《Ophidian Aspect》


 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Drake opened his eyes a little before eight in the morning, lazily opening one eye as the sun streamed in through his window. He was required to turn up at school by the time class started, which unfortunately meant getting up well before class started.


    ¡°Another boring day.¡± He lazily stretched, before getting out of bed. Like many things over the years, it was just another thing that he had to do. Another thing that he was forced to do, if he wanted to make the best out of his life.


    He dressed himself and fixed his hair. For the most part, he was alone in the house. The woman who he rented the room from had already gone to work, and she didn¡¯t arrive back home until late in the evening, which left him alone for most of the day, if he didn¡¯t have class that day.


    Unfortunately, it was exactly that, and the general lack of direction that Drake felt made his life so dull and boring.


    For most of his young life, he had lived with his parents and gone to school, like most others. While he always saw himself as intelligent, and his grades in school reinforced that, but he never really felt that did anything for him. He had good friends in school as well, but all that passed away when he went to college, and the few friends he made there had either dropped out over the years, or he had¡­ other problems with.


    Worst of all, Drake had discovered that as the years passed, that he really had nothing work forward to. Nothing he really wanted.


    Most guys his age at least had an idea. Engineering, computer science, even something as mundane as working towards a degree in medicine. None of that, any of it, appealed to him.


    Of course, college itself wasn¡¯t much better. While the thirty-minute drive wasn¡¯t all that bad, the classes just droned on.


    It was the same schedule he went through every day, just a continuous daily slog of sleeping, working, and eating, day in and day out. He was left in his usual position of sitting next to the window in his college class, listening to the same small talk and gossip that people typically did before class started.


    Taking a deep breath, he sighed, laying down on his desk to wait for class to start.


    ¡°Hey Drake, what are you doing?¡± Surprised, he slowly looked over to see Taylor, one of the friends he had made during his college life. If you were able to describe a person at a glance, she would be beautiful. Brown hair with a few blond highlights, a pretty face, and a bit on the small side. She covered her ears with piercings, and had a relatively cheerful personality. Guys would often make small talk just to talk to her for a little longer.


    ¡°Nothing really, just sitting here.¡± Sitting back in his desk, he leaned back, trying to stretch a bit. Glancing at her, he could see the same, expectant gaze he always saw from her. It was always something that bothered him. He was just an average guy. Barely shy of six feet, and somewhat above average in terms of his appearance, he never really understood how their friendship started in the first place.


    Sitting down next to him, she looked at him curiously, ¡°I was just wonderin¡¯ why you are just sitting there with that gloomy look on your face.¡±


    Looking outside, he thought back to what he was thinking of earlier. ¡°Have you ever wished you could change something about the world? How everything seems too pre-planned and set from the moment you¡¯re born.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s just how things are these days. It¡¯s not like we can just go back to the old days where everyone is fighting to survive. Sure, it¡¯d be more adventurous, but is it really what people want?¡± She gave him a questioning look, before seeming to smirk a bit at his question.


    Feeling his stomach drop, he sunk back into his usual stoic attitude. Her attitude always bothered him. She always seemed to just shrug off his ideas. Of course he didn¡¯t actually believe everything would change. Everything is just too set in stone.


    He shook his head, before propping his head up on one hand and turned to her. ¡°Yea, I get it. So, what¡¯s wrong lately?¡± Drake said, frowning slightly. She normally didn¡¯t talk to him first unless she wanted something or wanted to complain about someone, typically a certain someone. ¡°Boyfriend trouble again?¡± He guessed.


    She looked to Drake, her eyes narrowed angrily. ¡°Of course! All he¡¯s done is yell at me lately. We fought again this morning and it feels like I just can¡¯t do anything right. It¡¯s like he wants one thing and wants the exact opposite the next! What the hell am I supposed to do about it.¡± She threw her hands up indignantly, before sitting down angrily next to him.


    That wouldn¡¯t happen if you actually did anything about it.. He thought to himself.


    He sighed, and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to stand up for yourself for... once¡­ what the hell..¡± Looking around the class, he could see that everything had gone almost completely dark, even the lights in the classroom. Looking outside, he could see that even the sunlight had disappeared, leaving everything in an almost twilight state.


    Descending from the skies, he began to see spire-like structure come into view, followed by a massive monolithic structure. As it slowly encroached upon the earth, Drake began to hear a voice slowly begin to talk to him, the sound seeming to come from all directions.


    ¡°To the beings known as Humanity, it is a pleasure to be able to make your acquaintance. We, are the Caracatia.¡±


    Jumping out of his chair, Drake looked around, eyes wide in confusion. What the hell¡­ am I dreaming right now?


    Taking a moment of pause, the voices began to speak again, seeming to thunder in his mind.


    ¡°We are currently speaking to every individual on the planet through relays above the major cities on our ships. It puts quite a strain on us, so let us begin. What we are here for, is a new chance.¡±


    Frightened, Drake looked up at the massive structure that had descended. A chance? A chance for what? Is this actually happening?!


    The thundering voice continued, ¡°We¡¯ve been watching you through the radio waves coming off from your planet for quite a while now. Most interestingly, we¡¯ve been examining a wide variety of races that don¡¯t seem to exist on your planet currently, but appears all throughout a variety of historical texts and other entertainment sources. Quite honestly, we¡¯ve all become quite enamored with a variety of those races, but don¡¯t seem to be able to find any DNA records on your planet itself. So, we all came to a decision regarding the future of the planet you call Earth.¡±


    Eyes widening with fear, Drake could only stare in horror at the massive flying structure, his thoughts racing.


    ¡°We are willing to make a deal regarding your species. Choose to become something more than human. We have the ability to change you, each and every individual, but only you will be able to make the choice to change yourself. After one week, we¡¯ll begin setting down creations of our own that we are particularly fond of. I hope you make the right decision and let it be fun for the both of us. That is all.¡±


    *****


    ¡°So brother, do you think they will do it? It¡¯s quite a large decision. Of course, whether they choose to accept or not, the current state of humanity is doomed, but if everything goes right, it¡¯s going to be so much FUN!¡±


    Aboard a gigantic ship located behind the Earth¡¯s moon, two of the leaders of the so called Caracatia were speaking with one another. They were a bipedal species, roughly seven feet tall as an average across the race. If someone from Earth saw them, they could easily be mistaken for an octopus that had grown a body. The two brothers, one wriggling with excitement, continued to talk.


    ¡°Who knows how many will take the chance. However, with the chance of potential evolution for so many individuals, it¡¯s going to require a large amount of power. We need to send out a division to the opposite side of this system¡¯s sun, parallel to the Earth. We need to be able to do this discreetly, otherwise it could cause problems. Tell them to collect as much energy as possible, this plan was ambitious from the beginning.¡±


    The shorter Caracatia spoke, his tentacles wiggling in anticipation. ¡°How many do you think will be willing to take the risk? I say we spice things up for the first of each race, just to make it more interesting, what do you think?¡±


    The older brother laughed, a sinister smile seeming to form under the mass of tentacles. ¡°How long have we been watching this species, brother? Up to the last child, they become obsessed with power so easily.¡± Glancing left to a large display, the younger brother excitedly combed through the different potential species, leaving the older brother to continue speaking. ¡°We were in luck. We spent so long look for an ideal race, one that isn¡¯t restricted by that damn council, only to find billions hidden and waiting for us on this blue pearl. Ohhh, the creation of so many unique species on one planet. Just how interesting do you think it will be?¡±


    The shorter brother smiled, the tentacles on his face wriggling with joy, ¡°Enough to keep us entertained brother, enough to keep us entertained.¡±


    *****


    As he continued to watch the large spire floating in the sky, a slew of thoughts raced through Drake¡¯s mind. He began to mutter to himself, ¡°This can¡¯t be real. There are actually aliens, and just for fun they want to change all of humanity? And what the hell did they mean by choice?¡±


    At that moment, he felt a piercing pain shoot through his head. He looked around, and strangely, he saw letters beginning to form, floating in front of him. After a moment, they came together to form one word. Draconian.


    What the hell is a Draconian? He thought.


    None of this made any sense. As he looked around, he could see that the strange letters continued to stay consistently in his field of vision. Whatever was happening, it seemed to have something to do with that choice the aliens offered.


    Turning to Taylor he asked, ¡°Hey, do you see any strange options in front of you? It should be some kind of mystical race, at least I think it should be. It just appeared for me after I started thinking about that choice those aliens offered.¡±


    She looked at him oddly before answering him. ¡°Options? What are you talking about, I don¡¯t have anything like that. Wait, are you actually taking this stupid choice thing seriously¡­ owwww.¡±


    She scrunched her face in pain. After a moment, her eyes widened in shock, and she slowly nodded to Drake. ¡°Yea, I see what you¡¯re talking about now. Umm, I have a few options. There¡¯s a Succubus¡­ High Elf¡­ Hey Drake, there¡¯s something in my list that¡¯s called a Nekomimi. What the hell is a that?¡±


    Laughing internally, Drake desperately attempted to keep a straight face in front of Taylor.


    Oh god, how did she end up choices like those. Space creatures, whatever the hell you are, you truly are amazing. He thought internally.


    Taking a moment to calm himself, he tried to think about her various choices. Honestly, the real problem is that besides the elf, I can¡¯t really think how those races could be useful. If this ends up turning into what I think it is, she would probably die to the first monster that looked at her weird.


    Discard your human form, and transform into a new one. That was basically the purpose behind the list of choices that they were given. Well, Drake was only given one, but even then he could make an educated guess. Draconian. Considering that ¡®Draco¡¯ literally meant Dragon, it likely had something to do with Dragons, although he had never heard of that particular race himself. Heh, he never imagined his familiarity with medical Latin would have helped him, even if it was somewhat obvious.


    Putting on his best act for Taylor, he tried to explain it the best he could. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend choosing to become a race called a Nekomimi for combat purposes, after all, you don¡¯t even know what it is. It could be anything. As for the succubus...¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    He desperately tried to think of something, anything, to tell her in a less awkward way. There really wasn¡¯t any way to downplay that particular race. It was too well known.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯ll probably be used for the more obvious reasons. Maybe it¡¯ll have other uses once you get used to the body, but we don¡¯t really know what it¡¯ll be good for.¡±


    As Drake tried to give an explanation, Taylor seemed to be just staring at empty space from Drake¡¯s perspective. Looking back, she gave him an amused look. ¡°Hey Drake, you do know it tells you what the forms can do.¡±


    What, seriously? Why didn¡¯t I get that option?!


    He looked through his options again, this time noticing faint lettering under his option.


    Wait, I think there was still something under mine.


    As a beast race, the effects of the transformation are unstable, and may end in failure. Be warned. The risk is worth the reward.


    His eyes squinting in disbelief, he could barely contain the pure look of confusion on his face.


    The risk is worth the reward, what the hell does that even mean? He thought.


    Shaking his head, Drake listened to Taylor as she continued her explanation, ¡°Well, apparently the Nekomimi race has enhanced senses and strength that is double that of normal humans. The elves live for a really long time, and their agility is three to four times that of a human. I can¡¯t even imagine what being able to move around like that is like¡­¡± Her words trailed off in amazement and then looked to the next option. ¡°As for the succubus..¡± She stopped mid-sentence as her face slowly started to turn red. Of course, it was obvious what that particular race would be good for. If the aliens really did base it off our myths and other shows, it¡¯s really only popular for one reason.


    She continued, ¡°Well, um¡­ they are pretty good at charming others. According to what it says, they have a light form of mind control, but don¡¯t really seem to have any combat abilities. At least not any that it¡¯s willing show me.¡±


    Drake¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. It looks like they at least they gave the races a few more unexpected options. Well, whatever she chose, hopefully she could take care of herself.


    He took a moment to think and gazed up at the massive airship in the sky again. For some reason, he just didn¡¯t have a good feeling about his own choice. It was far too vague in comparison.


    ¡°Taylor, I¡¯m going to head home. I want to see if I can find out anything over the internet, and I¡¯m not sure if you want to stay here for much longer either.¡± Drake remarked as he turned to Taylor.


    ¡°If I¡¯m right, you¡¯ll want to be somewhere safe, and soon. I¡¯ll call you if something comes up.¡± He ended skeptically.


    He grabbed his things and rushed out of the classroom, only taking one last look at Taylor. She had been his friend ever since the first day of college, but now, he was doubtful if he could even help her at all. He shook his head uncertainly, and began to make his way to his car.


    The sooner I can get home the better, if this offer works like I think it does, then there¡¯s going to be trouble. If people are able to turn as soon as they want, then it¡¯s likely we¡¯ll be seeing new races around the world. There¡¯s going to be trouble and soon.


    ******


    ¡°Finally home.¡± Drake looked around his room. It was pretty typical for a college student, small and out of the way. He had lucked out, and was renting it for a cheap price, since it was relatively far off from campus and the other renters didn¡¯t like the size.


    He cracked his fingers out of habit and sat down at his computer. ¡°Ok, time to see if anyone was actually dumb enough to transform right away. With any luck, I¡¯ll be able to know what to expect at the very least.¡± Turning on his computer, he starting searching for any news related to the offer. Surprisingly enough, aside from major news sites covering the alien ships, there was no one talking about the offer itself.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, there seriously can¡¯t no one talking about this.¡± Muttering to himself, he kept combing through the various news sites, hoping to find information. After another five minutes of constant searching, he hit a wall. Everywhere he looked, there seemed to be a complete lack of information.


    ¡°Dammit! Seriously, all you have to do is think about the damn offer and..¡± *BUZZZZ* As he reeled from the sudden headache that hit him, he looked down as he watched the strange, wispy lettering begin to appear before him again.


    Ahh.. that hurts. Does it really need to do that every time? And what was that warning for the beast races anyway?


    He looked at his own offer again. As a beast race, the effects of the transformation are unstable, and may end in failure. Be warned. The risk is worth the reward. Slamming his fist into his desk, Drake stared angrily at the vague meaning behind the warning.


    Running his fingers through his hair, he muttered, ¡°Dammit, I still have no clue what kind of risk it¡¯s even talking about.¡± It was as if the offer was being intentionally vague, although he was unsure why. While it was obvious how his own offer and Taylor¡¯s differed, the real question was why.


    Frustrated, he tried to interact with his offer. As he did, his fingers passed through the lettering, leaving him with a small shock. More irritated than intrigued, he continued to try, leaving him increasingly angry. ¡°I know Taylor said that she was able to see what her races were actually capable of, so why can¡¯t I see anything for mine. Then again, the better question is why the hell do I only get ONE OPTION?!¡± He slumped down in his chair, irritated.


    Did it have to do with the power of the race itself? There¡¯s no doubt that something that was related to Dragons would be powerful, but was it balanced in a weird way like that? If that was really the case, he¡¯d at least expect that more information would be provided, at the very least.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡± He let out a small sigh, a perturbed look crossing his face. Nothing in the offer would tell him anything, and even everything on the internet over the choice was either censored, or just not there. What could he even do?


    As he was stewing over his situation, an idea suddenly struck him.


    ¡°Wait... beast race.¡± He perked up instantly, before turning back to his computer as he waved away the offer. He quickly searched for that term explicitly, leaving out any mention of the offer, and just like that, hundreds of posts from different message boards flooded in.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t even hit me before. Of course, the government would try to censor something as big as this. You don¡¯t want people listening to the big bad aliens, so they block any mention of it.¡± He smiled in victory for a moment, before leaning in to his computer.


    ¡°Well, time to get to work.¡± As he scrolled through all the different posts and videos, he learned one thing very quickly. For some reason or another, there tended to be two different types of people.


    The first type, were people like Taylor. They tended to have humanoid, or at least semi-humanoid races choices. The second type were, unfortunately, people who were stuck with Drake¡¯s situation. They all had strange, and sometimes horrible race choices, and all they were given was that one choice. Drake managed to stumble onto a message board and had luckily found that a few people who met up on the forum that were going to meet up in real life. They all had a similar beast race choice of Minotaur and were going to try to transform. They said they were going to meet up just to be safe, and would post an update. Apparently, they were going to take roughly half an hour to get together. Given that it had been almost twenty minutes since they post was made, hopefully it wouldn¡¯t take too much longer.


    Sighing, he sat up from his desk, he looked outside to see the giant structure still hanging in the sky.


    He muttered, ¡°So I¡¯m stuck with this huh. Honestly I wasn¡¯t expecting much, can¡¯t really choose when there is only one option, but seeing other people have choices like turning into a hellhound or an orc, and suddenly I feel a lot better about my situation.¡±


    He turned away from his computer, and thought back to his drive here. He had the radio on just in case something major happened, but even there it was just a blackout of information.


    Honestly, why haven¡¯t I been hearing anything at all about it? It can¡¯t be a coincidence that no one is talking about it. Shaking the nagging feeling away, he turned and made his way over to his bed.. Grabbing the remote, he made himself comfortable and turned the T.V. on.


    Guess I might as well watch T.V. while I¡¯m waiting for those guys to meet up. Not like I have much else to do.


    As he turned on the T.V, he was startled by a blaring noise, and what he saw horrified him.


    ¡°BREAKING NEWS, it seems that the aliens have broken their promise to wait a week before sending all manner of horrifying creatures to attack citizens. It¡¯s only been an hour, but there have already been reports of strange creatures wreaking havoc on the city and nearby rural areas.¡± As he looked at the television, Drake couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. There was a griffin dive bombing people in the streets, with blood already on its talons.


    The creature¡¯s movements seemed to be haphazard and uncoordinated, but it was undeniably powerful, just judging from the speed it was flying. As Drake watched, the griffin suddenly dived into a crowd of people. It clumsily lashed out with its beak and claws, just barely missing those who could just dodge out of its way until it managed to snatch a large man who wasn¡¯t able to move quickly enough. As it grabbed the large man, it viciously bit down on the upper half of his body, the large beak covering the man¡¯s head completely as it bit down on his chest. Blood gushed out of the body as the griffin struggled to take to flight, only to stabilize itself moments later and carry off its prize. Drake could barely stand to watch the scene, only laying in shock as the griffin quickly turned around a large building, losing the cameraman as it did.


    ¡°Was that real¡­¡± Drake muttered, his eyes wide in disbelief, ¡°They said they¡¯d wait. If they¡¯re doing this for fun, then why set down creatures early, why tell us anything in the first place, it doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± Drake was in shock. Looking at the TV, he watched as the cameraman slowly panned over the scene of carnage.


    It was a simple truth. If they had the ability to talk to every person on the planet, then there was no way anyone on Earth could have stopped them from just releasing monsters at will. Rather, giving them such a warning encouraged them to prepare for the deadline, and prepare themselves to go through with accepting the choice. News that there were already monsters attacking people would spread like wildfire, it would practically make the official announcement meaningless.


    ¡°What if¡­¡± Drake quickly shut off the television and hurried back to his computer. He went back to the message board that was supposed to have the group turning into Minotaur¡¯s one by one, to make sure it was safe.


    The forum had updated roughly a minute ago with a new message. He felt his stomach go into knots as he clicked on the link. As he read the forum post, it confirmed his fear. ¡°Dammit. I can¡¯t believe that¡¯s what it actually was.¡± The post read as such.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t safe! After she changed she just went berserk, and killed everyone else she could get her hands on. She seemed to be ok at first, but after a few seconds the light just went out of her eyes, and she gored the man who was standing in front of her! After that, she just seemed to grab anything in range and rip it apart.¡±


    Drake cursed to himself for being so stupid. The aliens never summoned any creatures. They didn¡¯t have to.


    That must have been what the warning was for the beast race offers. While I¡¯m not sure how high the chance is, or if it even differs in between the race or the person, there¡¯s a chance I could go berserk.


    *****


    ¡°HA HA! Look brother, the fun has already started.¡± Aboard the mothership, the two brothers were watching the mayhem. ¡°Did you think those humans would ignore the warnings so easily? While the humanoid group doesn¡¯t have anything to worry about yet, the beast races are already running amok. HA HA.¡± The younger Caracatia was standing over the viewing platform, joyfully taking in all the carnage.


    Clarota looked over at his brother. He had always been excitable, but ever since we arrived at this planet, he seems to have gotten worse. Well, it shouldn¡¯t cause any major issues.


    Rather nonchalantly, he said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to create as big of an impact as they did either, brother. I¡¯m curious how many will choose to turn once they learn that their fate is to likely fail in the transformation. Honestly, I¡¯m quite surprised this has turned into an issue already. What is the concentration of mana in the atmosphere currently¡±, he asked curiously.


    The younger brother turned to him, a downcast look on his face. ¡°Barely 4%. I imagine it would be much more interesting if we hurried brother.¡± Althari was upset his brother wouldn¡¯t allow him to speed up the process. If too many of the beast race turned right away, the likelihood of something going wrong with the process increased greatly. Without sufficient mana, there was no telling what could happen.


    ¡°No. We are already converting mana as efficiently as possible,¡± he said strictly. ¡°Leave the few of the beast races that transform quickly. They are negligible. After all, between that cryptic warning we left to deter any from immediately transforming, and the human¡¯s natural response of fear of the unknown, it¡¯s likely the humans will do all the work for us.¡±


    *****


    What do I do? Between berserk humans and the monsters that are going be dropped down in six days, I need to be able to do something! Drake¡¯s mind was scattered. While there was a chance he could go berserk, he could also be killed instantly if he was unlucky to be found by one of the beast race that was already berserk. Even if everything did go well, he could be shot at by others until he was able to explain himself. Boarding himself up wasn¡¯t an option either. Who knows what kind of changes the Earth is going to go through after the aliens are done. In the end, there was no choice but to go through with the alien¡¯s plan, the only real question was how to do it.


    Drake sat down, before taking a breath to calm himself. Everything may seem simple at first, but in reality, it was anything but simple. Just what instigated those who went berserk, it all came down to that alone.


    ¡°Heh. There really isn¡¯t anything to think about.¡± With a resigned sigh, Drake made his decision.


    I need to transform, and I need to do it in a place where there aren¡¯t any people. At least that way I won¡¯t cause any damage to the people around me if something goes wrong. He paused. This could very easily be the last day of his life.


    ¡°Then there¡¯s Taylor¡­¡± Drake mulled over his situation. He initially thought he¡¯d be able to help her. As he was now though¡­ telling her anything at all would only make things worse. She was one of his only real friends throughout college. One of the only ones that actually stuck around at least. If he failed¡­


    ¡°No. No sense in thinking like that.¡± He muttered. When he succeeded, he would get ahold of her. Only then.


    Taking a moment to sort out his thoughts, Drake renewed his determination. ¡°I don¡¯t know if the chance is random or not. If I don¡¯t know the answer, there isn¡¯t any point in worrying about the consequences. I¡¯ll only be pointlessly wasting time. That griffin attack wasn¡¯t too far away from here.¡±


    And with how fast that thing is able to fly, there could be any number of monsters moving around. He thought to himself. With a final reluctant smile, Drake moved without a second thought.


    A place well out of the way, and where he wouldn¡¯t be able to hurt anyone easily even if he went berserk. Within fifty miles, there was really one real choice. Berry Park. A nearby nature reserve that was created to protect an endangered species, and to help provide a place to renew their population. An utterly fruitless effort given the situation now, but a place perfect for someone like himself.


    A little over half an hour later, and Drake was crossing over a bridge into the reserve. Without a doubt, it would be one of the most deserted places nearby that he could get to easily. A place that he could be content if this was his last day on Earth.


    Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself. ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what being a Draconian is all about.¡±

 Chapter 2 Part 1

    Chapter 2


    The nearby nature reserve was roughly 50 miles across. Just large enough for him to hide away, while keeping close enough to the city if things went according to plan. The entire forest was fairly standard, with large pine and oak trees scattered sparingly, each attempting to claim as much light as possible for themselves, leaving the forest floor covered with the faint streams of light that made its way through. The small river running through it could only help him if he needed food.


    He took a moment to brace himself, and thought of the offer.


    *BUZZZZ*


    A sharp pain lanced through his head and he grimaced in pain, holding his head for a moment. ¡°Ah dammit, why does it always hurt..¡± Looking at the offer again, he saw the same warning. As a beast race, the effects of the transformation are unstable, and may end in failure. Be warned. The risk is worth the reward.


    ¡°Tch, risk is worth the reward my ass,¡± he muttered to himself. The only reason Drake was considering the offer was the danger of rampaging members of the newly transformed beast races.


    Wait, I almost forgot.


    Drake quickly flipped out his phone, and brought up Taylor¡¯s number.


    He quickly sent her a text. ¡°High elf would be best for you, stay safe, and keep out of the cities.¡± He mumbled. The cities would likely become a hotbed of monsters the moment a week passed, and if Taylor became a high elf, it¡¯d suit her pretty well. He couldn¡¯t imagine someone like her fighting with monsters in close combat, and she¡¯d always been somewhat of a pacifist.


    He thought back to what he saw on the television, of the large griffin picking up and carrying off a whole man, and scowled slightly.


    ¡°I need to become strong to survive, and humans simply don¡¯t have the ability to kill something that powerful without serious danger.¡± Looking at the offer once more, he thought, ¡°I accept.¡±


    Drake glanced over to his right, noticing for the first time that a thin film-like substance was floating towards him. It seemed to wave through the air like a silk ribbon, leaving him curious. Reaching out to touch it, he immediately felt a deep burning pain. His previous demeanor disappeared as the burning feeling slowly spread from his hand into the rest of his body, overwhelming him with pain.


    Screaming in agony, he stammered, ¡°AHHHHH!! WAS IT SUPPOSED TO HURT¡­ THIS MUCH?!¡± As seconds passed, more and more of the substance floated towards him, flowing into him like water is drawn to a sponge. As it did, he quickly began to feel overwhelmed. The unknown substance seemed to burn his skin like fire as it passed into him, and he collapsed to the ground after only a few seconds.


    Looking at his hands, he could see his skin was starting to slowly grow a layer of dark red scales, similar to a snake. Drake crawled forward, trying to somehow escape the pain that wracked his body.


    ¡°I can do this, I need to. I need this¡­ I want to live¡­ I want to ¡­ survive!¡± After he spoke, a darkness seemed to overcome him, and quickly passed out on the ground.


    As he laid there, his body continued to change. His body grew until he was roughly seven feet tall, with large, lizard-like talons emerging from his feet and hands. Growing too quickly, his clothes and shoes tore apart at the seams, leaving his transforming body covered in rags. The scales that initially appeared on his body seemed to harden and grow thicker, with his head extending and becoming more snake-like. Horns started to grow from the top of his head on both sides, extending out behind him. Spines began to extend from his back with a sickening pop, and continued onto a tail that slowly extended from his tailbone.


    After thirty minutes of agonizing torture, Drake woke up. Groggy, and still heavily feeling some of the pain from the transformation, he rested for another half hour. Looking around, he felt that his perspective had changed drastically from before. Propping himself up on one arm, he discovered he was much larger than he was before, and as his clothes had almost completely torn into tatters, it left him looking like a very convincing wild monster.


    He laughed to himself, slowly managing to stand to his feet. ¡°That was a lot worse than I expected. Although¡­¡±


    He gave himself a quick glance, staring at the drastic differences between his old body and new. He smiled in a sarcastic manner, sighing exasperatingly as he did. ¡°Heh, so much for getting a girlfriend. Anyone who saw me would probably run right away.¡±


    He listened for a moment, hearing the slight babbling of a nearby creek. Following the sound, he soon came upon a small stream flowing through the area steadily. Still feeling the aches from the transformation, Drake slowly walked over to the stream to get a better look at himself.


    Eyes widening in surprise, he took in his new features. ¡°It seems like everything went well, and I don¡¯t have any problems controlling myself. Although I have to say I look scary as hell.¡±


    The large, almost stereotypically dragon-like face surprised him at first. His entire body, from his hands and feet to his head seemed custom tailored for killing. Laughing to himself, he shook his head sadly. ¡°I wish I could do something about my lack of clothes. I don¡¯t imagine there¡¯s a shop for Draconians out yet.¡± Out of the corner of his eye, he began to see the film-like substance float towards him and solidify in front of him. It slowly began to write, the ribbons of matter seeming to dance in place as they created words. Congratulations on your ascension. As the first being of your race, you have been granted the ability to absorb mana from others. We look forward to the destruction you cause.


    Dumbstruck by the vague message, Drake only stared at the strange message in front of him. ¡°The destruction I cause, what the hell is that about?¡± Sighing, he looked excitedly at the later part of the message. ¡°It seems I was given an interesting ability; the only problem is I have no idea how it even works. What is mana anyway?¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Drake looked around for a moment, taking in the new lights and sounds around him. Since he first transformed, he could feel something was different about himself but he couldn¡¯t tell what it was at first. Now that he was getting more accustomed to his body, he began to tell the difference. The lights and sounds he knew from before all seemed to be amplified, and he could even see strange strands of some type of matter floating through the air, occasionally entering trees, nearby birds, and even the ground.


    Lost in thought, he instinctively tried to interact the strand of light. It seemed to be drawn to him, and whenever he tried to focus on it, it would pause, before it began to try to enter his body. He hesitated, thinking back to the intense pain from before. Keeping his hand in place, the strange, almost ribbon-like matter floated towards him, and he touched it, feeling a brief flash of warmth before it quickly entered his body.


    Intrigued, he excitedly began to try to experiment with the ribbon-like strands before a thought hit him. ¡°Wait, now that I¡¯m actually the race I was supposed to transform into, can I learn what my abilities are?¡± Pondering to himself, he said, ¡°It seemed easy enough to absorb that strands of light, I don¡¯t see why I shouldn¡¯t be able to.¡±


    He took a moment, bracing himself for the imminent pain, and thought about the offer. he expected the painfully annoying buzz. He waited¡­ and there was nothing. No pain, no buzzing in his head, nothing. Frustrated, he tried something else. ¡°Abilities.. I was given an ability; can¡¯t I see what else I have?¡± Again, nothing happened.


    Drake sighed, clearly annoyed. In this type of situation, the easiest thing to do would be to test things out yourself. He looking around, gazing at the various trees until he found a particularly tall one, covered with hard bark.


    ¡°Well, this is better than nothing.¡± He smirked for a moment, took a deep breath, and began to focus. At that moment, what Drake hypothesized as mana began to be drawn to him. As he focused, he felt that the flash of warmth he felt before begin to grow. It began to build slowly, and as the seconds passed, he felt the warmth begin to grow. At first, it was only a small flame, just a wisp of power. Then, it grew into a small flame, then an inferno. At the moment he felt he couldn¡¯t hold in the power, he threw a punch, the wind whistling as he did.


    *CRRAAAAACKKKK* As the punch reverberated throughout the tree, Drake began to hear a large cracking sound, as the tree seemed to split open from the inside, and toppled down to the ground, pieces raining around him.


    Blinking unexpectedly, he smiled. ¡°Well that certainly was strong.¡±


    He began to think to himself. It seems this power, whatever it is, is a lot stronger than I first anticipated. If I¡¯m right, whatever entered my body when I first transformed was probably mana. I was given an ability to absorb mana from others, so it might be this race¡¯s natural ability to absorb mana to grow stronger in the first place.


    Drake began to think of endless questions about what had just been discovered. Could mana be absorbed to grow stronger over time, and not just be used to attack in short bursts? If the ability that was given to him as the first of the race can absorb mana from others, how is that even done in the first place?


    All the while, with Drake pondering his new situation, a large shadow began to fly above him. Unlike Drake¡¯s transformation, the griffin above him seemed entirely feral. Circling the entirely oblivious Draconian, the griffin dived down, intending to incapacitate his prey before it was noticed.


    Hearing a peculiar sound above him, he looked up, only to notice a large griffin, roughly twelve feet long diving straight towards him.


    Drake suddenly felt a deep, burning sensation throughout his body. His eyes narrowed to a small slit, and he growled, ¡°Damn creature thinks he is equal to me.¡± Almost as if he was going through the motions, he waited for the right moment, and leapt towards the griffin in the air. A blast of condensed mana followed him, sending him twenty feet in the air, and straight towards the griffin. Not expecting its prey to leap straight towards it, it broke off its dive, instead choosing to evade the incoming Draconian.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Extending his arm, he grabbed the wing of the griffin, twisting himself onto the back of the beast. His usual calm demeanor gone, his body started to draw in and envelope itself in a thin layer of mana, leaving a pale blue streak behind him as he flew on the griffin. His previous human-like eyes were fully condensed, leaving the small, slit-like eyes of a snake. Inside them, lurking a strange malevolence.


    Smiling a crazed grin, he yelled, ¡°NOW YOU DIE!¡± Instinctually biting down on the neck of the griffin, Drake sent them both crashing out of the sky, the griffin screaming in agony. The griffin, powerless to stop the strange creature eating its way into its neck flailed angrily, crashing into trees and branches as they both hit the ground.


    Diving off the side of the Griffin, Drake rolled on the ground, growling in an almost feral manner. Heavily injured and angry, the griffin looked up at the creature who had caused it so much pain.


    Through the eyes of the griffin, it could see what mana in the air that was nearby was being drawn to the creature. The previous attack against it, that feral bite, also seemed to drain its power severely. It was almost all it could do to stand up. In its short life span, it already killed a few dozen humans, viewing it almost as a sport to learn its capabilities and limits. Against any normal attack, it had always been able to shrug off any hits that had attacked it before. Modern weaponry like machine guns would be repelled against its skin, and the heavier attack from the Goliath that had transformed would normally heal given an hour or so. The attack from this dragon-like creature was different. It had stolen the mana the griffin, and with the severe lack of mana in the air, it was impossible to gather any quick enough to recover.


    Laughing to himself, Drake roared, ¡°Such a weak griffin, you actually thought you could harm me!¡± The griffin drew away, staring at the red, dragon-like creature who was roaring into the forest. Drake dashed towards the griffin, cutting it off. ¡°After all the trouble you put me through, you aren¡¯t getting away,¡± he smiled cruelly.


    Taking his hands, Drake ruthlessly sunk his claws into the griffin. Mana funneling into him, the sounds of tearing flesh and the crunching of bones quickly followed, breaking the spine of the griffin. The griffin slumped down, like a puppet whose strings had been cut, collapsing onto the ground dead. Looking down at what he had done, Drake felt a chill come over him. He hadn¡¯t even thought about what he should do when fighting. Attacking the griffin, ruthlessly killing it, it all came so naturally.


    All of that wasn¡¯t even considering the meat from the griffin¡­ that bite he made, it felt so natural. And the meat itself was so delicious. He originally planned to simply force the griffin down to the ground. Once it was there, he could fight it on fair grounds but when he came so close to it, he felt he had to take a bit, he had to eat.


    He began to shake his head uncertainly, feeling a sick feeling come over him. After a moment it passed, and he looked down at the corpse of the griffin.


    ¡°I¡¯m one of the few that knows what that Griffin actually was. If the aliens kept their end of the bargain, then the griffin I killed was almost certainly a human that had lost control when they transformed.¡± Drake felt a strange sense of victory come over him, but quickly pushed it down. It was a human at some point, so should he really have killed it so easily.


    Thinking back to the beginning of the fight, I didn¡¯t act like myself. Normally I would have been scared out of my mind if I had seen a griffin before I transformed. It was exactly the type of creature I was so worried about meeting.


    He looked down, his inhuman hand covered in blood. ¡°If this is the power of a Draconian, how else has the transformation affected me¡±, he murmured.

 Chapter 2 Part 2

    Part 2


    Taking a moment, Drake cleared his mind. Worrying about the different things that had changed about himself was pointless. He had already chosen, and now he just had to deal with the consequences, no matter how drastic they may have been.


    He sighed heavily and took a deep breath. In any case, I need to be more careful. If I hadn¡¯t heard that griffin before it reached me, I could have easily been injured. Looking around, Drake couldn¡¯t see any more monsters nearby, but decided to find somewhere more safe just in case.


    During the fight, when I bit down on the griffin, I felt a rush of power go through me. It¡¯s likely that is the ability I was given by those damn aliens as a bonus. It makes sense for a monster to be given a skill like that. All of the beast races seem to focus on different methods of survival and making themselves stronger. This race in particular seems to be focused for physical combat. My other racial skills seem to be an innate ability to draw mana into myself, and to focus and use it to enhance my body. It¡¯s likely that all this scale that replaced my skin works as armor as well. Otherwise, I probably would have been much more injured by that fall.


    Thinking back to the rush of energy he felt during that first bite, he shivered in place. That absorption skill is going to be difficult to use in combat if I have to eat every monster I come across. Or is it only supposed to be used after I kill it to grow stronger, Drake thought to himself.


    Brushing it off, Drake looked around. ¡°Ahhh, forget it. Think later, move now. First, I need somewhere to hide. I¡¯ve never heard of any caves nearby, so that¡¯s out of the question.¡±


    He felt like walking around, and getting a better idea of what the area was like around him. After walking around for roughly half an hour, he quickly realized that there really wasn¡¯t anything to hide in, let alone any places to rest, especially for such a large creature like him.


    ¡°Dammit, it looks like I¡¯m going to have to make something, otherwise I won¡¯t be able to sleep anywhere at all.¡± As he looked down a hill, roughly two hundred yards away, he saw an uprooted tree that had fallen over, opening up a small area where he could hide under where the roots used to be.


    He smiled sadly to himself and slouched his shoulders. He walked over, saying, ¡°Better than nothing.¡±


    He slowly moved over to the fallen tree, and he sat down underneath the small opening left by the uprooted tree roots. Taking a moment to calm himself, he glanced at the strands of light that continued to slowly absorb into the environment around him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try to see just what I can do with mana anyway.¡± Focusing on the threads of light, he began to try to draw them to himself. Slowly, the light began to condense in front of him, floating in front of him briefly. It began flowing into him and the slow burning flame of energy he felt before began to grow.


    Grinning like an idiot, he said, ¡°I am a dragon, so the first thing to try is obvious. Let¡¯s see if I can breath fire!¡±


    Breathing in deeply, Drake tried something new. Instead of letting his mana go wild like before and running it through every part of his body, he tried to focus it into a small ball of energy inside of himself. As more mana slowly flowed into him, he continued to add to it. The feeling itself was entirely different, instead of the raging inferno of energy he felt before, he felt almost unnaturally cold as he focused all his mana into one place. Moving the ball of energy into his mouth, he clamped down tightly, forcing the energy down before opening his mouth and releasing it.


    In a stream of piercing blue stream of light, the energy came pouring out of his mouth. As it did, it pierced several trees straight through, leaving a soft burning noise wafting through the air.


    Wide eyed, Drake stared in shock. That¡­ wasn¡¯t what I was expecting. Not to mention that used up all the mana I gathered.


    Drake sighed for a moment, and laid back against the roots of tree, exhausted. Using an attack like that seemed to drain him immensely. I wanted to continue to make skills that I can actually use in combat, but it seems all I can do charging attacks. What the hell am I supposed to do with that?! Sure, I can split a tree almost in half if I just focus and just hit the damn thing, but that isn¡¯t usable in a fight.


    Looking at the tree he blasted, Drake could see that his attack did do a massive amount of damage, but it simply wasn¡¯t going to be work against any normal enemy. The tree was pierced straight through, and even more impressive was the sheer destructive force of the beam, but unless he could somehow minimize the charge time, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fight with it. Even against something like a weakened griffin, he couldn¡¯t just stand there and blast it.


    Murmuring to himself, Drake sat down on the wet ground, troubled about his situation. I need some way to store the mana before I can actually use it. No enemy is going to sit there and let me charge right in front of them.


    Agitated, Drake rubbed his hands against his newly grown horns, and stood up quickly. ¡°AHHHHH. Let¡¯s try again.¡±


    Taking a calm stance with his hands at his sides, he closed his eyes. Focusing on drawing mana into himself, Drake let the mana build up in my body naturally. Instead of funneling the burning flame of mana throughout his body, or focusing it in one place, he simply held it inside, letting it build as he did. Allowing the swelling feeling to grow within him, he soon felt that he hit his max, as the mana inside him begin to whirl inside of him violently.


    Grimacing to himself, he lowered to the ground slowly, ¡°Good, now let¡¯s wait and see if anything happens.¡±


    Fighting the intense uncomfortable feeling inside of him, and extreme nausea, the mana inside him began to slowly calm down. As it did, he felt that the normally blue, wispy streams of mana he knew before began to condense, and change into a more menacing shade of red. On top of that, he felt that this condensed form of mana was drastically different from what he had been using before, it felt¡­ sharper somehow.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Drake sat up, still uncomfortable with the new feeling inside of him. The previous raging mana that he felt from before had completely calmed, leaving him with an almost full feeling. He shook off the sensation, flexing his hand experimentally. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like I have to force myself to control the mana inside me anymore. On top of that¡­¡± Searching inside of himself, he found a small pool of glowing, red mana. Focusing on the new type of mana, he made a small sliver come outside of his body, and float above his hand.


    He stared at it slowly rotate in place, and watched in wonder at his newfound ability. Smiling, he said, ¡°It¡¯s so easy to control. It¡¯s like it¡¯s a part of my body¡­¡± Playing with the small ball of mana, he stopped for a moment, before smiling in a playful manner. ¡°Heh, let¡¯s see what this can do.¡±


    Absorbing the red mana back into his body, he pinched a small ball of the red mana inside his body off from the main pool. Focusing on it, he noticed it began to change even further, almost seeming to crystallize as he condensed the mana further.


    He moved the condensed ball of energy into his hand, he fired the ball of mana at a nearby tree. As he did, the dark red ball began to split, and splintered into hard shards. They sped through the air and impaled a nearby tree with twenty shards of the condensed mana.


    Smiling to himself, he let out a small laugh. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I could do that over and over again as long as I still have this weird red mana inside of me.¡±


    Walking over to the tree, Drake inspected the shards of red mana. The shards had bored into the tree, leaving a strange, black marking around the edges. He tapped them for a moment, and for a brief second, he felt a connection.


    ¡°Strange¡­ It feels like I can still control them.¡± Drake focused on the shards, attempting to take them out of the tree. They seemed to struggle for a moment, wriggling inside the tree until they began warp, slowly liquefying and turning back into the mana Drake was familiar with. With relatively minimal effort, he was able to easily absorb it back into himself.


    Drake smirked to himself, proud of what he made.


    He said, ¡°Hehe, a source of mana that I can always use, and a new method of attack that doesn¡¯t have me standing in one place like an idiot for too long. I¡¯d say today has been successful.¡± Stretching in place, he looked around at the gnarled trees and small hole left from the uprooted tree and made a decision. Time to get back home now that I¡¯m somewhat used to this body. As long as I watch out for stray monsters, and actually explain what I am to whatever people I meet, I should be fine.


    As Drake began to walk out of the forest, and back towards the city, he quickly noticed something was off. He could detect the faint smell of smoke as he came closer to the city, and everything around him was eerily quiet. Suspicious, he began to rush towards the city, and it wasn¡¯t long before he could see smoke coming from the city, and the faintest sounds of what sounded like a siren way off in the distance.


    What the hell? I need to go to the city to see what¡¯s happening. Normal mana should work well enough to give me a quick boost. Breathing in for a moment, he drew mana into himself, focusing on augmenting his legs, and with the quick burst of energy, he sped off into the distance.


    As he approached the city, he quickly noticed what was wrong. A large rock-like creature was tearing through the nearby buildings, leaving a wide array of buildings with large chunks tore straight out of them. It was covered with strange, rune-like glyphs and was currently munching on a few slabs of concrete and steel that it had broken loose.


    ¡°If I had to guess, that thing is probably a golem of some kind.¡± He murmured.


    As he continued to watch the strange creature, he noticed a few police cars had pulled up in a rush, and began to fire into the monster. Not surprisingly, the bullets just bounced off of its back, with the golem ignoring them completely.


    Drake smirked to himself as he watched the display. ¡°Come on, what¡¯d you expect, bullets can¡¯t do much to a creature made of rock. Although the police aren¡¯t really known for carrying around grenades to deal with something like that either, not that I¡¯m sure it¡¯d do much good.¡±


    He laughed for a moment, before crouching down and making his way across the street continued to watch the golem. He found a good place to stop near the edge of a small, partially destroyed building and watched the show, crouching down behind some leftover rubble.


    As he watched the golem eat a small piece of rubble, the strange runes glowed for a moment, and the golem suddenly turned aggressive. Viciously turning around, the golem smashed one of its arms as it turned against a police car, throwing one of the police officers ruthlessly against a building. Then it smashed the car flat, before throwing the crushed remains at the officers, pinning them underneath before slowly turning around and lumbered off.


    Shaking his head, Drake pondered to himself. ¡°It definitely looks like someone turned into some kind of Golem beast race, or at least something similar. Didn¡¯t even realize that would be an option. I think at this point they just called them beast races to avoid saying monsters.¡± He sighed.


    At this point, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to fight against something I have no idea if I can even hurt. It was easy enough to fight the griffin. I was able to kill it with normal attacks, but against something that¡¯s built like a brick wall, I doubt something like that will work as easily. And I¡¯m not really looking forward to seeing how durable the skin of that thing is for me to try to eat it.


    He stood up behind the rubble and took one last look at the golem. ¡°I¡¯ll leave someone else to handle it.¡± He shook his head and turned around to get ready to leave. As he turned, he noticed another police car seemed to have spotted him, and quickly drove towards him, before stopping roughly 90 feet away.


    Scrambling out of the car and hiding behind the door of the car, they drew their guns immediately. ¡°There¡¯s another one of those damn monsters, shoot it, quick!¡± One yelled.


    Wait, what?! Dammit, I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I completely forgot that I look like an overgrown lizard to these people.


    ¡°Hey guys, wait just a sec- OW.¡± As the policemen shot at Drake¡¯s chest, the bullets bounced his scales, just leaving Drake with a small sting as they hit him. Obviously however, no one enjoys being shot at, and Drake yelled, ¡°HEY, I¡¯M A HUMAN, STOP.¡±


    The police officers continued to shoot at Drake. Angered, he gathered mana in his legs, and shot towards the officers, surprising one of them who stumbled to the ground before he started to run in the opposite direction. Grabbing the braver one of the two, Drake crushed his gun with one hand and lifted him off the ground.


    As Drake lifted him up, the man seemed to go limp, and he closed his eyes tightly. Holding him to his face, he stared at the officer, and growled, ¡°Hey, why¡¯d you attack me? I told you I used to be a human, dammit.¡± The police officer paled, and he just kept his eyes closed. Shaking his head, Drake yelled, ¡°Hey, I¡¯m talking to you, why did you shoot at me!¡±


    Whimpering to himself, Drake could feel the man shaking as he said, ¡°Please don¡¯t eat me! Please.. Please¡­¡±


    He¡¯s just shaking now. What the hell, why won¡¯t he answer me? As Drake heled the man, a brief moment of realization came over him and he put the officer back on the ground. Still holding him tightly by his shirt, Drake yelled ¡°HEY¡± at him.


    An ammonia like smell hit Drake¡¯s nose. Damn, the guy just peed himself. Well, in any other situation, for a normal monster it might make him taste a bit worse. Grimacing to himself, Drake realized what was wrong.


    He couldn¡¯t understand a single word I¡¯m saying.

 Chapter 2 Part 3

    Part 3


    Jerking away from the officer, Drake silently stared for a moment before cursing to himself. Dammit! Something like this never even crossed my mind. Shaking his head angrily, he let out a horrible scream, and after a moment of concentration, bolted away from the city.


    What do I do.. What do I do.. What do I do¡­ I¡¯m stuck like this, and I can¡¯t even talk to anyone! Taking a moment to calm himself, Drake realized that he couldn¡¯t return home. He would be attacked on sight, and there was no way to explain anything to anyone.


    I need somewhere safe. Thinking back to where he transformed, he made his decision. He would hide away in the forest until he could think of a solid solution. It should still be relatively desolate, and normal humans certainly aren¡¯t going to wander out with all the monsters roaming around.


    Sprinting back to the forest, he came back to that same small opening left open by the upturned tree.


    Taking a moment to calm down, he pondered to himself, ¡°Well, it seems like I¡¯m on my own now. I can¡¯t rely on anyone. As the week goes on, more people will probably take their chances with the beast race transformations. Considering how that Minotaur went rogue, I don¡¯t see anyone letting a monster that can¡¯t even speak close enough to them to explain what happened even if they end up like me.¡±


    Sighing to himself, Drake began to plan. If it¡¯s going to be like this, I need to prepare myself. Clearing away stray pieces of brush from the underside of the tree, Drake began to dig. Expanding the small opening that he hid in after the griffin attack, he spent roughly 2 hours expanding the interior and deepening the hole itself. Just as he was finishing, he looked at the tree he had fired his mana shards at. Much to his surprise, he could see that the tree seemed to have decayed severely, leaving what looked like burn marks checkering the entire tree.


    No way, did my attack really do something like this? As Drake touched the tree, the burn marks seemed to wither away at his touch. The marks slowly faded away into dust and floated away from the tree, leaving twenty holes roughly an inch wide.


    Troubled by what happened, Drake focused on himself, and in a moment, a large red shard of crystallized mana appeared in front of him.


    Bracing himself, he said, ¡°I need to see just what this can do.¡± Pressing the shard of mana against the tree, the tree itself almost seemed to shake. The shard slowly began to enter the tree, corroding the portions of the tree it touched, growing ever so slightly larger as it did so.


    Slightly unsettled, Drake¡¯s eyes glowed with understanding. So my absorption isn¡¯t just limited to eating enemies. My mana grows stronger as it absorbs living material. Thinking back to when he first finished his transformation, he remembered seeing small strands of mana flowing into the surroundings.


    Smiling because of those implications, he said, ¡°It seems those Caracatia are planning to introduce mana to the entire planet. Although I¡¯m not sure what for, I can use that to my advantage now.¡± Pulling the shard out of the tree with a soft crack, he noticed something strange. Looking closely at his mana shard, he could see the slightest amounts of the natural ribbon-like mana surrounding the crystal was beginning to slowly change. As it touched the shard, it slowly warped into his menacing shade of red mana, and began to slowly circle the crystal.


    ¡°With an ability like this, maybe it¡¯s better I¡¯m by myself for a while.¡±, he half mumbled to himself, before turning away from the tree.


    *Growwwlllll* Drake clutched his stomach. He realized he hadn¡¯t eaten anything substantial ever since he first transformed. Thinking back to the griffin, he walked over to the small clearing he made when they crash landed and began dragging to griffin back to his new home.


    Grinning hungrily, he said, ¡°You can¡¯t hold this against me, you know? The winner has to eat sometime.¡±


    After indulging himself, Drake noticed something peculiar that was left glistening in the griffin¡¯s body. He could see a small marble-like structure was embedded in its chest. Looking closer, he could see that it was likely some kind a crystallized mana, likely formed sometime after transforming.


    Curious, he said, ¡°I wonder what it tastes like.¡± Popping the core into his mouth, Drake suddenly felt the core begin to burn intensely inside of his mouth. As a horrible burning pain began to spread throughout his body, the red mana inside him seemed to recoil in protest, and quickly surrounded the core. After a flurry of stinging pains that seemed to be coming from the core itself, Drake¡¯s mana suddenly stabbed into to core, and after a short moment, easily melted the core into liquid. Left with a distinct lack of pain all of a sudden, Drake instinctually began to drink the liquid, leaving him with a strange feeling. ¡°I feel¡­ stronger somehow, even though there doesn¡¯t seem to have been any physical changes.¡± Curious, Drake looked into the source of his mana, and noticed that his mana pool had changed. When Drake initially formed his new mana, he had drawn in as much as possible, but strangely, he felt that that his old limit had disappeared, leaving him with a strange hollow feeling.


    Laughing to himself, he thought, It seems like they liked the concept of monster cores so much that they had one formed in all of the beast races. It¡¯s likely that I have one somewhere as well, although I¡¯m not willing to dig around just to check. Looking around at the large, gnarled trees surrounding him, Drake decided on a course of action. I can¡¯t go into civilization anymore, at least until I¡¯m strong enough to beat down anyone who tries to kill me.


    Taking another look at the large red mana crystal he made, he smiled as he thought of a plan.


    ¡°It seems like these things can convert mana for me, given there are enough in the area at least.¡± Drake sighed. Returning to his small cave, he began his arduous task. Concentrating, Drake felt a shiver go through his body as he forced a large portion of his mana into a large, red shard.


    Collapsing to one knee, he grinned as he looked at the mana shard slowly rotating in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s going to take all my mana to solidify four large crystals. It may take a few days, but I should be able to finish soon enough.¡± Preparing himself, over the next few days, Drake began the task of crystallizing all of the mana in his body into four large crystals, which he placed on the walls of his small cave. Reluctantly, he then went out and re-converted the natural, ribbon-like mana in the environment back to his own mana. Continuing this process day after day, he soon had completely surrounded his new home with thirty mana crystals, each roughly a foot apart.


    After four days of painful, nauseating work, Drake looked at his new creation with pride and smiled. ¡°Now I don¡¯t have to go through that annoying task of making new mana, and this will help me immensely with that other task I¡¯ve been putting off.¡±Stolen story; please report.


    Initially, when Drake first tried to expand his mana pool through the extra power the griffin core had given him, he felt that he hit a wall. While his original limit was easily surpassed, no matter what he tried, he felt that he just couldn¡¯t absorb enough mana to break through to what Drake felt was a new level of power.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t have to convert mana, I can absorb as much as I want,¡± Drake smiled with glee. Sitting down in the middle of the small cave, he exhaled slowly, calming himself as best he could to feel the flow of mana around him. Connecting himself to the flow of mana surrounding him, he began to absorb the mana the crystals gave off. It was certainly slower than conversion, but much less work. Given enough time, he would be able to slowly absorb the mana that was given off by the crystals and grow in strength. Within an hour, he felt like he hit his previous maximum.


    Bracing himself, he stopped absorbing mana for a moment, and tried to relax before beginning. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s finally time.¡± Taking two of the mana crystals off of the wall, he liquefied them after a moment, watching the dark red ball of liquid slowly float in front of him. Taking a moment to breathe, Drake began to absorb the mana back into himself. The mana ball in his hands seemed to reject the process for a moment, with Drake forcing the mana ball into himself and the mana pushing itself back out. Screaming out in a loud burst of crazed laughter, Drake forced the ball of mana completely inside of himself, and the wall inside of himself finally broke.


    As the mana in his body was absorbed, Drake felt a rush of power unlike what he had ever felt before. The mana inside of him, which initially seemed almost liquid-like, began to fully solidify for the first time, leaving a small, blood-red half-formed ball floating in his pool of mana.


    Laying back on the ground of his cave, he felt the cold, soft dirt on his back as he breathed in heavily, feeling the power pour throughout his body. ¡°Hehehe¡­ I actually did it. And my body¡­ it feels so good.¡± Bracing himself, he lifted himself up on arm, leaning against the dirt wall of the cave, and smiled ecstatically. ¡°I haven¡¯t felt this alive since I took a bite out of that griffin. Let¡¯s see¡­¡± Looking towards two other mana crystals on the wall, he willed them towards himself. After a brief moment, the crystals popped off the wall, quickly liquefying and were absorbed into Drake easily.


    Smiling, he said, ¡°It seems that I¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger. I haven¡¯t been out in a few days, and that griffin is just about gone. I need to look for more food, so now is a better time than any.¡± Crawling out of his small hole, Drake took a moment to himself to stretch before looking to the city. Drake chuckled to himself, excited to see just what he could do now. Leaving the forest, Drake quickly made his way towards the city.


    At the very least, I should be able to see what¡¯s been going on for the past few days. As he approached the city, he noticed that it had changed considerably since he last saw it. The entire portion of the city that had been attacked by the golem seemed to be missing entirely, with huge portions of buildings missing as the path of destruction led further into the city.


    Wandering over to one of the buildings, Drake noticed that several of them had long, jagged scarring running across them, seemingly at random. The golem didn¡¯t do this. This looks like it was made from.. an attack of some kind. Shaking off his curiosity, he continued into the city.


    ¡°The real question is where the hell all the people are, this part of the city seems to be completely abandoned now.¡± Looking around, Drake could see pieces of abandoned vehicles scattered all across the area. This part of the city was indeed abandoned, and there was no sign of where the inhabitants may have gone.


    Looking at the abandoned ruins, Drake sighed and continued walking forward. Well.. there¡¯s no harm in going further into the city. No normal human can fight me, and I¡¯m curious just what happened here. Seeing the traces of the golem¡¯s footsteps, Drake decided to follow them carefully. It was relatively simple, given the wide array of destroyed buildings it left in its wake.


    As he began to enter the interior of the city, he spotted the first group of human looking figures since he entered. There were five different people altogether, standing on top of a large pile of rubble, with each one at varying heights. However, Drake could tell at a glance that something was different about them.


    Narrowing his eyes, he muttered, ¡°Whoever they are, they certainly aren¡¯t human. I can see each of them drawing in large amounts of mana.¡± Curious, Drake made his way through several abandoned buildings to get within earshot, hiding behind a large amount of debris, presumably left by the golem as it ate its way through.


    ¡°It was a lot more difficult than I was expecting. It tore its way past all the actual law enforcement like it was nothing. We¡¯re the only ones who could even damage it once it got started.¡± Drake could see a particularly large man speaking. Strangely, he was completely bald, with strange tattoo-like lines covering his pale, muscular body. Even more strange, he wore relatively little clothing, with only a pair of boots and leather greaves covering him.


    ¡°Yea, yea, come on already and help me look for it. They all have one, and it helps with my spells immensely.¡± One of the smaller ones started speaking, it was likely a woman, judging on the high, lilting voice. She was roughly 4 feet tall, and was surprisingly muscular. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m glad it was a rock-type monster. Ever since I changed, I seem to have acquired a taste for different things.¡± Taking a large handful of rocks, she threw them into her mouth and ate them like it was nothing.


    Awe struck, Drake watched the short woman. Hey, is that really sanitary?! How can you just eat rocks and not break your teeth right away?


    ¡°Jeez Rachel, I don¡¯t understand how you can just eat that without any problems, it¡¯s painful to even hear you eating that stuff.¡± A man with a medium build started talking. Tall, somewhat skinny, pointy ears¡­ He¡¯s definitely an elf of some kind.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand, with this big guy at least, he tastes absolutely fantastic, imagine something like red velvet cake, it all tastes like dessert. It¡¯s fantastic. Shame about being so short though. The benefits of a dwarf compared to my other choices were just too great though.¡± The short woman continued to plow her way through the rubble at a surprising speed.


    Wait, is that huge pile of rubble is the golem? It¡¯s twice as large as when I saw it! Well that answers some of my questions at least. The golem died, and there¡¯s a dwarf, some kind of giant judging by his size and stature, and an elf so far. Looking at the other two digging through the rubble, Drake realized that they looked remarkably similar. They were both women, and even though he just caught flashes of their faces occasionally, he could tell they both had very striking features. They both wore a cloak, and didn¡¯t seem to be very talkative, at least at first glance.


    They might be some kind of race that focuses on agility by the way they¡¯re having such a hard time moving the rubble around.


    Struggling to move around the boulders, the two girls sat down together, clearly unhappy. ¡°Rachel, do we really have to find that thing? Me and Alyssa are exhausted. We still aren¡¯t used to using magic at all yet.¡± The dwarf looked over towards them. ¡°Of course we have to find it, it¡¯s one of the only reasons we¡¯ve all done so well. That thing helps amplifies my abilities so these two idiots can do their job.¡± The elf and the strangely tattoo¡¯d man just looked at each other and sighed.


    The dwarf looked over at the hooded figure assumed to be Alyssa. ¡°You know, if you managed to get a few of your own, you and Kat wouldn¡¯t have near as hard of a time.¡± The hooded figure seemed irritated, and the cloak seemed to move by itself. Strange, why would it¡­


    Holy crap, they¡¯re both fox girls. For a brief second, a silver tail briefly poked out from underneath the cloak, angrily waving back and forth as they talked.


    ¡°We would already have one for the both of us, but you keep on taking them all.¡± Alyssa definitely seemed to be angry. Her hood seemed to be moving as well. Why god, do you let such adorable ears be hidden from the world?


    Shaking himself out of his stupor, he looked away hesitantly. Well, while I would love to watch some cute girls for a little while longer, I need to leave. The last thing I need is to be caught by these guys. Moving away from his hiding spot, Drake prepared to leave. As he did, a stray piece of rubble came loose when he moved, and a small shower of pebbles and other debris bounced down.


    Looking around, the elf went on alert almost immediately, daggers drawn. ¡°Rachel, did you hear that?¡± Cursing to himself, Drake attempted to hide behind the rubble again, if only for a moment. Damn elf, why did you have to say anything.


    ¡°No, but I felt it. It came from over there.¡± The dwarf was pointing directly at Drake¡¯s hiding spot.

 Chapter 2 Part 4

    Part 4


    Shrinking back, Drake chastised himself for getting caught. Oh come on, is it a crime to look at cute girls? Well, given my appearance they¡¯ll probably attack me on sight anyway.


    Sighing, Drake pondered what to do, while the Dwarf slowly approached his position, with the elf not far behind.


    Stopping suddenly, the elf seemed to focus for a moment. Turning towards Rachel, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t hear anything else moving, but I do hear something like breathing from behind that pile of rubble.¡±


    Shaking his head erratically, he could only stare in disbelief. This is outrageous! Since when do elves have such good hearing?! That wasn¡¯t even part of the deal when he was going over it with Taylor!


    Drake thought to himself quickly. The two fox girls seem to be almost out of power, so they¡¯ll probably be useless if they try to fight. They¡¯ve barely been moving around at all since I¡¯ve been watching them. The elf seems like the only one who is fast enough to get close in a fight, and the big guy with the strange tattoos seems to be staying to guard the fox girls.


    Laughing to himself deprecatingly, he exhaled slowly and began to draw mana into his body. If he was going knock out the elf in one attack, a bit of extra mana wouldn¡¯t hurt. They were able to take out that huge golem somehow, so caution would be a better idea here.


    Jumping out from his position, he flew towards the elf in one jump.


    ¡°What the hell is that thing?! It¡¯s way too large for a lizard speci--¡± Grabbing the elf with a blindingly fast speed, Drake held him helplessly for a moment. Heh, caught him by his throat. I¡¯m not a damn lizard either. Well, I am, but not the typical kind you¡¯d see. He chuckled under his breathe with glee.


    Picking up the elf, the giant that was covered with tattoos sat up, and began rushing over, while the dwarf seemed to be in shock for a moment.


    Letting out a serpent-like hiss, Drake said, ¡°Sorry man, this is your fault for hearing me first.¡± The elf visibly paled in terror, and the dwarf snapped out of her shock. In a panic, she swung at Drake with the large hammer she was keeping on her back.


    Jumping back, Drake slammed the elf¡¯s head on the ground as he landed. ¡°Ha, that should be good enough to make him unconscious,¡± smiling to himself playfully.


    With a look of horror on her face, the dwarf started screaming and charged at Drake. Swinging her hammer in desperation, Drake jumped back swiftly, avoiding the hammer with ease. Then, placing her hands on the elf, a strange, golden light seemed to flow out of her hands, quickly sealing the large head wound that had knocked the elf out.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you guys have a healer.¡± With a look of exasperation, Drake turned around to run. As he did, the giant cut him off, a bloodthirsty look shining in his eyes.


    Smiling in a deranged manner, the giant slowly unlatched a strange, stone axe that he had kept on his back, and began to approach Drake. The axe glowed with a soft hue of green magic, and the air became a bit heavy. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯re gonna be running away monster. Not after what you just did.¡±


    Staring cynically at the large axe, Drake sighed loudly. The better question is, where the hell are they getting all these weapons?! I know for a fact that no one can make a full battle axe out of stone.


    Taking a deep breath, Drake charged towards the giant, intent on taking down the giant in one blow. The giant seemed shocked at the burst of speed, but still managed to time his swing well enough to hit Drake. Dodging out of the way at the last moment, Drake swung a punch at his abdomen.


    Hitting the giant, Drake quickly realized something was wrong. The giant¡¯s skin felt hard like stone. Although he heard the giant grunt in pain, after only a moment, the giant looked down at Drake, smiling. ¡°Heh, little lizard thinks something like that is enough to take me down.¡± Swinging his stone axe, the giant caught Drake across his chest. Launching him into the air, Drake flew until he hit the side of a nearby building, collapsing on the ground with thud.


    Coughing on the ground, Drake stumbled up onto his feet, a large gash streaked across his chest. Looking up, Drake could see the giant begin to charge towards him again, a maniacal grin plastered across his face. A wave of anger come over him, and Drake¡¯s eyes narrowed into slits, his menacing red mana beginning to slowly seep from his body.


    ¡°Heh heh heh heh.. They actually want to fight.. they actually want to kill me..¡± With a crazed look on Drake¡¯s draconic face, the giant stopped in his tracks. Off to the side, the fox girl they called Kat yelled out to the giant. ¡°Be careful, whatever that stuff is, it seems to be a form of mana. Don¡¯t get too close!¡±


    Seeming to bolster himself, the giant called back, ¡°Just let me do my job dammit. You and your sister are useless right now, and this thing needs to die for hurting Jack.¡±


    ¡°Die¡­ Die¡­ Die..¡± The red aura from Drake seemed to surge in response to the giant, swelling in and out like waves. The mana quickly formed together into several large crystals, and fired itself off into the giant.


    Eyes full of fear, the giant yelled, ¡°The hell, it can use magic?!¡± Blocking two of the large crystals with his axe, one embedded itself deep into his shoulder, tearing itself into his body. As it did, it began to pulse, growing larger as it did.


    ¡°AHHHHHHH. GET IT OUT OF ME.¡± Flailing, the giant tried to tear the crystal out, but it seemed to only e


    mbed itself in response, draining the giant of his mana. Weakening, the giant called out to Rachel who finished the elf, and she quickly rushed over.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Putting out a stream of holy energy, Rachel looked up at the draconian and said, ¡°What the hell is this thing, none of the other monsters were able to use magic.¡± Rachel tried to heal the weakening giant, with the crystal seeming to dim slowly in response. Grimacing in pain, the giant glared hatefully, saying, ¡°It must be similar to that demon Jun¡¯s group came across! It was able to kill almost the entire group before one of their warrior¡¯s was able to get behind it and backstab it.¡±


    Off to the side, the cloaked Alyssa seemed to brace herself for a moment, before running towards Rachel and the fallen giant.


    ¡°Kill.. the enemy¡­¡± With a terrifying serpentine laugh, Drake began to approach the dwarf and the weakened giant, the aura around him seeming to grow in anticipation. As he drew within six feet of them, the young fox girl ran over and stood in front of them, blocking his path.


    With a heartfelt plea, she said, ¡°Stop, please! Don¡¯t kill them!¡± Hearing her voice, a shock pierced its way through his body, stopping him mid-step, gazing curiously at the young girl. As Drake stared, the mana that was gathering around him almost seemed to bite at Alyssa in response, as if wanting to tear itself away from Drake to attack the young girl. Within a few moments, Drake¡¯s mind cleared, and his eyes returned to normal.


    What was I..? Looking over at the silver haired fox girl with tears beginning to well up, he felt a tinge of guilt. He just wanted to escape safely, and they couldn¡¯t be allowed to follow him. It was too dangerous. He would have run away sooner if that giant hadn¡¯t tried to stop him.


    With Drake¡¯s mana drawing back into him, he commanded the mana crystal that was embedded into the giant to return. Almost unwillingly, it removed itself, before liquefying and returning to Drake as normal.


    The small group looked at him in surprise, with the elf beginning to wake up after being healed.


    Unwilling to start another fight, Drake quickly bolted off in the opposite direction of the city.


    Muttering to himself, he said, ¡°What was I doing for a moment there, I was really going to kill them all.¡± With a look of regret on his face, he ran until he was completely out of town. Looking back on the ruined city, he said, ¡°I can¡¯t go back into town again. Not until I understand what that was.¡±


    As he turned towards the forest, he began to notice the large slash across his chest left by the giant¡¯s axe. Chiding himself for letting himself be injured, he said, ¡°Damn, he really got me. I wasn¡¯t expecting him to be able to take a hit from me.¡± As he began to walk back, he heard a strange tearing sound behind a large cluster of trees and shrubs, off to the right of him. Sighing, he slowly made his way over to go investigate the cause of the noise.


    ¡°What the hell is that,¡± he muttered. It was a large, black-furred creature, with small spikes running down its spine. With large, bloody claws, and a very canine-like snout, it definitely seemed to be made for hunting. The noise that he heard seemed to be the large buck it had been eating its way into. As he came closer, the creature¡¯s ears perked up, and it finally turned to face Drake.


    This damn thing looks practically like a werewolf. It¡¯s not even close to dark yet though. Guess those aliens didn¡¯t keep with the full moon myth. As he stood there watching, the creature slunk down, and began to pace back and forth, as if gauging whether or not to attack.


    With Drake¡¯s face darkening, his red aura came back in full force. Grinning in an almost feral manner, he said, ¡°It¡¯s your bad luck that I caught you here. I can at least kill you so you can¡¯t hunt that group back there.¡± With a wide toothy grin, Drake prepared to attack. Not to mention its been awhile since I¡¯ve eaten, he thought to himself


    Jumping forward, he reached out, intending to tear its head clean off. As he did, the creature yelped out in surprise, quickly lowering itself to the ground to avoid the attack.


    Reversing his momentum, he turned around and hissed, ¡°Ah, damn mutt. Die already!¡± Forming a ball of mana, he quickly shot it out at the beast. As it approached, it splintered into shards, peppering the monster with an array of crystals.


    As he did, the monster stumbled forward in pain, and screamed out a horrible cry, the shards beginning to grow rapidly inside of the monster. Launching forward again, he impaled the monster on his hand, spraying blood towards him from the many wounds covering the body. Struggling against Drake, the monster attempted to bite down onto Drake in a last ditch attempt to survive.


    In the moment before it bit down, the crystal shards that had grown into the beast seemed to explode with mass. As they expanded, a spray of gore covered the surrounding area as the crystals impaled the creature from countless directions from the inside out. Utterly dead, Drake pulled the corpse off his hand with an unexpectedly wet sound, letting it drop to the ground in a heap of gore.


    Rather nonchalantly, he muttered, ¡°This was almost as simple as the griffin. Why did that giant give me so much trouble..¡± Looking down at the remains of the werewolf creature, Drake could see something interesting. The crystal shards that shot into the strange werewolf had stopped growing.


    Crouching down, he stared closely at the remains. ¡°So my magic really only works when whatever I¡¯m draining is alive, at least that seems to be the rule when it comes to my crystals. Now where is.. Ah, found it.¡± Looking inside of the creature, he found the same strange gem that he had found in the griffin.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely the golem had the same stone inside of it. That¡¯s what that group seemed to be looking for.¡± Popping it into his mouth, he felt the same rush of energy as before, with his red mana instantly responding to the small gem. Within moments, it had liquefied, slipping down his throat and giving him a burst of energy, only this time it seemed to be considerably less profound. Muttering to himself quietly, he said, ¡°What, is my body getting used to it or is this guy just weaker than the griffin?¡±


    Looking down at the remains of the deer, Drake paused for a moment, before reaching down and ripping out a small chunk of meat. Looking at the bloodied chunk of meat, he shrugged before popping it into his mouth. Almost immediately the taste of rotted flesh assailed him, even though the deer itself looked freshly killed. Scrunching his face in disgust, he spat, ¡°Oh god this tastes horrible. I thought it would at least taste decent.¡± Spitting out the remaining gristle, Drake looked down at the remains of the werewolf, and sighed. ¡°Well, the griffin tasted good. Time to test a theory.¡± Tearing a large chunk out of the werewolf with his claws, he threw it into his mouth hastily, his face scrunched up in expectation.


    Originally expecting an average taste, compared to the meat of the deer, the werewolf-like creature tasted absolutely divine. ¡°I was right...¡± With a look of pleasure in his eyes, Drake smiled. ¡°Whatever I am now, it seems likely that this body needs to eat mana filled creatures to grow.¡± With a hiss of steam coming from Drake¡¯s chest, he noticed that the large gash began to slowly close itself, knitting his muscles and skin together as if he was never injured in the first place.

 Chapter 2 Part 5

    Part 5


    As he approached his small cave, Drake noticed something strange immediately. A large, red mist spanning roughly fifty feet had spread around the entrance of his cave. The mist seemed to have spread over the entire area, changing all the nearby plants, and making the area look almost other-worldly. Looking closer, Drake could see that his mana crystals were likely the cause behind it. When he left, the crystals continue to convert mana, filling the cave and eventually seeping out into the surrounding area. As it spread, it seemed to have had a strange transformative effect on the surrounding area.


    The plants on the edge of the mist seemed to almost wither in the presence of it, but those that were inside for a considerable amount of time seemed to have grown. As they grew, they seemed to have acquired random transformations, some becoming black, and briar like. On the other hand, some of the plants seemed to be perfected in its presence, letting out a soft red glow, reminding him of his own crystals.


    Shaking his head slowly, he sighed before making his way around the area. ¡°It seems like I can¡¯t just leave without significantly affecting the surrounding area. It seems like my mana is too¡­ intrusive.¡± Sitting on top of a large, blackened tree, Drake began the process of absorbing all the nearby mana into himself. Opening himself up to the surrounding area, the red mist began to flow into him like a funnel. As he finished, he looked around at the transformed area and scowled.


    ¡°This is a problem. If I ever move, or if i¡¯m ever away from this area for too long, I¡¯ll need to re-absorb all the crystals. This mana is too destructive to the local environment, and it makes it too easy to find me.¡± Laughing to himself, a small ball of red mana briefly appeared in his hands before disappearing. ¡°On the bright side, I already have most of the mana I need to get to the next step. I¡¯ll take some time to finish up, and that¡¯ll be it.¡± Pausing momentarily, he thought back to the group of humanoids back in the city. Frowning slightly, he murmured, ¡°I¡¯ll need to fix my loss of control eventually as well.¡±


    Sitting down in the center of his small cave, he exhaled deeply, and closed his eyes. He focused on advancing to the next stage. Inadvertently, he entered a trance-like state, completely isolating him from his surroundings. Without his knowledge, the crystals he had made began to slowly feed into him, all the while increasing the power of his mana by several folds. As the days passed, massive changes began to occur.


    *****


    Two days later, with Drake still fast in his trance, the aliens called the Caracatia made an announcement.


    Attention, all of humanity. We are so happy to be speaking with all of you again. As you might have noticed, one week has now passed, and as such, so has your chance for redemption. As you humans may have noticed, your offers are no longer valid, and as such, the beginning of our game has begun. We give our heartfelt thanks to the half of your race has taken an offer of one form or another. Starting now, we will begin to spawn thousands of different types of monsters, most of which will be quite familiar to you.


    Unlike before, some of these species will have entire societies, including a few that have been inspired directly by some of the fantastic stories you humans have shown us. Well, we hope you enjoy your new world, ¡°humanity.¡±


    Previously, before the week had passed, large amounts of humans had gathered in the city centers. Frightened and afraid of the message that their world was changing, they huddled together in the cities for safety. They all did this for one reason or another. Either they were afraid of the offer itself, and the potential danger it might bring or they simply denounced the offer as the work of the devil. After all, who else would want to corrupt the rightful form that God had created.


    Unfortunately, this line of thinking actually put them in the greatest danger. In an attempt to clear the world for their vision, monsters that were only known in fairy tales spawned in major cities all over the world. Monsters from mythology such as Fenrir, monsters from fantasy such as the phoenix, and monsters that had inspired Drake¡¯s race such as dragons, spawned across the world.


    They wreaked havoc, killing the millions of humans who moved to the cities for safety, scattering the remains of humanity into the more rural areas and the wilderness.


    Curiously, even in the face of certain death, they focused on only humans, and left the transformed humanoids alone, abandoning the cities entirely when most of the population had scattered or had been killed.


    And with this, a new era had begun.


    ****


    As Drake began to come out of his deep trance, he noticed that something about him had changed immediately. Looking around his small home, he noticed that all of the mana crystals he had made to power himself seemed to be drained completely of their mana, leaving strange, empty looking black crystals on the interior of his home. Breathing deeply, he looked within himself. Just at a glance, he could see the blood-red core inside himself had changed immensely. It had grown to twice its previous size, and was now giving off a continuous stream of mana inside of him, similar to the crystals themselves.


    With a pensive look on his face, he stood slowly, and walked outside to get a better look at himself. Giving himself a quick glance, he could tell that he had shrunk roughly half a foot, and that the claws on his hands and feet had turned jet-black, giving him a very menacing look.


    Smirking to himself, he said, ¡°That probably isn¡¯t all¡­ let¡¯s see..¡± Fashioning a crystal mirror out of his mana, he could see that his horns that extended from the back of his head had also changed significantly. Instead of his smooth, ivory like horns that he had before, they seemed to have grown in a very peculiar way. They seemed to resemble¡­ goat horns. They were still relatively straight, jutting out near the back of his head, but they looked segmented now. They were layered on top of one another, making him look even sinister than before.


    Stretching in various directions, he couldn¡¯t feel any obvious changes in his body.


    Chuckling to himself, he said, ¡°Strange, I obviously changed for some reason, but I can¡¯t tell why.¡±


    ¡°Gah, why do these types of things always happen to me¡­¡± Looking around, Drake suddenly felt an intense hunger come over him. Unknown to him, he had been asleep for five days straight, leaving him in a state of famine.


    Grinning cheerfully, he looked around for the remains of the werewolf creature he dragged back the other day.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see, I left it right over¡­ where is it?¡± Looking around for the leftovers of his recent kill, he couldn¡¯t find it anywhere in sight. Scowling angrily, he said, ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. I¡¯m go to train and some bastard just comes along and takes my food, come on!¡± More than a little angry at the loss of a free meal, he jumped up in a nearby tree, searching for what might have happened to it.


    Looking in the distance, Drake could see a pocket of mana near the ground seemed to glow. Jumping down, Drake quickly ran over, stopping in front of it to see it begin to glow brighter with each second. As he watched with curiosity, he noticed a mass of mana begin to solidify in front of him. Standing off to the side, he watched it patiently.


    After fifteen seconds, the mana stopped gathering, and began to form. It was small, pale, and had almost sickly lime green skin, with sharp, claw-like fingernails. What struck Drake as most unique was the jittery way it seemed to move in place as if it had too much energy.


    Looking down with disdain, he thought, Pointy ears, smells bad, and it¡¯s wearing a loincloth¡­ definitely a goblin.


    Looking around, the goblin stood relatively still, looking around curiously until it saw Drake. As soon as it did, it began screaming in an inhuman tone, and picked up a small stick. Running towards Drake, it used the stick as a club, ruthlessly hitting Drake in the leg in an attempt to break past the hard layer of scales covering his body. As it did, it yelled at Drake in a weird, gibbering language.


    Laughing at the small creature for a moment, he could only sigh with pity. I would feel bad about killing this thing if it wasn¡¯t so dumb. Grabbing the goblin by its head, he crushed in one motion, leaving it hanging lifelessly in his hands, with pale red blood running down the body.


    Shaking his head in disgust, he could only stare at the small creature. Honestly, do these things have no survival instinct? You¡¯d think it would run at the first sight of me.


    Dropping the goblin with a sickening plop, Drake started to make his way back to the cave. He shook his hand in an attempt to get rid of the foul smelling blood. As he did, he noticed another gathering of mana began to form in front of him, inside of the area that had been changed by his mana.


    Annoyed, and severely in need of a meal, Drake readied a sharp, shard of mana at the unsuspecting target.


    I really don¡¯t have time for this, I mean come on. Just let me go back and find my meal already. I¡¯ll be damned if I¡¯m going to eat a goblin just because I¡¯m hungry. Maybe if I¡¯m lucky, some kind of pig will spawn and I¡¯ll get some pork. His snake-like tongue flicked out, licking his lips hungrily.


    As the mana finished gathering, a small child-like figure appeared in front of Drake. Roughly a foot tall, the small creature had small curved horns that came through its black hair. Along with its stereotypical devil wings, it also had ears that pointed out away from its head, with a skin tone similar to gray clay. The small creature only seemed to only have a small, strangely shaped outfit that wrapped around her small frame. As it finished forming, it looked around for a moment before noticing Drake. Unlike the goblin, its first reaction was of sheer terror.


    [Please, don¡¯t kill me..]


    What was¡­ Looking at the small creature, Drake¡¯s head cocked to the side for a moment. Hearing the small, bell like voice out of nowhere left him puzzled. Crouching down, Drake asked, ¡°Hey, was that you that talked just now?¡±


    The small creature looked at Drake with its big eyes visibly tearing, and shook its head slowly.


    Sitting back, the shard of mana Drake was controlling slowly dissolved and was drawn back into his hand. Leaning forward, much to the small creature¡¯s terror, he asked, ¡°So you can actually understand me? How do you speak my language? From what I understand, I sound pretty terrifying whenever I meet up with other races.¡±


    Trembling in place, she could only shake her head slowly, the same bell like voice seeming to whimper in Drake¡¯s mind.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    [I don¡¯t understand your language mister. I just understand the thoughts that go along with them.]


    Looking up at Drake, the small creature continued to shrink back in fear, holding its arms and legs close to itself as it crouched on the ground.


    Cocking his head to the side, he thought, So all I have to do is think for her to understand me? Or¡­ do I have to think at her?


    Closing his eyes, he pondered for a moment. In this kind of situation, it¡¯d make sense to try to think at her¡­ right? Sighing to himself, he opened his eyes and tried to direct his thoughts at her.


    [So¡­ does this help?]


    Looking up at him, the small creature visibly relaxed. She slightly uncurled from her small ball before continuing the conversation.


    [Yes, it helps greatly.]


    Smiling, he asked, [So what are you anyway, how can you talk with me?]


    Looking around again, the small creature looked at Drake curiously before continuing.


    [I¡¯m an imp. Telepathy is one of our inborn abilities. Typically, we appear around those of the upper levels of our race to serve them. I¡¯m not sure why I appeared in front of you mister.] She responded tentatively, still curled up in a small ball.


    An imp huh? I always expected them to look like little gremlins, but she¡¯s surprisingly adorable.Drake couldn''t help but think.


    [What was that about appearing in front of the upper levels of your race? What does that mean?]


    Looking unnerved, the small imp froze up again.


    [Umm.. I can¡¯t say anything to other races. Sorry mister.]


    Sighing, Drake walked past the little imp and started walking back towards his cave.


    [Well if you can¡¯t say anything, fine. I¡¯ll see you around I guess. Try not to get killed.]


    Finally drawing out of the ball she was crouched into, the imp flew up, before following Drake at a distance.


    As Drake reached his cave, he looked around for signs of his meal again. Not seeing any, he sighed deeply.


    Don¡¯t tell me I¡¯m going to have to find something else.. I had barely eaten any of it.


    Turning back around, Drake caught the little imp watching him out of the corner of his eye. Seeming to notice his gaze, she hurriedly hid behind the tree where she was watching him from.


    Cute little thing. I wonder why she is following me. Drake smirked as he continued walking through the forest.


    The better question is, did a week already pass? A goblin and an imp spawned right in front of me, and they certainly weren¡¯t human. How long was I out for anyway?


    Continuing to search through the forest, Drake heard a strange screeching noise reverberate through the air. It repeated several times before stopping, leaving Drake a little curious just what it came from.


    [Mister, stop!]


    What the.. As Drake began to go towards the source of the sound, Drake felt a small figure hit his back. Looking behind him, he could see the small imp was currently latched onto him, as if trying her hardest to keep him from moving.


    [Um.. Little imp, are you alright?]


    Seeing that he had stopped, she let go and flew in front of him, keeping just out of reach.


    [What are you doing? Don¡¯t you know what you are going towards? It¡¯s dangerous.]


    A little perturbed, Drake gave the imp a strange look.


    [That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to figure out. Besides, I¡¯m hungry, it feels like I haven¡¯t eaten in forever.]


    As he began walking forward again, the little imp pushed against him intensely, speaking in an unintelligible language, before she managed to get her thoughts across.


    [It¡¯s dangerous, mister! You need to turn around!]


    Drake¡¯s eyes began to narrow into slits for a moment, before returning to normal instantly, seemingly without Drake noticing.


    [Well if it¡¯s so dangerous, why don¡¯t you join me? I could always use some company.] He said as he chuckled to himself.


    Pushing past the small imp again, she seemed to throw a small tantrum mid-air, before following behind Drake again.


    As Drake approached the location of the sound, he noticed large claw marking were spread out on the trees occasionally, and he began to hear the faintest sounds of a deep, heavy breathing coming from behind a large cluster of thick bush. Approaching slowly, Drake began to make out the shape of the enemy.


    It appeared to be a bear of some kind, but it was much too large to be normal. Roughly fifteen feet long, it was currently eating its way through a large, red salamander it had pinned to the ground. That was what likely made the initial screeching noise.


    Peeking out from behind Drake¡¯s shoulder, the imp stifled a scream.


    [Mister, that¡¯s a Dire Bear. They¡¯re incredibly difficult to kill. We need to run.]


    Smirking to himself, Drake began to draw in mana slowly, so as to not alert the bear. Looking around her, the imp noticed the influx of mana almost immediately, and flew off of Drake¡¯s shoulder before continuing.


    [Mister, what are you doing? It¡¯s too large!]


    Smiling with a bloodthirsty grin, he said, [Little imp, you¡¯ve never seen me fight before, so I think you should just enjoy the show.]


    Dashing towards the bear in an instant, Drake jumped on top of the bear while it was still distracted with eating. Firing several large mana shards straight into the back of the bear, Drake leaped off right before he heard a piercing roar. In a rage filled state, the bear reared back, planning to attack whatever dared to intrude upon its meal. Spotting Drake out of the corner of its eye, it turned towards him, seething with anger.


    Feeling himself freeze up, the bear charged Drake, hitting him square across his chest. The bear viciously slammed him through a nearby tree, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood. Drake was shocked by the sheer amount of strength the bear had and why he wasn¡¯t able to dodge.


    I couldn¡¯t move. What the hell was that? What happened¡­?


    [Mister, stay out of its sight! This species has the Doom Eyes ability. It petrifies opponents for a moment while the bear prepares to attack!]


    Seriously? What kind of ability is that?! Drake cried out in his mind.


    Looking up to see the bear towering over him, Drake quickly rolled out of the way to see the bear tear into the spot he just lying in. Its claws had left a large swath through the dirt and roots of the forest floor as it attempted to hit Drake. Such an attack would likely be as powerful as the Goliath''s axe, maybe more.


    As Drake quickly made his way onto his feet, he glanced at the bear. All the other creatures who he had hit with his mana crystals had normally gone down quickly, but this only seemed to enrage the bear. The crystals on its back were still slowly growing, but the bear still seemed unaffected by the way it moved.


    Dammit.. I¡¯m still not strong enough. I need more¡­


    In a wave of aura, Drake¡¯s eyes narrowed into thin slits, and he gained an ever so slight feral grin. Watching the strange beast continue to challenge him and potentially steal his meal, the bear¡¯s rage heightened. Charging at Drake once again, the large Dire bear seemed to bristle with energy for a moment, growing larger and stronger, before wincing in pain and returning to its normal state. Leaping to the side of the large bear''s charge, Drake¡¯s aura hit its pinnacle.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let some damn bear get the better of me!¡± With a rush of blood-red mana surrounding Drake, he quickly focused the mana into two large, icicle-like spears while the bear turned to charge at him again.


    ¡°Take this!¡± Piercing through the air, the spears hit the bear on both sides of its head, embedding themselves deep in its shoulders.


    With a roar of pain, the bear collapsed mid charge, and slid another four feet before stopping in front of Drake. Still alive, the bear looked up at Drake, eyes still full of anger.


    As he was able to get a closer look at the effects of his attacks, Drake could now see that the shards of mana had almost completely atrophied the muscles of the bear where the shards had embedded, and they had grown almost twice as large as the fight went on. It was likely that near the end of the fight, it was barely able to move at all, and the spears were the final blow.


    ¡°Looks like I was the winner after all.¡± Smiling victoriously, Drake took one last look at the bear. ¡°Survival of the fittest, ya know?¡± Firing one last mana shard into the bear¡¯s head, the creature¡¯s body quickly went limp.


    Slowly flying towards Drake, the small imp hovered above him in disbelief.


    [Mister.. you actually killed it.]


    Looking up at the small imp, Drake smirked at her, flashing a toothy grin.


    [What, is it that surprising? I¡¯m pretty strong, you know. Not to mention I was a lot quicker than this guy.] Kicking the remains of the bear, Drake tried to prove his point.


    [Maybe, but I still didn¡¯t expect..] Stopping suddenly, the imp seemed to ponder something to itself for a bit.


    [Heh, well for me at least, I¡¯m going to get something to eat. I¡¯m starving.]


    Still, first things first, I suppose. He quickly made his way over to the remains of whatever the bear had been eating. From the looks of it, it was nothing but a strangely colored, blue lizard. Even the core he had been expecting was missing.


    Did the damn thing eat it or something? Drake could only shake his head in confusion. The corpse of the lizard was ravaged. He couldn¡¯t imagine anyone but himself would take the time to collect them. Was it simply missing one? Was that even possible?


    ¡°Gah.¡± He muttered to himself, before giving up entirely.


    Sitting down next to the remains of the bear, he tore a large chunk out of the bear with his claws and gorged himself on the leftovers of the bear before stopping to rest. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the little imp poorly trying to look away, while still staring at him with unusual ferocity.


    Directing his thoughts towards her, he asked, [You know, if you wanted something to eat, you could have asked. It gets pretty lonely out here by myself, and it¡¯d be nice to have someone to talk to.]


    Unable to hide her smile, the imp hurried down to the ground to joinhim. Handing her a small chunk of meat, she started to eat it piece by piece.


    [I wasn¡¯t sure if I was allowed or not. Imps aren¡¯t allowed to eat with a higher class of demon, and we usually get scraps if we get food, not fresh from the beast itself. Thank you very much, mister.]


    With a look of pleasure, she continued to eat, slowly picking off pieces from the small chunk of she had in her hands.


    [Hey imp, what¡¯s your name anyway? It¡¯s going to get annoying just calling you by race.]


    Continuing to eat happily, she answered, [I don¡¯t have one mister. We aren¡¯t given names until we have done something important for the master we serve.]


    Taking another bite of meat, she squealed in excitement as she continued to eat.


    Master.. so they¡¯re probably just used as tools for the more powerful demons.Drake thought to himself. It made sense. In a ton of the various stories about demons, there was almost always some sort of caste system, with the weaker demons serving those who had more power


    [Is there any reason why you have to serve another demon in the first place?] Drake didn¡¯t like the idea of such a cute creature being made to work itself too hard.


    [Oh yes, by ourselves we¡¯re quite weak. Without serving a higher class of demon, we can barely get any food for ourselves at all. We¡¯d soon die without finding a suitable master. Honestly speaking mister, I was expecting to be eaten by you as soon as I was born. Your kind normally snuffs us out for merely existing in their presence.


    With a look of confusion, Drake looked towards the imp.


    [What do you mean my kind? You were just born, how do you know anything about other races, heck, even about your own race.]


    Looking up at him, she popped the last of her meal into her mouth. Then she sat across from Drake, beginning her explanation.


    [The Creators of course. They gave all of us the information we needed to know as we were born. Well, the intelligent ones among us at least. They told us about all of the races nearby where we are born, so I know about quite a bit about those evil humanoids as well.]


    As she gave her explanation, she puffed out her tiny chest with pride.


    Pfft. She looks so adorable when she does that. Trying to contain his laughter, a thought crossed Drake¡¯s mind.


    [So little imp, what am I?]


    With a curious look, the imp answered instantly.


    [A draconian of course. Although I don¡¯t have any knowledge of them being able to use that strange magic of yours. And they are usually quite mean to imps when they see us.] She seemed to think hardto herself for a moment, before giving Drake a quick look over. [Yep. Definitely draconian.]


    Laughing to himself again, Drake posed a question to the imp.


    [What if I told you I used to be one of the humanoids? A human actually.]


    With a look of shock, the imp flew up out of Drake¡¯s reach.


    [That can¡¯t be right.. The Creators told us that any humans would turn into beasts if they chose a form like yours.]


    Leaning back on the ground, Drake confirmed something for himself. So that¡¯s how it is huh. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. That Minotaur mowed down the others as soon as she transformed from what I understand. Damn aliens. It was a trap all along.


    Shaking off the feeling of being tricked, he gestured the small imp towards him. [You can come back down ya know. I¡¯m not going to hurt you, don¡¯t worry. Like I said, there¡¯s no point in hurting such an adorable creature.]


    With an embarrassed look, she looked at Drake.


    [You never said that!]


    Oops. Guess I left that to inner monologue.


    Putting on a stern look, Drake looked back at the imp.


    [Well anyway, it¡¯s nice to have some company. Do you really not have a name?]


    With a downcast look, she muttered something to herself before answering Drake.


    [Until I find my master, imps can¡¯t have names.]


    [Well that isn¡¯t right. Hm.. how about Yami? Seems cute enough for you.] Drake said.


    Stammering to herself in a language Drake couldn¡¯t understand, the little imp finally got her thoughts across.


    [Y-you can¡¯t just decide that on your own! There¡¯s a whole contract, and.. and.. you can¡¯t just give me a name!]


    Snickering to himself, Drake looked up at the small imp, and smiled.


    [Nice to meet you, Yami.]

 Chapter 2.5

    Ophidian Aspect Chapter 2.5


    Back in a large, makeshift camp filled with different races, a familiar group of adventurers were getting ready to go out for the day. After their encounter with Drake, they decided to further devote their time to hunting nearby to clear out any traces of nearby monsters, and hope to find the strange, lizard like monster that attacked them.


    ¡°Oi, are you guys gonna hurry up or not? I¡¯ve been sitting here forever.¡± The large giant, with tattoos covering his face and chest was currently waiting on the edge of camp, polishing the large, stone battle axe that he had grown accustomed to using.


    ¡°You know Travis, you can¡¯t really expect us to be as quick as you. The rest of us can¡¯t just go you out like you, we actually have to prepare.¡± The elf, who was the first to speak up, arrived with the rest of the small group where they planned to meet.


    On their sides, the weapons and armor that they had initially fought Drake with had been almost completely replaced with a variety of weapons and armor that seemed to glow with a strange, ethereal magic.


    On the side of Jack, the elf, was an arm long dagger that seemed to glow an eerie green color, and a set of leather armor made from a large, wild beast.


    For both the twin fox girls, they continued to prefer long, flowing clothing that covered most of their body. At first glance, no one could tell that they were anything but strikingly beautiful humans. With no visible armor, the only signs of the twins even having a weapon was a vague outline of a dagger hidden within their robes.


    On the other hand, Rachel, the dwarf, had almost completed a large array of metal armor, from plate mail all the way down to metal greaves and boots. She continued to wield a large warhammer kept in place by a small strap on her back.


    Lastly was Travis the Goliath, who was almost completely unarmored, except for a small set of leather pants. That, coupled with his large stone battle axe, made him look remarkably like a barbarian.


    As they began to leave the camp, Travis ran up to Rachel, excited for what might happen today.


    ¡°Oi, Rachel, so what¡¯s the plan for today? We cleared out most of the camps nearby, and I don¡¯t feel like smashing in any more goblins today. Can¡¯t we find something, well, larger?¡±


    Looking up at the large man, the armored dwarf shook her head reluctantly before walking further forward.


    ¡°You know Travis, most of us aren¡¯t as excited about this as you are. Kat and Alyssa still have trouble with blood, and while I have been getting better, I use up those mana stones too quickly in the more dangerous fights. Especially after you charged that damn lizard monster and got yourself hurt, that took basically my entire stockpile after the fight to get you back up and running again.¡±


    The Goliath¡¯s face visibly darkening, he ran to the front and began to grin fiercely.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m talking about. Do you really think it¡¯s safe just letting a creature like that run around? Any of these nobodies can clear out a few goblins, but we¡¯re one of the only ones that have leveled up so much in our camp. If we just focus on all the small fry, what¡¯s gonna be left for all the others? Besides, I know you¡¯ve been meditating more lately.¡± Smiling fiercely, Travis winked to the small dwarf before smirking to himself. ¡°Little ole lady felt guilty for not being able to do enough huh?¡±


    Swinging at his leg, Travis quickly jumped out of the way of the incoming punch and began to laugh heavily. Glaring at him, the dwarf continued to walk towards the nearby forest where they had been hunting nearby recently.


    ¡°Shut up, dumbass. You know you could have died, right? I¡¯ve never seen a magic that was able to do that to you. While my healing magic seemed to affect it, it wasn¡¯t until Alyssa jumped in front of the monster that the magic seemed to stop and return to the damn beast.¡± Scowling, she said, ¡°It was your fault for trying to trap it in the first place.¡±


    The elf quickly dashed in between the two, and did his best to defuse the situation. ¡°Hey, hey, guys, calm down. That¡¯s in the past now, besides, everything turned out alright in the end.¡±


    Turning to his friend, the large goliath glared at him for a moment before speaking. ¡°Jack, are you really just gonna let this go? That damn thing could have killed you if it had felt like it. Hell, it could have probably killed both of you before I had the chance to even get over there. Besides, you and tiny over here were the ones who just walked over to it in the first place.¡±


    Grimacing, Jack stared back, remembering what happened on that day.


    ¡°Yea, I know. It was bad. But it ran away right? Isn¡¯t that what matters?¡±


    Walking forward, Alyssa joined in on the conversation, speaking in a soft, hesitant voice.


    ¡°B-but Jack, why did it run away? It.. It could have killed me. It should have killed all of us. But it just stopped and ran away when I jumped in front of it and asked it to stop. Almost like it could understand me.¡±


    Glaring at the young girl, Travis snarled, ¡°Oi, are you really saying that the same thing that speared me with a damn crystal and just about killed Jack actually gives a damn about what we think?¡±


    ¡°All of you, be quiet. Look up ahead.¡±


    Trying to get their attention as quietly as possible, Rachel pointed to a group of four large, red, muscular monsters that were walking through towards the forest. Roughly six and a half feet tall, they had large, curved horns growing out of the top of their head, with long claws on their hands, and hooves instead of feet.


    ¡°Identify.¡± Rachel murmured.


    Monster identified as a Satyr. Class C Threat. One of the demon class species. Originally a relatively peaceful species, Satyrs were once Nymphs that have been corrupted through exposure to demonic mana. Noticeably violent and territorial, they enjoy torturing weaker species before killing them.


    Looking up to the large Goliath, Rachel slowly lifted the hammer off her back and smiled. ¡°Well Travis, is this good enough for you?¡±


    Beaming with an almost mad smile, he answered, ¡°Check back in a few minutes, and I¡¯ll tell ya.¡±


    Motioning them all down, Rachel began to sort out their plan.


    ¡°Jack, you circle around and flank them. Travis and I will draw their attention. If everything goes well, they¡¯ll try to attack us. You take advantage of that in whatever way you want. Alyssa, you try to control them as best you can, and spear one if you get the chance. Kat, if you see one try to run off, or you get a free shot, blast them. Travis, just do what you typically do.¡±


    Grinning from ear to ear, Travis stood up and began to make his way towards the Satyrs, with Rachel following close behind. The twins stood roughly 30 feet behind them, while Jack began to circle around, hiding the best he could to stay out of sight of the Satyrs as he slowly circled them.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Hand outstretched, the large goliath yelled, ¡°Hey, ya bloody bastards! Wanna have some fun?!¡±


    Looking to the side, the Satyrs immediately spotted the Goliath, and began to charge towards him.


    In a flash of mana, ice began to grow around the legs of one of the Satyrs, immobilizing him while Alyssa seemed to glow with a cold look in her eyes. As it grew, the ice began to slowly pierce its skin, stabbing deeper into its muscles. It struggled for a moment before letting out a horrid scream as the ice began to sink deeper inside.


    Enraged, the other three Satyrs looked back to their frozen comrade, and charged at the Goliath, claws fully extended.


    Taking the battle axe with both hands, Travis let out a mad yell, before charging them himself. Nearing the first of the Satyrs, he raised his axe and struck down fiercely. Barely managing to block the unexpectedly quick strike, the axe imbedded itself deep into the arm of the Satyr. As the beast screamed in pain, the other two noticed quickly that their companion¡¯s arm was slowly beginning to solidify, turning into a gray, stone-like color.


    Grinning madly, he yelled out, ¡°Haha! How do ya like that, ya damn beasts!¡±


    Gripping the battle axe with its remaining arm, the injured Satyr ripped the battleaxe out of itself, before retreating behind the other two.


    Walking up to him nonchalantly, Rachel said, ¡°That always seems to scare them the most, just turning into stone like that, huh Travis?¡±


    Standing behind the large Goliath, she had taken up a defensive position behind him, doing her best to shield him from being flanked by the others.


    Smiling, Travis steadied the battle axe between him and the Satyrs, eager to test himself against the enemy.


    ¡°Hey, Rachel, it looks like these bastards have a simple combat style. It¡¯s likely their only form of attack will be their claws, so it looks like you¡¯ll have it easy this time around.¡±


    Nodding to herself, she readied her warhammer confidently, and gave the signal that Jack had been waiting for.


    Running behind them in a flash, the Satyrs could hear their trapped friend begin to scream with a horrifying death rattle. Jack had snuck past the Satyrs and was stabbing into the Satyr trapped by the ice. As he did, the Satyr desperately tried to rip itself free from the ice that had continued to grow into its legs, doing its hardest to strike out at the elf that seemed to be toying with it. The ice had grown too far up the Satyr. Almost reaching the large creature¡¯s waist, the Satyr was left completely unable to move, and defenseless.


    Looking to each other, one of the uninjured Satyr¡¯s split off, rushing towards Jack. With a flash of light from Katrina, a large fireball flew towards the Satyr. The fireball roared across the forest and hit the Satyr, exploding in a wave of heat and fire. Hit on its side and knocked against a nearby tree, it lay unconscious and slowly burning from the traces of fire.


    The Satyr, seeing one friend trapped and another potentially killed by the women standing in the back, charged furiously at the women who had seriously wounded two of his friends. When he was within seconds ofreaching the two cloaked women, he was slowed by a strange, invisible force. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he saw the small dwarf glowing with a strange, golden light, moving her hands back and forth in a hypnotic fashion.


    As he struggled against the invisible force, he noticed the screams of his trapped friend had stopped. Glancing over, he saw the frozen Satyr was bleeding heavily from marks all over his back, now completely frozen from the waist down, with his upper body slumped over in a dead position. He looked over to see the Goliath continue to use his body to block his injured friend, with the small elf now walking towards him smugly.


    Thoroughly angered, he broke free of the strange force that was holding him in place, and charged towards the twin Kitsune with one last dash.


    Seeing the glow of mana from one of them, the Satyr tried to dodge any incoming attacks, only to see a large ice dome cover the two girls, insulating them from any further attacks.


    Hearing the footsteps of someone approaching him, the Satyr turned around in time to see the dwarf and the elf coming at him with a large hammer and an evil glowing dagger from both sides. Dodging the hammer, he grabbed the arm of the elf and slammed him fiercely into a nearby tree. Hearing the cracking of bones, he threw the elf to the side, and focused on the small dwarf in front of him.


    Slashing at her with his talons, he quickly realized that the dwarf was too heavily armored. While her hammer blows were certainly too slow to hit him, his claws were suited to ripping flesh from bone, not against someone who was fully armored.


    Looking towards his injured friend, he let out a piercing scream towards his friend, and bolted off in the opposite direction.


    While one of the Satyrs was escaping, Travis was fully enjoying himself with the injured Satyr. With one of its arms functionally useless, it desperately was trying to fend off the attacks from the large battle axe in a way that it didn¡¯t become more injured. It was able to withstand the blows without becoming petrified again, but upon seeing its last surviving companion bolt off, it seemed to grimace to itself before charging recklessly at the Goliath.


    Laughing wildly, Travis swung the battle axe onto the Satyr with one final blow. The battle axe came down firmly between its shoulders, and within moments it died as the petrification spell from the axe spread to its head.


    Seeing that the battle was over, Travis pulled the battle axe out of the partially petrified Satyr with a strange grinding sound, and walked over to the others.


    ¡°Oi, you girlies gonna stay in your little igloo any longer? The fight is already over.¡± Travis called out mockingly to the two twins.


    Smiling sheepishly, Alyssawaved her hands, and the small dome of ice began to slowly melt.


    ¡°U-um.. Sorry Travis.. When the Satyr started charging us I sort of panicked.¡± Gesturing awkwardly, she murmured, ¡°Is Jack doing alright?¡±


    ¡°Dunno, bout to check on him myself.¡± He said.


    Walking over to the injured elf, he could see Rachel was doing her best to heal him. A soft, golden light was flowing from her hands, and as seconds passed, Travis could have sworn he heard the popping of bones as Jack lay on the ground.


    After roughly thirty seconds, Jack¡¯s eyes popped open, and he began to breathe deeply, gasping for air as he woke up. Looking around groggily, he quickly realized what had happened, and began to smile at Travis as if to say sorry.


    Sighing deeply, Travis stared at his friend, ¡°Yea, yea. Just let Rachel fix you up. Can¡¯t believe you let one of them get ya Jack.¡±


    Smiling wearily, he said, ¡°Sorry man, I wasn¡¯t expecting him to grab me like that. They¡¯re way stronger than they look.¡±


    ¡°Hah, didn¡¯t bother me none. You need to get better at predicting them. Their movements were pretty simple overall.¡± Travis boasted.


    ¡°Yea.. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Continuing to grimace from the occasional pop as the bones were put back into place and healed, Travis and the two fox girls split off to the various Satyr¡¯s to begin to gather what they could.


    Deciding between one of the various Satyrs, Alyssa decided to go over to the one that was blasted by her sister with the fireball. Pulling out her dagger, she was about to cut into it to harvest the core when she noticed the Satyr begin to twitch and grimace in place.


    ¡°U-um.. Kat.. I think this one is still alive. It¡¯s still moving.¡±


    Standing up from where he was cutting apart the partially petrified Satyr, Travis began to walk over to it quickly. Picking it up by its throat, he pushed it against the tree as it began to slowly wake up.


    Heavily burned and in pain, the Satyr winced as he opened his eyes and saw the large Goliath picking him up with one arm. Laughing to himself, he coughed up a bit of blood as he realized that he was slowly dying.


    Looking around, he noticed two of the Satyrs were on the ground, with one still being cut into by the Kitsune who blasted him with the fireball. He didn¡¯t see his last companion, and assumed that he managed to get away.


    Looking down at the Goliath, only one thought went through his mind.


    These damn¡­ humans. They all need¡­ to die.


    Looking defiantly into Travis¡¯ eyes, the Satyr stared into his eyes before swiftly stabbing his hand into his chest. Shocked, Travis dropped the Satyr, and jumped backwards, weapon at the ready.


    Smiling madly into the Goliath¡¯s eyes, he took his core out from his chest before smashing it in front of the Goliath.


    They.. won¡¯t get it¡­ from me.


    With the core smashed, Travis saw the life quickly left the Satyr¡¯s eyes,


    Cursing to himself, he muttered, ¡°Damn monster. Wasn¡¯t expecting him to kill himself just to spite us.¡±


    Laughing, Jack finally stood up after being healed and walked over to Travis, slapping him on his back.


    ¡°Guess you got unlucky then, huh? You know Rachel isn¡¯t gonna be happy about that. She hates wasting those things. After all, it¡¯s thanks to how many we¡¯ve collected so far that we are doing as well as we are.¡±


    Grimacing, Travis looked over to the dwarf, only to see her angrily marching over with her hammer drawn.


    ¡°H-hey now, Rachel, come on, it wasn¡¯t my fault. You saw it right? Who could expect something like that.¡± He said nervously.


    Tapping the head of the large hammer back and forth on her hand, she continued to walk towards Travis with an almost serene smile on her face.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Travis. It¡¯ll be alright. I just need to have a word with you is all. I know it isn¡¯t your fault. All we¡¯re gonna do it talk.¡±


    ¡°No, wait.. Noooooo!¡± Travis voice drifted of into the distance. The others quietly went back to doing their task, ignoring Travis¡¯ cry for help


    And so ended a rather average day for the group of adventurers.

 Chapter 3 Part 1

    Chapter 3


    Staring up at Drake, the imp squirmed as she slowly lowered herself to the ground.


    [This really isn¡¯t how giving me a name is supposed to work mister..]


    Drake smirked to himself, leaned down and tussled her hair for a moment, before picking her up in his hand.


    [And enough with calling me mister. I¡¯m not near old enough for that. Call me Drake, it gets awkward pretty quickly. I don¡¯t feel near old enough for that.]


    Looking at Drake wide eyed, Yami shook her hands back and forth emphatically, her face flushing with color.


    [No, no, no. I could never do that. You are much stronger than I am.]


    Drake looked at Yami, and gave her a quizzical look. Yes, he was certainly stronger than her, but even if she wasn¡¯t used to calling him by his name, he certainly preferred it.


    [What does that have to do with anything? Sure, calling me mister is cute and all, but I¡¯d like to be called by my name too.]


    Yami initially seemed to fight against the idea, frantically looking around in a panic but finally looked down in defeat, sniffing to herself as she did.


    [Alright¡­ Drake.]


    Hey, hey, hey. Don¡¯t give me that look. You¡¯re pouting like I just stole something from you.


    Coughing, Drake tried to compose himself in front on the small imp.


    [Well, now that we have that established.. What are you planning on doing anyway?]


    Hesitating for a moment, Yami started to answer, then stopped.


    [Umm.. could I stay with you, for now at least?] Murmuring to herself, she seemed to finish speaking in her own language, her soft voice sending a shiver down Drake¡¯s spine.


    Confused by the sudden switch, he asked, [What was that?]


    Staring wide-eyed at Drake, she realized she had talked out loud. Quickly burying her face in her hands, Yami quickly flew behind a nearby tree, covering her face all the while.


    [Nothing!!]


    Utterly perplexed at the strange reaction from the imp, Drake just shrugged it off, strolling back over to his small home before sitting down on a large, blackened tree trump. [Alright then. I¡¯m going to do some training, so you can watch me if you want.]


    Forming a small ball of mana, he began to shift it through various forms: a cluster of shards, a large crystalline spear, a single large spike, and transforming the mana ball through various other forms. He sighed and returned the ball to a sphere.


    The familiar, bell-like voice chimed in Drake¡¯s head. [Um.. Miste-..Drake.. What are you doing?]


    Looking over to the small imp, Drake shook his head, contemplating to himself. He thought back over what had happened to him ever since he transformed. The initial pain, the fear of what had changed, then the sudden acceptance. Then came his sudden understanding of magic of the existence of magic. The formation of a dangerous, destructive magic that he had complete control over. And his inexplicable weakness when it came to certain fights.


    [Up until now, I¡¯ve fought a few battles. While you may not believe me, that giant bear back there seems quite tame compared to others I¡¯ve seen so far. Most of them were just monsters from myth, all of which I was able to take out quite easily, but during my last couple of fights, I really had no effective way to attack.]


    Drake brought out a small ball of mana, and focused on it for a moment, crystallizing it in place, leaving the small shard of mana slowly rotating in place. [My mana just absorbs whatever in comes in contact with, and it works really well for that purpose, but that¡¯s all it can do.]


    Flying over to Drake, Yami looked close at the shard of mana. After a moment of focus, a layer of glyph-like symbols slowly flowed out of Yami¡¯s hands and began circling Drake¡¯s mana shard. After a few moments, the flow of runic symbols stopped and dissipated, leaving a faint glow in the air for a moment.


    [Strangely, your mana seems familiar¡­ Drake.]


    Drake chuckled to himself and thought, "It seems she still has trouble saying my name. Oh well, hopefully she¡¯ll get to it soon."


    Taking a moment to sit down, Yami continued her explanation.


    [Demons have something similar. Particularly, the demons of greed. Although they don¡¯t use it in the way that you do, anything they touch are usually drained dry. Thankfully, they rarely fight. They usually leave the imps under their control to fight.]


    Holding his hands out suddenly, Drake gestured for her to stop her explanation. Thinking to himself for a moment, he asked, [Wait, I thought imps couldn¡¯t fight, that¡¯s why they have to serve a higher demon, otherwise it wouldn¡¯t cause you so much trouble. You could just go out and fight like me.]


    Yami froze up for a moment, before shrinking down. She curled up in fear, similar to the time when Drake first met her, shaking in place with an inborn fear.


    [I¡¯m sorry mister.. I shouldn¡¯t have told you.. I¡¯m going to be in so much trouble. When they find me¡­ they¡¯ll punish me. Please¡­ don¡¯t say anything.]


    Yami was hiding her face, and rocked back and forth repeatedly, alternating between her own language and her telepathy.


    Shocked by the sudden change in demeanor, Drake did his best to calm her down, leaning down to try to comfort the small girl.


    [Hey Yami, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯re not in any trouble, honest. Besides, who am I going to tell. Hell, you¡¯re the first person that is even willing to talk to me since I changed.] He smiled comfortingly, patting the small imp on her head.


    Visibly tearing up, Yami looked up at Drake slowly, the soft tears streaking down her gray skin.


    [But.. but.. Mister..]


    Picking her off the ground, he held her against his body for a moment. Feeling her sudden shock, she seemed to resist for a moment before crying softly into his shoulder, the quivering of her small body sending waves through his body. Petting her head, Drake tried to calm Yami down the best he could.


    [Didn¡¯t I tell you to stop that? You¡¯re my friend Yami. And you¡¯re not in trouble, there¡¯s no one who can even get you in trouble]


    With another look of fear, Yami looked up at Drake, tears still flowing down her petite face.


    [No.. You don¡¯t understand. I wish I could explain but I can¡¯t, it¡¯s all against the rules. It has to do with the contract all imps eventually take.]


    Contract? The one that she needs to be able to defend herself? Thinking for a moment, a thought struck Drake.


    [Why not choose me?]


    Yami stopped shivering, and slowly looked up at Drake, tears still staining her red eyes.


    [What do you mean¡­ You can¡¯t mean..]


    Smiling to himself, Drake swung his fist hard into his scaly chest, causing a resounding thump as he did.


    [Why not choose me for your contract? From how it sounds, taking this contract of yours is really important for your future, right? So you¡¯ll want to choose someone who you get along with. I¡¯d hate to leave you with some random demon, so join me.]


    She began to tear up again, and threw herself towards Drake, hugging him as hard as her little body could. Smiling, he held her small frame close to him, allowing her to have her moment of happiness. Feeling her begin to draw away, he let her go, watching her slowly float up to eye level.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    [Would you really? I¡¯m not very useful, and I may cause trouble for you in the future.]


    Drake took a moment to stare into the eyes of the young imp, and answered in the only way he could.


    [How could such a cute girl possibly cause me any trouble? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect you the best I can.]


    Smiling, Drake wiped the tears off of Yami¡¯s face. As he did, Yami gave him a curious look. Almost as if she didn¡¯t understand what Drake was saying.


    She quietly murmured to herself, and said, ¡°Idiot. You have the concept reversed¡­¡±


    [So, how about it? Although, you¡¯ll have to teach me how this whole thing works in the first place. I know nothing about this whole contract thing.]


    Cheerfully smiling through blurry eyes, Yami finally managed to calm down so she could explain the process.


    [Umm¡­] She sniffled to herself before continuing.[For anyone who can use mana, it¡¯s fairly simple. I can use the magic I used before to plant a glyph onto you. That will designate you as my master, and the process will be finished.]


    With a shocked look, Drake immediately rejected the offer.


    [Wait, stop. I told you before. You are my friend Yami. I¡¯m not going to have the same relationship I have with you as you would with a normal demon. I could never force someone who¡¯s my friend to become a slave.]


    [Um.. ] Looking at Drake with her red eyes, she seemed to confirm something to herself.


    [There is one other that I can suggest.] Pausing for a moment, she said, [It¡¯s certainly more risky for you.. Drake.]


    She still had the hesitance in saying Drake¡¯s name, but this time she said it with a smile.


    [Since we are.. friends now, I will choose another glyph.]


    She approached Drake slowly, and the little imp started to faintly glow with an ethereal light. As she grew closer to Drake, the light within her grew. Touching Drake, she seemed to draw something out of him. A dark mass of energy seeped out of Drake¡¯s chest, tethered to Drake from the spot it was drawn from. Holding the mass in her hands, she paused for a moment, before holding it close to herself. The dark mass she drew out of Drake seemed to almost consume the tiny imp, but in the last moment, she was able to absorb it within herself.


    Gasping for breath, she smiled weakly, drawing a small ball of light out of herself, she quickly inserted it within Drake¡¯s chest. As she did, she collapsed on the floor, and a circle of glyphs appeared on each of their bodies. On Yami, it appeared on the center of her petite chest, and on Drake, it appeared on his draconic forehead.


    Looking at Yami, Drake could only see one word that the glyph spelled out. Kindred.


    [Yami. Yami! Are you alright, what did you even do!]


    The little imp had gone completely limp, and wasn¡¯t moving at all. Drake quickly began to panic, thinking that his only friend had done something incredibly stupid. After a few seconds, Yami began to get up very slowly, and smiled at Drake.


    [You idiot! What was that? What did you do?]


    Shaking her head weakly, she looked into Drake¡¯s eyes with a new determination.


    [You said you wanted to protect me right? If we are friends, then I want to do the same.]


    Looking at Yami, Drake noticed that a strange light seemed to circle in her eyes for a moment before disappearing.


    [With the contract finished, I can finally explaining what I wanted to before.]


    She flew up shakily, slowly making her way up before landing on Drake¡¯s shoulder. Weakly cuddling up to him the best she could with her small body, she took a moment to steady her breathing, and began her explanation to Drake, a small smile visible on her face.


    [Typically, a demonic contract works one way. Master and slave. The slave inherits a small amount of power through the master, and as a result, the master gains almost complete control over the actions of the slave. With a demon of greed, the imp gains the ability to absorb life-force, very similar to how your mana works.]


    With a flash of light on Yami¡¯s chest, a familiar dark-red ball of mana appeared in Yami¡¯s hands.


    It solidified into a small shard of mana, before liquefying and returning to Yami¡¯s hand like it was never there.


    [In return, the imps are able to swarm enemies in mass, before quickly draining enemies of all of their life force. The master can then drain the life force as wanted from the imps through the contract. It¡¯s a horrifying process for the imps involved. If we don¡¯t absorb as much as we can through the victims, we can easily be killed through the master¡¯s appetite.]


    With a teary-eyed look, Yami look at Drake. As she did, Drake felt a deep sadness sweep through him, filling him with dread.


    [I.. I was so scared. Each type of demon is almost as bad as the other, but imps need the power. Without it, we can¡¯t even defend ourselves properly from other monsters. We¡¯re seen as little more than an appetizer for a majority of monsters.]


    Fighting off the feelings of despair, Drake said, [Do you really need to make a contract with demons? Whatever you did, Kindred, can¡¯t that be done with other species?]


    Shaking her head, Yami continued.


    [It¡¯s not that simple. With non-intelligent species, it¡¯s a death sentence. They¡¯ll likely eat us as soon as they see us. And¡­ for the humanoid species..]


    Looking at Drake, she hugged his neck tightly. The sad feeling faded slightly, and a feeling of happiness mixed in.


    [They aren¡¯t all like you Drake. So far, most kill us on sight for working for the higher level demons. The Creator¡¯s gave the humanoids an ability as well. Although we don¡¯t know what the ability is, all of them know what we imps can do. Even if they don¡¯t kill us, the imps who are taken alive, they don¡¯t fare any better.]


    A knot formed in Drake¡¯s throat as he began to catch on.


    [What do you mean..]


    Pointing at the glyph, Yami just looked sadly at Drake.


    [The contract. Like I said, it can be done with anyone that has mana. With enough.. persuasion, imps can be made to take back a contract, with severe backlash to themselves. After that, we can form another contract with anyone. Normally, another demon would never accept an imp like that. They lose small portions of their power when we forcibly remove the contract. It¡¯s too risky for them to just accept an imp that could potentially cost them energy. We lose the power as well, so normally, there¡¯s no reason for us to do so. But for the humanoids, that doesn¡¯t matter.]


    As Drake watched Yami, he noticed her small body begin to quiver on his shoulder. Drake felt a sick feeling well up within himself as Yami continued.


    [Then, the contract you form with the transformed humans..]


    Shaking her head, Yami teared up.


    [All slave contracts. The few who have discovered this use us as bait to draw in monsters, while others just use us for toys. When I was born, the Creator¡¯s showed us what happened to the first imps who suffered that fate. As a warning, maybe. Initially, they were born in front of their normal masters. They formed the typical demonic contract, and were sent out. Then, when the first imps were captured¡­]


    With Yami shaking heavily, Drake wiped her tears away, before picking her up, and setting her on the ground. Looking up at Drake curiously, Drake sat down in front of her, petting her small head and consoling her the best he could.


    [You don¡¯t need to say anymore. I understand. Yami, this contract, we are connected now, aren¡¯t we?]


    She looked up at Drake with a look of fear briefly, and nodded.


    [Yes.. I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t agree if I told you.]


    Smirking, Drake picked Yami up and set her on his shoulders and began slowly tearing his way into the bear.


    [Um.. Drake, what are you doing?]


    [Just give me a moment, so far, there¡¯s always been something important inside of these guys¡­ here!]


    After a moment, he found a large gem inside of the chest of the Dire Bear, and began to dig around the gem, severing it from the muscles that connected to it. Within seconds, he managed to pry the gem free from the bear.


    [Here, are you able to eat this Yami?]


    Giving Drake a panicked look, she shook her head furiously.


    [No, no, no. A monster core is entirely too dangerous. Only the upper class demons are able to handle it without being severely injured from the backlash.]


    He stared at Yami for a moment, giving her a curious look, and popped the core into his mouth. With a look of pure shock, she raced over to Drake, trying to pry his mouth open the best she could.


    [You idiot! It will kill you! Hurry, open up, open up..]


    Seeing that Drake wasn¡¯t budging, she began to tear up instantly, and began to bawl on the ground.


    Seeing her horrifed expression, he quickly tried to calm her. [Hey, hey, Yami, calm down. I wanted to show you that I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ve been doing this for a while now. I had a little trouble the first time, but my mana has been dissolving it fine ever since.]


    Trying his best to reassure her, he picked her up and nestled her in between his horns. His inner mana quickly surrounded the core, liquefying it. Drake swallowed, and after a moment, smiled to Yami, showing he was perfectly fine.


    [See, I¡¯m fine. So there¡¯s no need to worry. Sorry for worrying you.]


    Realizing what had just happened, she tried her hardest to hit Drake, resulting in a series of soft plops that Drake continuously heard for solid thirty seconds. Drake put up with the abuse with a smile, and sliced up the bear to transport some of the pieces to eat for later.


    She began to sniffle again, and Drake began to hear a pouting tone from her voice.[That was mean Drake. You tricked me.]


    Snickering to himself, he said, [I know, sorry again Yami. Won¡¯t happen again.]


    She began to try to calm herself, wiping away her tears, and looked down at what Drake was doing quizzically.


    [What are you doing anyway?]


    [I¡¯m getting something to eat of course, this is the sort of thing you need to celebrate right?]


    [Celebrate? Celebrate what?]


    Smiling mischievously, Drake finished harvesting what he could from the Dire Bear, and began walking back to his small cave, carrying the large chunks of meat the best he could as Yami continued to nestle herself in between his horns.


    [The contract, of course. I imagine it¡¯s a little important to you, don¡¯t you think?]


    As she looked down at Drake, she seemed to try to speak for a moment, before stopping and blushed silently on his head. After a minute of silence, she finally spoke.


    [Then, you aren¡¯t angry with me..?]


    Silly little imp. You should be able to read my emotions but you still ask me.


    [Yami, do I feel angry?]


    She looked down shyly, and answered in a small voice.


    [No.]


    [Then there really isn¡¯t anything to worry about is there? So, are you going to help me out, or are you just going to enjoy the ride?]


    Scrambling up, Yami quickly flew up from Drake¡¯s shoulder and chanted to herself for a moment.


    [Uh, Yami, what are you doing up there?]


    Angrily fidgeting in the air, Yami answered.


    [Mouuu, why do you ask so many questions? Let something be a surprise, it¡¯ll make me happy.]


    So the little imp has gotten more forward huh? Can¡¯t say I dislike it.


    As Yami chanted a spell to herself, Drake could see the same glyph magic that she used before with their contract. It built around her, slowly circling her several times over until it began to overlap. At a certain point, the glyphs seem to lock in place, and flashed before disappearing.


    Smiling, Yami flew back down towards Drake, before sitting back in what seemed to be her new favorite spot.


    [After you¡¯re back at your home, I have something to show you! You¡¯ll find something fun.]


    Yami smiled mischievously at Drake as she told him, which gave Drake the strangest sense of excitement.


    Wait, why am I excited?


    As Drake began to run towards where Yami pointed, he began to look forward to whatever surprise the mischievous little imp had planned.

 Chapter 3 Part 2

    Part 2


    After they deposited the remains of the bear at his home, Yami flew excitedly through the forest, with Drake following close behind. With Yami directing Drake, they made their way back through the forest and came upon a large, open plain. In the distance, Drake could see what looked like a small hut, with a mixed variety of different colors of smoke coming up from it.


    [Um, Yami, where exactly are you leading me? It looks like someone lives over there.]


    Sitting on Drake¡¯s shoulder, Yami smiled mischievously before flying up and leading Drake towards the hut.


    [Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s someone who I want you to meet. Ever since I was born, I knew there was one nearby, but normally we imps only go to them when we¡¯re in trouble.]


    Upon closer inspection, Drake could see what looked like a woman, walking back and forth through the small hut, and as they approached, he could see the figure come outside and waited for the pair.


    [Yami, what exactly are we meeting, even from this distance, I can tell it isn¡¯t human. There are mana waves coming from that direction constantly.]


    She turned to him, and smiled an all too innocent smile.


    [It¡¯s a witch, of course.]


    As they arrived, Drake saw a short flash of light come from the witch, and felt a strange energy come over him. Not feeling anything innately wrong, he gave Yami a worrying look and continued to walk forward.


    ¡°Well, well, well, an Imp and a Draconian, this certainly is a novel sight.¡±


    Hearing the enchanting voice, Drake was finally close enough to see what kind of creature this witch was. Roughly five and a half feet tall, Drake could see that she was the perfect, princess-like beauty, with long black hair, coupled with a long, flowing robe that accented her figure very well. Just at a glance he could tell she had a very voluptuous chest, which she seemed very proud of with how she kept propping them up, coupled with a single white horn that tapered off to a red tip on her forehead.


    Yami quickly flew over to the witch, and Drake could see that Yami seemed to be talking with her for a moment before the witch nodded to Yami and began walking over to Drake.


    As they talked, he could hear the tiniest of words being spoken aloud from Gwyn, more out of shock more than anything else¡­ Kindred.


    ¡°My, my, so you really aren¡¯t what you seem, are you? Seeing how you passed through my field so easily, I have to say, I was honestly expecting to be eating you later this evening.¡±


    As she finished that terrifying sentence with an impossibly innocent smile, Drake felt a chill come over him before he looked over to Yami.


    [Hey, Yami, what exactly am I supposed to do here? I can¡¯t talk with her. I¡¯m not even sure if what I say is a language or not.] He looked back at the Witch worryingly.


    Yami winked at Drake, before saying, [Just speak silly, I wouldn¡¯t have brought you here otherwise.]


    Looking up to the hauntingly beautiful woman, Drake tried not to lose his composure and just smiled.


    ¡°Um, hi there¡±, he said nervously.


    Smiling to herself, she began to slowly walk over to Drake, her hips swaying ever so slightly from side to side. ¡°Hello there, my reptilian friend. So, do you mind telling me why one of your race actually decided to make a contract with my little friend here. Keep in mind that I do hope you won¡¯t lie.¡±


    Gwyndolyn gave Drake an especially pointed look as she finished speaking, as if she was judging his every movement and word especially harshly. Yami, the little one, had spoken of just what had occurred before she brought them here. The Kindred contract, a contract among equals, and one that those of the demonic race rarely used, and even more rarely even acknowledged.


    The purpose of such a contract was to allow each other a specific amount of ¡®equality¡¯ between the two. As for the little one herself, she would gain the powers and abilities of the Draconian, although just what abilities he had to share boggled her mind, as his race rarely had any real magic capability. As for the Draconian, it would take longer, especially given how little the Imps were given to start out with, but he would eventually have semblances of the Imp¡¯s own abilities. Namely, the ability to feel out the emotions of others, and telepathy.


    The runic magic the little one used certainly would be shared as well, but given how the contract worked, each of them would have a lesser version of each other¡¯s abilities. In short, the contract gave the little one what she would never have otherwise. The ability to grow, and thrive. But, just why would a savage race like the Draconian¡¯s agree to such a thing, that thought still raced through her mind, especially given the condition for such a contract.


    As he looked to be of the red race, they were especially greedy and territorial. That he would even allow her to live was a blessing, but to go so far as to make a contract? Well, such a thing was unheard of.


    The witch approached Drake and took out a small amount of liquid that was hidden inconspicuously somewhere in her robe and began to slowly trace Drake¡¯s chest with her finger, leaving the smallest amount left on Drake¡¯s chest. As she continued to grin, Drake noticed another small wave of energy come over him, and the witch finally turned to him, seeming to wait for his explanation.


    ¡°Well, um, what do you want to know, it was just a mixture of us knowing each other a bit, and me wanting to help her, that¡¯s all,¡± he replied in an anxious manner.


    Narrowing her eyes, the witch seemed to drop her facade for a moment, revealing an intense look, before bringing it back up in a flash.


    ¡°Well, why would you want to save an imp? For a race like yourself, they can¡¯t do anything for you, in fact, it would probably benefit you greatly to trade her for a favor,¡± she said nonchalantly.


    Feeling the weight behind her gaze, Drake tried to answer truthfully.


    ¡°Miss¡­ witch. I-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Gwyndolyn, Draconian,¡± her voice full of spite.


    Hearing the hostility behind her words, Drake continued.


    ¡°Right.. Gwyndolyn, honestly, I could never hurt Yami. She has never tried to threaten me, and she¡¯s become someone quite important to me. And..¡±


    Summoning up courage, Drake looked her in the eyes, which suddenly flashed with an arcane light. An intense flash of heat made its way through himself, and the core inside of himself reacted violently, emboldening Drake immensely as he felt his mana course through him.


    ¡°If anyone suggests that I trade her life for something as trivial as a favor again, then I would probably try to kill them myself,¡± Drake snapped.


    Feeling the tension between Gwyndolyn and Drake, Yami looked between the two frantically, not sure how everything had gone in this direction.


    The witch¡¯s gaze seemed to harden, and for a moment, Drake could see the mana in the air begin to draw itself to the witch, empowering her just as Drake¡¯s innate mana did.


    ¡°Well then, lizard, I only have one thing to say. Thank you.¡± As she finishing speaking, her face softened.


    Drake began to notice the mana in the air dissipate, and the young witch seemed to relax her guard for the first time, giving Drake a small wink and the first genuine smile since he arrived.


    ¡°Honestly, you Draconians are so quick to fight, it¡¯s like having to deal with those demons all over again. But¡­¡±


    Gwyn looked over to Yami, and watched the small imp floated over to Drake and nestle against him for the first time since they arrived, trying to hug him the best that her little body would allow.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad that at least one of the little ones has found a friend. So many have such a sad fate, that I was reluctant to let another one be tricked into happiness only to have it dashed later on.¡±


    Drake relaxed his guard, and began to look at the horned beauty in a new light. While she certainly seemed to be deadly, she genuinely cared for the imps, to the extent of fighting someone for a stranger she just met.


    ¡°So, Gwyndolyn, what exactly are you anyway, your body looks like a human, except for that strange horn of yours,¡± he asked curiously.


    Letting out a petite laugh, she gave Drake a long look, and walked over to him. Tracing her finger over his shoulders, she circled him slowly before standing in front of him, exposing her cleavage dangerously.


    ¡°Ohhh, how naughty. You normally don¡¯t ask a girl about her body when you first meet her. It¡¯s typically bad manners,¡± she said seductively, a faint smile across her lips.


    Drake froze up almost instantly, and he could feel his face begin to burn intensely as he thought about the meaning behind that. Seeing the horned beauty laugh to herself, he realized quickly that she seemed to enjoy toying with him.


    This woman is entirely too playful for her own good, she is getting a kick out of messing with me.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Laughing, she relaxed against the small hut, her light voice tinged with a playful attitude. ¡°Well, Draconian, what do you want to know about this body of mine? I assure you, it¡¯s perfectly normal besides a few minor touches. For one, this horn is something that amplifies my magic ability, and much like all the others, I also have a core inside of me.¡±


    Looking over at Drake seductively, she licked her lips before continuing.


    ¡°Heyyy, are you interested in wanting to know where it¡¯s at?¡±


    Drake shook his head slowly, sighing as he did. ¡°Can you stop with the games Gwyn, I know what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    She brought her arms up to her chest, and Drake could see that she quickly began to pout, seeing that she wasn¡¯t able to play him anymore.


    ¡°Giving me a nickname and insulting me in the same sentence, honestly, what am I going to do with you..¡±


    She gave him a quick wink, and she turned to go back inside of her hut.


    Looking back she said, ¡°Well, are you going to follow me or not? I assume that¡¯s why Yami brought you here in the first place.¡±


    Drake looked at Yami nervously, saying, [Brought me here? I thought you just wanted to show me something interesting, but here I am having an argument with this damn woman because of you.]


    Sticking out her tongue, Yami just squinted her eyes and smirked at Drake.


    [Sorry. Honestly, I didn¡¯t know she¡¯d be quite this¡­ eccentric. I knew there was a creature that had interactions with our race and the other demons occasionally, but I didn¡¯t know she was like this. Honestly, the real reason I brought you was so she could help you.]


    [What do you..], he asked hesitantly.


    ¡°Hey, are you coming or not?¡±, she called out.


    Drake frowned a little bit as he looked over to the hut, and sighed.


    ¡°Yea, yea, I¡¯m coming. Wait up!¡±, he answered.


    Drake walked inside of the small building, and at a glance he could see a wide variety of multi-colored flasks covering the walls, along with a variety of other strange apparatuses. Off to the left, he could also see a small straw bed, next to an open window.


    ¡°So uh.. Gwyn, how are you planning to help me,¡± he asked.


    Sitting down on a small chair, she crossed her legs before looking at Drake coyly.


    ¡°Hm.. how am I planning to help you. While you certainly are an intriguing Draconian, in all things in life, there needs to be a give and take. So, what can you give me in return?¡±


    As Drake looked at the horned witch, the only emotion Drake could feel was shock. He was expecting to go hunting for a rare monster, or find something that only Yami was able to find, but now he was expected to trade something to this witch. After pondering for a moment to himself, an idea crossed his mind.


    ¡°What if.. I protect you?¡± He said shakily.


    Gwyn¡¯s eyes widened for a moment, and she began to smile before laughing heavily. ¡°Wha- Pfft, hahahaha. That was the first thing you thought of? What, you see a beautiful girl such as myself, and you want to protect her, is that it? You really are too priceless.¡±


    He began to visibly blush. After seeing her exaggerated reaction, Drake could only respond with silence.


    ¡°While it is flattering, I really don¡¯t need protection. I¡¯ve already had a few humanoids try to cause some trouble, but with a little.. convincing, they left rather quickly.¡± Clapping her hands together, she said, ¡° How about this, tell me something that I don¡¯t know, knowledge can be a form of payment as well, maybe it¡¯ll be even more interesting.¡±


    As she finished, she leaned down on her knees, eager for whatever Drake may come up with.


    Drake sighed for a moment at Gwyn¡¯s display, before saying, ¡°Well first, stop calling me a Draconian, it¡¯s a bit annoying after a while. My name is Drake. Second, I¡¯m not what I look like.¡±


    She cocked her head to the side quizzically, and just gave him a strange look, as if wanting him to continue.


    He explained, ¡°I used to be a human, back before all of you were.. born I guess, all of the humans were given the chance to change. The people who were given humanoid races were able to change without changes to their personalities, as far as I know. But from how Yami reacted, it seems that it was meant for all the humans who turned into races like mine, to turn into nothing but monsters.¡±


    As Drake gave his explanation, his face became darker, and angrier with how he was tricked. Yami quickly came over, cuddling with the Drake, and doing her best to cheer him up.


    Smiling, he said, [Thanks Yami.]


    She returned his smile, rubbing her cheek enthusiastically against him. [Anything for you, Drake.]


    Smirking at the small imp, Drake continued.


    ¡°No offense, there¡¯s nothing wrong with becoming a monster, but I was almost tricked into giving up my personality. Honestly, I was sort of excited to become something stronger. I was bored with how everything in my whole life was so monotonous, every day was the same. Studying, eating, sleeping, working, every day on repeat. But now¡­¡±


    With a flash of red light in Drake¡¯s eyes, Drake brought up a small, slender shard of mana, slowly rotating in place. Transforming it through various forms, Drake could feel his mana begin to embolden him again, giving him a rush of energy.


    He smiled in an almost reverent manner, staring at the small shard of mana. ¡°I can do all of this, I¡¯ve felt more alive in these past couple of days than I have in my entire life. I can feel myself getting stronger, but recently, I¡¯ve realized that I¡¯m not near strong enough.¡± His gaze hardened, and he looked at Gwyn. ¡°The monsters and humanoids I¡¯ve fought after everything became saturated with mana are much stronger. I¡¯m fast and strong, but I was given an ability by those damn aliens, and I want to make the best of it.¡±


    Drake smirked to himself and gave Gwyn a crooked smile, as if asking if that was enough.


    As Drake explained story and his reasons, Gwyn was initially only vaguely interested. She did indeed know about the fate of the humans, but it was inconsequential to her. Drake being a human at one point was certainly intriguing, but given how he looked at her, and how he reacted, she already knew that he already wasn¡¯t a normal draconian. However, as Drake continued his story, her eyes suddenly widened in shock, and she became extremely excited.


    ¡°Drake, you said you were given an ability, what was it,¡± she asked, her eyes lit up in a fanatical manner.


    ¡°Um.. it¡¯s a pretty typical ability. It works well with my race, so I figured that was why I was given it. All it does is give me the ability to absorb mana from other people,¡± he said nonchalantly.


    Gwyn gave Drake an almost hungry look, and rushed over, almost knocking him over in the process.


    ¡°Let me see, please. Show me your mana again.¡±


    ¡°Um, alright,¡± he said hesitantly.


    Bringing out a circular sphere of mana, it seemed to crystalize into place. Taking a small vial filled with a faintly glowing blue liquid off of a shelf nearby, Gwyn quickly poured half of it on the dark red sphere, watching it closely.


    ¡°Um.. what are you-¡±


    ¡°Shhh, just stay still and don¡¯t talk,¡± she demanded.


    Within moments of pouring the liquid, Drake¡¯s mana sphere began to react. Much like it did with all of the mana cores it had been introduced to before, it liquefied and began to try to envelop the liquid. Midway through the absorption, it began to vibrate violently, almost as if the mana itself was fighting the absorption process. Drake felt an immense pull of mana from his mana source, and his eyes narrowed dangerously. After a moment, Drake felt that his mana had undergone a fundamental change from before, and his mana sphere finished absorbing the strange liquid.


    Gwyn¡¯s eyes sprang to life, and she began to grin ecstatically.


    ¡°Drake, do you know what you are?¡±


    Entirely confused, Drake answered.


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m a Draconian.¡±


    She shook her head emphatically, her eyes seeming to glow with excitement.


    ¡°No, no, I meant what you are, you¡¯re a predecessor. You are one of the first. I can¡¯t believe this, most of them died. The creators gave them all an order to begin killing all humans nearby whenever the world was set to spawn. I heard from others that a large amount of them were killed by the furious humanoid species, leaving only a few species left with theirs. You are one of them. And judging by what I just saw, it¡¯s almost fate that you met up with Yami.¡±


    ¡°Fate? What do you mean, that was just chance. She was lucky to spawn in front of me is all,¡± he said dismissively.


    Her eyes shining with anticipation, Gwyn continued to explain with glee.


    ¡°Drake, have you ever wondered how this ability was given to you. I mean, of course the creators were able to create all of us, but they didn¡¯t just make you an ability, they gave you one. That means it came from somewhere, right?¡±


    Beginning to catch on, Drake could only listen as Gwyn continued.


    ¡°You have demonic mana in you. I¡¯m sure Yami told you about the demons of Greed, but that¡¯s not all you have. They are fairly tame, considering their habits, but you have Pride demon¡¯s magic in you as well, they¡¯re the only demonic race that has your unique style of magic.¡± She quickly looked him up and down, smiling as she did. ¡°They were quite generous with you.¡±


    ¡°So, I¡¯m part demon?¡± He asked uncertainly.


    She began to smile in a very mischievous manner, before answering. ¡°Pfft, no, of course not. While you may have their powers, it¡¯s still quite obviously your own, otherwise your mana wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold up earlier. That was an abstract of holy water mixed in with my own mana. It helps me deal with some of the problems that may come nearby, any normal demonic mana would have dissolved under that amount of force. They truly made quite a monster with you.¡±


    Smiling to herself gleefully, she continued to murmur to herself for a moment, going over the possibilities of what she discovered. Shaking her head, she turned back to Drake with that same crazed smile.


    ¡°You wanted my help right? You have it, anything you want. Ohhh, this is going to be great. Now you are going to have to let me test it occasionally, but I will teach you to use it correctly the best I can.¡±


    Turning to Yami, they began to whisper together, with Gwyn becoming quite intensive, while Yami seemed to be almost frightened by how excited the witch was. After a moment, she turned back to Drake.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve only been using your magic in the most basic of levels. While the method you use is certainly unique, given your combination of the two sin¡¯s magic, it¡¯s nothing new really. You are essentially doing the same thing. But..¡±


    A scary light began to float in Gwyn¡¯s eyes as she continued her explanation.


    ¡°Once I give you some proper training, it should be truly impressive. Truly impressive indeed. Of course, I want some samples for my own use, but given how far along you are, quite impressive I might add, it shouldn¡¯t cause you any trouble.¡±


    Becoming increasingly overloaded by Gwyn¡¯s explanation, Drake began to feel himself becoming more confused.


    How far along I am.. pride demon¡¯s magic.. predecessors.. What did I get myself into with this woman..


    Turning to Yami again, she said, ¡°Yami, bring back your friend tomorrow, I need to have some preparation to do this properly. I expect you back early tomorrow. Don¡¯t disappoint me now.¡±


    She has that scary look again too.. I thought we were past all that. In the end though, she seems nice enough. Although, if she is right, I have a lot more to learn.


    Drake turned to Yami, and picked her up, placing her in between his horns before walking out, heading back towards the forest and out of the barrier.


    Tilting his head slightly up towards her, he asked, [So, how much did you know? I know you must have at least had an idea, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have been so insistent. I¡¯m guessing it was after the fight, huh?]


    Looking down sheepishly, Yami could only nod to herself.


    [It was too similar. It made too much sense after seeing all of what you could do. Especially absorbing that monster core. It would kill any normal member of your species. It¡¯s too much.]


    Too much? It doesn¡¯t really seem that way.


    Shaking his head quizzically, he said, [What do you mean? Sure, it gave me a boost after I was done, and it works fairly well if I just need to heal a bit, but it isn¡¯t that strange.]


    She popped her head into the edge of his vision before answering. [You don¡¯t understand, most races, especially yours, grow over time. Demons grow by killing and eating other monster¡¯s cores. It gives them a fantastic growth rate, but we easily stagnate in power if we can¡¯t continually find more powerful cores. Your race is made to grow over centuries, slowly growing in power. It¡¯s certainly slower, but it¡¯s much more stable.]


    Drake¡¯s eyes suddenly widened in understanding. Well that explains why she was so frantic when I ate one right in front of her. She was probably expecting me to die right in front of her. Poor girl.


    Picking up Yami off his head, Drake placed her on his shoulder and began to pet her under her chin. While she seemed to be against it at first, seemingly through embarrassment, she seemed to start to enjoy it more and more.


    [Hm¡­ a little to the right Drake.. Ahhhh..]


    Smiling, he said, [Thanks for looking out for me Yami.]


    Sprawled across Drake¡¯s shoulder, she could barely manage a answer in response. [Hmm¡­ where¡¯d that come frommm¡­ ahhh¡­]


    It seems like I¡¯m getting better at this at least. Come back tomorrow huh. Maybe then I¡¯ll finally have better control over myself as well. I need to become stronger.

 Chapter 3 Part 3

    Part 3


    As Drake walked back through the forest, he kept feeling a strange heat flow through his body, pulsing and then condensing, then disappearing. He couldn¡¯t quite tell what it was, but he felt¡­ different somehow. It felt like the process of Gwyn testing his mana had changed some innate part of himself, something that before, had gone completely unnoticed.


    He quickly shook off the feeling, and looked up at Yami, who had taken a much favored position between his horns.


    [So, did that go like you wanted? She was a bit scarier than I was expecting from someone who is supposed to help your species.]


    Peering over into the edge of Drake¡¯s eyesight, he could see the small imp stick her tongue out playfully before returning to her spot.


    [She was scary at first. I thought you two were going to fight at one point, but I¡¯m just glad that everything turned out well.]


    Drake was about to respond when Yami flew out in front of him suddenly, an anxious expression clear on her face. Her wings fluttered erratically, and she quickly flew up higher, as if she was trying to locate something.


    [Drake, get ready. Something is coming this way, and fast.]


    He looked at Yami, a curious but carefree look sketched across his face. [Really? Can you tell what it is?]


    Closing her eyes, Yami glowed faintly before returning to normal.


    [It¡¯s¡­ some kind of mix. I can¡¯t tell what species it is. It¡¯s almost here.]


    As soon as Yami finished her sentence, Drake could hear something crashing through the underbrush, rushing over to the duo quickly. He could see a large, seemingly demonic creature running towards them. As it grew closer, he could tell that it was slightly taller as him, and had large, goat-like horns, with red skin and fur covering its body.


    Yami¡¯s eyes narrowed before relaxing, and she slowly lowered herself to Drake¡¯s side.


    [Drake, it¡¯s a Satyr. It doesn¡¯t seem like it wants to fight either.]


    As it approached, it slowed down considerably, and looked at the two strangely. It began speaking in a strange, hollow voice. After a brief second of hesitance, Yami responded, and the two began to talk between each other, with the Satyr speaking very emphatically, even to Drake¡¯s limited understanding. After roughly a minute, Yami looked to Drake very hesitantly, fighting between pity and sadness.


    [Um, Drake, I know you don¡¯t have any reason to listen, but hear me out.]


    Looking between the Satyr and Yami, Drake nodded.


    [Alright. Go ahead.]


    After a moment of conversation, Yami turned back to Drake, a mixed look on her face.


    [He says he wants to serve you.]


    [Wait, what?]


    Drake began to feel a deep welling of sadness inside of himself, he looked to Yami and began to understand, at least somewhat.


    [Yami, what happened?]


    The small imp lowered herself onto Drake¡¯s shoulder, a downcast look clear on her face. [All of his family was killed. He wants power, and he says he raced towards the closest source of demonic magic, only to find us. He assumes that I¡¯m your servant, and that you¡¯re likely a demon of Envy in disguise. It¡¯s very unlikely that he realizes what we actually are.]


    Drake paused for a moment, and said, [And if he does realize?]


    Looking at Yami, Drake could see that she seemed to be fighting with herself about something. He could tell at a glance that she was very worried about something. After a moment, she looked back at the Satyr, and after confirming something to herself, looked back with confidence.


    [He¡¯s willing to take a contract. Unlike ours, you¡¯ll be able to pick and choose what power he receives, so he won¡¯t be gaining our unique ability. I suggest giving him the Sin of Greed¡¯s ability. He¡¯s already well suited to physical combat, and we¡¯ll gain a portion of power in return when he uses it.]


    Drake glanced at the Satyr. It had bowed to him once it believed Drake could help him, clearly desperate for power. Taking a moment to think, he responded.


    [How would I do that? And can we trust him?]


    Looking back confidently, she seemed to smirk slightly to herself, before letting out a reluctant laugh.


    [That¡¯s how it is with contracts Drake. You don¡¯t need to trust him. He won¡¯t be able to disobey any commands that you give him. As long as you don¡¯t tell him to hurt himself in some way, he¡¯ll obey any command you give him. He basically becomes a slave.]


    Uncomfortable, Drake just looked up at the small imp, trying to gauge her reaction as best he could.


    [Is this alright? He won¡¯t be able to be free anymore.]


    Looking back, Yami just smiled a small smile.


    [That¡¯s how demons work Drake. Power for freedom. For imps, yes it¡¯s certainly unfair, we have so little power to begin with. But other demonic species do so willingly. You don¡¯t need to feel bad about the process.]


    He sighed, and looked over at the Satyr, watching as the large beast continued to bow with all its might. Upon closer look, he could see it shaking slightly, although whether it was out of fear or excitement it was hard to tell.


    If he wants power, he has to give something in return, huh? Guess this is how things work now. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t use him to protect us if something goes wrong.


    [Yami, how do I put in just the Greed portion of my power?]


    Yami flew off his shoulder and clapped her hands together, the faint glow of her contract circle clear on her petite chest.


    [Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll help. This is a bit too soon, since I was hoping the witch would be able to help teach you control your mana, but I can act as a conduit for you.]


    Unsteady, Drake took her at her word, and said, [Alright.. I¡¯ll depend on you then. Tell him to walk over here, and don¡¯t do anything stupid.]


    After a moment of conversation with Yami, the Satyr nodded, and began to slowly walk towards Drake. He stopped within four feet of Drake, and swiftly kneeled in front of him again, an eager look on his face.


    Frowning slightly, Drake said, [So now what? I¡¯m not good for this kind of thing. You¡¯re the one who did the contract before.]


    Yami responded, [We each have a part of each other Drake. We¡¯re Kindred. Just think about what you want, and I¡¯ll show you what to do.]


    Concentrating, Drake thought of the contract Yami was referring to. At first, there was nothing. Then as the seconds passed, the information came to him faster and faster, and after only ten seconds, he knew the entire formula for the contract.


    He nodded to Yami to confirm it worked, he turned to the Satyr.


    [Tell him not to move. If he does, I¡¯ll kill him.]


    After Yami told the Satyr, Drake walked over and placed his hand on the Satyr¡¯s head. Thinking of the process behind the contract, a layer of blood-red runes began to slowly circle the Satyr. As they circled, more runes appeared, overlapping with the others. They slowly closed in, almost as if they meant to trap the Satyr within.


    After a moment, the runes seemed to lock in place. Recognizing this as the final step, Yami jumped in beside Drake and took his hand. After a moment, Drake recognized what was the Greed portion of his mana being funneled through him into Satyr. Still unsure how she was managing it, he just let Yami finish the process.


    The runes that circled the Satyr began to uncurl, and flow into Drake¡¯s hand. He felt a slight burning in his hand as the runes flowed in, and he noticed the Satyr seemed to be struggling to keep a straight face as Drake heard a soft sizzling sound from the Satyr¡¯s chest.


    [Alright Drake, it¡¯s done.]


    Backing away, Drake could see a strange marking had burned itself onto the Satyr¡¯s chest. It reminded him of his draconic face, with strange, demonic looking wings on either side.


    Hovering over to the Satyr, Yami looked at the mark on his chest, and began to giggle to herself.


    [Well, it looks like this won¡¯t ever be mistaken for another Demon¡¯s mark. Not sure if that¡¯s a good thing or a bad thing.]


    *THUMP THUMP*


    Seeing a strange look on Drake''s face, she looked up at him in worry. [Drake, are you alright?]


    As Drake looked at the mark, a violent sensation came over his body. He felt a searing pain across his back, and an intense burning across his entire body. Drake collapsed to the ground in agony, the last thing in his sight being a hellish dragon-like mark.


    *****


    [Drake. Drake!]


    Flying around his collapsed form, Yami looked at her friend worryingly. She felt that he was experiencing an immense amount of pain before he fell to the ground, and now he wasn¡¯t responding to her at all.


    ¡°Ahhh.. what should I do.¡± While Drake occasionally went through moments where he worried her, this was the first time seeing him in genuine pain. He had always shrugged anything off with a smile before, something that while it did bother her, she had come to enjoy his laid back attitude.


    ¡°Hm, master passed out the moment he made the contract. How convenient.¡±


    Looking up at the Satyr towering over her and Drake, she glared at him hatefully.


    ¡°What do you mean by that, aren¡¯t you going to help him?¡±


    Looking down at the small imp, he just smirked and began to walk off.


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly a shame, but I haven¡¯t been given any orders yet. How regretful.¡± Stopping, he turned back to Yami. ¡°I took the contract to fulfill a debt to the bastards who killed my brothers. I¡¯m going to repay that debt now. Master can wait.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Panicking, she quickly flew in front of the Satyr, trying to stop him.


    ¡°Wait, you have to help Drake, he¡¯s in trouble, I know it. You need to take him to the Witch. She¡¯ll know what¡¯s going on with him.¡±


    Hearing a low, gurgling sound, they both turned towards Drake to see his mana begin to envelop his body, with Drake still grimacing to himself in pain.


    Yami turned to the Satyr panicked, and began to push against him. ¡°Please, stop, turn around and help. He needs it!¡±


    He smiled and turned to Yami and began to walk forward.


    ¡°That you honestly believe an insect like you could change my mind is laughable at best. Your race is completely useless. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised such a powerful demon made you his first contract.¡±


    He snickered at the small imp, and began to run into a sprint, making his way away from Drake.


    ¡°I said, STOP!¡±


    Suddenly stopping mid-sprint, the Satyr looked over the Yami with a mixed look of fear and rage, the brand on his chest glowing with a soft, red light.


    ¡°You¡­ will help carry Drake to the Witch. And you will never mention what happens between us to him, now or ever.¡± Slowly floating towards the Satyr, Yami¡¯s face hardened into a hard stare.


    Humiliated, the large demon glared at Yami, eyes full of hate. ¡°How dare you, you little bug. As soon as I get free, I¡¯ll kill you as soon as I get the chance.¡±


    Looking straight into the Satyr¡¯s eyes, she drew upon the strength of her bond with Drake, standing up to the demon that was easily six times larger than her.


    ¡°Listen here, Satyr. You may be a slave to Drake, but you are also a slave to me as well. It may be something that I encouraged, but you are a slave, and you WILL listen to us.¡±


    Sneering hatefully, he stared at the little imp. ¡°A bug like you believes you can control me; I¡¯d love to see you try.¡±


    Still staring at the Satyr, a wave of dark, tyrannical mana blasted forth. After only a moment the Satyr collapsed to the ground, still sneering at the little imp.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you one day¡­¡±


    Floating down towards the fallen Satyr, she smiled a sweet smile.


    ¡°Satyr, I am your master as well. Now, pick up Drake immediately and follow me.¡±


    *****


    In a land nearby, transformed by a strange, dark mana, a lone man sat along a stone throne.


    He was about 6 feet tall, and his skin was pale from the lack of sun. His facial features looked to be fairly attractive, his jet-black hair neatly combed to the back. He was dressed in western royal robes, giving him the impression of royalty.


    However, his refined appearance was hard-pressed to hide the evil air around him. Two demonic looking horns jutted out from his temples, protruding forward. He was also lined with a shadowy mana that seemed to seep out of his very pores.


    ¡°M-master, do you feel it? Another one has been born.¡± Kneeling on the ground, a small demon looked up to his master.


    As the Lord looked down on the small demon, he could only sneer in response. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me that, fool. A new Lord has been born. Even from here, I can tell he is unique. Most of all, he¡¯s still young. Still malleable. And I want you to find him for me.¡±


    Utterly terrified, the demon prostrated himself on the ground.


    ¡°M-master please! I¡¯ll die if I meet a stray Lord, won¡¯t you send one of the others?¡±


    Laughing to himself, he stared at the demon. Streams of rope-like shadow emerged from the ground, wrapping around the neck of the demon.


    ¡°The better question would be, how painfully will you die if you don¡¯t go look for him for me. I have other underlings who would happily chase down a Lordling for me. If you don¡¯t, others will shortly after your¡­ disposal. Now go. Make contact with him. And tell him I want to speak with him.¡±


    Watching the pitiful demon struggle against the streams of mana, he released the small demon, leaving it gasping for air on the ground.


    After the demon recovered, he quickly answered, ¡°Y-yes, my master.¡±


    He smiled to himself, he let the small demon leave his castle, watching it eagerly fly off in search of the new Lord. If the new Lord wouldn¡¯t bow down, then they would be exterminated like the rest. This was the demon Absalom, the man who planned to rule this new world.


    *****


    [Drake... Drake, can you hear me?! Are you there?]


    Drake sat up weakly and opened his eyes to see Yami tearfully attached to his chest, trying to wrap her arms around him as much as her tiny body would allow.


    [You know Yami, it seems like this is starting to happen a little too often.¡±


    *Sniff* The pitiful imp looked at Drake, her eyes bloodshot. [It wouldn¡¯t happen as often if you didn¡¯t worry me as much, you idiot!]


    [Yea, yea.] Clutching his chest, Drake could feel his entire body revolt against him for trying to move. Looking around, he could see he had changed locations while unconscious. He was in a small, very familiar hut.


    ¡°Just now noticing it, my little lizard?¡±


    Hearing a silky voice, Drake turned behind him to see Gwyn standing there, smirking smugly at him.


    ¡°I have to admit, you impressed me Drake. You don¡¯t even know what you¡¯ve done yet, do you?¡±


    Drake looked at Yami, still not understanding what Gwyn meant.


    [Um.. Yami, what is she talking about?]


    She turned away from Drake, a guilty look on her face. [Look at yourself real quick, you¡¯ll see what Gwyndolyn is talking about.]


    Curious, Drake summoned up his mana into a small, crystal mirror and took a look at himself. What he noticed first was his body had changed again. It seems he had shrunk again, and was barely six feet tall now. His claws were still a solid, black color, but they seemed to have shortened immensely, and all the scales on his body seemed to run together now, leaving him with a leathery skin, unlike before.


    The most noticeable change was he had grown a second pair of horns on his head. The second pair grew parallel to the first, almost growing into the first pair.


    Drake shook his head, sighing as he did. [Well, I changed again. Although this time it was a lot more painful.]


    Sniffling next to him, Yami looked at Drake, the sadness clearly seeping into Drake through their contract. [I¡¯m sorry Drake.. I didn¡¯t know this would happen. I would have never let you make a real contract otherwise... I¡¯m sorry..]


    [What do you-]


    Interrupting him, Gwyn sat down next to him, tapping one of his newly grown horns. ¡°Do you see what¡¯s happened to you now, Drake? You¡¯ve undergone your first major evolution. Congratulations.¡±


    Turning to Gwyn, he asked, ¡°Evolution? What are you talking about? I¡¯m a Draconian.¡±


    She sighed for a moment and turned to Yami, talking to her for a minute before finally returning to Drake.


    ¡°Well, it seems you really don¡¯t know anything. The little one has told you about the differences between you and normal members of your species. You have demonic mana, and that influences what you can do. I can tell you that normal members of your species normally spend centuries building up power. Just what do you think that means?¡±


    Confused, Drake could only answer honestly.


    ¡°Um, it means that it takes them a long time to become strong, right? It¡¯s more stable, but it takes forever.¡±


    She shook her head, she turned away from Drake for a moment to gather a few potions. Turning back around, she poured several random assortment of potions into a small pot, and looked at Drake.


    ¡°Demons are a lot like potion making. You start out small and gain strength through sheer number or potency. The more cores they eat, and the stronger they are, the better off they become. Even the little one here will gain enough strength through you eventually, and undergo the same process.¡±


    Gwyn sat up and made gestured to the forest in the distance. ¡°Draconians on the other hand, take a long time. It¡¯s obvious that they would, given what most become. What¡¯s the first thing that comes to mind if you think of a draconic evolution?¡±


    Starting to understand, Drake¡¯s gaze began to harden.


    ¡°Dragons.¡±


    She nodded slowly, and said, ¡°Exactly, they are one of the most powerful species, incredibly resilient against magic, they can destroy entire fortresses through sheer force alone. The drawback is time, and of course, they have to survive to that point.¡±


    Wait.. then what am I..


    Drake¡¯s eyes hardened, he was starting to understand where she was going with all this.


    ¡°Gwyn, with my use of demonic magic. I¡¯m obviously not turning into a dragon. I¡¯ve been getting smaller ever since I first started using it, and the other¡­ obvious changes. What am I right now?¡±


    Smiling widely, she leaned forward, whispering next to Drake¡¯s ear.


    ¡°You¡¯re becoming a Lord. A Draconic Lord. The first and most likely only of your kind that can use demonic magic. Isn¡¯t it great?!¡±


    Jumping up and down, Gwyn grabbed Drake¡¯s hand and looked deeply into his eyes.


    ¡°You took the step of actually making a contract with a demon, something totally different to your contract with the little one here. You have the abilities of two of the Sin¡¯s, something that most demons have to risk their lives in to just specialize in one. Honestly, with you not being able to control your mana, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to be able to even achieve it. The little one helped you cheat a little there.¡±


    So then.. if I am like this because of my mana, will it all stop if I don¡¯t use it anymore¡­


    Drake couldn''t help but ponder such a thought. He didn''t like being forced down a specific path, even if it did serve to make him more powerful. After a moment of thought however, he quickly resigned himself to such a change.No, that isn¡¯t an option. I need the power to protect myself and Yami, that¡¯s all I care about.


    Drake looked straight into Gwyn¡¯s eyes. ¡°Gwyn, what does becoming a Lord even mean?¡±


    Thinking to herself, she gained a pensive look for a moment.


    ¡°Well, more mastery in magic for one. They typically control armies of minions to conquer an area, attune the area to themselves, and gain the ability to gather mana for his minions. With that, the minions can absorb power without having to resort to killing each other. That¡¯s how it works with demons at least.¡±


    Gwyn began to chuckle to herself. ¡°And to think, you started this all because you wanted to help the poor, little Satyr outside.¡±


    She made her way back over to Drake, sitting at his side. ¡°Although, I guess it wasn¡¯t all bad. From what I heard from the little one, your new friend outside helped carry you here. He couldn¡¯t come through the barrier however, so I had to help you the rest of the way inside.¡±


    [Sorry for causing all this Drake¡­]


    Sighing, Drake slowly picked up Yami and pet her on her head.


    [It wasn¡¯t your fault. I listened to you, and it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t have thoughts of being able to use him to help us. Besides, I likely would have gone down a similar path anyway, given how much I¡¯ve been focusing on my mana since I discovered it.]


    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not like there won¡¯t be others, although it will be considerably rare within your race, given the options they otherwise have. And they won¡¯t have your unique advantages. I imagine most will choose to go down one of the various elemental paths that suit themselves.¡± Gwyn continued rambling happily.


    Drake sighed before laying back in the bed. [So what do I do now Yami? It¡¯s not like it¡¯s a bad thing. But I need to get stronger and fast.]


    [Well, we can always start with why I brought you here, Gwyn can teach you how to control your magic better.]


    ¡°And even then, there¡¯s even the chance that one may get especially desperate and try to lengthen their life unnaturally, although an Undead Draconian certainly isn¡¯t something I want to come across and¡­ Hey! Are you even paying attention to me you two!?¡±


    Drake looked at Gwyn, embarrassed. ¡°Ah, sorry Gwyn, I was talking with Yami for a moment.¡±


    Utterly indignant, she began to pout quite adorably, given that she wasn¡¯t being listened to.


    ¡°Anyway, Gwyn, you said you wanted to help me yesterday right? Since I¡¯m different now, will that affect it at all?¡±


    She sighed, and sat down, cocking her head at Drake.


    ¡°Well, my little Draconic Lordling, given you being so hasty, this may actually help us a little. You¡¯ve become more proficient in magic, so it won¡¯t take quite as long as it would have before. More importantly, I have a question for you. Have you ever wondered why we are able to talk so easily here? I imagine you can¡¯t talk to other races except Yami here, and even that is due to her.¡±


    Drake nodded his head, saying, ¡°Well, I did mention something about it to Yami initially, but she told me to not worry¡­¡±


    Shaking her head, she stared down at Drake.


    ¡°Given what you are now, you¡¯ll need to be able to now more than ever. So, why do you think we are able to?


    He pondered to himself for a moment, before stating the obvious. ¡°Um, the answer is magic, right?¡±


    Watching Gwyn laugh hysterically, he could feel the blood begin to rush to his face.


    This woman enjoys playing with me entirely too much.


    ¡°Well, it certainly is a novel answer. Yes, it is due to magic. Now, did you notice anything strange about this area when you first entered?¡±


    As he thought back, Drake realized he did feel a strange wave of mana come over him when he first arrived. He shrugged it off before, thinking that the witch was merely examining him somehow.


    ¡°I did. There was a wave of mana that seemed to come over me. Is that it?¡±


    Gwyn smiled to herself. She seemed pleased that Drake noticed.


    ¡°Good, you aren¡¯t utterly hopeless then. While my method is a tad unique, you can copy it easily.¡±


    Standing up, she grabbed Drake by the arm and began dragging him outside.


    ¡°H-hey, Gwyn, what are you doing? Where are we going?¡±


    She smiled in a very mischievous way before saying, ¡°Just follow me, silly, you trust me right?¡±


    With how sketchy you act all the time, I trust you a lot less than I should..


    As they walked over to a small barren area, Drake began to feel on edge. As he drew closer, the mana density in the air continued to increase, making him feel almost giddy with the concentration of mana.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the center of my barrier. You may be able to copy this eventually, but for now, let¡¯s start with the basics. My magic works by connecting me with everything that enters the barrier. I¡¯m able to connect with the core of the little ones, and talk with them easily. You are just a byproduct of this process, since you are in the barrier, your core is connected to me as well. So, what do you think you should do first?¡±


    If this entire area is connected by her magic to others cores then...


    ¡°Is it possible to try to connect my core to others without a barrier Gwyn?


    Smiling serenely, Gwyn seemed to be pleased by Drake¡¯s question.


    ¡°Good, good. Yes, it is possible. It will be unlike your contract with Yami, and it will connect the minds of the participants through the cores themselves, unlike through your.. unique contract. Even if we left the barrier, if I wanted to, we could extend mana links to each other and talk without any issues. Something that will be quite useful for you in the future if you want to be able to talk with any subordinates of yours.¡±


    Clapping her hands together, Gwyn¡¯s eyes seemed to take on a scary look to them again. Turning to Yami, they seemed to have a short conversation, which Yami seemed to agree to hesitantly, before turning back to Drake.


    ¡°Now that you know that, it¡¯s time for the next lesson. My dear little Lord, do you know the best way to understand your own magic?¡±


    Drake again answered in an obvious manner. ¡°Um.. training?¡±


    She smiled in her princess-like fashion, and shook her head slowly, as mana began to slowly build around her.


    ¡°Drake, I¡¯m going to try to kill you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

 Chapter 3 Part 4

    Part 4


    ¡°Wait, where did this come from? Why are going to try to kill me?!¡± Drake yelled.


    Backing away from the horned beauty, Drake took a defensive position the best he could. He had never seen the witch use any real form of magic, and was worried how this had all spiraled out of his understanding.


    Smirking to herself in a very self-satisfied way, she lowered her hands to her sides in an aggressive stance, the mana in the air beginning to funnel itself aggressively through her horn and into her body, improving her power immensely.


    ¡°The basis of all our magic is instinctive. Yes, there are techniques and skills to improve your flow of magic, but you don¡¯t even understand the basis of your own magic. That¡¯s why you are so weak, Drake.¡± Gwyn said, as she smiled slightly.


    As she was giving her explanation, Drake began to see the mana in the air begin to tremble with power, with her horn seeming to glow with more and more energy as the seconds passed.


    Drake shook his head hesitantly before focusing himself. He planned to end this fight quickly.


    Running his mana through his body, he launched himself at Gwyn, dark red aura flowing through his arm intensely as he grew closer. Getting within arm¡¯s reach, he ruthlessly slammed his arm against her, planning to instantly knock her out in one blow.


    Just before Drake¡¯s attack landed, Gwyn smiled smugly, and waved her hand. Drake saw a small shimmer of mana before he rammed into an invisible wall that seemed to cover her entire body, completely blocking her from any physical form of attack that he could make.


    Growling viciously, he leaped back out of range of any potential counter attack. ¡°Dammit Gwyn, is this why you brought me here?!¡±


    Gwyn smiled in a playful manner, spreading her arms out to indicate the surrounding area. ¡°Well my little Lord, the center of my barrier certainly is the ideal place for a battle, don¡¯t you agree? You¡¯re going to be forced into a corner unless you actually fight, and I will learn a tantalizing piece of information about you, it works quite well for the both of us.¡±


    Drake began to curse at himself for letting him be pulled into a sick game like this.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s see how you like this!¡± Drake looked inside himself to his half-formed mana core, and began to force the mana out of his body. In a rush of dark red aura, a few large shards of mana formed quickly and were fired at Gwyn.


    As they reach the shield, Drake¡¯s mana shards began to eat away at the outer layer before brilliantly shattering into pieces.


    ¡°Still too soft.¡± She said smugly.


    After she blocked the shards with her shield, the horn on her forehead began to glow a piercing blue. Gwyn extended her hand and in a flash of light, let out a piercing blast of lightning, shocking Drake severely.


    ¡°I guess the increased mana capability doesn¡¯t include resistance to attacks, that¡¯s a shame. I would have thought your race would at least help a bit,¡± Gwyn said, seeing Drake drop to the ground on one knee. His vision blurry, he struggled to stand up. He swayed for a moment as he got onto his feet, before looking back at Gwyn, the scales on his body blackened and burnt from the impact.


    ¡°Gwyn, please¡­ I don¡¯t want to fight you like this.¡± He muttered slowly.


    She glared at the Draconian, shaking her head in dismay.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a request, Drake. Do you even think about why I¡¯m doing this? A Draconic Lord, someone that is as powerful as you struggles so easily at the first sign of trouble. And do you know why you are so weak?¡±


    She paused for a moment, staring at Drake with a barely disguised pity. ¡°It¡¯s because you used to be human. We monsters have to struggle to survive. If I didn¡¯t know how to protect myself with all of my spells and my barrier, I wouldn¡¯t make it. But you¡­¡±


    She began to walk around Drake, circling him as she did. ¡°You¡¯re privileged in comparison, and you don¡¯t even know why! The world you lived in for so long was too soft, too forgiving. You need to learn to embrace the power inside of you, Drake, or it¡¯ll be too late, and the little one will lose the only friend she has.¡±


    As Drake listened to the beautiful witch, he could only shake in place, the pain from the lightning strike still burning away in his body. He looked up at her, saying, ¡°You may be right, but what does that matter if I have to fight friends.¡±


    Gwyn¡¯s eyes narrowed in anger, her horn beginning to glow a bright blue again. She raised her hand, and again, a large flash of light began to build around her hand, ready to strike out at Drake.


    His vision blurry, he saw Gwyn raise her hand to begin another attack, and held his hand up, the aura building around his hand.


    Shakily, he yelled ¡°Dammit Gwyn!¡± Concentrating a giant, 4-foot long spear of mana, he launched it mercilessly towards Gwyn.


    As the spear of mana approached, Gwyn sneered, and let out the large bolt of lightning from her hand. Striking the crystalline bolt, it snapped into pieces, weakening the attack severely and breaking the rest into small, harmless pieces. The pieces continued to strike towards the witch, but were quickly stopped by the same, invisible shield surrounding Gwyn, shattering the remaining crystal in midair and leaving her with an unsatisfied look on her face.


    ¡°You suppress your instincts when you are in battle just because you¡¯re fighting me? You¡¯re a disgrace to every member of your race!¡± She spat.


    In a quick movement, another burst of blinding light came streaming out of Gwyn¡¯s hand, burning the air as it passed. As it approached Drake, the dark red aura that surrounded him seemed to attempt to block the blast, greedily attempting to absorb a portion of it, but quickly burned away, leaving nothing its path.


    Utterly unprepared for another blast the quick, offensive magic, Drake looked on in fear as the blast hit him squarely in the chest, catapulting him through the air. He landed on the ground with a sickening thud, the slight sound of burning flesh wavering through the air.


    [Drake!]


    As she watched Drake fall to the ground, Yami turned to the witch, glaring at the woman with a fierce look. She was utterly angered by the blinding pain she felt through their link.


    [Gwyndolyn, you said you were only going to test him, to unlock his potential but you never mentioned¡­ this! How could you?!] Yami¡¯s voice shook with anger.


    Turning to the small imp, a look of sadness crossed her face before disappearing instantly, leaving Yami wondering if it was ever there in the first place.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little friend. But this will continue when he wakes up, and continue still unless he controls his power.¡±


    Waving her hand, a soft blue cage appeared around Yami, trapping her in place.


    [Gwyndolyn, please, stop this!] Yami yelled out.


    Shutting herself off from the mental connection, Gwyndolyn turned back to the scorched body of Drake, still listless on the ground.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t take me seriously until the very end. I¡¯ll have to try a different method.¡± She turned away from him, a faint sadness in her eyes.


    ¡°The little one mentioned that he had fought against a Dire Bear before, and he managed to beat it fairly easily. Was that really just a fluke, or the result of his magic?¡± Gwyn started to mutter to herself, oblivious to her surroundings.


    *THUMP THUMP*


    She shook her head, renewing her resolve. ¡°In any case, hopefully that blast will have knocked some sense into him at least. There¡¯s no need for a predecessor who can¡¯t even protect himself or those important to him.¡±


    *THUMP THUMP*


    With Drake unconscious, Gwyn had completely let her guard down. She had begun to ponder how she could unlock Drake¡¯s potential, when she suddenly felt an intense pressure began to weigh down on her. She looked around, feeling the sense of bloodlust from the pressure beginning to grow. She looked back at Drake, and felt that something was off. ¡°Drake...?¡±


    As she watched the still smoking body of Drake begin to twitch on the ground, she noticed immediately that the aura coming from him had begun to change, and was the source of the increasing amounts of fear she was feeling.


    She watched in disbelief as Drake begin to stand up, and immediately readied herself against any sudden attacks. Instead, she saw that something was horribly wrong. The blank stare that was plastered across his face told her right away, it was just as if he was staring at nothing. His movements especially seemed wrong, it wasn¡¯t smooth like a normal being, it was as if he was a puppet being picked up after his strings were cut.


    She reinforced her shield, and immediately sent out a long bolt of darkness, this time meaning to incapacitate him into unconsciousness again. She would force him into sleep, and figure out what had happened when he had gone unconscious. Whatever had happened during that last attack had left him too dangerous to continue fighting.


    As the attack closed in, the aura around Drake reacted in response, reaching out and grabbing the bolt in mid-air. The mana surrounding Drake had solidified in a solid mass to block the bolt, and after a brief moment, the bolt seemed to shatter like broken glass, resulting in the leftover mana quickly being absorbed by Drake¡¯s growing aura.


    Gwyn said shakily, ¡°You¡¯re kidding¡­¡±


    The aura began to circle around Drake viciously. As it did, it began to warp the aura around Drake to fuel itself, growing thicker and larger as it did. As she watched in horror, Gwyn noticed that the dark-red mana began to form into a recognizable shape. It twisted around him, and it began to solidify into a serpent-like form, forming a clear, Draconian face that stared into Gwyn¡¯s eyes with an almost sadistic grin.


    Feeling a chill down to her very core, she began to funnel as much mana through her horn as she could manage, before activating her final trump card.


    In a wave of oppressive gravity, Drake¡¯s form and the mana surrounding him began to be pressured against the ground, restraining Drake completely. Under the intense pressure, you could hear the cracking of the earth as Drake was pushed further and further into the ground. Only partially affected, the mass of mana shrugged off the strong gravitational force, giving the witch a hate-filled stare.


    Sneering at the witch, the figure briefly looked down at the target of all that pressure. The mass of serpentine mana stared at the fallen form of Drake with disgust, before quickly turning to face against the witch.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Expanding itself upward, it looked towards the witch before speaking in a prideful, mocking voice, the voice itself seeming to echo with power.


    ¡°The little faker dares to try to suppress me when she can barely control herself, how pitiable.¡±


    As she stared at the serpentine figure, Gwyn froze in place, furious at the implications behind those words.


    Laughing to itself at the witch¡¯s reaction, the mass of mana seemed to only embolden itself as it spoke.


    ¡°While the fool may not understand, I am no fool. I understand how hard you¡¯ve worked¡­ Kehehehehe¡­¡± The mass of aura smiled cynically, before cackling to itself.


    After it laughed, it began to snake its way towards Gwyn. Gwyn quickly fired a bolt of magic from her hands in a panic, but it just ignored the dark bolt of magic, just letting the bolt hit its body. The bolt of magic only lasted for a second before it broke into pieces like the one before. The dark figure laughed, absorbing the mana within a second before quickly wrapping itself around the shield, trapping Gwyn inside.


    It began to speak, slowly constricting on the young witch with every word.


    ¡°Your species is¡­ weak. I watched, and waited, and I knew. You brought him to the source of your power, because it is the only place¡­ where you can fight. And for what¡­ to allow even a weakling like yourself to cause him to fall¡­ Kehehehee¡­ How sad.¡±


    Her bright red horn shined in response. Gwyn forced herself to absorb more mana to strengthen the shield, trying her hardest to avoid the corruption that was slowly infecting the surrounding area around the strange serpent-like figure.


    Staring into the glowing yellow eyes of the figure, she spoke defiantly. ¡°He is important. While he is untrained he is certainly weak, but he is special. He just needs to learn control. He needs to learn what his power is.¡±


    The large serpent stopped, and only looked into the eyes of the young witch, before laughing hatefully in response, sneering back at the witch.


    ¡°You say¡­ he needs to learn control, that he needs to learn of his power. Little witch¡­ I am his power! The power that he stole¡­ I was meant to have. All of it!¡±


    The large figure, looked over to Yami, still trapped in the glowing, blue cage, and for the first time, the serpent¡¯s face hardened into a look of utter hatred.


    ¡°That the little whelp actually dared to share my power with such an¡­ insect. It still infuriates me¡­ so¡­ so¡­ much.¡±


    It extended a portion of itself over to the small cage, still staring at the small imp¡¯s shivering form before shaking its head slowly.


    ¡°Unfortunately, the little gnat is smarter than she looks. The contract she made with the fool is unique, even among contracts. He didn¡¯t even know the scope of what he was getting into.¡± It withdrew the portion of mana around Yami, and began to look at the trapped witch with glee.


    The figure smiled in a very sinister fashion at Gwyn before saying, ¡°But, my little witch, that doesn¡¯t prevent me from draining you dry once I¡¯m done with this annoying toy surrounding you.¡±


    As he finished speaking, the serpentine figure began to slowly constrict onto Gwyn again, causing small cracks to appear on the circular shield. Gwyn struggled against the large figure, ignoring the increasing pressure put on the shield.


    As the serpent attempted to crush Gwyn, Yami was still continually trying to contact her. Utterly locked out by her at the end of the fight with Drake, Yami was left to sit in the small cage that the witch had conjured up and watch in horror at what unfolded.


    The sight of Drake being struck down. The horrific sight of Drake¡¯s body being possessed by his own mana. The Draconic being that emerged from the mana and taunted Gwyndolyn. And most of all, the murderous stare in the eyes that looked at her. That was what she was always afraid of seeing in Drake. The utter contempt and the feeling that she was nothing more than an insect in his eyes. From the moment she met him, that look was never there. She was treated like she was special. He had helped her so much, and now, it was her time to repay the favor.


    When she first made the contract with Drake, she felt the flow of power from the mana. The ever so-slight feeling of disgust flowed within the mana itself whenever she conjured it. It made her hesitant to use the power. But not now. Not anymore.


    Looking at the mass of mana that continued to coil around Gwyndolyn, Yami could quickly see she was running out of power. As Gwyn didn¡¯t have a proper contract with Drake, she was unable to use demonic mana. Being exposed to it would only sicken her, or at worst, corrupt her. If she started to draw in the corrupted mana surrounding her, the shield would break quickly under the strain, leaving her helpless against the thing attacking her.


    Yami poked at the cage of mana surrounding her. Just at a touch, she could feel it had weakened greatly, allowing her to easily break out with just a little push of energy.


    Breaking free, Yami glanced over at Gwyn before quickly flying over to Drake¡¯s collapsed form. She began to do what she could to help him, taking the mana she gained from their bond and pouring it back into Drake. As the seconds passed, the large wound on Drake¡¯s chest from Gwyn¡¯s strange light attack, and the blackened scales from the lightning blasts began to heal, very similarly to the healing caused from eating mana-infused meat.


    Sitting on his chest, she poured whatever mana she could generate from their contract into him, muttering, [Please Drake¡­ you need to wake up. I need you to be safe..]


    As the mana wyrm continued to constrict onto Gwyn, a sudden shock ran through its form. Feeling that something was wrong, the large mana wyrm looked around to see the small imp sitting on Drake¡¯s chest, pouring in large amounts of mana and healing him at a rapid rate.


    Infuriated, his eyes narrowed in anger, and he rushed over to Drake and Yami, leaving a very exhausted Gwyn to collapse on the ground, utterly drained of mana. Glaring at the two, he circled them, surrounding them with himself.


    Bellowing out in a voice full of power, he said, ¡°Insect¡­ what do you think you¡¯re doing? Even if you help him, you know that I am the true master of our magic. This fool will always rely on my power.¡±


    Yami glanced up at the large mass of mana, before quickly turning back to Drake, ignoring the pointed words and poured more mana into Drake, focusing fully on the healing process.


    Angry, it lashed out at Yami. As it did, a large, crystalline shield appeared, covering herself and Drake within it, and fully protecting them from any potential attack.


    Looking up at the mass of angry mana, Yami could only smile to herself. ¡°You know, I was originally scared of you.¡± She murmured quietly. ¡°I was afraid that you would control Drake, and take him away from me. But¡­¡±


    Touching her chest, the runic symbols that made up their contract began to glow momentarily before fading. ¡°I know now that I¡¯m the one person you¡¯re helpless against.¡±


    Looking down at Drake, she smiled sadly and brushed her hands against his face. The large burn mark left from Gwyn¡¯s attack had finally healed, leaving Drake with a serene look on his face, despite the situation.


    Happy with what she had done so far, she flew up, and looked into the burning yellow eyes of the mana wyrm, smirking to herself.


    ¡°Understand this, wyrm, Drake is my one and only friend. And no one, not even you, will be able to hurt him!¡± She spoke with a voice full of devotion.


    Glaring, the mass of mana ruthlessly struck out again at Yami, only to meet the same, crystalline shield that covered her and Drake originally. The large mass of mana looked back at Drake for a moment, and sighed, clearly unhappy with how things turned out.


    ¡°Little insect, I may be restricted by that damned link¡­ but if you truly hate me, tell the whelp to be more careful. And tell that witch to watch her back¡­ I won¡¯t allow anyone to damage my body so much while the whelp is using it.¡±


    Dissipating, portions of mana began to break off the mana wyrm, returning to Drake piece by piece. Laughing to itself, it looked between Yami and Drake, seeming to smile in the mass of dark-red mana that was remaining.


    ¡°Also, tell the fool that he is using my power wrong. The witch should be able to piece it together anyway from my little bit of payback this evening, kehehee¡­¡±


    With a last laugh, the serpent disappeared into Drake, not leaving a trace of corrupted mana left.


    Exhausted, Yami dropped to the ground, drained from pouring all her mana from the contract into Drake. It took all she had to stand up to the strange mana wyrm, even if their contract severely weakened any actions it might have tried to take against her. It was along the same line of thought as if the mana belonged to her. Drake¡¯s mana couldn¡¯t harm himself, and so it had an extremely hard time wounding Yami in any way.


    Struggling to fly into the air, Yami slowly made her way over to Gwyn, worried about how well she was doing after using up so much mana at once.


    As she landed at her side, she quickly began to look over Gwyn¡¯s condition. Thankfully, other than being incredibly exhausted from over-using her mana, she seemed fine. The Draconic being that had controlled Drake¡¯s mana had abandoned her entirely when it saw it¡¯s time was running out. With the main body no longer being in danger, it wasn¡¯t able to take control. Her shield was able to hold out for just long enough against the mana wyrm to prevent any serious damage.


    Yami began to laugh pitifully to herself, and began to shake Gwyndolyn awake. It would take a while to make up a story to explain all of what happened while he was unconscious.


    **** Four Hours Later ****


    As Drake finally began to wake up from his deep sleep, he sat up and looked around uncertainly, eyes still blurry and body still aching horribly from the earlier fight. As his eyes began to focus, he saw a faint, recognizable gray figure move in the corner of his vision as it began to fly over.


    Excited to see Drake awake, Yami flew over to check on him, flitting around rapidly in the air above him, before settling down and landing on his lap.


    [So you¡¯re finally awake? Are you feeling alright? Still hurting anywhere?]


    The small imp settled down on his body and began to look over him, carefully feeling out where Drake was still in pain through their bond. With his eyesight finally clearing up, he noticed the little imp sitting on his lap, worried as always.


    Well, it¡¯s not all bad I suppose. She¡¯s certainly cute when she¡¯s like this. He thought to himself.


    Tussling her hair, Drake managed a half-hearted laugh before coughing fiercely, bent over from a severe piercing pain that shocked his entire body


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t move around too much if I were you. You¡¯ve been through quite a lot.¡±


    Entering the room, Drake saw Gwyn walking up to him slowly, regret painted on her face.


    Seeing the demeanor that Gwyn had around her, Drake could clearly see that she seemed to be suffering from something. The bags under her eyes and the faint shuffle in her footsteps told him that she was probably out of mana. He knew how it felt. That much was clear from the horrendous process he had undergone when he had tried converting all of his mana to mana crystals.


    Attempting to lighten the mood, he said, ¡°You mind telling me what happened Gwyn, you don¡¯t look so good yourself hehe-¡± He was suddenly wracked by a deep, bruising cough as he tried to chuckle to himself.


    The young witch looked at Drake uncertainly, and sighed. She avoided looking him in the eyes, as she slowly eased over and sat down in a nearby chair.


    She said, ¡°After the.. blast that you were hit with, your mana acted to defend you. It¡¯s certainly unique, that much I can tell.¡±


    Putting on a half-hearted smile, Gwyndolyn did her best to ease any suspicions that Drake may have carried. It certainly wasn¡¯t normal for your attacker to be put in such a drained condition after knocking out their opponent so easily.


    Confused, Drake answered, ¡°My mana defended me? It can do that?¡±


    With a pained look on her face, Gwyndolyn continued, ¡°While I initially wanted to put you in a state of shock to force your true capability to show, it seems I went too far in the matter. Your case as a predecessor may have something to do with it, but I was handily defeated soon after you were knocked unconscious. I apologize, Drake. I went too far.¡±


    Gwyn slowly made her way out of the chair and bowed in an apologetic fashion. Sensing Drake¡¯s discomfort, Yami flew up from his lap, and slowly eased onto Drake¡¯s shoulder, nestling against his head.


    Yami, attempting to distract him, said, [What she isn¡¯t saying, is that we may have discovered your mana¡¯s true form. With our crystal style of magic, it seems that we¡¯re able to turn normally intangible mana into a hard, flexible weapon for attack and defense. The attacks she used to defend herself were physically broken and absorbed into the mass of mana, strengthening it while still continually used for offense. I¡­ may be able to help show you how it works.]


    She finished her sentence in an uncertain way, the faintest sense of fear transmitting through their link.


    Strange, she¡¯s normally very straightforward in what she thinks she is able to do.


    Rocking uncomfortably from one side to the other, Yami picked up on Drake¡¯s uncertainty and flew down in front of him, smiling widely.


    [Don¡¯t worry, I can handle it. It¡¯s¡­ just a new technique is all. I should be able to handle it.]


    As if she sensed something important, Yami flew off towards Gwyn, and sat on her shoulder for a moment, speaking with her for a few seconds before flying back to Drake.


    Yami flew circles around him in a distracting, upbeat manner, before attempting to pull him up from the bed. [Come on Drake, let¡¯s head outside. Gwyndolyn needs some time to rest, the fight drained her pretty badly. Stay just outside the house for a bit, I just need to handle something and I¡¯ll be right back.]


    Looking uncertainly at Yami, Drake shook his head for a moment as he waved away any feeling that something was off.


    He nodded to Yami, saying, [Yea, sure, do what you need to. I¡¯ll be waiting just outside the house. Just don¡¯t keep me waiting for too long.]


    Yami helped Drake off the bed, and they made their way slowly to the outside the house, where Drake slowly leaned against the exterior, his entire body still in full protest of any extra movement. They both waved to one another, smiling for a moment. Then, flying off outside of the barrier, Yami flew out of sight, leaving Drake by himself.


    Drake scowled to himself, thinking back to how Gwyn wouldn¡¯t even look him in the eyes. He wasn¡¯t experienced with frightening others, but even at a glance, he could tell she seemed to be afraid of him.


    Something¡¯s just¡­ seems off with those two. They¡¯re acting differently. Gwyn is certainly hiding something from me, like she is afraid of something that happened with me. And Yami.. I can feel that she is hiding something from me, but with her, it¡¯s like she¡¯s trying to protect me, strangely enough. What could be so important?


    The little imp had never hidden anything from him before, and their bond made it almost impossible to hide any true emotions from the other. It seemed important to her, so he¡¯d just let her keep quiet until she felt comfortable enough to tell him.


    Drake looked up at the sky, watching as he saw the faintest of figures fly high up in the atmosphere.


    He laughed, thinking about just how much the world had changed in the last couple of weeks. ¡°Ahh.. I wonder how long she¡¯ll take.¡± Drake leaned back against the house, closing his eyes to get a little bit more rest in preparation for when Yami returned.

 Chapter 4 Part 1

    Chapter 4


    Yami slowly began to make her way out of the barrier, occasionally looking back as she did.


    ¡°What am I going to do¡­ Drake is suspicious.¡± She said, her wings flitting aggressively in worry.


    The uneasiness that Drake had begun to feel as she left quickly transmitted across their link. He was certainly suspicious of their story, and he¡¯d likely have some questions when she returned.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯re one in the same. Trying to lie to each other is pointless.¡± Shaking off her worries, she began to fly faster. She looked to the outside of the barrier, and crossed over, searching for the Satyr as she did. It didn¡¯t take long to find him, if she focused for a moment, she could feel the link she had with the creature through Drake.


    She quickly came upon the Satyr. He had been sitting just outside of the protective field since Gywndolyn¡¯s barrier kept him out. Smirking slightly, she floated down in front of the large creature, a stern look now painted across her face.


    ¡°So, how was your free time? I imagine you aren¡¯t too happy with being left here.¡±


    The Satyr stared at the small imp angrily for a moment before sighing. He had been waiting outside the barrier almost since he made his contract, and it was starting to irritate him.


    ¡°What do you want, gnat? I assume you want something, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have ordered me to stay here. Can I at least go get something to eat?¡±


    Yami looked curiously at the Satyr for a moment, before a slight blush came over her face. In all the rush to take care of Drake, she had completely forgotten that when she said stay right outside the barrier, that he would almost be forced to stay right outside.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Sorry. I kinda forgot. Hehe.¡±


    She stuck her tongue out for a moment before continuing.


    ¡°This actually works out well. What is the strongest monster you think you can defeat for me?¡±


    The Satyr¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, just a faint sheen of red coming over his eyes for a split moment. With the Sin of Greed¡¯s ability, he should be able to do much more than before. Certainly, the humanoids he faced before wouldn¡¯t be able to shrug off his attacks so easily.


    ¡°If you¡¯re looking purely for speed, I should be able to kill a basilisk relatively quickly. As for a life or death fight¡­¡±


    A feral look came across the Satyr¡¯s face before quickly disappearing.


    ¡°I should be able to take almost anything down with me, as long as I can reach it. While I haven¡¯t tested it out yet, master¡¯s mana is certainly unique. Now that I¡¯ve gotten accustomed to it, I feel that this power is capable of so much more.¡±


    The Satyr began to grin as he talked, a faint red aura surrounding himself. He seemed to be fighting to keep himself calm, his entire body shivering with excitement.


    Watching the Satyr begin to lose himself as he experimented with Drake¡¯s mana, she could barely surpass the urge to sneer at him. If he expected to survive, he would need to be able to control himself better.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too confident, Satyr. If watching Drake has taught me anything, it¡¯s that you shouldn¡¯t be too confident. He has had a hard time adjusting to his magic, and I expect you¡¯d follow the same pattern.¡±


    Even Drake, who had been born with the ability to use and control mana had a difficult time with his particular type. While he certainly seemed to have control of it sometimes, at others it seemed to lash out, and with his recent outburst, now she knew the reason why.


    Thinking back on the drastic difference in power between the thing that came from Drake¡¯s mana and the style that Drake used it, Yami could only shake her head with worry. He would need to gain that power, and soon.


    ¡°In any case, go out and retrieve some monsters. Make sure to bring all the cores, and at least two of the bodies back with you. You can keep one of the monsters for yourself if you¡¯re so hungry.¡±


    ¡°Oh, is that all?¡± The Satyr stood up slowly, recalling the exact terms of the orders. He stretched for a moment before looking past the forest, towards the outskirts of the city.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose that you¡¯ll give me some free time? I¡­ have some business of my own to take care of. You know that one of the bargaining pieces for my life was the power to get revenge. If I never have the opportunity to take that revenge and you renege on that, it won¡¯t turn out well for master.¡±


    The Satyr grinned devilishly, looking at the imp as if to gauge her reaction. If he could manipulate her somehow¡­


    ¡°You¡­¡± Yami glared at the Satyr, the runes on her chest beginning to glow with a faint light.


    ¡°Agh¡­!¡± With a wave of mana, the Satyr collapsed to the ground on his knees, the ground cracking in response underneath him.


    Staring at the struggling Satyr, Yami¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, the waves of mana continually pushing the Satyr further into the ground.


    ¡°You may think you can manipulate me. After all, in your eyes I¡¯m nothing but an Imp. But, if you DARE to betray us, I will personally make sure you will pay. Dragons, Demons, even the former humans. No matter who hurts him, I will never forgive them!¡±


    The faint glow from Yami¡¯s runes began to fade, and with it the pressure that forced the Satyr to his knees. The Satyr slowly stood up, the fury behind his eyes evident.


    ¡°You¡­ little gnat! How dare you!¡± The Satyr hissed.


    Infuriated, the Satyr began to move towards Yami, until an intense pain began to sear itself on his chest. Through Yami¡¯s eyes, she could see the Demonic Dragon brand on the Satyr¡¯s chest glow a piercing red, accompanied with the faint smell of burning flesh.


    She floated over towards the Satyr, only watching passively as the Satyr struggled with the pain. After half a minute, the sounds of burning flesh stopped, and Yami began to speak with all the authority that came from a master.


    ¡°Remember that you obey me as well. I am just as much your master as Drake is. That will never change, no matter how much you may look down on me. Now go. Retrieve at least four cores and a body for Drake.¡±


    ¡°¡­. Yes.¡±


    The Satyr slowly recovered from the scorching pain on his chest, before turning his back on the small imp and walked off. Satisfied, Yami began to make her way back to Drake, to help show him how to better use the abilities.


    ****


    Situated between the Gwyn¡¯s barrier and the city, the Satyr walked through the forest. The outermost layers of the forest seemed to have been cleared by some small creatures, with the lowest layers completely stripped of anything that could be used for building small huts. All the while, the Satyr continued to march on, completely oblivious to the insignificant changes.


    Still angered by the imp, he crashed his way through the forest, breaking limbs and small trees that were too frail to withstand him. ¡°Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn!¡±


    As the Satyr made his way into the inner layers of the forest, all he could think of was his utter embarrassment at the hands of that imp.


    ¡°She thinks that just because she is connected with Master that she is so special. She¡¯s nothing but a bug!¡±


    He slammed his hand against a nearby tree, causing a slight cracking sound as the force made its way through the tree.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to make her pay one day.¡± He said with hate building in his eyes.


    As he was brooding on what happened, he heard a strange flitting noise nearby. It was faint, like the beating of a hummingbird¡¯s wings, but stronger. He quickly crouched down, hiding behind one of the nearby trees.


    What he discovered was a small, overly muscular creature, with brown fur and almost comically small wings. It seemed to be sniffing occasionally, and it was slowly making its way towards him as it did.


    The Satyr smiled, eager to find something to take his frustration out on.


    ¡°A scamp demon huh¡­ Well, there¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯ll actually eat one of the little things, but it¡¯s core should be as good as any. Hehe..¡±


    His claws fully outstretched, he waited for the scamp to draw within range, excited to test out his new abilities on something, even if it is something so weak.


    As the scamp drew closer, it stopped roughly ten feet before it reached the Satyr, and landed on the ground, kneeling.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Please, reveal yourself. I have business with you.¡±


    What the hell? What business could a weakling like that have with me? The Satyr thought to himself.


    He sighed, and walked out from the side of the tree. The Satyr slowly approached the small creature, claws fully outstretched.


    ¡°What do you want? It better be important, otherwise it won¡¯t turn out so well for you.¡± The Satyr grinned gleefully. It looks like he had found his first toy.


    ¡°A-ah.. yes. Well, you see, I have been tracking you for the past few days. Ever since you ascended to a Lord, I have been looking for the traces of your mana. You were quite hard to find. There was one earlier as well, but they disappeared quickly. Although they seemed to be slightly different from you...¡± There was a momentary pause as the scamp¡¯s eyes narrowed for a moment, as if he was thinking about something important. ¡°Hmm, no matter.¡±


    The small scamp seemed very nervous to the Satyr. The way that it stammered on, as well as the way that it wouldn¡¯t look him in the eyes. Yes, it certainly knew its place.


    ¡°So, in accordance with my master¡¯s wishes, I am here to bring you to him. He wishes to work with you.¡±


    As the Satyr watched the small scamp explain himself, his eyes widened in surprise. The little bug who had managed to follow him here was obviously was led here by his master¡¯s mana. What was more surprising was how he was actually mistaken for his master. It must be understood that the difference between a servant¡¯s mana and their master¡¯s is almost night and day, and even those demons who are made for battle are at most at half the power of their master. Otherwise, it would be too simple for those demons to become Lords themselves. What this small demon had actually told him was much more important than he realized.


    He smiled with glee, a murderous look clear in the Satyr¡¯s eyes now.


    ¡°Oh you dumb, insignificant little demon. You mistake someone as great as my master with a demon who doesn¡¯t even have a name yet.¡±


    The Satyr slowly made his way over to the scamp, his master¡¯s mana flowing through him.


    ¡°I can tell that you have Pride¡¯s mana in you, however small the amount. What kind of half-baked Lord would send someone like you to find another Lord. Does he really think someone like you could capture them, let alone stop them from killing you?¡±


    Chuckling to himself, he watched as the small scamp visibly shake in place, an indignant look on its face. The presence from the Satyr was starting to take its toll on the small demon.


    ¡°Y-you wouldn¡¯t dare! My lord is powerful! He would come after you, a-and¡­ with only your level of strength, you wouldn¡¯t stand a chance!¡±


    The scamp was clearly putting up a front in an attempt to intimidate the Satyr. In a one on one fight, scamps were only useful for cannon fodder, as they had no real offensive abilities besides those given by their masters.


    Laughing in a sinister fashion, the Satyr rushed forward, grabbing the scamp by his throat, before lifting him in the air.


    ¡°So, just what ability does your master have? Pride demons are quite particular about their powers after all. Now.. show me!¡±


    The Satyr gripped down on the scamp¡¯s neck, slowly suffocating the small creature.


    ¡°A-ack..¡±


    In a rush of smoke, the small scamp disappeared between the Satyr¡¯s hand, swiftly materializing a few feet away, clearly close to passing out from the strain.


    The Satyr laughed to himself for a moment, clearly sneering at the pitiful amount of powerf given to the weak demon. ¡°Ha! That¡¯s the extent of the power he gave you? Your lord truly didn¡¯t value your life. As for me¡­¡±


    Swiftly rushing over to the scamp again, he grabbed the scamp by the skull. His talons sunk into the scamp¡¯s skin, a faint glow of mana emanating from the Satyr¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Aaaaackk¡­ What.. are you doing? This¡­ isn¡¯t G-greed¡¯s power.¡±


    The Satyr began to smile in an almost maniacal manner, his eyes glowing with a red sheen. His master¡¯s powers were truly useful.


    ¡°You idiot. I¡¯m not a Lord. I never was. You are looking for my master, but you¡¯ll never find him. After all.. you¡¯re dying here today.¡±


    In a rush of mana, the scamp began to be covered in a red aura, resulting in the small creature¡¯s skin slowly beginning to shrivel up as he was held in place.


    ¡°I can.. still escape!¡±


    As the scamp focused on his mark, he tried to activate his Void Smoke ability, but quickly realized something was wrong.


    With a look of shock coming across the Scamp¡¯s eyes, he stammered, ¡°Your lord¡­ is a greed variant?¡±


    With a last maniacal laugh, he said, ¡°You¡¯ll never know. Now die.¡±


    The Satyr initially enjoyed slowly draining the scamp of all his mana, but now his powers activated in full force.


    ¡°A-aahh¡­ P-please.. stop¡­.¡±


    As he spoke his dying words, the scamp quickly shriveled up, and after only ten seconds, the corpse of the scamp dropped to the ground, shriveled up like an old prune.


    ¡°Hmph, Master will be interested in this one. I wish the opposing lord would have sent more of a challenge though, such a weak creature is unbefitting of me.¡±


    He peered at the corpse for a moment, before quickly stabbing into the corpse with his talons, exposing a faint, gray mana core. Glancing at the corpse of the Scamp, he sighed for a moment, and began to cut out a small piece of the leathery fur with his talons. Satisfied with the small scrap of leather, he quickly fashioned a rudimentary bag, storing away the core in the new satchel. As he finished, he looked towards the outskirts of the city, an almost desperate look in his eyes.


    ¡°Just a little more time¡­ Just wait.¡±


    Turning back to the forest, he began to look for other monsters, preferably ones that were more appetizing.


    ****


    Yami quickly made her way back through the barrier and back over to Drake, who seemed to have waited right next to Gwyn¡¯s hut the entire time she was gone. Thankfully, Gwyn¡¯s barrier blocked out the moment when she lost her cool with the Satyr earlier. If Drake felt that, he would likely have had a lot of questions when she got back.


    Soon, she had made her way back over to Gwyndolyn¡¯s small cabin, the familiar multi-colored smoke conspicuously missing from the roof. Spotting Drake laying on the side, she quickly flew towards him.


    As Yami made her way over, she yelled out, [Hey Drake! Sorry if I took so long. I had to plan some things out with our new friend. The Satyr is gonna get us some food, and some more cores to help stabilize yourself. You¡¯re probably a bit drained after that last fight.]


    Drake looked up suddenly from his dozing, and smiled. The small imp¡¯s cheerful nature always made him happy.


    [I¡¯ll have to tell that Satyr thanks when I see him. I doubt you would have been able to carry me here by yourself.]


    [Hmph! I would have managed somehow.] She pouted for a moment, putting on her best show of being upset, before sticking out her tongue playfully.


    Drake smirked for a moment, a large toothy grin showing through.


    [It¡¯s hard to act upset when we can feel each other¡¯s feeling, huh Yami?] His voice clearly mocking her display.


    She floated over, landing between Drake¡¯s horns and made herself comfortable.


    [Cheater.]


    Laughing, Drake slowly got up, groaning as he did. The pains of whatever Gwyn did to him really took its toll.


    [That last fight really took it out of me. I feel sore all over.] Drake laughed for a small moment, before his face hardened, something clearly on his mind. Looking up, he glanced at Yami who was hanging in his line of sight.


    [Yami, just what happened? Please, trust me.]


    She felt her heart begin to stammer rapidly at his sudden questioning. Would it really be right to tell him? If he knew about what happened while he was unconscious, he might try to talk to whatever¡­ it was. But, whatever that thing was, the entity inside of Drake seemed to want to keep him safe, even if that was purely for itself. But¡­ No. She trusted him. He had never shown any signs of that hateful glare, those eyes that so clearly wanted to kill her.


    Assuring herself, she slowly floated off Drake¡¯s head, her heart still beating heavily in her chest. She turned to him slowly, cautious.


    [Drake, have you ever felt or seen any strange things with your mana?]


    Drake cocked his head to the side, bewildered. As far as he knew, his mana was pretty normal. Sure, he had customized it to work for himself instead of using the troublesome mana that seemed to exude from everything else, but since he figured out from Gwyn that he had demonic mana, he assumed that was the real reason why he was able to what he did.


    [Strange? What do you mean? Sure, I have trouble controlling it sometimes, but that¡¯s just because I¡¯m not used to it yet.]


    Yami shook her head, eager to dispel any those notions.


    [Drake, that isn¡¯t it. You said that you were human once, right? Well, just why are you in control? What happened to the Draconian that was supposed to form?]


    Drake thought to himself for a moment, and in his eyes he began to understand. Sure, he was in control of his body, but did the monster that was supposed to take over form after all?


    [You think there¡¯s something else inside of me?]


    Yami shook her head emphatically, the worry and fear she felt clearly seeping into Drake.


    [Drake, we know something is. It attacked Gwyndolyn whenever you were knocked unconscious. Either because it was angry for damaging what it views as its body, or because it was able to without you in control.]


    Drake stared at the ground, and began to think back to whenever he used his magic. Whenever he started to lose control, it began to lash out more, like it was eager to attack. And it always seemed to resist his control or act on its own during his fights.


    Wait¡­


    [Yami, have you ever noticed me act strangely during a fight?]


    She shook her head slowly, clear on that point.


    [I¡¯ve never seen you act out of the ordinary. You were a little battle hungry when I first met you, but ever since then you¡¯ve been better. Honestly, you scared me a bit when you were so eager to fight that Dire Bear, but since our contract, I haven¡¯t noticed anything.]


    Drake smirked slightly, thinking back to his first fight with the humans. It seemed like such a long time ago.


    [Yami, back before I met you, I lost control. Almost killed a couple of humans the moment I felt danger. Now that I think back to it, I shouldn¡¯t have been like that. I went from trying to escape to wanting to murder them at the flip of a switch.]


    Taking his hands, Drake held Yami, her tiny body sitting between his scaly hands and looked straight into her eyes.


    [Yami, just what did that contract do? Gwyn seemed to tiptoe around mentioning it, and I already know that it¡¯s different from a normal contract. Just what is it? Why does Gwyn seem so afraid of telling me anything about it?] Drake¡¯s voice echoed through their bond, the worry resonating deep within her.


    She stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating just what to say while Drake waited patiently for the answer.


    Sighing, she looked Drake in the eyes, the fear in their link once again transmitting over to Drake.


    [You said we were friends. You were my only friend. So I linked us, mind and body. You were so unsure about this world, and I had no real power to protect you, and a normal contract isn¡¯t what you wanted¡­]


    Yami shook her head slowly, tears slowly beginning to form. Drake had to understand¡­ if not¡­


    [That light that you saw came from me during the contract. We each shared part of our souls. That¡¯s what makes us Kindred. That¡¯s why we share emotions. It¡¯s why I¡¯m able to help you, share information that otherwise would be impossible to easily transmit. It¡¯s why¡­ It¡¯s why¡­ ]


    As she began to speak, he could feel her inner emotions become more chaotic, more disjointed. It was likely she was extremely afraid of how this would affect his opinion of her.


    While she was speaking, Drake stayed quiet. He had a feeling their contract was something similar to what she mentioned. It was likely why Gwyn was so hostile at first. No normal Draconian would ever make a contract like that, so she must have thought that he was planning something.


    Drake gave a self-depreciating laugh, and pet Yami, feeling her soft hair as he did. Yami looked up, her dewy eyes still looking up at Drake.


    [Yami, I don¡¯t regret it, so stop giving me that look. It hurts a bit when you look at me like that.]


    He smiled, putting Yami back on his head, and going out into the field.


    [I would do it all over again Yami, so don¡¯t worry. Also, thank you for telling me about what happened. I doubt Gwyn would have trusted me with that. Now onto more important problems.]


    Standing up, he stretched for a moment, eager to shake off any of the pain from earlier. He seemed to be getting better, however slowly. Spotting an open area within the barrier, he walked over, with Yami still sitting curiously on his head.


    ¡°Well, this is a better time than any.¡± Drake murmured, a faint uneasiness tainting Drake¡¯s voice.


    Drake slowly picked Yami off his head, letting her slowly float off in front on him, a curious look on her face.


    [Yami, teach me how that thing fought.]

 Chapter 4 Part 2

    Part 2


    ¡°Well, he lasted longer than expected, that¡¯s for certain.¡±


    Absalom sat on his throne, tapping it in an annoyed fashion. Of course, he hadn¡¯t actually expected the small Scamp to make it very far, but it always annoyed him whenever his servants died. That small tinge of power, disappearing altogether, leaving him slightly weaker. It bothered him, but, all of them had their own uses, and the Scamps he owned were practically made for the messenger role.


    He sighed for a moment, still tapping on his throne furiously.


    ¡°Did he arrive with his message, or did the little fool die before he managed? Or was he killed exactly because of his message, as a way of challenging me¡­¡± Absalom stared into empty space, judging whether or not the Lord he had sent a message to was truly a threat.


    Staring off into the distance, he pondered to himself for only a moment before making his decision. With a wave of his hand, an ephemeral, dark sphere appeared in front of him. A runic circle quickly formed underneath, and the sphere soon began to spin slowly before disappearing in place.


    Within moments, three figures of smoke materialized in front of him, before quickly forming into their natural forms. All three would seemed human at first glance, if it weren¡¯t for their unnaturally pale skin. Their long silver hair was tied up into a ponytail that descended from one side of their heads, with deep purple pupils filled with an absolutely reverent look.


    ¡°Our lord, how may we serve you?¡±


    Their voices answered in unison, a faint hollow sound ringing within their voices, as if they weren¡¯t used to speaking in their form.


    Absalom smiled. These three were nothing more than doppelgangers, but the utility of their forms made them ideal assassins. He had arranged them together shortly after he met them, forming the ultimate force for subterfuge and ensuring that he had the perfect candidates for missions such as this.


    ¡°One of the bugs I sent out to make contact with a new Lord died. I need you to trace his path, discover what he was killed by and how. Then, if it is unlikely that the new Lord was directly responsible, contact them and tell them this. Submit to me, and you shall live. If he refuses, kill him. I have no need for a new Lord so close to my domain.¡±


    All three bowed in unison, before swiftly disappearing into smoke. He could feel them quickly leave the bounds of his domain, tracing the path the Scamp made. They should arrive within half a day at the least. It should be child¡¯s play to find a Lord¡¯s magic from there. After that, it would only be a matter of time before the Lord submitted to him or was killed.


    He smiled, his sharp teeth shining in the dark castle.


    ¡°I wonder what their answer will be?¡±


    ****


    In the open plain near Gwyn¡¯s small hut, Drake and Yami were about to begin training.


    Standing across from one another, they each took a position, with Drake in a fairly carefree stance, and with Yami focusing on the contract sigil in the center of her chest.


    [Alright Drake, from what I understand, the method of focusing your mana into solid shards or different weapons, while useful, drastically reduces the versatility of your power.]


    Yami took a long breath, and slowly drew out a long, wispy layer of mana. She attempted to focus it together, keeping it malleable, but strong. She snaked it around her small form, much in the same way that she saw it always seemed to surround Drake, but her brows were furrowed in frustration.


    The mana she controlled certainly was similar to Drake¡¯s. The tendency to engulf the surrounding mana and convert it to its own type was the same, but she could tell that it simply wasn¡¯t the same. All she could do was imitate what she saw when Drake¡¯s mana manipulated itself and attacked Gwyn. At least then, maybe it would give him an idea of how to control it.


    She sighed, and thought to herself, Something isn¡¯t right. This isn¡¯t how the mana wyrm used Drake¡¯s magic.


    She released her concentration, letting the small amount of mana disappear into the air, and looked to Drake.


    [So that¡¯s how it works. Letting the mana become almost solid, allowing it to block attacks while at the same time going on the offensive. It¡¯s a very unique way of using your mana, and it¡¯s likely why your aura tends to go wild when you¡¯re in battle. You are subconsciously attempting to use that style of attack.]


    Now let¡¯s just hope he can do what I can¡¯t, she thought.


    As Drake watched Yami control the small stream of mana back and forth, something about it immediately struck him as wrong. At a glance, he could tell that she was attempting to partially solidify the mana itself, which was very similar to the process Drake used to form his shards. It would result in being able to slow down attacks certainly, but to completely stop the powerful attacks Gwyn was using? He had attempted to do that with his solidified mana only to be defeated.


    Whenever he fought the humans and even some of the new monsters, his mana reacted and moved very differently. How his aura reacted to incoming attacks wasn¡¯t at all how Yami was attempting to imitate the process. It was as if¡­ the mana itself was trying to drain and block the attack.


    If he was correct, what Yami was trying to explain is that his mana takes away what gives magic its power at its very base. It wasn¡¯t any conscious process of trying to solidify the mana, that would only result in a partial failure. It would certainly have some effect, but certainly not how Yami was describing it.


    What it needs is¡­


    Drake breathed out deeply, focusing himself. His aura always radiated out from him in extremely dense amounts when he fought. So¡­


    ¡°Haaa!¡± Drake yelled.


    In a rush of red mana, the area surrounding him suddenly became tinted with a red hue, becoming darker with each passing second as the concentration increased. The mana surrounding him suddenly began to be transformed as it touched Drake¡¯s own aura, and he continued to force the mana within him out. Trying to imitate how he felt when he was in danger was much more difficult than he first expected. It was as if something was attempting to stop him.


    ¡°I need more¡­¡± He strained.


    Looking within himself, he looked to his mana core. Still only half formed, it was spinning at a rapid rate, attempting to convert and put out as much mana as possible. It certainly was potent, but he seemed to have hit a limit that he felt he couldn¡¯t force himself past. He cut himself off from his mana core and looked to Yami.


    [Hey Yami, do you know anything about mana cores?]


    Yami gave Drake a curious look, as he was still fully surrounded by his aura. The effects of it were apparent, as the surrounding mana was continually being drawn to the various strands of red mana as the remnants of his aura dissipated.


    [Well, I know that some types of humanoids have them. Typically, just the more magically gifted races have them, although some of the more mixed monsters have them as well, given how human-like they can be. Of course, demons do as well, although for them it¡¯s normally just influenced by how powerful the monster cores they eat are.]


    Drake laughed for a bit before turning to the outside. Demonic magic was so based around defeating others and absorbing their cores that he was happy he had gotten as far as he had.


    [So demons need more cores, huh? Guess that shouldn¡¯t really surprise me. I guess I¡¯ll have to go out and get some then.]


    He sighed to himself, and began to make his way outside of the barrier. If he was going to put out enough mana to cover himself and willingly use his power, he¡¯d need a more powerful core, at least according to his theory. Yami turned to Drake and quickly flew over to him, hovering at his side as he walked.


    [You don¡¯t need to go out and hunt for any, honest. I already have it taken care of. I was worried about your physical condition, so I sent our servant to take care of some errands for you.]


    [Servant?]


    Drake looked at Yami for a moment before it hit him.


    [Oh right, the Satyr.] Drake scratched the back of his head in an irritated fashion. He wanted to finish this up quickly.


    [Well, do you know how long he¡¯s going to take? It looks like I will need them to be able to make the technique you showed me work.]Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Wide-eyed, Yami stared at Drake, admiration building in her heart.


    [You mean you figured out how to make it work? It didn¡¯t look like you managed it though.]


    He waved his hand dismissively, a smile on his face.


    [It¡¯s more of a matter that I can¡¯t make it work right now, I believe. I just need to finish my own mana core, and it should work. It feels like I¡¯m just hitting a brick wall, and that¡¯s the only real reason I can think of.]


    She smiled and gave him a starry-eyed gaze at Drake, before rushing over to Drake and wrapping her arms around Drake¡¯s neck.


    [You¡¯re fantastic, Drake! Gwyn said that she had trouble analyzing just how your mana was capable of it. She said you¡¯d need to feel things out for a while before you had any real ideas, but it only took you a moment to find the solution.]


    Smiling cheerfully, he detached Yami from his neck and placed her in-between his horns.


    [Don¡¯t be too happy, I still need the cores to make sure that¡¯s the issue. Are you able to get in touch with the Satyr at all? I¡¯m still kinda new at this whole Lord thing.]


    [Ah..]


    Drake heard a small gasp above his head, and heard her begin to laugh depreciatively. It looked like she didn¡¯t know either.


    [Well¡­ we can search for him easy enough. After all, he has your mana after all.]


    As she spoke, her head peeked into the edge of his vision and Yami stuck out her tongue playfully. Drake laughed for a moment.


    Well, that¡¯s certainly one way to find him. I wonder what he is like anyway.


    [So, are you able to track him similar to how you found Gwyn? I¡¯m still not sure how that little trick works.]


    She laughed quite haughtily, sticking her small chest out proudly.


    [It¡¯s amazing right. My ability, that is. If I know who I¡¯m looking for, I can find them better than any tracker.]


    She obviously was attempting to impress Drake. It seems she was starting to feel outmatched by him in pure strength and was using her other abilities to compensate.


    [Yes, yes. Good job Yami. I can always count on you.]


    Drake placed his hand on her head and rubbed back and forth, watching the small imp squirm in place as she enjoyed the process.


    [So, let¡¯s get to work. Once you locate him, grab onto me and I¡¯ll rush over. No point in wasting any time.]


    She nodded, and quickly glyphs began to build around her. They quickly circled her, locking into place before disappearing in a faint flash of light. Turning to Drake, she pointed towards the exterior of the forest, near the city.


    [It seems that the Satyr is on the move. He¡¯s moving quickly through the forest. Come on, I¡¯ll track him.]


    [Right.]


    Wrapping herself around Drake¡¯s neck, they both bolted off towards the forest.


    ****


    ¡°Just one more and I¡¯ll be finished with this damn task.¡±


    So far, he had almost finished the job that damned imp had given him. He had managed to pick up a decent meal for himself in the form of a small, horned creature, and had already collected all the cores he needed besides one. The meal he picked up looked very similar to a fennec fox, but with a small red horn in the middle of its forehead. It gave him quite a bit of trouble for its size surprisingly. It relied on hit and run tactics, climbing the various trees around the forest and firing off beams of light before leaping to the next tree and repeating the process.


    While the small thing certainly did no real damage, getting hit with beams of light that burned away at his skin with every blast was certainly unpleasant, and so he was forced to play the creatures own game and climb the trees after it. He quickly caught it soon afterwards, and killed it, leaving the corpse fresh to eat.


    He was currently sprinting on the outskirts of the forest, on the lookout for any potential creatures. While the strange fox-like creature was certainly weaker, the other two cores he had obtained so far he had gotten through luck.


    While he was walking through the forest, he stumbled across a troll near the river and quickly overpowered it with his new ability. Draining it dry completely counteracted the normal regeneration ability that made them so troublesome to deal with. Luckily, while he was there, he noticed a river nymph who was watching him. It was a mistake for her not to dive and swim away, as she was quickly killed as well, although he tried to make it quick. He still remembered how he felt in his past life, however brief. He wouldn¡¯t subject it to his master¡¯s powers to torture it so needlessly.


    He certainly had an easy time finding the cores he needed, but now, irritation was written all over his face. He had been searching for quite a long time now but¡­


    ¡°The real issue is that nothing is around here anymore!¡± He yelled.


    It was a simple truth. Once the surrounding creatures discovered that there was a powerful demon killing others on sight, any semi-intelligent creature would try to hide right away. Only the small fox creature had been brave enough to harass him, and even that resulted in its death.


    Frustrated, he stopped running, looking around closely at the surrounding environment. There had to be something nearby, he just had to look hard enough.


    A strange feeling came over the Satyr, and he turned towards the interior of the forest. Something powerful was moving towards him and fast. It felt familiar, but he couldn¡¯t be sure.


    Tensing up, he instinctively braced himself for whatever was racing towards him.


    ¡°Ah¡­ master¡­¡±


    After anticipating a powerful opponent, what appeared in front of him was strangely his master.


    ¡°Why wasn¡¯t he still within the barrier training with¡­¡±


    Looking to the small imp, his eyes narrowed with hate.


    ¡°That thing¡­¡±


    *****


    Drake took a moment to stretch a bit after his run. It seems that he still should have been taking it a bit easier after his battle with Gwyn. His muscles were still aching, and all the extra strain from moving around so much was starting to take its toll.


    [So this is my servant, right Yami?]


    She nodded steadily, returning the hateful glare of the Satyr with a rather righteous look of her own, sitting smugly on Drake¡¯s shoulder.


    [Yep, that¡¯s him alright. He should have the cores you need. If he¡¯s as good as he says he is.]


    Drake stared at the Satyr for a moment. Since his transformation into a Lord, it was actually taller than him now, yet surprisingly, he didn¡¯t feel any pressure coming from the creature at all.


    If I had to guess, my instincts probably help determine whether something is actually dangerous or not. Although I¡¯m not sure how trustworthy it is, considering it¡¯s only been a little while since I¡¯ve had this body.


    Shrugging off the thought, Drake thought back to his conversation with Gwyn before their small battle.


    He muttered to himself, saying, ¡°So I need to make a connection¡­¡±


    He looked to the Satyr, and extended his scaled hand towards the creature. Ever so steadily, a faint stream of mana flowed out of his hands and towards the Satyr¡¯s chest. The Satyr tilted his head curiously, obviously not understanding what his master was attempting.


    As the mana reached the Satyr, it began to flow into him, changing from a faint stream and solidifying into a faint red line connecting them together. After a brief moment, it disappeared, leaving them looking at each other.


    ¡°So¡­ did that work?¡±


    ¡°Did what work, master?¡± The Satyr asked inquisitively.


    Hearing the deep, beastly voice coming from the Satyr without any issues, Drake smiled widely.


    ¡°Yo! Nice to finally talk to you.¡± Drake lifted his hand up in greeting, leaving the Satyr slightly unsettled.


    ¡°A-ah, yes. It¡¯s good to speak with you as well, master.¡± He answered in return.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re supposed to have some cores for me, right?¡± Drake said in an upbeat manner.


    The Satyr stared at Drake for a short moment, before blinking awake and hurryingly taking out a small, fur sack of monster cores.


    ¡°A-ah¡­ here, master. I haven¡¯t managed to collect all of them yet, but please be assured, I should have the last one the imp requested soon.¡±


    Drake quickly waved his hand in a dismissive motion, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, if this is all I need, then it won¡¯t really matter if you had more.¡±


    ¡°R-right¡­¡± Satyr answered nervously.


    Yami stared at the Satyr disapprovingly, before she began talking to the Satyr in her small, bell-like voice. He noticed curiously that the Satyr seemed to glare incessantly at her whenever she talked, and even Drake could tell that Yami seemed to be scolding him for something.


    [What was that about?] He asked.


    Yami gave the Satyr one last look before turning to Drake.


    [He was so sure he would be able to find the cores that you needed to heal, but he couldn¡¯t even do that. So, I was telling him to not be so confident, because it¡¯d likely get him killed.]


    She puffed her cheeks out quite adorably before continuing. [Why¡¯d we get stuck with such a battle hungry race. They¡¯re entirely too prideful and confident, and he won¡¯t listen to me.]


    Of course, it isn¡¯t entirely because of the Satyr¡¯s disdain for the imp that he wouldn¡¯t listen. Satyr¡¯s are essentially Nymphs who were exposed to too much demonic mana. During the time that Drake was deep in stasis due to his breakthrough, monsters began to spawn. It was purely bad luck that a small group of Nymphs spawned so close to his home. They were affected by the leftover mana from Drake¡¯s crystals, and transformed as a result.


    However, ever since the Satyr was transformed from Drake¡¯s rampant mana crystals, he had a fairly simple attitude towards life. Gain power to protect the others who were transformed with him. Since they were killed, he decided he had no reason to live on, and made his way towards the powerful demon who he suspected had a role in changing him and his brothers in the first place.


    The initial attitude of the imp explained it all for him, or at least he thought. Overbearing and controlling, he thought it was likely the strange demon he made a contract with was similar, and so was fairly uninterested in helping his master unless he was explicitly ordered to. But now¡­


    ¡°Um, master.¡±


    Drake turned away from his conversation with Yami, and looked towards him expectantly.


    Extending his hand, he held out the bundle of cores towards Drake. ¡°Here are the cores you need. Also, I have a request. Please, follow me to the humanoid¡¯s settlement and help me take revenge.


    A sudden burst of chattering came from Drake¡¯s shoulder. Yami was clearly angry with the Satyr, although he wasn¡¯t quite sure why.


    [Yami, calm down. We can at least hear him out on just what he wants to do.]


    Turning to Drake, she shook her head furiously, her wings beating in a vicious manner.


    [Drake, he couldn¡¯t even finish a small task I gave him, and he is already asking you for favors. You need to stand up to him. He is putting us in danger for his own selfish reasons, and there¡¯s no reason for you to help him directly. The contract was power for his freedom. That¡¯s all.]


    Yami looked downward, staring at the cold forest floor before looking up, a determined look obvious across her face.


    [Drake, I understand what you are wanting to do. You want to help him. And that¡¯s what I love so dearly about you. But¡­]


    She turned to the Satyr, a clear look of disdain across her face.


    [Demons will just betray you the first chance they get. They can¡¯t be trusted. None of them.]


    As she was talking to Drake, he began to see her eyes begin to sparkle with the faint traces of tears beginning to well up. A deep feeling of distrust and fear was being transmitted across their link as well, and it was clear what Yami was afraid of.


    Drake smiled slightly, and placed his hand across the head of the small imp. She looked him in the eyes, and immediately looked away.


    [Yami, you¡¯re a demon too, right?]


    She nodded slowly, a faint sniffle coming from her as she looked down towards the ground.


    [But I would never hurt you Drake¡­ and he would probably do anything.] She responded.


    He ruffled her soft hair back and forth, leaving it in disarray as he lifted her out of the air and placed her back on his shoulder.


    [Then we need to trust him like you trust me. He hasn¡¯t done anything to suggest he is planning anything, and until then, I¡¯ll treat him just as I would you. Making an enemy out of those who serve me seems like an easy way to do exactly what you¡¯re afraid of, right?]


    [Right¡­] She said, the faintest of responses echoing in Drake¡¯s mind.


    Drake chuckled to himself before he turned to the Satyr and began to approach him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you, but first, I need to rest up and train a bit more, can you wait for that?¡±


    The Satyr smiled for a moment, still unsure of what to make of Drake. Then, he bowed, thankful that for now, he seemed to have a generous master.


    ¡°Of course, master.¡±

 Chapter 4 Part 3

    The corpse of a small Scamp was kicked lightly, resulting in a faint, dry crackling sound that was horribly similar to dead leaves.


    ¡°Hm, it¡¯s dead.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°But what killed it?¡±


    As the three doppelgangers surrounded the shriveled up corpse of the Scamp, they began to debate among each other on what to do next. Their orders were rather specific, but given the vague death of the scamp, it was certainly difficult in telling just what killed it in such a way.


    ¡°So what now?¡±


    ¡°Find the Lord, that was master¡¯s command.¡±


    ¡°Kill him right away, if he won¡¯t submit.¡±


    They all nodded towards each other, before quickly shifting into the shapeless, smoke form gifted by their master. Silently gliding over the land, they began to make their way towards the mana of the new lord, leaving only the faintest of smoke trails behind them.


    *****


    Looking across to the Satyr, Drake held out his hands expectantly, and Satyr quickly placed his makeshift satchel of monster cores in it.


    ¡°Thanks, this should help me make it to the next step.¡± Drake replied happily. With this, he could hopefully make it to the next step, and perfect the technique that Yami showed him.


    Taken aback by Drake¡¯s strange attitude, the Satyr responded in a rather unsteady fashion.


    ¡°A-ah, of course master, there¡¯s no need to thank me of course, it was my order.¡±


    Drake stared at the Satyr strangely, and laughed to himself. It seems that the average response for an order wasn¡¯t exactly a thanks in return. Unless he was forced to, he didn¡¯t want to force the Satyr to do anything he was against, which resulted in this situation.


    He thought to himself for a moment, and smiled deviously. Yami certainly seemed unnerved and a bit embarrassed at first, but she quickly grew to love it, so¡­


    ¡°Satyr, I imagine it would get old pretty quick just calling you by your race, right?¡±


    Yami, who had been fairly downcast since her and Drake¡¯s discussion, immediately perked up, and began to listen intensely. Given that she had been almost asleep between Drake horns before, this was a sudden shift in attitude.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother me, master. I don¡¯t expect to ever be given a name, and neither should any demon.¡± The Satyr said in a rather straightforward way.


    Drake laughed inwardly. While it was certainly different in tone, it was the same thought. Names shouldn¡¯t just be given out, and those who had names were among some of the most important, as they were powerful enough to be seen as an individual.


    [Drake, you¡¯re going to give him a name?]


    The question from Yami was reserved. It didn¡¯t have any traces of anger at the Satyr, nor any envy. It was a simple, honest question.


    [At the very least, he¡¯s the first on my journey to become what I am. It would be a shame if he was left nameless while others came along. Also¡­]


    Picking up Yami from in between his horns, he sat her on his shoulders, nuzzling her small frame with his face.


    [You¡¯ll always be my Yami. Don¡¯t let anyone else tell you differently. You¡¯ll always be special to me as the first friend that I made in this new world, and the one that I will always trust. So don¡¯t let yourself be jealous, alright?]


    As the oblivious Satyr watched the private conversation, Yami took a moment to herself, and flew up off Drake¡¯s shoulder. She smirked, and then began to smile widely. Taking her hands, she put them to both sides, and thrust her petite chest out proudly.


    [Hm, let myself be jealous. Drake, it seems you still think too lightly of me. I would never do such a thing. But¡­] Flitting towards Drake, she stopped next to his head, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.


    [Thank you.] She said sweetly.


    Drake only smiled slightly, and turned back to the Satyr, who watched the strange interaction with a neutral expression.


    ¡°So, do you want a name?¡±


    ¡°A-ah, master?¡±


    The sudden question took the Satyr by complete surprise. Given his disposition, he expected that he might never receive a name. For the first time, the serious expression of the Satyr dropped, leaving him with a dumbstruck look.


    ¡°Master, you can¡¯t intend to¡­¡±


    Smiling, Drake cut him off.


    ¡°How do you like the name, Therion Alpha? I think it suits you quite well. Shortened to Therion, of course.¡± Drake said in a mischievous manner.


    ¡°Master, you can¡¯t just-¡±


    ¡°Forget trying to convince him, Therion.¡±


    Floating off Drake, Yami turned to the Satyr with a strangely blank expression, only cracking a smile after a moment.


    Attempting to hide her smirk, she said, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to convince him when he has his mind made up. I tried the same, and lost just as badly. And this was even before a contract, mind you. Have you ever heard of such a thing?¡±


    Yami ended her sentence with a snicker, eyeing Drake out of the corner of her eye with a sweet smile.


    ¡°He¡¯s just that sort of person. So, accept it graciously. Otherwise you might annoy him, and that wouldn¡¯t do, right?¡± She said with a wink.


    The Satyr looked between the two for a moment, and then sighed reluctantly, before walking forward to bow.


    ¡°Thank you, master.¡±


    Drake could barely contain his smile, and quickly turned away from the Satyr, saying, ¡°Yea, yea. Come on, let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Flying up next to Drake, Yami asked, ¡°What do you mean? Aren¡¯t you going to eat them here?¡±


    Drake shook his head emphatically, lifting up the small bag of cores. Even with the bag resembling something like a patch of roadkill, the cores inside still shined ever so slightly, resulting in a faint glow.


    ¡°Listen, you two don¡¯t know this, but something always bad happens when I go to a new step. Hell, when I first gained a mana core, even with it only half-formed, I was out for God knows how long. When I woke up, you guys had already started to spawn. Even when I turned into a Lord, I passed out from the pain. So¡­¡±


    Drake dangled the bag of cores.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to eat these here.


    Both Therion and Yami looked to each other quizzically, watching as Drake began to make his way back to Gwyn¡¯s barrier.


    ¡°Spawn? What does that mean?¡± Therion asked.


    Yami gained an intelligent expression, holding one finger up in the air.


    ¡°I think it has something to do with the creation of new species, although I¡¯m not sure what that has to do with me. While your species is created with demonic mana, I was created by the Creator¡¯s themselves. I¡¯m not sure why he referred to me as well. Strange.¡±


    ¡°Hey! What are you guys doing? Hurry up.¡±


    [Coming!]


    ¡°Right.¡±


    *****


    ¡°I made a mistake.¡± Gwyn muttered.


    Gwyndolyn, a witch of Izalith, came from several sources. Like all the monsters in the world, they could stay true to particular myths or tales, or take from several sources, adding them all to make a greater whole. As for her own particular type, she was made with an even mix in mind. Almost human, but not quite. Containing both the power of magic and sorcery, which most monsters were unable to effectively use, while at the same time belonging to the ¡°beast races¡±, making their own decisions with that in mind. And, above all, coveting and constantly working towards greater magics.


    For Gwyn in particular, she had already been born with the talent to cast a variety of magic, with her trump card being gravity magic. Being exposed to such a powerful mixture of magics like Drake¡¯s intrigued her immensely. If she could somehow study and imitate such magic, she could quickly become even more powerful. However, such talent came at a terrible cost.


    Witches, as a race, are often hunted down by others. Initially, they are weak and feeble, only able to conjure up the most pitiful of magic outside their own domain. Gwyn¡¯s barrier was such an example of this, both protecting her and empowering her immensely, but leaving her almost defenseless outside. Their tendency to appear as beautiful women had also endangered several who were caught defenseless by the humanoid races. So, Gwyn was left alone, trapped in a cage of her own making. That is, until Drake and Yami came along.


    Laying down on her bed, she closed her eyes, thinking back to her battle against the monstrosity that Drake¡¯s mana had conjured.


    That mana wyrm that came from Drake. It was meant to be the true inheritor. That alone explains the frightful aura that always seems to seep out of him. If he wasn¡¯t able to use his abilities, he wouldn¡¯t seem so frightening, but that thing seems to have all the knowledge the Creator¡¯s gave him.


    Gwyn furrowed her brow, and quickly grabbed a discrete container of liquid. The slight brown color, and the way it burned down her throat quickly gave it away as alcohol. She had traded one of her potions for the strange concoction only a few days after her creation, trading it to a simple goblin who had come across it, although it was more out of curiosity than for any real need.


    Thinking back to her fight with him, she thought of what she said out of frustration, quickly downing a quarter of the burning liquid down her throat.


    ¡°You¡¯re privileged in comparison, and don¡¯t even know why!¡± Her words before the battle she had with Drake echoed in her mind.


    She smiled faintly, a deep sadness exuding from her smile. Maybe I was too hard on him. He¡¯s still a child compared to all the others. He barely knows how to control his own power, and I was just taking out my own weakness on him. Weakness that was taken advantage of at the worst possible moment.


    As Gwyn thought back, she hiccuped slightly, the alcohol beginning to wear away at the mask she always wore to keep herself detached. She took a moment to gaze out her window, the bright blue sky marred by faint smoke trails coming up from the forest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to the both of you¡­ but we just live in two different worlds. The only place I¡¯m safe is in this little bubble I¡¯ve created for myself, while you two get to truly live out in the world.¡± She murmured.


    Downing the rest of the small glass, she said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll do better, I promise.¡±


    ****


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    As Drake began to make his way back through the forest, he noticed something strange. This was one of the areas that he passed through regularly, given that his small hole in the ground was somewhat close nearby. But for some reason or another, practically all the underbrush had disappeared, leaving the forest floor eerily clean of limbs and other twigs.


    He stopped to stare at the surroundings. Someone or something had definitely been through here, he just couldn¡¯t tell what.


    ¡°Hey Yami, Therion, do either one of you notice anything strange around here?¡± Drake said as he turned around.


    Strangely, after Therion received his name, Yami had been much more open to the large Satyr, even going so far as to chat with him instead of riding on Drake¡¯s head like normal. It was a good change of pace, at the very least he hoped that they could be friends.


    ¡°What do you mean by strange, master?¡± Satyr asked quizzically.


    Yami quickly flew next to him, asking, [Do you mean how everything is so clean around here?]


    Drake quickly answered. [Exactly. It wasn¡¯t like this at all when I blacked out.]


    Yami smiled mischievously, before landing on Drake¡¯s shoulder.


    [That¡¯s obvious. It¡¯s goblins, of course. Their mana signature is so faint that I didn¡¯t figure it¡¯d be important though.]


    Drake turned to the small imp, his confusion building.


    [Wait, you knew? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?] Drake asked accusingly.


    Yami seemed surprised and almost hurt. She muttered, [Well, it didn¡¯t seem very important. I told you about Therion after all, and that¡¯s because he is the only monster that¡¯s actually came towards us.¡±


    Drake shook his head.


    [Wait, you mean there¡¯s more? What do you mean he¡¯s the only one who has come towards us?]


    The young imp flitted off of Drake¡¯s shoulder, an annoyed look on her face.


    [I mean exactly what I said. Your aura repels practically everything near us. That¡¯s why we never end up fighting anyone unless you¡¯re on the lookout for food. You mean you didn¡¯t know?] She said, her wings beating in an agitating fashion.


    Wait, if that¡¯s true then¡­


    ¡°Therion.¡±


    ¡°Yes, master?¡±


    ¡°How did you find me in the first place? Yami said that you raced towards me because you felt demonic magic, but how did you even do that?¡±


    What Drake didn¡¯t understand is that normally, unless intentionally restricted, the natural aura of monsters radiates out towards others. Factoring in the population of a certain species and their strength, most creatures are able to avoid a fight. A goblin wouldn¡¯t wander into a cave of trolls, and almost certainly, weaker species avoid those who have the ability to wipe them out entirely.


    In other words, Drake had been unconsciously suppressing his aura whenever he was hungry, and had kept it at full power at almost every other time. Humanoids are the exception to this rule, as until certain individuals are able to give off a frightening aura through certain skills or abilities, monsters simply fight to overpower them. This backfires when they group up in parties, but the enhanced senses of monsters can often compensate to detect humanoid groups before they can get too close.


    ¡°I simply looked towards the most powerful demonic aura, and raced towards it master. There, I found you. I thought you knew, since you seemed prepared whenever I arrived.¡±


    Drake sighed in an exasperated manner. It seems he still knew entirely too little about how the world worked. He had jumped to conclusions instead of trying to think it out.


    [Yami, I apologize, this was my fault.]


    The small imp swayed back and forth for a moment, clearly a bit miffed at being accused so suddenly.


    [Hmph. I was only looking out for you. They¡¯re just goblins. You could probably wipe out the entire tribe.] She said. She then floated over to Drake¡¯s head, and made herself comfortable.


    [Let me stay here for a while. Then I¡¯ll accept your apology.]


    Drake smirked to himself. She had already accepted his apology, and just wanted to take her favorite spot between his horns. That much was obvious by their connection.


    [Yea, yea. So Yami.]


    [Hm?]


    [What are the tribes like?]


    Yami popped down in Drake¡¯s line of sight, her small horns magnified in his vision.


    [Why do you want to know something like that? They¡¯re filthy creatures, even if they are more civilized in their tribal system. You killed one, didn¡¯t you? I saw its corpse nearby whenever I was created.]


    Then, as Yami finished answering, her demeanor changed. She slowly sat up from her position on Drake¡¯s head, as if she was paying attention to something intensely.


    Then, suddenly flying off of Drake¡¯s head, Yami suddenly took a defensive pose, flying high up and trying to scout for what she was sensing.


    [Drake, get ready. There are traces of demonic mana coming towards us, and quick.]


    Drake looked at Yami in a nonchalant manner. [What, again? Is it just more demons looking for a master?]


    [No, they seem like servants.]


    ¡°Master, there are enemies coming.¡± Therion said, his voice full of menace.


    ¡°Right, get ready Therion. From the sounds of it, we don¡¯t know if they¡¯re friendly or not.¡±


    Therion¡¯s eyes narrowed threateningly, with the faint red glow of Drake¡¯s aura beginning to build around his hands.


    ¡°Master, I recognize this mana, it comes from an opposing Lord. One that I fought recently.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you fought some servants of another Lord? When?¡±


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time master, they¡¯re almost here.¡±


    ¡°Gahh!¡± Drake let out a frustrated sigh.


    Taking a defensive position, Drake held both his hands stretched out, letting his aura build in his hands. If he needed to attack quickly, at the very least he¡¯d be able to blast out two deadly spikes at whoever was coming towards them.


    ¡°Yami, fly up. I don¡¯t want you getting hurt. You can use my magic to a small extent, so spray them with shards if you get the chance. Therion, you can join me. It¡¯ll be fun to see how someone else fights when they aren¡¯t trying to kill me.¡±


    Therion nodded in response, a feral grin beginning to build on his face. Getting the chance to battle someone who potentially matched him in strength was all he could ask for after receiving power. It¡¯d give him the chance to finally tune his new abilities.


    It was only a short moment after they were prepared that they begin to show up. Formless, shadowy figures circled Therion and Drake, with Yami hanging high up in the air, watching. Then, just as suddenly as the appeared, they began to solidify. Therion recognized the process. It was a faster, more stable version of the strange Void Smoke ability the worthless Scamp used. He wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d be able to cancel the process entirely, but he could certainly still damage them while they were in that form.


    Taking a triangular position around Drake and Therion, each of the three doppelgangers finished forming, taking a reserved, expressionless disposition as they began to speak among each other.


    ¡°Strange, two Lords, one weaker and one stronger.¡±


    ¡°Is one a servant, or is it merely a trick?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, the result is the same.¡±


    Turning away from one another, they turned to Drake and Therion. Speaking out in unison, the three began to speak. They all spoke to the more powerful of the supposed Lords. Their long white hair coupled with their almost sickening pale skin highlighted just how inhuman the three of them truly were.


    ¡°We come with a message from our master. Join us on our conquest and become subordinate to our Lord, or die. Choose quickly.¡±


    As the three doppelgangers gave their ultimatum, a strange, almost exhilarating emotion began to infect Drake. A widespread, mad grin spread across his sharp fangs, with a brief flicker of unrelenting fury only briefly showing in his eyes. His signature aura began to pour out of him, enveloping him completely and slowly spreading towards the others. All the while, only a single thought echoing throughout his mind.


    How dare the whelps try to order me¡­


    ¡°Hehehee¡­ You just walk up to me, and ask me to submit or die? Who do you think you are?¡± Drake said, his voice barely keeping an even tone, his aura continuing to billow out in waves.


    The doppelgangers all looked to one another, unnerved by the aura coming from the strange creature. At first glance, it seemed to be a Demon of Envy. Such a demon would certainly be useful under their Lord, and the demons he owned would be even more suited to assassination than they were. But¡­


    ¡°Well, just who are you, and why are you here?!¡± Drake yelled, his voice becoming increasingly unstable from excitement.


    This was clearly no Demon of Envy. In fact, the mana waves coming off of the strange creature indicated him as a Demon of Pride. But no demon would ever disguise themselves as one of the Draconian race, let alone the unique powers they would give up as a result of such a perfect disguise.


    Sensing something was wrong, one of the doppelgangers spoke up, a haggard look on his face.


    ¡°We come under orders from Lord Absalom. He is a lord from the east, and he wishes to accept you into his forces. Such a subordinate would be a wonderful addition.¡± He answered nervously.


    Drake merely nodded his head in a sarcastic manner, saying ¡°Oh, Lord Absalom. Of course.¡±


    As Drake stared at the three doppelgangers that surrounded him, only one thought was going through his mind.


    So weak. If I just kill them, I¡¯ll be done with them. It¡¯s so simple.


    ¡°Therion.¡± Drake muttered.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Kill them all.¡±


    Returning Drake¡¯s feral grin, he answered. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Drake¡¯s figure streaked across the forest as he enhanced himself with his aura as he charged forward, a vicious snarl on his face. Therion followed suit, dashing towards his own target with his claws fully outstretched. The moment that the doppelgangers came in contact with Drake¡¯s aura, it began to weaken them, in both body and spirit.


    Drake¡¯s body momentarily blurred, appearing in front of the first doppelganger before grabbing the creature by the arm. The sound of tearing flesh and bone echoed out as a red bolt of crystal suddenly shot through its arm as Drake released the mana he had kept concentrated in his hand. The doppelganger released a terrifying wail as he looked Drake in the eyes, the doppelganger¡¯s form beginning to become hazy as the moment passed.


    Keeping a firm grip, Drake smiled and opened his other hand to the center of the doppelganger¡¯s torso, and fired.


    Initially, all of the doppelgangers were shocked from the sudden offensive, and attempted to shift to their smoke form. This was the reason they were so successful on the few missions their master had sent them on. Having no true form, their ability to shift from one state to the next greatly amplified the natural ability Absalom gave most of his servants. They could shift in and out of it freely, attacking as they willed while being almost invulnerable to all physical forms of attack. However¡­


    ¡°Aaaaghhh!¡±


    Clutching his chest, the doppelganger struggled to pull out the large crystalline spear that was now imbedded deep within himself, with the second spear still pierced deep within his left arm. The creature gave a horrible, wracking cough, spraying droplets of blood onto the crystal that started to glow with an evil intent.


    Panicked, the doppelganger quickly struck out at Drake, who simply let go, and watched as the creature jumped backward, struggling to change his form. His Lord¡¯s ability didn¡¯t activate, and it left him utterly open. Attempting to use his own abilities, his body flashed with a faint silver light, before fading away completely, leaving him utterly terrified. Did he lose his powers entirely, and what was this strange crystal in him?


    ¡°How¡­¡± The doppelganger couldn¡¯t help but voice his grief out loud. He attempted to vanish once more and transform into smoke, only this time, the crimson crystal responded violently. Glowing in beat with the doppelganger¡¯s heartbeat, the crystal suddenly grew to almost twice its previous size, the doppelganger shrieking with pain.


    Cutting through the air, Drake rushed forward, using his tail to sweep the creature¡¯s legs, the spikes of crystal tearing away lumps of pale, white flesh away from its body as it fell to the ground, gasping for air. The creature¡¯s body struggled on the ground for a moment, as Drake walked up to the struggling figure. His serpentine tongue flicked out of his mouth, tasting the air as he fired two more bolt of crystal into the body, the short gasps of breath coming from the doppelganger quickly silenced soon after.


    Drake gave a terrifying laugh, and turned to Therion. He saw the Satyr clearly had the advantage. The doppelganger had been able to transform in time to avoid any physical attacks, but it wasn¡¯t faring any better than Drake¡¯s opponent. While it was able to evade the Satyr with its smoke form, with every mana infused attack through the smoke, more and more of its form was lost. The mana absorption from Greed was slowly allowing the Satyr to tear through it, piece by piece. It wouldn¡¯t be much longer before there was nothing left.


    ¡°He¡¯s not useless after all.¡± Drake said, his voice changing into a more serpentine tone.


    Turning to his last target, Drake was surprised by what he saw. During his first fight, he was half-expecting the useless creature¡¯s third companion to jump in and help, or at least assist with the Satyr. However, looking at his situation now, he was pleasantly surprised. Even at a glance, Drake could see the multitude of small red shards that had been planted in the ground around it. He knew it was likely that the doppelganger had attempted to join in the battle, but was trapped by the hail of deadly mana from Yami.


    Looking to the last doppelganger, Drake smiled and began to laugh, his eyes fully concentrated into thin slits.


    ¡°Surrender or die? Is that what you said? Well what now, keheheee.¡± Declared Drake mockingly.


    Extending his hand, Drake¡¯s mana rushed towards the doppelganger, taking him by surprise. As he worked to avoid Yami, he noticed his foot suddenly caught on something. Looking down, he noticed his foot was completely incased in a red crystal, with it continually growing further onto his body by the second. The creature¡¯s face blanched in fear, and it repeatedly attempting to shift forms. With each attempt, the terrifying crystal only advanced further and faster. Turning to the Draconic being, his eyes widened in panic.


    ¡°Unlike the choice you so graciously gave me, I won¡¯t let you do either..¡± Drake laughed.


    As the mana Drake had released around the doppelganger came together, it continuously morphed together with a satisfying, glass-like sound, slowly freezing the enemy in place. Within moments, crystals were building on the doppelganger¡¯s entire body, slowly building around him until his mind and body had slowed to a complete halt.


    ¡°I.. must¡­ escaapppeee¡­¡± As the crystal completed sealing in the doppelganger, it stopped moving, completely frozen in place by the crystal structure around him.


    Drake waved his hand, the swirling mana concentrating on the doppelganger and completing the crystal structure around it. A tall, 6 foot crystal had completely surrounded and encased the last enemy in a deep, blood colored crystal, the very crystal only becoming more solid by the second as it trapped the doppelganger within. Satisfied, Drake turned to Therion.


    And now, all I need to do is¡­


    Get out.


    Drake suddenly stopped in place, the feral look that had been so gleefully made on Drake¡¯s face was now frozen. His aura that hung so thickly in the air mirrored his reaction, staying eerily still compared to its normally fluid nature.


    I said, get out of my head!


    Like a string of twine snapping, Drake suddenly dropped to one knee, a horrified, pained expression on his face. The mana that had been building in the air responded in kind, recoiling wildly, slowly weakening and losing its constructed form. The crystal around the trapped doppelganger stayed solid, but the rest of Drake¡¯s aura in the air began to dissipate, not even attempting to return to Drake. It was as if the connection was simply cut altogether. As it hung there in the air, it began to lose its shape and form, slowly disappearing altogether without a proper source.


    Yami, noticing Drake¡¯s sudden change in behavior, began to make her way down to him. His sudden collapse after trapping the last doppelganger worried her, and his sudden battle hungry nature during the fight surprised her a bit as well. [Drake, are you alright, how did you do that?]


    Finishing the last of the doppelgangers with a swipe of his claws, Therion had also won and was now left with what looked like a small ball of smoke, congealed and kept together by its own mass.


    Drake kept completely still, still struggling to comprehend what had happened to him during the fight.


    It¡¯s gone, right? He thought to himself.


    He felt a chill come over him, running through his entire body as he asked that question to himself.


    Picking himself up, Drake began to shake in place, clearly fearful of what had just happened.


    Turning to the Satyr, he forcefully ordered, ¡°Therion, bring whatever you have there, and the other two doppelgangers. I need to get back to Gwyn¡¯s, now.¡±


    The Satyr stared for a moment in confusion, then turned to make his way to the body of the doppelganger on the ground and the crystalline form of the other without any questions.


    Yami then floated down to Drake¡¯s shoulder, her voice full of concern.


    [Drake, what happened, how did you-]


    [It wasn¡¯t me, dammit!] Drake yelled, his voice echoing out in anger and frustration.


    Seeing the small imp flinch in place at his outburst, Drake felt a deep guilt run through him. He turned away from her small, questioning eyes and began to walk deliberately towards Gwyn¡¯s barrier.


    It wasn¡¯t me¡­ He thought, this time as if trying to remind himself.

 Chapter 4 Part 4

    Part 4


    Arriving at Gwyn¡¯s barrier, Drake was still deep within his stupor, the normal upbeat attitude he normally had was reduced to only small responses whenever Yami questioned him for more.


    Drake walked in without a second to spare, leaving the two demons still outside the barrier.


    Yami stayed outside, a fearful and worried expression clear on her pretty face.


    Turning to Therion, Yami said worriedly, ¡°Something is seriously bothering him. There¡¯s been a constant pain in my chest ever since the battle ended, and he won¡¯t tell me anything. What am I supposed to do¡­¡± Yami clenched her hair in her hands, shaking in midair.


    Therion chuckled without a hint of humor, only waving the small imp over to him.


    As she approached, the atmosphere around the Satyr grew more serious and intentful, a wise expression on his face. ¡°Listen little imp, I don¡¯t like you. But, you were of some help during the battle, more than I ever expected, and this is out of more concern for the master than you.¡±


    Therion dropped the corpse at his feet, leaving both the crystallized doppelganger, and the strange, shadowy substance from his own enemy to merely sit at his side. He closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating on the single complete doppelganger corpse that was left. Suddenly opening his eyes, he stabbed deep into the chest of the doppelganger, ripping out a dark, swirling core.


    Therion let out a frustrated breath. ¡°Little imp, men often want to be left alone when they¡¯re facing something. Your intentions might have been pure in trying to help him, but that¡¯s exactly the problem. Master has become more and more sullen as we¡¯ve progressed towards this location, and he needs time to process whatever happened during his battle.¡±


    Just as Therion finishing speaking, Yami abruptly snapped forward, eyes full of hurt.


    ¡°But he is apart of me, just as much as I am him. We¡¯re made to help one another. He can¡¯t just leave me alone.¡± Her faint voice cried out, her voice trembling as she spoke.


    The Satyr merely chuckled, and held out the mana core from the doppelganger, still covered in the grime and gore from its recently retrieved corpse.


    ¡°If you want to help, then you need to get that witch inside the barrier to examine this. I know their species is adept at such things, and with the cores of other Lord¡¯s servants, there can be some backlash if the demon isn¡¯t careful. Truthfully, I know well now that master is no demon, but we still need to be cautious.¡±


    Yami took a deep breath. She felt as if a large stone was pressing down on her, suffocating her own emotions deep within Drake¡¯s own. The darkness and doubt in Drake was only building as he made his way here, and it was truly the first time she had experienced such strong negative emotions.


    She looked to Therion, before shaking her head in an attempt to clear her mind. ¡°Fine. I may not be thinking well.¡± Staring at the dark, swirling core, she took it between her hands. As she began to fly off into the barrier, she stopped just short, and looked back to the Satyr.


    ¡°And Therion.¡±


    The Satyr looked to the young imp, his eyes full of a faint curiosity and caution.


    ¡°Thank you for what you did during the battle¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have been able to stave off two at once, and thinking about what might have happened¡­¡±


    Yami stopped speaking, her voice beginning to choke up as she thought of how helpless she would have felt if Drake begun to lose.


    Turning away, she quickly flew inside the barrier, leaving the Satyr with a faint smile on his face.


    ¡°Strange, and here I would have thought that I would be feeling more satisfied with how I did.¡±


    He looked back to the forest, and to the remaining traces of the doppelgangers to his side, before sitting down on the ground, a fairly peaceful look on his face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I would have felt this way again.¡±


    ****


    Drake stared at the ground as he marched his way to Gwyn¡¯s hut. Everything was so simple just a few days ago, but now he barely felt as if he had control over his own body.


    Ignoring the increasing irritation he felt at the way he treated Yami, he ended up walking into Gwyn¡¯s small home before he realized it. There, he met with a grinning witch who seemed to stare at him incredulously for a moment.


    ¡°I have to say, I expected you to be gone a bit longer than you were.¡± Gwyn laughed at herself, smiling as she did.


    Drake looked up, and stared at the witch. He felt as if something was wrong with himself. He should be able to handle himself better, but he just couldn¡¯t, and that almost resulted him in losing what he valued most. Control.


    Sitting down on her small bed, he looked to the beautiful witch, his expression flat, ¡°Gwyn, in the world I come from, it¡¯s fairly popular for there to be enchantments, curses, those sorts of things. Are you able to do anything like that?¡±


    Gwyn, who felt guilty for what had happened to Drake in the earlier incident, stared in response, trying to process what he meant.


    ¡°Why do you want such a thing, Drake? That¡¯s fairly serious magic, and it¡¯s not something that can be done lightly.¡±


    Drake¡¯s mind began to race. What he wanted was control over himself, but just what would give him that ability? If he did advance his core, would it make things worse? Seals for controlling mystical types of power were fairly common in mythology and other sources, but that didn¡¯t seem to be something a witch would use.


    Drake¡¯s shoulders trembled, intentionally looking away from Gwyn. ¡°I did it again. Not like before, but in a way, it was almost worse,¡± Drake mumbled.


    Gwyn eyes narrowed. ¡°What do you mean, what happened Drake?¡±


    Hearing the slight hesitation when she asked her question, Drake laughed in a deranged manner, looking up at her with his hand outstretched.


    ¡°This happened before I met all of you, you know. Back before the ¡°Creators¡± made all of you guys appear. I was fighting a group of humanoids, and I just¡­ lost it.¡±


    Drake put his head between his hands, not bearing to look her in the eyes.


    ¡°I was attacked before I lost control, if that counts for anything.¡± Drake laughed, shaking his head as he did.


    ¡°But then, after that, it just all seems sort of hazy. I remember that my mana just started to go out of control. I remember they seemed afraid of me, and then they started to talk about killing me when¡­¡±


    Drake paused. Thinking back to that day, he realized that even then the Draconian inside of him had influenced his thoughts, although to a much lesser extent.


    He continued, ¡°My vision seemed to turn all red. The amount of aura¡­ it was almost overwhelming, especially compared to the amount that I control now. Then a young fox girl, probably not older than twenty ran out in front of me. That¡¯s when I came to, and I just ran.¡±The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Drake paused again. It wasn¡¯t long after that he first met Yami, and truly started down the path he was on now. When he made his first contract.


    ¡°Gwyn, what happens to a demon¡¯s aura as their cores grow stronger?¡± Drake asked, a clear hesitation in his voice.


    Gwyn slowly walked over, and sat next to him, a serious expression on her otherwise beautiful demeanor.


    ¡°As a demon grows stronger, their cores do as well. So it stands to reason that there is a symbiotic relationship between their aura. The stronger the aura, the more powerful the core, and vice versa. Although¡­¡±


    She put her hand on his shoulder, Drake stiffening up as she did.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what you want to ask about, is it?¡±


    Silence. Moments passed between the two, with Drake finally breaking the tension.


    ¡°Will I lose control completely if I go to the next stage. Will I still be¡­ me¡­?¡±


    The silence returned, however, this time Gwyn broke the tension.


    ¡°Drake, to be certain, I¡¯m not sure. Your situation is unique, especially given your considerable power. The increased power may give you the ability to suppress such urges, although given how when you lose control, your mana goes wild, I¡¯m not sure. But¡­¡± She trailed off, thinking over what to say next.


    Then, Gwyn took Drake¡¯s hand, causing Drake to look up.


    ¡°I believe I do know a way that can help, although it may be just as dangerous as advancing to the next stage.¡±


    As Gwyn spoke, the faintest of movements, near imperceptible to even Drake¡¯s enhanced senses, closed in on the door, hiding just around the corner.


    ¡°My magic has no ability to do what you wish. While I have heard that there are those who are capable of such things as enchantments, it isn¡¯t something that I wished to study or work towards. However, what you need is simply to control the monster inside of yourself, so to speak.¡± She said, a sense a purpose in her words.


    Drake laughed as he felt his skin began to crawl, and a deep anger rose up within him. He pushed the feeling down, and asked, ¡°So what do I need to do?¡±


    ****


    As Drake sat within various runic circles, Gwyn was finishing her preparations for Drake. The solution was fairly simple. Gwyn¡¯s lesser form of study was mind magic, as it was quite useful. An example, if mundane and rudimentary, was the connection of cores between creatures. The translation of language took place as a result of a solid connection between two creatures, but the source of the magic itself came from Gwyn¡¯s study in that field.


    Drake looked up at Gwyn, a serious expression on his face as he calmed himself. His entire body was writhing in protest as the aura within him swelled and attempted to seep out. One of the runic circles she had made early in the process kept the Draconian in check, separating it from Drake¡¯s consciousness temporarily. Keeping it in check as Gwyn finished whatever process was necessary was proving to be an excruciating experience as the Draconian had been fighting more and more often when Gwyn shut it out.


    ¡°Gwyn, how much longer?¡± Drake said between clenched teeth.


    ¡°Just a moment longer.¡± Finishing a final glyph, she smiled, satisfied with her work. Even if it was¡­ experimental, to say the least. She had never attempted anything like this, even if everything looked perfect.


    Nodding to herself, she looked to Drake. ¡°Alright, now listen very carefully. Whenever I activate this circle, you¡¯ll be thrust into your inner world. How it looks, and how things work will be up to you, as each individual I expect has some differences.¡±


    Drake¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and he cocked his head to the side. ¡°You expect?¡±


    ¡°Hehe.. Oops.¡± Gwyn gave a cute look, before returning to her more serious expression.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    Drake closed his eyes, and responded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    And with a final flash of light, Drake sunk into unconsciousness.


    *****


    Opening his eyes, he looked around, only to see a deep void surrounding him on every side. Raising his hand, he noticed he was human again. His nails were no longer black and sharpened, and the feeling of human skin under his fingertips certainly seemed novel after such a dramatic transformation.


    Looking past his old body, he looked back out. It was an inky, black darkness, utterly lacking any semblance of shape or light. He laughed, and scratched the back of his head.


    Is this what my unconscious really is? Just a huge void? He imagined that it would be similar to a wide, open area, filled with various memories of himself, but this was entirely different.


    Then, just as he was getting accustomed to his surroundings, Drake noticed something. It was a faintly slimy feeling, as he felt himself began to sink downwards, the slow, steady feeling the only distinct sense he had in the dark void.


    As time passed and Drake continued his descent, a faint light appeared. It was steadily growing stronger, but as he approached it and it started to come into focus, it seemed to fade away again, leaving him in darkness.


    Is this what Gwyn had planned? Just slowly advancing through this darkness? Drake had expected something different. It seemed this magic of hers was still very experimental.


    As Drake endured the slow descent through the darkness, another light began to appear, this time coming closer, just letting him see what it was.


    It was an image of a small boy, riding a bike. He looked very unsteady, but as he gained speed, he was able to right himself and stay stable. Right until he smashed into a tree. The small boy began to cry in place, his arms and face cut up from the impact as his parents rushed over to help him.


    Drake smiled, finally realizing what those small windows of light were. Ah. It¡¯s memories of my childhood. That must be what all of this is.


    As the light began to fade away again, he smiled sadly, and watched the small beacon of light disappear, leaving him in darkness.


    This happened, again and again. He would see his old memories float past him, becoming more clear as each one passed by, only to leave him plunged back into darkness when it left.


    Then, after seeing countless memories in the darkness, and inexplicable thing appeared.


    A small ball of light, only the size of Drake¡¯s hand suddenly appeared in the darkness. It closed in on Drake, spinning around him energetically before settling down in front of him, hovering slowly as it dimmed and brightened.


    What¡¯s this? Drake thought.


    He slowly extended his hand towards the light. Strangely, it didn¡¯t attempt to run, instead, it seemed to nuzzle against the palm of his hand as he touched it.


    Then, just as soon as it appeared, it moved away from Drake, as if attempting to lead him away. The light circled in place, coming towards Drake, and then away again. A small, ethereal light followed it, stopping Drake in place and lighting a path through the darkness.


    Drake was curious. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been in here, and he seemed to have just gone through his life, seeing it pass by. This was the first sign of real change, and given how persistent it seemed to be in trying to lead him through this darkness, he didn¡¯t have any reason to reject its offer.


    Moving his foot forward, he stepped onto the glowing path. The light bounced up and down in an excited fashion, and continued to light a path for Drake. As Drake moved along the path, he noticed something distinctly different. The darkness was changing, and indistinct shapes were beginning to come into view.


    In short, what came into view was magnificent.


    Like a scene out of a dream, the whole area was covered in a slight sheen of red mist, with towering crystals of red mana in all directions. They jutted out in seemingly random directions, but all seemed to come together to make a greater whole, creating a visually stunning tower.


    Just what the hell did I stumble into? Drake thought. As he stared in shock at the tower, the small ball of light seemed perturbed at Drake¡¯s sudden lack of movement and quickly moved over to hasten him to the structure.


    Strangely, as Drake moved closer to the castle, he began to feel different. The soft patter of his feet as he walked on the crystal ground, and the overarching crystals instilled in him a feeling of utter wonder, and this feeling only strengthened as he walked closer.


    Is this something that I¡¯ll be capable of one day?


    On the outskirts of the tower that seemed to be putting out all of the red, mist-like mana, Drake noticed something. There were large groupings of some sort of fruit, but as he got closer to the strange plant, he realized it was something else entirely. It looked like a plant, at first glance at least. It resembled a lantern, with a soft glowing crystal inside, making up the core of the strange thing. The cores were unlike any of the crystals he had made before, and were instead taking in the mana surrounding them very slowly, as if a void was sucking in all the surrounding matter around it.


    He looked very carefully, and intrigued by the plant, went to try to pick it. Just as he was about to touch the plant, the ball of light quickly flew in front of him, letting out a high-ringing tone as it did.


    Stumbling back in surprise, he narrowed his eyes, ¡°Hey, what was that for? I just want to see what it is.¡±


    Drake felt a faint warming glow run through his body, and quickly fade, with a clearly recognizable voice answering him in that short moment.


    ¡°Unsure. Don¡¯t touch.¡±


    Yami¡¯s voice rang out from the small ball of light, with Drake¡¯s eyes widening in surprise.


    ¡°Wait, is that actually you Yami?¡±


    The small ball of light bobbed up and down vigorously, with the same high ringing tone as before. Thinking harder, Drake recognized it now. It was the same bell-like tone that her voice usually carried, just without the words to accompany it.


    He held out his hand again, stroking the small form. There was a soft glow of warmth coming from the sphere that calmed Drake immensely.


    ¡°Why are you like that? And how are you in here with me?¡± Drake asked in a questioning manner.


    The sphere stopped moving for a second, as if deep in thought, then with the same soft, momentary glow welling up in him she said, ¡°Too complicated. Kindred.¡±


    Drake smiled, conflicted over his feelings. He had been so caught up in his own feelings that he had brushed off Yami completely, going so far as to get caught up in Gwyn¡¯s strange spell without a second thought, yet didn¡¯t tell her what he was attempting, or how it might go wrong.


    His tendency of thinking only of himself during times of stress was a bad trait of his, and one that had carried over into this new world. Yet, even regardless of all that, she was still here, literally in his head still helping however she could.


    ¡°Right. Thanks, Yami.¡± Drake chuckled.


    Glancing away from Yami¡¯s form to the tall, spiraling tower above him, he looked to the tower with determination.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finally finish this.¡±

 Chapter 4 Part 5

    Part 5


    As Drake entered the Tower, he and Yami looked to one another, marveling at the sheer density of the mana inside. If this really was the location of the Draconian in his unconscious, he began to understand why he was having so much trouble controlling himself. The massive structure could easily be summed up as a location of power in his unconsciousness for the Draconian, even if the interior itself was rather plain.


    Then again¡­ Drake imagined that he wouldn¡¯t get anywhere if he was slow about this, so he would have to draw the Draconian out. Drake¡¯s gaze hardened, and he yelled out, ¡°Hey! Draconian, come here!¡±


    Yami¡¯s small light form suddenly dimmed and hurriedly moved behind Drake¡¯s shoulder as he yelled out. Then, with a low pitched hiss, two burning yellow eyes began to glow menacingly, appearing out of thin air. The mana in the tower began to circle and concentrate, and within moments, a blurry, mana based version of his Draconian form appeared in front of him, filled with a hateful and mocking stare.


    ¡°Just who are you to intrude here, human?¡± The Draconian¡¯s voice echoed with condescension, his burning eyes sparking dangerously as he spoke.


    ¡°We need to talk,¡± said Drake coldly, ¡°or are you so haughty that you believed I would never make it here.¡±


    You¡­¡± The form¡¯s eyes shifted to the small ball of light next to Drake¡¯s shoulder, and an eerie smile started to build.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the bug¡­ then you¡¯re the fool, aren¡¯t you?¡± He replied mockingly.


    Small wisps of red mist flowed around the Draconian¡¯s form, his smile only growing by the second.


    ¡°To believe that you would make it here. It must have been that witch, meddling in my affairs again. I should have killed her when I had the chance.¡± The figure wavered dangerously, as it looked to the exterior of the castle, and out into the endless void of Drake¡¯s subconscious. ¡°And now I¡¯m stuck with you¡­¡± Hissed the Draconian.


    Drake took a step forward, with Yami staying closely behind him, her small light warming Drake as he spoke.


    ¡°Tell me, why are you trying to control me as I fight? This is my body, and it has been since I transformed.¡±


    The Draconian sneered at Drake¡¯s question. ¡°So the little human has the gall to ask me such a question. Listen, you fool¡­¡± The Draconian¡¯s pitch dropped, becoming more snake-like. ¡°This is my body. You are merely the one controlling it. And you think I could just leave a pathetic human in control of me, as I watch on?¡±


    The light in the Draconian¡¯s eyes hardened, its voice only growing in intensity. ¡°You believe that I would let such insignificant bugs talk down to me? ME?! Those damn humanoids, they threatened to kill, me! Those insignificant whelps, those doppelgangers, actually dared to order, me!¡±


    ¡°Be blessed that I couldn¡¯t take you over entirely, whelp!¡± The Draconian¡¯s voice began to waver with anger, as the undeniable pride it held built up. ¡°When I was born, I was weak¡­ Oh, so weak. I felt that I was trapped, utterly unable to move my own body, imagine that!¡±


    The Draconian continued, a fanatical smile clear on its face, ¡°Then, as my body begins to move, think of my horror, when I am not the one in control. Think of me, as I watch a damned human, move my body so poorly, that he is taken by surprise at almost every turn. That he lets himself, and by extension me, come so close to death! How could I not attempt to take control?!¡±


    The Draconian¡¯s form wavered, the intensity of his emotions interfering with his ability to maintain a solid form in Drake¡¯s unconscious.


    Drake, in complete contrast with what he initially came here for, let the Draconian finish speaking. Truthfully, he was curious about the being that had caused him so much trouble recently, even if he was here to get rid of it.


    Just a few weeks ago, he had lived a normal life, and although he looked the same in his unconscious, he had lived a different life entirely since then. This sort of change should have made his life much more difficult. However, even though he was facing a completely different environment, one that he hadn¡¯t even attempted to live in his entire life, he had lived with relative ease.


    In the end, it seems that my current way of life, and that I¡¯ve been able to live so easily is thanks to him, at least a part of it. But¡­


    Drake¡¯s eyes locked onto the Draconian, his voice getting stronger, and more vicious with each word. ¡°Even if that¡¯s all true, and that you¡¯ve been trapped, I can¡¯t just let you control me!¡±


    Drake continued. ¡°Now, let¡¯s look at it from my point of view. I was forced to live a completely different life, intentional or not, on the whims of some damn aliens who just sit in the sky and laugh at what they¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°Then, when I finally do change, I realize I feel different. It¡¯s slight.¡± Drake thought it over for a moment, remembering the past. ¡°I get overexcited when I fight, and although I become outright cruel sometimes, it¡¯s only after I win. After all, it¡¯s not really normal for an average guy to be perfectly fine with digging through corpses.¡± He gave a half-hearted laugh, then paused.


    ¡°I start to completely lose myself in fights though. I almost kill a few humans, and then you manage to control me completely when I get knocked out. Then you almost kill my friend, and you threaten Yami!¡± Drake¡¯s face began to twist in anger, with the small beacon of light on his shoulder slightly brightening as he finished speaking.


    ¡°I won¡¯t just let you get away with messing with my mind!¡±


    The Draconian was watching Drake intently, his hostile stance only growing more dark as Drake continued to speak.


    ¡°And you dare to think that you, a mere human, will be able to stop me?¡± The voice echoed with power and pride. Clearly, he saw Drake as more of an inconvenience to himself than any real threat.


    Drake smiled slightly, and he pointed to the Draconian.


    ¡°Who said I was alone?¡±


    ****


    Several hours earlier¡­


    ¡°So uh¡­ What is this supposed to do anyway, Gwyn?¡±


    As Drake sat down in a rather lazy manner, he watched as Gwyn worked. Inside a carefully constructed runic circle, Drake had been forced to sit inside while Gwyn worked on an alternating pattern of runes, alongside the set she constructed to allow him to enter his mind. Looking up, she gave him a rather smug look, and continued to write out the runes, explaining as she did.


    ¡°Drake, your problem isn¡¯t your mana, your aura, or even your abilities, it¡¯s the being that is inside of you. So¡­¡± Pointing to the first set of runes, she smiled mischievously. ¡°This set is to give us a little privacy. It may be a bit uncomfortable for you, but it¡¯s necessary.¡± Pointing to the intersecting set of runes she was writing out, she said, ¡°Next, is the set I¡¯m working on now. I don¡¯t have the ability to help you directly, but this magic should be uniquely suited to your problem, as long as you can find it.¡±


    Drake cocked his head to the side. Would it really be that simple?


    ¡°Gwyn, what happens if I can find it?¡±


    As Drake asked the question, Gwyn raised her hand, and pointed straight at him.


    ¡°You capture it.¡±


    *****


    Holding his hand out towards the shifting form of the Draconian, an array of twisted, runic chains exploded forth, completely surrounding the mana-based creature after only a short moment. The Draconian was completely trapped, layered in the mystical chains.


    The process itself was quite simple. The moment Drake enabled the spell, the runes that were located just outside of his physical body activated. The whole basis of these particular runes were based around mind magic, and while experimental, were meant to activate the moment the caster found the memories they wanted to seal off. Given that Drake was acting as the main personality, the Draconian neatly fit into the ¡°memories¡±.


    ¡°You¡­ YOU DARE!¡± The Draconian roared out in rage, desperately struggling against the chains.


    The Draconian glared at Drake, as his hazy, mana-filled form fully solidified into Drake¡¯s own Draconian body. The chains had fully sealed in his powers, and he was helpless here, powerless in a tower of his own creation.


    The Draconian¡¯s feral growl only intensified, the crystal structure shaking faintly with the echoes of his voice. ¡°You ignorant human! I will kill everyone you care for! The little imp, the witch, and even that damned Satyr! Everyone, if you don¡¯t free me!¡± The Draconian continued to struggle against the ethereal chains, only becoming more furious by the second.


    Drake looked back at Yami¡¯s small form. She had fully hidden behind him, as if she was trying to block out the horrible screams by cuddling next to Drake. He glanced at the Draconian. It¡¯s almost funny. He looks so much like the new me but¡­If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Drake frowned slightly. The sheer, irreplaceable hate coming from the Draconian¡¯s eyes was the only real indicator that he wasn¡¯t looking into a mirror of his new body.


    Feeling a faint glow well up in him, he heard Yami¡¯s voice come through, a clear pleading tone evident. ¡°Drake. Please leave¡­¡±


    Her sudden prompt shook Drake out of his daze. He was almost interested in what the Draconian, the creature who had caused him so much trouble, would try. So far, it had seemed that it was almost unstoppable, single handedly killing enemies he would have likely had much more trouble with but¡­ it simply wasn¡¯t worth the drawbacks.


    Shaking slightly, Drake gazed down to his hand for a moment, before looking up at the trapped Draconian. His lips curled slightly, realizing that for now at least, his problems were finally over.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally done it.¡± Drake said in a light whisper. He could barely contain himself, almost outright laughing with glee.


    The Draconian would stay here, trapped and unable to influence him at all. He was finally free.


    As Drake turned and was about to walk out of the tower, the Draconian yelled out one last, desperate plea. ¡°The knowledge I have, you need it! Our abilities, you could become so much more powerful, you could rule over all these insects, but only if you have me! I have everything from the Creators!¡±


    The Draconian¡¯s eyes had turned from hateful to desperate, the clear want to be free obvious in the sudden change in behavior.


    Drake had underestimated just how much the Draconian¡¯s behavior stemmed from simply wanting the same thing as him: control over his own body. In his eyes, he was born to rule, and the powers he was given was only a symbol that it was meant to be true.


    Drake couldn¡¯t help but smile at the Draconian¡¯s words. He would say anything to be free if he was in that position as well, but for now at least, it was time to leave.


    ¡°Come on Yami, let¡¯s go.¡± Drake said as he turned to leave the tower. He felt a small flash of warmth go through him as Yami happily popped up from behind his shoulder and bobbed excitedly in front of him, flashing as she did.


    The Draconian¡¯s eyes widened with fear, and he yelled out. ¡°I¡¯ll give you power! There¡¯s so much you haven¡¯t learned, and I will tell you, all of it, just let me free!¡±


    As Drake left the tower, the pleas continued, slowly fading as Drake drew further away. Eventually, the cries stopped completely, leaving Drake back in the eerie silence he encountered when he first entered this area.


    He turned to Yami, and pet the small ball of light, much like he did in reality. It was strange. He had touched her several times, and each time it left a serene feeling as the warmth ran through his fingers and trailed down his body.


    Smiling, he turned to the crimson sky. ¡°Well, it¡¯s time to leave.¡± He raised his hand to the sky, and with a flash of blinding light, he was gone.


    ****


    Far to the east, in a plain full of smoke and darkness, a high castle jutted forth out of the ground, constructed almost entirely of a dark, stone-like material. Inside, lay Absalom. He was left in disbelief at what he felt through his bond with the doppelgangers, and currently lay on his throne, pondering on what he should do next.


    ¡°How could they just die, the power I gave them should have been more than enough, they¡¯re invulnerable to almost all physical attacks. Even magic has minimal effect.¡±


    Revealing his sharp, curved teeth, he released a growl at the memory of what happened. Somehow, one of his doppelgangers were killed, but what happened next is what truly caused him to feel fear. He could feel that the magic from the other two hadn¡¯t dissipated entirely, and he even felt a strong bond coming from the last minion, but it wouldn¡¯t respond to any of his commands.


    As he recalled his orders to the trio, he scowled, remembering how he had left no room for error with his judgement. The orders should have been carried out exactly, which left only one option.


    ¡°That damned Lord can counter my magic somehow. No humanoid should have been capable of intercepting them, and they should have gone straight to the lord after finding the corpse of the Scamp.¡±


    It was too dangerous to send more minions after him now. His powers weren¡¯t dissipating as his minions died, and if the Lord was able to kill even his most powerful assassins, sending waves against an unknown enemy would only draw backlash if the Lord was so powerful to dispatch them with such a strange result. Right.. he.. he would send scouts. He would spy on the Lord, gather information, try to find any weaknesses. He had come too far to be hasty¡­ he would take his time.


    Absalom slowly raised his hand as he focused on a small, smoky sphere. It hovered in the air ever so slightly as he closed his hand down on it, extinguishing it entirely.


    He lay motionless for a few moments, before looking out to his domain. ¡°I¡¯ll take my time, so when I have the chance, I can kill them in one strike.¡±


    *****


    Hidden on the outskirts of the ruined city, was a small encampment of humanoids consisting of roughly twenty people. It was just an offshoot from the main force, and for the past few days, they had been hard at work collecting some of the more troublesome monsters around the area.


    ¡°Please, let me go.¡± A faint, female voice cried out, filled with a mysterious and alluring tone.


    A stocky bearded dwarf approached a shrouded cage covered with a large, opaque shield, and rattled the shield with his longsword, yelling, ¡°Shut up, ya damn snake. You already killed two of us, and I¡¯ll be damned if I let you leave that cage until we get back to the main force.¡± He laughed with a meaningful menace in his voice, the others murmuring in agreement.


    The glow of the night¡¯s fire from their various spells were quickly vanishing as day began to break, and throughout their surroundings, the area would be almost eerily quiet if not for the sounds of the voice from the covered cage. There were other cages alongside the alluring voice, also filled with various feral whimpering and growls. Although only one other cage contained an eerily human-like voice, those guarding the cages still had the same haunted look on their faces.


    ¡°Brian, you should really get some rest. We¡¯ll keep an eye out on these beasts.¡± One of the patrols voiced as he sat down beside him.


    ¡°Right.¡± The man replied, looking out towards to ruins of the city. The main encampment was based almost two and half days off. Lugging along to cages to properly capture the monsters proved to be much more difficult than expected, especially given the types that they captured.


    There had been numerous delays, as those who had been captured had attempted to escape multiple times, either by themselves or through a series of brutal attacks against their group by other members of the species they captured. The nightly watches they set up soon after helped, but even then, with such a small group it put a significant strain on those who were forced to watch.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m gonna get me short nap, make sure they don¡¯t escape, or there¡¯ll be hell to pay.¡±


    ¡°You got it.¡± The man waved his hand, before leaning back against a stray tree, and watched the sun begin to rise.


    *****


    Opening his eyes, Drake was met with the sight of an adorable imp, sprawled across the ground at his feet. It was almost dawn, and given how timeless everything seemed while he was in his unconscious, he was slightly surprised that it had only been about half a day since he had gone in.


    ¡°Hey, Yami, wake up.¡± Drake poked at the small imp¡¯s stomach with his finger, eliciting small murmurings of laughter as Yami¡¯s crimson eyes struggled to open. Drake had a mischievous look come over his face, and secretly linked their cores together. It hadn¡¯t been long since he learned this trick from Gwyn, and with their telepathic connection there was no real need, but it¡¯d be fun to finally hear her real voice.


    ¡°Hm¡­ wha-¡° Yami opened her eyes, and seeing that Drake was awake, immediately jumped up, a visible flush over her gray face.


    [Youuu!] Clear embarrassment was ringing from her voice, and it wasn¡¯t long before she was pointlessly hitting Drake¡¯s chest.


    Drake stifled a smile and looked down at her small form. ¡°What¡¯s wrong Yami, is something bothering you?¡±


    She backed off and threw her arms to her sides, yelling, [You tell me! I had to go to sleep, otherwise I would have gone crazy! All these weird emotions kept coming over me, and I just see you smiling like an idiot in your sleep. Do you know how creepy that is! You weren¡¯t supposed to mess with my soul in there as well!]


    A quick look of confusion came over her face after her outburst, and she gave Drake a strange look before saying, ¡°Wait¡­ did you link our cores?¡±


    Drake snickered mischievously, saying ¡°Who knows.¡±


    The young imp quickly began to pout, a faint blush coming over her face. ¡°Aaahhh¡­ First you just mess around with my other half, and now you¡¯re actually hearing my voice¡­¡± She landed on the ground and covered her face, intent on keeping Drake from seeing her face at all.


    Drake¡¯s eyes widened as he said, ¡°Oh, so that wasn¡¯t actually you in there?¡±


    Her yelling only intensified, as she covered her face with her hands, the blush covering her entire face, with even her ears turning red. [You big idiot! What did you do?! Ahhhh, this is so embarrassing.]


    Drake laughed for a moment, before petting Yami on the head, very similarly to the way he nuzzled the small ball of light in his subconscious. She instinctively leaned into his hand, much to her displeasure.


    In a reassuring tone, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. You just helped me out a bit is all. Without you, it probably would have taken me much longer to get out of there. That was all thanks to you.¡±


    She looked up at Drake, a clear defiant look on her face. ¡°Yes, and I¡¯m sure you had a lot of fun with me as well, didn¡¯t you.¡± The accusation in her voice was apparent, and it seemed to Drake that he may have crossed over into a sensitive subject.


    He laughed nervously, and turned away from her, murmuring, ¡°Well, you were¡­ quite affectionate.¡±


    This only renewed her embarrassment, as she quickly covered her face again, shaking her head back and forth. Then, just as quickly as it all started, she flew up in the air, attempting to shake off her embarrassment.


    ¡°W-well, anyway, I have this for you.¡± Flying off to Drake¡¯s side, was a small piece of meat. She picked it up with a bit of difficulty before flying over to Drake. Given that it was roughly the size of Yami¡¯s own body, it was quite impressive that she seemed to have managed to get it this far. The only real issue was the strange coloring. Unlike all the types he had happily eaten before, this one seemed to be a weird gray coloring, and it put off Drake quite a bit.


    ¡°Umm, am I supposed to eat it?¡± Drake said with a bit of trepidation. Given the source of meat, Drake knew it was reasonably fresh, and it shouldn¡¯t cause any problems eating it, but that wasn¡¯t the real problem. The gray color resembled the kind of rotted meat that you¡¯d expect to find gray mold on, only if the meat itself was gray.


    Yami quickly shoved the piece of meat into his hands before moving away, keeping close attention to not looking Drake straight in the eyes.


    [Of course you¡¯re supposed to eat it. Therion didn¡¯t have time to find a proper meal, so this was scavenged from the doppelganger.]


    Drake noticed that Yami seemed to be intentionally speaking with her telepathy now. It seems that linking their cores together was something she still wasn¡¯t quite ready for. Although it certainly was adorable, so he really didn¡¯t care all that much.


    He smirked to himself, and took the slab of meat. It looked questionable but¡­


    *Chomp*


    Drake took a large bite, eating almost the entire thing in one swoop. It was strange. It didn¡¯t taste the same as others, in fact it barely had its own taste at all. It was like a strange mixture of beef and chicken, yet somehow it was still appetizing. He chalked it up to it just being meat that contained mana, and so it was suited for his body.


    He ate the other portion in one bite, before happily petting Yami on the head.


    ¡°A-ahh.. whyy~¡± Yami murmured to herself, completely caught up in Drake¡¯s own tempo. The small imp was completely stiff, with only her head moving in motion with Drake¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Thanks for the food. It seems like forever since I last ate.¡± He licked his teeth quickly, getting the last scraps of food off. Now that he thought about it, he missed having actual teeth instead of the characteristically carnivorous teeth he had now. At least then, it had allowed him to savor his food a bit.


    ¡°Well, well, looks like someone is awake.¡±


    Gwyn, who had been in her hut until just now, apparently heard the commotion from Yami.


    Compared to her normal look, she seemed slightly crazed now. Strands of hair were sticking out everywhere, the complete opposite of the cool beauty demeanor she had tried so hard to maintain when they first met. Worst of all, she had the characteristically wild look she had when she first encountered Drake¡¯s particular brand of magic.


    ¡°Come with me for a bit, I have something to show you.¡±

 Chapter 5 Part 1

    Chapter 5


    Walking over to Gwyn¡¯s hut, Drake was a bit scared, to say the least. Gwyn, at least to Drake¡¯s understanding, had a fantastic sense for magic, certainly better than him at the moment. However, this same sense often led her to become overexcited, almost fanatical in a way. It wasn¡¯t something he really encountered in his previous life, and it always unnerved him a bit.


    ¡°So uh¡­ What are you gonna show me Gwyn?¡± Drake asked with some slight trepidation.


    In contrast with Drake¡¯s own demeanor, Gwyn was happily bouncing around, almost giddy in her movements. She turned around mid-step, smiling with glee.


    ¡°You brought me quite a few presents, didn¡¯t you.¡± She winked at Drake seductively, which only made Drake more worried for his safety. ¡°Really, I understand you were quite stressed, but why didn¡¯t you tell me about them sooner! I almost lost one of the materials due to its instability.¡± She turned back around, hurrying back to her small house as quickly as she could.


    This damn woman is back to her old ways again. Drake could only smirk at Gwyn¡¯s attitude. It was for the best. She had been avoiding him right after their small incident, and now it seemed everything was back in order. All it took were some¡­ presents?


    ¡°Hey, what are you talking about? I really don¡¯t remember bringing you anything.¡± Drake yelled out.


    Gwyn peeked out from behind the corner of her doorway, giving Drake a small pout.


    ¡°How mean.¡± She giggled to herself, before disappearing from his sight inside the small house.


    ¡°I-it could be the remains, Drake.¡±


    Yami was hovering behind Drake, only speaking out in a very light voice. Even that seemed to be taking quite a lot of willpower, as Yami made sure to be looking straight at the ground as she spoke.


    Hehe, silly little thing. Drake laughed to himself. He stopped walking and turned around silently, letting Yami run into his chest, before promptly picking her up.


    [Don¡¯t let it get to you, Yami. If you really have such a hard time talking, just take it one step at a time. Not that I don¡¯t enjoy it, even if you getting so embarrassed is adorable as hell.] Drake snickered to himself, only leaving her more embarrassed.


    Drake placed her on his head before running forward to catch up with an increasingly exasperated witch. He could feel the small imp struggling, given that she seemed to be especially weak to compliments, it was likely that he could continue to tease the poor imp for a while longer. And with that, Drake hurried inside the small hut. Any longer and Gwyn would likely start staring at him.


    ¡°Finally, here, look, look!¡± Drake was met with a familiar but strange sight. To sum it up easily, it was the two pieces of the doppelgangers that Drake simply threw to the side after his incident with the Draconian. He didn¡¯t think much of it at the time, but now, it seems that he had vastly underestimated just how valuable this sort of thing would be to Gwyn.


    In front of him were two complicated arrays of glyphs, one small and one large, surrounding the small bundle of smoke-like energy and the crystallized doppelganger. Gwyn was hastily going from one to the other, occasionally trying to break off a small piece of his crystal to analyze it from the doppelganger, and poking at the strange smoke-like mass.


    Drake chuckled to himself as he saw Gwyn. Looking back on it, of course she would be excited about this sort of thing. She had talked about examining his magic, but had been somewhat timid in actually going through with it. Now that she had such a large specimen, and what looked to be the magic remaining from another Lord, she was like another person entirely.


    ¡°So, could you tell me just what you¡¯re doing in here Gwyn, because to me this looks like a ton of unnecessary magic.¡±


    Gwyn quickly turned around, her eyes almost sparkling with excitement. She giggled for a moment, before pointing to the large crystallized doppelganger.


    ¡°You see this, this right here.¡± She paused for a moment, tapping the crystal with her hand. ¡°This is one of the greatest things I¡¯ve ever seen! Your magic has completely encased him, and it seems to be slowly drawing away his life energy while keeping him alive all the while. Luckily for him, he seems to be completely unconscious, but the sheer amount of work I had to put into restriction runes to keep this piece from generating mana was amazing.¡±


    Drake looked to the large piece of crystal with some hesitation. The Draconian seemed to have made it at the time as a punishment, keeping one of the doppelgangers who had threatened him under his control. To be honest, it would be difficult to say if he could replicate it as he was now. The Draconian seemed to have a massive amount of control of his magic compared to him, and while he could probably freeze a limb in crystal, the entire body seemed out of his realm.


    Drake nodded to the small mass of smoke next to it, asking, ¡°And what about that? That seems more interesting personally.¡±


    Gwyn smiled. ¡°I thought you¡¯d say that. This¡­¡± She poked the small mass of smoke. ¡°Is what remains of one of the doppelgangers after your friend outside was finished with it. It seems to be a purified version of whatever type of mana they used. Honestly though, it¡¯s a bit hard to work with.¡±


    As Drake looked at the small ball of shadowy smoke, something faint caught his eye and his eyes narrowed. ¡°Gwyn, what is the center of that thing?¡±


    Gwyn looked up, and quickly answered. ¡°Just the core is all. Otherwise, there¡¯s no way it would stay stable for such a long period of time. Speaking of which¡­¡± She walked over to a small table and grabbed a small bag.


    ¡°Here, catch.¡± She said as she threw them over.


    ¡°W-Wha-¡± Drake caught a small, patchwork bag that rattled slightly as he caught it.


    ¡°It¡¯s the cores you left. Apparently, you were so upset you completely forgot about them, huh?¡± She smiled for a moment before continuing. ¡°You should thank, uh¡­ Therion right? He¡¯s the one who grabbed them, and retrieved the last core from the other doppelganger. Well, almost last.¡±


    She giggled, tapping the crystallized doppelganger. ¡°Not much you can do about this guy. By the time this crystal is done with him, he¡¯ll be nothing but a husk, with the core likely following suit. Not that it matter all that much. I have something for you by the way.¡±


    Gwyn made her way over to a small desk and picked up a vial. It seemed fairly average, it was a light red color with a dark, swirling core making up the center. It shimmered ever so slightly as the liquid sloshed around inside.


    ¡°And speaking of the other doppelganger¡­ Here! Take it as a present for-¡± She glanced over at the two leftovers of the doppelgangers, surrounded by glyphs, ¡°these two little pieces, hehe.¡±


    She handed it to Drake, who really could only look at it with a faint curiosity. It seemed average, at least compared to some of the other vials he had seen lying around her small hut.


    ¡°What is this anyway, Gwyn?¡± He sloshed it around, seeing the same faint shimmer as before.


    She laughed to herself for a moment before leaning against the large crystalline structure. ¡°Much like the big guy in this little crystal prison, all of the doppelgangers had a foreign mana core. Just a bit of extra mana included in with their own core. Another Lord¡¯s mana to be exact. The reason why I gave you that potion there is that I managed to melt one of the mana cores down after a bit of¡­¡± Gwyn suddenly grew a wide grin, a faint scary glint coming across her eyes. ¡°experimentation.¡±


    ¡°Long story short, the Lord¡¯s magic that I managed to condense down should be extremely beneficial to you. In particular, you may be able to form a new ability with some of the characteristics of such a unique form of mana. The magic of a Pride demon, especially that of a Lord tend to be special, and as a result, it¡¯s often fairly unique to that specific demon. It¡¯s practically impossible to be able to study it, given how the Lords themselves are so powerful, and the demons they employ often lose their magic the moment they die. The cores themselves often only contain the faintest traces, and are insignificant.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Drake started to grow a bit apprehensive as Gwyn began her explanation. Her breathing was starting to grow unsteady, and he thought he could even see a faint trace of drool.


    ¡°But this¡­¡± Gwyn slurped, and wiped the edge of her lips. She held her hands around the swirling core of smoke-like energy that was left over from Therion¡¯s kill. ¡°This allows me to do just so much with this power. It¡¯s an invaluable source of research, hehehee¡­¡±


    Sensing Drake¡¯s uneasiness, she suddenly coughed and composed herself, turning back to Drake.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much Drake, I¡¯m not able to copy this process at all with you.¡± She tapped the large crystal that held the doppelganger. ¡°All this really does is let me do some tests. It¡¯s really the effects it¡¯s having on the doppelganger inside that is the most interesting.¡±


    Drake looked at the strange vial for a moment. It was a bit hard for him to believe that it would be so easy, even if she melted down the core that contained the other Lord¡¯s mana.


    He looked to Gwyn, and said, ¡°Hey uh, Gwyn. There aren¡¯t any side effects you haven¡¯t mentioned yet is there? It seems like this would be something that would be¡­ experimental again.¡± His eyes narrowed slightly, which resulted in Gwyn quickly turning away, coughing to herself for a moment.


    ¡°It should be fine, after all it¡¯s just a little concoction I made mixed in with the other Lord¡¯s mana, at worst, your own mana should completely engulf the foreign material and absorb it. But¡­¡± She stopped talking mid-sentence, contemplating something to herself. ¡°Concerning how well you adapt to it, there may be a problem or two. Nothing that you shouldn¡¯t be able to handle however.¡± She finished quickly, looking at him innocently as if nothing was wrong.


    This damn woman¡­ all she thinks about is her own experiments, even if it should be beneficial for me¡­


    Sitting just behind Drake¡¯s shoulder was Yami. The tension and apprehension he felt was constant, and it transmitted to Yami instantaneously.


    ¡°Drake¡­¡± The small voice piped on his shoulder, whispering just behind his ear. ¡°I¡¯m here for you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do everything I can to help.¡±


    The voice was so small, so faint, that Drake barely heard it at all. But even then, it filled him with a deep sense of reassurance.


    [Thanks, Yami.] He answered.


    Drake raised up the small vial and glared at it again, as if looking harder at the material inside would somehow make it more safe.


    I really hope I don¡¯t regret this¡­


    Closing his eyes, he opened the stopper and downed the whole mixture in one gulp. Then, as the strange liquid made its way down his throat, he felt something.


    Stillness. Hunger. Darkness. His heart rate began to slow down; in fact, it very nearly stopped, and Drake sunk into unconsciousness.


    *****


    As Drake opened his eyes, he was met with a familiar but terrifying sight. He was inside the crystalline tower in his mind, looking straight into the eyes of the Draconian.


    ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Drake couldn¡¯t believe his eyes, how did he get here? Why did he come here in the first place?


    ¡°Keheheee¡­ Back so soon human?¡± The Draconian¡¯s voice dripped with sarcasm.


    Drake turned to the Draconian, his eyes full of accusation.


    ¡°You. Damn you, why am I here?¡± Drake yelled out. If he was here, then that meant only one thing. He was forced into unconsciousness by something and brought here.


    The figure laughed, still fully restrained by the same chains Drake confined him with.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh, in fact, I¡¯m quite proud. You finally did something deserving of your species, well, at least of me.¡± The figure laughed proudly, the sheer derision in his words only causing Drake to become more angry.


    ¡°Dammit, tell me!¡± Drake hissed.


    The Draconian chuckled. ¡°Fine, little whelp, look up.¡±


    As Drake looked up, what he saw truly shocked him. Hanging in the air was a dark mass of mana, truly similar to the same ball of energy that Gwyn was keeping contained just outside his body. It was just hanging there, expanding in and out, threatening to slowly take over the entire structure.


    The light in Drake¡¯s eyes hardened He recognized the way it was trying to morph and mold the surroundings. If he simply left it alone, it would threaten to take him over entirely, converting his mana to the dark, shapeless form of its own.¡°You, how do I stop this, what¡¯s happening?! Damn you, tell me!¡±


    The Draconian shrugged, completely indifferent to the threat. ¡°So serious, whelp. If you were half the monster you thought I was, you would know what to do.¡±


    ¡°You... careful Draconian, if I somehow die in here, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be next. Hell, you may even be too late to stop whatever is happening if I die.¡± Drake snarled, his eyes narrowed menacingly as he stared at the Draconian.


    ¡°Ho, that¡¯s the look I like. I was starting to think you didn¡¯t have any Pride in you at all.¡± The Draconian sneered. He chuckled for a moment before looking up to the amorphous mass above them.


    ¡°You need to absorb that mana. If not for the witch¡¯s interference, normally I would handle such a thing, but given my current situation,¡± He shrugged to himself, ¡°there¡¯s not much I can do.¡±


    Drake¡¯s eyes widened and he looked up to the smoke-like mass. If this was normal mana, he could simply surround the mana with his own and absorb it, but when he was capturing the Draconian, he felt that he could never be able to sway the flow of mana inside this zone in his unconsciousness.


    ¡°How do I do that?¡±


    The Draconian let out a deep breath, and sighed. ¡°Still a fool, I see.¡± The Draconian looked to Drake. ¡°I¡¯m no longer the master here. You trapped me, after all. You should have full control over the mana here. Inside the castle, you will have an almost endless source of our mana, simply will it to encase that mass of mana, and it will respond. Then, you simply have absorb it.¡±


    Drake paused for a moment, and stared at the Draconian. If what he said was true, then it should be simple but¡­ what was this feeling.


    ¡°Fine then.¡± Drake breathed deeply, and focused on the interior of the castle. If it really was as simple as he said, then all he had to do was focus on it like in reality.


    Concentrating on the walls of the tower, he felt it. The same connection he always had.


    Hehe, it¡¯s so simple.


    Converting the crystalline walls into mana with a thought, he poured the mana towards the pulsating mass, completely surrounding it. It seemed that the foreign Lord¡¯s mana really wasn¡¯t suited for direct contact with his own. It was simply too easy to fight. Why did he believe that this would be difficult at all? All the while, the Draconian looked on passively, only observing.


    ¡°Hehehe, all I have to do is completely engulf it now.¡± Drake said with a deranged smile.


    ¡°Stop.¡± A bell-like voice rang out in his mind, filling him with a warming energy.


    ¡°Wha-¡± Drake clutched his head with one hand, keeping the mass of mana controlled with the other. The energy continued to grow and as it did, it cleared his mind of the ecstatic feeling he felt upon controlling the massive amounts of mana in the tower.


    ¡°Yami¡­¡± Drake struggled to say.


    A small light appeared in front of Drake, only getting larger until it finally grew as large as when he first met it. However, the light was dull, and faintly flashed, as if trying to transmit her feelings, however limited, across to Drake.


    Then, a strong wave of heat came over his body, much more powerful than ever before, and Yami¡¯s voice transmitted to him clearly.


    ¡°Please, be careful. The mana here is too strong, and the sins behind it too powerful. You left yourself open for a moment. Please, hurry and finish.¡±


    With that, the heat faded, and the small ball of energy dulled further, leaving only a faint ball of light floating weakly in the air.


    Yami¡­ Drake stared at her in guilt for a moment before quickly looking up to the mass of mana, his eyes determined. Taking the huge mass of mana, he surrounded the foreign Lord¡¯s mana completely, and began to slowly incorporate it into his own, careful to not let himself get too drunk on the power within the castle.


    It was strange. As the mana that Drake controlled slowly engulfed the foreign mana, it began to change, becoming more physical and opaque than the normally mist-like form it had before. Moreover, as the smoke-like mana was being eaten into, it was congregating together in the center of the crystal structure, forming an increasingly large sphere of strangely opaque, crimson mana.


    Within moments, Drake¡¯s mana had completely swallowed up the black mass of mana, and completely converted into this strange structure that was floating in the middle of the crystal castle. It looked reminiscent of a hazy jewel, faintly sparkling as the aura inside the opaque crystal moved and churned.


    The Draconian continued to look on in silence, the look of disappointment faintly visible on his face.


    Drake smiled at his success, and looked at the faint form of Yami. She seemed weaker somehow, but he wasn¡¯t sure why. The small ball of light that she normally took in his mind was duller, less energetic. It was as if she was drained of energy somehow, but Drake wasn¡¯t really sure why.


    Worried, Drake extended his hand to touch the faint ball of light, which briefly lit up as he touched it.


    ¡°Hey, are you alright? You don¡¯t need to talk if that drains you.¡± Drake asked in worry.


    Yami¡¯s light form only flashed faintly before nuzzling up against Drake¡¯s hand, the warm, fuzzy feeling of her form filling him with ease. It seems she was trying to tell him that she would be fine, but it still worried him why she became so weak in the first place.


    Drake looked on in worry, and tried to pet the small ball of light, much in the same way he did with Yami¡¯s head in reality. She seemed to enjoy it, moving back in forth in rhythm with him, before flashing twice, a faint glow warming him inside.


    ¡°Leave. Please.¡±


    Drake paused for a moment in worry, then shook his head and tried to shake it off. She seems like she¡¯ll be fine if she just rests for a bit.


    ¡°Right.¡± Drake nodded, and focused on his body for a moment. In a flash, he was gone, leaving a faint ball of light, and the captured Draconian still in the castle.


    ¡°So, the bug can help him with even that, hmm?¡± The Draconian pondered to himself. He believed that f he could weaken the human enough, he may have been able to weaken the chains binding him, at least a fragment of its power, but the small nuisance quickly stopped his plans, even to her detriment.


    The Draconian laughed, gazing at the small ball of light as it disappeared suddenly, leaving the castle entirely to rest and recover.


    ¡°If I could only somehow talk to him¡­ I may be able to free myself of these damned chains.¡± The Draconian¡¯s smile became feral, his teeth glinting dangerously in the crimson castle.

 Chapter 5 Part 2

    Part 2


    As Drake fell deeply unconscious, Yami was left with a bewildered look as Drake immediately passed out upon drinking the potion.


    ¡°W-wha¡­ Gwyn¡­!¡±


    Yami immediately turned to Gwyn, who only had a fairly uninterested expression on her face, as if this was somewhat within her expectations.


    ¡°Yes, little one?¡± She said in a toying manner.


    ¡°You, why did you give him something that would cause him to go unconscious like that?! Look at him, he¡¯s just slumped over!¡± Yami waved her arms about, and flitted around dangerously, clearly upset.


    ¡°Oh stop with all your worrying, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Gwyn waved off her concerns, only waving her hand as she turned to go back to studying the various samples brought back by Drake.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t just ignore me! At least turn around and do something, what if he doesn¡¯t wake up? What if he stays like this because of some stupid potion you gave him?!¡± Yami was clearly furious, even to the extent that small traces of red aura were started to seep out of her body.


    Seeing the traces of mana, Gwyn sighed, and turned around to face the small imp. She leaned against a small desk before looking Yami straight in the eyes.


    ¡°Listen.¡± She said in a serious manner. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry so much. This potion was meant to simply enhance his own potential. Given Drake¡¯s powers, and the sheer intensity of his mana compared to the small sample in the potion, you really have nothing to worry about. The opposing Lord¡¯s mana was suppressed, even allowing someone like me to drink such a potion if I had more time to refine such a thing. The sample I gave him simply was more of a shock to his system than I expected.¡± She took on an inquisitive look for a moment before shaking her head. ¡°In any case, don¡¯t worry. He will be fine.¡±


    She finished her last sentence with heavy emphasis on each word, before turning around to tinker with the various remains of the doppelgangers, a faint smile on her face. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I really have other work to attend to.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You¡­ Ahhh!¡± Yami thrusted her arms down to her side angrily, before quickly making her way over to Drake.


    She landed on his chest, closing her eyes and focusing on the little connection she had with him. She could feel that something was off. It was the same as when Drake went to went into his unconsciousness to seal the Draconian in. While he was inside, strange and outright giddy emotions swept through her, and it was likely that he was playing with her other self.


    The part of her that she split off was almost entirely based off her emotional self, and had little to do with any real semblance of thought. That¡¯s what caused so many problems, as she imagined that given her¡­ feelings for Drake, she had caused that other side of her to be absolutely ecstatic whenever it had the opportunity to interact with him.


    The real problem however, was now that she felt that same connection growing weaker. The part of her soul that made them Kindred simply wasn¡¯t made to interact with others, and with Drake¡¯s intervention with the Draconian, it had weakened her other part immensely. It was likely that she had tried to help Drake in whatever way she could, and even now she could feel her other half trying to find Drake again.


    Why am I so stupid¡­ Yami smiled sadly to herself. Touching her chest slightly, the circular contract with Drake lit up momentarily.


    The least I can do is try to help my other half¡­ She thought.


    Slowly flying up from Drake¡¯s chest, she located Drake¡¯s bonding point. It was roughly in the center of his head, and as she found it, she touched it lightly, a faint golden light entered the center of the contract point and disappeared. If she was going to help Drake, she needed to empower her other part, if even only for a small moment. Hopefully, that would be enough.


    She ran her hand along the side of Drake¡¯s face, before quickly hugging his neck tightly.


    ¡°Just please, be safe for me.¡± She muttered quietly.


    *****


    Drake slowly woke up after completing his absorption of the Lord¡¯s mana, only to find Gwyn completely in her own world, happily tinkering with the tall crystal the doppelganger was trapped in.


    As he sat up, a sudden throbbing rushed through his head, causing him to almost fall back down.


    ¡°Ahhhggg..¡± He said as he clutched his head. ¡°God, my head hurts.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you back up.¡± Yami whispered off to his side, a relieved tone clear in her voice.


    He looked to his side, and saw the small imp, a smile on her face. Smirking to himself, he steadily stroked her hair, leaving her with an embarrassed look on her face for a moment, before she flew up to meet his face.


    ¡°So, did it turn out alright? You managed to absorb it, right?¡± The worry in her voice was clear. ¡°Yea, I did. Thanks Yami.¡± Drake said as he touched her forehead with his nose, eliciting a short gasp from Yami from his slightly cold nose.


    ¡°On a more important note¡­ Gwyn!¡± Drake yelled out.


    ¡°Yes, my little Draconian?¡± Gwyn responded in quite a teasing manner, only looking over her shoulder for a moment before turning back to the large crystal.


    ¡°What the hell did you put in there? I feel like my head¡¯s gonna split open any moment.¡± Drake closed one eye as a wave of pain passed over him. He felt like his head was hit with a sledgehammer.


    ¡°Oh, just a bit of this and that. So, how is it?¡± She turned her head again, a glint of curiosity this time clear in her eyes.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Drake managed to say with a fair degree of irritation. His fingers itched to reach over and throttle her.


    ¡°Oh please, you both act like it¡¯s such a large transgression against you, but everything comes with a price, doesn¡¯t it? Although¡­¡± She giggled to herself in a cute manner, something that contrasted completely with the way that she tended to act lately. ¡°I think the price this time came more from those you killed to get this power.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­¡± Drake raised his hand up for a moment, closing his hand and then opening it slowly. Much like when he first discovered the more permanent, crystal state of his mana, he could feel another presence deep within his own mana pool. It was much smaller certainly, but still definitely different than what he was used to.


    However, even with absorbing it and converting it into another form of his own mana. that same presence seemed to be utterly foreign to Drake at the same time.


    In any case, it seemed that absorption of that dark substance in his inner mind was the catalyst for trying to gain some control over the opposing Lord¡¯s mana, even if it came at considerable risk. Even now, he could remember the feeling as he began to control the massive amount of mana in the castle. It was intoxicating, and he likely would have been much worse off if he hadn¡¯t been knocked out of that state by Yami¡¯s small light form.


    ¡°Well whatever you did Gwyn, it seems like it worked, although I¡¯m still not sure how to activate it. It¡¯s not the same as just bringing out a shard of mana unfortunately.¡± Drake said.


    Upon feeling the presence of another force in his mana pool, he had immediately tried to use it, to no effect. It was as if some part of him was still struggling with its use. While he had certainly gained control over such a power, being able to actually use it was a whole other matter it seemed. Well, if it was in any way similar to the strange, smoke form the doppelgangers had used, he would likely have to adapt to such an ability.


    ¡°Oh, really? Hmm¡­¡± Gwyn immediately sunk into deep thought, turning away from Drake entirely as she paced.


    ¡°Well, first things first.¡± Drake fumbled around and grabbed the small sack of monster cores. It had been quite a while since he retrieved them from the Satyr, but he never had the chance to really absorb them properly. From dealing with the Draconian, to drinking Gwyn¡¯s deadly elixir, he¡¯d been too busy.


    [Yami, I¡¯m gonna try to meditate like I did when I first formed my mana core. I feel like it may help, so if I stop responding to anything, just leave me alone, alright?]This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Drake understood his situation. If worst came to worst, he would be out for who knows how long. With no one around him when he first formed his mana core, all he really knew was he was out for at least a few days, long enough for all of the new creatures to start spawning at least.


    [Right.] She said.


    ¡°Gwyn, I hope you don¡¯t mind if I borrow your house for a bit, you can just think of it as payback for making me drink that awful elixir.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Gwyn turned her head up slightly, and feigned being upset. She then quickly winked at Drake before turning around to the dark mass of mana in her small containment field of glyphs.


    ¡°Go ahead. It may be too soon though.¡± She said as almost an afterthought.


    Too soon? Does she know something I don¡¯t? Drake thought to himself. She had always been somewhat vague with her help.


    Whatever. He dumped the cores out of the bag, and examined them one by one. Taking a closer look at several all together, he could actually tell a difference between them. Interestingly, some seemed to be more vibrant than the others, with the exception of one which resembled the same strange darkness that made up the potion he just drank.


    Weird¡­ Drake attempted to extend a line of mana to the core. It was just a hunch, but it seemed all too familiar. As he linked himself to the core, he was struck with the same feeling as before. Darkness. Hunger. It was considerably weaker than the sample from the Doppelganger¡¯s, but that same feeling was still there. If Drake¡¯s hunch was right, this mana core was certainly from the same Lord. Didn¡¯t the Satyr mention about fighting something from that stray Lord before?


    I wonder just what he fought to get this. Hmm¡­


    [Yami, do you have the same new ability as I do?] Drake said as he attempted to keep as straight a face as he could. She was connected to him, and seemed to absorb all the abilities he had through their link. There was no real reason to believe that she wouldn¡¯t gain this one as well.


    [Hm? You mean the one through the potion?] She paused for a moment, as if she was trying to feel out the power. [I mean, maybe. Just like you, I haven¡¯t really tried anything. You may have to help me to learn to use it to be perfectly honest. I can use the rudimentary forms of your mana, but you seem to have much more finesse than I do.]


    [So, you should have it, right?] Drake questioned again.


    She responded again, a slight hesitation in her response. [Yea... I should. Why are you asking so much about it?


    Drake smirked. [Because I just found something interesting. Watch.]


    ¡°Hey Gwyn, catch.¡± Drake tossed the core over, startling her completely, as she was almost completely caught up in her own world.


    ¡°What is¡­¡± Gwyn stopped mid-sentence, a sparkle seeming to hit her eyes. ¡°Is this what I think it is?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from the same Lord if that¡¯s what you¡¯re asking.¡± Drake said with a small chuckle. ¡°You said before that you could make another potion, right? Why don¡¯t you make one for yourself?¡±


    Drake recognized something crucial shortly after he found the other core. Yes, while he was certainly a test dummy, that was the only core that was available for such a potion that either of them knew of. If he was put in the same situation, even with the same risk, he would be hard pressed to give it away so easily. The powers of the doppelgangers, their strange ability to completely avoid danger were simply too good to give up. But Gwyn had, either out of some deranged sense of wanting to see the results in action, or of genuinely wanting to pay back him back.


    ¡°Where¡­ where did you find such a thing? I thought there was only one that was retrievable?¡± Gwyn seemed to almost be in shock with the core in her hands.


    Drake laughed as he pointed to the cores on the ground. ¡°It turns out that a certain demon had an extra core stashed away from one of the monsters he killed while he was out. So, take it.¡±


    ¡°As for these¡­¡± Drake took the rest of the cores and stuffed them in with one bite. Given that there were only three others, each of varying power, he felt no real need take his time.


    As the cores entered his mouth, Drake focused the mana in his body to attack the cores, and as the mana touched them, they dissolved into the sweet tasting liquid from before. As he swallowed, a rush of power ran through him, empowering him. For the first time, he noticed waves of mana rushing and circulating through his body. Chills were running through his body, and he could barely keep himself calm as it continued for a full thirty seconds. Slowly, the thrilling feeling of power receded, the waves of energy calming down as the flow of mana steadily settled.


    ¡°Hoh¡­.¡± Drake breathed out deeply, trying to calm himself. Eating so many at once was a bit exhilarating , but it ended up being perfectly fine.


    ¡°So, nothing huh?¡± Gwyn had a feeling Drake couldn¡¯t make it to the next step. While his mana was certainly unique given that he could gain power both over time, and through mana cores thanks to his Draconian and Demonic mixtures, her examination of the mana crystal of the Doppelganger told her that he was still a fair way off. This was regardless if he was able to absorb just a few more cores.


    However¡­


    ¡°If you¡¯re so worried about advancing to the next step for more control, I think you¡¯ll find it unnecessary. You may have even discovered it yourself, but not realized it yet. The Draconian was likely suppressing your ability by a fair amount, at least where it limited your ability to imitate what myself and Yami experienced.¡± She laughed to herself. ¡°That¡¯s something you¡¯d discover that on your own eventually however.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­¡± Drake was surprised. Sure, he had felt that something was holding him back, but for the Draconian to even be capable of that, it truly had a surprising amount of control over him.


    Even so, I still can¡¯t advance to the next step then, huh. I¡¯ll need more cores, and I also have other business outside as well¡­


    Drake grimaced as he began to move his body. He hadn¡¯t noticed, but he was stiff as well. Maybe he could just blame it all on the elixir, but given he had just slumped over when he drank it, that was likely the problem. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m gonna get out of here for a little while. I think being around you too much may be bad for my health.¡± He slowly made his way up onto his feet.


    Gwyn did her best attempt to act hurt, gasping dramatically before turning her head down in shame.


    ¡°Oh, how hurtful. After all I¡¯ve done, after all the hard work, I¡¯ve been reduced to a simple burden after you no longer need me¡­¡± Gwyn sobbed loudly, keep careful attention to keep her face out of eyesight of Drake, before turning around to him with a wide grin.


    ¡°I understand, really I do.¡± She smiled as she continued. ¡°The stress such things put on you can be fairly harsh for those not suited to it. Even with that specific elixir being practically made for you, the side effects can be painful, so I can understand wanting to leave. Just¡­¡± She paused, and the smile slowly faded into a flat expression. ¡°Make sure to drop by some. I¡¯d be sad to see you two just disappear.¡±


    She smiled again, a small laugh escaping from her lips. ¡°After all, what would I do if I ran out of research materials, right? I can¡¯t really leave to go get more. I need you guys for that. So¡­ don¡¯t go too far.¡± She ended sadly, unable to keep her voice from dropping.


    Drake, a bit caught off guard, looked at Gwyn with a new perspective. She may try to hide it, but she truly was lonely here. Whether or not her mad scientist type of personality emerges simply as a result of having others to interact with, or if it¡¯s just a result of truly enjoying the process of gathering knowledge, he was still unsure. But, it would truly be too sad to leave such a girl alone. He would have to find some sort of solution to that problem eventually.


    As he turned to the doorway to leave, he looked back at her and smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll drop by sometime. After all, what would I do without your unique perspective on things.¡± He motioned to Yami. ¡°Come on, I have a promise to keep.¡±


    Yami nodded, and flew to Drake¡¯s shoulder as he walked out, glancing back at Gwyn for a short moment. Then, Drake quickly turned to the barrier, and rushed towards it. There was no reason to delay any longer.


    *****


    Therion was currently sitting just outside the barrier as usual. Unfortunately, there was really very little to do while he was waiting. He¡¯d been relegated to mainly snacking on the remaining doppelganger.


    ¡°Gah¡­ I wish master wouldn¡¯t take so long.¡± He picked up a nearby rock and threw it in boredom. Given his master¡¯s disposition whenever he entered the barrier, he was sure that he would likely try to force the witch to assist him. And, given that he hadn¡¯t left the barrier yet, the witch had likely conjured up a plan of some sorts, and they were carrying it out. Although, given how long master tended to stay cooped up in the barrier, it was likely he could be in there for a few more days at least.


    ¡°Yo, Therion, you ready to head out?¡± Drake¡¯s voice suddenly rang out.


    Lost in his own thoughts, he didn¡¯t even hear the imp and master cross over the barrier.


    ¡°Head to where, master?¡± Therion managed to blurt out.


    ¡°We¡¯re gonna do some scouting, of course. I think I¡¯ve been keeping you waiting for entirely too long, and I think you wanted to avenge your brothers, is that right?¡± Drake walked forward and grabbed Therion firmly by the shoulder, giving a bloodthirsty smile as he did.


    ¡°I¡¯m excited to test out just how strong I am, and I¡¯ve been too passive lately. Between fighting off others, and taking care of my own issues, I sort of shoved your problems to the wayside.¡± Drake grimaced slightly, before clapping Therion¡¯s shoulders again.


    ¡°So let¡¯s take care of that, shall we?¡±


    Therion¡¯s eyes widened with a bit of shock, and smiled faintly.


    ¡°Yes, of course master.¡± Therion said, an almost sad tone to his voice.


    Thus, they began to walk towards the city, slowly making their way back through the forest as they did. Drake, still curious about some of his own abilities, looked to Therion and asked a question.


    ¡°Hey Therion, you mentioned a while back that you managed to find me by tracking me. Yami even mentioned something similar, but just how do you two even know how to do that? I¡¯ve never felt anything like that.¡± Drake asked in an attempt to enlighten himself.


    Therion stopped walking for a moment, and pondered to himself. Master tended to put out quite a ferocious aura, especially after he left the barrier, so it may simply be that the lack of worthy opponents simply never activated that instinct.


    He sighed, saying, ¡°Master, to be fair, it¡¯s hard to say. All monsters are born with the ability, so I can¡¯t think of the reason why a monster such as yourself would lack the ability.¡±


    Drake¡¯s eyes widened for a moment, and he laughed to himself, smirking as he did. Looking over to Yami, he nodded, and she returned the gesture.


    ¡°Therion, this may surprise you, but I¡¯m not what you think I am. I used to be human.¡±


    Therion froze, appraising his master again. Now that he mentioned it, it made perfect sense. He certainly didn¡¯t act like the Dragon races were supposed to, and with how he was so gracious, even to a servant like him, what he said looked to be the truth. But¡­ just how would a human end in control.


    A thought clicked in his mind, and he looked at his master in a new light. I see. The Draconian master was so worried about was the intended recipient of his powers. Thus, when master was so worried about dealing with it, he was truly attempting to seal away the beast who was meant to be in control.


    ¡°I see now.¡± Therion affirmed. ¡°In that case, imp, how would you suggest to help master?¡±


    Yami sat up suddenly off of Drake¡¯s shoulder, clambering to her feet. ¡°A-ah, um.. well¡­¡±


    ¡°So you have no real clue as well, hm?¡± Therion scratched the back of his head in frustration.


    ¡°Master, I really only have one true idea, although it will incur some considerable risk.¡± He said reluctantly. ¡°It would require us to take a detour, and it would be dangerous, even for someone such as yourself.¡±


    Drake, still curious about just how to awaken that set of skills, asked, ¡°And, that would be?¡±


    ¡°We need to find a suitable opponent for you.¡±

 Chapter 5 Part 3

    Part 3


    Drake narrowed his eyes as he looked at Therion for a moment. Given the Satyr¡¯s attitude, he imagined that he wouldn¡¯t try to take it easy on him at all, at least compared to someone like Yami. Unlike the almost unwavering sense of loyalty that he saw from Yami, what he saw from Therion was more along the lines of¡­ respect? It was a reluctant loyalty, but loyalty nonetheless.


    He exhaled, and gave the Satyr a skeptical look. ¡°And just what do you have in mind?¡± Drake said.


    Therion gave a thoughtful look before motioning towards the inner forest.


    ¡°I believe I may have something in mind. My brothers and I came across an area once, one that had been almost completely barren of any interaction with other species.¡± The Satyr scowled momentarily as he was deep in thought, before returning to normal. ¡°If it hasn¡¯t been disturbed or hunted by the humanoids, then it will likely be the best choice. There is surely a powerful species there.¡±


    A powerful species. In the area that surrounded that Gwyn¡¯s barrier, Drake had never come across any species that gave him any trouble besides the Doppelgangers. Not that he had actually met the Doppelgangers by chance, but that seemed to be more his fault due him being a Lord than anything else, and even that wasn¡¯t enough to activate his instincts.


    Drake gave a skeptical look as he looked to Therion, asking, ¡°Just what do you think is there? From what it sounds like, it seems fairly dangerous. All we need to do is help unlock my senses right? This seems a bit overboard.¡±


    Yami, who had only been hovering between the two, poked Therion repeatedly, an annoyed expression clear on her face.


    ¡°You better not put us in danger over something dumb, alright.¡± She gave him a skeptical look as she looked intently at him.


    Therion cracked a small smile, before focusing on the small imp.


    ¡°What, are you afraid you won¡¯t be strong enough to protect master?¡± Therion¡¯s entire attitude exuded confidence, and he seemed to be enjoying taunting Yami as he spoke.


    ¡°A-ah¡­ you¡­¡± She scrunched up her face angrily, before quickly flitting over to Drake and landing on his shoulder, turned completely away from Therion. Being played with by Drake was one thing, but she seemed intent on not letting the Satyr have his way with her so easily.


    The Satyr chuckled to himself for a moment, only glancing at Yami before waving to Drake in a appeasing manner. ¡°Don¡¯t worry master. There will be no real need to approach too closely. As you said, we simply need to awaken your instincts.¡± He paused for a moment, his gaze only hardening as he spoke further. ¡°I¡¯m more concerned on why you have these problems. While the Imp and I differ on such matters, we both have our own methods of tracking potential enemies. Give your race, it should be almost entirely instinctual, so there really should not be a problem to begin with. I would understand if you needed some arcane method like the Imp uses, but you should need no such thing.¡±


    He pondered to himself for a moment. For Master to have such a problem would mean one of two things¡­ that the Draconian interfered¡­ or the more terrifying option, that master simply never needed such an ability. For such a thing to occur would be truly out of the ordinary. Even the simple creatures that normally roamed the sky were enough for him to pick up, and he had avoided several dangerous areas with his brothers before they were killed.


    Therion sighed out of frustration before turning away from the duo, waving them both to follow him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take us there, but we do need to be careful. If, whatever it is, approaches, we need to retreat. Most likely, it is a haven for a large group of one of the more powerful species. It will likely be much more dangerous than a Demonic Lord¡¯s minions, or even a Lord themselves with such numbers. That goes even if you are quite special, my Lord.¡±


    The corners of Drake¡¯s lips rose as he smiled to himself. Given by just how much Therion seemed to fear this area, it could only be one of the more unique creatures from mythology. Then again, in the worst-case scenario, the damned aliens could have simply spawned in an ungodly strong creature from an obscure game. He could see that being likely as well.


    Pushing that thought to the side, Drake took Therion by the shoulder and grinned. There was no point in dwelling on such thoughts, he would do what he needed to. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going, shall we?¡±


    Yami tapped the top of Drake¡¯s head quickly, causing him to look up in confusion.


    ¡°Is something wrong, Yami?¡± Drake answered.


    Her voice drifted into his mind in a rather lazy manner. [Do you know how normally feel when you¡¯re hungry?]


    The question took Drake off guard. She wasn¡¯t the type of person to ask pointless questions either, especially on such a strange topic. Drake shook his head quickly in response. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Such a question was truly strange from Drake¡¯s perspective.


    She scowled, and answered promptly. [While you certainly don¡¯t know how to feel out other¡¯s power, you can suppress your own. But you only do it when you¡¯re feeling hungry. So, do you remember how it feels?] She ended her question in a pointed manner. She seemed bothered by something.


    Oh, damn. I forgot that we talked about that. He thought to himself. He suppressed his power out of instinct when he was hungry, but could he imitate that feeling?


    Closing both eyes, his face grimaced in thought. Whenever he was hungry, he did his best to be stealthy. The simplest way he could describe it was how he tried walking stealthily through the woods as a game while he was a kid. He never truly had much experience with attempting such a thing, so that was the only real comparison he could make.


    Breathing out deeply, his expression sunk down, and his face became blank to an almost creepy extent, given his natural dragon-like features. A faint, cold chill ran down his body, and he looked to Yami for a response.


    [Is this what you mean by suppressing my presence? This is the first time I¡¯m really trying this intentionally.] Drake said.


    As Drake focused on restricting his presence, he felt a strange feeling throughout his body. He felt almost unnaturally cold, at least compared to his usual self. He also felt a small, almost insignificant feeling of annoyance as well. He wasn¡¯t sure if this was what she meant for him to do, but it was his best attempt.


    As Yami watched Drake from atop his head, her eyes widened momentarily. Drake¡¯s presence had almost completely disappeared, and given the widespread signal to ¡°stay away¡± that almost always exuded from him had completely disappeared. This was even more impressive than when he did it unintentionally.


    She nodded to herself, satisfied. [Keep that up. Nothing should be able to find you.] She smiled before looking to Therion.


    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s get going, Satyr.¡± She said in a mocking tone.


    The Satyr looked on passively before turning away to lead them, only grunting in response to Yami.


    And so, he led them. Through the forest, and farther than Drake had ever ventured out before. As Drake followed Therion, the canopy overhead slowly began to thin out. The area he had grown accustomed to all had signs of activity, whether it be the various goblin signs, or even the few traces of birds that had survived so far. As they progressed however, there was an almost complete lack of life surrounding them.


    If this is how it is now, just what kind of creature survives in such an area that it wipes out everything else? Drake thought morbidly to himself.


    The area they eventually arrived at was barren, with very little tree cover. However, what struck him at first glance was just how silent everything was as they arrived.


    It reminded him very much of the interior of Gwyn¡¯s barrier. She was capable of sealing everything she didn¡¯t want outside of the barrier, so there was very rarely any noise besides that of the wind.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve arrived.¡± Therion told them as he motioned to the surrounding area. ¡°There should be something powerful somewhere in this area, even now I have this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.¡±


    Therion scowled to himself, shaking his head. He couldn¡¯t rid himself of the horrid feeling that something was terribly wrong.


    ¡°Do you feel anything yet, master? Therion asked.


    Drake quickly shook his head in response. It was unnerving being in a place that was so quiet, but besides that, it seemed very much normal.


    ¡°No, nothing yet. Yami, I guess you can feel something as well?¡± Drake motioned to the small imp on his head.


    She responded, ¡°Yea, although it¡¯s strange. I haven¡¯t felt anything like it before.¡± She said with a sense of uneasiness in her voice. Strange, given how straightforward she always was.


    After a few moments had passed, Drake shook his head in frustration before walking ahead. He would rather get this over with quickly. Deliberately suppressing his presence annoyed him, although he couldn¡¯t say why. He could only chalk it down to some remnant of emotion left over in this body from the Draconian.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Without a word, Drake advanced through the desolate forest with Yami on his head, with Therion close behind. The day was starting to close, with the sun starting to lower in the sky. It wouldn¡¯t be long before nightfall, and the last thing he wanted was to be stuck in a place like this overnight.


    After a few minutes of walking quietly, and trying to feel out the strange presence, Drake was still left with nothing. Yes, he was left with a certain eerie feeling that seemed to pervade the area as well, but that was just because of the time of day and how damn quiet it was in the area.


    ¡°Yami, pinpoint whatever you¡¯re feeling. There¡¯s no point in me wandering around looking for it. If I get close enough, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to sense it out.¡± Drake said sternly. A certain sense dread was starting to build in Drake, although he himself did not even realize it yet.


    ¡°R-right.¡± Yami flew up nervously from Drake¡¯s head and quickly began to pinpoint the source. After a few moments, the small set of runes she used to locate monsters disappeared, and she meekly pointed to the deepest part of the forest. Drake had been avoiding it, hoping that he would eventually ¡°feel¡± what he was supposed to, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°Damn.¡± He sighed deeply, before taking a long look at the interior of the forest.


    ¡°Therion, that¡¯s where you¡¯re getting the feeling from, right?¡± Drake motioned to where Yami pointed, and the Satyr slowly affirmed the direction that Yami¡¯s magic pointed her in.


    Drake ground his teeth, a chill running deep through his body. All he had to do was understand just what he was supposed to feel, but even he felt that this was turning dangerous.


    Calm down. Breathe, and focus on finding whatever it is here. Drake took a moment to calm himself before continuing.


    As the determination to complete his task and then retreat appeared on his face, Drake dashed forward in complete silence, with Yami and Therion surprised by the sudden speed with which he moved.


    Drawing closer, Drake felt something. It reminded him, almost sickeningly, of his time as a human. The feeling of utter terror at the unknown, of the dark, of what could be watching from just behind the curtain. Of feelings that he had thought he had abandoned entirely when he became a Draconian.


    This¡­


    He stopped in mid-step, and his reptilian pupils rapidly constricted as he released a low, almost inaudible hiss.


    ¡°Therion¡­ the feeling you have. Just what does it feel like?¡± Drake asked slowly, careful to not let his voice be overheard.


    Therion was crouched close behind him, and answered quickly, almost stammering the answer. ¡°It could be something as simple as a hard knot in my stomach, a burning feeling in my chest, or simply the urge to run or hide, my Lord.¡±


    He continued quietly, urging Drake back. ¡°Master, I believe we need to leave. This feeling, it¡¯s almost suffocating. And the young imp, she¡¯s clearly terrified.¡± Therion motioned to Yami, whose eyes were shut tightly as she hid herself behind Drake¡¯s back.


    [Don¡¯t worry about me, do what you need to.] Yami¡¯s voice only faintly rung out in Drake¡¯s head, with even her inner voice only managing to barely call out to him.


    Drake pondered to himself for a moment, before taking a few more steps forward. The feeling of oppression was almost physical at this point, but strangely, Drake felt no real need to run. He only felt that overwhelming emotion.


    He grimaced, and said to Yami, [I¡¯m sorry. But I need to see what¡¯s up ahead. Something is telling me to move forward.]


    He only felt a faint sense of motion on his back, and he assumed she consented.


    As he approached, he reached a cliff face. Whatever he was feeling was surely just beyond it.


    He slowly approached, and as he cleared the top of the cliff, what he saw confirmed a feeling that had begun to grow within him. The emotion that had swamped him wasn¡¯t fear or even distress. It was horror.


    In front of him was a destroyed village. It was clearly built by a race other than what made up the newly transformed humans, and at first glance, it looked to be of some kind of reptilian race. There were¡­ bodies of some kind strewn across the ground, but they were almost completely unrecognizable. Thoroughly mixed in were scales of all colors scattered on the ground. As for the bodies themselves, they had been almost completely stripped to the bone, with the only clear sense of what they once were was the various pieces of skeletons strewn around.


    He had sensed this¡­ this massacre, from afar. It may not have been what Therion intended, but he felt out what had happened. He didn¡¯t sense any real need to run, because there was nothing to run from. No doubt what Therion had sensed when he had first approached this area with his brothers, and even now, was the multitude of hostile entities that resonated from this area. Even in death, they released such a powerful feeling that Therion trembled. Satyrs would no doubt be targeted if they entered such an area, but Drake felt no such threat.


    As Drake looked down upon the mass of destruction, his eyes wavered with revulsion. ¡°What is this¡­¡± Drake said with horror.


    Yami peeked out from behind his shoulder only to shudder and hide behind him again quickly.


    ¡°Drake, please leave. This is too horrible.¡± Her voice shuddered with disgust.


    He glanced back at the Yami, and frowned. This wasn¡¯t something she had ever dealt with before. She had only seen images from what the Aliens had shown her when she spawned in, and was entirely new to such a thing. Humans, for all their wonderful deeds, specialized in one thing. Wanton Destruction.


    [Just bear with it, alright? I¡¯ll try to get this over with quickly.] He said to reassure her.


    Drake¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, and he released the aura he had been suppressing up to this point. He needed to learn what happened here, and if there were any survivors, they would feel his presence. However, now that he had fully extended his aura, he noticed something. He was in the center of this devastation, but he wasn¡¯t suffering from that crippling feeling from before near as badly.


    It must have something to do with why I never felt this dreaded feeling out of chance. I keep that ¡°signal¡± blaring out from myself, and it suppresses any other signal I may get. He thought to himself.


    He shook his head, and dispelled any thought of that for the moment. He needed to get to work.


    Standing atop the cliff, he extended his hand, and slowly, a red mist flowed out of his hand towards the ruins of the encampment. He had thought about this in theory, but had never truly had the time or the opportunity to truly test this theory.


    His mana was an extension of him. He could control it, even when it came in contact with others, and given the almost parasitic nature of his mana, he believed his could feel out others through just his mana. After taking full control over his mana from the Draconian, and truly testing it in this manner, he could feel that he was able to suppress the life-draining aura of his mana. It wasn¡¯t much different than when Yami helped him form the contract with Therion, only then she was restricting the Pride portion to gift Therion his Greed abilities.


    As the red mist spread across the village, he felt something. It was strange, sensing something through nothing but his mana, but the feeling of something obstructing his flow of mana was unmistakable.


    ¡°Get ready, I¡¯m heading down.¡± He yelled out to Therion behind him, and jumped down, with Yami latched firmly onto his back.


    Landing on the ground, he searched out the source of the disturbance. Step by step, he gradually walked closer to the source. It seemed quite large, at least in comparison to him. Although judging from all the skeletons, it looked like it was a somewhat long species.


    As he approached the source, he came upon one of the many burned out huts of the village. The entire place was almost completely burnt out, with random beams of wood scattered around.


    ¡°This is where they are¡­¡± Drake muttered. From everything he had seen, this place was completely abandoned. His mist had only identified one living creature that had survived this massacre, and it seemed to be here. Moving a blackened beam out of the entrance, he wandered inside, he entered only to meet an empty room.


    Narrowing his eyes, he called out cautiously. ¡°Hey, is anyone here? I¡¯m here to help.¡±


    His mana was definitely picking something up, but he couldn¡¯t tell the exact area. This ability was still entirely too new, but thankfully there weren¡¯t many places to hide in a place like this.


    ¡°Hey! Is someone here!¡± He yelled out, this time with a bit more force.


    As he yelled out, he heard a small shuffling off to the side. It sounded to him like something jumped whenever he yelled out. All that was there was a dirt floor, however.


    Frowning, Drake asked, [Yami, I¡¯m sorry to ask, but can you track if there¡¯s something close by for me?] Certainly, she could do so over long distances, but it was always a general direction, and he had never known if it worked so precisely. Especially now when this entire area reeked of death and screamed out to others like her and Therion to stay away.


    [M-maybe. Give me a moment.] She slowly floated up off Drake¡¯s back where she had been glued to, and gingerly began to summon the crimson runes needed for her spell. After a small moment, the spell completed, and she locked onto whoever Drake had tracked here.


    [There, it should right under the floor.]


    ¡°Under?¡± Drake called out in confusion. He looked closer, this time spotting the faintest bump in the otherwise smooth floor. Staring at the protrusion, he extended his hand and focused a small spike of mana into existence. Taking the solidified chunk of mana, he stood well away from the opening as he gingerly pried at the protrusion with the floating chunk of mana until it finally came open.


    Almost instantly, he began to hear the sounds of whimpering come from the opening, and as he slowly walked over, he only intensified the noise.


    ¡°What the hell¡­¡± He grimaced at the sudden noise.


    Looking down into the hole, he saw what looked like a small girl, who couldn¡¯t be much older than eleven or twelve. Her features were anything but human however. She had shimmering, black scales running up the side of her face, and everything below her waist was completely hidden by the dust and dirt she was hidden in.


    ¡°It¡¯s a young girl¡­¡± Drake mumbled in confusion. Yami peeked out from behind his shoulder, curious.


    ¡°Hey, are you alright?¡± He held out his hand as he leaned down, which resulted in the girl shrinking back, only further covering herself in the dirt.


    The young girl was clearly terrified, which wasn¡¯t all that surprising given the conditions of her situation. Still, he didn¡¯t have time to be caring, he needed to leave before nightfall.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this.¡± He said out of frustration. Drake extended his aura out towards the girl, and grabbed onto her. Then, pulling her out of the hole, he tried to get a better look at her. Except¡­


    ¡°This girl is a Lamia¡­¡± He called out in wonder.


    This was why he felt something large even though he only found a small girl. She had her tail completely wrapped in the dirt, obscuring herself from his view almost entirely. Altogether, she was almost 10 feet long, with her human portion not even making up half her overall length. She wore very little, only a small wrapping that circled her chest and a small, dancer-like ornament surrounding the area in between the snake and human portions. Her eyes also shone a beautiful violet color, and almost seemed to sparkle as Drake looked into them.


    What¡¯s more was her tail¡­ the scales were a beautiful black, and now that he had a closer look at her, her hair was likely the same. It was a shame that she had been so covered in dirt. If she had a proper bath, her tail seemed like it would likely shine in the setting sunlight.


    I wonder if she¡¯ll let me touch¡­ WAIT!


    Drake recoiled away from her, and grabbed his head out of worry, with his aura still firmly attached to her.


    I wasn¡¯t like this before I changed. Hell, I¡¯ve never even touched a snake before. What¡¯s wrong with me?! What¡¯s more, she¡¯s just a little girl. It¡¯s creepy man!


    Shaking himself out of his self-induced stupor, he had a closer look at her. She was visibly shaking under his control, and him suddenly yanking her out of her hiding place probably didn¡¯t help. Sighing, he extended a line of mana to her. This wasn¡¯t a humanoid village. In fact, it had likely been raided by them. So¡­


    He felt the small snap of mana as he connected himself to the girl. She had a mana core after all.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your name?¡± He asked.


    The young girl looked up at him, with tears building in her eyes. ¡°Ella.¡±

 Chapter 5 Part 4

    Part 4


    As Drake held the Lamia firmly in his grasp with his mana, he nodded to himself. Whatever happened to this girl, she seemed traumatized. Even now, she could only look at him with a sense of dread.


    Although now that I think about it¡­ I would be terrified of myself as well¡­ Ah¡­ Drake couldn¡¯t help but look at this situation from the young girl¡¯s situation.


    Her entire village burned to the ground, and everyone that she knows was likely killed. Even now, she likely felt that she herself was in danger of dying the same horrific death that the rest of her villagers did, only from another source altogether. The poor girl.


    Sensing his feelings, Yami flew off his shoulder, looking questioningly at the young girl.


    [Drake, be careful. We don¡¯t know if she¡¯s dangerous.] She warned him.


    As she did, Drake did little more than glance over to his side, and chuckle. [She¡¯s just a little girl, don¡¯t worry.]


    Looking back to the young Lamia, he motioned to her in a cautionary motion, before saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to let you go, so don¡¯t run¡­ alright?¡±


    The young Lamia slowly nodded, not taking her eyes off Drake for a moment. Although given the situation, he could understand.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Drake slowly lowered his hand, and with it, the crimson mana controlling her dissipated.


    Feeling an intense pressure cover him, Drake suddenly flew back, hurtling against the burnt-out wall of the small shack she was hidden in.


    Just as soon as Drake began to fly forward, Ella began to run¡­ or rather, slither away as quickly as she could. She was surprisingly quick, and was even faster than most humans before they were given the chance to transform. Yami quickly followed her as Drake grimaced to himself.


    ¡°Ahh.. dammit.¡± Drake stood up from the small bundle of boards and debris, and raced back outside the door.


    ¡°No¡­No¡­ please¡­ mom¡­¡± A feeble, crying voice was sounding out in the twilight, as Drake looked to the lamia.


    ¡°Therion?¡±


    In his haste to find any survivors, he had left the poor Satyr on the cliff. It seemed that he had made his way down at his own pace, and had been coming towards Drake when the Ella burst out of the shack. He swiftly grabbed her, and had the poor girl in what looked to be a death grip around her head.


    ¡°Shall I kill her, master?¡± Therion looked up to Drake and asked the terrifyingly simple question.


    ¡°No!¡± He yelled out, throwing his hands up quickly. ¡°I mean¡­ No, I still need her.¡± He attempted to recover halfway, but it likely wasn¡¯t very convincing. Nevertheless, Therion still released his grip, and left the girl traumatized as she just slowly sank down into coils on the ground, hiding her head deep within her tail.


    ¡°That little.. How dare she! Why didn¡¯t you let Therion take care of her? She deserves it!¡±


    Yami angrily buzzed around Drake, shouting as she did. Honestly, he would have rather she just yelled at him. Even if the Lamia couldn¡¯t understand a word that Yami said, the angry tone was undeniable.


    He raised his hand, trying his best to calm Yami down, before this escalated anymore.


    ¡°She¡¯s just a kid Yami. She¡¯s not like you or Therion, she seems more like a human child.¡±


    ¡°Human?¡± She spoke out of shock. ¡°What does her acting like a human change anything? She tried to hurt you. She should pay.¡± Her face was frighteningly cold, with her red eyes glowing in anger.


    Drake gazed at Yami before deriding himself for not thinking from their point of view. Where Yami was extremely guarding of Drake, to the point of outright hostility towards others she didn¡¯t know, Therion was also similar in a way. Unlike Yami however, he was much more to the point, often acting right away. Still¡­


    These two are just too protective. I understand Yami, but even Therion was upset. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have imagined he would have kept her alive long enough for me to stop him. Given how I¡¯ve seen him act, he likely kept her alive so I could interrogate the poor girl. He wanted to see me act out some revenge, and learn what happened.


    He sighed, and looked to Yami and Therion. Breathing in deeply, he absorbed the mana he had released into the village, feeling himself swell with mana he had expended. Then, he turned to them. ¡°Listen, you two. I¡¯ve been meaning to say this for a while, but unless you are in danger, I would rather you not kill intelligent creatures. Especially those who don¡¯t fight back.¡± He motioned to Ella with his head, which resulted in a slight snarl from Therion.


    ¡°Master, you don¡¯t intend for us to handicap ourselves, do you? Especially for such a creature.¡± He looked down at Ella with disgust.


    Yami joined in. ¡°He¡¯s completely right, Drake. She tried to hurt you, she-¡±


    ¡°Stop.¡± Drake interrupted.


    Maybe I¡¯ve been going about this the wrong way¡­


    ¡°Therion, I would rather this just be me asking you. I don¡¯t want to order you to do anything.¡± Drake said. He put emphasis on the word order.


    Therion¡¯s eyes widened, and he smiled before bowing slightly. ¡°Of course, my Lord. Forgive me.¡±


    ¡°And Yami, remember what I said about Therion? Just treat those like Ella the same way you are towards him. Please¡­ for me.¡± He softened his gaze, and gave Yami a pleading look.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ ah..¡± She sighed in midair, before quickly shaking her head and ruffling her hair in frustration. ¡°You big dummy. Fine, you win Drake.¡±


    Drake looked between the two, and began to ponder to himself.


    It¡¯s like I thought. They¡¯ll do it for me, but if I try to bring up someone else, they immediately attack. They don¡¯t care about others one bit. Drake couldn¡¯t help but grimace a little at the thought.


    It seemed to Drake that monsters, on an instinctual level, typically don¡¯t care for others outside of their own species. They are combative, almost to a fault, except for those who they respect or fear. Or in Yami¡¯s case, adore. As Drake was formed from a human, he never experienced this, and could never truly understand the inbred hostility.


    Even with the small Lamia, he could that she feared him, but only to the point where she would attempt to run at the first sign she was given the chance. She certainly had more human-like traits, her simple cries for her mother told Drake that much, but she still undeniably had monster-like traits, which included whatever strange power she used against him. Once he understood this, Drake began to see that he may have approached this the wrong way. Even with such an innocent looking girl, he needed to be domineering, at least for now.


    He chuckled to himself before adopting an intimidating demeanor. He turned to the small Lamia who only flinched and lowered herself closer to the ground as he approached.


    Seeing her reaction, he scolded himself. Dammit¡­ what was I thinking, she¡¯s just a girl.


    She might be a monster, but she was probably horrified by what had happened to her. If it wasn¡¯t for everything that had happened, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten attacked. In any case, she didn¡¯t hurt him at all. There was no reason to try to treat her like some common monster.


    He sat on the ground next to her and slowly put his hand on her black tail. She flinched again as she felt his hand, but after a moment, she slowly turned around to meet his gaze.


    ¡°Hey Ella, you don¡¯t need to be afraid of me, or of these two here. I promise, they were just a bit angry is all.¡± Drake said in a comforting manner. He then nodded to Yami and Therion knowingly, which only resulted in a passive Therion and a slightly annoyed Yami.


    ¡°W-who are you¡­¡± Ella said timidly. Her head was cast low to the ground, as she occasionally peeked up at him.


    Drake smiled and responded slowly. ¡°My name is Drake. The small imp is Yami, and the big guy is Therion. I promise he¡¯s not as scary as he looks.¡±


    Drake tried to reassure her a bit. The upside of her race was the complete inability to understand just what exactly they had said. Therion and Yami were both apart of the demonic races, and so shared the same language from the beginning. Drake simply connecting them so he could talk freely had more to do with him being able to understand them.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Ella on the other hand, was just the opposite. The only one she could understand was him, at least that¡¯s how Gwyn told him the magic worked. And, it would be best for now if it stayed this way, since he wasn¡¯t sure of just how friendly they would be to her.


    ¡°Just what happened here? This village is completely destroyed.¡± He motioned to his surroundings with his hand.


    Her eyes began to slowly tear up, and she spoke in a shaky voice. ¡°M-mom said I had to hide. I¡­ I heard screaming, and crying¡­ and then everything just started falling down around me. And after that, everything was quiet¡­¡±


    She stopped speaking, slowly sinking into a solemn silence and she began to tear up again, with her tiny form slowly beginning to shake as she did.


    Cutting in, Drake said, ¡°Hey¡­ you¡¯re safe now. But this is important.¡±


    Ella looked up slowly, tears beginning to build in her violet eyes.


    ¡°I need you to tell me who you think did this. The little imp here,¡± He rubbed against Yami with his horn, ¡°is able to track others, much better than either one of us can. If you know who did this, I could help you, maybe even find someone you know.¡±


    Yami had shown that as long as she knew what she was looking for, she could track them. Asking her to find a specific species was a long-shot, but he was confident he could find the group who did this if he really had to. The path of destruction they left, not to mention the numerous tracks should be enough, but he wasn¡¯t sure if it would lead to someone the girl knew.


    Whoever did this, even if it was the newly transformed humans, certainly deserved death. But even with his limited experience with them, he still felt like he needed some evidence. If he came upon just some random people, he would rather not make unnecessary enemies and kill them outright. That would cause a lot more problems than it would solve.


    ¡°I.. I don¡¯t know.¡± She paused for a moment in thought. ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone¡­ but I heard them talking¡­ They kept talking about cages¡­ so I think they took someone.¡± She stopped talking completely, only solemnly looking down at the ground.


    So that¡¯s the way it is.


    They must have attacked the village to trap and take some of the monsters away, probably to use them for something. The real question is, why would humans attack a random village? It didn¡¯t look like there was any other species besides the Lamia here, and while almost all the bodies were stripped clean, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was intentional or simply a result of some type of magic. Were they clearing out the nearby regions? If so, it would certainly explain the environment around here. The entire walk to this village was almost in complete silence, and it seemed like everything had been abandoned.


    He slowly stood up from the small girl, and looked to Yami and Therion.


    ¡°Yami, Therion, we¡¯re going to go on a small hunt, interested in joining me?¡± Drake said with a sarcastic smile.


    Therion seemed happy. ¡°If we find my prey master, would you allow me to hunt them down? My power has grown significantly thanks to you, and I feel that I am able to take my revenge.¡± He showed a genuine bloodlust as he finished speaking, and the glow of Drake¡¯s mana began to accumulate in his hands.


    It had been almost a week since he first met Therion, given that he had been passed out for a while thanks to the contract turning him into a Lord. This certainly seemed like the best time to help him.


    ¡°Alright, if we find the humans who killed your brothers, tell me. We¡¯ll try to corner them so you can take your revenge.¡± Drake smiled in a somewhat evil manner in response.


    Therion only nodded in confirmation. Seeing the opportunity to finally avenge his brothers, it seemed that he was almost bursting with energy at the chance.


    [What are going to do about her?] Yami cut in suddenly, with a clear sense of annoyance in her voice.


    Drake looked down at Ella, and smiled slightly. [Her? We¡¯re going to take her with us of course. I can¡¯t exactly just leave a little girl here.]


    [She¡¯s going to be a nuisance. You know that.]


    Drake sighed and ruffled Yami¡¯s hair, which left her satisfied but still unhappy with the prospect of traveling with the young Lamia. However, leaving a little girl like Ella in a place like this would be nothing but a death sentence. He would love to try to find another solution, but there were only skeletons left behind in this village.


    He crouched down next to Ella and tried to speak as low and soft and possible.


    ¡°Ella, I¡¯m going to take you with us. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Where are you taking me¡­?¡± Looking up from her coiled body, she slowly looked up to stare at Drake. The apprehension in her voice was obvious.


    Drake smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t force you to go anywhere. But it¡¯s not safe here, and who knows when someone else will come along. So, I need you to come with us.¡± Drake pushed the issue of just where they were going aside. Truthfully, not accounting for Gwyn¡¯s small home, there wasn¡¯t a true place for them to stay. And given that night was soon approaching, he wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Staying in the village where everyone she knew was killed couldn¡¯t be good for her sanity. That¡¯s how it would be for him at least.


    ¡°O-ok.¡± She stared at him with wide eyes, the brilliant violet hue of her eyes striking him again. As he stared, he picked up on a few cues. It seemed she was afraid to meet his gaze. She was consistent, and wouldn¡¯t look at him for more than a few seconds at a time. As for the reason why, he couldn¡¯t say.


    Drake smiled, and said. ¡°Here, grab onto my back. I¡¯ll carry you out of here.¡± Drake hunched over and held his hands out behind his back towards the young girl. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of debris, and it¡¯d probably hurt if it got caught in your scales.¡±


    ¡°Unn.¡± She said in confirmation, nodded her head.


    Climbing onto Drake¡¯s back, she wrapped her tail around his torso, almost wrapping his entire chest in her shimmering black tail. At a distance, it would almost look comical. A small girl peeking from out behind a multicolored Draconian, only for them to realize that his black chest was actually her tail.


    [Draaakkee. What about my spot?] Yami called out in annoyance. Truthfully, Ella wouldn¡¯t get in Yami¡¯s way at all. However, the young Lamia was too close for comfort for the Imp. Something about her rubbed Yami the wrong way, and laying only a foot away from her was almost repulsive to her.


    Focusing on Yami, he said, [Just climb onto my head like usual. It won¡¯t be too cramped.]


    [Arggh¡­ Stupid.] Flying quickly over to Drake, she clambered onto his head quickly, and seemed very deliberant in the way that she turned away from the young Lamia who was only a few feet away.


    Smiling, Drake only shook his head before turning to Therion.


    ¡°Therion, how well do you think you could follow these tracks? There¡¯s only an hour or two before it gets dark, and this path is probably the easiest way out.¡± Not to mention it should show the way towards the ones responsible.. but that was best left unsaid.


    ¡°It should be simple, master.¡± Adopting his more serious demeanor again, Therion took to leading the small group out of the desolate and burnt out camp.


    The way out was fairly simple. The village itself was surrounded by a semi-circular ring of cliffs, with only one real way out of the encampment. Once out of the village however, it quickly opened up to more desolate forest, which spread out in all directions. To Drake, it all just looked like sparse forest, but Therion somehow managed to pick his way through the underbrush and follow through on a path.


    Slightly perturbed, Drake asked a question. ¡°Therion, just what are you following? It looks like nothing but sticks and brush.¡± Being a human in his other life, he had little to no contact with living outdoors. Although, truthfully this had less to do with Drake¡¯s abilities and more about how Therion was simply exceptionally gifted.


    Therion was after all, a Wood Nymph before being exposed to Drake¡¯s demonic mana. These abilities weren¡¯t lost in his transformation, and so his aptitude for such things was much higher than Drake¡¯s, or even Yami for that matter.


    The Satyr turned back towards Drake for a moment, before crouching towards the ground, his hands outlining a faint track.


    ¡°I¡¯m following a small group at the moment.¡± Raising his hand up from the track, he pointed further through the thicket, indicating to small signs such as a broken branch on a tree, dirt on otherwise clean grass, and other such signs.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be more than ten or eleven humanoids of various sizes. Although, I believe that we should be finding somewhere to stop soon.¡± He ended abruptly. Night was approaching, and with it, a multitude of creatures.


    Drake¡¯s presence was a barrier, but it was equally a signal. Just as those like Therion enjoyed the taste of combat, others who were of similar status might try to look for Drake to improve themselves. Given their situation, the young Lamia would be too much trouble, and so it required for them to find somewhere to stay for the night.


    Drake pondered the thought for a moment and quickly agreed.


    ¡°Alright. Could you find somewhere for the night then? We¡¯ll resume in the morning.¡± Drake said.


    ¡°Of course, master.¡± And so, Therion quickly scouted out a location for the night. It was nothing more than a small, open area within the endless thicket of trees, but it was enough to keep others who may not have been so friendly from approaching.


    *****


    As the group of various humanoids lay down for the night, various members took up guard again around the small encampment. They had been lugging back the various rewards of their small venture out into the wilderness, but there had been more than a few problems.


    ¡°Damned beasts. It wasn¡¯t supposed to take this long. There¡¯s been nothing but trouble ever since we picked up the last two species.¡± The stocky dwarf said.


    He leaned against a small tree, making sure to keep his back against something solid. The first couple of nights they had lost a few men due to sheer carelessness. Simply walking too close to the cages had been enough for a few to get snatched and quickly killed. One man in particular had taken an interest in one of the beasts and had been crushed to death. The fool. He ignored the warning the spotter had given him when they captured the beast.


    The identity of the killer? The ever-elusive, Lamia.


    Monster identified as a Lamia. Class B- threat. One of the reptilian class species. Prone to appear as beautiful women, those who are enchanted and look too closely into their hypnotic vision often lose their will in the process. Seemingly docile, take care to avoid their territory, as they often attack in groups.


    The damned idiot got enchanted by the one that was captured and just walked straight up to the beast. He didn¡¯t last a second once her coils got around him. Thankfully, almost all the ones during the raid didn¡¯t put up much of a fight.


    True, those that were torched were able to hold off the attack by some ethereal form of mana, but they didn¡¯t fare well against the fighters of the group. Their cores were retrieved, and the cleaning crew finished the job quick enough. If everything worked well enough, that area should be clear of monsters for quite a while.


    Glancing over to a small, makeshift torch, he snapped his fingers and within a second, a small light burned within the flammable mass.


    ¡°Finally starting your watch, Brian?¡± A young elven woman poked her head from behind the tree, surprising the dwarf.


    ¡°Damn you Anri, do you always have to do that.¡± The dwarf coughed to himself before staring out into the darkness again.


    ¡°Oh come on, don¡¯t be like that. It gets so boring out here. Just feeding the ground dragons gets boring after a while. They aren¡¯t anything like dogs.¡± The young woman walked out from behind the tree, showing an ever so slight mischievous grin all the while.


    Sighing, he turned to her. ¡°Travis warned you about that, you know. If you keep messing around with all the creatures, eventually you¡¯ll get burned.¡±


    Laughing lightly, she smiled. ¡°Worry wart. There¡¯s no point in coming along on these trips if I don¡¯t get to play some.¡± Smirking, she turned away, happily walking towards some of the other guards to pester them a bit.


    ¡°I¡¯m surrounded by idiots¡­¡± Brian muttered in disbelief. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope we can get back soon. We¡¯ll be in trouble if we don¡¯t bring back these beasts in time.¡±

 Chapter 5 Part 5

    Part 5


    Opening her eyes, Yami sat up on Drake¡¯s shoulders. She had spent the night in one of her usual positions, wrapped firmly around his neck as she rested on his shoulders. A smile floated across Yami¡¯s face as she watched Drake. He was deep in sleep, as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world. However, as she watched Drake, a small shuffling next to him brought feelings of jealousy as she looked further.


    The small Lamia they had picked up from the village seemed to have taken a liking to him, for one reason or another. So, as the night went on, she had taken the opportunity to slowly get closer to him in her sleep, even going so far as to slowly coil around him, like he was nothing more than a safety blanket to her.


    ¡°Auuughh!¡± Yami let out a muffled cry as she flew up in disgust. This was the one thing she hated most. Therion, as a burly, and almost frightening Satyr, was little more than a servant at first. He had grown to be a friend, and one that had understood the relationship between Drake and herself. But this little¡­ girl, had completely broken those rules within moments of speaking to him.


    Drake was hers. From the moment she was born, he was in her life, and she wouldn¡¯t let anyone take that away from her, certainly not some snake they picked up on the wayside.


    The funny thing was, Yami had even contemplated speaking to her. It seemed that Drake had completely forgotten, given their contract and his ability to link to others, that she had her own ability to speak without his help at all. She had even reached out in frustration, more because of Drake¡¯s behavior than anything else, and listened in closely to Drake¡¯s feelings and thoughts. And what she felt and heard surprised her.


    This little girl, Ella. For some reason, in Drake¡¯s mind she was viewed as something worth protecting, even though he just met her. He also felt deep anger at the humans who were responsible for what happened to the village, to the extent that he would kill those if he found them.


    ¡°He¡¯s too good of a person¡­¡± She murmured to herself.


    ¡°He is our master, however.¡±


    Turning around quickly, her eyes widened as she saw Therion sitting to the side, only smiling in a sarcastic manner.


    ¡°You, how long have you been watching me?¡± She demanded.


    Therion paused for a moment, as if he was considering his answer.


    ¡°Does it really matter?¡± He said with a snide smile.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± She pouted for a moment, as Therion seemed to be taunting her. ¡°Now you choose to act like that.¡±


    He laughed lightly to himself, and bowed slightly to Yami, a teasing look in his eyes.


    ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t do for master to think less of me. And, it works better for the both of us if there is a clear line of command. Master is master after all.¡± He ended abruptly, only gazing at Yami with a smile.


    ¡°Yea, yea¡­¡± Yami could only shake her head and sigh. True, they had grown closer, and Therion was certainly someone she could talk to without reservations¡­ but she received absolutely no respect from the Satyr. Really, it was all a result of one of Drake¡¯s requests. Treat him as a friend. She had done just that, but she lost all chance for a proper relationship with him at the same time.


    ¡°So what do you think of the snake?¡± Yami looked over the Ella with a heated gaze. She was still happily wrapped around Drake, with her tail fully around his waist as he slept. The little harlot.


    ¡°Hmm? Her?¡± Therion only gazed momentarily at the pair. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter all that much to me, as long as she doesn¡¯t interfere with Master assisting me in my revenge.¡± He smiled and then began to chuckle to himself. ¡°I imagine at that time, you might actually be left babysitting her, how amusing.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Yami snapped. ¡°Hopefully, Drake will be able to find somewhere to leave her. The sooner she is gone the better.¡± She looked meaningfully at the pair as they slept, and spun herself into even more of a frenzy.


    ¡°Wake them up. I¡¯m going to up and see if I can manage to track one of the snakes that were stolen from the village.¡± She flew up high, searching for the path they were on the night before. Rubbing her hair in frustration, she muttered, ¡°I¡¯m not good at this kind of stuff¡­¡± Hearing a short whistle, she turned to Therion and saw him pointing to a small, discrete path out of the forest. Yami nodded, and quickly flew out in that direction.


    Chuckling to himself, Therion watched as Yami slowly disappeared into the forest path. ¡°Heh, well I suppose I should wake up master. I¡¯ll get an earful from the little imp if I don¡¯t separate those two before she gets back.¡± He said as he slowly made his way on his feet.


    *****


    ¡°Master¡­ master, wake up.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm¡­?¡± Drake slowly opened his eyes, only to meet Therion¡¯s intense gaze over him.


    ¡°T-Therion, uh, morning.¡± Drake stammered in surprise.


    Really though, does he have to do that? Scared the crap of out me. Drake couldn¡¯t help but think. Waking up to something out of a horror movie didn¡¯t exactly inspire the warm, fuzzy feeling he was hoping to have.


    ¡°Good morning, master.¡± Therion replied. Just as Yami said before, he adopted the more reserved tone he used with Drake.


    Drake groaned as he attempted to wake up and move, and was quickly met with resistance.


    ¡°What the¡­¡±


    WHAT!?


    Drake was met with utter shock as he stared down at the young Lamia wrapped around him. Her entire tail had completely wrapped around his torso and waist, with her head resting neatly on his chest. The real problem however, was that he could barely get his balance to even stand up in the first place. Regardless of his strength, Ella¡¯s body was quite long, making her reach around 400 pounds. This left him in the awkward position of being barely able to move, let alone without waking the young girl.


    As Drake looked around for a moment, he noticed the distinct lack of a certain imp that he normally woke up to. She normally took great pleasure in waking him up herself, and given his position, he could imagine what had happened. He laughed nervously before turning to Therion with a pleading expression.


    ¡°Therion¡­ where¡¯s Yami?¡± He said with a sense of foreboding.


    ¡°The little imp is currently out to test if she can track the other members of the little snake¡¯s species. She seemed quite unsure of herself, and I¡¯m sure she didn¡¯t want to disappoint you.¡± Therion replied in a rather official manner.


    It took Drake a moment to process what he had heard when a single thought hit him.


    Well, shit. This is bad.


    Yami had been close to him from day one. She especially seemed to be territorial towards those that she thought was a threat to that, and her waking up to see something like this¡­ If he wanted them to be on good terms, this certainly wasn¡¯t the way to start out. Dammit.


    Turning to the small Lamia, he gently prodded Ella. The longer they stayed like this, the worse the result would be when Yami returned.


    ¡°Mmmnnn¡­ still sleepy¡­¡± Her small voice responded from his chest. She then began to tighten grip on Drake, which left him grunting in pain as she squeezed down.


    ¡°A-ah¡­ Ella, wake up.¡± He managed to stammer. This girl was actually causing him to lose his breath¡­ What kind of strength does her tail have?!


    He decided to just shake her. If he stayed like this much longer, it might actually be dangerous.


    ¡°Uhhhnnn¡­ huh?¡± Her violet eyes suddenly lit up, and she stared deeply into Drake¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°A-ahh.¡± She stammered. ¡°S-s-sorry!¡± She quickly unwrapped her body as quickly as she could from around Drake.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Drake managed a response, as he finally got a deep breathe in. This girl could easily be deadly if he wasn¡¯t careful. If he wasn¡¯t in his new body, he might have actually suffocated under her grip.


    After he got out from under her grip, he quickly got to his feet, leaving the young girl looking down at the ground in shame Interestingly, even though she wouldn¡¯t look at him, he noticed that she couldn¡¯t help but stay close to him.


    ¡°When do you expect Yami to be back?¡± Drake was quick to change the subject, asking Therion. The sheer strength of Ella surprised him. If he didn¡¯t want to hurt her with magic, he really didn¡¯t have a way to stop her. She really was just too strong.


    Therion had stood off to the side as Drake and Ella struggled with each other. It was a testament to his character that he didn¡¯t break a smile during the whole ordeal, as Drake was sure it looked ridiculous.


    ¡°Hm, I expect that she will return as soon as she manages to locate another Lamia member. Such a race should be quite rare, given the¡­ signal they put out.¡±


    Therion frowned as he looked down at Ella.


    ¡°She¡¯s not the same Therion, it¡¯s fine.¡± Drake said seeing his expression.


    The meaning of the look he gave Ella was obvious. If Drake wasn¡¯t here, there¡¯s no doubt Ella would have been killed within moments. It simply wasn¡¯t in his nature to leave potential threats alive. With even just her current strength as a monster, she was a threat to Therion. For some reason, Drake could tell at a glance.


    Of course, in an actual battle it wouldn¡¯t be close. Ella was likely hidden away exactly because she couldn¡¯t fight, or simply because she was too young. Either way, Therion had the experience and the power to overpower her. That was simply for now, though. Drake could tell that the young Lamia had the potential to become much, much more powerful.


    Both he and Therion were able to tell, which was why Therion was so hostile.


    Therion simply smiled in response to Drake, and answered. ¡°Of course, master.¡±


    Frowning, Drake turned out towards the forest and focused on his bond with Yami.


    [Morning. Did you find anything?] Drake asked tentatively.


    It was quiet for a moment before she finally responded.


    [Good morning, Drake.] She said softly.


    Yami continued. [Tracking a specific species when I don¡¯t know the mana signature is extremely difficult. I¡¯ve been able to pick up on something, but honestly Drake, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a Lamia or not. It should be on the path Therion sent me on. It leads out to a wide grassy field, and starts to turn towards the city.]


    Drake thought to himself for a moment, before looking to his side with a questioning expression. ¡°You did send her in the right direction, right Therion?¡±


    He merely chuckled before confirming the question. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mislead her, master. It¡¯s important that we find the group of humans. For both of our purposes.¡±


    Drake couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. Heh¡­ he¡¯s probably thinking of questioning them, or just flat out tracking them back to their main camp if they have one. What he has in mind probably entails killing almost the entire group, not that I really have an issue with it. After what I saw at the village, someone needs to pay.


    [Drake, you there?] Yami cut in, wondering why he hadn¡¯t responded.


    [Right, right. Sorry, I was asking Therion a question. That should be the right path, and if you¡¯re able to pick up anything, it¡¯s the best shot we have for actually locating them. Fly back here, and we¡¯ll get started. I need you here, after all.]


    [Right. Be back soon!] She responded cheerfully.


    ¡°Uhn¡­ Mister?¡± A small voice sounded out night to Drake.


    He looked down at the small Lamia who seemed determined to look away from him.


    ¡°You alright, Ella?¡±


    ¡°Sorry for this morning. When I went to go to sleep, I was just all curled up in my tail¡­ but then I started to get cold, and the horned man looked scary so¡­¡± Her sentence slowly tapered off in embarrassment.


    Drake couldn¡¯t help but smile at her reaction. It reminded him very much of someone who simply couldn¡¯t say what they wanted to do out of a sense of self-restraint. Moreover, Lamia, at least to his understanding, was an entirely female species. The simple fact that he was the first male she really spent any amount of time with probably influenced the more guarded part of her personality.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just¡­ try not to make it a habit. The Imp you saw yesterday doesn¡¯t really appreciate the company.¡± Drake attempted to joke a bit.


    ¡°Unn, I¡¯ll be more careful but¡­ if we are traveling quickly again, could you carry me? You¡¯re too fast, mister.¡± She looked up again, the violet shimmer in her eyes hitting Drake again.


    He grimaced, before scratching the back of his head. Yami really wasn¡¯t gonna like this but they did need to travel fast¡­This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Sure, but you¡¯ll need to hold on.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡± Ella smiled.


    ¡°Draaakeee! I¡¯m back!¡±


    Suddenly hitting him from behind, Yami wrapped herself around Drake¡¯s neck as she spun around. She then kissed the edge of his nose teasingly before landing on his shoulder.


    ¡°Miss me?¡± She taunted.


    ¡°You know it.¡± Drake smirked before ruffling her hair.


    ¡°Hey, we¡¯re gonna travel quick, so hop on. Ella is gonna ride on my back like yesterday too.¡±


    [And try not to make that big of a deal about it. She¡¯s a nice girl. You should at least try to treat her well.]


    Drake finished talking through their link. Definitely one advantage was his ability to talk in private like this.


    Seeing the look on Drake¡¯s face, Yami struggled with herself for a moment before hugging his neck. She then quickly flitted up to his head and looked forward.


    [Fine. Let¡¯s go. I won¡¯t complain.]


    [Thanks.]


    ¡°Ella, jump on.¡± Drake said.


    ¡°Un.¡± Grabbing onto Drake¡¯s shoulders, she quickly wrapped her tail around his torso like before, giving her a solid base. ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Therion, lead us out on the path you showed Yami. She can take it from there once we¡¯re out of the forest.¡± Drake said.


    With Therion leading the way, they soon made it through the desolate, dead region of the forest that seemed to surround the entire area around the destroyed Lamia¡¯s village. Once they left the dead region of forest, they were able to move faster than ever, as they found a worn path that looked through as if something had cut a swath through the forest. It wasn¡¯t long after that they reached the wide, open plains-like area that Yami had mentioned earlier. Just as they did, Drake began to feel a strange rumbling on his back.


    Wait¡­ is that what I thought it was?


    Smirking to himself, he looked up to Ella mischievously. It had been quite a while since he had eaten anything, and it seems like Ella was even worse off than he was.


    ¡°Hey Ella, when was the last time you were able to eat?¡± Drake looked at the young girl¡¯s face and asked with a teasing tone.


    ¡°O-oh.. um¡­¡± She quickly buried her face into Drake¡¯s back. The mission that Drake was on seemed important, so she didn¡¯t want to interfere anymore than she had to¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s been a few days¡­¡± She murmured into Drake¡¯s shoulder. ¡°There was no time to hide any food away, and I was too scared to go out.¡±


    So that¡¯s how it was. Drake thought to himself.


    Of course, she wouldn¡¯t have had much to eat since her village was attacked. From the looks of it, they had been completely surprised, and she was just a young girl. He had some serious doubts that she would have been able to hunt for anything even if she hadn¡¯t stayed hidden.


    Nodding his head, he knocked Yami forward off of his head and onto his snout, asking her a question.


    [Out of curiosity, when was the last time you had something to eat Yami? Because I think now is a good time to track something down.]


    Drake couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile. Personally, he hadn¡¯t eaten anything since the small piece of meat Yami had saved for him from the Doppelganger. So, he was feeling a bit hungry as well.


    [Hm? Well, I¡¯ve been able to snack a bit here and there, but I could eat. What do you have in mind?] She asked.


    [Just surprise me.] Drake said.


    He could spread his mana out like before, and catch something fairly easily. After all, from what he learned at the village, his new ability allowed him to locate anything his mana touched. That took time however, and Yami¡¯s ability was much better suited at finding something nearby, given that she could search out others and identify them based on their mana signature.


    Flying off of his shoulder, she gave a short wink in response before she began to glow with the red runes she so often used for tracking. And so, within moments she locked onto something nearby. Motioning Drake over, she quickly began to fly off along the edge of the forest.


    [I think I found something you¡¯ll like. It seems to be an offshoot of one of the creatures from your world.] She mentioned with a hint of pleasure.


    Really?


    Drake could only think of a few off the top of his head. And they were typically those that had been ¡°corrupted¡± by some influence. Ironically, it was a bit similar to what had happened to Therion, although he doubted that Therion would have any problems with eating a creature that had been corrupted.


    As Yami approached the creature she had targeted, she slowed down considerably and slowly lowered down onto Drake¡¯s shoulder.


    [It¡¯s right up ahead. It¡¯s demonic in nature, but I think it¡¯s called a¡­ boar?] Truthfully, Yami couldn¡¯t help but laugh to herself a bit. In part, when she had located this creature among those who were closest, she had chosen this creature because she had overheard Drake¡¯s thoughts as he thought about his days as a human.


    To her, it was extremely strange hearing his thoughts as he pondered his days walking through cities and forests without a hint of danger. And, it seemed to her that the one of the foods he seemed to miss quite a bit was a strange creature called a pig. From what little she knew, she could tell that the boar was similar to the creature Drake missed, so she was quite pleased with herself.


    Drake eyes widened in surprise as Yami mentioned what the creature was.


    Seriously? So I get to have some pork?


    Drake unconsciously lipped his licks in hunger, his snake-like tongue licking the side of his mouth as he let out a low, growling hiss, which sounded remarkably similar to that of alligator.


    Sinking into the cold presence of his hunter state, Drake¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously as his presence disappeared entirely. After having learned how to control it from Yami, Drake could recognize that she was completely right. He sunk into this whenever he starting thinking of food, although it was much stronger now that he knew how it felt.


    ¡°U-uh, mister?¡± Ella called out to Drake in a somewhat fearful tone.


    Widening his eyes in surprise, he quickly turned to the Lamia on his back.


    ¡°Sorry Ella, I forgot you aren¡¯t used to how I fight.¡± He slowly lowered his back to the ground, and allowed Ella to slowly uncurl herself from around his waist. Turning to her, he said, ¡°Now listen, I¡¯m gonna get us some food real quick, so just stay here and be good. I¡¯ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Ella responded as she stared at Drake.


    Drake¡¯s demeanor went through a range of emotions before he finally settled on pure glee. Letting out a wave of mana, he slowly let it spread over the entire area, making sure it didn¡¯t get too close to Ella. His mana empowered Yami and Therion greatly, but against those who didn¡¯t have his unique type, it seemed to drain them by the second.


    As it spread across the area, he felt what Yami had located. It was a semi-large mana source, roughly 8 feet in length. He hadn¡¯t expected it to be so large, although, given the ¡°corruption¡± normally given to such creatures, they were normally two to three times their normal size.


    Lowering himself to the ground, he quickly tracked the signature to its source. It was only 60 feet or so away from the others, but that should be enough to keep Ella safe. If she got hurt because of something stupid he did, he doubt he¡¯d be able to forgive himself.


    Peeking over a small bramble of bushes, he finally spotted it. It was quite large, and it¡¯s mana signature was spot on given the size he expected. Although, when he spotted it he couldn¡¯t help but stifle a small cackle. He recognized this particular species exactly.


    It was a large, red boar with black spikes splitting through its body at seemingly random intervals with a long, black mane covering its back. It also had a faint, arcane fire that burned over the creature constantly, making it a type of boar-like demon than any real species of pig. In short, the damn thing was a Helboar. They were well known in one of the popular MMO¡¯s back in the old days, and were a popular source of grinding in various quests.


    Time for a little bit of fun. Drake thought as he stalked the boar.


    For a long time now, Drake had the ability to focus his mana into small crystals. Normally, he would just fire them off, giving him a great ability to kill things at a distance, but this was opposite the nature of a Draconian. And given such a perfect target, he couldn¡¯t help but experiment a bit.


    He began to focus his mana around his hands, and channeling them into the edge of his fingers. All he really needed to do was just create a small gauntlet over his hand, and he would have the perfect catalyst to drain an opponent¡¯s mana while fighting them.


    As he watched the boar ruffle through the ground in search of food, he completed it. It was a small bracer complete with a crystalline glove that extended into spikes that covered his claws with mana. He continued to stare down the demonic creature as he soon extended this little toy to his other arm.


    Grinning in devilish delight, Drake leaped forward into the boar, crashing into it and pinning it against a nearby tree.


    It screamed in agony, the mana crystals of Drake¡¯s new gauntlet digging into its side and draining its strength as it thrashed against him. The area Drake struck at was slowly fading of all color, changing from the creature¡¯s trademark red, into an almost dead, brown color.


    As Drake began to dig into the creature, he felt a small wave of mana begin to build in his hand, and he leaped back in surprise.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Drake yelled in surprise to himself.


    It had taken a moment, but as he had attacked the boar, a small wisp of flame shot out of its body, and had aimed straight at him. It didn¡¯t extend more than a foot away from the boar, and quickly dissipated, but it undeniably had used magic against him.


    ¡°Come on, you didn¡¯t have that before.¡± He muttered in annoyance.


    The Helboar that he always knew of was no more than a simple boar with demonic influence. It didn¡¯t have any form of magic.


    Free from Drake¡¯s control, the boar turned to him, it¡¯s eyes burning red with fury. It charged him almost immediately, its tusks aimed straight for his chest.


    Drake moved out of the way of the attack, almost as if he was in a daze. It was simply too slow. He had expected a bit more of a challenge, and now he was undeniably disappointed.


    ¡°Not to mention it¡¯s just stupid.¡± Drake grumbled.


    The stupid pig just charged straight ahead as Drake dashed to the side. It barely avoided slamming its snout against a nearby tree, and it had to slowly turn around to even have the chance to attack him again.


    Maybe it¡¯s my mana doing it. He thought haphazardly. It made sense after all. The entire region had been swamped in his mana after he used it to track down the boar, and it was likely impairing its movement quite a bit. Maybe even the defensive flame it had used against him was affected, if the boar had breathed any of it in, which it undoubtedly had.


    He sighed and shook his head. ¡°Whatever, time to eat.¡± He said with a bloodthirsty grin.


    Dashing to the side of the boar again, he charged at its side, thrusting his arm deep inside the muscle of the boar. It screamed out in agony, and Drake began to feel the buildup of mana as it tried to gather that flame-like defense from before.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t.¡± He muttered. Taking the crystal from his gauntlet, he ordered the mana to expand out.


    As he focused his mana, the crystal gauntlet created numerous spikes, spearing the Helboar from the inside out in almost all directions. This left the Helboar gravely injured, as it effectively left a giant void in the meat and bone of the creature.


    Leaping back in delight, Drake watched as the Boar¡¯s eyes glazed over and it slumped to the ground. It whined in pain, as Drake opened his palm and shot one last crystal spike through the skull of the boar.


    Satisfied, Drake slowly extended his arm as he took a look at his new experiment. In his opinion, the crystal gauntlet worked like a charm. It enhanced his claws that had dulled slightly since his advancement to a Lord, and given the natural enhanced mana that came with being a Lord, such tricks suited him immensely.


    Now Drake understood what he had been missing. He had left himself open to counter attacks if someone was capable of getting too close. If someone was capable of blocking his crystal blasts, much like Gwyn was with her barrier, what else was he left with? The amount of mana it took to control and concentrate a solid wave of aura to try to attack someone was truly frightening, and was only suited to attacking when he was able to convert a vast amount of the natural mana in the air to his own. He understood that much as he sealed the Draconian in his memories and gained the knowledge of what had happened against Gwyn.


    If he needed to use such an ability, it would likely have vast consequences on any others around him, including the environment. He had tried to shy away from letting too much of his mana interact with others. He still remembered how badly it changed the small area that he first formed his half-core with the mana crystals. It resulted in nothing but black brambles of thorns, and other strange changes to the environment. If he didn¡¯t plan to stay in such an area, he would stay well away from making such changes. It simply made him too easy to track.


    Breathing in deeply, he took the ambient mana in the area and slowly began to draw it back into himself. As long as he was careful, it wouldn¡¯t do too much damage. And, given how widespread the mana was, he could often feel a sizable increase in the amount of mana he put out in the first place due to the corruption of the surrounding mana.


    ¡°Yami, Therion, I¡¯m all finished. Bring Ella over!¡± Drake yelled out towards the others.


    The first to reach him was Yami, who quickly wrapped herself around his neck in glee.


    ¡°Wowww, it¡¯s been such a long time since I¡¯ve had something like this.¡± Yami¡¯s eyes sparkled in anticipation. She had expected it to be large, but this surpassed her expectations,


    Then, just as expected, Therion walked out with Ella right beside him.


    Ella¡¯s eyes seemed to sparkle just as much as Yami¡¯s when she saw the body of the boar.


    ¡°What, first time you¡¯ve seen one?¡± Drake chuckled a bit.


    She shook her head vigorously, the end of her tail tapping the ground as she did.


    ¡°Nuh uh, I¡¯ve seen some similar stuff but, it¡¯s so¡­ big. Do we get to eat it all?¡± She asked in anticipation, her eyes wide in excitement. Clearly, the girl was hiding her hunger a lot more than Drake realized.


    Drake laughed as he turned to the corpse. Grabbing onto the meat, he ripped out a piece fairly easily. Taking a small chunk, he gifted it to Yami, who happily began to munch down on it.


    ¡°Well, get to eating. Here, catch.¡± He threw over the piece, which she happily wolfed down, then looked back at the boar, eager for more.


    Drake couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Come on, get some yourself. You too Therion.¡± He motioned the Satyr over. It looked as if he was waiting for permission to eat, likely some chain of command thing he seemed so stubborn about.


    Therion smiled graciously. ¡°Of course, master.¡±


    And so, they ate, with Yami stealing a small mouthful here and there from Drake with an impish delight in her laugh, and Ella wolfing down as much as her small body would allow her to. Honestly, just where did she put it all? As for Drake and Therion, they ate leisurely and took the time to relax.


    Drake looked longingly at the Helboar. This was one of the first species that really reminded him of some of his favorite foods. He had already retrieved the core and had swallowed it at a moment¡¯s notice, but to no real effect. Now, if he could only somehow save some of the meat for later¡­


    Then, his eyes suddenly widened as he thought of a plan. Drake smirked before tearing off a large strip of meat, and bunched it up into a large ball as best he could.


    Oh ho ho, this is gonna be great.


    Yami and Ella were still happily tearing into the boar, and didn¡¯t notice him, but Therion looked at him strangely as he continued to mold the meat into a large ball.


    ¡°Um¡­ master? What are you-¡±


    Drake brought his finger up to his lips. ¡°Sshhh, this is a bit of extra for later.¡±


    Focusing on the small ball of meat, Drake slowly let out his aura around it. It took him roughly half a minute, but soon he had completely surrounded the ball of meat in a layer of crystal.


    This is by far the best way to save food. Drake chuckled to himself before looking over to the two girls. They were completely in their own world as they chewed through the boar.


    Crouching over by Therion, he asked for a favor. ¡°Could you keep this on you Therion? I have my hands full with those two.¡± He held his hand out in front of his mouth in a pleading gesture.


    Therion merely nodded in response, taking the small crystal full of meat. ¡°No need to ask, master.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Drake replied.


    After the girls finished their meal, Drake decided it was time to get back to tracking the group. They had come quite a long way from the village, and Drake was sure that he was able to sprint much faster than any cart with some cages could ever attempt. It wouldn¡¯t be much longer before he believed they could catch up.


    Backtracking to the area where Therion was able to track them out to the plains, Drake quickly nudged Yami on his shoulders.


    [Think you can feel the signal from here] Drake asked.


    [It¡¯s faint, but I think I can.]


    Yami flew off Drake¡¯s shoulders as she began to track the signal she felt earlier. High in the air, she slowly turned until she felt herself lock onto the strange feeling she felt before.


    [I think I have it.]


    Flying back down, she landed neatly on Drake¡¯s head.


    [It¡¯s still towards the edge of the city. It has been moving a bit, but very slowly.]


    That fits in with the cages that Ella thought she heard.


    Drake hoped for the best. If they were wrong, he would likely have to take pretty drastic measures to actually find them.


    A sudden slap aimed at his own forehead awoke Drake from his own thoughts.


    ¡°Get down, now!¡± Yami whispered urgently. ¡°Suppress your presence, quick!¡±


    ¡°Huh, why should I?¡± Drake asked in an annoyed manner. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with whatever comes our way. It¡¯s easier.¡± After the disappointment from the Helboar, it would be nice to have an actual fight. Besides, suppressing himself was uncomfortable, and all it did was made him feel other¡¯s presence more. Under something like the powerful pressure at the destroyed village, it was like walking out into a blizzard without a coat. It simply didn¡¯t make any sense to him. It was best to simply let his signal blare out towards others, and only suppress himself if he felt danger even despite that.


    ¡°Ahhh! Idiot!¡± She yelled in frustration, and flew behind his back, close to Ella.


    Just as soon as Yami finished talking, Drake finally felt what she was sensing. Unlike Yami however, he didn¡¯t feel the pressure of an enemy but heard the powerful waves of air as the air pressure changed around him.


    Then, as suddenly as he felt it, a giant monster plunged down to the ground from the sky, and began to roar out in a terribly powerful scream. As it did, all the others could do was cover their ears in pain as the roar echoed out into the distance, but to Drake, a single order echoed out into the distance.


    ¡°Ormir! Come on out! I know you¡¯re around here!¡±


    What landed and yelled out the curious name was obvious to Drake the moment he got a good look at it. At first glance, it looked incredibly similar to the Wyvern¡¯s he was used to seeing in fantasy. Two scaly legs, leathery wings and a sinewy tail made the rather typical look. However, for some reason the end of its tail was suspiciously pointed, giving it an almost hook-like shape. Furthermore, it was undeniably smaller than he expected it to be. It was probably only 20 feet in length.


    He looked to the Wyvern, and couldn¡¯t help but contain an evil smile.


    I wonder just how strong it is.

 Drake - Final Concept Art

Hope you all enjoy it!


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

 Chapter 6 Part 1

    Chapter 6


    Then again¡­


    Drake looked to the large wyvern as it continued to roar out a name, demanding they come out.


    This is the first draconic species I¡¯ve met, even if it is a bit underwhelming. It¡¯d be interesting to see just how they are, outside of the one I¡¯ve chained up at least.


    [Drake, don¡¯t even think about it! Just hide your presence! There¡¯s still plenty of time, it hasn¡¯t found us yet.] Yami spoke to him urgently. Such a creature was beyond dangerous. The species that were capable of flight were almost impossible to truly escape from. They could simply hide in the sky and wait for their time to strike, or even run away the moment they felt they were in danger. In short, it was suicide unless you were sure of your own power, speed, and ability to outsmart them.


    Drake only responded with a short smirk before he lowered himself to the ground. His claws dug into the dry soil, itching to fight.


    ¡°Hey Ella, hop off, alright? It¡¯s too dangerous for you to stay on my back.¡± Drake said.


    ¡°Hoooh, alright mister.¡± She responded joyfully, quickly uncoiling herself as she looked to Drake in excitement.


    [Drake, please. This is dangerous.] Yami pleaded with him again. She grabbed him by the arm and tried as hard as she could topull him down lower to the ground. She couldn¡¯t make much progress, given the size of her small wings.


    Drake chuckled a bit, resisting her small attempt entirely. ¡°Yami, what happened the last time you acted like this?¡± He tapped her forehead, making her look up in outrage. Drake couldn¡¯t help tease her a bit.


    ¡°This happened when we first met, remember? You were so worried about some bear, even back when you barely knew me.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°T-that was different!¡± She cried out in response. Tears were welling up in her eyes, although it was more out of a sense of embarrassment than anything else.


    ¡°It was not,¡± Drake responded with a wink.


    True, when he first found Yami he was just starting to come into his own powers. But now, it was entirely different. He never truly felt like he hit a limit, and the Draconian always began to control him when he was put into a corner.


    There was also the small issue of Gwyn¡¯s potion. Soon after he awoke from the coma-like state it put him in, he realized that he couldn¡¯t activate the small gem he had formed in his inner mind, although he was certain that he absorbed the Lord¡¯s mana. If it wasn¡¯t a matter of power, like the demonic cores gave him, or a matter of skill, like he could simply gain by practice, then he was out of ideas. So, Drake felt like the only true resort was put himself in a real battle, one that didn¡¯t involve him overpowering the opponent so easily. Only then did he feel that he could break past the barrier in his mind that prevented him from utilizing his new ability.


    So I need to do this, and not hold back. Drake thought to himself seriously.


    He looked to Yami and smiled softly. ¡°Just give me a moment, and I¡¯ll be back.¡± Also¡­


    ¡°Therion, look after them and make sure they aren¡¯t hurt.¡± Drake looked to the side at Yami and Ella before glancing at Therion momentarily.


    ¡°Of course, master.¡± The large Satyr gave a slow, firm nod as his response, and with that, Drake began to slowly walk out to the wyvern.


    The Wyvern had continued to cry out in what seemed to anger, frantically searching back and forth for the presence it felt in the area. It wasn¡¯t long before the Wyvern noticed Drake walking towards it, as the entire reason it landed was due to Drake¡¯s signal.


    However, when it saw who it was, it craned its neck curiously, before screeching out a horrible roar.


    ¡°Who the hell are you? Where is Ormir?¡± The wyvern roared. Drake couldn¡¯t help but smile to himself nervously. If anything, the sheer power behind its voice didn¡¯t leave anything to be desired.


    This close, Drake began to truly appreciate just how threatening it truly was. Shockingly, even with him not restraining himself in the least, he could feel the force from the beast. It felt like an overwhelming wave that threatened to overpower him again and again.


    Drake hid a reluctant smirk as he looked to the creature. I understand now why the others were so afraid of this creature. It¡¯s much stronger than me in a straight up fight. I couldn¡¯t feel it presence due to the distance between us alone. So, I need to cheat a bit¡­ Drake thought with a smile.


    Raising his hands in a non-threatening gesture in front of the beast, Drake formed a plan.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure who you¡¯re referring to, but he¡¯s not here. Just me.¡± Drake yelled.


    The wyvern craned its neck dangerously towards Drake as it looked closer at him, it¡¯s burning yellow eyes gauging his every move.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re a high lizard. Why are you here? You¡­ You¡¯re the one I sensed.¡± The large draconic beast¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously as it examined him, as if trying to gauge just why he mistook a fellow wyvern¡¯s power for this creature.


    High lizard¡­ Drake filed that term away for later. It seemed that the Draconic language certainly didn¡¯t view those of his level very highly.


    ¡°This is the area I was born in, and I¡¯ve claimed it for myself ever since then. You¡¯re the first wyvern I¡¯ve seen in this area.¡± Drake said tentatively.


    Hissing dangerously, the Wyvern raised its tail above its head, moving it in a manner that was shockingly similar to a scorpion.


    ¡°This is my area now, whelp. Beat it, or I¡¯ll kill you.¡± The wyvern threatened, a deep rumble growing in its throat. Its tail circled above the wyvern¡¯s head, moving in an hypnotic fashion.


    Despite the obvious threat, Drake chuckled a bit. If he truly meant to escape, he would have done so already. Approaching such a massive beast out of a simple need to talk was suicidal at best. It seemed that the wyvern hadn¡¯t realized that yet.


    And, in light of that, Drake decided it was best to start this battle on his own terms.


    ¡°I refuse.¡± Drake suddenly raised his hands towards the wyvern¡¯s face, before mercilessly blasting a storm of mana shards straight towards the creature¡¯s eyes.


    Reacting almost instantaneously, the wyvern craned its neck away from Drake, shattering most of the shards on its hard scales. Luckily, a few stray shards entered one of its eyes, but even then, his sneak attack only enraged the creature further.


    You¡¯ve got to be joking... Drake¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Any normal attack from his would have left his mana shards in the enemy, slowly weakening them as he fought. With this wyvern however, the force from just him attacking wouldn¡¯t be enough to even damage the creature, let alone hurt it. Even the stray shards that entered its eyes only really managed to blind it in one eye, but it didn¡¯t do any real damage.


    ¡°You little bug, you¡¯ll pay for that!¡± The wyvern roared out angrily, striking towards him with his tail in anger.


    Realizing the danger, Drake quickly dashed to the left just as the end of its tail buried itself deep in the ground where he was just standing. As Drake focused on the dangerous point of the tail, , he was hit hard by a sweeping blow by the wyvern¡¯s talon, blind siding him completely.


    Catapulted by the blow, he hit the ground with so much force that he bounced back into the air, hurtling away from the wyvern with startling speed before he slowly slid and stopped almost thirty feet away.


    Spitting out a small amount of blood, Drake quickly jumped up and away just as another blow of the wyvern¡¯s tail struck right where his body had landed.


    Bruised and bloodied, Drake looked again to the large beast, who seemed to be grinning sadistically as began to slowly circle him, taunting him all the while.


    ¡°Stupid High Lizard. What could your species ever hope to accomplish against me?¡± The creature¡¯s voice was full of pride. It made perfect sense. Here was a Draconian that was quite literally lower on the totem pole attempting to fight against a creature that was outclassed in almost every way. Except¡­


    ¡°If you had half a brain, you¡¯d be wondering how I was able to attack you.¡± Drake laughed half-heartedly, wiping the blood away from his mouth. After all, no normal member of his species would have access to such a strange magic.


    The wyvern¡¯s eyes narrowed, before its tail launched towards Drake again.


    Jumping back from the dangerous spear, Drake let loose his mana for the first time. Letting out a huge plume of hazy red mist, Drake focused on dodging the blows from the wyvern as his mana spread out from him.


    Forcing some of the mist together into shards, Drake launched three more blasts towards the wyvern. The air around the wyvern shook with the forceful movement of its defense and it quickly lowered its head, allowing the shards to painlessly bounce off of its scales once again.


    As Drake watched the normally fatal shards do so little damage, he couldn¡¯t help but scowl as he watched the wyvern. It always lowers its head and defends its lower body. If it didn¡¯t have a weakness, it wouldn¡¯t bother defending at all. It just means that I have a chance.


    Raising his hand again, Drake took the initiative. In the beginning, Drake was simply outclassed. But, a fight like this, however dangerous, was exactly what he needed. His mana simply wasn¡¯t of a high enough quality to damage the wyvern directly, he knew that now. He had gotten arrogant, thinking that no matter who he faced, the unique properties of his mana would insure his victory.


    He wasn¡¯t wrong, but that wasn¡¯t all there was to it. He needed more than the simple tactic of waiting out his opponents, he needed a method that allowed him to fight against even those who were resistant to his mana. Even now, as Drake danced around the wyvern, his aura was continuing to spread and coalesce in the surrounding area. The more the wyvern breathed in, the weaker it would become. Furthermore¡­


    ¡°Take this!¡± Drake yelled.


    Small, red balls of mana appeared from behind Drake as he raced around, firing into the body of the wyvern as it was forced into defending itself. If there was one advantage he had, it was overwhelming an enemy through numbers. His mana continually converted the surroundings, forming an almost inexhaustible supply to fuel his own attacks. All he had to do was keep it pinned down.


    ¡°Enough!¡± Growling in frustration, the wyvern suddenly spread its wings and it took flight, taking one or two stray crystals into its torso as it began to hover thirtyfeet in the air as it looked down on Drake.


    ¡°Sniveling worm. Your puny tricks won¡¯t work on me.¡± The wyvern exclaimed.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    Drake smiled. ¡°What won¡¯t work? Because it seems like you¡¯re the one running away.¡± Drake had managed to land a few blows. Now, it was truly a matter of time before it was weakened. Still¡­


    Drake scowled as he looked at the flying wyvern. I need to damage its wings somehow, otherwise it can just run away or fly out of reach of me again.


    He recognized just how different the Wyvern was compared to the other creatures he had killed. It seemed to brim with energy, and its natural defenses were leagues better than against the others who could be so drastically weakened by one or two stray mana crystals. He needed to trap it so he could ensure that he had the time he required.


    As for the wyvern¡­ up until the moment Drake had released that strange mana, the wyvern felt as if it had complete control over Drake, but now, he was unsure of himself and had chosen to be cautious. What the worm mentioned was true, no normal high lizard would be capable of such an attack. Those of the Draconian race were much like himself, instinctual predators who had overwhelming power physically, and capable of killing prey even larger than themselves. The Wyvern also had the advantage of flight, but that was a given.


    This particular whelp however¡­ somehow or another, he had managed to gain access to a strange magic, one that would normally be impossible for them to gain access to. Being of the red race, such a Draconian should have simply had a form of fire magic, but whenever he entered the strange mist he could actually feel himself slow, and his attacks weaken.


    However, this intolerable creature had challenged him, even going so far as to attack him blindly. Even more, the insufferable insult and mockery by a creature that it viewed as so lesser to itself, it couldn¡¯t help but roar in frustration and rage.


    The wyvern sucked in a deep breath and bellowed as it folded its wings, and dived downwards like an arrow. At the last second, it swept open its wings, blowing a harsh wind tumbling towards Drake. ¡°Die, whelp!¡±


    The wyvern struck down towards Drake, its legs crashing into the ground as leaves, branches, and dust flew upwards. Its jaws opened widely, white pristine teeth sparkled dangerously as it attempted to bite down on Drake.


    Surprised by the wyvern¡¯s sudden speed, Drake was barraged by the intense wind. He stumbled, but quickly picked himself up and dashed to the side to avoid the fatal bite attack. But he made a fatal error.


    ¡°A-ahh.. ah¡­¡± Drake looked in horror at his side. He had been so distracted at the sudden dive by the wyvern and avoiding the obvious bite attack that he had been careless. The wyvern hadn¡¯t truly been attempting to bite down on him. It had been just forcing an opportunity to stab in with its stinger.


    ¡°AHHHHH!¡± Drake screamed out in pain as he doubled down onto his knees. A burning, scorching venom was making its way through his body.


    There are several reasons why wyverns are so feared. They are aggressive, reckless hunters with an arsenal of weapons at its disposal that make it well balanced in hunting those whom it views as enemies. Claws, teeth, and its most potent weapon, its stinger.


    Drake was right to attempt to avoid its initial attacks with its tail. The venom contained within it was a deadly cocktail that worked to destroy the veins and arteries that it came in contact with. Even now, Drake was struggling as the venom coursed through his veins.


    Still dazed by the sudden onset of the horrible pain wracking him, Drake was unaware of the ferocious sweep against him from the wyvern¡¯s talon. Again, Drake was sent hurtling high into the air as he landed with a sickening thud against the hard ground.


    [Drake!] Faintly, he heard Yami screaming in terror as she watched, but the voice was only a passing thought as he coughed up a large globule of blood, wracked by pain on the ground.


    Around him, various crimson scales littered the ground, although whether it was due to his own blood or not, he didn¡¯t know. The last claw attack had buried itself deep in his shoulder before it released him, and it felt like the arm that took the blow was almost useless.


    Then, just as Drake began to give in to the poison, the horrific pain of it began to fade ever so slightly. The burning, scorching pain stopped progressing through him, and Drake could forcefully make his way to his knees through the pain, even as he coughed up another mouthful of blood as he did.


    The wyvern had been quite pleased with itself, and was slowly crawling towards Drake with a dreadful smile on its face.


    The wyvern laughed to itself without a hint of humor, the threat within it clear. ¡°Insolent fool. Now you will suffer for injuring me so.¡±


    Smiling deprecatingly at himself, Drake slowly made his way to his feet, coughing as he did. The point where the stinger entered him let almost a half foot hole in his side, and the talon of the wyvern felt like it almost tore his shoulder clean off. Without a doubt, it was a mistake to attempt to fight it straight on. It was immensely more powerful than him in physical combat, but his mana was simply too weak in normal combat against something like this.


    However, at least one plan had gone well. They were now completely surrounded by his red mist, and the wyvern seemed so assured of itself now that it chose to ignore it entirely.


    This plan was really more of a last stand, and proved just how desperate he really was. The wyvern slowly approached him, boasting again as it did. ¡°How pathetic. Die for me, High Lizard.¡±


    Drake attempted to laugh, only to tense up in pain as his body recoiled in protest. ¡°I guess I should make at least one real attempt.¡±


    Just as Drake finished speaking, the wyvern¡¯s tail abruptly snapped forward at Drake, attempting to spear him straight through with one last blow.


    Dodging out of the way in one last, pained movement, Drake¡¯s mana quickly coalesced around the streaking stinger of the wyvern¡¯s tail, completely encasing it in a dark red mana.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s done,¡± said Drake, his smile almost spreading into a mad laughter at his small accomplishment. ¡°Now you can¡¯t use that annoying poison anymore.¡±


    He quickly retreated as fast as he could manage, holding his side as he did and began to circle the wyvern. Keeping well out of range of its jaw and talons, he changed his plan of attack. It was certainly true he couldn¡¯t imitate the Draconian, but he could certainly try.


    As for the wyvern, in the brief moment that its tail was frozen in Drake¡¯s crystalline mana, it was left utterly puzzled at just what had happened to it. The strange magic that the whelp used was useless against it, but somehow it had managed to trap its tail in a ball of red crystal.


    As the wyvern looked to Drake with fury at what happened to it, a sphere of crystalline mana instantly condensed around the foot of the wyvern just as it began to charge at Drake again at a blistering speed. The momentum of the wyvern forced it to stumble onto the ground as it almost flipped onto its side, given that it completely lost the use of one of its legs to walk.


    ¡°You impudent worm! What did you do to me?!¡± The wyvern roared out, just barely able to keep its balance as it desperately made its way towards Drake. ¡°I will rip you in half!¡±


    ¡°You really are just a dumb beast after all.¡± Drake mocked the wyvern.


    Truthfully, it was due to its own pride that it fell into this trap. It took a lot of time, almost too long, for Drake to have forced out enough mana for this to work. He could have simply waited for the surrounding mana to slowly convert for him, but it simply would take too long.


    Soon after he learned of technique the Draconian used on the doppelgangers, he immediately attempted to imitate it. It was soon after that he learned, no matter what he did, that he simply couldn¡¯t make it work. Encasing something even six feet tall was an impossible order, let alone something as large as the wyvern.


    All he could do to compensate was use an immense amount of mana in the environment, and even then, he could only manage small sections at a time, roughly two to three feet at max. However¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re the perfect target for something like this.¡± Drake said with an almost fanatical zeal.


    Glancing up to the large wings of the wyvern, Drake began to focus mana around them. Completely encasing something that large certainly took too much effort, but for something that needed to be light and flexible for flight, all he really needed was to cover them in a thin layer of crystal. That alone would be enough to stop the wyvern from taking off and escaping.


    ¡°You sniveling whelp! What are you doing to my body?!¡± The wyvern roared out again, this time a faint sense of panic rising in its voice.


    Its stinger, one of its greatest weapons, and its wings had already been rendered useless. With one of its legs also severely hindered by crystal, the look of desperation in the wyvern¡¯s demeanor was already becoming apparent to Drake.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, what happened to all of that confidence from before?¡± Drake couldn¡¯t help but taunt the beast. He had suffered badly from its various attacks at the beginning, and badly wanted somewhere to vent his anger. And after his torturous session with the wyvern¡¯s poison, he couldn¡¯t wait to return the favor.


    The wyvern¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, and it awkwardly attempted to use it crystallized wings to increase its speed. While such a technique was useful for sudden lunges, even as injured as he was, it was child¡¯s play to avoid the wyvern as long as he stayed a certain distance away.


    ¡°Next.¡± Drake smile evilly. Raising his hand, he began to envelop the wyvern¡¯s other foot in a red crystal. After only a short moment, the last of its legs was completely encased in a deep, red crystal, completely incapacitating it. Now, it was impossible for the wyvern to escape from him now. Truthfully, the moment that he has encased one of its legs, he felt that he was able to keep the parasitic mist of his around the wyvern even if it attempted to escape. Trapping it inside by crystallizing its wings was simply to make it easier for himself.


    ¡°Aaahhhh!!!¡± The wyvern roared angrily as it realized what Drake was doing. It was almost completely immobile at this point, and was forced to only crawl sadly on the ground with its talons.


    Drake looked at the wyvern with a complex expression before letting out an ever so slight smile.


    ¡°I have to thank you a bit, you know. You let me know my limit. You were so much more powerful than me, to the point that you very well may have killed me. But¡­¡± Drake trailed off with a sense of malice in his voice. ¡°Now all that is over. You know, if you were weaker, I may have even let you live.¡± Drake said whimsically. ¡°A creature like you, who can fly through the skies truly would have been so useful if I could have tamed you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re an abomination.¡± The wyvern spat as a deep growl rumble in its throat, shaking its body in a manner that made him look like he was trembling, ¡°I would never serve someone like you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Drake said in a rather fickle manner as he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡±


    Raising his hand, a series of red, crystal collars began to circle around the wyvern¡¯s neck, before firmly clamping onto its scales. This wasn¡¯t to capture the wyvern. After all, Drake had no real way of breaking such a creature. Instead, he smiled maliciously.


    As the crystal collars slowly clamped onto the wyvern, it looked at Drake in dread. The crystal shards that were used against his scales were truly useless. But if enough force were used, the pressure could eventually force its way past his scales. This¡­ This High Lizard was planning to crush his scales before ruthlessly killing him.


    ¡°Drill.¡± Drake said as he pulled his hand towards him. As he did, the wyvern began to scream out in horrific pain.


    Much like his crystal gauntlets he used on the Helboar, his mana could expand at will. Only this time, he would use it to slowly grind away at the wyvern¡¯s hard scales, and kill it the moment his crystals entered its neck. The life force of such a creature was too strong for his mana to truly kill it in any other way.


    ¡°Aahhhh¡­. Grraaaahhh!¡± The wyvern roared out in pain, thrashing around wildly as the spikes began to slowly drill themselves into its neck. Faced with the prospect of certain death, the wyvern turned to Drake with a wild look in its eyes. They were glazed over with a maddened look, as it slowly turned itself towards Drake.


    ¡°More¡­¡± Drake muttered to himself, trying to intensify the power of his crystal mana. Now that he had a good estimate of just how strong the scales were, he realized the scales were truly too durable, almost to an unreasonable extent. The menacing look in Drake¡¯s eyes intensified, with the mana surrounding the wyvern funneling into the crystal shackles as if it meant to empower them. As Drake focused, the mana in the air grew to an almost fevered pitch, and the distinctive sound of the crystal beginning to almost ring began to sound out.


    ¡°I¡­ will rip you into pieces.¡± The wyvern¡¯s voice dropped into an utterly demonic sounding tone, as its entire body began to tense up. A wave of tension built up from its tail as it scrounged up every last bit of power it had left.


    Lunging forward towards Drake, its jaws spread open hungrily as it made one last attempt to wrap its teeth around Drake¡¯s neck..


    What?! Drake¡¯s body tensed up as he attempted to retreat.


    Drake had made sure to keep out of its range as he watched it initially. He had made sure that the wyvern was only able to clear a little more than ten feet at a time without the use of its legs, but during this last, desperate attempt, it was able to clear more than twenty feet in one last lunge.


    Dammit! Focusing a block of crystal around himself, he felt the wyvern¡¯s jaws suddenly clamp down around him, attempting to crush the makeshift shield he had made for himself. Glancing around, Drake could see nothing but teeth as he maintained his concentration on his shield. Drake wanted to lash out, but he was just barely able to stop the jaws from crushing him.


    This¡­ this is how it all ends? Drake cursed to himself. Dammit! I¡¯m so pathetic. This is how I die, crushed by the jaws of a half dead wyvern? For a moment, Drake thought back to those he had met. Yami and Therion¡­ will they even be able to rescue Ella¡¯s village members without me¡­


    Overwhelming pressure assaulted him as he continued to hold off the crushing strength of the wyvern.


    The pain in his shoulder and side throbbed horribly, assaulting his senses and mind. He gritted his teeth to the point where he could feel his jaws pounding alongside the other injuries.


    As he held back the rows of teeth, he could feel his energy began to waver as cracks appeared in his crystalline shield. His mana crystal had to put a significant amount of pressure to even hope to crack the Wyvern¡¯s scales. His own crystal shield under the intense pressure of the Wyvern¡¯s jaws? It was an inevitability that he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold out for long.


    The slight taste of blood erupted in his mouth, washing along with his other senses as his breathing became more haggard and sharp as he gasped for air.


    How much longer am I gonna last¡­ Drake thought to himself morbidly, I just need¡­ a little more¡­ anything...


    Drake¡¯s vision blurred slightly, dotting out his vision out into spots. This battle.. he ended up seriously injured, and now, he was just barely holding back his painful death. This feeling¡­ this was what the Draconian always took away from him. It held back those who would attempt to injure him. That crimson castle in his mind¡­ it would stay trapped there for all eternity now¡­ and¡­


    Yami¡­ what will she say¡­ what will she do now¡­


    Drake¡¯s thoughts slowly started to drift, and with one final crack in the crystal holding back the jaws, an opaque, crimson glow surrounded Drake¡¯s body as the wyvern¡¯s jaws shut closed with a final snap.

 Chapter 6 Part 2

    Part 2


    As Drake opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of the gleaming white teeth of the wyvern surrounding him on all sides, but¡­ strangely, he hadn¡¯t died.


    I¡¯m¡­ alive. Drake couldn¡¯t help but think to himself. The last thing he remembered was the violent crashing of the wyvern¡¯s teeth on his crystallized mana. After that, the wyvern should have been able to kill him easily after that. Simply put, he would have been nothing more than dog food.


    Is this¡­ Drake attempted to get a better look at his body, only to see the red mist of his mana surround him completely. The faint cracks in the mouth of the wyvern allowed Drake to see inside, but even then, his hands completely eluded him.


    I can¡¯t believe it. I was right. It finally activated. Drake confirmed.


    At the moment of his impending death, he had instinctively activated the opaque, crimson gem in his inner mind. As it was built of that strange Lord¡¯s mana, he assumed that it would be an ability similar to the formless smoke the doppelgangers used against him. What he had formed certainly wasn¡¯t smoke, but was much closer to the crimson mist he expelled as a basis for his mana.


    At face value, he seemed to have taken the most useful part. Without a real body to attack, it gave him a complete immunity to physical damage, and had fully combined with his own mana. With such a form, he could hopefully incorporate it with his other powers in the future.


    [Drake! Drake! No¡­ NO!] The piercing cry of Yami¡¯s voice echoed out in Drake¡¯s mind. She was utterly distraught, and her voice stabbed at his mind repeatedly with her heartbroken cries. Her telekinetic screams had begun to make his mind numb. He scrunched over, his head spinning as he attempt to calm her down.


    [Yami, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just-] Drake tried to answer, only to be cut off.


    Just as suddenly as Yami began to cry out, Drake felt the wyvern begin to thrash and cry out in pain. Seeing an opportunity in the chaos of the wyvern¡¯s movement, he was able to discreetly move and enter the mist that had surrounded the wyvern.


    Searching to see what had forced the wyvern to roar out in such agony, he quickly found the cause. Yami was floating above the wyvern¡¯s thrashing form, and was violently channeling mana into the crystal collars he had formed during the fight. Tears were streaming down her petite face, but an undeniable fury was held in her red eyes.


    [Die.. die.. DIE!!] A furious wave of Yami¡¯s telepathy shot out from her, and the deep sense of sadness and loss began to hit Drake through their link. He slightly shuddered from her intense emotions that swamped through him like a crashing wave. He couldn¡¯t help but feel the deep affection of how much she cared for him.


    [Yami, calm down. I¡¯m fine, look.] Drake attempted to calm her down, only to see her rage more and more out of control, the crystal collars beginning to dig deep into the wyvern¡¯s neck as it cried out in torture.


    Drake was worried. Why isn¡¯t my link getting across to her? Don¡¯t tell me she can¡¯t hear me!


    Although it appeared that her link was working for him, as he was now, he seemed completely incapable of answering her. He noticed that he didn¡¯t have a mouth to speak with, and while he was certainly noticeable as a mist of crimson mana, he had put out massive amounts to control and kill the wyvern. There was no way Yami would be able to notice him in such an area.


    Meanwhile, Yami was in the process of finishing off the wyvern entirely. She had pierced the wyvern¡¯s scales not long after Drake had escaped its mouth, and seemed determined to give it an excruciating death. Although he couldn¡¯t see what she was doing, they shared the same sense of mana. And through it, Drake couldn¡¯t help but be awed by the sheer ferocity of Yami¡¯s magic.


    She could simply form a block of crystal in the wyvern¡¯s neck, and kill it, but that¡¯s not what she¡¯s doing at all. She¡¯s¡­ snaking the mana throughout the wyvern¡¯s entire body, and crystallizing some portions so she can push further in. This is nothing but pure torture. Drake thought as he looked on. He wasn¡¯t sure how to feel about Yami¡¯s actions, but he understood her mindset.


    It has to be said that the reason Drake was so afraid of using his mana close to Ella is because of its effects.


    When he first discovered the crystal form of his mana, it was capable of turning small portions of a tree to nothing more than ash after a period of time. Now he had gotten used to using it and after his ascension to a Lord, his mana had become even more diabolical. It was to the point where it would decay and emaciate almost anything that came in direct contact with it for too long. The wyvern had been able to stave off these effects in their fight through its simply enormous life force. But once a large mass of these crystals had entered its body¡­ that was another matter entirely.


    ¡°STOP IT¡­ STOP! PLEASE!! GRAHHHHH!¡± The wyvern roared out in excruciating pain as it weakly attempted to fight off the mana that snaked its way through its body.


    [Die, you damned dragon!] Yami¡¯s voice echoed out again. In her rage, she had completely forgone targeting anyone, instead letting her telekinetic thoughts blast out.


    Drake attempted to scowl, and quickly looked for Therion and Ella. They were nowhere in sight. Good. It seemed they were still hidden in the wood line. Yami must have flown out on her own will, and Therion had made sure to keep Ella safe like he told him to.


    I need to get my body back. But, how¡­ Drake cursed to himself at his powerlessness.


    Gwyn wasn¡¯t exactly forthcoming about how this power worked. According to her, it was entirely experimental¡­ which wasn¡¯t exactly surprising given how she acted. Then again, did he really need her help with this? His magic was always instinctual, so¡­ he could just make it work, right?


    ¡°Maybe¡­ I just need to cobble together my body and think of my mist form coming together.¡± Drake muttered.


    All of a sudden, Drake heard a deep, harsh laughter wash through his mind, filling him with a deep sense of familiarity.


    ¡°You manage to survive the battle only to lose yourself in such a way. Truly laughable.¡± The Draconian¡¯s voice sounded out, prideful and condescending as always.


    You¡­ Drake¡¯s form shuttered.


    Having locked up the Draconian in his mind, he assumed that he would never have to deal with the Draconian ever again. And now, it actually had managed to communicate with him.


    What do you want¡­ and how did you manage to talk to me? Drake questioned.


    ¡°Kehehee, well, that¡¯s thanks to you now, isn¡¯t it?¡± The Draconian boasted.


    ¡°The gem you left in my castle, well¡­ your castle, it doesn¡¯t truly belong to either of us. Such a thing, its power was made through ruthlessly exploiting a weaker Lord. As such, it is exponentially less refined that my own power. Such a technique was created by using that witch, although it certainly seems to be a useful technique for cowards like you.¡± He laughed shortly before continuing.


    ¡°You seem uncertain on how to reform our body, and the little gnat is still raging using our power. Such a thing could be dangerous if it goes on for too long. She draws her power from us, and in this form, you¡¯re left unable to draw in mana. We have no true body to absorb it, after all. The gnat¡¯s little temper tantrum will do nothing but weaken us if she overexerts herself. She won¡¯t tire, but eventually it will leave us completely drained.¡± The Draconian said, struggling to hide his contempt for the imp. That the little bug had managed to force him to help the human who had trapped him annoyed him to no end. He suppressed a snarl before continuing.


    ¡°So,¡± He stated sternly. ¡°Focus on the core you made. Without it, you¡¯ll be stuck in this horrid form.¡± He finished.


    Drake looked over to Yami as he thought over what the Draconian said. He had appeared to help Drake reform so he wouldn¡¯t be left drained. Otherwise, he likely would have left Drake to rot.


    Now, he just needed to help Yami. And to do that¡­


    I need to focus on the core. Drake thought to himself. I want my old body back¡­


    Drake¡¯s misty, wavering form stopped moving completely. The world seemed to stop, and in Drake¡¯s mind, he could feel himself link to the opaque core in his mind. Confirming the link, he focused on the opaque core as he thought of returning to his old body. He heard a small laugh from the Draconian, but ignored it, focusing on reforming his body.


    In a flash of crimson light, the mist-like form of Drake began to coalesce together. Within only a few moments, the mist began to lose its loose form, and his physical body began to manifest. Initially, the mist only formed a hazy outline, but as it continued to coalesce together, the mist around it became more and more physical. In one swift motion, the outline of his body solidified, and he could see the hazy beginnings of his body again. Then, as the mist faded in the final moments of his body forming, it completely assimilated into Drake¡¯s body, and he stood there on his knees. His head slowly glanced up to search for Yami.


    He found her, hovering over the wyvern¡¯s body like a demon ready to pounce on the wyvern if it even moved a single inch. A crazed look decorated her face as her hand glowed with Drake¡¯s magic, flickering erratically like a ball of fire. Then, as he watched the wyvern, Yami motioned her hands sharply into a fist before constricting the crystal collars, as she continued to dig further in even upon the Wyvern¡¯s death.


    [Yami, stop, I¡¯m alive.] Drake sent out the message as soon as he could. Yami was still furiously attempting to torture the wyvern. She was still shaking in place as she glared at the body. The moment she thought Drake had died had truly broke her small heart. In her eyes, she was losing the one true friend in her world when Drake had died, and the sooner he could show her he was alive, the better.


    [D-drake¡­] Yami¡¯s body stiffened when she heard his voice, and she called out to him, barely able to speak once she heard his voice.


    Yami quickly spun around, desperate to see him, almost over turning into a full spin. She then looked at him¡­ and stared.


    ¡°Drake¡­¡± Yami bit her tongue due to what she saw in front of her. ¡°that can¡¯t be you, right?¡±


    Drake looked to Yami with an unblinking expression before standing up with his arms outstretched, motioning for her to come.


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s me. Look at¡­¡± Before Drake could continue speaking, he saw what she meant. It couldn¡¯t be. His arms, they were human again.


    What the hell is happening¡­ Drake thought to himself.


    His hands¡­ they no longer had scales covering them. There were still some along the upper side of him arm, but other than that, he was normal. Drake quickly spun around, trying to get a better look at his body.


    He still had a tail, and it was still as red and scaly as ever. His face though¡­ his arms, his legs, they were all mostly human. There were still scales running up his forearm, and feeling the side of his face, there were some there as well. It was likely he had scales running along other sides of his body, and as he took a quick feel of his hair, he could feel the horns he had gotten used to.


    ¡°What exactly am I now¡­¡± Drake said numbly. He was trying to process what¡¯s just happened to him, but his mind was blank, unable to find an answer.


    Yami hovered tentatively above Drake, still in disbelief in what she saw. She hesitated for a moment as she bit her lips. A tense look came over her face and she yelled out, ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Shooting out a crystal shard at Drake, she attacked him mercilessly. This all could have been a cruel trick played on her by unknown force. Drake watched the shard fly towards him, and with a simple wave his hand, the shard quickly dissipated into mana.


    He gave a nonchalant shrug, and smiled sadly at Yami. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Drake knew exactly how she felt. Her emotions were a whirl of distrust, hope and fear. He couldn¡¯t really blame her, given what she had just gone through.


    ¡°S-so¡­ it¡¯s really you then.¡± Tears began to well up in her eyes the moment she saw Drake wave away the shard as if it was nothing. They were the only ones capable of directly affecting it, and she was so unsure of herself, she didn¡¯t even think of using their bond.


    She flew straight into Drake¡¯s chest, and latched onto him fiercely, not willing herself to move an inch away from him.


    ¡°I.. I t-th-hought you were dead.¡± She stuttered with tear struck eyes. ¡°I thought I would never see you again, and¡­ I-I just lost myself.¡± She hiccuped slightly to herself, still burying her head deeply in Drake¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I wanted so badly to take revenge for you, that I flew out from Therion without a second thought.¡±


    Yami stayed clutched to his chest. She refused to move, and Drake lacked the will to try to move her. It wouldn¡¯t be so bad to let her stay there for a little bit longer¡­ still though, she was surprisingly strong. Without any scales, her grip on his skin was starting to hurt a bit, not even considering the small point from her horns...


    ¡°U-um¡­ Yami. If you could give me a moment.¡± Drake couldn¡¯t keep the embarrassment from his voice.


    Drake suddenly had a problem that he had ignored completely as a Draconian. When he acquired his Draconian body, he really hadn¡¯t felt the need to look for or even to make clothes. In fact, it looked perfectly normal given the comparisons between other monsters and himself.


    But now, especially with Yami so intent to not move an inch away from him, it felt more than a little awkward. His Draconian body did a good job of restricting the feeling of Yami¡¯s movements. Scales after all, did very little in the way of feeling anything, it worked more as a suit of armor. But now, with her firmly latched onto him, he couldn¡¯t help but feel much more exposed than he had before. The faint movements of her skin on his was multiplied by this small fact, which only furthered his embarrassment.


    She looked up to him with bloodshot eyes, and tenderly said, ¡°C-can¡¯t I just stay here a little longer, please?¡± Drake could feel her latch onto him a little more as she finished asking. She was already sure of what she wanted the answer to be.


    Drake couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Dammit. I know this is probably sentimental for her, but she doesn¡¯t realize how bad this looks. Ahh¡­


    Drake reluctantly let Yami have her moment. Thankfully, Therion had always been faithful to Drake¡¯s orders. Him and Ella wouldn¡¯t come out of the forest until Yami returned, which at least gave him a small reprieve. It was a job anyone could do, but at that moment, he was glad it was Therion there to stop her.


    ¡°Mmn,¡± She rubbed her head into his chest, still slightly sniffling as she did. His new body¡­ it was so soft¡­ but firm at the same time. It felt like she could stay there forever. Giving him one last, short hug, she let go with a short, content sigh. ¡°Thank you, Drake.¡± Yami fully broke off from Drake¡¯s chest, as if she was fully content.


    ¡°Right.¡± Drake replied with a half-smile.


    Now to take care of the real problem here¡­ In an attempt to take his mind off the situation, he had been watching his surroundings. Normally, whenever he finished fighting or using his mana, he was always quick to reabsorb it. But as it was now, the mana around them was quickly beginning to warp the surroundings. The grass of the field was beginning to change into a bright, crimson color, and while it seemed that no living animal had come into contact with it, he wanted to be sure to avoid corrupting any living thing with it.


    Drake quickly summoned up the mana surrounding him. It had started to go rampant without a magic user to control it, and this was the best opportunity to make it useful.


    Quickly fashioning his mana around him, he attempted to create a thin, segmented piece of clothing through his mana. He had managed to do something similar with his gauntlets, and even if that piece was suited purely for battle, he had made it work. An outfit like this though¡­ Drake could barely even make it look passable. It looked like it was little more than a red cloak that covered his entire body, complete with a poorly made set of pants. Even still, it gave him some sense of privacy, something that was desperately needed after his conversion to this half human, half draconian form.


    And now to more important matters. Drake walked over to the desiccated body of the wyvern and kneeled next to it.


    Yami had done a number on it, that much was certain. It had died a horribly painful death as the crystals she had controlled had dug into every muscle she could think of to prolong its torture. Truly, she was someone who held grudges, far more than Drake ever expected.


    Drake¡¯s eyes trailed to the center of the wyvern with some interest, and turning to Yami, asked, ¡°While you finished off the wyvern, did you get a feel of where the core is?¡±


    He knew that every creature had its own monster core, and given the size and power of the wyvern, this one would truly be the most powerful Drake had gotten his hands on. It would likely even be enough to advance his own demonic mana core to its next stage.


    Yami looked spitefully at the body and replied quickly. ¡°It was somewhere near the wyvern¡¯s heart.¡± She discretely looked at Drake¡¯s new face, but quickly turned away before he noticed. He had¡­ changed since his transformation. ¡°I should be able to dig it out if you need.¡± She replied with a slight sense of embarrassment.


    ¡°No need.¡± Drake laughed, oblivious to Yami¡¯s gaze. ¡°Go and get Therion and Ella. I¡¯m going to carve out some of the meat so I can eat before I retrieve the core. This body that I made doesn¡¯t have any injuries, but even so, I still feel severely drained compared to how I normally am.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± She replied succinctly. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± With a wave of her hand, she quickly flew back to the wood line. It wouldn¡¯t take more than a few minutes for them to get back, which would let Drake get some well needed meat.


    Forming the spiked gauntlet he used against the Helboar, he quickly began to rip his way through the wyvern. The body was still hot, and the blood seemed to almost steam in the open air. Even with the blood occasionally jetting from the body as he cut deeper, all that Drake was doing was nothing more than slicing off strips of meat. It also gave him the opportunity to skin the wyvern and collect its scales, something which he had begun to plan for after he acquired his new form.


    ¡°Now to eat.¡± Drake looked to the fresh slabs of meat with a renewed hunger. However, tearing into the first bite of the wyvern, he immediately was met with a deep sense of revulsion along with the ecstasy of the meat he normally adored.


    ¡°Ughh¡­¡± Drake spit out the piece of wyvern, and turned to the meat he had so carefully excavated. The wonderful taste of mana in the meat was clear but¡­


    Don¡¯t tell me this body can¡¯t eat meat raw. Drake¡¯s demeanor dropped instantly. The advantages of his old body allowed him to heal almost instantly whenever he ate mana-infused meat. But now¡­ he was stuck in a weakened body with no real way to actually eat the meat that he needed.


    ¡°Why now?¡± Drake couldn¡¯t help but complain. He had assumed this form purely out of an accident. It was likely he could transition between forms, but that was exactly the problem. He didn¡¯t have the power to do so right now; that¡¯s what the meat was for. The fight with the wyvern had taken too much out of him, and while directly absorbing mana from the air could help, it was a poor substitute for his Draconian ability.


    I suppose if I cooked the meat I could eat it, but it¡¯s not like any of us exactly specialize in fire magic. Drake thought sourly to himself. Sure, he was part dragon¡­ but he never put any time or effort into attempting such a thing. Even worse, given the color of his scales, he was no doubt an offshoot of a red dragon, the exact species that was well known for their blistering fire attacks. He never expected his lack of effort on such a thing to backfire so spectacularly.


    ¡°Drakeee!¡± Yami called out to him excitedly, with Therion and Ella close behind. She quickly draped herself around Drake¡¯s neck as she smiled faintly.


    Therion¡¯s jaws dropped as he stared in shock while Ella nearly jumped up in surprise as they saw Drake¡¯s new form.. ¡°Master, you changed forms. You-¡± Therion quickly tried to assume his normal, butler-like expression, before failing miserably in his attempt.


    ¡°You look like me now!¡± Ella finished happily. She quickly slithered over to him, and wrapped herself around him, examining his new horns. Taking interest in how Drake¡¯s horns elegantly jutted out of his head, she parted his hair.


    ¡°Look at your horns¡­ they poke up right out of your hair, do they hurt like that?¡± Ella continued talking about Drake cutely on she went on about his various changes. Wrapping her hands around his horns, she tried to pull herself even higher onto his body, much to Yami¡¯s pointed looks. ¡°And your body, what happened to all your scales, do they just disappear?¡±


    Even as a partial human, she finally had someone around her that looked like her again. The scales covering portions of his body and his reptilian tail only cemented that fact in her mind, causing her to be absolutely giddy to be around Drake¡¯s new form.


    ¡°Ah, thanks Ella.¡± Drake smiled awkwardly. Truthfully, he still felt awful about being stuck like this. He had no way to reform himself into his normal Draconian form, and was stuck out in the wilderness without a real way to create fire. Even if he was able to create fire at all, he had some serious doubts about his capabilities now that he seemed to be half-human. Now, there really was only one real plan to use the wyvern scales, and being unable to change forms only reinforced his idea.


    Therion interjected quickly, attempting to quiet the small Lamia as he addressed Drake. ¡°Master, your aura. You lack one completely.¡± It was well known that there was only one type of being that completely lacked an aura. Humanoids. This, among Drake¡¯s humanoid appearance, was what confused Yami so severely at first. She simply couldn¡¯t believe that a being as powerful as Drake wouldn¡¯t output any aura, given his distaste for such an act.


    ¡°Really now?¡± Drake¡¯s eyes widened, and he began to smile ever so slightly. That was a useful piece of information. ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t so bad after all.¡±


    This really would be the best way then¡­ Drake thought to himself.


    Drake looked to where he had been extensively digging further into the body of the wyvern. Extending his arm out towards the center of the wyvern, he quickly pulled out the core in one swift movement. Surprisingly, it was almost the size of a grapefruit, and if size gave any indication of power, then this would be more than enough to advance himself. He looked to the core with a deep sense of thirst before he quickly summoned up his crimson mana.


    Before he fell to temptation, he covered the core with his mana, as the core shook in protest before he quickly solidified crystal around the core. Time was of the essence, and he simply didn¡¯t have the time to absorb such a large core. The chances were too high that he would advance, and potentially undergo some form of breakthrough. He handed the crystal to Therion and turned to Yami, an intent look on his face.


    ¡°It¡¯s time we catch up with that group of humans.¡± Drake said firmly.


    *****


    ¡°Oi, how much longer do you think we got till we get to the camp?¡± A burly dwarf called out to his companion next to him.


    They had run into a few problems on their trip back to the main encampment. Honestly, due to the various creatures and items they had picked up, it could have been much worse. They had to fight off several groups of monsters who had attempted to retake some members, although they were careful to not get in over their heads.


    They had also acquired a few creature eggs, some of which even they were unsure of. The various other creatures, ground dragons, a stray harpy, a small pack of hellhounds, all of them were useful in their own regard, and they would surely be rewarded well for returning with such a large quarry.


    The cores alone from the various monsters they were able to kill should be suitable for a wide variety of upgrades. Something that was in rare supply for those who were restricted to the main camp.


    ¡°Considering our surroundings, probably a little less than a day. Shouldn¡¯t take long at all.¡± An older woman responded next to the dwarf with a smile. She was unreasonably short as well, although her features differed significantly from that of the dwarf. An intelligent looked filled her eyes as she tinkered with and sculpted on a small branch she had been whittling away at.


    ¡°Right, right.¡± The dwarf muttered to himself. The old woman had always enjoyed these long trips. He had met her soon after his own transformation, and they had hit it off quite well. It was strange, but he felt a kinship with her, despite her firmly denying being another dwarf.


    Whether or not the old woman was playing coy, it didn¡¯t matter. Simply passing the time with her always helped him relax a bit, especially after some of the more recent battles they had endured.


    ¡°So, what do you think about the ground dragon we picked up? You think we actually have any chance of putting them to good use?¡± Brian turned to old woman, talking to simply to pass the time.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± The old woman, Lori, simply chuckled in return. ¡°I have some doubts about it myself, but anything can work these days, I suppose.¡±


    ¡°Right, but who is actually gonna train the damn beasts. Hell if I¡¯m-¡± The dwarf suddenly quit speaking as he spotted a figure up in the distance. They were cloaked in a strange crimson garb, and were merely sitting on the side of the road, leaned up against a tree.


    It must be understood that no one took risks like that anymore. Those who transformed were powerful, sure, but not compared to the wide variety of beasts that they had fought. Oftentimes, it was only through sheer numbers, and a bit of strategy that they were able to win. Given that their group now numbered only a little over a dozen, they were prepared for small groups, or in one particular case, even a small village if they were prepared enough.


    But, a single man or woman, no matter who they were, simply wasn¡¯t enough.


    The dwarf quickly raised his hand, waving down the others to stop. In one motion, he grabbed his sword from his side, and quickly dropped off the small carriage they were using for transport.


    ¡°Stay up there, Lori. You¡¯re no good for fighting.¡± The dwarf looked at her wearily.


    She merely smiled and went back to whittling. ¡°Don¡¯t be so worried. It¡¯s probably just a stray that got separated from another group.¡±


    ¡°Tch, damn woman. Not everything is so simple.¡± The dwarf murmured to himself. No one who was alone like this would ever be so straightforward.


    Motioning several others down from their own carriage, he and four other men slowly made their way over to the stranger. They noticed a slight movement from him as they made their way over, but the stranger still didn¡¯t stand.


    As they approached, they stopped within ten meters and called out to the man.


    ¡°Hey, do ya need any help? We noticed you there just laying by the side of the road.¡± With their swords in hand, they were prepared.


    The stranger slowly stood up, his face covered by his hood, and with his crimson cloak fitting loosely over his body, along with a large knapsack over his shoulder. The entire outfit looked quite shoddy. Poor man must have just picked it up from somewhere.


    The stranger waved to them, and called back as he walked over. ¡°Thank god, I thought I would have never seen a group pass by.¡±


    The men looked to each other, and nodded, each lowering their weapons to their sides.


    ¡°Not a problem at all. So stranger, what¡¯s your name? And what¡¯s that little figure on your back?¡± This close, they could see a tiny girl on the man¡¯s shoulder, intent on hiding as best she could from their view.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Drake, and this little one here is Yami.¡± Drake called back, his lips slightly curling upwards.

 Chapter 6 Part 3

    Part 3


    An hour earlier¡­


    ¡°Wait, your plan is to what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to join up with the humans for a bit, if only to see just what they¡¯re doing.¡± Drake answered. ¡°You three will circle around them, stay hidden, and follow me back.¡±


    ¡°Also, Therion, this group will probably lead us to other humanoids. Doing this would be a great way to let me find the group that killed your brothers as well.¡±


    Honestly, Drake had thought of a few ways to attack the group who had burned down Ella¡¯s village. If he wasn¡¯t still injured, he probably could¡¯ve trapped them all in his mana fog before killing them one at a time. The problem was, he didn¡¯t have enough control of his mana to only suppress certain areas of the parasitic effect. For normal battle, it didn¡¯t matter. Anything that was an enemy would be weakened severely once they came in contact with it, even to the point of death if they stayed in it for too long. And for those without armor or a way to remove his mana shards, any attack from his mana that hit would be almost certain death if they weren¡¯t able to deal with it for long enough.


    However, this method of attack was entirely too dangerous if he was trying to save someone. He remembered clearly what Ella had said regarding this group.


    ¡°I heard them talking¡­ they kept talking about cages¡­ so I think they took someone.¡±


    According to Ella, they had likely taken at least one or two of her village members, and Drake didn¡¯t know where they were, or how to avoid hurting them with such a method.


    What¡¯s more, in this new half human, half draconian body, he could tell that his physical abilities had significantly decreased in comparison to how he felt before. As he was now, it was easily half of his original strength compared to his Draconian body, although his actual abilities with his mana itself was left intact. Whether this was just due to lesser physical state, or only due to the injuries after his fight with the wyvern, he didn¡¯t know, and wouldn¡¯t without any way to restore himself.


    So, he was left with the more covert option. One that would allow him to at least learn where the other Lamia were, and any potential threats to himself.


    Hearing of Drake¡¯s plan, Yami quickly disagreed, and firmly latched herself onto Drake¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go alone. You¡¯re not going to leave me again.¡± Her eyes looked up to Drake, and were concrete in her conviction. ¡°Therion and Ella can stay back, but I¡¯m going with you.¡± She stated firmly.


    The thought of letting Drake go in and letting himself be hurt again was something that she would absolutely not allow. She had learned her lesson with the wyvern. She wouldn¡¯t let him be that reckless again.


    ¡°Yami¡­¡± Drake grew a wry smile. He knew how she felt, but doing so would make it a bit more difficult. Just her presence alone would draw some eyes to them, no matter what.


    ¡°Those humans sometimes take imps as servants! You can say that you did the same. It¡¯s works out perfectly!¡± She let out a smug smile as she looked to Drake. Now he didn¡¯t have any reason to leave her behind.


    Drake let loose a small sigh as he looked to Yami. The way that she was now, she wouldn¡¯t listen and stay behind with the others, even if he wanted her to. Her protectiveness of him undoubtedly increased after the wyvern incident.


    ¡°Fine, you can come.¡± He threw his hands up in defeat, as he turned and crouched down next to the small Lamia. ¡°Now, Ella, you have to stay with Therion while I¡¯m gone, alright?¡± She always seemed to be leery around Therion, although he couldn¡¯t really blame her.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ella closed her eyes and put on a very serious face. Her tail swatted the ground in a slow, steady cadence as she thought. If Drake didn¡¯t know any better, he could have sworn that she trying to think of a way to join him as well.


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay with Mister goat-man, but you have to come back soon.¡± She opened her eyes and answered cutely.


    Drake couldn¡¯t help but smile and gave the little Lamia a quick pat on the head. Ella giggled and smiled. ¡°Be back soon.¡± She said.


    Glancing off to his side, he gave Yami a quick nudge on his shoulder before he turned out towards the path they had been tracking.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see just how these humans are.¡±


    *****


    ¡°So, you have an imp, eh?¡± Brian looked thoughtfully to Yami for a moment, before turning back to Drake.


    ¡°So boy, what made you come all the way out here, it¡¯s dangerous.¡± The gruff dwarf asked.


    Drake simply gave a small shrug as he approached the small, armed group. It looked like these were the main members of this group. Each of them looked to be not much older than him, although given that this was his first good look at some other humans since their transformations, he could easily be wrong.


    Drake scratched his head awkwardly as he answered. ¡°I¡¯ve been hiding out ever since all the monsters started spawning. I picked up this little one not soon after, so you¡¯re really the first group that I¡¯ve come across since then.¡± Drake chuckled to himself, smiling as he did.


    I just hope this passes for the truth. Drake thought.


    Drake had no clue what abilities those who had transformed through the alien¡¯s choice of races had. Yami had told him back when they first met that the humans were capable of identifying some of her race¡¯s unique features, such as them being used for contracts, which is why some of them were captured in the first place.


    On top of that, in a variety of fantasy novels, and other sources, magic that allowed others to see through lies was often used, although it had an equally vague rule-set behind it. Sometimes it required some type of magic circle, and other times certain individuals were able to see through lies on the spot, through unique abilities they were given.


    So, he decided to play around all these abilities, just in case.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The dwarf smiled, before walking over to Drake, and clapping him on the back, causing Drake to wince a bit.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to meet ya. Want to join up with us? We could use the extra manpower, we¡¯ve lost quite a few the past couple of days to some accidents.¡± It was obvious at a glance that the dwarf seemed to be genuine. The rest of the men behind him had already put their weapons away, and had started to walk back to their various carriages.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to.¡± Drake said with a smile.


    As the two walked back together, Brian took a glance up at Yami as his eyes shone with interest.


    ¡°Hey boy, let me borrow your imp there for a moment. First one I¡¯ve seen up close. Most of the damn things fly away quick.¡± He held his hand up to the imp, as if to motion her down to his hand.


    Drake quickly put off the request as they walked back. ¡°Sorry, but she¡¯s shy, and doesn¡¯t like strangers very much.¡±


    ¡°Really now, that¡¯s a shame. Mind if ya let me examine her at least?¡± The dwarf was a bit disappointed but refused to give up. It was rare that he was able to get so close to a monster without them being in cages, or locked up entirely. And among the few other creatures that he had seen tamed, the beast master wouldn¡¯t let him get within 20 meters of them to actually identify them.


    ¡°Examine her?¡± Drake¡¯s voice became lower as he slightly squinted his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say that you couldn¡¯t touch her.¡± He said in a threatening tone. The thought of how pushy the dwarf was towards Yami was starting to anger him.


    ¡°Hey, hey now. I don¡¯t mean actually touch her.¡± Brian held his hands up defensively, as he tried to defuse the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t ya know? The identify spell. Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t used it yet.¡± The dwarf sounded shocked that Drake hadn¡¯t heard of it.


    ¡°Can¡¯t say that I have.¡± Drake responded sourly.


    ¡°Here, give me the chance to show ya, that alright?¡± Brian said as he patted Drake on the arm.


    He only thought it over for a short moment before he glanced over to Yami. [That alright with you Yami? This is the kind of thing we need to know.]


    Through her abilities, she got the gist of what the dwarf wanted, even if it made her somewhat unhappy. With a somewhat sourlook, she reluctantly agreed. She clearly wasn¡¯t the biggest fan of the idea, but since Drake asked¡­


    ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± Drake responded.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± The dwarf grinned happily. ¡°Identify.¡± He muttered to himself.


    As the dwarf looked at Yami, information began to stream into his mind.


    Monster identified as an Imp. Named: Yami. Partner: Drake. Original threat level: Class D. Current threat level: Unknown. One of the demonic class species. Originally born as a normal imp, this individual has gained access to a powerful and forbidden magic, able &@ inflicting &@*$#!#*$@! atta*@&. Capable of class B ev&$*@)!# Warning: Identify level insufficient.


    Brian¡¯s eyes widened as he began to process the information from the ability. Honestly, it was surprising to him that Drake had never used such a useful ability, as all those who had transformed during the weekly time limit had been granted access to it. However, that paled in comparison to the information about the imp. Such a creature was beyond valuable, so much so that he could hardly believe his eyes.


    The identify spell worked in a tiered fashion. At first, only low class monsters such as goblins were able to be identified. As one used it, they were able to retrieve more and more information about that class until you ¡°graduated¡± to the next level. As for the dwarf, he might as well have been the designated spotter of the group.


    With all things, such an ability had a drawback. While it didn¡¯t use up mana, what it did instead was just as bad. It left those untrained to it with what was equivalent to a massive migraine. This feeling lessened as the skill became more powerful, but at the beginning it was almost completely useless, only showing little more than the target¡¯s race, and that was as long as one used it within 2 meters. Such an immense feeling of wasted effort combined with the massive headache that followed after every use led most to give up almost immediately, but the dwarf had stuck through it.


    Up till now, he had identified easily over two hundred monsters since he transformed, and his skill had grown immensely as a result, allowing him to examine monsters all the way up the B class, something that he was quite proud of himself. While some of that information might be incomplete, it still was by and large and increasingly useful skill, which was why he was so desired for these kinds of expeditions. But, for him to be unable to see all the information of a monster such as an imp, let alone see its current level, it was completely outstanding.


    ¡°Boy!¡± The dwarf almost jumped in excitement. ¡°Just where did you find that imp, wait, no.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The dwarf seemed to think to himself. ¡°You said you found that imp, where did you go, what did you do?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Drake suppressed a snarl. The dwarf was entirely too excited. He had seen something, although he had no clue exactly what.


    ¡°Your imp, it¡¯s utterly remarkable.¡± Brian shook Drake¡¯s arm with an uncontrollable fervor. This was simply too fantastic to the dwarf.


    ¡°P-please, I just want to hold it.¡± The dwarf held out his hands again, almost in a pleading motion. At this point, the others in the carriages began to look over at the small scene Brian was beginning to make.


    [See. This is exactly how I expected him to act. Humans are such scum.] Yami¡¯s voice seethed with disgust.


    For Imps, if the other person didn¡¯t put in effort to speak to them telepathically, they interpreted the language spoken almost entirely through the emotion in the language itself using their abilities. And as for this particular dwarf, how he ¡°felt¡± about Yami rubbed her the wrong way.


    He was acting like she was some sort of pet that could be handed off at a whim. Like nothing more than a tool to be analyzed and poked and prodded until it revealed all of its secrets.


    ¡°No. Now let¡¯s leave.¡± Drake told him in a scathing voice. A bit of Yami''s emotions were leaking over to him, although he had tried to suppress it. Still, the dwarf had seen something that had excited him immensely, and he didn¡¯t like it one bit. Thankfully, it seemed like nothing was too out of the ordinary though, given that he didn¡¯t immediately turn on Drake the moment he finished examining her. Identify¡­ just what exactly did a skill like that show him, and to what extent?


    Drake began to walk towards the carriages with little issue, as the dwarf attempted to poke and prod him on the topic at every chance. He could tell almost immediately that this guy was trouble, and talking to him would only make things worse.


    The carriage the dwarf had gotten off of was the first carriage. Drake made sure that he walked straight past it to get onto one of the others. However, as he passed, he noticed it had a small woman on it, almost comically so. Comparing them to human ¡°dwarfs¡± wouldn¡¯t really be a good comparison. The human symptom resulted in misshapen proportions due to genetics, while this old woman seemed to be perfectly normal, as if someone had shrunk down a human to a height of roughly two feet. What¡¯s more was that she was almost cuddly in nature. Strange really, given her age. Although, given her race she really could be any age. She¡­


    Drake shook his head at the thought of her. That was unusual, very unusual. Whenever he saw the old woman, it was like he couldn¡¯t get his mind off of her.


    You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, it seems like she has some kind of ability that I don¡¯t know about either. Drake scowled to himself.


    ¡°Damn it all. I just wanted to get a better look at that imp, you wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Drake heard the dwarf start to complain just as he began to get out of earshot.


    And I have that annoying little dwarf to deal with now too. Drake couldn¡¯t wait until they started moving again. At least then he could hopefully get some useful information about these people.


    Although, as Drake took a closer look at the carriages, it was interesting to see just what kind of creature they were using to pull them around. They would best be described as smaller elephants, but even that didn¡¯t do them much justice. From what he could see, they could vary in color, and while they kept the tusks of elephants, these jutted straight out instead of the normal curve that was normally seen. What¡¯s more, they actually had horns, and quite large ones at that, that jutted out from the top of their heads. They were hitched up to the carriages through a series of straps and hooks that allowed them to walk forward with ease.


    Interesting. How come I¡¯ve never seen something like this before. Drake was amazed by the creatures.


    Reaching the second carriage, Drake quickly climbed up in the back without a word, much to the vexation of the driver. It looked to be a fairly pretty girl, with hair that was a deep brown, an average build, and coupled with an adorable look on her face when she¡¯s annoyed.


    Ah, there it is. Drake thought, spying a certain tell-tale trait. She looks to be some kind of elf, at least I think so. Hidden just behind her hair was a faint point to her ears. It was unlike the ones he had seen on that dagger wielding elf he had slammed against the ground before. If he had to guess, she was probably some kind of sub-species, given how popular those were.


    Next to her was an older man, and unlike the girl, he looked to be absolutely human. Graying hair, normal ears, and an equally annoyed look, which was significantly less cute. Strange though, why was a human here?


    Looking at the elf, Drake smirked a bit as he got a better look at her face, and waved towards her apologetically.


    ¡°Sorry, but I just couldn¡¯t stand being back there for too much longer. That dwarf back there was bothering me a bit too much.¡±


    The two looked to each other as the older man turned to Drake.


    ¡°You just had to jump in our carriage, huh?¡± The man gave an empty laugh as he looked to Drake.


    ¡°Brian is gonna be on our ass about that as soon as we stop to rest.¡± He let out a long, drawn out sigh as he scratched the back of his head.


    He looked to Drake expectantly for a moment before he finally ran out of patience.


    ¡°Well? Take off the scary garb. If you¡¯re gonna ride with us, I want to see your face. Brian may have let you get away with it because of that thing on your shoulder, but I won¡¯t.¡± He waved his hand in a hurrying motion, an irritated expression clear on his face.


    Thing? Drake was perplexed at how the old man addressed Yami. It was clear as day that Yami was an imp, so why talk about her in such a way?


    He shook his head to clear his mind of it, before promptly taking off his cloak, and finally showing those of the small caravan what was hidden just underneath.


    Just as soon as Drake took of the hood of his cloak, the man¡¯s eyes widened suddenly as he got a look at Drake¡¯s face. This man¡­ he was no older than his mid-twenties. Given how he acted, he would have sworn he was around his age. What¡¯s more, jutting out of his head on both sides were a pair of black, ridged horns and an undeniably fierce expression. He almost didn¡¯t look human. It was as if¡­ someone had taken a brush and had sharpened all of his features. It was like the elves, but at the same time entirely different. It was more, menacing.


    ¡°Right. Good.¡± The man quickly turned back around, a distinct shiver running up his spine at the sight of the man¡¯s eyes. They were burning yellow, almost like a fire. It was entirely unnatural.


    That was strange. Drake thought. The man looked afraid of him. It was the sort of reaction that someone would give you if they were in a place they shouldn¡¯t be, and you had a weapon. The sort of look that made Drake think the man feared for his very life for just a small moment.


    [Yami, I look normal, right?] Given the man¡¯s reaction, Drake had some serious doubts. In all his excitement about his transformation, he had completely forgotten to actually look at his face, and he wasn¡¯t about to bring up his mana to form a mirror for himself now.


    [Hm, what do you mean?] She gave a rather vague response. [You look perfect, Drake. Just as you should.] She finished abruptly.


    Drake couldn¡¯t help but sigh internally at Yami¡¯s response. That just about confirms it. Yami must like my new look, and doesn¡¯t want it to change, even if it makes me look different. He gave a small laugh and poked her in the side.


    [It¡¯s not good to fib, you know? Especially when I can feel you getting all anxious.] Drake grabbed Yami by her shoulders before tickling her all over. As he did, the Imp began to squirm and struggle as short, bell-like laughter rang out as Yami quickly began to plead for him to stop. Honestly, he couldn¡¯t believe her.


    Her emotions were a total mess. She wanted him to get even closer to her, while at the same time wanting him to let go and stop at every moment. Everything that came across their link was completely contradictory, and Drake couldn¡¯t help but begin to smirk as he tickled her even more.


    [Stop, stop, pleaaaseee¡­] Tears were beginning to build up in her eyes, and she was beginning to run out of breath.


    [Fine.] Drake stopped with an evil smile. [But next time, don¡¯t fib, otherwise you¡¯ll face the consequences.] Drake did his best impression of an evil cackling through their link. Needless to say, it¡¯s incredibly difficult to sound scary when you are almost bursting out in laughter.


    ¡°So, you actually play with them, huh?¡± The elvish girl had turned around given all the commotion she had heard from behind her. She had a barely disguised look of loathing on her face that told Drake all he really needed to know about how she felt about Yami.


    ¡°Surprised it doesn¡¯t try to bite your fingers off. The vile things are savage.¡± She said.


    What is with all these people? Drake thought. It¡¯s like they don¡¯t see her as anything more than a goblin. He thought with a distinct scowl.


    Sure, you can hate monsters, despise them even, but don¡¯t let that blind hatred extend to all creatures. Doing that will lead you to make nothing but more enemies than you can count, and with races that can guarantee that they will keep that hatred with them. Drake was quickly beginning to see just how these people thought.


    The human race, from the beginning of history, had a history of conflict. While most often this feeling was turned on other humans, that was only when they had fully established themselves on top of the food chain. A wide variety of creatures, from wolves, to bears, even the so called king of beasts, the lion, had almost gone extinct from this mindset of superiority. They threatened the so called natural order of things, and so were punished as a result.


    That same feeling must have been what led them to wipe out the Lamia almost entirely. But, however similar they might think all the creatures that were created were, a race like Ella is entirely different from some savage, unthinking beast. They have entire societies, and could think and feel just as much as the rest of them.


    ¡°She has a name you know, it¡¯s Yami.¡± Drake¡¯s hands began to clench instinctively. If this woman said one more word about her, she was going to get a fist to the face, consequences be damned. Why the hell did so many people seem outright hostile towards her?


    ¡°Oh-ho, so you named it, did ya?¡± The woman laughed in a derisive tone, as if she couldn¡¯t believe someone would actually name a simple monster.


    [Drake.] Yami spoke to him in a soothing voice. [Remember who these people are. They¡¯re the monsters here. Don¡¯t take their bait.]


    Drake¡¯s eyes widened as he took the advice to heart, reminding himself exactly of who he was dealing with. These weren¡¯t normal people. Normal people would never have massacred a normal village like Ella¡¯s. They would be curious, sure, but they would never resort to a wholesale slaughter like that. He gave Yami a small smile and poked her in her side again. [Getting lectured by my own friend, now what am I gonna do? Thanks.]


    ¡°And what about you, do you have a name?¡± Drake poked fun at the girl, which made her raise up in annoyance.


    ¡°Of course, I do, it¡¯s Sabrina.¡± She said quickly. The old man nudged her side, which made her turn to him. He muttered something under his breathe, which seemed to calm her down a bit.


    She huffed to herself before looking to Drake, her eyes trailing over his horns and face. ¡°And what¡¯s your name anyway?¡±


    ¡°Drake.¡± He said, laughing to himself. The old man had taken the wind out of her sails so quickly, Drake wondered exactly what he had said.


    ¡°Drake.¡± The muttered the name, as if to affirm it to herself. ¡°So why are you out here anyway, surprised you haven¡¯t been killed by some troll.¡±


    ¡°What, are we playing twenty questions now?¡± Drake could start to see a pattern here. This woman was about as hot-headed as he had ever seen, despite her being an elf. The reason the old man was sitting next to her seemed to be to help control her a bit. On another note, isn¡¯t this breaking the lines of what elves are supposed to be, anyway? What happened to the cool, calm, and collected species?


    Drake chuckled to himself as he thought of an idea. ¡°How about this, I answer your question, and you answer one of mine. You¡¯re really the first group I¡¯ve come across anyway.¡± Drake said with a clear smirk.


    ¡°U-uh, yea, ok, sure.¡± Drake had caught her off guard completely.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been hiding out since the deadline set by the ¡°gracious¡± species up in the sky ran out. Not much since then.¡± Drake kept it simple. Easier to not screw up his story that way. And, it was the truth in a sense.


    ¡°Hiding out? Where do you hide out in in the wilderness?¡± She abruptly asked another question, curious about him.


    ¡°Nope, my turn.¡± Drake said with a smirk.


    ¡°Now, what are you guys doing out here? This is pretty out of the way, all things considered.¡± It was Drake¡¯s turn to finally figure out this group¡¯s plans. He was a ¡°human,¡± after all. They wouldn¡¯t have any real reason to think that he would be here for a rescue.


    ¡°Tsk, fine.¡± The woman clicked her teeth in frustration, scowling at his words. Looking out to the surrounding area, she carefully scanned the wood line with a surprising amount of effort.


    ¡°We¡¯re out on a small expedition. We have the privilege of being able to go out and hunt. We collect some monster cores, and capture some of the more unique ones for testing.¡± She said.


    ¡°Now, my turn again.¡± She was obviously happy to be the one asking questions.


    ¡°Why do you carry that thing around? It¡¯s not like the monsters we capture. At least they¡¯re useful.¡± She adopted the same derisive tone as before, looking to Yami.


    ¡°She¡¯s not a thing.¡± Drake snapped, feeling his emotions spike. ¡°She¡¯s my friend, and I bet she¡¯s a lot more useful than all the monsters you have here combined.¡± This woman was getting on his last nerves.


    ¡°Tch, you¡¯re friends with a monster?¡± She muttered something under her breathe as a faint light of understanding started to shine in her eyes. ¡°That¡¯s right, as a demonic species, imps can make contracts, can¡¯t they? They also have that uh¡­ telepathy skill if I remember right.¡± She clapped her hands together happily, as if she had solved a puzzle.


    ¡°That¡¯s just adorable.¡± She said with an irritating smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡± Drake cut her off again. Someone needed to teach this girl some respect, it¡¯s as she was born without a hint of survival instinct in her body.


    ¡°What are all the monsters you captured anyway, since they¡¯re all so special.¡± Drake decided to egg her on a bit. If she felt angry, then it was likely she would attempt to show off.


    ¡°They¡¯re damned sure more useful than that little imp, that¡¯s for sure.¡± She spat out angrily.


    As if checking off a mental list, she began to name off the monsters they had collected one by one. ¡°We have some hellhounds, a harpy, two displacer beasts, whatever the hell those actually are, a few ground dragons that looked useful, and a lamia. The lamia came with a bunch of strange looking eggs too, so we brought them as well. And hell, those displacer beasts required me to put a hell of a lot of magic around it just to keep it in its cage, more than that imp could ever make me do.¡± She looked quite proud at that little accomplishment, although for Drake, he merely listened passively as he finally heard what he needed.


    Paying special attention to this particular question, Drake held back a smile as the girl as he heard that they had captured a Lamia among the list of various creatures.


    So, they have a Lamia here after all, good. That must be one of the village members that Ella was talking about. Now, all I need to do is wait. Drake thought with a passive smile.

 Character Concept Art

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 Chapter 6 Part 4

    Part 4


    Drake laid back, stationary in the carriage as he and the others were making the slow journey back to wherever they were heading. The obstinate half-elf had attempted to continue the small game Drake had suggested, but without any real reason to do so, or way of making him, she was forced to give up after a few minutes of prodding him.


    Truthfully, the journey with them was quite relaxing, as long as he ignored a certain elf in the carriage. Lately, he had been forced to travel everywhere by foot, so it was quite nice to be carried along by something else for once. And so, they rode on for what seemed like hours, passing along the heavily forested area that made up the small nature reserve Drake had made him home in, and eventually approaching the outskirts of the city.


    According to what Drake could hear from the annoying half-elf and the old man, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back that day, and would have to stop a portion of the way there. They would eat, rest up, and resume the journey the next day.


    As for Therion and Ella, even at a normal speed, they could easily keep up with them. That was likely the reason behind why Drake kept hearing the half-elf complain about the various attacks they had gone through. Traveling with so much ¡°loot¡± simply kept them from moving quickly, and even if they had tried, the elephant-like monsters they used for travel likely couldn¡¯t run very far. It was a classic case of trading movement speed for the sheer value of carrying a ton of goods.


    Drake meanwhile, was looking forward to when the group finally stopped for a break, and it didn¡¯t take more than a few hours for his wish to come true.


    ¡°Aahhhh¡­ Thank god we finally stopped, I¡¯m starving.¡± Sabrina, the half-elf stood up, stretching. On their left was a large cluster of trees, and on their right, a little more than thirty miles off, was the remains of the ruined city. Grabbing a small bag, she quickly jumped off the carriage, and marched off to start construction of what looked to be a quick, makeshift fire to make food.


    ¡°C¡¯mon boy, time to get something to eat.¡± The gruff old man said as he jumped off the carriage. He quickly made his way over to Sabrina, helping her as best he could to gather stray pieces of wood.


    The truth of the matter was, ever since Drake had revealed himself, the man could barely glance at him without feeling like a deep pressure was crushing down on him. Something about him was off, but there¡¯s no way in hell Brian would listen to him. Regardless of him being one of the most reliable members, he had noticed that all of the more ¡°inhuman¡± races had a certain tick about them.


    Sabrina was one such case. Being her uncle, he had known her before the world went to shit, and she was a wonderful girl. She was just about to graduate high school, and regularly came by to help him with the various projects he was always working on around his house. Afterwards however, it seemed like her personality had undergone a complete 180, and she had a horrendous time controlling herself.


    Not all of them had such a drastic change, but it was always there. Lori for example, the short woman who Brian seemed to be infatuated with, she could barely keep her hands from moving. It certainly was useful when she had work to do, but at the same time was extremely troublesome.


    And Brian. Once he found something he was interested in, he would concentrate on it until he got what he desired. It was an admirable trait for a leader, especially given that he was one of the only people to focus on being a spotter for the group, but that same trait was still troublesome.


    ¡°Bah.¡± The old man muttered under his breathe. Maybe he was just overthinking this all. In another day, it wouldn¡¯t matter if the man was any trouble anyway. Besides, it was impossible for anyone to cause any real damage with almost a dozen of them here.


    Meanwhile, Drake had taken his time. Besides the two in front, and the two in his small carriage, there were only seven others in the other various carriages. Drake felt the group¡¯s eyes gather on him as he slowly climbed his way out of the cart, and landed on the ground, with Yami resting neatly on his shoulders.


    Yep. I¡¯m definitely out of the ordinary. Drake thought to himself.


    From just this group alone, it was easy to tell that horns definitely didn¡¯t seem to be part of the common package of transforming from a human. Sure, there was a pretty large variety, but right now, Drake couldn¡¯t do anything about it. If he had known better, he may have tried at least dissipating them before he ever met them, but there was no point now. There¡¯s no use in crying over spilled milk; what¡¯s done is done. Besides, it¡¯s not like having Yami accompanying him would make him any less obvious.


    Those were the thoughts shooting through Drake¡¯s head, but he could at least make the best of it. Walking over to a somewhat upbeat elvish girl, he started helping her gather up firewood.


    With any luck, at least this one will be nicer. He thought hopefully, a pitiful look on his face. In this group, she was definitely among the most attractive, being a full-blooded elf. It was hard to compare almost any race to the elves really.


    She had blue eyes and brown hair, and a smile that looked too youthful to belong to an adult across her face. Compared to the other various members of the group who seemed to be either tanned or sunburned, she had pale skin. And although almost all the other members besides that old woman wore armor, she was just wearing a pair of leather clothes.


    As he started to gather wood, the girl looked at him with a clearly mischievous smile on her face.


    She brushed up against him, and elbowed him in the ribs.


    ¡°Wanna ditch this for a moment, and see the fun stuff?¡± The girl giggled to herself, before extending her hand out to him.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Anri, nice to meet ya. Sorry about Robert and Sabrina, those two are real sticks in the mud.¡± She held up a hand in apology as she gave Drake a quick glance. Then, as she stood up, her eyes widened in joy as she spotted Yami hiding behind Drake¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ooohh, look at her. She¡¯s so cute!¡± She squealed in a quiet, muffled tone, barely containing her excitement as she bounced up and down.


    [Drake, I think something is wrong with this one.] Yami let out in a perplexed tone.


    He muffled a small laugh, as he extended a hand back to Anri. ¡°Nice to meet you, the name¡¯s Drake.¡±


    At his reply, the girl¡¯s eyes began to shine with excitement as she happily took his hand. As she did, she clasped her hands around his. Her eyes trailed along his hand and along his arm, as she looked at him.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone like you before. You almost remind me of Ali...¡± Her voice trailed off, as if she was in her own world.


    ¡°Anyway¡­¡± She smiled awkwardly, and scratched the back of her head. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet ya. You¡¯re the first one I¡¯ve seen with scales, not to mention the horns. It¡¯s a good look on you.¡± She chuckled to herself.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Drake reacted. ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a deal, it¡¯s just the choice I was given.¡±


    ¡°Oh-ho.¡± Anri was even more interested, and leaned in closer, her ears pricking up.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing really.¡± Drake nervously waved the girl away. His ¡®race¡¯ was entirely made by him, and given everyone¡¯s reactions, may not exist in this world. From what little he knew before he transformed into a Draconian, people were given a variety of options, and the most popular ones were likely taken. That would explain why this group seemed to consist of mainly Elves, half-breeds, and other offshoots of the human race, like the dwarf he first met.


    However, the kind of power each of these people possessed definitely seemed to vary. That much he understood from the small conversations he picked up from the others around him. For example, his Draconian race was born with the ability to regenerate with mana-infused meat, as well as an incredible amount of power and speed, and the ability to draw in the environment¡¯s mana to augment himself.


    He had completely forgone the latter part of his race¡¯s natural ability to use and empower himself using the natural mana in the environment to cultivate the special mana of the dual demonic natures he was given. And, when he transformed, the power he was given was completely fixed at the time of his transformation; it wasn¡¯t possible to change or select what he was given, and even with the normal humans, he expected that they were only given the most basic of explanations. That meant that there were likely a lot of people whose natures didn¡¯t match that of their race.


    There were likely quite a few people who were stuck with this unfortunate fate. If someone were born with the talent to boost the destructive power of spells, but didn¡¯t choose a race that was well suited to magic, that talent would go to waste. If the race they chose did match a person¡¯s nature, they could consider themselves in luck.


    The group he fought before the week deadline was up would be a good example of such a case. The large, goliath man seemed to be perfectly suited to his race, and would willingly charge into danger and act like his race was meant to. That roguish elf however, he definitely treated the enhanced agility that such a race gave him with a large amount of hesitation. He wasted the talents of such a race because he was unsuited to it, which left him in a worse position than others.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ No fun.¡± The girl looked down in thought, and mumbled to herself. Then, as if shaking off his rejection, she began to drag Drake back towards the rear of the caravan. ¡°Anyway, follow me, you haven¡¯t seen what we¡¯ve been carrying have you? I know that you¡¯ve been holed up somewhere, at least that¡¯s what the others told me.¡±


    Drake¡¯s curiosity peaked, as his eyes widened slightly. This girl was no doubt going to lead him to Ella¡¯s village member but he still had another problem. He could get to the lamia whenever he wanted, but his priority was most definitely getting himself in better condition.


    He hadn¡¯t improved at all since resting over the few hours in the carriage, something that troubled him greatly. He should have at least started to feel a little better, but that same, hollow feeling still filled him. The wounds he sustained must have been too great to solve so easily by shifting from his mist-form and waiting. His body required him to eat.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it really has been forever since I¡¯ve gotten a good meal in me. I even picked up some meat on the way here, so I need to cook this up real quick before I can do anything else.¡± Drake told her in an apologetic tone. He took care to not let himself seem too desperate, and the last thing he wanted was to make an enemy of the one person who treated him nicely.


    Yami must have noticed his attitude. She snuggled up closer to Drake¡¯s neck and said, [You take priority, I can go look for the snake¡¯s location if you¡¯re really that worried.]


    [Right, right. Thank Yami.] He responded quickly. He needed to make sure this elf stay pacified. She would be an easy way to seem natural and approach the Lamia.


    Setting down a somewhat raggedy, crimson bag on the ground, a faint mist dissipated around the entrance as Drake pulled out a large slab of fresh meat. Drake needed a place to keep some of the meat from the wyvern, along with the scales he had collected. The formation of such a simple bag compared to his clothes proved to be easy, thankfully.


    ¡°See.¡± Drake held out the raw piece of meat. ¡°As soon as I can get this cooked, I can join you. But until then, I need to get something to eat.¡± Drake said with some urgency.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± The elf pouted for a moment, before a mischievous look flashed through her eyes. She quickly looked back to the others of the group before grabbing the piece of meat out of Drake¡¯s hands.


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s-¡± Drake said


    ¡°Sssshhh, I don¡¯t want the others to see this.¡± She interrupted. Holding her hands over the piece of wyvern, a searing heat began to come out in waves. It had only been a few seconds, but the distinctive sound of grilled meat began to sound out as she held it between her hands.


    You¡¯re kidding. Drake looked on in amazement. From the look of it, this wasn¡¯t simply fire magic. She wasn¡¯t using any fire at all, in fact. There was simply a powerful wave of heat emanating from both of her hands, cooking it like a steak in a matter of seconds. If he had to guess, it looked like a magic that specialized in cooking, although he couldn¡¯t be sure.


    ¡°Here, take it and let¡¯s go. You can eat it on the way there.¡± She shoved the piece of meat back in Drake¡¯s hand and quickly turned to walk towards the various cages the caravan been carrying towards the back.


    ¡°Just what was that?¡± Drake couldn¡¯t help but ask as he followed her. His magic was made for combat, and seeing someone else so easily expand into a specialized field of magic intrigued him immensely.


    ¡°Just a bit magic to save time.¡± She said, waving off the question. ¡°Cooking wastes so much time, especially when there¡¯s so many fantastic creatures to look at.¡± She laughed as she turned around to face him. ¡°The others take a bit of solace in it. I think it reminds them of the old days.¡±


    Taking his arm, she began pulling him along, with each step becoming faster and more excited.


    As Drake followed step by step behind the girl, he stifled a frown. Although he still didn¡¯t know himself, some of the residual effects of his connection with Yami were beginning to affect him. Much like Yami was able to feel out the emotions of those who spoke, Drake was just barely able to feel out the emotions he was speaking to.


    For him, it wasn¡¯t even really a feeling. It was more of an instinct. An instinct that told him that she was lying, about something. Something that she wasn¡¯t telling him, rather than anything she said.


    ¡°Right.¡± All Drake could do was hide his true feelings on the matter. Attempting to speak to her about it would only cause trouble. Instead, he tore off a small piece of meat and began to eat as they moved, a deeply rejuvenating feeling washing throughout his body as he ate.


    As he was brought to the cages that held the various monsters, he began to hear the cries and calls of various beasts. Certainly, none of them sounded human but¡­


    One doesn¡¯t sound at all like the others. It sounds like the language Ella spoke. Drake began to slow as he approached, his steps becoming more deliberate.


    The area near the back of the caravan certainly looked impressive compared to the rest. Several of the cages were covered in a faint, opaque shield, sealing them in completely. Others, such as those covering the cages the Ground Dragons or the Harpy were sealed in with a simple metal cage, given that they likely weren¡¯t able to use the magic that made those shield¡¯s necessary.


    As he passed, he did notice something peculiar, however. The harpy, which looked to be a fairly petite woman, seemed to perk up at he passed, and stared intently at him. She didn¡¯t seem to attempt to communicate with him at all, but simply stare intently in his direction. Strange.


    Drake shook his head to clear his mind of the matter. No point in trying to save those who don¡¯t try to save themselves. Even if she is intelligent, if she doesn¡¯t try to ask for help, then there¡¯s no point.


    Anri slowly approached one of the cages, as a blue, mystical light began to shine in her hands. Through his eyes, Drake could very easily see what she was doing. Much like Gwyn¡¯s barrier, around several of the cages was a spherical shield that trapped whatever was inside with a small layer of runes.


    However, this seemed to be a much lesser version of Gwyn¡¯s ability. Where Gwyn was able to instinctively allow or attack anyone who came in contact with the shield, this barrier was almost barbaric in comparison. Anri was disabling the barrier altogether so she could get closer, and only through enabling the shield again would it be able to prevent anyone from entering or leaving again.


    ¡°Hey Ali, I¡¯m back.¡± As the barrier slowly dissolved, Drake could see who she was referring to.


    In short, she was breathtaking. In complete contrast with Ella¡¯s innocent look, this Lamia completely exuded sex appeal from the moment Drake saw her. At first glance, she resembled a dark elf, complete with the characteristically pure white hair that streamed down her back. The only real clothing the Lamia had was a very form-fitting bikini with a small dancer-like ornament covering just below the waist. However, the slightly seductive way she held herself, her piercing yellow eyes, and the long, crimson tail that trailed from her waist gave away her true nature at a glance.


    ¡°This is a new friend that I just met, and I wanted to show you to him. Isn¡¯t she so pretty Drake?¡± Anri turned to Drake with a smile, as he could only look on in wonder at the lamia.


    However, this ¡°Ali¡±, only gave Drake a brief look before turning away with a look of disgust, as if she couldn¡¯t care less at the new visitor that Anri had brought her.


    ¡°Sorry, for some reason or another, she really can¡¯t stand others.¡± Anri held up a hand in apology, before approaching the cage to get even closer.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that-¡±


    In a flash of movement, the Lamia quickly wrapped her tail and quickly coiled around Anri, with an utterly demonic look on her face.


    ¡°Come on now, this again?¡± Anri called out in a light, cheerful tone. Firmly wrapped in the Lamia¡¯s coils, she simply grinned before speaking as if nothing was wrong, much to the Lamia¡¯s displeasure. ¡°You would have already killed me if you were planning to. So, let me go and we can talk.¡±


    [This girl is utterly insane, Drake.] Yami looked on in horror as Anri talked to the Lamia as if she was simply having a small dispute.


    Drake knew how utterly powerful a Lamia¡¯s coils could be. He had experienced a bit of that strength when Ella had coiled around him in his sleep. With just her childlike strength alone, she had made it difficult for him to breathe, so he could only imagine just how powerful a fully-grown Lamia¡¯s tail was. The image of the Lamia cracking the elf in half with just a small effort was something that Drake could imagine quite easily.


    With a short, almost melodic hissing noise, Ali slowly uncoiled from around Anri, before placing her outside the cage, quickly adopting the same sneer as she looked to Drake for a moment.


    ¡°See, she¡¯s harmless.¡± Anri said with a big smile.


    [Yep, definitely insane.] Drake quickly agreed with Yami.


    ¡°So¡­ does this happen often?¡± Drake asked awkwardly, keeping well out of the range of the Lamia¡¯s tail. The obvious mention of ''again''from Anri definitely gave Drake the impression that this happened a few too many times.


    ¡°No, no, not at all.¡± Anri replied, laughing off the question. ¡°I think she just wanted to show off since you were here, scare you a bit, ya know?¡±


    You were the one who she had wrapped up, not me. Drake thought morbidly. There are a hell of a lot more ways to scare some stranger than picking up their friend in what could easily be considered a death grip.


    ¡°So, how did this all start?¡± Drake couldn¡¯t help but ask. This Lamia was in complete contrast with Ella¡¯s personality, although that alone could be due to her age. Still, with what must have happened after the attack, it¡¯s not that strange for her to be outright hostile to everyone.


    Still, how did this elf get around that? Drake pondered to himself.


    ¡°Oh, it was quite sweet of her.¡± Anri started. ¡°You see, while the others are all out here for either experience and testing themselves, or simply to ¡®take revenge¡¯, as some wanted, I just love meeting all of them.¡± She replied chirpily.


    ¡°I mean, look at her, she¡¯s so beautiful. Then there¡¯s the Ground Dragons, the Harpy, they¡¯re all so amazing. Why wouldn¡¯t I want to get to know them better?¡±


    ¡°But, this Ali just tried to kill you¡­¡± Drake replied. This girl¡¯s logic was simply too extreme for him.


    ¡°If she wanted to, she already would have, like I told her.¡± She continued. ¡°Like I was saying, one day I was going around and admiring all of them when I suddenly got snatched up by Ali here.¡± She gave the Lamia a knowing look, which seemed to only embarrass her as she looked away.


    She can¡¯t understand a word we¡¯re saying, but she probably recognizes the name she was given. Drake smirked to himself.


    It was the same with a human language. If you hear the same word over and over again, especially when it¡¯s used to refer to yourself, then it becomes obvious to know when someone is talking about them. Given this girl¡¯s personality, she had probably spent quite a lot of time around the Lamia as well. It was no surprise that the Lamia would be interested in what Drake and Anri were discussing.


    ¡°Ali had crushed a few guys who had come close to her before, so I was curious just why she did it. It¡¯s not like she ate them or anything, she¡¯s much more refined than that.¡± Anri looked to her lamia friend proudly.


    ¡°After she killed them, she simply threw them out of the cage, before curling back into her tail. But, whenever I was captured, she hesitated.¡± Anri¡¯s eyes began to shine as she reminisced back to that day.


    ¡°Honestly, I was a bit upset at how the others had treated the Lamia we came across. Unlike the Ground Dragon¡¯s or some of the others, they seem much more intelligent, but the group wouldn¡¯t listen to me. So, when Ali picked me up and began to squeeze down on me, I simply smiled at her.¡± Anri didn¡¯t bat an eye when she told Drake all this. Drake stared in disbelief at what he just heard, reassuring himself that she was insane.


    ¡°She hesitated, and hissed at me pretty loudly for a moment, like she was trying to scare me.¡± Anri scratched her head embarrassingly, as if it had just happened yesterday.


    ¡°I just kept staring at her, admiring her. Ali seemed confused, and instead of trying to hurt me, she kept me firmly in her grip as she gazed down at me. Then, with a small hiss, she simply let me go after roughly a minute, and simply set me down outside the cage.¡± Anri ended the story, looking down at her hands with a small smile. Her fingers twiddled in front of her, as if she was embarrassed at what she had said.


    ¡°She¡¯s not dangerous, at least not for me. So ever since then, I¡¯ve been coming by whenever I got the chance, just to chat with her.¡± She said.


    So, in the end, it was all thanks to this girl¡¯s boundless curiosity that this Ali didn¡¯t kill her. Instead of Anri showing the fear that she expected, she was perfectly content, as if she couldn¡¯t believe that she would do such a thing, even though she clearly said that it had killed others.


    Drake began to think to himself.


    Likely, this Lamia held a huge grudge against the humanoid species for destroying her village, just like anyone would. Just like Ella likely would have if she had seen the horrors of what had happened to that village.


    Drake pondered to himself for a moment, before looking to the Lamia and Anri. This elf looked to be the only one of this entire group that actually cared for those that they captured. True, Drake could forgive any sins against monsters that had very little intelligence. Humans had, after all, wiped out a wide variety of species over the centuries that were detrimental to them.


    But, to do the same to another intelligent species such as the Lamia? That was truly unforgivable. They had families, sisters, and would grieve just as horribly as a human would when they died in that horrible attack. For anyone to so easily resort to such heinous acts, it made Drake furious. He had to calm his nerves by gripping his hand into a fist before gulping down his anger, in an attempt to stifle his bloodlust.


    Then, just as Drake began to solidify on how he planned to take care of this group, he heard a small whisper in his mind, warning him of a message.


    [Drake, this Lamia says she wants absolutely nothing to do with you. Rather, she would¡­ crack you open if you dare attempted to get too close.] Yami hesitated on transmitting the message, fearful of how Drake might respond.


    [Wait, she said what now?] Drake replied.

 Chapter 6 Part 5

    [She¡­ uh¡­] Yami was unsure how to respond. She understood it was a rhetorical question, but the manner in which Drake had said it made her try to think of a response.


    [No, no. I understand.] Drake quickly clarified himself. This was going to be a lot more troublesome than he was anticipating. He may be able to play off disabling the shield around the Lamia, after all, the glyphs which made up the shield were absolutely shoddy. It would be a simple matter of just touching it with a bit of his mana, and the entire formation would fall apart at the seams.


    The real trouble however, was obviously going to be the Lamia herself. Thinking back, showing himself to Ella in his Draconian form solved a problem he didn¡¯t even know existed. Even if she had taken a liking to his current form, that was only after she had gotten somewhat used to him. If he had showed up as a humanoid, much like the rest of this group, he may have never gotten her to trust him in the first place.


    This all boiled down to the root of the problem. Drake currently looked like no more than a normal, if somewhat rare, brand of transformed human. Yami wouldn¡¯t be much help either, as this entire expedition was made to capture and kill useful monsters. It wouldn¡¯t be unlikely for a rogue members of the group to come back with Yami, and with no real way to establish a language connection with this Ali, Drake was stuck. Unless¡­


    I need to be able to convince Anri that I can talk with her somehow with some outrageous ability I picked up on the way. Well¡­ that¡¯s not entirely untruthful. Gwyn certainly did teach me the ability. But¡­ Drake was, in a matter of speaking, stuck.


    It would be too easy to contradict Drake¡¯s story afterward, and even if he was able to actually talk with Ali without Anri getting suspicious, he certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to convince her so easily. To make matters harder, Drake had absolutely no intentions of hurting the young elf beside him.


    Drake had long since confirmed that this was the same group who had burned down Ella¡¯s village, so this entire group could go die in a fire for all he cared. Rather, he was planning to take care of them all in one fell swoop once he was able to release Ali back to Therion and Ella. Anri however, was different, even if she was a tad¡­ crazy. Unlike all the others who tended to treat them like they were property or outright despise those like Yami, she was intensely interested.


    To put it simply, the more people who had the mindset of Anri, the better, even if she was a bit sick in the head.


    ¡°Drake, are you alright? You look like you¡¯re sick.¡± Anri put her hand on his shoulder, asking him worryingly. A look of clear worry was on her face, as if she was afraid that she had somehow harmed him, and she crouched down next to him.


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m fine. I just hadn¡¯t eaten in awhile, so the meat I ate is causing me a few problems.¡± Drake grabbed his stomach in a grimacing manner, before giving her a fake smile. This girl really was different compared to the others. Her entire leather attire¡­ the complete lack of a weapon, and even the laid-back attitude that constantly exuded from her, it all pointed to the fact that this girl likely wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly, even if that same attitude would easily backfire in such a new world.


    So, there really is only one option, even if there¡¯s almost no chance of this Lamia believing me. Thankfully, she doesn¡¯t need to. Drake thought to himself.


    Drake directed his thoughts towards the small imp on his opposite shoulder, making sure to keep his eyes on the threatening Lamia in front of him.


    [Yami, I need you to take care of something important for me. Try to convince the Lamia that I¡¯m here to help, and that I have Ella and another friend trailing the convoy right now. If she will let me close enough to the cage, I can disable the barrier holding her inside easily.]


    [Are you sure? Drake, as you are now, it¡¯s dangerous.] Yami looked to Drake with a small grimace. It was a simple truth, if anyone besides a certain elf who was caught up in that Lamia¡¯s tail, they would almost certainly be crushed to death. Even if Drake was quick enough in activating his aura, it wouldn¡¯t be enough to save him from a series of crippling injuries.


    It was easy enough to notice the change in Drake¡¯s physique as they tracked their way to the small group of humans. He was noticeably slower, and he even got winded, something that had never once occurred while he was still in his Draconian form. To top it all off, while the small cloak Drake had made along with his other clothes might help him a bit, it couldn¡¯t compare to the armor like scales the Draconian body had.


    [I¡¯m sure. I just need her to trust me, so say whatever you need to, I don¡¯t care.] Drake said. They would arrive tomorrow at their destination, and at that point, it would be much too difficult for a rescue operation.


    [Right.] Yami quickly responded, her small voice ringing with conviction.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Do you need to sit down somewhere? I¡¯m fine just staying here and chatting with Ali if you wanna rest.¡± Anri again looked to Drake with worry. She truly was a sweet girl.


    Hiding his smile, Drake waved it off. ¡°No, I¡¯m much more interested in the monsters around here. Little Yami here is really the only one that I¡¯ve gotten used to, so seeing such one like Ali really is quite amazing.¡± Drake fibbed.


    Truthfully¡­ Drake would have preferred the sweet, child-like demeanor of Ella over this bloodthirsty Lamia any day of the week, but that wasn¡¯t what he was here for.


    ¡°Right! Isn¡¯t she just beautiful.¡± Anri responded cheerfully, showing Ali off as if she was her own. ¡°Honestly, the others just don¡¯t see what you and I see in them. Even the less intelligent species are just so interesting, and it¡¯s fun to feed them.¡± She looked to the surrounding creatures with an endearing look, as if she didn¡¯t wish to be anywhere else.


    ¡°Wait, are you the one that feeds all of them?¡± Drake was genuinely surprised.


    Not even regarding Ali, all of the others looked to be like monsters that could tear you to shreds with a thought. Sure, the Ground Dragons looked to be like scaly, more raptor-like versions of a certain golden, loveable, bipedal bird from a particular fantasy series, and the Harpy looked to be at least somewhat human-like, the others were almost certainly genuine monsters.


    It was easy to distinguish the ones with intelligence against those who didn¡¯t. The Ground Dragons had hissed at him a few times as he passed their cage, but that seemed to be in caution rather than out of any real sense of savagery. The Harpy acted much in the same way, although she was much more reserved than any of the others, only choosing to sit down pathetically in the small cage she was put in.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting attacked? At least with Ali, you know she won¡¯t actually hurt you.¡±


    Although anyone else could take that statement with a large grain of salt¡­


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Anri pondered to herself for a moment, before shaking her shoulders in a lazy manner.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t really thought about it all that much. I make sure to stay safe, so there¡¯s not much point to thinking about it past that.¡± She said with a smile.


    What point was there to thinking about what might happen? That was the mindset behind her actions. Yes, what had happened with Anri was a special case. The Lamia was simply too quick, and since then, the barrier around her cage had stopped her from grabbing anyone else, as well as stopping other particular abilities she had. Since then, she had made sure to stay well out of any potential attack range of the others.


    Of course, such a mindset couldn¡¯t help but leave Drake grimacing with a tentative smile.


    This girl¡¯s way of thinking is just too extreme¡­ Drake thought.


    [Drake.] Yami¡¯s voice suddenly cut into his thoughts, her inner voice ringing with a sense of excitement. [I think I may have convinced her though¡­ It seems that she is just a little bit¡­ aggressive.] She ended with a sense of emphasis.


    [Right¡­ so I¡¯ll be able to get close enough to disable the shield?] Really, that was all Drake needed.


    [Uhh¡­] Yami responded nervously. The conversation between the two must have been somewhat unsteady given how unsure of herself she was. [She says she needs you to look at her. According to her, the Lamia species have the ability of almost complete control over humanoid species for a short period of time, at least for those who have a low tolerance to such things. She¡­ apparently killed at least a few men who looked at her the wrong way. So, if you¡¯re actually a Draconian like you say you are, such an ability will be significantly lessened, only creating a sort of suggestion than flat-out control.]


    They have such an ability? Drake¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. The attack on their village must have truly come out of nowhere, or have certain restrictions to keep them from using such an ability so easily in combat. Otherwise, such an attack would have only ended in a one-sided massacre. On the other hand¡­


    [If this body doesn¡¯t work the same as my old one, then it¡¯s basically suicide, huh?] Drake felt himself sigh internally at the sheer magnitude of the proposal. Such a risk, however unlikely, would likely mean that Ali would almost certainly attempt to kill him right away for attempting to trick her. Honestly¡­


    WHY THE HELL IS EVERYONE IN THIS DAMN CAMP OUT OF THEIR MINDS!?


    Taking a moment to breathe, Drake calmed himself as best he could, or at least as much as screaming voice inside his head would allow.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    No¡­ everything should be fine. My connection with Ella and Therion prove that I still have my monster core, and my attraction to the wyvern¡¯s core proves that I still have the need to absorb the cores of other powerful monsters. Drake began to rationalize the proposal to himself as best he could.


    I just have to withstand the hypnotizing blast from the Lamia, and as long as I still have the resilience of a Draconian, it¡¯ll be fine¡­ Even still, with my demonic magic, I should be able to fight off such an influence if it comes down to it. And, with Therion¡­ or¡­ Ella¡­ Wait a minute¡­ The memory of his first encounter with Ella began to float to mind, along with the strange, almost instantaneous charm he felt for the young Lamia when he met her.


    Ella fucking hypnotized me! The realization hit Drake like a sack of bricks. It made perfect sense. That strange feeling that washed over him¡­ the beautiful look of Ella¡¯s eyes¡­ that strange enamor he had with her tail!


    Although, even after knowing such a thing, he still thought Ali¡¯s tail looked breathtaking¡­ so maybe he simply had a thing for that now¡­


    Still! He was going to have a major talk with her whenever he got back.


    Rule #1. Hypnotizing the people who rescue you is always a bad thing.


    [Uh¡­ Drake, you alright?] Yami asked tentatively. She felt the whirlwind of emotions Drake was going through, and while none of them were overwhelmingly negative, she could only pick out one or two topics, which only confused her even more.


    [Yeah.] Drake answered. Telling Yami would only make her upset. She was already somewhat sensitive about Ella to begin with, and telling her that she had attempted to influence him when they had met would only cause more trouble.


    Clearing his head of such a subject, he sighed.


    Let¡¯s just get this over with. Drake firmed up his nerve as best as could, and turned to the seductive Lamia.


    He heard a small, melodic hissing sound from Ali as he looked toward her, almost as if she was gasping in surprise. Without being connected to her, he was honestly unable to say for sure. Then, he looked straight into her eyes.


    Drake immediately felt a sense of pressure, very similarly to how he felt with the wyvern he fought but¡­ it was different. The wyvern had sent wave after wave of an almost physical force on him in battle. It made him slower to react, and above all, if it was only just a little bit stronger, he likely would have not been able to fight at all. Only run and hide like Yami and Therion were forced to.


    This force however, it was entirely different. It wasn¡¯t an overwhelming force, and it didn¡¯t put any sense of pressure on him. It was like a snake, slowly winding around him, attempting to subvert his own will and turn it into her own. And¡­ it held the faintest sense of familiarity as well. Ali was certainly more adept at using such a technique compared to Ella. In actuality, Ella might have only used this power in an unconscious manner, given the sheer scale of difference in power between the two.


    However¡­ given all these points, the sheer fact that Drake was able to think at all was a positive. Normal men were thrust into a state of unthinking obedience, and even those who had a resistance to such things had to fight the influence.


    He felt the mystical energy struggle against him, but noticed that a large portion of it was sinking straight into his own monster core in his chest. Once it entered, Drake felt the energy dissipate completely, and even more so, the demonic energy in his body flared to life once it encountered large pockets of the energy in his body, as it attempted to fight back.


    Seeing the mysterious energy struggle to find any footing to control him, Drake looked on with confidence.


    Knowing when such an influence is attempted has made a huge difference. Drake thought mischievously. As it is now, with just a thought I can dispel it. Drake thought with a smile.


    ¡°So, are you actually telling me the truth?¡± He heard a whisper, resounding in his mind as he looked into Ali¡¯s eyes. He felt the magic constrict him, as if it was trying to force him to tell her. Thinking about her situation, it was likely that moments like these were the only times she could truly talk with anyone. Who knows, maybe Anri was forced into this same state without knowing at all when she was first captured.


    Focusing on his core, he sent a small burst of mana coursing throughout his body, while keeping the strange, ethereal link between them intact. ¡°What if I told you I was?¡± Drake answered cryptically, a small, smug smile clear on his face.


    ¡°You¡­¡± She paused for a short moment, as an unmistakable look of annoyance lit up, and her tail tapped the bottom of the cage rhythmically. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling the truth. Fine. At least I know that little Ella was kept safe.¡± Drake felt the connection snap, and Ali turned around without another word as she sank into her coils.


    So, I guess that means she accepts? Regardless of how the attack on her village affected her, Drake was starting to get the feeling that this was just the way that she always acted.


    ¡°Hooooh, Drake, Ali actually tried to talk to you! What was that? You had this weird look on your face, like you were all zoned out.¡± Anri eyes shined with curiosity, excited that Ali seemed to have finally been somewhat friendly towards someone other than herself.


    ¡°Still, just what did he mean by, ¡®What if I told you I was?¡¯¡± Anri murmured quietly to herself to herself. ¡°I told her not to use her ability on others, but Drake acted like it didn¡¯t really affect him.¡±


    Hmm, whatever. It¡¯s just good that she seems to be getting better. Anri thought happily.


    Although it was only known to the young elf, Ali was of the type that didn¡¯t show her feelings well, that much was obvious. Otherwise, after her first encounter, Ali wouldn¡¯t have tolerated her so much, even to the point where she edged to the bars of the cage over the minutes where Anri talked.


    ¡°Not sure myself, it¡¯s like my body just seized up whenever I looked at her.¡± Drake fibbed again.


    ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± said Anri, as her eyebrows scrunched up in curiosity. What did Ali do anyway?


    ¡°It¡¯s passed now, so I¡¯m fine.¡± Drake smiled. ¡°Hey, Anri mind handing me my bag? I think I¡¯m starting to feel a bit better.¡± Drake patted his stomach, as if to indicate the problems from earlier were starting to subside. He then pointed to the small, crimson bag that was strategically placed a few feet behind her.


    ¡°Huh? Uh, yea sure.¡± She turned around, and in one swift motion, Drake released a stream of crimson mana towards one of the glyphs that made up the shield. In a short, sputtering motion, the glyph cracked apart in an instant, leaving Anri none the wiser.


    The close attention Anri seemed to pay the Lamia had been a major annoyance this entire time. Even if Drake had the chance to help, using such magic would only out Drake as an enemy. But now, with the glyph destroyed, even if the shield could be put back up, it would incredibly weak, and made of even poorer quality than the flimsy formation this group had put together before. Given the strength that Ali undeniably had hidden in her tail, she could break it open with a single swing, leaving her wide open as long as she had the time to deal with the bars. Time which Drake planned to give her.


    Anri turned back around, bag in hand, and gave it back to Drake with a smile. ¡°Thanks, I think I¡¯m gonna head back now, if you don¡¯t mind. Better to rest and eat up.¡± Drake responded, as he turned his back to walk to the rest of the caravan.


    ¡°Oh, uh, sure. Go ahead.¡± Anri said. At least she was able to find a friend that actually shared her interest. They would have plenty of time to talk once they returned to the town. Maybe even she would be able to afford to release Ali, even if others would disagree with her. However, her small dream was something that never came to pass.


    *****


    Later that night, well after they stopped further down the small path they were taking to the town, they stopped to rest for the day. Once the sun started to set, it was usually much too dangerous to proceed, given the wide array of monsters that specialized in hunting at such a time. And, given how many people they had lost due to stupid mistakes such as approaching the Lamia, it had become increasingly difficult to find enough people to watch over the entire caravan.


    Thankfully for them, they had another man that was fresh and willing to help, given that he had gotten picked up on the way there.


    ¡°Hey, boy, are you sure you don¡¯t wanna let me handle that imp of yours? I promise I¡¯ll be gentle with her.¡± Brian begged Drake. Again, the annoying dwarf was trying his hardest to let Drake examine Yami for just a little longer, given the simply outrageous status that a creature as insignificant as an Imp had.


    ¡°For the last time, you damned Dwarf, I said no. Now beat it.¡± Snarled Drake.


    ¡°Come on, just for a moment.¡±


    ¡°I said no!¡± Drake yelled out.


    Honestly, none of these people had a bit of sense. Thankfully, he wouldn¡¯t have to deal with them for much longer.


    ¡°Bah, fine. Just go back then.¡±


    ¡°What did you think I was trying to do?¡± Drake muttered to himself.


    Currently, he was on ¡°guard duty¡± if it could even be called that. It was little more than sitting next to a small torch that was lit up, and staring into the darkness for a couple of hours until the next shift. According to the others, they had been expecting to be attacked by the monsters that had been trailing them for the past few days, but surprisingly, had no trouble since he had arrived.


    Not that this surprised Drake at all. Therion was quite the specimen himself, and could easily fight off any others who even attempted to come close. That is, if any actually attempted to even get close to Therion. The Satyr was quite ferocious in his own right, to the point that many species wouldn¡¯t attempt to approach out of fear of attack. That much was obvious given how easily he adapted to his usage of Drake¡¯s greed abilities.


    ¡°Still¡­ why does it take everyone so long¡­¡± Drake murmured. He was tired of waiting.


    His entire plan hinged on catching them when they were asleep. Simply killing them would be too messy, and if he actually planned on infiltrating the humanoid settlement to find those who had killed Therion¡¯s brothers, then arriving with an incoming group would be the perfect solution. So, this left Drake with his current plan.


    ¡°Finally.¡± Drake smiled. The camp was finally turning quiet, as the various fires around the camp went out, one by one. It was finally time.


    [Yami, fly up, and tell me the locations of all the guards in the camp.] Drake said.


    [Right, just give me a moment.] Yami quickly scouted out the small encampment. The large, elephant-like beasts that carried the carts were much too large to simply stay attached to the carriages overnight, and although they were pacified quite easily through the fruit that they were fed with, they were kept off to the side, fast asleep. This left the carriages they carried arrayed in a small group, leaving the cages to the very rear with its own guard, and the actual members, with another two. This only left three awake, Drake included.


    Telling him of all this, Drake could only smile. Keeping track of those he couldn¡¯t see would be difficult without his eye in the sky. With Yami, he could dispatch the only other guard on this side with ease.


    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±


    Breathing in deeply, Drake began to focus on his demonic core. Using his crystals would be out of the question, as it would leave too drastic of a wound. It would be too obvious that the guard was actually attacked. Even the greed portion of his mana was too deadly, although if it was restricted, it should prove to have exactly the effect he wanted.


    Disappearing into the darkness surrounding the camp, Drake slowly circled around to the first guard. How the guards were set up, each had their own sector to watch. If they were all turned in the same direction, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a guard after all. As a result, Drake was easily able to make his way over, and sneak right behind the man.


    Covering the man¡¯s mouth, Drake quickly let out a blast of his mana, without him knowing who or how someone managed to approach him. Drake felt the man go slack in his arms, as he held the guard in his arms.


    It was just like he thought, his greed mana was perfect if it was just restricted a bit. During his fight with the doppelganger¡¯s, Drake saw how it affected those who he fought, and how his mana worked through the eyes of the Draconian. After he trapped it, he recovered his memories of that time, and with it, the knowledge of just how it was used during the fight.


    The sin of greed worked much like a domain, at least when he spread it out in a wave around him. It weakened and slowed the minds and bodies of everyone who didn¡¯t have his unique mana, and concentrated on a single guard, such an attack would weaken him more than enough, since Drake wasn¡¯t intending to kill him. His mana would knock him out almost instantly as his demonic mana entered his body and drained him completely of his mana, then stamina.


    ¡°Now then, one down. One to go.¡± Drake looked to the rear of the caravan, and smiled.

 Chapter 7 Part 1

    Part 7


    ¡°Bah, another night, another watch.¡± Robert said with a low, growling tone.


    Robert, the old man Drake had grown accustomed to on their slow carriage ride, was currently on watch. Although he certainly had grown used to it, given his unique abilities, he often grew tired of the other¡¯s excuses on why they couldn¡¯t take just one of his shifts and let him get a full night¡¯s sleep.


    ¡°Not that it matters all that much, anyway.¡± He murmured to himself. ¡°I would have taken the night shift tonight even if they tried to argue against me.¡± Robert¡¯s thoughts drifted back to Drake, and those burning yellow eyes of his. ¡°Something doesn¡¯t sit right with me about that boy, but I¡¯ll be damned if I don¡¯t know what.¡±


    Unknown to Drake, the reason Robert was so often chosen to be the guard for the various cages of the monsters was his race¡¯s unique ability. Before the haphazard runic barriers were put up, he was one of the few who could withstand the various gazes of the Lamia, as well as the various other arcane magics that the ¡°beast races¡± were born with. Such was the ability of those who chose to reborn as a Breton, a heavily diluted mixture and man and elf, and one who while resembling a normal human, had a magical resistance to spells and mana that few others could match.


    It was certainly one of the more unique abilities. Most, like that of the dwarves, simply had what could be considered as cosmetic changes. Changes like the sudden ability to consume stone as simple food was one such example, but it could hardly be called a truly combat based ability. Of course, they were all given racial abilities. The elves unreasonable vision, and their agility far surpassed that of other species like the dwarves, while a race like Breton¡¯s were truly a rare species, their overall physical abilities left something to be desired. Their exceptional magic resistance however, made him more than suited for the night watch.


    And while the rare ability of his race would likely save him any other time, it was this exact trait that would inevitably lead to the poor man¡¯s death.


    *****


    [Yami, so it¡¯s just the old man that¡¯s left then?] Drake said lazily. He had long since incapacitated the other lone guard that was left on his side of the encampment, and had slowly been enacting his plan on the large majority of the camp.


    [Yep, it¡¯s just him left guarding Ali and the rest of them.] Yami relayed back to Drake from the air. The last guard, Robert, was currently leaned up against a tree, and was faced towards all the various cages of those that they had captured. Ali, the harpy, the various hellhounds, ground dragons, displacer beasts, along with a few others, all of them were lined up in a line, much to the dissatisfaction of several of the captured species. It wasn¡¯t all that surprising, at least from Yami¡¯s view.


    No creature, even those with less intelligence, enjoyed being captured and carted around like a piece of luggage like these humanoids forced them to. Their innate distaste for one another was dwarfed in comparison to their hatred for their captors, which was all the more reason for someone like Robert to keep himself turned towards them at all times.


    Yami gave a short sigh, before leisurely floating down to Drake¡¯s shoulder. ¡°So, what are you planning? It¡¯s not going to be as easy as sneaking up on this one. He¡¯s more cautious for some reason or another.¡±


    ¡°Still trying to think of one.¡± Drake admitted wryly. Although he wasn¡¯t paying that much attention to who was going to be stationed as a guard, looking back on it now, he wished he had.


    The old man from the carriage looked to be particularly on alert, although he couldn¡¯t say for certain why. Was he really that suspicious to the old man when they were talking? The loudmouth elf certainly had no issues with going straight to sleep, and she was the one who he really fought it out with the most on the ride here.


    The real problem however, was just how he was going to manage the second guard. Even if the guard he had already incapacitated woke up in the morning, he wouldn¡¯t remember a thing. His magic slowed the minds of those who were affected heavily by it, so to him, it would seem as if he just passed out on the spot, without a shred of memory to help him in the morning.


    If Drake just charged the old man however, he would undoubtedly remember that particular detail in the morning, which would ruin the entire strategy of getting this group to introduce him to the main camp. In other words¡­ he needed a distraction.


    ¡°Yami, I¡¯m going to need your help with this one, and I don¡¯t mean with just scouting.¡± Drake said frankly. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t see you as much of a threat, so I need you to get close, so I can sneak up behind him somehow, and knock him out.¡± As long as Drake could get close enough, his magic would do the rest. That much was simple, at least in Drake¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Oooh¡± Yami¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement and mischief as she nodded. ¡°Will do.¡± She said.


    The first to move was, naturally, Yami. Approaching from the sleeping area of the small camp, she leisurely flew into sight of Robert without a care in the world, and an ever so slight mischievous grin appeared on her face.


    ¡°How are you doing, mister? Aren¡¯t you happy that you get to get some sleep early tonight?¡±


    Yami couldn¡¯t help but laugh playfully as she bobbed back in forth in front of the old man, and instantly began talking, much to his confusion. Without a special kind of link, like those between monster cores, all that he could understand from an imp like Yami was the confusing, bell-like voice that Drake had first heard all those weeks ago.


    ¡°Just what the hell are you trying to say?¡± Robert scrunched his face up in annoyance, as he attempted to wave her off. ¡°Go on, get out of here.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry now,¡± Yami flitted around his face a bit more, annoying Robert. ¡°You¡¯ll be fast asleep in just a moment.¡± She replied sarcastically, much to her own enjoyment.


    As Robert continued staring at Yami with a faint sense of annoyance and anger, it didn¡¯t take Drake long at all to sneak the small torchlight the man had around himself, and the various cages of the creatures. With a short signal to Yami, she quickly flew to the left while Drake approached from the right, and covered the man¡¯s mouth before letting loose a stream of Greed mana.


    ¡°All done, good job Yami. Now, all that¡¯s-¡± Drake was suddenly stopped by a sudden, strong punch to the gut, which left him breathless as he jumped back out of instinct.


    The same man which Drake expected to go down in less than a second was actually standing up, much to Drake¡¯s surprise. Aside from the severe coughing fit the man was having, he seemed to have fought off the effects of Drake¡¯s greed mana.


    ¡°Come on now.¡± Drake looked down at the man sourly.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Robert could barely get a word out without starting another coughing fit. ¡°I knew it. I just knew it.¡± A mad smile was beginning to grow across his face as he looked up to the pair, shaking his head all the while.


    ¡°Everyone! Wake up, now! We have ourselves a traitor!¡± He managed a yell, as the shout resounded off the cold, metal cages and barriers that were guarding the creatures, and echoed off into the distance.


    As he shouted out, Drake and Yami looked to each other passively, as Drake couldn¡¯t help but shake his head in a sad, heavy manner. After all, even if Robert wanted them to, none of them would wake up until he wanted, Drake made sure of that.


    ¡°You were the last one, you know. All you had to do was go down without a fight.¡± Drake couldn¡¯t help but be a bit upset at this. Especially with how his mana somehow managed to fail.


    As Robert waited, a faint look of horror slowly began to grow on his face as he continued to expect the shouts and sounds of the others in the group. He yelled out, loud enough for anyone to wake up, in fact, the whole camp should be closing in around them now. So why?


    ¡°Y-You¡­ What did you do to them?!¡± Robert suddenly yelled out in a furious panic, mortified by what might have happened to the rest of the members.


    ¡°You damned idiot.¡± Drake responded with a sneer. Because of this single mistake, he was going to have to deal with a whole host of problems in the morning. ¡°It¡¯s not like this matters anymore, so I¡¯ll go and tell you.¡± Drake grinded his teeth angrily.


    ¡°You see, I have a very special form of mana, one that you seem to have some kind of resistance to, otherwise you would have dropped like a rag like the other guard did.¡± Drake said pridefully.


    ¡°As for the rest of them,¡± Drake glanced around with small smirk on his lips, ¡°they¡¯re fast asleep, and won¡¯t wake up as long as this little thing is inside them.¡± He quickly fashioned a small, spherical core of crystalline mana. ¡°So, they¡¯re not dead yet, if that¡¯s what you were worrying about.¡± Replied Drake with a bit of sarcasm.


    Unlike the normal type of mana that Drake so often used, this piece was one that he had experimented with as he was waiting for them to slowly cross his path. Much like his applications of the Greed mana that was so effectively used against one of the guards, it acted to sedate and control the members of the group who he had used them against. Controlling his mana once it entered a body was certainly a novel experience, and one that he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to replicate with a large amount of mana, but it did the job.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    With it, he could effectively kill anything that didn¡¯t have this man¡¯s unique resistance to his mana, and even then, Drake wagered he could make it work on the old man if he really wanted. However, that defeated the purpose of attempting to do this quietly. And, as for the rest of the group, for all those besides Anri, they would die off, one by one, as their bodies slowly atrophied from the inside. A fitting death for the group of people who so viciously destroyed Ella¡¯s village.


    Glancing past Robert, he quickly raised his hand and blasted a shard of mana straight through the flimsy, opaque shield that surrounded Ali, before wedging itself firmly in the floor of the cage. Within moments, the entire construct broke apart into pieces, leaving the Lamia surprised but in a pleasant mood seeing it disappear completely. Drake then quickly directed Yami over to her, to give her instructions and to lead her out of the camp.


    The old man watched in shock as Drake so casually destroyed the holding barrier that kept the Lamia inside it¡¯s cage. The only reason such a creature didn¡¯t attempt escape before was due to the other members of the camp. Without them, there would be nothing to stop it from crushing the bars that held it within a minute and escaping.


    ¡°You¡­ you damned monster! Why would you do this to your fellow human beings?!¡± Robert cried out angrily. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to be working against these monsters, not with them!¡± He motioned towards the group of monsters in an exaggerated motion, furious at what Drake was doing. It was simply insane from Robert¡¯s perspective.


    ¡°Fellow human beings?¡± Drake almost cried out in a hysterical laughter from the notion, throwing back his head in disbelief.


    ¡°They haven¡¯t done a thing for me since I transformed, especially since I¡¯m not a part of your precious group of humanoids.¡± As Drake finished speaking, a deep, dark mist began to seep from his very body as Robert watched the man who he so clearly despised slowly morph into a terrifying, lizard-like beast. The almost refined, black horns on Drake had turned an almost demonic shade of black on the draconic visage of the monster. It¡¯s claws, talons, and its sharp teeth gleamed dangerously towards Robert.


    Then, Drake laughed a grating, bone-chilling laughter that shook Robert to his very bones before the process was quickly reversed, and the same, horned man was standing before him.


    ¡°You see, that look, that exact look.¡± Drake pointed at Robert, as he couldn¡¯t help but laugh hysterically at the man¡¯s horrified expression. ¡°It¡¯s that look that every person besides one lone girl gave me, and even then, it was only to save her friends.¡± He thought whimsically back to the lone fox girl who jumped out in front of him to save her friends in what seemed like so long ago, before quickly returning back to the present.


    ¡°Just what in the hell are you, no human was given that kind of choice?!¡± Robert now knew full well what kind of horrific thing was standing before him. It was nothing but a monster in human form.


    ¡°No human was given that choice.¡± Drake almost began cackling again out of the sheer irony of the man¡¯s words. ¡°Are you all so blinded now, that you can¡¯t even remember all those who weren¡¯t given the rosy choices of an elf, or a dwarf?¡±


    Drake waited for Robert¡¯s answer, ¡°I was given single option, forced into choosing a beast race.¡± He stressed his words. ¡°A Draconian.¡±


    ¡°And you¡­¡± Drake continued, only adding onto the sarcasm dripping from his every word.


    ¡°You act like I¡¯m such a monster, but I haven¡¯t even killed a single human yet. Meanwhile, here you are, acting all kinds of self-righteous when you exterminated a whole village of innocent Lamia!¡± Drake was starting to work himself up into a rage, thinking back to the distraught and pitiful look that Ella first gave him when he discovered her. If it was anyone else¡­ if they had found her, she would have been killed like everyone else there!


    As for Robert, his eyes began to widen with understanding. This man was nothing but one of the many mad beasts from the beginning. He kept his human speech, but that was it, he was just a puppet of the aliens!


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone and tried to kill all of us over a damn group of snakes?!¡± The man couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°They would have attacked us all eventually, did you not even notice how many eggs were picked up from that village? Those aren¡¯t Lamia eggs, boy! Brian couldn¡¯t even identify the damned things!¡±, insisted Robert.


    Brian was able to identify the Lamia, but not to the point of where he was able to receive a ton of information about them. He got a few vital pieces of information, which led them to their successful plan of extermination. The eggs they retrieved however, they were past even the ranking of where he understood what creature they were. The eggs must have truly been a grouping of terrifying individuals, all bundled up in a sphere of shell, and yolk. Given enough time, that camp of Lamia would have become the scourge of the entire region!


    ¡°I get it. You¡¯ve gone crazy, but somehow managed to keep your human mind. Yes, that has to be it.¡± A mad grin began to spread across the man¡¯s face again, this time making him look even more manic than before. The man slowly began to draw his sword, the mad look of his face only growing. ¡°All you need to do is die, and then, everyone will be safe.¡±


    ¡°Tch. Drawing a sword on me, really?¡± Drake clicked his tongue in disbelief. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like this was going to end any other way, was it Ali?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t boss me around.¡± An enchanting voice rang out, as a crimson tail quickly wrapped around the man, and completely crushed him in place. The sickening sounds of numerous bones grinding and breaking all at once was enough to make Drake shake his in disgust as the man fell to the ground dead. His body was nothing but a mixed mash of bone and blood.


    ¡°That really is a horrible way to die, you know. Don¡¯t you have other methods?¡± Drake looked to the Lamia and asked.


    ¡°Not without getting them to look me in the eyes, and even then, I treasure every kill I can get from these bastards.¡± She replied hatefully.


    Ali turned her attention towards the encampment of sleeping humanoids and as she did, a small, regretful smile crossed her icy face in a flash before disappearing altogether.


    ¡°So, what now? Are you just planning on letting all of them go, after all that they¡¯ve done?¡± Ali quickly returned to the vengeful, and outright vindictive woman that Drake had grown to expect. If anything, Drake¡¯s determination to carry out the plan he first thought of only strengthened after seeing just how much the beautiful Lamia truly hated her captors.


    Drake turned his attention to the Lamia, and attempted to reassure her as best he could. ¡°They¡¯ll be handled, don¡¯t worry. Within a few weeks, all of them besides Anri will be dead and gone, and you and Ella will be avenged. It¡¯ll be clean, and nothing to link their deaths to us besides a simple meeting on the road. You¡¯ll be long gone, and I¡­¡± Drake paused as he withdrew the mana shard that pierced her barrier so easily. ¡°Don¡¯t have access to such a dangerous magic in the first place.¡± Drake chuckled with a smile.


    Unbeknownst to Robert, Drake gave Yami a few instructions when his initial plan went awry. While difficult, Drake was able to establish a connection as long as Ali touched the crystal shard in her cage for a few seconds. It required him to shift back into his Draconian form to cement the connection, but once it was established, it seems changing back didn¡¯t hamper his ability to maintain it one bit. It did worry him slightly that he was unable to manage it completely in his new form. Did he mistake his core¡¯s location in his new body? It would definitely need more testing before he was sure of the answer.


    After Ali broke out of the cage, it was a simple matter distracting the old man to allow Ali to get close enough to kill him. Drake¡¯s own methods were entirely too¡­ distinct, and he was sure that in some twisted way, the Lamia likely appreciated such a notion as well.


    And now, with Ali finally free, Drake had accomplished his small goal of giving Ella someone from her village to help accompany her. Even if she hadn¡¯t been alive for very long, the devastation she endured must have been horrible. Having someone who was like her, and who she knew well, would be the best for the young Lamia. It was a bit of a hassle, but it was certainly worth it, even if the rescued wasn¡¯t exactly the most forthcoming with thanks.


    [Yami, could you go and get Therion and Ella, there¡¯s no reason in us really going off, none of the members will wake up until morning.] Drake called out to Yami as he looked out into the darkness. Therion was planned to keep himself and Ella near the encampment and to stay well out of sight. He would be difficult to find, which was exactly what Drake wanted. Without the help of the magical tracking that Yami provided, they would be safe.


    Yami quickly agreed, and flew off into the nearby forest where they had laid down to rest for the night. It wasn¡¯t long after that, that Yami returned with Ella and Therion in tow, although much to Drake¡¯s surprise, it seemed that Ella had taken a liking to Therion in the day or so that he had been gone.


    ¡°So, uh¡­ Therion, what exactly is going on here?¡± Drake cracked a smile at the sight of the two stuck together.


    Much like Ella seemed to have taken a liking to Drake, and wrapped herself around him to travel, she had now copied with Therion, much to his embarrassment. Her black tail had wrapped completely around the Satyr¡¯s large, muscular torso, and she was propping herself up on his horns, looking over his head. It reminded him quite a lot of the image of a reluctant uncle carrying his niece over his shoulders.


    ¡°Master¡­ please get her off of me.¡± Therion pleaded with Drake, a downcast look clear on his face.


    Ever since Drake had left the two alone, Ella had been pestering him to play. It seemed that her so called ¡®fear¡¯ of Therion was simply due to his beast-like, guttural language which Drake had long since forgotten. However, given that the two were left alone and by themselves for a whole day, the young Lamia seemed to overcome that fear out of sheer boredom, and the need for a playmate.


    Drake had, of course, acted out that role on their journey, carrying her on his shoulders and allowing her to play around with his horns, to resting on his shoulders as she slept. However, regardless of how slow the elephant-like creatures that carried the caravan was, Ella was simply too young and too inexperienced to be journeying for that distance. As a result, Therion was forced to carry the young girl to not lose track of the group, and to keep within distance as his master had ordered. Thus, it led him to his current circumstance.


    ¡°So, have you had a fun time?¡± Drake directed his eyes to the cheerful girl atop Therion¡¯s head, who quickly answered with a cheerful expression.


    ¡°Unn!¡± Ella shook her head excitedly. ¡°Mr. Goat man was scary at first, but once he saw that I couldn¡¯t keep up, he just picked me up, and off we went. We went so fast too!¡± She laughed cheerfully, her violet eyes shining in the darkness as she did.


    ¡°Good. Good job, Therion. You did well.¡± Drake commended the Satyr. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to rescue Ali otherwise, as Yami was simply too small be help the small girl over long distances.


    ¡°So, our little ice queen, aren¡¯t you happy to see Ella again?¡± Drake quickly pointed his attention to the silent Lamia, who had only watched on as Ella had come in on Therion¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°You¡­¡± The Lamia gave Drake a scathing look before she turned back to Ella, who had slowly unwrapped herself from Therion when she finally saw Ali standing there.


    ¡°I¡­ I thought I wouldn¡¯t see you again, little one.¡± For the first time, a heartwarming smile appeared on her face.


    ¡°M-miss Aleria..?¡± Ella called out in disbelief, and began she choke up as tears slowly began to well up in her eyes.


    ¡°Miss Aleria!¡± The little Lamia charged forth quickly, before ramming herself firmly against the so called Aleria, and quickly wrapping around her entirely. The little Lamia¡¯s arms were wrapped firmly around Aleria, and the two held each other, both softly crying into each other¡¯s bodies.


    All that trouble I complained about¡­ Drake thought to himself sarcastically. It was all worth it for a moment like this. Drake looked on, watching as the two consoled each other, and cried into each other¡¯s shoulders.

 Chapter 7 Part 2

    Part 2


    ¡°So, what now?¡± Called out Drake. ¡°You¡¯re free to go wherever you want to, even back to that old, burnt out village if you want, but I imagine that such an idea isn¡¯t the first thing that comes to mind.¡±


    The two Lamia, after getting the intense emotions of meeting each other out of the way, were now discussing with Drake just what to do next.


    The newly named Aleria, alongside Ella, simply looked to each other for a moment, as a nervous energy began to build up between the two, something that was obvious even to Drake. While it didn¡¯t happen often, Ella seemed to have a habit of tapping the ground nervously with the end of her tail when she was thinking about a difficult subject. That, combined with the teary-eyed expression of the young Lamia, made Drake think that she was certainly reluctant to leave his group.


    However, even if he wanted to advise her, it would ultimately be up to Aleria. Saving Ella¡¯s village member simply to split them up again would be too difficult a subject to speak about freely, and one that Drake was outright against. No, he would let them decide, even if it meant losing the company of the cute little Lamia.


    ¡°¡­ Truthfully, I wasn¡¯t expecting to be saved.¡± A quiet, subdued response was all that came from the white-haired Lamia, and her expression sunk even deeper into a melancholic state as she looked back to Ella and then the rest of the group.


    Her companionship alongside Anri was a symptom of that attitude. She only wanted to make the most out of her life, one that she had entirely resigned herself to. Whether she was to be killed as soon as they returned to wherever they were going, or if she was simply going to be made a sick kind of attraction for the humans, she wanted to make the most of it. A simple elven girl with a fascination with monsters had made her happy, even if it was only to a small extent. But now, with her old way of life destroyed, and given all the freedom in the world, she was left overwhelmed with what decision to make.


    Compared to Ella, who was entirely content with Therion and Drake, and even Yami to some small extent, she was left without a solid path to choose.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t know.¡± She whispered to herself.


    Of course, this wasn¡¯t surprising to Drake in the least. In fact, he would have been surprised if she knew what she wanted right away. A simple monster, like that of the Ground Dragons in the cages, would have been content to simply run away and survive. That made perfect sense, given that they lived much more on instinct than Ella or Aleria. So, this left Drake with a rather simple answer.


    ¡°Just join us for now then.¡± Said Drake with a discrete wink to Ella.


    ¡°I-I¡­ I just couldn¡¯t. Not after all you¡¯ve done for me.¡± Aleria quickly denied Drake¡¯s offer. However, as Drake watched the battle within the Lamia rage on, he was beginning to see more and more of her true nature.


    She was more naturally guarded than a young girl like Ella, and the simple response of not wanting to be overly indebted to someone was a normal emotion. She was also likely cautious about just what their motives were for saving her in the first place. An altruistic motive such as simply wanting to save her would be unbelievable, no, an outright lie to someone who had lost so much already. She would simply dismiss it altogether, in an attempt to save herself from more pain.


    And, the matter of just what he truly was couldn¡¯t be solved as easily as it was with Ella, in fact, his status as both a Human and Draconian would likely only further distance himself from her. After all, it was his species that burned her entire village to the ground, even if he wasn¡¯t connected to them in any way now. Again, another natural response.


    In that case, all it took was a bit of persuading


    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m asking this just because I saved you. I¡¯m doing this for Ella. I¡¯ve grown quite fond of her, and she enjoys our company as well. How would she feel if I rescued you only for you to go wandering out into the wilderness to get yourself killed? How would that make me look?¡± Drake¡¯s demeanor changed into the more domineering attitude that seemed to come so easily to himself lately.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want her to lose the last piece of her old life. Not after everything else¡­¡± Drake¡¯s voice trailed off, as he looked to the two Lamia. Ella was the last piece of innocence that he saw in this world. If he could just keep her in the safe, carefree world he created for her in the past few days, that would be more than enough for him.


    ¡°Miss Aleria¡­ please.¡± A heartfelt voice began to tug at Aleria¡¯s heartstrings, as Ella poignantly pulled on her arm in a pleading motion. ¡°Can we?¡± Her violet eyes began to shine with tears. At the very least, having Ella so eager to stay with them certainly made things easier.


    Looking down at Ella¡¯s small plea, Aleria shook her head reluctantly before looking to Drake with a mute expression. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do what you want. But, I need you to at least let me and Ella take back some of the eggs that were stolen from my village. I don¡¯t know what kind of plan you have with these humanoids, but they can¡¯t be allowed to keep all of them. I¡¯ll allow you to have one if it is so distasteful for your plan, but they are vitally important for me and little Ella.¡± The determination in her eyes were clear. This was absolutely not something she would budge on.


    As for Drake, such an idea was actually quite beneficial for him. Ella had grown very attached to their group, whether to compensate for the loss of her own village, he didn¡¯t know, but she wouldn¡¯t try to use it against them so easily. Drake would even get to choose out of the eggs that they decided to bring back. There was no reason at all to decline the offer.


    ¡°That¡¯s perfectly fine. It¡¯ll make some trouble for me in the morning, but I¡¯ll handle it somehow.¡± Said Drake with a sly smile. It certainly would cause a bit of trouble, but nothing he couldn¡¯t handle. It would be simple mistake, especially if they couldn¡¯t take all of them.


    The Lamia lowered herself closer to the ground and gave Ella a short hug, before promptly looking to Drake with an expectant gaze.


    ¡°So, just what do you want me to do next?¡±


    Drake held up in hand in a playful motion. ¡°As for that, just give me a moment to think. Essentially, you¡¯d be joining Therion and Ella, but I need a moment to create something for just that.¡±


    Step one, completed. Manage to somehow convince the adult Lamia to join Ella and the rest of them. Step two, figure out just how to make a device that would allow Therion to talk with the Lamia somehow. Needless to say, being in a group with only one other person that doesn¡¯t share your language isn¡¯t much of an issue. When there¡¯s more than one however, it can quickly lead to resentment, or outright betrayal if not handled carefully.


    Drake still didn¡¯t trust her. She didn¡¯t have a contract, and even though Therion had a solid defense against the gaze of the Lamia, he had heard the various stories of the strange magic they used. Even when he first met Ella, he was subject to that instantaneous magic, even if it did minimal damage. So, Drake began to think of a solution.


    His ability to speak seamlessly between species was reliant entirely on the bonds between the monster cores of the species themselves. He was simply acting as a conduit. Gwyn¡¯s magic was simple enough to understand that much, thankfully.


    If he could somehow make that same conduit a feature of a mana crystal, however small or large it needed to be, then he could effectively form a direct link between two species. But just how to do that was a complete mystery to Drake.


    Unlike Gwyn, who seemed to thrive off various forms and mixtures of magic, or even Anri, who had focused her efforts on creating something so mundane as cooking magic, Drake had never been one to really experiment with his mana. The demonic races had a very singular use for magic, and that was for combat. The more utilitarian uses, such as Yami¡¯s scouting magic, was still something that was needed for war. Even the fact that Drake was so easily able to connect himself to Therion¡¯s core so he could speak was purely out of Gwyn¡¯s ingenuity.


    Well, there¡¯s no way to test these sort of things out without actually trying. Drake thought with a depressing sense of humor.


    Drake first created a small, crystalline piece of mana, made purely out of his Sin of Pride. Then, he tried something that he had first noticed when he fought the wyvern. His natural mana, while powerful, simply lacked enough power to be called truly potent right now. However, if Drake put in the effort, he found that he could actually infuse a simple crystal with much more mana than it would normally ever hold naturally, without affecting the overall size too much. Satisfied with the result, he then called Ella and Therion over to him.


    [What are you planning to do with them two?] Asked Yami, puzzled.


    [If I can somehow link their cores directly with this crystal, then they should be able to speak with each other seamlessly.]


    [Oooh, really now?] Yami took a break from watching the sleeping camp members and quickly landed on Drake¡¯s head, interested.


    Drake then took the crystal, and held it out towards the two, which Therion took with some curiosity. His eyes widened with surprise as he felt the mana inside the small crystal was almost three times more potent than normal, but he simply waited for instructions.


    ¡°Now listen, I want you two to try to focus on the crystal. Therion, you know how it felt when I connected a stream of mana to your core, right?¡± Drake asked.


    Therion thought over for a moment, then his eyes lit up in understanding. A simple nod was his response. It was a unique magic, and one that allowed himself and Master to speak for the first time.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°Good.¡± Drake smiled. ¡°And Ella, do you remember how you felt when I first found you? When you could first understand me?¡±


    ¡°Un.¡± Ella replied happily. ¡°Mister Drake was really scary at first,¡± She glanced towards Therion with a burning gaze, and when Therion caught her gaze, he flinched, unsure how to take that gaze. ¡°but then suddenly I could hear your actual voice.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡± Pleased by Ella¡¯s words, he knew he was getting through without explaining in too much detail. This was the most important part of Gwyn¡¯s magic. If neither one of them understood how it worked, or even felt, then it was likely this experiment would end as a complete failure.


    ¡°Therion, using the mana in the crystal, try to extend a connection to Ella.¡± Drake said.


    The Satyr¡¯s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, before quickly gazing at the crystal in his hand. He focused on a crystal, and after only a second, a thin, hazy line of mana slowly floated out. It was certainly more unstable than when Drake did it himself, but Therion was able to make it work. The line of mana slowly touched Ella, much to her own wonder, and soon the hazy line of mana condensed completely, before forming a direct connection to the crystal. Seeing it as a sign of success, the Satyr quickly attached the crystal to himself as well, before looking to Drake with a pleased expression.


    ¡°Master, I believe it was a success.¡± The satisfaction in his voice was clear.


    ¡°Oooooh! Mister Goat man!¡± Ella immediately shouted out in wonder and joy as she looked to the Satyr. If she could jump at this moment, she would. Instead, she was bouncing up and down in pure happiness like a springboard. ¡°I finally understood you!¡± The excitement in her voice was clear as could be. She quickly slithered her way over, and Therion was having quite the ordeal attempting to keep the little Lamia from scrambling all over him in excitement.


    ¡°You sound so cool!¡± Ella grabbed his arm, slightly yanking at it from her excitement. ¡°You¡¯re not scary at all anymore, Mister Goat man.¡±


    Drake could only laugh at the scene between the two.


    ¡°Wait, is this what she¡¯s been calling me, Master?!¡± Therion cried out outraged at the nickname.


    ¡°I¡¯m a Satyr, not a damn goat!¡±


    This is what I wanted for the girl. Drake thought. As long as she keeps that na?ve outlook on life, I¡¯ll be happy for her.


    Swiftly removing the crystal from the increasingly perturbed Satyr with a thought, Drake looked closer at it with some concentration as it floated closer towards him. The mana lines in between the two were solid, and given by how well they were conversing, it was a complete success. Now, as for the last member of the trio¡­


    Holding the crystal in his hands, he focused the crystalline mana towards Aleria. There was a faint, ever so slight fear in her eyes as the mana link approached her, but she allowed Drake to make the link, much to her muffled laughter as she began to hear the Satyr¡¯s constant cries of indignation.


    [Interesting. I didn¡¯t think it could be used this way at all]. Yami looked on at the trio, a sly grin clear on her face as she watched the show between Ella and Therion.


    Drake widened his eyes in realization as he suddenly looked up at Yami, who had taken a convenient position between his horns again.


    [That reminds me, do you want to be linked to the crystal? I understand that you have no problems with Therion, but it might be important in the future for understanding the Lamia.]


    [Hm, I suppose so...] She stated with a hint of debating if she wanted to or not, but she quickly made up her mind. [There¡¯s really no harm in it after all. Besides, I quite like the Satyr getting a taste of his own medicine for all the times he¡¯s tried to toy with me.] A short, brief laugh escaped from her lips, as she quickly sent a link of her own to the crystal.


    She quickly began to cackle into short fits of laughter as she began to hear Ella go on and on about ¡®Mister goat man¡¯. [Yep. No problems here. You truly are amazing, Drake.] She added with praise. Even if Yami could understand the meaning behind words, something as complex as a nickname was beyond her abilities as an Imp. She was more than happy to fully understand the show unfolding in front of her.


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Therion called out again for help. It was clear that Ella¡¯s excitement was clearly starting to wear on him, but given the rules of one of Drake¡¯s past orders, namely to ¡°care for her,¡± he was left unable to stop her by force.


    Doing his best to contain his laughter, Drake walked over to the duo. ¡°Come on, come on, be nice to him. He carries you around most of the time now, after all. You wouldn¡¯t want him angry at you, would you?¡± Drake admonished the young Lamia as best he could. It would be important for them to get along, especially now that there wasn¡¯t a language barrier between them.


    ¡°Huuuu¡­.¡± Ella began to pout in place, as Drake looked down on her with a slight grin.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be alright, just be nicer to him. Now¡­¡± Drake clapped his hands.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for all of you to go. I have to deal with the mess that I made because of that damn old man in the morning, and you three need to be well away from here when that happens.¡± Drake looked off into the dark thicket that was off into the side of the camp.


    As long as they were well out of sight, it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem. This group seemed to be much too afraid to go out and hunt for Aleria if she escaped, especially with how many monsters they had caged up. If too many went out to search, the others could easily escape if something went wrong.


    ¡°Therion, take the crystal with you, and keep it on you. With Yami connected to it, even I could track you three back to where you are. Speaking of which, just where did you hide the wyvern core that I gave you?¡±


    Drake just noticed, but Therion walked into the camp with Ella with the wyvern core nowhere in sight. He had completely covered it in a large amount of his own mana, so it shouldn¡¯t cause a problem if Therion simply left it somewhere for a moment, but losing such a prize would definitely earn Therion a few more days of carrying Ella by himself.


    ¡°Rest assured, Master. It is safe. I plan to return to it as soon as I leave here.¡± Therion gave a short bow as he responded, which Drake found more than satisfactory.


    ¡°Good. Head out, and stay out of sight.¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ Drake.¡± Yami suddenly leaned over into his ear, and whispered. ¡°The Harpy, it seems she isn¡¯t as dumb as she looked. She¡¯s trying to get me to free her.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Drake was surprised.


    The entire time that Drake was with Anri, and even when he was freeing Aleria, she hadn¡¯t even made a real motion to speak to him. From how everything was progressing, he had just assumed that her species was one of the more instinctual species, no better than the Ground Dragons, but at least not outright savage.


    The Harpy, at first glance, seemed like an average, if somewhat petite woman. A slight shade of Auburn hair, arms that slowly melded into wings, and talons instead of feet would be the only things that would give her away as inhuman, if somewhat obviously. No doubt that if she was too large, a species like her simply wouldn¡¯t be able to fly as well. Judging by the lack of runes around her cage, she had no magic to supplement flight at all.


    Well, it¡¯s not like I owe anything to these people. Freeing all of them would just get me into trouble, but if one or two escape, it shouldn¡¯t be too big of a deal. Drake shrugged, as he walked over to the cage.


    Just as he did, he was hit with a sudden realization. ¡°Right¡­ Aleria, correct? Come over here.¡±


    Just as there needed to be no signs of him helping the Lamia, him simply using his mana to tear the cage apart would be more than suspicious. Having Aleria bend the bars so the harpy could escape should be simple enough.


    ¡°The Harpy wants out too, just bend the bars a little so she can squeeze through. She¡¯s tiny enough.¡±


    ¡°Tch, fine.¡± Aleria gave a brisk look at Drake, before muscling the cage free of almost half the bars on one side with her tail. It seemed that after she learned the humanoid camp was asleep, she could be as loud as she wanted.


    The Harpy quickly jumped out of the cage, the look of gratitude clear on her face. She looked to Aleria, then Drake and Yami, before quickly flying off into the night.


    ¡°Simple enough.¡± Drake nodded. ¡°Now get gone you three, I want to get some sleep!¡±


    *****


    As the others began to wake up the next morning, there was quickly a commotion among the group over the sudden disappearance of Robert, the old man guarding the monsters, and the complete lack of response from everyone else. The blood stains from the corpse were impossible to hide, but it was easy enough to get Therion to carry the body on the way out. That left them unable to decide just what had truly happened, although both Drake and the other guard were quick to be blamed for the incident.


    ¡°Just what in the hell happened here?!¡± Sabrina was absolutely furious. Her uncle was missing, or outright killed in the middle of the night, and no one was awake to even hear it? Somehow, both the Lamia and the Harpy had went missing, but neither of the other two guards claimed to have any clue what happened to them. They both said they had mysteriously fallen asleep during the night.


    About half a dozen eggs were missing as well, and those looked to be one of the most lucrative things from this expedition. Normal monsters were incredibly difficult to train, even for those who specialized in such a thing. Oftentimes, they had to resort to capturing only the most docile of creatures, much like the Elekks they used for transport. The eggs would have been the perfect solution, raising up normally feral monsters in an environment where they could be more easily controlled.


    Now, with more than half of the eggs gone, and only the smallest of the bunch remaining, the set would be much less lucrative than before.


    The new guy¡­ Drake. Why would he stay if he was responsible for it, it didn¡¯t make any sense. From all signs, it was the Lamia itself who had caused all the damage to the cages, and if that was right, then it could have easily caught and killed Uncle Robert if the runes were destroyed.


    But, it just shouldn¡¯t have been that easy. He was one of the only ones who was almost immune to that things gaze ability, it shouldn¡¯t have been near enough. No¡­ if none of the others woke up during the time they were escaping, it must have been another species altogether, one that forced them all into sleep. That species could have destroyed both the Lamia¡¯s runic shield, and worked together to kill Uncle¡­


    Uncle Robert¡¯s ability would have been nothing but a hindrance to him then. If something as simple as attacking those who were sleeping broke the effect, and the species itself wasn¡¯t overly powerful, then he would be the only one who couldn¡¯t be forced into sleep. He would¡¯ve been killed simply to keep him quiet.


    ¡°Damn¡­ Damn!¡± Sabrina raged on quietly to herself. Brian had already made his decision. They would move on, like they always had before. Deaths among the group weren¡¯t anything new, they had more than a few get killed in various attacks, or even by the monsters themselves once they were captured through sheer carelessness. They would count it as a blessing that he was the only one, and continue back to the main camp. The death of one man wouldn¡¯t make that much of a difference but still¡­


    ¡°Why, why did it have to be him?¡± Her rage quickly turned into a sad, sobbing motion as she quietly rode back. The strange, gnawing feeling in her chest only growing as the day passed.


    ******


    I¡¯ve done it. Drake thought with a certain degree of success.


    Initially, he and the other guard had been questioned extensively once everyone had woken up. They wanted to question what had happened during the night, and of course they would, one of their men had gone up and missing with a pool of blood being the only thing left behind. Anyone would be skeptical of him, after all.


    But why would he stay, why would he leave them alive, what would he have to gain from freeing a Lamia and Harpy, and not all of them at once? And lastly, why simply steal only a few of the eggs from the Lamia village, not all of them and just where would he put them? It wasn¡¯t as if he was simply apart of another group of humans, they hadn¡¯t seen any tracks to indicate that at all. So, without any real reason to suspect him, they simply wrote off the incident as an unfortunate accident.


    Drake couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. He had accomplished everything he wanted. Within a matter of a week or two, everyone but Anri would collapse and likely wouldn¡¯t wake up after that. The mana cores that he so painstakingly formed inside each of their bodies were antithetical to the entire system of natural mana that they used. The magic users would likely notice the effects first, but even they wouldn¡¯t be able to understand why it was happening.


    And as for the Lamia, and Therion, they would simply find a safe area to rest in near the encampment, where they were far enough out to not be captured. He had confidence that even if they were found by a rogue group, that Therion would be able to handle them easily with Aleria. Drake would simply enter whatever camp the Humanoids had set up, have Yami look for the large, stone-like man that Therion said seemed to be their leader, and he would finally fulfill his part of the contract with Therion.


    Everything was going just as planned.

 Chapter 7 part 3

    Part 3


    Situated in a somewhat secluded area near the ruins of the destroyed city, lay a small, if somewhat fortified encampment. Soon after the initial spawn in of the boss class monsters that obliterated all of the most populous settlements, those who had taken the opportunity of transforming their race fled the remains of the broken city, and adopted a new city, promptly named it Fortress. While not overly large, in comparison to the hundreds who settled down there, it was still quite a large encampment.


    The outermost area was where those who had the most combat experience stayed, normally patrolling the series of walls surrounding the town, or simply relaxing in the inner area just behind it. The innermost area consisted mostly of those who ran the small town, and where most of the stored goods from the outside were kept, and where it could be argued the security was tightest within the walls of Fortress. The space between these two respective zones was where the roughly 1500 people who had made it here rested, and built up small homes.


    It was also this same area that was well known for the small marketplace that had been propped up in the few weeks that had passed. While somewhat haphazard, everything seemed to come into place quite well. The economics of food and supplies had changed quite drastically, but given a few of the inhabitant¡¯s magical abilities, it could be said that food or water certainly wasn¡¯t in short supply. What was most desired now, was the magical cores that often required those inside to go out and hunt for them.


    As for those who regularly entered and exited the small town, there were really only two places along the entire wall where such a thing was possible. On both the north and south ends, a large opening was elegantly cut out of the outer walls that looked to be entirely made of stone. While many tended to come and go often, usually not venturing out farther than they could return before nightfall, a select few ventured further out, gathering what couldn¡¯t be found in just the small area around the walls. And it was at this exact moment that one of those select few was returning to the small town.


    ******


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me.¡± Drake muttered to himself as he looked up at the sprawling wall in front of him.


    When those in the small group he had infiltrated spoke of the town they were headed back to, he thought of it as a simple camp, no better than the images that came to mind when people spoke of a mercenary camp. Nothing but groupings of tents and people. This on the other hand, was quite something else altogether.


    As the small caravan slowly rode closer, two people came into sight near the large opening in the wall. Each seemed to be in some type of uniform, although what exactly Drake couldn¡¯t say. It seemed to be more than a set of simple steel armor.


    ¡°Hey Kari, Jayce, long time no see.¡± Brian yelled out to the two figures, who both seemed to look to each other in a kind of mock laughter.


    ¡°Eh, what took you guys so long, we were expecting you guys back a day ago!¡± A woman called back, and waved over to the small group.


    ¡°Another day or two and we were thinking of sending some people out to look for you.¡± The other guard, a mature looking man smirked at Brian with a certain sense of companionship, before quickly waving them inside. ¡°Come on now, no point in wasting everyone¡¯s time.¡±


    ¡°Ha, thanks you two.¡± Brain gave a short wave to the two guards before pointing towards the back. ¡°By the way, we picked up a stray on the way back. His clothes were pretty banged up, and he was all alone. Said that he had been hiding out since everything went to shit, and from the looks of him, I¡¯d believe him.¡± He gave a short laugh.


    ¡°You actually found someone just out there alone?¡± The two guards looked to each other questioningly before slowly making their way over to the one man they couldn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the new guy, huh? How in the world did you survive out there?¡± The older man looked to Drake with some suspicion, before glancing at the small imp that was hiding behind his shoulder.


    ¡°You actually contracted one of the little buggers?¡± The surprise was clear in his voice now, as he looked even harder at the gray imp hiding just behind Drake¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How in the world did you manage to catch one of the things? They¡¯re fast and dangerous as hell if they have the right sort of magic.¡±


    A contract with a demonic creature such as an imp, implied that this man had done more than simply hid out until he was found. It was very likely that he too had the same sort of spirit that seemed to infect those who embraced their new powers, and ventured out. And as for this man in particular, that meant venturing into the kind of demonic territory that imps were more commonly found in.


    ¡°It was more like we found each other, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re curious about.¡± Drake said with a false smile. ¡°It was by pure luck than by anything else. She just sort of materialized in front of me, and before I knew it, we formed a contract.¡±


    ¡°Really now? Lucky you.¡± The man said appraisingly. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see much reason to keep you here.¡± He turned to Brian and yelled. ¡°Go ahead!¡± Waving his hand for them to move forward.


    The cart, along with all the remaining members of the small group, slowly rolled through the city walls, and into the interior. As they did, Drake began to see just what those who were given the choice of the various humanoid races could actually do.


    The interior of the wall, much like the wall itself, seemed to be made almost entirely of stone. If Drake had to guess, there was likely a form of earth magic that made this possible. In any case, the overall infrastructure seemed to be sturdy enough to repel any random attacks and not break down, which was more than Drake gave them credit for.


    The carts suddenly came to a stop, and with it, the driver of Drake¡¯s cart waved him off, saying, ¡°We have some business up ahead. You just go ahead and jump off.¡± The driver took a breath and expression softened.


    ¡°Welcome to Fortress.¡± He said with a smile. ¡°You should be able to find a place in the center of town to rest, called the ¡®Dwarven Flagon¡¯. Don¡¯t let the name get to ya, just some people having some fun with naming their own place. Be safe now, ya hear?¡±


    With the brief send off, the carts promptly began moving towards the inner area of the city as soon as Drake jumped off, which left him somewhat stranded in the new town. He didn¡¯t know anyone, and no real idea of just where to look for the man that Therion had a particular grudge against. Still¡­


    Fortress, huh. So that¡¯s what they named this town? Drake thought.


    Well, it certainly wasn¡¯t the most original of names, but then again, most cities of the past weren¡¯t exactly original themselves. Some were often named after a certain member of royalty, or simply the land that it was built on. He certainly could have thought of worse names for it to be called.


    [I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s so many people.] Yami looked on in wonder at the various crowds.


    For a monster such as her, normally to see so many people at once would likely be spell the end of her life. However, even if some people who passed them gave her a dirty look here or there, no one would willingly antagonize someone who had contracted a beast or a demon unless they were looking for trouble.


    Unlike Drake, who had slowly been getting more and more accustomed to his own power and abilities, most seemed to do their best to live a simple life. Out of the entire city, only about half of the population would regularly venture outside the walls to fight, and improve themselves.


    [This really isn¡¯t even that many. Back before you were around, this amount of people could be walking past you on the street, and I wouldn¡¯t bat an eye. It was perfectly normal. In comparison to that¡­] Drake suddenly stopped, and began to ponder to himself.


    The others on the way back to this small village talked quite a bit. The story that caught his attention the most however, would be just what happened while he was fast asleep, and the week¡¯s deadline was up. Boss class creatures, monsters that would only be known in myth or in legend appeared, ravaging to the whole city to pieces. They seemed to go after humans in particular, which explained to Drake just why he hadn¡¯t seen a single normal human since he changed on the first day.


    The casualties they suffered must have been catastrophic, especially since simple guns couldn¡¯t even really scratch his scaled skin when he ventured into the city. He could only imagine how many had died.


    Yami looked down pensively, and noticing his mood, responded, [Well, no matter. Something like that doesn¡¯t really concern us at all. If you hadn¡¯t come along when you did, I might have not been created at all. Simply put, it was fate.] She quickly fluttered down from his head, and hovered in front of Drake, a small look of worry clear on her face.


    [Come on now, show me around. Getting all moody won¡¯t change anything, and you know that Therion will be upset if we just leave him to the horrible fate of babysitter for more than a few days.]


    [Right.] Drake couldn¡¯t help but laugh a bit.


    Drake began to make his way around the interior of the walls, taking his time, and enjoying the sense of civilization around him again. He hadn¡¯t been inside for long, but he could really appreciate just how organized everything was. Given that most people would normally attempt to just set down wherever they wanted, such organization only further reinforced Drake¡¯s idea of certain people being able to easily demolish and reconstruct these buildings wherever they wanted.


    As Drake wandered about aimlessly, he came across a particular building that struck his eye. It looked to be some sort of office, and had a bit of wood mixed in with the stone. He had been carried straight past it without looking whenever he first entered on the carts, but it was near the south gate. What caught his eye most of all however, was a wooden sign that was hanged precariously over the street. It was actually called a Guild Hall.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Some people take this a bit too seriously. Drake snickered to himself as he looked up at the sign. Although, now that he thought about it, of course this would happen. People are given magic and power beyond their wildest dreams, they¡¯re off fighting monsters, and protecting their own small little town, so of course it¡¯s easy to adopt the mindset that they need such a place. At the very least, it certainly helped with the organization of the town itself.


    However, given the type of people who regularly went outside the walls to train and fight, it was no surprise that those in the Guild Hall knew its members well. The stereotypical member was one of two people, the gung-ho type who enjoyed power for power¡¯s sake, much like Drake, and the kind who simply were trying to make the best of their new life. While making a life in the walls of the city was possible, it was the same as being trapped in a sense.


    The attitudes of these two kinds of people was also the reason why the small restaurant on the ground floor was so quiet right now, despite there being so over 30 people inside. Some were talking about where to find particular monsters, while others were attempting to get others to join them for a quick journey outside the walls. However, the vast majority simply ate their lunch and minded their own business. The most that could be heard inside was a soft murmur with the occasional clinking of spoons and forks.


    The wooden front door opened slowly as Drake slowly peeked into the building before walking in. He was still wearing the red cloak, although he had managed to improve it slightly over the course of the few days. There were less holes, and he had managed to make himself at least somewhat presentable. His hood was up again, leaving only his piercing yellow irises staring out into the tavern-like environment, with Yami thoroughly hidden inside. After the multitude of gazes where Drake was deposited at, they both decided it would be best for her to stay hidden for now.


    He moved along the wooden floorboards, before promptly making his way over to a reception area of sorts. He carried himself as he normally did, but among the other, more average members of the building, they couldn¡¯t help but look at him with suspicion. Drake¡¯s steps made almost no sound at all, and if they weren¡¯t looking at him directly, they would¡¯ve been hard pressed to tell that anyone had entered in the first place. Even more impressive was the fact that Drake seemed to be doing it all unconsciously, which was a telltale sign that whoever he was had more experience than most of them out in the wild.


    It was also obvious that he was brand new to the city, as most could at least recognize those who regularly walked around the city and who didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Who the hell is that?¡± One of them murmured under his breath to the others around him.


    ¡°No clue, new guy by the looks of it.¡± Another responded.


    ¡°What¡¯s with that getup anyway? Think he¡¯s hiding something?¡±


    ¡°Try it if you want Josh, but fight with a guy like that and you¡¯ll just get burned more often than not.¡± The man chuckled before edging his friend¡¯s gaze away from the man.


    They turned back to one another, and resumed talking about the plan for the day. Paying so much attention to a random stranger wasn¡¯t nearly worth the trouble it could cause them otherwise. Most of the others had the same reaction, and quickly went about their normal routine.


    As for the reception area, there were two different women working there, in various states of boredom. Seeing someone approach them, they assumed a more professional stance, and looked expectantly to their supposed customer.


    The two women looked to be twins of sorts, or at the very least were extremely similar in appearance. The only real way to differentiate them was their hair color, one of which was a dark brown, while the other was a curious, dark green color. They both wore a long-sleeved white tunic, with a slightly baggy pair of brown pants.


    ¡°Ah, hello there. Do you need anything?¡± One motioned Drake over to her in a professional manner.


    ¡°Nothing in particular. I¡¯m just new to town and I¡¯m looking for someone. It should be a fairly large man, with stone-like skin and markings covering over his body.¡± Drake mentioned offhandedly.


    Truthfully, he knew someone matching that description. The large barbarian who knocked him roughly ten feet into some rubble back in the first week of his transformation matched it almost perfectly. But, that was a race that many could have transformed into, although he had only seen one other in the city the entire time he walked through. It would be best to know just how many were like that here.


    ¡°Why do you want to know about something like that? Some kind of grudge?¡± The woman looked at Drake appraisingly as she slowly pulled out a book from underneath the desk.


    ¡°Nothing like that. I¡¯m looking for a friend actually. He got into a scuffle with one a little while back.¡± Drake said with a clear voice.


    ¡°Stone-like skin¡­¡± The women scowled to herself for a short moment, before waving her hand through the book until she came upon a specific page.


    ¡°There¡¯s only a handful like that really. The Goliath race. They¡¯re almost exclusively suited for close combat, although one in the city is also a Druid. No aptitude for normal magic at all. Probably has something to do with the race itself.¡± She said in an offhand manner.


    ¡°Really, do you know where I could find them?¡± Drake said excitedly. From the looks of it, she had a list of all those who lived in the city, probably as a way to keep some semblance of responsibility among so many people with abnormal abilities.


    The woman sighed for a moment, before looking to Drake with a look of frustration. ¡°Look, I know you¡¯re new, but I can¡¯t do that. If I did, I would have a ton of people always coming to me for little bits of information to get back at each other. It would cause nothing but trouble for me and the town.¡±


    This sort of situation had occurred a few times before. Mainly with rivalries between various groups, or the occasional scuffle outside the walls. Getting involved in such matters did absolutely nothing beneficial, so it was determined that it was best if she and the other secretary stay out of it.


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Drake said as he pondered to himself. ¡°Well then, what can you do about this?¡±


    Drake placed the bag he had formed a day or two ago in front of the woman, who only gave him a curious look in response. He couldn¡¯t wait to see the look on her face.


    ¡°I have about one to two dozen scales that I picked up before I came into this town. How much would you give me for this?¡± Drake asked with a faint smile.


    ¡°What kind?¡±


    ¡°Wyvern Scales.¡±


    The Wyvern had been by far the toughest creature that Drake had fought. Likely, no one that lived in this small town could have hoped to kill it, as even Drake¡¯s own magic crashed on its scales and shattered before it could do any real damage. Even then, that level of power was giving them the same amount of magic ability as a Lord of Sin. One would have to be either extremely lucky or extremely skilled to even hope to approach magic of Drake¡¯s strength in such a short amount of time.


    As for imagining the sort of person who could kill it without magic¡­ the thought even frightened Drake a bit.


    ¡°Wyvern scales? What are those-¡± She stopped speaking completely and her eyes began to widen dramatically as Drake dumped out the scales onto the desk. She picked up the scales before taking them between her hands and made a motion as if she was trying to break the scale.


    The dark-brown scale didn¡¯t bend or even give the hint of budging, which only left the young woman even more impressed. She then set the piece of scale back on the desk before she looked to the back and called out a name.


    ¡°Lamario, get over here. I can¡¯t do this by myself!¡± She yelled out.


    Much like those out in the field, the skill to identify rare items was just as important as identifying the monsters themselves. Within the guild building, they always tried to keep at least one or two people who had higher levels of such a skill. However, such individuals often asked for a percentage of the profits from selling such items, and the seller often required such a thing for higher rarity items. It was a necessary give and take.


    This way, the guild had either a satisfied customer, or kept themselves from being unnecessarily scammed with an average, but more durable item. Avoiding such a simple mistake was beneficial for the both of them.


    ¡°What is it, I¡¯m busy.¡± A monotone voice called from the back.


    ¡°Busy with what!?¡± She yelled back, annoyed at how long he was taking. Her fingers tapped against the desk, impatiently. ¡°Get over here, I have something I can¡¯t identify!¡±


    ¡°Aaahh, fine, dammit.¡± A grumble was heard followed by a heavy set of walking with a slight irregular step.


    A mature man appeared from the back and walked over. It was hard to tell what race he exactly was, but he was olive-skinned, with slick backed hair with a single piece elegantly hanging across his face. The exact kind of man that made most other men think his face was especially punchable.


    The man walked over and promptly looked between Drake and the scales, before giving a deep sigh and picking one up. Not a second afterward, he grabbed his head in what seemed to be a sudden shock, and he grimaced as he quickly set the scale back down.


    ¡°Well, you said it was¡­ what, a Wyvern scale?¡± The man looked to Drake for affirmation, but he continued to talk before he got an answer. ¡°He isn¡¯t lying, that much is for sure.¡± The man looked to the pair with a sour attitude.


    He ruffled through the scales a couple more times. ¡°It¡¯s obviously a high-grade crafting item, but god knows what it could actually be used for. Doubt anyone could really make good use of it yet either. Too soon to see something like this.¡± He said haphazardly.


    ¡°Honestly, this kind of thing shouldn¡¯t be available to us at this point, just how did you manage to kill such a thing?¡± He looked to Drake and asked.


    ¡°Just found the body. Something bigger must have killed it.¡± Drake lied.


    ¡°Really now¡­¡± The man murmured to himself, rubbing his fingers against the scales a couple of times.


    ¡°Anyway, just buy it off of him for ten medium monster cores. It¡¯s gonna be at least a month or two before we have anyone who can use this stuff anyway.¡±


    Monsters cores? They actually trade those in the humanoid settlements? Drake knew that they had some sort of use for it. After all, even in the first few days after he transformed, he ran up on a group rummaging through the remains of a golem for one. What they actually used them for however, was anyone¡¯s guess.


    [Yami, I¡¯m going to need your help here. I have no clue if this is a good price or not. You can feel that sort of thing out, right?]


    [Hm? Oh yea, sure.] At the very least, feeling out the emotions of the man would be child¡¯s play for her.


    Yami peeked her head out from underneath Drake¡¯s hood, as her crimson eyes stared down the man from the shadows of his cloak. Within the hood, a small chuckle could be heard as she settled back down between Drake¡¯s horns.


    [He¡¯s nervous, but he¡¯s trying not to show it. Take that how you want.] She responded. They both agreed that it would be best if she hid for the time being. No point in causing trouble.


    So, because I¡¯m new, he¡¯s trying to trick me out of these scales? They actually think they can get away with this? Drake could barely hold in an evil smile.


    ¡°You assume I don¡¯t know the price, so you try to screw me over? Is that really a smart move to try on a stranger to this city?¡± Drake had a thin, nasty smile on his face. It was true, he had no idea of the price, but what he did know was that he wasn¡¯t going to allow himself to be tricked by some greedy merchants.


    ¡°A-ah, of course. My apologies.¡± The swarthy man quickly bowed before hurriedly walking back to where he was called from. ¡°Give him twenty, and a recommendation.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± She responded quickly.


    The attendant, Cassandra, briefly considered her manager¡¯s attitude. Of course, the seller was perfectly right. Just because it wasn¡¯t going to be sold right away, didn¡¯t mean that such an item would be sold for so little. But¡­ the sudden presence from the man in front of them. It reminded her entirely too much of the terrifying beasts outside, although she couldn¡¯t say why a simple man would give off such a feeling.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the misunderstanding,¡± added the woman, ¡°please accept this as an apology.¡± The woman promptly took out the twenty cores before adding an extra two onto the pile.


    Seeing the discrete addition onto the pile, Drake stifled a stiff grin. ¡°Alright. I accept the apology.¡±


    The complete change from the two really struck a chord with Drake. Not because he was afraid that he wasn¡¯t going to get a price that he deserved, but the far more terrifying prospect that he got more than he would otherwise.


    Something was telling him, from the center of his very core, that these people were beneath him.

 Q&A Session - Questions

    Hello, friendly readers, and potentially not so friendly readers. Considering i''ve more or less caught up with myself chapter-wise, and i''ve slowed down the overall release schedule a bit, I figured I would do something like this just to answer any potential questions you guys might have about the story. It''s fun for me too, so have at it everyone!                                                                                                                                            Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

 Chapter 7 Part 4

    Part 4


    In the next moment, that fleeting feeling had passed, which left Drake slightly dumbstruck at the powerful emotion of dominance that had overcome him.


    Just what the hell was that? He scowled to himself.


    That sort of powerful emotion¡­ he had come across it before, but only when he was in contact with a large gathering of his own mana. Although, when he first came upon Ella¡¯s village he felt something similar. An innate distaste for concealing his own power. Back then, he had chalked it up to being nothing more than a vestige of the Draconian¡¯s emotions that were left over in his body, but now, the situation was entirely different.


    Back when I first transformed, I had an intense feeling of triumph and power when I first killed a griffin. I hadn¡¯t used my demonic mana at all, which had been the only way for the Draconian to gain any semblance of control over me. Drake began to ponder to himself.


    This body, even if I¡¯ve changed the exterior, really is different than a normal human¡¯s emotions. This if the first time that I¡¯ve really noticed it though. He came upon a conclusion quite quickly.


    Although Drake didn¡¯t know himself, his transformation into a Draconian had caused him much the same problem as it had the vast majority of others. An innate imbalance in emotions, caused by the transformation from the simple choice given to those around the globe. Of course, given his beast-like nature, the Draconian had taken this imbalance and given it form. After sealing it away, he had only had the faintest of feelings, but the enormity of such emotions still leaked out to him occasionally.


    ¡°Um¡­ mister¡­¡± The woman in front of Drake tentatively called out to him, who seemed to be deep in thought.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Drake snapped back to reality instantly, and gave the woman a small smile. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°As for the recommendation my manager wanted to give you, if you would return here this evening, there is an expedition out of the city to research a new ruin that has appeared suddenly. Also, while I¡¯m unable to give you the location of where to find the Goliath you¡¯re looking for, their name certainly wouldn¡¯t be too much trouble, as long as you finish up the expedition for us.¡±


    The woman gave a brief, conciliatory smile as she bowed slightly. The meaning was obvious to Drake. Scratch our back and we¡¯ll scratch yours. As for the small expedition they wanted to send him on, it was likely that they wanted to learn just how strong he was, and if he might be a good addition to their city. The benefits from the little expedition would likely not be small either, although the nature of such a thing was still unclear to him.


    ¡°What exactly do you mean by a new ruin?¡± Drake asked. ¡°Like the city ruins?¡±


    The woman responded. ¡°No, unfortunately, we¡¯re still unsure of just what it is exactly. Several of those who¡¯ve seen it have said that there are groupings of what look like marble pillars that are slowly rising out of the ground. It certainly isn¡¯t something that humans would have made, and given how the mages surrounding the structure have an easier time casting spells, it likely has to do with how the world has changed as a whole.¡±


    Marble pillars? Drake was mystified as he listened to the small explanation. If she was right, then such a place would likely be just as beneficial to him as it was to the other humanoid mages, maybe even more so if he could understand just what the structure was.


    While Drake¡¯s face was solemn, and hidden mostly under the hood of his cloak, he was clearly having a hard time keeping a grin off of his face. Having an information structure truly was much more useful than wandering out in the wilderness at random. His chances of stumbling across such structure would be incredibly low given how he tended to stay away from other people. In comparison to that, this truly was an opportunity.


    ¡°Count me in. It certainly sounds interesting.¡± Drake replied enthusiastically, as he scrounged up the cores she offered from the table and placed them in his bag.


    ¡°Thank you, sir. Also, just what is your name and race? For documentation, you see.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, my race.¡± Drake thought it over. ¡°I¡¯m a Dragonkin, and my name is Drake. Drake


    Kaiser.¡±


    *****


    Once Drake had left, the silence that had come over the Guild Hall quickly stopped, as there was a sudden bustle of chatter.


    ¡°That guy is definitely tougher than he looks. Lamario isn¡¯t one to back down so easy, after all, he goes out to train all the time!¡±


    ¡°Argh, I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s another guy whose already so strong. When do they even have the time?


    ¡°Honestly though, you got that feeling too though, right? It felt like I was staring down at the maw of some monster.¡±


    The conversations were a bustle of warning, intrigue, and even some small parts of wonder.


    Unless you know the strength of your opponent, stay back and watch from afar, that was an almost basic rule in a world where magic had become real. For a typical adventurer, walking in the Guild Hall with all bundled up in a cloak was more than likely to get you a few curious eyes and ears. Most people were quick to show off the gear they received, as it kept away those who otherwise might cause trouble.


    Of course, this could also attract that same sort of negative attention, but those who had such advanced weapons and armor were almost exclusively the sort who were able to actually hunt for it. Bothering such people would be the very definition of asking for trouble.


    Everyone who was inside the Guild hall was friendly with one another, of course, but they were also rivals. A new guy showed up, one who hadn¡¯t been seen in town at all, so it was natural there would be prying eyes on who they were. Actually, a few in particular were planning to get¡­ better acquainted with Drake after he left, but the small display he made changed their minds quickly.


    They all quickly rid their minds of the mysterious man as they continued to talk and plan about their plans for the day.


    *****


    [Kaiser, really?]


    ¡°What?¡± Drake laughed under his breathe at Yami¡¯s scoffing. ¡°I think it sounds rather cool.¡±


    [I¡¯m sure you do.] The condescension in her voice was clear.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to be complaining about my naming sense?¡± Slowly, a sly smile appeared on his face, as he glanced towards Yami. ¡°I gave you a name as well, you know?¡±


    [Meh¡­ Touch¨¦.] She replied begrudgingly, before shrugging as if it wasn¡¯t a big deal Drake couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a bit at her attitude. Ever the mercurial imp, the conversations they had together was always endlessly amusing for him.


    Pushing open the doors of the guild hall, and back into the streets, Drake quickly began to scout out the remainder of the city. Although the overall city was quite small in comparison to his old life, he still spent a few hours slowly surveying the town. He even went so far as to drop by the ¡®Dwarven Flagon¡¯ that was recommended to him by his carriage driver. Although, whenever he arrived he discovered that it was little more than an inn, complete with a place to sleep and some decent food. Undoubtedly a good place for a person that was brand new to the town, but he wasn¡¯t one to stay in this town for very long.


    As for his newly constructed body, he soon realized the limitations of this form after eating more of the wyvern meat, and fully regaining his strength. His physical abilities were indeed weakened, although he wouldn¡¯t know the real extent until he tested himself. Still, he was undoubtedly stronger than most of the other humanoid races, besides the few that focused exclusively on strength, like the Goliath race he was searching for.


    Drake¡¯s strength in his Draconian body, and the sheer speed and power of that form couldn¡¯t be matched by normal means. It has to be said that even when he was first battling against normal humans, that he easily dominated all of them, disregarding the spare few whose physical abilities almost matched his own.


    Still, comparing the abilities between the two was a somewhat useless endeavor overall. His current form was weaker, but it allowed him to speak with others, and walk along the city streets like any other person. It worked well for what he needed it to, nothing more. Besides, pointlessly staying in a city where he wasn¡¯t able to fight at full strength would be a disadvantage in the long term.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your plan now?¡± A small voice piped up next to Drake¡¯s ear.


    Drake looked at the small imp and smiled. Truthfully, there wasn¡¯t all that much to do in this town. Just from its construction alone, it was clear to him that it was mainly a place to hide away from the dangers outside, although there were other professions people had taken up here or there. None which he was interested in, however.


    ¡°Just hang around town until it¡¯s time to leave, I suppose,¡± answered Drake. ¡°We¡¯re really here for Therion, after all.¡±


    ¡°Boring¡­¡± A sustained sigh escaped from the imp¡¯s lips, and Drake reluctantly agreed.


    Trying to pass the time, he walked through town, occasionally coming across a stray shop that had been set up on the edge of the walls. It was interesting, as one or two seemed to cause the same kind of strangely colored smoke that Gwyn often created, but he quickly passed by.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Interestingly, he also came across large groups of people training with fake weapons among one another, but at a glance, he could tell that they were all were completely new at it. Oftentimes, they just swang wildly at each other, and at other times just missed completely due to overextending themselves. Still, nothing that was worth his close attention.


    Despite all this however, while he was walking along the streets, he noticed a distinct pattern. Those who passed him very rarely looked into his eyes, often giving the tall, cloaked figure who gave off a frightening presence a wide berth as he passed. Of course, it was somewhat natural to avoid someone who looked suspicious, but he noticed it was especially prevalent whenever he attempted to put out his presence.


    Therion, Yami, even Ella and Aleria, none of them said that he had any sort of presence at all in this form. In comparison to them, the humanoids who he came across would practically leap out of his way whenever he attempted it. It wasn¡¯t just the pedestrians either. One particular group he passed by seemed to be fairly experienced. They were adorned with a variety of exotic gear that most of the average people in the town simply couldn¡¯t afford or get themselves, and even they gave him a wide berth to pass by.


    It seemed that those who were of the humanoid set of species had their own ways of judging power. As a Draconian, he could feel out those monsters who were more powerful, even going so far as to track them if he really needed to. As he was now however, the reaction from others was much more subdued, but it was still there. An undeniable feeling from others that the other person is dangerous and to be avoided.


    It was certainly a useful skill when dealing with your own kind, to be sure. No monster would intentionally go towards human settlements unless they meant to, and the humanoids that went out were meant to track and kill them in order to become increasingly powerful. However, when dealing with others from either the monsters or humanoids own ¡®set¡¯ of races, it was better to know when it was correct to stay away, to avoid unnecessary conflict. After all, having the transformed humans and the newly formed monsters slaughtering the others of their own side certainly would be missing the point.


    Of course, this only mattered if he was intentionally letting his presence show. The suppressing of such an invisible force was also possible, as Therion and Yami had proved to him before. If keeping that invisible force radiating outward from you was a way to stave off trouble, then suppressing it would be an equally good source of bait towards those who had ill intentions.


    From Drake¡¯s perspective, all he was doing was killing time anyway, so it wouldn¡¯t bother him at all to have a bit of fun with the locals.


    Drake quickly felt the cold, empty feeling in his chest rise up as he suppressed the frightening presence that seemed to scare away even the experienced adventurers in the city, before continuing to travel forward.


    The cloaked Drake surveyed the street in front of him. The foot traffic from the main street had died down quite a bit as he wandered around the city, which was both good and bad at the same time. Good, because it meant he could finally relax and let Yami out for a bit, and bad, because there usually was a good reason for such a place. Although, all things said and done, he didn¡¯t feel that he had anything to worry about.


    Drake nudged Yami with his head before murmuring to her. ¡°Go on ahead. Come out.¡±


    ¡°Fuhaaa!¡± Yami took a deep breath as she emerged from the hood of his cloak, quickly taking in the sights and sounds as she did. ¡°Finally!¡±


    ¡°Hmph, you let me out, and you choose a dreary place like this?¡± She began to pout slightly as she looked around. She then crossed her arms with a slight sense of disappointment as she fluttered around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, it would be trouble if I just let you waltz around on my shoulder or on my head. I haven¡¯t seen anyone else that has another imp with them so far, so it certainly isn¡¯t normal.¡±


    ¡°Of course they wouldn¡¯t.¡± She responded confidently. ¡°The way these people avoid you at all cost, it¡¯s rather amusing, isn¡¯t it?¡± She sneered. ¡°Do you really think such weaklings would be able to catch any of my kind?¡± A rather hateful tone emerged as the subject turned towards the other humanoids. It was clear she didn¡¯t think highly of them.


    ¡°Of course not, Yami.¡± He replied with a smirk.


    ¡°Still though¡­ why did you let me out in such a beaten down part of town? I for one, wished that you stopped by the center of town. They had built a rather exquisite fountain, and I¡¯m sure it would have been fun to play in.¡±


    ¡°Again, it¡¯s dangerous for too many people to see you. You¡¯re far too pretty.¡± He said it in a serious manner, catching her off guard.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± That particular comment brought down Yami¡¯s gaze hard on Drake, as she was examining his feelings through their link, trying to figure out if he was just joking with her.


    As if seeming to confirm something, she looked up quickly, with her face all in a blush.


    ¡°It¡¯s not good to play with a girl¡¯s feelings like that, you know?¡± She replied whimsically. Her fingers began to play with the ends of her hair as she did.


    Drake quickly held up a hand in apology, an impish grin clear on his face. ¡°My deepest apologies, fair lady.¡± Drake couldn¡¯t help but give a little mock bow as he talked.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Yami covered her eyes in embarrassment, and pointed at him before she quickly fluttered towards him. ¡°Now I don¡¯t even feel like flying around anymore. Carry me.¡± With a short commanding tone, she quickly landed in his hair before taking up a comfortable position. ¡°And leave your hood off, so I can relax and actually get some fresh air.¡±


    ¡°Right~¡± Drake responded with a smug grin. ¡°Whatever you want.¡± He had spent the last few days worrying for, and taking revenge for Ella, that he had forgotten just how much he enjoyed teasing the small imp. She may seem haughty at times, but just under that was the same girl he met on the very first day. It just took a bit of coaxing at times.


    As he walked forward, he came upon a certain section of the city which looked to be of considerably poorer quality than the rest. While the buildings next to the two gates, and throughout all the main, and well-traveled parts of the city were almost pristine, these buildings looked to have been chiseled away by something or someone.


    However, as he looked further, he noticed something that caught his interest almost immediately. The magic that humanoids used, it worked off an entirely different basis than the types that monsters did. Even in this fake humanoid body, his own magic radiated outward from him, that much hadn¡¯t changed in the least.


    Those who were actually humanoid however, differed drastically. Drake had the privilege of seeing them use their spells once or twice in passing. They sucked in the surrounding natural mana in the air like a sponge, before using it to power their own spells. Simply put, they relied heavily on the mana density in the air, and as such, they were very particular about keeping their own spells neat and contained, even if they seemed to lack the ability to directly see it like himself.


    What caught Drake¡¯s interest as he looked down the downtrodden street was the faintest stream of a pale, orange mana that was flowing through it and towards him as it slowly spread out.


    Slightly perturbed, he turned to Yami. [You¡¯re seeing this too, right? What is this?]


    Yami immediately took notice of it as well, with an equally curious look on her face.


    [I believe it¡¯s demonic mana, Drake. It¡¯s weak however, almost to the point of non-existence. If I had to guess, it would have to be Envy Demons. They would be the only ones capable of surviving in a city full of humanoids and not get caught.] She said in a rather official manner.


    [Really? Envy demons?] Drake had a curious look cross his face for a moment, before turning down the street with an interested look.


    As Drake meandered through, a sudden group of men emerged from the small alleyways, and even behind him to block his way. They all had thin, nasty smiles on their faces, and were either smiling at each other, or staring Drake.


    Hm, what¡¯s this? Drake looked on passively. These were no doubt normal humans a few weeks ago, as they certainly weren¡¯t the source of the strange mana in the air.


    If he had to guess, this place had probably been mined or destroyed in some way due to these guys. If his own demonic magic influenced him, he could only imagine how it influenced someone who wasn¡¯t directly controlling it.


    Of course, these people likely weren¡¯t simple innocent bystanders either. The mana here was so weak and pathetic, that it was only a faint influence on them. They were simple people who wasn¡¯t satisfied with their new lot in life, and so they fell prey to the demonic influence, as it ever so slightly corrupted their minds.


    Of course, such a mindset wasn¡¯t so uncommon even back in the old world. And even though Drake was actively searching for such people, it was still surprising to him that they would actually allow these guys to even live in this town.


    ¡°Leave the imp, and you can go.¡± A dirty looking dwarf shouted at him.


    ¡°Otherwise, we¡¯ll have a bit of fun with you before we take it.¡± Another joined in beside him, with an equally dirty exterior, although he himself seemed considerably more human than the rest. Glancing around him, Drake could see that they were all in various states of poverty from the looks of it, as the new standard of clothing since the change in the world had left most without a proper attire.


    Most of those who transformed in this city also had at least some sort of weapon, a dagger, usually a sword for most, and these men were no exception. Even then however, the actual quality of weapon seemed to differ here also. The various nicks and bends on the weapons they carried made it obvious that it was poorly made.


    ¡°See, you¡¯re just too pretty to not be taken advantage of in a place like this.¡± Drake looked to Yami with a sly smile as she tumbled off his head with an extremely agitated expression.


    ¡°These morons¡­¡± She shook her head from side to side, as she only began to hover slightly higher, as if to get a better view of the ensuing action.


    ¡°H-hey! We were talking to you!¡± A complaining cry came out of one of the group, who looked to be getting more agitated by the second. ¡°Stop talking and just hand over the imp already!¡± Another one joined in to give out orders.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like it really matters, does it?¡± Drake looked to the group of thugs with an increasingly predatory look, as a single crystal shard materialized in his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just see what we can get out of them, shall we?¡± With a pointed look, Drake blasted forward.


    *****


    In the end, they really were nothing but a group of morons.


    Needless to say, the small group didn¡¯t put up much of a fight. From Drake¡¯s eyes, they were nothing but a group of thugs that had formed out on the edge of the city, who looked to be trying to ¡®claim¡¯ a bit of territory through sheer numbers and a bit of evil intent on those who trespassed.


    The actual fight itself was quite laughable, to say the least. The men obviously hadn¡¯t fought in the outside world a day in their lives, choosing instead to waylay and rob anyone who passed through. Given Drake¡¯s intentional suppression of his own power, he looked like an especially prime target, given the small imp that was laying so lazily on his head.


    Still though, these guys were nothing but average, or even less than average fighters. These were men who shouldn¡¯t have had any contact with demons, so just where is the source of this mana?


    Drake looked around the area, and tried to follow the faint traces of the almost non-existent orange mana, but it was actually quite difficult for him. This area must be right on the edge of what the demon can handle. And as for the men, well, it looked they likely succeeded in robbing at least a few people, judging from the occasional stray mana cores that they had on them.


    ¡°So, what, you were planning to kill me or simply maim me after you stole Yami away from me?¡± Drake was currently sitting on a small crate overlooking the group that he had incapacitated. Truthfully, there was only two that were still awake, as he had gone a bit overboard on the other three. After numerous battles outside, he had forgotten just how much that had influenced him and his mindset.


    ¡°W-we wouldn¡¯t go that far, not at all!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s right, we just wanted to get your imp there as a servant, otherwise we would have never attacked you.¡± Another joined in, a fearful expression clear on his face.


    A servant¡­ Drake had a sour expression on his face.


    Whatever was emanating this demonic mana, it was almost certainly the source of the desire to capture any weaker demons.


    The Sin of Envy. From Yami¡¯s brief explanation, they were able to disguise themselves in human form, and manipulate those who came into contact with their mana. Certainly, an ability made for a more covert type of demon, but this particular one seemed to have little to no combat expertise, as was evidenced by the weak aura, and quality of those it could manipulate.


    ¡°Well, no matter.¡± With a wave of his hand, Drake let out a layer of mana over the two remaining men, and quickly forced them into unconsciousness. Talking to such people would be a waste of his time after all.


    ¡°If they won¡¯t come to me, I¡¯ll go and look for them. I have a bit of time to kill, after all.¡± Drake¡¯s face slowly twisted into a wicked smile as he looked further down into the decrepit street.

 Chapter 7 Part 5

    Part 5


    ¡°Ooooh, guys, come over and look at this, one of the first ones is finally popping up.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? I thought they were supposed to be appearing a week ago.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut it already, just be happy there¡¯s finally enough mana to play around with.¡±


    Huddled around a large 3D projector were a few of the various Caracatia who had initially came to Earth. While normally calm, if somewhat eccentric, right now they were anything but normal. There was a constant buzz of arguments and conversation with each other as one stepped out from the group to address the others.


    ¡°Brothers, I¡¯m glad to finally announce the unveiling of one of my sibling¡¯s side projects.¡± The bipedal octopus-like creature bowed slightly as a deep sense of satisfaction washed over the group. This was Clarota, one of the most prominent leaders of the alien race who chose to come to Earth.


    ¡°So, what exactly is this one supposed to be? From what I heard, the various magical systems that the humans came up with are about as varied as you can get.¡± One of them spoke up, much to the other¡¯s agreement. While the life and death battles on the Earth were deeply entertaining, variety was what they were truly after. This included the various beasts they were continuing to work to create as well as the systems of magic that were viable.


    Clarota smiled as only a species with a face full of tentacles could, before chuckling in a deep tone. ¡°While the main system of magic is generic, it was needed. Most humans simply don¡¯t have the necessary foresight or power to work towards other systems in the beginning, thus such a progression was needed from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°As for the particular system that is being newly implemented, I¡¯m sure all of you are aware of the problems we are having with the monster cores.¡± Clarota said with a sense of foreboding.


    There was another murmur of agreement from the group, as they all seemed increasingly exasperated as they thought about the subject. Currently, the humans had been relying on the monster cores to trade with them directly, offering the sources of mana inside the cores for pieces of gear, using them as catalysts in spells to increase their power temporarily, or simply as a new, desired piece of currency. As it was however, it was entirely too much work for the species who came to this planet to have fun themselves.


    ¡°Well, Althari and I found one particular system of magic in the myriad of stories that might be the perfect solution to such a problem. One which will take care of our problem, as well as give the humans a reliable use for the cores which they seem to love so much.¡± With a short chuckle, Clarota showed a somewhat peculiar system of mana, which was quickly met with murmurs of approval and some applause.


    ¡°And so, this new system will be deposited at the various shrines across the world. Those who make it to the shrines will be able to embrace and augment their own system of mana with it, although please be assured, we do intend to make it a challenge. It wouldn¡¯t do to simply give away such a prize, now would it?¡± A deep, throaty chuckle emerged as he continued.


    ¡°To celebrate, my brother and I will be establishing a stream to all these shrines as the humans discover and explore them. I do hope that you find it satisfactory.¡± He ended with a short bow, as the many aliens looked to each other, with a single resonating thought echoing across the group.


    ¡°This will be so much fun.¡±


    *****


    Drake and Yami were slowly making their way along the street, doing their best to track the extremely faint signatures of the Envy mana. While it annoyed him somewhat that there seemed to be no real way to tell the direction of its source, he could only hope that the density increased as he got closer. As it was now, even a wave of his hand could dissipate such a weak cloud of mana.


    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s actually anything here? It could just be some kind of leftover material, like my own mana crystals give off.¡± Drake muttered to Yami, as he continued to walk along the dreary street.


    ¡°No, you are somewhat unique in that regard. Even before you became a Lord, you were able to make a solid crystal due to the properties of your Pride mana. Only Lords can actually solidify their mana reliably, and even then, the concentration from such a simple crystal would leave a much stronger trace than this.¡± Yami rattled off the information with an informative look on her face, before quickly smirking in place.


    ¡°You seem like you¡¯re enjoying yourself, hunting this demon and all, but are you sure you don¡¯t want me to track it? Honestly, the mana signal is right here, tracing it to its source would be child¡¯s play for me.¡± Yami looked to Drake with a questioning expression.


    It was true, for Yami who had an advanced form of tracking magic, one that had been continually improved by Drake¡¯s own increasing capabilities, tracking such a signal would require but a snap of her finger. The increasing frustration that Drake felt over his inability however, led Yami to wait and see.


    Drake merely shook his head, a look of increasing irritation appearing on his face.


    ¡°No, let me be the one to find it this time around.¡± Drake said with sense of confidence. ¡°Always relying on you would be a mistake if there¡¯s ever a time when we both need to be searching.¡± This time, it would be Drake who found the demon without her help, he would make sure of that.


    The entire time that Drake had been inside of the city, he hadn¡¯t made even a motion to conjure up his own form of mana. Unlike other kinds of mana that were put out, it was easily visible, which was again due to his own unique type of Pride mana. It was likely that the Draconian loathed to hide the power in any aspect, including his own form of mana.


    Now however, Drake let out the faintest mist around himself, trying his best to imitate the faint, ethereal nature of the Envy mana that pervaded the air around him. But, stubborn as always, the crimson mana he let out seemed to reject this notion at its very core, attempting to convert and grow in power with every second, becoming more and more noticeable every second as he tried.


    Dammit! Drake scowled, as he battled against what seemed to be the very nature of his own Pride mana. It was simply swallowing up the weak Envy mana around him, without leaving a single trace of it behind.


    I just need it to be discreet, if I can mix my own mana in with this Envy mana, maybe I could trace it back that way. Drake thought to himself. I just need it to be more¡­ subtle.


    With a flash of inspiration, Drake instantly withdrew all of the mana that he had let out, feeling the brief influx of power as the returned mana entered his body.


    His innate mana was stubborn. Stubborn to a fault. Throughout the entire time he had used it, it always attempted to change the environment, to grow in power, or overpower his own feelings with the domineering nature of its own. But he didn¡¯t have to use his own natural mana, did he?


    Drake looked deep inside himself, to the crimson castle in his mind where the Draconian was locked up. As if sensing the intrusion on the space, he could see the Draconian look up with an obvious sneer, before quickly returning to a somewhat melancholy state, allowing Drake to quickly focus on the object of his interest in the castle. The opaque mana core he created himself from the opposing Lord¡¯s mana.


    I¡¯ve been going about this the wrong way this entire time. Drake shook his head, as he tenderly connected himself to the gem inside his castle.


    Truthfully, he had only ever tried to use the gem to imitate the doppelganger¡¯s ability. It certainly worked well, but the drain it had on him as he stayed in that mist-like form was immense.


    Compared to his other abilities, which fueled themselves with the mana in the air, that particular gem of mana worked very much like a battery. The longer he stayed in that form, especially after injuring himself so severely in battle, the worse he would end up, which was what resulted him being stuck entirely in his new semi-draconic form, at least until he was able to eat some of the wyvern¡¯s meat.


    At the same time, it was a form of mana that entirely different. It didn¡¯t have the intense absorptive effects of his normal mana, and was much more suited to stealth due to the source of mana it emanated from originally. This is what gave him the idea to use it instead.


    Drake took a moment to breathe in deeply, before slowly releasing the mana that was built up in the gem. As he released it, he noticed with a pleased smile that it was indeed of a different type altogether concerning the visibility of the mana. It mixed in with the ethereal nature of the Envy mana almost entirely, before continuing to spread out in a wave.


    Good. Now, find it! With a thought, the mana began to flow out from Drake, slowly combining itself with the trail of Envy mana in the street, as it was intermingling and mixing with what was the very basis for the weak mana source to begin with.


    With this method, Drake finally had a solution to one of his problems. His use of his mana, even if somewhat limited, was able to be used without hesitation in places with more humanoids due to the more ethereal nature of the secondary source of mana.


    As the mana mixed in, Drake was soon aware of a few particular signals as his mana spread further and further throughout the small area of the city he was located in. There were actually quite a few more people who were under the influence of the Envy mana than he was initially expecting. Almost twenty in all, although they were all of poor quality in his opinion, no better than the five men who he incapacitated in a short moment.


    They¡¯re just weaklings, who are to be ignored. Now just where is the source of all this mana coming from? Drake began to focus on the direction of the ethereal mana even more, and soon he found his answer. Almost 500 meters away, through a series of winding alleyways and streets, was a small, but not insignificant amount of Envy mana emanating from what looked to be some kind of underground basement. No doubt the headquarters for the supposed ¡®ruler¡¯ of all the weaklings in this section of the city.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Truly, Drake had no idea just what the people running this town thought of this area. He hadn¡¯t heard anyone speak of it, in fact, those who seemed to reject its influence still avoided this area altogether. Could the faint traces of mana be able to repel those who it can¡¯t outright control?


    He shook his head at the thought, before resuming a slow, meandering walk towards the source. He would find out soon enough anyway.


    As Drake walked forward, a rising sense of joy and pride welled up in Yami, as she watched at how Drake masterfully fused his own mana with a completely foreign type at a mere thought.


    He¡¯s truly my other half. She thought with an immense sense of satisfaction. Yami looked to Drake, as if to tell him an important detail, before settling back down on his head in silence. I shouldn¡¯t tell him just yet. This city wouldn¡¯t be the place, anyway.


    With his own source of mana intertwined with the surrounding source of Envy mana, Drake walked slowly and carefully to the source of Envy mana that he had located. As he did, he soon found himself in front of an impressive building, that even rivaled the Guild Hall in the main parts of the city. In fact¡­ it seemed that this building had been made to mimic the guild hall.


    The buildings from around this part the city, they were indeed made to be uniform, but bits and pieces were broken off to add to this building.


    Truly envious after all. Drake thought with a discreet smile.


    As Drake walked forward, he could feel a sudden shift in his mana as two figures appeared from the shadows in the doorway of the building. It was a testament to their abilities that he was only able to feel them out once they started moving. Although, they still weren¡¯t much more powerful than the average person who ventured outside the walls from the looks of it.


    Still need to work on this particular ability, after all. Drake thought with a playful smile.


    Both of them were fully covered in a long, black robe that covered their face, fully concealing just what kind of humanoid they actually were. As Drake moved forward, both of them suddenly drew daggers from underneath their clothes, and assumed a defensive posture.


    ¡°Who the hell are you, and why are you here?¡± One of them, a man from the sounds of it, barked out orders to Drake.


    ¡°Is that the way to treat a guest?¡± Drake gave an intimidating smile as he looked to the duo. Strangely though, they didn¡¯t seem affected in the least, in fact, the line of questioning seemed to only embolden one of them, who began to walk forward with the dagger glinting dangerously in the shadows of the building.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Why. The hell. Are you here?¡± A blatant threat this time, as was made clear by the threatening pose they made with the dagger. The real question though, was why were they unaffected by his presence? He had been perfectly clear on the rules for it were with others throughout the city. It acted exactly the same as his Draconian form.


    Drake paused in annoyance as he tried to look deeper into the shadows of the entrance. No good. The other one seemed adamant about not letting him see inside.


    With a sigh, he looked to the one closest to him. ¡°I¡¯m just sightseeing is all, if you believe me.¡± Drake said as he cracked a smile. He shifted his weight to the side, as he waved his arm in a teasing manner.


    ¡°Wondering what an Envy demon is doing inside a city like this, although I will say that this is my first time in an actual city.¡± Drake grinned as he noticed a violent reaction from duo, as they launched backward, both in a defensive posture, as if he might strike at them at any moment.


    He cackled for a moment at the sight, before mulling over a thought that crossed his mind. These two, they weren¡¯t acting like they were controlled at all. In fact¡­


    Within three breaths, Drake withdrew all of the mana that he had mixed into the Envy mana, and looked to the two in front of him with a renewed interest. Extending his hand, he began to let out his own mana that he had been so careful of before, which only resulted in the two in front of him dropping their weapons in an instant as they loudly clattered on the ground.


    Drake¡¯s smile quickly dropped into an unamused grimace as he looked to the duo. ¡°What, is that all?¡±


    ¡°W-we¡¯re sorry for offending you, Lord, we didn¡¯t recognize someone of your¡­ stature.¡± They both removed their hoods in an instant, before lowering themselves in a bowing gesture of deep respect. They both looked fairly normal for those inside the city, but as his mana washed over them, the disguises they wore dissipated like it was never there. Such a magic compared to his was only a badly done ruse.


    These two were demons, no doubt about it. The unnatural gray skin, and the black hair made them the rather average demon. As a race, they resembled humans quite a lot, but unfortunately for them, no race that was given as a choice to transform to had their unique skin color. Rather ironically, they both had horns very similar to his own ridged horns, although they lacked his characteristic tail. With such a look, any passing stranger would attempt to identify them out of sheer caution, not to mention their complete inability to speak in a normal language once their humanoid disguise was shattered.


    But of course, that particular problem wasn¡¯t an issue given that Drake¡¯s mana had surrounded them completely by this point. He had corrected his mistake he had with Aleria, his own core was still in the same place, just in an entirely different form due to his transformation. He just had to compensate for that, and it was the same. They sounded perfectly normal as he connected to their cores in an instant.


    [Hehe, look at them groveling like that.] A rather smug imp chimed into his head as she looked down on the two.


    As if realizing something, she quickly piped up again, this time with a certain sense of warning in her tone. [I hope I know you well enough that you don¡¯t attempt to make these two your servant by the way.]


    [Of course not. Therion was a special case. I don¡¯t plan on making any random demon my servant. This really is just curiosity,] said Drake.


    [Curiosity¡­ you big idiot. Who goes looking for demons out of curiosity?] Yami held back her laughter, as if the mere notion was enough to make her laugh. She quickly covered her mouth to keep herself from giggling.


    ¡°Lord, d-do you want us to guide you to our leader?¡± One of the demons looked uncertainly to Drake and Yami, careful to not intrude on the obvious conversation going on in between the two telepathically.


    ¡°Hm? Oh no need, I can tell he¡¯s already on his way.¡± Drake looked to the two with an obviously devious expression, as he looked on inside the makeshift building. Being stealthy about his mana certainly did have a drawback, it drastically reduced exactly what he could do with it. Using his normal mana, it was like night and day in his ability to track someone¡¯s precise movements.


    ¡°Ranvar, Azura, why exactly have.. you¡­¡± A voice rang out from the darkness before becoming more and more subdued as he looked to the crimson glowing figure standing right outside the doorway.


    ¡°A L-lord.¡± A man quickly rushed out, along with the other two as he quickly adopted the same bowing gesture as the rest.


    As for Drake, he was somewhat surprised at the over the top reaction. After meeting no real demons besides Therion and Yami, he had gotten used to the clever, but fully obedient Satyr, and the mischievous but loving imp. These demons on the other hand, seemed to look to him with a feeling of outright terror, or a begrudging respect for fear of the consequences.


    Something Yami told him came rushing back to him in this moment as he looked down on the three. Therion traded freedom for power. That was the most natural extension of how demon¡¯s society worked.


    Damn. I¡¯m falling into the trap Yami warned me of. Drake looked onto the three with a growing sense of domination. He could take all three under him, and gain what he could do so easily. The duo outside were plain demons, while only the one inside had an inkling of the Sin of Envy, he didn¡¯t have near the power to be considered a Lord.


    Overpowering the weak sin that pervaded this area would be so simple¡­ but, it would be a pain to deal with them, and giving away a power that was so uniquely his would best be saved for someone who would be more truly loyal, much like Therion was.


    ¡°So, just what are you three doing in this city anyway? I¡¯ve seen what a few of your lackeys can do. They really aren¡¯t good for much.¡± Drake said with a sly grin.


    ¡°A-ah, they¡¯re simply weak minded, Lord. As I¡¯m sure you are well aware, I am not capable of more at the moment.¡± The demon with the Sin of Envy answered, making sure to avert his eyes at Drake.


    Still, was this all really a part of a demon¡¯s culture? It seemed a bit over the top.


    ¡°It¡¯s for the cores, right? It¡¯s easy to gather them when you can just steal them outright.¡± Drake smiled as he saw straight through the demon¡¯s plans. Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t difficult. Even the men he incapacitated had a few cores on them. Still, the cores that were collected were pitifully weak, which was likely the reason behind why a demon like this was still so underpowered as well.


    For Demons, they generally despised working together. Working under a more powerful demon was most beneficial for all of them, and these three were the same, although to a much lesser extent. A real Lord could establish a ¡®Lair¡¯, saturating the entire area with the mana he could muster, and grow the power of those under him passively. The trio here however, were simply sharing cores, while working under the most powerful one.


    It made sense however, at least from Drake¡¯s perspective. The leader of these three was only just starting to understand the Sin of Envy, a phase that Drake had skipped over entirely due to him being one of the first of his species, a ¡®predecessor.¡¯ However, even with that tiny bit of knowledge, he was able to share that power with the other two, which was enough for them to hide in plain sight among a city of humans. It was still much easier than out in the wild, at least while there wasn¡¯t more of them to share.


    ¡°Y-you knew about the cores.¡± The demon¡¯s voice dropped, and the ringing of defeat was clear in his tone. Better to live another day than to fight someone more powerful. After all, he wasn¡¯t a Pride demon. ¡°You¡¯re here to take them, aren¡¯t you?¡± The hidden hostility behind that question was clear to Drake, but he didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°No, not at all. I don¡¯t plan to do a thing to you.¡± Drake answered as he looked to the trio.


    ¡°Y-you don¡¯t covet our cores in the least?¡± For the first time, the leader looked up to Drake unsteadily, but with eyes still shining with the faintest light of hope.


    Drake could only laugh at the pathetic demon. His concept of power in this new world was always based around himself, given how few references he truly had. In fact, if any demon had heard that he had defeated a Wyvern single handedly, they might faint out of pure shock. Even a Lord would be cautious around such a creature, and even for Drake, it was only due to his exceptional abilities and a little help from Gwyn that he managed to survive.


    The demon in front of him however, was barely even considered a threat in his eyes. If he really wanted to, he had no doubt he could take all three of them on without any problems. Even now, the crimson mana that surrounded them threatened to swallow them up whole, regardless of the trio actually attempting to fight back. This was disregarding even his reduced physical abilities in this form.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have any intention to. It would do very little for me at this point.¡± Drake looked onto the trio with a mischievous smile.


    While not necessarily true, he had already stowed away quite a few cores for himself in the bag he carried. He had collected a little over two dozen at this point, from selling off the wyvern scales and liberating a few off the men who attacked him, so stealing what little these demons likely had on them wouldn¡¯t do him much good.


    ¡°I¡¯m just curious about what a few demons were doing in this city. You seem to be doing fairly well for yourself.¡± Drake looked on with a disguised sneer.


    ¡°A-ah, yes Lord. It is beneficial. I can control quite a few of the weaker men in the city, and they are able to steal the cores for us. It is slow, but much safer than attempting to fight outside.¡±


    ¡°Safer¡­ Is that what you think?¡± A single piece of crystal appeared in Drake¡¯s hands, as he quickly linked their cores to the crystal. He was able to override their resistance easily, and much like the one he made with Therion and the others, he would be able to track them with ease now.


    ¡°L-lord!¡± They all cried out in fear. They had been extremely courteous to this Lord of Sin, and now that he had used his strange magic, they could feel that a piece of themselves had been linked to the crystal. The concept of what he planned to do with that was terrifying on its own.


    ¡°I just want a little insurance on you three is all. I¡¯m sure you understand.¡± Drake looked to the trio with a devilish glare. ¡°Now, could you tell me again how your magic works, and how you managed to do so much in the city?¡±

 Chapter 7 Part 6

    Part 6


    Drake continue to talk to the trio, occasionally getting small snippets of information from them that he didn¡¯t know before. However, in the end they were still only slighter better than the average demons, so they only knew very little. Still, given his self-imposed exile, how this city was founded and how the Sin of Envy worked for this demon still made for intriguing bits of information.


    He had so little knowledge with how the world worked after everything changed, that such information gave him all he wanted. He was really quite happy with himself.


    ¡°So that¡¯s really all you wanted to know? I probably could have figured that out if you really wanted me to.¡± Yami muttered as they began to walk out onto the more crowded streets, more out of boredom than any real sense of annoyance.


    Although Yami herself was rarely far away from Drake¡¯s side, her true purpose as a race was to serve as a sort of spy. Their abilities to sense emotions aside, Yami was confident in being able to drop in on the thoughts of the more important ones in this city with relative ease, something which the more experienced of her race struggled with. She was even showing signs of being able to manipulate Drake¡¯s own mana in a more competent manner as well, although it was really her own abilities that were beginning to come into their own.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s better that I figured it out this way. Besides,¡± Drake held up his hands. ¡°if I had just let you figure it out for me, I wouldn¡¯t know how to really use the mana gem I formed. That¡¯s far more important.¡± He looked knowingly at Yami, who only responded with a short yawn.


    ¡°Whatever you say, Drake.¡±


    Drake merely returned a small smile as he left the influence of the Envy demon. He had connected a newly made crystal to all three of them, effectively binding them to it. Without finding Drake and destroying the crystal, or gaining enough power to sever the connection themselves, they would be bound to it, allowing him to track their every move. Not that he felt any real need to, but it was never bad to have insurance against certain problems.


    ¡°Look like the sun is finally starting to go down.¡± Drake said as he glanced at the sky. The only reason he even stumbled across the demons was due to his own boredom. Thankfully he didn¡¯t have to stay much longer, or else he was sure to find himself even more trouble.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re sure you want to go through with this? It¡¯s unnecessary if we are just looking for Therion¡¯s target.¡± Yami was firmly hidden in Drake¡¯s hood again, quite relaxed as she whispered into his ear.


    ¡°Haa¡­ To be honest, I probably should just let you scout for him. But these ruins are another matter entirely, one that I need to investigate. Do you know of anything that should enhance magic that¡¯s cast by humans?¡± Drake said as he quietly asked Yami. Given that humanoids drew in their magic from the environment, she had much more knowledge given her wealth of inborn knowledge.


    ¡°Hm. Something that¡¯s drawing mana towards one space could do it. Specific creatures, maybe a rare item, even special locations, but it doesn¡¯t make sense that it would be so out in the open. Those sorts of things are especially well hidden to prevent exactly this kind of expedition.¡±


    ¡°So, it wants to be found?¡± Drake said in a confused manner.


    ¡°Or it simply wants to draw others toward it.¡±


    Both Drake and Yami sunk into silence as they pondered over the topic. Whatever the case, Drake couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. Adventure. The word always held a special meaning back when he was human, and now he was actually going to go on one. It was nothing but a crazy fantasy back then. He had always imagined it as the ultimate pursuit of the unknown, although he never imagined that due to some special circumstances that he would be on the sword end of that dream for others if not for his humanoid form.


    ¡°So, what should we do once we get out of the city? Staying all cooped up like this is not my idea of a pleasant evening.¡± The tone in her voice was clear. She had no intentions of hiding herself around this group once they left.


    [Oh, that? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let you out as soon as I can.] Drake responded telepathically. He had started to notice more than a few strange looks as others noticed him talking to himself.


    ¡°So Taylor, are you wanting to go back to the room soon? It¡¯s starting to get pretty late.¡± A somewhat gruff voice called out, catching Drake¡¯s attention immediately.


    Taylor¡­ Drake¡¯s head instantly turned to the source, only to meet an overly buff dwarf, and another considerably small woman beside him, who continued to walk lazily back towards the more residential area of the city.


    The thoughts of the girl he left behind on the day of the alien¡¯s arrival came streaming in, only for him to shake his head sadly at the thought of it. Given her¡­ unique set of choices, she wanted to choose an elf, and the girl that passed by him was even shorter than the dwarf. It couldn¡¯t have been her.


    ¡°Heh, stupid¡­ the chances of her even making through everything that¡¯s happened is small. Let alone her being in the same city.¡± Drake remarked to himself with a grimace.


    With everything that had happened, he had basically abandoned all the ties back to his old life. He didn¡¯t have that many close friends to begin with, so the few he did had always made an impact on him. Even with his own family, he often just holed himself up in his room, slowly wasting away in boredom. There was nothing to really search for in his old life, so he didn¡¯t.


    [Drake, you alright?] A concerned voice made herself known in his head, leaving him with a bittersweet feeling.


    [Yeah¡­ just, reminiscing. Heh, it¡¯s easy to get a bit emotional in places like this. You forget how much you miss.] Drake said in a melancholy voice.


    [Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m over it. Truthfully, having someone like you was always something I wished for back then, anyway.] Drake snickered to himself, as he rubbed his head against her small body.


    [Hmph. Well, good.] She responded shyly.


    He quickly made his way back to Guild Hall, before pushing open the door to the guild once more. As he entered, he expectantly looked around for the secretary called Cassandra he talked to before. He spotted her within a moment, and waved his hand as he walked over.


    It seemed as if a team was just returning so there was a small group in front of him, talking among themselves while occasionally looking to Cassandra with an expectant gaze. They seemed to be waiting for someone.


    Drake stepped to the side as the secretary finally recognized him. ¡°Oh, thank goodness, I was thinking you had forgotten, here, this is the group that is going to be going on the expedition with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Drake looked to his side at the three others. It looked to be a fairly balanced, small group of adventurers, at least from appearances.


    One was a large man with darker hair and blue eyes who definitely seemed to be the warrior type. He had the typical look of those who had chosen the various animal type races, a bulkier appearance, and the distinctive, panther-like ears of his respective race. He was wearing banded mail, a sort of armor that was made up of layers of chain mail and leather. That, coupled along with a large axe and shield made him look the part of the reliable ¡®tank¡¯.


    Sword and Board, huh? Well¡­ Axe and Board in this case. Drake looked over his outfit with a shrew smile. He had to admit, seeing such an outfit in person definitely made him look trustworthy. With such a set, it was undeniable that he could stand up to most standard forms of attack.


    The others, one who looked to be more of a swordsman, had a significantly lighter armor. He chose instead to use a shortsword and a sort of buckler, a smaller shield made to block lighter attacks, and outright parry most others forms of attacks instead. He was another animal race as well, and if he had to guess, it would likely be a wolf, or a very similar type. The ears alone told him that much. He had similarly dark hair, and brown eyes, although in terms of appearance, he definitely was more of the pretty boy type. The transformation no doubt had some influence on that.


    Lastly, was undeniably some sort of magic user. The way that the mana in the air was slowly being drawn to his body was solid proof of that. Among most others, it merely flowed past, giving no real indication of being drawn to the individual. Magic users however, and even Gwyn to some extent, was evidence of the very particular type of magic that humanoids used most. A drawing in of mana, to augment their own abilities before releasing it in lethal attacks.


    Although, in a way I¡¯m similar to that style myself. The Sin of Greed that the aliens gave me works in an almost identical manner, as long as I can convert the surrounding mana first. Although the amount of control I have over it is certainly more representative of how monster¡¯s control magic. Drake mused to himself.


    He was undoubtedly the youngest of the trio. He had blue eyes and brown hair, and a youthful look that appeared entirely too young to be an adult. Compared to the other members, he also had much paler skin, and no real indicators of what race he might be. He might also be considered the most attractive of the bunch. It wasn¡¯t really so much a masculine beauty, instead being much more androgynous. And, from what little conversation Drake overheard from the trio, his voice was undeniably higher pitched than the others as well.


    ¡°This is your group that is set to join you, Drake Kaiser. Meet Peter, Luke, and Morgan. Peter is more of a Fighter, while Luke is the same, although they specialize in different avenues. Morgan is what is known as a Transmuter, although you might better know him as a Wizard. Transmuter is his specialization.¡± Cassandra explained the information of the three in a very orderly manner, naming them off one by one as if from a book.


    ¡°Oh.¡± The secretary clapped her hands together. ¡°That reminds me, what do you specialize in, Drake? You never informed me before you left.¡± As she finished speaking, the three adventurers turned to him expectantly with a look of curiosity.


    Well, at least I have a plan for something like this. Drake thought shrewdly.


    Drake held his hand out, as a crystal gauntlet suddenly materialized around his hand. Much like the previous experimental gauntlet, the tips were pointed dangerously, while the gauntlet came all the way up to his forearm. The only real changes were cosmetic, as Drake had gained considerable experience with attempting to create a suitable cloak and clothing for himself compared to the raggedy excuse for clothing that he had created before.


    ¡°I like to focus on physical combat, with a bit of conjuration magic to conjure weapons. I can make a lot of different things, but I like these gauntlets the best.¡± Drake said confidently.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    Although that¡¯s mainly because it¡¯s the same method of attack as my Draconian form. Learning to use a sword at this point compared to these two would just make me look silly. Drake knew that much. Acting like he used a real weapon would give him away quicker than anything else.


    I¡¯d like to keep my magic a secret from these three as well. Humans¡­ well, Humanoids, aren¡¯t able to sense demonic energy. They might get a bit of a creepy feeling if it¡¯s surrounding them, but they shouldn¡¯t be able to know that this is Pride mana at all just from seeing it.


    Drake had several questions regarding this topic as he questioned the demons earlier. According to them, they were never detected because of how demonic magic worked. While the envious nature of their mana certainly helped with their stealthy operation, they were the only ones in the city able to see and detect it reliably, discounting some fringe cases of healing magic being used on those whom they had control over. They weren¡¯t discovered, but the humanoids in question were able to tell that they had exorcised some form of ¡®poison¡¯ from their bodies.


    ¡°Woah, nice.¡± The swordsman of the group examined the gauntlets Drake had summoned up with an intense, almost possessive look. ¡°Hey, is that magic special or can anyone learn it.¡± Just from the question alone, it was obvious that such a technique appealed to the man.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a technique I learned that is exclusive to me.¡± Drake apologized as best he could as the gauntlets quickly shifted back into mist and flowed into Drake.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± Luke shook his head with a depressed look on his face. ¡°Damn, thanks anyway.¡±


    ¡°Anyway man, nice to meet ya. Like Cassandra said, Peter here is the meat shield, while me and Morgan do our best to kill whatever comes at us before it kills him.¡± A crude laugh and look was pointed at Peter, before he quickly got a punch in the arm.


    ¡°I said don¡¯t call me a meat shield, dammit.¡± Peter said. ¡°Played entirely too many games back before the world went to shit for that term to have a good meaning to it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Sorry man.¡± A mischievous smile was clear on his face as Luke apologized. Clearly this wasn¡¯t the first or last time.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good to meet you, Drake. It¡¯s nice to have another person to join us. With just the three of us, it can get a little bit shaky sometimes.¡± Morgan gave him a brief handshake, as he attempted to peer further inside Drake¡¯s hood. Clearly, his outfit always caused a bit of curiosity.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Drake said as looked to Cassandra. At the very least, he was relieved that no one seemed to notice Yami yet.


    ¡°So just where are we headed to anyway? You never told me beforehand.¡± Drake asked the secretary. A set of ruins that somehow increases the magic abilities of those who are nearby. No doubt they wanted to keep it a secret until it was time.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Cassandra gave a small bow as she began to explain. ¡°Out of the south gate, you need to travel for roughly half a day on our transport to arrive there. We will provide such transport, of course, but it will require a small payment.¡± The woman opened one eye expectantly at the four adventurers as a low groan escaped their mouths in unison.


    ¡°Here. Take it.¡± Peter shoved a mana core that was the size of a small orange towards her, with Luke and Morgan reluctantly conceding one to her as well. ¡°Just better be worth it is all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    A medium mana core is the payment, huh? He could see that it was necessary, but it still irritated Drake at how easily she was managing to take one of the cores he received. ¡°Fine. Here.¡± He tossed one into the small pile as well, which was quickly received and boxed up by Cassandra in a small pile of similarly sized cores.


    ¡°So, what are we riding anyway?¡± Luke was the first to ask the question. At such a price, of course they would be curious.


    ¡°Just follow me.¡± The woman promptly moved out from behind her desk as she walked to the back of the guild hall. As for the small group, they merely looked to one another before following after her in a small line.


    As they continued forward, a very distinct smell hit Drake¡¯s nose. It was familiar, almost excessively so. The smell of feces along with the faint scent of something else. Wait¡­


    ¡°Here we go. Fresh from the outside and trained as best we can manage. At least to the point where they won¡¯t attack ya.¡± Cassandra gave a sly wink as she spoke.


    ¡°Woah.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡± The other three of the group cried with various smiles of joy as they all looked to each other happily.


    In front of them were at least a dozen Ground Dragons, very similar to the duo that the caravan had brought in just that morning. As for the Ground Dragons themselves, the ones Guild Hall had stabled were of all various sizes and body shapes. There were a few types that Drake could see. Most of the ones that were offered were the bipedal type that Drake had come into town with and that excelled in quick travel and overall movement. The other, that Cassandra intentionally steered them away from, was a quadruped that seemed suited to pulling and working in town, and were focused much more on brute strength than any semblance of speed or bursts of movement.


    ¡°Dude, we actually get to ride one of these?!¡± Luke quickly ran up to one, only to have it snap in disgust at his hand. It was only due to his quick reaction time that he didn¡¯t end up with a mangled hand.


    ¡°Be careful. They¡¯re a lot smarter than they look.¡± Drake chuckled with a passive smile as he examined the various beasts. He had seen this exact type of monster earlier. Arguably, they were just as smart as himself, although he hadn¡¯t taken the time to check. No doubt he would end up learning now.


    ¡°Oh, be careful of that one. For some reason, it doesn¡¯t let others get close to it.¡± Cassandra snickered at the scene before giving a brief warning. ¡°Choose one of the others, and you won¡¯t have an issue.¡± She said.


    ¡°Pfft, damn bird monster.¡± Luke cursed at the black, raptor-like creature before promptly making his way over to another, who seemed considerably more open to his affection.


    Drake looked to the trio as they slowly chose each individual monster they wanted to ride. The differences between the monsters seemed clear to him. There were undeniably second or even third tier in terms of speed and power here, even among the same type. While they would certainly do the job that was needed for their journey, Cassandra seemed to be taking advantage of their inexperience with such creatures. Otherwise, they would never be allowed to simply choose out of such a variety. He likely would have fell for it himself if he hadn¡¯t seen them before.


    Moreover, the weaker Ground Dragons would undoubtedly be the first ones to be attacked if something went wrong, it was a simple matter of survival. No, the one he wanted was clear.


    ¡°Hm? Hey Drake, what are you doing! I already warned you, that one still won¡¯t listen!¡± Cassandra balked as Drake leisurely walked over to the black Ground Dragon who had ruthlessly snapped at Luke without a second thought.


    Disregarding the warning, Drake slowly approached the beast, step by step, his eyes full of vague recognition.


    I know you, don¡¯t I? Drake shook his head as the gears in his mind were spinning faster and faster. The other three the others seemed to have chosen he didn¡¯t recognize, but this one. It was one of the two that was brought in just this morning, now that he was closer he was sure of it. The black Ground Dragon that screeched at him as he passed its cage, warning him away from itself and its companion as he made his way to Aleria. Even then, he knew it wasn¡¯t out of aggression, rather, it screeched as if it was warning off a creature it felt was dangerous.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Cassandra tried to stop him by grabbing his arm as Drake walked forward, only for the Ground Dragon to lunge and screech at the young secretary as she attempted to stop him. Luke briefly stepped forward to stop him as well, only to shrink back as Cassandra did.


    Drake winced at the sudden sound, but as it looked back towards him, he could see a certain glimmer in the creature¡¯s eyes, as if it wanted him to come even closer.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Drake muttered to the creature. Frozen in place, Cassandra only watched as Drake walked forward, and moved his hand slowly towards the creature, stopping just before its head. As he held his hand there, the creature stared at Drake, letting the moments pass by as the two only looked to each other. Then, as if he passed an invisible test, the black Ground Dragon slowly bowed and allowed Drake¡¯s hand to gently rest on top of its head.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding. That thing was so prideful, it wouldn¡¯t even let the Tamers near it.¡± Cassandra looked on with a feeling of surprise and awe, baffled at scene that just played out in front of her.


    They had bought the creature after seeing its superior build and having Lamario identify the creature, but had put it here out of frustration once things had turned sour. They fully expected to be contesting the creature for another week at least, but this mysterious man simply walked in and had it accept him.


    Seeing such a sight, she couldn¡¯t help but shake her head with a reluctant smile, as she walked over and clapped Drake on the shoulder. ¡°Well, I guess you can take that one. Might as well, no one else could even get close to it.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Drake quickly shook his head, still surprised by the creature¡¯s reaction. Did it allow him to get that close because it remembered him, or something else¡­


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s get going!¡± Morgan happily climbed atop one of the creatures he chose, and made himself comfortable before slowly getting used to the reins of the creature and leading it out of the back of the Guild Hall. The other two quickly joined in, to mixed success.


    The black Ground Dragon seemed to smirk at him, before leaning down to allow him on. Drake climbed on without a second thought, much to its satisfaction.


    Then, Cassandra took out a small sheet of parchment and handed it to Drake. It seemed to be a rough map of the area, with a detailed sketch of the area around the city and the route to the ruins, complete with the groves, forests, rivers, and other features as well. ¡°Here. You¡¯ll need this to get there reliably. The ruins are a bit out of the way, but this will help you find it easily.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Drake responded. ¡°See you after we figure out what¡¯s at the ruins!¡±


    Drake rode out from the Guild Hall¡¯s stable on his Ground Dragon, and quickly met up with the others as they were slowly trotting their way out of the city.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, Drake, what¡¯s that?¡± Luke looked back to see Drake carrying a small piece of parchment in his hand.


    ¡°A map just to make sure we don¡¯t get lost.¡± He showed off the map, before taking a better look at exactly where the route was. ¡°It looks like our basic plan is to head south and search the area around here.¡± Drake murmured out loud. ¡°The path led down through a forest in the south.¡±


    ¡°The south? Damn. It¡¯s been better lately, but the goblins around there have been nasty lately. They¡¯ll even attack an escort like us if they have the numbers.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re weak, but monsters like them definitely have the power to overwhelm us if we aren¡¯t careful.¡± Peter and Morgan looked back to Drake and explained.


    Drake couldn¡¯t help but wonder a bit about their attitude. The goblins he knew of were weak, almost pathetically so. Right before he met Yami, he had killed one with his bare hands. It wasn¡¯t possible to lump a monster that was so weak together with monsters that could actually prove to be a threat.


    Could it be that goblins are actually able to grow stronger like I am? The pathetic, mindless creature that I could kill with less than a thought can actually grow to be a threat to trained adventurers?


    ¡°There are strong goblins?¡± Drake was in disbelief that they were talking about the same creature.


    ¡°Unfortunately, yes, there are. But from what we know, they don¡¯t hide out in the forests that the ruins are near. The strong goblins, the ones that can lead their tribes, are careful. They know how far our sphere of influence extends, which is why we regularly try to clear out the surrounding area around Fortress as much as possible.¡± Peter explained.


    ¡°Plus, thanks to Morgan who can use some large scale spells, we really don¡¯t have to worry about them unless we are surrounded. We should be fine as long as we¡¯re careful.¡± Luke tried to reassure Drake as best he could.


    ¡°I see. Well, thanks for telling me. I¡¯m still somewhat new to this area. So, are we going to be camping out in the forest tonight?¡± The way to the ruins was far, which was why it required the Ground Dragons in the first place. It would take at least half a day to get there riding them, and it was going to be nightfall in a few hours at the most.


    ¡°No. The forest itself is quite dangerous. We could handle some of the monsters, but the hanging spiders that try to trap you from the trees and forest worms that try to swallow you whole make the entire place way too dangerous to stay overnight.¡±


    Wait, seriously? Drake was shocked. I never came across anything like that. That¡¯s some of the monsters that were in the forests I was in the entire time?!


    ¡°Agreed. That is too dangerous.¡± Drake really had no argument otherwise.


    So, the plan would be to camp out on the plains near the forest itself. Stay near the road, so the group could keep a good distance in eyeshot so they weren¡¯t surrounded and trapped. For the average group of adventurers, the perfect plan.


    [Still, we aren¡¯t exactly the average adventurer pair though, are we Yami?] Drake gave a smug laugh as he prodded at the imp inside his hood.


    [Heh, you enjoy this sort of thing a bit too much Drake.] She knew perfectly well how Drake felt. He was enjoying the feeling of ¡®acting¡¯ human, while keeping in check just how much power he truly had.


    [Well it¡¯s nice. This is what I missed out on, being around other humans¡­] Drake said in a hushed, melancholic manner. In a way, despite how he didn¡¯t regret what had happened at all, there was still a part of him that wished things had turned out differently. That he wasn¡¯t shoe-horned into this fate.


    [Drake¡­] His feelings came across to Yami almost immediately, which put her on guard. For her, Drake was truly the bedrock of her existence, something that she always wanted to be a part of. She had known that from the moment she was born. For him to be questioning that¡­


    [Don¡¯t worry, it was just me mulling over some things.] Drake cracked a smile as he nudged Yami again. [I¡¯ve never regretted meeting you. Promise.]


    [Hmph.] She huffed a bit before settling back down. For her, that was all she ever needed to hear.

 Chapter 8 Part 1

    Chapter 8


    Drake and the other three continued to travel along the path to the ruins over the rest of the evening. They hadn¡¯t been terribly cautious on the journey; the Ground Dragons were fast enough to outrun the vast majority of creatures. Truthfully, the only real threat would be monsters like the Wyvern who could travel vast distances in the air.


    Regardless of a threat like that, Drake was confident that he would be able to handle just about any creature they came across. If push came to shove, he would simply transform and handle the situation with magic, but then he would have a whole other host of problems he would rather not deal with.


    Besides, I actually like hanging around these guys. He pondered to himself. He had always been somewhat of a loner in the old world, never really putting much effort into making friends past what was needed, but the more laid-back attitudes of those who lived in the old world was something that missed.


    Despite Drake being lost in his own thoughts for a moment, Yami had been continually poking Drake in the neck. Her patience was clearly beginning to wane.


    [Drake¡­] The tone in her voice was unmistakable.


    [I know, I know.] He couldn¡¯t help but snicker a bit at the small imp¡¯s cries. She had been very insistent about wanting to be out in the open more once they left the city, but due to circumstances, had been kept hidden. She would never be able to keep up with them after all. Given that Drake wanted for her to have a proper introduction, he simply couldn¡¯t let her pop up out of nowhere, so she had been simply left to herself, occasionally peeking out of his hood in increasing irritation.


    Enduring her occasional cries for freedom, Drake chatted back and forth between the party, as they to travel through the evening sun for several more hours, occasionally stopping to let the Ground Dragon rest. All the while, an obstinate imp continued to squirm and move around in Drake¡¯s hood, which led to more than a few curious stares from the trio.


    [Stop already!] Yami was becoming more and more irritated, to the point where she was even starting to pull on his hair. [It¡¯s too stuffy in here!]


    [We will be stopping soon.] Drake replied with a tinge of pain as she sharply tugged on him. She wasn¡¯t being lenient on his hair and was starting to pull on it harder and harder in her tantrum.


    [You better.] Creases appeared in Yami¡¯s brow. Sensing that after only another half hour or so she¡¯d explode and do something outrageous, Drake suggested to the others to stop and set up camp for the night, which the others agreed to easily. Regardless of their improved bodies, riding for long periods of time wore them out easier than they were expecting.


    They each stopped and tied their Ground Dragons to a nearby tree, and began to gather materials for the coming night. As the other members of the group went about their business, Drake took a long breath before sitting down on a patch of cleared ground, and finally pulled back his hood. As he did, they all looked at him with as mild surprise registered on the faces on the trio.


    ¡°Drake¡­ you have some unique eyes. Black horns too.¡± Peter paused before chuckling to himself. ¡°I can see why you were so insistent on keeping the hood up until we were well out of town.¡± Peter said offhandedly, as he examined him closely. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of races like yours, it definitely wasn¡¯t one of the common choices among people.¡±


    So, there¡¯s actually others similar to me? Drake¡¯s eyes widened slightly as he took in the information. Certainly, that was something to be filed away for later.


    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t fought one myself, I would have said that you were some kind of demon.¡± Peter laughed as he looked over to Luke and Morgan, who quickly returned his smile as they became accustomed to his intimidating look.


    ¡°Well, at least you understand why I had to hide from you guys for so long,¡± Drake said, as addressed the trio. ¡°If it got around that I look like this, I might get any number of people making trouble for me.¡±


    ¡°And, speaking of demons¡­¡± Drake couldn¡¯t help but laugh mischievously, as Yami slowly peeked over his shoulder. ¡°Here¡¯s my partner, Yami.¡±


    ¡°An imp.¡± They all called out in unison, with Morgan¡¯s eyes especially lighting up at the sight of her.


    ¡°Aww, look at her!¡± Morgan hastily hid his excitement as he quickly ran over, and attempted to get a better look.


    ¡°And that explains why your hood was moving so much.¡± Luke¡¯s reaction to Yami was just a smug smile. ¡°Me and Peter had a bet that you were like us. It just turns out you just had a small friend in there.¡±


    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, Yami stuck out her tongue cutely, as she hid behind Drake¡¯s head again.


    [Nice to meet you too, wolfy.] The sarcasm in her voice was clear, as she transmitted her thoughts to the entire group.


    ¡°Wait, was she talking about me?¡± Luke opened his mouth in mock-horror as he contained his laughter as best he could. ¡°Well, that one of the most unique greetings I¡¯ve had.¡± He laughed heartily, before turning to Drake and Yami with a curious stare. ¡°Really, I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s even talking to us. Most masters give them some kind of stupid order like, ¡®Don¡¯t talk with any other people or monsters.¡¯ Makes the poor things seem pretty sad if you ask me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d never do that to her.¡± Drake smiled softly, as he thought over what Luke said. ¡°Besides, like I mentioned, we¡¯re more partners than master and servant.¡±


    Yami was right after all. He had never seen it himself, but just like he kept Yami hidden, he would assume most others would do the same. With the master¡¯s absolute control, imps would be reduced to little more than a novelty in most cases. Of course, given how slavery was viewed in the old world, such masters would obviously not be viewed positively. Keeping the imps out of sight would be a simple course of action.


    ¡°Really now? Well, she certainly has her own personality.¡± Luke commented.


    ¡°She sure does, wolfy.¡± Peter couldn¡¯t help himself as he ruthlessly exploited Yami¡¯s small jab at Luke.


    ¡°Oh, shut it!¡± Luke quickly retorted. ¡°That is not going to become a thing.¡±


    The back and forth between the two had been a common occurrence ever since the two met each other. While neither would admit it, they secretly enjoyed the small jabs at one another, otherwise, it never would have kept up for as long as it had.


    Meanwhile, while Luke and Peter were doing their best to mock one another, Morgan was fervently attempting to get a better look at Yami who was perched cautiously on Drake¡¯s shoulder. He seemed to have a special interest in her, although for what reason Drake couldn¡¯t tell. Unknown to Drake, Morgan even took the initiative and began to try to speak to her.


    [So, you¡¯re Yami?] The passion in Morgan¡¯s voice was clear. [Just how long have you been with Drake? Do you ever wish you could join someone else?] He obviously wished that he had an imp of his own.


    Unfortunately for Morgan however, Yami wasn¡¯t exactly the friendliest of Imps. She had long had an innate dislike for humanoids, but even despite that, an ever so discreet smile grew as Yami took advantage of the link Morgan had graciously given her.


    There was a slight pause between the two as Yami gasped silently to herself on Drake¡¯s shoulder. Her abilities concerning those who she was able to spy was dependent on just how connected she was to others. Making a one-sided link to spy on someone over a long period of time would give her the ability to simply overhear their thoughts, but after a considerable increase in those powers thanks to Drake, skimming through the surface memories of someone she had a two-way connection with was a simple enough task.


    [You¡¯re¡­ not quite what you say you are, are you?] Yami¡¯s attitude lightened considerably as she spoke to Morgan. [Drake said you were a Transmuter. So, you used that to change your body¡­ although for what reason is anyone¡¯s guess. Were you really that afraid of being treated differently?] She took on an inquisitive tone, neither judging or overly friendly.


    Morgan¡¯s eyes widened suddenly at the Imp¡¯s small, bell-like tone, at first clearly happy that she had decided to speak to her in return, but quickly sunk into dread as Yami continued to speak.


    [How..?] That was the single phrase that Morgan could manage. No one in the city knew of the secret he kept, he had even chosen the Transmuter specialization exactly to further refine the ability to modify the body.


    [You should be more careful about talking to demons. We¡¯re rather fickle.] Yami chuckled, as she quickly floated off Drake¡¯s shoulder and over towards Morgan. Drake didn¡¯t take much notice of it. Yami had wanted to stretch her wings anyway.


    [Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell Drake, or your companions either. Rather, I¡¯m quite happy. It might cause issues if Drake knew given his personality. It seems to be a problem, actually. Make sure to find this person, be nice to others, so many things despite the potential risks. It¡¯s one endless cycle after another with him. And...] Yami paused, as she chuckled to herself. [He also has a tender spot for girls, despite how that tends to work out.] She ended sarcastically.


    [You¡­ How could you!] Morgan huffed to herself as her secret was exposed. She had kept up the ruse for close to a month now, fooling both Peter and Luke completely. As a human, she had always had a¡­ flat figure, so it wasn¡¯t difficult for her to pass as a man either.


    Morgan was one of the myriad of races that had elven blood. Given both the male and female¡¯s intrinsic beauty, it was a simple matter to modify her face and voice to appear more manly, since male elves looked so androgynous to begin with.


    [I¡­ just wanted to talk to you. You looked so cute.] Morgan sighed sadly as she looked over to the imp. She couldn¡¯t believe that she would betray her so easily. She was under the impression that all the imps were sweet and innocent. Certainly not strong enough or malicious enough as to peek into her thoughts at a moment¡¯s notice.


    And although she wasn¡¯t wrong, most Imps simply didn¡¯t have Yami¡¯s enhanced abilities to do that. As for Morgan, she was glad that the imp seemed to be happy to keep her secret, anyway.


    ¡°Hey Morgan, you alright?¡± Peter asked out of concern. His friend¡¯s sudden movement was odd to say the least.


    ¡°Hm? Yeah, just... clearing my head.¡± She smiled as she gave a quick, pointed glance at Yami, who was quick to pick up on her feelings, and which left Yami with a strange sense of satisfaction.


    As the group climbed off their various mounts, Drake looked to the creature he chose with a satisfied smile. Unlike the others, it gave him minimal issues, even going so far as to modify its leaping run when he complained to the others about his discomfort.


    I chose right, after all. Drake scratched the creature under its neck, a gesture that it seemed to enjoy immensely. As he finished, it looked at him in the eyes for a moment, before giving Drake a content cry, and laying down to rest. Regardless of his own thoughts on the matter, the intelligence the creature had most certainly rivaled that of animals like a crow, or raven, rather ironic given its pitch-black color.


    Combine that with its willingness to follow his orders, and he was left with a strange sense of attachment to the creature. He had no doubt in his mind that it had briefly seen his true form, every creature in the camp had, but he hadn¡¯t put any thought into it at the time. Aleria had been freed, and even the Harpy had flown away, leaving only those who were less intelligent left. What harm was there to let them simply sell animals off?Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Looking back now, it seemed that thought was faulty, to say the least. Without a doubt, this particular creature seemed to idolize him from that, at least from Drake¡¯s perspective. He had briefly asked Yami to ask the creature, but she seemed unwilling. Apparently, it had no real language, which left her with no answers besides what Drake had already guessed. That the Ground Dragon looked to him as a source of leadership.


    Well, as long as it¡¯s on my side, that¡¯s all that really matters in the end. Drake laughed reluctantly to himself.


    ¡°Aaahhh¡­¡± Taking a brief moment to stretch, Drake let out a content sigh. Still, given that they were out in the wilderness, Drake and the others quickly began to set up a base camp for the night. Nothing overly fancy, for tonight, it was nothing more than a hardy piece of cloth to sleep on, eating through a ration or two, and generally ensuring the safety of their surroundings. Given that adventurers had a small assortment of goods that were often carried with them for such an occasion, Drake had made sure to take advantage of that while he wandered through the city earlier in the day.


    Happy with how everything looked, Drake decided he was finished setting up for the night, and sat down as he finished lashing his Ground Dragon to the ground to begin to lay down for the night. As he did, a thought crossed his mind as he looked over to Morgan.


    ¡°By the way Morgan, I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you, but just how exactly does your magic work? Mine is pretty basic overall. Like you saw, it¡¯s about all I can do to summon my weapons on a regular basis.¡± Drake looked to Morgan with a relaxed smile.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, really?!¡± Morgan quickly shook herself out of her stupor as Luke and Peter looked to each other with a small sigh as they were finishing up their own preparations. The last thing anyone wanted to do was listen as Morgan went on and on about this sort of thing.


    Quickly leaping into a smile, Morgan sat down before happily giving her explanation. ¡°It¡¯s really quite amazing. You see, all wizards need to prepare the magic they will use the day prior. It¡¯s important to know which spells you are planning to use, although given how new I am to it, I still don¡¯t have all that many choices.¡± She snickered to herself as she continued.


    ¡°Remember this, Drake. Once a wizard uses up all their spells, and they don¡¯t have any other form of magic on their body, they¡¯re no different from a typical civilian besides some parlor tricks. I can use some extremely basic attack spells once I¡¯ve run out, Ray of Frost being one of them, but even my higher ranked spells can be more utility based than anything else. Detect Magic is probably one of my most useful higher ranked spells.¡±


    ¡°Really? So that¡¯s how it works.¡± Drake sat down as Morgan continued to explain.


    So, Wizards have a spell to detect magic¡­ but are unable to track the demons in the city. The Sin of Envy really is suitable for subterfuge. Drake thought amusingly to himself. The spells the Humanoids use must have some level of restriction as well, given how this system of magic is balanced. Of course, this is all for just these so called Wizards. Who knows what other rules others may have for their magic.


    ¡°Given my elven blood, I have a slight advantage over other magic users as well. Most other races have to physically rest to recharge themselves, but I¡¯m able to meditate for a short time for the same effect, effectively halving the time. The effects really aren¡¯t any different either.¡±


    Drake was a bit surprised in her ability, and he listened with interest.


    ¡°Then, using the method that was ingrained in me when I chose this path, my¡­ spirit I guess you can call it, touches the wide grid of energy that seems to flow around the world like a spider web. The more powerful I am, the more nodes I am able to access, which is what allows me a greater variety and number of spells to cast. Of course, this includes the weakest spells as well. While the lowest levels of spells obviously don¡¯t work as well, I can also handle more of those than the handful of rank 2 spells I know.¡±


    Even among the most powerful Wizards, they were restricted by this system. Of course, that only included those who used such a system in the first place.


    ¡°That¡¯s really amazing. So, using your spirit, you¡¯re able to connect to some kind of energy field?¡± Drake said.


    ¡°Right. It¡¯s through that field that I¡¯m able to replenish myself. I¡¯m unsure if I would even be able to do so without it.¡±


    So, she uses her spirit¡­ could it be like my connection with my mana core and the natural mana around me. Regardless of that, the spider-like web surrounding everything is definitely new. Could her method allow her to reach farther out than I do and connect to it? Drake pondered over what he learned about their system of magic. Certainly, it had its advantages and disadvantages.


    Drake¡¯s magic, before he had developed his demonic mana, was essentially nothing more than a poorer version of the Humanoid¡¯s version. It was entirely possible for him to spend all of the mana in his body in one attack, leaving him completely helpless afterward. The amount of time he spent refilling his body with mana was a gruesome process for him as well.


    However, as he was now, he could say that he had an edge over such a system in longevity at the very least. His demonic magic had always trended towards maintaining the level of mana in his body, even going so far as increasing it as he re-absorbed the mana that was converted while he was attacking.


    In comparison, their version seemed to focus entirely on brief bursts of differing levels of power. While Drake certainly outclassed Wizards of his own level in most regards, their variety and methods of attack was something that Drake could only hope to imitate. At most, it could give him some ideas, but his path was entirely different from users of magic like Gwyn and Morgan. He would have to progress down his own path, rather than rely on the systems of magic that Humanoids used.


    With such a restrictive method of magic, Drake could see that he was rather lucky that such a system hadn¡¯t been set in stone for a long time. If it had, and there wasn¡¯t a conclusive method that was well known to imitate his own mana gauntlets, he would¡¯ve drawn much more suspicion to himself.


    ¡°Sorry about that Drake, he can be a little zealous about teaching that system of his to others. God knows how much time he spent trying to get us to learn it.¡± Peter lamented to Drake. ¡°Every day for a week at one point he tried ¡®showing us how to connect¡¯ to the damn thing.¡± He shrugged. ¡°Just doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Same here. Probably has to do with our type of race, but it¡¯s whatever.¡±   Luke joined in, with a sly grin on his face. ¡°More fun getting to fight with such a great body anyway.¡±


    Much like certain races were especially well known for magic use throughout various sources, others were known just as equally to specialize in physical combat, often specializing in that art to the detriment of everything else.


    Or to put it more bluntly, trying to teach them how to use magic was like teaching a fish how to climb a tree. One could certainly try, but it would be a waste of everyone¡¯s time. Better to let them focus on what they already excelled at.


    The group looked to one another with a growing sense of enjoyment. Talking to each other and bantering among one another over something like magic in such a mundane way was enough to make them all chuckle with one another.


    ¡°Hey! I was just trying to help you! The first levels are really useful even to beginners, look!¡± Morgan yelled out to Peter and Luke. With a snap of her fingers, the small bundle of tinder that had been collected for their campfire instantly came to life, the small flame already beginning to grow.


    ¡°See! Like I said, useful.¡± Morgan smiled triumphantly at her small accomplishment. At the very least, no one could deny that it saved time.


    ¡°We know, Morgan.¡± They responded in unison. The two beast-men had long since grown used to Morgan¡¯s small displays. Given that they had no talent to learn magic in the first place, it was something they reluctantly put up with. Besides, Morgan was very useful in combat. Often, he was the one who was able to attack first, and the one to finish off opponents they otherwise wouldn¡¯t be able to.


    [Drake.] Yami suddenly called out to Drake, who was leisurely enjoying the conversation between the trio. The warning in her voice was clear to him.


    [Hm? What is it?] Drake was put on guard. There was only one other time Yami had sounded so worried. It was when the doppelgangers had quickly come upon them.


    [Ten¡­ Twenty¡­ no, twenty-five enemies are coming this way. They¡¯ve surrounded us, and are closing in as we speak.]


    [What!?] Drake jumped to his feet and looked around to the encroaching darkness of the night to look for the potential enemies. To his annoyance, whatever Yami was sensing was still well out of sight. Well, it was best that she had such an impressive range in the first place.


    He looked to the others to warn them of the incoming fight, but to his surprise, Peter and Luke¡¯s demeanor had already hardened to a tense, wary expression. It looked like their new race was well suited for such a thing.


    ¡°You feel it too?¡± Drake asked inquisitively.


    ¡°Hmph. Impossible not to. Although, I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re capable of such a thing as well. Or¡­¡± Peter gave a discreet smile to the small imp on Drake¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s right, imps are just as suited for this sort of thing as we are. Good to see it.¡± Peter smiled.


    ¡°So, what now?¡±  Luke interjected into the conversation. ¡°There¡¯s a lot coming this way, we need to move.¡±


    Drake shook his head, waving that notion away in a moment. ¡°Yami said we¡¯re surrounded. We¡¯ll need to fight our way out if we¡¯re going to have a chance. Still, can¡¯t you tell what they are Yami?¡±


    ¡°Pfft. I only recognize mana signatures, I¡¯m not all powerful. You¡¯d have a better chance figuring out their forms than me, if you used your mana that is.¡± Yami said to Drake in a sarcastic manner, as she dug a bit into Drake¡¯s predicament about his disguise. ¡°I can tell they¡¯re coming sure, but for something new, and with such little time, I don¡¯t have many options.¡± She puffed her cheeks up. Given the time, she would be able to identify and track any signature she had some familiarity with. It was already a boon of her abilities that she was able to sense them so far out to begin with. Drake should be more appreciative.


    ¡°No good.¡± Drake looked to the others sourly.


    ¡°Drake¡­¡± Yami warned.


    ¡°Something moved.¡± Peter stared off into the darkness of the setting sun, the tension palpable in his voice. Both Peter and Luke quickly drew their weapons, as Morgan took put a small crystal, holding it tightly in her hand.


    ¡°Where is it?¡±


    ¡°There. Right there.¡± Peter pointed in response to Luke¡¯s question to a part of the surrounding forest. Since it was shaded by trees, the shadows it created made it difficult to see anything inside, but even so, with Yami¡¯s own warning just before, and their own considerable senses, Drake didn¡¯t doubt a word of it.


    [Drake, just listen. This¡­ is wrong somehow. They¡¯re weak, but much stronger than they¡¯re ever meant to be. Something is influencing their signal, that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t recognize it.] Yami shook her head as she continued to analyze the signal that was radiating throughout the air to her. The presence that was mixed in, it reminded her of the domineering presence of the Draconian.


    While they were talking, the forest floor began to stir, and the monsters in question slowly came into view. As Drake saw them, he let out an involuntary snarl as he recognized the creatures immediately. They were goblins, but undeniably larger than the one he killed as it spawned in.


    The smaller ones, roughly a dozen or so, were similar to the goblins he had grown used to through games. They surrounded his small group in a semi-circular motion, each with a disgusting, lolling grin on their faces. Their flattened noses, and two visible fangs stuck up out of their mouths. In contrast to the one he killed, these had light brown skin, with clumps of grimy, black hair. Over themselves they wore what looked to be animal hides, with each carrying a club and a wooden shield in each hand. That was only the half of it however.


    Another dozen completed the circle behind the group, although these monsters were considerably larger. Their jaws jutted forward, and while they were somewhat more human-like, the feral look in their eyes and the guttural language they were muttering among each other dashed that notion quickly. They carried weapons as well, but compared to the oversized sticks the goblins carried, they carried legitimate threats. Crudely constructed swords and spears, but more lethal nonetheless. The horrid stench from their clothing, to the way that they resembled a twisted hairless chimpanzee left a shudder rolling down Drake¡¯s spine. These monsters were the inhuman race known as hobgoblins.


    ¡°What the hell, there aren¡¯t supposed to be any goblins in this area!¡± Luke lamented their situation.


    ¡°We need to kill the small ones first, Morgan. We have time if we hurry. Use sleep on the gobs and we¡¯ll get this over quick before the real fight.¡± Peter quickly gave an order to Morgan, who responded with a short nod before raising her hand.


    ¡°Sleep!¡± As Morgan yelled out the spell, a violet energy appeared in midair as it surrounded the goblins, and one by one, they began to drop to the ground. Over half a dozen dropped before the four remaining goblins slowly lolled their heads back and forth before quickly snapping to, and looking dangerously towards Drake and the others.


    ¡°Dammit, that¡¯s all huh?¡± Peter muttered to himself before charging forward, with Luke close behind him, sword drawn. ¡°Morgan, slow the hobs down! Drake, you and your small friend there distract the hobs too. We need some time killing the stragglers first!¡± He shouted loudly, as he ran forward to the remaining goblins, axe and shield in tow.


    ¡°Right!¡± Morgan turned to the opposite direction as the hobgoblins began to fight their way out of the surrounding brush and into the small clearing.


    ¡°Heh, right.¡± Drake said with a smile. He got to play around with the actual threat while they just pointlessly slaughtered the small fry. What more could he ask for?


    ¡°Fog Cloud!¡± Drake heard a shout from Morgan as a large wall of mist emerged from her hand. It quickly obscured the opposite side of the camp, covering the hobgoblins in a thick fog.


    Impressive. With Yami, they might not get out of that fog at all. Drake could help but think with approval. The Wizard¡¯s wide spell array along with the seamless teamwork between the other team members, it must have taken them a while to know each other abilities inside out.


    Maybe Drake was biased, given his own seamless connection with Yami, but getting anyone to co-operate with one another had always been an issue as people often fought for dominance. Getting everyone comfortable with their own position in a group could be difficult with even experienced groups.


    ¡°Drake, do you need any backup from me besides support magic? I only have Magic Missiles, and Chromatic orb as offensive spells for today¡­¡± Morgan was clearly annoyed at herself. Besides a few essential abilities she kept for teamwork sake, like sleep, she liked to experiment. Clearly the fog wall was one such case.


    ¡°Just support me as best you can. I have my own helper, you know.¡± Drake chuckled.


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ sure?¡± The sense of worry in Morgan¡¯s tone was obvious. True, Drake would be concealed, but the fog wall did very little for protection. He could easily be killed if something went wrong. Morgan was uneasy about that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I might not look it, but I have quite a bit of experience as well.¡± Drake said with a grim smirk.


    [Yami, spray the fog wall with shards. I¡¯ll use the stolen Lord¡¯s mana to track those inside and kill them. Easy as pie.]


    [Hmph. Finally get to have some fun.] Yami flew up with an evil smile as she quickly positioned herself over the fog. Extending her arms out in both directions, a fan of crystals appeared in the air, as it quickly rained down on those inside the fog wall. Screams of pain and horror quickly followed, as Drake¡¯s mana quickly took effect.


    My turn. With a diabolical laugh, Drake quickly launched himself into the fog.

 Chapter 8 Part 2

    Part 2


    In a lonesome cavern, hundreds of feet underground, stood a single woman. Her ears were pointed like an elf¡¯s, but she was undeniably not one of the many humans who had transformed only a little more than a month ago. On top of her head protruded a pair of long antlers, and while her body was undeniably on the smaller side, she was growing quickly in this environment, regardless of the dark and dreary conditions. Her entire body was wrapped in a layer of leaves and vines that kept her somewhat decent, while her alluring face bore a faint, slim smile that exuded a sense of deep dignity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my little Aesir. I am drawing as much as I possibly can here to feed you. Soon, your leaves will pierce the heavens, and everyone will look to you as a source of might and power.¡± She tenderly caressed the slim branches of a sapling, her voice full of care.


    The woman was a Dryad, one of the highest levels of evolution for the nymph race. They relied heavily on cultivating their own trees, often bonding themselves to a tree or group of trees. And although they were secretive, and largely believed to simply be mythical existences that were a pipe dream for the lower races, there was currently one right now, who was well on her way to establishing her dream.


    Next to her, was a single sapling, one that she had an intimate connection with from the moment she was born. In a matter of a few weeks, it would begin its growth stage and grow at a rate so quick, that it would shock anyone and everyone who witnessed it. Although any normal sapling would normally have a much slower process, due to her creators, she had been granted an Aesir seed, a mythical and holy tree so grand, that it was rumored to have pierced the heavens.


    ¡°Hm, another group so soon? Well, with any luck they¡¯ll die before they reach here.¡± The Dryad¡¯s lilting voice said.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯d be best if you waited longer, darling. I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± The Dryad laughed confidently.


    She was currently standing in front of a clear, crystal-like pool of water, which was reflecting a group of monsters, one of the many which regularly swarmed the surface near her center. They had made their way to her location far above ground in an attempt to advance themselves and gain power. The large swelling of mana she had gathered to draw towards her beloved sapling had pooled above ground and allowed them to grow, but at a considerable cost. As they grew in power from the high levels of mana in the air above her beloved sapling, their limited intelligence grew to be more and more influenced by the sapling, and equally, the Dryad. As they were now, they were nothing but guards who would repel any who would come too close.


    This group of monsters had surrounded a small group of four, and the monsters looked to be in the prime position to wipe them out. The humanoids were horribly outnumbered, and given that over half the goblins had evolved due to the extensive radiation of her darling¡¯s mana, they would be the ones to finish the group off.


    ¡°Wait¡­ what¡­ is that?¡± The Dryad looked on with an intent stare an imp sprayed a storm of shards down on a fog wall that a wizard had created. Under any normal conditions, the magic a stray imp that was connected to a humanoid would do minimal damage, but the hobgoblins that were hit were screaming in terror the moments the shards pierced their skin.


    Those who were hit in their torso collapsed in a stuttering motion, and she felt the mana that she used to control them be absorbed into the crystals. Soon after, the crystals began to draw on the lifeforce of the hobgoblins, and the skin of the creatures began to crack and splinter as it began to draw on the lifeforce of the creatures as the mana in their bodies depleted.


    Those who were only scratched suffered minimal injuries from the strange magic, while those who were hit in their limbs were still able to survive for a period longer than the others. Still, that wasn¡¯t the worst of it. The horned man, the one she believed to be the imp¡¯s master, looked to be using a similar magic. It was strange, he wasn¡¯t using the crystal shards that the imp was, instead relying on a custom weapon made up of a clawed gauntlet.


    The mana that made up the gauntlet looked to be even more potent than the imp¡¯s, as he charged forward into the mist and began to slaughter those unlucky enough to be caught inside the fog wall. With every hobgoblin he attacked, came a miserable cry in agony as soon as the crystal gauntlet pierced their skin.


    ¡°Why is it the humanoid who is the more powerful of the two?¡± The Dryad looked on with suspicion as she watched them fight. ¡°If the imp was the source of such magic, those crystal shards would be the one who was affecting the hobgoblins more.¡±


    It was undeniable, that duo was the most powerful of the group. Why such a humanoid was even associated with others who were of considerably lower power was curious, but the trouble was, they were making quick work of her guards.


    ¡°He and his imp already killed six in less than a minute, while the other three are only just now finishing off my goblins. Haaa¡­¡± She let out a long sigh as she peered at the remaining members of her guards. ¡°They simply aren¡¯t strong enough.¡±


    Various groups of humanoids had managed to find her center aboveground, but they had always been quick to run away. They had never tried to fight her miniature army with force, or enter her lair, and so were able to get away with their lives. But now, the first group she managed to catch had a monster of a humanoid in their group. He had single handedly saved them with that strange magic.


    ¡°So annoying. At this rate, they¡¯ll all die¡­ What to do, what to do¡­¡± She pondered to herself shortly, before widening her eyes with the light of a sudden idea. Chuckling to herself for a small moment, a small, almost insignificant seed sprouted from her hand. Despite that, it glowed with an imperceptible force.


    ¡°Well, let us see just how impressive you truly are.¡± She pressed the seed to the ground, as the cavern began to shake and echo.


    *****


    *Shlick*


    With a sickening laugh, Drake drew his hand out of another Hobgoblin. It unnerved him at first, given the creature¡¯s more human-like appearance. He had never been one to intentionally cause anything to suffer as a human after all, rather, he was always the first one to oppose such things. But now, surrounded by the thrill of combat, Drake could feel the intoxicating sense of combat to wash over him with every moment that passed.


    ¡°Hehe.. just the right mixture of danger to practice my movements. Haaa¡­ it reminds me too much of a game really.¡± Drake chuckled to himself with a deep, slow laugh.


    It was all too easy to dissociate the bloody slaughter he was causing with the thrill of combat, especially after he got started. Anyone who fought with another, even for a moment, could begin to feel their blood begin to boil. This was simply an extension of that.


    As for how he had managed to kill so many, Yami alone had outright killed two as the demonic crystals absorbed their life energy within moments after it had fully drained them of their mana. The chest was truly a prime spot, given its proximity to all the vital organs in the body.


    The other ten had varying degrees of injury, although half of them were only glancing blows. For Drake himself, the faint, ethereal mist he used to search out the demons in the city had heavily permeated the fog Morgan had released by this point. While he had minimal vision, much like the hobgoblins, that faint mist was more than enough to sense them out, and let his enhanced physical senses compensate for the rest.


    In the end, blinded and without a way to know where he was attacking them, these hobgoblins were nothing more than a smarter, more physically adept version of a normal goblin. They had no formation, merely using their overwhelming numbers and force to unthinkingly attack any enemies. Take away their vision, and weaken them from afar, and the results showed themselves easily for Drake.


    Just four more¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll even take them all out before the others are finished. Drake thought to himself with another crude laugh.


    However, just as Drake began to position himself to gut another Hobgoblin, he suddenly felt an intense rush of mana surround him, putting him immediately on guard as he jumped out of the fog that Morgan had created.


    ¡°What the hell¡­¡± He cursed to himself. ¡°Yami back up!¡± Drake quickly looked to the sky and ordered her out of harm¡¯s way.


    [R-right.] She answered after a short moment, just as in shock of the sudden mana flux as Drake was.


    ¡°Drake, what happened in there?!¡± Luke called out in a panic, as Morgan and Peter continued to stand guard against the strange energy inside the fog.


    ¡°No clue. Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with the Hobgoblins. Something else is helping them.¡± Drake shook his head angrily. Just another minute and he would have cleared out the rest of the hobgoblins. This was undoubtedly making things harder.


    As the small group looked on, a sudden blast of energy scattered the fog around the hobgoblins, which left them in awe at the drastic change in them.


    Compared to the rags that covered them before, they had been covered in a strange, dark brown suit of armor. What¡¯s more, it was clear to Drake¡¯s eyes that they were letting out a large amount of mana, enough to radiate out in a large wave of energy in all directions.


    Goblins, and even their evolutions, the hobgoblins, had no way of letting out such a large source of energy. Even evolved, Hobgoblins were still low on the totem pole, and only the most adept of their species would be capable of using magic. These ¡®warriors¡¯ were simply that, mindless brutes. They should have had no methods at all to imitate such an energy source.


    [Yami, blast them with another wave of crystals.] He knew that with a new threat, it was always best to take care of them at a distance if possible.


    [Will do.] She replied with a mischievous smile, before raising her hand. Waving her hand in another fan-like motion, a cluster of crystals appeared which fired into the remaining four hobgoblins.


    As the crystals hit, something which Drake had never seen before occurred. Instead of piercing or even deflecting off the strange armor, it sank deep into it, before the crystals suddenly lost all their color, and faded into a black, empty color before falling to the ground. Not a second afterward, the damage from the crystal that was left in the armor healed, leaving the hobgoblin completely unharmed.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°What?!¡± Drake cried out. There was actually a method that countered his own abilities?


    ¡°It looked to be a form of holy magic, but how is it connected with a suit of armor?¡± Peter murmured among Luke and Morgan, who looked suspiciously at Drake and Yami, before staring at the Hobgoblins. Peter knew of the normal magic available to humanoids. Almost none had a negative reaction to holy magic, especially among the type used for combat.


    ¡°Whatever the case, the hobgoblins don¡¯t seem to be wearing conventional armor at all from the looks of it. It reminds me of wood, but why would a tree even have anything to do with a party of goblins and their evolutions?¡± Morgan talked among the other two, as they discussed the possible reasons behind it.


    ¡°Dammit, we¡¯ll talk later, they¡¯re coming!¡± The trio prepared themselves for battle as the Hobgoblins screamed out and charged them.


    The fact that the hobgoblins had been attacked so viciously, combined with the normal advantages they held being overturned incited the inherent violence in them. However, compared to the blind, haphazard attacks they were replying to Drake with initially, they each took up a guarded charge as they approached. Holding their armored arm outward, they looked to be using their own body as a shield, trusting fully in the magical armor that now covered their body instead of the small wooden shields they relied on before.


    ¡°Aghh...¡± Drake jumped back towards the others, with Yami close behind. They both knew that with Drake¡¯s magic significantly weakened against this strange armor, that the fight would be significantly harder without his true power. His crystal gauntlets could only compensate for so much.


    While Yami had certainly improved as well, even to the point where she could even surpass Drake¡¯s own abilities before he became a Lord, but that level of power simply wasn¡¯t enough.


    As the first Hobgoblin charged forward, he swiped towards Drake, who swiftly caught the iron blade with his gauntlet, before shattering the blade in his hand. Surprised but undeterred, the Hobgoblin simply scowled before madly launching towards him with its claws and teeth bared.


    Shit! Drake swung hard into the stomach of the Hobgoblin, sending it flying back against the others of its group, making them stumble over one another. The blow did minimal damage, the wooden armor absorbing the blow entirely.


    ¡°Come on!¡± Drake cried out in disbelief at the solid build of the armor. With Yami¡¯s piercing attacks doing little, he had hoped to be able to crack it open with brute force. He had after all, felled a tree with his physical strength before, at least in his Draconian form. This armor was on a whole other level, however.


    ¡°Peter, any ideas!?¡± Drake looked to the others for help. ¡°Your group seems to know what this is!¡±


    ¡°A-ah, well, not exactly. At the least, we think that the armor is influenced by some sort of holy source. That explains the healing factor of that strange armor. As for the armor itself¡­¡± Peter slowly sank into silence. He had ideas, but it simply made no sense. Playing off a wrong assumption could easily get them into more trouble than him staying silent.


    ¡°In any case, stand behind me. Luke, Drake, I¡¯ll draw their attention while you two attack the gaps between their armor. Morgan, slow them down as best you can. Frost spells would be best.¡±


    ¡°Already planned on it. Ray of Frost!¡± Pointing her staff towards the mass of Hobgoblins, a solid, freezing cone of frost condensed in the air, before hurtling towards the group of Hobgoblins. As it hit, a thin layer froze onto their skins, slowly their movement significantly.


    ¡°Good, now let¡¯s go!¡± Peter charged forward, his heavily armored form making a strong bulwark against the equally armed forms of the hobgoblins. His axe and shield outstretched, he immediately engaged with the hobgoblins, strafing from left to right, all while keeping the ravenous band of hobgoblins working against one another to attack him.


    Standing right behind the large beast man, Drake was impressed by his skills. He had clearly established a way of fighting that kept himself safe while keeping his allies well protected behind him. Such a fighting style could only be the result of his own innate bias. That would be the only explanation for how he was so adept at such a fighting style within the span of a month.


    ¡°Drake, now!¡± Luke signaled to Drake, as they both launched towards one of the hobgoblins who had been caught off guard by a sudden attack by Peter¡¯s shield. Approaching from both sides of the stunned creature, Drake ruthlessly attacked the gap at the hobgoblin¡¯s neck, while Luke drove his short sword deep into the creature¡¯s chest through a small gap under its arm.


    Drake advanced one more step, eager to finish the job. Taking a page from Yami¡¯s book, he manipulated the tips of his gauntlet deep into the creature¡¯s body, weaving in the shards of crystal and expanding ever deeper into its body using the energy he could harvest. Using this method, he left his companions none the wiser to the horrific death the hobgoblin was experiencing.


    With a pained, haggard scream, Drake withdrew his hand as the creature fell forward, dead on the spot.


    ¡°One down, three to go.¡± Drake laughed cruelly. Now that they weren¡¯t outnumbered in physical combat, Drake launched forward, spearing one of the hobgoblins square in the stomach, and embedding his hand deeply in the wooden armor.


    Drain! Focusing on the hand that was embedded in the armor, Drake fully released the Sin of Greed within the wooden shell that had surrounded the hobgoblin. To his annoyance however, as soon as he did, he felt a considerable mana source resist him completely, purifying his mana entirely before moving onto Drake¡¯s gauntlet.


    ¡°Tch.¡± Withdrawing his hand, Drake leaped back behind Peter, his eyes lowered in a gaze of hatred. The tips of his gauntlet had faded into that dead, black color from before, the same effect it had on the shards Yami used. With a bit of effort, he was able to refill the dead crystal, but that wasn¡¯t the problem. It wasn¡¯t just Yami¡¯s reduced capabilities, even his own mana was helpless against that strange armor. If he was in his Draconian form, maybe¡­


    No, there¡¯s no point in thinking like that. Drake scowled at the thought, as he parried a sword blow from a stray hobgoblin with his gauntlet. Going all out against weaklings like this, even if they do have some special armor, would be pathetic.


    ¡°Magic Missiles!¡± Hearing a shout from behind him, Drake watched as a series of blue, ethereal balls of energy slipped seamlessly in between himself and the others and slammed ruthlessly in a splash of blue light into the hobgoblin in front of him. The blast of energy staggered it severely, and left it wide open, collapsed on the ground due to the force of the blast.


    Perfect. Drake glanced at the stray hobgoblin, his eyes narrowing in a dangerous, predatory fashion.


    Seeing the other two hobgoblins were occupied with Peter and Luke, Drake dashed forward at a blinding speed, his finger pointed in a blade-like fashion at the Hobgoblin¡¯s throat. Lunging forward, Drake¡¯s crystal gauntlet slammed into the thin crack that made up the neck joint of the wooden armor, splintering the crack into a larger opening as Drake forced his hand deeper.


    There was a slight pause. Time seemed to stop for both Drake and the hobgoblin, before a brief burst of crimson liquid burst forth from the neck joint of the hobgoblin, and Drake knew he was successful.


    Now die! Seizing the opportunity, Drake utilized the full force of his mana, again forcing several lines of crystals throughout the hobgoblins body, as it cried out in agony.


    Unlike Yami¡¯s own use of such a method of attack, which was really nothing more than an extended form of torture given its use on such a large enemy, Drake¡¯s use was quick and precise. Once a single point of his gauntlet entered the enemy¡¯s body, he quickly utilized this point of weakness, using it to attack the enemy¡¯s vital organs and kill them as quickly as possible.


    Drake was only capable of such a brutal attack due to two different conditions. His sheer proximity to his opponent, and his considerable advantage over the hobgoblins compared to himself. Unlike the disabled and half dead wyvern Yami tortured, against an enemy who was still fully capable of fighting back, Drake would be hard pressed to imitate such a method at range. Attempting such a technique against the wyvern at full strength for example, would be nothing short of suicide.


    As the crystals spread throughout the Hobgoblin¡¯s body, Drake watched with sick pleasure as the creature¡¯s scream slowly petered out, and blood sprouted from its mouth as it slumped in place. Satisfied, Drake yanked his hand free as it fell to the ground, dead.


    Both Peter and Luke looked to each other with a triumphant grin as they watched Drake finish off another Hobgoblin. Although they weren¡¯t sure how it died, just the fact that there were only two enemies left filled them deeply with confidence.


    Behind them, Morgan was equally impressed, but she wasn¡¯t one to be showed up so easily. Raising the hand holding her crystal again, a mass of mana coalesced around her before focusing into three balls of magical energy.


    ¡°Magic missiles!¡± Yelling out the spell, the three balls of energy raced forward as they inexplicably passed around Peter and Luke before slamming into the hobgoblin¡¯s right in front of them. Not one to pass up such a chance, Luke rammed his buckler against the helm of one of the hobgoblin¡¯s, while Peter used his superior stature to force the other to the ground.


    Taking advantage of his enemy, Luke quickly rammed his short sword through the visor of the creature. Withdrawing the sword in a quick motion, he left a line of blood in the air as he quickly turned to the remaining hobgoblin who was quickly finished off in a similar fashion, given how Peter had grappled it completely, and held it in place.


    ¡°Whew¡­ finally done.¡± Luke collapsed on the ground, with a short, content laugh escaping him shortly after as he relaxed from the stressful fight.


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me, haa¡­¡± Peter joined in with a satisfied sigh, just as happy that the fight ended. Although their initial fight against the goblins went without a hitch, fighting against a strange, upgraded form of hobgoblin, one with armor that their weapons couldn¡¯t even hope to pierce proved to be more than troublesome.


    Still, given their situation, they were more than happy at how everything had turned out. Morgan¡¯s sleep spell had allowed them to get out with minimal injuries, and Drake alone had proven to be much more experienced than any of them expected. According to Cassandra, he was just a lone wanderer that recently entered the city. Thinking on it now, who knows what sort of battles he had gone through before finding the small settlement that had been formed. The sheer fact that he had an imp, and was so intent on hiding it proved that point.


    Moreover¡­


    ¡°Something bugs me about that fight.¡± Peter mulled to himself over Drake¡¯s attitude, as he muttered quietly to himself. ¡°It¡¯s true, both myself and Luke would be able to deal with several normal hobgoblins, they¡¯re unorganized and generally leave themselves open to counterattacks. But after we finished off the goblins, Morgan intentionally warned us away from the Fog Wall she summoned. Drake had essentially told her to stay out of his way, given how he never left the fog so she could assist him. And¡­ during his fight, all I could hear was Drake¡¯s laughter and the hob¡¯s screaming, along with the imp occasionally firing into the fog alongside him.¡±


    To face a dozen hobgoblins, all by yourself and take out over half in under a minute. Such a feat required skills or power that they themselves only hoped to achieve at the moment. Drake didn¡¯t act cautiously either, it was like taking on that many was nothing more than a challenge, rather than a fight of life and death. That mindset was what truly bothered Peter. What sort of power did he have to think of it as nothing more than a game to be conquered?


    That kind of thinking makes him dangerous. Peter¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Drake and Yami. Despite that, however¡­


    ¡°Drake. You made short work of most of the hobgoblins with your imp there. Good job.¡± Peter congratulated him.


    Drake was still standing as a crazed grin slowly left his face, with Yami floating by his side. After a moment, the compliment registered with him, and he quickly returned to his typical self as he scratched his head awkwardly.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s really thanks to you two. Taking on those hobgoblins when they were armored like that was a mess. I have no real armor, so I just took advantage of the openings you two made, along with the support from Morgan.¡± Drake wasn¡¯t stingy with his compliments. Without their help, he really would have been forced to reveal himself.


    ¡°Still, that was some fantastic fighting man. I didn¡¯t think you had it in you. We¡¯ve had a few new guys with us before, and they always try to stay back with Morgan.¡± Luke chimed in with a goofy smile on his face. His feelings on the matter was clear. He was just happy to have another person to fight alongside him. With support on both sides of Peter, he was able to act much more offensively. He likely wouldn¡¯t have been able to take the chance to attack otherwise.


    ¡°Well, this was my first time fighting such a large group, but for single opponents, I¡¯ve had worse.¡± Drake admitted with a smile. Besides the spare goblin he encountered, practically all the creatures he fought were more powerful.


    ¡°I knew it. Well, glad to have you on board.¡± Luke added.


    ¡°Hey, uhhh¡­ guys?¡± A faint voice cut into the conversation, as they all turned around to look at Morgan.


    ¡°Look.¡± Morgan slowly pointed over to their supplies for the trip, which had been among the scuffle with the Hobgoblins and Goblins. A tell-tale freezing mist had completely frozen over their supplies they had unpacked from the ground dragons. In her haste, she had completely looked over them, resulting them in being hit along with the Hobgoblins.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± She scratched her head hesitantly, a guilty look clear on her face.


    ¡°Augh¡­¡± A chorus of cries and moans came from the others, who reluctantly looked to one another and sighed before walking over to clean off their supplies so they could set up for the night.

 Chapter 8 Part 3

    Part 3


    ¡°But Mister goat-man, Aleria said I would get to go out as long as you were with me¡­ pleasseeee?¡±


    ¡°No. I have better things to do.¡± A certain Satyr responded sourly.


    ¡°And, for the last time, stop calling me that! I am Therion.¡± Therion punctuated his name with force, followed by a low growl. ¡°Therion Alpha, a name that was graciously granted by my Master, and your savior, so the least you could do is pay attention to it.¡±


    ¡°But Therion isn¡¯t as cute.¡± A short, yet simple retort came from Ella, supplemented by a short snap on the ground with her tail.


    ¡°It¡¯s not meant to be cute, you little¡­¡± He shook his head before grimacing to himself.


    For the past couple of days, Therion had been hard at work keeping the duo in line with what his Master desired. They had insulated themselves deep in a nearby forest, close enough to reach with a bit of effort, but also hidden away that they wouldn¡¯t draw too much trouble to themselves.


    Therion had quickly formed a perimeter of defense for themselves, in the form in a small hideaway in the side of a hill. It wasn¡¯t overly large, in fact, it only intruded into the side of the hill for about thirty feet, but that was still more than enough for a temporary home.


    And, although he had been left responsible for collecting meals for himself and the two Lamia, he rather enjoyed the freedom it granted. He had long been used to being left by his lonesome, as the Yami and Master went about their business but testing his hunting ability every now and again wasn¡¯t so bad either. Now all that was left, was a certain growing Lamia¡¯s complaints of boredom.


    ¡°Aghh¡­¡± Therion moaned to himself, although whether it was out of sheer frustration or anger he didn¡¯t know.


    Initially, he had been quite pleased with the crystal his master had conjured for him. The ability to understand a species that otherwise he would never would have otherwise was only proof of his master¡¯s prowess. Given the day that he had been left with Ella without the crystal was miserable enough without it, he thought that things would improve with the small Lamia after he was able to establish some rules of etiquette between the two.


    However, this thought quickly proved to be foolhardy at best. Simply put, the young girl seemed fascinated by him, and would constantly go on and on about wanting to travel with him again, much like he had been forced to endure by carrying her for long distances. The member of her village, that detestable older Lamia, Aleria, was of no help at all in that matter as well. Rather, she seemed content to sleep the day away, leaving him the sole one responsible for the young girl.


    ¡°Now listen, Ella, closely. Master was quite insistent that we stay somewhere out of the way. Given Yami¡¯s connection with master, and the link she made to the crystal here, he is able to find us with ease. This isn¡¯t the case for the average humanoid however, which means we need to be quiet, and not cause a stir. Understand?¡± Therion put his foot down on the matter. Drake had infiltrated the habitation of the humanoids, and needed to be given time.


    ¡°B-but¡­¡± The sudden scolding left her speechless, and soon, small tears began to well up in the corner of her eyes. ¡°Fine. If that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll just sit here then, you big dumb meanie.¡±


    ¡°H-hey.¡± Therion protested. Frankly, it seemed that he was being made the villain in this situation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Satyr. She needs to learn the meaning of no. You do quite the job of it.¡± Aleria looked up from her coils to Therion with one eye, her voice hiding an ever so slight teasing laughter.


    ¡°Finally awake, are you?¡± Therion looked over to the dark Lamia with a thinly disguised look of contempt.


    Aleria¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, and she looked as if she was going to respond, even going so far as to lift herself up out of her coils. But, just as she was going to, she settled down, only giving Therion a deep, contemplative look.


    ¡°Why are still you here? Why even stay to watch over us?¡± Aleria stared momentarily at Ella before looking meaningfully at Therion. ¡°You could leave at any time, and merely write us off as dead to your master. Rather, you seem to spend an inordinate amount of time ensuring our safety. If we died, you would be free, as I doubt your master gave you any real commands after that.¡±


    ¡°Why do I look over you?¡± Therion huffed. ¡°What good would it do for me to tell you that?


    ¡°Miss-¡± Ella spoke up for a moment before being quickly cut off by a wave of Aleria¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I see the way you look at me. You think I couldn¡¯t tell, after being given that same kind of look day in and day out? Your gaze softens when it comes to Ella, but you couldn¡¯t give a damn about me. Letting me die would make your job easier, wouldn¡¯t it? Yet every day you come back, instead of simply taking Ella away. So why?¡± Aleria¡¯s voice was muted, but hard. She had clearly been thinking over this ever since she was saved, and was given to Therion to watch over.


    ¡°So, I should just let you die¡­ is that right?¡± Therion paused, before gazing between the two Lamia, with the strangest sense of sadness tainting his words.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡± Therion sighed, before crouching down to console the young lamia next to him. She quickly warmed to the attention, before looking to Therion with a small amount of curiosity. He normally wouldn¡¯t dare encourage her clingy nature. ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that you¡¯ll find this laughable, but I didn¡¯t find master by accident. I searched him out for revenge after my brothers were killed.¡±


    ¡°When I first encountered him, I expected him to be nothing but the typical demon. In fact, the little spitfire that he keeps as his companion seemed to confirm that at first. She was rather overbearing when I met her. Just like another girl I know, although in a different manner.¡±


    Therion gave a small wink to Ella, who only responded with a childish, horrified expression at the mention of her in such a way.


    Therion couldn¡¯t keep himself from enjoying the betrayed expression the young Lamia gave him at the slight mention of her, along with the memory of his encounter with Yami. Thanks to master, their relationship had quickly improved, but he could still remember the hatred he first held for the imp as clear as day.


    ¡°After that however, master quickly shifted from the demon I imagined him to be. Rather, he wasn¡¯t a demon at all.¡± He sighed to himself as he slowly relaxed onto the ground.


    ¡°Master was, and always has simply been a humanoid. One who ended up with the body of a draconian and the magic of demons, and has treated me far better than I ever expected to be treated. That¡¯s why, despite how you may feel, I protect you. Both to thank a master that is far better than I deserve and to redeem myself.¡± He smiled, as he slowly ruffled his hand over Ella¡¯s head, messing up her hair as he did.


    ¡°I take care of you and Ella. By doing that, I think that just a little, I¡¯m able to make up for the brothers that I abandoned and let die.¡± He ended quietly, with a faint smile clear on his face and his eyes closed in a serene gesture.


    ¡°Mister¡­ Therion. I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know.¡± The emotional Ella was already tearing up in full force again, and had taken extra care to use the name that Drake had given him. As he finished speaking, she had quickly wrapped her arms around the crouching satyr¡¯s arm in an attempt to comfort him, a gesture that wasn¡¯t left unnoticed by Therion.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why I protect you and Ella, Aleria. Are you content with that answer?¡± He looked to the dark Lamia, his head tilted ever so slightly as he smirked.


    ¡°Hmph. A foolish reason for any demon, especially one like yourself. You are a disgrace to your kind.¡± She answered quickly but harshly, the same condescending attitude she held towards others displayed as always. However, a faint flicker in her eyes betrayed the cold attitude she was trying so desperately to keep up.


    ¡°Miss-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep. Don¡¯t bother me.¡± Aleria quickly sank back into her coils, her face intentionally turned away from the other two.


    However, as the minutes passed, the muffled, frustrated cries of a woman were plain for all to hear, punctuated by a single word, over and over again. ¡®Stupid¡­ Stupid¡¯.


    *****


    I can¡¯t believe this. Drake was up for half the night clearing away frost because of that stupid girl. Yami stretched her arms as she slightly yawned to herself.


    Yami, who was happily wrapped around Drake in his sleep, was still annoyed by this fact. The crossdressing woman who had carelessly blasted her spells at the hobgoblins had hit the majority of their supplies. She, along with the others, had spent almost a full two hours breaking pieces of luggage off from each other as they melted. Thankfully, the rations they brought along for the journey weren¡¯t too badly damaged. Still, the food they brought paled in comparison to the food that Drake used to catch regularly. It just didn¡¯t have the same taste, no matter what they did to it.


    Oh well, at least I have Drake all to myself again. Yami let out an involuntary squeal, as she squirmed against Drake¡¯s neck. Soon, she would be too big to be able to do this much anymore, so she¡¯d take advantage of it while she could. Then again¡­ couldn¡¯t she just take the place on his shoulders from that annoying Lamia? That would definitely be the best option thinking on it now.


    Hm? What is that? As Yami watched on from Drake¡¯s sleeping form, she noticed a strange mana signature that seemed to be floating through the air towards their camp. The signal seemed to be temporarily going to the side of them, before suddenly locking on to their location, over and over again. On top of that, it seemed to be taking great care to stay concealed, which was what really alerted Yami in the first place. A source that was weak in the first place would be unlikely to be even need or utilize such a technique.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Taking great care to not wake Drake, she carefully detached herself from him as she floated up and towards the source. She had to give at least some credit to the group Drake had attached himself to, they chose a suitable location to sleep in. On the side of the path they were traveling down to the ruins, and slightly in the interior of the wood line, keeping them close enough to pack up and move again, while staying out of sight of potential high-class monsters.


    Just what is this¡­ It¡¯s not moving at all. It¡¯s like it¡¯s teleporting. Yami looked out to the wood line with suspicion. Creatures with a skill involving movement abilities almost always had specific conditions, usually to do with a largely magical creature and their related element.


    [Who¡¯s out there? Respond now, if you don¡¯t want me warning the humanoids.] Yami ventured deeper into the wood line before sending out a telekinetic wave out towards the source.


    The source suddenly stopped moving within a second of Yami sending out the order, which both intrigued her and put her even more on guard. Still, she was confident she could handle this on her own. However, the signal she felt quickly closed in on her, before suddenly disappearing altogether.


    No¡­ it¡¯s¡­!


    [You are indeed the horned man¡¯s imp, are you not?] A refined, lilting voice asked her.


    Yami quickly flew up and away from the source, only to see a slightly perturbed woman staring back at her. She was immediately reminded of a stray nymph she spotted while she was scouting for Aleria, but at the same time, she was entirely different. A normal nymph could be hard to differentiate between a normal woman at a distance depending on their affinity, but this woman had covered herself completely with vines and leaves, and a beautiful pair of antlers adorned her head. Such an appearance had obviously left her with some sort of nature affinity. And somehow, she managed to approach her instantaneously, and appear right behind her. How¡­?


    [I dislike repeating myself. You are the horned man¡¯s imp, are you not?] The hostility in the voice was much clearer the second time around. Clearly, she expected an answer.


    [Y-yes, I am. Why are you here?] Yami asked.


    [Good, good. I had hoped that I had not misstepped on my journey here.] She smiled faintly, before looking to her surroundings with cursory glances.


    [Where is your horned master, by chance? Skills of his caliber looked to be worthy of my own tests, rather than merely the guards that inhabit the space above my domain.] As the woman spoke, an intense, predatory look was aimed at Yami.


    [What do you want with him?!] Yami yelled in response, her voice full of disguised venom. No woman like this should meet Drake. No, she shouldn¡¯t have known about him in the first place. Where did she even learn of him?


    [Rather impertinent little imp, aren¡¯t you?] She gave an equally venomous look in response, before shaking her head lightly.


    [No matter. This excursion you and your group are on, where are you intending to travel to?] She examined Yami closely, expecting an answer.


    This woman¡¯s abrupt appearance and line of questioning had made Yami intensely cautious of her intentions. Despite this however, Yami knew enough to know that she likely wasn¡¯t going to harm Drake directly. Rather, the sheer fact that she appeared here herself instead of sending more goblins to attack them while they were sleeping, and the ¡®tests¡¯ she wanted to provide proved that she wasn¡¯t wholly a threat. Still, Yami didn¡¯t feel she had much of a choice. Such a woman would undoubtedly attack her if she outright refused.


    [We¡¯re¡­ traveling to some nearby ruins.] Yami talked slowly, but carefully. It was unfortunate, but it didn¡¯t matter how aggressive and demanding the nymph was in her words. There was nothing Yami could do but answer truthfully. [There is supposed to be an unusually high concentration of mana there, even to the point where it enhances spells.]


    From what little Drake told her, that was the truth. She hadn¡¯t been overly concerned with where they were going, just that she be let free as soon as possible so she could stretch her wings, so to speak. She didn¡¯t put too much effort into learning the details as a result.


    [Nearby ruins? Do you mean the collection of buildings above my darling?] The woman turned her head to the side rather absent mindedly.


    Above¡­ her darling? Yami was left speechless for a moment. Just how was she supposed to interpret that sort of question?


    [Uh¡­ maybe. If the ruins you are talking about are somewhat nearby, they should be the same. There can¡¯t be two nearby after all, probably.] Yami voice slowly started to become quieter as her gaze cast downwards, not wanting to meet the gaze of the woman after her answer. Her personality, and moreover, the feeling she gave off. It wasn¡¯t one of a simple monster. Rather, the more she grew accustomed to her, the more her power seemed to be incalculable in Yami¡¯s eyes.


    [Probably, hmm? Well, you are correct. At the least, no one would dare encroach on my darling¡¯s territory, especially under my watch. It should be the same one you are referring to.] She said in a succinct manner.


    [Good, good. So, he is indeed coming to my lair after all, splendid.] The woman lifted her dainty hands to her face, before giggling in an utterly girlish manner. Then, clapping her hands together, her body seemed to dissolve into a myriad of wooden roots before quickly disappearing into the ground.


    [Oh, something I almost forgot. As a parting gift, tell your master to place his hand in the fountain, and drink the water there once he arrives. His companions as well. I will then open the entrance to him, and the rest.] A haunting tone creeped into the dryad¡¯s voice, making Yami nervous.


    [And as thanks for your cooperation, I will also tell you that your master needs to drink only this once. Otherwise, even with your considerable power, you might become like the pathetic beasts that guard my territory] Another short, girlish laugh rang out in Yami¡¯s mind, despite the terrifying implications that were starting to spin in Yami¡¯s mind.


    [Bye, young imp. See you soon~]


    Just as soon as the frightening woman appeared, Yami felt the signal disappear just as quickly, and within a few seconds, the signal was entirely gone from her range of detection.


    What¡­ just happened? Yami stood there, floating momentarily in the air as a visible chill ran through her form. The wood based movement ability, the ¡®guards¡¯ that she regarded as mere beasts that she gained control over, not to mention it was undoubtedly her ability that enhanced the hobgoblins the night before, all of it pointed to her being an incredibly powerful creature.


    Even more troubling was the mention of a lair. Generally, there were only one of two types that even attempted such a thing. Overly territorial creatures, such as Dragons, Gryphons, and other, more diabolical creatures such as Beholders, were one such type. The other type was almost invariably one specific role. The role of a dungeon owner. Although the reason behind them were fairly vague, she knew that they were meant to be a sort of testing ground.


    She needed considerable power to even be eligible for that though. Could she be one of the predecessor¡¯s as well, or gained some sort of gift from the creators? Yami¡¯s brows tightened as she ran through the possibilities. In any case, she was the definition of troublesome. Whether the armor she was responsible for was special, or she could turn any form of wood into that same armor, she was capable of negating Drake¡¯s own abilities. In a direct fight, given her own abilities, it might even come down to Drake¡¯s main source of strength, his demonic mana, being completely useless against her.


    For someone who was a Lord, and sacrificed roughly 20% of their natural physical prowess to enhance the power of their control and magical abilities, such an opponent could easily be called an ultimate counter. At the very least, she was someone who certainly didn¡¯t need to be made an enemy. Maybe if Drake acted as a Lord, and established a solid domain to rule, he would be safe against her. At the least, it would give him some ability to repel outside influences, but he had always been reluctant to do that, given the effect his magic had on the environment.


    Still, that¡¯s inevitable, it¡¯s a part of establishing an area that you can call all your own. It¡¯s something that he needs to accept eventually. Yami shook her head reluctantly, as a dim fire was lit in her eyes. Drake wasn¡¯t strong enough, that was clear to see now. He would need to fully advance his demonic mana core to a rank one, and soon. As he was now, only his most powerful techniques might even have an effect.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Yami sank down, before slowly making her way back to the small makeshift camp. Breathing deeply, she calmed herself as best she could before tenderly landing next to Drake, and shaking him awake.


    ¡°Come on, wake up. It¡¯s important.¡± The young imp was intent on waking up Drake. Still, given her small stature, it took a moment before Drake slowly opened his eyes in a daze.


    ¡°Yami¡­?¡± Drake squinted suddenly at the morning light, before turning over to see what she wanted. Through their connection, it was obvious that something was worrying her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked lazily, still adjusting to the morning air as he cleared his mind.


    ¡°I have a lot to tell you.¡±


    Yami then spoke at length about what she had learned from the strange encounter she had. She told him how she felt a strange mana source, and how it was searching out the camp. The sudden appearance of the woman, and her overwhelming abilities concerning nature magic left Drake with a growing sense of danger, but it wasn¡¯t until Yami told him of her intentions that he felt the pit of his stomach drop.


    [This¡­ isn¡¯t something I can run from, is it?]


    [No, she¡¯s much too powerful for that. Somehow, she knew about us, and that we were connected, although she called you my master. She must have been watching us somehow. We can¡¯t escape as long as she can do that.]


    [Is she dangerous?] Drake bit his lip nervously, as he looked to Yami.


    [Not directly. Like I explained, she is likely a dungeon master. They didn¡¯t have a real purpose when I was born, in fact, there were really no functioning dungeons in existence to my knowledge. But there¡¯s one where we are headed now, and she has her eye on you.]


    Yami grimaced as she looked to the ground. In a way, she felt directly responsible, despite the evidence to the contrary. Regardless, it wasn¡¯t all bad.


    [Dungeon masters desire to find suitable members for their dungeons. It¡¯s a sort of impulse, to find those as strong as possible, and grant them powers that the creators mean to pass on. It¡¯s also the reason behind why she warned you against the ¡®fountain¡¯ near the ruins. We¡¯re likely the first group to come so close, and defeat the goblins she sent against us.] She mentioned offhandedly.


    [Whatever the fountain is, it is undoubtedly a source of great magical power, and an addictive, controlling one at that to turn and evolve those goblins. For a prospective dungeon runner, and especially someone like me and you, it might be as effective as a large core.]


    Like the wyvern core? Drake widened his eyes in anticipation. Still, he couldn¡¯t afford to evolve to the next step and undergo a long process, Yami knew that. Yet why did he feel that she intensely wanted him to drink it?


    [Do you know something I don¡¯t regarding this so-called fountain?] Drake looked to her with suspicion.


    [Well¡­] Yami shrunk down even more under Drake¡¯s gaze, as her wings flapped nervously behind her.


    [It won¡¯t cause you to evolve, I know that much. It should push you to the edge though, and give you just enough power to be safe in the dungeon. Still, you wouldn¡¯t be able to maintain that for long. Our mana slowly powers us over time, eventually, you¡¯ll reach the point where you have to advance, and you won¡¯t be able to stop.] She meekly explained.


    Yami had known herself for almost a week now. She could evolve, and become even more powerful, but it would severely inconvenience Drake. She couldn¡¯t do it without Drake knowing, so she wanted to wait until Drake began as well. Her capacity was much lower however, and she simply couldn¡¯t maintain it for much longer without being forced herself to evolve. Drake being forced to the limit as well would be best for the both of them, both for his safety and for herself.


    [Is that so¡­] Drake grimaced to himself, before nodding his head slightly.


    Yami¡¯s description of the woman, and her powers, was fairly detailed. Given what little Drake knew of mythology, he could be fairly certain that it was a Dryad. They were wooden spirits that thrived in forests, and typically preferred to stay far away from others, but he knew details concerning their personality that could change easily given their role in this world.


    Most of all however, they were intensely protective of nature, and normally good natured as a result, unless angered.


    Drake picked Yami off the ground with a confident smile, before quickly lifting her to his shoulder with an audible laugh.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go to her, and see just what sort of ¡®tests¡¯ she has prepared for us. There¡¯s nothing we can¡¯t beat together after all. Right?¡± Drake said with a clear smile.


    Yami¡¯s eyes widened, before she quickly returned Drake¡¯s confident smile. ¡°Right.¡±

 Chapter 8 Part 4

    Part 4


    ¡°There we go, good job.¡± Drake jumped off his ground dragon with a soft thud, before turning around and neatly scratching it under its chin, a gesture that it seemed to enjoy quite a lot. He had grown quite close to the thing over the past few days, and it seemed to equally enjoy his own company. The soft cooing from the creature made assured him of that.


    ¡°This is it, huh? It¡¯s a lot bigger than I was expecting.¡± As they finished lashing their mounts to various sources, Luke grabbed Drake¡¯s attention, and the rest of the group gazed towards the ruins.


    The midday sun shone bright in the sky over what could only be called a multitude of ruined structures. They lacked almost any color, rather, the buildings looked to be made entirely of a white, marble-like stone. Various roman columns jutted out from the ground, with large, winding roots twisting around them completely, as if they were the only thing truly supporting the ruined structures above them. The sheer size of the various buildings made them quite grand, but Drake could tell at a glance that they were without a doubt not something that was here just a few months ago. It was as if they simply sprouted from the ground, acting purely as a place of intrigue and gathering.


    Such structures were awe inspiring as Drake and the others slowly walked through the ruins. However, one thing that immediately stood out to him, and even the others to some extent, were the large, statue-like beings on several of the columns. They stood over the place like guards, each one resembling a twisted tree root that had taken human form, the layers constantly mixing among one another to form a full structure.


    Drake looked to them with some suspicion, and in a moment, quickly called out to Yami.


    [Yami, what are those?]


    She quickly returned Drake¡¯s knowing glance, her own eyes filled with a sense of caution.


    [A sort of golem, I suppose. They¡¯re alive and well, but seem to be waiting for instructions. And, given who their master is, they will undoubtedly attack if they feel the fountain is under threat. Among other reasons.] She ended skeptically.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Drake let out a crude laugh, as they continued forward.


    Despite the appearance of a desolate ruin, not all the structures were in such a state of complete disarray. In the center of the dilapidated structures, looked to be a large, wide pool of crystal clear water. The pool itself looked to be made of stone, with twisting roots and green moss marring the otherwise perfect, marble-like stone. If any normal humanoid looked it at, such as the other members of the group, they may have simply passed it off as a normal pool of water, despite its almost holy appearance in the center of the ruins. However, the sheer magnitude of the mana emanating from the pool quickly showed it to be something else.


    ¡°So, just what exactly is this thing, Drake?¡± Peter asked, while looming suspiciously over the pool with a stern face. ¡°At a glance, I can tell it isn¡¯t normal, but from what you told us, this seems like the sort of thing that might be poisoned rather than help us.¡±


    As Peter asked the question, Drake quickly stifled a smirk he looked to the others. While they were certainly surprised when Drake told them that there was a dungeon beneath the location they were headed to, they accepted it rather easily. In a world where anything was possible, what point was there to doubt him until they saw it themselves?


    Despite that however, they were still cautious of how exactly he learned of such a thing. The ruins had just appeared recently, which was the whole point of their expedition. He had managed to wave away their initial concerns by telling them that Yami had sensed something as they had come closer, but he could still tell they were suspicious of him.


    Still, I¡¯ve only known these guys for a day or two. I can¡¯t rely on them being willing to risk their lives to help me out of the goodness of their heart. Besides, Yami said these ¡®tests¡¯ are supposed to have a reward at the end. If we make it that far, they¡¯ll view this all as a bonus. Drake thought whimsically to himself.


    ¡°Just think of it as a mana well, that¡¯s what Yami calls it.¡± Drake fibbed. The shape of the large pool of water reminded Drake of a mana well that was in a very prominent war-related game back in the old world. He wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if that¡¯s where the inspiration came from at least. ¡°If we drink from it, then the dungeon will open, and we¡¯ll be able to explore it.¡±


    Drake was rather cautious of being too detailed. Truly, he had no idea of what to expect, or even the exact effect the mana water would have on him. Still, he was pushed this far. There was no turning back now, especially given how he was probably being watched by the dryad at this very second.


    The others in the group took to the explanation quickly, before looking to the mana well itself with some foreboding. What Drake had told them was that they would receive a significant boost of power, but when even the process of that was unknown, they certainly wouldn¡¯t be the first to test it.


    Guess I¡¯ll be the guinea pig. Drake sighed sadly to himself. No matter. Yami already told me what to expect.


    Bracing himself, Drake cupped his hands together before dipping them in the water. As he did, he could feel an intense surging of power around his hands, as if the mana in the water was concentrating at that one point.


    ¡°Amazing.¡± He muttered to himself in that brief moment. A vast amount of power was flowing in-between his fingers at every moment, as if encouraging him to drink.


    As he withdrew, he slowly brought a cupful of water up to his mouth, and in one motion, drank the water in one large gulp.


    ¡°Auughh¡­¡± Drake¡¯s eyes widened intensely, as he suddenly collapsed to one knee, as an almost crazed, glee filled look filled Drake¡¯s face.


    No other source of mana, even when he ate several cores at once, could even compare to this. It was as if his entire body was burning with energy, and at every moment, he could feel the muscles in his body constantly drawing in the mana, soaking in the force, before quickly returning to draw in even more.


    His demonic core however, was what truly reacted at this moment. Like an impoverished man, dying of thirst in the desert, his demonic core quickly commanded the lion¡¯s share of the mana, as it attempted to fill itself completely with the energy that was surging throughout his body. Looking deep within himself, he could see the misty, formless void that his mana core was in was beginning to overflow entirely.


    Rather than his demonic core simply taking up a small, somewhat isolated space in this region, it now forcefully expelled its influence into all reaches of the area. The black void that once surrounded his core was now continually being filled with a deep, red mist as the mana from the water was converted into Drake¡¯s own. As Drake looked into the crimson jewel that the core was made of, he could also begin to see a distinct shine as the demonic mana that made up the entire region seemed to compress upon itself, and concentrate on the core, before repeating the entire process.


    ¡°Drake. Drake! Are you okay?!¡± Peter rushed to his side, only to recoil as a shock ran its way through his body when he touched Drake. A confused look quickly overcame him, as he only looked to Drake worryingly. Both Morgan and Luke kept their distance as well, only watching in stunned bewilderment as their companion looked to be undergoing some sort of change.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Drake shouted, entirely unable to keep his emotions in check. For him, it was as if an enormous power was welling up inside, and he could barely keep himself from cackling the power only continued to grow within him.


    The power kept surging and surging, and he felt almost as if he was going to go mad. Then, just as Drake felt that the power was going to reach its limit, it stopped completely, the core itself seeming to rebuff the excess mana from the mystical water, as the rest slowly seeped into Drake¡¯s muscles and bones, enhancing them both considerably.


    Drake took a deep, long breath, taking a moment to calm himself for what seemed like the first time in forever.


    [I was right, I was completely right.] Yami looked on, a starry-eyed expression clear in her eyes.


    Yami knew that demons could only advance through the power that cores provided, that was a solid, iron-clad rule. However, demons also were eager for power, and often looked to take in as many sources of mana as possible to increase their own power in-between steps. As Drake was a Draconian, it was slightly different, as the mana also funneled into his body alongside his core, but the sheer amount was still enough to push him to his limit. Within a day, possibly two, Drake would undergo a Rank Up. After his core was fully formed, he would then have to acclimate the demonic mana fully with his body, but that process would take just as long as the initial Rank Up itself. There would be plenty of time for that.


    [I feel it, Yami. The full force of my mana.] Drake had a crazed expression on his face, still adjusting to the massive surge in energy. [It¡¯s like it wants to billow out from my body, it¡¯s intoxicating.]


    [It¡¯s understandable. Just give yourself a moment. Be careful not to let any of your mana out until you feel you can control it.] Yami looked on with approval, the warning only to make sure Drake was aware of the possibility.


    [Of course, I won¡¯t use any mana for now.] Drake fully agreed.


    The vague warning from the Dryad concerning the mystical water of the well was correct. Such a massive influx of power would be enough to make anyone addicted to its effects. That a simple band of goblins managed to evolve half their members into hobgoblins before the effects made them addicted was proof of that.


    The mana well that they drank from was, in a matter of speaking, intelligent. Being formed from the massive draw of energy to the Aesir tree below, it had been gifted awareness to help further serve both the tree itself and the Dryad who oversaw it. It wasn¡¯t necessarily intelligent in any calculative manner, but of simply being aware of those who came to it.


    It portioned out mana according to what it felt was correct for the bodies that approached it, giving each individual an increase in power according to their own baseline. The idea that goblins would receive the same amount that Drake had would simply make them explode with energy, or go insane.


    Of course, there was also a point where the mystical water would be useless, as the individual in question was too strong. For a dragon, even those in their teenage years, the water could be said to be nothing more than a quenching drink. Lower tier species however, still fully enjoyed the benefits.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Drake¡­ are you alright?¡± Peter looked to Drake with a fair amount of suspicion. To the others, it was almost as if Drake had turned mad for a moment, as his face was twisted in an expression of utter joy and power. Of course, they truly had no idea how momentous this moment was for him. The potency of the water had been even more effective for him than the wyvern core would have been.


    ¡°Y-yes¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± Drake kept his words short, not attempting to speak aloud for too long. He needed to at least keep up the appearance of normalcy. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop himself from reveling in the feeling of power. ¡°Just adjusting.¡± He finished.


    Drake breathed in deeply once again, calming himself as best he could before turning to the others with a confident expression.


    ¡°Finally have a handle on it. I¡¯ve never felt anything like that in my entire life.¡± Drake admitted gleefully. ¡°Peter, you go next. Just a warning though, it takes a bit to get accustomed to.¡± He said with a distinct smirk.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Peter took the advice in stride, only stopping to glance at Drake with a worried look before he took a deep breath, and looked to the large pool of mana.


    ¡°Peter, are you sure about this?¡± Morgan rushed forward, placing her hand on Peter¡¯s shoulder worryingly.


    ¡°If we have to do it, we have to do it. Besides,¡± Peter glanced at Drake for a moment, before staring at his hand, ¡°I want to know what that was.¡± He muttered quietly, thinking back to the sudden shock from Drake¡¯s body.


    Peter walked hesitantly up to the pool, before mimicking Drake¡¯s action and crouched down to touch the pool of water. Looking closely, Drake could indeed see there was a welling of magical energy whenever Peter touched the water, although strangely, it was significantly less than Drake¡¯s own. Roughly half, if he had to give an estimate.


    Peter followed Drake¡¯s example, and quickly swallowed the water as well.


    ¡°A-ah..¡± As Peter drank, he visibly staggered in place as his body began to shake. Unlike Drake, whose vast majority of mana went to his own core, Peter had no such thing to absorb mana. All the energy he would draw in, would go straight into his body, strengthening his muscles and making his body more powerful.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ graah!¡± Peter collapsed suddenly to his knees, clearly in pain from the process. Even with the limited amount he absorbed, it was still far more than what Drake endured from the process. Simply increasing magical power was a far simpler process than improving the body itself. However, it also came with the added benefit of improving the body far more than would be otherwise possible at once.


    There was a distinct rippling of bone and muscle, leaving Peter to cry out once again in pain as he collapsed to the ground. As time passed, and he was able to make it back off the ground, a look of wonder began to show itself in his eyes. Peter was clearly becoming accustomed to the increase in power the longer he endured the pain. Truthfully, it had only been less than a minute, and his appearance had improved considerably.


    ¡°Peter...?¡± Luke approached him cautiously, unsure of the strange look on his face.


    ¡°Luke¡­ Just do it.¡± An excited grin suddenly appeared on Peter¡¯s face as he managed to pick up one knee off the ground, and clasped his hand together. He could feel the considerable difference in his muscles in that brief moment alone.


    ¡°Uh¡­ right.¡± He responded.


    ¡­


    ¡°A-aahh¡­¡±


    ¡­


    And so, Luke soon went through a similar process. Being both Beast-men, and without any magical capacity, only their bodies were improved. Despite that though, in Drake¡¯s eyes, Peter did indeed have a little more talent. The amount of mana he drew to himself was about was about five percent more, give or take.


    Lastly, was the up and coming wizard, Morgan. However, unlike the two Beast-men, Drake could quickly see that something was significantly different. Unlike the other two, the amount that was allotted to her was roughly eighty percent of Drake¡¯s own. Even if he was already partway to the last stage of finishing his core, this was an already an amazing amount for someone who didn¡¯t require such energy.


    ¡°A-aahh¡­¡± As Morgan drank the mystical water, she suddenly hunched in over a quick motion, as a visible flash of arcane energy rolled over her body. Unlike those who had no magical potential, it could be said that such a massive influx of magical energy was the ultimate gift for a magic caster, especially for one like Morgan, whose body didn¡¯t absorb any of the excess that went into Drake¡¯s own body.


    As the seconds passed, another flash of light emanated from her body, and a small cone of energy emerged, completely encircling her in a sphere before suddenly collapsing down into her body again.


    ¡°Morgan, are you ok?¡± Peter looked on, a mixed look clear on his face.


    There was no response from her, and both Peter and Luke immediately looked to one another with a worried expression. Even Drake¡¯s own process had been more subdued, given the circumstances.


    Then, just as quickly as the waves of light began to roll over Morgan¡¯s form, Drake could see a thin, almost invisible stream of mana snake itself down from the sky, before entering Morgan. In a sudden flash of understanding, an audible laughter emerged from Morgan, as she slowly raised up, and glanced at her hand. Her eyes glowing momentarily with energy, she slowly raised her hand to the sky.


    ¡°Hahaaa¡­¡± A high-pitched laughter grew even louder. ¡°Look at this! Lightning bolt!¡± A thunderous bolt emerged from the tip of her finger, before blasting into the sky with thunderous applause.


    Lowering her hands, she held them both out in front of her, only gazing in wonder at her newly gained power. For a wizard such as herself, the massive influx of energy from the mana well had granted her enough energy to unlock another spell slot, but of a 3<sup>rd</sup> tier spell slot instead of the normal two tiers she had been limited to before. That was evidenced by the strong bolt of lightning that had emerged from her hand only a moment earlier.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ That felt so wonderful.¡± A slow, satisfied sound emerged from Morgan, which left the other two Beast-men speechless.


    ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± Luke looked on with worry. In his eyes, Morgan had always been the one of the most dependable in the group. The magic that Morgan possessed allowed them to survive situations that would have been impossible otherwise. But, unlike Drake who seemed to return to normal fairly quickly, Morgan continued to have a somewhat disturbing expression on her face.


    ¡°I am.¡± Morgan returned a brief smile, as her eyes turned to the pool. ¡°Thanks for asking.¡±


    ¡°It really was amazing. I¡¯ve never imagined there¡¯d be something like that.¡± Again, there was another flash of light in Morgan¡¯s eyes, and for a brief second, her entire eyes were covered in a glow of energy before disappearing.


    Drake shook his head. The method humanoids used magic relied on drawing in magic, rather than relying on themselves. This gave them a limit to their power, which seemed to him to be a deliberate way to put a cap on their growth. The massive influx of mana that Morgan drank however seemed to have reversed this concept, even if temporarily. In fact, the power that was circulating through her reminded him heavily of the way that Gwyn used magic.


    Gwyn was only one such example, but the method she used was unique to her. Absorbing massive amounts of mana through her horn, before releasing it in massive storms of spells. This also gave her the ability to format her own spells. That Morgan even resembled that level of power for a moment was a dangerous thought.


    Give any person that amount of power so quickly and they¡¯ll be likely to use it for the wrong reasons. He may be trouble in the future. Drake thought solemnly. He himself had already gone through such an experience due to the Draconian, although it was also helpful that his body was able to handle the stress of such an increase of magic power with ease. He was still unsure of Morgan, however.


    ¡°So, what happened to the entrance that was supposed to appear?¡± Morgan asked with a sense of excitement. The intense of amount of power she received looked to be making her overexcited. It looked as if she couldn¡¯t wait to use her spells.


    As if in response to her comment, a sudden rumbling shook the ground, as a large ripping sound came from all around them.


    [Drake, look.] Yami directed him over to the ground, where a circular hole had suddenly opened up in the ground, complete with a large piece of wood that allowed them to climb further down.


    ¡°So, he wasn¡¯t lying after all.¡± Peter mumbled. For a brief moment, Drake caught his words but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°What, now we just head down?¡± Luke chuckled lightly, seeing the practically straight drop. Despite every one of the party members being significantly enhanced, the fear of the unknown was still palpable.


    Drake walked over to the edge, before giving Yami a slight nod. Sensing his intent, she climbed on his shoulder, and Drake began to climb his way down.


    ¡°No sense in waiting.¡± Drake muttered to himself. With one hand firmly attached to the root-like structure, he made his way down quickly. Almost thirty feet down, he hit the floor, and quickly looked up to the others. Peter and Luke only continued to look down, unsure of the sudden choice, before turning away from the entrance.


    *****


    ¡°Listen, why don¡¯t we just leave? We have all we came for, there¡¯s no reason to jump down there.¡± Luke grabbed Peter by the shoulder and led him away from the entrance, intent on persuading him.


    ¡°Luke, we can¡¯t just leave him down there. Besides, look how much stronger we are now. We can handle a few monsters.¡± Peter replied confidently.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the issue here. Look, we can handle small fry, and we can run away from any real trouble with our mounts, but if we get caught up in a real fight underground, we¡¯re at a disadvantage. Morgan can¡¯t heal, and besides, don¡¯t you feel like we¡¯re being used?¡± Luke¡¯s face dropped into a mask, the worry and fear he felt thoroughly hidden behind it. Drake simply knew too much, and everything felt like this was leading them down a deathtrap.


    ¡°Look, I get it. This situation is sketchy, but we came here to investigate these ruins, only to figure out there¡¯s an entire dungeon here. Aren¡¯t you thinking of what we could get from this place? We¡¯ll be careful, and even withdraw if we feel it¡¯s too much, but we might not have even drunk from the well without Drake. Trust in him a bit more. He could have just drank from the well and left, without us even knowing about the dungeon.¡± Peter said sternly. It was true, he had his own suspicions, but Drake had been nothing but helpful


    ¡°Peter, dude, we just met the guy.¡± Luke couldn¡¯t help but shake his head.


    ¡°Listen, we¡¯ll go in and¡­ Morgan, what¡­ are you doing?¡± Peter¡¯s voice trailed off, his voice suddenly filled with fear.


    *****


    ¡°Morgan, what¡­¡± Drake could hear Peter¡¯s voice it was suddenly cut off by silence.


    Drake merely shook his head, as a thought crossed his mind. It¡¯s too late to turn back now. Drinking from that well requires that we follow what the Dryad wants.


    ¡°Morgan, get down there now!¡± A sudden shout from Luke startled Drake, as he looked on.


    A frightening, deep roar sounded up from above, and the others quickly began to shuffle down the large root that was provided for them.


    [Yami?] Drake asked out of amusement, his tone making obvious what he wanted to know.


    [Stronger than the hobgoblins, that¡¯s for sure. If I had to guess, the Dryad was holding them back until she saw them debating on whether to go down. Undoubtedly, she awoke one or two of those tree-like golems.] She replied with equal delight, not attempting to put too much effort into learning the number.


    Morgan arrived first, with Luke and Peter not far behind, although the two beast men seemed to be the most upset about being forced down into the dungeon, while in comparison Morgan seemed quite content.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Peter cursed as he arrived at the bottom, before glaring intently at Morgan. ¡°Those fucking statues above weren¡¯t statues at all! There was a loud crack, and then they just start rampaging out of nowhere, and charged straight towards us.¡± Clearly, being forced into the dungeon without a way out didn¡¯t make him happy.


    Luke mimicked Peter¡¯s look, only shaking his head in frustration. However, as he looked up and began to take in his surroundings, his face shifted into one of wonder.


    ¡°Whoa, look at this place.¡± Luke gestured to the others around him, as their eyes slowly adjusted to the lower lighting in the dungeon.


    All around them, the walls, the floors, and even the ceiling were covered in an artful mixture of stone, and wood, with large, twining roots running through the entire room. On the walls, roughly ten feet up, were a long series of sconces, large metallic structures holding an ethereal, blue flame.


    The room they were in was simple, directly above them was the entrance, although that certainly wasn¡¯t an option, and in front of them was a single doorway, blocked by an intricately carved door. Green, tribal-like lines ran across the frame, as it seemed to almost glow with energy.


    Amazing. Drake looked in awe. However, just as Drake began to walk towards the door, there was a massive rumbling all around them, as if an earthquake had just started. There was the constant sound of grinding stone along with the crashing of roots and wood were all around them, regardless of the small starting room being perfectly sound.


    ¡°What the hell!¡± Drake couldn¡¯t help but yell out in a panic as the noise subsided just as quickly as it began, leaving him to only look at the others with a sense of worry.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go.¡± Drake motioned to the others skeptically, imagining what lay past the door.


    *****


    ¡°Tch. The dragon has headed into the dungeon, so what now Lia? Griff said to keep watch over him.¡± A young girl¡¯s voice sounded out, clearly annoyed by the predicament.


    ¡°We¡¯ll watch for him to leave, it¡¯s about all we can do unfortunately. Get too close and the imp will sense us. Cela told us that, remember?¡±


    ¡°Right, right. Well, I¡¯ll take first shift. They won¡¯t be coming up for a while after what the elf did anyway.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± With a quick confirmation, and a gust of wind, there was only one left.

 Chapter 8 Part 5

    Part 5


    Drake opened the door, before momentarily staring at the interior of the dungeon, with the rest of the party eagerly pushing him forward to see themselves. Just inside the intricately carved door was a wide, far reaching room, which split off into multiple different pathways from the center.


    The ground floor was an open, flat space completely devoid of furniture or decoration. The walls, floor and ceiling looked to be carved out of the same, marble-like stone the ruins above were made of. The walls themselves were lined with the same ¡®torch holders¡¯ as the entry room, with the complementary blue flame. Regardless of the questionable source, the area around each was lit in a dim white light, providing some measure of visibility in the room.


    ¡°Whooaa¡­¡± Morgan and the others called out in unison as they slowly walked in, taking in the sights of the room. A series of winding roots were making their way in and out of the floor and ceiling, combined with an almost magical glow that seemed to originate from the roots themselves. However, all of them inevitably branched off into the passageways, leading the dungeon runners further down an individual path.


    Undoubtedly, such a dungeon was meant to split off the group, at least from the looks of it. There were ten different pathways forward, and exploring each of them individually would take who knows how long. Without a doubt, it was meant to split off the group into more manageable fights for each individual. Without doing so, in a dungeon with multiple branching paths and no sure way of knowing the correct choice, a group could easily get exhausted and simply fail altogether.


    Still, I can¡¯t exactly have these guys just splitting up and dying on me. Drake thought shrewdly to himself. Regardless of the boost from the mana well, such a set up was likely meant to test our endurance or simply our luck. In that case, why not simply take the easiest path from the start?


    Not giving the others any time to form their own decisions, Drake released a line of mana down each of the individual pathways using the more discreet form of his mana. Regardless of whether Yami could sense any potential threats, the weakness of her technique was that she was simply unable to establish anything outside of that. In comparison to that, Drake¡¯s own technique had allowed him to map the layout of whatever he touched, even when someone like Ella was thoroughly hidden. Given that he was able to establish the mana radiation from various individuals of each path on top of that, and the difference was obvious.


    Under the influence of his considerably enhanced power, he soon was able to establish the layout of the end of the paths, despite the lengthy twists and turns involved. By and large, they were simple, if somewhat lengthy paths. At the end, it expanded like the end of a bulb out into a larger, more open room, likely to give both the combatants and their challenger a fairer fight. That was what hardly surprised Drake about this entire dungeon, however.


    The rooms themselves, and even the long paths to them lacked any sort of the typical contraptions you¡¯d expect of a dungeon. Traps, hidden enemies, even an especially difficult terrain, none of it was present. It was all straight, simple, and to the point, almost horrifyingly so. If a game designer saw this sort of layout, he¡¯d be accused of being outright lazy.


    Drake sighed as he pushed his mana deeper into the rooms. Now that he thought harder about it, of course it would be something like this. He had initially expected them to be somewhat different, but Dryads were largely known to be straightforward, and were on the ¡®good¡¯ side of the scale. They might make the fight challenging, but they would be fair. Sadly though, that sort of thing never made a very tough dungeon.


    Still, it wasn¡¯t all bad. He could expect a good fight on the other end at least.


    Establishing a solid connection with all ten of the paths, he began to examine them one by one.


    Hm¡­ Two large sources of mana on two of the paths, and if their size is anything to go by, it looks like the large, tree-like golems outside but the rooms only lead to dead ends¡­ As for the others, there are large groups of low mana sources on another five but with no paths leading further. As for the remaining three, they have four larger mana sources each, but they have paths forward.


    Drake chuckled to himself. Manageable fights for an individual¡­ what was he thinking. Even with the entire group, it would still be a difficult fight, even if they chose the right path. Still, regardless of that, he had found the way forward with minimal effort, and no one even knew.


    As for the three paths that led to the next floor, Drake held in a smile as he quickly surrounded the creatures guarding it with his mana. While this form of ¡®scouting¡¯ mana couldn¡¯t injure easily, figuring out their identities would be child¡¯s play.


    As he wrapped his mana around the creatures however, the mana around them suddenly disappeared as if nothing was there.


    What just happened¡­ He recoiled from the connection suddenly snapping. Then, just as suddenly, he felt Yami violently flinch on his shoulder, as if she had been attacked. She gasped for air suddenly, before simply grabbing her head in a pained motion.


    Drake cut off his mana connection completely, and looked to Yami worryingly. [Are you alright?]


    [Y-yeah¡­ just got a warning from a certain Dryad is all.] She replied slowly, still recovering from the signal she received.


    Drake¡¯s brief use of his mana had initially tricked the Dryad. After all, who would have expected a typical humanoid to have such magic. Despite that, after watching how the mana had entered each of the paths, and merely filled the room before leaving, she became especially suspicious after the only rooms with the exits continued to have that strange mist persist there. When that same magic began to surround her creatures, she immediately used the mana of the Aesir tree to dispel the magic from the room, followed by a stern warning to the imp. Such behavior was appalling for someone who was challenging her dungeon.


    ¡°Is that how it is,¡± mumbled Drake after hearing Yami transmit the disapproving message.


    Such a trick could only be used once apparently. He was lucky enough that she didn¡¯t know he was capable of it in the first place.


    Yami on the other hand, took the message much more worryingly, regardless of the flux of power that the Dryad used.


    Why does she seem so upset¡­ she didn¡¯t come off as the type to get angry at all. Yami couldn¡¯t help but mull over the message a bit.


    Shaking her head free of the thought, she turned to Drake. [Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle the rest of the scouting. Despite what the dryad does, even she can¡¯t block my abilities. As long as it isn¡¯t a creature that specializes in stealth, I should be able to detect it with ease.] A mischievous laughter rang out from the small imp. She would show that uppity dryad just how good she was.


    [I¡¯ll be counting on you, then.] Drake replied with a smile.


    Confident in the correct path, he turned to the others, who had been talking amongst themselves what to do. They initially thought to involve Drake, but Morgan thought better of it when they noticed him heavily focused on the various paths, and warned the others to simply give him time.


    ¡°I know which paths we can take without any trouble. Want to hear them?¡± Drake called out with a mocking smile.


    ¡°Of course. Why ask something like that?¡± Morgan smiled as she replied with an equally sarcastic answer. Her own sense of perception and power had grown significantly from her baptism in the energy of the well. Her own personality could even be said to have matured a bit.


    ¡°From the left, the third, fifth, and ninth passages have a stairway to the next floor. Unless you¡¯re willing to fight some useless battles, we need to stick to one of those three.¡± Drake said matter of factly.


    A quick, cursory glance was pointed at Drake, as Luke turned to him. ¡°And how do you know that?¡± He asked with some suspicion.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Would you believe me if I said a trade secret?¡± Drake replied with a chuckle, as he held out his hand playfully and smiled.


    Luke immediately looked to Drake with a hard stare, only to give up in a few seconds after sensing the fruitlessness of arguing.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Whatever man. As long as you aren¡¯t wrong, I don¡¯t care.¡± Luke said with a reluctant sigh.


    ¡°Good.¡± Drake replied happily.


    Satisfied with the knowledge of the correct path, the group decided to relax and recharge before going further in, especially given Morgan¡¯s need to have all of her spell slots battling in a new place like the dungeon. The branch between the paths was safe, and as such, they quickly set down to relax in the middle of the cavernous area. Drake and the others broke out rations to pass the time and recharge, while Morgan was allowed to meditate and restore any missing spell slots.


    [Blehh¡­ It still tastes awful¡­] Yami¡¯s voice echoed out in Drake¡¯s mind, as she reluctantly ate into a dried piece of meat.


    It was upsetting, but Drake could only agree. Regardless of appearances, the normal food that people enjoyed still tasted awful. It generally lacked the quality of mana that he was used to, and Yami felt the same way. Thankfully, he still had a few spare bites of meat that he had saved from the wyvern in his own bag, a fact that Yami quickly noticed and enjoyed immensely.


    Peter looked over to the duo, with a serene smile on his face. ¡°So, you two actually get along really well, huh? It¡¯s nice to see, in a way.¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh. Well, yeah.¡± Drake answered. ¡°She was a bit shy at first, but that was to be expected. I was a bit terrifying to her.¡± Drake laughed, as he reminisced on the moment.


    [You were a Draconian, and a rather scary looking one at that. You¡¯re red. Even among dragons, they¡¯re known as intensely territorial and prideful.] Yami replied in a flat tone. [Of course, I would be terrified. You are terrifying, stupid.] Yami tore into another piece of wyvern meat, as a sudden blush filled her cheeks from the mana-filled meat.


    [Hey¡­]


    [Need I remind you of the size difference between us, as well?] There was a distinct sharpness to her words as she spoke, which Drake was more than quick enough to pick up on.


    [Right, right¡­] He reluctantly admitted the point.


    ¡°See, that right there.¡± Peter jumped in with a poignant laugh. ¡°That look you give one another, it¡¯s obvious that you¡¯ve never even tried to restrict her with a contract.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d never do that to her.¡± Drake replied with an impish smile. ¡°Despite what she may look like, she¡¯s a softy at heart.¡±


    Peter chuckled to himself, before taking a large bite of rations. He slowly moved his gaze away from the piece of dried meat, and looked directly into Drake¡¯s eyes, speaking with an unusually level voice. ¡°To tell you the truth, I actually used to know a guy who owned an imp. Back before I met Luke and Morgan.¡±


    Peter settled into a sort of soft reluctance as he spoke, leaving Drake with the impression that he seemed somewhat glad to get it off his chest.


    ¡°Luke mentioned once before that the imps he had seen were pretty miserable. Really, that wasn¡¯t the half of it.¡± He laughed sadly to himself, as his thoughts were brought back to the first few days after the deadline was up.


    ¡°Imps, and most monsters in general, aren¡¯t treated well. That should be obvious. For the most part, all they do is cause destruction and mayhem, and disrupt any notion that people can return to a normal life. Hell, even though Druids can just conjure up some basic food from thin air, and water and earth magic make basic necessities simple, that doesn¡¯t replace it all.¡±


    The beast-man fell silent as he gazed off into the far reaches of the underground dungeon, beyond the dimly lit, magical fire surrounding the walls.


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to see how that all leads the more benign and intelligent among them to be treated like the rest. It¡¯s how the human race is, and likely always will be. Those who are against us are treated like animals, while those on our side bond over a common enemy. Even if they couldn¡¯t help it, those who were able to choose monster races and chose to transform right after the appearance of the aliens went wild. When put into terms like that, it was really quite ingenious of the aliens. Makes you hate them all from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± He shook his head with a deep look in his eyes, before continuing. ¡°Did you know that most demons under contract can¡¯t even resist it? When it comes to the more gruesome orders, all they can do is go forward blindly, right into danger.¡±


    ¡°Peter¡­¡± Drake looked to him, as the beast-man continued.


    ¡°I mean, can you really blame us? When they¡¯re doing nothing but destroying everything from the beginning, there¡¯s really no choice.¡± A strained laugh emerged from Peter. ¡°After all-¡±


    ¡°Peter.¡± Drake interjected, his eyes narrowed in a serpentine look. ¡°What do you mean, us?¡±


    A sudden silence came down across the entire group, with Peter¡¯s face blanching white as the seconds passed. The forthcoming expression he held only a few moments earlier soured, as he only looked down at the floor, his face filled with guilt.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I.. I didn¡¯t mean-¡±


    ¡°Haaa. Drake, just listen for a moment.¡± Luke brought the attention to himself, waving his hand in an attempt to dispel the tension that had been building up.


    ¡°When I first met Peter, it was about 60 miles out from the center of the city, to the east, out near Queen¡¯s Landing. I doubt that you¡¯ve heard much about what¡¯s happened there, but to put it simply, the place went to shit. A few days after everything sort of spawned in, a Demon Lord took control of the area. It made a ton of trouble for the people there, and took over a pretty wide swath of all the monsters there as well.¡± He gave a brief explanation, waving his hands about emphatically to get his point across.


    ¡°Demonic corruption isn¡¯t as simple as you¡¯d think it would be. The environment changes quick, and that led the entire area to transform into a wasteland in less than a week from what others have told me. From there, however, it becomes complicated. Some monsters take to it well, mostly those that are connected to nature, but when it comes to those that are more animal-like and¡­ human-like.¡±


    ¡°I have an idea of what you¡¯re getting at¡­¡± Drake¡¯s face hardened into a stiff scowl. He¡¯d always known about the side effects of his own magic, but after he¡¯d interrogated the demons inside of Fortress, he learned of how it affected those like Ella or Aleria, or even the average humanoid. Simply put, they became something less human, often acting like nothing more than mindless slaves.


    The Envy demons inside the city had a more limited, weaker version of such an effect. Turning thugs who already were prone to attack others, and giving them a few unconscious nudges, it wasn¡¯t difficult to make a few drones for the demons. The effect was undeniably weaker, but it was still there.


    Most of all, it wasn¡¯t hard to imagine how that had affected all those who weren¡¯t corrupted. In Fortress, all they had to deal with was a minor crime problem. Those who were influenced were so weak, and had no real training, that it made no difference. If that was reversed, and the humanoids were on the backfoot however¡­


    Drake only shook his head, before taking a long breath to calm himself. It was too easy to get angry at this sort of thing. He never really had to fight for anyone but himself and those he came across. Even then, he had never lost anyone important. He could only imagine how much that must have differed for someone like Peter.


    ¡°Imps are commonly found in demonic areas, aren¡¯t they, Peter?¡± Drake asked.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°A-ah¡­ yes¡­¡± Peter mumbled out an answer, his head still turned forcefully at the ground of the dungeon. His hands were practically shaking.


    Drake took another moment to calm himself, the familiar swelling of anger subsiding as he took another breath.


    ¡°Fighting to defend yourself is natural. Don¡¯t feel too guilty about it. But-¡± Drake climbed up to his feet, with Yami in hand. ¡°Don¡¯t act like they¡¯re just monsters. Even those like our Ground Dragons have pretty tangible emotions, and for those like Yami, they¡¯re no different than you and me. I don¡¯t know about those who are corrupted, but she isn¡¯t one bit different.¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Peter¡¯s face warped into an even more solitary, and reluctant look. ¡°That¡¯s the problem¡­¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s what it was, after all.¡± Drake mumbled to himself. Peter was a good man, through and through. That made this easier.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what is bothering you, apologize.¡± Drake finished.


    ¡°W-what?¡± Peter¡¯s face shot up, his eyes widening as he looked to Drake and Yami.


    ¡°Apologize. That¡¯s the crux of this whole problem, isn¡¯t it?¡± He smiled a wide, toothy smile, as he held Yami up to Peter¡¯s face, her own expression one of simple amusement. Drake was up to his old problems again. Constantly trying to help others.


    ¡°If you feel so guilty about those you¡¯ve fought, even when you were forced to, then simply apologize. Isn¡¯t that right, Yami?¡± Drake leaned over to the side, playfully looking at the small imp and Peter.


    ¡°You really do too much sometimes.¡± She shook her head reluctantly, before looking to Peter with an intelligent expression. ¡°Let me in for a moment. I¡¯m not as forgiving.¡±


    Yami quickly transmitted the order to Peter, leaving him to simply shake his head. ¡°Right, that link you can form. Here.¡± Peter concentrated on the young imp, forming the mental connection with her with nothing but a thought.


    Yami quickly accepted, with only a small twitch of her eyes betraying any sense of the roiling emotion that was transmitted to her. Peter very clearly wanted to repent for what he had done, but at the same time, felt that he had no choice to do what he had done.


    Peter had killed more than a few weaker demons like herself, with just as many often dying with fearful look on their face as he killed them. The Demon Lord responsible often attacked in large groups, sending out weaker demons to weaken those who resisted control before sending in the more experienced of his forces. However, not once had Peter been intentionally cruel to those who were left alive, an admirable if somewhat foolish quality.


    This¡­ As Yami shuffled through his memories, she noticed a peculiar ability. One of the demons Peter had attempted to finish off disappeared in a sudden rush of smoke, before reappearing a few feet away utterly exhausted. It had been promptly killed right afterward, but he ability itself gave away the identity of the enemy. It was the ability of the doppelgangers Drake had fought.


    So, he fought them as well, right as that Lord was first expanding¡­ Yami scowled momentarily, before looking to Peter with a thoughtful expression. He was a good man, for a humanoid that is. In the end, he was just making the best out of a bad situation. Those who he fought would have no doubt killed him if he hadn¡¯t killed them himself, and she wasn¡¯t exactly the most merciful when it came to enemies either. He did well.


    The imp placed her hand on Peter¡¯s face, as a gentle smile spread across her face. Maybe she had been a bit too harsh on their species. Drake had been one originally, after all.


    ¡°If you really need to hear it, I forgive you for those you¡¯ve killed. Blame the Lord for their deaths, not you. My kind has no choice in making such contracts, as we¡¯d soon die otherwise. The same goes for most of demon kind, as only the strong can survive by themselves.¡± Yami spoke aloud, but her voice transmitted seamlessly to his mind.


    ¡°T-thank you.¡± Peter mumbled thoughtlessly, only accepting the words as they were. The things he had been forced to do to survive had haunted him, but he had never imagined that he would be forgiven for them. It was truly a gift.


    ¡°Thank you too, Drake.¡± He looked up to Drake as well, with only a small smile making its way across to him.


    Drake merely smiled before giving a small laugh in return. ¡°Of course.¡±


    With the confrontation resolved peacefully, the rest of the time spent waiting resumed with grateful silence. Peter, Luke, and the rest continued to eat and rest, while Morgan silently finished her meditation in the off to the side of everyone else. It was an intriguing process to be sure. Wizards drew on the mana around them to fuel their magic, but the process of actually restoring their ability to use it involved thin, almost incandescent sources of mana that seeped back into their bodies through the top of the dungeon. No doubt the source came from the above the dungeon itself, much like the line of mana he saw enter Morgan¡¯s body when they drank from the mana well.


    Restoring their magic through the environment, or is it something altogether different? Drake looked on with amusement at the process. It was intriguing, to be sure. A process that was altogether different but used the same source as everything else in the world. Just how did it split off from his own source of mana?


    He merely shook his head, as he noticed the thin line of mana suddenly disappear altogether, and Morgan opened her eyes.


    ¡°Finally up?¡± Drake asked with a thin smile.


    ¡°Ha, ha. Thirty minutes is already lightning fast, I¡¯ll have you know. Those that are elven are special in that way.¡± Morgan bit back with her own sense of sarcasm.


    ¡°Hm. Drake, you ready?¡± Peter interrupted the conversation, as Drake quickly popped the last piece of wyvern meat into his mouth, much to the chagrin of the imp on his shoulder.


    ¡°Yep. Just follow me.¡± He responded.


    Drake quickly took the position of leading the others down the fifth passageway. Given that all the different passages were somewhat similar in their construction, he was pleased to find that there were indeed no hidden traps or surprises on his way to the end. Still, despite that, it took the small group roughly five minutes to walk to the end of the passageway.


    ¡°Expect four enemies once we reach the end. As for what they are, we¡¯ll have to find out once we arrive.¡± Drake said.


    ¡°Any ideas on what type of creature they are? If they use magic, me and Luke are going to be at a disadvantage pretty quick.¡± Peter lamented. ¡°We might be faster than we were when we were humans, but that doesn¡¯t count for much these days.¡±


    ¡°If I had to guess, it¡¯s unlikely.¡± Drake mulled things over to himself, as he spoke to Peter. ¡°Yami can sense that sort of thing, especially from this close.¡±


    While true, Drake himself would have undoubtedly sensed at least some form of more intense mana radiation if they were monsters of that type. He had filled up most of the room with his mana before it was dispelled. Of course, if they were like Gwyn, and used actual magic, even he couldn¡¯t do much about it.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re here.¡± Luke interrupted, as the group suddenly slowed to a halt.


    In front of them was exactly what Drake expected. A large, bulbous room that stretched out in a semi-circular motion in from of them. Despite that, he also saw a large array of roots, crisscrossing the entire room, providing cover and preventing them from seeing any of the potential enemies. Directly in front, unobscured by the various roots covering the room, looked to be a stone staircase firmly imbedded into the wall at the opposite end of the room, leading further down into the dungeon.


    Although, it bothers me that I couldn¡¯t sense the roots at all. Drake grimaced, still unsure of the origins of the dryad¡¯s power.


    ¡°There¡¯s supposed to be four different enemies in here?¡± Peter looked around cautiously, his eyes scanning dimly lit room for any signs of the threat.


    ¡°They¡¯re in there, there¡¯s no doubt about that. Yami, locate them from here.¡± Drake looked to his shoulder, and gave her a knowing smile.


    [Will do.] She gave a short response. After a brief flash of the locating magic she typically used, her eyes immediately began to dart back and forth among the various roots that littered the space in the room.


    [Three are up among the very top of the roots, while one is prowling on the ground. It¡¯s some sort of fey creature. I don¡¯t recognize it, but it¡¯s definitely not demonic, or even beast-like in nature. It¡¯s too unnatural for that.] She quickly spread her link to message the other three along with Drake, informing them of the nature of the enemy.


    ¡°Is that so.¡± Luke frowned as his eyes continually scanned the areas of darkness cast by the large roots. ¡°Morgan, light this place up.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± She replied playfully, before digging into a small satchel on her waist. Bringing out a small rock, she raised her hand as a brilliant white light suddenly began to shine from it.


    ¡°Light!¡± A twenty-foot cone of light suddenly surrounded them, completely illuminating the small passageway around them, while audible hisses immediately sounded out from the room in front of them.


    Morgan smiled as she rolled the makeshift beacon of light up and down in her land, before looking to Luke in expectation. ¡°You want to throw it?¡±


    ¡°Yea, just hand it over. I thought I saw something.¡± He held out his hand expectantly, not daring to take his eyes off a small area underneath a section of root that dug further into the dungeon.


    Giving him the rock, Luke quickly threw it into the suspected area, catching one of the creatures off guard, and exposing it for all the others to see.


    As he did, Drake¡¯s eyes widened as he looked on, and he immediately knew what they were facing. The group he came into town with had actually captured some themselves.


    Displacer beasts. Supposedly creatures of the fey, they resembled the panthers of the old world, only with six limbs instead of the standard four, and a threatening appendage that split into two barbed tentacles that originated from the base of its neck. This, along with being packaged into a nine-foot-long, 500-pound bundle of muscle and bone made them a formidable predator; from what Drake knew about them, they were also incredibly troublesome to deal with without sufficient numbers.


    As a species, they often hunted in packs, although they sometimes could be caught on their own. What was troublesome about them however, was their innate ability. When faced with danger, they were capable of bending the light around them, making them appear to be a foot or two off from their actual position. In close range, such an ability could mean the difference between life or death quite easily.


    ¡°Just what the hell are those things?¡± Luke let out involuntarily.


    ¡°Displacer beasts. Be careful to not let them trick you. They can bend the light around themselves, and make themselves seem like they¡¯re in a different location temporarily. The effect doesn¡¯t last long, but it doesn¡¯t need to.¡± Drake looked on as the creature quickly bolted out of the sphere of light, and into the darkness surrounding the room.


    It was obvious why they hadn¡¯t attacked yet. In the narrow corners of the passageway, their innate ability would have done nothing, and just funneled them straight into the others in his group. While the displacer beasts couldn¡¯t attack, his own group had no way of luring them forward as well. To put it simply, they were at a stalemate.


    ¡°So, what now?¡± Morgan looked to the others before turning to look further into the darkness. It only took a moment before she shook her head in frustration.


    ¡°Darkvision.¡± She mumbled, her eyes lighting up in an arcane energy. ¡°Much better.¡± She said with a smile.


    ¡°Morgan, do you have any spells available that could draw them to us?¡± Peter looked to her expectantly, hoping that she would have some sort of solution.


    ¡°U-uh¡­ No. Sorry. I could deal with that annoying ability though, at least in a roundabout way. With Invisibility, you guys could sneak up on a few, as long as they aren¡¯t overly strong. Then again, we¡¯ve never fought these before, so it might not do much good¡­¡± She started explaining in a hesitant voice, before slowly shifting into one of possibilities, more talking to herself than to any of the others.


    ¡°But that¡¯ll use up all your 2<sup>nd</sup> level spell slots, huh?¡± Peter looked to Morgan with equal hesitation, making sure to keep one eye pinned onto the darkness, before shaking his head.


    ¡°Whatever, just use it on Luke and Drake. You keep all the first level spells for yourself. You just refreshed that new 3<sup>rd</sup> level slot, and given that all three of us are close range fighters, that¡¯ll be best.¡± He made the decision for the group, as he often did. He had long been the main source of group decisions, and he hadn¡¯t steered them wrong so far.


    ¡°Right. Good luck.¡± Placing her hand on Luke and Drake one at a time, she casted the Invisibility spell, and each one of them disappeared completely.


    ¡°Oh. Uh, sorry Yami. I don¡¯t have any slots for you¡­¡± Morgan laughed as she noticed the entirely visible imp floating in midair on Drake¡¯s shoulder as she finished the spell for him.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Yami looked down only to see the ground beneath her. ¡°Tch.¡± She flew up off his shoulder, slightly annoyed before she received Drake¡¯s order on what to do concerning the monsters.


    [Right.] She responded.


    ¡°Luke, I¡¯ll go forward and distract the one that just landed on the ground. That¡¯ll give you the chance to kill it without much trouble. As for the others, Morgan will give me another light rock, which will make me a beacon for all the ones above. Morgan can support me from there, given she used Darkvision.¡± Peter laid out the plan, directing each of them for their own roles.


    ¡°Will do.¡± Morgan responded happily.


    ¡°Easy as pie.¡± Luke agreed.


    ¡°As for you Drake¡­ uh, you do whatever you do.¡± Peter looked to him awkwardly.


    Truthfully, Peter felt that he had no real idea of how to effectively use him, or if he would truly even listen to him. He obviously was hiding some sort of power, but the magnitude of that power Peter was unsure of, and given that Drake wasn¡¯t sharing, it was best to let him go on his own. He had his own form of support in Yami, and had been given Invisibility by Morgan. He would be fine on his own.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I should be able to take care of one. At the least, I can keep myself out of trouble.¡± Drake responded.


    ¡°Hm.¡± A short response came from Peter, before he looked out to the winding roots and darkness in front of them.


    Preparing themselves, Peter was quickly given another makeshift beacon of light, making him the center of attention as the tank. Morgan stood in the entrance of the passageway, as both Drake and Luke quickly moved along the various roots, jumping and climbing accordingly to reach their various targets.


    He didn¡¯t even try to give me any orders. Is he still unsure of my place in their group? He mused to himself. Clearing his mind, he focused on the task, quickly climbing the large roots that made their way up to the ceiling, in an attempt to catch the Displacer beasts off-guard. He had planned on attacking the larger group regardless, and Peter¡¯s own plan fit into Drake¡¯s neatly.


    [Yami, have you identified the exact location yet?] Drake looked on from above, as Peter walked out from the passageway resembling a sort of holy object. At the very least, the light spell on the stone he was given acted as the perfect bait, and a sphere of protection at the same time.


    For a creature that seemed to thrive on sneak attacks, and taking advantage of their own abilities, that zone of light looked to be annoying them immensely. Even though he couldn¡¯t see them, the unearthly growling they were making was echoing off every part of the room.


    [One is directly above you, looking at Peter. It doesn¡¯t suspect a thing.] Yami called out to Drake from the side, her body covered in a faint, red glow. She had been given the role of keeping himself and Morgan notified of the monster¡¯s locations with her tracking magic.


    [Right.] Drake answered her mentally. Summoning up his crystal gauntlet, he quickly clambered up the root until he found himself directly behind one of the supposed Displacer beasts. Given that Drake had been gifted Invisibility and the creature was distracted by Peter, it hadn¡¯t heard a thing as he approached. It was merely looking onward towards Peter, who was acting the perfect position as bait.


    [Time to see if this ability of theirs is automatic.] Drake remarked sarcastically.


    Drake pointed his hand in a knife-like motion before quickly stabbing down towards the spine of the creature. Aiming towards its head would be much too troublesome, and crippling a beast that relied so heavily on agility would be just as effective.


    Just as Drake was about to reach the body of the creature, he noticed the creature¡¯s ears suddenly perk up. Then, just as his gauntlet was about to dig into it, the creature visibly shifted in its position, as if it simply popped out of existence and shifted a foot to the left.


    Dammit, so that¡¯s its ability. Drake remarked to himself, a look of utter annoyance clear on his face. The invisibility had dissipated the moment he had attacked, as it should have, but the creature was still able to shift away from him in that split second.


    The sheer speed of such a reaction time was simply impossible, which left only one other possibility. They didn¡¯t shift at all, rather, they kept a consistent field around themselves that projected a false location. You wouldn¡¯t know their actual location until you pierced the illusion, which only furthered their defense.


    Twisting his arm harshly towards his target, he rammed his gauntlet firmly into the creature¡¯s ribcage, resulting in a hideous growl of pain.


    ¡°Still got you, you bastard.¡± Drake smiled to himself in a self-satisfied manner, before his eyes widened suddenly, and he quickly ducked and jumped away to a nearby root. The spiked tentacles on the creature¡¯s back almost clubbed him right as he finished attacking it, almost if they had a mind of their own. Still, he had gotten away in time.


    Drake braced himself, as the creature twisted around, before turning to glare at him. The creature hissed momentarily, before it turned to the side, and broke his line of sight, only to suddenly appear on a nearby root roughly ten feet away from him.


    The creature leaned as if to pounce, only for the barbed weapons on its back to launch towards.


    Shit! Drake quickly dodged a barbed tentacle that was aimed straight at his head, only to see another quickly join it. Breaking the attack away from him with his gauntlet, he retreated again, only to see it leap forward and take his former position, making sure to stay just within range to harass him.


    They¡¯re much more troublesome than I was expecting. Drake snarled.


    Get close, and they would evade with their innate ability, making it difficult to even damage them. Try to attack them from far away, and they would take advantage of their range and speed to outmaneuver their enemy. They really were perfect for testing a group of people.


    Hearing a sudden yelp of pain from below, he could see that Luke had taken advantage of his own target. He was having a difficult time keeping up with it, given the creature¡¯s speed but he was still slowly driving it towards Peter and Morgan.


    [Drake, behind you!] A sudden shout from Yami alerted him to the threat, only for a hard, cluster of spikes to wedge themselves firmly in his back. Thankfully, the clothes he had made using his mana shaved off most of the damage he would have taken.


    Stunned from the blow, another attack soon hit him after, only this time, the cluster of spikes forced themselves past his protective clothing, and imbedded firmly in his side before ripping out in a vicious motion.


    Coughing from the sudden blow to his side, he reached down instinctively only to see a handful of blood from the attack. The attack itself was shallow and hadn¡¯t pierced deeply, but the numerous spikes had left a large wound on his side,


    Dammit. Laughing lightly, he could only smile reluctantly at his situation. In the heat of the moment, he had completely discounted the location of the other Displacer Beasts. One had gone down to assist the one Luke attacked, but the other stayed to deal with him.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Drake muttered. He could see now that he had been cornered, and that attempting to attack them in this sort of environment played heavily to their own advantage. They were quicker than him certainly, and that coupled with the range from their spiked tentacles downplayed any sort of physical advantage he had with his mana gauntlets over them.


    These two had chosen to attack him, while the other Displacer beasts were playing a game of cat and mouse with the others on the ground. The barbed tentacles, which gave them about ten feet of attack, allowed them to keep out of range of any potential counterattacks as long as they fought defensively. From his vantage point, Drake could see that only Morgan was able to reliably attack them, and that was only when she used the magic missile spell.


    Huh? Drake looked on, only to see one of the creatures who had shifted to avoid Morgan¡¯s locked-on attack be ruthlessly slammed with Peter and Luke¡¯s weapons a moment afterward. Those two attacks, coupled with Morgan¡¯s own smaller hits, had almost single handedly crippled the creature, and it was obvious to everyone that it had been dealt a serious blow.


    So, it has a weakness after all. Drake looked on with glee. Once the illusion stopped, and its location shifted to avoid Morgan¡¯s attack, it seemed that it was left utterly unable to use its ability again until it had time to recharge the ability.


    Drake swiftly dodged two more attacks from the duo in the top of the room, before making his decision to retreat down towards the others. Against an enemy like this, he likely wouldn¡¯t be able to effectively attack it alone unless he filled the entire room with mana, an action that was made even less likely given the creator of the dungeon. It was clear, he needed other¡¯s help to disable to ability, and Morgan¡¯s Magic Missile spell was perfect for such a thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to finally get the real fight started.¡± Drake jumped downwards towards the others, a battle-hungry spread clear on his face.

 Chapter 8 Part 6

    [Yami, just in case, tell Morgan the Displacer Beast¡¯s weakness.] Drake ordered.


    While it was true that any of them could inactivate that strange ability, Morgan¡¯s spell, Magic Missiles, had the ability to track onto the target and hit without fail. Wasting the innate illusion the Displacer Beast¡¯s held around themselves, while still ensuring the attack would maximize the damage they could do. In an environment where they were already at a disadvantage, it was practically required.


    [Will do.] She responded promptly.


    Yami was quick to follow on Drake¡¯s orders, and Morgan was just as quick to follow Drake¡¯s advice. With a quick shout to the others, Morgan and the others dispatched the first Displacer Beast, cornering it before killing it in a brutal flash of metal and magic.


    ¡°Good job, Morgan.¡± Drake arrived in a flash, with Yami close behind. Morgan¡¯s speed in conveying his strategy to the others was put to work quickly, and it showed results. While it would be difficult to inflict any meaningful damage alone, the other three in his group flowed together beautifully, not missing a beat as they worked in unison and dispatched one of the beasts within moments.


    ¡°Yo.¡± Drake waved to the others playfully as he landed next to the others, which only resulted in a few amused looks, and a roll of the eyes.


    Drake took up a position next to Morgan, keeping himself firmly in between her and the other Displacer Beasts. ¡°So, going solo wasn¡¯t the best plan. Only managed to get a hit in before I was outmatched up in those roots. Those tentacles are dangerous.¡± He remarked with a stubborn smile.


    ¡°I can imagine. Even down here, we¡¯ve had a hard time with just two.¡± Peter agreed.


    The Displacer Beast¡¯s attacking Drake quickly bounded down the roots, before joining the remaining beast on the ground. Seemingly unperturbed by the death of one, they would dart into the sphere of light and attack, only to get a glancing blow off on Drake, Luke, or Peter, before quickly returning to the relative safety of the dark surroundings a moment later.


    The four looked to each other with a reluctant smile. Just as they had returned to their own formation, the Displacer Beasts had returned to their hit-and-run style of attack once they realized the difficulty of attacking them head on. While the monsters weren¡¯t doing much damage, his own group¡¯s ability to attack was drastically reduced as well.


    Drake shook his head reluctantly, before looking to Morgan. This fight was going to end now. They only needed sufficient bait.


    ¡°Morgan, that third-tier slot you received, what do you have available?¡±


    ¡°U-uhm¡­¡± Morgan shook her head with a faintly disguised grimace, an unsure look clear on her face. ¡°It¡¯s called animate dead. It seemed like the most useful given my single slot, but I¡¯m not sure how well it¡¯ll work.¡±


    ¡°No, it sounds great. Use it now.¡± Drake nodded forcefully.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± She nodded uncertainly, before raising her hand. A dark presence welled up in her hand as a bolt of that same energy suddenly shot into the corpse of the newly deceased Displacer Beast. In a rattling, shuffling motion, the corpse suddenly twitched, before it slowly clambered up onto all six of its limbs. Large pieces of flesh began to slough off the creature, and within moments, it looked as if the spell had created a zombie-like version of the creature. Regardless of its appearance however, it looked to Morgan with an utterly subservient look.


    ¡°Success...¡± Morgan shook her head with a fairly disgusted look as she grimaced, before looking to Drake momentarily. ¡°You want to use it, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Better to have some cannon fodder in a situation like this.¡± Drake remarked as he looked toward the undead beast. ¡°Yami could attack them like you, but it¡¯d be too dangerous for her to go alone. She¡¯d need to flank them to do any real damage, but that¡¯s too dangerous given how fast they are. Even if she tried to fly away, with the roots in this room, they¡¯d still be able to catch her.¡± Drake affirmed.


    Besides, like I¡¯d ever send her out on a suicide mission like that. Might as well take advantage of any resources we have. He thought haphazardly.


    Drake spoke loudly, addressing each of them with his plan. ¡°I¡¯ll go out from you three, and distract them. They¡¯re going to be focused on me, so don¡¯t waste the opportunity.¡± Drake said as he looked towards her. ¡°And Morgan, your new pet is going to help.¡± With a quick confirmation from the others, and the undead beast following close behind him, he slowly walked out of the sphere of light and into the darkness of the room.


    Now well away from the others, Drake smiled as he reinforced his crystal gauntlets with mana. The form hadn¡¯t changed, but ever since his baptism in the well of mana, he could feel that his mana had grown even more diabolical than before. He still couldn¡¯t use his real power in front of the others, but if he could just manage one solid strike against these creatures, he would be able to kill them with ease.


    [Drake¡­] Yami sounded off on his shoulder, warning him of their approach.


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll try to take them more seriously.¡± He said. He had overestimated himself when he fought with the wyvern, and he was still getting used to his new body. If he wasn¡¯t careful, the very same thing could happen again, only with the consequences being greater given this body was considerably weaker.


    The remaining beasts were slowly approaching him, each of them falsely launching forward in an angry fashion, before jumping back out of fear. The undead beast next to him seemed to have put them on guard. Without a doubt, this was the first time they had ever encountered such ghastly magic.


    Well, not that he could blame the creatures. The stench alone was revolting.


    Clearing his mind for the fight, Drake watched the calculated movements of the remaining trio of beasts. Their method of attack was simple, if effective. Dash within range, and wear down the enemy through attacks that left no counter play. However, such a plan would only work if the target acted in such a way as to allow that to happen.


    In a flash of movement, one of the Displacer Beasts leapt towards Drake, intending to gouge him in a series of blows with the spiked appendages it used for such a method. Drake simply smiled however, before raising his gauntlets in an expected motion. After seeing the attacks so many times, it had become easier to anticipate the movements. In a quick motion, Drake caught both of the tentacles, a diabolical smile glaring towards the creature.


    Bewildered by their target¡¯s defense, the other two Displacer Beasts leapt into action, only for the undead beast that used to be their comrade to block their attacks completely using its own body. Morgan and the others followed up quickly, and the creatures were soon blasted by Magic Missiles, with Peter and Luke following up with the flanking attack.


    In the end, that¡¯s their weakness. You just need to approach from more than one angle. Do that, and hit and run tactics go out the window quick. Drake smiled to himself. He was pleased with how simple it was.


    Turning to his own struggling opponent, Drake chuckled before he pulled the creature towards him in a fierce, ripping motion.


    Yami quickly followed suit with the attack, and leaped off Drake¡¯s shoulder. Waving her hand in a fan-like motion, a brilliant series of shards launched towards the creature, only for the illusion to break, and for the shower of shards to miss completely. Thankfully, the illusion only extended to their main body.


    ¡°Stupid cat.¡± Yami muttered resentfully. Still, such an attack was needed. Once the illusion was broken, it needed time to renew, and given Drake¡¯s hold on the creature however, it couldn¡¯t simply escape.


    Seizing the opportunity, Drake kept a firm grip on the creature as he pulled it towards himself and brought it within range, before firmly stabbing his gauntlet firmly into its side. The creature let out a horrific shriek of pain as he pierced it, only furthering Drake¡¯s determination. Within a few moments, the injury Drake inflicted began to slowly crack and decay, as the mana absorbed the creature¡¯s life force.


    Crying out wildly, the creature abandoned all notions of safety and attached itself firmly onto Drake¡¯s shoulder, before clamping down with its jaws and violently ripping side to side with all its might.


    ¡°Dammit¡­¡± With a crazed expression, Drake took the blow head on, his cloak slowly becoming more crimson by the moment as it was beginning to be dyed with his blood. The creature clearly had the same sort of mana inside of it that influenced the various roots of this place, as well as the armor of the hobgoblins. His mana was having less of an effect than it should had, and the jaws of this creature were on a whole different level than the spikes they used. He hadn¡¯t overestimated himself, but underestimated it.


    Up to this point, Drake almost exclusively faced opponents that simply couldn¡¯t withstand the severity of his mana, but these creatures were clearly influenced by something at his own level, giving them some level of resistance. Nevertheless¡­


    ¡°Die.¡± Drake muttered in a pained voice, as he put his mana to full force. His initial attack had pierced deep into the creature¡¯s ribcage, and the demonic mana Drake put forth quickly began to atrophy the monster¡¯s organs. Sensing its impending death, the creature dug into Drake¡¯s shoulder even further, as if it was hoping that it¡¯s efforts wouldn¡¯t go to waste with the others.


    Glaring at the creature with a crazed smile, Drake intensified his efforts, resulting in the creature quickly slumping to the ground, unable to even hold up its own weight anymore. He quickly pried off the dying beast¡¯s jaws, before looking to the others with a satisfied, but pained expression.


    Heavily outnumbered, the other Displacer Beasts were merely being hunted down now, unable to maintain any semblance of their initial tactic, especially after Morgan¡¯s zombie-beast joined in the fray. One was already on death¡¯s door, while the other was forced to look on, merely providing support while attempting to stay out of reach.


    ¡°Sorry, but this battle is already over.¡± Drake held in his laughter. His body had endured a heavy injury, but in the heat of the moment, he didn¡¯t feel anything but a sense of joy. The surge of adrenaline pumping throughout his body nullified the large majority of the pain he felt.


    [Reckless as always¡­ Was that really the best way, Drake?] Yami quickly landed on his shoulder, as she saw the beast drop to the ground. With a worried expression, she began to slowly pour in spare mana onto his wound to help mend it as best she could. It was a poor substitute for his own ability, but even mana cores helped him to some extent. Yami could only try to imitate that.


    [O-ow¡­ not so hard.] Drake winced at the sudden movement of Yami¡¯s rough landing, and her subsequent healing, only laughing self-depreciatively at himself. It was true, he certainly could have gone about it a different way. However, that would have inevitably left the creature to fight with the others sporadically, and skew the ratio back in the creature¡¯s favor. While Morgan¡¯s undead ¡®pet¡¯ wasn¡¯t slow by any means, its speed suffered. Moreover, being an undead, the position of meat shield was best suited for it.


    Moreover, Drake knew what he could handle. After nearly dying at the hands of the wyvern, he knew it would take a lot more than what these creatures could give to kill him, despite the severe wound on his shoulder. As long as Yami could heal him up a bit, he should be fine.


    ¡°Hyyaahhh!¡± With a final shout, Peter¡¯s axe came down firmly on the last Displacer Beast, severing its head from its body in a finishing blow. Luke and Morgan quickly heaved sighs of relief as he did, before promptly collapsing to the ground. For adventurers like themselves, this had been the most nerve-wracking fight of their lives. Simply killing goblins didn¡¯t even compare.


    ¡°And like that, we¡¯re finished.¡± Drake collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted and considerably wounded, despite Yami¡¯s efforts. He didn¡¯t realize it himself, but near the end, it was all he could do to stay on his feet.


    ¡°Just overall weaker, huh¡­¡± Drake mumbled to himself, a depreciating laugh escaping his lips again. His physical abilities in this form simply couldn¡¯t match in comparison to his Draconian form. The pain from attacks was much more intense too, without the natural armor and physique of that form.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    [This was the quickest and easiest way to finish the fight. There needed to be bait, for better or worse. Any of the others would have likely died, even Peter can¡¯t do much if he¡¯s attacked by all of them at once. Besides, he¡¯s best for defending Morgan. Spellcasters are the most important in these kind of fights, after all.] Drake said to Yami, emphasizing the last part especially.


    Even if she wasn¡¯t overwhelmingly powerful, Morgan was the most useful for disabling the Displacer Beast¡¯s ability. Without that, they were no better than an average monster. They were just a bit quick, is all.


    Still, despite all my talk, that last Displacer Beast was able to put up much more of a fight than I was expecting. I need to eat, and soon, otherwise this wound is only going to get worse. That last bite was deep. A deep grimace appeared on Drake¡¯s face, as the wound on his shoulder continued to bleed heavily.


    Peter ran over after confirming the condition of the other two, the worry on his face painted across it as clear as day.


    ¡°Drake, how bad is it?¡± His tone was heavy.


    ¡°Do me a favor, and cut out a large piece of meat from these guys, and cook it up for me. I can manage after that.¡± Drake managed to get the request out, as his voice was quickly becoming more ragged. His breathing was starting to quicken noticeably, and the pain was returning in deep, body wracking waves.


    Drake¡¯s voice had been quiet, even to the point where Peter had to lean in to hear correctly, but his eyes went wide in suspicion after he had heard the request.


    ¡°Fresh monster meat¡­?¡± Peter felt a chill go down the back of his neck as he stood up and grimaced, only standing in place and leaving Drake to stare at him with a dazed, confused expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s alright, isn¡¯t it?¡± Drake gave a pained smile as he looked to Peter.


    Peter grimaced to himself, as he seemed to be fighting over what to do. It was common knowledge that the more magical a creature¡¯s meat was, the more poisonous it was, often causing the people who ate it to wrack with pain before throwing it up, or outright dying if they couldn¡¯t manage that. You could let the meat ¡®cure¡¯ over a few hours, and that would let most races eat it without any issues. Most proposals for why was that the mana inside simply seeped out over time. That Drake would ask for it so easily, and without any hesitation would mean¡­


    Peter shook off the thought, and turned to the others.


    ¡°Right.¡± Drake¡¯s request solidified a thought in Peter¡¯s mind, but after seeing Drake¡¯s condition, he didn¡¯t ask any unnecessary questions. Walking over to one of the corpses, he promptly lopped off one of the many legs of the creature, before calling over Morgan.


    ¡°Cook this up for me, will ya.¡± He tossed the limb of the creature to her, only resulting in an utterly surprised expression.


    ¡°Why would I ever do-¡±


    ¡°Just do it.¡± Peter interjected, the tone of his voice leaving no argument.


    All the while, Yami looked on in worry. It should be working¡­ why isn¡¯t it like before? She thought.


    A dramatic injury like this, one which Drake couldn¡¯t heal right away, was really only comparable to the time Gwyn blasted him with magic. At that time, with Drake unconscious and the mana-wyrm form of the Draconian running amok, she had stopped it by pouring in her mana into Drake¡¯s body, healing him considerably and stopping the mana wyrm¡¯s rampage. It wasn¡¯t comparable to his own ability of course, but it healed the worst of his wounds. This body however, it simply wasn¡¯t taking it.


    Regardless of the circumstances, his natural abilities shouldn¡¯t have changed. That¡¯s why he retained his ability to heal through mana-infused meat, rather than losing it altogether. He couldn¡¯t eat it raw, unlike before, but it was still the same ability at its core.


    This time though, his body wasn¡¯t showing any of the signs that she recognized before. Rather, the spare mana she was putting in seemed like it was disappearing altogether, with none going towards the wound itself. Which meant¡­


    He¡¯s going to rank up, even sooner than I was expecting. Yami thought with horror.


    At the initial stage, the body formed the demonic core, and as the demon grew, the core would grow and fill the region it possessed, before violently compressing onto itself to prepare for a rank one progression.


    At rank one, the body would be bathed in the natural demonic energy of that core, enhancing the demon¡¯s physical abilities considerably. Even Demonic Lords, who typically prized their magical abilities looked forward to such a stage, as it helped balance their status as a more formidable demon overall.


    The speed, power, and aura that one would expect from a real demon, would result from that qualitative change in the core. At the threshold between those two points however, demons would go into a sort of catatonic state, their cores taking every spare bit of mana it could to prepare for such a step.


    Given Drake¡¯s unique situation, he would obviously differ somewhat, but the overall process would likely be similar. The influx of mana from the creatures he fought must have guided it along even further than she was expecting.


    [Drake, we need to leave the dungeon, and find somewhere to hide. You¡¯ll be ranking up, and soon, within a few hours at the most.] She said with an intense urgency.


    [Heh heh¡­ You¡¯re kidding.] Drake sadly laughed, with each laugh becoming more like a strained breath than before.


    [We can¡¯t leave like this¡­] He paused to gather his breath. [We¡¯re in the middle of this place, and we¡¯re practically sealed off given the entrance is being guarded. I¡¯ll have to do it in here somehow.] Drake¡¯s eyes began to flutter slightly, his expression becoming more delirious.


    [What?! No!] Yami¡¯s voice practically shouted out in his mind. [Drake, you can¡¯t trust these people. They¡¯ll see you¡¯re a monster, and they¡¯ll turn on you first chance they get. I can¡¯t leave you like that.] Yami shook her head firmly.


    [You can just watch after me, right?] Drake laughed lightly, his eyes closing momentarily before opening wide again.


    [Ask them to go off ahead, and leave me behind. We¡¯ll be fine as long as we just be¡­ alone¡­] Drake¡¯s eyes suddenly darkened, and he became completely limp as he began to fall to the ground suddenly before Yami caught him.


    [Drake. Drake!] Yami shouted out to his mind, only to be met with complete silence. She looked hastily to Drake¡¯s shoulder wound, before releasing a stream of mana towards him, sealing the puncture holes with crystal. This would only decrease the time he had left, along with completely freezing his recovery time, but he couldn¡¯t be allowed to lose any more blood.


    The large bite wound on Drake¡¯s shoulder had been too much. The sudden drop in adrenaline as the fight ended, combined with the large amount of blood loss led him to go into shock as his blood pressure plummeted. He wouldn¡¯t wake up until he had stabilized himself.


    ¡°Drake? Hey man, you alright?¡± Luke looked over worriedly, as he saw Yami lower his unconscious body to the ground before sealing his wounds. Rushing over with the others quickly behind him, Luke attempted to move him to get a better look, only for an intense wave of mana to push him back.


    [Stay away from him!] Yami waved her hand, as a large field of crimson mist floating in the air defensively around Drake and herself.


    [Don¡¯t move¡­ a step closer.] Yami¡¯s voice shook with emotion, her voice echoing deeply in all of their minds.


    Yami had stabilized Drake for now, but it was only thanks to these humanoids that he had gotten so badly injured in the first place. She knew perfectly well how he felt. He was enjoying himself, reveling in old emotions, and old feelings, and those emotions were passed along to her. They were¡­ nice. But, it was that exact feeling that led him to act so dangerously.


    Drake was right. He was the strongest among them, even in his weaker form, but he was so bent on fitting in, on not revealing too much of his abilities and scaring away the few humanoids that he seemed to have made friends with, that he put himself in danger. Again, and again.


    Not that he didn¡¯t enjoy the danger to some extent, that much she knew. Increasingly, as he became more accustomed to what he could do, he kept pushing himself and his body further, which was what resulted in him becoming such a mess. Because of them, he felt that he needed to do more than what he was capable of, so they weren¡¯t injured. Because of them, he ended up here, bleeding out on the floor as one of the most important times of his new life was approaching.


    Because of them.


    [Leave us alone. Leave the body of one the monsters there, and go.] Her voice rang out in their minds again, the direction and authority in her voice echoing out over them, despite her small form. In that moment, they suddenly became aware of a very real possibility. Yami might seriously attack them if they didn¡¯t listen.


    [Yami, we¡¯re here to-] Peter began to call out to Yami, only for a shard to suddenly plant itself at his feet threateningly. The message Yami was conveying was clear.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± Luke began to take a step forward, only for him to be pulled back by Peter.


    He shook his head, before looking to Yami, gauging her reactions as best he could before letting out a reluctant sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll leave, and go further into the dungeon. You won¡¯t have to worry about us.¡± He motioned to leave, before turning to her again. [Drake can use that meat he wanted to somehow heal when he wakes up, can¡¯t he?] Peter posed a question to Yami.


    Yami tilted her head with a small bit of curiosity before answering. [Drake will be fine as long as you leave a body.]


    ¡°That answers that.¡± Peter muttered to himself. ¡°Let¡¯s go. You heard what Drake said up above, they¡¯re partners. Not master and slave. She won¡¯t let anything happen to him, and this room is cleared out.¡±


    ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Morgan. We¡¯re leaving.¡± Peter¡¯s tone shifted. It wasn¡¯t a request.


    Morgan stood completely still, only looking up after a moment to the small imp. What she wanted to see was a look of confidence on the small imp¡¯s face, an inkling that she could handle it. But the look she and the others received wasn¡¯t one of trust or even faith. It was one of utter loathing towards herself, Luke and Peter.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She bit her lip, before gesturing to the undead Displacer beast to follow them.


    One of the reasons the others were so hesitant to enter the dungeon was because they lacked healing magic. Truthfully, even if they were allowed to help, they wouldn¡¯t be able to help much, and Peter knew that Drake was hiding secrets of his own. If his own imp was so insistent, then the only course of action was to simply listen.


    Quickly picking up what gear they brought into the dungeon, Peter and the others slowly made their way across the room, and walk down the winding staircase at the very end of the room. Morgan and Luke entered first, with the undead beast Morgan had created taking the lead position. With Peter in the back, he took one last look towards them, a conflicted look on his face.


    [Yami. Take care of Drake. And I¡¯m sorry we got in your way.] Peter spoke to her in a final manner, before he walked down the staircase, leaving both Yami and Drake alone in the room.


    That humanoid¡­ Yami shook her head, her own conflicted feelings on the matter being swept away with the serious nature of the situation.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Finally.¡± Yami took a deep breath, before releasing her control over the large mist of mana. ¡°How does he do it..? Heh.¡± She smiled playfully before looking behind her to the unconscious form of Drake.


    ¡°I have a few hours at the most with that layer of crystal covering his shoulder. If I¡¯m unlucky, it¡¯ll be even sooner. Not to mention¡­¡±


    The main reason Yami was so insistent was her own predicament. With Drake undergoing his own evolution, she would inevitably be forced into soon after if she waited until that point. They would both be left in a situation that put them completely at the mercy of the others. An unacceptable situation, in which case she¡¯d rather¡­


    ¡°Dryad, you¡¯re there listening, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yami called out to the empty room, her voice echoing off the roots in the wide, empty room.


    ¡°Dammit, answer me!¡± She called out again, even more desperately this time.


    There was only silence in response. Whether the Dryad had decided they weren¡¯t worthy of her attention or if she was simply watching the others, Yami was ignored.


    ¡°Aaagh! Dammit!¡± She yelled out in frustration.


    Regardless of whether or not this room was safe, that didn¡¯t matter. It was too exposed, too open. At any time, the others could simply walk back up, no matter how unlikely it was, and expose Drake¡¯s secret. If that was the case, no matter how Peter felt, the others might overwhelm him and take matters into their own hands. It simply wasn¡¯t in Yami¡¯s nature to leave that sort of decision up to others.


    Yami landed on the ground next to Drake, her eyes desperately darting around the room. ¡°Roots, roots, nothing but damn roots! There¡¯s nothing here I can even use¡­¡± She lamented. The Dryad was no doubt laughing at her at this very second. Her and that stupid ¡®darling¡¯ the Dryad had mentioned before.


    ¡°Roots¡­¡± Yami¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, as she looked to the room around her. Dryads, as a species, relied on their trees, and judging by this dungeon, and how every part of it seemed to be influenced by this tree, this particular Dryad had an especially powerful one. The tree itself was likely the source of the Dryad¡¯s affection.


    In a world where magic was real, the more powerful natural forces often had a spirit behind it. While the spirit could be connected to the Dryad, much like Drake and Yami, they equally had their own set of values and intentions.


    Lifting off the ground, Yami slowly made her way over to a nearby root, placing her hand on it as her lips curled slightly. ¡°Drake couldn¡¯t recognize these roots with his mana. Even now, touching them physically, I can¡¯t even use my mana on them. I can also feel that they contain an immense amount of mana running through them¡­¡± Yami¡¯s mind began to spin with the weight of the decision in front of her.


    Going above the Dryad¡¯s head, and asking the tree itself for help. If it worked together with the Dryad, it would be an utterly fruitless affair. However, if the intentions behind each of them were different, then¡­


    A hopeful look flashed across Yami¡¯s eyes, as she focused heavily on the root in front of her. ¡°If I can¡¯t rely on the Dryad, then this is my only other choice¡­¡±


    Spirit¡­ Please¡­


    Yami had always had a skeptical nature. Strangers were always viewed with hostility, she almost always assumed the worst of others, and she would often switch between outright vindictive to loving at the drop of a hat depending on who she was talking to, but at this moment, she was entirely trusting. She had to be.


    Please¡­ if you can hear me¡­ She thought desperately.


    A sudden shudder made its way throughout the entire room, forcing Yami back from sheer fright as the roots around her vibrated with force.


    [Small¡­ one¡­] A heavy, grinding voice made it to Yami¡¯s mind, the sheer scale of the telepathic link frightening her immensely. She understood now why her head hurt so badly from the Dryad¡¯s message before. She was using the tree as a conduit.


    It answered¡­ She backed away further and looked up in a state of wide-eyed wonder before suddenly shaking her head and trying to answer back.


    [U-uh¡­ Uh¡­ Tree! Spirit¡­ Um¡­ What do I call¡­ you¡­?] Yami replied meekly, stuttering over her words.


    [Aesir¡­]


    [Right! Aesir, right. Um¡­ please, if you could, can you transport us to somewhere safe?]


    The connection suddenly shut itself off from her. There was a long pause, as almost a full minute passed by. For a moment, she believed that she had even been rejected, but just as suddenly, the enormous mental link reconnected with her, and answered her.


    [Manna disagrees¡­ But¡­ I will put you and the Draconian somewhere safe¡­] The slow, grinding voice resounded in her head, as the solid, marble-like stone suddenly opened up under Drake, and swallowed him whole.


    Draconian¡­ The race of Drake stood out immediately to Yami. He had been transformed the entire time, no one should have known about him. Still, she didn¡¯t have time to ponder over it.


    [Enter¡­] The voice commanded her, and Yami was all too happy to oblige. She grabbed the piece of meat from the Displacer Beast that Morgan had started to prepare, before quickly following Drake down, the hole sealing up seamlessly behind her.

 Chapter 9 Part 1

    Chapter 9


    Drake¡¯s unconscious form was lowered deep into the depths of the dungeon, far deeper than any normal adventurer had gone before, and was event meant to in the first place. Dungeons were kept under exclusive control of the Dungeon Master, the Dryad in this particular case, but given the vast amount of leeway she had given her ¡®darling¡¯, Aesir had formed his own area to govern. Far, far below the actual dungeon itself.


    ¡°It just keeps going down¡­¡± Yami murmured to herself, as she and Drake were continually lowered down into the dungeon. At first, she had expected to simply be given a small hole, away from any nearby monsters that might attack them, but that didn¡¯t seem to be a part of the tree spirit¡¯s plans. At such a depth, it would be well away from the normal paths of the dungeon, and might even be a part of some deeper system of cave or cavern.


    ¡°Just where is he taking us¡­¡± There was a palpable sense of tension that she just couldn¡¯t shake.


    They both kept being drawn further and further into the depths of the earth, until suddenly, Yami broke through the endless darkness of dull earth into what looked like a wide-open area, judging by the small specks of light. It was a faint light, yet warm and comforting all the same. Instead of the unnaturally blue flames in the dungeon above, it glowed with a bluish-green hue that lit up the area around it, although it was too far away to see just what it was.


    As the seconds passed, more specks appeared, until eventually, they surrounded her on all sides. Most of all, and more disturbingly, she was beginning to pick up on faint mana signatures. The tell-tale sign that there were certainly some sort of creatures living down in these depths.


    ¡°Aesir¡­ just what is down here?¡± Yami called out tentatively to the tree spirit, still unsure of the spirit¡¯s intentions.


    The response came slow, and heavily, as if it required much effort to respond to the simple question. Regardless, Yami received her answer. ¡°The Myconid race¡­ A group of fungal creatures that grow deep under my roots. They are naturally peace-loving, and will be of some help to you to apologize for Manna¡¯s actions¡­ She is meant merely to test newcomers that enter the dungeon, yet¡­ she lost her temper due to the she-elf when she stole a vial the water I collect.¡± The deep, grinding voice responded with a faint hint of pity hidden deep within.


    Manna? Does he mean the Dryad? Also, She-elf? Yami tilted her head to the side, before it suddenly hit her. ¡°Morgan?! She¡¯s the reason behind this!? Aagh!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but throw a small fit, as more and more signals made themselves aware to her. The Myconid race Aesir mentioned, there were at least a dozen, maybe two at the rate she felt various signals increasing.


    ¡°She is of no consequence¡­ She shall merely take the water as a prize if she finishes Manna¡¯s trails¡­ if not¡­ it will be removed from her.¡± Aesir responded matter of factly.


    ¡°Still, I¡¯ll be getting her back next time I see her.¡± Yami remarked sourly. Ridding her mind of the elf, Yami peered tentatively over the small platform Aesir had used to transport Drake down, only to be met immediately with the sight of this so-called Myconid race, along with an almost enchanting view of the city they had cultivated.


    Concerning the Myconid race, simply put, they were mushroom men. They didn¡¯t have a single unifying form, rather, their bodies seemed to twist and overlap, and sometimes grow in random directions. One arm might be decorated heavily with fungal protrusions, or their head might be misshapen to one side by an uneven growth. They weren¡¯t intimidating by any means, rather, they looked to be rather curious by what was being brought down to them.


    As for the rest, all along the cavern floor and walls were a wide array of mushrooms, some glowing a low, steady bioluminescence, while others provided a sense of almost artistic beauty, such as the bright blue variety that covered the small underground river with a glowing carpet of mushrooms that flowed through the village. There were others as well, growing almost as thick and tall as a tree, which seemed to provide the species with a respective home to sleep and rest.


    ¡°So pretty¡­¡± Yami whispered in a low voice, in a completely involuntary manner. All throughout her life, she had never been given any reason to respect a species, but the sheer beauty these creatures seemed to put into creating their environment caught her off guard. Then, just as Yami began to approach the floor of the cavern, the deep voice of Aesir returned again, this time leaving her with a warning.


    ¡°Do not harm them in any way¡­ The Draconian will benefit greatly in his task with their help¡­ and they will not attack unless provoked.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡± She responded. As long as he gets some help¡­ I don¡¯t mind staying here a little longer. She thought with some excitement.


    As the roots transporting Drake arrived on the floor of the cavern, Yami began to hear a short, low grunting sound from each of the mushroom men. They each seemed to be conversing among one another, as one of the roots that had transported her and Drake made its way to one of them. Undoubtedly, Aesir was using it to speak as it did with her. As if reaching a silent agreement, one of them split off from the group, as Yami quickly attempted to establish a connection with the strange race.


    ¡°Ahh!!¡± She recoiled immediately from the connection, as a gigantic force assailed her mind. It wasn¡¯t the mind of a single creature, but one of a much, much larger beast entirely. It was as if there were dozens of minds all connected and working harmoniously. Truthfully, the scale of them was even larger than that of Aesir, a being that she had to be very careful about forming a connection with.


    Just what was that? She shook her head, as if to rid herself of the feeling.


    The Myconids looked to each other with a sense of caution, as the one who approached Yami let out a fume of spores from a hole in one of his arms. He then slowly made his way down to the ground, before sitting and gesturing her forward, as if to say, ¡°Please, enter the spores.¡±


    Yami frowned, as she placed the meat she picked up from the Displacer Beast¡¯s up above to Drake¡¯s side, before slowly floating over to the cloud it released. As she did, the same massive presence she felt before appeared in her mind, only this time, there was a deep, almost overwhelming feeling of calm as well.


    ¡°Spirit. Friend. Injured?¡± The Myconid spoke to her, as it tilted its head slowly to one side. As it spoke, brief flashes of images appeared, as if to complement the broken speech. Images of what appeared to be an intimidating man, coupled with Drake, and a brief image of his shoulder suddenly appeared in her mind before disappearing. For a species that prized peace, being able to speak with others seemed to be among the most important for them.


    Rather than making a connection through mana, the spores itself seemed to be the vector for translation between various races. It was actually very similar to Drake¡¯s own method of forming a crystal and connecting those who he needed to in that way. Rather than needing to understand the language, it acted as a medium for automatic translation between those who were connected.


    ¡°A-ah, yes! His name is Drake, and he was seriously injured up above. The tree spirit, Aesir, said you could help him.¡± Yami said, looking to the various Myconid with a strangely trusting expression.


    There was a sudden rustle from the surrounding creatures, which to her ears seemed almost like laughter. Several more separated themselves from the crowd, as they approached Drake as if to inspect him.


    ¡°Bad wound. Sealed. Similar mana¡­¡± The eyes of the surrounding Myconid seemed to tighten as they glanced to each other. There seemed to be a visible tension as they looked to the crystal that Yami had used to seal Drake¡¯s wound. There was a brief picture that flashed through her mind of a horribly powerful woman who had entered before attempting to wipe out and subjugate the Myconid. She too had deep-red mana, only it seemed to burn away at the Myconid, instead of Drake¡¯s own corrosive effect.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Yami shook her head, as tears began to well up in her eyes. The images, they had an intense emotion behind them. Loss, sadness, and an overwhelming feeling of death that pervaded the scene in her mind.


    What Yami had expected from the telepathy was simply a method of communication, but to the Myconid, it was something much, much more. Acting as a single unity, they tended to their environment, and melded their minds together in a process that wasn¡¯t wholly dissimilar from being omniscient. Taking in everything at once, and sharing it among the group equally, they each lived as many lives as there were members of the group.


    A useful and effective method to be sure. However, those who weren¡¯t apart of the Myconid had to be careful not to be too enraptured by the feeling. It was entirely possible to become so entranced to that feeling of belonging, of ¡®oneness¡¯, that you felt you never wanted to leave. Although it was rare at such a point in time, all over the world, more than a few had already fallen prey to such a feeling, and never wanted to leave the Myconid ever again.


    ¡°Sovereign. Move. Wounded.¡± They spoke aloud, but even before they spoke, they were already beginning to move Drake, each of them acting in a completely seamless fashion to Yami¡¯s eyes. Four of them took a position on each of Drake¡¯s side, before lifting him and carrying him with an unnaturally steady walk.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    As Yami watched them seeming to take great care of Drake, she relaxed visibly, thankful that they seemed to differentiate between the person that attacked them and Drake and herself.


    ¡°U-um¡­ So, what exactly are you?¡± Yami made her way up to one of the Myconid that was accompanying the transport for Drake, her arms playfully curled behind her back.


    The Myconid she was hovering next to looked to be almost a foot shorter than most, but was undeniably stockier as a result. As Yami asked her question, it merely turned to her, its eyes tightening as if to smile.


    ¡°Existence. Peaceful.¡± It gestured to itself, before directing Yami to its surroundings. Brief flashes of its life came through. Simple tending of the surrounding mushrooms, or taking in the experiences of the others. It seemed that this individual was still fairly young, and wasn¡¯t born when the Myconid were initially attacked.


    ¡°Individual. Group. Sovereign.¡± More images came through. It was looking at a reflection in the water, and pondering on its appearance. Brief images of a large group of Myconid appeared again, before finally, a large grouping of eyes made itself known, as if it were present in every piece of fungi at once, even right now, staring at herself and the small Myconid sprout.


    That¡¯s¡­ Her head shot towards the source of vision in the brief vision she was shown, only to be met with a wall of mushrooms. It was just like all the others, perfectly normal, and acting merely as a source of dim-light as they walked through the cavern.


    Just too¡­ foreign. Yami initially recoiled from the image. It was simply too alien of a thought process. Unlike herself, who basically had the same emotions as a standard human, these creatures worked off a different basis entirely. A state of being that allowed all to exist within one consciousness, and for that one to exist within all. For a creature such as herself, who prized her individuality, she rejected that basis for living at an instinctual level. Who would want to give up their individuality, to simply live in the emotions and lives of others, after all?


    Still, they¡¯re¡­ nice. Not na?ve by any means, unlike the smaller Lamia Drake took a liking to. Yami thought to herself with a contemplative smile.


    Even with their numbers, they understand they can¡¯t do much. That¡¯s why they live under the protection of Aesir. They can actually grow and thrive under those conditions. The personality of their species is likely the exact reason why the spirit of the tree accepted them under its roots in the first place. She pondered.


    ¡°Spirit. Friend. Sovereign.¡± The Myconid in front of her caught her attention, as it gestured ahead of itself.


    Drake¡¯s injured form had been placed in front of an utterly gigantic, twisting pillar of mushroom, rock, and wood. Judging from the appearance, it looked as if one of the gigantic roots from up above had melded with a structure that the Myconid had constructed here. Although for what purpose exactly, she was still unsure.


    As for Drake, the Myconid seemed to have taken great care to treat him properly, even going so far as to place him on a small bed of moss to ease his pain somewhat. Just as Yami was about to speak up, and ask one of the surrounding Myconid what they were doing, there was a sudden, almost sickening squelching sound as a large series of eyes opened on the Pillar in front of her.


    ¡°Sovereign¡­¡± The Myconid called out in unison.


    ¡°A-ahh¡­¡± Yami floated there, in complete shock at the frightening image in front of her. In contrast to the others, the thing in front of her looked like some sort of eldritch abomination. A horrible mixture of wood, and fungi, combined with wide, peering eyes that seemed to look and pry at her every thought.


    ¡°We are pleased to greet you, finally, in a cordial manner.¡± A sickeningly sweet voice echoed out from the mass in front of her. It reminded her of the few small children that she had heard in Fortress. A voice that was in complete contrast with the terrifying form it held.


    ¡°Now, what is it that you desire of us?¡±


    *****


    ¡°Why, why, why! Why did you take him from the dungeon, darling? He was the reason I even allowed the others entrance to the dungeon, otherwise I would have never let such a deceitful wench into my domain.¡± Manna yelled out, pleading for the Aesir tree to return Drake to the dungeon. It wasn¡¯t wrong to say that he was the only one she thought worthy of even gifting her prize for finishing the dungeon, so for Aesir to remove him entirely left her with a deep sense of betrayal.


    ¡°You lack the perspective needed for the task, Manna.¡± The sapling in front of her swayed back and forth purposefully, as if scolding a child. Given their link, communication was much easier for the sapling and despite its small stature, it had already grown a full foot in the day that had passed, proving that it was truly starting to come into its own.


    ¡°Tell me, did you know of his true nature? Why he allowed himself to be so badly injured when initially, you were nothing but impressed with his performance against the Hobgoblins? He was hiding his true form, yet you were simply going to allow him to leave at the rate he was progressing through the dungeon, despite his severe injuries. For a being like him to be truly tested, he merely needed a bit more energy.¡± Aesir mentioned with a peculiar laugh.


    Despite the tree spirit¡¯s jovial attitude, his judgement of Manna¡¯s performance was swift and unrelenting, leaving the image of a dignified, proud Dryad in tatters. Met with such a harsh scolding, and left in a vulnerable state, small, pearl-like tears began to slowly run down her face, leaving her looking more like the newly born being she truly was. Despite this, Aesir¡¯s words did not betray any sense of allegiance it held with the Dryad, rather, it carried with it great deal of caring, as if he was scolding his own child.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, but to be overzealous with our first guests is unbecoming of you. If you had merely waited and allowed me to separate them as they made their way to the next task, you would have been given the opportunity to witness his true power without my intervention. It was a blunder, to be sure.¡± He said offhandedly, a faint chuckle accompanying his voice as he finished speaking.


    Truthfully, Manna had a small amount of control over the creatures that inhabited her dungeon. Nothing so strong as possession, or even overt direction, but a much simpler matter, such as the amount of aggression to display to potential enemies. In a way, the anger she felt from Morgan inadvertently had injured Drake, otherwise the Displacer Beast¡¯s might have easily retreated the moment they felt they couldn¡¯t win.


    The sheer tenacity of the beasts that Drake and his group had fought was a strong example of the aggression the Dryad felt towards their group.


    ¡°But then¡­ darling, what the elf who stole from you?¡± Manna¡¯s voice was choked up, clearly hurt from how Morgan had taken advantage of the situation. ¡°Truly, she deserves punishment for defiling your good wishes towards the dungeon-goers, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°That matter is simple, dear. If she makes it to the end, make it her prize. Surely, such a vial of my water is of less consequence than the true prize, is it not?¡± There was an audible laughter that rang throughout the room as Aesir answered the Dryad¡¯s question.


    There was a short pause, before Manna acquiesced to the will of the Aesir tree. ¡°Fine then. I¡¯ll go along with what you want, darling.¡± She answered in a rather cute manner, pouting as she did.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about our guest, my dear. Simply play with the others, without the strenuous tests you wanted to employ initially. They will train, as you were tasked to do, without endangering them too badly. Honestly, opening up all the differing passageways would have been too difficult if it hadn¡¯t been for our main guest. Two of them aren¡¯t suited for even the base rewards.¡± There was another audible chuckle as the entire dungeon creaked and groaned, the layout already changing to accommodate the other three who remained inside the dungeon.


    ¡°In the end, at such a time, it¡¯s better to merely wait and see what our guests will achieve.¡± Aesir laughed playfully.


    *****


    ¡°¡­ and so, the great one guided us to assist your friend with his task, as it will likely take much longer than he anticipated.¡± A child-like voice stated.


    Drake¡¯s eyes fluttered open, as he slowly became accustomed to his new environment, as well as the considerably strange voice he was hearing speak. It was dark, even more so than the dungeon he knew that he passed out in. Despite that, bioluminescent light lit up hit surroundings, leaving the entire environment bathed in a gentle, all-encompassing light.


    ¡°Yami¡­?¡± He called out weakly, his eyes barely opening as he took in the environment. He had thought that Yami would simply hide him away somewhere in the same room, she was capable of that much. But this¡­


    ¡°Where am I?¡± He muttered weakly.


    ¡°Drake! Drake, you¡¯re alright.¡± Hearing his voice, Yami quickly landed next to him.


    ¡°Listen, I know it doesn¡¯t make much sense, but you need to shift over to your Draconian form.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Fine¡­¡± He responded weakly. Drake brought his mind into the deep-red castle in his mind, before connecting himself to the opaque gem there. Feeling his body dissipate, he quickly shifted into the dragon-like form he had grown used to, his cloak and other clothes ripping slightly as his body expanded.


    ¡°Truly impressive. The great one was correct in his assessment.¡± The same child-like voice Drake heard before spoke, leaving him in a confused state.


    ¡°Yami, who-¡±


    ¡°Now Drake, don¡¯t freak out, they¡¯re here to help, ok?¡± Yami warned.


    ¡°What do you¡­ Ah!¡± Drake eyes began to clear as he attempted to stand up weakly, only to fall flat on his back as he stared wide-eyed at the towering figure in front of him. Much like Yami, the multi-eyed pillar of fungi was more than a little frightening, especially to someone who just woke up.


    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Drake clutched his shoulder, as he winced from the pain. The wound had closed as soon as he had shifted forms, but the damage had still remained. An unfortunate truth of the matter was that his mist form merely internalized the damage he suffered, weakening his body as a whole. Despite that, transforming sealed the wound completely as if it was never there. A great boon given that he had passed out from blood loss.


    ¡°Yami¡­ what the hell is that thing?¡± Drake asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re called Myconids. Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re completely peaceful.¡± She responded cheerfully, a mischievous look clear on her face. It was obvious that she was enjoying Drake¡¯s reaction to the Myconids to some extent.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Drake answered simply.


    ¡°We are pleased to speak with you. The imp has been quite in distress over your condition.¡± The pillar undulated slightly as the eyes visibly shifted in place, as if it was attempting to get a better look at his new form.


    ¡°Yes, quite impressive indeed. Young imp, just what is he?¡± The mass shifted again, only this time for a cluster of eyes to surround Drake.


    ¡°He¡¯s my best friend, and my lifelong partner. To my mind, he has to be one of the only Draconians with demonic magic, and he can shift forms with an ability of his. Besides that, there¡¯s not much to say. He was here with a group of humanoids, and we came here to investigate a strange ruin that ended up as the dungeon above.¡± She explained in a rather official manner, smiling cheekily as she finished.


    ¡°Ooh, young imp, do you mind?¡± The writhing mass took a rather inquisitive tone, and Yami happily agreed, which seemed somewhat strange given Drake¡¯s natural view of her.


    [Yami, what did it mean by that?]


    [Hm? Oh, you wouldn¡¯t know, but most of this race speak in what are essentially images and emotions. This one here is their leader, and acts as a ¡®hivemind¡¯ of sorts, so it can actually speak in a real language, even if that isn¡¯t the best way to explain it.] She replied in a cheerful manner.


    [They just wanted to see the outside, and what I explained to them, so I shared some of my memories with them. While they enjoy their life, it gets rather boring to them sometimes, which is why they seem to place so much effort on making this place so beautiful.]


    Drake raised an eyebrow, and shivered slightly as he looked up to the writhing mass of eyes.


    Just what have I gotten myself into?

 Chapter 9 Part 2

    Part 2


    ¡°So, do you have a name? Or does a species like you even need one?¡± Drake shivered again as he looked up to the mass of eyes.


    ¡°Names. It is a novel concept to us. We simply refer to the great one as the great one, although we recognize that your imp calls him Aesir. A suitable name for such a being.¡± The voice said in a somewhat self-congratulatory manner.


    ¡°We will refer to you by these names if you so desire, but it has no real meaning to us.¡±


    ¡°Works for me.¡± Drake said in a dejected sigh, as he scratched the back of his head.


    Yami may have adjusted well enough to these things, given her lack of experience and innate inclination for telepathy but in Drake¡¯s mind, he couldn¡¯t help but have an intense feeling of revulsion. The peering eyes from every angle, the horrific squelching noise that he occasionally heard as the eyes that transformed the surrounding fungus appeared and disappeared. Frankly, in any other situation, he would have been hard-pressed to even associate with them.


    As for Yami, she had explained briefly how their method worked, and internally, he thought it was a suitable substitution for his own method, if overly personal. While the hivemind didn¡¯t require such a method, the brief flashes of memory and emotion came through when he attempted to speak with any of the other Myconid was frightening to him. Simply put, it was a process that utterly unnerved him, especially given that the hivemind seemed to pay special attention to his reactions to those emotions. While his own connection with Yami was similar, they were still entirely separate. The Myconid however, practically reversed the concept.


    [So, when I woke up, I heard that thing mention something about helping me. Help me with what exactly?] Drake turned his attention to Yami. At the least, she typically had good judgement of others. Such was the advantages of constantly feeling out the emotions of everyone who you felt like.


    She turned to Drake, a confident expression clear on her face. [To be honest, all I really know is that your rank up will probably take longer than it does normally, judging from how Aesir spoke of you. A normal demon takes less than a day, as their body quickly acclimates to the specific Sin that they control. For you though¡­] Yami stopped, before she began to ponder to herself.


    Yami had always known that Drake was different. While an excess of his specific mana tended to warp his personality a bit, that was nothing in comparison to a legitimate demon. From the moment they became a Lord, they would become overly obsessive with their own sin, which often resulted in them becoming nothing more than a conduit for that power. The original personality would be consumed, leaving nothing but that warped personality left. Drake however, have never been subject to that intense warping.


    She knew well how impossible this should have been. Sin warps the personality, and the Lord of such Sin would be warped absolutely. Even the servants would be subject to such a change, albeit in a more minor way. While there were always outliers, such a thing was rare.


    [It might take longer, since you have two different sins, that¡¯s all. Oh, and Aesir is the actual spirit of the tree the Dryad is a part of.] Yami changed the subject in a discreet manner, as she attempted to avoid the truth of the matter altogether. Pointlessly speculating and worrying him before his rank up wouldn¡¯t do any good, and she had help for once, in the form of the Myconid. She could afford to be a little careless.


    [Is that so¡­] Drake shook his head, aware of the turmoil in her mind.


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± He reluctantly laughed. Yami had always been one to think too much, but it was a gesture that he deeply appreciated, given the object of that worry was often him. Still, they both had a mutual understanding. Don¡¯t try to overly pry into each other¡¯s thoughts. That simple rule was an essential step given their bond.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s just get down to it. What do I need to do?¡± Drake aimed his question at both Yami and writhing mass in front of him.


    ¡°Well, first things first. How is the state of your mana core, Drake?¡± Yami posed a question to him.


    ¡°My mana core?¡± Drake tilted his head to the side, before quickly centering himself as he focused on the demonic mana gem inside of his body.


    The space inside had changed pretty drastically after drinking the water from the mana well. Expanding out to cover the entire area surrounding the core, the faint mist that made up the normal state of his mana was slowly being drawn into the center, as the core itself seemed to shudder with power before resuming to draw in the latent mana. Even though the entire process was new to him, he felt a nostalgic, full feeling as the core permeated the region. Strangely, it felt similar to when he first formed his magic.


    ¡°If I had to guess, it¡¯s almost full. My body feels strange though. It¡¯s like I¡¯m buzzing with energy.¡± Drake murmured.


    ¡°Good.¡± Yami nodded her head enthusiastically.


    ¡°Now listen, for the rank 1 stage for demonic magic, the mana fills the body, forming a basis of the frightening strength that demons are known for. You wouldn¡¯t know this, but a typical Lord is actually quite weak before they fully form their core. Given how strong your body normally is, you never really had a problem fighting frightening creatures that would otherwise beat you out of their sheer physical ability. For example, a normal Lord would have been skewered if they even attempted to fight the wyvern that you ¡®tested¡¯ yourself on.¡± Yami gave a rather scathing look as she finished before smiling smugly as she held her finger up.


    ¡°You however, will only be further enhanced. Truly, you¡¯ll be unmatched by the large majority of other creatures at your rank, even matching those at a rank above you.¡±


    ¡°And for the process itself?¡± Drake asked.


    Yami¡¯s demeanor instantly sunk, as she poorly hid a grimace.


    ¡°Truthfully, I don¡¯t know myself. I know what ranking up does because it was basic knowledge, but the process itself¡­ All I really know that it¡¯s used to weed out those who ¡®aren¡¯t suitable¡¯ for the power. What that means, even I¡¯m not sure. But that¡¯s where these guys come in.¡± She gestured over to the group of Myconid that were slowly making their way around the area, tending to the various mushrooms that made up the region that they brought Drake to.


    ¡°The Myconid?¡±


    ¡°Yep. You see, Aesir actually brought us here, saying that the Myconid would be able to help. While I¡¯m unsure just what species Aesir actually is, the spirits that make up the greatest trees have an almost unlimited wealth of knowledge.¡± Yami said.


    ¡°Aesir, huh¡­¡± Drake couldn¡¯t say much, given that he had never met the spirit himself. While it was certainly true that Yami had been unusually trusting of all these creatures, he could really only chalk it up to how they treated him. While the Myconid themselves were incredibly straightforward, to the point where even he felt thankful despite his initial disgust towards the creatures, the spirit that controlled the dungeon was something that left Drake with a deep uneasiness towards its intentions.


    While Yami herself knew about this world to a great degree, he had his own knowledge about these so called ¡®dungeons¡¯ from the old world. While there was a great variety, in stories they ranged anywhere from outright vindictive to a glorified training ground, with those who had an intelligence behind them invariably worked towards their own gain. That was a simple truth.


    Without a doubt, the spirit behind the dungeon would expect something in return for all this. It was the exact price behind that which left Drake was an uneasiness about him.


    ¡°Well, how do we start this?¡± Drake smirked slightly as he looked up to Yami. He had picked up her bad habit of thinking too much. In cases where one couldn¡¯t find the right answer, it was always best to simply just let things fall where they would. One could deal with the consequences later.


    ¡°Well, the easiest way would be to simply relax, and focus on drawing in the ambient mana around us. Typically, this is only done in your own territory, so you¡¯ll have to convert it first since it¡¯s not our own type. You¡¯ve done that manually before, right?¡± Yami tilted her head to the side in a questioning manner.


    ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡± Drake said with a sad grimace. Absorbing natural mana always left with him a sick feeling, like it wasn¡¯t made to used by him. Well, that was only partially true. He could use it plenty well, it was just holding in and converting it left him feeling badly ill, like a horrible stomach virus. It was a process he had hoped to never replicate ever since he had fully formed his own demonic mana.


    And it¡¯s not like I can just corrupt the entire place to make it easier, either. No doubt I¡¯d make an enemy out of every Myconid here, especially since plants seem especially vulnerable to my mana. Drake laughed sadly.


    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m going to start.¡±


    Drake breathed out deeply, before starting the arduous process of absorbing the ambient mana around him.


    Just take it slow¡­ I don¡¯t have to take in a lot at once. Just let my natural mana absorb it slowly, and it should be fine. He laughed nervously.


    He breathed out slowly as he relaxed, and began to slowly draw the surrounding mana towards him. As the natural mana began to enter his body and build up, he felt the familiar sickening feeling come over him. Forcing his demonic mana to the forefront, the feeling subsided, and he visibly relaxed.


    ¡°Good, now just focus on the core.¡± He whispered.


    Taking the mana that entered the outer layer of his body, he quickly corrupted it into his own, before forcing it towards the core. Within a moment, he could feel the new mana quickly absorbed into the shining core, with the core itself only quivering slightly as he continued to process more mana. This continual process of drawing in environmental mana, corrupting it, and drawing it in lasted for a period of time, and as he continued, he began to feel sudden tremors run through his body as more and more energy was built up.


    Sensing the slight change in himself, he opened his eyes, with only a faint smile betraying any sense of confidence that he had. [What next?]


    [When you feel you¡¯re ready, force the energy in the core throughout your entire body. Then it will begin.] Yami advised him.


    Drake simply nodded, confident in her advice. [Right.]


    From there, Drake simply continued the long and arduous process of drawing in the latent mana towards himself. While the Myconid seemed somewhat curious, they were left in the dark, as Drake simply wouldn¡¯t put any spare energy towards them. Yami meanwhile, seemed quite happy to keep them entertained in the meanwhile. He was quick to pick up on the small, worried glances she gave him, however. No doubt concerned about him as usual.


    A small, content smile crept up on his face at the thought, before he returned to concentrating on the arduous process. Thankfully, it was rather simple. While absorbing mana from the environment did take a bit of work, it wasn¡¯t something that was overly difficult. Such a simple process really wasn¡¯t qualified for him to give any thought over. What he was really unsure about he was the so-called test that Yami mentioned. Given the nature of how everything worked these days, he was positive it wouldn¡¯t be simple. The formation of his demonic mana, the discovery of the Draconian inside of himself, even his meetings with those like Gwyn and the Lamia, none of them were what he would have expected.


    ¡°Heh. That¡¯s what makes everything so great, though.¡± Drake muttered to himself with a satisfied smile. His greatest wish in life was always to live in a way that he enjoyed himself. It was why he began to despise the drudgery of everyday life back when he was nothing but a human. Now, though? Everyone he had met, Therion, Ella, that crazed elven girl, Anri, Peter¡¯s group, and above all, Yami. With them, he truly enjoyed learning and talking with them and he had grown much closer with others now than the vast majority of the superficial relationships he had in the old world.


    ¡°It¡¯s all a matter of how you view things, I suppose.¡± He remarked to himself in a soft voice. Refocusing on the task, Drake continued pulling the natural mana in the environment to himself. It wasn¡¯t long after that he felt that he hit a limit, only continuing for another ten minutes. At that point, the core itself was shuddering and shaking with power, as it constantly tried to collapse further in on itself, only to meet with a considerably resistance from inside the core. If he tried anymore, he felt that something would go wrong.


    It should be done. Drake thought with satisfied smirk. Now¡­ it¡¯s just time for the process itself.


    Lifting his head, he gazed out into the empty, bioluminescent cavern, dotted with large, fungal buildings. Throughout the entire time he had been a Draconian, he had never really been concerned on whether he would fail. Either he¡¯d succeed, or the consequences would be so great, that he never considered otherwise. For something like this, however. Well, he just wasn¡¯t sure.


    He shook his head with a sly smile creeping onto the side of his face. Just focus on what¡¯s in front of you.


    [I¡¯m going to start, Yami.] He stated.


    [Alright. I believe in you.] She responded faintly, her voice full of care.


    [Thanks.] He couldn¡¯t help but smile at the imp¡¯s affections.


    Confident, Drake closed his eyes as he carefully opened himself up to the energy from the core, as just the smallest hints of energy began to leak out towards his body. The energy itself acted much like water, slowly filling up every space that was empty of energy, as a massive swelling of power began to enter every pore in his body.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    This is it. This is what she was talking about. Drake thought with excitement. Still, just what was that test, or ¡®process¡¯ Yami was talking about? He couldn¡¯t help but ponder to himself. If it was supposed to weed out those who were advancing, it likely had to do with the sin they possessed. That was the only thing that made sense to him.


    ¡°Hey Drake, what are you looking at?¡± A familiar voice called out to him, which left him with the strangest sense of nostalgia.


    ¡°What?¡± He opened his eyes and looked around only to see a classroom, one of the larger ones that was commonly used for the more mandatory classes that the college he went to required. Next to him, was the same girl that he left on the day that he turned into¡­ something. That was strange. He knew it was important, but he just couldn¡¯t place his finger on what it was. It had changed him forever¡­ but, just what was it?


    ¡°Hey, are you feeling alright?¡± Taylor cocked her head to the side slightly, her voice tinged with a sense of care.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just¡­ feeling off today, I guess.¡± Drake quickly answered with a manufactured smile. Today was just another boring day in class, going over some of the finer points of Biology. Not that he needed to hear how the genus that worms belonged to had about a million different variations.


    ¡°Well, hope you get to feeling better.¡± She replied happily, with the same smile that he had grown so used to.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± He responded in turn, with the only faintest sense deep inside him that something was horribly, horribly wrong.


    ¡­


    ¡°So young imp, are you going to begin as well?¡± The Myconid Sovereign turned to Yami momentarily before its attention shifted to Drake. There was a sickening popping noise as the Sovereign¡¯s eyes were beginning to surround him, its eyes filled with clear interest as Drake¡¯s body began to audibly crack and shift ever so slightly. The demonic magic was already well on its way to refining his form. The Myconid simply needed to fulfill their role now, as was directed by Aesir.


    ¡°Yep.¡± She nodded faithfully, putting her full trust in the Myconid species to care for Drake. ¡°No matter what happens to me¡­ I never regretted a moment with him. But, he¡¯s lived such a longer life than I have; every time I peeked at his memories, it¡¯s filled with sights and sounds I never imagined. So¡­ you¡¯ll do what I asked?¡±


    There was a visible bubbling of the various fungi around the Sovereign, as the entire mound of matter shifted ever so slightly. Yami returned the gesture with a smile of her own, as a thick shade of red mist began to surround her body entirely.


    The Myconid. Straightforward, honest creatures to a fault. They can¡¯t even hide their own amusement. She thought.


    ¡°Of course, young imp. We never had any plans otherwise.¡± The Sovereign answered playfully.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± She nodded her head respectfully, as the mist surrounding her suddenly solidified, leaving her entire body encased in a beautiful red gem.


    *****


    In the town of Fortress, thoroughly hidden among the myriad of similarly made buildings, and shops.


    ¡°Just a little bit¡­ more¡­ limproot¡­¡± A woman was carefully measuring out ingredients, before mashing them together with a small rod and bowl, before pouring them into a larger pot. Age-wise, she looked to be approaching thirty, but still retained a healthy demeanor. Her face was attractive as well, although it was marred by various signs of dirt and grime from strenuous testing and work. Drake would recognize it as a process very similar to how Gwyn made the wide variety of potions in her small hut, but at the same time, this woman seemed to have a much harder time feeling out the correct proportions to use.


    ¡°Oh, no please¡­¡± She pleaded out in a wishful tone, before suddenly yelling in an utter panic, ¡°Shit, shit!¡± There was a sudden puff of smoke, as the mixture of paste and liquid in front of her suddenly reacted violently before exploding into a mess of ingredients that covered her black hair and her immediate surroundings, leaving her and the stone hut with the distinct smell of rotten eggs.


    ¡°God dammit, why does this have to be so hard¡­¡± She remarked sourly to herself, shaking her head free of the grime in a frustrated manner. No matter what she did, it always seemed like she messed up certain batches, like there was some unknown factor she wasn¡¯t seeing. Regardless of the results, she¡¯d just have to try again.


    The woman huffed angrily before leaving the room, and entering what she considered to be her rest area. At certain times, it was best to get away from it all and clear her head before trying it all again. First though, she¡¯d need to clean out all the mess she¡¯d made. Sighing, she walked over to the door of her house to try to clear out some of the acrid smoke that had begun to build up.


    ¡°O-oh¡­ hey there.¡± She widened her eyes in surprise at the sudden visitor at her doorstep. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Sabrina, right? You¡¯ll have to forgive the smoke and grime, just failed another batch.¡± The woman gave a small, polite laugh before she tilted her head slightly, clearly curious why the half-elf had suddenly showed up.


    ¡°Marina. Marina Dyne, am I right?¡± Sabrina asked with conviction.


    ¡°Ah. Y-yes¡­¡± Her response came out in a stuttering, panicked manner. Though she tried to conceal it, the fervor in the eyes of the woman in front of her was startling to say the least.


    Please, I need your help, something is wrong with me.¡± The elven woman suddenly grabbed at Marina, a hungry, almost maniacal look in her eyes.


    ¡°U-uh uh¡­ yeah, ok. You can come on in, just mind the mess.¡± Stepping to the side, she gestured Sabrina inside the house, before closing the door behind her. This wasn¡¯t the first random guest, and likely, it wouldn¡¯t be her last. For better or worse, Marina was well known in Fortress.


    She had been one of the few humans to survive past the weekly deadline, and had noticed a few curious things about herself since then. Most notably, was a notable increase in her own intelligence, along with the ability to clearly sense the flow of mana in plants and animals. A small addition to be sure, but one that proved to be undeniably useful given the difficulty in the more minute tasks of dealing with the new plants that were needed.


    Unfortunately, that also made her the resident doctor for various afflictions that couldn¡¯t be directly treated with ¡®holy magic¡¯, for lack of a better term. A faintly glowing, bright light that various people found themselves able to control and connect to, and that healed all wounds. Well, almost all.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± Marina asked, keeping a few feet out of reach of the seemingly deranged woman.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, just¡­ check me. You can do that, right?¡± Sabrina said, the look of desperation apparent in her eyes. There was a clear lack of sleep, along with the pale, almost sickly tone of someone whose body clearly wasn¡¯t working correctly.


    Marina gave a short sigh before looking at distressed woman. It was clear she had some elven blood in her, but besides that, it was the demeanor she had about her that worried her the most. It seemed to be a tell-tale sign of those that had some of the more severe side effects of the transformation. Simply trying to reason with them normally might turn the situation violent, especially given how desperate this particular woman seemed.


    Shuffling over to the side a bit, she gestured Sabrina inside, saying, ¡°Haa¡­ Come on over, and sit down, then hold out your hands.¡± She nodded Sabrina over to a small stool, who happily obliged and sat down.


    Sitting down somewhat haphazardly, Sabrina wobbled down onto the chair, before holding out her hands. Marina returned the gesture, as she slowly placed her hands on Sabrina¡¯s and focused on the flow of mana within her body. As she focused on the woman¡¯s body, there was an almost primal shock that jolted her out of the state as soon as she tried to begin.


    The mana that was inside her body¡­ It was unlike any natural sort she had ever run across. It was¡­ an unnaturally vicious breed, devouring and corrupting any scrap of mana that her body attempted to naturally absorb. How she hadn¡¯t collapsed by this point was shocking to her.


    ¡°You¡­ how long have you felt like this?¡± Marina¡¯s voice was low and steady, as she attempted to keep any sense of surprise out of her reaction.


    ¡°Since, maybe¡­ the morning we came in, two days ago. This¡­ hollow feeling, it¡¯s like something is eating me up from the inside. It¡¯s horrifying.¡± There was a sickly grimace to cross her face as she explained. Clearly, the woman was terrified.


    There was a pause from Marina, as she mulled over the different options.


    ¡°And you¡¯re a magic user, right?¡± Marina asked.


    ¡°Ah¡­ yes. I am.¡± She looked somewhat reluctant to answer, but did nonetheless. ¡°Does that have something to do with this?¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­ dammit.¡± Marina couldn¡¯t help but sigh as she pulled away from Sabrina and crossed her legs. The fact that this affliction affected legitimate magic users made it even more troublesome.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, it¡¯s quite the opposite really. Your wealth of magic power seems to be why you¡¯re doing so well in fact.¡± There was a playful look that crossed her face for a brief moment, as if trying to alleviate the seriousness. ¡°You said you first felt this feeling two days ago, what happened then?¡±


    ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary, really¡­ We were just bringing home some monsters we captured, that¡¯s really it.¡±


    ¡°And were there any other magic users in that group?¡± Marina asked.


    ¡°Yeah, it was just me and two others who were capable of it that made it back. Well, with real magic at least. An elven woman named Anri, and a normal human like you, called Derrik.¡± She conceded.


    ¡°So other humans actually go out, huh? Bah.¡± Marina merely shook her head at the thought, before moving on to more pressing matters.


    ¡°So, this Derrik and Anri, hell, even the rest, how are they all doing?¡± Marina pressed the matter. If the mana that was flowing through this woman was contagious, hell, if it even leaked out of her body, others would be negatively affected. If the others had it as well¡­ she could only imagine how bad things could be.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. Brian, Derrik, Anri, I haven¡¯t seen any of them. Do you think¡­¡±


    ¡°Your entire caravan might have the same illness as you, only, if I¡¯m right, they¡¯d be far worse off.¡± Marina stated with grim fact, nervously clenching her fists as she did.


    ¡°This Anri and Derrik you spoke of, they might fare a bit better, given that the natural mana you three can take in staves off the worst effects for now, but for the others¡­¡± Marina stopped speaking. She had grown used to handing out news like this, even in the short amount of time she had to adjust. There were just too many different afflictions, and the magic others used to heal was too new. Even augmenting their magic with monster cores often wasn¡¯t enough.


    Still, despite that¡­ she always hated giving this sort of news. It always left her feeling too helpless.


    Marina lowered her head sadly, only giving her a small glance before saying, ¡°Likely¡­ they¡¯ll soon succumb to it and be little more than dead men walking by now. As for you, I don¡¯t expect you to be alive for another week at the rate this mana is devouring your body¡±


    ¡°No¡­ You¡­ you¡¯re kidding, right?¡± Sabrina¡¯s eyes flared up in fear, as her mouth gaped open. She simply sat there, her eyes slowly going through a myriad of emotions. Sadness, and hopelessness quickly began to well up inside her, before she jerked her head towards Marina.


    ¡°You. Can¡¯t you do anything, you¡¯re a healer, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sabrina suddenly stood, with blame already in her voice, and tears already beginning to stain her eyes.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t think I can.¡± She said slowly, as it trying to justify her reaction. ¡°I treat poisons, even low-level curses with a few special ingredients but¡­ you have something inside of you, and it¡¯s devouring you from the inside. Unless you can find a legitimate user of holy magic, there¡¯s nothing anyone can do to save you.¡±


    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ Aaaaghhh!¡± Sabrina let out a piercing scream of fear and anger as she collapsed into her hands as a slow, heavy sobbing escaped from Sabrina. Her mother and father had died in front of her eyes, she had lost all of her close friends, only a few days earlier, she had lost one of the only family members she had left, and now, even she was going to die. She had tried so hard to make life work in this world, but now? How¡­ just how could this have all happened¡­


    ¡°No¡­ that isn¡¯t right.¡± There was a sudden rage in Sabrina¡¯s voice, which unnerved Marina more than a little. She could already tell that this woman was more than a little unstable, and she wasn¡¯t about to let herself to victim to some dying woman¡¯s last actions.


    ¡°There was another person who we picked up. He was with Anri for most of the evening. She was always a bit of a freak, so we didn¡¯t think much of it, but he was also one of the guards that night.¡± She said hatefully.


    Sabrina paused, her face slowly shifting as certain madness began to cross her face. In the depths of her despair and anger, it was as if a gear had suddenly fit neatly into its slot, and had begun churning her mind with all sorts of possibilities.


    ¡°We lost two different monsters in just one night, one Lamia and one Harpy. The next morning, he was still there like nothing was wrong, but my Uncle, the one who was responsible for watching them, was dead. It was that same morning that this feeling started to build up inside me. Drake¡­ he has to be the one responsible.¡± She spoke his name like she was spitting out a poison.


    The harder to believe and more insane the theory, the more evidence would be needed to substantiate such an idea. This was even more true when blaming an innocent person, but despite that, Marina¡¯s expression hardened slightly as Sabrina spoke.


    ¡°He was just a random straggler we picked up. Just a stranger, but he was out in the wild for weeks, and with an imp for god¡¯s sake.¡± She added. ¡°No one can survive that long on their own. The only demonic territory for miles should be out to the east. No one comes back from there with a servant without a battery of people to help them.¡±


    ¡°An imp¡­¡± Marina¡¯s eyes tightened with thought at the mention of one of the demonic species. ¡°Did he show any signs of being able to use demonic magic?¡± She asked.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter!¡± She yelled out in a rage. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡­ he has to be the one responsible¡­ he has to be¡­¡± Her voice quickly dropped down into a low, muttering tone, more talking to herself than anyone else.


    Marina merely sat to the side with some caution, as Sabrina quickly began to spiral downward, shifting between complete and utter madness and breaking down into a deep and heavy sob. The woman had clearly come to the end of her rope, and with nothing left, she might as well have been spouting off nothing but crackpot theories. It wasn¡¯t unusual for people to come down with some strange illness these days, although it could typically be solved with something as simple as a wave of the hand. Nothing as serious as what the young elf had contracted however.


    ¡°An imp, eh¡­¡± Marina shuffled off to the side, content to merely let the woman cry herself out. Any half-hearted pleasantries would do nothing but rub salt in the wound for someone who was trying to come to terms with death, leading Marina to quietly return to the other room, back to the herbs and vials she had grown accustomed to.


    ¡°This is a still a problem¡­¡± She muttered reluctantly to herself, only clearing off a few stray lumps of material from her failed experiment before settling down on a nearby, stone chair.


    The vicious, roiling mana inside Sabrina¡¯s body. There was still a lot of unknown information in the new world, but one piece was well known. Demonic mana was antithetical to normal humanity. It could be used against them, effectively acting as a poison, no matter the type. Normal mana, the type that humans used for their magic and which was thoroughly soaked into their new bodies, simply couldn¡¯t hold up to demonic mana.


    All that aside however, Sabrina¡¯s case really should be taken with a grain of salt. A whole mouthful, if taken realistically. Demonic mana was rare, and while there seemed to be a few strange cases of those in Fortress that managed to wander into the district that was designated to those who were able to use healing magic, none of those healed were ever conclusive for demonic magic. In the first place, even if those few cases were actually demonic mana, it was so pathetically weak that those cases were often given to those who were new to the profession.


    It all came to how much more severe Sabrina¡¯s case really was. There really was no comparison between the two. One, a complete beginner could solve over the course of a day or two, while the other had never even been seen. If she hadn¡¯t felt the mana herself, she would have easily written it off as a sort of poison from some rare plant that had sprung up. Despite that¡­


    While it was certainly rare, there was at least one rumor that was well known. The tale of a woman who had gotten control over a small group of outcast imps in one of the few villages that had sprung far up North from Fortress. It was all hearsay to be sure, but there had been enough people who had made it down South, and crossed paths with others that made the story seem reasonable.


    According to them, while generally viewed as an unsavory practice, there had been a few cases where individuals of some unspecified races were able to take the mana of demons that were formerly employed by a Lord, and incorporate it into their own system of mana. It utterly corrupted the typical methods for casting magic, but it was a simple enough method to increase power, if a bad tactic for the future of that individual.


    That woman that they mentioned, was different however. She was able to control her new mana entirely, after disposing of the imps of in question. It was guessed to be a rather disgusting process, but it left her with the power that the imps had left over from the actual demon. Power that she could use however she wished. It was all simply a rumor of course, but that didn¡¯t stop others from trying to imitate the rumors, to no avail thankfully. The method was unknown, and a few deaths here and there stopped anyone from going east to the nearest demonic lands to try for more.


    However, if she was correct, right in front of her was proof of such control over demonic mana. Could a demon have entered the city? And if there really was someone who had possession of demonic magic inside the city, instead of a demon itself, they could control it like the rumors said. In that case¡­ well, things really were going to get out of hand quickly.

 Chapter 9 Part 3

    Part 3


    ¡°¡­ and so, judging from the segmented body structure and the distinct, sucker-like appendage at the end of the head, you¡¯re able to identify this species as a tapeworm, compared to other species like a fluke or roundworm.¡± The professor at the front of the room rattled off the information in a monotone voice, before moving on slowly the next topic.


    ¡°Psst. Hey, Drake, what are you doing? Wake up.¡± Taylor gave him a quick nudge in the side of a half-asleep Drake, which resulted in a quick smile from him as Drake slowly sat up to give a lazy glance at the professor.


    ¡°Yea, yea¡­¡± He responded slowly as he struggled to keep his eyes open. Despite his response, he let out a faint yawn as he looked towards the front of the room.


    The average, everyday life of a college student. Simple, boring, and consisting of mainly nothing more than memorization day after day. It wasn¡¯t as if it was a hard life, but in the end, it was utterly dull.


    Everything was the same. His life was nothing but a schedule of going to class, eating, and then sleeping, day after day. Of course, he would get sick of it all, after so many years. Still, even he felt that he should have been used to it after so many years. So, why couldn¡¯t he get rid of this sick feeling in his stomach?


    It was as if this wasn¡¯t the life he was meant to be leading.


    ¡°Come on, wake up already.¡± Taylor gave him a quick poke in the side, which only resulted in a reluctant smile as he adjusted his position to satisfy her.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡± Another long sigh escaped from Drake, as he lazily crossed his arms and laid back down onto the desk, his eyes only half-heartedly pointed at the professor. Honestly, were people really meant to waste away like this? He thought to himself.


    ¡°Drake¡­¡±


    He suddenly whirled around in his seat. It was as if a voice, less than a whisper, had suddenly spoken next to his ear. He couldn¡¯t have been imagining things, could he?


    His moment of retrospection didn¡¯t last long, before a strangely giddy, nostalgic voice popped up into his head, just as if the voice were one of his own thoughts. There were varying reactions throughout the room, but regardless, the entire room quickly dropped into silence as it began to speak. ¡°To the being known as Humanity, it is a pleasure to be able to make your acquaintance. We, are the Caracatia.¡±


    Just as strangely refined voice began to speak, a creeping feeling began to wash over his body as Drake suddenly shot up from his chair.


    This¡­ is the choice. A thought appeared in his head, seemingly out of nowhere, as a mad look flashed across his eyes. The day he had left everything behind, the day he finally left the monotony of an average life. How could he have ever forgotten it?


    This was what had happened. What had changed my life around¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but to grin madly as he looked outside the window to see the large, spire-like structure floating in the sky. The ship. It was the same as his memories¡­ Wait, his memories?


    Drake merely looked up to the sky as his classmates turned to one another, some with clearly curious looks and others with outright playful expression on their faces, clearly thinking it to be some kind of prank. ¡°¡­regarding your species. Choose to become something more than human¡­ after one week, we¡¯ll be setting down creations of our own¡­ let it be fun for the both of us. That is all.¡± The speech played out just like it had before, not missing a beat as it repeated word for word.


    However, while the Caracatia finished their speech, Drake¡¯s demeanor had clearly fallen a bit as he shook his head uncertainly. Something was wrong with his memories. This had all happened before, and he had transformed into something called a Draconian¡­ but past that were only the vaguest of ideas. Faint memories of a deep red crystal and mist, along with a companion, as hard as he tried, that was all he could conjure up. He couldn¡¯t even force himself to remember who his companion was.


    No¡­ not a companion. It was a partner¡­ Drake shifted in thought slightly, finding that partner seemed to be a better fit for what little he remembered. Someone that was deeply important to him, and his new life.


    Even then, Drake began to ponder over why he had memories of something that just happened? Why was he in the past in the first place? From what little he remembered, he had practically abandoned his old life. Coming back to it, with only a scant amount of memories of what had happened, it all was something that bothered him a great deal.


    ¡°Drake¡­ you won¡¯t believe this, but there¡¯s this weird list in front of me.¡± Taylor nudged him on the shoulder, before running her finger down an invisible line. ¡°High Elf¡­ Succubus and¡­ Nekomimi?¡± There was a tone of utter revulsion as she read down the list before stopping rather suddenly in a questioning manner.


    There was a faint chuckle from Drake as she ended, before he waved off her choices quickly.


    ¡°Choose the elf, trust me. You wouldn¡¯t enjoy the other two one bit.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ right.¡± She nodded, seeming to take him at his word.


    This had all happened once before. Her strange choices, with only a High Elf being a race that most would typically know, or even choose. With everything playing out the same way, all he had to do was re-trace his own steps, and he would arrive just as he had before. It would be simple.


    If this is how it all plays out, then the only thing left is my choice. Drake thought with mixed excitement, as the sudden jolt of pain he expected arrived.


    Instantaneously, the substance he recognized as natural mana began to coalesce in front of him. However, a distinct frown crossed his face as the letters slowly began to form, and Drake was able to fully look at his options.


    Stormsoul Genasi¡­ Lightfoot Halfling¡­ and Goliath¡­


    Another sudden chill came over his body as he shook his head. This wasn¡¯t right. He¡­ became a Draconian, right? He was powerful, and special. Unique among his entire race, and undoubtedly unique in how he treated his own powers. He was forced into exile from normal humans because of what he became, and that¡¯s how he met¡­ how he met¡­


    ¡°Dammit!¡± He muttered angrily, clenching his hand as he muttered through strained teeth. It was important that he remember. His entire being was telling him that he needed to remember, but he just couldn¡¯t place it. He couldn¡¯t think of who he met that was so important to him.


    ¡°Hey Drake, are you alright? You seem like you¡¯re mad about something.¡± Taylor¡¯s caring voice came from the side of him, leaving Drake to just shake his head reluctantly to answer.


    Quickly adopting a more carefree expression, he said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, just¡­ not what I was expecting is all.¡± He responded with a haphazard wave of his hand.


    ¡°Well¡­ what¡¯d you get, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only ever heard of one. A halfing if you can believe it.¡± He said with a half-hearted chuckle.


    ¡°You mean like a hobbit?¡± There was a clear sense of laughter in her voice as she asked the question.


    ¡°Exactly like a hobbit.¡± Drake admitted. Taylor returned with a genuine smile of her own, before turning back to her own list. She seemed to be reading further into each of the different races, with each of the various advantages and disadvantages.


    That¡¯s right. Drake had another moment of sudden realization. While he didn¡¯t know what he was getting into when he turned into a Draconian, the humanoid races had the advantage of actually getting information over their choices.


    Humanoid¡­ Drake shook his head again as he waved off the weird phrasing. He was a human, after all. Humans were only ever called humans.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ Lightfoot halfling¡­¡± Drake began to read down the list of his own choices, half in intrigue and half with a tense and worrying sense of loss.


    Halfing. A fun-loving, and relaxed race. Often seen as merely a shorter human, Halflings are particularly well known for their height, just as they are well known for their hospitality, and love of food. As a Lightfoot halfing, you can easily hide from notice, even in situations where you might otherwise be noticed. You¡¯re also inclined to be friendly and get along well with others.


    Lightfoots are more prone to wanderlust than other halflings, and often dwell alongside other races or take up a nomadic life.


    ¡°So, a race that¡¯s well suited to hiding, with a subspecies that takes it even further, huh? Not bad, but not quite what I¡¯m looking for.¡±


    Drake was well aware of what kind of path this would send him down. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine, and being overly stealthy was never his sort of approach in the first place.


    ¡°As for the Goliath¡­¡±


    Goliath. A massive and powerful species. A nomadic and competitive species, Goliath keep track of their accomplishments and see everything as a challenge. Those not familiar with this race may see it as annoying, as the Goliath often reminds others of their accomplishments, leading them to be seen as arrogant or self-centered. However, this same attitude leads them to be among the best companions, as they constantly strive to be the most useful among their companions.


    Goliath skin is often gray or brown, often being compared to stone in the texture and toughness. One of their most distinctive features of the Goliath is the darker, often symmetrical, patches of skin that cover their entire bodies.


    The Goliath species¡­ Why did it feel like he already knew about them? In any case, this would certainly be a reasonable choice. If his skin really did become like stone, it would be very difficult to kill him, not even regarding the physical strength and stature. It would be the perfect race in how the world would become. Regardless of that, it still didn¡¯t seem quite right. It would just have to be up to the strange Genasi species convince him.


    ¡°So¡­ the Stormsoul Genasi¡­¡±


    Genasi. Derived from humans who have been infused with the power of Elemental Chaos, they are most often created as a result of cross breeding between humans and powerful genie races or other elementals that dwell in the different planes. Physically powerful and cunning, they are a varied race, with abilities that vary on lineage and individual experience. Each Genasi has a native elemental state, known as a ¡°manifestation,¡± which was passed down to them through their ancestry.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Stormsoul Genasi are well known for their gift of lightning, and as such are able to imbue their attacks with the power of lightning and thunder. Likewise, given opportunity, they also have the ability to not only acquire new manifestations, but also to maintain others simultaneously, becoming a living embodiment of the two elements.


    Genasi¡­ so they¡¯re basically a half-breed with different elemental species? Regardless, what did the description mean by the different planes? Sure, it could be included in the description to just be fluff, but it would be easier to simply not include that at all.


    ¡°Whatever¡­¡± Drake brushed it off in a moment. He didn¡¯t understand near what he needed to, and his memories were undeniably hazy, but despite all that, his gut instinct was telling him that he needed to transform as soon as possible. The Stormsoul Genasi seemed to be the most useful as well.


    ¡°So, piece by piece, you trend towards the same result.¡± A child-like voice laughed at him in a playful manner. ¡°Truly intriguing.¡±


    Drake lifted his head towards the sound of the strange voice, only to come face to face with a large, floating eye. It merely gazed at him for a moment, before another mischievous laugh escaped from it.


    ¡±What the¡­¡± Drake muttered in horror. He quickly scanned from left to right, his eyes widening as he looked across the classroom. The world around him had stopped, as if an old timepiece watch had suddenly grinded to a halt.


    Taylor was completely frozen in time, wordlessly reading out the description from her own list, while the rest of the class and even those outside the window were frozen in half-steps, and awkward positions.


    ¡°And again, the same reaction. You truly are amusing.¡± The eye bobbed up and down playfully, much like a child discovering an old toy that they enjoyed immensely. After a moment however, the eye narrowed intently, as if solving a puzzle.


    ¡°So, this process you entered caused this much confusion, strange. You don¡¯t even recognize us.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°Truly strange indeed. Well, it¡¯s of no concern. We¡¯re merely meant to guide you along, choosing the wrong path would be disastrous, after all.¡± The eye suddenly disappeared with a sudden, disgusting popping sound, before appearing right next to Drake, the eye curved with joy.


    ¡°A-ah.¡± Drake froze momentarily, as a shiver ran its way down his spine. ¡°G-guide me along?¡± Drake stared at the eye in utter confusion. ¡°Guide me along what?¡±


    ¡°The true destination, of course.¡± The eye began bobbing up and down, and side to side, as if it was enjoying every moment.


    ¡°Does the word Myconid have any meaning to you as you are, Draconian? Well, human as you are now.¡± The eye narrowed slightly in an examining motion.


    ¡°Myconid?¡± Drake simply stared at the eye blankly for a moment before that same chill overcame his entire body. As he stood there, the wide-eyed horror he had kept slowly transformed into a look of understanding, although the initial revulsion towards the eye didn¡¯t change all that much.


    ¡°The Myconid¡­ how could I have forgotten you¡­¡± Drake grabbed his head with a sigh as he shook it back and forth. The fungi-based species with the ability to transfer entire blocks of memory with intense emotion, and which used that method to communicate more effectively. It was no less revolting to Drake than it was before, but it seemed likely that they were responsible for the flashes of understanding he was getting occasionally. Partially responsible at the very least.


    ¡°So, are you here to help me? What is this place anyway?¡± Drake asked.


    ¡°Simply a testing ground of sorts. The important question to ask is, what would have happened if you chose the wrong race of those three?¡± There was a chilling laughter that rang out through the air, as the eye simply rotated around Drake.


    ¡°I¡­ was leaning towards the Stormsoul Genasi. It seemed¡­ right.¡± Drake spoke slowly, as if he was trying to judge his own motives towards the race. The halfing species was ruled out right away, and while the Goliath seemed impressive, he wasn¡¯t one to mindlessly charge forward. Well¡­ most of the time anyway. Options were nice, and enhancing himself with a semi-magical race seemed very much like something he would choose.


    ¡°Good. It is indeed the most similar to your current self. Rather ironic, given how the typical members of your race are most similar to the Goliath race.¡±


    ¡°Typical members?¡± Drake tilted his head to the side slightly as he squinted in pain again. Memories were only coming back bit by bit, an unsettling process to say the least. He knew of the Myconid, just as much as if he was normal, but even what the Draconian race was like was fuzzy. That wasn¡¯t even regarding memories that he had nothing to base them on.


    ¡°Don¡¯t strain yourself too much. In truth, you aren¡¯t meant to know near what you do.¡± The eye gave a quick warning, before a mental image came across to Drake.


    The Draconian race. Prideful and utterly territorial, they would normally act as a predecessor the more legitimate dragon species like Wyverns or Leviathans. If there was a lack of such species in the surrounding area however, they would act as a substitute for such a species.


    A variety of different colors suddenly appeared. Red, white, silver, gold, black. All of the different variations had a different breath attack, and overall attitude towards others. Most of all, as they became more powerful and their size and stature grew dragon-like, they began to change the overall environment to better suit themselves and repel invaders. These same environments would only become more drastic as time passed.


    ¡°What¡­ is this¡­¡± Drake¡¯s eyes widened drastically as the images streamed through his mind. The Myconid shouldn¡¯t have had any information near this detailed. They were practically shut-ins, merely living out a secluded life in relative safety and peace.


    ¡°We¡¯re merely fulfilling a request by the great one.¡± The Myconid answered mysteriously.


    Great one¡­ Drake stared wide-eyed for only a moment before the memory came back. Aesir¡­ that tree spirit. Still, why would my real race have anything to do with the trial? Drake was still mystified by the information.


    ¡°Well, thanks I guess.¡± Drake answered haphazardly. He had doubts on whether or not such information was even useful to him.


    ¡°Wait. More importantly, who is my partner?¡± Drake¡¯s demeanor changed completely, as he looked to the eye with an intent stare. Even without their help, he knew that finding his partner was incredibly important.


    ¡°Well¡­ that would be spoiling it, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± The eye responded playfully, with a bit of forced laughter quickly following.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, now. Don¡¯t be upset. In truth, you aren¡¯t meant to know, and I can¡¯t tell you.¡± There was a rapid response in return, as if to stave off some of the anger from Drake.


    ¡°You were brought to us to assist you, that is the simple truth. The trial itself is meant to test whether you were meant to achieve such power, and whether your innate characteristics match with what the Sin desires. While most would be led to believe that blindly searching after the power of that specific sin would lead to your success, nothing is ever so simple. Your own personality plays a great deal into such a trial.¡±


    Drake¡¯s face hardened as the Myconid explained. The links between them and Aesir were continuing to grow. It wasn¡¯t hard to figure out that the Myconid species seemed to desire knowledge and memories of the outside world intensely. Being the persistent observer of the old world and the various changes that happened right after through his test would no doubt be a constant source of entertainment for the group. In return for that entertainment, they would assist him as guided by Aesir, a tree that held a considerable amount of knowledge from what little he knew. The symbiotic relationship between the Myconid and Aesir was rather perfect in that way. Each one doing and providing for what the other could not.


    ¡°Which explains your comments about my choice in race, I¡¯m assuming?¡± Drake said with a raised brow.


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    Drake let out a long, drawn out sigh. His partner obviously had something to do with the trial, and from what he could draw from the Myconid¡¯s words, this wasn¡¯t going to be like living a second life. While he may in this ¡®test¡¯ for a period of time, it was very likely that only a few key decisions would be important enough to influence his path. That only exacerbated the choices he was inevitably going to make. Make one wrong choice, and he may regret it for the rest of the trial, without a chance to correct it at all.


    Most tellingly, the Myconid mentioned what the ¡®Sin¡¯ desired. He could only barely relate that back to his own powers, of what he had when he was a Draconian. His memory was so muddled, that he wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if they were able to tell him a lie directly to his face, and him not know otherwise.


    ¡°Fine. Release this weird hold you have on the world. It¡¯s a bit creepy to just have you floating there with everything frozen.¡± Drake waved his hand dismissively, which only resulted in a small chuckle from the eye as everything slowly came back into place, with the world continuing like nothing had happened at all.


    Drake watched on with a mixed look as the eye merely disappeared, piece by piece. It would appear that they would be enjoying every bit of his life, no matter how boring or strange it may be. Not that it really mattered in the end. That they were willing to keep him from making any key mistakes would be good enough for him.


    Shaking his head lightly, he glanced over the short list of transformations again. If the trial was based off of his own personality, then forcing specific matters might actually be detrimental to him. The fact that he had been naturally guided to what was most similar to his current self was a good sign in and of itself. He would simply do what was already natural, and let things fall where they would.


    ¡°Although the feeling is faint, it was only thanks to being quick to transform that I was able to survive the first time.¡± Drake mumbled to himself. Any later than the first day, and his own personality might have disappeared like so many others. It was simple luck in his own case.


    Not giving a second thought to the other two options, he quickly selected the Stormsoul Genasi. With an entirely new power, especially one that was so intrinsic to his own race, getting accustomed to it quickly would be essential in the coming days.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see what you¡¯re all about.¡± Drake selected the option with a touch of his finger.


    As soon as Drake touched the mana-filled words, there was a sudden flash in front of his eyes, before he suddenly appeared in outside, in a grassy plain. Far off in the distance, looked to be the high, reaching skyscrapers of the city, only there seemed to be damage to the lower buildings, and at least one skyscraper was missing altogether.


    What just happened to me? Drake shook his head in confusion, and just as he thought to investigate what had happened, a horde of information suddenly came pouring into his mind.


    He had transformed, the very second his finger touched the choice. His skin had shifted into the strangest shade of violet before feeling a sudden, violent welling of energy inside himself. The process itself was so utterly painless, that it had surprised even himself. There were other minor changes, like how his hair had transformed into a strange crystalline structure as well, but besides that he looked perfectly normal.


    Seeing their classmate change so radically, the others in the class began to follow as well. Some were hesitant, but after seeing the others follow through with no issues. Out of sheer luck, or some other unknown factor, all that chose to transform had the option of humanoid races, which led to them all transitioning rather smoothly.


    Following that, Drake had made the decision to split off from the others, with only a small group that seemed willing to follow him out of the city. The rest, even Taylor, seemed intent on staying and protecting what they had, despite what Drake said to convince them. Most wanted to return to their families, while others, with nothing to really return to, wished to form their own groups with those they were closer to. Still, with nothing to go on but the terribly foreboding feeling Drake had about staying in the city itself, he had no choice but to leave.


    From thereon out, Drake began his new life. He had escaped to the outer portions of the city, far away from where he expected others would come upon, even accidentally, along with the two others who had joined him. Together, they had done their best to cope, even going so far as to construct a rudimentary stone shelter thanks to a particularly magic adept gnome that had come along with Drake. They had endured some various attacks by some outlandish monsters, but none were too serious, which led him to the situation he was now in, almost a full week after he had made his transformation. Drake was resting on the ground in a serene stance, merely guiding the elemental energy inside his body to rejuvenate himself. A common enough practice in the week that had passed, although it still felt like an alien process to him.


    Drake suddenly opened his eyes, before lifting his hands in front of his face with a reluctant smile.


    Talk about strange¡­ seeing your own life being lived on autopilot until you jump back in to your own body. Drake shook his head with a sigh before clasping his hands together. Despite his thoughts on the matter, this Genasi race, it was entirely unlike what he had expected. The description mentioned the common method for forming the race was the mixing of elementals and humans, resulting a half-breed of the elemental species. The entire thing sounded somewhat absurd and hard to believe until he felt it for himself. It was faint, but he could feel a constant surging of energy inside his body, no doubt related to his storm attribute.


    Not only that, but the method that was used to pass time left him with almost a full week of information to sort through. While the emotions and thoughts were all his own, it was still disconcerting to have all that knowledge suddenly enter his mind. It was like a rubber band suddenly snapping back after it was pulled too far. It inevitably left a feeling of discomfort.


    ¡°So, the entire city will be destroyed?¡± A gnome suddenly plopped down beside Drake, who was starting at the city with a deep sense of foreboding.


    ¡°Grant.¡± Drake¡¯s eyes widened momentarily in surprise before sinking back into melancholy. He and the gnome had grown somewhat close over the past few days. He alone was responsible for their current standard of living out in the wild, and as a result, had garnered a large amount of goodwill from Drake and the other member of their solitary group, Lance, a half-elf.


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m wrong. If not, even those who transformed will be lucky to survive¡­¡± Drake said solemnly.


    ¡°All we can really do is wait and see then.¡± Grant responded with a distinct sigh.

 Chapter 9 Part 4

    Part 4


    Drake was patiently waiting next to Grant, atop the small hill they had made their home for the past week. The midday sun began to slowly make its way to its height, marking the time that Drake recognized as when he first received the choice. Grant, and their other companion, Lance, were merely waiting out until the deadline, slowly passing the time with mundane training or simple tricks with magic. Just like themselves, those in the city had been under an increasing barrage of attacks by a large variety of monsters, but the sheer magnitude of the monsters themselves was drastically different.


    Just like the large, golem-like creature Drake had come across in the first few days of his Draconian transformation, more and more destructive creatures had made their way to the center of the population. Whether the monsters desired the buildings themselves as a resting place or source of food, or more likely, desired the people inside, those who decided to stay were under increasing pressure. It only made sense that when the hammer finally dropped, nothing would be left.


    However, no matter how bleak the outcome looked, the city was still a place of life and culture. Most are typically reluctant to abandon their normal life, and head out to safety, even if it in their best interest.


    ¡°What are you two up to?¡± Lance walked over with a bored look, before sitting down next to the duo. ¡°Normally you two would be ¡®meditating¡¯ or some other crap. Something up?¡± He cocked his head to side in a curious manner.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a week since they arrived, starting today, idiot.¡± Grant came down on him, an exasperated expression in his eyes. ¡°Remember? Likely, what Drake warned us about is about to happen. The destruction of the city.¡±


    Lance¡¯s face dropped instantly as a small bit of remorse crossed it. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯ve been busy with my own stuff.¡± He raised his hand in apology. ¡°It¡¯s easy to lose track of time out here. Besides, I¡¯m normally the one on lookout.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯re both a bit worried is all.¡± Drake cut in, much to Lance¡¯s relief.


    The trial had skipped to this point in time, and had given him two companions. It was strange, having so many memories of his new body, and memories of the duo that joined him, but in retrospect, it wasn¡¯t surprising. The pivotal moment in his life had been when monsters had been truly introduced to the world. From thereon out, the strength of creatures increased by a wide margin, as they finally had enough mana to supplement that strength.


    And speaking of time¡­ Right around now, it should¡¯ve been a week since they first showed up. Drake thought with a reluctant look on his face.


    Just as the thought crossed Drake¡¯s mind, he felt the familiar presence suddenly invade his mind, and the Caracatia began to make their final announcement.


    ¡°Attention, all of humanity¡­ We give our heartfelt thanks to the half of your race¡­ starting now, we will begin to spawn thousands of monsters¡­ Well, we hope you enjoy your new world, ¡®humanity¡¯¡±. As the Caracatia finished their speech, there was a faint laughter that echoed throughout all their minds, leading Drake and the others looked to each other with a sudden sense of danger.


    With how much Drake had emphasized how dangerous the end of the deadline was, they fully expected to be attacked on the spot. Instead however, they were met with nothing but silence. Despite their initial feeling, seconds, and then even minutes began to pass from the end of the announcement. Nothing happened.


    ¡°I guess nobodies like us aren¡¯t really on the menu.¡± Lance interrupted the sense of tension that had been building up with a small laugh.


    ¡°Guess so.¡± Drake and Grant both agreed, before both taking a small sigh of relief.


    Truthfully, Drake had only heard from others the state of the city after he had abandoned it, and even then, his memories of what others told him were fuzzy at best. He simply relied on his gut feeling to abandon everything, and hide out, just as he had done before, but even that was haphazard. Still, relying on his instincts had never steered him wrong before.


    If I¡¯m correct, then the city¡­ Drake¡¯s attention was suddenly drawn to the city far off in the distance. For the most part, the three of them had kept far away, so as to not draw too much attention to themselves. Even monsters that had transformed far outside the city in the more rural areas seemed to be drawn to the concentration of humans that still survived within. As a result, even the dozen or so monsters they had come across over the span of the week hadn¡¯t put up too much of a fight in comparison to those further in.


    It was a frightening thought that, despite what they had already seen, the monsters that had been promised after the weekly deadline were sure to be much stronger, even for those like Drake that had escaped out to the perimeter.


    As the moments began to pass by, Drake and the others began to narrow their focus, as they stared on with a sick sense of morbid curiosity. Even when they knew that something was going to happen, they still couldn¡¯t tear themselves away. For the inevitable disaster to happen.


    At first, everything seemed normal, relatively speaking. There were certainly no massive explosions that rocked the sky, or entire skyscrapers being torn to pieces within seconds. Instead, something much more sinister seemed to be bubbling up from the surface.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± As the three of them sat, overlooking the city from many miles away, Grant¡¯s face suddenly sank into a deeply investigative look before suddenly dropping the crude, stone knife he had been playing with in his hands.


    Despite the distance, they could tell something was off. In the air, there was a sort of palpable tension, before Drake suddenly got a good look at something. There was a sudden flash of movement among the city¡¯s buildings, before it disappeared altogether behind a cluster of taller buildings. Then, came the sound.


    It came slowly at first. It was only a low, long moan on the wind at first, but it quickly built into a horrendous crescendo as a horribly loud howling echoed throughout the air. The distinct sound of a wolf on the hunt.


    The trio were shocked at the intensity of the sound. The air shook from the force of the sound waves around them, as their bodies shook with the intense force of the howl coming from the city. They all began to cower down in an attempt to escape the horrific sound, only for the howl to dissipate just as soon as it had appeared. Just as they began to sigh a breath of relief, they all jumped to their feet as the air around them began to solidify. Streaks of blue-ribbon like mana began to coalesce near each of them, each framing an incandescent outline.


    Drake held his head in pain as his eyes widened in recognition. The process was so memorable that he simply couldn¡¯t be wrong, but at the same time, something about it seemed altogether different. It was the materialization of monsters.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Lance leaped to his feet before quickly grabbing a make-shift spear, as Drake and Grant steadied themselves with weapons of their own. Drake, with a small sword, and Grant with a cluster of floating rocks made from earth magic.


    ¡°So, uh¡­ Any plans here, guys?!¡± Lance shouted out to the others in a panic, which only resulted in Drake and Grant nodding to each other.


    ¡°There¡¯s three of them. One for each of us. Just take it out as quick as possible.¡± Drake gestured confidently to Grant as he shouted out to Lance. He had seen this before, with a goblin. Then, however, the process seemed different. Still, he didn¡¯t ponder over it for too long. He had waited back then, out of curiosity, but now wasn¡¯t the time.


    Not intending to make this any harder than it needed to be, Drake dashed forward, before swiftly cutting through the center of the cluster of ribbon-like mana that was still forming the creature. To his surprise however, the sword passed through entirely, leaving it entirely unharmed.


    ¡°What¡­¡± Drake murmured to himself in surprise.


    ¡°Kinda having issues killing it here!¡± Lance called out. He was frantically slashing through the bundle of mana with his spear, only resulting in the ribbons merely shifting slightly, as it continued to coalesce into a larger figure.


    Grant¡¯s eyes narrowed as he glanced at the duo, before holding his own magic against the forming monster. No one who used magic in that short week had a good grasp on the method for using it correctly, even the skilled. Mana was used up too quickly, too much power was gathered, or there simply wasn¡¯t enough put into the attack in the first place. There was a wide variety of reasons, but all of them often led magic users to be careful with their spells.


    ¡°Can¡¯t damage it while it forms, from what it looks like.¡± Drake called back, only shaking his head in frustration.


    ¡°Oh, come on!¡± Came the quick response from Lance.


    The three were left to simply wait as the mana slowly solidified into a recognizable form. The natural mana condensed onto the creature slowly, before suddenly finishing all at once, leaving a transparent, ghost-like image of wolf in its place.


    ¡°Now!¡± Drake shouted out to the others, as each of them launched towards their own enemy. However, just like before, Drake¡¯s sword didn¡¯t land in the slightest, only passing through the now angered wolf as it quickly responded and launched forward to attack him.


    Drake¡¯s eyes widened in panic as he held the sword up instinctively, the sword flashing with electricity as Drake drew on his inner reserve of elemental magic in the blink of an eye.


    As the transparent wolf was about to bite down on Drake, it suddenly yelped out in pain the moment it came into contact with the electrified sword. The moment it did, it began to slowly unravel into ribbon-shaped bands before it disappeared altogether. It didn¡¯t leave a trace of its existence behind, other than a faint, almost invisible core that plopped onto the ground.


    ¡°It disappeared¡­?¡± Drake whispered to himself in confusion, only to quickly turn to the others. Grant looked to be fine, as his own wolf already in the process of disappearing. He had practically crushed it with earth magic the moment it had finished forming. Lance however¡­


    ¡°Shit, shit, shit!¡± He was shouting out in a panic, running and dodging the invincible beast as he attempted to find a place to hide away from it. Lance had met with the same problem that Drake had, only he looked to be in much more trouble. Drake and Grant both had magic, at least of some sort, but Lance never had much talent for it, leaving him to focus on more physical forms of attack. Such a decision hadn¡¯t let him down before, but everyone had their own weaknesses.


    ¡°Identify.¡± Drake narrowed his eyes, before suddenly grabbing his head as a flood of information entered his mind.


    Monster identified as a Spirit wolf. No name. Threat Level: E. An unthinking beast made of pure mana, it is summoned in assistance to Fenrir, Devourer of Gods. While normally a formidable enemy, the massive scale of use has resulted in its severely weakened state. Immune to all physical attacks.


    ¡°Physical attacks¡­¡± He smiled lightly before looking over to his friend. ¡°Lance, get over here! Me and Grant can kill it.¡± Drake yelled out to him, only for Lance to yell back angrily, as he attempted to clamber up a tree to get away from the creature.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get over here, dammit! It¡¯s a hell of a lot easier for me!¡± Lance practically screamed back.


    Grant covered his mouth to stifle a laugh, as Drake slowly jogged over, holding out his hand to the transparent wolf. Judging from what the description said, it would likely take several of the wolves to actually pose a threat to even one of them, given the threat level. Despite that, Drake didn¡¯t waste any time. A small bolt of electricity hit the creature as Drake got closer, resulting in it quickly disintegrating like all the rest.


    ¡°What the hell took you so long¡­¡± Lance remarked sourly as he began to slowly clamber back down the tree he was climbing, which only resulted in another small laugh from both Grant and Drake at the situation.


    ¡°Sorry, when I couldn¡¯t kill it right away, I needed to know why. Turns out it can¡¯t be affected by physical attacks.¡± He said with a sly grin.


    Regardless of his jab at Lance, Drake was extremely appreciative of his new race, to say the least. The Genasi, while innately gifted with a wide variety of elemental magics, depended quite a bit on their innate characteristics. He hadn¡¯t been able to delve too deeply into training himself, but his new body seemed to understand how to activate the lightning element within him automatically. An instinct that was put to good use in a tight spot like he was put in.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Then there was the other ability, ¡®Identify¡¯, that he had been granted as soon as he had transformed. It gave him a bit of a headache at times, but it was well worth it in his opinion. Still¡­


    ¡°Drake, you identified it. What was that monster?¡± Grant got to the point quickly. Although he wasn¡¯t one to say much, Grant, along with Lance, had a feeling that this wasn¡¯t the end of it.


    There was a small grimace as Drake thought back to the information. The spirit wolves that attacked them was a terribly weak monster, there was no doubt about that, but it was what was behind the creature that made it truly terrifying.


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be the typical monster. They¡¯re called spirit wolves. Although, if I¡¯m right, it¡¯s likely the result of something like a skill than anything else.¡± Drake said offhandedly. ¡°I did get something important though. It mentioned a name that summoned them. Fenrir.¡±


    There was a sudden pause from the Grant, as Lance only looked to the duo in a confused manner.


    ¡°Ok, explain. What the hell is Fenrir?¡± Lance said.


    Just as Drake was going to explain, Grant quickly jumped in, providing the explanation.


    ¡°It comes from Norse Mythology. In the stories, it was responsible for eating the hand of a prominent god in the Norse pantheon, and was known to grow stronger and stronger as it ate. Supposedly, it was chained up to wait for the end of the world. That¡¯s when he would escape, eat the father of the gods, Odin, and become instrumental in destroying the world.¡± He explained slowly, waving his hand lightly as he did.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me. How the hell are we supposed to fight something like that?!¡± Lance cried out.


    ¡°I doubt that it¡¯s as powerful as the myth, Lance. If it was, it wouldn¡¯t even be a fight, just a one-sided massacre.¡± Drake said. ¡°Besides, you need to worry more about how you kill the weaklings it summons.¡± He laughed lightly, as he attempted to lighten the mood a bit.


    ¡°Uh huh. Real funny.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± Drake couldn¡¯t help but poke fun at Lance a bit more, before returning to a more serious expression. ¡°The real problem is Fenrir itself. You all heard that deafeningly loud howling. It came from the city, and I would bet that it was Fenrir.¡± Drake spoke with a strange sense of duty, something that wasn¡¯t missed by the others.


    ¡°Drake, you aren¡¯t really planning-¡± Grant began to speak before he was stopped.


    ¡°We need to at least check the city out. These things need us to kill them, after all.¡± Drake waved his hand to the faint, shining cores on the ground that were left from the spirit wolves.


    There was a sudden sigh from the gnome as Grant looked to Drake with a serious look on his face.


    ¡°You realize that normal humans would be killed outright by these things, don¡¯t you? That was likely the reason behind why such an ability was given to Fenrir in the first place.¡± Grant pointed out with a reluctant look.


    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­but¡­ Ha¡­¡± Drake shook his head, before attempting to scratch his head in frustration. Instead, he was left with just picking at the crystalline pieces of elemental stone that made up his new hair. He never thought he¡¯d actually miss something as simple as real hair till it was gone.


    ¡°So, what do you think we should do?¡± Drake said poignantly.


    ¡°I get the feeling that the whole point of giving us a new race was to even the playing field, so to speak. Clearing out those who don¡¯t want to play their game would be the first thing the aliens do, given that line of thinking.¡± Grant said.


    ¡°Humans aren¡¯t made to survive. By the time we get there, with those wolves literally manifesting next to us, any that don¡¯t have their own bodyguards will already be dead by this point. So, why go at all? Camp out here, like we planned from the beginning.¡±


    Drake stood still, just mulling over the thought. Logically thinking, it was true. It would stand to reason that people like Grant and himself would be fine. Even those lucky enough to kill an elemental creature could trade in its core for a weapon that could likely be used to kill them. And as for the masses of people that would inevitably be helpless in such a situation? They¡¯d be nothing but sitting ducks, and would be long dead before Drake and his group could arrive. Even modern firearms would be useless, leading no one for them to even think of saving.


    Then again, this wasn¡¯t exactly the most logical situation, he knew that. Between the Myconid showing themselves and revealing this was a trial, and the nagging feeling he had in the back of his mind that he needed to be doing¡­ something, he was being tested on his responses. It wouldn¡¯t be out of character to do a bit of investigating. Besides, he had never been one to flat-out ignore danger in the first place.


    ¡°Are you saying that you aren¡¯t interested in what¡¯s happening further in?¡± Drake looked to him with a somewhat expectant grin. ¡°You¡¯ve been wanting an actual weapon of your own as well, right? What could be better than some of the monsters that are appearing now?¡±


    While neither of them seemed to enjoy battle as much as Drake did and seemed to stick with him out of a feeling of safety than anything more grounded, it was undeniable that they had gained a bit of understanding among one another as the week had passed. If he made gave them a nudge or two, Drake was sure that they would join along, if at least to keep the numbers strong between them.


    ¡°I see what you¡¯re trying to do.¡± Grant stated mutely. Although it was an obvious ploy, it was effectively even more convincing because of it. As a Gnome, he had always been left out of some of the more obvious choices in weapons. Even cores that looked to be of good quality often could only be used to enhance magic. A poor substitute, really.


    Grant stood still for a moment, before suddenly dropping his head with a sudden huff of defeat. It really was too difficult to find what he needed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll join you. You¡¯re lucky that none of the cores we found had anything good besides those two weapons.¡±


    ¡°So, you¡¯re just gonna leave me out of the conversation here?¡± Lance cut in sarcastically, already clear that the choice had been made for him.


    ¡°Sorry man.¡± Drake could only answer honestly. Truthfully, he didn¡¯t have anything to offer him, or anything to say that he thought could sway him.


    ¡°Bah. Whatever. Let¡¯s just get going.¡± Lance responded quickly, a cheeky smile clear on his face.


    Drake smiled in return, thankful that he didn¡¯t put up too much of a fight. Truthfully, if Lance had chosen to stay, there really wasn¡¯t much he could have done. Regardless of the show he put on earlier, in physical combat, he was by far the most experienced one of them. His agility far surpassed that of Grant, and while Drake¡¯s own speed was nothing to laugh at, even he would be hard pressed to have a legitimate battle with Lance. Unless he or Grant had enough distance, or Drake had time to prepare, the fight would be over before it even began.


    Once they came into agreement with one another, and finalized the plan, Drake and the others quickly packed up what supplies they had the best they could, in preparation for a long trip. While the mishmash of backpacks and random assortments of clothing clashed horribly with their newer gear, being well supplied was necessary. Despite their new bodies, it would take almost a full day to reach the city, and that was if they were able to get there without running into any problems.


    Time to see just what¡¯s in store for me. Drake thought with a distinct smirk.


    *****


    Outside of Drake¡¯s own trial, and well away from the dungeon altogether, stood Therion. The light of a new day had begun to shine on the entrance of their small hideaway, leaving the intimidating Satyr to simply smile and bask in it all. It was¡­ peaceful. The sort of life he believed he had left behind. He had even begun to grow to enjoy the icy nature of Aleria, even if she had begun to soften up a bit.


    Interestingly, he even noticed that Aleria had stopped herself from sleeping all day, even taking the time to go out with Ella and wash themselves in a nearby pond. Although, this was only really notable because it meant that meant leaving the eggs that Drake had taken from the caravan, and leaving them with him, something that would have been impossible only a few days earlier. Not that he expected them to hatch anytime soon.


    From Aleria¡¯s brief and lazy explanation, hatching them wouldn¡¯t be as simple as waiting for them to grow, or providing the right conditions. They were meant to absorb the mana of those around them and given the literal village of Lamia that the eggs were given to, it likely wouldn¡¯t have taken more than a month or two for them to hatch given those conditions. For Aleria herself however, such a process might be extended out to even a full year if she didn¡¯t receive help. Ella was still much too young to be of help, and he was unsure if he even should help.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡± He would never admit it, but he missed the little imp. Despite her combative personality, she had been helpful on occasion. The memories she had been born with were superior than his own after his own evolution, that much was sure.


    As for the situation between himself and the Lamia, it had been close to a week since Drake had left him alone with them and went off to scout the humanoid¡¯s nearby town. To his surprise, in that short time Ella seemed to have started maturing quite a lot, at least mentally. Whether it was their conversation over just what they meant to him, the meaning of Drake¡¯s quick retribution of her village, or even Aleria¡¯s subtly changing nature, he wasn¡¯t sure. Not that it mattered all that much in the end. He would simply continue to provide for them while Drake was gone. That was his role.


    There was a sudden rustling from behind Therion as he took a small glance over to the source of noise. Spying the source, he hid a small, content smile at the sight of the young Lamia slowly waking up to the morning light.


    ¡°Mmmhhh¡­¡± A tired, muffled yawn escaped from Ella, as her coils tightened around her body from the morning chill. A strained, coiling sound, much like a rope being tightened, echoed out across the cave as her scales slid along the small, leafy bed. He had made the same mistake as Drake one morning and had let Ella get a bit too close as he was sleeping. Thankfully, she had only managed to get a hold of an arm, but the sheer force behind the young girl¡¯s tail was terrifying in and of itself.


    A violet eye peeked out from the soft bed of leaves as she saw Therion parked at the entrance of the cave. Almost immediately, there was a sudden burst of movement from her, as she seemed to be trying to warm her body up from the morning chill. It was obvious that she seemed to have planned something, and was trying to prepare herself.


    Readjusting herself, she turned to the Satyr, scratching her eyes as she did. ¡°Mister Therion, do you think you could take me outside?¡±


    ¡°Hm. Not anytime soon. It¡¯s safest here in the cave.¡± He responded lazily, not even turning to answer her.


    ¡°But¡­ we don¡¯t spend much time together anymore. Could you?¡± She asked in a sweet tone.


    This left the Satyr in a rather curious mood. The idea that they didn¡¯t spend time together was absurd, as they were practically relegated to this cave since Aleria refused to move with the eggs. He leaned against the wall as he turned to her, with only the slightest shift in his voice.


    ¡°What on earth are you talking about? I¡¯m practically watching you all day.¡±


    ¡°Not that.¡± Her tail hit the ground with a small smack. ¡°I meant together. Like the rides you used to give me.¡±


    Rides? His mind wandered before suddenly settling on what she meant with a loud sigh.


    ¡°That¡¯s really only for when it¡¯s needed. Rather, you building your own strength would be best in the long run.¡± He turned back to the morning sunlight as he lazily waved his hand.


    There was a sudden rustle behind him, as he suddenly felt the distinct feeling of scales wrapping around his torso, with Ella propping herself up on his shoulder soon after.


    ¡°And what¡¯s this?¡± He turned his head to meet the Lamia who had laid her head on his shoulder, to look as cute as possible.


    ¡°Just a bit. Please.¡± Ella¡¯s voice shook with a hint of emotion. Clearly, her plaintive cries to be let out weren¡¯t as simple as he first thought. He wasn¡¯t the most forthcoming, so initially, he thought if he was a harsh on her, she would relent and focus on Aleria. He would have a bit of free time, and Ella would actually spend more time with her own species. Paradoxically, it seemed that his initial attitude towards her had only resulted in Ella becoming even more attached.


    He grimaced slightly, before looking back to the dark Lamia in the back of the cave. She looked to be fast asleep, wrapped around the half dozen eggs that she was guarding. If the normal schedule was anything to go by, she wouldn¡¯t be awake for a few more hours at the least. Likely, sharing so much mana is what caused her constant state of sleep. She wouldn¡¯t notice if both of them were gone.


    Heaving a sigh of defeat, he lifted his body up, with Ella gasping faintly in surprise as he did.


    ¡°I need to go fetch breakfast. You can help me look.¡± He said matter of factly.


    ¡°O-oh ok!¡± She responded happily, merely wrapping her arms firmly around his neck as she did.


    Stepping out of their small hideaway, he discreetly smiled as he slowly stepped out of the cave and into the morning sunlight. If the young Lamia really wished to join him, then he would oblige her. After all, the fresh smell of dew and nature left him feeling mischievous, so a bit of fun wouldn¡¯t hurt. First, only walking at a slow, steady pace, he quickly picked up speed, leaving Ella to sometimes flap wildly in the air as she lost her grip on him.


    Her tail had cemented her onto his torso, so she never was in danger of falling, but the annoyed, but cheerful look as Ella sped along always warmed his heart to some extent.


    She might enjoy the grove I found the other day. A thought suddenly came to him. Coming to a sudden stop, he heard the young girl on his shoulders breathing as hard as she could, as her arms were trembling at the strain of keeping ahold of him. Best to take it a bit easier on her now.


    With a cheerful smile, Therion quickly made his way to a secluded grove he had set his sight on while he had been getting more accustomed to the area. When he had first found it, the mana in the air had been teeming with particularly pure water mana, sourced from a large pond that was located in the center of it all. Most notably, such a location looked to be especially well suited to the young Lamia.


    The fish inside the spring had been affected by a strange source of mana, so he was excited to try them out, not to mention such simple ¡®enemies¡¯ made them the perfect opponents for a child like Ella.


    ¡°M-mister¡­ just where are you taking us?¡± She stammered out the sentence, barely getting a word in due to the constant movement of the Satyr.


    ¡°Just a moment.¡± He replied in a playful manner. ¡°Now hold on tight.¡±


    From there, Therion made their way through the forest. With Ella firmly latched onto his back, it didn¡¯t take long to arrive. However, not ten minutes later from when they left, Therion¡¯s attitude suddenly shifted, and he slowed down his pace considerably. In comparison to the wild, uncultivated look that he had observed from the spring only a few days earlier, something had changed. Almost imperceptibly so, but it was different nonetheless.


    The grove was covered on three sides by a high cliff face. Vines of all shapes and sizes were drawn to it, resulting in a painting of color on the walls as a result of the brilliant flowers from them. As for the spring itself, it looked to be completely clear, with only blue motes of water mana floating lazily through the air around it. Therion stumbling across it was a complete mistake, but as he didn¡¯t feel any danger from it, he thought it to be safe.


    ¡°Mister Therion?¡± Ella noticed the sudden change in him, which left her on edge as well.


    ¡°Sshh.¡± He held his finger up to the lips of the young girl, his eyes narrowing with an investigative look. What was different¡­


    As Therion looked on, he noticed a sudden movement. The wall near the back of the spring, it was shaking ever so slightly, as if something was underneath it. To his understanding, there shouldn¡¯t have been anything but a shear wall there, nothing but solid stone. Then, as he and Ella looked on, a single man appeared from under the cluster of vines. He shook the vines off with a happy grin on his face, before quickly approaching the pool of water.


    It¡¯s¡­a human. Therion thought.

 Chapter 9 Part 5

    Part 5


    The thin, misty haze of the morning sunlight barely illuminated a dull, dark tunnel, filled with vines of all shapes and sizes. The tunnel itself looked to be natural, but the occasional motes of water mana that floated lazily through the air showed the dreary passageway to be unnatural, at least in its construction.


    The man who was making his way through it was dressed rather averagely. Much like others who had made it this far, his style in clothing had changed considerably, mainly as a way of defending at least a little against attacks that were considerably more dangerous due to mana. Although it was done out of a need for protection, he still was a little uneasy about what he would have viewed as an overblown monk¡¯s robe in the old world.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ What am I really complaining about, anyway? It¡¯s only thanks to Neru that I got this far.¡± The man remarked rather happily to himself as he continued to make his way through the tunnel.


    Unlike many others who had died shortly after the deadline, he had chosen to remain human and managed to actually keep his life, although that was only thanks in part to Neru, the water Nymph that he met. Although the contact he had with the outside world was minimal even now, that was a choice he made for himself.


    His days were little more than a gradual process of accustoming himself to the new world, eating and sleeping as the day passed before returning to a peculiar state that he had grown accustomed to. Even he wasn¡¯t sure of the reason why, but not even a week after the deadline was up, he had a sudden¡­ urge to meditate, for lack of a better phrase. At first, nothing happened, not that he expected it to, but as he kept at it, he felt a deep, powerful sense of calm overcome him, as if encouraging him to continue. As he did, lo and behold, he noticed that he began to change, if only ever so slightly. In a way, it was only thanks to that state that he began to change in a more substantial way than ever before, although he still had his own doubts on how it was possible.


    Pushing away a large bundle of vines blocking his path, Matthew emerged out of the tunnel, before entering an utterly beautiful area, with a deep, freshwater spring centered neatly in the middle. He could only smile to himself as he took in the wondrous view. While it was gradual, resulting in most others not noticing, nature had begun to change after being subjected to mana, either through its inhabitants or the mana itself. Everything, from the deep, clear waters of the spring, to the air, and plants that covered the walls of the spring¡¯s cliff face were so much more vibrant than before.


    ¡°Neru. I¡¯m back!¡±


    Matthew happily called out to the center of the spring, only to be met with utter silence in return. Not that he had expected any different. The Nymph tended to give him the cold shoulder, and it had happened more than once. The man only laughed silently to himself, before casually walking over to the water¡¯s edge. As he did, he bent down, and gently touched the water lapping at his feet.


    He drew his finger out of the water with an expectant smile as a small droplet fell off and returned to the water seamlessly. As it did, an otherwise infinitely small ripple grew from the droplet of water, growing far past what would be natural until it finally reached the center before disappearing altogether in a rush of water.


    As Matthew looked on expectantly, a distinctly female voice suddenly sounded out from the center of the spring, although from the tone alone, she seemed not too excited to see him once again.


    ¡°You¡¯ve returned again, I see.¡± The voice echoed out.


    He laughed in a depreciating manner, as he scratched his head embarrassedly. ¡°I know, I know. But¡­ I wanted to return the favor.¡± Matthew cocked his head to the side in a silly manner before crouching at the water¡¯s edge and waiting, a lovestruck smile emblazoned on his face.


    ¡°It was a coincidence, that was all.¡± The voice said with a low sigh. ¡°What is this favor? Interruptions make it somewhat difficult on me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just it. Look.¡± Matthew held out his hand as a gentle, golden glow suddenly extended from him. The golden light twisted ever so slightly in the air, illuminating both himself and the area around him.


    Healing magic. Somehow or another, he had managed to learn healing magic. He didn¡¯t have a real technique, or even the spells he had heard others had gained access to, but he didn¡¯t need it. He had always wanted a method to help the beautiful Nymph after she saved his life, and now he had it.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± The hidden voice held a large amount of surprise, as the center of the spring suddenly began to rush and stir with waves of water converging on the middle. As it did, a hand emerged and placed itself on the top of the water. As if lifting themselves onto a ledge, an utterly exquisite woman with deep blue hair climbed up from the depths of the spring, covered in an opaque light-blue cloth. It was as if a picture of perfection had risen from the depths, with only one exception. Her right arm was marred by a horrific bite, and even now, it showed no real signs of healing.


    Matthew¡¯s face sunk almost immediately as he saw how Neru cradled her arm, and hid it behind a layer of cloth. It was clear that he would do almost anything for the beautiful Nymph, if asked. Met with a woman that could command even the most hardened of men¡¯s hearts, and it was no surprise that Matthew was utterly lovestruck by her.


    ¡°With this I can¡­ you know, heal you.¡± Matthew said, before closing his hand. The faint light faded almost instantly, but the same lovestruck look stayed there all the same. ¡°I¡¯m still new at it, but I can at least help.¡±


    ¡°Regardless, you shouldn¡¯t have returned¡­¡± The Nymph gave a pointed glance at the more obvious entrance to the spring, her beautiful face painted in a look of deep caution. From the guarded look alone, it was obvious that she had hidden herself from sight in the first place as a result of sensing their presence.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Matthew turned around, only to meet eyes with a large, intimidating creature that had stopped near the entrance of the spring, it¡¯s face scrunched up in an ironic, mocking look. A little over six feet tall, the creature immediately struck him as a powerful monster. The powerful-looking muscles, the feral physique of the creature, how it towered over himself and Neru, and above all, how the horns and claws left no doubt of the purpose of such a creature.


    [So, this was a Nymph¡¯s spring all along. How troublesome.] Therion spoke out in a somewhat soothing language, in harsh contrast with his usual tone. It was clear that he was addressing the Nymph alone, as the Nymph quickly adopted a more neutral expression.


    With a short huff, he turned around to scold the young Lamia. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have been so excitable. It was you that she sensed.¡± Therion returned to his gruff tone momentarily, before shuffling her out of sight as he stepped forward.


    ¡°You said that she was so pretty though¡­¡± Ella pouted, upset that she was being blamed, even if Therion was entirely correct.


    Neru returned with a statement of her own. [That language. You used to be one of us before you were corrupted¡­ Just what were you subjected to for your form to be twisted in such a way.] Her voice was tainted with a hint of sadness as she shook her head. While Matthew looked on with a sense of fear, those who were corrupted by demonic mana was viewed more by those of their previous race with pity.


    [Spare me the false sympathy. Just keep out of my way, and I won¡¯t harm you or your human toy.] Therion replied gruffly, waving his hand as if to clear away any sense of conversation between them. Clearly, he was a bit upset at being addressed in such a way.


    [Keep out of your way? If you believe that I¡¯ll allow you to corrupt this place out of some misplaced sense of malice towards me, you¡¯re mistaken.] The Nymph clearly didn¡¯t view Therion with any sense of fear, instead, viewing him more as a corrupted thing that needs to be exterminated for the good of others. It was well known that interacting with demonic races typically didn¡¯t turn out well for anyone.


    Therion¡¯s face twitched for just a second, as he forced a fake smile. [And you think-]


    Just as Therion began to return the threat, a black object suddenly whipped out from behind him, nailing him firmly in the back of the head, which only left him slightly miffed as he turned around with a reluctant expression.


    He quickly returned to his more guttural language as he looked at the culprit. ¡°Was that really necessary? Despite her appearance, she is dangerous you know.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re being too mean! If we just asked her, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d let us use her water-place. It¡¯s plenty big enough for us both to have some room.¡± Ella responded with another audible crack as her tail hit the ground in a small tantrum.


    ¡°This is the problem with you and Aleria, you get angry too easily. That¡¯s why you two are always arguing!¡± Ella¡¯s face grew even more puffed up as she pouted and brought herself up higher with her tail, in an attempt to look Therion in the eyes. As for Therion, the Satyr could barely hold in the urge to sigh as he shook his head.


    ¡°Is that¡­ a Lamia? A child at that.¡± Matthew looked on with shock. The idea that a demonic species would even consider talking with a foreign species boggled his mind, let alone that he seemed to be the one taking care of the small snake-girl, judging by his body language alone.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡± Therion laughed sadly to himself as he turned back around, bringing the young Lamia with him. He had been ordered to take care of her, but at moments like these, it was all he could do to not pull his hair out from sheer frustration. Returning his gaze to the beautiful Nymph, he explained himself in a casual manner.


    [I¡¯ll only say this once, so listen. I¡¯m going to teach the Lamia here to fish. Just leave us alone, and I won¡¯t harm this place in the least.] He explained in the more melodic language of the Nymph, before waving his hand in a careless manner.


    He gestured Ella over to himself, before taking her hand and leading her over to the pool of water. [You can watch us the entire time for all I care, but I can guarantee this. If you dare harm me or the girl, you¡¯ll come off a lot worse than that little wound you have on your arm.] Therion spoke to the Nymph as best he could, even as his eyes narrowed dangerously.


    Regardless of the circumstances, he didn¡¯t view his old life with any sense of romanticism. He barely remembered how it felt at all before he was transformed by his master¡¯s formidable mana. The inborn pride he felt at such a boon certainly carried over into his speech, resulting in him lightly threatening the Nymph at the same time as he was asking for permission.


    The two monsters stared at each other in total silence as Neru gauged the meaning behind the thinly-veiled threat of Therion, her eyes slowly making their way between the Satyr and the young Lamia at his side. Neru wasn¡¯t sure what was happening in front of her.


    Most certainly, if it had simply been Therion by himself, she wouldn¡¯t have taken him at his word. Demons weren¡¯t to be trusted, that was a simple truth. Even now, she felt an innate distaste towards him, but the strange relationship between the two who had made their way into her domain perplexed her.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡®He was simply here to teach her how to fish?¡¯ ¡®He actually threatened her if she were to harm the young Lamia?¡¯ Those thoughts utterly conflicted with the image she had of the Satyr in her mind. The idea that one would even tolerate being attached to someone weaker than themselves simply made no sense.


    Neru gazed in-between the two, her thoughts spiraling as her eyes shone with interest. A Lamia and a Satyr. It was a novel relationship to say the least, not even mentioning his surprising leeway the Satyr showed with even herself.


    [Hm. Do what you wish. A few fish should be of no real value.] Neru responded with a short twitch on her beautiful face. It hurt her to do so, but her interest in the duo far surpassed the feeling that she needed to exterminate such an abomination. A normal demon wouldn¡¯t even begin to bargain, let alone protect a weaker companion without some significant gain to themselves. Her own curiosity felt that she simply had to see it for herself.


    ¡°Neru, are you really allowing them to stay?¡± Matthew looked on with fear in his eyes as the Satyr began to walk to the water¡¯s edge, with the Lamia in hand.


    Therion had chosen to position himself and Ella opposite the others, giving them a wide berth in comparison to Matthew and Neru. Matthew was only able to watch them for a moment before Therion plucked a fish out of the water, before gently placing it back in without a single injury. Clearly, he was encouraging Ella to be able to do the same.


    ¡°It seems that he¡¯ll be of no threat, at long as we don¡¯t threaten him.¡± She took a cursory glance at the duo, before slowly walking over to Matthew. A strange look had established itself in her eyes. One of unbridled curiosity and interest.


    ¡°He isn¡¯t the typical demon. Whether that is good or bad is still to be seen, but I¡¯m willing to give them a chance.¡± Neru exhaled a bit, before taking a step off the water¡¯s surface and laying down next to Matthew.


    ¡°I would be in your debt if you are able.¡± Neru gently unveiled her arm, revealing a horribly marred sight. It was clear that she was a bit uneasy about revealing it to others.


    ¡°A-ah, right!¡± Matthew responded, as a faint layer of golden energy began to envelop the beautiful Nymph moments later. He had come here to heal her, but the sudden intruder had left him stunned for the most part.


    It¡¯s unnerving though¡­ Matthew stole another glance at Therion, who had a light smile on his face as he watched Ella blunder at catching the fish, often scaring them off rather than getting close to catching one. That mark on his chest. It shows that he¡¯s associated with a Demon Lord¡­ but what Lord would have the symbol of a dragon?


    *****


    ¡°I really underestimated all this.¡±


    That was the conclusion Drake reached as he and the others made their way further into the borders of the city. While he had been correct in assuming that there would be a multitude of monsters, just how many, and how ferocious they were directly after spawning certainly wasn¡¯t in his plans. This was mainly due to his understandably hazy memories, and just how little interaction he had with the world directly after the weekly timeline had ended.


    For practically the entire first week, he was connecting with Therion and Yami, as well as dealing with the Draconian inside himself. That he didn¡¯t know or understand much of what had happened was perfectly understandable, to say the least.


    Unfortunately, now they were left with either all out avoiding monsters that they would have no hope of defeating, or hiding out while different groups of creatures fought each other for dominance. Despite that, it wasn¡¯t all bad, by any means. They had picked up a few particularly promising monster cores that had been left behind from some kills, and given their situation, all they would have to do is transform them once they found a reliably safe place, and they would have even better gear than before.


    That is, if they could just avoid all the monsters in the meantime.


    Giving Lance a careful glance, Drake nodded as they began to sprint further in towards the city, carefully avoiding and hiding from the large beasts that lumbered around the exterior.


    ¡°Things really are getting worse. Never in my life would I have imagined I¡¯d see a living pillar of fire fighting some kind of¡­ puffy bat-dinosaur hybrid.¡± Lance muttered faintly, as they sprinted past the fight.


    ¡°It was a standard Fire elemental against some weird thing called a Paolumu. Believe it or not, apparently it was some kind of wyvern, although I couldn¡¯t get any information past that.¡± Drake identified both the creatures in a flash, giving a brief explanation as his face began to grow increasingly worried.


    It wouldn¡¯t have been too difficult to fight either one of them one on one, although it would definitely have taken a bit of time. The problem was, there were just too many different types, with more and more popping up as they drew closer to the center of the city. One wrong step, and they would be stuck in a fight. Once that happened, it really would be that would be almost impossible to win. More and more creatures would be drawn to the scene of the battle, resulting in only one creature coming out on top. This had already happened a few times, with them avoiding the battle each time. The number of creatures nearby was still just too much.


    ¡°Still, it¡¯s not all bad.¡± There was a distinct chuckle from Grant, as he waved a brilliant blue core to Drake and Lance. Grant moved as if he was somewhat haggard, much as if he had been exerting himself too much, but it didn¡¯t show itself on his face.


    ¡°That hulking ice beast we came across earlier, the one that was promptly chomped on right as we came upon it? Well¡­ since we were stuck there for a bit, I snagged it with a bit of magic.¡± He said in self-congratulatory manner. ¡°Now I just need to get lucky with the weapon, and I¡¯ll be set.¡±


    ¡°Impressive.¡± Both Drake and Lance looked on with surprise. It was true that Grant had an advantage with earth magic when it came to range, and doing things discreetly, but to even snag it while they were preoccupied was worthy of praise.


    As they looked on, Lance¡¯s head suddenly swiveled to the side, his ears twitching ever so slightly, before his face took on a melancholy expression. ¡°Well, shit. Another monster is coming this way. Just one, but it seems to be on the large side.¡±


    Drake turned to him, a tired expression momentarily crossing his face, before being replaced with a predatory one. ¡°When are they not? Still, just one, huh? Interested in checking it out before we leave?¡±


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯m in.¡± Lance said haphazardly, as he shook his shoulders.


    ¡°Not that I have a choice, huh?¡± Grant sighed in a joking manner. Focusing his hands together, a sudden rush of mana left Grant as he quickly pulled a layer of stone over the three of them. To the average onlooker, it would look like nothing but a random boulder, complete with several small, discreet holes to serve as a light source and to provide air.


    There was a sudden gasp of air from Grant as he released the spell, his condition worsening slightly again. This had happened consecutively while they had been making their way deeper into the surroundings of the city. A simple disguise simply wouldn¡¯t be good enough for most creatures, which only left them with the option of completely concealing themselves in stone. However, it was obvious to both Drake and Lance that Grant wasn¡¯t doing well with such consecutive use of magic. While there wasn¡¯t any solid proof, given that Drake¡¯s usage of his element relied on himself, but drawing mana from the environment seemed to tax Grant. His steps had been getting slower, and he had been taking longer to fully complete their hideaway each time.


    ¡°You doing alright?¡± Drake asked with a slightly concerned look.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s just rest a bit here before we head out again. I¡¯ll be fine then.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me. Rest as much as you need to.¡± Drake agreed.


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­¡± Lance suddenly cut in, his expression filled with confusion, as he brought the attention of Drake and Grant to himself.


    ¡°There¡¯s two, not one. They¡¯re just about here.¡± Lance motioned over to the long stretch of plains that neared the forest¡¯s tree line. Something about it seemed terribly nostalgic to Drake.


    ¡°About to break out now.¡± He said.


    There was a pause from the group, as they all looked towards the source of the disturbance. In a sudden crashing of wood and limbs, an old man suddenly burst out of the wood line, with a hulking beast following ferociously behind him. At first glance, the beast instantly reminded Drake and the others of a dog, but the body structure of the creature instantly gave it a more intimidating, and considerably more deadly look.


    The creature itself was almost as large as a bear. Long canine teeth hooked out of its mouth, along with a dark black coat of hair covering its back, and a series of deadly-looking claws completing the picture.


    ¡°What in the¡­¡± Drake¡¯s eyes widened at the intimidating creature. In terms of sheer speed and size, it was most definitely the most dangerous he had seen yet.


    Identify. Drake didn¡¯t waste a moment. As he attempted to get information on the creature, an intense, almost overwhelming feeling of pain began to overcome him. He collapsed to the ground on one knee, his head pounding as three words made themselves known in his mind.


    Fenris Wolf Brood.


    Just how powerful is this thing that I don¡¯t get any information past that¡­ His eyes went wide at such a realization. While he had only fought a dozen or so creatures, he had actually identified quite a few more. The campsite they had trained and relaxed out for the week often had creatures running past it, and while it was dangerous to get too close to several, he had the opportunity to raise his ability concerning the skill quite high in his own opinion. He knew for sure he could at least see the ranking of Rank B creatures, which could only mean that it was even more dangerous.


    As Drake marveled at the creature, his companions were quick to notice the severe reaction, as both of them scowled at the dramatic reaction from Drake. It was obvious what caused it. The identification of the creature; and judging how Drake suddenly collapsed to the ground, such a drastic reaction obviously wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°Drake¡­¡± Lance muttered, his voice full of worry.


    Opening one eye, Drake looked momentarily at the creature before calming himself, and focusing on the old man again. Judging by its name alone, I can bet that it¡¯s related to Fenrir itself. That old man, I can¡¯t tell what he is from here. He was lucky to choose such a fast race, but when he¡¯s caught by a creature like that? He won¡¯t last a second once it catches him. Drake struggled with himself over what to do.


    Obviously, he should stay put. Actually killing such a creature would be out of the question. Hell, the most they could do would be to lead it away, but where they would even lead it would be questionable. All of that it obvious, but¡­


    I need to at least do something. Drake bit his lip as his decision. He couldn¡¯t just watch him die.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± The world shook in Drake¡¯s eyes, as a sickly-sweet voice of a child made itself known in his ear.


    What?! Drake jumped in place, as he looked around for the source. Unlike what he expected, there wasn¡¯t a trace left behind, which left Drake with an uncomfortable feeling swelling up in the pit of his stomach.


    ¡°The Myconid¡­ Again.¡± He whispered to himself, before shaking his head in an attempt to rid himself of the headache that was still plaguing him. Technically, it had been a full week since they had last contacted him, and their appearance clearly signaled that this was a pivotal point concerning this whole trial.


    ¡°Drake, what are we going to do?¡± Lance made himself known, his spear in hand.


    Drake pondered to himself, as he looked Grant with some worry. The constant game of cat and mouse they had been playing with all the monsters surrounding them had drained him considerably. He wouldn¡¯t be of much more use before being drained completely. Worst case scenario, he would even be killed if he wasn¡¯t careful. His strengths lied in his versatility with his earth magic, but he relied heavily upon it. Once it was gone, he would be the worst one of them by a large margin. It would be up to him and Lance to do the majority of the work.


    Drake¡¯s eyes closed, as a discreet smile appeared on his face. Just as always, it was obvious what he needed to do. Although, he had the strangest feeling that someone would be upset given his decision.


    ¡°Grant. You¡¯re going to stay here. Lance, you¡¯ll follow me. Just get the old man somewhere safe, and I¡¯ll draw it away. Simple and to the point.¡± Drake looked to the others with a faint smile. In the end, it just wasn¡¯t in his nature to watch someone die right in front of him without working to prevent it, even if this world was fake.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding¡­ right? You can¡¯t fight that thing.¡± Lance¡¯s eyes widened, as he shook his head vigorously. Even without identifying the creature, it was obvious to all three of them that it was incredibly dangerous. Facing it alone basically amounted to suicide if you weren¡¯t extremely careful.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight it. You can count on that.¡± Drake said forcefully. ¡°Besides you, I¡¯m the fastest one of us three. Given that I can use magic as well, I¡¯m the obvious choice.¡±


    ¡°Drake¡­¡± Grant¡¯s eyes were filled with a sad, reluctant expression. ¡°You-¡±


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with all the sour looks. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Drake interrupted Grant with a toothy smile. ¡°Just make sure that the old man lives. Otherwise, there¡¯s no point to all this.¡± Drake snickered to the others, before gesturing Grant to open the entrance of the boulder.


    ¡°Come on, let me out of this thing. Any longer, and we might be too late.¡± Drake said.


    There was a pause, as Grant only looked to Drake with a faint scowl, and a twitch of his eyes. Then, looking away, Grant waved his hand to open the boulder, a sense of finality covering his demeanor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡± He said.


    ¡°Hey, when have I ever been reckless?¡± Drake quickly leapt out of the make-shift boulder, giving one last wave to the gnome before watching Lance follow him as the boulder quickly sealed up behind them both.


    ¡°You heard the shorty. If you don¡¯t come back, you¡¯ll have some serious things to answer for.¡± Lance kept a smug smile on his face, as he looked to Drake.


    ¡°I know it.¡± Drake said with a short laugh. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± He sped off, with Lance following close behind him.

 Chapter 9 Part 6

    Part 6


    Drake gazed at the dominating figure ahead of them in a moment of trepidation, as he and Lance charged towards the creature. Without a doubt, there would be very few monsters who would be on par with the Wolf Brood, let alone those who would have a reliable chance of killing such a beast.


    It only took a moment to realize such a fact. The imposing figure, the wild and entirely savage look, and the undeniable sense of danger that emanated from it. However, such a simple evaluation of the creature would lead to some massive misunderstandings.


    The Wolf Brood was wildly chasing after the old man, but even at a distance, both Drake and Lance could tell that something seemed off. The gait of the large creature seemed to only be lumbering along. If he had to take a guess, it looked as if the giant creature was actually tired. Whether it had been involved in battles with other monsters beforehand, or if it had been weakened by humans it had come across, it clearly wasn¡¯t in the best of condition.


    It looks like we came just in time. Drake chuckled to himself. With the situation like this, their plan would be almost too perfect. Once they had separated the old man off from the Wolf Brood, Drake would take the opportunity to distract it, and let them get away. If the Wolf Brood was already exhausted, well, it would only be beneficial for Drake.


    Nodding to each other, Lance split off from him, deftly positioning himself to the right while Drake took off to the left of the wolf. They quickly began to approach the creature, and the old man it was chasing after.


    Fenris Wolf Brood¡­ it really is huge. Drake looked on with a growing sense of danger, as the electricity in his body began to flow faster, further enhancing his speed. While it was somewhat new, thankfully, it was almost too simple.


    In the week that Drake had skipped over, he had learned a few things about himself, and the storm element in his body. The most obvious would be to simply blast others with it, but he quickly learned that it could also be used to increase his reaction time after getting his ass kicked one too many times by Lance. An increased reaction time, boiled down, meant more speed in Drake¡¯s own opinion, and now was the perfect time to use it. He couldn¡¯t afford to make any mistakes.


    Confident, Drake gestured to Lance, shouting, ¡°Lance, go now!¡±


    Giving a brief nod in return, the elf took off in a sudden sprint ahead of Drake, his spear held out to the side of his body. In a flash of movement, he curved around to the side, taking both the old man and the wolf by surprise. His speed increasing to an almost blistering pace, he suddenly shot in front of the wolf, and taking the old man by surprise, practically lifted him up in a single movement before shooting past Drake in a blur of speed.


    The Wolf Brood¡¯s eyes widened in anger at the brief exchange, as it began to angrily chase after the interrupting elf. All the while, Lance maintained his blistering speed, far outpacing what either Drake or the Wolf Brood was capable of at the moment.


    ¡°You better make it back, you hear!¡± With one last shout, Lance took off past Drake, leaving him behind with a very confused and angry monster.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Drake gave a soft smile of appreciation before turning to the creature. Not one to give up an opportunity, he quickly centered himself on the creature as he charged forward, and held out his hand. While the memories that were given to him never had any explicit techniques, there was one attack he never had to learn.


    ¡°Lightning!¡± In a flash of light, a bolt of electricity shot towards the creature, nailing it directly on its skull. The giant wolf suddenly stuttered in its step before stopping altogether, which only left a diabolical smile on Drake¡¯s face as he jumped over the creature with an evil laugh.


    ¡°Take that, you damn animal.¡±


    The Wolf Brood didn¡¯t move a muscle from the moment it was hit, with only a small trail of smoke that made its way up from the top of its skull leaving any indicator that the attack hit. For a brief moment, Drake even pondered to celebrate, thinking that he had blinded the beast somehow. However, as the great beast turned its head, Drake was able to see the results of his lightning bolt.


    The attack itself was able to stun even moderately sized creatures, which had let him, and the others succeed in killing off more than a few monsters in when they attacked in a group. Upon closer inspection with the Wolf Brood however¡­ Forget damaging the creature, he barely even burnt its fur.


    ¡°E-eh¡­.¡± Drake let out a pitiful laugh, before stammering out a few words.


    ¡°Y-you know¡­ I always thought wolves were rather cute. You may look all intimidating, but under that, you just want to be loved, right?¡±


    The wolf¡¯s eyes lowered down in a look of surprise and pity, only responding with a brief shake of its head, barely even taking notice of the lightning bolt that only grazed its fur. It gave out a low growl, before it lowered its jaws in a threatening manner, and lazily lunged towards Drake, almost taking his head with it.


    ¡°Fast¡­¡± Drake flattened his body to the ground, and dodged out of the way just in time, before dashing behind the solitary figure of the wolf and putting distance between itself and him.


    The wolf gave a short growl, before it swiveled around and lunged towards Drake again, it¡¯s mouth opened wide. Drake rolled to the side, as a brief flash of arcane lightning came over his body, furthering the distance between them even farther before dissipating the glow of lightning energy. The sheer speed of the Wolf Brood was almost overwhelming. Despite how weathered the wolf was, it¡¯s speed rivaled him in short bursts. If it had taken him seriously, even for a moment, Drake would have no choice but to run for his life.


    He quickly glanced over, as he looked for Lance and the old man, his eyes darting back and forth for any signs of them. Lance was rocketing off with the old man they had saved with all the speed he could muster. They were almost out of sight, but that didn¡¯t mean they were safe just yet.


    Just hurry up and run faster, dammit. I don¡¯t know if I can distract this thing much longer. Drake fought with himself over what to do, as he looked at the great beast.


    A growing sense of danger was continually welling up within him every second he spent with the creature. It wasn¡¯t treating him as a threat at all, and given how it shrugged off his attack, he doubted he¡¯d be able to take on this monster even if he had a few months of preparation. It was fully confident in its defenses and it had full reason to be. He had no way to hurt it.


    There was a pause, as the wolf slowly turned around. There was a reluctant look on its face, as if it could barely even be bothered to attack Drake in the first place. It scanned the surroundings, carefully examining the environment as one last huff of air escaped its mouth. Giving a short shake of its head, its ears flattened, and a low growl escaped its teeth as it turned to Drake.


    E-eh¡­ Drake¡¯s eyes widened, as he slowly took a step back away from the wolf. That brief glance it gave, it almost looked as if it had given up on the old man. If Lance and the old man had gotten away, that means he could finally¡­ run!


    In an instant, the wolf had closed in on Drake¡¯s previous location, it¡¯s teeth closing down on a streak of electricity and light. Feeling nothing but a faint buzz of electricity, it angrily shook its head, searching for the direction Drake had run off to. Spotting the fleeing figure in the distance, it growled angrily before charging off towards Drake.


    ¡°Too close.¡± Drake muttered under his breath, as lines of blue, bright light covered his body in an arcane look. This was what he meant when he told Lance that he was best suited to act as a distraction. His normal speed was dwarfed by Lance when he was running at full speed, but when Drake was using his elemental energy at full power? He was the fastest of any of them by a sizable margin.


    I¡¯m on a time limit now, though. I need to lose this thing and quick. Drake grimaced to himself with a sly smile. Everything had a cost, and this method drained his source of elemental energy quickly. More than a minute or two, and he would be completely drained of all his energy, leaving him weaker than the large majority of other transformed humans. As a result, it was only useful for short bursts of movement, under normal conditions at least.


    In a bright-blue streak, Drake raced into the forest that the Wolf Brood emerged from, as he quickly began making his way in-between the myriad of trees and small streams in his way. He glanced behind him, only to see the faint lines of light that was left behind from his ability. If Drake had to guess correctly, the large wolf likely didn¡¯t have the speed to catch him in a dead sprint. That it seemed to have so much difficulty in catching the old man proved that much, not to mention that it was likely exhausted from the long, yet fruitless chase.


    Drake simply shook his head at the thought. The monster was just too terrifying to be taken lightly. He would need to keep on his guard and keep moving.


    Hm? Drake paused as his attention shifted to his surroundings, his eyes darted back and forth among the trees as he dashed through. He¡­ recognized this place, for some reason or another. The sparse forest, filled with a variety of deciduous trees, it all seemed entirely too familiar.


    ¡°We traveled for about half a day¡­ given where we were based out at, this should be Berry Park, right?¡± Drake murmured to himself, a deep sense of nostalgia hitting him all at once. He didn¡¯t understand why though.


    In any case, after all that time avoiding monsters and traveling closer to the city, they ended up even closer than he expected. Despite that, Drake was still filled with caution. It wasn¡¯t just his own feelings on the matter, either. The entire forest seemed to be utterly devoid of any sound that might give away a creature¡¯s location. Did it have to do with that Wolf Brood being so nearby?


    ¡°Hahaa¡­ well, I understand why.¡± He said with a nervous chuckle. He had never imagined there¡¯d be anything that powerful around besides the supposed Boss monster that was released into the city. No doubt the Wolf Brood was a derivative of Fenrir, but still.


    As Drake continued to run, the glow of energy inside his body began to dim ever so slightly, a fact that wasn¡¯t lost on him.


    ¡°Can¡¯t keep this up for much longer. I¡¯ve gone a good way from where it was, I should have lost it for now.¡± Drake breathed out, releasing the movement enhancing ability. The lines of electrical, bluish energy faded as well, leaving Drake looking on from the interior of the forest.


    The Fenris Wolf Brood. The bursts of movement it was capable of was comparable to him at his fastest, but when it came to traveling at a distance, it was obviously much, much slower. No doubt its large size contributed to that, and he was thankful for that much. Still though¡­


    A sudden chill traveled down his spine as he thought of the hateful look it gave him. In its eyes, it obviously didn¡¯t see him as much more than a bug, something it could kill or let go at a whim, which was reflected in the way that it didn¡¯t immediately attack him once Drake had hit it with a bit of his inner lightning. That he had escaped, even momentarily, would no doubt inspire a hatred in such a creature. He would need to hide for at least a day before returning to the others.


    ¡°Heh. Better get to moving again. Need to find a good place to hide out at for a while.¡± Drake remarked in a rather sarcastic voice. Regardless with how dangerous the creature was, that he was out of sight already reassured him immensely.


    He sighed a breath of relief, before pointing himself towards the interior of the forest, breaking out into a slow sprint that was free of any of the magic he was previously using. Several seconds passed while he made his way deeper in, but just as he began to relax, a horrific sound made its way to his ears.


    ¡°Aaaghh¡­¡± Drake covered his ears, his body shaking with the intensity of the sound. A foreboding howl echoed throughout the entirety of the forest, shaking the trees and the variety of monsters within it alike. There was a sudden flutter of movement around him, as Drake noticed a variety of smaller, more mammal-like monster¡¯s scramble through the treetops and into various holes and hideaways.


    Drake shook his head, in a poor attempt to rid himself of the pain from the deafening noise. That horrifyingly loud howl, it was entirely too similar to that same howl that created the spirit wolves.


    As if responding to Drake¡¯s suspicions, his eyes widened in horror as a series of cascading howls began to echo throughout the air. They were all significantly less powerful, no more than one would hear back in the old world, but the sudden addition of so many different and varied howls could only mean one thing in Drake¡¯s mind.


    Don¡¯t tell me that Wolf Brood can summon those spirit wolves as well. His body tensed, he quickly looked around, before shaking his head in anger. The forest was useful for basic animals, such as deer and coyotes in the old world, and while the ecosystem had changed recently, the forest was just the same, with only a few minor differences. Hiding would be outright impossible in such an area. He had hoped that he had enough of a head start to find a more suitable place, but now?


    A deafening series of screeching howls washed over the area, drowning out Drake¡¯s thoughts and all other noise with it. The disorienting sound was closing in, rebounding off the various trees and rocks, blending together to create a chorus that left a feeling of pure terror. The spirit wolves were closing in on his location, and quickly.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Drake didn¡¯t wait another second, as he bolted away from the ensuing howls with extreme haste. A layer of electric light engulfed his body as he activated his ability at full speed, before speeding away from the source of the noise. An irritated snarl flashed over his face as his mind raced over what to do.


    Escaping from the source of the trouble was easy enough. In fact, the Fenris Wolf Brood seemed far too slow to actually catch him. But those that it summoned? It was obvious that the original spirit wolves he killed were severely weakened, so much that they died from the slightest of attacks. Reduce that the power needed to summon one for hundreds of thousands of people, down to under a dozen? Even if the Wolf Brood was significantly weaker than Fenrir itself, the spirit wolves it summoned would still pose a problem.


    ¡°Dammit, dammit, dammit! I got in over my head, and got cocky. Of course, the Wolf Brood might have the ability to copy Fenrir. It¡¯s practically just a water down version of it.¡± Drake scolded himself again and again. He should have tried to prepare more for something unexpected, but in the heat of the moment, he simply accepted that it would have used such an ability beforehand. Maybe the beast felt that it would be able to capture its prey eventually, and never resorted to such a skill, but quickly changed its opinion when it came to Drake.


    ¡°I just have to run fast¡­ and run as far as I can.¡± He remarked to himself sourly.


    He continued to charge forward, all the while draining his source of limited elemental energy. This wasn¡¯t something that went unnoticed by him either. Ever since he had first transformed, the comforting feeling of the energy constantly surged throughout his body, and he had never drained himself completely. As a result, an increasingly uncomfortable ¡®hollow¡¯ feeling was starting to build inside of his body, and his own speed was beginning to slowly drop as well. Worst of all, it wasn¡¯t difficult to tell that the sounds of the wolves were beginning to gain on him, even with his use of his ability.


    ¡°Aaarggh¡­¡± Drake¡¯s eyes darted back and forth, scowling as he did. Nothing around him showed any promise. Berry Park was a fairly large nature reserve, and it was originally formed to prevent the expansion of the increasingly growing city into a valued and protected region near the center. As a result, it was fairly large, but was surrounded on all sides by what amounted to empty plains, where the forest slowly petered out into grasslands. If he even attempted to leave, he would do nothing but leave himself wide open. At the same time however, even his current situation left him without any place to hide. Which only meant¡­


    He was running out of time.


    I can¡¯t just keep running like this. If I run out of energy, I¡¯m as good as dead. Drake¡¯s nails dug into his palm, as he shook his head angrily.


    He continued to charge ahead, as the sounds of the ensuing wolves began to get ever so slightly closer with every passing second. The spirit wolf ability. When scaled down, those that were summoned matched his top speed, and more. All the while, his own source of energy slowly drained down. Truly, it was a skill that far surpassed anything Drake thought was reasonable.


    As he continued to break through the forest, he constantly scanned his surroundings for any of the signs that he needed. A cave, a small hollow, anything, he just needed to find a place to hide. He¡­ he¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t run¡­ I don¡¯t even think I can hide like this.¡± Drake stopped suddenly, a sad, reluctant look smeared across his face. As it was, it was simply too much. He put himself in a situation that was undeniably fatal, and with no one to help him.


    ¡°Haaa.. haa..¡± Drake covered his face as an almost manic laughter overtook him. It only lasted for a short moment, but Drake¡¯s state of mind changed quite drastically in that time period. Running was no longer an option.


    I need to at least test the wolves. The originals that I fought were class E. The weakest they come. As long as they aren¡¯t overly strong, I may be able to kill one or two. Depending on my luck, that may be enough for me to get an advantage over them.


    He let out a reluctant laugh, his body shivering as the flow of energy that surrounded him stemmed and slowly returned to his body. ¡°They can only be affected by magical energy. The moment I lose that, I¡¯m as good as dead anyway.¡± He shook his head sadly.


    He was alone. Utterly alone. Faced with the fact that this may be his last fight, and that he would never be able to keep his promise to Grant and Lance, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a horrible gnawing feeling in his chest. That fact just now hit him the hardest it ever had, and all he had for comfort was the sounds of the spirit wolves closed in on him.


    ¡°Cheer up, dammit. It¡¯s time to show them what you¡¯re made of.¡± He laughed sadly, consoling himself as best he could, before pressing his back to the trunk of a tree, his head turned carefully around the corner to see just where the wolves were approaching from. The howls of the wolves were closer now than ever. It wouldn¡¯t be long.


    ¡°Psst.¡± A quiet, almost inaudible voice called out from the interior of the woods.


    Drake turned to the source with an incredulous expression before waving it off with a shake of his head. ¡°Now I¡¯m hearing things¡­¡± He murmured. It could be said that this was the most stressful moment of his life. It was understandable that he might imagine something.


    ¡°There they are¡­¡± Drake caught sight of one of the spirit wolves almost instantly. The faintly incandescent, blue outline, with so much mana radiating off of it that faint trails were visible. The ones summoned this time really were stronger, judging from that alone. Not only that, they had gained a lot more ground on him than anticipated. However, something about the situation struck Drake as strange. There was only one here.


    There was no doubt in his mind that at least half a dozen of the creatures was summoned to chase after him judging from the series of howls that he had heard, and the rampant sounds of their chase that followed behind him. Given that they were faster than him in the first place, there really would be no need to fan out to corral him into one place. All that did was give him the chance to attack them one on one, if he planned to trap and kill one.


    Wait¡­ Are they actually planning to trap me? The thought suddenly struck Drake, as he reluctantly peered from behind the tree. In his mind, that should have been impossible. Their description mentioned them to be unthinking, merely acting more as drones for the Wolf rather than any independent creature. Simply being summoned as a higher rank would mean nothing more than it being harder to kill. That didn¡¯t change the monster in the slightest.


    As Drake looked on, he noticed something curious. The spirit wolf he was watching suddenly turned away to the side, before breaking away from him with an almost blistering speed. It had run straight past him, like it didn¡¯t recognize his presence in the slightest.


    A short, frustrated noise came from the inner forest, where Drake had heard the previous noise. Before he had a moment to react, a small, lone stone zipped over towards him, before promptly nailing him straight in the back of the head.


    Now admittedly, under any normal circumstance, a rock to the back of the head would upset anyone, let alone someone who already had a great deal of stress due to being chased by a pack of bloodthirsty wolves. Drake¡¯s own reaction wasn¡¯t far off the mark either, as his head immediately jerked towards the source of the rock with his hand held outstretched towards the source. A faint sheen of energy in his hand crackled, as Drake¡¯s eyes scanned the forest floor.


    A faint, high pitched squeal immediately emerged from the direction of Drake¡¯s hand. Whatever it was, clearly it wasn¡¯t expecting nearly as violent as response as it got. It was that exact reaction that drew Drake¡¯s curiosity, however.


    ¡°Who is it¡­?¡± Drake asked suspiciously. His voice was one of urgent panic, as even now he could begin to hear that the howling had suspiciously gone quiet.


    There was a moment of complete silence, before a sudden, murmured complaint emerged from behind a nearby tree. It stammered on and on, completely ignoring Drake¡¯s own question.


    ¡°I knew it. I just knew it. Miss Bryn is crazy. That lonely, old woman is going to get me killed!¡± The voice chattered on and on in a panicked, muttering tone, completely oblivious to the fact that Drake had quickly dashed over to the source of the strange noise the moment he had realized something was actually there. In his eyes, the wolves should have been on him within moments. Yet, despite that fact, they didn¡¯t. Even with the stress of the situation, he realized that something was off.


    ¡°Uh¡­ hello?¡± Drake asked in a perplexed tone. He slowly peeked around the corner of a large oak tree, only for him to suddenly lock eyes with a curious creature.


    Strictly speaking, it looked undeniably human-like. However, two arms and two legs were just about where the similarities ended. The creature¡¯s hair resembled a cluster of soft, and fluffy down feathers, with two larger feathers sticking out much like antenna. Similarly, it¡¯s legs resembled that of a bird, with the only real distinction being that it quickly morphed into a normal human one at the knee. Two, bird-like wings were arranged delicately behind its back as well, giving the creature a sort of stereotypical angel look. Brought together with its lavender-like skin, it all looked strange at first, but it fit her quite well, really.


    ¡°Eeep!¡± Discovered by Drake, the strange creature immediately looked from left to right, before suddenly disappearing in a sudden flash of bright, glimmering sparks. It quickly re-appeared roughly ten feet away, before darting behind another tree in a flash of movement.


    Drake stared at the cute creature, only tilting his head to the side slightly as he looked on. ¡°Does it want me or not?¡± A confused grimace crossed his face temporarily, before he looked around again.


    The howls had stopped, and there wasn¡¯t a trace of the spirit wolves to be found. They shouldn¡¯t have lost his trail, but all of them were simply gone. The strangely cute creature must have had something to do with it, but he simply had no clue how it did.


    ¡°Hey, can you understand me?¡± Drake motioned the creature over, as it looked to him suspiciously from behind a leafy branch.


    Drake studied the creature for a short minute. Judging from its reaction alone, it looked to be here unwillingly. It had tried talking to him, but in the heat of the moment, he thought he was being attacked. Not that he could understand a word of what it said in the first place. Still, maybe it could understand him.


    Drake held out his hands in a non-threatening way, trying to console the creature as best he could. ¡°Listen, I¡¯m sorry for scaring you. It¡¯s been a long day.¡± He laughed half-heartedly. The sudden switch from life and death to¡­ whatever this was, threw him off a bit.


    ¡°Did you have something to do all this?¡± He gestured around himself. ¡°If so, all I can really do is thank you.¡±


    He truly was grateful. Whether it had saved him on a whim or not, he¡¯d do whatever he could to repay the cute creature. Speaking of which¡­


    ¡°Identify.¡± Drake eyes flashed with an arcane light, as the winged creature finally met the requirements for the skill as it emerged from the leafy branch it had been hiding in.


    Monster identified as an Ariel Mutant. Name: Unknown. Threat level: D. One of the Fae class species. Small and bird-like creatures, they look quite innocent but are known to be very mischievous at heart. They are known to assist others with the power of the wind, as well as cause children to lose themselves forever in the woods they inhabit. Often found in forested areas, they protect the place they view as home zealously, although one could gain this protection for themselves as well.


    ¡°A sort of variant on a fairy, huh¡­ Or is it the other way around¡­¡± Drake looked on approvingly, nonetheless. ¡°Still, I wonder how it¡¯s a mutant compared to the rest.¡± He pondered to himself momentarily. Regardless, he felt strangely comfortable around the small creature, merely taking the time to relax and further observe it as the Ariel slowly floated down towards him with a skeptical look.


    ¡°So¡­ He¡¯s not going to attack me after all. Good.¡± The Ariel quickly took on a more confident expression as she floated down towards Drake. Her eyes narrowed, as she slowly circled around Drake, inspecting him as one would a small pet or cute animal.


    ¡°Nothing special at all. Why then¡­¡± A perplexed look came over the Ariel, before she merely shook her head and darted over to Drake¡¯s hand, pulling him up and over towards the inner reaches of the forest.


    ¡°Well, come on then. No sense waiting. The moment the others get tired of playing with them, you¡¯ll be as good as dead if you stick around.¡± A mischievous laugh rang out of small Ariel. While the others of her race were willing to play with the wolves that were chasing Drake, they¡¯d only do so for so long. It was the best interest of the both of them to move quickly.


    Drake gave the small creature a bit of resistance at first. It was clearly trying to lead him somewhere, and it had even saved his life. But simply being taken without any reason left him uneasy. However, after a brief moment of¡­ vigorous prodding, the Ariel managed to convince Drake to follow her.


    From there, the Ariel slowly led Drake through the forest, walking and meandering through for the better part of the evening. She would occasionally attempt to talk to him, only for a confused look to pass over Drake¡¯s face, resulting in a small sigh as she merely continued her role as a guide. It was fairly uneventful, with only a variety of the small, harmless creatures he had seen before in the forest. A small squirrel-like creature called a carbuncle hiding in the trees, or a small red lizard casually making its way across the floor of the forest, nothing seemed to exude danger in the slightest.


    ¡°Why is it all so serene? In every other area, it¡¯s been nothing but a non-stop fight to the death, but here, well it¡¯s practically heaven in comparison.¡± Drake murmured to himself, only taking it all in slowly as they made their way deeper and deeper into the forest. He simply couldn¡¯t understand why it would be so different.


    Monsters were fighting for dominance, and to establish their own territories. That was the whole purpose behind the bloodbath that was ensuing for the vast majority of monsters of similar strength. Each would attempt to build their own domain, and keep it for themselves. Doing that would allow them to grow in strength, while keeping under the radar of those too powerful, and preying on those who were weaker.


    His mind continued to wander in such a way, before finally settling on his original race, the Draconian.


    If the monster responsible for taking over the forest didn¡¯t need to establish a pecking order in the first place, then the area would be free of violence. That¡¯s what happened to me. Drake was hit with a sudden epiphany.


    In such an area, the lower species would be free to grow as if there wasn¡¯t any competition at all, until the one responsible for that peace took what it considered as payment. And in that case¡­


    ¡­who are these Ariel following? Drake felt a chill come over himself at the thought. They were capable of stalling the spirit wolves, and from her behavior alone, made it seem easy. If he could only at least talk to them. If he could speak to the Ariel right in front of him, then maybe he would know what he was walking into.


    ¡°Talk to her¡­¡± As if under some spell, Drake reached out his hand unthinkingly, as his finger lightly touched the nape of the Ariel¡¯s neck. As he did, a magic unknown to either of them suddenly manifested between the two. Drake jerked his hand back, as if something had just shocked him, and the Ariel lurched forward, as if she had just been attacked.


    ¡°W-what¡¯d you do to me?!¡± The Ariel shouted out, clearly upset at the sudden sensation. After being followed by Drake for such a distance, she had completely let her guard down, resulting in the small interaction.


    ¡°I can understand you.¡± Drake looked to his hand, as a curious look overcame him. There was that nostalgic feeling, all over again. That feeling that he was imitating something from before.


    The Myconid had left him to his own devices, for the most part. The most crucial parts of the test had been left up to him alone, but how he made contact and connected himself with the Ariel was something that was unknown to even the Myconid. His race, the Stormsoul Genasi, was never given such an ability.


    And speaking of the Myconid, the correct choice back there was to antagonize that wolf? There¡¯s no doubt that I¡¯d have been killed if it hadn¡¯t been for the Ariel. Drake grimaced. He just couldn¡¯t shake the gut feeling that he was being played by them in some way or another, but all they seemed to do was just watch him.


    As Drake continued to contemplate on his own thoughts, the Ariel only raged on, clearly indignant with the whole affair.


    ¡°You! Are you even listening to me?! What did you do? You couldn¡¯t understand me before!¡± The Ariel suddenly cut in front of Drake¡¯s vision, causing him to suddenly jerk back.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure myself, honest. Sorry.¡± Drake said simply.


    ¡°You¡­ Miss Bryn isn¡¯t-¡± The Ariel suddenly cut herself off, her eyes widening with surprise.


    Behind Drake, a blazing mass of blue flame had suddenly manifested itself, appearing in midair effortlessly. As the Ariel looked on in shock, Drake turned around as well, only to watch the flame began to position itself in the shape of a doorway, with a mass of black, empty space in the middle. As the mass of fire spread, a portion of it touched the ground. As it did, the nearby plants and grass suddenly sprang to life, growing in what would otherwise take weeks. They were only being invigorated by such a flame.


    ¡°What-¡± ¡°Oh no!¡±


    With unified shock, the two figures were suddenly enveloped by the dark void that made up the center of the flames. In only a moment, their bodies had disappeared entirely into that void, leaving only the blue flames hovering harmlessly in the air, as they too suddenly vanished into midair¡­

 Chapter 10 Part 1

    Part 1


    Drake awoke rather suddenly, his eyes opening all at once, as if he had woken up from a nightmare. It felt like he had been asleep for long, long time, but had only been gone for an instant. Such a feeling was entirely antithetical to each other, which only left Drake more confused about his situation.


    He groaned as he slowly sat up, and began to look around at his surroundings. The serene, natural environment of the forest that he had grown accustomed to before he had been forced to come here had changed completely, instead being replaced by a strange, twilight atmosphere, filled with a vast vacant area of dim light. Pale, blue flames lit the area around him, as they slowly crossed his line of sight and continued onward on in a strange, linear fashion. These same blue flames went on almost as far as the eye could see, only stopping once the flames reached a towering ring of fire far off in the distance.


    ¡°Ooouhh¡­¡± Drake let out a low sigh. Someone¡­ no something, looked to have moved him to this place. The reason behind that was utterly unknown to him, but he had long grown used to such a thing. For better or worse, too many people took interest in him.


    However, in the end, that in itself wasn¡¯t the issue. The problem was that some force had made him come here, and he had no control of that whatsoever. Initially, he had attributed the reason behind why the Ariel had saved him was to bring him somewhere, but now, he was having some serious doubts on whether on not even the Ariel had been tricked.


    No, even that wasn¡¯t it. Whether or not the Ariel was tricked, it was undeniable that whatever brought him here had waited for the very moment when he made contact with her. The Ariel should have been nothing more than a variant of the original species, and while he was somewhat special being a Stormsoul Genasi, even he had no ability to connect to her as he did. He shouldn¡¯t have been able to. In fact, it defied all reason.


    But he still did.


    ¡°Ouhh¡­¡± A tired cry came out from Drake¡¯s side. It appeared that the mutant Ariel had gotten dragged in along with them, when they were surrounded by that strange doorway of darkness and fire. Although, she seemed more than a bit upset that she came here with Drake.


    Not that I can complain though. I just know way too little about these sorts of things. Drake reasoned to himself.


    ¡°I¡­ came here¡­?¡± The Ariel looked around, her eyes widening slightly as she looked around. In her mind, the destination was obvious. The personal plane that ¡®Miss Bryn¡¯ had formed and exclusively controlled. A plane that consisted of almost nothing but that pale blue flame, and herself.


    Strictly speaking, most people who managed to stumble on a stray plane of existence would be regarded as nothing but lucky. While they had no control over it, they might be able to gather particularly valuable and rare resources from it. Such a place would be invaluable for the long-term growth of a person, and would do nothing but assist them. However, for beings who were capable of such a thing, creating their own plane was also possible. Given that this type was created exclusively by an individual, this also led to them having an almost horrifying amount of power over those inside. There wasn¡¯t even a real comparison between the two types. They were simply too different, and used for entirely different purposes.


    ¡°Heh¡­ Hehe¡­¡± The small Ariel collapsed to the ground, as only a faint muttering escaped from her form. ¡°We¡¯re doomed. I was never meant to enter inside. Why did she draw me in as well¡­¡± Without a doubt, she viewed her entrance to the plane as a death sentence.


    On the other hand, Drake just gave a short laugh as he began to view the entire scene with a melancholy sense of curiosity. He had long since grown used to powers that were beyond him when he transformed form his human form. His own metaphorical demon had long since been conquered, and he had encountered both those who posed a threat to him, as well as others who far surpassed what was he imagined was possible. Put simply, if whoever brought him here wanted him dead, they wouldn¡¯t have waited. They¡¯d have struck at him the moment he entered, not even giving him the chance to wake up.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m inside someplace special¡­¡± Drake mused to himself, only giving a small shake of his head before turning to the small figure next to him. The description of her race was just right. Mischievous was just the right way to describe her. She hadn¡¯t meant to join him.


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± He didn¡¯t have the heart to be angry at the small creature. They barely knew one another, and she had quite literally saved him with the help of the others from her race. Whether that was out of some misguided reason to give him to someone else, or if she didn¡¯t want to see him die in front of her, he didn¡¯t really care. Her actions were really all he could judge her on.


    He gave a half-hearted sigh before looking to the Ariel. Stuck in a place like this, he might as well get to know her better. All he really knew about her was her race, and even that was from identifying her.


    ¡°So, Ariel, do you have a name? There were others who must have helped you save me. So, you have a name from them, right?¡±


    There was a sudden twitch from the small Ariel, as she answered, ¡°¡­No.¡±


    The Ariel turned to the side, the tone of her voice obviously subdued as she hid her face. ¡°I wasn¡¯t born right, so I don¡¯t have a real name.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± He asked somewhat incredulously.


    Laying on the ground, she briefly brought her arms up to her side, and in a defeated voice, gave a brief explanation, ¡°Those of my race are fairly simple. We act as protectors of our environment, driving off those who would harm and, and enhance those who would protect it. The wings we have are seen as a point of pride in that, as it means we are more connected with nature as a whole. Our own magic is heavily connected with that concept, as we provide the strength for life to spread, as well as to repel any negative influences. For me though, where my wings should be, I have arms, with my wings appearing on my back.¡±


    She gave a short laugh, the depreciative tone obvious in her voice, ¡°The others got along quite easily but¡­ well, I wasn¡¯t viewed as one of them, if you understand.¡±


    ¡°Hm..¡± Drake nodded his head in an understanding manner, as if trying to console the small Ariel. It made sense, all things considered. Despite that, something stood out.


    What¡¯s that about a real name? Drake noticed the slight distinction but continued on as normal. ¡°Is that really a problem, though?¡± Drake asked with a curious look.


    ¡°From what you¡¯ve described, you really don¡¯t differ all that much. In comparison to the mini-harpies I imagine most of your race resembles you¡¯re more of¡­ an angel. You¡¯re much cuter that way.¡± He held waved his hand about in an explanatory manner, before finally pointing to the Ariel with a silly smile.


    ¡°You¡­¡± The Ariel suddenly stiffened, before turning towards Drake, her expression mixed. ¡°As for you, I don¡¯t care about your name. Miss Bryn promised that if I brought you here, that I would be given my true form. But to actually enter her plane¡­ it¡¯s far too dangerous. Despite how the others treat me, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed if it meant this.¡± She quickly turned the subject away from Drake¡¯s own comment.


    ¡°That so¡­¡± Drake said stoically. Given that she was born just recently, it really wasn¡¯t a surprise that she was shunned to some extent. Differences tend to breed dissent, after all. For any new race, and one that thrived on teamwork, cohesion between the group was paramount.


    ¡°It¡¯s most certainly so!¡± She snapped. ¡°Do you not understand what I¡¯m saying? We. Are. Inside. Her. Personal. Plane.¡± She said each word with emphasis. ¡°She could kill both of us with a thought. That kind of power is too dangerous!¡±


    ¡°Hm.¡± He turned to the side with a small sigh, his eyes being drawn to the ring of fire in the distance. Drake wasn¡¯t quite in agreement. Sure, if that power was turned towards him, anyone who could fill such a place with so much of their own power would be able to obliterate him. However, he had noticed something before he had been drawn into this plane. If this ¡®Bryn¡¯ truly were so malicious, then he would have expected her own power to be destructive.


    Her power was quite literally fire, something that is known as an incredibly destructive force, yet her own flame had done nothing but cause the plants that it touched to grow and thrive. What exactly did that say about the owner of such an ability?


    Speaking of which¡­


    ¡°How exactly do you know this ¡®Bryn¡¯ character, anyway? You definitely don¡¯t seem the type to be associated with the fire.¡± He asked. How such a simple creature got in touch with someone who could create such a place was beyond him.


    The Ariel gave a short huff, only to stare daggers at him in the next. In her heart, she couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was going to get them both killed. In the end however, she merely shook her head, and replied in a subdued tone. ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t do anything actually. Not soon after I was born, when I was¡­ sitting, a voice began to speak to me. She told me her name was Bryn, and like I mentioned, that she could give me my true body if only I brought the man who came into the forest to her. She told me when and where you would appear, everything. I was able to convince the others, and from there, well, you know. I just can¡¯t believe that I ended getting dragged here as well¡­¡± The tension and worry in her voice was palpable, with her voice only dropping to a low murmur as she spoke to herself near the end. She was more than a little resentful over that last fact.


    So, she knew that I would appear, and had the Ariel find me? The thought boggled Drake¡¯s mind. It all implied that the Ariel was specifically sought out, along with him. It was important that they were brought together, and to her. Otherwise, it would almost be child¡¯s play for someone else to drag Drake to that flaming portal, his own consent be damned. Given how much information was given on him, he simply didn¡¯t believe that it could be anything otherwise.


    Just what were we brought here for¡­ A thoughtful look flashed in Drake¡¯s eyes, as an ever so slight smile began to creep onto his lips.


    The Ariel floated upward towards Drake, careful to not touch him again, lest she be hit with that sudden bolt of energy from Drake again that led them being drawn into the plane in the first place. ¡°That look. What are you thinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see this ¡®Bryn¡¯ you keep on talking about.¡± He said simply.


    ¡°What! You big, dumb idiot! Who knows what she wanted you for!¡± The Ariel yelled, her eyes full of shock and confusion.


    ¡°If she wanted me dead, there¡¯d be much easier ways than to get you to do it. Think about it.¡±


    ¡°I am thinking about it! Ahhh! Are all of you so frustrating!?¡± The Ariel grabbed her feather-like hair, as she twisted and bucked her body in mid-air. Trying to reason with Drake was like talking to a brick wall.


    Drake on the other hand, couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at the sight. Her visibly frustrated, squirming figure, coupled with the accusatory daggers that she was staring at Drake, he simply enjoyed them all a bit too much.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Drake called out with a confident voice. ¡°Maybe she can help me find someone.¡±


    ¡°Find who? Wait, you¡¯re going to ask her for help? There¡¯s no way they¡¯re important enough for her to know about.¡± The Ariel¡¯s eyes widened as she immediately circled around to Drake¡¯s face, doing her best to stop him from walking forward without touching him.


    ¡°Arghh¡­¡± He snarled involuntarily as a chill made a way down his spine, before he stopped walking altogether. The small Ariel had inadvertently hit a nerve. ¡°Listen, we don¡¯t know each other very well. Obviously. So, when it comes to this, just stay out of my way.¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°And as for reasoning with this ¡®Bryn¡¯, just think of it as a normal conversation, that¡¯s all.¡± He ended on a more playful tone.


    ¡°You¡­!¡± The Ariel stopped herself from spouting off more insults, before giving him a stern look and landing on his shoulder, careful not to touch his body herself. She gave a slight sneer as she landed, before twisting and maneuvering her body in a more comfortable position before she took a longing look at Drake¡¯s ¡®hair¡¯.


    ¡°You know, if you had real hair instead of that crystal junk, this would be a lot more comfortable. Even I wouldn¡¯t consider trying to relax there.¡± She said poignantly.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± Drake let out a small laugh as he and the Ariel made their way to the prominent ring of flame in the distance. He had to give some credit to the Ariel. She knew not to push him on the matter of finding his partner, even if he himself wasn¡¯t sure of their identity.


    After indulging in the small bit of banter with the Ariel, Drake made his way to the mysterious, ornate structure at a brisk pace, all the while taking cursory glances at the large balls of flame that seemed to be increasing in number as they approached the ring. Unlike the mindless linearity in movement he noticed before, it almost seemed as if the balls of flame were drawing closer to him, as an increasing number began to follow behind him and the Ariel approached it. That wasn¡¯t all that Drake noticed, either. Hidden deep within the flames, lay a structure that was almost entirely obscured by shimmering waves of heat surrounding the strange structure.


    Even behind the towering ring of flames, it was obvious to see that the structure was obviously of extremely high class, at least in comparison to what was made in the real world. All the furnishings on the outer walls were elaborately ornate, giving the structure an air of elegance and rarity. On the outer walls, a series of large banners stood, a brilliant shade of dark blue, complete with a strange symbol of a shield and thorn emblazoned across the front.


    ¡°And that, must be where she is¡­¡± Drake grumbled.


    The flaming ring that Drake had spotted from the moment he arrived was in reality, a vast barrier that guarded the entrance to a vast castle-like building that lay in the center. While Drake had his own misconceptions about the nature of the blue flame that pervaded this plane, the ring itself undeniably acted as a barrier. While both he and the Ariel felt an utter lack of heat, the flames didn¡¯t lose any sense of danger.


    ¡°So, any ideas on how we get in? You¡¯d think we were expected given what has happened.¡± Drake remarked sarcastically.


    ¡°You¡­! She can hear us¡­¡± The Ariel shrunk down before giving Drake a sudden glare. He just didn¡¯t take anything seriously.


    As if responding to her words, the one of the balls of flame that had been following them all this time to the barrier suddenly flew forward, taking both of them by surprise. As the flame that had been following them made contact with the barrier, they promptly canceled each other out, leaving a small opening in the barrier.


    ¡°See. Ask and you shall receive.¡± Drake laughed.


    ¡°You are literally going to get us killed for what amounts to a bad joke, you know that, right?¡± She retorted angrily.


    He merely chuckled to himself at the scolding, as he took a closer look and examined the opening in the flaming ring. Canceling out wasn¡¯t quite the right way to describe the process. It was more as if the ball of flame was holding back the power held within the ring of fire.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Drake walked forward, only taking a cursory look as he passed through the barrier with ease. As he did, there was a sudden wave of energy that passed over him and the Ariel. He noticed a strange feeling overcome him, but the more dramatic reaction was felt the Ariel on his shoulder, as she suddenly flinched and leapt off his shoulder entirely.


    ¡°Hey, you alright?¡± He asked. He didn¡¯t feel that different, but the Ariel¡¯s expression had changed completely.


    ¡°A-ah¡­¡± The Ariel¡¯s face had completely twisted from the annoyed expression she held before, turning into one of strained pressure. She was holding her head with one hand, as she looked to Drake with a look of pain and shock. It¡¯s also worth noting that this was not an act, whatsoever. Even now, she was shaking her head from side to side, her eyes wide in disbelief.


    ¡°Hey, Ariel, are you¡­ what¡­?¡± As Drake began to make his way towards her, the ball of flame that kept open the barrier suddenly shot out towards them, before quickly manifesting into a strange creature. It actually resembled the cute Ariel somewhat, but with all of the bird-like features being replaced with a wreath of blue flame, complete with its skin color shifting to blue and small, flaming wings on its back.


    ¡°Yo.¡± The creature held a hand up in greetings, a manic smile plastered across its face.  ¡°Glad to see that a few guests finally arrived, and I must say, you¡¯re quite lucky. Lady Bryn wouldn¡¯t typically allow anyone inside willingly. She must like you.¡± The creature cackled, holding its hand to its mouth as it looked on approvingly.


    It¡¯s gaze quickly shifted to the Ariel, as it looked on with a more neutral, questioning expression. ¡°Huh. Why are one of you in here? Better question, how are you even still alive in here? You should have burnt up the moment you passed through the doorway.¡± It tilted its head questioningly, the intense stare only worsening as the second¡¯s passed.


    ¡°Wait¡­ you¡­ neither of you¡­¡± The fae¡¯s eyes widened with surprise, only looking between the two with increasing interest, as it mumbled silently to itself. Things were finally going to get interesting.


    ¡°Huh¡­ Well anyway, nice to meet ya, cousin. There¡¯s no sense in waiting here. Follow me. I¡¯ll lead ya.¡±


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± Drake nodded, before looking to the Ariel. Putting too much thought into the actions of every single individual creature simply wasn¡¯t worth it, as most seemed to have a certain quirk about them. The fae that had appeared from that ball of fire was no different.


    Disregarding the new fae, the Ariel still seemed to be struggling with something, as she continually grimaced in pain before looking to Drake, over and over again. Every time she seemed to break out of the rhythm, it repeated, which began to leave him worried about the cute creature.


    ¡°Ariel, you¡¯re coming with me, aren¡¯t you?¡± He reached out toward the winged fae, his expression one of concern. He hadn¡¯t known her for long, but he couldn¡¯t simply leave her there.


    ¡°Drake.¡± She spoke his name, as a moment of clarity overcame her.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m coming, Drake.¡± She murmured as she drew closer to him again, and landed on his head without a second thought.


    ¡°Change your mind about laying there?¡± He laughed, as he motioned his head upward.


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± She murmured to herself.


    He chuckled slightly at the shy response, before he continued on his way at a brisk pace, following the flame fae as it quickly led him to the entranceway of the grand, castle-like fortress. It was deeply reminiscent of some of the castles that the English and others built across Europe, both to house their troops and provide themselves with some layer of defense against invaders. However, while the building itself looked to be created out of a curiously shaded white stone, looking closely, Drake could see a long series of strange glyphs that was embedded into the stone. In fact, the amount of these glyphs only increased as the fae led them deeper into the structure.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re native to this plane? Who exactly is this ¡®Bryn¡¯ person, anyway?¡± He brought the attention of the small flame fae that was leading them to himself. He had attempted to get the same information before with the Ariel, but that only led them to be dragged into this place. He didn¡¯t have any trouble understanding this one however, so he could at least get answers from it without much trouble.


    ¡°Hm? Oh. Yeah. You could say that I¡¯m a native. The actual answer is a bit complicated, but simply put, I¡¯m a Jinn. Nothing but an obstacle to keep others from progressing, at least normally. The place gets pretty boring, just wandering aimlessly outside the ring. That¡¯s why it¡¯s such a breath of fresh air to get to enter inside the ring. It¡¯s almost impossible for us otherwise.¡± The Jinn laughed.


    Why is he speaking like he¡¯s trapped here as well? He is so easy going, and he doesn¡¯t seem afraid to lead us, but he¡¯s taking us to the creator of this place, isn¡¯t he? Drake¡¯s mind spurred itself on, the explanation only further confusing his understanding of the situation.


    ¡°So, what is this place, then, and just who is your master?¡± He asked.


    The Jinn turned around momentarily, leisurely guiding them down a long pathway as it floated backwards. The question seemed to greatly amuse it, as did the indication that Drake questioned who was really in control.


    ¡°The plane itself is rather special, so we don¡¯t get many visitors. Well, we have had one other guest arrive, but he did it in a different way, so he didn¡¯t last for very long. As for what this place is, just think of it as a small hideaway. One that leaves all of us in a position where we¡¯re unable to leave. Although, that may all be changing now.¡± The fae laughed mischievously to itself, before continuing.


    ¡°Lady Brynhild is, well, you could say she is a special case. Although she¡¯ll no doubt tell you, her bringing you here is breaking the rules in more than a few ways. No doubt she¡¯s wanting to escape from here, despite how things are supposed to go. Likely, she¡¯s wanting you to rid her of her problem. Whether or not you¡¯ll be able to on the other hand, all depends on just how powerful you are.¡± The Jinn said cryptically.


    ¡°Nothing but riddles, essentially.¡± Drake muttered, only scowling as he listened on. There was no doubt in his mind that this Jinn was related to the Ariel in some way or another. It seemed to take great pleasure in droning on in a cryptic manner, much like the Ariel enjoyed toying with those it saw fit to play with. The Jinn always gave some information, but in such a way that only encouraged Drake to ask more questions, all for its own amusement of course. He wouldn¡¯t be able to get any solid information out of the creature, no matter what he did. That much was clear.


    As for where the Jinn was leading them, it was obvious from the surroundings that this place was practically abandoned. Nothing but series of empty rooms, after empty rooms. The structure was gigantic, there was no doubt in his mind about that, and the air radiated a strange energy, one that he had begun to notice with increasing frequency as they ventured further in. The Jinn obviously thought it was somewhat special that it was able to enter, but he would have expected to at least see others inside. Instead, there was nothing, just empty. Completely and totally barren.


    The Ariel glanced around from her position on Drake¡¯s head, her mind whirling with different thoughts as they passed a myriad of stairways and halls, all connected with the same, ethereal white stone as the outer castle. The castle itself was impressive, but that was all that had such an enormous amount of detail put into it.


    ¡°How could all this be the plane of Miss Bryn¡­ it doesn¡¯t match up at all with what I was born with¡­¡± The Ariel on his head murmured quietly, with only the faintest of sounds making its way out of her mouth as the continued their way through the strangely beautiful castle.


    According to what she knew, the plane Bryn had created was undeniably dangerous, yes, but at the same one of immense beauty. While the fire element was known to be dangerous, it wasn¡¯t as if nothing could grow under its influence. A wide variety of creatures could survive and even thrive, such as those like the Salamanders, Magmin, and Hell hounds. The more intelligent races such as the Azer and Efreet took this to the extreme, creating entire societies for themselves in such places. That such a plane was so utterly desolate, with only the blue Jinn wandering outside a barrier ring, made no sense.


    The Jinn moved quickly, leading them further into the center of the fortress, before they finally reached a massive, ornate doorway in the center of a large passageway. A wide array of ornate designs was embedded into the wood, as well as the same symbol of a shield and thorn emblazoned into the center.


    ¡°This is as far as I can go. It wouldn¡¯t do me any good to go past this point.¡± The Jinn said simply.


    Drake simply nodded his head, and accepted the Jinn¡¯s words at face value. ¡°Hm. Thanks for showing us this far.¡±


    The Jinn smiled devilishly as it accepted the thanks, before twisting in mid-air and disintegrating into a line of flame before traveling back the way they came. No doubt a faster method to travel when it wasn¡¯t actively leading someone else.


    Drake heaved a large sigh, as he was left in front of the doorway. He still felt in over his head somewhat, but when was he not? Still, with the somewhat cordial way that the Jinn met with them, and the complete lack of danger they were met with, it was reassuring to him. He wouldn¡¯t meet instant death as soon as he opened the door, right? All he had to do was simply open a door, and meet this Bryn.


    ¡°Here we go.¡± Drake placed both hands on the door, only to be met with considerable resistance as he did. It was much heavier than he was expecting. Still, after a few seconds passed, and he managed to build up some force, the doorway began to creak open every so slightly, leading to Drake to slowly open the door.


    As the door swung open, Drake was met with a beautiful sight. In front of him lay a wide, underground catacomb-like area, but one that was filled with brilliant-blue flames of almost every shade and hue. The flames sparked and glittered like he imagined only gems could replicate and with those flames, stood an intimidating suit of armor covered in an elaborate design, in front of a small Mausoleum.


    ¡°Is this where we were supposed to meet?¡± Drake mouthed out wordlessly, his eyes wandering to the various flames suspended in mid-air. A wide-open space, filled with a horde of beautiful, yet deadly flames.


    ¡°Ah. The Anomaly and the Fragment. It¡¯s my great pleasure to finally meet one that has eluded my search for so long.¡± A voice echoed out across the vast, empty space, tinged with a faint ring of anticipation and delight. ¡°And under such a refined set of circumstances as well.¡±


    A voice¡­ He tensed.


    Drake¡¯s eyes instantly locked onto the set of armor that lay in the center of the vast room, near the ornately decorated Mausoleum. It had stood out from the moment he had entered, but looking closer, it seemed to radiate out a feeling of power and nobility. The metal itself seemed to resembled steel in some places, only it warped into a beautiful shade of violet and blue flame in other areas. The design as well was wholly intricate, with the leg-guards layering on top of each other like the feathers on a wing, while the chest and arm-guards creating an almost monstrous look to the armor, with the only real respite being a beautifully intricate decorative piece on one shoulder.


    The voice he had heard had echoed, making it seem as if it had surrounded him fully, but the source itself was obvious, if somewhat curious. The mere presence of such an ornately decorated, and intimidating set of armor was off, given the vast stretch of space and the lonely building set directly in the center, instantly made it the target of his attention. It couldn¡¯t have just been a suit of armor for a warrior, could it? No¡­ It simply couldn¡¯t be. He could have sworn he spotted movement.


    As his gaze concentrated on the figure in front of him, the armored hand began to noticeably move. At first, it was only a slight twitch, then as if moving all at once, the hands slowly reached up to the helmet. As they slowly removed the piece, he was left with what he could only describe as an utterly flawless, beautiful woman. While the armor no doubt hid most of her body, her hair, colored a striking shade of silverish-blue, splayed out beautifully from within her helmet, before cascading down her armor-ridden frame.


    ¡°Brynhild du Volsung, at your service.¡± The woman gave a playful bow.


    No, not just a woman, or even a warrior. It was a Valkyrie.

 Chapter 10 Part 2

    Part 2


    Brynhild¡­ as in, Brynhildr¡­¡± Drake stared, wide-eyed at the beautifully armored woman that lay in front of him. The Ariel had never used her full name, perhaps she had never known it, but the name of Brynhild bordered on the edge of what could be considered as the pinnacle of myth.


    As a teenager, he had often delved into older mythologies as a source of entertainment. Norse, Egyptian, Greek, all of them had a wide and varying amount of myth, and the sheer grandeur of those stories provided him quite an endless source of entertainment. The role of Valkyries in Norse mythology was a minor role in comparison to other various factors, however, in Norse Mythology there was one exception. Better known as Brynhildr, the leader of the Valkyries. A figure that was on par with minor gods.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that you were one of the ones that was actually given life.¡± Drake simply stood still, mumbling lightly to himself as he looked on. A being that held almost unimaginable power, and one that was able to almost single handedly stop wars, or rather, decide wars. He had always known of the more mundane monsters, after all, creatures like the griffin he fought soon after his own transformation were public knowledge to practically everyone. A myth like that had reached such mainstream popularity that even those who didn¡¯t put effort into learning them would know of them.


    Brynhild however, wasn¡¯t such a monster. Rather, she was a figure of myth, and one that was quite prominent in more than a few stories. Disregarding the intimidation he felt from such a figure, her beauty alone was something that would be enough to make entire armies fight for her. Her eyes shone a hauntingly beautiful violet, while her silver hair almost seemed to blend into that same fiery shade of blue flame that she controlled. That someone like her would be given life didn¡¯t make sense for what he considered the final goal of the aliens.


    I¡¯ve been fooled. He chuckled to himself. They¡¯re planning something different altogether, or at the very least, not just using Earth as their personal playground. Resurrecting a literal figure of myth doesn¡¯t exactly fit with creating various races. Especially when the person is so famous.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t exactly surprising, at least in his own opinion. From what he had seen, the various races had their own distinct personalities, and most seemed especially resentful to being used and controlled by others. Even his own Ground Dragon had only submitted to him once it had recognized him as the same Dragon-like subspecies that it had seen before. Take an individual however, and one that is excessively powerful, and it be much easier to accomplish what you needed as long as they had a few restrictions. No doubt Brynhild was one such case.


    ¡°Oh, am I truly that impressive in your eyes?¡± There was a light, refined laughter as Brynhild smiled. She began to approach him in a slow, steady walk, as a ring of flames erupted behind her in a flash as light, the sound of a roaring flame resonating throughout the empty room. The sight alone made her appear like a goddess of war, let alone the intense amount of heat and pressure that was radiating off of her body.


    ¡°Intimidating. Intimidating would be a good word for all this.¡± Drake remarked with a wide-eyed expression, only barely able to maintain himself. He was lucky that this was all a trial. If he were here in person, under no circumstances would he be able to stay this composed.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± There was a hint of disappointment in her voice, but it was quickly replaced with a pleased expression. ¡°Well, I suppose so. You¡¯ll have to forgive all this. I¡¯m not used to receiving guests.¡± She waved her hand, as that same ring of fire that had appeared vanished in a flash.


    ¡°Right. Don¡¯t mind me at all. In all honesty, this is a bit above my pay-grade.¡± He smiled in a somewhat forced fashion. Such a famous figure from mythology drew him into her personal plane of existence. If he said that he was in over his head, he wouldn¡¯t be exaggerating in the slightest.


    ¡°Told you so.¡± The Ariel mumbled.


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± He could only agree sadly.


    ¡°So, you drew me and the Ariel inside here for you. What could I do for you?¡± He put on a fake smile, as he attempted to keep on her good side.


    ¡°Oh? So generous. Yes, just what could you do for me?¡± She smiled in a rather sweet manner, before motioning Drake over to the side of the Mausoleum with a similarly mischievous laugh. ¡°Truth be told, I need to speak with you at length. It will be easier on both of us to relax meanwhile.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡± He accepted instantly, if somewhat nervously. He didn¡¯t have to right to refuse someone like her.


    His instant change in demeanor wasn¡¯t unnoticed by the Valkyrie. While it was somewhat expected, when exposed to someone that was directly related to a major god from myth, it was all Drake could do to keep on his best behavior. Otherwise he might spout off something stupid, and get incinerated or some other bad ending. The number of flags he had to dodge wasn¡¯t something he was looking forward to.


    Despite that however, no matter what he did, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop her if she attempted anything. All he could do was obediently listen, and join her. She obviously was looking forward to talking to him, although the reason unnerved both him and the small Ariel on his head.


    ¡°So, I¡¯m sure you want to know why I drew you here.¡± She said offhandedly.


    ¡°Eh, a bit.¡± He said shyly.


    She chuckled to herself, before leisurely walking over to the entrance of the Mausoleum. She gave another playful bow, before returning upright and gesturing inside.


    ¡°Truthfully, it would be easiest to simply show you first.¡± She said with a mischievous smile.


    Drake tilted his head to the side at the cryptic comment, as he gave her a questioning look. He wasn¡¯t sure, but her insisting he look inside really only left him with one real option. Taking a brief breath, he approached Brynhild, and slowly rounded the corner of the entrance to the Mausoleum.


    As he did, he stopped in half-step, his mind in complete confusion over what he saw. ¡°W-what¡­ am I looking at¡­?¡±


    Laying in front of Drake on a bed made of that same white stone that made up the rest of the castle, lay what could only be described as Brynhild herself. Armored in that same, intimidating set of armor that she was wearing right next to him, she was completely motionless, and was laid across the stone as a simple corpse would be. Her eyes were closed, and her arms were lain across her, leaving her almost exactly as one would do for a funeral.


    Drake couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. The woman next to him was clearly the same, but in that case¡­ how was she speaking with him? What did this even have to do with his own trial?


    ¡°You still don¡¯t understand?¡± Brynhild glanced at Drake only for a moment, before looking to the Ariel on his head.


    ¡°You. You already recovered your memories, however. Even if it¡¯s partial, you know full well who you are.¡± A playful smile emerged, as she lifted the Ariel off Drake¡¯s head without a second to spare. ¡°In his own dream, you were nothing more than a confused girl, but it seems you benefited from passing through the barrier. His own mindset must have led to his continued confusion.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Drake remained silent, but his mind was filled was nothing but shock.


    ¡°I¡¯m correct, aren¡¯t I?¡± Brynhild merely laughed, before gesturing to the young Ariel.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡± She nodded, only a faint voice escaping from her lips.


    ¡°Good. Good.¡± Brynhild smiled, only nodding to herself with a self-satisfied look.


    Turning to Drake, her eyes narrowed much like a predator would once they had cornered their prey. It wouldn¡¯t be an understatement to say that she was practically brimming with excitement at sharing such a detail, based on his reaction alone.


    ¡°Drake, this isn¡¯t a part of your trial. It took a bit of effort, even going so far as to lead you to the entrance of my own plane, but I can assure you, this place, this entire plane of existence, is quite real. As well as the girl in my hand.¡± She motioned to the Ariel with a cat-like smile.


    Drake glanced at Brynhild for only a moment, before his eyes were drawn to the small Ariel in her hands. He had seen that her personality had changed the moment she passed through the barrier, but¡­ she was the one he was looking for all this time?


    ¡°What are you saying? This¡­ can¡¯t be real.¡± He shook his head, still in total disbelief. He was in his own trial, practically his own world. How¡­ no, why would someone even take the initiative to interrupt something like that. It simply made no sense to him. But then, the existence of ¡®two¡¯ different Brynhild cemented the fact that something had already gone wrong.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still can¡¯t discern the truth from what you¡¯ve seen. Is your own sense of self that deluding?¡± Her voice dropped almost immediately into a more derisive tone.


    The look of shock and confusion she had expected, and even happily anticipated had only resulted in flat out denial. Similar to a small child¡¯s excitement when given a new toy, Brynhild¡¯s own isolation had only resulted in a great deal of eagerness and delight when she had been able to draw Drake into her own plane. That he rejected that entire basis wholeheartedly annoyed her to no end, especially when met with such evidence.


    ¡°This is what I deserve for choosing a prideful one, I suppose.¡± She merely shook her head angrily, before gesturing to the Ariel. ¡°You speak to him. Something as simple as your name ought to enlighten him a small bit.¡±


    ¡°R-right. Umm¡­¡± The Ariel responded faintly, as she nervously clasped her hands together. Her expression twisted into one of regret and sadness, as she looked to Drake with a teary expression.


    ¡°I¡­ mentioned before that I didn¡¯t have a real name. Well, that was only a half-truth.¡± She paused, only shaking her head lightly as she fidgeted about in mid-air.


    ¡°What she said, about me and about this place. S-she¡¯s telling the truth. All of it, Drake. I¡¯m your Yami.¡± The Ariel¡¯s head sank down, her voice on the edge of tears, as she spoke to Drake. ¡°I¡­ I thought I would know as well¡­ only I¡­ didn¡¯t¡­ Not one bit.¡± Tears began to well up, as she hastily wiped away the drops that were already welling up in her eyes.


    When she passed through the towering wall of flame that guarded Brynhild¡¯s castle, she had recovered a portion of her memories, and had realized that Drake was her partner. That part of her, the portion that contained her memories, had been so confident in knowing Drake from the moment that she saw him, to greet him and have that instinctive connection from the moment that she met, that her outright annoyance with his careless behavior had struck her to her core. It was all she could do to stop from sobbing at the realization that she had been so rude to him.


    ¡°Yami¡­¡± Drake was stuck to the ground, his eyes only narrowing as he looked to the Ariel with a deep, deep sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. ¡°I¡­ found you?¡± He murmured quietly, as his own mind was fighting the realization.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Bah¡­ Raven scraps, the both of you.¡± The Valkyrie sighed out loud, before releasing the Ariel into the air again. Between Drake¡¯s muddled denial, and the Ariel¡¯s partial memories resulting in its own problems, she was going to have an aneurysm at this rate.


    ¡°It seems that I¡¯m going to have to do this the hard way, for the both of you.¡± She complained. ¡°Easy one first, I suppose.


    ¡°Ariel, or rather, Yami. You recovered memories, but truth be told, you¡¯re only a fragment of your original self. Nothing but a spark of the original, and judging from what I¡¯ve seen, one that seems to have a large amount of personal emotion and care for him put into it.¡± She gave a brief explanation, with only a wave of her hand.


    ¡°As for how you no doubt feel now, you worry too much. You appeared as apart of his dream due to your bond, but with the faint influence of his demonic magic on your soul, and your own circumstances, you simply appeared as a mutant of your original race. No memories, as it should have been, and so, no innate emotions towards him. Given that he is especially stubborn, there¡¯s no harm in thinking that your original would have felt the same way about his actions.¡± She answered.


    Yami¡¯s own personality couldn¡¯t be changed so simply, just by removing her memories of Drake. That same condescending tone she often took, her constant warnings of danger, even her original body was vaguely similar to the impish form that Drake had known from the moment he had met her. In a way, it was no coincidence that she soon assumed the same role as the real world.


    ¡°As for you¡­¡± She turned to Drake with an indifferent smile, as she lazily leaned against the white walls of the Mausoleum.


    ¡°Technically speaking, what you¡¯ve been through was nothing but an illusion. A self-fulfilling one at that. That is where the problem laid. Typically, a demon¡¯s trial is simple, especially at such an early stage. Their memories and experiences are shallow, and so they often result in them replaying what drew them to their own power in the first place. However-¡±


    Her eyes narrowed dangerously, as she continued, ¡°This process never accounted for one that already had decades of experience. Typically, one is drawn into your own dreams, advance through a trial, and based on the results, are granted the increased abilities that are well known.¡±


    ¡°You however, from the moment you began the trial, began to treat it as a second life. Because of course you would. As a result, this shoddy illusion you have around yourself forced you deeper into your dreams, and now, well, the magic is beginning to stagnate so much that it¡¯s almost pathetic.¡±


    She waved her hand lazily towards Drake, only for him to feel an intense wave of energy bombard his entire form. His entire body began to visibly shake and distort, and much like Yami before him, portions of memories from his life began to stream back to him, before stopping altogether.


    ¡°A-ah¡­¡± For a moment, his entire body felt as if it might even collapse on the spot, as his body warped and blurred around him, only for the brief blast of powerful magic to recede, leaving him to quickly return to the body he had grown used to. That of a Stormsoul Genasi.


    ¡°See. Nothing but an illusion.¡± Brynhild remarked with a displeased gesture.


    Drake clasped his hands together, almost in a daze, as he took in what she had said. He had another huge surge in memories the moment Brynhild had waved her hand, and even as he stood there, more memories were revealing themselves to him. Memories of the cute imp he had grown to care for intensely, vague memories of a brooding, but immensely reliable Satyr, and even a flash of memory of a certain, needy Lamia. That was the least of what Drake was taking in, however.


    He stood completely still, only getting a feel for the intense surge of energy that had overcome his body in that brief moment. For just a split second, it was as if all the energy that he felt he had used fighting and escaping the Wolf Brood had exploded in him, filling him and his entire body with an almost overwhelming sense of power compared to what he had. It wasn¡¯t of the lightning element, either. It felt eerily similar to that strange sensation he felt when he made contact Yami outside of Brynhild¡¯s plane.


    ¡°So, I was really that far gone, huh¡­¡± He finally understood just how wrong he truly was.


    He was never meant to truly explore his new body, he understood that now. He was meant to search out the power of his old one, the one that had been growing inside his original body all this time. The fact that he had missed that completely and utterly stumped him. He had known from the moment the trial had started that he was missing someone important to him, but he didn¡¯t know of her even when he had met her? It was only his own body¡¯s reaction that he even had an inkling that they were connected.


    His own instinct, and even the help of the so-called Myconid. They had all been useless. The Myconid were supposed to have kept him on the right track, yet they had inadvertently led him deeper into the illusion. There was no doubt in his mind now. They hadn¡¯t simply ¡®skipped¡¯ over the week Drake had missed, they had lived through every moment, and had intended to lead him along, only so they could continue to accumulate experiences of the outside.


    They would certainly point him in the right way at pivotal moments, after all, they were practically contracted by Aesir to help him in the trial. That didn¡¯t include leading him down the quickest path, however. No doubt without Brynhild¡¯s interference, he would have continued down that winding path, diverting from where he needed to go, only to be redirected at a pivotal moment. They would have led him to his own damnation simply to sate their own curiosity, there was no doubt in his mind now.


    ¡°And, you. You knew all of this and were content to simply let me rot.¡± Drake snarled at Brynhild, more upset at his own ineptitude than her. He could have lost everything, due to such a simple mistake.


    Brynhild showed a rare moment of glee, as she pushed up from her position against the Mausoleum. ¡°Ha, do you hear yourself? Let you rot. Well, why are you quite self-important,¡± laughed Brynhild with a cheeky smile.


    ¡°Of course, I did. If you were so far gone that your connection with Yami was fruitless, then I certainly had no use for you. But you weren¡¯t, so I didn¡¯t.¡± She replied with another predatory smile.


    It was left unsaid, but both Drake and Brynhild knew that Yami had been instrumental in bringing Drake back from the brink. She was tied intimately to his own soul, and so was directly connected to his own power, even if she didn¡¯t know it herself at the time. If he truly had been trapped in his own illusion, to the point that even she couldn¡¯t get through to him, then he would simply be left to waste away in his own dreams. There would be no point in saving someone who didn¡¯t even realize they needed saving.


    ¡°Huu¡­¡± Drake replied with an annoyed growl, before merely shaking his head.


    The intense feeling of energy he had felt moments ago had almost faded, which left him feeling strangely empty compared to when Brynhild had intervened. He wasn¡¯t sure how she did it, or what she even did, but it seemed apparent to him that he¡¯d need her help. First however, he¡¯d need to know why he was drawn into her plane in the first place.


    ¡°Fine. Tell me why you brought me here. Are you some kind of double, or does it have to do with that, ¡®refined¡¯ set of circumstances when I first met you?¡± He waved his hand with a hint of sarcasm, as he went straight to the point. She clearly needed his help for something, even going so far as to orchestrate his meeting with Yami.


    ¡°There we are.¡± She tilted her head with a hint of hidden glee, as she merely smiled.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to excuse me, but it may take a moment.¡±


    *****


    In the dead of night, a hooded shadow slipped past a closely organized set of buildings in the more dilapidated area of Fortress, into a narrow alleyway. The black hood combined with the otherwise ordinary appearance of the individual would lead most to believe that she were simply another scoundrel that had migrated to this part of the town. However, on this particular night, there was no chance that any such person would be out.


    ¡°Check every alleyway! We can¡¯t let them escape, otherwise they¡¯ll just return with more!¡± A far-off voice echoed the nearby walls, as a chorus of voices led them closer and closer to her location.


    A short curse escaped from the hooded figure as the stature of the individual shifted in an unnatural manner. Similar to the shimmering heat in a mirage, the figure grew taller and their skin shifted into an unnatural gray before the changes receded quickly into the original form. The figure seemed out of breath from the sudden transformation, with the hood falling even further down as they hung their head.


    ¡°Dammit. How did everything go wrong so quickly¡­¡± The shadow slowly removed its hood. Age-wise, she didn¡¯t look any older than her mid-twenties. Her face was attractive, but in a vaguely exotic way. The sort of look that was expected to attract men at a glance, but equally, gave off a feeling that something was dangerous about her, as if she might reveal her true nature at any moment.


    ¡°How did they know we were in the city, with such certainty¡­¡± Azura cursed again.


    The female demon, one of the three that Drake had forcefully formed a connection with and had threatened to learn how their magic worked, had been on the run for almost a full day at this point. In the beginning, it seemed like nothing but an average day. Reinforcing their control over the weaklings in their district and letting them raid any others that approached too close. As she and Ranvar made their patrols however, they were suddenly frozen on the spot by a small group of mages, both arcane and holy.


    The male demon that she accompanied had been killed, almost on the spot, by a flurry of magic attacks that bound him to the spot and flayed him alive. How they were found when their mana was supposed to keep others out of their small portion of the city, was anyone¡¯s guess. She had relatively fewer binding spells cast on her, and so was able to escape, while the so-called leader that was the basis for her magic had slunk away the moment Ranvar was killed. The contract she had with him was still in place, so he wasn¡¯t dead, but the fluctuation in the magic that kept up her disguise proved that he was caught up in trouble of his own.


    Despite her own disguise maintaining itself for the most part, somehow the humanoids were able to maintain her trail. It didn¡¯t matter how she hid, within thirty minutes, they would be on her, even in the parts of the city they didn¡¯t even control. It was impossible for her to even attempt to hide in a crowd as well. There were no residents in the streets, all the major shops were shuttered, and the only ones active were those who had experience on the outside. The sheer quality of those who were chasing her was a complete 180 compared to the weaklings they controlled in their own part of the city.


    She gave a short huff, as she made her way deeper into the remnants of the newly built city with renewed vigor, despite the mixed expression she had as made her way forward. The Sin of Envy never truly suited her, but at the time it seemed to be an easy method to power. Much like Drake was able to draw the latent mana from the environment around them, she and the others in the city were able to siphon off energy of those they had some power over, but even to her, it left a sour taste.


    Weaklings drawing power off those who were even more pathetic. That¡¯s all that those they controlled really amounted to. Every demon wished for true power, the sort that allowed them to live however they wished, but their own leader? He was content with simply forming a poor imitation of the human¡¯s own structures, even going so far as to construct the symbol of the human¡¯s dominance of the area, the so-called Guild. In the end, it was nothing but just that. A poor imitation, a fitting tribute for what he tried so hard to make his own.


    She was haphazardly wandering through various alleyways now, only barely attempting to evade the growing noise behind her. Even her stature had changed. It was impossible to escape the city, and it had already been a day full of hiding. And then¡­


    ¡°It was nothing compared to what he had¡­¡± In spite of herself, her mind wandered to the almost overpowering draw of the crimson mana that had been used on the three of them. With nothing but a small flick of his finger, they had felt their very souls be connected to a small gem that he had conjured out of midair. It was a terrifyingly powerful ability in comparison to the crumbs that was available to her, and it was made all the more mysterious by his utterly human-looking origins. Not that it mattered now.


    With a resigned look in her eye, Azura felt a sudden brush of air, both behind and in front of her, as two masked men appeared from above her and landed with deadly silence.


    ¡°Back already¡­¡± She did nothing but shake her head, as he held her hands aloft. She wasn¡¯t going to be able to leave the city. Even if she did, no doubt they¡¯d track her down in the same way as before. Her leader only focused on subterfuge and minor control, meaning that in a full-on fight she was hopeless. She was going to die here, at the hands of some nameless humanoids. What a horrible way to go.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky. Not a moment sooner, and you¡¯d have been caught and killed. Pretty wasteful way to go. Still, you¡¯re an actual one, huh?¡± There was a short pause, as the figure looked over the false visage the demon had over her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look special to me. It¡¯s flimsy at best.¡± The figure in front of her had a low, but refined voice, his face completely hidden in an even more extensive outfit than her own.


    ¡°Who¡­ what are you?¡± Azura was put immediately on guard. She was expecting a swift death, not unlike what Ranvar had been put through. This however, was completely out of her expectations.


    The figure in front of her wasn¡¯t large, nor overly bulky. The speed and power that she would have expected was clearly missing from them, yet there was a palpable feeling of danger from the both of them. Even more confusing, was that there were no signs of magic use at all. The mana in the air was perfectly still.


    ¡°Curious? Ha. Still, we have one actually capable of speaking to us for once. Suppose it¡¯s not all bad, after all.¡± A sneering laughter emerged as the confused demoness could only look on in confusion.


    ¡°Aaahh.¡± A frustrated sigh came from behind her, as a hand was suddenly placed on her shoulder. ¡°Alexi, just get us out of here. We¡¯d be attacked the same as her if we¡¯re caught.¡±


    ¡°There is such a thing as quality to worry about, you know.¡± A smile flashed behind the heavily cloaked hood, as a red hand emerged from the heavy cloak and touched her as well.


    ¡°A devil¡¯s child¡­¡± The demoness almost shrieked in fear, before a sudden flash of energy burst out from the man in front of her. In only a moment, the three of them were completely enveloped, and in the next, they were gone, leaving only the faint stench of rotten eggs hanging in the air.

 Chapter 10 Part 3

    Part 3


    A being that was, from the very beginning, damned. That was who Brynhild truly was.


    The reason for her existence in the castle, and the explanation for how there were two of her, was quite simple. From the moment she was created, she was fated to be nothing more than that of a gift, a tool, or even a slave. That was the destiny of Brynhild for the first person who came upon her and managed to reach her deep inside the castle.


    In Norse Mythology, her tale was one of tragedy. She was tricked, betrothed and given away to a man who she believed had conquered the very same ring of flame that lay outside the castle. While the flaming ring was meant to only allow those who were strong enough to claim her, the one who entered the castle was simply a man who was helping a friend. While fairly benign, it culminated in leaving her in the hands of someone who she thought was responsible for saving her.


    Such a simple action might not have been made with evil intentions, but it undoubtedly resulted in a terrible series of events. In a fit of rage after discovering that the man who saved her wasn¡¯t her true rescuer, she violently killed the man who saved her, before throwing herself in the funeral pyre of the very man she killed. It was a story of ironic fate, in a way. Instead of living a full life with her true love, she left the world with the man instead.


    With such a dramatic story, those who created her saw fit that her story be similar, if only just as damning. Become the slave of the first person who reaches you here and fall utterly in love with them. Man, woman, or even monster, that was her fate. However, it was a fate that was well known to her. And as such¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s why I brought you here. In the state you are in, one that is both a dream, and an illusion, I couldn¡¯t ask for anything better. You see, what this place truly is, from the moment you entered, is a dream of my own.¡± Brynhild admitted with a sad look. ¡°Nothing but a dream, but that is what enabled us to speak like this.¡±


    While her main body was utterly helpless, she was left free to wander in her dreams. It was a simple, but effective method to seek out those like Drake.


    ¡°The entrance to my plane is hidden, to a terrifying degree. It was built so that no normal being could reach me, and even those who could require a degree of resistance to the flames that might even mirror my own. However, there are tools on the outside that would allow people to find the entrance, and a spare few that would even allow them to approach the ring of flames without harm. They are rare, but not wholly so. Given those tools, if a person managed to reach me, through the terrifying flames of this place, and the towering wall of fire surrounding the castle itself, my life might as well be over.¡±


    Her beautiful form had sunk into one of deep melancholy. Imagining such an outcome must have been torture for her. From the moment that someone overcame the trials of this plane, she would be nothing but a mindless tool. A terrifying prospect for any being, especially one so powerful. All the more that she would be utterly helpless during such a process.


    A vital part of her own myth involved a mystical sleep that Odin had put her under for disobeying the gods. She wouldn¡¯t wake until a warrior that was brave enough reached her. The reason behind her own situation differed a bit, but the mystical sleep she was under was all the same. Despite the intimidating power Drake faced in her dream, it was nothing but an illusion, much like his own situation. No matter what, she wouldn¡¯t be able to alter her fate with her own power. All the more reason to seek out others who could help her instead.


    A faint, thoughtful smile passed over Drake¡¯s lips as he looked on, taking in her story piece by piece. ¡°So, you needed help. You needed someone you could convince to rescue you, but the real question is, how would I be any different? From what you¡¯ve explained, from the moment I entered your plane, I¡¯d be treated like any average person.¡± He said with sly indifference.


    ¡°I would enter and wake you just like all the rest. Nothing you¡¯ve said has indicated that I¡¯d be any different, and I have no doubt that you¡¯re underplaying just how difficult it is to pass that ring of fire outside,¡± Drake told her.


    Even in the illusionary dream, he felt that the barrier was dangerous, which only emphasized just how powerful a protection Brynhild truly had. There wasn¡¯t any doubt in his mind that even in the illusion he would have been incinerated if one of the Jinn hadn¡¯t let him through. Moreover, the implications of her fate left a somewhat sour taste in her mouth, if she was just planning to get him to release her.


    Brynhild was certainly beautiful, yes. Almost overwhelmingly so, but the prospects of what it meant if he awoke her himself didn¡¯t appeal to him. No matter what she became, she would be forced to obey him, a status that he neither wanted himself, or to impose on her. Not to mention the dangers that were no doubt involved in saving her.


    As for Brynhild herself, she looked on with mixed approval, only giving a wave of her hand before saying, ¡°You¡¯re correct, but only just so. If you simply overcame the flames of this plane, without me having drawn you here first, then I would certainly share the same fate.¡± She nodded freely, a faint smile on her lips. ¡°However, my drawing you into this place allows me to break that rule, as long as I establish something beforehand.¡±


    ¡°Establish what?¡± He asked.


    ¡°A rule and a restriction. I give two gifts, and in exchange, it frees me from the enforced slavery and enforces that you must do something for me in return. A bit of give and take, essentially.¡± A mysterious smile grew, before quickly disappearing.


    ¡°A rule and restriction¡­¡±


    Brynhild¡¯s interference with dream-like illusion that made up his trial had caused him to recover quite a large majority of his most recent memories, if not his own power. However, never once had he ever heard of a rule and restriction, even when it came to magic. His own power was fairly rudimentary, but it had never had any true problems with forcing it to do as he wished. The gap between his own magic, and that of others always mystified him though.


    The magic of humans was restrictive but varied in ways that he could never hope to mimic. Gwyndolyn¡¯s own magic was equally varied, but he had never put much thought into how she was able to imitate or even improve on his own magic and that of other demons. She simply just did it. The process in which she did was entirely too alien for him to even hope of copying her.


    ¡°You mentioned gifts. Just what gifts are you planning to give me?¡± He tilted his head with a curious expression. In an illusion like this, there was only one sort of gift that was even possible. Knowledge.


    A cheerful laugh escaped her lips as she looked to Drake. ¡°Nothing too much. Just a secret or two.¡±


    ¡°Have you ever wondered what the basis for magic is? I have no doubt you¡¯ve seen the differences between yourself and others, but surely you¡¯ve at least tried to imitate it.¡±


    The basis for magic?


    Drake shook his head with a mixed sense of curiosity, as he raised his hand. A short crackle of electricity was let loose from his hand, which only left him feeling a bit miffed at the difference between the fake magic and his own, not to mention the crystals that it formed on an almost instinctive manner. He had initially used them to imitate one of Gwyn¡¯s own tricks and had connected them with the cores of those he couldn¡¯t understand naturally. A simple enough trick, and one that he considered himself lucky to discover.


    Giving a short sigh, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve only attempted simple things. It seems that it¡¯s impossible for me to really do much more than that, really. That said, I can speak with others without a contract. That alone is already quite a gift for me. Although, I have a friend to thank for giving me the idea.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the false humility. Everyone wishes that they could do more, so who do you believe you¡¯re speaking to?¡± She replied with a clear ringing in her voice, as she aggressively pushed forward.


    ¡°Let me be straightforward, then. Your magic is your own, correct?¡±


    ¡°Um, yeah.¡± He responded, almost speechless with the strange line of questioning. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ just mine. Something that I was given and have had ever since,¡± Drake responded.


    She chuckled, before pointing to him with a clear smile, ¡°Let me be clear, and say that your magic is yours alone, not something you were given. Tell me, if it¡¯s something that was merely handed to you, what is the difference between your own magic, and that of Yami.¡±


    ¡°Yami, well¡­¡± He glanced down at the small Ariel who only looked up to him with large eyes. She was right, the difference in how they received their powers were obviously different. Since his transformation, it had been apart of him. Comparing that to Yami¡¯s own situation was almost silly by comparison.


    ¡°Your own magic is innate, and unbounded. Even if you lost all links to those you¡¯ve bound yourself to, your power wouldn¡¯t change in the least,¡± she laughed.


    Twisting her finger in the air, as if playing with a string, she explained, ¡°Broadly speaking, there are four different types of magic. Innate, Bounded, that of simple knowledge, and well¡­ my own type. Although, the similarities between Innate and my own are less than you might think.¡±


    There are different types of magic? Drake took the information on with a look of mystified wonder. He had always wished to understand more, but honestly, asking for a simple teacher would be impossible. The basis for his mana was too obtuse, and was so rare, that it was impossible to compare it to anything else.


    ¡°So¡­ Innate and Bounded. From how you explained it, you mean it to be similar to me and Yami.¡±


    A clear smile showed itself, as she simply nodded. ¡°Indeed. The powers of an Innate can vary, but they are always influenced directly by some part of the owner¡¯s psyche. Although, monsters are the ones who most commonly have this type. A fairy¡¯s ability to fly without truly flapping their wings would be a fair example. As for bounded, that should be obvious.¡±


    The owner¡¯s psyche¡­ Drake mulled it over for only a moment, before responding, ¡°Right. Bounded is a type of magic that is based on others.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t hard to see that Yami and Therion¡¯s powers were based entirely on this type. The owner was capable of choosing very specific traits to pass on, so while Yami received his power in whole, Therion only received a portion. The method to transfer those powers might differ to some extent, but the end result was always the same.


    ¡°Magic that you are born with, and magic that is given to you. Simple enough.¡± He smirked. The other two however¡­


    ¡°So, knowledge. That would be something like learning from experience, or from books?¡± The idea left him muddled. He had seen humans use magic, and to his knowledge, they all seemed to learn it naturally. Then again, he had never spent much time with a legitimate user of magic to learn the actual method.


    ¡°Not quite.¡± She answered. ¡°It would be more accurate to say that they¡¯re simply gifted the knowledge.¡±


    Brynhild tilted her head towards the nearby wall, merely taking a rather academic expression as she continued, ¡°How much do you know about the network of mana that surrounds the world?¡±


    Network of mana? Drake paused, letting him mind wander until he suddenly hit upon something.


    Does she mean what Morgan mentioned? That grid that she connects to actually surrounds the whole world? Drake grumbled internally, and he pondered over the information. From how Morgan described everything it was as if¡­This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Wait¡­ do they get new spells through a stream of mana,¡± Drake asked with a wide-eyed look. ¡°Is a thing like that even possible?¡±


    He had seen something strange. A stream of almost incandescent mana, so thin that he had a hard time seeing it at all. A stream that entered Morgan¡¯s body when she drank from the mana well, and again when she recharged herself. He didn¡¯t think much of it at the time, but now¡­


    ¡°So, you have seen it,¡± Brynhild smiled. ¡°It¡¯s less a stream however, and merely data. The process skips so many essential steps of magic, that it becomes almost impossible for them to attempt the real thing. Your friend Grant, however. The one in the illusion, that was true magic.¡±


    Drake smirked as he looked to Brynhild. So, she knew of him as well. Well, it wasn¡¯t all too surprising. He had already learned that the illusion was all too simple for her to interfere with. No doubt learning of what happened would be just as simple, if she took the time. His time unconscious inside her plane provided her with just such a chance.


    Still, true magic? All Grant ever did was just play with simple stones, doing no more than twist them around and make use of them much like he did his own crystal shards. He was able to form small hideaways out of stone, but even that took a lot out of him. How did something like that compare to the full-fledged lightning bolt that he had seen Morgan blast out of her fingertip?


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to explain,¡± Drake added reluctantly.


    ¡°Of course, of course. For simplicity¡¯s sake, let me say that it is the most complicated, yet simple of the types, given that it can be combined with the others. Take most mages who follow such a system, for example. If you are simply gifted the knowledge, it is by far the most effective system of magic. Devastating spells become as simple as breathing, but using this system alone comes with considerable drawbacks. Say you wanted to modify a spell for example. For a being like you or me, it would come down to our own imagination,¡± she explained.


    ¡°How though, would one do the same if you were simply given the spell?¡±


    Drake simply shook his head at the thought. Truthfully, he had never really used a spell, rather, he had only manipulated his mana in whatever form he wished. It was as horrifyingly simple, but that was only because it had the same base. For someone to try to make a fireball into a block of ice, or a locating spell like ¡®detect magic¡¯ into anything different would almost impossible, even within the same class of spells. You would need to be incredibly gifted to even attempt such a thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s too much to ask,¡± he said reluctantly.


    ¡°Exactly. However, much like you saw with Grant, those with the potential were often able to train their magic without the use of spells. This is even before the legitimate system you see now was fully implemented. Now, how is that?¡±


    Wait¡­ Drake paused. She¡¯s right.


    He was able to use it the entire time, in fact, it was one of the main reasons why he and Lance had grown so close to the gnome. He was never stingy, and often used it to improve their situation out in the wild, creating anything from simple containers to an entire structure they lived in over the course of a few days. That, combined with the malleable earth magic he used in combat made him the perfect teammate, in a manner of speaking.


    He had done all of that without so much a word. But didn¡¯t that mean¡­


    ¡°Was he an innate, like me?¡± Drake asked


    Brynhild clicked her tongue at the response. She looked to him, then motioned to herself, ¡°That torrent of flame you saw from me before, even the storm mana that you hold inside that false body, is entirely different than what he was attempting.¡±


    As she spoke, mana from the environment began to stream towards her right hand in an unending flow. It coalesced in a whirling storm of mana, as small sparks began to appear inside it before suddenly flaring up into the same blue flame he recognized. The flame cradled her hand, as the light shone with an ethereal glow.


    ¡°He takes the mana from the environment and molds it to do what he wants. The strain of doing so causes mages to undergo much more trouble, whereas we use the mana inside our body.¡±


    She made a quick motion, only for a similarly blue flame to appear in her left hand. Everything about it, from the flickering light, to the dark-blue ember that shone in the core was entirely similar. If he hadn¡¯t seen her form the other one out of the environment, he would have said they were simply one in the same.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite simple, really. The only difference being, running out of the energy we form inside us can be dangerous, whereas for them, they merely suffer a bit of fatigue from overuse,¡± she explained with that same scholarly look as before.


    ¡°However, the amount of mana used can be can be reduced with a simple trick, even eliminating it outright given the right circumstances. Given a bit of thought, and it¡¯s obvious.¡±


    Eliminate the cost?


    Drake murmured quietly to himself, as he thought over it. Even the most mundane of magic required some cost, but somehow it could be reduced until it was almost negligible? Summing it all down, what Grant had been using was True magic. Exactly like his own, it was wordless, but relied on the mana in the environment. Morgan was the same, but was capable of using drastically more powerful spells, while only restricted to those spells she knew. Besides being more restricted, he really couldn¡¯t see the difference between the two.


    Wait¡­ restrictions¡­?


    His eyes lit up with the sudden realization, and equally, his own stupidity. Brynhild had been leading him the entire time, in fact, it seemed that this entire conversation revolved exactly around the point she was trying to make. From the very beginning, she had mentioned it, and from there, the explanation was only to make it as obvious as possible to give him a solid basis for understanding.


    Giving a short, almost painfully depreciative laugh, he looked to Brynhild. ¡°It¡¯s a restriction, right? Or to put it simply, a phrase which relates directly to the spell. If Grant had cemented certain actions with certain phrases, he would have drastically reduced the power to use them, while increasing the power associated with them.¡±


    Brynhild revealed a pleased smile as she nodded. ¡°Exactly. It took a bit of doing, but that¡¯s the basis for it all.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ that¡¯s so¡­¡± He sighed before shaking his head. The solution was so mundane, that it completely slipped past him. One would still have to keep to your own type, so it wasn¡¯t a huge advantage, but you would excel so much in your own type, that it almost wouldn¡¯t matter. It would only matter in how you formulated your own spells, although that in itself was its own type of barrier. It would mean coming up with all the spells that others were just handed, although with the right imagination it wouldn¡¯t be too hard.


    To put it simply, it just required a bit of association work. It was like recalling the texture, smell, and shape of a tree when one thought of the word for ¡®tree¡¯, or just how the work ¡®rock¡¯ reminded people of the weight, texture, and inflexibility of a rock. It was a form of magic that relied almost entirely on one¡¯s own experiences, and which explained to Drake why no one had really been able to come up with it on their own, besides simple tricks.


    In the short term, people would always move towards the sources of power that would give them be best chance for survival, especially in a world where that was paramount. Only in cases where one was especially gifted would they even attempt to move further down such a path, if they had a choice that is. Even then, it would still be viewed as the weaker choice, given the sheer variety of spells given to others. You¡¯d even need to work at it to reach the same level of power as others.


    ¡°For someone like me however, it can only help,¡± Drake said with a sly smile.


    ¡°She¡¯s lying to you.¡±


    ¡°Yami?¡±


    She interjected between the conversation for the first time, her voice full of conviction, ¡°She¡¯s lying about something,¡± she said as she lifted herself up. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I can tell.¡±


    ¡°Now, think about your actions.¡± Brynhild let loose a forced smile, as she looked to the small figure. The Ariel returned an equally venomous look, as she recovered more of herself and her memories. Yami had been hard at work shuffling through what memories she had, and her more combative nature had made a comeback as she had.


    ¡°If you¡¯re actually going to help him, then don¡¯t hold anything back. Otherwise, all these so-called secrets will only hurt him.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the sort of thing that I can help him with. It¡¯s best if he discovers it on his own.¡±


    ¡°Tell him.¡±


    ¡°Yami-¡±


    She quickly raised her hand towards Drake before flying up in-between them, her expression cautious but forceful. It was obvious to everyone that she was the weakest, especially when she was only a fragment of the original. It wouldn¡¯t be exaggerated to say that even Drake himself had the foresight to not antagonize the beautiful Valkyrie, but Yami was never one to let things go, especially when she knew someone was lying.


    The skepticism and caution she felt towards others had long been drilled into her bones, especially given her ability to feel out the feelings of others. It was weaker, but that same ability had begun to return, and every fiber of her being was telling her that Brynhild was hiding something from them.


    ¡°Tell him.¡± Yami whispered, her eyes locked in step with the Valkyrie.


    Brynhild returned the fierce stare, not moving an inch as the two looked to each other. She hadn¡¯t anticipated the young Ariel¡¯s return to power, in a manner of speaking. Not to mention, Drake would trust his partner more than her, which could easily leave her advice as useless as if she hadn¡¯t said a thing. How incredibly troublesome¡­


    ¡°Haa¡­¡± As if all the fight left her, a horribly cheerful sound escaped from Brynhild, more a frustrated sigh than anything else, as she shook her head.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m letting nothing more than a fragment boss me around. What have I come to¡­¡±


    The strained laughter from Brynhild lasted for only a moment, before she lowered her head, her eyes trailing to her hand. Raising it, a small, insignificant flame appeared. It looked as if it was the same type as all her other fire, as it still had that beautifully vibrant glow, but the power behind it had significantly decreased. If it was powered by air, it would be a succinct comparison to say all the oxygen had gone out, leaving a horribly poor amount of fuel powering it.


    ¡°This is my power, without any ¡®effort¡¯ behind it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say it again; you heard me perfectly well. The path of modifying your own power is difficult. Without the proper thought behind it, it will be twenty, or even ten percent of what is normally possible.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­ How is that?!¡± Drake was on the verge of shouting, his head shaking back forth as his mind strained at the massive difference.


    ¡°Your little¡­ friend,¡± Brynhild growled, ¡°saw through me.¡±


    Raising her finger, she moved it back and forth, her gaze trapped firmly on the two of them.


    ¡°Condensing down all the features of a magic you desire, down to one spell, and how hard would it be? Imagine any animal, even a human, and try to imagine it fully. Now, just how many details are missing? Do they have all their fingers? If it¡¯s a human, do they have both their face, and feet at the same time? Do you lose the details in the middle if you focus on both?¡±


    Her gaze hardened again, ¡°That¡¯s the sort of concentration that is needed to properly hone your powers. What you have been doing actually mimics this somewhat, only without the control behind it. You manually control everything at once and lose it the moment you stop.¡±


    A disdainful sigh emerged as she merely murmured to herself for a moment, her voice utterly silent, ¡°Although, I should say it¡¯s impressive that you got this far, given you sealed away the one providing that focus.¡±


    Returning her gaze to Drake, she continued, ¡°True magic is different, because it¡¯s based purely on this concept. If you have a system of magic that codifies the system so thoroughly that you don¡¯t need to think about it, and you firmly understand your own powers¡­¡±


    The small flame suddenly flared, easily becoming three times the size it was before. The heat from the flame was washing over them in waves, let alone the immense amount of power she was radiating as the flame began to slowly circle her hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s where you see the true difference. Although my own circumstance isn¡¯t comparable, experience is best to truly cultivate this power. It¡¯s not something anyone can teach. You need to build your own thoughts and ideas on what best represents your power.¡±


    The flame dissipated just as easily as it began, leaving the Valkyrie with a mixed expression. Although Yami may have had an inkling, Brynhild¡¯s own ideas over Drake¡¯s true body left her with the feeling of helplessness. If only her true body was awake, with his here as well¡­


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I can really say.¡± She ended rather abruptly, merely leaving Yami and Drake to stare at her with a neutral expression.


    A magic that was formed from imagination alone, that¡¯s the crux of what she was getting to. One of limitless possibilities, but equally, one utterly constrained by one¡¯s own power and thoughts. In hindsight, it wasn¡¯t hard to see why she wished to keep it a secret. Such a secret, if spread, could turn the entire system of magic on its head, given the right push.


    At such an idea, Drake couldn¡¯t help but smile at the brash Ariel. She helped me once again, but isn¡¯t this a bit too much?


    In terms of a mere ¡®gift¡¯, the information he received was massive, and Yami had only exacerbated it all. If knowing of the different types of magic would be helpful, and learning the inner workings of magic would be invaluable, what would it be when he had learned the inner workings of the laws of the new world? It was comparable to learning of the laws of gravity or aviation centuries before they were discovered. It was a gift that was incomparable to all others.


    At such a realization, Drake could only describe his feelings as one of deep gratitude. Both to his partner, and to Brynhild for revealing such a secret to him.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Drake bowed to the Valkyrie, without stating another word. This wasn¡¯t the sort of thing he could ever pay back with words alone, but it was a start.


    ¡°Hm. At least you have manners.¡± Brynhild said with a rather pointed look at Yami.


    Returning her gaze to Drake with a small smile, she said, ¡°Well, before we finish, let me give you a small bit of advice, aside from the last gift.¡±


    ¡°Advice?¡±


    ¡°Learn to trust in yourself more. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll both end up falling, and leave everyone that cares for you behind.¡±


    Drake accepted the cryptic words with an uncertain nod, before looking to Yami. He would do whatever he could to make sure that they always stayed together.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± A small smile escaped from her, only for it to slowly fade away as she looked between Drake and Yami. She raised her hand again, with her expression quickly becoming very serious.


    ¡°I trust you both. Please, make it back here.¡±


    Hearing the sudden change in tone, Drake went to open his mouth, only for an intense wave of mana to blow towards him. Holding up his hands, he could clearly see the violet skin that had surrounded his new body began to warp and tear away, only this time, a deep shade of red appeared under it, along with a feeling of newfound power.


    The powerful mana that was released warped and changed Yami as well, and within mere moments, Brynhild watched as the forms of the duo faded away into ribbons of mana, their illusionary forms dissipating entirely as they began to make their back to their bodies.


    Brynhild quickly turned away, the emotion in her voice quickly spiraling down into sadness, as she spoke a few last words. In her mind, they were both already gone, but despite that, Drake could have sworn he heard the Valkyrie mutter a few words as the last pieces of himself faded away.


    ¡°Please, I don¡¯t want to stay here any longer.¡±

 Chapter 10 Part 4

    Part 4


    The first sensation Drake felt when his consciousness awakened was a feeling of complete constriction.


    He was in an area of almost complete darkness, with no signs of the soft bioluminescent lighting of mushrooms, or the faint sounds of running water from the stream that neatly ran through the cavern. His body was bound tightly together, with his arms at his sides, and with his legs pulled together. Flexing his muscles slightly, he could feel that whoever did it clearly meant for him to stay put, although for what reason he could only guess.


    Tightly bound together, it only took a moment from when he awoke before a sudden, powerful burst of energy ran through his body. That rush of energy briefly sparked through his entire body all at once, before it began to slowly smolder, leaving him with the strangest feeling that something was different within him.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    Despite that, it seemed Brynhild¡¯s second gift turned out to be nothing more than forcing his body to recognize the power that had been growing inside him throughout the trial. Once she did, he ostensibly passed the test, without really undergoing the sort of recognition of his inner abilities most others would have expected. It was a solution that bypassed the fading of his own consciousness in his trial and allowed him to return instantly, with only the promise that he would help her in return.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t even force me.¡± He muttered. ¡°It was nothing but a simple request, and she gave me more than I could have ever asked for.¡±


    He had expected something different, truthfully. A powerful figure from mythology, and one that would almost qualify as a demi-goddess. What she had mentioned was a give and take, but he had very little doubt that she could have simply forced him to free her from the spell of her sleep, despite her and the little show of her saying otherwise. A being of her stature always had ways.


    ¡°Ha... still, it seems that I owe another person,¡± he smiled reluctantly. At the very least, he would ensure that no one would be able to enter her plane. That would at least give him at least some semblance of assurance that he would be able to find what he needed in the meantime to save her.


    ¡°As for this,¡± Drake rolled his eyes as he felt his muscles strain against whatever material was holding him in place. If their intention was to keep him here, they were sadly mistaken. If he was simply in his half-and-half form, maybe. But now? Even with the thick fiber and vines wrapped around him, he could feel his entire body swell with a power that he had never known. No doubt related to his demonic mana core fully forming and allowing the mana to fully incorporate itself in his body.


    ¡°Yami mentioned before that Demon Lords often don¡¯t have the physical prowess to fight before they reach the first stage. Now that I reached it as well, I¡¯ve only become stronger,¡± he chuckled.


    Demonic mana did very little for the demons themselves, at least at first. For Demon Lords especially, they were most susceptible at the stage directly before they finished forming their demonic core. Their own path naturally sacrificed the physical powers most demons were granted, and while they were granted quite the sizable bonus to their control of mana, such a cost often left them with the rather succinct comparison to a ¡®glass cannon.¡¯ Fully capable and able of causing massive damage but being left even more vulnerable than the average demon.


    Such a weakness would make one believe that they would simply bide their time, but unfortunately, the path of a demon inherently required sacrifice. One needed to eat the cores of those who were killed to gain strength, and even those with minions often weren¡¯t able to advance quickly. This however, is where Drake held an innate advantage. Demonic magic held in the body of a Draconian, a race naturally gifted with both physical and magical gifts.


    Simply put, any other Demon Lord who would have faced half the opponents Drake had likely would have died, and quite gruesomely at that. They simply wouldn¡¯t have had the strength to survive it.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I was given it, I suppose.¡± He muttered. It wasn¡¯t as if it was an accident. It was a form of mana that worked especially well with his body. Still, a problem he never had gotten over was the issue was of how to effectively use it.


    The power itself was quite impressive but given the wealth of information he was given by Brynhild, he had no doubt that he could improve it in some way. He would just need the time, and that could be solved once he escaped.


    With a short flex of his body, the fibrous tendons that surrounded him began to break and snap. The amount of force he could put out had increased two or threefold compared to before, and the thick tendons that held him in place could only withstand so much. After only a few short moments, he broke free. Ripping off a few stray pieces from his body, he stood up, only to hit his head on a fibrous roof above him.


    A cage of some kind? Drake scowled.


    What had happened to the area in which he had started his trial? Better yet, why was he moved in the first place. Given how the Myconid had acted in his trial, he would have thought they were simply along for the ride. It should have been obvious that he would succeed at one point, after all, that was what they were required to assist him with. Despite their attitude on dragging it out, he was sure of that much.


    Then again, it was only thanks to Brynhild that I met Yami as soon as I did. The state I would have been left in if I had been caught by those Fenrir clones¡­ I don¡¯t even want to think of it.


    That week he missed in the trial was almost certainly their doing, as well as their reluctance to point him to Yami. She was the focal point of his entire trial, after all. Once he met her, he immediately began to have inklings of his original magic, down to the connection they had originally. Meeting her was a shortcut, and one which would have put him well ahead of the long and winding journey they had likely intended for him. Their own greed for information had put him in danger, and it wouldn¡¯t surprise him if they had done something similar for Yami as well.


    With a brief groan, Drake flexed his muscles, feeling the ache and stiffness slowly vanish as he gained an inkling of how much time had passed while he was unconscious. If he had to guess, he could have been in his trial for two, maybe even three weeks at max. More than enough time for the Myconid to have caused trouble.


    They¡¯ve had her to themselves for even long¡­ From how she felt, I think she anticipated her trial being even shorter than my trial. Maybe only a half a day. Certainly not for weeks at a time. Damn¡­


    Appearing almost as if response to his negative thoughts, an eye surrounded by a black, undulating fungus appeared with a disgusting ¡®plop¡¯ next to him.


    ¡°Y-you¡¯ve awakened.¡± The voice that appeared soon afterward seemed to be nervous, which wasn¡¯t surprising given his condition. ¡°We lost contact with you soon after your encounter with the Wolf Brood, so we thought it best to bring you in a place where we could watch you closely.¡±


    ¡°We are¡­¡± There was a distinct pause in voice of the Sovereign, as if it were thinking of the best words to use, ¡°pleased to see you awake and well.¡±


    The Sovereign was a colony organism, so it wasn¡¯t as if they lacked the forethought, but the position they had put Drake in certainly didn¡¯t leave them in the best position to act as a benevolent being.


    More interestingly, it seemed as if everything after he entered the forest was completely missing from the Myconid¡¯s sight. They had no doubt been following him all that time, so he could only thank Brynhild for cutting the parasitic creature off from him. Although, it wasn¡¯t surprising that the beautiful Valkyrie would have disliked them getting so much as a peep at her domain.


    Returning his mind to the creature before him, he gestured quickly to the eye, ¡°Let me out. I¡¯m going to see Yami.¡±


    ¡°A-ah¡­ Well¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Drake tone shifted into a more threatening nature as he turned to the confines of his cage. Looking at it more closely, it was likely nothing more than a fibrous breed of mushroom, one that was suited to holding prisoners in place than the more easily torn apart breeds that made up the rest of the Myconid¡¯s domain. Which only raised more questions on why they had put him here rather than keep him in the area where he first began the trial.


    ¡°Nothing. Nothing at all.¡± The eye closed slightly in anticipation. ¡°Please, wait outside until we can bring you a guide.¡± The eye quickly disappeared with another disgusting noise, as a small opening appeared in the side of the tough mushroom. Drake took the opportunity to exit, only to emerge back into the well-lit cavern full of bioluminescence.


    ¡°That was easy.¡± He remarked. ¡°Still, this place hasn¡¯t changed.¡±


    Not that he thought it would. From how the Myconid seemed to cover the surrounding environment, any source of fungus that they had a connection to in some way could act as a way for the Myconid Sovereign to control it or move through it. Even the so-called jail Drake was put in mimicked this, acting nothing more as the cell and the guard in one. Rather ingenious, really.


    [Yami. Where are you?] He instantly directed his attention to the connection he had with the young Imp. Despite his connection with her, and his meeting inside his own trial, it felt like he hadn¡¯t seen her for ages.


    He turned his head slightly, as the simply stood there, alone, in the cavern. He didn¡¯t receive a response.


    [Yami. Where are you?] He sent another message out over their link. He still felt their connection, clear as day, but she didn¡¯t answer. Could it have been that she was undergoing her own trial?


    He lowered his body down, his eyes slowly examining the surrounding environment. The thought that Yami¡¯s own trial would be even longer than his own seemed somewhat absurd. While she had never outright said anything, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to hide such a thing from him, either. The few times that worry had creeped across their bond, it was typically only about himself. She had only worried on occasion about herself, and even then, it was never about a trial. Her thoughts were almost focused on more of¡­ an evolution.


    [Yami.] Another signal was sent out across their link, as a sinking feeling began to grow in the pits of his stomach. They had never been too far apart, but never once had she failed to respond. He would have thought that if he couldn¡¯t sense her, then their communication would fail as well, but it was the exact opposite. He could sense her presence as clear as day, but she wouldn¡¯t speak.


    The Myconid¡­ He growled, as streams of mana began to release from his body. The amount of power that could be released had grown considerably. If she wouldn¡¯t respond, then he¡¯d find her himself, the Myconid¡¯s so-called guide be damned. Mapping out this entire cavern would just take a bit of time. Child¡¯s play in comparison to when he had to carefully search out Ella in the remains of her village.


    ¡°Still, damn...!¡± He cursed. He would need to find answers on his own, and above all, it would need to be done quickly. No doubt the Myconid would see him releasing swaths of mana all over their cavern as somewhat hostile, given the nature of it.


    Taking a breath, he closed his eyes as trails of his mana began to snake out of him. They each split off in a different direction, and with it, a mass of information began to stream in towards him.


    This place is a lot larger than I was expecting. He examined. Two of the tendrils to the right of me lead almost straight down in different places. He strained slightly, as the mana continued to lead outwards in all directions, giving him a sort of mental map as the reaches of him mana expanded even further.


    The feeling of constant information streaming in left him somewhat uncomfortable, much like eating too much at one time. Still, that was nothing compared to allowing natural mana to build up in his body. This was too simple in comparison. Still, whatever this cavern was, it was undoubtedly connected to a larger cave system, one that the Myconid didn¡¯t control.


    ¡°A cave system this large can run on for miles and miles. If a race like the Myconid can pop up down here, what else could have changed?¡± He pondered.


    He shook his head free of the thought, as he concentrated on expanding his reach as fast as he could. Just as he did however, a concerned look suddenly crossed Drake¡¯s face as his mana crossed a very unusual source.


    Wait there¡¯s¡­ humans here? As his mana began to build, two different sources of mana made themselves known to him as he mapped out the cavern. The familiar pull of mana that only occurred with those of the humanoid races, rather than the push he felt from others with a mana core inside them. They were strangely close as well. Other holdings cells similar to his, maybe?


    Why are they holding them here as well¡­ He scowled to himself as his mana continue to surge outward. Surely Aesir didn¡¯t drag another group here as well. Or¡­ could it have been Peter¡¯s group? What reason could there have been for them to brought down here with him? Yami made it seem like his own situation was nothing more than a gift from the tree spirit, despite his own feelings on the matter.


    ¡°If it really is Peter¡¯s group¡­ Dammit!¡± He snarled, only to quickly force the mist-like form of his mana into shards throughout the cavern. It was a stop-gap measure, but it would give him the time to search out the two mana signals and resume mapping out the cavern quickly once he was finished.


    Turning towards the source, he sped over the crag-ridden floor of the cavern, careful to avoid the traces of fungus that that spotted his path. His own ¡®escape¡¯ had been detected the moment he broke out of the hard fiber that held him. If he was correct on their ability, the Myconid couldn¡¯t sense him unless he touched it. Still, it wasn¡¯t as if the they wouldn¡¯t discover that he had vanished. That particular problem could be pushed aside when the time came, however.


    Quickly scaling a large ledge, he lunged forward, avoiding the small streams of water, and stalagmites that covered his way. As a human, or even in his semi-human form, such a rapid pace in the damp and treacherous environment would be next to impossible. It was true that his semi-human form was comparable to most other humanoid races, but only a few weeks earlier, even his Draconian form wouldn¡¯t have been able to maintain this sort of movement.


    ¡°This sort of thing really is possible, now.¡± He smirked. Still, despite the enormous increase in his abilities, something was off. The Myconid had captured him and sequestered him away. It was an action that made sense if they felt he was dangerous, however, that didn¡¯t explain the barren, almost desolate appearance of his surroundings as he made his way forward.


    ¡°The Myconid kept me away from the others. Not to mention, the other cells seem to be in a barren part of the cavern, one that they barely control. I¡¯ve even been able to come all this way, and not see a single Myconid. Just what was their plan¡­¡±


    The Myconid¡¯s thought process was entirely too alien for him to even come up with a solid idea, completely disregarding that it may have been some order from Aesir. If they wanted memories from other species to relieve them of the monotony of such an underground life, why not simply share them peacefully? It was true that the Myconid certainly didn¡¯t seem overtly hostile, and their entire way of life seemed to encourage their insular way of living. Such a species should simply greet those they meet with peace.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡± Regardless, their motives seemed entirely too vague, and could easily be accomplished in some other way. It was some attempt to keep him away from Yami, maybe?


    Leaping down a steep ledge, he smiled as he finally spotted the source of his destination


    ¡°Here.¡± He arrived not half a minute later, in front of two cocoon-like structures. They emerged from the floor before forming a large, circular ball, covered in that same hard fiber that had completely encased him. Speaking of which, regarding his current self¡­Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°First things first, I suppose,¡± he whispered. With nothing but a small thought, he connected himself to the small gem inside his mind. His body dissipated, only for him to return in a more suitable form for the figure inside. It wouldn¡¯t do for his disguise to be ruined by a simple mistake. His half-and-half form was practically a necessity.


    He turned towards the two fibrous pods, closely examining the overall structure. It only took a moment to come upon an obvious solution.


    Once I break this open, they¡¯ll know I¡¯m here. Drake grimaced. Force wasn¡¯t an option, especially if he was doing this without the Myconid¡¯s knowledge. Simply prying it open would be the same as announcing his presence.


    ¡°So¡­¡± He held out his hand towards the hard mass, before letting a small bit of his mana flow towards it. If he couldn¡¯t simply open it, due to it alerting them, why not try something a bit different?


    His hand was held a fraction away from the cocoon, as a dark-red mist began to pour out, resulting in the material wilting and decaying under the stress of Drake¡¯s mana, much like his shards had done before. Drake noticed this with a mischievous smile, only continuing to slowly eat away at the exterior. His smile lasted only for a moment however, as he noticed the tough material seemed to fight the very basis of his mana. His own power had grown, but it would require at least a minute to form a hole large enough to get inside.


    Sturdy thing. It¡¯s fighting me like everything else that damned tree has it¡¯s hand in. He shook his head with a growl.


    This was his first real test, but now he knew. The Myconid species weren¡¯t independent of Aesir in any real sense. Just like inside the dungeon itself, the same mana that gave him so much trouble before was present even here, in what could only be called a cell. The large root in the center of the cavern, the one that descended down from the ceiling, had been connected with the Myconid Sovereign, but he didn¡¯t think much of it at the time.


    Truthfully, it could have been nothing more than a simple communication method, but it seemed that it was sharing far more than that.


    Drake resumed focusing on the hard, fibrous mass, watching the exterior slowly eat away into nothingness as his mana continued to spread across it, his eyes darting back and forth for any sign of the Sovereign¡¯s appearance. Luckily, it appeared his mana accomplished what he wanted. It was slow going, but given the situation, he really couldn¡¯t complain.


    Releasing more mana, he attempted his best to concentrate his mana into a singular source, without letting it crystalize. The finer points of control over his mana always seemed to escape him, but the degree of power in the mana itself had certainly undergone a change in grade. The exterior of the cocoon continued to dissipate into ash as he slowly expanded its reach across the surface, and before long, he managed to get into a position where he could comfortably reach the prisoner inside.


    ¡°Finally.¡± A small smirk crossed his face as he finished. He hadn¡¯t alerted the Sovereign, which was his main point of concern, and it wouldn¡¯t be much longer till he discovered who was inside. His mana snaked inside, slowly covering the interior of the ball completely before covering the prisoner.


    ¡°Now, just who are you¡­¡± He murmured.


    ¡°Mmm!¡± A muffled voice cried out with a sudden, stifled lunge as his mana covered the person inside, startling him a bit as he quickly scanned the surroundings for any signs of the Myconid.


    ¡°Good,¡± he whispered. ¡°Damned idiot.¡±


    ¡°Just keep quiet. Otherwise, you¡¯ll get us both caught.¡± He admonished the person inside, as he focused his mana, letting it slowly whittle away the bonds holding the person inside. He needed to be careful not to let their body get caught up in the process, but he also needed to move on quick. There were two signals he caught, after all.


    His mana seeped into any small holes or cracks surrounding the individual, only furthering the process of disintegrating the fibers that held them in place. Despite that, the material still held together tightly, leaving him to only shake his head. The stuff that held it together¡­ without Aesir¡¯s mana, it would be little more than a piece of sturdy material, no more robust than wood. With it however, well, let¡¯s just say he had been lucky that he was in the Draconian form when he awoke. He doubted he would have been able to break out otherwise, given the ability of the Myconid¡¯s fibers to counteract his mana to a large degree.


    As he was almost finished breaking the hard fiber that covered the struggling figure inside, a sudden low, whooping sound came out from behind him. He froze in place, only leaving the smallest tendrils of his mana to continue the slow work inside the cocoon as he turned around.


    ¡°A Myconid. A sprout by the looks of it,¡± he scowled, looking at figure on the ledge above him.


    It was unfortunate, but at least it was the smallest of them. The adults could be anywhere from three to six feet, and the small mushroom-like creature was only barely more than two, not to mention the considerably more symmetrical form as the youngest of the species gave it away. Still, even fighting the small creature here wouldn¡¯t solve anything. They were a hivemind, after all. Its loss would be felt if he attempted anything.


    Another series of small ¡®hoots¡¯ escaped from the small creature, as it began to bumble its way down towards Drake. He watched on, mixed.


    What was it doing here? Why is it just slowly making its way down towards him? He gauged the sprout, questions flying through Drake¡¯s mind as he tentatively watched it climb down.


    Could it have simply been here on its own? Was it simply apart of the child-like curiosity he would expect of any child? Some small part of him was curious what would happen if it were separated from the rest and taken far away from this lonesome cavern. Would it simply die, or would it be able to grow some semblance of individuality? Would the creature even desire that? There was just too little that he knew about this race, and whether or not it¡¯d be correct to attack.


    The idea of killing any smaller, and considerably younger member of any species left him with a sick feeling, but he might need to do just that, given the nature of them. It was a potential choice that bothered him.


    The small Myconid finished bumbling down the small ledge towards Drake as it let loose a small series of ¡®hoots¡¯ again. Shaking its head lightly, the spores he recognized as the more mundane method of communication was released, as it bounced up and down, gesturing Drake towards them.


    It wants to speak? I still don¡¯t see any trace of the sovereign. He looked around suspiciously, before simply giving a short shake of his head. The sprout really was alone, and in that case¡­


    Breathing in to calm his nerves, he walked forward into the spores. Almost instantly, he recognized the strange connection as the spores covered his body, and a series of images came across to him, along with a sense of curiosity.


    ¡°Memory. Source. Take?¡± Brief flashes of the fibrous holding cell were transmitted to him, as well as two more flashes of what could only be the humans inside came across to him. Even he wouldn¡¯t have recognized them if it hadn¡¯t been for the rough size and shape. One seemed a tad short, however. Regardless, the memories it transferred seemed to be nothing more of them when they were already brought here, fully wrapped.


    Memory¡­ source¡­ Yami mentioned something about how enthusiastic they were about learning about the outside. It would make sense they would do some of that but¡­ They can¡¯t honestly be kept here just for that¡­


    The thought seemed much too drastic. Sure, if they were brought here by force, as some sort of captive for Aesir, it might be necessary, but to go to all this trouble? Surely the dungeon itself would be more suitable for such a thing.


    ¡°You¡­ know you can¡¯t keep humanoids here, right? They¡¯ll die within a week if they aren¡¯t properly provided for,¡± he admonished the small Myconid.


    ¡°Death?¡± Hearing Drake¡¯s words, the small sprout immediately held out it¡¯s arm in a cautionary motion, as it said, ¡°Surprise!¡±


    It slowly motioned its head back and forth, as if it was the most natural response to it.


    ¡°Bad. Bad. Bad.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah,¡± he responded.


    Did the sprout honestly not know? Sure, it seemed the Myconid could survive off nothing more than nutrients and a bit of water, but surely it knew that those it held were different.


    ¡°There you are.¡±


    Drake stiffened as a disgusting ¡®pop¡¯ made itself known behind his shoulder. The occasional movement and muffled voice from inside the pod Drake had broken into stopped completely as well. It was a case of simple distraction, even if the young sprout meant nothing by it. The Sovereign had found him, only this time, it was obvious Drake meant to disrupt what had been constructed here.


    ¡°Sovereign¡­¡± Drake burned with a veiled anger at the disgusting creature as he clenched his teeth. The individual sprout Drake met might have been guiltless, but as for the hivemind that served as the connection between them? They undoubtedly served as a more knowing enemy.


    ¡°What exactly is all this?¡± He motioned to the two fibrous cages. ¡°You can¡¯t honestly be keeping the people here just to sate your need for knowledge,¡± he snarled. While his response was somewhat calculated, the anger behind it wasn¡¯t. His telepathic bond with Yami had proved useless, no doubt due to the Sovereign¡¯s own interruption, and the presence of the two humanoids being kept captive in these desolate caverns only exacerbated the feeling that something was off about it all. Even the Sovereign couldn¡¯t deny such a fact.


    To its own credit, the eyes that made up the Sovereign¡¯s influence closed in apology, no doubt sensing it had been caught in some way or another.


    ¡°This¡­ is complicated.¡± Several of the eyes ¡®popped¡¯ as they positioned around the young sprout who had made its way down to Drake. The small creature bowed its head with an uncertain expression, as it slowly turned away from them both, and began making its way back to the more populated areas of the cavern.


    ¡°The young one sensed confusion and anger. Please, I assure you, we mean no harm to you.¡±


    Drake laughed sarcastically, as he merely glared with a sardonic smile. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    They don¡¯t seem to lie, but they like to leave out the truth. He thought with a scowl.


    ¡°What exactly is all this? You can¡¯t expect me to believe this is out of your own grace and good will.¡±


    ¡°Good will¡­ yes, that is exactly what we mean to understand.¡±


    The leering eyes of the Sovereign suddenly flashed over to the two pods Drake had discovered, one of which was badly damaged. There was a strange look in them for a split second, as the tough, fungus-like fibers that made up the exterior began to simply unravel. One, which Drake had been hard at work destroying, simply revealed the one inside, while the other slowly branched open, with the hard fibers around each of them loosening up to allow Drake to see them.


    ¡°Morgan.¡± His eyes flashed with recognition, only for them to glaze over in the next second with confusion.


    Truthfully, he had expected to see Luke or Peter in the other pod alongside her. It was one of the reasons he had been so adamant about coming here first. Instead however, he spotted a strange, bald creature, not any bigger than a few feet tall. It was covered with dark skin, with darker specks covering its arms and belly, almost like the markings of an animal. It was completely bald and looked nothing like the races he had seen on the surface. Most strange of all, he had a hard time imagining anyone would willingly choose to become such a creature in the first place.


    ¡°I felt two humanoids though¡­¡± Drake didn¡¯t understand why he felt the same signal from the small creature as he did Morgan. On closer inspection, it somewhat resembled the small woman he had met on the caravan, the one who accompanied the dwarf, but the features were entirely too different for them to be the same race. Not to mention just how far down they no doubt were. No human would have been able to travel so far down, let alone willingly live in such a dark and dreary environment.


    As he looked on, Morgan began to twist and buck as the fibers were increasingly loosened, although not so much as to allow her full release. The other creature merely looked on with a more hesitant expression.


    ¡°Drake! Drake, thank God.¡± The look on Morgan¡¯s face was of desperate panic. ¡°Listen, this place is a death-trap. I was practically tortured here. You have to get me out of here! I¡¯m going to die here if you don¡¯t, please!¡±


    She hadn¡¯t known it was him at first, given the completely thorough nature of the wrappings around her body, but now, she felt he was her only hope. Her desperate cries lasted only for a moment longer as a sudden glaze came over them, and her head slumped over as if she had suddenly fallen unconscious.


    ¡°You-¡± Drake motioned dangerously to the Sovereign as the creature took a defensive posture.


    ¡°Please, let us explain. The elf is a paranoid and untrustworthy one, we assure you.¡± The expression of the eyes was almost one of sneering disgust as they merely shifted to Drake and the second one that was being held captive.


    ¡°The reason for her presence here, is simple. She failed the trial that was laid down for her by the Great One, disregarded the rules set down for you all, and when she given the chance to repent, she lied, ignoring the great boon she had been given.¡±


    ¡°Despite that however, rejoice! The Great One is truly generous. She will be released soon, as it has already approaching the time she was allotted to us.¡± The eyes noticeably shifted, the voice cheering slightly as it continued. ¡°The time may vary slightly, but she will undoubtedly be released.¡±


    ¡°This is what the one you call Aesir told us. We assure you, we will return her to him within the week. No doubt she will be placed on the surface soon after.¡±


    Drake turned his head questioningly as the Sovereign finished its explanation. She committed a crime behind their back? No, from the sounds of it, it may have been just behind his. The only opportunity had been when they had first arrived at the dungeon, and he had gone down first. The rest of them had come charging down into the dungeon not soon after he entered, complaining of the golem-like monsters. From the sounds of it, she had stolen from Aesir, and the other two kept quiet so as to not cause too much trouble.


    So, it¡¯s actually her own fault she¡¯s down here. It wasn¡¯t a lie, either. He thought in a reserved manner.


    His own transformation had brought him more of the abilities that Yami frequently used, much like she had gained the use of his abilities. Most notably, he had gained the use of Yami¡¯s intensive telepathy. Although it was still weaker, it wasn¡¯t difficult to determine the truth from the Myconid, given the Sovereign¡¯s complete monolithic thought. He¡¯d still need to speak to Morgan to fully understand it all, but it wouldn¡¯t be hard to fish for the truth.


    Motioning to the other captive, they pleaded for Drake to take a more understanding approach.


    ¡°Please. Although he and his race are new, no doubt he will illuminate your suspicions much more than what you would allow us.¡± The Sovereign motioned over to the other captive.


    Drake responded with a brief scowl, as he walked over to the strange creature. He would relieve Drake¡¯s suspicions?


    ¡°What are you, and are you in danger here?¡± He said briskly.


    ¡°Vakna og ¨¦g s¨¦ fjandinn. Bara m¨ªn heppni.¡± A rough growl emerged from the creature as the clearly male voice spoke in a low tone, murmuring to himself as he shook his head. His expression was scattered, his eyes darting cautiously from the eyes that surrounded the pod to Drake, only for him to give a low sigh as he looked to Drake.


    ¡°Lizard. Speaks. Base.¡± The creature gave another shake of his head as a significantly irritated look formed as he gave a closer look at his surroundings.


    ¡°Unnatural.¡± The creature spit at the base of the fungal pod, as a rather scornful look emerged at the Myconid that had no doubt kept it here.


    ¡°What kind of language is that¡­¡± Drake looked on in confusion. Surely since he was a humanoid, he used to be human, right? From the looks of it, he didn¡¯t seem to trust Drake any more than the Myconid, however. Sure, he wasn¡¯t exactly normal, but any average person would recognize him as one of the humanoid races. In a place like this, that should result in nothing more than sheer joy.


    ¡°Sovereign, what is he?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh, he refers to himself as a svirfneblin. Interesting, interesting creatures, to be certain. They live somewhat insular lives, much like ourselves, and are distrusting of outsiders. Although he seems to miss his family and wishes to return. Such a wonderful contradiction.¡± The mass of eyes seemed to show a great amount of pleasure, tightening ever so slightly as it spoke of the memories it no doubt gained.


    Contradiction¡­ God, I hate how these things think. Drake scowled to himself, before giving a brief shake of his head as he focused on the strange creature in front of him.


    So, they¡¯re a monster race? That¡­ doesn¡¯t seem what they are though. They can even speak broken English from the looks of things.


    It was all too strange. A brand-new race, one that didn¡¯t really fit either category. They were neither monsters, nor a group of humans that transformed. In any case, he would need to speak to them at length to get any real answers out of him. Not something he imagined he would get the chance to do, unless he was discreet about it.


    Drake looked carefully at the dark creature, as a faint smile crossed his lips. Discreet. It was something that was almost impossible for him before, but now? Well, it seemed Yami was helping him out once again.


    ¡°Can you speak?¡± Drake asked innocently, all the while directing his focus towards him.


    [Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not apart of the Myconid. I need to know what you are before I can help you.]


    It was only a small twitch, but for a moment the creature¡¯s eyes widened as he quickly looked between the Sovereign¡¯s brooding eyes, and Drake¡¯s own figure. Keeping his face as passive as possible, Drake soon heard a somewhat gruff voice sound off in his mind, as the creature made a show of sighing as he looked away from Drake.


    [You¡­ actually aren¡¯t one of them, then?]


    [Them?]


    He didn¡¯t look anything like the Myconid, how could he have possibly been mistaken for one?


    [Ha. To be saved by one of your people, and one with such an ability. To think that such a species could make such a simple mistake.] Drake could see a faint smile pass over his lips at the innocent question.


    [You asked for what I am. My race is known as the Deep Gnomes.] He replied in a gruff tone, his voice full of pride at the name.


    [As to your later question, even I¡¯m not sure of the cause, but extended interaction with these particular Myconid leave one¡­ changed. In short, it seems as if they become part of the Myconid. They retain some of their personality, but they undoubtedly become different people.]


    [Then¡­] Drake¡¯s mind instantly was drawn to Yami. Even when he first awoke, she seemed drawn to them. It was the exact sort of situation where she would have been easily caught up in a trap, especially when he wasn¡¯t there.


    No¡­


    [How long does it take, and can it be reversed?] The telepathic wave transmitted seamlessly to the Deep Gnome, while the drastic shift in tone seeming to surprise it slightly as he looked on. It wasn¡¯t even a question of what Drake would ask next. Yami had always treated Drake as a top priority, and Drake held her in just as much importance. If Yami had been affected by them, then surely this Deep Gnome must know something to fix it.


    [How long it takes¡­ that I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve seen others of the Myconid species, and this colony is entirely different in comparison. I was sent here to discover just why they differ from the others, but I was captured, and placed here. If you could help release me¡­]


    ¡°Tch¡­ No luck past that, huh?¡± Drake huffed loudly, only barely keeping his composure as he glanced between the creature and the Sovereign, keeping their silent communication discreet. He wouldn¡¯t be able to have an extended conversation right now. As they were, Drake was simply giving the Deep Gnome a fairly hateful look in complete silence, all within the Sovereign¡¯s watchful eyes.


    He turned, before walking away from the pods as if he planned to go back towards the center of the Myconid¡¯s establishment.


    [You¡¯re located under a dungeon. No doubt that has a part to play in all this. I¡¯ll be back for you. Don¡¯t worry.]


    ¡°Hm.¡± A low, gruff response was all Drake received in return, leaving the Sovereign in a somewhat confused state as the mass of eyes simply were split between the duo.


    And as for Drake, he now knew the Deep Gnome was just as much of a captive as the rest of them here, and that his feelings on this species were right from the beginning. Their abduction of species, and their overbearing interest for memories. Just how did that differ from normal Myconid¡­


    His face sunk even deeper, as he walked forward. He would rescue the Deep Gnome, he could do that much for what little information he was given. However, if Yami was harmed in the least, he¡¯d torch this place to the ground first.


    ¡°Take me to Yami.¡±


    ¡°A-ah, yes. We¡¯ll¡­ show you the way there.¡± The Sovereign responded as dutifully as always, the hivemind deciding that it would be best to stay with him this time around. Forming a continually moving line of black, pulsating eyes, the Sovereign led Drake back into the center of the cavern, all the while unaware of the growing violence in the one they led.

 Chapter 10 Part 5

    Part 5


    Drake closed his eyes as he was led by the Myconid, only keeping a faint awareness of his surroundings as he was led forward towards the main encampment of the species. He could feel the shards he had planted throughout the cavern beginning to stir, which meant that he would need to take care to control them again, and soon.


    He chuckled, despite himself. Not regarding his stirring feelings on the Myconid, the vague differences that he had undergone while unconscious were beginning to slowly make themselves known to him.


    It was strange, his new body. The demonic mana that had been so carefully bottled up in his mana core had flooded his entire body. It strengthened him beyond what he thought would have been possible, given the nature that his mana took, but something about it just seemed off. He hadn¡¯t noticed it at first, but the difference between the shards and the deep humming in his bones made him aware of it. Still, he didn¡¯t know what to make of it.


    The shards he created from his mist seemed no different. Slowly taking in the mana from the environment, it converted the natural mana towards its own type. Simple, almost mind-numbingly so, but straightforward. Understandable. But inside his own body?


    It almost burned. That fierce sensation one felt when they encountered an on-coming fight, or the complete concentration one had when in a dead heat between yourself and a singular opponent, the energy racing throughout his body reminded all too much of that same surge of adrenaline. As if the energy had a new purpose, but one that he simply hadn¡¯t found an outlet for yet. Now that he had been made aware of the difference, it was almost distracting. Like the constant bubbling of something in his chest.


    One thing at a time. He breathed out, before swiftly focusing on the various shards that were spread throughout the cavern. Gathering the latent mana that had begun to leak out from each one of them, he carefully guided it into crystalline form again. It had been purely an accident, but such a malignant source of mana might prove to be an excellent trump card against the Myconid. He just needed to ensure an excess of the more mist-like mana didn¡¯t form in the meantime.


    Opening his eyes, he looked forward, once again focusing on the sight ahead of him. The faint sounds of trickling from water, the bioluminescent light, all of it was beginning to return, which only meant that they were approaching the settlement itself.


    Drake bit his lower lip, as he advanced forward. It was all too similar, except for the familiar presence missing at his side.


    [Yami.]


    The signal he sent out was brief, and faint. Tinged with nothing but a hope that he would receive a single response in return, with that same reassuring tone she always used with him. He didn¡¯t receive an answer, however.


    ¡°Yami¡­¡± A forlorn murmur escaped him, as he slowly made his way through the cavernous surroundings. ¡°You¡¯re still not going to answer¡­¡±


    Drake may have been born as a human, but throughout his life, he hadn¡¯t found a single person who he felt as close to as he had grown to the young imp. Close friends, of course, but to have that someone who he could trust implicitly? Most would consider themselves lucky to even have such a person last for only a few years. Yet, Yami had shown herself to be that and more, worrying and caring for him so that he could always do his finest.


    It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that it really was the small imp that Drake had found his reason for living in this new world. To find and seek out experiences that he had never dreamed of in his old life, and to do it all with a partner at his side every step of the way. His meeting with Therion, the adoption of Ella, even his worried, and somewhat skeptical acceptance of Aleria.


    ¡°It was all due to her¡­¡± A faint smile crossed his face. One full of mocking, and anger at his own incompetence. She had done so much, but he hadn¡¯t even warned her properly of how he felt, and now look at what happened.


    A scornful laugh emerged from Drake, full of the disdain he held for himself. In a way, Yami had been right. He often risked himself too much, and his fight with Peter¡¯s group had resulted in putting her in the predicament she was now in. If he had only been strong enough then.


    But, that wasn¡¯t a mistake that he would allow himself to make twice.


    In a sudden haze of red mana, Drake¡¯s form quickly shifted, leaving his Draconian form to march forward into the settlement.


    Not a moment after, the Sovereign suddenly stopped in place, leading him to simply stand there in confusion.


    ¡°Something the matter?¡± Drake said.


    ¡°No, not at all.¡± The wriggling mass swelled in response. ¡°We were simply surprised by your sudden transformation. Truly impressive.¡±


    It hid it quite well, but the sudden transformation of Drake led the Sovereign to become nervous almost instantly. The strength Drake had access to between the two forms was drastic, but that was all too obvious given how easily he had broken free of the bindings that had held him. The true difference came from the pressure the Sovereign felt as a result of him resuming his more monstrous form.


    It was similar to the sensation of walking outside only to be met with a freezing cold on your skin. It would inevitably cause some discomfort.


    The Sovereign however, didn¡¯t slow its pace, only answering as if it was the most natural thing to do.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Drake chuckled.


    ¡°So, how much longer, Sovereign,¡± Drake said, the words coming across as more of a statement than a question.


    ¡°Not much longer at all. We assure you.¡±


    The pace of the Sovereign quickened, leaving Drake to only walk behind it silently. As a result, it only took roughly three minutes as they passed through the desolate cavern before Drake and the Sovereign arrived. As they did, the Sovereign spoke as if to calm Drake, it¡¯s voice full of hidden relief, ¡°Here, we just entered the exterior.¡±


    A settlement stood in the middle of the oddly serene cavern, spread out in front of Drake was much like he remembered when he first awoke. The crystal-clear stream of water that ran lazily through the center, as well as the wealth of bioluminescent mushrooms that the Myconid used as a light source. This was combined with the one or two dozen towering mushrooms that they no doubt used for shelter. He had his own doubts, but the Sovereign had returned him to their village again.


    Not wasting another moment, they both made their way forward, with Drake occasionally glancing to the side as he did. Given how little time he had spent with them, it was no surprise just how little he knew about how the Myconid worked. Now however, as he slowly meandered through the village on the Sovereign¡¯s path, he began to understand just how the Myconid truly survived here.


    The Myconid didn¡¯t truly live like any other animal. Much like their origin suggested, they seemed content to live almost entirely off water, only occasionally taking in nutrients in the form of a small, hardy breed of mushroom they could be seen cultivating. It was a simple lifestyle, one that didn¡¯t require more than it needed. Given that the Myconid¡¯s true calling seemed to be the process of mind-melding with one another, it wasn¡¯t surprising either.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± As he looked on, something caught his eye. At first, he thought it was only one of the many strange rock formations that made up the cavernous area, but on closer inspection, it seemed to be¡­ moving. There wasn¡¯t just one either, there looked to be several lumbering figures in the distance, of all different sizes.


    They all moved in a robotic fashion, but the size and shape of each seemed to vary drastically. Unfortunately, the utterly dim lighting, and near darkness on the outskirts led Drake to only see outlines of what were no doubt creatures.


    ¡°Just what is going on here,¡± Drake murmured to himself. The Myconid had widespread control over this area. There was no reason to see those creatures as being any different from the Myconid themselves, rather, it was unlikely the Sovereign would even allow it. Could they be creatures that were taken over? Is¡­ that what happened to those it took over?


    His expression sunk even deeper as he continued to walk behind the steady line of pulsating eyes that the Sovereign led with, the murderous look held within not fading in the slightest. What were the Myconid really up to here? The Sovereign had been leading him throughout this settlement for quite a while, and her signal had grown increasingly close, but surely, they could have brought her to him as well.


    Yes¡­ now that he thought harder on it, why couldn¡¯t Yami simply have been brought to where he was? Could they have been planning some sort of trap¡­


    As Drake¡¯s suspicions began to grow, the Sovereign¡¯s movements suddenly changed, moving from a mere straight line before disappearing altogether, only to reappear on one of the nearby structures that the Myconid used for shelter.


    ¡°Here. She was resting when you awoke. No doubt she will be pleased to see you, although much has changed since you last met,¡± it said matter of factly.


    Drake paused, with only a slight twitch crossing his face as he walked over to the structure. Yami was just inside? He would have expected to feel her presence more closely, but still¡­


    He paused outside the doorway, frozen in mid-step as he fought over what he would do. Everything pointed to the fact that Yami had been compromised in some way. He had doubts on whether or not he could even trust her, if she even had her own mind. If she truly had changed, if she wasn¡¯t herself¡­ what could he even do?


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    Those thoughts only lasted for a moment before he quickly shut them out. He would do anything to save her, just as she would him, that the point of their bond. He simply closed his eyes, and took a breath to calm himself, before crossing the threshold, and entering the barren room.


    What he saw was entirely different from what he expected, however.


    ¡°Yami?¡± He called out tentatively, his eyes slowly adjusting to the near darkness in the structure.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Drake! It¡¯s so good to see you again.¡± A cheerful voice rang out.


    ¡°Yami¡­?¡± He paused.


    ¡°Yes? What, is something different?¡± A rather sarcastic smile emerged, as the young girl standing in front of him seemed to drink in the dumbstruck look on Drake¡¯s face.


    In complete contrast with the small Imp that could lay across his head with little issue, stood a young girl, just on the cusp of womanhood, one that seemed to radiate both innocence and mischief at the same time.


    Her red eyes, and black hair remained the same, with her hair only growing longer as it flowed down towards her back, while her pale, gray skin had turned several hues whiter, giving her an almost ethereal glow in the faint light that pervaded the structure. She could almost even pass for human now, disregarding the horns.


    Her clothes had changed as well, now only consisting of a devious one-piece dress that only enhanced the unnatural beauty that exuded from her small frame. Even the small gray horns that had emerged from her forehead had shrunk, instead being tipped with a faint crimson that made her look cute rather than menacing. It was an appearance that could be compared to a rare flower, one that drew a person in only to ensnare them with its beauty.


    ¡°What?¡± She said in a mischievous tone. ¡°Am I so beautiful now that you¡¯re at a loss for words?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Drake looked on, his feelings mixed. She had changed somewhat, but he had some inkling that this form was what she had always intended. Still¡­


    The young girl in front of him smiled sweetly and nodded her head.


    ¡°Who else would I be?¡± She stuck her petite chest out proudly, her toothy smile widespread. It was the same expression she gave him when they first met.


    ¡°That same expression¡­¡± A mysterious look crossed Drake¡¯s eyes as he looked to the young girl. An evolution. This must have been what Yami meant by the phrase, and why she wasn¡¯t all too worried. An evolution must have been something that couldn¡¯t be failed, rather, it was simply a transitional period to a more powerful race. Still, it didn¡¯t answer his most important question.


    Drake paused, before tentatively sending out a signal towards the young girl.


    [Then¡­ you¡¯re Yami?]


    A moment passed, before the young girl simply tilted her head.


    ¡°Are you alright, Drake? You seem stressed,¡± she said sweetly.


    The pit of his stomach dropped as he looked to the girl, his voice only slightly more than a whisper, ¡°No¡­ No, I¡¯ll be alright soon.¡±


    Even at this range¡­ even when everything told him that the young girl in front of him was Yami¡­ not a single word passed back through their bond. Which meant¡­ which meant¡­


    A slow, unnatural laugh emerged from Drake, as the burning within his chest became all the hotter.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to lose you, now of all times!¡±


    A wave of crimson mana surged out from Drake as he finished speaking, drawing surprise from both Yami and the Sovereign that had covered the inside of the structure with its eyes. There was a small, child-like shriek as the mana spread throughout the room, resulting from the Sovereign quickly cutting off its connection to save itself. In the meanwhile, the young girl simply looked to Drake with confusion and anger.


    ¡°Drake! Why? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Yami!¡± Drake yelled out, his voice full of emotion. ¡°You can¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t hear me calling out to you! I was put away like some prisoner of war, yet you didn¡¯t even respond!¡±


    ¡°That-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± He yelled.


    Drake clutched his chest in a sudden pain, as his gaze dropped to the ground. The burning in his chest had strengthened, more powerfully than he ever felt before. Why did it hurt so badly all of a sudden¡­ It was as if he was burning!


    A laugh emerged from Drake, both sorrowful and maddening as he looked to the girl in front of him. The mana he released hadn¡¯t harmed her in the least. In fact, it slowly flowed around her, much like a rock diverting the passages of a stream. Something that could only be accomplished through their bond. It meant that he had found her, but the bond they had was corrupted¡­ it meant that they had tried to take away her away from him and change the person he trusted most!


    ¡°Yami, I¡¯ll see you again soon.¡± He held out his hand in a sudden motion, as streams of mana surrounded her from all sides, collecting on body as it slowly made a coffin that surrounded her totally. The look of shock and betrayal appeared for only a moment before the crystal completely sealed her away, restricting both her movements, and sense of control she had over the crystal that had encased her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you away,¡± he murmured. ¡°Even the Myconid shouldn¡¯t be able to affect you at a distance.¡±


    As Drake finished speaking, the dome-like ceiling of the structure suddenly shuddered before splitting in several directions. The walls followed soon after, receding down to the ground, and revealing those inside to the environment around them, without any barriers in the way. Drake scowled as he flashed his claws, the deep burning in his chest waxing and waning with every breathe.


    A sizable group of Myconid had surrounded him completely, their normally innocent expressions warped into one of foreboding anger. A strange, and horrifying Myconid took the lead, with its appearance resembling some eldritch horror. Its head was completely misshapen in comparison to the rest of its race, with the right arm dragging against the ground, and its entire body covered in a mixed web of eyes.


    As it stood in front of Drake, the eldritch creature bowed ever so slightly, as if to cede that Drake had accomplished some small part of what he desired.


    ¡°The Great One requests you return,¡± the creature stated.


    Drake¡¯s eyes widened momentarily, before a sneer emerged. That same sickening voice as always.


    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t the Sovereign. The Great One, is it? The moment I start to make trouble for Aesir, I have to return?¡± He laughed.


    ¡°There¡¯s not a damn thing that¡¯ll stop me from taking Yami with me, you can count on that.¡±


    The mana that had spread out began to surround Drake, the air becoming thick as a red haze surrounded him. He still hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to formally make an ability, so the most he could really do was just make the most out of his native ability with his mana. Still, that wouldn¡¯t stop him.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ unfortunate. We had hoped this would be resolved differently.¡± The Sovereign said simply.


    Drake didn¡¯t get the chance to respond. As the Sovereign¡¯s sickening form finished speaking, the dark and dreary environment of the cavern faded away into nothing, as if it was merely made of smoke and was blown away by a puff of wind. What Drake was left in however, could only be described as a clear and open field, complete with a gentle, all-encompassing light. The Myconid, Yami, everyone was gone, leaving him utterly alone.


    ¡°Wha-¡± Before Drake could get a word out, something hard slammed against his side, which sent him flying in the air.  He crashed ruthlessly against what felt like a wall, as not a second later, another object ruthlessly slammed against his back, resulting in him gasping on the ground as he looked around in a daze.


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    What is happening... That brief thought was all that escaped Drake before he was suddenly picked up, with his arms bound tightly to his side. There was the distinct sensation of Drake slowly rising through the air, even though it seemed as if he hadn¡¯t even moved off the ground.


    ¡°Again with this¡­ Dammit!¡± He struggled against the invisible force for only for it to weaken suddenly. Feeling that, he flexed his body only for the sensation to quit almost completely.


    How¡­


    The Sovereign, that thing did this. He hit upon a realization as soon as he realized the trick.


    Truthfully, there was no rational explanation. He had serious doubts on whether a simple species based off mushrooms would be capable of teleportation, even if they were connected to Aesir. There was one trick that was readily available to mushrooms, however.


    ¡°Psychedelics¡­ in other words, this is all an illusion.¡±


    It was well known that mushrooms released a wide array of chemicals during their lifetime, and that quite a few of those tended to warp the reality of those who ate them. The Myconid simply weaponized that particular trait.  How to escape such a thing, however. That might prove to be impossible.


    Narrowing his eyes, he could still feel the connection to his mana around him, despite him not being able to see the red mist he had gathered only a moment earlier. The Sovereign was still there as well, just made invisible by an illusion. Good.


    He chuckled, as a more cruel expression crossed his face. ¡°Now I-¡±


    Drake suddenly froze in mid-place, utterly unable to move, or even speak. It was as if his entire body as locked up on him, leaving him unable to fight back in the slightest.


    How¡­!


    ¡°There. We promised to return you safely, but honestly, you made such an ordeal out of this,¡±


    Just as quickly as it appeared, the meadow dissipated like a fog, leaving him staring face to face with the multitude of eyes that made up the Sovereign¡¯s body, all with a frustratingly pleasant look in them.


    ¡°Hallucination spores, and Pacifying spores. You really are a tough one.¡± A faint, lilting laughter was held in the Sovereign¡¯s voice as it spoke, only angering Drake more by the second. ¡°It¡¯s strange, we didn¡¯t see any overt hostility towards us during our time with you. What could have changed?¡±


    Cocky little¡­! Drake was fuming, but utterly unable to move. They were just biding time, making a fool out of him. There was easily a dozen adult Myconid here. Even if only the Sovereign could use the Hallucination spores, with so many of the regular Myconid here, those of the pacifying type seemed to be engineered to counter him eventually. It was inevitable.


    Infuriated, Drake struggled against the power that held his body in place yet was still left completely unable to move a muscle, or even speak. The Pacifying spores that were used against him, it left his body in a state that was comparable to complete muscle seizure. He was frozen in place, completely unable to move out of the position he was left in. All the while, the Sovereign had that damned expression¡­


    Raarghh! Drake struggled pointlessly but was only left frozen as the Sovereign slowly wandered behind him, out of his line of sight. There was a distinct sound that Drake recognized as the Sovereign testing the crystal he had surrounded Yami with, as the crystal rung out a low note as a series of taps tested the strength.


    ¡°Well, this is different¡­ she¡¯s unable to even escape, and it looks as if we were correct on our concerns with this mana as well. How incredibly troublesome¡­¡± The Sovereign grumbled.


    Hearing the words the Sovereign spoke so casually, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit of pride in himself. It may have cost him time, but he was thankful for what he had done.


    The crystal that had surrounded her should be utterly impossible for the Myconid to directly destroy. Given Aesir¡¯s influence, he¡¯d wager that they may be able to chip away at his mana¡¯s influence, but even that would time a tremendous amount of effort, all while protecting Yami more than he could ever hope for. It would be as if she simply went to sleep.


    The Sovereign heaved a heavy sigh as it turned. In truth, it had little choice but to give up on Yami for now, it¡¯s Eldritch form instead approaching Drake. It¡¯s voice also held a feeling of surprise, although just whether it concerned himself or Yami he was unable to tell.


    ¡°Truly, your kind are so much trouble. Intriguing, but violent. Mercurial, but utterly vexing.¡± A faint laugh rung out over the cavern, and it continued in a more official manner.


    ¡°Nevertheless, we upheld our end of the bargain. You¡¯ll be leaving soon. However, you¡¯ll be leaving alone.¡±


    Wait. I¡¯ll be leaving¡­ without Yami? Those words were spoken so simply by the Sovereign, yet even then, it seemed to Drake as if he had misheard them.


    The effect that held Drake in place wouldn¡¯t last forever, that much was obvious. Even now, he could feel the effect beginning to wear away, with small, minute twitching showing that his muscles were beginning to slowly loosen and allow him some movement. However, their purpose was never to keep him there. It was simply to allow him to pass his trial. Now, he would return to the dungeon, and complete what Aesir had intended for him. However¡­


    ¡°You¡­ can¡¯t¡­¡± Drake brokenly forced the words past his lips, his entire body straining against the effects of the Pacifying spores.


    ¡°Hm, can¡¯t we though? Still, the effect is already wearing away, after so much was used. You are dangerous,¡± the Sovereign muttered. ¡°Still, no matter. We only needed to keep you in one place for long enough.¡±


    No¡­! Drake desperately struggled against the effect of the spores, his strained muscles constantly attempting to fight against the paralysis that held his body still like a statue. Such a thing was too late, however.


    Like the heavy sound of a funeral bell, a horribly slow grinding sound suddenly made itself known above him and the Myconid surrounding him. Although it was only vaguely familiar to him, to someone like Yami, it would be apparent that it was the sound of Aesir¡¯s roots breaking through the soil and earth to reach down into this part of the cavern.


    ¡°Well, although we imagine we won¡¯t meet again on pleasant terms, we do hope we see you again,¡± the Sovereign remarked cheerfully.


    A heart-chilling laugh echoed across the cavern as rock and stone began to fall to ground around Drake. Desperate, almost primal movements surged through his body, as he fought desperately against the spores that kept him in place.


    He just needed more time. He would be able to save Yami. He would.


    He furiously fought even as vines descended from the ceiling and surrounded him. He fought as they firmly took hold of his body and held him more tightly than any prison the Myconid could build. He wanted to desperately call out to her, to at least let her know that he would be back, yet his mouth wouldn¡¯t even open to let him those few words.


    Despite his heartfelt effort, all that he could manage was a muffled cry as he was silently drawn up into the inky black abyss of the dungeon above.

 Chapter 11 Part 1

    Part 1


    Darkness. The endless noise and clatter of heavy roots slowly drawing him upwards, and the continual feeling of his body adjusting to the increase of mana from the dungeon, and the increasing altitude. That was the singular feeling that his body processed in the overwhelming darkness surrounding him. Most frustratingly, there was a deep rumble that seemed to follow him up the shaft he was being carried, which he could only assume was the ground sealing up behind them as he ascended. Somehow escaping, and making his way back to Yami, such an idea was impossible the moment he was captured.


    ¡°Ha.¡± Drake shook his head as he felt his body being drawn continuously upward, a despondent look on his face.


    His body felt as if he had more energy running through it than he ever had. The control he had over the duel natures of his mana, an increased concentration of the mana itself, as well as the occasional presence he felt pass by him through his newly gained access to a portion of Yami¡¯s abilities. He had all of it, but despite that, he couldn¡¯t even manage to escape with Yami from a horde of mushroom-men.


    The feeling of crushing disappointment was only made worse by the realization that he very well might not have a way back. He didn¡¯t know the layout of this dungeon, and he was unsure if it was even possible to tunnel out of it himself. Sure, he could always manipulate his mana to haphazardly drill downwards, but this wasn¡¯t the sort of place where that could even be attempted easily. The roots that had wrapped around his body were 5x¡­ no, 10x stronger than the Myconid could ever attempt to form. The mana inside them was much denser than even his own. He couldn¡¯t imitate that sort of power easily, if at all.


    A long and heavy sound escaped him as he was drawn into the dungeon, his body practically lifeless. He didn¡¯t make an attempt to move, and Aesir didn¡¯t give him the opportunity to escape. Even freed from the paralysis of the spores, Drake knew he couldn¡¯t escape. The hold the heavy roots had on his body was much too firm. This state didn¡¯t last for long, however. It may have taken time for Aesir to tunnel downwards, but Drake¡¯s ascent wasn¡¯t so slow. It didn¡¯t more than a minute until he was drawn into a suspiciously familiar room, although he was unable to tell if it was made that way, or if it was mere coincidence.


    A slight twinge hit Drake¡¯s nose as he stood still. No, it wasn¡¯t mere coincidence that this space looked similar. It was the same one that his unconscious body had been dragged from only a few weeks earlier. It was old, but this body of his was able to catch the scent of blood and decay.


    ¡°Which reminds me, I never did get the chance to eat that piece of meat that Yami brought to me,¡± muttered Drake. A faint smile escaped him at the thought before he brought his mind back to the dungeon.


    ¡°Still¡­ I¡¯m here again, huh,¡± he said coldly.


    He couldn¡¯t muster much more than that brief statement as the large roots released themselves from his body, and he fell to the ground. They then receded into the ceiling without a sound, simply leaving Drake alone in the cavern, and in utter silence.


    Merely shaking his head, Drake sat on the ground as the consequences of what happened began to roll over him. Yami was gone. Her signal was so faint, it might as well have been non-existent, and he had very few ideas on how he even might make his way back down towards her. Worst of all, if the Myconid managed to find a way through the crystal he made, they would have all the time in the world with her, a prospect that revolted him to his very core.


    After a few more moments of reflection, a saddened laugh escaped him. He had confused the notion of physical power with that of the Myconids, the power to control others, utterly and completely. No doubt if he wasn¡¯t so on guard against them, even he could have been put under their spell.


    He paused for a moment, before another breath escaped him, his eyes closed completely.


    ¡°Useless¡­!¡± He shook his head angrily, as he threw a punch at the ground. When it came down to it, he had just been useless. When it came to the Myconid, he didn¡¯t manage more than a few brave words before being put under their power, in his own trial he was tricked and twisted into the wrong path, even in this very cavern, he did little more than act as bait for Peter¡¯s group. A disposable piece that could be used up and thrown away when needed. He could have done so much more, but he hadn¡¯t fought in some vain attempt to enjoy a bit more time with the others. Something that had cost him the person that he trusted most¡­


    ¡°Augghh¡­ Dammit!¡± Drake yelled out in anger, as he suddenly clutched his chest. The burning he recognized in the Myconid¡¯s cavern returned. The moment he had been paralyzed by the Myconid, it had disappeared, like someone had simply licked their finger and snuffed it out. But now, like a flame re-lit, it had returned and was making itself known.


    ¡°This damn burning¡­ what is it?¡± He grumbled.


    He hadn¡¯t noticed it when he first awoke. In fact, it wasn¡¯t until he fully confronted the Sovereign that this feeling awakened in his chest. It didn¡¯t seem to have anything to do with his mana¡­ so what was it, and why did it bother him so much?


    ¡°Well, haven¡¯t you grown.¡±


    As the voice echoed out across the vast space, Drake suddenly felt his entire body freeze, as if he had been submerged deep underwater. An overwhelming pressure had surrounded him completely, leaving him almost in a daze. However, compared to the mind-racing adrenaline that one would feel when faced with a beast like the Wyvern, he didn¡¯t feel that deep sense of urgency. Rather, just the sense that someone far above him had appeared, one that could crush him at will.


    Picking himself up off the ground, he slowly turned to the direction of the refined voice he had heard. There, stood a figure casually descending from the ceiling on a moving bridge of vines and roots, his entire being radiating a sense of royal pride. At first glance, he even looked to be human. The man was dark-skinned, and while not overly muscular, his figure was certainly impressive. However, the unnaturally green eyes that exuded from his form, as well as the bountiful amounts of mana quickly proved that he was anything but human. So much so, that it easily dwarfed his own.


    Not far behind him, an equally beautifully woman floated down on a series of vines, although compared to the man, the feeling from that came from her was much colder. Worse yet, her own power seemed to be at least three-quarters the power he felt radiating off the man. More than enough to fight him single-handedly, and win.


    That woman¡­ she fits Yami¡¯s description of the Dryad. Green skin, a pair of antlers, and undeniably attractive. A bit younger looking than I expected, but there¡¯s little doubt it¡¯s her. She really could take me on all by herself¡­ He observed nervously.


    ¡°And if I had to guess, you must be Aesir.¡± Drake noted, as his eyes turned to the man.


    ¡°How dare you casually address my Darling in such a way, you-¡± In a flash of rage, the Dryad yelled out angrily, only to be swiftly cut off with a slight wave of the man¡¯s hand.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Manna. We¡¯ve come here to talk.¡±


    Talk¡­ to me? Drake haphazardly blinked his eyes in confusion.


    The likely master of the dungeon appeared in front of his very eyes, a being that he had little doubt could kill him if it desired. Yet it came here to speak to him?


    Shaking his head at the brief exchange, Drake¡¯s gaze narrowed as he looked to the duo. The Dryad seemed subservient to the man, in a way. Then again, if this really was Aesir, the spirit of the tree, it wasn¡¯t much of a surprise. From what little Yami told him of the Dryad, and what he knew himself, the species always tended to align themselves with a tree or trees in the various myths and legends. Given that this particular tree spirit was likely the pinnacle of his species, it wouldn¡¯t surprise him if this would be the one she had chosen to nurture for the rest of her life.


    Drake grimaced to himself slightly, as he looked up to the imposing man. ¡°So, what do you want?¡±


    ¡°You left a rather evil thing in my cavern, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Evil?¡± Drake had to think for a moment, before the meaning of the question hit him.


    The shards. I never did get around to suppressing them, did I? He clicked his tongue as he looked to the imposing man above him.


    Giving a brief sigh, he admitted, ¡°It was intended to be used against the Myconid. Truthfully, the master of the dungeon barely entered into my thoughts at the time.¡±


    The dark-skinned man took the comment in stride, merely returning with questions of his own.


    ¡°Used against my Myconid? On what grounds would you do such a thing? It seems to me that you should be thankful. You were, after all, hiding your identity from the others, weren¡¯t you? You were whisked away to an area where you could rest and recuperate, as well as safely advance according to the system you follow. It seems to me that it should have been everything you would have wished for.¡±


    At hearing such a one-sided comment, Drake couldn¡¯t help but bite back with a bit of venom in his tone. ¡°Oh yes, the Myconid were oh-so benevolent,¡± he laughed. ¡°They might not have harmed me, but I¡¯ve have been better off without them, given that they tampered with the mind of my partner!¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Aesir tilted his head in a questioning manner, as if he didn¡¯t understand a word of what Drake said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know,¡± Drake shook his head incredulously. ¡°The Myconid¡¯s area is filled with the mana you control, and they seem to revere you as a sort of God-like figure. The pods they used is filled with the mana from this dungeon, which can only mean you¡¯re to blame for all this,¡± he trained his gaze on Aesir, as a throaty growl made its way through his body.


    ¡°Ah. You mean their method of gathering information,¡± Aesir exclaimed happily.


    ¡°It¡¯s somewhat crude, true, but necessary,¡± Aesir waved his hand in a simple manner, as if to simply brush off the accusation.


    ¡°Surely as a former human, and the wealth of knowledge you had access to, you understand the construction of any perfect system is tedious. Your initial experience was less than perfect, due to some unfortunate¡­ tampering, but through that, I discovered an interesting quibble,¡± said Aesir with a wry smile.


    ¡°The race you descended from tends to fight hardest when they are fighting for someone close to them, or something they desire. Although, it¡¯s intriguing to me that the effect is even more pronounced in you,¡± the man laughed.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Might it have something to do with your current race?¡± He asked absent-mindedly.


    Wait¡­


    ¡°You¡­ gathering information isn¡¯t even your goal.¡± Drake hit upon a certain epiphany, as his face warped into one of anger and confusion.


    The Deep Gnome that had been kept underground. The Sovereign had mentioned very clearly how the Gnome wished to return to the others of his race, and how intriguing that emotion was. It was something the Myconid clearly found interesting, but it likely wasn¡¯t something that would actually encourage them to capture others. Curiosity didn¡¯t mean outright hostility, even if the thought process was so utterly foreign.


    From what Drake was told, this group of Myconid were the only ones to attempt such a strategy, which was why the Deep Gnome had been sent to investigate in the first place. What the Gnome didn¡¯t know however, was that the change was undoubtedly brought on by the dungeon itself, not the Myconid.


    In other words¡­ simply capturing others to learn of their experiences wasn¡¯t the purpose, it was simply a bonus, so to speak. The true purpose was the effect that had on those who weren¡¯t captured. It was why¡­


    ¡°Peter¡¯s group is still in the dungeon, isn¡¯t he? That¡¯s why Morgan is still trapped underground.¡±


    A knowing smile emerged, as Aesir simply nodded. ¡°Indeed. Although you are slightly mistaken. One member has been outright removed from my dungeon. However, the other one has not only met my standard, he¡¯s done even more. He might even be a match for you now, given time.¡±


    ¡°Really¡­?¡± Drake muttered.


    Peter. It must have been him who stayed behind. He was the one who had gained more from the mana well, and he was the leader of their solitary group. There was little doubt that he would be better suited to such a place than Luke, as well. Luke was undoubtedly more attack-focused, an attribute that worked well in groups, but alone, left himself wide open to a large array of attacks. Still, just what would Peter have gone through since he had been dragged underground? It had been weeks, and yet he was still here, fighting?


    ¡°Ha¡­¡± He breathed out, as a creeping smile began to appear on his face. That Morgan was being kept in the Myconid¡¯s cavern was actually a good thing. No, great even. It meant that he had a solution.


    Morgan and the Deep Gnome had been trapped and interrogated, but Yami was left free. What did that say about her? It should have been child¡¯s play to simply keep her in the same state as the others, but she was left free, even if it was in an altered state of mind. It meant that Aesir valued him for some reason, more than the others at least.


    Taking another breath, he looked to Aesir and asked, ¡°What about me?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s to be ascertained. But, you already seem to have understood.¡±


    Drake¡¯s gaze dropped to the ground, as he simply laughed at the uselessness of it all. It seemed from the moment he was separated from Peter and the others, he played into the palm of Aesir¡¯s hands.


    The purpose of a dungeon was to test those inside. That was an iron-clad rule. However, the method in which this occurred varied widely from dungeon to dungeon. Some would choose to pit those who entered against life and death situations, while others would build it as nothing more than a glorified training ground. Aesir¡¯s dungeon however, seemed to settle on a rather simple solution, a sort of middle ground between the two.


    Weed out those unsuitable for the treasures he held and use them against those who were worthy. If they weren¡¯t needed, they would be removed, while leaving those who could be used inside the dungeon, in a place where he could further learn about the race in question. A process that was simple, yet horrifyingly effective.


    Yami was obviously weaker than himself, but he never truly considered her to be undergoing the dungeon¡¯s trial. Given their bond, it seemed obvious that she would accompany him, even inside the dungeon. Obviously however, Aesir didn¡¯t share that opinion. The two of them were still viewed as individuals, and she was put to use against him just as Morgan was. To ensure that he didn¡¯t hold anything back.


    Yami¡­ it wasn¡¯t your fault. It was mine from the very beginning. Drake closed his eyes, as the image of the adorable imp crossed his mind. No, the image in his mind wasn¡¯t an imp anymore. Rather, she was the beautiful girl he had met for only a moment, before realizing how twisted she had become.


    In such a situation, the choice was clear. He opened his eyes, as he looked to Aesir. ¡°What do I need to do? Just pass your tests, and I get her back, right?¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡±


    ¡°Free of any influence from the Sovereign as well?¡±


    ¡°Did I misspeak?¡± Aesir uttered suddenly. ¡°You will receive her, fully and completely, and with her own mind untampered. I assure you.¡±


    Hm. That¡¯s that, then. He thought.


    When faced with Aesir¡¯s offer, Drake just couldn¡¯t bring himself to fight it in any way. He had been in despair over the thought of if he would even be able to see Yami again, let alone be able to save her, yet the answer was offered up so easily? It was an offer that he couldn¡¯t turn down.


    ¡°I accept,¡± he said. ¡°So, what do I need to do?¡±


    ¡°Simple.¡± Aesir stated. ¡°Down that path you will see a wide-reaching area. From there, you simply need to kill the boss of that area. That should be more than enough to prove to me you¡¯ve progressed enough to leave.¡±


    Aesir had already managed to ensnare Drake in a manner of his choosing, from using his partner against him, to allowing him to grow more powerful to truly test the environment he created. Meaning that now was the moment he had been preparing for, from the moment Manna had alerted him to Drake¡¯s presence. However¡­


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Drake acknowledged. Not waiting a moment longer, he immediately broke away from Manna and Aesir, and began to make his way down the winding staircase that he had seen Peter and the others venture down only a few weeks earlier. The sounds of his footsteps quickly disappeared down the stairway, leaving only Manna and Aesir left, with one wryly smiling to the other.


    ¡°You call me hasty, then do something like this. Darling, what you have planned for the both of them is so ambitious, it will take almost all of the mana you can gather. You¡¯re still too young to maintain something like this for long.¡±


    ¡°Heh. The prospect of the gains is too much for me not to, you know that Manna.¡± Unlike the imposing figure Drake would recognize, a young boy¡¯s voice escaped from his frame, as he slowly shrank down into a considerably younger form.


    Put simply, the imposing figure he showed Drake was little more than a front. While he had grown to the put where he could adopt a human form, he still wasn¡¯t to the state where he could use such power efficiently. The large majority of the power he could muster still went into maintaining and refining the state of the dungeon the two of them controlled. Especially now that the other participant in his little experiment had finally entered.


    ¡°These two are invaluable at this stage in my development. Testing my own limits against such skills will only improve my growth in the long run. I¡¯ll only have to wait a little longer¡­¡± Aesir said longingly.


    ¡°Right, right. Get some rest, Darling. I¡¯ll be sure not to play with them too much while you sleep.¡± She responded playfully.


    He shook his head with a sigh, as his figure slowly dissolved into the surrounding environment.


    ¡°I need to tend to the Myconid first. It shouldn¡¯t be too difficult but cleansing his mana will take some energy. I¡¯ll be trusting you with them until then.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Darling!¡±


    ¡­


    Drake proceeded slowly down the stone staircase, walking step by step so as to not fall into any unexpected traps. It wasn¡¯t what he initially expected, but the master of this dungeon really was the tree spirit, Aesir. Still, it was likely that it was a mixed ownership.


    Yami told him herself that the Dryad was the one responsible for the hobgoblin attack, and that particular battle was as straightforward as he could have imagined. And just like what he expected from the Dryad, it seemed Aesir specialized in frontal assaults, rather than tricks and traps to delay or injure those who attempted to pass through. Rather like the straightforward conversation they had with him.


    He was a bit surprised when he first entered the dungeon, but thinking on it now, it was the best layout for such a place, at least in his own opinion. From what he could tell, Aesir seemed to have an almost unlimited source of mana. Whether or not he could utilize it well or not was another question, but that was really the crux of the matter. He and Peter were the first to really test the limits of this dungeon. Any average dungeon master could likely take advantage of simple tricks, including Aesir. How many would be able to take advantage of such an abundant supply of mana, however? He couldn¡¯t imagine it would be many, especially at such an early stage.


    Take advantage of the gifts you have, so you can focus on any weaknesses later¡­ it seemed that really held true, no matter the situation.


    Something that I¡¯ll have to focus on myself, as well¡­ He thought, as he made his way deeper into the dungeon. Certainly, he had put off developing his own powers for too long. Brynhild had said it herself, he simply needed to form a solid basis for his mana, to put a specific restriction on himself, and focus on a certain style. Still, just what did he excel at? His mana was capable of attacking at both short and long range, although the power did drop off significantly at range, especially against those more powerful.


    At short range, he was capable of fully controlling his own mana in almost any manner he wished, but it often required his full attention, otherwise it simply went rampant, and began consuming everything in the environment. At long range, he simply lost control of it altogether if he wasn¡¯t directly connected to it. In mist form, it would dissipate if it couldn¡¯t find a solid source to readily convert, so it wasn¡¯t as if any source of mana could go out of control, but once it was concentrated into a crystal¡­ well, his failed plan with the Myconid proved what could happen. Each individual crystal would begin to grow as it drew natural mana towards it, which would only expand the reach of the corrupted mana it had gathered to itself.


    Although I never did learn if that sort of thing has a range on it or not. Back when I first discovered it in that dug-out hovel I made for myself, the mana crystals had only formed an influence of demonic mana out from it roughly fifty feet or so. Could that have been the maximum limit?


    He laughed, thinking back on himself from then. He hadn¡¯t even met Yami and had been overly concerned with gathering a significant amount of demonic mana to fuel himself, which had left him utterly miserable as he had forced large portions in his body to solidify the mana core he had begun to form. Not to mention the horrible experiments he attempted with natural mana. Honestly, the idea that he could breathe fire just by focusing a bit of it through his mouth seems like nothing but idiocy now.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t know anything back then. Although, I never thought such a simple mistake like leaving a few mana crystals out would result in how it did.¡±


    Demons couldn¡¯t simply spawn out of thin air, they needed a corrupted source of mana as a sort of solidifying point. Much like a Dryad or other similar types would spawn in a forested area, full of natural mana, Yami was only able to spawn because of how the environment had been affected by his own mana.


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how much that one little encounter changed everything. From there, I met Gwyn, Therion, and everyone else. Without her, who knows if I¡¯d ever even be able of talking to others,¡± he said thinking back.


    Such a simple step caused a chain of events that even he couldn¡¯t have expected. Just how differently would he have ended up, if he never met Gwyn? If he had never gotten control over the Draconian that had laid in wait inside his consciousness, and if he had never formed a way of communicating with others? It was all due to that simple mistake, but it was one that he glad he had made.


    Shaking his head free of the past, Drake continued down, step by step. Just as expected, the hard, seamless stone of the dungeon walls were completely clean of any traps. Nothing but the faint glow of the blue flames on the wall illuminated his path, leaving the entire pathway to be fairly simple in design. As he kept walking however, something strange caught his eye.


    ¡°Light¡­ natural light?¡± He strained his eyes even further, as if it was difficult to believe what he was seeing.


    Only the faint blue light of the unnatural flames that covered the dungeon could be said to have illuminated the dungeon so far. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine why either. It was hard to say whether or not how far they had traveled underground in the brief time they had spent in the dungeon at the beginning. When walking without a clear reference, it would have been very easy for them to have been slowly descending without being aware of it in the slightest. Now however, when he had been traveling straight down a staircase, and knew full and well how deep underground he should be, only now hints of natural light were shining through?


    Sheer common sense dictated that it should be impossible under these circumstances, especially this far down. Yet¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding me.¡±


    Drake continued further down, only to meet a wide expanse of bright light emerge underneath him. The winding stairway had led him into what could only be called a vast, underground forest, filled with towering trees of all sizes. From his position atop the stairway, he could see it descend roughly a hundred feet further down into the trees. From this perspective, it seemed to branch out for several miles in all directions. It was hard to judge, but the entire space seemed to cover almost ten, maybe fifteen miles.


    Is this¡­ what was planned for me? It just seems like an oversized killing pit. Drake thought skeptically.


    It was all too obvious. A large number of monsters were hidden below the tree line and judging from the sense of pressure that emanated from below, a few of were even stronger than him. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t even comparable to the Dryad or Aesir, but still, they were undeniably dangerous.


    Well, considering that he would basically be just another one of them, it might be easier to view it all as adding another creature to the mix.


    Drake smiled and shook his head, as he merely stared out over the vast area. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

 Chapter 11 Part 2

    Part 2


    A solitary man sat on the ground, only occasionally taking the time to stir the pot of greens and soup he had at his feet. Training did make one hungry, although in his case, it was more of a fight for survival, as rudimentary as he made it seem. Despite his brutal training however, it seemed to be the least of his problems.


    ¡°Haa¡­ I¡¯m telling you, you can¡¯t just say for me do something and get me to understand it. This oath-thing is way out of my comfort zone,¡± said Peter in a flat voice.


    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you, you don¡¯t need to understand it, you just gotta feel it,¡± insisted the Grimal. ¡°How is that so hard to understand, you stubborn Inumimi?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to understand, because I¡¯ve never been able to even feel mana, let alone this weird type! Moreover, the name is Peter. Say it with me, P-e-t-e-r.¡± He spelled each letter out, one by one, in a vain attempt to at least drill it in the creature¡¯s head to stop calling him by his race.


    Peter and the strange, cat-like creature near his feet were at each other¡¯s throats as per usual. Only this time, they were discussing the finer points of Peter¡¯s own growth, concerning the strange magic he had been gifted during his stay in the dungeon. A mixture of nature magic, and holy mana, a special mix all due to Aesir¡¯s status as a mythical tree. The perfect mixture for one such as himself, that had little to no talent with the ambient mana surrounding him.


    Grimal, on the other hand, was certainly a special case. A feline chimera, his species were often used to assist with sorcerers and the like with their experiments, although that was really only in the obscure stories he emerged from. In the depths of Aesir¡¯s dungeon, he took on a different role, although one that was likely no less stressful than the story he was created from.


    ¡°Listen, would you least attempt to tap into the power? This place was hand-crafted for you. For you to so blatantly ignore it seems unwise, oh great Peter.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s the sarcasm, again,¡± he sighed.


    For Peter, the presence of the cat-like creature wasn¡¯t altogether unwelcome, but he could do without the constant stream of abuse. Besides, it wasn¡¯t as if he could even catch it to shut it up. He had tried once, but it had merely laughed at him before simply running behind a tree and appearing almost twenty feet behind him. Without any form of magic, it seemed impossible to catch the creature if it didn¡¯t wish it so.


    As for his own, apparently latent abilities he had been given, naturally, he was told nothing. Nothing more than what Grimal had said, at least. Still, for a person who had focused almost wholly on the finer arts of hitting things really hard and being able to hold his own ground against the same, magic had always been a pipe dream. It was why he had thrown himself so fully into training with Luke, and one of the reasons Morgan stayed with them, despite her propensity to get them into trouble with her magic.


    ¡°¡­ Do you really think I¡¯ll ever be able to master something like this?¡± asked Peter with a grim look.


    Although he anything but human now, he honestly hadn¡¯t ever considered himself any different from when he was just human. Sure, he was faster, stronger, and grew a tail, but that was it. If push came to shove, he was honestly unsure if he would ever be able to tap into mana. Especially one that was apparently intangible unless you could really feel it out.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Grimal smirked. ¡°To tell you the truth, you¡¯re actually quite gifted. You wouldn¡¯t have lasted as long as you have otherwise. I wouldn¡¯t have stuck around, either,¡± it snickered.


    ¡°Gee thanks. Nice to know I¡¯m so gifted,¡± laughed Peter.


    Grimal gave a toothy smile, before it¡¯s ears suddenly swiveled towards the entrance of the forest, high up in the ceiling.


    ¡°Looks as if we are receiving more of them,¡± it remarked. ¡°Break time is over for you.¡±


    Grimal was, of course, referring to the spiraling staircase that was slowly descending down from the opening in the ceiling. Peter and the others had come down it themselves a few weeks earlier, and intermittently, the staircase would come down to refresh the stock of monsters and pseudo-animals for those inside to fight and hunt. It wasn¡¯t as if they were mere punching bags either, Luke had been badly injured by one, when he got sloppy and it had clamped down onto an arm, nearly taking a hunk off him entirely.


    After the fight, he had simply disappeared into the depths of the floor with a promise that he would be healed and returned to the surface. Morgan however, wasn¡¯t so lucky. In the center of this layer of the dungeon, was a tree, one that was guarded by what he could only assume was the boss of this level. A massive creature that Grimal referred to as a Fomorian.


    Malformed, disgusting, and absolutely massive, Peter could do little more than get a rank of B for how powerful it was, along with the name he already knew. His lack of training in the identification skill was certainly hurting him now, although he never planned to be using it so extensively, and in such a dangerous place. Unknown to him at the time, the creature had a powerful curse ability, and when Morgan snuck off one night to steal a powerful source of mana she had felt from the tree it was guarding, it had struck her with it, causing Morgan¡¯s body to become just as horribly misshapen it the Fomorian.


    Not soon after, she was taken away as well, although he received no such promise to gently return her to the surface. Only that he would need to kill the Fomorian to have any hope of saving her.


    ¡°How am I supposed to make any headway if the same tree keeps being replenished with monsters to guard it¡­ let alone kill the disgusting creature sleeping under it,¡± Peter lamented. While he was certainly gifted a few tasty monsters to eat, given he waited for the mana to drain out of the meat, the more dangerous monsters only built up. If he waited too much longer, he really would run out of time, regardless of the Fomorian.


    ¡°If you blindly attack it head on like a muscle-head, maybe. I mean, sheer violence is a valid choice, don¡¯t get me wrong, but a single person can only accomplish so much. Of course, that¡¯s why you need to tap into the power of your oath.¡±


    ¡°You say that like it means something,¡± Peter sighed.


    He shook his head, before grabbing his axe and shield and moving towards the bottom of the stairway. It typically took three to four minutes for the staircase to completely descend, although if one was inside, they wouldn¡¯t even notice the slight movement until they emerged near the top of the structure. Depending on one¡¯s luck, the staircase might even be fully extended before they noticed.


    ¡°Still, isn¡¯t it early? I could have sworn there was still time,¡± he questioned. Given that he typically positioned himself near the entranceway when he estimated its descent, it wasn¡¯t unexpected that he had gained a sense for when the stairway descended.


    ¡°Indeed. Something does seem off.¡±


    Peter scowled, before moving even faster towards the portion of the forest where the stairway would touch down. He was there within a minute, a somewhat lucky coincidence given he typically stayed further away from the center during the times when the stairway had receded. Taking his standard position roughly a hundred yards out from the bottom, he laid in wait for the release of the expected monsters to replenish this part of the dungeon.


    Although it was purely conjecture, typically, a slot opened up near the bottom of the stairwell. From there, monsters would begin to spread out in all directions. Likely, there was some hidden mechanism that transported all of the creatures at once, letting potential adventurers simply walk down the exterior stairway, while the more dangerous creatures who couldn¡¯t be trusted to simply walk down would be forcibly transported in the inner portion. They exited in waves, so it was at least likely that he was correct. However¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s taking so long¡­?¡± Peter mumbled.


    It was a process that he had seen time and time again, hell, the entire process practically ran like clockwork. There had never been a time when the dungeon master had delayed on releasing any creatures, so why now?


    He shook his head, before turning to small Grimal next to him.


    ¡°You¡¯re better at this than I am. Any ideas?¡± He sighed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t turn away. Something is coming.¡± The Grimal looked to the top of the stairway, it¡¯s eyes in lock-step with whatever it felt. A small wave came over the creature as it¡¯s hair spiked up all over it¡¯s back, a gesture that Peter recognized almost immediately. It was the same look that all cats gave when they were afraid.


    ¡°Grimal, what is it?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know,¡± it muttered. ¡°It¡¯s heavy. It¡¯s near the top of the stairway, just looking down over us. I get a horrible feeling whenever it¡¯s gaze passes over us.¡±


    ¡°The top of the stairway?¡±


    It was practically a rule. That wasn¡¯t an entrance meant to be used by monsters. It was the same entrance into this subterranean forest that he and the others used. One that only dungeon-goers used.


    ¡°Should we run?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s coming down too fast, it¡¯ll catch you. Hide.¡±


    ¡°Wait.¡± Peter stared wide-eyed at the Grimal. ¡°Catch me?¡±


    The Grimal voiced its opinion before quickly running around the tree and disappearing completely from Peter¡¯s sight. It only took a moment for Peter to realize what happened, but it didn¡¯t leave him any less in shock at the creature¡¯s actions.


    That damn cat!! He just left me here near the bottom of the stairway. He can practically teleport away, but he just leaves me here in the thick of it!


    ¡°Aaghh..¡± Peter grumbled as he quickly looked around before clambering into a thick bush nearby. If what he was told was true, then he really wasn¡¯t left much choice in the matter.


    He lowered himself down as far as he could, as he simply watched the bottom of the stairway. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t as if he had to wait long, given the Grimal¡¯s warning, but even then, he was surprised at the appearance of the creature. Rather than simply walking down it as he expected, it practically catapulted down the staircase, using it almost as a method to slow itself down.


    It used a continual method of shooting down thirty, or forty feet at a time, before a strange mist emerged and ¡®grabbed¡¯ at the edges of the staircase. The mist seemed to provide enough of a force to slow it down, while allowing it to entirely bypass the long walk down. A strategy that left him in utter shock at first, when it suddenly landed on the ground with a slight groan.


    Thick, black horns, a dark shade of red covering it¡¯s scales, and a considerable predatory appearance. It almost reminded him a bit of a group of Kobolds he had fought recently, to be honest, although the intimidating aura that radiated off of it separated it entirely from a simple race of trap-makers like the Kobolds.


    ¡°Identify.¡± He whispered to himself.


    ¡°Oh for the love of¡­!¡± Instantaneously, a massive headache came over Peter as a horde of information assaulted him, the pain only slightly fading as the information began to set in inside his mind. He had expected it to be dangerous given the Grimal¡¯s warning, but only the upper levels of B tier had enough power really affect him like this, especially given how much he had trained the skill recently.


    Peter took a deep breath to center himself before training his mind on the information that was transmitted through the skill.


    Monster identified as a Crimson Fiend Draconian. Named: Unknown. Partner: Unknown. Original threat level: C. Current threat level: Unknown. One of the draconic class species. Born as one of the first of his kind, he was gifted with a powerful *#@ forbid#*@ magic, and has grown considerably under #$¡¯@ influence $&#^@ then. Capable of class A corru$#*$@ Warning: Identify level insufficient.


    ¡°This¡­ is a lot more than I was expecting.¡± He murmured. ¡°A partner? As well as it being named¡­¡±


    Normal identification typically only gave a threat level, the race, and some background information over the race itself. This tended to be the same across the board, in fact, it was basically standard to almost every monster. However, there were rare cases where it had strayed before. Unique monsters.


    ¡°Tch¡­¡± He bit his lip, as he watched the creature gaze around the surroundings, with a look he could almost describe as curiosity.


    He severely doubted what he would even be capable of even killing such a creature. At most, maybe he would able to fight it off, given his considerable defensive abilities. Normally, Identify would at least give one a proper threat level, but it didn¡¯t even do that. Thankfully, he was able to gain access to at least some information, so the creature wasn¡¯t at the top of B class, but even then, that made him incredibly dangerous to deal with single-handedly.


    I need to run¡­


    That thought was firmly planted in his mind. Right now, he was little better than when he first entered the dungeon. If he mastered his new oath, then maybe, but now¡­?


    No. The moment it turned away from him, he would bolt in the opposite direction. As long as he made it back to his camp, he¡¯d be just fine. Grimal never had issues finding him even when they were separated either, and given the frankly absurd abilities it had, bordering on cockroach levels of survivability, he had little doubt it would be safe.


    Peter waited with bated breath as the creature seemed to pause. For a moment, it almost even seemed as if it was thinking. It lifted its nose in the air, as a hungry grin emerged, and it slowly began to walk towards him.


    ¡°¡­!¡±


    Peter crouched down and lowered himself, his eyes wide with trepidation. Why¡­ why was it coming straight towards him? He shouldn¡¯t have been discovered.


    He froze up, only staying as still, and as quiet as he possibly could, hoping that somehow it would walk past him. And surprisingly, that¡¯s just what it did.


    Well, to be correct, it bolted past with him with a speed that thought he was going to die for half a second, but yes, it went past him rather quickly.


    ¡°Wha¡­¡±


    He found it hard to believe. What did it find so enticing that it ran straight past him without a moments notice? There was very little in that direction that a monster would find enticing, he was sure of it. It was nothing but a small portion of the area that he had largely cleared out, mainly for his own safety as ¡®night¡¯ fell.


    Well, ¡®night¡¯ as in the luminous rock in the ceiling growing dark for a period of time, but that was often when the most dangerous creatures would come out. He had made a good base of operations in that direction and it was typically where he kept all of the most valuable materials he had retrieved from various corpses. He had planned to sell it all off, in an effort to make this entire dungeon trip worth all the trouble.


    ¡°Well, weren¡¯t you were quite lucky.¡±


    Though the words and tone sounded warm, the borderline sadistic grin the Grimal was giving him as it suddenly appeared next to him made him wish he could throttle it. Appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye, and it had the gall to taunt him as soon as it felt it was safe.


    ¡°And what a reliable partner you are,¡± Peter replied while sighing anxiously.


    The Grimal¡¯s smile only grew wider, as it quickly turned towards the direction the Draconian had raced off to.


    ¡°What do you think it could be wanting in that direction? It seemed as if it smelled something, but truthfully, most creatures do their utmost to avoid the exact scenario we just witnessed. If particularly tasty creatures were able to be sniffed out that simply, they¡¯d be extinct, and at a quick pace at that.¡±


    Peter couldn¡¯t help but agree. In any case, could it have been that it had smelled where he had been? If it was that simple, then it likely would have found him where he had hidden¡­


    ¡°I can¡¯t just leave it all because it haphazardly rushed in that direction. Abandoning an entire camp just because a new creature came along. What would the others even think of me for doing that? Ideally, it leaves this area soon to go off and hunt, but until then, I¡¯ll need to keep an eye on it,¡± Peter muttered.


    ¡°Whatever you say.¡± The Grimal responded matter-of-factly. ¡°As long as you keep a proper distance, it should be safe. Be back in a second.¡±


    Peter nodded, before slowly moving in the direction that the Draconian had ventured off in. Grimal often warned him away from the more dangerous creatures, just as it did with this one, however, it also performed the roles that were impossible for him. Simple missions such as scouting and investigations. He truly had to thank whoever thought of the creature, despite his sarcastic nature.


    ¡°Haa¡­ now¡­¡± Peter took a few more deep breaths as he reminded himself just what he was going up against. Despite his thoughts on how it even entered this portion of the dungeon, the origins of it¡¯s demonic influence certainly held some interest. From what little he was told, the ¡®powers¡¯ he was given by the Tree Spirit should be directly counter to such an influence, especially given that his brand of holy magic wasn¡¯t the standard type, but instead imbued with nature mana as well.


    Such a thing was incredibly useful, especially since almost everyone who lived inside of Fortress knew of how horrific demonic mana could be to the surrounding environment. Turning entire swaths of land into little more than a monster-making factory full of demonic creatures, not even considering the local Lord who could potentially turn other types.


    It was a problem that had posed intense concern from what he had heard. For someone like him and his group, it was something they merely pushed out of their minds, but for those who had actually gone up against demons? Apparently, it caused a whole host of issues if a person was exposed to it long enough. Simply put, they were never good, which was one reason he was so surprised when Drake had wandered in with an imp on his shoulder.


    It was practically admitting that they had wandered in far enough to catch one. Not to mention had dealt with the problems such demonic influence could have on them personally.


    Putting a demonic-influenced creature in the dungeon¡­ Don¡¯t tell me that it¡¯s another test of some kind¡­? He groaned internally to himself as he continued forward.


    In any case, all he could do is take it one step at a time. Unfortunately, that first step involved getting the damn creature out of his camp.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ Peter. You might want to see this.¡± Appearing from behind him, the Grimal suddenly stepped forward, likely as a result of its strange ability.


    ¡°The creature?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s uh¡­ eating your stew,¡± the Grimal seemed almost reluctant to say anything, as if it couldn¡¯t believe what it had seen with its own eyes.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky. It seems quite hungry, but it settled for something like that. Although, settle really isn¡¯t the right word. It kinda just started¡­ well, downing the entire pot once it reached it. Quite impressive really.¡±


    ¡°But¡­whyyy?!¡± He yelled out, completely exasperated.


    He fully understood that the creature was dangerous but¡­ they didn¡¯t even normally like his food! Why would it go so far? Let alone that it literally raided his camp for it!


    Utterly incredulous, Peter stomped off in the direction of his camp, barely consolable as he continued forward. Granted, it didn¡¯t take very long for him to reach the camp, nor did the object of his interests seem to take any notice in his abrupt approach.


    However, the dark-haired beast-man could do nothing but half-groan, half-scream in frustration at the sight in front of him. The food stocks he had so carefully maintained over the past week, gathered through a hard process of careful trapping and a bit of luck, were being devoured whole in front of him. They contained some of the tastiest creatures he had managed to catch. Worst yet, the occasional looks of disgust were all too plain to see on the creature¡¯s expression, not that it stopped the creature¡¯s voracious appetite one bit.


    Just as the Draconian was about to open up another storage bin, Peter yelled out in frustration towards the creature, to the Grimal¡¯s complete surprise. He certainly couldn¡¯t kill such a creature, but at the least, he might be able to scare it off. Waiting at least, certainly wasn¡¯t an option anymore, not when it possibly could raid the entire camp empty of its food-stock.


    With a worried look, the Grimal had vanished completely behind a tree not a moment later, while Crimson Draconian only seemed to take a vague look around at the source of the interruption. Once it did however, a clear smile emerged that took Peter by complete surprise.


    It waved him closer, as if it was all too familiar with him, before that same strange mist he saw before suddenly enveloped the creature whole. In its place, stood the man that he had given up for dead all those weeks ago.


    ¡°Drake?!¡±


    ¡°Yo.¡±

 Chapter 11 Part 3

    Part 3


    Peter stood dead still, his eyes haphazardly darting back and forth over the figure of Drake. Although he was left on the upper floor, at the time, Peter wanted nothing more than to take him with Morgan and Luke as they descended down the stairway. He wanted nothing more than that, but at the threat of a fight, the imp at his side was quite insistent that he be left alone. To see him now, however, after he had given him up for dead¡­


    ¡°How¡­ No, what are you? How are you still alive?¡± Peter shook his head from to side to side, utterly confused with the situation before him.


    The intimidating beast that had descended down from the upper floors had transformed into the man he imagined he¡¯d never see again. The sheer amount of questions he had concerning that situation alone was enough to give him a bit of a shock, let alone his mysterious transformation.


    ¡°Well I¡¯m getting some well needed food, for one. This yours?¡± Drake casually held up a large piece of meat, one which had a large, and dangerous-looking bite taken out of it.


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡± Peter answered haphazardly, only to recognize the piece as Drake took another bite. The rainbow pheasant leg he has roasted the night before¡­


    ¡°Huh. Sorry about that. I thought it was too good to be true, but in a place like this, where you haven¡¯t eaten for a few weeks? I thought it was just a gift,¡± Drake mumbled contently.


    The two men merely looked to each other, one in utter confusion, and the other with a somewhat bemused expression.


    ¡°So? I¡¯m guessing you have a few questions. I¡¯m tired of playing games, so just have at it.¡± Drake waved at him lazily before a greedy expression overtook him and he took another bite into the plump bird leg.


    ¡°Yep. Definitely better in this form,¡± he murmured to himself with glee.


    Peter barely gave him a once-over before he shook his head again, the incredulous look on his face only growing more.


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re some kinda monster? I¡­ you just can¡¯t be just a monster, right?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh no, definitely a monster. Hurt like hell when I turned, even blacked out for a bit. From what little I know, you definitely benefitted with that on your side of the equation. Still human mind though, so that¡¯s a plus,¡± he snickered with a mischievous tone.


    He greedily finished off the stray scraps of meat, devouring the whole thing in three to four bites, before moving onto another.


    ¡°Wait¡­ so you¡¯re human. You¡¯re like us.¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­ ¡± Drake shook his head with a sigh, before continuing, ¡°Well, sort of, I guess. It¡¯s a bit complicated, to say the least. Although¡­ you¡¯re taking this better than I thought you might. It seems like I was right about you at least. That makes you the first, so congrats,¡± he snickered again.


    ¡°First? Ugh¡­ anyway, just how-¡±


    ¡°You know this creature?¡±


    The feline chimera poked its furry head up from behind his shoulder, the sudden weight suddenly registering itself on his shoulder.


    ¡°The signal that monster was radiating suddenly just dropped off. Couldn¡¯t feel a thing, so I decided to drop back in. Good to see you¡¯re still alive, by the way,¡± Grimal said in an upbeat manner.


    ¡°Uh¡­ yeah,¡± Peter mumbled.


    Between his own utter shock and confusion over Drake¡¯s survival, and the Grimal¡¯s apparent lack of concern over his own survival, he was beginning to think that he had gotten in over his head.


    ¡°He¡¯s one of the guys I told you about, the one that we left behind. I¡­ never could have expected this though¡­¡±


    Thinking back on what had happened, Peter had felt that something was off, but he never expected this. Of course, people would have things to hide. A special skill, or a particularly dangerous ability. He had some assumptions based on how his imp had treated them in comparison to Drake, but to think he was among the monster races, something like that could never be anticipated.


    Drake meanwhile, merely smiled as he overheard the one-sided conversation with the cat-like creature on Peter¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not something I really wanted to share before all this,¡± Drake admitted frankly. ¡°I¡¯m sure you know of the groups that head out in the wilderness and hunt for cores, right? At least I assume you do.¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course. They¡¯re typically among the upper levels in terms of power, given what they do. Although some tend to be more volatile than others,¡± Peter answered.


    ¡°Heh. Yeah well, how do you think they would react to someone like me?¡±


    Peter grimaced. Typically, those who joined such groups had a grudge of some sort. The transition from a normal, everyday world to the current one was not an easy transition. It resulted in a large amount of deaths, especially among those who were trapped in places with a high ratio of humans. For those who wouldn¡¯t transform, or those who attempted to save them? It was the same as putting them through a living hell, one with which they were put under constant pressure of death.


    As for how the individuals that survived treated those who caused them such pain? Well, there was a good reason they were the ones who often chose to be sent out in such squads, rather than those who were transformed quickly and stayed away from large populations.


    ¡°Sorry man,¡± Peter shook his head.


    ¡°Meh. Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Drake shook his head as he spied one last bite of meat, before popping it into his mouth, and promptly swallowing it whole.


    ¡°Ah¡­ that was good,¡± he said contently.


    Waving his hand, he said, ¡°In any case, I was reluctant to reveal myself, for obvious reasons. I haven¡¯t exactly had the most sparkling record regarding other humans, so I tend to just stick with others like me, if they¡¯ll speak to me at least. I¡¯ve been lucky for the most part.¡±


    ¡°Wait. So, there are others like you?¡± Peter asked.


    ¡°If you¡¯re asking if I¡¯ve met any other humans that transformed like me, then no,¡± Drake laughed as he shook his head. ¡°I meant speaking to just normal monsters. Honestly, even I¡¯m not sure what that led me to staying sane. Even if it happened again, no doubt they¡¯d be a major source of trouble for others.¡±


    Although it was only an assumption on Drake¡¯s own part, his transforming so soon after the announcement was likely the reason for his continued sanity. Whether it was due to how powerful his new body was in comparison to some of the more mundane ¡®beast races¡¯, or some other reason, he had no doubt that any others who had survived the same process would be an endless source of trouble, especially given their chances of also being a predecessor.


    His own ability to cause destruction was something he knew very well and was something he did his best to avoid. As for how some others might react to their newfound power, however? They could easily cause more trouble than it was worth.


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°How did I end up like I did? Or are you wondering about the other monsters?¡± Drake chuckled to himself as he asked rhetorically. ¡°For me, it was just a matter of being lucky. Although I had to deal with a certain¡­ issue, I kept my human mind perfectly intact.¡±


    ¡°As for other monsters¡­ most are quite nice, as long as you can speak with them. Although they do all have their own quirks.¡± Drake smiled as he shook his head, thinking back to innocent little Ella. Despite her being a child, her strength was frightening. The fact that Aleria had crushed a man to death with nothing more than a little thought proved just how strong she would become in the future.


    As for Peter, he shook his head slowly, soaking in all of what Drake told him. It was hard to believe at first, given what was common sense for those that transformed into monsters went mad, but given Drake¡¯s straightforward explanation, it was impossible to not believe. Still, there was something that confused him.


    ¡°Speaking of which¡­ Drake, where¡¯s the little imp?¡± Peter asked quizzically.


    ¡°Yami¡­¡±


    Drake immediately sunk into a deep silence, as his face twisted up into a considerable grimace, quickly leading Peter to realize he had walked into a rather sensitive topic. Given that the entire time Peter had known him, the little creature had always been by Drake¡¯s side, he had assumed that she was simply off somewhere scouting. A rather obvious use for her sensory abilities, along with the ability of flight in such an enclosed, cavernous area.


    ¡°Do you mind me asking what happened?¡± He asked.


    Drake shook his head slightly, with a quick, depreciative laugh. ¡°She¡¯s just busy at the moment. I¡¯ll see her again soon.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ R-right.¡± Peter responded awkwardly, before dropping the topic entirely. ¡°Sorry.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Appreciative, Drake smiled as he looked to Peter, and turned his head in curiosity. ¡°It really is nothing¡­ and thanks,¡± he responded.


    Clapping his hands together suddenly, Drake quickly changed the topic. ¡°Now, mind if I ask a question or two. I¡¯ve been wondering this the entire time, but what is that weird glow you have around you?¡±


    ¡°Glow?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Kind of like the back-glow you get when you¡¯re in the dark and there¡¯s a flashlight behind them. It¡¯s just been around you since I first saw you. And given the only light you were giving off up the cavern was thanks to Morgan, so I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s new,¡± Drake joked.


    ¡°Wait, what?¡± Peter shook his head.


    A glow. That was the way Drake described it, but Peter had no idea what he could be referring to. He certainly didn¡¯t have a glow around him. Something like that would be a dead-giveaway in the dark, something that he would be more than a little careful about given the ferocity of specific creatures in the darkness.


    ¡°You don¡¯t see it, then?¡± Drake looked confused, before sighing in contemplation.


    ¡°He is referring to the latent mana of someone who has received the gift of the mythical tree, Aesir. Although it is somewhat troubling that he managed to perceive it at all,¡± the Grimal interjected.


    ¡°Wait, so is that normal?¡± Peter responded.


    ¡°No. Not at all,¡± the Grimal grumbled.


    Although Drake gave off none of the intense pressure he did before in his human form, it was hard for any species to forget the fierce pressure of a Dragon subspecies. Although it was merely on accident, Drake¡¯s scanning of the cavern had alerted most of the creatures of his presence based on that alone.


    Most of all, was that particular racial line¡¯s ability to understand mana. Although it was obviously less pronounced in Drake, that he was able to see the glow around Peter at all made him dangerous.


    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s not a threat? He should be killed if you¡¯re the least unsure,¡± the Grimal warned.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with that attitude? He¡¯s a friend. Along with Luke and Morgan, he was the last one that came here with us,¡± Peter said.


    ¡°Yo, Peter. Since when can you speak to monsters?¡± Drake called out.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Uh..¡±


    It was an obvious question, given the state of things. Drake himself had only become capable of it thanks to a certain quirk of connecting his own monster core with those of other creatures. Peter had no such options regarding that particular method.


    ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re not going to laugh, alright?¡± Peter look down uncertainly.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just a perk of a larger power, to simplify things a bit,¡± he began.


    A perk, that was only received due to him being the last one remaining in the dungeon. With Luke removed, and Morgan trapped and transported to recover in the care of the Myconid, he was gifted the power due to being especially suited to such a thing.


    ¡°It¡¯s called an oath. An Oath of the Ancients to be exact, one that was granted by the Dungeon Master. Supposedly, I receive powers based on the Oath, although Grimal has been frighteningly vague on the whole process.¡±


    ¡°Grimal, being the cat?¡± Drake asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Peter laughed.


    ¡°It¡¯s based around four tenets. Kindle the Light, Shelter the Light, Preserve my own Light, and Become the Light. A perfectly screwy power if you ask me, with an equally vague meaning on what it could all mean.¡± Peter couldn¡¯t help but laugh dejectedly.


    ¡°Although I know that I need to preserve nature, thanks to the Grimal, what the rest means exactly is just too hard. I can only barely feel out what it may mean,¡± he sighed. ¡°Why can¡¯t it just be something simple like Semper Fortis¡­¡±


    ¡°I can imagine,¡± Drake replied stoically. Still, behind Drake¡¯s feigned disinterest, the tenets themselves were undeniably intriguing.


    Although it had only the vaguest of meanings to Drake, he could piece together well enough what such a power may mean through Brynhild¡¯s teachings. Essentially, all the rules were was a series of restrictive tenets that Peter needed to obey to grow and use his power. It may seem overly restrictive to a specific kind of person, but if they actually committed to following them? It would a power perfectly suited to them and allow them to grow as much as they needed in the future.


    The tenets themselves however, were just as much a product of what Aesir needed, as what the tree spirit imagined the user would require.


    Kindle the Light, through acts of mercy and forgiveness, beat back despair to improve the world. Shelter the light, through destroying any who would attempt to snuff out those who would threaten Aesir¡¯s trials and those who would successfully undergo them. Preserve their own light, through maintaining the sort of attitude that would best enable the powers the flourish, and Become the Light, to further the spread of Aesir¡¯s influence through the attitudes of others.


    Although such information wasn¡¯t known to either one of them, the mere mention of such a ruleset immediately set Drake on the path to his own powers.


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± Drake mumbled. ¡°Interesting¡­¡±


    Was this the type of restrictions that Brynhild meant when she mentioned them? It may seem to be a bit standard, but given the repeated mentioning of ¡®Light¡¯, Peter¡¯s Oath seems to set him on the path to a type of holy warrior. That, along with the fact that it was granted by Aesir, likely grants it some basis with nature mana as well¡­


    Drake looked to Peter with an almost playful expression. Someone who was almost the complete opposite of him in terms of type. He would say it was too good to be true, if the source wasn¡¯t the exact same type he had been having so much trouble with recently.


    ¡°So, the gift you got is related to the Dungeon Master. Well, you definitely got off lucky. It¡¯s a mixture of both Natura and Holy mana, if I pegged it right,¡± Drake said.


    ¡°Wait, you know about the Dungeon Master as well?¡±


    ¡°I had the unfortunate pleasure of speaking to him. Yami as well, from what I know. He was the one that saved me, although no doubt it was to put me in here with you,¡± Drake replied.


    Although that was only once Peter had acquired his gift as well. It might be some vague rule, but he needed me out of the way, so he could remove the other two without no issues, and safely gift Peter the ability. Drake thought viciously.


    It was a case of simple requirements. It seemed the Dungeon Master was just as much trapped by them as the rest of them it seemed.


    ¡°So, this really was all planned out, then.¡± Peter sighed. ¡°I had a feeling once I saw you alive and well, that it was something of the sort. It was too good to be true.¡±


    ¡°Meh. Don¡¯t look a gift horse in the mouth. It¡¯ll cause too much trouble, trust me.¡±


    Drake smiled, before a certain mischievous side took over for a bit. With a quick flip of his fingers, a red crystal suddenly appeared, floating in mid-air. The Grimal on Peter¡¯s shoulder visibly shrunk back, while even Peter himself showed some signs of unease. Not that it really mattered, that wasn¡¯t the point of this little experiment.


    ¡°Catch,¡± Drake said as he tossed the small, red crystal over to Peter.


    Unlike his expectations however, Peter physically jumped back from the small piece, leaving it to only harmlessly bounce onto the ground with a small plop.


    ¡°What the hell did you try to throw to me?¡± Peter rebutted. He gave a cursory look at the small shard on the ground, before even Drake could see a chill run up his spine.


    Perplexed, Drake walked over, before picking up the harmless piece of Pride mana he had manifested.


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to hurt you, you know. I made sure of that much,¡± Drake muttered defensively.


    ¡°Uh huh. Sure. Tell me what it is first. I¡­¡± Another chill ran up his spine at the sight of the small piece of crystal, ¡°get the most awful feeling from it.¡±


    A negative reaction to demonic mana? He didn¡¯t seem to react negatively to me at all, though. Drake pondered.


    Tilting his head to the side ever-so slightly, Drake manifested the crimson gauntlets that he had modified for his human form. He hadn¡¯t changed them in the slightest from when he had shown Peter¡¯s group, aside from an increase in the concentration of the mana itself thanks to his rank up. That manifestation however, resulted in an even more drastic reaction than before, with Peter¡¯s face visibly blanching at the sight of the clawed gauntlets.


    ¡°Do you¡­ sense demonic mana now?¡± Drake questioned.


    ¡°And you can summon that stuff at will?! I thought¡­ no, I don¡¯t even know what I thought.¡± He gave an uneasy sigh, before waving at Drake to put away the gauntlets.


    Giving a short shrug, the clawed gauntlets disappeared back into Drake¡¯s body, leaving Peter in a considerably more relaxed demeanor before he began muttering to himself.


    ¡°Of course, the gauntlets weren¡¯t some sort of conjuration magic, and you were never really a fighter to begin with¡­ that was just a ruse.¡± He calmed himself as best he could, as he glanced at the red shard Drake had calmly picked up.


    ¡°So, that was horribly unpleasant. Great,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°What¡¯d you want me to do with that thing, anyway?¡± He said as he gestured to the shard in Drake¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, I just figured it¡¯d be helpful. I¡¯d bet money that your type of mana is the same kind that Aesir uses, and let me just say, I¡¯m fairly intimate with how it reacts to my own type.¡± Drake sneered.


    Aesir¡¯s mana had a rather unique reaction, all things considered. Rather than destroying the crystal itself, it seemed to act as if all the life had simply run out of it, leaving the crystals somewhat dead and lifeless. It was an unsettling reaction for him at least. It was as if all the demonic mana had been drawn out, leaving nothing but a shell.


    Or rather, purified it, thinking back to just what specific types were interacting.


    ¡°You should be able to purify it, as long as you can use that mana of yours,¡± Drake chuckled. ¡°Given what kind it is, I would honestly be shocked if you couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Purify it? Why would you make it if you just want me to destroy it, and that¡¯s assuming I even can.¡±


    ¡°You can,¡± Drake said decisively.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it happen almost half a dozen times now, and that was with diluted portions of it in other creatures, let alone pure mana. But¡­¡± Drake questioned, ¡°you don¡¯t know how to use mana yet, do you?¡±


    It was understandable that Peter might have a negative reaction to his mana. Given that they were opposing types, it was almost necessary in any other situation, but the way Peter spoke, and reacted, made it seem as if he was almost afraid of what Drake could do.


    Even that insignificant crystal, which only had an utterly insignificant amount of power, was enough for him to jump back from. In a way¡­ it almost proved that he couldn¡¯t deal with it, even if he could recognize it for what it was.


    Peter grimaced slightly, as his shoulders sagged at the somewhat pointed question. It was true, he couldn¡¯t use it in the slightest apart from the utterly rudimentary Speak with Animals, spell he had learned. Still, that didn¡¯t make it any easier to hear from someone else.


    ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t do what you can,¡± he muttered. ¡°It¡¯s been around two weeks since Morgan disappeared, but I¡¯ve yet to get a hang of it. Grimal appeared soon after, but even he has only cleared up some of the most basic parts.¡±


    He can¡¯t use his own mana? It should be something easy to feel out. Or¡­ is it¡­


    ¡°Just how much did you hear from Morgan on how to use magic, Peter?¡± Drake asked.


    Perplexed, he answered truthfully. ¡°Uh¡­ just a bit. She¡¯d tried teaching me and Luke for close to a week, but it never stuck. Something about feeling the mana gathering, but it just ended up being pointless.¡±


    Drake almost felt like face-palming at the simple explanation. Dammit. This is just the purest form of irony. He¡¯s so focused on the old lessons of his friend, that he¡¯s completely ignoring his own body in the process. Drake shook his head.


    ¡°Hmph. For any other person, just imitating Morgan might work, but even that wouldn¡¯t do much in this case. All I can really say is feel it out. Catch.¡± Drake tossed the small piece of crystal over, which Peter reluctantly caught in his hands.


    ¡°Wait, what do you-¡±


    Standing up, Drake stretched as a playful smile crossed his face. ¡°I ate some of your food, so it¡¯s only fair that I catch some in return.¡±


    Feeling his stomach growl, Peter realized that with the sudden arrival of Drake, he had forgotten that he was right about to eat before Drake had practically inhaled the large majority of the food stock he had gathered. He definitely needed some food while he practiced, but¡­


    ¡°You don¡¯t eat monsters like the rest of us, I know that much. It takes a while for the mana to draw out of the meat, and be safe for normal people to eat, so be careful with it while the mana draws out of the corpse. It can be easy to spoil.¡±


    An evil smile crossed Drake¡¯s face as he chuckled at the warning, ¡°Right, thanks for the tip. You might wanna take your own advice though.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°See ya~¡± Drake snickered.


    In a flash of red mist, Drake leaped off from the small encampment in his Draconian form, before crashing into the surrounding wood line and disappearing completely.


    However, Drake¡¯s sudden flight only left Peter more confused than ever.


    ¡°Take my own advice? Just what the hell does maintaining food have to do with me?¡±

 Chapter 11 Part 4

    Part 4


    The vast, underground cavern that laid under Aesir¡¯s dungeon had about three and a half thousand different monsters contained inside.


    The breadth and variety of these monsters tended to cluster together into various groups, according to their own priorities. Nested at the foot of the Northern Luminous Peaks, lay a rather sedentary group of Kobolds, the most degenerate group of monsters that contained traces of Draconic blood, while just above them, lay a wide expanse of jutted, rock formations that contained one of the few examples of an alpha species that was contained in the cavernous dungeon. Griffons. Although they only numbered half a dozen or so, they indisputably had laid their claim to the north stretches of the cavern, with other small groups of varying types clustering below them in sparse camps accordingly.


    Meanwhile, on the far west end, laid the Fomorian, with his group of Giant sub-species that guarded the enchanted tree there. Arguably among the strongest of the groups, it was also the quietest, due to the relative intelligence of the inhabitants. Their overwhelming strength, and height made even the attacks of the Griffons mostly ineffective, while those to the south rarely bothered them, mostly sticking to themselves for fear of attack.


    As for the south, there laid arguably a mixed group of nature-based beings, be it Treants, various groups of Fae beings, good or evil, and the more dangerous beings located inside the cavern, Manna¡¯s personal Nymphs.


    Now, while undeniably dangerous, the reasons why weren¡¯t due to any particular level of threat or level of violence. Peter himself had only laid eyes on such creatures once, and got away by sheer luck, but even for the main mundane of Nymphs, for those who had no resistance to their abilities, they would unwittingly charm any man, woman or beast who came across them.


    Although they were meant only to maintain the care of the cavern¡¯s plants and animals, and as such traveled throughout the cavern, their main place of rest centered in the south. With such an ability, it meant that any unfortunate soul that was unlucky enough to see them without adequate protection would be trapped in an already dangerous area, completely oblivious of that due to a charm. This usually meant their subsequent death, since a being that was influenced directly by the Dryad of Aesir would undoubtedly have a variety of followers that would do their utmost to worship and protect such a creature.


    Such protection differed from Nymph to Nymph, with most creatures lacking any opportunity to even approach them without some measure of luck and skill. Equally however, that meant that a spare few creatures in the dungeon hunted the Nymph. Due to their overwhelming quantity of pure mana from Aesir, they made an equally appetizing target.


    And, it was precisely that trait that had drawn Drake towards such a notable individual.


    Although he had spent only a brief time in the cavernous part of Aesir¡¯s dungeon, Drake had noticed something quite unique in the layout of the area. Something that was only further confirmed once he had realized what that faint glow around Peter really meant. Or at least, how it could be used to improve both himself and Peter.


    Light mana¡­ Holy mana¡­ Divine mana¡­ just what exactly made up Peter¡¯s source of mana was pointless to Drake. All that mattered, was there was a source of mana that was influenced directly by Aesir, even if it was through the Dryad.


    Despite that interest however, it seemed he would have to take care of a certain individual first.


    ¡°If you keep following me like that, I might start getting the wrong idea,¡± Drake said in a playful tone.


    Drake didn¡¯t need to see the Grimal to know that something was following him in an extremely peculiar pattern. It was just as Peter described as well, a process of continual ¡®warping¡¯, as long as the creature itself stayed out of sight, it could reappear anywhere it wished. The Grimal was supposed to help keep watch over Peter, and help him cultivate his power, but it¡¯s efforts over the past week had proved fruitless over the short-term. Hence, why it had chosen to follow Drake instead, at the very least to prevent him from indirectly harming Peter.


    ¡°Well, come on out,¡± Drake mocked. ¡°While my control is shoddy at best, I would at least be capable of grabbing onto some part of you if I expanded my reach far enough out.¡±


    Drake was speaking from the perspective of nothing more than an interested party, but the rough, Draconic language that emerged naturally from him was enough to put the Grimal on alert as soon as he spoke.


    ¡°Rather forceful, aren¡¯t you?¡± The Grimal scoffed at him as it emerged from behind the trunk of a large tree. Although neither truly knew what the other said, the rough meaning was understood rather quickly, much to Drake¡¯s pleasure.


    [There we go¡­ Now was that so hard?] Drake smiled to himself, as a telepathic message was quickly transmitted to the small Grimal, much to its shock.


    [Telepathy¡­ just what are you?]


    [I¡¯ll take that as rhetorical and get on with it.] He taunted.


    [Why are you following me? The crystal I left with Peter would be able to help him immensely once he figures out to use his inner mana. The fact you didn¡¯t tell him that yet though and let him go on a wild goose chase with the natural method for the humanoid races leads me to believe you have something else planned.]


    [It¡¯s best for him to discover that through trial and error. Surely you did the same.]


    [That¡¯s not the words of someone who actually cares about Peter¡¯s physical or mental wellbeing.] He scoffed.


    [I might be a little off thanks to my own transformation, but he¡¯s a normal human inside. People can only take so much, before they crack. Even I would have had trouble¡­]


    For all his rapid development, powerful instincts, and natural gifts, Drake was still extremely new to his own body. Though undeniably sinister with some of his actions, his goals and ideas had changed only slightly from his days as a human. He formed habits easily, even if they were to his detriment, and it was only through trial and error that he had survived to grow and progress, along with the help of a little imp¡­


    For those that had never had to go through what he had, even with the occasional help of others? Such a process would inevitably begin to break them down under the stress, unless they fully acclimated to such a life.


    Even when Drake first appeared, the relief hidden behind Peter¡¯s shock was all too obvious to see. He had someone to help him, to speak to, to relate to. The Grimal could never truly be compared to someone like Yami, given the unconnected relationship between the Peter and the Grimal. As a result, how essential Drake was to Peter¡¯s continued progression with his powers was severely understated.


    [It is a result of the Great One¡¯s plan. If you want to receive something, you either must earn it, or give something up in return. Otherwise, you¡¯re no better than a beast, something without any balance in themselves. The opposite of what Aesir¡¯s guardian must be.] The Grimal stated matter-of-factly.


    [Ha, a beast? Do you see yourself? You¡¯re no partner, and you¡¯re barely even a mentor. If it makes him a beast to take something that I gave him freely, then to reach balance, I just need to take from someone else right? And since you¡¯re just a nuisance that¡¯s gotten in his way¡­]


    Drake¡¯s playful attitude and mischievous smile began to warp as soon Aesir was mentioned. The Myconid had acted and behaved in the same way. As if it was all apart of a greater plan¡­ one which he was forced to go down. It was something he despised greatly, but was nevertheless forced to obey, due to Yami¡¯s own circumstances.


    [I was planning on some experimentation soon¡­ why don¡¯t you let me toy with you a bit? I reckon I can fix that annoying side of you with a bit of my own mana.] Drake threatened.


    The upwelling of demonic mana that swelled up from within Drake began to spill out, and the Grimal quickly took the cue to run, quickly disappearing from the Drake¡¯s rather limited range of detection.


    ¡°Tch. Coward.¡± He cursed.


    The thought that such a creature would continue to sidetrack Peter was a source of some mild annoyance, but it was a problem that could quickly be fixed once he reached a certain solution.


    Drake had been meticulously scanning the environment from the moment he left Peter. He hadn¡¯t stopped doing so even while arguing with the Grimal, although the exact reason for it was a tad more complicated than simply ¡®looking for a meal¡¯. In short, he was finally going to attempt a thought that had crossed his mind many times but was never willing to due to how it would affect others around him. In a place like this however, and one which had already pissed him off plenty¡­This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°There should be no issues with finding a suitable one here,¡± he snickered.


    Focusing himself on the surrounding environment, he wavered ever so slightly. He had been keeping track of several sources of the mana that Peter held, and they only now split from each other. Given that Peter had positioned himself on the far east wing of the cavern, in an attempt to separate himself from the most powerful of creatures, it made perfect sense that only now did specific signals begin to branch from one another. However¡­


    ¡°To the left is a highly pure source of Aesir¡¯s mix of mana, while just ahead seems to be an almost overwhelming quantity of nature mana¡­ The quantity alone puts even the mana well above the dungeon to shame.¡±


    Dead ahead definitely seems to be very similar to Aesir¡¯s, but it¡¯s not the exact type. Nature mana¡­ Peter mentioned some kind of tree. That wouldn¡¯t be all that helpful, which just leaves¡­


    ¡°To the left.¡±


    He was in luck. After all, such a powerful magical emission was hardly helpful towards keeping other¡¯s away, if they were interested in you. However, he was among some of the very first ones in the dungeon. The idea of hiding your own presence would only be common for among the weakest in the dungeon, and that was only if one had the intelligence to attempt it. For those that had power, the best idea would be to broadcast it, to at least let others to know to stay away.


    Drake quickly sped up his pace, breaking through the tree line at a blistering pace as he approached the closest source. The signal only became stronger, only, to Drake¡¯s surprise, a small retinue of weaker sources began to make themselves known around the one he was closing in on.


    He skid to a stop, before he began to slowly pick out the different signals. Three¡­ maybe four¡­ Dammit.


    ¡°She was so much better at this than me, I can¡¯t even tell what they actually are,¡± he mumbled to himself.


    He breathed out quickly, before bringing his focus back on the group. 150 to 155 yards in front of him, and only slightly to the left. One was the extremely pure source, while three others that seemed to be just sort of haphazardly wandering around that source, with extremely mixed mana signals at that.


    Guards of some sort? He thought haphazardly. He gave a brief sigh and shook his head. It wouldn¡¯t matter what it was. In any case, he first would need to get an idea of what he was fighting.


    Approaching closer, he began to hear something. It was muddled, extremely so. As if only the faintest of sounds were escaping from within a bubble.


    He suddenly craned his neck forward, most in confusion over what he realized he was hearing.


    ¡°Music?¡±


    He had heard music. It was faint, and ethereal, softly playing and lilting on the wind as if to lull anyone that approached into a deep, restful sleep. The light, flute-like tune relaxed him immensely, and he felt himself begin to slowly lower to the ground, all the while with a blissful look plastered across his face. It was¡­ serene.


    ¡°Aaaghh¡­!¡± He suddenly dropped to his knees, as a sudden pain overtook him.


    The burning¡­ the burning in his chest returned, just as strong as it was in the Myconid¡¯s cavern. It boiled in his chest, as if struggling to find a way to escape. He collapsed to the ground as the feeling began to build and build¡­


    ¡°Dammit¡­!¡±


    Just as he began to feel as him he was going to scream out in pain, the feeling suddenly receded. It was slow, but the deep burning began to subside as the seconds passed. Still¡­


    That¡­ That wasn¡¯t a coincidence. He breathed out, his whole body shaking from the sudden stress of it all. It was too well timed.


    It was strange, but the alluring music that was wafting through the air no longer held the same draw it did before. It was merely pleasant, rather than the overwhelming force it held only a few seconds earlier. It was only through letting out the faintest strands of his own demonic mana that he began to realize that a form of magic was mixed in with the song, making it one in the same.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡± He gave a brief sigh, as he shook his head at the first thought that came to mind. The Draconian. That burning pain had occurred ever since he had fully condensed his demonic mana core. Even before he first chained up the creature, he had some misgivings that becoming more powerful might give it some semblance of power. It was why he had been so much more focused on understanding his abilities, rather than gathering pure power. He was worried that it might make a sudden return.


    Still, this was something he could push to the side for now. Given that it was merely a physical side effect, rather than his personality, it proved the Draconian had only the most limited of control.


    ¡°Heh,¡± Drake smiled before putting his full attention back on the small group ahead of him. Although it was purely conjecture, that music likely acted as a sort of barrier. He had noticed that various smaller signals dropped off as he approached closer to the barrier, but he had merely assumed it was due to the power the individual held. Now? Undoubtedly it was due to the danger that song put those who approached too close, and now he was free of that exact influence.


    Approaching slowly, Drake began to close in again. As he did, the enchanting melody that was being played suddenly ceased altogether. Worried that he¡¯d been caught, he briefly froze. The sounds of the surrounding forest stirred only slightly, no more than the average movement he would see normally.


    Ha¡­ worried for nothing.


    Pushing forward, he carefully cleared aside a cluster of heavy tree limbs and brush, until he finally caught sight of a small clearing through the tree line. Dropping down, he moved forward one step at a time as he finally caught sight of the source of the pure, and pristine mana.


    In the middle of a small clearing, stood an enchanting woman, with chest-nut coloredhair, her body as smooth and as perfect as a sculpture. Despite this, she was on the petite side, with even her height barely reaching above the child-like Ella. Still, she moved as if she had an air of regality, as if she was imitating the still growing Dryad that followed behind Aesir. However, as for the three other signals that he had felt, what was surrounding her was¡­ interesting.


    ¡°Satyrs¡­ actual Satyrs,¡± he mumbled.


    In front of him were three of the generic little goat-men that he would have expected Therion to be, at least based on his race. Almost a full foot shorter than his favorite demonic servant, with a head full of short, red hair, and dancing around what was an utterly breathtaking woman. Disregarding the woman, when he had learned that Therion was a Satyr, he had fully expected that Satyrs were a demonic race. After all, in some recent forms of story making, it was common enough to give some of the more common mythological creatures darker origins. This however¡­ These were without a doubt Satyrs, even without the gift of the ¡®Identify¡¯ ability.


    The standard, boisterous, and playful goat-men that had been in mythology since antiquity. That was what the trio that surrounded the woman was. Still, why did he feel as if something was wrong¡­?


    Even now, with Drake situated only twenty or so yards away from them, the four of them hadn¡¯t noticed him. It didn¡¯t seem as if they were ever playing music, but even still, they were relaxed. They were simply enjoying themselves, as if there wasn¡¯t a care in the world.


    ¡­ I¡¯m starting to have second thoughts. He thought reluctantly. It¡¯s too¡­ peaceful.


    Despite what had occurred, he was hoping to stumble across a powerful monster. The process behind corruption was important, but to attack a group like this¡­? Drake liked to think of himself as ruthless, but even he felt guilty about stalking such a peaceful group with the intent to attack.


    That musical barrier wasn¡¯t badly intentioned, after all. It was just a way to keep other out.


    A group that only wanted to be left alone, to their own devices, and enjoy life as they wished. Truthfully, it wasn¡¯t too far off from Drake¡¯s own ideals. It was why he had searched out such a powerful source of mana. In a place like this, it was common sense that they would be the most powerful, and just as commonly, it meant that they would gain that power through violence. He wouldn¡¯t feel bad at all about corrupting such an individual, but to come across a group like this?


    A long, lengthy sigh escaped him, before he began to slowly retreat. He had hoped to gain some understanding of Aesir¡¯s mana, but it wasn¡¯t as if he could just speak to them. If even Peter, with so little understanding of his own powers had such an intense aversion to demonic mana, who said that a woman who was made of the stuff couldn¡¯t sense it inside of him? Then, given the sort of reaction that Peter had¡­


    He would be seen as hostile almost immediately. A logical reaction given what he could do¡­


    ¡°Dammit,¡± he muttered.


    Forget it. It would be best to find another source. It would weigh less on his conscience.


    ¡°Dammit¡­¡± He cursed as he began to withdraw from the small clearing, only for a loud, and sudden crashing to begin to his right. A deep throaty laugh emerged from the edge of the wood line as Drake began to back away from the small group, alerting the Nymph and her three protectors almost immediately.


    ¡°Huu¡­ So disappointed,¡± the guttural voice said.


    The thick tree line began to bend and break as a massive creature slowly emerged. Whatever it was, it clearly wasn¡¯t human, however, the overall body type was consistent with the giant sub-species that made up the far west of the cavern.


    ¡°Days spent tracking, but only ran in circles. Till now.¡±


    The beast finally emerged into the small clearing that contained the Nymph, only for her three guards to go wide-eyed with surprise, and the small Nymph to blanch at the sight of the creature. Of course, classifying the beast as a giant would be only the loosest of classifications


    Certainly, it was large. Hovering between roughly 9 and 10 feet tall, it was larger than any other beast besides the Wyvern that Drake has seen, but the body shape was horribly off, much like the Hobgoblin¡¯s almost ape-like state he had seen before. Standing on long, ungainly legs, the creature itself resembled a monster out of some nightmare.


    With skin that perfectly matched the overgrowth of green leaves and underbrush of the surrounding environment, long, matted hair, and long hanging arms that ended in massive claws, the creature looked to be perfectly suited to a predatory position in the local ecosystem. Even the way it stood was hunched over in an unnatural manner, making it look as if it was prepared to pounce on the small group on the spot.


    ¡°A troll.¡± The young Nymph gasped, as she shook her head in confusion. ¡°How did you enter? This is a sacred space.¡±


    ¡°Heh.¡± A cruel smile emerged from the fanged creature, as it slowly eyed the small group. ¡°The annoying noise finally stopped, and from there¡­¡± A curved claw tapped its bulbous nose, ¡°it was simple to find you.¡±


    ¡°The barrier fell?¡± The Nymph gasped in surprise, as she looked to the three Satyr guards around her. They had quickly assumed guarded positions around the Nymph, but none of them held any hope in their eyes. The innate ability trolls, namely their ungodly ability to regenerate, even to the point of their head re-growing in some circumstances, left those without the right resources with an almost endless fight.


    ¡°Kehehee¡­¡± The troll approached one step at a time, it¡¯s eyes greedily shifting from the Nymph to the trio of Satyr¡¯s guarding his prize.


    Once the troll got a hand on any of them, they would be as good as dead. All of them knew that, especially the one with a hungry look in its beady eyes.


    ¡°Now¡­ time for-¡±


    A sudden weight registered on the Troll¡¯s shoulder, much to its surprise. It was completely sure that this Nymph only had three guardians. A week or so of tracking where the small group had been had assured it of that much. What it didn¡¯t expect however, was the sudden, and quite violent reaction that occurred soon after.


    ¡°Yo. Mind if I play with you a bit?¡±


    It no sooner heard those words, when a horrifying sensation spread throughout it¡¯s body, and left the creature screaming in agony.

 Chapter 11 Part 5

    Part 5


    Pain. Agonizing pain. The horror of having your own body torn apart from within, all with the perpetrator perched precariously on top of your shoulder, where one can do little about it.


    Well, at least that¡¯s how it played out in Drake¡¯s mind.


    It was a situation not too dissimilar from Yami¡¯s own attack against the Wyvern all those weeks ago. An almost tortuous attack, meant to incapacitate the one who was put under the burden of Drake¡¯s mana almost immediately, through a continuous snaking of sharpened crystal mana to every vital organ in the body. If anything, it was meant as a final trump card, given the extreme conditions that it required, both in proximity to the target, and the brutality it inflicted. However, unlike the Wyvern, the Troll¡¯s response was all too different.


    In a sudden snapping motion, the troll¡¯s arm lunged to Drake¡¯s position. Through sheer speed and a bit of luck, Drake released the tip of his mana from himself in time. In a hurried, lurching motion, Drake leapt off the creature¡¯s shoulders, only for the troll to turn to Drake a moment after, a murderous look in its eyes.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding,¡± Drake cursed.


    An attack that had practically killed the wyvern the moment Drake¡¯s mana had entered its body, was simply shrugged off. No¡­ it was if the attack never registered in the first place.


    The small holes made in the Troll¡¯s shoulders from his claws were out of sight, but the horrific sound coming from inside the creature¡¯s body was more than clear to Drake¡¯s ears. A muffled, crunching sound, almost as if someone was crushing glass. Then, came the pieces. Small, red shards leaked out of the Troll¡¯s body. Piece, by piece.


    Such a sight almost left him wondering if the attack worked properly in the first place. A second later however, and that thought was already far from his mind. It was simply a monster that replaced an iron defense with frightening regeneration. A problem, given Drake¡¯s typical style of attack.


    ¡°So, this is the famous regenerative powers that made Troll¡¯s the bane of my existence in more than a few games,¡± Drake sneered.


    Frankly speaking, this level of regeneration almost bordered on overpowered. Pinpoint attacks might as well be useless. He had his doubts on whether even shooting a spike through the thing¡¯s head would be enough to kill it. Well, at least it lived up to his imagination.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re presence from above. Newcomer.¡± The Troll¡¯s eyes flared with rage. Every creature who respected their own lives noticed that a new source of power had appeared in the cavernous dungeon not too long ago. Still, respecting and fearing were two entirely different concepts for a Troll. That only now Drake appeared in front of him, when he was so close to claiming his prize was enough to infuriate the creature.


    ¡°I kill you!¡± The Troll¡¯s lips curled, and it charged towards him, both hands outstretched.


    ¡°No holding back, then,¡± Drake breathed. ¡°Time to skip to the main course.¡±


    In a sudden move, Drake threw his hand forward, as a blast of crimson mana poured forth. It surged towards the Troll almost instantaneously, making the creature pause, thinking it had been caught. Only, the mana itself was different.


    It emerged from Drake¡¯s right hand, the mana itself taking a strange form. Unlike the waves of mana that Drake so often used to overwhelm his opponents with brute force, it emerged as a stream, almost semi-focused. It was reminiscent of the Draconian, during the brief moment when his mana had taken the form of the beast, and overpowered Gwyndolyn. As it reached the Troll, it seemed unstable, even as the sudden force from his mana staggered the massive creature back. It gave Drake only a brief reprieve however, before the Troll lunged forward again, through the wave of deadly mana.


    ¡°Not refined enough¡­¡± Drake scowled, before retreating backwards, into the forest. ¡°Dammit, and the side effects don¡¯t seem to do a thing.¡±


    Overpowering the Troll with standard mana wouldn¡¯t be possible, that was all too clear from his failure in killing it outright in their first exchange. The draining effect of his mana that typically turned anything into a shriveled corpse was ineffective against a creature with so much lifeforce.


    Rather, it could be that his demonic mana was ineffective due to the creature living in the dungeon itself. Whatever the case, it was all too obvious that it would have to be a creature he had some control over, before killing it.


    Trapping a creature in place, so he could wear its defensive abilities down. He had only been able to succeed with such a tactic once before, and that was only with a wealth of his demonic mana surrounding the battlefield with the wyvern. His mana may have become more potent, but his control still suffered. He couldn¡¯t replicate that here, especially in such a place where the mana was weakened so greatly.


    ¡°Simply completing my core wasn¡¯t enough to get it to work¡­ so it¡¯s not a problem with the strength.¡± Drake mused to himself.


    Truthfully, that attack was nothing more than an idea that he had been testing. An attack that he could control intimately, one that was physical, almost an extension of himself. He had achieved a loose form of it, when he plummeted down the exterior of the staircase, but it still wasn¡¯t good enough. Still, despite what experiments he was performing on the creature, at least he didn¡¯t have to worry about the Troll suddenly turning away from him.


    The saying, ¡°Keep your eyes on the Prize,¡± seemed apt, given the Troll¡¯s almost fanatical rage, but it suited him just fine. He had an opponent he could attack without any guilt, and one that he could fight almost indefinitely. It would have been the greatest test subject he could imagine, if only he had someone like Peter with him as well.


    Now that I think about it, maybe I can just take its head back or something. Maybe it¡¯ll grow back a body, and I can do this all over again. He needs a good fight, after all. He remarked playfully with a smile.


    Dodging a wild fist, Drake clenched his claws, and lunged towards the Troll with a roar of his own, his fist gloved in his mana. Dashing past the Troll, Drake threw his shoulder forward, clawing out a chunk from the Troll¡¯s side, as it snarled with pain.


    It turned to Drake on the spot, and paused, a confident, if pained smile emerging as it looked on. Within seconds, the large gash Drake had left on the creature had healed over, leaving it to simply pat its side, fully healed, as it let out a predatory growl.


    ¡°Weak. Not strong enough to kill Troll,¡± it mocked.


    ¡°Tch. Of course, that wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    A creature that countered even concentrated Greed mana. He couldn¡¯t keep in fighting distance to deal any real damage given the Troll¡¯s size and fighting it from range wasn¡¯t even a real option.


    The concept of fighting such a creature until it was exhausted was a plan that even he balked at, and his control suffered too much. Mere exposure to the mana wouldn¡¯t do anything besides maybe fatigue the creature, if that.


    He needed¡­ some sort of compromise between the two.


    ¡°Heh.¡± The troll laughed, thinking it had him cornered as it suddenly charged at him again. Reluctantly, Drake retreated further into the tree line, letting the beast break apart trees and clear brush as he racked his brain for any methods he could come up with.


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    In an instant, a crimson gauntlet covered Drake¡¯s arm, leaving the charging Troll with a smirk on its face as it examined the weapon. Both of them knew that his mana wasn¡¯t capable of leaving any lasting damage, so why summon such a weapon that did little more than augment his claws in the first place?


    True. His Gauntlets alone wouldn¡¯t make a difference. They were mainly used to give his semi-human form a weapon he was used to but, he wasn¡¯t going to fight with the gauntlets themselves.


    Practically speaking, this wasn¡¯t something he would have even thought of a month ago. After all, he tended to fight on an instinctual basis, simply moving the mana he controlled at will. The times he had tried to overthink his fights, he just got overconfident. It was something that had happened again, and again. Especially this last time with Yami¡­


    So, from the moment he emerged from his Trial, he decided that he wanted a power that worked as an extension of himself. No more fine-tuning an ever-extending field of deadly mana, no more worrying about how it would affect those who were unintentionally exposed. Just a weapon. One that was no different from moving his own body. And so¡­


    ¡°This has to be the last piece.¡±


    Flexing his hand, he breathed out, before focusing his mana through his gauntlet. As he did, a solid mass of mana emerged, flowing out from the gauntlet. For a brief moment, it seemed as if the mana would collapse altogether, simply moving apart as his mana typically did. However, just as it began to, something¡­ clicked.


    The mana didn¡¯t move apart, it didn¡¯t even flow after him in a stream as he retreated from the Troll. It simply¡­ stayed still, moving in lock-step with him as Drake moved, as if some hidden piece had finally slotted into place. Then, as the Troll ran after him, he noticed with wide-eyed glee that the mana began to shift ever so slightly, eventually spreading apart into a five-digit claw. Moving his arm, he could barely hold in his laughter, as the mana moved in sync with Drake¡¯s movement.


    He¡­ he had done it. An imperfect imitation of the fine-tuned control of the Draconian, but powerful nonetheless. More than enough, in fact.


    As if it sensed something, the Troll yelled out angrily, in a vain attempt to intimidate him, and get Drake to make a mistake. ¡°Stupid Lizard. You still not better than Troll!¡±


    ¡°Shut up, you dumb creature.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Drake couldn¡¯t actually speak with those he didn¡¯t connect to in this dungeon. Understand them, yes, but he was a Draconian, and while it seemed to be some quirk of the Dungeon that all the creatures inside could speak the same language, he wasn¡¯t from the dungeon. It was the same reason he had used telepathy with the Grimal. He was a Draconian. They were simply too different. That said¡­


    The underlying meaning of what Drake said was all too obvious.


    Contempt. Annoyance. Despite what Drake thought, it was all too easy for him to fall into the same traps. He was quick to become over-confident, and that resulted in him putting himself in danger again and again. This power he had worked to create however, it was meant to supplement that weakness. To allow him to do what would be impossible before.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The Troll charged forward without a word, fury in its eyes. It would kill him now. There was no more question in its mind. As for Drake, he merely raised his hand, his form completely still¡­


    And the Troll was stopped, trapped in the crimson mana Drake¡¯s gauntlet had created. Maybe it had expected to charge through it as before. Maybe it hadn¡¯t expected Drake to suddenly connect the last piece in a power that had been in the making ever since he discovered his demonic mana. But¡­ nevertheless, the Troll was trapped in an ever-closing first of Drake¡¯s demonic mana.


    The shock was immediate, but the fury in the Troll¡¯s eyes never left.


    ¡°I was right¡­ this is what I was missing all along. The same power that left Gwyn completely helpless.¡± A manic laugh almost overtook him, as he felt the surge of power flow through the gauntlet and onto the helpless Troll.


    The Draconian. Despite Drake¡¯s feelings on the matter, it was significantly stronger than him concerning his own body. Whether it had to do with it being the original recipient for his abilities, or just a quirk of the transformation process, it didn¡¯t matter. What did, was that he had copied the same form of mana the Draconian had used. He had done it¡­


    ¡°Ha!¡± He let out a triumphant laugh, as the troll smoldered in front of him, teeth bared.


    ¡°Oh, shut it. This is a big moment, ya know? You wouldn¡¯t believe how long I¡¯ve wanted something like this.¡± Drake mocked, a huge grin plastered across his face as the grip on the Troll tightened ever so slightly, the threat behind the gesture clear.


    ¡°Then again, it¡¯s not as if you can understand each me¡­ and the thought of connecting to something like you for that¡­ well¡­¡± He sighed reluctantly. The downsides of having an opponent who couldn¡¯t even understand you. The bragging rights from winning were sadly useless.


    Oh well. It¡¯d be best to simply leave it as is. It wasn¡¯t as if he was particularly interested in letting the creature know what he was saying either.


    ¡°Although, what to do with you now¡­?¡± He muttered.


    It wasn¡¯t as if he wanted to let it live. It was too powerful to fight if it came across Peter on his own, and it wasn¡¯t the ideal target he was looking for when he was planning to test out the conversion abilities of his mana.


    I mean¡­


    It was a Troll. A big, dumb piece of regenerating muscle that was good for little more than hitting things really hard, a trait that he was quite proud of being able to imitate now, at least in theory. The entire reason he sought out the ¡®holy¡¯ mana in the first place, was because it was likely to suit his needs. As for the writhing mass of muscle and teeth in front of him? He had doubts on whether he could even ask it questions. It didn¡¯t seem to be the brainy type¡­


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    The Nymph. He could just ask her what to do with it. Maybe she could get something out of it that he couldn¡¯t. Although¡­ given his original plan, it might just run away from him the moment she sees what happened. Well, at the very least, it¡¯d be amusing to see her face when he came walking up with it. He could imagine it now¡­


    ¡°Yep. That¡¯s the best plan.¡± He snickered to himself.


    ¡°Alright, big guy. You¡¯re coming with me. No questions asked.¡± Drake yelled out as he began to jog forward.


    There was a sudden crash in the underlying brush as Drake turned, and the Troll subsequently mulched several of the surrounding plants with its face all while Drake kept a solid grip on it. It turned out that suddenly dropping his hand resulted in an equally violent reaction when the mana controlling it was suddenly directed almost straight towards the ground. It wouldn¡¯t have done anything typically but¡­ Well, a nine-foot troll suddenly crashing to the ground tended to make a mess.


    ¡°Right. Sorry about that. Won¡¯t happen again.¡± Drake winced playfully as he picked the Troll back up into the air. Yea¡­ he definitely still needed to get used to his newly formed powers. Well, he had time.


    ¡°So pretty¡­¡±


    Drake¡¯s shoulders went stiff. A small, quaint voice emerged, almost as if it was speaking directly into Drake¡¯s ear. It was faint, and a bit like a child¡¯s voice but just clear enough for him to do a double-take as a shiver went down his spine.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡±


    *****


    He stood alone again, completely deprived of any good food, and seriously reconsidering what he was going to do concerning the dungeon. First however¡­


    ¡°So hungry¡­¡± Peter complained.


    Drake said he¡¯d be back with food, but it had been close to an hour now, with no signs of him returning¡­


    ¡°He isn¡¯t killing something big, right? Just kill a carbuncle, and bring it back, or something. Chop the horn off, and it¡¯s no different than a rabbit. Knowing what I do now though, who knows what kind of crazy thing it¡¯ll be instead,¡± he groaned.


    He just wanted something good to eat, before he began training again, but it seemed as if that wasn¡¯t an option. Well, Drake would probably be disappointed if he didn¡¯t have any better control over his powers than when he left, anyway.


    ¡°As for this¡­¡±


    Peter reluctantly held up the red shard. Honestly, he was even surprised with himself at the awful feeling it let out. Although he was reluctant to say so to Drake¡¯s face, it felt¡­ evil. Like a pair of eyes, staring out from the dark, sort of evil.


    It was why he had practically jumped back with fright when Drake had tossed it over initially. He had the most awful feeling whenever he held it, like something was staring back. But¡­ it was just a red stone. He conjured out of thin air, and it was all too easy to see that it was made out of the same material he had seen Drake use while they were in the upper reaches of the dungeon. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like mana could actually hold anything alive. It was probably just his imagination.


    ¡°Just my imagination¡­¡±


    He still didn¡¯t like it, but, apparently it would be useful for training. If he could only figure out how.


    It had been roughly 2 weeks since he first came into possession of his new power. Luke was injured quickly after they first entered, but Morgan was only removed a full week after they entered the cavern. It was only after that when he received the so-called ¡®Oath of the Ancients¡¯.


    It was vague, but it had granted him a few abilities. The true power, however, wasn¡¯t so easy to master.


    A strange feeling had filled him the moment that Morgan had been dragged out of the dungeon. The master of the dungeon had mentioned it was a gift of himself, and it would only be through introspection that he would truly understand his abilities. Just what that meant however, was confusing in a number of ways.


    Was he meant to meditate? To understand his abilities through a trial of combat? Or some vague mixture of the two?


    He didn¡¯t know. And that mindset was where he was lost, until Drake arrived at least. With nothing more than a small flick of his wrist as he had tossed the crystal towards him.


    The feeling he got from holding the stone was almost physically repulsive, in a way, but that was to his benefit. Unknown to even him, he had begun to purify the stone. However, this was only the tiniest of strands that were drawn to the stone. The stone itself was completely unaffected by such a process. And so¡­


    ¡°Drake¡­ he said something about taking my own advice. Just what the hell does that mean?¡±


    He floundered about for a bit.


    It wasn¡¯t completely his fault. He had been cursed with good advice, if somewhat well meaning at the time. Aesir¡¯s mana was well, Aesir¡¯s. It laid inside the one who was gifted it and was of a completely different sort of process than typical Mages used. So, rather than obsessing such details, Peter shifted his focus.


    Drake had given him the stone for a reason, he fully believed that. So, could that be the key?


    He breathed out, and began to focus, both on himself, and the feeling he felt from the stone. His instincts had never led him astray, and it was why he was looked to as the leader of his small group. If he could somehow, lessen, the frightening feeling from the stone, then he believed he would be on the right path.


    The stone was the first to react. As Peter held it, his eyes closed and focused, the color began to fade. It was almost imperceptible, like a trick of the eyes. The deep, red crimson that made up the crystal Drake formed was the same as his scales, a point of pride for the intended recipient of Drake¡¯s abilities, but the crystal itself was so small, and held so little power.


    It was impossible to hold off the purifying mana for long, no matter how hard he tried. Trapped, and chained to his other half, he could do little more than influence the little things. See through the stone, to see a fledgling Paladin in front of him, pathetically attempting to purify such a small source, or to deep underground, where a similar operation was happening on a much larger scale, to his own amusement.


    To a small, amusing creature, curiously tapping on a massive crystal made from his other half¡¯s brief moment of rage. Or, in increasingly small glimpses, of a manic witch, frantically attempting to learn the secrets he controlled.


    ¡°Ahhh¡­¡± He could only hold out for this long? Pathetic.


    In a sudden flash, the crystal Peter had grasped between his hands suddenly exploded. It was really a matter of time, given the small size of the crystal, but subtle interventions could only keep the purifying mana at bay for so long. Small, gray fragments fell around Peter, as he could only look on in confusion.


    ¡°Uh¡­ What?¡±


    *****


    One could say it was the result of a simple mistake, while others would most definitely point to Drake¡¯s possessive nature, but the facts stood for themselves. Disregarding the wealth of crystalline mana that had been seeded throughout the Myconid¡¯s cavern as a last resort, Drake had also left almost a five-foot block of the material in the center of the village. Granted, a particular horned girl was trapped firmly in the center, but it was left there regardless of that fact.


    The Myconid were, regardless of what Drake might have believed, a fairly non-violent race. Unless Drake took it upon himself to exterminate the entire species, they wouldn¡¯t respond with force. And so, when Drake was dragged up through the roof of the cavern, things returned to normal quite quickly. It took a bit of doing, but the large crystal was moved from the center of the village, roughly to the point where Drake emerged from the cocoon soon after his awakening from his trial. It was known to all the Myconid how detrimental to themselves exposure to such a source over time would be. The crystal was moved and put out of their minds, as life quickly returned to normal for the creatures.


    That is, except for a single, small Myconid Sprout.


    ¡°So pretty¡­¡± The small sprout let out a high-pitched squeal, as it looked on.


    That single thought had captivated it from the moment it had caught sight of Drake. The mana that he released during their initial meeting sparkled like stars in its eyes, enrapturing the small creature from that moment on. Of course, when it had seen the adults carrying a crystal the size of the adults themselves, it had no choice but to follow!


    It was confusing, however. The small convoy of adult Myconid that carried the large crystal in the village seemed to be moving it near the edges of the Myconid¡¯s domain. Did they not want anymore?


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Even if she had to follow them outside of the village, it wouldn¡¯t stop. The opportunity to see a piece even larger than the shard she picked up, it was too great to not attempt.


    ¡°Ah! The Shard.¡± It hurriedly checked its bag again, only to relax once it caught sight of the small, crimson jewel it held in its hand.


    ¡°So pretty¡­¡± It hugged the stone happily to its body, before carefully sequestering it away in the small bag it carried. It wouldn¡¯t do to lose such a pretty jewel. Although it was young, it knew that much.


    Nodding to assure itself, it carefully followed behind the convoy. It was slow going, but eventually, the Adults set down the large crystal on the edge of the village. Hiding behind one of the many underground pillars in the cavern, the sprout watched as the adults of the colony began to make their way back, one by one.


    ¡°Adults. Leaving.¡± Its eyes swelled with confidence, and enthusiasm.


    It would need to avoid the adults, that much was obvious. They would alert they Sovereign, and there was little it could do if it came to that. It would be ordered back. There was also the matter avoiding any of spore servants that guarded the outer edges of the colony. Given that they were controlled directly by the Sovereign to guard the village¡¯s borders¡­ ah, but the chance to see such a large crystal¡­! It would just have to be quick.


    It quickly moved, staying out of sight, before slowly moving along the periphery of the ledge it was hiding along.


    ¡°Hm.¡± This was a good spot.


    It could barely contain its excitement as it slowly clambered down a small rock face towards the crystal.


    ¡°Ooouu¡­ Spiky.¡± It puffed up in mock-anger as it¡¯s small hand inadvertently poked a particularly sharp piece of rock, before it finally jumped the final foot to the floor.


    ¡°There, good.¡± It nodded, before turning around to the large, crimson crystal that lay before it, only to be utterly awestruck by the sight.


    ¡°Ooohh¡­ Pretty¡­¡±


    The small sprout¡¯s eyes widened as it slowly walked to the mass of crystal, its small hands caressing the exterior. Still, that brief moment of elation disappeared as it caught sight of something else. The girl from inside the village. She was inside, and looked upset¡­ Why?


    The Sovereign had told all others like it to keep away from the center of the village, but it didn¡¯t understand why. When it had been allowed to return, the adults were carrying out this crystal, with the girl inside? Moreover, where had the mister who had made the crystal¡¯s gone?


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    The young girl was so nice. She had taken part in a strange change soon after she arrived and had emerged so beautifully. The Sovereign had been quite clear about her from then on. She was a welcome guest of the Great One, and the girl had responded in kind. She even took part in their communal meditation at one point, and she had become even more nice after.


    ¡°Sad¡­¡±


    She was sad, but she inside such a wonderful piece of crystal. Why was she sad?


    The sprout hurriedly removed the small piece inside of her bag, before comparing the two. If¡­ if she was somehow taken out of the crystal, would she be less sad?


    Such a conundrum was new to the young sprout. The fine sheen of the crystal, and the way it seemed to sparkle whenever she looked at it¡­ it looked to be nothing but solid stone, the same as any other in the cavern. Granted, she could see through the stone, which made it special, but if it really was nothing more than normal stone, the sad girl couldn¡¯t be trapped. It was young, but it knew that much.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Hmmm¡­ Hmmmm¡­!¡± The young sprout twisted and turned in place, its arms crossing more fervently with every small noise it made.


    How could it free her?

 Chapter 12 Part 1

    Part 1


    It was dark. Utterly so. Even the dull light that permeated the cavern so far had faded, leaving the girl dazed and confused. The bioluminescent glow of the plants that grew underneath the river, or the faint light that was let off by various others on the walls. It was all gone. She wasn¡¯t wrong in thinking there used to be light around her, right?


    Worse yet, as her mind fought unconsciousness, she became aware of a horrid, gnawing feeling, deep in her chest. She¡­ she was supposed to have been waiting on someone.


    Oh¡­


    No sooner did that vague realization come to her, when another horrible feeling washed over her. She had done¡­ something, and made someone important to her upset, but her mind¡­ As much as she tried, it refused to co-operate within the deep haze she was in. What had happened?


    Need to¡­ In a sudden, pained movement, she twisted her body against whatever was restraining her, only to feel herself sinking again.


    Ah¡­ why¡­ That brief moment of effort ended just as quickly as it began, as she felt herself weaken. She couldn¡¯t push through it, and her body felt responded in just the same manner, frozen in place, no matter how she tried to move.


    Her mind drifted deeper, exhausted. That brief token of resistance was too great on her weakened mind, and she fell deeper into herself, trapped within the crimson crystal surrounding her.


    Sadness. She had failed, again. Worse, there was this horrid feeling that she had gotten here by becoming complacent with the unknown. That was unlike her.


    Clink.


    She felt herself twitch, only barely acknowledging the noise as her dazed mind continued.


    What else should she have done though? The ones she spoke with were inviting, kind, and so eager to learn. Excited to hear about the life outside of this wet and dreary darkness. People who were eager to learn about her, and what she knew.


    Clink.


    Another twitch.


    She¡­ She had made a mistake, however. It was small, and ever-so innocuous. A ritual¡­ a gathering¡­


    All she remembered was that it was pleasant. Overwhelmingly so. To feel as if all of yourself became one with many, and to let go of all the worries that one had. It was so reassuring. So much so, that she had let down her guard. As for what had happened after that¡­ she couldn¡¯t remember. There was nothing but an inky abyss after that moment. What else could she have done?


    Clink. Clink.


    Only¡­


    Clink.


    Dammit!


    Her consciousness flared to the surface, anger set within her eyes. Could she not even wallow in self-pity for a moment?!


    Oh. She sat motionless, her vision fixating on the figure in front of her.


    Her vision was hazy, recovering from whatever condition she was under. Still, she could make out the rough form in front of her. Whatever it was, it was¡­ small, though.


    Ah. Nevermind¡­ That brief anger felt as if it was all she could manage, and just as quickly, she could feel herself begin to fade again into herself. Only¡­


    Clink. Clink.


    That insufferable noise! Her anger flared again, working as a well of strength slowly building up within her.


    Whoever was disturbing her was actually beginning to scrape against the exterior as well now, resulting in a grating noise that reverberated throughout the crystal. Combined with the ¡®Clink¡¯ being the equivalent of someone continually poking her in the side, it was extremely unpleasant.


    Go away already. I have to wait for him. I have to be ready. She thought hazily.


    Who she was waiting for though?


    It doesn¡¯t matter. She would shake her head if she could. It¡¯s just important.


    [Maybe if¡­] A brief emotion came across to Yami. Curiosity, and a sense that she needed to help. Strange. Why did she feel that she needed to help someone?


    No¡­ it wasn¡¯t just strange. This was a familiar feeling. It wasn¡¯t that she needed to help someone, it was that someone else was sharing that emotion. Could it be that a Myconid was outside?


    A Myconid?


    That errant thought began to drum up more of herself, as Yami¡¯s blurred vision began to clear, second by second. Yes, the Myconids. That was the being that lay in front of her. The race that shared memories and thoughts as they spoke. But¡­ that was impossible. They required the use of spores to communicate, and those were required to physically touch those who they needed to speak with, something that was outright improbable given her imprisonment. Well, disregarding the Sovereign. Still, how¡­


    [Oh! The pretty lady seems she is finally waking up. Only¡­ Why does her eyes seem angry all of a sudden¡­?]


    It was just a flow of thought, with no real intent to communicate with her at all behind it. Even more confusingly, through the red sheen that colored her vision, the small, mushroom-like creature looked different. It seemed as if it was one of the younger members of the species, one of the few she recognized in the underground cavern, but even then, it was as if red speckles were coloring pieces of its body.


    [Hm. Maybe¡­] Ignoring the errant strain of thought from the sprout, she could see the young creature was holding a small shard in its hand.


    Drake. Her mind raced to the surface, the emotion stirring her on even further.


    She remembered now. Rather, how could she forget?


    Moreover, it looked as if the sprout held one of the shards he liked to make, although she was unsure why it would have obtained one. He wouldn¡¯t have given one to this Myconid, would he? It was well known to her how careful he was about his ¡®corrupting¡¯ of the environment, although it made little sense to her to let one of the Myconid carry one around.


    He wouldn¡¯t have wanted one of them to have it, given it may mutate as well, so why¡­


    Through the crystal, Yami could see her vision of the Myconid began to warp ever so slightly¡­ as if a sheen of crystal had suddenly disappeared where the small sprout¡¯s hand was. She wasn¡¯t falling unconscious again, so it wasn¡¯t as if her eyes were playing tricks on her.


    [Oh! Did I do that?]


    A brief feeling of joy passed through her, as she could see the small sprout place the crystal back into a small, ragged bag, before placing both hands on the crystal prison surrounding her.


    No¡­ she understood what happened. The Myconid were inherently a plant species, and the young were most susceptible to change.


    Heh. Therion would be upset to learn it happened again. Although, it seemed this one had a choice in the matter, even if it was unintentional. She laughed at the thought.


    Regardless, it was interesting. The lack of exposure to the winding root of Aesir that had permeated their living space left the sprouts more open than most to Drake¡¯s influence, but to see this.


    The small sprout had both hands placed on the crystal now, straining against the exterior. To it¡¯s surprise, the crystal stayed static, merely leaving Yami to contemplate her surroundings more closely.


    Could she free herself? Rather, did she even have control over the mana surrounding her? While she had certainly grown, both physically and in ability, she still needed at least some semblance of motion to control her mana. Her control was still eclipsed greatly by that of Drake¡¯s.


    [Oh, got it!]


    Another errant thought by the sprout, only this time the sprout was holding the crystal in its hand again. The crystal seemed to shimmer as a layer of Yami¡¯s prison simply turned to latent mana, leaving her shocked at the amount of control the small sprout could exert with so little practice. Did the small crystal it held really amplify its control that greatly?


    No, it¡¯s obvious that the crystal isn¡¯t doing all of it. Yami thought skeptically. The little sprout has been changed somewhat. But are the Myconid¡¯s really a race that could be¡­


    Drake certainly wouldn¡¯t appreciate it, given his dislike of the way the species communicated, but he even he could be brought around to the sprout in front of her, if given the time. Still¡­


    His dislike of the species aside, Yami¡¯s own qualifications were strict, and quite extreme. Therion could be accepted given that he was already a part of their circle, but a species like the Lamia, while long-lived, most certainly didn¡¯t meet them.


    The only reason she had even accepted the two snake-women was because of Drake¡¯s weakness to ¡®damsels¡¯, so to speak. They needed both help, and he liked to feel needed. It was sweet in a way, although it didn¡¯t take her too long to feel out that he certainly had an ulterior motive, given Aleria¡¯s¡­ physique.


    The fact that he seemed to be innately drawn to their scales didn¡¯t help either. Well, regardless of the Lamia, even she only knew of a few races that qualified for what she wanted, while the Myconid¡­The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    The sprout began to bob from side to side, almost as if it was in song, as the smallest sliver began to simply dissipate from the exterior of the crystal, one after the other.


    It was settled. A member of this race could fit into her goals, but it would take time. That the sprout had a semblance of control at such an early stage made it even better suited than most. Although¡­


    [Can you¡­ hear me?] Yami let out a faint signal, hoping not to scare away the young sprout. Given it seemed intent on helping her escape, she hoped for the best.


    [Hoh. The crystal can speak?] It replied cutely, hearing the tentative voice emerge from the small shard in its hand. Despite her signal, the Myconid didn¡¯t turn to her at all, and instead lifted the small crystal in its hand to its eyes. Did her telepathy not transmit to the sprout as normal? That was troubling. Still, it didn¡¯t matter for now.


    [Not quite.] A light laugh emerged from the crystal. [Although, it¡¯s nice to meet such a talented member of your race. So young too.]


    Sure, maybe she was laying the flattery on a bit thick, but first impressions were most certainly a thing.


    [Oh, you¡¯re the lady, then!] As if a thought suddenly occurred to it, the sprout turned to Yami, and bobbed up and down, in a motion she could describe as only¡­ happy?


    Regardless, she couldn¡¯t help but smile inwardly at the response. Was this how Drake felt with her at first? No matter, on to more pressing matters.


    [Listen, wearing away at the outer layers will take too long. Try to control the inner portion, so you can free a part of my body, preferable one of my hands. Even if you can¡¯t do it all at once, it will be child¡¯s play to remove the rest myself when that¡¯s done.]


    It was rudimentary, but it would work. That was all she needed.


    [Un!] The small sprout gave a strong nod, before the crystal in its other hand began to let off a faint glow, and the mana on the exterior of her prison began to wear away. Despite the child-like manner of the sprout, it was quite intent on the task.


    Yami looked on, pleased. The sprout immediately began to focus on forming a depression in the crystal, with a slow stream of the solid mana transforming into vapor soon after, as the sprout continued. It was working well, with the sprout tearing away almost a full foot of circular mass off the crystal, until she saw the small creature stop altogether, it¡¯s body shuddering suddenly.


    Strange¡­ Surely it can¡­


    As if bracing itself, she could see the small sprout continue again, the crimson stone in its hand shining even brighter, only for it to stop even sooner than it did previously, a powerful movement shaking the sprout to its core as it rested.


    No. It¡¯s too soon. She grimaced inwardly. In her desperation, she had discounted several factors. Drake¡¯s mana was powerful, especially now that he had fully formed his core. This sprout was also clearly still a child, let alone considering how far along it was with its own mutation due to its exposure to the crystal. While it had a semblance of control over the mana, it wasn¡¯t near enough to finish quickly.


    Something like freeing her from the crystal would take time, only, that was a resource that even she was unaware of how much she had left. It had been a miracle that she had summoned up enough inner fortitude to stay awake this long. Once she fell back into that muddled state from before, it was unlikely she could free herself within any sensible time frame.


    [Oh!] The sprout inadvertently sent across a strong sense of worry to Yami, as it quickly looked to a nearby area with a somewhat troubled expression. Did it sense something that was out of sight?


    Just as she began to think of what to ask the Myconid, the sprout seemed to jump to the side with a panicked expression, before hurrying off out of sight altogether from Yami¡¯s stationary position.


    [Wait!] She called out towards the sprout in vain, as the brief feeling of connection she felt towards the sprout ceased completely. She sat in worry for only a brief moment, before a deep sense of exhaustion began to overcome her, a sick amusement flowing her in that moment.


    Ahh¡­ She thought dejectedly, as she felt her mind begin to fade. So that¡¯s what it was.


    The sprout¡­ the shard it carried¡­


    It would be the only way she would be free of this prison.


    ******


    The Nymph that Drake had come upon in the clearing was of a particular sort. Young, and somewhat flighty, the moment she caught sight of not one, but two potential life-ending threats, she and her guards made her way deep into the southern part of the cavern as quickly as she could, given the circumstances. It was disturbing enough that her barrier was disrupted without her even knowing it occurred, and even more so how a demonic creature entered the dungeon and tracked her down without her so much as knowing it was thirty feet away from her. Regardless, something like this would need to be spread immediately, so that her sisters wouldn¡¯t be put in danger like her.


    Well, that was the plan at least.


    It started, as most things did, rather suddenly. A muffled sound that echoed off the trees, or the sudden snap of something that was much larger than a mere twig. There was even a pained cry out in the distance, which was significantly more ominous given the deep, bellowing tone that was unmistakably from the Troll she had escaped not three minutes ago.


    So, when what had started as nothing more than a horrid feeling deep in her stomach began to shift ever-so ominously, she recognized that it was demonic mana making itself known to her.


    ¡°Titri,¡± the Nymph muttered. ¡°Take your brothers and run. I¡¯ll hold the beast off.¡±


    ¡°My Lady!¡± The small Satyr shook his head in horror, as he and the two other goat-men hardened their gazes. ¡°It is our task to die for you. Our duty-¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± The Nymph didn¡¯t waste another second. The trio were loyal, but intensely caring. She knew that it must have broke each one of them being ordered away in such a manner.


    ¡°My sisters must learn of him.¡± She said simply. If such a beast was allowed to go unchecked, the entire ecosystem in the cavern would collapse, if worst came to worst. Such a possibility would very easily lead to the end for all of them.


    ¡°So, go. Now! If you wait any longer, then-¡±


    [I see you learned your flair for the dramatic from your creator. Although, it is a tad over the top, in my opinion.] A voice chuckled forebodingly in her mind.


    What? The Nymph froze in place, her eyes darting from place to place in the wood-line. That was no normal magic. Telepathy? How would a creature like that even acquire such a thing? No, the better question would be where it was even coming from?


    Although it differed from creature to creature, those without a legitimate, magical bond were almost exclusively forced to use direct-eye contact as a means of directing their thoughts through telepathy. Which could only mean, that she was already well within the monster¡¯s sights.


    [Ha. Did I really cause the mood to drop that badly? Well, you can tell your lackies to run if you want. It doesn¡¯t matter to me at all if they get away or not.]


    Feeling a sudden surge of demonic energy behind her, she whipped around in place, only to hear another pained cry as the monster stepped out from the tree-line in front of her, only¡­


    ¡°What in Aesir¡¯s name¡­¡±


    Wrapped in a monstrous gauntlet of demonic energy stood the same Troll she had seen earlier, only now, it was all too obvious she had underestimated the creature in front of her.


    The Troll itself looked to be almost¡­ half-dead, a horrifying realization given the sheer amount of energy that must have flowed in such a body. What it must have gone through to even reach that point would have killed any other creature several times over.


    The reptilian creature merely smiled in an evil manner at her reaction, before planting the Troll firmly against the ground with that crimson gauntlet of mana, before slowly approaching the Troll itself, the creature¡¯s entire arm wreathed in a glow of red mana. As it did, the reptilian creature touched the back of the Troll. Not seconds after, a strange, red crystal surrounded the Troll completely, cementing it to the ground as the crystal dug into the ground around it.


    [There. Now I can finally get around to asking a few questions.] The voice laughed.


    She blinked, and there stood a man, a demi-human of a sort, covered in a red cloak, with only the faintest strands of mana surrounding his form. That strange gauntlet that he wore had disappeared altogether, and the man had a rather amused expression plastered across his face.


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m surprised that Satyr of yours actually has a name, or is that something that¡¯s only rare among demons?¡± Drake asked rhetorically.


    ¡°Well, in the end, I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter. All I need, is for you to answer a few questions for me. I may get you to join me for a bit as well, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Drake glanced towards the Nymph, secretly enjoying the expressions she and her small group of Satyr¡¯s were giving him. They were acting like he was some sort of ultimate evil, although even he could admit that his carrying the half-dead Troll to them definitely had more of an impact than he had intended. It wasn¡¯t as if he meant anything by it, though. The damned thing just wouldn¡¯t stop struggling until Drake had almost squeezed it to death half a dozen times over the course of their short journey.


    ¡°What do you desire of me?¡± The nymph tentatively stated.


    ¡°Well, the first thing might as well be if you want anything from this guy.¡± Drake tapped the Troll on its head. ¡°You guys seemed like enemies, so how about it?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be-¡± the Nymph interjected for only a moment, before she quickly shook her head. Did he truly bring such a creature here to simply barter with her?


    ¡°No. I don¡¯t need him for anything.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re serious.¡± Drake¡¯s expression fell from his somewhat playing demeanor. ¡°Well, that was a waste of time,¡± he muttered, annoyed.


    Drake placed his hand on the crystal that held the Troll, only for a series of sickening thud¡¯s to be heard with the following seconds. The Troll let out a low, gurgle as its head fell to the ground, completely slack and dead-eyed.


    ¡°That was dumb.¡± Drake chastised himself, before rooting around in the corpse of the Troll for a moment. It had been quite a long time, but the core of a creature like this would at least put him in a little better mood.


    ¡°There.¡± Drake felt a small bit of resistance in the center of the Troll¡¯s chest, as he motioned his mana to drag it out in into his hand. Dissipating the crystal mana surrounding the Troll in the next second, he took the freshly retrieved core in between his fingers, and popped it into his mouth with not a second to spare, savoring the brief welling of power in his chest, before he turned back to the Nymph.


    ¡°Next on the list, I guess,¡± he sighed. ¡°Tell me, how do you use your mana, and what would be the easiest way to beat this place?¡±


    ¡°A-ah¡­ what?¡±


    ¡°You heard me the first time around.¡± Drake waved his hand with an angry expression. ¡°I just want to get out of here as soon as possible. For that, I want the quick and dirty way to get out, and for my friend to get strong, and quick. You see, he¡¯s similar to you, and while I may be able to help him use his power, that¡¯s it. I¡¯m useless from that point on.¡±


    He didn¡¯t have any patience for talking around a solution. In his opinion, the scant few hours he had spent in this cavern already was too long. In any other situation, he might have even been happy to explore this cavern for a week or so. Certainly, it would be interesting. However-


    Someone is waiting on me¡­ and without her¡­


    That thought dominated his actions. He felt empty. The bond he had with her just felt like a hole inside him, one that he couldn¡¯t fill. It was wearing on him, and he knew it. Simply finishing off a dangerous monster like the Troll, who didn¡¯t give a thought to attacking him, never would have bothered him otherwise.


    ¡°Just tell me.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ I can¡¯t.¡± The Nymph shook her head reluctantly.


    ¡°What you do mean-¡±


    ¡°I just can¡¯t!¡± She stammered. ¡°The One-eyed Giant of the Golden Tree, he isn¡¯t one to be easily killed, especially by one such as me. He¡¯s a brute, and one that has claimed his region by force and might. There¡¯s no easy solution. I can¡¯t give you the answer you want.¡± She pleaded with him.


    That giant¡­ it was reasoned he was put in charge of the Golden Tree due to his considerable power, but that was just circular thinking. In truth, he claimed his position just as the Nymph had hers; through their respective abilities. Despite what she thought of such a disgusting creature, it was his right to be there, without Aesir¡¯s interference. It was survival of the fittest, in a way. That kind of power didn¡¯t have any blatant weaknesses that could be used.


    ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Drake growled. ¡°If that¡¯s how it is, you¡¯re leaving with me, now.¡±


    Drake raised his hand as a crimson gauntlet re-emerged. In a sudden tearing motion, a claw-like force of mana launched toward the Nymph, pulling her into Drake¡¯s arms in a blink of an eye, much to the horror of her guards.


    ¡°Lady Emeria¡± The trio of Satyr¡¯s called out to the Nymph, only for her to ward them off with a short gaze.


    She breathed out slowly, as she nervously swallowed to calm herself from the sudden rush. He was able to reach her with so little effort. He could have killed her just like that, which meant that even her friends could¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± she breathed. ¡°Titri, take your brothers and do as you were told.¡± She stated nervously.


    She was their purpose for their existence, but they were her friends. She couldn¡¯t let them just die to buy her no more than a few extra seconds. They were just as important as she was, if only to her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± she murmured. ¡°So, let us leave.¡±


    Drake looked on, his mood improving only slightly. She was more like him than he would have cared to admit, after all.


    ¡°Hold on, I won¡¯t be going slowly, and I need to pick up something on the way.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t sure how much Peter would appreciate being given a Troll to eat, after all.

 Chapter 12 Part 2

    Part 2


    ¡°Is it just me, or is everything getting a whole lot darker¡­?¡± Drake asked himself.


    He was racing through the forest floor. It had already been several hours since he had left Peter with the promise he¡¯d return with food, and while it had taken longer than he initially had wanted, he had gotten something at least. Well, two somethings, given the large, and very dead lizard in one hand, and a timid, if outright fearful Nymph nested firmly between his shoulders.


    Regardless of his promise to Peter, given the thick brush overhead, Drake questioned his senses. Was it really getting darker? This was a dungeon, after all.


    The upper floors matched what he had imagined, if only a bit dreary given the unnaturally blue lighting and dark surroundings. He had actually been pleasantly surprised when he had arrived in this cavern. He had been trapped in near darkness with his experience with the Myconid.


    It wasn¡¯t surprising to think it was a mere trick of the eyes, or a particularly well-shaded patch of forest. Rather, this had already happened a few times before, given the rampant overgrowth of such an area. As the surrounding forest became darker, and darker, however, he quickly realized what was happening. Given a bit of thought, and it made sense.


    If the Light Stone that lit the cavern acted as day, then Aesir just as easily could cause that light to recede for a period of time to act as night as well. Especially if such an area was meant to emulate the outside.


    Racing forward, he gave the shifting landscape around him a quick glance before motioning to the Nymph that was clung tightly to the reptilian ridges on his back.


    [How long does night last in this place?] Drake asked.


    Shrinking down slightly, as if surprised by his sudden question, the Nymph answered quickly.


    ¡°A-ah, it lasts for roughly the time that the light lasts. As for how long that would be to you¡­ I apologize,¡± the Nymph closed in on his back more tightly, leaving Drake to merely sigh as he moved forward.


    Roughly the same, then? He huffed, as he glanced at the forest floor.


    Well, if it really was meant to emulate natural light, then it really would still be just a standard twelve-hour night. Regardless of the various time-related interests of the underground cavern though, it seemed there was a slight problem¡­


    Why did she act like he was taking her away to her doom? Sure, it didn¡¯t look good, given he looked like nothing more than some sort of demonic-looking dragon beast carrying a young woman away from those who looked after her, but did he really give off that bad of an impression? He had nothing but positive things to say about the young woman. She was undeniably beautiful, likely as a result of the Dryad¡¯s considerable influence, and there was no denying she cared for those around her¡­


    Then again, it wasn¡¯t too hard to see why she was so afraid as well. He was practically the opposite of such a race in every way. Where the powers she controlled practically epitomized the good in the world, the power he held were highly selfish, only being useful for attack or defense, or in extremely limited cases, scouting. Still, it was undoubtedly combat focused.


    Ah¡­ He sighed again, before shaking his head free of such thoughts. Brooding over such a matter wouldn¡¯t do him any good. It wasn¡¯t as if he was wholly destructive, either. That was a key point he wanted to test as well but, things never turn out like he wanted.


    ¡°Um¡­ Hello¡­?¡± A small voice piped up in his hear.


    [Hm. What is it?] He tilted his head back towards the Nymph. She actually took the initiative to speak with him?


    ¡°You mentioned the purpose in my capture¡­¡± She paused, tensing up on his back for a brief moment before continuing. ¡°You¡­ mean to hand me off to your companion. I understand that correctly, yes?¡±


    [Hand you off?] Drake paused in mid-thought, as he gained a deeper understanding of what she had thought of him.


    Dammit¡­ He shook his head.


    [Ah, look. You¡¯re simply meant to teach him the finer points of that holy mana you control. I wasn¡¯t lying when I told you that.]


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She paused, longer this time. ¡°I¡­ see.¡±


    Drake sneered to himself as he continued forward. [The truth is, I just needed a source of holy mana, and you were the closest at the time. Although my plans changed a bit, any other coincidence is just that. A coincidence. Although¡­ I may have to prepare Peter a bit for a Nymph.]


    He chuckled in an evil manner at the thought of Peter¡¯s mouth dropping at the sight of her. Although it was faint, even Drake felt a sort of animalistic attraction towards the Nymph. Like he needed to protect her, although that was no doubt enhanced by her other qualities. A species that survived in such an environment based almost purely on such gifts¡­ It was no wonder she had been so frightened when he had inadvertently broken her barrier and allowed the Troll through to her. It was a beast that was largely unaffected by her, just like himself.


    Of course, all that meant was that he would need to prepare Peter for her as well. With any luck, hopefully that newfound power of his would help ward off any overt effects. If he was able to get any semblance of control over it at least. Well, he could hope.


    ¡°I¡¯m not just a Nymph¡­ you know,¡± she whispered.


    [Hm?] Drake tilted his head towards her. [What¡¯d you say?]


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± She paused, her voice slightly squeaking as she tensed. It seemed she hadn¡¯t meant for him to hear that small complaint.


    The Nymph gave an uneasy breath in, before speaking once more, seemingly resigned.


    ¡°It¡¯s Emeria¡­¡± She sulked. ¡°My name is Emeria.¡±


    Drake¡¯s pace slowly almost instantly in that brief second after he had realized what he had heard, eventually stopping altogether under the slowly fading light of the cavern above.


    ¡°Right,¡± he shook his head, as he muttered to himself in Draconic, an utterly incomprehensible language to the girl. ¡°Your name was Emeria.¡±


    Who was he? One of the few humans who seemed to know that the monsters that others saw as evil was just the same as themselves. Yet, from the moment he had met her, he had acted like she was nothing but a means to an end. He hadn¡¯t even given more than a thought to the surprise he had initially had when the trio of Satyr¡¯s that acted as her guards had called out her name.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Both Drake and Emeria paused. He could feel her beginning to shrink ever so slightly against him, as if trying to make herself smaller. Just another sign.


    He laughed. A somewhat unsettling sound coming from him, but a laugh, nonetheless. Then, re-adjusting Emeria only slightly onto his shoulders, he sped forward again.


    [Emeria. It suits you. Although, that may just be my own bias talking.]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He continued, his speed accelerating step by step. What would Yami think of him?


    [I¡¯m sorry, for what¡¯s it worth. It¡¯s been¡­ difficult, since I came to where you live. It seems like a nice enough place, but I¡¯m not really in the position to enjoy it for what it could be.]


    ¡°Did¡­ something happen?¡± She asked tentatively.


    He smiled.


    [Just a mistake. I was too careless and got someone I care for in trouble. I need to kill that one-eyed giant you mentioned, the Fomorian, to leave this place, though. After that, everything will return to normal. It¡¯s why I lost my temper just a tad when you said you didn¡¯t know how.] He said depreciatively.


    No matter how he felt though, that was just another mistake. Treating her like nothing but a tool.


    [You¡¯re just as human as I am, if a bit different. Although¡­]


    A bit ironic, given his current form. Well, it¡¯s not as if he had time to give her the trials and tales his life story, either. Although admittedly, the first 22 years were a tad dull.


    ¡°Just as human¡­ you¡¯re¡­ one of the predecessors?¡± She said in muted shock.


    Predecessor. That was a term he hadn¡¯t heard in a long time. Even the word brought back admittedly painful memories of a certain, horned witch.


    [Yes, well¡­] He gave a lengthy sigh. [It doesn¡¯t make much of a difference, truthfully. I just had a different start than most.]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Quiet again, huh? He thought shrewdly. Was the existence of predecessors really so important that even a Nymph in a godforsaken place like this would know of them?


    Regardless, it seemed as if keeping his origins from those who hadn¡¯t turned from humans was more important than he originally had realized. Gwyndolyn was certainly an outlier, all things considered, but for even a Nymph in the middle of a dungeon like this to have heard of those like him. It seemed that it made him an anomaly, even more than what he had realized before.


    Well, no taking it back now. He groaned internally. Let¡¯s just get her back to Peter. The sooner the better, it seems.


    From that moment, Drake and Emeria proceeded through the fading light quickly and silently, only stopping occasionally with a few prompts from Emeria. What exactly she was attempting to steer him away from, he was unsure, but it seemed she had expedited his journey in a few places, by keeping him from fights he would otherwise had to have endured.


    Undoubtedly, he could have done the same, but maintaining such a process for any and all potential threats, while traveling? It wasn¡¯t a surprise that he had relied so heavily on Yami during his travels. It wasn¡¯t something he excelled at, regardless of his newfound telepathic senses that he had gained through their bond. The help was much appreciated.


    Regardless of the little things, Drake made good time. The exact direction he ran was somewhat sketchy, given he had only been to Peter¡¯s camp once, and that was almost through sheer instinct. Thankfully however, the center of the cavern was well established. Finding his little encampment from there was simply a matter of taking his time and extending both his mana and senses to his surroundings. As for the¡­ ally on Drake¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°This mana¡­¡± Emeria whispered to herself.


    Teach a friend how to use her power. That was the second request he had asked of her before she was taken away, with not even a moment to voice her concern. That what he was asking was an impossible request.


    The powers granted to her by the Great One wasn¡¯t something that could be given away so easily, as it wasn¡¯t hers to give in the first place. It was why she had been so afraid when she had first been snatched away.


    She would be of no help in leaving the dungeon, given that he required to kill the one-eyed giant. He was already furious at that small point, so what would he do when she couldn¡¯t fulfill his other task? The succinct execution that had been given the Troll was the most she could hope to have, at least at first.


    However, he was different than he appeared, it seemed. He was human, and a predecessor. An exceedingly powerful one at that. The initial fear of death that overcame her in the minutes following her capture slowly transformed into one of almost child-like curiosity as he explained more of himself.


    How did he come to be here? What was that strange, human-like form he took on, and how did he gain such powers? Just what was he?


    That was only the beginning of the thoughts that ran through her mind. However, as Drake approached Peter¡¯s encampment, another shock ran through her.


    The Great One¡¯s power¡­ it is here as well¡­


    Drake was moving with purpose now, and he was headed straight towards the source. Despite her mortal fear of death largely disappearing altogether once he told her of his motives, she had steered him away from several of her sisters. Given his temperament, she was unwilling to let him near any of the others, given what he may do. That only now, he would approach one directly¡­


    ¡°Drake, move to the right. Another one is ahead.¡±


    [Hm?] He tilted his head. [This is the right way. I¡¯m close enough now to recognize where I am.]


    ¡°But¡­¡± She tensed. Her sisters all kept away intruders in one form or another, but he seemed to break such precautions with ease. That they had entered the eastern portion of the cavern as well made it all the more dangerous. Those here had resistances to their natural charm.


    ¡°Please¡­ I-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve returned, I see.¡± A voice from above spoke.


    Both Drake and Emeria turned, although each had significantly different reactions.


    Above on a small tree limb, the Grimal sneered at him. Drake returned in kind, looking up at the cat chimera with equal derision. Why did it not surprise him that it made it back to Peter in perfect condition?


    [Glad to see you aren¡¯t dead. It would have been a shame if something had happened.] Drake snarled.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± The Grimal spat back. The distrust from before had turned into almost outright hostility, despite each of them attempting to help Peter in their own way. Grimal viewed Drake¡¯s intrusion as a corruption of the true path to master the power that was given to Peter, while Drake merely viewed the Grimal as a nuisance, at best. However, even the chimera¡¯s gaze softened when it spotted the small creature on Drake¡¯s back.


    ¡°A Nymph. You would bring one here, to him?¡±


    [What? It seemed like a good idea to me. Not exactly what I left for, but whatever works.] Drake shrugged.


    The Grimal stared at him. A Nymph. He had actually brought a Nymph here to Peter.


    ¡°Hurry in. He¡¯s been waiting for you quite a while, it seems. No doubt waiting for you to return with a meal,¡± the chimera stated, as it spied the lizard in Drake¡¯s hand. Turning out of sight, the Grimal disappeared, leaving Emeria and Drake to stand there, alone with one another.


    ¡°Damn thing. Even Aleria is more accommodating. At least she isn¡¯t outright hostile¡­¡± Drake cursed.


    Drake stretched his body, positioning the Nymph in a position more comfortable to the both of them as he lowered her down to the ground. At least he had finally gotten back.


    In a flash of opaque, crimson mana, Drake returned to his human form, cloak and all. Then, turning to the Nymph beside him, he gestured to her.


    ¡°Well then, not regarding that first bit. Welcome to my friend¡¯s humble abode.¡± He cracked a smile at that little line.


    You¡¯ll have to forgive the lack of food, of course, but I was a bit hungry when I first arrived.¡± He turned, and gave a half-hearted wave, signaling her to follow him.


    ¡°R-right.¡± She replied.


    Drake didn¡¯t waste a moment more and walked into the camp. Emeria followed close behind, her eyes darting to the spare shadow or two that suddenly moved deeper into the forest interior as her eyes moved to them.


    She had been followed, that much was certain. Whether it was a simple curious onlooker or something more nefarious, she was uncertain, but she was safest with him. Whether he knew of their existence, or simply didn¡¯t care, it made little difference. In the eastern region of the cavern, escape was almost a death sentence. Still¡­


    Even meeting this friend of his, Emeria was nervous. What little she knew was what Manna, otherwise known as the Dryad and Aesir¡¯s Partner, had imparted to her. There were other important measures as well, such as the tricks and methods to take care of the forest, and of the various ways she should take care of herself. Even her guards were granted to her, and as ones who were both largely immune to her charms, yet still faithfully followed, it was a gift that touched her soul.


    Now, separated from that brief comfort and thrust into a situation with complete strangers¡­?


    Well, it wasn¡¯t surprising that her nerves were on edge, to say the least.


    ¡°Yo! Peter! Guess who came back with food?¡± Drake yelled out to the haphazard camp ahead.

 Chapter 12 Part 3

    Part 3


    Night was falling. The forest, always filled with the sounds of insects, became more ominous as the light faded from the luminous stones up above.


    It came alive. And in the small opening in the trees he had made himself home in, the sounds only carried further, rather than being quashed and dulled by the various brush and clutter left in the environment. No matter how far away one was, it was always eerie to hear the call of some beast out far out of sight, crying out before it¡¯s death call was silenced. So, he chose to lay still, carefully stoking the fire as he prepared.


    Night was dangerous, at least what passed for night in this place. A good night¡¯s sleep had been nothing more than an hour or two on more than one occasion, not the least of which was due to same species of fae panther he fought above, the displacer beast. Morgan had still been with him then on that encounter, otherwise¡­


    Peter shook his head. Thankfully, sightings of that sort were rare, given most stayed in the southern part of the forest but still, it only proved how woefully unprepared he was for such encounters.


    A sudden, low murmur echoed out across the forest, as Peter haphazardly rubbed his stomach. After all his preparation¡­ he somehow ended up going into another night with an empty stomach.


    ¡°Not again¡­¡±


    Going hungry was not the most intelligent of options. It wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d starve, but it undeniably made things worse on him the next day. Still, given the lengths he had gone to before, he had steeled himself against taking any offerings of free food from Grimal again. Going a night hungry beat out what could only be viewed as a cruel prank from the creature by a wide margin.


    ¡°Still, he eats all my food and leaves me with nothing but scraps, and then it takes him the rest of the day to return? Doesn¡¯t he know that it gets dangerous at night? He has to know that much, given his lifestyle,¡± he complained silently.


    He shook his head. No matter how bothered he was at his increasingly insistent stomach, that Drake had been gone for such a long time begun to worry him.


    At heart, Peter cared, at least for those around him. Before the world changed, he had spent close to four years in the military. His time in such an environment had drilled into him a sense of what to do, and who to protect, even if that often put him directly in the role of a shield for those he considered his allies. Even though he had only known Drake for a few days at the most, he got along with him. Given the little imp at his side, and that was all the more reason to get along. An imp was an undeniable asset given the situation.


    Fidgeting in place as he stoked the smoldering fire, Peter tried to calm himself by taking a breath.


    More firewood will be needed soon¡­ He thought.


    That brief thought lasted only a moment, as his mind began to race once more.


    Though they had just met, that was equally his source of worry. His frame of reference was just too different from Drake¡¯s, all things considered. It wasn¡¯t as if Drake was sparse on survival experience, compared to most others he knew. Rather, given how he had lived out his life after the world went to shit, he was unsure how to even broach the subject.


    He¡­ actually lived and got along with those that were responsible for the destruction of humanity. Moreover, it seemed as if he was in direct control of the same type of evil energy that was responsible for the widespread demise of others following soon after his own transformation.


    The subsequent destruction and death of so many was only made worse by the sort of creatures that emerged from such areas. While his experiences were almost certainly new, it followed a pattern. The area they were in focused almost fully on creatures that fit the environment.


    It made it easy, at least in a few ways. The Ground Dragons most of all, given that they seemed to prefer wide stretches of land with interlaced with plains and trees. They were perfectly suited to be a method of transport in the new world, given how loud and unreliable vehicles were without a continuous stretch of road. The so-called demons, however, were different. They originated in areas that, to his knowledge, used to contain life like any other. Now though, those inside raced across the land, causing all sorts of trouble, with little recourse available.


    And now? Another such user of evil magic had appeared right before him, only he seemed as normal as could be, as long as he wasn¡¯t in that lizard-like form. Pleasant, even.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡± He pushed away those niggling thoughts, as he stoked the fire once more. In the end, he could only chalk it up to his own insecurities.


    He only wanted to distract himself. He was put in an impossible scenario of training to fight against a monster he could only imagine of taking down and put against it solo at that. That Drake appeared as he did was a blessing, at least in Peter¡¯s eyes. It gave him someone to relate to, if only a small bit in the beginning.


    Well, that, and he seemed bent on getting Peter more acquainted with the powers he was given. That was really just a bonus, all things considered, as it was all too obvious that Drake was much more experienced with the more mystical side of the world, a side was utterly locked away until only a week ago.


    ¡­ now that he thought on it further, he was due to have learned more with crimson stone Drake had given him¡­  Well, supposed to, seems more apt, given it had broken apart only a few minutes of practice. Dissipated into nothing more than black dust. Worse still, he didn¡¯t even know what he had done to break it.


    ¡­ ok, so he had some idea, but it wasn¡¯t as if he could control it. He sure as hell didn¡¯t mean to break it on the first go!


    ¡°Dammit. I hope he¡¯s not too upset,¡± he muttered.


    And worse still, it seemed as if he had underestimated how much wood he needed for the fire. He would need to get a few more sizable pieces to make it last the night, as least at the level he wanted.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry too much.¡±


    Peter jumped in place, almost falling off to small log he was situated on altogether. He spun his head around to the sudden voice behind his ear, only to be staring straight back at a pair of pleased, cat-like eyes. The Grimal had appeared behind him as it liked to do. He could only glare.


    ¡°I told you not to do that, you damn cat.¡± He cursed to himself.


    Shaking his head, he waved one hand angrily before saying, ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. Unlike you, I can¡¯t just disappear into thin air like some magical Cheshire cat. I mean¡­ all sorts of things could happen. The first night my group came down here, we were ambushed by Gnoll¡¯s, for Christ sake! Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to see teeth that large from like five of those things?¡±


    ¡°I imagine it can be quite stimulating.¡± The Grimal said sarcastically, as it let out a small snicker before turning away from the wolf-kin. ¡°You are very well capable of defending yourself now, aren¡¯t you? My, I imagine one such as yourself could even take on a small pack of such beasts now, even unpleasant as they are.¡±


    Another teasing laugh followed, as Peter gave a worried look. Surely that was just sarcasm. The camp wasn¡¯t exactly extravagant, but that would still be close to seven or eight of the things.


    Worse yet, the Grimal seemed to say it in an almost teasing manner.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°¡­ Just to clarify. That was a joke, right?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Well, of course.  Do I seem to be the type to let something as dangerous as Gnoll¡¯s simply wander this close without warning you?¡± The Grimal grinned.


    ¡°Given your attitude since Drake arrived, yes.¡± He said hatefully.


    ¡°Ah.¡± The Grimal gave a look of mock-outrage.


    ¡°How hateful. How foul. What did I do to deserve such treatment from my one and only companion? Ah¡­¡± The Grimal turned away, only for a snickering laugh to follow soon after.


    Wait¡­ Peter scrunched his eyes together in thought as the Grimal drew further away, before a sudden realization hit him. Dammit!


    Peter quickly began to mouth an objection, only for the Grimal to quickly prance behind a small log that obstructed his vision, outright disappearing in its usual fashion before he could get a further word in.


    ¡°Gah! You damn cat, you can¡¯t just run away!¡± He shouted indignantly.


    He groaned. Well, that was more than a little worrying on his part¡­ Sure, the Grimal was a bit of a dick at times, even if it meant giving him half-eaten scraps from God-knows-what on an empty stomach, but joking around like that, only to mockingly say he could take on near half a dozen monsters? It was out of character even for the Grimal. It typically took matters of his safety as an absolute.


    ¡°Yo! Peter! Guess whose back with food?¡±


    ¡°Drake?¡± He jumped at the familiar voice, as he quickly turned in place. And here he thought he would be going hungry. Not tonight! Tonight he would be¡­


    Peter stopped completely, frozen in place by the second figure that was closely following behind him.


    A girl? Why would¡­ No. That¡¯s¡­ a Nymph! He stared in shock.


    Drake sauntered forward with a playful look clear on his face, with what looked like a young girl not far behind him. The otherwise appealing look lizard that Drake had brought to be a meal didn¡¯t even cross Peter¡¯s mind as his eyes were drawn towards the Nymph.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­¡± Peter paused, his eyes merely taking in the sight in front of him.


    To say that such a creature was beautiful would have been an understatement. She was appealing in ways he hadn¡¯t even imagined a woman could be. Her long chestnut-colored hair flowed elegantly down her back, leaving flee-floating strands that drew his attention to her slender neck. Her outfit itself was elegant but simple, leaving much to the imagination, but revealing two long slits of open skin along both sides of hips. Her eyes were especially entrancing, as the deep green within them seemed to shine with unmistakable dignity and grace. As he stared further, Peter even felt himself physically lurch forward as if to get only an inch closer to the approaching Nymph.


    No. Using a phrase like appealing was inadequate. She was perfect. Completely and utterly. It¡­ It was almost inhuman how perfect the girl was.


    No. It is inhuman.


    In that split moment, Peter paused, his mind seeming to break with the thoughts that had overwhelmed him only seconds before. He felt himself shake involuntarily as a chill rang down his spine. A spell that he didn¡¯t even realize had been cast upon him began to clear, and as if a fog had lifted, a particular warning of the species sprang to his mind.


    If you believe a Nymph is nearby, your only choice is to run and pray.


    The reasoning wasn¡¯t exactly standard. It wasn¡¯t as if they would spring onto you like a wild animal and rip you to shreds. Rather, stories made it seem like the exact opposite.


    As a race, they were rarely seen, and for good reason. The few people he had heard of that had encountered a Nymph had resulted in over half the men in their group disappear overnight, only for them to re-appear in the middle of the road the group was taking several hours later, dazed and confused. They were left with no memory of what had happened while they had gone missing, and seemed more than a little worn out from the experience. What had happened to them was left to anyone¡¯s imagination¡­ but it was enough for the group to post double shift with the few women in the group to prevent such an event from re-occurring.


    It was only the next night that they learned what creature was responsible, through a stray Identify from one of the female guards. A nymph, one of only three, if they had their numbers right.


    Worse yet, despite their best efforts, the teasing laugher and suggestive voices that surrounded their camp once the Nymphs learned they had been discovered couldn¡¯t be stopped. It lasted two more nights before it disappeared altogether, and only that ended due to their leaving the wooded area they traveled through.


    They were innocent creatures, merely having their fun before returning the victims, but such innocence could easily lead to the ones ensnared in their spell to their death if the whimsical creatures weren¡¯t careful.


    ¡°Drake¡­¡± He forced the name off his tongue, as he shook his head free of the spell. ¡°What the hell are you doing? If this is your idea of a prank, you have some seriously messed up standards,¡± he spat.


    That made Drake pause. He stared at Peter¡¯s face, as he seemed to think it over. The Nymph behind him shrunk down even further, aware of what she unwittingly caused.


    ¡°A prank?¡± Drake laughed lightly.


    He shuffled, scuffing at the ground as he scratched the back of his head. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t have any ideas, but that was just a fleeting thought. Just look at her again,¡± he ended quickly.


    Keeping his eyes pinned to the ground, Peter said incredulously, ¡°You have to be kidding right? I know that was a spell. She attacked me.¡±


    Drake merely repeated himself, his tone shifting into a more serious tone. ¡°I said look at her again. It¡¯s not as if you went brain-dead at the sight of her.¡±


    Feeling a sudden heat rise in his chest, he whipped around to Drake, only to see the enchanting face behind his shoulder once again. Only this time, he felt as if faint substance washed around his form, before dissipating altogether, leaving him to only stare dumbstruck at the two.


    He had seen her again, but¡­ nothing happened.


    ¡°See,¡± Drake smirked. ¡°All things in balance.¡± He spouted off in a philosophical manner.


    ¡°Honestly though, did you really think an ability that strong would effect you if you could shrug it off more than once?¡±


    ¡°That¡­¡± Peter suppressed his anger.


    Truthfully, that¡¯s exactly what he thought. A broken ability, one that enslaved men at mere sight. He didn¡¯t have any reason to believe otherwise. At least not from the stories he had heard.


    He backed down, breathing out as he lowered himself down to the ground, only for a sudden shiver run down his spine. How did Drake act like this was all so natural? To joke about something as serious as him becoming nothing more than a puppet for a day.


    Still, looking at the Nymph now, that¡¯s all she was. No stronger than a normal girl. At least at second glance.


    He sighed once more, before gesturing them both forwards.


    ¡°Come on in.¡±


    He shook his head as he saw Drake walk forward confidently, with the Nymph not far behind him. It was unnerving. She seemed outright frightened of him for some reason, like he had threatened her or something. It was him who should be terrified of her, not the other way around.


    He saw Drake laugh once more as he threw over a large, green lizard over towards the edge of the fire.


    ¡°Not the best way to start off down here, but it¡¯s a start. Sorry again about the food.¡± Drake said apologetically. Raising one hand in an almost comic manner, Peter couldn¡¯t help but smirk a bit at the display.


    ¡°Heh.¡± He shook his head lightly. Regardless, he was appreciative for the gesture.


    ¡°Took you long enough, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but true greatness takes time. Anyone can just go out from the camp and get food.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who left for food. You brought back a lizard.¡±


    ¡°And I brought back a gift.¡± Drake said almost indignantly.


    ¡°And besides, you¡¯ll want to hear me out on this. This Nymph, she¡¯s going to be your teacher.¡±


    Peter went wide-eyed as the statement. How¡­ What was going on in his mind to think that would even be possible?


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    Drake laughed.


    ¡°I can see why you¡¯d think that, but nope. Completely serious.¡±


    Drake dropped down to an overturned log to get more comfortable, with the Nymph seeming almost frightened by his sudden movement. She gingerly lowered herself down to the ground, keeping her eyes downcast as the fire slowly died down even further, the shadows stretching out on the surrounding canopy of trees.


    ¡°You see, you might not realize it yet, but you and she are practically the same, magically speaking. You can¡¯t tell now, but just at a look, I can see that whatever training you did with the crystal I left you was successful. That holy aura coming off of you is stronger.¡±


    Peter paused as he looked at the Nymph. They were the same? Sure, Drake seemed to toy around a lot more since he returned, but he wasn¡¯t one to outright lie.


    ¡°And you say she¡¯ll be able to teach me?¡±


    Drake smiled. ¡°Better than me, at any rate. Me and you clash just a little bit.¡±


    Drake laughed again, the mischievous look in his eyes still clear as ever, although the smile on his face was genuine. He really did bring a Nymph back to help him. He was thankful for the gesture, but¡­


    ¡°Look¡­ I¡¯m just not sure.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t human. That¡¯s what he wanted to say.


    ¡°Drake¡­¡±


    ¡°Sshh.¡± Drake put a finger to his lips, as he gave Peter a dead stare from across the campfire. One could almost see how Drake¡¯s eyes narrowed as he attempted to listen to the surrounding brush around the encampment.


    A sudden snap sounded off from the surrounding wood line. Then, there was silence.


    Eyes scanned the edges of the tree line. The dimming fire only made the shadows play tricks, as the sounds of the night only grew louder in the distance.


    Both the men looked to one another, one clearly nervous, the other determined.


    Drake tilted his head ever so slightly as a decision seemed to overtake him. In a sudden rush of crimson mana, Peter looked on as Drake revealed his Draconian form once more, in all its horrid glory.


    Then, not a moment later, a familiar voice made itself clear in Peter¡¯s mind.


    [Something is close. And it¡¯s only getting closer.]


    The words Drake transmitted to Peter were true. Something was indeed drawing closer to them, and, given his own limited telepathic sense, it was easy for Drake to imply that a group of at least half a dozen was closing in on them. However, in the moments before he prepared to release his mana, a light, but cautious growl made itself known from the confines of the shadows around them with a single word.


    ¡°Friend?¡±

 Chapter 12 Part 4

    Part 4


    ¡°Friend?¡±


    That was all that was said. A single word, tinged with a sense of curiosity and caution. And the speaker?


    To Peter, it was all too obvious, but to Drake¡¯s eyes, it looked remarkably like himself, if less¡­ evolved, to put a word to it.


    A Kobold. That was the creature that tentatively peeked its head over the bushes. It had a somewhat ruddy complexion, and it was considerably more mixed in coloration than Drake. Closer to the color between red clay and mud than any pure color. The snout was also more rounded, and the horns emerged from the back of their head weren¡¯t draconic in any fashion, them being mere sticks in comparison to his own. Despite all this though, Drake and the Kobold were remarkably similar, if¡­ only in appearance.


    ¡°It¡¯s so tiny.¡±


    Drake was almost smiling, given the stature of the creature in front of him. It stood under half his size, little more than a human child. The obvious comparison almost led him to instinctually treat them as just that, until he noticed the inconspicuous dagger hidden at the Kobold¡¯s side, well hidden by the brush of the bush it emerged from.


    ¡°D-drake¡­ you must keep them from me.¡±


    The frightened voice of the Nymph, Emeria, emerged from behind him. Peter wasn¡¯t far behind, quickly moving to grab his gear the moment it emerged, only for the both of them to be quickly shouted down by a quick telepathic warning from Drake.


    [Don¡¯t move. The both of you.]


    It was quick, but effective. The both of them froze, however, Peter only seemed to grow more incredulous by the moment, his eyes widening in disbelief.


    Drake shook his head. He had suffered more than a few bad experiences regarding other creatures, apparently.


    [They asked if we were friends. Calm down.]


    The intake of breath from Peter was sharp, and unsteady, as if he was ready to jump at any moment. Well, he was already nervous to begin with. It wasn¡¯t all that surprising that he would attempt to go for his weapon. Just that doing so might easily cause the others that surrounded the camp, but hadn¡¯t moved, to attack. Drake spread his hands wide, as if to invite the small Kobold. Then, he took a gamble.


    ¡°Of course, we can be friends. Although, why did you approach? I understand it can be dangerous this time of night.¡±


    He spoke, in the only language that was available to him. One that was utterly unintelligible to both Emeria and Peter but had been as clear as the sky was blue when he had conversed with the Wyvern so long ago. A language he could only guess the name for but settled for a simple word.


    Draconic.


    Friend. The short murmur that went through the surrounding wood line was short-lived. Drake stared around, then bit the inside of his lip.


    ¡°Well, do you have a name? It¡¯s good for friends to share names.¡±


    The Kobold stared, merely tilting its head to the side slightly, much like a dog would if it was confused. Then, it spoke.


    ¡°Splat.¡± It shook its head approvingly, as it bared a toothy smile.


    ¡°Splat? Would that be your¡­ name?¡±


    A heavy nod, full of that same enthusiastic energy from before.


    ¡°Splat is good name. Rocks fall, and annoying Kobold go splat. Good sound for a name.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Drake froze, wide-eyed. It wasn¡¯t out of fear, or even shock. It was just that, in a dark and somewhat twisted manner¡­ it was possibly one of the funniest things he had heard in a long time.


    He shook only slightly, a wide smile plastered across his face as he stifled the laughter deep in his stomach. He continued, slowly.


    ¡°I see,¡± he breathed in deeply, keeping his face locked in place to avoid breaking out into laughter. He wasn¡¯t exactly huge on monster etiquette, but even he knew that laughing at someone¡¯s name they chose would be more than a little insulting.


    ¡°Well, my name is Drake. It¡¯s good to meet you, Splat.¡±


    ¡°Drake?¡± The Kobold cocked its head to the side once again, as if in confusion. ¡°How are you a Drake?¡±


    ¡°No. I mean¡­ Drake. Like, well¡­¡± He paused, bewildered at the strange turn. ¡°How are you a Splat, then?¡±


    The two looked to one another. Then, a light seemed to go off in the Kobold¡¯s head, as it shook its head approvingly.


    ¡°Splat sees. Good. You strong, then.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    What more could he really say to that? While intelligent, it seemed as if the¡­ intelligence of the Kobold wasn¡¯t exactly up to par, so to speak. What kind of conclusion it had reached in that child-like nod of approval; even Drake couldn¡¯t dissect it easily.


    ¡°So, what are you here for exactly, Splat? As I said before, it can be dangerous at this time of night. Especially for one your size.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Hm. Splat sees your worry, friend. No worries! We are silent and sneaky. We only lose three Kobold in the past week!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    He went silent again.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Splat, how old are you exactly?¡±


    The confidence and pride of the small Kobold seemed to swell up at the question, it¡¯s tail swishing from side to side in the leafy underbrush of the forest, before confidently stating¡­


    ¡°Eleven.¡±


    ¡°Eleven¡­¡± Drake stared.


    ¡°Hm.¡± The Kobold nodded. ¡°It quite the accomplishment. Splat growing to be quite the Kobold.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Drake only stared, dumbstruck. The sudden change in demeanor was even noticeable by Peter and Emeria, with the Kobold only smugly standing with its arms crossed together, while Drake¡¯s shoulders seemed to drop slightly due to sheer bewilderment.


    ¡°You mean to say¡­ Eleven days, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Hm? Yes. No Kobold ever grown to Eleven months. Even the eggs Kobold grow from hatch in few months. Oldest Kobold work hard to protect us to that point. We doing well.¡± Splat said simply, as if it was the most obvious thing.


    Of course it is¡­He suppressed a sigh. Eleven¡­ given that not even he had been transformed for eleven months, the answer was all too obvious, but still, to hear it out of the Kobold¡¯s mouth in such a proud voice.


    Drake grumbled. They didn¡¯t seem malicious. Overall, they even seemed quite innocent, despite the obvious signs that others of this Kobold¡¯s group surrounding the encampment. At the very least, they weren¡¯t dangerous. Not to those like Peter and himself. Could it be they came purely for Emeria? It was doubtful they followed him from the southern reaches of the forest, where the Nymph¡¯s congregated¡­ rather, didn¡¯t Peter say himself that Kobold¡¯s resided in the northern region? So, were they here for Peter?


    ¡°Splat¡­¡± Drake said in a somewhat reluctant tone, letting the name sit on his tongue for a moment. It had avoided his question each time, merely opting to answer in another way, almost as if it was deflecting.


    ¡°What are you here for?¡± He simply stated.


    ¡°That¡­¡± The Kobold started, only for Drake to witness a steady transformation overcome the face of the small Kobold.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    The somewhat prideful demeanor stopped altogether. Slowly, the Kobold sank one of its hands to the dagger at its side and became consumed with a more calculating attitude.


    ¡°We¡­ here to scout.¡± The Kobold began. ¡°Home getting dangerous. Tricky birds. We smelled another like us, so we investigate. Team up if there another tribe.¡±


    The Kobold¡¯s gaze wandered over to Peter and Emeria. Drake didn¡¯t like how its eyes seemed to rest on the Nymph for longer than necessary, either. Then, just as quickly, the eyes of the Kobold settled on Drake.


    ¡°No Kobolds here. Only you.¡±


    A mask of realization crossed his face, as he gauged the Kobold¡¯s response. In return, only a single thought could cross his mind.


    So, that was it.


    Whether he realized it or not, the Kobolds were even gathering information on him by avoiding the answer until the last moment, all in an attempt to gauge what the right decision would be.


    They wanted him¡­ He should have seen it sooner. They approached quick and silent, only barely being caught by the faint telepathic sense he inherited from Yami. They were full of negative emotions at the time, so he had quickly transformed to meet their advance. He had even prepared for a fight, but from the moment the Kobold saw Drake transform, their words gave away their intention.


    Friend.


    Drake chuckled. Despite the Kobold¡¯s age, and obvious lack of experience with those like him, it was crafty. No doubt they were excited. After all, he had so generously brought a Nymph from the opposite side of the forest, closer than they would ever be able to find otherwise. What¡¯s more, even the meager resources Peter had built up would no doubt be appealing to a race that survived every day like it was their last. It would have been too good to pass up.


    But, from the moment he had transformed, and into a creature that was so similar to themselves no less, they had second thoughts. That, and no doubt they sensed his aura as well.


    Drake was strangely happy, in a way. This body of his, what had made him an outcast from his own race, made it easy to get along with those who would only attack him at any other opportunity.


    ¡°Heh.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but voice this small pleasure.


    The Kobolds. They were similar to him, physically. Moreover, their lack of intelligence and relatively small stature left very little threat open to himself or Peter. However, that same intelligence might prove to be a problem. They might view him as friendly, but to those behind him? To actually prevent them from attacking left very few options, and most importantly, it left¡­


    Emeria¡­


    He couldn¡¯t protect the Nymph from all directions and opening himself up to danger by covering her with his mana over more than a few seconds carried its own problems. Not least of which included overexposure.


    He looked at Peter. He was brand new to his powers, and the Nymph would undoubtedly be of more help than he could ever be. Their powers were polar opposites, and the most he could do was reinforce any progress Peter had made with how quickly he could negate Drake¡¯s own power. No, the choice was simple.


    Drake shook his head. ¡°You want help, don¡¯t you?¡±


    It was simple. He had to leave.


    The Kobold startled.


    ¡°You¡­  Offer help?¡±


    He shrugged. Call it a whim, but he felt that these Kobolds could be more useful than at first thought. At eleven days old, the speaker was already remarkably developed. If the intelligence was more a flaw given their sheer underdevelopment¡­


    That wasn¡¯t something he felt he needed to say, however.


    ¡°You¡¯re among the first in this place to not outright attack or run away the moment you saw me. That¡¯s reason enough, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Drake gave a wide smile. That much was the truth, at least. The Kobold shook its head with a wide-eyed look in return, seemingly eager to reciprocate.


    ¡°However, only on one condition.¡±


    The Kobold tilted its head to the side, before shaking its head once. A clear sign to continue.


    ¡°The two behind me, the Nymph and the one in armor, they¡¯re entirely off limits. Any action against them is the same as against me.¡±


    A quick nod came from the Kobold. ¡°Hm. Not much of a loss. We will no doubt agree wholly.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Drake returned the gesture. ¡°Tell the others to back down. I need to take a moment.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh. Yes. Of course.¡±


    A high-pitched call resounded in the air from the Kobold, as a spattering of movement rustled in the trees surrounding them, with Drake warning both Emeria and Peter with a look at the same moment. Then, one by one, heads began to emerge. One¡­ two¡­ more and more kept appearing, until seven more heads emerged from the surrounding forest¡¯s edge.


    Talk about surrounded. He grinned to himself. Now¡­


    A mist surrounded Drake, leaving him in his semi-human form. Drake hesitated. All eyes were on him now, both his own team and the Kobold¡¯s.


    ¡°Well, Peter. It¡¯s been fun.¡±


    He trailed off. The expression he gave was out of place for the situation, almost as if he regretted it. As a result, Peter looked at him anxiously, seemingly aware that Drake had struck some sort of deal in those brief minutes.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving you with Emeria. And, I¡¯ll be leaving with the Kobolds.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Peter didn¡¯t reply, not at first. He simply froze, as different emotions flashed over his face, after the other. Then, he stumbled forward, a note of heat entering his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re joking. You¡­ You just got back!¡±


    Drake was surprised. They hadn¡¯t been especially close, at least in his eyes. But Peter made himself clear.


    ¡°So, what¡­¡± He paused, his anger flaring up further. ¡°You¡¯re just gonna leave with these things? You were supposed to help¡­ and finally get me out of this place¡­¡± He muttered.


    ¡°This¡­ godforsaken place¡­¡±


    Peter¡¯s eyes flicked as he took a quick glance at the Nymph at his side. Drake had no bearing of how he actually viewed the young girl, but the look in his eyes.


    It was all too clear. He despised being kept here.


    Drake stared from Peter to Emeria, his lips pursed shut. He was far, far from being able to reciprocate those kinds of feelings at the moment. Rather, if he wasn¡¯t careful, he¡¯d sooner start a fight than meaningfully help the man at all.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡± Drake frowned. Then, he shrugged. ¡°Truth is, there¡¯s not much I can do.¡±


    ¡°Do you think you could beat that giant, or whatever, right now? Given what you know, and what you can do?¡±


    Peter frowned. He even opened his mouth to speak, only to stop altogether a second later.


    ¡°See?¡± Drake cocked his head to the side. ¡°You barely have control over your powers. Hell, could you even beat me?¡±


    Peter clenched both of his fists, his eyes staring straight ahead into Drake¡¯s own.


    ¡°¡­ I have to do something.¡± He muttered. ¡°If I just stay here, like I have been, I¡¯ll never be able to leave. I¡¯ll just flounder around with a power I can¡¯t understand, in a place I can¡¯t even leave, like I always have!


    ¡°Peter¡­¡± He hesitated


    ¡°I mean look at you. Speaking with outright monsters, bargaining with them for Christ sake. And now you¡¯re leaving with them? Drake, the things out here, they will kill you. These Kobolds, will kill you if they get the chance.¡±


    Peter raised his voice. He walked forward, amidst the small crowd of monsters surrounding the both of them and glanced to his side as he waved to the others.


    ¡°The little buggers look weak, but they¡¯re some of the worst out here when it comes to booby traps.¡± He spat. ¡°Night is their time to shine. Even chasing them down can get you killed easily, let alone following them!¡±


    Drake turned his head towards the Kobolds, then towards the frightened Nymph. He frowned. Could the Kobolds be deceitful? Maybe. Still¡­ that didn¡¯t change who they were. A lowly race that might as well have been on the bottom of the food chain, struggling to survive. That they used traps seemed to fit them quite well actually. If he was in the same position¡­ he would do whatever he could, just as they did.


    ¡°Is Emeria so different?¡±


    Peter hesitated. He frowned and glanced back towards the Nymph. He clenched his fist as he seemed to contemplate something, before quickly shaking his head of whatever thought seemed to plague him. He was already predicting the flow this conversation.


    ¡°Maybe not today. Maybe not even tomorrow. But, you can¡¯t trust them, Drake. Please.¡±


    ¡°Trust is always earned.¡±


    Drake shot Peter a weary look.


    ¡°Same as you. Same as with Yami to some extent. I¡¯ve met others, Peter. Every one of them took time for me to get acquainted with. Just as I did with Morgan and Luke. It¡¯s not as if these Kobolds are the most dangerous group I¡¯ve come across, either. I can take care of myself.¡±


    ¡°Drake¡­¡± He pleaded.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, here in this cavern. Honestly. I couldn¡¯t have done what you have.¡±


    Drake breathed in a heavy breath, as simply looked to Peter. He had been alone for what, weeks? Trapped in something akin to a survival game. Either he survived and escaped with his newfound power, or died in the process, after only gaining that power once he watched each one of his friends disappear in front of his eyes.


    Luke may have escaped, given Aesir¡¯s generosity but Morgan? Even Peter knew she was underground, trapped.


    Still, he could imagine what Peter was going through. Regardless¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡­ can¡¯t will myself to just stay still any longer. Not while she¡¯s trapped underground.¡±


    She? Peter scrunched his face in confusion.


    ¡°You mean, the Imp that was trying to save you. She¡¯s underground as well?¡±


    Peter startled. It was a niggling suspicion in the back of his mind, but the sense of forced movement and over-exertion Drake had about him. He had thought it curious that the Imp who was so concerned over his wellbeing had abandoned Drake, but¡­


    ¡°Hm. Alongside Morgan, no doubt by now. I saw her underground too, by the way. Whatever curse she was under when she was dragged underground after the Fomorian got her was gone completely by the came I came upon her.¡±


    Drake waved his hand, shaking his head all the while.


    ¡°She¡¯ll be given back, of course. Both of them. All under the condition that I beat this place.¡± He said solemnly.


    Peter stalled. All the heat and force behind his conviction seemed to simply seep out of him, like an open sieve. Morgan was alive and well, and Drake had been moving to help her all along. Moving to get him free of this dungeon.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know. I had just assumed-¡±


    ¡°And I didn¡¯t tell you.¡± Drake shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s how I live my life. Could I change anything if I spoke about it? Would it bring her up from the ground, and back to me?¡±


    ¡°No. Not at all.¡± He laughed miserably. ¡°Better to look for solutions. And I¡¯ll be damned if I pass one up like this.¡±


    Peter blinked. Solutions? From the Kobolds?


    Drake continued, ¡°Listen. Stay with Emeria. She¡¯s the best I can do for you, Peter, honest. I¡¯m no good to you. We¡¯d just get in each other¡¯s way, or worse.¡±


    He shook his head. No, it was best that he be alone as well. Neither Peter nor the Nymph would appreciate what he was going to attempt.


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    Peter hesitated. It was true, he did bring back the Nymph to help. Regardless, it all hinged on one crucial point.


    ¡°-So, we¡¯ll work together then, at least. To leave here?¡±


    Drake joked, ¡°What, you didn¡¯t think I was just gonna leave you altogether, did ya?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I just-¡± Peter hesitated, then smiled in return. ¡°Thanks, man. It means a lot.¡±


    ¡ª-


    Drake faintly smiled. Then, he turned to the Kobolds. Yami was no longer beside him, and now he was leaving the one other friend he had in this dungeon. And he knew that it would only get harder from here. Getting through the forest to the Kobold¡¯s home. Learning and preparing for what was to come. Or, conversely, what he would inevitably discover to be impossible to accomplish.


    It didn¡¯t matter. What did matter, was a realization he had. A positive feeling, although it had just a glimmer of opportunity.


    Pieces were starting to come together.

 Chapter 12 Part 5

    Part 5


    ¡°And just like that, he¡¯s gone again.¡±


    Peter sat on the ground and sighed. The half dozen or so Kobold¡¯s that had wearily been talking among themselves soon left to follow Drake, with only a few giving himself and the Nymph a second look before disappearing into the twilight brush of the approaching night.


    He gave a deep breath, as he listened to the footsteps disappear, one after the other. And just when he thought that he was going to have some help. Now, Drake was truly well and gone. Off to do god knows what.


    ¡°Ah, now what do I do¡­¡± He joked half-heartedly. He was speaking more to himself, than expecting an answer out of the ever-stoic Grimal up above in the treetops, or the ever-silent Nymph at his side.


    Wonderingly, he turned, gazing at the girl next to him. He stared, taking in her features.


    The unnatural attraction was gone. Rather, she even seemed to be unnerved with the small amount of attention she was being given. Surely, she wasn¡¯t the type to be bashful, was she?


    Or rather, was she simply afraid?


    He pondered on the thought. He had never imagined monsters to be anything but enemies, but ever since meeting Drake, that¡­ concept had changed ever so slightly.


    Could they be afraid? No. That was a stupid question. It was like asking if a standard animal had emotions. Even before the world went to shit, it was a common enough thought that animals were capable of becoming angry, jealous, or even depressed.


    But¡­ to associate himself with her, a Nymph. That was another idea entirely. A first for anyone, besides those insane enough to try, like Drake.


    Peter could feel a bead of sweat running down the side of his face. Just a moment ago, he was on the edge of a life and death battle. And now, like it was the simplest thing in the world, he was just simply sitting across from a Nymph.


    Was he starting to change as well?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Slowly, Peter turned his eyes towards her once again. This monster, this¡­ girl, was what he was so afraid of? She didn¡¯t look past fourteen, just on the edge of her formative years. Back in the old world, she would certainly draw a bit of attention, if merely for the idea of what she would look like in only a few years once she had a bit more meat on her.


    Yet this was the man-eater that he had heard horror stories of. It was almost laughable.


    The idea that this might be the moment¡­ the story of someone who kept their minds from the duplicitous Nymphs¡¯ who carried off men in the night. The sheer tale alone would have half those back in town calling him a liar the moment he opened his mouth, yet alone those who might even entertain the thought that he wasn¡¯t just making a mountain out of a molehill.


    He chuckled. No, this moment wasn¡¯t something he would ever share.


    Still, what troubled him most of all, was that this might be the only opportunity to truly see her, without the glamour and magic that made her species so feared and ask what her species intended for those like him. He almost even opened his mouth to ask such a question.


    Almost.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Peter. Nice to meet you.¡±


    The Nymph replied meekly as she inspected the area around her. She turned to Peter; her eyes downcast all the while.


    ¡°Hm.¡± She lifted her eyes, her face slightly flushed with the situation of all of it. Then, she gave a simple reply in turn.


    ¡°Emeria Alstro. Youngest of my sisters, and progeny of the Great One¡¯s trial.¡±


    Peter frowned somewhat as he listened to the title.


    ¡°Trial, huh? Gah.¡± He mumbled as he shook his head. This place really was nothing but one big test. He never intended to go into such a thing so haphazardly, yet, here he was.


    ¡°Really snagged myself on this one.¡±


    He turned his eyes away from the light stone ceiling up above. Slowly, Peter then turned to the Nymph.


    Well, might as well start off from the beginning.


    ¡°So, not to be rude or anything, but just what is your role supposed to be in this place, anyway? You guys have hidden yourselves from me for the most part. Thankfully, the most I ever caught was a small glimpse.¡±


    Emeria immediately sank under the attention. With a reluctant expression, she shook her head, as if to clear her head of any doubts. Peter looked on and recognized it all for what it was. Simple fear.


    ¡°We mean to keep away others. Our role is to simply maintain the forests, keep the balance. Exemplify the best of what our creator imbued in us. It really is a simple thing. At least, it was.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he scowled in frustration.


    Damn. Damn, damn, damn. She seemed so pure-hearted, and sweet. Outright timid, even. Worst, she looked nothing more than a young girl in her mid-teens, despite the almost inhuman levels of perfection her features held. As a result, he felt like he was just bullying a kid, merely by asking a few questions.


    He lightly shook his head, then turned away from her, only for the stray lizard Drake had brought back to catch his eye. It looked as if it had been close to half an hour since it was killed. More than enough time for any mana in the meat to drain away, although¡­ he certainly wished it could have been something more substantial.


    Well, at least he had company.


    Peter moved, throwing a small pile of tree limbs and other such wood onto the fire. Taking out a small knife, he began the work of dressing the lizard, carefully cutting the head, before beginning the slow work of preparing the meat for a proper meal.


    ¡°U-umm¡­ what are you doing?¡±


    Emeria spoke in a low tone, as if she was afraid to be heard at all. Regardless though, Peter merely answered her just as he did was Morgan first looked on in shock as he gutted their first kill. Acting like this was nothing but an interrogation was going to get him nowhere. He needed to take her mind off of her situation, at least for a moment.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as if I can just cook the thing whole. There¡¯s a decent deal of preparation beforehand. Besides, the skin alone would ruin a good deal of the taste.¡±


    She nodded slowly, seeming to take in the words one by one. She looked on the process with a good deal of hesitation, however.


    ¡°You seem quite skilled.¡± She looked on, an uneasy expression wavering in her eyes. ¡°Is this something everyone outside learns?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a tad more complicated.¡± Peter smiled.


    The sheer innocence of that statement. Still, how to explain something as complicated and varied as the human race to someone whose never even left the confines of their birthplace. Did lots of people learn how to dress down a kill. Well sure. The craft sure as hell spiked in popularity after the end of the world and all.


    Peter merely shook his head.


    ¡°A bit here and there. Most people don¡¯t seem to take up to it as much as others. It¡¯s easy to kill something, especially these days. Taking apart a beast is another matter entirely, however. One wrong cut and well, let me just say that you never want to cut too deep down the stomach.¡± He remarked grimly.


    More than once did he lose his appetite altogether due to a simple slip of the hand. No one enjoys seeing what your lunch ate before you¡¯re getting ready to eat it. Let alone the smell or taste.


    ¡°Is it¡­ good? Eating, I mean.¡±


    This time it was Peter¡¯s turn to stare. Did she really mean that she had never eaten before? Surely, she had to survive off something.


    ¡°You mean to say you don¡¯t eat?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, I see my friends eat quite often. The trees where I used to reside tended to sprout the most beautiful of fruit, and they seemed to enjoy it quite often. It¡¯s just, it isn¡¯t needed for me, and it is, well, embarrassing.¡±


    Emeria explained herself quite quickly as Peter raised an eyebrow. Embarrassing. Sure.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    He felt exhausted for a brief moment. The sheer¡­ act, of having to explain the process of eating. It wasn¡¯t something he imagined ever having to give any clarity on.


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re actually curious, enjoyment depends heavily on the meal. Although I have no doubt that any fruit that is tended to by a Nymph would be quite divine,¡± he said with a sly smile. Barring the obvious pun, he certainly wouldn¡¯t turn down something of that sort right now.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Silence, huh. Well, he tried. No one can say that he didn¡¯t try. Not one person.


    ¡°Does¡­ it not taste awful when eaten in that way?¡±


    Peter frowned at the question. Where did that come from?


    ¡°As long as it¡¯s cooked well, it¡¯s fine. Honestly, hunger really is the best spice when it comes to things like this. Look.¡±


    With a precise movement of his fingers and the knife, he quickly removed the feet from the meat surrounding the legs, before moving the small knife down the mid-section. Thankfully, the skin was thicker than any actual lizard, once he got under it at least. It made the job much easier than it might have otherwise been to remove the excess.


    From there, he moved the knife downwards, making a split near the abdomen. Then, he turned the thing over, before starting the process of removing all the organs. There were certainly those who might enjoy little bite-sized meals such as the heart and liver if the thing was smaller, but given the size of such a creature, near four feet, the thought revolted him more than anything else.


    Emeria¡¯s eyes flickered to the meat Peter had largely finished preparing. One might have expected that the end product would have looked more appealing. However, the look on the Nymph¡¯s face didn¡¯t change. Rather, the look of consternation only increased as he continued to hack and slash away at the remains.


    ¡°I¡­ have little doubt that it might be appealing at some point,¡± she began. ¡°But surely in such a state, and with so little remaining, it must taste awful by comparison.¡±


    So little? Peter looked at the Nymph quizzically, and blinked. What, would she just eat the whole thing, skin and all? Even properly cut apart and gutted, it left a good foot of tail, and two full feet of meat. Not exactly a small offering.


    ¡°You really wouldn¡¯t want to eat the head, promise. Other than that, the feet are largely just bones and tendons. I¡¯d say I did a pretty good job myself.¡± Peter defended himself.


    Emeria shook her head willfully. ¡°It certainly seems to be cut up nicely, but the meat is dead. It seems the core was removed without my notice, otherwise I might have advised to leave it in such a state that the powers the soul held might permeate more throughout the¡­ remains.¡±


    The soul? Rather, she said the meat was dead? She wasn¡¯t merely speaking of the animal itself but was acting as if the meal itself potentially held power at some point.


    He blinked in confusion, before breathing out and turning to the Nymph.


    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the mana inside of it, right?¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Eating anything with mana in it doesn¡¯t work out for humans¡­ Emeria,¡± he said her name tentatively.


    ¡°Regardless of whether or not the core is removed quickly, it doesn¡¯t work out. Horrid cramping throughout the body, vertigo so bad you can¡¯t stand; I wouldn¡¯t recommend anyone try it.¡±


    She stared at Peter blankly.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve seen it tried, multiple times.¡± He defended. ¡°You can sort of gauge these kind of things after a bit, but eat it too soon, and trust me, it¡¯ll cause all sorts of pain for the person in question. It may work for your kind, but not mine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s wrong.¡±


    They both stared at each other, with Emeria even catching herself off guard. Who was she to question him? Yet, what he was saying was so obviously wrong, so she had to correct him. She was put here to teach him after all, right?


    Emeria pursed her lips. She looked to Peter, paused, then continued.


    ¡°What you are describing is merely a backlash. Untrained, lacking any discipline, or effort, and it will happen to anyone.¡±


    Peter frowned, clearly confused. She merely looked away for a moment, before returning, a look of confidence shining in her complexion before disappearing again into mere stubbornness.


    ¡°What you say is wholly untrue, however. Does your kind not simply eat the fruit off a tree, or pick the berries from a bush, or do you wait so frustratingly as well?¡±


    Peter muttered to himself suddenly. Well, he wasn¡¯t one to turn away a small snack here or there, so of course he ate the occasional fruit or handful of berries if he came across the opportunity. But everyone knew that only animals actually held any mana. No one was exactly cutting down swaths of trees for mana cores, at the least.


    ¡°No, we do. But they don¡¯t hold any mana,¡± he explained.


    This time it was the Nymph¡¯s turn to grumble, although she did so in a considerably more adorable fashion, merely crossing her arms as she looked to Peter.


    ¡°So certain of it, are you.¡±


    Emeria¡¯s lips pursed for a second time, and Peter sensed her disappointment. She seemed as if she wanted to continue. She probably didn¡¯t even care that she was teaching him at this point, she merely wanted to correct what she viewed as a wrong. Perhaps being more acquainted with nature than anyone, she took the lack of knowledge Peter exhibited a lot more personally than anyone would otherwise.


    ¡°Please, show me the power that is held inside of you, Peter.¡±


    Emeria stated it quite simply, but there was no doubt some level of annoyance held in her words. As Peter began to raise his hands to emulate the power he used before, Emeria merely shook her head, before slowly walking closer to him.


    ¡°Please, wait just a moment. I am not as skilled as my sisters, nor as foolhardy as others who are acquainted with the gift we share. It should be used properly, in a correct and disciplined manner.¡±


    Peter quietly mulled over her statement. He looked at Emeria and shook his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try anything.¡±


    Her eyes flashed at him, as Peter received a soft glare in return. The stare bounced off him. After a second, Emeria lightly moved forward, shaking her head all the while.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. Your companion would no doubt move to counter me if I even willed to escape, let alone attack you.¡±


    ¡°Companion?¡±


    Peter turned to the Grimal. She had more faith in it than even he did. In front of him, Emeria flushed, her cheeks reddening on her pale skin.


    ¡°That I would betray you. Unbelievable.¡± She mumbled to herself.


    Centering herself against Peter, she glared before moving to admonished him further.


    ¡°You undeniably share the power of my creator yet¡­ even as you began to build your strength just now, it was in such a haphazard manner. Surely your guardian was to teach you better than this.¡±


    The look in her eyes shifted the focus towards Grimal, who merely waved his tail back and forth nonchalantly, with no care in the world. Peter only sighed.


    ¡°Well, I would have a hard time arguing with that at least.¡±


    Grimal only turned his head and made a faint yawning sound. Emeria continued forward, sitting down right in front of Peter.


    ¡°Well-¡±


    She gestured towards the meat that Peter had prepared, willing him to move it away so she could begin.


    Peter nodded. Whatever she had planned, that she felt Grimal would move to stop her assuaged his conscience just a bit.


    ¡°Right. I¡¯m in your care.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Emeria moved forward. Such a succinct response. Followed by such a lively expression. And the girl herself, all too eager to teach him.


    Peter lowered his head. Was this truly how the monsters he killed in the past would have acted, if he merely had the opportunity to speak with them? She was shy, and demure, certainly, but filled with a life and purpose he didn¡¯t even see in himself.


    She sat down in front of him, her eyes tracing lines over his body. Then, she held out a single hand.


    ¡°Your hand.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Right.¡±


    He held out his right hand instinctively, only to see a flash of laughter overcome her face in the next few seconds.


    ¡°Peter. Did you think I meant to hold your hand in this strange manner?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    He looked down, to see his own hand enveloping her own, moving up and down ever so slightly. He¡­ had begun shaking her hand without even thinking.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    He jerked his hand back in a mere moment, as he forcefully looked away. What was he thinking? No, rather, why did he do that without even thinking in the first place?


    ¡°No, it¡¯s quite alright,¡± she replied in turn, the same look of laughter crossing her lips as before.


    Peter heard a mutter from up in the treetops. The Nymph turned to the limb on Peter¡¯s left where a certain companion laid, and merely smiled before returning to him.


    ¡°Please. Relax. If I¡¯m to teach you, it can¡¯t be in such a manner. Suspicion, nervousness, all these things will dilute the clear image one needs to properly convey the power we were gifted with.¡±


    ¡°The image, huh?¡±


    Peter blinked and stopped. He stared hard at the Nymph. Then, he closed his eyes and breathed. A long, slow breath that left him with a shiver traveling down his spine as he breathed out. Then he reopened them.


    ¡°Good.¡± She smiled as she looked on.


    ¡°Now, your hand please. We need to properly set up beforehand and, well¡­ I need help.¡±


    She ended sheepishly, that same shy demeanor peeking through once again.


    Peter quickly accepted. He would have rather not have another embarrassment on his hands.


    Emeria smiled in thanks, only moving forward towards Peter, before carefully wrapping his hands in her own.


    Now, one might have expected there to be a flash of golden energy to explode from the duo, or for there to be a glow that surrounded their forms, before expanding out. What happened was not near as grand, or powerful as that.


    What it was, was a simple light.


    No more than light than a simple candle may have brought. Of such intensity that one might have thought that a simple breath might extinguish it altogether, Regardless, Peter couldn¡¯t take his eyes away as he stared between that small light and the Nymph before him.


    It felt¡­ calm. Soothing. Like a deep feeling of warmth welling up from inside of him, yet the energy they exuded was nothing more than a nightlight. It was only then, however, that he began to hear it.


    A whisper on the wind. A faint melody that only grew stronger as the seconds passed, and just as he began to relax, he felt a sudden pull.


    Emeria¡¯s hands, that were initially only clasped around his own, began to tighten, the light between them flickering much like a candle, as he felt a force being drawn from him. That same warmth that he felt began to wash away from him like a bucket of cold water. as the Nymph seemed to struggle with whatever she was attempting.


    Seconds passed before he noticed something was off. She began to breathe more roughly, and the light that was held between them began to fade ever so slightly. Moreover, the warmth that seemed to come from within him at the beginning of the spell kept slowly fading.


    Then, it all stopped. The light that was held between them disappeared altogether, leaving the fledgling user of magic somewhat scared that he had failed to contribute somehow.


    Emeria however, breathed a sigh of relief. She looked eagerly to Peter, as he hesitated.


    Then it began. The melody he heard began to intensify, from a simple beginner lightly blowing into a flute, into a soothing and entrancing aria that seemed to come from all directions at once. It¡­ reminded him of the Nymph¡¯s own allure in a way, except, it was different. More confident.


    Then, he noticed something else. Small lights, no bigger than his own hand, began to flicker in and out of existence. One¡­ three¡­ six. More kept appearing and disappearing, but the number was undeniably increasing.


    ¡°So beautiful.¡±


    Emeria blinked, a smile spread wide across her face. Her eyes lit up.


    ¡°Will O¡¯ Wisps. A light that travels to those who would hurt you, and sends them far away, so that they might never return. How beautiful.¡±


    Will O¡¯ Wisps. Even his identify couldn¡¯t puzzle out what they were. That they were more than a simple by-product of his magic. Of course, that was the thing. It was something that he couldn¡¯t simply classify. It was more fantastical, and less mundane than the world he had always known.


    Peter looked up and wondered if this was how Drake had felt. Standing next to one not of this world but one created to stand against them. Yet, he was with Emeria all the same, helping her with that act of magic.


    Peter slowly withdrew his hand from Emeria¡¯s side. She stopped looking from the lights surrounding them to Peter, and in an uneasy and nervous moment, looked into Peter eyes. And smiled.


    And he did as well.