There were three general directions which could be chosen under combatant, melee, ranged or magic. These were the basic classes of Warrior, Wizard/Mage, Archer, etc. All soldiers and lower leveled adventures fell under this category. It was difficult to raise one¡¯s rank and would require one to gain great strength and power. There were thirty levels within the basic classes, and once one reached the max level of thirty, they could then advance into an intermediate class. The intermediate classes were further subsets and more specified roles within the basic overall branches. For example, a Warrior could now become a Knight or a Wizard/Mage could focus on a specific element becoming a Fire Mage for example. Within the ranged classes, there were also a diverse array of classes such as Gunman or Ranger. The intermediate classes also had thirty levels which needed to be achieved before one could then rise to an advanced class. Advanced classes were even further specialized and would give one great power. Only the most elite of soldiers or high ranked adventurers would achieve these heights. Paladins, Great Mages, Warlords, and other powerful classes made up the advanced classes. Like the the lower classes, there were also thirty levels, and once one reached the pinnacle of their advanced class, they would be level 90 and extremely powerful. This wasn¡¯t the end though, beyond that were Master, Legendary, and Mythical classes. There were only 10 levels within each of these. Those who rose to a Master class and could reach level 100 were at the pinnacle of power. These were the Archmages and Dragon Knights as well as a variety of other classes of equal power and might. Those that could somehow rise beyond this and achieve Legendary status were even rarer. Their power and might was incalculable and beyond the understanding of most people. There were only rumors of those who had achieved a Mythical class however. These were the most powerful of beings that walked the mortal realms and they themselves were already on the cusp of godhood. These beings were known as Demigods and had the opportunity to transcend beyond their mortality if they could accumulate enough divinity and fuse the power of laws with their own unique domain.Beyond that was mere speculation, for that was the realm of the divine and the gods. Once a general direction was chosen for the creation, the creation itself could then manage how they wished to grow under that direction themselves. There were endless possibilities within these general directions. Some of these being Swordsmen, Knight, Assassin, Fire Mage, Water Mage, etc. Gender was of no concern either, both men and women could reach the absolute pinnacle of power. He eventually finalized the details of his creation, choosing to make her a combatant who would follow a melee profession. Since she was his first creation, he needed to create a strong warrior who could manage and lead his future creations. She would also be very important for his future plans, and so he created her with that goal in mind. Basic profession, Warrior. Let me rank her up too so I will max out her levels, and she will become a Knight. After that, we will see. Raising her level to 60 is already going to cost me considerable SP. Wait¡­ each level costs 100 SP and granting a basic and intermediate class has a base cost of 1000 SP each. That¡¯s a total of 8000 SP and if I add in the cost already incurred previously that totals 8900SP. So expensive¡­ I would have only a little over a thousand SP left. I need more SP just in case I need to use my abilities often. In the end, he decided to give her one negative trait. Primarily because the advantages outweigh the disadvantages if she could overcome it and secondly because it would refund a modest amount of SP. The negative trait he gave her was ¡®Jealousy.¡¯ Jealousy was a dangerous negative trait to give, but it would refund a staggering 500 SP of the cost of creation. Not only that but, if she could overcome her jealousy, she would greatly benefit from it. Overcoming jealousy would increase the effects of her special aura abilities on all subordinates under her command providing bonuses to both their attack and defense. On top of that, she would gain a unique ability ¡®Heroic Aura¡¯ which would boost all of her stats and abilities by a modest amount. Definitely worth it. I will have to ensure that she is able to overcome her jealousy at some point. It might not even pose that great of a problem in fact! He was quite confident in this despite his earlier concern. Now that his creation had finally been completed, he accepted the changes in his mind. The woman that now lay on the bed in front of him was completely different from the prostitute who was there before. They were, in fact, nothing alike, not in physical shape and condition or in mind.This was a newly born creation, one that was untouched by any other¡¯s hand. He admired his own work and praised his creation in his mind. Shortly afterward, his creation opened her eyes for the first time. They were a vibrant and stunning Sapphire color just like he remembered of his mother and sister in this lifetime.Now that she was awake, he loosened the wrappings that had been binding the prostitute previously and freed his creation from those shackles. After a moment of confusion, the woman rose and kneeled before the man who had created her. She seemed as if she was uncertain how she should act or what she should say. She looked up at her creator with expectant eyes. ¡°M..a..s..t..e..r¡± The woman spoke for the first time, her vocal chords still had some trouble working properly. The man proudly looked over her and gave her a name, ¡°Your name shall be Lenia.¡± The name of his mother in this lifetime who died. ¡°L-E-N-I-A,¡± she struggled to speak her name. Chapter 12: New Birth (Lenia¡¯s POV) Being born is not a simple process, but being born from the life of another?The pain was excruciating, but eventually, the pain receded and consciousness was obtained, a new life had indeed been born. She opened her eyes for the first time. Adjusting her newly formed eyes to the light was difficult, but she soon gained focus.It was not just the physical form which was newly made, but also the mind, and her mind also took time to adjust to the very first moments of her existence. Once her eyes gained focus she saw for the first time the personage of the one that created her. She knew he was the one who created her because it was driven deep within her psyche. Her creator, this man, was the one who she belonged to and no other. She felt an immense joy fill her very being, a joy she did not want to share with anyone. For she was jealous of that connection which bound the two together and afraid that someone might take it away.The woman quickly rose and kneeled before the man who had created her. She would not keep him waiting, her very being screamed to serve him with her life. It might have been an aftereffect of being so newly born, but she didn¡¯t want the feeling to fade. This was more than just love, it was an absolute obsession. This obsession possessed her like a burning flame and with such strong feelings she was uncertain how she should act or what she should say in front of her beloved creator. She could only look up at him with expectant eyes. ¡°M..a..s..t..e..r¡± She spoke for the first time with some difficulty since her vocal chords were only recently shaped along with the rest of her body. The one she had named master looked at her and spoke: ¡°Your name shall be Lenia.¡± He had given her a name. She was elated that her creator had deemed her worthy of one. She did her best to speak her name. ¡°L-E-N-I-A.¡± It felt like a wonderful name with great emotion behind, but she would have liked any he had given her. She noticed a strange look in her master¡¯s eyes but she was still too inexperienced to understand it. It looked like he had some reaction to me saying my name? She asked herself within her mind but could only wonder in silence. Even if her words were still shaky due to her new birth, her mind was already functioning somewhat properly. She would just need time to gain life experience to understand her master more.However even if her mind was functioning relatively as it should be, Lenia¡¯s personality hadn¡¯t fully stabilized yet. She exhibited emotional instability which resulted in her excessive servile behavior towards her master. She would always be his creation and as such would always be tied in some ways to his will. This connection was mysterious but not unpleasant and once her personality had gone through its essential development stage she would begin to act more like an independent person. This would never negate her connection to her master but she would eventually be able to express a more individualistic behavior according to the core personality traits her master had set for her. Aleks had never intended to create a puppet even if he felt a certain possessive nature towards his newly created being. It was impossible for him to remove the strange connection he had to those he created but he wanted each one of his creations to be their own person with their own will.Whether it was possible that in the future one of his creations might choose to go against him, he didn¡¯t know. Lenia was uncertain how to act, and so she continued to watch her master whose face suddenly changed from a look of pleasant pride and solemn contemplation to something unpleasant.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Good. Now, take this dagger and go and kill every person in this building.¡± Hmm.. why? She thought to herself in a simple matter but didn¡¯t dare voice the question. She was confused. It wasn¡¯t as if she didn¡¯t understand his order but she began to wonder why he had asked her to do such a thing.However, the thought was only momentary. She took the dagger from his hand and walked out of the room they were in still naked. She was pleased to have been given an order from her master and she wanted to please him in the way a child wishes to please their parents. The building she was in was strange to her, she had no knowledge of it but she felt as if she did. In fact she felt an urge of curiosity to look around but knew she couldn¡¯t tarry long. My beloved master is waiting after all! She practically hummed a tune as she thought of what her master¡¯s expression might be when she returned successfully to him. Will he smile at me? Oh.. maybe he will say something nice.. The thought of her master complementing her or even just giving her a slight smile made her feel happy.As she wandered around she could hear many strange sounds she had never heard before and she wondered what they were. Why are there so many people moaning? Oh.. those sound like cries of pain¡­ There were several doors before her in the corridor she was in. In the end, she chose the nearest door which happened to be unlocked and entered as quietly as she could. What she saw, she didn¡¯t quite understand.A naked man was standing behind a naked woman who was bent over the bed. The man was thrusting violently at her rear while heavily panting. They were too engrossed in what they were doing and didn¡¯t even notice her enter the room. Lenia observed curiously for a moment much like an inquisitive child. She turned her head to the side cutely and placed her right pointer finger to her lip. She pressed down on her lip completely unaware of her unconscious act. Why would anyone enjoy that? It looked unpleasant to her but she couldn¡¯t figure out what it was they were doing. They haven¡¯t even noticed me entering. Is that a form of torture? I think I will sneak up on them quietly! Even though she didn¡¯t understand what the man and woman were doing, it wouldn¡¯t affect her completing her mission. Her master had asked her to kill every person in this building and so she silently approached the man from the back. She deftly put the dagger through the back of the man¡¯s throat. He had no chance to cry out. Blood started gushing out and down onto the body of the woman who was bent over the bed. She had very little time to react to the strange sensation she suddenly felt as the man no longer was able to continue with his thrusting. Lenia quickly withdrew her weapon from the man¡¯s throat and then embedded it into the skull of the woman who had been bent over the bed. The two had lost their lives without even being able to react to the danger that they were in. She would never hesitate to kill for her master if so ordered.The movements were fluid and without hesitation. Lenia had been born with the might of a level 60 Knight and the skill of a hardened warrior. Her power was right on the threshold, just a step away from an advanced class. Killing these unfortunate people was like slaughtering insects, no more difficult than cutting through butter. I thought I would feel something. Hmm.. I don¡¯t feel anything at all about their deaths. Is that normal? Lenia thought that she would feel something at taking a life, but she was surprised that she felt nothing. She felt no remorse, regret or grief. She wondered why she felt nothing. No, it would be wrong to say she felt nothing at all. She felt a degree of disgust. ¡°Eww.. some of their blood got on me.." She stood there, naked, holding a dagger and some of the blood of her victims had fallen on her body. She felt dirty but not the kind of dirty you feel when covered in filth or grime. It was a much more debased kind of dirty, as if she had been soiled by some inferior being. The feeling was strange. These humans didn¡¯t appear much different from herself. She was human as well, but at the same time she felt as if they were nothing alike. She was not like those humans. As she looked upon them, it was as if she were looking upon an insignificant rodent whose sole purpose was to be exterminated. This feeling almost overwhelmed her, but quickly faded soon after the outburst of emotions. Oh well.. I¡¯m not done yet.. I hope I don¡¯t get any more blood on me.. Would master find me disgusting then? Chapter 13: First Steps There were still more to kill and so she went about her dirty business, slaughtering the hapless and unfortunate people who had made this brothel their stay for the night. There was much she still didn''t understand, and the sights and smells she experienced in that place were all new to her. I''ll ask my master when the time is appropriate. She thought it must be something of significance since every Human she killed that night, beside the burly man at the door, was partaking in it.Massacring the humans in the brothel was a simple task. Most of the people didn''t even notice her presence until they lost their lives and the few that did notice her didn''t even seem alarmed at her presence. They welcomed her, calling her over to partake in their strange ritual. Surprisingly, they didn''t question the blood on her naked body. Instead they were becoming visibly aroused by it, though she didn''t understand why that at the time Would master have the same reaction? I feel disgusting though¡­ Once the deed was done, she returned to the room where her master was and found him sitting on the bed. He still hadn''t put on any clothes, but he had wrapped his face in cloth once more as if that were the most important place he needed to cover.Lenia observed her master to see if there were any reactions to seeing her naked and covered in blood but there were none that she could tell. If he had a reaction she might have to consider doing it more often. After observing for a moment, Lenia quickly kneeled down before him and said, "Master, they are all dead." She seemed to have disrupted him from his thoughts and felt a pang of guilt for disturbing him. He paid it no mind much to her relief, "Good. Lenia, you did well. I am pleased." Her heart fluttered at his words of praise and she felt her face getting hot. She quickly stammered, "No.. no need to praise me master, I was simply doing your will." She had somewhat lost her cool but quickly collected herself. She didn''t want to look the fool in front of her creator. He looked at her through the slit in the cloth, but she couldn''t tell what his expression was. His voice was gentle when speaking with her, "A kind master should always praise his subordinates. Especially when they do good and Lenia, you do not need to call me master. Call me Aleksandros." "But master, how can I call you by your name? You are my creator, it would be disrespectful to call you anything but!" Lenia couldn''t justify in her mind the thought of showing anything but the utmost respect for the one who created her. "Lenia, it would be a great pleasure for me if you called me by that name. Isn''t that enough?" She had no words to refute his request for her heart only burned ever brighter. Her master had bestowed upon her a great gift, his name. He even said it would please him if she called him by it. She didn''t want to disappoint him. "Alek-sandros." She said his name while testing it on her tongue. Her master looked at her with his covered face. She wished she could see his expression and thought it a shame that he had covered his face again. Seeing him gave her comfort. "Hmm.. or Aleks will do." He added almost as an afterthought, but in his mind he was somewhat nervous. It was a foreign feeling to him but that was what his mother called him when she was alive and the memory sent a slight wave through his heart. Outwardly he may have seemed calm, cold, and devoid of emotion but inwardly he was a mess in many ways. "Lenia, come with me." Lenia quickly rose and followed her master out of the room and into the first room where she had killed another. "Lenia, did you know that when a person dies their soul remains within their body for three days before it ascends?" He said this while standing over the dead bodies of the man and woman she had killed earlier. "No mas¡­Aleks, I didn''t know that." She didn''t really know how to respond to him, her knowledge of life, in general, was still very limited. Still she was curious and decided to ask more, "What is a soul?" Her master continued to look down at the dead humans while he answered her, "A soul is what we really are. It is more than just our consciousness, it is our very essence and it resides deep within our physical form in a very special place. These humans you see here, normally their souls would ascend to a certain place.. Well, I don''t need to talk much about that place but they would be eventually reincarnated into new lives."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Aleks paused for a moment and turned to Lenia saying in a deep tone, "However, these souls won''t be going there.At least not at the moment." His answer made some sense to her, because she thought she could feel some kind of connection within her to her master. She wondered if that connection had something to do with her soul When Lenia heard the last part of what her master said she didn''t understand what he meant. She crinkled her nose curiously and asked, "What do you mean their souls won''t be going there at the moment?" For a moment Aleks said nothing. He was surprised by her cute gesture and was momentarily at a loss for words. "Let me show you." Aleks unwrapped the piece of cloth covering his mouth. To Lenia''s surprise, her master opened his jaw wide and sucked something right out of the two dead humans. She couldn''t believe what she had seen and she couldn''t really describe it in words, but something was sucked out of the humans. Normally, this wasn''t something a person could see but Lenia could. Her master seemed satisfied and turned to her, he appeared to be smiling. "Did you see? Their souls are now a part of me and have become my strength. Well, it isn''t so simple as just that. Souls are eternal, they can''t be destroyed as long as the Origin of the world they are bound to exists within the world in some shape or form. I won''t get too technical here, but even these souls I devour, they aren''t truly being consumed by me. Beings that have souls, over time and as they experience life growing ever stronger, their souls develop potential. It is this potential that the gods crave and it is also this potential that gives me my power. Once the potential of their souls have been completely absorbed within my body, their souls eventually will return to the cycle of reincarnation to be born again." Lenia was having some difficulty understanding her master''s explanation and she looked at him with a perplexed expression. "If you don''t understand, that''s fine. It''s enough if you realize that devouring souls makes me stronger." She nodded her head, she could easily understand that her master not only could create life like hers, but he could also take the very essence of others by force and grow stronger. She didn''t feel much pity towards the humans who had lost their souls and said with a smile, "It is good that such worthless beings have become your strength!" She believed her words had pleased Aleksandros. "Lenia, I want you to find some suitable clothing from within this building for both yourself and I. Take whatever you see which might be of some value but be careful when choosing so that you only take something that will not go amiss." Lenia nodded and quickly went about her master''s orders. She did wonder whether any of these humans would have suitable clothing for them to wear, but she didn''t question her master''s command. She went about the various rooms looking for anything useful or of some value as well as clothing for them to wear. She needed to find clothing which had not been bloodied or dirtied in any way. Her master had commanded her not to take anything which would be noticed, but she wasn''t entirely sure what he meant by that. Noticed by who?She thought to herself. She scavenged through the belongings and found what she believed to be suitable clothing to wear. She had also taken a few knick knacks here and there that seemed like they might be of some value. While Aleksandros was busy devouring the souls of those she killed something had caught her attention just as she was returning. It was the glint of a bracelet that had belonged to one of the prettier women in this place. She had never seen a bracelet like this before and it wasn''t just pretty to her eyes it was simply beautiful.The bracelet was made of gold with several gems embedded in it. She stared at it not sure at what she should do. Was this one of those things her master had warned her against taking, an item that if missing would be noticed? Her hand glided along the surface of the bracelet and she was tempted to put it on her wrist. It looked beautiful on her and the more she looked at it the more she wished to keep it. In the end she decided to take it with her and like a child, hid it so that her master wouldn''t notice. She would surprise him when the moment was right thinking that if he saw it on her later, it would please him and he would look at her and only her. This was a simple and childish thought stemming from her jealous nature but her mind was still developing. She returned to her master who had finally finished devouring the souls of all the people within the building. She held out the loot she had scavenged from her victims and beamed a bright smile at him. "Look! Aleks, I did what you asked! Are these valuable?" she happily asked. He seemed to be satisfied with her performance, but it could have just been her imagination. It was difficult to see his facial expressions under the cloth but he patted her head and said, "You have done well. We can sell some of these things to buy food and other necessities and these clothes you chose are better than what I was wearing before. You have a good eye for these things." Every word of praise made her smile all the more. "Thank you master! Oops! I mean.. Aleks." Her master chuckled, it was the first time she heard him laugh. "Let us get dressed and return home, we have much to do." They quickly dressed and Lenia followed her master outside and into the night, through the dark alleys of the city. He led her into the sewers beneath the city of Andor''s Edge. She followed him for some time. She tried her best to remember the various landmarks her master pointed out to her and the twists and turns they needed to make. Her master made sure she understood that it was important she learnt how to navigate the sewers so that she could find her way to their home. Why does my master live in such a disgusting and dreary place though? I just don''t understand. There was quite a lot about her master that she couldn''t understand. His actions seemed strange to her. Chapter 14: A predictable outcome (1) ¡°Aleks¡­.¡± His new creation was looking at him like a child with a hint of confusion on her beautiful face. No, her perfect face. She will undoubtedly draw the attention of many eyes, but I have made her strong, ¡°What is it Lenia? If you have something to ask of me, then do so. You need not hesitate.¡± Lenia still felt a degree of fear for her master, although it wasn¡¯t the kind of fear that made her worry for her life but a fear out of respect for a being she owed her existence to. ¡°Why¡­ why do you live in this horrid place?¡± She went right to the heart of the matter I see. ¡°A very pertinent question. It is indeed unfortunate that I must reside in this squalor but do not fear. It is only temporary¡± Alek¡¯s voice bore a hint of majesty, something not very befitting of a man living in such conditions. The ¡®Soul Eater¡¯ had only recently arrived in this city and had come with no wealth to speak of. He had left his servant Brock somewhere outside the city in a humble place to wait for him. He didn¡¯t want Brock to know what he intended to do in this decadent place. Brock was his only connection to his past in this lifetime. A part of him didn¡¯t want to taint that part of his life. Aleks had come to terms with his fate, but he wasn¡¯t about to allow those petty foreign gods who had invaded his world to have their way. Whatever it takes, however long, I will have my revenge against them¡­ somehow. His determination was not one to scoff at and he was unwilling to accept that there wasn¡¯t a path for him. I will make this world my own and dye it in my colors! You will not have the last laugh you cursed beings! This desire had become his new ambition. ¡°Ah! So it is just temporary¡­..¡± Lenia was still naive, there was much she needed to experience and learn. Since she was Aleks¡¯s first subordinate, she needed to become a capable leader. Aleks had spent the majority of the ¡®¡®Soul Potential¡¯ he had obtained in the past when creating her. Despite the fact that he was able to consume some SP from the humans that Lenia had killed in the brothel, most of their souls were of low quality and mostly worthless. Hence he wasn¡¯t even able to recuperate even a small percentage of the SP that was used. Normal people who hadn¡¯t obtained even a basic class were powerless. Their souls were weak and the SP that Aleksandros could obtain from devouring their souls was hardly anything at all. A mere 10 SP for a single normal soul. There were some variation between the different species that lived in their world, but these variations were mostly minor. Either way, not even a tiny drop in the bucket. High-quality souls were what he needed, the souls of those who had obtained classes. The higher the rank, the more value their soul contained. Even basic classes would only provide a meager 100 SP per soul consumed. This was still not enough to achieve his ambitions. However, the amount of SP that could be obtained rose exponentially when reaching higher classes. The soul of an Intermediate class being of high level was worth around 500 SP and an advanced class being of high level was worth thousands depending on the quality and power within their soul. It wasn¡¯t as easy to quantify beings which rose to an advance rank because of how powerful they could be. If I could devour a being which has reached a Master class¡­ How great that would be! I shudder to consider how much SP I could obtain then¡­ Aleks had only begun his rise to power and there was still so much to do. This is as lowly a place as could be for a start point. I¡¯m living in a sewer, wearing rags. But.. When I see the wonder I created before me it fills me with rapt expectation. Lenia was already quite the powerful being. She had cost almost 9000 SP which was certainly a greater amount than he could obtain from an Intermediate class being but there would of course be some loss of efficiency between what could be obtained by inferior beings and the cost to create superior ones. Or at least, that was how Aleks saw things.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Regardless, Lenia was expensive to create but well worth the cost. He could only admire his creation as she looked up at him with childlike eyes filled with awe and perhaps even some type of love. ¡°Lenia..¡± ¡°Yes mast¡­ Aleks?¡± While he was absorbed in thought, he realized Lenia was still staring up at him from her kneeling position. He must have looked the fool to her being so absent minded and so he called out to her. ¡°You must understand that you are an exceptional being. You are a level 60 Knight and among the people of this world quite powerful but you still must be careful. Even though you are strong, there are still those stronger than you.¡± ¡°But master, surely you are the strongest.¡± Aleks smiled at her naive expression. ¡°It may seem that way to you but even I am not the strongest.. At least not yet.¡± Lenia looked at Aleks with doubt clearly written all over her face. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to believe him but she didn¡¯t voice her doubts so as not to anger him. Her immaturity and inexperience was laughable to Aleks who could clearly understand her just by watching her expressions. ¡°You doubt me eh?¡± ¡°Never master! I would never doubt you!¡± Aleks chuckled. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not important right now. You must understand that being careful and mindful at all times is what we need do until we grow stronger. For the most part though, you should be fine. Only the most powerful of adventurers and the strongest beings among certain organizations would be able to overpower you. That is only temporary though, once I devour enough souls I will be able to bestow upon you a higher rank and greater power. You have a great advantage over all the people living on this world. Others need to acquire power through painstaking efforts. They can only grow in strength through experience and hard work, but you are different. You do not need to fight and kill endless amounts of enemies be they monsters or people, or spend numerous hours in training and meditation. You do not need divine faith, extensive study and research or any of the other methods that those who live in those world require in order to advance. For you, it is enough that I grow stronger because as I grow stronger, so shall you. With the ''Soul Potential'' that I acquire through consuming the souls of our enemies, I will continuously improve your strength and raise your level. At that time, very few will be a match for you.¡± Lenia looked very pleased and considered her master¡¯s words. ¡°Good! Then I will be able to protect you always, right master?¡± ¡°I told you to call me Aleks.¡± ¡°Sorry ma.. Aleks.¡± ¡°When the time comes, you will be my greatest commander. You will lead my armies and crush my enemies!¡± Lenia jumped up with joy unexpectedly and pumped her fist, ¡°I will definitely not let you down master!¡± Aleks sighed and shook his head but couldn¡¯t bring himself to reprimand her. She reminded him so much of his sister in this lifetime who he lost at such a young age. If only I could see her again. It is true that you never know what you have until it¡¯s gone. You would think a being of my experience with all that I know, would have truly understood that a long time ago. With all that I have lost¡­ but life is strange and fickle. Even when we know something, it doesn¡¯t mean we truly understand until it hits us like a hammer and crushes our still beating heart. ¡°Master, you are being quiet again¡­ It¡¯s strange when you do that.¡± Tch. Aleks felt his face twitch beneath the cloth covering it at her words. ¡°Nevermind that! There are many things I must consider. It¡¯s time to give you a small test.¡± ¡°A test.. ?¡± Lenia looked at Aleks questioningly. ¡°We are lacking in basic supplies. As you can see, we don¡¯t have anything here. No food or water and our clothes are ragged. I do not wish to draw attention to myself so I will send you to purchase some of the basic things we need. For now, I will give you a list of supplies to buy or acquire by trade in the city above. You are to sell what we looted from the brothel and obtain the items on the list. This is a test for you to overcome, see it as such.¡± Lenia seemed pleased to have been given an important mission. Wait, is this really that important of a mission? She couldn¡¯t help herself from suddenly thinking. She was beginning to question things on a deeper level which was a good sign of her development. When she thought about it more deeply, she began to consider her master¡¯s words. ¡®Maybe he wants to see how well I can do among other people!¡¯ This wasn¡¯t far from the truth but not entirely what Aleks had in mind. One of his goals was to allow her to gain experience by interacting with others without him but there was much more to it than that. ¡°Oh, and one more thing. Do not draw attention to yourself, is that clear?¡± ¡°Of course mas¡­ Aleks.. I will be very careful. You can rely on me to carry out this mission!¡± Excellent determination, she is maturing quickly. ¡°Then go, I will rest until you return.¡± Lenia left him there in the silence. Aleks watched her go and he sat back in the squalor of the strange storage room located somewhere below the city of Andor¡¯sEdge within the sewers. It may seem as if it were a strange sight, but in fact it wasn¡¯t that strange. There were many of the poor and destitute of the city who lived among the sewers. Aleks had kicked out the previous occupant of this particular room who was just a poor beggar. However, Aleks wasn¡¯t just wasting his time. An inordinate amount of data was fluttering across his retina as he perused the information available to him. He had many plans and much was at stake. It shouldn¡¯t be long now. Chapter 15: A predictable outcome (2) (Lenia¡¯s POV) Left, right, left, and straight! Finally! Lenia was concerned she would lose her way, but thankfully she was capable of remembering everything her master had told her despite it only being once. She was amazed she didn¡¯t get lost and thanked her master for so ably creating her. Lenia didn¡¯t want to fail the very first mission her master had given her after all. Climbing the ladder leading out of the sewers beneath the city was a chore. She couldn¡¯t understand why her master had to live in such a disgusting place even though he had explained it to her properly. I suppose I just can¡¯t understand someone of his magnificence. Oh.. Maybe I am the one lacking and my master¡¯s home in the sewer serves some grand purpose! Although I really hope we can find somewhere more suitable to live soon¡­ As Lenia pushed open the sewer entrance leading to a secluded alley in a corner of the slums, she vowed to do whatever she could in order to ensure that her creator lived a life deserving of his grandeur. She pictured herself and her master in magnificent palaces, with wonderful tasting food and other grand luxuries on display. The thought sent a shiver of excitement down her spine as she imagined it. Ugh! Brought back to reality by this rat-infested alley. And look at my clothes!? I look like a pauper. Hmm, I didn¡¯t realize how bad it was earlier. I wonder why? Fortunately, there didn¡¯t appear to be anyone around to see her exit the sewers. That¡¯s a relief! Don¡¯t want to fail right at the beginning. It would most likely be suspicious to see a young woman like me exiting from the sewers. Taking a step forward, she stumbled on a cobblestone and ripped part of the leather sole of her right pump. A pump was a type of light low-cut turn-shoe which was tight and didn¡¯t require lace or fastening to keep it on the foot. It was popular among the peasantry of the world and was simple and made mostly of leather and fabric. She wore a simple linen garment underneath an outer garment made of a thin wool. Her clothes were what she acquired from a brothel house and weren¡¯t exactly the height of fashion. The republic was known for its fashion sense and style and she would surely stick out in the light of day like a sore thumb. Even more so because of her exquisite and unnatural beauty and charm. There was no way to hide, even under such haggard clothing, her long, silky, luscious golden hair and soul stirring sapphire eyes. No matter what she wore, her pure and unwavering gaze along with her shapely and well formed body would send anyone in a daze. Lenia didn¡¯t see it that way however and sighed. As she looked at what she considered to be horrid and wretched attire she was yet again reminded of her current sorry state. It didn¡¯t seem to bother master much¡­ but I just can¡¯t accept this. With an even deeper sigh, Lenia continued on her way through the side streets to the main road which ran throughout the city connecting the various districts. It was quite uncomfortable walking with a broken pump on the ill-maintained cobblestone streets and the distance from the slums to the central trade district was not short. She would have to wander through the slums for a few miles before she could cross the bridge over the southern arm of the Andor river. The bridge was the only way to reach the trade district and the bridge itself spanned quite the distance extending at least a mile or more in length. Walking through the slums was an unpleasant experience. Many eyes were on her from the moment she set foot in the wretched place. Eyes filled with murderous and envious intent. Most people wore little more than rags and smelled of urine and feces. She would have undoubtedly gotten lost without ever finding her way if her master hadn¡¯t explained to her the way to go and given her a basic map drawn on cloth. Navigating the slums was like navigating a maze and even though she had her master''s instructions, she still almost got lost a time or two. While it did take some time, she had successfully navigated her way out of that piss hole and towards the more vibrant parts of the city. There had been one too many lustful gazes on her for her liking but no one had the courage to approach her. The aura of a Knight she emitted from her body unconsciously kept them at a distance. This beautiful and young vibrant woman was strangely giving off an aura of power which showed the disparity in level between them. Killing one of those miscreants would impede my mission and be a waste of time. I must hurry out of this place. Crossing the bridge constructed of an unknown material was quite the momentous occasion for her and she was in awe of its size and the view of the river from atop it. River boats easily as large as ocean bound vessels sailed beneath the bridge which showcased the immensity of it. How long must it have taken to build such an immense and towering structure? Of course with magic, such things were not quite as difficult as Lenia thought it might be. There was a toll to cross the bridge, most likely put in place to keep the poor living in the slums from wandering into the wealthier areas of the city. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. She received many strange looks from the guards patrolling the bridge checkpoint, but having the funds to pay the toll with a little extra added in kept them from asking too many questions. Her master had instructed her on how to act and exactly what she would need to do so she wasn''t surprised by any of this. She paid the excessive toll fee plus the bribe and continued on her way. She completely ignored the looks of lust sent her way but felt inwardly disgusted by them. They didn''t even seem to care that she looked like a filthy beggar due to her haggard clothing and somewhat dirty appearance. Or perhaps this only increased their lustful intent towards her. The trade district of the city was immensely different from the slums that she had come from. Not only was it filled with citizens in a variety of bright clothing, but there were also many market stalls that lined the streets on all sides. There were quite a few large buildings and warehouses destined to be used for trade as well as storage.Lenia was shocked at the huge contrast. It was like she had stepped into a whole other world. This district is truly incredible and lively. So vibrant! Look at all the beautiful clothing and jewelry! So many rich and luxurious people! It seemed to her that one could find anything here amongst the many market buildings and stalls so long as one had enough coin.Despite Lenia¡¯s desire to return to her master as quickly as possible, she got caught up in all of the new sights and smells of the city. Everything was still a new experience for her even though she did possess some basic knowledge of the world at birth. Now that she found herself in a more civilized part of the city, she decided to put the bracelet on that she had kept hidden while traveling through the slums. She caressed the smooth metal and rubbed her fingers on the gems while smiling happily. For reasons she couldn¡¯t fully understand she found herself greatly attracted to the beautiful jewelry. It doesn¡¯t really go with my clothing though¡­ Lenia was quite the beauty and her mismatch of clothing along with the bracelet she wore made her stick out like a sore thumb. She wasn¡¯t aware just how much she stuck out and continued on her way, ignorant of some of the eyes that followed her. The fact that that she was carrying a sack filled with an assortment of things which she had looted the previous night didn''t help either.It wasn¡¯t as if the knick-knacks she had stood out, it was just the fact that such a beautiful woman was carrying them along with the strangeness of the shoddy clothing she was wearing. I need to find a peddler of some kind who will purchase these items from me. I would ask, but I¡¯m embarrassed of my current state. Argh! I am jealous of their finery! ¡°Excuse me young lady, may I be of assistance?¡± A young man called out to Lenia from a few feet away. He was a young and handsome man wearing a strange hat with a plume feather sticking out. He wore a luxurious tunic adorned with many colors and a light cloak over his shoulder which was embroidered in some unfamiliar design. He appears to be wealthy, but I don¡¯t like the look in his eyes. I would rather not answer, but he might be of use to me. ¡°Perhaps you could assist me. I am looking for a peddler to sell these items to.¡± There were some citizens who stopped to stare and gossip when seeing this wealthy man speak to the exotically beautiful woman. They were surprised at how clean she was even though she looked like a slum dweller. I¡¯m beginning to think it was a mistake for me to come above ground, it doesn¡¯t seem as if I can escape being noticed. Did my master miscalculate by sending me into the city? No, he would never. She decided to ignore the bystanders and approached the wealthy looking man. The young man gave her his most innocent smile, but she could tell it was tinged with falsity. I should be careful around this man. ¡°Ah, I can certainly help you with that if you wish. I could even escort you to someone I know who will give you the best price. A lady such as yourself should not be walking these streets unaccompanied.¡± The man¡¯s eyes glanced at the bracelet on her wrist while he spoke. ¡°By the way, that bracelet on your wrist is quite lovely, you should be able to fetch a high price for it. Where did you obtain such an extravagant piece of jewelry?¡± Lenia reflexively covered the bracelet with her hand and gave the man a cautious look. She also looked around the street to see if anyone else was looking at her but most had already continued on their way. She realized she had made a mistake wearing the bracelet out in public. She admonished herself for her stupidity. I should play along for now. ¡°Truthfully, this bracelet was given to me by an admirer and is not for sale. He made me promise to wear it. I couldn¡¯t refuse his kindness.¡± The wealthy looking man still had that fake smile on his face. She wondered if he thought it made him look charming but to Lenia it just creeped her out. He chuckled suddenly, ¡°Ah, of course, of course! A beautiful lady such as yourself would have many admirers. It is just that an acquaintance of mine had a similar bracelet. The resemblance is uncanny really, but I must be mistaken! Please, allow me to escort you, it will be much safer with me accompanying you.¡± The man bowed with an extravagant gesture and waited patiently for Lenia¡¯s response. His demeanor seemed to suggest that he could not imagine her refusing his company. This man thinks an awful lot of himself. Does he think any woman will just fall at his feet? ¡°What is your name good sir?¡± I¡¯m only asking so I know who I am to avoid! ¡°How boorish of me! I haven¡¯t even introduced myself. My apologies. I am Don Jesef Di Caramillo!¡± He introduced himself with a bit of flair. Chapter 16: A predictable outcome (3) The strange and flamboyant man carefully observed Lenia to see if there was any recognition in her eyes concerning his name. He found none since Lenia had no idea who he was. This pleased him and it would make things easier. "And what is your name m''lady?" Don Jesef attempted to showcase his charm as he inquired her name. This Don is really pouring it on thick, isn''t he? Does he think I am just some ignorant maiden who would be fooled by fancy words and flirtatious actions! I want to gut him right here¡­ If only there weren''t so many people around. Lenia looked around nervously and realized that she had become somewhat of a sideshow to those in the area. Many were watching the excessive and flamboyant actions of Don Jesef while secretly admiring Lenia''s beauty. There were also those who were secretly ridiculing her in their minds and shaking their heads with disdain. "I must apologize, I do not give my name to strangers on the street. I will be on my way, thank you for your offer of assistance." Her words left no room for a response and she quickly left before Don Jesef could say anything further. The Don watched the mysterious woman quickly leave his sight, he was not at all pleased by what had just happened. "What a shame¡­.Roderan, get out here now!" Don Jesef called out to a man who had been hiding nearby. The man named Roderan slinked out of a shadowy corner. He was clothed in mostly black and two sinister looking daggers were attached to a stained and dark leather vest. His face was mostly covered by a shroud but a seemingly rugged appearance lay beneath. He gave off a dangerous vibe which caused many of the onlookers to quickly scuttle away. They wanted nothing to do with this particularly dangerous individual. "Follow her, and make sure that you aren''t seen" Don Jesef hissed, the false smile no longer on his face. "And take those two klutzes with you, just in case." "What do you want me to do to her?" Don Jesef hesitated, a lustful gaze crossing his eyes. "Well¡­ it would be a shame to waste such a beauty.. Wouldn''t it now?" Don Jesef chuckled menacingly. "But find out who gave her the bracelet first and deal with it. Someone killed my people. No one kills my people and gets away with it. No one." "I understand. I''ll get the job done boss." Roderan ran off stealthily to follow Lenia. I don''t see that Don Jesef anymore, looks like I have distanced myself enough from him. Now to get back to my mission. While Lenia was not lacking in strength and combat prowess, she was somewhat lacking in her ability to detect hidden enemies. Not because she didn''t have the ability to do it, but due to her lack of experience from just being newly created and also the fact that these particular stalkers were specialized in stealth. She was unable to detect the men who were now ably stalking her from the shadows. Shortly afterwards she had found her way to an area which was heaving with market stalls rather than businesses. She realized that these traders would be more than just willing to relieve her of her loot. A proper merchant would most likely only scoff at her, it wasn''t as if what she was carrying was especially valuable. It took several attempts but she eventually found the right kinds of traders who were willing to purchase what she had from her and she also obtained the items which her master had written on the list. She had more than one request to purchase her bracelet but she refused all offers even though they were tempting.With the small amount of additional money she had left over, she was able to repair the soles of her shoes. This was not an anticipated expense but she couldn''t bring herself to face her master with damaged shoes. If only I could have purchased more fitting clothing as well! But there is no way I could do that before adorning my master in proper clothing first. That would be blasphemous! I must hurry back to him to attend to his needs! I hope he will be pleased with my results. Her feelings of success at completing her mission caused a spring in her step and she was eagerly awaiting the praise she would receive once returning to her master.It was already late afternoon when she had finally completed her objectives and made her way back through the slums and into the sewer where her master waited for her. She had little trouble finding her way back and her excitement from the anticipation of reuniting with her master was apparent to anyone who cared to notice.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Their current home was an abandoned room located somewhere in the sewers. It had once served as a maintenance room, but now had other purposes. Lenia didn''t know how long her master had been living there but it didn''t seem like it had been a significantly long time. There was very little in the way of amenities and her master slept on a simple straw cot.Despite not having spent any real time in it, she already found it quite detestable, but she trusted that her master had a plan of some kind. Lenia opened the door to their temporary home and Aleksandros was in a sitting position waiting for her. She happily addressed her master, "Aleks I have returned!" Aleksandros remained still, two daggers resting on his lap. "I see, not alone though." "What do you mean?" Lenia asked with confusion. She was quite shocked to see her master sitting there as if he were expecting something. "Show yourselves!" Aleksandros shouted as he flung one of the daggers towards Lenia who caught it skillfully, dropping the items she had been holding. Turning around, Lenia backed towards Aleksandros as three forms suddenly appeared from the shadows. Lenia was surprised to see that she had been unwittingly followed. The shame she felt at having failed was unbearable. "I don''t understand¡­.. How?" Those were the only words she could get out of her mouth. This was a huge blow to her confidence. She had allowed some unknown enemies not only to follow her without her knowledge, but she led them straight to her master. This kind of shame was completely unbearable for her. Aleksandros stood and stared intently at the three intruders while saying, "This is not your fault Lenia. This is all according to my plans. I used you, intending for this to happen. Everything is moving exactly as I wished." The foremost intruder who appeared to be the leader of the group stepped forward, "Don Jesef sends his regards. Kill him, slowly. Capture the woman. She belongs to Don Jesef now." The assassins launched their attack quickly covering the short distance in between them and revealing their short swords. These weapons were gleaming with a sticky black substance and Lenia could sense the danger that they posed. She deduced that the short swords were most likely coated with poison. The two attackers began striking in concert, both swiftly and precisely. Looks like they activated a skill that allows them to move rapidly across short distances. I can''t let them get close to master, I must protect him! Thankfully, the difference in their levels allowed Lenia to quickly parry the two attacks while covering for her master. He remained still and made no moves to aid Lenia. Instead of reacting, he was quietly observing the fight between the three adversaries. The leader of the assassins was growing impatient. Even though they had the advantage in numbers and were fighting in tight quarters, they were not able to strike the female down. "Hurry up! The two of you can''t subdue one woman!? Ugh, do I have to do everything myself?" The assassin''s leader removed two daggers and threw them towards Lenia providing an opportunity for his men to attack. These blades were also coated in poison and even a scratch would be fatal. "That will be enough!" Aleksandros said firmly as he stretched out his arms and began to concentrate intently. The air around him began to pulse violently as he drew his hands closer to each other at the center of his body. His arms shook as if he were pulling an enormous weight towards his chest. A sinister glow began to emanate from within his body and the sound of wailing cries echoed throughout the room sending the approaching daggers flying off in random directions. The assassins who had been engaged in battle with Lenia jumped back towards their leader out of caution. The three interlopers together shrank back in fear and uncertainty of what was happening. They had never seen anything like this and the immense pressure emerging from Aleksandros was suffocating too. It was as if they were being strangled by unseen tendrils. "Boss, we need to get out of here, this can''t be good!" The two would be assassins were on the verge of scattering as Aleksandros suddenly released the power he had been building up between the palms of his hand. A wave of intense energy hastened towards the Don''s henchmen and as it sped, the wailing of the dead cried out in fury. This ability was known as the ''Banshee''s Wail'' and it was an ability unique to his class.That of the ''Soul Eater.'' It required a cost of between 100 and 500 SP per use depending on its scope and power, but it had the function of devouring the souls of those it killed which offset the cost and depending on the souls it devoured, would even bring him great benefits. Obviously using it on a common person would be a waste, but these particular assassins were clearly high level basic class beings and their leader was ahigh level intermediate class. Just the two basic class souls would be close enough to offset the cost of the ability''s use. The assassins were thrown violently against the wall but it was not the impact that killed them. The Banshee''s Wail had killed the assassins immediately, sucking the souls of the two weaker dry and leaving their bodies as nothing but a husk of a corpse. Their leader was also killed, there was no physical damage present on his body, but his consciousness had been completely destroyed. His soul remained within his body, but he was as good as dead. The power of the Banshee''s Wail was immense but the effect it had on the individual it was used against depended on the personal power of the opponent. It wouldn''t fully work on someone who was too powerful. At least not until it became stronger if such a thing were possible. He suspected that it was. Regardless of whether the being was of too high a level that the ability couldn''t immediately devour their soul, it would still cause disorientation and disrupt spells and abilities from being used. It was an extremely useful ability. Lenia having seen this for the first time shrunk back in fear and awe of her master''s awesome power. I always knew you were the best master! Chapter 17: Soul puppet (1) (Lenia''s P.O.V.) "How did you know that they would follow me?" Lenia''s voice was wavering, she had after all just witnessed her master end the lives of three men in mere seconds. Although she didn''t want to feel fear for the one who created her, her voice nonetheless was still shaky. She couldn''t tell what he was thinking especially as his face was now covered in cloth. There was so much she had yet to understand but for the first time she felt slightly anxious towards the unknown. "I was watching you." Lenia looked inquisitively at her master. She didn''t understand what he meant by saying that? Was he following me without me knowing it? She asked herself. "I don''t understand¡­." She wanted to say more but couldn''t bring herself to finish the sentence. The walls of the small room felt like they were enclosing her within their suffocating embrace. Her very soul seemed to beat to the drum of her overworked heart. It was as if her entire being would burst from her chest. That was the power of the ability that her master had used, ''Banshee''s Wail.'' "Yes, it would be confusing to you. I was watching you, although not physically but with my soul. It is an ability I possess, ''Astral Projection.'' With it I can propel my soul out of my body and observe the physical realm through your senses." Such an ability, wait does that mean he could see everything I did!? She suddenly became very nervous and she struggled to keep her embarrassment in check. "Master, were you able to see everything?" I really hope not! How embarrassing! Did I do anything to bring him shame? I didn''t get lost and followed his directions perfectly but I was followed so easily... "Yes, I saw everything. I was with you the entire way." Lenia''s face turned almost beet red at his response. She could no longer keep her embarrassment from creeping up to her face. She could barely bring herself to look at her master. Is he disappointed with me? The young woman immediately got down on her knees and bowed, hoping he would be merciful but her master only seemed to look at her with confusion. "Please master, please forgive me. This shame I have brought upon you is unbearable! If my life will wash this stain from me then take it, I beg of you!" Lenia began to hysterically beg, not to keep her life but just for his forgiveness. Her master tried to speak but couldn''t get a word in. He didn''t quite understand the reasons for her hysterical breakdown and was a little out of sorts that she would so quickly offer her life. "Enough!" Without being given a chance to speak, he finally yelled at her over her words which caused her to shrink back in fear while still prostrating herself. "Lenia, stand up, there is no need for you to beg for forgiveness on the floor and don''t ever offer your life up like that again! You did nothing wrong. All was according to my plans. Even that bracelet you found was taken into consideration. I knew very well you were hiding it from me and what it meant. I allowed you to carry it with you to the marketplace and I watched every one of your actions." His words seemed to have calmed her down enough that she could now stand.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "You aren''t angry with me?" He derisively snorted at her ridiculous antics but stopped himself and remembered that she was still developing. Her ignorance was understandable. "I am not angry with you Lenia, you have done exactly as I hoped you would. You brought these men to me." She wished he would explain more because she had no idea what was going on. However, not wanting to look the fool she kept her mouth closed. If her master wished to explain himself he would and if not, then she must do the best she could to understand his plans. "Watch and learn." Aleks walked over to the three corpses and knelt down over the former leader of the group. The two weaker members had already been devoured by his ability but the soul of the one who was their leader remained within its corpse. He had another purpose for that particular body and didn''t devour its soul. Instead, he activated a third ability known as ''Soul Puppet''. This ability would allow him to control the body of a formerly living being as if it were still alive. The ability would only last for three days because that was the limit for how long a soul could remain within a body if not properly bound with magic, like in necromancy. His ability was not a type of necromantic magic, but something which was both greater and lesser at the same time. The ''Puppet'' would retain its memories and personality but would be entirely dominated by the ''Soul Eater'' and would carry out his will. The ability was somewhat similar to raising a corpse from the dead but it also had its differences. For one, the ability carried with it a powerful illusion that made the corpse appear to be in the same condition as of when the original body was alive. There wouldn''t even be a pungent smell and neither was there a way to see through the illusion. Not unless one possessed an equally powerful ability or spell to dispel it that is. The body would also retain its former fighting strength. The only downside to this, again, was the limited time it could remain a puppet. The former assassin''s body began to jerk as it returned to some semblance of its former life. Before long the body rose and stood at attention waiting for Aleks to give his orders. "What is your name, puppet?" The ''Soul Eater'' placed extra emphasis on the word ''puppet''. "I am Roderan. Boss, what is it you wish me to do?" Its voice sounded strangely normal. Lenia was expecting the voice to sound somewhat disembodied or eerie but instead it sounded the same as when it was alive. "Listen well puppet, you are to return to your former boss and you are to report the death of your subordinates. You will also tell the Don that his most powerful rival laid a trap for you and your men. That this was all a plot to weaken him and that his goal was to start an all-out war for control of the city''s underworld. Once you inform the Don of this, you are to create an opportunity to attack his rival. That should be enough to get these petty criminals to kill each other." Lenia listened intently to the words of her master and wracked her brain trying to piece everything together so that she could better understand her master. She wanted to be of use to him and more than just a tool for attracting enemies. "Now go and do as I commanded. Once you have completed your objectives, return and report to me." The former lieutenant to the Don bowed to his new temporary master and left to carry out his mission. "These criminals, or Dons as they call themselves are naught but fools. They believe that they have true power because they can make people do as they wish through fear. They use their money and their power for selfish ends without any real purpose. For what? So that they can live a life of luxury? In the end, their bodies will return to dust and their souls will return through the veil only to start over yet again as nothing. An endless and pointless existence. The aristocrats of this place are no better! These so called officials and representatives living in their glass bubbles. Those sick and demented individuals, I will kill every last one of them in the end. This republic is nothing more than a twisted joke which should be wiped from the face of the continent!" Lenia was surprised by her creator''s outburst of anger. It seemed very much unlike the man who always appeared to her composed. Are we so different? She thought this for a brief moment but shoved it back within the recesses of her mind. It was wrong to be so disrespectful towards her creator. How dare she compare herself to him? "Uh¡­ " She wished to say something to get rid of the awkwardness caused by her master''s rant but she didn''t know what to say. "Forget you heard that. It was unsightly of me ¡­ I apologize. I have a lot of anger towards this place. Aleks took a moment to collect himself. "What''s wrong master?" Seeing her master act in such a way hurt her heart. She felt great anguish for him. Lenia never wished to see her master in such pain. "This place is one of those responsible for the death of my family in this lifetime." Lenia was surprised, she never even knew her master had a family. "I didn''t know master." Aleks waved her concern off and placed his hand on her head in a warm gesture. "Let me tell you a story I read in an old book in my childhood." Chapter 18: Soul puppet (2) (Roderan''s P.O.V.) "What happened to Urie and Hessoff?" Roderan had returned to Don Jesef as per his new master''s instructions and was being questioned by the Don. "Both are dead Don Jesef, we were ambushed by Don Gregorio and his men. It was a trap, and it is also very likely that they must have been the ones who attacked your brothel." Roderan knew that Don Gregorio was Don Jesef''s greatest rival among the Dons but all of the Dons were technically rivals. So there was no reason for the Don not to believe the words of his second in command. Also, the fact that he was a ''Soul Puppet'' was impossible for someone such as the Don to detect. Don Jesef slammed his fist against the desk he used in his own personal office. There was much bad blood between these two Dons and the recent events were disturbing to him. There was supposed to be a truce within the city and breaking that truce could lead to serious consequences.All of the Dons had agreed to this truce because the Head Lords of the city had demanded theyreduce the scale of their activities for a while. The people of the city were becoming antagonistic and order needed to be maintained. Even if the Dons were criminals, this was a demand they needed to heed. Otherwise, there would be much loss of profit. Their assets and operations would be raided and they would lose the protection that they had bought from the various lords. Even though this was a Republic, it wasn''t a true Democracy. Only the lords and the wealthiest of landowners had any say in the High Council and could become government officials. The most powerful of families were all members of the High Council. This was the ruling body of the Republic. The country itself was even called the Federation of Lords. That should tell you how powerful these lords were. They sure love to pride themselves as a proper Democracy though. Roderan sneered inwardly as he watched his former boss''s outcry of anger and rage. Man, why did I ever serve such a scumbag as this? Roderan understood Don Jesef''s concerns and this was why he mentioned Don Gregorio as the perpetrator. This was a dangerous time with war looming between the Federation of Lords and the Merkan Imperium to the east. The High Council could not afford there to be strife among the populace with things being as they were. The Dons were to be left alone as long as there was no open conflict in the streets, but this supposed act by Don Gregorio would mean war between their two organizations if nothing were done. "Fuck! What is that piece of shit thinking? Now of all times he wants to start a war? The other Dons will hear of this immediately! It''s time to call a meeting of the Dons before this gets even more out of hand. Don Gregorio will pay for this! Roderan, for now I want you to tell our men to lie low. We will protect our assets but no one is to retaliate. Is that clear?" There was only the two of them in the office and so the only one who heard these orders was Roderan, and as the Don''s second in command, it would be his responsibility to relay them to the rest of the organization. "I will see to it immediately Don!" Roderan''s response was enthusiastic despite his will no longer truly existing. The Soul Eater intended, after all, to ignore these commands and use Roderan to incite the Don''s men.He immediately left the office and went looking for some of the Don''s men in order to enact the next part of his plan which was to use these men to attack one of Don Gregorio''s assets. Roderan left the headquarters of his former boss.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. From the trade district, the building looked just like any other merchant''s shop but within were the offices of Don Jesef. It was from that office that he oversaw his criminal organization.The trade district was bustling like any other day and there was nothing out of the ordinary. Roderan calmly made his way through the throngs of people towards a warehouse which was operated by Don Jesef located in another part of the district. It took him a while to reach the warehouse since the district was quite large. Once he arrived, he quickly set about gathering as many of the Don''s men as he could. "Listen up. One of our operations was hit the other night by Don Gregorio''s men." When the men heard that, there was an uproar as they shouted in anger. "That fucking dirty bastard!" "I can''t believe this shit!" "Let''s fucking kill them!" The men expressed their anger with their desire to kill. This will be easier than I thought! Roderan was still chuckling inwardly as his former boss''s reaction from earlier. "They will pay for this! Get your shit and let''s go fuck them up!" "Fuck yeah!" "We''re gonna kill those motherfuckers!" "It''s about fucking time!" The men all cheered and excitedly grabbed their weapons and soon a dozen armed men were moving through the streets of the city without concern for who saw them. It wasn''t that uncommon to see an armed group moving through the city since many adventurers lived within the city and groups of them could be seen moving about. There were also many criminals and other questionable characters. Either way, people made sure to give them a wide berth as they navigated the city streets to their location. Their target was a tavern in the western part of the trade district. The tavern acted as a front for the illegal drug trade which was Don Gregorio''s main business. He had his hands in a few other things but his biggest money maker was drugs. The group of men led by Roderan busted in through the door of the tavern and began smashing everything within. They did allow most of the normal customers to leave but when Gregorio''s men launched a counter attack a lot of innocent people were caught up in the melee. Roderan''s group had the element of surprise and slaughtered Gregorio''s men who were unable to respond properly. They were caught almost completely by surprise and weren''t expecting an armed force to come barging down their door. There was supposed to be a truce after all and none of them were privy to the manipulation of Roderan who was merely a ''Soul Puppet''. Once Gregorio''s men had been mercilessly slain, Roderan and his men then proceeded to trash the entire tavern including the secret rooms in the basement. While Roderan''s former lackeys were destroying the place, he was also busy unbeknownst to them. His former subordinates were too busy trashing everything and stealing what valuables they could and had no idea that Roderan was crouching over the bodies of those who had been killed. You see, a ''Soul Puppet'' possessed a unique ability which was very useful to a Soul Eater. It could temporarily suck in and house the souls of those it came in contact with who were recently deceased. Once the ''Soul Puppet'' had returned to Alek''s side, he could devour the entirety of the souls that were temporarily residing within. It was a queer ability but it allowed Aleks some flexibility when deciding on a course of action. This wasn''t the only application of a ''Soul Puppet'' either. They could be used as eyes and ears for Aleks since it was possible for him to use his ability ''Astral Projection'' to ride along with the ''Soul Puppet'' without anyone knowing. As useful as this ability was, there were of course downsides. The first being that the ''Soul Puppet'' could only house souls for a few hours before the souls dissipated. This went against the natural laws that had been set up regarding how souls were intended to return to the cycle of reincarnation and so they would eventually forcefully explode outwards from the ''Soul Puppet'' given enough time. The ''Soul Puppet'' itself would be lost as well as it couldn''t handle the backlash of power due to the explosion of ''Soul Potential''. This method could also be used as a weapon which made this particular aspect of the ability less of a deficiency. The second downside was that there would be a loss of efficacy within the souls and the SP gained from this method would be half of what it would be if Aleks devoured the souls personally. As for his ability to ride the ''Soul Puppet'' with ''Astral Projection'' it had a limited range and couldn''t be used indefinitely. It could also be detected by certain powerful beings if used too extensively. While the hoodlums were distracted, Roderan made sure to gather all the hapless souls of those they just slaughtered and proceeded to slip away without the others noticing. Looks like my work here is done, time to return to the boss! The ''Soul Puppet'' made its way back to the slums and from there into the sewers where Aleks awaited. Roderan appeared quite pleased with himself and couldn''t wait to report the success of his mission. Chapter 19: An old tale While Roderan was completing the mission that Aleks had given him, Aleks was busilyregaling Lenia with an old tale. One which she seemed very eager to hear, much like a child eagerly awaiting a story from their father. "A long time ago, there were once two brave and charismatic young men who sought to defy the gods. Well, much more than just that. It was the very idea of gods, of worship, of religion. They wanted nothing of it and perhaps in some way, in their arrogance, they believed that men were gods. This was mere foolishness to the standards of those who live today. The gods are real and ever present, guiding them, teaching them and welcoming them into their embrace. Or so they say. Anyway, their words were grand and persuasive. They convinced many who lived on the Earth to build a tower that would pierce the heavens. In those days there were no magical creatures or beings of immense spiritual power. There were just men and their foolish desires. The mind was their only true virtue." Aleks paused as he recalled those days. They were the brightest of his memories and they were filled with hope and ambition. He and his best friend and brother Ishmael had accomplished such grandeur, such magnificence. But it was all for naught. He glanced at Lenia from the corner of his eye and saw her there watching him carefully as she waited on his words with bated breath. Her pure nature and childish curiosity made him feel some slight embarrassment which he hid well from her eyes. "Ahem.. It was no ordinary tower, but one filled with a powerful energy and an entire people''s will. Its peak rose beyond the clouds and It all seemed to be as he had said, that this tower would finally bring the very idea of gods to their knees. He was wrong. When the energy of the tower was released it bore a hole into the fabric of reality. It was a beacon that lit up the stars, one that did not go unnoticed. On the other side, somewhere so distant only beings of a higher plane could understand, there was the realm of gods, of devils, demons, and other wicked things of fantasy and legend. One after the other they poured through the hole that was made like an endless tide. An infinite horde of winged monsters and monstrous beings went on a merciless rampage. They destroyed everything and killed everyone. In the end, that man begged the so called gods for salvation. The irony... A man who sought to rebel against the gods instead, on his knees begging for their mercy. I watched him crumble and could only feel disappointment at a man I respected greatly. He was no different from any other fool but I loved him nonetheless." Aleks spoke as if he were dwelling on a distant and forlorn memory. Lenia couldn''t help but wonder at how his tone had changed as the story of his progressed. Also, she noticed that the story became more personal towards the end. "You speak as if you were there¡­." Lenia commented not realising that she was thinking out loud. She had not expected an answer but her master replied regardless. "That''s because I was." "How can that be? Didn''t you say this was a story you read in an ancient book?" She only asked because she was confused. His story sounded as if it were some myth or legend. "You will only find the story of the Tower of Babel in myths and legends but it was real. Not what the books say however. The story has become one twisted to teach a moral to the people of this world. Well, more like propaganda that those beings wish people to believe. It is a story that happened who knows how many thousands of years ago. It is the story of the fall of Babel where Ishmael sought to rebel against the gods and became a Fallen One. In the legends, he is said to be a man cursed by the gods for his act of rebellion. The story has very little truth in it the way it is told and I''m not even a footnote in this tale but there is some truth to it. Never speak of this to anyone. I only tell you because you are one of my creations."Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Her master turned to look at her, his gaze boring a hole through her very being. She shivered at his piercing eyes which were all she could see at this time behind the cloth covering his face. "I was drawn to this place because there is something I must obtain. It is most likely a trap set by one or more of the gods, but it is something I absolutely must have. Even knowing I may be walking into a trap there is no other way. What I seek is the mask of Ishmael, a prison where the soul of my brother and eternal friend resides. It was a parting gift from the horrors that we unleashed. Ishmael submitted in the end and begged for their mercy but I refused until the end. Our fates were different because of this choice. It is an ancient relic of great power and it has some connection with the Tower of Babel which I now know exists in some shape or form somewhere still. The mask is the key without a doubt, it is the only way I will be able to fully access the Tower''s core. The Tower was built by the both of us and it can''t be activated by me alone. Ishmael no longer has a physical form, but his soul should be enough if my conjectures are correct. The tower somehow connected with my soul and a part of it resides in me. It should be the same for Ishmael." Alek''s words filled the emptiness of the room but there was also some uncertainty there. It seemed as if he were trying to convince himself of something. He appeared to be rambling to himself despite having an audience in Lenia. She watched his strange behavior and rapid way of speaking with interest. She seemed more absorbed with his strange antics than the story he told but she still tried to listen intently. This was clearly a side of him she hadn''t seen yet. Such a sad fate. I couldn''t imagine being separated both body and soul from my master. I would go mad. When he finished, Lenia etched her master''s words deep in her heart as she thought of the grave consequences that befell that poor Ishmael. She could only hope that she would not succumb to a similar fate. She wished to always be by her master''s side. They talked for a while longer and as the time dragged on, eventually Roderan had finally made his way back into the sewers where Aleks temporarily had made his abode. "You have completed the task I gave to you, excellent." Aleks'' words were no more than idle pleasantry but he uttered them anyway. "See Lenia? My plans are beginning to bear fruit! These fools will now be out for blood and blood they shall find. Let it destroy them completely!" Aleks laughed an almost maniacal laugh, he seemed to be enjoying this series of events. "What will we do next master?" Lenia questioned him excitedly, he found her behavior quite endearing. "We wait now, until midnight. The night is still young and there is still much blood to be shed. From here on there will be an all-out war between the two Dons and they will be too preoccupied with their feud to notice a missing artifact¡­. or two." Aleks was pleased with how events were moving and he beckoned Roderan closer. "Your job is not yet over, but do not worry. Once your mission is complete, I shall reward you. You will become a part of my strength and will aid me forevermore with your life''s essence." Roderan was incapable of feeling fear seeing as he was just a puppet and so he didn''t balk at Aleks'' words. "What is it that you wish me to do?" He answered his master without hesitation. "You are to lead me to Don Jesef''s vault and help remove any threats that get in my way. The artifact will be there and once we have it in our possession, your job will be complete. However, We must move swiftly before they notice your absence. But first, it''s time to feed. 500 SP, not bad considering I did nothing. Thanks for your efforts!" The ''Soul Puppet'' Roderan cracked an uncomfortable smile as Aleks uncovered the cloth around his mouth and visibly devoured the souls he had been carrying within his body. "No problem boss!" He couldn''t get over the strangeness of the one he was now temporarily serving but such thoughts were not important because he was only a puppet to be used and then discarded. Chapter 20: Dirty business (1) Aleks welcomed the midnight air despite the horrid stench of the alleyway. For his ambition, some slight discomfort was a negligible concern. For he believed that his eyes saw farther than the ignorant masses that dwelled upon the earth in their trivial pursuits and meaningless lives. It wasn''t that he scorned life, but he understood that the lives of the various people living were mere nourishment for the gods and their ilk. This included those called demons as well as devils. They were all technically the same sort of existence it was just that their domains or the laws which defined them and empowered them were different. This also affected their behavior and the type of followers they each possessed. Those called gods tended to embody various virtues, philosophical ideas, forces of nature, etc. Examples of this would be Justice, Law, Fire, Forests, and countless others. There were a variety of gods that embodied a great diversity of laws. There were those who even embodied the same law but different aspects of it. As for demons and devils, they were considered evil by the gods and their worshipers, but in the end they were all the same type of being. Demons were embodiments of chaos, destruction and annihilation as well as illusions, nightmares, and other horrors. On the other hand, Devils usually represented powerful desires, obsessions and fetishes. Things like Pride, Envy, and Lust for example. To Aleks, there was no need for distinctions. They were all foreign invaders, colonizers, thieves, murderers, liars and every other despicable thing. It was truly overwhelming for him for there were many enemies and very few friends. Aleks had been the last to exit the sewers and walked slowly behind his two companions. As he came out he was embraced by the serene light of the moon waning above the clouds. Illistria''s light shone brilliantly, illuminating the city streets and beckoning Aleks on with its warm and soothing luminescence. If it wasn''t for the squalor that encompassed him, he would take a moment to bask in its light. Another time perhaps, once my task here is complete. Roderan and Lenia were waiting patiently for their master and neither took notice of the beauty before them, instead their eyes were affixed on Aleks. "Lenia, prepare yourself. We are walking into an enemy''s domain. Roderan, lead on." Roderan bowed and lead Aleks and Lenia through the slums as he guided them to where the Don''s hidden vault was located. Usually, at this time of night only miscreants and vagabonds stalked the city streets. While some had purposes nefarious, most others did so without purpose nor hope. None dared approach the three interlopers that had disturbed the squalid and decaying visage of this hellish place. The reason was simple, none could help but cower in fear in the face of the raging inferno of Aleks''s obscene power. Lenia casually glanced at her master hoping to perceive even a smidgen of her master''s intentions but his cloth wrappings masked all emotion. This made her feel uncomfortable so she distracted herself by examining her newly acquired sword and then by loosening the strap on her sheath for easy access. She was becoming more accustomed to her emotions but had some small difficulty from time to time. Aleks walked proudly and with majesty, a bearing befitting royalty. His humble clothing created a dissonance of purpose and form. Yet he was not diminished by this, instead he radiated ever more brightly. As he approached his coveted affection he could barely contain the bubbling desire which was swelling inside of him, coiled even, like a viper biding its time before the kill. Roderan led them on without a concern in the world. He was only a puppet after all and was neither bothered by his master''s power, nor by the affairs of the living. It took a while but they traveled much faster than Lenia had earlier in the day. Roderan knew the streets well and guided them efficiently through it making their way across the great southern bridge towards the trade district. The guards at the checkpoint were paid to ignore their passage and they pretended as if they hadn''t seen anything at all. At that moment Roderan recalled something and spoke, "Master, we''ll soon be in the trade district. There will be guards patrolling throughout. We must be careful not to be seen. They will think we are suspicious traveling at this time of night." "Do not concern yourself. I will use my ''Astral Projection'' ability to determine where the patrols are but I must use it sparingly. Too much and our presence may become known to those I wish to remain hidden from. Continue." "Of course master!" Roderan didn''t delay further and continued on.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. During the night many torches all around the city were lit in order to illuminate the streets. However, more often than not their light would not cover the many dark alleys nor hidden passages. Because of this patrols would only traverse the main thoroughfare and would seldom dare to brave the more secluded areas. As such it would be a simple matter to avoid the patrols so long as they knew where they were. Aleks had lurked in the sewer for most of his stay within the city and had only explored at night on occasion in order to advance his agenda. One might think he was a creature of the night, something like a vampire or some other being considered evil by those who worshipped gods. This wasn''t the case though, he mostly didn''t want to draw attention to himself. Especially from the eyes of the Church of Justice. It would not do for ''Him'' to become aware of my presence. At least not until the time is right. That wasn''t the sole reason though, he did not desire to be surrounded by the filthy denizens of this place. He rather preferred the stink of the sewers in comparison to the corruption of the Human soul from the mark of the gods. One was only filthy on the surface, while the other was dark and festering. Because of this, he had become accustomed to traveling at night and could navigate the maze of roads that dotted the city with ease. Following Roderan was a simple matter and it wasn''t long before they had arrived at the entrance to a moderately sized building nestled in one corner of the trade district.There was nothing particular about its design or about its outward appearance. It was a simple construction, of stone and wood just like any other building within the trade district. No unique adornments decorated its outer walls, which made it indistinguishable from any other neighbouring building. "This is the place. It''s inside this building but it will be heavily guarded." Roderan pointed to the seemingly common structure. "That''s what I have you for. Gain us entry. Kill them if you need to." Lenia and Aleksandros followed Roderan to the entrance of the building. Roderan knocked on the door in their secret code. "Who''s there?" A deep, hoarse voice responded from within. "It''s me Jack, open the door." The door then opened revealing the individual referred to as Jack on the inside. He was a stout, bald, hideous looking man with the stench of alcohol on his breath. His clothes were stained and dirty from food and alcohol. Even his thick bushy beard was littered with bits of food. "Oy, Roderan who''re they? Oh, she''s a beauty! ''Ave you brought me a present? Should''ave wrapped it!" The man was clearly drunk and laughed stupidly as he approached Lenia. Lenia looked to Aleks for guidance, she didn''t want to act without his approval. Aleks shook his head, there was no need to make a scene. Roderan stepped in the man''s way and stopped him. "They''re with me." Jack stopped grinning and wobbled as he complained to Roderan, "You get all the fun, I want some too¡­. Ugh." "Let''s head back inside, are the other guys in there?" Roderan put his arm on the man''s shoulder and guided him back into the building but the man suddenly stopped and turned around to look at Aleks. "Oy! Who is this here? Why''s he got cloth wrapped around his face, he a leper?" Jack came dangerously close to touching Aleks and Lenia tensed up. She would have already killed the man if Aleks had not put his hand on hers to stop her. "Leave em alone Jack, come here. I want to tell you something." Roderan grabbed Jack by the shoulder and spun him around while whispering something in his ear which made him laugh. They finally gained entry into the building and closed the door behind them. The room they walked into was mostly bare except for a table and a chair. There were also torches on the walls which brightened up the room. Further inside they could hear raucous laughter from several men. There was a hallway with a few doors along it, the laughter was coming from one of the doors further in. "So what happened Jack, lost a bet and got stuck with guard duty?" Roderan joked with Jack while leading him back to the chair. "Ah! Those bastards were cheating, I know it! Damn. took all my money too¡­" The man could barely walk and Roderan helped him settle into a chair. "Just relax, no one else will be showing up tonight so no need to be too cautious. We''ll just head on in, okay?" Jack cradled his head and shooed them away. The three walked further in, careful not to draw attention to themselves from the revelry. Aren''t they a little too careless? Something feels off. Lenia couldn''t put her finger on it but she felt the atmosphere was too lackadaisical for a place which is supposed to be secure. She looked to her master to see if he had noticed anything but she still had no clue what was on his mind. Roderan continued to lead them downstairs and further into the complex, the underground area was much larger than expected. It was almost like a series of tunnels with torches to light the way. There were even traps but Roderan knew their location and dismantled them as they moved along. An otherworldly silence permeated the solitary confinement of the long hallways and it left Lenia feeling unnerved. Not even a rat could be seen scurrying along the tunnels. She wanted to say something but held her tongue so as not to offend her master. Surely he must be aware that this is suspicious. When they reached the end of the maze of tunnels, there was a large metal door leading into the inner vault where all of the Don''s wealth was kept secure. It was necessary to have such complex security and it would be difficult for anyone to navigate through this sort of maze without a guide who knew the way. She now understood why Roderan was necessary for her master''s plan since he had told her that he didn''t wish to use his powers too freely. Why he did not wish to use his powers was perplexing to her. Were he to use his ''Astral Projection'' ability, then he would have no trouble with navigating the maze or dismantling the traps. Instead of scurrying around like rodents, they could simply slaughter every human unlucky enough to find themselves inside this building. No use trying to understand his brilliance. All I need to do is trust in him. That thought brought her comfort, there was no need for her to think too deeply about it, she would just follow him. Chapter 21: Dirty business (2) "There''s a secret to opening this door, hold on I''ll take care of it." Roderan walked over to the large metal doors and began fidgeting with them, inserting one of his hands into a hole while fiddling around with a dial with his other one. "Alright, now push here¡­." A low clicking sound could be heard and Roderan had a big grin on his face while he pushed the center of the large metal doors. A smaller door, which had not been originally visible, opened and they passed through it into the interior. It was pitch black inside the vault as no torches were lit and Lenia could suddenly feel the presence of many auras within the vault that she could not feel a moment ago. Perhaps the vault doors had in some way masked their presence but she could now feel them as clear as day. Her detection skills were still relatively low so she had difficulty detecting stealth-based classes but it was a simple matter to detect the aura of those who lacked stealth based abilities. Every being that possessed a class had an associated aura with their class and level that was different from the auras gained through abilities. Those who were of higher level could normally detect the aura of those weaker than them but may not be able to detect the aura of those stronger unless the stronger being specifically allowed it. Sometimes a powerful being would release their aura to all as a deterrence or when they didn''t wish to be bothered by those weaker than them. It was intimidating and could help them avoid pointless trouble. Torches were suddenly lit within the vault startling Lenia and at quick count, there were a dozen well-armed thugs within the vault with the man she recognized as Don Jesef at their head. The only reason she couldn''t sense them originally was because they were most likely all of a stealth based class and the vault itself seemed to have some type of magic placed on it which fooled her senses. Her master didn''t seem the least bit surprised though, but then again he had his special ability ''Astral Projection'' so she didn''t think it was abnormal. She had no idea the effectiveness of his ability and could only assume its usefulness. Don Jesef stepped forward and had a smug and self-gratifying smile on his face as if he had just outwitted his foe. He was wearing an elaborate dark, rich purple battle robe which hug tight against his well toned frame and held a rapier at the ready. The ridiculous triangular hat was still firmly on his head except now it had a feather sticking out. The thugs at his side varied in their appearances but all wore the same smug yet vicious grin revealing their rotted teeth. While they all wore the same sort of equipment, each thug wielded a different type of weapon which some swung slowly while licking their lips. They had clearly been expecting intruders and despite their lack of teeth, they all were eager to bite. Some were especially ogling Lenia with great expectation causing her to shudder slightly. The vault chamber itself was a large underground room with barrels, chests, and crates pushed against the walls along the sides of the chamber. There were also pieces of furniture, but they were mostly indistinguishable seeing that many of them were covered by large sheets of white cloth. As for the display cases, armoires, and other types of cabinets they stood further to the back of the chamber. This was clearly where all of their valuables and wealth were stored and organized. Everything was arranged surprisingly neat and orderly. Their leader Don Jesef chuckled vigorously as he stepped forward into the light but something felt off with his movements. It was almost as if he had been preparing for a dramatic debut but stopped himself at the last moment. "I don''t know how you got to Roderan, but there are many magics unknown to me so I suppose anything is possible. I have always taken precautions with regards to my subordinates you see, so much so that the other Dons believe that I''m paranoid. Well, don''t you want to know how I knew you had gotten to Roderan? While I don''t doubt that tonight''s guest has already understood, I suppose I should explain it for the little lady. You see I have all of my subordinates tattooed when they swear loyalty to me, but it isn''t a simple engraving I give. I paid a lot of money to have these tattoos imbued with magic which allows me to know whether they are alive or dead. It''s quite useful in cases such as this. Still haven''t understood?" He taunted lenia while looking at her lewdly. "Well then miss let''s just say that if my subordinate dies then this tattoo will disappear and surprise, surprise, but Roderan no longer has his tattoo. I wonder why that is because he seems fine doesn''t he boys?" The thugs chuckled and mocked the group with curses and lewd gestures. "Is this a new form of Necromancy? Wait don''t answer that, I want to have fun torturing it out of you." As he spoke his voice became more and more fanatical.It was almost as if he was possessed by something. Then his provoking manner abruptly came to an end and he stood tall and looked straight at Aleksandros. "Did you really think that you could just waltz into my domain? The world is much bigger than you know. You are just an insect invading and infesting my realm just like maggots" Don Jesef began to laugh and his subordinates laughed along with him once again throwing all manner of insults and curses towards the intruders.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Lenia could no longer contain her anger and would have dashed forward to cut the tongues of all who dared laugh at them but she was held back by her master. Aleksandros took two steps forward calmly, his steps firm and resolute. "If I''m a maggot then what does that make you?" Aleks began, " After all you are nothing more than cretins beneath my feet. You are inconsequential, a passing footnote in my rise to power. Do you understand fools? Your deaths shall be swift and merciless and no one, no one shall remember you in the end." He did not yell, but this insult silenced the group''s laughter turning their mood rather sour as they were filled with anger. Don Jesef no longer wore his false smile and his mocking demeanor was entirely gone. He launched into a tirade berating Aleksandros as he weathered the storm of insults and ridicule. "You fucking degenerate! You aren''t going to die anytime soon, I am going to cut every fucking inch of skin off your body and roast your exposed flesh over a fire. I am going to feed you piece by piece to my rabid dogs and have you healed just so I can torture you more until your mind breaks and you beg for death. I am going to enjoy torturing you!" Don Jesef frothed at the mouth, spittle flying everywhere as he raged on with his ceaseless ramblings, forgetting the rest of the speech he had prepared. Aleksandros waited patiently until Don Jesef tired himself before speaking. "I will make a deal with you." Don Jesef couldn''t believe what he was hearing and his fake smile returned as he addressed his men. "Ya hear that boys? This cunt wants to make a deal with us? HA! How about I make a deal with you? Have the girl on her fucking knees and sucking my cock and then I might let you live once I''ve finished torturing you!" Don Jesef''s subordinates roared with laughter as they taunted Aleksandros with hand gestures and sucking sounds with their mouths. Completely unfazed, Aleksandros spoke. "I like your robe. If you give it to me now, then I will let you leave this place with your soul intact." Don Jesef stopped laughing and looked at Aleksandros as if he were afflicted with insanity. "Enough games, looks like the boys from upstairs have finally joined us. Boys, let''s have us some fun, but don''t kill em. Especially that bitch he has with him! Oh, we''re gonna have some fun with her tonight! Hoho! I think I''ll even let you watch while my boys fuck that bitch into a coma." While he spoke he rolled his hips around dramatically emulating gyrating motions. Everything this fool did was overly dramatic and Lenia would have no more of it. "Master, they have insulted us enough, it would stain my honor to hear anymore from this disgusting filth!" "Indeed. let no one say that I am not merciful. Roderan, Lenia, slaughter them." Aleksandros stood still, he had no intentions of joining the fight if it wasn''t necessary. He knew the two of them would be enough to handle the rabble. They may have had numbers but not a single one of them was even close to as powerful as Lenia alone. Aleks had previously ordered her to suppress her aura and now that she had released it, they were too dumb and tooexcited to see the difference in power. Aleks had intended to be as inconspicuous as possible while within this city and so wished to use his powers sparingly. Nonetheless, it seemed that his actions would inevitably leave ripples in his wake. He already understood this andit was too late to be concerned with that now. He could only move forward with his plans. Don Jesef''s men slowly closed the distance. They were clearly intending to surround their enemies and then beat them into submission. Lenia and Roderan moved swiftly, striking at the nearest of the thugs first. Lenia''s movements were fluid and her blade moved so rapidly that it appeared to sing and whenever it drew near to one of her opponents blood sprayed in thick mists as if to welcome her embrace. Roderan was formerly Don Jesef''s strongest enforcer but he wasn''t significantly stronger than the other thugs. He could not contain the numbers that bore down on him and he was pierced, clubbed, and stabbed several times. However it did not seem to faze him, for no matter how many times he was struck with a killing blow his body still continued to move as if possessed. When one thug would stab him, another would club him but this only slowed him slightly. Don Jesef stared blankly at the sight before him, it was unbelievable. Is this a dream? Am I fucking dreaming? What the fuck!? He couldn''t bring himself to accept the slaughter that was happening right in front of his eyes. Without realizing it, his facial expression had changed from one of arrogant condescension to terror as he slowly begun to distance himself from the fighting. His horror filled eyes locked onto the figure of the seemingly demented man with cloth wrapped around his face and his terror grew. The man seemed to grow right before his eyes becoming a monstrous figure bearing down on him. Before he even took four steps backwards, his men were all dead. The woman he had lusted after only moments before was covered in blood from head to toe and in his eyes she looked like a demon that had stepped out of the bowels of the nine hells. With the thugs all dead, Lenia halted her movements and slowly cleaned the blood off her blade using the shirt of one of the thugs. It was impossible to clean her body of all the blood which was now sticking disgustingly to her but she attempted to rub some of it off. She then walked to her master and stood beside him awaiting his instructions. As for his former subordinate Roderan, he was nothing more than a corpse that somehow was stumbling towards him. The body was littered with gashes and deep wounds, many of them exposing inner organs. Despite this Roderan was still making his way towards him. A blue light began to surround Roderan and soon after, the wounds one by one began to visibly close. Roderan''s face was the last to regenerate and there was a childish smile painted on it. "Oy, boss! Sorry, but I have a new master now and my master asks for your robe. It would be in your best interest to give it to him. He would rather not bloody it." Don Jesef''s mind no longer seemed to function. He stood there unable to move and began rambling on incoherently as Aleksandros approached him. "You had your chance to live and you wasted it for foolish pride. Now, you will all become a feast that my power shall grow." Aleksandros gently removed the robe from Don Jesef''s shoulder not wishing to dirty it and placed the robe around his own body. It fit snugly against him and it felt good, even smelled good. Don Jesef has good taste, he thought while admiring the robe. "Kill him." Aleks gave the order and Roderan shoved his sword through Don Jesef''s gut, but he didn''t stop there. He pulled it out and repeatedly stabbed Don Jesef as he begged and pleaded for his life. His crying finally ending as he gasped his last before death. "Look for the mask while I finish devouring these wicked souls." Chapter 22: Dirty business (3) A lone solitary figure floated quietly above the city skyline glowing brightly, the light of the moon mingling with its own light to obscure him from view. One would find it difficult to determine whether that figure was male or female for its beauty was otherworldly. Its long silver hair sparkled in the moonlight and fell like ripples down its back. This was a being which would cause any to feel awe, reverence, and perhaps even fear. Despite wearing a golden armor that shone brilliantly even in the dark of night, nobody down below had taken notice. There was a set of wings that protruded from its upper back. There was a total of four wings, all the same pale white colour and equally spaced from one another. Around the neck was a horn likely made of some type of ivory and in his right hand, an enormous spear that radiated an immense pressure. I can no longer feel them, the cry of souls aching to be guided into the heavens. He must be here, but where? Angels were said to be beings which shepherded the souls of the deceased into the divine realms of the gods. This was only partially true for not all gods had angelic servants and not all souls worshipped the gods. Also, those of pure angelic blood served their respective gods within their realms and did not usually make an appearance in the mundane world. This particular being was not of full angelic blood, but instead a half breed. A union of an Angel and a Human, a Nephilim.The Nephilim quietly surveyed the city below but could no longer feel the power he felt earlier emanating from somewhere within the city. That power I felt¡­ It was clearly anathema! Heretical! My angelic blood is boiling in rage. It must be him, he has finally taken the bait. Oh Tihr, mighty god of Justice and Courage, bestow upon me your great power! The angelic-like being beat its wondrous wings with determination, a gentle and somber cadence which kept the being afloat. It was rare for such a being to make an appearance especially so visibly in the night sky but it was clearly on an important mission.With a deep sigh of reverence, the being flapped its wings more rapidly and flew towards the grand cathedral within the northern Lord''s district of Andor''s Edge. It was here that many government facilities as well as many of the powerful Lord''s mansions resided. The grand cathedral was situated right at the entrance of the district so that even the common folk of the city could attend without disrupting the lives of the lords that lived within. There was also a grand park which separated the cathedral from the many enormous and beautiful mansions. This park was a dividing line which separated the wealthy from everyone else. Of course even just crossing the northern bridge which spanned the northern arm of the Andor river was only allowed during certain hours of the day and was a clear line between classes. Those from the central districts could cross the bridge to attend services at the Cathedral as well as for healing and other matters but they weren''t allowed into the park or to the area where the Lord''s live except on official business. There was some mingling between the classes when attending the cathedral but even then they were separated into different sections to clearly denote status. The cathedral wasn''t the only church to a god within the city but it was certainly the most magnificent one.Tihr was one of the patron gods of the Federation of Lords, the Grand Republic. Tihr was also a powerful High god with many worshippers. He was one of the oldest gods and many considered him to be a creator god involved with the creation of the world. Once the Grand Cathedral of Tihr was in sight, the Nephilim landed gracefully in a courtyard situated in a secluded area of the Cathedral''s premises. There were several knights waiting at attention who quickly saluted once the Nephilim landed. Each knight was fully clad in glistening mail with hardened appearances. Their armor was adorned in silver with the symbol of their god, Tihr. It was a balance scale, the body of which was a blade with small wings protruding from its pommel. These were clearly elites of the church.One of the knights whose armor was of a slightly higher grade than the rest, and was adorned with a gold symbol of Tihr instead, came forward. "Sir Gregor, you have returned." The Nephilim known as Sir Gregor nodded and the wings which were present on his back began to recede into his body. It was a strange sight because the wings were clearly larger than the body of Sir Gregor . "I have detected our target, but it was only for a short time. He''s somewhere within the city. Contact some of our informants¡­ also contact some of the local gangsters. See if any of them know something. He''s obviously being careful and most likely won''t be too visible so contacting those thugs might be of use to us."This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The Knight-Captain saluted again, "As you order Sir! Should we ready a unit of Church Knights in preparation?" "Yes, but don''t mobilize too large of a group. We should not underestimate that heretic but it would also be unwise to alert him to our presence. Too many of us and he might sense the congregation of our auras. If he somehow becomes aware of our plans, he might escape. We must not let that happen!" "Yes sir! I will mobilize a squad immediately. They will be ready to set out on a moment''s notice!" "Good, see that it is done." With one final salute, the knights dispersed to carry out their orders. Sir Gregor remained behind and stared off into the distance. He had a look of contemplation on his somewhat pale, but perfectly formed face. "I''m concerned of the hands of others in the shadows. Even among the gods there are fools. Why can''t they see the danger in this wicked being? Hmph, only our lord god Tihr is righteous!"
"Here, master." Lenia kneeled with her arms raised. Within her hands was a gleaming golden mask. She held it forward towards her master with utmost reverence. Aleks stood over her looking down at her in silent contemplation. He was somewhat hesitant, as if he were nervous to take hold of the mask. Within the mask, he could feel the presence of his brother and lifelong friend.Aleks unwrapped the cloth around his face slowly, and let it drop to the floor. The glint of the gold mask was the only sight in his eye, nothing else existed at that moment. He inspected the object of his desire carefully, admiring its beauty before taking it into his hands. His fingers lightly caressed the contours of the peerless treasure until they rested on the edges and he pulled the mask to himself. He held it up close to his mouth and whispered, "It''s good to see you again old friend." Lenia, hearing his words, remembered the tale he had told her. She was stunned by the emotion in his words and could only feel a tinge of jealousy. She hoped that one day he would have such emotion when calling out her name. Even though her master had explained to her the story behind the mask it didn''t look like anything particularly special to her. It was just a gold mask.However, she dared not question her master. If he said it was special, then that was that. Holding it carefully, Aleks placed the treasure on his face and breathed in deeply. "The mask is finally where it belongs. We two brothers are united once more." Aleks could immediately feel a powerful presence within that filled him with a burst of divine energy. He was somewhat confused by this feeling. Why do I feel hints of the divine in this mask? Could it be a left over from when Ishmael was imprisoned within it? Or is it something else? I will need time to understand and reflect on this. After considering these thoughts for a moment, Aleks turned to Lenia. "Hmm... This vault has many treasures. I sense some useful trinkets and equipment within the vault. We do not have the time to sort through them all now. Take what you feel is useful and then I will store the rest!" Lenia blinked at his words. She wasn''t quite sure what her master intended to do but she quickly perused the various weapons and armor within the vault. She noticed two daggers with magical properties which she took and tied around her thighs under her clothing. She couldn''t tell exactly what magical properties they possessed but they seemed useful. Being proficient in duel wielding, she thought these magically enchanted daggers would be of more use to her at the present because she could keep them hidden. Also, the magic she felt within them was superior to the few other weapons littered around the room. Other than that, she noticed a piece of hard leather armor which also emanated a magical aura but decided against picking it up. As a Knight, she was more suited towards heavy armor and was not proficient in light armor such as leather. Maybe my master can tell me what magic these daggers possess later. For now, I will just take them. "Are you finished?" Lenia nodded in response. "Then step aside for a moment!" Lenia followed his orders and moved towards her master''s back so as not to be in the way. Glancing briefly at the equipment, items, and valuables littered throughout the vault Aleks raised his right hand and breathed deeply. A faint silver light spread from his fingertips and the space directly in front of him began to distort as it let out piercing wails. Several ghastly figures emerged from the distorted space screaming in agony. These wraith-like beings immediately swarmed around the vault quickly gathering all of the loot and returning to within the distorted space they originated from. Once all of the strange and ethereal creatures returned, the distorted space closed and the wails faded as if they had never existed. The vault of the Don was now empty of all its valuables and Aleks glanced once more around the room satisfied. Lenia looked on in awe, praising her mysterious master within her heart. "I will appraise and sort through our gains in this venture later! For now, let''s leave this place." Aleks turned, his new robe and a cloak he found kicked up some dust. He felt whole once more as if embraced by a long estranged friend. Lenia woke from her daze and rushed to keep up with her master''s purposeful strides. The two left the former Don''s hideout littered with the corpses of the recently deceased as well as the husk of the man formerly known as Roderan. Aleks had already devoured all of their souls and obtained a modest amount of SP. 2500 SP to be exact. Surprisingly, that Don Jesef was of an intermediate class, although of a low level. Not bad, perhaps I will be able to rank Lenia up soon. "Let''s get you cleaned up, we have a play to attend tomorrow night!" Lenia hurried along and did her best to understand her masters intentions but he was still an enigma to her. Chapter 23: A taste of luxury (1) Living in the sewers was something Lenia couldn''t bring herself to understand. Why would her majestic and awesome master wish to live in such a disgusting place? She wracked her brains but couldn''t find a suitable answer to the question instead just settling on a lack of money as a potential reason. And so, with the money they obtained from looting the vault Lenia was ecstatic. Now we can find a proper place to live! We don''t have to return to that disgusting place! It must be a grand hotel suitable for my master¡­ Her thoughts were rampant and she was feeling excited at the thought of spending some time with her master in a more luxurious setting. Even though it didn''t seem that Aleks had felt any shame at residing in that dingy room, she felt enough shame for the both of them. It was still late at night when they stepped out of the headquarters of the former Don Jesef. Aleks watched the night from eyes beneath a mask and ushered Lenia on with haste. There was still an entire day until the play and they would need to be presentable for the occasion. The theatre where the play would take place was in another part of the city and even late at night, the theatre would never close because many denizens of the city had only just begun their sordid pleasures. In the dark of night, many desires were fulfilled within the sleepless city. Those desires ranged from pleasure to pain, and almost everything in between. Lenia kept pace with her master without saying a word. There were still patrols to be evaded after all, at least until they arrived at their destination. Aleks was leading her to what was affectionately called, ''The Red Light District''. That wasn''t its official title but those who frequented the area had named it that way. It originally gained its namesake because of the red paper lanterns which had lit up the night in a red hue. As time progressed, many other colors were added to the growing atmosphere of the place. It was a considered a ''charming'' place by many where one might be seduced by their darkest of pleasures. The ''Red Light District'' was technically a part of the Commercial District but many considered it to be its own area. It had developed into such a place over time and through being heavily influenced by the underground organizations. Without a doubt, it was certainly an area of the city with its own distinct personality and charm. While the rest of the city slept, this district of pleasure was only just awakening. The district rested on the eastern side of the Verr River which ran through the center of the city and branched off in various directions throughout. At night, it was lit by a thousand lanterns of a variety of shades of color and many walked the district streets moving from one establishment to another. Many even walked the streets in masks, although none wore made of solid gold as the mask on Aleks. In this city, masks were quite common so Aleks didn''t feel out of place wearing his. His previous accessory of simple cloth which he wrapped around his face was far more out of place. "Master! Master! Uh¡­ Aleks.." Aleks glared at Lenia through the mask causing her to remember what he had told her about how to address him. "Um¡­. We found a lot of gold in the vault.." "Yes, several thousand gold and silver Ducats from my initial estimates. What about it?" "Well¡­. I was hoping that um¡­." "There is no need to hesitate. Tell me." "Can we stay somewhere nice? You know.. something better than a sewer?" Lenia was somewhat hesitant to ask but she finally got the words out through much inner turmoil. Her tone was almost that of a beggar and her eyes were filled with pleading. Aleks looked at her and almost laughed but he controlled himself. He didn''t want to ruin the persona he had been cultivating for some time now. He felt it was necessary to keep up appearances for this new life who looked up to him with both worship and awe. Thankfully, the mask helped keep his emotions hidden.Stolen story; please report. I almost swore I had gone back to the days when my sister was still alive. How she nagged me, constantly trying to drag me to one place or another. I often hid away in some corner with a book. Those days will never return. Aleks took a good long look at the both of them before answering. Their appearance could be considered ragged and Lenia''s clothing was covered in splotches of blood. A metallic irony stench mingled with the stink of filth and grime was carried on the wind causing Aleks to wrinkle his nose beneath the mask. "I suppose it would be unwise to walk the streets of the city covered in blood and filth and we do need to prepare for tomorrow night. We should be able to find a suitable hotel along the river road at the entrance of the Red Light district." Lenia could barely contain her excitement at his words and felt like jumping for joy. Finally! We can spend some alone time together¡­ I have so many things I want to ask my master! Oh and maybe some new clothes and a bath, I can show them off! Would he be impressed? Would he look at me and only me!? Aleks found her excitement somewhat humorous but their thoughts were clearly not on the same page. She appeared to be absorbed in some fantasy only she could see in her mind while Aleks appeared much more stoic. Hmm.. she is still developing her identity and persona. Perhaps a change of scenery will help her gain some necessary experience. Aleks was no longer concerned about being found out by patrolling guards as they neared the hustle and bustle leading into the ''Red Light'' district. This was the only place in the city that never seemed to sleep and the guards were much more lax. Aleks''s main concern was being found near the scene of the crime as they would be questioned and possibly found out. It wasn''t as if he were afraid of the local guards who he could easily kill with a wave of his hand but he was concerned about being found out by one of Tihr''s agents.A disruption to his plans at this moment just wouldn''t do. Aleks found a suitable place for lodging which was not too fancy but also of a decent status. He felt they would stand out too much and might not be admitted into a top grade hotel. These middle of the road establishments were much more convenient for his needs. The location was on the fringe of the Red Light district and they wouldn''t ask too many questions or find them suspicious even with their current appearance. There were quite the diverse array of characters who patronized such establishments and the employees knew for their own safety to ignore any strange looking patrons. The two filthy individuals entered and placed a heavy satchel filled with Ducats on the reception desk. The loud and clear sound of the coins clanging against the wooden reception desk quickly drew the attention of the receptionist. These staff members were smart enough and didn''t ask any questions about their strange and conspicuous appearance. Questions were dangerous and people covered in blood usually doubly so. The Ducats especially silenced their tongues. Lenia jumped in front of Aleks before he could say anything and loudly announced, "Give us the best room in the Hotel! And we want hot water for a bath!" Lenia paid the fee which she deftly negotiated to the satisfaction of Aleks who decided to remain quiet despite the fact that he had no desire or need for such a lavish room. He didn''t wish to dampen her enthusiasm and was satisfied with her negotiation of the price of the room. After the Ducats exchanged hands, they were ushered into one of the more luxurious rooms within the inn. Anything could be asked for and acquired by the hotel staff and Aleks requested that dresses and clean clothing be brought to their room so that they could change. Aleks only required new undergarments.His voice became gruff and somewhat irritable. Although he didn''t particularly hate people in general and in his own mind didn''t consider himself to be an evil man, the taint of the gods he despised so much was marked on the staff members soul. This taint often made him uncomfortable which caused him to act in an unsociable and ill-tempered manner. Usually this wouldn''t be of much concern to him as he could care less about consorting with the general populace but communication and dealings with various people were essential. Although I usually have Brock deal with these types of matters so that I can avoid the unpleasantness. "You are to bring the finest of dresses, suitable for her beauty, is that clear?" The staff member didn''t seem to visibly mind his tone and answered enthusiastically, "Yess''r, I know just the place! Only the finest o''dresses for the lovely lady, ya have m''word!" He too also ignored the bloodstained clothing Lenia wore but he did not leave immediately, instead he stood there, as if he were waiting for something from Aleks. "Ah¡­ right.. I suppose you want this." Aleks placed enough ducats in the staff member''s hand to cover the costs as well as tip. He was careful not to touch the man which caused the motion to look somewhat awkward. The man smiled at Aleks and bowed, "Thank ya milord!" and then went on his way. "Hmph, these Humans and their greed. It''s sickening. I suppose there''s not much difference between species though, they are all filled with greed." Aleks stared at the door after the porter had left and spoke to himself. Mostly to alleviate his feeling of awkwardness. Lenia was unaware of her master''s thoughts and excitedly explored the room. This was her first time seeing such luxury. Once the excitement faded she realized she was still standing there in her dirty blood stained clothes and began to feel uncomfortable. To have my master see me in such a state¡­ I hope he is not displeased. Lenia sighed with displeasure. She wasn''t happy that he had to see such a disgusting side of her and she nervously began to squirm from side to side. Chapter 24: A taste of luxury (2) Her actions were interrupted by her master''s forceful words, "The bath should already be prepared for you, remove your clothes and clean yourself." Lenia was about to comply with his orders but suddenly hesitated. For some strange reason, she felt embarrassed to show her naked body to her master. She couldn''t explain the feeling well since this was her first time feeling as such. Why am I nervous? I should not feel embarrassed, I don''t understand. She thought to herself innocently. Lenia wouldn''t hesitate to kill another if her master ordered it and yet there was a certain innocence to her that she could not fully understand. This was her first time feeling shy and after removing her clothes, she crossed her arms deliberately over her chest as well as tightening her legs to hide her groin. Aleks, who was unaware of her actions, had not yet turned to look at her as he seemed to be in contemplation. Lenia felt her cheeks burn up in anticipation of his eyes on her naked form. When her master did turn, there was an awkward moment of silence. Lenia couldn''t see any expression on his face beneath the mask and had no idea what he was thinking. She was greatly embarrassed by her strange emotional state. What the hell? Aleks smoothly turned to the side as if it were natural and something he had already planned to do. "Lenia, while you don''t necessarily need to hide your body from me as I did create you after all and already know every detail, you should begin to learn that it isn''t appropriate to show your body to just anyone. I suppose that since you are just newly born and perhaps haven''t developed an adult''s sense of propriety just yet, this may seem like a foreign concept to you." Aleks coughed through the mask. While he certainly wouldn''t shy away from gutting a man, he would never take advantage of a woman. Kill one, absolutely if necessary. Although I don''t take pleasure in it. However, I would never take advantage of a woman in such a way! That was Aleks''s bottom line. Others might think him a monster, psychopath or a variety of other terrible things but he never once considered himself as anything but a reasonable man. Well I did strangle a few¡­ there were also children I killed while devouring their souls¡­ but that was a completely different matter. Let''s just let the past be the past! Or so he told himself. Aleks hastily pointed towards the bathroom and said, "Go, wash yourself and freshen up. The clothes we ordered brought should be here by the time you are done. You do not require makeup or perfume, your natural beauty is already beyond the realm of mere mortals." Lenia felt her cheeks become even rosier at her master''s compliment. She was happy that at the least, he found her beautiful. Without wasting any more time, she entered the bathroom and closed the door.Some time passed as she lay in the tub, soaking in the warm water and looking over her own body. She had only been alive for a short time and she was still unfamiliar with her body. Lenia lifted her legs out of the water and ran her hands over her smooth skin, using the soap provided to clean herself. Her mind drifted to her master who was always in her thoughts and she thought of her feelings when he looked at her. It made her body feel hot, especially between her legs. This was a strange feeling to her, but she thought it was not an unpleasant one.She continued to run her hands down her body, admiring her curves, especially her round and firm breasts. While walking through the city she had observed other women''s chests and compared them with her own and she felt that her chest was much firmer and more well formed than any she had seen. Her breasts were firm and yet, soft and supple. She was amazed by how they felt in her hands and the way her nipples became hard as she caressed them. What is happening to me?If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Those thoughts stopped her in her tracks and she gently slapped her face, bringing herself back to reality. It was difficult for her to maintain focus with these thoughts and she tried desperately to get herself back on track. Alright, let''s hurry and finish. Aleks is waiting for me. With her thoughts once again on the mission, she quickly hurried and finished bathing, drying herself with a towel and then wrapping her body in it.Meanwhile, while Lenia was busily bathing, Aleks was completing a different task. This ''Soul Realm'' ability is immeasurably useful. Not only can I store a seemingly infinite amount of objects within the realm but I can also peruse said objects with my mind''s eye. The only problem is the time it takes to appraise and sort everything. My current abilities, granted by the power bestowed on me by the ''Tower of Babel'', is still insufficient to process so much information within a short period of time. It seems absolutely necessary to locate the ruins of the ''Tower of Babel'' as soon as possible. However, do they really exist in this place? I feel a strange connection calling me somewhere to the southwest, but the distance is far. I suppose I will find the last piece there. With his mind''s eye, Aleks scoured through his ''Soul Realm'' to take stock of what he obtained from Don Jesef''s vault. It was mostly useless junk to him but there were dozens of weapons, armor and other trinkets which might be useful in the future once he obtained more subordinates. There were very few objects with magical properties however. "That reminds me, Lenia found two daggers and leather armor which she felt a magical aura from." Aleks pulled his thoughts from within the realm and quickly located the daggers she had removed from her thighs before entering the bathroom. Hmm.. these daggers appear to be enchanted with increased penetration. They should be able to easily pierce through even plate mail. They also ignore half of a person''s magical defense. Very useful for an assassin but it should add to Lenia''s arsenal as a ranged weapon or for a potential surprise attack. For now, she can use these. Later I will outfit her with proper equipment for her class. Aleks placed the two daggers back in their small sheaths and placed them on a small wooden table near the large bed. "Only one bed¡­ It is clear that staff misunderstood our relationship. Well, this is to be expected. A man and a woman show up in a hotel near the ''Red Light'' district late at night... " Aleks shook his head and picked up the leather armor that was placed near the bed on the floor with the dirty ragged clothes Lenia had been wearing. This armor is hardened leather, decent defense with excellent mobility. Not really suited to a knight who should make use of heavy armor due to their high strength. Well, I suppose there isn''t just one type of knight, some prefer mobility over the extra protection. This armor seems to be enchanted with a slight magical damage reduction of 10%. Better than nothing and of some slight use. It''s rare to find equipment enchanted with magic so Don Jesef probably treated this armor as if it were a treasure, but it''s only moderately useful. How much could I possibly expect from gangsters and thugs? This is not really suitable for Lenia so I will store it. There was quite a bit of gold and jewels obtained as well. Several thousand gold and silver ducats was a small fortune which showed that these Don''s were decently wealthy. Ducats were the official coin of the Republics and also recognized throughout the continent. Although many kingdoms had their own form of currency, not many were as widely recognized as the Ducat. These coins could be used anywhere and were usually more valuable than the coins of other kingdoms having a higher silver and gold quantity. Aleks stored the leather armor away and reached slowly towards the gold mask on his face. He caressed its smooth surface gently and with reverence. None of that matters though.. Only this mask is important. Aleks had yet to send his thoughts into the mask. A part of him was nervous, hesitant and even somewhat afraid. Ishmael.. What state are you in? Have you retained your sanity? Will you know who I am? Will you be able to forgive me? These questions lingered in his mind and he grew concerned. It was these questions that were the reason he had only placed the mask on his face but had not attempted to communicate with the soul within. He was afraid Ishmael would no longer be the man he was. Even if he were just a soul imprisoned in a mask, Aleks had never forgotten the brother he admired so much. The thought that his mind might have regressed or sunk into madness was a frightening reality that Aleks wasn''t yet prepared to face. The mask will surely increase my powers, I can feel a resonance. I might even gain a new ability. I have to be careful though in case of any hidden dangers. I will only know for sure once I send my consciousness in. Now is not the time though. There is still too much to do and I don''t know the danger I might face within the mask''s inner world. If for some reason my consciousness becomes trapped or some other unforeseen circumstance happens then my plans here will fall to ruin. I will wait until my business here is settled before sending my thoughts within. Aleks suddenly felt tired as if the weight of the world rested on his shoulders. He sat down on the bed and sighed. "These new robes and my new cloak are somewhat dusty but relatively in good shape. They just need a good cleaning. As for the important matters, it''s just a matter of time, a luxury I have in abundance. Either way, it''s not like I have any other choice." Chapter 25: A taste of luxury (3) It took a considerable amount of time for Lenia to dry her hair and she eventually settled with wrapping her hair in a towel as well. It was surprising to her that she had the knowledge to clean herself properly. She presumed that some semblance of common knowledge had already been planted within her at her creation. After wrapping her body and hair in towels, she exited the bathroom and found Aleks sitting on the bed, waiting for her. "You finished quickly, the dresses have not arrived yet. Come, sit next to me." He beckoned to her and she sat down next to him unsure of how she should act or what she should say. It frustrated her that she sometimes became so tongue-tied whenever she spoke with him and she hoped that she would eventually get past this. Otherwise, how could she ever become closer to him? This was something which troubled her greatly. She wanted nothing more than her master to notice her, but she felt she was only falling further and further away. "You have done well Lenia, I am proud of you. You have followed all of my instructions perfectly. So, listen well. Once we arrive at the theater tomorrow night, you are to do nothing until I say so. Do not act on your own no matter how much you may wish to, do you understand?" "Of course master, I will do as you say!" Her heart swelled at hearing his compliments and she vowed in her heart to follow his command without question. Aleks observed Lenia from beneath his mask and was pleased by her enthusiasm. There was no way for Lenia to know what he was thinking and so she fidgeted under his scrutiny. Her face reddened slightly but since she had just finished a warm bath it wasn''t easily noticeable. A sudden knock on the door relieved her of his scrutiny and she was able to calm herself. "Porter ''ere, I brought the dresses for ya." Aleks stood and walked to the door, opening it to allow the porter to enter. He was pushing a mobile rack which was filled with many beautiful hanging dresses. When he entered the room and saw Lenia wrapped in a towel around both her body and hair he almost tripped over his own feet and gulped. Under Aleks''s glare, he quickly looked away and coughed. "Apologies sir! I ''ope these dresses meet ya needs! Just take whichever suits ya and the cost will be deducted from ya stay here when yeh check out." The porter''s drawl was beginning to grate on Aleks'' nerves but he remained silent. Aleks threw the porter a small silver ducat and the porter left satisfied. "Lenia, you may choose the dress that best suits you." Aleks moved to Lenia''s side giving her a gentle push towards the rack of dresses. She approached the rack slowly, perusing the choices. Her objective was to choose the dress she felt would be the most pleasing to her master. This was difficult because she didn''t know her master well enough to decide. What color would he like? Style? Hmm¡­ Would he like something more revealing or would that be too sultry for him? Perhaps something more modest or in between? Lenia found herself quite conflicted. When he had seen her naked body it didn''t seem to her eyes that he had reacted much, so would wearing something more seductive even matter to him? In the end, she chose a purple dress to match her master''s robe, one she felt fully showed off her assets. It was a low cut dress that displayed her slender neck and ample bosom. It felt soft and satiny but she wasn''t sure what the material the dress was made from. Satisfied, she quickly rushed to put the dress on out of sight of Aleks and spun around laughing once she saw herself within a full sized bronze mirror that had come with luxurious room. Her master observed her quietly. "It seems you have chosen a dress that pleases you." Lenia happily giggled like a young girl. "Yes, I err- think this dress suits me well! What do you think master?" She waited expectantly for his words. "You look beautiful." Her mouth curved into a wondrous smile at his compliment and she twirled again, laughing at her good fortune. Aleks watched her as if he were watching a child pleased at receiving a new toy. "It truly does suit you, but I think any dress would." Lenia smiled coyly but then suddenly gave a shy expression. She seemed like she wanted to say something but hesitated. "If you have something to say, there is no reason to hold back. You must learn to be more confident. Hesitation is never a good thing." Lenia considered his words and pumped herself up, "Mas¡­ Aleks.. I want to take a walk outside.. with you. Can I?" Beneath the mask Aleks had a warm expression but it wasn''t something Lenia could see. He couldn''t help but be reminded once again of his sister who would always attempt to drag him outside for a walk whether he wanted to or not. "Hmm¡­ Fine." Lenia didn''t know that Aleks already had the intention of going out for a short while. There was something important that still needed to be done before the night was over. He didn''t say anything because he could see how happy she was for responding to her request and left her to believe it had been her idea.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. "Then let us depart." "Um.. wait.. Aleks, would it be alright if you took off the mask?" Aleks''s eyes beneath the mask squinted slightly as he grimaced but Lenia could only see the movement of his eyes and became nervous. He hadn''t shown his face much within the city but it wasn''t that he was afraid he would be noticed. Aleks had grown from the boy he once was and his appearance had matured and changed quite a bit. He wasn''t concerned about being discovered as long as he didn''t use any of his unique abilities for an extended period of time. There were very few that might recognize him and the chance of any of them being within the city was extremely slim. He had mostly done so because in a bizarre way, he hated his face. It was more of a complex really and there wasn''t any particular reason. If he had to give a reason, it was because he felt the face was not truly his own. Aleks put his hand to the mask and slowly removed it. There was some difficulty in the action but he complied with her wishes despite the discomfort. "If it bothers you that much master.." "It''s fine. Anyway, I can not always hide my face. Let me place the mask within my ''Soul Realm''. Let''s go." Lenia could barely contain her joy and nodded towards Aleks, practically skipping to follow him. She giggled again and grabbed his arm without thinking and pushed her body against him. He only looked at her momentarily but didn''t say anything. She had been scared for a moment when she realized what she did, but since he didn''t express any distaste towards her she happily clung onto him as they walked. Aleks left his room with Lenia clinging to his arm and walked down the stairs leading towards the entrance of the Hotel. He could feel the eyes of every man and woman in the establishment on them. He cared not for their wandering eyes as the men stared at Lenia lustfully and the women with jealousy in their hearts. They made a peculiar sight, a mysterious and handsome young man locked arm in arm with a woman of ethereal beauty. Aleks ignored them but Lenia quietly observed, noticing the stares. When they made their way to the reception area, she especially took note of the female staff member at the reception desk who was sneakily eyeing Aleks. Lenia already knew that her master was a handsome man and she now regretted asking him to remove the mask. She could feel jealousy rising up within her causing her great discomfort. "Master.. I forgot something¡­ Can you wait for me here for a moment?" The two had just left through the doors of the hotel when Lenia made her request. "Hmm? What did you forget?" "Um.. my daggers!" "Ah.. it''s good that you remembered but you shouldn''t have been so careless in the first place. A warrior must always be prepared and we have many enemies. You have only been alive for a short time so a mistake like this can be forgiven. Make sure it doesn''t happen again otherwise our lives may be in danger." "Thank you master for understanding! I will be quick, I promise." While Aleks felt Lenia was acting somewhat strange he didn''t probe further and waved her off. Perhaps she feels awkward for making such a basic mistake. I shouldn''t pressure too much. Lenia walked back into the hotel and fluidly removed one of the daggers which was strapped to her thigh. She looked around quickly and only saw the female receptionist at the reception desk. The expression on her face was wicked but still charming nonetheless. The female staff member behind the desk noticed her approaching and suddenly became filled with fear as a dense killing intent rose from the beautiful woman approaching her menacingly. Lenia slammed the dagger onto the reception desk and jumped over the desk knocking the young woman down. She grabbed the dagger from the desk and leaned down to place the dagger against the young woman''s throat. "If I ever see you looking at him again.. I''ll remove your eyes and shove them down your throat!" Lenia''s voice had undergone a murderous change and had no hint of her former cuteness. The young woman shook in fear and was too paralyzed by it to speak. "Nod your head if you understand." The woman immediately nodded profusely while tears gushed from her eyes and a sticky wet feeling clung to her legs. "Good." Lenia rose and smoothly lifted her dress, placing the dagger back in the sheath around her thigh. With one last look, she deftly jumped back over the desk and left without anyone else noticing what she had done. A bright smile was once more on her face as she rushed over to Aleks much like a young woman in love and grabbed onto his arm as before. Aleks looked at her strangely, "Are you ready?" "Yes." Lenia''s voice had returned to its prior cute and somewhat timid tone. The two finally left the Hotel premises and strolled through the busy district streets. The occasional stare continued as they made their way down the winding roads well lit by the light of the moon and the many lamps and torches. There were many people walking the streets but Lenia was the most eye catching of all. It suited Aleks just fine for their stares would only bring him discomfort if they were focused on him. Sounds from a plethora of sources surrounded them as they walked the brightly lit River Road in the center of the Red Light District. Its streets filled with a diverse and varied populace. Along the street, women of the night called out to every passerby hoping for new clients, or old. The women were of every race and species imaginable. Elves, Dwarves, even Orc women for those with that sort of fetish. Courtesans littered the city streets accompanying wealthy clients who wished to remain anonymous and so hid behind elaborate clothing and masks. Vendors hawked their wares from every corner as a variety of Humanoid, as well as inhuman-like beings, crowded the narrow roads and alleys. The city of Andor''s Edge was one of the greatest cities of the Federation of Lords. Because of its bustling ports and the fact that it was a center of trade, the city had one of the greatest diversity of races and species residing within it on the continent. Andor''s Edge was centrally located along the Andor River and an enormous quantity of goods were shipped through its ports heading both far to the north and south of the continent, passing through many nations. It was both the largest commercial center and the destination point for many tourists. There were other cities on the continent that could come close to rivaling it, but none that could surpass it, at least in economic power. Thugs with clubs and other blunt weapons kept the peace within the ''Red Light'' district for the most part. However, they mostly extorted weak looking individuals. Occasionally they would break up a brawl or throw an unlucky and most likely poor individual out of the district. The city guard kept their distance and rarely ever entered in an official capacity, but secretly they often visited the faux district for entertainment purposes. Many stopped in their tracks the moment they laid eyes on Lenia''s unparalleled beauty. She had wandered the city streets alone before, but then she had been filthy and in rags and now she was clad in finery and jewels. Some had attempted to approach them to cause trouble but a slight release of Aleks''s strange and unearthly aura sent them hurrying away in fear once they realized that this man was not so simple. A slight burst of his aura wouldn''t be noticed and so he didn''t hesitate in order to avoid any unnecessary trouble. Lenia on the other hand appeared in her own world and hardly even noticed the looks she received. She paid no mind to the unwanted attention and stares. Her mind was currently blissful as she held onto her dear beloved master, enjoying the warmth of his body as she clung to him. Nothing to her could be more luxurious than this. Chapter 26: Drama unfolds (1) "Aleks, what do you think about this?" Lenia clutched an amber brooch in her hands which she had noticed in a stall along the main road passing through the ''Red Light'' district where even merchants didn''t sleep. Many people were crowded around the area browsing the market stalls which also served a variety of food and beverages. The atmosphere was quite festive with the occasional brawl or scuffle between rowdy passerbys. "It is simple yet has a certain profound beauty. It is quite fitting for someone like you." Lenia was pleased by Aleks''s compliment and held the brooch as if it were a treasure although Aleks hadn''t given it much thought. He was presently distracted while observing the surroundings carefully. His eyes finally settled on a dark alleyway which most would miss because there was no light to be had within. It was a dark and dreary passageway filled with a freakishly abnormal air. As if by some prior agreement, no one dared go near the alley and it was completely devoid of people. This was clearly unnatural because every other open space appeared crowded with people. As Aleks stared into the alleyway only half listening to Lenia as she chattered away while browsing the accessories being sold at the market stall, it almost seemed as if the dark within the alley had come alive. Shadows within danced and swayed awkwardly without any rhyme or reason completely unnoticed by the crowd of people. Only Aleks was aware of the strange darkness within. Aleks neared the alley, distancing himself from Lenia without her knowledge. She was engrossed in what she was doing and failed to notice Aleks leaving her side. He walked to the mouth of the alley, standing just outside and whispered. "The night grows weary, ever constant and estranged." Across Aleks''s retina, numbers and symbols appeared as he gazed into the shadows. His ability to analyse, scanning the darkness and sending a variety of information into his sight. Strangely enough in response to his words, a voice answered back, "Do you have the list?" "I do." Aleks raised his arm and extended it into the shadowy darkness. Gripped within his hand was a piece of parchment. A lazy smirk slowly made its way up Aleks''s face, "Do you doubt me? Even if I can''t kill him at this time, I will make sure he can''t disrupt your mission. That should be enough." "It will be enough, we will wait in the shadows until then." "Before you go, there is a small matter I need you to take care of." The shadows began to disperse as if they were being sucked into a vacuum slowly but Aleks''s sudden words halted their disappearance. "Do you think we are your personal servants? We have only one mission. Your concerns have nothing to do with it." Despite the impatience and condescension in the voice, Aleks paid it no mind. His thoughts were completely unreadable to the outside but within his mind he was sneering. He had no fear ofthe being hiding in the dark alleyway but he kept his thoughts to himself. It was necessary to work alongside this man until his objectives were accomplished. "This is necessary to complete the mission." There was no immediate response as the owner of the voice seemed to be considering Aleks''s words. "As long as it doesn''t compromise my work here." "Relax, it is a simple matter. I need you to bring me 3 corpses, they must be fresh. Only just killed. There must be a man and a woman, the third doesn''t matter. I have written my specifications on this parchment." Aleks once again raised his hand into the alley while gripping another piece of parchment. This disappeared just as the first did and the shadows once again began to disperse. The voice didn''t say anything more and Aleks felt the presence completely disappear into the shadows. The meeting had been quick, lasting mere moments, and before anyone was aware Aleks returned to Lenia''s side.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Lenia was holding a hair clip in her hands and without turning whispered, "Master.. You should really inform me before you walk off.." Aleks was pleasantly surprised. Lenia hadn''t even turned when Aleks had walked off and he thought she was engrossed in what she was doing. She had continued her actions seemingly without noticing Aleks movements but to his surprise, she had in fact been aware. "So you saw." "I can''t protect you master if you do things without telling me." Aleks watched Lenia silently from the side while she continued to pretend to be browsing the merchandise and occasionally commenting. It was loud and crowded so no one could hear their whispered conversation over the noise. Their actions seemed natural and not out of place. It seems she''s becoming more mature and developing quickly. This is beyond my expectations. "Let''s return." Lenia nodded and once again became cheerful while holding onto Aleks''s arm. "Did you see anything you liked?" "Just the brooch¡­ because you said it suited me.." Lenia was slightly embarrassed and her words almost became a whisper by the end. The two returned to the hotel without any unexpected events taking place. The only thing of note to Aleks was the strange way the female receptionist avoided looking at Aleks despite him asking her to bring up breakfast to their room in the morning. She even seemed deathly afraid to even respond to him and she kept furtively eyeing Lenia without lifting her head. Strange, I''m not releasing any of my aura currently. Aleks found her actions to be out of the ordinary but didn''t pay it any further attention and the two made their way to their room. They slept comfortably that night although it took a while for Lenia to fall asleep. Aleks fell asleep almost immediately and since they were sharing the same bed, Lenia nervously lay beside Aleks for a good portion of the night. She finally settled on staring at him until she fell asleep unbeknownst to Aleks. The next day was spent mostly in preparation. The two didn''t leave the hotel and instead had food brought to their room throughout the day. Aleks wasn''t in the mood to leave the room and spent most of the day in silent contemplation while perusing information that only he could see. He browsed the various menus in his mind in order to plan a proper advancement route for Lenia. It wouldn''t be long before he could advance her rank and strengthen her further. Just a bit more SP. After tonight I should have enough. As for Lenia, she spent most of her time staring at Aleks. She was afraid to disturb him and instead entertained herself with a variety of fantasies that only she was aware of. Aleks was too focused on his own concerns to pay her any mind. Night came quickly for Aleks but for Lenia, the wait was almost unbearable. However once it did come, she was once again excited because they would finally leave the hotel. She had never been to a theatre before and was anticipating the experience. All of their belongings were being held within Aleks''s ''Soul Realm'' and so it was a simple matter for them to gather whatever they needed and leave. They had no intention of returning to this particular hotel. Their destination was the large theatre within the ''Red Light'' district which was the domain of Don Gregorio, one of the leaders of the underworld within the city. While Don Jesef until recently had run the remainder of the Commercial District, Don Gregorio had control over the ''Red Light'' district. The two made their money in different ways and so on the surface it seemed that they were not truly in competition with each other. However, in reality they were bitter rivals and they barely could tolerate one another. A long line stretched out of the theatre, those were mostly the rabble that could only hope they would gain entrance to the theatre, but Aleks was not one of the rabble. He strolled straight up to the entrance and addressed the guards who were standing outside. They were there to ensure no riff raff gained entrance and only those who could pay the proper fees would be allowed entry. "Oy, look at these ''ere two celebrities!" One of the guards hit another man standing next to him and the two of them eyed Aleks up and down. Their eyes went wide once they noticed Lenia and they chuckled to each other as they ogled her chest. "Well, well, don''t we hav''a fine looking piece of ass right ''ere" The two men approached Lenia, their eyes blinded by lust. "Oy mate, twould be in your best interest to let us fine gents hav''a go at this ''ere beauty. I reckon you wouldn''t want ta hav''a issue." One of the men his arm on Lenia''s shoulder and smiled wickedly at her. She had strapped a dagger to her leg at the Hotel and was about to reach for it when she was stopped by Aleks. "We are here by invitation, it would not be wise for you to keep Don Gregorio waiting." At the mention of their boss''s name, they hesitated. "You say yer ''ere by invitation eh? If yer lying, we''ll have yer head. What''s ya name?" They didn''t look pleased but the man that had put his hand on Lenia removed it. "Tell him that Aleksandros is here." The two men looked at each other and one went into the theatre and after a few minutes returned with another man. "Forgive the holdup Sir Aleksandros, Don Gregorio is waiting for you within, I hope our men weren''t disrespectful?" A portly man with a sly grin on his face addressed Aleks in a friendly tone. "No matter. Let''s not waste any more time on pleasantries." Aleks showed no emotion which baffled the man, but he nodded his head and continued to grin. "Of course! Of course! Come, follow me!" Chapter 27: Drama unfolds (2) The portly man led Aleks and Lenia into the theatre which was packed with people. The lights were on low and it was difficult to make out anyone''s appearance within. Scantily clad women made their way up and down the aisles offering drinks, food, or other services to the customers within. Some of the women had tails which stuck out from their clearly visible behinds and others were adorned with horns on their heads. There was as great a variety of women within the establishment as those that were without. Many of the clientele wore masks just as Aleks did. They were most likely of the nobility or rich merchants and other prolific citizens of the city who wished to remain disguised. They had reputations to uphold and it wouldn''t do for the churches they worshipped from to become aware of their nightly endeavors. Of course, there were most likely many of the clergy within also wishing to remain just as discreet as the rest. Aleks and Lenia were led down the aisle, straight to the front of the theatre. An entire row was reserved for just one person and his guests. That person being the Don himself who only allowed a very select few to ever be near him. His guards stood near at all times to ensure his safety. Aleks noticed that above were box seats where the most important guests would be seated and it seemed that in attendance this night, were many of the other Dons. Aleks knew that they were here to meet about the recent disturbances within the city, all of which had been caused by Aleks himself. "Aleksandros!! Hahahaha, good to see you!" Don Gregorio greeted Aleks with false enthusiasm and ushered him into a seat near him. All of the Don''s of the city wore rather flamboyant clothing with bright colors you couldn''t miss from a mile away. It was as if they felt the need to announce themselves to the world through their clothing. "Oh, who is this beauty with you? I didn''t know such a woman existed in this city! I didn''t know you had such exquisite tastes Aleksandros." Gregorio leered at Lenia as he spoke with Aleks. "Enough with the pleasantries Don Gregorio, I am not here to socialize." His mouth twitched a bit when Aleks spoke, but the false smile soon returned on his face. "Of course. I see you have the mask, then is the deed done?" He was no longer smiling and a sinister look crossed his face. "Don Jesef is dead and now I expect you to fulfill the rest of our deal." Aleks went straight to the point, not wishing to engage in frivolous banter. "Haha, don''t worry, I will fulfill the rest of our deal. Why not enjoy the show first? It is about to begin." Aleks glanced once more towards Don Gregorio and beneath his mask he wore a knowing smirk for he knew exactly what he meant by ''show''. These foolish Humans and their twisted games. Dance fool, dance to my rhythm thinking you are the one in control. At that moment, the lights completely darkened except for a bright light which was fixed on the large stage directly before Aleks. A solemn deep voice soon boomed outwards from somewhere atop the stage outside the light which had lit up the center. "A mellow and solemn tune drifted from notes plucked from a harp. This sorrowful tune with no room for mirth or cheer, harbored vicious intent and narrow fear. The song, a fitting tribute to two lives living in despair. Two lovers held each other in their arms and whispered their hopes while danger drew near. Their love was forbidden for their great families warred and killed in the name of righteousness. Each wielding truth as their sword and lies as their shield, yet in their blindness, they trampled the hope of these two lovers." A tall actor in luxurious noble attire stood upon the dark stage regaling his enraptured audience with an elaborate story of two lover''s tragic tale. It was not an original story, there were many like it, there were even those who had to tread on this unfortunate path. There was no stranger to a love that was not meant to be, and it came in many shapes and forms. Thinking back, Aleks had one such memory, or perhaps many even. While he had experienced untold lifetimes, his memories had become a tangled mess. They fluttered like unkempt grass and basked in the shadowy embrace of whittled dreams. Which iteration was it? A hundred lifetimes ago? Or perhaps twenty-three? It could very well be that a multitude of memories had swirled and ebbed until they had become a garbled mixture, seemingly appearing as one solitary event. Except that every time he tried to remember the event, while the scenario stayed the same, the names did change.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Ah yes¡­ Jezebel¡­ A name I shall naught forget. Through the sifting sand of his memories, a single name jumped to the forefront of his shattered thoughts. "Carmine, we must flee immediately or else our lives will be in danger." Said a breathless woman who trembled in fear. She turned her head left and right, frantically as if searching for an unknown threat. A dreary road spread before them into the distance, its cobblestone packed frame worn with the passing of time. A slumbering manor built from ancient stone bared its shadowed fangs in the listless night, stretching forth as if to swallow the unforbidden love of the teary-eyed couple. All this, setting the stage for the tragedy that had yet to come. "Jezebel my love, then let us depart. I have prepared everything we shall need to begin anew. Do not worry, we will settle in a peaceful place where we can live our lives together with no fear." Carmine, hand outstretched, spoke as if conversing with the starry night and in his quivering hand, a gentle red rose. It seemed as if the women were touched by her lover''s determination and a warm light began to shine upon her face. The fear that was written their having receded due to his words, had now filled her eyes with hope. "Yes, my love, let us depart!" Jezebel responded with courage from somewhere deep in her heart and the two lovers climbed upon a horse and rode swiftly through the night. But it wasn''t long before pursuing knights desperately chased after them, a reminder of their carelessness. They urged their horse on, driven to the depths of their resolve. Neither one would allow their love to be stripped from them. No¡­. no¡­. Aleks suddenly shook his head and grasped it with one hand, pain filling his mind and clouding his thoughts. He struggled against the pain, gritting his teeth beneath the mask. As for Lenia, she had been so enamored in the drama unfolding before her eyes that she failed to notice the sudden struggle within her master''s mind. In truth it had only been a momentary lapse and she would have normally been able to perceive the sudden change. Flashes of lightning darted across the midnight sky. They were blinding in their ferocity. Rain poured haphazardly down from the sky, drenching the cracked earth. A man and a woman were surrounded by sneering soldiers who taunted the man to no end. They laughed at his misfortune while the man glared at them in defiance. He would protect the woman he loved. Those were his most sincere thoughts, for he had planned to give his life that she might live. He had thrown everything away for her and they had been unknowingly caught and surrounded by vicious men. The brave man swung his blade to keep his enemies at bay, all while shielding the woman behind him. His opponents only laughed harder, pretending to strike and then quickly falling back. They were toying with him and enjoying his vain struggle. Despite that, he kept his resolve and continued to look for an opening. If he could make an opening, at least his love could escape while he held the soldiers off. That was what he thought and while he continued to strive to save his precious beloved, he felt a sudden pain in his side. He reflexively touched where he felt the pain and felt something warm and wet. When he brought his hand to his eyes, his hand was covered in his blood. He couldn''t understand what happened, no enemies had gotten close. Was it magic? He looked to his side to see if the woman he loved was safe and for the first time he saw a wicked and crooked smile on her face. In her hand was a bloody dagger, the one she had used to stab him. He finally knew dismay as he saw the woman he loves step away from him and behind the soldiers that had surrounded him. "Jezebel, why!?" He could barely speak over the thunder and rain and his own pain. Jezebel stared at him with that crooked smile and laughed, "This was what we had planned from the beginning. Carmine, you are a fool to have given up everything for love. Now your entire clan will be killed and it begins with you, the only heir." "No¡­ this can''t be¡­ Jezebel.. What?" Carmine fell to his knees in despair as the laughter of the soldiers around him crowded out his thoughts. His blood continued to gush out of his wound, staining his clothes as he turned his head in a daze and looked at the now blurry figures surrounding him. "Poison?" He wasn''t sure if he said those words out loud or thought them. If I could just stand, he thought as he struggled to move his body, but he lacked the strength. "I never loved you." Those were the last words he heard before he drifted off into unconsciousness and finally, into the sweet comfort of death. "Something wrong Aleks? You wouldn''t want to miss the grand finale, hahahahaha." Someone to his side spoke while laughing but for a moment Aleks wasn''t sure where he was. The scene he was watching before him had somehow transposed with his memories leaving him in a daze. His blurred vision stabilized and he could once again see the stage before him. There were several actors acting out a battle scene where the knights of two different clans fought each other to death. The two lovers looked on from a distance in sadness for they had escaped their clans, but they could not bring peace. It''s different¡­ a different story.. A childish story at that, about a fool blinded by a mere obsession. Love is an illusion, there is only power and from that, everything is obtainable. My memories are fading, but some are too painful. "I''m fine." Aleks said, collecting himself and fully returning to the present. Chapter 28: Drama unfolds (3) Don Gregorio glanced at Aleks for only a brief moment and then his eyes wandered restlessly to the two balconies above the stage. He then pulled a pocket watch out of the breast pocket of his shirt and while checking the time said, "Looks like it is just about time." As the drama of the play unfolded and it appeared to be winding down to the last moments, the Don looked over at Aleks and smiled mischievously. "Do you know what happens when certain magic tools are overloaded with magical energy and then that energy is pushed past their tipping point?" Aleks knew very well the answer to the Don''s question, but he remained silent. He had no desire in partaking in childish banter with a petty man such as the Don. Don Gregorio, thinking Aleks was ignorant of the answer, chuckled under his breath and then whispered. Boom! The theatregoers within had no idea what was taking place. To them, it was just another evening at the theatre watching a tragic yet classical play. To Aleks however it felt like a dirty and invasive window into his own mind, but those were irrelevant thoughts now and he pushed them out of his head. The Don''s whisper was barely audible for the moment he spoke, the entire building was rocked by two large explosions. The two lovers were exchanging their final vows as the play came to its climax. They were surrounded, with no hopes of survival and only a single vial of poison between the two of them. One of them was to drink the poison and the other would use a blade. But they were unable to pass on in each other''s arms as the play would have them do because their bodies were scattered over the front row due to the explosions. There was a certainsilence in the moment after the explosions hit, where one could even hear the sound of a pin drop. That only lasted that one moment however as a woman suddenly let out a cry as the head of the main actor rolled in front of her feet. Chaos ensued as people rushed to escape from the theatre, fear motivating them beyond reason. They clawed and fought their way to the exit without regard for anyone else''s safety other than their own. People were trampled under the feet of those luckier than they and those who made it out of the theatre heaved sighs of relief. Many of them quickly distanced themselves from the entrance and ran to where they would feel safe. The balconies where the other Dons of the city had been sitting and enjoying the play had both been reduced to rubble. They had all died without any knowledge of what was about to befall them, completely oblivious to the fate which had been decided for them by another. Lenia had acted immediately of course. She was not aware that something like this would happen and her first thoughts were of protecting her master. She quickly jumped out of her seat and pulled the daggers out of the small sheaths that had been strapped to her thighs beneath her dress. Her eyes quickly surveyed the surroundings looking for any potential danger, but with the chaos it was difficult for her to see much. Aleks had not moved even one inch and sat patiently in his seat. Lenia noticed her master''s calm and looked at him dubiously. Noticing his calm, she felt somewhat foolish at her actions but since she could not read her master''s intent she continued to remain on high alert. Don Gregorio had not moved as well, instead he laughed loudly as he brushed the dust from the explosion off his clothes. There were a few others nearby who had remained standing in their positions but most had now fled. There was an occasional wail or cry of help from those unlucky ones who had been trampled on or who had become injured in the chaotic evacuation.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Finally, Aleks turned to Lenia and said, "calm down and sit." She continued to look at her master with uncertainty, but he repeated himself while motioning her to sit. Lenia finally complied and sat back down next to her master but she was filled with confusion. She couldn''t understand what her master was thinking but she realized he must have the situation under control and so she relaxed. Don Gregorio clapped and loudly exclaimed, "It''s done!" He then turned to Aleks and said, "Aleks, join together with me and the both of us can run this city! How about it!?" The Don seemed to be in an excellent mood as he asked Aleks this question. Aleks turned to look at Gregorio through the eye sockets of the mask. He made a short clicking sound of displeasure with his tongue and said, "so I can end up like those poor saps? I think not. We had a deal, that is all I want from you." His words were cold causing a brief moment of silence. Those that had remained within the theatre were all the Don''s men and they tensed up at Aleks'' words. They were expecting more violence to take place but Aleks showed no concern, even if Lenia became wary once again. Don Gregorio finally broke the silence with a laugh, "...of course, Of course! I am a man who keeps his word after all. You got your mask didn''t you? I will have my men escort you out of the city through a secret passageway. It''s a shame, though. We could have done great things together. Well, now that our business is concluded we''re done here. I''m sure we''ll be seeing each other again. Rex, get your men and escort our fine friend here out of the city." Aleks stood and walked towards the mangled corpses of the dead Dons, "I wish to¡­ pay my respects to the dead. One moment." Don Gregorio glanced at Aleks curiously and said, "I don''t get it, but so be it. Not like they''re going anywhere anyway, but you should make it quick." Aleks nodded and walked towards the corpses littering the floor. He momentarily crouched over them before moving on to the next. To anyone watching it would look as if he crouched over them momentarily, but in truth Aleks was devouring their souls beneath the mask. This was not something a normal Human would be capable of seeing. This is a decent harvest. I gained a few thousand SP from their corpses, 3500 SP to be exact. Along with the SP I now have, I can strengthen Lenia and advance her rank. Now, onto the next stage of the plan. After he finished he motioned to Lenia and followed after Rex, the Don''s man. Lenia followed quickly after him while keeping a cautious eye on all of the Don''s henchmen. She wasn''t about to let any of them out of her sight and glared at them violently. It was somewhat cute watching a woman as beautiful as Lenia glare at the henchmen with violent intent. Rex led Aleks and Lenia out of the theatre and once they were gone from sight, the Don stood and looked towards the exit while chuckling maliciously. "No one refuses my offer and lives. You won''t be leaving this city alive Aleksandros. There are powerful people who want you dead." News of the bloodbath at the theatre spread quickly but a response was slow in coming. The City Guard eventually moved into the Red Light District in order to investigate the attack. However, when they finally reached the theatre, they found none but the dead within and began a thorough investigation into the happenings of the night. They attempted to shut down the district but by then, all those involved were long gone. It was difficult for the investigators to determine who had died in the explosion since it had caused a fire and the corpses had been too badly burned to be recognized. Although it was believed to be a quarrel between criminal organizations within the city and while normally they would turn a blind eye to their illegal activity, this had pushed things too far and had drawn too much attention. There were members of the nobility who had been in attendance within the theatre that night as well as members of the clergy of various churches. Fortunately, no nobles or clergymen had lost their lives and a great deal of coin changed hands in order to quiet the situation. This event was eventually blamed on foreign extremists and was settled as a closed case by the authorities. Even if the matter had been settled by those at the top, the common folk of the city were not convinced by the rhetoric. To them, this was another example of corruption by those in power and if something like this could be covered up so easily then what next? Many considered this and the anger that had been welling up for a long time would soon become a maelstrom that would sweep the city in its rage. Chapter 29: The plot thickens (1) "He will pass through Kirin''s passageway at the left fork. Wait for him there at the appointed time. He will definitely show up, the Don''s man is leading him there at that time. Should be just after midnight." A dirty street thug told a man clad in silver colored armor. "Haha, finally I will be able to earn some merit. We have searching for this miscreant all day and finally there are results. I should have guessed that a heretic would consort with thugs and gangsters. The Paladin-Captain is wise to have sent us to them for information. This time we will catch him for sure. I will surely be rewarded for this information!" The silver-clad man excitedly pounded his gauntleted fist against the palm of his other hand while speaking. "My boss said you shouldn''t underestimate him," warned the lowly gang member. This only angered the heavily armored man who slapped the gangster with his gauntlet breaking the man''s lip. "How dare you speak to me in such a way, you filth. Get out of my sight. We will handle this matter in the way that we deem fit. Tell your boss that I will overlook this slight since you have given me good information. The next time I see you, I will lock you up in the catacombs beneath the Cathedral and torture the sin out of you." Hearing his words, the dirty street thug ran for his life while wiping blood off his lip. He was just a street urchin and was no match for a squad of knights. The rank and file knights of the church of Tihr weren''t quite aware of who exactly the heretic was. It didn''t matter either, for it was one of their sacred duties to hunt down heretics. Many heretics had been captured and tortured into confessing over the years and to them, this was just another one of those situations. It didn''t matter what kind of heretic he was, whether he was a devil worshipper or some blasphemer who dared to act against their god. Either way, only one fate awaited those branded heretics by the Church of Tihr, death. "He shall atone for his sins through suffering and pain. It is the only way to bring these filth back to the light. In death, they will understand their crimes and repent. Perhaps in their next life they will make a better choice." "Sir Krist, is it really necessary to go to such lengths for one heretic? This city is filled with them." Knight-captain Krist turned to glance towards his squad of knights. He too didn''t understand the importance placed on this particular heretic in a city filled with equally destitute and wretched unbelievers. "Paladin Arcurio has ordered it, that is all you need to know. Is that understood?" "Yes captain." The knights in his squad said no more and they waited attentively for further orders. He didn''t know the reason why Paladin Arcurio was so adamant in his search but it didn''t matter. He had successfully acquired the information necessary which might lead to the capture of the heretic and that was enough for him. He would surely be rewarded for this service. As the youngest son in his family, there was no avenue of advancement for him. He had three older brothers and so that made him fourth in line of succession for his family. For people like him, it was necessary to pave their own way and to seek benefits wherever they could. He could only strive his best to gain recognition through obtaining merits and perhaps one day he could start his own line of nobility. "Irene, present yourself." The man clad in silver armor called out to one of his subordinates. Irene stepped forward, saluted and awaited her superior''s orders. "Gather all the members of our squad and have them ready to move at a moment''s notice. I will personally inform Paladin Arcurio and request that our squad be allowed to take part in this mission. This is our credit and I won''t let another squad gain the merit!"Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Captain!" Irene saluted and motioned to two other knights who were beside her. They rode off towards their Order''s barracks to ready the entire squad of seven. "Finally, a chance!" Knight-captain Krist was exceedingly thrilled at the opportunity before him and felt that a promotion was finally in sight. He hurriedly mounted his warhorse which was clad in barding as well as the colors of the knights of Tihr, a solid blue with white stripes and the symbol of Tihr clearly adorned on its surface. Krist then rode towards the cathedral filled with anticipation.
Somewhere not far from where the thug met in secret with a member of the Order of the Sacred Flames of Tihr, Aleks suddenly chuckled mirthlessly. The Order of the Sacred Flames of Tihr were one of the many knight orders which fell under the authority of the Church of Tihr and one which Aleks was familiar with. As a matter of fact, he made it his mission to be familiar with all of the orders under the authority of the Church of Tihr. These were his enemies and it was necessary to understand them with clarity. Lenia, who was walking by his side, looked towards him with interest. Hearing her master chuckle beside her when there was previously silence was strange but Lenia understood that her master had many powers and abilities she was unaware of. "Master¡­." She thought to ask what he was chuckling about but then changed her mind so as not to disturb him. She glanced at him a few times but he showed no interest in her, or in sharing his thoughts. He only continued to follow the men that Don Gregorio had provided to guide them to the secret passageway out of the city. They had just barely escaped the Red Light District before the city guard arrived and time was of the essence. It would be impossible for them to leave the city through the gates and this was the only way to leave unnoticed. She didn''t really understand the need for the roundabout way her master was doing things. He should have been able to find the way himself using his own abilities. Why did he feel the need to use those filthy humans? He could probably have found the mask on his own as well. She just couldn''t comprehend his way of doing things no matter how she thought about. Her master''s mind was far too incomprehensible for her. Rex turned towards Aleks and said, "we''re just ''bout there, the entrance''s in a cellar ''neath this ''bandoned church." He pointed at an old church which seemed to just be barely holding on. The foundation was mostly solid, but there were a few holes in the wall and roof. It was run down and appeared to be a church to an unknown deity. Lenia wasn''t too familiar with the various deities that existed in their world, but she was familiar with a few from her master''s teaching. "This church, hmm¡­ There are no markings of any kind on the steeple. Which deity did this church worship?" Aleks asked. "I dunno nothing ''bout that, it''s been ''ere a long time, more than a hundred years! Who knows what them blokes back ''en worshipped. Don''t care too!" Rex''s words were crude and lacked respect which angered Lenia. She reflexively moved her hand near her thigh where her daggers were attached but was stopped by a look from Aleks. "I see, why don''t you bring us inside and show us the cellar and then your job is done." Aleks said. " ''Oight then! " Rex replied with little concern. Don Gregorio''s man led Aleks and Lenia into the decrepit church and finally to the entrance of the cellar. " ''ere it is, now be on ya way!" Rex motioned to the cellar entrance while shrugging confidently. It was clear he had no respect for Aleks and was happy to be done with his job. "Thank you for leading us here. I wish to express my gratitude with a gift." Aleks said without emotion. Rex looked over at his subordinates and they all laughed expectantly, "Oy, this bloke wants to ''ive us a gift! Haha, sounds good. What is it?" Before Rex could finish speaking he turned to Lenia and said, "Lenia, kill them." Lenia revealed a wicked smile, "My pleasure." With a slight bend and a flick of her wrists, she had already unsheathed the daggers before she even finished her sentence and quickly dashed towards the several thugs the Don had sent to guide them. They hadn''t yet even stopped laughing and joking among themselves before Lenia had swiftly closed the gap between them, cutting the neck of the closest thug while moving onto the next target without hesitation. These were not elite soldiers and were only of the most basic of classes with levels below 30, the only member of their group who had reached an intermediate class was Rex. He had only just crossed the threshold however and was still in the early levels of his intermediate class, somewhere around level 31. Their strength was not even enough to make Lenia sweat. She was already a level 60 Knight on the cusp of breaking through to an advanced class. These thugs were half her level and some even worse off than that. The slaughter was over quickly, Lenia having killed three of the thugs before they even realized they were being attacked. By the time the others became aware of what was going on, Lenia had already approached the fourth and made quick work of him. The other few fell easily after that and the deed was done within a couple of breaths. "Master¡­" Lenia looked at Aleks as if she were about to cry, "I''m dirty again¡­" Chapter 30: The plot thickens (2) "I''m so sorry master, you just bought this beautiful dress for me and it''s already covered in blood!" Lenia was visibly upset and seemed to have lost control of her emotions. Aleks was dumbfounded by her teary eyed face as she looked as if she would bawl any second. "Um.. Lenia, it''s fine.. It''s just a dress." "No master! It''s a dress you bought for me!" "Well¡­ at least it''s red.." Aleks found himself at a loss for words. He was caught by surprise due to her reaction. "Hmm.. perhaps it is due to a lack of emotional control or maybe this is a developmental stage.." Aleks muttered to himself while he observed the distraught Lenia. "This is the first thing you bought for me¡­ it''s ruined!" "How frustrating.. It should pass though. Lenia! Enough!" "But master¡­" "That''s enough. I will buy you a new dress to replace it, forget about it for now." Lenia visibly calmed down after realizing she was showing Aleks quite the embarrassing scene. She was unsure what caused her emotions to go into turmoil like that. It was a sudden urge which overwhelmed her and she lost control momentarily. "I''m.. sorry master. I don''t know what came over me." "It''s fine. I think it is just a side effect of the rapid development of your emotions and consciousness. It should pass." Lenia nodded and wiped the tears from her face using the sleeve of her dress. She suddenly sensed a dangerous presence and dashed towards aleks with her daggers at the ready. "So, you''re here. Good. Than I assume you have what I asked for?" Aleks seemed as if he were speaking to himself but a shadowy figure suddenly appeared from a corner of the ruined church. The figure was barely visible and almost seemed to fade into the shadows around it. "I do." The figure responded in a muffled voice. It seemed it was being hidden by some magical effect or perhaps an ability possessed by his class. "Who is he master?" "Someone of use to us. He has brought us presents." "Presents!? What kind of presents?" "The dead kind." The voice responded while motioning towards the shadows near the entrance of the ruined church. Several more shadows emerged but Lenia could tell that their presence was inferior to the first shadowy figure, they were obviously weaker and most likely the subordinates of the first. Even though her master had informed her already that they were here to help, she remained on her guard and didn''t lower her weapons in the slightest. She carefully eyed the shadows and was prepared to defend her master with her life. "The bodies you requested, still fresh. Two males and one female that meet your requirements. You have such morbid hobbies, forgive me for not sticking around to watch your perverse fun." The shadowy figures quickly dispersed back into the shadows of the night and three corpses were left unattended by the church entrance. Aleks waited while scouting the area with his ''Astral Projection'' ability to ensure they had truly left before continuing his plan. "How dare they disrespect you like that master! I will kill every last one of them the next time I see them!"Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Lenia was furious at the way the man had spoken to Aleks. How dare he accuse her master of having morbid hobbies! Aleks remained silent and approached the corpses. He placed his hand over the bodies one by one and a strange and eerie presence filled the once hallowed halls of the church. A ghastly presence emerged one by one from Aleks''s body and entered the bodies of the now deceased denizens of this city. "Arise my Soul Puppets!" Aleks said almost as if a chant and the bodies which had been previously deceased appeared to come back to life. They rose from the ground and stood before Aleks as if it were a completely normal occurrence. "What will you have us do master?" Lenia finally got a good look at the three and noticed that two of them were somewhat similar in features to Aleks and herself. Of course, they didn''t really look anything like the two but there were similarities which could easily fool someone if they didn''t know her''s and her master''s appearance well enough. The other person appeared to just be someone randomly chosen. What is master doing now? I wish he would inform me of his plans.. I just can''t understand him. "Good, you three should do just fine. Hmm, not really an exact likeness but with the dark of the tunnel and also with the false mask I prepared, it should do nicely." Aleks grabbed the face of the man at the forefront and moved his face from left to right while examining it closely. He then took a good look at the female ''Soul Puppet'' and grimaced, "Not nearly as beautiful as Lenia but the blond hair is similar. It will have to do. Lenia, come here immediately." Lenia approached Aleks cautiously, curious at what her master was planning. "Take off your dress." "Ehhhh¡­?" Lenia was shocked at her master''s sudden command and blurted out without realizing. She began to squirm with embarrassment, "Master¡­ here? Isn''t this place a little¡­." "What are you talking about? Remove your dress and put it on this female ''Soul Puppet''. I have more clothing for you within my ''Soul Realm''." "Oh.." Lenia began to realize what her master was trying to do and she hurriedly took off her clothes. The eyes of the ''Soul Puppets'' on her naked body made her feel uncomfortable but she understood that they were really just dead people walking and tried not to feel too embarrassed. Aleks took out a much less conspicuous and more modest dress from out of his ''Soul Realm'' and gave it to Lenia without glancing at her. She felt a little disappointed that he didn''t even peek at her but she quickly put on the new dress. She was unhappy about the downgrade in clothing but after considering that it was still a gift from her master she felt somewhat satisfied. On the other hand, Aleks removed a purple robe which only bore a slight resemblance to the one he was wearing and had the ''Soul Puppet'' at the forefront wear it. He also removed a fake gold mask and put it on the ''Soul Puppet''s'' face. "It won''t fool them for long, but if they keep mostly to the shadows it should work. The most important part of the plan is my presence. Thankfully, I will be able to exert my presence through the ''Soul Puppets''. None of them have ever seen me in person and may have only heard descriptions of me. I have been careful to show my face as little as possible." "Aleks, what exactly are you going to have them do? How will these ''Soul Puppets'' be of use to us?" Lenia couldn''t hold in her curiosity any longer and asked her master in a straightforward manner. "It''s good that you have an inquisitive mind Lenia. Let me explain briefly. I am going to have these ''Soul Puppets'' gather the souls from those dead thugs over there and then I am going to have them wait a little while. After that, I will send them into the tunnel as a pleasant gift for our friends waiting within." Aleks could see that Lenia had no idea what he was talking about as she looked at him with a confused expression. "Let''s just say that there is going to be a nice surprise in store for our dear friends. You see, when one of my ''Soul Puppets'' houses a soul or souls for an extended period of time¡­ Well, boom!" "Ohhhhhh. I understand now! Master, you''re so cunning!" Lenia finally understood and replied in a playful manner. She was admiring her master more and more with each passing moment. "Are you sure this is going to work though master?" "It will work. I already did a preliminary check of the tunnels beneath with my ''Astral Projection'' ability and it is a relatively narrow space. The first two are meant to be a diversion and will explode simultaneously attempting to injure as many as possible. It''s the third, the one that bears a small resemblance to me, which will aim for the Paladin. It most likely won''t kill him, but we just need to injure him enough that he can''t act for a short time. When that happens, our rude shadowy accomplices can do their job and wreak chaos." "But Aleks¡­ who are those people? And can we trust them?" "There are very few we can trust Lenia. They are tools, nothing more. For now, we are of use to each other. As for later, that is difficult to say. They are here to kill certain people of influence.. Their concerns are not ours. We are here for the mask and to create chaos, nothing more. Let these fools kill each other while we profit from the shadows." Aleks turned to the ''Soul Puppets'' once more while grinning wickedly beneath his mask, "Go, I will be watching from a distance. Lenia, let''s leave this place. There is somewhere else we need to be. Someone is desperately awaiting our favor." Chapter 31: The plot thickens (3) Paladin Arcurio frowned. He had been searching for the heretic for weeks and while he had occasionally felt a vague aura, he had yet to truly locate his target. He had prayed to Tihr on several occasions in recent days but his god never responded to his prayers. He recalled when Tihr first spoke with him over two months ago and informed him of a heretic who would be coming to the city. Tihr had provided him with very limited information and only said that he would be able to sense the aura of the heretic and that the heretic must be killed. He wasn''t sure why his god had provided him such vague information. He knew nothing of the capabilities of the heretic other than that he should be able to kill him with the resources available to him. He was well aware that Tihr, his subordinate gods and his allies were in conflict with other deities and that a major conflict was brewing but he wasn''t high enough in the heirarchy or important enough to know the specifics. Due to this, he was the most powerful being available to the Church of Tihr within the city of Andor''s Edge at the moment and it was left to him to resolve this issue. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that they would be arriving here just past midnight? We have already been waiting here for hours. I am beginning to grow impatient.¡± Knight-captain Krist shuddered at the Paladin¡¯s words which were laced with annoyance. ¡°Sir, I was assured that they would definitely be coming this way. Those petty criminals would never have the courage to lie to us. With the city gates being watched by our men, there is no way the heretic could escape the city any other way. They will surely be here soon!¡± Knight-captain Krist spoke with conviction but it was difficult for him to hide the anxiousness in his heart. He had bet everything on this plan and if the heretic he sought didn¡¯t show it would be the end of his career, perhaps even his life. Paladin Arcurio frowned with annoyance, ¡°Fine, we will continue to wait but if he doesn¡¯t show within the next hour then you will take responsibility for this mistake. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes sir! He will definitely come!¡± Knight-captain Krist pounded his gauntlet against his fist as he spoke. ¡°Are your men in position? If he does arrive, there can be no mistakes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry sir, I placed knights at every possible escape route. There is no way he will be able to escape us and with you here sir, we have no worries.¡± ¡°Hmph.. he will certainly die this day if he dares to show his face!¡± Paladin Arcurio snorted with contempt. Arcurio suddenly shot a glance towards the tunnel leading to the old ruined church. The Don¡¯s thugs had informed them that they would be leading the heretic down that path to escape into the underground tunnels and so they were waiting in a particular part of the tunnel to ambush them. The tunnel itself wasn¡¯t overly large but it was enough for four men to walk abreast and it stretched quite far beneath the city eventually leading outside the city itself. Underneath the city of Andor¡¯s Edge was a labyrinth of tunnels, some of which were part of the sewage system while others were various escape tunnels or secret underground smuggling routes. There was no one who knew the true full breadth of underground tunnels which spanned the city and the tunnels themselves were very dangerous. There were many criminals and other nefarious individuals who often used the tunnels beneath the city. Many also suspected that much of the underground labyrinth may have been ruins from an older civilization so there were even quite a few archaeological digs that took place in the past. ¡°What¡¯s wrong sir?¡± Seeing that Arcurio appeared to be on high alert so suddenly, Krist couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°He¡¯s finally arrived. I can sense his degenerate presence from here. Quickly now, let¡¯s give the heretic a warm welcome.¡± Arcurio gripped his blade and unsheathed it slowly while beginning to radiate a powerful aura. His body began to shimmer as angelic wings began to protrude from his back despite the fact that he was wearing such thick plate mail. Krist and his knights had never seen Arcurio¡¯s angelic wings and were momentarily awed by his presence. They had heard stories, but seeing it for themselves filled them with admiration. Krist led a squad of seven including himself and he had already stationed three of his knights led by his second down a possible escape route while the remaining three stood by his side to face the heretic alongside Arcurio. He didn¡¯t doubt in the least that the force they had prepared would be more than enough for one heretic. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Arcurio was a mighty Paladin which was an advanced class and he was also a Nephilim. Angels were a powerful race of beings that were racially superior to Humans in many ways. Even if Arcurio wasn¡¯t a full Angel, he still possessed some of their racial powers. Clear footsteps reverberated off the tunnel walls echoing throughout with an occasional splash of a puddle. There was clearly more than one person approaching and they weren¡¯t doing a very good job of keeping silent. Tch, what carelessness.. Only a fool would walk so carelessly through these tunnels. There are many dangers within.. Knight-captain Krist sneered while standing towards one side of the tunnel which was at an obscured angle from where the footsteps were quickly approaching. Some of the knights under his command eyed him nervously but Krist reassured them with a nod and a hand gesture. Arcurio stood clearly at the center of the path without any need to hide himself. His wings were already fully outstretched and he hovered slightly above the floor of the tunnel. The tunnel surprisingly had a bit of height to it and there remained quite a bit of room above his head despite hovering off the ground. It was apparent that this particular tunnel was an ancient pathway and not one which was newly or haphazardly constructed. Further down the tunnel there were even many branching paths and the tunnel also grew larger the further one went down some of the pathways. The tunnel itself was somewhat well lit with patches of dark shadows here and there throughout. It had long been used by the criminals of the city to smuggle in goods which was why the Don and his men were familiar with it. Even the authorities were aware of the many tunnels beneath the city as It was somewhat of an open secret, but even they didn¡¯t know the length and span of the labyrinthine tunnels or where all the entrances or exits were. There had been movements in the past to fully map and explore the underground of the city but it had never gone anywhere due to the time and costs associated with such an endeavor. After several moments, the footsteps became much clearer and shadows from the approaching figures could now be scene dancing across the walls as the figures moved between the torches fastened in iron along the tunnel walls. Even though their footsteps were loud and they did nothing to hide their approach, they were strangely quiet otherwise. Once they reached the area of the tunnel where the knights laid in wait, Krist and his men jumped out from where they were hiding and stood behind them sealing their escape with their weapons at the ready. ¡°It seems some rats have shown themselves. Why not step into the light so that I can get a good look at you.¡± Arcurio called out to the shadowy figures who were only somewhat illuminated by the light within the tunnel. They had stopped in a place in between the light of two torches and were only partially visible. It was obvious that there were two men and one woman but it was difficult to discern their features with certainty. Although, the occasional glint of gold made it apparent that one of the men was wearing a golden mask which fit the description of the heretic that they were made aware of. The man with the golden mask stepped forward slightly into the light only illuminating half of his golden mask while leaving the other half still in shadows. A somewhat raspy voice could be heard beneath the mask, ¡°Blue cloak with white stripes over golden mail, symbol of Tihr the god of justice and courage. I believe those belong within the domain of war, a war god. You must be the Paladin Arcurio. Tsk.. Tsk.. Only a mixed breed though. You dare to stand there and look on me with disdain when you are nothing more than a reject.. a castaway. Even your own kind would have none of you!¡± The man¡¯s words greatly angered Arcurio who aggressively swung his right arm sidewards, ¡°Silence heretic! Today you have finally landed in my hands. Your life shall be forfeit! Take off your mask and let me see your face. I shall grant you a quick death, more than your kind deserves.¡± The man who stood at the forefront chuckled lightly and looked behind him before once more facing Arcurio, ¡°Ah yes, the supposed righteousness and mercy of one who serves Justice. And these must be your subordinates? I wonder Arcurio, how much do you really know about me? Has Tihr deigned to inform you of who.. or what I am?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who or what you are. You are marked for death, prepare yourself!¡± ¡°Did you really think it would be so simple? You thought your plan flawless and that we were just rats caught in your net. How laughable.¡± ¡°Enough talk! Kill them!¡± Arcurio swiftly flew towards the three heretics while brandishing his blade and prepared to strike out with an ability. He was hovering only a few inches off the ground but his movements were agile and quick and he had no difficulty in maneuvering within the space of the tunnel. The knights that had surrounded the targets also rushed forwards with their weapons. In their eyes, the enemy were already dead. However, the three they had branded heretics didn¡¯t move and as Krist moved closer he could hear the mutterings of the one with the gold mask, ¡°3.. 2.. 1¡± Krist had a sudden feeling of ill foreboding but why he couldn¡¯t say. It was too late to stop their attack as they had already rushed forward and were in the midst of slashing downwards with their blades. The woman among the three heretics who appeared to have blonde hair suddenly rushed forward towards the knights and a loud explosion rocked the tunnel sending debris and dust everywhere. Another fierce explosion soon followed and a haze of dust and smoke obscured the vision of Arcurio who had no time to slow his movement. A figure jumped out of the smoky haze, leaping towards Arcurio whose blade had effortlessly ripped through the chest of the masked man. The golden mask hung loose and fell revealing the face of the heretic who was now only mere inches away from Arcurio¡¯s own face. ¡°Hehehehe¡­ big mistake.¡± Arcurio had a sudden realization at that moment that the masked man was not the heretic that he was looking for. BOOM! A third explosion rocked the once silent tunnel. Chapter 32: Uninvited guests (1) Don Gregorio was feeling quite pleased with himself. He had successfully rid himself of his competitors and would soon consolidate his power. Without any more rivals, his rise would be swift and aggressive. There might be a few that still need to be killed to ensure things went smoothly but he could already taste the wealth and power that would soon come into his hands. He had dreamed of this day for a long time and only now had been successful in pulling it off. Of course, without the unexpected ally that had seemingly fallen from the sky, none of this would have been possible. ¡°Hehe, too bad he won¡¯t last past this night. I don¡¯t know how he was able to get rid of Don Jesef with such ease and even find his secret vault.¡± Don Gregorio muttered to himself as he walked down the dim lit hallway leading towards his personal office. Two of his elite guards were posted near the end of the hall where the door leading to his office was located. They were clad in heavy leather trench coats and wore wide brimmed hats. They were two of his most powerful men, both being level 60 and of an intermediate class. There basic class was a thief and the intermediate classes they had advanced to were nightstalkers. It was a more powerful version of a thief with a specialty in stealth and sneak attacks. They weren¡¯t as proficient as assassins but had a more wide variety of skills which were useful in other situations. ¡°Jerrick, I see your lounging against the wall again. Got nothing better to do with yourself?¡± Don Gregorio called out to his man as he drew near, clearly annoyed by his subordinates careless behavior. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry boss! Ain¡¯t nobody round ¡®ere at this hour but us.¡± ¡°No one gonna get past us boss, we got this place on lock.¡± Don Gregorio snorted angrily at the two but decided to ignore their bad behavior. They were always like this but he couldn¡¯t say that they were ever not diligent. If anything, they had always successfully completed whatever tasks he had for them. ¡°Make sure the two of you take care of matters as I instructed you, we got a lot of loot to pack up and move from those dead twits! We gonna be rich boys! Hahaha.¡± The thought of the wealth he was going to acquire from the dead Dons instantly cheered him up and he patted Jerrick on the shoulder fondly. ¡°Just a shame we couldn¡¯t get Don Jesef¡¯s wealth, seems like he was cleared out. Dunno how Aleks did it though¡­ Wonder where it all went. No matter, the others should be packed to the gil with all kinds of loot!¡± ¡°Aye boss, should be quite a lot! I plan to get me a few days over at the Crimson house if ya know what I mean.¡± The other subordinate chuckled while making a lewd smile. ¡°Haha, Freddy, you can enjoy yourself as much as ya like! With all the money I¡¯m getting I don¡¯t mind letting you boys have some fun with the girls on the house!¡± ¡°Really!? Ah boss, you¡¯re the best! Heard that Jerrick? Looks like we gonna have ourselves a nice little vacation! Hahaha, can¡¯t remember the last time we ¡®ad one of those!¡± The two subordinates laughed loudly while bragging about how long and how many prostitutes they could satisfy. Don Gregorio shook his head and sneered while opening the door to his office, ¡°The two of you idiots would be lucky if ya lasted a couple of minutes. Bunch of buffoons!¡± After closing the door, the Don could still hear the two idiots bragging to each other but he quickly shut out their voices while he walked to light the lamps which were near the door of his office. There was very little light in the office at that time since it was well into the night. It had been quite a long night and he hadn¡¯t yet gone to bed despite the late hour. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. After cleaning up some of the after effects of the events at the theatre, there was quite a few things that he needed to do. There were officials to pay off and there was the organizing of his men to move in on the other Don¡¯s bases of operation. He needed to move quickly so that their wealth could be secured before it disappeared. The Dons may have been dead but many of their men were still alive and they might loot the vaults of the other Dons themselves before escaping the city. His men had already secured each location and many of the former subordinates of the other Dons had already surrendered and joined his organization. He would need to spend the next day or so moving the wealth into a more secure location. A lot of work but well worth the effort! I¡¯m going to be filthy rich haha. Only I will rule the underside of this city! The thought of all that money and power definitely put a spring in his step. After lighting the lamps, he turned to walk over to his desk but a familiar sight caused him to feel shocked and anxious. ¡°Aleksandros!? What the hell are you doing here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be leaving the city, didn¡¯t my men go with you? What¡¯s going on?¡± Sitting in the Don¡¯s chair at his desk was none other than Aleks who had been quietly waiting for the Don¡¯s return. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting here for you for some time.¡± ¡°How did you even get in here? What the hell are my boys outside doing let you in here to my office!?¡± Don Gregorio turned around angrily to open the door to berate his men outside but he found Lenia standing in front of the door. She may have been a woman but he she was sending out a murderous aura that even made the Don feel a sense of danger. ¡°What¡¯s going on here, what do you want?¡± Seeing that his retreat was blocked, he turned around again to face Aleks. ¡°My boys are right outside, aren¡¯t ya boys!?¡± Gregorio shouted while addressing Aleks so that his men could hear him but they didn¡¯t respond. The silence left Gregorio feeling somewhat unsettled. ¡°What the fuck is going on!? Did they betray me!?¡± Aleks reclined back into the Don¡¯s chair and smiled beneath his mask. Gregorio couldn¡¯t see his expression but if he could he would feel even more unnerved. Lenia behind him had already removed her daggers and were playing with them as if the situation before her were none of her concern. The Don could only look at both of them cautiously. ¡°Relax Gregorio, I¡¯m just here to talk.¡± ¡°Talk about what? Didn¡¯t we already talk? You turned down my offer if I remember..¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say that I changed my mind. I thought about it long and hard and decided that your offer appealed to me. There is much we could accomplish working together.¡± Don Gregorio slightly calmed down at his words and looked at Aleks suspiciously but with a hint of curiosity. ¡°What exactly did you have in mind?¡± Aleks leaned forward in the chair and put his elbows on the office desk while clasping the fingers of his hands together in a sinister fashion. ¡°It¡¯s simple really. You are going to complete some tasks for me and I will take all that immense wealth off your hands. You won¡¯t be needing it anyway, but I have quite a bit of use for it.¡± ¡°What the fuck are you talking about!? This here is my fucking office and you dare come in here and play jokes with me!? Fuck you! You think that I¡¯m a fish on a chopping block but I¡¯ll tell you right now, ya little miss here ain¡¯t gonna do jack shit to me.¡± Don Gregorio shouted with spit flying from his mouth. He threw off the heavy wool cloak that was on his back and pulled out a sword from the cane he had been using to walk. The walking cane was more for fashion than it was for necessity and was quite popular among the gentry. ¡°I will kill the both of you right here and now! Did you think your little bitch here could hurt me? Does every fucking asshole that wanders into my town think I¡¯m just a pushover they can spit on? Jerrick! Freddy! Get ya asses in here, what the fuck are the two of you doing!?¡± He couldn¡¯t believe his men had betrayed him and thought there must be some other explanation. Lenia smiled mockingly and opened the door letting the two subordinates enter. They each had already drawn their rapiers and were sneering. ¡°Ah boss, sorry but ya see we decided that it would be best to work for someone else. Ya understand right?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not like we don¡¯t like ya, it¡¯s more along the lines of we ain¡¯t got a choice.¡± ¡°What the fuck are the two of you saying? We been working together for years, I always treated you boys good. This is how you repay me? Fucking bastards, I¡¯ll gut every last one of you!¡± Aleks had still yet to move from the chair and was watching the show unfold before his eyes with interest. He was finding the Don¡¯s actions and words to be humorous but when the Don released his aura of power, Aleks was slightly surprised. Chapter 33: Uninvited guests (2) ¡°So, you were actually able to advance to an advanced class, quite impressive for a mere thug.¡± Even though Aleks could sense that Don Gregorio was an advanced class, he wasn¡¯t too worried given the situation. Even if he was an advanced class, he had only recently crossed the threshold. Using his ability ¡®Soul Analysis¡¯ he could see that the Don was only level 61 and had only just crossed the threshold from an intermediate class to an advanced one. The divide between the classes was not simply just the matter of a one level difference but with Lenia and the two former subordinates of the Don, he wasn¡¯t too concerned. Each of the three were level 60 and very close to advancing themselves and they would be able to handle the Don especially if Aleks got involved. The only reason Aleks wasn¡¯t aware of this previously was that he didn¡¯t use ¡®Soul Analysis¡¯ when meeting with the Don prior to this. When using his ability, his eyes would glow and if one looked into his eyes, they could see numbers and letters moving along his retinas. He didn¡¯t want anyone to be aware of his ability and so didn¡¯t previously analyse the Don. It was possible for anyone with a class to get an idea of someone¡¯s strength through sensing their aura but it wasn¡¯t as exact as his ability ¡®Soul Analysis¡¯. There were other abilities which were similar but for the majority of people, they could only get a rough idea of someone¡¯s strength through feeling their aura of power. If someone was overwhelmingly stronger or weaker it would be a simple matter to determine this, but for smaller differences it wasn¡¯t as simple. ¡°Are you scared yet? It doesn¡¯t matter that there are four of you, I can kill all of you myself! You can¡¯t possibly understand the difference between those who belong to an intermediate class and those who have risen above it. And you, you don¡¯t even belong to an intermediate class so you are no threat to me at all!¡± Despite being surrounded the Don seemed confident in his ability to escape. He had no intention of fighting the three in front of him to the death and was only looking to escape. Even if there were three intermediate class fighters in front of him he was confident that with his power he could escape with little to no damage. He wasn¡¯t even concerned about Aleks in the least. He knew the man was someone who was capable of accomplishing difficult tasks but he didn¡¯t even put him in his eyes when it came to a straight on fight. In his mind, Aleks had accomplished his tasks through deception and tricks, not through his own power. Of course, if Aleks were someone who could be measured by the normal understanding of power he would be right, but Aleks was someone who could not be measured by the normal means. ¡°Well, seeing that you are more powerful than I originally thought, my plans will have to be altered slightly. Only a minor thing though, I can still accomplish what I wanted using these two. As for you Don, your time is up.¡± ¡°Hmph, we shall see about that!¡± The Don moved quickly, striking at Lenia who he thought would be the weakest of the three but his assumption was way off the mark. When his cane sword met her daggers, she was able to match his strength much to his shock and he couldn¡¯t gain any advantage over her. His two former subordinates also moved in quickly with their rapiers and the Don was using everything he had to hold the three back. There wasn¡¯t much room to maneuver within his office but it was much more spacious than a normal office might have. Nonetheless, he had to be careful of positioning as there was quite a bit of clutter around the room. He had a variety of knick knacks and even a stuffed black bear against one of the walls. There was also a large fireplace with a buck¡¯s head hanging over it on the wall. The floor was made of wood and was covered in various furs. It was a somewhat luxuriously furnished room which represented the wealth he had accumulated over a long period of time. Now however, he was busily fighting for his life while avoiding tripping over the furniture and clutter he had collected over the years. Aleks continued to recline in a relaxed manner while watching the four fight. He was impressed by the Don¡¯s ability to hold off the three considering he wasn¡¯t truly a frontline warrior. Aleks continued to analyze his information and realized his basic class was a thief which he then eventually classed up to a nightstalker just like his two former subordinates. His advanced class however was a Shadow Fencer, this is what gave him the majority of his offensive strength. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Thieves and nightstalkersareknown for stealth related abilities and sneak attacks. They''re not frontline warriors, although they could hold their own in a fight against more offensive minded classes for a short time. A ''Shadow Fencer'' appears to be a mixed class which focuses on both swordsmanship and stealth. It can''t directly win against a martial focused advanced class but it''s certainly a diverse class which can handle a variety of situations. At that moment, Don Gregorio visibly activated one of his special abilities. He had been guarding against the attacks of Lenia and the two puppets and had suddenly erupted with speed and power. His increased speed allowed him to rapidly blink forward towards Lenia.This caught her somewhat by surprise and she prepared to defend herself cautiously. The flash of information was ceaseless as it crossed Aleks''s retina. The information revealed was detailed and included everything related to the Don''s status including the abilities of his class. Aleks noticed that the ability that Don Gregorio had activated was ¡®Shadow Fade.¡¯He had not stopped analyzing the Don throughout the fight while also cross referencing with other similarly related classes and abilities. Hmm, according to the Tower of Babel this is an advanced version of the ability ¡®Shadow Step¡¯ whichis a thief ability. ¡®Shadow step¡¯ allows a thief to rush forward quickly to strike at an enemy but ¡®Shadow Fade¡¯ allows one to rapidly blink forward.Bothare rapid methods of attack which utilizes a thief type class¡¯s speed, but ¡®Shadow Fade¡¯ is an almost instantaneous action and is very difficult to defend against. Quite the useful ability, it allows the user to disappear into the shadows momentarily and propel forward appearing in front of the enemy without much of a warning.Perhaps in the future I should invest in a thief type subordinate. Just when it appeared that Don Gregorio would strike Lenia, his strange movement ability steered away to her left and towards the door. He was attempting to run as he had determined that he might not be able to defeat the three. Aleks, who had been observing the fight closely, finally made his move when he noticed the Don attempting to run. ¡°Banshee''s Wail!¡± A thousand eerie and disembodied voices shrieked outwards from Aleks¡¯s upraised hands. He had finally stood from his seat and released the power of his ability, ¡®Banshee¡¯s Wail¡¯. As an advanced class, he wouldn¡¯t be able to instantly rip out the soul of Gregorio, but his ability was still extremely useful even on an advanced class enemy because it had the secondary effect of stunning the opponent for a brief time. The Don succumbed to the negative status effects of Aleks''s ability and was temporarily stunned. ¡°Now Lenia, finish him with ''Daunting Strike''!¡± ¡°Yes master!¡± Lenia struck out as soon as Aleks gave the order without the least bit of hesitation. Even though she was still relatively young in the sense that it had only been mere days since she was created, her battle prowess and instincts were not that of an inexperienced fighter. Lenia immediately initiated her ability and attacked, piercing through Gregorio''s defenses and doing increased damage.The Don slumped down as he bled out, eventually crumpling on to the floor. Lenia was about to follow up her previous attack to ensure the Don was in fact dead but was stopped by Aleks. ¡°Don¡¯t kill him just yet.¡± Aleks slowly approached the Don who was gasping on the floor with a pool of blood beginning to spread beneath him. Lenia¡¯s attack had been fierce and he had already taken some damage from fighting his three opponents at once. He was a strong enemy and without Aleks¡¯s ability he would have certainly escaped. Leaning over the Don who was struggling for his life, Aleks turned his head from side to side and watched the Don¡¯s death throes. The Don stretched out his hands as much as he could, struggling to grab his cane which had already fallen from his grasp and was just out of reach. It was clear he was dying but he wasn¡¯t willing to die without a fight. Lenia stamped down firmly on his hand and ground down on it causing the Don to grit his teeth in even more pain. ¡°That attack of yours was very powerful Lenia, it looks like your ability ''Daunting Strike'' is effective even when enemies are stunned by my ''Banshee''s Wail''. I bet you never foresaw a scene like this, did you Gregorio? You will soon pass on, but don¡¯t worry I will certainly make good use of your soul. If it helps your parting, your two subordinates here didn¡¯t really betray you. They are already dead, these are just puppets. But don¡¯t worry, I will take good care of them. Now, you can rest in peace.¡± The Don tried to speak but both his heart and lungs had been pierced and blood had already filled up his lungs. He died soon after that with a look of grievance and horror on his face. Aleks didn¡¯t waste any more time in devouring his soul acquiring 1000 ¡®Soul Potential¡¯. ¡°This will certainly help in improving your strength Lenia. It will soon be required, but for now we have quite a bit of wealth to move and a city to help spiral into chaos.¡± Chapter 34: Soul System (1) After the deed was done and the Don¡¯s body had been removed from the office, Aleks walked back over to the Don¡¯s former desk and sat back down in his chair. He reclined back once more and took a deep breath. ¡°Master, what now?¡± Aleks glanced over to Lenia and waved for her to come closer. ¡°We have much work to do still. As for you two puppets, you have a long day ahead of you. Since the Don is dead, I am going to need you two to carry out a few tasks. Even though Gregorio consolidated most of the power from the various criminal organizations there is still quite a bit of confusion. We can exploit this and since we don¡¯t have much time, we need to act quickly. I want you to give out orders to different groups, don¡¯t let these groups know what the others are doing. Organize them as you deem fit. Have them loot, pillage and burn down as much of the city as they can. Kill as many people as possible, it doesn¡¯t matter who they are. If the men question the orders, just make up some false reasons for what you are ordering them to do or promise them exorbitant amounts of wealth. I just need them to act and cause as much chaos within the city as possible for as long as possible. Is that clear?¡± The two former subordinates of Don Gregorio who were now ¡®Soul Puppets¡¯ shrugged their shoulders, ¡°Whatever you say boss!¡± They no longer possessed a will of their own so they would carry out whatever orders Aleks asked of them. Freddy scratched his head before asking, ¡°Boss, what if they refuse to carry out the orders?¡± ¡°Simple, kill whoever refuses! Do I need to explain everything?¡± ¡°Hehe, no boss, I got it!¡± ¡°Good. Oh and that reminds me! I know Gregorio was having men move the wealth looted from the various Dons to different locations. Have them bring everything directly here as soon as possible. No need to sort or organize it, just have a group bring it all here.¡± The two ¡®Soul Puppets¡¯ saluted Aleks and were dismissed. They left quickly to complete the orders that Aleks had given them. ¡°Is it really necessary to kill so many people master?¡± Lenia seemed hesitant to ask but she pulled her courage together and said what was on her mind. She had no qualms with killing her master¡¯s enemies or anyone who got in their way but the thought of killing innocents seemed to make her feel somewhat reluctant. Aleks didn¡¯t answer immediately and just stared at Lenia. He was both surprised and happy to see her questioning his actions. This meant that she was developing more individualism and her personality was finally beginning to take form. Lenia couldn¡¯t see his expression beneath the mask and she began to feel nervous by his earnest stare. She was beginning to regret asking the question and started squirming a bit from side to side in anxiety. ¡°Relax. I¡¯m not angry at you. Actually, I am quite please by your question. This means you are finally growing up so to speak.¡± ¡°Um, thanks.. Master. I¡¯m sorry if I am being impertinent.¡± Aleks couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at her reaction. He had noticed that while her ability to converse was still somewhat immature, she was beginning to express herself more like an adult. ¡°Not at all. In reality, I do not take pleasure in wantonly killing even though my hands have been long dirtied with the blood of the innocent. However, this is necessary for our plans and it doesn¡¯t really matter how many die. No one truly dies, their souls will just go back into the circle of reincarnation and they will live again. So what if their current personality is gone? In the end their lives are meaningless, mere food for the gods.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Even though she said that, Aleks could still see some conflict in her expression. ¡°What exactly are we doing here then? Oh and what about that Paladin? Did he survive?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the explosions of the ¡®Soul Puppets¡¯ were not enough to kill the Paladin and the knights that survived were able to carry him out of the tunnel. He is most likely recovering as we speak but he should be injured for several hours if not more. It will be enough time to complete our mission. The Paladin was the main concern those assassins had, but the chaos we are going to cause throughout the city will also aid them in completing their mission. When you wish to carry out acts in the shadows, it is sometimes best to divert people¡¯s eyes. At times, half truths can be better than the truth itself.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Lenia listened to Aleks¡¯s words and tried to understand his intentions. She wanted to understand his plans in order to understand him better. It was difficult for her because of her lack of experience and short time accompanying him. ¡°Who are those assassins then? How will killing innocent people help them?¡± Aleks was very pleased by the conversation and was happy to answer her questions this time since there wasn¡¯t much he needed to do at the moment. He was consistently busy in the days prior and didn¡¯t have sufficient time to really sit down and talk with her. He finally had the appropriate time to really explain things to her as he was going to spend some time improving her strength anyway and this location was safe for the time being. ¡°Those assassins belong to the Church of Murder. Although the Church of Murder has churches situated all over the continent, this particular group is based in the Merkan Imperium which is a rival nation of the Grand Republics. Also, the Church of Murder have no love for Tihr and his ilk. They were more than happy to sow the seeds of chaos and reap the benefits. It¡¯s just too unfortunate for these assassins who won¡¯t ever be returning home.¡± Lenia placed her finger on her lip as she digested what Aleks had told her but there was one point she was confused about, ¡°What do you mean they won¡¯t return? Are we going to kill them? But aren¡¯t they working with us?¡± Aleks shook his head, ¡°I told you before, you should trust no one other than me. We are still of use to them and so we are temporarily working side by side, but once they complete their mission, will we still be of use?¡± ¡°I guess not..¡± ¡°That¡¯s right and so they will come after us next to remove all loose ends but what they don¡¯t know is that we shall be waiting for them. Not only do we need to take care of them, but we also need to finish off that Paladin. We must leave none of them alive, only then can we leave this city safely without worry of being hunted down in the immediate future. Only then can we safely search for that place that has been calling out to me. But that is for later. For now, we need to make you stronger so that we can accomplish our immediate goals. Everything that has happened here has been my plan all along and even though a lot of it may seem unconnected or confusing to you now, you must take everything to heart. You must learn as quickly as possible because in the future you will be my right hand.¡± Lenia hadn¡¯t realized that her mouth was wide open as she stood there in awe of her master. At that moment, she felt deep admiration and respect for his cunning and intricate plans. She didn¡¯t quite understand every step or why he did some of the things he did but she was beginning to comprehend more and more. ¡°So what do I have to do? How can I become stronger?¡± Lenia moved to stand in front of the desk as she asked her master and was filled with excitement. Becoming stronger meant she would be of more use to her master and this only filled her with joy. If she could be of more use to him than that meant she would become even more important to him. She could barely contain her happiness. Ohhhh, does this mean he will rely on me even more? Then maybe we can do that and that and maybe some of those things¡­ Aleks looked at Lenia strangely and could tell she was in her own world again. He found it cute because it reminded him of the way his sister used to act. She would also often go off into her own world. ¡°I can see you are happy about this, that¡¯s good. You don¡¯t have to do anything. Normally, the people of this world would need either faith, worship, or experience to advance. It doesn¡¯t matter which church, temple, cult or shrine they belong to or whether they serve a god, a devil or some powerful ancestral being. The process is relatively the same but may vary slightly depending on what class they belong to or what faith system they follow. Either way, their experience is turned into power by the one they serve. Both receive something from this relationship. The higher being receives certain promises and once the person dies they receive the accumulated power and experience from that person¡¯s soul. That person would then eventually be reincarnated and begin life anew. However, especially powerful or faithful individuals may even be rewarded by being allowed to live forever within the domains of the higher beings they serve. Of course this would only be for those truly faithful or those who are highly rewarded for meritorious service to their deity. Through this, they would forever become slaves of the divinity they serve but they could potentially live forever as long as their deity exists. As for the individual, well that¡¯s obvious. They become stronger, more powerful, and there is even the potential to ascend themselves. This is difficult however and the gods that exist have a tendency to interfere in that process not allowing new divinities to ascend.¡± Aleks stopped for a moment to let it all sink in before finishing his explanation. ¡°None of this applies to you though.¡± ¡°What do you mean master? How do I become stronger then?¡± ¡°Well, for now anyway, you become stronger through me. The people of this world need to fight, kill, train, meditate, study and reflect in order to increase their level and strength. It also requires divinity of some kind, whether it be through ancestral worship, worshipping the gods, devils or even demons. In most cases, some type of divine being is required for them to advance but there are some exceptions. As for you, I created you and I also have the power to make you stronger. That is why I have been devouring the potential of the souls of those we have killed. With the potential that exists in their souls, I am able to delve into the divine and do what only gods and their ilk can.¡± Lenia gasped, ¡°but doesn¡¯t that mean you are like a god?¡± Aleks slammed his fist on the table which surprised Lenia. She wasn¡¯t expecting an angry reaction from him. ¡°Don¡¯t compare me to those scum.¡± There was a bit of an awkward silence between the two but after calming himself Aleks continued, ¡°I suppose you aren¡¯t entirely wrong though even if I hate to admit it. But, I am not a god. At least I don¡¯t think I am at this moment. In truth, I don¡¯t quite know what I am and there are still many mysteries of this world I don¡¯t quite understand. That¡­ we can talk about another time. For now, come closer. It is time to develop you further.¡± ¡°Do I have to do anything?¡± ¡°No, I just need to touch you. Physical contact is necessary for this to work.¡± Chapter 35: Soul System (2) Lenia was nervous as Aleks gripped her hand from across the desk. She remained standing but Aleks urged her to sit because the process would take time. While Aleks held her hand, she could feel the warmth flowing through at his touch. Aleks seemed to be fixed on something other than her and so Lenia observed him without him realizing. She wished he would take the mask off more often and felt a tinge of sadness which she couldn''t fully understand. Why? Why is he so sad, and there is a hopelessness which seems ingrained within him. Is he not happy with me here? I would do anything to see his smile. Aleks''s eyes began to glow slightly which wasn''t very obvious unless someone were relatively close to him. If one looked carefully, they could see strange numbers and symbols moving across his retina. Lenia was surprised by what she was seeing, but even more so for what came next. The golden mask Aleks wore on his face began to emit a strange and eerie light which she had never seen before. "Aleks! The mask, it''s glowing!" "What? I see, how strange. Do you see anything else peculiar?" "Wait. I see strange patterns forming into words just like what I see in your eyes." Tower of Babel System Online... Scanning... The eerie glow which had manifested on the mask moved outwards and illuminated Lenia, moving from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet. "Master! What''s going on!?" Lenia almost jumped out of her chair as she shouted nervously and tried to shoo away the light from her body. Being unable to do so she became somewhat nervous. "I was not expecting the system to have this type of reaction with the mask. It seems the mask acts as a display in this case and can transmit the information as I see it. Interesting. Oh, don''t worry about the glowing light. You are just being scanned." Lenia calmed down after hearing her master''s words but she was uncertain what he meant by the word scan. She sat down once more, the eerie light that had moved on her skin had stopped and she once again observed the words on the mask as they moved across its surface. Displaying Status...
Daunting Strike (Powerfulstrike that adds 25% to PHY. ATK, Deals double damage when target is stunned)
Shield bearer
"Master, what is this? Is this, me?" "Yes, this is your lifeforce, power and abilities listed and quantified through the Tower of Babel interface. Basically, what you are seeing is your status in numbers and words. It is probably strange since you are seeing it for the first time listed out so clearly. Normally, those who obtain classes aren''t able to see such information. They have to operate through instinct and careful observation. Well, there are spells which can give similar information albeit in a different format than what you are seeing here. This is an ability that only I possess, it is the ''Soul System''. It is an ability that scans a person''s soul and reveals thevery life force that existswithin. It also allows me to develop those who serve me as you do." Lenia nodded her head even though she didn''t fully understand his explanation. She did get the gist of it though. "So this is me. But I don''t really understand all these numbers. What do they mean?" "Hmm. Well vitality should be apparent, that is your overall health. It will fall when you become injured. You do not possess any magic since you weren''t developed in such a way although that could change in the future depending on what class is chosen for you. As for physical attack and defense, those are your battle capabilities. Since you are a Knight, your defense is greater than your attack but you still have a relatively high attack because of your martial nature. Agility is your speed, it also affects how well you can dodge attacks but since your a Knight, it isn''t your forte. Your Magic Resistance is actually pretty decent, again this is because a Knight is designed for defense and that includes resistance to magic. It isn''t as high as some other classes though, so you still have to be mindful of spells. Well, no magic caster of the same rank could defeat you in a close quarter battle anyway. As for the last line, you are able to use simple martial weapons like daggers, shortswords, handaxes and such in each hand. You are also proficient in using a one handed weapon along with a shield but this you should already be aware of."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Some of Lenia''s confusion was cleared up by Aleks''s explanation but she was still having a hard time relating the numbers she was seeing with reality. When fighting, it wasn''t as if she swung a sword and numbers were attached to it. She knew if she stabbed an enemy, they would get hurt and the attack could even be fatal depending on where she struck. So how does that relate to what I am seeing? UGH! "I''m sorry master but I just don''t get it. I mean I understand what you are saying but I can''t realistically relate it to when I am fighting an enemy." "That''s fine. It isn''t necessary to understand fully, just trust your instincts as you have been. These numbers also don''t include your equipment which would also add to your defense, attack and magic resistance. There are also spells which affect all of these things too. As I said, normally people aren''t even aware of this kind of data so just continue as you have been. Now, it is time to increase your strength. Just relax and close your eyes, it will be over before you know it." Lenia closed her eyes somewhat nervously as Aleks held her hands in his. She felt slightly embarrassed because of his warm touch and her heart thumped swiftly out of her control. She couldn¡¯t see what was happening but felt a tingling sensation spreading throughout her body. Her body heated up and power welled up inside of her. She had never felt anything like this before as when she was created, she hadn¡¯t been fully conscious. Something similar happened then but she hadn¡¯t been aware of it. As her eyes were closed, she couldn¡¯t see the data flitting across the mask as if it were a display but Aleks paid close attention to the Data flowing across his retina. Hmm, as a Knight she was focused more so on defense which I felt was necessary at the time but I want to develop her more offensively this time. I also want to max out her levels which will cost 100 SP per level so 3000 SP to max her advance class out. It costs another 3000SP just to advance her class for a total of 6000 SP. Choosing abilities will also cost additional SP. I have a feeling I will be relatively low on Soul Potential after this but it is worth it. Lenia will be very powerful when we are done here! Aleks''s thoughts were rapidly surging through his mind as he perused all of the data related to Lenia within the ''Soul System''. Ultimately he decided on the Warlord class which was a powerful offensive advanced class. The reason why he chose this was because it was one of the paths towards a Valkyrie, which was asolid choice for a Legendary class. The Valkyrie class was very powerful and only available for females. He felt it was a suitable future class for her once she reached Legendary status due to its combat oriented nature and many useful group boosting auras. For now, he felt the Warlord class was a good fit because it maximized offense but still had relatively decent defensive stats and also would be beneficial for the eventual leadership role she would have. After choosing the class and maximizing her level gains he confirmed the changes. Aleks then perused the information on abilities offered and chose two which he felt were pertinent to their circumstance while being mindful of future needs. I will go with ''Warlord''s Aura'' which is similar to a ''Knight''s Aura'' but boosts attack instead of defense. As for an offensive ability, ''Penetrating Strike'' will be extremely useful against that Paladin. It ignores 20% of defense and should give Lenia a huge advantage over him! That is another 1000 SP spent for a total of 7000 SP. I only have a few hundred SP left which means I won''t be able to use my abilities much but it shouldn''t matter since Lenia is strong enough to protect me from any threats now. Even that Paladin isn''t at max level and the assassins are weaker than him as well. Of course, once we kill all of them I should be able to recuperate almost all of the SP I lost. Finalize? "Yes." With that, the process was complete and Lenia felt power surging within her. She felt stronger than she ever had before and new data began to flit across the surface of the mask. Feeling the power welling inside of her, she opened her eyes at Aleks''s command and read her new status.
Daunting Strike (Powerfulstrike that adds 25% to PHY. ATK, Deals double damage when target is stunned)
Shield bearer
"Master! A Warlord? I feel much more powerful now." Lenia felt almost speechless and she couldn''t contain her excitement. I will certainly be able to protect master now! I can finally be of use to him. "Indeed, you are strong. But never forget, there is always someone else out there who may be stronger still. Don''t let the power go to your head." Lenia nodded aggressively but even his words couldn''t put a damper on her enthusiasm for her new strength. "It''s also time we got you some equipment useful for your class. Once all of the loot has been gathered here from the deceased Dons, I will choose the most powerful equipment available for you. It will soon be time to give the proper due to those who dare stand in our way!" Chapter 36: Long bloody night For some, the night was an unknown. A terrible unknown that could doom one to an unforeseen end. To others, it was their home, their comfort, and their companion. They lived their lives in the dark and made their ends in the shadows. It was not something to be feared, but a blanket of comfort that nestled itself within their brow and welcomed them into its embrace. To an assassin, it was all these things and more, but to the average man it was quite the opposite. ¡°What news have you from the border?¡± Despite the raucous laughter from an anteroom nearby, two nobles of great power and influence were in deep discussion. They sat in a luxuriously decorated room sipping wine and smoking cigars while a lavish feast was underway throughout the large and exquisite mansion. They wore expensive suits that cost as much money as the average family would spend in a year and their grand mustaches and greased back hair were well trimmed. Many nobles had gathered within to partake in something that many would deem wasteful but to those of higher birth, was a necessity. It was at these feasts that many a political machination saw fruition and where plots and manipulation was the order of the day. Only those of noble birth or of extreme wealth and influence could participate and it was here that every man, and woman, had a price. For some it was money, for others it was an opportunity or benefits. There was of course more innocent pursuits such as youths of influence finding love or perhaps a good fucking from one noble cuckolding another in some secret place. There were no true friends here, only those of use and those who were mere objects to be thrown away for power. ¡°Our armies and many of our elites have been placed on the front for some time. Even our family''s master class being was sent. I''m sure it is no different for your family. Tensions at the border have greatly increased recently and there have been several skirmishes. Many of our spies have detected strange movement from the Imperium. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s only a matter of time and the situation in the city is volatile as well. It''s already bad enough that all of our most powerful beings have been sent to the border.¡± The noble whose hair was beginning to gray, and small wrinkles had begun to mar his aging face, sighed deeply. ¡°We have yet to fully recover from the last war and yet these foolish warmongers are rattling their sabers once more? Absolutely ridiculous. How is a man to do honest business in such troubling times? There was nothing to be gained from the last war, they were a peaceful nation with no ambitions to expand and now this! Those Warhawks in the council have finally lost their minds.¡± Across from the older gentleman sat another middle aged noble belonging to the same political party. While his hair had yet to gray, it was greased and combed over to hide the balding area which was becoming more apparent. He also wore a monocle over his right eye and just as his staunch ally, had the noble air of a gentlemen used to influence and power. He only radiated the aura of a high level intermediate class being but he represented one of the powerful families within the Federation of Lords. Thepowerful families with the Federation had strong foundations and were often led by one or two master class beings. These powerful beings were often secluded or excessively training in order to advance and only took part in the most important of matters. For everything else, they left it to representatives chosen by the family among their members. Those chosen as representatives were not necessarily those with powerful classes or high levels but those who possessed classes suitable for politics or business. The two largest and most influential families within the Federation even hada legendary ancestor each who were old monsters. They were the most powerful beings within the Federation and had protected the security of the nation for a couple hundred years. If these beings died, the Federation would most likely soon follow or at least would find itself in a precarious situation in international affairs. At the least, the Federation had a powerful military and economy which would not necessarily fall even if they lost their Legendary beings. ¡°Indeed, what our country needs to focus on is developing new trade routes and internal infrastructure. We are beginning to fall behind other nations and for a nation that prides itself on being a republic, it is truly abhorrent. Just look at this city, there are areas which haven¡¯t been developed in over a century! Decaying buildings, filthy beggars living in the sewers and underground pathways rotting with creatures crawling around harming our citizens! It¡¯s truly embarrassing. Every proposal we make in the council to develop the nation fails the vote citing a lack of money, but yet we have the resources to go to war?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not all bad news. I am very close to convincing Lord Briarwood to changing his stance. He has been in some financial difficulty lately and I have been attempting to entice him to our side. I think with a bit more time and a little more pressure on our end, he will have a change of mind.¡± The two men chuckled at the mention of pressure. They had been using some underhanded means to suffocate the business prospects of Lord Briarwood. They would then act as if they were his savior, offering him a solid investment to prop up his businesses for favors in the council. ¡°In the end, it is for a good cause.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. After toasting each other, they smoked their cigars in a relaxed manner and began to discuss more frivolous pursuits and the latest gossip. Unfortunately for them, they had no means of detecting the shadow that was moving just out of their sight, drawing nearer undetected. ¡°The Church of Murder sends its regards.¡± The voice that seemingly came out of nowhere startled the two men, who before they could make a sound, were quickly dispatched. Their throats had been cleanly sliced open with none being the wiser. They bled out and slumped in their chairs. It wasn¡¯t until a servant entered after some time that screams broke out throughout the residence sending the nobles into a frenzy of fear. Two of their own had been slain just like that without anyone knowing and in their minds it could just have well of been them.
Another night, let¡¯s hope there are no more incidents. The head constable that oversaw the nightwatch stood at his office window staring out into the night. The cityscape by moonlight was a beautiful sight and the city itself was well lit with many colored torches shining as beacons throughout. The building that housed the headquarters of the city guard and enforcement department was one of the larger structures within the city. Being the head constable who oversaw the night watch, his office was located in the highest place and his window offered an excellent view over the city. He especially loved the view by night and since he often had to work these obscene hours, it was one of the few pleasures of his job. Unfortunately for him, his moment of peace and quiet was suddenly and abruptly disrupted by shouting from below. Hmm, what¡¯s the commotion now? What is that in the distance¡­. He wasn¡¯t too pleased about the sudden commotion but this was his job after all. ¡°Sir! Sir! We have an emergency!¡± One of the man¡¯s subordinates rushed into his office while shouting nervously. ¡°Officer Deran, what is with all the commotion?¡± ¡°Sir, we are getting reports of fires breaking out within the city!¡± ¡°So have the fire brigades take care of it. Don¡¯t they have mages assigned to them to handle these types of situations?¡± ¡°Normally that would be the case but they are requesting assistance.¡± While Officer Deran was giving his report, another officer frantically ran into the office with an expression of panic. ¡°Head Constable sir! Reporting!¡± ¡°What the hell now? If it¡¯s about the fires, Officer Deran has already informed me.¡± ¡°Sir, it¡¯s not about the fires. We have reports of beggars streaming out of the underground sewers and tunnels. They are rioting in the streets and there are also armed citizens mingling in with them. They are spreading the fires and even pulling innocent civilians out of their homes and murdering them in the streets. They are also attacking the fire brigades members, especially targeting the mages.¡± ¡°What the fuck is going on in this city!? First there¡¯s the explosion at the theatre, now this? Did everyone suddenly go crazy!? Dammit! Quickly organize all of the city guard, including the day watch, this is an emergency! Send word to the council immediately in case we need to mobilize the council guards! Fuck¡­ why is this happening now!?¡±
The dawn of a new day was fast approaching and the chaos that had inflamed the city throughout the long night had no impact on the quiet place where Lenia and Aleks temporarily resided. The ¡®Soul Puppets¡¯ that Aleks had created had completed their objectives in riling up the various criminal groups under their control. They had begun the fires which swept through the city initially causing a panic which spiraled into riots that lasted through the night. It was quite surprising, but the city was already on edge and boiling from within. The social inequality, rampant poverty, and hatred of the nobility fueled the extreme anger of many who bore powerful grievances. Seeing an already existing opportunity to cause chaos, or perhaps just an opportunity to gain benefits, many crawled out of the deepest of holes. Businesses were looted, buildings burned, and the families of the innocent defiled in horrid scenes of rape and murder. It was as if wild beasts had been unleashed on an unsuspecting populace for the very first time. The desperate, abused, and forgotten completely threw way any sense of morality fighting over the scraps they could get their hands on. The city had never experienced such a gruesome event and it was well beyond Aleks¡¯s expectations. Beneath all of this, certain key and influential individuals were swiftly and secretly dispatched, one after the other. While this was taking place, time passed leisurely and quickly for Aleks and Lenia. The ¡®Soul Puppets¡¯ under his control along with some of the more powerful members of the former Don¡¯s organization carefully guarded the residence and killed any who approached without question. They didn¡¯t even bother to clean up the corpses which acted as a warning deterring any who might have ideas. Of course, the criminals had no idea that their former boss was now a dead man and that the two former personal bodyguards of Don Gregorio were now mere puppets. Aleks had already used his ¡®Soul System¡¯ ability to upgrade Lenia. For her, it felt like only mere moments but the process had in fact lasted many hours. Not only did Aleks need to carefully analyze the data available to him to make the appropriate choices for Lenia¡¯s advancement but the process of advancing her class required time. This wasn¡¯t the normal process that people advanced and so it was essential for Lenia to meditate and consolidate the power welling up within her. This was her first time being conscious through the process and it was a new experience to her. She reveled in her newfound power and silently absorbed the power while comprehending her new abilities and strength. For Aleks, once he was done finalizing his choices for her, it was mostly a waiting game. He spent that time in contemplation while carefully observing the changes within Lenia. His thoughts especially revolved around his mask. He had yet to send his consciousness into the world within the mask. He was hesitant, perhaps even slightly nervous. It was a necessary step to evolve his own power, but there was a lingering fear. He had to face the man he once called brother. The first man I killed with my own hands. Chapter 37: The world within the mask (1) At certain times each day, the bells of the Cathedral of Tihr would ring informing the citizens of the city of the time. There were of course devices that could tell time, but for the common folk the bells were a normal part of life. The bells were ringing, seemingly just like any other day, but of course it wasn¡¯t just like any other day. ¡°Sir, you are finally awake! How are your injuries?¡± Resting quietly on an infirmary bed deep within the Cathedral, Paladin Arcurio finally opened his eyes. He had been unconscious and heavily injured ever since the explosion which almost took his life. He had powerful vitality and a strong defense so ultimately he was able to survive, but nonetheless the explosion was more powerful than he expected. ¡°Knight Irene, you survived. Good, what of the others?¡± ¡°Paladin Arcurio, only those of us who weren¡¯t with you at the time survived. We only survived because we were far away from the explosion. It collapsed part of the tunnel which buried you and we had to dig you out. I¡¯m just happy that you survived sir.¡± ¡°Call me Gregor, there is no need for formalities. You saved my life after all.¡± ¡°Sir, I wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± Paladin Gregor Arcurio chuckled with some effort as he was still in some slight pain. ¡°Sir Gregor then. I owe you my life, if not for you safely bringing me here I may have died in that disgusting tunnel.¡± A hint of red creeped up Irene¡¯s neck and she didn¡¯t dare look straight at the handsome face of Paladin Arcurio. Even when looking somewhat sickly from his injuries, he was still extremely handsome. ¡°Um.. Sir Gregor¡­¡± The Paladin smiled at noticing her embarrassment. He sat up straight and with some effort attempted to rise to his feet. Noticing his struggle, Irene shakily rushed to help him stand. ¡°Knight Irene, prepare my armor and ready as many Knights are available.¡± ¡°But Sir, your injuries¡­¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry, they will heal shortly. We can¡¯t waste anymore time. We must hunt down that heretic as soon as possible before he can cause more harm!¡± Paladin Arcurio¡¯s words were laced with venom as he thought of that despicable being that almost took his life. He wanted nothing more than to tear the man apart. Irene hesitated but finally said, ¡°Sir, you aren¡¯t aware of what happened last night. It will not be that simple and perhaps you really should rest longer.¡± Arcurio looked down at the Knight who was helping him stand. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to look at his face and so he only saw the top of her head. She was blushing profusely at being so close to him and her words were much more meek than she had intended. Even though she was a Knight who had fought in many battles, she hadn¡¯t had close relations with any man before. As a Knight of the Church of Tihr, they took certain vows and were not allowed to be in a relationship while serving as a Knight. If they wished to marry, they would need to retire from their position. ¡°What has happened? Tell me quickly.¡± As they walked out of the infirmary and towards the Knight¡¯s barracks, Irene explained the events that had transpired the previous evening. Paladin Arcurio could already sense the tense atmosphere throughout the Cathedral halls as the two walked. Many of the Clerics, priests and attendants were busily running around the premises holding a variety of supplies and instruments of healing. There were many who had died and been injured in the chaos of the previous night and the Cathedral was busily attempting to help the injured and those who had lost their homes in fires. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. It was a truly chaotic scene and Arcurio couldn¡¯t control his anger at seeing the many injured within the infirmary and the people with lost expressions as they wandered the hallways. There was pain and hopelessness in many of the people¡¯s eyes. Many had most likely lost a loved one or lost their material possession or wealth. ¡°Dammit! This must have been the work of that heretic. I can feel it! I will kill that bastard!¡± Paladin Arcurio had a sudden bout of anger which caused him to cough in pain. Irene was nervously trying to aid him from falling when he started coughing in pain. ¡°Are you sure you are okay sir?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, have someone get a priest to come and heal me while I get my equipment ready. For the sake of Justice and our god Tihr, we must kill that evil being!¡±
Day had come with Aleks getting very little rest, but it didn¡¯t matter to him for he didn¡¯t need much rest to begin with. Even in his original lifetime he had hardly slept, spending long nights with his nose in a book doing research and testing theories. He was a man who slept little but accomplished much. Well, by some standards that is. Two soft knocks at the door to the former Don¡¯s personal office brought Aleks back from his thoughts. ¡°Enter.¡± Jerrick, one of the puppets under Aleks¡¯s control, entered respectfully closing the door behind him. ¡°Boss, all the loot has been moved successfully. We stacked up the boxes as best we could, there¡¯s too much though. Made quite a mess of the place. Had to grease a few pockets and pay out some promised rewards for last night but those were just minor expenses compared to what¡¯s there. It was the only way to get some of the boys to act ya see and of course to shift a few eyes so we could make the proper moves and I know you don¡¯t want too many eyes on this place.¡± Aleks nodded, satisfied with the puppet¡¯s performance, ¡°Good, you have done well.¡± Aleks glanced over towards Lenia who was still sitting quietly with her eyes closed in meditation. It would still be some time for her to consolidate her power and adjust her consciousness appropriately. Her senses were still subconsciously on alert in case of an emergency but otherwise she was focused within herself. ¡°Continue to watch over the residence and keep everyone away, I will take care of the loot later. What news is there from the city?¡± ¡°A lot of people died last night, I would say things went swimmingly haha. The council was so scared they didn¡¯t even allow the council guard to be deployed. Something about assassins in the night targeting the lords, haha, bet ya know something about that right eh boss? The city guardsmen had a hell of a time trying to keep order and they couldn¡¯t put the fires out all night. It was complete pandemonium. They finally gotta handle over things earlier in the morning though, city has declared martial law and things finally calmed down. Won¡¯t be nobody leaving the city for now though, well excepting those with special means of course.¡± Aleks remained seated while he listened to Jerrick¡¯s report only occasionally slowly rubbing his right hand across the left cheek of his mask. ¡°There was a bigger commotion than I expected, but that is a good thing. Hmm, those assassins did their job well. It seems that tonight will be another busy night but this time for us. It looks like I can¡¯t hold off any longer¡­¡± ¡°Ah boss, what do you mean exactly?¡± ¡°We will be having some unwelcome guests tonight and I need to prepare. Make sure no one disturbs us for the time being. Lenia and I must not be disturbed no matter what. Is that understood?¡± ¡°Sure boss, no problem! Not like anyone is gonna come by and bother us here anyways with all them boys outside. We already paid off the city guard as well so no worries.¡± ¡°Good, go see to your duties.¡± With that, Jerrick left without disturbing the two further. It was quiet once more as Aleks slowly removed the gold mask from his face and looked at it for a long time before doing anything else. He was still somewhat hesitant, but it was time to face his fears and his past. Gently placing the mask down on the desk, he touched it once more with his right hand feeling the smooth contours. There was no expression on the mask, it was just a bland face but Aleks could almost feel that it was crying. It was just his imagination though, no tears could possibly fall from its empty eyes. With a deep sigh, Aleks calmed his thoughts and emptied his mind of all things. The world quieted, seemingly as if nothing existed. There was only him and the mask. His mind began to quiver, resonating with some unseen force within the mask and soon the world slipped away in its entirety and Aleks felt a shifting sensation that made him feel a sense of dizziness. Only Aleks was capable of such a thing, for his soul was indelibly tied with the soul within the mask. It wasn¡¯t something one could simply explain, but the two shared an unexplainable connection, something powerful enough to shake the world. They shared the Origin, an insurmountable power that gods and devils alike would kill for. They would pay any price, destroy any rival, crush innumerable worlds, slay entire generations, all to obtain it. The Origin, the heart of a world, the soul of a god of beginnings. Chapter 38: The world within the mask (2) The dizziness didn¡¯t last long but when Aleks opened his eyes, the world had shifted and he found himself in a dark space devoid of light. However, the dark that surrounded him began to dissipate and soon a large room with an enormous window overlooking a bounteous and beautiful planet came into view. Aleks was looking down at this scene but wasn¡¯t really a part of it. The room itself was filled with luxurious furniture and many technological gadgets straight from his original memories in his earliest lifetime. There were gadgets of all kinds littered throughout the spacious room and it looked like the space hadn¡¯t been tidied in some time. The sounds of someone tinkering with machines and frustrated mumbling permeated the space. A sudden feeling of D¨¦j¨¤ vu hit Aleks unexpectedly. As a matter of fact, he clearly recognized this room well because he had spent an inordinate amount of time in it when he was alive in that lifetime. It was his old home and private workspace, a large and spacious living space atop a tower that stretched beyond the clouds reaching the bounds of space, the Tower of Babel. The tower was not just intended to be an empty tower built to reach the endless sky. It would eventually serve many purposes and would house many people. Countless millions would eventually live within and it would be filled with all the necessities of modern living. Within, they planned for businesses of all kinds, entertainment complexes, living spaces, engineering facilities, research facilities and all matter of necessary departments and wings. The tower would be entirely self sufficient in every way and was a marvel of modern technology and engineering. Most importantly, it was a simple and efficient means of reaching that endless sky that stretched into the infinite horizons of space. It was a space elevator that allowed for relatively quick transportation to the very top of the tower which was, a beyond comparable, space station orbiting the planet. From here, the people of the world would monitor the planet below as well as the vast expanse beyond. While the residents of this world had yet to successfully leave their solar system, many excursions and exploration missions had traveled throughout the solar system. From this massive space station they planned to expand into space seeking resources and potentially build installations on other planets. It was also where research of the highest order was conducted seeking ever new and advanced technology to progress their society and way of life. However, currently, only a small percentage of the people planned to be living in the tower lived within. Only engineers, laborers, scientists and other important personnel currently lived within the tower because it was still in the construction phase and was not yet fully completed. The space station orbiting the planet was also being constantly expanded and upgraded to meet the needs of the world below. It was a massive project spanning many decades and only came to fruition due to the labor of innumerable people and an abundance of resources. ¡°What is this? Is this the inside of the mask? It doesn¡¯t seem real. Is it just an illusion? But at the same time it almost does feel real. Perhaps this isn¡¯t just a mere illusion, but something else entirely.¡± Aleks felt as if he were currently an observer watching an old memory as if it were a video of some kind. However, amazingly enough, he could see everything in the space even things which were hidden from immediate view if he approached them. He was currently weightless and seemed to have no physical body but everything around him appeared so real. It was similar to a virtual space but even more visually tangible. It was as if he were a ghost actually present while this event was taking place. His consciousness approached a man who currently sitting on the floor in front of a large sofa. Strange translucent screens with words scrolling across them, manuals and other technical research papers were strewed all across the floor haphazardly. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to any of it as the man tinkered with a small gadget. He seemed frustrated by something and was mumbling words to himself under his breath. The man was seemingly in his early thirties, which at that time would still be considered to be relatively young especially for a man with his position and authority. At that time, the average age of death exceeded 150 and so a thirty year old would normally be someone just finishing their advanced education and entering a suitable career associated with their education and training. In their world, children would be chosen at a young age based on their aptitude and sent to appropriate institutions of education until the age of thirty. It wasn¡¯t just simple education either but also training. They would receive education and training in a variety of things as well. Their world had long been united under one government and culture, all speaking the same language and living similar lifestyles depending on their position in society. Everything was controlled by the government which was an enormous bureaucracy regulating every aspect of their world.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. This particular man Aleks knew well, for it was he himself. Or at least, it was the man he once was. The man continued his tinkering completely unaware of the consciousness that was carefully watching him. The room was brightly lit and there was a huge screen on the wall in front of the seated man which he hardly ever turned on. It was a viewing screen which had many purposes. It could be used for communication or for viewing entertainment. It also functioned as a control terminal for the A.I. that managed the living space when the owner wished. Of course the A.I. was omnipresent throughout the living space and was not confined to just the terminal. As Aleks continued to observe quietly, since he could not actually physically speak, the man suddenly threw the tiny machine he was tinkering with on the floor and fell back towards the sofa and rested his head on it with a sigh. Aleks could clearly see the man¡¯s face which was once his own. He was a relatively handsome man but his hair was quite disheveled and he appeared somewhat haggard. He clearly hadn¡¯t washed his face for a long time and beneath his eyes were black bags showing that he hadn¡¯t slept in an equally long time. That''s me, or at least who I once was. What a fool I was then, thinking that my efforts would truly bring about change. Even though I had my brother Ishmael, I didn''t truly cherish the friendship and brotherhood that I had. I was stuck in the past, stuck in the memory of my parent''s death, and my hatred for the world. I blamed it on religion, on belief in gods, superstition and mysticism. Not without reason though. The great religious war almost caused the destruction of civilization itself, and even after the world was unified under one government, religious extremists continued their crusade. In reality, the conflict had never truly ended, it just moved to the shadows beneath the surface. I learned that the hard way when my own parents became victims of the violence at a young age. Ibecame a ward of the state and later, a tool for their ambitions. This is what fueled my desires, and that mysterious voice deep within my mind and heart spurred me on. I helped build that tower as a means to an end, although the end I received was not at all what I had planned. Aloud ringing soundwoke Aleks from his thoughts and the man inAleks''s vision uttered a single word without changing his position in the slightest, ¡°Open.¡± The only slick metallic door within the residence slid to the side across the room from his location, and a man who looked very much like an elegant young scholar entered the room with a calm smile. He was a very handsome and charismatic individual who was the same age as the man leaning back on the sofa. He was wearing a white full bodied suit which fit snugly against his body showing off his lean muscles and well toned shape. For the people living in that particular society, he would be considered to have the ideal male physical form. ¡°An-Namrud! So you are here, as expected haha.¡± The man laughed warmly as he approached. ¡°Are you still tinkering with that toy? Every time you are stumped with something you have such a bad habit of playing around with some trivial new gadget without sleep or even considering your own well being. Isn¡¯t it time you clean yourself up and spend some time with your colleagues? We are all worried about you.¡± An-Namrud sighed with frustration again before replying in a somewhat hoarse voice, ¡°Ishmael, I don¡¯t have time to be fraternizing! This is something of the utmost importance. If I can¡¯t resolve this problem...¡± Ishmael couldn¡¯t help but frown seeing his closest friend¡¯s helplessness. ¡°Sometimes it is best to clear your mind and consider other things. Relaxing is important too, you spend too much time by yourself that even I am almost beginning to forget what you look like! If I didn¡¯t force myself to come look for you every time, would I ever even see you? We are having a party to celebrate entering the final stage of the project, why don¡¯t you come join us? The others are desperately hoping to see you. Jilliana has even been asking about you. She¡¯s truly hoping to see you this time.¡± ¡°Jilliana? Ishmael, didn¡¯t I tell you to stop meddling? I have no time for relationships. Don¡¯t you feel it too? This feeling of urgency¡­ it¡¯s driving me mad. It keeps growing stronger as if there is some dire calamity heading our way. This project must be completed, we must stabilize the core engine within the Tower and it must be fully activated before this calamity comes.¡± To others, he might sound like a madman but Ishmael couldn¡¯t deny the fact that he too had been feeling a strange and foreboding presence driving them. He had even had unexplainable dreams which seemed all too real, but he never believed in such superstition and while An-Namrud too didn¡¯t believe in superstition, he was much more motivated than Ishmael. ¡°Brother¡­ I..¡± ¡°Forget it, just let me be for now. Please¡­¡± ¡°I see I won¡¯t be able to convince you but you can¡¯t continue to live like this. What is the point? What we are doing is truly magnificent work but what is the point if it costs you everything else¡­ taking some time to enjoy the little things is good too.¡± An-Namrud could only shake his head, ¡°I know you mean well brother but none of that matters to me.¡± Seeing his beloved friend and brother being so obstinate he could only shake his head in frustration, ¡°Fine, but next time you must definitely come.¡± With that he left and once again An-Namrud was alone with his own thoughts. Aleks remembered this moment clearly as if it were yesterday because the next time he saw Ishmael was also the last time. It was that night he finally realized what he needed to do, but it was also the beginning of the end. Chapter 39: The world within the mask (3) The scene before him once again blurred and twisted causing another bout of dizziness. It was not something within Aleks¡¯s control and in fact he felt that someone was intentionally showing him these images. When he could once more see again, there was another scene that he remembered vividly. ¡°Amazing! Finally¡­. Hahahaha, it¡¯s done. All those long years finally coming to fruition. Congratulations brother! It¡¯s finally done.¡± Ishmael was ecstatic. The long years of hard work were finally going to see results. The core engine was ready to come online, this would provide an endless renewable energy source straight from the core of their world. The last major hurdle had been overcome and the tower could finally be activated. This was truly a momentous occasion that their entire world was celebrating. This would be the moment they finally and truly could begin their journey among the stars. But most of all¡­ I hope my brother can finally find peace and live normally. Maybe even settle down and start a family. Ishmael couldn¡¯t help but hold these thoughts in his mind. In fact, if not for him, his brother would truly be alone. How many people were willing to put up with his friend¡¯s reclusiveness and inability to properly socialize with others? If not for his brother¡¯s amazing talent which naturally garnered respect and the efforts of Ishmael himself, An-Namrud would have no one. Time seemed to stop for Aleks as he watched this scene, he was also even privy to the thoughts of Ishmael who was present in it with his original body. His vision blurred again and it felt as if time was being fast forwarded to the final moment when he turned the core engine on for the first time. When time started to turn once more, the figure of Ishmael in his vision turned to his former body and said with a serious expression, ¡°you should be the one to turn it on.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± An-Namrud replied. His former self pressed against the screen which was flickering before him launching the activation process. A loud thrumming sound began to reverberate and the tower successfully activated without a hitch. He had imagined that it would be something amazing, but in reality it was as simple as flipping a switch. He held his breath, awaiting something, anything to happen. Everything went exactly as planned, it seemed so effortless. Ishmael too was slightly nervous but when it seemed that everything was fine, he clapped his hands, ¡°Ha! See.. all systems are normal! Everything is working as intended! Hahahahaha.¡± He laughed cheerfully as if he was truly letting out all his nervousness and hesitation. The many other scientists and engineers within the control tower who were watching erupted in applause and finally let loose. They were cheering ceaselessly and Ishmael too was ecstatically shouting. They began congratulating each other and many happily approached Ishmael to shake his hand and offer words of flattery and encouragement. Only An-Namrud still stood in the same spot staring out into space through the control room¡¯s window. Only he noticed the strange phenomenon that was currently growing, creating a mysterious distortion. There was no sound, there was no warning, just an ever enlarging slit in space. Ishmael had yet to notice the strange phenomenon and after cheerily conversing with some of the others present, he urgently approached An-Namrud happily. He gently slapped him on the back and said, ¡°Congratulations! We did it! I thought you would be happier.¡± He soon realized something wrong in his friend¡¯s expression and turned to look at what he was staring at. He gasped in shock and someone else finally noticed the strange scene unfolding before them and shouted, ¡°What¡¯s that!?¡± A blinding flash spread out from the distortion in space causing those present in the room to be instantly incinerated. They all died without warning, without even being able to utter a sound. Only Ishmael and An-Namrud remained within the control room. They were each covering their eyes and screaming in pain. When the pain finally subsided and they could open their eyes once more, they were completely stunned into silence by what they saw. The distortion itself had grown extremely large, but what truly stunned them was that within the control room no one was left alive but them and a stunningly ethereal beauty the likes of which they had never seen. Their shock only grew from there, for she was clearly suspended above the floor with eight magnificent and glorious golden wings protruding from her back. They were large, much larger than her actual body and they flapped slightly, gently even though there was no wind. Her clothing was of an unknown material and was of one entire piece which could not conceal the curve and shape of her body beneath which was extremely alluring and otherworldly. Golden silky hair stretched from her head down to her calves like a waterfall and despite the fluttering of her wings, her hair remained still. Her bright shining eyes exuded magnificence and her skin was supple with a perfect complexion. There wasn¡¯t even a slight deficiency in her appearance and in her form. It was as if she were sculpted to be perfect in every way down to the smallest dimension and detail.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. The mysterious angelic woman exuded a holy aura that made one wish to kneel and worship her. Both Ishmael and An-Namrud struggled to remain on their feet as this aura washed over them but somehow through extreme effort they were able to remain standing. ¡°Ho.. you two didn¡¯t die? Oh, I see¡­ that¡¯s why.¡± The winged woman placed her hand over her mouth and spoke. Her voice could only be described as heavenly and beautiful beyond measure. Or at least, to the two men standing there it seemed so. ¡°Wh...who are you?¡± Ishmael struggled to speak barely able to work up the courage. Time seemed to stop once more at that moment. Aleks¡¯s consciousness continued to observe this image which didn¡¯t seem to differ much from reality. Once again time fast forwarded and Aleks could now see the last moments he remembered. There, he stood behind his friend who he called brother. Ishmael was kneeling in fear and tears were falling from his eyes as he begged that angelic woman for mercy. His former body had a blank expression on its face and it appeared to be frozen in time as if there was no life in it and it was just a puppet. Aleks remembered clearly that at that moment he had been in such shock at Ishmael¡¯s actions that something seemed to die inside him. The woman was saying something to Ishmael as she gently caressed his chin. She was leaning his head upwards and looking down at him as if he were a helpless child. Aleks couldn¡¯t hear her words and an eerie silence came over the image he was seeing. Aleks watched as his former body grabbed a sharp object from nearby and stabbed his beloved friend in the back of his neck. His friend¡¯s blood poured out covering his hands and dripping onto the floor. Ishmael¡¯s body leaned forward catching the angelic woman by surprise. She hadn¡¯t expected that the other man would do such a thing. She angrily shouted and made a grabbing motion towards An-Namrud but after stabbing his friend he didn¡¯t hesitate to then stab himself. The image froze once more. ¡°Do you regret killing me?¡± A voice he remembered well suddenly came from everywhere. Aleks couldn¡¯t locate the source but nonetheless he replied. ¡°I wanted to leave you with your dignity intact. I didn¡¯t want to remember you as a coward.¡± ¡°So you killed me, stabbed me in the back¡­¡± Aleks grew angry at his response and shouted, ¡°You know exactly why it was necessary. If I hadn¡¯t killed you and myself then, they would have obtained everything. I admired you, respected you, and loved you as a brother but you were willing to betray your people for what? Mercy? So that you could save yourself and live as a slave? I could not accept that nor did I want to see you throw away everything!¡± ¡°I have been trapped here for an eternity. There is no time in this place but.. at least I get to live a fantasy. I delude myself with these memories of the past before the fall and remember the happiness we once shared.¡± The voice of Ishmael was shaky, perhaps even mad. There was also a hint of sadness and grief. Aleks calmed down and too felt somewhat emotional, for this was something that had wounded him deeply. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to kill you brother. I watched from above as those winged horrors came pouring through that hole in space and rained down destruction on our world killing everything and everyone. There was nothing I could do¡­ I was powerless. And when that moment came¡­ it was all I could think of to stop them from obtaining that which they so deeply sought. Even though I am a murderer that could only watch as everything ended, I was able to at least stop them from obtaining the origin of our world. For that, we both paid a steep price but I do not regret my decision in the least.¡± The voice quieted and didn¡¯t respond for a long time. ¡°Do you know why I knelt and begged?¡± ¡°No, it is something I have long thought hard about but I could never bring myself to understand.¡± A faint image of a kneeling man came into view. There was a look of hopelessness as he begged in tears. The shame of that memory was bitter but Aleks didn''t look away. He wanted to remember that moment despite the pain. The man kneeling turned and looked straight at the consciousness of Aleks which was not visible. His appearance had changed, his eyes hallowed and ghastly looking. It was clear that his mind had momentarily fallen into madness before his visage became one of lucidity. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for myself and I didn''t do it for the people of our world. You may think me a coward... but I had no qualms with dying and I didn''t care about the rest... I was willing to give up my pride, my dignity, my life''s work. But it wasn¡¯t for myself and it wasn''t for anyone else. I did it for you.¡± The image of Ishmael kneeling on the floor began to fluctuate as if it had given everything to say those last words and was now devoid of life. His brother, who he had held the utmost respect for was fading away in silence and grief but Aleks couldn''t understand his words. ¡°What are you talking about!?¡± He said with the utmost haste, scared that the vision would soon dissipate and then he would be left alone once more. With the dwindling image of Ishmael and the quiet and forlorn darkness beginning to seep in once more, his words drifted as if a fading cloud, ¡°I just... I just wanted you.... to have a chance.... a chance to live.. a chance to love... So, please¡­ live without regrets.¡± The voice faded and a powerful force surged through Aleks¡¯s consciousness imbuing him with great power. It was a power that he was very familiar with for a portion of it existed within his soul. It was the power of the Origin, a part of the soul of the god birthed from his world. ¡°Ishmael¡­I''m sorry... but the man I once was is gone. How could I ever go back to that naive and curious young man that only sought that ever distant horizon. Now... I''m only filled with the desire for revenge.¡± The world within the mask had already almost faded and a deep dark void swirled emitting strange sounds like the cracking of glass. Aleks watched the world being consumed within the void and the memories he once held dearwere completely gone. Only the faint sound of his brother''s words stilled resounded in his mind,"live.." Chapter 40: The fallen one ¡°What a sad, sad scene. A brother giving up his life for his most beloved friend.¡± A beautiful, but mocking, angelic voice startled Aleks. The black mass being devoured by the void froze and when his consciousness observed the frozen image below, something strange happened. The previous scene of Ishmael kneeling before the angelic being once more returned but the frozen image of the female angel below began to ripple like the surface of a lake and a dark gaseous aura poured forth from her body. Aleks felt no danger from it, but it was eerie and unexpected. The strange dark gaseous aura appeared like ink, oozing across the surface of the angel¡¯s golden wings turning them as black as night. The wings became engulfed in the darkness and even the clothing of the angel became black and sinister. Her hair which was once golden had become jet black and her eyes burned crimson instead of their former bright magnificence. If she had once been a majestic and holy being of magnificent beauty, she had now become a cool, demonic and deadly alluring beauty. ¡°Do you feel sorrow? Loneliness? Why so quiet? Do you feel nothing at all?¡± Her words continued without waiting for Aleks to respond as she stared directly at Aleks¡¯s consciousness. ¡°This is not a mere illusion is it? But you are not as I remember you.¡± ¡°That is because I am no longer the same, isn¡¯t it obvious? I failed and for that I was punished, cursed. I am but a fallen angel now, a being despised by my brethren. But, I don¡¯t blame you. I even admire you. So ruthlessly killing your own best friend and closest loved one. No hesitation, truly magnificent.¡± ¡°Your attempts to mock me are wasted. I do not regret what I did but that doesn¡¯t mean I feel nothing at all. It was the only choice available to me at the time that didn¡¯t end in submitting to your god¡¯s tyranny. Although my brother begged and surrendered in order to save my life, in the end what qualifications did such powerless beings like us have to negotiate? I am no fool. In the end you would have gained everything and we still would have gained nothing.¡± The fallen angel laughed, pleasantly surprised by his response. ¡°You are wiser than I gave you credit for. Your brother was a fool to think that the gods would negotiate fairly with him and your swift thinking was in fact correct. By killing him and yourself, you denied the gods what they most sought although in the end they still assimilated your world and gained the entirety of the souls within it. That in and of itself was a benefit, but you deprived them of the origin of your world which was what they desired most. In truth, I admire your stalwart will.¡± Even though she was complimenting Aleks, her words provided no comfort for him. She remained an enigma. ¡°Enough talk, what do you want and why did you leave a strand of your consciousness here? Was it just to flatter me? Or perhaps you are merely bored.¡± ¡°Haha. It was meant to be my merit, finding your world, acquiring the origin. But instead, I failed and was cursed like this. I am trapped in that place, you can feel it can¡¯t you? It has been calling out to you. I have been abandoned and imprisoned there for a very long time. I am waiting for you. I have always been waiting for you. Come to me.¡± As she spoke, her body began to fade and her words began to fade with her. The world within the mask began to collapse like a puzzle falling to pieces and Aleks felt his consciousness once again becoming a blur. Aleks opened his eyes and was met with the face of a very concerned Lenia who was practically close enough to kiss him. She became startled and quickly distanced herself from him while blushing. ¡°What were you doing Lenia?¡± ¡°Um, master I was watching you.¡± ¡°How long were you watching me for?¡± Lenia bit her lip and felt embarrassed. She replied awkwardly, ¡°For a couple hours?¡± Aleks was unsure how to react to that and so he just leaned back in his seat and Lenia began to explain nervously, ¡°It¡¯s just, you almost never take off your mask. I didn¡¯t know when I could see your face again.¡± Aleks sighed and closed his eyes. The memory of what he had just experienced was still fresh in his mind but he also felt a slight smile creeping up his face. He found Lenia¡¯s actions to be humorous. ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Master, what happened to you? You kept mumbling things I didn¡¯t understand and you were shaking. It even looked as if you might cry at any moment.¡± Lenia had been very worried and was quite shocked by what she had seen. She had begun to believe that her master was incapable of tears or sorrow of any kind but she realized she didn¡¯t truly understand him well. He must have experienced great pain that she couldn¡¯t fully understand. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I can see you have finished consolidating your power, good. I have also gained quite the harvest this time.¡± Leaning forward, Aleks grasped the golden mask and a faint hint of sorrow crossed his eyes once more. ¡°Goodbye brother.¡± He mumbled under his breath. It seems I¡¯ve broken through and become a Legendary being. Although I still need time to absorb the power of the Origin which I gained here, I have successfully advanced.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Tower of Babel, show status.¡± Showing status¡­
Name Aleksandros Human Ascendant
Class Soul Eater Soul Reaper Legendary Rank
Level 10 1 Total Level 11
Vitality 500 75 Total HP 575
Soul Potential Total SP 900
PHY. ATK 30 5 Total 35
PHY. DEF 30 3 Total 33
Agility 30 4 Total 34
Abilities Astral Soul projection (LEGENDARY) (The ability to project one''s soul out of their physical body. Both visual and auditory Information is transmitted to the ability user through the projection. The Astral Soul projection can be housed within a created subordinate or minion, works with ''Soul Marionettes'', ''Soul Puppets'', and subordinates created through the ''Soul System.'' Increased range and duration) Soul Realm (LEGENDARY) (Creates an even larger dimensional plane within the soul of the user. This plane is a real space where any object other than living beings and even some structures can be stored or placed, the size is equivalent to a large city) Banshee''s wail (LEGENDARY) (Soul wraiths manifested through soul potential, ability to devour souls instantly of classes below advanced, kill instantly up to level 75 advanced class beings, negative status effect: stun, confusion, or temporary paralysis up to level 90 advanced class beings in range) Soul System (LEGENDARY) (Upgraded creation menu, Create new life and upgrade them, no longer limited to only Humans but can''t create divine races, Limited to Master class beings) Soul puppet (LEGENDARY) (Create puppets from deceased beings with classes, cost varies based on class and level of being, Limited to advanced class level 90 beings, Limited to 1 advanced puppet and 3 intermediate or lower class beings, Duration: 3 days) Soul analysis (Legendary) (Allows user to analyse a target. Receive information on status of the target including detailed information of their abilities. May be used on Legendary class and below beings) Soul Reaping (Ability to devour all souls of deceased within 100 feet range of user) Soul Marionette (Instantly create marionettes of all beings in range below advanced class, Marionettes are similar to Soul puppets however their duration is limited to 1 day and their intelligence is limited to basic commands) Soul Mirage (Defensive ability, nulls both PHY. ATK and Magic as long as in effect, requires constant High SP consumption to be maintained) Soul Tendrils (Soul attack, Spiritual Tendrils which attack Vitality directly, ignores all defenses of those below the users level, Does damage based on Soul Potential consumed)
Aleks¡¯s status was displayed within his retina but also on the surface of the mask as he grasped it in his hands. He had never obtained classes before in any of his past lives because of his cursed status and so seeing the progression of his abilities was a surprise. His original abilities had all become more powerful with even more uses while he had gained some new abilities which opened up a variety of possibilities for him. His path of progression was not the normal path so he didn''t fully know what to expect but from this experience he realized that he was a unique being whose path to power was cumulative while expanding upon his repertoire of soul related abilities. Lenia who was close was also able to see her master¡¯s status. A hint of shock and disappointment was visible on her face as his status was revealed. ¡°Master! Your status!¡± Aleks chuckled, ¡°I can see you are disappointed. Did you think my status was too low? That I appear weak?¡± Lenia didn¡¯t want to say so as she had believed her master to be very powerful and couldn¡¯t understand his low level and status. ¡°While it is true that for most, level and status appear to be the defining characteristics of a person¡¯s power but this is not necessarily the case. My level and overall status is much lower than normal because I began as a master class being without ever progressing through the lower classes. Because of this, my status appears weak. However, I am a true Legendary being and my strength resides with my abilities. My abilities are extremely powerful and in fact, no being below Legendary could ever pose a threat to me.¡± Lenia considered his words and thought they made sense but she wasn¡¯t fully convinced. ¡°Lenia, you are also a part of my power. I have the ability to create life just like you. As a matter of fact, the ability to create life is my greatest power. As long as I have enough ¡®Soul Potential¡¯ I can now create beings of enormous power up to master class. But it doesn¡¯t just end there, my other abilities are not weak. I can now even create advanced class puppets and turn intermediate class beings into my undying soldiers. As long as I have enough Soul Potential, I can even destroy a person''s soul with ease with my ''Soul Tendrils'' ability. I am truly invincible below Legendary and even beings of the same level as me should be wary. This brings me to my next goal, Jerrick enter.¡± After hearing her master¡¯s explanation, she no longer felt any disappointment in her master¡¯s power because at the end of the day, even someone like her was no match for him based on his abilities. The door opened and Jerrick stepped in after hearing his master¡¯s command. ¡°Master, you need something?¡± ¡°Indeed, it is time to acquire more ¡®Soul Potential¡¯. There were many who died last night in the chaos and the bodies should have already been gathered. Go and collect those souls for me. Even though those that died most likely possess very little ¡®Soul Potential¡¯ the number of people who died is definitely not just a few. It will be enough to welcome the guests we should be receiving tonight. We also need to get you properly equipped Lenia.¡± Aleks who had yet to put the mask back on his face, smiled wickedly in anticipation. Chapter 41: A night to remember (1) Fully equipping Lenia was a simple matter. They had looted numerous suits of armor as well as even more weapons. The equipment was of relatively decent quality but there were not many magically enchanted equipment within the items looted. This was to be expected as enchanted equipment was not that common and was extremely expensive. It wasn¡¯t as if they had none at all, but it wasn¡¯t enough to equip an entire squad of subordinates and most of the enchanted equipment they had was of lower quality. Nonetheless, there were a few choice pieces which would enhance Lenia¡¯s battle prowess. ¡°Master how do I look?¡± Lenia asked excitedly. She was wearing a full suit of armor befitting her status as a warlord and she even had an enchanted shield which added extra defense as well as an enchanted longsword with magical damage added. These would serve as her main weapons but she still kept her two enchanted daggers hidden on her body. The longsword could be used as both a two-handed weapon or single handed weapon. However, since Lenia was proficient in two-handed weapons she wouldn¡¯t lose any of its effectiveness even when using it with a shield. ¡°Quite impressive, the fact that the suit of armor is magically enchanted with preservation magic means it doesn¡¯t need to be maintained and will consistently keep its sheen. It is a suitable suit of armor for now but you will eventually need a more powerful set of equipment.¡± Lenia was filled with a sense of joy and purpose hearing her master¡¯s compliment. She seemed like a child who had just been given a new toy to play with. Lenia stood there in a domineering fashion looking quite intimidating now that she was suitably equipped. The armor didn¡¯t even need to be fitted since the magic imbued within it would automatically fit the suit to her shape and form. This was in fact the cheapest of enchantments and most medium tier armor would at least have this type of enchantment placed upon them alongside a preservation enchantment. While not all blacksmiths worked alongside enchanters, in a major city such as Andor¡¯s Edge, it was quite the common sight. This type of suit of armor would cost a few dozen gold Ducats and while not extremely expensive, was not necessarily cheap either. Usually, a standard Knight would be equipped with such a suit of armor. Normal adventurers and mercenaries would not be able to afford this type of equipment unless they were relatively successful. As a comparison, the average citizen would normally earn a dozen gold ducats in a year so it would take several years for them to save up just to afford something like this. While adventurers and mercenaries could earn more than the average citizen, it would still take them a year or two to earn enough to buy a suit of armor with such low level enchantments, assuming they survived long enough to save the money. As such, even a medium tier suit of armor like the one Lenia was wearing was something of a status symbol. Normal people would be quite impressed seeing someone wearing such a suit of armor and would know that such a person was not one to be trifled with as they were most likely a knight, adventurer, or mercenary of some renown. ¡°Master, we¡¯ve been waiting here for a while. What exactly are we waiting for?¡± After her initial excitement, her curiosity once again got the best of her. They had spent the majority of the day in meditation and in consolidating their new found power. After that, Aleks had taken stock of the loot they acquired from the various Dons and was quite pleased with the wealth obtained and he was even presented with the many souls of those who died in the riots the night before by the ¡®Soul Puppets¡¯ who had collected them. After killing the thugs and devouring their souls as well, he had obtained several thousand ¡®Soul Potential¡¯ and with Lenia¡¯s new equipment, was finally ready for the next stage of his plan. ¡°We are waiting for our guests to arrive of course. They have been keeping tabs on us all day without realizing I am aware of their presence.¡± ¡°But, why did we leave that Don¡¯s house and come to this secluded place?¡± Lenia looked around the warehouse stacked with crates and couldn¡¯t understand why they had come to this specific place. There was nothing important within the warehouse itself and the crates were mostly empty but they appeared full. It was already late into the evening and there was very little light within the warehouse to begin with. Not that this affected Aleks¡¯s or Lenia¡¯s ability to sense what was within the warehouse. Aleks¡¯s ¡®Astral Projection¡¯ ability was extremely useful and as an observation ability, very powerful. Even a powerful assassin who possessed an advanced class and specialized in stealth couldn¡¯t escape from its notice. Only beings of Legendary status might be able to hide from his ability.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. As for Lenia, she was already a level 90 advanced class being and as long as the opponent wasn¡¯t a master class being, she could potentially sense an enemies power or aura. While she wouldn¡¯t necessarily be able to detect an assassin skilled in stealth hiding in the shadows, she wouldn¡¯t necessarily be caught unaware by one attacking her depending on their level and ability. Either way, she was very powerful with high defense and wouldn¡¯t so easily be assassinated. ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, ever since you were born we have been constantly on the move. Ever since I entered this city, I have never stayed in one place for too long. This is in order to keep ourselves from being found out by our enemies and also to throw others off. Because of the tensions between the Republics and the Imperium, almost all of the truly powerful beings are acting as a deterrence along the border. Although there are very few Master class and Legendary class beings within the Republic, that doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t any. If any had been here, we would never have been able to complete our objectives, nonetheless we can never be too careful just in case. Even that Nephilim Paladin is not one we should underestimate. He is at the peak of advanced class and very powerful because of his half angelic blood. That was why we needed to injure him first before the assassins could make their move. Now.. we must take care of all of them in one fell swoop! It shouldn¡¯t be long now. Assassins are nothing more than cowards, they are incapable of doing anything without the aid of the night and shadows. They have their uses certainly, but at times they can be quite predictable. Once they arrive, there is no way for that trash halfblood not to notice. He will come rushing over straight into our trap!¡± Lenia made a fist with her right hand and smacked it against the gauntleted palm of her left, ¡°I understand now! So that¡¯s why!¡± She appeared as if she had just solved a puzzle and was very pleased with herself which Aleks took notice of and smiled beneath his mask. It wouldn¡¯t be long now until her consciousness had fully developed and her intellect and maturity would be that of an intelligent adult. ¡°I have sensed them with my ¡®Astral Projection¡¯ ability. They aren¡¯t far now. Lenia, suppress your aura as much as you can so they won''t be aware of your level as soon as they arrive. Let¡¯s give them a proper welcome, shall we?¡± Lenia giggled and smiled brilliantly, ¡°Yes master! I will not let you down.¡± Before devouring the souls of the thugs guarding the former Don Gregorio¡¯s residence, and the two ¡®Soul Puppets¡¯, Aleks had them bring him to this deserted warehouse. It was where he would have his final stand and where he would have the opportunity to tidy up all the loose ends. This wouldn¡¯t solve all his problems and he would need to leave the city as soon as possible afterwards, but it would buy him some time. This was also another opportunity to cause even more mayhem. Although the warehouse had torches to light up some of the interior of the warehouse, there was still very little light. This provided an excellent opportunity for an assassin to strike. Of course, the assassins were not stupid. They clearly had no intention to underestimate Aleks and knew he was capable but in their minds, how capable could he truly be? The last time they had met with him, they could feel that he had hidden his strength but the assassin that had been placed in charge of the mission did not feel he was a serious threat. Even the subordinate that had been at his side was only an intermediate class Knight so how difficult could it be to kill him when there were several assassins at his command? The leader of this group was a powerful advanced class being at the peak and his class, Shadow Assassin, was especially suited towards stealth assassinations. All of his subordinates, while not advanced class beings, were still peak intermediate class beings and were each of the Assassin class. They were obviously weaker than him, but as a group were not a weak force. His group alone could easily wipe out an entire unit of Knights given the right opportunity. So how could those two stand up to them? While the Shadow Assassin wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong in his thought process, much had happened to Aleks and Lenia within a short period of time. Lenia had gone from a peak Intermediate class Knight to a peak advanced class Warlord in a matter of days. Who could ever imagine such a fast pace of advancement? To the common sense of the world, it was impossible. A being like Aleks that had the power of creation at his fingertips was not something anyone had ever seen or heard of at least not among mortals. Perhaps the gods had such power, but was Aleks a god? To anyone who met Aleks, it was apparent he was not for he didn¡¯t seem to possess the divinity of a god at least not on the surface. With Aleks and Lenia having increased their personal strength to a whole new level, Aleks was filled with absolute confidence in not only being able to take care of the assassins, but also of the Paladin and his fellow knights. He had already been confident, but his new power and abilities made it a foregone conclusion. Not only that, but his new ability ¡®Soul Marionnette¡¯ provided him with an opportunity he couldn¡¯t pass up. ¡°It appears our guests have arrived.¡± Chapter 42: A night to remember (2) The Church of Murder was a religious organization of assassins, cutthroats and a variety of other notorious individuals. They reveled in chaos, destruction, and death. The larger the scale, the better. Their god Cyric was among the most powerful of gods within the God Nexus of worlds and even existed in multiple pantheons. There were quite a few gods like this and they would even sometimes have different names or their names may be spelled differently depending on the pantheon they belonged to. However, on this particular continent of Erlithan, the Church of Murder was relatively weak and didn¡¯t have considerable influence. They had attempted to entrench themselves into the Imperium but because of their chaotic evil nature, it was difficult to grow the church significantly. So in order to obtain power for the god they worshipped, they would often contract themselves out to various powers. The more they killed, the more powerful their god would become because Cyric could siphon part of the Soul Potential in living beings killed by his followers along with the Soul Potential he gained from those who worshipped him. The only problem was, because of the weak presence of the Church of Murder within Erlithan, they didn¡¯t have many powerful individuals at their disposal. As a matter of fact, the highest class being within the Church of Murder on the Erlithan continent was of master class and that particular individual was responsible for defending their main underground church within the Imperium. So even though the assassination mission within Andor¡¯s Edge was of utmost importance, they could only afford to send their best advanced class assassin, Lirsan. ¡°Lirsan, the target is still in the warehouse and does not appear to be leaving any time soon. This is quite strange though, why would he come here and kill the criminals that were protecting him? Something feels off about this.¡± Lirsan along with his ten subordinates had surrounded the warehouse where they had followed Aleks and Lenia to. They didn¡¯t make a move immediately and had spent some time observing the warehouse for any hidden traps or an ambush but found nothing out of the ordinary despite searching wholeheartedly. ¡°That one Aleksandros is a strange one but what could those two possibly do? That girl beside him was only a Knight and the target doesn¡¯t seem to possess much strength at all.¡± ¡°Do you think he is aware of our presence?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. We specialize in stealth, how could they possibly detect us? When last I met with them I assessed them, neither of them has power that could oppose us.¡± Only one of Lirsan¡¯s subordinates was currently visible, the others were already well hidden and waiting for the signal to begin the attack. They each wore black assassin outfits which covered their entire bodies and even without any special skills would be difficult to see in the dark. Their ability to stealth only made it even more difficult to be aware of their presence. ¡°Should we move in then?¡± Lirsan observed one last time and considered whether they should wait for the two to come out or move into the warehouse before finally deciding. ¡°Let¡¯s move in, but carefully. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, give the signal to retreat. Have number three and four be the first to attack. They will be a distraction, and then I will make my move. If we can kill the target quickly then we can leave this shithole for good. We don¡¯t have much time before that Paladin locates our presence. He is a Nephilim and if close enough will be able to sense our god¡¯s mark on our souls. As long as we kill the target quickly, we can escape without any worries. Alright, give the signal.¡± Lirsan¡¯s subordinate lifted up his veil completely covering his face and made a few hand gestures before swiftly moving through the dark towards the warehouse. All of the assassin approached with utmost haste, some entering from windows along the roof of the warehouse while others found different entrances. They were skilled and their movements were swift and silent. Stolen novel; please report. If their target had been a normal enemy, there would have been no way to detect the assassins but Aleks was observing the entire area with his ¡®Astral Projection¡¯ and had even heard the conversation between Lirsan and his subordinate. In the limited light, Lenia leaned against one of the half empty crates not far from where Aleks sat. Lirsan found the scene to be rather strange. Weren¡¯t they being a little bit too indifferent about their situation? Even if he thought they weren¡¯t expecting him to target them, they were still being hunted by the Paladin and his knights. Lirsan began to feel a little hesitant and was considering whether he should call the attack off or not. I¡¯m under strict orders to clean up all loose ends but this situation is too strange. No, if we don¡¯t take care of this now things will become difficult. Lirsan made his decision to attack and made the signal to begin the operation. Suddenly, two precise swift movements flashed out of the shadows near where Aleks was sitting. Two assassins entirely garbed in black made their move bearing down on Aleks and attempting to cut him down. They both struck, their daggers glistening in the little light that was present and a dark glow abruptly illuminated the surface of the daggers. This was intended to be a fatal strike with deadly accuracy and speed. However, the two who were expecting to feel their daggers entering the target strangely met no resistance and the two quickly jumped back in surprise once more entering into the shadows of the warehouse. Aleks who was sitting patiently in his seat had a bored expression and appeared almost as if he hadn¡¯t even noticed the sudden attack on his life. Lenia was shocked by the sudden movement and though she hadn¡¯t detected the assassins who stealthily attacked, once they made their move she quickly became aware of them. She removed her longsword from her sheathe and rushed towards Aleks¡¯s side but remained silent. ¡°Why hide in the shadows? Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m sitting here patiently waiting for you. Come on out, no need to fear someone weak such as me.¡± Aleks¡¯s words were lazily spoken and he motioned towards a darkened corner of the warehouse where Lirsan had been hiding while preparing to make his move. Aleks was looking directly at his hiding spot which sent chills down his back. Is he able to see me? How!? That¡¯s impossible. ¡°I know you¡¯re there, no point hiding now.¡± With those words, Lirsan was now certain that his target could detect him and had probably detected his subordinates when they attacked as well. He couldn¡¯t understand how the target had avoided their attack though. He couldn¡¯t feel any power emanating from Aleks and he couldn¡¯t sense any movement or ability used. The only guesses he could make was that either the assassins missed or Aleks had some special magical item in his possession. ¡°Hmph.. since you found me out, I suppose there is no need to remain hidden here. Have you accepted your death then?¡± Lirsan moved away from his hiding place and entered the very outskirts of the torch light. He was barely visible but both Aleks and Lenia could now make out his shadowy form with the little light that was present. ¡°I accepted my death long ago. Unfortunately, I¡¯m still alive but now that you are here why not stay a while? I will have Lenia entertain you.¡± ¡°Hah, that girl? Do you think just because you put a sword in her hand and steel on her body that she poses a threat to me? I am a Shadow assassin, a knight might as well be butter before my knives.¡± Aleks chuckled while continuing to remain seated. Lenia had moved carefully in front of Aleks and stood in her battle stance with a shield in one hand and her longsword in the other. She had a vicious expression on her face but she was still suppressing her aura in order to fool the enemy. There wasn¡¯t much difference between the two in terms of level and both were an advanced class but the assassin was still under the impression that Lenia was just a knight. She was only able to suppress her natural aura because she hadn¡¯t yet entered combat with the enemy and they had been too fixated on targeting Aleks. ¡°Lenia, you haven¡¯t yet had an opportunity to test your new strength. Kill him.¡± ¡°Yes master!¡± Shouted Lenia before activating her abilities, ¡°Warlord¡¯s Aura! Knight¡¯s Aura!¡± Two powerful aura¡¯s blasted outwards from Lenia¡¯s body releasing a bit of pressure which shocked Lirsan. He could feel that she had power on par with him and she was not as weak as he initially thought. ¡°What!? How could this be? She was only a Knight mere days ago!? Dammit, it doesn¡¯t matter! Kill them, now!¡± Chapter 43: A night to remember (3) Lirsan¡¯s ten assassin subordinates simultaneously jumped out of their hiding spots and rushed towards Aleks in an attempt to kill him. Despite the fact that ten assassins had used their abilities in order to kill Aleks, none of their attempts to take his life seemed to bear fruit. He continued to sit while ignoring them completely and all their attacks couldn¡¯t penetrate his body. They frantically searched for an opening and the scene became almost comical as Aleks visibly yawned. Lenia ignored them completely and rushed towards Lirsan who was also emanating an aura of power of his own. She didn¡¯t have the luxury of being complacent as her opponent was on an equal level as her. Their battle soon became ferocious as Lenia used her shield to block the assassins attacks while attempting to strike at him with her sword. His swift movements made it difficult for her to target him but he couldn¡¯t do much damage to her because of her high defense. It was becoming a battle of attrition between the two of them and Lirsan was beginning to feel anxious. He never expected to be in this kind of situation and knew that he had lost his chance to kill Aleks. An assassin¡¯s advantage was in attacking without being seen. Now that he had lost that advantage his only hope was that his subordinates could kill their target as quickly as possible. However, they didn¡¯t seem to be able to do any damage at all to Aleks which confused him all the more. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s enough. We still have more fools to take care of this evening! Soul Marionette!¡± Strange ethereal strings that only Aleks could see sprung from his body and whipped towards the ten assassins that had tried to kill him. They wrapped around the assassins causing them some initial shock and pain before they found their consciousness beginning to shatter. They cried out in anguish but there was nothing they could do. Their consciousness had been completely obliterated and the ten now stood firmly at attention like puppets on a string. Aleks finally stood and walked forward towards where Lenia and Lirsan were still engaged in battle. Lirsan had felt a strange power from the direction of Aleks but he was too preoccupied with Lenia to notice exactly what Aleks did. ¡°Lenia, it is time to end this. Fall back.¡± Lenia pushed Lirsan¡¯s dagger back with her shield and she slowly moved back towards Aleks with her shield at the ready giving Lirsan a chance to finally notice that his subordinates were no longer attacking Aleks. ¡°What the hell are you fools doing!? Kill him I said! We must hurry!¡± Aleks chuckled once more, ¡°Oh, they won¡¯t be following your commands anymore. They belong to me now.¡± With a wave of Aleks¡¯s hand, the ten assassins quickly surrounded Lirsan before he could react. He was beginning to feel a sense of dread and his eyes furtively glanced around looking for an escape path. With his abilities, he felt he could easily escape their encirclement but before he could make a move Aleks raised his arms and opened his mouth wide beneath the mask. ¡°Banshee¡¯s Wail!¡± An eerie shrieking sound exploded from Aleks¡¯s throat. The shrieks were innumerable and ghastly as visible wraiths violently poured out of Aleks¡¯s body. Taking the full blow of the Banshee¡¯s Wail, Lirsan had no means to resist. His willpower was completely eroded and he became paralyzed in fear while gripping his face roughly through his mask. He felt as if the bowls of the nine hells had opened right in front of his eyes sending him into an uncontrollable panic of extreme fear. Without the ability to move and no longer aware of his surroundings, Lirsan remained gripping his face unable to even cry out in fear. He couldn¡¯t move his body at all and his senses no longer gave him any sense of awareness. He was a sitting duck, completely and utterly immobilized.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Aleks made a simple gesture and the ten assassin marionette¡¯s slashed towards Lirsan, each of them piercing his body with their daggers simultaneously killing him without any effort. Lenia finally relaxed her body but she was breathing heavily from the fighting. Aleks walked slowly towards Lirsan¡¯s body which had slumped to the floor after having his body pierced by the ten marionettes. He knelt down over the body and placed his hand over Lirsan¡¯s chest. An ethereal glow entered his body from Aleks¡¯s hand and Lirsan once more gained new life. ¡°Rise puppet, we have work to do.¡± ¡°Yes master.¡± The puppet replied, his wounds had already begun to visibly close and he stood up without any trouble. Lenia just watched from the side not wanting to interrupt Aleks as she slowly regained her calm and relaxed her muscles. Her body had already begun to heal and her vitality was slowly returning to her. ¡°Lenia, you did well.¡± Even though Lenia couldn¡¯t see Aleks¡¯s face, she could feel the warmth in his words and imagined that he must be smiling at her. Her face was already flushed from fighting but she could feel her cheeks warming up more. ¡°Thank you master! I tried my best!¡± ¡°You did excellent. Your battle prowess is admirable and your reflexes and reaction time was befitting your level and power. I am happy with your performance.¡± Lenia clutched the hilt of her sword firmly while holding it at her side and she smiled with excitement at his praise. ¡°What now master?¡± ¡°The Paladin and his knights were already searching for us throughout the district and he should have been able to detect the assassins. Now that I have used my power, he is definitely on his way here. We should prepare to welcome them but this time we need to be a little more careful. We should have my puppet and the marionettes ambush them. After that, we make our move. I don¡¯t have enough SP to make all of the knights into marionettes immediately so we should whittle their numbers down a bit. It would be a simple matter to kill them all with ¡®Banshee¡¯s Wail¡¯ but I have a very important use for them!¡± Lenia looked at Aleks curiously with her head tilted slightly to the side and asked, ¡°What do you plan to do with them Aleks?¡± ¡°You should know that the gods and their kind, they receive power through the potential in their worshipper¡¯s souls. This isn¡¯t the only way as there are some exceptions to this, but Tihr has a huge presence here. I want to remove that presence, even if only temporarily. However, that isn¡¯t enough! I want to hurt him and drive his followers away! Even if it is only a trickle, it is worth it! I will turn as many as those knights as I can into marionettes and I will make that half blooded angelic scum into a puppet and then I will send them all into the Cathedral of Tihr and massacre everyone in it! All those who were sick or injured during the riots who are still being healed or resting there, all the priests, clergymen, clerics and knights. They will all die while crying out to their brothers, not understanding why their own friends and protectors are killing them mercilessly!¡± Aleks began to laugh wickedly, ¡°What do you think their faces will be like Lenia when they see the ones who are supposed to be protecting them, killing them instead? When they start to burn down their own Cathedral and killed the helpless, will they lose faith in their god? I will blow up that entire building and leave nothing but ashes and the dead! Then I will consume all of their souls before leaving this wretched place!¡± Lenia observed her master laughing and felt chills, ¡°I don¡¯t really get it master but is it really necessary to kill all those people?¡± Aleks calmed himself and glanced towards Lenia before saying in a harsh tone, ¡°I would burn down the entire city if I could! But, we don¡¯t have the time. The Federation of lords will definitely call back some of their powerhouses to restore order to the city so we must leave before then. We can¡¯t afford to fight the entire country, not yet anyway.¡± ¡°Puppet, take these marionettes with you and set up an ambush outside. Keep yourselves hidden and once the Paladin arrives with his knights you are to attack and kill as many of them as you can. The marionettes won¡¯t last long but you should be able to wipe out a number of them if you strike swiftly and stealthily. As for the rest, leave them to me. I will take care of that Paladin personally. I need to test out all my new abilities after all.¡± Chapter 44: A night to remember (4) The continent of Erlithan was one of the newly developed continents in the God Nexus. The Nexus itself had many continents spanning their world some of which were larger than others. The origin of these continents was the essence of the assimilated worlds that the God Nexus incorporated into their sphere of influence. As such, among the many continents, Erlithan was the least developed and had only been settled for a few thousand years. This allowed many civilizations to rise but overall their strength and development was inferior to the other continents who had a much longer history. Because of their relatively shallow history, the power levels of the citizens who lived on Erlithan were as a whole below that of other continents and the number of beings who rose beyond advanced was far less. There were of course still numerous beings above the advanced class but the number was small in comparison. This meant that the continent of Erlithan was ripe for the gods and their ilk to harvest. Tihr, the god of Justice, had a lot of influence on the continent of Erlithan and for as long as anyone remembered it had always been this way. His cathedrals and churches were spread out throughout many cities and while he didn¡¯t have a presence everywhere, his presence was one of the strongest on the continent. Despite this, there was no end to the competition and rivalry among the gods of different pantheons and even within their own for the souls of worshippers. With Tihr¡¯s influence within the republics, it was a common sight to see the Knights of Tihr throughout the city of Andor¡¯s Edge as well as the other city states belonging to the Federation. There were a number of orders which were like sub organizations within the Church of Tihr. These orders were all united under the church but might have their own individual philosophy or purpose that conformed with the guidelines of the church. In times of trouble, these orders would be placed under the command of a Marshall. In a more developed region, those chosen to be Marshalls would normally be at least of Master class. However, while the Church of Tihr had a number of Master class beings and even a few Legendary beings, they were currently stationed along the border with the Imperium. Many of their elite knights had also been sent there. On the surface, the conflict between the two nations may seem to be secular in nature but in reality most wars on the continent were heavily influenced by the gods and even devils. With a lack of manpower, Paladin Arcurio was placed in charge of the church forces in Andor¡¯s Edge. Even though he hadn¡¯t yet advanced to a master class, he was a Nephilim who was a peak Paladin of extraordinary strength. Even against an opponent with a master class, he may still come out victorious. He was also well respected among his subordinates and had a knack for command so it was only natural for him to be placed in that role with the current situation. Paladin Arcurio wasn¡¯t actually a native of Erlithan and had requested to be stationed there due to discrimination he faced among the upper echelons of the Church of Tihr because of his mixed blood. He was looked down on by full blooded angels and had no real hope of advancement and so he left for Erlithan with the hope of proving himself. He had strived for a long time to grow in power and was very close to advancing after many years of hard work and faith. The only blight on his near perfect career on Erlithan was the heretic which had almost taken his life. ¡°This time he will die for sure! I will not be careless.¡± Paladin Arcurio gritted his teeth with determination as he rode his horse through the darkened streets of the commercial district leading towards the warehouses located at the riverfront. The district proper was well lit with many magically lit lamps but the area where the warehouses were located did not have as good coverage. This particular area didn¡¯t see much traffic at night and so it wasn¡¯t necessary to build as many lamps and for the sake of cutting costs not many had been built. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We have brought an entire company of Knights and there are even ten of us Knight Lords present, how could the heretic possibly escape?¡± Arcurio only shook his head, ¡°Sir Kith, you must not underestimate that evil being. I underestimated him the last time and it almost cost me my life. You may think it is overkill to bring this many Knights with us but we must complete this mission. It was not easy baiting the heretic to come to this city and if not for the looming war, it never would have even gotten to this point. What rotten luck he has.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°You were placed in command so I will trust your judgement. Let us hurry then and finish this mess so we can return to the Cathedral. The stink of this place is almost unbearable.¡± Arcurio snorted at his comment. Many of the Knights disdained walking through certain parts of the city and spent most of their days in the more pleasant areas. They had long since considered themselves above the peasants. Arcurio suddenly came to a halt, ¡°Something is strange. Until a moment ago I could feel the influence of Cyric, but now it¡¯s gone. Ah! It¡¯s him! I can feel the heretic¡¯s presence, we must hurry!¡± Arcurio motioned and the knights picked up their pace. Arcurio rode at their head and led the company of knights deeper into the district where light was beginning to become even more scarce. The ten Knight Lords rode directly behind him with the knights following closely behind. Even though they picked up their pace, they still had to ride carefully and soon the only light was the light of their own torches. A scream broke out among the knights in the rear which startled those up front. Arcurio pulled on the reins of his horse and shouted, ¡°We¡¯re under attack!¡± Before he could say another word a figure flashed past him and struck Sir Kith knocking him off his horse. ¡°Dammit! Assassins! Quickly dismount! Shields up!¡± Arcurio jumped down off his horse and immediately emanated a holy aura of power which spread to the knights around him empowering them. The knights quickly assembled and raised their shields as loud clanging sounds reverberated throughout the area. They were under attack by a hail of crossbow bolts from multiple directions. Arcurio rushed over to Sir Kith in order to help him to his feet. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Bastard got me pretty good. Pierced right through the side of my armor.¡± ¡°Hold on, let me heal you.¡± Arcurio pressed his hand on Sir Kith and a light glow sprung forth from his hand healing some of Sir Kith¡¯s vitality. ¡°Lay on hands is sure useful, I should have become a Paladin myself.¡± ¡°Enough with the talk, we need to quickly handle this situation. Take a squad of knights in that direction and ferret the assassins out.¡± ¡°Will do!¡± Sir Kith ordered a squad of Knights to follow him and rushed off in one of the directions the bolts came from. Arcurio then ordered two more of the Knight Lords to each take a squad and head in different directions. ¡°Where the hell did these assassins come from? That heretic has more tricks up his sleeves than anyone else. The rest of you, follow me now! Shields up! Don¡¯t let any of those bolts get through!¡± With the threat of ranged attack, the knights followed the lead of Arcurio as they marched with their shields at the ready closer to the warehouse that he had sensed the heretic from. The attack from the assassins had lessened but there was still the occasional bolt flying from random directions keeping the knights from being too careless. It wasn¡¯t long before the column of advancing knights reached the warehouse where two solitary figures were currently standing side by side waiting for their arrival. ¡°Sir, there are two people up ahead.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the bastard, we will kill him this time for sure! Men Charge!¡± The knights no longer hesitated and charged straight towards Aleks who was calmly standing in the open night air. Lenia moved to the front of Aleks and raised her sword and shield as if a wall standing in front of Aleks to protect him. ¡°Come! Come to your deaths! ¡®Soul Marionette!¡¯¡± Aleks suddenly shouted raising his arms. His body began to fluctuate with a strange power that one could only feel but not see. Only Aleks could see the ethereal and vibrating strings that burst out of his body extending into hundreds of tendril like arms which whipped towards the charging knights. The strings immediately grasped on to the intermediate class knights causing them to spasm briefly before their eyes dimmed and they no longer had their own consciousness. The Knight Lords weren¡¯t affected by this and they continued to rush straight towards Lenia unaware of what had happened to the knights following them. Lenia stood firmly in front of her master, her determination firm. "Warlord''s Aura! Knight''s Aura!" Her two aura''s burst forth filling her with increased PHY ATK and PHY DEF. She readied her shield in front of her and rested her longsword on top of the shield facing the incoming enemies. Her eyes were filled with her intent to kill. Chapter 45: A night to remember (5) Seven Knight Lords under the command of Paladin Arcurio came charging towards Lenia who was standing firmly in front of Aleks. She could sense their level of power and knew that all seven were inferior to her but together they would still pose quite the threat. However, she had no need to fear because she knew her master could easily kill them if he wanted to. She didn¡¯t hesitate to make her move. Taking one firm step forward, she put all her strength into a ¡®Shield Bash¡¯ which slammed into the foremost Knight Lord who was motioning to strike with his sword, sending him reeling to the side and momentarily stunned. This gave Lenia an opportunity to stab forward, activating her ¡®Penetrating Strike¡¯ ability which pierced straight through the chestplate of another Knight Lord injuring him severely. The Knight Lords halted their charge realizing their opponent was stronger than them and they decided to surround her carefully. They had no idea the Knights behind them had already been put under Aleks¡¯s control and they were caught completely unaware when the Knights behind them charged at them and attacked without warning. They could no longer care about Lenia and were struggling to hold back the Knights who were swarming them. Paladin Arcurio who was initially watching at the rear with a calm expression was shocked when he realized his own men were fighting each other. ¡°What are you fools doing? Kill the heretic! Damn, they must be under some kind of effect but how is he able to control so many of my men?¡± Arcurio spent no more than a moment considering before rushing to act. He shouted in anger and his wings which were previously hidden, sprung out of his body. His body began to glow with holy light and he flapped his wings rapidly, quickly rising from the ground and overlooked the battle below. His Knight Lords were falling one by one and his anger began to boil out of control. ¡°You bastard! I will send you to the nine hells! May your soul burn eternally in the seventh circle of hell!¡± Paladin Arcurio bent his body forward bringing his arms to his chest and then he suddenly burst forth sending sharp feathers flying everywhere towards the Knights that were under Aleks¡¯s control below. Several feathers also flew towards Lenia and Aleks but Lenia blocked them all with her shield. The Knights that had been turned into Marionettes became pincushions and fell to the floor. Paladin Arcurio looked down with a smug expression seemingly pleased with his abilities effectiveness. However, he couldn¡¯t enjoy his victory for long because the Marionettes began to twitch and the feathers that had pierced them began to fly out of their bodies and they stood once more. The Marionettes rose up like the undead causing Arcurio to feel a hint of fear. ¡°What are these things? Are they undead? I don¡¯t sense the aura of a necromancer on the heretic. Something is very strange. I have to do something, let me see if the Divine power bestowed on me by my god Tihr is effective!¡± Once more Arcurio began to glow with holy light but this time it spread to his sword which he raised pointing it straight into the sky. The silhouette of divine flames poured out of the sword¡¯s tip giving the sword the appearance of a divine lance of holy flames. Arcurio slammed the lance like sword downward sending holy flames crashing down on the marionettes burning several them into ashes. ¡°Hah! Holy Smite works! Now I will make you pay for taking the lives of my men. Die heretic!¡± Paladin Arcurio swooped down with his wings beating ferociously in an attempt to strike Lenia down but before he could approach, a dark shadowy figure jumped from somewhere just out sight and launched a sneak attack on Arcurio. He was somehow able to dodge the attack but this forced him back. Standing next to Lenia was the former Shadow assassin which had become Aleks¡¯s puppet. ¡°You are that assassin, one of Cyric¡¯s pawns! Why are you aiding that heretic? Our gods may be at odds with each other but this is a separate matter.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your words Paladin. This assassin is also under my control and soon, so shall you be!¡± Aleks laughed with confidence while pointing straight at Arcurio who was still suspended in the sky not far from the ground. ¡°Paladin Arcurio!¡± Someone called out from the rear and Arcurio turned to see the remaining Knight Lords and Knights that he had previously sent after the assassins returning. Some of them had died and there were only half the original group remaining. ¡°Quickly Sir Kith, we must kill that heretic before he can cause any more deaths. Those Knights and the assassins are somehow under his control but Tihr¡¯s divine power seems effective against them as if they were undead. Use the grace bestowed upon you by Tihr to kill them before they overwhelm us!¡± ¡°What kind of evil being is he?¡± Sir Kith gasped realizing the effect of such a terrible power. ¡°Enough with this farce.¡± Aleks gently pushed Lenia to the side and stepped out in front. ¡°It is time that you learn what true power is. It is not one given by your so called gods, but the terrifying might that resides in the soul!¡± A ghastly terrifying power exploded outwards from Aleks¡¯s body. Although Paladin Arcurio and the others had no idea what power Aleks had used but they could feel an immense pressure bearing down on them causing them to feel fear. No, how can this be. What is this power? I am a Paladin of Tihr! Nothing can make me feel fear! Giant ¡®Soul Tendrils¡¯ rose out of Aleks¡¯s body stretching into huge tentacles which if anyone could see, looked like the arms of an enormous octopus. The tendrils whipped out violently and flew straight towards Paladin Arcurio who was still floating above the ground. Even though Arcuriou couldn¡¯t see the tendrils which were fast approaching, he felt an unearthly pressure and an urgent sense of danger. ¡°I have never felt such evil power! Oh greater god Tihr, grant me the blessings of your Aegis!¡± Arcurio called out in his mind a prayer to Tihr and burned all of his divine might in order to manifest a holy power which shrouded him in a seemingly impervious shining shield. The ¡®Soul Tendrils¡¯ reached Arcurio and whipped towards him striking the holy shield that had surrounded him causing an extreme blowback of energy. What is this shield? It must be a divine ability granted to him by Tihr. Damn that god for interfering once again! I will not believe that I can¡¯t break this power, I will pour enough SP into my ability to drown him in it!¡± Aleks summoned up more of his power, pouring a huge amount of the Soul Potential he had harvested into his ability. The Tendrils continued to whip ferociously at the barrier protecting Arcurio who while uninjured, could feel the violent strike of each tendril as it crashed into his holy shield. After pouring in almost triple the amount of SP compared to Arcurio¡¯s vitality, almost 6000 SP, the tendrils finally smashed into the barrier breaking it and wrapped around Arcurio who began to scream in terror. His life force was quickly devoured and his body fell from the sky like a falling angel. On the ground, Lenia and the assassin puppet led the marionette knights and overwhelmed the Knight Lords and Knights that were under Arcurio¡¯s command. Only the Knight Lords had a way to deal with the marionettes but Lenia and the assassin puppet made quick work of them while the marionettes slaughtered the other Knights. It wasn¡¯t long before the night was quiet once more and only Lenia¡¯s deep breathing could be heard. Aleks walked slowly towards the deceased Paladin and devoured the souls of all the dead as he approached. Even the assassin puppet¡¯s soul was no longer of use and was devoured replenishing a portion of the SP he had consumed to kill the Paladin. Aleks stood over the former Paladin and kneeled down. He placed his hand on the Paladin¡¯s chest. ¡°You will serve me now and bring terror to your former comrades until I no longer have a use for you. It¡¯s a shame that I can only do this much though. Oh how I long to strangle Tihr¡¯s neck if such a thing is possible. Well, for now, I will settle with his followers. Rise my puppet!¡± Aleks¡¯s power poured into Paladin Arcurio¡¯s corpse and the corpse was visibly restored to its peak appearance without any signs that he had fought in a battle. ¡°Master, what are your orders?¡± ¡°You are to lead the marionettes into the Cathedral of Tihr. Do not give away your intentions. First slaughter the remaining defenders of the Cathedral and then kill as many as you can. Have some of the marionettes blow up the cathedral. I only need a few surviving ones to harvest the souls of the dead and bring them to me. Leave a few survivors so that word can spread that Tihr is slaughtering his own people!¡± Chapter 46: A city left in chaos at his parting A light mist rolled over the city streets mingling with the light of lamp posts causing a rainbow of colors to manifest along the relatively quiet city streets. The night had begun to pass turning to day and the sun had just begun to rise over the horizon. There were those who walked the city streets at all hours of the day but there were relatively few at this time. So the sight of many Knights marching towards the Cathedral of Tihr caused the few people who were nearby to quickly disappear from the area. There was a certain ferocity and murderous aura to the Knights that caused fear in those who saw them. Even the few guard patrols kept a wide berth choosing not to go anywhere near this particular group of knights. Even they were not necessarily safe from questioning and being accused of heretical crimes against the gods if they were to anger the Knights of Tihr. The former Paladin Arcurio stood at their head and the Knights who were no longer alive, but just mere puppets followed closely behind him. Through the Paladins eyes, a strange and eerie light glowed from within them peering at the Cathedral which was visible in the distant cityscape, well above the tips of the largest of the cities buildings. It stood tall amidst the sea of wood and stone, majestic and proud much like their lofty and prestigious position high above the common folk. It was truly enormous and beautifully constructed in a grand gothic style with a huge bell tower and wonderfully artistic glass paned windows that emitted a seemingly holy light. The column of Knights led by the Paladin puppet soon made their way across a large bridge which crossed over the northern arm of the Ander River connecting the Trade District with the upper district known as the Lord¡¯s District. It was here that the Cathedral, government facilities, Lord¡¯s mansions and also the Lord¡¯s Park were all located. The Cathedral was situated right at the entrance of the district so that the common citizens of the city could worship at the temple or seek medical attention there without disturbing the nobles living within the district. The government facilities and Lord¡¯s mansions were further north separated by a large 600 acre park where many of the members of the nobility spent their days in leisure. At this time of the morning however, not many people were outside and even if they were no one would suspect that the returning Knights were no longer truly alive. As they approached the entrance to the Cathedral, they were greeted by Knights who were guarding outside the entrance. These Knights didn¡¯t suspect a thing greeting the Paladin puppet with respect and deference. Aleks, who was inhabiting the puppet with his ¡®Astral Soul¡¯ ability, gave out a simple command, ¡°Kill.¡± The marionettes acted immediately and quickly dispatched the Knights on guard who were caught completely by surprise. ¡°Go!¡± The Paladin puppet motioned forward with his command and the marionettes quickly streamed into the Cathedral. Soon, the screams of hapless victims and the occasional explosion resounded throughout the Cathedral halls. The once mighty Paladin waited silently before unsheathing his blade and entering the Cathedral, painting its hallowed halls red with blood.
Lenia observed her master who was seated in a meditative position while she stood on guard. His eyes were closed, he was somewhere distant. They had already moved away from the warehouse where they had fought with the Knights of Tihr. It was an old abandoned residence somewhere in the slums of the city across the southern river crossing. This was where the poorer denizens of the city lived that had not yet become homeless. ¡°It¡¯s done. There were easily a couple of thousand people in total within the Cathedral, although most were just injured or recovering citizens. I watched the Cathedral collapse from the explosions through my puppet¡¯s eyes. The puppet should return to us soon with the harvest of soul potential, we just need to wait here for a bit. With this, Tihr¡¯s church will certainly make a move. They underestimated us greatly this time but we can¡¯t become complacent. They will send more powerful individuals after us and we will not be safe within the Republic.¡± Lenia pursed her lips, ¡°If what you say is true master, where will we go next?¡± Aleks smiled beneath the mask and stood up straight. He eyed Lenia carefully and nodded his head with satisfaction. ¡°It seems that your consciousness and mind have just about finished developing properly. Come here, let me take a look at you.¡± Lenia walked to Aleks¡¯s side without hesitation and stood in front of him with full attention. Aleks approached her, cupping her head in his hands and he turned her head from side to side, numbers and symbols flashed across his retina and mask. Some of it Lenia understood and some of it was a mystery to her. ¡°Good. Going forward it seems you will be of great help to me. You are still relatively ignorant of the world around you which limits your capabilities but this is something you will gain through experience and with time. You have become more eloquent and less clumsy and your battle capabilities have also improved greatly. All in all, excellent growth and improvement. Despite my many lifetimes, I was never much of a war strategist. In my original life I spent the majority of my life with my nose in a book so to speak and even in the many lives I was reincarnated into, they were mostly terrible experiences. I very rarely lived past my teenage years, I think the oldest I ever made it to was in my early twenties but even in those lifetimes my experiences were few. Worst of all is that as time goes by, many of the memories that I had retained previously seem to be slipping away from me.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Lenia listened as her master spoke while he checked over her body. While she couldn¡¯t exactly understand everything he was saying, she got the gist of his meaning. He desired for her to be his right arm, to be his commander and lead his future armies into battle. Lenia was created for just such a purpose, but she realized she was still somewhat inadequate because of her lack of experience. ¡°Done, everything looks good. I have analyzed your status and body condition. Everything seems as it should and I can now rely on you more in the future. I will certainly require your assistance in the many trials to come. It is time for us to leave this place. Once the puppet arrives and I absorb the soul potential housed within it, we need to acquire a horse and carriage as well as some new puppets to aid us in leaving the city. After what we did here, security is going to be tight and it is guaranteed that they will recall some of their powerful beings on the border with the Imperium to ensure order here.¡±
The destruction of the Cathedral of Tihr sent shockwaves throughout the city. They had already suffered from one bloody night of chaos and rioting which had left an indelible mark upon the people of the city. Now with the destruction of the Cathedral, many felt fear and trepidation and a sense of foreboding for the future to come. With tensions already high due to conflict with the Imperium, this only put the people of the city more on edge. Due to the events, the city guard seemed woefully inadequate to handle the situation and the Lord¡¯s guard was mobilized to control the situation. The early morning saw the mobilization of the thousand strong Lord¡¯s guard as well as the few thousand city guards which were currently on patrol throughout the city. Martial law was declared and a curfew was put into effect. None of this concerned Aleks however. He was currently sitting with Lenia within a luxurious carriage pulled by four horses that Lenia had procured for him as soon as the market opened that day. The carriage was being accompanied by a squad of Lord¡¯s guardsmen that Aleks had turned into puppets. Even though the city had mostly been shut down and no one was allowed in or out of the city, there were always exceptions. Those with enough power, wealth, and influence could still move freely. With an entire squad of Lord¡¯s guardsmen escorting Aleks¡¯s carriage, the city guardsmen at the southern gate of the city quickly allowed the carriage through the gates. They didn¡¯t ask too many questions and only a few words were exchanged between the Lord¡¯s guard officer escorting Aleks and the city guardsmen at the gate. Those who had the authority to be escorted by Lord¡¯s guardsmen were definitely powerful people and hindering anyone with such authority would only cause them to be punished and so they easily let the carriage through. Both Aleks and Lenia were silent within the carriage. Aleks often drifted in silence in his own world, usually preoccupied by his thoughts and the memories he still retained. Strangely enough, many of the memories from his original lifetime were relatively clear, but those from his many reincarnations were beginning to drift away from him. Aleks pulled the curtain covering the window of the carriage slightly to the side and watched as the carriage passed through the city gate. Another luxurious carriage was making its way into the city from the outside which immediately caught Aleks¡¯s eye. Any carriage coming into the city at this point must have someone of great importance within. The carriage also had curtains covering the window hiding the passenger inside but he noticed that the curtain of this carriage was also slightly pulled open allowing the one within to get a glimpse of the outside. At that moment, as his carriage passed the other he noticed a glint from the sun reflecting off the window of the carriage. This blocked his sight for a moment and he almost missed seeing the one looking outwards from within the other carriage. It was only for a moment, but in his eyes were beautiful golden locks of hair and bright sapphire eyes that seemed to glow with an ephemeral light. Those eyes and that visage, it reminded him greatly of his sister who had died. She had been young then, and so he could only guess how she might have changed as she grew older. If she had lived she would be eighteen, just two years younger than Aleks himself in his current body. ¡°It can¡¯t be. My sister is dead, but that young lady¡­ she seems so familiar, could it be?¡± Aleks could only question himself inwardly. He only had a momentary glimpse, but he couldn¡¯t shake that feeling of familiarity. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lenia asked, noticing her master¡¯s strange reaction. ¡°Nothing¡­. It¡¯s nothing.¡± Aleks closed the curtain, but he was somewhat shaken. He leaned back in his seat and tried his best to recall the events that happened when his sister died. He hadn¡¯t had the chance to truly confirm her death because he had lost consciousness after his power exploded forth from his body. At the time, they were also being chased by many soldiers and Brock had to leave quickly with him after he lost consciousness. In the end, he had only assumed based on what he saw that his sister died. ¡°Could it be that she is still alive? There is no turning back at this point. Not for something which could have been a trick of the mind.¡± Aleks shook his head, he couldn¡¯t turn back now. Powerful enemies would soon be coming to this place and he had to leave for his own safety. ¡°But if she¡¯s still alive¡­¡± No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn¡¯t quite shake her memory from his heart. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t completely and entirely lost his humanity just yet. Chapter 47: Moksha A lone figure sat in a meditative pose with legs crossed on a strangely shaped golden throne.The figure appeared to be a lean, lightly robed man with a crown that bore an image of the tree of life fit snug against his brow, and rising slightly above his head.The palm of one of his hands rested in the other atop his legs, and his eyes were tightly closed. The base of the throne looked much like the upper body of an elephant with two elephant heads, one on the left and right. A leafy pagoda rose upwards out of the back of the two headed elephant as if it were reaching for the sky. An occasional breeze stirred the golden leaves making it seem as if the entire structure were a moment in time rather than an inanimate throne. There was no sound in this place and it was devoid of color and presence. It was as if it were a place of both arousing life and listless death. The man who sat in silent meditation was releasing a powerful pressure and was clearly the center of this place and gave off an impression of absolute prominence within the empty expanse. A deep and over exaggerated sigh shattered the empty silence. ¡°That cursed one found it. This has allowed him to break free from the cycle of reincarnation. His soul is no longer a cog in its wheel, but he still has a long path ahead of him. Oh, how I grow weary of this endless and bitter loneliness. When our world came to be, right in the beginning, the Origin had consciousness. By creating its first life, it established the order and structure of this world. I was one such life, chosen to be a custodian of this infinite wheel and here I have remained for all that time. What was once bliss, an escape from cruel reality, has now become my torment.¡± The man seated in a meditative pose spoke with his eyes remaining closed. His words were filled with deep lamentation as if he were grieving the end of all things. ¡°Someone comes.¡± A crushing sound reverberated through the empty space sounding much like the sound a drop of water makes when falling into the sea, only magnified infinitely. It didn¡¯t seem to bother the man who was the only visible life within the void. ¡°Enter.¡± His voice was not much more than a whisper but its power echoed growing louder until the border of this domain shattered like glass, opening into a dark space. There an immensely handsome and golden heroic figure floated proudly with gleaming divine armor, and a laurel crown. Twelve golden immense wings protruded from his back giving him an aura of majesty and power that was not any less than the man seated in a meditative position on his throne. ¡°Moksha.¡± ¡°Tihr.¡± Tihr flew swiftly into the void like domain until he was floating right before Moksha who had yet to open his eyes. ¡°Do you ever move? Or is it necessary for you to remain still?¡± ¡°I am the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. I am ever moving and ever still. Why have you come?¡± Tihr glanced briefly around the space, it was empty as he knew it would be but he looked nonetheless. ¡°You know exactly why I¡¯ve come, why play these games?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°If you had done your work properly, things would never have come to this!¡± Tihr spoke barely containing his anger. ¡°I already told you, there was no way to know what would happen putting him into the cycle of reincarnation. A soul that possessed part of the Origin of a world would not be so simple, but you insisted. Now, once again, you have come to point fingers? I completed my part of the bargain, it is you that have failed.¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Hmph! Even if that is the case, it is highly unlikely that he would be able to escape from the cycle as he did! If you had been observing as you should, how could this possibly happen? He has fully removed himself from our clutches and now none of us will be able to sense him with our divine power without descending!¡± Tihr could no longer hide his anger and he abruptly turned around staring off somewhere into the distance. ¡°You know what is at stake here Moksha. I truly hope you had nothing to do with him escaping the cycle of reincarnation.¡± A boundless pressure surrounded the two as Moksha¡¯s eyes finally opened. His eyes had a rippling pattern and any that looked within might lose their soul. These were the eyes of Samsara and were considered to be one of the most powerful divine artifacts within the god nexus. Tihr could feel the power of those eyes on his back but he remained unafraid with his back to Moksha. ¡°You forget yourself Tihr and this body before me is a mere avatar. Even if your main body was here, this is my domain. Here, I am the sole ruler, or have you forgotten?¡± ¡°You know very well exactly why I had to come here with my avatar and not my main body. If not for your carelessness, we would have gained the Origin from that bastard and I would have already advanced to an Elder god, increasing my power. We all could have advanced, and we wouldn''t be in the precarious situation we have found ourselves in.We were so close to achieving our objectives. He would definitely have given up either in this life or the next, but miraculously he somehow survived the curse. Not only that, but he has even escaped the cycle of reincarnation.¡± Tihr finally turned and looked straight into Moksha¡¯s eyes. He felt some discomfort but other than that, there appeared to be no negative effects. He raised his divine longsword which he had been holding at his side and pointed it towards the seated god of reincarnation. ¡°And you say you have nothing to do with it? That it is mere coincidence? This may only be my avatar, but it still possesses 70% of my power. I have also come here in good faith, and I demand an answer!¡± Moksha¡¯s pupils began to swirl emitting a strange darkness that swept outwards. Even though Tihr stood with his sword pointed at Moksha threateningly, he began to suffer under the pressure emitted by Moksha¡¯s Samsara eyes. ¡°Begone.¡± Moksha¡¯s word rippled through the void like a hurricane of sound, thundering against Tihr¡¯s avatar. The avatar struggled to resist the power of the Samsara eyes but eventually was blown away towards the fringes of the void and eventually to the outside. Only a few words continued to echo through the vast empty space, ¡°This is far from over.¡± The Samsara eyes closed and silence reigned once more in the space for a time before Moksha muttered to himself, ¡°Did you think I would care for the scraps you offered me? No, what I seek is much more. My fusion of laws is that of the soul, much like the path of this young one. Perhaps in time when he matures, only then will I be able to reap the harvest of my efforts and finally be free of this place.¡± Tihr¡¯s avatar had long been blown outside of Moksha¡¯s domain and couldn¡¯t hear the last words that Moksha muttered. Nonetheless, he didn¡¯t fully trust the the words of Moksha anyway. There was no proof of his accusations and he was only making certain assumptions, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel there was something more going on here. Originally, Tihr had not wanted to involve any other gods in his plan to obtain the Origin of that world but things had not gone as planned. In the end, he couldn¡¯t avoid others becoming involved and had to share the larger portion of the spoils but he was able to keep some things secret. The existence of Aleksandros and a significant portion of the Origin¡¯s power, only a very few knew about it. One of those was Moksha, who was necessary because of his position as overseer of the cycle of reincarnation. The other was the Devil Sovereign Bhaal, from where the curse originated from which could carry through lifetimes. ¡°Tch¡­ That being can¡¯t be trusted but there is nothing that can be done currently. Moksha is one of the original gods of our world and a unique one at that. He has no church, no followers, nothing to hold him down. The only responsibility he has is overseeing the cycle of reincarnation and he gains his power from leeching a very tiny amount of potential from every soul that passes through it. This amount, though small, can¡¯t be ignored because of the vast quantity of souls. In essence, he isn¡¯t necessarily powerful but at the same time he isn¡¯t weak. I thought the Origin of that world would be sufficient to entice him, but I am beginning to think his ambitions lie elsewhere.¡± After floating in the space outside Moksha¡¯s domain and pondering for a moment, Tihr¡¯s avatar finally disappeared from that space. After some time, he reappeared somewhere else distant. Chapter 48: Tihrs ambition This time Tihr¡¯s avatar appeared outside the domain of another one of the gods, Mystra. Mystra was the goddess of magic and a long time ally of Tihr, belonging to the same Pantheon and alignment. She was not aware of the plan that Tihr had put into motion long ago, but she was a staunch ally who he could put to good use when necessary. This was of course with the assumption that she was kept in the dark about his true plans. It may seem strange that a god of Justice, such as Tihr, would go to such lengths to obtain power but this should not come as a surprise. The gods themselves were once mortals that ascended, and the only thing that truly mattered to them was power. With power, everything else would naturally fall into place. Even amongst allies, there were no eternal friends and they were in fact all competitors with the same goal. The barrier that separated Mystra¡¯s domain from the empty void outside was hazy but one could vaguely make out a beautiful and rich world within. Temples and vast luxurious structures as well as the glow of magic was present everywhere. This was Mystra¡¯s home and the center of her power. Most gods possessed such domains which were filled with worshippers they had rewarded with eternal life. They were designed and could be fully altered based on the will of the god whose domain it belonged to. These domains would usually fully take on the personality and laws of which their god belonged to. There were very few exceptions to this and even the Devil Sovereigns had their own domains which fully represented the laws for which their power originated from. Their domains were a plane belonging to this God Nexus and were known as the nine hells. Each level of hell was ruled by a Devil Sovereign and each level was uniquely influenced by the laws of its sovereign. Moksha was a god that was an exception because he had no worshippers and his domain was just a vast and empty space. He could alter its appearance, but with no living beings to occupy his domain there was no point in altering it. Moksha did have servants, but these were lifeless constructs which helped him manage the cycle of reincarnation. It wasn¡¯t necessary to have structures or even land within his domain and so he kept it as a vast but empty void. Once again, Tihr had sent out a pulse of his power as a greeting in order to inform Mystra of his presence. This was a greeting to show there was no ill intent, otherwise if he attempted to force his way into her domain he would have to fight against her defenses. Mystra was also involved currently in the interstellar planar war with her main body and had also left an avatar within her domain to oversee it. Because their main bodies were on separate battlefronts it was easier for their avatars to meet than their main bodies at the current time. ¡°Tihr, why have you come?¡± A beautiful and gentle voice asked suddenly. ¡°Can¡¯t I be here just to visit an ally and friend?¡± Mystra¡¯s charming and lovely laugh was her reply. ¡°You never come to visit unless you need something.¡± ¡°Haha, you know me well. Won¡¯t you invite me in?¡± ¡°Enter.¡± ¡°There is something I need your help with, a minor matter really. One of my cathedrals was destroyed¡­¡±
On the border of the Imperium and the Federation is a great and vast lake which has been contested between the two nations for hundreds of years. The lake and its surrounding areas held a wealth of resources and diversity of life. Many hamlets, fishing villages and small docks littered its shores. On most days, the lake basked in the warmth of the sun and offered its life giving waters to a myriad of creatures. However, on this day, the sun was clouded over and a deep shrouding mist floated just above its surface. It made it impossible to see further than just a few feet but there was also a strange calm. BOOM! The lake erupted, water gushing up into the air as something collided with the surface of the lake at speeds beyond sound.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Through the fog, the sound of crackling electricity and flashing lights quickly approached. A man floated above the surface of the lake with coiling lightning wriggling around his body. He pointed his hand at the location where the collision with the lake had happened and lightning struck instantly at that exact spot. ¡°Is she dead?¡± Before the man had even finished his sentence, a flash from his right sped out of the lake towards him. ¡°Damn, die already!¡± Electricity coiled around the man floating above the surface of the lake and created a barrier that protected him. The flash was from the glint of blades imbued with powerful magic and the woman he had been hunting struck against his lightning barrier but was pushed back. ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy to kill me.¡± Lightning lashed out from the man¡¯s body and sparks flew all around the area sending pulses across the lake. Whip like arcs of lightning struck out attempting to lash the shrouded woman, but her speed allowed her to dodge the lightning attacks that had been seeking her life. She constantly blinked in an out of visibility and eventually appeared outside the range of the man¡¯s whip like lightning arcs. ¡°Your reputation is much deserved Lightning Emperor Eneran. It seems the rumors of you reaching the peak of Legendary status and touching upon the realm of a Demigod are not far from the truth.¡± Said the shrouded woman in a hoarse and calm voice despite the fierce battle she was engaged in. The man laughed and replied humbly, ¡°I have only just reached the peak. I am still a long way from becoming a Demigod, Mystra willing. I am far more surprised by you. A Legendary Night Fury, there is only one that I know of who is a member of the Church of Murder. You must be Melisana. I didn¡¯t realize the Church of Murder had sent a Legendary being of such power to this continent. It seems there is much more at stake in this conflict than I thought. Were you also responsible for the assassinations in Andor¡¯s Edge and the chaos caused in the aftermath of that?¡± The woman didn¡¯t respond, she only quietly observed looking for a chance to escape. A battle here was not what she wanted and would only hinder what she came to do. However, she could feel the power of her adversary and knew he wouldn¡¯t let her go so easily. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t respond, it¡¯s not as if I can¡¯t figure out a thing or two. The bodies of the assassins were eventually discovered by the authorities of the city and even though their bodies had strangely become withered corpses, it wasn¡¯t difficult to discern that they were assassins belonging to the Church of Murder. If they¡¯re the reason you have attempted to infiltrate the Federation, you might as well as leave. Even if I can¡¯t kill you, I can certainly keep you from taking a step further.¡± ¡°Hmph, and what does that have to do with you? You are just one of Mystra¡¯s lackeys. Why are you getting involved in the matters between the Imperium and the Federation? Does Mystra even have a presence in the Federation? As far as I know, you are a long way from home. This matter does not concern you.¡± ¡°Tihr and Mystra are allies, so why do you find it so strange that I would be here? The Cathedral of Tihr was recently destroyed and I have come to seek answers. The Legendary beings of the Church of Tihr are currently busy with other matters and so I have come to offer a bit of help in their time of need. Answer my question and I will let you go in peace.¡± The woman didn¡¯t want to become embroiled in a fight here and since she had already heard what she needed to know, she decided to acquiesce to his request if it wasn¡¯t burdensome, ¡°Fine, ask me your question.¡± ¡°Are you responsible for the destruction of the Cathedral in Andor¡¯s Edge?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Fine, then do you know who is responsible?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s part of the reason I am here.¡± ¡°Are you certain it had nothing to do with you?¡± The woman didn¡¯t reply immediately. The destruction of the Cathedral had nothing to do with her Church. It had never been the objective of the Church of Murder to come into conflict with Tihr directly. They had only been hoping to profit from the chaos of war and expand their influence on the continent. War and death was always good business for the Church of Murder and even if the alignment of the gods they served was on opposing ends, they were still part of the same pantheon. There were rules and certain agreements between the gods which could not be easily broken and certain things which were off limits. The destruction of a Cathedral could certainly lead to serious consequences and all out war between the churches. It wasn¡¯t as if things like this had never happened before, but it wasn¡¯t the current will of Cyric, the god of murder and lies. However, for some reason a young man¡¯s image suddenly popped up in her mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this will help you, but there is someone who might be able to provide the answers you seek. Assuming that person is still alive, I was also hoping to find some answers from him.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? Then perhaps we have a common goal.¡± Chapter 49: Comprehension and maturity Aleks stared out of the window of his carriage as he contemplated his thoughts silently. Lenia was somewhat uncomfortable, but she said nothing, not wishing to disturb her master from his thoughts. They had been traveling by carriage for almost a week and most of the time there had been an awkward silence between the two. Or at the least, Lenia was beginning to feel awkward because of the silence. The carriage was expensive and had a variety of enchantments placed on it which made it both comfortable to sit within and soundproof to the outside. This meant that the only sound that could currently be heard was the sound of their breathing and the occasional sound caused by Lenia¡¯s fidgeting. There were some guards that were escorting them that had been hired from a station just outside Andor¡¯s Edge, but this was mostly for appearances and not because they needed protection. ¡®Soul Marionettes¡¯ and ¡®Soul Puppets¡¯ could only last a short period of time so it was necessary to hire the escorts. With a few carriages in tow it could easily attract bandits, but with so many guards accompanying them it kept the bandits away. Aleks and Lenia had nothing to fear from bandits, but they wanted to keep a low profile. Also, with several wagons loaded with their spoils, they needed manpower in order to manage their possessions. The guards were similar to mercenaries but they worked on contracts and were relatively trustworthy. Even if they had any nefarious thoughts, one look at Lenia when she released her aura made sure they kept those thoughts to themselves. The mercenaries were intermediate class beings with their leader being at the peak of intermediate. None of them could match up to Lenia and even if the dozen or so of them fought her together, they would most likely lose. Aleks could just have easily put everything into his ¡®Soul Realm¡¯, but his powers were too unique and would draw attention when arriving at their destination. It was much better to give everyone an illusion of him being a young master setting out on an expedition. This was the reason why he went to all this trouble. The upside to all of this was he had plenty of time to consider his plans as well as sort out his thoughts from everything that had happened. He was still somewhat perturbed by the thought that his sister might still be alive. Even though Aleks had been reincarnated into other lives in the past, he had never considered those lives to be truly his. He was more like a passenger being taken on a ride he had no control of. While he lived those lives he had no memories of who he was and only when returning to the cycle of reincarnation would he be aware of his true identity. Because of this, those lives seemed as mere illusions. The only lives he considered to truly be his own were his original life and his current one. He was also losing the memories of those other lives and the only memories which remained were the ones he considered to be truly his own. With that being said, he had no blood related siblings in his original lifetime and his parents had died when he was very young. Having been raised by the state and indoctrinated in their ideology, while also harboring immense hatred for religion and those who were religious, he had lived a lonely life. The only bright spot was his one closest friend and brother, but even then he was still distant and cold towards others despite many wishing to develop a relationship with him. There was only one thing that drove him then and in this life, he had fallen into a similar role. But this life is different. I had a family that loved me even though I was unable to receive their love. I had a sister who adored me, though I found her to be a nuisance. I only realized what I had, when it was taken from me. Even still, my hatred has not abated and my determination is not one whit less. While I hope that was truly her, I also don¡¯t wish to see her. It¡¯s better if I don¡¯t involve her in any of this. Let her live a life of peace and safety somewhere far from me. Having come to this conclusion, Aleks finally turned to look at Lenia. ¡°Lenia.¡± ¡°Yes master?¡± ¡°I wish to ask you a question and I hope you will be honest with me.¡± Lenia turned her head to the side and looked at Aleks with curiosity, ¡°Of course, I would never lie to you.¡± ¡°Do you think I am evil?¡± Lenia wasn¡¯t expecting her master to ask her such a question and it was one she couldn¡¯t immediately respond to. In a sense, she understood what good and evil meant, but at the same time she also understood that things were not always so black and white. Her master had spoken to her on occasion of his past and she was aware of his unique situation. Could she put herself in his position and understand the plight and horror that had been his existence? It would be simple to say yes by the standard of many in this world, but how many of them could honestly say that if they were forced to endure what he had that they could retain their morality, or even more so their sanity?Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Lenia¡¯s ability to think on a more complex and deeper level had improved greatly over the time they had been traveling. Her maturity and consciousness had reached the level of an adult and she no longer was as confused or muddled as she had been. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that I have the right to judge your actions master. You created me, you gave me life and without you I would be nothing. I can¡¯t truly relate to your experiences and I can only guess at your pain. I will stand by your side always no matter the consequences.¡± Aleks was pleased with her response and a light smile spread to his lips though it was covered by his mask. ¡°You have truly matured well, I am pleased.¡± Lenia smiled but she no longer acted with the same enthusiasm as she had before. This was because she realized that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to act in such an over exaggerated manner. That didn¡¯t change the fact that his compliment had truly made her happy and giddy on the inside. ¡°I should explain some things to you now that you can fully comprehend. You have your natural instincts when it comes to battle because I made you that way, but that doesn¡¯t mean there isn¡¯t room for growth or that there is nothing left to learn. You have an advantage over others because you have me. The ¡®Tower of Babel¡¯ system grants me information that others do not have and understanding these principles should aid you in future battles. Normally, those who have a class are able to generally sense the power of others with classes through their aura. Every being that has a class also has an aura, but this type of sensing ability isn¡¯t very accurate. They can normally only sense with some accuracy those who are either close to them in level or beneath them. It is possible for those possessing higher levels, or those with special abilities or spells, to suppress their auras which may confuse others as well. My ¡®Soul Analysis¡¯ ability allows me to see without any doubt, the class, level, and abilities of any mortal being that has not achieved divinity. It is not yet powerful enough to be used on gods or some peak demigods, but that isn¡¯t necessary at this time. Do you understand so far?¡± Lenia nodded confidently and leaned forward slightly, ¡°Yes, I understand. I have fought several times now and have felt the differences in aura and have effectively used my aura to intimidate those of lower level on many occasions. This has been part of my instincts since you created me master and is easy to understand.¡± ¡°Right, this is the basic battle instinct that anyone who has a class understands. However, there is an underlying system behind it all which is a mystery to all but me, and perhaps the gods. Although I¡¯m not certain how much they are able to discern with their power of divinity. There are also spells and abilities which can give some of the information that I see, but it isn¡¯t as detailed as what the ¡®Tower of Babel¡¯ shows me. To put it simply, you have what are called stats and these stats can be displayed numerically. You have seen these numbers and symbols on my mask. Vitality determines your overall physique and condition as well as stamina. This is both a display of your health and also your pool for using abilities. If your Vitality were ever to decrease below 0, you would die. Both PHY. ATK. and PHY. DEF. represent your battle capabilities and is a way to quantify how effective you are in battle. This does not include equipment, spells, or abilities that boost your combat effectiveness. In order to do significant damage, your PHY. ATK. must exceed the PHY. DEF. of your opponent. A normal male citizen without a class would possess a PHY. DEF. and PHY. ATK. of 10 on average. You could consider yourself to be approximately twenty times more physically powerful than an average mortal. AGI is a representation of your speed, mobility, and deftness. Again if you consider the average human mortal as having an AGI of 10, you would be approximately nine times faster. MAG RES functions similar to PHY DEF except against magic. These are the most relevant stats for you and you should do your best to familiarize yourself with them. Keep them in mind and this will help you in battle. If someone is faster, you know their AGI is above yours and you will need to find a way to adapt. If your opponent isn¡¯t taking visible damage from your attacks or your attacks are too shallow, you should understand it is because their PHY. DEF. is too high and you need a means of overcoming this obstacle.¡± Aleks continued his explanation until he was interrupted by a sudden knock on the carriage door. Although the carriage was soundproof, there was a device on the outside of the carriage door in order to inform those within that someone wished to speak with them. ¡°Hmm, well that was most of what I wished to say. Open the door Lenia.¡± Lenia opened the door and peaked out, noticing one of the escorts standing outside the carriage door. She noticed the carriage had stopped moving. ¡°Ma¡¯am, we have arrived at our destination. We are currently going through the checkpoint and it will take some time for the city guards to inspect the carriages. I will inform you of when we are ready to enter the city.¡± Lenia nodded and then closed the door. She repeated what the escort had said to Aleks. ¡°Good, we have finally arrived. It¡¯s been more than a month since I left Brock in this place. I have no doubt he will have a few words to say to me.¡± Lenia had heard the name Brock mentioned before by her master and so she was curious who this person was exactly. ¡°What words will he have to say to you master?¡± Aleks chuckled, ¡°certainly not good ones. I didn¡¯t exactly inform him of where I was going or what I was doing. He has probably been pulling his hair out in worry. Listen Lenia, no matter what Brock says or does, you are not to do anything. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes master.¡± Chapter 50: Seeing Brock again The carriages and wagons which contained Aleks and Lenia, as well as all of the wealth acquired in Andor''s Edge, rolled through the gates of Kordusk. This was a city on the edge of the Federation bordering the Savage lands. It was the last bastion of Human civilization before entering the vast wilderness and dangerous wildlands which encompassed the entirety of the western part of the continent. The Savage lands made up about thirty percent of the continent and was divided into three major regions. The southernmost region of the Savage lands was simply called the Ever Gloom and this was an enormous forest with giant trees that reached several hundred to a thousand feet into the sky. Their branches were so thick that no sun ever reached the forest bed and all manner of dark nightmarish creatures lived within. It was also the main entrance to the underdark, home of the dark elves and their dark elven matriarchs. They lived alongside the Arachne race, a race that had the lower body of giant spiders and an upper body which looked almost elvish but with a bronze hue. The central region of the Savage lands was the Orgren Steppes. This was a region of vast steppes, mountains, valleys and the occasional grass plains which were home to Dwarves, Orcs, Goblins, Barbarians and a variety of nomads. Many other tribal races lived in this region as well as many large creatures and roving hordes of beasts. The extensive mountain range known as the Warharl''s Spine formed a natural boundary which separated the Ever Gloom from the Orgren Steppes. Dragons, Wyverns, and other Draconic beasts could even be found living in the tall peaks and treacherous mountain terrain of the region. To the north was a land called Volksivar. It was also known as the land of the dead by most people. There, the Vampire Counts ruled with an iron fist over their subjects, most of which were considered mere cattle by their vampiric overlords. Undead creatures also roamed the land in service to the many necromancers that made that land their home. There was frequent conflict between the various Vampire Counts and the land never seemed to have a moment of peace. It was a brutal and vicious place which heavily influenced those that lived there. It was these lands that Aleks had set his sights on. It was not only because the Origin of his world called out to him and led him there, but because in those lands the presence of the gods and their servants were mostly nonexistent. They had yet to expand into the Savage Lands and many who wished to escape the influence of the gods, or who worshipped other beings, escaped there. The Dark Elves and the Arachne worshipped the Spider Queen who was a powerful Dark Elven Demigod, but she had yet to ascend to true godhood. Those on the Steppes believed in ancestral worship and these ancestor spirits were relatively weak with little real presence and power. They were even targets for Aleks who could devour these ancestral beings in order to increase his own power. As for the Vampires, they worshipped their Blood Progenitor who was also a Demigod of considerable power. Only in the Savage Lands did Aleks feel he could build his own power and hide from the eyes of the gods. "Master, are you certain this plan is wise? From what you have told me of the Savage Lands, it sounds dangerous. I''m not doubting your power, I am just concerned for your wellbeing." Aleks continued to look outside the carriage window as he watched people gawking at his carriage from the side of the wide road that could easily fit three carriages abreast. With such a luxurious looking carriage and the many carriages and wagons following along, it gave off the impression that some grand character had entered the city and people were naturally curious. Without turning to look at Lenia Aleks simply stated, "The path to power is often accompanied by great risk." Lenia clearly understood his words but she was still concerned. "Don''t worry so much. It''s not as if we are unprepared. Kordusk is a center for the slave trade and we have more than enough wealth to purchase a small army and equip them. Brock should have also contracted a mercenary company by now as well as an adventuring party. We will need such elite beings to navigate the steppes. They should be pretty familiar with the region since this city is their base of operations."Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "I still have a bad feeling about this." Lenia mumbled under her breath, but it didn''t escape Aleks''s ears. He decided to ignore her comment and continued to observe the outside through the window of the carriage. Aleks had already removed his mask and his appearance could easily be misconstrued as a rich young master with his handsome appearance and luxurious robe. The mask was too conspicuous at this time due to what happened in Andor''s Edge. From what Aleks could see through the window, Kordusk was a clean and well developed city. The population was definitely smaller than Andor''s Edge, but it was still a city with a relatively large population. The cobblestone road was wide and well maintained, the houses and shops were constructed of a type of colored brick which gave the city its own unique personality. All throughout the city, slaves could be seen doing various jobs from sweeping the roads to maintaining the city''s structures. These particular slaves were ignored by the city''s residents and no one bothered them since they were an essential workforce that kept the city running smoothly. These slaves were owned by the city government and it was a crime to interfere with their duties. As for those slaves purchased by individuals, they were completely under the authority of the one who purchased them and they had no rights whatsoever. Whether their owners killed them, used them as sex slaves, or for any other reason was entirely up to their owner. Each slave was branded with a slave rune and this rune could not easily be removed. The only way was to seek the services of a runemaster and so a slave''s life was usually miserable with only a few exceptions. One of those exceptions being the slaves which worked for the city government, their lives were at least somewhat better than the rest. "An interesting city, Kordusk. The citizens receive a stipend from the slave trade and the slaves do all of the menial tasks throughout the city which means the majority of citizens can lead mostly leisurely lives. Do they stop to consider how the lives they live are built on the backs of the enslaved? There are more than one hundred thousand slaves in this city. They are treated like mere cattle and ignored as if they were insects. It is these same people who would consider me a monster." Aleks mused out loud while watching several slaves repair the tiled roof of a shop along the main road. Lenia wasn''t sure how to respond, but she felt as if she should say something. However she was interrupted by a knock on the carriage door. She opened the door and was informed by one of the escorts that they had arrived at their destination. "Master, we are here." Aleks simply nodded and the two proceeded to exit the carriage. He was welcomed by a warm spring breeze which was much cleaner than the air of Andor''s Edge which had been polluted by the excessive amount of people and filth in that city. The carriages had stopped in a wide open courtyard in front of a five story luxury hotel. There were over a dozen slaves clothed in uniformed suits with the emblem of the hotel stitched with golden silk on them standing outside the hotel waiting to serve the guests that arrived. They all stood at attention and wore pleasant expressions on their faces, but the rune which was branded into their skin was visible on the top of each right hand to ensure that everyone understood they were slaves. There were both beautiful women and handsome men among them. Since the hotel was an upscale establishment for nobles, much care was given to appearance and service. The escorts which Aleks had contracted to guard his caravan were gruff and barbarous in comparison. Aleks took a deep breath while stepping out of the carriage and onto the cobblestone courtyard floor. The hotel slaves and servants didn''t immediately rush over as it would not be proper protocol and they waited patiently for someone to approach them. Aleks only gave them a quick glance before finally resting his eyes on a familiar face. It was the face of a tall and ruggedly handsome man with hair which seemed grayer than he remembered. He stood ramrod straight, his right hand resting on the pommel of a rapier sheathed at his waist. He wore a tight white and black striped battle suit with a high collar and a long black cape. An expression that showed no emotion was visible on his somewhat timeworn face, but his eyes were fierce as they met Aleks''s eyes. "Brock¡­ you''ve truly grown old." Aleks said to himself as he met Brock''s gaze. It hadn''t been long since Aleks had seen him last, but he had compared the Brock he saw now with the memory of the younger version who helped raise him in this life. He couldn''t help but feel a bit of guilt, but it only lasted a moment. Chapter 51: Complications (1) Aleks met Brock''s gaze which seemed expressionless but Aleks knew that deep down the man must be simmering. There were many things that Aleks could not tell him just yet and this easily led to problems in communication between the two. So, it was understandable that Brock would be angry at Aleks''s disappearance for over a month. Nonetheless, their gazes that met had belied many complicated emotions which no one other than themselves could understand. Brock approached with a gallant stride, immediately taking control of the situation and instructing the Hotel servants and slaves to organize the carriages and unload the cargo within. While Brock didn''t know what could possibly be contained within all of the containers and chests that were loaded into the wagons, he was professional enough to understand that they must contain valuables. These couldn''t be left within the wagons even if the Hotel was considered to be safe and secure. Everything would need to be moved to a safer location within the hotel and guarded securely in case of theft. Aleks only looked on with Lenia standing close behind him. The leader of the escorts said a few words to Aleks concluding their contract. They would help with the unloading of the cargo and then would leave, returning back to their original base of operations. They had already received their payment and these were mostly formalities. If they could receive future business from such a rich young master it would be ideal. Brock was fast and efficient, quickly organizing the Hotel servants and escorts into groups in order to move the cargo. He still hadn''t said anything to Aleks or even approached him as he went about his work. Aleks only looked on also not saying anything. Only after a short while did Brock finally finish supervising the unloading and moving of cargo before he finally walked over to Aleks. "Young master, please follow me." Brock said politely with a slight bow. He said nothing more and turned smoothly, walking towards the entrance of the hotel. Aleks motioned to Lenia and followed leisurely after him. As they followed Brock through the luxurious hotel, they received many looks from other guests. Most of these guests were elegantly dressed and were clearly wealthy and powerful individuals. They would of course be interested in any unfamiliar influential guests from outside the city, but they were mostly staring at Lenia. Her beauty could not be underestimated and she stood out more because of the full suit of mail she was wearing. This drew many looks of both surprise and admiration, with a few lascivious looks mixed in. There were clearly some who had questionable intentions. Lenia felt uncomfortable under their stares, but it no longer caused her to hide behind her master. Instead, she gritted her teeth and ignored them while resting her hand on the pommel of her sheathed longsword. Aleks glanced at Lenia and smiled lightly at noticing her discomfort. He had noticed her restraint and was pleased. The inside of the hotel was an enormous lobby with a large crystal chandelier hanging down from the center of the ceiling. There were two grand stairways going up to another floor on both sides of the lobby and a large reception desk towards the back wall. There were several doors leading off in various directions to other rooms throughout the establishment. Many guests were entering and leaving the hotel with some lounging about while sipping tea in a corner of the lobby while musicians strummed on violins. It was truly a scene of opulence, one that most would never see. Aleks could also feel the aura of some relatively powerful individuals throughout the lobby. There were several advanced class beings and even more intermediate class beings. Both Aleks and Lenia were suppressing their auras and since those within the lobby were certainly weaker than them, they couldn''t determine how strong Aleks and Lenia were. Some of the advanced class beings in the lobby could at least get a sense that Lenia was within the same advanced realm as them but they couldn''t sense anything at all from Aleks which made them assume that he was just a mortal. They would never believe that such a young man was a Legendary being. Although Legendary beings had the ability to make themselves look younger, they were famous and powerful individuals who gave off an air of power and maturity. Their limited perception and shallow world views would never allow them to guess that Aleks was one such individual. Especially since he was so inconspicuous and didn''t allow his aura to show.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Brock continued to lead the two up the grand staircase and eventually onto the third floor. He led them down a long hallway with many rooms. Servants were pushing platters on carts and going about their work. They bowed deeply when the three passed them by, not wishing to offend any of the guests. Many of the servants were slaves, although not all were since they needed some to be in closer contact with the wealthy guests of the establishment. Some would be offended by being served closely by a slave. "I''ve had the cargo you brought along moved to a secure warehouse managed by the hotel. It won''t be cheap to store however." Brock said without turning his head. Strangely enough, Brock asked no questions about what was in the cargo boxes and chests. He asked no questions at all even though he had many questions he wished to ask. He was extremely curious about what was in all of those boxes and chests and how his young master came into possession of them. Since he was a professional though, he wouldn''t ask. If his young master wanted him to know, he would tell him. After walking a bit down the hallway, Brock finally stopped in front of one of the hotel rooms and opened it with a key. He ushered in both Aleks and Lenia and quickly followed them into the room. The room was much larger than he expected and was generously decorated and furnished with high quality furniture. It seemed that they spared no expense in furnishing the rooms as most of their guests were used to such comfort and luxury. Of course it was nothing like the comforts of his original lifetime, but for this world it was considered luxurious. Brock could no longer hold in his anger and frustration. As soon as they entered the room, he began to sternly lecture Aleks. "I won''t ask where you have been, or what you have been doing. I just want you to know that I have been worried every day whether you were still alive or not. Leaving me with just a short letter saying you would return when you accomplished what you set out to do and then disappearing for more than a month. You must want this old man to die, don''t you? I have been worried sick, if it wasn''t for your letter I received over a week ago I would have really begun to believe you were dead. And who is this woman beside you? She isn''t even half my age but she has reached the peak of her advanced class? How is there such a young talent, why is she serving you, and can she be trusted?" Aleks couldn''t even get in a word edgewise due to Brock''s intense and stern lecturing. "You are hardly an old man Brock and if you can advance to Legendary someday, your life expectancy will increase dramatically. Then you can even return to your youthful look. No need to over exaggerate, although your hair is looking much grayer than I remember." Aleks''s words were somewhat flippant, but his relationship with Brock was as such and before Brock could angrily respond, he pointed to Lenia and said, "This is Lenia, my attendant. Don''t worry, she can be trusted. She is a level 90 Warlord and is very capable." Brock calmed down and observed Lenia from head to toe. He was quite shocked at her level and strength. He couldn''t imagine how his young lord could possibly retain the services of such a powerful and beautiful young woman. Was his charisma really that great? The boy is unsociable and not exactly very likeable. How could he possibly obtain such a woman? Brock couldn''t help but marvel. He nodded with a hint of admiration and respect. To achieve such a level of power at her age was truly rare. She must be a genius. I just can''t understand why she would follow the young master. Of course, Aleks could guess just what the man was thinking and could only sigh inwardly thinking that Brock had no faith in him. He also couldn''t help but accept that normally a woman like Lenia would definitely not wish to serve him, so he could understand Brock''s shock. "Fine, I won''t ask anymore about the young lady. There have been some complications." Brock said with some difficulty, clearly not happy about it. "What sort of complications?" Aleks asked grimly. Chapter 52: Complications (2) Brock was hesitant to speak at first when noticing his young master''s expression. He was worried that Aleks would do something rash due to his hatred of the gods. It was quite apparent to him already that Aleks had blamed all of his misfortune on them and even though he wasn''t aware of the extent of the influence the gods had in the destruction of his home, he knew they had some part to play in it. Such a major event and the immense scope of the war was something surely influenced by numerous gods, but Brock wasn''t privy to the ambitions of such lofty beings. He wasn''t like Aleks and his anger was only partly aimed at the them. Most of his anger was aimed at the nations involved in the conflict, especially the Federation. For the Federation, he felt no amount of compassion and he strongly hoped they would fall. However, for Brock, his main desire was to see his young master survive and live on even if it meant ignoring the atrocities committed during the war that destroyed his home. "Tell me." Aleks''s words were a command that didn''t allow for any defiance. He sat down on a cushioned seat and leaned back, placing his right hand on his chin with one finger resting on his left cheek. He patiently waited while Brock collected his thoughts before speaking. "So be it. You would find out soon either way. A few weeks ago, after you left for Andor''s Edge, clergyman for several gods arrived in the city. They sent out notices looking to recruit influential and wealthy individuals for expeditions into the Orgren Steppes. It turns out that a few months ago an alliance of churches sent a vanguard force into the Orgren Steppes to build an initial settlement. It appears to be a forerunner expedition for a fully sanctioned crusade. The higher ups of the churches have decided that it was time to begin preparations to bring the light of faith to the heretics and heathens of the Savage Lands. Or at least that is the word being spread throughout the city and word should have been sent to other cities throughout the continent by now as well. Most likely word was delayed to Andor''s Edge because of the civil unrest there and so it isn''t a surprise you haven''t heard of it. Many minor nobles, third and fourth sons of powerful noble families, and wealthy merchants have been hiring out every mercenary company in the region as well as bringing their own private forces to take part in the expedition. This is an opportunity to carve out new land, perhaps even develop new nations. It is quite appealing to those who have little other future prospects or those seeking titles of nobility." Aleks listened intently with a frown, "This is out of my expectations and could hinder our plans. I didn''t expect that the churches would be preparing for such a grand crusade. It has been a few thousand years since the last one. As a matter of fact, the Federation was one of the nations carved out of the last crusade." "I had hoped to send word to you, but of course I had no idea where you disappeared to." Said Brock with a hint of sarcasm. Aleks ignored his attempt to chastise him and soon fell into deep thought. "Because of this, I haven''t been able to hire a mercenary company. Every company has already been hired out. I was at least able to contract a group of adventurers and while you won''t be able to hire a mercenary company, there are still plenty of slaves for purchase. Of course, battle slaves are no match for trained soldiers." Alek''s nodded considering his words. "That can''t be all." Brock sighed, pacing back and forth for a moment before grabbing a bottle of wine on a nearby table. He poured himself a glass and slowly said, "I may have caused you a bit of trouble." "Hmm, it must be wearing on you for you to start drinking wine so early in the day." Brock gulped the wine down and glanced towards Lenia who was curiously walking around the room and occasionally lifting one thing or another. She seemed absorbed in her exploration of the room and the objects within. "No need to worry about her. As I already said, she can be fully trusted." Aleks said after noticing Brock''s wary gaze. "I caught the attention of one of the bishops unintentionally. He has been trying to entice me to enter his service for a week now. I have of course, clearly refused him several times but he is persistent. Now that you have arrived, he will surely notice you. If he can''t get through to me, he will certainly try to get through to you. I don''t know how this will affect your plans and the bishop is clearly someone who doesn''t give up until he gets what he wants. I didn''t mean to draw attention to you."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Brock seemed frustrated with himself. He had been practicing one day and let his full power flow out and had been noticed by the bishop unexpectedly. This had made him a target of acquisition for the bishop who was looking for talent. He was supposed to be lying low, but his impatience and worry for the safety of his master had pushed him to a point where he needed to let off steam. This caused him to be noticed and he was aware that the bishop had clearly left some of his people to keep their eyes on him and anyone he comes in contact with. Brock couldn''t do anything about this other than kill them, but that would have brought other problems. Aleks frowned after considering Brock''s words. He wasn''t afraid of a bishop or the churches, but he couldn''t draw attention to himself at this time. There was no way to know how many gods were involved in the events that led to the destruction of his world, he only knew for sure that Tihr and that god who oversaw reincarnation were involved. There was also the Devil Sovereign which placed the curse on him. Other than that, he could only speculate. Nonetheless, if other gods became aware of him even if they hadn''t been involved in those events then it still would be problematic. Within his body was the power of the Origin of a world, this was an enticement to any god. Only with enough strength could he protect himself and carve out a place for himself in the world. He was not quite there yet and still needed to be careful. Killing a bishop or two, even the destruction of a church, wasn''t a big deal as long as he didn''t get caught. "I don''t blame you, what''s done is done. We may even be able to use this to our advantage. As long as there are no legendary beings within the city, keeping my aura hidden isn''t a problem. We were already planning to head into the Orgren Steppes anyway and this could be a good opportunity for us to keep a low profile. There will be many adventurers, fame seekers, nobles, and others looking to take advantage of this situation. We are just one more out of many others. Not only that, but we may be able to gain some legitimacy without having to expose ourselves. As for the bishop, let''s play with him for a while. Most likely he is searching for those of influence to gain benefits and I doubt you are the only one he has approached. The ambition of these bishops is easy to understand, they seek souls to worship their gods. He is clearly trying to attach himself to powerful individuals in order to establish his church''s influence in the new lands which will be carved out." Brock had already understood this of course but he wasn''t sure exactly what his young master had planned. He was already against this idea of heading into the Orgren Steppes. He felt it was too dangerous, but no matter what he said he couldn''t dissuade Aleks. "There''s another issue, we are out of money. The letter you left had instructions to hire a group of adventurers and a mercenary company but didn''t explain how exactly you planned to pay for their services. I was able to somehow gather enough to put the deposit down on the contract for the adventurers, but the rest of the money has gone to room and board. This hotel is not cheap, I don''t know exactly how you expected me to pay for everything. I hope that your disappearance has at least led to a solution for this." Aleks smirked while he observed Lenia curiously looking around the room and touching everything. Although she had matured, there were still many things she was not familiar with. She would occasionally pick up an object she wasn''t familiar with and smell it while checking the object thoroughly. This of course looked quite strange to Brock who thought this girl might have some issues with her brain. "You don''t have to worry about that. Do you remember those chests I arrived with? They are all filled with gold and silver ducats. Money is something we currently do not lack." Brock raised one eyebrow at Aleks''s words. He had many questions but he decided to keep them to himself. He couldn''t help but wonder at how he had obtained so much wealth though. Just what exactly had his young master experienced over the last month? He had a feeling that if he found out the answer to that question, it would only make him feel even more anxious than he already did. His young master was beginning to become even more mysterious and incomprehensible. "The day is still early and we have much to do Brock. I don''t know what the future has in store for us, but I won''t stop moving forward towards my goal. I will carve out a place for myself in this cruel and brutal world and I will get my revenge for all the suffering I have had to endure. Not even the gods will impede my path. The day is still early and we have much to do Brock. Since we can''t hire mercenaries, we will need an army of slaves. This is fine too, not only did I return with a good deal of wealth but I also brought many weapons and armor. Enough to equip a small army and we can buy whatever else we need. I will take Lenia with me to the slave market. You remain here and oversee our possessions." Aleks stood up from the cushioned seat and motioned for Lenia to follow him after instructing Brock, but before he made it out the door, he suddenly turned back and curled his lips upward in a fiendish grin before speaking, "Oh, and as for that Bishop. Contact him and set up a meeting. I think it''s time we had ourselves a little chat." Brock had never seen his young master make such an expression and it somewhat startled him although he didn''t show it. He was feeling as if he was truly beginning to understand him less and less. "Just what could have happened to him?" Brock said under his breath while watching Aleks and Lenia leave the hotel room and close the door behind them. Chapter 53: New companions (1) The city of Kordusk was much more lively than usual with throngs of people walking its streets. Entering the city plaza was almost like walking into a convention from Aleks''s old world. Although Aleks had never participated in such conventions which he found trivial and meaningless, there were many people who enjoyed dressing up as their favorite fantasy characters and celebrating. These costumes tended to be either extremely realistic or clearly cheap knock offs, but in his current situation the scene was very much real and not for entertainment. Some of his co-workers from back then were even involved in such festivities and they had once tried asking him to participate but he adamantly refused. He had never felt he had time for such pointless pursuits and had fully devoted himself to his research. Who would have thought that one day such a thing would become reality and not just fantasy. There were a variety of races present, from humans to elves and other more exotic and obscure races. There were Weretigers, Orcs, Dwarves, Gnomes, even the rarely seen creatures of the Fey. They wore every type of armor imaginable and wielded a wide range of weapons. Throngs of mercenaries, adventurers, and thrill seekers were entering the city in droves all seeking fame, wealth and honor. It was truly a rare sight to see so many exotically dressed and armed individuals packed in one area like this. Lenia especially was visibly gawking, having never seen such diversity before. As Aleks and Lenia left the Hotel and walked into the city proper they noticed the many newcomers to the city. Aleks shuddered lightly which would not normally be noticeable, but Lenia always had her eyes on Aleks as well as the surroundings so she immediately noticed. She almost reached for his hand but stopped herself. "Are you okay young master?" Lenia asked concerned. Aleks waved it off, "I''m fine, there are just too many filthy souls. It caught me by surprise but I have it under control." Lenia hesitated for a moment before asking, "Master, aren''t you too uncomfortable around so many of these¡­ people? Why do you need to go out personally to buy slaves? Couldn''t you have just asked Brock?" "My ability which allows me to create subordinates is a power that no mortal could possibly possess. It''s not something I can reveal to Brock even though I know he would never betray me intentionally. We can only head there first. It''s time I made some companions for you and this way there won''t be too many questions asked." Lenia nodded, "I understand." She could only look at him worriedly and didn''t mention it anymore. Instead she looked to the crowds with more than a bit of curiosity and asked about them to distract her master from the uncomfortable feeling. "Look at all of the different races! I never knew there were so many. What are those people there?" Lenia pointed towards a small group of beings which were clearly not human but had human features. One was much like a woman but with greenish brown skin and what appeared to be branches or vines crawling up her body and covering certain sensitive areas. The female wore very little clothing and her hair was a reddish brown like leaves in fall. Another, which appeared to be male, had hooves for feet and legs which curved at the center in an exaggerated manner. They looked much like the legs of a goat and his body was covered in fur with horns protruding from his head. There were also others with similar or equally strange appearances. "Those are creatures of the Fey. The Fey plane is a mysterious place with many strange and wondrous things. I have only been able to read some of the myths and fables surrounding it as it is next to impossible to go there except under certain circumstances. The Fey plane may have been the first plane assimilated into the God Nexus although it is difficult to find any evidence proving this. It is something which happened many millions of years ago and the only records available are hardly reliable. Some believe that the Fey were originally formless beings and that the gods of the God Nexus negotiated with the High Fey to assimilate the mortal world of this God Nexus and the incorporeal plane of the Fey. Those Fey which chose to enter the mortal world of the God Nexus obtained tangible physical bodies but they still retain the essence of their original transient nature. Some say that the Elves, Dark Elves, Gnomes, Orcs, Goblins and other similar races may have once been Fey. Even the Dwarves get lumped in with them on occasion, but they aggressively deny this saying they are part of the original inhabitants of the mortal world. They may have come from another assimilated world or perhaps they were originally natives of the God Nexus like Humans."The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Lenia listened attentively, occasionally nodding in interest as she listened to Aleks''s explanation. She was greatly awed by the mysteries of the world and the diversity of its people. "I had no idea." "That is to be expected. In my original world, there were only Humans. Seeing so many different and alien races once shocked me too, but that was a long time ago." "Have they all come to participate in the expedition into the Orgren Steppes?" Lenia asked while inching closer to Aleks. Although she didn''t have the courage to reach for his hand like she used to, she hoped he would take the initiative. However, Aleks seemed not to notice as his gaze was secretly observing the surroundings as he spoke. "This is a major event, the last crusade was over a thousand years ago and many became famous, rich and powerful through it. Of course, many more died. Either way, this is the opportunity of a lifetime for many and there is no way they would miss it. Even if they can''t obtain a piece of the pie, they can at least obtain some crumbs. Those crumbs are enough to let any live a life of luxury." As they walked through the busy city streets, Lenia fell into thought at her master''s words. She looked around at all the strange faces and felt the excitement of the crowd. After looking around a bit she suddenly felt a hostile gaze aimed at her which immediately caused her to raise her guard. "Master, there is someone watching us." "I know." Alek''s replied. He had already been carefully observing the surroundings in hopes of locating the one gazing at them with hostile intent. At this time, he was hesitant to use his abilities because there were just too many observers in the crowd. It wasn''t as if he were scared for his life, he could escape harm with his abilities if it was necessary, but if he wanted to take advantage of the expedition and those involved he would need to be careful of being exposed. The feeling was gone almost as quickly as it had come. Neither Aleks or Lenia could identify where the hostile gaze had come from. "Do you think it has something to do with that bishop?" Lenia asked warily. "I''m not certain, it''s possible. It''s also possible that it has nothing to do with him. There are many reasons why someone might pay attention to us. Regardless of who it is, I am sure we will know soon enough." Even though Aleks said that, Lenia couldn''t help but be concerned. If anything happened to her master, she wouldn''t be able to continue on herself. "Nevermind that, let''s not draw too much attention to ourselves."" The two continued to walk through the city streets which were well organized and easily navigated. The city was built with efficiency in mind and it would be next to impossible for anyone to get lost within it. Although the city was large, it was built much like a grid and there were signs pointing to all of the major area and landmarks of the city. There were also patrolmen on every major street which were friendly enough to give directions to any who couldn''t read the signs or somehow found themselves in an area they didn''t intend to go to. As for those that resided in the city, they appeared well dressed and well fed. They wore condescending smiles for the most part on their faces as they observed the hubbub of the newly arrived foreigners. The people seemed almost detached from the excitement and although there was the occasional scuffle between the natives and the foreign mercenaries and adventurers, these were cleared up quickly by the increase in patrolmen. The patrolmen seemed to always side with the residents of the city and a number of foreigners were arrested which sent a message to the others to steer clear of the residents. Every inch of the city exuded a certain amount of wealth and prestige with wide roads, beautifully built brick and stone buildings, and many adornments which were strategically placed throughout. Fountains were built in plazas where major roads intersected and there were even small parks for the residents to rest in and leisurely sit while sipping tea and discussing whatever frivolous hobbies they enjoyed. To an outsider it might seem like the most ideal of cities, but of course it was built on the back of slaves. Many of whom died in its construction and were still dying in order for its continued prosperity. What people saw on the surface was only the golden lining and not the gritty dark underbelly. Only through walking among the slave pits and death arenas could one truly see the real face of this seemingly vibrant and affluent city. Chapter 54: New companions (2) The markets where slaves were viewed and sold were all outside the western city gates. There, the sprawl spread for miles into the distant horizon. There were no roads and it was difficult to navigate the sprawl. Colorful tents and signs littered the area creating pathways which twisted and turned with no end in sight. There was also the occasional large structure surrounded by tents, stalls and sleeping mats. These were the arenas where only the strongest and most vicious of battle slaves resided. It was truly a vast area where slave merchants, their guards, patrolmen, interested buyers and gawkers moved about in a chaotic throng. Despite the abundance of color, it was a dark and dreary place filled with a discordant din that mingled with the sound of mourning and the woeful wails of the enslaved. Pits where slaves were thrown to fight and kill were littered about the area haphazardly without any real rhyme or reason. These were the cheapest of battle slaves, ones barely worth their price in Ducats. The more robust and well built arenas were where the veteran and elite battle slaves were housed, bought, and sold. Only those slaves who could survive the pits would be allowed to enter into an arena where they would be able to obtain some semblance of luxury. In this case, luxury meant three meals, a straw mat, and a whore. Where the slaves were located was in stark contrast to the beauty and affluency of Kordusk. It was like two sides of the same coin, where one side was polished and gleaming and the other was covered in grime and dirt. The residents of Kordusk scoffed at the filth and degeneracy of the slave markets outside of the city and at least in public, denied ever setting foot there. Only slaves which were exceptionally skilled or beautiful would be allowed to enter the city and be sold at slave boutiques located throughout. These were upscale and luxurious stores where only the most premier of slaves were sold. These slaves were not battle slaves however and were suited for more skilled tasks. They would either be purchased by the government to maintain the city, by craftsman to work as skilled laborers, or by the residents to serve as maids, servants, sex slaves, or all of the above. Aleks wasn''t interested in perusing such luxury slaves and instead headed into the slave markets outside of the city. The stink and filth of the place didn''t bother him as he had even lived in a sewer for a brief time. He had no hesitancy in entering such a place, it was more so the stink of their souls which caused him to feel a bit of discomfort. Despite the chaotic nature of the slave markets, they were relatively safe. Not only were there numerous guards patrolling the vast area, but even the slave merchants had many guards in their employ also keeping the peace. It was necessary to keep the area clean of riffraff to ensure business went smoothly. Any slave merchant who didn''t follow the letter of the law would lose their sales licence and would no longer be able to do business in the city. Of course, this was only within the range of influence of the city itself. Outside the city limits these slave merchants had very few scruples. Having Lenia by his side also helped to ensure that no one bothered him as he made his way through the various tents, stalls, and other setups while carefully observing the slaves within the pits. He had no intention of going into one of the arenas, which were circular wood and stone constructions where the best of battle slaves were housed. These arenas allowed the battle slaves to showcase their might and attract potential buyers. There was also many events held in the arenas which attracted gamblers from all over. Battle slaves fought in planned events, sometimes against other battle slaves and other times against vicious beasts or unique beings. Usually, these battle slaves would not fight to the death because they were much more valuable. After looking through the various pits for over an hour, the two of them arrived at a pit which was just like every other. There was a hole dug approximately ten feet into the ground with a wooden fence surrounding the outer ridge of the pit. There were a dozen or so onlookers leaning on the wooden fence yelling towards the battle slaves fighting to the death below. It may seem a waste to have these slaves fight to the death like this, but in reality their lives were extremely cheap. They were all the lowest of basic class beings and only through combat and killing would their levels rise allowing them to eventually become an intermediate class being. Most of them were Orcs, barbarian tribesmen and members of nomadic human tribes which were most likely captured on the Orgren Steppes. There was a constant stream of such people being brought to the slave pits on an almost daily basis from the Steppes. Every day, they would have batches of these slaves fight within the pits and those watching would place bets on the winner. The slave merchants would not only obtain decent profits from the betting, but they could even sell the winner of the fights for a price which ensured they would never be at a loss. They would only put on such displays once a day though to ensure that their stock was never too low.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. At that time, there were ten slaves fighting a free for all within the pit and Aleks had his eye on one particular large and fierce looking Orc which was bashing the head of a human into a rock. The other slaves seemed fearful of him and they decided to temporarily put their fighting on hold to surround the Orc. Most of those in the pit were either of the barbarian or human races, but there were also two other Orcs in the pit. "Which one are you looking at master?" Asked Lenia after noticing her master finally showing some interest. "Do you see that large Orc there? I like the rage in his eyes. He is one who is unwilling to accept his fate." Aleks replied. Lenia followed her master''s finger as he pointed to the pit below. There, a rather muscular and large looking Orc, was roaring at the other slaves who were surrounding him. He had just killed a human and thrown the body to the side after smashing its head. Lenia looked on with a bit of disdain, "Just a weak Orc, nothing special." Aleks chuckled, "You are wrong. It is true that if you compare only level and class then yes, he is weak. It would only take you a mere second to kill him, but the rage and hunger thirsting in his soul is much to my liking. This is an inherent strength that you can not learn with just effort. It takes a fiery will and strong desire to birth such rage. This is the Orc I have been looking for." "Why an Orc? Is there something special about them?" Lenia asked. She was clearly looking down on her master''s decision to seek out an Orc as his next subordinate. She was feeling slightly jealous because she had been unique as his first and only creation. Now, he wanted to create more subordinates which she felt would no longer make her unique. Also, she hated the idea of sharing Aleks with anyone else. Especially an Orc, which she felt somewhat disgusted by. "If we were to follow your line of thinking, than is anyone special? Is there anyone worth my effort? You look down on these people because they are slaves, but they are at least slaves by force and not by choice. Where I originally came from, there were no slaves and all men were free. Yet we were all slaves of our own design. In my opinion, these people here are more worthy of life than others because they struggle to live even though they know their lives are valued so little¡­." Whereas I, who was valued so much, struggled so little and in the end died an honorless death. Those words he left unsaid for he couldn''t bring himself to speak them out loud. Lenia was confused by what her master said and her face grew red at his sharp rebuke. She wanted to speak, to say something to defend her words or to find fault in his, but when she looked at his profile from the side she couldn''t help but feel a certain desolate emotion radiating from it. This was something from his past, something she couldn''t relate to or understand. Lenia was at a loss at what to say and could only stare at her master hopelessly, feeling distant as if she were never meant to share his world. "Orcs have naturally strong bodies and are suited for aggressive and wild combat. They receive a bonus to their PHY. ATK. value and their Vitality through their bloodline. Most importantly though, I need an Orc for my future plans. Orcs are a relatively xenophobic race and they will be difficult to deal with as they have great numbers and are quite fierce. Not to mention all of the competition we are going to have once we arrive at the Orgren Steppes. My plans require an Orc on the inside, one who can move the Orcs as we will and use their power against our enemies and that''s why I chose him. Is that satisfactory?" Aleks''s voice was tinged with anger but he held back when he noticed Lenia''s somewhat fearful expression. His voice immediately softened as he couldn''t stand to see any fear in those eyes so reminiscent of his sister''s. "I''m not angry at you, I''m angry at myself. Now watch." Aleks pulled Lenia over to his side and they watched as the Orc struggled against the several opponents in the pit. Lenia was still feeling somewhat nervous and even though her master had not blamed her for her willfulness, she still felt as if she were to blame for his anger. Nonetheless, she watched the brutal fight below in order to take her mind off of her thoughts. The Orc was clearly stronger than his opponents. Even though his opponents had some makeshift weapons of bone, rusted iron, and stone, they were incapable of gaining any clear advantage. As the fight dragged on, the Orc slowly whittled away at their numbers and eventually overpowered the group, killing them with his bare hands or anything that could be used in the environment as a weapon. The last Human to die had been lifted off the ground and strangled to death before being thrown haplessly to the ground as the Orc roared out in defiance. All the while, Aleks stared at him with unbridled admiration for his fearlessness in the face of adversity, even if he were just an ant that Aleks could easily crush. "We must buy him at all costs." Chapter 55: New companions (3) While there was some interest shown for the Orc slave who had showed prowess in the battle, this was just one slave among many. There were dozens of slave pits scattered about and this was just an ordinary one like all the others. Such a slave would not necessarily garner a lot of interest among wealthy buyers. Those with considerable wealth would not usually be looking for slaves among the slave pits. There was the occasional diamond in the rough, but for the majority of potential buyers the arenas were where they would spend most of their time and money. There were some offers to purchase the slave but Aleks''s offer of a thousand gold Ducats shut them up quickly. This was enough to purchase an elite battle slave, spending so much on a slave from the pits seemed ludicrous. To Aleks it didn''t matter, he just wanted the slave because he liked what he saw in his eyes. The slave was dragged out of the pit by some of the merchant''s guards and brought before Aleks in chains. The Orc attempted to fight back but instead took a beating by the guards who were greater in number and wearing basic armor. The slave merchant was visibly ecstatic and didn''t care about the Orc''s resistance, instead hurrying the guards to bring the slave over to Aleks. He never thought he would be able to obtain such a high price for a cheap slave he happened to pick up out on the Steppes. Not to mention the slave had been giving him a headache due to its stubbornness. "Your eyes are truly keen to be able to pick out such a talent! These other fools don''t have half your wisdom. Only a prestigious young master such as yourself is worthy of buying this ferocious and powerful Orc. Look at his bulging muscles and fierce fangs." The merchant said while prodding the slave with a stick. He began to flatter Aleks unceasingly. His words oozed honey and he heaped praise upon praise. Ugh, his saliva is spewing everywhere. If he gets any on my master I will gut him like a pig! Lenia wanted to lash out but held her tongue. She really wanted to slap the fat and greasy merchant with her gauntleted hand. "Lenia, pay the man his gold." Alek''s motioned towards her. The Orc had stopped his resistance after getting beaten and chained but he stared at Aleks'' fiercely, refusing to lower his eyes even for a moment. Aleks didn''t mind though and only smiled while nodding his head, pleased with the Orc''s behavior. After handing over the Orc slave, the merchant had some final words for Aleks, "The chains restrict his strength while linked and you won''t have to worry about him attacking you while they are on his wrists. What happens after you take off the chains is your responsibility. I recommend training him well before you let him loose otherwise you might regret it. You could also of course take him to a magic caster and have his consciousness restricted. He will become very docile towards you then and see you as master, but that comes with an additional price. There a number of shops in Kordusk with magic casters capable of using such magic." "I understand, I will take it from here." The merchant nodded, smiling once more and rubbed his oily hands together, "If you ever have need of more slaves, I will sell you the very best of my stock!" "En.. Let''s go. Lenia, bring the Orc." Lenia grabbed the Orc''s chains and pulled gently in order to nudge the slave to move, but the Orc attempted to resist by pulling back. This caused Lenia to give the Orc a hard slap across the face sending the Orc reeling. Her power was vastly superior to the Orc, but she didn''t use her full strength. It was enough to knock the Orc off his feet and bust open his lip causing blood to trickle down. "Get up. Resist again and I won''t be so gentle next time. The Orc was shocked by her strength as he rubbed the blood off his lip and thought, That''s gentle!?If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Even the slave merchant who was observing them, his guards, and the other onlookers were surprised by how strong she was. All of those present were Intermediate beings at best. None of them could see through her strength at all. They had literally just watched a mesmerizingly beautiful and somewhat dainty looking young woman, knock a large and bulky Orc a head and a half her size off his feet. Even though she wore heavy armor, it was fit tight to her petite form and couldn''t hide her much smaller frame in comparison. Their glances soon fell on Aleks who bore the appearance of a handsome young master but was not especially muscular or radiating any aura of power they could tell. They could only wonder if this seemingly rich and scholarly young looking man was also hiding an abnormal strength. They both look so young, can''t be much past twenty and yet they are already so strong, The slave merchant admired inwardly with a sigh. "Enough playing, hurry now. We still have one more slave to purchase before we return to the hotel." Aleks said without bothering to look back at the crowd. He didn''t stop or slow down to wait for Lenia and kept walking at a steady gait. Lenia gave the Orc slave one last look of warning which caused the Orc to flinch. He picked himself up quickly and didn''t even bother brushing the dirt off his body. Lenia grabbed the chain once more and led the Orc without any more complaint from him. They quickly picked up their pace to catch up to Aleks who was walking as if he had no cares in the world or as if no one else existed but him. He didn''t care for the eyes that occasionally landed on their group or the cunning glances occasionally thrown at them from questionable individuals looking for potential marks. He saw these people as not much more than ants. They posed no threat to him and their lives were not worth taking note of. Although it might seem he stood out too much due to his luxurious form fitting robes and handsomely clean appearance, this was in fact part of the role he had chosen to play. If anything, a young lord was expected to act in such a way and the more they paid attention to the facade, the more mysterious he would appear. Of course, normally he wouldn''t care to put on such a show, but it was currently necessary. Not for the nameless trash and random two-bit ruffian that made this area their territory, but for that pair of unseen eyes that lingered on him from somewhere in the shadows. Those eyes had followed him to this place ever since he left the city. Who they belonged to, he had no way to know at this time. However, there was definitely someone who was interested in his movements. It''s times like this when it would be quite useful to have a subordinate with a rogue type class. It''s time I saw to that, and since I also need a proper maid for appearances, why not combine the two? His current strength was too greatly lacking. There were many useful classes out there and he would eventually need to balance out his party better, but at the current time there was a limit to the subordinates he could create. A dedicated healer was out of the question, they required divinity in order to cast their spells and he was not yet a god. It was impossible for him to create a cleric type class because of his incompatibility with the gods. Only when he himself ascended would it be possible to create them. As for a magic caster, it was also an impossible choice at this time. The reason being, he had to make due with building his force from slaves. A slave that was capable of using magic would be the most high end of luxury merchandise and these types of slaves could only be won at auction. The price would end up being absolutely exorbitant. At the least, the price for one magic caster at auction would exceed ten thousand gold Ducats. He still had an army to build and couldn''t afford such luxuries. If he were to suddenly appear with a subordinate who was a powerful magic caster without participating in one of these auctions, the chance of being found out at this point was too high. Even though I am not a magic caster myself, my abilities can at least serve as a stop gap for now so it isn''t absolutely necessary to acquire a magic caster just yet. Also, he had already had Brock contract an A-rank adventurer party which would make up for the absence of such party members, but adventurers couldn''t be used willingly like his own subordinates and slaves. There were certain protections they enjoyed and they would only be useful later in his expedition for exploring ruins or dangerous locations where monsters resided. They certainly wouldn''t fight in any battles for him. He also had to consider the amount of ''Soul Potential'' available, his future upgrade plans for Lenia, and of course having an ample pool of SP to use his exorbitant abilities. He had an inkling of the danger he would encounter once he reached the Orgren Steppes, but he needed to be careful. Any slip ups could mean the end of his ambitions and his revenge. One step at a time. I just need to be patient and steadily build up my power base. For now, I have Lenia, Brock.. and this Orc. Next, a maid who will act as my eyes and ears when necessary. I can worry about others later. Chapter 56: Respeccing (1) By the time Aleks and Lenia arrived back in Kordusk with the new slave in tow, the church bells throughout the city began to ring marking that it was three in the afternoon. There was still ample time remaining in the day and Aleks made his way leisurely towards the slave boutiques which were located in the western side of the city right through the western city gates. It wasn''t necessary to head to another part of the city as all of the slave boutiques and merchants were either in the western area of the city or out of the western gate. This was the only area of the city where slaves were allowed to be sold and it''s also where all of the slave auctions took place. There was a good amount of traffic through the area because of this and one could also find many nobles loitering around or entering and exiting the boutiques and auction houses. Aleks seemed to be wandering aimlessly, but then suddenly chose one of the boutiques out of the many lining the main road which didn''t appear to have any customers. There didn''t seem to be any reasoning behind his choice and Lenia followed him in while pulling the Orc slave along. They were greeted by an extremely friendly middle aged woman who was wearing an expensive looking black dress that didn''t hide her voluptuous chest. She had covered her face with an excessive amount of makeup and she was gracefully smoking a long black thin stick while welcoming Aleks into her establishment. Surprisingly, Lenia could sense that she was a low level Advanced Class being from her aura which she didn''t even bother suppressing. Of course, even if she had been suppressing it that wouldn''t have stopped Lenia from being able to gauge her strength due to her significantly higher level. After considering it for a moment, Lenia realized it made sense that she was at an Advanced class. The woman was running a slave boutique and dealt in high class slaves so she would need the strength to do so and of course the wealth she obtained would aid in her own advancement. Although not all such individuals involved in the slave trade would be at such a high level, they would at least need to employ those who could keep the slaves in check whether by numbers or individual power. Most of the time the slaves would be suppressed by the slave chains but there would still be times when it was necessary to use strength. "Come in, welcome. What a handsome young man you are! I can see you are someone with excellent taste. Oh, I''m sorry but you can''t bring that filthy Orc in here!" Her mouth twisted in disgust when she noticed the Orc being pulled in by Lenia. The Orc was still in rags and filthy from fighting in the pit. The stench alone was unbearable and this boutique was a high class establishment so it wasn''t a surprise to Aleks that they wouldn''t allow such a slave to be brought into the boutique. "Hmm, If I pay for a private room will you allow me to bring him in there? I am willing to pay double the amount for the service." Once she saw the heavy sack of coins in Aleks''s hand, the woman''s look of disgust quickly changed and she was smiling as brightly as before. "Of course! For such a distinguished guest I can make an exception. Please, follow me!" She said while winking at Aleks flirtatiously. The woman led Aleks, Lenia, and the Orc further into the establishment to a private room which was luxuriously furnished. Aleks handed the woman the sack of gold coins, which the woman only weighed momentarily in her hand without bothering to open. She smiled once more and said, "So what brings you here today? Is there any particular slave you are looking for? What is your type and what purpose will the slave serve? We have many beautiful women who would make excellent maids or bed warmers. Or if you are looking for something a little more¡­ special, I am sure I can accomodate your needs." Aleks walked over to a cushioned chair and sat down, crossing one leg over the other and taking a thoughtful pose. "I haven''t had time to truly take an account of this slave I purchased. I wish to be alone for a while. As for the slaves in your establishment, why don''t you surprise me? Gold won''t be an issue."This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Okay, I will give you some time. When you are ready, just ring the bell there on the table. In the meantime, I will prepare some outstanding specimens for you to choose from." With one last flirtatious look, the woman left the room and only Lenia, Aleks and a very wary Orc remained. "Bring the slave here Lenia." Lenia pulled roughly on the chains which almost caused the Orc to fall, but he was able to keep his balance. She brought him in front of Aleks who was sitting comfortably on the chair. Aleks looked once more in the Orc''s eyes which caused the Orc to lightly shudder. He didn''t know why, but something about Aleks''s eyes caused him to feel an almost primal fear. "What''s your name Orc?" The Orc didn''t speak at first and instead grunted. He was trying to hold onto the last vestiges of his pride but another glance into Aleks''s eyes caused him to lose that last shred. "Grobak." The Orc growled in a deep voice. "Grobak, it''s a good name. A proud name, and I can see that pride in your eyes. Do you know why I picked you Grobak?" Grobak wasn''t expecting to be asked this question and he couldn''t think of any special reason. "Because I won?" He replied questioningly. "No. If that was the only reason, there are thousands more like you. Part of it was because I liked the fire I saw in your eyes and your spirit. You were defiant, even while surrounded by enemies. I like that, but that isn''t the most important reason." The Orc eyed Aleks cautiously expecting him to continue, but Aleks stopped and only stared at him causing him to sweat nervously. There was something about the man which brought fear and anxiety to him. It was something he couldn''t explain but he had this feeling that something was very wrong with the Human in front of him. He just couldn''t bring himself to respond and just swayed from one foot to the other while waiting for Aleks to finish what he had been saying. "You''re a High Orc, aren''t you?" Grobak was surprised and almost shouted out, "How do you know that?" Aleks chuckled, "I have a special ability, it allows me to see many things. You must be a descendent of a noble family, perhaps even the once powerful royal family of the Orc empire that ruled over these lands. I''m surprised that one of your bloodline was able to survive the last crusade. Didn''t they slaughter every High Orc they could find on this continent? To think that one of your ancestors was able to survive that calamity. And look at your people now, nothing more than savages and barbarians with weak bloodlines!" "Damn you!" The Orc said in anger. His anger had even overpowered his fear and he attempted to lunge towards Aleks but Lenia''s firm grip on the slave chains held him back. "Oh, don''t be angry. I wasn''t intending to insult you. As a matter of fact, it is truly a shame what happened to the High Orcs and the rest of the Orc tribes. The Orc empire was worthy of being called an empire and had reached such great heights once. In the end, the powerful ancestral spirits which you all worshipped lost to the power of the gods and many were even annihilated. Only a few remain and their power greatly weakened. I was only lamenting the glory that has been forever lost and the fate of the fallen." Grobak calmed down and carefully eyed Aleks to see if he was ridiculing him, but he was unable to determine much by Aleks''s expression. It seemed his words might be genuine and Grobak quieted down. Aleks waited patiently for Grobak to settle his thoughts before speaking once more. "How would you like to get revenge?" He asked. Grobak didn''t know what to make of the question and gave Aleks an inquisitive look and grunted. "To see the rise of the Orcs once more, what a glorious sight that would be. You will be my instrument whether you wish to or not. Lenia, remove the Orc''s chains." Lenia didn''t hesitate to follow through with Aleks''s command. She wasn''t worried that the Orc might hurt her master. The Orc was simply too weak to be a danger to him. Once the chains were removed from Grobak''s wrists, he didn''t lunge towards Aleks and instead rubbed his wrists while giving side glances to both Lenia and Aleks. He wasn''t sure what exactly their intentions were and knew that he wouldn''t have a chance against the two if he tried to do anything to them. Just Lenia alone could easily crush him and even though he couldn''t sense anything at all from Aleks, he was scared even more by him and his calm demeanor. While Grobak was contemplating what he should do, Aleks abruptly stood and quickly approached him. Grobak didn''t even have the time to react before Aleks grabbed his face and said, "You shall be mine!" "Tower of Babel, activate the ''Soul System''." Soul System activated, target is incapacitated. What is your command? "Scan target." Scanning target... Displaying status¡­ Do you wish to initialize the respecialization menu or do you wish to create a new being? "Activate the respecialization menu." Chapter 57: Respeccing (2) After Aleks had reached Legendary status, his power had grown. The ability ¡®Soul System¡¯ had been enhanced and he had more options than before. He could now not only create new beings from scratch using an existing soul and body, but he could also choose to respecialize instead of creating a new being. The being that was respecialized would retain their appearance and memories, but their would be an initial cost added on at creation which would exceed the cost of creating a new being. The higher the level and class, the greater the cost to respecialize. There were benefits to respecialization however. The being going through respecialization would retain their memories, personality, appearance, and bloodline. This meant that they could completely integrate into their former identity without any issue. Not only that, but they would become absolutely loyal to Aleks as their souls would be inexplicably tied to his own just like when creating a new being. Grobak was only a level 40 Intermediate class being so while the penalty was not a trivial one, it wasn¡¯t so high that Aleks couldn¡¯t afford to respecialize him. As a matter of fact, he could afford to respecialize a few beings if he wished to and still have enough ¡®Soul Potential¡¯ left over for other purposes as long as their levels weren¡¯t too high. Begin Soul Purification process? ¡°Yes.¡± Soul Purification process activated¡­ Grobak who was still being gripped by Aleks began to shake briefly and then his eyes dimmed, seeming almost soulless. Soul Purification complete, you may now begin respecialization With Grobak¡¯s soul having been cleansed of the taint of ancestral worship, it could now be marked with Aleks¡¯s unique soul imprint. This was similar to the mark imprinted by either worship of the gods, devil sovereigns, ancestral spirits, and other beings on the level of divinities. Normally, a Legendary being would not be capable of such a thing but Aleks was unique. In most cases, a being would have to be at least a powerful Demigod in order to accept the worship of other lifeforms. At this time, Aleks couldn¡¯t receive the power of faith and worship from his followers but he could still imprint his mark on their souls. Aleks spent several minutes browsing through the system menus in his mind while Lenia watched on. She couldn¡¯t see what Aleks was doing because he wasn¡¯t wearing his mask and she couldn¡¯t see his eyes clearly from the side. However, she was somewhat clear on what he was doing. She felt some comfort in the fact that this Orc wasn¡¯t a uniquely created being like her but instead someone her master was respecializing. In her mind, this was an important distinction which she could accept. ¡°Hmm, a High Orc¡¯s bloodline is quite good. It has a double the strength of a normal Orc and they are even somewhat more intelligent. A High Orc still can¡¯t compare with some other races when it comes to magic and magic resistance but their strength is quite high. With this bloodline I expect at least a 10% increase in PHY. ATK. over a Human per level. As his level increases, the disparity between his PHY. ATK. and that of a Human will only become much more apparent. With a suitable weapon, this Grobak will be very powerful. There also seems to be an innate damage reduction due to his superior bloodline which will also add to his PHY. DEF. but only about 5% over a Human.¡± Aleks continued to browse the menus, making sure to evaluate both the positives and negatives of the classes available. There weren¡¯t many options for the Orc¡¯s initial class, but he noticed that there was an additional basic class he hadn¡¯t seen before. ¡°A Barbarian, this wasn¡¯t available to me when I created Lenia. It appears to be a class only available to those who worship ancestral spirits, and since his soul was initially marked by an ancestor spirit and he had that particular class, it is now available for me to choose. It appears to be a good basic class for a pure offensive type and I can class him up to a berserker. The rage ability especially is very good since it will boost his strength by quite a bit. Lenia is more of a balanced type leaning towards defense, but for Grobak I will focus on PHY. ATK. and Vitality. His AGI is also pretty high because of the Berserker class. While Lenia is intended to be a commander who leads from the rear and oversees the entirety of my forces, Grobak will be well suited to be a champion who leads from the front and charges into battle.¡± Because Grobak was a level 40 Intermediate class being, the initial cost to respecialize was 3,000 SP. Aleks would then need to pay a cost of 8,000 SP to respecialize Grobak into a level 60 Intermediate class being. While increasing the level of Grobak by 20 levels would also increase the presence and strength of his aura, it wasn¡¯t enough to cause too much suspicion. They might feel the stronger aura, but there are other ways to increase one¡¯s power in the short term and there were also other reasons why a being¡¯s aura might feel weaker than normal. ¡°Finally, some abilities which will reinforce his strengths. Rage, Increased Rage and a few secondary abilities giving defense against status effects are also a good choice. It seems his personality already has the negative trait, Wrath. I could remove it by paying a cost in SP but it says here that if he can overcome his Wrath then he will no longer suffer a negative status effect when using Rage. He would only get the positive effects but none of the negative ones, this is quite useful so I will keep it. Alright, total cost to respecialize including the abilities is 12,000 ¡®Soul Potential¡¯.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Finalize selection? ¡°Yes.¡± As the system finalized the respecialization, Grobak¡¯s soul was once more filled with ¡®Soul Potential¡¯ and his eyes which were once dim had brightened. Taking his hand off of the Orc, Aleks sat down once more and made himself comfortable in the chair. Grobak slowly regained consciousness and soon came out of his initial daze. Once he was aware of his surroundings, he immediately kneeled in front of Aleks. Due to his tall stature and large frame, even while kneeling he was still able to meet Aleks¡¯s gaze head on. ¡°Master, I am at your service.¡± Alek¡¯s calmly observed the Orc and met his gaze which caused the Orc to look slightly down in respect. ¡°You are only 17 years old Grobak, younger than me. Call me big brother.¡± Grobak was somewhat flustered which looked strange due to his large body. ¡°Master, I can¡¯t!¡± ¡°This is an order, no need to call me master. From now on, I am your big brother.¡± ¡°Big brother¡­¡± Grobak played with the word a bit on his tongue and found it somewhat uncomfortable to say but he didn¡¯t want to disobey his master¡¯s command. ¡°Good, now let¡¯s display you full status for you to see.¡± Aleks took out his mask from within his ¡®Soul Realm¡¯ surprising Grobak who had never seen someone pull something out of the air before. He placed the mask gently on his face and said, ¡°Tower of Babel, show Grobak¡¯s status.¡± Numbers, symbols, and letters began fluttering across the mask revealing Grobak¡¯s status. Both Lenia and Grobak carefully looked through the information displayed on the mask with interest.
Name Grobak
Class Barbarian Berserker Intermediate Rank
Level 30 30 Total Level 60
Vitality 300 750 Total HP 1050
Magic 0 0 0
PHY. ATK 66 99 Total PHY ATK 165
PHY. DEF 32 63 Total PHY DEF 95
Agility 30 45 Total AGI 75
MAG RES 25 50 Total MAG RES 75
Abilities Rage (When using the rage ability, PHY. ATK. increases by 15% but PHY. DEF. decreased by 5%, Once rage ends ability user becomes fatigued suffering a 5% decrease in PHY. ATK., PHY. DEF., and AGI until short rest) Flurry of fists (Attack in rapid succession when unarmed ignoring 10% of PHY. DEF., chance to stun) Ignore Pain (While in Rage, ignores pain from damage taken allowing one to use abilities even when vitality required is insufficient) Increased Rage (Rage lasts double the amount of time, PHY. ATK. increases by another 10% but PHY. DEF. decreases by an additional 5%) Whirlwind Strike (Using a Two-handed weapon, swing the weapon in a whirlwind, attacking multiple targets in a radius around the ability user, knock-back effect with each hit) Fearless (While in Rage, Immune to the effects of fear, stun, intimidation, and confusion)
Fighting stances Unarmed Two-Handed
Grobak had never seen anything like this before and didn¡¯t know what to make of everything he was seeing. Although he could understand some of what was being displayed on the mask, much of it was still confusing to him. Of course, Lenia was already accustomed to seeing this and completely understood everything displayed. She was happy to see that she was still much stronger than Grobak. ¡°Let me explain.¡± Aleks noticed Grobak¡¯s confusion and explained simply so that he would understand what he was seeing. He didn¡¯t go into too much detail, only explaining the basics, but it was enough for Grobak to get a feel for how the information displayed showed his strengths and weaknesses. ¡°Good, now that you understand you can stand up. No need to kneel to me since we are all family here. Lenia shall be my right hand, and you Grobak shall be my left. The two of you are both important for my plans. Lenia, go and see if the proprietress of this boutique has prepared some slaves for us to choose from.¡± Chapter 58: Respeccing (3) Aleks waved Lenia off and told Grobak to stand to the side for now and remain quiet. He was well aware that the proprietress may notice the more powerful aura, but it wasn¡¯t something he was concerned about because sensing aura wasn¡¯t an exact science to begin with and there were many ways an aura could be strengthened. If Grobak had been classed up to an advanced class than there would be no way to hide the change in aura from others, but for now it was still explainable. If Grobak was a class which specialized in stealth or had certain abilities or spells, it would be possible to hide his aura from others, even those a certain amount of levels higher. However, this wasn¡¯t the case. His next choice of subordinate would be a rogue type though which would have stealth abilities allowing them to hide their aura. This was why he had no qualms with creating an advanced class stealth based character as a maid. Before long, Lenia returned with the proprietress in tow. She was leading several young women, who were scantily clad, into the room. They all seemed to be young women under the age of twenty and the diversity of beauty was clearly meticulously chosen. Every flavor of woman was on display, from voluptuously nubile to thin and curvy. The proprietress didn¡¯t know what Aleks¡¯s tastes were and so had brought in many different types to choose from and they were all the best of her stock of slaves in terms of looks. This also meant they were most likely among the most expensive of her stock, but they wouldn¡¯t be as expensive as an elite battle slave since they were all mortals without a class. A boutique like this wouldn¡¯t necessarily specialize in powerful slaves with a class. That isn¡¯t to say there were no slaves with a class for sale within the boutique, there would certainly be some in their stock of merchandise. They catered to all manner of clients and tended to have some unique slaves that you couldn¡¯t find elsewhere. Aleks considered the choice of merchandise before him and thought that the proprietress must have chosen such young and beautiful women because of his age. A young noble might be tempted by beauty and even if it wasn¡¯t exactly what they came for it would certainly whet their appetite. They might even purchase more than they planned after seeing the beautiful women on display. Of course, using such a tactic on Aleks was merely a waste of time. Regardless, choosing one of these young women to act as his personal maid wasn¡¯t a bad choice. As unfortunate as Aleks thought it was, such things were important for image in high class society. Either way, a mortal suited him just fine because he wouldn¡¯t need to pay a significant cost to respecialize. The proprietress seductively sauntered towards Aleks with a playful smile on her face. She was still smoking and blew a ring of smoke as she approached Aleks. ¡°What do you think? These girls are my very best. I prepared them well just for you.¡± Although Aleks wasn¡¯t looking at Lenia, he could feel her eyes boring a hole through him as the proprietress got close to him and placed her hand gently on his arm. She pulled Aleks over to the young girls and explained to him their best features, personalities and their various skills. They had all seemingly been trained to best please a man and were all skilled in massages, various chores a maid would be required to know, and were all apparently virgins who were ready to please their master. They had all received some training in the matters between a man and a woman beneath the sheets. However, Aleks was clearly not interested in any of that which caused the proprietress to slightly frown when Aleks wasn¡¯t looking. Instead, he seemed to be much more interested in looking in their eyes. The proprietress didn¡¯t ask any questions about it and understood there were naturally many strange individuals among the upper classes who had unique desires or requirements when making their choices. Aleks was certainly a strange one in her eyes but there were far stranger ones. At least he didn¡¯t seem to have any dark fetishes or unique tastes.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Of course, what the woman didn¡¯t know was that the reason Aleks was looking into their eyes without saying anything was because he understood that the eyes were windows into the soul. He was looking for the woman with the least taint of the gods among them, or one with the taint of a weaker god. Grobak had been an ancestral worshipper so it wasn¡¯t a concern when he respecialized him. Ancestral spirits were a form of divinity but they were different from gods at the fundamental level. It was possible for them to eventually ascend to godhood, but it was a difficult road to progress on, even more so than the traditional path. Most Ancestral spirits were relatively weak and were even disdained upon by the gods and so it was easier to cut off their soul connection when respecializing. Aleks could devour any soul, but when creating beings or respecializing them, it was a different process. Devouring a soul was taking the soul into his being and then purifying it, but it was a completely separate process when creating his own beings or respecializing existing ones. It was required to cut off the soul first from whichever divinity it was connected with and then purifying the soul with the being¡¯s body before filling the soul once more with ¡®Soul Potential¡¯. Choosing a woman with a weaker connection to a divinity would only make the process that much easier. Also, the fact that they were mortals also meant their connection was already much weaker than a being with a class. Most of the women were too inextricably tied to a god and so they were no good. After looking at a few of them, he quietly discarded them in his mind until he came to the second to last one. She was young, either 16 or 17, but there was a certain stubborness in her eyes that initially attracted Aleks to her. He liked that look, that look of defiance and pride. It wasn¡¯t normal, for these girls were supposed to be trained and satisfaction guaranteed. This girl was somehow different and her soul only had a tentative connection with a nature god of a minor pantheon. Aleks gently raised her chin with his hand and looked deeply in her eyes which made the young woman feel somewhat uncomfortable. She attempted to move her head away from his hand but he gripped her face harder, holding her head in place. The proprietress frowned from the side, not because of Aleks¡¯s actions but because of the slave¡¯s defiance. This girl had already given her some trouble but she thought she was finally ready to be put out on display. Since she was such a beautiful young woman, she thought that the girl could fetch a good price. ¡°You can take the other girls away, I want this one.¡± The proprietress didn¡¯t really think Aleks would choose that particular girl but she was ecstatic. She could finally rid herself of the problem and even profit from it. ¡°An excellent choice! Although this girl is a little stubborn, it¡¯s nothing one such as you can¡¯t handle with some strong discipline. You might even enjoy breaking her in!¡± The proprietress laughed while drawing close to Aleks. From the back, Lenia was not happy and already wanted to kill the proprietress for getting too close to Aleks on more than one occasion. Not to mention the fact that Aleks was touching the young slave girl¡¯s face and staring deeply into her eyes also made her feel jealous. She held down her emotions but couldn¡¯t wait until she could have Aleks all to herself again. It didn¡¯t show on her face, though, so no one would know her feelings unless they noticed the tight grip she had on the hilt of her sword. Grobak on the other hand couldn''t care any less about it. He was busily shaking and scratching his head trying to figure out exactly what the hell happened to him. ¡°Lenia will go with you and settle accounts, I would like some time alone with the girl if that¡¯s alright. I only wish to ask her a few things in private.¡± Lenia was startled to hear her name called by Aleks since she had been focusing too hard on glaring. ¡°Young master?¡± ¡°Go with the proprietress and pay her the price for this slave.¡± Aleks commanded in a calm voice. ¡°Yes.¡± Lenia replied while gritting her teeth. Chapter 59: Respeccing (4) Lenia left along with the proprietress and the other female slaves who weren¡¯t chosen. Only Aleks, Grobak, and the slave Alek¡¯s chose remained. Aleks returned to his seat and beckoned the girl over to his side. She was clearly not happy about it, but she moved next to him anyway. Doing otherwise might get her beaten and she wasn¡¯t sure what type of master this young man before her might be. Even if he killed her, no one would care as long as he paid the price. ¡°My name is Aleksandros, what is yours?¡± Aleks asked gently. The young woman looked around nervously. Although before she had shown a fierce side, it wasn¡¯t as if she weren¡¯t somewhat afraid. ¡°Nelay.¡± She replied while gathering her courage. ¡°No need to be afraid, come sit beside me.¡± Although Aleks seemed gentle enough, the girl wasn¡¯t about to trust such a man. In her eyes he was clearly a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. She didn¡¯t move from her position and only stared at Aleks defiantly. ¡°I won¡¯t harm you, but if you continue to refuse I will just have Grobak here force you.¡± Aleks pointed at the large Orc who gave Nelay a fearsome grin. She looked over at the huge, muscular, smelly and dirty Orc and shivered. She hesitated only for a moment before finally moving to Aleks¡¯s side and sitting on a chair next to him. ¡°Good, give me your hand.¡± Before she could respond, Aleks had already reached for her hand and gripped it. She tried to pull away but he held it tightly refusing to let go. ¡°Relax, this won¡¯t hurt.¡± Once again Aleks initiated the process of respecialization. It was a similar scene as to what happened to Grobak, but this time Aleks didn¡¯t need to spend much time with it. He had already decided on his plans for her and quickly navigated through the menus and finalized his decision. ¡°Tower of Babel, show me Nelay¡¯s status.¡±
Name Nelay
Class Rogue Assassin Shadow Assassin Advanced Rank
Level 30 30 30 Total Level 90
Vitality 300 300 600 Total HP 1200
Magic 0 0 0 Total MP 0
PHY. ATK 30 30 60 Total 120
PHY. DEF 30 30 45 Total 105
Agility 60 60 90 Total 210If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
MAG RES 30 30 60 Total 120
Abilities Stealth (Allows the ability user to move undetected through normal means, also hides aura for those at the same level or below, can still be detected through special means) Rogue¡¯s Defense (Adds half of the being¡¯s AGI to PHY DEF but can¡¯t be used with Rogue¡¯s Offense at the same time) Rogue¡¯s Offense (Adds half of the being¡¯s AGI to PHY. ATK. but can¡¯t be used with Rogue¡¯s Defense at the same time) Double strike (When in stealth, Ability user is able to attack twice without being detected, can be used in conjunction with other offensive abilities) Enhanced Stealth (Allows the ability user to move rapidly while undetected, also hides aura for those within the same class rank, can still be detected through special means) Backstab (Deals damage ignoring 25% of PHY. DEF. when attacking from a flanking position or the rear, if in stealth ignores 50% of PHY. DEF.) Rapid piercing strike (Allows for a rapid attack with a thin blade, such as a rapier or sai, that ignores PHY. DEF. but only does half of PHY. ATK. in damage) Pierce vitals (When used in stealth and undetected, any being up to and including a class rank lower will be instantly killed) Superior Stealth (Allows the ability user to move at full speed while undetected, also hides aura for those a full class rank above the ability user, can still be detected through special means) Shadow Step (Allows the ability user to move in and out of shadows within a ten foot radius, can be used in succession unless interrupted, can be used in conjunction with stealth) Crippling strike (If ability is successful when undetected in stealth, the target is temporarily unable to move or attack, can be used in conjunction with other offensive abilities) Finesse (When active, AGI is used for both offense and defense replacing both PHY ATK and PHY DEF, Can¡¯t be used in conjunction with Rogue¡¯s defense or Rogue¡¯s offense)
Fighting style Dual Wielding One-handed thin blades Small throwing weapons
¡°Thankfully I didn¡¯t need to pay a high cost to respecialize since she was only a mortal. Total ¡°Soul Potential¡¯ spent; 17,500. Not considerably more than it cost to respecialize Grobak if we take into account the level difference and the advanced class with a variety of abilities.¡± The light of the soul returned to Nelay¡¯s eyes and she slowly regained consciousness. Initially she was somewhat woozy, but it didn¡¯t take long for her to adapt to the changes in her body. There was some disorientation between her previous self and her new self, but the system itself helped her mind adjust to the changes. It would take a short time to fully adjust and was incomparably fast compared to when he created Lenia. This was because the being retained their consciousness from their former self and only needed to become familiar with the new information pertaining to their class and abilities. This was not a long process and only took a few hours at most. Nelay rose from her seat after regaining consciousness and kneeled before Aleks. ¡°Master, your servant is eager to serve.¡± Nelay said somewhat breathless. With her soul having been marked with Alek¡¯s unique soul brand, she was completely docile and no longer resisted her new role. In her heart, she felt a sense of awe and respect for this man before her. Although her personality hadn¡¯t changed, Aleks had become something like a god to her and was deserving of all of her care and respect. ¡°Rise, there is no need to kneel before me. On the surface, you shall be my personal maid and your duties will be to see to my daily needs. However, this is only a cover for your true role as my eyes and ears, as well as a knife in the shadows aimed at my enemies.¡± Nelay rose, her heart fluttering with both anticipation and nervousness. She didn¡¯t allow her emotions to show and on the surface she remained cool and collected, much like a cold and aloof beauty. ¡°I will not disgrace you master.¡± She said firmly. Grobak was surprised when he looked at Nelay. He was aware his master had respecialized her much like he did to him, but he was shocked because he couldn¡¯t feel any aura from her at all. It was as if she was still a mortal and nothing had changed. He knew that couldn¡¯t be the case, though. Aleks, seeing Grobak¡¯s confusion, mentioned casually, ¡°She is a level 90 advanced class assassin. You are only an Intermediate class and her abilities allow her to hide her aura even from a master class being. You shouldn¡¯t be so surprised, and as you are now, you are not her match. She could kill you easily with one strike from the shadows. You wouldn¡¯t even know how you died.¡± ¡°Master, why am I the only one who is so weak?¡± Grobak growled and said in a terse voice. ¡°Rein in your anger when speaking to me.¡± Aleks didn¡¯t even bother to look at Grobak. However, Grobak could feel the annoyance in his voice and quickly shut up. He was frustrated only because he wanted to be stronger to better prove himself to Aleks. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, soon I will also class you up. The reason why I haven¡¯t done so yet is because there are many eyes currently on us. As for her, because of her class and level, only a Legendary being or one specializing in detection who is equal to her in strength could detect her aura. To anyone else, she will seem like a mortal and there won¡¯t be any suspicion. Once we leave the city I have an important mission for you and at that time I will raise your level and grant you an advanced class.¡± After hearing Aleks¡¯s words, Grobak¡¯s anger mostly dissipated and he was satisfied. Of course he was looking forward to whatever mission his master had for him which would undoubtedly involve a lot of killing. He was very much looking forward to that. He couldn¡¯t wait to let loose his rage and shatter some skulls. He banged his fists against each other in anticipation and grunted with satisfaction. Lenia soon returned with the proprietress and both noticed the change in Nelay¡¯s demeanor but while Lenia was aware of the reason, the proprietress thought it quite strange. Since when did she become so docile and subservient? She thought. While she couldn¡¯t understand the change in her behavior, she was happy nonetheless. She assumed that the young master before her must have said something to persuade her. Either way it was good news for her and she was happy to rid herself of such a problem. ¡°You two seem to be getting along just fine! I don¡¯t know how you did it, but I am happy to see her finally accepting her place. I always told her the sooner she accepts her lot in life, the easier things would be! Now that you have purchased her, is there any other slave I could perhaps show you? I have many other fine women and even some unique merchandise to offer.¡± ¡°Not this time, but thank you for the consideration. If I ever need your services, I will send someone.¡± Aleks gave his farewells as was expected of nobility and said a few more pleasantries before leaving with his entourage in tow. It was certainly a unique group, with a young and handsome, luxuriously clad man, leading a group of fierce looking misfits. They certainly looked out of place, especially the large and filthy Orc standing next to the young, lithe, and beautiful scantily clad Nelay. Even Lenia who was grumbling while following directly behind Aleks stood out. She wasn¡¯t even containing her aura and let her power wash out scaring several people and keeping anyone from approaching the group. It wasn¡¯t even necessary for her to release her aura, just her glare would send anyone packing. As for Aleks, he ignored everything and walked leisurely as if nothing else existed. His gait, was that of a man who held the world in the palm of his hands. Explanation of, and examples for, the combat system I just wanted to explain a bit about the system in case you were wondering how it works. I am just going to put my thoughts here and if you are interested, read ahead, if not then you can ignore this. What I have been trying to do in my fiction is have a system but to make it a natural part of the story rather than something which seems apart from it. For the people who live in the God Nexus, there is no visible system like there is for Aleks but they still receive information in a variety of ways. Various spells, abilities, or innate skills allow the people who live in this world to receive insights into things like power levels, strength of auras, classes, etc. Observation and familiarity with fighting styles/abilities allow people to naturally glean information from their opponents, etc. This is experience in battle which allows this. For Aleks, the system quantifies these things into numerical data. Just to give an idea about combat: PHY ATK is a number that represents the effectiveness of someones offensive ability. This means their physical strength, reflexes, etc. Basically overall combat ability. PHY DEF is a number that represents their overall ability to defend or protect themselves from attacks which again takes into account things like physical strength, reflexes, etc. Weapons, armor, magical tools and accessories, and other useful items also add to PHY ATK and/or PHY DEF For example, take Lenia vs Grobak Lenia has a PHY ATK of 210 and a PHY DEF of 210, this doesn''t take into account any additional protection/attack from equipment. This is just her status without anything else added on. Grobak has a PHY ATK of 165 and a PHY DEF of 95. If these two were to fight without any additional equipment, basically barehanded, than Grobak wouldn''t even be able to damage Lenia without using any abilities. PHY ATK has to exceed PHY DEF in order to do damage, and the damage is PHY ATK - PHY DEF. This is where equipment and abilities would come in obviously. AGI has a role to play in this too and the higher the AGI the easier it is to dodge/avoid attacks entirely. If Grobak is in RAGE (Increased) he gains 25% to his PHY ATK which would make it 206, he still wouldn''t be able to damage her which makes sense because she is 30 levels above him and is an advanced class. However, weapons and armor would come into play here. Weapons/armor work in a pseudo D&D way but x 10. So if Lenia were wearing Leather armor she would gain 30 to PHY DEF and her PHY DEF would be 240. If Grobak was using a two-handed Greataxe, he would add anywhere from 10 to 120 additional PHY ATK depending (consider it like a dice roll 1d12). So in rage, 206 + 120 (let''s say max) and you got 326 which would do 326-240= 86 damage to vitality in that one attack. This is low considering her 1500 vitality which again makes sense because of the difference in levels. Also, using abilities requires a cost in Vitality so they have to juggle this and consider using abilities to being able to take more damage. Lenia on the other hand, she has a PHY ATK of 210. Her Longsword gives her between 10-80 additional PHY ATK. So if she did max damage 210 + 80 = 290 Grobak has a PHY DEF of 95. If he is wearing leather add 30. So 290-125 = 165. With vitality of 1050, he wouldn''t even be able to withstand 10 attacks from her, even less if he uses abilities which would take away from his VIT. These are just her normal attacks too and do not take into account her abilities or auras.Stolen novel; please report. Let me give you a scenario where she uses her abilities. Warlord''s aura grants 10% to PHY ATK. This would boost her PHY ATK to 231 automatically. Let''s say she starts off with a shield bash and stuns Grobak, then hits him with a Daunting strike, she would do double damage. If she did full damage, and double damage, that would be 231 + 80 = 311 x 2 = 622-125 = 497. In that one combo, she would do 497 which would take almost half his VIT in one shot. If she followed that up with a penetrating strike, which ignores 20% of PHY DEF, she would do 231 + 80 = 311 - 100 = 211. 497 + 211 = 708. In just those two attacks, he would be well on his way to death. Hopefully I didn''t mess up the math anywhere, that would be embarrassing lol. There are plenty of variables here of course. AGI is one variable which could allow one to avoid attack entirely if they are fast enough. Also, the damage done could be more or less depending on where the attack takes place, or other factors, etc. (represented numerically with the variable bonus weapons add). Magic works in a slightly different way. Magic is affected by MAG and MAG RES, but they work as percentages of damage instead. Each spell has a certain variable damage it does. So let''s take a fireball which is a moderately powerful spell. Depending on magic caster rank (1-10) it can do anywhere from 10d6 to 100d6 damage (highest being 600 at rank 10 which would be someone who is a Legendary rank, Demigods go beyond rank 10 and of course gods go beyond that and have unique spells and such). Rank 1-2 is beginner class, Rank 3-4 is intermediate, Rank 5-6 is Advanced, Rank 7-8 is Master, Rank 9-10 is Legendary. Anyway, MAG and MAG RES. If an advanced magic caster had a MAG of (this is just an example) 200. Lenia has a MAG RES of 120. 120/200 = 60% Lenia would resist 60% of the damage of the spell. So an advanced class magic caster at Rank 6 spells could do 60d6 damage (360 max). So if it was max damage of 360, Lenia would resist 60% of that, 360-216 = 144 dmg. She would take 144 damage from the fireball spell. Of course, a magic caster at Rank 6 would have more powerful spells than just a fireball. Also, Lenia''s MAG RES is pretty decent because of her mold as a solid defensive class type. As for Nelay, her abilities are pretty cool so I wanted to talk a little bit about her. First, Rogue types are pretty flexible in combat so she can use either Rogue''s DEF or Rogue''s OFF. One grants additional PHY DEF from half her AGI or half her AGI to PHY ATK. This means she could boost either her ATK or DEF for free without any cost in VIT, her AGI would suffer but her AGI is already high. Finesse is also a very good ability because she can use her AGI to boost her PHY ATK and PHY DEF to her higher AGI number without any cost in VIT. She can also instantly kill any Intermediate class being and lower so from level 1 to 60 can be killed instantly if she is stealthed. If she uses this in conjunction with Double strike, she can kill 2 people level 60 and below instantly. She can even kill 2 of them at a distance (of 10 feet) if she uses Shadow Step as well. She can move at full speed in stealth, and even use shadow step continuously (small cost in VIT) to move around rapidly. As long as she isn''t detected or interrupted, she can easily move around a battlefield taking people out. Her absolute strongest attack would be to use Stealth, shadow step to appear behind someone, Rogue''s Offense to boost her PHY ATK to 210 from 120, then use Double Strike (attack twice and not be detected) with either Backstab (ignore 50% PHY DEF) or Rapid Piercing Strike (Ignore all PHY DEF but only do half damage), since not detected follow up with a crippling strike which temporarily disables the person but you are now detected, and then either escape with a shadow step away or do an additional backstab. Let me try to figure out the numbers here haha 210 PHY ATK with Rogue''s Offense, using 2 Sai''s as weapons (dualwielding) 10-40 extra PHY ATK for each weapons, so let''s assume max 210+40+40 = 280 x 2 because of Double strike = 560 with backstab ignores 50% of PHY DEF Lenia''s PHY DEF with leather = 240/2 = 120, so 560 - 120 = 440 damage Then crippling strike would disable Lenia, follow up with another backstab for 280-120 = 160 dmg She could potentially do 600 DMG to Lenia in one combo there. In a straight up fight though, Nelay wouldn''t stand a chance. Her best state would be with Finesse (180/180) vs Lenia''s (210/210) and of course Lenia would be wearing better armor than leather since she can wear heavy armor and has a shield. This also doesn''t take into account magic equipment/enchantments and spells. Spells, magic equipment/enchantments, potions, etc. can also change all of this. I hope this all makes sense hahaha. Anyway, be good to get a discussion going or at least let me know what you think. Chapter 60: Vicious intentions (1) Aleks didn''t waste any more time and headed back towards the hotel where he knew Brock would be waiting. As he walked through the city to his destination he noticed that the city was still as lively as ever and a continuous stream of adventurers and other thrill seekers were constantly meandering into the city. Many were gathering their parties or building and organizing their forces. The expeditionionary groups and mercenaries were busily preparing for the expedition which would soon take place. Shops were bustling with many customers and taverns were filled to the brim with rowdy adventurers. Carts, carriages, and wagons made their way through the city causing the occasional crash or conflict between the many hot headed foreigners as they scrambled for space among the busy streets. It was a chaotic scene which was filled with excitement and the thrill of adventurous expectation. Ignoring the hubbub, Aleks was consistently observing his surroundings even though it appeared he was oblivious. He couldn''t shake that sensation of being watched and had to ignore his desire to use ''Astral Projection'' to discover where the perpetrator was. Using his abilities for an extended period of time in such a crowded place might attract the attention of those he didn''t wish to attract. No matter, I am certain that given time this person will undoubtedly come to me. "Master, someone is following us." Whispered Nelay who had snuck up next to Aleks without Lenia noticing. She had been enjoying the sights and exciting atmosphere and hadn''t sensed Nelay moving past her and to Aleks''s side. She was especially perturbed at not having noticed the person stalking from the shadows despite Nelay noticing. "I am aware. I think someone is testing us. Let the person follow for now. There is nothing we need to hide, but I have a feeling that soon not only will this person come to us, but will also certainly lead us to the one pulling their strings." Nelay said nothing more and quickly fell back behind Lenia who scowled at her but didn''t say anything. Nelay completely ignored Lenia''s actions and simply did not care for her feelings. She only wished to be of service to her master, no one else mattered. Such was part and parcel for her callous personality. In her world, the only one who existed now was Aleks. Everyone else might as well disappear. This vice was already part of her personality and Aleks had decided not to remove it because the benefits of overcoming it were useful to her class. As an assassin, if she could overcome her callousness then she would do an additional 20% damage for every attack while in stealth and not detected. Grobak, who was walking behind the others, chuckled condescendingly while watching the two women. He found it somewhat amusing watching their little play. Stupid women. Grobak thought. Of course Orcs didn''t have good opinions of women to begin with. They saw them as only for breeding purposes and they especially loved to rape human women. This was why there were such a large population of half orcs among the orc tribes, but their status was low and they were treated mostly like cannon fodder. Obviously, Grobak didn''t have any ideas about Lenia and Nelay, not only could they easily kill him but they belonged to his master. The other Human women out and about were certainly appealing to him. He imagined the enjoyable screams they would elicit while he ravished them. I''ll be sure to ask master for one or two, I''m sure he won''t mind giving me a few human female slaves to have some fun with. Grobak licked his lips lustfully while baring his fangs in anticipation. It was a bit of a walk from the Hotel to the slave district of the city, but Aleks had chosen to walk instead of taking a carriage. The reason being that he intentionally wanted enough time to pay before he returned. He had asked Brock to seek out that Bishop which had been harassing him for days. Since a few hours had passed since he left the hotel, it was a good bet that the Bishop would have already arrived at the hotel to meet with him. If the Bishop had to wait a bit, all the better. Aleks felt that having the Bishop wait on him was much more than he deserved.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Arriving back at the Hotel, Aleks could see that his speculation was correct. There was a contingent of knights waiting outside the hotel from a church he was not familiar with. Their armor was nothing unusual for a knight, but the symbol on their capes appeared to be a tree holding up a world. There were a dozen of them idling about outside of a few carriages, most likely ones the Bishop and his entourage arrived in. Clergymen would never reside in a hotel, so seeing these knights was a clear indication that there was a good chance the Bishop Brock had mentioned was most likely here. Aleks was almost certain of this. While a Bishop was not the most powerful and influential clergymen belonging to a church, they were still quite important in the hierarchy. Oftentimes, it was the Bishops who were placed in command of church forces or were sent to lead negotiations or other such important missions. Bishops were advanced class beings and while not especially powerful themselves, they normally led elite units of church knights. Their healing magic and spells were quite useful however. They could buff their forces and heal severe wounds enabling their forces to continue to fight when others might long have lost. Against the undead, devils and demons, their spells were also quite useful and could completely change the tide of a battle. Either way, if a Bishop was here at the hotel it was for an important reason. None of the knights knew who Aleks was so they didn''t pay much attention to him as he walked past them and entered the hotel. They couldn''t help ogling Lenia and Nelay though as well as frowning when they saw Grobak. Even though these knights served a particular church, they weren''t especially holy themselves. Of course, neither were the clergy either. Ogling and harassing women as well as looking down on others was definitely not beneath them. They only didn''t take things further because they were currently on duty and this was a hotel for wealthy and influential people. After the group made their way back to the hotel, Aleks knocked on the door lightly and was soon met with Brock''s frustrated expression as he opened the door. He cleary was not in a good mood and it definitely had something to do with the plump robed man Aleks got a glimpse of when Brock opened the door. Aleks only needed one glance to see that the man was clearly a viper in disguise. His expression seemed pleasant enough and he had a calm smile which would make one think he was a kindly old priest, but Aleks knew better. Beneath that visage was definitely a cruel and twisted man. "Ah! You have finally arrived! It isn''t polite to keep an old Bishop waiting." The Bishop stood from the seat he had been sitting on within the room and slowly walked over to Aleks greeting him. His arms were crossed and hidden within the sleeves of his white, elegant, and luxurious gold-trimmed robe. He was quite rotund and had a large bald spot in the middle of his head. His hair was in the style of a bowl cut despite the bald spot. His appearance was far from appealing, but Aleks could see that he was a peak advanced class being and should be quite influential. If he could advance to master class he would become an Archbishop and take a much more leading role within the power structure of his church. This was most likely why he was pestering Brock and the reason he decided to join this expedition. Clergymen who served a god would need to gain merits in service to their faith, along with developing their divine power in order to advance. This expedition was a chance not only for these clergymen to grow their churches, but also to develop their own power. "I apologize for the wait, I had a few errands to run in the city and lost track of the time." Aleks replied politely. "No matter, it is good that you are finally here. So, you must be the young master I have heard so much about from my good friend Brock!" The Bishop chuckled, appearing filled with mirth but Aleks could see a discerning look in his eyes. He was most likely attempting to peer into Alek''s strength. His efforts would be futile though as Aleks was far above him. "I hope he hasn''t said too much about me." Aleks said with a gentle smile, hiding his inner annoyance and feelings of disgust from being so close to the man. "Only good things!" He continued to laugh. "Please, let us sit and talk. I would hear why you have been wishing to see me." Aleks gestured towards the cushioned chairs while motioning to Nelay to bring tea. "Hoho, good. It is a pleasure to meet such a young polite man such as yourself." The Bishop sat down once more. He took notice of Grobak and snorted with disdain and ignored him. However, he was shocked when he saw Lenia and Nelay. He was surprised by their beauty, but even more by Lenia''s strength. He didn''t have the ability to sense Nelay''s aura because of her ability to hide her strength and just assumed she was a mere mortal, but his eyes lingered on both of them nonetheless. Indeed, his eyes lingered a little too long for Aleks''s tastes. Chapter 61: Vicious intentions (2) After sitting, Aleks engaged in some trivial conversation with the Bishop until Nelay was finished serving the tea. Once he had exhausted his ¡°How should I address you..?¡± Aleks asked while holding in his anger. ¡°Ah, allow me to introduce myself. I am Bishop Girard of the Church of Mimir, god of wisdom and knowledge. He who tends to the world tree. Perhaps you have heard of our wise and all knowing god?¡± Aleks nodded, ¡°I have, but what is a member of the Church of Mimir doing so far south? Isn¡¯t your pantheon based in the northern lands?¡± Bishop Girard nodded with a chuckle and was about to respond when Nelay arrived with the tea. She delicately and skillfully served the tea to Aleks first before serving the Bishop. The Bishop didn¡¯t take his eyes off of her for a second as he happily took the tea from her. He took notice of her long black silky hair, her narrow eyes, and oval shaped face. Her complexion was fair and clear without blemish. He even went so far as to admire her long, slim, and smooth legs which were both firm and delicate looking. Because of her somewhat tall stature, his eyes were directly level to her chest, which while not overly large, were ample and perky enough. The only thing he didn¡¯t like was her cold, ice-like expression that seemed never changing on her face. Despite that, he seemed to be in a good mood and enjoyed being served by such a beautiful woman. He just thought it was a pity that she seemed to be just a mortal. After getting enough of an eyeful he finally turned back to Aleks who was hiddenly seething. He had no inkling of Aleks¡¯s feelings about his actions and spoke happily. ¡°This expedition is a grand undertaking! Surely you should be able to understand the importance of such an endeavor? We have formed a powerful coalition and are seeking young heroes to join us! Talent is always welcome. Hahaha, there is much wealth, honor, and glory to be had in the Savage Lands. I am truly intrigued by you young man. Not only do you have a powerful master class being serving you, but this young lady here is so young and already of an advanced class. Truly, you are all great heroes and will have many accomplishments in the future.¡± Alek¡¯s was in no mood to continue the conversation with the Bishop and said tersely, ¡°I must apologize beforehand for my rudeness, but I will have to ask you to leave. We have no intention of joining your coalition.¡± Bishop Girard seemed surprised by Aleks¡¯s words, but quickly gathered himself. He assumed that because of Aleks¡¯s age, flattery would give Aleks a good impression of him. He had even planned to regale Aleks with all the rewards and gifts he would receive if he joined their coalition. In truth, the Bishop didn¡¯t not have a favorable impression of Aleks. To the Bishop, Aleks was most likely young and inexperienced. He didn¡¯t sense any powerful aura from him and assumed he must be a mortal. There was no way he would have ever come to the conclusion that Aleks was in fact a Legendary being given his young age. A young master who couldn¡¯t even acquire a class was clearly a wastrel and of little worth. What he really had wanted was Brock, and now seeing Lenia, her as well. As for Aleks, he could care less about him. The Bishop was none too pleased with Aleks¡¯s terse response, but he kept his anger well hidden and instead gave Aleks a warning. ¡°I would advise against this idea you have of going it alone. Once you set out on the expedition, you will be leaving civilization and entering a dangerous place where anything could happen. Without sufficient strength how could you hope to succeed? There are many coalitions and powerful individuals all planning on carving out a place for themselves in the Savage Lands. Do you truly believe that even with these two by your side that you will succeed alone? Are you planning to sacrifice the lives of your comrades for one moment of foolishness?¡± His words on the surface appeared to be well intentioned, but it was clear to Aleks that it included both a warning, and a threat. He was well aware that the Bishop only cared about his powerful companions. Aleks was not about to be used by some fool for some promised and trivial rewards. ¡°I thank you for your concern Bishop, but I think we will be just fine without joining your coalition.¡± Aleks said dismissively. The Bishop made a light ¡®Hmph¡¯ and rose from his seat. He gave Aleks a meaningful glance and then abruptly walked towards the door. Before he left, he turned around one last time and said, ¡°Think about my offer seriously. There are many dangers lurking unseen. If something were to happen to one in the spring of their youth, such as you, it would be quite unfortunate.¡± Saying his last piece, Bishop Girard left, closing the door behind him. No one said anything until Nelay spoke, ¡°He¡¯s gone.¡±Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Grobak couldn¡¯t hold his anger in anymore and the others were also quite incessed by the Bishops arrogant behavior. In Grobak¡¯s mind, it was one thing for him to look down on the women, and another for someone else to lust after them. Even if they were women, they were still his companions and served his master. ¡°Master, should I kill him?¡± Nelay asked without emotion. To her, killing the Bishop would be no different than gutting a pig. She felt nothing at all about it. ¡°Aleks, we have enough enemies. It wouldn¡¯t be wise to make more, especially while in the city.¡± Advised Brock before Aleks could respond. ¡°Relax Brock, I am not a fool. However, even if I wanted to ignore him and let things be, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t feel the same way. He doesn¡¯t care about me at all, but it is easy to see the greed in his eyes. I doubt he will leave us alone in peace.¡± Brock nodded while taking the seat across from Aleks. He took a cup of tea from Nelay and gave her a serious look before turning to Aleks, ¡°There is something I have been wishing to ask you, and also.. This girl, is she a mortal? Why do I feel something amiss about her? I can¡¯t sense her strength but she just offered to kill the Bishop. I know things around you aren¡¯t so simple as they seem and I know there are many things you are hiding from me.¡± ¡°As perceptive as always, it seems your slip of the tongue was a mistake Nelay.¡± Aleks said while sparing her a glance. ¡°I have failed you master, I will accept any punishment you deem appropriate for my carelessness.¡± Nelay bowed deeply and said in a bland tone. On the surface, her expression never changed. However, she felt extreme disappointment for her actions and was willing to even take her own life if Aleks so demanded it. Lenia on the other hand was relishing Nelay¡¯s failure, although she would never admit to it. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary. I will forgive you this once since there wasn¡¯t much harm caused, but don¡¯t let it happen again.¡± ¡°Yes master.¡± Nelay continued to bow and couldn¡¯t bring herself to look at Aleks due to the shame. Aleks put her actions out of his mind and turned back to Brock to speak, ¡°Brock, it isn¡¯t as if I wish to keep things from you but there are some things it is better that you don¡¯t know. These two are new slaves I purchased. Grobak is the Orc, and this is Nelay.¡± Brock waited for a further explanation but none came. Realizing Aleks didn¡¯t wish to say more, he asked his original question, ¡°Fine, then answer me this, why can I no longer feel anything from you at all? Ever since that day years ago when your power awakened, I could sense your aura. I don¡¯t understand what is going on or what happened to you at that time, but now I feel nothing. This doesn¡¯t make any sense, and then there¡¯s this girl beside you that you suddenly showed up with. I don¡¯t expect you to explain everything to me, but isn¡¯t it time you gave me some answers? Or is it asking too much?¡± Aleks didn¡¯t answer immediately, and truthfully, he wished to tell Brock everything. It just wasn¡¯t the right time because there was too much at stake. Brock was someone born of this world and not like him or his creations. As such, he had to be careful with what he told Brock even if he trusted him fully. The gods had many means at their disposal and the less they could find out about Aleks, the greater his advantage. ¡°When the time comes, I promise I will tell you everything. For now, I can¡¯t say anymore.¡± Brock sighed, it was a deep sigh showing his age. He had spent much of his life in service to Aleks¡¯s father and then to Aleks himself. They were his only family and despite his frustration, he loved Aleks dearly. Aleks was all he had left. ¡°I need for you to handle the recruitment of battle slaves. Also, procuring supplies and other logistics. There isn¡¯t much time, I want to leave this place as soon as possible. Recruit as many battle slaves as you can and both you and Lenia will handle their training. Make sure they are equipped as well as you can, try to find a good balance. Whatever funds you need you can take from what I brought. There is no further need for it where we are going. There should be a good deal of equipment as well, but whatever we lack just purchase it here. Within the next week or so I plan to set out to the Savage Lands. There are many here seeking fame, wealth and power. There will be many competitors and I can see this Bishop is going to continue to be a thorn in our side.¡± Brock nodded, taking note of Aleks¡¯s instructions. He asked a few questions in order to get specifics and decided to once more hold down his other questions until Aleks was ready to answer them. ¡°Oh, and I will need at least one hundred Orc battle slaves. Make sure you find as many elites as you can.¡± After Brock received his instructions, he left the room. Even though most of the day had passed, there was still some hours of daylight remaining and he wanted to get started as soon as possible. He wouldn¡¯t be able to complete his preparations in just one day anyway. As for Grobak and Lenia, they made themselves busy exploring the room. Grobak found some food and began munching on it while daydreaming about the conquests he would soon be apart of which also included all the women he would obtain. Lenia was inwardly gloating over Nelay¡¯s misfortune and was feeling pretty good. Aleks hadn¡¯t yet moved from the chair and was deep in thought. He glanced over at Nelay who had yet to move from her bowed position. ¡°Nelay.¡± ¡°Yes master.¡± ¡°Stay close to me tonight.¡± Aleks said without any room for refusal. Not that Nelay would ever refuse her master¡¯s commands. She remained silent, but Lenia who had heard the conversation was shocked beyond words. Her mind was racing and she seemed to momentarily blank out due to the shock. Of course, she completely misunderstood her master¡¯s intentions. Chapter 62: Vicious intentions (3) Late at night, Aleks appeared to be sleeping alone in his room, but he was in fact awake and in deep contemplation. The others appeared to have long gone to sleep and were in their own rooms. The hotel suite they had was extremely large with several rooms. This was normal for this type of hotel because the ones who stayed in it were nobles and other wealthy individuals. They would usually have a large entourage and would need enough living space for their guards and for the close members of their group as well as their servants. There were many thoughts swirling in his head and he was attempting to keep hold of as many memories as he could. Even though most of his memories were not pleasant ones, he still wished to hold onto as many as possible. However, it seemed to be a losing battle and the only memories he could retain were the most painful of them. He also thought about his sister. Was that really her he saw? Was it an illusion? Sometimes he found it difficult to discern between reality and fantasy. He even wondered if any of this were real. No, this is not a dream. He thought in silence. While Aleks wouldn¡¯t use his ¡®Astral Projection¡¯ ability out in public within the city, because of his concern for the many clergyman within, that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t use it while in his hotel room. So, he was completely aware of the individual who was stalking in the shadows. He was clearly attempting to use his stealth ability to sneak up on Aleks, but Aleks was already aware of his presence and remained calmly in his bed. Not that he could harm me anyway. He thought to himself, a smirk attempting to creep up his face. The shadowy figure moved swiftly around the room, making his way over to the bed where Aleks slept. He was quite skilled and made no noise at all. Aleks could see everything through his ¡®Astral Projection¡¯ ability and could also see that the figure was a mid-Advanced rank being. Although he would be able to hide from a Master class being who didn¡¯t specialize in detection, he couldn¡¯t hide from Aleks¡¯s ability or even Nelay¡¯s senses. Nelay was a peak Advanced class assassin and could certainly detect and hide from an assassin of a lower level than herself. So without the assassin¡¯s knowledge, he was in fact detected by two people and had been completely seen through. Nonetheless, Aleks pretended to sleep while Nelay was currently in stealth in a corner of the room. She didn¡¯t move or give away her position at all, she only watched as per Aleks¡¯s instructions. The assassin quickly crept over to the bed where Aleks lay and he seemed to fiddle with something for a moment before pulling out an extremely thin needle. He moved close to Aleks and observed him for a moment before carefully injecting the thin needle into Aleks¡¯s arm through his clothing. It was done with great skill and if it were someone else, would most likely have succeeded. It wasn¡¯t someone else though, it was Aleks who had a very unique ability which allowed him to ignore physical damage completely from those of inferior level and class. To the assassin, it appeared as if he was successful in injecting the needle into Aleks¡¯s arm, but this was not the case. It was only an illusion. The assassin quickly put away the needle and left just as stealthily as he had arrived without looking back. He was feeling quite self satisfied at the belief that he had completed his mission. Meanwhile, Nelay had seen everything and was only waiting until the assassin was out of ear shot before moving next to Aleks. "Follow him. See where he goes. Kill everyone involved, but don''t take any risks. If there is a being too powerful for you to handle alone, then you will leave immediately." Whispered Aleks. ¡°Yes master, it will be done.¡± Nelay was gone in an instant and rushed after the assassin who had no idea he was being followed. Aleks was left alone and whispered to himself in the dark. ¡°If you dare to move against me, then you must be prepared for the consequences. I¡¯m sorry Brock, while your concerns may be of this mortal world, I fear no man and no conflict. My only fear, is that of the gods and only for now. I will hide if necessary, run if needed, but if it is in my power to dissuade, I will not allow a single slight. Not one blemish, for this is my creed and my curse. Let them come and seek their revenge. Their souls shall feed my ambition, and become my strength.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
High above in the sky, the moon shone solemnly as if welcoming the dark and all its twisted intentions. A cascade of colors fluttered across the seemingly barren sky, not a single star in sight. Yet a vibrant hue lingered in longing, a foreboding of things to come. It was the perfect night for a massacre. Across the rooftops of the quiet city, two figures moved swiftly. They were seemingly close, but ever distant, for one was completely unaware of the other¡¯s presence. Although they both moved quickly, there was still a leisure of movement and grace. The one in the front, satisfied with their performance, moved calmly without concern and no thought of failure or consequence. While the other moved with the assurance of success and the surety of a silent predator waiting to pounce on its prey. There was an eerie silence as if only these two existed in the world, and the moon was a mere observer to their vicious minds and the beat of their incessant hearts. With ill intent and grim certainty, they flew across the cityscape eventually arriving at a manor nestled in a corner of the city far from the hotel where Aleks was staying. These were manors which visiting nobility could rent and live in for a time with their retinue, servants, and associates. It was impossible for the foreign nobles to bring their armies into the city, but it was possible to bring a small retinue of elites into the city for protection. It was here that the assassin led Nelay who pursued closely without alerting to her presence. She didn¡¯t rush in however, instead carefully scouting the area in order to determine the strength of those within. She carefully inspected the outside premises as much as she could and was careful not to be detected by the guards who were loitering around the manor. Although they could be considered elites, not a single one of them were Advanced class beings and only reached the peak of Intermediate class. Only a high ranking noble would have the wealth and prestige to have a unit of Advanced class beings as their retinue. The mainstay of any elite army were peak Intermediate class beings with the rare army having a specialized unit of Advanced class beings. In most armies, Advanced class beings depending on their strength, served as officers leading companies or regiments. Only a Master class being was qualified to lead a legion. Legendary beings were far too important to a nation or a church for such things and would usually act as a deterrence at the national level. Although, in sufficiently large scale conflicts, Legendary beings would usually be in charge of overseeing an entire sphere of war. As for those whose strength was beyond Legendary, those named Demigods, they could be the masters of their own regions, nations, or even empires. Of course, this was assuming they were far from the sphere of influence of the powerful churches. These Demigods sought to gain their own divinity and this was not in the best interests of the existing churches and so Demigods would often seek out of the way places or the vast wildernesses of the continent to reign supreme. Not being able to sense anyone whose aura was beyond advanced rank, Nelay felt no fear. Her master¡¯s ¡®Astral Projection¡¯ was also housed within her and since he was a Legendary being, only a Demigod could escape his senses. While he couldn¡¯t extricate his projection from her body and use it to survey the area due to his concerns of divine detection, he could still use this ability to sense the aura of a being on the same level as himself assuming it wasn¡¯t especially skilled in stealth or were using powerful spells on the level of Legendary spells to hide. The chance of such a situation was miniscule and not even worth consideration. With such resolve, Nelay made her move. She jumped down from atop her perch in utter silence and move quickly across the outer perimeter without being seen. She could easily move in and out of shadows continuously and without interruption. The night was her friend and her solace, offering comfort in its cold embrace. In mere moments, every guard outside the manor was killed one by one until none remained. Her two daggers moved lithely and without restraint. There was no hesitation in her actions, no feelings of remorse, just the cold indifference of one whose sole trade was murder. Even before Aleks had met her, she already had a cold and indifferent heart. The kindness had been strangled out of her from her youth. Raised as a plaything for men, without a home, without a family. She had nothing and no one, only herself, and only her desire for revenge. Revenge against a heartless world which had reduced her life to that of a worthless and irrelevant toy for other¡¯s amusement. With Aleks¡¯s actions, her entire life took on a new meaning. She would kill, not for herself or for a despairing heart, but for the man who had become her entire world. The only bright light in the darkness of her heart. And kill she did, like a fairy dancing in the moonlight, until none remained. It was easy, too easy. She made her way down the dimly lit hallways of the manor, her daggers dripping blood and blood splattered across her black and tight full bodied suit. It fit well around her curves and nimble form fully accentuating her well rounded breasts. With her jet black hair covering half her delicate porcelain face, she seemed more like a wraith than a person. There were none that could threaten her here, and even that assassin was easily dispatched by her. He never even knew she was there till he died with a dagger through his neck. She wasn¡¯t satisfied until the halls ran red. Chapter 63: Worries and concerns In the other room, where Lenia was supposed to be sleeping, she was in fact awake. She couldn''t sleep and kept pacing back and forth. Uncomfortable thoughts kept popping up in her head as she recalled her master''s words earlier and she hadn''t been able to sleep even though hours had passed. She desperately wanted to check in on her master but knew it wouldn''t be appropriate. Certainly if he wanted to do ''that thing'' with her then she had no room to complain. They both belonged to him and if he wanted them, he had only need ask. Without a question she would be willing to give her all for him, but instead he had seemed to have chosen Nelay. "Is it because of my hair? Does he like a darker color? No, maybe it is her personality. Does he like someone who is cold and aloof? Have I been too clingy? I have been trying to keep a proper distance without going too far, but he still doesn''t notice me at all. I was his first, why is it her?!" Lenia kept mumbling to herself almost as if she were in a trance and still had not recovered properly since that moment. She knew it wasn''t proper to act the way she was acting, but she couldn''t control her emotions at this time. It had been too great a shock for her. "I have to go check! I can make an excuse.. Maybe he needs something? Yes, let me go see if he is okay." She convinced herself and gathered her courage before walking quietly over to Aleks''s room. She put her ear to the door but didn''t hear anything and wondered if they were already sleeping. Had they finished and gone to bed? Because she was too afraid to open the door, she loitered about outside of it until she finally heard a voice from within. "Come in Lenia, stop standing around outside the door." Lenia jumped in shock, not realizing that he was aware of her presence. "Um.. yes." Even though she was hesitant, she slowly opened the door and as she walked in, her eyes darted left and right but she couldn''t see Nelay anywhere. "Is there some reason you are standing outside my door?" Lenia closed the door behind her gently without looking at Aleks. She was somewhat nervous to face him and needed a moment to collect herself. When facing an enemy she was fearless, but at this moment she couldn''t stop the fierce beating of her heart and even Aleks''s words sent chills down her spine. "Master, did Nelay sleep in here with you? I don''t see her." She said, almost a whisper. Aleks looked at her strangely in the dark for a moment before thinking of something, "Lenia, I see." He chuckled and stood up from the bed, walking over to her. "Is there something you are concerned about?" Aleks asked in a teasing tone as he drew nearer to her. Lenia grew even more nervous the closer he got to her and she still couldn''t bear to look him in the eye. "I.. no.. just.." Aleks stood right in front of her and lifted her head up gently by her chin. "I made you and I know you best. You were my first creation, the only one I specifically molded and shaped with these hands. Are you worried that someone else will replace you in my heart?" Aleks spoke gently calming her down as she looked into his eyes with a dreamy look. She was mesmerized by his eyes and everything she had felt a moment ago disappeared. As she was drawn further into his gaze, she suddenly heard a ''thump'' which startled her out of her daydreaming.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. She quickly pushed Aleks behind her and was already in a battle stance. "Master, I have completed the mission and have returned." Lenia glared at Nelay who was crouched by the window. With her ability, there was no way Lenia could have detected any motion or sound from Nelay but she had very clearly heard a ''thump''. She quickly understood that her master had needed Nelay to complete a task and not that he had wanted her to warm his bed. With that realization and the fact that Nelay must have intentionally made a sound to disturb what she considered to be their special moment, Lenia gave Nelay a bewitching smile of satisfaction. That was at least until she noticed the daggers that Nelay held in her hand, looked very similar to the daggers that Aleks had once given to her.
After clearing up the misunderstandings of the previous night and calming Lenia down, Aleks slept peacefully without any more interruptions. Well, at least without any more external interruptions. Lenia refused to leave his room after she heard that he had been attacked by an assassin even if nothing had happened to him. Which of course meant, Nelay would not leave the room either. The two glared at each other for a while until Aleks ignored them and fell asleep without knowing the conclusion to their stare off. When he awoke the next day, the two were splayed out across the floor asleep. "Does this have something to do with their connection with me? Or is it some kind of instinctual competition? Perhaps the fact that they bear my mark on their soul, and are so close to me, it is somehow affecting their behavior.." Aleks contemplated before leaving the room. Aleks decided to chalk it up to their youth and lack of experience mingled with the confusion of their past memories and the jarring reality of their new identity plus the effects of their soul connection. Or perhaps he just didn''t understand women very well as he had been quite antisocial in his original life. In some of the wisps of memories he hadn''t lost yet from the lives he reincarnated into, he had relationships with women, but they all ended badly so he didn''t know how reliable those memories were. In the end, he chose to ignore it as he didn''t have the time to bother with such nonsense. Brock was already awake as usual and was of course aware of the fact that the two women had slept in Aleks''s room, but he didn''t mention anything about it and just questioned Aleks on the days itinerary. He was used to taking care of Aleks and had been trained in the skills required of a butler despite his martial past. Ever since Aleks was young, Brock had to shoulder the responsibility of not just protecting him, but also taking care of needs along with everything that entailed. He was his closest confidant, a father figure, his bodyguard, his friend, his servant and everything in between. He had given his life to serve the boy who had become a man. Originally, it was to repay his friend, Aleks''s father, but after everything that happened it became much more than that. Brock was wise and had tact, but that didn''t mean he wouldn''t point out Aleks''s flaws or what he felt were mistakes. He was also a moral compass for Aleks, which is a reason why Aleks didn''t tell him everything. Like what happened last night, he had no intention of telling him at all. Better that he doesn''t know, he has enough worries. Were Aleks''s thoughts on the matter. "So, on the agenda today is the recruitment of a slave army, the procuring of supplies and equipment. We will need to purchase horses which is going to be costly, we can probably afford two hundred at most with all of the other expenses of recruiting an army. I also need to settle the contract with the adventurer''s guild and meet the team we will be working with. Then there is the training and organization of our forces, we will also need to settle them in a camp outside the city which will take some managing. Is there anything else?" Aleks, who was seated, listened to Brock reiterate the day''s agenda before responding, "Right, I know this is a lot of work to place on your shoulders. I apologize for that Brock, but I will have Nelay accompany you. She can help with the logistics. Lenia will help with training the army, also don''t forget the Orc battle slaves. I need at least one hundred of them. These will be placed under Grobak''s command, he will be responsible for them." Brock made note of Aleks''s instructions on parchment and nodded his head, but a look of concern flashed across his eyes. "Are you certain about this young master? The savage lands are a dangerous place. I know we have been planning for this for some time, but I can''t help feeling anxious. There may be no turning back once we set out." Aleks looked at Brock with determination, there was no doubt in his expression or words, "I am certain. I know you don''t agree with this, but this is necessary. You will understand in time, I promise." Brock sighed, something he seemed to do a lot these days. Chapter 64: Preparations (1) "This is unexpected¡­ it seems you underestimated that young man." It was early in the morning on the following day of the massacre and it had taken some time for word to spread about what happened. Although the authorities hadn''t been notified of what happened yet, those belonging to the pantheon of the northern churches had already become aware. The Bishop of the Church of Mimir had gone to the manor early in order to discuss the results of the previous evening. He hadn''t expected to walk into what had been a bloodbath. Every person in the manor, from the guards to the servants, were dead. Most hadn''t even realized how they died. This was clear on their expressions which lacked any sense of fear or regret. "Well, even if this wasn''t a battlefield, they can be considered to have died in battle. May they find honor in ¨¢sgarer in the halls of Valh?ll." Bishop Girard said solemnly, his hands clasped atop his rotund belly. Another similarly garbed man was standing next to him. However, he was tall and muscular while Girard was shorter and quite fat. He also had a full set of dirty blonde hair and a well developed beard which he had braided into many exquisite braids. There were some loose gray hairs, but nothing too noticeable. The other man snorted, "We have become too soft and weak. This is pathetic, to have died without even knowing who their enemy was. How useless! Only heroes will be honored in Valh?ll, not these weak and useless scum. This young man on the other hand, he is quite capable. It seems your information is inaccurate. You only mentioned the master and advanced class beings which stood at his side, but it appears that is not the entirety of his strength. Even Sigurd, who was a mid-advanced class assassin, was killed without knowing how he died. This means that the boy has a powerful assassin as well. Otherwise, Sigurd wouldn''t have died so pitifully." Girard mumbled under his breath for a moment while contemplating, "There was only a maid who was very young and an Orc who was clearly an Intermediate class being, at least from what I could see. If he has an assassin with such skill than it would be impossible for me to notice with my abilities. You can''t blame me for that, but now we know. Unfortunately, to learn this Baron Ulfert had to act as a sacrifice." "Then he has done a meritorious service." The other man said dismissively. "Either way, this was very clean. There is no evidence left behind and we can only make assumptions, but it is obvious who is the culprit. We should clean this up regardless without letting the authorities of the city know. This would be too much of an embarrassment to explain and they won''t be able to find anything anyway. How should we respond to this?" The tall and muscular man wearing similar, but more resplendent, regalia compared with Bishop Girard sneered, "Nothing has changed, we either convince him to join us or we find a way to kill him. He has proven his capabilities, or at least the capabilities of his subordinates, and could be of great use to us. If we can''t convince him, then he must die as he poses too much of a threat in this competition. Our faith has been constrained to the North for far too long. Now that we have grown in strength and influence, it is time we expanded. This is the best opportunity to do so which doesn''t involve coming into direct conflict with other pantheons. Competition and conflict is inevitable and not something we should shy from, but we can''t deal with the other pantheons at this time. We do not have sufficient strength. It is best we weed out or rein in any unknown factors and those without the backing of powerful churches. Those who do not stand with us, must be removed. It is enough that we must share this land with those other churches." Bishop Girard nodded, "But how will we convince him? He is stubborn and was very direct with his answer. There was very little room for negotiation." "We just need to show him both our sincerity, and our strength. I will go myself, and I will bring the twin Direwolves." "Those two lunatics?" Bishop Girard said shocked.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. The tall and muscular man''s response was simply a smug grin.
Lenia was pacing about in the hotel room in embarrassment. She had acted like a fool the previous night and had even fallen asleep along with Nelay without realizing it. She didn''t know why she had acted in such a way, or rather it was more like her feelings of jealousy had driven her to act like a child but she didn''t want to admit this to herself. At least Nelay didn''t leave any better of an impression on master. Ugh, he woke up before the two of us and even saw us laying on the floor in such an embarrassing way. How can I look him in the eye now? She was clearly flustered and hadn''t even noticed Aleks approaching her. "Lenia." He called out to her without any response. He had to say her name three times before she finally noticed his presence which only made her more embarrassed. "Do you know what you did wrong?" He asked calmly. She nodded her head, but he continued anyway. "You allowed yourself to become careless, but I can''t place all the blame on you. I must share part of the blame, I am the one who made your personality this way. You still have too little experience and to suddenly gain a female companion must be a difficult adjustment for you. However, consider this an opportunity to overcome your flaws. You must get your act together if you are to be a proper leader of my army." Lenia''s cheeks were burning and she couldn''t look up at Aleks, instead looking at the floor while she nodded. "You are still young and I am placing a great burden on your shoulders, but this is part of your purpose for existing. Do not disappoint me." "Yes master." Lenia replied in a tiny voice. Aleks nodded, seemingly satisfied. He moved over to one of the cushioned chairs and sat down. Nelay promptly walked over with a cup of tea which she served to him skillfully. "As for you Nelay, it is truly neglecting your duty as a maid for your master to awaken before you." Although Nelay wasn''t so obviously as embarrassed as Lenia, a slight redness tinged her cheeks. She was much better at covering up her emotions. She said nothing and only continued to serve Aleks. "Yesterday was your first day and as such, it is understandable for your emotions and personality to have changes which might be difficult to adjust to. It took Lenia weeks to fully adjust her consciousness and personality and she still seems to be having some trouble with it. I expect better from the both of you going forward." "Yes master." They both replied at the same time, but Lenia''s voice was still a whisper while Nelay spoke in a bland and emotionless tone. The scene became peaceful with Aleks saying no more and only quietly sipping his tea. Lenia had yet to lift her head due to the embarrassment and Nelay continued to skillfully serve Aleks. It was a picturesque scene with two absolute beauties and the leisurely seated Aleks sipping his tea while deep in thought. This continued for a short time until Brock returned with Grobak. He had taken the Orc with him since Nelay hadn''t woken when he left. Of course he wasn''t expecting much from Grobak, but he was an extra hand if needed. The two quickly made their way into the room, closing the door and reporting immediately to Aleks. "I made the full payment on the contract with the adventurer''s guild, we should be able to meet the advanced class party soon and determine their strength. I also negotiated a plot of land outside the city for our camp, we just need the manpower and resources to begin construction. Since it will only be a temporary camp it shouldn''t take too much work. We can have the slaves do it once purchased. I investigated the prices of elite battle slaves and equipment a little as well. Prices are going up quickly but we should still be able to manage as long as we act soon. Horses are going to be an issue though, we need to purchase them today or there might not be any left by tomorrow." Aleks listened attentively and considered for a moment before replying, "I will leave everything to your judgement. Use all the wealth I brought as you see fit, buy the horses and get those Orcs I need first. Purchase some other slaves to begin construction of the camp. I want construction to begin today and be ready for us to move into tomorrow, even if the entire camp isn''t complete. I don''t want to waste anymore time. We need to begin training our forces without delay and we will set out within a week. You can take Nelay and Grobak with you, they should be of some use." Aleks waved away Nelay and the other two who said a few more words before leaving the room. Only Aleks and Lenia remained within, but Lenia had yet to regain her calm. "Starting tomorrow and for every day thereafter, you will no longer be just my companion. You will be a commander, a leader of men, and their lives will be your responsibility. I will not interfere unless absolutely necessary. Are you prepared for this great responsibility and this burden?" Despite her embarrassment, Lenia no longer hid her face in shame. She gritted her teeth and nodded with determination. "I''m ready. I won''t disappoint you master." "Good. This is only the beginning of our rise, and of my revenge." Chapter 65: Preparation (2) The sound of clanging tools, screams of men, and servants rushing about filled the afternoon air. It was a relatively warm day for spring, almost reaching summer temperatures. The weather had been in a bit of a flux for the past month and the days were increasingly growing unpredictable, although it wasn''t as if there were no trend. It was becoming increasingly warmer, there was just a variable in regards to how warm each day might be. Overall, the central parts of the continent had relatively warm temperatures during the summer months and somewhat cold weather during the winter months. It was a balance between the cold north and the hot south, but leaning slightly more towards the southern climate. Either way, it was too hot for Aleks''s taste and acting as the young master that he wanted everyone to believe he was, he had servants fanning him while he lounged on a chair which looked more like a throne. He was in a large and fully furnished tent which had been prepared for him out in the fields outside of the city of Kordusk. It wasn''t necessary for the tent to be so luxuriously furnished, but he had a bad habit of always going too deep into the role he was intending to fulfill. This was the same drive that had led him to live within a sewer and to smell like sewage while he was in Andor''s Edge. He had gone from one extreme to the other with relative ease and no one would ever expect that the two roles he played were actually one man. Even Lenia couldn''t believe that this was the same Aleks as before. Nelay was standing right beside Aleks''s throne like chair and while she wasn''t fanning him, she was ready to assist in any way that Aleks required and would occasionally serve him wine or fruits. Other than the servants, Brock was also present giving a report of his activities over the past couple of days. Lenia was busily training the newly recruited slaves while Grobak was organizing his all Orc unit. Of course, this mostly meant he was busily bashing their heads in and showing them who''s boss. Aleks found it quite sad that this was what the Orcs had devolved into from their once proud empire. "In the past couple of days we have purchased two hundred elite peak intermediate class battle slaves and each of them was branded with a slave rune. They are completely loyal and will be easy to manage. They will also be instrumental in policing and managing the other slaves. There are also five hundred high intermediate class battle slaves and one thousand low to mid intermediate class battle slaves. They have all been given promises of freedom for meritorious service and promised pay according to their ability. This should aid in assuaging any from the idea of rebellion. I was able to procure one hundred and fifty Arendor horses and thirty Telgarion horses. The Arendor horses are from the deserts of the south and are quick and agile, excellent for light cavalry. Telgarion horses have a much burlier lower body that looks similar in color and appearance to that of a white tiger, except with longer and thicker legs. They also have a single horn on their heads. These horses are excellent for heavy cavalry. They can easily mount a fully clad knight in adamantium plate and their horns are strong enough to pierce through armor. We will of course have to train some of the slaves in order to utilize these horses effectively. I will select some of the best out of the slaves and train them as cavalry, but this will take time. The slaves are currently being trained and organized into units with elite peak intermediate class battle slaves being chosen as officers responsible for squads in each unit. Only the peak battle slaves are being chosen to lead and this should also help in retaining control over the army. Of course, at the end of the day, absolute strength is the only guarantee. With my strength as a master class and Lenia''s as a peak advanced class, it shouldn''t be difficult to keep the rest orderly and loyal. This is assuming we aren''t met with any misfortune." Although it appeared that Aleks wasn''t paying attention as he watched a slave dance on one side of a tent from his large seat, he was in fact carefully going over every piece of information in his head while Brock eloquently gave his report. Initially, they had purchased slaves in order to construct the camp and also to act as servants fulfilling a variety of roles which would be expected of any expedition led by a nobleman.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. It seems the wealth I procured from those hapless Dons is going a long way. It''s a shame I can''t thank them for their contributions to my cause. So two hundred slaves at level 60, five hundred between level 50 and 59 and the other thousand range from level 31 to level 49. Even among private noble armies it would be a force to be reckoned with. The only difference is the level of training, discipline, and organization, but this is something which only requires effort and time. "I should also report that we have purchased one hundred and fifty mortal slaves to act as servants, laborers, and to be given any other miscellaneous work required." Brock continued while raising an eyebrow towards the beautiful slave women who were dancing and fanning Aleks. "Very good Brock. However, I will also need you to acquire one hundred whores for the soldier''s entertainment. This will also help in keeping them in line." Aleks replied nonchalantly while lounging and sipping wine. Brock only nodded his head in response and was ready to leave when a commotion from outside caused him to become concerned. "What could be going on?" Just as he was about to exit the tent, a servant came running into the tent. "Master! Someone is rampaging through the camp!" The servant shouted in fear. Brock grabbed the servant and asked him what exactly was going on and he was about to rush out when Aleks calmly called out to him. "Brock, relax. No need to meet our guests, I am sure they will soon come to meet with us. Don''t let them have the initiative." "Do you know who they might be?" Asked Brock. "I have an idea of who they might be. I was wondering how long it would take them to approach us, looks like it didn''t take very long at all." Aleks chuckled while relaxing on his throne. Brock gave Aleks an inquisitive look and raised an eyebrow but said no more. He waited patiently as the noise and chaos of the outside drew closer. It wasn''t long before two very large and burly men came clambering through the entrance of the tent followed by another tall man in stately robes. The two burly men looked very similar and appeared to be twins. They both wore thick fur vests with leather underneath. Their huge and muscular arms were clearly exposed and heavily tattooed. Both had long and vibrant braided beards which had pieces of jewelry entwined within. Their mannerisms were extremely aggressive and they immediately began intimidating all within the tent. The man in stately robes who followed behind them walked calmly with a smug smile on his face as if he were impressed by his own entrance. Aleks quickly analyzed the three with his ability ''Soul Analysis'' and could see that all three were master class beings. Just from appearances and the style of their clothing, he could also deduct that they were clearly northerners. His ability even allowed him to determine that the two men who appeared to be twin brothers were in fact not Human, but Werewolves in Human form. Before Aleks could give any words of greeting, the tall and robust man in robes laughed in an over exaggerated manner. He was clearly overly impressed with himself. "So this is where you''ve been hiding. I went looking for you at your hotel but you had already left. It''s a good thing you didn''t run too far." "And what do I owe the pleasure, for such a distinguished personage as yourself to pay me a visit?" Aleks asked while eating fruit from Nelay''s hands. There was no nervousness or concern at all written on his face. It was as if the noise and chaos caused by their arrival was no concern of his. This behavior was not missed by the robed man who was paying attention to every action and expression of Aleks. He thought arriving in such a chaotic way might intimidate Aleks, but it seemed to have little to no effect. At least it was so on the surface, but he wondered whether or not Aleks was truly unfazed. What gave him the confidence? "Hmm, by your expression it seems you were expecting me?" Chapter 66: Preparation (3) "Not you specifically, but I had a feeling a guest would soon arrive." The tall man in rich looking regalia rubbed his chin while muttering to himself, "This young man shouldn''t be underestimated." "I am Archbishop Ragnir, perhaps you have heard of my humble personage?" Aleks gave the Archbishop a passing glance without replying which angered the two brutes who were beside the Archbishop. "Why are we wasting time with this nonsense? Didn''t you bring us two brothers here to knock some skulls in? Hmph, the only way to get through to fools like this is through strength. You dare show such disrespect to the Archbishop? You, a mere mortal and frail boy whose balls haven''t even dropped yet? Hah! I''ll kill every last one of you bastards." The twin brothers were incessed and aggressively grabbed their huge two handed axes. Brock immediately moved between them and Aleks, his rapier already at the ready. Archbishop Ragnir chuckled once more. He showed no anger at the disrespectful behavior of Aleks who hadn''t even risen from his throne to greet the Archbishop. He barely even gave him a passing glance when speaking with him. He was the clear model of a spoiled young brat. "Now, now. Calm yourselves Grigor and Toran. We have not come to cause an uproar, but to offer a great opportunity and partnership with our young noble here." Aleks scoffed at the Archbishop''s words and said leisurely, "Opportunity? Partnership? Truly such frivolous words. You entered my war camp causing a commotion, disturbing the peace and brought these two brainless muscle heads to intimidate us. You only wish to discuss a partnership? What great words, I am truly inspired by your methods." Aleks had barely finished speaking when a murderous aura spread outwards from the twin brothers. Their bloodlust had reached a crescendo and they were prepared to immediately pounce. Their anger had almost driven them beyond reason, but they had yet to attack and waited for the words of the Archbishop. "Interesting... I came bearing a great gift, let''s not speak words that might lead to misunderstandings. Do you really wish our relationship to sour as such? My people have been forthcoming with you and have shown you respect. You know very well why we are here today, I don''t think words are necessary. You should understand why our actions are not unwarranted. Be thankful I only came with these two and not with an army." Aleks finally turned in his seat and sat facing towards the Archbishop giving him a long look before saying in a sonorous tone, "Is that a threat?" The Archbishop''s eyes narrowed, "If necessary. Or take them as wise words in parting." "Hmph." Aleks sneered. "I''ve had enough of this! I don''t care why we came here, we two brothers will smash these fools!" The aura''s of the twin brothers spread out aggressively sending the servants all to their knees in fear. They could barely retain their consciousness in the face of such a murderous and powerful aura. The only people who seemed unaffected by the auras were Aleks, Brock, and Nelay. Brock had already released his aura and was standing in front of both Aleks and Nelay so it wasn''t clear whether they were unaffected because of hidden strength they possessed or because Brock was shielding them. Brock didn''t hesitate and quickly rushed towards the twin brothers, his sword flashing rapidly. However, it was two on one and he was having some difficulty in holding the two back. A fierce battle broke out between the three and Brock was clearly on the defensive and unable to gain any advantage. Nelay, who was standing beside Aleks, suddenly disappeared without anyone noticing. Grigor soon felt a sense of danger and his senses were telling him that if he didn''t quickly dodge he would suffer an injury. He was shocked by this because he hadn''t sensed any other combatant initially and he didn''t react in time. Nelay quickly struck, using all of her offensive stealth abilities causing a good deal of damage but it wasn''t nearly enough to severely injure the man.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. So, the maid was the assassin. She''s quite powerful.'' Thought Archbishop Ragnir surprised by her entrance into the battle. He hadn''t even been able to sense her or see her movements. Even though Nelay had joined the battle, it hadn''t taken much pressure off of Brock because Nelay was still only an advanced class being. The two twin brothers were not only powerful, but fought well together. The inside of the tent soon became a chaotic battleground as the four viciously fought throughout the interior. Thankfully, the tent was especially large and resembled a grand hall rather than a mere tent. Towards the entrance, the Archbishop merely looked on with a satisfied expression as he watched his two subordinates fight. He would occasionally throw a glance towards Aleks in hopes of seeing a look of concern on his face, but Aleks was eerily calm which the Archbishop couldn''t understand. Aleks continued to sip on his wine and hadn''t even paid one glance towards the battle taking place in the tent. It was as if there were nothing going on at all. The servants had already fallen unconscious, no longer able to handle the stress of the powerful auras which were being thrown around the interior and the chaos of the battle. If nothing changed, it was clear that Brock and Nelay would lose. However, soon another aura burst through the entrance of the tent and Lenia came charging through with her sword and shield quickly stabilising the battle. Her aura abilities boosted the defense and offense of her allies and Nelay and Brock found themselves quickly strengthened. The battle became a stalemate with the three holding off the two brothers. They fought fiercely however and they could only fight them to a stalemate for a short period of time. Lenia did her best to tank the two brothers while Nelay and Brock swiped at them from their flanks. It was a grueling battle which found all combatants becoming increasingly fatigues from the use of abilities and the damage taken. Suddenly, Brock pulled back slightly and raised his blade upwards and held it in front of his face. He became calm and poised, like a sharp blade which was about to be unleashed. A great sense of danger, that the two brothers hadn''t felt since the battle had begun, fell over them as they cautiously eyed Brock in the rear. A flash of light began to spread from the rapier in Brock''s hands and he suddenly flashed in and out of existence as he moved forward rapidly. A bright arc of sword light pressed in on the twin brothers, bypassing their defenses and sending them sliding backwards. Two large cuts had opened on each of their chests and blood was dripping violently from their exposed wounds. The two brothers were shocked greatly by this as they had been caught completely unaware by this strange and powerful ability. They each eyed the other and nodded. Just as they were about to howl ferociously and begin their transformation the Archbishop suddenly spoke, "Grigor, Toran, that''s enough. I believe we have each showed our hands sufficiently." The twin brothers almost choked while forcibly stopping themselves from howling and transforming. They glared at the Archbishop and grumbled unhappily from being restrained. It was something which was clearly not in their nature. Of course, the Archbishop had stopped them for just that reason. If they had been allowed to complete their transformation, they would have definitely overcome their foes but the problem was that they wouldn''t have stopped until they tore each and every one of them apart. This wasn''t the Archbishop''s intention in coming here. He only meant to show off their power, not kill potential assets like Brock and the others. "Indeed. Brock, Lenia, Nelay... that''s enough." The battle had finally calmed down, but the tent was in shambles and all of the servants were unconscious and sprawled about the place. "I hope this little spat didn''t sour your mood. Let''s just chalk it up to hot bloodedness, hehe." Archbishop Ragnir said that, but he hadn''t stopped the fight until almost the moment of no return. Aleks wasn''t a fool, he knew very well why the Archbishop had acted in such a manner. Even though his subordinates would not have won without his intervention if the two brothers had transformed into their werewolf forms, they had put up a good fight. This also showed the Archbishop their worth. It was a game and Aleks was playing along for the time being. He was patient and knew that in time, all would be his. If he had to pretend for a while, it wasn''t an issue at all. No one but him would have the last laugh. "Haha, of course. I hadn''t even noticed as I was busily enjoying this fine wine. Let us talk over a cup and perhaps some refreshments. Brock and Nelay, don''t be rude. Welcome our guests and invite them in. Perhaps we can work together after all." Chapter 67: The complexity of fate (1) ¡°Why?¡± Brock asked with an uncertain expression. ¡°Why did I agree to work with the northern churches? You only ask me this because you aren¡¯t aware of what is going on. I don¡¯t blame you though, you have been busy with other concerns and this isn¡¯t really your area of expertise.¡± Replied Aleks calmly. Their guests had already left for some time and the tent had become quiet after everyone left. It was only Aleks, who was still seated on his makeshift throne, and Brock present in the large and spacious tent. They had spent some time discussing a partnership between Aleks and the northern churches, something which seemed to go against Aleks principles. This caused Brock to be faced with a bit of hesitancy and confusion at his actions. ¡°You have never spoken a word of praise for any church and often condemn the gods, I can¡¯t understand the point of this¡­¡± ¡°Brock, you don¡¯t know this but two nights ago an assassin attempted to poison me in my sleep.¡± Brock was shocked by this revelation. He had no idea that had transpired and the way in which Aleks spoke was too calm, as if the assassination attempt had been a joke. Clearly he was still alive so the assassin had been unsuccessful but nonetheless, he imagined one might be shaken by such a thing. Aleks seemed completely unconcerned, but Brock was the opposite. ¡°What do you mean someone tried to assassinate you? Why wasn¡¯t I told about this? What happened?¡± Brock fired off questions in rapid succession. He was quite perturbed by this. In the past, it had been Brock¡¯s job to keep Aleks safe. In recent days, his job had become more like a butler or a manager overseeing Aleks¡¯s day to day necessities and managing his affairs. Even in the past he had done these things as well so it wasn¡¯t too jarring of a change, but his primary job had still been to keep Aleks safe. ¡°Relax, as you can see, I am alive and well. The assassin obviously failed to kill me, and there is no need to really hide this from you anymore but Nelay took care of the rest.¡± Aleks continued to relax as he spoke, casually sipping his cup of wine which he had been sipping for a while. It was more for appearances rather than anything else. It wasn¡¯t as if he could get drunk off of it or even that he especially enjoyed drinking wine. ¡°Took care of the rest¡­. Do you mean?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, those involved are mostly dead. As for the others, they are our new partners. Well, in name only.¡± Brock considered Aleks words carefully and gleaned a thing or two from them but he was still uncertain on a few points. ¡°On the same night and the following day that the assassin paid me a visit, there were several other high key assassinations that took place. Some were killed in their sleep, others while traveling the city. There were even some killed while fucking.. even shitting. You have been quite busy organizing the purchase of slaves and supplies as well as other matters so you may have only heard a thing or two in passing. In reality, it¡¯s not so strange for a few to disappear in a city like this when such a big event is taking place. Of course, if you piece things together, it isn¡¯t so much a coincidence as something planned. If you are paying attention, you can see the threads and connections. There were several influential and powerful individuals with significant wealth who were hoping to create an independent faction, one which would not be attached to any of the churches with presence here currently. So, the clergy in charge of their churches expeditions made sure to make them disappear. They are consolidating power and killing off any who do not wish to get in line. Nelay has been busy gathering information for me over the past couple of days, she found many interesting points of interest.¡± Brock was silent, but it was clear that his mood was gloomy. He wasn¡¯t expecting what should have been a simple thing to become so muddied and convoluted. Originally, they had made plans without taking into consideration that the beginnings of a crusade might take place. There was no way for them to know at that time and things had become tricky because of it. Brock hadn¡¯t expected the churches to go so far. ¡°I see. So is aligning with the northern churches a means of keeping ourselves safe? But surely you must know they will only treat us as expendable. They will only value us as long as they see us as a means to achieve their goals. Is this really a good choice to make?¡± Aleks chuckled as he held the wine cup and swirled the wine within in a circular fashion. ¡°You think too much, but you aren¡¯t entirely wrong. We have only aligned ourselves on the surface, just to buy a bit of time while we finish our preparations. I already have a plan in place to deal with these churches. Their so called crusade will fail and not a single one of them will escape my clutches. They may think to use us to do their bidding, but in the end, only I will prevail. Their souls shall be my sustenance and their might my strength.¡± Although Brock didn¡¯t know everything about Aleks¡¯s strange and unique power, he still remembered that day when Aleks had been surrounded by Federation Dragoons and had somehow come out unscathed. He remembered the hollow look in their eyes and their deformed bodies which looked like they had been sucked dry of their very essence. He couldn¡¯t help but shudder at his young master¡¯s words. What were his mysteries? Perhaps it was better if Brock didn¡¯t know. There were many things he didn¡¯t understand, like the two powerful young women at his side. He had no idea Nelay was an assassin, but he had witnessed her power in the battle earlier. She was clearly a peak advanced class assassin. Where was his young master finding such powerful subordinates that were so young?This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°You seem confident, then I will say no more.¡± Brock bowed slightly to Aleks and then left the tent to carry out his duties. There were still more slaves to purchase and supplies coming in daily. There were many things which needed supervision and careful planning. There was also the training of their newly burgeoning army. Aleks watched Brock leave and there was finally silence. Only Aleks still remained in the tent. He sighed deeply and put the wine cup down on a small table which had been placed near his throne. ¡°Acting is such tiring work. I no longer know which ¡°Aleks¡± is the real me and which is the fake. I have been playing this game for too long that I don¡¯t know who I am anymore.¡± Aleks mumbled tiredly to himself. He felt a moment of depression weigh him down mentally, but he shrugged it off. He had spent untold lifetimes in misery and he now had the chance to free himself from his fate. He couldn¡¯t surrender himself to despair at this moment when everything was beginning to come together. He couldn¡¯t help feel pressure though, the pressure of an insignificant being looking up at the vast and endless sky. That was the mountain he had to climb and he had to do it relatively all alone. No one could share his burden, even the beings he created were only a substitute for all the things he had lost. ¡°Enough, it is time for the next stage of my plan.¡± Soon after, a rowdy Orc came stomping into the tent after having been summoned by his master. ¡°Master, you need me?¡± Grobak grunted. ¡°Yes, I told you before that soon I would increase your level and class. Now is the time, and I also have a very important mission for you. Have you settled in the Orcs I placed under your command?¡± Grobak gave a guttural laugh before replying, ¡°I bashed some heads, they will listen to me now.¡± Aleks nodded, ¡°Good. I will increase your strength to peak advanced class. Come here.¡± Grobak was visibly excited and rushed over to Aleks¡¯s side. There was nothing he wanted more than to grow stronger. He hated the fact that there were two Human women who were stronger than him even if they were his companions. Orcs loved to dominate and it was almost unbearable to him that he was so weak. He had taken his frustrations out on the other Orcs who were now his subordinates. There was no question about the fact that he was establishing his dominance over them.
Name Grobak
Class Barbarian Berserker Berserk Lord Advanced Rank
Level 30 30 30 90
Vitality 300 750 750 Total HP 1800
Magic 0 0 0 0
PHY. ATK 66 99 110 Total PHY ATK 275
PHY. DEF 32 63 74 Total PHY DEF 169
Agility 30 45 60 Total AGI 135
MAG RES 25 50 60 Total Mag Res 135
Abilities Rage (When using the rage ability, PHY. ATK. increases by 15% but PHY. DEF. decreased by 5%, Once rage ends ability user becomes fatigued suffering a 5% decrease in PHY. ATK., PHY. DEF., and AGI until short rest) Flurry of fists (Attack in rapid succession when unarmed ignoring 10% of PHY. DEF., chance to stun) Ignore Pain (While in Rage, ignores pain from damage taken allowing one to use abilities even when vitality required is insufficient) Increased Rage (Rage lasts double the amount of time, PHY. ATK. increases by another 10% but PHY. DEF. decreases by an additional 5%) Whirlwind Strike (Using a Two-handed weapon, swing the weapon in a whirlwind, attacking multiple targets in a radius around the ability user, knock-back effect with each hit) Fearless (While in Rage, Immune to the effects of fear, stun, intimidation, and confusion) Extended Rage (Rage lasts until incapacitated but drains vitality as long as in effect, PHY. ATK increases by an additional 10% but PHY. DEF. decreases by an additional 5%) Ram¡¯s charge (While in rage, charge rapidly towards the opponent, knock down effect and stun effect vs. AGI) Elephant Stomp (Causes a quake in a radius around the user, targets around the user become physically unstable lowering AGI by 25%)
Fighting stances Unarmed Two-Handed Great Axe Proficiency
Chapter 68: The complexity of fate (2) Orcs were widely known not just for their love of fighting, but also other barbaric things such as raping, pillaging, and not so surprisingly, burning things down. At least this is what they had become known for on the continent due to their once proud civilization falling into the dusk of history and their kind devolving into brutish brigands, cannibals and other atrocious labels which were placed upon them. Of course, these were the labels the so called civilized races had placed on them and they were somewhat true. However, most had forgotten that the Orcs had a once magnificent past on the continent and were not always tribal savages. This was a golden age for the Orcs which had been led by the powerful bloodline of their species, the High Orcs. They were smarter, stronger, and more capable than the average Orc and were boosted by the strength of their bloodline. Grobak was one such Orc, although he had grown up in one of the savage tribes of the Orgren Steppes and had grown accustomed to their culture and general way of doing things. He wasn''t aware of his people''s once glorious past or the refined mannerisms of the more cultured. He was a proper Orc, or at least what was considered a proper Orc in the modern times. "Kill the men, capture the women!" Shouted Grobak as he gave orders out to the Orcs by his side. "Can we eat them?" Asked one of the burlier Orcs who was one of Grobak''s lieutenants and a peak Intermediate class being. "No, master said we can''t eat Human meat. He says it makes us weak, and stupid. We need to be more refined, whatever that means." "Hmph, didn''t we leave that Human!? Why do we need to listen to what he says?" Asked another one of the Orcs with contempt. Grobak became visibly angered, turned, and smashed the butt of his axe into the Orc''s face. "Don''t ever speak of our master again, the next time you do, I will kill you." The Orc who Grobak hit was easily floored by the attack to his face and he couldn''t speak. He rolled on the ground in pain and his nose had been broken. He couldn''t say anything due to the pain but Grobak was satisfied. "You forget yourselves. We serve the master, he is not just some "Human" do you understand? He is our master and even more, our god! Anyone who says anything else¡­ I will kill without hesitation." The Orcs shrinked back in fear and quickly grunted in obeisance. They were clearly afraid of Grobak''s wrath and he had beaten them enough that they didn''t dare talk back although some still had slight misgivings about serving a Human. In their mind, this Aleks was not a god at all. He didn''t have the aura of a god and they hadn''t seen anything godlike about him. Nonetheless, they didn''t argue with Grobak. "Don''t forget, you are all branded with a slave mark. Anyone who mentions anything about the master, will die! Now, go! Kill those barbarians and take their women as an offering to the tribe! When we return to my tribe, I will challenge the chief for leadership of the tribe and we will gift the warriors with these barbarian women. With that I will gain their loyalty and admiration!" The Orcs didn''t dally any longer and immediately charged towards the barbarian encampment they had come across by chance. Although there were very few trees and the grass was too short to hide in, the Steppes were relatively hilly and in some areas, were extremely mountainous. This made it easy for the Orcs to hide from the sight of the barbarians and being that it was late at night, visibility was obscured. The barbarians had no idea of the hundred or so Orcs which had found their camp by accident and only became aware of them when they were spotted by the lookouts. However, It wasn''t a large barbarian camp and the barbarians were little more than savages themselves. They were in some ways similar to the Orc tribes and the Orcs and barbarians often fought. They both had their small and large tribes which ruled over different areas of the Steppes. Small tribes like this wouldn''t have sophisticated weapons and armor, but instead more primitive weapons and little armor to speak of. The larger tribes would be a force to be reckoned with however, as they often traded with the dwarves or even those from the Human nations. They had much more resources and wealth in order to obtain better equipment and they were often stronger with many intermediate and even a good number of advanced class beings.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. The Orcs no longer needed to hide their presence and emitted loud growls and other battle sounds as they charged into the small barbarian encampment. They numbered a few hundred, but most would not necessarily be warriors. There would also be children, the old and non-combatants. Even if they were to take up arms, it would be a simple matter to kill them. These Orcs were not necessarily the most powerful of warriors among those on the Steppes, but they possessed sufficient strength and had been trained within the slave camps of Kordusk and eventually worked their way into the arenas. They were all upper Intermediate class beings and some had even reached the peak. It was more than enough to quickly slaughter the warriors of this barbarian tribe. Grobak didn''t bother to participate in the fighting and only looked on. No one but he knew what he was thinking and no other knew what manner of being was watching from within him. From within, the powerful ''Astral Soul'' of Aleksandros observed silently. His body was still within the military camp his people had set up outside of Kordusk and they had yet to leave the vicinity of the city although the expedition was soon to begin. He wished to understand the Steppes better with his own eyes and had used his ability to travel alongside Grobak. This was also a means for him to remain in communication with him and to help guide him for the mission that Aleks had set for him. It wasn''t his command that had ordered Grobak and the Orcs with him to attack this group of barbarians. Nor did he say anything to halt Grobak''s actions. He only observed and would occasionally offer guidance, but as he watched the carnage inflicted upon this small tribe by the Orcs he couldn''t help but be engrossed in some of his more tragic memories. He had seen such scenes a thousand times. He had been the victim of such and at other times the instigator, although in reality those lives weren''t truly his. His soul was a mere passenger along a jaded road that was not of his own choosing. As such, he felt no guilt or regret for the events of those lives which he considered not his own. However, the screams of the dying, the wails of the women as they were dragged across the grass and dirt, and the horror in the eyes of the old and young alike filled him with a slight sense of remorse. He wasn''t a murderer in his original life. He was a man that had followed rules, most of which he had placed upon himself. A rigid and lonely life that was absorbed in his own world of creativity and ingenuity that only he alone could exist in. He was a prisoner of his own design, but in a sense he could still be considered free. But it was all a lie. Existence is a lie, a lie fueled by ignorance. The truth, is cruel and unjust. Here, and everywhere, the strong prey upon the weak and the weak are fuel that strengthen the powerful. It is a vicious cycle I am too weak to change. If I were to call myself a hypocrite, perhaps it would be true but even in light of such a truth, I can only walk down this path with steady footsteps. For at the end, lie my only path to redemption. I must become that which I hate. For in that abyss, in that darkest night, I saw with eyes unblemished¡­ myself and my sin. It stared back at me with judging eyes, and it was then.. at that moment, that I became that which I abhor.
A lone carriage rumbled and slightly shook along old cobblestones. It was dark, and the moon was still prominent among the night sky. There was a certain solemnity to it, as if the morning bowed to the majesty of the dim moonlight. A young girl gazed into the starry sky from a window of the carriage, her long blonde hair flowed gently to her side. She was beautiful and radiant and her skin, which was the color of snow, gleamed with the light of the moon. She was like an enchanted being, one which did not belong in this world. Her movements were gentle and calm, and her eyes were like sparkling sapphires. Her heart was restless and as she looked gently into the night, she felt no comfort there. "Are you certain that the demon which inhabits my brother''s body is there?" She asked to someone within the carriage even though she continued to look outside the window. "There is no certainty, only speculation. You should know very well how tricky that demon is. It even fooled you didn''t it? What we do know, was that it was here and now it isn''t. There are some¡­ traces of its passing and the Night Fury insists it has head towards Kordusk. It makes some sense.. Seeing as such a large event is taking place there currently. Although, we should also expect to find nothing. Either way, we can''t keep wasting time here." "Just remember.. If we do find it, I will be the one to take its life." Chapter 69: Departing (1) Several slaves grunted in unison as they carried a relatively heavy chair with a base made of thick wood. The back of the chair which was similar to a throne was made of a more flexible wood for comfort and the seat itself was heavily cushioned in order to provide maximum comfort to the one seated. Aleks was lounging on this very throne, deep in thought while he was being carried around by the slaves. He didn''t particularly enjoy these types of things and in fact didn''t very much like the idea of slavery to begin with. Slavery was something which had long disappeared in his original world, at least on the surface, and the ideas of freedom had long been ingrained in the people. Of course, this didn''t mean the people actually possessed freedom themselves, but they sure loved to tout their ideas about the freedoms they believed themselves to have. There was plenty of irony to be had in this situation, but Aleks didn''t care much for it. This was how he was expected to act, even if he had taken it to somewhat of an extreme. This was helpful to him though, because the more extreme those around him thought he was, the less of a threat he would seem. No one feared a fool who was filled with excessive arrogance. If some flattery, a show of strength, an offer of reward or a play on their hubris was enough to manipulate such a person, wouldn''t they be easy to deal with? This was the very image he had shown to his current rivals and competitors. "Put me down here, this is a good place to watch from." Aleks ordered the slaves carrying him on the throne. They placed him down gently, very careful not to cause him any discomfort. Other than the slaves who were responsible for carrying his throne, there were also female slaves responsible for his needs in his entourage. They would make sure that anything Aleks needed would be quickly brought to him and they would serve him his food and drink whenever he needed it. They would also fan him and provide him with any other service he desired, although at the most he would have them massage him. He wasn''t interested in their charms, none of them could truly move his desire. His desire was only for power, the power to change his fate. "Nelay, I know you are near. Show yourself." Aleks whispered to no one in particular. Nelay soon appeared without delay. No one had seen where she had appeared from or how. One moment there was no one there and the next, Nelay was gently approaching Aleks''s throne. "Yes master." She said with a respectful tone and her head bowed. "Do you have any new information for me?" "Not much master, but it appears they will soon be ready to begin the expedition." Nelay whispered in Aleks''s ear. "It seems that all of the stragglers have been removed or have already aligned themselves with a faction then. How many factions are there now? Who is the strongest?" "It should be obvious that the Aerthian Pantheon has the strongest presence, but the Anunnaki of each faction are not involved in this crusade. As for the Northern pantheon of gods, they are second in strength and influence. The others are marginally weaker. There are five factions in total." "Five factions¡­ The Anunnaki are the ten most powerful gods of a pantheon and usually are at the least mid Greater gods. It seems that this time they are offering up the Steppes to some of the weaker gods among the various pantheons and those unaffiliated. In the last crusade, the more powerful gods, like Tihr, gained quite a bit. This must be a form of consolation to those who could not benefit much from the last crusade. The Northern pantheon especially it seems, since they gained nothing previously. Mimir is actually a Greater god but only a lower one, nonetheless his might is quite substantial. The fact that he is allowed to participate in this crusade tells us something. He is also quite closely aligned with Wotan, the High god of the Northern pantheon. As for the other factions, they are just a ragtag bunch, nothing worthy of note. They aren''t even a part of any pantheon but nominally belong to others or are loose gods. A pantheon can only be established by a High god, and there are very few of them to begin with."Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Aleks seemed to be speaking to himself but Nelay didn''t dare show any disrespect and listened attentively. She was intrigued however, the politics of the realm of gods was not something she was normally privy too. How her master knew so much she didn''t know, but then again her master did possess otherworldly powers even though he hadn''t yet fully ascended to godhood. "I will consider these further at another time, for now let us watch." Aleks pointed towards a makeshift ring that had been set up from wooden posts around a relatively large area for combat purposes. Lenia was currently facing off against five peak Intermediate class beings she had chosen to act as commanders. They had surrounded her and were cautiously approaching with their weapons at the ready. The slaves were very clear of the power difference but felt they might pose a chance if they surrounded Lenia. Even if they lacked in strength, they didn''t lack in battle experience. "The training is coming along well, although these slaves were already experienced in battle. They only lack discipline and loyalty, both essential for any army." Nelay listened silently and watched Lenia bash her shield into one of the slave warriors before striking another to her left. Their attempt to surround her was unsuccessful as her strength was too great, but they were quick to adapt and fought to the best of their ability. Lenia specialized in defense so even with the five of them, they couldn''t touch her. "She is truly talented, give her some time and she will absolutely become a master class being!" A loud booming voice could be heard soon followed by laughter. A slave rushed over to Aleks''s side but stepped back in fear when Nelay gave the slave a murderous look. "I''m sorry master, we couldn''t stop them from entering." He nervously said while bowing in obiesance. Aleks only lightly looked towards the three approaching burly men who he had now become quite familiar with. He of course already knew of their presence but there was no need to state it. He only nodded his head with approaching figures in indifference. "You have returned. I wasn''t expecting you today. My apologies for the lack of a respectful welcome." Archbishop Ragnir chuckled despite Aleks disrespectful behavior. Naturally, being a high ranking church official, Aleks should have at the least come down from his throne and greeted him with the respect he deserves. However, Aleks had never shown any deference towards the Archbishop. The Archbishop didn''t seem to mind the lack of respect, he was much more concerned with one''s strength than with one''s manner. Nonetheless, the two master class being twins beside him were not pleased with Aleks''s behavior. "I have only come to admire your powerful subordinates on a whim after all, it is to be expected." Ragnir waved it off and motioned towards his subordinates to calm themselves. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" Archbishop Ragnir smiled and looked around briefly before clasping his hands in front of his stomach, "I happened to hear an interesting story in passing and thought I would share. We are now allies after all and I am putting a lot of faith in you." Although Ragnir''s words seemed friendly, there was a certain slyness in his eyes that Aleks did not fail to see. Instead of responding, he waited for Ragnir to continue. "I remembered an old tale that I heard years ago now. As a humble servant of Wotan, the Great Father and benefactor of warriors, war is always something of great interest to me. Over the past few days I have been pondering an event that took place which I had great admiration for. It involves a young general of great renown overcoming a much greater foe, saving a nation, winning fame and fortune and in the end even gaining the interest of many a noble lady. Of course, in the end he turned all of it down for an old friend and a child. I believe you know who I am referring to." Aleks listened attentively and was unsure where he was going with his story at first but it didn''t take long for him to realize the point of his narration. "What do you want? Is there a need for word games, just state your intention." Ragnir gave an expression as if he were hurt by Aleks''s lack of faith in his well placed intentions, but he was only putting on a show. Chapter 70: Departing (2) "No need to be upset, remember we are on the same side now. I wouldn''t want any harm to come to you, that is the reason I am bringing this up." "I don''t follow." Aleks said somewhat impatiently although his posture said otherwise. "It has come to my attention that a certain important person will be arriving within the week to accompany the Aerthian expedition. Someone high in the Church of Tihr I am told, a new rising star of the clergy. I don''t know the exact details, but I do know you have a complicated past with the Aerthian pantheon and the Church of Murder has been asking around about someone, who looks a lot like you. The Northern pantheon had nothing to do with the events of a few years ago, but I know a thing or two about what happened. If not for the Church of Tihr''s influence behind the scenes, a certain country would not have been destroyed." Archbishop Ragnir eloquently spoke while being somewhat mysterious. Aleks intentionally put on a facade of hostility as he gritted his teeth, "Is there a point to this story, or am I supposed to be impressed?" The Archbishop didn''t seem to mind Aleks''s reaction as he continued, "Don''t worry, as I said, we are partners. I am only bringing this information to you out of concern. Our expedition will set out in a few days, well before this representative of the Church of Tihr arrives. I am even willing to delay them for you while we head further into the Steppes. You should know that we of the Northern Church always help our own." "How magnanimous of you. This can''t be the only reason you decided to grace us with your presence." Ragnir chuckled once more and walked closer to Aleks while the two werewolf brutes in Human form bared their teeth in smug smiles. Nelay was intending to take a step forward to block the man from approaching but was stopped by a glance from Aleks. He simply did not fear this Archbishop or his two oversized henchmen. He could easily kill them if he truly wished to, it would only cost him a chunk of his remaining ''Soul Potential''. He could always acquire more and it wasn''t as if they could harm him either. So what did he have to fear? "I am taking a risk helping you. I think that you should perhaps show a bit of¡­ gratitude. I need certain assurances that you are sincere if you catch my meaning." Aleks finally rose from his throne and walked slowly towards Archbishop Ragnir with Nelay walking a short distance behind him, she was much like his shadow. "So in essence, you want something from me. A favor for a favor is it? Why didn''t you just come out and say it. I know what you want, you want the services of my guardian Brock. Isn''t that right?" Ragnir raised both of his arms in joy, "Ah! I am happy to see that you are quite intelligent. I prefer to speak with those who have a bit of cleverness to them, rather than these two lugheads behind me. Although, too much cleverness could be dangerous." Aleks ignored the threat in his words and motioned towards a slave. He whispered in the slave''s ear and then turned back to face Ragnir while the slave ran off. "Brock is training some of my slaves currently, but I will have him accompany you once the expedition sets out. Is this satisfactory?" "That''s fine. I will expect his obedient service for the duration of the expedition. This is a momentous occasion and we can not afford to fail. I am sure you will agree. If we are unsuccessful in our endeavour, I also can''t guarantee your safety. Don''t forget that."This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Aleks nodded, "You don''t need to remind me. I am well aware." "Good. We will leave in a few days, prepare well. I expect great things from you. Haha!" The Archbishop and his two subordinates left in a jovial mood and were happily discussing their observations of Aleks''s camp while speculating their future prospects and fortune. They were impressed by the discipline of the camp and were especially happy to gain the services of the famed war hero, Flash Blade Brock, who was renowned as a great warrior and general. Aleks only watched silently as the group left without moving. He appeared to be considering something but in reality he was pleased with the outcome. Although one might think he had been taken advantage of, only he knew that this was something he not only expected but would in fact help his cause. "Master, are you sure about this?" Nelay finally voiced her concern. She hated seeing her master being taken advantage of and that was how it appeared to her. "This is fine. It may not seem so, but we have gained two things from this exchange. One, the knowledge that at least the more powerful gods of the Northern church were not involved in the incidents of the past. I am not talking about what happened a few years ago. I am speaking of my true identity. For the moment, we can at least infer this. Otherwise, things would have gone very differently. Although it doesn''t discount a rogue member of their pantheon being involved, if Wotan is not involved that is enough. It would seem that my conjecture is not far from the truth, that only a few gods were involved. Most likely they intended to keep it a secret from the rest to gain all the benefits. They haven''t told the others of their kind everything. And secondly, we also gain time, which is what we need most right now. I must gain the power of the Origin resting in these lands as soon as possible. Also, it would be best to leave Brock with them, there are too many things I do not wish for him to know about me and what I am truly capable of." Nelay didn''t say anything more and slowly digested his words. She truly admired her master''s foresight and wisdom.
Bright bonfires lit the solemn night air casting shadows all across the Orc encampment laid out across a small region of the Steppes. It was a relatively decent sized encampment, but not a large one. It housed a tribe of middling size, around a thousand which included the warriors of the tribe, the older elders, the women and the children. It was a common sight among the Steppes which contained many such tribal encampments. Only the truly enormous tribes of the Steppes would have sprawling camps which were much more like cities than anything else. Their abodes were also permanent and there was no need for them to traverse the Steppes unlike the smaller tribes that were constantly on the move. Normally, the Orcs of such tribes would be deep in their debauchery as they raucously laughed and drank themselves into a stupor around the large bonfires. Oftentimes, they wouldn''t even bother to conceal themselves as they raped their captives in sight of everyone else and would even take turns defiling their pitiful victims. None of the Orcs thought this a strange sight whether they be the other men of the tribe, the old, the females among their tribe, or even the young. It was a natural occurrence and nothing out of the ordinary. On this night however, a thin trail of blood ran through the Orc encampment as a large and powerful Orc gripped tightly a decapitated head in one hand at his side and walked confidently towards the center of the camp. In his other hand, a large battle axe was being held with the axe head resting above his shoulder. He was grunting with smug confidence and glaring at the Orcs watching in shock from among the crowd. Following close behind him were around a hundred strong Orc warriors who were aggressively taunting the crowd. There was fear in the eyes of the warriors among the crowd and none stepped forward to stop them from approaching the Chief who was seated on a tribal throne. "Grobak, how dare you show yourself here after having been captured by Humans!" Grobak gave a guttural laugh before tossing the decapitated head over to the Chief. "He said the same thing. I have returned to challenge you for leadership of the tribe as is my right! Come old man and die before my axe!" Chapter 71: Departing (3) Grobak could feel the rage building up within him but he still calmly motioned towards the Chief insultingly. This angered the Chief greatly who shouted, "You are asking for death! You are not worthy to face me in battle, warriors kill him!" Grobak laughed in his deep voice once more, "Are you afraid of me old man? Quickly get down here and stop wasting my time. No one is going to help you today. Right boys?" The hundred or so Orcs that followed behind Grobak cheered and taunted the Orcs once more. They were all equipped with proper weapons and armor and were all fierce warriors who had survived the slave pits. They were not afraid of the Orc warriors of this tribe and it was a tradition of the Orcs that only the strongest should rule. The Chief shouted once more and ordered his warriors to act, but they didn''t move and instead began to look at the Chief with slight disdain. They could see that what Grobak had said was true, that he appeared afraid. They respected the strong and while they wouldn''t necessarily shy away from battle even if the enemy was stronger, this was different. Grobak was a member of their tribe even if he had been captured by Humans and he had already defeated one challenger and now challenged the Chief to a fair combat. Grobak watched on and grinned ferociously, he could feel his blood boiling as the rage within became almost uncontrollable. He roared while pounding his chest with one of his fists, his axe still in the other. This was a vicious provocation that the Chief of this tribe could no longer ignore. "It was I who found you alone amongst the Steppes and raised you as one of my own people. This is how you repay me? I shall see you dead with my own hands." "Bah, don''t bore me with your stupid tale! You saved me only to be cannon fodder in your tribe, not out of kindness or concern. You have all grown weak. How do you think it was so easy to find you? You all cower in your tents, afraid to even risk moving your camp too far from the lands you are familiar with. Enough of this, I will take this tribe to new heights and we shall be warriors once more. HA!" Grobak roared, causing all the Orcs following him to yell in excitement. They chanted his name and loudly banged their weapons while stomping their feet causing the Orcs of the tribe to be intimidated by their actions. They too began to feel their blood boil with excitement at Grobak''s ferocity and his words. They too dreamed of the excitement of battle and the thrill of the kill. Without any further words, Grobak charged towards the Chief of his former tribe howling like a mad man. His rage had grown to frightening levels and the power of his rage fueled his strength driving him close to madness. With his large axe held firmly in his hand he bounded ferociously towards his target putting all his strength into the swing of his axe. The Chief attempted to block the axe with his own, but the momentum that Grobak had built put great pressure on him. He could feel the immense strength which had been enhanced by Grobak''s ability fueling the power of his swing. The Chief fearfully attempted to block Grobak''s axe but the axe cut through his weapon as if it were butter, cleaving it in half. The axe continued to fall, embedding itself in the Chief''s body and quickly ending his life. He hadn''t even had time to consider his next move, the attack was too swift and ferocious cutting him down with ease. Grobak''s axe was stuck in the chest of the Chief and he attempted to shake the axe to remove the body but it was stuck too tightly. He finally used his foot to push the body off the axe and the old Chief slumped to the ground completely and utterly dead. The crowd looked on in shock and there was a moment of quiet before the Orcs which accompanied Grobak roared and cheered. Even the Orcs of the tribe who were in the crowd began to cheer proclaiming their new chief. There was excitement and expressions of anticipation for the future among the crowd. Grobak only stood there looking down at the Orc who had once been his Chief while holding his bloody axe. No one knew what he was thinking, but deep within him where no one could see, were dark eyes and a brooding mind which had watched everything silently.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Good job Grobak, all according to plan. Now you must consolidate power among the tribes in the area, gather all their warriors. We shall depart here soon and it will be your job to make sure that our trip becomes eventful. Become my champion among your kind, spread my word, and pave the way for my future ascension.
Aleks currently sat comfortably in a cushioned carriage which was additionally enchanted with magic to make sure that his ride would be smooth and quiet no matter what was going on outside of it. It was the same carriage he originally rode into Kordusk with, but this time he was seated inside alone. He listlessly glanced out of the carriage window and saw soldiers marching all around him, including more carriages and slaves walking closely to them. He heard nothing though despite the hubbub of noise which must have been going on outside. He was alone because Brock had already gone to the camp of the Northern churches, Lenia was leading his army, and Nelay was currently scouting the surroundings as well as spying on other expeditions. She would return occasionally to report to Aleks but never stayed long. Since Aleks had used his ability ''Astral Projection'' and housed it in Grobak''s body, he couldn''t use the ability on Nelay and could only rely on her reports. She was extremely talented and moved quickly so he was well aware of the situation around him at all times. The expedition had finally begun although it had taken longer to begin than he had originally anticipated. Of course, many things had gone out of his expectations since he left Andor''s Edge but he continued to adapt his plans accordingly. If not for his past experiences he most likely would not have been able to accomplish what he had nor be as flexible in his planning. No, this is fine. The more chaos, the better. The more souls, the more fuel for my strength. Things are becoming complicated though. What concerned Aleks most was not the expedition or the churches all around him. It was the information that Ragnir had provided for him that worried him more than anything else. Why is Tihr sending a representative to Kordusk? Is it a coincidence? Something at the back of his mind left him feeling slight unease. He didn''t think the fact that he had seen someone resembling his sister was a coincidence, but he truly hoped otherwise. Aleks sighed while thinking of this. Failure was something he could not afford, for if he failed, it didn''t only mean his death. No, what awaited him was a fate far worse than death for he knew what was awaiting him in the afterlife. Although Aleks always seemed to be calm and confident on the surface, in the depths of his heart, he was anxious. Nonetheless, he continued to look on with cold eyes and a calm heart. It was the only way he could keep himself from succumbing to madness.
The immense walls of Kordusk stood tall amidst the morning fog. It was a relatively humid and hot day and it appeared that rain may soon follow. However, many mornings were such in this city which bordered the vast Steppes. This city, which appeared as if the last bastion of civilization before spreading out into a wild and savage territory. "So this is Kordusk? People call it the edge of civilization and the bastion city against the wild barbarous people of the Steppes. It truly is an orderly and dignified place, but I wonder, what is more savage than the human heart?" A beautiful voice chimed. "Your words ring with truth. Truly Tihr has bestowed great blessings upon you, but that is to be expected from a god of Justice. I suppose seeing a city that allows slavery might be somewhat irksome to you, but this is the reality of life. The strong rule over the weak, they can only lament in their circumstance." A blonde haired woman with bright sapphire eyes turned her head to look at the man seated across from her in her carriage which was slowly making its way through the city gates of Kordusk and into the city proper. "You misunderstand me. Justice isn''t always about personal freedom, it is built on laws, order, and tradition. These slaves serve a greater purpose and it is entirely lawful even if some find it distasteful. The great and wise Tihr would certainly find this orderly city to be to his taste. Kordusk didn''t exist when the Grand Cathedral of Tihr was originally built, but I think if it were today, this city may very well have been chosen to house his cathedral. Andor''s Edge has fallen to depravity and disorder, it goes against everything our great god Tihr represents, but perhaps there is a purpose in that too." The older man seated across from the young woman chuckled as a wisp of electricity seemed to flash in his eyes. "I see, well either way it is no concern of mine." The older man shrugged in indifference. "It took too long to arrive here. Even if it was here, it is most likely gone now." Replied the young woman with an exasperated expression. "No matter where he runs, he won''t escape us." The young woman became somewhat incessed and said angrily, "Don''t call it a he." A brief electric crackle sizzled from between the fingers of the wizened man and he arced one eyebrow before shrugging, "My apologies, I forgot." The beautiful young woman with golden hair that glistened like the sun stared at the old man for a long time before finally looking away once more out of the window of the carriage. Chapter 72: Blood on the Steppes (1) It was a rare sight to see Aleks atop a horse, he had spent almost the entire time traveling so far in his carriage. He would occasionally come out for fresh air so the slaves were only somewhat familiar with his appearance. Of course, everytime he did come out in public no one could see his face, as he always wore a solid gold mask that seemed to radiate some kind of strange power. If anything, the slaves that did see him were too afraid to even approach him or look at him. Especially his mask, they feared his mask most of all. If any accidentally glanced at his mask, they would always see his deep and piercing eyes which seemed to peer into their souls sending shivers down their spines. Only a very few were ever able to be in his presence when he took the mask off. All of the slaves, including those who served as warriors in his army, were deeply afraid of him and any thoughts of resisting or of escape had already long gone from their minds. The reason Aleks was riding on a horse this day was because he wished to survey his army which Lenia had been training and managing over the last couple of weeks. Even though they had begun their march into the Steppes, the training never stopped. Whenever the day''s march ended, the training would begin and his army were becoming much better organized and disciplined. Any that fell short or didn''t meet up to Lenia''s expectations were beaten up badly by her personally and all of the warriors also began to develop a healthy fear of her. "It''s hot." Aleks said while observing his army marching in an orderly fashion. It was a much different sight than when they first set out even though it had only been a few days. "Master, you only now realize it''s hot? Maybe you spend too much time in the carriage. You should wear something lighter." Nelay was following close behind Aleks on her own horse and pretended to mutter under her breath. Despite her quiet demeanor to others, she loved to complain under her breath whenever Aleks was involved. Usually those complaints had something to do with her master''s strange habits and tastes. To Aleks, it was almost as if she were acting like a nagging wife. As usual, Aleks ignored her grumbling and pretended not to hear her. "I suppose the weather on the Steppes would be desirable to most, but I just can''t find it comfortable. I prefer cooler weather. Tonight should be an especially hot night, be prepared." It seemed as if Aleks was just making small talk, but Nelay understood his intentions. Tonight would be the night of the first attack and it was Nelay''s responsibility to ensure that the attack succeeded. The expedition of the Northern churches had been divided into several groups and each group were approximately an hour''s ride from each other. The purpose of this was to cover as much ground as possible while sweeping through the outer areas of the Steppes. Their targets were any loose tribes they came across. If they could thin out the numbers of tribals on the Steppes before they could gather into a horde, it would be beneficial to the expeditions. They needed to at least remove those from the region so that they could continue to establish a secure colony on the Steppes. This was in fact the second phase of the expedition. The first phase had been carried out in relative secrecy. A forward force had already infiltrated the Steppes and establish a large fort within it and a growing town with many essential infrastructure. This was to be the headquarters of the expedition and its initial town. From here, the eventual conquest of the Steppes would take place. This would of course be the third phase which would happen at a much later time.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Currently, the objective of the expedition was to sweep the outer regions of the Steppes and all the surrounding areas of the town and fort in order to establish a safe region for future conquests. They would then build a road and a safe transportation route to Kordusk to ensure a reliable supply and reinforcement path. In order to achieve this goal, a great amount of manpower was required. That was the purpose of the many churches involved forming factions which had gathered together many clergyman, soldiers, servants, slaves, knights and mercenaries. They would not only be the initial vanguard of the expedition, but also the first colonists. "I understand." Replied Nelay after a moment of silence. "It is good that you understand." Aleks dismissed her with a wave and Nelay turned her horse and rode off while Aleks continued to observe the marching troops. The terrain in this region was mostly flat with the occasional rolling hills so the marching wasn''t difficult. It would only become more rugged and hilly as they went further into the region however. They hadn''t come across any tribal encampments as they marched, which was within his expectations as Grobak had been handling his mission quite efficiently. "Now, we wait."
"I feel like I can almost smell its stench in this place. Have you found nothing?" "It is difficult to say. You have to understand that the number of foreigners, mercenaries, adventurers and others pouring into the city over the past few weeks numbers in the tens of thousands. It isn''t as simple as you think Shelise. Tracking him down is like trying to find a needle in a haystack and he has covered his tracks relatively well." The beautiful woman named Shelise stood looking outside the window of her luxurious hotel room. The room was similar to the one Aleks had stayed in when he was in Kordusk. They even stayed in the same hotel. Although she wasn''t aware of this, Shelise felt something off, something she couldn''t describe well. It was like the smell of rotten filth or the stench of the sewer. It was difficult for her to explain and there was also the chance it was all in her head and not real at all. "I know it was here Eneran, we need to find it immediately!" Shelise shouted in anger while smashing her fist against the wooden window pane and shaking the glass within. Eneran raised his eyebrows in dissatisfaction. There were only a rare few who ever dared to speak to him in such a manner. He was a Legendary being and extremely powerful. The only ones who had dared speak with him in such a way in the past were all dead. However, despite his annoyance at Shelise''s attitude, he only snorted and shook his head. "You may be a priestess of Tihr and a potential Saint, but do not forget that I serve Mystra. We may be allies but I do not serve you. I was slaying thousands while you weren''t even born yet! Don''t forget your place." Shelise turned her head and stared at Eneran. Her expression was much calmer than he expected and as he looked in her eyes, they began to shimmer unnaturally. He felt uncomfortable the longer her eyes met his until he finally looked away. There was something in her eyes he couldn''t explain, a strange power to them. She was certainly someone blessed by Tihr. Eneran threw up his hands, "I don''t know what else you want me to say. The Nightfury has a few leads but she hasn''t found anything concrete and the expeditions already left a few days ago. If he is among them, it will be even more difficult to find him if he has escaped to the Steppes. There are no gods there, and the power of faith and divinity will be weakened." "I don''t trust that woman." "Melisana may be from the Church of Murder, but she wants to find your brother as much as us, if she can''t find a solid lead then most likely he isn''t here." "It is not my brother!" "Fine, then what should we do next?" Eneran was growing frustrated by this seemingly endless fox hunt, but this was an order by his goddess which he couldn''t refuse. He couldn''t understand what was so important about this young man who had already lost everything. What threat could he pose? Eneran greatly doubted he was able to do what he was suspected of doing and questioned whether he was truly so dangerous. Nonetheless, this was his mission. He could only go along begrudgingly. A mighty legendary being such as himself was reduced to a lowly hunter, he could only shake his head. While he was considering this a light knock was heard on the hotel door. Chapter 73: Blood on the Steppes (2) "Who could it be?" Asked Shelise cautiously. Eneran shrugged and moved towards the door, opening it. There was a nervous man standing outside the door with his hand raised. He was about to knock a second time when the door opened. He was dressed in the garbs of a clergyman, albeit a low level clergyman, most likely a cleric. Other than that, there was nothing noticeable about his appearance, he was plain and his hair was disheveled. "Hmm" Eneran eyed him up and down with lightning occasionally streaking across his pupils, cutting a rather scary figure. The lowly cleric was shaking slightly in fear, "Um excuse me, sorry.. May I come in?" He stuttered, barely able to get a word out. Eneran checked the hallway and saw no one else and then pulled the cleric into the room eliciting a shocked scream from the cleric. "A Northerner, aren''t you? Why are you here?" Shelise asked while glaring at the man. His eyes opened wide when he saw her, she was an extremely beautiful young woman and it took him a while before he could collect himself and react to the situation before him. "I come with a message for you from Archbishop Ragnir." Shelise continued to glare at the man who shrunk back, visibly anxious. Her eyes were frightening to him, and he could only look anywhere else but at her face. Eneran put his arm on the man to calm him. "Speak then, we don''t have much time to waste here." "Well.. umm.. Archbishop Ragnir wanted me to tell you that the one you are looking for is with our expedition now and they are heading¡­" The man couldn''t finish his statement as Shelise had rushed over to him and grabbed him by the neck, shaking him. "Where!? Tell me now!" She asked impatiently. The cleric could not respond and Eneran had to remove Shelise from him and calm him down again before he would speak. "The Archbishop said to tell you that he only realized who the man was once they had already set out. He had no desire of interfering with the Church of Tihr''s intentions and he sent me here as quickly as possible to inform you. He didn''t want to alarm your target and so he hasn''t moved against him and is waiting for you on the Steppes. If you hurry, you should be able to capture him in a matter of days but you need to be wary, he has an army and powerful allies." Eneran scoffed, "He will not be able to escape us, an army of cannon fodder is just that, no need to concern yourself." "I knew it! I knew that it was here. I could feel it. We must hurry in order to catch it as soon as possible!" Shelise gripped her fists tightly and a look of determination crossed her face. She was ecstatic to finally get revenge for what happened to her family. She completely ignored the cleric and Eneran, who put his arm around the cleric as he led him to the door. They were discussing something but Shelise was in her own world, dreaming of her revenge, and didn''t pay attention to their conversation. "I will soon pour out all of its blood upon the Steppes and finally, my family will be able to rest in peace. This is all thanks to the great and mighty Tihr!"
A large military camp spread out into the distance and it was difficult to see how immense it was due to the darkness of night. Of course the size of the army was far from the largest, but there was easily an army of over ten thousand in this military camp. Because of the numerous tents, areas where the horses and other animals rested, and the wagons and carts transporting food and equipment, the camp was large. The amount of supplies and equipment required for the expedition was much larger than an army would usually need and managing all of it also required a good amount of manpower.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. There was also large area where slaves were kept who were forced to live in barely better conditions than squalor. They numbered nearly as much as the army and so the total size of the camp was somewhere around twenty thousand. This was also just one of the camps that made up the Northern churches expedition, but it was the largest and the core. Fire pits and torches, which were lit in intervals, brightened up the camp which was divided into different areas. However, it was difficult to light such a large camp. It was possible to do so with magic, but this would either require a significant number of expensive magic equipment or the consistent use of magic power which would drain the magic casters. Neither was feasible for most armies and so it was still necessary to rely on old fashioned torches. Only the more important areas of the camp, such as the command tent and areas for the clergy and magic casters in the center, would have magic equipment to brighten their tents. Above the tents flew flags with various symbols belonging to the Northern churches and knights, warriors and soldiers patrolled the outskirts of the camp in shifts. The camp was well organized and well maintained without the normal chaos of a military camp. These were elite soldiers and zealots who faithfully served their gods and their discipline was a notch above the average soldier. Standing around a table in the command tent, which appeared to have a partially mapped out area of the Steppes, several important figures were discussing the path of their expedition as well as the overall situation of the Steppes. Archbishop Ragnir and the twin werewolf brothers were among this group, but there were other important figures including the commander of the Northern church''s army for the expedition. The commander was a well known and powerful master class being who had been specifically brought south to oversee the Northern church''s expeditionary force. He was a grizzled veteran of many wars and a competent strategist. "Are there still no reports from the scouts?" "None sir, it as if they have all disappeared. Not a single one has returned." "This is bad, how can all of our scouts go missing, we sent out dozens of them." The officers and high clergy were discussing the strange occurrences which had been disrupting their plans. "And what of the magic casters, have you tried scrying?" Asked Archbishop Ragnir who was furrowing his brow as he looked at all the blank areas of the map. "There seems to be some sort of magical interference." Answered the commander. "What could possibly cause interference? There is nothing more than barbarian scum and savage Orcs on the Steppes. Are you saying our magic casters are incapable of scrying the terrain?" "The Orcs and Barbarians have their own magic casters. Their Shamans may be responsible for this, we don''t know much about their magic abilities. We have had too little contact with their kind." "How can that even be possible, are you saying these savages are aware of our presence? This phase of the expedition was supposed to be kept a secret, the tribes shouldn''t be aware of our intentions." "Then why haven''t we seen a single camp yet? We have only seen some tracks here and there but not a single Orc or Barbarian." Those present were arguing with each other causing Ragnir to suddenly have a headache. In a fit of anger he slammed his hand down on the table, silencing the group. "We have to assume they know of our presence. How this happened or why we haven''t come across any tribes yet is a mystery. We can only deal with the reality of the present, what do we do now? We are supposed to be sweeping the area of all tribes and killing or enslaving them. If they were to unite, they could delay our expedition and cause us numerous troubles. Although the numbers in this region can''t pose a significant threat, it is still an unwelcome situation. It will be a catastrophe if they are able to move the larger tribes. If the horde moves, this expedition may end up a failure." The group within the tent turned grim with Ragnir''s words. They had nothing to retort and could only consider the circumstance in silence. Brock was present in the command tent as well but he stood back away from the rest. He wasn''t exactly welcome, nor trusted, and so none asked his opinion. He listened carefully to the conversation in the tent however and had his own thoughts about their situation. He didn''t care whether the expedition succeeded or failed though, and said nothing. Ragnir eyed him briefly but shook his head. Even though he was the true authority of the expedition that didn''t mean he could easily undermine the commander he had requested himself. "Then what do you suggest our course of action should be Commander Uthard?" The commander didn''t answer immediately as he carefully surveyed the map but before long, shouts were heard outside the tent and a soldier came running into the command tent. "We are under attack!" Those within the command tent had shocked expressions, but quickly recovered. "Dammit! This must be what they had intended. What are the sentries doing?" "Sir, the sentries never gave out any warning! We only knew once the Orcs were already slaughtering their way into the camp. I ran here as soon as I heard the shouts of battle." The soldier said while catching his breath. "We must hurry and organize a defense and push them out quickly. Go now!" The commander shouted while everyone within the tent rushed out. The twin direwolves especially were infuriated and had run out before anyone else to rush into the battle. They had already begun their werewolf transformation, not waiting another second. Chapter 74: Blood on the Steppes (3) The twin direwolves howled into the night. They ran amidst the tents and flickering shadows caused by the torch light. They could hear clearly the sounds of battle and the moans and screams of the dying. Orc grunts and shouts could also clearly be heard somewhere in the distance. The Orcs had somehow pushed their way far into the outer region of the camp and fires had started among the tents causing a chaotic scene to unfold. Since the two brothers were werewolves, they had enhanced senses and could hear the distant shouts. They moved quickly on all fours like wild beasts and flew through the camp at incredible speeds. As they drew closer to the sounds, they could see many soldiers running about and beginning to gather into defensive formations. None of this mattered to them however. Their rage had already taken over most of their reasoning and the only thing they sought was the blood of their enemies. It wasn''t long before the sight of battle entered their eyes and the scent of blood lingered in their noses. Numerous Orcs were fighting with their own elites who had been caught unaware and hadn''t had the time to properly equip themselves. They had only just heard the shouts and screams of battle moments before but hadn''t had the time to equip most of their armor and could only grab what they could without delay before the enemy was upon them. The fighting was intense and the Orcs temporarily had the upper hand despite being inferior in power to their elite soldiers. The Orcs were extremely aggressive and seemed to feel no fear as they collided with the soldiers in the camp. They didn''t even care for their lives, throwing themselves against the superior elite soldiers of the Northern churches. The two twin direwolves suddenly jumped into the fray, tearing apart anyone who got in their way. They were already caught up in their bloodlust and it didn''t matter friend or foe, everyone who drew near to them was killed without hesitation. This was one of characteristics of werewolves which was of greatest concern when in battle. They would attack anything which wasn''t a werewolf like them. Their reasoning had already disappeared with their desire to kill overcoming it. There was no question that the two master class being werewolves were extremely powerful and all in the area fell swiftly until none remained standing. The werewolves breathed deeply as they moved their blood colored eyes to survey the camp. The battle seemed to be over just as quickly as it had begun with tens of dozens of Orcs and soldiers strewn about. Blood and gore were splattered everywhere, it looked much like a scene of rabid animals who had torn their prey to pieces. Having calmed themselves, the two direwolf twins transformed back into their Human forms while howling wildly. Their stamina was exhausted from the carnage and they felt the battle was surely over. However, much to their surprise and after several breaths of silence, they could suddenly hear the sound of movement. They looked about the corpse strewn camp which had become a battlefield and what they thought were corpses began to rise from the ground alive once more. They looked to each other in shock before grabbing weapons from the floor near them. "Could they be undead? Do these savage Orcs have necromancers? I thought their tribal beliefs didn''t allow for such magic? " Asked Toran, one of the twins. His brother Grigor shrugged and said, "They don''t look like undead¡­" All of the Orcs they thought had died slowly picked themselves up and began to grin wickedly while waving their weapons. The two brothers were unsure of what exactly was going on, but they also noticed that some of the Orcs did not get back up again. Those were the ones which had been completely torn apart and dismembered. In the distance, they could also hear more shouts. It seemed that the enemy had attacked another part of the camp as well but they couldn''t leave this place with such a strange occurrence happening. They were soon joined by more soldiers which had formed up and were much more prepared than the initial soldiers which had been killed. They were being led by an officer and also had some clerics among their number.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "They might be undead, clerics cast your spells and see if you can kill them." Shouted Grigor to the reinforcements which had just arrived. One of the Orcs stepped forward as the power of the divine washed over them. These were spells from the clerics which were trying to banish or destroy what they thought were undead. However, their spells seemed to have no effect. The Orc which had stepped forward laughed, "Your filthy spells will not work on us. Attack, kill them all!" Grigor and Toran growled and the soldiers which had arrived as reinforcements marched forward and began to battle the Orcs. The two brothers watched carefully since they had regained their reason. The number of Orcs was not great, less than one hundred and they didn''t feel they would normally pose much of a threat to the elite soldiers who were now prepared to fight and had the support of clerics but something was strange about these Orcs who should have already died. They watched as the Orcs fought the soldiers and despite being stabbed and inflicted damage which should have normally caused death, they continued to fight as if they were immortal. "Hmm, brother, these Orcs are too strange. The spells of the clerics didn''t work on them so they must not be undead, but then what are they?" "I don''t know, but some of the Orcs we killed did not get back up." "Right, It looks like if we completely dismember them, they might die for good." "Aye, then let''s get to it!" The twins nodded to each other and growled viciously. They didn''t transform this time as they didn''t want to cause needless casualties and instead rushed towards the Orcs with their weapons. Being Master class beings they didn''t fear the Orcs even if they seemed immortal at first glance. They tore into them and with the help of the soldiers they made sure to cut off their heads and other body parts to ensure the Orcs never rose again. This seemed to be effective and even though it took longer than expected, they finally finished off all the Orcs. Elsewhere in the camp they could also hear the sounds of battle dying down. It seemed that the fight was finally over, but as the wolves sensed something they turned to look off into the distance. Their eyes turned yellow and they both stared somewhere far off where they felt a powerful and frightening presence. They shivered, but not because of the cold. The next morning, the camp had recovered from the disarray and chaos of the night before. The large camp had been raided in several places but the number of Orcs that participated in the raid were relatively small in number and had retreated almost as quickly as they had come. "These corpses have no remnants of their souls. As you know, a soul inhabits a corpse for three days before passing on and it is during this time that resurrection magic can be cast. These bodies have no souls at all. The other Orcs which were killed in other parts of the camp were not impervious to damage like these were and there was nothing peculiar about their souls either." Just as Ragnir was discussing his findings with the clerics and mages by his side, a shout was heard from a soldier quickly rushing over to the group. "Report sir!" Ragnir nodded, "Go ahead. What is it?" "Sir! A dozen or so soldiers have arrived from one of our subordinate camps. They were also attacked by Orcs and the entire army was wiped out! They are the only survivors." "What!?" The Archbishop said stunned, "How can this be? I already received word on other camps being attacked but the enemy only numbered in the hundreds and retreated quickly after taking casualties. Could all of this have been a diversion? Which of the subordinate camps was destroyed?" Those gathered couldn''t believe what they were hearing. If this was true, then the Orcs had truly planned this out well. In order to wipe out one of their subordinate camps they had initiated night raids on several others causing a few hundred casualties in the process. However, if their goal was to divert the attention of the other camps while destroying one of them, this was a sophisticated strategy they never would have expected from these savage Orcs. No wonder we haven''t encountered any tribes yet! Thought Archbishop Ragnir suddenly. Chapter 75: Blood on the Steppes (4) ¡°Archbishop, it was the camp of Sir Aleksandros, the young noble whom joined up with us recently.¡± Archbishop Ragnir and Bishop Girard gasped, but then glanced at each other with a sly expression. ¡°I see, this is¡­ unexpected. To think the young lad would be wiped out so early in the expedition. Hmm, it seems my plans for him have come to naught and that priestess will not be happy.¡± Despite losing one of his subordinate armies, the Archbishop only initially seemed surprised, but then a look of indifference crossed his face. He had never intended to keep Aleks alive to begin with and had even planned to offer him up to the Church of Tihr once his usefulness was at an end. Little did he expect that something like this would happen but nonetheless, he wasn¡¯t too unhappy about it. Losing a single small army wasn¡¯t too much of a loss, especially when he would gain such an enormous asset in Flash Blade Brock in the process. However, despite the brief night raid that took place there were quite a number of casualties, especially at the southern outer camp which had been hit hard before the twin direwolves could arrive to provide support. That was the only location where the Orcs wouldn¡¯t die no matter how many times the soldiers stabbed or hacked at them. Only with the aid of the two werewolves were they able to finally kill the Orcs. There, several dozen Orcs had died and their body parts littered the area but there was no trace of magic upon them which baffled the clerics and mages. ¡°What do you make of this Girard?¡± ¡°I am not sure Archbishop. I have never seen anything like it before. Could this be some form of shamanistic magic?¡± Archbishop Ragnir had brought some of the clerics and mages to investigate the Orc corpses after they had been cleaned up and placed on wooden carts. ¡°There is something strange however.¡± Ragnir ran his hands through his beard while eyeing the corpses carefully. ¡°Have you discovered something then?¡± asked Bishop Girard curiously. ¡°As I said before, their souls are gone and their eyes are hollow. It¡¯s just too strange and this must be the key to this mystery, but I have never heard of anything like it no matter how much I wrack my brain. We are fortunate that only these few dozen Orcs were affected by this strange power and none of the others. Otherwise there would have been many more casualties.¡± ¡°Do you think it is an ability that is limited in scope? Perhaps only so many can be affected by it.¡± Pondered Girard while inspecting one of the corpses. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem we will figure this out anytime soon. For now, we need to stop word getting out about Aleksandros¡¯s army being destroyed. If Brock hears of it, he may try to escape the camp. Soldier, go order the soldiers that escaped to keep silent about what happened. I will question them later. Also, send some scouts to confirm the destruction of the camp and see if there are any other survivors.¡± Archbishop Ragnir looked at the corpses one last time and then made his way back to the central part of the camp along with the mages and clerics who had been investigating the corpses with him. None of them spoke as they walked, as they all seemed to be in deep contemplation. The circumstances of those Orcs perplexed and unnerved them. Although they theorized that whatever power had allowed those Orcs to become almost impervious to damage must be limited in its scope, this was just an assumption. If that ability could affect a whole army, it would be extremely troublesome. After heading back towards the central and most important area of the camp, Archbishop Ragnir immediately interrogated the soldiers who had fled from Aleksandros¡¯s camp. Originally, the Archbishop had sent two hundred of his soldiers to keep an eye on Aleksandros under the pretense of providing support. With the army that Aleks possessed and with the two hundred soldiers provided by the Northern church, it shouldn¡¯t have been so easy to defeat his army. Also, there were too few survivors. Only a handful of the Northern church¡¯s soldiers had escaped with their lives. From what he was able to glean from the survivors, there had been a large army of Orcs that outnumbered the slaves and soldiers in Aleks¡¯s camp. They attacked at night from all sides in what seemed like an endless tide. The camp was woefully unprepared for the attack and the slaves and soldiers were either slaughtered or captured and dragged away by the Orcs. The entire camp was burned to the ground and corpses were piled up into huge bonfires. It all happened quickly and without much warning.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Although Ragnir found the report to be strange, he had no reason to doubt his own men. He decided to halt the advance of the army and remain camped there for another day in order to send out scouts to both determine the fate of Aleks¡¯s camp and search for the army of Orcs that had attacked. The scouts returned and reported that Aleks¡¯s camp had been destroyed and described the scene exactly as the survivors had done. There was no sign of the Orcs at all and even though they followed the tracks for a while, they eventually lost the trail. It was as if the Orcs had completely disappeared without a trace. Ragnir and his commanders could only shake their heads and decided to begin their march again in the morning. They had only just begun the expedition and had already met one setback after another. Not only could they not complete their objective of eradicating the local tribes, but they had even suffered a severe loss at their hands. All they could do was continue on and keep up their guards against any future attacks while remaining wary at all times. However, this was only the beginning of their woes. The army of the Northern churches marched cautiously throughout the day which meant they could only travel a little more than half the distance of the previous day. They continued to find tracks leading in various directions but were unable to locate any of the local tribes. They had wasted another day and could only make camp once more as night approached. Many guards were placed on watch and some of the less prestigious mages were required to remain on constant vigil in case of attack. The Archbishop did not want a repeat of the previous night raid. However, because the outer regions of the camp had received increased guards and most of the attention was placed on outer defense, the inner areas of the camp were more lightly guarded. No one was expecting an attack from inside the camp, it was the danger of another raid that had taken up all their attention and consideration. ¡°It¡¯s time, the guard is lax around our targets. Let¡¯s move.¡± A shadowy figure whispered to a small group of soldiers. These figures were all wearing the armor of the Northern church¡¯s elite soldiers and were in fact all soldiers who were once part of the Northern army. However, they were now all puppets and followed only the commands of their master. The group of soldiers appeared like any other and there was nothing out of place about their appearance or actions. There was no reason to suspect them as they made their way towards the central area and the tents located there appearing as if they were a normal patrol. It was already quite late and those who weren¡¯t on active duty were either sleeping or entertaining themselves with dice games or maintaining their weapons and armor. These men were all hardened veterans and used to conditions in the army. Those who lived more pampered and comfortable lives would certainly be sleeping in comfort at this time. Those being the mages and clerics who were far above the soldiers in rank and social class. Once arriving at their destination, the group of soldiers suddenly dispersed in various directions rapidly. They each made their way into a tent where the mages and clerics slept. They were careful not to draw attention to themselves and made sure to only enter the tents of those who were sleeping. Luckily for them, their targets were completely lax in their environment thinking themselves safe. It would have been next to impossible for a group to sneak in from the outside of the camp unless their power was at Legendary status or were powerful individuals with special abilities, so no one expected that a group of their own soldiers would harbor malicious intentions. They had no understanding of Aleks¡¯s power and even though they had come into conflict with marionettes which had been put under the control of Aleks in the previous night raid, their understanding of such an ability was limited. Also, this group of soldiers were in fact ¡®Soul Puppets¡¯ and not ¡®Marionettes¡¯, which meant there was no way they could ever figure out that these particular soldiers were already under Aleks¡¯s control. ¡®Soul Puppets¡¯ retained their intelligence and memories from when they were alive. There was no difference in their actions or appearance and even their own family members wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference. The only limiting factor was the number of puppets that Aleks could create. At this time, his power allowed him to create one advanced class puppet and three intermediate class puppets. These were the so called survivors that had returned to the Northern church¡¯s camp. Without delay, the puppets entered as many tents as they could and easily killed the inhabitants without making much of a sound. It wasn¡¯t until one of the intermediate class puppets attempted to kill one of the mages and was initially unsuccessful that a loud shout pierced the quiet evening causing others to become alarmed. Although one of the mages was initially able to survive the attack by one of the puppets, he was still killed in the end. However, the camp had now become alarmed and soldiers from the area swarmed into the tents finding the other puppets standing over the corpses of clerics and mages. A fight ensued and dozens more casualties were inflicted before the puppets were put down. The puppets were much stronger than marionettes and it wasn¡¯t as simple to defeat them. However, they were eventually surrounded by many soldiers and torn apart. Nonetheless, with their actions, the Northern church¡¯s expedition lost quite a number of mages and clerics which only decreased their overall strength and the gloomy atmosphere overshadowed the initial excitement of the expedition. Chapter 76: Deception (1) Another morning had come and the gloominess that pervaded the Northern church''s camp was much heavier than the day before. Brock who had been given a tent in a relatively secluded area of the camp hadn''t failed to notice the atmosphere. Standing next to him was a Northern church soldier who was assigned to assist him. However, what no one was aware of was that this particular guard wasn''t the original one that had been assigned to assist Brock. He had been replaced at some point in the confusion of the previous few days. "It seems the young master''s plans have borne fruit. I don''t know how he was capable of doing this, but I am well aware that he has many secrets." It seemed as if Brock were talking to himself, but in fact he was speaking with the soldier who was standing inconspicuously next to him. "I won''t ask how he has accomplished this, but are you certain he wishes for me to stay in this camp? I would prefer to return to his side." Brock asked without looking at the soldier. "I have already relayed our master''s orders. You are to remain here for the time being until master has accomplished his objective." Whispered the soldier in reply. Brock stood upright with his hands held behind his back as he stared off into the distance. At first he was skeptical of this soldier and didn''t trust his words but he had known a few secrets which only Aleks would know. He had already heard about the attacks and also the fact that Aleks faked the destruction of his army. Although he had received no answer on how Aleks accomplished these tasks, he didn''t bother to ask. All he knew was that Aleks had some important objective he needed to accomplish and that he should wait until Aleks summoned him. This is truly vexing. I wish he would share his goals with me. Leaving me in the dark constantly, I don''t understand it. Are there secrets he really needs to keep from me? Brock had many questions and concerns and Alek''s behavior had become seemingly more erratic and indiscernible the older he grew. Regardless, Brock would follow him as he had sworn an oath of blood that he would never betray. "My time is almost up, we should head towards the command tents." Brock finally turned to the side to look at the soldier next to him questioningly. He was curious why the soldier had said his time was almost up but hesitated to ask and instead just said, "Fine, let''s go. I am curious of what they plan to do from now anyway." The two made their way through the large camp noticing many soldiers on patrol. They were tense and on edge which was to be expected. They had just been attacked from within the camp by who they thought were their own soldiers. Some of the patrolmen eyed Brock with suspicion but no one stopped him as he made his way towards the central area as he was accompanied by a guard and also gave off an aura of power which intimidated them. When Brock and the soldier accompanying him arrived at the central area, they could hear a loud argument taking place in the command tent. Brock approached the tent and attempted to enter but was stopped angrily by the guards outside the tent who refused him entry. Although they were rude, Brock paid it no mind. They were no threat to him and he knew that those within should already be aware of his presence since he didn''t hide his aura. "Let him enter." As expected, the voice of the Archbishop could soon be heard allowing him entry. The guards continued to eye him angrily but they no longer barred his way and he calmly entered the tent with the temperament befitting a high class butler and confidant of nobility. "Ah, you are here Brock. Allow me to apologize for the shouting you must have heard from the outside." Greeted Archbishop Ragnir with a light smile. However, Brock didn''t fail to notice the tired look and dark circles under the eyes of the Archbishop and others. It seemed that they had been having a difficult time due to the stressful circumstances. "Not at all. Please forgive my intrusion. I was only hoping to sate my curiosity due to the peculiar events that have been taking place. I heard that the camp has been attacked again and was wondering if I could offer my assistance." Brock said politely. "Is it necessary to allow this outsider in here?" Scoffed one of the priests while glaring at Brock. Archbishop Ragnir looked towards the priest who had spoken with a raised eyebrow before saying, "There are no outsiders here. Brock is a famed commander, it might not hurt to have an outside opinion. Perhaps his thoughts could shed some new light on our own issues."You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. While those in the room were distracted with their conversation, the soldier who had accompanied Brock had slowly made his way towards that priest who had spoken out. It appeared as if he were backing away as he was only a soldier without any authority and could not take part in any discussions between the army''s leaders. From the corner of his eye Brock noticed the soldier slowly reveal the glint of his blade as he unsheathed it and suddenly lunged towards that priest who had previously spoken out in contempt. This caught everyone unaware, even Brock had no idea the man was planning to do this. The soldier plunged his blade through the back of the priest, piercing his heart and killing him instantly before shouting, "Soon, you will all die!" Chaos ensued within the tent as the others quickly unsheathed their weapons or cast magic towards the soldier who fought fiercely, but was eventually overwhelmed and torn apart. He didn''t go down easily though, as he was under the effects of Aleks''s ability and wasn''t easily killed. Brock watched everything from one side of the tent. He hadn''t seen the earlier fighting with the marionettes or puppets. This was his first time seeing such a scene and he too was shocked by it. Archbishop Ragnir and the officers of the army stood over the body and carefully inspected the body. "This is the guard that was assigned to Brock?" Archbishop Ragnir asked one of the officers near him who was responsible for assigning the soldier. "He clearly walked in with Brock, but this is not the guard that I had assigned to his guard detail. I don''t recognize him." "Does anyone recognize him? Where did he come from?" Asked Ragnir angrily. "Wait, this is one of my scouts. He was sent out the day before and returned last night." Ragnir was furious and turned to the commander of the army, "Have every scout that has been sent out over the past few days gathered. Execute every last one of them! It is clear that the men we are sending out have been compromised and could already have these things among them. Damn this expedition to the Nine Hells! As an additional precaution, make sure no one travels throughout the camp alone. All of our soldiers should remain with their squads and move together at all times. We can''t have any more incidents like this, the men are already on edge enough and clean up this fucking mess!" "Yes Archbishop, but we still need a plan of action. If the enemy is out there, we have no idea where they are or if they plan to attack us again. Also, our subordinate forces are still carrying out their missions and may not be aware of what is going on. They may have been infiltrated as well." The commander replied flustered. The Archbishop nodded, he hadn''t been thinking clearly due to his anger and just realized this as well. He turned to one of the officers within the tent and said, "Inform the subordinate camps, have them start gathering. Also, inform them to execute all of their scouts and any other soldiers who may have disappeared at any point in time or been sent out of the main war camp. Instruct them that they must not send any more patrols or scouts out of the camp and to wait for further orders." An officer saluted and quickly left the tent to carry out his orders. Brock, who was still within the tent, was paying close attention to everything that had been going on. So this is what he meant. The young master truly has such foresight. If what he said is true and they ask me for my advice then I will fulfill my master''s expectations. The tent had gone quiet as those within contemplated in silence. It was clear that the strain of these past few days was wearing down on them. The Archbishop especially looked flustered as he gently rubbed his eyes with one hand. "What now? Any ideas? We can''t just sit here while an enemy army plays with us day and night!" Ragnir finally broke the silence. The officers and commander were quiet. They didn''t have any good suggestions to offer. Seeing that no one offered anything worthwhile, Ragnir turned to Brock. "Does the famed Flash Blade have any advice he could offer? My military commanders seem to be useless." The Archbishops harsh words caused the officers in the tent to flinch, but they didn''t dispute his words since they didn''t have any good suggestions to give. Brock was silent for a moment, but then stepped forward calmly while rubbing his chin, "I have onepossible idea, but I honestly don''t know if it will work or not. It really depends on the capabilities of your men. I do not wish to take responsibility for any failure." "Don''t worry, anything you suggest will be considered and you do not have to worry about any blame. After all, you are just offering your opinion. Whether we choose to use your advice or not is something we can consider carefully." Replied Ragnir politely, his anger visibly having calmed after hearing Brock''s words. "Well, if it isn''t possible to scry or scout the position of the enemy, then the only advice I have would be to send out a highly maneuverable vanguard who can hopefully cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. Cavalry would be ideal of course, or if you don''t have enough cavalry, then more lightly armored units would do. You would also need a powerful and capable commander to lead the force. You know nothing of the enemy so this could be dangerous but I can''t think of any other ideas. If the enemy is out there and plans to continue to raid your army, then their main force can''t be too far." The Archbishop along with his officers listened carefully to Brock''s suggestion and some even nodded their heads in affirmation. Most seemed to think the plan was a good one. "Hmm, it isn''t a bad plan. The twins have been dying to go out and get some revenge as well. We have kept them back for a while now, but it might not be a bad idea to send them with a force to suppress the savages." Offered the commander but Ragnir shook his head. "Sending both is not a good idea, we need one of them here just in case we are attacked. They are our greatest warriors, sending them both could be dangerous especially if the enemy somehow attacks us from a different direction. We can send one of them with a vanguard force while the other remains here to defend the camp. I believe this to be the best path forward." Chapter 77: Deception (2) Several miles from where the Northern church expedition made their camp was a large force of Orc and Barbarian warriors who were haphazardly standing in battle lines. It would be too much to call it a formation and instead it was much more like a surprising and chaotic mix of Human Barbarians and their Orc counterparts. In temperament, there wasn''t much of a difference between the two races and they were each as savage as the other, but normally they didn''t get along very well. So, it was strange to see the two different races standing side by side as comrades in arms. Neither of the two groups knew very much of organized military strategy and were much more accustomed to simple swarm tactics and so there wasn''t any particular rhyme or reason to their formation. Their idea of battle was to have the magic casters, who were shamans, simply cast some of their buffs upon the warriors while the warriors charged into the enemy ranks. There were also a variety of animalistic spells in their repertoire which would also be cast once the initial buffs were completed. These were mostly summoning spells to summon powerful animals like direwolves or large bears. This was the most simplistic means of battle and so they weren''t much of a threat to an organized military. Their strength was usually in their numbers, their fearless nature, and their individual prowess. The tribal army numbered several thousand and there were both men and women among the warrior''s ranks. These were the strongest members of the tribes in that particular region and those who could not fight had already left the area and went on ahead to escape the conflict. Not every member of a tribe was a warrior and the various tribes in the area were relatively small in number, but since most members of a tribe were warriors there was still a sizeable number of them in the region. However, the majority of those living on the Steppes were located further in the interior and mostly only smaller tribes roamed around the outer regions so their numbers were still limited. The larger tribes who lived in the interior regions of the Steppes would normally only come this close to the civilized nations when raiding or in large scale conflicts. The expeditionary forces were not planning on coming into conflict with the larger tribes just yet and were only meant to pave the way for future expeditions while slowly whittling away at the strength of the tribes on the Steppes. Their objective was simply to clear out this specific region while establishing a base of operations for future expansion. There was a city with fortifications already under construction and large numbers of colonists were being moved into the area to develop agriculture and other industries. Most of this was only in the beginning stages however, and would require several years of development before seeing significant results. This had all been accomplished with the utmost secrecy and the initial stages of the expedition had met with great success with no setbacks. There was much at stake and avoiding a conflict with the larger tribes until their defenses were further developed was a necessity. If these tribes formed a horde before preparations were complete, they could potentially drown the expedition in a sea of corpses. This was why Aleks, who had his initial plans disrupted by this turn of events, was not concerned in the least. Although not much information was divulged to Aleks by the Archbishop, he could still glean enough from the orders passed down and from his knowledge of past expeditions. It wasn''t difficult for him to form a new plan from the information that was available to him. In reality, all he needed to do was play one side against the other and since there were two natural enemies to toy with, it made it all the easier for him. He had every intention of exploiting both the expeditionary forces and the Orcs and Barbarians of the Steppes all in order to gain power. Numbers meant very little to him and no matter how many maggots scurried across the Steppes, he would crush them all beneath his feet and their souls would fuel his ascendancy.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Although I can''t spend too much of my personal time on this. This is exactly why I need him. Aleks was the only one seated on a horse as he looked down at Grobak who was kneeling before him. For Grobak, to kneel to another was the greatest of humiliations. The only exception to this was his master, who he had nothing but worship and respect for that was deeply ingrained within his soul. He felt no humiliation for kneeling before Aleks and instead showed deep reverence for him. The Orcs and Barbarians here showed no expressions of disdain or ridicule when seeing this, and instead too showed looks of reverence as they also fell to their knees. They all had already been cowed by Aleks''s power and authority. Those who had not been willing to submit to him had already been turned into puppets and marionettes and used against the Northern church''s expeditionary forces. None of them could resist Aleks''s aura and majesty once he chose to release it. Although he wasn''t yet a Demigod, he was at the peak of Legendary and his power could easily crush every soul here. Behind Aleks and seated on his horse with her arms wrapped around Aleks''s waist was Nelay. She was not so secretly enjoying having her arms around Aleks and gently rubbing her face against his back while Aleks simply ignored her affectionate behavior. She normally kept her emotions withdrawn and showed little to outsiders. In fact, she considered all others to be irrelevant and inconsequential. Only Aleks mattered in her world which often caused Lenia to be filled with extreme jealousy. Even now, Lenia was fuming that she could not accompany Aleks and instead was forced to lead their army further into the Steppes and away from Aleks''s current location. "Master, everything has been done according to your will. The Human scum will shortly arrive here." "Do not forget that I am Human too Grobak." "But master, you are different." "There are also Human barbarians among your warriors." "They are different too." "I see. Well, you should change your opinion of other races since soon both Orc and Human as well as those belonging to others will be living together in my future domain. I have no intention to discriminate against those who would serve me." "I understand master." Aleks nodded and turned his head to look at the several thousand warriors who had all gone to their knees in worship. They stretched far into the distance but not a single one dared stand or even speak due to fear. Aleks seemed as if a god having taken human form. His mask, luxurious robes, and majestic demeanor gave him both an eerie presence and a royal bearing. He was spotless, dignified and eminent. There was only one thing which could mar his image even if just slightly, and that was the woman hugging his waist and rubbing her face on his back with a smug smile. "The enemy will soon arrive. We have done enough to antagonize them and push them to this point. It is here that we will strike a blow to their hubris and you will make a name for yourself among the tribes. Using this victory, you will head towards the interior of the Steppes and arouse the horde. I will grant you the power necessary to accomplish this, but first I must devour those who are soon to be delivered to us on a platter." Grobak bowed his head but he couldn''t hide the toothy smile on his face. There was nothing he loved more than a good slaughter and he was in anticipation for the one to come. "Will you take part in the battle personally master?" Aleks chuckled behind his mask. It was a sinister sound and not the least bit mirthful. His laughter only grew, much to the confusion of Grobak and those kneeling before him. He looked the image of an evil and sinister villain. "I have grown weary of the lies I am forced to perpetuate and the chains I placed on myself. I yearn to be free, to be as I wish. I am a calamity. You shall all bear witness to my power and my will. I will eradicate the enemy down to their very souls. Don''t worry, I will also let you all have your fill." Aleks could see Grobak''s smile turning sour at his words and so he assured him towards the end. He didn''t want to take all the joy of killing from them. He would leave them the scraps. Chapter 78: Deception (3) "The enemy has been sighted!" A soldier in chainmail shouted and pointed out towards a distant hill where many tribal warriors wearing a variety of furs and leather were chaotically assembled. The tribal warriors looked like a motley crew rather than an army. The area itself was slightly hilly, with rolling hills spread out in clumps throughout. The land itself was filled with sparse patches of grass and bushes with a few trees here and there. If not for the hills throughout, it would be a simple matter to see well into the horizon. This was a typical region in the outer areas of the Steppes with the exception of the mountain ranges which stretched around its borders. The interior of the Steppes had some slight variations in geography with the occasional fertile valley and even some more forested areas. "We finally found them! These savages have played with us long enough, it is time to show them our might!" Grigor, one of the twins known as the direwolves, laughed heartily as he stared at the tribal warriors as if they were fresh meat. His blood was boiling and his body was aching to begin the slaughter. He was not stupid though and realized that the enemy had clearly been waiting for them in this place. This wasn''t a matter of them finding these tribal warriors by chance or due to their pursuit. These warriors were clearly waiting and ready for them. "Could this be a trap?" Grigor said cautiously. One of his commanders drew close to Grigor on his horse and carefully surveyed the battlefield. He was a peak advanced class being and an experienced commander. "It could be, it is difficult to determine the strength of their warriors at this distance but it is unlikely for there to be an overly powerful individual among them. The tribes on the Steppes have never produced a Legendary figure that we know of. Only the dragons that live in the mountains have Legendary beings and even a Demigod. Lord Grigor, what do you make of this? Your senses are clearly superior to mine perhaps you can sense something despite the distance." As the commander drew close, his horse was somewhat fearful of Grigor but it was a trained warhorse and only displayed some slight discomfort. Grigor could not ride a horse due to the fact that he was a werewolf, but it wasn''t necessary anyway. His speed could reach much greater speeds than a horse when necessary and his large body was too heavy for a normal horse to begin with. If he truly wished to ride a mount, it would have to be something larger like a land dragon or something of an equivalent size. "With my peak master class strength and my enhanced sense as a werewolf, I could even sense mid-Legendary beings from a distance. Only a peak Legendary being could keep themselves hidden from me. There is only one among them that possesses some bit of strength, but only a bit. Nothing to fear, so whatever their tricks might be, we can just smash their plans through brute strength!" Although Grigor wasn''t a fool, he was still similar to a vicious beast and his desire for battle was almost unquenchable. The commander at his side was much more cautious than him and couldn''t shake the feeling that something was amiss. Why would these warriors be waiting for them in this place if they knew they could not win against them? With their previous attacks, how could they not know that the expeditionary forces possessed powerful beings at the master class level? "Lord Grigor, I can''t help but feel that this situation is strange. What about the mysterious being who possesses that unexplainable power? Perhaps we should retreat for now and gather more information?" Grigor only grunted, "It''s too late to retreat now. If this is a trap, we have already entered into it. It doesn''t matter what they have prepared, we will show them the difference between our strengths! This is most likely nothing more than mere posturing." The commander mostly agreed since it was very unlikely that there was a being with such power. If there was, it would have been a simple matter for them to annihilate their entire force, why go to such lengths to bait them? Perhaps he was being too overcautious.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. "Ready the army for battle, have them form up. We will send the skirmishers out first to test them a bit before sending in the main force. Keep the cavalry in reserve just in case they haven''t revealed their strength just yet. We lost a significant number of our mages and clerics due to their underhanded tactics so we need to be a little more careful." *THUMP* *THUMP* *THUMP* The sound of drums being beat loudly reverberated throughout the hilly area. The tide of tribal warriors began to part at the center as a lone man on a horse slowly made his way through the opening. "What are they doing?" Asked the commander inquisitively. "The drums.. They are challenging us to single combat. Who is that on the horse? It is difficult to make out his features but he doesn''t appear to be an Orc." Said another one of the commanders who had been quietly observing up to this point. "You are right, it is a man in a golden mask wearing a nobleman''s robes. He seems familiar for some reason, but I can''t make out where I have seen him before. I would have recognized that mask, it is too unique. What is someone like that doing with savages?" Grigor, whose senses were much higher than that of a Human, could make out the approaching figure more clearly. The man eventually stopped his horse somewhere in the middle between the two armies and the drums continued to beat steadily. The man who looked like a young nobleman made eye contact with Grigor even though there was still a good distance between them and Grigor could only see that as a clear provocation which immediately angered him. "So they wish to challenge me do they? That Human looks weak, what game are they playing?" growled Grigor. "Lord Grigor, this is clearly part of their ploy." One of the commanders warned. "Do you think I am an idiot? Of course I know that!" "Then what will you do?" Asked another. "Tch, I will accept the challenge, but keep the men ready to act in case they pull something. Have the cavalry on standby, if anything suspicious happens, charge immediately." "I don''t.." Some of the others attempted to dissuade Grigor but one glare shut them up. They didn''t say anything more and immediately moved to pass down orders to their men. Grigor snorted and rushed forward at a brisk speed. The man who was seated on his horse just watched calmly, saying nothing the entire time. He hadn''t even moved as he sat on his horse much like a statue. He had only stared quietly at Grigor from a distance after arriving at his location and nothing more. This infuriated Grigor even more and it wasn''t long before Grigor had closed the distance and stood snarling not far from where the man sat on his horse. Although Grigor was furious, he calmed himself and eyed the man cautiously. He felt no aura from the man, but what was more concerning was that despite releasing his aura, the man seemed entirely unmoved. He was too calm, it was as if Grigor''s aura was nothing more than a fresh breeze. "Who are you? Remove your mask, or are you a coward?" Shouted Grigor loudly from where he stood only a short distance from the man on his horse. There was no sound or movement for a moment, but then the man began to laugh eerily beneath his mask. "What''s wrong Grigor? Do you not recognize me?" Grigor found the voice to be familiar, but he couldn''t quite place it. "I don''t remember meeting any fools in a mask. Show yourself!" The man stopped laughing and slowly dismounted from his horse, taking a few steps forward. Grigor was on guard and his hand itched to pull his greataxe from off his back. He couldn''t understand why he was so hesitant. "Once, I was a man who had everything. That was until I realized, I had nothing at all. I was a bird in a cage, a man who could not escape his greed. My lust for knowledge and the truth blinded me and ultimately led me to my own demise. But none of that matters any more¡­. I wish to be unbridled... unruly¡­ unrepentant." The man laughed madly, he was clearly no longer sane in the eyes of Grigor who could only shout in response, "enough of this bullshit! I will tear you apart!" Grigor reached for his greataxe and pulled it off his back. He had no intention of listening to this madness anymore and was about to make his move when the man spoke once more, halting him in his tracks. "So be it. You wished to see my face¡­ Now look upon despair¡­" The man slowly began to slide his mask from off his face and as he did so, Grigor immediately recognized him and gasped in shock. "But how!? You are supposed to be dead! Why are you here, and what the fuck are you doing with these savages!?" Aleks face was revealed beneath the mask and Grigor identified him immediately. Aleks snickered and replied, "Deception and war go hand in hand. As for why.. A dead man need not know." A powerful and dreadful aura poured out of Aleks''s body like a torrential wind, drowning out the senses, causing the very air to quiver in fear. It immediately caused the surrounding area to be submerged in an eerie darkness that suffocated the soul. Chapter 79: Slaughter (1) Grigor, who was hit instantly with Aleks''s aura, was filled with shock. The aura brought with it dread and an immense intimidation that caused him to feel somewhat suffocated. In the midst of this overbearing and powerful feeling, he could barely stand. Although he was a powerful Master class being, he was still a full realm lower than Aleks. This didn''t necessarily mean in all cases that he would be weaker than the other, but considering aura alone he was greatly outclassed. "You hid yourself well Aleksandros. We had no idea you were a Legendary being, but don''t think for one second that just because you have achieved a higher class that you can defeat me. You are still just a human, but I am a werewolf and my expertise is specifically close quarter combat. Prepare to die!" Despite struggling against Aleks''s aura, Grigor was able to remain on his feet. An ear piercing howl burst forth from his mouth aimed at the sky and he began to transform right in front of Aleks''s eyes. His body began to shift, extend, and grow in a disgusting fashion as his body took the shape of a werewolf. Not only did his physical power and presence grow, but his aura was also strengthened and he was no longer burdened by the power of Aleks''s aura. Instead, his body became strengthened and a great power exploded forth from his body. Of course, Aleks was completely unfazed and only watched as Grigor completed his transformation. In the distance, the soldiers who had been previously intimidated by Aleks releasing his aura also felt the burden of it dissipating. They were no longer filled with an overbearing fear and began to shout battle cries which immediately increased their morale. The tribal warriors, seeing this, also began their own battle cries and continued to bang their drums in competition with the expeditionary army''s own shouts. Grobak stood at the head of his tribal army and watched the fight which was about to commence with excitement. He couldn''t contain his desire for battle and was roaring and pumping his axe like a madman. As for Nelay, she had already slipped over to the expeditionary army''s side and was effortlessly and quietly assassinating some of the outliers in the cover of the chaos. She was careful when picking her targets and was only killing to alleviate the boredom. The only thing she loved, other than being with her master, was killing. The transformation happened quickly and only took a few seconds before it was done. Grigor''s power definitely increased exponentially and he could be compared to a low Legendary being. At the higher realms, there wasn''t as much of a difference between beings at lower levels. So, a lower level Legendary being wasn''t necessarily at a disadvantage when fighting a high level Legendary being. It really came down to their abilities, racial stats, bloodlines, class, or a variety of other things. There were too many variables at play to assume that just because you were at the peak of Legendary that you could defeat someone who was lower in level, but still in the same realm. A difference of a few levels could easily be made up with equipment, abilities, spells, etc. Although Grigor was a master class being, his werewolf transformation allowed him to enter the Legendary realm, but at the end of the day he still wasn''t a true Legendary being. So, while Grigor may have felt that he could at least keep Aleks in check, the reality was that Aleks wasn''t a normal Legendary being at all. He was a unique existence with unfathomable power that defied mortal reasoning. In fact, he wasn''t truly a mortal at all, despite having yet to ascend to godhood. He was a being which treaded between Heaven and Earth who had already been touched by the Origin of a world. Within him resided the very soul and consciousness of a world birthed by the endless cosmos. He had yet to awaken to the divinity within him, but that didn''t mean that it had no influence on his development. Aleks watched with a crooked smile, which seemed to disdain all life. In his eyes, this werewolf was only a fool prancing straight towards his death. He chuckled and placed the mask back on his face. This mask was no ordinary artifact and it greatly enhanced his abilities. For one, it decreased the cost in SP of all of his combat abilities by half. His abilities were extremely costly and so the mask was not something he could do without.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Aleks raised his hands as if he were about to begin a performance and said, "Let me show you what awaits you for opposing me!" Twisted wraith like tendrils rose from Aleks''s body, wrapping around him and expanding outwards like the tentacles of a giant octopus. They were extremely thick and immense in size seeming almost like the legs of a gargantuan beast of myth and legends. They were a dark and eerie purplish hazy color, similar to what you would expect from the soul form of an evil twisted being. Normally, Aleks wouldn''t allow anyone to see the true form of his power, but this time it was his intention to strike dread in the hearts of his foes. His ''Soul Tendrils'' were visible for all to see and they rose high above him, protecting him within their embrace while other tendrils whipped violently and smashed into the ground sending dirt and grass flying. Their undulating movements caused a terrifying pressure to envelope the area and the wind generated by their wild swings caused Aleks''s hair and robes to flutter violently. The image of Aleks in his gold mask with his hair billowing wildly while he laughed sinisterly, caused many watching to feel the utmost fear and awe. Even Grigor in his werewolf form felt a tinge of fear despite being highly resistant against such negative effects. "Even though I can''t instantly kill you with my ''Soul Tendrils'' because of your temporary increase in power, that doesn''t mean I can''t beat you to death like the dog you are. Come mongrel and feed my ambition!" Aleks pointed vehemently towards Grigor and one of his ''Soul Tendrils'' immediately lashed out, crashing against the spot Grigor had been standing on. However, at the last moment, Grigor had evaded the attack and rushed towards Aleks at an incredible speed. He was in his werewolf form and filled with rage and a beastly and savage temperament, but he still had enough control to wield his axe. Grigor leaped high into the air and brought his axe down upon Aleks with an indomitable might only to be repelled by the ''Soul Tendrils'' which wrapped and twisted around Aleks''s body. Although they had a spiritual and partially translucent form, they easily blocked Grigor''s attack and felt harder than steel. Grigor hadn''t even been able to make a dent in the tendrils and continued to hack and evade as the tendrils lashed out at him endlessly. They seemed to have a mind of their own and there was no pattern to their attacks. They incessantly whipped, coiled and smashed outwards in random angles which Grigor had difficulty in predicting. It was only because of his greatly increased senses and reflexes that he was somehow able to maneuver between tendril attacks and continue to clash with them. However, no matter how he struggled, he could not get close to Aleks who was wrapped in their protective embrace. Grigor began to grow nervous and increasingly tired as his stamina became depleted through overextended use. He had a sneaking suspicion that Aleks was only toying with him as he had yet to attack with all of his ''Soul Tendrils'' and had instead only struck with one or two continuously. What Grigor didn''t know was that Aleks''s mask granted him the ability to see the complete status of his opponents. This included their vitality, abilities and everything else. The battle was entirely under his control and he was only waiting for the right moment, when Grigor had been weakened enough, to strike. This would be the most cost effective way of killing Grigor because his ''Soul Tendrils'' while powerful, could only affect vitality by consuming ''Soul Potential''. The more Grigor used his abilities and the longer he dragged the battle on, the less ''SP'' Aleks would require to kill him. Of course, he had an entire army of souls he could devour just in sight which would grant him an incredible amount of SP, but he had promised Grobak a slaughter and he intended to give it to him. Also, he didn''t feel the need to waste SP no matter how much he would later acquire from all the souls present. He had many plans and every single SP he saved was one more he had available for his use. This is also enjoyable, I haven''t had a chance to really flex my strength and show off my power. Aleks chuckled beneath his mask. He was enjoying watching the werewolf struggle with all its might, much like a trapped beast. "However, I shouldn''t waste too much time here." Aleks muttered under his breath. Although he hadn''t hesitated to use his ability here due to the weakening of the authority of the gods in this place, he still needed to be somewhat wary. He knew it was only a matter of time before Tihr''s minions found him and he still needed more strength before facing them. He would soon have that strength, and so he was in somewhat of a rush to acquire it. Chapter 80: Slaughter (2) With a fierce shout, Aleks once again thrust his hands towards Grigor sending several tendrils flashing towards him. Grigor was caught somewhat by surprise due to the number of tendrils and was able to avoid several more attacks before finally being whacked heavily across the face. Grigor was sent tumbling backwards for several yards before he was able to stop his tumbling by grasping the earth ferociously with his claws. He was still dragged further by the inertia before finally coming to a stop. The attack had momentarily stunned him and he shook his head, regaining his clarity after several breaths, but it was too late. Aleks had calmly walked forward closing the distance between them despite Grigor having been pushed back and his tendrils whipped out once more grabbing Grigor and twisting around him. They sucked the vitality out of his body causing Grigor to gasp in shock and terror. He felt his vitality rapidly leaving his body as he slowly, but surely was drained to death. Once Grigor gasped his last, the tendrils dropped his body to the ground and dissipated. There were no more tendrils visible, but the battlefield where they fought was utterly destroyed from their battle. The ground had been completely overturned and large gashes and craters were visible in a large radius around where Aleks and Grigor fought. Aleks, who was as calm as the most serene of lakes, only looked quietly at the body of Grigor which had returned to its Human form but looked much like a mummified corpse. The warriors of the tribes and the expeditionary soldiers were completely silent. You couldn''t even hear a single breath as they stared at Aleks with a variety of emotions. What they had seen was far beyond their understanding and was much like legend or myth. This was the realm of Legendary figures that they had no hope of ever attaining. Grobak was the only one who wasn''t shocked and was grinning from ear to ear. He had no doubt his master was great and would easily win. Who else would the great Grobak dare bow his head to? Or at least so he thought. With a satisfied expression, Grobak began to roar in a loud voice and raised his axe high into the sky. "CHARGE!!!" Without waiting for his warriors to come to their senses, Grobak pounded forward at a brisk pace while roaring. It took a moment, but the warriors finally responded to his shouting and they all began to storm forward like a raging tide. Magical glows lit up the body of hundreds of warriors and beasts were magically summoned amidst their numbers. The tide of warriors rushed across the battlefield, passing Aleks who remained exactly where he had stood when Grigor died. He watched on for a moment without making any further motions, but then he suddenly leaned forward and his mask distorted releasing a howl which shook the earth. Screeching wraiths poured forth out of his gaping maw and flew rapidly ahead of the rushing warriors. The wraiths smashed into the expeditionary army which was already on tenterhooks due to Aleks''s overpowering display of strength in the fight against Grigor. Droves of soldiers fell immediately dead, their souls having been ripped from their bodies and devoured by the ravenous wraiths. Grobak followed right after the flight of wraiths and became a reaper''s scythe, cutting down soldiers as if they were chaff. The warriors soon poured in after him, filling up the gap in the enemy''s formation formed by Aleks''s ''Banshee''s Wail'' attack which had instantly killed over a thousand enemy soldiers and absorbed their ''Soul Potential'' for Aleks''s use. He could have killed more, but he only intended to aid Grobak and his army in obtaining victory, not claiming victory for himself. To the expeditionary army''s credit, they didn''t rout and the officers who were in command of the army quickly regained some semblance of order and attempted to reorganize the formation while putting up a resistance against the tribal warriors. The soldiers were definitely filled with fear, but their discipline and status as veterans allowed them to continue to fight. Despite their best efforts to resist, they were barely holding on against the onslaught of tribal warriors. They had lost a considerable amount of soldiers in that one attack by Aleks and now Grobak was leading his forces deep into enemy lines, cutting through them with ease.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. He was a powerful warrior and with his rage type abilities, there wasn''t a single one of the expeditionary officers who could hold their own against him for any period of time. He cut down many with relative ease and was like a god of death as he slaughtered dozens of foes in quick succession. Grobak was completely in his element, slaughtering his way through his enemies while soaked in blood. The fighting was fierce, but eventually the expeditionary army buckled under the strength of the tribal warriors who were bolstered by their high morale and their confidence in Aleks''s and Grobak''s strength. Only once over half of the expeditionary forces had fallen did they begin to truly buckle and their formation collapsed. It was a complete and utter slaughter as the tribal warriors broke through their lines and caused them to rout. No matter how experienced of soldiers they were, they were unable to keep their fear in check after so many of them had died in such a short period of time. Their officers attempted to organize a retreat but they had lost complete control as their men began to panic and flee. This only caused more of them to be slaughtered as the tribal warriors did not halt their pace in the slightest. Aleks continued to watch on without moving throughout the battle. It was only at this moment, when the enemy was fleeing in panic, did he finally decide to make a final move. "Not one of you will leave this place alive!" Once more Aleks''s lurched forward, the mask on his face distorting until it appeared as if there were a gaping hole where the mouth should be. The sound of countless shrieking wraiths blasted out once more, crowding out the sound of the slaughter taking place. The sound caused shivers to spread down the spines of all who heard their weeping wails. The expeditionary soldiers who were fleeing had already routed in panic, but after hearing that dreaded sound they went mad in fear. Many clutched their heads in pain and terror as the wraiths rapidly flew over the battlefield and harvested their souls. Not a single soldier survived of the enemy''s army, their entire force had been slaughtered down to the last. The ground was littered with corpses that had expressions of absolute terror, some had even attempted to gouge out their eyes in madness. The tribal warriors had already stopped their advance and many of them fell to their knees in worship and awe. They thanked the one they had taken as their new god for sparing their lives from such a horrid fate. They had never seen any scene so horrid as this, but being a people who worshipped strength, they were awed rather than disgusted. The amount of ''Soul Potential'' that Aleks harvested from this battle was immense. Several thousand Intermediate class fighters, several dozen Advanced rank commanders, and even a peak Master class being. He was greatly satisfied with the amount gained, a whopping three hundred and eight thousand ''Soul Potential''. The only unfortunate thing was that efficiency was only at twenty percent. Since the way he obtained ''Soul Potential'' was something which defied the normal laws of the world, he could not obtain the entirety of the ''Soul Potential'' of beings through this method. He could only obtain a portion, otherwise the ''Soul Potential'' acquired would have been well over a million. Nonetheless, this amount of ''Soul Potential'' meant he could not only upgrade his subordinates, but had more flexibility with his own abilities. However, although it may seem like a lot of SP, in reality it wasn''t as much as one would think. Upgrading beings beyond advanced class was exponentially more expensive. Just the class up would cost ten thousand SP and that didn''t take into account the cost of raising levels. In order to upgrade a subordinate from level 90 to level 100, which was the peak of master class, would cost twenty thousand SP in total. This did not take into account abilities which ranged in cost from five thousand to ten thousand SP. In order to upgrade Grobak to the peak of master class and to grant him more powerful abilities could easily cost upwards of fifty thousand SP or more depending on what was chosen. Once he upgraded both Lenia and Nelay as well, that seemingly high number of SP could easily be reduced by half. Nonetheless, Aleks was pleased. At some point Nelay appeared at his side and the two once more mounted the horse with Nelay returning to her former relaxing position which Aleks continued to ignore. Grobak had already ordered his warriors to sift through the battlefield and take whatever weapons or other valuables they could find. This was the normal tradition of the warriors on the Steppes. This was their reward for a battle well fought. Of course, Grobak had his eyes on a specific weapon, Grigor''s axe. After giving out his orders, he rushed over to where Aleks was seated on his horse, smiled mischievously at Aleks and then proceeded to shamelessly take Grigor''s axe from his corpse with a satisfied grin. He then once more turned to Aleks and without shame asked, "Master, where''s my reward?" Chapter 81: What it means to be a Master (1) After the battle, the tribal warriors made sure to clear the battlefield of anything of value. However, the corpses of the expeditionary soldiers were left exactly as they were. Only their own dead were taken and buried as was their tradition. Grobak was happily inspecting his new axe which was an enchanted weapon of a superior grade. It hadn''t reached the level of a legendary item but it was an elite weapon fit for a Master class being. The enchantments on it were also relatively powerful giving the weapon increased damage and a cutting edge which granted it a slight armor penetration. Although Grobak was not certain of the material it was crafted from, he could see it was clearly superior to his original axe. He couldn''t help fondling the axe and smiling wickedly while imagining the carnage he would cause with this weapon. Aleks watched Grobak play around with his axe and was slightly disturbed by the Orc''s strange behavior, but he let it be. He didn''t care one way or the other what Grobak''s personality was like or what sick and demented thoughts he had. Grobak would always be loyal to him and serve him faithfully, that was more than enough for Aleks. What he needed were powerful tools to carry out his will. After watching Grobak for a bit, Aleks called him over, "Grobak come here." Aleks had to call him three times before Grobak finally responded, "Yes master?" "I said get over here, stop playing with your axe and focus on the task at hand." Grobak flinched and hurriedly ran over to Aleks who had dismounted from his horse. Nelay was eyeing Grobak frostily, mentally blaming him for Aleks leaving her mounted on the horse alone. If Grobak wasn''t a servant of the master like she was, he would already be dead, or at least she was fantasizing about it. "Kneel." Aleks commanded impatiently. Grobak immediately fell to his knees, even dropping the axe he had just come to love. Most of the tribal warriors were still picking through the corpses, only a few elite warriors who had become Grobak''s confidantes remained nearby. They watched as Grobak kneeled without any hesitation, but they felt no disdain towards his actions nor did they think that he was wrong to do so. They had all already seen Aleks''s great power which was unfathomable to them. He was a being which awed and shocked them into submission already and seeing the results of the earlier battle was just icing on the cake. These tribal warriors had already all submitted to him in the depths of their souls even if they were different from Grobak''s and Nelay''s circumstances. They were not creations of Aleks''s, but they now worshipped him as something like a god. He hadn''t yet ascended to godhood and so their worship didn''t net him any benefits other than their loyalty, but for now it was enough. Aleks placed his hand on Grobak''s head, "It''s time for your reward. I already told you that I would grant you the power to do my will. You asked for strength and so I shall give it to you." Grobak quivered in anticipation as Aleks grasped his forehead in his hand and he could feel the warmth he felt when Aleks originally respecced him once again. This was the power of creation that Aleks possessed and it was the power which tied their fate''s together. Although Aleks hadn''t fully created him as he did with Lenia, Grobak was nonetheless a being whose soul was under Aleks''s control and it was almost the same circumstance. The golden mask on Aleks''s face began to shimmer and various symbols and numbers streamed across it. Aleks began to analyze Grobak''s information as well as the options for his advancement. Now that Grobak was stepping into the higher realms of power among mortals, there were less options to choose from given the choices already made previously. What classes and skills were available depended on a variety of variables such as race, bloodline, previous class choices, etc. Even whether the person was male or female could alter the choices available. For example, only a female could be a Valkyrie which was a Mythical Saint class and an extremely powerful one at that. That was the class he eventually had planned for Lenia to reach when the time was right.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Beyond Legendary, for those who were not worshippers of any given god or deity of some kind, was the Demigod realm and of course beyond that was the opportunity to advance to godhood. However, this route was not open to everyone and it was a route which was plagued with great risk and danger. Ascending to godhood was extremely difficult under normal circumstances and would also put you at risk of being eliminated by an existing deity belonging to the domain or laws you are attempting to ascend to godhood in. This is because a potential rival could endanger their own authority and influence. This isn''t always the case, but normally an existing deity or group of deities who share domains or laws would not allow a new god to ascend within their domains. Once a being ascended to godhood, there were rules which all gods had to follow which restricted their actions in certain ways and so the best way to get rid of potential rivals was when they were attempting to light the flames of godhood. However, this was not the only path to advancement and power as well as immortality. For those who served the gods or other deities, there was another path although this was a path of servitude. Being designated as a Saint was one such path, as Saints or Saintesses were beings especially entrusted with authority and power by their gods and also acted as avatars of their will on the mortal planes. Another path, which was also a path of servitude to a god or deity, was to advance beyond Legendary to the Mythical realm. This was not possible without a patron god or deity who would imbue you with the ''Soul Potential'' required to advance beyond the mortal realm. These beings were not as restricted as Saints or Saintesses, but were expected to serve their deity for all eternity. They could only continue to advance their power through a patron deity and without one, would lose their power over time. However, it isn''t absolutely necessary to remain in service to one patron for all eternity. There had been cases of Mythical beings betraying or turning their back on their patron deity, and even cases where deities died and these beings lost their patrons and were forced to find others. Although generally not common, it does happen, but most situations are greatly frowned upon and also a Mythical being would incur the wrath of the patron they once served if that patron was still alive. This could potentially cause great conflict in the Heavenly plane. Both paths had their positive and negative aspects. While Saints and Saintesses were greatly restricted and would lose all of their strength and perhaps even their life without the deity they worshipped, they were generally much stronger than other beings and could act as vessels for their gods and would receive many benefits without any additional requirements. On the other hand, Mythical beings were not as restricted and could potentially change the master they serve, but required a deity to increase their power and strength and were required to perform innumerable tasks in order to receive their patron gods favor. These beings could also grow immeasurably strong, but that was entirely up to the god or deity they served. In order to advance their strength, their patron would not only have to provide them with ''SP'' to advance, but their patron would also need to possess enough power as a deity. Their power could even rival gods if their patron was powerful enough. Grobak, Lenia, and Nelay were Aleks''s creations even if they weren''t all created in the same way. They were different from the normal mortals which lived in the God Nexus and were not tied to the normal cycle of reincarnation and therefore did not follow the normal rules of that world. They could never ascend to godhood themselves, but that was not an issue for Aleks. Each of his subordinates had the potential to become powerful Mythical beings if Aleks so wished. Of course, Aleks was not a god just yet and so this was a matter for the future and he didn''t yet fully understand the intricacies of the Heavenly plane. Although Aleks possessed greater knowledge of the gods than the mortals that lived in the God Nexus, his knowledge was still limited due to his lack of experience. He was a being which was somewhere in between the mortal world and the world of gods, but he had yet to fully step into the Heavenly plane. "There is still so much to do and too many considerations." Aleks sighed while thinking of these stressful matters. "Is something wrong master?" Grobak asked nervously. "Nevermind, I have decided your future path." Chapter 82: What it means to be a Master (2) Aleks had finished perusing the information and had made his final choice. When a being became a Master class being, they became a master of their chosen path. It was the end of the road of their path to power and beyond that was the Legendary realm. However, the Legendary realm was a new path which would eventually lead to the shedding of their mortal body and soul. Many never made it that far, and hardly any ever beyond that as the road was too long and difficult. Nonetheless, out of the many trillions of lives which had existed throughout the existence of the God Nexus, an incalculable number still made it to Legendary and even beyond. Whether that was in service to their deity, or in service to their own ambition, only the gods knew how many had achieved this. ¡°You are now a master of your path, a Fenrir Berserker, excelling in ferocious and wild strength. You shall be my spearhead, the vanguard of my will, my blade to strike down the tyranny of Tihr. Rise Grobak, and bear the name of the Bloodied Wolf.¡±
Name Grobak Bloodied Wolf
Class Barbarian Berserker Berserk Lord Fenrir Berserker Master Rank
Level 30 30 30 10 Level 100
Vitality 300 750 750 500 Total HP 2300
Magic 0 0 0 0 0
PHY. ATK 66 99 110 55 Total PHY ATK 330
PHY. DEF 32 63 74 42 Total PHY DEF 211
Agility 30 45 60 30 Total AGI 165
MAG RES 25 50 60 15 Total MAG RES 150
Abilities Rage (When using the rage ability, PHY. ATK. increases by 15% but PHY. DEF. decreased by 5%, Once rage ends ability user becomes fatigued suffering a 5% decrease in PHY. ATK., PHY. DEF., and AGI until short rest)A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Flurry of fists (Attack in rapid succession when unarmed ignoring 10% of PHY. DEF., chance to stun) Ignore Pain (While in Rage, ignores pain from damage taken allowing one to use abilities even when vitality required is insufficient) Increased Rage (Rage lasts double the amount of time, PHY. ATK. increases by another 10% but PHY. DEF. decreases by an additional 5%) Whirlwind Strike (Using a Two-handed weapon, swing the weapon in a whirlwind, attacking multiple targets in a radius around the ability user, knock-back effect with each hit) Fearless (While in Rage, Immune to the effects of fear, stun, intimidation, and confusion) Extended Rage (When activated, Rage lasts until VIT drops to 0, drains vitality as long as in effect. Can be deactivated, but will immediately lose Rage status and effects, PHY. ATK increases by an additional 10% when activated, but PHY. DEF. decreases by an additional 5%) Ram¡¯s charge (While in rage, charge rapidly towards the opponent, knock down effect and stun effect vs. AGI) Elephant Stomp (Causes a quake in a radius around the user, targets around the user become physically unstable lowering AGI by 25%) Bloodrush (When in rage and Bloodrush is activated, gain 25% VIT. PHY ATK increases by 15% against any target which has their movement restricted, ex: Paralysis, stun, knock down, etc.) Primal Howl (If you kill an opponent while Bloodrush is activated, release a howl which paralyses all nearby opponents in fear unless they are immune to fear) Agile Form (When Bloodrush is activated AGI Increases by 25% for the duration, can¡¯t be used along with Sharp Fangs) Sharp Fangs (When Bloodrush is activated, ignore 25% of PHY DEF, can¡¯t be used with Agile Form)
Fighting stances Unarmed Two-Handed Great Axe Proficiency Wield a Two-handed weapon in one hand
Aleks removed his hand from Grobak¡¯s face. Grobak, who had previously closed his eyes, opened them and could feel new strength filling his body. He rose and flexed his muscles while grinning from ear to ear. He was ecstatic to receive such power and in the past he had never even hoped to rise to such heights. Although a Master class still fell short when compared to a Legendary class, he could be considered an elite being of great prestige. This was why when a being finally rose to Master class, they would be given a secondary name by the god, ancestral being, or deity they served which reflected their path as well as the intentions of the one they served. Brock too possessed such a name, Flash Blade Brock, which was a representation of the speed of his blade as well as his steadfast heart. Although Brock no longer served a deity, he had once worshipped Te¡¯empos, a god of war and the sword belonging to the Aerthian pantheon. Te¡¯empos, like Tihr, were both greater gods belonging to the same pantheon and because of the events that happened to Aleks¡¯s homeland, Brock could no longer remain his worshipper. Although Brock didn¡¯t believe Te¡¯empos had anything to do with those events, he also blamed his former god for doing nothing to help their circumstance. ¡°Thank you master! Thank you! Hahaha!¡± Grobak laughed profusely and even attempted to hug Aleks in his excitement, but Aleks pushed him away and Nelay glared at him. ¡°Hmph, I am a Master class being now woman! How dare you look at me with those hateful eyes, I will teach you a lesson!¡± Now that Grobak had advanced, he felt he could finally express the grievances he had against Nelay who had often looked down on him and who he often truly wished to suppress. He felt all women should grovel beneath him and didn¡¯t like feeling intimidated by anyone, nevermind a woman. Of course Aleks wouldn¡¯t let him have his way. ¡°I will be advancing her next.¡± Grobak, who had taken a few aggressive steps towards Nelay, suddenly stopped. Grobak roared in frustration and took a step back. Just when he thought he could finally release some of his pent up frustration, Aleks doused his enthusiasm with his words. Of course he wasn¡¯t actually going to harm Nelay, well at least not too much. He just wanted to intimidate her a bit as was in his nature, but now he realized not only would that not happen, he would continue to be suppressed by her. Even if he was a powerful warrior, what would that matter if he couldn¡¯t even detect her when she used her abilities to hide? She may not be able to ever beat him in a fair fight, but when did assassins ever fight fair? Blah, I really hate her type! Grobak couldn¡¯t help thinking angrily and stomping his feet a bit before picking up his axe and stroking it once more. At least his new axe offered him some solace. Nelay just watched Grobak¡¯s antics with amusement and smirked. Aleks was somewhat amused by Grobak, but he said nothing and his expression was hidden by his mask. ¡°Grobak, you have more important matters to consider. Listen to your new orders.¡± Grobak flinched again and put his new axe on his back where he used to keep the old one. ¡°Yes master? What will I be doing next?¡± ¡°Now that you are a peak Master class being and have achieved some war merits, I want you to take Grigor¡¯s head and head towards the Harkul Tribe located further to the west. Some of the Orcs in your army should be able to guide you there, or perhaps ask one of the shamans. Also, have them preserve the head so it doesn¡¯t rot. This will give you clout when you meet with the Harkul. They are one of the larger tribes and very powerful, they also welcome both Orcs and Human barbarians into their tribe so it shouldn¡¯t be an issue for you.¡± Grobak scratched his head and replied, ¡°Okay, but what am I going to do there? I don¡¯t like being too far from you for too long. What if you need my axe?¡± ¡°This is what I need you for. You must convince them of the threat of the Human expeditions and to call a tribal war council. With your merits and your Master class identity, you will command great respect from them. Your warriors have also been bloodied through several battles with other tribes and with the expeditionary forces. They are no pushovers and with all these factors you should be welcomed among their council and be given a position of respect to treat with them as equals. Convince them to call the horde and destroy the expedition. Don¡¯t worry, I will be able to continue to communicate my will to you even with the distance. Your mission won¡¯t end there, we must also weaken the horde. It is the only way we can claim these lands for our own and dominate those who live on the Steppes.¡± Grobak couldn¡¯t fully understand the intricacies of Aleks¡¯s plan, but he understood the basics. He just needed to bash some heads and convince the horde to kill some Humans, simple enough. Other than that, he will just listen to whatever his master tells him to do. ¡°Yes master, I will definitely get it done!¡± Grobak said enthusiastically. Aleks nodded and then waved Grobak away. Grobak, with his elite guards, left Aleks and returned to their warriors who were still sifting through the dead. ¡°Are you sure you can trust him to accomplish the mission master?¡± asked Nelay when Grobak was out of hearing distance. ¡°He will do fine, he isn¡¯t as stupid as you think. He is a High Orc and much more intelligent than you think. He is just too accustomed to living a savage life, he will eventually come into his own.¡± Replied Aleks with certainty. ¡°If you say so master,¡± Nelay said while rolling her eyes. Even though her master was confident in his words, she was skeptical. She just didn¡¯t believe that huge brute had much of a brain. Recalling her master¡¯s words to Grobak, she began to smile while thinking of showing off to Lenia and making her jealous. That was apparently one of her favorite past times other than killing to alleviate her boredom. Well, that and trying different ways to get closer to Aleks. ¡°Master, didn¡¯t you say I was next?¡± Said Nelay, whose smile had become mischievous. Chapter 83: What it means to be a Master (3) Nelay was impatient to have Aleks advance her class and was absolutely obstinate that he do so immediately. Of course, Aleks could surmise exactly why she wanted him to so desperately advance her class. She just wanted to show off to Lenia once they met up again and cause her to feel jealous. This was a childish desire of hers, but Aleks didn¡¯t mind it so much. The reason being, he was just satisfied to see that she had at least grown somewhat. Even if that growth was immature and selfish, it was still much better than her normal deadpan expression which was apathetic to everything and everyone other than him. If anything, this showed him that his creations had ample room to grow and he wasn¡¯t about to be impatient towards this phenomenon. If they were able to surpass the faults in their character, they would gain immense benefits from it and as the saying goes, all good things come to those who wait. As long as they didn¡¯t allow their antics to get in the way of their work, he would turn a blind eye to their quirks and slowly allow them to overcome the flaws in their personalities. ¡°Fine, fine. I will do so now, come here.¡± Nelay happily strolled over to Aleks who had yet to leave the battlefield and was watching as Grobak shouted out orders to his warriors and gathered them up to head towards their objective. Aleks glanced over at Nelay and could see a warm smile on her face, this was a smile she only showed him and only when no one else was around. It was only in privacy that she showed her somewhat childish nature. She was still a young lady who should be enjoying her youth, but instead had become a tool of murder under Aleks¡¯s control. Aleks didn¡¯t have the luxury to consider such things however, even if it somewhat pained him. One might easily call him a cold blooded murderer and any other manner of evil things, but in the depths of his heart Aleks only wanted to live in peace. Unfortunately, that peace would most likely never come for him and he had already steeled his heart to continue along his path. Nonetheless, seeing this young beautiful lady smile so happily when her expression was usually so forlorn was somewhat breathtaking. It reminded him of a girl he once knew so long ago, someone who had always been beside him, but he had ignored in his pursuit of knowledge and of truth. Thankfully, she couldn¡¯t see his lonely expression beneath his mask. It was a loneliness that no number of people at his side could ever fill and he was grateful that he could hide beneath the mask. Enough nonsense, it¡¯s time to get back to work. Aleks lightly shook his head and beckoned Nelay to come closer as he placed his hand on her cheek in a loving manner which made her blush ever so slightly. This was the first time Aleks had ever touched her so gently and she wasn¡¯t sure what to make of it. ¡°I shall grant you power, Nelay, but you should not rejoice in it. For this power is meant to be my blade in the shadows, my ill intent in the night. Where I direct, you shall go, and never shall you ever see the light. Are you truly willing to take on this task knowing the cost?¡± Nelay was surprised by Aleks¡¯s words and didn¡¯t really understand them. Her only purpose in life was to serve her master and she was happy to do so. She had no regrets about any of those she killed or any of those she would kill in the future. It had never even occurred to her that what she was doing was wrong. It was the way of the world, survival of the fittest, the strong ruling over the weak. In their world this was a natural state of affairs and while not many would say it out loud, they nonetheless believed it deep in their subconscious mind. Aleks was not of their world though, he came from a world which was very different in its thinking and way of life. In a sense, it wasn¡¯t as if that ideology didn¡¯t exist, it was just much more hidden and discrete. Often times people talked of justice, law, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, understanding, etc. They spoke these words as if a mantra, but at the end of the day they were just as heavy handed in their methods. They justified it with their self righteous rhetoric, but they weren¡¯t truly much different. At least those of this world were much more honest about their methods. ¡°Of course master, I would do anything for you. My life, my everything is yours.¡± She said without hesitation. It was somewhat disconcerting to him. When Aleks created Lenia, it was his first time doing so. He was somewhat drunk on the power of it, having a life to shape and mold in his hands. It was the power of a god and he wielded it. Over time though, it became burdensome. Now that there were three beings who had their lives and souls tied to him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel the weight of this responsibility at this moment. It was the path he chose though, and no matter what he would stick with it until the end. Aleks nodded and was once again glad he could hide his thoughts. ¡°So be it. Since you will be my blade in the shadows, then I shall name you the Umbral Blade! You will be the instrument of my will, removing any and all obstacles before me and striking terror into the hearts of my enemies.¡± Aleks¡¯s mask once more became animated with many symbols and numbers and a gentle light poured out, encasing Nelay in its warm embrace. She closed her eyes and felt the warmth of that power being imbued into her. It made her feel as if she had become one with her master and filled her with a hint of ecstasy.
Name Nelay Umbral Blade
ClassIf you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Rogue Assassin Shadow Assassin Night Stalker Master Rank
Level 30 30 30 10 Total Level 100
Vitality 300 300 600 500 Total HP 1700
Magic 0 0 0 0 Total MP 0
PHY. ATK 30 30 60 40 Total PHY ATK 160
PHY. DEF 30 30 45 40 Total PHY DEF 145
Agility 60 60 90 40 Total AGI 250
MAG RES 30 30 60 50 Total MAG RES 170
Abilities Stealth (Allows the ability user to move undetected through normal means, also hides aura for those at the same level or below, can still be detected through special means) Rogue¡¯s Defense (Adds half of the being¡¯s AGI to PHY DEF but can¡¯t be used with Rogue¡¯s Offense at the same time) Rogue¡¯s Offense (Adds half of the being¡¯s AGI to PHY. ATK. but can¡¯t be used with Rogue¡¯s Defense at the same time) Double Strike (When in stealth, Ability user is able to attack twice without being detected, can be used in conjunction with other offensive abilities) Enhanced Stealth (Allows the ability user to move rapidly while undetected, also hides aura for those within the same class rank, can still be detected through special means) Backstab (Deals damage ignoring 25% of PHY. DEF. when attacking from a flanking position or the rear, if in stealth ignores 50% of PHY. DEF.) Rapid Piercing Strike (Allows for a rapid attack with a thin blade, such as a rapier or sai, that ignores PHY. DEF. but only does half of PHY. ATK. in damage) Pierce Vitals (When used in stealth and undetected, any being up to and including a class rank lower will be instantly killed) Superior Stealth (Allows the ability user to move at full speed while undetected, also hides aura for those a full class rank above the ability user, can still be detected through special means) Shadow Step (Allows the ability user to move in and out of shadows within a ten foot radius, can be used in succession unless interrupted, can be used in conjunction with stealth) Crippling Strike (If ability is successful when undetected in stealth, the target is temporarily unable to move or attack, can be used in conjunction with other offensive abilities) Finesse (When active, AGI is used for both offense and defense replacing both PHY ATK and PHY DEF, Can¡¯t be used in conjunction with Rogue¡¯s defense or Rogue¡¯s offense) Master of Stealth (Allows the ability user to move completely undetected and even avoid most abilities/spells which normally would detect a user in stealth, only a class with the highest detection abilities would be able to detect the user¡¯s presence but not their exact location, hides aura from any below Demigod, Demigods can detect aura but not location of user) Shadow Fade (Allows the ability user to disappear completely into shadows and reappear from another shadow several dozen yards away almost instantly, This ability can¡¯t be obstructed or restricted. Can only be used once per day. This ability does not conflict with Shadow Step) Dance of Blades (This is an offensive ability which allows the user to launch a combination of lethal attacks on a target that ignore 50% of the targets PHY DEF. AGI must be higher than the target in order to be successful.) The Night''s Fury (Can only be used while in stealth and undetected by the target, Instantly kill any target of a lower class than the user, If used on a target of the same class rank, deal half of VIT as damage and temporarily daze the target if AGI is greater allowing for further attacks of opportunity)
Fighting style Dual Wielding One-handed thin blades Small throwing weapons Poisoned weapons
¡°It is done.¡± Aleks removed his hand from Nelay¡¯s cheek which caused her to feel some regret. She wished he would continue for a while longer, but it was over so quickly. ¡°Thank you master.¡± Nelay bowed and said with heartfelt gratitude. She could feel her new strength and was overflowing with new power. She could already feel her body becoming stronger, lighter, and faster than it was before. Although she was relatively petite, her body possessed explosive speed and strength. Of course she was nowhere near as physically strong as Grobak, but she could easily run circles around him. ¡°We have kept Lenia waiting long enough, it is time for us to return. We have our own mission to accomplish.¡± Aleks turned and walked towards the horse which was waiting for them. Nelay couldn¡¯t help but give a slight mischievous smile after Aleks turned his back to her. She couldn¡¯t wait to show off her new class to Lenia and see the look on her face. Chapter 84: That which is hidden (1) Across a rugged area of grass and hills was camped a large army which numbered close to twenty thousand. A lone carriage made its way through the organized tents and bustling soldiers who were going about their duties. Despite the dense activity of the camp, there was an air of unease and uncertainty which permeated the camp. A curtain was suddenly pulled from a window of the luxurious carriage and a beautiful young blonde haired lady peered out of the window curiously. Her sparkling bright eyes shown with intelligence and a hint of arrogance. The young woman closed the curtain and turned to look at a middle aged looking man who was wearing a plain mage¡¯s robe. Despite his rank and prestige, he dressed like a common mage with no embellishments. There was nothing that stood out about his appearance if one were to look at him normally. He had a well trimmed beard and a common facial appearance. Only the occasional flash or crackle of lightning which sometimes rippled across his body or occasionally in the pupils of his eyes, would show anything of note about him. ¡°I am surprised we have so quickly come across one of the expeditionary camps. They should have advanced much further than this. It seems they have suffered some losses by the expressions on the soldier¡¯s faces.¡± The man known as the Lightning Emperor Eneran nodded while grunting. He was busily stroking his beard while considering something. ¡°It does seem so. I can¡¯t imagine what force could have made this army suffer any loss. The savages that live on the Steppes should not be a match for such a well disciplined and elite army. Well, that is unless they summoned the horde, but that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. Only that oversized lizard poses a threat here and my understanding is that the churches are already negotiating with him and his kin. This should have been an easy expedition with mainly cleaning up the region while establishing an initial base of operations. However, this was supposed to be a chance for some of the lower gods to achieve some benefits and of course a chance for the Northern churches to grow a bit. Really this was just about throwing some of the complainers a bone.¡± Eneran chuckled at his last comment. He had no issues with his ridicule of the deities involved in the current expedition. He was after all a powerful top tier Legendary being who served a powerful greater god and wasn¡¯t far off from being rewarded with a Mythical class. If he accomplished his current mission, Mystra had promised him that she would finally raise him up. He had long been on the threshold of becoming a Demigod, but he had no intention of advancing on his own to becoming one. Becoming a Demigod was a path one did alone, without the support of a patron deity. That was a path for those who eventually hoped to defy the gods, becoming one themselves. This was a dangerous path and one which most could not reach the end of. Instead, it was safer to serve a deity and be given a Mythical class which was equivalent to a Demigod and could eventually even surpass one to gain power equalling the gods. The price of course was servitude. This didn¡¯t dissuade most though, because the alternative was too risky. Eneran was quite excited about the prospect which he believed to already have been won. It was just a matter of time. As for these mid and lower gods or the gods of other pantheons, he could care less about them. Their gods were in competition anyway and who knew if he might one day have to fight in some future war against them in service of Mystra. Their carriage continued unimpeded as it rode through the camp. A few soldiers of the expedition were riding as their escort since they had already been granted access and were heading towards the central area of the camp where Archbishop Ragnir waited for them. The Archbishop greeted them with open arms, but the two visitors could easily see that the Archbishop hadn¡¯t been sleeping well by the bags under his eyes. He could put on a facade all he liked, but he couldn¡¯t hide the truth. Ragnir was clearly feeling pressure from somewhere. ¡°Archbishop Ragnir, it is so good to meet you finally!¡± The young woman who was blessed by Tihr and a potential Saintess of the Church of Justice lifted her dainty hand and held it before the Archbishop who took it and lightly kissed it.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°Lady Shelise, it is truly an honor.¡± Said Ragnir tiredly. ¡°Is it? I feel as if perhaps I am not welcome here.¡± Shelise replied. ¡°Ah, please forgive the lack of a proper welcome. We have been having some.. trying times.¡± ¡°Is that so, pray do tell.¡± Archbishop Ragnir beckoned towards the main tent and said, ¡°Let us speak inside, I have some news to share.¡± Shelise raised one eyebrow and looked at the Archbishop curiously, ¡°Oh? I hope it is news I wish to hear since I came all this way by your own invitation. Although, I wasn¡¯t expecting to run into you so soon. Aren¡¯t you quite behind schedule?¡± Ragnir sighed and began to lead Shelise and Eneran towards the command tent, ¡°This is why we need to speak privately.¡± After the three were comfortable within the tent, Ragnir had refreshments brought and attempted to delay with idle talk, but he could see the impatience on Shelise¡¯s face and couldn¡¯t delay anymore. With a deep sigh, he finally said, ¡°Your brother is dead.¡± Shelise didn¡¯t respond immediately, it was as if she didn¡¯t hear what he had just said. She glared at the Archbishop without saying a word. ¡°I know this might be hard for you to accept, but his army was wiped out by Orcs several days ago. I am sorry you had to come all this way for nothing.¡± The Archbishop seemed apologetic and in a way he was. His plan had been entirely ruined by this chain of events. ¡°Impossible, and don¡¯t call it my brother.¡± Shelise finally murmured. Eneran watched carefully from Shelise¡¯s side while sipping the tea that had been prepared for him. He gently pulled on his beard with his other hand and seemed to be thinking of something, but he remained silent. ¡°Every report from the scouts we sent said that his entire camp was wiped out, we were even attacked by the same group of Orcs. This is the reason why morale is so low currently. I am sure you have seen it on your way here.¡± ¡°I said Impossible. It is not possible for it to be dead. You are mistaken. Did you see it with your own eyes?¡± Ragnir coughed and replied back somewhat uncomfortably, ¡°Ah, no I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes, but the reports clearly state his camp was burned to the ground with even the corpses were piled up into huge bonfires.¡± ¡°Hmph. You are a fool! Do you not think it possible for that to be a lie?¡± Although Ragnir was somewhat cautious around this young woman because of her status as a potential Saintess of Tihr, he was becoming angered by her words and attitude. He was an Archbishop deserving of respect and to be talked down to by a young woman was a little too much for his pride to handle. Not to mention he couldn¡¯t understand where this young woman was coming from with her insistence that her brother wasn¡¯t dead. Her brother wasn¡¯t anything special in his eyes and he had no reason to doubt the reports. Although his scouts had been compromised and killed and there was those strange incidents with some of his own men attacking the encampment, he couldn¡¯t put those strange incidents together with Aleksandros in his mind. ¡°I have been respectful to you and welcomed you into my camp. You may be a potential Saintess of Tihr, but that means little to me! How dare you question me in my own camp?¡± Ragnir angrily retorted while rising abruptly from his seat. ¡°How about we take a step back and both calm down?¡± Eneran, seeing where this was going, spoke to alleviate the situation. He was smiling gently and not giving off any of the pressure a Legendary being would normally give. Shelise looked at Eneran and noticed his gesture and quieted down. Ragnir also calmed down and once again sat. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us exactly what happened, please try to share every detail no matter how small.¡± Eneran continued calmly. Ragnir nodded and began to explain the events of the last several days. He told them everything he knew that had happened while the two listened patiently. Shelise remained quiet throughout the whole explanation and didn¡¯t say anything else until she left the tent with Eneran in tow. ¡°It is still alive, we can be sure of that from what Ragnir said. He doesn¡¯t know of what it can do, even we know very little. From what he has said and what we learned from the events in Andor¡¯s Edge we can see its hands behind it all. We are on the right track, it is only a matter of time now.¡± Shelise said with certainty. ¡°Indeed, but the Steppes are vast and finding him now will be difficult. Who knows where he is or even why he has come to this place. What does he seek here? The Steppes have nothing of value as far as I know.¡± After eyeing Eneran unhappily Shelise asked, ¡°What do you suggest then Eneran?¡± ¡°Hmm, there must be some reasoning behind his movements and why bother with the expedition at all? Well, searching without a clear path is foolish. We can have the Night Fury continue to search while we travel along with the expedition. I think this would be wiser. Perhaps traveling with the expedition will bring us into contact with our target. I think this may be the best option for us at this time.¡± After considering for a time, Shelise sighed and said, ¡°I guess this is the best we can do for now.¡± Chapter 85: That which is hidden (2) It took them a full day of riding, but Aleks and Nelay had quietly returned to the meeting point where Lenia and Aleks¡¯s army were awaiting their return. They had entered quietly because Aleks didn¡¯t want to deal with Lenia right after arriving and instead wanted to freshen up. He knew he couldn¡¯t avoid the issue though and Nelay had disappeared immediately after their arrival. Aleks felt somewhat helpless about her behavior but he also found it to be amusing. ¡°MASTER!¡± Lenia¡¯s loud voice could be heard clearly piercing through the din of the military camp. She came stomping into Aleks¡¯s tent equipped in full armor with her shield on her back and sword sheathed at her hip. It seemed almost as if she were ready to go to war as she rushed towards Aleks¡¯s side. Aleks had already removed his mask and changed his clothes and his servants were busily grooming him while he washed his face when she arrived. Lenia immediately began complaining to Aleks incessantly while Aleks finished freshening up. He appeared to be listening to her words, but wasn¡¯t paying the least bit attention. He already understood why she was complaining and didn¡¯t pay it any mind. Instead he was wondering if this was what it was like to be married. He had never been married before, but had heard stories from those who were in the past. Mostly they were complaints about their spouse or significant other. She finally ran out of breath by the time Aleks was done and sitting on his temporary throne and ended her tirade with a, ¡°How could you?¡± Aleks simply waved away his servants and looked at Lenia, ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lenia said while blushing in embarrassment. She had realized that she had let her emotions get the best of her and suddenly felt shy and nervous about losing control. ¡°Do you wish to grow stronger?¡± Aleks asked, still completely unperturbed. Lenia nodded vehemently in response. Aleks beckoned her closer and said, ¡°Kneel.¡± Lenia kneeled right before Aleks¡¯s feet while holding her breath. She suddenly felt even more nervous and couldn¡¯t look Aleks in the eye, instead staring down at the floor. Aleks stood up from his throne and walked in a circle around Lenia while his eyes seemed to bore into her very being. Her body shook slightly from his deep and piercing gaze. Somewhere nearby, Nelay was completely hidden and watching Aleks in the tent. Of course, Aleks was aware of her presence as none of his creations could hide themselves from him. Lenia, however, had no idea that Nelay was hiding nearby and silently observing. Aleks didn¡¯t say anything to Nelay and continued with his actions until finally standing before the kneeling Lenia. ¡°Lenia, you are the first of my creations and I especially modeled you after my mother in this life who is now dead, and partially after my sister who may still be alive. Do you know why?¡± Aleks voice was soft, but loud enough for Lenia and Nelay to hear. He was saying this not just for her, but also for Nelay. ¡°I don¡¯t know master.¡± Lenia said, her voice quivering slightly. ¡°I never knew love.¡± Those words were somewhat difficult for him to say, but he didn¡¯t hesitate. ¡°I never knew my mother or father in my original life. I don¡¯t know if I had a sister. I had a brother.. once.. but we were not related by blood and I realize now that I never truly reciprocated the brotherhood between us. But in this life, even if for only a brief moment, I had a family that loved me even though they did not know what I was. I am a monster. I am not one destined to love or to know peace and happiness or joy. You represent that brief glimpse, that single moment of repose. You are my memorial to the one thing that I shall never possess.¡± Aleks¡¯s words fell heavily upon Lenia¡¯s shoulders. Her heart ached deeply for she could sense the deep despair that resided in her master¡¯s heart. She finally looked up to glance at him, but he wasn¡¯t looking at her, instead his gaze rested upwards to some unforeseen sight. Her master took a deep breath and almost as if releasing a deep sigh, he said, ¡°Ah, such irony, such hypocrisy. Despite my deep regret and unwillingness, I still desire it. As if to fill that abyss that lies in my heart, I still lust after it. I am filled with envy and my arrogance shall not be quenched, for I know that out there in that vast and lonely void of space lie the hidden truth I seek. The closer I get, the more my humanity fades away and it is only when my eyes fall upon you that I am reminded of the cruel hand of fate.¡± He then looked at her with eyes devoid of life and uttered one last phrase, ¡°For I had all that I needed, but I threw it all away.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand master.¡± Lenia replied with uncertainty. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, all you need know is that you are special to me. You shall always be so. You are my guardian and my knight. Through you, my feet stand firm upon solid rock. The foundation of my will takes root in your steadfast resolve and with your shield, my domain will ever prosper.¡± Aleks said while cupping Lenia¡¯s face in his hands causing her face to turn bright red. Aleks¡¯s eyes glowed brilliantly as numerous symbols and numbers flashed across his retina and his hands began to shimmer in a warm light. Lenia didn¡¯t even realize, but Aleks had already begun to advance her class as soon as he spoke and touched her face.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Henceforth you will be my Eternal Shield.¡±
Name Lenia Eternal Shield
Class Warrior Knight Warlord Guardian Sentinel Master Rank
Level 30 30 30 10 Total Level 100
Vitality 300 600 900 600 Total HP 2400
Magic 0 0 0 0 0
PHY. ATK 60 60 90 50 Total PHY ATK 260
PHY. DEF 60 90 90 60 Total PHY DEF 300
Agility 30 30 30 40 Total AGI 130
MAG RES 30 60 60 50 Total MAG RES 200
Abilities Martial Sweep (Attacks up to three enemies within 5 feet of the user, PHY. ATK must exceed PHY. DEF) Bulwark (Redirects a portion of the damage from the target to self, scales with damage received,PHY. ATK must exceed PHY. DEF) Double Strike (Attack twice in rapid succession, Second attack reduced PHY. ATK by 25%) Daunting Strike (Powerful strike that adds 25% to PHY. ATK, Deals double damage when target is stunned) Knight''s Aura (Continuous aura that boosts PHY DEF by 10% of allies within a ten feet radius) Shield Bash (Chance to Stun PHY ATK vs. Agility) Valorous Charge (Charge forward at 2x speed causing knockdown effect and double damage, Ignores 15% PHY DEF, can be dodged with high Agility) Warlord''s Aura (Continuous aura that boosts PHY ATK by 10% of allies within a ten feet radius) Penetrating Strike (Ignores 20% of PHY DEF) Guardian Shield (Combines existing auras and provides an additional boost to PHY DEF and MAG RES by 10%, Total aura boost: 10% PHY ATK, 20% PHY DEF, 10% MAG RES, Affects the user and all allies within a 100 foot radius) Indomitable Will (Immunity to all negative mind effects such as fear, sleep, domination, etc.) Repelling Force (Repels 15% of all damage to VIT back to the attacker as damage) Ethereal Slash (An attack that ignores PHY DEF and directly damages VIT doing critical damage x2, Can only be used once per battle)
Fighting stances Dual Wielding Shield bearer Two-handed One-handed Bastard Sword
When he finished advancing her class, Lenia didn¡¯t know how to respond. She closed her eyes and reflected on her new strength and power. Aleks let go of her face and sat back down on his throne and watched her patiently. Lenia continued to kneel as she delved deeply into herself with her consciousness and began to fully understand her new strength and abilities. After several moments, she opened her eyes once more and stood. ¡°Thank you master.¡± Aleks nodded and smiled lightly, ¡°Are you satisfied?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lenia blushed once more remembering her embarrassment and she backed away from Aleks and bowed. Nelay, seeing all of this, finally slipped away without saying anything without anyone knowing what her intention was in hiding there. ¡°I must return to my duties.¡± Before she turned, Aleks called out to her, ¡°Have the adventurers we sent out in advance returned yet?¡± ¡°Not yet master.¡± Lenia said with a hint of frustration. She was growing impatient and wanted to move on to their objective already. Although Aleks felt the call of the last piece of Origin that still existed, he didn¡¯t know its exact location only the general direction. The adventurers had been hired ahead of time and sent out in advance to find the correct path and location. Since they were well experienced and knowledgeable of the terrain and geography of the Steppes, it was only a matter of time. ¡°It¡¯s fine, then we will continue to head to the next predetermined meeting point and will continue to advance until we meet up with them. You may go back to your duties. Do not disappoint my expectations for you.¡± Lenia bowed once more and left. Aleks remained alone in his tent and his gaze lingered on the spot that Lenia had been standing in. Only he knew what thoughts were burdening his mind. Chapter 86: That which is hidden (3) A howl of anguish tore through the gloomy and hushed atmosphere of the expeditionary camp of the Northern churches. Everyone in the camp could hear the pain and anger in that deep and terrifying howl. Many of the soldiers in the expeditionary camp who heard this trembled in fear while others were filled with even more uncertainty. They could only assume that this howl was a result of another unfortunate circumstance. Only a fool would not be able to understand that this howl was from one of the Direwolves and just recently, one of the twins had been sent to chase after the tribals who had been attacking them as of late. With no news being heard for some time, put together with this howl of anguish, anyone could see that something terrible must have happened. The camp became even more unsettled as rumors spread throughout the expedition. The Northern churches had been in the process of recalling and consolidating all of their subordinate camps. Some of the minor subordinate camps had already fled their circle of influence and attached themselves to other expeditions. Under normal circumstances something like this would cause a major incident and conflict. However, due to the circumstances of the Northern expedition, some of the minor subordinate groups were emboldened to cut themselves off from their influence. These groups were welcomed into other expeditions and the Northern churches which had been weakened significantly because of their recent losses chose not to pursue the matter. They couldn¡¯t afford any more setbacks and instead consolidated the forces they had remaining and reorganized their army. Even with their forces having been weakened, they were still a powerful force numbering close to twenty thousand. Archbishop Ragnir was struggling to keep things together, but things hadn¡¯t completely fallen apart yet. With the news of such a major defeat and the assumed death of the Direwolf Grigor, Ragnir was suddenly overcome with a bout of anxiety and stress which almost caused him to collapse. Grigor¡¯s brother, Toran, was awash with grief once he heard the news. It was his howling that greatly disturbed the camp and when he heard of the death of his brother, he howled for several minutes before finally running off. Ragnir attempted to stop him, but Toran was incensed and refused to listen. He disappeared from the camp and did not return. Meanwhile, Shelise and Eneran were paying attention to the mood of the camp. They too heard the howls from Toran and immediately knew what it meant. ¡°This is exactly what it does. I have never been more certain that the demon is still alive.¡± Shelise had briefly stepped out of her tent when she heard the howling and was followed after by Eneran who never left her side. ¡°Hmm... Isn¡¯t it time you reveal yourself?¡± Initially Eneran was about to comment on Shelise¡¯s words, but he soon noticed the one hidden from sight nearby. This particular individual could easily infiltrate most locations without ever being seen or detected. ¡°So, you sensed me.¡± A feminine voice replied before a figure materialized and quickly moved into the tent followed by the other two. ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious Melisana? As a magic caster, it shouldn¡¯t be strange to have a detection item or two.. especially when you reach my realm of power. It wouldn¡¯t do to have a sneaky being such as yourself attacking me from the shadows.¡± Eneran chuckled while comfortably returning to his seat within the tent. ¡°Enough of wasting time, what did you find Night Fury?¡± Melisana eyed Shelise from the side and didn¡¯t immediately answer. Instead she walked around a bit while remaining silent. This only visibly annoyed Shelise, but Melisana didn¡¯t care about her reaction. Eneran was much more patient and waited patiently for her response. ¡°No need to be so impatient little girl.¡± Replied Melisana after letting Shelise stew in anger for a moment. ¡°Do I look like a fool to you? I am not here for your amusement, out with it already!¡± Shouted Shelise. ¡°It seems that Tihr¡¯s influence on you has been quite detrimental. You are just as impatient as all the rest of his devout. Do you think that only you matter girl? I do not serve your god and I am here with my own agenda. Try to keep that in mind, especially when asking my aid.¡± ¡°Alright, there is no need to argue. Why we don¡¯t calm down and get to the heart of the matter?¡± Eneran¡¯s calm voice interrupted the two women from there little spat and the two finally backed away from each other. Those of the Church of Tihr did not get along well with the members of the Church of Murder so this was a normal occurrence whenever the two met.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°I inspected the location of where our target supposedly died. There are too many suspicious points about it, especially when taking into account the numbers of supposed dead. The one responsible did a good job trying to cover up the incident, but I was able to see a thing or two out of place which leads me to believe that the target is in fact not dead.¡± Shelise scoffed at her words and said, ¡°As if I needed you to confirm such a thing. I already knew that the demon was still alive. It is as obvious as day to me.¡± ¡°Then I supposed you don¡¯t need my services?¡± Asked Melisana menacingly. Eneran rose from his seated position and stood in front of Shelise before another argument broke out, ¡°It is good that you are able to confirm our suspicions. Let¡¯s try not to devolve into another argument, okay? Anyway, I think following that werewolf would be wise. A werewolf¡¯s senses are much greater than that of us Humans. Even though your detection abilities are superior to the average Legendary being, a werewolf¡¯s senses might be even more valuable. I think it is quite obvious why that wolf left the camp. Perhaps following him would be in our best interests?¡± Melisana didn¡¯t bother to respond, instead she stepped backwards and immediately disappeared. She didn¡¯t feel that any more discussion was necessary now that a new lead had been revealed to her. ¡°I despise that bloodthirsty bitch! The members of the Church of Murder only know how to scurry around in darkness, always hiding from the light. There is no Justice in anything that they do. What despicable and wretched people they are!¡± Eneran didn¡¯t immediately say anything in response to Shelise¡¯s words and instead just raised his eyes slightly and turned away from her before saying, ¡°Regardless, she has her uses. Otherwise it would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, do you truly wish to search every corner of this god forsaken place? Perhaps you should be a little more tactful in your approach?¡± Shelise ignored Eneran¡¯s comment and instead changed the subject, ¡°And what should we do from here?¡± ¡°For now, it would be wise to remain as we are until we have a better lead. The only one we must fear on the Steppes is that Elder Dragon and his kin, at least until the negotiations are complete. If we can bring him to our side, then we need not fear any being on the Steppes. At that time, we can search for your brother without worry.¡± Replied Eneran. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to call ¡®it¡¯ my brother?!¡± Eneran rolled his eyes and once again lounged in his seat while sipping a hot cup of tea.
¡°Chief, there!¡± A tall and muscular Orc called out to Grobak while pointing to a narrow canyon in the distance. The location was a highly defensible one with only one path in. On each side of the canyon were steep cliffs which reached sharply into the sky and a river ran straight through the middle of it eventually opening up into a large lake further within. It was an excellent location for a large tribe due to the abundance of water and the highly defensible entrance. It would be extremely difficult to attack those within the canyon under normal circumstances. Of course, it might be a different story with powerful aerial units who could fly overhead and use the cover of the steep cliffs on each side to avoid ranged attacks. There were no such forces on the Steppes except for the Wyverns and Dragons, but their territory was much deeper within the mountains and they didn¡¯t usually hunt in this particular region. Grobak grinned and patted the Orc on his back before waving his tribe on. They had most likely already been spotted long ago and there was no reason to hold back. It would be difficult to hide a tribe of almost fifty thousand especially when there was only one approach. Grobak¡¯s tribe had swelled to its size of approximately fifty thousand over the trek to their destination. He had killed and forcibly submitted numerous smaller tribes throughout the march. Anyone who refused to submit to his authority and worship his master was killed without hesitation. He had left a bloody swathe through the Steppes and had killed more than ten thousand tribal members. Those who submitted were added to his tribe and he had grown his tribe into a formidable force. They could now be considered a decently powerful mid-sized tribe. All of this was necessary in order to raise his authority among all the tribes. Only with real strength and authority could one have a say in the political relationships between tribes. Too strong, and one might be seen as a dangerous rival, but at the same time no one would be taken seriously without sufficient strength. Grobak realized this and had prepared accordingly, as did Aleks. Grobak was now a powerful tribal leader who could not be ignored, but not influential enough to be a threat. After finally arriving at their destination after weeks of travel, Grobak had his tribe set up their tents just outside the canyon and made his way with his elite tribal guards towards the home of the Harkul tribe to pay respects to their leader. The chief of the Harkul tribe was known as a powerful Master class being on the verge of becoming a Legendary being and he led his tribe with an iron fist. He was an Orc that appreciated talents, and if one could get in his good graces they would be respected and welcome into his influence. This was Grobak¡¯s goal and his hidden intentions. It was time to move the horde. Chapter 87: Harkul Tribe (1) After having his newly formed tribe camp outside the canyon, Grobak led his most fierce and loyal elite guard down the narrow path leading inside. Each member of his elite guard carried a wooden spear with a decapitated head on it. Each of the heads had once belonged to an advanced class being from the Northern church''s expeditionary army. Grobak himself held a spear with the head of Grigor firmly impaled at the end. This was a method to display their imposingness and valor. It was not uncommon for smaller tribes to pay tribute to the larger ones or to attempt to attach themselves to a larger force for safety. So Grobak arriving with his tribe didn''t immediately alert the Harkul tribe or make them feel threatened. They were after all, a powerful tribe and their numbers were vastly greater than Grobak''s tribe. They had nothing to fear, but Grobak''s strength was intimidating and many Orcs and Human Barbarians of the Harkul tribe glanced at him with awe. Strength was something they admired wholeheartedly and such a powerful and fierce looking Orc was an object of their admiration. However, not every member of the Harkul tribe looked at him so, some had envious looks while others were somewhat hostile. Orcs were a violent bunch who always sought to assert their dominance over others so some would feel a sort of competitiveness in seeing another powerful member of their kind. The Harkul tribe had many powerful warriors and even several master class beings so they were not weak by any means. As a matter of fact, the Harkul tribe was the current dominant tribe among the tribes of the Steppes and this particular canyon was considered the ancestral grounds of all tribes. Only the most powerful tribe that could dominate the others would be able to make this place their home. The Harkul tribe had already dominated the Steppes for several dozen years and were clearly the dominant tribe in the current time. However, there were a few other tribes which were growing in power and threatened their dominance. Grobak didn''t mind the stares, regardless of the intent. He grinned ferociously at any and all of the surrounding onlookers while showcasing his aura and power. As a peak master class being, there was almost no one who could contend with his personal strength and the strength of his elite guard was nothing to scoff at either. This was an intimidating presence, and the fact that Grobak was carrying a spear with the head of a werewolf impaled on it was a huge intimidating factor. Werewolves were extremely powerful beings and not something just anyone could kill. This was truly an impressive display of their strength. Grobak was no idiot despite his sometimes foolish behavior. Within him was a devious and cruel mind and his actions often had a purpose. This was no different, he needed to establish his prestige in order to be taken seriously so that he could complete his master''s objective. While he was putting on this show for the members of the Harkul tribe, he was also carefully observing the surroundings. This was only one small area of the canyon and most of the stronger members of the tribe would be further in. Nonetheless, he wasn''t careless and continued to observe for any powerful auras or influences within the surrounding groups of tribal members. One particular group caught his eye, they were clearly not members of the tribe. They were Dragonmen, servants of the Dragons. These were a race of beings who had the blood of dragons and other races in them. They were not true dragons, but descendents of dragons who had children with humans and perhaps even Orcs. Most dragons were lustful creatures who often partook in debauchery and were extremely greedy. Their lust for power, wealth, and their lascivious behavior was common knowledge. They would only bow down to strength and they often preyed on the weak, although not all dragons were like this. There were some dragons who were noble and wise. These dragons were much more rare, but often very powerful and respected. Overall, there weren''t many dragons on the continent as dragons were often hunted and killed for their valuable parts which could be used in a variety of things, like potions, weapons, and magical tools. The only large group of dragons on this continent, were on the Steppes and lived in the wild places where it was difficult to tread.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "What are those things doing here?" Mumbled Grobak under his breath. He didn''t much like Dragonmen and saw them as a disgusting aberration of life. As a High Orc, he considered himself a noble and proud being far above them. The Dragonmen too, eyed Grobak with interest and a good bit of hostility. They in kind thought themselves above Orcs and Humans because of the blood of dragons running through their veins. To them, Dragons were beings of worship and their ancestors. All other races were their prey and beneath them. Of course, to Dragons, the Dragonmen were replaceable servants and not worth their care. As long as they fulfilled their role as servants and slaves, the Dragons allowed them to live peacefully. Seeing these Dragonmen here was not a good omen. Grobak immediately saw them as a threat and was concerned they would interfere with his mission. "Hmph, I will crush them if they get in my way." He resolved himself to deal with them at the appropriate time. Of course, that didn''t stop him from provoking the group by flipping them the finger and giving them one of his ferocious grins. Despite his provocation, they only glared at him with hostility and did nothing else. "Haha, what a bunch of degenerate scum!" Mocked Grobak before heading deeper into the canyon. The dwelling places of the Orcs within the canyon was simply dubbed by the Orcs as "The Canyon." It was an interesting blend of nature and man made structures. These dwellings and other facilities had existed for untold thousands of years and had been expanded upon throughout every generation until the entire canyon valley was covered with these strange earthy structures. It was almost as if the homes and facilities of these tribal Orcs and other races had grown from out of the rock itself. There was nothing sophisticated about the structures and they were mostly crude, sculpted from the rocky walls of the canyon and stretched upwards along the canyon walls. The only way to navigate the various abodes was by climbing a series of ladders which could easily be thrown down or lifted up in times of danger. It was a highly defensible city which would be difficult to conquer. Fire was mostly ineffective and the walls of the canyon also shimmered with the light of runic magic. The entire canyon was protected by powerful runic spells which Shamans had imbued into the canyon walls over thousands of years. Although most modern civilizations would consider this immense city to be barbaric and lacking any semblance of what a proper civilized city should be, this place was not all it appeared from the outset. The Orc tribes on the Steppes were not as barbaric as some might believe and this city was quite a grand spectacle in its own right. Throughout the canyon floor were numerous herds of animals both large and small. This was the main food source of the tribes and also provided many other resources used in their daily lives. They didn''t only possess such crude and meager sources of wealth, there were also many exotic and strange creatures as well as materials which were produced by the tribes on the Steppes. These goods could only be found in this particular region and often provided significant wealth to the tribes. They also would often raid trading caravans and even pillage settlements along the borders of the Savage Lands. Since the tribal people were at their roots a nomadic people, many of them also tended to roam a vast area in which they would collect all manner of things. The Harkul tribe was a mixture of all of these things. They were an extremely powerful tribe and received significant tributes from surrounding tribes and also even from distant nations who either wanted to entice them for a variety of nefarious reasons or perhaps to keep them away from their lands. It wasn''t necessary for such a powerful tribe to spend their lives roaming the Steppes and they had instead made this canyon their home. They had many travelers from throughout the Steppes who saw this place as a sort of holy land and there were even traders who were accepted and occasional foreigners who were permitted on their lands. It was quite the hub of activity and Grobak was immensely impressed. This was his first time seeing this place that all Orcs and tribes on the Steppes revered. It was also here where the powerful ancestral spirits supposedly dwelled. Even though Grobak was somewhat awed by the presence of this place, he retained his confident demeanor and swaggered throughout the canyon with his group of elites. Despite his attitude, he knew when not to step over the line and didn''t outwardly cause any significant problems with the locals. He acted as an Orc Warlord should, with a confident step, a ferocious grin, and a murderous aura. It also helped when carrying a huge Werewolf''s decapitated head impaled on a spear. Chapter 88: Harkul Tribe (2) As Grobak and his crew walked further into the canyon, they were eventually met with a group of Orcs who were sent by the acting Chief of the Harkul tribe. They were then led further in and as they drew further into the canyon, the amount of people became much more scarce. Not every part of The Canyon had rock dwellings along the cliffs and walls. The area they were being directed to had very few abodes and eventually a series of cavern like structures were visible along with a large encampment. The cavern like structures were the supposed dwelling places of the ancestral spirits with ancestral altars within. The encampment, which included hundreds of tents both large and small, was where the ancestral guard trained. These warriors were those who protected the ancestral altars and caverns. There were also many Shaman among the encampment who took on a role similar to the priests from the churches. Although it wasn¡¯t visible at first, Grobak soon came into sight of something quite unexpected and astounding. The entire cliffside wall on one side of The Canyon had been chiseled out to look much like a palace. He had never seen anything like it. The palace itself was not an independent structure but had been carved out of the rock itself. He had no idea how this had been done, but it was quite majestic looking. It wasn¡¯t as if the entire cliff looked like a palace, but the cliff face had been carved and chiseled to look like a grand palace with pillars and a huge door like opening. It was carved with extremely fine detail and if one couldn¡¯t see the entire cliffside, they might believe it was an actual palace instead of a structure within a cliff. It wasn¡¯t much different from the Dwarven style and Grobak wondered if this was perhaps once a Dwarven outpost and had nothing to do with the Orcs or any other tribe on the Steppes. He was soon led into the palace past many powerful warriors, who had numerous tattoos on their bodies that glowed with a dim light. These were also part of the Shamanic branch of magic and would provide various slight boosts to the warriors in combat. Grobak didn¡¯t fail to observe every last detail and he was intrigued by the strength of the tribe and also their accumulation of power. He had been from a small tribe originally and his tribe hadn¡¯t had any totemic warriors like these. Even now his tribe had no warriors like these. ¡°The power of the Harkul is truly great, but in the face of my master¡¯s overwhelming strength none of this will change a thing.¡± While Grobak was impressed by what he saw, he couldn¡¯t help but sneer inwardly. In the end, it didn¡¯t matter how many powerful warriors they had. In the face of true strength, like that of his master¡¯s, they were all dust. He had yet to see a single being which could threaten his master in any way. Noticing Grobak¡¯s wandering eyes which were taking in all the sights, the Orc leading him said rudely, ¡°Hurry up, this way!¡± Grobak grunted angrily, but didn¡¯t bother wasting his time with words. He was now alone, his elites had to wait outside the palace and he didn¡¯t want to cause any issues here. He picked up his pace but didn¡¯t stop his observations of his surroundings. The interior of the palace had many statues and pillars which had been here since the palace was built as the Orcs didn¡¯t have the capability to create such fine and exquisite work. The further he walked into the palace, the more apparent it came as the only furnishing which were added later were much more crude and clearly of a different style. The Orcs had added various furs, carpets, and furniture which was designed more for function than appearance. Although the Orcs possessed wealth, they lacked the skills to create on their own. Ever since the fall of the original Orc Empire and the collapse of their civilization, they had devolved to a point that they had become much more concerned with physical strength and warfare than art or other skilled crafts. It was only in recent years that they had begun to develop more and obtain wealth from their various nefarious activities, but they had yet to become civilized to the point that they could leisurely pursue other interests.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Eventually, Grobak was led into a large and open space. It appeared to be an ancient throne room which had been well maintained. There were large statues along the sides of the throne room but just like every other part of the palace, the statues had been worn down by time and the elements and the features were no longer fully visible. It was impossible to tell what race they belonged to. It was possible that they were Dwarven figures of legends or perhaps something else entirely. It was more likely that they represented deities of some kind, but the Orcs had no knowledge of them. At the end of the throne room was a slightly raised dais with a throne of stone at the center. No one was seated on the throne and only the chief of the Harkul tribe was permitted to sit in it. There were several other stone chairs along the pathway leading up to the dais and there was a large but relatively old Orc sitting in the chair nearest the dais. There were also many Orc guards along the sides of the throne room who were quite fierce looking, wearing a type of unknown hide armor. They all possessed tattoos which covered a good portion of their exposed skin. These were powerful elites and were all advanced class beings with even peak advanced class among them. If they were all to attack Grobak, he would stand no chance of leaving this throne room alive. The Orc which was leading Grobak impatiently gestured for him to go forward to meet the acting chief. Grobak gave the Orc one last look before heading further into the throne room. He decided to put on a false grin and happily presented himself to the acting chief of the Harkul. It was rumored that the current chief of the Harkul was in seclusion in order to break through to the Legendary realm and so an acting chief was placed in charge of the tribe until the real chief left seclusion. He had already been in seclusion for a long time, but it was unknown when he would finally come out of it. The acting chief appeared to be a wizened old Orc with a long and unruly beard. Although he was old, this did not diminish from his fierce appearance and sturdy muscles. There was a large scar which ran down the left side of his face and through his left eye. He was clearly blind in his left eye, but his remaining eye was sharp and his gaze piercing. He gave Grobak the impression of a wily old snake, someone who was cunning and difficult to fool. He was also a Shaman of some power so Grobak wouldn¡¯t underestimate him. Nonetheless, Grobak was not concerned too much because of this. Although his intentions were not pure, none of what he planned to say was a lie. The expeditions were a danger to the tribes on the Steppes and it would be wise for them to stand up to it before they grew in strength and established themselves. ¡°So, you are the Chief of the tribe encamped outside The Canyon? Have you come to offer tribute or is there some other purpose for your visit?¡± The acting Chief asked without any sense of urgency. ¡°I am Grobak! I have brought this head as a sign of my good intentions! This is a werewolf as you can see, a powerful master class being that I slayed with my own hands!¡± Grobak roughly placed the spear with the decapitated head on it down on a nearby stone table before haughtily seating himself on a stone chair near the acting chief. This caused the acting chief to raise his right eyebrow in interest while the Orcs guarding the throne room suddenly became tense with Grobak¡¯s disrespectful actions. Their sudden murderous intentions were apparent to Grobak, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind them at all. Although their numbers posed a threat to him, he wasn¡¯t afraid. ¡°Hmm, this is truly a remarkable feat and one that should be honored. No need to become so tense.¡± The Orc acting chief said to calm down the guards who returned to their previous state at his words. ¡°You are quite the fearless Orc, but then High Orcs always tend to be this way. Since our chief admires talents, I won¡¯t hold your arrogance against you. However, you should keep in mind where you are. This is the holy ancestral grounds of the tribes and you should show the proper amount of respect!¡± Grobak snorted and then changed his seating posture to a more serious one. ¡°I meant no disrespect.¡± He replied with little sincerity. He had presented himself intentionally in such a way. This persona he had created was necessary to show that he was no weakling. He could already see a slight change in how the acting chief looked at him. Showing weakness was never a good thing when dealing with Orcs. It was also not good to take things too far, so Grobak knew his limits and became serious. ¡°You have caught my interest, so what truly brings you here Grobak?¡± Chapter 89: Harkul Tribe (3) "Simple, do you know whose head that is? One of the Direwolf twins, a master class warrior of the Church of Wotan. Although not Legendary beings, the two together in their werewolf forms, could fight a Legendary being to a standstill. You can imagine their strength." Grobak replied smugly. "And what of it?" Asked the long bearded Orc who was the acting chief. Although he was impressed by Grobak''s feat, he had no idea what Grobak''s intentions were. The Harkul were a powerful tribe of the Steppes, but they were currently in a state of resting after having spent years pillaging and were unaware of the current events taking place. This was why the entire tribe was currently residing within The Canyon, and though they had scouts which would often traverse the Steppes for long periods of time, they had not received any news of the expedition. This was obvious to Grobak at first sight when he entered The Canyon. If the Orcs knew what was going on, would they be so complacent? Of course even Grobak did not know the entire situation and that information was intentionally being controlled by certain powerful influences. "I killed this man on the Steppes, along with¡­." Started Grobak before being suddenly cut off. "Haha, I see you have already gained an audience. However, before you say anything more, I believe you owe us an explanation!" A loud booming voice shouted from the entryway of the large stonehall. Grobak grunted angrily at having been interrupted and turned to look at the newcomers. It was a small group of Dragonmen. Grobak recognized the group except for the one who had called out and appeared to be their leader. This Dragonman was larger than the others and he wore a simple hide vest with his muscular and bulging arms visible. Dragonmen were all relatively large, much like Orcs, but this one was especially so. While Grobak couldn''t much tell them apart, the Dragonman that had spoke out was quite distinct with relatively large horns protruding from his head and curling towards his back. His scaly skin was a much darker hue than the other Dragonmen present and resembled navy blue. Grobak could feel a pressure emanating from him and knew he must be a master class being. "Dragonmen¡­ scum!" Grobak couldn''t help uttering beneath his breath. This didn''t escape the acting chief''s notice and he frowned. "What exactly is going on here? I hope you have an explanation for this interruption." "Acting Chief Thorne, I apologize for the rudeness, but I have a bone to pick with this unruly and barbarous Orc!" Said one of the Dragonmen who gave a toothy snarl. It was quite apparent that he felt no guilt for the rude intrusion. This was a clear sign of disrespect, but since the Dragonmen were emissaries of an Elder Dragon, Acting Chief Thorne shrugged it off. "Grobak has only just arrived, what possible issue could you have with him?" Asked Thorne who stood up slowly in hopes of easing the situation. Orcs naturally didn''t like the Dragonmen who often thought themselves to be a superior race, but it was necessary to show a certain amount of respect so as not to anger the Dragons who ruled over them. This didn''t mean that the Orcs would allow them to do whatever they pleased. The tribes were not weak and would not allow foreign races to take advantage of one of their own. While the tribes often fought and killed each other, when it came to uniting against outside threats, they were far more united than the Humans and other races were. "Hmph, as soon as that inbred bastard entered The Canyon he not only insulted my clansman, but challenged them to battle! A proud master class being attempting to take advantage of my weaker brothers and even threaten their lives? You have some real courage for a degenerate barbarian!" The Dragonman''s words were laced with killing intent as he shouted and pointed a clawed scaly finger at Grobak who could no longer contain his rage. Grobak was not stupid, nor was he easily taunted, but being called a degenerate and inbred was something of a reverse scale for him. He was a High Orc, not just the average breed and he had already suffered intense humiliation throughout his entire life due to being suppressed by other tribal people. His race were once a powerful race of rulers and their civilization was once vast and mighty. He was a descendant of nobility with a pure bloodline. It didn''t help that he already suffered from a wrathful disposition. Grobak roared in rage and pulled out his axe, smashing it against the stone seat he had been seated on. He smashed off a huge chunk of the stone seat with his wild swing, startling Thorne who was surprised by Grobak''s immense strength.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. "How dare you! I am a High Orc of a noble bloodline and you are a fucking crossbreed! I''m going to rip your disgusting lizard head off and use your skull as a chamberpot!" Grobak continued to spew profanities as his muscles twitched and his eyes turned almost red in rage. The Dragonman that had taunted him smirked in disdain thinking his taunts had been successful. Grobak''s reaction had been well within his anticipation, Hah, these Orcs are all simpletons and fools. This one is especially young and easily angered. The Dragonmen had long been keeping tabs on Grobak''s tribe. They had done everything they could to control the spread of information of the expedition from spreading, but Grobak''s swift and elusive actions had thrown a wrench in their plans. They had never expected such a large tribe to come out of the Steppes and even bring the heads of powerful beings with them. Although they had been watching them in secret from several days ago, they couldn''t act swiftly enough to stop the tribe from arriving at The Canyon. Instead, they had come up with this plan to delay the Harkul from discovering the truth. If they could silence Grobak, it would give them some more time. Once the negotiations were complete with their dragon overlords, it would no longer matter what the Orcs did. The Humans had already convinced some of the dragons with promises of extraordinary wealth and autonomy if they supported them in their conquest of the Steppes. These dragons were attempting to sway the Elder Dragon King who was their progenitor and ruler. Not all of the dragons were in support of this and so no decision had yet to be made. Ultimately though, the Elder Dragon who was their king, would decide their course. For now, those dragons who supported aiding the expedition had sent their Dragonmen servants as agents out to keep the Orc tribes in the dark as long as possible so that their would be no united resistance. Grobak''s appearance was a serious concern and the Dragonmen agents had already sent word to inform their dragon lords. If they could remove Grobak here, then his tribe would be leaderless and in chaos. They would be forced to remain outside The Canyon until they had chosen a new chief and this would leave them vulnerable. The dragon these particular Dragonmen served would surely not hesitate to strike. Even if he couldn''t wipe out the entire tribe, he would certainly rout them and cause them to flee leaving them open to attack by Dragonmen raiders. By the time the Orcs reacted to this and sent emissaries to the Elder Dragon king to protest, it would no longer matter. They could easily delay for even more time, what could the Orcs do? As mighty as they were, it was impossible for them to invade the vast mountain ranges where the Dragonmen and dragons lived. If they tried, it would certainly mean their destruction. Whether their plan would be successful or not depended on killing Grobak and the Dragonman who was taunting him was confident in his ability to do so. He didn''t truly hold Grobak in any esteem and with the actions Grobak was showing him, he felt even more confident. But, as he contemplated these thoughts and gloated in his mind he suddenly noticed a change in Grobak''s demeanor. The young Orc had suddenly become quiet and instead of the tantrum like outburst he had displayed previously, Grobak now displayed a calm and silent rage that burned deep within him. The Dragonman peered cautiously into Grobak''s eyes from where he stood and it was much like peering into the dark abyss. In that abyss, something stared back at him that sent shivers of fear down his back. He had never known fear, but that look in Grobak''s eyes had changed. It was like he had become a different person and he began to feel as if he had underestimated him. Thorne too noticed the change in Grobak and was impressed. He could see that Grobak was a true Orc warrior. "Since you so willingly wish to walk to your death, allow my axe to accompany you!" Without another word, Grobak dashed towards the distant Dragonman with his enormous axe held tightly in his grip. He leaped forward, driving his axe forward and smashing it down on the spot where the Dragonman had stood. The Dragonman had quickly dodged the attack, but Grobak had never intended to hit him and instead smashed the stone at his feet. "Haha, look at this coward. Can''t even take one swing of my axe. Come then, let us fight to the death on the dueling grounds. I look forward to making use of that thick skull of yours!" Grobak had quickly understood that the Dragonmen were not just causing trouble for him over a trivial thing, and instead suspected it was part of a bigger plot. That did not concern him though, for he would smash anything that dared to stand in his way for the glory of his master. If they thought he was so easily fooled and toyed with, then they would pay with their lives. The Dragonmen had all stepped back in fear, but their leader shrugged it off and took a step forward while swinging the spear which had rested at his back. "Hmph, I will make you regret your rash actions Orc! I will have you pay for your disrespect." Grobak only grinned wickedly, not wanting to speak another wasted word, and stomped out of the stonehall. Thorne followed with his guards wishing to witness the duel for himself. The Dragonmen were soon left behind and were quietly whispering to themselves. Their leader watched the Orcs leave, with a feeling of trepidation in his heart. He looked towards the other Dragonmen and motioned with his head for them to follow. He had already walked down the path of no return. There was no way to back out of this now. Chapter 90: Grobaks true might (1) Not far from the palace in The Canyon and the ancestral caverns was another place sacred to the tribes of the Steppes. This was the dueling grounds, but the dueling grounds were not like those of knights of the Human nations. A battle on the dueling grounds was always a battle to the death. Whoever stepped foot on the dueling grounds, no matter how many, only one was allowed to leave. The rest would need to leave their corpses behind. There was a cool breeze that blew through The Canyon on normal days, it was one of the benefits of living within where there was an abundance of life. The Steppes had many roaming herds of animals and there was sparse grass and not much vegetation other than smaller plants and roots. There were no large forests, except for perhaps closer to the border of the other regions and near the more mountainous terrain. The Canyon was a special and unique place on the Steppes and the cool breeze was a luxury not usually afforded to the tribal nomadic lifestyle. The Steppes were often hot during the day, and cold during the night. While not the most brutal of places to live, it wasn¡¯t easy either. It was on these Steppes that Grobak had toiled and suffered his entire young life and for him, the cool breeze on a warm day was a blessing. ¡°Would I have ever seen such heights if I had not come to serve my master?¡± Grobak mumbled to himself after considering the great power he had gained and the position he had not yet truly earned. Standing far across the dueling ground was the Dragonman that had intentionally taunted him, leading to this duel. The Dragonman, whose name Grobak had not bothered to ask, was checking the harness on a giant lizard. The dueling grounds was large and surrounded by sturdy stone walls. It was much like an amphitheatre but larger, and there were many stone benches and seating surrounding the entire grounds. Many Orcs had already gathered, some of them members of the ancestral guards, others Orcs of the tribe. Grobak¡¯s elite guards were also visible watching from the stands. They roared and cheered on Grobak heartily, along with the majority of the Orcs present who did not want one of their own race to lose. This didn¡¯t seem to faze the Dragonman much and he only looked out at the crowd briefly with disdain and continued to ready his giant lizard mount. Giant lizards were much larger than horses, but were almost as fast and much sturdier. They had their own strengths and could even be counted as an additional warrior on the battlefield. A cavalry consisting of Lizard Riders was truly a fearsome sight and was one of the military pillars of the Dragonmen. No one wanted to face the Dragonmen¡¯s Lizard Cavalry in mountainous terrain. Not only were they relatively fleet footed, but they were excellent climbers and could maneuver well even in the most mountainous of regions. It was one of the reasons the Orcs didn¡¯t dare to face the Dragonmen in their mountain homes. They weren¡¯t quite as fearsome on the open plains, but they were still powerful. Grobak was confident in his strength and didn¡¯t believe he would lose, but he couldn¡¯t help but consider this Dragonman Lizard Rider to be a serious threat. He would have to be careful, but he had to win this duel. He wasn¡¯t stupid, and his master¡¯s presence was by his side at all times within him. Even now, his master was aware of what was occurring in this distant place. The situation on the Steppes was a precarious one, and there were many influential figures at play in this dangerous game. ¡°The Dragons huh? Hehe, my master has created a nice show to entertain you all. I hope you will all be satisfied at the conclusion.¡± Grobak laughed confidently and continued to tend to his axe tenderly. He had gained this axe from the dead werewolf and was quite fond of it. It was definitely an upper tier weapon, although not quite at the Legendary level, it wasn¡¯t too far below it. The great axe which would normally require two hands to hold, but that Grobak could hold comfortably in one, had enhanced sharpness which increased its attack power. His master had simply told him that it would allow him to cut through armor much easier and that it was extremely resilient. It would be difficult to break, the perfect type of weapon for him.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Despite all of the cheering from those in the audience, Grobak felt a strange feeling of isolation. He had always been alone even when living in his old tribe, so it didn¡¯t bother him much. It was a moment of clarity however. The sounds and cheers had dulled, and he was filled with silence. Grabbing his axe firmly, he walked with heavy steps towards the center of the dueling ground. He watched as the lone Dragonman jumped atop his mount and then watched as the lizard shambled over. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind my mount, you see I am a Dragon Chevalier. We do not fight without our mounts, but you are confident no?¡± The Dragonman said with contempt clear in his voice as he looked down at Grobak. Grobak was tall, but the Dragonman was of a similar size and build and so while mounted on the Giant lizard he towered over Grobak who was forced to look up at him. ¡°You sure do love to talk, is that all you lizards are good for?¡± Grobak replied calmly while swiping his axe back and forth as a simple warm up. The Dragonman snarled viciously and then said, ¡°I do not kill nameless people, what is your name Orc?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say enough with the bullshit?¡± Grobak turned around abruptly and began walking a short distance away, clearly not putting the Dragonman in his eyes. ¡°I see you are in a hurry to die, fine.¡± Grobak didn¡¯t even bother looking back at him, he just raised his axe as he continued to walk towards his starting place and shouted excitedly, ¡°It¡¯s about fucking time, I¡¯m going to rip that lizard apart and then I¡¯m going to smash your head in!¡± ¡°Tch.. inbred swine!¡± The Dragonman hurried his mount towards his own starting position and abruptly turned the lizard around showcasing its surprisingly nimble movements while preparing his spear. Grobak too had turned to face his enemy. His deep and heavy breathing had already begun to increase rapidly as his blood began to boil in excitement. His rage had already become torrential, filling him with the lust for blood. He had a surprising amount of control over it moments ago, but as he stood prepared to fight to the death, he could no longer control its rise. With his lumbering form and powerful stature, he looked no different from a monstrous beast when the rage took over. On the other hand, the Dragonman was surprisingly more refined with the bearing of a chivalrous knight upon his steed. Although he was not clad in the heavy plate that a knight might possess, he was clad in scale mail that accentuated the natural scales on his visible hands and arms, which seemed to reflect the sunlight. He was much more dignified looking than the barbarous Grobak who was more the image of explosive power and ferocity. Despite the contrast in their appearance and natural aura, they were both equally powerful beings with the intent to kill. Thorne, the acting Chief of the Harkul, was seated in the section designated for the leaders of the tribe. There were other figures seated near him, mostly powerful shamans of the tribe and other important leaders. He stood up and rose his hands upwards towards the sky. The light of magic illuminated him and a large fireball flew upwards exploding into the sky. This was the signal for the start of battle. Grobak immediately took off, he had already entered into ¡®Rage¡¯ and his body had been greatly enhanced by his abilities. His speed was already significant due to his high AGI and he moved quickly across the battleground towards the Lizard mounted Dragonman. The Lizard mount moved quite rapidly itself and the Dragonman seated atop it readied his long spear while charging forward. Grobak was a quick target, but his Lizard wouldn¡¯t necessarily lose out in speed. He wasn¡¯t expecting to kill Grobak quickly and knew it would be a difficult battle. With the aid of his Lizard, he was confident in his victory. He couldn¡¯t see any fear in Grobak¡¯s eyes though, only rage. As the combatants neared each other, the Giant Lizard came to an abrupt stop and leaned forward opening its giant maw. A piercing and deafening roar erupted from its throat sending many of the onlookers into a daze and even causing some to faint, while others suddenly felt stunned and unable to move. This was a powerful sound attack which could cause various status ailments. This was one of the Giant Lizards special abilities which would often give their riders an advantage in battle. It had a wide range and was difficult to defend against, but to the Dragonman¡¯s surprise, Grobak wasn¡¯t affected in the least. While in ¡®Rage¡¯, Grobak was immune to such effects. Chapter 91: Grobaks true might (2) Grobak had already entered into a state of ''Rage'' and his wrath was intensified. Seeing that the Giant Lizard had stopped abruptly in order to release its powerful roar, Grobak saw this as an excellent opportunity. Although he was in a state of ''Rage'' and had lost most of his reasoning, this did not put a damper on his combat ability which was instinctual. While under the effects of ''Rage'', Grobak''s inherent strengths were all increased. The only detriment to this being the decrease in the critical thinking processes of his brain. This was not something which would heavily affect his combat prowess in battle and it was what made him such a powerful warrior, but not necessarily a good commander. There was also the decrease in PHY DEF due to his ''Rage'' state, but this was minor compared to the increase in PHY ATK he would gain and was offset somewhat by his high AGI. Without hesitation and almost immediately, Grobak made his move while roaring loudly. The Giant Lizard was in the middle of using its ability and had no chance to dodge Grobak''s attack. Grobak had already activated all additional states of ''Rage'' which included both ''Increased Rage'' and ''Extended Rage''. Grobak was determined to end the duel as quickly as possible and went all out straight from the start of battle. With these effects activated, he would do an additional 35% damage, but he still wasn''t satisfied. Rushing forward, Grobak leaped and ferociously stomped on the ground causing a small earthquake in the immediate vicinity of the Giant Lizard due to his ''Elephant Stomp'' ability. This lowered the AGI of the Giant Lizard and since the Giant Lizard had yet to complete its own ability, it was wide open for a follow up attack. Grobak rushed forward once more, ramming straight into the Giant Lizard, stunning the creature and interrupting its ability. The Dragonman mounted on the Giant Lizard was sent flying off the mount, completely shocked by the rapid sequence of attacks by Grobak. It had happened so suddenly that the Dragonman hadn''t even been able to react to the combination of abilities that Grobak displayed. Now with the Giant Lizard stunned due to his ''Ram''s charge'' ability, the creature was wide open for Grobak to display his full might. He activated both ''Bloodrush'' and ''Sharp Fangs'' increasing his attack by an additional 15% and enabling his attack to ignore 25% of the PHY DEF of his target. With one final motion, Grobak lifted his mighty axe high up and slammed it down onto the skull of the Giant Lizard causing critical damage and embedded his axe deep into the skull of the Giant Lizard. Taking into account the entirety of his attack, Grobak had done an additional staggering 150% damage while ignoring 25% of the Lizard''s PHY DEF. Although it hadn''t instantly died, it was in critical condition and collapsed right there and then on the dueling grounds while blood poured out of the wound and its opened maw. Its entire body spasmed before finally losing consciousness, there was no way it would be able to survive much longer without immediate attention and powerful healing spells. Grobak, though large, looked small compared to the body of the Giant Lizard and yet he had just about slain the Giant Lizard in one attack. This shocked the entire audience watching from outside the dueling area and there was naught but silence from the onlookers. They didn''t even know how to respond to such a display of might, but soon cheers and shouts broke the silence. The audience was in an uproar and going crazy in their excitement. Grobak didn''t pay any mind to the audience. His opponent was the only one in his sight and he immediately jumped onto the body of the Giant Lizard and ripped out his axe, which had penetrated through the Lizard''s head, with a powerful momentum. The Dragonman picked himself up from the dirt of the dueling ground and stared in shock at his dying companion who had been his mount for a long time. They were partners, as all Lizard riders were with their mounts.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. "NO! NOOOOOOO!" The Dragonman shouted, the anguish clear in his voice. He watched as Grobak leaped onto the body of his companion and violently ripped the axe out with blood shot eyes. "I''LL KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Once more the Dragonman shouted and charged towards Grobak with his spear. A Chevalier was a powerful offensive class, but a good portion of that power rested in their mounts. Without a mount, a Chevalier was at a huge disadvantage and couldn''t make use of their most powerful abilities. Grobak''s combat instincts allowed him to easily see through this weakness and he did not hesitate to take advantage of this. He jumped down off the Giant Lizard and engaged in battle with the Dragonman at close range. Grobak was already a class with a relatively high AGI and he easily dodged the incoming spear thrusts. This battle now seemed a foregone conclusion to the audience who could see that the Dragonman was outclassed in every way. Although Grobak''s defenses had taken a hit due to his ''Rage'' status, he was able to dodge most of the spear attacks and even when he took damage, he was able to sustain his overall battle prowess because of his formidable VIT which had been increased due to ''Bloodrush''. This was exactly why he didn''t hesitate to go all out and used his abilities without restraint. Grobak fought like a crazed person and went all out, not caring for the Dragonman''s attacks. His body was bleeding from several wounds inflicted, but he shrugged them off and pressed on. It was as if he were a demon who felt no pain with each swing of his axe aimed at taking his opponent''s life. The Dragonman was greatly pressured by the attacks and was being consistently pushed back. Fear began to grip him as he realized that he wouldn''t be able to hold on much longer. Even attempting to block Grobak''s axe felt like a brush with death and his arms shook with each attempt at deflecting his powerful strikes. Grobak switched from using ''Sharp Fangs'' to ''Agile Form'' and with the boost to his AGI, he quickly outmaneuvered and eventually overpowered the Dragonman who could no longer keep up with the speed of his blows. Grobak pounded on his opponent until he finally smashed the spear out of the Dragonman''s hands sending him reeling. With a fierce kick, Grobak knocked his opponent down to the floor and stood over him with heavy breathing. He could barely contain his bloodlust and his ''Rage'' began to subside slowly. This allowed Grobak a moment of clarity, but he needed to finish the battle before his ''Rage'' fully dissipated and left him in a weakened state. Grobak stomped down on the Dragonman who was struggling to stand, knocking him back down to the ground. He kicked at him viciously and finally placed his heavy booted right foot on the back of his enemy who no longer had the strength to get up. Both of them were bleeding in several places, but Grobak stood tall like a mountain as he looked down on the fallen enemy with scorn. "Do you have any last words?" Grobak uttered with a wrathful voice. "... I¡­" "Too late!" Grobak lifted his mighty axe in both hands and slashed down vehemently, slicing off the head of his opponent to loud cheers. He began to feel somewhat weak as he let the axe fall to his side and he slowly walked over to the decapitated head, lifting it in one hand by a horn and raising it high to even more excited cheers. His ''Rage'' had already died down and his body was beginning to feel the aftereffects. Most of all, he felt tired. With his last bit of strength he threw the head to the side and lifted his axe over his shoulder while making his way tiredly over to the exit of the dueling ground. He didn''t feel any joy because of his victory, only a quiet solitude that left him with the bitter taste of blood. Chapter 92: Grobaks true might (3) The roar of a ferocious dragon rocked the Steppes far below where it flew. It was the dark of night where shadows flickered among the campfires, and it would be impossible to make out the darkened scales of a dragon''s underbelly. Only the sound of its roar made known its presence, the presence of a fearsome predator out hunting its prey. This was an adult dragon in all its might and glory, the equal of a Legendary class being. Even ten thousand foes could not be its match. Only a being of equal or greater power, of which there were ever so few, could hope to halt its flighted advance. In one fell swoop, the dragon descended rapidly releasing a jet of intense bright flames which exploded throughout the camp below leaving the area in extreme flames and carnage. Despite making several passes, the sounds of agony and anguish of the dying it expected to hear never made its appearance. It soon realized that the camp below was abandoned, it only had the appearance of being inhabited but in fact was not. A trap? But who could threaten me? The dragon contemplated inwardly. A booming voice soon resounded through the area pridefully, "Ahahaha, so while I was in seclusion, you dragons thought you could run amuck in my domain? This will be a good opportunity for me to test my strength after consolidating my class and reaching its peak after such a long time!" In the flashes of light from the dragon''s flames and the fire burning on the Steppes, one could see the grand momentum of a powerful being dashing towards where the dragon was in low flight. The figure leaped mightily, almost as if flying through the air, and brought a large hammer crashing down on the immense dragon''s frame. A awe inspiring battle soon took place between the two beings who were clearly evenly matched. That meant, the large shadowy opponent it was facing must have also been a Legendary class being. "Who is it that dares attack me, a prince among dragons?" The dragon roared in the common tongue in anger. It had been hurt by the shadowy figure and even though it had successfully fought it off in the brief encounter, the dragon had not clearly seen the features of its opponent. "Hehe, do you not recognize me?" A mighty Orc walked into the light of the flames and became clearly visible. This Orc was over eight feet tall and his muscles were as solid as steel. He was a monster of an Orc with sharp fangs protruding from his mouth and piercings all over his face and body. He carried a hammer that looked as if it weighed a few thousand pounds. The Orc wore only a leather vest and had strange markings which almost seemed carved right into the skin on both of his brawny arms. A prideful and majestic aura was being released from his body. "Jark!? Since when were you a Legendary being?" Asked the dragon surprised at recognizing its opponent. "For a long time now Irthanil, you dragons have long lives and the years pass quickly for you. The last time we met was over twenty years ago, it shouldn''t be a surprise that I have made progress since then. With the resources of my tribe, it shouldn''t be so difficult for you to understand! Now, let us finish!" Without letting the dragon known as Irthanil respond, Jark charged at him once more. This time the battle became even more arduous as the two powerful Legendary beings clashed. It was only after some time that the rumbling sounds of battle died down ending with a booming crash as the mighty dragon collided against the earth. "Hmph, I will let you go with this. Do not think we Orcs are playthings for your amusement. Leave now and don''t return." Jark spoke with some strain in his voice. It was clear he had also suffered some injuries from the exchange and was too tired to continue the battle. He left quietly, dragging his hammer which he could no longer hold properly across the dirt. It left a deep impression in the ground as it was dragged along.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Irthanil snorted in reply, "As if you would dare to take things further." Even though the two fought, they hadn''t fought to the death. The two were closely matched in strength and Irthanil was confident that Jark wouldn''t kill him. To do so would mean an enmity and personal vendetta between the Harkul and the dragons, for his father was the mighty Dragon King, a being on the level of a Demigod. Since it hadn''t gotten to that point yet, there was no need to fight to kill. Nonetheless, Irthanil was greatly weakened and his wing damaged and so he couldn''t fly for a short period of time. His VIT had also been mostly depleted and his strength wasn''t even a quarter of what it would normally be. The same could be said for Jark as well. "Hmm, what could have happened here. Was this truly a trap? But for what purpose, it isn''t as if they would dare truly harm me for fear of the consequences." Irthanil had rushed to fly here as quickly as he could after receiving the report from his subordinate Dragonmen. The report had stated there would be a tribe of Orcs here that needed to be destroyed, but it seemed that things hadn''t gone the way he had hoped. Irthanil hadn''t been able to receive any other reports and did not know of the death of his lieutenant and ended up flying right into the ambush of the true Chief of the Harkul tribe. This would surely put a damper on their plans, but once he returned they would have to speed their plans up. "They might not dare, but I would!" A voice filled with hatred and anger entered the Dragon''s ears. This caught him by surprise. If it weren''t for the fact that he was so fatigued and had lost much of his strength, it would not normally be possible for a weaker being to sneak up on him without being found out. It didn''t help that the dragon had completely dropped his guard thinking no one would dare take things too far. A fight was one thing, but killing was another. What happened before was more of a warning and a show of strength. It never occurred to Irthanil that someone would seek his life, especially while on the Steppes. This would only bring a calamity down upon the heads of any who would dare step over that line. And not just the head of the one responsible, but on anyone even remotely connected. The Dragon King''s might when in a rage was truly like an apocalyptic event. Who could survive the wrath of a Demigod like existence? Well, other than another Demigod or at the least, a cadre of peak Legendary beings. So this voice that suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and that was filled with wrath and scorn was entirely unexpected. Irthanil had only just lifted his head in the direction of the voice to see who would dare speak to him in such a way, when he saw a figure descending from above him with the glint of a mighty axe reflected from the still burning flames. The dragon could only stare in surprise, a sudden dread filling his heart as he stared into those cold, blood red eyes filled with anger and rage. It was the last thing Irthanil would ever see. "My master sends his regards." The frightening swing of the greataxe bore down. A once mighty dragon was slain just like that. Grobak stood over the now dead dragon as the flames crackled, the only other sound except for his heavy breathing. He had poured everything into that strike, and had luckily succeeded. If not for the already greatly weakened state that Irthanil was in, he never would have been able to kill an adult dragon. Grobak''s class was already one specialized to the max in offensive ability, so it wasn''t a surprise that using all his strength, that he could end the life of this dragon who was already in such a weakened state. "I never expected the battle between the Orc chief and the dragon to be so terrifying. When will I be able to reach such heights? Either way, now there will be no reconciliation with the Orcs and the dragons. They are all dancing to my master''s tune, and soon they will all walk to their doom. Tch, even after my words they still hoped to avoid this conflict, but now it is too late." Grobak smiled wickedly while returning his axe to its place on his back. He had been watching the battle between the two Legendary beings from a distant place and through the aid of his master''s ''Astral Soul'' ability, he had hidden his body''s aura which stemmed from the potential in his soul. It was only until well after Grobak was sure that the Orc chief had left that he decided to approach where the dragon had fallen and was attempting to rest in recovery. He had successfully drew close to the dragon without making his presence known thanks to the aid of his master''s power, the aftereffects of the battle which distorted the auras in the area, and also due to the dragon''s own negligence. No one would know or ever suspect that he was the one who had slain the dragon. The horde would finally have no choice but to assemble, and soon the Steppes would be drowned in rivers of blood. Chapter 93: Into the mist (1) Several armies had converged on the Steppes, these were hardened soldiers and elites of the expeditionary forces. After weeks of trudging along the Steppes to exterminate any local natives they found, the expeditions had finally arrived at the location where a large town with a citadel was under rapid construction. With the aid of magic and talented engineers and laborers, it wasn''t too difficult of a process to construct the town and accompanying citadel with barracks to house large numbers of soldiers. It was still mostly a husk of a town, but the fortifications had been the first to be worked on and completed. It had already been a few months since construction began and a mixed force of elites from all the participating churches was already garrisoned in the city. With the supply lines secure, soon caravans filled with supplies and the necessary resources would come pouring in. The town currently had a wall reaching a height of 50 feet and there were some further fortifications under construction around the town. Although it would take more time to fully complete all of the planned fortifications for the town and citadel, the defenses were satisfactory for the time being. It could at least keep an army out for an extended period of time and it would be enough to defend against any of the local wildlife and monsters. All in all, it was a proper base of operations for further expansion and exploration. Most of the expeditions had succeeded in their initial mission, although the number of natives they had encountered less than what they expected. They had done their best to contain the tribes in the local region in order to control the spread of news for the time being. It was necessary to gain time for the negotiations with the dragons and their actions had met with success, at least until they heard what happened to the northern churches. This had put a stain on the mission of the expedition and many ridiculed them for their failure. A heavy gloom encompassed the northern church''s expeditionary army and morale was at an all time low. The nightly howling of anguish of the remaining Direwolf didn''t help to alleviate this situation. This had been a constant headache for Archbishop Ragnir who had been met with a series of setbacks which he would need to take responsibility for. "We are finally here." Ragnir calmly moved the curtain of his carriage window while looking out at the town under construction just off in the distance. Bishop Girard was seated across from him and he too felt melancholy. As the second in command of this expedition, he too would have to take responsibility. They couldn''t allow any more failures. Ragnir turned to look at Girard while the curtain fell, "We have to make sure that everything else goes smoothly. It should be assumed that the Orcs will soon know what is going on, but it''s only a matter of time before the dragons are convinced. Even if the Dragon King doesn''t help personally, just sending a few dragons and the Dragonmen army would be enough. Too much is at stake here." "Are you so certain the Dragon King will agree?" Asked Girard. "What choice do they have? The population of dragons and their kind are limited . They have been on the decline for a long time now and there are hardly any left on the continent. Even if dragons are born powerful, so what? They are destined to be materials, to be reduced to a resource, for our weapons, armor, potions and magical devices. The Dragon King is not a fool. Even if they are able to hold back our expansion now, it is just delaying the inevitable. He will make the right choice, it is the only way to ensure their survival." "But those tribes that escaped, won''t they inform the larger tribes? What if the horde arrives first?" Girard couldn''t hide the nervousness in his voice. This was a major concern which was entirely their failure. "Nothing can be done about it now. We already sent word to those dragons who are in support of our negotiations. We can only hope they have a solution. I am more concerned about that Shelise and the Legendary being accompanying her. You have hidden Brock well? It wouldn''t do to have those two come into contact with each other. For now she has been quiet and stayed to herself and soon she will most likely move on to the other camp. We have to ensure that he is kept hidden once we enter the citadel. I don''t want to lose such a talent and with her brother already dead, she won''t remain long after she finally accepts that reality."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "She seems pretty adamant about him being alive, could we be mistaken?" Asked Girard. "Bah, he was just a weak fool who couldn''t accept the reality of his circumstances. The only thing good about him were his subordinates. Truly a shame to lose those few who were by his side." The Archbishop had his doubts about the whole situation, but he was still dismissive of Aleks. There was no way he could ever accept the reality of Aleks being too powerful for him to sense and so it never occurred to him that Aleks could have been the mastermind behind their misfortunes or that he was still alive.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Aleks had finally met with the adventurers who had been sent out to explore the Steppes ahead of their army. They had brought Aleks and his people to the edge of one of the most dangerous regions of the Steppes. It was a region that was found between two extensive mountain ranges which were impossible to cross. One could go around the mountain ranges which spanned for hundreds of miles, or one could go through the center of the two mountain ranges, but it was too difficult of an endeavor to cross over them and no one who had ever tried returned. There were other more safe passages which people could traverse so no one dared venture to this place. Of course, going through the center would lead you into that very region which none had ever returned from. This was exactly the place that Aleks had sent them to find. Although he had known the general direction of the Origin which called out to him, he was uncertain of the exact place to gain entry into the center of this immense pair of mountain ranges which bordered the Steppes and the lands beyond where the vampire lords ruled. It was a place that was completely devoid of life. There were no animals or people to be found within a wide vicinity of this entrance, as if even animals could feel an instinctual fear of it. A thick mist covered the entrance of the valley from one mountain range to the other. This was a distance of at least a mile, so anyone could tell how strange the nature of this mist was. As long as one did not step into the mist, they would be fine, but once you stepped in there was no coming back. Those who had gone too far in to explore had never returned and this was without exception. No matter how large or small the group, no matter how skilled or talented, no one had ever returned once setting foot in there. So, it was strange to the adventurers tasked to find this entrance that Aleks would wish to try. It wasn''t so far fetched though, there were others in the past who were interested in this place''s secrets. In their mind, this was a folly, and they had of course stipulated that they would not set foot into the mist no matter how much Aleks offered. Aleks''s army camped a short distance away from the entrance to ensure that they didn''t accidentally go too far into the mist. These were the slaves he had purchased and that Lenia had trained every day. They had become a cohesive force that was well trained and although they had not yet fought in many conflicts, they were already seasoned warriors. This was an army that could hold its own against an elite force of a similar size. Lenia was very proud of this feat and often showed off their discipline to Aleks. She was hoping to receive his praise, but he would normally only nod his head without saying a word. He seemed to have many worries on his mind. It almost seemed as if he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders, or at least that was what Lenia thought. "Master, do you really need to go in there? It looks dangerous¡­ I heard the adventurers talking about this place. They said no one ever returns from there. Are you certain this is the place?" Lenia could feel the ominous aura that seemed to be deeply embedded within the mist. It was clear to her that it was not of natural design and that the mist was extremely dangerous. She was concerned for her master and couldn''t help ask him nervously about it. Aleks, who was wearing his luxurious robes and with his mask hanging at his belt, looked towards Lenia briefly before staring into the mist in the distance. "This is the place that I must go. In there, that is where I am meant to be. I can feel it calling out to me, summoning me. I could choose to ignore it, but then I would be choosing to ignore my revenge. I must obtain it, that is only way I can move forward." Lenia didn''t ask anything further and looked on with a worried expression. Nelay also stood near, but she was completely silent. Although she didn''t say it, or try to stop Aleks, she was also concerned. "Don''t worry, I will not die. In there, I have to face my past in order to continue moving forward. That is the danger I will face and it is something I must face alone. This is something that I must overcome regardless of what I do in the future, or else those demons in my heart will never release their hold over me." Chapter 94: Into the mist (2) As Aleks stared into the mist, he could see almost a wisp of shapes and forms. There were images that felt familiar and yet foreign at the same time. He could hear laughter, and the cries of agony and pain. Even more than anything else, he was overcome with a yearning that he felt deep within his soul. It cried out to him, wishing to be free. He turned back one last time, the only ones who had accompanied him to this point were Lenia and Nelay. They had left the camp and gone ahead alone. "Beyond this point, you can not follow. After I enter, you must return to the camp. Do not linger in this place, do not heed any of its calls. No matter what, you must immediately leave. Is that clear?" Lenia and Nelay nodded in answer, they were especially hesitant to see him go. There was something which brought great fear to them within. They were deeply concerned. If something happened to Aleks, they too could not live. Without him, their world had no color, no purpose. They would accompany him in death. "No matter what! Do not come near, only patiently wait for me as long as it takes in the camp." "Yes master." They both replied solemnly. It was only when he heard their response and the seriousness in their voice that he finally nodded and turned back towards the mist once more. His footsteps were heavy, but he didn''t slow his pace. He entered into the mist and soon he could no longer see anything but the fog. He walked for a time, not certain how long nor how deep he entered. There were sounds all around him, laughter, muffled voices, and other human like sounds. They were not clear and there was no way to know what were the words said. One could easily lose their minds in this place, but Aleks was calm. He was not afraid and he didn''t allow the strange sounds or the unsettling environment to weigh down his mind. He only walked without slowing his steps. After a time, he could feel the sensation of eyes watching him, although there was nothing in sight but the fog. It was a powerful sensation, one which left him feeling fully exposed. It was like those eyes could see straight through him, leaving him vulnerable and weak. Aleks had never felt such a powerful gaze and it was then that he heard a undescernable voice. "Do you know why I chose you?" This voice was subtle, like a whisper appearing suddenly by his side. Aleks turned his head rapidly, a reaction to the sound. There was no one there and it became eerily quiet. After looking all around him and seeing nothing, he decided to answer. "I don''t know what you''re asking me." "You sought the truth, not for your own selfish desires, but for the sake of knowing. You hoped that your search would bring you to understand the nature of man, the nature of the universe, even your own nature. In your confusion, in your weakness and uncertainty, you wished to find a sliver of hope. Hope that would fill the dismal hole that lies in your barren heart. You yearned as a child does, with outreached hands and innocence. Injured, cold, powerless and a prisoner.. You were all these things and yet at the end, when everything was within your grasp.. You rejected me. You did not want to rob and steal what did not belong to you and most of all¡­ you did not desire the things that you did not yourself possess, but instead with your own small hands hoped to grasp whatever little you could." The voice once again whispered gently beside his ear, speaking cryptic words in a soothing manner. Aleks became serious after hearing those words. "Who are you?" He asked. "I am." Those words spoken sounded ancient and distant, as if they were from some primordial era. Before Aleks could respond, the gaze he had felt upon him was gone and the voice spoke no more. The fog began to twist and turn, suddenly fading into colors that formed images. It was almost like watching a movie from his original life. However, these were not fictional stories, but memories he had hoped to forget. He approached one specific image and touched it lightly. It rippled, like a pool of water and the rippling soon drew him in, dragging him into the image.Stolen novel; please report. Aleks opened his eyes and a familiar scenery was visible. He remembered this place, it was an abandoned house in the slums of where he once lived. This was not a place he wished to remember. The world he came from was one which was technologically advanced, one where every convenience was at your fingertips. This was only for those who had of course, the few at the top of the pyramid. Their wealth and their luxuries were built on the backs of those who would never enjoy such a life of leisure. That was the ugly truth that their society often tried to hide. "An-Namrud!! An-Namrud!! I know you are here!" Aleks searched for the originator of that voice, he recognized it well. How could he ever forget the voice of the one who caused him the greatest of regrets. "Ah! There you are! How many times have I told you to never come to this place?! Do you know how dangerous it is here? If something were to happen to you¡­" Ishmael¡­ Aleks tuned his words out. He knew he only said these things out of concern, but it wasn''t something he wished to hear. He often did this. "Are you even listening to me? Let''s go, one of the security teams is outside. They will escort us home. You need to take your medication before something happens." Medication? Right, I remember. A panacea for regret, a drug to keep the emotions in check and to forget the pain of the past. Aleks allowed his old friend and brother to drag him out of the abandoned and partially ruined house. He didn''t say anything, just tuned it all out. Ishmael wouldn''t stop berating him. Outside of the ruined building was an almost apocalyptic hellscape, a ruined city where the poor and destitute lived. Victims of the Great War and those unfortunates who were born into poverty or had fallen to such a state for other reasons. Outside, a siren was going off and a large armored transport truck was nearby with flashing lights blaring. Several heavily armed and armored security officers were keeping a careful eye on the surroundings. There were many living in the ruined city who were peeping at them, too afraid to show themselves. They were dirty, with ripped clothes and disheveled hair. Aleks remembered looking on them with pity, he could have been one of them just as easily. "Why did you come out here again? Your parents died a long time ago, this place is not what it was and it hasn''t been for a long time. I keep telling you this, but you won''t listen." Ishmael attempted to help Aleks into the armored transport car just like in the memory he remembered, but he suddenly forcefully stopped him. This surprised Ishmael who gave Aleks a questioning look. "Ishmael¡­ I know it isn''t really you. You are long dead, just like all of these people." Ishmael looked at Aleks as if he were crazy and asked, "What are you talking about An-Namrud? This is why you need to stop forgetting to take your medicine. You always get crazy like this when you''re off it." "No, the medication was just a just a tool to keep me docile and under control. These people deserved better than what we gave them. I had my own selfish reasons for building the tower, but I also deeply hoped to save these people. For I knew that no god would ever come to our rescue, there was no savior who would take away our sins, and no salvation for our souls. Take a good look at the world we had created and the ones who were left behind." Ishmael was shocked by his words. The brother he knew had never spoken to him like this. With such clear headed clarity and with such a stern voice. The looks of the security officers became hostile as they glared at him. His words were truly skirting the lines of what was accepted to speak out. If it wasn''t for his special status, he might have already been arrested and taken in for rehabilitation. "Ishmael, my brother, you were always good to me. It''s not your fault the world we lived in was a lie. I do not blame you or hold you accountable even if you were a part of the problem. Well, you didn''t do it knowingly. We were all only tools for another''s higher purpose." After he spoke those words, some of the pain and regret that filled him was released. This was something he had to let go. Time within the memory froze, except for Aleks himself who could still move. He looked carefully at Ishmael who had a look of concern frozen on his face before turning to look into the distance. He could see the tower even though it was so far away. It reached into the clouds, majestic, but cold and indifferent. "Just like this world." The memory faded and Aleks was once more back within the mist. "Do you wish you could change it?" That mysterious voice returned, once again beside him and yet everywhere at once. "I do." Aleks responded while still caught up in the memory he just experienced. "But you don''t believe in miracles, do you? You scorned belief in god. Yes, you threw that notion away. In the end, you didn''t covet divinity or power beyond your means, you only hoped to change everything with your own two hands. But now¡­" The words trailed off as Aleks hoped they would. He didn''t want that voice to finish the sentence he loathed to hear. "What choice do I have? There is no other way!" Aleks said angrily, losing his composure for only a moment before regaining his calm. "You can never return back to what was." The voice said with some compassion. "Then what should I do?" Replied Aleks in resignation. "Return all to nothing, bring everything to its end." Chapter 95: Into the mist (3) Aleks shuddered. The voice was not the one he remembered. He now knew that in his original lifetime, there was a voice that had guided him. Thinking it was inspiration, he allowed it to lead him on. His only goal had been to complete the tower and to reach the heavens above. Was it to replace god? Of course not, he had never even believed in gods then. He wanted to prove they didn''t exist, he wanted to prove that with mankind''s own ingenuity, they could reach the stars. In reality, he had only wanted to prove his own self worth. In his delusions of righteousness, he wanted to be the one who saved Humanity from its sins. He was a product of the times, of the endless wars and destruction. Of the poverty and lack of hope. From the destitution of the Human soul that drove their world to the brink of madness, government control, religious falsity, and the coldness of the Human heart. All of these things had shaped his character and he was easily deluded by the drugs he was forced to take, and the serpentine words of others. "Ishmael, my brother. Did you know? Or were you fooled too?" Though he asked, he knew there would be no answer in this fog that shrouded him. "Destruction, huh? That voice was not one I recognize, but it definitely has something to do with the Origin. I can feel its power within me resonating with the voice. Just who could it be?" He had no answers, but that voice had reached deep within him. It sought the destruction of all, but for what? He did not know. "Perhaps that is the only way. In order for something to be built anew, the old must crumble and fall. Death brings rebirth, that might be the answer I need." Aleks eyes glowed with the hint of inspiration of a new path. Reflecting on his revenge, he considered whether his thoughts had been too shallow. What would revenge alone achieve? Momentary satisfaction, but even if he succeeded in his revenge, what then? Aleks possessed no strong desire to live, he had only continued on for the sake of his revenge. It was only out of stubbornness that he struggled and fought. It was not out of some love of life, but only his pride that he would not give in. "Bring all to nothing¡­" Those words echoed in his mind. The fog began to twist and turn, new memories flickered in and out of existence. This mist had clearly been born of the Origin of his world. He was the only one who could suppress it, the only one who could disperse its power if he so wished. With a firm resolution, he waved his hand to dismiss the fog, but suddenly stopped when recognizing another memory. Although the mist began to slowly fade, there was one particular patch that remained strong. It was a memory he had pushed to the back of his mind. He approached it and reached outwards to touch it and felt himself fade until he was once more within that moment in time. His brother''s handsome countenance and well dressed appearance filled his vision once more. There was a beautiful woman on his arm, she was smiling as she looked up to Ishmael with a loving gaze. He remembered her, Ishmael''s fianc¨¦. In their world, they didn''t necessarily have the choice of partners. At least for those who lived under the rule of the one world government, the civilized parts of the world that had not sustained significant destruction and ruin. Partners were required to be chosen based on genetics, achievements, and other traits deemed desirable or necessary. Even something like this received government oversight in the form of marriage counselors. Even having children required a license and the number and gender would be determined by quotas given by the government. Certain professions or status within society allowed some more leeway, but for the majority, there was little choice in these matters.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. It was truly a horrible system, but Aleks might have been in the minority to think so. At the least, for his brother Ishmael, it was a blessing and not a curse. His fianc¨¦ was a beautiful, intelligent, and loving person. She was someone who truly cared for him too. He was lucky, but his status in society was extremely high and there were more options available to him. "Ishmael.." "Haha, An-Namrud, soon the tower will be complete and we will have our wedding soon after. You must of course come, you don''t have a choice in this! You are the best man after all. I know you don''t like to give speeches or get up in front of others, but I hope you will make this one exception for me?" Aleks remembered hesitating in that moment, but seeing the look on Ishmael''s face, he couldn''t bring himself to turn him down. So he nodded without saying a word. "I knew you would do this for me! Bah, I don''t care what others say about you, I will always have your back." Then he smiled brightly, that charismatic smile I both hated and loved about him. The woman at his side also smiled and turned to look at me finally for the first time since they approached me. "When will you find someone An-Namrud? With your status and position, there are many girls who would love to be your partner." He knew she meant no harm in her question, she was only asking out of politeness and because her future husband was my sworn brother. Nonetheless, her question irritated him at that time. He had been constantly nagged by those around him, including others who kept pushing him to marry and continue his genes which were supposedly special due to his genius. He never felt that way, nor did he have any desire to do something which was pointless in his mind. He could not see himself ever as a father or a husband. He had his work only, and his one friend. "Ah, honey, didn''t I say not to bring that up with him?" Ishmael smiled awkwardly as he spoke. "Oh, I''m sorry! I didn''t mean anything by it." She was embarrassed but apologized. Although Aleks could feel a slight disdain in her gaze and didn''t feel her apology was heartfelt. Did others look down on me then? They were merely jealous of my accomplishments. How could I have ever gotten to where I was without the hard work and effort I put into it? Having little contact with others, focusing on my work and not relationships, these were a necessary sacrifice. It didn''t matter to me what others thought about me. Why did I hear such things so often? There must have been someone pushing it from behind the scenes, just like every other aspect of my life they hoped to control. But they could never control me. "Don''t worry about it An-Namrud, she didn''t mean anything by it." "Forget it." Then he walked away, leaving the two to watch his back. There were different expressions on their faces. Ishmael never judged him, but he couldn''t say the same about the woman by his side. "Don''t forget the party after we start up the tower!" Yelled Ishmael. The Aleks of that time couldn''t bring himself to say much else. His brother was happy with her at least, even if he couldn''t bring himself to like her. No, there was more to it than that. They were all watching him carefully. It was like his entire life, everyone around him was put there for a purpose. Well, he couldn''t bring himself to believe that Ishmael was a part of it, but definitely that woman at his side. Most likely his coworkers too. It was difficult for him to know the truth, even when he "accidentally" forgot to take his medication. The memory shattered and Aleks once more was back to reality. The mist had almost entirely dissipated, but that image was still stuck in his head. In the last bit of that memory there was a voice he did not remember ever hearing at that time, but it was surely part of the memory. "You must complete the tower and awaken Him." Impossible, when did I hear that voice? He thought. "How much is truth and how much lies? It all seems so distant now, but there is something I was not aware of. There is something I am missing in all of this." Aleks voiced his thoughts out loud, but he had no answers. The mist had just about fully disappeared and he realized the mist had in fact not just dispersed, but had entered his body. All of it had entered him, filling him with a strange sensation of power. It was the power of the Origin, but there was a touch of a presence there he had felt before but had no idea of what it was. "Save me!" The voice of a woman filled his head, this was a cry for help. The sound of that voice echoed through the now clear valley from somewhere distant. He remembered this voice, it was the voice of that angel of destruction. That harbinger of death that had been the vanguard in which his world was destroyed. Aleks frowned and contacted Lenia and Nelay with their connection in his mind. Chapter 96: Fallen angel (1) A shrill scream pierced through the valley for miles. The echoing sound of the scream could easily deafen a weaker being and cause all manner of status ailments. However, it didn''t affect Aleks much, only causing him to become wary. This was the voice of an angel, which was a being to fear. He still remembered her visage as she wrought destruction upon his fellow scientists in the tower. Her expression was one of complete detachment, as if her act of killing so many was a matter of course. She hadn''t taken joy in it, but she also hadn''t felt any guilt or regret. "Pain, agony, and despair. I hear all those things in her voice, how peculiar." Aleks became guarded. This was a being which could bring him harm even with his strength. Aleks had already called out to Nelay and Lenia who had immediately noticed the mist disperse. They were not far from where Aleks had entered the mist and the group of adventurers that had been hired to scout the region were also nearby. They were observing as the mist began to weaken and eventually disappear and they were also shocked when they heard the scream. They were moderately affected by it, but due to the distance and their upper to peak advanced class strength, it was only for a short moment that they felt the effects. They felt fear, uncertainty, and a mix of confusion which lasted mere moments. The army that had accompanied Aleks was further than their group, but even at their distance they were still affected somewhat by the scream. Some felt suddenly queasy, vomiting where they stood while others were momentarily dazed or confused. The effects were minimal however, and they wouldn''t last long. Nonetheless, it still caused a bit of chaos through the army encampment which took time for the stronger individuals among the army to settle. If they had been closer to the valley, the effects would have been much more severe, with some perhaps even falling dead. The servants were the worse off with most falling unconscious due to their weak physiques and lack of strength. Once Lenia and Nelay received the call in their souls from Aleks, they rushed over in his direction. He wasn''t directly in their line of sight, but they could feel his relative location through their connection with him and knew he hadn''t gone too far into the mist despite being gone for a while. The adventurers who were nearby saw that the mist was gone and watched as the two ran off. Knowing that the it was no longer dangerous to enter the valley, they quickly conversed and decided to see what exactly had emitted that scream. Although the adventurers were wary of putting themselves into obvious danger, the presence of two master class beings gave them some confidence and they felt they could at least escape if it got too dangerous. After only a brief moment of hesitation, their curiosity overruled their caution. It wasn''t long before Lenia, Nelay and the several adventurers arrived where Aleks was. He was staring at something in the distance which they didn''t immediately notice. After seeing that Aleks was fixated on something on the horizon, they all turned to look. It wasn''t apparent at first, but there was a small black dot which was rapidly closing in on their location. As it drew closer, the dot grew in size until they could clearly see the figure of a person with large black wings. The winged being was flying at a speed faster than sound and was completely clothed in white armor that was a huge contrast to the black wings. It wasn''t only the wings, as the being became clearer, they could all now see that it was a female with jet black hair. Also, there were strange wriggling black lines along her cream colored face which led to eyes which were entirely black without any pupils. It was an eerie and frightening scene, especially the wriggling lines which seemed like veins. None of them had ever seen anything like it. It was apparent that this woman was a fallen angel, but fallen angels didn''t normally have this strange appearance. Normally, fallen angels didn''t look much different from their angel counterparts besides the black wings and black hair. "There''s something wrong with her." said Aleks calmly. The adventurers were frightened, but Aleks wasn''t bothered by the sight. Instead he looked at the fallen angel inquisitively while pondering what the cause of her mysterious appearance was.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. "She is almost like what I remember except for the changes due to her fallen nature, but those strange black lines across her skin are definitely abnormal. She must have been cursed as well." Aleks mumbled which only Lenia and Nelay were close enough to hear. When the fallen angel had finally arrived in the sky above them, she stretched out her wings and screamed in anger once more. This was a direct attack which might have even affected Lenia and Nelay. The adventurers who were only advanced class would be gravely affected for sure. However, with Aleks''s strength, he waved his arm sideways furiously and ''Soul Tendrils'' whipped outwards from his body causing her ability to be deflected. The sound wave appeared to be blocked by an invisible wall, but it was Aleks''s ability which had protected the group. Of course, the adventurers had no idea this was the case and had braced themselves for the shockwaves that never came. "What happened?" "I don''t know, but we weren''t affected!" "Prepare yourselves, that is a fallen angel!" "We''re dead for sure, how can we fight that!?" The adventurers each reacted to the appearance of their powerful foe and were disheartened. This was a dangerous enemy which could threaten their lives. They were an experienced team though and despite their initial fear and wariness, they quickly calmed their nerves and prepared to fight. They looked at Aleks with concern wondering what he would do. They were too weak to sense his aura and power if he didn''t wish them to know and they had never considered Aleks to be anything but a powerless nobleman. "No need to be so afraid, she may be a fallen angel but her power has been greatly weakened." Assured Aleks. "How can you be so certain?" Asked the leader of the adventurer''s group with skepticism. He could not imagine that Aleks was on the same level as that terrifying being above them in the sky. Aleks chuckled at his question causing the group of adventurers to frown. This was no laughing matter and their lives were on the line. They had been hired by Aleks, but not to sacrifice themselves in a situation that guaranteed their deaths. "I can feel your fear, even if you hide behind a mask." Aleks turned to the group with a light smile. "Death is inevitable for the living, only those who transcend their mortality can escape this cycle of life and death. But, even for the gods, there is no guarantee of immortality." Aleks chuckled again and glanced once more at the fallen angel above who was furiously flapping her wings in anger while grabbing her head and screaming into the sky. She had been clearly affected by something and was in pain. The wriggling black lines on her skin were visibly pulsing. "What the hell are you talking about? Don''t you see the dangerous situation we are in? You may be too weak to understand the power of a fallen angel, but we are all going to die here if we don''t escape immediately. Do you get it now? We need to run!" Shouted one of the adventurers who was angered by Aleks''s nonchalant behavior. Nelay and Lenia both drew their weapons in anger and would have attacked the adventurer if not for Aleks''s gaze which halted their actions. While the fallen angel was struggling with some inner pain, Aleks turned once more to the adventurers, but this time with a wicked smile. "You are right about one thing, you are all going to die today." Aleks said emotionless while slowly placing his mask on his face. The adventurers could feel his murderous intentions and were immediately on their guard. "Let''s get out of here, forget them! Even if there are two master class beings, they can''t stop us from leaving and fight that thing!" Said one of the female adventurers who looked much like a cleric. "That''s right, we need to move, but we also have to be careful. We can''t leave our backs to these lunatics." Replied another adventurer who was over six feet tall and wore heavy armor with a large two-handed sword clutched firmly in both hands. The group of six adventurers were about to spring into action, but Aleks sudden words and actions caused them to pause and gape in fear. "None of you are going anywhere!" Aleks roared while abruptly and unexpectedly rising off the ground. At first, they only saw him rising as if he could suddenly fly, but then a giant mass of somewhat translucent tentacles began to appear right before their eyes. They were enormous coiling tendrils which twisted and turned. They trembled and quivered like massive arteries pumping blood to a colossal heart. Anyone watching this scene would be gripped with an incalculable fear. Aleks no longer held back his aura and his powerful aura which was now on the brink of a demigod poured out of his body washing over the entire group. Aleks''s mask distorted, a wide gaping maw forming at its center. The adventurers, who only a moment before were very much alive, had already completely and entirely lost their souls. They were dead without even knowing how they had died, their face''s a mask of fear. Chapter 97: Fallen angel (2) Those poor adventurer''s who were now frozen in death, their faces an expression of the terror they felt before their souls were devoured, suddenly began to come to life. Initially it was an awkward movement, like puppets on a string, but their movements soon became fluid not any different from when they were still alive. Aleks watched in satisfaction, "Do not worry, your bodies shall serve me even in death. I will get the value that I paid! Come my puppets, we have an angel to subdue. Lenia, Nelay, be careful. She is in a greatly weakened state, but she is still extremely dangerous. We are not trying to kill her, just tire her out so focus on defense as much as possible and let the puppets do most of the work. I will ensure she stays out of the sky, the rest of you wear her down on the ground!" Aleks rose higher into the sky on top of the ''Soul Tendrils'' which were much like a monstrous demonic octopus of the deep seas. He focused his attention on the fallen angel and sent his ''Soul Tendrils'' swiping viciously at her. Noticing the danger, she immediately attempted to block with her great black wings and was pummeled down into the ground due to the strength behind the strike. Nelay, Lenia, and the adventurers who were now puppets, sprung into action. The group coordinated with each other well, and while Lenia focused on defense with her heavy shield, Nelay attempted to strike at random angles while quickly retreating. The six puppets used their best abilities and spells in order to buff the entire party and strike at the fallen angel. Magical spells were flung at her while the combat focused adventurers got in close to engage her. Lenia had released all of her aura abilities which increased the PHY DEF and PHY ATK of the group by a large margin. This only helped to improve their overall combat ability and the angel was struggling to swat them away much like flies. The group swarmed around her and kept her busily on the defense, but their attacks were doing very little actual damage to her. The angel attempted to fly off the ground several times, but Aleks was watching over her carefully and continued to swat at her with his ''Soul Tendrils'' while continuously bombarding her with attacks. It looked as if they had the battle completely under control, but the angel who was struggling to hold back the many attacks suddenly stepped backwards and flashed in retreat. In one single movement, she had increased the distance between her attackers by several dozen feet while using her wings to speed along her retreat. She wasn''t flying, but she hovered near the ground and her powerful wings blasted blades of winds towards her opponents which put them on the defensive. While rapidly fleeing backwards, the fallen angel mumbled something under her breath and the glow of magic shimmered around her. She was clearly a magic caster, but her physical strength was nothing to scoff at. Angels were divine beings and were superior to all other races. Their physical strength and magic capabilities were both extremely high. With a wave of the angel''s hand, dense balls of fire like meteorites, came crashing down upon her attackers. Aleks could block most of them, but there were too many and some fell on the group blowing them backwards. All except Lenia were knocked off their feet and sent tumbling. Lenia''s MAG RES was exceptionally high, and with her shield to block the fall of the small meteorites, she came out of it mostly unscathed. There were scorch marks on her shield and her armor and soot littered her entire body, but her VIT was still strong. The puppets had suffered some damage, but due to the fact they were no longer alive, they immediately got back up to continue the attack. Nelay had disappeared from view having suffered slightly in the attack, but she had already used her ability "Shadow Fade'' before even landing on the ground. The battle increased its tempo and the group were putting pressure on the fallen angel who was having difficulty controlling her own pain from the curse she was inflicted with. Of course, without Aleks''s presence, she would have already easily crushed the group whose most powerful members were peak Master class. Even with Aleks, if she had been at the level of strength she had when Aleks first met her in his original lifetime, they would have all already been slaughtered with a single word of power. She had truly fallen too far and it didn''t help that she was in a constant state of pain. Aleks also didn''t know how much control she even had over her own consciousness. This very well could not be her they were fighting, but instead instincts which were not under her conscious control. That was most likely due to the curse that she was inflicted with.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Aleks had a good idea of where that curse came from. He too had been inflicted with a curse which carried through reincarnation, so he was familiar with the curses of that god-like being. This being was a Devil who had fallen from power and was exiled to the first level of Hell. Moloch, is a powerful, hideous and sinister Devil who was once a Devil Sovereign of the fifth level of Hell. Due to the machinations of Asmodeus, Moloch was eventually ousted from his position by an extremely powerful Pit Fiend named Diabolos. Ever since then, Moloch has been plotting endlessly to seek revenge on Asmodeus and regain his former position of power. This was what most likely led to Moloch being enticed to work with Tihr. In the end, Moloch received nothing from this deal, but also didn''t bother to care to remove the curses he had inflicted. Most likely the devil wasn''t even aware that his curses were still in effect. Of course, this was all Aleks''s speculation and it was possible there was a more fiendish plot afoot. These thoughts had crossed Aleks''s mind, but until he knew more he could only move based on his assumptions. Eventually, he would need to enter the first level of Hell known as Tartarus to seek his revenge on Moloch anyway. At that time, perhaps more would be revealed. The more power Aleks gained, the more questions he had that needed to be answered. Things were turning out to not be so simple as he once thought. Some of the memories which returned to him were unclear. "Keep up the pressure! She is definitely weakening, but don''t take any chances. Let the puppets close in first and coordinate with their attacks!" Aleks shouted to Nelay and Lenia who were struggling against the might of the fallen angel. Even without a weapon, the fallen angel was easily pushing back the group. Her fists were like a hammer crashing against Lenia''s shield as Lenia struggled just to stay on her feet. Nelay''s attacks, which were swift and at random angles, were easily shrugged off and the puppets were constantly being blown away by her magic and physical prowess. The angel''s magic was especially strong and the group was constantly hit by a barrage of fireballs and icicle attacks. There were also a variety of status affliction spells which had weakened the party despite their own buffs which they had previously applied. Only Aleks''s presence kept them from falling apart entirely, but his abilities required significant use of SP which was depleting at a rapid rate. Nonetheless, they kept the pressure on her without slowing down their attacks. "Master, this angel is too powerful, I can''t even attack and can only focus on defending." Huffed Lenia who was beginning to grow weary from taking on her opponent''s blows. "My attacks are ineffective as well. I am expending my vitality too rapidly. If I continue to attack, I won''t be able to last another round." Nelay had quietly appeared next to where Aleks was safely fighting from a distance. She was no longer able to keep up her attacks and had retreated. "It''s fine, the both of you have done enough. Retreat to the back for now, it is time to make use of these puppets and then I will subdue her myself!" Aleks gestured forward and the puppets dashed towards the angel fighting using their full strength without concern for their own well beings. They were no longer alive so it didn''t matter if they gave up their lives now while fighting. Aleks required them to put their all in one last attack which would be their final sacrifice. "Now!" Ordered aleks, causing the puppets to launch all of their most powerful attacks, spells and abilities on the fallen angel. It seemed to have very little effect if one only considered damage done, but because of her strange state she didn''t hold back any of her strength and used powerful spells to deal with the group of puppets. The ground beneath the puppets suddenly boiled up with flames spewing everywhere. The area around them had magically become volcanic ash and lava which would have easily wiped out numerous Advanced class beings and even Master class beings would find themselves in danger. This was a very high level spell which required a lot of Magic Power and the puppets were immediately turned into molten pools of flesh and blood. There was nothing which remained of these former adventurers of some renown. Chapter 98: Fallen angel (3) While Nelay and Lenia had already retreated well out of range of the volcanic attack, Aleks rumbled closer. His ''Soul Tendrils'' which had lifted him off the ground were unaffected by the effects of the spell and moved Aleks forward with serpentine movements. The fallen angel was struggling once more with the curse that afflicted her and was screaming while gripping her face with her hands. Even though she was in pain, she was still aware of Aleks who was coming menacingly close and she threw several magical attacks at him which were blocked by the enormous tendrils. If not for the vast quantity of ''Soul Potential'' that Aleks had been saving, this battle would not have been as simple. Even blocking the attacks of the fallen angel depleted his ''SP'' at a disturbing pace. Her magic was powerful, but her attacks were visibly slowing down and weakening. "You are almost entirely spent. Struggling is pointless, you will soon be within my grasp." Aleks observed the angel with a pensive look beneath his mask. He was conflicted and a part of him ached at seeing her in pain which would have surprised those who knew him. He had never shown such emotion to others, but it was hidden under his mask and not visible even now. Aleks''s words became strangely gentle. Nelay and Lenia were too distant at this time to hear him speak and so he felt no need to take care of his tone and words. "I still remember when I saw you for the first time. You appeared before me, I would say like an angel, but you are in fact one. Imagine my surprise, a man who held no belief, meeting your gaze. I didn''t even notice that all those around me other than Ishmael had been instantly disintegrated by your power. None of that mattered in that moment. Your radiance blinded me, and the me that had lived his life devoid of light was filled with a stunning brilliance." As Aleks spoke gently while reminiscing, the angel had not ceased her attacks and even though she was in pain, she became incensed by his words. There was something in his words that rattled her out of her pain and her attacks became more chaotic and violent. Aleks, protected by the ''Soul Tendrils'' acted as if he didn''t even notice and he continued to speak calmly as if there wasn''t a battle of life and death taking place. "Of course, that was until I realized what had happened. Everyone I knew other than my brother was dead. Those I had labored with, who had stood by our side as we built the tower. Truthfully, it didn''t bother me so much that they were dead, but the horror that came next was too much for me to bear. You made me watch my world burn. I was both infatuated by you¡­ and horrified. It was truly a conundrum." Aleks chuckled while remembering his fragile state at that time. It was almost as if he were remembering a pleasant memory, but it was anything but one. "I truly hate to see you like this, and your hair and wings, they no longer have that brilliance to them. I remember your golden hair that burned like rays of sunlight and those pure white wings like unstained marble. Now, black wings and black hair the color of obsidian¡­ but your beauty hasn''t changed much. If anything, perhaps the contrast of colors brings out your charm even more." As Aleks got closer, his ''Soul Tendrils'' struck even more violently. He utilized dozens of them to subdue the female angel who was now struggling to hold off his attacks. Her strength and magic was truly formidable, but her strength was beginning to fade. She smashed her fists against several of the tendrils while launching magical attacks at others but eventually the tendrils, which never seemed to end, slapped her down. They began to wriggle around her and constricted her in their embrace. She struggled to break free but they only wrapped around her tighter, sapping her vitality until she could no longer resist. At that point, Aleks had drew close enough to touch her. He gently held out his hand and cupped her face with his palm. He slowly lifted her head to look at him, but her face was painted with rage and she angrily gritted her teeth. Her fully black eyes without pupils and eerily pulsing black veins made her look like a monstrous beauty. She screamed right into Alek''s face using her remaining strength, but Aleks''s mask only rippled slightly before stilling like a placid lake. "Lariel¡­ I haven''t forgotten you for even a moment.. But I still don''t know. Should I despise you for your part in the destruction of my world? Should I hate you for the death of my beloved friend? Or should I love you for that moment that felt like eternity where you moved my heart for the very first time?"The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Lariel, the fallen angel was raging violently, but when she heard his words she looked at him with a blank expression. A single tear fell from her right eye, slowly sliding down her face. It was not a normal tear, but was a crimson color like blood. "Save me." She finally whispered, but it was a struggle for her to speak. Aleks hesitated, but finally he sighed deeply and gripped her head with both his hands. "You saved my life Lariel. Even though my soul was trapped and I was tormented for untold lifetimes, the reason I can be here today is because of your mercy. I don''t know why you betrayed Tihr when you were on the cusp of victory. Did you do it for me? Or was it for yourself? I need to know." Lariel struggled once more, she was fighting through the pain of the curse and more tears of blood fell down her face. This only made her look even more frightening. "Too difficult to speak.. show you¡­" Lariel attempted to lift her arm weakly but she was still being constricted tightly. Aleks loosened the grip of the tendrils so she could fully lift her arm and she touched his wrist delicately. Almost immediately, a jumbled mess of images filled Aleks''s mind. It was difficult to make sense of all of them, but one in particular grabbed his attention. Lariel was standing over Ishmael and An-Namrud. He had just stabbed his friend in the back and was holding him while Ishmael spoke his last few words. Lariel felt wracked with grief. Angels were unique beings, they were not like the other beings that existed in the universe. They didn''t have the same free will that others had. Their choices were singular. They would choose a god to serve based on the universal laws they themselves felt embodied their own existence. Once they made this choice, there was almost no going back. To turn their backs on the gods they served meant falling, and this was a disgraceful act which usually led to death or exile to the nine hells. For the existences known as angels, exile or death was equally egregious. Lariel was an angel of justice, but at the same time she had to follow the commands of her god whether she agreed with those commands or not. However, when she saw the sacrifice that Ishmael made, it truly touched her heart. At the time, Aleks who was An-Namrud, didn''t realize what that sacrifice meant but she did. When the power of the Origin left him and entered An-Namrud after his death, it resonated with her own soul. What she saw there was something she had never expected. It was at that moment she knew that the gods were a lie and her kind was not only not meant to serve them, but were in fact not inferior to them in the least. It was at that moment that she hesitated, she didn''t want to complete Tihr''s orders and this allowed An-Namrud the chance to kill himself. If she had wanted, she could have easily taken him alive and extracted the Origin from his soul before it could fully merge with him. With his death, his soul passed on, and it was only later after their world had been merged into the God Nexus that they could fully trap his soul. They could no longer force the Origin out of him and could only acquire it through other means. This enraged Tihr and so Lariel was cast down, cursed and left to rot away for all eternity in suffering. "What was it that I saw? Those eyes that see all truth, they bore into me and revealed all. There is something familiar about it." That wasn''t all that Aleks saw, there were many other images. Lariel had experienced something in that moment which transcended all. It was a vision of the Origin of all. "Maybe she can provide some of these answers¡­ " Aleks looked down at the angel who he held by her head in both his hands. The rest of her body was wrapped up tight by his ''Soul Tendrils''. He could see her drifting once more from lucidity and knew he had to make a decision quickly before she lost it once more. "Will you serve me?" In truth, this was the only way he could save her. A part of him didn''t want her to walk this path of revenge with him, but another part welcomed it. It was a choice of whether or not to walk it alone. There were others around him and there would be many more in the future, but she was the only one he felt was real. "I.. will serve¡­ you." Through a great struggle she acquiesced, offering her heart and soul. Aleks felt power flowing into her from his hands which gently held her face. A crackling sound came from her body and the black throbbing veins which marred her skin began to subside. It took every last bit of Aleks''s ''Soul Potential'' and he thought he would run out, but just when it seemed it would all be depleted, he finally felt the depleting SP halt. With that last bit of SP that left his body, her eyes once more cleared and became a sky blue that reminded him of the clear morning sky. Her hair and wings remained black, but her eyes, those were the eyes he remembered. They stared at him without guile, and the tears of blood which marred her face became clear like water. Nelay and Lenia who were watching everything from a distance hadn''t heard any of the words which were shared, but they could see everything that was happening. Neither was amused. Chapter 99: The lonely road (1) A few days had passed since Aleks and his group fought against the Lariel, the Fallen Angel. She had recovered after submitting to Aleks¡¯s authority, being put under his dominion. This was not a simple matter, but a serious commitment. An oath of fealty given by an Angel was not something which could easily be dismissed. For Lariel, who was already in a weakened state, it would mean certain death to betray him. Aleks¡¯s army had already moved within the valley and they had moved to a defensible position further in, setting up their camp and beginning initial construction on a settlement. Their was ample resources in the valley and construction began immediately. It would take a significant amount of time to develop into a thriving settlement, but those former slaves who had become Aleks¡¯s army felt that they were part of something great at that moment. This was a new beginning for them, one they would not ever forget. It was Aleks who had given them this opportunity and even though it wasn¡¯t something said out loud, he had already gained their hearts and their worship. They had witnessed from afar the great battle that took place between Aleks and the Fallen Angel and they had witnessed him subduing her. This left them with feelings of awe and a passionate devotion to serve him. ¡°You have finally recovered, but it will be a long time before your power returns to what it was.¡± Aleks walked alongside Larial in an unhurried manner. If it were someone else, one would think it was the sight of two lovers walking side by side. Lenia and Nelay followed at a distance, their eyes never leaving the two. At that moment, they could understand each other¡¯s frustration and glanced towards each other with a strange determination. Only they knew what they were thinking, but they seemed to have come to an agreement with each other. None of this mattered to the two who were currently unaware of the world around them. They were somewhere distant, not physically, but in spirit. ¡°Now that I am subservient to you, I have at least halted the decline in my power. I would have faded away if you had taken much longer to reach me. It was only the thought of you that kept me from falling into despair. I was abandoned and left to rot here and only you could release me. I owe you more than I could ever repay.¡± Aleks glanced towards her, she had a much healthier complexion than when they fought. Her skin was still white like unmarred marble, but it was more vibrant and slightly flushed with life. Her eyes had turned to their former color, but the color of her hair still remained as black as night. This was a symbol of her sin, one she did not regret. Her wings were no longer in sight, having been hidden by her ability, but they too remained black. ¡°I still don¡¯t know how I should treat you. Though I saved you, I don¡¯t know if I can forgive you.¡± A slight twinge of pain tugged at Lariel¡¯s eyes, but she hid it well. Her everything belonged to Aleks now, and her fate was entirely up to him. She didn¡¯t necessarily share the same feelings as Aleks did, but her emotions were inexplicably complicated. She was grateful without a doubt, but there were things she understood that could not be shared. This was a heavy burden that she could not share. ¡°Treat me in anyway that you feel is necessary. Regardless of how you feel towards me, I am yours. I will die otherwise.¡± Her reply was lacking in emotion which she didn¡¯t intend. This caused Aleks to look at her strangely, but he didn¡¯t comment on it and kept quiet. ¡°If you wish to travel this road, you will need me and my knowledge. Although I lost quite a bit of my previous memories, there is still much I know. Any god without an Angel to serve them is not truly a god at all. Even Devil Sovereigns have Fallen Angels as servants.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Aleks nodded and quietly contemplated her words as they walked. He looked towards the valley that now belong to him and felt a strange connection which had been slowly growing stronger. It was definitely because of the influence of the Origin and as he absorbed more of it, the connection became stronger. This land had become tied to it and he could feel his control over the land becoming stronger. He felt that once he fully consolidated his power as a Demigod, he could manipulate the land to a certain extent, but only in this valley where he had full dominion. Noticing his quiet thoughts, Larial said, ¡°Your connection to this land is unique. Normally, gods must create their dominions in the outer planes. You have somehow made this place your dominion and it seems that it can even spread to the lands beyond. Perhaps this whole continent could one day become your domain and then it could be a world again.¡± ¡°You speak of things so easily, but this path you speak of is one laced with great danger. I may not be able to walk it to that point.¡± Lariel smiled at his words and replied, ¡°If anyone is to walk it, then it must be you. You have a great destiny which is not just about revenge. I saw it when I came into contact with the Origin. It showed me both the beginning¡­ and the end.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what it showed you.. But I will find my own way.¡±
Surrounding an unfinished, and very much still under construction settlement, were formidable and already well constructed fortifications. A large and sturdy reinforced stone wall standing just over 50 feet with tall towers, catapults, ballistae, and other defensive tools, ensured that the settlement would not easily fall. There were magic reinforcements along the walls and proper patrols and garrisons throughout the stretch of walls which encircled the settlement. This was intended to be the most important stronghold for expanding onto the Steppes and had been built with the utmost care. If it had been any less formidable, the settlement would have already fallen to the endless mass of barbarians which now surrounded it. One can not even imagine the sight of over a million savages baring their fierce and gruesome bloodlust and countenance towards the defenders within. Just the sound generated by so many alone, might drown out any opposition. The barbarian army did not just consist of Orcs and Humans, but also Trolls, Ogres, and other races which lived on the Steppes. There were hundreds of tribes of all sizes gathered and this force alone was easily a quarter of all the barbarians on the Steppes. The only reason there weren¡¯t more was because there hadn¡¯t been enough time to gather all of them just yet, and the barbarians had decided not to wait any longer to strike. They didn¡¯t want the expeditionary forces to gain a stronger foothold. Despite their overwhelming numbers, the barbarians were still cautious of their enemy. They were less than a tenth of their size, but they had higher level beings overall and they were behind meticulously prepared fortifications. Of course, if the barbarians truly wanted to, they could just flood the walls with the corpses of their brethren until they gained victory. Even if they were considered savages by others, they weren¡¯t foolish enough to throw away lives like that. Instead, they had surrounded the city and cut off their supply lines. The expeditionary army was completely cut off from the outside world and could not receive reinforcements from their churches in any reasonable period of time. The only wildcard were the Dragons and their ilk. This was the real reason the barbarians hadn¡¯t thrown everything at the walls just yet. They were waiting to see what move the Dragons would make. If they attacked at this time and exhausted much of their strength, the army of Dragonmen and their Dragon overlords could strike them while they were at their weakest. Time was on the barbarians side. Even if the Dragonmen showed up, it would be a fierce fight outside the walls of the settlement and there was no guarantee of victory for either side. As more time passed, more barbarian armies would arrive bolstering their numbers. Only an appearance by the Dragon King himself might truly sway the battle towards their victory. As long as the Dragon King didn¡¯t appear, the barbarians would not fear them at all. If the Dragon King did appear, they would need to use their ancestral totems to summon an ancestor spirit. This would require significant sacrifices, but if the situation was that dire, then it would be necessary. For now, the barbarians stuck to harassing the defenders on a daily basis and testing their defenses without committing too much of their strength. They had already attempted several attacks along the walls at different locations and been pushed back. Soon, they would launch a real attempt to see if it were possible to breach the walls. Chapter 100: The lonely road (2) Brock stood atop the southern walls and looked out over the enormous mass of barbarians who were encamped just within sight. They were a safe distance from the weapons of war on the walls and the more powerful magic spells that could cause devastation on the battlefield. He had been asked to help in overseeing the defense for the Northern expeditionary forces. Since he was idling away anyway, he figured he would agree so that they would allow him to leave the barracks he was basically being imprisoned in. They wouldn''t admit to that of course, but he wasn''t a fool. It didn''t matter though, because the one he served had wanted him to stay with them for the time being anyway. "What do you think Sir Brock?" Asked an officer of the Northern expeditionary force. He was clad in a full suit of chainmail and wore a longsword sheathed at his waist with a shield strapped to his back. He was a typical northerner with a braided dirty blonde beard and hair. He also wore the helmets of the northern style which were a type of steel helmet which covered the top of the head and had a steel nose guard that ran down the middle, covering the nose. The eyes were clearly visible but most of the center of the face was covered. "Hmm¡­ Their numbers are worrisome. There are just under one hundred thousand defenders in the city and while supplies are ample for now, how long will they last if these barbarians continue their siege for an indefinite period of time? Breaking out is going to be impossible with their numbers, but staying here doesn''t guarantee survival either." Brock was not really aware of what Aleks''s plans were in depth, but he had confidence that Aleks wouldn''t just leave him here to die. He didn''t mind alleviating the boredom by offering his military advice in this situation since he didn''t really care one way or the other who was the victor. It was just a means for him to pass the time. "We only need to hold out until our reinforcements arrive. Once they do, we will fight these barbarians to the death. They may have numbers, but most of their warriors are low Intermediate class and their equipment is mostly shoddy. Only their elites are worthy of consideration. The rabble will flee once they have suffered enough losses." "You seem quite confident in these reinforcements?" "Of course! As a commander yourself Sir Brock, you should know how fierce Dragonmen can be. A full legion of Dragonmen Chevalier''s is a sight to behold and with Dragons raining down fire from the skies, we have nothing to fear!" The commander seemed especially excited at the mention of dragons. "I see." Brock nodded in reply. He hadn''t known about their recent plans until now. If those were their reinforcements, there was certainly some confidence in victory. Still, he thought it wouldn''t be as simple as this man believed. While dragons were powerful, they were few in number and he doubted the Dragon King would commit too many of his kin to this battle. The death of any dragon would be too heavy a loss for their kind on this continent. It wasn''t as if the barbarians had no means of dealing with them. Their shamans had powerful magic they could use to fight against dragons. After initially viewing the enemy, Brock and the officer left the walls to return back to the garrison where their forces were stationed. They discussed several potential strategies and shared some of their experiences. The officer was extremely respectful towards Brock and listened to every word he spoke with care. The Archbishop was hoping to acquire his services so they had shown no lack of propriety. As they were walking, Brock suddenly stopped. Noticing his strange behavior, the officer glanced at what Brock was staring at and immediately grew nervous. "Shelise¡­" Brock muttered. The officer became flustered and attempted to drag Brock in a different direction. Shelise hadn''t yet noticed Brock and was speak with an older man beside her that the officer knew was a Legendary being of great fame.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Brock was initially shocked, but he remembered his master''s words and regained his calm. Aleks had already mentioned to him that she might still be alive and if so, to stay away from her. He couldn''t understand why Aleks would give him such instructions, but he was certain he must have his reasons. "Sir, please, we should head this way." Brock hesitated, but finally allowed the officer to lead him away. Shelise had never once turned her head, but when Brock had finally disappeared from sight, she looked at the spot where he once stood with a contemplative gaze. "What is it Shelise?" Asked the man beside her. "Nothing. Just a ghost."
In another place and another time, for here time has no meaning, there exists a place of nightmare. Here, the landscape is apocalyptic and barren. It is a wasteland of decay, its very existence extinguishing the light of hope. It is here that one of the original creations of the universe toil in endless servitude. It is the home of the Daemons and their mighty overlords, the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The terrifying plane of Abaddon. Everywhere the eye could see was a wasteland, but it was a wasteland that still had life. Only the Daemons and Archdaemons could exist here, for only they were suitable for such a place. Along its infinite dread plains resided many such creatures living in their mighty and terrifying strongholds. From these strongholds, they caused endless strife, war, and death. There was one stronghold which was mightier than all the rest, but only a very few were so honored to allow entry to this place. For residing within, was the unknown, the unnamed, the unspoken. Whatever it was, even the four horsemen who ruled Abaddon must grovel in reverence at its gates. Four horsemen rode across the barren plains side by side, equidistant without any flaw. The color of their horses were each unique, one black, one white, one red and one pale. These horses breathed fire from their mouths and smoke emitted from their nostrils. Their hooves were like the hooves of a monstrous beast, and their manes were thick and coarse. A frightening aura was emitted from just the horses alone. Those riding on them could cause the end of life through a single glance. They were figures clothed in black, covered from head to toe. Only a large and luxurious crown was visible on each of their hidden brows. They were the epitome, perhaps even the source, of the laws of Death, Pestilence, Conquest, and Famine. Charun, the Lord of Styx, loim¨®s, The Pustulent fiend, Phlegyas, The Despot, and Limos, The Starving One. Their horses thundered across the landscape before coming to an abrupt stop before the grand and majestic gate of this abnormally immense stronghold. Their movements were mirror images of each other as they dismounted their fiery horses and kneeled before the gates in reverence and obedience. What could reside there to cause such beings who were all powerful to kneel? Only they knew. A booming voice resounded throughout the entire plane, causing those lesser to tremble in fear and despair. "Enter." Only a single command, but it was enough to shake all of creation. It was only when the command was given that the Four Horsemen finally stood and entered the stronghold, each a hair''s breadth from the other. They had been summoned, and it was their duty to obey. They walked through the empty halls of the stronghold. It was barren of all life and decorated much like a mausoleum. It seemed to be built to remember, or perhaps to keep still, a single moment in time. They eventually navigated through the seemingly endless halls for an unknown period of time until they arrived at a throne room that seemed built for enormous giants. There were mighty pillars with strange archaic symbols and murals adorned the walls displaying mysterious and ethereal images. At the end of the hall was a large dais where was place a grand and mighty throne of a freakish size. Everything about this place was much grander than one could imagine. It was before this throne that the Four Horsemen once more kneeled in reverence. They were still and silent, like the dead. There was no movement or sound at all, and they remained kneeled with patience until a voice was suddenly heard from atop the throne. "In the beginning, there were three. One to create, one to protect, and one to destroy. Now, only one remains." The voice lamented, its voice permeating every corner, every hidden place. Still the Four Horsemen remained still. They dare not speak in its presence. A feeling of intense pressure was felt upon their shoulders as something from a much more primordial age rested its gaze upon them. "You, who were despised. You, who were forgotten. Only you, who remained steadfast. Honor shall be yours, for in the end, there shall be nothing. That.. is¡­ all." Even though the Four had come a long distance to reach this place and even though their plane was in a great war they could not dare to ignore for even a short time, they did not hesitate to come here and ignore everything else. Despite only the few words that were spoken, they did not dare complain. For those few words were enough. The end would soon be upon them, they who had waited for an eternity to complete their role. They had longed to hear these words. Update - important This may come as bad news to some, Webnovel offered me another contract not that long ago and this time I decided to accept it. I will leave up to chapter 100 on here, but have removed the other chapters. Chapter 100 is now considered to be the end of the first book on here (the chapter numbers are different on webnovel because I removed some chapters and changed some content/reordered some things. You can still read the story on Webnovel, https://www.webnovel.com/book/11171162206276705If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. I will be uploading 3 chapters a week starting tomorrow on webnovel until the end of this year. The story will go premium on webnovel in January and then I will be uploading at least 1 chapter a day. Thanks for reading and I hope you will continue to do so on Webnovel. I apologize again for those who will be disappointed about this.