《The First Dragonborn》 Chapter 1: The Beginning I It was another peaceful day in the beginner town of Lexigon. The warm sun was shining upon the citizens like a loving mother embracing her children while the cool summer breeze was blowing nonchalantly past, keeping the weather at just the right temperature. Lexigon was the town of beginnings. Thousands of adventurers were raised and started their lives without any trouble here aside from the odd school bully or needy partner. A glance towards the entrance gates would reveal another young adventurer arriving to start a new life here. It was a small, young girl around the age of third-teen who was wearing a dark black cloak and not much else. Most would dismiss her as a common orphan. Probably coming from a warring nation to find a temporary home here, maybe join a public school and if she was lucky, get adopted by a new family. However, this girl could not be so easily dismissed. She had long white hair that reached further down her waist than it possibly should at that age. Underneath her cloak, the only thing covering her underdeveloped breasts was a similarly darkened bandage wrap she used to cover herself up. In stark contrast to her attire, her skin was a pale white. Not to the degree of her hair but it was clear wherever she was from was not accustomed to the amount of sunlight found here. The only part of her body that wasn¡¯t monochrome was her dark, red eyes that gave off a distinct non-human feeling. ¡°State your name girl,¡± said a guard stationed at the gate. ¡°Lilith,¡± replied the girl. ¡°Please present any documents you may have,¡± the man responded firmly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir... I don¡¯t have any,¡± said Lilith while favoring the sight of the ground over any eye contact. Faced with the choice between sending a helpless girl to her death outside the city walls and risking his job to let a foreigner into the city without any documentation, he demonstrated a bit of his humanity by deciding to take a latter route. ¡°There, there. It¡¯s okay.¡± He assured her. Lilith looked up into the guard¡¯s face with an expression that showed an equal amount of confusion and surprise. ¡°I¡¯m going to let you in but you have to promise me you won¡¯t mention this to anyone. Ok?¡± Lilith nodded twice in quick succession while keeping her wide-eyed attention on the guard. ¡°Once you get into the town, walk straight forward until you pass the town square. The first building on your right is an orphanage. Knock on the door and explain your situation to a kind lady named Greta. Be careful and don¡¯t talk to anyone else until you get there. Understand?¡± Lilith clumsily nodded one more time in compliance. The guard made sure no one was looking first before patting the girl on the head and sending her into the town.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Lilith walked through the gates with a bright, cheerful smile that might have been more aimed towards holding back laughing at the guard than showing how happy she was to be let into Lexigon. As soon as she knew the guard''s sight was obstructed, she shed his advice from her memory and continued with her plans. She was definitely not here to be adopted. "This is abuse," she thought to herself after a bit of searching. "It would be so much more fun and easier if I just killed them all and walked by without having to fake anything. I guess that would make him upset though. After all, if I did that, I don¡¯t think I would get very far with my new toy. I suppose these peasants can live for now." "So this is what it feels like to work for something? I don¡¯t like it. I guess I should play nice for a bit. I am getting kind of bored without anyone to play with these days. Especially thanks to my father." "It should be easy enough to find what I¡¯m looking for here. After all, what better place to find a pure and innocent child than one of the beginning towns?" "None of the adventurers here prayed to any of those disgusting gods of light yet." "I¡¯ve tried it time and time again but I suppose it can¡¯t be helped. I just like my meat dark." "Prayer to the gods is a great way of absolving your darker sins and I suppose that¡¯s good for you if you have to live a life as mundane as this but... who in their right mind would want the fat trimmed off a steak?"
Lilith had been wandering around the town for far too long. She was looking for the perfect playmate. Someone with whom she could have fun for a long time, but that seemed to be a more difficult task than expected. She had made the assumption that it would be easy to spot what she was looking for with all these people but that might have been a naive thing to assume. It was impossible to know anything about any of these people when they were flowing in and out of the streets and buildings like a colony of ants. Fortunately, she had cooked up a plan for this situation. All she had to do was find a few rough-looking delinquents, add a specific item, sprinkle on some luck and her hero would come to her. She searched the crowd, looking for the ingredients that would satisfy her recipe. Before long, she found a trio of young men hanging around a back alley. Without a second thought, these three misfortunate-looking teenagers could have been mistaken for mature men. Their unshaven faces painted a tragic backstory without the need for any verbal communication. They were exactly what she was looking for. She licked her lips as she readied to perform her plan. She pulled an expensive-looking red orb from under her black cloak, then walked past the hooligans while avoiding eye contact.
The three men gave her a few sinister looks and muttered some words to each other before turning to see Lilith who walked nonchalantly passed while proudly displaying the red orb in her hand. The thugs gave each other one last grin before making their move. About five seconds later, the crowd of people in the streets heard a girlish scream. Anyone in range to hear it turned to see Lilith, who struggled to keep her grip on the red orb, while the largest of the thugs attempted to rip it from her hands. Lilith toyed with him for a little while by loosening and tightening her grip repeatedly like a degrading game of tug of war before finally allowing the thug to take the orb out of her hands. As the three started to make their escape, Lilith thought to herself, ¡°Now¡­ to wait for my hero to sh-¡± Before Lilith could finish or even remember what she was going to say, her attention was captured by a dashing young boy who blazed past her in the direction of the thugs. She managed to turn just in time to see her hero. Her heart fluttered for a number of beats before she unwillingly fell to her knees. She caught something she didn¡¯t expect to catch¡­ her prince... and maybe her dinner if her temptations proved too much for her to resist. Chapter 2: The Beginning II (Super Chapter) ¡°GOD DAMN IT!!!¡± I hellishly scream while trying to run away from my impending doom.
Hello there! You must be thinking, ¡°What the hell is going on here!?¡± Well, let me introduce myself first. My name is Aden, Aden Haraldson. I¡¯m your average 13-year-old human boy with short red hair, rosy white skin color, and very bright ruby eyes. With nothing but a shared dream, to be known worldwide as one of the greatest adventurers ever! There are three primary things to do to obtain that title: kill giant monsters, earn lots of gold, and hang out with some ladies. ...Forget about the last part. I have next to no sexual interests. So yeah, let me start explaining how this all started. When I was happily strolling down the beginning town streets, mostly because I had finished helping someone lift some things into their shop, I happened to stumble upon a scene. Three thugs stealing a shiny orb from a girl. Then, of course, when I saw the thieves make a run for it, I got cocky and ran after them. Yeah, big mistake. The thieves I was chasing were level twelve rogues, and I''m a level five warrior. So not only are they faster than me since they¡¯re an agility-based class, but they¡¯re most likely stronger than me too, since classes don¡¯t begin to get any power spikes until level ten. Beginning to see what I mean? Well, never mind that it isn¡¯t possible to know a person¡¯s level. Anyway, I don¡¯t know how they never noticed me before all of this. I followed the guys the entire time while in plain sight, mainly since red doesn¡¯t fit well with green. Yet somehow, they never turn around to see if anyone is following them, even when they''re in a class with a better perception. Well, I guess it doesn¡¯t matter if they¡¯re part perception when they¡¯re low-level like me. I''m grateful for the thugs'' lousy sense of caution and surroundings because if they had any higher perception than now, they would''ve noticed me a long time ago and killed me. Well, that¡¯s what I think would happen anyway. I also had to be glad that I''m still new to all this leveling stuff. So I still have these dark red cotton clothing. It¡¯s completely red, no kidding, except for the black pants. The only thing that helps make this set not entirely red is the leathery, brown belt bag. My equipment consisted of four types of wear: shirt, pants, gloves, and boots. Everything else is otherwise just helpful or necessary in general. Well, besides all that, it¡¯s a free set of clothing given to you when you first obtain your combat class. So you didn¡¯t hear metal clattering against each other like the usual warrior gear, which could be the reason why they haven¡¯t noticed me, but let''s ignore that. So when I finally caught up with the rogues and found their camp, I found myself lucky enough to see the same orb on top of a small box. Fortunately, the rogues were talking at the other side of the camp, and I knew it was my chance. I snuck up to the red orb and managed to get it into my grasp, but my luck had finally run out when I heard a yell. So here I am, running for my life while being chased by three level-twelve rogues in the middle of a green forest, in the middle of the goddamn day!
I run through one bush to another, trying my best to avoid conflict with the three men, but it¡¯s all a waste of effort as the rogues catch up to me and immediately cut off my intended route. They begin to surround me. Do tell you they are adults, so they¡¯re bigger than me, making them more intimidating. ¡°Come on, kid, give it up.¡± The smallest of the rogues warns while threateningly getting closer with his knife pointing at me. I unsheathe my short sword from my leather scabbard, hold it with my right hand, and stand silently with a cautious look. I then proceed to look at my surroundings. There is a rogue in front of me, another to my four, and a third to my eight. I put the rather large red orb on my other hand into my empty belt bag, which barely fits in there. I then grip both hands on my sword''s handle and calmly look up at the biggest of the rogues in front of me. I try to focus, preparing to counteract any of them, but it''s difficult when I''m nearly out of breath. ¡°Vital Status,¡± I whisper under my heavy breathing. A screen pops up on the left side of my vision.
Vital Status: HP: 327/327 Rage: 0/100 Stamina: 16/308
¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m fucked.¡± I think to myself as I look at my relatively low stamina. If I wanted to fight these guys, I should have started doing so sooner. Because if I remember what my best friend said, "having low stamina in the middle of a fight will only heighten your chances of dying like an idiot." I take a deep breath, ignoring the low stamina condition that lowers nearly half of my stats and preparing for battle. The rogues notice that I''m not going to back down, but this is what they expected from a heroic wannabe boy, which is my guess of what they¡¯re thinking right now. ¡°I see how it is, kid. Guess we¡¯ll just have to kill you, won¡¯t we?¡± The biggest one of the rogues grins while the other two laugh wickedly. But I didn¡¯t waver. Instead, I respond, ¡°So, are you going to do that,¡± I look up at the biggest of the rogues, ¡°Or are you going to continue wasting my time?¡± The big rogue''s face then twists, making it look like he is pissed, which he is. "Wow, that was easy," I think with a grin. ¡°Kill him!¡± The other two behind me begin to close in on me rapidly. I know I¡¯ve gotten myself into a life-and-death situation, but if I''m going to die here, I want to at least take one of them with me. It was my fault for being such a cocky idiot. I should have never gotten myself involved unless I knew how strong my opponents were going to be. Or better yet, not wastefully use all my damn stamina. But it¡¯s already too late. All I could do now was fight until my very last breath. Even if I¡¯m a kid, something like this is bound to happen, no matter how much I try to stop it. I¡¯m prepared to die, and I don''t regret it. I was about to turn and slash at the two thugs behind me until I heard a yell. ¡°Firebolt!¡± A small ball of fire shoots out from a bush, moving as fast as an arrow, and hits the rogue to my four. The rogue screams in pain as the small firebolt explodes on contact. Burning through his clothes and creating a vast burnt spot to where his right lung is. He fell, crashing to the ground, and covered the burnt area with his hands. Trying to stop the pain. The other rogues quickly turn towards the origins of the firebolt. From there, they catch sight of another boy who looks around my age. He has short whitish hair, the sameish skin color as me, and dark blue eyes. He''s also the same size as me and wears similar beginner clothing, primarily white and blue. His leather straps from the belt bag and pocket bag were the only things that added a little brown to the endless white clothing. He holds a wooden staff that is as long as he is while having a small crystal clear stone ball at the very tip of it. The boy holds it with his right hand and grips on it hard, knowing things are about to turn ugly. He also has an entirely blue book on his other hand with no writings on the cover. The boy walks up to me, I smile. ¡°I thought you were still out shopping for potions, Charles.¡± ¡°Of course I was, you dumbass,¡± even though he¡¯s my best friend, he tends to use vile language when I do something stupid, ¡°That was until I saw you run past me full speed after these three useless excuses of human beings.¡± He also tends to use that vile language on his enemies. I didn¡¯t respond. Instead, I kept on smiling. He sighs as I continue to smile and tosses a small glass bottle with what seems like a yellow liquid in it. ¡°Anyways, here, as promised, a stamina potion.¡± I catch it, open the cap and begin gulping it down. Of course, the thugs aren¡¯t going to let me do that. At my eight, the rogue rushes at us and tries to thrust his dagger into me, trying to pierce it into my skull. But that didn¡¯t happen as Charles went in front of him while holding his long wooden staff like a baseball bat. He swung it at the thug full force; the rogue couldn¡¯t react to it at all as it hit his hand with the dagger, making it go off course. Charles quickly regrips the staff and swings it at the thug¡¯s face. It landed hard, I¡¯ll tell you, hard enough to expect his head to detach from his body and go flying to the sky. But sadly, it didn¡¯t. It makes you wonder how durable that staff is. The rogue falls back first on the ground, covering his face in pain. Charles looks down at the rather squirmy, fallen thug and looks with disappointment. Even if Charles is just a level twelve mage, he still has training in close combat. Before he met me, Charles wanted to train himself in close quarters. Though it didn¡¯t seem he needed it since he rarely had to hit someone physically, now he most likely understood that at least it has its benefits. ¡°As I thought, if Aden had had full stamina, he would have taken you all on and had a decent chance of winning.¡± The biggest rogue just stood as he saw all his comrades taken down by a juvenile, fledgling mage. Of course, since Charles didn¡¯t kill them, the two fallen rogues simply stood back up while drinking a bottle of red liquid they got from their leather belt bags, which are health potions. The 4 o¡¯clock rogue¡¯s burnt skin created by Charles¡¯s firebolt begins to restore its original color. And so did the red spot on the other rogue¡¯s face due to the wooden staff''s hard smack.
Charles''s Perspective: "They¡¯re taking their potions earlier than I expected," I thought to myself, "but it only answered one of my many questions, how much HP do these rogues have? It could either be that they have meager stats due to the lack of special action points, or it¡¯s just because they¡¯re dumb and took the potions that would mathematically overlap their HP." "Of course, in their conditions, they could barely fight, well¡­ at least one of them."
Main Perspective: The three repositioned around us again, just like how they did to me before Charles came. I finish drinking my stamina bottle and throw it away.
You have drunk a small stamina potion! +50 Stamina!
"Just enough for this fight," I deem to myself as I feel a massive burst of energy. I walk in front of Charles and wield my small iron sword. ¡°So, what now, Charles?¡± Charles smiles at my awaiting orders and points at the biggest of the rogues. ¡°Beat him until he''s fucking scrap.¡± I smile at this response and charge to my target. Knowing that this time, I only have to fight one of them. For a moment, my body felt lighter all of a sudden, but that''s beside the point. Behind me, I hear Charles begin chanting a spell. This sudden battle has begun.
Third Person Perspective: As Charles is about to finish his chanting, the rogues behind him aren¡¯t going to let him finish it. The two more miniature rogues run at Charles behind, trying to backstab him for bonus damage. However, Charles expected this and isn¡¯t dumb enough to chant some long-ass spell when surrounded. Besides, the stuff he has been chanting is nothing but gibberish. Taking advantage of his opponents'' lack of magical knowledge, he stops his chanting and makes a small but quick sidestep to his right. Immediately, the rogues knew they were fucked. They try to stop their momentum before Charles does anything unexpected. Sadly for them, it is already too late. The rogue behind Charles is smacked to the ground by his staff which he uses like a blunt weapon. Charles quickly spins it, then ends with a hold similar to a soldier who wields a spear. He slams his right boot down then thrusts upwards. The staff lands on the other rogue¡¯s face, right on the nose. While that is happening, the biggest rogue is already having difficulty fighting Aden. He continues to thrust and slash his dagger at him randomly, hoping that at least one of them would land, but all the attempts he had tried were either evaded or parried. The slashes of Aden''s blade already shred the dirty leather armor he has been wearing. He most likely didn¡¯t expect himself to be in this kind of situation, at least not by a kid like Aden, who is half his size.
Aden: A special action has been performed! +1 AGL
The rogue takes a few steps back, trying his best not to get swallowed up in Aden''s dance of death. Every time he would observe Aden''s movements, he would only get confused, primarily due to his lack of wisdom, intelligence, and experience. Aden would sometimes take a small leap back, making the dumb rogue think that he is attempting to conserve his stamina after finally stopping his volley of attacks, but ends up surprising him as Aden jumps forward and thrusts at him. Giving him some minor wounds as he tries not to get a sudden gash. Aden would sidestep at random moments, then suddenly dash at him, thrusting and slashing at moments he wouldn''t expect it.
Aden: You have done minor damage to the enemy! 9 Damage! You have done minor damage to the enemy! 10 Damage! You have done minor damage to the enemy! 7 Damage! A special action has been performed! +1 DEX
As Aden does all this, Charles continues to toy with the two other bandits simply by avoiding their brainless attacks. Literally. Usually, their one opponent would back up due to their numbers. However, Charles is different. He knew how to handle groups like these and hasn¡¯t even taken one step back. Besides, he¡¯s the one who will always position Aden in situations that will most benefit him. Charles continues his disappointed look and simply turns to see how Aden is doing as if he is bored. However, he holds back his irritation as he sees Aden doing something he specifically taught him not to do. Aden clashes blades with the rogue, but he quickly knocks Aden back. That is when reality had finally come crashing in. Even though it would be evident that Aden has more in the strength attribute, the man is still twice his size. Meaning it¡¯s going to be tough to win a tug of war against someone larger than you. Sure, the strength attribute will get Aden there, but it''s still a disadvantage. However, Aden can fix that. Aden took another swing at the rogue. The rogue smiles as he sees Aden making the same mistake. He attempts to block Aden''s attack but is up for a surprise. ¡°Heavy Swing!¡± Aden yells as he swings his sword in a more heavy manner, as if the weight of his sword suddenly changed. The rogue took the attack but is the one sent stumbling back instead. The power behind that swing is a lot stronger than before.
Aden: Your blade has clashed with the enemy! 3 Damage!
Heavy Swing Description: Swing with all your might, doing more damage than normal swings will. Requirements: Warrior (level 5), Any melee weapon. Type: Skill Effects: Deal 20% more damage when skill makes contact. Usage: 10 Rage Cooldown: 5 Seconds. The skill''s damage will increase by 2% per rank up. Rage usage will decrease by 1 per two rank ups.
It¡¯s the first warrior skill Aden had gotten after clearing his first beginner dungeon, with Charles''s help, of course. It¡¯s a skill that gives plus three strength upon ranking up. However, it swings slower than the usual swing and often leaves some openings. But it¡¯s still a good skill to use when you want to break down someone¡¯s guard.
Charles''s Perspective: I continue sneaking glances as I fight the two inexperienced rogues. Besides these small imbeciles, the big one knew what he was doing and tried not to get swallowed up in Aden''s confusing fighting style. But it is only a matter of time before that rogue falls due to exhaustion. Even if I did most of the movement, it didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t take short breathers. The stamina bar only gauges how tired you are, not by how many moves you¡¯ve displayed. Which also includes the HP bar. If someone cuts off your head, it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll lose a small amount of HP because your enemy has low damage. It means that you instantly die.
Main Perspective: After another ten seconds later, the big rogue had finally fallen over due to exhaustion and lousy footing. But he most likely knew he had to stand back up fast, or else it¡¯s game over. Unfortunately, it is already too late as I am already standing above him, with my sword raised. I smile as I see the big rogue¡¯s face twist in horror. Intending to split the rogue¡¯s head in half, I swing my sword down without mercy until¡­ ¡°Aden, stop!¡± I stop in my tracks, my short sword nearly making contact with the rogue¡¯s forehead. I keep my sword pointing at the big rogue and turn to Charles, who had already finished cleaning up the trash. The other two rogues were already unconscious, bodies stacked on one another. And on Charles¡¯s hand, he holds two of their small belt bags, but he also looks at me with a surprising gesture as he did. ¡°What?¡± I ask. Charles shakes his head as if he has put away misunderstanding thoughts, then points at the big rogue. ¡°Collect the big imbecile¡¯s belt bag, and let''s head back.¡± I hear a loud thump after Charles finishes his sentence and turns to the large rogue, who had already fainted. A few minutes later, we walked down a dirt road in the open plains outside the forest, heading back to town. The small, sudden battle is over.
As we walk to town, Charles looks through the soft and leathery belt bags we have looted from the thieves and begins to take out what seems like a couple of health and stamina potions from each bag. They all have the same potency and amount of liquid as the ones Charles had bought. He keeps on observing and checking the contents of the three rogue¡¯s belt bags until I ask, ¡°Why didn¡¯t we take their dagger as well?¡± ¡°Wolves in this area are pretty strong, that¡¯s if you don¡¯t have a weapon. Afterward, it will be easy to take one of them on. However, if we were to take those daggers, what would you think would happen if those rogues encounter a pack of wolves while trying to head back to town?¡± ¡°They will die, and it will be our fault,¡± I responded immediately. I''m always able to respond to his questions like that, mainly because he would knock me out by literally swinging his wooden baseball bat at my face if I were to take too long to answer. Even though Charles is a mage, he still hits like a buffed man with a mace, not really, but it still hurts like hell. Charles, as you can already tell, isn¡¯t your average mage. He is a combat mage specializing in close, mid, and long-ranged combat. The usual mage will have trouble fighting in close quarters, mainly because they didn¡¯t have the spells or skills to handle those situations. However, Charles didn¡¯t have that problem. At the beginner dungeon, which is called The Rat King¡¯s Dungeon, I was able to see a display you don¡¯t usually see from a mage. Charles fought off four of the rats quickly while only using physical attacks. What''s impressive is that usually, a person in the 1-15 level range would have difficulty trying not to get bitten by one of these rodents, especially when that person is a mage using only melee attacks. But for Charles, he has an imaginary map showing every hostile entity''s positions. I¡¯m fucking serious. It¡¯s like Charles knew one of the rats was behind him. When one of the rats tried to take a bite at him, Charles would turn around and send that rat flying like the thing was a ball, waiting to be hit afar and be called a home run. What impressed me the most was that after Charles and I started practicing with each other for the first time, it took him five rounds until he finally figured out that weird pattern I was doing with my so-called dance of death. Then the next moment I charged at him, I was sent into a coma after having my fucking head almost taken off by the force of his first-rate baseball battering. Wait, what the hell is baseball anyway? I feel like some God gave me unworldly knowledge I shouldn¡¯t understand for this time and age, but I don¡¯t usually give a damn about it, so I just let it flow. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask, though, why did you run away from those rogues instead of attacking them head-on?¡± Charles asks. ¡°I¡¯m just following what you taught me, don¡¯t charge straight at the enemy until you know how strong they are.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I still don¡¯t expect an idiot like you to remember any of that,¡± Charles says as we walk downhill. ¡°Hey, even if I¡¯m a dumbass most of the time, it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll be one forever,¡± I say behind him. ¡°Alright, I get it. But if you have done the same thing you¡¯ve always had when a fight starts, you¡¯d have won easily,¡± Charles closes one of the last belt-bags, ¡°Especially since those rogues are poor fighters.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. But like you said, it¡¯s bad practice,¡± I say while bringing back memories of Charles¡¯s teachings, ¡°If I grow too accustomed to that sort of fighting, I¡¯ll have either run into a trap or a person I can¡¯t deal with.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you remember all that stuff. I wasn¡¯t sure that you¡¯d remember all that stuff with your low intelligence,¡± Charles says, knowing how insulting it sounds, ¡°Well, I could say the same for me since we¡¯re still at a low level.¡± He adds. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not saying you should depend on me fully yet.¡± ¡°When in the lord''s name did I say I would, you dumbass.¡± ¡°Ow! Don¡¯t go full smartass on me, please! I¡¯m still not mentally prepared for that!¡± We laugh like we always do. After finishing laughing our asses off, Charles sighs. ¡°Well, I just wanted to ask because in some parts of the fight¡­ the things you did weren¡¯t like you. Every swing you would do would look merciful, but during this fight, when I saw you fought that rogue. It was like I was watching an entirely different person. The intended downswing you did would prove that. Not only that, you retreated. I¡¯m going to ask, are you okay?¡± ¡°Now that you mention it, I did feel weird during that fight,¡± I point out, ¡°I mean, why would I want to split a guy¡¯s head so much? I don¡¯t know, but it could be just me. It is our first real fight, after all.¡± ¡°Yeah, I could be just imagining things.¡± I couldn¡¯t blame Charles. Even I think I¡¯ve changed during that fight. It felt like my emotions were all over the place. At first, I was calm and tried to take down the big rogue, then all of a sudden, when I saw him fall over, I got this weird and sudden urge¡ªthe urge to simply cut the big rogue''s head in half and laugh about it. My expression goes dark, ¡°Is it like that time? When I¡­¡± I shake the thought away, "Yeah, it could just be my imagination." Well, since the rogues have their weapons, they should be fine.
Unseen Things: As Aden said that to himself, the red orb began to glow in his belt bag for a moment until turning back to normal. However, that wasn''t the only thing they hadn''t noticed. What Charles and Aden didn¡¯t see after they left the forest was that the three rogues, they had effortlessly dealt with, had all died. Upon the rogues¡¯ awakening, they faced a giant, red-skinned man who held a giant cleaver. The sight of the big demon made the three rogues look at it in terror and then attempt to make a run for it. Unfortunately, their efforts to avoid this giant demon were nothing but futile. In the end, the three rogues brutally died one by one, as a human-looking girl, who looked around Aden¡¯s age and covered in a black cloak, watched joyfully as blood and guts covered the trees and grass of the forest.
Main Perspective: It took Charles and me another ten minutes until we finally reached the town. The town, known as the beginning town of Lexigon, is your usual town surrounded by castle walls. From looking afar, you¡¯ll expect to see around a hundred or so buildings, some big and some small. Around half of those buildings are stores with windows showing armor and weapons. There is also a big market, which is usually only made up of fruits, accessories, and gifts like flowers and so forth. This town, you can say, is truly a place where heroes take their first step towards their adventures. The road we stroll turns from a dirt road to a paved, brick stone. As we walk through the gate entrance into the town, we wave to everyone. The people we wave to smile and wave back as if knowing us for years. Well, the truth is, we¡¯ve been in this town for more than seven years. Lexigon is where Charles and I established a friendship together when we were six years old. Many memories were born here, so many that I wish I could remember and cherish them all. ¡°Hey, Aden! You gave those rogues a beating, didn¡¯t you!?¡± A random person yells as he passes us. ¡°Hey, Aden! Glad to see you and Charles are fine!¡± Another person yells. It''s pretty big news that I was chasing after three rogues. I mean, would you expect a child to chase after the adult rogues that were not only twice your level but also twice your size? You¡¯d expect that to be a suicide mission for a child, but here I am, back and intact. The news got even more significant since I''m one of the most known citizens of this town, making everyone stop what they''re doing just to come out and wave to us. We walk through town and wave to everyone until we finally reach the town square. Charles turns to face me as we stop in front of a water fountain, ¡°So, you¡¯re going to return that orb to the owner?¡± Charles asks as he sees me take the red orb out of my belt bag. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m going to go around town and find her. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back to the library to study more about your class. See what promotional class you should take once you reach level twenty-five.¡± ¡°Thanks! Well, once I return the orb, I¡¯m going to go make a few more copper coins before we get ready for our departure tomorrow,¡± I turn around, ¡°see you in a bit!¡± I was about to start sprinting away to begin my search, but Charles then yelled out, ¡°Are you sure about this,¡± I paused, then turned to Charles, who looked serious, ¡°once we head out, I won¡¯t guarantee that we will come back to this town alive.¡± ¡°I told you already,¡± I said with a big smile, ¡°I¡¯m prepared to die. When becoming an adventurer, you have to know that you¡¯ll be taking risks. Risks big enough that it might even cost your own life. That¡¯s the life of an adventurer, right?¡±
Charles''s Perspective: I watch as Aden waves to me and then runs off. I continue to watch him until he isn¡¯t in sight anymore. I turn in the opposite direction and begin walking to the library. It is up to me now. I know that Aden will put his life into my hands whenever a fight breaks out. So that¡¯s why I have to study tactics, maneuvers, everything that will aid Aden and me during our adventure. There is no turning back now. Aden had already set his goal, and I knew I couldn¡¯t stop him no matter what I did. All I can do now is follow and make sure that no matter what, Aden will come back to this same town, no¡­ Our home, alive.
Main Perspective: I run through the streets, looking left and right, trying to find the owner of this strange red orb. I¡¯ve only caught a glimpse of her, but I could tell she''s from royalty. She has that bright, long, and shiny silver hair that seems to be long enough to reach down to her waist. Those hairstyles and colors aren¡¯t typical, though it is widely known as royalty hair.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. I¡¯m not saying that Charles was from royalty or anything. I just don¡¯t know much about his past. I don¡¯t plan on talking about it anyway. I¡¯m not the type of person to do so. Anyways, the girl¡¯s eyes are similar to that of the color of blood. Looking at them made me hesitant to think she was innocent, but I let it slide. Her bright, pale white skin is more proof that she might be born from a big named family as that kind of white skin can only be seen from high-class families. Overall, just looking at her gives you the urge to scream, ¡°ROYALTY,¡± without caring. Not only that, she looks cute. Very cute, in all honesty. It wouldn¡¯t surprise you to the point where some weird group would try to confront her. But I doubt she''s weak; those dark blood-colored eyes she has still give me the chills. I shook my head to the thought and continued running through the streets. I look around until I see someone I knew waving at me in his fruit stand within the market. I went to meet him. ¡°Hey, Mr. Pap! What do you need?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Papperson. I just wanted to say thanks for helping me. You sure did help a lot with those boxes full of fruits. Especially beating the crap out of those thieves, they¡¯ve been stealing some goods from my shop recently,¡± He says with his rather long nose. ¡°No problem! Oh, did you happen to see a girl who-¡± I then start describing what the girl looks like to Mr. Pap. Mr. Pap nods, ¡°Yeah, I saw a girl like that. Though just thinking about her gives me the creeps.¡± ¡°Oh! Do you know where she went?¡± I ask with a rather big smile. ¡°That was a long time ago. I think the girl is long gone by now.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Well, do you know the direction that girl went?¡± ¡°Just keep going in the direction you were running. That was where I last saw the girl.¡± ¡°Alright! Thanks, Mr. Pap!¡± I yell as I run towards the direction he pointed. ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Papperson! PAPPERSON!¡± He yells as he sees me run in the direction the girl went. ¡°That boy,¡± He sighs but smiles afterward.
Unseen Things: Mr. Papperson heard that Aden would depart tomorrow, which is sad, to be honest, but kids like Aden want to explore the world, so it wasn¡¯t surprising. When he thought about this, he turned back to a rather worn-out bag he had filled with copper coins, with a note inside saying, ¡°Good luck, boy! You¡¯re going to need it! From your Mr. Pap.¡± Of course, he cringes at the name, but he lets it go as that''s the name that Aden always loves to say whenever he sees him, all those years ago.
Main Perspective: I continue my search through the streets, asking every shop owner about a certain girl. It was going great at first, but then suddenly, it got worse. After the following five owners, others begin to say that they¡¯ve never seen a person like that. I start to get desperate. I thought I¡¯d see the owner in no time, but then all of a sudden, the trail disappeared. But it didn¡¯t stop me. I nearly risked my life trying to get this orb back, and I don¡¯t intend on stopping. I keep on running until someone throws themselves onto me. ¡°WAAAAA!¡± I yell in surprise. ¡°ADEN!!!¡± A girl around my age screams in joy as she''s in my arms. I immediately lose my footing and fall to the ground with the person in my arms. Everyone nearby turns to see the commotion, but they all simply smile and go back to what they were doing when they saw what happened. I turn my head to see who in the hell it is. However, my eyes widen in horror as it is the girl I dread to this day. ¡°L-Layli!?¡± I yell while trying to push her away from me, but that proves futile as it only makes Layli tighten her hug, making it impossible to move her away from me. ¡°Yes, Aden! It¡¯s your future wife!¡± She makes a cute smile while her bright green hair moves around as I am still trying to get her off. ¡°Future wife, my ass! Get off of me!¡± I put more effort into trying to get Layli off of me. She''s budging, but not enough to make me sure that I can get free from her hug. ¡°Oh ~ ?. You¡¯re so cute when you struggle ~ ?.¡± At this point, it makes you sure that the pupils of her green eyes are heart-shaped. ¡°Get the fuck off of me!¡± "Why!?" I think to myself. "Why does Layli always do this to me!? Why!?" Questions keep coming up left and right as I continue struggling. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Aden¡­ We will be together forever and ever ~ ?. Once you come back from your departure, I¡¯ll be waiting in a wedding dress. Then we will be together ~ ?! Forever and ever. Forever and ever! FOREVER AND EVER!¡± I managed to push her off me. Before she gets the chance to recover, I immediately get up and make a run for it. Full speed while screaming my lungs off as I run around a corner.
Unseen Things: Layli stands up and dusts herself, then turns in the direction Aden went. ¡°Aden is going, isn¡¯t he?¡± She asks herself with a sad look while holding a white envelope with a heart-shaped stamp. She shakes her head and starts to walk in the opposite direction. She has to prepare herself for Aden¡¯s return. She has to take cooking classes, help with caring for children, and much more! She has to keep training herself, to be Aden¡¯s perfect wife. However, the moment she thought that a chill ran through Aden¡¯s spine as he was still running away in terror, still expecting her to be chasing after him. At this moment, he asks himself, ¡°Should I really get married?¡±
Main Perspective: It had been seven hours since I started my search, and already the moon shone brightly over the town. I, slowly and shakenly, walk back to the fountain, not as energetic as I used to be. It¡¯s the usual spot Charles and I always go to when we finish what we''re doing for the day. And by the Goddess of Virtues, I''m finally finished for the day. I got to say, this might be the worst day I¡¯ve ever had. Not only did Layli catch me off guard, but I also couldn¡¯t find the girl at all! Not only that, I didn¡¯t even make a single copper coin! I sigh as I am finally at the fountain with Charles waiting there. He''s reading a book while sitting patiently on the edge of the fountain. He turns to see me, who''s shaking frighteningly. ¡°Let me guess, Layli?¡± I nod slowly to his question. He sighs, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head back to our treehouse then,¡± He pats a small wooden box next to him, ¡°We¡¯re eating some steak tonight.¡± I suddenly switched personalities. I started drooling while barking like a dog. Charles shakes his head and decides to ignore me. Five minutes later, we walk outside of town, the opposite direction of the way we entered into Lexigon since there''s a door there mostly made to make it easier for me and Charles to get back home faster. We enter through it and then walk straight towards a hill with a large tree in its middle. ¡°How did you get the steaks? Aren¡¯t they like a silver coin each?¡± I ask. I continue to stare at the tiny box I hold, with two large steaks in it. ¡°I got them for free. A departure gift, you can say.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait! What grade are they?¡± I want to know, but I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m asking such a question. All the meat in Lexigon is F-grade meat, a grade that is similar to beef jerky. Finding a quality higher than F is hard to get in a beginning town. ¡°They''re D grade.¡± Well, there¡¯s my answer. ¡°Wait, what!? Aren¡¯t those like four silver coins more!? That¡¯s like two months'' worth of labor!¡± ¡°Like I said, a departure gift.¡± We continue chatting as we walk up to a small hill in the plains. We plan on what we¡¯ll do when finally departing from Lexigon and walking out of its safe zone. Safe zones are what they sound like; they¡¯re Non-Monster Areas, meaning monsters don¡¯t usually walk in those areas. Unfortunately, it''s possible to breach as there was once an invasion in Lexigon a month ago. Fortunately, it was just goblins. But even if they were just a bunch of small goblins, they were tough. Tough enough to make even level fifteen players struggle against one of them. From what I remember Charles teaching me, the God of War, who watches over us, often enrages monsters doing their own business and make them charge into settlements for his enjoyment. I don¡¯t care about that stuff, but it¡¯s a good thing they only invade twice a year. Two minutes later, we started to see our home. On top of this relatively small hill is a square treehouse. Literally. The lone tree that holds up the treehouse is an old, dark-barked tree. The tree is huge! Almost three times wider than us in width and five times in length. The leaves of the dark-barked tree are as green as ever as the environment keeps it healthy. The bark is all cracked, but not enough to make you think it¡¯s scorched. Then there is the square treehouse. It''s a two-story wooden house. It isn¡¯t a massive house since it can only fit people around five feet, but it isn''t for big people anyway. It also has windows built onto it, but it didn''t have glass, which isn¡¯t a problem, of course, as we usually put up wooden boards, which we could easily slide in to close the window if it was a rainy day or something. Again, the treehouse is an entirely square house, with no unique edges or anything, just an utterly square house. It''s well built and doesn¡¯t have many loose things hanging off it, making it a perfect square. Wow, the people who made this sure have a great imagination. Charles and I walk up to the treehouse; both of us smile at the sight of it. It''s the treehouse the townspeople willingly built for us for free. We promised we would pay them back somehow, but they kept declining our offers for this treehouse. It bothered Charles and me for a bit, but we had to accept that this treehouse was free. Charles picks up a rock on the floor and gives it to me. I aim it up at the noticeable hatch then throw it. The rock bangs against the hatch, making it swing open downwards, letting a rope ladder on the other side drop down to the ground. Then we climb up the ladder until we reach the top and step on the treehouse''s wooden flooring. We pull up the ladder and into the treehouse. Then, I reach down to the hatch and close it. It is almost entirely dark, but fortunately, the moon shines light into the treehouse from one of the windows, making it not pitch black. ¡°Firebolt.¡± Charles chants and a small ball of flame ignites itself from thin air, hovering over the top of his staff. It brightens the room and fills it with light. In the middle of this first floor is a wooden dining table with two wooden chairs. There''s also a square, stone-bricked, furnace-like stove that stands in the corner of the room. It¡¯s easy to move around since we didn''t hammer it to the floor. Charles opens the small hatch in the middle of the stove and aims the staff at the opening, where inside is a small pile of charcoal prepared in it. He shoots the firebolt into it, and the charcoal bursts into flames, filling the room with warmth and light. It isn¡¯t as bright as the firebolt on the staff, but it''s enough. The flames shine in the direction of the dining table, with me sitting on one of the chairs. After Charles has finished lighting up the charcoal, he opens a window nearby by sliding off a wooden board to help let the smoke go out. Then he walks toward the dining table where the small box of steaks is. He opens the box and sees two steaks on top of some hay. Beside them is a small white envelope. Charles picks it up and opens it. In the envelope is some sort of orange powder and a letter. He pulls out the letter, which is almost entirely orange due to the powder, then reads it. Afterward, he starts to smile. ¡°What does the letter say?¡± I ask out of curiosity. ¡°Nothing much. Just the rancher and butcher thanking me for all the help.¡± Charles puts down the letter then turns to the orange powder in the envelope. He looks at the powder and focuses all his attention on it.
Charles''s Perspective: ¡°Inspect Ingredient.¡± As I say this, information begins to flood into my mind.
Congratulations! Your Inspect Ingredient has ranked up to Rank C! PER +2
The level up satisfies me slightly, but not enough to distract me. ¡°This powder has a couple of spices unknown to me. Salt is part of it, sure, but the other two mixtures are unknown.¡± I think this as I put my finger in it and pull it out. ¡°It sticks to my finger compared to table salt. It¡¯s dry, but it sticks.¡± I taste it, and my eyes widen.
Congratulations! Your Tasting has ranked up to Rank D! PER +1 DEX +1
"It tastes amazing! It isn¡¯t like anything I tasted before! Sure I haven¡¯t tasted as many things as a normal chef would, but the taste is fantastic!" I turn to the steak. I wonder how many levels I¡¯ll gain in the Tasting skill. But I shake my head. I need to focus on the main thing: to cook the dish Aden and I want. I put half of the orange powder on my hands and began to pat it down on one of the steaks. Then I move to the stove and put the seasoned steak on the watered surface. The steak sizzles loudly throughout the treehouse.
Main Perspective: I stand behind Charles, staring in amazement. ¡°Wow¡­¡± I say while staring at the steak. Charles simply nods and seasons the last steak to place it in with the other.
Cooking Description: Cook different food types to create dishes that will give special effects and satisfy your hunger. Requirements: Cook an item Type: Mastery Effects: 5% more efficient when cooking. 5% better quality when the ingredient is cooked. Usage: None Cooldown: None The skills efficiency will increase by 5% per level. The skill¡¯s ability to turn foods into better quality will increase by 5% per level.
Inspect Ingredient Description: Have the ability to know what ingredients are by simply looking at them. Requirements: Cooking (Rank C), Inspect an ingredient. Type: Skill Effects: Gain the ability to get info about an ingredient by examining it. Usage: None Cooldown: None The higher level of this skill, the more info you can obtain from an ingredient.
Tasting Description: By simply tasting a dish, you can describe the taste and ingredients used in the said dish. Requirements: Cooking (Rank D), Eat a dish. Type: Passive Effects: Allows you to immediately know what ingredients are used in that dish depending on the level. Usage: None Cooldown: None The higher level this skill is, the more certain you know which known or unknown ingredients are in a specific dish.
It amazes me how cooking works. Not only will your hunger and taste be satisfied upon eating a dish, but you¡¯ll also gain bonus stats from those dishes for a certain amount of time. It gets better with every dish too! The more levels you get on the cooking skill, the tastier that dish is! I simply watch while standing behind Charles, drooling as I see the steaks sizzle and turn dark brown. They will usually turn a little darker, but it turns out to be what color it is right now due to the orange powder. Two minutes later, Charles finishes cooking the steaks.
Charles: Congratulations! Your Cooking has ranked up to Rank B! +3 DEX +1 PER
Main Perspective: Charles places the big brown steaks on old but clean silver plates. Then later, place them on the dining table. Beside them are some old silverware and two leather canteens full of water. I stare at the juicy, dark brown steak. I look up at Charles, who simply lets out a hand and says, ¡°Eat up.¡± I pick up my silver knife and fork and start cutting up the steak. Upon cutting it open, steam burst out of the steak and juices slowly went out. "It smells like heaven¡­ Now, it¡¯s time to taste it." I cut up a small piece of the steak and stabbed a fork into it. I lift the piece of steak then put it in my mouth.
A special action has been performed! +1 PER
My eyes widen as I can taste the amazing, juicy, and savory flavor in each chew. Then I start to gulp down the rest of the steak while drinking water to make sure I don¡¯t choke. Then, Charles took a bite.
Charles''s Perspective: A special action has been performed! +1 PER Congratulations! Your Tasting has ranked up to Rank C! +1 PER +1 DEX
"This is beyond my expectations. It''s like I''m eating a C grade instead!" Then I look at the now empty envelope. "Can it be that the powder raises the grade of the steaks? Well, I don''t know what a C-grade steak truly tasted like, so I would find out about that later." For now, I just wanted to eat my last dinner in this treehouse. I knew that tomorrow would be a rather emotional day, but I couldn¡¯t let that hold me back. I also have to make sure Aden is alright throughout our adventure. Besides, I knew it would be a dumb idea to leave him alone, just like how he wasted all of his stamina running like an idiot. There are also monsters that are almost or entirely immune to physical attacks. So there is absolutely no way in hell that I will leave Aden be. At this point, I feel like shaking my head by how much of a babysitter I am. Though sooner or later, I won¡¯t be babysitting him any longer, and that''s for sure going to happen. I just hope that it happens sooner rather than later.
Main Perspective: About ten minutes later, we finished our dinner. ¡°So Aden, how do you like it?¡± ¡°AMAZING!¡± I cry out as I still wish to continue eating more. It''s nothing like I''ve ever tasted! The flavor, the juices, just everything about it! I want more, that¡¯s for sure. Charles simply nods with a smile. As he did, he looked through his pocket bag. Then moments later, he pulls out piles of paper. I simply look with curiosity. I didn¡¯t know how to read, and the reason for that is my low intelligence. Four-teen intelligence, to be precise. I just couldn¡¯t find anything fun in that kind of stuff. I know I will regret it sooner or later, but now I think it isn¡¯t the time for me to start working on that. Not yet, but maybe later. Ha! Watch as I never gain a single point in intelligence for the next thousand years. Charles stood high up there with fifty intelligence. Which is amazing for how low level we are. I mean, sure, I have fifty-six strength, but I¡¯ll never- Wait, when the hell did I get 56 strength!? ¡°Umm¡­ Charles, I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°What is it now, you imbecile?¡± He questions as he organized all of his papers. ¡°Remember when my strength was at forty-one? It suddenly shot up to fifty-six strength.¡± Charles looks at me and raises an eyebrow. ¡°Did any of your other stats change?¡± ¡°Yeah, my dexterity and agility. Those stats all seem to have gone up by fifteen points.¡± Charles stares at me for a long moment, then looks back to his papers. ¡°Check your Skills and Masteries.¡± ¡°Alright, Skills and Masteries,¡± I say out loud, and a screen pops up in front of my vision.
Skills and Masteries: Heavy Swing: (Rank C) Sword Mastery: (Rank 9) Evasion: (Rank B) Blood Moon Arts: (Rank A) Parry: (Rank C) Block: (Rank C) Create Campfire: (Rank B)
"Ha! There it was!¡± I look at the skill for a moment, then my face twists in confusion, ¡°Blood Moon Arts? What the hell is that?" ¡°What¡¯s new?¡± Charles asks, knowing I''ve gained a new skill just by my facial gesture. ¡°It¡¯s called Blood Moon Arts. It doesn¡¯t sound like a warrior skill at all.¡± I stare at the skill, and the description of it pops up.
Blood Moon Arts Description: The Blood Moon Arts is a unique sword mastery created by the goddess who opposes the pure moon. This fighting style is forbidden as it is the altered version of the original, Pure Moon Arts, to fight more aggressively and mercilessly. Requirement: ??? Type: Mastery Effects: Using this fighting style, all damage increases by 10% and gains a 20% bonus effectiveness to agility. Usage: None Cooldown: None The Masteries damage will increase by 1% per level.
I describe everything it says about the skill, and when I finish explaining my status, Charles begins to write it down on paper. Hey, I did say I couldn¡¯t read, but checking skills that open up in your mind is a different story. I can read things that open up in my mind since it gives you the knowledge of the ability. I just wish I could do that with books. It would make it a LOT easier. Well, at least I can count to like a million or so. Counting is a lot more enjoyable than reading.
Charles''s Perspective: ¡°Is this mastery your dance of death?¡± I ask with interest. It¡¯s pretty obvious. Not only did the name set it out there, but the mastery is already at Rank A. That means the person who is using this mastery has a lot of experience with it. However, what¡¯s strange about it is that Aden''s mastery is already at Rank A. But how or where did he learn it? And why is it already at Rank A?
Main Perspective: Charles continues to think about it until I ask, ¡°Want me to try it out?¡± ¡°We can, but if it¡¯s the same fighting style, then no. From the looks of this skill, I think the only thing that will change is your speed and your overall damage.¡± ¡°You sure we can¡¯t just try it out right now? I¡¯m still feeling energized from the meal.¡± I say as I stretch my arms. ¡°Again, no, if you want another reason, then here, it¡¯s still night out, which means wolves are out hunting as usual. I also have to add that last time we actually tried training in this house, you almost fell out the damn window.¡± ¡°Come on! It was only that one time! We can just put the covers on the windows.¡± ¡°Again and again, no, you nearly set the house on fire when you knocked over the stove.¡± Charles says bluntly. ¡°It was just that one time!¡± I continue to insist, trying to convince Charles so I don¡¯t spend the rest of the night doing nothing. ¡°No! Anyways, we¡¯ll try it tomorrow. Besides, there is something else I want to do.¡± I sigh in boredom. I really want to try it, but I can¡¯t complain to the smartass here. It would only make me look even more like a dumbass than usual. ¡°Alright¡­ What do you want to do?¡± I question as I¡¯m pretty sure Charles wants to do something else. He pulls out from his pocket bag another blank piece of paper, ¡°Tell me your stats.¡±
Charles''s Perspective: It''s about time I start recording our stats. I need to know, so it will help me qualify for the class I wanted, known as Scribe. The class allows you to inspect other people¡¯s skills, stats, and everything else, such as titles and so forth. The short description of this class can tell you what the Scribe class is. I want the class simply because it would not only allow me to inspect Aden''s stats, but it also synergizes well with my mage class. The Scribe class gives intelligence, lots of it too, including perception. ¡°What do you need to know?¡± Aden asks as if ready to answer it all. ¡°Everything, I¡¯ve already recorded mine. Now, it¡¯s time for you.¡± Besides, it¡¯ll help tell the difference between my stats and his. ¡°Alright, first off, strength is fifty-six.¡± I already recorded it after the slight confusion. ¡°Intelligence, four-teen.¡± Wow, I thought he was smarter than that. Oh well, it just helps me prove how simple-minded he is. ¡°Dexterity, forty-one. Agility, forty-six. Perception, twenty-five. Endurance, forty. Willpower, fifteen. Faith, zero.¡± I could have learned the Scribe class a long time ago, but the damn teacher won¡¯t teach me the Scribe class until I prove to him that I have the responsibility. A level thirty-one Intermediate Scribe. Well, at least he isn¡¯t a money hog. Ahh, it''s time to record Aden''s Charisma and Luck. I''m curious about how much Charisma Aden has. He must have a ludicrous amount of Charisma to make Layli and other girls hang onto him. Yes, Layli isn¡¯t the only one after him. He''s like a harem magnet, which is terrible since it leads to an early death. I''m also curious about his Luck as well. When we were doing the beginner dungeon, he got a blue book from a chest, which I''m using now. It is a Great ranked item that gives an extra bit of Intelligence and Willpower. And what made it unfair to think about it, dungeons have a five percent chance to drop blue items, which is rare. Of course, it can be beginner¡¯s luck, but I doubt that. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. As long as I can record Aden''s stats, my curiosity will be quenched. ¡°Charisma, 751.¡± What. The. FUCK!?
Main Perspective: ¡°Aden, wait! What the hell did you say!?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± I¡¯m confused. What¡¯s wrong with 751 Charisma? Isn¡¯t it a useless stat? ¡°Your Charisma! What did you say!?¡± ¡°Charisma, 751. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± ¡°EVERYTHING!¡±
Two minutes later¡­
¡°Is that the fucking reason why Layli is still chasing me!?¡± ¡°It is, alright!¡± ¡°How do I get it down!?¡± Five minutes have passed since this argument started. At first, I denied that Charisma was anything special because I kept getting a special point for it. Charles, however, disagreed with this. The amount of Charisma I have is outrageous! Not even a handsome prince has that kind of Charisma. The average amount a prince usually has is three hundred! I questioned what it was, and Charles gave me a brief explanation about it.
Charisma - Charisma is an attribute that affects how attractive you are to others and determines your physical appearance as you age. It allows you to speak to others with more fluidity, confidence and lowers the chances of tripping on words or stuttering.
I¡¯m so dumb. After another two minutes of horror and explanation, we¡¯ve finally dropped the Charisma bullshit. The only reason why I have such high Charisma is because I''m born with it. Specific stats get set upon birth, which is how I started with somewhere around five-hundred Charisma. However, it''s still questionable how I can get an extra two-hundred Charisma out of nowhere. It isn¡¯t possible to gain that much Charisma through a lifetime. The best an average human can get is around a hundred in a lifetime. Charles sighs as he writes down my Charisma. Yet somehow, I''m able to get 751 Charisma out of nowhere. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter to us since we¡¯ve stopped talking about it. It''s a good thing too, if we need to scam or pass through somehow, Charles can just use me to get those things fixed, which he said. He most likely isn¡¯t jealous or anything. Out of anything, he¡¯s pretty impressed, to my guessing. Now that he knows my Charisma is high, it wouldn¡¯t surprise him that my Luck is also god-like. It would be a good thing; it would mean that we can somehow get the best items from a dungeon with ease. ¡°Luck 158.¡± The moment I said this, Charles stood up and grabbed his staff. He turns to me, and then my face turns into that of horror as he raises his staff, ready to slam it down my face.
A minute later¡­
¡°AHH! Charles stop! What did I do wrong!?¡± ¡°EVERYTHING, YOU IMBECILE! EVERYTHING!¡±
Average Luck Stat: 75
Unseen Things: Wolves just outside the treehouse turned their heads and looked up at the rather noisy treehouse. However, they went about their business immediately, as this had been happening for as long as they could remember.
Main Perspective: A special action has been performed! +1 END It had been another five minutes later that Charles and I lay in bed. Our bedrooms are in two separate rooms, on the second floor. Charles¡¯s room faces in the direction of where the stove stands, while my room has a window with the perfect view of the clear sky. I sit on my twin-sized bed with a small cloth blanket and a thick cloth over a wooden board mattress. I rub the red bruise on my cheek, which Charles created with his top battering skills. I changed from my adventuring gear to cloth pajamas. Yes, I know there was a lot of cloth going on, but it was the only soft thing we could afford. When I finish changing, I jump onto my bed and cover myself with a cloth blanket. I turn my body to my left and what I see when I turn is a red orb on the bed with me and the view of a starry sky. I sigh at the sight of the red sphere. I wish I could¡¯ve found the owner. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t find her, and now I need to make sure I return it to her before Charles and I depart from Lexigon. I put the red orb close to me, making it firmly touch my chest. Tomorrow will be an emotional day, but it¡¯ll also be a big and new one. When we finally leave Lexigon, a whole new world would be opened up to us! We can finally go anywhere we want! We can explore caves and dungeons. We can fight and slay monstrous beings. We can search and obtain riches beyond imagination! I begin to close my eyes slowly. We can become the greatest adventurers ever.
Unseen Things: A few minutes later, Aden has finally fallen asleep. Crickets and grasshoppers sounded a rhythmical chirping song through the night as a full moon shines upon his slumber. However, another light illuminates the room, a light that shines brighter than that of the moon. It shines the color of dark red, a color similar to blood. As Aden is asleep, the red orb glows brighter than it last did when Aden fought the rogues. It¡¯s minutes later that it begins to merge into his chest. It shines inside of him until its radiance finally fades away.
Main Perspective: Droplets. The sound of tiny drops of water can be heard around me, getting ever so slightly louder and louder until finally waking me up. I stare up at the ceiling of a cave, a place I hardly recognize at all. It took me a second, but afterward, I realized I wasn¡¯t in my room anymore. My face twists into that of confusion as I realize I¡¯m in a cave. I wake up in the middle of a dark cave¡ªtiny droplets of water drip down from the stalactite above me. I stand up on the uneven stone surface and dust myself. However, I hear heavy breathing behind me the moment I do, a large breath that smells vile. I turn to confront a giant lizard-like head that has scales that shine red. It has yellow eyes that shine like gold and pupils shaped like a rough four-sided diamond. Its teeth have the color of steel and are as sharp as the most refined blades. It takes me a while to realize who¡¯s or what¡¯s head this is. It is a dragon. I wanted to open my mouth and try to say something out of fear, but the moment I did, I woke up in the same bedroom that I¡¯ve fallen asleep in.
I yawn as I try to sit straight up on my bed. "What was that dream just now? It came out of nowhere. Like seriously, what could¡¯ve caused a dream like that? Did I catch something?" I think to myself as I already have the back of my hand touching my forehead. ¡°Status.¡± A screen pops up in front of my vision.
Aden Haraldson: Race Currently: Human (Teen) Age: 13 Years Old Guild: None Classes Currently: Warrior: Level 5 Condition: Normal Stat Currently: Strength: 56 Intelligence: 14 Dexterity: 41 Agility: 43 Perception: 25 Endurance: 41 Willpower: 15 Faith: 0 Charisma: 751 Luck: 158
I look at the Condition. ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like anything is wrong. It could be just another random dream, but I¡¯m still suspicious about it. I usually dream about me and Charles traveling in some foreign land or something. Or slaying some giant chimera thingy. Oh well, I¡¯ll think more about it later." The moment I think this, my status screen begins bugging out. I pause as I see my status screen start glitching out before going back to normal. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± I said out loud. "What¡­ just happened? Why in god¡¯s name did my status screen go all over the place?" I blink at the screen confusingly for a few seconds until I hear Charles yell from the first floor. ¡°Hey, Aden! Hurry up and get ready!¡± I shake my head. "I¡¯ll think about this later. Maybe Charles knows something about it." I put the status screen away and stood up to stretch, "Well, it¡¯s time." I change into my adventurer clothing, which is on the wooden floor. I begin changing, putting on my shirt, pants, gloves, and shoes. Just about everything until my set looks just about the same as yesterday. I pick up a wooden board off the ground and place it on the window. And when I finish cleaning up my room, ¡°Oh yeah! Almost forgot the¡­ orb?¡± I look at my bed, which has no orb on it. I stared at the bed for a short moment, then ran up to it. ¡°It¡¯s not here!¡± "Where is it!? I could¡¯ve sworn I slept while holding it!" I look under my bed, "Not there." I look around the room, "Nowhere!" I slam out of the door to my room, leading to a tiny hallway with a noticeable wooden hatch. I hit my foot on it, and it flings open downwards. ¡°Charles! Bad news!¡± ¡°WAAH! What was that!? Why did you slam your damn foot on the hatch!? Are you trying to break it!?¡± Charles is sitting at the usual dining table. I ignore the questions Charles screams at me. ¡°The red orb! It¡¯s missing!¡± Charles stares at me for a moment, then sighs. ¡°What? You slam your fucking foot on the hatch just because that orb is missing?¡± Charles questions. ¡°Do you know where it is?¡± ¡°Like hell, if I know.¡± I stare down in sadness at his response. "Not only am I not able to find the owner of the red orb, but I also fucking lost it. Am I that blind?" I rub my face while at the same time sighing again, ¡°Nevermind then, are we going to eat breakfast?¡± I ask as my stomach is already growling at me. ¡°Not here, but we¡¯ll eat at Lexigon. I¡¯d like to save the ingredients we have in our adventure.¡± It makes sense. Rationing our food to maximize our distance without worrying about food outages. Of course, we can hunt for food, but it¡¯s better if we don¡¯t risk it and go too far. I drift off into my mind and begin thinking about specific outcomes until Charles says, ¡°As I thought, something is different about you.¡± I turn to look at Charles, who looks serious. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Your eyes, the way you approach things, how you¡¯re all of a sudden in deep thought. Ever since you managed to get your hands on that orb, you¡¯ve been acting weird. For once, you¡¯re not an idiot.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t know if I should take that as a compliment¡­ Also, my eyes? What about them?¡± I ask. Is there something different about my eyes? ¡°They¡¯re a lot darker than usual. Like they don¡¯t shine with excitement anymore.¡± ¡°Come on. Even you know eyes don¡¯t simply change.¡± ¡°Yes, I know that, but this time it¡¯s different.¡± ¡°What do you¡­ It¡¯s the orb, isn¡¯t it?¡± I answer as I slide a wooden board off to open the window that shows the view of Lexigon. ¡°See, this is what I meant. You don¡¯t usually figure out things this easily, even when they¡¯re easy! It¡¯s like the dense you isn''t here anymore. What''s standing in front of me is someone smart, observant, and very self-controlled. These three traits are the complete opposite of you. Now I¡¯m going to ask again, are you okay, Aden?¡± But I didn¡¯t answer. ¡°...Aden?¡± He turns to me, who is staring out at the window. It''s at this point Charles knows something is wrong. He stands up and looks out the window. But, the moment he did, he saw it. Lexigon, the town we both loved and cherished¡­ Is set ablaze. Chapter 3: The Beginning III I stand at the once lively town entrance, Lexigon, that is now nothing more but a ball of flame from afar. Fire spews out from window to window as it continues burning through everything related to life. The buildings that once stood are now on fire, slowly but surely, dissolving as the flames slowly devour them whole. I fall flat on my knees amongst all of it, in complete shock as tears slowly crawl down my face. I stay like that for a few moments, trying to take in what is happening until finally standing back up, then walking forward, slowly as I see buildings that I once entered burning to the ground. I took another few steps until stopping again, struggling to move as my body became heavier by the second. "This¡­ can¡¯t be happening, right?" These were the words I wanted to say, but all that came out was nothing more than hiccups from shock and sadness welling up within me. I wanted to barf, but I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to move forward if I did. Besides, I won''t find survivors if I stayed on the floor crying. As I try to keep myself sane, I slowly reach down and take the leather canteen on the right side of my belt. I uncapped it and then swallowed some water. When I finally manage to calm myself, I continue walking... until I catch sight of the first dismembered bodies on the streets. I cover my mouth and quickly turn around. The moment I saw the corpses, I felt nauseous, my stomach wanted to cough out all the contents I had in it, but I continued to deny it. I take a few moments to catch my breath and prepare myself mentally until finally turning back. Everywhere I look, I see dismembered corpses. That is the only thing I see on this blood-stained street. There are ones cut from the top of their head to the bottom, others were cut from one side of the belly to the other. There are more than those two types of corpses; a person I pass by has a head missing, while another next to it has both arms missing. Everything... is dead.
A special action has been performed! +1 END A special action has been performed! +1 WILL
"Oh, forgot that I left Charles behind." Since I have twice his agility, I¡¯ll outrun him entirely. If I¡¯m guessing where Charles is now, he might be in the middle of the path from our treehouse to Lexigon. However, that''s a long-distance, which surprises me. How did I manage to sprint this far? ¡°Vital Status,¡± I say under my hand that was covering my mouth.
Vital Status: HP: 414.5/414.5 Rage: 0/100 Stamina: 131/385.5
I¡¯m surprised. The distance I ran when the rogues were chasing me was around half a mile. If I remember what Charles said, the distance between our treehouse and Lexicon is three miles! ...Weird. It''s like, all of a sudden, I can run faster than before, not only that, longer. The stamina bar is also recovering at a reasonable rate, even when I''m in this immense fire. I get like two points of stamina recovery per second. This sudden change must''ve happened before the red orb went missing this morning, but I don¡¯t know what exactly that orb changed within me. "Wait¡­ within me? W-wait did the orb¡­" I look at my chest. "Did the orb go inside me?" It''s a possibility; someone could have snuck in, taken the orb, then started messing around with me, but that doesn¡¯t explain why or how they managed to mess up my status and make it begin buzzing out. Not only that, from what Charles said during his historical lecture, the deities of this world designed this status screen. Well, that''s what he said. I honestly don¡¯t think what he read to find out is true. Anyway, I don¡¯t think there''s an actual class that could do that, right? Not only that, the people who made all this stuff are deities, DEITIES! It''s most likely that they tested this for thousands of years. So, I don¡¯t think they would add a class that would break the damn status screen. So overall, the true suspect of this unknown glitch to my status screen is most likely the red orb itself. What did the red orb change exactly when my screen glitched? Wait¡­ what is a glitch? Another word that I think I shouldn¡¯t know during this time and age, but eh, I don¡¯t care about all that nonsense at this point. ¡°Status!¡± All this questioning got me curious if my status screen is still... acting up.
Aden Haraldson: Race Currently: Human (Teen) Age: 13 Years Old Guild: None Classes Currently: Warrior (Level 5) Condition: Normal Stat Currently: Strength: 56 Intelligence: 14 Dexterity: 41 Agility: 43 Perception: 25 Endurance: 41 Willpower: 16 Faith: 0 Charisma: 751 Luck: 158
But the moment it came up, it started spazzing out again. "Of fucking course..."
I take a deep breath and start focusing on the situation. The tears from my eyes had finally stopped... as the feelings within me turned from sadness and shock to confusion and curiosity. How did this all happen? Who could¡¯ve done all of this? And all those clean cuts too, could one person have done all of this? If it were, they must be from the warrior class. It still doesn¡¯t answer the question about how all this fire appeared. Not only that, the fire seemed to have just occurred since there aren¡¯t many buildings burnt to ash yet. So this all must have been done by multiple people. I continued to think about who could have done this until I heard a young girl scream. I pause. It is a scream I recognize.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Layli! I then began sprinting full speed ahead, as that is where the scream had come from.
Unseen Things: But¡­ if Aden hadn''t started sprinting, he would have recognized a corpse on the ground next to many others. The corpse had a recognizable long nose on it. Sadly, if that person''s face were not entirely covered in blood, he would have recognized the person even if he was running. As the corpse had been Mr. Papperson¡¯s, whose entire bottom half is missing, or otherwise, pulled out gruesomely by a red giant, who did so by the orders of an innocent-looking girl.
Main Perspective: ¡°Layli!¡± I scream in desperation. Bad, really bad! I¡¯ve found the spot Layli''s scream had come from, but there was nothing in the area other than corpses of dead soldiers. It''s a scary sight, not a single sign of life anywhere. But I didn¡¯t have time to stare at dead bodies all day! I need to find Layli! She is the only person I know that''s still alive in this burning town. Even if she is the person I dread, she still cares about me even when blind by all that love. Thanks to her, I felt welcomed at Lexigon, as she was the first person who welcomed me with open arms when we were both six years old. I stand still for a few seconds, waiting for any hint of sound until hearing the same scream. I dash as fast I can towards the cry for help. I run from corner to corner, alleyway to another, not caring about the amount of stamina I have left. I begin to breathe heavily as my stamina drops to the fifties. Many droplets of sweat start to creep down my face as I start to become exhausted. But still, I keep running, as it is a risk I¡¯m willing to take if it means saving a life. I draw my short sword with my right hand, knowing that I''m near my objective. I ran around another corner to a place I knew I¡¯d run into. The town square, or where you can say the fountain is. I prepare myself, knowing that I''ll be facing head-on against an entire party of murderers, but what I saw in the town square, however, is unbelievable.
A special action has been performed! +1 PER
I widen my eyes in shock as I see a red-skinned giant. The red giant is four times my height and has two pointy, thick, and dirty white horns coming out from both ends of its head. It has a face similar to a male orc and two saber-tooth-like fangs coming out of both ends of its bottom jaw. The male giant also has long white hair that''s all packed up into a top knot, or you can say man bun. It looks very muscular as well, as it has eight-pack abs, giant muscular arms, giant muscular legs, and just ALL MUSCLE. It makes you want to yell, ¡°MACHO!¡± without care, but I doubt the giant is going to do anything but flex, as it is wielding what seems like a giant, black steel cleaver. The cleaver itself is as big as the giant, but the only thing that makes it anything but cool is how it is covered entirely in blood. The only thing left to describe this red-skinned giant man is that he is only wearing a long, dirty brown, worn-out, cloth skirt that went down to the giant¡¯s knees, which is evident about what that skirt is covering. The skirt didn¡¯t look tight, making it easy for the giant to move around in. I lean against a wall, staring horrifically at the unknown red giant, as it''s my first time seeing such a being. However, my focus moves elsewhere as I hear splashing from the fountain. I turn my head slightly until I catch sight of the person. The person I ran all this way for. Layli. I see her as her back is against the middle of the fountain, looking up at the giant with a horrified gesture. As Layli does, the giant looks back down on her emotionlessly, like she¡¯s an insect. It raises its giant cleaver. Layli sat still and stared up at the giant hopelessly the moment it did. All the hope in her had disappeared.
Unseen Things: The giant pauses for a few seconds until finally swinging down. Layli closes her eyes, knowing that this is the end for her. Her parents, her friends, everything she loved is gone. No. There is still one person she loves with all her heart. Aden. When she thinks of that name, she feels something clang onto her, like arms wrapping around her in warmth, telling her that everything will be alright. Layli released tension from her body. Then immediately, she is pulled out of the water. She felt like she was flying for a moment until crushing back down into the same water. There is a huge crashing sound, a sound similar to metal crashing into stone at that exact moment. Her face is underwater for a few seconds until her head is pulled out of the water as she feels someone hugging her. She slowly opens her eyes to meet face to face with her true love. ¡°Aden¡­¡± Layli smiles at the sight of his face. Aden smiles back. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I took so long.¡± Aden immediately picks Layli up as he says this, in a way similar to how a prince carries a princess. Then he jumps out of the fountain and quickly begins to make a run for it, expecting the giant to follow. However, the giant didn¡¯t. He turns his head and watches as Aden runs away while carrying Layli. The giant stands there for a moment until questioning, ¡°Will this be enough, Princess?¡± Its voice sounds beastly but gentle at the same time. ¡°Yes, that will be enough, Drezzan. Now go to your next objective.¡± A young girlish voice says behind the giant, known as Drezzan. Drezzan nods and begins walking towards his next target. The girl smiles. ¡°The climax is near. Soon, you¡¯ll be mine, Aden.¡± The cheeks of the girl, known as Lilith the Princess of Destruction, went completely red.
Main Perspective: After another few minutes of running, I fell exhaustingly. My legs feel utterly sore, and at the same time, my heart feels like it''s going to burst at any moment.
A special action has been performed! +1 AGL
Vital Status: HP: 414.5/414.5 Rage: 0/100 Stamina: 7/390.5
¡°Aden, are you ok?¡± Layli asks worryingly. She stands up as I put her down; her clothes continue to drip fountain water. Of course, I¡¯m FUCKING NOT! My fucking heart feels like it¡¯s going to BURST! GOD DAMN IT! Good thing I didn¡¯t say that out loud. ¡°Y-yeah, I just need a breather¡­¡± I lay back against a wall while sitting. There are still parts of this town that aren¡¯t burning yet. Fortunately, we¡¯re in the safe part of it, which means that I don¡¯t have to worry about fire closing in on us. I can finally catch my breath without the worry of ashes going into my lungs. I continue to look at my stamina bar as Layli and I rest in a small alleyway. "I get around four points of stamina back per second. Good, it looks like it isn¡¯t going to take long until I get all my stamina back." I think this as I continue to plan our escape. ¡°Thank you, Aden,¡± Layli says as I stand up. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Layli, but right now isn¡¯t the time. We need to meet up with Charles and get-¡± But before I could say anything else, Layli walked up to me, then pressed her lips into mine. I paused as our lips made contact. Our lips stay connected for a few seconds until Layli has finally taken a step back. She takes a few steps back until falling over with a completely red face. We both say nothing as the alleyway becomes silent. It''s a few moments later; Layli nervously says, ¡°Y-you don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve wanted to do that¡­¡± She says as she looks up at me. Of course, I knew Layli, but I was too much of a dense idiot back then. Not until now. I said nothing but smiled at her. I walk up to her, give her a hand, and say, ¡°Let¡¯s get out of this alive, okay?¡± Layli nods and firmly places her hand on mine, and I grasp it. We began to walk out of the alleyway to the open street a moment later. ¡°I see you two have finished confessing.¡± I quickly draw my sword and face the left of us, moving Layli behind me. To meet the face, I knew I¡¯d meet in due time. A lot sooner than expected.
A special action has been performed! +1 INT
The owner of the red orb... and the cause of the massacre of Lexigon. ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t introduced myself, have I?¡± The girl says with her sinister grin, ¡°My name Lilith, Lilith von Bloodbern,¡± she does a small bow with her hand on her chest, ¡°and I¡¯m one of the three current Princesses of Destruction.¡± She looks up at me with blood-colored eyes, ¡°Pleased to meet you, Aden.¡± ¡°Is that all you¡¯ve got to say?¡± I question hatefully, which Lilith giggles in return. ¡°Of course not; I''ve still got to describe how much fun it was killing everyone you loved here, right?¡± I grip the handle of my sword harder. ¡°If that''s what you¡¯re going to say next, then I''d rather not hear it,¡± I say as there was no sight of my smile. I look at Lilith with murderous intent. There were a lot of things different about Lilith when we last met. She isn¡¯t wearing her black cloak. However, she wore a one-piece, dark gothic lolita dress with many other things like black gloves and high heels. The dress had long sleeves that had ribbons wrapped around the wrist area. The length of the skirt itself seems to go down to the middle of her thighs. The only thing the dress laid bare is her shoulders; otherwise, the clothing is held up by strands linked to a giant silver ring wrapped around Lilith''s neck. As if showing its beauty, the front center of the ring is a red ruby. Those weren''t the only things on her body, though, as there are many drawn black lines on her. It covers many parts of her body, but not intensely as they only cover small parts. The only thing those lines made uniquely was the very well-drawn black rose on the left side of her left thigh. The only place that the lines didn¡¯t cross was the right side of her face. Lilith cackles, ¡°I see...¡± She slowly raises her right hand and points a finger at me. A small flame forms on the tip of it. The flame grows until it is the size of her pinky finger, ¡°Then how about we finish this play?¡± I get into stance while making sure that Layli is behind me. I wanted to kill Lilith, but that isn¡¯t my primary goal here. No matter what, I need to protect- ¡°Firebolt.¡± Before I could finish my sentence in my head, the fire that formed on Lilith¡¯s fingertip shot out at speeds similar to an arrow. It flies right at me; I brace myself, but¡­ when it is about to touch my sword¡­ it makes a vast curve and goes around my body. Then not a second later¡­ I hear a sound. A sound similar to an arrow hitting flesh¡­ behind me. I turn to look towards Layli to see a small hole in her chest, right where her heart used to be. ¡°A...den¡­¡± Layli''s body begins to fall slowly, as if time has slowed down. I screamed her name, but the moment I did¡­ She''s already dead. Chapter 4: The Beginning IV In the town of Lexigon, you could hear the cry and laughter of two people. One who cried for the loss of one he cared for, and another who laughed at the suffering of others. The mixture of weeping and laughter filled the street for another ten seconds until the only sound left was a boy screaming, a scream that filled the air of both sadness and rage. I scream as I continue my relentless charge at Lilith with my sword raised at her. I continue to blindly keep swinging my weapon as there is only one word left in my mind. Kill. I don¡¯t know what I''m doing anymore. Why am I still fighting? Is there any purpose anymore? How much more of a failure can I be? Should I just give up? Should I... kill myself here?
Lilith''s Perspective: "Of course, this is what I expect Aden to think in his mind. He''ll most likely regain his composure soon," I thought as I continued to dodge all his swings easily. Unfortunately, this wasn''t a part of my plan. I expected after doing all of this, I expected to trigger the orb within Aden, yet it didn¡¯t seem to be enough, even when I laugh at someone¡¯s death just to help its trigger. I didn¡¯t find anything entertaining about a human¡¯s death. Humans are nothing but insects to be squashed. That is all they are, simple things to play with until you get bored, Aden being an exception, of course. I didn¡¯t want to do all of this. All I wanted to do was cuddle with Aden and eternally sleep. However, I didn¡¯t want to do that while he was still fragile. The reason for that is that I am a devourer. A species that devours any ¡®edible¡¯ entities to become stronger. The devourers are a shapeshifting species similar to many other shapeshifters, such as a doppelganger. However, the devourer species are different. They can level up and get stronger simply by eating. Not only that, they can shapeshift in a more precise manner, being able to recreate organs of a particular species¡¯ body, allowing them to turn themselves into an actual human or something else. Compared to other shapeshifters, this is a rather tricky task. However, devourers can shapeshift perfectly, even when just a minute old. Of course, that¡¯s not all of it. If a devourer, for example, devours a dragon, they can shapeshift themselves to have traits similar to a dragon. That would mean that they could shapeshift to have the scales of a dragon. There''s a thing about it, though; for them to fully shapeshift into that one species, they would have to devour more than one of it to have all the traits. Well, enough of all of that, the true purpose of why I can¡¯t simply sleep or mate with Aden is because devourers¡­ tend to kill their mating partner. Their way of mating is intense to the point where they could accidentally suck up all the liquid of their partner¡¯s body, turning them into a sort of mummy. Yes, they can do that similarly, like a succubus or incubus. The truth is the devourer is a hybrid of a succubus and a doppelganger. How is it possible? I didn¡¯t know either. Nobody cared to research it. Anyways, that is why I wanted to use the orb. To turn Aden into a demi-human, or you can say, part monster. Doing this will help speed up the process of getting Aden stronger, which means that I didn¡¯t have to wait long for it to allow me to mate with him. However, the problem with this is that doing all of this would break Aden emotionally. Not only that, it might make him hate me for, possibly, forever. I didn¡¯t want either of these to happen. For one, I didn¡¯t want to break Aden because it might change his personality completely; I liked his character simply because it made him hard to get, which I loved since I like a challenge. And two, if Aden finds out that I want him, he would commit suicide to spite me. These are the two bad outcomes I simply want to avoid, which is why I am so cautious about making this plan work, but now, I''m in this little predicament. Should I go further on the process of triggering the orb? Or should I run off and come back when Aden either activates the orb himself or gets mentally stronger? I have to decide on one, but immediately choose the former, why? Because when I told Drezzan to go to his next objective¡­
Main Perspective: After the next two minutes of trying to kill Lilith, I finally stop, not simply because my anger is gone¡­ only because from further down the road, I see a familiar giant dragging someone by the head. It didn¡¯t take me long to realize who that same giant was dragging. Like a frozen statue, I stand as the giant slowly walks towards us¡­ while dragging Charles. I struggled to talk as the giant stood near Lilith while holding up the wounded Charles by the head. There are many open wounds on Charles¡¯s body that can be seen due to his clothing''s multiple holes. Charles twitches as blood streams from wounds all over his beaten body.
Lilith''s Perspective: I didn¡¯t believe I needed to go this far, but if it helps trigger the orb within Aden, I''ll do it. I make a wicked grin, ¡°Oh? Is showing your nearly dead friend enough to stop you?¡± Aden doesn¡¯t respond, as he''s in total shock. The giant, not paying attention to the situation, apologizes to Lilith, ¡°My apologies, Princess. It took longer than anticipated,¡± He says, as there were many blackened marks on his body, ¡°but this boy here is a rather persistent one.¡± I sigh. I put a limiter on Drezzan simply for safety measures. Like that time when I perfectly set up the situation for Aden saving Layli. If I hadn¡¯t put that limiter on Drezzan, he would have wholly mistimed his swing and killed both of them. It looks like I need to weaken the limiter. The timing of Drezzan¡¯s arrival is a minute later than expected. Well, enough of that, now it''s time to finish this. ¡°Drezzan, drop him.¡± Drezzan did as ordered and dropped Charles. Charles¡¯s body lands on the ground, but his left arm flops at a weird angle as it did. ¡°...I didn¡¯t expect you to break his arm.¡± Aden''s body twitches to this. ¡°My apologies again, Princess. The boy continued struggling even when beaten to this state, so I had to break his arm in order to-¡± But his response is interrupted as Aden charges at us, in a fit of rage. At that moment, Drezzan reacts on his own without my consent.
Main Perspective: I blink, but the red giant known as Drezzan vanishes the moment I do. My anger is then replaced with confusion, as there is suddenly a shadow overlapping me. All of a sudden, before I knew it, I got slammed down to the ground, chest first. I scream in pain as I feel my ribs almost completely shatter. However, another scream filled the streets the moment I did, but I wasn¡¯t paying attention as I struggled to keep myself conscious.
Lilith''s Perspective: ¡°DREZZAN!¡± Drezzan immediately stops what he''s doing and turns to me, whose smile is nowhere in sight. ¡°...My apo-¡± ¡°NO!¡± The giant takes a step back, ¡°You¡­ How dare you harm something precious to me. Once this is over, I¡¯ll make sure that all the hundreds of times I kill you¡­ will be slow and painful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid that will violate-¡± ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE!¡± My voice echoes, but a moment later, I sigh, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare do that again.¡±
Main Perspective: After a few seconds, I became able to keep myself conscious. I lay down in silence as I find myself in a situation that seems impossible to get out of. I can''t get up since I''m being forced down by a giant. Not only that, I feel fragile and unarmed. After all that happened, all the anger within me quickly went away. "Not only was I not able to protect Layli¡­ I wasn¡¯t able to protect Charles either," I think as I begin to fill with hopelessness. "So, this is how it feels like to be forced down by someone stronger than you. I hate it; even when I feel completely hopeless, I still want to resist this feeling. Not being able to do anything, I despise the thought of it. I even hate myself at this point. I''m powerless to protect anyone I love. I¡­ should''ve realized how dangerous this world was sooner. If I did, I¡­ no¡­ even if I did train at my hardest from the beginning, it will still come out with the same ending. I guess this is my fate. No matter what I did, my fate has already been decided. But¡­"Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. I try to look up to where Charles lay. "If I could somehow get Charles away from here¡­" I was expecting to see Charles lying on the ground, just like me, but when I look up, I instead meet with Lilith¡¯s face, which is very close up to mine. Lilith smiles as I stare at her, but I remain with my irritated gesture. ¡°You¡¯re cute. You know that?¡± I didn¡¯t reply, ¡°Oh ~ ?, don¡¯t be like that. Besides¡­¡± Lilith stands up and begins walking towards Charles. ¡°We still have one more to go.¡± Of course, it didn¡¯t take me long to realize what she¡¯s about to do. ¡°W-what are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you a question,¡± She answers as she is now standing next to Charles¡¯s body. She raises one of her feet above his head. ¡°What would happen if someone with a thousand strength points were to stomp on someone¡¯s head?¡± ¡°NO! STOP!¡± I scream as I struggle. ¡°YOU CAN¡¯T DO THIS!¡± ¡°Oh, I can,¡± Lilith looks down at Charles with a smirk, ¡°And I¡¯ll be honest, it¡¯s been a while since I last crushed someone¡¯s head.¡± My face twisted in horror. ¡°NO! PLEASE! DON¡¯T DO THIS!¡± Tears begin to crawl down my face. ¡°HE¡¯S THE ONLY FAMILY I HAVE LEFT! PLEASE!¡± I start to choke on my tears. ¡°I DON¡¯T WANT TO BE ALONE AGAIN! I DON¡¯T WANT TO BE ABANDONED AGAIN!¡± I stop struggling as hopelessness fills me. ¡°Please¡­ don¡¯t take everything away from me¡­¡±
Lilith''s Perspective: ¡°Is this not enough? Well, it looks like I''ll have to do it. I prefer not to since it might affect Aden entirely, but if it is to trigger his orb.¡± ¡°Oh¡­?¡± I smirk as I look upon his teary face. I responded, ¡°Since when did I say I was merciful?¡± At that exact moment, my feet went darting down to Charles¡¯s head.
Main Perspective: ¡°NOOO-¡± I wanted to continue screaming, but¡­ couldn¡¯t, as I felt my heart burst into flames.
¡°What is your dream, human?¡± I didn¡¯t answer, as I lost all hope of living. I stand at the same place where I last met the dragon in my dream, who is now in front of me. I stand emotionlessly, as I know I have just lost everything, all because I''m weak. The dragon stares down at me. ¡°Human, do you wish to live on?¡± I slowly looked up at the red dragon but still didn¡¯t reply, ¡°Human¡­ Why do you fight?¡± I didn¡¯t react for a few moments until finally¡­ ¡°Because I wanted to be an adventurer. I wanted to do what an adventurer always does and protect everyone I loved.¡± ¡°Yet you failed, and now pay the consequences.¡± ¡°WHY?¡± I yell up at the dragon, ¡°WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS!?¡± I fall to my knees and place my hands on the ground as tears drip down to the floor. ¡°Why¡­? All I wanted to do was live a life full of freedom. I wanted to protect everyone I loved and live a happy life¡­¡± ¡°There is no such thing.¡± I look up at the dragon, ¡°You can¡¯t protect everyone, no matter how hard you try, soon¡­ you¡¯ll end up losing everyone.¡± ¡°THEN TELL ME!¡± I slam my fists against the ground. Hiccups can be heard throughout the cave, ¡°What¡­ what should I do?¡± ¡°First, tell me¡­¡± The dragon puts its face closer to mine, ¡°What is your dream, human?¡± I stare into the dragon¡¯s eyes as it questions me, then answer, ¡°To be one of the greatest adventurers ever.¡± The dragon stares at me then raises its head while keeping eye contact. ¡°Erase it.¡± I widened my eyes in shock. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Erase that dream from your memory.¡± ¡°What... Do you mean? Why?¡± ¡°Dreams are nothing more but false hopes. They will soon lead you to your death, as it did to many others.¡± ¡°Then¡­ what will happen once I do?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you¡­¡± The dragon slowly closes its eyes, ¡°What do you desire?¡± I stare up at the dragon for a few moments until slowly closing my eyes as well. ¡°Power.¡±
A special action has been performed! +1 LUCK
Unseen Things: Aden screams in pain as he feels his whole body pierced by a billion needles. His heart rapidly beats and is burning like hell at the same time. Drezzan, holding him down, is pushed away by an unknown force. Lilith stares at what is happening while standing near the unharmed Charles. "It hurts! My body is burning! It¡¯s bleeding! It¡¯s peeling! Please! Somebody help me!" Those were the words Aden wanted to scream, but they didn¡¯t come out, as his pained scream overlapped them. The only thing he sees... is blood.
Lilith''s Perspective: After all that preparation and planning, I''ve finally triggered Aden''s orb! At this point, I have already done this to so many other humans. Thanks to that experience, I''ve managed to come this far. I have done this to others since I have many of these orbs. How did I find out about these orbs? I stole them from a lab, which my family and I invaded. Fortunately, I have found these orbs next to this dead scientist, who I regretted devouring since the Goddess of Magic already cleansed him. These orbs are these balls of unknown energy that hardened to have a solid surface. I didn¡¯t know how they worked until one of them happened to merge with one of my sleeping snacks. And when that one snack happened to wake up, she screamed as she saw me, but¡­ not a scream of fright, but a scream of pain. She began rolling around the whole time and screamed painfully. It got annoying at first, but I was immediately interested when I saw her skin begin to liquefy. It was only a few minutes later, and the human girl turned into a slime girl. I had done the same thing to many others, but they did the usual thing and screamed when I scared them. It confused me at first, but later, they changed the same way. Some took longer to evolve than others. Not only that, I had to work with others differently for them to trigger. So everything that I have done to this point was all planned out. Love, hate, fear, madness, sadness, all of these emotions are what I knew were the emotions needed to trigger these orbs. And after all that happened so far, I had been lucky enough to guess that fear is what triggers Aden''s orb; the fear of losing everything. I''m happy that everything progressed smoothly, and as a bonus, I didn¡¯t have to kill one of his best friends, which would mean that Aden might not despise me as much. Of course, it''s still unpleasant to hear Aden scream painfully. It shakes my heart, which is the first time I felt this way. But that didn¡¯t matter. Right now, it is time to see what kind of species Aden ends up as. But¡­ the results are truly¡­ Unexpected.
Unseen Things: Aden is on his knees, continuously screaming as he hugs himself with his forehead touching the ground. Visible steam begins to spew out of his body as red scales replace most of his skin, while black horns, similar to Drezzan''s but shinier, start to grow out from both ends of his head. Aden''s scream begins to get louder and louder as his voice box, and every single thing within him is shifting and changing. He continued to hug himself as his entire body suddenly felt cold. Aden looks up at the sunny skies, even when blinded by his own blood. He stares up, far in the distant sky, as blood slowly crawls down his face from his completely red eyes, like imaginary tears. Then, his heart begins to beat harder than it ever had before. He grasps his chest with both his hands, trying to stop the pain¡­ until¡­ Flaming wings burst out from his back. A massive gust of wind began to blow around him the moment they did, making it similar to that of a tornado. The fire from all the nearby buildings started flying towards it as it did. The swirling wind absorbs the fire, making it into a flaming whirlwind. Aden is no longer in sight as Drezzan covers Lilith and Charles, protecting them from this violent, burning wind. Lilith watches as the flaming tornado begins to expand every second. ¡°Drezzan, get us out of here,¡± Lilith orders, knowing that staying here isn¡¯t a good idea, well, for Charles, that is. Drezzan did as ordered. He picks up Lilith and puts her on his right shoulder while holding Charles with his left hand. He jumps back a great distance until they are equally half a mile away from Aden. From there, they got the perfect view of the flaming chaos. It continues to grow bigger and bigger as it begins to look like it is touching the sky. But when it did, the tornado then began to condense, slowly turning itself into a massive ball of flame. It slowly condensed, turning brighter and brighter as it did¡ªdown to where the core was, Aden. The ball of flame has stopped condensing a second later, as it is now overwhelmingly blinding, like the sun. Unbelievable enough, to make you think the moment you look at it, you¡¯ll go blind. That is why Drezzan is covering his eyes, trying to make sure he doesn¡¯t go blind. However, that isn¡¯t the case for Lilith, as she can simply sense to see what the ball of flame looks like. Her eyes are closed, but she can still see it. It is simply¡­ beautiful, like a shining jewel. She wants it. She wants this shiny orb of pure fire, the flaming sphere, and the person inside it. She wants everything.
Lilith''s Perspective: How long since I last felt this kind of desire? The desire and greed to take everything no matter the cost? But, that doesn¡¯t matter anymore, as it is now time to claim my prize.
Unseen Things: The orb of fire has slowly vanished as Aden becomes visible again. He stands with both of his wings still bursting out like thrusters. The wings brilliantly burn until they extinguish immediately, and he begins to fall face first. However, he stopped falling as Lilith suddenly appeared, holding him up. She smiles warmly and hugs him as a colossal shockwave created by her inhuman speed goes past them. At that exact moment, notifications begin to pop up in Aden''s head.
Congratulations! You have obtained the Dragon class! Your Warrior class has merged with the Dragon class! Congratulations! You have obtained the Draconic Warrior class! +40 All Attributes Your race has been changed to Dragonborn! Congratulations! You have gained the title: The First Dragonborn! +10 All Attributes Congratulations! You have gained the title: Once Human! +1 All Attributes Your Heavy Swing has been modified! Congratulations! You have learned Draconic Heavy Swing! Congratulations! You have learned Natural Armor! +3 End Congratulations! You have learned Natural Senses! +3 Per Congratulations! You have learned Morph! +2 End +1 Will Congratulations! You have learned Morph Overtake! +1 All Attributes
Chapter 5: Beginnings End I wake up, lying on what seems like a very soft mattress in a dark cave. The cave is relatively small, like a cave fit for a cave bear¡ªone rather ample open space and a one-way in and out of it. There were no long and pointy stalactites on the ceiling of this cave. Not only that, the walls look smooth, as if they were polished for some unknown reason. I moved the very comfortable blanket that was covering me and sat up. "Where¡­ am I?" I look around, inspecting the cave. There''s a small pile of worn-out bags at my left, and an exit blocked off by a large boulder. Small beams of light still shone through the boulder gaps as it''s the only source of light I have. I stand up off the mattress and stretch. My body feels invigorated, and the soft bed could be the reason for this refreshing feeling. I stretch my body for a few seconds, only to have many questions flood my mind. "Where am I? Why am I still alive? How did I get here in the first place? Is Charles still alive? Was¡­ it all a dream?" The last one is obvious. I didn¡¯t know why I asked myself that. The others have many possibilities. However, I think it¡¯s best not to dig into all of these questions right away. I should look around and try to find out what''s happening first. From there, time will surely answer my questions. First off, I need to think of a way to move the boulder blocking the entrance; it doesn¡¯t look like it will budge anytime soon. Perhaps there is something in those bags I can use? I turn to the giant pile of worn-out bags¡ªall of them varying in size with something in them. I walk up to them and unknowingly sniff.
Congratulations! Your Natural Senses has ranked up to Rank D! +3 PER
"That¡­ is weird. When did I get this skill?" ¡°Status.¡± My status screen pops up, and I blankly stare at it as it reveals my new stats. ¡°What?¡±
Aden Haraldson: Race Currently: Dragonborn (Infant) Age: 13 Years Old Guild: None Classes Currently: Draconic Warrior (Level 5) All Attributes +10 Condition: Normal Stat Currently: Strength: 108 Intelligence: 67 Dexterity: 93 Agility: 96 Perception: 84 Endurance: 98 Willpower: 69 Faith: 0 Charisma: 803 Luck: 211
W-when the hell did my stats grow so big!? More importantly¡­ What Charisma: 803 The Charisma: 803 FUCK!? Charisma: 803 GOD DAMN IT! I slam my head against the wall. WHY!? Why did charisma also have to grow too!? I then begin to slam my head rapidly against the wall. Sooner or later, this charisma will make my damn adventure story into a garbage harem story, god damn-... I pause. What¡¯s a harem? Anyways¡­ I turn to the bags, which all smell of blood and copper. Still shaken by the charisma bullcrap, I begin checking inside every bag. And indeed, there are copper coins in many of them, several stained with blood.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. I take a sniff of the bag I''m holding. Strange¡­ I smell something different inside the bag¡­ it smells like an apple. I dig through the bag and pull out an apple just like that. It seems like my sense of smell is overwhelmingly strong, even when certain fruits like this apple don''t have any scent on them. I can sniff out fruit inside a bag. Probably thanks to this skill.
Natural Senses Description: Smell, taste, feel, see, and hear are more sensitive than an entity without this skill. Requirements: ??? Type: Passive Effects: All senses are more sensitive. Usage: None Cooldown: None The higher level this skill is, the more sensitive your senses are.
I¡¯m getting off-topic. After testing my Natural Senses passive, I continue to inspect my new status until I see why I have these skills. "Dragonborn¡­? When did my race change? My class also seems to have changed. Draconic Warrior? Is this some kind of secret class or something?" After finally calming myself, I turn back to the bags. I''ve gone through all except two of them. But out of all them I''ve gone through, twenty-three out of twenty-five have nothing but copper coins in them, besides the apple one. Maybe¡­ I turn to the boulder that is still blocking the entrance. Maybe I can move it; I don¡¯t know if it will work, though. Even if my strength were twofold, I still doubt it would even budge. I keep thinking of any possible way to move the boulder until I catch a scent, a mixture of two I recognize. ¡°Mr. Pap! Layli!¡± I quickly turn, only to be met with the last two unchecked bags. I stare at them emotionally, as if knowing what will happen to me if I open those bags. But¡­ still¡­ I walk towards them, grab one of them¡­ and open it. Like many others, it has copper coins, but a note is on top of it. I slowly pick it up, open it and read. ¡°Good luck, boy! You¡¯re going to need it! From your Mr. Pap.¡± My stomach twists as tears already begin to fall down my face. The contents from my stomach slowly went up, ready to explode at any moment. ¡°Pap¡­¡± I struggle to say his name as the note becomes soggy from my tears. I hug it like a child and close my eyes as if thinking once I do, I¡¯ll see him again. But my eyes open wide out of realization¡­ as I slowly turn to the other bag next to me. Suddenly, a voice similar to mine¡­ begins speaking out to me. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ if you do¡­ the you everyone loved will disappear.¡± But still, even if it warns me, I slowly reach out to the next bag¡­ and open it. ¡°The you Mr. Pap loved will disappear¡­¡± I reach into the bag and take out a letter with a heart stamp. ¡°The you Layli loved will disappear¡­¡± I open the letter and reach into it. ¡°The you¡­ Charles loved will disappear¡­¡± I pause as I hold a note in my hand. Tears already begin to stream down my face. I struggle to breathe as I start to hiccup from my own tears. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ do it¡­ Please¡­¡± I begin to open the folded note. ¡°Aden¡­ I love you.¡± Then I hear Layli¡¯s voice as I read the note. I drop it, run to a corner and begin puking as the note softly lays on the ground. ¡°No matter where you are¡­ No matter what you do¡­ No matter what separate world we live in¡­ I will always love you, Aden. From, Layli Everheart.¡± I cry out. I scream as I once again fail to do anything right. It is all my fault! WHY! WHY DO I HAVE TO BE SO WEAK! I slam my fist into the smooth wall, not realizing that my fist made a huge hole. Why¡­ why do I have to be so dumb, so weak, so foolish, so¡­ I fell to my knees as tears still fell¡­ So¡­ weak-hearted. ¡°Aden¡­¡± But¡­ I slowly stand up and look at my hand, held by another. I looked forward¡­ and saw a ghostly image of Layli smiling. ¡°No matter where we are¡­ No matter where we go¡­ I will always love you.¡± She hugs me. ¡°So please¡­¡± Her ghostly image kisses me. ¡°Let¡¯s explore the world!¡± She took a step away and looked behind me. I turned¡­ and saw everyone I loved, smiling as well. ¡°Together!¡± But, the moment I blink¡­ I am alone, again. I stand silent for a few moments¡­ until I finally turn to the boulder¡­ and begin walking towards it. ¡°Morph.¡± My fleshy hands begin to change. Shifting and turning into scally, red dragon hands.
Congratulations! Your Morph has ranked up to Rank D! +2 END +1 WILL
Not enough¡­ ¡°Morph!¡± My legs shift into scaly red, humanoid dragon legs.
Congratulations! Your Morph has ranked up to Rank C! +2 END +1 WILL
Not enough!!! ¡°MORPH!!!¡± I scream as most of my chest area and my cheeks turn scaly red. I run, slamming my left foot in front of the boulder, and begin rounding up a punch with my right hand.
Congratulations! Your Morph has ranked up to Rank B! +2 END +1 WILL
¡°RAHHHHH!!!¡± I slam my fist into the boulder, then... it shatters. It shatters into a million pieces and flies up to the air. The light shines brightly onto me as the boulder turns into small bits within the air, but thanks to my already morphed dragon eyes, my vision quickly adjusts.
Congratulations! Your Natural Senses has ranked up to Rank C! +3 PER Congratulations! Your Natural Armor has ranked up to Rank D! +3 END
From there, I finally set foot into the outside world. The fresh air slowly but surely went past me as my hair gradually shifted to the rhythm of the wind. The clear sunny skies¡­ ¡°I see you¡¯ve already learned how to morph.¡± I hear a familiar voice and, at the same time, smell a familiar scent, both of which I despised. I slowly turn my head and see Lilith standing with a smile. I want to kill her, but the moment I think about it, I feel this strange sort of dread, a dread telling me that what I''m about to do isn¡¯t a good idea, for now.
Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Natural Instincts! +3 PER
So I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t charge at Lilith with all my might. Instead, I begin walking towards her on the smooth stone surface. But my objective isn¡¯t her. My objective is the boy lying down behind her, unconscious. Charles¡­ I continue walking, and the moment our shoulders meet, ¡°I swear, one day¡­ I¡¯ll kill you.¡±
End of Beginnings
Chapter 6: A Dark Future I sit down and look up at the clear night skies. It''s been a couple of days since I¡¯ve awoken with this new body of mine. I continue to plan my vengeance on Lilith while taking care of Charles. However, I knew doing something like killing Lilith would take many years of training. So I put aside the thought and decided to put my efforts into caring for Charles. But as time goes on, I realize that everything about me is different now. The way I think, the way I act, the way I handle things, and how my body reacts to situations. For example, when I was walking through a forest to take off some steam, I felt some weird feeling build up within me. Then my body reacted by itself, and before I noticed, I was holding shut a wolf''s mouth with one hand. I guess I have to thank this skill for saving me there.
Natural Instincts Description: Follow the instincts of the body you are born with to sense/see if any beings nearby are far greater than you or weaker. Requirements: Feel a sense of dread when faced with a superior being. Type: Passive Effects: Get this feeling of dread when a potential threat or entity is near. The amount of dread one feels depends on the strength of the opponent. The feeling will disable when not engaged in combat with that one entity for 10 seconds. Usage: None Cooldown: None The higher level this skill is, the more extensive the sensible range. The range will expand every 2 meters per level.
I found this skill rather valuable for many situations, such as sensing if one entity is near me or not. The rest¡­ is up to you to make an example of this skill. The current range of this skill is six meters, initially four since it leveled when I faced Lilith. I sigh, then look up at the moon. We''re far away from Lexigon, around sixty miles or so. How do I know this? Lilith had said this to me, even though I tried to ignore her. And, of course, she was right. No matter where I went within the forest that surrounded us, all it led to was more forest. Not only that, I stumbled upon a monster that is difficult to deal with as well. Slimes. They may not sound strong, but I ask for you to trust me; they''re powerful against physical-only fighters. They take reduced damage from physical hits. Not only that, if you don¡¯t hit their core within them, their hit points will always stay at one. That isn¡¯t the only thing annoying about them. They can regenerate. So even if you cut them apart into tiny pieces of themselves, they will recollect their bits to become big again. They''re acidic as well, meaning if they are a high enough level, they can digest and melt armor instantly. There is so much more to explain about them, but it¡¯s probably best to explain more about them when engaging in battle. Anyways, back to the forest itself, it¡¯s around the ten to twenty level range and full of monsters that can quickly kill an ordinary villager. From my experience, there must be around ten to fifteen species in this forest, and maybe a few dungeons as well, but I need to explore more to be sure.
Lilith¡¯s Perspective: While Aden is spacing out and thinking, I lustfully stare at him. "He¡¯s so cute!" I think to myself as my mouth starts to drool, "This is a huge success! Not only is Aden much cuter now, thanks to his charisma, but he is also part of one of the most dangerous species on this planet! A dragon, a tier eight monster that can destroy kingdoms! Such a species is now my pet! The monster tier is a list also known as a ranking system, telling how strong one species is. For instance, my original monster class is a tier five, a monster tier that is dangerous to fight against unless you¡¯re level fifty or above combat class. Of course, tiers higher than five will need to be fought in groups as they are too much to handle alone. The monster tier shows or estimates how strong that one species is. However, that doesn¡¯t mean that one species stays at that one tier. They can evolve out of that tier and become even more powerful than their previous variants. Which is why I get excited about having Aden when I think, "What if Aden trains long enough and becomes a tier ten?" The feeling arouses me. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t expect this to happen anytime soon. All I need to think and worry about is the present. I miss my old self, always on point and focused, but I began to grow these fetishes that gave me joy as time went by. Blood, gore, torture, the screams of a person under my foot. Thanks to these fetishes, I can¡¯t concentrate unless I have fun for the day. For now, I¡¯ll just think about what I should do next for Aden. Maybe find a way to get his so-called best friend killed. As I thought this, Aden called out to me, ¡°Lilith.¡± I''ll put the thought aside. My future lover is asking me a question ~ ?.
Main Perspective: ¡°Yes, Aden ~ ??¡± She turns to see me standing next to her. I feel like puking. Here I am asking a question from the person who killed everyone I loved. Luckily, it doesn¡¯t seem like she minds answering my questions, so I don¡¯t mind abusing this. I have asked her why she kept Charles and me alive, but all she said was, ¡°It¡¯s a secret, ok ~ ??¡± So, for now, I¡¯ll just ask questions that Charles is unable to answer at the moment, ¡°I have a question; it¡¯s about my class.¡± ¡°Oh, you mean your Monster Class?¡± I blinked in confusion at this unknown name, ¡°Monster Class?¡± ¡°Never heard of it?¡± ¡°I mean, I get it, but what¡¯s with the name?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask me; I have nothing to do with it.¡± After that, she begins explaining why my class is like this. It¡¯s called a Monster Class, a mixture of a monster''s race and a combat class. A combat class is what it sounds like, a class used for combat. Warrior, Archer, Rogue¡­ you get the point. You can only have two combat classes, which sucks. Anyways, that explains what a combat class is, now for Monster Class. Like I said, a mixture of both monster and non-monster. It was a particular case in the past, but it became customary for monsters later on. No one ever really thought about monsters since they''re just a compacted body of flesh filled with exp points, but after discovering Monster Classes, it made sense to many things. For example, a boss or mini-boss in dungeons is much stronger even though they are the same level as you. Beginning to see what I mean? Yeah, it made me realize many things too. This is, however, knowledge only monsters know. Thought non-monsters knew? No, why? Because apparently, they''re still too worried about themselves instead of researching monsters. The Scribe class won¡¯t work on monsters since all it shows is gibberish, but if the monster scribes another monster. The other way around will happen the same way. A monster can¡¯t see the stats of a non-monster as well. But¡­ Here''s a special case. If you happen to have a Monster Class, you''ll be able to see both an average persons'' stats and monsters'' stats. Anyways, enough of that, let me finish this quickly. A Monster Class scales how much stats your combat class and monster tier go up each level. For instance, a tier eight monster gets 8+ all stats per level, as a tier one combat class gets 2/2/1. (Warrior: Strength/Agility/Endurance 2/2/1) Combining the first number in the combat class and adding it to the monster tier. Then there you go, you get 10+ all per level. I¡¯m basing it on me since I get around 10+ all stats at each level.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. How do I know this? Lilith told me. She did since I didn¡¯t understand how levels work yet. After Lilith had finished explaining this to me, I began walking to Charles, who was resting on a patch of hay in the open. His arm is fully healed thanks to Lilith using some kind of healing magic; otherwise, he¡¯s still recovering after what had happened. So in the meantime, I have to make sure nothing comes out and attacks us. Well, on this small hill, that is. Lilith made all of this after she deemed this small hill good enough to camp on. The flat stone surface I¡¯m standing on is all made by Lilith and Drezzan. The poor hill used to have a pointy top, but parts of it got sliced off to make a flat surface with no bumps to stand and lay on. I don¡¯t know what magic Lilith used to make such a flat surface, but I don¡¯t care at this point. It makes me pissed as well. Now I have to repay Lilith for both sparing me and Charles, not only that, for giving us a place to keep safe. The fire continues to burn in the middle of the stone surface campsite. I continue to look through my stats and skills as I sit next to Charles, who is now almost entirely covered in the hay to avoid the cold. Compared to Heavy Swing, which I don''t have anymore, Draconic Heavy Swing has the same description, but the stats are¡­ different.
Draconic Heavy Swing Description: Swing with all your might, doing more damage than normal swings will. Requirements: Draconic Warrior (level 5), Any melee weapon. Type: Skill Effects: Deal 50% more damage when skill makes contact. Usage: 10 Rage Cooldown: 5 Seconds. The skill¡¯s damage will increase by 4% per level. Rage usage will decrease by 1 per two levels.
The scaling is way higher now. Not only that, but its actual base damage has also increased, which makes this skill even more threatening. Same swinging motion and timing, just more deadly. Then there¡¯s Morph and Natural Armor.
Natural Armor Description: Use the armor-like skin you¡¯re born with to take less damage from deadly abilities. Requirements: Born as an armored species. Type: Passive Effects: Take 10% less damage from physical attacks. Take 5% less damage from magical attacks. Usage: None Cooldown: None Gain 2% more resistance toward physical attacks per level. Gain 1% more resistance towards magical attacks per level.
Morph Description: As a person with two types of bodies within you, you can morph and change which kind of body you¡¯d prefer using this skill. Requirements: Become a person with two types of bodies within themselves. Type: Skill Effects: Change any part of your body with the species within you. Usage: 1% of your HP. Cooldown: None The higher level this skill is, the more parts of your body you can change with one use of this skill.
There are so many effective uses for these two skills that I think I will have an easier life. Of course, there is only one skill left; this one, however, is pretty self-explanatory¡­ and dangerous at the same time.
Morph Overtake Description: Allow your inner being to take total control of you and allow it to destroy anything standing. Requirement: Be a person related to two types of species, one being a potential non-aggressive species, while the other the opposite. Effects: Switch consciousness with your inner being and restore all Hp, Mana, Rage, and Stamina. After the duration is over, you will be forced to lose consciousness. Type: Skill Usage: None Duration: 5 min. Cooldown: 1 day. The higher level this skill is, the more you can keep yourself in control. Or to tell what your inner being can or cannot do.
This skill will be a sort of ¡®final resort¡¯ skill. I even asked Lilith how to make use of this skill, and she responded, ¡°It¡¯s a final resort. I recommend that you don¡¯t use it unless you don¡¯t have any allies near you.¡± I¡¯m going to admit. It¡¯s weird talking so casually towards the person who slaughtered everyone you loved. But I¡¯m not going to doubt that this is part of the effects of the red orb. It most likely deluded my sense of common sense, especially my overall emotions. Every time I think about Layli¡¯s death, I¡­ just don¡¯t feel much from it. Don¡¯t get me wrong; I feel pissed off just thinking about it. But¡­ that sense of hatred disappears in a matter of seconds. And for some weird reason, I feel like erasing that memory. I feel like it would affect my overall focus on my objectives. Though if I do¡­ I¡¯ll feel like a heartless person. I know I¡¯ll feel that way if I do such a thing, but¡­ no matter how much I refuse to forget it, I still feel like it¡¯s best to remove it from my head entirely. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening in my head anymore; the only thing I know is that the orb controls my emotions. Even with everything scrambling up in my head, there is still one clear goal, kill Lilith. The thought of those two words fills my mind with happiness, but right now, I¡¯m far from capable of being able to do such a thing. For now, all I need to do is get stronger. That''s why I¡¯m checking through every single ounce of information I can get from my status and skills. Of course, I need to take care of Charles first. From there, Charles can help me get more powerful. However, I should probably help him get stronger first. By now, I¡¯ve nearly surpassed him in every base attribute except intelligence. So for now, I need to help Charles get stronger somehow, then afterward, I¡¯ll ask him to help me in return. Besides, I¡¯m not going to be the only one who will try to kill Lilith; I doubt I¡¯ll be the only one trying to kill her anyway. After I finish checking my status and skills, I check through my titles.
Titles: Young Laborer Young Adventurer Sealed Potential The First Dragonkin Once Human
There are two new titles: The First Draconian and Once Human.
Once Human Description: There are things many don¡¯t need to know about. This title is given to humans who are no longer human. Requirements: Be originally human, but change into another race. All Attributes +1
The First Dragonborn Description: The Deities knew that a being would turn part dragon one day. This title is given to a mortal who¡¯s not only their original race but also a dragon. Requirement: Have your race be a Dragonborn and be the first-ever. All Attributes +10
Of course, there are also the two titles I¡¯ve obtained before the past events.
Young Laborer Description: Given to many who begin harsh labor at a young age. Requirements: Begin doing labor 13 years or younger. STR +5 DEX +5 AGL +5 END +5
Young Adventurer Description: Given to many brave juveniles who do not fear the unknown. Requirements: Get your first combat job at the age of 13. PEr +5 WILL +5 LUCK +2
Then¡­ there''s this title.
Sealed Potential Description: This title is given to people who have sealed potential. To unlock one¡¯s sealed potential is to do specific actions. Requirements: ???
I¡¯ve had this ever since, and of course, I¡¯ve tried many things to unlock this sealed potential. However, it all ended with no results. I didn¡¯t tell Charles about this either since I wanted it to surprise him. Of course, however, I got tired of waiting and decided to ask Lilith about this one. There was no possible way to trigger this title from what she had said. All I need to do is continue living normally. Which is pretty easy to do, honestly, unless you¡¯re some depressed person, then good luck, man/ma¡¯am, I¡¯m cheering you on! I close every menu in my mind, then continue looking at the moon. "Tomorrow, I¡¯ll continue exploring the forest. I don¡¯t know its name since Lilith doesn¡¯t pay attention to any of that stuff. However, I bet Charles knows, so I¡¯ll ask him when he wakes up," I thought to myself, "For now¡­ all I need to do is rest up and then get ready for tomorrow." I lay down next to Charles and close my eyes.
Dreams¡­ are nothing but false hopes. They betray you, they torture you, they kill you. No matter what kind of light you shine upon those dreams, they will just swallow them up and bring darkness again.
A boy with golden fox-like ears and tail looks upon a city.
Dreams will slowly devour you until you are nothing.
A small pink slime reflects some moonlight upon a green-skinned girl.
Thanks to these dreams, this world is now filled with greed and hatred.
A girl with short blue hair and white scarf breaths in and out and enters a guild house.
That is why¡­
A princess with bright, long, red, twin-tailed hair looks down upon sacrificial grounds.
All dreams¡­
A young black-haired boy covered with blood kneels to his master.
Should be erased.
???: And so it begins, an adventure with a dark future ahead. No matter how many times you see this, it excites you, doesn''t it? ... Silent as usual, huh? Well, it doesn''t matter. This is just their first step. The next trial is already about to begin. ... Hehe... Let''s see how far this playthrough goes, shall we?
Chapter 7: Overtake I The Forest of Aulistia, also known as the largest low-level forest, resides in the middle of the continent''s western region, Olimpia. A forest where monsters range from level tens and possibly over the twenties. Living within this forest is around fifteen species, one of them being the most dangerous and highest in the food chain, gray wolves. They may not sound like much, but they are a much stronger pack than the wolves near Lexigon. Their population is estimated to be around the thousands, though separated into hundreds of groups around Aulistia. There are two other dangerous species, but they cannot match the terrifying numbers of a wolf pack due to their small population. And due to the wolves having such numbers, they tend to go out in tens or more per pack. The Forest of Aulistia spreads out fifty miles all over, just ten miles away from Lexigon. The forest used to be sixty miles all over, but now it is fifty, thanks to nearby civilization. However, I''m unlucky enough to stumble upon one of these wolf packs in this large green forest, which is surprising since my luck could be called godlike, but oh well. The moment I saw the wolves, I immediately turned around and ran full speed ahead. I could''ve fought them head-on like I used to, but knowing that these wolves¡¯ levels are two times higher compared to the wolves back at Lexigon, I knew full well that doing so would be a bad idea, but I also knew that if this keeps up, they''ll catch me and I¡¯ll have to fight them with zero stamina. So, instead of running any further, I draw my short sword with my right hand from my leather sheath on my left. I stomp my feet down to quickly stop my momentum and turn my body around to my right. Just in time to see a gray wolf jumping right at me, towards my face. I make a small and quick sidestep to my right, hold my handle with both hands, then glide the blade through the wolf as its body goes flying past me and then flops on the ground, dead.
Your blade has slashed through the body of your enemy! 346 damage! Gray Wolf has been slain!
I slowly breathe in and out as I''m surrounded by wolves¡ªnine out of ten of them, one of them already slain by me. The gray wolves slowly approach me and growl as they catch up to their prey, but even if they did, I smile. I continue to stand in my fighting stance as they approach me until suddenly, two of them, one from the left and one from the right, lunge at me. I quickly turn to the left one and slash at the other¡­ ¡°Lightning bolt!¡± A small ball of lightning flew by a wolf from my six, right at the one from my right. It hit the wolf, and it whelped in pain. Its stunned body went flying past me as I slashed through the body of the other wolf, the same way I did to the first.
Your blade has slashed the body of your enemy! 321 damage! Gray Wolf has been slain!
The wolf from my six quickly turns, but it is too late as a firebolt hits it, sending it flying and slamming into a tree. As that was happening, I sprinted towards the paralyzed wolf and thrust my blade down through its skull before it could recover.
Your blade has pierced through your opponent''s skull! 189 damage! Gray Wolf has been slain!
Charles, who shot the fireball at the wolf, walks towards it and then aims down his wooden staff at it, ¡°Lightning bolt.¡± A small ball of lightning forms then shoots straight at the laying wolf; it whelps in pain but doesn¡¯t die. ¡°Lightning bolt.¡± Another bolt of lightning hits the wolf, but still, it doesn¡¯t die. ¡°Lightning bolt. Lightning bolt. Lightning bolt.¡± The wolf continued to whelp until the last one finally killed it.
Charles''s Perspective: Your Lightning bolt has directly hit your enemy! 32 damage! Your Lightning bolt has directly hit your enemy! 41 damage! Your Lightning bolt has directly hit your enemy! 45 damage! Your Lightning bolt has directly hit your enemy! 46 damage! Gray Wolf has been slain! Congratulations! Your Lightning bolt has ranked up to Rank B! +3 INT +1 AGL Congratulations! Your Bolt Mastery has ranked up to Rank C! +4 INT +2 WILL
Main Perspective: Charles turns to his next target, but the wolves already begin to back away when he does. After pulling out the blade from the dead wolf¡¯s skull, I turn and see the alpha wolf. Unlike the other wolves of this pack, the alpha stands its ground and growls as it stares threateningly at me, but as it did, I raise my blade and point right at it. At that moment, it stops growling and finally begins to back off as well. "As I thought, the alpha wolf also has the Natural Instinct skill." I think to myself. The wolves'' pack finally runs off a minute later, leaving one charred wolf and three gruesomely killed ones. I sigh as I clean the blood off my sword and then put it back into my sheath. I walk up to one of the dead wolves and pick it up. ¡°Alright¡­ time to bring them back to camp.¡± ¡°Is this the third time?¡± Charles asks as he also picks one up, the charred one. ¡°Pretty much, did you get some skills up? Or a level at least?¡± ¡°Two skill ups, one on my Lightning bolt and one on my Bolt Mastery. How about you?¡± ¡°Nope, just the usual.¡± We proceed to pick up two corpses each, then begin walking back to the camp.
It has been three days since the events of Lexigon. After Charles woke up yesterday, I explained everything that had happened. To my surprise, Charles took everything in easily, and from there, we began talking about the forest and nearby towns. Apparently, the Forest of Aulistia, the one we¡¯re in now, is a forest named after a girl who used to reside here but sacrificed herself for the sake of her lover. It has been said that this forest grew itself in no less than five days and continued to expand until civilization began to control its growth rate. It is a pretty interesting story but wasn¡¯t something I wanted to know about. There is a town around a hundred miles from here known as Baricka. We could go there; however, the problem¡­ is me. What do you think would happen if someone were to see my class and race? They would be pretty surprised and scared, most likely. Every town has a Scribe who checks one''s status before allowing them in, which is a problem. Of course, there is also another reason why we aren¡¯t going there. Charles insisted that we train here first before heading out, which I agreed to. And thanks to Lilith, Charles''s arm is fixed now. So here we are, taking these wolves back to camp for food. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. You¡¯ve changed a lot, Aden.¡± ¡°Weird hearing that from you, Charles.¡± ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually hear you talk about changes.¡± ¡°This is an exception. Your change in personality and how you¡¯re taking everything¡­ is rather worrisome.¡± ¡°Huh, still doesn¡¯t sound like you at all.¡± ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t. All of our friends are dead. We¡¯ve been kidnapped by the person who killed them. And it¡¯s only been three days since then, yet, look at you. You don¡¯t seem bothered by it at all!" "I mean, I just don''t feel anything anymore. Don''t get me wrong. I was pissed off back then. But now, I don''t feel anything." Charles stares at me for a moment until answering, ¡°It''s the red orb again, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°...I¡¯m surprised we haven¡¯t talked about this sooner.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been talking about stats and skills all day yesterday, including killing monsters.¡± ¡°Anyways, when are you going to use that new skill?¡± Yesterday, Charles just leveled up to a level fifteen Mage and obtained a new skill called Fireball. From what he told me, it is an upgraded version of Firebolt. Compared to Firebolt, Fireball takes a little longer to charge and cast, but to make up for it, it explodes on contact, making it do even more damage.
Fireball Description: Shoot a large ball of flame that explodes on contact! An upper-tier of magic compared to Firebolt! Requirements: Mage (Level 15), Firebolt Rank C. Type: Skill Effects: Deals 25% more damage when skill makes contact with a target. Any target caught in the skills explosion does 80% of its total damage. Usage: 150 Mana Cooldown: 5 seconds Cast time: 3 seconds Deals 5% more damage per rank. Mana usage decreases by 5 per rank. The higher rank, the larger the spell will be.
It sounded pretty powerful, but after hearing Charles talk about the higher tiers of magic he could obtain, this isn¡¯t really comparable to the rest.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Anyways, as it says, it¡¯s a skill that explodes on contact. It gives around plus three intelligence and two strength. I don¡¯t really get why it gives strength, but let''s ignore that. It has a higher mana cost than firebolt, three times the amount, and a cast time. From what Charles told me, the bolt series doesn''t really have any casting and cooldown time. The only thing that Firebolt and Fireball have in common is that they both grow bigger depending on your intelligence and rank of the skill. From what I''ve heard so far, Fireball is a tier two magic skill. It tells how much bigger or different spells can be, similar to the monster tiers. For example, the Meteor skill is a tier seven magic skill. A powerful skill that can ultimately change the tide of battle. But of course, there¡¯s a more powerful skill called Black Hole, a tier nine magic skill that can suck in anything, including light, which is an incredible skill. A skill that even devils or angels tend to fear. The highest tier of magic is ten, which you can imagine are spells that can change the world. We called them World Class spells. Spells that can scale high enough even to match gods. Well, I think you get the gist of this magic tier stuff¡­ wait¡­ have I heard of this before? From an anime, maybe? Wait¡­ What¡¯s an anime? Anyways, after talking for a bit, our conversation went off-topic. Charles and I laugh as we begin to talk about recent news we''ve heard back when Lexigon was still flourishing with life and tell jokes to each other as we march to the campsite. ¡°Do you remember that owner that had a pet monster mimic?¡± Charles questions as he tries not to drop the corpses he''s carrying. ¡°Did he get eaten?¡± I question as I turn my head to him. ¡°Yes, he did.¡± ¡°Knew it! Freaking told you that was going to happen!¡± I yell out. The bushes near us seem to shake slightly as if my yell startled something inside them. But the shaking stops and the forest goes quiet again a moment later. ¡°You mean, I told you.¡± ¡°What!? No¡­ did I?¡± ¡°Of course you did!¡± We laugh, releasing the stress we''ve gained from fighting the wolves. ¡°At least they managed to get the owner''s bones out of the mimic.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised the mimic hasn¡¯t crunched those, imagining they would taste good for a monster like me, that is.¡± ¡°Demi-monster, you mean.¡± ¡°You should try some with me,¡± I said half-jokingly. ¡°No!¡± ¡°What? Not going to try?¡± ¡°What you suggested is called cannibalism.¡± ¡°Aww¡­ come on.¡± ¡°I would rather turn myself into a monster before trying that.¡± ¡°Imagine if you had turned into a lizard.¡± ¡°Like you! You idiotic lizardman!¡± Again, we laugh. A calm breeze passes by as we do so, making the entire area give off a calm feeling. ¡°It feels good to talk like this.¡± ¡°Yup!¡± After another five minutes pass, we finally make it to the usual stone campsite. From there, we can see Lilith lying down on the stone surface with both of her eyes closed. It didn''t seem like she minded us at first when we stepped near her, but the moment she started sniffing, her eyes opened. She sits up and sees the burnt-looking corpse Charles is holding. ¡°Hello, Aden! Oh¡­ Charles, can I have that?¡± ¡°Suit yourself.¡± Charles walks up to Lilith and drops the burnt wolf next to Lilith. She then begins to tear off some burnt skin and devour the insides. ¡°You''re not going to devour the whole thing?¡± I question as I see her gruesomely eating the dead wolf. Yesterday, when I asked Charles what he got for his level up, Lilith asked if she could have one of the dead wolves we managed to kill. We gave it to her but instantly regretted it when we saw her open her mouth wide, wide enough to devour the whole wolf instantly. I still fear it to this day... ugh... ¡°I prefer slowly eating my prey.¡± She responds as she takes a chunk of meat from the corpse and takes a small bite. I make a shrug and turn to help Charles skin the wolves as if used to seeing the gruesome sight, even though I wasn''t.
Lilith''s Perspective: I''m happy that Aden is talking casually with me now. Of course, it still isn¡¯t enough since I can still feel anger within Aden, but I''m certain he will calm down soon enough. For now, I''m just going to eat this snack to help satisfy my hunger. It isn¡¯t big enough to make me full, but it was enough to calm my appetite.
Main Perspective: As Lilith slowly ate her wolf, Charles and I finished skinning the wolves and hung them on a rack. Charles inspects his creation but makes a look of disappointment. ¡°I¡¯ve seen better.¡± ¡°Hey, this is the best we could do. It¡¯s not like we¡¯ve got a master carpenter here.¡± I got to be honest, though. I¡¯ve seen better as well. The wooden strap-like barks aren¡¯t tightened right on the rack, making it look like it¡¯s going to collapse at any moment. Not only that, the sticks holding it up to don''t even look that thick, making it more worrisome. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Well, it doesn''t seem like it''s gonna fall over or anything, so I think we¡¯re fine.¡± Charles says as he continues to look at it cringingly. ¡°Anyways¡­ All we need to do now is let all the blood drip out of those corpses for the rest of the day, then from there, we can take them down and prepare them for dinner.¡± ¡°Aww¡­ DINNER!? I¡¯m already hungry!¡± ¡°Stop your childish attitude. For now, we¡¯re going to gather some herbs and berries.¡± ¡°I get why we need some berries, but herbs? You¡¯re not a herbalist, though.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t getting herbs for medicine.¡± ¡°...Oh, okay, it¡¯s for the food.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± I awkwardly laugh for a few moments until I feel something clang onto my right shoulder. I immediately know it is Lilith. ¡°Oh? So you¡¯re a chef, Charles.¡± Lilith questions with interest. ¡°A novice, but I know my way around the kitchen,¡± Charles responds as he inspects the wolves until he finally says, ¡°Lilith.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lilith questioned annoyingly. She is most likely busy trying to make sure I didn¡¯t notice her cuddling me. I do notice but decide to ignore it. ¡°Can you summon Drezzan?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to cost you. Give me one of those wolves. Then it¡¯s a deal.¡± Charles sighs at this. ¡°Alright.¡± Charles unties one of the wolves from the rack and gives it to her. ¡°It''s not for me. It¡¯s for Drezzan.¡± Lilith snaps her fingers, and a huge summoning circle appears right in front of us. I watch in amazement at the summoning circle. No matter how many times I¡¯ve seen how these summoning circles worked, it still amazes me. You can summon an entity that will aid you in your everyday needs. I wish I could do that. It would make life a lot easier! Sadly, we need to be a¡­ wait. ¡°Lilith,¡± I say her name. ¡°Yes, Aden?¡± ¡°You¡¯re¡­ not a mage, right?¡± ¡°That is one of my classes, but my main class is Witch.¡± She answers with a smile. A Witch, also known as the equivalent of a Warlock. The two are of the same class, though one identifies as a female while another has the same skills and stat scaling. However, Witches are more in-depth with summonings, while Warlocks are more into combative magic. Of course, it doesn¡¯t mean one can only go summoning or combat. Lilith has taken both routes and has already reached the max level. Not only that, she has every skill mastered. Which literally means she can¡¯t get any stronger... I think. ¡°Ahh¡­ I see. Thanks, Lilith!¡± Lilith smiles at my response. As I say that, the summoning circle shines purple and begins to spin. Strange symbols move independently and turn in rhythm with the entire circle. From there, the summoning circle is then overlapped by a vast shadow. I look up and see a dark purple portal opening up in the sky. The portal expands wider and wider as the summoning circle continues to spin faster¡­ until all of a sudden, the portal instantly closes as a red-skinned giant falls through it and lands hard on top of the summoning circle. The red-skinned giant, also known as Drezzan, smiles as he stands up. ¡°Drezzan Rugorim, the first orc warlord, here at your service!¡± Drezzan answers excitingly. It still surprises me, really. Back at Lexigon, Drezzan used to be this silent and obedient red giant. But now, he¡¯s this over-energetic and excited one. The truth is, Lilith ordered Drezzan to act like that, so he wouldn¡¯t go and mess up every single thing he did. I should be glad because if Lilith hadn¡¯t ordered Drezzan to limit his power, I would¡®ve died. This is what Lilith tells me during the time I tried ignoring her. ¡°Drezzan,¡± Charles says out loud as he approaches him. ¡°Haha! If it isn¡¯t the smart meaty boy! How may I help you?¡± Drezzan responds as he looks down at Charles. ¡°Can you teach me how to butcher?¡± Charles asks as he points a finger towards where the hanging wolves are. ¡°I see¡­ well, that''s going to cost ya.¡± ¡°Already have it,¡± Charles answers as he holds up one of the skinned wolves. Drezzan licks his lips and gladly takes the wolf¡¯s corpse off of Charles¡¯s hands. ¡°Well, well, if this isn¡¯t a gray wolf? Haven¡¯t eaten one in ages!¡± Drezzan then proceeds to shove it down into his mouth and messily chews it as some of the organs fall out of his mouth. ¡°Drezzan,¡± Lilith answers annoyingly. She looks at Drezzan in disgust. ¡°Ahh¡­ apologies, Princess.¡± Drezzan apologizes as he finishes swallowing everything in his mouth. I turn my head and give off a face saying, you''re one to talk. ¡°So, is it a deal?¡± Charles questions. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a deal. I¡¯d prefer training Aden more, but deals are deals.¡± Drezzan sits down. ¡°Alright, how about teaching you the basics first?¡± Then, Drezzan begins teaching Charles how to butcher. ¡°For an orc warlord, he¡¯s really¡­ non-aggressive,¡± I say as I see Drezzan teaching Charles how it¡¯s done. ¡°That is because he matured more than the other orc warlords,¡± Lilith answers, standing right next to me. ¡°Matured? What do you mean?¡± ¡°He¡¯s one of the oldest orcs in history. Of course, he¡¯s going to mature the most. He¡¯s been in the Netherwhelm for decades.¡± ¡°Netherwhelm?¡± ¡°That is where evil and chaotic souls go when they die. It is also the place where we witches and sorcerers summon our familiars. Or you can say demons.¡± ¡°I know what the Nether Whelm is, but how does it work? Actually, never mind that, how does one become evil or a chaotic spirit?¡± I''m curious, all of this stuff fascinates me, and besides, it will help pass the time. ¡°Very well, first off, becoming evil or a chaotic soul is rather easy. You must either have killed someone for wicked reasons or have committed a sin that the deities cannot forgive.¡± It does sound easy when you think about it, well¡­ if you¡¯re a murderer, that is. ¡°Second, the dark soul must choose one of the three choices¡­.¡± Lilith walks up in front of me as she explains this to me. I sit down, looking up at her as she teaches me. ¡°The first choice, they can stay in hell, rot there, and forever be forgotten. Second, they can be reborn, but you will have a dark future ahead of you once reborn. If neither of these isn¡¯t to your liking, then third¡­.¡± Lilith smiled as her eyes glittered with excitement. ¡°Become a person¡¯s familiar and fight for them until they die or for as long as your soul can still glow.¡± As Lilith finishes, I turn to Drezzan, smiling as he''s teaching Charles. ¡°Can you have more than one?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°How many do you have?¡± Lilith went up close to my face and responded. ¡°That. Is. A. Secret ~ ?.¡± I sigh at this. It sounds like more things to figure out! Why can¡¯t life be easy¡­? ¡°Aden!¡± Charles calls out. I turned to him. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just finished the list for the herbs I need!¡±
Five minutes later¡­ I regret everything. I''m back in the forest, looking through patches of green as I march through it. I don¡¯t know what the hell I''m doing. I am supposed to look for this thyme thingy plant. It looks weird honestly, I don''t even know if it will be appetizing. Well, if Charles wants it, I¡¯ll get it for him¡­ that¡¯s if I could even find the damn green thingy. I''m walking through patches of greens. Picking one after another, seeing if it¡¯s the plant I¡¯m looking for, sadly, they weren¡¯t. I keep on looking until I stumble upon an entrance to a cave. I stare at it for a small moment but then continue looking for thyme. I don¡¯t have time for exploring- what?
You have entered the dungeon: The Stone Golem¡¯s Cave. Total Level Range: 10-20
Chapter 8: Overtake II ¡°Is this the cave you¡¯re talking about?¡± Charles asks as he takes a step forward.
You have entered the dungeon: The Stone Golem¡¯s Cave. Total Level Range: 10-20
¡°Yeah, it is,¡± I confirm as I walk to his side. Charles and I look at the dungeon''s entrance, a big hole on the side of a mountain. It''s huge, big enough to fit Drezzan without him bending over. Mold forms on the edges of the entrance, making it look like it''s been there for ages. Charles walks up to the entrance then turns to me behind him. ¡°Just reading the name makes it obvious which enemies we¡¯re going to fight here.¡± I raise an eyebrow. ¡°You mean stone-type enemies?¡± ¡°Exactly. I don¡¯t think we¡¯re ready for monsters like that, especially since the only one with abilities capable of killing these entities is me.¡± ¡°All I need to do is protect you then. Is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± I respond as I try to see what is inside the entrance. ¡°Precisely,¡± Charles says with a sigh as he gives up on trying to change my mind. In all honesty, I just want to do this dungeon, so I didn¡¯t have to find those damn thyme things. The dungeon also seems like a good place to practice more of my newfound powers, so¡­ why not? It also gives me some time to be away from Lilith. ¡°Is Lilith not coming with us?¡± Charles asks as he looks at my face. ¡°No, Lilith and I made a deal.¡± ¡°A deal?¡±
Three days ago¡­
¡°How about we make a deal?¡± Lilith says with a grin. I continue sitting down next to the sleeping Charles and looking up at the night sky as the campfire still shines on the campsite. I didn¡¯t respond to Lilith, but she continued to talk anyway. ¡°I¡¯ll let you two live and explore the world to your liking, in return¡­.¡± Lilith looks down at me. ¡°You two will eternally be my entertainers. I¡¯ll follow you wherever, whenever. But, if you two continue to either disappoint me or bore me¡­.¡± Her bright expression turns dark. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you both.¡±
Present¡­
¡°I see, but how does that affect the reason why she isn¡¯t coming?¡± ¡°She and I made another deal after that.¡± Charles and I are already walking through the cave as the light from the entrance begin to fade. The cave itself looks the same as any other, with uneven walls and stalactites dripping water on top of the cave. ¡°That is?¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t help us at the least, even if it meant us dying. Well, I¡¯m glad she isn¡¯t coming anyway.¡± ¡°I see¡­ wait, do you still have a problem with her? When I last saw you two together, you seemed fine.¡± ¡°Well, kinda. Every time I look at Lilith, I get pissed off, but the moment I do, the feeling all of a sudden vanishes. It feels weird.¡± ¡°That leads to one obvious reason.¡± ¡°Yup...." Apparently, the red orb nullifies some of my emotions, not all of them, only the negative ones. It¡¯s a good thing, though; it won¡¯t affect my sense of mind and focus. Of course, such a good thing comes at a cost, I don¡¯t know what that cost is, but I know it will be bad. Anyways, it isn¡¯t something I should worry about right now. I continue to look and move forward, alert, as I keep my hand placed on the handle of my short sword. Charles walks behind me and shines the stony path as his wooden cane has a ball of flame hovering around the top of it. We are already deep enough into the dungeon to know that monsters will start appearing sooner or later. They can charge from either side, behind us or in front, or worse, both sides. If that were the case, I would immediately morph and create a path for Charles, but if it isn¡¯t, we will still do the usual strategy, me in the front and Charles in the back. Even if some were to somehow get past me, Charles could handle it since he''s very well versed in close combat. Heck, he might still be better than me. Of course, all of this is planned by Charles. While I talked about my skills, he took note of every one of them and made a strategy so basic that even I felt like a person with one intelligence could understand. Haha, well, I don¡¯t really think that¡¯s possible, oh well! I stop in place¡ªthe sound of heavy footsteps. I turn to Charles, who is already looking in the direction of the footsteps. Up ahead is the same path, but with a sudden turn, and from what we¡¯ve just heard, the monster must be right around the corner. We slowly approach. I slowly drew my blade, trying not to make a sound, and went ahead of Charles. I slowly approach until stopping when I''m right at the corner. I was about to look around but paused. I couldn¡¯t hear the footsteps anymore. I softly sniff the air. No good; I can only smell watery stone. Do I risk it? Wait, Natural Instincts! I close my eyes, and from there, I let my skill do its trick. I do sense something¡­ it is¡­ right around- Suddenly, a stone statue-like monster jumps from the corner and swings its stone blade at me. I''m surprised but managed to duck in the nick of time. I hear something heavy smash into the wall above my head, and quickly I jump back. From there, I managed to get a good view of the monster. The stone monster is a faceless, adult-sized stone man with stone armor covering its body. There aren¡¯t many special features about it except that its body moves typically like a human. The stone man holds a rather large stone club, making it obvious that it¡¯s a warrior-based enemy. I went into stance and prepared to enter combat with the stone man. Immediately, it charges straight at me with its big club raised above its head. In response, I lower my head and run forward. The stone man swings its weapon down but misses by a hair as I sidestep to the left and swing my blade at its exposed belly. But instead of gliding on its skin, what I expected, it gets stuck in the middle of its torso.
Your Evasion has ranked up to Rank A! +4 AGL! Your blade struck through your enemy¡¯s belly! 57 Damage!
¡°Eh?¡± I say with a surprising gesture. I jump back as the stone monster makes a wide swing with my sword stuck on its belly. Unarmed, I stare at it as it turns to me with its club raised again¡­ until, ¡°Fireball!¡± A massive ball of fire that is twice the size of my head slams itself at the stone monster, then, BOOM! I cover my face and try to withstand the explosion set off close to me.
Charles''s Perspective: Your Fireball has directly hit your enemy! 258 Damage! Your Fireball has exploded and pulverized your enemy! 206.4 Damage! Your Fireball¡¯s explosion has harmed your ally! 15 Damage! Stone Soldier (Warrior) has been slain! Your Fireball has ranked up to Rank D! +3 INT +2 STR
Main Perspective: I stand still and silent for a few moments until I put down my hands, which protect my face. The stone soldier that looked like an ordinary stone faceless man is now in pieces. Pieces that measured from large and small, all over the place. I continue to stay silent as I stare at the aftermath of Charles¡¯s destructive fireball. "Isn¡¯t¡­ isn¡¯t that just the Rank F version of that fireball? That¡­ is fucking horrifying." I think with horror. Gray smoke continues to stray around the air after the explosion until slowly vanishing, revealing Charles where I am. He walks up to me¡­ and I ask, ¡°That¡­ is the Rank F version of your fireball, right?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± I stand frozen for a few seconds until responding, ¡°I would hate to see what the rest are like.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. After trying to cool off my sword, which somehow survived the explosion, we continued walking through the dungeon. It is then the path begins to change. The walls, ceiling, and floor slowly get smoother as we walk further into the dungeon. There were also large rooms filled with stone soldiers ranging from one to five. Of course, we stuck to our strategy, me getting their attention while Charles took them out. We have done three of these rooms already. There are two in the first room, four in the second, and five in the third.
Charles: Level up! Your Mage class is now level 16! +2 INT +2 WILL +1 PER Your Fireball has ranked up to Rank C! +3 INT +2 STR Your Fireball has ranked up to Rank B! +3 INT +2 STR Your Staff Mastery has ranked up to Rank 9! +2 STR +2 AGL +1 INT Your Evasion has ranked up to Rank A! +4 AGL Congratulations! You have gained the title: Young Group Exploder!
Aden: Your Sword Mastery has ranked up to Rank 8! +2 STR +2 DEX +1 AGL Your Evasion has ranked up to Rank A! +4 AGL Your Parry has ranked up to Rank B! +3 AGL +1 PER Your Block has ranked up to Rank B! +3 END +1 STR
¡°Draconic Heavy Swing!¡± I yell as I heavily swing at the soldier in front of me. It tries to block my attack with its stone shield, but instead of stopping the attack, its shield is smashed into pieces, and so does itself.
Your Draconic Heavy Swing has smashed your enemy! 251 Damage! Stone Golem (Warrior) has been slain! Your Draconic Heavy Swing has ranked up to Rank B! +3 STR Congratulations! You have gained the title: Stone Smasher!
I breathed in and out as I took out the last stone soldier of the fourth room. There were six this time, and I got to be honest; this one was tough. Unlike the previous three, this one had a mage and an archer, which meant both Charles and I had to evade most of the time. Of course, I managed to take them out and make it easier for Charles to take care of the stone soldier in front of him, but I couldn¡¯t say the same for myself since it led one of the two humanoids who was chasing Charles to me instead, making me have to fight three stone soldiers. And out of all of that, I still haven¡¯t fucking leveled up yet! I mean, what the fuck! I fell flat on my butt and took a breather. Charles walks up next to me and does the same but sits down gently. ¡°I¡¯ve gained a new title,¡± I say out loud. ¡°So did I. Already checked it.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me? I¡¯ll tell you mine.¡±
Aden: Stone Smasher Description: This title is given to people who smashed a stone-type enemy! Requirement: Smash stone with a weapon. Strength +5
Charles: Young Group Bomber Description: A title given to juveniles who killed a group with something explosive. Requirement: Kill a group of five entities in one go. All explosive skills or items have a 5% larger blast radius.
My title seems simple, smash stone with a weapon, can be cool and all since I¡¯m just third-teen years old, but the title Charles got, though¡­ can be taken the wrong way. I wonder what some of the Scribes'' reactions would be when they see Charles having such a title. It could go wrong, oh well! I¡¯m just glad I got an extra five strength. ¡°You do know that your title can be taken the wrong way, right?¡± I say with worry as I turn my head to Charles. ¡°That¡¯s their assumption. If they think so, then go ahead. But I doubt they would mind such a title since I¡¯m a mage.¡± ¡°Yeah, I get what you mean,¡± I respond as I drink some water from my leather canteen. ¡°Anyways, have you leveled up yet?¡± ¡°...no, I haven¡¯t.¡± Charles stops talking after that. Five minutes have passed afterward, and I stand up and stretch as I check my vital status.
Vital Currently: HP: 831/855 Rage: 0/100 Stamina: 701/820
I¡¯ve lost around two-hundred hp and three-hundred stamina during the last fight, and from the looks of it, they both seem to regenerate faster than before. It could be my endurance stat doing its trick.
Endurance - Endurance is an attribute that affects your entire body''s durability. Allowing you to deplete less stamina while sprinting, continue when badly wounded and hold a greater resolve to continue fighting in dire situations. Increases health by 2.5 Hp, stamina by 2.5, defense by 1, and regeneration speeds for health and stamina by 0.1 points per second.
¡°Charles, ready?¡± I question as I yawn afterward. Charles stands up in response, ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± I do what he says and follow him as we leave the room. At this point, the walls look completely different than before. They are smooth to the touch. Not only that, they begin to have weird symbols on them as we go deeper and deeper into the dungeon. I turn my head to look at one of the symbols out of curiosity. They looked ancient, but it¡¯s not something I should be checking for fun yet. An hour has already passed since we last entered this dungeon, and I got to say, it¡¯s a lot larger than the Rat King¡¯s Dungeon. There are more rooms in this one. No matter how deep we go into this dungeon, it continues to look endless. It¡¯s still fun, though, really. The dungeon doesn¡¯t always look the same as we continue. Sadly, though¡­ Charles and I stop as we are confronted with a stone door. We have to fight to continue on. I went in front of Charles and drew my short sword. As I do, Charles readies himself and begins to concentrate. I start to count to myself. ¡°Five¡­ Four¡­¡° I wait for Charles¡¯s fireball to finish. ¡°Three¡­ Two¡­¡° I harden my grip. ¡°One¡­¡± I take a deep breath¡­ then charge straight at the stone door and bash through it. The brightness of the room blinds me, but even if I am, I continue charging forward as my eyes quickly adjust to the bright room. It is then I find out I am surrounded. There are seven stone soldiers around me, staring at me as I make my entrance. I quickly look at my surroundings. There are two mages, one archer, three warriors grouped up together, and¡­ I turn around as fast as possible and use my blade to deflect the incoming attack. A spearman. I swing my sword to the left with both hands as I hit the stone spear the stone soldier thrust at me. The moment I did, I screamed at the top of my lungs, overlapping a certain voice that chanted something. There is then an explosion, where the group of stone warriors was.
Charles''s Perspective: Your Fireball has directly hit your enemy! 241 damage! Your Fireball has exploded and pulverized your enemy! Critical hit! 421 damage! Your Fireball has exploded and pulverized your enemy! Critical hit! 451 damage! Your Fireball has exploded and pulverized your enemy! Critical hit! 431 damage! Stone Golem (Warrior) has been slain! Stone Golem (Warrior) has been slain! Stone Golem (Warrior) has been slain! Congratulations! You have learned Critical Mastery! +2 DEX +2 PER
Main Perspective: The stone golems turn to the explosion in confusion. As they did, I charged straight at the mages. They notice me but notice too late as I already slam my blade down at one of the stone mages.
You have crushed your enemy! Critical hit! 341 damage! Stone Golem (Mage) has been slain! Congratulations! You have learned Critical Mastery! +2 DEX +2 PER
I quickly turn to the next stone mage after literally destroying one of its allies. As that is happening, I see in the corner of my eye Charles evading the stone spearman as it tries to thrust its stone spear into him. It is going well for the spearman for a few seconds until Charles all of a sudden charges into it, having the spearman¡¯s effective fighting range become useless just like that. Even if Charles managed to close the gap, he could do nothing to harm the stone golem fatally. There was-
Charles''s Perspective: ¡°Snap Cast!¡± I yell out as I aim my wooden cane at the stone spearman¡¯s head. I then smile and yell, ¡°Fireball!¡± Then there is an explosion.
Your Fireball has directly hit your enemy! 240 damage! Your Fireball has exploded and pulverized your enemy! 196 damage! Your Fireball¡¯s explosion has harmed you! 179 damage! Stone Golem has been slain! Your Snap Cast has ranked up to Rank D! +3 INT +2 WILL You are burnt! 3 damage!
Vital Currently: Health: 136/315 Mana: 270/530 Stamina: 106/295
I lay on the ground as the gray smoke from the explosion slowly vanished into thin air, parts of my clothing and body burnt. I lay there silent for a few seconds until finally reaching down into my leather belt bag to take out a health potion, but paused¡­ as I saw a stone archer standing above me, aiming down its stone arrow at me. I close my eyes, thinking it¡¯s the end, until I hear a yell. ¡°Morph!¡± Before I know it, the stone archer is smashed to smithereens, top to bottom from the head. I use both my hands to block the flying debris from all of what used to be the stone archer. When everything finally calmed down, I slowly widened my eyes. I stare in shock as what took the place of the smashed archer¡­ is Aden, whose hands are scaly red. Aden looks down at me with a smile, ¡°Look who''s the savior now, Charles.¡± He widens his smile. I smile back, ¡°Please, shut the fuck up, you imbecile.¡± Aden laughs in response and gives me a hand. I gladly take it, and Aden helps me up.
Aden: You have Morph! 3.15 damage! You have cut your enemy in half! 450 damage! Stone Golem (Archer) has been slain! Congratulations! You have earned the title: Stone Smasher!
Charles: You have drunk a small health potion! Regained 50+ health! Congratulations! You have earned the title: Near-Death Escaper!
Near-Death Escaper Description: The title is given to people who have escaped death. Requirement: Escape a deadly situation. Luck +5
Main Perspective: I give Charles a hand, and he takes it. I lift him and continue to provide him with my usual smile.
Congratulations! You have earned the title: Savior!
Well, I got two titles out of that.
Stone Smasher Description: This title is given to people who have smashed stones with their bare fists. Requirement: Smash a large rock. Strength +5
Wow, that¡¯s nice! What about the other- ...
Savior Description: This title is given to people who have saved a life. Requirement: Save a person¡¯s life. Charisma +10
FUCK! Chapter 9: Overtake III ¡°Papa! Mama!¡± I cheerfully yell as I jump at them. ¡°Haha! Look at this feisty one!¡± A man with the same color eyes and hair says. He pats my head, and I make a wide smile when he does. I turn to mom, smiling back at me as her long silvery hair drifts with the soothing air and silver eyes that stare into my used-to-be, shiny red eyes. ¡°So, papa,¡± I turned to dad, ¡°where did you and mama go this time!?¡± I shout as I am getting jumpy. ¡°Haha! Sorry, kid. Mama and I have to¡­ go somewhere.¡± ¡°Where are you two going?¡± I ask as I lose all of my excitement immediately. ¡°Papa and mama are going to become heroes.¡± He responds as he continues patting my head again. ¡°For now, wait with grandpa in the house.¡± ¡°Aww! If I do that, grandpa is going to train me hard again!¡± I frown. ¡°Come on,¡± dad bent down to my size, ¡°do you want to become as strong as me?¡± ¡°I-I do¡­¡± ¡°Then continue training.¡± He makes his usual smile. ¡°I promise you. I¡¯ll tell you a story that you¡¯ll never forget.¡± I smile, but it isn¡¯t as big as the last. ¡°Ok¡­¡± I then slowly walk back to the house, where grandpa is waiting. ¡°Aden!¡± I stop and turn around to see papa and mama waving at me. ¡°Become strong! And once you do¡­ you¡¯ll be an amazing adventurer like me!¡± My expression brightens as he says that, then I become jumpy again. ¡°I will! Papa! Mama!¡± Instead of walking back like before, I ran to grandpa, who was waiting with a smile. This is where and when my dream is born¡ªa dream¡­ of becoming one of the greatest adventurers ever. Every time I slept, I would wake up in unknown terrain and face a gigantic monster. I would swing my sword left and right and do inhuman footwork¡­ like I was dancing. Dancing as the blood-colored moon shined above me in every single dream I had. Five months later¡­ I heard a knock at the house''s front door. I run to it with excitement, thinking it is mama and papa. Oh¡­ how I was so young¡­ If only¡­ I was strong enough¡­ I quickly went to the door and opened it, ¡°Papa! Ma-...¡± Instead of mama and papa¡­ two men who wore silver armor stood in their place. I stare silently at them until I hear a thump behind me. I turn to see grandpa on his knees, tears coming down his eyes. ¡°Grandpa¡­? What''s wrong?¡± I ask questions that begin to flood my mind. I then feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn to see one of the armored men who did it. ¡°Kid¡­ your mom and dad¡­ are gone.¡± ¡°Of¡­ course, they¡¯re gone. They left to become heroes.¡± The man who talks to me turns to the other man. The other man nodded, and the man in front of me stood up and began to walk away, unable to stay here any longer. The spiky hair man, who remains here, kneels and puts his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Kid¡­ your mama and papa¡­ are dead.¡± If only I was strong enough¡­ My expression darkens; I stare emotionlessly at the man. Then I wouldn¡¯t have¡­ Before the man notices, there is a knife sticking through his throat. Been the one who destroyed my own home.
¡°Aden! ADEN! MOVE!¡± I wake up, standing as I see a stone soldier whose blade is raised in front of me. ¡°MORPH!¡± I immediately morph my arms and deflect the downswing with a left swing, then I quickly regrip my hands on the handle and do a right swing, chopping off the head of the stone soldier. But it isn¡¯t over. Afterward, behind the slain Stoneman, I see two firebolts coming straight at me. ¡°Morph!¡± I morph my legs and quickly jump to the right, getting out of the way. Once I did, I looked around and saw the mages who threw them. I charged there with incredible speed and took them out by cutting their heads off as well. All of that, in just seven seconds.
You have morphed! 3.15 Damage! You have decapitated your enemy! 500 Damage! Stone Soldier (Warrior) has been slain! You have morphed! 3.15 Damage! You have decapitated your enemy! 400 Damage! Stone Soldier (Mage) has been slain! You have decapitated your enemy! 400 Damage! Stone Soldier (Mage) has been slain! Level up! Your Draconic Warrior class is now level 6! +10 All Attributes
I breathe in and out as I not only finally gotten a level but also have just taken out the last remaining stone men in the 5th room. I didn¡¯t know what happened, for one moment I was trying to get all their attention, then all of a sudden¡­ I blanked out. I went into deep thinking, trying to find out what might have caused such a thing until I felt something smash into my head.
You have been smacked on the head! 26 damage! A special action has been performed! +1 END
¡°What the actual dragons were you doing, Aden!?¡± I turn to see Charles, pissed. ¡°I-I blanked out.¡± ¡°Blanked out¡­¡± His voice slowly raises in anger, ¡°YOU SAY!?¡± I went down to my knees and covered myself instinctively. But instead of a hard smack, I feel a light tap on my head. I uncover myself and look up to see Charles walking away. ¡°Charles?¡± ¡°What? Are you going to stand up and follow?¡± He gives a smile as he turns to face me. ¡°Or are you going to sit there and act like the imbecile you are?¡± I sigh and then smile. ¡°Alright, alright.¡± I stand up and walk with Charles out of this room. This room didn¡¯t seem to have improved much of our skills or abilities. Well, this was to be expected since we¡¯re using the same skills most of the time. During our trip here, we¡¯ve inspected the new mastery called Critical Mastery.
Critical Mastery Description: Attack weak spots or important parts of one''s body and deal significantly more damage. Or be lucky and somehow land a critical hit. Requirements: Do one critical hit with a melee weapon, do five critical hits with a ranged skill or spell. Type: Mastery Effects: Deal 100% more damage when critical hitting. Usage: None Cooldown: None Gain 10% more critical damage per rank.
It is simple, really, just continue hitting the enemy until you land a critical hit. You can also try finding your enemy''s weak spot, which can really change the tide of battles. All you need to know about this skill is that you can depend on it to change the situation entirely. Charles also used another skill during the fourth room, called Snap Cast. It¡¯s an instant skill that allows you to quickly cast any spell, including tier ten spells that can take two minutes to cast. It sounds like a wonder. But of course, it comes at a cost.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
Snap Cast Description: Instantly cast a spell of any tier and change the tide of battle! Requirements: Be taught the skill by another mage or find a book about the skill. Type: Skill Effects: Instantly cast a spell from any tier. Usage: 25% of Mana Cooldown: 10 minutes Reduce Mana cost by 1% per rank. Reduce cooldown by 20 seconds per rank.
However, besides the cost, it can be used in close situations and save you, like when Charles Snap Cast his Fireball to instantly win fights like that. That was dangerous, however, since it also harmed him in the process. Heck, we don¡¯t have a tailoring skill or anything, so Charles has to live with his burnt clothing. It isn¡¯t too much. Besides the multiple black spots on his clothing, the only thing exposed is his left shoulder. Unfortunately, the hole on his clothing is so big that it also reveals the left side of his chest, clear enough to show his left nipple. But it isn¡¯t something to be worried about. It''s a good thing that Lilith taught him that skill before we set out here. I don¡¯t know-how, in Wrath''s name, Charles managed to convince her to teach him such a skill. So¡­ it¡¯s most likely that Lilith gave Charles a deal in return for the skill. Thinking about it gives me chills, but hopefully, it wasn¡¯t something beyond my control.
Unseen Things: However¡­ As Aden thinks that, Lilith is daydreaming back at the camp. ¡°I wonder¡­ what I should do with Aden when he returns ~ ?.¡± Lilith and Charles did make a deal. That deal lets Lilith do whatever she wants with Aden, while Charles does nothing. What a great friend I have!
It had been another five minutes afterward, and¡­ finally¡­ Charles and I look up at a massive stone door, even bigger, maybe two times bigger than even Drezzan. We look at it in awe as there is a green jewel-like stone in the middle of the door. However, we both know what this meant and what kind of giant door this belongs to¡­ the boss. Both me and Charles decide to sit down next to the door for the next five minutes before heading in, which I find to be a good idea since I¡¯m still exhausted after doing the 5th room. We both sit against the wall, next to the giant stone door with weird symbols on it. I look at them in interest as they strike me more artistically than the usual art I see. Of course, I haven¡¯t explored the world enough to know true art. So I won¡¯t go further into that kind of stuff. ¡°Aden.¡± I turn to Charles, who has his usual serious face on. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You already know what boss we¡¯re facing, right?¡± I nodded my head. "Yeah, a stone golem, right?" ¡°Yes, a stone golem. Unlike stone soldiers, a golem is a huge stone entity that mages can only create through tier six magic. And due to these golems being literally filled with mana, tier six or lower magic doesn¡¯t do that much damage.¡± I turn to Charles with a surprised look. ¡°That would mean¡­.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he then points at me, ¡°you¡¯re the only one who can deal real harm to the golem.¡± I draw my sword and look down at it. Charles notices it, ¡°Not confident?¡± ¡°N-No! I am confident. It¡¯s just that¡­.¡± I sigh as I look at the sword, ¡°can my partner here last long enough?¡± ¡°Partner? Are you still going on with that? I thought you stopped thinking like that years ago.¡± I keep my eyes on the sword in silence. Charles sighs at this and turns away. ¡°Besides, a partner like that is bound to break sooner or later. That is why I stopped thinking like that. I know a level ninety blacksmith made that sword, but it has been three years, Aden. I doubt it''s going to last any longer.¡± I didn¡¯t respond to Charles, and we continued to sit in silence. However, that silence is soon broken when Charles says, ¡°Thank you, Aden. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have gone this far.¡± ¡°Come on, Charles.¡± I put my gaze away from my sword and smiled at him, ¡°You¡¯re the one who always saved me. If you hadn''t found me back then, I wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°You mean when I literally saw you covered in blood and that I had to change you before everyone in Lexigon found you?¡± I laugh nervously at this. ¡°Truth is, though,¡± I make a wider smile as I look back down to my sword, ¡°if we both didn¡¯t have each other, we both would¡¯ve been dead by then.¡± Charles nods to this and looks up with a smile. ¡°Yeah¡­ without each other, I guess we both would¡¯ve been dead.¡± We both went silent again.
Congratulations! You have earned the title: Brotherhood
This title made the situation worse.
Brotherhood Description: This title is given to two males who depend on each other no matter what. Charisma +5
EVEN FOR ME!
After two minutes, we both stand up, ready ourselves, and begin planning. What we¡¯re dealing with is a massive pile of stone boulders, all packed up to form a similar shape to a human body, which means I will have to morph to do damage to it. Charles can¡¯t really help me since his magic will maybe deal next to no damage, but that doesn¡¯t mean it wouldn¡¯t do anything. He¡¯s going to use his magic to attract the boss¡¯s attention somehow, allowing me to get close enough to smash off a large portion of rock or something of the sort. And even if that were to fail, I would already have parts of my body morphed, allowing me to take less damage than what Charles would take. It sounded like a good plan, which I would most likely agree to. But of course, Charles said this plan isn¡¯t perfect. We don¡¯t know how strong, fast, and big this golem is. Not only that, we don¡¯t know how much HP it had and if it could cast magic of its own. We also didn¡¯t know if the boss room had minions to help the boss. All of this made me lose confidence in the plan. But no matter what, I¡¯ll always trust Charles. He¡¯s always the one who pushes us through, no matter the situation. So¡­ as long as I trust Charles, I know we can do this.
A minute later, we both stood in front of the enormous door. Charles and I look at each other and nod. Then¡­ we both put our hands on the door¡­ and push. The door opens with next to no effort, and light slowly blinds us as we open the door. Our eyes adjust, and slowly, we begin to see what the boss room looks like. It is a huge square room, twice as big as the previous rooms we¡¯ve fought in, and the walls, flooring, and ceiling are all smooth to the naked eye. The room is lit by an unknown source that couldn¡¯t be seen and in the middle of the air, hovers a giant grid metal cube that glows blue. But that isn¡¯t important. Below the floating cube is the stone golem itself. It''s all in pieces, but even if it is, we aren''t dumb enough to think if it''s alive or not. It didn¡¯t really look that big. To be honest, it might be as big as Drezzan. From the experience of doing the Rat King¡¯s dungeon, I knew that if I got close enough, the stone door would automatically close, and the boss would immediately engage in combat. So to our advantage, we can inspect the room and see if any minions could aid the boss. We have to make this quick, though. If we don¡¯t engage the boss within thirty seconds, the doors will close anyway and allow the boss to rampage. There is also a chance that the room will modify itself upon reopening, making it either harder or more confusing to understand. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t look like the boss would be getting any aid whatsoever from our point of view. That doesn''t mean it is going to be easy, of course. All it means is that we¡¯ve gotten lucky with the room generation. How is the room able to do such a thing? It is all because of the floating cube above the golem, but that will be explained later. I draw my blade, ¡°Morph,¡± My legs begin to change from fleshy skin into hard-surfaced red scales, ¡°Morph,¡± then my arms, ¡°MORPH!¡± I yell out as parts of my chest area turn into shiny red scales, then I charge straight in, with Charles behind me, concentrating.
You have morphed! 9.325 damage! You have morphed! 9.325 damage! You have morphed! 9.325 damage!
But¡­
When I''m halfway there to the golem, it begins to move, and the doors behind us slowly close.
What awaits us¡­
The big pieces of rock begin to glow blue¡­ and expand. I keep charging¡­ until I stop.
Is something¡­
I stop¡­ and watch as I see one of the stone boulders grow three times bigger than before.
Beyond us. Spoiler: Spoiler Aden Haraldson: Race Currently: Dragonborn (Infant) Age: 13 Years Old Guild: None Classes Currently: Draconic Warrior (Level 6) Vital Currently: HP: 932.5 Rage: 100 Stamina: 897.5 Stat Currently: Strength: 129 Intelligence: 77 Dexterity: 103 Agility: 117 Perception: 104 Endurance: 121 Willpower: 82 Faith: 0 Charisma: 828 Luck: 221
Charles Arcania Race Currently: Human (Teen) Age: 13 Guild: None Classes Currently: Mage (Level 16) Chef (Level 10) Vital Currently: Health: 315 Mana: 530 Stamina: 295 Stat Currently: Strength: 44 Intelligence: 106 Dexterity: 46 Agility: 40 Perception: 54 Endurance: 34 Willpower: 51 Faith: 0 Charisma: 94 Luck: 91 Chapter 10: Overtake IV I stand still¡­ and look up with a face of despair as the golem looks down at us. Charles and I stare at the golem for a few seconds, until blue grids begin to form all around the golem, then all of a sudden, it screams a warcry.
Your Natural Instincts has ranked up to Rank C! +3 PER
Dread instantly fills me as the shockwave from its warcry comes at us in waves. I attempt to stand my ground, but the golem''s warcry alone makes me stumble in place. ¡°No¡­¡± I say to myself as I look up at the golem, finishing its warcry. ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t something we fight¡­ we¡¯re going to die!¡± I stare horrifyingly at the golem, then suddenly, it charges at me. It didn¡¯t take long for it to get to me as it only took three quick steps before slamming its fist down at me. "I can¡¯t dodge in time!" I quickly went into a guard stance and attempted to block the attack. The stone golems fist slammed down against my short sword as the punch''s force cracked the ground beneath me. I scream in pain as I feel my legs ripping.
You have successfully blocked your enemy''s attack! 369 damage! The muscle of your legs is ripping! 50 damage! Your Natural Armor has ranked up to Rank C! +3 END
"H-How is it so fast!?" ¡°Fireball!¡± There is an explosion on the back of the golem. It lifts its fist and turns around to see who did it. Due to that, I can move around. I attempted to move, but I flopped to the ground instead of running. I look at my legs, only to return a look of shock as my legs are covered with open wounds and blood.
Charles''s Perspective: Your Fireball has directly hit your enemy! Spell resisted! 20 damage! Your Fireball has exploded and damaged your enemy! Spell resisted! 14 damage!
The golem turns to see me, who has another fireball up. ¡°Fireball!¡± The ball of fire shoots right at the face of the golem and explodes brilliantly. However¡­
Your Fireball has directly hit your enemy! Spell resisted! 14 damage! Your Fireball has exploded and damaged your enemy! Spell resisted! 9 damage!
No matter how brilliantly the fireball explodes, beyond its dazzling heat, the golem stands unfazed by it. I look in shock. "I knew it would resist my magic, but I didn¡¯t know it would to such an extent!" The golem was about to round up a punch for me but lost its footing as it looked down to see parts of its feet chopped off.
Main Perspective: With both hands on the handle, I swing my sword at its feet, both hands on the handle. I screamed as I did to give myself a morale boost and help ignore the pain from my legs. I slash at the golem''s feet, cutting through it, then I attempt to swing the sword outwards. But... before my sword can get through the very end, the upper half of the blade chips off in the process. I stare in shock as I''m suddenly left with a partner that went before me. However, the golem tries to keep its balance with one foot, which it successfully did, however¡­ ¡°Snap Cast!¡± Charles stands with a ball of fire suddenly appearing on top of his staff. He smiles, then¡­ ¡°FIREBALL!¡± As he shouts, a notification pops up.
Charles''s Perspective: Your Fireball has been empowered! Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Magic Empower! +2 INT +2 WILL
In mid-airborne, the fireball expands rapidly. It continues to grow¡­ until it is two times larger than before. It slams into the face of the golem, and then¡­ BOOM!
Your Fireball has directly hit your enemy! Spell resisted! 30 damage! Your Fireball has exploded and damaged your enemy! Spell resisted! 26 damage!
The explosion completely engulfs half of the golem¡¯s body, and due to it having only one foot available, it falls, slamming back-first onto the ground. I fall to my knees, breathing heavily all of a sudden. I grasp his chest and say, ¡°Vital Status.¡±
Vital Status: HP: 315/315 Mana: 21/530 Stamina: 152/295
I look in shock, "What happened to all my mana? Why did it all of a sudden go from 350 to 21?" As I thought this, I heard Aden yell. ¡°Charles! Are you alright!?¡± I turn to Aden, but when I look at the condition of his legs, ¡°I think you should be worried about yourself!¡± I yell worryingly. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m fine!¡± Aden says as he''s strugglingly running towards me. "We need to heal up quickly and think of a plan to fight that golem. There is no way we can fight that thing fairly. Since it¡¯s fallen over, it will take time for it to-" I continue to look at Aden, brainstorming to think of a way to defeat the giant stone golem¡­ until my face twists in horror as I stare at something behind Aden. Aden notices and turns¡­ to see the golem floating. The blue grids throughout the golem shined brightly as it floated up, along with the dismembered pieces. I stand up and try to get a mana potion from my leather bag. ¡°Charles!¡± Before I knew it, Aden pushed me out of the way. As Aden did, he is then rained down upon by many small pebbles, each having enough force to make a small hole in the ground. Aden screams in pain.
Aden: You have been shot by a projectile! 120 damage! You have been shot by a projectile! 130 damage! You have been shot by a projectile! 102 damage! You have been shot by a projectile! 119 damage!
Vital Status: HP: 42.5/932.5 Rage: 100/100 Stamina: 251/897.5
I stand back up after being pushed away and look in Aden''s direction, which is filled with smoke, ¡°Aden!¡± But when I yell that, a shadow overlaps me. I slowly look up towards the source of the shadow until I feel a giant rock collide with my body. Everything turns black.
You have been bluntly hit! 312 damage! You have landed hard on the ground! 2 damage!
Vital Status: HP: 1/315 Mana: 25/530 Stamina: 130/295
Main Perspective: Charles laid, his body still as if he''s already dead. I slowly look up and see the stone golem¡­ slowly hovering towards Charles. ¡°Charles¡­¡± I struggle to say his name. I slowly lift my hand and try to reach for Charles. Tears begin to go down my cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ leave me.¡± I don¡¯t want to be alone again. No, I still¡­ have that skill. ¡°Please, if you are listening to me,¡± I begin to choke on my tears as I see the golem lifting its fist, preparing to finish off its target, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alone again. I don¡¯t want to be weak anymore¡­ I,¡± I slowly begin to let go of my body, losing consciousness, ¡°Don¡¯t want to lose another family¡­¡± My eyes slowly close as I say, ¡°Morph¡­ Overtake.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. My vision turns red.
Morph Overtake Activated! Restoring all Statuses!
Vital Status: HP: 932.5/932.5 Rage: 100/100 Stamina: 897.5/897.5
¡°I see you¡¯ve used the skill, Child.¡± I stand in the same usual cave and face the same red-scaled dragon that looks down upon me. I look up in confusion. ¡°Is this what happens when I use the skill?¡± The dragon continues to stare at me for a few moments until slowly closing its eyes. ¡°Correct.¡± The dragon answers. "Upon using the skill, your consciousness is switched with another. Allowing the other full control of your body while you stand in its domain." ¡°Aren¡¯t you¡­ the one who¡¯s supposed to control my body? Well, for as long as the skill at least?¡± ¡°I used to.¡± Aden paused for a moment. ¡°You¡­ what?¡± ¡°There are two other beings within your body, two equal to me. The reason why you''re here is that I''ve dragged your consciousness here. So that you don''t get caught in their fight." ¡°Two¡­? There are others inside me?¡± The cave all of a sudden begins to shake. ¡°A-An earthquake!?¡± I yell this as I look down at my feet. As if the dragon''s expectations were met, it blurts out, ¡°Hmm¡­ it seems the unpleasant one won.¡± ¡°Un...pleasant?¡±
Unseen Things: Aden slowly stands up and faces the stone golem as blood drips all over his body. He lifts his half-broken sword with one hand into the air, and, ¡°Blood Moon Arts: Moon Splitter.¡± He swings down, and a colossal crescent slash of red energy flies right at the golem. It crashes into the golem and explodes.
Your Moon Splitter has directly hit your enemy! 341 damage! Your Moon Splitter has exploded and damaged your enemy! 152 damage!
The golem slowly turns around to see Aden, emotionlessly staring at the golem. They both stay where they are until Aden begins to walk towards it slowly. The moment he does, a giant rock immediately flies in front of the giant golem. The stone glows brilliant blue, then splits into many small pieces, and when they do, they all shoot at Aden''s body at bullet shot speeds. But when they are about to touch him, Aden suddenly vanishes, and before the golem notices, he is right behind it, with his blade already swung down. ¡°Blood Moon Arts¡­¡± Then all of a sudden, the golem is slashed at. ¡°Bloody Flash.¡±
You have directly hit your enemy! 541 damage! Your Blood Moon Arts has ranked up to Rank 9! +3 STR +3 DEX +3 AGL
The last area Aden was, explodes, as if the very surface itself couldn''t handle the force of his movement. The giant immediately turns to swing at Aden, but before touching him, he vanishes again, and it is hit by a slash again. Then the slash turns into multiple. Before the golem knew, it was rapidly being slashed at by all sides.
You have directly hit your enemy! 341 damage! You have directly hit your enemy! 242 damage! You have directly hit your enemy! 531 damage! You have directly hit your enemy! 454 damage! You have directly hit your enemy! 341 damage! You have directly hit your enemy! 513 damage!
After the sixth slash, Aden stands on the ground behind the golem again. ¡°Blood Moon Arts: 6 Streaming Bloodlines.¡± A second later, there are multiple explosions up in the air. The sound barrier is broken as the shock waves slam against Aden and the Golem. The golem turns around and sends sharp, miniature rocks flying at Aden. ¡°Blood Moon Arts¡­¡± Aden spread his arms a little, then started gently spinning as if dancing. ¡°Flowing Stream.¡± The sharp pebbles all went flying at him, but as they did, every one of them missed as Aden spun around, doing a one and a two with both his feet. The flying stone bullets continue to miss, all of them almost touching him but failing to make contact. Aden continues to spin until vanishing again. However, the golem immediately notices as Aden jumps above it, with his stance in a thrusting position. ¡°Blood Moon Arts¡­¡± From this range, there was no way Aden could reach it. The golem abuses this advantage and tries to get a hit on him. He is also in the air, so Aden cannot possibly do anythi- ¡°Rapid Carnage.¡± The golem is then rained down upon by thrust after thrust. Aden is thrusting thin air but still manages to hit the golem somehow.
You have thrust your blade at your enemy! 356 damage! You have thrust your blade at your enemy! 245 damage! You have thrust your blade at your enemy! 432 damage! You have thrust your blade at your enemy! 565 damage! You have thrust your blade at your enemy! 462 damage! You have thrust your blade at your enemy! 601 damage! Your Blood Moon Arts has ranked up to Rank 8! +3 STR +3 DEX +3 AGL
Aden continues to thrust his blade at the golem but stops as the golem entirely glowed bright blue. He lands on the ground with both my feet and jumps back at a great distance. ¡°How annoying,¡± Aden says to themself as they land again and watch the golem glow. ¡°This is a rather persistent golem.¡± Aden attempts to stand straight, but he falls to his knees instead. ¡°Oh, looks like this body can¡¯t keep up anymore. Poor Aden... must be hurting all over. I should perhaps slow down.¡± The unknown entity controlling Aden''s body stands back up and takes a deep breath. Then they start slowly releasing it all out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± The unknown being says to itself as if talking directly to Aden. ¡°I¡¯ll protect your family.¡± They make a sinister grin, ¡°Just like how I destroyed everything for you.¡± Aden''s lifeless eyes then start to glow red from the pupils. Then there is a massive shockwave. The entity takes it on and stays in place, unfazed by it. They continue to stare at their target as it begins to shrink. It continues to shrink and shrink¡­ until it is the same size as one of the stone men from before. The golem continues to shine bright blue until finally toning itself down. The golem, like said before, looks like an ordinary stone soldier but instead has blue grids coursing around it. It stared back at Aden. ¡°Oh? Enhancement skill? Interesting.¡± The entity responds. ¡°How about we test your new body?¡± The entity gets into stance, interested in this new development. The golem stands still for another two seconds until finally responding by taking its first step¡­ all of a sudden being in front of Aden, with its right fist raised. Aden tilts his head towards his right, making the golem¡¯s punch miss by a hair. Aden quickly spins as the golem is still in its punching motion and slashes at it. The golem jumps back, just in time to evade Aden''s slash. However¡­ the moment that it did, the battle ended anticlimactically. The golem is immediately cut in half before reaching the ground¡­ with Aden behind it. ¡°How disappointing.¡± The entity says with a sigh. ¡°I thought it would become a challenge once it transformed. But all that form did was make it easier to finish things.¡± As the being within Aden finishes its sentence, they slowly begin to fall over. ¡°I guess this is this body''s limit¡­ Oh¡­ well...¡± Then Aden''s body falls face-first on the ground. It is a moment later that the dungeon begins to slowly fall apart.
Aden: Level up! Your Draconic Warrior class is now level 7! +10 All Attributes Your Blood Moon Arts has ranked up to Rank 7! +3 STR +3 DEX +3 AGL Congratulations! You have gained the title: Golem Slayer
Charles: Level up! Your Mage class is now level 17! +2 INT +2 WILL +1 PER Level up! Your Mage class is now level 18! +2 INT +2 WILL +1 PER Level up! Your Mage class is now level 19! +2 INT +2 WILL +1 PER Congratulations! You have gained the title: Golem Slayer
Golem Slayer Description: A title given to those who have slain a golem. +2 All Attributes
Back within Aden''s mind, in the same usual cave, the dragon stares down at Aden''s motionless body, which blankly stares up into the sky, unconsciously. ¡°You¡¯ve overdone it with his body, Blood Moon.¡± ¡°So? What is it to you, unknown Dragon Lord?¡± In a blink of an eye, the terrain completely changes. Instead of the dark cave, it is an ocean-like space. The floor is water and looks bottomless, but when stepped on, it feels shallow. There is nothing special to it besides the blue sky and orange horizon. But all of that changed when a black being took its first step into this realm. Everything ocean blue is replaced with blood red, along with the sky, which is now completely red. The being itself is a pure black individual whose body looked humanoid but with no characteristics whatsoever. The being is faceless, but not entirely as it has a mouth. It smiles widely as it looks up at the dragon, ¡°I¡¯ve done as promised. I have protected his family.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll agree with you on that, however¡­.¡± Dragon Lord looks at Blood Moon threateningly, ¡°If you had gone any further with Aden¡¯s body, he would have perished.¡± Blood Moon¡¯s smile widens to this, ¡°So? What of it?¡± The moment he says that the realm immediately begins to shake, as far in the distance, lava begins to spew out from the bloody waters. It didn¡¯t take long before the lava shot out from all over. The scales from the red dragon start to steam as the temperature from within him rises. As the dragon opens its mouth, flames already begin to flow out of it. ¡°You do realize if Aden dies, we die.¡± ¡°You mean you.¡± Blood Moon cackles. ¡°I can transfer to another Moon Art user. So can Pure Moon.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± The temperature of the dragon¡¯s body is already high enough to evaporate the water. ¡°How about I turn you to ash before you can do such a thing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking.¡± Blood Moon continues to cackle. Its hands raised. ¡°You take jokes too seriously.¡± Upon Blood Moon''s saying that the realm finally begins to calm. The Dragon Lord stares at Blood Moon. ¡°The way you speak makes it hard to take it as a joke.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t blame me. I was born this way.¡± They stare at each other silently for the next few moments until Dragon Lord turns around and begins walking away. ¡°You take care of Aden¡¯s consciousness then.¡± ¡°No! Wai-¡± But before Blood Moon can finish their sentence, Dragon Lord vanishes. Blood Moon curses under their mouth and turns to Aden''s unconscious body floating on the bloody water. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to care for people¡­ Oh well.¡±
Main Perspective: ¡°Oh? Already awake?¡± I look up at the same ceiling, the ceiling of when I first awake with this new body of mine. Beside me sits Lilith, who smiles as she sees me wake up. I didn¡¯t answer her question, nor did I feel like answering. ¡°You¡¯ve used the skill, haven''t you?¡± But that question, ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lucky. Usually, beings within people like you go berserk, but yours seems to be more sincere. He even considers me an ally of all people.¡± ¡°That is one of three beings,¡± I answer. I think, "If I ever get the chance, I¡¯ll ask the dragon why I have two others within me." ¡°Oh, three? Interesting.¡± ¡°Anyways, you¡¯ve been following us?¡± ¡°Yes, from beginning to end.¡± I raise an eyebrow at that answer. ¡°How were you able to follow without us noticing?¡± ¡°The stealth skill.¡± She gives me a bright smile as she answers me. I sigh at her answer. I try to sit up, ¡°Ow!¡± My back hurts! ¡°Careful, your body is still trying to recover from the speeds it went through.¡± ¡°Speeds? Never mind that, how¡¯s Charles? Is he alright?¡± ¡°In the same condition.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m glad he¡¯s fine.¡± I look down as I say that. I sat silently for a few moments until asking Lilith, ¡°Lilith¡­ am I weak?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re weak.¡± Ow, that hurts. ¡°How¡­ Can I get strong, fast?¡± ¡°How to get strong, fast, you say? How strong exactly?¡± I look down at my hands until I look back at Lilith. ¡°To where no one can ever beat me.¡± Chapter 11: Demi-Humans I ¡°Halt! Please standby for inspection!¡± The town of Baricka was one of the known checkpoints for beginning adventurers upon leaving Lexigon. It''s a town bursting with wealth, and not only that; it is filled with many low and high-level people. Comparing size and wealth with this town and Lexigon would be a joke, as Baricka completely outdid Lexigon on every level. Baricka was twice the size of Lexigon, also including the vaults of Baricka which were filled to the brim with gold coins. A place, you can say, is a dream for thieves and such. However, there was one thing Lexigon had the advantage of: peace. Due to the fact that Baricka is always filled with thieves, there are many cases of missing or stolen goods. A hundred cases a month, to be exact. Those cases, unfortunately, were only one of many. There were cases of murder, cases of rape, cases of bribery, and it keeps on building. Of course, this was all explained to me by Lilith, who told me about it while we were traveling to Baricka. Charles did explain some of it to me, but that was during our time resting after the fight with that golem, which happened four days ago. Due to being part-monster, I seemed to have regenerated at a much faster pace than Charles. That was why Charles was left behind, guarded, and cared for by Drezzan. I did ask if Drezzan would disappear if we were to go far enough. Fortunately, Lilith told me the town was just close enough, so I¡¯m glad. Now¡­ the main reason why I¡¯m here. I had two goals, both of them involving this town. One of them is to get stronger. Lilith said if I were to get involved with this town, I would find a way to get stronger. I got a little suspicious of this, but it wasn¡¯t the time for that anyway. Second, we needed equipment. I''m unarmed since the last sword I had was broken and looked irreparable. It was also low grade compared to many other swords in this area, so it wasn¡¯t a bad idea to buy a new sword while we were at it. But¡­ what Charles said before Lilith and I set out¡­
Five hours ago¡­
¡°Charles! What are you doing!?¡± I yell as I see Charles forcing himself up. ¡°What does it look like, imbecile? I¡¯m going with you!¡± Charles tries to sit up from the hay patch he had been resting on in this newly handmade cave, but when he does, he flinches and puts his right hand on where his right rib is. ¡°Charles! Stop it!¡± I run up to him, crouch down, and try to put him down. ¡°Look at you! How do you expect to last long?¡± ¡°Because I have my reasons!¡± ¡°Aden is right, Charles.¡± Lilith said, right beside me. She looked down at Charles. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t last an hour in those conditions.¡± ¡°But, if I leave Aden in that town¡­ what do you think will happen if he sees what they are doing there?¡± I look at Charles confusingly. ¡°W-what do you mean Charles?¡± Charles turns to me for a moment, but looks back down, unable to continue looking at my face. Lilith sighs. ¡°Aden, it¡¯s one of the reasons as to why that town will make you stronger.¡± ¡°Lilith, what do you mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll find out.¡± We all grew silent after that, until Charles said, ¡°Aden, can you leave Lilith and I alone for a few minutes?¡± I look at Charles worriedly, but do as I¡¯m asked. I stand up and start walking outside.
Present¡­
I sigh, as we start moving up in the line towards the entrance of Baricka. I wore a black cloak with a hood, similar to Lilith¡¯s who wore the same, but there''s one thing different about me compared to her, I''m wearing a mask. Why? Well¡­ I blame my charisma.
Charisma: 840
I swear, my charisma has nearly grown a hundred more than what it last was. But it wasn¡¯t something I should really complain about, to be honest. Most people would dream of such a status, but I think of this as more of a nightmare than a dream. I mean, just look at it, it will start to attract unnecessary attention, no I¡¯m serious! Anyways, back to the topic. The mask I am now wearing is black on the left side and white on the right. The white side of the mask is that of a happy face, while the other is a frown. It looks creepy, to be honest, but it is needed so nobody will have any idea about me. At least¡­ not in a weird way. Some of the people in front of us, around eight in the caravan, look at me weirdly. It kinda makes me uncomfortable, but I know it is best not to give back a glare. I put my head down with my hood up, ignoring the stares the caravan people are giving me. Of course, they stop doing so when they are next up in line. Two minutes later¡­ Lilith and I are up. ¡°Lilith, you think this will work?¡± ¡°It will,¡± she gives me a calming smile, ¡°it always has for me.¡± ¡°Alright! Next!¡± One guard yells. As he does, Lilith and I step up. The guard looks down at us but makes a suspicious look as he looks at our appearance. ¡°You two, off with the hoods.¡± Lilith does what she is told, but when she does, ¡°Alright! Put it back up!¡± ¡°Umm¡­ mister, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Lilith questions. ¡°I think it¡¯s best that nobody here knows you¡¯re a princess. A lot of perverts, you know?¡± Lilith nods to this and begins walking towards the Scribe, who looks about the same as all the other soldiers. ¡°Ok, you now, kid.¡± I do as ordered and put off my hood, but hold on to the mask on my face. ¡°The mask also.¡± I sigh then put the mask off. ¡°GAW!!!¡± I look at the soldier, whose face is in complete shock. ¡°Are you alr-¡± ¡°Put the mask back on!¡± I didn¡¯t need to be ordered twice, I immediately put the mask back on and left it at that. The soldier shakes his head and points his hand at where the scribe is. ¡°You¡¯re free to go.¡± I nod and run towards where Lilith is. The soldier sighs, ¡°I really need to stop being a damn gate guard.¡± I ran up to Lilith, who had just finished with an inspection. The soldier who had just finished inspecting her turned his head to me. ¡°Ahh, another child, please, give me your hand.¡± I did. ¡°Alright, Inspect Status!¡± The guard¡¯s pupils glow blue, until turning back a second later. But his response to my status¡­ is surprising. ¡°Oh, my! We got a prodigy here! 145 strength!¡± All the guards turn to me with shocked expressions, I widen my eyes towards his surprised yell. The guard who inspected me lightly pushes me. ¡°Go on ahead! Young prodigy!¡± I make a confused look as I walk to Lilith, who is waiting with a smile. ¡°Lilith¡­ what did you do?¡± Lilith walks up to me, and whispers into my ear, ¡°Check your status.¡±
Aden Sherald: Race Currently: Human (Teen) Age: 13 Years Old Guild: None Classes Currently: Warrior (Level 24) Vital Currently: HP: 962.5 Rage: 100This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Stamina: 627.5 Stat Currently: Strength: 145 Intelligence: 41 Dexterity: 67 Agility: 78 Perception: 75 Endurance: 95 Willpower: 34 Faith: 0 Charisma: 431 Luck: 50
I silently look at my status, ¡°...Oh.¡± This really confused me at first, but after Lilith explained everything, it all began to make sense. Lilith is an Administrative Scribe, also known as the final advancement of the Scribe class. If you still don¡¯t understand, I¡¯ll quickly explain it to you. Upon advancements of life classes, each advancement unlocks additional options and abilities that normal life class users can¡¯t use. So for example, a level one blacksmith, if having amazing luck, can make a weapon grade just as good as a level fifty blacksmith, however, a level one blacksmith cannot customize a weapon in ways a level fifty blacksmith could. A level 1 blacksmith can make a high-grade sword, but a level fifty blacksmith can make a high-grade sword that could set their enemies on fire upon hitting them, see what I mean? A level one Scribe can check a person''s status, however, a level one-hundred Administrative Scribe can check and disguise a person¡¯s true status. Well... that is what I think. Lilith said it''s special just to her, so I don''t know for certain. I continue to inspect my status as Lilith and I walk through the streets of Baricka. It is awfully crowded compared to Lexigon, a lot more crowded! In every turn, we will stumble into huge groups of people holding up from one area to another. We even have to push our way through just to get to the areas we need to go to. It is tiring honestly, but once we manage to get to the less populated areas, I already begin to feel less stressed out. I never would¡¯ve thought I would feel this way towards populated areas, I always thought of the place as an energy giver. Always filling you up with adrenaline whenever surrounded by people. ¡°Aden, we¡¯re here.¡± I put down my status and look up. A weapon shop¡­ ¡°Lilith, wouldn¡¯t it be better if we just go to a blacksmith?¡± ¡°Blacksmiths are a lot more expensive compared to weaponry shops. Not only that, weapon shops tend to have weapons that are higher grades than the usual fresh-made ones. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Lilith opens the door to the shop and goes inside, and a second later I follow her in. ¡°Welcome, welcome!¡± As I went in, I am overwhelmed by the amount of equipment within the shop. There are many armor stands that are filed against the wall, many looking green, red, and most of the time silver. Barrels filled with swords stand in a corner, but due to all the swords being clumped up with each other, it didn¡¯t seem like an attractive place to find a sword in. That isn¡¯t the only weapon that filled the barrels, fortunately. There are flails, maces, staffs, and many more warrior-like weapons. I am digging through some of the barrels until the owner starts talking from behind me. Of course, I didn¡¯t flinch or anything, I know he''s behind me due to Natural Instincts. ¡°Hello, young mister!¡± The man behind me says as he looks down at me with a smile. I turn and look up at him with my mask still on. ¡°Are there any sword-based weapons you recommend?¡± ¡°Why yes! Is there any specific weight or sharpness you desire?¡± ¡°I need something sharp, sharp enough to cut through stone. I also want something that is heavy and isn¡¯t easy to break.¡± ¡°Oh! You¡¯re looking for a greatsword?¡± ¡°Yeah! That kind of weapon!¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± The owner looks down at my teenage body. ¡°I don¡¯t think that body of yours can handle some of the weapons I have in store.¡± ¡°I have 145 strength.¡± ¡°Oh, OH!¡± The man looks at me shockingly. ¡°You sure you have 145 strength? For a child at your age, that is quite unbelievable.¡± ¡°Thank you! I have been training ever since. I¡¯ve done a couple of dungeons with a friend as well.¡± ¡°Is that miss over there your partner?¡± The owner says as he points at Lilith, who is digging through the barrels like me. ¡°Not¡­ exactly. She is just a friend I stumbled upon.¡± ¡°How sad, I thought she was your spouse for a moment.¡± ¡°Spouse?¡± What¡­ does spouse mean again? I¡¯ve heard of the word, but just can¡¯t remember what it meant. Looks like I need to get lectured by Charles again. ¡°Nevermind, allow me to get the greatswords I¡¯ve mentioned.¡± The owner then went to the back of the weapon shop. As he did, I went back to looking around the shop, seeing if anything would catch my eye. ¡°Aden, you¡¯ve found anything?¡± I turn around to see Lilith, whose face is close to mine. ¡°No, but the owner said he¡¯ll bring out some weapons I want.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking about a greatsword, right?¡± ¡°Yes! It sounds like the perfect weapon!¡± ¡°Why would you use a greatsword though?¡± ¡°Why? Because it doesn¡¯t break easily like a normal sword, right?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier if you¡¯ve just used your fists?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I was about to try and answer her question, until the owner came out of the back while struggling to carry a greatsword, that is as big as he is. ¡°Hey, young mister! I¡¯ve gotten what you requested!¡± I walk to where he is, and see the monstrous weapon. At this point, I question myself if I could even lift such a weapon. It is a silvery weapon that shines as it outsizes me in length. I try lifting it, but struggle to lift it with one hand, but with both, I just manage to lift it. ¡°Oh! As expected from a strong child!¡± ¡°How much will this cost?¡± ¡°Around 20 silver-¡± ¡°No.¡± The owner and I turn to Lilith, whose face is twisted with disgust. ¡°That weapon might as well be made from a level one blacksmith who doesn¡¯t have the care of the world.¡± ¡°Lili,¡± This is the name she wants me to call her, ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The owner widens his eyes in shock from the response Lilith made. Lilith sighs. ¡°That greatsword isn¡¯t even as good as the last sword you used, Aden.¡± Of course, the owner is insulted by this. ¡°Look here, miss!¡± The man yells in a frustrated voice. ¡°If you don¡¯t like what I have here then leave!¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Lilith¡¯s expression grows dark, and the moment she did, the owner¡¯s angered face was replaced with a terrified one. ¡°What did you say? Livestock?¡± Ok, this is going way too far! ¡°Alright, guys! Stop!¡± I clap my hands as hard as I can. The moment I do, the environment of the room turns back to normal. As it did, I ran to a nearby barrel, took out a rusty-looking sword, and placed it on the counter. ¡°I¡¯ll buy this.¡± It pains me to buy such a crappy sword. I mean, look at it! It looks like my first sword, except worse. There are parts of it that are rusted and the word sharpness is non-existent for this sword. To be honest, it looks like the sword is going to break at any moment! The handle looks overused as well! I don¡¯t even think this sword would last a single swing at most! But, in order to restore the bright atmosphere of this store, I need to do this. However, what Lilith says upon looking at this dipshit weapon¡­ is unexpected. ¡°Buy it!¡± I turn to Lilith, who looks at the rusty sword in shock. I widened my eyes to what she said. ¡°Lili¡­? Are you alright?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t question me! Buy it!¡± I turned to the owner, who had the same expression as me when I looked at Lilith. ¡°How much?¡± The owner shakes his head and looks at the rusty sword. ¡°...1 copper.¡±
Five minutes later¡­
I sigh as I look down at my new sword. ¡°Lilith, why did we buy this sword exactly?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a one-of-a-kind sword.¡± ¡°One of a kind?¡± I kept my gaze on the sword, which continued to burn my eyes as I despised its looks. ¡°You don¡¯t feel it?¡± ¡°Feel what?¡± I didn¡¯t think Lilith would turn crazy. ¡°The death it gives out.¡± ¡°Death? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You still don¡¯t understand, do you?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Lilith immediately stops at the spot, turns to me with a dark expression. ¡°That is a legendary cursed sword you¡¯re carrying.¡± ¡°W-what?¡± I slowly stare back down at the sword I''m carrying, ¡°this¡­ is a cursed sword? It doesn¡¯t look like much.¡± ¡°Like I said, one of a kind.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t get it, it looks like it¡¯s about to break at any moment.¡± ¡°All I¡¯m going to say is this,¡± she turns around and begins walking, ¡°always trust in your partner.¡± I begin walking as well, while endlessly staring at my rusty sword. ¡°Always trust in your partner,¡± I thought to myself, ¡°huh?¡± I keep on walking, until I bump into someone and fall to my butt. ¡°Damn it! I gotta remember that my Natural Instincts aren''t high enough to auto-detect.¡± I think to myself. I looked up and was about to apologize until... ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going! Peasant!¡± The fat and rick-looking man yells, but that isn¡¯t the person who got my attention. The person I''m looking at¡­ is a beaten-up girl with cat ears and tail, who has a collar on her neck. The man pulls the chained collar and drags the demi-girl forward. ¡°Come on! Don¡¯t just stand there, move!¡± The girl does as ordered and walks, without dignity as the dirty and worn-out clothing she wears barely covers her private parts. Lilith, who is behind me, smiles without me noticing. I silently watch as the rich man continues dragging the girl. ¡°...Lilith.¡± ¡°Yes, Aden?" ¡°I¡¯m beginning to see¡­¡± I continue to watch the demi-girl get dragged along until she is nowhere in sight. ¡°How I can become stronger in this town.¡± The town of Baricka¡­ is known to be the next checkpoint upon leaving Lexigon. It is also known as one of the most fantastic places of demi-human slave trade. Many high-level adventurers go to this place in search of demi-human slaves to buy. The town was named after Baricka, a man who slew Aulistia, a dryad who had fallen for a man, who Baricka despised. It was also thanks to Baricka that many believe demi-humans are the creation of dark gods. Baricka was truly¡­ a man all demi-people despise. Chapter 12: Demi-Humans II ¡°The Stone Golem¡¯s Cave has what!?¡± A young man¡¯s voice questions shockingly. ¡°SHH! Don¡¯t yell like that, you idiot!¡± A gruff man¡¯s voice whispers back in frustration. There are two seasoned adventures conversing at the center-most table of The Wererat. One of them is rather small for a man of his age, while the other one is nearly half as large as Drezzan. The two chat to one another about a recent incident. An incident that shocked low, mid and even high-level adventurers. The Stone Golem¡¯s Cave had collapsed. The reason it was so surprising was due to the dungeon being known as one of the most menacing dungeons in the area. It was basically a trap for inexperienced adventurers. They would be lured in by the promise of a low-level dungeon, but once they got to the final boss, no one ever returned. After a couple dozen poor souls were lost in the dungeon, the Baricka government sent a party of five level 50 adventurers to clear it and close off the entrance but much to their dismay, they never returned. Of course, this caught the attention of many other boneheaded mid-level adventurers who set off thinking that they would be the ones to finally clear it themselves and get first pick at any of the loot it offered. I doubt I have to tell you that no one came back, let alone with a purse full of gold. This frightened everyone, including high-level adventurers. It has been a year since this dungeon was discovered, but just a couple of days ago, the capital city of our region, Lansa, has declared they¡¯ll send 5 max-level adventurers to the dungeon, making everyone in Baricka cheer and celebrate. Heck, they were already preparing a banquet for the max-level adventurers¡¯ arrival. But¡­ that all went to dust when the dungeon collapsed. This proved two things: One: The dungeon was actually a single-run dungeon or as they¡¯re also referred to, an Artificially Created Dungeon. These are man-made dungeons made by someone after the birth of the world. And two: There might already be max-level adventurers within their midst. But, one question still remained, who were the adventurers that cleared it? Little did they know the answer was right next to them. I sit at a table next to the whispering adventurers, listening to everything they are saying thanks to my Natural Senses ability.
Your Natural Senses has ranked up to Rank B! +3 PER
Oh nice, a rank up. Anyways, what they were saying was true. After I somehow defeated the stone golem with Morph Overtake, the dungeon suddenly began to collapse. Of course, Lilith was there with us the entire time, so not only did she rescue us from our impending doom, but she was also able to take the rewards we¡¯d gotten from the dungeon. That was one of the reasons why we didn¡¯t really buy any gear for Charles, except clothing of course. We only got a new staff for him. To our credit though, it was apparently a legendary staff. Or so I heard from Lilith. You cannot inspect a weapon unless you¡¯re either a Blacksmith, a Scribe, or any other similar class. It really depends on what you¡¯re inspecting. A Blacksmith can inspect warrior-based weapons, Scribes can inspect pretty much any weapon type, Alchemists can inspect potions/poisons, and so on. Luckily for us, Lilith happened to be a Scribe. This allowed her to inspect Charles¡¯s legendary staff, known as the Staff Of The Ancients: Hysteria. Here is the layout of what she told me.
Staff Of The Ancients: Hysteria Description: The original staff was created by the ancients long ago. It was a weapon used by the princess of the ancients, known as Project Eve. A princess created for the sake of saving the god realm and a tool for destroying Project Armageddon, the god-killing disaster. Weapon Grade: Legendary Physical Damage: C Magic Damage: S Durability: SSS Abilities: Silent Cast, Automatic Mind Meditation. Bonus: All magic damage is increased by 10%
The history of this weapon really sparked my interest. I even asked Lilith if she knew anything about the ancients, but sadly, Lilith said such knowledge was lost to history and that even monsters struggled to find any of the buried truth. Weapons like Hysteria are collected and put together with other ancient weapons to be researched and used to help expand knowledge on the history of the Ancients. Which made it kind of weird to gain such an amazing weapon from an Artificial Dungeon. An Artificially Created Dungeon is a dungeon made by a person other than a god. As mentioned, a dungeon created by a person can only be completed once. A dungeon created by a god can be run over and over again without a limit. Apparently, it costs a lot of materials, so they aren¡¯t very common. ¡°Are the max-level adventurers still coming?¡± The small armored adventurer asks. ¡°Yea, I think there was another reason why they¡¯re still on their way, but might¡¯ve just been a rumor,¡± the larger adventurer responds with his mouth still full of food. ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, there might be another group of really strong half-breeds coming towards here.¡± ¡°Again? Didn¡¯t they stop those weekly invasions years ago?¡± ¡°Apparently those rebel boys have been asking for help from other high-level creatures, but most of them ain¡¯t even half-human.¡± ¡°Who exactly?¡± ¡°The only one we''ve seen so far was some foxy thang with eight tails. They called it a Kitsune.¡± ¡°Kitsune? Aren¡¯t those the demi-humans from the eastern region? Like as in the United players?¡± This caught my attention. I turned to look at the smaller adventurer, curious about the eastern region. Players? Isn¡¯t that word used for people who try to get it on with a few people instead of just one? No, it probably had a different meaning here. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard the kitsunes have it real nice with the players, which means we¡¯ll probably see a couple of players helping in the invasion.¡± ¡°T-that doesn¡¯t sound good at all! A max-level adventurer doesn¡¯t even compare to a player. I mean, didn¡¯t you see the fight with General Marcos against a player? He was defeated with a single swing. A single swing! How are we supposed to fight something like that!?¡± ¡°Hey! Quiet will you!?¡± At this point, everyone in The Wererat is looking at the two adventurers as the couple glanced around frantically. Beneath my mask, I too stare at them in shock. The thing that shook me most¡­ was General Marcos being put down by one swing. Was that even possible? General Marcos was given the title of ¡®The Strongest Warrior in the Western Region.¡¯ He got the title by defeating fifty wyverns by himself. That was a feat no one could¡¯ve managed on their own, but¡­ for him to be put down in one swing¡­ I¡­ just can¡¯t imagine it. Guess I¡¯m really behind on the news. If the players are this strong, I wouldn¡¯t dream of charging into battle against one. The names these easterners have are a bit odd though. I feel like I¡¯ve heard the words before¡­ but I can¡¯t really recall what it means. ¡°Anyways¡­ where do you think the invasion is coming from?¡± The smaller adventurer questions. ¡°Probably where it always has, at the eastern wall and forest.¡± I stand up from my table and begin to walk outside. This is enough info. I have to say, had I not known demi-humans like me were invading this slave-trading shithole, I would have done everything myself. I probably sound rash, but I can¡¯t stand being here and do nothing. At least I still have a sense of justice. I¡¯m happy about that. I walk out of The Wererat and right next to the front door is Lilith, waiting with her usual smile. ¡°So? How was it?¡± ¡°To be honest, I¡¯d prefer talking to them myself instead of eavesdropping.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good practice though, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Yeah. I went up a level on Natural Senses.¡± I say as we walk into an alleyway - a place I knew that there would be nobody to listen in on us. ¡°By the way, how did you know those guys had the information we needed?¡± ¡°I happened to stumble by and hear them talking about the same topic. It was mostly guesswork that led me to believe they knew.¡± I nod in agreement then look up at the night sky.Stolen story; please report. It still feels weird being right next to Lilith. Whenever I¡¯m near her, I get this weird chain of emotions. At first, I get pissed off, but at the same moment, I get confused before calming down. I know, I¡¯ve already talked about this with Charles, but I really need to fix these conflicting emotions. ¡°So¡­ want me to tell you the information I¡¯ve gathered?¡± I ask Lilith as I look at her. ¡°Sure. Why not?¡±
Five minutes later¡­
When I finished explaining what I¡¯d heard from the men at The Wererat, Lilith nodded her head in agreement. We are sitting on the side of a fountain in the town square where joyous laughter and small talk could be heard coming from all around. There is a gentle breeze blowing by and the shining moon lighten our view of the entire surrounding of the, most likely, central hub. I decided to spread my legs out and calm my nerves for a bit. As expected though, just as I start to relax... ¡°Aden! Are you ready to do something that will probably get you killed!?¡± Lilith asks me with a smug grin. I slowly turn my head towards the source of my displeasure and give her a face that says something along the lines of, you¡¯re already doing something that will probably get me killed. This can¡¯t be good. ¡°What¡­ is it?¡± I try to make a smile, but I doubt my expression came out looking very delighted. ¡°Let¡¯s explore the east!¡± I freaking knew it.
Ten minutes later¡­
I sigh as we ventured deeper into the Eastern Baricka forests. This is a terrible idea. I freaking knew it would be. Like seriously, why the hell are we walking straight into enemy territory? Well, enemy-occupied territory at least. I would have at least liked to try making contact with the demi-humans first. Not go straight into enemy territory expecting them to think I¡¯m friendly! Even if I were to go there in my morphed state, they might think I''m a random brainwashed slave and kill me anyway! Well¡­ at least Lilith and I got to review what all the stats do again while we were walking.
Strength - Strength is an attribute that affects your physical body. It affects your overall damage with strength-based weapons and allows you to carry much heavier objects. Also Increases maximum Hp by +5 per level. Intellect - Intellect is an attribute that affects your learning speed, complexity of thought, and ability to come to conclusions faster. Affects the damage of spells, ability to retain knowledge and maximum mana by +5 Mp per level. Dexterity - Dexterity is an attribute that affects your precision and accuracy. Increases damage with dexterity-based weapons and ranged weapons. Allows you to penetrate armor with less effort. Increases accuracy with ranged weapons. Allows for greater hand-eye coordination and the ability to use items with more precision. Agility - Agility is an attribute that affects your movement, reaction, and attack speeds. Also Increases maximum stamina by +5 per level. Perception - Perception is an attribute that affects your situational awareness and allows you to detect traps, clues, enemies and the intentions of those around you with more ease. All 6 senses become more sensitive as levels increase. Endurance - Endurance is an attribute that affects your entire body''s durability. Allowing you to deplete less stamina while sprinting, continue on when badly wounded and hold a greater resolve to continue fighting in dire situations. Increases health by 2.5 Hp, stamina by 2.5, defense by 0.1 and regeneration speeds for health and stamina by 0.1 point per second. Willpower - Willpower is an attribute that affects the endurance of your mind. Improves resistance to negative mental status effects, psychological damage and magic damage. Increases willingness to learn, understanding of social concepts and patience when dealing with others. Faith - Faith is an attribute that improves one¡¯s sanctity if positive and sinful nature if negative. Positive Faith will increase the effectiveness of all holy spells and abilities. Negative Faith will increase all unholy spells and abilities. Charisma - Charisma is an attribute that affects how attractive you are perceived by others and determines your physical appearance as you age. Allows you to speak to others with more fluidity, confidence and lowers the chances of tripping on words or stuttering. Luck - Luck is an attribute that can affect one¡¯s surroundings and situations for the better. This attribute also increases the chance of finding rare items and/or chances of creating higher-quality items.
To be honest, I have a hard time trying to remember these things. Apart from the charisma, of course, I usually just saw higher stats as a good thing and not much more. Now that I¡¯m starting to realize how every stat has relatively equal value in its own way, I should probably be working on agility, strength, and dexterity if I want to get stronger. The three statuses that did the most to get me this far were dexterity which somehow increases a blade¡¯s sharpness, strength which allows me to deal more damage, and agility which helps me in terms of speed, reaction times, and reflexes. I¡¯m going to need to work on them more in order to make them increasingly better. ¡°Lilith, are you sure we can¡¯t just join them in the middle of the invasion?¡± I ask her with the palm of my hand resting on the hilt of my blade, as if ready to take anything on. ¡°It would be more fun if we joined right at the start. Besides¡­ I want to meet with the kitsune.¡± ¡°The eight-tailed kitsune?¡± ¡°Yes, she is a very important person to me. I want to meet her again.¡± ¡°By the way¡­ what does kitsune mean again?¡± Lilith turns with a smile, as if always ready to answer my questions. ¡°¡®Kitsune is a foreign word for fox.¡± ¡°So, that means they¡¯re demi-human foxes, right?¡± ¡°...Not exactly. They look like they¡¯re demi-humans, but most of them aren¡¯t half-human. The word originated from a language spoken in the eastern region. The eastern region they came from was originally nothing but desolate forests and empty grasslands but one day, a massive boom was heard that shook the entire continent. When adventurers went to investigate what the source was, they found a whole new civilization with strange, otherworldly-looking people where there was previously nothing. We don¡¯t know where they came from, nor do we know how they got here, but from what we¡¯ve discovered so far, they said parts of their world were somehow transferred here, which unleashed many new things into our world for better or worse. This included new types of diseases, new enemies, new species, new weapons, and so on.¡± ¡°The kitsunes are a part of that?¡± ¡°Yes, they are one of the five eastern beings. One of which is a nine-tailed kitsune named Tamamo. The five transferred into this world as well and the power they possess is unimaginable. It even rivals that of the ancients.¡± ¡°That strong, huh?¡± ¡°Yes, but it doesn¡¯t end there. There are 13 types of kitsune.¡± ¡°Thirteen!? Like fire, water, and earth or stuff like that?¡± I begin to get excited. Probably one of the reasons why Charles and Lilith like teaching me things. Lilith giggles as we progress deeper into the forest. ¡°Yes, like those but they have their own way of saying it.¡± ¡°Own way?¡± ¡°Every kitsune is broken down into 13 categories. One of them being fire, or as they like to call it, Kasai.¡± ¡°Ka¡­ what now?¡± I was ready for Lilith to spell it out for me¡­ but instead of Lilith¡¯s voice, I heard a feminine-sounding voice coming from behind me. ¡°It is Ka-sai.¡± In one quick motion, I draw my rusty sword and used the momentum of unsheathing it to swing it over my back and into the sneaky creature with all my might but the blade paused dead in its path. The creature managed to stop it using only its pinky finger.
Your attack has been stopped by the opponent! Attack resisted! 0 damage!
My eyes widen beneath my mask just in time for me to notice eight big, green, and fluffy tails surround me. I try to jump back, but I reacted too late as the fluffy green tails had already caught me. I struggle a bit, but I knew immediately that there is no way I''m going to break free. What the hell are these things!? They¡¯re fluffy but more durable than a rope! The next thing I notice is that one of the green tails approaches my face to remove my mask. From there¡­ I see the creature. It''s a woman. I suppose she has what you would call an attractive-looking face but it isn¡¯t like anything I¡¯d seen before. The woman has long, green hair and a clear complexion. Her skin is just a bit paler than Lilith¡¯s but her bright green eyebrows and eyelashes look longer and fuller. Her nose might have been a tad bit longer than Lilith¡¯s as well, but one thing that separated her from Lilith for certain is the wide, innocent smile that she couldn¡¯t resist making when she looks at me through her narrowly opened eyes, despite the fact that I tried to kill her only moments ago. That part could probably be deducted down to my charisma but something told me she isn¡¯t wholly incapable of curbing the expression. The best way to describe her face would be Chinese I guess. And her clothing looked like a loose, green kimono. Wait, didn¡¯t I just say I¡¯ve never seen anything like her before? Anyways, it has this big wrapping in the middle, which is surprisingly large in size. Is it a big belt? No¡­ It didn¡¯t really look leathery. As I continue to examine her a bit further up, I notice one feature which 1000% did not resemble Lilith. Her breasts are colossal and absolutely transcended practicality in every sense of the word. Such an abnormality in nature shouldn¡¯t even be considered lega- And as fate would have it, my face is slammed between her breasts. ¡°WAAAAAA!!!¡± I scream within the strange woman¡¯s behemoths as she wraps her arms around me and jiggles her body from left to right. ¡°S-S-SO KAWAIIIIIIII!¡± The woman shouts as she hugs me tightly. I-I can¡¯t breathe! HELP! I struggle like a fish out of water and try to the best of my abilities to escape, but my efforts proved futile when she refused to budge. What the hell!? Why is she so strong!? I make an attempt to scream out ¡°Lilith, help me!¡± but in space, no one can hear you scream and there is a similar lack of oxygen in my given situation. It¡¯s remarkable how you can recall information you¡¯ve never even learned when on the brink of death. Lilith notices my suffering and may or may not have cared that my body seems to become limper and limper as time went on. Either way, she eventually let out, ¡°Alright Nisuki, please let go of my entertainer.¡± ¡°OH!¡± The eight-tailed fox turns to see Lilith as if she just noticed she was there. ¡°Princess of Destruction!¡± She lets go of me as my body flops to the ground and jumps straight at Lilith. ¡°Lilith-chan!¡± But when she is about to touch Lilith, she went through her body, as if it were just a hologram. Nisuki slams face-first into a tree trunk, then pauses for a second before pulling her face out and turning to see Lilith looking down at my lifeless body. Lilith sigh. ¡°Oh goddess of love¡­ looks like Aden has already suffocated.¡± After Lilith says this, a ghost-like apparition left my body and slowly but surely starts its journey towards the heavens. As it did, it started in a ghostly voice¡­
I blame my Charisma for this¡­
You have suffocated from your enemy''s breasts! Good job you fucking pervert! Congratulations! You have unlocked the title: Death By Breasts
Death By Breasts Description: You have died in the breasts of a woman. Requirements: Die in the breasts of a woman. Note from Goddess of Love: Well¡­ it could have been worse. Charisma +10
Lilith grabs my ghostly, wayward soul and slams it back into my body like she is dunking a basketball. I take in a deep breath as my lungs finally get filled with air for what felt like the first time in ages.
You have been revived!
I couldn¡¯t help but gasp for more air a few more times before saying, ¡°That¡­ was hell.¡± Chapter 13: Demi-Humans III Two years ago in Baricka, the demi-human invasions seemed like they would never stop. Ever since the day of Aulistia¡¯s death and the corresponding enslavement of the demi-humans, half-blooded rebels invaded Baricka as retribution for its status as, one of many, demi-human slave trade towns. Blood was spilt day after day, animals ate the entrails of the dead and the rivers of the eastern forests ran red with blood. The invasions continued as slaves fought for freedom against their former slave owners until one day, their leader passed away. The demi-humans made sure to keep this a secret from the humans, which allowed them time to make a burial for their fallen leader. A burial that made every one of them weep for the leader that had shown bravery, confidence, charisma and limitless energy. The leader that despite his status as general, had fearlessly led charges into battle alongside his troops; not for money or fame but for the same goal as the men and women surrounding him. To free their people from the black-hearted humans enslaving their people. This made it all the more surprising when the day came. The day when the raids came to a halt and the leader of the demi-human rebel forces was lying on his deathbed, unable to keep the promise he told all of them. The promise of freeing every demi-human in the world and building a utopia where demi-humans could live free lives in peace. It was said that his last words before passing were an apology for the promise he couldn¡¯t fulfill. No one held it against him. After stopping their invasions two years ago, the demi-humans began to seek help from the eastern region. They pleaded for assistance even though they expected it to take ages for a single reply to come back from those known as players, but just a day after they sent the message, the eastern region accepted their plead and informed them that they were sending four envoys to assist them. One of them was the green, eight-tailed kitsune known as Nisuki¡­ who is now currently lost in ecstasy cuddling with me. I sigh, as Nisuki hugs my small body with a soft grip that turns to feel more like an iron death grip the more I try to resist. Eventually, I just give in and let her rub my head. ¡°Aden, is it? You¡¯re so cute!¡± ¡°I get that a lot,¡± I respond as I try to relax as much as possible given the circumstances. Lilith is trying to hide a jealous frown as she watches Nisuki play with me. ¡°Anyways...¡± she moves on, ¡°keep talking Nisuki.¡± Such a strange name. I¡¯ve never heard anything like it. ¡°Of course, over the past two years, after the raids on Baricka have ceased, we¡¯ve been recruiting demi-humans from this region. It took some time, but we¡¯ve managed to recruit around five-hundred so far..¡± ¡°Five-hundred!? That¡¯s a huge achievement, assuming there were really any demi-humans around here.¡± Nisuki sighs as she begins sniffing my head. ¡°Yes, it is. Most of them are escaped slaves from Baricka so if nothing else, then we can count on them to have the will to fight. If all goes well, I might be able to meet the shrine priestess again!¡± ¡°Shrine Priestess?¡± Lilith taps my shoulder, I turn and look at her. ¡°A shrine priestess is someone with an understanding and divine connection with a god.¡± ¡°A god?¡± ¡°Nevermind that, we¡¯re getting off-topic Aden. Nisuki, I assume you¡¯ve heard about the news.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Nisuki lets me go and stands up while dusting herself off. ¡°Five max-level adventurers, was it?¡± ¡°Yes, and it¡¯s most likely that they¡¯ll arrive in two days.¡± ¡°Me, Aruko, and Jun will take care of them.¡± The happy and bright expression Nisuki was making disappears and is replaced with a menacing and deathful aura. ¡°Max-level humans like them will make perfect practice dummies¡­¡± That is when Nisuki looks down at me. Dread fills me. ¡°I forgot to ask, is this entertainer of yours¡­ a human? Lilith-san?¡± But before Lilith could answer that, ¡°Morph.¡± I say out loud. Lilith keeps quiet and simply smiles at me as my cheeks become scaly and my eyes change from human to reptilian-like.
Your Morph has ranked up to Rank A! +2 END +1 WILL
Lilith giggles, ¡°Does this answer your question, Nisuki?¡± The dark, deadly aura Nisuki was sending out from herself disappears and is replaced with an expression that seems like half curiosity over the fact that her question is only replaced with more questions and half envy that Lilith had managed to steal me back. ¡°This¡­ is a reptile? No¡­ its presence feels much more dreadful than a simple lizard.¡± Lilith continues to smile as she answers the question. ¡°Close,¡± she says with a wide grin. ¡°This is a dragon.¡± Nisuki opens her eyes wide for the first time since we met her. They were a bright jade green with dark pupils shaped like a pair of crossed slits. ¡°Hontou- I mean, really?¡± Nisuki looks down at me with her sparkling eyes wide open. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Lilith answers. Nisuki studies me closely as I begin to morph back into my human self. When I fully turn back, Nisuki takes a deep breath, ¡°This is my first time seeing a Dragonborn.¡± I respond by nonchalantly telling her, ¡°Well, I am the first Dragonborn.¡± There is a sudden pause, until Nisuki kneels down and picks up my right hand with both of hers. What she says next took me by surprise. ¡°Please, join the invasion! If you were to tell who you are to everyone, it would surely boost their morale!¡± I stare at her closed eyes, even if they were closed, it didn¡¯t take a lot of perception to tell that Nisuki¡¯s eyes looked up at me with desperation. I smile. ¡°Of course, we wouldn¡¯t be in this forest if we weren¡¯t going to join.¡± Nisuki smiles and stands up. ¡°Shall I lead you two to the camp then?¡± I was about to answer, until Lilith answers for me. ¡°No, Aden and I will reside in Baricka. We¡¯ll send intel as to who the max level adventurers are and if they arrive sooner than expected.¡± I look at Lilith. I understood the advantage we have. Thanks to Lilith¡¯s false statuses, we can go in and out of Baricka without having to fear being discovered. However, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the military were to block all ins and outs of Baricka. Now that they know that demi-humans are going to invade again, they will most likely block all exits on the day the max-level adventurers arrive. ¡°Oh,¡± Nisuki begins to speak, ¡°I would like to ask a favor.¡± I turn to Nisuki, ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°There is a spy we¡¯ve sent into Baricka, it¡¯s been five days since he departed and he hasn¡¯t responded ever since. I would like you two to find him.¡± Lilith sighs upon hearing the request. ¡°How do you know that he isn¡¯t dead yet?¡± Lilith asks. I can already hear signs of annoyance in her voice. ¡°I would be surprised if he is. After all, he¡¯s part of us four sent here and one of my students.¡± ¡°Oh? What does he look like?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a single-tailed golden kitsune. He¡¯s like me, but with golden fox ears and a golden tail. Unlike Aden, he can¡¯t morph, so it won¡¯t be hard to find him.¡± ¡°A golden kitsune? A descendant of Tamamo?¡± I turn to Lilith with a surprised expression. ¡°He¡¯s a descendant.¡± Nisuki answers. ¡°If he¡¯s a descendant, why isn¡¯t he studying back in the eastern region?¡± ¡°He was given permission to join the invasion.¡± ¡°So that means¡­¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s a second child. He has an older sister studying under Tamamo currently. Anyways...¡± Nisuki turns and begins walking towards the demi-human campsite. ¡°I believe it¡¯s time we part.¡± ¡°Yes, see you soon Nisuki, we¡¯ll find the kitsune.¡± Lilith turns to walk towards Baricka, but before she did¡­ ¡°Nisuki!¡± Nisuki stops and turns to see me. ¡°What is it, Aden?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the kitsune¡¯s name?¡± ¡°...His name is Kin, Kin Akame.¡± Nisuki then goes back to walking back into the forest until she disappears in the dense foliage.
An hour later¡­
¡°...I prefer wine over juice.¡± Lilith sighs as she looks down at her dinner. Some apple juice, cooked grey wolf meat, steamed carrots, steamed corns, and steamed broccoli. The same dish I have. ¡±I feel like a child drinking this.¡± she said. ¡°But aren¡¯t you thirteen?¡± I ask back.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Lilith has never looked so close to ending my life than she did at that moment. Well, that is how it looked like, but I feel like she isn''t going to kill me for some reason... but do something worse. We were back at the inn, where we last eavesdropped on the adventurers, and coincidentally sat at the same table. I cautiously picked at my dinner while everyone in the inn stares at me. I tried more than I should have, but it just isn¡¯t possible to eat with a mask on. Well, at least something good came out of it as the innkeeper gives us a discount on our meals and stay. Lilith gladly accepted it, before I could protest. I would rather hang myself than accepting a deal from a normal tavern owner because he thought I looked like a prince. I mean seriously! Why can¡¯t I be treated the same way as everyone else in this place! ¡°U-umm¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I look up and see a young waitress, with a juvenile, brown-haired girl behind her, looking at me with an uncompromising stare. ¡°M-my little sister says she wants to hug you. You don¡¯t mind that, right?¡± I can hear it from her voice. She seems really embarrassed to be asking such a request. I would be too. It isn¡¯t every day that you walk up to strangers and ask for hugs. I sigh, wipe my mouth with a napkin, and spread my arms out. The little girl jumps up and hugs me. She lets go a second later and runs behind the waitress again just to back to her boundless gaze. I turn back to my meal and continue eating. Alright¡­ time to go back to eating- I look up and saw Lilith, smiling at me. ¡°What is it, Lilith?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing ~ ?.¡± I look back at her for a moment before beginning to eat my dinner again. It was ten minutes later that we finish our meals. I couldn¡¯t even remember if the food was good or not since all my attention was focused on the dozens of people watching me eat like they were a pack of undead. Or zombies? Walkers. Whatever people call dead things that aren¡¯t quite dead yet in this world. The worst part was that it wasn¡¯t only females, but males as well. If I remember correctly, Charles told me that I shouldn¡¯t be anywhere near guys. I don¡¯t get it. They¡¯re males too, so my Charisma shouldn¡¯t be able to affect them, right? Just thinking about this made me lose my appetite. Thankfully, I already finished my meal before such a thought came to mind, so I¡¯m happy. I stand up from my wooden chair and stretch. I was about to take my leave, until¡­ ¡°Lilith, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Hugging your arm until we get to our bedroom ~ ?. Is there a problem with that?¡± Lilith hugs my right arm, making me uncomfortable in the process. ¡°Yes, there is a problem. It¡¯s causing a scene.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who caused a scene first when you took off your mask?¡± I have no more objections.
Ten minutes later¡­
I jump onto my bed and lay comfortably as Lilith and I are in our rented room. It isn¡¯t anything special really. It''s a small room with two beds at opposite ends, a window with a push and pull wooden cover in the middle, and a small dresser just below the window, with a single lit candle. The beds themselves look a bit worn out, but they are surely better than the beds me and Charles slept in back at our treehouse. This led me to question how exactly these beds are so comfortable but the details didn¡¯t seem too important. Actually¡­ I missed Lexigon. I missed the crowded roads, the hard labor, the trees, flowers, and wolves in the forests¡­ But, I knew that if I were to go back there, I would end up even sadder than before. I mean, I could go back there right now, but I felt like it would just be a waste of time. I begin to sit up and was about to get ready to get undressed into my sleeping wear, until I sit up to seeing Lilith undressing, exposing her small naked body to me, without the slightest attempt to hide anything. However, I didn''t give any notice to it. Lilith notices my lack of interest and looks up at me with a surprising gesture. ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t mind a girl undressing in front of you? Aren¡¯t you embarrassed?¡± ¡°Why would I be embarrassed?¡± Lilith falls silent, uncertain on how to react to such an uncommon response. I sigh and continue to change into my sleeping wear. I did catch a few glimpses of her glancing at my body while I changed, which struck me as a bit odd. I didn¡¯t really get it. What was wrong with undressing near a person in a bedroom? It wasn¡¯t something I did every day, but it wasn¡¯t something to get too drawn into either. Was it that rare for males and females to undress in front of each other? I¡¯m sure Lilith wasn¡¯t really affected by this either but I would like to know what she was thinking¡­ Oh well. Of course, I notice Lilith smiling at me, which sent a chill up my spine. For some reason, I sensed that she was getting hungrier the longer she looked at me, which makes me worried as a memory of her eating an entire wolf in one bite comes to mind. We just ate so that couldn¡¯t be right. I suppose it¡¯s due to my perception being low compared to my other stats. I thought it was higher than most people but I probably need more if I want to correctly guess what people are thinking just by them looking at me. That¡¯s kind of disappointing. I write it off as nothing, lay back in my bed, taking a deep breath, and look up at the ceiling. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­I couldn¡¯t sleep. ¡°Skills and Masteries,¡± I whisper. A screen pops up in my mind.
Skills and Masteries: Draconic Heavy Swing: (Rank C) Sword Mastery: (Rank 9) Critical Mastery: (Rank F) Evasion: (Rank A) Blood Moon Arts: (Rank 7) Parry: (Rank B) Block: (Rank B) Create Campfire: (Rank B) Natural Armor: (Rank C) Natural Senses: (Rank B) Morph: (Rank A) Morph Overtake: (Rank F) Natural Instincts: (Rank C)
I look at my skills and sigh. It didn¡¯t seem balanced at all. To be honest, it is all over the place. I never really use Draconic Heavy Swing since I couldn¡¯t find any use of it in my fighting style, Blood Moon Arts. My Blood Moon Arts did rank up three times, but mostly due to my other self fighting the golem. "Wait¡­ if one of my other selves killed the golem back in the dungeon, why hasn¡¯t my Morph Overtake ranked up?" I think in confusion. I stare down at my Morph Overtake, which is still at Rank F. "Why is it still at Rank F? Did Lilith steal the kill? No, I doubt Lilith is that type of person. Why didn¡¯t it rank up? I¡¯m probably going to need to talk with the dragon inside of me to find out, not only that, but I''m also going to ask it about the other two inside of me." I continue to ask myself questions as I lay my eyes on the skill, until Lilith jumps on my bed. ¡°Lilith, what are you doing?¡± ¡°I want to sleep with you. Is there a problem with that?¡± ¡°...No. There isn¡¯t really.¡± As I said that, Lilith proceeds to cuddle right beside me on the bed. We lay together in silence as I continue looking through my skills for a little bit, until Lilith asks a question ¡°Aden, can I test something?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I turned my head to face her. ¡°Charm.¡± Lilith¡¯s pupils glow bright pink as she stares into my eyes, it is until a second later that they turn back to normal, but¡­ ¡°What? Charm?¡± I stare at Lilith confusingly, unable to find out what she is trying to do. She then sighs about something, which I have a feeling is a skill... failing? Wait... what is Charm?
Lilith Perspective: Your Charm is unable to affect your target, due to them being immune to it!
¡°As I thought, since your charisma is double of mine, it has next to no effect, however¡­ it would have said it was blocked, but from what I¡¯m seeing, you¡¯re immune to it.¡± ¡°Hold on, I don¡¯t even know what the skill is.¡± Lilith silently stares at me.
Charm Description: By using this skill with your overall charisma, charm your opponents and make them do your bidding. Requirements: Devourer (Level 20) Type: Skill Effects: The percent chance of success on this skill depends on both the target¡¯s charisma and the user¡¯s charisma. Usage: None Cooldown: None The higher rank this skill is, the higher chance this skill will hit, 1% higher chance per rank up.
¡°...Oh, wait, why did you try charming me in the first place? You already know my charisma is¡­ terrifying.¡± Lilith sighs. ¡°I¡¯m just testing, besides,¡± Lilith inches her face closer to mine, ¡°now I don¡¯t need to worry about anyone cheating their way towards you.¡± I blink at her for a few moments, until looking back up at the ceiling. ¡°Say, Lilith.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Once this invasion succeeds, where do you think we should go?¡± ¡°That is up to you. Remember the deal we made? I promised that I¡¯ll allow you and Charles to go wherever and I¡¯ll follow.¡± ¡°Well¡­ you did say you¡¯ll kill us if we were to bore you, so¡­ I¡¯m just asking where you want to go.¡± Lilith turns her body around, facing the other way. She lays there in silence for a few moments, until responding, ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ always wanted to go back to the eastern region.¡± I smile. ¡°Then how about we go there, after murdering every single bastard in this town, Lilith?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Why are you so friendly to me all of a sudden? Didn¡¯t you swear you¡¯ll kill me no matter what?¡± ¡°Of course¡­ but¡­ I¡¯m sure everyone in Lexigon wouldn¡¯t want me to become bent on vengeance.¡± Lilith lays still, listening to every word I said. ¡°I mean, I still hate you¡­ but, I know that I can¡¯t hate you forever.¡± ¡°If you become that way to me, you¡¯ll end up as a murderer of humanity. You¡¯ll come to despise every single aspect of your past self and humanity as a whole. Do you want to truly become a monster?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already a monster, besides, I¡¯m beginning to hate humanity anyways.¡± Lilith turns her body towards me, and upon doing so, she sees me, looking up at the ceiling with desperate eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, there are still some aspects of humanity that are good. But¡­¡± I still remember after we bought that rusty sword, the fat bastard¡¯s grin as he drags the demi-human cat girl away. ¡°It¡¯s bastards like these in Baricka that need to be killed. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t care if I kill off a few humans, as long as I can make a place¡­ a place where Charles never loses his smile¡­ If I can do that, I¡¯ll become a servant of destruction for all I care.¡± I am taken by surprise as Lilith jumps on top of me and lays on my belly, with a smile as she moves her face closer to mine. I stare into her eyes as she did into mine. We continue to gaze into each others¡¯ eyes until Lilith slowly moves her lips closer and closer to mine. I close my eyes with an uncaring face, as if telling her that she could do whatever she wanted with me. Lilith knew what I meant by it and moves closer as if she wouldn¡¯t have anyways, until¡­ ¡°HEY! STOP THAT DEMI-HUMAN!¡± I immediately open my eyes. Lilith jumps off of me, to get out of the way, and I get out of bed in my sleepwear. I run to the window and pried it open. That is when my eyes lock on him. On top of an adjacent building, I see a boy with golden ears and a long golden tail, carrying a familiar catgirl on his back, as he jumps from building to building. We found him. Kin Akame. Chapter 14: Demi-Humans IV Unseen Things: ¡°HOW DARE YOU DISOBEY ME!¡± The obese man slaps the catgirl, just third-teen years old, on the cheek, sending her crashing to the ground with a red marking on her left cheek. In the town of Baricka, in a rich and luxurious room in the west part of Baricka, known as the prosperous part of the Baricka, a man looks down at a demi-human cat girl with a frustrated gesture. The enslaved catgirl looks away, not showing her face. This act only enrages him as the catgirl continues to disobey his orders, ¡°I said, strip you damn bitch! Or do you want me to strip you myself!?¡± The catgirl proceeds to stay silent. The man angrily stomps towards the fallen girl and kicks her in the stomach. The girl coughs in pain. The man smiles as he sees the catgirl''s face twist. ¡°How was that? Do you want me to kick you like that again?¡± The catgirl does not falter as she then becomes silent right after. The man grits his teeth, ¡°ALRIGHT! ENOUGH!¡± The man grabs the girl by the throat and drags her. The girl struggles and swings her legs around as both of her hands try to get the man¡¯s hand off her throat. The man raises the slave and slams her on the bed. Once he does, he begins to strip her forcefully. The girl continues to struggle violently, as the worn-out, big piece of cloth was the only thing that covered her naked body. The man looks down at the slave lustfully as all of the girl¡¯s rosy white skin is exposed, mixing well with her beautiful pink hair and eyes, including the ear and tail. The man then tightens his grip on the girl¡¯s neck, choking her. She desperately tried to speak out, but thanks to the man''s tight grip around her neck, all she could speak were the noises of a person choking for air. ¡°Finally beginning to speak? It¡¯s too late now. You should save your voice for moaning.¡± The man untightens his hand around the girl''s neck. He himself expected the girl to now obey, but instead... ¡°Get off of me! You fucking creep!¡± The girl gets a slap in the face again, but this time more forceful. ¡°What did you call me!?¡± The man slaps her again and again, making the girl¡¯s cheek bright red. After that, the catgirl goes completely silent. ¡°I didn''t buy you so that you can insult me!¡± Tears begin to go down the girl¡¯s cheeks. ¡°So stay silent!¡± The man then proceeds to forcefully spread her legs out, exposing her bottom private part. ¡°No! Please! Don¡¯t do this!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say?¡± Horror crosses the slave¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s too late.¡± ¡°NOOOO!!!¡± But the man pauses as he hears a young boyish voice behind him. ¡°...You sure look like you''re having fun for a dead man.¡± The fat-rich man tries to turn around but can¡¯t as he feels something pierce through his throat. The girl stares in shock as she sees a silvery blade pierce through the man¡¯s neck. The blade is pulled out a second later, and blood splattered out, spraying thickly all over the slave¡¯s body. Silence then fills the room. The body of the obese man falls, crashing to the ground, with his dying face that of horror. The girl looks up to see her savior. The boy looks demi-human just like her but is a fox with fur, the color that the catgirl recognizes far too well. He also looks around her age as well, but maybe a little older. The boy¡¯s golden fox ear twitches as his single, mostly gold and partially white at the tip, fluffy golden tail sway around a little, sometimes lightly bumping onto his white skin that is a little browner than the slave¡¯s. His pure red fox eyes stare down at the girl. The boy smiles and turns around to a nearby dresser. He opens it and pulls out some girlish sleeping wear. It is a big, thin white dress that seems long enough to cover the catgirl¡¯s legs entirely but has no sleeves, making it look like a summer wear more than a sleeping one. The fox boy lent it to the girl, and she gladfully took it and put it on. When she does, she sees the familiar boy walk towards a big window and opens it. He then turns back to the girl, walks to her, and bents down, ¡°Come on, we don¡¯t have much time, Jen.¡± The girl lightly smiles at the boy she knows for certain, already knowing as well as she can already hear footsteps running towards where they are. The catgirl went on the fox boy''s back. Once she did, the door to the room suddenly slams open. ¡°Hey! Stop those two!¡± ¡°Hang on.¡± The girl tightens her grip, and then the boy jumps out the window.
Main Perspective: I run out of the door of the inn and begin running, with my rusty sword in hand, along with my creepy mask on and shoes. ¡°Morph.¡± I morph my legs, and thanks to the equipment and shoes I wore, they completely cover the process and sight of the red scaly skin. Once the skill is complete, I¡¯ve all of a sudden gain a huge burst of speed. Allowing me to easily catch up with the golden kitsune, known as Kin Akame.
You have morphed! 10.85 damage!
¡°Oh? So that¡¯s one of Tamamo¡¯s descendants.¡± I turn my gaze to the left to see Lilith easily running along with me. ¡°Yeah, it looks like he¡¯s saving a demi-human too.¡± As I say this, I see the catgirl turn her head, noticing us and telling Kin. From there, Kin takes it up a notch and jumps from building to building faster. ¡°...We¡¯re going to need to find a way to show him we¡¯re his allies.¡± It didn¡¯t look like it was going to be easy. Since Kin is literally in the middle of attention, we can¡¯t just show ourselves as his friends. We¡¯re going to need to lure him somewhere. ¡°So, Aden, how do you plan on showing him you''re demi-human?¡± ¡°I thought you were the one making plans.¡± Lilith giggles at this. ¡°Remember, I can¡¯t interfere with anything you do.¡± ¡°...Birdshit.¡± It looks like I¡¯m going to need to take it from here. I put more effort into my running.
Unseen Things: Lilith stops herself and watches as I run towards Kin. ¡°Well then, I guess I¡¯ll help a little.¡± Lilith licks her lips as she turns around, already seeing soldiers running in her direction. ¡°Besides, I haven¡¯t eaten a human in a while.¡±
Main Perspective: ¡°He¡¯s trying to get through the gate!¡± One of the soldiers yells as I run past him. This is going to be difficult. Not only do I need to make sure he makes it through, but I also can¡¯t show myself as a friend of his. If I do, it will jeopardize our disguise and will probably disappoint Lilith. I¡¯ve somehow managed to put Lilith in a good mood, so I can¡¯t mess this up! Wait¡­ how did I know that she was in a happy mood? She seemed to act all the same way, well¡­ I¡¯ll trust my instincts on that then. No! Now isn¡¯t the time for that! I shake my head while running and look up towards where Kin is. Looking at Kin, he might be a speed-type monster, which is self-explanatory since he looks pretty light. Especially with those clothes of his. They looked weird, though, just as weird as Nisuki¡¯s clothing. Kin wears this foreign clothing, long red pants and a long-sleeved white shirt that doesn¡¯t look comfortable or tight. It really confused me as to why they would wear such things. I do wonder, however, what monster tier is a kitsune? Though it gives me a hint as Kin is beginning to slow down. Allowing me to catch up without putting any more effort into my running.
Unseen Things: ¡°Are you ok!?¡± The catgirl known as Jen questions, noticing that the kitsune, known as Kin, is beginning to slow down.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°No, I¡¯m not! Who is that person!? How the hell does he have so much stamina!?¡± Kin takes a glance behind him and still sees the masked kid catching up to them. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but he could be a high-level adventurer!¡± Jen responds. Kin curses under his breath as he continues jumping from building to building. ¡°If so, then he must be an agility-based adventurer! I can probably handle him in a fight, but with all those guards out there, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea!¡± Jen looks down with a saddened gesture. ¡°Is he outlasting you because of me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like that!¡± Jen looks up to Kin in surprise. ¡°You¡¯re as light as a feather! Besides, I promised your parents that I¡¯d get you back in safety!¡± Jen stares at Kin for a few moments until tears begin to drop from her eyes. She hid her face behind Kin¡¯s back. Kin smiles, then continue forward. ¡°So don¡¯t worry, Jen, I¡¯ll get back to your family!¡± Kin was about to go all out, but, ¡°So, are you guys done confessing?¡± Kin and Jen turn to their left to see the masked kid right beside them.
Main Perspective: Kin spins his body and tries to do a roundhouse kick at me, but I manage to evade it by jumping back a little and then jumping forward with a rusty sword in a downswing position. I swing down at him, but as I do, Kin does an upwards kick, his wooden sandals colliding with my rusty blade. Kin blinks in confusing. To my guess, he¡¯s most likely confused as to how the rusty blade didn¡¯t break. I would have thought the same, that¡¯s if I didn¡¯t know the sword is a cursed one. And all of this is happening as we are jumping towards the gate that faces the direction of the eastern forest. "I have to fight Kin because if I don¡¯t¡­." From behind me, right below us, I hear the loud stomping of horses. "The soldiers below me would notice and consider me as an enemy." Kin and I fight each other for another ten seconds until we both notice the huge gate we were running to is slowly closing. We do one more clash until Kin decides to push me away and run full speed towards the gate. Trying not to look suspicious, I run after him. We both land on the ground as there are no buildings left to jump on. I pause a bit to let Kin get a head start. Kin notices this and takes advantage of it. He runs ahead, not sparing a single second. After waiting for a moment, I follow. Ahead of us are soldiers lined up with pikes at the ready. ¡°Assist the masked person and take down the demi-human! Don¡¯t let him escape!¡± The soldiers then point their pikes at Kin, who is running towards them. Behind my mask, I made a panicky gesture. Crap! When I fought Kin, he didn¡¯t seem to have much stamina left! The gate is closing as well! If this keeps going- But, everything changes as there is a huge fireball just as big as Drezzan, flying straight towards the lined soldiers. The soldiers notice and scramble as they all try to run away, but many of them¡­ weren¡¯t lucky. One of the soldiers stands in shock. Before the fireball can touch him, his skin already begins to burn off, allowing many to see his red flesh. Still, it is only for a split second before the fireball instantly incinerates the unlucky soldier, then¡­ BOOM! The gate, which used to be slowly closing, bursts open as flames rapidly spew out of it. The explosion raises threateningly, forming a giant sphere of fire that is bigger than the wall itself. I thrust my rusty sword down into the ground, gripping hard on it, and take the explosion head-on. The intense heat hits me, and I grunt in pain as I feel like I¡¯m being cooked alive. I should be thankful, however, that I¡¯m a dragon, so I didn¡¯t take the full punch of the explosion, but¡­
An intense shockwave of an explosion hits you! 425 damage! A special action has been performed! +1 END Your Natural Armor has ranked up to Rank B! +3 END Your Natural Armor has ranked up to Rank A! +3 END
THAT FUCKING HURT!
Vital Status: HP: 677.5/1102.5 Rage: 100/100 Stamina: 541/1052.5
Standing on top of a building Kin and I last stepped on, Lilith stands in place with her finger still pointing in the direction the fireball went, but after all that just happened, she frowns. ¡°How disappointing. This is to be expected, however. With a single finger, five magic reducing rings, and Silent Cast, I still expected my Fireball to at least incinerate the wall.¡± Lilith sighs at the barely standing wall before us all. I cough a few times, then look around. There are corpses everywhere, some of them with a few limbs burnt off and some missing their entire half. It is a horrifying sight to behold, but I stand back up since this isn¡¯t my first time seeing corpses. I turn around and look up to see Lilith standing on top of a building, with a disappointed gesture as she looks at her hand. Well¡­ I don¡¯t know who else I expected to do something like this or do something similar to. But it takes me a moment until I widen my eyes in shock. Where are Kin and the catgirl!? I was about to look around wildly until an unknown entity quickly ran past me. However, I know who it is. I turned towards the direction the entity went and caught sight of him, Kin. He ran with an unconscious catgirl on his back and went through the gate, charging towards the eastern forest. I smile as I see him run, but it is a second later that Lilith follows. I was confused for a moment, until, ¡°Oh fuck! I forgot that the explosion woke up the entire damn town!¡± I then run after them.
Unseen Things: Kin struggles to breathe properly, as he now couldn''t take another step. He goes to a nearby tree, lightly sets Jen down, then falls back first. He takes a few deep breaths, then looks up at the night sky with a wide smile. He stretches his arms out wide and relaxed. He relaxes for a long while, waiting for his stamina to fill back up. Then he was about to stand up and continue his venture back to camp with Jen, but¡­
Main Perspective: ¡°...It¡¯s you.¡± Kin growls as I confront him. Wearing my strange mask as usual. ¡°I have a name, you know,¡± I say with a sigh. But the moment I do, Kin charges at me with his right fist raised. I sidestep to my left and dodge it. When I do, I then raise both hands as Kin quickly turns around. ¡°Wait, Wait! I¡¯m not your enemy, Kin!¡± Kin pauses as I say his name. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± ¡°Morph.¡± As I chant this, my right hand begins to become scaly red. ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Nisuki¡¯s."
A few minutes later¡­
¡°Haha! Really? Did she really suffocate you with her breasts!?¡± I blink confusingly at Kin, who is already becoming friends with me. Why the hell is he so friendly with me all of a sudden? We just started talking a moment ago! Both of us sat down and leaned against a tree as crickets cricketed along with the soothing wind. I¡¯ve already explained myself and how I met with Nisuki, but the moment I told Kin that she nearly killed me with her breasts, he just burst into laughter. ¡°So, Aden, right? Are you a lizard?¡± Kin questions as he looks at my hand, which is still morphed. ¡°No, I¡¯m a dragon.¡± Kin freezes. He blinks at me for a few moments until¡­ ¡°A¡­ dragon? A dragon!?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to yell so loud!¡± ¡°Of course I have to yell! You¡¯re a dragon! A species that can destroy countries! No wonder why you lasted so long when you chased me!¡± ¡°I mean, yeah, dragons are dangerously strong, but it isn¡¯t something to get so excited about. Anyways, who¡¯s that catgirl?¡± I look down at the unconscious catgirl lying behind Kin. ¡°Her name is Jen. You can say I''ve met her a while back. I¡¯ve made a promise to her parents to get her back to them after hearing she got kidnapped. I was planning on carrying her back to camp, but I think I¡¯ll carry her back when she regains consciousness.¡± ¡°...Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we just let her rest at the camp?¡± As I question worryingly at this, I begin to realize something. Wait, where is Lilith? I shake my head. Kin notices, ¡°Something the matter?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ve meant to ask, why are you so friendly with me all of a sudden? We¡¯ve just met personally a moment ago.¡± Kin takes a moment to think about it until answering, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know, actually. When you started explaining yourself, I all of a sudden got really drawn into the explanation.¡± I sigh at this. ¡°I think I know the reason why.¡± Fuck you, Charisma. ¡°Really? Anyways, why are you wearing that creepy mask for? Is there something wrong with your face?¡± Then all of a sudden, Kin grips my mask. ¡°No! Don¡¯t-¡± I try to stop him, but it is too late as my face is now exposed. Kin stares at my face, but as he did his face slowly changes from that of confusion to that of complete shock. ¡°W-W-W-W-WHAT!?¡± From behind Kin, the catgirl known as Jen wakes up. She sits up and shakes her head. ¡°Where am I? Kin?¡± Jen looks around but pauses her search, however, when her gaze is set upon my face. Kin notices and quickly turns, but it is too late as blood spews out of Jen¡¯s nose, and she falls unconscious¡­ again. ¡°Jen!!! NOOOO!!!¡± Kin bents down to Jen and begins shaking her wildly. ¡°DON¡¯T DIE, JEN! STAY WITH ME! JEN!!!¡± I stare at the overdramatic situation. Then all of a sudden, a notification popped up in my mind.
Congratulations! You have earned the title: Charm Killer!
Charm Killer Description: Make a person of the opposite gender unconscious with just your charm! Requirement: Make a person of the opposite gender unconscious with your charm! Note from the Goddess of Love: Oh¡­ well¡­ good luck not being accounted for as a murderer of love. Charisma +10
I stare at the title then, ¡°Status.¡± As the status screen opens, I immediately set my gaze upon my charisma. Charisma: 860 FUCK YOU! Chapter 15: Demi-Humans V ¡°Is she okay?¡± I question as I look upon Jen, who Kin is carrying. Blood is still spilling out of her nose, and she is using this weird gesture that makes her look goofy. And I got to be honest; her face is really red right now. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think so?¡± A very worrisome response. In the eastern forest from Baricka, Jen, Kin, and I walk deeper into the woods. As we do, the area''s atmosphere begins to grow darker, the crickets that chirp around the forest are no longer making a sound, and the soothing calm wind has stopped its advance. The deeper we went in, the harder it was for me to put down my guard. My Natural Instincts skill was going all over the place, screaming that I should keep full alert. It was annoying. I knew that this place was welcoming for all demi-humans, so I shouldn¡¯t worry about being jumped. However, it seems my Natural Instincts had different ideas.
Your Natural Instincts has ranked up to Rank B! +3 PER
At least it ranked up. Anyways, where''s Lilith? Is she at the camp already? Or is she doing something else? I shake my head and continue walking. ¡°So Kin, what kind of relationship do you have with Nisuki?¡± I mean, Kin is one of Nisuki¡¯s students, so it should be your typical teacher and student relationship. Kin freezes. It takes me a while to notice as I walk, but I turn around to see Kin with a face of horror when I do. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± I confusingly blink at Kin but decide it''s something I prefer not to know. It takes Kin a couple of minutes to calm himself until he finally starts walking again. Was it that bad? If it was, I understand since Nisuki nearly killed me with her damn breasts. I suddenly yawn as I begin to notice my lack of sleep. Now I think about it; I barely got any sleep ever since I entered Baricka. If I were still human, I probably wouldn''t be able to walk due to exhaustion. I got to be thankful for not being human anymore, but at the same time, I don¡¯t want to think that way. I was given this power through sacrifices, and those sacrifices were some of my emotions and death to nearly everyone I loved. But¡­ I¡¯m sure they would all forgive me. I¡¯m not going to let their sacrifices be in vain. ...I wouldn¡¯t be thinking this way if the orb hadn¡¯t changed me so much. If it didn¡¯t, I would probably still try to murder Lilith. It''s just that I knew doing something like that will end up with me and Charles dead. That¡¯s why I have to live with it and continue living, all the while doing what I always wanted to do, venture out and do what I believe is the right thing. Well¡­ it isn¡¯t what I imagined, but seeing one of those fat bastards controlling someone innocent, pisses me off. My eyes widen at that moment. ...Wait, pisses me off? I thought the orb prevented me from feeling that way. Does it only limit a certain amount? If so, why don''t I want to kill Lilith? Wouldn''t that anger me more? Maybe Natural Sense has something to do with me not being aggressive towards her? But that wouldn''t make sense. Besides, I still felt like murdering her even after the effects went off. ...I might ask Lilith or Charles about this after the invasion is over. They might know something about it.
A special action has been performed! +1 INT
...It hasn''t been a thousand years yet, but somehow I got smarter. I continue to stay in deep thought until Kin bumps me a little. ¡°Aden, you alright? I said your name a couple of times, but you didn¡¯t respond.¡± I snap back into reality and reply to him, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m alright. What is it?¡± ¡°This is going to be your first time in the demi-human camp, right?¡± ¡°Yup, is there something I need to know?¡± ¡°Be careful of my sister.¡± ¡°Wait, sister? Isn¡¯t she supposed to be studying back in the eastern region?¡± Kin shakes his head to this. ¡°So Nisuki told you about that too.¡± I nod. ¡°Thought so, yeah my sister wanted to go too, and they allowed her. She joined this invasion for my sake.¡± ¡°Your sake?¡± ¡°Yeah, she is always worried about me. Back in the eastern region, I always used to do dangerous things, such as go into dungeons alone.¡± ¡°Alright, but why should I be careful of her? She already sounds fine to me.¡± ¡°She¡¯s desperate.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She¡¯s desperate for a lover.¡± ¡°...Oh.¡± ¡°Yeah, just¡­ be careful around her.¡± Well, this is going to be annoying. I thought I¡¯d be able to relax around there without my mask. It looks like a bad idea after all. I made a sad expression as I thought that. ¡°Okay, we¡¯re close.¡± I shake off the gesture and look forward. That is when I''m able to sense something at the end of this deep forest. I run ahead. Kin smiles and follows suit. I keep on running until fazing through some sort of invisible barrier and then blinded by an unknown light. I quickly close my eyes and shield them with both my arms, attempting to protect them from this sudden burst of light. I stay like this for a while until slowly opening them. That is when I finally saw it, the demi-human camp. There is an enormous open field in the middle of this vast forest, half as big as Lexigon. Within that treeless area are lines and lines of large tents. It is similar to what a military campsite will be like when in the middle of an invasion. There are large white tents everywhere, along with lit torches that shine the night. The people who move around here can be similar to humans, but they are different. Every singular form of life that moves around the camp were that of many races. Reptiles, beasts, every single kind of species is here. Everyone is talking, working, laughing, and just enjoying life. I stare at the colorful camp as I feel¡­ happiness¡ªa sort of joy that I¡¯ve cherished for so long before losing it. ¡°Aden, ADEN! Are you there!?¡± I shake my head and turn to Kin, who has a worried face now. ¡°This is the second time. Are you really ok? You¡¯ve been staring unconsciously for a while now.¡± ¡°Really, I¡¯m fine! I probably need some sleep.¡± ¡°Sure looks like it. You¡¯ve been losing focus a lot lately. Anyways, come on, let¡¯s go meet up with Jen¡¯s parents.¡± I nod and follow Kin into the camp. But the moment we step into the campsite, people already begin to surround us. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Kin?¡± A person questions. ¡°It¡¯s Kin!¡± Then all of a sudden, there are cheers. Everyone begins to cheer as they group up around Kin and me. However, within these cheers of celebration, ¡°Who¡¯s that kid next to him?¡± I knew something like this would happen. Oh well, I like to stay the mysterious type anyway.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Kin continues walking through the camp, looking around as people wave and shout for his return. He keeps searching until he finally finds them. ¡°Mr. Irian! Mrs. Irian!¡± The couple¡¯s cat ears twitch, and they turn around from what they are doing to see Kin carrying someone important to them. The black-eared cat known as Mr. Irian and the pink-eared cat known as Mrs. Irian stare in shock as if their promise has been completed. ¡°Kin! Jen!¡± The couple yell and they both run up to Kin. They hug him along with the unconscious Jen, who still has that goofy red face. They both tightly hug them until Kin takes a step back and lends Jen to her parents. ¡°As promised,¡± Kin smiles, ¡°Jen.¡± The parents begin to tear up and accept Kin¡¯s offer. They both put Jen in the middle of their hold, then cuddled around her. Then a second later, they both cry out. Kin smiles at this as people around the area begin to turn to see the scene that is currently happening. However, many of them turn back to what they were doing as it seems it''s already being handled. Kin turns around and looks like he was about to talk to me until... ¡°I see you¡¯re back, Kin.¡± ¡°N-N¡­¡± Kin quickly turns his body to his left with a terrified face, ¡°Nisuki-Sensei!¡± As he yells that, Nisuki slaps him in the face with one of her tails, sending Kin flying. I watch with everyone that just confronted this situation as Kin flys straight into one of the tents. The tent itself collapses as Kin slams into one of its balancers. For some reason, I wanted to laugh for a moment but knew that was a bad idea. Nisuki walks towards the red-cheeked Kin and picks him up by his tail with one of her own. Kin struggles savagely but stops as Nisuki hugs him. ¡°You idiot!¡± ¡°S-sensei?¡± Kin looks confused but isn¡¯t any longer, as he sees tears coming down Nisuki¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Y-you don¡¯t know how many times I¡¯ve prayed that you¡¯ll return¡­.¡± ¡°Sensei¡­¡± Nisuki kissed Kin on the forehead. Kin¡¯s face turns entirely red. ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t do anything risky like that again! You hear me!?¡± ¡°Y-yes, sensei!¡± The two kitsunes smile at each other. I continue to watch this family reunion as if it''s a movie until hearing another person call out to Kin. ¡°Kin!¡± Kin turns his head, as another person he most likely knows runs through the crowd and unto Kin. Most of the males get nose bleeds simply by looking at her. She is gorgeous, even with that small body of her¡¯s. ¡°Sister!?¡± The girl who is just as big as Kin lands him with arms opened wide. ¡°Kin!¡± The girl yells his name again with joy. She gives Kin a big hug that looks like it''s filled with love. ¡°B-big sister Aruko!?¡± Kin yells in confusion. He tries to balance himself but fails and then falls crashing to the ground. The girl¡¯s seven golden fox tails flail around wildly as she hugs him. Her similar red eyes stare straight into Kin¡¯s eyes as she sits up on top of his belly. Her golden hair softly moves with the wind, and her fluffy ears twitch as her almost perfect aura shines the atmosphere brightly, as she is one of the most beautiful and cutest girls everyone has ever seen. At least in my perspective. Aruko smiles as her red-colored kimono, compared to Nisuki¡¯s, has a shorter skirt that exposes most of her rosy white legs. Otherwise, most of her kimono looks about the same. Aruko tilts her head, ¡°You¡¯ve come back.¡± Kin¡¯s eyes stare at Aruko widely until, ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m back, big sister.¡± Aruko giggles in response and gets off of him. Kin sighs as he stands up and dusts his back. ¡°So,¡± Aruko begins to ask, ¡°did this masked boy help you by any chance?¡± Kin''s body twitches, and he begins to sweat. Then all of a sudden, everyone¡¯s gaze is fixed on me.
Well¡­ this isn¡¯t good. One moment everyone was celebrating Kin¡¯s return. Now all their attention is on me. I stand silently, not reacting to everyone¡¯s sudden stares at me. But, of course¡­ ¡°Aden!¡± Everyone turns their gaze to the person who yells my name, but most of them stand in shock, as the person who yells it out is no other than Nisuki. Then suddenly, one of Nisuki''s green tails shoots out and immediately wraps around me. I knew it was coming, but I also knew I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. So I just stood and did nothing. When the tail finish wrapping around me, it pulls me to Nisuki at dangerous speeds. Before my face would land on her breasts, another tail swipes away the mask I had on. Then just like that, my face is stuffed into Nisuki breasts. Nisuki giggles as she hugs me tightly. Aruko stares in shock, but Kin¡­ ¡°Nisuki, stop! If you keep doing that, you¡¯ll suffocate Aden to death!¡± Kin tries to help me, ¡°GAH!¡± But instead of supporting me, one of Nisuki¡¯s eight tails slaps him away, and he is sent flying¡­ again. Then crashes into a tent¡­ again. Well, in my imagination, at least, since I can''t see a damn thing! ¡°Ahh¡­ Aden ~ ?. I missed you!¡± Nisuki says with a blushing smile. She then proceeds to hug my body harder. ¡°It¡¯s only been half a day.¡± I tried to say bluntly, but all that comes out is mumbling. ¡°Nisuki-san,¡± Aruko asks out loud while walking towards Nisuki. ¡°Yes, Aruko-chan?¡± Nisuki questions while putting most of her focus on me. ¡°May I ask? Who is... that person?¡± ¡°Oh! Excuse me.¡± Nisuki coughs to herself with a blush, still keeping my head entirely into her breasts. ¡°This is one of Lilith-chan¡¯s entertainers.¡± ¡°Lilith? Why is she here?¡± Aruko questions, sounding irritated about hearing her name. ¡°Isn¡¯t she supposed to be destroying important key points of the Northern Region?¡± ¡°She came from Lexigon. That was where she picked up this cute little dragon ~ ?.¡± ¡°Dragon?¡± ¡°Mind showing them, Aden-kun?¡± Nisuki finally lets go of me; that is when everyone sees my face. I take a deep breath of fresh air as I''m released from her iron-bending hug. ¡°That hug was a lot longer than usual, Nisuki. And what¡¯s with the Kun thing? Why did you add it at the end of my name?¡± However, the moment I ask those questions, I begin to hear many girlish screams. I blankly blink for a few moments, feeling rather annoyed as I listen to boys, girls, women, and even men talk and whisper about me. I turn around, walk to my stranded mask, pick it up, dust it off, and wear it again. I did a heavier sigh than before, then, ¡°Morph.¡± Everyone around me watches in awe as some parts of my body begin to change. After a few seconds, my morph is finished. I put up my clothing sleeves, exposing more of my morphed body with some human features. Everyone stands in silence until Aruko responds, ¡°This looks like a lizard, but it feels more dreadful than a simple one¡­ So, he really is part-dragon.¡± Then a sirene voice is heard behind Aruko, ¡°...A young one, it seems as well.¡± I widened my eyes as my Natural Instincts pierced at my very soul, filling it with dread. Just behind Aruko is another beautiful girl. Aruko turns around, ¡°Oh, Sensei Jun! I see you¡¯ve woken up.¡± Jun smiles as her similar color, but a bit paler, skin nearly touches Aruko¡¯s. ¡°Yes, I assume Kin¡¯s return is what made the crowd here. Besides the crowd, however, I''ve sensed something strange, so I have come to investigate.¡± Jun looks about a few years older than Aruko, but even if she did, most of her body looks like it isn¡¯t fully developed, as her breasts still look pretty flat. Her thick eyebrows were this one big circle until they made a curve to opposite ends, almost like a falling teardrop. She has long, white twin-tail hair that goes all the way down to her kneecaps. Wrap to a strand of her hair on the left side is a weird, thick, and silver string with fluffy white balls hanging down from both ends of the odd, metal-colored line. Jun also wore the same kimono as Nisuki, except hers is white, but it also seems looser. Making her clothing look easier to move around in. She is bigger than me, not too big since the top of my forehead stops near her eyes. Her eyes seem to be closed as well, like Nisuki¡¯s, but I feel like¡­ there is a bigger reason why her eyes are closed. Is she blind? Or is there a bigger reason? Not only that, she didn¡¯t have fox ears or tails. Is she a different type of species? Or is she hiding it? It didn¡¯t matter. What did moment is when she appeared. The moment she did, dread instantly filled me to the point of forgetting she is an ally. It is... the same feeling when my skill first detected Lilith. Is she as strong as Lilith? Jun¡­ who is she? What is she? Jun shifts her head and looks towards one of the destroyed tents, ¡°I know you¡¯re still conscious, Kin.¡± Kin rises out of the tent. ¡°Looks like I can¡¯t fool you.¡± Kin awkwardly laughs. ¡°Don¡¯t insult me. It will take many decades for you to conceal yourself from me. I suggest you stop trying to hide from me. You¡¯re not an assassin.¡± Ow, that gotta hurt. ¡°O-ok, sensei.¡± Jun sighs. I stare at Kin as Jun did so. So Kin has two masters, weird¡­ wait does sensei mean master? Anyways, why does he have two masters? Not only that, Aruko called her Sensei Jun, could Jun be¡­ ¡°Now then¡­¡± Jun makes the same smile as she did when she first arrived, then turns back to me. ¡°I sense an attractive and brave aura about you. Must be the reason why Nisuki took such a liking to you.¡± Nisuki turns to Jun with a rather red face. Jun giggles a bit, ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, this intense aura attracts me as well.¡± I blankly stare at her as she faces me. ¡°However,¡± Jun begins, ¡°that isn¡¯t the only thing that piques my interest.¡± Jun takes her first step in my sights, but the moment she does, she instantly appears right in front of me as if a blur. Making me take a step back in surprise. The moment I did, Jun takes a sniff. She nods, ¡°Yes, you smell like a new-born dragon. Not only that, you contain a similar scent to hers...¡± ¡°Lilith?¡± I question out loud. However, the moment I answer her question, dread instantly fills me again. Before I noticed, I feel a very sharp blade touching and piercing a bit of my neck. I pause as the girl I thought was my ally is pointing a weird but dangerously sharp weapon at me. It looks... like a katana. Wait... what''s a katana? This is my first time seeing such a sword. Her eyes are still closed, but I can sense them looking at me threateningly. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say her name!¡± Jun, all of a sudden, begins to breathe heavily, ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll make her pay for harming one of my students!¡± But the moment Jun says that, she pauses. ¡°O-OH!¡± Jun is a few steps away in a blink of an eye, and the blade she wields is no longer in sight. Jun coughs a few times awkwardly, ¡°My apologies¡­ that was childish of me.¡± For the first time in all my life¡­ I¡¯ve never sweated this much in fear, at least. Jun returns her usual smile. ¡°Please forget what I just said.¡± That isn¡¯t as easy as it sounds.
Your Natural Instincts has ranked up to Rank A! +3 PER
Chapter 16: Forgotten Memories I ¡°I¡­ have a lot of questions¡­.¡± I say, shaking my head as I finally calm down. ¡°You¡¯re the curious type, I see.¡± Jun nods to this with a smile. ¡°To apologize for inappropriately threatening you, I¡¯ll answer your questions.¡± ¡°No fair Jun-sensei! I want to answer Aden-kun!¡± Aruko whines suddenly. Is my name officially Aden-kun or something? ¡°Jun-sensei,¡± Nisuki raised a hand, ¡°I would like you to permit me to answer Aden-kun instead of Aruko-san. This is my second time meeting him, so I know a better way about answering his questions.¡± Nisuki immediately responds. Wait, Jun is Nisuki¡¯s sensei as well? Not only that, what¡¯s the big deal about meeting me twice!? ¡°...You sure got a nice group of friends suddenly,¡± Kin says bluntly to me. ¡°Trust me. I hate myself more than you hate me.¡± I return sharply as the word, Charisma, comes to mind. It is midnight and in a random tent near the center of the large campsite, but it is a bit towards the northeast. Jun, Aruko, Nisuki, Kin, and I are all talking. In the large tent itself, there isn¡¯t much. The ground is mostly made up of grown grass, and the thin wooly walls the tent has are entirely see-through, allowing us to see demi-humans walk by. In the middle of this manufactured tent, the only thing is a long wooden table with six wooden stools. At first, it''s Nisuki introducing me to Aruko and Jun. Then all of a sudden, it''s Nisuki and Aruko arguing about who should answer my questions. When did answering my question become a big thing? Well, anyways, when Nisuki introduced me, Jun nodded happily, but Aruko¡­ kind of had trouble trying to calm herself down in front of me. I can see that she''s struggling to keep herself from jumping at me. I understand. I know the culprit to your excitement. I¡¯m looking at you, Charisma. Jun listens carefully as she hears Nisuki and Aruko continue their none-ending argument. It is a few seconds later, ¡°Nisuki. Aruko.¡± The two immediately stop arguing and look in Jun¡¯s direction. ¡°It seems you two have forgotten what the word maturity means. I suggest you two go out and calm yourselves for now. You too, Kin, don¡¯t think I haven¡¯t heard you talk bluntly to Aden.¡± The three do as ordered, and all walk out of the tent. Jun smiles and turns to me while sitting on a stool across the table. The way she sits looks very elegant. ¡°Now that the disturbances are gone¡­ Ask me any question, Aden.¡± I smile and begin to spill my mind out. ¡°Alright, first, isn¡¯t this campsite¡­ a bit too revealing? All this light is bound to attract attention." ¡°We use charms of illusion.¡± ¡°Charms? Like-¡± ¡°No, not that kind of charm.¡± Jun points a finger up, and a weird, long piece of paper fades into existence upon doing so. ¡°This kind of charm.¡± ¡°That just looks like something you use to ward off spirits.¡± Jun pauses upon me saying this. It takes her a while until she questions, ¡°...Have you seen these before?¡± ¡°Oh! No, this is my first time seeing something like this! Anyways, you use those to hide this place?¡± ¡°Of course, this is one of many charms, the charm of illusion. All of these were specially created by Nisuki to help hide this campsite. However, I do question myself as to how you¡¯ve assumed that this was a ghost warding charm even though this is your first time seeing it.¡± ¡°I-It was a total guess, really. Never mind that, hmm¡­.¡± I look closely at the charm that Jun now holds. It looks like this long piece of paper with weird symbols all over it. It is no doubt, however, that this has weird writing on it¡­ Since the players, from what I heard, speak an entirely different language, it''s most likely that they have completely different writing. ¡°This is another total guess, but¡­ is that the writing people known as players use?¡± ¡°Correct, this is a type of writing known as Kanji. Please take your time looking at it.¡± Jun holds it out to me. I gladly did what she allowed me to do, and I took a really close look at it. The writing seems weird, very weird compared to the writings Charles teaches me. If Charles were to see this, I wouldn¡¯t doubt that he¡¯ll try to study it for hours on end. After a few seconds of looking at an abnormal paper, I put my gaze away from it. ¡°Ok, next question. Nisuki and Aruko call you sensei. Does that mean teacher? If so, why do they call you that?¡± ¡°Yes, it does mean teacher. And the reason why they call me teacher¡­ is something you¡¯ll learn later on. I¡¯m surprised. Every guess you have done so far seems to be accurate.¡± ¡°I guess I¡¯m a good guesser. Alright, third question, what is a player?¡± The last question made me more curious, but I decided it was probably best not to dwell in someone¡¯s past. Especially when we both just met each other. ¡°That is a question many people from the north ask me,¡± Jun says annoyingly with a disappointed gesture. ¡°...I¡¯m sor-¡± ¡°Don¡¯t apologize.¡± Jun sits up and pats my head from across the wooden table. ¡°It¡¯s normal. I don¡¯t mind answering this question to millions of people. Especially you, Aden. A student like you is what makes teaching fun.¡± I make a happy expression. Jun then sits back down with her usual smile. ¡°I¡¯ll answer your question. The name, player, was a made-up name. It was a title made up by the humans of many races after the Grand Befall.¡± ¡°Grand Befall? And you are saying that the players are humans?¡± ¡°The Grand Befall, a disaster twenty years ago that shook the entire continent of both worlds, causing a strange and large anomaly that transported parts of many continents to the Eastern Region. And yes, the players are human.¡± ¡°They are humans¡­ are they all human?¡± ¡°No, not all of them are human. Many of them used to be.¡± ¡°Demi-species?¡± ¡°Yes, upon entering this world, their very bodies are completely altered. Some turned into the opposite sex, some turned into different races, and some aged younger¡­ it was such a sudden change.¡± ¡°...Were you a part of it?¡± I wait for Jun to answer until, ¡°No, I¡¯m not a part of it.¡± ¡°Wait, what? Aren¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m from the eastern region, but I¡¯m born in this world.¡± ¡°But¡­ I assumed you were since you¡¯re Nisuki¡¯s and Aruko¡¯s teacher.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯ve only first met them after the Grand Befall. I didn¡¯t volunteer to be their sensei.¡± I stare at Jun for a moment until asking, ¡°You¡­ are a kitsune, right?¡± Jun doesn''t answer. Silence begins to envelop the entire room. ¡°You¡¯re a demi-human?¡± Again, Jun doesn¡¯t answer. Obviously, the morph skill doesn¡¯t work unless the person has two types of bodies within them, or¡­ they are multi-race. I shake my head, ¡°Sorry, I went into something I shouldn¡¯t be in.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°It is fine.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back to what we were originally talking about. Did Nisuki and Aruko get affected by the Grand Befall?¡± Jun shakes her head, ¡°Fortunately, no. The only people affected by the Grand Befall are the players, or you can say, humans. Many concluded that the reason why they were the only ones affected was that they were weak. It was thanks to the Grand Befall that people who were originally humans aren¡¯t weak anymore.¡± ¡°Some of them are still human, though, right?¡± ¡°Correct, it was mostly due to some of them being extremely strong for their generation. However, some are weak but stay human. Of course, some parts of them aren¡¯t the same before they entered this world.¡± ¡°What type of strength are we talking about?¡± ¡°Any type.¡± As she finished her response, I went into deep thinking. This is a huge surprise for me. When I first heard that one of the players defeated General Marcos in one swing, I thought of them as demi-humans like me¡­ or worse. To think they were just human like me¡­ wait, was the player who defeated General Marcos a human? ¡°Another question, do you happen to know a player that defeated General Marcos? This region''s strongest warrior?¡± ¡°I do happen to know. The player¡¯s name is Yuuki Haru. One of the humans who wasn¡¯t affected by the Grand Befall. She is the strongest duelist of the Eastern Region and a kind one too.¡± I look back up at Jun. ¡°Ok, next question, those eyes of yours,¡± I ask as I look straight at Jun¡¯s closed eyes. ¡°Is there a reason why you close them?¡± ¡°Hmm? You think there is a reason why I keep my eyes closed?¡± ¡°Yes, I feel like you aren¡¯t blind.¡± Jun stays silent for a few seconds¡­ until responding, ¡°When I open my eyes, I see images.¡± ¡°See images?¡± Doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re just drunk? ¡°Weird as it sounds¡­.¡± Jun responds as her voice slowly becomes dreadful. ¡°The moment I open my eyes in front of my enemies¡­ I begin to feel emotionless.¡± ¡°Emotionless?¡± It sounds similar to that orb within me. ¡°What are those images you see?¡± ¡°Time.¡± ¡°Time? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I begin to see images of myself in the future as if time is guiding me to a certain path.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m confused.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s hard to describe it.¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to fight you or anything.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± I swing my legs up and down as we are now on my last question. ¡°Ok, the last question, how¡­.¡± I take a moment preparing myself. ¡°How¡­ is it at the east? Is it ok?¡± Jun nods. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s always full of life. Upon every wake of a day, you¡¯ll always see the streets of the eastern towns filled with people. Everyone is constantly trying their best to live out their lives.¡± ¡°If¡­ a friend and I were to go to that place¡­.¡± I clench my hands. ¡°Will we be fine?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Jun answers with a smile. ¡°The Eastern Region is home to many. Having you go there will surely make everyone here happy.¡± I make a bright smile of satisfaction, ¡°Thank you!¡± Jun giggles, ¡°There is no need to thank me. I haven¡¯t done anything. All I did is say you can go to the Eastern Region.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± I laugh nervously, ¡°It gives me hope.¡± Jun continues to giggle but stops suddenly as she turns her head towards the entrance to this tent. ¡°Unbelievable¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I look at Jun, who jumps off her stool and face towards the entrance of this tent, then in a blink of an eye, she vanishes. At that same moment, there are screams on the other side. It took me a while before I realized those screams were Aruko¡¯s and Nisuki¡¯s. As I stare at the direction Jun last stared at, I see three shadows. Two are butt fallen to the ground, while one is standing, looking down at the two. I sit up from my stool and begin walking towards the three shadows. But, the moment I went outside the tent¡­ ¡°This is unbelievable¡­.¡± ¡°Our apologies, sensei!¡± Both Nisuki and Aruko yell out as they are on their knees with their heads nearly touch the ground along with their hands. ¡°Has Aden¡¯s attractive aura also made you two dumber?¡± The two didn¡¯t answer. Jun sighs in frustration, ¡°How disappointing. I didn¡¯t expect you two of all people to grow dumber due to love. You both know it¡¯s impossible to hide your presence against me.¡± ¡°Our apologies!¡± Aruko and Nisuki apologize again. On keep my gaze on the scene as Aruko and Nisuki continue to apologize to Jun. I continue to watch in curiosity at this uncomfortable situation until I ask out loud, ¡°May I ask another question?¡± ¡°What may it be, Aden?¡± Jun questions, as she is still looking down at Aruko and Nisuki. I make a huge yawn before saying, ¡°Is there any place I can sleep at? I¡¯m¡­ getting tired.¡± Aruko¡¯s and Nisuki¡¯s bodies twitch as I say this. Jun shakes her head in annoyance when she looks like she notices their bodies twitch through the sensation of the ground and then turn to me. ¡°It¡¯s been a rather interesting session, Aden. I¡¯m looking forward to answering your questions. If you want,¡± Jun continues, ¡°I can make you one of my students, that¡¯s if you¡¯re interested.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. It¡¯s been fun having you answer my questions, Jun.¡± Jun nods in agreement to this and looks back down at the two kitsunes. ¡°Aruko. Nisuki. I¡¯d like you two to find a place for Aden to sleep.¡± ¡°Yes! Sensei!¡± The two answer at the same time. They both stand up and immediately surround me. ...I regretted what I asked
A minute later¡­
¡°So Aden, how do you like it here?¡± Nisuki asks while holding my left hand. ¡°I like it. It reminds me a lot of home.¡± I answer as I look up at the night sky. ¡°We¡¯re glad you like it here,¡± Aruko responds gladly with a smile while holding my right hand tightly. Somehow, they both agreed and decided to hold one of my hands individually. So here they are, Nisuki holding my left hand while Aruko the other. ¡°How far are we from the tent?¡± I ask, in desire for sleep. ¡°About another minute,¡± Aruko answers. I sigh then decide to go into deep thinking and find a way to communicate with the beings within me. I need to find a way to communicate with them. If I do, I could probably find out about things that I didn¡¯t know about myself. Heck, they could probably teach me some skills if they could. But for now, I need to worry about the invasion. Tomorrow, the demi-humans will start planning out on how to attack Baricka, and it¡¯s most likely I¡¯m going to be a part of it. I¡¯ve already shown many that I¡¯m a special kind of monster, so it¡¯s most likely they¡¯ll either put me in a special force or in the frontlines, where I¡¯ll be cushioning the damage the backline could¡¯ve taken. Either way is fine by me since I¡¯ll be killing-¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t really know myself anymore. The orb within me has changed me in ways that can be¡­ fearful. I mean¡­ why am I now realizing that I¡¯m about to get my first human kill? Am I doing the right thing? ...Yes, I am doing the right thing. I¡¯m about to kill people who protected this so-called slave trade. If I do that, we¡¯ll be able to reunite thousands of families. Not only that, we¡¯ll kill every single corrupted bastard that agreed to this damn slave trade. Upon me thinking this, my body begins to heat up, as if something has been unlocked, and behind that locked door was a room full of flames. What I¡¯m doing¡­ those I¡¯m about to kill¡­ I begin to stumble a bit, making me struggle to walk properly. Is the right- ¡°Why!? Why did you guys join the unit!?¡± I blink wildly, then turn my gaze to the direction the yell came from. "What¡­ was I thinking?" I think to myself as I realize I am about to doze off. It takes me a while to realize as well, we¡¯ve stopped walking. ¡°Didn''t you promise that you wouldn¡¯t join if I save Jen!?¡± Kin yells out. ¡°Things¡­ have changed Kin, we can¡¯t just stand by while everyone else is still trying to save their loved ones.¡± Jen¡¯s dad, known as Parker, answers with a worried face, along with Jen¡¯s mother, Annabell, right behind him with the same kind of expression. Kin clenches his teeth, exposing some of his sharp teeth. ¡°But if you two go, you¡¯ll both die! What will happen to Jen then!? Are you two just going to leave her!? After all, she has been through!?¡± Nisuki lets go of my left hand and starts walking towards the enraged Kin, ¡°What is happening here?¡± But even if Kin could clearly hear Nisuki¡¯s voice¡­ ¡°You two promised me!¡± ¡°Kin, stop!¡± Nisuki yells out, but even if she did¡­ Kin begins walking towards Parker, ¡°You promised me you two wouldn''t join!¡± ¡°Kin, stop it!¡± Before Kin could get any closer to the couple, one of Nisuki''s green tails immediately wraps around Kin¡¯s belly and then slowly drags him away. ¡°Nisuki! Let go of me!¡± Kin yells out in rage. ¡°Kin!¡± Aruko yells out as she lets go of my right hand. ¡°Please, Kin! Stop!¡± ¡°Shut it, Aruko!¡± Aruko pauses as if being punched in the stomach. Tears begin to creep down from her eyes. ¡°I saw it!¡± Kin yells out, ¡°You two saw it too! Didn''t you! Jen was crying while asleep! She was crying while calling out for you!¡± ¡°What¡­ is happening?¡± Kin freezes, along with everyone else¡­ A familiar-looking cat girl stands behind her parents. ¡°J-Jen! Why are you out of bed!?¡± Annabell questions in a panicky manner. She goes over to Jen, who is still wearing that summer-looking, white dress and looks barely conscious as if she just woke up from a nightmare. ¡°Kin¡­ why are you yelling?¡± Kin doesn¡¯t answer. All he can do is sadly look in her direction. ¡°Kin?¡± ¡°Come on, Jen,¡± Annabell insists, ¡°You need to go to bed.¡± ¡°Mama¡­ Papa¡­¡± Parker walks up¡­ and looks down at Jen with a gentle smile. ¡°What is it? Jen?¡± ¡°Are you two going somewhere?¡± Jen asks while looking up at her father. ¡°...Yeah, mama and papa are going somewhere.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± Jen¡¯s father kneels silently¡­ until finally answering¡­ ¡°A place, Jen¡­ A place¡­ where mama and papa are going to become heroes.¡± I stand and stare silently¡­ as the first word, I think upon hearing what Jen¡¯s father says, Liars... Chapter 17: Forgotten Memories II ¡°What do you long for? Child?¡± I don''t answer. All I stand emotionlessly, not answering his every question while standing on deep waters that didn¡¯t seem deep at all. The black entity in front of me only smiles, as it is the only thing I see characteristic about it while being in its domain. Without any characteristics or facial features, the unknown black entity only stands in place, looking down at me while only asking one question repeatedly, ¡°What do you long for? Child?¡± Just like before, I don¡¯t answer. I was too traumatized as to what I¡¯d heard. I didn¡¯t want to believe it. No, I never wanted to believe it. I¡¯ve always thought about my mama and papa as parents who are unbeatable, untouchable, unbreakable, but thanks to those two men, the belief I once had in my parents disappeared. I continue to stand emotionlessly, not knowing what else to do now, until¡­ the black entity finally asks, ¡°What¡­ is your wish? Child? Do you¡­ seek vengeance? Or¡­ do you seek guidance?¡± Of course, I was young during this time. I didn¡¯t know a single thing it said, but somehow¡­ I felt like I knew what the thing was actually saying. And so I finally asked, ¡°You¡­ can grant wishes?¡± I asked while finally looking up at it. ¡°Yes, child.¡± The thing responded. ¡°Now tell me, what is your wish?¡± I stare down at the deep waters below and think for a moment¡­ until finally looking up and wish for something. Something... I didn¡¯t expect to ever answer, especially for my age. ¡°I wish¡­ for you to help me kill every single person that killed my parents.¡± The thing makes the widest grin it had ever done, and the terrain turns blood red completely, ¡°Your wish¡­ is granted. Child.¡± I lose consciousness the moment it answers.
I wake up, lying on a normal mattress bed between a naked Nisuki and Aruko, still asleep. Their tails stay wrapped all around me, making it feel like the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in. My arms are also taken as they both hug them, making me unable to move around and not able to get out of bed. I stare at the bright cloth ceiling of the tent for a few moments until finally, slowly but surely, shaking my way out of their holds. However, the moment I try doing so, their tails tighten their grips. Making it more impossible, not only that, much harder to breathe. I proceed to stare at the ceiling again silently. For some random reason, I feel like I¡¯ve done this many times before, but this is the first time I had two females hold me down while they are sleeping. So I have no idea as to how I felt like this had happened before. I sigh after a few minutes pass. I then try to communicate with the beings within me and wait until the two wake up.
One hour later¡­
¡°Good morning, Aden-kun ~ ?!¡± Both Aruko and Nisuki say with a yawn. ¡°Good morning¡­¡± I respond tiringly. I tried many ways to communicate with my so-called inner beings. I tried sleeping for a short moment, nothing happened. I tried talking to them in my head, nothing happened. I tried to talking to myself out loud, but not loud enough to wake up Aruko and Nisuki, nothing happened. It had gotten to the point where I just gave up and waited for the two to wake up. I stay silent for a moment, waiting for them to get off of me, but when they continue to lay there for a while, ¡°Can you two get off of me, please?¡± The two unwrap their tails around me, then they both get off of the bed and begin dressing. I start to dress as well a minute later. It is a little weird, to be honest. When I begin changing out of my usual sleeping wear, Nisuki and Aruko are both staring at me. It felt familiar as to when Lilith stared at me when I was dressing up. It feels like they are hungry for something, and I didn¡¯t want to find out what they are hungry for.
Five minutes later¡­
¡°Is there a place where I can practice?¡± I asked. I wanted to do my daily training at least. Nisuki turns to me, ¡°Oh, yes, there is. Just head towards the middle of the campsite and begin heading towards the direction the sun rises from.¡± Nisuki answers. I nod and give Aruko and Nisuki a big smile before heading out. They giggle about something when I head out of the tent, but I want to practice more than find out. Alright. Middle¡­ middle¡­ this way! I begin to run in the direction but also begin to slow down right afterward. "¡­I forgot about my mask. Oh well!" I think with a carefree feeling. I then proceed to continue running. I take a few minutes jogging towards the middle, then when I begin to feel my legs warming up, I take it up a notch and start sprinting. As I do, people wave at me as I run past them. Of course, I wave back with a smile. Now that I think about it, I¡¯m feeling unusually happy and carefree all of a sudden. After what happened yesterday, I¡¯m confused as to how I¡¯m so happy. Is it because my negative emotions are suppressed? Or is there something still changing within my body? I don¡¯t really know at this point. I¡¯ve tried to keep track of my body, but it¡¯s gotten to the point where I barely know what is happening anymore. It didn¡¯t really matter at this point. I should¡¯ve just swallow everything instead of slowly chewing it. I know that the orb is suppressing my negative emotions, which could be why I feel so happy right now. I know that there are three inner beings within me and that there must be a way to communicate with them. There are so many questions that it has gotten to a point where it''s best to refresh my mind instead of stuffing it with more important and useless questions. I sigh while running. I might need to stop asking questions and just find the answers to every one of them. I shake my head from the thoughts, and when I do, I notice I am finally in the middle of this giant campsite, but what I see when I arrive¡­ is a bit weird. I stop sprinting and look around to see a huge wooden pillar with familiar symbols all over it, surrounded by small rocks that seem to all have names on them. I blink a couple of times at the weird place I''m in until I decide to investigate it. I walk up to one of the rocks and pick it up. I dust it and move it around to find the writings. ¡°Athen¡­¡± I say out loud as I read the writing on the small rock. ¡°That¡¯s the name of one of our leading commanders.¡± I turn around to see a familiar face. ¡°Kin.¡± ¡°What are you doing here? Need something?¡± Kin asks while his one golden tail sways around. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m just curious about what this is.¡± I ask curiously while looking up at the wooden pillar. ¡°This is a graveyard.¡± ¡°Graveyard?¡± ¡°Yeah, a graveyard of all the demi-humans who fought for freedom.¡± Kin replies as he begins to walk up to the wooden pillar. He stands in front of it and puts his right hand on it. ¡°What¡¯s the pillar for?¡± ¡°Unlike the rocks, this one is special.¡± ¡°Special?¡± ¡°Yup, under this wooden pillar is one of the greatest commanders of the demi-humans.¡± ¡°Was he that great?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Kin quickly responds as he turns around to see me, ¡°He fought three max-level adventurers on his own! But¡­¡± Kin turns back to the pillar and makes a deep sigh, ¡°Even though he fought three and killed them, when the fourth arrived, he was already so wounded.¡± ¡°Did he die after fighting the fourth?¡± ¡°He managed to make the fourth retreat, but when he did, he died on the spot due to heavy bleeding. It was thanks to one of the amulets his wife gave him that revived him. But all it did was keep him alive long enough to say what he wanted to say before he returned to the afterlife.¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°What did he say before he died?¡± I knew this was something I shouldn¡¯t dwell on, but I was too curious to think about what was wrong and right. Kin lightly smiles and answers, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve didn¡¯t keep my promise. So please, forgive me¡­ as I am a failure of a leader.¡± ¡°You sure know a lot, don¡¯t you?¡± I question as I keep looking at all the rocks. ¡°Well, I have been here for quite a while.¡± ¡°What have you been doing here?¡± ¡°Well, training and learning under Nisuki and Aruko.¡± ¡°Jun wasn¡¯t involved with your training?¡± I ask as I look up at him, still sitting butt-flat as I still hold two rocks. ¡°No, I¡¯m not strong enough to take Jun¡¯s way of training.¡± ¡°Not strong enough?¡± Now I¡¯m curious, damn it. ¡°Even Aruko and Nisuki have a hard time. If you and I were to start doing Jun¡¯s training, we''d probably die in the first day.¡± I look back down at the rocks afterward, not preceding to ask any more questions. It had been a minute later¡­ I look up out of realization. ¡°Oh! I forgot! I wanted to go to the training grounds!¡± ¡°You too?¡± I look up at Kin, who seems to have forgotten about training as well. ¡°Yeah, I usually train every morning and then go do whatever.¡± ¡°Want to come train with me? I¡¯m curious about how strong you are.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t regret it when I easily beat you?¡± I say with a cocky grin. ¡°Being it on dragon boy!¡± Kin returns with a similar grin. ¡°The training ground is where the sun rises! Want to race?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± I yell, with newfound energy rising within me. I quickly sat up, then got ready to run. ¡°Oh? Giving me a head start?¡± Kin questions while he is six steps ahead of me. ¡°You¡¯re going to need the handicap.¡± I smugly said. ¡°You better not regret it then! Three¡­¡± ¡°Morph.¡± My arms begin to burn as my skin is slowly replaced with red scales.
You have morphed! 11.025 damage!
¡°Two¡­¡± ¡°Morph.¡± My legs as well.
You have morphed! 11.025 damage!
¡°One!¡± ¡°Morph.¡± And finally, my chest area.
You have morphed! 11.025 damage!
¡°GO!¡± Then off we went. Kin and I race until we finally arrive at the training ground area.
Unseen Things: ¡°I want to take a bath!¡± Aruko complains aloud while face flat on the same table Jun and Aden last spoke across with. ¡°Don¡¯t forget Aruko. We still have to go to Jun and start our daily training,¡± Nisuki answers across the table. ¡°Why so much work more than usual!?¡± ¡°Keep your manners in check, Aruko.¡± Aruko sighs afterward, then looks calmly at Nisuki. ¡°Nisuki, it¡¯s almost time. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Nisuki sighs to this. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s almost time to invade Baricka.¡± ¡°Have you discussed the plan with the new Demi-Human leader?¡± ¡°Not yet. As of now, he¡¯s currently training some soldiers at the training grounds.¡± It is at this moment, Aruko and Nisuki freeze, then begin to giggle a bit later. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to go watch them train, right?¡± Aruko giggles as the first thing she thinks about is a certain boy. ¡°Agreed, let¡¯s go watch them.¡± Nisuki giggles as well. ¡°Oh? You two seem to have thought about something interesting. May I join?¡± Nisuki and Aruko quickly turn to their right, only to face someone they both knew very well. ¡°You¡­¡± Aruko growls. ¡°Why, who taught you to act like that to an old friend?¡± Lilith giggles, who is sitting on a wooden stool like Aruko.
¡°DAMN IT!¡± Kin yells in defeat. ¡°HAHA! I told you you needed that handicap!¡± I yell in victory. I raise my right fist to the sky, then fall flat on my butt and laugh. As I laugh happily, everyone in the training area stares at us confusingly¡ªsome of them part lizards, some wolves, cats, bulls, and so forth. The area is an entirely open space with some wooden dummies. There is another huge open space where people swing and practice their sword, spear, ax, and bow play. There are also wooden fences around the place itself that designate how big the training ground is. Of course, the fences didn¡¯t look well built, but it''s still something. Kin shakes his head as he breathes heavily, then stands up. ¡°Well, this is where everyone in this camp trains. You like it?¡± I take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down from all the energy still making me hyper, then look around. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Seen better, to be honest, but it is something to congratulate on.¡± Besides all the poorly built wooden dummies or whatnot, the weapons everyone uses seem well made, which made me question whether they somehow stole those weapons. But that is something unrelated. The only thing that doesn¡¯t seem important and weird is that everyone is staring at me. Again, not surprising. ¡°So, Aden, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Just simple stuff, get my body loose, swing my sword down many times, then¡­.¡± ¡°Train with somebody?¡± I turn to Kin, who is smiling. I smile back. ¡°Yeah, that too.¡± As I say that, a rough and powerful voice is heard, ¡°Haha! If it isn¡¯t Kin!¡± ¡°Commander Ithan!¡± Kin waves. I turn to the so-called commander, or otherwise the leader of the current Demi-Humans rebels. He is a huge lizardman whose entire body is covered with green reptilian skin. He still has many human features, but the only things he has that aren¡¯t human are these very sharp nails on his fingers and toes, a rather obviously huge lizard head, and a giant scaled tail. The weapon the commander holds on his left hand is a big, silver greatsword that seems almost as big as he is. It looks rather heavy as the commander himself struggles to hold it on the one hand but somehow manages, which isn¡¯t surprising overall since he looks very muscular. Commander Ithan wears this big silver chest plate that looks light, along with this clothy, brown skirt that hangs on this huge metal that surrounds his waist, all the way down to his kneecaps. Overall, he looks like a Roman gladiator, which I have no idea what that is. ¡°So Kin, is that your new friend that helped you?¡± Ithan questions as he looks down at me. ¡°Yeah, need something from him?¡± "Hmm..." He inspects me closely until concluding, ¡°I want to fight him.¡± Kin and I blink a couple of times, trying to register what he said, until finally realizing Ithan is challenging me. ¡°W-Wait, what?¡± Kin confusingly questions. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it clearly? I want to challenge him.¡± ¡°Y-You did, but why all of a sudden?¡± Ithan makes a big smile at this. ¡°Because I want to know how strong our new hero is!¡± ¡°Hero?¡± I question as I continue to stare at him confusingly. ¡°What, you don¡¯t know what the word hero means?¡± ¡°I mean I do¡­ but¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ feel like the hero here.¡± ¡°What do you mean, Aden?¡± I turn to Kin, who looks confused as well. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You helped me get out of Baricka, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Y-yeah, I guess.¡± ¡°Then there is no question about it. You¡¯ve saved my life. That¡¯s enough to call you a hero. Besides, it¡¯s not like you¡¯ve massacred an entire village before, right?¡± At that moment, a huge pain struck my head. I put my right hand on my forehead and face my head down. ¡°Aden? You alright?¡± "I-I''m fine!" I stared down at the ground with an unimaginable pain striking my head. Then a moment later, visions start to appear out of nowhere¡ªvisions of... death. I begin to see many things. People screaming, running, dying. Then... me killing them. It doesn''t take long before Ithan and Kin realize that I am in pain. They try to help me until they see someone approach us. The said person then comes up behind me and pokes my shoulder. Then all of a sudden, the pain disappears. I return to my senses to realize what just happened. I turn and look to see who helped me, but of course, it is... ¡°Oh, how weird it is to see you so down all of a sudden.¡± Lilith giggles, with Aruko and Nisuki behind them, looking worried. I shake my head and sigh. W-what was that?
I still remember¡­ The red that flood the gravel. The red that filled the skies. The red¡­ that embodied me. I didn¡¯t want to remember this time, the time when I carelessly killed an entire village. No, my home. I stand still, with a bloody knife at hand, while staring down at a lifeless body of a girl, who I had killed for no reason. I stared down at the dead girl emotionlessly for a few seconds until moving on. While behind me¡­ was a lifeless village that had next to no life in it. How long have I walked? How many have I killed? How¡­ did I lose everything all of a sudden? I didn¡¯t know. All I did was allow my body to do what it pleases, as I never had control over it ever since the news of my parents'' death. I didn¡¯t care at this point, all the death, all the confusion, all the screams, and pleas. I just¡­ stopped caring after the next fifty times I¡¯ve heard them all. That was¡­ until¡­
I slam my now dull knife into a gray wolf¡¯s skull. Instantly killing it while deep in a green forest, but the moment I do, another wolf jumps from behind and digs its teeth into my shoulder. But even if it does, I didn¡¯t scream or ravage around in pain. Instead, I slowly turn my head to the wolf, then instantly thrust my knife into its skull as well. I watch as the wolf quickly dies, then shove it away. I try to continue walking onwards¡­ until I fall to my knees, unable to move them. And before I knew it, I lost control over my entire body, and I fell face-first onto the ground. I lay there¡­ trying to move my body but to no avail. It was about two hours later¡­ ¡°Huh?¡± A white-haired boy stares down at my body, which lay still. ¡°H-hello?¡± The moment he says that my body budges, and the boy jumps out of surprise. It is then¡­ I use my arms and lift myself a little, then look up at him. ¡°A-are you ok.¡± I didn¡¯t answer. I stare at him as he looks at me worryingly. ¡°Those wounds! Not only that...¡± He stares at my heavy injured body¡­ which is covered entirely in blood. ¡°All¡­ that blood.¡± He shakes his head then quickly runs up to my body. ¡°Charles, little boy! Come out and stop running!¡± Charles turns to see many orange lights coming towards us. He then quickly turns to me. Charles lifts me, putting me on his back, then goes running further into the woods. It is during this time¡­ I lost consciousness. After that, I lost all of my memories of my home¡­ until Kin¡¯s question. Chapter 18: Forgotten Memories III ¡°H-hey! Hold still!¡± As Charles says this, he takes out a cloth, puts water on it, and then firmly presses it on my shoulder. I scream in pain as the bite mark from the wolf feels like spikes piercing my very soul. ¡°If you keep moving like that, you¡¯ll only open your wounds more. Stay still.¡± I do what he tells me and lay still, but even if I did, the pain still develops throughout my body, making it nearly impossible for me to do what he says. Tears crawl down my eyes as I struggle to keep my mouth shut from the intense pain. It is only an hour later, all the pain left, and I continue my emotionless gesture. I stare at the ceiling for a long while until turning my head and look at Charles, who most likely feels awkward about his current situation. ¡°Do¡­ you need something?¡± Charles struggles to say. ¡°Ch-Charles.¡± ¡°That is my name. What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°My¡­ name?¡± Charles nods. ¡°A-Aden¡­ I think¡­¡± ¡°You think, why so?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ remember.¡± ¡°What are the things you still remember?¡± ¡°My¡­ parents.¡± ¡°What are they like?¡± Charles says with a smile, most likely trying to drag the conversation. ¡°They are heroes¡­ they fight to protect everyone they love.¡± ¡°That sounds amazing. What are they doing now?¡± ¡°They¡­¡± I pause. ¡°They what?¡± ¡°They¡­ They¡­¡± My eyes widen in shock as an image of two uniformed men appears in my mind. ¡°They¡­ They¡­¡± ¡°Aden, are you ok?¡± ¡°They¡­ They¡­¡± ¡°Aden?¡± At that exact moment, I began coughing. I continue to cough until they get worse and worse, then I start barfing out blood. ¡°ADEN!¡± I lose consciousness.
I slowly opened my eyes to everyone in front of me talking. Kin is talking to Ithan while Aruko, Nisuki, and Lilith do the same with each other. I shake my head, coming out of what seemed like a trance. It happened again? Why does this keep happening? I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn to see Kin and Ithan. I blink curiously at them, "Hmm? You guys need something?" Ithan laughs, "Cmon! Don''t remember our match?" "Oh, right! Sorry, I think I dosed off there for a moment." "No worries!" Then Ithan begins to laugh out loud, again.
A moment later...
¡°Are you sure you want to use your primary weapon? You could use the spare swords we have.¡± Ithan questions, looking at me as I have one of my hands on the handle of my sword. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Besides, I prefer to use the same weapon.¡± I answer, knowing fully well that my weapon would not break that easily. Ithan and I stand in place, both of us facing each other as we are about ready to start our sparing. Kin, Lilith, and everyone are just outside the white circle that designated the space needed to avoid any harm from the two dualists. It is a moment later, Ithan goes into his battle stance. He spread his legs, his left in the back while the right on the front, making his shoulder pointing at me. He raises his right hand while clutching it and slightly covers his face as if it¡¯s a shield. All the while, he holds his greatsword with his left hand, the weapon itself pointing behind him. That stance, just looking at it, makes me realize Ithan isn¡¯t just an ordinary swordsman. Using one of his hands to cover him from the front while having his sword already in swinging position. Such a stance wouldn¡¯t be possible, that¡¯s if you¡¯re a human. Ithan wasn¡¯t. He¡¯s a lizardman. Having skin tough as iron, along with superhuman strength, a stance like this is perfect for Ithan. Heck, he could just change in and try to take advantage of the situation already. Even if I managed to counter him, with that one hand protecting him, the chances of me successfully punishing him wasn¡¯t that high. Just looking at him already makes me feel uneasy. I begin to draw my special sword. But I don¡¯t intend on losing. I draw my sword and go into my usual stance. But as I do, I pause¡­ and look at my sword, which isn¡¯t rusty anymore. Instead, it shines brightly, as the blade of the weapon looks sharper than any weapon I¡¯ve seen before. Not only that, the blade itself seems more extended than before, making it heavier than it ever was. But, this newfound weight didn¡¯t waver my confidence. Instead, it makes me feel even cockier than usual. I went out of stance and looked at my new sword in surprise. I turn to Lilith, which beside her is Kin, who has the same look as me, and give her a look saying, what did you do this time? Lilith smiles but answers with a shrug. But at that point, I remember. Always trust in your partner. I look back down at my sword, still wearing a surprise gesture. ¡°Eh, HUM!¡± I look up at Ithan, who went out of stance while his arms crossed. I shake my hand and go back in a fighting stance. Ithan smiles, then returns to his fighting stance. ¡°Remember the rules, right?¡± ¡°If you get out the designated line, having a blade touch you without any way of countering, or go unconscious, you lose.¡± Ithan nods, then we both go silent. We stand at our spots for another long moment¡­ until Ithan makes his first move. He charges at me aggressively, most likely intending to slam me with his right hand. I quickly raise my shiny sword above me and swing down as Ithan is about to ram me. In response, Ithan blocks my downswing with his wrist. He manages to stop it, but due to this newfound sharpness to my blade, it slit through his skin, making blood flow out.
Your opponent has stopped your attack with their arm! 40 damage!
However, this didn¡¯t seem to make Ithan waver. He slams his right foot down and swiftly raises and swings down his greatsword. Pushing me back to put me in his area of attack. The moment both my feet land on the ground, I jump to the right and successfully evade the swing. I roll on the dirt and quickly turn my body to face Ithan. As I do, I use my legs and bend them as it glides on the earth. By doing so, I immediately stop my momentum. Ithan turns his head at this moment, just to see me ready to jump straight back at him. ¡°Morph.¡±
Congratulations! Your Morph has ranked up to Rank 9! +2 END +1 WILL
The moment I chant this, I jump at Ithan at threatening speeds with my sword raised. I try to swing down and directly hit Ithan, but at that moment, he manages to evade my attack by jumping forward towards where his body faced, making me miss just by a hair. I panic as I¡¯m now about to fly past the line. I slam my legs down and use them to stop my momentum. And thankfully, it¡¯s just enough to stop to a point where my feet are nearly touching the line itself. However, this isn¡¯t the time to relax. I quickly turn, knowing my advantage, and run at Ithan. I lower my head and glide my sword from my right as I hold it with both hands. Ithan, who had finished turning towards me after stumbling for three seconds, put his guard up, ready to take anything from me. I keep running at him full speed until the very last moment before he¡¯s in my sword range. I slice upward with my blade. As I do, dirt on the ground goes upwards, going straight to Ithan''s face. Ithan covers his face entirely to keep the soil from hitting his eyes. And at the same time, he swings his sword to where I was, but the broad iron lands on nothing but earth. Ithan tries to turn, knowing full well I¡¯m most likely behind him. But all he sees¡­ is defeat before him as my blade is already pointing up at his neck. I smile, ¡°My win.¡± Ithan smiles as well, ¡°Yeah, you win.¡± Ithan and I take a deep breath then turn to everyone to see their reactions, but¡­ ¡°Aden¡­ Umm¡­¡± Kin struggles to say his question, as he was dumbfounded by this so-called sparing. ¡°What is it?¡± I question. ¡°You actually call that sparing!?¡± I take a step back in surprise. ¡°Huh? That isn¡¯t sparing?¡± ¡°Aden,¡± I turn to the Nisuki, who has a tiny drop of sweat coming down her forehead, ¡°What they call, what you two did, is an attempt of murder.¡± I widen my eyes. ¡°Really?¡± I question confusingly. I turn to Ithan, who only shrugs. At that moment, a female warrior walks up to Ithan and suddenly starts patching up his arm, which is bleeding. Kin takes a breath of relief, ¡°Sparing is just practicing for fun. If anyone were to watch you two fight, they¡¯d think you two are trying to kill each other.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I mean, a few people passed by and didn¡¯t mind us sparing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we were convincing them that you two are sparing!¡± I laugh nervously at this. ¡°A-Anyways, you want to spar with me, Kin?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass this time.¡± ¡°Aww, come on! Scared all of a sudden?¡± ¡°What!?¡± I turn around and half-jokingly snicker, having my back facing Kin. Everyone laughs as they see Kin jump onto me. I get taken by surprise and fall face-first into the ground. Everybody continues to laugh until Lilith questions, ¡°My, my. Aden, I didn¡¯t know you''re a sadist.¡± Everyone pauses, including me. While on the ground, I turn to Lilith and question, ¡°Sadist? What¡¯s a sadist?¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Lilith grins, ¡°Why, a sadist is-¡± ¡°Something you shouldn¡¯t know!¡± Nisuki yells out and wraps two tails around my head. Lilith giggles at this. ¡°Why, Lilith! Don¡¯t you try to corrupt Aden!¡± Nisuki worryingly yells out, not noticing that I can''t breathe. As all of that is happening, Aruko feels a tap on her shoulder. She turns to see Kin, who somehow managed to sneak out of that whole situation. Kin then asks, ¡°By the way¡­.¡± Kin points at Lilith, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±
Moments later...
¡°You¡¯re Lilith? My names Kin, nice to meet-¡± ¡°Oh, Kin Akame? The one I had to help save, but in return harm Aden? Yes, I know you very well.¡± Kin is taken aback by this. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Kin,¡± Aruko comforts, ¡°Lilith is always like this when one of her favorite toys gets harmed.¡± Kin returns with a weird out facial expression, ¡°T-toys? So Aden-¡± ¡°No,¡± I interrupt, ¡°All I am is an entertainer for her. I¡¯m nowhere near as close as a toy.¡± ¡°Aww¡­ Aden,¡± Lilith then clings onto my back, ¡°You¡¯re just saying this to avoid looking like you¡¯re embarrassed ~ ?.¡± I give up at this point and decide to ignore her. I, Lilith, and everyone else are walking towards the main tent, where it is said to be where they are planning our next attack with all the commanders, which is why Ithan is also part of this marching group. As we do, we all talk about things we¡¯ve heard and particular subjects that are within our minds at the moment, such as the plan against Baricka and how we are going to handle it. Right now, I¡¯m talking with Lilith, who is still clinging to me. ¡°So, how¡¯s Charles? Is he doing ok?¡± I question, still worried about Charles. ¡°Indeed, he is. His body is healing as we speak. If I were to say how long it will take until he recovers is when the invasion starts.¡± I turn my head in confusion about this. ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t you say that Charles¡¯s body isn¡¯t in good condition? How is he recovering so quickly?¡± ¡°Mostly due to one of my familiars healing him at the moment, he¡¯ll recover much quicker now.¡± ¡°...It¡¯s weird.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Lilith puts away her hands from me and steps in front of me, looking at my gesture of confusion. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°Why are you helping us all of a sudden? Didn¡¯t you say you wouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m enjoying this odd adventure of yours. It is rather surprising and impressive at the moment. I can see that you two are going to last for quite a while,¡± Lilith winks at me, ¡°So I decided to quickly heal Charles and see what crazy things you two will do next. I¡¯ve even given Charles a few gifts along with the staff.¡± ¡°Thanks, I guess?¡± I still look at her confusingly. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong. I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d ignore the deal and help you all the way. You two are to suffer and entertain me. All I¡¯m saying is that I¡¯m adding some surprise elements to this little adventure you two are having.¡± Lilith says with a light giggle. As she does, she walks to my right side and wraps her arms around my arm. ¡°So continue to do what you¡¯re doing. That is all I¡¯m going to say.¡± I blink at her for a moment until looking forward and continue walking to our destination. Surprise elements? What does she mean by that, and what did she do to Charles? Hopefully, nothing terrible¡­ As I think this, I see two shadows overlapping Lilith and me. I turn to see Nisuki and Aruko¡­ not happy with something. That is until I realized it¡¯s most likely due to Lilith hugging my arm. ¡°Lilith-chan, I¡¯m rather annoyed to hear you enjoy Aden¡¯s suffering.¡± Nisuki bluntly says as she doesn¡¯t seem to look happy about the entertainer thing. ¡°I see you¡¯ve never changed since then when you happened to make one of our students suffer.¡± ¡°My¡­¡± Lilith sneers to this. ¡°I see you two haven¡¯t cooled off since then.¡± Nisuki didn¡¯t seem to react to it, but Aruko, ¡°Of course we haven¡¯t. You¡¯ve nearly killed our top student. Even now, she¡¯s still recovering from the curse you put on her.¡± I turn to Lilith upon Aruko saying this, ¡°Curse?¡± Lilith giggles, ¡°Oh nothing, Aden. Just one of their students disturbing my fun time.¡± At that moment, an immense feeling of dread is felt behind me. Then I hear Aruko say, ¡°You mean disturbing the united council between the eastern tribes and the players!?¡± Absolute hatred is heard in Aruko¡¯s voice. Everyone stops in place and turns to Aruko. ¡°I did apologize, didn¡¯t I?¡± Lilith mocks, ¡°You should blame the players for attacking one of the east-southern castles. My father wasn¡¯t happy when he heard that the players had taken one of our hard-earned lands.¡± Aruko looked like she was about to walk up and punch Lilith until, ¡°Are you ok, Aruko? What are you guys talking about?¡± We all turn to see Kin, who seems worried about what¡¯s happening here. Nisuki pats Kin on the head. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing, Kin. We are just arguing here.¡± ¡°Oh! If I remember correctly,¡± Lilith speaks out as if adding more wood into the fire, ¡°Kin here is a friend with that top student, isn¡¯t he?¡± ¡°What do you mean? You know Natsumi?¡± ¡°Lilith, stop,¡± Nisuki interrupts, trying to disable the situation, ¡°You have done enough. Stop your sadistic acts or else¡­.¡± ¡°I know Nisuki,¡± Lilith admits, ¡°I know you¡¯ll call Jun if things were to go out of hand. And I¡¯ll admit that I won¡¯t be able to do anything with Jun''s interference, but it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll stop doing what I love to do. Do remember that Nisuki.¡± ¡°Yes, I will remember,¡± Nisuki smiles, ¡°so in return, you¡¯ll not make things harder for us, alright?¡± ¡°Agree.¡± The two begin to giggle with each other. Aruko looks at them suspiciously, ¡°You two cool off so quickly Nisuki, ever since you and Lilith met after she called off the attack against the players, you two started to become friends all so suddenly.¡± ¡°Of course, Aruko, do remember Lilith promised she¡¯ll find a way to cure Natsumi.¡± Aruko looks at Nisuki in shock, ¡°Wait, Nisuki, you mean¡­.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Nisuki smiles, ¡°Lilith is the one that¡¯s finding the cure.¡± Aruko frowns at Nisuki, ¡°I was curious about who the person might be. I didn¡¯t know it would be Lilith of all people. You should have told me sooner to whom it might be.¡± Nisuki pats Aruko, ¡°Well, I wanted to surprise you. At least Kin seems surprised about it.¡± She says disappointingly as Kin looks at Lilith with wonder. ¡°Y-you¡¯re the one finding the cure for Natsumi?¡± Kin asks, looking at Lilith as if she is the person of miracles. ¡°Yes, do you perhaps have a problem with it?¡± Lilith replies, returning a look of displeasure. Kin immediately puts both his knees to the ground and goes into a position I think is my first time seeing such a thing. He bends down his upper body and puts his hands down near his head that touches the ground, then speaks out, ¡°Please,¡± Kin pleads, ¡°continue to find the cure for Natsumi.¡± I look down at Kin for a moment, then turn to Lilith, who seems only more displeased. Lilith immediately continues to walk towards our destination. It catches me by surprise, and I almost trip before walking normally. Then Lilith says out loud, ¡°Best you save that apology for someone else, Kin.¡± It is a second later, and everyone continues to walk towards the main war tent. I continue to ignore Lilith, cuddling my arm until she says to me, ¡°My, it seems Charles is awake.¡± I turn to Lilith, who seems to be focusing on something. ¡°Is he ok?¡± ¡°He is. His body is healing quite quickly as well.¡± ¡°...Will he be joining this war?¡± It¡¯s most likely that Lilith heard my sudden worry. ¡°He will. He¡¯s your close childhood friend, after all.¡± ¡°I-I see.¡± ¡°Are you getting worried, Aden?¡± ¡°You can say that¡­ I¡¯m just beginning to realize what kind of situation I¡¯m in. I¡¯m most likely going to intentionally kill my first person, go through my first castle invasion, and¡­.¡± I sigh out loud and look up at the sky. ¡°I¡¯m dragging Charles into this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not dragging him, Aden,¡± I turn to Lilith, who is smiling at me, ¡°He¡¯s willingly following you. You don¡¯t need to worry about him. He has his own duty. So focus on the war Aden, so you can plan your way through it all and call it another day.¡± I look at her with astonishment, then return a smile. ¡°Yeah¡­ you¡¯re right. Thanks, Lilith. I feel more determined than usual.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Lilith giggles, ¡°I don¡¯t want my toy breaking itself after all.¡± Ok, that just ruined the conversation. I sigh at her sudden claim then return to just walking. We continue to walk for a moment until she lets go of my arm and sets herself in front of me. She makes a cute pose while walking backward and says, ¡°I need to go see to Charles¡¯s recovery. May the deity of destruction grant you the power to survive, my Aden.¡± Lilith lightly taps my forehead with a finger and then disappears without a trace. I was about to say goodbye, but she just left all of a sudden without giving me time to say anything. So I just follow the flow and continue to walk. I thought it was good and all since I didn¡¯t have someone clinging onto me until I felt two familiar beings behind me. Of fucking course! It¡¯s moments later that we all are in the main war tent, Nisuki and Aruko holding both my hands as we sat on neighboring wooden stools set next to the long table. Everyone is sat down and ready to go. A moment later, three people walk in, Jun and two other people, one being Ithan and another assumed to be the other commander. They sit at the opposite end of the table from me and near a map of Baricka. Jun positions herself comfortably, then declare out loud, ¡°Let us begin.¡±
Unseen Things: ¡°So the demi-humans returned, huh?¡± A man in a silvery suit armor says as he rides a griffin, a lion and eagle hybrid. He rides this majestic creature up in the skies, nearly touching the very clouds themselves. He does so along with five others, four of them his companions, while another volunteer to go. They fly towards Baricka, expecting to fight the same demi-humans who have been rebelling against the slave trade two years ago. ¡°Yeah, and I heard they have some super strong fighters there.¡± Another man responds, having an outfit fitting for a fighter class mainly using fist skills and abilities. The knight in silver armor turns behind him to see his companions in arms. One of his most trustworthy, a man with a fist as fast as lightning. Another, a young girl who is blessed with holy magic. Then the other two are a human archer who can snipe any creature from miles away and a mage very in-depth in elemental magic and trapping spells. The final, however¡­ ¡°So, by the way, who is the young lady at the very back?¡± The man in armor named William questions as he looks at the beautiful brown skin girl at the back. The girl has long black hair that seems to reach down to her knees and eyes the color of blood. She looks average in height for an adult woman, but the long armored black heels she wears on her feet make her look outrageously tall. And otherwise, she is just an ordinary but gorgeous woman. She looks slim, but not too much to make it look like a big deal and breasts that seem to fit the perfect girl image. To add to this perfect image, she wears a black skirt that seems a bit too short, almost as if you think you¡¯re about to see what¡¯s under that skirt but don¡¯t see anything but legs. She also wears an upper black armor set that looks light but feels as if they are unbreakable by any means. And almost covering that void armor is a long coat that reaches down to her knees. It has the same black void color as the rest of her clothing, but red outlines cross it. She also has parts of her void armor covering every joint of her body. Her kneecaps, feet, arms, shoulder joints, all of them covering as if protecting from all harm from the outside world. The young healer known as Mary answers, ¡°H-her name is Yami.¡± ¡°Huh, strange name. Is she from the far eastern or western part of Olimpia?¡± ¡°Most likely eastern, I¡¯ve seen a player with a similar-looking sword.¡± The elemental mage known as Julian answers as he stares at the long katana that looks about as big as Yami. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯ll be honest, not that long.¡± Willian gives Yami a long stare until asking, ¡°Is she allied to the players?¡± ¡°N-no.¡± Mary answers, ¡°she says she has no connections with them.¡± ¡°If I remember correctly, her sword style is called¡­ what is it?¡± The fighter known as Paul questions. ¡°It¡¯s called Blood Moon Arts. First I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± The archer, known as Asher, answers. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t trust her. Why is she following us anyway? Does she have something important to do in Baricka?¡± William suspiciously questions. ¡°She felt it.¡± Asher answers. ¡°Felt what?¡± ¡°A student. One who uses the same sword style and has potential that surpasses hers.¡± Aden''s Stats: Aden Haraldson: Race Currently: Dragonborn Age: 13 Years Old Guild: None Classes Currently: Draconic Warrior (Level 7) Vital Currently: HP: 1107.5 Rage: 100 Stamina: 1057.5 Stat Currently: Strength: 148 Intelligence: 90 Dexterity: 131 Agility: 138 Perception: 129 Endurance: 150 Willpower: 96 Faith: 0 Charisma: 860 Luck: 233 Skills and Masteries: Draconic Heavy Swing: (Rank B) Sword Mastery: (Rank 9) Critical Mastery: (Rank F) Evasion: (Rank A) Blood Moon Arts: (Rank 7) Parry: (Rank B) Block: (Rank B) Create Campfire: (Rank B) Natural Armor: (Rank A) Natural Senses: (Rank B) Morph: (Rank 9) Morph Overtake: (Rank F) Natural Instincts: (Rank A) Chapter 19: Forgotten Memories IV ¡°We¡¯re not killing any humans.¡± The very sentence that sent a certain chill within everyone. Jun, the master of the three kitsunes and most likely the strongest here, bluntly said this in response to Commander Nathan¡¯s plan. A plan to use an offensive formation against the castle walls of Baricka, slaughter the soldiers on the walls, occupy the walls as fast as possible, push towards the churches and take the civilians hostage against the max adventurers, that are estimated to arrive in three days. Everyone turns to Jun, who seems displeased with the plan Commander Nathan had displayed to us. Commander Nathan himself seems ultimately shocked by Jun¡¯s disagreement with his plan. It was a short moment, of course, that everyone stared at Jun¡¯s sudden interruption until Nathan, a demi-human with wolf features, questions, ¡°What do you mean, Master Jun?¡± ¡°Did my response confuse you, Commander Nathan? I said it and will repeat it. We¡¯re not killing any humans.¡± Nathan slams one of his hands against the war map, most likely frustrated about Jun¡¯s sudden sentence. ¡°Then what is the point of this war! Our goal is to save the people enslaved by these greedy-¡± ¡°Indeed, our goal is to save the enslaved. We shouldn¡¯t add side goals that involve more blood being spilled in this beautiful land.¡± ¡°How are we supposed to do so!? This is war, Jun. We can¡¯t save the people without blood being spilled! Sacrifices have to be made! Like it or not, this is an invasion we can¡¯t do without bloodshed!¡± ¡°Then do you perhaps want to become the very things the humans think of us?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that, Master Jun?¡± ¡°The humans think of us as savage, unintellectual beings meant to be enslaved and hated for many reasons. Reasons that are inhumane and thought up by others who want nothing but power. The people in Baricka are maybe following these reasons, but it doesn¡¯t mean many should be killed for following these beliefs.¡± ¡°What!?¡± Absolute hatred is heard within Nathan¡¯s voice. ¡°Are you saying we shouldn¡¯t kill them? They deserve to be killed! So many of our people were killed and enslaved due to do this very town!¡± ¡°So? They are blind sheep, Nathan. Sheep who are unintentionally following the wolf that is slowly feasting on them. Right now, the wolf is on its last prey. Don¡¯t you get it, Nathan? We are the last prey. We are blindly following the tune the wolf wants us to hear. To turn us into monsters it envisions us to be. Once we accomplish your plans, we¡¯ll be seen throughout the entirety of Olimpia as nothing but savages.¡± ¡°For saving our people? How are we going to be seen as savages instead of saviors?¡± ¡°They have their way, Nathan. The ones who desire power are already far up the food chain. Once they lie about us, many blind sheep are simply going to follow. It will not only harm demi-people from different regions and countries, but it will also harm the entirety of how people of many races see demi-people.¡± Nathan, who was enraged, calms himself then looks at Jun, ¡°Then tell us, Master Jun, what do we do? From the sound of your answers, I believe you have a plan for us, right?¡± He says this as he sits back in his usual spot and concentrates his sight towards Jun, already standing next to the war map. ¡°It is simple,¡± Jun smiles, ¡°We draw their gaze towards something more interesting, then do many things without them realizing.¡± ¡°Ah hah!¡± Commander Ithan speaks up, already seeing what Jun meant. ¡°So we simply set off some fireworks while sending a special team to retrieve the stolen goods!¡± ¡°You catch on quickly, Commander Ithan,¡± Jun says, impressed. ¡°I can see why many people have their eyes on you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing! I¡¯m simply adding detail for more people to understand!¡± ¡°Now the question is,¡± Jun continues, ¡°who are these special team members going to be?¡± Nisuki stands and speaks, ¡°I volunteer.¡± ¡°No, Nisuki. You and Aruko are to stay hidden. We don¡¯t know where or when unknown elements are going to appear.¡± ¡°Is this due to your eyes, Jun?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve seen visions. To put it simply,¡± Jun looks up at Kin, ¡°Kin, during this battle, you will die.¡± Kin''s eyes widen, then he stands, ¡°What do you mean I will die?¡± ¡°Unless something is done, you will die at the hands of a strong opponent.¡± ¡°Then what am I supposed to do?¡± ¡°Stay here. If you do, no one will harm you.¡± Kin clenches his fist, ¡°So I stay here¡­ and do nothing?¡± Jun nods, but the moment she does, Kin starts walking towards the exit. Nisuki follows suit, ¡°Kin wai-¡± ¡°Nisuki.¡± Nisuki turns to Jun, who gives a face saying, don¡¯t. And before Nisuki could do anything else, Kin had already left the tent.
Many years ago...
¡°Wow, Natsumi! You¡¯re so strong!¡± A six-year-old golden kitsune named Kin says with a wide smile. ¡°Am I now?¡± A white ear and tailed kitsune named Natsumi responds, smiling as well. The two walk up steps to a temple at the top of the mountain, where all their fellow kitsunes reside. They both smile and laugh as they talk about things they did during their training with Nisuki. ¡°Kin, you really did well out there. You were able to catch up with me just by sheer speed alone and at such a young age! ¡± Natsumi pats Kin in the back, but Kin doesn¡¯t seem happy after hearing the compliment. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯ve only focused on training my body. No matter what I did, I couldn¡¯t train my spiritual powers like you, Natsumi. I¡¯m such a failure¡­.¡± Then all of a sudden, tears begin to crawl out of Kin¡¯s eyes. ¡°No matter what I did, I can¡¯t do a simple thing like lifting a feather with my powers. I¡¯ll never be a good student¡­.¡± Natsumi immediately pulls Kin¡¯s left cheek. ¡°Ow! What was that fo-¡± But before Kin can finish his sentence, Natsumi hugs Kin out of nowhere. Kin almost trips due to this surprising hug but keeps his balance. He pauses for a moment until hugging back the thirteen-year-old Natsumi. The two let go a moment later, and Natsumi looks at Kin with a sad smile. ¡°Don¡¯t ever think like that again, ok, Kin? You¡¯re more courageous than any of us. Even if the other kitsunes bully you for having weak spiritual powers, you do things none of us can do. So focus on your training. One day, you will be stronger than any of us.¡± Kin wipes the tears off his eyes, then looks up at Natsumi with a bright smile. ¡°Thank you, Natsumi!¡± Natsumi pats Kin on the head and stands up. ¡°Come on! I bet Aruko is waiting for you at the temple!¡± ¡°Yeah! Let''s go!¡± The two kitsunes run up the stone steps as quickly as possible to reach their home.
Main Perspective: ¡°Kin! You awake!?¡± I yell at Kin, who is lying down next to a tree at the top of a hill. Kin stretches and looks at me with tired eyes. ¡°How long have I been asleep?¡± ¡°For three hours, Aruko and Nisuki came up here to check if you were fine, but after they found out that you were asleep, they left you here in my care.¡± As I say this, I sit next to him. Then, we both stare down at the large campsite, where everyone is rushing around. ¡°So, how long until the invasion begins?¡± Kin asks, most likely out of curiosity. ¡°In two days. I¡¯m supposed to go back to Baricka and scout around later. To see if the max adventurers come here earlier than expected.¡± ¡°Do I have anything to do?¡± ¡°Nothing. Jun didn¡¯t really mention you after you left.¡± ¡°So I really am useless at this point, aren¡¯t I?¡± I turn to Kin saying this, only to see him looking depressed. ¡°Kin, are you ok? You seem¡­ really down.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m ok. It¡¯s just that¡­ ever since Natsumi had been placed with a curse, I¡¯ve been useless.¡± ¡°Natsumi?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a friend of mine. She was always there to cheer me up when I felt down. Every time I get bullied by the other kitsunes for having weak spiritual powers, she would jump them and tell them never to bully me again.¡± ¡°She sounds like a wonderful person.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ she is. You want to know something funny?¡± I look at him with curiosity.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I actually proposed to her even when she is seven years older than me. Funny, right? How can a boy marry a girl who is way older in age? I even asked her parents if I could marry her, but all they did was give me weird looks.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound funny at all. It sounds,¡± Kin turns his head to me, who is looking up at the sunny skies, ¡°very courageous. You really did love her, didn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°Even now, I still love her. After all, she has done for me. It has gotten to a point where I couldn¡¯t live without her. If she didn¡¯t exist in this world, I wouldn¡¯t be alive at this point.¡± ¡°Then why hesitate to marry her now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­.¡± Kin hesitates for a moment as he stares down at his hands until finally saying, ¡°how can someone as giftless as me marry her? A girl with so many gifts, friends, talents¡­ how can someone like me marry such an amazing person?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± Kin quickly turns to me, who is smiling at him. ¡°Everyone has a gift. Even if it isn¡¯t noticeable, it still is one. If you haven¡¯t found yours yet, it will come sooner or later. You just need to keep looking.¡± ¡°And what if I find that gift? What happens if that one simple gift is next to useless? I don¡¯t want to drag her down simply because of how giftless I am¡­.¡± ¡°But you love her, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Y-yeah, I do.¡± ¡°What did she do when she heard about your proposal?¡± ¡°All she did¡­ was just pinch me on the cheek and smile¡­.¡± ¡°What do you think she¡¯s trying to say with those two actions?¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t really know.¡± ¡°Then let me tell you what I think she meant.¡± Kin looks at me curiously. I stand up and look down at Kin¡­ and say out loud, ¡°She loves you with all her heart.¡± Kin freezes and keeps his gaze up at me. At the same time, his face turns red. However, I wasn¡¯t done. ¡°But it wasn¡¯t time for either of you. You both have a duty ahead and can¡¯t love each other until those duties are done. So Kin,¡± I take a small moment to think of the last thing she would most likely say¡­ until finally, ¡°Keep on fighting. Keep on trying to reach your goals until you finally touch them. She will be waiting for you once you¡¯ve accomplished everything you set out to do.¡± I breathed in and out as I finished my prediction of what Natsumi could have thought at that moment. I do this for a while until hearing sobbing from Kin. I smile down at him as he seems to be crying his soul out. I don¡¯t blame him. Charles used to do this when he would see me crying because of how useless I thought I was back then. I couldn¡¯t help anyone in Lexigon from when I was still a very young child. I didn¡¯t know what to do most of the time, and it often made things harder for everyone. All I wanted was to help everyone. When I would cry after failing what I was meant to do in the past, Charles would often give me a big hug and tell me it was alright. I still remember everything he had told me before, and it had kept me going all the way up till now. This is the same for Kin. He will continue to be embraced by many others and will one day rise as someone more significant than his past self. So all he needs to do now is reflect on himself and become someone he is meant to be one day. Someone with a bigger purpose than before. I stand up and begin walking, leaving the sobbing Kin to himself to let him evolve into someone better. But as I do this, however...
The One Who Edifies Description: Help a person become a better person! Requirement: Help another person edify and become someone better than their past self! Charisma +10
¡­End me.
¡°I see you¡¯re almost ready, Aden.¡± I turn my body and gaze behind me to see Jun smiling. ¡°Yeah, you need something?¡± I respond as I look at my equipment, making sure I have everything. In the same tent I¡¯ve slept in, I have nearly finished preparing myself to go back to Baricka. All I am doing now is looking upon my now standard sword that shines as if brand-new. However, as I do, Jun stands at the entrance, holding a necklace in one of her hands. ¡°Yes, I have a gift for you.¡± ¡°A gift? What is it?¡± Jun walks up to me and hands me a necklace. The necklace didn¡¯t seem to look unique. It has some thick white string and some kind of black metal hanging on it. I look at it confusingly, ¡°Looks¡­ normal. What does it do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a normal necklace I¡¯ve made for you. You like it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nice!¡± I put the necklace around my neck, ¡°It fits nicely! Thanks, Jun!¡± Jun smiles in return for my thankful response. I look down on the necklace that hangs off my neck, then hide it within my red cloak, which Nisuki gave me to wear over my beginner clothing. I put my red hood up and began walking towards the entrance. I look upon Jun and make a bright smile. ¡°I¡¯m off, Jun! Tell Aruko, Nisuki, Kin, and everyone else I¡¯m thankful for welcoming me here!¡± ¡°I will. Be careful out there, Aden.¡± I put my usual mask on and walked out of the tent. ¡°Morph.¡± My legs change to scally red. Then I sprint off towards my location.
Unseen Things: Jun stands in place for a moment until saying out loud, ¡°Stop hiding. Your precious toy isn¡¯t here anymore, Lilith.¡± Jun bluntly says. Lilith appears a few steps behind her as if phasing into existence. Lilith giggles, ¡°I see there is no hiding from you. As expected from the women who can even sense the Grand Guardian Assassin.¡± ¡°Stop with the compliments. Tell me why you are here, you vile torturer.¡± Jun¡¯s voice slowly turns into that of a frustrated character. ¡°I came to see if your eyes could truly see the fate of others,¡± Lilith menacingly smiles, ¡°I see that it¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Is that all you came here to seek? If so, then I suggest you-¡± ¡°No, I also came to tell you not to worry about Aden. He¡¯s under my care.¡± Lilith precedes to walk past Jun then stand in front of her. ¡°...Thank you for giving that necklace to Aden. I didn¡¯t have the materials to make it. To keep Aden safe from¡­ her.¡± ¡°Of course. I care for Aden as well. A boy like him will most likely change the world¡­.¡± ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± ¡°About?¡± ¡°Leaving him to me. Doesn¡¯t Aden remind you of him?¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve noticed.¡± ¡°Of course, I wouldn¡¯t allow a name like Haraldson past me. The famous blood moon user that''s said to be the strongest Grandmaster out of all generations and even fell in love with-¡± ¡°It¡¯s best not dwell any further. He had betrayed his clan and had paid the price for it. Along with...¡± ¡°I see you still love her.¡± ¡°I do. She has taught me everything I needed to know. It is due to that teaching that I¡¯m alive today.¡± ¡°Then aren¡¯t you going to take him under your wing? Aden is the child of both of them. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to take him yourself?¡± ¡°Even if I tried, you¡¯ll get in my way.¡± Lilith giggles once more, seeing that tricking her isn¡¯t as easy as it looks. ¡°Impossible to trick you as usual. Really difficult to make friends, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Enough of your sadistic seek of pleasure. Aren¡¯t you going to care for Aden? He¡¯s about to reach her range of detection.¡± ¡°Oh my, how clumsy of me.¡± Lilith turns around and goes to the exit. ¡°However, don¡¯t worry¡­.¡± And when Lilith passes through the entrance of the tent, ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Yami doesn''t take Aden from us.¡± After that, Lilith vanishes without a trace. Jun sighs as she is finally left alone. She then steps out as well and looks up at the sky. She smiles, ¡°Your son grew up to be such a kind person¡­ just like you, Diana.¡± Jun vanishes to prepare for the upcoming battle... and the swift arrival of the max adventurers.
Main Perspective: ¡°They are here! The max-level adventurers!¡± You can hear the cheers of many throughout the city. Cheers to that of hope and great expectations. However, this didn¡¯t sound like good news for me. I stand within the cheering crowd, hiding as I look above and see six huge griffins slowly descending to the ground. The crowd in the middle spread out to give room for the griffins to land in the middle of this shopping center. I watch quietly as the griffins make a soft landing and the adventurers getting off them. All of them have their own individual looks and weapons. However, the moment a certain adventurer sets their feet on the ground, my whole body is filled with a feeling that is now too recognizable, dread.
Congratulations! Your Natural Sense has ranked up to Rank A! +3 PER
The young woman with a weapon just as long as her body stands in place. She slowly looks at her surroundings. She continues to gaze around this flourishing city until she sets gaze on me. My whole body at that moment told me to run, but at the same time, if I did, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to escape her. As her very being told me, you have nowhere to hide from me. I stand in place. The crowd in the woman''s way disperse, trying to make no physical contact with her. She keeps on walking until standing in front of me and looking down with a cold gaze. I stare back at her blood-colored eyes in terror, but at the same time, I try to keep my composure and stand my ground. We both look at each other for a short moment until she kneels in front and me and makes a smile. She puts one of her hands on my shoulder and says, ¡°What a talented warrior you are. I can feel that you''ve already been through a lot. If only you had the same eyes as me¡­.¡± I didn¡¯t respond. Instead, I continue to stand still and try to hide all this terror inside of me. All the terror that keeps on telling me to run. ¡°T-thank you,¡± I respond to her compliment, trying to make it seem like I¡¯m nervous of her instead of fearful. ¡°If you want, I can take you as my student. My clan will welcome a child of your talents.¡± ¡°S-sorry,¡± I apologize, ¡°but I still have so much to learn. I still want to be an adventurer and explore this world. I¡­¡± I pause for a moment until finally saying, ¡°I want to become strong my own way.¡± The beautiful woman looks at my response in shock. She smiles a moment later, however, then stands and wanders off to the other adventurers. Under her breathe, I hear, ¡°You¡¯re just like Philian¡­.¡± Aden''s Stats: Aden Haraldson: Race Currently: Dragonborn Age: 13 Years Old Guild: None Classes Currently: Draconic Warrior (Level 7) Vital Currently: HP: 1107.5 Rage: 100 Stamina: 1057.5 Stat Currently: Strength: 148 Intelligence: 90 Dexterity: 131 Agility: 138 Perception: 132 Endurance: 150 Willpower: 96 Faith: 0 Charisma: 870 Luck: 233 Skills and Masteries: Draconic Heavy Swing: (Rank B) Sword Mastery: (Rank 9) Critical Mastery: (Rank F) Evasion: (Rank A) Blood Moon Arts: (Rank 7) Parry: (Rank B) Block: (Rank B) Create Campfire: (Rank B) Natural Armor: (Rank A) Natural Senses: (Rank A) Morph: (Rank 9) Morph Overtake: (Rank F) Natural Instincts: (Rank A)