《Afterlife - Next World's Auction House》


 Interlude

    In the darkness of the night I can feel both of her hands reaching for me. She comes forward slowly, each step resounding on contact with the hard concrete. The echoes made byherfootsteps in this back alley seems to be louder than normal, so I unwilingly focus on it.


    Once and the windows of the near blocks tremble in an atempt to reflect and multiplythe sound. A secondtime and the ground underneath my feet seems to carry its vibrations. A third step and the air seems to carry over a sweet fragrance. A fourth and a faint breathing sound tickles my left ear, almost like a relieved sigh... a fifth step and it feels as chains coil around my body, binding it to the same vibrating concrete.


    A pair of small arms touch my back through the t-shirt I am wearing. Slowly, like taking their time, they feel up the skin frommy neck to waist with her nails and then suddenly stop.


    Under the pale light of a moon born in the night sky of May, a shadow takes shape in front of me. Standing beside my own, this one seems comparably smaller and slimmer, as long hairdances on it carried by the warm breeze of the summer. From the sweet fragrance, the small hands, short frame and long hair I can only guess it might be a girl.


    I wish I could turn around and confirm it, but my body seems to be paralyzed and has become unresponsive. I can only let my eyes wonder aimlessly on the lifeless and empty wall I am facing, guarded by two external staircases climbing the two blocks I''m between, as they''re crying a metallic sound when hit by the same warm wind.


    The lamppost by the entrance of the alley allows more shape to ''her'' shadow, almost giving it a life of its own. I watch it move closely, anticipating...


    Seemingly reaching for her pockets she brings out two objects, which shadows aren''t clear enough for me to figure out yet,but in exchangethe gentle and almost silent sound of flowing sand reaches my eardrums.


    Her small arms reach around mine and rest on top of my elbows, almost joining under my chest. The fog of the night slowly lifts and gives way to shapes my eyes can discern. And more voices...


    [I have finally found you! ...and barely in time from the looks of it. Don''t worry, we''re nearly there.]


    Unlike the sound of ''her'' footsteps before, her voice pushed through the short distance aided by the warm breeze, without any reverberation. It somehow reminded me of the sound made by a piano under the carefultouch of a talented artist, melodic and filled to the brim with feelings.


    ''Nostalgic'' is however the word reverberating inside my head. ''Her'' perfume, ''her'' small build with thin arms and almost pale skin, ''her'' melodic voice...all of it feel like forgotten memories to which I don''t have access anymore.Strangelythough, everything about it is familiar to me just like you could recognize a roommate by them walking around the house, or a song you love by its intro.


    A slight vibration turns my unfocused gaze towards her left hand, interrupting my thoughts. My eyes wander on her fair skin, follow onto her delicate wrist, then onward to her slender fingers that hold in place on top of her palm a strangely shaped object.


    With a top and bottom platforms made out of a wooden frame and pillars of the same material joining the corners of the two, a glass container seems to have been enshrined in its middle. Encased by this hourglass, the sand kept falling, shifting ever so slightly in the lower half, the sound made by it reminding me of the desert dunes caressed ever so gently by the scorching winds.


    ''Unrest'' is the feeling currently crawling inside my gut, after looking so closely at it. After all, the upper half is almost empty,but the flow of it doesn''t seem to slow down or stop whatsoever...instead it seems to get even faster.


    ''Fright'' is the feeling that propagates towards my heart, with the falling of every single grain of sand.


    A slight movement of her right hand, once again diverts my attention.


    The shadows of the night - playful as they are - keep the object barely hidden just outside my view, then almost like noticing my curiosity, her left hand skillfully leads my own left with the palm upwards, fully open.


    Like on an exposition of an important and valuable artifact, she carefully places the hourglass in my hand which now became the scene and gently closes my fingers to hold it in position akin to a cage.


    I realized that by my sense of touch, as my eyes were fully focused on discovering through the lifting fog a brown sheath laying between her fingers, possibly made of wood as well. Simplistic yet beautiful...


    The sheath is no longer than maybe 30 centimeters with a full white hilt that at first glance appears to be made of pure ivory defiled by a single small drawing on it. I say ''drawing'' but on a more careful look, you could see it more as a symbol of a winged creature being carved into the hilt, while thin vein-like red channels started flowing from it and towards the sheath. With lazy movements, her now free left hand grabs hold of the sheath, while the right hand pulls back the hilt slightly.


    A sharp metallic sound, unfitting for something made out of wood fills the space around us and echoes violently after hitting the walls of the surrounding blocks. A black blade is revealed, while its edges grind against the sheath and creating that sharp and continuously reverberating sound. However, it attracts me...this blade.


    The same veins from the hilt, like flowing rivers through a newly created continent ravaging everything on their path, make their way to the tip of the blade. A breathtaking sight, yet a different feeling makes its way inside my heart.


    ''Terror''... I can feel it making its way through my brain by climbing up my spine, with every centimeter of the blade being revealed, or every time I''m being hit again and again by the sound of the it grinding against the sheath... until the piece of brown wood is carelessly dropped on the floor and the now fully revealed blade glimmering under the pale light of the moon, gives a foreboding feeling.


    Fright becomes awe and awe becomes sadness, every one of these fast changing feelings shaking my already wavering self. An instant becomes a second, a second becomes a minute, minutes become hours and hours become days,until I realized that I have lost track of time. It made me wonder for how long have I been here.


    How many years have passed since I walked in this back alley, or have I just entered?


    The stopped time was re-awoken by a vibration made by the flowing sand and it became unhinged once more.


    My eyes move away from the black blade, then onto the brown sheath now resting on the ground and then finally to the wooden frame hourglass. I watch through the glass wall of the upper half and I let my eyes focus on the remaining amount. It appears as if I could even count them if I wanted to. Sudden pressure on my left shoulder makes me realize that ''her'' head was resting on it, also watching the sight made by the remaining grains.


    [Only a few left my love. It will be over soon enough.]


    The breath on my neck felt cold and made my already heavy body quiver. Also, with every grain of sand joining the huge pile underneath, it seems to only add to the said weight, while I seem to be mentally trapped at the bottom of it making breathing almost impossible. However... her melodic voice is strangely comforting.


    Her breathing becomes estranged for a second and then moves on the back of my head and lowers to the middle of my back.


    She steadily exhales towardsmy t-shirt, warming it slightly, but only for a moment as it becomes colder with the distance between us shrinking at a fast pace.


    Her lips touch my skin through the thin fabric and a stream of emotions void of any warmth makes itsway towards my heart, engulfing and drowning my ownwhile replacing them,as the world around me losses all color, leaving only gray behind.


    I could almost envision a tropical typhoon ragingabovea small campfire that is my self. The rain pours again and again, ever so violent in its attempt to extinguish it, leaving behind nothing but the ashes of my former self, drowning it in a pool made of everything discarded.


    All that''s left now, is an empty husk.


    With my sense of self being killed slowly but certainly, my surroundings become similar to a painting dyed in monochrome. Gray walls, gray moon, gray concrete and myself... filled with gray feelings... Until a drop of white paint falls in the middle of my forehead, erasing and resetting the flow of time once more.


    It is something warm and wet making its way through my cold skin and piercing my empty lungs, giving way to air with a loud gasp. Her forehead between my shoulder blades and the wet point that I can feel on my back seem to be on the same level with her eyes, meaning that she''s crying.


    I wonder, would have it affected me before, since right now I feel nothing, not even curiosity?


    Should I force myself to be? I know I cannot... Not while this cold touch of her froze solid this empty husk and her warm tears try helplessly to thaw it back to life...only to suddenly stop.


    She raises her head having her hair caress my back, while the empty left hand moves under my own, with her fingers searching my chest for the dying heart. Her index finger touches the area above it briefly and an electric spark seems to kick-start the beating of it once more.


    I should move...but I cannot.


    The rational thing to do, would be to run from her, but I lost the will to do it. With a body that doesn''t seem to belong to me anymore, I give up any attempt at escape.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.My eyes become weary and they close beyond my control, cowardly, while my mind alreadyrecreated over and over again, what will happen next. Like a safety button being pressed, the imminent event is being ignored and forgotten, while darkness surrounds my consciousness.


    A loud noise follows, similar to two objects colliding. It is almost like two rocks clashed against one another and the sound of it shakes away the enshrouding darkness. My eyes reopen and glance at the hourglass.


    I let myself get hypnotized by the flow of sand once more, looking closer and closer....and closer until the small grains are resized into the big rocks I just heard. In this glass palace, their number is so few that I can actually count them. So I do just that.


    "One, two, three...four...five, six...seven, eight, nine...ten!"


    [Only ten left, my love! It''s almost time!]


    I was snapped back to reality by the words she uttered once more. Ten grains left... It made me wonder for a second whydid she counted them as well, but I couldn''t bring myself to ask.


    Silence took over and everything remained still for a second, until a grain out of the ten remaining was caught suspended on its way down. Then time resumed and unlike the loud sound before, this time when it hit the pile under, I could hearthe first droplet of rain ever, touching the surface of a lake... or maybe, the sound made by a drop of water falling in the sink after you forgot to close the faucet properly.


    Her body with small girly frame was pushed against my back, while her left hand was holding tightly my waist. There was no doubt on my mind regarding what was going to happen next, but I didn''t feel anything about it. Not anymore... Or so I thought, until that very first grain hit the pile and every feeling I once had resurfaced like a geyser and a multitude of questions and thoughts with it, making my body shudder violently.


    Calming down a bit while dry heaving, I wondered regarding the place I''m in and how I got here. About the warmth of the summer night and the pleasant breeze. Regarding the two strange objects, you wouldn''t expect to see a woman carry with her. But mostly, I wondered about her. Who she is, why is she here with me and how does she know me...


    Before I could ponder some more, the second grain fell.


    With it, the steaming hot geyser froze solid once more and my recently animated husk, became empty and still again. I feel tired and above all else, I feel cold in her embrace that doesn''t seem to warm me in the slightest...the cold only gets worse.


    It feels however...comfortable being held in her small arms and the same familiar feeling shifts between the icy layers of my heart.


    "Do I know you? Who are you?"


    My thoughts remained unvoiced since it felt impossible to speak, being frozen inside. If before I could hear her melodic voice but couldn''t tell what feelings it carried, this time I could hear a tinge of sadness.


    [Don''t look so lost...I will stay with you until the end this time.]


    Then maybe it is not so bad. Instead of randomly and aimlessly searching for something through the course of an entire meaningless lifetime, wouldn''t it be better if I found what I''d be searching for right here? Even if that it might not be the case,SHE, feels right!


    For the first time, I noticed her red lips slightly opened, as her head was tilted and looking at me from my shoulder. Mesmerized by the absolute red color in my grey and white universe, I felt calm and for the first time in this state, longing.


    "I wonder what her eyes look like..."


    A loud static sound, like electric current, reverberated through the surrounding air and then my eyes once again fell on the hourglass. In the bottom half, three additional grains just fell, still rolling downhill.


    Since that made about half of the original amount, I had realized that half of my remaining time was gone. There was no panic, confusion or anxiety. I just calmly stood there and watched as the domino effect of the newly fallen sand, was creating an avalanche in the lower half of the hourglass.


    The sixth grain irreversibly fell and with it, I realized that I was lacking any sort of realization of my whole life''s worth, or an epiphany regarding the meaning of it, if not... at least my own. Yet... with all that, there was no change in my heart. Frozen entirely, even the lack of resolve didn''t change anything, as I patiently waited and waited...and waited for the last grain to fall.


    The next one brought about my past memories, the only thing I had left as mementos from my former self. It was like watching a movie that starts with you crawling about under the caring gaze of your parents, moving to all the times spent until 3AM playing games with your friends and sometimes even later; the girls I liked as a child and as I grew and them with me, the ''like'' became ''lust'' so that it can later on evolve into ''love''. I watched the parties and after-parties that rendered me so helplessly drunk, that I was barely able to walk straight; the exams I''ve passed through college and the ones I almost failed, every single person I''ve met among all the places I''ve visited for almost 25 years now.


    Everything flashed before my eyes, like it does in some of the cheesiest movies I''ve watched.


    "This reminds me...in a couple of minutes I''ll be 25."


    Looking back objectively at my life, it was a good one. I didn''t grew up in poverty, but we weren''t rich either, thing that allowed me understand and appreciate the worth of things. I was not a genius, but I was really far from being stupid. I had friends that came and went, but like my mother advised me when I was young, I managed to find a handful of those peoplewhich I can rather call ''family'' instead.


    I searched through different places, different environments and different groups of people for someone to share my feelings with and found some. Some didn''t last longer than a night, while others stood by me for whole years, even if in the end I didn''t manage to find what I was looking for.


    Not bad, but not a really good either. That is what to me, ''life'' meant. Different experiences, in different circumstances, helping you grow both mentally and emotionally.


    Clinging greedily to it, even if is not rational, is something that I cannot do. I am after all, satisfied with the life I had.


    [Your eyes seem clearer. Did something change?]


    I wonder... Maybe it was like this from the beginning and I just ignored it, blinded by greed and lust for more. Maybe deep inside, somewhere hidden under the frozen layers of my heart, I don''t want to die yet. It is logical after all, being only 25...well, almost 25.


    But the situation wouldn''t allow any change, even if I would give way to such a feeling. My body still doesn''t answer back to me and my will that is voided of emotions, seems a rather pathetic attempt at being human.


    So, I just did what I decided in the beginning and accepted it. The fact that I was about to die.


    When I did, I raised my eyes from the brown sheath sleeping on the cold concrete floor and looked in front of me. Meeting my eyes with herown, she stared back with a slight smile on her face. The smell of spring burned through the ice and let a smile grow on mine as well.


    I didn''t notice since I was distracted, but she moved in front of me. I was consumed in an instant by the ocean her blue eyes were and found myself unable to look away.


    I wondered if the sky I''ve seen so often during my life,was ever so blue. It looked as if the color of the world itself was a failed attempt at reproducing it.


    Words? Why waste time on such futile things when such a beautiful new world was right in front of me? A search? Yes...for 25 years, if I had indeed searched for something, it was most likely this.


    I closed my eyes, in the attempt to burn on my retina and memory the image of the blue eyes and red lips that brought such intense colors in my grey and white universe.


    There was only silence and those two colors...One second, one minute, one hour...who knows how much time I stayed like that.


    All I know is that I once again heard the faint droplet of water hitting the sink and was forced to reopen my eyes, as ripples of gray threatened to ruin the two colors.


    When I did, silver hair danced in the wind under the glow of a gray moon, belonging to ''her'' as well. I noticed that I was no longer holding the hourglass and almost like in a surreal painting, a vivid statue of a goddessexuding divine beauty, was sitting under the moon in an enshrined back alley, holding a black dagger in her right hand and a wooden hourglass in her left.


    I wanted to stare at this painting forever and let myself drown in its colors like a maddened painter, however, with a slight saddened glance I saw that the upper half of the hourglass was empty.


    The alarm I forgot I set up for midnight on my phone echoed through the night and a stream of messages followed, differentiated by ringtones.


    [Happy birthday!]


    Yes...It felt as if hearing it from a thousand, no, a million other people at once wouldn''t matter as much as hearing it from her.


    With a sound of glass shattering, both the hourglass that met the concrete floor and my frozen heart meeting the spring again, I met her warm smile with one of my own, not forced, but this time fully my own.


    On her smiling face, two tears run parallel to each other on her fair cheeks, by her red lips and fall to the ground, like small crystals reflecting moonlight.


    She grips the dagger with both hands and takes a step closer to me.


    I can feel her breath on my lips as her eyes look deeply into mine, searching for permission. That''s why I decide to close my eyes, while the smile I had remains on my face. In my mind, she is smiling from the bottom of her heart, with her blue eyes and red lips.


    For a second, the wind blows by violently, but the sound of it disappears. There is only a sacred silence, that not even a God would dare to break. That''s when, amidst that silence, three words followed and my body moved a bit on the feeling of impact.


    [Sorry. Time''s up!]


    I violently stood up from my bed, realizing that I''ve just had a really weird and less than common dream.


    I reached towards the phone near my pillow to check for the time, but it wasn''t there, so I turned around to find it. That was the point where I realized that I was no longer in my room, rather, this whole place was only four walls, completed with a floor and ceiling and myself on a bed in the middle of it.


    Nothing else, no sound, a faint light but nowhere to come from, no doors or windows either.


    I am confused and a bit rattled by the previous dream I had, making the bed slightly uncomfortable.


    [It does seem indeed that you are awake. Hello, you can call me Reaper and you just reached the afterlife. Welcome to the ''Auction House'' lost soul!]

 A guide to the Afterlife

    [It does seem indeed that you are awake. Hello, you can call me Reaper and you just reached the afterlife. Welcome to the ''Auction House'' lost soul!]


    The silence was broken and the air corrupted by an oppressing aura coming from behind, propagating slowly but certainly, making its way towards me. I can feel the hair stand on my hands and a cold shiver runs down my spine.


    Against all instincts yelling not to look, I turn around wanting to search for the source of this intimidating feeling. When I do, the darkness in the room gets flooded by light coming from an open door and amidst it all, the silhouette of a person takes shape.


    Holding the right hand in front of my face, in a rather pathetic attempt to block the incoming light, I let my eyes wonder on the floor while getting accustomed with its white marble-like tiles. A moment later, the sound of approaching footsteps walking in my direction makes my body twitch.


    A pair of brown leather shoes enters my visual range and shines resplendently each time it is lifted from the floor and gets bathed in the light.


    Looking upwards as the distance between us shrinks, I see a pair of grey trousers revealing white socks upon each step that seems to echo in the quiet room. Another second passes and in order to prevent what I just dreamed about happen again, I force myself to climb down from the bed and let my right foot touch the cold floor, without any socks or shoes of my own, instantly making my whole body shiver from the cold response.


    A hand seems to move slowly, distracting me from the coldness of the marble tile underneath my feet and forcing me to stare at the silhouette in front, that seems strangely closer than before. With short but precise movements, a manly hand undoes a button of his jacket allowing it to open and reveal what''s under it.


    It seems to be a tuxedo jacket of the same color as the trousers, donning under it a grey vest and a white shirt. On the left pocket of the vest, a silver chain can be seen connecting it to - seemingly - the very fabric of the clothes. The same hand, reaches to that pocket and lightly tugging on the chain, brings out a watch of the same color as the chain.


    ''He'' moves it closer to ''his'' face, almost like double checking just to make sure it is correct. For the first time, I can see his face.


    A pair of charcoal black eyes soon moved their sight from the hands of the watch to myself. Unconsciously, I pull back up in the bed the leg I let on the floor and grab tightly onto the pillow with my left hand, while also swallowing loudly. Meeting his gaze seems to have intensified this oppressing pressure in the air and the extra details about his face, makes it more confusing.


    A black iris, similar to a night sky voided of any light, but clouded by even darker shadows encircling a ruby red star that his pupil seemed to be, glistening violently, almost like opposing and rebelling against the void.


    Such a pair of eyes was looking at me, ''his'' gaze filled with curiosity. A smile protrudes on his face, slightly arching his lips upwards.


    Carefully placing the watch back in the pocket, ''he'' then lets his fingers rustle through the golden locks of hair that fell down his forehead, gently pushing them backwards.


    Placing his left hand under the chest horizontally and the right elbow resting on top of it vertically, ''he'' presses with the index finger against his temple, seemingly having problems deciding.


    [Now then...what should I do with you?]


    Apparently he reached a conclusion only a second later and all of a sudden he lets his body fall backwards towards the floor, making my eyes visibly widen. At the same time, with a snap of his fingers, I find myself sitting on a sofa with ''him'' standing in front of me on a lavish armchair and between us a coffee table made out of massive wood was still materializing.


    ''His'' right hand reaches out across the newly ''created'' table and in my direction, making my blood freeze inside my veins and then, just like before, he grabs a cup of coffee out of nowhere. He sips carelessly from it and looks completely relaxed, while myself on the other hand feel like I''m staying on a thousand needles... Even if this sofa is absolutely comfortable.


    [How rude of me! Please, help yourself as well. I think coffee is still fine, as I don''t have many mundane visitors these days.]


    Surprised by the sudden request, I unconsciously nod my head slightly confused by the whole situation and all other things that happened, most of them boarding the realm of insanity.


    But even then, I have so...


    [You must have so many questions since you woke up here and not to mention why you woke up here...]


    I do, but my throat is dry and I can''t find any words to utter. It seems as my brain is still trying to piece together everything that happened so far, but it lacks critical information in order to do so.


    Seeing that, a smile shows on his face, however much kinder than before and then gestures to me towards a cup of coffee that, again, materialized out of thin air.


    Resigning myself to the situation and deciding to just go with the flow, I sip from the coffee cup, thinking that it would be rather pointless to poison some drink, if you can pull magic tricks like that. Sipping from it I realize that is...


    "Delicious!"


    [Oh! So it speaks!? Thank you, I grow it myself...sort of.]


    "About this place..."


    [Oh yes. After you''ve been killed, you came straight here, right?]


    "So that really happened?"


    A strange realization dawns upon me as I remember the alley and the scene that took place under the moonlight. At the end I closed my eyes, but the pain that made me wake up so violently was probably from a stab wound. I really died...


    [Yup. I realize now that I skipped some introductions. Once again I am a resident of this place and you can call me ''Reaper''. This is the afterlife that also doubles as an auction house...well somewhere in the future anyway. This reminds me, you''ve died on your birthday...''not-so-happy birthday!'' might suit this occasion.]


    "Thank you...I think. You say ''Reaper'', but shouldn''t I have seen you prior to me dying and not after?"


    [That''s a common misconception. Also, the kind of reaper that you think of right now, it doesn''t exist. I don''t actually go around the planet killing people or bringing them to heaven. Also not to Valhalla, as I am not Valkyrie material...]


    "So this is not heaven!? Hell then?"


    [I doubt they would have such a good reception if that would''ve been the case, don''t you think so too?]


    "I guess... Then..."


    [Then what''s this place? Well, you could call it ''Heaven'', ''Valhalla'', ''The Great Plains'', ''Nirvana'', etc, etc,etc. It is all of that and none of it. We call it the ''Void Chamber''.]


    Since there were literally no dots for me to connect, I tried to looked as confused as possible at him. The sheer amount of information my brain asked for previously, might''ve been too much and now it was surely ''buffering''.


    [I think a visual demonstration might help you understand. Take a look behind you!]


    I follow his advice and turn around, facing the white marble wall. A few seconds pass and nothing happens, while I am waiting and still starring at the wall.


    Then, a sudden tremor shakes the room, making me turn around and look at ''Reaper''. He nods in confirmation that it is a part of the said ''visual demonstration'' he mentioned and gestures again for me to turn around.


    The undaunted marble wall begins to crumble into nothingness similar to a paper being burned, but leaving nothing, not even ashes behind. In a matter of seconds, a part larger than five square meters of wall disappeared and gave way to a different room, fully dyed in black. Suddenly the air grew thin and the darkness of the room seemed suffocating to the point where it made me feel nauseated, when again, the sound of snapping fingers could be heard.


    The following sight, left me breathless. For as long as the eye could see, spreading to infinite for all I could tell, layers upon layers of people were floating suspended into air, almost like they were sleeping.


    [Quite the dreary sight isn''t it? And they were even more in the past... Well anyway, this is as close to ''Heaven'' as you can get. Every soul of every human that ever died on Earth entered the ''Void Chamber''. Like the name implies, there''s no air, light or life for that matter in there. Just an endless dreamless sleep... Between the two of us, if hell would be real, I''d take that over this one any day. Anyway, as you can see, all type of souls reach this place: from young to old, male and female, white or otherwise, death doesn''t discriminate.]Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    An answer...but an answer that brought up at least ten other questions. Does that mean he is the ''God'' of our world? What happens to me that woke up? And ...


    [Yes, yes! I can see that you have questions, so let''s take it one at a time. Shoot!]


    "Then, what will happen to me now that I''m awake? Will I be put back in there?"


    [Oh right, I shouldn''t leave that open too long. There we go!]


    A slight movement of his left hand that looked like erasing a blackboard and the marble wall reappeared like everything has been a lie. If this is a dream, I hope I will wake up soon.


    [Now then. Regarding you... It won''t work putting you in there, as you''d need to sleep for that and you ...]


    "Then..."


    [We''ll get to that part soon. Any other questions?]


    "Will I be sent back on Earth?"


    [Right. Let me make one thing crystal clear: you died! And according to the rules, you can''t be sent back to Earth or reincarnated no matter how much you cry or beg. Therefore, it would be best to give up on that.]


    "I see. Then, one more question. Who was the woman that killed me?"


    [No idea...]


    "Excuse me?"


    [You heard me. I have no clue. She somehow managed to elude my ''system'' and she doesn''t even seem to be on Earth anymore. Therefore, I have no clue.]


    "If she''s not on Earth, then where else could she have went?"


    [Well, once the ''game'' started and we began reassigning souls, there are quite the number of options.]


    "Reassigning souls?"


    [Right. In one of the new one thousand worlds.]


    "Reassign them?"


    [Yes. In different worlds.]


    To be honest, is not like I didn''t understand what he was trying to say. Is just that the previous sight before my eyes was frightening to a whole other level. For as far as the eye could see, there were people in something akin to a comatose state, from babies to old people of different races and different skin colors.


    [You don''t need to worry. At the time of their death if they awaken they will be presented the situation, prior to the reincarnation of course, while I''ll sit with them just like this and explain things properly to calm them down.]


    "I am ready to listen as well. Please explain."


    [Very well.]


    With a snap of his fingers and a smile on his face, the room itself transformed into an art gallery of sorts, with many paintings and sculptures adorned upon the walls.


    Then he continued with large, almost theatrical gestures, while preparing to explain. It seems like he is enjoying this a great deal.


    [Let me start by telling you that Earth, is a planet without a God.]


    "..."


    [No worries, I''ll explain it properly, but I want you to remember that. Now let''s see...where should I start from? Yes! Do you know what a God is?]


    "A being of supreme power. A master of creation and a ruler over life and death?"


    [Close, but shallow. Indeed they are powerful beings but, there is one thing that differentiate between them and the power they have. It should be obvious especially since you lived on Earth for 25 years. Can you guess?]


    "Hmm...well throughout history there have been a huge number of Gods, some having the same characteristics and powers but belonging to different civiliz..."


    [Exactly! The difference comes from the number of believers existent. The number of people that give prayer to a specific God. Now, remember that I told you that there are no Gods ruling over Earth, right?]


    "Yes..."


    [All the Gods from your history books are real and at some point came into being on Earth and even offered their blessing to the people who prayed for them.]


    "Then..."


    [Then why is Earth without a God, when it should have thousands of them? The answer is quite simple really: because they were bored!]


    "...?"


    [Yes! Hahahhhaha! Yes, that face! That''s the proper reaction to have! Why would they abandon Earth and their believers? And how could they continue existing without their believers? The answer is quite childish honestly. They didn''t abandon it per-say... They started playing a game!]


    I consider myself quite smart to be honest, even if it might seem arrogant. But this conversation keeps turning every notion of ''knowledge'' I had on its head and then kicks it to the curve of the Earth. I can barely follow it and it feels that, I should only keep quiet and wait for the explanation he has to offer in order to make any sense of it.


    [It started rather recently, although in human years it might have been a very long time ago. You see, every religion has some approach on what happens after death and its God tries to accommodate that belief. However, most of them - actually all of them - make use of the space you''ve seen previously and keep the essence of their believers, or their souls in that atemporal place. A place void of time or life, where the soul can spend eternity while shrouded in darkness, dreaming a dreamless dream, while not breathing or living. What changed though, was the fact that the initial place was starting to get crowded. Therefore the Gods gathered here to seek council from each other.]


    "Let me set some things straight please. So, first of all, how many Gods exist?"


    [Well the answer is difficult you see. After all, a God is envisioned by each human differently. So you could say that there are as many Gods as humans which existed since the beginning of Earth. So if I was to give you an answer based on people that believed in their own deities the number until the present, keeping in mind the group mentality, should be around 28 millions.]


    "Is that even possible?"


    [It is of course. But that doesn''t mean that''s the number of deities.]


    "Meaning?"


    [You said it yourself didn''t you? ''A huge number of Gods, some having the same characteristics and powers''. Meaning, that even if in the mind of the people they were praying to a specific God, in reality it could''ve been the same one as the one receiving a prayer halfway across the globe, while envisioned as a different existence. So, to put it simply, at the moment one thousand Gods exist.]


    "That feels oversimplified actually..." - I thought


    "I was expecting a smaller number. If you said that I was right regarding having the same traits and being the same God."


    [That''s why I said close, but not quite. To explain a bit more in detail, the Gods are split into two categories first: male and females. I know right? How unexpected... Yet, coming from the imagination of humans, the Gods started existing by borrowing their appearance from them. But that doesn''t mean it''s split evenly...you know, patriarchy and all that. The next way you could tell Gods apart, is by their region of belief. Do you know what that entails?]


    "What the prayer is offer for."


    [Correct again! You''re quite smart aren''t you? There are Supreme gods, gods of Sky and gods of Light, gods of Sun and gods of the Moon. There are gods of Dawn and gods of Dusk, there are gods of Weather, just like there are gods of the Underworld. There exist gods of Earth and everything it holds and gods of Wisdom that teach humans how to conquer it and develop it. There are gods of Fate and gods of Justice if you fail to follow the right path. There are gods of Love, Oath, War and Death and lastly there are gods of the Animals. However, there are two more categories included. One is by far the most powerful and insightful God when it comes to spreading his influence: the Trickster god.]


    "You mean Loki?"


    [Yes, indeed, Norse culture. However he is also known as Veles in the Slavic culture, Anansi for the West African culture, Caribbean and Haitian, Kitsune or Tanuki for the Japanese, Puck for the Celtics and so many other names for just as many other cultures. The difference comes from the fact that he was mostly blamed for different accidents, instead of being worshiped. Even in that case though, the power of a God comes from the power of the people''s belief on Earth, thinking about him, praying to him, yelling at him, or simply put, acknowledging his existence. Therefore, he holds great influence in both the Council of the Gods and godly power over Earth.]


    "And his real name?"


    [''The helper of humanity'', ''The one that leads through the Desert'', ''The bringer of Fire'', ''The gifter of civilization''... Prometheus.]


    "The one that stole the fire from the Olympian gods and gave it to the humans... And the last category?"


    [Just like Prometheus, for the last category there is only one existence it was created for. But unlike the others, this one didn''t come into existence by the power of people''s thoughts naturally. Instead, it was forced into existence by manipulation of facts and by whispered rumors on Earth. It was done so, in order to create a single religion and all prayers to go to this one single being. The last category is the Administrator God.]


    "Can that be done? What is the name of this God?"


    [I told you early when I introduced myself didn''t I? The names I have are many, in order to draw power directly from the people''s belief. Be it in their fear of death, or reverence of life. Be it in their believe of the beginning or curiosity of the end. I was brought into existence as an overseer of Earth and an game master of the war begun between the other Gods.]


    "Meaning?"


    [I am an artificial God brought into existence for the sole purpose of guiding the souls from Earth to the other worlds the remaining Gods reside in. For that purpose, the Great Hall in which the gods used to meet in order to take important decisions, is now used as an Auction House.]


    "I don''t follow..."


    [The people that die on Earth are relocated to other worlds. But how does that happen? In order for it to be fair, a system had to be put in place to avoid the same overcrowding as previously mentioned.]


    "So, at the council you mentioned, the solution the Gods came to, was to simply have Earth''s huge number of people used as a resource to populate the other worlds the Gods now rule over in order for them to enjoy a game with you as administrator?"


    [The gods? No! This idea came from one God. The one with the most influence...Prometheus.]

 All Gods assemble - A path to hedonism

    "If that is indeed true, as crazy as it sounds, why are you telling me this? Following your story so far, I am to be reincarnated to another world through your system. Is this knowledge important to me? Will I even remember it?"


    [Who knows... I''m just having a conversation with my first intelligent being in eons. Basically I am using you in order to alleviate my own boredom.]


    "I see. And can you explain what and how did Prometheus managed to convince the other 999 gods to leave Earth? It kind of seems like a far fetched idea..."


    [It does doesn''t it? How and why would Gods abandon their only hope for existence. Even if they could continue to live on, they would lose their divinity and with it, their purpose and their true power. That''s why that specific council became the most important one in all of creation''s history. But rather than talking about it, how about we watch it!]


    "Huh!?"


    After saying so with a smile on his face, again, by snapping his fingers we were standing in a middle of some huge building akin to an ancient Greek amphitheater. He signaled me with a slight movement of his chin to follow and we started ascending the stairs, somewhere towards the middle rows where we took our seats, preparing to watch the most relevant play in human history. He then smiled and snapped his fingers again, followed by a blinding light engulfing the entirety of the space around us.


    All of a sudden, loud voices started clamoring around us and by reopening my eyes in confusion, I saw the same room, now bustling with liveliness as talks between different people and different groups occurred everywhere on the seats in this place. Some showed concerned faces, while others were calm and collected. Some voiced their doubts about ''the situation at hand'' according to what I heard, while others showed comfort in the assembly and its future prospects.


    There were many people around, while myself and this ''Reaper'' were seated in the middle. He pointed towards the stage where someone was walking slowly towards the middle,reminding me of a host I once saw at a charitable event.


    This was the assembly of the Gods he mentioned and I was now watching how real history unfolded. A smile sneakily broke on my face.


    All of a sudden, the commotion around us seemed to die down, while everybody was focusing their attention on the middle of the stage where the host raised his right hand in an attempt to calm down the divine ''crowd''. The man that now stood there was donning a white suit, similar to the one Reaper wore, opened his arms widely and took an exaggerated bow.


    [Welcome beloved brothers and sisters to the Hall of Gods and thank you for answering my call so promptly. I Prometheus, the host of this assembly, will explain the reason behind it, ask for your opinion and then propose a solution for it.]


    I was amazed by the sheer confidence of his speech and the smart businessman-like smile he wore at the end of his brief introduction. By quickly glancing around, I could see that even the faces that showed discomfort or concern previously, were now strangely reassured, while the others had a ''See, I told you there''s nothing to worry about!'' expression when looking at him. I wasn''t sure if this was something akin to mass brainwashing or he was that talented at leading the crowds.


    [Without further ado, like all of you know, the reason for us gathering here is that the Void Chamber is reaching its full capacity, while the people on Earth keep increasing in numbers. We are to discuss the measures we will take. Please voice your thought without any worry, since that is the reason for us being here!] (Prometheus)


    [Isn''t it time already to do as I asked eons ago? Start the reincarnation circle! When they die, the people will simply start over anew. Keep the same number of believers at all times.] (Brahma)


    [Spoken like a true God of creation. However, at this point it is impossible. The number of souls in the Void Chamber are too many to start a reincarnation circle. To put it in numbers there are enough to create around five hundred Earth like worlds and fill them to the brim with people.] (Prometheus)


    [Also, my beloved brother, doing so and starting a reincarnation circle would tip the balance of believers towards your religion. That would bring about the end of more than half of the Gods here present.] (Adrestia)


    [That is also true Adrestia. Exactly like the goddess of Balance mentioned, we must not tip the scales in favor of one religion, while forsaking the others. That will spell the end of most of our family. But that''s why, it should be exactly what we should do.] (Prometheus)


    [Prometheus, I apologize but I must''ve misunderstood you right now. Did you just suggest that we let our brothers and sisters die? Even for a trickster, there should be a limit to your jokes.] (Osiris)


    [Osiris, calm down and hear him until the end. He has never been one to disappoint until now. He must have something in mind, otherwise he wouldn''t have said in the beginning that he also has a solution to propose as well. Isn''t that so, Prometheus?] (Odin)


    [It is indeed so Odin, however, this solution is rather uncommon. So before we talk about it, let''s address another problem us Gods usually face. You must have heard me complain about it since an eternity ago.] (Prometheus)


    [Are you talking about your boredom again brother? Surely, it is indeed a problem we all face, but one usually solves it by actually WORKING for their faithful, you know?] (Hera)


    [Hahahhaaha! Indeed they do my lovely sister, indeed they do. But, what if that wouldn''t be necessary? What if, we could solve both problems by finding just one solution to them. What if, at the same time, we could also see which God or Goddess of War stands superior over the others?] (Prometheus)


    [Like always, you truly have a way with words Prometheus. You know well that we aren''t allowed to fight among each other to prove supremacy. Even if that is what our nature dictates...even if it is a barbaric way to prove it, while our instincts crave for it.] [Bishamonten]


    [Since the beginning of times, once the conflicts between people surfaced, we had played our little games by giving them support and knowledge of the battlefield. Exactly like little sister Bishamonten said, we do crave for war, but at the same time we are wise enough to know of it being impossible, since it would lead to the ruin of too many lives, therefore working against the current problem we need to solve.] (Freyja)


    [And we decided against war, in order to nurture the way of the thought! We decided to create scholars instead of soldiers, in hope that by doing so, they will achieve great improvement. And so they did, residing now on the top of a civilization so advanced, it can''t even be compared to what it was in the ancient times of Earth. So, tell us Prometheus, how do you plan to achieve both yours, our brothers and sisters desires, while also nurturing the humans that worship us.] (Ra)


    [You all know me as one the oldest among the Gods here present and I have always did my best to ensure that all of our family and the humans residing in the mortal world receive a fair life. But even so, at this very moment, we have countless souls residing in the Void surrounded by nothingness, a fate that is worse than death. Also, at the same time, we have some of our brothers and sisters that are slowly but certainly being forgotten by the people on Earth, due to the same advance in civilization mentioned by you my brother Ra. So? What should we do in this case? How do we satisfy both our own selfish desires, offer salvation to the souls in the Void Chamber and leave Earth to continue on its path of development, while it will surely forget most of us here soon enough?] (Prometheus)


    The entire building started clamoring again, obviously rattled by the complex words of the trickster. On his face a vivid smile could be seen, that he didn''t even bother hiding. At the same time, the Reaper beside me wore a really nostalgic smile, apparently in anticipation of the answer he was about to give.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.The true history about to unfold, guided by the desire of one selfish God to alleviate his boredom... who knew that reality was so much better than what was written in books!


    [No less than 100 billion souls left in the Void Chamber, serving no purpose whatsoever. Only one million believers required, in order for a God to reach and sustain his full strength. What I propose to you, my brothers and sisters, is 100 million believers to each God to rule over, as well as the possibility to prove supremacy in both the arts of war or culture, in such a system that will appease the boredom of all of us at the same time.] (Prometheus)


    The clamor previously couldn''t even be compared to the one this time. It was an uproar filled with both anticipation, curiosity, indignation, anger and uncertainty. But there was one feeling that was oozing from all the Gods present: desire.


    If there was one thing that Prometheus made obvious through his speech, was that Gods are selfish and egocentric beings that desire above all to alleviate their boredom and prove their supremacy against the others. Therefore obviously, if presented with such opportunity to do both, why would they refuse it? For the sake of appearance initially, maybe abstain from doing so, but count on the majority to decide the way that you also hope for.


    After a couple of minutes, just like at a concert, the ''conductor'' of an orchestra made entirely by Gods, raised both of his hands, bringing about silence from the audience.


    [What I want to create for you my brothers and sisters, is a game of Gods played by man, while every ruler will stay above his own world and guide its advancement, while at the same time competing against the others.] (Prometheus)


    [War between Gods? Between family? Is that what you have in mind brother?] (Ra)


    [War? No! No, no, no Ra! I am the God of mischief, the eternal trickster and the one who gifts. This, my brother, is nothing more than a gift I provide to all of you! War between family? Far from it! I offer you a GAME between family!] (Prometheus)


    [It is immoral to use the souls of humans to our own devices Prometheus! Furthermore, to alleviate our boredom and amuse ourselves!? You should know better than that!] (Hera)


    [And is it less immoral to leave them rot in the hell that is the eternity of nothingness provided by the Void Chamber!? I ask of all of you here, Gods and Goddesses, haven''t we been created from the desire of the humans to be led? We have! Haven''t we seen since ancient times that humans long for wars and supremacy as well? We have! And finally, haven''t we been created in their image, borrowing aspects both physic and mentality from them? We were! So why deny both them and us from what we truly desire? Given the choice to each one of those souls between nothingness and the opportunity to live, breathe, eat, love and worship their Gods once again...which would they chose my beloved family?] (Prometheus)


    [And fight amongst each other to the death for our entertainment?] (Freyja)


    [Entertainment? No! They will fight each other and die for the glory of the God that rules above them, with the promise of being once again reborn to do the same! They will fight to the death to prove that their God is supreme and that the path their civilization followed was the correct one, be it drowned in blood by the soldiers, or written on papers by the scholars. Or why not both? This is an equal opportunity for all of us!] (Prometheus)


    The assembly''s sudden silence was... deafening. Nobody was saying anything, but every one of the Gods was contemplating the scenario presented so skillfully, where they could once more be worshiped by millions, instead of being slowly and certainly forgotten. It appeared impossible to say no to this offer. That was until a voice roared across the hall.


    [Your plan is riddled with holes Prometheus. What is to become of the Earth we have cared for? What is going to happen once the souls will fight in this war of Gods and all die? How do you ensure a fair chance to every God, given that some of them are weakened by the lack of faith from the humans?] (Apollo)


    [You know me too well Apollo, to think so little of me. To ensure fairness, a system will be created that will put all Gods and Goddesses on the same level of power, in order for them not to have a head start against others in a potential war. Therefore let me explain how this game will play out, brother.] (Prometheus)


    The God which just spoke nods silently and with a smile, Prometheus snaps his fingers creating behind him something akin to a wall on which movies are usually projected inside of a cinema. He snaps his fingers again and an image of Earth as a planet comes into view. He then proceeds to explain his intentions.


    [This is the planet we nurtured since our coming into existence. Now imagine one thousand other such planets, each bearing the name their God or Goddess sees fit. All are the same size as Earth is, but it will be left to each ruler to decide how the continents are split since it will be of heavy importance later on. At the same time the game will be based on wars between such worlds, taking place at specified number of years in human time. To put it simply, at that time a gate can be opened to attack a specific world of the God''s choosing, but in order to be fair, only one such gate can be opened per world, meaning that all battles will be held God vs God in the beginning.] (Prometheus)


    [Why only in the beginning?] (Bishamonten)


    [Because at a later point in time, for example 10000 years in human time since the game started, alliances between Gods will be allowed, in order to expand the possibilities of the game. But if the game doesn''t start with a protection period, each God will incur losses early on, maybe even meet the end of the game all too soon, therefore inconveniencing the improvement and evolution of their world. To make sure we can avoid that, for a period of 1000 years, each God and Goddess will nurture their world into evolving and increasing both their numbers and their knowledge first, so that later on they can either sharpen their spears or polish their shields. From that point onward, we will decide on a time frame for the repeating wars and how are they going to be fought. Also, while alliances early on are prohibited, trading will be allowed between worlds after the first 1000 years.](Prometheus)


    [You said that everything will be fair. How do you intend to do so, since all of us here present will participate in the game. How do you ensure that YOUR ''system'' won''t provide assistance or an advantage over the others, to a single one? Say...you for example.] (Odin)


    [The answer to that is rather simple. We need someone to take over ruling the Earth and keep nurturing their growth, while at the same time, we need someone to create this system that will take all the power from us and split it into one thousand equal parts and finally, also equally split the existing souls between us and provide new ones. Both the system and the rules will be enforced by an outsider to the game.] (Prometheus)


    [You should know that is impossible to do so. In order to force us under a system that takes away our power and grants it to another, such thing is impossible to a God with as much influence as even you currently have Prometheus. Aren''t you the one that currently is the strongest among us here? And even then, it should be impossible for you to do so.] (Odin)


    [It is so because the current worship is being split between too many gods. But what if all of it were to go to a single one, that would act as a recipient and then pass it to us? What if we would create a new belief, in a new God and spread it among our faithful? I certainly have enough strength to make this happen and sustain all of us until such a God will be born. From there onward everything we planned will happen like described.](Prometheus)


    [Are you talking about forcing a God into existence? I see...that indeed would be possible.] (Ra)


    [RA! How can you even entertain the idea? Is even worse than using the souls! What you are talking about is creating and enslaving a God, a brother or sister to do our bidding while we''ll play? Is absurd!] (Hera)


    [Yes it is. But, is it better to let our brothers and sisters die? Is it better to let all those souls rot away in the Void? We will create a God that is stronger than any of us, which will have knowledge of everything we ALL know and share the feelings we ALL have. What reason will he have for not wanting to rule over Earth alone and save his family, while we will be engaging in this game and conserving power for our return to Earth? No matter how you look at it, it is indeed a good plan.] (Ra)


    [I can''t believe you will agree to this! I am against it! We should do what we''ve done up to this point as well!] (Hera)


    The building got rowdy and the 999 voices kept overlapping, each presenting its own view on the matter. There was only one voice which remained unheard, while watching over the others quietly. Like a hunter aiming for the right moment while eyeing its prey, he also waited patiently to reach this moment, the climax that he knew would turn everything in his favor. There was no malice lingering in his eyes, nor did this idea of his seemed to be created with ill intent. He simply wished for his family and himself to be excused from the endless boredom of eternity, while also saving the ones that will be erased from existence soon enough, by being forgotten.


    He was indeed fighting for his family''s well being.


    [We will do it then, like we always had! Fairly, through a vote. On one hand we have the idea I''ve just proposed that will save our family and even increase it and on the other hand we have uncertainty that we can find a better solution. However, like always, no matter which option is voted successful, there will be no ill feeling or regret behind it. We will make sure both our worshipers and us continue to exist and thrive. Let us vote!] (Prometheus)


    [All those against the idea presented by Prometheus raise your hand!] (Hera)


    [Now all those in favor of proceeding with Prometheus''s idea, raise your hand!] (Ra)


    The votes were in and a sigh of relief could be heard from the host''s face, that did his best to play his part until now, alone on the stage. The audience was feverish.


    Some were bitter, while some expectant. Some were reluctant, while others eager. However, all of them knew that from this point onward, everything was going to change.


    [And that is how I came into existence.] (Reaper)

 A games system through and through - Uhm...tutorial maybe!?

    The lights flickered and suddenly darkness took over. I found myself soon after sitting on the same comfortable sofa as previously, while in front of me the same ash-haired gentleman was carelessly sipping something from his cup. If the story was true, then that''s how he came into existence. I wonder just how many times has he watched that scene, all alone in this empty space, in order to alleviate the painful feeling.


    I was confused as per why would he show all of this to me.


    "Plus that there are so many details that are unclear..." - I thought


    [What exactly would you like explanations for? The game?]


    "Yes. How exactly did they decide on the rules?"


    [That''s rather simple. You see, once I came into existence and all their knowledge flowed through me, I found the best way to entertain their idea, while ensuring a fair game and prolonging it for as long as possible: restrictions!]


    "Restrictions? How would that affect a God?"


    [It usually won''t. But Gods are prideful creatures that won''t even bend the rules, even more so breaking them. So if restrictions are placed, they will abide by them. Therefore I decided on the rules and tried to keep them simple. So I created ten of them, as follows:


    1. 100 million souls will be split evenly among 1000 Gods in such a way that their total soul point count will be the same. This will be done by having all souls become neutral, so that their life experience won''t come in the way.


    2. Soul points express how refined a soul has become through experience. Such experience will further be refined by improving the abilities the souls shows in war and not only, either by fusing two or more souls together or through special actions.


    3. All participants in the game begin from stage of being able to provide only one active blessing upon their world. The blessing can be provided for either one human or all of them, therefore determining its potency. In order to achieve this, all participants strength will be reduced to the one of a newborn God.


    4. All participants in the game are forbidden from directly participating themselves in the world they rule over. They can however intervene by using divine revelations and direct communication with one selected prophet.


    5. New blessings will only be acquired each time the God ranks up, a notion according to which a God is required to influence as many followers as possible in order to rack up experience, that would ultimately push him forward.


    6. Only Soul Points can be used to purchase items from the ''Auction House'', or any other improvements that might appear available in the world. The ''Auction house'' store, will be open only after the first 500 human years the civilization of the world endured.


    7. Soul Point gain of each participant will begin once souls has been reassigned to its new world and can be obtained either by the creation of new souls through human procreation, or through soul refinement created through human life experience, combat and general knowledge. The newly born souls will also be contracted from the Void Chamber.


    8. Upon reaching of the first 500 human years mark, the ''Auction Store'' will be available to said participant. This store would allow the improvement of current blessings available or increase of methods of soul refinement, through Soul Point purchases. At the same time, technological or cultural advancements become possible, as well as the purchase of new races beside humans.


    9. The reach of 1000 human years also marks the end of the protection and the start of the first battles. Upon reaching the 10000 human years mark, alliances among gods will be permitted. While alliances are not permitted, after the first 1000 years worlds can enter trade agreements through which they can exchange knowledge, technology or weapons, in order to further advance their own world.


    10. Soul refinement becomes possible once the ''adventurer system'' is introduced to the world. Gaining levels and abilities, allow a soul to further refine itself. Upon reaching the 5th and 10th refinement, the soul is granted one passive ultimate ability at level 5 and one active ultimate ability at level 10.]


    "..."


    I had no words to follow up on his version of ''restrictions''. No matter how I looked at it...


    "It''s like the rules of an RPG..."


    [No, no, no! They are way more complex than that. And it is not a game, is a SYSTEM.]


    "...I see. What exactly are this Soul Points?"


    [To put it simply, every action that a human takes in the world he reaches, has direct consequences on his soul. Through those specific actions, one can refine his soul, therefore improving the general condition of his body. For example doing 100 push-ups in this new world and repeating that action daily can refine your soul to the next level. But instead of just your muscles being developed, once that level has been reached, all your general abilities will be improved, with focus on the muscles.]


    "That''s exactly like gaining experience in an RPG and gaining extra points to assign..."


    While I thought that, I started arranging all the information in my head and two things stood out from everything he explained.


    "Why provide only one active blessing in the beginning?"


    [Good, good! You''ve caught onto that, didn''t you? I said previously didn''t I? A restriction! Since you obviously don''t know how godly power works let''s give you an example. Say for example first of all that you have two Gods, one has over one billion believers, while the other has less than half of the same number. Which one is stronger?]


    "The one with the higher count..."


    [Exactly. That also entails that the blessings he can provide on his people are different in power. But if everyone can provide only one blessing of their choosing, but all blessings available are the same in power?]


    "That evens out the play field. And since they aren''t allowed to intervene directly it is a fair game for everyone."


    [Indeed! And not only that. Remember that they can provide that blessing to either all humans in their world or only one. What does that mean?]


    "I don''t know...it would be wasteful to be spent on only one person normally, wouldn''t it? For example, if the blessing makes the people smarter, why would you make only one of them smart, even if the potency is... I see now! A representative, or rather a ''profet''. "


    [Impressive! Absolutely impressive! Yes, they aren''t allowed to intervene directly, but if they provide their full potent blessing to only one person which will act as the God''s representative in that World, they can stir the world in the direction they so chose directly through that person. It doesn''t breach or bend the laws!]


    "Then what about the special abilities provided through soul refinement? What does that mean?"


    [When a soul gets refined over and over again, it develops a strong ability so that the body can follow the soul''s wishes. For example, a person that studies and through those studies reaches ten soul refinements, the special ability that will be endowed, will most likely be from the researching field. Like the rule mentions, the repetitive path decides the ability provided. And it doesn''t happen only once since is repetitive as well.]


    "Meaning that multiple abilities are possible. How about war? How does that help?"


    [Assimilation!]


    "..."


    [A soul that loses in combat, has their entire soul experience stolen from him and provided to the winner. Death will result in a restart for the human that lost, but it will be easier for the Gods to achieve Soul Points through war than through any other methods. That''s why this game has been put in place after all.]


    "Then why provide so many ways to nurture those souls then? And why limit the Gods to only one blessing?"


    [Options! It will be interesting to see how each participant decides to create their unique civilization and nurture it before having it fight against the others. Since there are 1000 worlds with 1000 Gods and Goddesses, they can all decide on a single blessing or on a general one, resulting in 2000 possible choices. Beside it, through soul refinement the actions they can take are further increased by billions more: decide that all souls can be split in different areas and have them fight among each other, refining their souls in the process and preparing for war, while getting war-like abilities upon the tenth refinement, or spread the souls across the world and promote peace and good will among them, therefore creating technological development and abilities to match that, or put all the souls in the same place and by having them work together, the research amount could possibly topple whatever army will come their way, with abilities to support that. Endless possibilities! What can be more interesting, than seeing different branching paths that the Earth hasn''t walked but could''ve? Supremacy? That is not even important anymore. After all, not even a God of War will trample a world to its demise. Instead, they all search for the same thing as I am: possibilities!]Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I was taken aback by the sudden explanation that also made sense to me. It will be very interesting to travel and see what each one of those worlds provides in term of evolutionary path that it took. Military advancement up to a point where you can''t consider the soldiers to be regular humans? Technological advancement up to the point where in only 1000 years the world reached interstellar flight or power plants mining nuclear fusion power? Intellectual development up to the point where the humans in that specific world can realize through theories how their worlds came into being, reaching the realm of Gods? Indeed there are infinite possibilities at stake. But there is one thing that bothers me...


    "What about the souls of the people that I''ve seen previously? Aren''t they still in the Void Chamber?"


    [Those are of course people that died on Earth since the game already begun which haven''t been assigned yet and are about to be moved to their specific worlds through the next auction. However, they won''t know any of this details spoken until now...]


    "What? Haven''t you said that all of them wake up and you explain the situation to them?"


    [No, I didn''t! What I said was "It is my job to greet them when they wake up, explain the situation and help reassign them." , but I never said that they all wake up, or that it was common for that to happen.]


    "What do you mean? I woke up didn''t I?"


    [Again, I never said that is common for that to happen. On the contrary, I mentioned that I am explaining this to you since I haven''t had a proper conversation with a living being in eons, didn''t I? You understood what you wanted. It also seems is time to part ways here since I have my next appointment.]


    "Wait! I don''t understand. What will happen to me?"


    [You will be assigned, at random, to a world where you''ll be reincarnated, but likely due to your ''condition'', with full memories of our conversation and your previous life.]


    "Wait-wait-wait!!! You said you will answer all the questions I have! Then tell me why I am awake, while the other souls are not?"


    [Hmm...remember what I called you in the beginning?]


    "A ''lost soul'' , right? What does that have to do with my question?"


    [Well...everything. Simply put, your soul has been tampered with and forcefully refined. I don''t know how since the answer could be either the fact that you were brutally murdered which by default messed up something inside you, or the fact that the being which killed you and somehow evaded my sight and system I''ve created, probably tampered directly with your soul. The main reason why souls rarely awake, is because the pressure they feel while finding themselves here after death, or even worse in my presence, is absolutely soul shattering and therefore to keep them safe their mind forces them to sleep. The fact that you can hold a conversation like this with me, is rather unusual.]


    "I...there are so many things I want to ask and rebuke in that explanation, but I will abstain from it. Somehow, if you don''t know the answer as a God to whom that person was, I feel like I should do my best to not find out..."


    [That won''t do! I want you to find her and confirm who she is and the reason for your death as well.]


    "Why? Is not like I want closure or anything. There is no reason to do so."


    [Because I am curious! Somehow I am sure you''ll cross paths again.]


    "He wants me to do it for his own entertainment? Anyway, it seems that is possible indeed to once again meet with that girl. But something feels off about this whole thing. Especially now that I think about it..."


    "Will I really have my past memories when going to this new world?"


    [I am not 100% sure. Even at this point, once you died and even if you woke up, you shouldn''t remember anything from your past life. However, you seem to do, which means that going forth, you might remember everything while going in the new world. Or you might not...]


    "Wouldn''t that be unfair? Towards the other Gods I mean. The fact that I remember everything could be of great use to the world I will go to."


    [Indeed. But that also seems to be fated to happen!]


    "From the smile on your face I can tell you''re just curious to see what will happen if I do intervene. So it''s also for your own entertainment!? What a self-serving God..."


    "OK...then my next question is, will I be reborn as a baby? Somehow that feels wrong and I would rather not."


    [It''s impossible for that to happen. A child''s body can''t hold a soul with life experience higher than its body age. Therefore whatever you read and watched won''t happen. In your case, you''ll just be transported into a random place in this new world.]


    "At least, please make sure is a city or somewhere near a city. Can''t you send me to a specific place? Like for example where I will meet this girl that killed me?"


    [Unfortunately, even after going through all worlds via the system I wasn''t able to find her, meaning that she has a way of hiding from me. Therefore you won''t be able to know if the world you reach is the one that has her in it. I also checked Earth using your memories of her and she doesn''t seem to be there anymore.]


    "You didn''t answer if you can send me to a specific world."


    [You already know that I cannot. I created the system, but I also abide by it. Therefore it will be somewhat random.]


    "How about language and knowledge? It will be very sad to reach another world and not be able to communicate with anyone there."


    [You will be able to understand all languages. That''s one of the perks of the system after all. Knowledge wise, you will just have to learn it from the people there since it will be more inter..important to do that. Every experience helps in refining your soul after all.]


    "Just now...you wanted to say interesting didn''t you!? And you''re even looking away..."


    "I see. How will I know about the world? For example, which God rules over it and I''m I obligated to pray to that God?"


    [You are not forced to do it, but is indicated since you might receive help after doing so. Regarding the world, in each capital of each country of each world, there exist a crystal orb inside the temple which gathers the prayers of the people to the God or Goddess and also can bestow divine power upon the ones praying. By visiting it you will be able to find out the details you want. Also, you will find the blessings bestowed upon that world, since it might influence how you temper with your soul further on.]


    "Then for some common knowledge, how many wars have been fought until now? And is there a God that is leading?"


    [There have been no wars until now.]


    "I don''t understand. Wasn''t that one of the rules?"


    [In human years, 998 years have passed since the game begun. So it will be two years from now that the first events will begin.]


    "You just called them events didn''t you!? Is this like an RPG system after all?"


    [Also, regarding the God that is leading at the moment, that would be Frejya.]


    "Whoa...ignored. Why Frejya? I would expect a God or Goddess of Love to be the top dog right now. Soul Points can be accumulated through the birth of the new souls or through wars. So, why is Frejya, a Goddess of War leading?"


    [I told you didn''t I? Assimilation!]


    "I am confused. There have been no wars with other worlds...is she having the people fight against each other?"


    [Not at all. She has just been the first to understand how assimilation works and took advantage of the auction store that improves the blessings.]


    "Meaning that her choice of blessings was good and at the point where she could improve them with whatever you can buy from the store, it became her advantage?"


    [Yes and no. Is true that her choice in blessings was good, but only by chance did she pick something good from the store. Is something akin to a war simulator, where the people of the world are fighting different non-human beings and assimilate their accumulated experience, while improving their own. By using multiple instances of this dung..war simulators, her world took the lead by having the highest level warriors.]


    "DUNGEONS! You just wanted to say dungeons! This is totally like an RPG!!!"


    [Since most worlds have it now, you should make use of it as well when you arrive.]


    "Don''t ignore me again!!! For crying out loud... who knew that talking with a God can be this tiring. So, if your system is so much like an RPG, does that mean that I can see my status?"


    [That''s rude...is not an RPG! But you can see your soul refinement rate and what experience you have managed to accumulate so far, by visiting specific locations in each country. They will have similar orbs, like the one in the capital''s temple, which will show you your development rate.]


    "Somehow, for my mental sanity, I don''t want to inquire about those locations since I already might have an idea...Then, this Dungeons..."


    [War simulators!!!]


    "...then this ''war simulators'', do they also give you items when the monsters are killed? Like armors and weapons or other things which might help you further on?"


    [That would be absurd. The only thing you can receive from a war simulator are experience and raw materials that can be used to create armors and weapons.]


    "Isn''t that the same thing...somehow your definition of ''absurd'' doesn''t seem right! I don''t feel like going anymore!!!"


    A different world in which I keep all my memories, including the ones regarding the games I have played which will most likely prove useful, a world with Gods and monsters, a world where I can level up by killing the monsters and then loot them...game...this is 100% a game.


    "Does copyright not apply to Gods?"


    [Well then, I think that any more than this and I will be overstepping my bounds. Tilting the scale in favor of one God is not alright. However, balancing...]


    "Then what do I do next?"


    [Hmm? Yeah, no worries, is like falling asleep and waking up. Well...less frightening than the last time you fell asleep. Take it as a bit of a request on my end, but do your best and help the God which world you end up on. It won''t be for free, of course.]


    "Meaning?"


    [A parting gift from me. I can''t tilt the scales, but I can balance them. This gift should come in handy when you wake up.]


    "What is it?"


    [Something that will help you understand the world. It won''t affect your fighting or thinking capabilities, nor will it improve your overall abilities. Is an analyzing skill.]


    "How do I use it? Do I need to chant some magic words or channel a spell in order to analyze anything?"


    [No. It''s more of a passive skill, than an active one.]


    "...does that answer mean that magic exists in this new worlds...just how much game-like did you make it?"


    "...I see. Then thank you for everything."


    [My pleasure. In return, please do entertain me properly! Have a good trip!]


    "Wow...he actually said it in the end..."


    The lights seem to flicker again while he''s smiling and waving at me. It seems like my eyelids are closing on their own and my body becomes heavy as well. Every particle of light gets swallowed by the darkness and silence takes over my thoughts.


    [Do have fun, ''lost soul''!] - his words encouraged


    I fell asleep once more.

 Day 1 - Status window?

    My consciousness returned slowly as I felt my senses springing back into action. I can smell grass and from the ticklish feeling along my body, I am most likely sprawled somewhere on some field or a forest.


    "I swear, if I''ll wake up half eaten..."


    I open my eyes and I am greeted by strong sunlight, forcing me to shut them close again. After a couple of minutes, my sight returned to me... is obviously daytime.


    I get up to my feet and check my body.


    "Seems like I kept the same clothes...nothing wrong with my body, I can speak normally and I am not in the middle of a forest. Good! A ''bad end'' so suddenly would leave a strange aftertaste. Field, I guess? Didn''t I ask of him to send me somewhere close to a city at least?"


    While complaining to no one in particular, I kept checking my surroundings. Since I saw a hill nearby, I decided to climb it and take a good look at where I am. Judging from my shadow, it seems to be around noon, giving me enough time to do some reconnaissance work.


    The flora seems to be just like the one on Earth...not that I know much about it. No animals in sight and no cliche ''chance encounter'' with any monsters...


    "I think I''m off to a rather good start here!"


    I can see in the distance behind me a forest, but that''s a no-go! Is common knowledge that when brought in a fantasy world like this, that would trigger events like fights with monsters or randomly walking into some people fighting, for which I am both unprepared and unwilling right now. This hill should allow some insight regarding the topography and give me an idea towards where I have to go next. Is not such a large or high hill, but it helps that there are trees at the top that I can climb and is kind of the tallest spot around me to use as a vantage point.


    No fruits in the trees, but flowers are present. Seems like is spring in this world...or at least I think so, as long as the seasons match.


    "No overpowered fruits that I can eat and become strong at the beginning... Well let''s climb a tree and check the area."


    All around me were only plains for as far as I could see, extending to the horizon...except for the forest. Behind the forest, there seemed to be a tower of sorts. Most likely that is a mark of civilization.


    "But going through that forest...I really don''t like it. It seems like I''m being forced into that cliche..."


    Ominous feelings aside, it seems that my direction has been decided. There is no food or water here, so I must go fast. Also, I need to avoid nightfall and camping in a forest at all costs. There are not enough details about this place, therefore is not safe. I need some information...


    I wonder if that analytic skill I got as a gift can help me...


    "How do I even use it? Do I shout something like "ANALYZE" and hope I get something? What kind of tree is this?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Oak tree - a common tree with a slightly strong bark. In spring it blooms and its flowers are edible to humans, but highly poisonous to monsters. Doesn''t bare fruits.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ...I stood there in silence staring at the pop-up window that just appeared in front of me. Mhm...Yup! I guess is an Oak tree then...


    "Don''t let it get to you! I need to make sure I don''t let it get to me! That self-serving game God... Anyway, let''s try it again. Does it activate by asking a question regarding the object? What kind of tree is this?"


    Nothing but awkward silence and the sound of the wind passing through the leaves, caressing its branches. Well, that guy did tell me that his gift of his wasn''t one that needed activation and that it was mostly passive. So, what are the conditions? Since is analytic, maybe curiosity? Or is it more of a matter of focus on the object you are curious about?


    After several tries, I managed to have the window popping up again, by focusing on the object. It seemed that if you want to get the details about it, all you need to do is look closely at it, while picturing what you want from it. If you have a strong image in mind, it helps in bringing forth the information window faster.


    "But now the most important question...does it work on me?"


    I took my time in getting down from the oak tree while stuffing some of its flowers in my pants pockets.


    "Since they are edible and pois... it might help later on."


    Now at the bottom of the tree, ignoring one more time the description window about the flowers and the monsters, I was rather hyped to see if I can check my information. I raised my hands until they were at my eye level and focused on them.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Level


    </td>


    <td>


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Race


    </td>


    <td>


    HumanThis content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    </td>


    <td>


    STR


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic


    </td>


    <td>


    0


    </td>


    <td>


    Human


    </td>


    <td>


    1


    </td>


    <td>


    0%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sex


    </td>


    <td>


    Male


    </td>


    <td>


    DEX


    </td>


    <td>


    11


    </td>


    <td>


    Charm


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Age


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    AGI


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Luck


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World


    </td>


    <td>


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td>


    END


    </td>


    <td>


    8


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    HP


    </td>


    <td>


    100/100 (+0.1/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    INT


    </td>


    <td>


    15


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    MP


    </td>


    <td>


    50/50(+0.05/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Name</td>


    <td>Level</td>


    <td>Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Identify</td>


    <td>MAX</td>


    <td>100%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Fear Resistance</td>


    <td>MAX</td>


    <td>100%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "...common. Whose stats are this!? They are WEAK! I''ll lose to a rolling ball chasing me downhill with this stats! At least my HP is pretty high...I think... And this ''World'' entry in the info window, I guess it shows the world I was moved to. Anhur?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td> Anhur - one of the one thousands worlds participating in the Game of Gods. Ruled by Anhur the God of War.


    Current blessings - Blessing of Fertility, Blessing of Wisdom, Blessing of War, Blessing of Experience.


    Rank: 999/1000</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "ISN''T THIS WORLD THE SECOND LAST!? What''s with this terrible luck? Is only 10 stat points low? Is it!?"


    But this... after calming down a bit, I realized that this is rather important. Not only can I see my status, but I can also see details about other things that could impact it. Like the blessings of this world for example or the rank of the world in the competition. This...I wonder if I can inspect more in depth.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Blessing of Fertility : Increases the chance of a successful conception between members of the same race by 50%. Increases the chance upon conception of having more than one child between members of the same race by 25%. Increases overall happiness of the people by 50% while active and the chance of a higher tier soul to be born by 10%.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Blessing of Wisdom: Increases the Intelligence, Wisdom and Magic stat for new souls born since the activation of this blessing by an overall 50%. Through synergy effect with the Blessing of Fertility, each new soul born will start with 100 MP and aptitude for magic. A higher tier soul will have the bonus doubled based on its tier: once for tier 2, twice for tier 3, thrice for tier 4, etc.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Blessing of War: Increases the Strength, Agility and Dexterity stat for new souls born since the activation of this blessing by an overall 50%. Through synergy effect with the Blessing of Fertility, each new soul born will start with a 100 HP and aptitude for fight skills. A higher tier soul will have the bonus doubled based on its tier: once for tier 2, twice for tier 3, thrice for tier 4, etc.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Blessing of Experience: Increases the accumulation of Experience for every new souls born since the activation of this blessing by an overall 50%. Through synergy effect with the Blessing of Wisdom and the Blessing of War, each new soul born will be provided with an additional 50% increase in the stats is most suitable for. A higher tier soul will have the bonus doubled based on its tier: once for tier 2, twice for tier 3, thrice for tier 4, etc.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "The hell!? Ain''t I weaker than newborns? And what''s with those overpowered blessings? Are all the children here super-humans? And in that case, how is this world second last? Even when playing, those babies could probably strangle a dragon to death by the age of 4!!!"


    It didn''t make sense that with all those blessings and the synergy effect between them a God of War would have such a weak ranking. Unless...unless if he didn''t make use of the Auction Store and didn''t create the war-sim...dungeons as soon as they appeared. Or he realized it late and he tries to catch up now. However...only four blessings? Given that one blessing is provided each rank up, why does he have so few? Representative maybe...and if we consider one rank up per century, then with five blessings only, he chose a hero option quite a lot... five times for that matter. It makes me both curious about the civilization and anxious at the same time for its future grim prospects. Won''t I get steamrolled over once other worlds invade!?


    "Also, there is one other entry that peeked my interest. ''Fear resistance'', is it? From what I heard from the Reaper, only at level 10 will you be granted a skill. And I have two of them. One I got as a gift from him, but this second one seems to be there without his doing, since he talked about balance and what-not. While I could see him do stupid things for his own entertainment, I doubt he would tip the scales too much towards one side."


    I remembered also the conversation where he told me that usually, a soul can''t be in his presence because of the soul-shattering fear. Meaning that either I had this ability in life, or I got it after I was killed...or during that time.


    One thing is for certain: while remembering when I was killed... I was absolutely frightened at that point! Which means that either after or during the time I was murdered, I gained this ability. The number of questions keeps increasing and I am losing daylight here, by doing nothing but wonder.


    I open the information window regarding the skill, while walking towards the forest.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Fear resistance: A soul damaged by fright to the extent that, in order to cope and survive, it gained resistance to fear itself. Immune to all mental attacks and states.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    And there seems to be my answer: during the time I was killed, but not by having my soul tampered by someone else, rather by my own survival instincts kicking in. Immunity to any sort of mental attacks or altering states is a good perk to have, but remembering how I got it...it really doesn''t seem like a fair trade.


    "So the moment of clarity I got when I died was because I managed to acquire this. That''s how I was able to see her face and talk with her...Oh, it seems like I am close to the entrance of the forest."


    Being one step away from entering through the multitude of trees, I could feel something wrong. It wasn''t something that I could quite put my finger on...rather it seemed like the same instinct keeping me alive previously. Something told me that this place was bad news for my low HP.

 Day 1 - Template encounter

    Leaving the plains behind me, I carefully stepped inside the forest. The trees seemed somewhat taller compared with how they looked from outside and that made me feel unsafe.


    I took my time and used my (Identify) skill to check the forest for edible plants or fruits, but I had no luck whatsoever. I did find however a fallen branch that I picked up and decided to use as a pointy stick just in case I get attacked by a wild animal, since it had just the right girth to use.


    The feeling I had earlier, prior to entering the forest, seemed to intensify the deeper I went in.


    I also made sure to snap some branches closer to the ground on my way to the tower I''ve seen previously, just in case I might need to go back to the plains, since I didn''t want to get lost.


    Each step I took was accompanied by complete silence, as I didn''t want to make noise by crushing fallen leaves or dry twigs in my path and draw unwanted attention. Finally, I started to understand why my gut was telling me this place was no good at all, after walking all the way here: during the entire time inside the forest - which now has been around half an hour, maybe a bit more - I haven''t heard a single chirping sound of a bird or cries from insects.


    It was as if this entire forest was voided of any life except the trees and plants.


    "These flowers taste surprisingly acceptable. Kind of bland, but I can''t really complain. I wonder about the information I checked earlier about them..."


    While sitting on top of a thick branch from a tree I climbed in the middle of a meadow, I was savoring the almost tasteless flowers I took from the pseudo-oak tree. Why I say pseudo? Because I don''t remember the oak being poisonous to any creatures...


    Anyway, I reopened my status window and was slightly surprised when did that.


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    11


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    8


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100/100 (+0.1/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50/50(+0.05/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Wasn''t the EXP 0/10 previously? How did it become 1?"


    Thinking back to the conversation I had with the self-serving game God, every action you take in this world ''tampers directly with your soul''. Or to put it in game terms, you can get experience from it. However, the only thing I did so far, was walking and climbing trees...Workout? Is this considered workout? He did say that push-ups and other things of this sort would increase my level, but isn''t this simpler than he explained? Maybe the blessing had a hand in the experience gain as well, but if you can level up just from walking, isn''t this kind of broken?


    There are too many variables to just say that however, but I should investigate it more in depth as well. I wonder if I there are any more details about the columns in my status page like there were regarding the world.


    Since I''m taking a break and I''m hidden from sight by these leaves, I should do a bit of research while I digest my ''meal''.


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level: shows the refinement rate of the soul, achieved through body experiences, mind evolution, or assimilation. Special actions can also tamper with the general experience gain.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">EXP 1/10: shows the amount of experience required until the soul reaches the next level. Upon refinement, the general abilities will be boosted by a total of five points spread around the most used stats.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I see...so that''s what he meant by ''the route decides the abilities''. In my case if I can walk until I level up, is very probable that the points I''ll get assigned would go into Endurance and maybe Agility. Now then, what about the HP and MP?Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">HP: shows the vitality of the user. Upon soul refinement the amount increases with a 50 points per level. The amount is also increased by 1 point per each increase of 1 point in Strength and 2 points increase per each increase of 1 point in Endurance. HP recovery rate is decided by the amount of Endurance, Strength, Agility and Dexterity, as well as the physical state the body is in.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">MP: shows the mana of the user. Upon soul refinement the amount increases with a 50 points per level. The amount is also increased by 1 point per each increase of 1 point in Intelligence and 2 points increase per each increase of 1 point in Magic. MP recovery rate is decided by the amount of Wisdom, Intelligence and Magic, as well as the mental state the body is in.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    That ''Magic'' word really tickles my imagination, but for now I need to focus on reaching a human settlement. Leaving aside the HP and MP explanation, my current food ''provisions'' are lacking in substance, although, I did notice that by eating them my thirst gets quenched a little bit. I should survive with no problems for a while, but I can''t mentally agree to eating flowers for a long period of time. Also, if my body becomes malnourished or poisoned, that will certainly affect my HP. I should be safe for MP recovery since I am immune to mental afflictions, but I would prefer not to gamble with my life...


    "I should get walking then. This meadow would be probably in the middle of the forest...hopefully. But I wonder why are there no animals or insects around, given the lush vegetation and the creek running through the middle of it. Maybe humans past often through here and scared them away, or mayb..."


    I suddenly stopped talking when I heard footsteps crushing the same twigs I previously avoided, with no care in the world. I was still in the tree hiding between the stuffy leaves and was hoping to see the humans I though about previously. With this, I will be able to reach a village or a town by nightfall with no problems.


    Only if there would''ve been humans...


    "You have to be kidding me! That worthless game God..."


    I whispered while grinding my teeth. What is he thinking in creating such a marvelous system and allowing this to happen? This is a pure copy-pasted template from any game or novel I''ve seen! Where''s the divine imagination I hoped for!? Give me back my expectations you worthless self-serving God!!!


    The creature which footsteps brought it to the meadow, walked without a care in the world between the trees reaching a couple of meters away from the one in which I was hiding. I focused on my breathing and made it as slow and silent as possible in order not to be discovered.


    After all, when I used the Identify skill by mistake on it, it showed this:


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Goblin


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    19


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Goblin Guard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    48%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    14


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1 month


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    8


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    370/370 (+0.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    6


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10/10(+0.001/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Name</td>


    <td>Level</td>


    <td>Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Alarm</td>


    <td>???</td>


    <td>???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Rally Cry</td>


    <td>???</td>


    <td>???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings bestowed by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Experience</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    STRONG!! Isn''t this supposed to be the monster that becomes my valuable experience in leveling up, while also serving as a stepping stone in my ascent to rightful ruler of this world, or something like that?


    What''s up with those stats of his? And his HP...is almost four times my own. It even has an occupation for crying out loud!


    "But really...a damn Goblin."


    This creature was no taller than 150 - 160 centimeters, with a stupid look on is green face and pointy ears. He had something similar to a dirty rag around his waist and a bulging belly to almost cover the said rag. However, he did had a wooden spear with something akin to a sharp stone used as a pointy end and I could see red traces on it. I am pretty sure that is not clay.


    The problem is that I am at a complete disadvantage, not only in stats and weapon since I left the pointy branch I picked up earlier on the ground - not that it would''ve done me any good to have it - but also in skills.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Alarm: when ambushed or in combat, if in danger this skills provides a ringing sound to warn the user .</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Rally Cry: a powerful cry for help that announces one''s location to fellow members of the same race.


    Cost: 5MP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This meant not only that I can''t attack it directly, but that even in the off chance I do, there is a high probability of many other Goblins to come running here if this green pig starts squealing. If I do remember properly from games and novels, Goblins live in hordes...that means stupidly huge numbers...


    "This is bad...this is really bad. What do I do!?"


    With lazy steps, the goblin kept advancing towards my tree. Was I discovered? Do they have a keen sense of smell, or was it something else that gave me away? How do I even fight it if push comes to shove? Do I jump on it?


    My train of thought was interrupted since on its way here, a branch as thick as a human arm was in his way and it slapped him in the face, which obviously annoyed him. Since the branch was lowered from a nearby tree in arms reach, he grabbed it with his free left hand and snapped it in two... A thick freaking wooden branch, thicker than my arm!


    "Don''t fuck with me! What kind of absurd power is that? I can''t fight that thing! My bones will break way easier than that branch!"


    As the Goblin came closer and closer, I found it weird that I was not panicking, but on the contrary I was rather calm even if pissed off and was formulating different plans of attack and defense. While the Fear resistance was good like that, any plan I came up with had a bad end...for me!


    The Goblin was in front of the tree, looking straight at it...and then leaned on the bark as he sat on the grassy ground under the it. I was amazed by the luck I got from just 10 points in that stat, but I wasn''t out of the woods yet...so to speak.


    I needed to find a way out of this situation.


    "Come on you green bastard, there has already been at least fifteen minutes since you''ve came here. Aren''t you a guard? Playing hooky is no good! Just get the hell out of here already!"


    While I was thinking that, the Goblin brought forward a pouch tied with a black string around its mouth, that seemed to have been previously on his waist.


    "That belly...how can it be big enough to cover a goddamn pouch!?"


    He brought out of it a clay bowl and then pulled out a gourd from which he poured water and drank it. Then he left it on the ground near the roots of the tree, while pulling out something else from the not-even 10 centimeters in length bag, that obviously was some sort of artificial storage. It was a rabbit which head seemed to have been twisted in an unnatural way.


    I could see myself in the same situation soon enough...


    He puts the rabbit on the ground near to the bowl and pulls a sharp stone from the pouch, then grabs the rabbit and goes towards the branch he broke previously. He cuts it into small pieces and then twig by twig, he arranges it into a small bonfire.


    A sudden yell accompanied by his right foot hitting the ground under it to show dissatisfaction, followed by it throwing the rabbit down and going back on the route he came from.


    I then saw why...he didn''t have enough firewood and the green branch he used might not burn sufficient to roast the rabbit.


    "This could be my only chance of getting out alive from this forest!"

 Day 1 - A horrid dusk

    When I realized that the Goblin was going to leave for a couple of minutes to grab firewood, I had a moment of clarity: I needed to kill it or escape!


    Those felt like the only options I had available. However, he went to find firewood towards the direction of the plains I came from and I am not confident enough to advance through the woods where I might meet others of his kind.


    "...so, kill?"


    Killing. The speed with which I reached this option scared me. To take a life is not a simple psychological feat and yet I decided on it in a split second, disregarding the humanoid look of the monster and the height that could belong to a child in middle school. There wasn''t any room for sophistry or excuses...I needed to kill this monster in order to ensure my own survival. And the only chance I have is to bet that the info I got from identifying the Oak tree was accurate.


    "I will poison it!"


    When it left my field of vision and burrowed itself in the dense forest, I quickly descended from the tree I was hiding in and took the flowers from my pockets. Since he took with him only his spear and the pseudo-knife, I had everything else to use against him. So I started with the bowl he discarded near the roots of the tree and smeared it with the poisonous flowers, not knowing if it will work or not, by crushing them against all of its clay walls, until a yellowish paste was formed. Then I reached in his foul smelling pouch and brought the water container that seemed something made of leather sewed together, but I payed no attention to it and stuffed three flowers inside it and shake it violently hoping for it to work. Then, right before deciding to climb back the tree, I saw the rabbit.


    "...he was going to eat it, wasn''t he?"


    The only way I could make sure I can get some poison in the meat he was going to eat, was to stuff the rabbit with it. So I pushed five flowers that were tightly crushed within my fist, down the rabbit''s throat. The smell almost made me puke and the blood made me feel lightheaded... But I grasped onto my consciousness and forced myself to endure.


    Now I could only pray that it will work. So, I climbed back the tree and waited. Five minutes...Ten minutes...Fifteen minutes...No sign of the Goblin returning.


    "Maybe I got lucky and he left or got killed..."


    I then realized when the sound of footsteps woke me up to reality, that I should stop raising this flags. Not only did the Guard Goblin returned, but he also brought a friend along and an extra... meal.


    I felt sickened upon the sight of two small green creatures dragging about the corpse of a human male slightly taller than them. From the looks of it he should be in his mid twenties, early thirties at most but you couldn''t tell well anymore due to the bloodied and swallowed face, as well as the bent out of shape limbs. The only parts of his body that seemed almost untouched were his legs, which this two Goblins were forcefully pulling one each, with a grin on their ugly mugs.


    Not only did this sight made me almost throw up again, but the fact that they might eat that human frightened me even more. Not because he was a fellow human and it was about to happen in front of me, but because my plan to kill one of them might''ve just been ruined.


    Slowly breathing in and letting out a mouthful of stale air out, I calmed down and decided that, if needed be I will improvise, however one thing was mandatory: more than before, I wanted to see this two abominations dead!


    "I''ll patiently wait. No matter what happens, I will find a chance..."


    I kept thinking that while looking away when the goblins started dismembering the guy they dragged along. Limb by limb at first, forcefully ripped off by sheer strength and their faces that were now covered in blood and other fluids seemed oddly amused by this.


    Then the second Goblin pulled out the short sword he was carrying around his waist and started chopping away at the neck of the corpse. The blade seemed quite dull since it took over twenty strikes to loop the head off the rest of the corpse.


    When their ''hard work'' ended, the second Goblin ''yelled'' something at the Guard Goblin and he handed over his wooden spear. Then, like mocking the dead human he raised the severed head with the left hand and held it close to his own disfigured mug and smiled while showing his yellowish teeth. With a sharp and fluid, almost rehearsed-like movement, he impaled the head of the guy and fixed the spear on the ground, while both of them were prancing around it proudly.


    A couple of hours elapsed since they both returned. The smell of burned human meat reached my nose also and I felt like I might pass out myself from the horrific stench.


    But I endured! And I waited for my chance. Patiently. Like a hunter focusing on nothing but its prey. I ignored my cramping legs and hurting back while I sat in the same position for hours without even moving a finger. I just waited for my chance that I knew would come sooner or later. It will definitely arrive!


    The second Goblin seemed to be wearing nothing but a cloth around his waist and a short sword with a rusty scabbard. There was no pouch in sight, so I decided to use the Identify skill on it.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Goblin


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Goblin Soldier


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    4


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    80%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    14


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1 month


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    14


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    530/530 (+1.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50/50(+0.5/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Power Strike</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Consecutive Slashes</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Rage</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings bestowed by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Experience</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I let out a silent dry laugh while I felt like I had no chance whatsoever to survive the upcoming night. Not only his stats are higher than the guard on a whole other level, but he has attack skills as well. Active ones by the Magic stat that is not zero...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Power strike: by focusing mana in your weapon, you deliver a blow to your enemy containing 120% of your full regular damage.


    Mana cost: 10</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Consecutive slashes: by infusing mana in your body to the utmost limit, you become able to attack multiple times in a single second, up to a total of times depending on the sum of Agility , Endurance and Dexterity you currently have divided by 10.


    Mana cost: 15</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Rage: when your health reaches 10% your body becomes enraged and by infusing it with mana and overloading it, you become immune to all physical attacks for a period of five minutes.


    Mana cost: 25</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I will die! Not only if I don''t do anything, but also if I try to do anything. Not only does he have a greater Strength stat than the previous Goblin that snapped a branch as thick as a human arm using one hand, but his skills can also make use of that, given he could possibly attack me four times in a second, if that description is accurate. And in the absurd case where I manage to almost kill him, he can become fucking invulnerable to all physical attacks for five entire minutes. If that''s not a hero build, then I don''t know what else is!


    "That self-serving Game God...what the hell is he thinking sending me into a hardcore difficulty place like this from the start? Does he counts me dying as entertainment?"


    They kept gnawing away with greed at the burnt human flesh, while their faces covered by blood and their own saliva were painting a rather grotesque image. It made me wonder, just how mentally traumatized would I have become if I didn''t acquire Fear Resistance.


    In another hour, only clothes, bones and blood were left where the human corpse once stood. It didn''t seem that their hunger was fully satiated, as the Soldier Goblin reached for the rabbit while the Guard Goblin scornfully glared at his ''partner'' for eating his food. Apparently even these monsters have an established hierarchy that they follow...one dictated by strength, of course.


    "Good, good! Eat it carefully and get poisoned you green waste!"


    I watched smiling while the rabbit was devoured whole, fur and all. Displeased, the Guard Goblin reached his pouch, took the water bag out and poured it into his bowl that he left near the tree roots. Just when he was about to put the leather water container back, it was forcefully taken from him by the soldier and drank with great gusto from it.


    I could see two flowers being swallowed, while the other Goblin was drinking from the bowl.


    Now I need to wait and hope that the flowers can poison them indeed. Otherwise...


    Half an hour passed and the forest was drowned in the red light of the setting sun, leaving the two Goblins drowsy from the feast they had. They prepared some branches from the surroundings and made beds out of the leaves by laying them about, then throwing themselves on top of them.


    There was no poison reaction from them so I decided to analyze their status windows to make sure if it worked or not.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    525/530 (-1.5/sec) (Poisoned)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I could feel the corners of my lips raising involuntary. I grinned widely thinking that my patience was rewarded. Now all I need to do, is make sure that I can use this opportunity.


    First off, if the poison not only paralyzes them but actually hurts them, like the status showed, there''s no need for me to intervene. But if for example, it only weakens them, I need to manually put an end to it. For that a weapon is required. I can''t bravely try to take the weapon from the soldier since it might result in my own death instead, so the only option available was...the spear.


    I looked at the spear and saw the bloodied head with eyes wide opened staring at the sky while sitting on top of it, as darkness soon enveloped the forest, the only source of light being the camp fire the two Goblins kept going.


    The severed head was lacking almost any trace of it being a former human...


    "Fuck waiting! As if I could just patiently wait for them to die by poisoning from a freaking flower. As a fellow human, I''ll make sure I use the same weapon they tarnished your pride with and shove it as far up their asses as its length will allow!"

 Day 1 - A red night

    What a fake rage... Dignity of a fellow human? I couldn''t care less, truth to be told and I would probably abandon a live one to save my own skin if in such a situation. I''m way to weak in front of these monsters to play hero. There was this novel I once read that said ''Justice without power, is meaningless!'' and now I understand why. But because I needed to use that spear drenched in blood and viscera of a human being, I felt the need to justify my reasoning and find something like retribution for the dead guy, only to fool myself with.


    I didn''t know I am this weak mentally...


    A sudden movement and a thud brought me back to reality. The first to react was the Guard Goblin. He started groaning all of a sudden and collapsed on the ground, with froth around his ugly mug.


    Seeing this, the soldier tried to get up and go to him but found himself in the same situation and shortly after, started writhing in pain as well. I watched carefully as their HP was slowly draining away, not rushing and hoping that it saps every ounce of strength they could muster.


    I watched them roll through the grass and the makeshift beds because of the pain the poison brought them, for about an half an hour and then looked at the spear which still had the head stabbed in as a declaration, standing only about five, maybe six meters away from the tree. I started descending slowly, making sure that each place I put my foot on is stable and that I won''t screw something up now, most of the noises drowned by the crying Goblins. After patiently waiting more than six hours, another couple of minutes were no problem to me.


    So I managed to climb down behind the tree and while tiptoeing I headed towards the wooden spear. Upon reaching it, I found myself starring at the disturbingly bloodied head with sad eyes. However, I decided since the beginning that I won''t freeze here for my own sake and for the sake of the revenge I wanted to achieve for the killed man, even if it wasn''t as real as I wanted it to be.


    Therefore I reached my hands towards the hair and pulled carefully, until it came off with a disgustingly splashing sound. I placed the head on the ground silently and gripped tightly the spear, while heading back behind the tree.


    Like planned inside my head in the hundreds of scenarios I went through, I needed to take care of them one at a time, first one being the Guard Goblin which was further away from the camp fire and closer to the tree, chased away there by the soldier. It seems like their hierarchy based on power will work in my favor this time around.


    I silently strengthened the grip on both of my hands since the spear was still covered in blood and I didn''t want to have it slip of, while approaching the guard that was now kneeling and clawing at his neck, with his back facing me while trying to reach for the water leather bag.


    "No hesitation! This is for my own survival!"


    Deciding on something and actually doing it, are two different things and while now put face to face to taking a life, even if a shitty one like this Goblin''s, I found it difficult to follow through with it. But not impossible!


    "HAAAAA!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! HP -178!


    Due to the piercing effect of the blow, your target is inflicted with Bleeding status! -25HP/sec!


    Due to the heavily sustained damage, your target is stunned for 3 seconds!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I loud and unplanned yell bellowed from my throat while I stabbed the spear through the back of the Guard Goblin and not only reaching his heart, but also piercing out of his chest and nailing him to the ground. Surprised, he tried to turn his head and with his small arms trying to grasp a hold of me or the weapon, but its flailing limbs barely twitched, probably due to the stunned status as I retreated outside its range, momentarily letting go of the spear. He remained voiceless on the ground after a couple of seconds, dying probably due to blood loss, while the other was watching with eyes containing unmeasurable hatred.


    I grab hold of the spear again and with my right foot I press against the dead Goblin''s back, pulling out the weapon.


    "Don''t worry, you are next!"


    The adrenaline kicked in and surprising enough, I mustered some courage. Even the hesitation from before vanished, leaving behind nothing but a silent anger and bloodlust against this ugly creature, but in a eerily calm manner. Probably it was because I didn''t pray for it to the heavens, instead I decided to enact it! Killing, taking a life...was it THIS empowering!?


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    245/530 (-1.2/sec) (Poisoned)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With confident steps I walked towards the Soldier Goblin, rotating the spear in my right hand. Upon checking his status window, he had about half of his remaining HP and was trying to get up, reaching for the sword on his waist.


    "Like I''d let you do that!"


    I dashed towards him with a big step forward trying to skewer him, when I saw him reach the hilt of the short sword. My aim was his head, to be more exact his right eye, since not even with this game system could a live being survive while receiving such critical damage. I have just confirmed it with the Guard Goblin after piercing its heart.


    However, right before my spear reached him, his hilt glowed for a second and in an instant the sword, still covered by the scabbard, hit shaft of the spear and deflected it upwards.


    Then with a similar glow, his right arm pulled the blade out and during the same instance brandished it towards me. Realizing that only my right hand was still on the bloodied spear, I reasoned that I need to parry somehow and forcefully brought back the ascending spear, feeling an intense pain in my right hand as I did so, all in order to meet the blade or hit it, while myself took a step back slightly regaining my balance.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Your right hand muscles suffer from overexertion and tear! -50HP!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With the teared muscles in my right hand as explanation, I look stupefied at the result of the collision of the two weapons: the spear was cut in half and the blade continued on its path, barely missing me and hitting the ground at my feet, at the same spot where I was a milisecond ago. I stomped his right hand and then kicked his head out of instinct as hard as I could and the soldier groaned loudly and flew backwards while dropping the short sword. I quickly drew towards me using my feet once more while not taking my eyes of the green piece of shit. I picked it up with my left hand and checked the status window again of this nemesis of mine again.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blunt trauma inflicted! -32HP!


    Target has been stunned for 2 seconds!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">HP</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">78/530(-25/sec)(Poisoned)(Muscle tear)(Internal bleeding)(Contusion)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">MP</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">25/50(0/sec)(Contusion)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Serves you right you bastard! You tried to look cool and hit me four times in a second!? How do you like them apples now!? Fucking piece of green shit! Did my shoe taste good? I can give you a second serving right away! AHHAHAHA!"


    While taunting the monster, I quickly analized the status page and saw four different afflictions. I was responsible for the poison and the contusion, but the other two were 100% self-inflicted due to overexertion, like it happened to me earlier.


    Also, not only his HP, but his MP dropped as well. Meaning that the previous actions were probably the skills. He used his Consecutive slashes  to first knock the spear away, then pull the blade out of the scabbard and attack me from above with it in the same second, while applying the Power Strike to deflect my initial attack. That explains the strong impact I felt at the moment he reached my spear, almost like a freaking truck charged into me.


    "However, you are done green-piss! You are almost dead and you have no weapon! I can end you fast, or let you die to the poison and the other afflictions...''tis all the same to me."


    I then realized that I just made a classic third-rate villain mistake and instead of killing the little shit I fucking taunted it unnecessarily. I really need to shut up from time to time and stop tripping over flags. His green skin became slightly red in the dim light provided by the camp fire as he stood up. The previous poison which was impeding his movement was still there but...it didn''t stop his body from moving freely anymore.


    I have the sword, but if I am right and that is his third skill Rage, he won''t take any damage from physical attacks. But he can still die from the poison or other affliction attacks. I took a step back again and then I realized that I had behind me all I needed to end this farce...however, one wrong move and his hands will wring my neck like a chicken''s and drag me down with him, or cut me down with the sword he''ll take alongside with my entire left arm while beating me with it... I gulped loudly and prepared myself, while pushing stupid thoughts aside.


    It''s a gamble then! I''ll show you that luck is more than a number you green bastard!


    "Come on you green shit! What are you doing sleeping there?"


    [GYAAAAAAAA!]


    He roared and started running at me, charging like a bull in the corrida.


    Not yet, be patient! Slowly and carefully. No need to rush. Come on you bastard, run faster! NOW!


    "Catch, ugly mug!"


    I threw the sword towards him rather clumsy, but not with the intent of cutting or impaling, but rather to distract him. For a second his eyes followed the weapon upwards, while I kicked his right leg with my left foot like in football, tripping him.


    The result? He fell on top of the campfire with the sword near him and the rag around his waist was lighted like a Christmas tree. When he saw that, he started rolling around the grass in the attempt to put out the fire. By the time he managed to do so, I was already climbing back the tree.


    I realized when his skin became red that he activated that invulnerability cheat and that the couple of meters that were between us wouldn''t allow me to outrun him. Therefore I made a bet and threw the weapon at him, hoping that he could catch fire and die. However that invulnerability was no joke, as he didn''t even take damage from anything. His HP remained fixed at 53, while his eyes were searching hungrily for where I hid in hope of retaliation.


    Out of breath, yet quiet as a cat, I watched him from the tree as he was searching about. I also realized that the Strength status was rather absurd, as my left leg was bruised badly from the previous collision with the monster''s. But I kept quiet! I did so for the next five minutes, until I saw his HP drop to 28. He was near the roots, close to where I was hiding. The distance between me and this green creature? Two meters at best.


    Jump down on him? No way I''d do such a stupid thing, so I silently descended the tree again and blindly searched for the broken wooden spear that should be on the ground nearby. Unluckily, I found the broken staff half of it and approached again the tree from behind, as the creature was planning to climb it from the looks of it.


    Kneeling because of the pain and with no more mana to use, he nervously looked around while still holding the sword in his right hand.


    "However, I have no intention of being killed by you, green filth."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -122HP!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I raised the right hand that held the remaining of the spear and stabbed it in the back of his neck, piercing out through the left side with the splinters and then taking a couple of steps back as a precaution.


    Contrary to my expectations, he hit the ground face first and silence took ensued. Every so often, the burning wood of the disturbed campfire threw embers into the air, which to me seemed to be fireworks celebrating victory.


    But is night and is dangerous to stay for too long here. So I took the sword of the soldier and the pouch of the guard as I walked towards the clothes of the human. Using the sword I cut them into strips sloppily and climbed the tree. By binding the strips together I created a rope that I used to tie myself and the branches around me together, something I saw in a movie once. Surprising enough, it could barely sustain my weight. I then secured the sword and the pouch in a similar fashion and upon relaxing ever so slightly, I found my consciousness drifting .


    Upon taking another look at the ground under me, it seemed like the two Goblins were sleeping in front of a campfire. It looked like a session of peaceful camping under the summer night sky.


    "Right...it''s supposed to be Spring here..."


    So, I followed suite.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Due to a Special Action, Job (Human) is replaced by the Job (Scout)!


    Level up!


    Level up!


    ...


    Level up!


    Congratulations! You have advanced to level 7!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Day 2 - Dawn of a new adventure

    I woke up once the first ray of light made its way through the dense leaves of the forest and I noticed that the sky started to brighten as well. Dawn! This meant that I survived...


    What happened last night felt surreal to me, but with one quick glance under the tree in which I was hiding, I could see the truth: I killed two humanoid beings. I didn''t feel anything last night except anger and need for retribution after seeing them devour a human body which could''ve just as well been mine, but now...I feel nothing.


    "I''m I running away from reality, or it really doesn''t affect me at all? Logically speaking, my survival was at stake and if I remember what that self-serving game God said, this is nothing but a game...even if that''s supposed to apply only to Gods, why shouldn''t I see it the same way!?"


    I cut the bloodstained rope used to bind myself to the tree last night with the short sword I took from the Soldier Goblin now lying dead under the tree and after grabbing the pouch I took from the Guard Goblin lying face down in the dirt some distance away from the extinguished campfire I climbed down from the tree.


    "Why so many details!? Recollection of last night''s events I can understand, but is there a need to force myself to think anything more about it? If human mentality had a say in it, then yes, it was wrong and I should feel something about it. But I already died as a human back on Earth, didn''t I? Wait...what does that make me now?"


    What stopped my incoherent rambling was the scene waiting for me on the ground: two corpses bathed in a pool of green blood-like liquid and a horrible stench, while a severed head was in a throwing stick distance. Strangely, I was hungry and that surely felt wrong for a second until I realized that I literally ate only flowers for an entire day. I only had a couple left after using most of them to poison this two last night...I needed to make a decision fast.


    When thinking about possible alternative sources of food I saw in the right hand of the Guard Goblin the sharpened rock he used as a knife to cut the branches yesterday, so while enduring the stench, I got close and took it. It kind of scared me that he somehow grabbed that since I remember seeing him clawing at his neck with his bare hands right before dying.


    "Are zombie monsters a thing in this world? I guess I wouldn''t exactly surprise me keeping in mind who came up with this system..."


    I strapped the short sword and its scabbard to my waist using a part of the makeshift rope that was the cleanest and put the pseudo-knife at my right ankle using another piece that was basically soaked in blood, like I saw in a movie about the second World War. Why? Because if you become a prisoner, you have a chance of them not searching you, which as result increases your chances of escaping. However, I had my doubts regarding being taken prisoner, since this creatures like to feast on humans...


    I checked the content of the pouch and while doing so I realized that it was made from some type of leather. I prayed to that shitty game God that it wasn''t human skin and looked inside it: the water jug which now was dry and some metal coins. Again taking into consideration that this is merely 1000 years into the created civilization, this was most likely the currency of this world. Keeping that in mind, paper should not be used as currency since it might be a valuable resource or might not exist whatsoever, meaning that the level of civilization could indeed be around around the middle ages or earlier than that...


    "That self-serving game God... The should be a limit to your selfishness! And yet, if only one thousand years have passed, I guess it should be around right. With the guidance of a representative of Anhur used five times already and comparing it to the growth of Earth, I guess it could be considered an incredible leap in technology. Hmm...when was currency first introduced back on Earth?"


    Leaving random trivia aside, I guess I should head towards the tower and find the human settlement I saw previously. I was doubting (or rather hoped) the fact that it could be a Goblin village or something, since it seemed pretty tall and they shouldn''t have that type of knowledge.


    So I first found the trail I marked by breaking tree branches and headed to the opposite direction I followed when first entered the forest, again leaving a trail to double back on, just in case.


    After an hour of carefully walking through the forest, which by the way, now that I got accustomed to seemed a lot easier and made less noise as well, I managed to cover a pretty big distance. I took a flower from the two left in my pocket, crushed by last night''s ''workout'' and chewed on it slightly displeased while advancing.


    Keeping in mind the distance I saw previously, there should be a twenty kilometers distance or less between the Oak tree and the tower I saw. Yesterday I should''ve covered around five, maybe six until I reached the meadow because I moved at a slow pace and remained stuck there for the remaining of the day. Now after an early start I should get out of this forest by maintaining this pace somewhere around noon. I should reach the tower with no problems. I should...


    "I start wondering if this game has been set on ''impossible to survive'' difficulty..."


    I whispered between my teeth again while hearing branches snapping in front of me. Judging from yesterday''s turn of events, it should be another Goblin. If that is indeed the case, then I might face the worst case scenario here.


    I moved from tree to tree towards the source of the earlier noise just like a stupid person would do in a horror flick and soon enough I had in my vision a group of two armed Goblins walking beside a group of five smaller ones carrying baskets filled with something. I kept a safe distance of around fifteen meters if I were to take a guess and tried to use Identify  on them. The two armed Goblins were guards with similar status and same skills as the one I killed last night, while the other five were something unexpected. It made me doubt if the tower I saw ahead was indeed belonging a human settlement.


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Goblin


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Goblin Gatherer


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    28%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1 month


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AnhurIf you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    21


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    357/357 (+1.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    4


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5/5(+0.001/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Name</td>


    <td>Level</td>


    <td>Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Alarm</td>


    <td>???</td>


    <td>???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Rally Cry</td>


    <td>???</td>


    <td>???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings bestowed by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Experience</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    All five Goblins carrying baskets had the occupation showing ''Gatherer '', which meant that most likely, those baskets held some sort of food. I had a chance to get something to eat beside flowers in this area apparently and targeting this group felt right for some reason.


    That reminded me of last night''s fight and the fact that you gain experience through killing opponents and assimilating theirs. Does that mean that I managed to level up with last night''s fight? I do remember a message just before I fell asleep...or rather, just before I fainted.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Scout


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    7


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    43%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    419/419 (+2.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    215/215(+1.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">100%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fear Resistance</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">100%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stealth</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">62%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ambush</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings granted by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of experience</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I starred stupidly at the status window in front of me amazed at the sudden increase, to the point where I almost lost the food from my sight. The changes that occured made me realize that not only did my Job change from Human to Scout, but with the newly aquired skills, is very likely that the changes occured due to - what that shitty self-serving game God would call - special actions. Since I jumped 7 levels in total, that meant 35 stat points assigned based on what I used most. Endurance huh? Can''t argue with that really, given how I endured staying still for hours and hours on a freaking tree branch and that I pushed myself to move even after I pulled a muscle when fighting the soldier last night. The increase in Magic probably came due to the new skills I''ve got, meaning that at least one of them is active. I held in the ''FUCK YEAH!'' and just did a fist pump, after which I checked to see if the Goblins saw me. That would be a stupid way to die.


    Next, the Agility, Dexterity and Strength received a boost as well, probably due to the fight and thanks to the level ups, I probably won''t get one hit KO-ed by monsters now. Probably... Fuck, who I''m I kidding! I am barely able to fight a Goblin Soldier one on one and everyone knows Goblins are the weakest monsters in every game. I really hope there aren''t any dragons or other stupidly overpowered monsters in this area... Please God, let me make it out alive until I can get to meet you one more time so I can clobber you with all my newly acquired Strength!


    "Hmm? The Goblins seem to take a break, so I have some time to figure this out. Two new skills and an occupation. Let''s investigate a bit."


    While I wouldn''t mind being a broken-cheat character, I somehow doubted that it be the case since probably there are two years old infants out there stronger than I am.


    Then, the answers should be in my status page somewhere.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Scout


    An occupation that relies heavily on stealth for gathering information and silently disposing of your enemies, as well as the speed to make it out in time.


    It provides a boost in the damage dealt to an opponent in the case of a surprise attack.


    If the damage dealt is a fatal blow, the amount of experience received at the end of combat multiplies twice per each opponent after leaving battle. If no enemy is engaged within 5 minutes, the multiplier resets.


    Requirements - (Stealth) skill and a fatal damage dealt to an enemy from a surprise attack.


    Next evolution branch - Hunter; Tracker; Soldier</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ...I see. That would explain the sudden leap in experience gained when coupled with the blessing I guess, but it says that you require the (Stealth) skill for the occupation. I didn''t have it previously, so it feels like a bit of a stretch...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stealth


    A passive skill that allows one to stay out of the opponent''s sight by minimizing one''s own presence.


    The movement becomes silent and swift allowing unhindered information gathering, or unholy assassinations.


    Requirements: remain unnoticed for more than six hours in an area with more than one enemy, while being at a distance smaller than five meters apart. </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Lucky...I got incredibly lucky, to the point where I feel I should yell ''PLOT ARMOR''. I managed to get the skill by chance because of my patience and the struggle to stay alive with those two under me, while because of the Oak flowers that were edible to me and not to them, I managed to kill the first one from behind, which as a result got the ''Scout '' occupation and the x4 experience multiplier at the end of the battle. Yeah, it does sound like plot armor alright... However, the lack of Intelligence stat for those greenish pieces of shit and the fact that I took the initiative to act and kill them, qualifies me for the upgrades! Is not like I just stumbled upon some great fucking power and won the battle because of it. Well, I did poison them because I stumbled upon that tree actually...


    "Speaking of which. If I got the Job through what would be called a ''Special Action'', since they died due to poisoning, shouldn''t I get something else? Like an assassin? Or poisonmancer?"


    Anyway...it seems like threading that thin line between life and death was well worth it since I got two skills and even my Magic stat increased to 5 giving hope to shooting fireballs randomly at monsters. But if those special actions are required to get the skill, isn''t that stupid? I mean, you literally must risk your life in order to get the Stealth skill.


    Also, that last entry in the Skill List sounds like it would use mana since the Magic stat increased exactly like in the case of the Goblin Soldier. Let''s see...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ambush


    When attacking from behind, the damage dealt is increased by 500% by imbuing mana in your weapon. If attacking from stealth, there is an 80% chance to deal fatal damage if the enemy''s total HP is lower than yours. The chance is increased to 100% when hitting a vital spot.


    Cost: 20MP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Hah! It seems like I might actually get to eat something else than flowers after all.

 Day 2 - A matter of getting used to

    With new skills (hell, even an active one), I watched as the Goblins stopped in a small clearing. Since the sea of trees made it such as I would be discovered only if I did something really stupid, I slowly closed in on them, trying to find an opportunity. From the looks of it, those baskets are filled to the brim with different types of fruits, plants and other vegetables, while one of them also has a rabbit and a couple of pigeon-like birds. It looks like these little bees have been busy last night.


    Now that they rested for a couple of minutes, one of the Gatherers picks up the two small birds and the rabbit and proceeds to prepare them for being cooked. Feathers are being plucked and the fur is being skinned, while the other six of them watch while drooling.


    Then, one of the Guard Goblins started yelling something, the other four Gatherers got up and left the clearing in a hurry. Following yesterday''s events, the probability of them going to get firewood in order to cook the meat was above 80%. The other two stood comfortably in the clearing doing almost nothing, probably due to their jobs being - quite literally - to guard the foragers.


    Suddenly the two guards started growling at one another, one holding the rabbit fur and threw it to the other, after which leaving in my direction while grinning. From the not-so-pleased expression on his ugly green mug, I reached the conclusion that he just dumped all the work on his colleague there, meaning that they can actually process the fur. Is not that hard to believe since even caveman back on Earth were able to use it as clothes, carpets or bed cover.


    But more important...


    "Here''s my chance. I can take care of this one first, then move onto the other four Gatherers. As long as it''s within five minutes of each other, I''ll get the experience bonus as well. But I''d rather not risk my life for it..."


    I draw the sword slowly and a sharp pain comes from my right arm. It seems that leveling up doesn''t heal me like it does in games, does it. I try to lightly swing the sword, but it''s no good. I wince each time the movement becomes a little complex.


    That settles it! A fight is a stupidly bad idea, therefore, I must kill...no! assassinate them!


    While walking from tree to tree, I ended up behind the Guard Goblin that left the clearing. He seemed to want to take a piss and was heading to a tree only a couple of meters from where I was. I switched the sword to my left hand, praying to the Reaper that I was ambidextrous and didn''t know it so far, while also quickly using Identify on my target to make sure again what I was facing against.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Goblin


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Goblin Guard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    90%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1 month


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    11


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    21


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    425/425(+1.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    6


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10/10(+0.001/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Alarm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Rally Cry</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings bestowed by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Experience</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "...!!!"


    FUCK! I almost cursed out loud. What''s with that stupidly high HP!? Wasn''t this supposed to be how I one shot my first monster using the new skill I gained? Why is his HP so much higher, even if his stats aren''t when compared to the first Guard I killed. Not by that much at least...


    Think! Think! There must be something that I can use! There must!


    It had the same skills as the previous one, which meant I needed to deal with him in one go. Getting the attention of all other Goblins in the area if he uses that ''crying to mommy'' skill of his would spell certain death to me. So what can I use? Since his anatomy is probably the same as a human''s, targeting the diaphragm would incapacitate his ability to talk and if moved slightly upwards, I should be able to hit the lungs, if lucky maybe even his heart. Also his build is small and I doubt he has thick skin, therefore if I try to loop of his head I might end it in one go. But I doubt I can manage to do that and this rusty piece of metal is not nearly sharp enough for the job.


    Well then, if hitting with a blunt object the head gives the ''Contusion'' affliction, stabbing through the heart gives ''Stunned'', maybe slitting the throat gives ''Silence'' or something. Guess I can only try... is not like I''d die if I fail...


    "Playing hooky and dropping your workload on your junior over there is bad for your health you know? Allow me to instruct you on why."


    I felt like a second rate villain while thinking that to be honest, but it felt like a safety mechanism to protect my mind, even if I had a skill to do that. I was about to kill not only this creature, but all other as well if possible. So I needed to make it somewhat alright in my head, even if this green beings haven''t done anything to me directly, that maybe massacring them in cold blood is in order to prevent others from dying, like the guy from yesterday. I wanted to be able to think that it was all just a game and I was just grinding experience...but in reality, they felt so alive that when killing them you could see the pain on their faces and hear the cries they were shouting. Even so, this is for my own survival. I''d rather have them feel the pain and not myself.


    When the Goblin moved aside his dirty rag and put down his wooden spear, I started moving behind him. Carefully stepping on the ground while avoiding the leaves and tree branches I got closer and closer. When the sound of his piss hitting the tree bark resounded in the strangely quiet area, I gripped the sword tighter and aimed for its his back. Since anatomy dictated it, I turned the blade horizontally and moved in.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical hit! -380HP!


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.Target bleeds! -60HP/sec!


    Target is stunned due to massive damage for 4 seconds!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    My targeted area was near the spine, somewhere near the middle of his body on the left side. If the blade went in, it will stab through and cut a couple of important arteries as well as push out of the diaphragm and smash the sternum. Moving in, with a swift and precise motion I stabbed the slightly slanted point of the blade and felt it pierce through the flesh with a disgusting sound, then his insides, only to stop when it reached something hard on the other side. Since the blade is not very sharp, it couldn''t pierce through the sternum, so I had to improvise.


    I pulled out the weapon from his body in a hurry, while kicking the back of his knees, forcing it to kneel and prepared to strike him again. Upon drawing the sword out, blood sprayed on my face, the smell and the feeling of it making me retch. But I forced myself to remain strong and finish it, however he just fell on the ground gasping for air and unable to cry, contrary to my expectations. Even if there isn''t a ''Silenced'' status, you can''t bypass anatomy just because of this ''adventurer system''.


    To confirm his death, I quickly checked my own status window and saw that my experience points increased while my mana decreased by a total of 20. This meant that I successfully activated the Ambush skill, or to be more precise since it seems to automatically activate in special circumstances, I must''ve met the requirement of attacking the target from stealth. A boost in my experience made the situation mentally better and since it was doubled by my Job, it must''ve counted as the first battle ending and meant that I didn''t drew any attention on myself from the others. Now, I had 5 minutes to get my next target.


    "I should focus next on the gatherers and try to get them down before they return in the clearing. Otherwise, it will become impossible to kill from stealth given that I can only properly use my left hand."


    In my head I drew a map of the area I was in. A circle represented the clearing, with the one guard left in the middle and one Gatherer preparing the food. The one I just killed would''ve went towards my direction being west of the center, while the other four went towards different locations east. To find them I was required to go around the clearing, south to be more precise, through the path they just came from and start the search from there.


    Since time was running out and they might return any second now, I started lightly running in that direction after hiding the body of the guard behind the tree and taking his wooden spear.


    After reaching a safe distance from the initial spot, I broke the wooden spear and reduced its length to about 40-50 centimeters, since being to long inside of a forest densely packed with trees might inconvenience me.


    It took me a couple of minutes after the detour to finally pick up the sound of branches snapping close to me. I headed in that direction and saw one of the Goblins sitting down and breaking down a thick piece of wood in smaller bits.


    I circled around his back and got closer while readying the spear I took. When in range I quickly thought of killing him fast using the same certain kill method, while meeting the requirements of the Ambush skill I used previously. The problem was that before I managed to reach the right area of the Goblin''s back with the short sword, but the sitting position and his small stature didn''t help me much in this case, making it impossible to attempt. So, while putting the spear on the ground silently, I thought I should grab his neck from behind with my right hand and cut his throat, execution style like in the movies. To do that I needed to put enough force in strangling him with my right, while also moving his chin slightly upwards, so I can have more area to target instead of cutting my own hand.


    I took only couple of seconds to plan the movements in my head, after which I followed through them. I coiled my right hand like a snake from behind his back and pressed the forearm violently right under his chin, forcibly pushing it upwards, while using the blade in my left hand I made the cut starting with the left side of his neck, where the most important artery in the human body was.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -480HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! -100HP/sec


    The target has been stunned for 2 seconds!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The problem was that the force I put into both hands was too much, so the cut was deep and the force I applied upwards snapped the neck apart. I lost my balance surprised by the sudden event and crawled fast to get the spear as well. When I turned around, I saw the sitting Goblin the same position as before, however his head literally fell on his back with just a small piece of skin holding it glued to the body. I dropped both weapons and puked for about 30 seconds straight, until I realized that I literally had nothing in my stomach to throw up.


    "Fucking stupid movies! What was I even thinking!? That was highly dangerous for my fingers. What if he bit me? And again, I''m fucking covered in fucking green blood! Fuck it stinks! Ugh... that blue light on the blade of the sword must mean that the skill was successful and the mana was used to deal fatal damage. "


    I complained angrily and left the body of the now dead Goblin with his head hanging on his back and walked towards the next target while checking my status window. I realized that I forgot to check the Gatherer''s status, but that fatal damage meant that he had less HP than myself. Also, since I wasn''t discovered by other targets and I killed the second one within 5 minutes, it means that the multiplier must be at x4 right now.


    Onto the next target!


    My current experience was at 83%, upped by the ''combo-kills'', as well as the blessing of experience.


    " 83%...if this keeps up I will level up again. I guess is harder to level up one your level increases. Last night with just two of them I reached level 7, but now after two kills I barely got 40% increase of the current level."


    Not even a minute later, I found the second gatherer trying to grab a branch barely out of his reach, standing on his toes for the extra centimeters in height. I steeled my resolve and attacked.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -430HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! -80HP/sec


    The target has been stunned for 4 seconds!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Taking advantage of the same method I used to kill the previous Guard, I stabbed him on his back and through his heart, cutting his diaphragm and silencing him.


    Instant death and another amount of experience points followed putting me at 89%.


    "Tsk! Only 6% ? This low level green bastard... On to the next one I guess. "


    Alright! Maybe clicking my tounge for the small amount of experience, wasn''t something a sane human being would do. However, I kept reminding myself over and over again, that I was no longer on Earth where you could talk your way ouf of things just by threatening someone with a lawyer. Here, the strong eat the weak. Quite literally I''m afraid... So if it''s that type of world, why should I feel bad about ending the life of these pitiful creatures and take their experience points in order to make myself stronger? The answer was: I didn''t had to! I chose to. However, that ended now!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -415HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! -85HP/sec


    The target has been stunned for 3 seconds!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It became surprisingly easy after that. Killing these Goblins got easier with each one I put down. In fact, knowing that even one extra other human might be left alive if I kill one hundred of these bastards was enough to make me feel better.


    Plus the fact that their experience made my own go up crazy fast once I thought about them being level 3 at max. I took a quick look at my status before moving on to the fourth gatherer.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Level


    </td>


    <td>


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Race


    </td>


    <td>


    Human


    </td>


    <td>


    STR


    </td>


    <td>


    15


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic


    </td>


    <td>


    5


    </td>


    <td>


    Scout


    </td>


    <td>


    7


    </td>


    <td>


    95%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sex


    </td>


    <td>


    Male


    </td>


    <td>


    DEX


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    <td>


    Charm


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Age


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    AGI


    </td>


    <td>


    20


    </td>


    <td>


    Luck


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World


    </td>


    <td>


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td>


    END


    </td>


    <td>


    15


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    HP


    </td>


    <td>


    403/419 (+1.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    INT


    </td>


    <td>


    18


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    MP


    </td>


    <td>


    184/215(+1.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Name</td>


    <td>Level</td>


    <td>Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Identify</td>


    <td>MAX</td>


    <td>100%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Fear Resistance</td>


    <td>MAX</td>


    <td>100%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Stealth</td>


    <td>3</td>


    <td>24%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Ambush</td>


    <td>2</td>


    <td>91%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Damn!"


    I certainly didn''t expect so many changes. First off, my HP decreased probably because of the pain in my right hand, but it''s slowly going up. Is slower than usual, but it might mean that I can heal this type of wound by myself, which is great. Secondly, the MP dropped as well, by the looks of it with a total of 40 initially, but went up due to the recovery rate. What I was really happy about were the two skills that went up in both levels and proficiency. Not only that, but the descriptions changes as well.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stealth


    A passive skill that allows one to stay out of the opponent''s range of perceptionthrough the minimization of one''s own presence.


    The movement becomes silent and swift allowing unhindered information gathering, or unholy assassinations.


    Benefits: Silentsteps and 50% increase in movement speed while in stealth.


    During night time your presence is erased and can''t be seen unless you standcloser than 5 meters in front of your target.


    Each level increase will unlock new perks and boost existing ones.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ambush


    When attacking from behind, the damage dealt is increased by 550% by imbuing mana in your weapon. If attacking from stealth, there is an 85% chance to deal fatal damage if the enemy''s total HP is lower than yours. The chance is increased to 100% when hitting a vital spot and if the attack fails the target is inflicted with a random affliction status for a total of 3 seconds with a chance of 50%.


    Cost: 25MP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I wondered what were the levels and proficiency for, but this is better than expected. Especially the Ambush skill! Not only did the damage increase by 50%, but even if I fail I will inflict a random status on the target. Well, there''s a 50/50 shot of that happening, but is likely that if I target vital areas that chance will increase. I need to experiment a bit, so I know what it can do.


    And I had just the target. The fourth one was picking his nose with one hand and scratching his ass with the other, while laying on the roots of a tree lazily. It reminded me that in every group project in school, there''s always one of these...


    I circled around the back of the tree who''s roots he was leaning on and grabbed the sword in my right hand, while the left held the spear. Scouring the ground with my eyes, I found a couple of twigs and branches I should avoid stepping on, while I moved in closer on the unsuspecting target. I swung the sword as hard as I could towards the back of his head and hit the spine just like a professional baseball player, while simultaneously stabbing the spear in his right temple.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -128HP!


    Paralized status inflicted! Target is stunned for 10 seconds!


    Fatal damage inflicted! -415HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! -85HP/sec


    The target has been stunned for 3 seconds!


    Level Up!


    Congratulations, your Scout Job reached level 8!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Figured as much. By targeting the nervous system I was able to induce a status even if the damage inflicted wasn''t high or fatal. This means that the ''adventurer system'' the useless game God taked about, isn''t random and absurd. It follows...no! It works together with the anatomy of the said monster, following the rules of nature. I mean yeah, if you behead a dragon, it will obviously die according to the laws of nature. However, that''s where the system intervenes and makes the scales on it crazily impenetrable, therefore only someone with a good weapon or stronger stats will be able to wound it. Is more normal and natural than I originally thought.


    "That was the last Gatherer and I also leveled up! Now I need a plan to deal with the remaining two in the clearing. The problem is the fact that they were here to GATHER food. That can mean only one thing: they have a village nearby!"

 Day 2 - Plans

    After killing the last Goblin Gatherer I double-backed to the same place west of the clearing, at the tree where I hid the firstone''s body and checked to see if it has been discovered.


    Nothing had been moved, there are no footsteps on the grass except for the pair of the dead one and upon further checking the clearance ahead, I saw that the other remaining guard yelling angrily while slamming his spear on the bark of a nearby tree, probably venting regarding the missing four party members and his senior guard colleague that still hasn''t return even after fifteen minutes have passed.


    I used the Identify skill on the remaining two targets and saw that fortunately or not, the remaining gatherer was only level one and didn''t had the Rally Cry  skill, while the last one had an average level1Job. It seemed that all my planning went to waste, but even so, better safe than sorry.


    After another couple of minutes passed and with it the experience multiplier, the guard pointed in my direction and sent the remaining scrub to check on his seniorto bring him back, since he likely didn''t want to take the heat of pissing him off himself.


    "I guess this is alright as well. I was hoping that he''s going to come investigate himself, but this could work better."


    It amused me, the simplicity of this creatures and the fact that instead of going as a group, they decided to split up forces like that making themselves more vulnerable. It did made my job easier to be honest, but somehow I felt like the bad guy in this story...


    I waited for the Goblin to pass by my tree and silently climbed down of it. He headed straight towards the place where I killed the guard, but when it reached the tree and saw the green blood on the ground, he suddenly turned around wanting to run. To prevent any screams I used my left hand and punched him in the throat fast, while hitting him with the hilt of the short sword on the back of the head.


    Surprising enough, my split second thinking became better after reaching this world...and since I realized that I was no longer fazed by killing these creatures. I seem to find the best solutions even while in fights, the now unconscious Goblin serving as a positive example to enforce that theory...


    "This guy is a barely level 1 Gatherer and the experience I can get from killing him is something I could gain after walking 10 miles. However...I might have a use for you later."


    I watched the guard become impatient after about ten minutes went by and not even the Gatherer, much less his senior returned. He left the baskets and the rabbit he just dissected, grabbed the spear that looked that it might crumble any second now and pushed it in front of him, while striding in my direction.


    It seemed that he is quite cowardly though and I expected of him to run, which would''ve worked just fine as well. Using a level one with something like a farmer''s occupation to scout previously instead of using yourself that''s an armed guard to protect him...kind of pathetic to be honest, but it didn''t really mattered. I just stood there and patiently waited for him to approach the tree behind which two Goblins were now hidden. A dead one and an unconscious one!


    It didn''t take him long to stop at the same pool of green blood and while the guard bend over to check the trail leading to the tree, I took that opportunity to sneak behind him. After checking him once more with the Identify skill, I saw why he was being pushed around by the other guard.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    -


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Level


    </td>


    <td>


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Race


    </td>


    <td>


    Goblin


    </td>


    <td>


    STR


    </td>


    <td>


    17


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic


    </td>


    <td>


    0


    </td>


    <td>


    Goblin Guard


    </td>


    <td>


    1


    </td>


    <td>


    78%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sex


    </td>


    <td>


    Male


    </td>


    <td>


    DEX


    </td>


    <td>


    12


    </td>


    <td>


    Charm


    </td>


    <td>


    0


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Age


    </td>


    <td>


    13 days


    </td>


    <td>


    AGI


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td>


    Luck


    </td>


    <td>


    15


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World


    </td>


    <td>


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td>


    END


    </td>


    <td>


    7


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    HP


    </td>


    <td>


    260/260 (+0.4/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    INT


    </td>


    <td>


    6


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    MP


    </td>


    <td>


    10/10(+0.001/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS


    </td>


    <td>


    2


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I didn''t even bother checking his skills since he''s this weak... Ugh! I could let it live, but he would surely grow up to become as annoying as the others, so it''s better to snuffhim out early. Since I also wanted to check just how far has my mind ''devolved'' when it comes to killing, I took the almost blunt knife around my ankle and walked behind the unsuspecting target.


    With a movement that to me looked way too natural, I grabbed his forehead with my left, pulled it backwards and stabbed it in his heart once, the dagger barely piercing through. Then, I quickly pulled it out and slashed his throat before it could scream.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -226HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! -45HP/sec


    The target has been stunned for 3 seconds!


    Fatal damage inflicted! -373HP!


    The target has been stunned for an additional 2 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    OK, maybe I should avoid killing monsters in the future in such a psychotic manner, since it even made me wonder where I took a wrong turn in life... So, killing them normally would suffice.


    When I turned around and faced the tree, I locked eyes with the newly awoken Goblin who was so scared that he literally pissed himself and looked like he wanted to cry. Sadly, he didn''t get the chance as I smacked him in the temple with the hilt of the sword again, seeding him packingto the world of dreams. I didn''t killed him yet since, as I said before, I had other plans for him.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.After checking the experience progression, it has increased showing that I was no longer in battle, probably getting only the x2 multiplier. The total amount I got from the last guard was negligible, meaning that even if I successfully triggered the occupation bonus, 1x2 still equals 2... I checked my status window while I was bringing out the rope out of the pouch, hoping for something nice.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Scout


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    8


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    472/472 (+2.4/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    265/265(+1.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">100%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fear Resistance</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">100%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stealth</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">74%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ambush</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">46%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings granted by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of experience</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Leaving aside the status points gain, it seems like the Ambush went up another level. That was something to be happy about!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ambush: when attacking from behind, the damage dealt is increased by 600% by imbuing mana in your weapon. If attacking from stealth, there is an 85% chance to deal fatal damage if the enemy''s total HP is lower than yours. The chance is increased to 100% when hitting a vital spot and if the attack fails the target is inflicted with a random affliction status for a total of 3 seconds with a chance of 55%.


    Cost: 25MP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Alright, so...the damage output did increase and the chance to inflict a negative status as well in the case of failing to kill the target in one go. I guess that''s good enough for now...


    "Good! With this I''m halfway done. Let''s tie this green mob and bring it to the clearing. Oh! I should bind his mouth as well since he might wake up and start yelling. Wouldn''t like for it to meet some stupid conditions, gain the skill and bring about his entire race here."


    I carefully tied the legs of the Goblin and his hands behind his back once we reached the clearance. Then I used the remaining rope to create a gag which I used to make sure he doesn''t squeak.


    There are two reasons for me doing this and not kill him: one, I wanted to eat the rabbit since I craved for some meat worse then when I had my first munchies back on Earth and since they pretty much handed it over to me, why not? And two, I planned to find out where the Goblin village is.


    I am not stupid, but of course didn''t understand their language (if they even had one to begin with) so there was no interrogation or negotiation involved. What I had planned was simpler than that.


    "Now then let''s cook. I have my reserves regarding eating it raw since well, salmonella, but since they were kind enough to light a fire for me, I''ll gracefully accept it. Speaking of which, how did they light the fire actually?"


    I remembered then the two small rocks I found in the pouch I took previously and realized that they are in fact quarts rocks. If I remember correctly, this is used as flint to light fire when you don''t have matches or lighters in the wild. Yup! Bear Grills... Quite crafty of this green mobs to use them like this.


    Either way, I took my time in roasting the rabbit carefully and then the leftover two birds. After hungrily eating most of the small animal, I realized that I could store some in my pouch. But eating something from this foul smelling thing didn''t felt right. So I used the water from the pouches of the two guards to wash the one I had and ''soaped'' it with some crushed Oak flowers. I then searched around for some big leaves and found some weird looking plant which I used the Identify skill on to make sure it wasn''t poisonous and showed ''Alocasia''.


    "Guess this will do. I need about four of this... Oh! I wonder if the level one scrub woke up."


    I walked towards the clearing and found the Goblin struggling to get out of the bonds, but I made sure they are tightened properly and that it removed his freedom completely.


    A smirk surfaced on my lips as I walked passed him and he looked sincerely frightened by me. Couldn''t really blame him after I killed six of his companions...that he knows of. I ignored him and walked towards the pouch I washed previously and left close to the fire to dry. I picked it up and it seemed good to use and less smelly, so I covered the two cooked pigeons (at least I lied to myself that they were since I didn''t want to identify them) and then the remaining rabbit meat, while putting it into the pouch.


    After a quick search and some skill use, I found out some fruits close to berries in the baskets,which I then covered in the remaining leaf and placed it in as well.


    Using the remaining water after securing enough to last me a day or two with rationing, I proceeded to wash the blood of my face, limbs and sword. I honestly wanted to throw the t-shirt that turned from white to green in the fire as well, but I thought about how this world might have oversize mosquitoes, shuddered at the thought and let it stay on me.


    "I guess is time for the second half of the plan. Let''s see if this guy is smart enough to make it happen though..."


    I put the sword in the scabbard around my waist and the pouch over my shoulder after made sure the fire stopped burning with some kicked dirt on top of it. I walked close to the Goblin, looked down at him and left. It was then when, ''by accident'', I dropped the pseudo-knife in front of him while I kept heading towards the south part of the clearing, the opposite direction to which they were initially headed.


    There, I quickly made a detour while watching the Goblin struggle towards the knife from a safe distance and soon reached the north end of the clearing. It must''ve been around two, maybe three minutes since I wanted to move fast, but this guy was still struggling to turn around and grab the knife.


    "I wonder if this would really work..."


    It took a really, really, really long time and from the shadow on the ground it was near noon. I think I must''ve waited two or three hours, easily, for that idiotic trash mob to escape his bindings. Finally he seemed to have managed to cut the twisted fabric around his hand, then his mouth and lastly feet.


    He got up fast and started looking around scared, but his next action caught me totally off guard and surprised me big time: he went to the baskets and collected as much as he could in one of them that was now filled to the brim and hurriedly walked towards my direction holding it tightly.


    "Strange creature to put food above its own survival... But it seems that is well worth the wait. Now then, lead me to your camp green mob!"


    The plan was rather simple: I let him ''escape'' and in return he will run home since he can''t call the others over with the skill, I follow and find the location and then head towards the tower, knowing which direction I need to avoid.


    I wasn''t planning anything stupid, like attacking the village since that''s surely suicidal. What I had in mind was getting out of this forest alive and as fast as possible.


    The Goblin passed me and kept looking back, checking if I am behind him, each two or three seconds. Poor bastard...I think I might''ve traumatized him.


    I kept a ten meters distance and moved slightly ahead of him from his right side.


    "Let''s see where you bastards live!"

 Day 2 - Goals

    I inscribed arrows pointing to the direction of the plains I left a bit over a day ago, directions which without fail would lead one to the same Oak tree that literally saved my life. Why did I have time to do that while following the pipsqueak? Well, mostly because the basket he was carrying was way too heavy for his low Strength attribute.


    With a glance I could see that the sad level one mob was very tired, but fear didn''t let him stop even for a second, while even weirder, he didn''t let the basket with fruits behind either.


    It really made me wonder why he went through all that trouble just for a basket of wild plants and barely comestible fruits... maybe there''s a famine or something? I doubt it though, since the plains were lush and the forest was lively.


    "Maybe they like to use them as condiments for the human meat they indulge in ever so often...Either way, this is really taking too long. Just how far ahead is their camp?"


    Getting impatient was no good and I was aware of it, but couldn''t wait another second to get out of this place and wash myself properly. More important now like never before, I felt the strange need to have a conversation with an actual human being that could reply back. Those were the goals I planned to achieve, even if I had to slaughter my way through an entire Goblin army! Bath and a good talk!


    It took another hour or sobefore I could finally see in the distance a fence surrounding some poorly built tents, probably made by covering some branches with grass. There was no doubt on my mind that this was the Goblin village.


    I quickly advanced parallel to the gatherer and left the mob in the dust while circling around the camp through the right side, Why right side again? Dunno! Probably because the Sun was on my left side or something... Oh, right! After looking at the Sun''s position this morning when I woke up, I realized that the tower I was heading towards was west...the bad part was the monster village was in the same direction.


    I carefully walked a safe distance from the village while keeping an eye on it, but also making sure I don''t encounter others. Soon a big commotion shook the silence of the forest and tens of Goblins started running towards the direction which I came from. Thank Reaper that I moved away from there!


    "It seems that it went better than expected. Now I just need to..."


    I didn''t even get the chance to finish those words and a group of four Goblins ran madly towards the village, probably five to six meters in front of me. I glued myself to the bark of a tree and didn''t move for a couple of minutes, literally trying to fuse with it, until I realized that they were gone.


    "That was too close! I didn''t even hear them..."


    At the same time when I peaked towards the shittily built grass huts, I saw that from all directions around the village, Goblins were pouring back to the camp and heading for the clearance. I figured that someone must''ve used that rally skill of theirs and brought out all of their reinforcements to deal with the problem. Quite impressive decision making to be honest...


    To me however, that was nothing but good news since I could pick up the pace now. Less enemies equals less worries!


    I started sprinting and every four to five meters I would slash at the nearest tree, in order to keep the trail in case I get lost.


    I must''ve been running for around one, maybe close to two hours from the sweat that glued the now green t-shirt to my skin and I could finally see dead ahead in about 500 more meters, the end of the forest. Since when I left the clearance with today''s encounter only survivor was about noon, thenmaybe two hours passed until we reached the village and now another two while I ran here, it should be around 4PM. However I wasn''t confident in my ability to tell time and was approximating based on the Sun''s position and my shadow, which is why why I hoped it was close. A certain someone holding a Bowie military grade knife and a rucksack, peaked out of a camel''s carcass, looked at me and shook his head dissaprovingly...in my mind at least...


    "The exit! Why does it feels like I''ve been wondering for a whole year in this shitty forest!?"


    When I took the first step out of it, I felt amazingly relieved and felt like I could collapse on the ground any second now, since my feet almost gave out. I didn''t realized just how much under pressure I felt and it made sense since my life was on the line like every second once I stepped behind the first tree... However, just a couple of hours ago it didn''t feel like this. Is almost like I left the plains with the usual me and once I entered the forest and went through those ordeals, someone else took the steering wheel, only to give it back now that I''m out. Either way if this was my tutorial, I am not playing this game anymore!


    While thinking that, I looked up from the grass under my feet and in front of me that I wanted to throw myself and roll on. In the distance, about a kilometer away, a huge wall stood dauntingly and a tower even taller on it. It seems that I managed to reach the place I saw previously when I barely arrived in this world and started walking with heavy steps towards it. Somehow, the adrenaline wore off and I felt muscular pains from all the movement and body strain, but mostly, my feet hurt like hell since sneakers are not exactly meant for hardcore outdoor trips like this one.


    I kept walkingbegrudginglywhen I saw in the distance, closing in on me, a group of people riding horses and holding spears in their hands. From the shine of the sunlight reflected of them, they didn''t look as crappy as the ones the Goblin Guards had.


    When they were only ten to twenty meters away from me, I stopped and raised my hands to show I am not hostile and that I would prefer not to have holes put in me.


    "Wouldn''t it be funny to get killed by them after surviving the Goblins?"


    I quickly appraised them and the result surprised me. They were guards indeed, but their status pages were...strange?


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Ronald Veitrich


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    4


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Guard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    ???


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    35


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    19


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    263/263 (+1.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    189/189(+2.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Thrust</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Spear Mastery</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">War Cry</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Piercing Stance</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings granted by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Fertility </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of experience</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Wisdom </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of War </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    Unbalanced!!! Just how does he have more than double my initial HP and MP, plus higher stats and to top it off four skills, at only be level two!? I bet this guy hasn''t killed even a gatherer until now...yet he could easily with play a soldier to death those stats...Annoying! Cheaters with their cheat-like blessings should all fuck off and get eaten by a Goblin!


    [Identify yourself and explain where you came from!] (Ronald)


    "Fuc..ahem! Michael Corbett sir. I just traversed the forest behind me after entering it from the plains around twenty...well behind. I was hoping to reach a human settlement by night since I haven''t saw one in a while. "


    Oooooh nice save! Most impressive story as well if I can do say so myself! By the way, a lie is a lie if only it omits parts of the truth. I pretty much said what I did while omitting things that happened, therefore I pulled it off both calmly and excellently. I should''ve went for acting classed back on Earth...would''ve made it to Hollywood for certain! Or the Senate...


    [Don''t lie! Is impossible to cross the forest since the Goblins built a village somewhere in there and are constantly roaming about in groups.] (another guard)


    "Aha! Tell me more about it!I almost died a couple of times back then. I only survived because I hid in a tree until they fell asleep and killed the first two I met and took their weapons. Later on next day I met a group consisting of two armed Goblins and another five unarmed ones carrying fruits in a basket, which I proceeded in killing one by one while they were searching for firewood to cook a meal. I then let one alive which ran home, in order to guide me to their settlement. When I found it Imoved passed it and after two hours of running, here I am..."


    I figured I should go for the truth for the simple fact that I was way too tired to think of a story and remember it after. Also, I think it might''ve worked because the entire group was silent and slack-jawed...


    [What did you just say? Just now, did you tell the truth?] (Ronald)


    He got down from the horse, walked (well more like ran really really fast in my direction), grabbed me by the shoulders and shook me while asking me that. It really scared me for Reaper''s sake! I thought he was about to kill me or something... I''m not sure I can handle a cheat-like guard with a million blessings...


    "Yes, I really killed them since I needed to survive..."


    What the hell? Are Goblins an protected species on the verge of extinction? Did I just destroy their chance at survival and broke some laws!? Oh shit...


    [Not that! The village! Did you see their village?] (Ronald)


    "Eh!?...yeah... I passed right by it and ran straight here where you found me. They all ran towards the place I killed the previous Goblins which made it easier for me not to encounter others. They were searching for me in pretty big numbers."


    [How many? Did you see how many? No...before that, the path, do you know the path back to the Goblin village?] (Ronald)


    <div>


    This dude is all over the place. What set his skirt on fire? Can''t he calm down a bit? He looks like he used all the air available in his body just to finish that phrase...


    "Well, I couldn''t exactly count all of them since I was you know, running for my life, but I can give an approximation. And the path back is very simple."


    [Is fucking not! Ahem, sorry... We''ve been trying for amonth now since they build their camp there, to locate it and exterminate them, but our scouts keep getting killed and the parties we''ve sent so far always suffer big damage from ambushes and are forced back. Do you really know the way back?] (Ronald)


    What the hell!? No wonder this world is dead last! How can humans lose to creatures that have literally almost 0 Intelligence stat!? He genuinely seemed desperate, meaning that it was the truth. It also made me wonder just how many people did those green trash mobs killed so far...


    "Yes. To make it easier if I got lost, I carved arrows on the trees showing the direction back to the clearing, passing by the monster village every four or five meters. If you follow those you''ll reach it in two hours with no problems. If you run of course..."


    [Fast, come with us! We need to notify the general about this. He will be mostly pleased by such good news! Ghram and Dan, you two go in the direction which he came from, venture inside the forest and find the marked trees that show the trail. Follow it, but return immediately if you sense any danger. Understood?] (Ronald)


    [Yes sir!]


    "Excuse me, is not necessary to go that far... I marked the trail when I left the forest. You only need to look for the trees at the entrance of it. Also they are most likely fine since the Goblins left in big numbers from the village and the trail is big enough to ride... six horses side by side I guess..."


    I''m getting really good at this estimation stuff! Although I just said it because it sounded cool...shit! What if they can''t exactly ride the horses through the fucking forest! What the hell was I thinking!?


    [Really!? Good, good! Go now you two and make haste after finding and marking it! You, Corbett, what country are you from?] (Ronald)


    Shit! One thing after another...I knew this was coming sooner or later, but unfortunately I have no knowledge of this world since that self-serving game God didn''t tell me anything in order to further amuse himself. Guess I''ll go with the truth...


    "I belong to no country."


    [A nomad? Rather in this case, an adventurer would be more fitting since you slayed those Goblins on your own. It might be rude of me to ask but, do you have an occupation? And if so, what''s your level?] (Ronald)


    "Hmm? Is OK really. I got the occupation of ''Scout'' yesterday after waiting above the two Goblins for around seven to eight hours and after killing them and the others the next day I reached level 8."


    [Level 8!?] (Ronald)


    Alright, alright! The whole ''getting surprised over and over again'' faces are annoying. Actually, the remaining guards started clamoring and were looking at me filled with doubt, while some sneered like they saw a mental patient. Don''t tell me I just hit a landmine... Shitty game God!


    I really want just a place to sleep and take a bath after holding a conversation with some proper human beings! Well, technically I guess I should be happy with accomplishing the last... One out of the two goals reached... Yey...


    [If what you say is true, even more of a reason for you to come with us and meet the general. Mark, you and Victor ride the same horse and give the one you have to this guy!] (Ronald)


    "Uhm...sorry but Ididn''t ride a horse even once in my life and I am not entirely sure of what to do..."


    [How unusual...Then climb in the back of mine. We need to make haste! The news we carry will raise a storm in the city!] (Ronald)


    "Uwah...just the words I didn''t want to hear..."

 Day 2 - Registration

    My first riding experience was... embarrassing! I literally had to hold tight to another man in his mid thirties in order not to fall from the horse, for fifteen minutes straight. Trust me, I counted!


    However, because of this interesting (to say in the least) experience, I swore to myself to learn equitation one of these days here.


    The horse rapidly took us towards the imposing stone wall and right under the tall tower I''ve recognized as the first human building I''ve laid eyes on Ahnur. I immediately noticed the iron made door in front of us, carefully guarded by two fully armed soldiers. They were literally one weapon away from being a store that deals in such products... Could they move properly?


    When we arrived and the soldiers looked suspiciously at me, probably due to the fact that I was staring at them, Ronald explained to them the situation briefly and asked one of them to go and ''notify the commander to join as fast as possible at the general''s headquarters''.


    When we passed through the gate and under the wall (which sounds so damn good when saying), we reached the outskirts of a city that was located downhill of our current position. It literally was a city in a valley.


    We left the horse to a guard to handle and guide back to the stables that were only a hundred meters away from the gate, after which it was explained to me that they are used only when traveling outside the wall, for military purposes. That was a freaking war horse he wanted me to ride on my own!


    [Now Corbett, welcome to our city of Rubies!] (Ronald)


    I stared in a daze at the marvelous sight to which this guard pointed at. Like I mentioned previously, it looked as if we were currently on a hill of sorts and that the city was at its base below.


    However, the picture painted by the soon to be setting sun bathing a port-city and its nearby lake into a red color, was purely breath taking. I now understood why the name was the City of Rubies.


    [The general keeps telling us to use horses to return to the city when we change shifts, but since that happens early in the morning or late at dusk, there isn''t any sane guard that would miss this beautiful view. How is it?] (Ronald)


    "Absolutely perfect! I haven''t seen a more beautiful picture in a really long time."


    When was the last time I saw such a beautiful place? Mount Ararat? Or maybe Kinabalu? Such a superb natural light that photographers from Earth would kill each other over a chance at a single frame. Who thought that this world could be so beautiful?


    [To have seen a comparable view you must''ve traveled this world quite far, haven''t you? I must admit to being a little jealous.] (Ronald)


    "I have traveled a bit back home, but I am being honest when saying that this comes second to none of the others I''ve seen."


    [I am glad to hear that. This city is our pride and joy! That''s why we tried so hard to get rid of the Goblins in the forest, even at the expense of a huge number of lives...yet we still failed. We need to take back that forest no matter what!] (Ronald)


    "Since I am quite unaware of the situation here, can you please explain while we walk?"


    [That forest holds herbs that are vital to the well being of our city. Not only medicinal herbs, but ones used by the Alchemist Guild as well in creating all sort of concoctions and pills. Our stock is almost dry and we were planning a full scale army attack on the forest prepared for even heavier losses as a last resort, in order to take back the territory. Our city''s economy is based on three industries you can see from here: fishing since we are a port city, land and sea commerce and finally, the Alchemy Guild which was our main provider.


    Since our people are highly skilled in alchemy, the quality of the potions we''re selling to other cities is better than anywhere else on this continent. However, we found ourselves short of those required ingredients, since no adventurer would willingly go inside the forest to procure them. That''s how we reached the current impasse.] (Ronald)


    "There it was...I was certain of its existence since the useless God mentioned it in our conversation as ''other places you can get information and common knowledge from''. Guilds... and even adventurers for that. I can''t say that I am disappointed though... It does sound fun."


    "I see. That''s why a punitive force that already knows the destination will have better results and fewer losses, since it''s able to plan it out in greater detail and can chose quality over quantity."


    [Exactly. That''s also why the general put in a request available for all adventurers, in order to find location of the Goblin village, but no one dared take it off the board. There were few that accepted it in the beginning, but were soon discouraged by their peers which held information regarding the losses incurred by the army when we gave it a shot. No one could really blame them for putting their families lives and their own first since most of the adventurers are the sole source of income in their families. Oh, we''re here! Follow me inside but please wait at the entrance. I apologize but I can''t bring you in unannounced. I hope you understand.] (Ronald)


    "Don''t worry about it."


    The building in front of me was a three story building with a big logo-like board above the door of two crossed swords, obviously ripped off from a game or something. Upon entering, the smell of cooked food reached me and I looked around confused . Ronald saw that expression and chuckled lightly.


    [This is the Adventurer''s Guild. The first floor is split in two: one half serves as a tavern and the other as a reception desk for adventurers. As you can see the space is pretty big, so there are no inconveniences... except when some of them get drunk and fight it off inside. Hahaha!] (Ronald)


    That sounds so cliche that I won''t even address it...If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "How about the other two floors?"


    [The second floor is the staff quarters and the third is where we''ll go eventually. On the third floor is the headquarter of our city army. Right, right! You''ll have to go and give the receptionist over there your identification papers so she can register you for the reward the general posted.] (Ronald)


    "I am truly sorry but I lost everything I had on me except my clothes, inside the forest a while back. What can I do about it?"


    I tried looking as distressed and panicked as possible, which made even myself feel bad. Of course, same with my rather naive friend here as well...


    [Really!? That''s quite unfortunate... Just tell the receptionist that Ron sent you to register as an adventurerAND get new identification papers as well. It sounds important but is nothing more than a tag that you wear around your neck, which is wood by the way and not paper. Hahahhaha!] (Ronald)


    After another round ofboisterous laughter and hitting my back with his right palm making me cough and swear in my mind, I decided not to stab him with the Goblin''s shortsword since he was nice and honest so far. I mean...he really told me a lot of stuff...


    "I see. Sorry to trouble you like this."


    [Is fine, is fine! Go on then! I''ll go and let the general know of the situation and I''ll come pick you up from the reception. Tell them that you''d like a ''swift registration''. Those exact words, got it?] (Ronald)


    "Understood."


    It seemed like a code or something and I was a bit troubled to be honest, but there wasn''t any ill intent behind his words from what I could tell, therefore I decided to go with the flow and follow his advice. What''s the worse that coul... Alright, maybe let''s not finish that sentence this time!


    I walked to the receptionist desk he pointed at previously and I noticed that the entire first floor was silent and staring at me. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that I wasn''t exactly fashionable in this world with the clothes I wore, or the fact that I probably smelled because I was covered in Goblin blood and viscera. Either way I pretended not to sweat profusely and reached the registration desk after some big, robotic strides.


    Behind a wooden counter an old man stood quietly and looked my way, as if appraising me.


    "I wonder if that''s how others would feel if I would use my Identify skill on them."


    "Good evening. My name is Michael Corbett and I was directed here by Mr. Ronald for a ''swift registration''. I lost my identification papers and he wants me to register as an adventurer. Please take care of me since I lack the common knowledge of this area."


    [Hohoho! What a polite young man. Helen, the stupid one sent us another hush job! You take care of it!] (Receptionist)


    [Geez grandpa! Can''t you be nicer with your grand-kids!? Hello, my name is Helen and I work here as a receptionist. Did Ronald sent you to us?] (Helen)


    Well, the quirky geezer aside, a pretty face emerged from behind a door and scolded the old man, after which turned to me with the most radiant business smile I''ve seen in 25 years of life. She wasn''t a stunning beauty, but her lean body made me think of that cliche setting in which the receptionist girl is usually an overpowered adventurer... yet I didn''t want to appraise her since it might give away that I can do that, which again, I''m not sure if common or not around here, in which case I''ll set off some landmines that I''d rather avoid if possible.


    "Yes. I lost my identification papers and I am supposed to register as an adventurer. He also told me to mention the words ''swift registration'', however I don''t exactly know what that implies."


    [I see...well, those words pretty much mean to register you silently and away from prying eyes. He must have his reasons for it. Here you go! This is a form where you must input your name, age and place of birth. Also if you have an occupation please write it down as well.] (Helen)


    "Is the place of birth mandatory?"


    [No, but is recommended. There are no bad relationships between our city and others across the continent, however it would make you look suspicious if you didn''t put it down. Also, since adventurers might die in the line of work, we need to know whom and where to notify about their demise.] (Helen)


    "I understand. Unfortunately I have my reasons for being unable to do so. That''s why at the moment, like I mentioned to Mr. Ronald as well, I don''t belong to any country."


    I handed over the form with a pleading puppy-eyes look which seems to have worked as the old man coughed to wake her up from Reaper-knows whatever she was just imagining...


    [Ahem...Is alright, really! Is not that uncommon between adventurers to have a secret or two. Thank you! Here we go... Michael Corbett, 25 and as an occupation ''Scout''. Impressive! To have an occupation at such a young age is amazing. Now then, if you''d please place your right hand on this crystal orb and it will register your status page for us. By using that we''ll create a tag for you to be identified with.] (Helen)


    "Understood. Is this alright?"


    A flash of light flooded the room briefly, but the other people around weren''t surprised, meaning that the heralding of a new hero being born didn''t happen. Disappointing... What did happen though, was my status page that was visible inside the said shining globe.


    [Yes... Eh!? G-G-Grandpa! Come over fast!] (Helen)


    [Hmm? What''s wrong?] (Receptionist)


    [I think it might be broken. Look!] (Helen)


    She pointed repeatedly at the orb asking the old man if it''s broken and complaining about the cost for a new one. The geezer however looked at it and then at me again. He let out a sigh and calmed down the young woman.


    [Huuuh... I see now why that fool wanted to keep this quiet. Level 8 at such a young age is unheard of.] (Receptionist)


    "Really? I was a level one until two days ago though..."


    [What!? Lad, is that true?] (Receptionist)


    "Yes..."


    [Enough of this for the moment grandfather. The general must meet this man right away.] (Ronald)


    A hand was placed on my shoulder as the guard from before returned. Thank Reaper, since this was getting out of hand. I need to reiterate that I''d like to avoid stepping on landmines, but I know so little about this place that is more like praying for it not to happen... Maybe I should just nod my head in response from now on...


    [I don''t really care about that Ron, however if this guy knows a way to raise levels as fast as he did, it would be a great help to our country, nay, our continent''s situation. After all, reaching level 8 in only two days from level 1 is completely unheard of.] (Receptionist)


    [Corbett, is that true!?] (Ronald)


    "...yes... I told you early didn''t I? It all happened in the forest."


    [You did!? Eh...I see... Let''s go and meet the general! This is kind of above my pay grade and understanding for that matter. He will be surely pleased to hear this though.] (Ronald)


    [Pass by again lad! I am curious to hear your story. Hohohoho!] (Receptionist)


    I felt like face-palming was the only thing that could explain my feelings best without the use of words, but I abstained from it. I imagined that useless game God sitting on that sofa of his while sipping tea and laughing at my current missfortune!


    "That self serving ... UGHHHH!!! I don''t wanna end up affecting the common knowledge of this world because of lack of it in my case!"

 Day 2 - Common knowledge (Part 1)

    After climbing two floors worth of stairs, we reached a simple wooden door and stopped when Ronald signaled me to do so. He seemed rather nervous which was making me nervous as well. I truly hope I''m not gonna get dragged along into some kind of major event...


    [Sir, this is Ronald. I have brought the person I''ve spoke of earlier.] (Ronald)


    [Enter!]


    Upon the opening of the door, we found ourselves entering a large room that seemed to be as wide as the entire first floor. It was sprinkled with desks that had scrolls falling from them, shelves filled to the brim with books and in the middle of it there was a huge square table around which two people changed really anxious looks, obviously in the middle of a conversation.


    When we took the first step, the eyes of those two people changed their target from the table to me.


    I tried to avoid their rather...passionate gaze and looked around the room some more. It was simpler than I expected and the furniture barely chased away the feeling of emptiness it was screaming. It still had a feel of military strictness though, something inviolable and sacred .


    When approaching the table, I saw some sort of three dimensional sculpture of sorts that resembled a map. When I saw the city with its surrounding walls and forest, I realized what this was and how it was used. Similar to battle simulator games, the war generals gathered around it in order to devise plans on how to invade or how to defend a city. I was quite surprised by the rather impressive craftsmanship and attention to small details. I mean, there was the stable and some horse figurines near it...


    [General... commander... this is Michael Corbett, the adventurer I mentioned previously that we found wandering out of the woods.] (Ronald)


    After greeting the two with a military salute, he pushed me forward, probably in an attempt to minimize the attention the two in front of us paid to him. He seemed rather uncomfortable being in the presence of his two superiors. One looked like the classic noble you''d find in any novel, while the second looked like a muscle-head that would immediately challenge me to a fight or yell some stupid things...


    [This lad!? How did he even survive!? He doesn''t seem to be highly trained in any weapon arts and any 12 years old in my squad could easily snap the twigs he calls arms in half..] (middle aged man)


    Yup...exactly like that...


    [Now-now commander. Is not good to judge a book by its cover. A pleasure to make your acquaintance young man! My name is Charles Espada and I serve as this city''s army emergency-general. The man beside me is the emergency-captain of the army corps and my friend Laurence Belgrima.] (Charles)


    What''s with the ''emergency'' title? Please don''t tell me...


    [Hmpf!] (Laurence)


    "Likewise, a pleasure to meet you both. I understood from Ronald here, that I should present myself in front of you in order to give some details regarding to what I saw out there. Is that correct?"


    [That if you really have been there and not just aiming for the monetary compensation!] (Laurence)


    [Laurence, that''s enough! Yes Mr. Corbett, that is indeed correct. We found ourselves in quite the need of information regarding the forest and its ''inhabitants'', since we lost quite the number of people to them.] (Charles)


    "Well then, please tell me what you''d like to know and it would be my pleasure to assist. Also Michael is alright to use."


    [Well then, I''ll excuse myself and leave the rest to you general.] (Ronald)


    I knew it! He tried to bail the first chance he got. He really can''t handle stressful environments from the looks of it. He is the straightforward type, so I kind of get why...


    [In fact I would very much want you to stay Ron. I am curious of your opinion regarding this matter and how to proceed. You are fairly closer to our warriors than we are. So please remain.] (Charles)


    [...it would be my honor sir!] (Ronald)


    Yeah right! Learn to lie better man...even your face changed color...


    [Well then Michael. Please tell us how did you ended up in the forest and how did you escape. Spare no detail since it might help us find a way to end this plague upon our lands.] (Charles)


    "Understood. Then let''s see... Two days ago around noon I reached the plains close to the forest. "


    [East of the forest by any chance?] (Charles)


    "From the position of the sun I would say so, yes."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    [Understood. Please proceed and feel free to use the map here if you find any resemblance to the actual terrain.] (Charles)


    "Very well. I would say that I arrived here at the entrance of the forest on its east side, after using a tree as a vantage point on a nearby hill and saw the tower in the distance. I recognized it as a human settlement and walked towards it. Since it was exactly on the other side of where I was as direction, I decided to walk and break branches on my way there to create a trail, while also maintain a straight line to my goal. The reason was that I found an Oak tree there which flowers are edible and took some. In case they ended and/or I got lost in the forest, I could always return and get some more."


    [Oak tree flowers are edible!? That''s the first time I''ve heard that...] (Laurence)


    [Hmm...indeed. And what happened next Michael?] (Charles)


    "Yes... Next I walked for some time, maybe half an hour to an hour and soon I found myself in a meadow that seemed to be close to the plains. It was rather wide and it provided a good view all around me, just in case wild animals would attack me."


    [Or Goblins...] (Ronald)


    "Unfortunately... After I took a short break of not even ten minutes, I heard the sound of footsteps on leaves and branches snapping. I hoped for humans passing by, but instead I found myself hiding in the tree from a green creature I haven''t seen before."


    [You haven''t seen Goblins before? What kind of common knowledge do you have?] (Laurence)


    "Actually I have almost none since I am a traveler. But from stories I''ve heard I knew that it was a Goblin by its green skin and short stature. Not being a warrior myself and only level 1 I couldn''t dream of fighting it on my own so I stood dead silent in the tree. There, I saw it take out from a pouch a leather water container, drank from it and prepared to roast himself a rabbit. When he left to gather more firewood, I climbed down and poisoned his water with Oak flowers and stuffed the rabbit with some more, since the opportunity presented itself to me."


    [Wait Michael! What do you mean poisoned? Oh, sorry sirs!] (Ronald)


    [Don''t mind Ron, don''t mind. I was just about to ask the same thing...](Charles)


    "Well, it was only just a rumor I heard in a village I once spent the night in, that monsters find the Oak tree flowers highly poisonous and since I didn''t carry a weapon, it was my only chance. This Goblin had a short spear, so I couldn''t possibly take it on alone and without something to defend myself with."


    [A Guard Goblin most likely.] (Laurence)


    "Hmm...Impressive. They know about the occupations the Goblins have. I was expecting to find some excuses to use and some way to trick them into taking that as knowledge. Guess this makes it easier for me."


    "I see. I head about the classification of them, but how do you differentiate between them?"


    [The ones that carry wooden spears are guards and the ones carrying swords are soldiers. Those are the most common ones. Even a six years old knows that...] (Laurence)


    "I see. Thank you for imparting that with me. So, returning to the story, after I finished putting the flowers in its water and stuffing the rabbit with them, I climbed back the tree and waited. To my despair, when he returned, he returned with another Goblin that seemed more powerful and that had a short sword, now which I know was a Soldier. By the way, both the pouch you see on me and the sword are from the two Goblins."


    [Meaning that you managed to kill them? Impressive even if you shrewdly used poison.] (Charles)


    "Thank you, but honestly, it was pure luck. Because when they both returned, they carried the corpse of a human person with them, which soon they roasted and ate it as well. I barely remained hidden between the horrific smell and the grotesque display..."


    [THOSE FUCKING GREEN SHITS!] (Laurence)


    The commander hit the table with his fist making it tilt a bit. His face became red and veins kept popping on his neck and temples. I could see just how angry he was, meaning that he might know someone was missing recently, or something like that.


    [You have to excuse Laurence. Most likely, the person you saw was one of our scouts. Did he seem young or old?] (Charles)


    "He seemed to be around the same age as me, maybe a bit older."


    [Andreas...] (Ronald)


    [There will be time for mourning when we wipe them out! Is the least that we can do for the fallen. Please Michael, continue. (Charles)


    "Yes sir! After they...ate the man, the soldier took the rabbit and ate it also, after which they both drank the water. It took almost an hour until the poison took effect and by that time it was already night. I patiently waited until they could barely move and climbed down the tree. I took the spear that...that was nearby and went behind the back of the Guard and stabbed through his heart. He died almost instantly, without being able to even cry in pain. Then I headed towards the soldier and tried to do the same, when something unexpected happen that almost killed me..."


    [Hmm!? What was it?] (Laurence)


    All three of them were looking close at me and expecting information since I said ''something unexpected''. I wonder how will they react to this and if it is common knowledge as well.


    "When I aimed for his right eye with the spear hoping to finish it fast, the Goblin Soldier''s hand and sword glowed blueish for a moment and first knocked my spear up, then unsheathed it and brandished it down towards me, cutting the spear in two, all actions happening almost in the same second. When I evaded the attack and managed to kick away the sword from his hands, I felt that I almost had won. But then he suddenly became able to move again and even stranger, his body became red. I used my wits and managed to escape in the darkness, only to climbed back the tree. After about five minutes passed, he fell on the ground again, unable to move. I killed it then and ended the first day."


    [But that...that means...] (Laurence)


    [Indeed...That means that the reports we''ve heard are indeed true and they can use skills. It shouldn''t be much of a surprise since they also have occupations. Thank you for confirming this for us Michael! Also, is amazing you managed to kill a Soldier and a Guard on your own in that situation. Especially since you were level 1.] (Charles)


    Well...fuck it! I might as well go ahead and get this out the way as well.


    "Indeed. However, I noticed the next morning that, after killing those two, I leveled up from one to seven in one go."


    [[[WHAT!?]]]

 Day 2 - Common knowledge (Part 2)

    The entire floor was engulfed by a scream that came from all three of them, while also sporting a ''What the fuck did this fucker say!?" expression. The look of amazement slash gangster robbing someone of their money on their faces seems to have reached critical levels, since they were looking at me with their mouths agape and eyes like saucers.


    "So after all, the assimilation of experience is not part of their knowledge. Instead, how do they level up I wonder?"


    [Michael! Is that true? What you said right now? Did you indeed level up so much after killing two Goblins?] (Charles)


    "Yes sir. However, that happened because of special circumstances in my case. But I was able to confirm something I''ve heard before in my travels, about how to level up easier by exterminating monsters and gaining their life experience."


    [And did you find that to be true?] (Laurence)


    "Indeed. Simply put in one word, it would be ''assimilation''. To explain it, since the monsters have occupations as well, is would be safe to assume they have levels also. Since that is the case, it means that they gain experience just like humans."


    [Indeed that seems to be plausible. Some of our researchers also reached that conclusion a couple of years ago when the first dungeons appeared. But what do you mean by that?] (Charles)


    So they DO call it a dungeon... For the love of...


    "...it means that, if a person kills that monster that gathered experience for a long time, that experience will become his own. That is what assimilation entails."


    [And that would explain why you increased your levels so fast.] (Ronald)


    "Yes and no..."


    [Meaning!?] (Laurence)


    "In my case, the occupation that I have provides me with an extra increase in experience for every monster I kill with a surprise attack that proves to be fatal to it. Meaning that with the blessing of the world as well, my experience gain is higher based on monster kills."


    [I see. Indeed there are professions with that kind of description. But this is the first time I''ve heard of level increase by monster kills to actually be confirmed. Laurence, haven''t our men fought the Goblins and killed some of them before?] (Charles)


    [They did, but most of those were Gatherers or Guards. After losing men to the Soldier Goblins, I have instructed them to fight only if they greatly outnumber them at least 5 to 1. But they always travel in groups of five, so that was near impossible.] (Laurence)


    "Groups of five you say?"


    [What''s the matter Michael? Did you think of something?] (Charles)


    "That might be the case, however I need to finish the story so you can understand. What you should understand also, is that each level requires a certain amount of experience to increase it to the next one. Correct?"


    [Indeed. Is known to be around 10 points for first level, 25 for the second and from then onward it doubles for each level.] (Ronald)


    [Is common knowledge after all...] (Laurence)


    "Then commander, let me ask you this. If a level one that has a requirement of 10 experience, kills a soldier that is level five which has a requirement of 200 to level up, isn''t it natural to take that experience as its own and level up instead?"


    [You mean to say that they have the same quota requirement as us for leveling up!?] (Laurence)


    Can this man talk any other way than shouting? I mean, I get that you''re strangely activated and want to go on a Goblin slaying rampage, but tone down your damn voice a bit!


    "Would it be that strange? If they have occupations the same as humans? If they have levels just like humans? If they have skills just like humans?"


    [I see...] (Laurence)


    [This is very insightful and will help us hugely to fight them and increase our own strength for the following wars. Please proceed with your story since you said you might have something relevant beside this to share.] (Charles)


    "Understood. The next morning after I killed those two, I began wandering again west immediately once the sun was in the sky. Soon enough, I found a group of seven Goblins carrying baskets in the same direction I was heading. The group had two Goblins with spears, probably Guards and the other five were unarmed and held the said baskets filled with fruits and plants."


    [Gatherers...] (Ronald)Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    "That seems to be the case. Since they stopped and prepared to roast a rabbit and some small birds, I gave into my hunger and decided to kill them and steal their food. I also felt confident since my level went up."


    [From those words...do you have the Identify skill?] (Charles)


    "Oh shit...I fucked up that one, didn''t I..."


    "Indeed I do. I was born with it, but unfortunately the only one I had. So I wasn''t exactly suited for war against others or monsters. Also my stats were very low compared to others."


    [Does that mean you can see our levels and stats as well?] (Laurence)


    "Unfortunately no. The only thing I can use it on are myself and beings that have no life, like objects or plants, but it strangely worked on those monsters as well."


    [That''s a shame... But probably worked in your favor since if you weren''t able to see their stats and levels in the forest, you wouldn''t have attacked and killed them. You might''ve thought of them as too much to handle given their numbers.] (Laurence)


    Well I guess they were half right. Any sane person who would''ve been in my position, would''ve decided to hide and wait for them to leave before fleeing themselves. That''s also why I didn''t tell them the truth about my skill and lied instead.


    I really don''t want to be dragged by their pace in their wars and be used as a tactical nuke...


    "Indeed. But at that time I was blinded by hunger and decided to attack them. When the Gatherers were sent to gather firewood and one Guard left the small clearing, I also decided to kill them one by one. I started with the Guard first and killed him from behind while he was peeing on a nearby tree. I hid his body and then attacked the gatherers. I killed four of them, before coming up with a plan that might help me survive. So I stopped there and kept an eye on the remaining two, while returning to where I killed the first one to make sure I didn''t alert them."


    [A plan?] (Charles)


    "Yes! Since I didn''t know the forest and this creatures seem to have a larger number than what I could possibly handle, if I let only one of them escape he would run to his camp, I would follow it and I could see where it is in order to avoid it."


    [Brilliant! And? Did you?] (Laurence)


    "I did. After the remaining Guard noticed the absence of his companions, he sent the last one of the Gatherers my way to notify the missing boss of the group. I knocked it out cold and hid it at the same place as the first Guard. Soon, the remaining one came along. After I sneaked behind and killed it, I dragged the unconscious remaining Goblin and tied him up. I did that for two reasons: one, I needed to scare him enough to have him run home and two, I wanted some time to eat that rabbit. So after I had my fill, I pretended to drop a makeshift knife I took from one of the Goblins I killed and dropped it in front of the tied up one. Then I left, circled back and headed in the direction they initially wanted to go and waited there. After some hours passed, the stupid green creature managed to finally release itself from the bindings and ran towards me. I kept a safe distance and followed it while marking the way on the trees with my sword until I reached the village. That''s when something unexpected happened again."


    [So you did reach it properly! Quite dangerous since you were so close to it.] (Charles)


    "This guy...he was more enthralled by my story than he should be about the technical details. Pay attention old man! I''m not going to repeat this!"


    "Indeed. Soon after that, I moved to the right side of it and ran towards the tower that was in the same direction as the village, when heard a really loud cry from within the poorly built huts. I panicked for a bit because I didn''t know what happened, but soon a surprising sight came about in front of my eyes explaining the situation. Tens of Goblins were returning to the village and then left in the direction I killed the monster party."


    [A rally cry! It might be one of the skills that the Guard Goblins have sirs! When we captured one, it released a similar loud cry and soon, tens of other Goblins appeared to fight us. We were forced to back down and run with the tail between our legs, while abandoning the hope of bringing that one with us.] (Ronald)


    "I see. But remember what you said about the Soldiers and that they are always in a group of five?"


    [Hmm!? Yes, what about it?] (Laurence)


    "Immediately after that cry, I saw in the distance groups of five of this creatures returning from four different directions. Then, another group of four passed right in front of me. They would''ve probably discovered me if they weren''t in a hurry while headed towards the village. After that I didn''t see any other of this groups, unless more were hidden in the village..."


    [...meaning that, with the one you killed, there should''ve been five of this groups outside patrolling the forest, remaining only 24. Worst case scenario, there are at least one more time same number in the village. More than that wouldn''t make sense since they created camp there recently.] (Laurence)


    "Not necessarily. I watched while running and it seemed to be around 40-50 Guard Goblins and the five groups previously mentioned that headed towards the clearing. If I were to guess, some remained at the village to protect it. So maybe around 70-80 Guards in total and around 30-35 Soldiers. It is a rough estimation though."


    [One hundred!? We were expecting it, but still... to hear it is quite frightening. And then?] (Charles)


    "I headed out of the forest following the direction of the setting sun. That''s how I was found by Ronald. I, of course, marked the trail back with arrows on the trees, pointing towards the Goblin village."


    [I can confirm that sirs! I had one of the guards with me search for it and they reported that after venturing in the forest, that the trail keeps going and the trees were indeed marked each four to five meters.] (Ronald)


    [How much did you ran towards the wall Michael?] (Charles)


    The nobleman closed his eyes, almost like making such a hard decision, that it was breaking his heart in the process. I could roughly guess what he had in mind, but didn''t say anything yet. I need him to reach a decision first, if I wanted to minimize my involvement in this.


    "About two hours if I were to estimate."


    [Haaah... Laurence prepare the men! We will attack two days from now! Prepare at least 500 of them that have experience in fighting the damned things and tell them to be prepared to lose their life for this city!] (Charles)


    [Understood! They will gladly do so!] (Laurence)


    Here it is! Chanc... Wait, what!?


    "Excuse me but, is that really necessary? You could easily kill them with about 100 men."


    [[[???]]]


    What the fuck!? Really? They really have no experience with wars? Haven''t these guys fought against each other at least, if not monsters.


    I just dug myself into more shit, didn''t I !?

 Day 2 - Common knowledge (Part 3)

    I could see question marks floating above their heads, while looking at me like I was some kind of idiot. These three...


    [Michael you said it yourself and you heard Laurence confirm it as well. Only those 25-30 Soldier Goblins are worth each about five of our men if we want to have low casualties. One hundred soldiers will be slaughtered easily if sent against them.] (Charles)


    "Hmm? Wait no! I''m not saying to attack the Goblin Village. That would be a stupid thing to do."


    [Huh!? What are you talking about? We know the location. Of course we need to attack and destroy them! That''s the whole purpose of this conversation...] (Laurence)


    "...if you could let me finish, you''d know that I am not suggesting to leave the Goblin village be, but rather, leave it be for now."


    [Do you have an idea?] (Charles)


    "I might."


    [Go on then.] (Charles)


    [General!?] (Laurence)


    [Is my decision. Being hasty about it would be foolish. And if a way to end them fast and without heavy losses exists, I would like to hear it. We''re out of options here Laurence... we lost to much not to entertain the possibility of something we''ve been missing so far.] (Charles)


    Yeah...like any sort of military knowledge whatsoever... Either that, or they are plain stupid...


    "Thank you sir. In which case, what I''m suggesting are two things. Guerrilla tactics and ambushes!"


    [Gue-gur-gorila???] (Laurence)


    "You''re a gorila! Your whole family are gorilas!!! Hmm... Don''t tell me they don''t even know that much? OI!!! Wait...The self-serving God should''ve allowed the use of human knowledge aquired on Earth...What is this world''s God doing?"


    "Ahem! I am referring to war tactics used to dwindle the number of enemies. It is also called hit-and-run tactics.Are the General or the Commander acquainted with them?"


    [To my embarrassment, I am not. We haven''t been forced into any fights so far, so our knowledge of war has not exactly matured. There have always been conflicts, but those were on the level of brawls, while on country level, politics usually take care of such volatile situations. No wars between countries have ever happened before...] (Charles)


    [Me neither. Since the appearance of these monsters, we have always met our enemy on the field or in the forest and fought it fair an square!] (Laurence)


    "That''s...surprising. I see the problem now, however... What you say commander is not wrong, but with the life of soldiers at stake, an option that allows little to no loss of life is better than a chivalrous spirit. Don''t you agree?"


    [...yes.] (Laurence)


    "Then, why not do this instead. Using the map you have here and the places I have seen, combined with your knowledge of the terrain and my knowledge of war tactics, we might be able to win this in a couple of days. Remember that war is not fought just on the field with weapons, but is also fought with the mind."


    Or at least, I think that''s how the saying went... Sun Tzu if I''m not mistaken. If I manage to have these morons believe me, then their overpoweringly blessed soldiers steamroll over the Goblins and I get some money out of it. Then I can travel around and see this world. I bet there are some amazing things out there...


    [So, how do you plan to do that Michael?] (Charles)


    "I said it before, didn''t I? First of all, hit and run tactics meant to scare and drive the enemy into a corner mentally. To do that, we can attack their food supply for example, or even better, the Goblins that carry it to the village and therefore starving and dwindling their numbers at the same time."


    [So you mean to cut their food short and have them barricaded inside their own village? Wouldn''t that lead to incurring more losses to our side when attacking?] (Laurence)


    "I also said before that we''ll also make use of ambushes. After we drive them into a corner, they will leave the village and attack us in a frenzy, trying to end their problem with brute force since they are not smart creatures. If we prepare for that one fight, they will stand no chance and the numbers we need to make that happen will also be few."


    [Say we manage to do that and reach the place where we ambush them. With only one hundred soldiers we won''t be able to win the fight againsttheir troupes that surely have higher levels than us and are more agressive, even less being able to wipe out their village.] (Laurence)


    "That''s where we''ll be using the remaining force to attack from behind and the sides."


    [[[???]]]


    "These three... Also I feel like I am meddling more than I should and the impact I''ll bring will be more than I''d like... However, the sooner this is over, the sooner I can have some peace and quiet and explore the cat ear..ahem! The new views this world has to offer!"


    "Let me put it this way: we''ll have a force of those 500 men you talked about previously, armed and ready to annihilate the Goblin forces. We will start by having people with good hiding skills find these routes the creatures take to gather food and by using that information, we''ll preparean attack on those routes. At first using small numbers, I would say about a maximum of 5 people in order to not have casualties. Their aim will be to kill all but one Gatherer and leave the food they collected intact."The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    [Wait! Leaving one alive and not taking the food away, won''t it be counterproductive?] (Ronald)


    "Not if we poison the food and they take it back to the village..."


    [I see. Not only do we reduce the numbers, but by poisoning the food we might even further decrease their strength... What next?] (Charles)


    "Have the Alchemist Guild prepare the most potent poison they can think of and use it to inject it into the food the Goblins carry. Make sure is the type of poison that doesn''t have an odor or taste! If possible you can include the Oak tree flowers I mentioned, just to increase the chances of them ingesting it without knowing. The important part is that the force that attacks the Gatherers must be doing it all at once, in the same day, as a big operation. After they did so, they will retreat to the wall where the remaining punitive force will set up camp and wait for their next order. The Goblins will send the Soldiers and Guards most likely to search for the places where the Gatherers have been attacked and will also bring the food back since they will be guided there by the one we left alive."


    [And we attack them there!] (Laurence)


    "Hmm? No, that wouldn''t be a good idea since they will expect that. We will wait a full day from the attack on the food supply and then 100 of the best soldiers will regroup here, in the meadow I fought first the two Goblins and prepare."


    [You mean to ambush themhere, since you already told us before that you can see attacks coming from any direction and is also quite the space in it. But why only 100?] (Charles)


    "Because sir, this 100 will act as a shield and also as bait. The remaining 400 will attack the village as soon as the Goblin force comes to face us and raze it to the ground, while we buy time by holding them in place and wait forthe reinforcementsto strike them from behind. It would be good to bring cavalery since their village is not fortified and there''s enough space to ride against it. Also, if the cavalery is properly wearing armor, the Goblins remaining in the village won''t stand a chance..."


    [We? Do you perhaps plan to participate?] (Laurence)


    "I thought about it and since I know the terrain in that area, it might prove as an advantage. Is that not allowed?"


    [On the contrary, we would welcome it. How do you plan to have them take the bait?] (Charles)


    "Simple. We''ll make use of their rally cry and draw them in a trap. However for that to happen there are two things required: one, when the attack on the gatherers happen quickly identify which targets you want to kill and which one you spare and quickly knock out the one you want alive. Then after the killing has been done, leave only the survivor there and flee the scene. At the same time, one of the groups that''s closer to the camp we''ll set up, must leave two survivors."


    [Two?] (Ronald)


    "Yes. One to go back to the village and one to abduct and bring back to our encampment. When the force of one hundred will leavefor the meadow where we''ll set up the ambush, that Goblin will be required to draw them in. That of course if they don''t come out and attack themselves, in which case it might be easier to deal with them from the top of the walls. However that will probably not happen since they might be stupid, but not THAT stupid. Now for the second requirement, is occupations."


    [What do you mean Michael?] (Charles)


    "First off, we need a way for you to be able to identify the skills the Goblins have among the Gatherers. Do you have any way of doing that?"


    [Yes, it shouldn''t be a problem. We have a couple of people with the Eye of Truth skill and they could identify the one with the skill you need.] (Charles)


    They do!? Thank Reaper I didn''t lie about my status...However, those guys will come in handy in making this whole shenanigan work.


    "That''s good! For the remaining 100 people we''ll bring them to the location during the cover of night and we''ll use quality over quantity, meaning that the people there must be strong. Very strong! At the same time, we''ll need to have them separated by the skills they can use and their occupations. What I would prefer are 20 long range fighters, like archers for example, 30 shield and sword fighters and 50 spear and shield or just spear fighters. Is that possible?"


    [Hmm...it shouldn''t be a problem except for the shield and spear fighter combination. There is no such type of warrior in our city. Rather, is kind of an odd combination...] (Charles)


    "Not from my knowledge...I wonder if I could recreate the 300 movie in this world...hmmm..."


    "We''ll leave that for another time then. The formation that I want to set up is like this: the 20 archers will be staying with their back towards the plains I came from, waiting for the enemy to attack from any direction except that one. Standing in a box formation, the 30 sword and shield fighters will surround them, capable of defending the archers if enemies pass through the first line of defense. At the front there will be, in the form of two rows, the spears watching the trail leading to the village that I marked. The enemy will most likely try to rush through and attack from the front. When that happens..."


    [A rain of arrows to reduce their numbers, then as they press forward the spears will pierce through the rest...] (Laurence)


    "That would be the best case scenario, but in case some of them survive the first row of spears, a shuffle between them and second row will happen and they will pierce the next wave and repeat the situation. This should deal with them easily since is hard to flank the standing troupes."


    [Then why are the sword and shield warriors required? Wouldn''t more archers or more spearmen be better?] (Ronald)


    "I said it will be hard, not impossible! In case they attack from the sides or from behind we can have them intercept under the cover of the archers. This creatures do have intelligence, therefore that is a possibility, especially if there''s someone leading them. In the case where they bypass and don''t attack from the front at all, the warriors will create a wall with their shields in that direction, all in order to keep them at a distance while the archers will shoot arrows through the gaps. Then, is simple to just push all at once with the shields, bashing them and cut through with the swords. This way we''ll have all bases covered while the spearmen clean them up from behind."


    Might not be fully 300, however given their Strength status, as well as the skills they possess, making that happen is not that far fetched.


    [Incredible! Honestly incredible! This might work and in that case we''ll have fewer losses indeed.] (Laurence)


    "The aim of this strategy is to rattle the enemy mentally, therefore weaken it and not incur any losses in the process. That will happen only if the plan is followed through properly."


    Silence took over the room and everyone''s eyes fell on the map. I wondered how the hell did I ended up in this situation where I was close to orderingan makeshift armyaround and felt impressed by how well I managed to keep my composure and ad lib. I guess this is alright though and with just this much of a push from me, it shouldn''t be a problem...


    Hopefully...

 Day 2 - Common knowledge (Part 4)

    It took a couple of hours more to discus the fine details of the tactics I proposed, such as the quality of the soldiers over the quantity of them and how to improve that quality in a short period of time.


    It also seems that west of the city there was a ''cave'' where one could enter and was able to find there monsters living inside. That was of course...


    "No matter how you look at it...that''s a dungeon isn''t it?"


    [Mmm... That''s what I thought as well. However even if we know its name, we have little to no information about it...](Charles)


    When I asked about the details, the General told me that a squad of five scouts entered that place and didn''t return. When he saw that happen, he ventured inside with fifty of his best soldiers, but at the sight of monster like creatures, some of which he never saw until then, he ordered a retreat and sealed the place off. I have to agree that it was indeed the most logical solution from his standpoint, since he lacks knowledge about the danger it might possess.


    But right now, it should be used to their and this world''s God benefit.


    "That place is known indeed as a dungeon... or a war simulator. Most people use the first term."


    [Did you hear about it before boy?] (Laurence)


    "I''m 25 already you stupid gorilla! You are probably at most 6-7 years older than me... Who are you calling boy!?"


    "Yes... some. Remember what I told you previously about killing the monsters and assimilating their experience? Well, in a country away from here I once passed through, a similar dungeon was discovered. Mildly put, is a place that defies reason and has multiple floors as one goes forward. Also, the deeper you go, the stronger the monsters get. Obviously, in most cases the monsters inside this dungeon differ from floor to floor and also have different fighting characteristics. The place I have visited used the dungeon to make its soldiers and adventurers stronger, by increasing their levels and granting upon them better weapons and armors."


    [What? Better weapons and armors? How is that possible?] (Laurence)


    "Apparently in this place, each time a monster is slayed it might drop...ahem! leave a material behind. Most of them are superior to any materials existing above ground. Not only that, but one might also find existing armaments inside it, that could grant attribute points or skills to the wielder."


    [By Ahnur! That would explain your suggestion if that''s the case! But you said that the strength of these monsters deepens on the floor they are on, didn''t you? How would they be able to challenge those monsters?] (Charles)


    "This is only a rumor I have heard but, apparently when a person reaches a higher level, they receive a special skill that they can use. This skill is determined by the actions that person took to reach that level. Have you heard of this before?"


    [Huh!? Wait! Don''t we have some people that went past level 10 and had something similar happen to them? Right! Some of our veteran soldiers, after reaching level 10 received a skill that increased the experience gained even more than the blessing of the world.] (Laurence)


    "Meaning that, a person that only trained in order to get experience, at level 10 would receive a skill that makes gaining it, much easier. Now, what would happen if a person was to reach the same level, by slaying monsters? What kind of skill would he receive?"


    [I see what you mean... Indeed in that case the skill would be battle oriented. So what you''re suggesting is to use this dungeon ourselves and improve the strength of the army before attacking the Goblin village?] (Charles)


    "Is only an option. The first floor of the dungeon should be relatively easy to overcome, therefore I would advise selecting fifty of your best soldiers by using similar tactics to what I mentioned previously and gather knowledge about the dungeon. Ah! I almost forgot! You should be careful since there is a possibility of traps in the dungeon. Like pitfalls, or by stepping on some stone, would activate a trap that would shoot arrows at that position. So if you have someone with good detection skills, include him in the fifty. Oh! And to be able to use it later on as well, have the initial party draw a map of each floor, to be useful to anyone else willing to enter such place at a later point it time. This map should come also with information about the monsters, like their levels, their skills, their weak points and any other relevant details. Therefore, include the people with the Eye of Truth skill you mentioned previously."


    [Yes, that does sound good since it might serve as good training ground for our soldiers and maybe even the adventurers, if materials can be gathered inside. General, should we let His Grace know about this?] (Laurence)


    [Not yet. First we need to know more about this place and what it can provide us with. If indeed everything is like Michael here said, it will prove as a valuable asset not only for our city or our country, but for the entire continent in the fight against these creatures. Because of that Michael, please understand why I desire to confirm it before further providing it to any of my superiors. Also, please don''t say a word of this to anyone else. Is the same for the two of you! Don''t disclose any details about the dungeon or the attack plan yet! ] (Charles)Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "I completely understand, so you don''t need to worry about it. What I''m I to do next? I registered as an adventurer here, but I lack the common knowledge about this place entirely. I would also like to find a place to eat and sleep for tonight..."


    [Hmm? Yes, don''t worry as there are inns close by the guild. Do you have any money for the accommodation?] (Charles)


    "Like I said I lack the common knowledge about this place, that, including the currency. Ah! I do have these coins though."


    Remembering the coins in the pouch I took from the Goblin, I took some of them out and showed the three different types I had, hoping that at least one of them would belong to this place.


    [Good! That''s all three types of currency this continent uses. You have the brown one that is copper. About 10 copper coins would give you a good night sleep at a decent inn and another 5 would guarantee three meals per day. The one with the white color is silver. A silver is worth 50 copper coins. With about 10 silver you can buy yourself a full armor set or a really good weapon from a decent smith, but looking at you, you might want to visit a taylor first. Lastly, the yellow one is gold. The gold coin is worth 20 silver coins, or 1000 cooper coins. Needless to say, with 10 gold coins you could easily buy a war horse or a small-sized cart if you are a merchant. By the way if you intend to buy a house in our city, depending on its size and location it will be between 50 - 100 gold, or in some cases higher.] (Ronald)


    "Hmm? Isn''t this good? I have money at least. If I remember it right, I have that one gold coin, about 7 silver ones and should be around 20 copper coins. So that is about 27 silver coins and another 20 copper. I should be fine for food and a place to sleep I guess for a while."


    [Also, since you were the one to provide us with information about the Goblin Village, the reward for the request posted by our army is worth 5 silver. That might not be a big sum to show our appreciation for all you have done for us so far, but I hope to be able to return this favor after talking with our King. At that time, no doubt we will show up in front of Him victorious from the war against the Goblins and the scouting of the dungeon...] (Charles)


    Wow...Dramatic much? He seems to have took off in a world of his own making... Haaaah! Really now, I might''ve meddled to much...


    "I appreciate the help just as much and I strongly believe you will be successful in your task. Is there anything else required of me?"


    [Ahem! That would be everything for now. Please do come by if we ask for you, since your knowledge is highly valuable for this endeavor.] (Charles)


    "Understood! It would be my pleasure."


    "Take note Ron! That''s how you lie with a smile on your face!"


    [Thank you for you help today Corbett. Many lives, both soldiers and common folk, will be spared thanks to the information you gave us. You truly have my gratitude for it!] (Laurence)


    Would you look at that! The middle-aged man with a gorilla-like personality bowed his head in gratitude for the people. I guess it does make sense, since he also seems the honest and straightforward type just like Ronald...


    "Please Commander, raise your head! I only did what is natural. Please look out for me in the future as well since, like I said, I lack common knowledge."


    [Understood... I will gladly do so!] (Laurence)


    [Then with your permission General, Commander... I will escort Michael to get his adventurer''s tag and guide him to the inn. Would that be fine?] (Ronald)


    [[Yes.]]


    "Thank you very much Ronald!"


    [No problem. It should be me who thanks you. Let''s go!] (Ronald)


    After descending the flight of stairs to the first floor, we headed towards the reception desk where I was handed my adventurer tag by the old man, who grinned while telling me about it.


    [As you can see its current color is white, meaning that you are at the lowest rank, G. To be able to increase it, you must earn points. Those points are awarded automatically by monster kills or requests you have completed. Since you already completed a request posted by the General, your tag has been infused with 5 points worth of experience. Like the leveling of a regular human, the tag follows the same type of experience gain, only doubled. Meaning that you need 20 points for level two and 50 points for level three and...you get the idea. The highest rank is SSS, but no one has achieved even SS for now. The order is from G to A and then S, SS and SSS. Any questions?] (Receptionist)


    That experience point gain...I could see the percentage on my end, but didn''t really look into the numbers... I should take care of that later. Also...adventurer system rank... Could that useless game God try at least to show a bit of imagination!?


    "No, I understand. Thank you for your kind explanation!"


    [Hmpf! I look forward to your accomplishments, not useless thanks.] (Receptionist)


    [Have a good day!] (Helen)


    "Thank you very much. Same for both of you!"


    When we managed to exit the guild, both Ronald and myself were taken aback by the commotion outside. He went ahead and talked with some of the people he knew and returned telling me that they heard about a way to reach the Goblin Village and came to show their support. Those people were mostly adventurers and they wanting to help, stands to show that they are quite united in this city. It was a pleasant sight...


    We walked down a street and Ronald pointed at a tall building almost the same height as the adventurer''s guild, telling me that is the Alchemist''s Guild. Then we passed by a restaurant and some shops that sold either clothes, weapons or armor. It surprised me how he took his time in explaining the market prices, all in order for me not to be ripped off by the first merchant I came across.


    Then, after about thirty minutes of leisure walk we reached the inn.


    [I''ll go and inform my fellow guard-mates of what happened today, so I''ll leave you here. If you need help with anything, come by the east wall and find me there. I''ll do my utmost to help you out.] (Ronald)


    We parted ways for now with a manly hand shake and I stood in front of the building he dropped me at.


    "My first inn experience in another world. This should be interesting..."

 Day 2 - A different worlds sense of fashion

    The building in front of which I was not sitting stupefied, was certainly taller than the Adventurer''s Guild I visited earlier by a couple of floors. The red bricks in its walls, could be seen creating an almost mathematical formula that seem to draw one''s attention in.


    Right above the wooden door left ajar, there was a signboard painted brown with the drawing of a red diamond.


    After taking a look at the writing under it, I recognized the name of the establishment being The Blood-Ruby Inn.


    "With everything from the walls of the building to the signboard being painted red, I can understand why that name, since the city also sports it. But why did the word ''blood'' had to be in it? It really puts a damper in my enthusiasm..."


    I ventured inside through the opened door and found myself in a lobby similar to the ones I saw back on Earth when travelling and staying in a hotel. The room itself was spacious enough, allowing chairs to be placed around small tables, indicating a resting spot where conversations could take place over snacks and drinks. Shouldn''t the technology be about 1000 years worth of advancement in this world? It would make sense if they focus soley on it, instead of military like I''ve seen previously...


    Around five steps from the entrance stood a reception desk similar to the one I saw before and sincerely hoped to be spared from any more grumpy old people.


    [Good evening sir! My name is Caitlin Faye and I am the owner of the inn. Are you looking for food and accommodation for the night?] (Caitlin)


    A beautiful and angelic voice... I looked surprised at the head that lifted itself from the papers it was signing to meet the new customer. Beautiful brown-red eyes and hazel long hair flowing in curls on the desk, while a smile that was warm enough to skip seasons to summer, greeted me kindly.


    While there might not be elves or cat ears, such pure beauty was sufficient to soothe the two tiring days I had on this world so far and relax my nerves slightly.


    "Greetings miss! My name is Michael Corbett. I found myself in the need of both and if possible a warm bath. Please tell me if that can be arranged."


    [Our inn does provide all three at a reasonable price, so you don''t need to worry. The cost per night will be 15 copper coins for a single room with one bed and three meals per day will be an additional 5 coppers. For the bath, we will provide the tub, bring it to your room where it will be filled with warm water and provide you with a clean towel at the cost of 2 additional coppers for each time you request one. We do ask the payment to be made before handing the key of the room, as well as a form of identification.] (Caitlin)


    "The only proof I have is the adventurer''s tag I was provided today with. Would that suffice?"


    [An adventurer? I see... Because of an agreement we have with the adventurer''s guild, we will provide you with a discount and charge only 20 cooper coins per night, with the same three meals per day and a bath arrangement. Is our way of supporting the people that keep the entire city safe and functioning through these turbulent days.] (Caitlin)


    [A new customer? Good evening!]


    The woman probably in her early thirties by her calm demeanor and manner of speech, was grabbed by the waist from behind and hugged by a tall man, letting out a cute squeal, similar to a baby cat taken by surprise. The man that did so, probably around the same age or a bit older, reaching almost two meters and with a big frame as well, hugged the embarrassed receptionist lady that also said she''s the owner, meaning that...


    [This is my husband Frederick Faye and the cook of this inn. Honey, didn''t I tell you to stop doing that in front of the customers!? Is embarrassing...] (Caitlin)


    [Yesh, yesh! Sorry about that, you''re so cute that I couldn''t help it. Hello once again! You can call me Fred and like you heard I''m the chef of this inn! If you have any requests about specific recipes you''d like to eat, let me know and I''ll take it as a challenge! Will you be staying with us lad?] (Fred)


    I started to think that all men in this world are the same type of personality as Ron and the Commander, however hearing him say ''yesh, yesh'' was a bit unsettling to say in the least... That and the fact that I was a bit jealous of him, given his beautiful wife...


    "Yes sir! My name is Michael and I was guided to this inn by Ronald the guard. Since I lack common knowledge of this place please excuse me in advance if I might offend in any way."


    [Did you perhaps come from a different country?] (Fred)


    "...well...something like that."


    [Hee... Is that so? Say lad, do you have any experience with cooking?] (Fred)


    "Hmm? Well I can''t say I don''t, but I am not very proficient in the field. Since I used to live by myself I cooked my own meals for over ten years that I can at least make something edible..."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    [That so!? How about a helping hand with tonight''s dinner and in exchange you can ask me questions about this place? You said you lack common knowledge didn''t you?] (Fred)


    [Honey! Don''t go and ask rude things of our customers!] (Caitlin)


    "Is quite alright Ms. Caitlin. I would very much like that, however, please do keep in mind that the type of food I might know will probably be different from the one served here."


    [Ouh! I''m counting on it! But, from the looks of you right now, you could use a bath and a change of clothes first... Is that what I think it is?] (Fred)


    "Yes... Long story...I would love both, but in fact I haven''t been able to buy myself any spare clothes yet and I only have what''s on me at the moment."


    [Hmm... Then why don''t you go quickly to the shop next to us to buy some after registering for a room? It will take about thirty minutes to prepare your bath and by the time you finish, we''ll also be able to start preparing the meal. Also, since the type of clothing you are wearing right now might draw unwanted attention to you by being... unusual, I''d advise going with the shopkeeper''s suggestion.] (Fred)


    "Thank you very much! That sounds like a good idea since I was quite bothered by it. Then, what do I need to do next to complete the process of registration?"


    [Sign your name here please. If you don''t know how to write, I can do it for you.] (Caitlin)


    To my utmost happiness, the language spoken and written were the same as on Earth, or at least I perceived it as such. I hoped that I won''t write in English like usual and they end up seeing something completely different...


    After a loud gulping sound, I took the quill dipped in ink and wrote my name on the thick book standing on top of the counter. This had a very Shakespearean feel to it and it made me smile a bit, while handing over the register to the beautiful lady, which nodded in response. That made me sigh in relief, which made both of them look at me curiously...


    After that, following the instructions received from Fred, I headed towards the nearby shop across the street. After entering the establishment, the ringing of a bell could be heard. I looked above the door and found it there, almost staring back at me while resounding in the entire room.


    A middle aged man came from behind a desk and upon seeing my appearance his brows twitched a bit and his eyes widened for a brief second, after which he assumed a very businessman-like face.


    "Hello. I was guided here by Frederic Faye since I found myself in the need to purchase a change of clothes. I was also advised to follow your insight regarding the wear, since I lack common knowledge in that area."


    "Somehow, even if is true, I keep repeating it and it makes me feel like I''m stupid. It''s the fault of that self-serving game God..."


    [By Fred you say? I see. What are you interested in?] (Clerk)


    "A full set of common clothes, four pairs of underwear and ten pairs of socks. I would also like a type of clothing for the upper body similar to what I am wearing right now if possible, as an extra."


    [And what about shoes?] (Clerk)


    With an obvious gleam in his eyes, this guy was up-selling me. However, he might be right about requiring such things. I might need at least two pairs since the ones I have right now are in tatters...


    "If possible something to fit the previous mentioned clothes. Also since I am an adventurer, I would like them not to hinder my movement to much."


    [Ho? An adventurer you say? I see... Stay here for a second. Oh, by the way, I see that pouch by your waist. Is that an item bag?] (Clerk)


    "Item bag? What do you mean by that?"


    I tried to pretend, but I kind of knew where this was going. It was THAT kind of item bag...


    [Yes. The ones that can carry up to a specific amount of weight. From the looks of it, yours should be around 500 kg. I''m I right?] (Clerk)


    I panicked for a second and quickly used my Identify skill on the bag to see if that was the case. However...


    "Unfortunately not. This is a regular pouch I took from a Goblin I killed. It came with only a jug of water made from some type of pelt inside it and I don''t think that it can hold more than a couple of kilograms."


    [''Dat so? Stay here for a second.]


    Quite happy, he left to the back of the store and came about 5 minutes later, carrying a bunch of things.


    First off, a pair of hemp trousers dyed black that seemed a bit to short for my height. Upon wearing them, indeed they were reaching only about ankle height, which kind of bothered me, but I took it as a difference of culture. Then, he brought over some kind of tunic of a similar dark color that seemed to be way too long also. Upon wearing it, I found that it reached to my thighs, almost halfway to my knee. Again, I suck it up and didn''t complain about it, blaming it once more on this world''s sense of fashion...


    Then the clerk handed me a belt of the same color as the trousers, that looked really well made and felt pleasant to the touch even by modern standards, which he asked me to put on. When I did put all three pieces of clothing on me...I felt strange...


    [You didn''t lie when you said you lack common knowledge... The tunic goes inside the trousers.] (Clerk)


    I see... While I stuffed the bloody thing down my pants, he brought two pair of boots along, one brown and one black. He presented the black ones as being more suitable for long walks outside the city and the brown ones as social wear. Upon trying them, I understood why the trousers were only ankle length, since they were covered by the boots following the same example as the tunic.


    The last piece was a cloak made of obvious animal hide, being able to tell by the fur hood attached to it. I found it interesting since it was both sleeveless, was opening at the front and held in place by a brooch by my chest. Its length was reaching the ankles... It was pretty much an overcoat...sort of...


    It was indeed pleasing to the eye to see myself in the shop''s mirror, wearing a completely different attire than what I was used to up until now... It wasn''t a bad feeling at all.


    [Now let''s talk prices!] (Clerk)


    That on the other hand, sent a really cold shiver down my spine...

 Day 2 - Clothes make the man

    Somehow it felt that I just fell to this clerk''s scheme. I was indeed pleased by the clothes, but he was obviously excited about taking my money. I quietly wondered if I had enough...


    [The trousers and the tunic are quite common so the two of them together are 10 copper coins. For the ten pairs of socks and four... make that five pairs of underwear will also be 10 coppers. Now the boots and the coat are a bit more expensive. The boots are made from boar skin so they are very resistant and water doesn''t flow in. Even more, the material itself was imbued with mana, so there will be no bad smell even after wearing them a full day. Each pair is going to be 10 coppers. Lastly the coat you''re wearing right now is made of a black wolf''s pelt and is incredibly comfortable like you probably saw already. When you need to sleep out in the open, you could do so just by wearing it. It is obviously also very warm during winter and imbued with mana to maintain a certain body temperature, therefore even wearing it during summer when the temperature is very high, won''t let feel hot. Its price is 50 copper coins. How does it sound?] (Clerk)


    It reached a total of 90 coppers, meaning almost two silver coins. Since I had 32 in total after getting the reward from the Adventurer''s Guild and paying for this night''s stay at the inn, so it might be a splurge to get the overcoat. However, the color and the insulation of heat might be useful to me since I am a ''Scout''. Oh, right!


    "How about some towels?"


    [I can provide you with ten small towels or five big ones and it will be two silver coins in total.] (Clerk)


    "Can you make it five small towels and two big ones?"


    [Yes, that''s alright...] (Clerk)


    "Since you mentioned the item bag previously, does that mean you sell them as well?"


    [Yes I do. Are you interested in them as well?] (Clerk)


    "A bit. What are the prices?"


    [Starting from 100 kg at five silvers, 250 kg at ten silvers and 500 kg at 1 gold coin. Any higher and you''ll have to visit a store in the capital.] (Clerk)


    "I would like the second one, but I am not sure if I should spend that much money on it..."


    A sudden grin on the clerk''s face made my skin crawl and I forced me to take a step back. I was right about him plotting something...


    [In that case, since you mentioned that you would also like a type of cloth similar to what you are wearing at the moment, can I propose a deal?] (Clerk)


    "...I am listening."


    [I will provide you with the 250 kg item bag at only five silver coins, in exchange for your current clothes. Shoes included.] (Clerk)


    I stood there baffled. He wanted my clothes and in exchange I''d get a 50% discount on the bag? Is it because they are strange, or because he hasn''t seen anything like this until now? Also, the current state of them could barely be worth such a discount, with Goblin blood on the shirt, rips in the pants and the shoes that were barely glued together...don''t even get me started on the socks!


    "I don''t mind, however, even after you study them you might not be able to replicate them. The materials are different and the way they are crafted is probably impossible to replicate as well. Are you still interested?"


    [Dear customer, I am a merchant. Not only I''m I attracted to things I don''t know, but I also have a keen sense of business when it comes to unusual products. Can I take it as a deal then? Also, you said that the current pouch you have and the jug of water you took them from a Goblin you killed, correct?] (Clerk)


    "Indeed. What about it?"


    [I will also give you a 10 copper coins for them since I am personally interested in them. To make the matters simpler, you''ll pay 7 silver coins for the current products I mentioned and I will provide you with 10 copper coins as a different transaction for your belongings.] (Clerk)


    He was greedy, but I doubt they were worth more than what he offered me. Rather, I was thinking that he gave more than the market''s value for those items... Speaking of greedy...


    "Instead of that, can I please get something that is easy to sleep in? Indoors of course."


    [Nightwear is it? Usually men in our country tend to sleep in their underwear at night, some even prefer completely naked. You can take a look around the store and if you see something you''d like, you can chose that if it fits within the price, or if you are fine with covering the difference.] (Clerk)You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    I nodded and started to look around, but not even two minutes later I found something that left me entirely shocked.


    "This is..."


    [Hmm!? That? Is an idea from a traveler that passed by here this winter, but it wasn''t very well received by the people here. I even took time to make it in different thickness since it might''ve had multiple wearing possibilities. Sometimes is like this in the clothing market...you take a bet on something unexpected and you lose.] (Clerk)


    "No, no! This is definitely a win no matter how you look at it. What''s the name of this type of clothes?"


    [What? It is? It doesn''t have a name yet... Did you perhaps seen this before?] (Clerk)


    "I did. Is called a kimono...no I guess this is a yukata. There is an entire country that used this type of clothes as both formal and informal wear that I once visited."


    [REALLY? Is that really true???] (Clerk)


    Wow, wow,wow! Easy there man! Personal space! Personal space!!!


    "Yes... please calm down. Well, I can guess why it didn''t sell though. The yukata is a simpler version of the kimono, being a type of wear more casual. Maybe your customers would look for something else in it, something more sophisticated or unusual, since is mostly for the ladies. I would advise making them flashier and in colors that would please the women of this city. For example, make the material lighter and more pleasant to the touch...oh, and add a thin cloth similar to what I am wearing right now. That would be an under cloth, in order not to dirty the material with body sweat, so is good if you can make it light and absorbant. Also since you''ll need to make it look good, use a thin sash to tie down the layers of it, making the final layer of the kimono being something similar to an overcoat that will cover the body''s full length with a difference of only about five centimeters away from the ankles. Then using the sash I mentioned previously, tie it in a way to have it aligned with the spine and have it folded. Lastly, a belt that will be just as colorful...no even more, will go around the kimono similar to an accessory and tied at the back."


    The clerk was quietly taking notes while I was fully immersed in explaining the beauty of a kimono. I can''t help it since a woman in a kimono is truly a sight to behold. When I visited Japan back on Earth and I saw a New Year''s Eve festival where there were so many beautiful kimono-wearing ladies, I kind of studied it...thoroughly!


    Well, if previously I was worried about interfering with this world too much and changing their culture... I wouldn''t mind changing it in THIS direction. I wonder how would the City of rubies look during a festival where all women were kimono and men casual yukata?


    [TOMORROW!] (Clerk)


    "Eh!?"


    The hell! That scared me! I was so immersed that I didn''t even pay attention to the clerk, which''s eyes were pretty much flashlights at this point...


    [Come tomorrow and give me details about how to finish it! If you do so, I''ll give you another two silver discount!] (Clerk)


    "Deal!"


    Hesitation? Why? I''m getting everything I wanted cheaper and I''m helping the clerk create a paradise city filled with women wearing kimonos... What a goal to have for the future of this city! Nay! This world!


    I left the store after purchasing three simple yukata of different thickness. These three, I actually got them for free from the clerk, were two in black color and only one in white, with the matching belt of the same color of course. He said something like ''I need to sample the products and give him some feedback regarding how it should be changed to make it better'', so I took the deal instantly.


    I figured I will use the white one which is the thinnest to sleep in, while the other two I''ll use one for bathing and one for casual wear indoors, depending on the said thickness.


    Feeling really satisfied, I dressed myself with the initial purchases from the clerk donning the brown boots, the hemp black trousers, the tunic and the coat. Everything else I''ve placed in the newly acquired item bag, including the remaining money.


    After checking how the item bag works, I realized that is probably linked to the system and used something similar to slots in which the items are placed. When you need to pull something out of it, you know by instinct where to find it since the system suggest it. Truly game-like...


    Now, I wanted to quickly take a bath since I didn''t want to have my new clothes catch my smell, so I bolted back to the inn. Judging from the looks on the faces of the couple owning this place and their appreciative nods, I''d say the cleark named Martin did a really good job.


    [I must say, the change is impressive. It suits you really well Mr. Michael!] (Caitlin)


    [Indeed, indeed. Now you''re looking like a proper lad from this Mirth country. You look like the son of a noble with that coat. It seems like Martin took really good care of you.] (Fred)


    "Thank you very much. I really appreciate the compliments. Is perhaps my bath prepared? I would like to wash quickly, so that I can come and help preparing the dinner."


    [I''ll have it sent to your room right away.] (Caitlin)


    When I reached the room I realized that I didn''t have any soap or shampoo, nor did I knew if they existed in this world. A mishap on my behalf, but taken care of by the Faye couple. There was no towel, but on a stool next to the tub there was a bar of ...probably soap since it smelled rather nice and in a small bowl a yellowish liquid that had a flowery smell. This was probably a shampoo replacement. I also made a mental note of the name of this country being Mirth.


    "I was expecting this to be goods only aristocrats have access to... I''ve never been so happy to be proven wrong before!"


    After washing and relaxing for thirty minutes, I took the wooden sandals that Ms. Caitlin gave me to wear inside the inn and dressed in the thicker black yukata. Somehow, I felt very happy with myself, since even back on Earth I didn''t have the chance to wear this.


    Fixing it in the mirror of the room to make it look good on me, I put everything else in the item bag and hid it in the only closet to which I was given the key to. That was probably a safe?


    Can''t be too careful with my only possessions in this world after all. I also put my short sword in there and the only thing I was now wearing, were a new pair of underwear (by the way I didn''t sell mine to the clerk...it felt wrong even if he insisted on it), the yukata and the adventurer tag around my neck.


    "Now then, let''s cook something! I am quite curious about their food culture."


    I considered myself something of a globetrotter back on Earth, as I visited more than 40 different countries and sampled the local cuisine in each one of them. My knowledge of dishes was good when it came to the recipes, so I could write it down and give some indications at least.


    This should be fun!

 Day 2 - Cuisine

    The room I was given was on the second floor, so after getting ready and securing my possessions in the makeshift wooden ''safe'', I descended back to the first floor.


    On a more careful look, I noticed how the stairs leading to the other floors were placed on the left side of the reception desk, after which there was the same lounge filled with small tables and chairs I saw earlier. On the right side there was a spacious hall designed as dining room, where long tables were arranged in a pleasing manner. It wasn''t elegant, but it wasn''t brusque either. Rather, it had a really comforting feeling to it, as one could see the people staying at this inn enjoy their food and a hearty conversation with the other guests they were seated beside.


    I walked towards the end of this hall, where on the right side of it was a small door leading into the kitchen.


    Previously when I passed by the counter it was empty and the front door was closed, signifying that the place will no longer book people today. From what the couple told me, the working hours are between 7am and 8pm, so if you miss those registration hours, you''ll sleep outside. Right now it was about 6pm if I wasn''t mistaken, however, given that there was no vacancy, they closed off early for the day.


    When I entered and found the couple in the kitchen preparing the ingredients, I realized why: beside them and the two men who carried the bathtub in my room earlier, there were two more girls around twenty years old preparing the kitchen utensils, girls which probably doubled as maids.


    When they saw me entering, all six looked at me, each with curious expressions.


    [Hoooo! That is some very interesting clothing Michael. Is it from your country?] (Fred)


    "No, I got it from the clerk previously. But is true that I have seen this type of wear before. Is very comfortable for the guys and even more, a woman grows at least three times more beautiful when wearing one. I can vouch for that! Also, don''t worry! I''ll have Martin help you get one for your miss as well. "


    It was at that point that I realized: I could use this beautiful model that was the owner of a inn which was rather popular to start a fashion trend. When me and Martin (the clerk from the tailor shop) talked about the products, we were so absorbed that we forgot about how to promote his merchandise. I''ll go help him tomorrow and have him give some gifts if required to other affluent ladies... there''s so much work to be done...


    Is all for my kimono paradise!!!


    [Seeing my Caith become three times more beautiful? But you''re right...somehow imagining her wearing it...it''s nice!] (Fred)


    [FRED! You''re drooling! Stop thinking about stupid things and prepare the vegetables properly! These clothes look very good on you... maybe I should get one for Fred as well... By the way, we have prepared ingredients, but since my husband insisted that you''ll decide on tonight''s menu, we didn''t know exactly what you have us make. Also, do keep in mind that we need to cook it for sixty people, with us included.] (Caitlin)


    [I''m looking forward to your culinary knowledge Mr. Traveler!] (Fred)


    "Please don''t put too much pressure on me..."


    I took a look at the ingredients they were using and found some interesting stuff. If I wasn''t mistaken this should be...


    "Is this by any chance deer?"


    [Hmm? Yes, you have a good eye. Do you know how to cook it?] (Fred)


    "I am pretty confident about the recipe. Also, the taste will surely be pleasing since the dish can be used as main course for dinner..."


    Truth to be told, when I was 23 and traveled abroad, I worked for a restaurant that dealt in venison dishes since I needed the money. Well, it wasn''t only venison, there was boar meat, wild duck and a couple of other things that were the restaurant''s forte and I also started as a dishwasher boy. During the three months there, the chef drilled into my brain the way of cooking it, up to the point where I could be forcefully awaken at 3 in the morning and recite the cooking process by heart.


    Why? Because I was forced to wake up at 3am and recite the process if I wanted to help in the kitchen by actually cooking...


    [Well then, let''s get started with...] (Fred)


    "Before that, how do you serve dinner usually? How many dishes and what type?"


    [We usually provide soup and a main type dish based on meat. Most of our customers are adventurers and they bring a fresh supply of it daily, while we provide it back as cooked food, obviously with a discount. Since they need as much energy as they can get out there, there''s quite a lot of meat involved in all three meals we provide, therefore quite the amount of animal blood has been spilled for such a diet. Therefore the ''bloody ruby'' name...] (Caitlin)


    [Also, in about an hour we should start serving.] (Fred)


    "Understood... We''ll go then with a soup and a main dish, both based on venison. Let''s prepare the ingredients first and to make it simpler, we''ll split into two groups, each to handle one dish. Since it would be more fun this way, the teams will be split into men and women. The women side will take the soup since it requires more a more delicate approach and the men will take the steak since... well, it''s a man''s type of dish. Is that alright?"


    [[[[[[Yes!]]]]]]


    Honestly, I had more confidence in the ladies since both dishes required attention and focus which men usually lack, but there wasn''t enough time for that. So I took the easiest dish out of the two and had the guys prepare it... Something about crash and burn kept repeating inside my head...The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "I will guide both teams through the cooking process. Alright! Then let''s start with the ingredients. Since the soup will take about an hour, while the steak only about forty minutes, let''s start with the ingredients for the soup. We''re cooking for sixty people, so please make sure you follow the instructions correctly, otherwise we won''t make it in time. We''ll first need oil, potatoes, tomatoes, garlic and the four type of vegetables here, sugar, salt, the bullion I see over there, any sort of spicy condiment you have and around 6 kg of venison meat. Start by grabbing the ingredients and a pot to make the soup in."


    [[[Yes.]]]


    I have to admit that this is rather fun. Back at the restaurant I was the one being ordered around, but now I''m the chef all of a sudden.Am I not a guest here? Is it alright to let me decide on the food menu? Even more order them around in the kitchen? At least it looks like they''re having fun, so I guess it''s fine... Also, I kept using my Identify skill to see exactly what the things on the tables were, since some of them looked different than what I knew back on Earth.


    "Now the men team. We''ll need unsalted butter, onions, salt, dried thyme from that table, honey, fresh parsley, dandelion leaves, around 2 and a half kg of fresh mushrooms and 8 kg of venison. Prepare the ingredients and bring them over here fast. I''ll let you know the quantities we need! In the meantime the girls team will start the soup."


    [[[Yes!]]]


    It impressed me how hyped they all were, running around but not colliding with each other. I had to admit that their energy and enthusiasm were quite contagious.


    They did seem a bit surprised by the ingredients, but is to be expected since this type of cuisine was refined over the course of thousands of years back on Earth, so it might be strange to them. Either way, this should be an interesting experiment.


    "Girls, let''s start with the preparations...it looks like the vegetables are ready and clean. Good! Start by dicing the onions, tomatoes and all other vegetables thinly, but keep them in separate bowls. Next the potatoes must be cut into small cubes and do the same with the venison. Let me know when is done."


    [Michael, we''ve prepared the ingredients for the steak. What do we start with?] (Fred)


    "Good. Let''s see... First off prepare the onions by cutting them thinly and put them in a pan. Also bring out the venison meat and salt it real good. We''ll let it settle to room temperature while we cook the onions. Listen well and follow the instructions properly! First, you put in the pan the butter and when is hot enough you add the onions. In order for it to be cooked well, you slow down the heat and stir slowly until they turn lightly brown. Then, when they start to soften, add salt and let them cook slowly again for another 10 minutes. After that you add the thyme and honey. When they have a nice brown color, take the pan from the fire and put it away. Remember, this will be for 60 people so make sure the quantity is enough. After that, wipe the frying pan used for the onions and add butter again to it. Make sure the venison is dry, so if required wipe it with a clean towel and have it cooked on a medium heat fire, turning it on all sides until they are well browned. In the meantime add the mushrooms and put it on a high heat flame to make sure the water inside them evaporates. When they begin to boil and become brown, add the butter and the oil and sprinkle salt on them while they cook. Once the mushrooms are ready, add back the caramelized onions and the parsley and stir to combine. Heat through and put some on everyone''s plate. Add the dandelion leaves at that point and cut the venison into small oval sizes that are good to serve. Questions? "


    I got a bit carried away there and kept talking... They look quite confused, but one of the guys was prepared and taking notes. Well, since I''ll watch over them as they do it, it should be fine since I can offer reminders. Now for the soup, should be a bit easier.


    "Now for the soup. Girls, are the preparations ready?"


    [We just finished cutting the venison into cubes. Was it required to be cubes?] (Caitlin)


    "Since is soup, it will be easier to eat. Now then, let''s begin. That pot with a lid that you brought will be perfect. Start by putting the venison in oil and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Then..."


    [Simmer?] (Caitlin)


    "Oh, sorry. It means that you must keep it under the temperature at which the water is boiling."


    [Understood.] (Caitlin)


    "Did she really? I''m not sure even I understood that explanation..."


    <strong class="">"F..Fine. Now then, to continue, is rather simple. At the point where the venison is brown, add the remaining ingredients and let it stay like that for at least an hour, until the meat is tender enough. Make sure you don''t forget to add the water, or it might become something else. You obviously add it at the same time as the remaining ingredients. Questions?"


    [[[None.]]]


    Within that hour, I kept walking back and forth, giving advice or answering the questions of both teams when needed. The smell of the food freshly cooked was seeping under the door and soon, the sound of hungry people could be heard clamoring in the dining hall, cheering them on.


    It wasn''t the first time I cooked for other people, but it was the first time I directed and decided on the menu. It was a different kind of pressure, even if I didn''t belong to the inn''s staff. But I was confident in my memorization skills and all six of them were rather well versed in the kitchen''s matters. I was impressed on how they managed so far with only six people, but now I understood. Their cooperation was incredible... That and the fact that they possessed the Endurance, Agility and Dexterity skill which allowed faster and more precise movement, as well as Intelligence and Wisdom which enhanced their cognitive abilities...


    It felt a bit like cheating when remembering how hard it was when rush hour hit us at the restaurant...


    Soon, the food reached everyone''s plates, us seven included. I savored each bite as if it was a divine offering, both because I haven''t eaten anything in two days, except for flowers and burnt rabbit meat and probably also because this was cooked how I instructed them to.


    Contrary to my expectations however, the food was really great. Especially the venison. Both in the soup and the steak itself had a really rich flavor, richer than I remembered it be. I ate happily and everyone had a pleased look on their faces.


    When we finished eating and the six returned to the kitchen to clean up, I announced an early retreat and they sent me off after thanking me for the two new recipes. It seems that they were well received by the customers and will like to use it more often.


    Before I left upstairs, I had Fred write on a piece of paper the recipe for venison tips with mushrooms. Since it requires for the meat to marinate for 8 entire hours, I told him he could prepare it for tomorrow, since they had a surplus of such meat at the moment.


    He looked really curious and interested in it. Well, I guess is okay...


    I realized after reaching my room and undressing from the black yukata and changing into the white one, that there was no smell coming from the one I just wore. It was impressive since, for an entire hour I stood where the food was being continuously cooked.


    "So, the mana prevents the smell also?"


    With those words, I threw the black yukata in the item bag, put it under my pillow, held the short sword near the bed with my right hand and fell asleep instantly.

 Day 3 - Equipment

    For the second time since I died, I woke up under an unfamiliar ceiling, after sparks of light started flooding my room. I realized that the curtains weren''t drawn, since I forgot to do that last night due to how tired I was.


    Back on Earth I didn''t really get the chance to see many sunrises since I was either playing games until 4-5 AM, or working until similar hours. That''s why, sluggishly, I got out of bed in the white yukata I bought yesterday and looked out the window.


    I was on the second floor yet with the city being somewhat downhill, I could clearly see the port engulfed by orange morning sun, creating a beautiful painting to wake up to.


    I wonder what time is it...


    I undressed and equipped this world''s fashionless clothes (well I kind of like the boots and the cloak to be honest) and descended to the first floor.


    [Quite early aren''t you? Didn''t you manage to sleep well?] (Caitlin)


    "Good morning Ms. Faye. On the contrary, I''ve slept like a log and since I have too much energy, I decided to explore the city a bit. At what time do the stores usually open?"


    [Stores? Well around 7 I guess. Is 6:30 right now, so after some breakfast you can go and do just that.] (Caitlin)


    "Wow...6:30AM? This must be a new record for me..."


    "Ms. Faye, I wanted to ask..."


    [Please, just call me Caitlin like everyone else. It makes me feel old when you call me that...] (Caitlin)


    "Understood. Then, Caitlin, how do you tell the time? Do you have watches?"


    [Yes... Like the one on the wall. There are also pocket watches, but are kind of expensive and you can only buy those from specialized stores, since they are custom-made. Is also a symbol of nobility of sorts since they cost as much as a good horse. That reminds me, you don''t have your daily necessities bought out yet, do you?] (Caitlin)


    "I was thinking of buying them as time went by, when I need them. Right now I can''t really think what I will require later on, therefore I''ll get myself some weapons and armor to start with."


    [Do you plan on taking requests from the guild?] (Caitlin)


    "Yes. Since is also a good chance to gather information, I might as well do that. Before doing so though, you mentioned breakfast right?"


    After indulging in some cow milk and eggs with bacon, I got up and left the inn. I asked for directions and it seems that stores that sell both weapons and armor are close by.


    "I guess I should start with a weapon shop. This sword is both rusty and dull, but since it did its part, I can''t really complain..."


    The first shop I ended up in was the weapons shop. It was a two story building, that doubled as the owner''s home. A spear crossed with a sword were drawn as symbol on the signboard so it was rather hard to miss.


    Truth to be told, I had no idea about weapons and such and after thinking things through, I realized that my game knowledge was not as vast as I originally thought...or helpful for that matter. I had the Identify skill that might be of some help, but beside the materials, I''m not going to get much information.


    Ugh...let''s just hope that the clerk is not going to take advantage to much of me.


    "Good morning. I was sent here by Ms. Caitlin Faye as a recommendation for buying good weapons."


    [Good morning lad. Caitlin did? I see... Do you have an occupation?] (Clerk)


    " I do. It''s ''Scout''."


    [Agility based, isn''t it? Can you handle two swords at once?] (Clerk)


    "Swords might be a bit too much..."


    In my mind, the cool image of me handling two big swords appeared. However, the reality wouldn''t allow such a feat with my meager Strength stat and lack of body muscles. Remember that I used to play games, not go to the gym...


    [No, sorry. I was referring to daggers. The blades are around 40 centimeters only and the materials are light. I was asking about being able to use both hands.] (Clerk)


    "Oh, I understand! It wouldn''t be a problem. Do you have something like that?"


    [Agility based professions, like thief, scout, hunter or assassin usually use dual daggers as their main weapons and hold onto a sub weapon as well. Usually is either a bow, crossbow, or throwing knifes.] (Clerk)Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "I think the throwing knifes might be the best choice, although I don''t have very much confidence in my aim with them. Can I see choices for both?"


    I was stupidly hyped to be honest when I imagined myself in a thief''s attire, holding two daggers at my waist, or throwing knifes at monsters. With the overcoat I bought yesterday I might look the part as well. What the hell!? That self-serving game God... is really not that bad, is he?


    [Come this way.] (Clerk)


    I followed the clerk in a back room and I was in awe. In a room with only a table in the middle, the surrounding walls were filled with weapons of all sorts, just like decorative paintings.


    He then took multiple dual daggers that came as a set with a belt to place them in and showed them to me. On the table there were around six pairs of daggers, some simpler and some more ''decorated''. I used my skill to analyze them and I found something that might be good:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Steel dagger


    A blade with short reach made from an alloy that allows the flow of mana.


    This blade has high resistance to skill damage inflicted by the user.


    Estimated cost: 60 Copper coins</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Slow steel dagger


    A blade with short reach made from an alloy that allows the flow of mana.


    This blade has been infused with mana, so it inflicts a decrease in movement speed to the targeted enemy.


    Estimated cost : 80 Copper coins</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I realized then, that the sword I had probably ended up like this because of the Soldier Goblin using skills repeatedly with it. I should confirm it.


    "I also have this short sword, can you look at it please?"


    [Hmm? Let''s see... The hilt is in good condition and is worked rather well, however the blade almost reached its end. You must be careful with the mana use since most blades show resistance to it and the material composition weaken. When that happens, the blade becomes dull.] (Clerk)


    "Well, can I sell it to you?"


    [To be honest, I can melt the blade and re-purpose the hilt. I''ll give you 10 cooper coins for it.](Clerk)


    "I''ll take it. How about the throwing knives?"


    [They come as a set of ten and they all look like this. Feel free to pick ten or more that you want.] (Clerk)


    Since they come as a set of ten I will probably not need more than that, nor could I exactly strap myself with more. I''m sure even in this world they would see me as a maniac if I do such a stupid thing.


    The clerk calmly explained that usually, the belts holding them is one wrapped around the waist and the other around the right leg. One holds six and the other four. I then analyzed the knives and found something strange.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Steel knife


    A knife with short reach made from steel, well ballanced.


    Imbued with mana absorption quality.


    Estimated cost: 7 Copper coins


    One empty slot available.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mana absorption


    By imbuing it into any liquid, it can replicate its properties and grant them to the object.


    The object can hold as many properties, as slots available on it.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    That was interesting...


    I wondered if they are made that way, or is just because of the materials that they randomly got such a propriety. I should probably ask in order to confirm.


    "About the knives. Can they be imbued with poison?"


    [Yes. The materials used to forge them grants mana absorption and you can use up to one type of liquid per knife. Each knife is 10 coppers by the way and each dagger set is 3 silver coins.] (Clerk)


    "So is 5 silver total? Do they come with the hilt and the strapping belts included?"


    [That''s why I won''t pay you the 10 copper coins for your sword and hilt lad. So, have you decided?] (Clerk)


    "I''ll take these two daggers and a set of 10 throwing knives. Is that alright?"


    [Yes, is fine. Here ya'' go! Come by again] (Clerk)


    I equipped the daggers around my waist and four knives around my leg. The rest I put in my item bag and left the shop. Not even ten meters away, I found the armor shop. To my surprise, the items were not very fantasy like and they had no real options or extra skills. They were simple protector garments. I took a chest armor made from wolf leather which was quite light but still had high defense capabilities from its description and a pair of black gloves made from the same material. Why the gloves, if no skill on them or anything? Because they looked kind of cool... They were no-fingers and everything... I''m still weak to that kind of thing okay!?


    "I guess around an hour, an hour and a half passed. The streets are already bustling with people, merchants and adventurers. Either way, is unexpectedly silent. It might be a fantasy world, but is not like there is no ill will or crime. I wonder why does the city looks so peaceful?"


    [That might be because of the guards patrolling every inch of the city. They do it all night as well, you know...]


    "Good morning Ronald! You surprised me talking like that all of sudden. What are you doing here?"


    [I was headed towards the Adventurer''s Guild to report for duty and then towards the wall. My shift starts soon. You?] (Ronald)


    "To be honest, I was thinking of going to the guild myself and get some requests. I might be able to see more of the city and its people like that. What do you think?"


    [Well, is not a bad idea. And with your level and skills it should be easy to complete the even harder ones. I see that you also got some new clothes and equipment. Looking good!](Ronald)


    "Thank you! To be honest I already burned through the money I found from the Goblins, so I plan on recovering some of it."


    With the armor that costed 1 silver and 30 copper coins, including the night spent at the inn, the food and the bath, plus the clothes and weapons...I spent a total of 12 silvers and 20 copper coins out of the 32 I had originally. It might''ve been required, but it still feels off...


    I need to get some work done for my peace of mind and good night sleep, otherwise I might just turn into a lazy bum. I could sell recipes and offer military advice for a cost though...


    "Oh shit...I''m already turning!"


    [Are you alright Michael?](Ronald)

 Day 3 - My first quest

    I followed Ronald to the Adventurer''s Guild while he explained the preparation they''ve done for the Goblin subjugation. It seems that they pinpointed the village on the map rather quickly yesterday and the scouts were sent under the cover of night to find traces of the paths Goblins use to gather food.


    From the reports received they were mostly successful, but after a close investigation, the number of Goblins seems to be a bit more than they originally expected. Since that was including the generous estimations we''ve made and leaving aside the fact that their levels might be higher than what the city possesses, they were left with quite the dilemma...


    To make things more complicated, not only do those monsters have military knowledge at least at the same level as the humans of this world (if not better), but they might also have someone or something pulling the strings behind the curtains, given how well organized they are. It won''t make sense otherwise, given that there are teams of 5 soldiers patrolling, or the fact that the gatherers are always escorted by the guards when foraging and hunting. Only Reaper knows what else we might find in the actual village...


    I glanced at Ronald which had his gaze buried in the ground for the last couple of minutes and didn''t utter a single word. His brows were furrowed showing that he was either thinking of important matters, or given his personality, there was a stronger chance that there was a subject he didn''t know how to approach.


    Given yesterday''s interaction with the general and the commander, as well as the new found knowledge of the strength these monsters possess, is quite easy to figure out what the subject was. After all, the only logical thing they could do to defend themselves is get stronger! Fast!


    So I pretended not to notice for a while, since the liveliness of the people and the crisp morning air were so damn refreshing. The streets were clean, there were no horses or carriages running around and the people all had smiles on their faces, showing content...


    "This is a good city..." - I thought


    [To be honest, I am here with instructions from Commander Laurence to issue a request to the adventurers...] (Ronald)


    "Here it comes..."


    [...more precisely, this request was proposed having you in mind.] (Ronald)


    "Figures..."


    "What is it? And just so you know, I can''t take out the village alone..."


    [Nothing of sorts! Is about the dungeon exploration. Since you are the highest level Scout there''s in the city and are more knowledgeable regarding its mechanisms than we are, the general and the commander agreed that this request should be handled by no one other than you. Not only that, but they fear that sending another party to scout it... might result in the same thing happening all over again just like before and it will crush the barely gained morale our troupes recently accumulated. Obviously there will be a generous pay for undertaking the request and one for providing any useful information afterwards. Especially regarding how possible it would be for our soldiers to increase their levels in there and if there are traps that you could let us know about and... and...] (Ronald)


    "I see."


    [Eh!? You don''t seem surprised at all.] (Ronald)


    "I was more or less expecting either this, or reconnaissance in the forest. But I don''t really mind it, since I wanted to check the dungeon myself."


    Is that, you know. That! A dungeon! Even if I was welcomed with a life and death situation as soon as I stepped foot in this world, that was because of that useless game God. But now, my gamer senses were firing on all synapses making me think that this is kind of fun and interesting. Yes, killing humanoid monsters should be weird and it should make me feel a little bad, however, this is the world I''m living in right now and I need to be strong in order to survive!


    But also cautious enough not to get caught in weird situations. I mean, really now! I don''t want to experience that kind of feeling ever again. So, instead of waiting for such things to occur naturally, I''d rather take the initiative and actively search for them! Is not like I want to level up and get skills...nah...


    [Thank you for understanding! The fee for undertaking the request is 1 gold by the way and the information fee will depend on the details you bring, so I can''t say for sure but was advised to let you know that it will be considerable. I know is not much since you''re risking your life...] (Ronald)


    "I''ll do it! I''ll definitely do it!"


    He thought I was doing it for the sake of the people in this city from the look on his face and was impressed by my eagerness to help... I''m so sorry Ron!


    However, 1 gold coin you know!? That will put my balance back to where it was previously, if not, even higher since there''s the information I can bring back as well. My goal for the near future, is to make enough money to be able to live without doing anything for at least a couple of years and travel around this world.


    But that requires...well, I don''t know how much is needed, however, I was certain that I lacked the funds. So this should be a good start!


    We reached our destination while I was planning my future trips ''abroad'' and went inside. At the receptionist''s desk we were greeted by Helen that was still looking strangely at me. I wonder what did I do? Was it because of my level? Maybe she''s just curious.


    Anyway, Ronald submitted the request addressed to me and I accepted it on the spot. When she heard that I was going to explore the dungeon where so many scouts died, she looked even stranger at me...


    "I wonder what kind of wrong-in-the-head type of person does she see me like?"Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    After undertaking the request and leaving the building, Ronald asked me to follow him to the Guard Station near the wall, in order to receive the few information they have about the dungeon. It was rather helpful since their party managed to advance a bit through the first level of it. They handed me a map drawn on a papyrus-looking kind of sheet, on which there was the layout of the explored area. It wasn''t more than 100 meters and it was pretty much worth nothing, but it did give me some insight about what I should expect and also a good idea.


    I asked of them to provide me with paper and something to use for drawing, only to instantly receive a stack of papyrus sheets and a quill prepared in advance. I blinked blankly in surprise to be honest, even if I saw it at the inn yesterday. Ron then handed over a small bottle that held a black liquid...probably ink. I decided not to ask about it and continued to exchange information in order to determine early on, exactly how dangerous this dungeon was.


    I glanced at the watch on the wall of the Guard Station and it showed 11:50 AM. I decided that I gathered sufficient intelligence regarding my ''quest'', mostly because they lacked the knowledge about how the dungeon system really works. So I got up and thought of heading straight to it, therefore asked for the location.


    On my way out though, I realized that I was getting hungry and figured I should head back to the inn and have lunch first. If I do happen to die, might as well do it on a full stomach.


    When I entered the inn, once again I was caught off guard by something unexpected...or maybe expected since I kind of created this scenario...


    [Hello lad and welcome back! We were expecting you to return...well, more like Martin over here was yelling to bring you over as soon as possible. This crazy hyper old man...] (Fred)


    [Oh! You''re finally here! I was expecting you since morning! Didn''t you promise to come over today!?] (Martin)


    The clerk from the clothing store where I purchased the wearing necessities suitable for this world, was impatiently waving his hands around in a dramatic manner. Upon a closer inspection, he looked like a panda with those dark circles under his eyes, his round belly and short arms. It was quite amusing to be honest and I did my best to hide it.


    "Good morning Mr. Martin. I did promise, however I had to buy new equipment and I planned to visit later this noon. Should we go now?"


    [Yes! You will be surprised by the progress I''ve made!!!] (Martin)


    [The lunch will be ready in half an hour, so try to take a break and come eat. You too Martin! You look like you skipped meals again...] (Fred)


    We headed back to the store and the exhausted looking clerk from before, suddenly became amazingly energetic while giving me an update about the changes he''s made since yesterday. It was likely that he didn''t sleep at all and worked throughout the night. Is he okay doing that at his age? He looks at least about fifty...


    When we reached the shop, I noticed a young man at the counter instead of Martin. He was probably an apprentice or a relative about 14-15 years old. He bowed his head and greeted us politely, as we walked passed him in a back room which Martin said was his personal working space dedicated to special projects worth his interest. I found there the result of the said hard work...


    I was, for the third time today surprised. The kimono looked amazing! Even if he had no knowledge about it, each piece was perfect and was strung on a different ''sculpture'' of sorts that looked like a human body. Rather, isn''t that closer to a human body than what we had back on Earth in the form of mannequins!?


    [This... how is it? I kept racking my brain and used the notes regarding what you told me yesterday and my imagination, but I am not sure how it supposed to look yet since I haven''t seen one before. Tell me what I should improve!] (Martin)


    He was really eager, however, I really don''t think there''s anything required to improve. Let''s see...


    "The material used?"


    [Giant moth silk. Is a really rare moth that grew in size because of the mana in the air and its cocoon silk is of higher quality than your average moth. Is one of my prized materials.] (Martin)


    "Oi! Is it okay to use it on something you''re not sure is going to sell? What''s wrong with this guy!?"


    "Ahem... I see. Well then, let''s look at each part."


    I was surprised to see that each of the more than twelve parts of it, was done exactly as I describe it to him. The underclothing had blooming flowers designed on it, while the undershirt was pure white, making it a really eye-catching contrast. The outer layer was red with the same flowery pattern, while the sash looked like it wouldn''t even be noticeable since it was perfectly following last night''s instructions. Lastly, the obi, or the belt, was extravagant beyond words with gold engravings decorated with rubies. I gulped loudly, scared by this old man. He surely overdid it...


    "It''s...perfect! How did you have the time to make it? Didn''t you say that you actually used materials instead of creating it from thin air? Even for a full night''s worth of work, isn''t this absurdly fast?"


    [Hmm? Oh, yeah. I used my occupation''s skill Craft and barely managed to wrap it up this morning... never mind that though! Is looking good you say? I wonder how if we could see it better than on the dummy...] (Martin)


    "Let''s go grab some lunch and we''ll think about it there."


    He was quite unwilling, but I managed to convince and drag him along. When we went back to the inn, we sat at the same table and even Fred joined in after bringing the food. We asked his opinion on how would be best to see it in action and advertise it at the same time, since the final product was looking real good. But all three of us were at a loss...


    [Honey! Don''t slack off and go help in the kitchen! What are you doing bothering customers like this again?] (Caitlin)


    [Eh? But it has only been 10 minutes...] (Fred)


    Again? Seems like he''s quite sociable. Also, Caitlin keeps him in line quite nicely. It feels like I''m forgetting something about last night...


    "Huh!? That''s it! Isn''t Ms. Caitlin perfect?"


    [I know, right? I''m such a lucky man...] (Fred)


    "Yeah...but that''s not what I meant. I was talking about the kimono! Wouldn''t it be good to have Ms. Caitlin wear it as a model? She looks about the perfect height for it and since she''s beautiful, the red color would compliment her greatly. Don''t you think so Mr. Martin?"


    [You''re right! Damn! I must be really tired if I didn''t think about this! Caitlin, you''ll be perfect!] (Martin)


    [Eh!?] (Caitlin)


    Confused, she looked at the three of us each ogling at her with different kinds of admiration, making her smile shyly and avert her eyes. It was then decided unanimously, that this night she would become a model and help us take a look at Martin''s creation. It should be interesting to see their reactions to it, since they liked my yukata.


    Especially Fred, since he said he would like to have one himself to sleep in.


    "Well then. Now that I am done eating, I guess I should start my first quest!"


    I left the inn after promising again to the clerk that I''ll join tonight''s fashion show and headed towards the place where the dungeon was.


    I was stupidly excited to see what it looked like in real life.

 Day 3 - Dungeon (Part 1)

    When I was given the location of the dungeon, Ron told me that is at the north corner of the city on a nearby hill.


    I realized and asked afterwards about the cardinal directions and the port appeared to be south. After that I went a bit into details, derailed and asked about this world''s layout, continents and all. He told me that there are two huge continents separated by an ocean and this city is one of the few by the coast of it, trading both with this continent''s countries and the other ones across, by using an intermediary. That pretty much meant that they created the products and a merchant city that specializes in traveling the ocean and transporting goods was their liaison.


    It felt a bit weird, since is very different than what I was used to back on Earth, but at least now I know some details about the world I''m living in at the moment.


    North of this city there were three other settlements of the same size as this one and the forth in that same direction was the capital, being at the very heart of the continent. The layout is very straightforward and it feels like is lacking imagination to be honest...


    "Well, now that I''m here and everything I might as well get used to it. Haah... Oh? Are those the Guards Ronald told me about?"


    [Please stop there. Who are you and what is the purpose of you being here?] (Guard)


    "Wow...how very...scripted..."


    "Hello... My name is Michael Corbett. I am the adventurer that accepted the request of exploring the dungeon. Ronald told me to hand you this letter. Also, this is my adventurer''s tag."


    I did as instructed by Ron and handed them my identification alongside with the letter explaining the situation to the guards. They looked pretty puzzled since they were probably stationed here in order to stop anyone stupid enough to venture inside for fun. Which was more or less what I was doing...


    "Wouldn''t it be easier if they would''ve been, I don''t know, notified about it!?"


    [It does seem to be approved by the commander and the general as well. However, are you sure you want to do this? To be honest, quite the number of scouts have already tried to explore it and failed to return. We don''t even have bodies to give to their families to bury...] (Guard)


    "I see. However, I already accepted the request and I don''t plan on doing anything dangerous that would put my life at risk. If I find myself being in trouble I won''t hesitate to make run for the exit. Be it as cowardly as it sounds..."


    [There''s no shame in surviving. Death does not make one a hero...] (Guard)


    "Even if they were reluctant they let me pass and told me to take care. They looked honestly worried... good guys, aren''t they?"


    When I stood in front of the dungeon, it looked like the entrance to a cave. I couldn''t see inside as it looked pitch black, dark enough to be unable to distinguish any forms of any objects even one meter away, as the image of bats flying out and a bat-mobile jumping above my head with its roaring engine flashed by. I realized that I don''t have any torches or other forms of light, but it seems weird that no one told me about needing them. Following that thought process, such things might not be required...


    "Well then, let''s get this party started! Let''s have a look, shall we?"


    I took a step and entered the cave. When I did that, I felt like I just passed through something like a thin water film and the view around me transformed into the actual insides of the cave, while being unable to see anything outside through the same unnerving pitch-blackness.


    I poked my hand back through it and it was the same type of feeling. When I exited and found myself in the sunlight again, I tilted my head to the side confused, thing that amused the guards.


    "I realized previously, but inside is just as much light as there''s outside during mid-day isn''t it?"


    With that thought in mind, I once again entered the dungeon and looked around me. I was at the entrance and the space around me was about three meters to each wall, looking more like a hall than an entrance.


    The walls were pure rock bed, similar to cliffs by the seaside in color. When I looked up, I saw small crystals stuck on the ceiling glowing a blue light. I used my Identify skill on them, secretly hoping that they were some precious gems.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mana crystals


    In places where mana is heavily concentrated, such crystals will appear as a condensed and physical form of it.


    In the case of enclosed dark spaces, they usually can be found on the ceiling, using the plants above absorb light from the Sun and using such element to reproduce it inside.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "So that''s why it looks like daylight. Still, is weird how I couldn''t tell the difference between the natural sunlight and this...well, mana generated artificial one at first..."


    I walked for about a couple of minutes through the charted first hundreds of meters and at the end of the ''hall'', the cave opened up hugely both in length and in height. Looking up, there were probably around twenty meters to reach the ceiling and from one wall to another, it looked like maybe fifty. It was uselessly spacious...


    It felt like a room, or rather, since is a dungeon it felt like a safe room. There were no plants, no rocks on the floor, nothing. Simple and bare. However, in front of me there were two other door-like caves opening, each about two meters in height and three in width.


    I placed the map in the bag and equipped both daggers in advance.


    "I guess this is where the real deal starts. There''s no need to draw this place since they already have it on the map at the guard station and it would be a rather stupid idea to start an art class inside of a dungeon as well..."


    Yup! I asked for the paper in order to draw a map of the dungeon as I explored it. I figured it is the easiest way to get those extra money and be helpful, at the same time.


    I realized I was being overconfident thinking that this will be a walk in the park, however I remembered Murphy''s law saying that "If it can happen, it will happen". So, I decided to just wing it and see where that takes me.


    Unlike the last encounter with the Goblins, this time I had proper weapons and some armor. I am better prepared mentally as well and my level is higher. There''s nothing more that I could do gain advantages against an unknown place like this.


    "Somehow I feel like Vespucci exploring the world, in a game where all the map is dark and a step ahead reveals the surrounding few tiles.Hahaha... Well then, there''s no use stalling...which door should I take: the one on the left, or the one on the right?"If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    When I approached the one on the left, a strong smell came from it, while the second one didn''t smell like anything in particular. If I had to describe the smell... I couldn''t really put my finger on it, but it smelled stupidly familiar.


    I decided however to go first with the door on the right. That smell might indicate living scary beings, so let''s check the safer one out first... possibly safer. Is good to be positive in an environment that you might die in!


    Upon entering it, I found myself walking for probably half an hour and the corridor kept expanding until it reached about ten meters from one wall to the other and maybe five from floor to ceiling. Then, all of a sudden, a wild dead end appeared in front of me.


    "Eh!? The fuck??? There''s nothing here but empty space? Not even traps? Not that I''m complaining but...give me back my uselessly spent enthusiasm!!!"


    I quickly looked around me and saw nothing but bed rock. The color was a... blueish black? Weird color anyway... Until I saw on the wall that was the dead end, a slight discoloration.


    I approached carefully, since I might''ve raised a flag regarding traps when previously yelled my frustrations to no one in particular.


    "Let''s see: there are no levers or buttons I might press by mistake since both the floor and the walls are smooth. The floor doesn''t seem to have any pitfalls since...well since is bed rock I guess. On the walls...hmm?"


    When I knocked on the walls with the hilt of one of my daggers, the sound was different from the rest of it. I realized that this discoloration might be in fact a fake wall.


    However, I wasn''t really sure about this since it could be a trap room or something far worse.


    "Whatever can happen, will happen huh? What about making something happen yourself then?"


    I breathed in deeply and using the hilt I hit the fake wall as hard as I could. The sound of cracking glass echoed in the empty room and I took about three steps back and drew the other dagger as well, assuming a fighting position I saw in a movie with ninjas. What!? Is better than nothing... I wanted to be prepared in case of a monster appearing. Of course if push comes to shove, I will run faster than Usain Bolt in the 100 meter race.


    However, contrary to my expectations, the wall crumbled and alongside with the falling rocks, a small chest fell to the ground.


    I put both of my daggers in their sheaths and face-palmed. I mean, really... What the hell is that worthless game God thinking? Didn''t he say there were no item drops?


    When I took a step towards it, I remembered that in games there is a monster called a ''mimic'' that looks like a treasure chest.


    I used my skill on it and it showed ''box'', not even treasure chest...just box. I felt empty on the inside and I thought I could hear the wind whistle past me...


    To be extra safe, I took out one of the knives I got from the weapon shop previously today and threw it at the ''box''. It got stuck in it, but it didn''t prompted any damage pop-up window to appear. There was no movement either, so it was safe to assume that...


    "...this is really just a regular chest then, isn''t it? That reminds me...I didn''t have the daggers absorb poison or anything..."


    I approached the chest and opened it, while looking around me for changes as I did so. Inside it there was a ring.


    "Eh!?"


    I let out a stupid voice as soon as I used Identify on it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ring of minor Strength


    Increases the Strength attribute of the wearer by two points.


    Estimated cost: 2 Gold coins and 25 Silvers</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Beside the previously stupid voice, the stupidly high appraisal value of the damned thing and the stupidly low increase it provided, a stupid smile from ear to ear was showing on my face.


    "OPTIONS! IT HAS OPTIONS!!!"


    It took me about ten minutes to calm down after almost break dancing inside of a dungeon and decided to wear the ring out of curiosity.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18(+2)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Scout


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    8


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    474/474 (+2.5/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    265/265(+1.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Equipment</td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>Ring of minor Strength</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "So it really went up with two points and my HP along with it. This is really amazing! The only downside is that I can''t really blame that worthless game God anymore when things are this fun..."


    For another thirty minutes or so I explored the walls of the room and searched for other hidden chests, but came up empty so I turned back and returned to the safe room, which I proceeded to check every nook and cranny of.


    "No discoloration in this one it seems. Well then, that only leaves us with the smelly door."

 Day 3 - Dungeon (Part 2)

    Hyped by the previous find and still caressing it lovingly like a certain creature, I decided to enter the door on the left. The smell was really... potent, which served as a reminder to stay on guard. So I tightened the grip on my two daggers and put the hood on as well for no special reason whatsoever. I realized afterwards though, that if I stood closely by the walls, I could blend easily with the background due to its dark color and maybe slip away from sight, which was pretty fun in its own.


    Unlike the previous corridor though, this one expanded only after about five minutes worth of really slow walking and careful gawking at my surroundings in order not to get jumped worse than it happened that one time in Bangkok, while the damned pathway didn''t show any signs of stopping anytime soon. And then I realized that if this was a dungeon and these two were the only paths, then it meant that in order to go to a deeper level, one must pass through this corridor. That also implied that there will be monsters waiting for me straight ahead for sure.


    Just like in the forest I watched where I placed each foot, careful not to raise any noise and thank to my upgraded version of the skill Stealth it was way easier than before.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stealth (Level 5)


    A passive skill that allows one to stay out of the opponent''s range of perception through the minimization of one''s own presence.


    The movement becomes silent and swift allowing unhindered information gathering, or unholy assassinations.


    Benefits: Silent steps and 175% increase in movement speed while in stealth.


    During night time your presence is erased and can''t be seen unless if you stand closer than 2.5 meters in front of your target.


    Each level increase will unlock new perks and boost existing ones.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was safe to assume that I knew how this skill scaled now: simply put, there was a 25% increase in movement speed while in stealth per level and the range that I can be seen at night decreases by 0.5 meters per level as well. That pretty much implies that at level 10, I can stand in front of the Goblin, wave at him goodbye with my daggers and won''t get an actual response back. How''s that for ''unholy assasination''?


    When the space expanded suddenly, I glued myself to the right side of the wall and carefully walked alongside it until I was able to peek into the room.


    It had probably around the same height as the safe room, but way longer and wider. Not only that but there were these huge stalactites growing downwards from the ceiling and uniting with stalagmites growing upwards from the floor, creating some really gothic style pillars. However, if one were to look from the entrance, it pretty much was just a stone maze.


    I ventured in and kept looking on the floor, walls and the pseudo-walls created by the way too many ''pillars'' around me, for traps or discolorations while I made note of each path. After a while, I turned around and walked again between the towering carrot-shaped rocks and returned to the corridor. I sat on the ground, took out the papyrus and drew what I saw in this room and the previous one, trying to get an idea of the space layout since it was hard organizing it inside my head. When I drew the current room, I realized that all the paths I walked, separated by the stalactites and stalagmites were leading to the same place. This happened naturally (or as natural as it can get inside a dungeon) and it wasn''t intended to be a maze where people get lost and suddenly get gored by a freaking minotaur. It was more like reaching the clearing after walking inside a forest.


    "A forest of rocks...how ironic..."


    I stood up as soon as the ink dried, put it back in the item bag and again glued myself to the right wall while advancing through the far-most path on the right side. I noticed that the light in here was less when compared to the safe room and it only seemed to get dimmer by the second. Since it worked in my best interest I didn''t really mind, however it felt strange and gave me a foreboding feeling.


    After walking for about half an hour, I reached the end of the path and took a step back. In front of me there was an encampment similar to the Goblin village, surrounded by a poorly made fence, that looked more like pointy wooden sticks bonded together.


    "Isn''t this kind of an overkill? The first floor is a village filled with monsters? What''s with the nightmare mode again?"


    I mean, really now! Wasn''t I supposed to level up by fighting stranded monsters, maybe two at a time if I felt cocky? This feels more like a soldier encampment that is filled with stronger things than those Goblins outside...


    Soon, my stupid banter was confirmed to be actual truth, as a creature came forward dressed with rags that were supposed to be pants and a shabby leather chest armor. In his right hand, just like the Guard Goblin a spear made of the same materials.


    However, this monster''s appearance...


    "At least now I know why the smell was familiar..."


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold Guard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    6 month


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    11


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    140/140 (+0.86/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    7


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5/5(+0.001/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    4


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Rally Cry</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings bestowed by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Experience</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The skills remained almost the same, however this Kobold was quite a bit stronger than regular Goblins. Not only that, but seeing a dog-like creature walking on hind legs while carrying a spear in its hands felt... cute and disturbing at the same time. I might need to see a doctor, if psychiatric facilities exist in this world.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.Also, that clarify the smell from earlier and the reason why I thought it was familiar...


    "However, looking around there are no plants or animals. How do they live here? What do they eat and drink?"


    I found it strange, however if it was a dungeon then clearly it would not abide by the rules of the normal world, or will it ever make sense. It wouldn''t be weird if they don''t require food or water in order to live here and instead they feed of the mana or something. I remember reading that in some fantasy novel and it might not be as far-fetched as I thought at that point. After all, these monsters do materialize out of thin air inside it, so it''s safe to assume that they are created through mana condensation or something, just like those crystals. Therefore, living by ingesting mana doesn''t sound that stupid...


    I should try killing it since its weak, just to confirm the drop system.


    I took some steps back while the Kobold advanced through the mini-rooms created by the rock pillars and decided to draw its attention in my direction. I took a copper coin out of my bag and threw it somewhere near. I stood behind a thick stalagmite and watched from the darkness as the Kobold perked its ears reflexively just like a dog and with the spear in its hands advanced carefully.


    Since he doesn''t have the Alarm skill I shouldn''t be worried, however, maybe it has a keen sense of smell or hearing, or even keen reflexes since it''s a dog...more or less...


    I stopped thinking about it and as it passed by the stalagmite I was hiding after, I silently went around it to get behind the Kobold. When I reached that position, the daggers started glowing a blue light and in the same instant I stabbed both of them upwards in the back of the Kobold, aiming for his heart and lungs.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -258HP!


    Paralized status inflicted! Target is stunned for 6 seconds!


    Fatal damage inflicted! -545HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! -65HP/sec


    The target has been stunned for 4 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The creature fell to the ground as I withdrew my daggers and blood sprayed on me, while also flowing on the ground. I realized at that point that it might''ve been a bit of an overkill since it was only level 1, but is better to be safe than sorry. Now I also had a better view of this dog-thing. To describe it, it was about 1.70 in height with the head of a dog and hands of a ...well, something between a dog and a human I guess, since it was almost a regular hand with claws but also covered in fur. The weird part happened as I was looking at its fur, when both the blood and the body started glowing a white dim light, transformed in particles, after which it vanished in thin air... all except the one on my face which was still there...


    I was puzzled but expected this to happen on some level, so I crouched and took back my copper coin from the ground. The even weirder thing happened after: on the ground where the body was just a second ago, there were now five copper coins sitting on top of a fur that looked like a...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Good wolf fur (Material)


    Fur from a Kobold that has been imbued with mana in the dungeon for more than 6 months.


    It can be processed into leather armor of good quality.


    The longer the imbuing process, the better the quality of the material.


    Estimated value: 5 Silver coins</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "WOLF!? That''s a wolf''s fur? So it wasn''t a dog????"


    I let a stupid and surprised voice out and with it my discontent towards the description of the material. I quickly glanced around to see if I was heard by a different do...wolf?


    "However...both materials and coins drops? Wouldn''t that create problems for the economy of this world? Inflation and such? And five copper coins is pretty good since its worth three meals a day. Hmm?"


    Then I started questioning myself in regards to what the Reaper meant when he said that he dungeon drops materials through which better armors and better weapons can be made. If that will truly be the case then, would the said creations have options as well? Like the ring for example?


    I was a bit curious, so even if it felt both wrong for so many reasons and different from how it looked in a game, I picked up the fur and put it in my bag alongside with the coins.


    I noticed then that the light was really dim, just like the sun was setting. I wondered if the crystals act in accordance to what''s happening outside, as I peaked again towards the village. However, I soon wished I didn''t...


    I saw a group of three humans being put in a cage, barely outside of the village. When one of them tried to run, a low mocking growl could be heard as he was struck down with a wooden club on his back. Grabbed by the head and dragged inside the cage, the man looked still alive but in a lot of pain by the wails he didn''t manage to keep in.


    I took advantage of the situation and used Identify on the Kobold which struck the Scout down.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold Soldier


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    90%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1 year


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    310/310 (+1.23/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25/25(+0.05/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1129">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    War Cry</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings bestowed by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Experience</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I wanted to retort on that useless increase in Charm stat, but they were flufier and probably I''d think of them as cute, if I didn''t just saw one of them beat a human down and cage him. Again, ironic...


    "I guess this answers my question regarding food. Probably those are the Scouts sent previously here. Two men and one woman. But three Kobolds guarding them, all three with a Soldier occupation. Not to mention that the one I identified first, is as old as the dungeon since Ron mentioned it appearing about a year ago. That would explain why it''s almost at level 6..."


    Leaving aside the fact that this might be the highest level monster I''ve seen in this world so far, there were quite the number of other things that didn''t add up. Like the blessings for example. Why didn''t they have the blessing granting them extra HP and MP like the humans? Was it because it was a dungeon? Or because those blessings were human accessible only? Too many variables to reach a conclusion...


    Also, there''s a new skill...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">War Cry


    For a period of five minutes doubles the Dexterity and Agility attributes.


    Stackable.


    Estimated mana cost: 5MP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Bullshit! Stackable? Does that mean that they can double those stats five times by themselves? What the fuck I''m I supposed to do if it affects the others as well? That might be way to troublesome to deal with... However... I can''t let the woman there. The men...well, shit happens happens! But the woman...what if THAT happens to her? Wait, was that with orcs?"


    Either way, I guess I should find a way to break them out of there since they must be the last scouting party sent in. From what I heard at the Guard Station (after some really tough inquisition-style prying since those guys didn''t want to talk about it) they were sent here roughly about a month ago, but the number should be bigger... Anyway, if I do manage to free and save them, not only will I get a more substantial reward, but I''ll also get some information about these creatures. Given that these poor low level noobs were ''graciously'' accepted as guests for such a long time, they might have some input to provide me with...


    "But the question is, how do I kill the Soldiers? Is not like I can poison their food or water again and facing them directly might draw attention from the entire freaking Kobold village. Who the fuck knows what other stupidly strong monsters are in there... Haaah! Guess is ''gorilla'' tactics time again."


    I waited patiently for about another hour as darkness filled the entire space. The mana crystals shined a very shallow light, probably reflecting the moonlight outside. However the cover of darkness works perfectly in my advantage since I can see where they are, but they won''t be able to do the same.


    "Do all creatures in this world know how to set up campfires? I''m starting to feel inferior to them when is coming to camping skills..."


    As another hour passed, I got slowly closer to them by crawling on my belly, reaching about ten meters away from the campfire. I took a copper coin out again and threw it on the ground, as far away from me as possible, but also away from the rock forest. If everything plays out right, they will send one of the soldiers to check and I can kill them one by one just like before...


    However, to my surprise, after the sound drew their attention, two of them rose to their feet(paws?) and headed that way, only to soon dissipate into the darkness while searching for the source of the sound.


    "Guess is easier to take care of the one left here then."


    I got up from the ground slowly and pulled out a throwing knife from my waist while crouching. Relying on my Stealth skill, I got as close as possible in order not to miss my first knife throw ever, until I was about three meters away from the Kobold. He was looking in the direction the other two went with its ears perked and fully focused on it, so I threw the knife at his neck and sprinted towards it to finish it with my daggers.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -428HP!


    Silenced status inflicted! Target is unable to speak or chant spells for 6 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    But it ended rather underwhelmingly by the time I got there, with its body already becoming fur and 10 pieces of copper as its corpse didn''t even reach the ground. I probably hit a critical spot or the damage output of the throwing knives is higher than my dagger''s, both cases working just fine for me. As I picked up the drops and placed them in my bag, I also grabbed the knife and placed it back in the belt on my waist, while confirming the position of the cage.


    With eyes wide open, the three were looking at me, in a truly confused manner.


    "Hi there! How about we get you out for some fresh air?"

 Day 3 - Dungeon (Part 3)

    [Did commander Laurence sent y...] (scout)


    "Shh!!! For now be quiet!"


    One of the men asked, but the volume was way too loud for this situation, so I shushed him and approached the cage in a rapid manner. It let me flabbergasted that there were no locks and there was just a simple door made of wooden bars keeping them inside.


    "I guess they relied on superior strength and weapons to keep them in line and inside..."


    Bad puns aside, I opened the door and had them get out. Since my clothes were black even without the overcoat, I was surprised to see that the three scouts were wearing white clothing. These morons were 100% in the wrong field dressed that way. It was good that because of the dirt, they became grayish, but it was still drawing too much attention.


    I took from my item bag the two black yukata having the men wear them and covered the woman with the overcoat and the hoodie. She didn''t move or say anything, just silently looked at me and followed my directions.


    To be able to get out safely, I took some of the burning logs and threw them on the roofs of the shacks nearby, which were made of easy to burn stuff and poured water from my gourd which I borrowed from the inn today on the campfire, extinguishing it.


    All four of us then ran to the right wall and again glued ourselves to it, advancing at a fast pace.


    "Stop! Don''t move!"


    I warned them in a low voice and all three stopped immediately. The two Kobold soldiers ran back towards the cage, barking something when they couldn''t see the other soldier or the prisoners. Then when the fire lit up the shacks, they ran to the village with haste.


    "Now! Run as fast as you can behind me. Don''t lose sight of me, since that WILL mean your death. Got it? Now RUN!"


    Following the same trail I used to get to the Kobold village between the stalactites and stalagmites close to the right wall, we all four ran with all the speed our Agility and Dexterity could muster, probably going over what our Endurance could take. I had a bit of leeway, so I periodically looked over my shoulder to make sure all three were still following me.


    "I wouldn''t mind if the woman tripped and hurt her leg or something, which I could use as an excuse to carry her though..."


    However, she didn''t. She followed behind me with ease, while the other two barely mentained the pace. Soon we reached the corridor and I knew there was only a ten minutes run from the exit to our current position.


    "We''re almost there. Keep running!"


    [AUUUUUUUOOOOO!!!]


    A loud howl could be heard from behind us. I clicked my tongue and ran through the corridor hoping the Kobolds won''t catch up, while also staying a bit behind the three just in case a fight will break out. We had at least a five minutes advantage and we would reach the safe room soon, so I could buy some time while they keep going. Given that they are exhausted and look malnourished, I doubt they could even fight properly.


    We kept going and the sound of howls and loud footsteps could be heard from behind us, but stopped suddenly, while the three in front of me collapsed on the ground in the safe room. I haven''t really confirmed is a safe room, however I hoped it would be...


    "It doesn''t sound like they''ll follow us through the corridor. They probably won''t leave their territory. Is everyone alright?"


    Breathing heavily, they were sprawled on the floor, obviously spent. I took the gourd out again and gave it to them to drink and took out some of the fruits about which I forgot I had left from the Goblin Gatherers. They drank the water and ate the fruits like there was no tomorrow.


    "They probably weren''t very well fed or had anything good to drink for this entire month. Who the fuck knows what they had to do to survive so far... Those shitty dogs...how dare they do that to a lady!"


    [Thank you very much! We owe you our life! My name is Vincent Gottu. These two are Ian Braght and Laura Espada. Who might you be? You don''t seem to be from our city?] (Vincent)


    "Hmm? Oh yeah, nice to meet you! The name is Michael and I am a traveler. Or rather, was a traveler and now I am an adventurer of this city. I accepted the request given by the commander Laurence and the general Charl...eh? Espada???"


    [Yes. Laura is the daughter of the general. Even with her as a level 5 scout we were easily caught...because of that Chris and Alex were...] (Vincent)


    All three of them looked down. There were no words needed...the two mentioned were probably eaten by the Kobolds, right in front of these guys. That''s not a pleasant experience, since I can sympathize with watching someone being devoured with great gusto in front of your very eyes. It makes it so much worse that they knew each other. Poor girl...


    "I see. Laura, was it? Your father will be very pleased to see you alive."


    [Yes...] (Laura)


    "Hmm? Kind of a weak response there... And why are those two looking away? Now that I think about it, the general didn''t seem very bothered or grieving that his daughter died. I guess there might be complicated circumstances about it. I shouldn''t pry to deep..."


    While they rested I kept an eye on the corridor behind us, in case we''ll be followed by Kobolds. I was sure I could easily take them on, but with a huge number of them...I didn''t really stand a snowball''s chance in hell.


    "However, this girl is level 5?"


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Laura Espada


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Demi-human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Scout


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    7


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    30%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    FemaleIf you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    29


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    21


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    43


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    24


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    643/643 (+3.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    31


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    341/341(+4.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Dual weapons mastery</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Precision</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical hit</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stealth</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ambush</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings granted by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of experience</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of War</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Wisdom</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Anhur</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "...!!!"


    I almost let out a cry similar to a girl loosing her first time to a moron that doesn''t know what to do(not that I actually know what that sounds like). Actually, that''s how I felt as well...fucked! What are those stats? They are so far above my own and she''s lower level than me, isn''t she? And while her occupation is indeed ''Scout'' the other two are ''Pathfinders''!? So, not real scouts? But what''s with all those skills? And her HP and MP is way more than it should be. I won''t complain about the Charm stat though...I could very well see why that is high...


    But nevertheless, what the hell? How didn''t she decimated that entire village, or at least escaped on her own when shit hit the fan and brought help? I mean really...look at those freaking skills!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Dual weapons (Level ?)


    Provides an increase in mastery of dual wielding.


    Damage is increased by 25% when both weapons are equiped for each level.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Precision (Level ?)


    Your aim increases greatly.


    The mastery of bow wielding and knife throwing is further increased.


    Precision grows with 10% per level!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical hit


    Provides an increases in chance that every hit that deals damage becomes a critical hit by 10% per level.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Really now, was I a bother? Did I just ruin an undercover operation or something? Why else would such an overpowered cheat character remain in a cage, instead of snapping the necks of those pups like twigs!? This woman is scarry as fuck!"


    And then, the cherry on top was when I saw the final entry in her status page...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Anhur


    Given only to those exceptional few that are true prodigies in the art of war.


    The God Anhur smiles upon its hero and grants the blessing of double the amount of attribute points acquired per level up and a permanent medium boost of HP and MP.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Whoa... Wait! Isn''t this a representative of this world, like, THE hero!? What the fuck is this God doing letting such an important person almost become dog food!?"


    Suddenly I felt very tired mentally and realized that I was staring at her. She noticed my gaze and was looking curiously at me as well. Well, she didn''t have any Eye of Truth bullshit, otherwise I might''ve punched her myself...


    Remembering that I killed those two Kobolds, I wondered about my own status window and saw the experience gain at 92%.


    "Shit! I should''ve killed one more... That''s a lot of experience though. The first Kobold was level 1 and was at 50%, meaning had a total of 5 experience points, so after the blessing and the ambush kill, it totaled up to 14. Then the soldier was at ...since he was level 5...so after the blessing and the ambush...well the stealth kill I guess...Fuck! Why is it that difficult to calculate? Why can''t I just see the damned numbers!? ...anyway, 92%..."


    Since I was grinning like a moron for a second and then got angry for no reason while looking into the distant wall of the room, only to become dejected after, the very scary hero Laura tilted her head cutely and looked at me in a strange way.


    I realized that I should stop being creepy in order not to be swated as a fly on the wall by her and stood up. After politely checking the condition of the three, I asked them if they could move, since this place was not entirely safe for certain.


    [We are ready anytime. I want to see my family and friends, I want some cooked food and most of all, I think I speak for all three of us when I say that we need to take a bath.] (Vincent)


    While joking, he got up, took of the yukata I gave him previously and handed it back to me. Following his example, the other guy did the same and returned the clothes I lent him for camouflage purposes.


    [It might smell bad, so would it be alright if I''d return it after I washed it?] (Laura)


    Well...what can I say. She''s a woman after all and even if the coat is imbued with mana and doesn''t exactly catches smells, I can understand where she''s coming from. Girls, they are mindful creatures when it comes to things like this and she probably won''t back down from this topic...


    "If you want to do that is alright. However I don''t really mind..."


    [No! I will return it after washing it!] (Laura)


    "See...Well then. We should head out. However, with this, haven''t I just saved three people? Won''t I stand out big time??? Plus, doesn''t it count as huge interference since I saved this world''s representative when she should''ve died, in theory, back there? What the hell did I just do!?"


    Somewhat rattled mentally, I wobbled towards the exit and soon enough reached outside of the dungeon in which I wanted to remain all of a sudden. The same two guards looked very surprised when they saw me and even more when they saw the others.


    "Is nightfall already huh... Is hard to keep track of the time without a watch..." - I thought while running away from reality


    [The commander and the general will need to see you and hear your report now! Fast...] (Guard)


    "I don''t think there''s any hurry. This people faced death for almost a month, while lacking food, water or proper hygiene. I think the report can wait, while giving them some time with their families as well."


    [But...] (Guard)


    "I really hate repeating myself..."


    A bit pissed about the whole cheat status and the fame I didn''t want to get, I unconsciously raised my voice a bit, making him immediately back off. He seemed conflicted but he started running all of a sudden while saying that he''ll take care of it. He probably went to tell the commander what just happened.


    [Me and Ian here we''ll go straight home to our wives. We can never thank you enough.] (Vincent)


    "Don''t worry about it. I am glad you are safe. I am sure you wives are grieving, so go and put them at ease."


    After both of them leaving, I was left with Laura in an awkward silence...


    "Well then, shouldn''t you leave as well? Do you want me to escort you home to the general?"


    [I...nt..me] (Laura)


    "Hmm?"


    [I can''t go home!] (Laura)


    Geez...easy there roar of the tiger! There''s no need to shout like that! Do you know how expensive underwear is!? Anyway, the situation is that bad huh? That old man doesn''t strike me as the shitty type of person though... However, what I''m I to do with this...


    "Well... how...how about an inn then?"


    Why the hell did I just stutter there? I should have Fear resistance to MAX... so why is this chick so scary?

 Day 3 - Circumstances

    I walked silently with the moon above my head following the arrival of night, calming down from the entire previous experience. I was aslo followed by the woman I saved inside the dungeon, which was pretty much the reason why my mind went haywire. As for why that happened, I don''t know...maybe it was due to the fact that she was the person chosen by this wold''s God, a.k.a. the hero, or maybe because that even if she was ridiculously overpowered, she still got caught and almost killed by some pseudo-wolfs... or maybe because of the ''demi-human'' entry that I keep looking at like a moron each time I can, in her status page.


    I mean really now, that means that there''s a second race right!? Are there tails and cat ears available to be...ahem! checked thoroughly for authenticity? Or maybe really beautiful elf girls? Or maybe a different race altogether! Some scantly dressed demonesses with bat wings and pointy tail...ha...hahahahahaha! Ahem! Anyway...


    "...there are too many variables with this girl. Also, what does ''I can''t go home'' mean? I really don''t want to be dragged in something annoying like a fight between family members, but I can''t really leave her standing in complete darkness, or send her home when she pretty much said she doesn''t want to."


    We walked down the hill and headed slowly towards the ''Blood Diamond Inn'' through the city that fell silent under the cover of night. There were no words exchanged between us, only glances from time to time, to make sure I din''t lose her...that and re-checking her status from time to time, since I wanted to make sure that the writing in her race field, didn''t vanish like a midsummer night''s dream.


    "Speaking of dreaming...doesn''t it cost 22 coppers to have her fed, washed and that she can sleep there tonight? Looking at her...she obviously doesn''t seem to have any money on her. Whatever can happen will happen huh? I wonder about that, but I get some really bad overall vibes about this whole situation..."


    "We''re almost at the inn. You are probably very tired, but you''ll be able to eat, take a bath and then sleep in a proper bed. Just hang on a bit longer."


    [Mhm...] (Laura)


    The awkward silence continued for another ten minutes until we reached the inn. When we entered through the solid door, we were greeted by a fragrant smell of cooked food and the surprised gaze of Caitlin. But before that...


    [Where have you been? Didn''t you promise to help me dress Caitlin up? Because you weren''t there, she said she doesn''t want to do it. What...Huh? Ms. Laura!?] (Martin)


    "Mr. Martin, sorry about missing on our appointment, but as you can see I was held up. The questions would have to wait for later however. Ms. Caitlin, could a bath be prepared for the each of us? She will also take a room for tonight and will eat with us. Would that be fine?"


    [Of course.] (Caitlin)


    She immediately realized the situation and acted accordingly, not pampering the girl in any way, but taking a more business-like approach that wouldn''t raise any suspicions. Probably... Well it was either that, or the fact that she got another customer.


    "Here is one silver. Since she''s a girl I would appreciate if you could do something regarding the soap and shampoo and some new clothes."


    [Clothes you say...] (Caitlin)


    [Isn''t this perfect? Ms. Laura would be the first to wear my creation!] (Martin)


    He yelled with much exuberance and pretty loud as well, but his eyes were an obvious giveaway to the fact that he looked very worried. Well, wearing a kimono after taking a bath and eating something would surely bring some comfort. This old man is very considerate in his own way.


    "Also, could you bring a yukata similar in thickness to the one I took for sleeping? And since she''s a woman..."


    [I know... Don''t worry.] (Martin)


    He quickly left to bring the clothes and Caitlin also climbed the stairs with the new guest after leaving word for a bathtub to be brought in her chamber. I told her that I can wait for mine and she smiled as she took Laura upstairs.


    Soon, Fred came from the kitchen and saw me.


    [You look tired. Here, drink up!] (Fred)


    "Hmm? Alcohol? It smells good."


    [I heard it briefly from my wife. You managed to bring Ms. Laura back from the dungeon. We all thought her to be dead, truth to be told...] (Fred)


    "Is she such an important person? Even if she''s the general''s daughter..."


    [That''s not it. She received the Blessing of Kings.] (Fred)


    "Blessing of Kings?"


    Huh? Is there yet another blessing that girl has? And why couldn''t I see it in her status page? Don''t tell me that I can''t...


    [Is what we call the blessing of our God, Anhur. It is bestowed only upon those chosen to lead the country. However...] (Fred)


    "However, she''s a woman."


    [Yes. Can you imagine the stir that was caused? Those old men at the current King''s palace were thrown in chaos, not to mention the nobles. Oh, right! Plus that she is obviously not royal blood, or even noble for that matter. Her father was a normal citizen until he promoted the ranks through his hard work. Not to mention that she''s...](Fred)


    "A demi-human?"


    [Wow... How do you know about that?](Fred)


    "I traveled a lot, remember?"


    [I see... Her mother was an elf, but she died due to an illness. Not only a woman, but a half elf woman receiving the Blessing of Kings...it created a huge disarray for quite the period of time. It still does every time is being mentioned.](Fred)The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Are demi-humans treated that badly?"


    [What? No! God, no! We''re on very good term with the Elves. Since on this world there''s only us and them, we learned to coexist, share knowledge and resources. Them doing most of the sharing of knowledge, since they are way more advanced than we are. However, it would be unprecedented for a woman to lead the entire human race, like many other kings have done in the past once they got the said blessing. Further more, how would it look if she, that''s a half-elf would lead?](Fred)


    "I see..."


    [Politics are sensitive and even if she''s an amazing girl, she wasn''t made for it. She''s rather more suited to be an adventurer, with how tomboyish she''s like. But even then, she''s our city darling and people grieved, while some adventurers even tried to go in after her in the dungeon. They were stopped forcibly by the guards stationed there, unde the order of general Charles... Since he lost his only daughter, he didn''t want to lose even more people...](Fred)


    Well, there you have it! Elves and they are the only other race ''available'' for me to visit. I guess I''ll take that over nothing... Looking at Fred, he smiled bitterly and drank the whiskey with large gulps, looking looking at the stairs leading to the upper floors. He then puffed his chest and loudly proclaimed something rather trivial, in a pathetic attempt to change the subject.


    [However, that recipe you left me yesterday. It turned out to be a killer! The customers keep asking for seconds like there''s no tomorrow. I never thought to prepare the ingredients like that before.](Fred)


    "I am glad to hear that. Put aside some for Laura as well. She skipped quite the number of meals this week."


    [Oh! I already planed to do that! Thank you again. How...how about the other four?](Fred)


    See? He couldn''t bring himself to avoid that topic...


    "...A guy name Vincent and one named Ian survived. From what they told me, Chris and Alex didn''t make it."


    [Damn it! We keep losing so many young ones to these monsters...](Fred)


    He looked truly infuriated and almost crying at the same time. He is a kind person despite his huge bear-like frame. Well, I guess I could help a bit more in order to prevent future losses...


    As soon as Fred prepared to leave for the kitchen, Martin returned with clothes for Laura to wear. Both a kimono, a yukata and some underwear badly hidden under the others was brought. Now, while we waited in silence, Caitlin descended the stairs.


    [How is she?] (Fred)


    [Tired, hungry and shaken. It will take some time for her to recover. Are these the clothes? They look...unusual.] (Caitlin)


    "Oh, right! This is similar to what I was wearing yesterday. Tell her that she can sleep in it. Now for this one, please make sure you follow the instructions I''ll give you when helping her get dressed with it."


    After I gave her the details, I asked Martin for a new yukata that I could wear since the other two black ones were...dirty. He brought over a blue one and I also went into my room to take a bath after leaving the other two and the overcoat to the two girls/maids for washing. I asked about the price but Fred shook his head and said it was fine.


    I sunk in the tub filled with hot water and thought about today. So many things happened, that I needed some time to process every bit of it. First of all, the dungeon drops and the ring that I found were surprising enough as it was. The fact that I also found the spokesperson chosen by this world''s God, was a bit too much of an extra.


    "At least I''m now sure that the remuneration I''ll get for the quest will be way bigger because of this."


    I smiled bitterly and thought of what should I do next. I took about fifteen minutes and got out of the bath once the water cooled down, took a towel from the bag and dried myself. I then brought out the papyrus sheet and completed what I''ve seen in the dungeon.


    Beside the labyrinth of mini-rooms created by the rock pillars, there was also the Kobold village and the information about their status pages. I thought of how should I present them to the general and the commander tomorrow, but I remembered that I already told them about my Identify skill. It should make things considerably easier.


    I left the ink to dry, put on the blue yukata, took the indoor wooden sandals provided by the inn and went back downstairs. I didn''t have to wait long, as Ms. Caitlin alongside Laura joined us as well.


    The sight of a woman with golden hair and green eyes dressed in a red kimono with wooden sandals...


    "Yup! Thank you very much!"


    I almost bowed while thinking that and seeing that all eyes were on her, not only ours, but the entire dinner hall that somehow noticed her presence earlier on but didn''t kick a fuss about it since Fred ''instructed'' two younger guests about ''taking a hint''. Laura blushed visibly, making her even more beautiful. With such a sight, it makes it hard to disagree with Anhur giving this girl his blessing. She looks like she could easily command an entire race to an all out war and those fools would happily rush to their deaths.


    [I have already prepared the food. You can go in the pavilion in the garden and eat. I''ll make it an exception since only myself and my wife usually use it, but since it would bother Ms. Laura and you as well to have you in the dinner hall, feel free!] (Fred)


    It seems that everyone is very considerate regarding this girl. Well, since they know the meaning of being a representative, I can understand why they would like to be on the good side of a future leader of humanity.


    We walked through the garden in full bloom, sat at a table made for two people and faced each other while waiting for the food to be brought over.


    "It was a really good decision to help Mr. Martin create that kimono. It looks beautiful on you."


    [Thank you...] (Laura)


    Usually, the sight of a woman being embarrassed after a direct compliment like that would ask for some teasing, but I passed in this case. Instead she asked a couple of questions regarding the clothing she''s never seen before and it seemed that she really liked it. First step towards a paradise of kimono wearing beautiful girls has been taken! With such a model, to start a new worldwide fashion wasn''t such a far-fetched idea at all.


    The food arrived shortly and while minding her manners she ate everything slowly, with a smile on her face. She seemed to enjoy it quite a bit. Maybe I need to give Fred a more ample collection of recipes.


    But soon, she looked down and it felt as if she was trying her best to say something.


    [Regarding why I didn''t want to go home...] (Laura)


    "Is fine really. You don''t have to tell me if you don''t want to..."


    [Is alright. You probably heard already that I received the Blessing of Kings, right?](Laura)


    "Yes."


    [Truth is, that my father was very happy about it and my mother as well. I didn''t know what it meant back then, but it is a responsibility to heavy to bear. And then my mother passed away, while my father burried himself in word, doing his best to help this country by leading the military...while I was used as a symbol. I felt unhappy with it and right before the exploration of the cave that appeared suddenly, I had a big fight with him, yelling that he was using me for his own purposes to advance his career...] (Laura)


    "And you believe that?"


    [No! I know he''s doing it for my own sake since is hard for me to be accepted.] (Laura)


    "If you know that much, is enough. He will be very happy to see you alive, however you must also live up to the expectations he placed on you. You said that you felt like you were a symbol, which might very well be true. However, with the appearance of these monsters near the city for example, for the common people you are a symbol of hope. Responsibility is a heavy burden to carry, but if you accept it as it is and do your best, it lightens with the help of those around you sharing it."


    [Yes..] (Laura)


    "Eat now. Fred will be sad if he sees you haven''t finished everything on your plate."


    [I''m not a kid...] (Laura)


    Joking and talking, the moon shined brightly above the port. After finishing, each of us retreated to his own room and went to sleep.

 Day 4 - A change in plans

    It seems that finally, I got used to waking up to a different ceiling than my own... But even then, I can feel some differences. Like for example when I use the Identify skill on myself.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Level


    </td>


    <td>


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>


    Race


    </td>


    <td>


    Human


    </td>


    <td>


    STR


    </td>


    <td>


    18(+2)


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic


    </td>


    <td>


    5


    </td>


    <td>


    Scout


    </td>


    <td>


    8


    </td>


    <td>


    20%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>


    Sex


    </td>


    <td>


    Male


    </td>


    <td>


    DEX


    </td>


    <td>


    18


    </td>


    <td>


    Charm


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>


    Age


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    AGI


    </td>


    <td>


    22


    </td>


    <td>


    Luck


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>


    World


    </td>


    <td>


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td>


    END


    </td>


    <td>


    16


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>


    HP


    </td>


    <td>


    474/474 (+2.5/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    INT


    </td>


    <td>


    18


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    265/265(+1.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It really makes one wonder... Don''t get me wrong, is not like I don''t enjoy this type of reality... is just that, is fairly different than the previous one and adjusting to it takes time. People as well for that matter, are entirely different. There is a complete and utter lack of anger or hate directed from one human to another and completely replaced by cooperation and goodwill instead!?


    Now, that''s something you wouldn''t expect to see in the greedy creatures that we are. Plus that not even regarding the monsters, the people of this town are not hateful about them. I mean, the first feeling they have regarding the people that have been killed by them, is regret towards losing them and then, hope that they find peace... but not the intense type of boiling anger that would drive people to start a freaking crusade...


    I mean, it was pretty much the same with Fred last night.


    "Speaking about last night, I''m alone in bed huh? Of course that kind of event doesn''t happen in real life... Even if I saved her and everything...and now I should help her lead the world in a fight against the other Gods, we fall in love and stuff... dramatic things happens and I awake to OP powers... Yeah, that sounds cliche even by my standards... However, she''s kind of cute though..."


    I changed from my white yukata that I sleep in, into what I now call ''Preset no.1'', representing everything I bought from the clerk Martin initially but with the black boots. There''s no ''Preset no.2'' by the way, because the only thing different would be wearing the brown boots, which made me quite depressed. By the way, I got used to the cloak by now and is useful in different scenarios. Like last night in the dungeon for example, when it helped me save those three.


    And since the Job that I have is Scout, it does rely heavily on stealth. Well, I actually have that as a skill to prove it since this job is more of a damage dealer from the shadows and a really good information gatherer, than the image I originally had in mind. I blame the horse riding image of myself ''scouting'' on the first games I''ve ever played!


    "Which reminds me, the rep-chick also had the same job, didn''t she? Laura Espada..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Scout


    An occupation that relies heavily on stealth for gathering information and silently disposing of your enemies, as well as the speed to make it out in time.


    It provides a boost in the damage dealt to an opponent in the case of a surprise attack.


    If the damage dealt is a fatal blow, the amount of experience received at the end of combat multiplies twice per each opponent after leaving battle. If no enemy is engaged within 5 minutes, the multiplier resets.


    Requirements - (Stealth) skill and a fatal damage dealt to an enemy from a surprise attack.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.Next evolution branch - Hunter; Tracker; Soldier</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Next evolution branch means that I can chose my next job, right? I wonder if it has requirements like the Scout one...then maybe..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Hunter


    Evolved from the Scout occupation, it provides a boost in accuracy for long range attacks, with a high chance of critical damage and improved drop rate bonus from the killed monsters inside of a dungeon.


    Besides the regular skills from the Scout occupation, as a Hunter your senses receive a boost and you are now able to track monsters and tell their general location.


    Requirements - 1) Scout occupation and at least two different monsters killed from different races, that have different occupations.


    2) To achieve the full critical damage boost for accuracy increase, you also are required to kill an enemy with an ambush by using range attacks only.


    Next evolution branch - Assassin</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "...it is somewhat too convenient that I managed to do that yesterday. Is good to know that the Ambush skill applies to throwing weapons as well. But the next evolution... Sounds kind of a bad reputation giver... Well, that means that I''m pretty much all set for my first Job upgrade, ain''t I? But I really don''t like that it has already been decided on...it feels like that useless game God is playing around with me."


    Putting it at the back of my mind and deciding that I''m hungry, I descended the stairs and walked to the reception desk. There, I found Laura looking at a piece of parchment with some sort of seal on it. Somehow it smells like trouble...


    "Good morning Ms. Caitlin, Laura."


    [Good morning Michael. Slept well?] (Caitlin)


    [Good morning. I was pretty shaken yesterday and didn''t get the chance to say it right, so one more time, thank you very much for saving my life yesterday and bringing me here for the night. You even paid for my stay... I will reimburse you for it of course! And, and...] (Laura)


    "Calm down please. And is alright regarding the cost of the inn."


    "After all, most likely, your father will pay me that back with interest."


    [However...](Laura)


    "Hmm? What''s the matter?"


    [I received a letter from father. He wants both of us to go to the Adventurer''s Guild as soon as possible. He is waiting for us in the headquarters of the army with the commander and the guild master. We should hurry.](Laura)


    "I was expecting that more or less. However, there is no way we go!"


    [We don''t!?](Laura)


    "Not without breakfast we don''t!"


    Ms. Caitlin chuckled a bit and Laura was confused. I took that time to check her clothes. It seems that the clerk Martin provided a proper attire for her this morning...however, it was a bit...


    "Tomboyish... And she looked so good last night. It would be better if she dressed properly."


    After convincing her that her father won''t go anywhere, we were led in the same pavilion as yesterday by Caitlin and were served breakfast. She ate hastily, making her choke a couple of times, times that I didn''t miss to make fun of her. She calmed down a bit, even if she was kind of tomato-red.


    I asked of Caitlin to keep my room reserved and followed behind Laura, that with more confident steps than yesterday and big strides was headed for the Adventurer''s Guild.


    "Seems like she managed to sort things out last night. However, the guild master, is it? I wonder if is the same typical bodybuilder or SSS rank adventurer that has retired and now is leading the young ones, that also sports glasses to make him look like a bookword until you provoke him and then KAPOW! you get owned... I hope I don''t fall into the same type of pattern where I must fight and win against such monster...I am nowhere near OP enough for that..."


    "What do you know about the guild master, Laura?"


    [Hmm? The guild master? Oh, right! I forgot you''re not from this city. But wait, even if that''s the case, the guild master is quite famous over the entire continent. I''m surprised you haven''t heard.] (Laura)


    "Is that so... How come?"


    "Yup...is building up to that pattern..."


    [She is the only person to have unlocked the Assassin occupation in the entire history of this world. She is the reason I picked my occupation as a Scout.] (Laura)


    "Assassin? Wait, ''picked your occupation''? What do you mean?"


    To many things to compute at once! First of all, why is the Guild Master a ''she''? What type of pattern is this? Secondly, you can pick your occupation but I had my force down my throat by that useless game-addicted God? And how the hell did that woman unlocked an Assasin occupation when that requires so much experience gain, but the dungeons appeared in this world only a year ago... SKETCHY! That woman is way too sketchy! I don''t want to go anymore! Should I make a run for the dungeon and just stay inside until I managed to clear all its levels? Maybe by then I can put up a decent fight if I''m forced down this route...


    [Eh? At the ceremony of course...what''s with that face? Don''t tell me you don''t know about this!?] (Laura)


    "Sorry, but I have been traveling since a very young age and I lack common sense like I already said previously. So, what is this ceremony?"


    Well excuse me that that pathetic excuse for a God didn''t give me any knowledge about this world! He only told me to ''visit the capital and see the orb'' or something like that. How the fuck was I supposed to guess that what he meant by that was ''If you would like to select a specific Job, first go to the capital and see what it fits your tastes. Then you can take a look at the requirements and decide on a specific path''. Like fucking hell he meant that! He only wanted to amuse himself by using me!!!


    [I see... Do you know about the crystal orb in the capital?] (Laura)


    "The one in the temple? Yes... It can tell the status of a person, from name, to level, to job, to skills...everything."


    [Exactly! That makes it easier then. At the age of 18, one is allowed to chose which Job he wants to pursue. The orb helps with that and since it''s like a coming of age ceremony, the country doesn''t charge for its use.] (Laura)


    "What? So you could pick directly any Job you want?"


    [Of course not! Any Job has requirements, even the starting ones. In my case I started as a Pathfinder after finding the requirements for it. Then, after reaching level 5, I visited the capital again and found the requirements for the next branch, the Scout job. It was difficult to attain, because of its technicalities, but is the second step towards my own dream. I plan to visit the capital after reaching level 10 to check the requirements for the next branch, the Hunter job.] (Laura)


    "With her level, she probably already killed more than two or three Kobolds. And probably at least two of them had different jobs. I wonder regarding Goblins..."


    "By the way, have you ever hunted Goblins?"


    [Hmm? Goblins? Yes I did. I joined in the early expeditions against them and killed some. Once we even found Gatherers coming close to the town and I was sent with the other soldiers to remove them. Why, have you fought Goblins as well?] (Laura)


    "I was just being curious. What type of weapon do you use?"


    [I have lost them in the dungeon, but is dual daggers just like yours. That and a bow.] (Laura)


    "I see... I use throwing knives. Have you managed to kill any monsters with a single arrow until now?"


    [Hmm? What a strange question... Of course they die in one shot if you fire at their hearts or at their heads. That''s how we usually start our ambush, attacking with range weapons in order to dwindle their numbers. It ensures less casualties.] (Laura)


    "I see..."


    "This freaking cheat character... She''s even looking at me like is the most normal thing in the world and I''m the stupid one. Have you not seen the other soldiers? They don''t even go beyond level 3 for crying out loud! Well...I also did that, so there''s that as well... But I''m not under any circumstances as OP as she is! I''m as normal as they come! But, did I just skip the Pathfinder job and got the Scout directly? Ugh..."


    When we reached the reception desk of the Adventurer''s Guild, Helen greeted us and told us that general Espada was waiting for us at the third floor. Apparently, the other two guys I saved came early in the morning and already delivered their report. It made me wonder what exactly did they say about their ''vacation''. I wanted to hear the full report as well.


    We then climbed to the third floor like requested, knocked on the door and were invited in. When we entered, the eyes of the general widened and a happy expression was seen on his face.


    "Quite the dotting parent, isn''t he? Yet again, there''s no parent that won''t be happy to find out that their child survived such an ordeal."


    After a couple of seconds of silent glances between parent and daughter, followed by a smile from both, the commander spoke.


    [Corbett, thanks to you, not only did we receive information about the dungeon, but we also recovered three of our most important people. Thank you for that!] (Laurence)


    "I just happened to come across them while exploring the first floor. There''s nothing to thank me about, since I was doing what I was asked for in the request you''ve given me."


    [However, thanks to that, we have decided to change our plans. Guild master?] (Laurence)


    [There will be a change in plans indeed that will require your help Mr. Corbett.] (Guild master)


    So this is the only person with the Assassin Job in this world huh? Hmm...!?

 Day 4 - Guild master

    In the middle of the room where the commander and the general were staying beside the table showing the map of this region, me and Laura were facing them only about one meter away.


    However, when the voice reached my ears from behind the them, I instinctively looked at the desk in the back of the wide room. There was a woman''s voice coming from that spot...


    The voice was feminine, however it had strength in it. Both strength and confidence! I have heard similar voice tones back on Earth as well, belonging to celebrities. There is no one that doesn''t recognize the voice of Morgan Freeman for example. That is because when you reach a certain height, there is always a tag that comes attached to fame and the obvious exposure to the rest of the world. Most crack under that kind of pressure...


    However, this voice didn''t show any signs of it. On the contrary, it seemed that she quite enjoyed herself.


    When I looked passed the two and towards the desk, a flawless beauty dressed in full white garments, with black hair starred right back into my eyes.


    I was amazed for a second, first of all by her attire. I could swear for a second that she was wearing jeans, however it seemed to be something different. And the blouse she was wearing felt different somehow as well. What surprised me even further, was the same model of cloak I was wearing, only that hers was pure white.


    [Black wolf, isn''t it? Your coat...] (Guild master)


    "It is. And yours?"


    [White wolf. Is certain levels more rare and difficult to catch, however its materials are quite good.]  (Guild master)


    "I don''t doubt it."


    She looked straight at me as if she was measuring my skill level or like she was actually seeing my status window. I was calm though, knowing that is should not possible...unless she has a skill like me, but those are incredibly rare from what the general told me...


    [Level 8 Scout, huh? Only two levels more and you should be able to promote to the Hunter Job with ease. Actually, it seems that only about a level... You are quite interesting indeed, just like Charles said.] (Guild master)


    I panicked for a second since she didn''t have a way of knowing that. It should be impossible after all, since I had one of those people with the Eye of the Truth skill check my status. They couldn''t unless I willed it so, like I did with the orb when registering as an adventurer.


    [Sorry if I was rude! I was simply intrigued. My name is Clara Works and I am this guild''s master. A pleasure...](Guild master)


    "Michael Corbett. But you knew that already, didn''t you?"


    There was something off about this woman, so I took a couple of steps in her direction and she did the same. Soon, I was able to see her stats. It was... most unexpected.


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Clara Works


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    High Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    88


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    113


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Assassin


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    24


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    92%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    120


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    60


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    998 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    118


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    90


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    93


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3864/3864(+98.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    183


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2041/2041(+76.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    161


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Dual weapons mastery</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Grand precision</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Increased critical hit</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Camouflage</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Assassinate</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Track and Kill</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Radar</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Wind attribute grand magic</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Bountiful catch</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Whisper of the living</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Silent strike</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blink</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">...</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">...</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">...</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings granted by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of experience</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of War</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Wisdom</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the world</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Life</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Equipment</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Poker face! Need to keep my poker face and stop the corners of my mouth from twiching! I don''t even know where to start complaining from! What''s with those stupid high attributes? Isn''t she also almost level 25? And why the fuck is her Intelligence, Wisdom and Magic way higher than her actual Assassin required attributes? What the hell is this monster? Final boss!? With so many skills is likely she forgets to use more than 75% of them. And what''s with the question marks? Why can''t I see those? That means nine other hidden skills... nor can I even see her equipment? What''s this scary person? And the extra blessings??? I changed my mind about seeing elves okay!? Just get me out of here!!!"


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the world


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.Granted to the Elf people.


    It allows all elves to wield magic attributes and hear the voice of all living beings.


    It also grants insight regarding the power of another, by measuring the quantity and the quality of mana.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of life


    Granted to those few Elves that are chosen by the world to help its people by guiding them through the ages.


    This blessing grants immortality!


    This makes one impossible to die of old age, although death trough abnormal means is still possible.


    Requirements: race evolution.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Immortality... that useless game God went brain dead for sure! How can you reach such a thing so simple through race evolution? I mean, she is a High Elf and all, but still... Wait, does that mean that I can evolve into a High Human as well? I wonder what are the requirements."


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Race evolution


    ???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    "Again with the question marks, of course... Kind of annoying, but I guess either I''m being obstructed, or I''m at a level that''s not high enough to learn about it. Let''s hope is the latter."


    [If you stare so much, I might ask you to take me out to dinner first you know...](Clara)


    "Apologies. It is our first time meeting and I was surprised by your beauty. Not to mention, a High Elf is probably that much harder to encounter."


    I purposely said the last part in a very low voice that only her, which was not even half a meter away from me could hear. Her eyes widened and for an instant her hands seem to reach for the daggers on her waist.


    I could feel cold sweat down my back and forcibly stopped myself from gulping, but forced a smile instead. I wanted to pay her back for surprising me previously regarding my level, now that I knew it was due to a blessing she had. However, that reaction was more than I bargained for... Don''t tell me she''s a maniac...


    [You truly are interesting...and reckless. I find you more and more likable by the second.](Clara)


    "If you keep complimenting me like that, I might end up to be the one to ask you to at least buy me lunch first."


    Well, a tit-for-tat might''ve been the most stupid thing I could do against this ''final boss'', however I think I might''ve caught onto her weakness. Boredom! That''s why, I took the gamble to mention her evolved race status...which now in hindsight, was a terribly stupid idea!


    [Hahahahah! Laurence, Espada and lil'' Missy over there. I have decided! For the raid on the Kobold village, only me and Michael here will go. I hope there won''t be any complaints.] (Clara)


    [Truly, if you were to go guild master, the matter might be settled fast indeed. However...] (Laurence)


    [Yes, yes, I know. We''ll only do some scouting to find out their power and then return and report. We''ll be leaving tonight. Now then, I''ll take this charming young man and go buy that lunch he asked for. Oh, is just morning though... I guess breakfast is fine also, right Michael?](Clara)


    "Hmm!? That''s fine, but the raid on the Kobold village?"


    [I''ll tell you the details while we eat. Let''s go! Also, Laurence, let''s give those two some time to talk. They both have been through enough to deserve some.] (Clara)


    [Understood! I have already approved of a compensation for the rescue of those three. One more time, you have our gratitude Mr. Corbett. Regarding the collection, it should be good tonight. We look forward to extra information if you have any as well.](Laurence)


    "Actually, I managed to draw the layout of the first floor until it reaches the Kobold village. So I can..."


    [LATER! Let''s go eat first! I am starving!!!] (Clara)


    A high elf was hitting the floor with its right foot, displeased about the fact that she was being ignored and hungry, just like a child would. It was quite a sight to be honest, but scary at the same time since I was wondering if she would make the building collapse. Especially when one knows her full strength. Well...not her full strength, which made it even worse.


    "In that case, I will let you guide me Ms. Clara. I am new to this city after all."


    [Yes. I am curious about that as well... And drop the ''Ms''. I am not that old.] (Clara)


    "..."


    When I tried to joke about that, I felt a huge murderous intent and I smartly remained silent. I figured that talking about the age of a woman is taboo, even in the case of one that doesn''t actually age...


    Thinking about it, isn''t this chick as old as the freaking world itself!?


    She left the room and signaled me to follow her with her finger. I greeted the general and Laura on my way out and Charles bowed his head to me. Oh his face there was an expression filled with gratitude. The commander followed us soon, but stopped by the reception desk, while myself and the high elf walked out of the building and started walking towards the south of the city where the port was.


    "So, do you have a place in mind for breakfast, Clara?"


    [Hmm... Yes, we''re going to a clearing near the port.] (Clara)


    "Clearing? Are we not going to a restaurant or some inn?"


    [Why? I cook better than them anyway. Oh, that''s right! You should consider it a privilege. You''ll eat a meal cooked by such a beauty after all. There are millions that would kill for that, you know.] (Clara)


    "I see..."


    [What''s with that weak response!?] (Clara)


    How do I say this? Unexpected? I guess that''s an understatement though... I was prepared for a different personality from such a stupidly strong person. Instead, she''s very...girlish?


    "I guess I shouldn''t judge a book by its cover... Homemade food from a beautiful fantasy character elf-girl. I could definitely live with that!"


    I followed her and we left the city and the port, by walking inside a small forest extending along the coast of the ocean. That made me realize that this wasn''t exactly a lake, but more of a... Wait...From this forest, you could easily reach the entrance to the dungeon since it was pretty close by. And she was surprisingly silent silent as well...


    Soon, we reached the clearing she mentioned previously and stopped. She turned around, looked straight at me with a serious face and then I saw the blue morning sky...


    "...the sky!?"


    I realized I was on the ground while she was staying on top of me, looking straight in my eyes with murder intent. This would''ve been a pretty hot situation and a rather interesting development...if not for the daggers almost digging in the skin of my neck.


    "It seems we have different notions of breakfast Ms. High Elf."


    [I thought I told you to drop the ''Ms''... Who are you?] (Clara)


    "You already know though."


    [The only people that knew I am a High Elf died over 900 years ago. I will ask again, one last time: who.are.you?] (Clara)


    "So you have been on this world since the creation of it..."


    [Creation? How do you know about that? Did Anhur offer you his blessings as well?] (Clara)


    "Anhur? Oh, this world''s God? No, why?"


    [...this guy! Can you be a bit more self aware please? Or are you doing it on purpose?] (Clara)


    "Well...how long do you plan to keep me pinned down here? Is not like I mind, honestly. The view is quite exquisite."


    [...you should only be about level 8 almost 9. How are you not scared? I am after all...] (Clara)


    "Almost level 25? How in the world did you reach that level? Haven''t dungeons been added only recently?"


    [There you go again!!! How do you know my level? It should be hidden even from a crystal orb, unless I grant it permission. Yet you say it like is normal!] (Clara)


    "Oh...that..."


    [I would very much like not to kill you if I could. But if you don''t explain properly, I have no choice.] (Clara)


    "Hmm...First, can you do something about the daggers? Is not like I could outrun you..."


    [Agreed... But you must talk! Tell me everything!] (Clara)


    "I will what I can. However, I would like to hear about you first."


    A look of contemplation was on her face, while she was appraising me. In hear head, she was most likely thinking something among the lines ''I can kill him after if I don''t like his answer, so there shouldn''t really be a problem...'' , after which she seems to have reached a decision.


    [Since you know that much already, I guess is fine...] (Clara)

 Day 4 - Loophole

    I could hear the sound of the waves crashing into the rocks by the shore while waiting for this high elf to dismount me. I am really grateful for the Fear resistance skill I have obtained by being murdered in my previous life.


    "And those are words I would probably never say out loud... However, this is not a pretty situation. Something tells me that I can''t exactly lie to this chick and the fact that telling her the truth might topple the balance of this world and the entire ''game'' big time, is not something I look forward to. Probably that useless self-serving God might intervene..."


    "In fact, he might find it amusing..."


    [Did you say something?] (Clara)


    "No. But I am curious about you and how much you know about the ''game''."


    [What game are you talking about? There''s a limit to joking in a situation like this you know! You truly lack common sense...] (Clara)


    "She doesn''t know!? I don''t understand. What exactly does she know then?"


    [Like I promised I will tell you everything I know and in return you will do the same. If I sense that you are trying to lie to me, I will kill you without hesitation. Thisis not the kind of information that can pass through the world. It is forbidden by Anhur after all.](Clara)


    "Forbidden? No, let''s start from the beginning. When I asked about this world''s creation, you asked me if Anhur granted me his blessing as well. That means that you were granted the same blessing, right?"


    [Yes and no. Is not exactly a blessing per-say, since it doesn''t affect any particular abilities or attributes. I call it the Blessing of Knowledge. It basically means that I was enlighten about the truth of this world.](Clara)


    "The only question is, how enlightened? It would be direct interference if a God would babble about it to a human after all, meaning a violation of the rules placed down by the Administrator. Reaper mentioned that all Gods will abide by that rule because of their pride and Anhur, a God of War...I can''t see him breaking or bending that rule. Then how?"


    "Can you tell me what you mean by that Blessing of Knowledge? It doesn''t appear in your status window."


    [What!? You can see my status window? ...I guess I shouldn''t be surprised, since is the only way you would know about me being a High Elf or my level. But how do you...] (Clara)


    "Quid pro quo!"


    [...excuse me!?](Clara)


    "Oh, sorry. Is a saying from my hometown... sort of. It means a favor for a favor, or in this case, an answer for an answer. You agreed to first telling me about you. After that I will tell you about me as well."


    [Understood! However, I don''t have much to tell you to be honest. The first thing I remember, is waking up in the middle of the forest in the Ahrein continent. I was all alone in a clearing similar to this one, when I heard the voice of Anhur.](Clara)


    "Ahrein? The continent of the Elves?"


    "Voice? You didn''t meet him?"


    [Are you insane? Face to face conversation with a God? Is not that you are lacking common sense. It appears that is a notion that doesn''t exist for you... No! I just heard him talk to me through something like a whisper straight into my head.](Clara)


    "I see. And, what did he tell you?"


    [He told me that I was reborn in this world that he created just now and that my purpose is to lead the people that are about to be born towards new heights, that would help us win the upcoming wars.](Clara)


    "Wars?"


    [That''s everything I know. That and the fact that it should happen in two years time from now. The last thing I was told, is that I have a thousand years to prepare and that in order to do so, I must improve my level daily. After nearly a hundred years, I managed to evolve into a High Elf, however, it just randomly happened one day. I can tell that you are interested in that, but I don''t know the requirements for it. I thought back a lot regarding it, but the only thing I did, was to be true to the command I received. I led both humans and elves alike through those 100 years, helping them settle down and create their own homes. After that, when everyone I knew initially started dying of old age, I learned a skill that helps me mask my appearance, as well as my status window.](Clara)


    "So that''s why there were no elf ears... There''s still a chance! No, wait! In this case, what that God did, was merely using her and by accident she devoted herself to helping people? And again, by accident, she managed to evolve? There''s no way something that convenient would happen. Then, starting from the information Anhur provided, this is..."Stolen novel; please report.


    "...a loophole."


    [What did you say? Can you stop whispering things please!](Clara)


    "Nothing, sorry. I was just surprised by your story, since I honestly wasn''t expecting a God to share information about why he created the world, to a human he created as well. It is interesting..."


    [That might be so, however now is your time to share your story. I kept my end of the bargain and now is your turn to do so.](Clara)


    "...that might be difficult to d..."


    I didn''t manage to finish the sentence and a knife flew by my head, brushing against my cheek and cutting me slightly. Any trace of playfulness or patience disappeared from her face and now her hands were reaching for her daggers.


    [If there is something I hate more than a liar, is someone who can''t abide by their promises.](Clara)


    "Technically, I didn''t promise that I will tell you anything. I said I''ll tell you what I can..."


    [Enough! If you don''t talk in the next ten seconds, I will kill you here and now!](Clara)


    "Well, she seems serious enough about it. What now? I still can''t tell her anything really since she genuinely doesn''t know anything about this whole damn situation. And since is ''forbidden'' by Anhur, I can''t exactly... Wait, forbidden by Anhur huh?"


    "Fine, fine. I get it! Lower your daggers already. There''s a limit to how much my body and mind can take during such a small time span."


    [There will be no second chances!](Clara)


    "Yes, yes. However, I was being honest previously when I said that is difficult for me to say anything. Is true! Stop with the daggers already!!! Jeez... The reason for which I can see your status window, is because I have a skill called Identify that allows me to do that."


    [I was told by the general, that its use is limited and it cannot be used on other people.](Clara)


    "I lied about that... sorry. I didn''t want to get dragged into unpleasant situations. That''s how I knew you were a High Elf and your level."


    [That doesn''t explain why you knew that this world came into being when it did.](Clara)


    "Yes...about that, unfortunately you said it yourself that is forbidden to be speaked of. Even if is you."


    [So you did receive enlightenment from Anhur.](Clara)


    "Something like that..."


    "She''s off about the God, but close about the ''receive''. However, enlightenment? I guess you could call it that."


    [It doesn''t seem that you are lying, however I can see that you are hiding something. I really don''t like that!](Clara)


    "Is a shame, but there is nothing that I can do about it. Even if it costs me my life."


    Taking a bet here seems to be the only option. She doesn''t seem to be a bad person, even if she''s kind of ruthless and merciless. Kind of makes that beauty go to waste...


    [I understand. I will stop asking, with one condition.](Clara)


    "And that is?"


    [You must help me prepare this world for the upcoming war. You obviously know more than me, even if there is a difference of over 900 years between our lifespans. I...this world needs your help to make it happen!](Clara)


    Preparing the world for the upcoming war... To be honest I had such thoughts in the beginning, since I knew there are only two years left. However, this might tilt the balance more than it should...and I don''t really know a way to keep it fair. Receiving the other 998 Gods full hate, while one of them is entertained by it, is really not the kind of future I want.


    "The only thing I can provide is knowledge regarding this world and how it works. But if you plan to have me join some sort of group, please spare me from it. I work better alone."


    [I also work alone, so there is no problem with that. When you say knowledge, are you referring to assimilating experience from killing monsters and the skills obtained by leveling up, but defined through specific actions?](Clara)


    "That and whatever other things my Identify skill can tell you about the monsters I''ve met. It might come in handy regarding the Goblins and Kobolds."


    [I was already told by the general and the commander, but is it really true after all? Killing monsters grants you their experience?](Clara)


    "Huh!? What do you mean? Isn''t that how you reached this level?"


    [No. I did hunt animals and indeed while fighting bears my experience points went up faster, but I reached this level by simply training my skills over a long period of time.](Clara)


    "..."


    She seemed to be serious about it. No...it does make sense if you take the freaking millennium into consideration. But to reach this level of experience through training alone, just how often does she do it?


    "Say...your training, how much experience does it give you usually?"


    [Hmm? It depends. For example, running for about an hour gives me around two experience points, training while fighting a partner gives me about five...](Clara)


    "Is fine, I get it..."


    "Only training for one thousand years... But in that case... Wait..."


    "But what about monsters? I can''t understand how didn''t you fight them until now. I mean, you must be the strongest person on this world right?"


    [Monsters? Oh, you mean the Goblins and the others? They only appeared about two years ago. Every country was keeping their distance and didn''t engage them the first year, while putting a gag order on the information so only the upper echelons knew. Then, last year they became very active and horrible losses were incurred. That''s when it was decided to eradicate them.](Clara)


    "What kind of God takes a thousand years to realize something that others did in less than 500? Are all War Gods muscle brains?"


    [So, will you help me?](Clara)


    "...however I can."


    [Good! Now let''s go eat something. Oh, also tonight we''re going to the Kobold village to find out more details. Having you and your skill will be useful and I can present them as my findings. That way you won''t get dragged into anything unpleasant.](Clara)


    "What''s with that innocent and benevolent smile!? I have already been dragged into something unpleasant!!!"

 Day 4 - To the dungeon and back

    After returning to the town, we went back to the inn I was staying at and she used her ''credentials'' to book the entire lounge, so that we can talk undisturbed...


    Several hours passed and in that time I explained to her different things regarding my skills and how I can see even the requirements for the Jobs in the status window, or like what monster skills I''ve seen so far and compared them with the ones regular adventurers have.


    To my surprise, she diligently paid attention and asked questions when she had any, seemingly now wanting to interrupt.


    "Is kind of a huge personality change from the psycho I''ve seen earlier... Is she bipolar or something? And while in normal circumstances I would really enjoy a conversation with a pretty girl like her starring so intently at me... yeah, well that''s in normal circumstances..."


    [Then what about the Goblins? The one you fought had three skills you said? And all were attack skills?](Clara)


    "Well kind of... Two of them were attack skills allowing a very powerful strike and the other allowed multiple movements in a single second based on his Agility stat. The third skill was something that made him invulnerable to any physical attacks for five entire minutes and not even the poison worked on him during that time. I honestly got lucky because it was night. Otherwise, I would''ve been dead for sure."


    [Mhm, mhm! And the dungeons? This caves that appeared all of a sudden, what did you say they are?](Clara)


    "I am not fully sure about it yet, but they should be separate spaces existing outside of this world common sense. Basically when you enter one, you could think of it as temporarily leaving this world and explore a different space altogether."


    [That seems rather to hard to believe... But if you said that the monster you killed disappeared and left behind its hide and some cooper coins, that truly is outside the realm of common sense. Do you think the assimilation process works for us as well?](Clara)


    "I''m not 100% sure, but it should. It did for me and it might''ve worked for Laura as well."


    [The general''s daughter? What makes you say that?](Clara)


    "She''s at level 7, but was mostly likely at a tad lower when she entered. She must''ve killed some Kobolds inside during the fight when they were captured. That''s the only way she would''ve gotten that much experience in such a brief time."


    [Do you still have the hide?](Clara)


    "The hide? Oh, the drop from the Kobold?"


    [''Drop''?](Clara)


    "Yes... is a word that describes the items left behind by a monster killed in a dungeon..."


    "Although, I''m not sure I should indoctrinate her into the gaming world slang. That might be some scale tilting in a different way..."


    After that I brought out of the item bag the and handed it to her, she took it and widened her eyes.


    [This material is better than my white wolf coat. I am sure that it would become a stupidly strong coat...or even shoes. I can actually feel mana from it!](Clara)


    "Oh, that reminds me. I''m not sure you can check to see if is right, but here, try wearing this ring. It should increase your ''Strength'' stat with an additional two points."


    [WHAT!? Give me that!](Clara)


    "And we''re back to the violent one...wasn''t there a famous story about a doctor with two faces like this?"


    After taking the thing from me and putting it on, a couple of minutes of silence passed and she closed her eyes. When she opened them back, she starred blankly at me.


    [Is truly increased by two points. What is this? Any king would be selling at least half of his country''s fortune for such a ring!](Clara)


    "What!? Really? I can finally retire and live in peace..."


    [Not really...two years from now...](Clara)


    "Oh right, I forgot. But yeah, I found that also in the dungeon."


    [Really? Can you show me where?](Clara)


    "What, now?"


    [Yes, let''s go!](Clara)


    Literally dragged along, I ventured into the dungeon once again. Seen by the same guards as yesterday, the gave way with a sorry look on their faces. I couldn''t tell if they were worried about me, or just felt bad about an idiot that seemed to have a death wish.


    I took out the map I started drawing and stopped with Clara in front of the dungeon.


    "This is what I managed to draw so far. Is not much but... Clara?"


    [Hmm? Yes, what?](Clara)


    "Are you alright? Don''t tell me you''re scared. It couldn''t be that this world''s most powerful warrior would be scared of something like a cave. Haha...ha..."


    "Seriously!? But I already told her that myself at level 8 can easily kill them. Why is she afraid? Or what is she afraid of?"


    [..ders?](Clara)


    "Huh?"


    [...any spiders?](Clara)


    "Eh!? Spiders? What do you mean?"


    [ARE THERE ANY SPIDERS INSIDE???](Clara)


    I just stood there baffled. I felt like I shouldn''t reply, but my life might be at risk if I don''t.


    "I guess a girl''s a girl, no matter if she gets an unlimited lifespan and absurd stats. I wonder if the aversion to bugs is passed on like a gene or something in the soul, since she was pretty much reincarnated as well..."


    [Are there?](Clara)


    "No...I couldn''t see any."


    [Thank God! Let''s go then!](Clara)


    "Oi! Where''s the fear from before???"


    After entering the cave behind her while barely keeping up, I saw her doing the same thing I did yesterday by poking her hands and head through the front entrance. It still is a peculiar sight, even more when you see a head disappearing like that.


    After she had some fun, we started walking and soon reached the ''safe room''. I explained to her what happened here and that we weren''t chased by the Kobolds through the tunnel and in this room, meaning that it might be some sort of safe spot. She told me that the crystals on the ceiling create a very powerful mana filled air that is poisonous to animals and we took it as it might be the same for monsters.


    "This are the two tunnels I mentioned. The one on the left is leading to the Kobold village and the one on the right is where I found the ring. Let''s go to the right."This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    [I''ll follow.](Clara)


    After reaching the same room, I looked around and found something strange in the far end of the wall I found the ring in.


    "Gone..."


    [What is?](Clara)


    "The hole I made yesterday. Is gone!"


    [Are you sure we''re in the right place?](Clara)


    "Yes. Do you see the slight discoloration on the wall compared to the rest of the room?"


    [Hmm? Now that you mentioned it, it does seem so. Right there on the end wall, right?](Clara)


    "Yes. Maybe... Clara, go smash that area that''s different. But be careful of any sort of traps. There weren''t any yesterday, but it might''ve changed."


    [Got it. Stay back for a bit.](Clara)


    She approached the wall carefully and she stopped about five meters away. Then, the most amazing thing since I first saw my status window happened.


    [ Wind roar !](Clara)


    Magic! A green light shone around her and soon, visible currents of air shifted around and gathered in front of her hand. Then, like a bullet, it flew towards the wall and hit it hard. My first encounter with magic was more impressive than I expected it to be. Especially since the strength was ridiculous!


    The wall crumbled and with it, any sort of maturity or composure I had.


    "MAGIC? That was a magic skill right? Air attribute right? Right?"


    [C...Calm down! Yes! It was magic. All elves can use it and some humans as well. Is your first time seeing it?](Clara)


    "YES! How do I use it?"


    [I''m afraid you can''t unless you receive a blessing from the world. The elves are born with it.](Clara)


    "Cheat characters..."


    [Eh? Did you say something?](Clara)


    "Nothing... Did anything fall from the wall you broke?"


    [Let''s see... Yes! A small box like you described it!](Clara)


    When we got closer and opened it, Clara started jumping around in happiness. For me, it was more puzzling.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ring of minor Strength


    Increases the Strength attribute of the wearer by two points.


    Estimated cost: 2 Gold coins and 25 Silvers</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This was displayed when I appraised the ring... It was EXACTLY the same as mine. That''s what made this weird. If this dungeon does have a re-spawning system, it shouldn''t be applied to items or treasures, right? I figured I should investigate this properly.


    "Clara. We need to check something! Let''s go to the Kobold village and take a look."


    [Did you figure something out?](Clara)


    "I''m not entirely sure yet. That''s why we''re going."


    [Understood. Let''s go!](Clara)


    We doubled back and returned to the safe room from where we entered the foul smelling tunnel to which Clara reacted by pinching her nose. What a lady-like response...


    After navigating with the map I had, we reached the same spot where I killed yesterday my first Kobold.


    "Thought so..."


    [Michael, that is the monster you''re calling a Kobold?](Clara)


    "Yes, but that''s not the problem."


    While confirming my theory through whispers, I found the same Kobold from yesterday, down to even its status window.


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold Guard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    6 month


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    11


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    140/140 (+0.86/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    7


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5/5(+0.001/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    4


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Rally Cry</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings bestowed by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Experience</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [It looks like a dog... Why did it ''drop'' a wolf fur?](Clara)


    "I know, right?"


    "However, if this is truly happening, then it makes no sense. Anyone could get that ring and you can keep killing the Kobolds here forever if you want. Anyone...anyone? Didn''t Reaper said that the system is made to assist the level up? Meaning that is made to be used and abused by each player that enters. Then, what if I enter again? Will I get the ring twice? That would defeat the purpose won''t it?"


    [Michael. Can I kill it?](Clara)


    "Hmm? Knock yourself out..."


    "Don''t ask something so gruesome with such a cute expression. It feels...weirdly nice..."


    [Air blade !](Clara)


    A single skill and the Kobold was one-shoted. I felt kind of bad for the pathetic little bastard. He was a good boy! Maybe... Probably not...


    [It really leaves a fur behind. And five copper coins!? Is really strange...](Clara)


    "Said the immortal high-elf with the absurd status page..."


    "Ahem...Check your experience as well."


    [Is fine. After I reached level 24 it goes up really slow.](Clara)


    "Just check it!"


    [Fine...](Clara)


    I could tell by the look of surprise on her face that it went up indeed. By how much...it shouldn''t be a lot given her high level and the fact that the monster was a level 1...


    "Is it that impressive? Also, why is she able to tell by how many points did it increase, when even myself with Indentify can only see the percentage? Anyway, this means I was right about Laura. Regular people get the experience the same way that I do. Now all that''s left is..."


    "I know you are happy and all but we need to check something else. Let''s go."


    After leaving the Kobold floor, we left the dungeon entirely. There was one important thing that might help us boost this country''s soldiers with ease.


    [Why do I have to wait here? I want to come back inside as well...](Clara)


    "...I need to verify something. Wait here for a bit. I''ll be back before you know it."


    After thirty minutes, I returned outside where Clara was waiting for me.


    [So?](Clara)


    "I went back to the room where we found the ring."


    [Duh? Did you find another?](Clara)


    "No. I broke the wall which was reconstructed like nothing happened, but there was no box."


    [What does that mean?](Clara)


    "Individual item spawn."

 Day 4 - Use and abuse

    [What does that mean? ''Individual items spawn''?](Clara)


    "Is a bit hard to explain, but in this dungeons there are certain hidden treasures just like the ring we found. The difference is that, once the player finds it and leaves the room, another can go right in and find it again. However it works only once per person. It might be the same with the boss drops."


    [''Boss''?](Clara)


    "Oh...sorry...it means a very strong monster that usually commands weaker ones and you can''t go to the lower floors until you kill it. Usually it leaves behind items better than the ring we found and more experience while..."


    [LET''S GO KILL IT!](Clara)


    "...ahem! While I appreciate your enthusiasm, that might be counterproductive right now. Is still day and for us to get good experience points, we need to kill them while being out of sight to double the experience points. I explained it to you already... A frontal attack would waste way too much experience..."


    [I guess you''re right...](Clara)


    "However, this is really good for the soldiers. Since the Kobolds are weak as well, they can level up with ease. We need to check one more thing."


    [What''s that?](Clara)


    "You''ll see. Hello again and thank you for your hard work!"


    [Hmm? Hello! Is the exploration going well?](Guard)


    "Excellent actually. We just found a treasure trove and we need you both to confirm anyone can claim it. Could you possibly join us? I can guarantee that there are no monsters and that myself and the guild master here will protect you."


    [[Treasure trove?]](Guards)


    Since it seemed that both of them were easily persuaded, we had them follow close behind us and led them to the treasure chamber. Once we reached the room, we had them go one by one and smash the wall and retrieve the ring. They both were very surprised when we told them the effect of the ring and they left in a hurry to report it while sporting the rings on their fingers.


    [We should leave also. Is already 3PM and we''ll completely miss the lunch.](Clara)


    "Hmm? Is that a pocket watch?"


    [Yes. Don''t you have one?](Clara)


    "I heard they are crazy expensive..."


    [I see... I was gifted quite the number, so here, you can have this one.](Clara)


    She brought out of her item bag, that seemed to be more of a small lady purse, a silver colored pocket watch similar to the one I saw Reaper having. I accepted it without any complaints and got lost in the thoughts about its price.


    "Thank you. Now I''ll be able to keep track of time and it will help with further investigations as well."


    [Consider it as a small repayment for the ring. Hehe! Should I consider it a proposal?](Clara)


    "Maybe after the war..."


    We joked and laughed while returning to the city, with the sun ruling over a cloudless sky throwing warm rays on top of the cool ocean breeze. It was a good combination.


    When we reached the inn, there was already a message left for me and Clara to go to the Adventurer''s Guild as soon as we can to report. However, once again, we ate first and went after.


    It was around 4PM when we reached the guild and were asked to go upstairs by Helen once more.


    [When you return we''ll need to update your tag to the next rank and give you the compensation for the requests. Also, if you have already drawn a part of the map like the commander said, can you please leave it with us? I would like to copy it.] (Helen)


    "Sure. Here it is, but is kind of complicated. So when I return, if you have questions I''ll answer them."


    [Thank you very much! Then, please leave your tag with me as well to update it.](Helen)


    I left to the third floor, thinking about the rank update and the quest reward.


    "So I''ll go up to rank F and receive that 1 Gold reward Ronald promised. At least my finances are going to be fine for a while now. With today''s expenses I reached 10 silver and 20 copper coins. So that''s 30 silver coins and 20 copper coins profit. Not bad..."


    [Enter!]


    Before I realized we reached the third floor and Clara was knocking on the door, more to announce here arrival than anything since she was the guild master, while I was calculating my income. I wonder how are they going to take today''s information, considering that it will come from Clara.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    [Thank you for coming so quickly Ms. Clara, Michael. We received the report from the two guards by the dungeon side regarding the treasure trove and wanted to hear it from you, plus any other details you might be able to include from your investigation.] (Charles)


    "Of course general. It would be my pleasure, however, it was Ms. Clara here that discovered it."


    [Ahem...yes. From my knowledge is called a ''treasure chest'' and is usually hidden in different parts of the dungeon. This one was in plain sight so it was easy to find, however others might not be so. Also, we managed to find a peculiar thing about it. Once someone smashes the wall where is hidden and takes it, after leaving the room the wall repairs itself and the treasure reappears in the same spot with a different box containing the same treasure. That means that every soldier could have it. Also, regarding its power, the ring increases the Strength attribute by two points, thing which I have already confirmed.](Clara)


    [For every soldier? And two points increase? That would be amazing! That can be such a huge boost for our soldiers, especially the shield bearers. We should have them go inside as soon as possible. How about the monsters? How often did you encounter them?](Laurence)


    [Calm down a notch commander... For now no soldier will enter the dungeon until we manage to have the first floor of it fully mapped. Michael here already done a part of it and left it to the receptionist. Regarding the monsters, there are none.](Clara)


    [None?How come?] (Charles)


    [It seems that from the entrance you find the road splitting in two, one leads to the Kobold village on the left side and the other to the treasure chest on the right side. The one on the right doesn''t have any monsters. Also, I have decided that tonight, me and Michael will attack the village to confirm one other thing. If that proves to be true as well, our soldiers might be able to do tactical exercises while fighting the Kobolds and increase their levels at the same time. It will be a huge improvement for the army.](Clara)


    The two people went silent and pondered upon the provided details. Is no wonder they look quite unconvinced. After all, we just asked them to wait until we first level up ourselves and then have the army pick up the leftovers. In the end, we don''t know if the monsters will spawn as well. They might not readily agree with this and try to...


    [Very well! We''ll leave everything to you and Michael, milady. I am truly ashamed for being unable to do more than rely on you.](Charles)


    "OR NOT!!! What''s up with this trust of his...was he always so easygoing?"


    [Is my duty to be of help to our people general. We will probably come by tomorrow and give you the full report. We plan to go as soon as the night falls. In the meantime, I heard from Michael about the proposed plan for the Goblin village attack in more details. Have the 100 people been picked already?](Clara)


    [Yes. They have been decided on and they will assemble later on on the training grounds for briefing. Why milady?](Laurence)


    She briefly turned around and looked at me to see if I was truly going to do that. I figured it won''t interfere with us anyway, so why not. That''s why I gave her a small nod and had her proceed...


    [When exactly do you plan to have them gather commander?](Clara)


    [They should arrive in about half an hour milady. Do you have something in mind?](Laurence)


    [So that makes it around 5PM. Very well then. Have Ms. Laura join them and by following the map and the directions of the two guards, order them to enter the dungeon and each retrieve the treasure for themselves. Make sure that by 9PM the dungeon is cleared so we can go in.](Clara)


    [Laura? Why do you want my daughter to go back in there milady? After what she''s been through, it might be traumatic for her to go back inside.] (Charles)


    "General, you think too little of your daughter. She is stronger than she appears. Also, if there are any wounds about that place, this will help heal them."


    [Then what about the 100 people? I thought you said the army won''t go in yet.] (Laurence)


    "Starting now, the corps of 100 people will no longer be attached to the military. They will answer only to Ms. Laura and Ms. Laura will answer only to Ms. Clara. That way their training will be different and their growth improved."


    [What? Milady, did you suggest this?](Laurence)


    [Having my daughter lead a corps of 100 people might be too early milady, are you sure?](Charles)


    [Enough, both of you! You are acting like spoiled children! The corps will receive special training from me since they have been handpicked as the best of the army. Also, Charles, don''t forget that Laura is a person that received the ''King''s blessing'' from this world''s God Anhur. She is more than able to lead such a small number of people. We just need to grow her into believing in that as well. I trust there will be no more complaints.](Clara)


    [[...]]


    There was only silence and the two grown men were facing the floor, like reprimanded children. When I asked Clara about her authority and standing in the city, she told me that is pretty much second to the King of the continent. Keeping in mind that the King is the leader of humanity at this point...I might see why they act like little lambs in front of a wolf.


    Anyway, this is necessary. Every army must have its elite corps and I have decided that this 100 people will set an example for the rest. Obviously I only plan to give simple details to Clara and she will pass them onward to Laura, which will have them executed. The chain of command is a scary thing.


    "Wait...doesn''t that put me at the top of the chain!?"


    After clearing some details regarding the new elite corps and its purpose that I already mentioned, the two finally agreed and we left the room. We planned to attack the Kobold village later tonight, so we were heading to get some sleep before that.


    [Mr. Corbett, here''s the tag and the reward for the request. We look forward to your next achievements.] (Helen)


    I was stopped as I passed by the reception desk by Helen and she handed me with a smile on her face the tag that became yellow and a bag with multiple coins.


    "Multiple?"


    When I checked inside there were a total of thirty silver coins and a note attached.


    ''We know that this isn''t much, but is to show our appreciation for saving our lives. We''ll start training even harder to repay you in the future.


    Vincent and Ian''


    [Is that from the two you saved?](Clara)


    "Yup. If I remember correctly, they were both level 4. It might be good to add them to the elite corps. Having 100 people under her command and at such a young age might prove difficult even for such understanding people. These two might prove good as a lieutenant general and a major general."

 Day 4 - Sudden promotion

    After almost half an hour passed, we were led by the commander Laurence to the training field of the army. We walked towards the northern part of the city and when I asked why was it here, although obvious the answer was still a bit surprising.


    [We were forced to move it by royal decree two years ago when the monsters appeared. Well...that and the fact that the old training grounds has been replaced by the dungeon that appeared a month ago. The reasoning behind it is, that in case of assistance being requested from another neighboring city or state in their fight with the monsters, we must mobilize the troupes as soon as possible.](Laurence)


    "It does make sense, but have any other cities been attacked until now?"


    [Yes. Pretty much every city on our continent is targeted by different monsters and all other army commanders have reported at least one monster village in the general vicinity of their territory, similar to the Goblin one discovered by us. We can''t even begin to understand the meaning of this, but we took it as an invasion and bolstered our forces as much as we could. If what you and milady said is true, then we will be able to use the dungeons in our favor and rid ourselves of this plague, after increasing the general level of our soldiers.](Laurence)


    [The situation is the same on the Elf continent, Ahrein. Every elf settlement reported a monster village and a dungeon appearing nearby.](Clara)


    "Ahem!"


    [O..or at least that''s what my sources tell me...](Clara)


    "Could it be that she''s the airhead type of character? Anyway, if that''s the situation, is not really a monster invasion, but rather this world''s God forcing them to raise their levels through it, since he''s losing the game..."


    When we reached the training ground, we found three different groups of soldiers aligned and waiting, in front of which Laura and the other two were standing slightly confused.


    They seemed a bit surprised seeing me again but I only nodded greeting them silently and moved forward. I was quite curious about how this was going to play out...


    [At ease you lot! Like I already explained, you have been handpicked based on your exceptional talent and potential to grow, in order to assist milady Clara in cleaning the Goblin village that tormented our people for two years now. You should feel honored since you will be under her direct supervision!](Laurence)


    As soon as those words ended, clamoring could be heard and the faces of the people were filled with happiness and excitement. I guess any soldier would be glad to fight under the most famous person in this world. This might make things difficult for Laura and those two though...


    [Calm down you morons! Now, there is more. You have been separated into 50 spear wielders, 30 sword and shield holders and 20 archers. That has been done in order to prepare a special type of unit, an elite one! Silence you idiots! Do you want to run laps around the city until the first morning light?](Laurence)


    Wow...isn''t it barely midday? Either way, they are surprisingly okay with this so far... rather, don''t they look oddly expectant about it?


    [Is fine commander. I will take it from here. For those of you who don''t know me, my name is Clara Works and I hold the occupation of ''Assassin''. Because of a special request, I will personally help you improve your strength and liberate this city of the Goblin village nearby. However, since I can''t do this alone, I will be assisted by four people in total. I want you all to treat them as you would treat me, since otherwise you might dislike the repercussions.](Clara)


    Silence followed. I was expecting them to be clamoring here rather than before to be honest. I wonder, is it because they are curious about those four people, or because they have been threatened by the strongest person in this world?


    [I will start by stating that your affiliation with the army will be from this point severed and you will answer only to those four and me. The chain of command will be as following: ranked commander of this elite troupe will be me, Clara Works. I shall decide on your training regimen and I will decide on all other actions effective immediately. Is that clear?](Clara)


    [[[[[Yes!]]]]]


    [Good answer! Next will be the captain of this group and her name is Laura Espada. You should know her otherwise as the person that received the ''King''s blessing''. I strongly believe that there isn''t a person more fit to fill this role than the daughter of your general, that received a blessing from the God of this world directly. Don''t you lot agree?](Clara)


    [[[[[Yes!]]]]]Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    They seemed surprisingly hyped about it. Rather, aren''t those eyes filled with more than respect for these two beautiful girls? They look like a group of starved hyenas rather than an elite group. And also, the person herself seems to be rather shocked about the sudden development.


    "That''s why I told this hyperactive high elf...poor girl looks almost crushed by the sudden announcement. I guess it should be fine if I''ll tell her later that her idol has high expectations of her. She seems to be the type to get worked out over that kind of thing..."


    [Good replies! I personally have high expectations from Laura and I think she will soon become the second person in this world to attain the job of ''Assassin''. Look forward to her leadership!](Clara)


    [[[[[Yes!]]]]]


    "Oi!!! Don''t just randomly add more pressure on her!!! ...even if you wink at me, at this point is not cute but scary! How did she know?"


    [Now then, she will also be helped by the other two people you see here. Her first lieutenant will be Vincent Gottu and he will be in charge of the spear troupes, as the second lieutenant will be Ian Braght, in charge of the sword and shield, as well as the archers. Any objections?](Clara)


    [[[[[None!]]]]]


    For these two posts I actually thought things through. Unlike Laura, this two guys have trained for over twenty years and each are specialized more than the regular soldier in their specific fields. Vincent wields a spear and with his level 4, one of his skills is Spear mastery, meaning that he will be perfect for the job. Regarding Ian, it was a tough call since he is really close to evolving his job to Scout, however he has both Sword mastery and the Take aim skills, so if required to prove why I chose him for this post, he can do that with ease.


    Well, looking at their faces, they are just as surprised as Laura is regarding their sudden promotion. I guess congratulations are in order for them and their families...


    [Good. Now the last person will hold the rank of military adviser, however don''t be fooled by that! He is probably the only one here that can hold out in a serious fight against me, more than five minutes. Due to his extensive knowledge, we were able to find the location of the Goblin village since he himself went there and discovered it, after killing more than ten Goblins and today after exploring the dungeon west of the city, he discovered a treasure trove that would allow you lot to increase your power without doing anything. You should be thankful to him! His name is Michael Corbett. You''d do well to remember it.](Clara)


    [[[[[Yes!]]]]]


    I said that I would like not to be dragged into this whole mess, but unfortunately is not possible. That''s why I decided to do what I can and make use of my limited knowledge to help as much as is doable, so that later on I can relax and take it easy. Even if that might be into the far future...


    [Now, a word from our adviser regarding what you will be doing today!](Clara)


    "Huh!? What ''word'' you stupid elf??? We didn''t talk about this!!! I''ll make sure to get revenge later..."


    "...ahem! Hello everyone and thank you for gathering here. Like you already heard from Ms. Clara, I will be providing advice regarding our military conduct from this point onward. There are two things that you will be doing today and the first has to do with the huge stacks over there."


    After pointing in a specific direction, 104 people - commander Laurence included - turned around to see what I was talking about.


    Near the training grounds where they were gathered, three towering stacks of round shields were blocking the view back to the city. This would be the first step towards the elite troupe I have in mind.


    "It might be ripping off the knowledge I have from movies and most of it will be inaccurate. However when it comes to medieval fights with low technological weapons, there are tactics involving shields, used to decrease the number the damage took by your own army, as well as to stop the charging enemies. You can find it in every movie that has that kind of fights in it, something called ''Shield wall''. I only hope we can recreate it..."


    "What you see in front of you are 75 shields that you will wear from today onward every hour you are awake and you will sleep with them by your side, until they become a third arm for you. The spear unit will bear from today onward in its left hand a tower shield, while the sword unit will wear on its left a round shield. The purpose of this training shields is to have you all get used to the weight, their general feel and then we will also conduct actual battle exercises once you are accustomed with them. Commander Laurence?"


    [Yes, of course. Listen well you lot! This time since we didn''t have enough time to prepare them, the shields are made of leadwood, so don''t think they are going to be easy to carry. Also, to make it harder, you will start from tomorrow to do training exercises with the shields attached. Any complaints?](Laurence)


    [[[[[None!]]]]]


    "I hope this will work. When I thought about shields and spears, the praetorian roman legion came to mind and for the swords and shields I decided on the spartan round shield. After all both boast of a tremendous effectiveness and defense."


    Even if replicas made of wood, the commander managed to prepare them with the help of the town''s artisans which I suggested two days ago, based on some drawing I gave them. They really surprised me by having them ready so fast. The tower shield covers the body from shoulder to ankles, in order to create an impenetrable wall without hindering the sight or movement. The round shield covers the body from shoulder to knees, boosting the defense while allowing large movements and unhindered sight. If this 75 people manage to master the shields, they will wipe out with ease any monster settlement.


    "Be prepared because soon, the real deal made out of steel will be handed to you. When that happens, the weight will at least double! By then you must be able to train with the ones you have without sweating. Understood?"


    [[[[[Yes sir!]]]]]


    We then explained the situation to the three that were still kind of out of it and asked them to go inside the dungeon under the guidance of the two guards and Clara.


    I returned to the inn and took a nap, preparing for tonight.

 Day 4 - Night raid

    I woke up because of the sound of knocking on my door.


    When I looked around me, I saw that the white yukata I was wearing was slightly glowing in the darkness that engulfed both the room and the city outside the window. I requested of Fred and Caitlin to wake me up when is close to 9pm, since there are no alarms in this world.


    "I''ll be downstairs in a moment. Thank you for waking me up."


    [With pleasure Mr. Corbett. Ms. Caitlin wanted me to let you know that Ms. Clara is also waiting for you downstairs.] (Maid)


    "Clara is? I guess she''s both impatient and excited at the same time. She''s like a kid despite her age. Thinking about it, isn''t she''s like 998 years old? No, no! Let''s stop with that. I don''t want to die just yet..."


    "Thank you for letting me know. I''ll get dressed and join in a second."


    After changing in my equipment, I noticed that indeed it didn''t smell even if the boots have been kind of overused these past two days. Same thing with the clothes.


    "I am still glad that Caitlin told me about washing them daily. Since it costs only 2 copper coins, I can''t really complain. However, I should buy some more casual clothes soon... I hope Martin will have ready the t-shirt I gave him details about and the pants. Is summer and wearing such thick medieval materials is stuffy and highly uncomfortable."


    I got dressed while complaining inside my head, trying to distract myself from how nervous I was. Attacking an entire village of Kobolds with just two people might be suicide, even with the help of the strongest person in this world.


    "Good evening Ms. Caitlin, Ms. Clara."


    [Good evening Michael. You seem well rested. Should I tell my husband to prepare something for you to eat?](Caitlin)


    "Please do. I would appreciate it."


    [Of course.](Caitlin)


    [I am amazed you managed to sleep so well. How could you sleep like that after throwing all responsibility on me!? It took almost five hours to have all of them get that ring and give them the training regimen for this week. Then I even had to tell Laura, Vincent and Ian what they need to do and then...](Clara)


    "I get it, I get it! I''m sorry I left everything to you! However I told you from the start that I won''t get involved in the annoying stuff. Plus that you have experience with this sort of thing."


    [THAT DOESN''T MEAN IS FUN!!!](Clara)


    It took me some time to pacify her and after dinner, we both walked towards the dungeon.


    The moon was bright enough for us to see about 10 meters in front of us with no problems and under that moonlight I could also see Clara''s facial expressions as clear as in daylight. She was very serious and concentrated. I guess even for her, this might be difficult. I should change the subject and talk about something random to have her relax a bit and diffuse the tension.


    "Say Clara. I''ve been thinking but, if we kill all the Kobolds which might be close to a hundred for example, what are we going to do with all the hides from them?"


    [Hmm? I told you before didn''t I? We can use them to create strong defense materials since they are infused with mana.](Clara)


    "Really? Will they work with anything? Like shields for example?"


    [I guess... After all, a smelter will break down all ingredients and using his occupation''s skills will grant their attributes to the entirely new mixture they are preparing. So in theory, it should work.](Clara)


    "Then it would work for the shields we''re going to create for the elite troupe as well!"


    [Wait! You don''t think it will give stat increase like the ring, do you?](Clara)


    "Oh! I didn''t even think about that! That would be great wouldn''t it?"


    I realized at that point that when I awoke first and met Reaper, he did say that the materials can be used to craft better equipment. Therefore, this had a strong possibility of happening exactly as we hope it to. In that case, tonight''s raid might be incredibly beneficial for our future endeavors, since it will give our new elite corps another small advantage.


    We both walked in silence while contemplating the future prospects and soon entered the dungeon. When we reached the safe room we were greeted by the same foul smell coming from the left tunnel and with a short glance at each other, we nodded and headed inside.


    There were no mana crystals in this floor, but the walls and the ceiling were faintly glowing creating barely enough light for us to see where we were stepping.


    It was really difficult getting through the maze and reach where I saved those three, since I could barely see what was on the map and using any sort of light would give out our location immediately.


    "It should be around here... Be careful as there might be Kobolds around us."


    [Give me a second! "Enlighten me about my enemies! Radar" !](Clara)


    "A skill?"


    [Yes. There are none ahead of us, but there are a bit over one hundred in front of us. That''s probably the village, right?](Clara)


    "Yeah..."


    "How convenient! And with those lights in the distances, that''s most likely it. Those might be torches or something of sorts for the guards to use. We are at the place where yesterday I saved those guys. How do we attack them now? Do we rely on guerrilla tactics again? It might be more efficient with two people, but we might not have enough time until morning to kill over a hundred Kobolds while ambushing them for the extra experience..."


    [Say Michael, can I try something?](Clara)


    "Huh? What? Do you have a skill that might help?"


    [I think so. Give me a second.](Clara)


    Soon, her green eyes shut closed and I couldn''t even hear her breathing anymore. The silence felt ominous and threatening, at such a level that I instinctively took a step back, while the air around her felt oppressive and violent just like standing in front of a natural disaster. But before I could move further, a slightly blue light covered her full body, pushing away the darkness inside the dungeon.


    "Blue light...Oi!!!"


    "You''re shining you idiot! We''ll be seen! What are you doing?"


    [Is alright, I''m ready. "Cleanse away the impurities in front of you! Nature''s wrath" !](Clara)


    There were no words that would willingly leave my mouth. After the cringe invocation, the blue light enveloping her body disappeared just like it was a lie and in the distance, we saw the entire area above the Kobold village shining with the same color. Soon, the air started whistling and twisting at high speeds until...


    "A tornado!?"


    A natural disaster... a cataclysm... a force of nature that held unstoppable power, started ravaging the monster village. Everything from their huts, to the rocks on the ground was being raised into the air and then violently smashed against the cold rock bed floor hundreds of meters away. The image in front of me was so violent and cruel that it made my blood run cold, while shivers ran down my spine.


    This was the power of a High Elf! One that lived for close to a millennium now and which''s skills and status window I can''t fully see. She is impressive and...


    "Oi! Don''t fall like a rag doll!"


    [I am sorry... I was a bit excited and used too much mana... I feel light headed.](Clara)This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Don''t use such a stupidly powerful skill if you''re going to be useless afterwards! And what''s up with that? Why I''m I even here? You completely annihilated the entire village on your own. There''s not even their pseudo-fence to be seen anywhere anymore..."


    [Is one of my most powerful skills. However I can''t exactly use it in the outside world...](Clara)


    "No shit! That''s a natural disaster you stupid elf! Outside it might escalate on its own and devastate an entire country. What were you thinking?"


    [I kind of got excited since we''re inside the cave and you said is a different space... I thought it could work out.](Clara)


    "This person is no good. 100% no good! But she seems weakened indeed. I wonder how much MP did it use."


    "You used almost 1500 MP on that!? What the hell? That''s way too overpowered!"


    [I told you to stop using your skills on me!!!](Clara)


    We kept arguing for another two or three minutes until the tornado vanished and with it, darkness once again filled the entire floor.


    [I just used my Radar skill. There are no more enemies in this area.](Clara)


    "What? You killed all of them? What about your experience?"


    [Oh, right! Let me see... Huh?](Clara)


    "What?"


    [I leveled up!](Clara)


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Clara Works


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    High Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    93


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    182


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Dark Archmage


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0.3%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    125


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    70


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    998 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    120


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    102


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3916/3916(+98.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    203


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    574/3074(+106.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    179


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Dual weapons mastery</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Grand precision</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Increased critical hit</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Camouflage</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Assassinate</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Track and Kill</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Radar</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Wind attribute grand magic</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Bountiful catch</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Whisper of the living</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Silent strike</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blink</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">...</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">...</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">...</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings granted by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of experience</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of War</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Wisdom</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the world</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Life</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Equipment</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ring of minor Strength</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "There are still so many questions marks but she really did level up. And got a new Job. How did she level up exactly? She said there were a bit more than a hundred Kobolds inside the village and she did killed them with an ambush attack in theory, so she might''ve got the multiplier. If an average Kobold was level 5 without accounting for who knows what other things are there...that''s a shit-ton of experience to gain... It makes sense having her level up... Holly shit, I would like that spell and just spam it here until I reach level 100! What about the new job?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Dark Archmage


    A unique job achieved only by those proficient in mastering elemental magic and using it for mindless slaughter.


    All skills mana cost is reduced to 50% and the user receives a one time 1000MP boost.


    Requirements- ''Assassin'' occupation, element mastery , 50 enemies or more killed with a single skill</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Bullshit cheat character... 1000 extra MP and 50% mana reduction cost... Doesn''t that mean that you''ll be able to use that bullshit skill at least four times a day? That''s utter nonsense..."


    [What? What can you see? TELL ME!!!](Clara)


    "Easy there you stupid dark elf. You''ll kill me if you''re not careful..."


    [That''s rude! And who''s a dark elf!? Hurry up and tell me what you''ve seen!](Clara)


    I took my time and explained to her what I read in the description, while we walked towards the Kobold village, or rather, the unlucky place ravaged by a cataclysm, where the Kobold village once was.


    She was just as stupefied as I was when she heard everything and said that she will check tomorrow when her mana is full with one of her skills. Just how many does she have!?


    "Speaking of which, her skills didn''t change, but three others with questions marks were added... Just how strong is this stupid dark-elf?"

 Day 4 - Loot and grinding

    We walked towards the now empty spot where the natural calamity occurred not even five minutes ago. I wasn''t sure if the lack of anything in front of me was supposed to be proof that such a thing happened, or if it was supposed to make me question if she somehow managed to teleport those poor pups to a different floor...


    [Give me a second. I''ll light up the space around us.](Clara)


    "Of course you will... Just how many... Actually, I really don''t want to know. I''m starting to believe that I''m just a villager character in her fantasy story... This cheat elf!"


    ["Wind, light my path! Blue Fireflies!"](Clara)


    "...!?"


    The wind started blowing around us and the same space as previous reappeared, slowly illuminated. The fact that the blue light above me was exactly the same one as the one that was responsible for the devastation of the Kobold village made me feel quite unsafe. I just hoped this cheat dark elf knows what she''s doing.


    [I think you''re right. That skill just now used a lot less mana than it usually does. So I really did evolve my occupation. ''Dark Arch-mage'' was it? It sounds rather ominous for my tastes...](Clara)


    "Think about it later. However, this is somewhat unnerving. What''s with this huge pile of loot!?"


    At our feet, there was literally a small mountain of hides and near it a small pouch.


    [There''s 13 silver coins and 40 coppers in here. Wow, you can make money this easy in here?](Clara)


    "Just what do you think this dungeon is!? This is just because of you! 13 silver and 40 coppers you said? That means indeed about 100 Kobolds like you said. Let''s count the hides and put them in your magic bag since mine definitely does not have enough room. How big is your bag?"


    [It should be 1000 kg.](Clara)


    "You bourgeois elf! ...let''s start putting the hide away. Also the coins are yours since you did all the work. No complains!"


    [I understand...](Clara)


    It took us about fifteen minutes to stuff the hides in and the result was 114 pieces. Some seemed better than others according to Clara and she might be right since there was a difference in coins dropped and jobs between Kobolds.


    However, the surprising thing happened after we picked up the last hide. Under it, we found something completely unexpected.


    [This...what is this?](Clara)


    "I might have an idea... We''ll need to confirm this, but if I''m right, it should be a really good thing."


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Shiny Earning of Health


    Provides an increase to the wearer of 100 HP and the ''Charm'' stat by 5 points.


    Estimated value: 150 Gold coins</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "...is what it says."


    [By 100? That''s like two levels.](Clara)


    "You''re ignoring the 5 stat points?"


    [Well...that is the Charm attribute. No one knows what increasing it does exactly...](Clara)


    "That''s quite true. I didn''t check either... Let''s use Identify on it."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    Increases how attractive you become for the people around you, as well as the influence you have over them.


    It also provides a boost when it comes to resistance to mental attacks.


    When an enemy with lower Charm stat than you will use such an attack, there is a 50% chance of rebound and the enemy to be targeted by it instead.


    In case of the rebound not happening, the skill will simply fail or become less effective.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "...is what it says..."


    [Wow! That''s more useful than I thought.] (Clara)


    "In more than one way... Anyway, you should wear it even if is only one piece. I really don''t see myself wearing earrings."


    [I''ll gladly take them in that case.](Clara)


    "Guess you''re a girl alright... Anyway, we need to check the next thing I had in mind. Treasure!"


    [You think something like that chest from the other room might be somewhere in here as well?](Clara)


    "There''s a high chance. But the light is not enough to be able to see discolorations on the walls...not to mention if is hidden better than the previous room, we have no way of finding it during night time and only with the two of us."


    [Actually, there might be something. One of the skills I learned when I leveled up is Mana perception. Even in this darkness, without my senses, I can tell where you are because of your mana. And since the ring we found previously had mana imbued in it...](Clara)


    "...you can use it to find it. Perfect! I''m actually glad you''re a cheat elf!"


    [Could you please stop calling me that? Is not like I was born with this power you know!? I had to train for over 9..for a long period of time to get here!](Clara)


    "Yes, yes! Could you please use it already miss hardworking cheat elf?"


    [Hmph! Mana perception!](Clara)


    With her as the center, a visible ripple made out of mana was sent in all direction, ending up crashing in the walls like waves. She closed her eyes as those same waves returned to her and her brows slightly twitched. Then, she started walking towards the left wall of the floor. It seems that she picked something up...


    "I shouldn''t think that ever again...it makes her sound like a hound..."


    [There''s something behind this wall. Should I break it?](Clara)


    "S...sure, go ahead."


    After breaking the wall with her bare hands, sight which by the way was quite interesting to see in more than one way, a small chest appeared. When it was opened, from inside something seemed to be shining.


    "Eh!?"


    [CAN I TAKE IT?](Clara)


    "...knock yourself out. That way you will get the full set I guess."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Lucky Earning of Mana


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.Provides and increase to the wearer of 100 MP and the ''Luck'' stat by 5 points.


    Estimated value: 150 Gold coins</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "This one increases the MP by 100 points and Luck by 5 points."


    [The Luck attribute, is it? Can you see what it does when increased?](Clara)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Luck


    Increases the chance of critical damage upon any attacks.


    When inside a dungeon it increases the chance of finding better items based on its total value.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After reading it and explaining it out loud to Clara it suddenly made sense for me as well. The reason why the hides we previously found were better in quality than the ones I had, was most likely because of her Luck stat being higher than mine.


    "However, for treasures and boss drops the items should be fixed for all players..."


    "Boss drops? That reminds me! Why is there no boss of this floor?"


    [Boss? That monster that you said is stronger than the rest of its kind?](Clara)


    "Yes. Let''s see... Did you find the way to the next floor previously?"


    [It is at the back of the room. That way.](Clara)


    In the direction she pointed, about forty meters away from where we were and probably about ten meters behind the place where the Kobold village was, stood a new entrance to a tunnel. The light that was still glowing from Clara''s magic made the answer to my questions quite obvious.


    "Yup. You probably already killed it. There''s no boss that would survive that bullshit skill of yours after all..."


    [Don''t make it sound like I''m the bad guy here!](Clara)


    "Leaving all jokes aside, it all depends if it works like the treasure chest we found in the other room."


    [You mean if it reappears? An entire village with over a hundred monsters? That is a bit beyond the realm of possibility, isn''t it?](Clara)


    "Somehow, I''m not entirely sure about that. Did you feel anything else beside mana from this chest?"


    [No, this was the only reaction in the entire room beside you.](Clara)


    "I see. Let''s exit and re-enter. That way we''ll be able to find the answer."


    With hurried steps, we headed towards the exit of the dungeon, took five minutes to enjoy the smell of fresh air outside and then walked back inside.


    As soon as we reached the maze of stalactites and stalagmites again, I had Clara use her Radar skill again and check the surroundings.


    [No way!](Clara)


    "So, I was right?"


    [Yes. Is probably about the same number. I''ll use Mana perception again as well. Give me a second.](Clara)


    After a couple of minutes, an answer that decided everything followed from her.


    [The treasure chest is in the same place and I can feel a reaction from it, so it did reappear. However, I found one more strange reaction from the village. The amount of mana that comes from one of the enemies, is much stronger than the one that comes from the rest of them.](Clara)


    "That would be the boss most likely."


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18(+2)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Scout


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    8


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    474/474 (+2.5/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    265/265(+1.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After confirming a slight increase of 2% in my experience bar, as well as an extra point in Endurance gained most likely because of the running around I''ve been doing recently, there was a rather large increase of 5 points in Luck for me as well, without any equipment. There was still way too many things I couldn''t figure out because of the lack of information and I was able to tell for certain now, that my Identify skill wasn''t the most powerful skill of its type out there...


    "Can you tell the general location of it?"


    [Do you plan to attack it?] (Clara)


    "If we want our elite corps, as well as the rest of the army to use this place as training ground, we need information about the boss and its minions. There might be Kobolds stronger than the average ones. Rather, is guaranteed to be at least a couple of them."


    [The others are pretty much on the same level. That one is the only that shows greater mana.](Clara)


    "I see..."


    To be honest, I was quite excited about this whole thing. However, I didn''t have any OP skills like Clara to annihilate the village and the boss in one go. So I will have to do it manually and kill them one by one in order to level up.


    "117 Kobolds and one Kobold Boss. My chances are not exactly high..."


    [What are you thinking?](Clara)


    "I will attack it alone."


    [What? You can''t do that. Is impossible to fight 118 enemies alone. Also, the ''boss'' Kobold seems to be way stronger than you are.](Clara)


    "He is after all, isn''t he? But that''s good. It means that much more experience."


    [How do you plan to kill all of them?](Clara)


    "I call it guerrilla tactics. Is basic ''hit and run'' type of attack. I will use the darkness to my advantage and surprise kill all of them. But first, to be able to win..."


    [You want to kill the boss first. That''s why you asked for its location.](Clara)


    "Exactly! Listen here Clara. There is an important thing that a low level player can do when he has all the information about a place where monsters keep spawning continuously."


    [Eh? ''Player''? ''Spawning''?](Clara)


    "Sorry, I keep forgetting you are... It means person and reappearing. There are general terms used to simplify a discussion. Anyway, it means that this, do you know what it''s called?"


    [...what?](Clara)


    "Grinding!"


    [Eh? Like grinding medicinal herbs?](Clara)


    "...not really... In this case, it means repeating an action, until it no longer gives good enough results. In the case of a level 2-5 soldier for example, I think that once they reach level 10, they will be able to go to the next floor without any problems."


    [So you want to get all the information first, so that our elite troopes can come and attack them repeatedly?](Clara)


    "Yup."


    [...is not like I can''t see the merits, but it seems difficult.](Clara)


    "Once we have the information, it will become easier. That''s why we need the finer details about the boss and other minions in order to decrease the level of danger."


    With everything settled, I decided on my goal until morning: to wipe out the Kobold village alone, using my own version of guerrilla tactics.


    "I wonder what skill I''ll get at level 10?"

 Day 4 - Class change

    I took out the pocket watch Clara gifted me earlier and looked at the time.


    "It''s 10:12 PM and there are 118 enemies, including the Kobold Boss. My safety comes first and that''s why Clara will be close by to wipe out the village in case of something going wrong, but even more important than that, I need to gather information about the types and skills the monsters here have, as well as the boss. For that..."


    I took a deep breath and focused. Clara was watching me with eyes filled with curiosity, just like a cat watching a ball roll down the stairs...


    "I guess she wants to tag along, however..."


    [So? What are we going to do?](Clara)


    " ''We'' aren''t going to do anything. ''YOU'' are going to watch and intervene only if it gets dangerous and I am in immediate need of help, while ''I'' will focus on gathering information while killing as many of this pups as possible."


    [But what if I get bored?](Clara)


    "WHAT ARE YOU, 12!?"


    Trying my best to ignore the pouting elf, I turned my attention to the Kobold village and had Clara point out in which direction the boss was.


    "Of course he''s in the middle of it... Clara, can you do anything about the torches when I give you the signal? Actually, can you even see me that far away?"


    [We elves have really good eyesight even in complete darkness, so no need to worry. Just make sure you don''t get killed too fast.](Clara)


    "So is it okay to get killed slowly? This cheat dark elf..."


    Under the cover of the night I kept advancing at a fast pace. Wearing the overcoat and its hood, probably even Clara has difficulties seeing me...well, probably not since she''s a cheating elf. However, the Kobolds shouldn''t pose a problem.


    When I reached only ten meters away from the village''s outer ''wall''(because calling it that would be an insult to all other walls in existence), I could see under the dim light of the torches they were carrying three Kobolds with two different occupations.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold Guard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    6 month


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    11


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    140/140 (+0.86/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    7


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5/5(+0.001/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    4


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold Soldier


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    90%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1 year


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    310/310 (+1.23/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25/25(+0.05/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Isn''t that a bit strange though? It looks exactly the same as the status windows I saw a day ago. Maybe in that case..."


    Since this might prove as valuable intel, I avoided the three for now and let them pass me, after which I sneaked inside the village.


    I realized then that the word ''village'', doesn''t exactly suit this settlement since its layout was very chaotic, even more than the labyrinth of rock pillars where Clara was standing right now. However since I have some time, I decided to check the inside of the huts as well for possible bonuses.


    "I will already prepared half of the throwing knives with paralysis effect and using them I could try to dwindle their numbers as much as possible on the way to the boss. That way it might make it easier to not actually die in a trap..."


    When checked previously with Clara, we found out that the paralytic poison I smeared on my throwing knives acts incredibly fast. I say that because even the cheat elf was stunned for over two minutes as soon as it entered her bloodstream. The even more useful part, is that there is almost no delay in it taking action and the victim can''t even speak properly. This will allow some easy assassinations on my road to wipe out the village.


    "In that case, let''s see what''s in tent no. 1!"


    Managing to peek through the cracked walls of the hut, the poorly placed twigs allowed me to see a Kobold sleeping on a bed made of branches and leaves, similar to the ones the Goblins made in the forest.


    "I wonder if is the norm here, this kind of bed... Anyway, with the snoring elephant here, I''ll level up with ease. Thank you for your hard earned experience!"


    I crept inside by moving the rag that was supposed to be a door out of the way and checked the entire ''room''. I quickly glanced at every corner of it and the floor as well, all in order to see if there was anything out of the ordinary which might pose a problem.


    Since the bed was almost in the middle of the hut, I paced myself and circled behind the Kobold and drew both daggers. Since I need the extra experience, I decided to take my time and kill every one of them from stealth, using the Ambush skill.


    "Sweet dreams I guess..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -648HP!


    Silenced status inflicted! Target is unable to speak or chant spells for 3 seconds!


    Critical damage inflicted! -420HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! Target will lose 100HP/sec for 10 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Stabbing the daggers both in his heart and his throat, he instantly opened his eyes due to the shock, which in turn scared the living lights out of me thinking that he''ll start howling or something. But thanks to the silencing status and the dagger still in his neck, he was already dying and couldn''t move at all, which luckily didn''t give away my position. Also the dagger stabbed in his heart was still shining blue, which meant that the skill was successfully activated.


    It took about twenty to thirty seconds and the corpse with all the blood from the ground disappeared and in its place a hide and 10 copper coins were left. I picked them up fast and tried to leave for the next hut, heading straight for the boss when I then saw something that surprised me.


    The same group of three Kobolds which I avoided previously, was pacing itself and was only about two huts distance.


    "From what I see, the layout of the village consists of huts placed around the fence in a circle. If these three are on guard duty, wouldn''t it be easier to just take it layer by layer and first kill all the Kobolds here? If I move fast enough, I might remain behind this three the entire time and not raise any suspicions."


    I also brought up my status window to see the level up, since the three guards were looking around at the moment.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    19(+2)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Scout


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    21


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    525/525(+2.7/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    315/315(+1.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Alright, that''s strange for sure! Why did my Charm and Luck stats went up? I really don''t get how those two work... I got some points increase in Agility, Strength and Dexterity for the level up as well. The exp is pretty good to grind here indeed...well, for me at least. They moved? Shit! Time to go back to work I guess."


    I followed at about 7 to 8 meters behind the patrol after taking care of the first ''resident'' and once the Kobolds reached the third hut, I unhurriedly entered the second one.


    "Well, with this at least I know for sure now."


    I confirmed what I had in mind previously while looking at the Kobold that I just stabbed in the chest. If they had the job Soldier, then they will be at level 5 with about 90% of their exp bar full... but that makes it even stranger. If that''s the case, then Clara should''ve gotten more exp from wiping out the entire village. Did she get a reduction because of the difference in levels? Or maybe because she wiped them all at once? Or because it wasn''t really a stealth kill?


    "To many variables to reach a conclusion now it seems. Let''s move to the next hut. It looks like they''re advancing as well."


    After nine other stops, I finally reached an empty hut, being the one where I killed the first sleeping Kobold. From what I kept seeing around me, these huts were at the very end of the village and acted as some sort of outer layer, since behind them, the others were many more in numbers and the distance between them was smaller.


    "Since they''re taking a break, I should also catch my breath first and check the level I''m at. I should''ve reached level 10 already..."


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    46(+2)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    30


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Stalker


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    11


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    28%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    49


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    43


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    775/775(+3.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    44


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    521/521(+2.7/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    38


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">100%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fear Resistance</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">100%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Shadow walk</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">100%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Night prowl</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Precise throw</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blade mastery</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Experience</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Equipment</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ring of minor Strength</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I opened my eyes wide in surprise and disbelief at the word that replaced ''Scout''. This was not supposed to happen after all... If I remember correctly, I should''ve gotten the Hunter job easily, but in its stead I got something else entirely.


    "Not that I complain because it sounds really creepy, but haven''t my stats and skills been buffed a bit too much? Also, some skills changed while others were added...let''s see first the job description."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stalker


    Also known as ''Shadow walkers'' or ''Warriors of the night'', they are proficient in killing their enemies from the cover of darkness without revealing themselves.


    Provides an increase of 25 points for every attribute and an increase of 75 points in HP, with a 125 increase in MP.


    Requirements: Scout occupation and a minimum of 20 enemies killed without being discovered.


    Next evolution: ???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "20? I remember the first two Goblins, after which another two guards and four gatherers making a total of 8 Goblins, then one guard and one soldier when I saved Laura and the other two, plus another 10 Kobolds right now...That''s twenty indeed. However, with this boost in stats, I''m better off than having Clara''s Job, right? Except HP and MP of course, but still... And the skills?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Shadow walk


    For a Stalker, the night is the season of hunting. What better coat to wear, if not the shadows?


    During night, you have an 100% chance of not being perceived by the enemy if the distance is bigger than two meters.


    During daytime, the skill receives a 50% penalty.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Night prowl (Level 1)


    ''To hunt is to live. And in order to live, one must kill.'' Living by this code, you are in continuous search of prey all in order to sustain your lifestyle.


    During night you receive a 100% chance of a critical strike, that is also increased to 250% of the original damage.


    During daytime, receive a penalty of 50% for both the chance and the critical. Increase the experience gain by two times for the enemy you killed.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "While the Job and the skills are absolutely amazing, the experience nerf hurts quite a bit. Previously I would get 2 x exp for each monster I kill while engaged in combat, if I attack from behind and I am not seen. Meaning that for killing two monsters, I would get 4 x exp. Now is 2x no matter the numbers, but the restrictions regarding the time limit have been removed, so I can even fight directly now. Not that I plan to do that... Although, now that I think about it, given the fact that every hit will be a critical hit, that might not be a bad idea..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Precise throw (Level 1)


    One mustn''t dirty his hands with the enemy''s blood, unless honor requires it. For dishonorable enemies, a knife to the heart from the distance is more than enough.


    Throwing knife mastery increased to 100% and receive an aim correction.


    Each throw deals 150% of the original damage output!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blade mastery (Level 1)


    The blades move as if they are a part of the Stalker''s body.


    Familiarity with any bladed weapon is increased to 100% and damage dealt using such weapons is increased to 200%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Didn''t I just changed classes from an information gatherer to a full-on damage dealer!? At least during night time... Anyway, those three are all that''s left of this outer layer. They should be good for practicing the newly acquired skills."

 Day 4 - Keep grinding

    It didn''t take me long to make a full trip around the Kobold village, of course, while ''sampling'' the local goods. Thanks to that both my stats and my skills received a pretty big boost, not to mention the job change.


    "And that''s exactly why I should try some of the skills first before moving on to the boss. Thank you three very much for volunteering! What kind ...dog people? ...good boy???"


    Truth to be told, I felt both happy and overconfident. I mean, as long as I stay at least two meters away from them, they won''t be able to see me. Plus now that I didn''thave to worry about killing them without being discovered anymore. So for now let''s check out the new ''updates''.


    "From what I see, the Precise Throw is a passive skill, therefore it should be easy to just hurl knives, while aiming for them. Aim assistance though... Strange how I became the cheater all of a sudden."


    I took two knives that were poisoned from my belt, one on each hand and silently walked towards the trio. Since both the guards and the soldier have some sort of rally skill, I should focus on killing them fast.


    I was close to three meters away from the trio that was resting, with their backs facing me.


    "I will have to get used to attacking from the front as well I guess. However...not right now!"


    I considered my target the hearts of the two guard Kobolds and let the knives fly. In the next second I also took out my two daggers and ran towards the remaining soldier. The sound made by the two blades piercing the back of their targets was a very dull one, making the soldier Kobold only growled lightly at them, almost like asking them ''what''s the ruckus about?''.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -538HP!


    Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 2 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -572HP!


    Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 3 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -541HP!


    Silenced status inflicted! Target is unable to speak or chant spells for 4 seconds!


    Critical damage inflicted! -490HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! Target will lose 132HP/sec for 7 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    In the next second however, my two daggers pierced through his kidneys and lungs, interrupting any sort of communication, while also stunning his movement and breathing.


    It all happened so fast, that in almost ten, maybe fifteen seconds all three Kobolds became fur and coins. A total of 20 copper coins and three furs were picked from the ground and put in the item bag.


    With the testing part over, it was time to head towards the boss location and gather information while on the way.


    [That was very fast. Here''s your knives.](Clara)


    "...what exactly are you doing here? I thought I told you to wait behind, in case we need to retreat temporarily. Also, don''t sneak up on your allies...is bad manners to give people a heart attack."


    [Tsk! I was hoping to scare you...](Clara)


    "Don''t click your tongue woman! For crying out loud, we''re in the middle...we''re at the entrance of the enemy encampment. Can you please show some dignity as a soldier or as a human...elf being and do as I tell you for once? I let you do things your way first and now is my turn."


    [Fine, fine! You''re no fun...](Clara)


    "That reminds me, I leveled up also. But we''ll talk later... I''ll get started now."


    "It''s amazing how a person that is over 900 years old can have so little patience... Also, I didn''t even flinch when she started speaking from behind me... I wonder if that''s also because of Fear resistance? Anyway, from the layout of the the huts I saw further away inside the village, the first is placed around the fence in a circle, encompassing the others. That way, there are a total of seven layers. I should check the second layer starting immediately."


    How do I know about the total number of layers? Well, after Clara uprooted the village previously, you could tell from the road that was still there. And by that, I mean that the bedrock had a different color, like it has been trampled over and over again, exactly like the one I''m staying on top of.


    I now have a general idea since this is a dungeon, but there was too much information lacking, therefore, I walked towards the closest hut from the second layer and peek through the bad crafted walls again.


    By then, I also noticed that the exp I was getting from the Kobolds, changed slightly.


    "It decreased slightly. I guess it was supposed to happen sooner or later... However, it should be easier to increase it right away through pure grinding volume. Well then, let''s see who volunteers next for some detailed inquires."


    I walked towards the wooden hut and peeked inside.


    "The difficulty increased, huh? Two soldiers... It might get tricky and I don''t think throwing knives would work for these two... At least I''m not confident enough to do that yet. Let''s try with the daggers and see what happens."


    In the hut, on the ground there were two of the same leaf-style beds in which the Kobolds slept. Given its residents, the room looked less spacious now, but I should still manage without stepping on any tails. Therefore, I decided to try and rush in with the daggers and stab both of them at once.


    I moved the rag door out of the way and ran towards the two sleeping targets. The one on the right I managed to stab in the chest properly, but for the second one I missed and stabbed between the shoulder and the heart, probably not hitting a vital point.


    Awoken by the pain, the Kobold on the left tried to get up, however I pulled both daggers out and prepared to fight it.


    "It doesn''t move? Oh...stunned status again! Close call however... Now I know that I should aim a bit more carefully next time. Yes, yes, stop staring like that at me with your big doggy eyes... You''re gonna make me feel more embarrassed than I already am. Here, go back to sleep!"


    I once again stabbed (with both dagger this time just to make sure) the remaining soldier and in about five seconds, 20 copper coins, two hides and some sort of trinket fell from the Kobolds.


    When I picked them up, I realized that the trinket was something new and I immediately used my Identify skill on it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Kobold tooth


    A very strong canine, belonging to a soldier Kobold.


    Can be used as crafting material.


    Estimated value: 1 Silver coin</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Kind of underwhelming, but I''ll take what I''m given. Now that I killed two other soldiers, my exp should''ve went up. Since what I get are all fixed amounts, I finally reached 30%. With this, that''s one hut down and nine to go... from the second layer... I''m I even gonna reach my target until morning?"


    I didn''t exactly want to rush things since that would invite unwanted trouble, but after checking my newly acquired pocket watch, it already showed 11pm. The good news was the fact that my daggers had high damage values that worked very well on this monsters and by targeting specific areas of the body I could easily stun them for a matter of at least 3 seconds.


    "Making use of that, I could increase the tempo a little bit. Let''s see how it goes."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I ran towards the next hut and entered without checking first. That was a mistake, since both Kobolds were awake and preparing to exit the hut. My luck was that they were just as surprised as I was and that only I had the weapons drawn.


    I stabbed the closest soldier on my left side with the left dagger and sent it tumbling inside, after which a notification told me that I have 4 seconds. Then I crouched to avoid a punch coming from my right from the second one and used an uppercut motion to stab the right dagger through the neck and then brain, killing the one outside. After the first one had been taken care of, before the one inside the hut could even growl, I threw 2 knives at it. One hit his heart and the other in between his brows, making it deader than dead.


    "Now that they''re both gone, I can''t exactly say that the tempo wasn''t faster, however...I would very much like it a bit slower please!"


    I complained while picking the two hides and the 20 copper coins from the ground, but there was no canine this time.


    It took me another fifteen minutes to clean up the remaining eight huts, after giving about one minute to check the hut and another to kill and loot. Luckily, the remaining ''residents'' were sleeping, so no other incidents happened. I also leveled up in the process.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    48(+2)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    30


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Stalker


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    51%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    45


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    775/775(+3.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    44


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    521/521(+2.7/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    38


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After venturing into the third layer, I was once again surprised by something interesting, after using Identify instinctively on a Kobold.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold Soldier


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    6


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    19


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1 year


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    365/365 (+1.43/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    75/75(+0.1/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Seems like the difficulty is increasing and with it, the levels of the Kobolds. Shouldn''t really matter since they are affected by the inflicted status all the same, but it is surprising that they live in a hierarchic position depending on one''s strength. Never before did the words ''dog eat dog'' type of world made more sense..."


    After entering that specific hut, they were sleeping in the same positions on the improvised leaf bed, both being two soldiers. In theory it should take the same fifteen minutes or so, but I decided to spend a bit more time checking their status windows as well. I wouldn''t like surprises...anymore.


    It took me another twenty minutes and the pocket watch indicated 11:43PM. I managed to clear all ten huts, picked up twenty hides and 400 copper coins.


    "I''ll be able to retire sooner than I thought initially at this pace. With this kind of money and maybe selling the furs also...I should buy a house or something by the ocean side... Yup, let''s do that. Also, it seems like my stats increased for Strength, Dexterity and Endurance. Well, I did run quite around a lot around the village and it should be considered as working out. Also, this looks like a one sided slaughter and I''m starting to get tired...at least mentally. I have three more layers to go and the final layer where the boss is...probably. He should be in the center of the village from what Clara mentioned. Back to extermination I guess... Let''s keep grinding exp!!!"


    After a short break in which I examined my status page, the pocket watch showed 11:50PM. My fourth day since arriving to this new world was about to end.

 Day 5 - All hell breaks loose

    When midnight arrived, I greeted the new day by slaught...working hard! Yup! Working really, really hard!


    With four more layers to go and sleep required, I decided to do two more ''trips'' around the village and then head directly towards the boss.


    To make sure nothing has changed while I was going at it, I had Clara keep an eye on the village using her Mana perception, under the excuse of practicing the new skills she got.


    "You''re here?"


    [Hmm? Yeah, here!](Clara)


    "...it would be nice if you could stop sneaking behind people. I told you, is bad manners..."


    [Tsk!](Clara)


    "Stop clicking your tongue so loudly! I swear I''m going to get a headache with you around. Has anything changed about the village?"


    [Nah... The boss is in the same place, dead middle of the village.](Clara)


    "Got it! Most likely I''ll clean two more layers and then have a go at the boss. I''ll need you on full alert in case I need help. Alright?"


    [Yup. Is rather fun watching you sneaking around and killing the monsters. Especially when you busted in the hut and stood face to face with them. The two Kobolds were just as surprised as you were. It was hilarious!](Clara)


    "...can I ask how do you know that?"


    [I followed you.](Clara)


    "..."


    I decided to leave and don''t mind, since it seemed like a waste of time trying to argue or explain the seriousness of the situation to her.


    "Well, probably only I see it that way... considering how easy is to kill them, is not THAT serious. But she keeps getting behind me and trying to scare me which is unsettling to say in the least. Or the fact that she''s stalking me and I had no idea that she was doing that... is kind of annoying. I wonder if being unable to sense her location at all is thanks to some other skill that she has?"


    I reached the fourth layer and sneaked a peek inside a wooden hut. Same two leaves bed and same two smelly Kobolds sleeping on it...the difference was in their experience levels.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold Soldier


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    6


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    19


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16 months


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    365/365 (+1.43/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    75/75(+0.1/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Looks like it increased again. That''s...okay, right? I kind of have a bad feeling about th... Nope! No flag tripping!!! Is all going to be fine! In a couple of hours I''ll just go back to the inn and sleep. Yup..."


    I entered the tent and threw two knives towards the sleeping targets.


    <div>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -456HP!


    Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 5 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -521HP!


    Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 2 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    While cleaning the previous layer, I saw that if I aim towards a specific part of the body, the aim assistance does the rest. Quite handy to be honest and thanks to that, I can pretty much one-shot the mobs at this point. The only thing I need to do is to aim for vital parts of the human body, like the heart, the brain, kidney, lungs...the good stuff.


    "40 copper coins and two fur pieces. I wonder if that canine was considered a rare item with a low drop rate...I kind of doubt it though. It really takes about ten seconds to enter the tent and throw the knives, but it takes longer to loot and pick them back up. I could just finish killing all of them first and loot at the end...but that seems like even more wasted time. Let''s just stick to the daggers since is annoying to pick back up the knives again and again..."


    I lazily took a look the loot in my bag and headed towards the second hut. From there onward it took another fifteen minutes to ''evict'' the residents, just like a really angry landlord which didn''t get his pay due on time.


    After a total of another 400 copper coins and twenty Kobold hides were looted (and kind of irritated about the repetition of this whole night raid), I decided to finally head towards the Kobold Boss and kill him after seeing his status window.


    "After all, I came here for the intel regarding the skills and stats of the monsters on this first level posses and since they are almost copy-pasted, the only one different will probably be the boss. It will be rather underwhelming if the boss will be crappy as well..."


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Human


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    48(+2)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    30


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Stalker


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    13


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    88%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WorldUnauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    48


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    831/831(+4.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    44


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    571/571(+3.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    40


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A bit unsettled by the fact that it got harder to level up, I lurked my way up towards the center of the ''stage'', while ignoring the remaining two layers.


    As I passed by the wooden huts at a faster pace than I originally expected, I took cover behind one located at the first layer and looking towards the middle part of the village, I was welcomed by a big tent that seemed to be made out of actual animal leather. The most surprising part though, it was looking like a mongol ger.


    The tent was round, but its roof looked like the one of a proper house, while the walls of the tent were reinforced with wooden pillars. The height of the tent should''ve been at least four to five meters tall and I found it strange that I couldn''t see it pass the barely two meters wooden huts the Soldier Kobolds were sleeping in.


    The worst part, is that the final layer was in fact this huge tent.


    "So the first layer is made of ten huts of one soldier each and the trio I killed already are supposed to be the patrolling guards. Out of the remaining five layers each have two soldiers that get increasingly more ''experienced'', but ultimately have the same skills and same stats given their same level as the rest. That would make a total of 113 Kobolds, out of the 118 Clara confirmed previously... So that leaves four Kobolds and the Boss uncounted for. And I also have a bad feeling about this ''ger''..."


    I walked closer to the white tent and I say white because I can see its color thanks to the torches around it, while carefully examining my surroundings.


    The closer I get, the bigger the ''front door'' seems to be. In this case, the door seems to be also some kind of fur that can be moved aside, however, looking from the ground up the door seems to be at least three meters wide and four meters high, which gives a bad feeling altogether.


    I move the ''door'' aside and slightly step inside.


    The interior is just as dark as the outside and I can hear the sound of a breathing pers...animal!? However, with a quick glance I can see that in the middle of the hut there is a big carpet-like bed made of different animal furs and sleeping on top of it, is a really huge-ass Kobold.


    I calculate the distance between me and it being about fifteen meters and if that is indeed the center, then is thirty meters from side to side.


    "This huge bastard! Not only does he sleep in such comfort while the other dog...Kobolds sleep over grass and leaves, but he also snores like he has no care in a world. If you are in such a deep sleep, how about I guide you to an even deeper one?"


    I ran towards the Kobold boss and with both daggers brandished overhead, I jumped on him and stabbed them in his chest.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -213HP!


    Stunned status resisted!


    Critical damage inflicted! -312HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! -63HP/sec


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Eh!?"


    Confused by the sudden pain, the Kobold boss opened his eyes and flailed his arms throwing me at a distance over five meters before I even had time to react. Barely breathing since he hit me squarely in the chest, I use both daggers as a support to try and get up while looking at my status window.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage received! -522HP!


    Stunned status resisted!


    Enfeebled status resisted!


    Weakened status resisted!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "This fucking mutt! Over 500HP in one hit? What the hell is up with that? What in the flying fuck are his stats like to inflict three types of statuses with one hit!?"


    Soon, while regretting getting cocky earlier and not checking his skills and status page first, I took two knives and threw them one at his eye and one at his neck. As the knives were easily blocked, barely scratching the fucking hellhound in front of me, I glanced at his stats and once I saw it, I realized what I had to do.


    "Fuck! I gotta run!"


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Iron Fang


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    73


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    46


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold General


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    43


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    35


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1 year


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    53


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    70


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    82


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2015/2540(+5.41/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    39


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    464/814(+4.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    43


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Retribution</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Summoning howl</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Empowering rage</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Terrifying roar</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Absolute obedience</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Brawling master</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Experience</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the dungeon</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Aren''t you a bit too overpowered for some beginners to attack you, you shitty mutt!? What is that useless game God thinking setting this kind of bullshit up? What''s with those stats and those skills? And why two blessings? What the hell is the Blessing of the dungeon!?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the dungeon


    Offered to the boss-level monster of each floor.


    It provides an increase of 15 in stats and 1500 points increase in HP.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "IT WAS A RHETORICAL QUESTION!"


    With a fierce growl, the boss, or better said Iron Fang was checking me out with an almost human-like sneer on his ugly mug. I remained on guard and quickly tried to look at his other skills for more details and then bolt out of here so that Clara can send the remaining monsters to Oz one more time.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Retribution


    Offers a chance of 25% to automatically return the full damage received within a total of 3 seconds.


    Works only if the attacker is within a five meter radius and has a cooldown of 15 seconds once successfully activated.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [AWWWOOOOOOOOO!!!](Iron Fang)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stunned status inflicted! You are unable to move for 3 seconds!


    Enfeebled status resisted!


    Weakened status inflicted! Your defence is dropped by 50% for the next 15 seconds!


    Terrified status resisted!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "What the...!? What''s up with that strong debuff skill? And why the hell do you look more confused than I am, you shitty mutt!?"


    [MRRRRRRR!!!](Iron Fang)


    Taking that time the dog was pissed off and barking at me, I quickly inspected the other skills he had.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Terrifying roar


    Inflicts ''Terrified'' status onto every target within 50 meter radius with a probability of 75% and depending on the target''s mental strength.


    Upon success, the target will be inflicted with said status for up to sixty seconds.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Absolute obedience


    Other members of the same race will follow your every order.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Empowering rage


    When your HP reaches 25% of its total value, your damage gets increased by 250% and your attack and movement speed by 150%.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "It even has a berserk skill!?"


    [AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!](Iron Fang)


    "I don''t need to use Identify to know what that was... Fuck! There was another entrance!?"


    As soon as his loud howl started, four Kobolds entered the hut opposite of the door I used to barge in. They rushed to Iron Fang''s side and growled menacing at me.


    "And here are the four unaccounted ones. Shit...why do I have to keep tripping flags!?"


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    51


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Kobold Elite


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    78%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    35


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1 year


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    51


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Anhur


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    43


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1040/1040(+3.01/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    64/64(+0.09/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    21


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Enrage</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of Experience</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Of course...Elites... Well then, it was a pleasure meeting you gentlema....gentlemutts? This is where we part ways. I wish you all a good evening and I thank you for your hospitality!"


    I immediately turned tail and ran towards the door. I had absolutely no chance to win against all five of them in that hut.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Enrage


    While under the effect of Summoning Howl, if the skill user is wounded receive a 100% increase in damage inflicted.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Isn''t the synergy effect a bit too great you useless game God!? I''m a solo player you know! This makes the cheat elf look like even worse of a cheater! How the hell did she manage to wipe out that absolute monster back there? Over 2500 damage with one spell?"


    I ran outside of the tent and walked towards the sixth layer, only to notice that Kobolds were coming out from the uncleared huts, all running towards the boss with one single purpose in mind: hunting the intruder.


    There were about forty Kobold Soldiers, four Elite Kobolds and Iron Fang left standing.


    "Since there''s no way out, I might as well start by killing the trash mobs."

 Day 5 - Choices and decisions

    I hid inside one of the nearby huts and looked at the raging Kobolds outside. Watching them run around with ferocious looks on their faces threw me into a daze. Involuntarily I started scratching the scar on my left hand and for the first time since coming to this new world I thought seriously about my life on Earth. Then, about how I arrived here... or more specifically the method through which I was sent here by that girl.


    It felt odd all of a sudden and all my previous conjectures felt off as well, almost like pieces were missing from a puzzle you are trying your damn hardest to put together. But they are missing after all and you can''t finish the whole thing...


    What was I missing? What didn''t I pay attention to? My head started hurting and this strange feeling like I was breathing in stale air hit me like a hammer in the chest. I leaned on the wall of the hut and tried to calm down my now erratic breathing and sort out my thoughts.


    I woke up from my daydreaming (well I guess is technically night right now) and focused on the two groups of Kobolds searching around. In front of me, the four elites and everywhere else, the soldiers which were trampling the ground in their wake like a rampaging mini-horde. It felt a bit surreal how calm I was right at this moment, since the situation is not exactly that great. However... I know something changed compared to who I was before and I can''t put my finger on it exactly. But I know what it had to do with.


    If indeed I was killed and it happened exactly as I remember it, my ''self'' died that night, snuffed out by those beautiful blue eyes and was reconstructed into this new version. In that case, am I still me? I have all my memories and unlike that night, I can actually feel and care when something happens...but is not the same, like something is missing still. And this feeling I carry with me at all times...


    "Clara, I know you''re around here somewhere. Don''t interfere unless I seem to die! I want to confirm something."


    Choices... I had so many since coming here, but if one thing is for sure is that I consciously avoided thinking about what happened to me that night. I ignored it, locked it into a deep part of my mind and pretended not to remember it, hoping that it won''t affect who I am right now... But it did and now everything is different. Not only this new world, but me as well with it.


    Therefore I should stop trying to run and figure this whole damn thing out...


    "And that applies to these mutts as well."


    I placed both daggers back in their sheaths and took out throwing knives. As I kept creeping towards the incoming soldier Kobolds, I threw two of them at the ones lagging behind the rest and then took out my daggers again.


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -328HP!


    Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 3 seconds!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -379HP!


    Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 4 seconds!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Since I was still in the middle of the village, I ran back towards the sixth layer and hid behind one of the huts again. Taking advantage of my newly acquired skill Shadow Walk, I calmed my breath and looked at my status window. With my current HP being 531/831, I breathed out in relief knowing that it was properly auto-regenerating.


    "If it could heal up the current headache it would be great. But that''s good enough since I''ll need my full HP later on. Also there''s no increase in exp or a message alert... Meaning that I didn''t kill those two. This will be way harder than I originally thought."


    I glanced slightly in a direction and saw the four elite (literally) barking orders to the soldiers, which then ran even wilder in search of me, while they returned inside of the ''ger'', remaining by the Kobold Boss''s side.


    I decided to take care of the trash mobs first, then run inside and pick off the elites as well, before finishing off the boss. But finishing them off, now that they are split into groups will be difficult even with my stealth...


    However, if I can maintain my calm while fighting them, they shouldn''t pose a treat.


    "..."


    There it goes again...that faint sound similar to static and this feeling trying to claw its way out through the massive migraine I''m having. I need to focus even harder on it. It feels as if it tells me that something''s wrong and it forces me to find the answer.


    "If that''s the case, since there''s no other way out, I''ll gladly take the hand given to me belonging to a saving angel, or the claws and hoofs of a demon of doom."


    With the daggers in my hand I once again looked around and saw that the groups have split into four smaller ones of five soldiers and each is heading towards a different place.


    It seems that they don''t know my position, meaning that my skill is working properly. Since I also have Night prowl, I am surprised that the two Kobolds didn''t die back then, but their HP should be abysmally low. Also, the four groups that have split...


    "One to each cardinal point... I will have to run quite a bit around the encampment to hunt them down... ''To hunt is to live'' right? ''Stalker'' or not, assassination techniques will work perfectly with my hit and run strategy. Plus that in case something goes wrong, I could probably overpower them in a fight of two vs one. Probably..."


    I breathe in and let the air fill my lungs as I close my eyes. I clear my mind of all extra thoughts and while I exhale, I leave behind only what I need right now: focus.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.Under the cover of darkness, I silently follow the first group of five soldiers that went west, towards the tunnel and the rock labyrinth. They look on high alert, therefore I want to have a bit more distance between the others and them before striking.


    We''re almost at the second layer and they keep checking the huts on the way. They seem to grip their swords harder after finding all of them empty and at the same time, they look distracted.


    Or maybe they are scared, knowing that someone hunted them like this.


    "Since Clara already wiped them out once, I wonder if they maintain their previous memories when respawning..."


    We reached the first outer layer and I decided to strike. I am directly behind them at a distance of about five meters and take out a throwing knife. I aim towards his neck and focus.


    The knife silently travels and cuts through the darkness and the warm, while accurately piercing the neck of the Kobold.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -429HP!


    Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 4 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The other four immediately turn to him, however he falls to the ground and disappears in a cloud of white particles. I was expecting to see exactly how they would react when their friend turns into hide and copper coins, but I guess the drops will show only when all five are dealt with.


    "They don''t seem to know my position... I should keep dwindling their numbers with throwing knifes and kill them from a safe distance."


    Like planned I kept throwing knives as soon as they stood in place for longer than three seconds, in order to aim properly at a fatal spot. The aim assistance was well received and the remaining ones soon vanished as well, in their place two silver coins and five hides laying on the ground.


    After picking them up, I looked towards the place where my throwing knives were.


    [Two are broken. Is not good to overuse and not maintain them properly you know...](Clara)


    "Is not like I know how weapon maintenance works... Have you seen the entire thing?"


    [Yes. Those four, have you seen their status windows?](Clara)


    "Yeah. They are really strong... I am not really confident in fighting all four at once."


    [Liar. Something changed from before. You leveled up again didn''t you?](Clara)


    "I''ll explain later in detail. How can you tell?"


    [If you are further than three meters away from me I can no longer follow you with my eyes, unless I use the mana perception skill. Is quite annoying.](Clara)


    "That''s the whole purpose of it... Anyway, I''ll go clean up the rest of the soldiers and fight the elites. I need to gouge their strength for our own soldiers."


    [Have fun!](Clara)


    This OP dark-elf...she actually thinks hunting and slaughtering this monsters is fun. I can''t blame her after they killed humans outside, but she''s enjoying this a bit too much.


    "She gives off a really weird vibe. It kind of messes up my focus..."


    I rotated north, alternating through the second and third layer and found the group. Thus, I used the same tactic and three other knives broke. After picking up the money, the same two silver coins and put the hide in the bag, I realized now why the weapon clerk called them ''expendables''.


    After cutting straight through the middle of the village again, in order to check the situation, I ended up reaching the south group and eliminated them also. Fortunately, my daggers were just as good at one-shooting the Kobolds from a more intimate distance, so no throwing knives were ruined this time.


    Deciding that I will need the remaining three knives for the fight with the boss since I can''t kill him from up close, I walked towards the east group planing to use only my daggers.


    Only a couple of steps away from them, I closed my eyes, breathed in so that I can calm down again and sprinted in their direction.


    With the right hand, I stab the first Kobold in the back and he falls to the ground.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -549HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! -98HP/sec for 8 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The closest soldier sees me and lounges with his sword towards me. Using my left dagger slightly lowered, I parry and let his sword slide to the the ground next to my leg, making him lose his balance. Without missing the opportunity, I stab him with the right dagger in the neck and take a step back.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -621HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! -123HP/sec for 12 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    In just about 10 seconds, the first two Kobolds were silenced successfully and since I backed off more than three meters away from them now, the remaining three lost sight of me again.


    I circle around them, while they brandish their swords towards the place I was previously at. Since they are close together, I stab the first two in the back, probably hitting the lungs from the blood coughing sounds as they fall on the ground.


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -628HP!


    Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 3 seconds!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -679HP!


    Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 4 seconds!


    Your target died!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    We both fall and since my daggers have a better reach, I stab him first.


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatal damage inflicted! -702HP!


    Stunned status inflicted! Target is unable to move for 3 seconds!


    Fatal damage inflicted! -649HP!


    Bleeding status inflicted! -98HP/sec for 8 seconds!


    Your target died!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    [And that''s all the small ones. Now you go for the remaining five?](Clara)


    "...yes."


    It was a good gain of experience, as well as money. Each kill was worth quite the lump of exp before the multipliers by the Job and the blessings.

 Resonance

    Wanting to take a step forward, a feeling of uneasiness rushed over me. Before I could even have my boot touch the dirt, a slight breeze brushed passed me, sending shivers down my spine and literally stopping my body in that awkward mid-air position. All my muscles stiffened and my breathing paused, being unable to move even a finger...


    Scared... Scared? Didn''t I have the Fear resistance though? And why is this feeling so damn familiar? It feels exactly like back then... Is she around?


    Thoroughly frightened, I force my head to turn to its left and look at Clara finding comfort in her absolute strength. One could notice the puzzled look on her face after seeing my actions, while she was preparing to back off and watch from the shadows. That means that only I can feel this? Impossible!


    "Clara, can you..."


    And I stopped again. Or rather, I was stopped again, forced by an eerie sound akin to static on an old car radio, desperately searching for a working channel. It was barely audible and I''m sure anyone could mistake it for the wind... if we weren''t inside a cave in a dungeon at this moment.


    It doesn''t seem to have plans of stopping anytime soon either, as it grew in intensity and volume with each passing second, becoming louder and louder. Sometimes it would briefly interrupt and attempts at words were being made, sending a pulsating ripple from one end of the cave to the other, smashing into everything on its path and utterly terrifying me.


    I tried to forcibly calm down my beating heart that appeared to resonate with it but to no avail, as the static easily overpowered my attempts.


    (Can...h...e...)


    It was really trying to attune itself and the static soon became... drowned by an all too familiar voice making its way through. On my left hand around the scar, one could see how affected I was, through the hair which was fully standing... how could I not recognize it, this voice...


    (Can...h...me?)


    A question? Unsure, I looked to Clara for help, only to find both her and the surroundings slow down until the point of becoming completely immobile. I could see a group of 5 Kobold Soldiers and the 4 Elites fully stopped nearby some huts in my vicinity, making one believe that they were sculptures made by a God-level craftsman, given how life-like the were. Frozen in time? Heh! I finally lost my shit...


    (Can you hear me?)


    The pure clarity of the voice brought me back to reality (or whatever this was) and jolted my body awake as well, giving back freedom to my limbs. But I was compelled to reply... I couldn''t even begin to imagine the repercussions in case I didn''t.


    "Mhm... I can..."


    The moment the words escaped my mouth, the static disappeared entirely, just like a bad dream. But why was I feeling even more scared than I previously was then? Why was my whole body shaking like leaf in the wind?


    Before I could receive an answer, the static returned for a moment and got so loud that it was unbearable, but just for just a second or two, only to fully dissipate once more. Only silence was left...


    (FINALLY!)


    The voice exaggeratedly yelled in celebration and I almost could see it jump up and down, enjoying its victory. However the moment after, I could sense it locking me down, filled with rage for whatever reason.


    (YOU! Just how many times do you plan to play this stupid game of yours with me!? Do you think this is hide-and-seek and I have the time to tag along!? Do you have any idea how freaking hard is to find you!? You need to... fast! We have to... life! FUCK! STOP DOING THAT!)


    Needless to say, I was more than a bit baffled. First I''m scolded by this... voice, then I''m being reproached for who-knows-what, then he stops mid sentence and continues like nothing happened, only to get mad at me in the end... Just what kind of bipolar ghost did I piss off this time?


    "Uhm... Apologies, but who are you? What do you mean? I can''t understand more than half of what you''re saying..."


    (I didn''t expect my ... to be such a snowflake. There you go again! Stop doing that! How many times do you plan to hide here, only to destroy and reco... FUCK! CAN YOU... Oh shit! Stop, stop, stop!)


    "Huh!?"


    The voice panicked big time and I felt it look up to the ceiling, therefore following suite. The crystals on it shone a resplendent light, unbecoming to the middle of the night and began cracking with a crisp sound akin to glass shattering upon blunt impact. Mesmerized by the light show, we both watched in silent rapture as small fragments began drifting towards the floor like pelting rain, dancing through the unmoving air.


    Such ''rain'' floated towards the poorly built huts, the stalagmites, the Kobolds, Clara and everything else in sight, bathing them in light.


    It looked so peaceful and beautiful that it strangely calmed me down, making me extend the index finger of my right hand, trying to catch one of these sprites. Almost like following my will, it landed on the tip of it and brought it closer to my eyes, in hopes of examining it.


    "Rather than rain, or even snow... doesn''t this look more like ash?"A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The moment the words escaped my lips, through the frozen cave an explosion of light flared out for a fraction of a second and a low glimmer appeared in the air, among the falling ash. The same happened to the one on my finger...


    "HOT!!!"


    I violently shook my right hand in a panic trying to get rid of the fragment resting on it, seeming like if allowed one more moment, it would surely burn through skin and bone without any resistance. It fell back towards the ground and upon contact with it, it instantly lit up into a small flame burning the ground under it to nothingness.


    (Catharsis? How... unoriginal...)


    Before any questions could be asked about the meaning behind those words, the entire cave burst in flames, transforming into an raging inferno. The village, the monsters, the surrounding walls of the cave, all became a sea of flames devouring everything in its path. Everything and everyone... everyone...


    "Clara!"


    Scared, I shouted loudly turning my body to face the beautiful elf once more, only to find her burning away in silence. Her hair that possessed the beauty of nature itself was no more, now charred black, as her pretty visage was also burned full of scorching scars. A smile remained barely visible and a clear pair of clever eyes looking straight into my own. I ran as fast as I could through the unforgiving rain and grabbed her left hand... it was cold and it gave me hope. Pulling her towards me, I felt the same breeze blowing past me once more and then, following my hand that clasped the dainty wrist, shattered the body of the elf into small particles of ash.


    After the violent display, I remained motionless, looking at the spot where once Clara stood smiling mischievously in my direction. I didn''t know what to make of all this. Was it a dream? Maybe I didn''t wake up yet and morning hasn''t arrived still... I just... remained there, rooted to the same spot as I watched my surroundings drift away into nothingness, until the point where only darkness remained.


    (Haaah...)


    The voice let out a loud defeated sigh, turning an almost pitting look in my direction. The sadness I felt was... painful. Seeing such, it started chastising me once more...


    (You''re doing it again... However, this time, I won''t let you run away so easily! I''ll see you soon...)


    Silence... darkness... nothingness... now that even the voice disappeared, loneliness as well. My eyelids felt heavy, so I allowed them to slowly close. Before I did so completely, I blinked once and the image of a rosy-red pair of lips slightly raised into a demure smile surfaced, then moving slowly it created a string of words: "I''ll see you soon...my beloved raven."


    "AHHHH!"


    [Whoa, whoa there big boy! Calm down will you!? You almost knocked down my teacup.]


    "You!? Why? How? Why?"


    [Easy there cowboy! Take it slow, I''m not going anywhere. Drink up, it will help you calm down...]


    I watched as this gentleman...no, as this artificially created God waved his hand and moved us into the same room with the coffee table between us. I watched my hands which hovered above it tremble, unable to stop myself.


    "What was that? Who was that? What happened to Clara and the dungeon? Why did I see her again?"


    Thinking up to that point, I started to dry heave and unable to breathe clutched at my neck in a panic. Scared! What just happened? Why I''m I back here? What afterlife? This was just like my own private version of hell...


    Seeing that I fell into a rather, unpleasant state, the God in front of me flicked my forehead with his finger, while shaking his head in disappointment. To me, it was just like a bell ringing on Sunday, announcing the beginning of the sermon. It gave clarity and I began to calm down after a couple more minutes. Exhaling loudly, I reached my hand towards the cup of tea and took a sip, unwilling to put it back on the table in case my trembling started once more.


    [Good! It seems that you calmed down a notch.]


    "Yes, thank you. Can you explain please?"


    [Oh, that? That was the ending of the demo.]


    "???"


    [You know... the trial run? To give you an idea of how the game looks like? You can think yourself as a beta tester if you''d like. I gave you that bit of a walk-through so that you won''t be at a disadvantage and the game can be maintained as scale-balanced as possible (as fun as it might be otherwise). Do keep in mind though, that it was that easy in order for you to learn as much as possible, as fast as possible. Also, I intended to make it last 7 days in the beginning, but for whatever reason, you triggered the end of it sooner. Fast learner I guess! Also, 7 days? Get it? Hahahaha!]


    "???"


    [Ugh... you''re literally ruining my vibe here. I get that you haven''t still calmed down properly, but think about it! Didn''t I told you in the beginning before sending you there? There''s a planet without a God. That means an empty seat in the game... I can''t play... so...]


    "So?"


    [Oh come on! I''m I doing a one man show here!? You''ll take that place!]


    "I''ll do what now!?''


    Has this God gone mental? He wants me to play along in this ''game'' that all Gods of creation invented, not as a soul, but rather as a God myself? And here I thought that I lost my marbles...


    "Is that even possible? Wouldn''t that breach some unknown rules or something? Plus, the game started nearly 1000 years ago and will soon begin allowing alliances and wars and stuff to happen from what you told me before. Also, not to mention that, I don''t know... for example... I''M NOT A FREAKING GOD!"


    [Don''t fret the small stuff! I''ll take care of the legal parts since I''m the administrator..."


    "You''re planing to abuse your power for your own entertainment!?"


    [...and I will also send you back in time to the point where the game began. I''ll send a notification to the others that you will participate and that will be the end of it. Anything else before I send you off?]


    "Wait! I have no chance in such a thing!!! How the hell can I compete with Gods which hold knowledge accumulated during millions of years since humanity brought them into existence!?"


    [Nothing of importance then... Well then, off you go! Have fun and please do your best to entertain me! Buh-bye!]


    "You fucking useless and self-centered GAME GOD!!!"


    Of course, before I could say anything more or complain further, it became obvious that I had no right or power in making that happen, further enforced by the blue window in front of me.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Welcome to the ''Afterlife - Next World''s Auction House'' game!


    You have been registered and recognized as one of the players.


    Would you like to enable the tutorial?


    Yes / No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Fuck..."

 Lets start with the tutorial...

    Looking at the window in front of my eyes, I felt like I was seconds away from going through a Donald Duck type of rage fit. Therefore, in order to calm myself down I took a deep breath and exhaled... seeing that it didn''t work, I repeated the process about six more times, until I was feeling somewhat less murderous and started to try piecing the things together.


    First off, from what that useless God told me, this game consists of 1000 players (Gods) and him as the game master (the useless administrator). Since he indeed mentioned one of them ''fading out of existence'' or something and one planet remained God-less, I am now supposed to take his place since himself as game master cannot intervene directly. This pretty much implied that I just skipped the part where I journey through life and death scenarios for years and years, suffer tribulations and missfortune... and then reach the apex level, the realm of Gods. Yeah! I just warped my ass from the interview for an intern position, to that of the CEO of the firm...


    Secondly, this game''s purpose is to be used as a channel to compete among each other in terms of civilization, culture, military might and any other index that might be relevant at a global level. Or, to put in a different way, who''s the best at God-ing. Now, in my case, even with that ''tour'' I was given, I''m still at a loss as per how the heck I''m I supposed to compete with the other libraries of knowledge (a.k.a. Gods), given that I only played a couple of games in the past... I am not even on a level of a weebo with shitloads of internet knowledge... Best I can manage are some songs that I still remember the lyrics of... maybe I could become a bard or something...


    Third, as creepy as it might sound, the main resource in the game are souls. That''s right, human souls! To make matters worse, it''s used as method of currency and the quality is just as important as the quantity. That means that the ''adventurer system'' I''ve witnessed and experienced previously with levels and Jobs, is mandatory in order to refine them further. As per how you gather those... souls, I have no clue whatsoever. All I am certain of is, that it will surely be used as currency given that even in the name of the ''game'' has the words ''Auction House'' in it, signifying that things (hopefully not more souls) will be available to be purchased.


    Fourth, once again, I''m at a large disadvantage compared to the other ''players''. I mean honestly, they watched countless civilizations rise and fall, therefore even the dumbest, most musclehead-like War God, still has an idea of what he should and he shouldn''t do. Me? I slept through most of my history classes and I can only rely on games like Age of Empires or Civilization to do anything slightly usefull... and even those, I''m not confident in reproducing. Obviously, every God will have his/her''s own approach on how to start and handle things, as well as the general direction in which his civilization should head in the future. What the hell I''m I supposed to do about mine? Is not like I know anything about military except some vague things from the movies I''ve watched, I don''t know anything more than a couple of things I''ve learned in literature class about poets, writers and philosophers, therefore unable to focus heavily on culture or even give guidance and I have also zero dexterity whatsoever when it comes to building stuff, so the land of artisans is also out of the equation... My future looks grim....


    Fifth and lastly, after all the complaining, I''m rather calm and collected when compared with how I thought I''d react initially. I should give myself a pat on the shoulder, as well as extra credit for the fact that I''m not freaking out. Why? Well, given that I am currently floating in mid-air in the middle of a ''room'' of sorts, barely illuminated, with a goddamn black sphere in front of me that''s the size of a house, I''d say that I''d earn that right.


    Ugh... That''s probably my new ''world'' or at least the visual representation of it. I hope it''s the second one... Suddenly becoming a giant that''s the size of the moon, feels rather tacky. Let''s start the tutorial...


    "Yes!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Initiating...


    Gathering required data!


    Accessing the game compiled database!


    Scanning the player for authorization... Granted!


    Beginning tutorial!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After the words spoken in monotone by an asexual voice that gave me the creeps, I realized that vocal commands were the only way to do anything. I say that with certainty, because I nearly fell (if that''s even possible) trying to press ''Yes'' on the blue window interface in front of me. EMBARRASSING!!!


    I focused on the ''tab'' (it looks like a game window...) that suddenly enlarged and transformed from a small pop-up window, into a really loooooong sheet of paper. Then, words began floating upwards on it, exactly like in the Star Wars intro of the movie, making me scream inwardly ''Copyrights''. I calmed down and started reading...


    <table width="447">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Once upon a time, the Gods were bored...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Oi! The fuck!?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">...so in order to alleviate the said boredom and find a proper source of entertainment, they started a game.


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.This game where one uses their knowledge, personality and divinity in order to bring a world into shape, develop it and compete against the other players for supremacy in one field, or in all of them.


    Let the mortals fall on their knees and prostrate in front of you with worship because of the miracles you grant them, or shiver in fear of the punishment you will deliver for those astray.


    Will you have them suffer ordeals in order to strengthen both their souls and their faith, or will you nurture them with kindness and nudge them towards the peaks of knowledge?


    Peace, or war?


    Civilization through industry, or cultural advancement?


    Good, or evil?


    Only you have the power to decide!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Okay, I have to admit that for a game intro, that was pretty good. It sounds impressive enough and would certainly excite the players if one thought about the gameplay... if they wouldn''t be dragged around by an useless God and without any sort of proper prior explanation be dropped in the middle of it. That and the fact that the monotone voice reading out those phrases, ruined the whole thing.


    While I was giving my opinion as a rather experienced gamer, the last word disappeared and the ''tab'' once again resized itself, this time into something like a home cinema. A video started playing.


    The said video began with the same black sphere which was right behind the current screen, suddenly being illuminated by a star that popped out into existence near it, forcing the planet to orbit around it due to its size. Following a couple of cycles, a moon appeared in the vicinity of the still black sphere, beginning to spin around it as well. Watching it on fast-forward really makes one dizzy...


    Seconds later, cracks appeared in the black color encompassing the world, revealing a brown healthy color. Like paint falling from an olden car, piece after piece of black was being engulfed by the newly created dirt, giving way to different forms of land from mountains to valleys and many others.


    Later on, streaks of blue began slithering across it, just like flying dragons, forcing their way and reshaping it even more, while splitting the land into various parts.


    Then, a surprising thing happened. Because of the newly appeared water, a shapeless fog began engulfing the entire planet, giving it a light blue color. That was probably the atmosphere.


    Following the rather interesting display, after a slight time lapse, small plants began to sprout here and there, dyeing the ground in a multitude of colors, followed by myriads of insects and animals traveling around the newly created planet in search of a home.


    To my surprise, it didn''t stop there. With the appearance of the first humans, the video began to focus on them entirely forsaking general background stuff. Buildings rose from the ground, huge patches of land were reclaimed and used as farms, hordes of wild animals were herded giving birth to animal husbandry and the once small village, slowly began to develop into a city, then a county, then a prefecture, then into a full blown country. Civilization bloomed and technology advanced by leaps and bounds, soon giving way to legions of well equiped armies being trained by a stern looking general riding on top of a horse.


    Then suddenly, in the middle of one night, the sky lit up and split apart. Through it, a voice boomed loudly, making itself known to the ones staring agape at the marvel that connected the heaven and earth, dancing in different colors. People fell to their knees quickly and began worshiping the God which announced its presence to them, not daring to dawdle even for a second, or try to look up at the wondrous phenomena. Temples were built the following days and peace reclaimed the world.


    The hunters became fighters, under the guidance of their deity and trained daily due to the prophecy their priests granted upon them: an enemy that will threaten their livelihood will soon appear. And appear it did!


    Hordes of monsters clashed against the human legions. Claws and fangs were stopped with swords and spears, even if they were outnumbered greatly. But they were still outnumbered and soon, lives were reaped at a disheartening pace. Seeing such a massacre occur, the priests fell to the ground praying for help from their God and such prayer was heard. Light shone above the soldiers as a reply.


    Like a sea parting, the army made way for five people which fearlessly advanced and rushed into the enemy hordes on their own. Fire explosions burned thousands of monsters into dust, while ice and lightning rained upon thousands more. Simple swings of a lance cleared hundreds of meters in front of the warriors, while just one prayer from such a hero raised and healed his previously fallen comrades. The enemies didn''t stand a chance!


    With victory achieved and the monsters subjugated, they once again returned to building their civilization, polishing and improving weapons and praying daily to the God which saved them. Soon, building blocks towering above the trees replaced the modest dwellings which once stood on this field, while the troops kept cleansing the lands from the presence of monsters. Nothing could stop them from achieving the wishes of their God.


    Until a bolt of lighting literally split heavens and ground apart once more, leaving one person raising to its feet in the cloud of dust. The shadow of a person was slowly revealed by the blowing wind and soon a brave warrior appeared, looking down on the army he was facing, sneering at them. Turning around with his back facing them in provocation, he raised his fist towards the sky while holding a red blood-dripping sword and howled to the heavens.


    Following such a loud shout, an even more powerful and louder one came from the direction the warrior was looking at, as millions upon millions of people grouped up in front of him. Facing such huge numbers, the general of the defending army smiled with glee at the invader army, took out his lance, pointed at the enemy and gave the order to engage!


    Two armies charged against one another under a sky now dark and filled with roaring thunder.


    And then the video stopped...


    "Wow..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Initializing the first mission...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Chaos

    A''Loading'' message, followed by a progression bar whichshowed 12% appeared, so I began analyzing the ''intro'' I just watched while it was still fresh on my memory.


    The war against monsters and the powers they displayed must certainly be the system through which the souls are refined and able to develop such unnatural abilities. Let''s stick with the ''adventurer system'' for now...


    Nevertheless, the video made it obvious that the game will revolve around humans firstly and secondly around this system, for both protection and advancement of the civilization. Also, remembering from the ''demo'', there''s more than one way to develop a soul. Not only as a fighter, but any other occupation can become just as relevant if given sufficient time and resources.


    What worries me isthe last part of the video. With other worlds invading, there is an imperative needfor a strong and unmoving military, either to be used for protection or conquest if is the case. So, while it might not seem like much, the video hints at the need to balance things like the advancement of technology, with the development of culture, all while making sure my people won''t be steamrolled by the first wave of monsters that appear. It truly is more troublesome and complex than I originally thought...


    Turning my head away from the still loading screen, the black empty planet stood there, staring back at me in silence. I''ll be have to ''shape it according to my will'' and build a civilization that represents me... wow, I just imagined 7 billion people that follow my teachings and have deeply ingrained in their subconscious my personality... the world burns as it''s engulfed in wanton chaos... I apologize, future believers in myself!


    Wait! This really means that there will be people to worship me, right? We''re not talking Michael Jackson style,but rather morelike Buddha? And there''s also, fightingother Gods? As ludicrous as it might sound... the thought of it makes me grin with anticipation. Why not after all? It''s not like I have a choice in the matter anyway, so why fight against the waves when I canjust ride them? It sounds fun anyway...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Initialization complete!


    Mission 1: User Interface!


    Description: Activate and explore the management interface window onthe blue frame!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I will spare the details where I shouted for about 15 minutes random things, trying to get this damn thing to work and failing spectacularly while at it. In the end, all I had to do was give the command and the specification of it. Like for example, when teaching a dog to fetch a stick, you can''t just throw it and say ''Stick'' or ''Fetch''. You had to use it properly by saying ''Fetch the fucking Stick!''. Same with this bullshit...


    "Open up Management Interface window!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Player recognized!


    Successfully logged in and stored credentials based on voice pattern recognition.


    Logged in as Michael Corbett!


    Opening the Management Interface!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Truly game like... Prometheus outdid himself whenputting it together like this. Too bad that useless game God doesn''t take after him... Let''s see what options are available... Hmm!?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Player: Michael Corbett</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">World: Unnamed</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Funds: 0SP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World Management Interface</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Auction House</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Before any reaction, another string of notifications were listed.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mission 1 complete!


    Awarding 100M SP due to completion!


    Initializing Mission 2...


    Mission 2: Explore!


    Description: Explore the five options available on the Management Interface window!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Since I wasn''t required to actually touch the ''screen'' in order to perform any changes, I once again used vocal commands to open upthe most obvious one.


    "Open up Player window!"


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Player: Michael Corbett</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Rank: NewbieDeity of Chaos [Lvl 0]</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Miracles avaliable: Soul Upgrade [Ex]; VIP discount [Uq]</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Worlds under control: 1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Faith: 0 followers</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">  Influence: 0%  |  Alignment: None       </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Assigned Hero: None</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "There''s quite the number of things to complain about... Also, this ''status page'' is way different than the one Ihad as an adventurer. Let''s start with the most obviously obnoxious thing..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">


    Rank: NewbieDeity of Chaos [Lvl 0]


    Each God needs to start somewhere! As a beginner, you will rack up experience based on special actions, number of followers that believe in you, as well as successful advancements of your civilization (cultural, technological, or otherwise). Current Exp: 0/1000


    Since you are at the starting line as a deity, you have a maximum of two miracles you can perform. However, don''t let that discourage you! Each Rank Up will increase the number of miracles allotted by one. In order to Rank Up, you need to increase your level 10 times for the first one, 25 additional times for the second one, 50 additional times for the third one, 100 additional times for the fourth one, etc.        Current Rank Up progression: 0/10


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Even if you are the lowest rank at the moment, don''t look down on your own divinity! As a representative of Chaos, you can notice pattern in advance, while the universe itself looks out for you. They say that everything started with Chaos and that everything shall be destroyed by Chaos in the end!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "WHAT''S WITH THAT FORCED SETTING!?"


    I felt a headache brewing... I mean, seriously now! What do you mean ''each God has to start somewhere''? Is there a school? Is there a crash course I could take before diving in head-first into this mess? And what''s whit that bullshit power!? I can see patterns? Bullshit! I can''t see shit! That useless game God! At least give me something useful! Also, what''s with that ominous ending!? I''m I starting down the path of the Demon Lord!?


    "Ugh...my head hurts... Anyway!!! It appears that due to my impromptu appearance as a player, I was recognized as a deity of Chaos. The description is vague and embarrassing to say in the least and the one that came up with it should be ashamed of himself!!! Leaving the stupid things aside, I have levels still... and I can rank up following a route similar to that of the adventurer''s system. The good news is that all other Gods have this set up as their starting line, so I am not as behind as I thought. Also, there''s the miracles I can perform..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Miracles available: Soul Upgrade [Ex]; VIP discount [Uq]


    Representing the power of a God, miracles are at their base, raw divinity infused in different objects, people or landscapes. Their use is to make it easier for a God to expand and strengthen the belief of his followers!


    Such miracles can be placed in two categories: active and passive.


    The passive miracles can grant permanent benefits, however they can''t directly spread out Faith, since they are hidden from sight. Also, given that they are continuously applied, the effectiveness they possess is limited.


    The active miracles provide a one time benefit to one or multiple targets and they allow the deity to confer a Divine Revelation once used. Due to their limited use, the effects are stronger than the ones provided by the passive miracles.


    A Divine Revelation, consists of a brief message the deity can send to one of his/her followers, alongside the use of an active miracle. This has been done in order to allow Faith to spread out easier.


    Soul Upgrade [Ex]: Active miracle! Cost: 10 Faith/use


    Description: In order to refine the quality of a soul, the number of soul points required is cut in half (example: usually, 100 LvL 0 souls are required to upgrade a soul to LvL 1. This miracle reduces the amount to only 50. As the LvL scales upwards, the reduction of 50% still applies!)


    VIP Discount [Uq] : Passive miracle!


    Description: Due to your ''unique'' relationship with the auction house master, all purchases made using SP are reduced by 25%!


    Each miracle differs from the others, based on its rarity as follows:


    Co: common rank;


    Uc: uncommon rank;


    R : rare rank;


    Vr: very rare rank;


    Ex: extraordinary rank;


    Uq: unique rank;


    Ep: epic rank;


    L : legendary rank;


    D : divine rank;


    Be advised that your actions prior to the rank up, decide the choice of miracles available to chose between.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "That''s... more information than I originally expected."


    However, it''s rather useful and interesting. Given their ability to be applied both permanently or targetable, both are impressive and have their own uses. I''m not sure which one is better to be honest: the first one is likely to have a major impact in the early stages, since I can forcibly upgrade the souls, diminishing the threat of the monsters in the wild. The second one is godly in the long run, since it will save me 25% of any cost in the action house.


    I didn''t expect that self-centered game God to be so generous. Even more, now at least I know what the SP represents: soul points...


    Yeah, I know! However, it makes sense since he already said that each player will get 100 million of them. That''s why my reward was exactly that number, representing the starting ''currency'' available to each player.


    As for what''s available to be bought using that... no clue whatsoever, at least for now. Also, I''m not as conflicted as originally thought I might be in regards to using the souls. Like I already said... ride the waves, or get thrown under!


    "Now for these two..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Faith: 0 followers


    Faith represents the worship and trust the mortals show to a specific deity, while each God depends heavily on it for his/her''s survival and strength.


    Each LvL 0 follower provides a daily amount of 1 Faith point and 1 Experience point and the amount of bothgo up with the higher levels of the mortals.


    Also, try and keep in mind that in order to be able to use any active miracles, a specific number of Faith points is required.


    Be sure to impressthe followers with your divinity early on and rule them fairly, for as easy as it is to garner their Faith, is just as easy to lose it!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Influence: 0%


    It is well known that a God can influence his followers. A God of War will make his worshipers stronger, fiercer and more courageous, while a God of Life will strengthen their connection with nature, creating a balanced relationship with the environment and therefore increasing their reproduction rate, while decreasing the mortality.


    As a Chaos Deity, each percentage provides a chance that a genius soul will be randomly born. The respective soul will start at LvL 3 and will take part of acategoryof yourchoosingamong the following:


    - Genius Scientist;


    - Genius Engineer;


    - Genius General;


    - Genius Musician;


    - Genius Prophet;


    - Genius Merchant;


    - Genius Writer;


    - Genius Artist;


    - Genius Admiral;


    - Genius Adventurer;


    Keep in mind that each said genius can only be part of one category until they reach LvL 5 in soul refinement, after which you can chose a second category for them. Upon maxing out to LvL 10, a third categorywill also be presented, allowing at maximum three areas of influence.


    Since a synergy effect between categories exists, chose carefully! If your choices aren''t suitable, the effect the genius will have on your civilization will lessen considerably!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "I can finally see the way to cheat! It seems like being a ''representative of Chaos'' is not that bad after all!"

 Hidden requirement

    While the Influence seemed amazing to say in the least, it was still at 0% and there wasn''t any specific mention about how to have it go up. As overpowered as it might be, zero is still zero...


    At least for Faith it was a bit simpler. Since I required people to believe in me, a lighting bolt here and a rainbow there should do the trick... but the problem laid in the fact that I needed to get in contact with my followers directly, in order to let them know who I am and whom to pray to. That means that I need to use my only active miracle, Soul Upgrade and that''s where the problem lied...


    To be able to use it, I required at the bare minimum those 10 Faith points in order to pass down a message through Divine Revelation. But among millions of people, what difference does one single lunatic raving about something the voice inside his head told him can make?


    "Ugh...this might prove more difficult than I originally thought..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Alignment: None


    A God''s predisposition is something that affects the behavior of his followers, as well as the speed with which their Faith spreads to other non-believers.


    If the Alignment is unchanged through big periods of time, Faith will receive a percentage boost in spreading, depending on the stability of the said type of alignment.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Vague again... I guess I can probably chose between good, bad and neutral, maybe even the extremes of the first two. But as far as the ''boost'' goes, that''s really nothing I can even speculate about."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Assigned Hero: None


    A hero is the representative of a God and it is used to spread out and enforce the belief to the rest of the world easier.


    By selecting a Hero, you are allowed to provide a one time Divine Revelation!


    As a pillar supporting the civilization, the hero can be nudged in the direction the God desires, by choosing a specific category which he can specialize in, as well as a second one to slowly develop, given that it will automatically be upgraded to LvL 5 in soul refinement.


    For the categories available, please see the Influence description.


    Only one hero can exist at a time in the world, so make your choice wisely!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "..."


    A LvL 5 soul? Based on what I read previously, even with my active miracle, in order to upgrade a soul to that level I would be required to spend 3850 SP just for one single person. Given the limited amount I am starting with and the fact that I don''t know exactly how I can acquire them, or if I even can, saving that amount by simply naming a random dude as my hero seems rather unexpected.


    Not to mention that I can chose the domains in which he/she will activate. Say for example that in the beginning, there will be a need for a person that''s good at commanding and that is also individually strong enough in order to give people confidence in following him/her. For that I can simply select that the first category will be Adventurer which will make him overpoweringly strong among his peers (given that he will have at least 4 rank ups based on that and the abilities that come with them) , while the fifth will be focusing on being a General capable of leading masses and military. If not, I can have him become a Scientist and something else like an Artist, hugely impacting my technological development as well as culture. Just like that useless game God said to me in the beginning, there are endless possibilities and it will be fun to see exactly what everyone goes for.


    Not to mention that this pretty much solves the problem of spreading my name as their God among them. With a person that stands at the front of the world praying to me, it will make it way easier for the others to follow suite, therefore giving me Faith points which I reward them back for being devote through upgrading them, they pray harder and the others begin doing the same, while the cycle goes on and on!


    It seems that I gave too little credit to that game God. For thinking of such a method, he is rather impressive...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Worlds Assigned: One


    The number of worlds owned by the deity.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "OF COURSE THERE''S ONE LIKE THIS! THAT USELESS GAME GOD!!!"


    After another 15 minutes of shouting, swearing and panting, I calmed down once more and waved the eight shiny blue windows to my right side, returning to the main menu.


    Seeing the management interface (which I named U.I. - short for user interface) twitch ever so slightly, seemingly in an attempt to rush me in checking out everything else, I took a look at the remaining tabs.


    I could also see someone calmly drinking his tea with a smirk on his face, thing that made a vein pop on my neck...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World name: Unnamed


    Assign a name to your world by stating the vocal command ''Assign name'' followed by the desired choice, in order to unlock extra features.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "So there''s something like that as well..."


    Focusing my gaze on the word ''unnamed'', it slowly vanished in thin air and was replaced by the question ''How would you like to name your world?''. If there''s a hint hidden feature like that, I should probably pay closer attention to the others as well. Who knows what I might miss.


    Anyway, shaking my head a bit in order to clear out the useless thoughts, I began contemplating a suitable name for my new world... Unexpectedly, a couple of seconds later, a grin shifted on my lips and I ordered with a confident voice:


    "Assign name, Midgard!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name has been assigned!


    Unlocking Achievements feature and the Achievements Store, in the Auction House section.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Major accomplishment achieved: Name Giver !</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Indeed, it seems like another field appeared in the U.I. tab. Let''s take a look I guess..."If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Achievements


    Do not forget that even if a game, this is still a competition! Being the first in something is always rewarded.


    Current achievements:


    - Name Giver: unable to name a world after themselves, the self-centered Gods have problems in deciding on a suitable choice. You are the first to reach a conclusion and as result you will be awarded 10 AP (achievement points);


    Depending on how many people already own the same accomplishment, the number of rewarded points can drop or increase accordingly.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "I am a bit pissed at myself for agreeing with that making sense... But now there are two ways of purchasing stuff and based on my game knowledge, through achievement points you should be able to get rare things that are otherwise not available in the normal store. But really though, how the heck was I the first to pick a name? I even wasted a ton of time cursing at a moronic entity and they still haven''t even picked a name? Shit! Did I miss on other stuff!?"


    After panicking for a bit and realizing that I was once again, wasting time, I realized that speaking of funds for purchase I still haven''t checked on my financial description.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Funds: 100M SP


    Souls are used as currency in the ''Afterlife'' game. Due to the impracticality of the souls being directly handed over to the players, each soul is under a contract with the proprietor, making matters more simple.


    Upon deciding to use the souls to purchase population, the available numbers will be directly teleported to your world coordinates, at a designed location of your choosing. If you use them as currency in purchasing other items, the contract with the souls handed over is terminated.


    In order to make things fair, all souls will begin at LvL 0 and each one can be converted into population of each sex, depending on the requirement of the player.


    Soul Points can be gained either through birth of new population based on sexual interactions, or through daily accumulations.


    Each member of the population provides a specific number of points on a daily basis, as follows:


    LvL 0 - 1SP/day; LvL 6 - 100SP/day;


    LvL 1 - 3SP/day; LvL 7 - 250SP/day;


    LvL 2 - 5SP/day; LvL 8 - 500SP/day;


    LvL 3 - 10SP/day; LvL 9 - 1000SP/day;


    LvL 4 - 25SP/day; LvL 10 - 5000SP/day;


    LvL 5 - 50SP/day; LvL MAX - 10000 SP/day.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Leave it to the game God to find a way to basically rent souls as a solution for the overpopulated Void Chamber...


    However, you can acquire soul points via childbirth? Doesn''t that give an unfair advantage to Gods of Love and Gods of Life? And here I thought I was the one overpowered, only to be proven utterly useless...


    "Huh!? Didn''t it said in the description of my Influence ability that for it to activate, it requires for a soul to be ''randomly born''? Doesn''t that mean that it''s actually useless until I actually get my followers to get laid!? What kind of shitty God I''m I!? Do I need to give a divine decree asking them to perform mass orgies in order to get Soul Points and MAYBE one genius after a year? Give me back my fucking hype you useless trash God!!!"


    After another bout of screaming and shouting, which by the way I am beginning to enjoy as they relax me, I realized the more important way to get SP: experience gain!


    While I am still unsure of how leveling up works for the non-combat classes, for the others it should be rather easy. I''ll just have to have them grind daily, by killing monsters over and over again, until they max out on their levels. That way, I''ll have a strong defending army and a viable source of income!


    The only problem is that a level 10 adventurer and a LvL 10 soul are two different things. If in order to reach LvL 1 in soul refinement and adventurer is required to be at least level 10 in his selected Job, then I''m pretty much fucked. I don''t even want to think about which level they need to reach to max out...


    Actually, what kind of absurd beings will they become since a ranking up is similar to undergoing an evolution, both physically and mentally? Will they become pseudo-Gods once they max out? How do I even control such monsters!?


    There are so many variables, that is almost impossible to predict an easy way out. I guess I''ll have to play the ''wait and see'' card for this one...


    "As far as what I can buy..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Auction House


    Currently locked!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "...talk about underwhelming... All that''s left now, is this one. Open up World Management!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Deploying World Management interface...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mission 2 complete!


    Unlocking purchase options able to sustain and assist in the creation of Midgard.


    Reward granted: 1 free purchase!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After a flurry of notifications assaulted my retina, the multiple blue frames opened previously circled behind my back creating half a cylinder, while in front of me there was now an open space. Seconds later, the huge black planet resized itself into a blue globe the size of an average human, while it floated in my direction glowing.


    I took the time to gawk around this ''room'' I was in, only to realize that there was no floor or walls that I could see, however I somehow ''felt'' where the delimitation was. It felt like I was trapped in a cube of sorts, therefore calling it room in a rather pathetic attempt at comforting myself.


    Going back to the emply space with the planet in the middle of it, it felt like a canvas ready to be worked on, probably later on giving me the option of adding stars and other heavenly bodies, in order to make it look less... desolate.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Deployment complete!


    Mission 3 available: End of tutorial!


    Description: Fiddle around with the World Management interface and figure out how to operate and make changes on it.


    Attention! The mission will end only when the hidden requirement for life on Midgard will be met!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Universal Announcement!


    Everybody be cautious!


    The tutorial ends once last player completes the final hurdle and with it, the game can truly begin!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    As far as the ''hidden requirement for life'', I already have an idea. But more important, what should I do? Do I clear it hoping for a possible first achievement again, or do I play around with it and familiarize myself with what might become, the way to win this stupid game?

 Rebellious Lightbringer!?

    I guessed that the last notification is an administrator message towards all players, something like a warning or a reminder. That implies that we''re in the last stage of the tutorial, which begs the question ''What next!?''.


    "And this hologram... it looks so much like it does in the movies. I wonder if it works the same as well... If I use both hands and try to zoom in by pulling them apart ... Holly shit it works! Nice! Hmm... well, since I already have an idea regarding how to clear out this final mission, I am left with two options: one, end it fast and painless while aiming for the first achievement again, which might be useful right now, or... take my time and properly explore the planet and the interface properly, which will definitely benefit me in the long run."


    So, I decided to play with the thing! Rotating it until I saw every single part, explored every corner of the ''room'' I was, apparently, in control of and even being able to pull the hologram of the planet apart like an onion, exposing different layers and some rather interesting stuff with it.


    The hologram was brought back into one piece, hiding away the solidified magma back into the dark-red core. This made me realize that is very likely that the game God added the same type of history of the Universe in the game, like the one based on which the Earth was created after the Big-Bang.


    Why was I happy about that? Because I actually extensively researched the respective theory in order to utterly piss off a very good friend that believed in creationism. Wrong purposes at that point aside, I believe that it will come in handy now, especially due to the ''findings'' my search produced.


    "Well then, let''s go ahead and complete the last step, shall we?"


    For the answer to the mission/riddle, I believe that the answer is the Sun. Life can''t exactly exist in darkness (probably not the type of life we imagine at least), while the planet''s temperature also must raise to a certain level, both of which require a source of light and heat. So it makes sense... that and the green plus button inside the white square directly above the planet''s original location.


    If I didn''t explore the room, I might''ve not found it this fast.


    Upon moving instantly to that position just by thinking about it (which by the way, is cool as fuck!!!), I lightly tapped on the out of place button (since apparently I am now able to do that instead of yelling orders) and it brought up the expected options.


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left"> Add external heavenly bodies:


    Sun - Close proximity star (50M SP);


    Moon - Orbiting satellite (10M SP);


    Stars - Long proximity stars (10M SP for a full set)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "The hell!? That''s half of the funds I have... But I am forced to since it''s kind of mandatory in order to pass the tutorial... Ugh..."


    To my surprise, when I selected the first option a rather interesting notification appeared, giving way to another choice to be made.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mission completed!


    Tutorial finished...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Would you like to purchase the selected product using SP, or using the one time free purchase gained?


    Use 50M SP / Use 1 Free purchase</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Now that, gave me something to think about. The price for the Sun is high to pay using SP, but since it gave the option to buy it and wasn''t given as a reward for completing the tutorial, it might mean that at a later point in time, a similar expensive purchase might appear... Honestly, the thought of a purchase of millions of people might starting at level max soul refinement sounds appealing but, I am 100% sure that such a loophole has already been taken care of, therefore impossible... so...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Usage of Free purchase confirmed!


    Examining the dimension and the original position of Midgard...


    Assigning K1V sub-giant star based on calculations regarding the sustainment of future life.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Tutorial has ended!


    Please remain on standby until the game begins.


    Further features have been unlocked in the World Management interface.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Curious about the changes, I brought up the holographic planet closer to me again, in order to see exactly what was added. And indeed there was a new World Management tab in the World Management interface... quite russian doll-like. However, what I saw once I opened it... frightened me...This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Manual Mode (!!!)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Automatic Mode</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Temperature: ???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center" rowspan="5">Import Earth''s template (50M SP)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Pressure: ???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Oxygen: ???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Water: ???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Biomass: ???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I mean, really now! How the heck I''m I supposed to know the right values!? Hopefully they will at least give me some hints in the description... assuming that they have one.


    And that last option for the automatic mode... ''Import Earth''s template''!? REALLY!? REALLY!? The cost is stupid high once again, but it lets you bypass everything and just skip to the perfect little world you want. On the other hand, the manual mode probably presumes the creation of the world, the hard way. Like for example, having to cool off the planet, help it create an atmosphere, have actual living things like plants and animals appear.


    But that shit takes millions of years, so I will be left behind big time by the other players... or at least that''s what I thought until I read those highlighted three exclamation marks next to manual mode.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">(!!!) - be advised that by choosing the Manual Mode you will freeze time within your space, until the world reaches human-survivable conditions.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    So there''s that... How do I feel about staying alone millions of years frozen in time and space while trying to create a planet that can support human life, that I don''t know yet. Can''t really say that I tried that last Sunday and it was okay...


    I could pick the Automatic Mode, however, spending half of my funds just to copy-paste Earth over my planet... no thank you! Isn''t the whole purpose of this game to create your own world?


    But even so, while I was right about requiring that free purchase for something other than the Sun, I didn''t expect to be right this soon... On the bright side (and yes, that''s a pun because I have a Sun now), the other ''players'' won''t get a head start on me while I tinker with my world, given that time will be frozen until I finish... IF I ever manage to actually finish...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Minor achievement received: Lightbringer !</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Seems like the type does change based on how many others got it before you... Let''s take a look at the specifics before complaining about it though:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center"> Lightbringer: Create a Sun to light up the darkness surrounding your world!


    Reward: 100 AP


    You were the 786th player to be awarded this achievement.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "... well, fuck!"


    Frustrated? That''s mildly put... I was fooled by the previous reward and thought that a similar one would be given out for this mission. As for as for how wrong was I? Let''s put it this way: I got 100 AP for place 786! I don''t want to know exactly how much first place got and certainly don''t want to think what sort of impressive merchandise he will be able to buy with it...


    "Whatever! There''s no use crying over spilt milk... even if we''re talking tons of milk. I''m sure that I can make it up through some delicious achievements by picking up the Manual Mode, therefore making up for this blunder..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Attention all players! Attention all players!


    Each God has completed the tutorial and now the game can begin!


    You have 10 seconds to select if you would like to create the world manually or if you would prefer to randomize a world, by importing Earth''s template.


    Species selection for each player will become available once the choice has been made and the living conditions are sufficient through the World Management interface.


    9... 8... 7... 6...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Sneaking a peek at the newly added field just to confirm is there, I stretched out my hand to make the selection.


    "Even a child knows that there''s nothing more boring than playing someone else''s saved game..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Manual Mode selected! Slowing time to a stop!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Is always better to start from scratch and build up your own version of fun. With that, my choice was obvious... as for what would that imply in the long run, I''d have to wait and see I''m afraid. Discovering the unknown while playing God, I can''t really say that it sounds bad.


    For now...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Game start!


    Good luck all players and let the best God win!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ... I guess I''ll create a world.

 Unexpected

    Expectedly, there were no fireworks, no explosions and no other notifications on behalf of the game AI. There was only the pleasant and calming silence which engulfed the entire space around me, letting me know that this was only the beginning of a very long and lonely endeavor.


    Since time was frozen, it gave me the opportunity to take things slow and ruminate through the details I was provided so far with. To rush in headfirst without a plan, sounds like a horrible idea to me. Therefore, it will be way better to explore everything else first, as well as prepare mentally for what¡¯s to come.


    So let¡¯s see what I know so far:


    One, like the game AI already said in the achievement description, this is a competition; therefore haste still holds priority in my future planning. The only thing I¡¯m unsure of, is how exactly I¡¯m I competing with the other Gods, given that each one of the players with Manual Mode selected has their time frozen. Is it the type of ¡®frozen for the Automatic Mode players but still ongoing for the others¡¯, or is it like each God having his own pocket dimension in which the time is frozen while the achievements are standard for each one, without holding a need for being the first to do anything¡­


    Since I don¡¯t have enough details about it, I can only speculate and prepare for both options.


    Two, there¡¯s a 90% or higher chance, that every God received the same second-last tutorial mission, therefore the same reward. That implies the choice of either using the free purchase or not regarding the acquisition of the Sun, further affecting the choice to ¡®import¡¯ Earth¡¯s template. It¡¯s safe to assume that at least 50% of them picked Manual Mode, in order to save funds like I did. I really can¡¯t see anyone using SP to buy both, since that means absolutely no funds left¡­


    But again, that¡¯s still speculation. In the end, if I was to take in consideration that 50% of the people picked the free purchase on the Sun and then another 50% of the same group picked Manual Mode to further avoid using the 100 million soul points, it brings me to at least 25% of the total 1000 players being in the same condition as me, while at least 25% others skipped through both and are left with half of the original funds.


    Three, the U.I. (user interface) suffered slight modifications and the World Management received some updates regarding the previous ¡®???¡¯ symbols. Now, actual numbers replaced them, proving that I was right about the hints that I might get from the description. After all, as funny as it might be for him, the Reaper wouldn¡¯t let the scales tilt and have me be at a disadvantage when compared with the other players. Now all I need to do is to check exactly what each one of those fields represent and what do I need to do in order to get this show on the road.


    Four, if there¡¯s a word or a box that is blinking, shining on and off, it pretty much means that changes occurred to it and new information I didn¡¯t previously checked is now available. The current ¡®blinking¡¯ box was the ¡®Auction house¡¯.


    So, without any further build up, I just lightly tapped it and opened up a new window.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Auction House Store</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Achievement Store</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Locked</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Manual Mode Assistant: 100AP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Right¡­ the first store should be locked for 500 years or something, so that¡¯s to be expected. The Achievement Store already having one product available however, now that is a welcomed surprise. By the name of it, is even better than what I hoped for¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Manual mode assistant:


    Containing the knowledge accumulated on Earth since the beginning of it, it will prove itself as a useful tool capable of assisting the player through the creation of his/her world.


    Being able to provide insights, as well as tips and tricks that will become shortcuts when starting the world from scratch, it is highly advised to have it purchased by both Automatic Mode players and especially the ones playing on Manual Mode.


    Cost: 100AP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    And there it was: my hallelujah! My Hail Mary! My Eureka moment!


    ¡°It really seems that the useless game God kept his word regarding evening out the playfield for everybody. Now I might actually be able¡­ to¡­ do¡­this???¡±


    My reverie and exuberant self had a bucket of cold water poured on them, as I felt the boundaries of my ¡®room¡¯ shaking violently and with them a secondary Sun, brighter than the original one I bought using my ¡®get a free ice-cream¡¯ card, appeared in the right corner of it¡­ right above me.


    Surprised (understatement of the year) by the sudden occurrence, I moved slightly closer to it and I realized once in front of the stupidly strong source of light, that I didn¡¯t have a problem in staring directly at the otherwise blinding thing. On the contrary, I saw clearly a door being opened, thing that rattled my cage quite a bit, but also had me calm down quite a bit, since my newly created world won¡¯t suddenly explode and leave me standing there like a complete idiot.


    If this sudden appearance was shocking, the following scene made the soul almost escape my body: a leg passed through the ¡®door¡¯!


    The highly feminine body part revealed itself starting with the small toes painted in a burning red color, continuing as a bare foot with glistening fair skin, creating an incredibly erotic sculpture before the entire body even arrived. It made one think that if shown herself to other mortals, this beauty about to honor myself with her presence, will make anyone drop to their knees in worship.


    I gulped loudly and watched as, slowly, almost teasingly, a similar bare thigh made its way inside, leaving me enraptured and thinking to myself that any profane thoughts would be sacrilegious, however absolutely impossible not to possess them.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Interrupting myself from enjoying the new fetish I just discovered I favored quite severely, I felt both ashamed and rather expectant for the remaining things to arrive. I mean, I have seen naked women before, however such mouth-watering skin color and beauty was rare to non-existent back on Earth, therefore I have no built-in resistance towards it. That much I was certain of!


    ¡°Oh my dear useless game God, I am not sure if you¡¯re trolling me or not, but the thighs are reaching divinity levels and the following parts are next¡­¡±


    Unsure if I should turn around and miss out the most important thing in my entire life, I just sat there conflicted¡­ that until the light intensified and by reflex I closed my eyes, making me immediately curse inwards at my own stupidity and forcing them back open. A pair of piercing brown eyes stared back into my own, making me draw a breath of cold air at the sudden appearance. Also¡­


    [Greetings! I am the Goddess of Time and Fate Aethernithas. I have arrived at thy divine domain¡­ in order¡­ in order to¡­ apologies, but if may I inquire, why is thee so displeased to see this one?](Aethernithas)


    Oh shit! It showed on my face!? What!? I can¡¯t help being disappointed given that I¡¯ve missed on her¡­ entry. Plus that she¡¯s fully dressed now¡­ except for the legs apparently.


    A dark knee-length dress embraced her curvaceous body, blessed with outrageous hips, a tight waist that one could easily wrap one arm around and a voluptuous bosom, that was neither too big, nor too small¡­ just a perfect God-like body!


    Golden locks of flowing sunlight seem to caress her shoulders, as her right hand passed through them, making me realize that it was in fact her hair. A slender neck with the same fair milky skin, small red lips slightly parted into a smile revealing her pearly white teeth, while a pair of brown eyes that were as mesmerizing as the night sky, curiously sized me up.


    How could such beauty even exist!? It makes it impossible to compare with any other woman I¡¯ve seen in my entire life, having them fall short by a rather big amount. She¡¯s a goddess that¡¯s gorgeous to an impossible degree! Only one night and¡­ Wait! Goddess!? Shieeeeeet!


    It was quite obvious if I wouldn¡¯t have been thinking with the wrong head for this entire time¡­ I can only hope I can recover from this bad first impression she already has about me¡­ but only if she can¡¯t read minds¡­


    ¡°Apologies milady! This one is called Michael Corbett and I serve in this game as a God of Chaos. Please don¡¯t be mistaken as I am not even slightly displeased by seeing such a celestial beauty as yourself. On the contrary, I was merely taken aback by your sudden appearance since I wasn¡¯t aware that it was possible to meet other Gods once the game began.¡±


    ¡°Motherfucker, that was an Oscar worthy performance! Ten points for the save!!!¡±


    [Oh? Was it not because you didn¡¯t get to see me naked?](Aethernithas)


    I almost chocked with a mouthful of inexistent air when I heard that. No save! It was an out¡­


    ¡°So it was on purpose? I must admit that knowingly or not, I would gladly be tricked again¡­¡±


    Someone once said that if a lie doesn¡¯t work, the truth will always save your ass! Or something among those lines¡­


    [Hehe! I like myself an honest God.](A)


    A pleasant girlish giggle, as clear as a flowing mountain river echoed through the ¡®divine domain¡¯. Yup! I¡¯ll have to thank Reaper later for this¡­


    [Eh? Did you say that you are the God of Chaos?](A)


    ¡°Indeed miss. Is there a problem?¡±


    [While I don¡¯t spend as much time with my divine brothers and sisters, I am knowledgeable of every one of them that ever came into existence, as well as those that faded with the passing of time. You however, I hold no recollection of. Since you are here, the administrator vouched for you, meaning that you are genuine, but I still can¡¯t feel proper divinity from you. Why is that?](A)


    ¡°That is to be expected given that I am not a proper God. Not in the actual sense of it, I guess¡­¡±


    [Care to explain?](A)


    I could swear that her eyes twinkled for a second, as soon as I let that one slip. The fact that she demanded an explanation, as politely as she did, still didn¡¯t give me enough courage to refuse. We¡¯re talking about an actual Goddess here! She might be hot, but she can still probably wipe me out of existence as easy as flicking a finger.


    Also, this curious look of hers is diabolically cute. I¡¯m not as cold-hearted as to refuse¡­ but I¡¯m not as soft hearted as to give out information to an actual competitor of mine for free.


    ¡°While I don¡¯t mind storytelling, since this game began I must get started with the creation of the world, since I found myself in quite the need for achievement points for the future.¡±


    [That¡¯s probably fine though¡­](A)


    ¡°Bingo! There we go!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡±


    [You are the only one that chose the Manual Mode, or so it seems. All others are locked in time currently and it will only resume once you finish your quest.](A)


    Eh? Did this celestial beauty just say that I¡¯m the only moron that picked the Manual Mode? Why!? Did I make a mistake somehow by choosing this option!? Are there hidden risks to it!? I was both slack-jawed and utterly anxious about this revealed piece of information.


    ¡°And you¡­¡±


    [Same as them. But I¡¯m the Goddess of Time. How can I be locked by that which I rule over?](A)


    ¡°¡­but¡­why? Was it a mistake to select this mode? Why I¡¯m I the only one!?¡±


    [Nah, I can speak for the others when saying that it was too much of a drag to create the world from scratch. Meaning that we were too¡­](A)


    ¡°Lazy? Hahahah! Uwah¡­ thought I fucked up there for a second. So? Should I expect others to visit as well?¡±


    [Nope, just me. The others are time-locked, something like a deep sleep for them. Helps conserve divine power and stuff. Now my question. Please!] (A)


    ¡°Sure¡­¡±

 A new addition

    After learning that all the other Gods were currently in ¡®power saving mode¡¯, I took my time in explaining the situation I was in to this beautiful godly doll. One might really think that she was not alive if not for the ever-changing expressions on her face in reaction to different things in my story. The same thing which by the way, made her more approachable, when compared with the beauty with the olden speech that entered my domain some moments ago.


    Speaking of which, didn¡¯t her manner of talking changed too fast? Anyway¡­ when explaining different things to her about my past, I kept some hidden¡­ like how I died for example¡­


    [Amazing¡­] ¨C She whispered


    ¡°Is it?¡±


    [Yes it is! This never happened before and I can no longer see the future either. That¡¯s so¡­](A)


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what!?¡±


    [¡­thrilling!](A)


    Aha¡­ Finally, I can puzzle this God¡¯s personality together: probably something of a loner due to her nature and since there¡¯s only one of her kind with me, pretty much implies that there are no other Gods of Time, further proving that she¡¯s alone in her ¡®field of practice¡¯. Also, since she can see the future, she has probably lived a rather boring existence and the prospect that uncertainty brings, is both interesting and tempting for her. Not to mention exciting. She¡¯s the perfect description of a child with no friends, bored out of her mind of the existing toys she owns¡­


    [Hmm? Why are you looking at me like you¡¯ve seen a truly pitiable creature!?](A)


    Oops! It showed on my face again¡­ I really need to work on my poker face. Change of subject, NOW!


    ¡°Miss Aethr¡­ Ahet¡­ Eh?¡±


    [Is it really that hard to pronounce?](A)


    ¡°To my embarrassment¡­ just a bit. Would Eternity be alright?¡±


    [I guess¡­](Eternity)


    ¡°Great! Do you plan to accompany me through the creation of Midgard?¡±


    [Wow¡­ Is that the name you chose?](Eternity)


    ¡°Indeed. Do you find it unsuitable?¡±


    [Quite on the contrary, I find it interesting. As a human God yourself, the Norse mythical realm of humans fits the bill perfectly.](Eternity)


    ¡°Thank you¡­ I think¡­. So, what do you plan to do?¡±


    [Well, everything else is frozen except for this place. So I¡¯ll stick around in your divine domain and watch you work.](E)


    The fact that she said that last part with a resplendent smile on that beautiful face of hers, didn¡¯t help the still screaming ¡®corporate espionage¡¯ ringing in my ears. But there were also some other words that came to mind¡­


    ¡°Divine domain? What exactly does it refer to? This ¡®room¡¯ we¡¯re in?¡±


    [I guess you can put it that way. In a more complex way to explain it, the entire space you call a ¡®room¡¯, is a self-sustained universe that¡¯s dependent of the nature your divinity shows.] (E)


    ¡°Its nature?¡±


    [Hmm¡­did you read what sort of effect your Influence has on the world?](E)


    ¡°Yes. It gives a percentage chance of newly born souls to start at LvL 3 refinement. Kind of geniuses in realms I can assign as I see fit.¡±


    [¡­wow! That¡¯s a bit¡­ unfair, isn¡¯t it? Anyway, the same influence is assigned to your divine area, affecting the type of missions and rewards you¡¯ll get. In my case, I might get a mission that has a time-limit for example, or a reward that would allow me to change and/or upgrade the soul refinement of some people, therefore altering their fates. In yours, they might look random with just one glance, however they will build into a web of probabilities that only you can see. Even I find that mesmerizing¡­](E)


    ¡°Yeah¡­ it sounds¡­.delightful. So then Eternity, I guess I should get started.¡±


    [Right, right! What do you want to do first?](E)


    Seeing the ¡®a tad too exited¡¯ Goddess raring to have a go at building MY world, made me fantasize about taking her as my wife... She might have the personality of a child, but that body definitely doesn¡¯t belong to one. Actually I should commend myself from not jumping the said Goddess and being turned into stardust as a result. High-five me!


    ¡°Right¡­ well, the achievement store opened up just before you arrived and¡­¡±


    [It did what? How? Mine is still¡­ yeah, still locked¡­](E)


    ¡°Huh? How did you check?¡±


    [I just brought up the management interface of my world. Oh right, since you went with the Norse theme, maybe I should also¡­ Hehe! Yup, let¡¯s change it to¡­ Muspelheim! There we go!](E)


    Watching her make the adjustment to the name of an entire world (in a rather willful, fickle and thought-lacking manner if I might add), I saw the same type of user interface window I had. There doesn¡¯t seem to be differences, so equality at the starting line is guaranteed¡­huh!?


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that name the name of the realm in which demons reside?¡±


    [Yup! I was rather apprehensive at first about picking the demon race once the game begins and wanted to go only with humans, but I¡¯ve changed my mind. I wonder how they fare in battle and if¡­](E)


    ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back up a bit! What do you mean ¡®picking once the game begins¡¯?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    [Oh, right! You went ¡®manual¡¯ so you can¡¯t see it yet. Once the world can sustain sentient life, you can select which race you want to inhabit your world. You have only two options to choose between, one which is always the human race and the second is randomly assigned depending on what type of environment you create. From what I remember you can also purchase other races using achievement points, but those are randomly generated, as well expensive as hell¡­ so you have pretty much no choice in the matter. In my case, demons are the race I got, but I didn¡¯t picked them up from the achievement store yet, since is still locked. How can you use it?](E)


    ¡°Because I went ¡®manual¡¯ I guess. Here, take a look!¡±


    Moving the still opened assistant¡¯s window description in front of her, I took the time to arrange the extra information I got from this beautiful Goddess in my head.


    Thinking back to the ¡®demo¡¯ the game God had me try out, multiple races coexisted on Ahnur, therefore meaning that it is possible to buy them and have more than two as well. But they were also separated from humans back then, meaning that it will be hard to get them to mix together, especially because of the humans which are stupidly racist to begin with.


    I mean, an interracial war will have tons of casualties which will drop the daily SP amount I get for sure, not to mention it would impede the technological and cultural advancement¡­ Having that early on would be catastrophic¡­


    ¡°Yup, I¡¯ve decided! No humans for Midgard.¡±


    [Eh? But it¡¯s Midgard, you know¡­ Realm of humans and all that.](E)


    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t like the human character in general, so if I have the choice I¡¯d rather avoid having them.¡±


    [You do remember that they will still be human souls, even if they impersonate other races, right?](E)


    ¡°Ugh¡­ forgot about that¡­ Anyway, let¡¯s get started shall we?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Confirm purchase of Manual mode assistant in exchange for 100AP:


    Yes /No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Hit ¡®yes¡¯, hit ¡®yes¡¯!](E)


    ¡°Pfft! Okay, okay! Here, I selected ¡®yes¡¯¡­¡±


    [Mhm! Oh¡­ OH! Don¡¯t treat me like a child!!! I¡¯m the oldest god in existence you know!?] (A)


    ¡°Hahaha! My bad, my bad okay! Huh? The window disappeared¡­¡±


    [Is not in the Achievement Store anymore either. Was it a trap?](E)


    ¡°Surely that¡¯s not the case¡­ Right?¡±


    [Dunno! This is entirely new ground for me as well. You know, not using my powers because I can¡¯t anymore and all that stuff¡­](E)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Booting complete!


    Extracting¡­. Assistant successfully extracted in the divine domain of player Michael Corbett!


    Installing¡­</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Both myself and the Goddess of Time and Fate were starring with our mouths agape at the pop-up window which automatically closed all others.


    Leaving aside the fact that it sounded like installing a program on a computer (which I hoped was not a virus), the huge green window which was bigger than the planet and almost acting as a fifth wall in my divine domain, kept flashing through the installation process.


    [It sounds like installing a virus on a computer¡­](E)


    ¡°Can you please not say out loud what I don¡¯t even want to think about!? I¡¯d personally prefer to avoid a ¡®Game Over¡¯ before even beginning. Also, the description said that it provides tips and tricks, so it might come in handy both in the beginning and later down the road. Let¡¯s see what it does, given that I spent 100AP on it. Look, it¡¯s done ¡®installing¡¯.¡±


    [If your domain gets infected and doesn¡¯t work anymore, you can come over to mine as a guest.](E)


    ¡°Thanks¡­ I guess¡­ Please don¡¯t jinx it though¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Installation complete!


    Recognizing Michael Corbett as owner!


    Scanning for personal preferences before undertaking corporeal form¡­</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A green light bathed me from head moving down to my toes, almost like a huge scanner and then immediately moved onto the stupefied Eternity which didn¡¯t even have time to squeal. Also, I had a really, really, REALLY bad feeling about this.


    And just in time to prove me right, a holographic projection materialized before the two of us. How do I describe this¡­ the best way would be a miniature version of Eternity at about 1.40 centimeters, but her hair was red and the eyes were blue, reminding me of a certain me-killer.


    I stiffly turned my head around and looked at Eternity which was smiling at a naked child-version of herself, which made me feel like my HP was draining away at a really fast pace.


    ¡°If I could explain, I would. But I have no idea what¡¯s happening¡­¡±


    [It looks that way, doesn¡¯t it?](E)


    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re not angry?¡±


    [Eh? Why? I mean, look at how cute she is! But I didn¡¯t know you had this sort of ¡®preferences¡¯¡­](E)


    ¡°I don¡¯t!¡±


    No, really! I don¡¯t! Is just that I kept thinking about how childlike this Goddess is and about how cute it would be for her to actually be one. I really don¡¯t want to go to the Jail of Gods¡­ that sounds scary as hell!


    Before any other thoughts, the outstandingly cute-up-to-the-point-of-inducing-diabetes child stood in between us and grabbed my hand. I was about to ¡®aww¡¯, until she actually electrocuted me continuously for about five minutes.


    As for the purpose, I could tell that she was literally taking out information out of my brain in order to supply her already vast knowledge, while also giving me a few inklings about how to handle her.


    ¡°Your name?¡±


    [Yes master! My name is Manual Interface Assistant.]


    ¡°I see. Then Mia will suffice from now on. Can you please put on some clothes please?¡±


    [Yes master!](Mia)


    The look in Eternity¡¯s eyes suddenly got a couple degrees colder¡­


    ¡°Ugh¡­ it¡¯s not like that okay!? Mia, can you please explain to the beautiful lady next to me what you are?¡±


    [Yes master! In order to assist players in finding the right path on their journey through the creation of a new world, a database containing the entire knowledge accumulated on Earth has been compiled.](Mia)


    ¡°Or in other words, she¡¯s an¡­¡±


    [¡­AI, an artificial intelligence program. I see. And the appearance?](E)


    Turning to me with that question, I had no way around the actual answer¡­ They say, the truth will set you free, but I was scared that it might free me of my life instead.


    ¡°If I¡¯d venture a guess, the looks are because I think you¡¯re drop-dead gorgeous, the height because I think you have a childish personality, while the hair and the eyes¡­ they belong to a person that apparently also left a huge impact on my subconscious.¡±


    [Oho¡­ Is that so¡­ I think you might have an extra story you¡¯re not telling me, but that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m a patient Goddess.](E)


    ¡°Ha..haha¡­.¡±


    I let out a dry laugh while remembering that she¡¯s the Goddess of Time and looked down to the newly dress ¡®Mia¡¯. She was wearing a white one-piece dress and a summer orange summer hat, which was stupidly cute when one saw her flaming hair.


    For an AI she looked unnecessarily adorable!


    ¡°Ahem! Right¡­ Mia, you¡¯re supposed to help me right? What should I do next?¡±


    [Yes master! Initializing the world creation chain missions!](Mia)


    Another green flash flickered through the domain and a huge green pop-up window appeared yet again.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mission one initialized: Temperature


    Space is a harsh place and life is a delicate thing. The first step towards habitability is achieving a stable, survivable temperature.


    This will be measured in miliKelvins, or 1/1000 of a Kelvin degree.


    By this scale, 273.000mK is considered freezing and 373.000mK is boiling hot, while Earth itself has an average temperature of 287.000mK.


    Your goal is to achieve the same temperature as Earth, in order to stabilize and sustain life.


    Reward: Unknown</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Here comes the BOOM!

    As soon as the ¡®quest¡¯ was issued, the World Management tab opened and through it I was able to confirm that indeed the question marks were replaced by actual numerical values.


    Realizing that the importance of this first mission was quite high, I focused on the interface in front of my eyes and carefully read the details.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Temperature</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 218.028mK</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: +525mK/day</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal: 287.000mK</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Eh? Mia, why is the temperature increasing so fast? That¡¯s fast isn''t it?¡±


    [Yes master, it is! Due to Midgard not having an atmosphere, the planet can¡¯t control the rise of the temperature on its own. The atmosphere acts like a filter and due to the external influence of the Sun¡¯s radiations, the core temperature is also steadily increasing. If nothing is done, within 5 days, the magma core will erupt with a chance of 85%, resulting in the future improbability of sustainable life for a very long period of time.](Mia)


    ¡°¡­that was way more detailed than I hoped and expected for a ''yes or no'' answer¡­¡±


    [Don¡¯t look at me¡­ I might be the earliest God to appear, but I didn¡¯t see the Earth being created.](E)


    ¡°¡­Mia, do you have any suggestions? How can I cool off the planet? Never really thought I¡¯d actually say that¡­¡±


    [Yes master! According to the thermophysics, heat always moves from a place of high temperature to of one of low temperature. In this case, the outer space will cool off the planet on its own in due time. However, the problem is the ever-increasing activity of the planet¡¯s core and the lack of external gases to form an atmosphere. The best solution to the current problem would be to have the accumulated pressure released, following which the core¡¯s temperature will also stabilize on its own.](Mia)


    ¡°The pressure you said?¡±


    [Yes master!](Mia)


    ¡°And if gases were released from the core for example, what¡¯s stopping them from flowing out in the outer space?¡±


    [The planet has already formed its own gravity due to the uneven distribution of mass. For that reason, the amount of escaping gases will be minimized, master.](Mia)


    [Oh! I also know that one. One of Osiris favorite children Albert-something said that. Should¡¯ve seen Osiris at that point¡­ he was basically a peacock in full bloom¡­](E)


    ¡°Albert-something!? ¡­Einstein!? Is that the case Mia?¡±


    [Yes master.](Mia)


    ¡°Then, I have an idea! If what you said is true, this planet is like a pot full of boiling water which is covered by a lid. If this keeps up, the pot itself will suffer in the process¡­¡±


    [Meaning that the planet will explode?](E)


    ¡°Absolutely not! What do you think this is? A Michael Bay movie? Please stop saying such scary things... Anyway, we can prevent the pot getting damaged by moving the lid a bit to the side and letting the steam out.¡±


    [So¡­ your plan is to bore holes in the planet all the way to the core? Won¡¯t that go bad starting with the very first one? All that pressure at once will surely mess up a huge patch of the world¡­](E)


    ¡°Yeah¡­ so the question is, Mia, how many volcanoes are required to be simultaneously created in order to avoid¡­ a possible explosion of the planet and also stabilize the temperature of the core?¡±


    [Acknowledged, master! Calculating¡­ simulating¡­](Mia)


    Volcanoes! That was the master stroke I came up with just now due to something I saw earlier. When I first played with the holographic projection of the planet and peeled it off layer by layer, I found something interesting: pockets of gas.


    Basically, deep in the planet¡¯s ground were these large empty chambers which were connected to the core. Those were probably filled with gases resulted from the melting ¡®rocks¡¯ in the ocean of magma. Now, according to what Mia said, an atmosphere is required to maintain the temperature at a stable level and the said atmosphere is made of different gases, some of which we might find in the pocket-mines.


    I may not know anything else about them, but at least I have someone who does!


    [¡­ The answer is 4786 small sized volcanoes, or 473 super-volcanoes.](Mia)


    ¡°Thank you Mia! Now, can you take a look at this and tell me what those are?¡±


    Bring up the holographic globe in front of her and having it split apart once more, I pointed out to the regions where I found the pocket-mines previously. Not only did Eternity look curious, even Mia¡¯s eyes shone upon seeing this. These two girls¡­ uhm¡­ Goddess and AI¡­ were rather interested in any new findings that could keep them entertained.


    [Yes master! Those are pocket mines filled with carbon dioxide, water vapors and ammonia.](Mia)


    ¡°Water vapors? Interesting¡­ Mia, could we use the pocket mines across Midgard as starting points for the volcanoes? And if yes, would that change anything?¡±


    [Scanning for the mentioned locations¡­ Analyzing the new data¡­ Simulating¡­ 823 regular sized volcanoes, out of which 217 can be placed on top of the pocket mines will suffice for the previously mentioned changes to occur. The result would instantly stabilize the temperature around the mission¡¯s goal with an error range of +-22mK. The loss of temperature will also stabilize due to the gas emission being sufficient to replace the hydrogen and helium combination of the current primordial atmosphere and create a starting point for the first layer of a functional one.](Mia)Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°Great! How do I make that happen then?¡±


    [Wait, wait! Aren¡¯t you jumping the gun here? I understand the logic behind it, but don¡¯t forget you¡¯re the God of Chaos! Every action you take has more than the usual number of possible ramifications...](E)


    ¡°I know and that¡¯s exactly why! When I first found the pocket-mines something just clicked. I didn¡¯t know exactly why until just now, when Mia mentioned the pressure building up in the core. And then, when I thought of a boiling pot, the image of the same pocket-mines resurfaced in my head. I can¡¯t really explain it, but I am sure this is the correct choice to make! Mia, how? ¡°


    [Yes master! Requesting permission to make the specified adjustments.](Mia)


    ¡°Granted!¡±


    [Oh boy! Here we go¡­](E)


    Leaving aside Eternity which was oddly pessimistic given that she¡¯s an actual God of Fate, Mia turned her body to the World Management interface. With a wave of her small right hand, the holographic projection of the world instantly flattened into a map, rectangular shaped.


    Using her fingers, she pointed out some locations which were instantly marked with a yellow flag on the map and a counter showing 217 appeared above the projection. Obviously, those were the pocket-mines.


    Next, she restarted the same process, only that this time she used red flags and the second counter stopped at 823, representing the number of volcanoes and their locations. Looking carefully, they weren¡¯t clumped together, but rather widely spread out throughout the world.


    Then, with a movement of her left hand, she pushed the red sticks which randomly appeared out of thin air (or rather, saying ¡®out of thin void¡¯ feels more appropriate) and replaced the red flags, thoroughly stabbing them in the map.


    The changes were immediately visible on the actual real brownish black planet behind the projection. A muffled roar shook the entire divine domain, as 823 volcanoes erupted simultaneously. The only thing that kept my anxious mind distracted, was the fact that literal mushroom shaped clouds appeared across the entire planet, threatening to cover the entire domain in dust. Well, it was that and the face of Eternity which was gleeful at the almost explosion that occurred.


    When thinking about the future? I was ecstatic! Focusing on those clouds which were currently brewing with thunder, I could see in them the elixir of life!


    [Adjustment was successfully in proportion of 180%!](Mia)


    [180%!? How come?](E)


    [¡­](Mia)


    [Why are you ignoring me!?](E)


    [¡­](Mia)


    Leaving aside how cute Eternity looked while stomping her foot on the inexistent floor made out of nothingness under us, it appears that Mia responds only to me. That or she doesn¡¯t like Eternity¡­


    ¡°Mia, explain please.¡±


    [Yes master! Original calculations happened as predicted, however due to the sudden exposure to magma, the hydrogen ignited and underwent a chemical reaction when couple with the carbon dioxide and ammonia¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Uhm¡­ sorry to interrupt you Mia, but I¡¯m not nowhere as smart as you are, so I don¡¯t get what that means. Can you put in in simpler terms?¡±


    [Yes master!](Mia)


    The suddenly energetic girl re-expanded the map of Midgard into the previous globe and presented it to me. The difference was, that exactly like in the case of its real counterpart, there was now a carpet of clouds and fumes above the ground, making it almost impossible to see anything really.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mission Update!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3"> Temperature</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 304.728mK</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: +29mK/day</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal: 287.000mK</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Eternity had this gloating look on her face while looking at me, with an ¡®I told you so!¡¯ implied. However, seeing Mia so confident and happy, I didn¡¯t panic as I thought I would. If an AI which was created based on the entire knowledge accumulated on Earth since its beginning was certain this was an absolute success, then it surely was.


    What I was curious about, was the reason for which she considered it 80% better than her expectations. That implied that the original calculations were correct, but something extra happened. Also that something extra was really good for us as well!


    ¡°Mia, this is?¡±


    [Yes master! This is the live feed of what¡¯s currently happening on Midgard¡¯s atmosphere.](Mia)


    I watched shocked at the screen which showed how lightning violently slithered between the newly created gray sky and the ground, stupefied at the sudden presentation. Just when I thought that this was an interesting choice for entertainment coming from an all-knowing AI, she suddenly zoomed in on the middle of a cloud.


    A droplet of water squeezed out of it and entered free fall. All three of us watched the entire thing without blinking, not wanting to miss the first drop of rain ever (at least on this new planet) crash against the dirt. After a barely audible ¡®plop!¡¯ sound, both myself and Eternity looked at Mia with a strange expression on our faces.


    ¡°Rain?¡±


    [Salt water to be precise, master. According to my new calculations, the continuous chemical reaction should last for an additional 49 days, 20 hours and 52 minutes.](Mia)


    ¡°Does that mean that oceans and seas will appear on Midgard?¡±


    Seeing my excited and expectant reaction, Mia rolled her eyes at me (which by the way, didn¡¯t know that she could or would ever do) and patiently explained the implications.


    [No master. Due to the high current temperature, 98% of it will evaporate back into the atmosphere, while the remaining water would at best be forming small lakes of concentrated seawater.](Mia)


    ¡°Ahem! A¡­and is that a good thing Mia?¡±


    [Yes master! The rain will cool off the temperature of the world faster and also stabilize it. Not to mention that, with the addition of oxygen, an atmosphere strong enough to filter and block radiation will be created. There¡¯s also the possibility that after cooling down, the rain will contain potable water that can gather and spread out on Midgard in the form of rivers, ponds or lakes.](Mia)


    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good! Anyway, now we need to wait those almost 50 days for the temperature to stabilize?¡±


    [No master. The temperature goal will be reached in 259 days¡­](Mia)


    Now that was shocking! What should I do for almost a year? I mean, yeah, one room and two beautiful girls as company sounds good in theory. But with one of them being the oldest God in history and the other being an AI child based on the previous Goddess appearances¡­ I can¡¯t really say that I look forward to that. I don¡¯t have sufficient lives to handle such a thing!


    [It¡¯s only 259 days you know¡­ It will pass in a heartbeat!](E)


    ¡°Maybe for the Goddess of Time! I¡¯m still a regular human at my core, remember!?¡±


    [Master, requesting permission to fast forward!](Mia)


    ¡°Do what now!?¡±

 The goal is one million temples!

    [Fast-forwarding is the act of¡­](Mia)


    ¡°It¡¯s alright love... I understand what that means, but how can you do that?¡±


    [By pressing the button master¡­](Mia)


    Huh!? Was I suddenly a horribly stupid player that this genius child got stuck with? And why does it seem that she is starting to pity me for being dumb¡­ Nah! Must be my imagination¡­ right¡­ my imagination¡­.


    ¡°Can¡­ can you show me those buttons?¡±


    [Pfft!](E)


    I glared at Eternity and she turned around ignoring my hateful gaze. I have a fragile ego, you know!? I won¡¯t be able to withstand such treatment!


    At that point Mia grabbed my hand and stood in front of me, blocking Eternity which was still laughing and glaring at her also. This sweet child¡­ but you know, if you didn¡¯t hurt me to begin with, there would be no need to defend me now¡­


    [Here it is master!](Mia)


    I wonder why I¡¯m I suddenly feeling the breath of death down my neck. And why is the gorgeous Goddess angry all of a sudden!? Does Mia really dislike her? Kind of weird given that she was created based on her appearance. Or is it because of that?


    Shaking the useless thoughts away, I looked at the bottom right of the holographic projection of Midgard, where three buttons were staringback at me: an arrow facing left, two parallel vertical lines and an arrow facing right. The rather retro looking things, made me think of an mp3 player.


    When the realization dawned upon me, I randomly pressed them out of curiosity. Once the one in the middle was selected, time literally stopped on Midgard and even rain droplets were suspended in midair, defying gravity. With the one on the left, the droplets flew back into the air, shockingly giving me the option of reversing time. Wasn¡¯t this too overpowered!? I could literally redo anything bad that might happen in the future and¡­


    [It¡¯s not going to last! Once the game begins, only fast forward will remain¡­](E)


    ¡°And you know that because¡­¡± - I grumbled unsatisfied at this vicious remark that destroyed my dreams...


    [Goddess of Time, remember? Even if that was before coming to visit you, I doubt that the administrator would allow such a scale-tilting tool to remain once the game starts.](E)


    ¡°I guess it makes sense¡­¡± - I decided to acknowledge in a defeated manner


    [Try keeping your finger on it for longer than a couple of seconds.](E)


    Following her advice and thinking that as a Goddess of Time, she had a really unfair advantage being able to know what happens in the future, I pressed the fast-forward button for about three seconds and a notification appeared.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Player Michael Corbett, how many days would you like to fast forward?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°E, do you see this?¡±


    [I do¡­ wait, who¡¯s E?](E)


    ¡°Eternity is too long¡­ think of it as a pet name.¡±


    [Wasn¡¯t ¡®Eternity¡¯ supposed to be the pet name due to the fact that you are unable to pronounce my real name?](E)


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be such a stick in the mud! We literally made it rain for the first time in the history of this world! That has to count for something¡­¡±


    [¡­](E)


    [Requesting permission to fast-forward 259 days, 2 hours and 25 minutes master!](Mia)


    ¡°Hehe, granted!¡±


    The interface glowed briefly and following that, the real planet began orbiting around the Sun at a faster pace. The speed with which it was rotating around its own axis was quite scary as well¡­


    [Reporting¡­ Due to the gravitational field, the day-night cycle was properly initiated. Due to the Sun gravitational field, the seasonal changes have been initiated as well. Time required for Midgard to spin around its own axis is estimated to be around 26 hours, while a complete rotation around the star should be 372 days, 14 hours and 28 minutes.](Mia)


    ¡°Thank you Mia! That¡¯s really helpful.¡±


    While thinking about how those cycles were just a bit longer than Earth¡¯s own, I also watched with interest how the temperature slowly dropped and stabilized at 287.243mK, which according to Mimi, was the perfect one to sustain future life on our world.


    That also meant¡­


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mission complete!


    The temperature has stabilized enough to allow future life to sprout on your world.


    Not only that, but you have also created a self-sustainable atmosphere around the planet, which in a couple of hundred years, might be able to produce sweet-water in the form of rain.


    Reward: sweet-water boost!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a strange reward. E, do you have any idea what that means?¡±


    [Uhm¡­ I¡¯m afraid I do¡­](E)


    Looking curiously at the beauty which replied with a shaking voice, I saw her looking slack-jawed at something, pointing in the general direction where the real planet was, behind the screens. I then noticed the sudden destruction my world was facing¡­


    ¡°Why the fuck is an asteroid heading for my planet out of nowhere!?¡± - I yelled in panic


    [Correction! That¡¯s a comet master.](Mia)


    ¡°I fail to see the difference, love! Given its stupidly huge size, does it actually matter what it is?¡±


    Before another snarky reply could be provided, the comet met the planet¡¯s newly developed atmosphere and literally imploded into billion pieces, making my heart-rate plummet to a stop in the process. Then, only a second later an explosion followed and the pieces became a white mist which spread out through the unending clouds above Midgard.


    Somehow surviving a ''game over'' scenario where a comet ends my world (worse than it did on Earth to dinosaurs) I barely managed to calmed down and breathed out in relief.


    [Reporting¡­ The reward containing sweet-water has been distributed around Midgard¡¯s atmosphere. Due to it being overloaded with H2O compounds and a very low temperature, rain and hail will ensue for 132 days, 4 hours and 23 minutes.](Mia)


    ¡°Hail!? Will that lower the general temperature of Midgard?¡±


    [Yes master! However it will go up after approximately another 283 days and climb back to its previously set up standard.](Mia)


    ¡°How will the rain¡­ no! How will that comet impact Midgard, Mia?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    [Scanning the clouds structure¡­ Analyzing newly acquired data¡­ Compiling¡­ The pressure is already increasing and it should stabilize around 10.300 pascals. Also, the sea level will increase allowing living organisms that feed of carbon dioxide and oxygen to slowly appear. As result, oxygen will be steadily released in the atmosphere at a faster pace.](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mission two initiated: Pressure and Oxygen!


    Life caught a foothold on Midgard. Regulate the levels of oxygen and pressure in order to increase their progression rate.


    Reward: unknown</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Do you think the system will reward you with a proper asteroid this time around?](E)


    ¡°Stop with the gloating E¡­ That literally scared the living lights out of me. And I was supposed to have Fear resistance maxed out¡­ Mia, how can I regulate the pressure and oxygen levels?¡±


    [Reporting¡­ After calculations I found regulation of the two factors to be unnecessary. In 1726 years, the goals set up will be automatically met.](Mia)


    ¡°Can we fast-forward that much?¡±


    [No master.](Mia)


    ¡°¡­so then, we wait?¡±


    [Yes master!](E)


    ¡°¡­please Eternity, never do that again! Somehow, when you¡¯re saying it, it brings a totally different feeling to the table¡­¡±


    [Hehe! Caught you there! Is fine isn¡¯t it? We just have to wait it out...](E)


    ¡°Right¡­¡±


    It took probably five minutes of absolute silence to make me lose it and start playing with the World Management interface. That¡¯s where I saw the changes which occurred.


    Except population - still locked and not available - all other fields had values instead of question marks. That reminded me that I checked the description only for temperature. Knowing what other hints might be hidden through the texts, should prove useful in the long run¡­ and it was a good way to kill time.


    You¡¯d think that with the most intelligent being since the creation of Earth and a Goddess of Time and Fate, there might be chatty atmosphere with a ton of stories going around... however the deafening silence left a really awkward mood which I was unable to break.


    What!? I¡¯m not exactly ''the life of the party'' type of guy, you know!? The hell I¡¯m I supposed to say to start a conversation with those two beings, without utterly embarrassing myself?


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Pressure</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">The most important factor of a planet¡¯s atmosphere, is simply having one. Specifically, having air pressure similar to Earth¡¯s 100.000 pascals at sea level.


    From orbit, your planet¡¯s atmospheric pressure will affect the visibility of the air above the surface: too thin and it will be invisible, too thick and it will be opaque.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 10825 pascals</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: 105 pascals/day</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal: 100.000 pascals</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    So¡­ the current atmosphere is surely too thin given that it was barely created, probably to the point where gases still left it unhindered by gravity, while the Sun¡¯s radiations are more or less lethal to any type of lifeform.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Oxygen</td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td colspan="3">For human life to survive, you need 18-24% of the air to be breathable oxygen. Earth¡¯s atmosphere has about 21%, or 210.00 parts-per-million.


    Any less and you¡¯ll suffocate, any more and you¡¯ll die of oxygen toxicity.


    From the orbit, too little oxygen will make the atmosphere look red, too much will be yellow and blue will be just right.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 8250ppm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: 625ppm/day</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal: 210.000ppm </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Leaving aside the rather stringent requirements, that explains the red film around Midgard. But since both oxygen and pressure levels are increasing, how do I get them to stop afer the target was reached?


    I should check with the girls for ideas soon, but before I embarrass myself I should at least explore all other options as well. I could use any piece of extra data I could get my hands on¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Water</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">


    One of the most famous keys to life as we know it, is obviously water. Not only is it necessary for the functioning of all life, it also allows for thriving undersea ecosystems.


    Your planet¡¯s sea level is measured in centimeters above the world¡¯s lowest geographical point; as it rises, you will see it gradually filling in the lower-elevated regions on Midgard.


    Currently frozen in ice: 82765 worth of centimeters above sea level.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 123.587cm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: +50cm/day</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal: 600.000 cm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Hmm? Wait! Doesn¡¯t this mean that is a chain reaction? Due to the water supporting plant-life and the other organisms, the oxygen level will increase due to the CO2 consumption and as a result the atmospheric pressure will stabilize. Right?


    ¡°Mia, how long will it take for the first oxygen creating organism to be born in water?¡±


    [Reporting¡­ above 1000 years with approximations master.](Mia)


    ¡°Why that long?¡±


    [Analyzing data¡­ Compiling¡­ That is because most of the geographic locations of the gathering water master. Time is required for water to naturally shape the land and gather, after which stagnate long enough to allow life to bloom.](Mia)


    ¡°Figured as much! That¡¯s good!¡±


    [Is it? That¡¯s quite the time to wait for microbes and small plants to appear underwater¡­](E)


    ¡°True! However¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Biomass</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">


    Before your planet is ready to support human population, you¡¯ll need to start seeding plant life and building a global ecosystem.


    Midgard can currently support 750.000 megatons of total biomass. As the biomass of your planet increases, you¡¯ll start to see more and more of it being covered by green lush.


    Plant life requires 10000 pascals of pressure as a bare minimum in order to exist.


    Be careful of animal and human biomass consumption!


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 0mT</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: 0mT/day</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal: 750.000mT</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°¡­what if we help the waters settle down faster?¡±


    [Eh!? You mean¡­](E)


    ¡°Let¡¯s create some continents! Mia, if we form Midgard¡¯s final geographic ¡®look¡¯ ourselves, could we speed up the process of stabilizing the temperature, pressure, oxygen, water and biomass levels at the same time? Or at least, will it help in doing so?¡±


    Why did I think of forcibly creating the continents and the geographic map of the world? Because I saw Mia create those volcanoes and I realized that I can mold this world into whatever I want. So why not use that to my benefit?


    [Acknowledged! Scanning current environment for changes¡­ Analyzing provided data¡­ Simulating the requested scenario¡­ Yes! Depending on the size of the land, the variables might change though. Please specify the desired land dimensions, as well as the maximum supported population.](Mia)


    ¡°Hmm¡­ for your simulation, two large continents will suffice. One will remain empty for now and the one which will support the building of the civilization should accommodate up to 5 billion people at maximum. The two continents will be connected by a path that¡¯s¡­ 5000km long and 500km wide, acting as a bridge between them. Water can surround both continents, but potable water sources must exist in the form of rivers, ponds and lakes inland. Regarding the mountains, hills and plains or valleys, I will let you decide based on the best arrangement for the water level to raise faster.¡±


    [Acknowledged! Simulating¡­](Mia)


    [You¡¯ve surely though this through. Your reasoning for the empty continent?](E)


    ¡°And here I thought you might actually enjoy the later surprise, rather than ruining the fun by knowing what will happen in advance¡­¡±


    [Oh! That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t need to know that far ahead¡­ I can just wait and see!](E)


    I laughed weakly at the sudden revelation this Goddess went through and looked away evasively. Of course, I didn¡¯t do so because I thought that by splitting civilizations into different parts of the world would lead to less wars... or the fact that I thought that a single continent surrounded by water was way too apocalyptic¡­ or that just ripping off Earth and create the same seven continents would be stupid....


    What will I do with the second continent? Well, I could use it as an ''expansion pack'' for the civilization later on or just build myself a million temples there.


    With thousands of years to decide, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not going to pose an issue.


    [Master, I¡¯ve finished running the simulation. Would you like to hear the results?]


    ¡°Eh? Mia, did your speech suddenly improved?¡±


    [Yes master, it did. A certain amount of time is required to adapt to the information gathered from your brain.](Mia)


    The way she put it¡­ somehow made me feel like crying. Why is my knowledge suddenly treated as a virus that was hard to overcome?


    ¡°Oh¡­is that so¡­ Yes please, let me know the results¡­¡±

 Misleading descriptions...

    [After analyzing the data in the simulation, based on the specifications given I decided to arrange the world as follows: there will primarily exist only two main continents that each can support between 4-7 billion people, surrounded by water making up to 78% of the planet¡¯s surface, which would ensure perfect balance between oxygen consumption at the peak of humanity and the oxygen generated through underwater plant-life. Like requested, out of the two continents, the smaller one will be able to support a civilization up to a total of 5 billion people, while the second one can at max reach 9 billion. Any smaller and the balance will be broken, any bigger and the smaller one will be required to be split into multiple islands. In that scenario, we will also need to take in consideration higher oxygen consumption/creation in the future, in order to maintain the purity of the atmospheric air.](Mia)


    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine! What¡¯s the new estimated timeframe for pressure and oxygen requirements to be met after the change?¡±


    [50 years in Midgard time, give or take a few months. Should I proceed with the structure remodeling master?](Mia)


    ¡°Please do!¡±


    The same holographic projection appeared once more and Mia began fiddling with it. First notable thing that occurred was the raise of two humongous masses of earth above the rest while the surroundings have been flattened like a pancake.


    Secondly, blue streaks began converging, following where her small fingers traced lines on the newly designed continents. Watching this AI look like a child in pre-school taking art classes, I also curiously gazed at the valleys created around the continents in order to easily have water gather in a single spot. Not only that, but inland as well, small ponds, bigger lakes and even impressively long and intricate rivers were giving a new color to the boorish brown ground.


    She then turned her head over to me, as if asking for permission to actually make the changes she designed. What I saw on the screen she played with for less than five minutes, was similar to the North and South Pole back on Earth, only that on Midgard they were positioned East and West, connected by an Ecuador line, this time physical, made of actual land mass.


    Impressed by the fast pace which would put any architect back on Earth to shame, I nod my head in agreement and handed over to her the rights to implement the changes onto the real thing.


    With a small quake that made the domain tremble once again, the genuine brown with streaks of blue globe, covered still in a red colored film, quietly resumed its rotation around the nearby star.


    [The changes have been applied master! In 240 years, the planet would have accumulated enough water to sustain the first submerged world-wide ecosystem. Should I skip forward to the point where the pressure and oxygen goals have been met?](Mia)


    ¡°Go ahead!¡±


    [Understood! Forwarding 49 years, 11 months and 20 days!](Mia)


    After some spinning, there were changes which became visible after each rotation around the Sun. The bright red film covering the planet, slowly changed into a violet and then into a light pink, only to finish as a marine blue, color which remained. That signified that the air was finally humanly breathable.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Major Achievement: Cradle of all Life!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    That notification surprised me by the time the 42<sup>nd</sup> spin completed and I immediately brought it up for all three of us to see and check the description:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Cradle of all Life


    Requirements: develop an early life form.


    Life reached spring on your world after a long and harsh winter. Watch it bloom into an unstoppable civilization that will withstand the test of time.


    Reward: 500AP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [It¡¯s kind of annoying that you got 500AP that easily¡­ I should¡¯ve picked Manual Mode as well¡­](E)


    ¡°Hehe! There¡¯s always a valley after every steep mountain you climb! I always hope that mine is a continuous free-fall in good luck. But truth to be told, this is the first time it actually happened¡­¡±


    [That¡¯s rather sad¡­](E)


    ¡°It is isn¡¯t it¡­¡±


    [Master, the fast forward is complete!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mission two completed!


    Pressure and Oxygen have been stabilized!


    Reward: two World Tree seeds</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I looked at the two pebble-sized seeds that materialized in front of me and grabbed at them with my left hand. I opened my fist and glanced curiously at the small things, intrigued by the name they were given and puzzled by the unassuming look they had.


    I turned at E which ignored the notification window and shrugged once she saw me asking and just shook her head, while Mia¡¯s eyes were literally glowing like freaking lanterns. I¡¯m not saying that in order to make her look cuter than she already was¡­ I mean that her eyes were literally glowing which kind of spooked me.


    ¡°Uhm¡­Mia? What¡¯s wrong? Are you that happy to see these small things? Do you know anything about them?¡±


    [Yes master! I just read their description and they are very useful. I will connect it to the main system¡¯s interface and bring it up.](Mia)


    I chose to ignore the part which sounded like she was planning to hack the main system which created her and focus on the reason for her hype. The same type of feeling I got when seeing the pocket-mines resurfaced, meaning that my Chaos-senses were tingling¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World tree seed


    A tree that grows from times immemorial. It thrives if the planet does and the planet thrives if the World Tree does.


    Effects: +500% plant evolution rate; oxygen control; mana control.


    Restrictions: only one seed can be planted per world.


    The tree can increase in levels as it grows older, unlocking further benefits once it reaches maturity.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°¡­or so it says. I can see why Mia was so happy. Here love, you plant this one on the best spot on Midgard.¡±


    [What¡­what about the second one?](E)


    Seeing this prideful Goddess swallow her pride (quite audible if one might add) and turn as red as a tomato after the question, really surprised me. After all, I was planning to give it away to her as a gift. Why? Because it¡¯s useless to me otherwise and it might actually help me build up an alliance with the oldest God in the game, which also planned to build a world full of demons¡­


    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. That begs the question:


    ¡°Is trade between the two of us possible Mia?¡±


    [Yes master! However do keep in mind that an object or offer of the same value must be provided in return, all in order to maintain fairness and to have the trade recognized.] (Mia)


    ¡°I see¡­ and who decides the importance of the counter-offer?¡±


    [¡­you do master.](Mia)


    ¡°Figures¡­ Then Aethernithas, can you promise that you¡¯ll enter a trading alliance with my world, once it¡¯s possible to do so?¡±


    [Just that!? That¡¯s a natural mana regulator you know! It can literally upgrade a world¡¯s level!](E)


    ¡°The what now!? The world has levels?¡±


    [Huh? Of course it does¡­ depending on the quantity and quality of the mana present on the planet.](E)


    ¡°Nobody told me that¡­¡±


    [Oh right! Only later on, 500 years once the game begins is the information given to the rest of the players, once the Auction Store becomes available...](E)


    ¡°¡­were you supposed to tell me that? Do other Gods beside you know about it?¡±


    [Oh right¡­ They don¡¯t and I shouldn¡¯t¡­ Oups?](E)


    Such a mischievous child Goddess¡­ I guess that settles it then.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Trade window</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Midgard </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Muspelheim</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">1x World tree seed</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Research and Trade agreement</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Yes </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Two identical windows appeared before myself and Eternity. We both selected ¡®Yes¡¯ without hesitation. Why? Because she was getting a freebie, while I was nurturing a strong ally for the future.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Divine Achievement: Guarding of Life!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The Goddess of Time and Fate turned around like a badly oiled machine to me first and then to the smiling¡­no, grinning Mia. She looked proud, while us, we looked astonished.


    [Divine?](E)


    ¡°That¡¯s what it said¡­¡±


    [Well? What are you waiting for? Open the description already!](E)


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Guarding of Life: a tall, proud tree holds the heavens on its branches.


    The World Tree has been planted on your world and its benefits spread around through its vines in the ground and in the air through its leaves.


    Requirement: plant a World Tree.


    Award: 5000AP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Holly sh¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Divine Achievement: Guardian of Life!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    For a moment there I thought that it might¡¯ve been the echo of the notification from before, however, seeing another smiling Mia but in the adult form this time, I quickly made some connections. And of course¡­


    [Tsk! I also got it for my world, but I got only 2500AP¡­](E) - she said while loudly clicking her tongue in disappointment


    ¡°I¡¯d say that¡¯s good enough though, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    [Way better than nothing!](E)


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t agree more! Mia, can you do a close up on the thing? Actually, where did you plant it?¡±


    [Following master¡¯s wish to use the smaller continent as home for the future civilization, I planted it right in the middle of it. Here it is!](Mia)


    A live feed of the world appeared again and after zooming in through the clouds of dust, a thin 1 meter tall stick was burrowed in the ground. I blinked twice in disbelief at the severely underwhelming sight¡­


    ¡°Tall and proud tree which holds the heavens, my ass! STICK! That¡¯s a fucking stick!!!¡±


    [Calm down Michael¡­ It¡¯s just a couple of days old in Midgard¡¯s time, what did you expect? It will grow bigger as times goes by and it ranks up each millennia.](E)


    ¡°Well sure¡­ it would¡¯ve been strange to actually get an overpowered weapon for my world from the start¡­ Mia, what¡¯s the new estimative timeline for the¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mission three initiated: Water and Biomass!


    Let vegetation thrive and natural sanctuaries be created! The world should prepare for its first living creatures.


    Requirement: meet the Water and Biomass goals.


    Reward: unknown</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°¡­nevermind. This one looks tricky¡­ Mia, is there anything we can do to speed up the water level progression?¡±


    [I will look into it master. Analyzing¡­](Mia)


    [Why only water?](E)


    ¡°The tree takes care of the biomass part and water itself will help hugely if it reaches the required level. I will focus on one thing since it will automatically help with the other.¡±


    [I guess it makes sense¡­ a bit¡­](E)


    [¡­simulating¡­](Mia)


    ¡°The only problem is how long is this going to take¡­¡±


    [Now I understand! That¡¯s why you had the child look into ways to speed up the process. You don¡¯t want to wait¡­](E)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    [I discovered three possible ways master!](Mia)


    ¡°Three? That¡¯s two more than what I had¡­¡±


    [Huh? You also have an idea Michael?](E)


    ¡°Please don¡¯t sound so surprised E¡­ It¡¯s about the newly formed glaciers. There¡¯s no need for them anymore since the temperature already settled. That was one of your solutions as well, right Mia?¡±


    [Correct master!](Mia)


    [The other two?](E)


    [Because of the ground absorbing the water like a sponge, small seas and underground lakes have been formed. In the long run they will be detrimental for Midgard¡¯s ecosystem.](Mia)


    ¡°So your plan is?¡±


    [Connecting them to the lowest geographical point of the planet through channels and have the water gather there.](Mia)


    ¡°Just like a drainage system. Sounds good! And the last one?¡±


    [Weather manipulation.](Mia)


    ¡°¡­ can you be a little more specific?¡±


    [Of course master! We will limit the water level on the second continent, while we will increase the rain frequency on the main one. The water levels on Midgard will be boosted with 15%, however the second continent will devolve into a dessert, decreasing the biomass level speed by 50%.](Mia)


    ¡°What¡¯s the current boost in biomass that the World Tree provides?¡±


    [50%...](Mia)


    ¡°So they even each other out¡­ how long until the tree grows up?¡±


    [I estimate that about 10 years on Midgard will be required for growth.](Mia)


    ¡°Will any changes occur to the advantages it provides?¡±


    [Is very likely that the biomass increase will become more bountiful as it grows up. However is just speculation on my part since I have no information about such a tree in my database.](Mia)


    Well, what¡¯s there to be hesitant about? In worst case scenario I can just turn back the times lost and redo the whole thing if something bad happens. So it¡¯s simple to actually fast-forward those 10 years and see what the result is.


    ¡°Mia, fast forward 50 years into the future without any changes for now!¡±


    [Acknowledged master!](Mia)


    Why 50 years? Because nothing clicked in my head once I thought of skipping forward with 10 years. Nor did it at 20, 30 or 40, but it react at 50. If there¡¯s one thing that I¡¯ve learned since arriving at this divine domain of mine, is that I should try to abuse this strange power of mine. How? Well, since the inkling doesn¡¯t tell me if something good or something bad will happen, I can use it together with the option to rewind time and make use of both to the maximum.


    By the time I was making my plans, the planet completed its tenth cycle around the Sun and a notification popped-up:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World tree growth!


    Your world tree is now 2 meters tall and provides a boost of biomass up to a total of 100%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It seems that my bet was the right one to make once again. The reason why I decided against melting the glaciers or turn a major continent into a desert, is that precipitations across the entire world are affected by vegetation. Even with my limited knowledge, that¡¯s something I was certain about.


    So if the World Tree does provide a higher boost to biomass after growing up, why not just use the fast-forward option and not cripple half of the world in the process?

 How to break a God lessons one-on-one!

    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World tree growth!


    Your world tree is now 3 meters tall and provides a boost of biomass up to a total of 150%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    By the time the twentieth revolution around the Sun, I finally saw a second emotion on Mimi¡¯s face, different from the pity she showed towards me earlier. It was surprise! I guess I was right given that now, the plant-life on Midgard was evolving at a stupidly fast pace.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Biomass</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 90.000mT</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth:50mT/day</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal: 750.000mT</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Judging by how things were going, we were on the right path for sure. Why so certain? Because, just like E pointed out, the outer film covering Midgard was now a sky-blue instead of the light color from before. That meant that the quality of the atmosphere, as well as the oxygen levels were stabilizing and improving alongside the vegetation.


    However¡­


    ¡°Mia, isn¡¯t the oxygen level increasing a bit too fast?¡±


    [It is master¡­ I ran the simulations and by the time we reach the biomass goal, the atmosphere will be toxic for animals and humans alike¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World tree growth!


    Your world tree is now 4 meters tall and provides a boost of biomass up to a total of 200%


    Mana control function developed!


    Your World Tree influences the rest of the planet¡¯s existing vegetation.


    Current progress: 10% of all biomass.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Well great¡­ Now the end can arrive even faster!¡±


    [This shouldn¡¯t happen¡­ There must be a way out of this. After all, something similar happened to Earth, right Mia?](E)


    [¡­](Mia)


    [Why is this child ignoring me again!?](E)


    ¡°Wait E! I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what she¡¯s doing this time¡­ Mia, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World tree growth!


    Your world tree is now 5 meters tall and provides a boost of biomass up to a total of 250%


    Mana control function improves!


    Your World Tree influences the rest of the planet¡¯s existing vegetation!


    Current progress: 62% of all biomass.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Leaving aside the snowballing growth of the World Tree, it confused me to see Mia ignore me as well. Something must¡¯ve happened to make this child so unfocused¡­ Also, why is the atmosphere reversing back to the right type of color?


    ¡°MIA!¡± ¨C I shouted


    [¡­yes master?](Mia)


    ¡°Are you okay love? What happened? The atmosphere was green a second ago and now is going back to blue slowly¡­ What¡¯s going on?¡±


    [I¡­ I don¡¯t know master¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Both me and Eternity were utterly stupefied by the answer. I mean, you wouldn¡¯t expect for an all knowing AI to give back THAT reply¡­


    Leaving aside the fact that I was officially scared shitless, I realized why she was so confused. Having knowledge of everything that happened on Earth and seeing these changes occur, but not knowing why, must¡¯ve surprised her quite a bit as well.


    Huh!? Wait¡­ the changes that occurred on Earth?


    ¡°Of course! How could I have missed that? I should¡¯ve known the moment that word was mentioned. Take a look you two!¡±


    I brought up the Oxygen description interface and had the girls look at it. With one glance, one could tell that it was a horribly bad situation


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Oxygen</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 182.000ppm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: 825ppm/day</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal: 100.000ppm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [And what exactly are we looking at? The fact that it¡¯s almost twice the time of the required target?](E)


    [I¡¯m sorry master¡­ I don¡¯t understand how this happened. All my calculations¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Ugh¡­ both of you just keep quiet for a moment and watch the growth!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Oxygen</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 182.825ppm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: 824ppm/day</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal: 100.000ppm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After another day passed, the Growth decreased by one unit. It might not be a lot, however the fact that it was decreasing was more important than anything.


    [???](E)


    [Master, what did you do?](Mia)


    ¡°It¡¯s not me¡­ It¡¯s the World Tree. There¡¯s a reason why this was something Mia couldn¡¯t foresee: mana!¡±


    [What about it?](E)


    ¡°Think! There was no mana involved in the creation or evolution of Earth! No World Tree either! So¡­¡±


    [¡­so, of course she won¡¯t know about it. But Michael, if your world had mana, it would¡¯ve certainly evolved already. That much I know for certain and it hasn¡¯t done anything of sorts¡­](E)


    ¡°That¡¯s because it¡¯s not Midgard¡¯s mana that¡¯s affecting Mia¡¯s calculations. It¡¯s the World Tree¡¯s!¡±


    [I must admit that I don¡¯t get it¡­](E)


    [Me neither master¡­](Mia)


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of hard to explain, but you know how in the description of it, it says that the tree ¡®controls¡¯ mana?¡±


    [Yes¡­](both)


    ¡°But it didn¡¯t have that to begin with once it was planted. It acquired it once it grew! Meaning that it did improve and that function was added¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World tree growth!


    Your world tree is now 6 meters tall and provides a boost of biomass up to a total of 300%


    Mana control function improves!


    Your World Tree influences the rest of the planet¡¯s existing vegetation!


    Current progress: 75% of all biomass.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°See? Look! Exactly like I was saying, it acquired that option with its growth and it keeps improving it. Think about it! It¡¯s the World Tree! The tree that controls over all forms of life in the world, not just plants! That means that¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Oxygen</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 190.290ppm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: 200ppm/day</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal: 100.000ppm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°¡­that it also controls and regulates everything else! Is like a natural control tower for airborne traffic. It directs all things according to the planet¡¯s evolutionary path that we select.¡±This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    [So, when master focused on oxygen and pressure to create the atmosphere of Midgard, even if it was planted afterwards, the world was already developing in that direction, so the tree naturally followed. Is that the case master?](Mia)


    ¡°Correct!¡±


    Oh! It feels quite nice to be the smartest one in the room (or divine domain) for a change! Hehe¡­


    [And now that it sees that the atmosphere became poisonous to the plants as well, it developed a way to combat that?](E)


    ¡°Not exactly combat it. It¡¯s more like, use it¡­ First off, the oxygen was boosted greatly and its concentration went ridiculously high, as you can see, therefore it means that the plants thrived by using it as food, further developing. Secondly, it spread its own ¡®influence¡¯ across the planet, in order to regain control over the wild and rampaging vegetation, all in order to limit and consume the excess oxygen.¡±


    [So, what? Will it continue to devour the oxygen until it goes back to normal levels?](E)


    ¡°Yes and no! I¡¯m not entirely sure at this point and it¡¯s more of a theory to be honest, but I might be able to confirm it after another 40 years pass on Midgard. Mia?¡±


    [Acknowledged! Fast-forwarding 40 years¡­](Mia)


    It might¡¯ve been only a theory at this point, however it did make sense for me. Why? Because, in every game I played and every novel I¡¯ve read, mana was a force that can be gathered from the air around one¡¯s body, earth, etc, etc¡­ So, what if the World Tree¡¯s function is not only to control, but also to create or convert?


    What if it could either by itself, or by using the rest of the world¡¯s plants and vegetation, could convert oxygen into mana? Would it be harder to imagine mana as being an actual gas created because of the oxygen concentration being too high and chemical reactions with the other gases, rather than some mystic stuff?


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World tree growth!


    Your world tree is now 7 meters tall and provides a boost of biomass up to a total of 350%


    Mana control function has been perfected!


    Your World Tree influences the rest of the planet¡¯s existing vegetation!


    Current progress: 82% of all biomass.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    And now since the control has been perfected, it¡¯s time to see what¡¯s above it. This would either prove or disapprove my theory, both cases working just fine.


    All that matters is to find a path to navigate through these unsailed waters.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World tree growth!


    Your world tree is now 8 meters tall and provides a boost of biomass up to a total of 400%


    Mana control function has been perfected!


    Your World Tree influences the rest of the planet¡¯s existing vegetation!


    Current progress: 89% of all biomass.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Patience is the key¡­ Also, the oxygen growth plummeted to almost zero. This is looking good!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World tree growth!


    Your world tree is now 9 meters tall and provides a boost of biomass up to a total of 450%


    Mana control function has been perfected!


    Your World Tree influences the rest of the planet¡¯s existing vegetation!


    Current progress: 96% of all biomass.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Come on... make it happen!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World tree growth!


    Your world tree is now 10 meters tall and provides a boost of biomass up to a total of 500%


    Mana control function has been perfected!


    Your World Tree takes control of the planet¡¯s existing vegetation!


    Conversion of oxygen to mana begins!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°BOOYAH! Take that! Hahahahah! Can¡¯t believe I was actually right about it!¡±


    [Dear me! It¡¯s actually like you¡¯ve said¡­ I might fall behind you a little once the game starts, but getting mana in less than 100 years without buying anything from the store, making it a huge impact on my world¡¯s development. Thank you for the gift!](E)


    [Congratulations master!](Mia)


    ¡°What do you mean Mia?¡± ¨CI asked confused


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World rank up!


    Congratulations player Michael Corbett!


    Midgard evolved to a LvL 1 world capable of sustaining mana!


    A new entry has been added in the World Management interface!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Major Achievement: First ranker!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°¡­oh¡­¡±


    [Wow¡­ is getting hard to watch without getting jealous. What¡¯s the achievement about?](E)


    I think I could understand her a little. I mean, I get that the other Gods didn¡¯t want to spend a ton of time dealing with the creation of a world from scratch, given that they could just buy it outright. However, I¡¯m willing to bet my newly gained mana that if they knew what they lost, they¡¯d surely fly into a rage!


    Not to mention that¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">First ranker


    Requirement: rank up your world!


    Reward: 5000AP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Kind of self-explanatory. By the looks of it, you will be the second to get that E.¡±


    [Thanks to you! Take a look at the ¡®mana¡¯ entry. It will help both you and this child understand better how it works.](E)


    That was rather cryptic and it implied the fact that she already does. Weren¡¯t her powers to see into the future supposed to be sealed? How much did she ¡®see¡¯, before the game began?


    But she¡¯s right about one thing at least: from here onward is pretty much uncharted territory for both myself and Mia. Yeah, I might¡¯ve played a couple of games, read a couple of novels and as result I got lucky about figuring out the whole mana-World Tree situation. But all that doesn¡¯t give nearly enough to work with.


    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look, shall we?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">


    Mana


    Your world stands at the peak of evolution and the air itself changes to follow suite!


    By imbuing the atmosphere with mana, the world becomes stronger, more progressive and can support higher-tier life-forms.


    Having mana naturally appear, it will automatically gather in specific locations after reaching saturation.


    Dungeons will feed on such gathering spots and give birth to chaotic life-forms!


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 23ppm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: 15ppm/year</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal for rank up: 100.000ppm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Eh!?](E)


    ¡°Huh!? What''s wrong Eternity?¡±


    [¡­it¡¯s different!](E)


    ¡°What¡¯s different? What do you mean?¡±


    [It¡¯s different from what I remember from the future! Is not possible to have dungeons naturally appear like fruits on a tree¡­ You literally had to buy them. Also, you had to select and buy the monsters within as well¡­](E)


    ¡°Okay¡­ maybe is because of the World Tree?¡±


    [Not the case! There were at least 150 players that owned a World Tree by the time the Auction House store was opened. It¡¯s more like, the future itself is changing¡­ I think it¡¯s different than before because the strings are intermixed. Haah¡­Who knew your title would be so appropriate¡­](E)


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry? My title?¡±


    [As a God of Chaos! Michael, your presence in the game changed everything!](E)


    ¡°What do you mean E? Wasn¡¯t I there before as well?¡±


    [Don¡¯t you get it? You weren¡¯t in the future I saw! That¡¯s why I was surprised to see you! Didn¡¯t the administrator send you back in time?](E)


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    [Now, think of that future you came from as a string. The present is another¡­](E)


    ¡°You mean that¡­¡±


    [We¡¯re walking a different path already! I should¡¯ve noticed sooner since I already decided to go with demons instead of humans. Previously I had only humans, but I blamed the sudden change of heart on me just playing along with you. Now I know that the administrator made some changes once he sent you here¡­ I know that you decided to begin an alliance with me because of my knowledge of the future Michael¡­](E)


    ¡°Aethernithas, it¡¯s not¡­¡±


    [Is okay Michael, I don¡¯t mind. If I wouldn¡¯t want that, I wouldn¡¯t be here anymore. However, the fact that so many things might change, I don¡¯t know how useful I can be to you. Plus that I already decided to go with demons¡­](E)


    ¡°Is that a bad thing? Going with demons?¡±


    [Bad? No! It¡¯s excellent! Not only is it fair for you since the others have no idea of the change, but it¡¯s fair for me as well since I have some knowledge, but no idea what will happen next! The game won¡¯t be scale tilted! I can¡¯t see the future anymore because you keep playing with probabilities! Unconsciously, of course, but the result is still the same!]


    Leaving aside the fact that my future ally might be a bit wrong in the head, the fact just my presence altered the game entirely, doesn¡¯t sit right with me.


    If I¡¯m sure of one thing, is that my Chaos-senses are reacting to what she said. That means that there¡¯s more to this than what she mentioned. I mean yeah, a new player entirely in the game might affect the flow and send it into a different direction.


    However, just with me alone picking the Manual Mode and getting these kind of rewards out of a total of 1000 players and not any type of players, but actual Gods? That smells like foul play to me. I¡¯m certain that there¡¯s something the Reaper did¡­ however if what Aethernithas said it¡¯s true, then it certainly means that he has a reason for doing this. And that, I dislike even more since he basically used me¡­

 One truly greedy bastard!!!

    Anyway, going back to the beautiful deity that was reveling in the fact that she¡¯s almost clueless about the future, I realized that probably all Gods are just as self-indulging as Reaper was. That and the fact that each one of them their own things - which they enjoyed way too much - in order to entertain themselves, which usually have something to do with their divinity¡­


    But really though, there¡¯s no way that THAT guy didn¡¯t know any of this at the point where he sent me here. That makes me more curious and anxious about the purpose, making me scratch the scar on my left hand unconsciously.


    Seeing that I was out of it, Mia pulled my sleeve and dragged me out of my daze.


    [Master, the entries for all other environment requirements changed a bit! Look!](Mia)


    Scared for a second that this sudden announcement and thinking that the change might put me back where I started, I inspected each one of the fields. Except for temperature which remained pretty much the same though this whole ordeal, the pressure, oxygen and biomass levels changed quite a bit.


    Thank Reaper the water levels didn¡¯t drop, or I would¡¯ve gone ballistic¡­


    [It makes sense¡­](E)


    ¡°It does? How come?¡±


    [Mana. Everything is stronger once imbued with it, so the upper levels of what they can endure change.](E)


    ¡°What about biomass? The goal dropped to 600.000mT¡­¡±


    [Quality over quantity¡­](E)


    ¡°Meaning that vegetation enforced by mana doesn¡¯t need to be as much as the one without, therefore less of it could still easily sustain life? How is that the case?¡±


    [Correct master! I¡¯ve run the numbers and water should reach the goal in 70 years, biomass in 40 and oxygen will hit the new target in 65. What should we do?](Mia)


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t do anything else now, can I? However, before skipping forward again, is the math you made, after creating the drainage system?¡±


    [Yes master! Leaving that unaltered will affect the world too much in the future¡­](Mia)


    ¡°I see¡­ Then, if you¡¯d please, fast-forward 70 years Mia.¡±


    [Acknowledged! Fast-forwarding¡­]


    To my surprise though, even after the twentieth cycle of Midgard around the Sun there was no growth notification from the World Tree. I brought up the Mana tab as well and checked for the improvements.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Mana</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 323ppm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: 17ppm/year</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal:100.000ppm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A bit of growth, but it¡¯s going to take a while until the next upgrade at this rate. To my pleasant surprise though, after the 50<sup>th</sup> revolution, a familiar message reappeared.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World tree growth!


    Your world tree is now 11 meters tall and fully controls the spread of vegetation on Midgard.


    Due to its growth, it no longer provides a boost towards biomass increase, but rather it focuses on further evolving and strengthening the vegetation.


    Due to perfect mana control in Midgard¡¯s atmosphere, it increases the conversion rate of oxygen to mana by 50%!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Wow¡­](E)


    ¡°As impressive as it might sound, it¡¯s still at 30ppm/year¡­ From the current 863 to the goal of 100.000¡­ Mia? How much time would that take?¡±


    [Calculating¡­ 3304 years, 6 months and 21 days master!](Mia)


    ¡°Well, damn¡­¡±


    [But if the World Tree keeps growing at the same pace, the required time will shorten as well.](E)


    Oh right! Another 50 years and if there¡¯s another growth the time will become less¡­ and then after another 50 years¡­


    So it¡¯s still up to patience in the end...


    [Master, there¡¯s an anomaly on Midgard!](Mia)


    ¡°¡­of course it is¡­ Why can¡¯t I enjoy good things that happen, without having to fear sudden world destruction?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Major Achievement: Dungeon Master!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [I see¡­ Congratulations on your first dungeon Michael!](E)


    ¡°Is that what this is?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Dungeon Master


    Requirement: automatically awarded once the first dungeon appears in your world.


    Reward: 1000AP and 10 extra levels for the first dungeon </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Something told me that I should leave the dungeon alone, since my sanity points were already draining out at an alarming rate. Come to think of it¡­


    ¡°Mia, where did it appear? The dungeon?¡±


    [On the empty continent master!](Mia)


    ¡°Ha¡­haha¡­ of course it did¡­ Haaah! E, do monsters leave their dungeons and suddenly invade civilizations that players spent a lifetime create?¡±


    [That''s oddly specific... Not really. That naturally created mana hotspot is used up in creating a ¡®core¡¯ which, for better or for worse, enslaves the created monsters¡­ Oh, right!](E)


    ¡°What!? Don¡¯t yell like that in the middle of a sentence for Reaper¡¯s sake¡­¡±


    [No, remember when you said is going to take forever to reach the next rank up for the world?](E)


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    [There¡¯s another way!](E)


    ¡°To rank up?¡±


    [No! I mean¡­ yes, kind of. Ugh¡­ the mana! You can increase it through the same way I did previously!](E)


    ¡°You¡¯re not making any sense¡­ Do you mean in the future I ¡®helped¡¯ change?¡±


    [Yup! This is amazing, since it should work the same way! You see, the core of the dungeon, not only does it absorb the entire hotspot worth of mana, but it also generates it on its own as well. However, the dungeon acts like a huge container, not allowing any mana to slip out of it to the outside world. And if you can destroy the core and have the dungeon collapse its shackles on the mana, it¡¯s going to be released in bigger amounts than when it was absorbed originally. Think of it as a bank with a really, really good interest rate!](E)You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Huh!? Wait, wait! Does that mean that I just lost some of the mana the moment the dungeon appeared?¡±


    [Yes¡­ It¡¯s like a savings account. Later on, you can be given back tens of times the amount that was taken from you. To put it in a simple way to understand, the more levels your dungeon has, the more mana you get back once it¡¯s cleared. A 10 levels dungeon, easily doubles the mana you ¡®invested¡¯, not to mention that each year the dungeon is not disturbed, another level is added. So in ten years from now, you¡¯ll have a 20 levels dungeon that will give you four times what it took from you! By the way, how much did it actually take?](E)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Mana</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 1ppm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: 32ppm/year</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal:100.000ppm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Oh, wow¡­](E)


    ¡°Fuuuuuuck! It took everything? Mimi, how much was that?¡±


    [Calculating¡­ 1492ppm master!](Mia)


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to be sick¡­ Can I just destroy it myself E? Like for example drop a mountain on it? Or burry it in freaking lightning bolts?¡±


    [Nope! There must be people from your civilization that clear it.](E)


    ¡°Of course¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mission completed!


    Water and biomass reached required levels!


    Reward: 50% off from Earth¡¯s fauna template</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    So I could just buy it instead of evolving it¡­ and also at half the price¡­ It feels like a yard sale.


    ¡°Mia, how long will it take to evolve a fauna similar to the one on earth?¡±


    [¡­longer than master would be willing to wait.](Mia)


    ¡°Ahem! And¡­ can we skip through that period?¡±


    [Impossible! There¡¯s a limit to the time-lapse we can create at once.](Mia)


    With my only hope shut down, I felt my Scrooge Mcduck soul bleeding. Pained, I brought up the Auction House interface and saw that the regular store was still locked, meaning that I can buy the template from the achievement one. Seeing the Achievement Store blipping, it was obvious that new things were available in it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Achievement Store</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Earth¡¯s fauna template : 10.000AP (it will be adjusted based on your world configuration)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°THAT MUCH!? Why don¡¯t you just directly rob me instead!?¡±


    [Then you can just wait it out¡­](E)


    ¡°So I have to buy it in the end? My hearts bleeds¡­¡±


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Confirm purchase: Earth¡¯s fauna template


    Due to reward received, the cost is reduced to 5000AP!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>Yes</td>


    <td>No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Thank Reaper that I got that reward¡­ I would¡¯ve cried myself to sleep otherwise.¡±


    [Cheapskate!](E)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Confirmation received!


    Purchase of ¡®Earth¡¯s fauna template¡¯ has been validated.


    Deducting a total 5000AP.


    Thank you for your purchase!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Thank your mom! Can¡¯t you give a proper reward like the actual template instead? Greedy bastard!¡±


    [¡­] -both ladies watching a moron yell at a notification pop-up


    ¡°Ahem! Mia, take a look and tell me what sort of changes are occurring on Midgard.¡±


    [Yes master! Analyzing¡­ It seems that three pairs of each type of animal, insect, bird, fish or otherwise living creature from Earth has been transported to our world. I began assigning them to areas where they will thrive and begin procreating in order to increase headcount. Taking into consideration natural predators in order for the numbers not to swell up out of control¡­ Master, it¡¯s amazing! The animals appear to love the mana imbued air!](Mia)


    ¡°I¡­ I see¡­ How long will it take until the fauna population reaches a balanced level?¡±


    [You¡¯re giving your World Tree and the mana too little credit Michael. Are you worried about the ecosystem being destroyed due to the sudden influx of creatures?](E)


    ¡°Yeah. What do you mean?¡±


    [Simply put¡­hmm¡­ it would be better for you to see rather than being told. Child, you can answer his question.](E)


    [It would take 80 years on Midgard for the fauna to stabilize and fully get accustomed with the environment. However, I can¡¯t simulate what sort of impact mana will have on living creatures... Apologies master¡­](Mia)


    It amazed me how much Mia has changed in the span of¡­ actually, how much time did pass since I arrived here? I guess the right answer would be, no time has passed at all.


    Going back to this small adorable child, it was impossible to differentiate between a normal human and the AI I knew she was, simply based on the large variation of emotions she was showing. Seeing how pitiable she looked, I placed my right hand on her head and patted her gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay Mia! After all, mana is a variable that makes this whole thing more fun. You just need to do your best and it would always suffice.¡±


    [Understood master!](Mia)


    [Wow! Who knew that this child can smile so prettily¡­ Michael, what will you do now?](E)


    ¡°What else can I do but wing it like I¡¯ve done up to this point as well. Mia, go ahead!¡±


    [Acknowledged! Fast-forwarding ¡­](Mia)


    While the planet was doing its rounds, I kept checking for changes or other clues which might help me finish the world¡¯s creation faster and wrap up this whole tutorial thing. Realizing that the time hasn¡¯t advanced even a second sent my internal clock haywire and was looking forward to having the time resume.


    My eyes stopped upon the mana tab, while pondering its possible effects on my planet. By the fifth revolution around the sun, I got an achievement that E told me was awarded to all players once the requirement was met.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Master Breeder


    Requirement: have more than 1000 species give birth on your world.


    Reward: 500AP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Also, there was something else that surprised me as well: the newborns were influenced by the World Tree and mana, which resulted in them being actually stronger than their parents.


    With a cheeky smile on her face, E has explained to me how the civilization will benefit greatly from this, since simply consuming meat from the animals or even the plants on the ground, will increase the basic attributes of the people by a large margin, while newborn baby humans will also benefit hugely due to genetics. It was simply, the same type of Blessing of the world I saw previously in the ¡®demo¡¯, only that it was naturally awarded this time.


    This World Tree proved to be the greatest cheat I could get.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World Tree growth!


    Your World Tree is now 12 meters tall and fully controls the flora of Midgard.


    The influence it holds over fauna is at 29% of the total living creatures.


    Due to biomass already being over the required amount, the World Tree focuses on strengthening the planet and its inhabitants with mana.


    Mana conversion rate further improved by an additional 100%!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After asking Mia to bring up a live feed of the overpowered tree, we saw a stupefying green giant dominating the view available, surrounded by a forest that spread out through 20-25% of the entire continent, spanning a perfect circle.


    The view was absurdly beautiful between the trees, as green emerald light shone on the ground covered with grass and other plants. Animals were moving about unhindered, showing signs of a healthy ecosystem taking form, just like Eternity said.


    Not only that, but with the last upgrade, the mana conversion skyrocketed as a result. It was amazing how flora and fauna were acting like a well-oiled machine: first it fed off the CO2 the living beings created and transformed that into O2 which was continuously released into the atmosphere, surplus of which was transmuted into mana.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Mana</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 990ppm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth:70ppm/year</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal:100.000ppm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Intruder!!!

    While the increase was amazing in itself, a window which I more or less expected to pop up, appeared by the end of the 40th revolution. By now, the mana concentration in the air was already at 1691 parts per million and both Mia and Eternity were looking curiously for the decision I would make.


    The decision was obviously regarding the route my civilization would take: will it be peaceful and focus on technological advancement or if it will be a military type of world focusing on strengthening soldiers whilerefining the souls of the general population as well.


    At least, according to E, those were the only options I had available to pick between. However...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Mana concentration has reached the amount required to create another core.


    Would you like to spend 1690ppm to create a dungeon?</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">YES</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">NO</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Why not both?"


    [Well I do not know Michael... maybe because focusing on both does not give you an advantage on either. I saw it happen before... the ones that took this path were unable to do either properly, therefore succumbed to monsters eventually.](E)


    "Don''t worry E! If this confirms my theory, then I could do both on a level high enough to both protect my civilization and have it advance fast through technological breakthroughs. Given that Midgard already has mana to start with, will help greatly."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Confirmation received!


    Converting 1690ppm worth of mana concentration into a dungeon core... Conversion confirmed!


    Where would you like to place the dungeon?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Oh... right... you could do THAT!](E)


    "Instead of an army filled with soldiers, how about a civilization filled with adventurers that will help me collect my interest from those dungeons? HAHAHAHAHA!"


    I laughed like a maniac at the stupidly good idea I just got. I mean, if the adventurer system was already in place due to mana existing on Midgard, why not fully use it? I could do the same things that I saw in the games I played and split the populace into combat adventurers that could gather materials and kill monsters or clear dungeons, life-style occupations that could take up jobs like farmers, carpenters, alchemists, tailors, blacksmiths and so on. Not only that but I can even have researchers focus on specific fields due to my Influence meaning that I can lead the civilization in the direction that I want to, while also having them become accustomed with monsters and use them as fodder for leveling up and as materials.


    [Wow... Not only do you sound like a loan shark, but you also laugh like a third-rate villain... it scares me when thinking that I still owe you one for the World Seed.](E)


    [Master looks amazing!](Mia)


    "Do I Mia? Hehe! Thank you!"


    I ignored E''s all too accurate snide remark and patted the little AI on the head, while trying to find a way through which my idea could work... After taking every possible scenario in consideration (at least the ones I could think of), I realized that given the nature of my ''divinity'' things will certainly become chaotic. So being prepared for anything would be the correct thing to do.


    Speaking of which, if I plan to have a civilization that has at its base adventurers, I can''t really have them try to fight at LvL 0 against the creatures in a dungeon with 100 layers... That means that I should try to have different dungeon difficulties and slowly train them starting with the upper levels.


    "Mia, put this one on the smaller continent on the North side of the forest."


    [Yes master!](Mia)


    [Be careful Michael! Once a dungeon reaches 100 levels it creates a phenomenon called overflow. That implies that each year onward from that point, it will send out of it and entire floor''s worth of monsters, starting with the first level and going downward. Those monsters are created from pure mana, sowhile each one killed improves the concentration of the outside world a little bit, they are much stronger than what a regular level 0 human can handle. If you are not careful, they will overrun your civilization with ease.](E)


    "Well geez E, thank you for telling me that BEFORE I actually put one next to my civilization..."


    [In the forest? Humans can''t exactly live there...](E)


    "I told you in the beginning, didn''t I? I do not intend to make humans part of my world. Here, take a look!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Achievement store</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Human race [LvL 0]: Cost 0 AP ( This race can be upgraded and provide a new type of sub-race each 10 levels. Cost per upgrade: 50.000 SP for LvL 1 )</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Faeries race[LvL 0]: Cost 1000 AP ( This race can be upgraded and provide a new type of sub-race each 5 levels. Cost per upgrade: 5M SP for LvL 1 ) </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Now I get it. It is not a bad idea since the secondary race is always more powerful than the humans and from what I remember the Faeries are stronger the closer they are to nature. In addition, nature is kind of abundant in your world. If there would be a downside, is that they are crazily expensive.](E)


    "Meaning?"


    [No clue! That is what I remember hearing the other Gods talking about and I played only with humans, so I cannot help much in that regard. However, you can see for yourself the difference in upgrading one race and the other. The Faeries are 100 times more expensive... Plus that you must pay 1000AP to purchase them...](E)


    Even in that case, I already decided on it and I will not falter! A world full with beautiful elves! Such an amazing dream to have...


    Plus that they won''t be in any immediate danger since only another 40 years will pass after ''planting'' the dungeon in the East side of the forest. That means only 40 extra levels, which give me another 60 years to prepare before the first dungeon ''regurgitation''... that, if the game starts once the fauna stabilizes.


    After patiently waiting another 20 years to pass on Midgard, another notification appeared. It once again asked me to spend 1430ppm for another dungeon core to be created, to which I immediately said ¡®yes¡¯ to. This one I placed at the northern end of the forest and with it, I noticed a small change in the mana growth.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Mana</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Current: 1ppm</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Growth: 73ppm/year</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Goal: 100.000ppm</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    So far, each ten years the growth went up by one point, however after the last twenty revolutions of Midgard, it suddenly increased to two points. How?


    Therefore, in order to find out and confirm it, I patiently waited another ten years and indeed, it jumped to 75ppm...Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Mia, any idea why the growth of mana was suddenly boosted?"


    [I do master! The World Tree has successfully imbued with mana almost all fauna on Midgard. I believe that that be the reason in proportion of 99%.](Mia)


    [Well, it was at 29% 40 years ago, so it''s safe to assume that it reached full percentage and through it the mana concentration grew.](E)


    Only 10 years left and the answer regarding my theory would be revealed... I watched the spinning planet complete a rotation and realization dawned on me. It was more of a question though...


    "Mia, in... no, if you were to compare, how many seconds is a year on Midgard to us in here?"


    [Calculating... if time wasn''t stopped, it will be 240 seconds master.](Mia)


    [That speed can be adjusted...](E)


    "Really? So it can be slower as well?"


    [Of course. The slowest speed is the speed of your world. Why do you think Gods live so long?](E)


    Before I could complain about my shattered dreams and hopes, a powerful red light covered Eternity from head to beautiful toes, making her blink in and out of existence.


    [It seems that the game will start soon and the administrator wants me back to my own divine domain. Got to go...](E)


    "Well then, I guess I''ll see you later?"


    [Sure. We can visit each other''s divine area after 100 years pass and friend requests become available...](E)


    "I... literally have no idea how to even complain about that. Thank you for visiting E and I hope you won''t forget our little deal."


    [I wouldn''t call an alliance with you a ''little deal'', but sure. I will not!](E)


    "Good luck in the game E! Give it your best and make it fun!"


    [You know what? I will! Now that I don''t know what the future holds I can properly enj...](E)


    [OH! Master, the intruder is finally gone!](Mia)


    "Pfft! Hahahaha!!!"


    It surprised me to hear Mia say that while throwing side-glances to the now empty spot Eternity was teleported from. No wonder she didn''t like E at all. She considered her an intruder on my divine domain through illegal means, therefore the hostility.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World Tree growth!


    Your World Tree is now 13 meters tall and fully controls and regulates the flora and fauna on Midgard!


    Due to biomass being above requirement and the planet being fully stabilized in accordance to mana, the World Tree focuses on mana conversion.


    Mana concentration growth has been improved by an additional 100%!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Mana concentration has reached the amount required to create another core.


    Would you like to spend 1380ppm to create a dungeon?</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">YES</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">NO</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Your planet stabilizes!


    You can now purchase sentient residents for your world in the world management interface.


    Temperature, oxygen, pressure, water and biomass are compiled into the new entry Statistics.


    You can find a new entry in the World Management interface!


    Population has been unlocked in the World Management interface!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After selecting yes for the dungeon and verifying the changes that were mentioned in the notifications, I had Mia set up the 3rd dungeon South of the forest. I decided to leave the West side free for now, since I will have to expand towards the bigger continent eventually and having a dungeon in the way might inconvenience future plans.


    The mana concentration received a huge boost as well with the World Tree upgrade, reaching 150ppm/year now. But the most important thing of all, which even Mia was curious about, was the Population tab that was added just now.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Population


    Your world can finally support sentient life forms that marks the start of your civilization!


    Available races: Humans;


    Available for purchase: Faeries (In the Achievement Store)


    Available population for purchase:


    1 Human - 50.000 SP


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Isn''t that expensive? That''s a LvL 0 human..."


    I gulped loudly and brought up the Achievement Store through which I instantly purchased the Faeries race. Once that happened, an introduction to the race popped-up.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Faeries


    Also known as nature''s darlings, the Faeries race hold a symbiotic relationship with the environment from which they draw their power.


    The healthier your world is in terms of nature and vegetation, the stronger the race members will become and the faster will they develop in terms of culture and technology.


    The Faeries race is adept of magic usage and they are fierce and nimble warriors.


    Due to their racial traits they automatically begin as LvL 1 in soul refinement, therefore their starting basic attributes are above those or other races.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "I have a bad premonition about this since E said they are expensive..."


    Looking back to the Population tab, which was updated, I had my fears confirmed.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Available population for purchase:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>1 Human - 50.000 SP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">1 Elf - 500.000 SP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Wow...](Mia)


    "...I know Mia...Even if the starting ones are the Elves, the cost is a bit... I should start with the hu..."


    [Master should chose the Elves!](Mia)


    Well that was unexpected. Does Mia wanting the elves has anything to do with the scanning I went through when she was created? Did I infect this pure child with my desires for beauty?


    "Mia, why dru... why do you say that?" - I fumbled a bit


    [Because of the Elves description master!](Mia)


    She brought up a different window, which explained the Elves sub-race.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Elves


    Members of the Faeries race praised as Guardians of the Forests.


    They excel at magic and technological research, while because of their legacy cultural advancement will also be increased.


    Being part of the Faeries race, their lifespans can reach up to thousands of years without taking in consideration their evolution to a higher tier through rank up.


    World Tree presence detected in your world!


    Due to synergy effect, the Elven people will automatically be converted to your Faith, because of your identity as Divine Guardian (because you planted the World Tree, your identity is automatically recognized as the God of the world, without the need for a Divine Revelation)


    The synergy effect of the World Tree provides a blessing to the Fairies race as follows:


    - an increase of 50% in basic attributes;


    - an increase of 100% in experience gained (general and not limited to assimilation)


    As your World Tree grows to the next level, more blessings will be unlocked!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Yup... That is equal to at least three blessings that I have seen in the demo. In addition, if they are stackable with the ones I''ll get in the future by actually paying for them... then I''ll have a truly broken civilization.


    "Mia, is this why you suggested going with the Elves?"


    [Yes master. While only 200 can be purchased, it will be easier to develop a civilization based on a populace that''s higher tier compared to the humans. Not to mention that it will be easier to have them adapt and fight against the dungeons, without taking into consideration the moment the World Tree evolves to LvL 1.](Mia)


    "While I can understand the description and the synergy effects are indeed pure madness, what do you mean by the tree going to LvL 1? Is it in the description?"


    [No master! I have made a simulation and the calculations point to the fact that, by the time the tree grows to reach 15 meters, it will reach LvL 1 with a probability of 87%.](Mia)


    "Is that so... Still, they are expensive nevertheless and I will not be able to get the initial investment in them anytime soon. However, I have said that I won''t go with humans for my world so I should stick with that..."


    [Since master has invested so much in the dungeons, I would advise picking quality over quantity.](Mia)


    "Fair point... What I am even more curious about is how this whole shenanigan is going to work. Will the souls have any knowledge whatsoever? Will they have knowledge limited up to a certain point in time back on Earth''s eras? Like knowledge of metallurgy, or farming, or housing... There are way too many variables and unknowns..."

 AGAIN!?

    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Confirm purchase of 200 Elves:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Yes </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Confirmation received!


    200 Elves are being deployed in the previously assigned area.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Uhm¡­ Mia?¡±


    [Don¡¯t worry master. The area assigned is at the base of the World Tree.](Mia)


    ¡°Thank Reaper! I was scared there for a second that they might be split around the world at random. What no¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Game start!


    Good luck all players!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Manual Mode override initiated!


    Player Michael Corbett, enjoy the experience!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    A shining light fully covered the entire divine domain and I blacked out for a second. Just like after blinking, I opened my eyes wide and was forced to close them back again due to the strong light. Huh!? I could literally look at and into the Sun a moment ago¡­ what sort of light I¡¯m I bathed in?


    I took my time in having my eyes get accustomed with the change and used my right hand to block the ¡®sunlight¡¯, while my left hand pushed onto the ground in an effort to raise me to my feet. Realizing something, I gulped in a frightened matter and faced the space under my feet.


    ¡°Since when does my divine domain have grass!?¡±


    The undignified, almost girlish voice I let out, somehow brought a moment of clarity and I began to look around me with a superb thirst. A thick forest surrounded me and a shadow was stretching over it in a dominating manner. Once more, I turned my head and regarded the obscenely tall tree that seemed to, indeed, hold the heavens on his branches.


    [Master¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Mia¡­ You¡¯re here as we¡­ Wait! Why are you so tall!?¡±


    Leaving aside the fact that she was surprisingly still next to me, the previously adorable child that would¡¯ve probably been mistaken as a 12 years old at best, was now a gorgeous beauty that wouldn¡¯t lose to Eternity. Rather, with her flaming hair and blue eyes, she might actually be a grade above. She was almost as tall as I was, with similar curves to E¡¯s body.


    [Master, we seem to be¡­](Mia)


    ¡°On Midgard, right? Ugh¡­ What¡¯s this about?¡±


    [It is Manual Mode override master.](Mia)


    ¡°And that is¡­???¡±


    [Should I bring up the description?](Mia)


    ¡°¡­please do¡­¡±


    Not bothering to ask why the hell is there a description for something I wasn¡¯t notified about before being randomly tossed in the world I created, I watched Mia wave her hand and bringing up the same blue window interface I saw many times before.


    At that point however, I noticed something else which I couldn¡¯t decide if it was heavenly good or hellishly bad¡­


    ¡°Mia¡­before that, what happened to your ears?¡±


    I made sure the voice I used was calm and collected, but I still squealed like a little pig when I reached the word ¡®ears¡¯, which made me feel truly embarrassed. I didn¡¯t notice before, because of her beautiful long hair, but this AI¡¯s ears became pointy and longer¡­ yeah, almost elf-like.


    [Is probably because of the override master! I have automatically assumed a form that will be inconspicuous and that would allow me to interact with master¡¯s civilization easier.](Mia)


    Not wanting to understand what she meant and doing my best to ignore the reality before my eyes, I stared at the tab Mia brought up for me to see, hoping to find some comfort or escape in it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Manual Mode override


    Created by the game master, this mode maximizes the interaction between creator and creation, while also focusing on providing a first rate experience to the player.


    Once engaged, through this mode the player will enjoy the game while being side-by-side his followers, making it easier to directly impact the game and steer it in the direction he/she desires.


    The player will still have administrative abilities; however they will be limited to once per day actions in the respective fields for any changes and further limited regarding browsing.


    Also, once the transport to the physical world has been confirmed, the required changes will occur as well.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sobbing sounds could be heard from a once pseudo-God which was now lying on his ass and hugging his head between his knees. Mia was looking at me full of pity, which didn¡¯t really make me feel any better.


    [Master¡­](Mia)


    ¡°¡­yes?¡±


    [There¡­ there are so many changes¡­](Mia)


    I literally choked and started coughing once I heard that. What do you mean so many changes!? Why can¡¯t I just normally enjoy this shit!? That freaking useless game-God and his uselessly added functions!!!


    ¡°What sort of changes?¡±


    [Well to begin with, the user interface has been split in two: the ¡®Store¡¯ and the newly added ¡®Civilization¡¯.](Mia)


    ¡°Store? Civilization? What happened to the World Management?¡±


    [After doing a survey on the world, it seems that the World Tree has been assigned to take over the control functions. So, the requirements such as temperature, pressure, oxygen and all others are currently being monitored by the World Tree. We can still view them due to master¡¯s administrator rights, however there is not a need any more to involve ourselves with them.](Mia)


    ¡°Hahahaha! Of course! OF COURSE!!! Now it makes sense! That¡¯s why I got that unusually good reward! This was all planned by that useless game God! I swear I¡¯m gonna bitch-slap his uselessly good looking face all over the universe, until my hands are sore!!!¡±


    After yelling and panting for another 15 minutes or so, I took deep breaths of air (which was rather new, given that I previously had no air to breathe in my domain) and realized that somehow it smelled sweet. That might be a byproduct of the mana being available in the world¡­


    ¡°So I¡¯ve really been brought down on Midgard to play with the rest of the Elves. Hmm? Mia, do I have pointy ears?¡±


    Why I asked and didn¡¯t check for myself? Because my sanity points were absurdly low and I thought I might have a godly mental meltdown if I felt something pointy instead of what I was used with¡­


    [Master looks the same. There are no pointy ears.](Mia)


    ¡°Huh!? But, won¡¯t I stand out in that case? How I¡¯m I supposed to mingle with my civilization? I don¡¯t want to be bullied by the people I literally bought and be annoyed up to the point of using lighting to fry them¡­¡±


    I have to apologize for being bipolar... without noticing I was already having a meltdown...This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    [Don¡¯t worry master! You will be recognized as one of them and we are the first ones to appear here also. That means that we are here to welcome and guide them.](Mia)


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that great? With your capabilities and all knowledge from Earth, we will be able to build up atomic bombs soon, won¡¯t we?¡±


    [I¡¯m afraid not master¡­](Mia)


    ¡°¡­while I expected that answer, please tell me why not.¡±


    [The technological tree restrictions won¡¯t allow it, unless we managed to research it ourselves. Also, I will only be able to act as your advisor and give out pointers from time to time, or answer your questions regarding knowledge you don¡¯t possess. In order to make the game balanced for players that won¡¯t purchase the ¡®assistant ¡®pack, I am unable to interfere too much with the gameplay.](Mia)


    ¡°What¡¯s with that uselessly balanced setting!? Then, can you become an adventurer as well?¡±


    [No master!](Mia)


    ¡°¡­what about myself?¡±


    [You are free to do anything a normal soul would do. However, keep in mind master that you will start as a LvL 1 soul and once you die you will be removed from your world as a participant and given a heavy penalty. The result of the said penalty could be loss of world levels, or at worse a monster invasion of a high degree.](Mia)


    ¡°What¡¯s up with that!? That¡¯s bullshit! I start as a newb and you expect me to survive against who knows how many monsters, while also leading my civilization, but once I fail and die I will be heavily penalized and might even lose a world level?¡±


    [Or have the civilization erased by the monsters¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Not helping!!!¡±


    What¡¯s with this bullshit scenario? Did this game suddenly become protect the VIP? I¡¯m feeling dizzy¡­


    But after calming down and thinking seriously about it, this would be better. Don''t I already have a way to make myself ridiculously overpowered?


    ¡°Mia, do the original things like Funds and Name still exist in the interface?¡±


    I realized when trying to bring it up that I was unable to do so anymore, therefore asked Mia to. That¡¯s what the description meant in regards to being restricted when it came to decision making and browsing. I didn¡¯t think that I would become literally unable to browse through the goddamn interface as a result.


    Anyway, having Mia meant that she could do it instead and to my utmost happiness there it was under the Player subpage: Assign Hero!


    ¡°Ahahahaha! You thought you could get me with something like this? Na?ve! You¡¯re truly na?ve Reaper! Hahahaha!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Unable to appoint yourself as hero of the world!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Motherfuc¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Hero must be selected from the souls migrated to your world!


    Please reselect!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I think it was raining¡­ Yeah¡­ it was certainly raining even if the sky was clear and the Sun resplendent. Otherwise, how could you explain the water flowing down my cheeks?


    [Master¡­](Mia)


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Were the other 200 Elves assigned yet?¡±


    [Not yet master. We still have about half an hour until they will be brought here.](Mia)


    ¡°Haaah¡­ Please bring up the ¡®Store¡¯ interface. Let¡¯s look together at the changes¡­¡±


    [Yes!](Mia)


    Why did I ask her to do that? Because I resigned myself to the fact that I was literally playing Reaper¡¯s game and I didn¡¯t have a way out¡­ So I gave up and decided to focus on something that would allow me to vent some of this anger, like killing some monsters. I really wanted to let loose in a dungeon¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Store</td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>Auction House Store </td>


    <td>Achievement Store</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Locked</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> -</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Nothing new here. Only the name changed¡­ What about the Civilization one?¡±


    [One moment master.](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="4">Civilization


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Construction</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Policies</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Materials available</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Miracles</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Social </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Research</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Great People</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Population </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I stared in awe at the newly added categories. This¡­ What I¡¯m I supposed to do with it? Judging from the curious look Mia had on her face, she didn¡¯t know anything about it either¡­


    ¡°Ugh¡­ please bring them up one at a time¡­¡±


    [Yes master!](Mia)


    I was glad that at least one of us was hyped about this whole thing¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Construction


    Provides the option to decide on the order in which buildings can be built.


    Keep in mind that each building provides certain benefits which affect other fields such as Research, Population growth, Production, or even the material gathering speed or amount.


    Current Production Points: 0 (Production locked until the first civilization member arrives)


    Buildings available: None (Buildings locked until the first civilization member arrives)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    While I understood most of the description, for the Production I drew a blank. There was no further description either, but I speculated that it might have something to do with the speed with which something was constructed. Which in turn makes me believe that I can assign my people to different fields in the beginning¡­ This could be interesting.


    ¡°Next one Mia!¡±


    [Understood!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Social Policies


    Mainly used in representing the non-scientific or religious advancements of your society.


    Also used to decide the order of cultural advancement, it consists of ten different branches one can chose between and invest in creating a unique civilization.


    Each choice can influence a specific field, like for example increasing the amount of Social Policy points, increasing the amount of Faith gained or even improving the Production or Research.


    Available social branches:


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Tradition</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Exploration</td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>Liberty</td>


    <td>Commerce</td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>Military </td>


    <td>Navigation </td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>Piety </td>


    <td>Technology</td>


    </tr>


    <tr style="text-align: center">


    <td>Aesthetics </td>


    <td>World Order</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Currently the Social Policies are locked and await the first person to join your civilization.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I confirmed that I was unable to further check what either of those meant, however I was certain that I will able to do so as soon as the initial 200 Elves will be brought to Midgard. It looked intriguing and it made me think of the many options I might have in deciding the path my civilization could take. Especially with the Military¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Research


    Used to decide the technological advancement, it consists of multiple branching paths one can chose, each one belonging to a specific time.


    Once a minimum of technologies have been researched, you can advance to the next era. Each era advancement will provide you with certain benefits.


    The current Technology Tree is locked and will be unlocked with the arrival of the first member of your civilization.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well this¡­ makes sense I guess. What worries me is the mentioning of the word ¡®era¡¯, which entails the fact that there will be a starting point¡­ Please don¡¯t make my elves be barbarians that don¡¯t even know how to speak properly¡­


    I brought up the Miracles interface, but to my surprise there was nothing new.


    ¡°Well that one hasn¡¯t changed much, excepting the fact that now Faith is incorporated in it. Let¡¯s see the last two Mia.¡±


    [Yes master!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Population


    Current population: 200 Elves (being migrated and will arrive in 10 minutes)


    Your population will begin to grow through natural means, only once the bare minimum conditions have been met.


    Only with enough food, a shelter for sleep and rest and sufficient protection will your people begin procreating.


    Without meeting the conditions, your population won¡¯t increase through any normal means.


    Current growth: 0 ( Growth locked until the first civilization member arrives and the minimum conditions will be met)


    You can assign population to specific fields only once per day.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Materials


    Required in order to survive and build, different materials can be stored by your civilization.


    Starting, available to you are food, wood and stone, while the maximum amount you can stockpile is up to 1000 units of each.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I believed that the last part about Population implies job assignment for the elves. Like for example, having them build something, research a new technology, pray to me and who knows what other options I might have available¡­ As far as materials go, I felt that I should say something about it, but I stopped in order not to rage since it was being so game-like.


    I must admit however, that I¡¯m curious about the changes once the populace will arrive. Speaking of which¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Migration of the 200 Elves will begin now.


    Location selected previously, confirmed!


    Beginning transfer!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With a large tear in the space under the World Tree and right in front of myself and Mia, 200 Elves appeared looking curiously around for a second, after which focusing on the two of us.


    Now what!?

 A hero is born!

    [Master, after inspection there are 130 females and 70 males.](Mia)


    ¡°Huh!? Why are there so many girls? Actually nevermind¡­ since it¡¯s Elves we¡¯re talking about, I can understand it since they are leaning towards matriarchy instead of patriarchy. Also, why are we whispering?¡±


    [Because there are 200 Elves looking intently at us, waiting for master to speak.](Mia)


    ¡°I must admit I am impressed with the way you grew up Mia! Being able to toss responsibility like that onto me¡­ I am both proud and scared of you.¡±


    Leaving aside the AI that was looking around and ignoring my pleading eyes, I took a deep breath and stared back at the curious elves. There sure are lots of pretty girls and the guys are annoyingly handsome as well.


    "What¡¯s up with them? Isn¡¯t it unfair to be this good looking? Even their God is not that handsome! I declare that divine wrath shall descend upon them! The guys of course¡­"


    Leaving aside their looks, their ages are also rather young as well. The girls look at most between 20 and 22 years old, while the guys barely reach 20¡­ I guess that¡¯s set up that way in order to make sure there is no bias start for any of the players.


    ¡°Ahem! Nice to meet all of you! My name is Michael and I am the G¡­ I am a resident of this world. Do any of you have any memories?¡±


    Through the sound of whispering and chatting among them, I realized that¡¯s not the case. And since there¡¯s no backstory for them, I should be gracious and just create one.


    ¡°You might not remember it, but you were all saved and brought here to this new world by a God. This world¡¯s God! Through his mercy, Midgard will become your new home!¡±


    Compared to before, this time a commotion started among them. Did I force it a bit too much?


    ¡°Alright, alright! Quiet down please! Do you guys know what a God is? Hmm? You there¡­ yes you! Tell me, what¡¯s a God?¡±


    [Uh, yes! A God, right? Uh¡­ a creator of the world?]


    ¡°Yes! Good answer! You! Yes you, don¡¯t look away! What else?¡±


    [A¡­ a divine being?]


    ¡°Good answer, have more confidence!¡±


    What the fuck was I even doing!? However, the ball was already rolling and it looks like the tension relaxed a bit among their ranks. Using this strategy I can also see the level of intelligence they possess.


    "Their speech doesn¡¯t seem different from a regular person¡¯s and they have knowledge of divinity. Now, what else?"


    ¡°Both of you are right! This God¡¯s creator Michael Corbett, is also known as the God of Chaos. Hmm? You there, the pretty one with the hand in the air, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    [You said your name is Michael as well. What¡¯s your relationship with the God that brought us here?]


    ¡°Very smart and a very good question! Myself and the girl beside me, Mia, have been brought to this world as well by the same God. My first name just happens to be the same.¡±


    [I see..]


    It doesn¡¯t look like she bought that, but I doubt that they will believe if I just randomly say that I¡¯m the God in question. Let¡¯s see¡­


    ¡°Like I was saying, after being brought here by the God of Chaos, I was instructed to wait for you guys to arrive and with your help we¡¯ll be building a new home here for everyone.¡±


    I didn¡¯t even finish properly and the same girl from before raised her hand again. I began to sweat profusely as result... Wasn¡¯t she a bit too smart?


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    [Is the tree behind us the World Tree?]


    ¡°Yes it is. Actually, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    [I am Alexandra.]


    ¡°Well then Alexandra, like I already said that¡¯s the World Tree indeed. The God of Chaos planted it on this world, knowing that in the future there will be more people like you and me that will flock to this place for somewhere to live.¡±


    [Do you mean that the God of Chaos will save other people from different worlds and bring them here like it had done with us?](Alexandra)


    ¡°Correct for some, while others that worship him will follow willingly to this new place he created.¡±


    What? Is good for this God persona I''m creating to have at least some other followers beside them... Another girl whispered something in Alexandra¡¯s ear and the later nodded in approval.


    [Can we be sent back to our own worlds?](Alexandra)


    ¡°I already said that the God of Chaos saved everyone he could¡­ I¡¯m sorry but you guys were the only survivors of your world.¡±


    [How can that be? Our families? Friends?](Alexandra)


    ¡°Wanting to spare you from the horrible memories, you had your pasts erased and were now given another chance at life. The only message that was left with me from the God of Chaos is the following: live strongly and happily!¡±


    Even I thought that it was a bit of a much too forced setting¡­ There were different reactions, most of which were sadness. Being blank slates didn¡¯t mean that they held no intelligence. Quite on the contrary actually, they were too smart for my own good. So on the pretense of being kind and merciful, the God in question saved them and gave them a chance to start anew.


    Would they hate him for that?


    Some time passed and I didn¡¯t say anything more, but waited for a reaction on their part. To my surprise, most of them were full of curiosity and were looking forward to the new life they got¡­


    All but one.


    [What happened with our previous world?](Alexandra)


    This girl¡­ not only is she smart, but she doesn¡¯t seem to like or trust me.


    ¡°Your world, just like mine and Mia¡¯s were overrun by monsters and civilizations went extinct¡­¡±


    [Monsters?](Alexandra)


    ¡°You can think of them as animals, only much stronger. In most cases, stronger than any weapons created by what humans managed to come up with¡­¡±


    [Weapons?](Alexandra)


    "EHHH!? She doesn¡¯t know that? What sort of skewered knowledge do they have then? They are capable of proper speech and they can think for themselves from the short interactions we had, but their general knowledge or otherwise are ¡­ nonexistent? That can''t be the case, right?"


    ¡°Do you know what agriculture is?¡±


    [???]


    ¡°Rearing animals?¡±


    [???]


    ¡°Hunting?¡±


    [Yes¡­]


    "That¡¯s where you draw the line!? Isn¡¯t that the basic Stone Age knowledge?"


    ¡°Do you know what a pistol is?¡±


    [???]Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°A¡­ spear?¡±


    [???]


    ¡°How do you hunt?¡±


    [Throwing stones and using clubs.](Alexandra)


    Motherfucker! Why does she look proud when saying that? With the animals on this world that have been enhanced by mana, these Elves will get gored to death by a wild pig when trying to hunt it with throwing stones and twigs¡­


    [I have another question.](Alexandra)


    ¡°¡­sure¡­¡±


    [Are you supposed to be our leader?](Alexandra)


    Ugh¡­ I didn¡¯t think that far. Do I really want to do that? I would rather not to be fair, since the whole purpose of this, is for me to relax and enjoy this Manual Mode. Plus that I doubt that they will trust me so suddenly and go as far as accepting me to be their leader without any further notice and just a random story about a God saving their asses...


    ¡°No. You need to select a person among the 200 of you and that person will be blessed by the God of Chaos. Through that blessing the person will become the representative of the whole civilization and will assume the role of the leader. For myself, I will help you from time to time and I will focus on fighting the monsters. You can think of me as your adviser.¡±


    [Monsters?](Alexandra)


    Oh shit¡­ That was a bad slip! Looking at their pale faces, one could imagine that they remembered me telling them about their previous world being overrun by monsters. Now that this one has them as well, what sort of new start was this supposed to be?


    I wonder if I can use that¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. While is true that this world holds the same type of monsters, the God of Chaos created a system through which all of you can get stronger and fight against them. In the end if you want to protect the ones close to you, you will have to rely on yourselves more than on anyone else. Alexandra, recite ¡®Status Page¡¯ out-loud.¡±


    [Okay¡­ Status Page! Aaaah! What¡¯s this!?](Alexandra)


    ¡°Not only her, the rest of you do the same and take a look at the gift the God of Chaos provided you with.¡±


    After some panicking shouts, some gasps that showed surprise and others that had an ''I wonder what the fuck this is'' look on their faces showing, they all turned their eyes back to me for clarification.


    ¡°Before I start explaining, decide among you who will become your representative.¡±


    It was amusing to see all eyes instantly turn to Alexandra and in turn, the girl herself panicking as a result of all the stares.


    "I guess with that is decided. She¡¯s smart so it shouldn¡¯t be a problem. All that¡¯s left is to decide which way I should go with this¡­"


    ¡°Alexandra, it seems like the remaining Elves look up to you for support and command. Will you lead them and fight monsters for them?¡±


    [I will!](Alexandra)


    Whoa! Not even a second of hesitation when I mentioned fighting monsters? Even I would do a double-take on that one. Ugh¡­ now the problem is which direction should I have her head to. A LvL 5 Elf in soul refinement will be a strong force to have against monsters, so I guess Adventurer is a given. For the second one¡­ you know what? Screw it! I¡¯ll just go with General and prepare a small team that will join me in dungeon diving. The sooner we get higher levels, the more people I can buy for this new settlement and bolster our forces.


    I looked back to Mia and I nodded to her. Soon, a notification appeared.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Hero has been appointed!


    Raising soul refinement to level 5!


    You can select which class your hero will belong to.


    First class: [available to select]


    Second class: [available to select]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Confirm first class selection Genius Adventurer! Confirm second class selection Genius General!¡±


    Whispering that softly so that others won¡¯t hear me, a dark light literally broke through the sky and singled out Alexandra, scaring the shit out of everybody else (me included) and forcing them away from her. She panicked for a second, but calmed down soon and actually looked like she enjoyed the ominous glow engulfing her.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">What Divine Revelation would you like to send?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Right! I almost forgot about this¡­ This should do."


    After a couple more minutes, the light subsided and Alexandra looked at me, then at her people, then at the sky. In the end, she turned to the World Tree and with one knee on the ground and her head lowered she said in a loud voice for everyone to hear:


    [I will do my best to ensure the happiness of my people! That, I swear upon my life and the World Tree!](Alexandra)


    The message I sent? It was just ¡®Work hard for yours and your people happiness!¡¯¡­ Who knew this girl was that type of character. This is all good, but I am curious about her status page¡­


    [Alexandra, as the people and Midgard¡¯s representative, show your Status Page to everyone here and have them bear witness to the God of Chaos¡¯s blessing.](Mia)


    Oooooh! Well done Mia! Who knew this girl was also just as curious as I was¡­


    [Yes miss Mia!](Alexandra)


    Eh!? Why does it look that she respects Mia more than she does me? I¡¯m that you know! Your God and stuff! I could literally erase you just as easy as I made you an overpowered LvL 5 soul! I¡¯m not crying okay! I¡¯m not!!!


    [Status Page!](Alexandra)


    With a loud shout, a blue window appeared with enough skills to even put the previous elf I met in the demo to shame¡­


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Alexandra Greenwood


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    60


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    150


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Hero


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    80


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    80


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1 day


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    90


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    120


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    70


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    350/350(+3.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    530/530(+4.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    120


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Grand Mage (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Guardian of the Forest (passive</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Wind arcane magic (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Water arcane magic (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Under the banner (active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Soldiers of the Forest (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mana manipulation</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Probability manipulation (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Agent of Chaos (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings granted by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the God of Chaos</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Kick some Godly ass!

    I paused for a second and thought that I should just send her to clear out every labyrinth alone. That¡¯s a level 1 adventurer stats? I get the whole refinement stuff, but isn¡¯t that a bit too cheaty?


    Remembering that I also counted as one of the elves, I brought up my own Status Page and took a look.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    150/150 (+0.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


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    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    75/75(+0.05/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


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    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°At least I still have Identify¡­¡±


    Weakly laughing at the average at best status, I closed the page and focused on the people which were becoming restless. I should get this ball rolling since there¡¯s no starting food and we have 200 people I would very much like to avoid starving to death.


    ¡°Alexandra, come here for a second. We need to talk.¡±


    She nodded and moved away from the group. They all looked at her with reverence after confirming that her Status Page was multiple times better than their own. Leaving that aside, I expected huge numbers in her basic attributes and while they are quite high, it¡¯s not as exagerated as I hoped for. But her abilities¡­ those look on a whole different level. So many impressive passive skills¡­


    So with that it might be safe to assume that by going through soul refinement, you don¡¯t get huge boosts in attributes, but rather you get abilities that enhance the field you specialize in. That might explain why she didn''t start at level 200 or something like that. It''s just like a restart but with higher parameters. Something like quality over quantity once again.


    Also, yes¡­ there¡¯s guessing involved again. I hate not knowing anything and just stumbling through darkness, but I need to take this one experiment at a time.


    ¡°Alexandra, given that we come from different worlds I am not certain about the knowledge you possess. Do you know how to gather food, wood or stone?¡±


    [Yes.](Alexandra)


    [What about hunting?](Mia)


    [I can do that as well. Probably better than before since I feel that I am at least ten times stronger with the blessing.](Alexandra)


    ¡°What about foraging? Do you have any knowledge of the plants and fruits edible?¡±


    [I remember the ones from my previous world I think. As long as they are not different it won¡¯t pose a problem.](Alexandra)


    Well¡­ the flora and fauna might¡¯ve changed a bit due to being mana imbued, but there should be the same type of vegetation and animals as on Earth. I hope¡­


    ¡°Good! We should get started since we have no place to sleep, nothing to eat and there are also many animals that hunt during both night and day, meaning that we¡¯re not safe either. There¡¯s much to do¡­¡±


    [You¡¯re implying that we need to have people split and do different chores?](Alexandra)


    ¡°Correct! We¡¯ll divide them based on their Status Pages and have the stronger ones go with you and hunt, while the moderately strong ones will follow bigger groups to forage in order to defend them. Myself and another small group of faster moving Elves will scout the area for water and other useful things in our surroundings. For now, before deciding on the numbers, go and inform the rest about what we need to do, since we need their full cooperation.¡±


    [In that case, excuse me for a bit.](Alexandra)


    The reason for stalling was because I knew that changes have occurred to the Civilization tab now that people appeared on Midgard, so I wanted to check up on those first before deciding on the actual assignments.


    ¡°Mia, let¡¯s re-inspect the descriptions now that we actually have members recognized as belonging to our civilization."


    [I already took a look while master talked to the rest of the people and the changes are quite substantial. However, some things were made clear...](Mia)


    ¡°Does that mean that it will be easier to understand what to do?¡±


    [Yes and no. While you can understand the implication of each choice, the fact that you need to decide on construction, research, social policies and material gathering¡­ each choice has countless ramifications, meaning countless possibilities. To choose the best option based on Earth¡¯s history won¡¯t work either since I already simulated that and the results were terrible¡­ Neither monsters nor mana were present there, but the effects just those two have on my simulations are frightening.](Mia)Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°For you to say that much¡­ is that bad huh?¡±


    [Yes master. You need to find a way to properly balance both military advancement for protection and technological advancement in order not to fall behind other players. About 90% of the simulations I ran ended badly, because of the monsters trampling over the civilization due to its lack of defense. Also¡­ we are currently in the season of summer so the weather is alright, but if housing is not solved soon, we will lose big numbers during winter. And that¡¯s not the only thing that will happen in winter¡­](Mia)


    ¡°While I appreciate a good build up as much as the next person, please just tell me what¡¯s going on¡­¡±


    [The original dungeon, the first one that was placed on the second continent¡­ it will have 91 years in Midgard time since it first appeared¡­](Mia)


    ¡°And? Do I need to send a birthday cake and some gifts? What¡¯s your point love?¡±


    [Do you remember that each year the dungeon will grow by one level?](Mia)


    ¡°Yes¡­ so it¡¯s level 91.¡±


    [Wrong, master! You received a reward giving you ten additional levels for the first dungeon when you were given the Dungeon Master title.](Mia)


    ¡°So wait¡­that means it¡¯s basically at level 101?¡±


    [Only level 100, master¡­ however the first overflow will occur this winter.](Mia)


    ¡°Shit! I completely forgot about that¡­ Will we be attacked?¡±


    [Is not feasible for them to travel such long distances, but within a maximum of five years, if we can¡¯t build up a force capable of defending, our civilization will be wiped out for certain.](Mia)


    I stopped for a while and contemplated. In my mind, the best type of defense is a strong offense. Therefore I have 4 years and a half to set up an adventurer force strong enough to clean up the mobs, under Alexandra¡¯s supervision. Either that, or fortifications and machine-guns on each wall or watchtower, in order to mow down the invaders.


    However, what Mia said is that the tech tree restricts what we can build. Further extrapolating from the description of everything else I¡¯ve read in the Civilization tab, I need to advance my people to the next era before future technology becomes available.


    ¡°Which means that I could consider myself being in the Stone Age¡­ or the Ancient Era?¡±


    [Master?](Mia)


    ¡°Was just thinking out loud love¡­ This will prove trickier than I originally thought. Let¡¯s check some things, shall we?¡±


    [Before that master, the only tab that didn¡¯t have any changes was the Miracles one. However in it, the Faith was already at 200 followers.](Mia)


    ¡°Eh!? Bring it up please.¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Miracles available: Soul Upgrade [Ex]; VIP discount [Uq]


    Representing the power of a God, miracles are at their base, raw divinity infused in different objects, people or landscapes. Their use is to make it easier for a God to expand and strengthen the belief of his followers!


    Such miracles can be placed in two categories: active and passive.


    The passive miracles can grant permanent benefits, however they can''t directly spread out Faith, since they are hidden from sight. Also, given that they are continuously applied, the effectiveness they possess is limited.


    The active miracles provide a one time benefit to one or multiple targets and they allow the deity to confer a Divine Revelation once used. Due to their limited use, the effects are stronger than the ones provided by the passive miracles.


    A Divine Revelation, consists of a brief message the deity can send to one of his/her followers, alongside the use of an active miracle. This has been done in order to allow Faith to spread out easier.


    Soul Upgrade [Ex]: Active miracle! Cost: 10 Faith/use


    Description: In order to refine the quality of a soul, the number of soul points required is cut in half (example: usually, 100 LvL 0 souls are required to upgrade a soul to LvL 1. This miracle reduces the amount to only 50. As the LvL scales upwards, the reduction of 50% still applies!)


    VIP Discount [Uq] : Passive miracle!


    Description: Due to your ''unique'' relationship with the auction house master, all purchases made using SP are reduced by 25%!


    Each miracle differs from the others, based on its rarity as follows:


    Co: common rank;


    Uc: uncommon rank;


    R : rare rank;


    Vr: very rare rank;


    Ex: extraordinary rank;


    Uq: unique rank;


    Ep: epic rank;


    L : legendary rank;


    D : divine rank;


    Be advised that your actions prior to the rank up, decide the choice of miracles available to chose between.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Faith: 199 LvL 1 followers and 1 LvL 5 follower


    Faith represents the worship and trust the mortals show to a specific deity, while each God depends heavily on it for his/her''s survival and strength.


    Each LvL 0 follower provides a daily amount of 1 Faith point and 1 Experience point and the amount of both go up with the higher levels of the mortals.


    Also, try and keep in mind that in order to be able to use any active miracles, a specific number of Faith points is required.


    Be sure to impress the followers with your divinity early on and rule them fairly, for as easy as it is to garner their Faith, is just as easy to lose it!


    Current Faith points gain: 647/day (3x 199 LvL 1 souls and 50x 1 LvL 5 souls)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Wow¡­ just the story and the hero assignment worked that well in making them believe? I guess that seeing that pillar of black light coming out of nowhere and strengthening Alexandra up to such a point, might made them more inclined to believe that there¡¯s a God watching out for them. Also, given that I am likely to start in the early ages of mankind, faith in a higher existence was a primordial need. I can only hope that it will stay the same for the newly added souls later down the road.


    Speaking of which, there was one more thing beside Faith and followers, which is Influence!


    ¡°Mia, bring up the Influence tab.¡±


    [Sure master!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Influence: 2%


    It is well known that a God can influence his followers. A God of War will make his worshipers stronger, fiercer and more courageous, while a God of Life will strengthen their connection with nature, creating a balanced relationship with the environment and therefore increasing their reproduction rate, while decreasing the mortality.


    As a Chaos Deity, each influence percentage provides a chance that a genius soul will be randomly born. The respective soul will start at LvL 3 and will take part of a category of your choosing among the following:


    - Genius Scientist;


    - Genius Engineer;


    - Genius General;


    - Genius Musician;


    - Genius Prophet;


    - Genius Merchant;


    - Genius Writer;


    - Genius Artist;


    - Genius Admiral;


    - Genius Adventurer;


    Keep in mind that each said genius can only be part of one category until they reach LvL 5 in soul refinement, after which you can chose a second category for them. Upon maxing out to LvL 10, a third category will also be presented, allowing at maximum three areas of influence.


    Since a synergy effect between categories exists, chose carefully! If your choices aren''t suitable, the effect the genius will have on your civilization will lessen considerably!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Now that¡¯s a bit vexing. After 200 followers of my ¡®religion¡¯ the influence my divinity has over the newborns will be only 2%? Is that because they were just ¡®converted¡¯? Or is it a matter of numbers? It¡¯s way too vague¡­


    [Master, don¡¯t forget that having 2 people from 100 newborns being LvL 3 in soul refinement as well as being able to decide the domain in which they will work in the future is already good enough. Not to mention that the other 98 will already be LvL 1.](Mia)


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. Is not good to be too greedy and we haven¡¯t even got proper food for our current people. Thinking about the ones yet to be born and how they will impact our civilization, that¡¯s something for the future. Let¡¯s see what constructions we have available Mia.¡±


    [I will bring up the interface!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Construction


    Provides the option to decide on the order in which buildings can be built.


    Keep in mind that each building provides certain benefits which affect other fields such as Research, Population growth, Production, or even the simple material gathering speed or amount.


    Current Production Points: 0 (Assign people in order to increase production)


    Buildings available:


    -Elvish Huts(100 units of wood);


    -Granary(500 units of wood);


    -Warehouse(500 units of wood, 100 units of stone;


    -Wall(1000 units of wood);


    -Town Hall(1000 units of wood, 500 units of stone)


    Production points are calculated based on the number of people assigned to the Construction field divided by 5. Be advised that each building will require a number of points in order to be completed and your civilization generates a specific number per day.


    If you are unable to meet the number of points required to build in only one day, the construction timeframe can be extended for longer periods.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Given that each building obviously requires materials, I will need to have the elves collect wood and stone¡­ But that implies an urgent need for tools if I want that. I can¡¯t exactly rip a tree from the ground and create planks out of it, irrelevant what stats I have.


    ¡°Mia, you can still access the user interface and see the entire Midgard, right?¡±


    [Yes master!](Mia)


    ¡°Can you please check for rivers nearby?¡±


    [There are two which distance is close to the World Tree master. Both should prove as a good source of clean water for the Elves.](Mia)


    ¡°What I¡¯m more interested in are the rocks. How deep are the two rivers?¡±


    [Depth? One is about 3 meters, while the other is quite wide but is only about 1.5 meters. What sort of rocks are we looking for master?](Mia)


    ¡°We need to build tools if we want to gather materials. Same thing for water¡­ we could use digging and have a small creak flow nearby the location where we can build the settlement for farms, or digging for a well instead of carrying water to the houses with Reaper knows what objects. All, in all we need to have tools!¡±


    [In that case are we to build up a Warehouse first?](Mia)


    ¡°Not really. Building up houses after which a wall around them is more important. Intentionally or not, this huge clearing should prove perfect for the start. Actually how big is it? How many houses could we set up in it?¡±


    [Master, I think you might want to check the description of the Elvish Huts. The way those are built is a bit different than regular houses¡­](Mia)


    ¡°¡­ please bring it up.¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Elvish Huts


    To the guardians of the forest, the trees are their homes.


    Using the influence of the World Tree, after gathering the required materials for each hut, a tree capable of housing up to four population units will be grown using the mana concentration in the air.


    While the Mana concentration in the atmosphere won¡¯t drop, by using mana to enforce them, they will grow up to be taller than regular trees in the area.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    How¡­ no, the more important question is ¡®why¡¯? Why trees? And how the hell would you live inside of a tree!? Yes, I am curious, but I am also intrigued about how these Elvish Huts will look like from the inside. Maybe the trunk will have an interior flight of stairs that will get the persons up, while the entire building will be placed on the branches of the tree. Having your house at 10 meters in the air inside of a forest sounds interesting.


    ¡°Then, what about the other buildings?¡±


    I was curious if the granary or the warehouse would be also placed inside trees. For the wall, it was certain that it was going to be set up at the entry in the forest, around the clearing.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Wall


    The most basic type of wall requires wood to be used in order to stave off threats.


    By having the wall, the security your civilization feels will be increased.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    While the first part of the description is rather underwhelming and it doesn¡¯t say anything about the building being imbued with mana or the World Tree taking care of it, means that it will be just that: a regular wall. The second part is what I am more interested in. The people feeling more secure!


    If we manage to build up the wall fast, if means that after securing food and housing the population, the elves can begin to naturally reproduce. While thinking about how I¡¯m going to convince these people to hook up, I came with an awesome idea. Why not use the houses themselves as bait?


    ¡°Do you think that if we use tell the elves that we¡¯ll provide houses to the couples, will it make it easier for them to... you know... mingle?¡±


    [If master is referring to having the elves breed, then forcing them to share one room or one bed will prove to be helpful in that endeavour.](Mia)


    ¡°Mia¡­ we¡¯re talking about people not animals¡­ breeding is not the right word¡­ But yeah, having a couple made of young people sitting and sleeping in the same room, something is surely bound to happen sooner or later. That takes care of that I guess.¡±


    Thinking about how to create a pleasant atmosphere that¡¯s worry free, I kept dreaming about having thousands of genius babies being born and advancing through era after era while kicking every other godly ass in this game.

 For the motherland!

    Thinking about how I might hold the biggest advantage in the game, since only Manual Mode players have the option of directly participating and influencing the game with just their presence, I began preparing. For me that meant that, overall, I should get my shit together and come up with an action plan.


    First things first, we require wood for buildings, food for the people and stone for just for the Town Hall, signifying that that I was in the Stone Age with my civilization for certain. Since only those three resources are available to me, I should make sure I stock up enough to support future buildings as well.


    Secondly, out of the three buildings left, Granary has priority. Even if the elves might not have knowledge of anything else besides foraging and hunting, I can teach them how to smoke meat and conserve fruits and vegetables.


    Third, there¡¯s the technology tree that was probably already unlocked in the Research tab, which is of utmost importance in advancing my civilization from useless barbarians to illuminated minds that can bring the future here faster. Also, since I am here and I have Mia¡¯s knowledge as well, I should be able to influence the speed through which a technology is researched. If for example, there is gunpowder being researched and I already know the materials required to produce it, I¡¯m already halfway there.


    Fourth, what route should myself, the elf persona take? Should I go full adventurer? Probably not since that would be redundant given that I already have Alexandra. While being strong to clear out some dungeons and get back my invested mana concentration, research is the most important factor in the game. Therefore, I should focus myself on both clearing out monsters and helping with research.


    Fifth, as far as my knowledge goes, social policies will play a huge role in my civilization and I should pick those carefully. While I am not fond of totalitarism, I doubt that I could build up a society that will be ruled through communism.


    ¡°However, hearing such beautiful girls saying ¡®Comrade¡¯ should be fun in itself¡­¡±


    [Master, sorry to interrupt your proletarian dreams, but you are thinking aloud again.](Mia)


    ¡°Ahem! Right¡­ Mia, please bring up the remaining three building descriptions.¡±


    [Acknowledged!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Granary


    One of the earliest uses of this type of building was recorded as storing foraged fruits and vegetables, as well as smoked meat.


    This building¡¯s cost is 500 wood units and it requires both ''Masonry'' as well as ''Hunting and Foraging'' technology.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Cannot say I didn¡¯t expect something like that. Given how is required for me to advance from the Stone Age onward, multiple resources as well as new constructions and technologies will become available. However, I am uncertain regarding how I can advance through ages or eras¡­


    ¡°Thankfully I have you love. Please tell me what the classification back on Earth is. Also what¡¯s the difference between era and age?¡±


    [The term of ¡®Age¡¯ describes the period of civilization advancement, while the term of ¡®Era¡¯ describes a combination of both technological as well as social evolution of a civilization. The one thing that they have in common is that each advancement will usually unlock new buildings and technologies.


    For the ¡®Era¡¯, the classification is like following: Ancient Era, Classical Era, Medieval Era, Renaissance Era, Industrial Era, Modern Era, Atomic Era and Information Era.


    For the ¡®Age¡¯, the list is more complex: Stone Age, Tool Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Dark Age, Feudal Age, Castle Age, Imperial Age, Discovery age, Colonial Age, Fortress Age, Industrial Age and Imperial Age.


    What master also needs to keep in mind, is that in order to advance to a new Era, a certain number of Ages must be advanced through.](Mia)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Again, I kind of expected that. After all, even in the Ancient Era there were people capable of writing already, while in the Stone Age I¡¯m on at the moment, there¡¯s not even knowledge of paper or papyrus yet. Even if I¡¯d want them to write on a stone slab, there are no tools that would allow us to do something like that. What is the most important thing I realized, is that tools are required for me to advance faster, given that there¡¯s a Tool Age. Now, for confirmation.


    ¡°If you were to venture a guess, would we be considered as being in the Stone Age at the level of our civilization?¡±


    [Not yet, master. In order to reach the requirement for Stone Age, you need to have enough food stockpiled for at least 3 months, 1000 units of wood and 1000 units of stone. Also, you are required to build the Town Hall, the Warehouse, Granary and Elvish Huts sufficient for the entire population. Once all the requirements have been met, the civilization can be considered that it entered Stone Age.](Mia)


    ¡°Ha¡­haha¡­¡±


    Not even reaching the Stone Age requirement yet... However, is not all bad and it¡¯s probably the case for all other Gods as well. The only difference is made by the number of people in the civilization. Since for reaching Stone Age I''m required to have enough food for all population for 3 months, as well as housing, it can be said that I have a considerable headstart in the game, since my civilization consists of only 200 Elves. Not to mention that they are already at LvL 1 in soul refinement and due to the World Tree they get more basic attributes, meaning that they are smarter. It will be easier to turn them into builders, artisans, researchers, etc.


    [Miss Mia, Michael, I talked with the remaining people and they are willing to help. What¡¯s our next course of action?](Alexandra)


    ¡°Good! There will be some changes of plans depending on what the status pages of the people look like. Any of them have skills?¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    [No. Beside myself that has been blessed by the God of Chaos, nobody else possesses any...](Alexandra)


    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad thing Alexandra. Since you are the representative of the Elf race, as well as the hero of this world, you need to learn to see things from a different perspective and look for the future. Is not that these people don¡¯t have any skills, is the fact that they are blank slates! A blank slate can be molded in whatever is required of the group.¡±


    [I understand¡­](Alexandra)


    Well, she looks quite discontent in being lectured by me, but she¡¯ll have to live with it from now on. While I don¡¯t want to become a person of major importance, I want to have sufficient influence in order to guide them properly through her position as the Hero. Now, in order to earn their trust, I should make a power move.


    ¡°Alright, everyone! Your attention please!¡±


    The looks of everyone under the World Tree focused on me. That¡¯s a good start¡­


    ¡°We were all given a new chance at life, however we find ourselves in quite the bind. We don¡¯t have food and we don¡¯t have a bed to sleep in. While it¡¯s warm outside and the World Tree provides us cover, we need to prepare for winter. For building houses, we need wood. For wood, we need to have tools that can take down the trees. I will need a group of 9 elves with fast feet that will follow me to the river close by to search for stones that we can use to create tools. Who¡¯s willing to join me?¡±


    Instantly, they looked at Alexandra for approval and she nodded in affirmation. Nine elves stepped forward.


    I wasn¡¯t that annoyed by the fact that they wanted her approval; rather, I was pleased by it. This meant that they properly accepted her as their leader, which will make it easier to make her into a queen of the race further down the road, once the civilization advances to a higher degree.


    ¡°Good! You guys step to my right. Next, we will need a group of 19 elves that will hunt with Alexandra for food. Since this task is dangerous, you guys will follow me to the river first of all to craft you some weapons. That should make things easier for you. Don''t forget that you are responsible for the food of 200, so not only must you be successful, you must be careful not to injure yourselves in the process. That¡¯s why Alexandra, the strongest one among you, will also join in this endeavor. Decide among yourselves whom the 19 people will be.¡±


    Once more, they looked at Alexandra and she nodded. After discussions among them, the second group was selected and stepped forward. There were only 4 guys and the remaining were 15 girls. I could already see that in the future, I will have to count on these Valkyries to fight against the monsters.


    ¡°Great! You guys join Alexandra and come to my left side. Now, the rest of you have the most important job of them all: foraging and scavenging. Simply put, we can¡¯t only eat meat, so Mia will join you and help you identify fruits, plants and vegetables that we can use as condiments, deserts or side-dishes. Not only that, but you will also be responsible for collecting dried twigs and grass that we can use to light up a fire. Keep a lookout for straight branches between 1 - 1.5 meters tall and bring those back as well, since we¡¯ll be using them to craft future weapons and other tools. Mia, I will leave this group in your care and also please try and find if we can use anything as bowls or buckets to gather water, until we actually are able to create pottery.¡±


    [Understood ma¡­](Mia)


    ¡°You little dimwit! No ¡®master¡¯ business while in front of the elves, it will look bad. Call me Michael. Or big brother¡­¡±- I said after quickly covering her mouth


    [Understood Michael.](Mia)


    You go for that huh? Such a heartless child, not wanting to make your big brother happy...


    ¡°Alright people! Let¡¯s move out since we¡¯re losing daylight. For the gathering and scavenging group, try and don¡¯t go too far. Mia, you can split them in smaller groups but limit them to a maximum of 20 gatherers and at least 5 elves that will guard them at all times. Also, makes sure that for the guards you improvise some weapons from the forest. Something like clubs or staffs will have to make due for now.¡±


    [Understood Michael! All right, you lot! Follow me and let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll split up after I take a look at your status pages!](Mia)


    Whoa! She sounds fierce¡­ Now, I¡¯m left with the scouting group and the hunting group. They had expectant looks on their faces, but the poor pointy ears didn¡¯t know that this was just the basic manual labor. Thinking about it, rather than a civilization, the current state of the elves felt more like a tribe.


    ¡°Alright! We should get going as well. Alexandra and the remaining hunting group will follow us, the scouting group, until we can find some things they can use as weapons. Our destination is the southern area of the forest. There we will find a shallow river that will come in handy.¡±


    [Southern?](Alexandra)


    She actually came closer and asked me in a whispered tone. I keep forgetting that their knowledge is limited; therefore, I took my time in explaining to her the easiest ways to tell the cardinal directions using the Sun, or moss growing on trees, or other small tricks like that. After she understood it properly, I had her teach the other two groups the basics as well, since both scouting and hunting heavily rely on the sense of direction and not getting lost while doing your job.


    From their looks, they understood the tricks quickly since they are taught to children in schools usually and they looked at Alexandra with even more reverence. That in turn, made the heroine embarrassed due to the fact that she was kind of stealing glory from me.


    After a couple other conversations in which I described how the monsters looked like (mostly because I was forced into doing that by the entire group), we reached the river. The clean blue water was almost transparent from riverbed to riverbed and it looked as about half a kilometer wide. Seeing that, I instructed everyone to start looking for rocks and I used the mud to draw the shapes that I had in mind to them.


    It took about 30 minutes to an hour until we were able to find sufficient rocks that looked proper. As for the shapes, they were ones that could be used as knives Then, I told everyone to start looking for rocks and I used the mud to draw the shapes that I had in mind to them.


    Another half an hour passed we were able to find sufficient rocks that looked proper. There were some that looked like knives about 30 cm in length with an almost rectangular shape and smaller almost conical ones, through which we could put together some makeshift spears.


    Then, for the following two hours, I had the elves observe how I grinded the stones in order to sharpen the edges as well as the point of the new weapons, after which I grabbed some smaller vines that I wrapped around the lower part of the knives, making a hilt. For the spears, we weren¡¯t that lucky and they honestly looked like they weren¡¯t going to last longer than a stab. We used branches that were almost (and I want to emphasize the word ALMOST) straight and which weren¡¯t neither green, nor old that were as thick as 1 and a half fingers. I used the newly created knife and split the end of the staff, placed the sharpened spearhead inside and then I used vines to once more tie the damned things together.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Tools research technology through discovery.


    25 research points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Now that was surprising, but again, not unexpected. Like I previously thought, I can use myself as an example and build things that aren¡¯t from the current age the civilization is in and as a result, the research towards that specific object will become easier to accomplish.


    The only thing left to do is to get some apprentices and have them become tool makers.

 The path to our dreams, is paved with beauty! Multiple beauties!!!

    Spending (probably) a couple more hours creating spears and javelins (for the javelins we simply sharpened both points of the staffs we gathered, since they can be used by throwing) and finally managed to equip the team of twenty hunters with one dagger, one spear and five javelins as a bare minimum. Why I had them carry the javelins in such big numbers? Well, because we¡¯re talking about mana enforced animals and we''re using throwing sticks to hunt them... Even if the branches have also been enforced by mana, I¡¯m not entirely sure they can be used properly and most of them will likely break. There¡¯s that and the fact that they can use them and some vines to tie the game they catch to carry it back home, since there¡¯s no other way to do it.


    After that, we sent them on their way to hunt while myself and the other scouts gathered some other stones that I thought will be useful in creating other tools such as hammers, axes, bigger knives and some stone slabs that even later on, could be used as molds for casting proper weapons. That¡¯s in the future where we can actually mine minerals and melt them though¡­


    As soon as that was finished (and by that I mean dumping all the stones we found into a pile since I couldn''t just drag all of them home), I took the elves and explored the area about 500 meters away from the clearing and rotated around it. We obviously found the three dungeons which looked like huge out of place caves, but we didn¡¯t venture into checking them out since they were a couple of kilometers away from our location. What kind of scared me was that even though this was a forest, there was a clear straight path free of any trees, which made their way until the entry of the dungeon. I was certain that if one was to look from above, this round forest surrounding the World Tree would be split into three pies, out of which the one down South was the biggest one.


    There were multiple plants and animals that we found along the way and even a wolf den which raised my awareness of the surroundings. I marked the spot where we found them mentally and made a note of actually trying to tame them later on. Also, wild pigs, some wild goats and some wild deer, each with their territories were marked as well. If I could learn to rear these animals fast, there could be an unending supply of food for the years to come. But that implies building pigsties and other similar constructions, which are not yet available in the Civilization menu.


    ¡°I wonder if I could build them in advance relying on my own knowledge. I mean, it¡¯s a pigsty for the love of Reaper! How hard can it be to build one?¡±


    With such thoughts, I kept searching for wild fruits to create an orchard and other wild vegetables from which I could obtain seeds to plant in the future farms.


    ¡°Speaking of farmland, I will require to reclaim some of that as soon as possible and for the things like grain¡­ well I¡¯ll just hope Mia can help me in finding some, or something else that can replace it.¡±


    The elves in the scouting group were all quiet and reserved, so there wasn¡¯t much conversation beside pointers I gave them from time to time and directions about how to use the knives - I can say we bonded quite nicely. Oh, each of us scouts only has one javelin and on our way back I proposed a hunting contest. Out of the nine of them, there were 4 girls and 5 guys, so it was quite balanced. However, to my surprise, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference in the accuracy or strength they showed, even if they were quite pumped up for the small game we played.


    Anyway, by the point where we returned we caught only about two small rabbits, three pheasants and one deer. The deer was superbly impaled by one of the guys from quite a distance, feat which impressed two of the ladies that didn¡¯t catch anything so far. I made a mental note that for the first couple to be sat together in one Elvish Hut, should be these three and in order to make it easier at that time to force them together I actually separated the unit in one girl one guy and this one dude I had him assigned with the two girls, saying that it was in order for them to learn from him. Quite resourceful from my part if I may add.


    ¡°Okay guys! We still have about an hour or so before returning, so I¡¯ll teach you one of the most important things about hunting. Draining the blood! Alexandra and the hunter group already know this (because I explained the process to her in order to impress the others) and you guys must learn it as well. Given that we will have even more people to feed in the future, you guys should learn it fast and show it to the others as well. Also, I¡¯ll teach you the skinning process as well as dismembering the carcass of the animal, in order to fully use each portion of the body, but that¡¯s once we get back to camp.¡±


    All those things I learned during my travels back on Earth and mostly during my stay at that one restaurant. The owner was quite particular about the ingredients he will use for customers, therefore most of them were home grown or home groomed. Because of that, I had the opportunity to learn how to slaughter, drain, skin and dismember due to him. I thought that they might be skills that will be handy into the future, however I didn¡¯t imagine it would be in this type of conditions.


    I observed the elves learning through the things I told and showed them and realized that they were literal sponges absorbing all the knowledge one could pour onto them. This is great, since there is so much to be learned in the next couple of days.


    With such thoughts in mind, we arrived back at the ¡®camp¡¯, in the clearing where the elves were brought over to Midgard, right under the World Tree.


    ¡°Mia, your group returned already?¡±


    [Yes master! After three roundtrips, I determined that the amount of food foraged was enough for two days and without storing methods, any more would be wasteful. Regarding tinder, dry grass and firewood, the piles over there should last us for a couple of days as well.](Mia)


    ¡°You call those small mountains ¡®piles¡¯? Anyway, great job Mia, I¡¯m proud of you!¡±


    I patted the head of the girl like I¡¯ve done before and realized that she was no longer a child, but a young lady. I looked at her face and there was satisfaction and a trace of happiness on her face after being praised, signifying that even with the entire knowledge of Earth, she still had the emotions of a child.


    I had the elves gather around and watch as the nine scouts explained under my supervision the process of slaughtering and draining the prey, after which I took over and continued the process. Mia brought some really huge-ass leaves that she planned to use as plates and bowls, however in this ''class'' they became a temporary storage for the different parts of the deer, rabbits and pheasants.


    I took my time in explaining everything carefully while also giving a very eye-opening example (given that I was mostly covered in blood and smiling) about how the fur can be dried and used for clothing or as carpets, rugs or even bed covers, the tendons that would be usefull for other stuff and even the feathers of the pheasants. And as soon as the demonstration ended¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Tailoring research technology through discovery.


    50 research points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Farming and Gathering research technology through discovery.


    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    100 research points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After thinking for a second, I realized that while we have food, we don¡¯t have a place to sleep yet.


    ¡°Mia, can you instruct the people to gather branches and leaves to create some beds between the roots of the World Tree? Oh, right! I¡¯ll let you take care of the bed assignment in order to make sure they learn to get along better¡­and I almost forgot! That guy over there and the two girls by his side, make sure they get the beds even closer than the rest.¡±


    [¡­understood master.](Mia)


    ¡°What¡¯s with those eyes!? I¡¯m doing my best here, you know¡­¡±


    [¡­what about master¡¯s bed?](Mia)


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I require sleep and someone will need to stand guard. I will do that and get some other elves to rotate and do the same. What about you?¡±


    [Surprisingly, my body became the body of an elf after being brought to Midgard and while I don¡¯t have a Status Page probably in order for me not to interfere with the game too much, I still feel tired, hungry or thirsty. It¡¯s a new sensation and I am curious about sleeping as well.](Mia)


    ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s good I guess. You learning to behave more human-like will do you good. After you give them the instructions regarding the beds, please come back so that we can inspect the technology tree.¡±


    [Understood master!](Mia)


    I realized after the conversation with her that my body was no longer human. While we found fruits and I could taste them, there was no hunger, thirst or tiredness that would impede me on a daily basis. Probably this was a byproduct of becoming a God (which I really don¡¯t mind by the way), however I still can¡¯t think myself as being one. After all, this feels like a shitty snowball on the peak of a mountain slowly rolling downhill and becoming both bigger and faster as it kept heading towards the ground. I had no say in it and was just dragged along the pace of others, after being stabbed to death in a weirdly ritualistic manner.


    Not to mention the voice which scolded me in the demo; I¡¯m certain that not even Reaper was aware of it, meaning that it was outside the scope of what he could take notice of. Same thing with my pretty little killer. But that begs the question ¡®what the fuck are those two, capable enough to escape the notice of a God created through the strength of all other one thousand?¡¯¡­


    [¡­master? MASTER!](Mia)


    ¡°Hmm? Sorry, I was lost there for a second. What happened? Did you tell them about the beds?¡±


    [Master¡­ three hours have already passed and the sun is setting¡­ Alexandra¡¯s hunter group just returned as well and are performing the dismembering of their catch as we speak. The meat should suffice for at least four days, however we can¡¯t store it anywhere cold¡­ does master have any ideas?](Mia)


    ¡°Huh!? Did I get lost in thinking so badly that three hours elapsed just like that?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we can smoke the meat. First of all, let¡¯s go and show them how to properly barbeque the meat. Who knows what kind of diseases you can catch in this new world¡­¡±


    Using the huge piles of firewood, some broken javelins and branches full of leaves, we created a temporary ¡®meat smoking room¡¯, while I explained to them how to properly control the fire¡¯s temperature. After doing that and explaining to them how to cook the meat they hunted varying from boar, deer, rabbit and bird, another notification popped up.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Animal Husbandry research technology through discovery.


    25 research points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Farming and Gathering research technology through discovery.


    75 research points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Probably the second one was because of Alexandra teaching themhow to dismember..."


    I watched Mia enjoying herself and chat with the rest of the elves while eating, after which they danced and played around the fire, sight which made them look like true faeries.


    For myself, I stood a bit of a distance away from the rest while thinking about what¡¯s the next step I should take, when I saw Alexandra walking my way with a skewered piece of succulent meat. By the way, Mia found some plants that we used as condiments and confirmed that after eating, most of the elves received upgrades in their basic attributes area.


    [Here, you haven¡¯t eaten yet, right?](Alexandra)


    ¡°Thank you. How was today?¡± ¨C I asked as I took a bite


    [We were able to hunt quite easier than expected and I did as you told me and focused only on the weaker looking animals in the herds we found. There were quite a few of them and I told Miss Mia about their location as well, just like you requested. Regarding the other elves¡­ they look up to me, even if the knowledge I possess comes from you. Are you sure¡­](Alexandra)


    ¡°I told you before Alexandra. I am not interested in leading the people, however I will help you as much as I can to do that. Let¡¯s not talk about that anymore, what else have you seen today?¡±


    [Just the woods. There¡¯s quite a huge area and it¡¯s easier than I thought it might be to move about through all the shrubs and bushes.](Alexandra)


    ¡°That¡¯s because of the elves as a race and the World Tree. They are closer to nature in general, while the elves are even better when in forests, making them feel at home. Who has problems moving in his own home?¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ That¡¯s good!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Attributes increased!


    Endurance +1! Strength +1!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [I have a question¡­](A)


    ¡°So that¡¯s the improvement everyone was talking about. I think Eternity mentioned it as well. If only through burning the meat like this you can get this type of results, once it¡¯s properly cooked, what kind of effects will it have?¡±


    ¡°Sure. What¡¯s up?¡±


    [Why did Miss Mia set up the beds that way? The guys and the girls are really close together and in some cases they are sleeping almost in one bed¡­](A)


    Looking at the slightly red face of the elf under the bathing light of a beautiful sunset, I realized that I didn¡¯t properly evaluate the level of gorgeousness this chick has yet.


    Body figure: stylish! Hips: Ai mami! Breasts: I would surely love to use them as pillows!


    Her face was pretty to the point where if I stared too long I might just remain like that. Plus the fact that she now carried the air of a leader¡­ It made me remember that one time I hooked up with my boss at a part-time job. All in all...


    Hehehe! Let¡¯s tease this stylish beauty a bit¡­


    ¡°They have all been through a lot. Not only did they lose their homes, they are now somewhere unknown, they hold little knowledge and the future is uncertain. At times like this, company of the same sex is alright, but company of the opposite sex is more desirable. The guys will feel the need to protect, while the girls will look stability and the other way around. If couples would appear, that would be even better.¡±


    [Wh¡­why¡¯s that?](A)


    ¡°Because couples can share their worries and troubles to lessen them and also share the happiness in order to enjoy it to a higher degree. That¡¯s how it usually works. So, if the people are happier by being together, why shouldn¡¯t we help them from the shadows?¡±


    [I see¡­ how can I help?](A)


    ¡°You can help by leading by example.¡±


    [Meaning?](A)


    ¡°You can sleep close to me if you¡¯d like. They look up to you, so if they see you taking lead like that, the rest of the girls might be more confident in trusting the guys. I¡¯ll also help in making sure the guys are not stupid and won¡¯t screw this up.¡±


    [¡­](A)


    Looking at her seriously pondering what I just said made me feel really bad. I was half teasing, half joking, but now I was a bit interested in seeing if she¡¯ll agree. Is not like she¡¯s stupid and won¡¯t understand my point, since the reason why she asked me of the beds was because she understood what I wanted to do and the results for me doing that.


    [Alright¡­](A)


    ¡°???¡± - I looked confused and surprised at her


    [I said alright! However, won¡¯t Miss Mia be angry if you cheat on her with me?](A)

 The generosity of the Chaos God!

    I was rendered speechless. I mean¡­ no, to start with, Mia and myself appeared in a rather Adam and Eve way, so I can understand the misunderstanding. However, this lass in front of me is not worried or concerned about the fact that two girls would share one guy; she was worried that Mia would be jealous.


    Speaking of which, would she? I mean, is that right? I have the option to create myself a harem with ease, not to mention that the religion the God of Chaos proposes has no restrictions regarding multiple partners¡­ Huehuehue!


    ¡°She won¡¯t mind (probably). Are you okay with that though? Thought you didn¡¯t like me.¡±


    [What? No¡­ I was keeping an eye on you since the whole situation was quite strange when we were brought here, but you helped me and the rest of the elves a lot. So I have no reason to dislike you.](A)


    ¡°I see. However, I won¡¯t sleep tonight since I need to keep guard. There are many night predators besides the guys, out there in this forest.¡±


    [¡­](A)


    Surprisingly this blushing pretty elf is quite easy to tease. She might be heroic and stuff, but when it comes to love, girls will be always girls. In addition, that¡¯s quite calming and soothing to be honest, when taking into consideration this whole swirling maelstrom of horseshit that I was thrown in.


    [I¡¯ll join you as well. If something happens, I¡¯m the strongest one in the group and I can fight the best.](A)


    ¡°Nope! You will sleep. However, you can sleep beside me if you want. That way, if something happens I can wake you up.¡±


    [Nevertheless,¡­](A)


    ¡°No arguing about it. You can prepare our beds facing the South and get six other people, but not from the scouting or the hunting group. The ones you pick will become sentries facing East, West and North in shifts. First shift will be until the moon crosses half of the sky and the second shift will start after that, all in order not to exhaust them. Also, have campfires be lit in the surroundings of the clearing. While moonlight is resplendent and we might not need them, the fire will keep beasts at bay. By the way, how many people learned to make a fire?¡±


    [Miss Mia is still explaining the reasoning behind it and some of them learned. You can see them looking very intently at her in order to pick it up faster. I think she might¡¯ve promised a reward to the guys, as well as the girls. However, is not that easy to pick up that trick you showed us. Both the ¡®flint¡¯ you found and the method with the ¡®friction¡¯ require a bit of skill and not everyone can pull it off¡­](A)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Tools research technology through discovery.


    75 research points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Hahaha! I think you might underestimate their thirst for knowledge. You can go and prepare. If there¡¯s anything that you need to consult with me about, don¡¯t hesitate and come over. Also, please tell Mia to join me for a second.¡±


    [Will do.](A)


    For the first time since the pocket-mines, I had a feeling that I was on the right path. But that also entailed the fact that there¡¯s a shit-ton of work to do. And since this ain¡¯t no sitcom, I should clarify things with Mia and see what¡¯s her standing in all this. While she might be an AI, here on Midgard she¡¯s a member of the elven race as well as a precious family member for myself.


    [Master, you wanted to see me?](Mia)


    ¡°Mhm! I asked Alexandra to sleep next to me tonight.¡±


    I decided to throw a straight ball out of curiosity.


    [That¡¯s a very good idea master! Everybody looks up to Alexandra and if the rest of the girls see her, they will be more likely to follow her example. In addition, master should have at least one other girl do the same. Since the numbers are not equal between both sexes, polygamy should be easy to introduce.](Mia)


    ¡°And here I was worried¡­ actually I¡¯m a bit disappointed¡­¡±


    [Master?](Mia)


    ¡°Nothing, nothing! Tell me then, do you want to sleep by my side, or do you want to sleep with your new friends?¡±


    [¡­](Mia)


    The internal struggle was strong in this one. Just look at her¡­ An all-knowing AI, unable to make a decision even if she has all the data available. Logically speaking, the best choice would be to sleep next to me in order to enforce the whole ¡®introduction of polygamy¡¯ thing. Nevertheless, for this child that was born not long ago, Midgard was like a sandbox, while the Elves are her toys and friends (not exactly in that order and figuratively speaking). So emotionally, she was unable to make a decision.


    ¡°How about you sleep with them for tonight, and then sleep with me and Alexandra next night, after which we just redo the process. Sounds good?¡±


    [Yes!](Mia)


    Look at how happy she is. I guess I should work a bit harder and put less pressure on her¡­


    ¡°Mia, open the user interface and leave it with me. It won¡¯t affect you, right?¡±


    [No master! But if you close it, you won¡¯t be able to open it up again on your own.](Mia)


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll manage and in the worst case we¡¯ll just lose a day.¡±


    [Then I should sleep with master¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Nope! You¡¯ll sleep with your new friends. That way you will get along better and I will have some time alone with Alexandra and get to know her better. Come on, off you go!¡±


    [Thank you master!](Mia)


    She hugged and pecked me on the cheek after which she ran over back to the campfire. Seeing things up to this point, how is she any different from a normal human. I look forward to seeing her grow even more.


    The user interface was left opened in the left corner of my eyes and I could easily grab it and begin exploring the new changes, however I stopped. Watching under the dimming light of the day everybody, work was quite pleasant (not in the proletarian way). Mia was dancing and singing with the rest of the girls around the fire, while the boys were drooling and gawking at them. Also, Alexandra instructed a group of hunters and scouts to stack up firewood in a circle around the World Tree. I was confused about why she used the hunters and the scouts when I told her otherwise, but I saw her going to the fire and plucking three guys from the festivities afterwards. She explained something to them, they wore serious faces at first and suddenly began wagging an inexistent tail, and looking at her like she was a goddess. I should make some time to talk to the guys and teach them how to behave like proper gentlemen...You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.


    Curious about the situation, I watched Alexandra go next and pluck three cute girls from the dancing squad and the same process replayed. Now I understood what was going on: rather than having two shifts, leaving a young couple for an entire night and quite a bit of a distance away from the rest of the people, would guarantee the fact that at least the dude won¡¯t sleep a wink. Work hard young men! The future of our world relies on how good your game is¡­


    Soon, the preparations for the end of the first day on Midgard were finished and darkness slowly enveloped the temporary camp, bringing silence with it. Only the sound of a hooting owl or a howling wolf could be heard from time to time, creating a truly serene atmosphere. If there would be only one thing to complain about, was the lack of stars¡­ I should really fix that as soon as I can.


    [I managed to make all the arrangements Michael.](A)


    ¡°Good. Come, sit next to me.¡±


    There was silence, but it wasn¡¯t awkward at all. Rather, it felt calming and it gave the night an even extra layer of tranquility. I wasn¡¯t in a hurry to explore the user interface, as I was more interested in the beautiful girl by my side.


    [Were you and Miss Mia really brought here by the God of Chaos?](A)


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    I didn¡¯t consider that a lie. It was more of a half-truth since we were brought here kind of against our wills and I am the God of Chaos¡­ So, one could say that the God of Chaos brought me here.


    [Can I see your Status Page?](A)


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She looked surprise by the fact that the attributes were normal. She raised a brow at the Identify skill but after seeing its description, she did not add anything else. I could safely assume that the last line of defense has fallen.


    [What do you think the God of Chaos has planned for us?](A)


    ¡°Who knows¡­ Maybe even he himself does not know. He¡¯s not a God of Time or Fate, so he won¡¯t see into the future.¡±


    [I guess that¡¯s so¡­](A)


    ¡°But, if I¡¯m certain of one thing, is that if we ever encounter any troubles we¡¯ll be given all the help we need.¡±


    [How do you know that?](A)


    ¡°I just have faith¡­¡±


    [I see.](A)


    Okay, even I was ashamed at the bullcrap I was spouting, however it seemed to work. After all the excitement today and the running around hunting, this heroic elf¡¯s eyelids were as heavy as lead. Slowly, through conversation, she fell asleep on my shoulder.


    ¡°I think I might have to work on my game as well, but given that this is just the first day, the results are not that bad¡­¡±


    With nothing but silence and the pale moonlight to guide my senses, I brought up the user interface in order to start properly working. I reached out my index finger and lightly tapped on it, remaining aware of the beauty now resting on my lap¡­


    ¡°I wonder if she could see the interface. I should check with Mia tomorrow and see if that¡¯s the case.¡±


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Player: Michael Corbett</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">World: Midgard</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Funds: 0SP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Civlization</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Store</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Looking at the all too familiar interface, I realized that nothing much changed. Except for the world having a name and instead of the World Management now being Civilization, everything else is the same. Yet¡­ it all seems so different.


    If in the beginning, I could look at this whole situation as if I would at a game, but now I can¡¯t do that anymore. Not while the breath of this beautiful girl warms my skin, or the feeling of her flowing golden hair between my fingers. In addition, if this whole thing is real, then I need to step up my plans a little bit.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s take this one step at a time. I already know what is in the Constructions tab. What about Social Policies?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Social Policies


    Mainly used in representing the non-scientific or religious advancements of your society.


    Also used to decide the order of cultural advancement, it consists of ten different branches one can chose between and invest in creating a unique civilization.


    Each choice can influence a specific field, like for example increasing the amount of Social Policy points, increasing the amount of Faith gained or even improving the Production or Research.


    Available social branches:


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Tradition</td>


    <td>Exploration</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Liberty</td>


    <td>Commerce</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Military</td>


    <td>Navigation</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Piety</td>


    <td>Technology</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Aesthetics</td>


    <td>World Order</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">After your civilization resides more than one day in one location, the gain of Social Policies Points will become available.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Of course, stability is required for the creation of a society. Because of continuous travelling nomad tribes are just that, tribes. Therefore, I need to make out of this clearing a proper living space for the elves. Two hundred trees that could serve as living quarters for them could be created, but I would rather have less.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I want to create a paradise consisting of beautiful elves? How could I be so heartless and not allow others to enjoy it as well? Let¡¯s have a distribution of one guy ¨C two girls for the moment. If later down the road there is the possibility of having that increased, we¡¯ll do it at that point. Therefore, for the split up, with Mia and myself there are 202 people. I¡¯ll claim one of the elven huts for myself and them, so that leaves 129 girls and 70 guys. I don¡¯t want anyone to remain alone so there will be 59 girls left, meaning that 11 guys will for now have only one girl as companion, while the rest will have two. I guess that¡¯s that.¡±


    I wondered exactly how is this type of ¡®move¡¯ was going to affect the Social Policies¡­ Anyway, now that¡¯s taken care of, with only 71 elven huts required for housing it should be easier to create a design of the space available in this clearing. We might be required to expand it into the future depending on how big those trees actually are, but the entire forest on this continent will soon become home for my civilization.


    ¡°I should leave the future for the future me. What about the newly unlocked tech tree?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Research


    Used to decide the technological advancement, it consists of multiple branching paths one can chose, each one belonging to a specific time.


    Once a minimum of technologies have been researched, you can advance to the next era. Each era advancement will provide you with certain benefits.


    Current technologies available for research:


    - Tools(1000 RP);


    - Farming and Gathering(1500 RP);


    Current Research Points available: 350


    Current Research Points growth: 0/day (assign people to researching a specific field in order to increase growth)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°So while there are only two available technologies to research, their cost is stupidly high. But once tomorrow comes, I can have the people create tools under Mia¡¯s supervision and the growth should go up a bit. In addition, by taking the lead and creating some new things myself, extra Research Points should be awarded when the people learn how to make them. Because we have enough food for tomorrow, I can focus on taking everyone to the river and search for usable rocks, create some axes and hopefully some pickaxes (although I doubt I could actually use them to mine¡­).¡±


    What I had in mind was to begin woodcutting as soon as possible and with some improv shovels, I could start reclaiming farming land. Both of those actions would most likely give me some progress regarding Farming and Gathering research, while the creation of the objects themselves will improve the rate at which the Tools research will be completed.


    Even more important, we¡¯ll drag the chopped up trees back to the clearing and check if they count as resources and exactly how much. There must be a trick to finding out or¡­ I could just ask Mia.


    ¡°Sometimes I forget that the biggest cheat I have available isn¡¯t the fact that I can participate directly in the game, the knowledge I have or the World Tree. Mia is probably the bigger one. Not only does she possess more knowledge than anyone else does, but the elves also adore her for some reason. I guess the fact that all of them are, well, blond and she has her beautiful red hair but still retaining the pointy ears and all other racial features the elves possess, raised her status quite a bit in their midst. I mean, even Alexandra is respectful towards her. I should make sure I give some gifts to this beautiful cheat of mine, whenever possible. After all, I''m a generous Chaos God...¡±

 Arts and Crafts class

    The plans I have made and the different scenarios I¡¯ve envisioned used up the entire night and now, dawn was blessing my newly created world.


    The temperature under the World Tree wasn¡¯t too warm, nor cold either. It was just perfect, which made me believe that this tree was looking out for the elves somehow. I am expectant for the future blessings it will provide.


    Speaking of plans and blessings, all my simulations were pretty much for naught as I couldn¡¯t reach a decision regarding what I should do next. So, like usual I decided to wing it. To my surprise, my Chaos insight (because of copyrights, no further tingling senses) activated slightly, pointing out that it might be the right decision to take.


    After all, if everything was going to be planned, how would I take advantage of my unstable divinity?


    ¡°Looks like someone¡¯s awake. How did you sleep Alexandra?¡±


    [¡­good morning Michael. I¡­ it was good.](A)


    ¡°Glad to hear that. We have much to do today, so I¡¯m glad that you were able to get some shut eye.¡±


    [You didn¡¯t sleep?](A)


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to yet, don¡¯t worry. However this time, I might be the one to borrow your lap tonight.¡±


    Realizing that she slept defenseless in my presence throughout an entire night, she looked quite flustered. I wonder if the other boys managed to make any progress.


    Leaving teasing aside, I told her about my plans regarding housing and she blankly looked at me when I pretty much told her she¡®d be sharing a room with Mia and myself instead of asking her if she wants to. Well, the good news is that she did not reject.


    [So you want to have a ratio of one guy and two girls in general?](A)


    ¡°Minimum¡­¡±


    [Why?](A)


    ¡°Well, our new world is huge and we have both space and resources to expand, but we lack the population to do so. Also, creating families is the best way to ease up the tension of being brought to a new place.¡±


    [That still does not explain why you want to have two girls for each guy¡­](A)


    ¡°That¡¯s because there are more girls than guys (and I¡¯ll make sure to keep the same thing happening in the future) and I would prefer not to have any lonely girls out there.¡±


    [Somehow I do not quite believe you, but I agree with your idea somewhat. However, we must not force the girls into doing something they will not want.](A)


    ¡°We won¡¯t. They will have the option of picking.¡±


    [???](A)


    ¡°We can group up the boys in a row and have the girls each pick one and each guy can be picked only twice. That way, everyone would be relatively happy.¡±


    [¡­](A)


    She was speechless and I could understand why, but this type of auction style event would keep people entertained. In addition, in order to create some hype, I told Alexandra that she would have to think of a way to announce the event.


    Then, we changed subjects to what we¡¯re going to do today. I told her about creating more tools and having the elves all accompany me and watch over the process of creating them. She agreed and said that no matter how good I am at building up new things, there¡¯s a maximum number that I can create. Nevertheless, if more people learn how to do it, the production speed will surely increase.


    [What sort of things do you want to create? The spears you came up with yesterday were excellent when hunting. Even the javelins were pretty much the same. The only problem was the fact that we lack familiarity with throwing them, therefore making it hard to actually hit.](A)


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear they were useful. This time I plan to create some tools that will help us collect wood in bigger amounts. They are called axes and you can use them to fell trees.¡±


    [To fell trees? Why do we need to do that?](A)


    ¡°Do you think that the houses we¡¯re going to create will just sprout from the ground? We need materials for them. Wood is such a material.¡±


    [I see. What else?](A)


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll need some shovels and similar other tools that will help us reclaim farmable land.¡±


    [???](A)


    ¡°We can¡¯t just live off hunting and foraging. At some point, we¡¯ll have more people and the animals will be insufficient. Also, the fruits and vegetables only grow in specific times of the year. So what are we going to do about that?¡±


    [I see... that is a problem indeed. What do you have in mind?](A)


    ¡°We¡¯ll grow our own plants and vegetables and we will try to tame wild animals. That way we¡¯ll have a way to get food and stock it up for when the world itself won¡¯t be able to provide us with anything. Moreover, to be able to farm, we need to have plots of land that are clear of shrubs and other plants. To remove those we need tools to do it.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    [I understand now. Look! It seems like everybody is waking up¡­](A)


    I realized that I should make use of this opportunity and drill some extra faith into the heads of the elves. I should have them pray before any meal and thank the God of Chaos (A.K.A. me). That way, I¡¯ll make sure to increase my influence and also not lose any worshipers.


    ¡°We should begin to pray before every meal and offer our thanks to the God of this world. He did save us after all¡­¡±


    [You are right! I was thinking of that as well yesterday. Do you think that would suffice?](A)


    ¡°While some offerings sounds¡­bloody, virgins sound even worse¡­ so, no thank you!¡±


    ¡°I think just a prayer from everyone would be sufficient.¡±


    [We will do that then. I will go and prepare the people for today and gather them to eat together.](A)


    Morning light brought up the entire clearing and its people to life, while the forest also appeared to be filled with morning cries of different birds and animals, shaking off the dew from the grass and leaves.


    The breakfast menu was pretty much fruits and some vegetables after which Alexandra led them into praying and thanking me for the food and the new life they were given.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left"> New religion acquired by your civilization!


    You can now select the name of your religion!


    You can now select what sort of benefits your religion provides to your civilization from the following list:


    - God King¡¯s teachings: +50 points/day in Faith, Productions, Research and Social Policies.


    - Desert Folklore: +50% increase in Faith points if the settlement is in the desert.


    - Fertility Rites: +25% food growth rates in the territory.


    - God of the Sea¡¯s teachings: +50% production if the territory is adjacent to water bodies such as seas and oceans.


    - God of War¡¯s teachings: +25% increase in overall attributes when fighting inside the territory.


    - Divine forest paths: Faith, Production, Social Policies and Research are increased with a percentage equal to the space the forest occupies in your territory. If the forests occupy 50% of your total territory grounds, the previously mentioned boosts will also be provided as 50%.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    And that confirms that they properly believe in me now. The income of Faith points should be steady from now onward and I can actually increase it by selecting the template teachings of other religions from Earth¡¯s past¡­


    ¡°While God King both sounds good and has nice increase per day in points, I think the last option is the best for the state of my current civilization, plus that if I was to have a territory, than surely the forest will be included in it. Therefore, that¡¯s pretty much a 100% increase both now and later. Especially later on.¡±


    While again, thinking about how I should ask Mia about what¡¯s considered the territory of my civilization, I made a mental note of that while naming my religion ¡®Divine forest paths¡¯ (ripping off the old religions because anything name that had Chaos in it sounded odd¡­) and obviously selected the benefits of the similarly named olden one.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Your new religion ¡®Divine forest paths¡¯ has been created!


    Due to your territory not being confirmed yet, no bonus can be applied.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Aaaaaand that answers that question... Well, shit!¡±


    [Master, what¡¯s wrong?](Mia)


    ¡°Good morning love. Nothing much¡­ Just created our religion and realized that we don¡¯t have a territory yet¡­¡±


    [Oh! So that¡¯s what that notification was about. Do not worry master! If the elves spend one more day in this clearing, it will be considered our starting territory.](Mia)


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t that mean that there will be no bonus whatsoever until I actually expand the territory? Damn¡­


    [Master, Alexandra told us about the housing assignments. Will the three of us really live in the same place?](Mia)


    ¡°Looking at your expectant eyes, I guess you¡¯re not against it. Why are you so happy about it?¡±


    [Hehe! Is good that I am with master and Alexandra. With her around, is like having a little sister.](Mia)


    I initially wanted to argue that a child like her that has been born just recently is not exactly fit to have Alexandra as a little sister given that she¡¯s older, but I realized that in the grand scheme of things, Mia is indeed older than her¡­ as strange as that might be.


    ¡°¡­that¡¯s good then. What about the other elves? How did they react to housing?¡±


    [Well, Alexandra told them that the girls with the highest contribution would be able to select the guy they will live with from now on first, so everyone is strangely hyped about it. Especially the girls.](Mia)


    Hearing her say that is obvious that the guys became prizes for the competition Alex set up. That is good though. Having all of them pumped up might improve the production rates for research and learning new stuff.


    I then talked with her about the general idea behind today and she agreed with gathering resources and building up as many constructions as possible, as fast as possible. I then asked her opinion about the Research options available and mentioned my plans as well.


    [Master¡¯s idea is good, but we need to go a step further if you would want to develop faster. We can have today a day of learning for everyone, but from tomorrow onward we need to have people continuously doing just one job in order to increase their proficiency in just one field. Jacks-Of-All-Trades are not as good as experts in just one field are.](Mia)


    She made a fair point. I should begin to focus on creating professions; however, I don¡¯t have the required number of people for an advanced administrative structure. For now, it will be just Alexandra at the top of the list and smaller team leaders depending on the field of work.


    After breakfast, we all headed to the river, hauled big amounts of stones, both small and big, and brought them back to camp to be deposited. Given that there was food as well stockpiled in the clearing, we left a couple of people to guard it, while the rest grabbed as many stones as they could.


    By lunch, beside the stones, which we had a bigger amount than required, we also gathered pieces of wood of different sizes to be used as handles.


    With that covered, after lunch a rather serious Arts and Crafts class was kick-started.


    [You three girls, less moving your mouths and more moving your hands, otherwise you will be unable to choose the person you like. The boys as well! The girls seem to both work and learn faster and better than you do. Aren¡¯t you ashamed?](A)


    From the looks of it, my purpose was just to serve as a live example of how to do things, while Alexandra acted as the class president and Mia as the teacher. The good news was the fact that they picked up things fast and soon, the first batch of axes was created.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Tools research technology through discovery!


    125 Research Points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    While only about 10 barely useable axes were crafted, nine of them were done by the elves. Two out of them were actually better than my own, so I told Alexandra to keep an eye on them. Immediately after a total of 25 axes were crafted, a group of 30 people was sent to start chopping up trees. 25 as woodcutters and another five as guards.


    "With that, we can start collecting wood. Now, let''s truly begin the Arts and Crafts class!"

 Research is good, but dungeon diving is better!

    Once a group of 30 elves departed in order to kick start the forestry industry, Mia approached me with a curious look.


    [Master, regarding your request yesterday night¡­ Did it work?](Mia)


    ¡°Yup. I am quite amazed at the fact that you can modify someone¡¯s status page.¡±


    [Master! I told you already that I can¡¯t do anything of sorts¡­ I only helped a bit in making your deception believable.](Mia)


    Well she said that, but she looks quite proud. And she should be honestly. When she asked Alexandra to show everyone else her Status Page, I knew that I had stepped onto a future landmine. Sooner or later, people will like to see my own and all the lies will be unearthed. So I consulted with Mia and she explained that this ¡®avatar¡¯ of mine is something created through Manual Mode Override, therefore with her ''position'' as the Manual Mode Assistant, she could make a slight alteration to my last name from ''Corbett'' to ''Lewis'', in order to sell my lie easier. She explained how something so minor, like changing one name won¡¯t interfere with the game¡¯s balance; on the contrary it would serve the purpose of the override which was (in theory) me being able to properly enjoy this experience.


    [Michael, like you instructed another batch of 25 axes have been crafted and their quality is a bit better than the previous ones. Like you told us, we made sure to properly sharpen the stones used through grinding and used some of the best shaped ones. Also, regarding the wooden frame, Miss Mia instructed us into using a different tree with a stronger bark. So the end products are quite superior when compared with the first batch.](A)


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. For the next step we¡¯ll be creating some other tools. Have everyone gather around again.¡±


    The class resumed with crafting a hammer that I then used into bringing into existence a shovel. There was no system prompt yet, meaning that the elves needed to put the items together themselves in order for it to award me with those much needed Research Points.


    I was quite certain that once the research for Tools was completed, they will be able to properly create them, maybe of a superior quality as well.


    I kept racking my brain for other useful early tools I could create, however beside the hoe and some thoughts about a threshing sledge later on, nothing came to mind¡­


    ¡°To create everything on the first day would be kind of ridiculous anyway. I should be content with this for now.¡±


    [Master, what are we going to do about the stone resources? How can we gather those? Are we going to create pickaxes?](Mia)


    ¡°I thought so as well initially. But I literally haven¡¯t got a clue about how to do that. We need them to be strong enough to actually be useful¡­ do you have any ideas?¡±


    [Why don¡¯t we follow the same process as for the hoes? Instead, we¡¯ll also change the wooden body that we use into one that will fit the requirement. For example, a wider end for the mining pickaxe and we can insert a stone of a stronger composition in it. After sharpening it a bit, we should be able to use it without any problems.](Mia)


    Following Mia¡¯s instructions which sounded quite unrealistic in the beginning, I was able to find an actual thick wooden branch that we pretty much combined with another and implanted the stone, using the newly created hammer.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Tools research technology through discovery!


    175 Research Points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°It seems like the first batch of hoes and shovels has been completed. How many, Alexandra?¡±


    [Only 4 shovels that are usable and 6 hoes¡­ they are a bit more complicated so the process is harder to replicate.](A)


    ¡°Is fine don¡¯t worry. We have nothing but time¡­For now, shift the focus of the crafting to this.¡±


    [This is?](A)


    ¡°Is called a pickaxe. It can be used to mine the stones we need to build things in the future.¡±


    [I understand. How many do we need?](A)


    ¡°For now the same 25 with another amount of spares that count about the same, should suffice. When the numbers are met, gather a group of 30 people again, under the same format. 25 to mine, while 5 will guard. Oh, also, get another group of five elves to deliver the spare axes to the woodcutting squad. Preferably from the scouting group from yesterday.¡±


    [What are we going to do after we create the tools for the farmland reclamation mas¡­Michael?](Mia)


    ¡°Ahem! We¡¯re going to start as soon as possible and prepare the land. That way, the elves will be kept busy and get used to manual labor. We¡¯ll be required to build the wall as well... soon enough... immediately after the Elven Huts will be completed¡­¡±


    There were indeed many plans for the future, so I decided to focus on the present. For now, resources were required for pretty much everything.


    The good news was that the Research Points generated daily, were increased by 150 due to the people crafting items continuously. That meant that I currently had 475 points and will be awarded another 150 at the end of the day. Probably I¡¯ll get some extra points once they craft the first batch of pickaxes as well¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Tools research technology through discovery!


    85 Research Points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Farming and Gathering research technology through discovery!


    115 Research Points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°And with that I¡¯m at 645, going for 795 by the end of the day. Even without any new ¡®inventions¡¯ I will complete at least the Tools technology research in a couple of days.¡±


    After the necessary objects were created, a small army of almost 150 people returned back to the clearing. Beside the 50 pickaxes, there were an extra 50 shovels and 50 hoes and a group of twenty people was assigned the job of further increasing each of the four tools up to one hundred pieces.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Then, 60 people were selected to start the arduous process of clearing two square kilometers of farmland to begin with, under Mia¡¯s instructions. For the remaining almost 80 people, they were tasked with helping the two ¡®resources units¡¯ in the process of bringing the materials back to camp.


    Without anything better to do and not wanting to join for the manual labor, I took Alexandra and another eight strong hunters (6 out of which were girls) in order to headtowards the East side of the forest. That''s where the ¡®newest¡¯ dungeon was placed...


    It was time for these newbs to learn how to properly ¡®hunt¡¯... for experience that''s it!


    [Michael, are you sure about this?](A)


    ¡°Alexa, you¡¯re worried for nothing really. Especially since this dungeon should have only one floor and the levels of the monsters should be the same as ours. Not to mention their attributes that will certainly be lower. If we take you into consideration, you should be able to clean out the entire floor alone within minutes¡­¡±


    There was no reply, but I could sense the tense atmosphere of the squad. It was to be expected given the backstory I introduced them to at the point where they were brought on Midgard. Being too lax would be a huge problem, but if they are too stiff, that in itself might be worse and affect their flexibility. I need this group to experience a proper fight and have them bathed in proper monster blood, not just animal¡¯s.


    ¡°I selected you guys because you stood up in the hunting group. This cave we¡¯re in front of is the dungeon I was speaking about. Once we enter it, I need everybody to be fully prepared to fight. Each one of you has a long stone knife, a spear and five javelins, while even more important you have me and Alexandra. Don¡¯t worry too much, but don¡¯t let your guards down! I¡¯m going to count on you to listen to any commands that I¡¯ll give while fighting!¡±


    They immediately looked at Alexandra for confirmation and she was visibly upset about the fact that they did that.


    [Michael is the most knowledgeable person in our entire group and the livelihood of the camp rests on our shoulders. We need to see what we¡¯ll be facing against and prepare in advance. As far as today goes, we might not even engage the monsters, but we need to familiarize ourselves with them. If a fight occurs, I¡¯m ashamed to say that my lack of knowledge will prove detrimental in leading you out safely, which is why I asked Michael to help us. Make no mistake, as he¡¯s probably stronger than any of us here, even myself which received the blessing of the God of Chaos, when it comes to fighting strategies.](A)


    Murmurs could be heard among the girls, while the guys were looking incredulously at me. That was obviously an exaggeration and while I understand the need to consolidate the trust they have in me, obviously lying like that won¡¯t actually help. Anyway, she¡¯s not far from the truth, as I have more battle knowledge and experience than the eight elven hunters here¡­


    ¡°But that¡¯s the case only for normal elves! Please don¡¯t put me on the same level or higher than a cheating woman such as yourself¡­¡± ¨C I quietly complained in my mind


    [Michael, everyone will listen to your commands, myself included. If there¡¯s anyone that doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll make sure to properly discipline them afterwards.](A) ¨C she threatened


    ¡°While I appreciate that, I¡¯m afraid that if they don¡¯t listen, there might not be an ¡®afterwards¡¯ for that to happen. Keep in mind that while we¡¯re not born warriors, the monsters in these dungeons are. In order to preserve their own lives, they will gladly take ours. Everyone be prepared! We¡¯ll go with a box formation, which means that there will be one person in the middle and two people around him/her. I will be scouting up ahead, engage the monsters if required, or bait them into coming to us if we can find terrain advantages. The person in the middle will be Alexandra.¡±


    [I should be at the front since I¡¯m the strongest one here!](A) ¨C she protested


    ¡°While that might be the case, you are also at the same level as us when it comes to your Job. If anything was to happen to you, the rest of the camp would be in horrible danger. So while it might sound heartless to the rest of you lot, in the worst case scenario, be prepared to trade your life to ensure that she survives!¡±


    [[[Understood!]]]


    Before she could complain again, eight shouts shook the silence of the forest, declaring their will to protect. I was a bit impressed even by their devotion to this girl. After all, they met only a day ago and while they are all from the same race and the same world (at least that¡¯s what I told them), their unity is more than what I expected it to be. Maybe the presence of religion and the small event where Alexa was ''promoted'' might have fortified that unity even further¡­


    ¡°Good! We might survive a fight with this still. The box formation that I mentioned has a good mobility and a good defense. I thought of getting some shields but for today¡¯s worth of scouting we should be fine. One more time, the person in the middle is surrounded by two people in the front, two people in the back and two on each side. Depending on what we face, each side will act in accordance with my orders and with Alexandra as a core, we will be able to fight freely when faced against numbers that aren¡¯t more than twice our own. Any questions? ¡­ Good! Let¡¯s enter! Give me five seconds after I enter and then follow me. In case of monsters being nearby I can lead them away and give you guys time so you can enter formation. Don¡¯t forget to follow my orders to the letter and I don¡¯t want to hear any other sounds except for replying to my questions if I ever ask anything. Got it?¡±


    [[[[Understood!]]]]


    ¡°Good reply! Have your spears ready! I¡¯m going in¡­¡±


    Passing through the same film which gave me the same skin-crawling feeling, I arrived in front of a valley that extended between hills and a huge waterfall that could be seen in the distance. I almost tripped when gawking at the surroundings. I saw it previously with the Kobolds, but that cave can¡¯t really compare. This is like a whole different dimension altogether...


    [Oh, wow!](A) ¨C she exclaimed


    The others were also taken aback by the scenery in front of them, so I gave them some time to properly enjoy it, while I let Alexandra know I¡¯ll go ahead and scout. She wanted to follow, but I refused like a scared virgin, on the account of the remaining eight elves being ambushed. If that was to happen, she will be their only hope in survival given that they haven¡¯t even seen a proper fight yet. I mean, how tough could the monsters possibly be?


    Realizing that I should start tripping flags, I took a look around the place which was designed as this dungeon¡¯s starting point and made a mental map out of it. There was a big wall behind me and a door made out of the same strange transparent film, therefore turned my eyes on the valley in front. The ¡®room¡¯ wasn¡¯t more than twenty meters from myself to each wall, however it grew wider as I moved forward.


    There wasn¡¯t much for tall vegetation beside some bushes and shrubs, but those were quite abundant, so I took advantage of them and advanced slowly. When an animal-like cry broke the silence of the valley, I instantly faced the direction and prepared to run, if worst came to worst. Seeing nothing come my way, I thought for a bit before shaking my head and kept moving in the direction of the waterfall.


    After the small hills covered in bushes ended, I saw what paradise probably looked like. Where the waterfall met the lake, a sight which felt impossible to describe in words surfaced. The crystal like blue sparkling waves kept crashing against the land, in an attempt to invade and expand its territory.


    But the beauty didn¡¯t last long as I was able to identify the source of the previous cry. It truly felt like being smacked on the head with a hammer¡­


    ¡°Must it always be something different?¡±


    I turned around slowly, afraid to alert the creatures and rushed back to the spot near the entry of the dungeon where I left the elves. They were still looking around curiously, but when Alexa saw my serious expression, she signaled them to pay attention.


    [What did you find?](A)


    ¡°A village of Murlocs. We¡¯re going to attack it!¡±

 Fish and sticks!

    [Murlocs? What are those? And we¡¯re attacking a village? How many are there? And how strong? And¡­](A)


    ¡°Wow, wow, wow! Chill out for a second there and take a deep breath! Regarding what they are¡­ is better to see for yourselves (since it''s quite hard to describe them). For their numbers, I saw about 60 but there might be more. Regarding their level of strength¡­ it¡¯s lower than ours by quite a bit and the only weapons they have are their teeth and claws, some clubs and a that¡¯s pretty much it.¡±


    [Can we win?](A)


    ¡°If we play our cards right, with ease!¡±


    Both herself and the people around her were relieved when they heard that. I didn¡¯t overestimate ourselves and certainly didn¡¯t underestimate the opponents. Why I¡¯m I so confident then? Because I have Identify, duh!


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Murloc


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Murloc


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2 days


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    8


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    6


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    120/120 (+0.1/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    7


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10/10(+0.001/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Rally Cry (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Only when being able to compare with other creatures (such as Goblins), was I able to see the difference in stats between the elves favored by the World Tree and the Murlocs. I mean, it kind of speaks for itself.


    I led the group to the lake and while at first they were shocked by the beauty of the water, they were petrified when they saw the monsters. How to describe them best¡­ Fishes with arms and legs would be the best and easiest option I guess. Most of them were green, while only few which were Level 2 in their Jobs had a blue skin color... scale color???


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    -


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Level


    </td>


    <td>


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Race


    </td>


    <td>


    Murloc


    </td>


    <td>


    STR


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic


    </td>


    <td>


    5


    </td>


    <td>


    Murloc Shaman


    </td>


    <td>


    2


    </td>


    <td>


    10%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sex


    </td>


    <td>


    Female


    </td>


    <td>


    DEX


    </td>


    <td>


    6


    </td>


    <td>


    Charm


    </td>


    <td>


    0


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Age


    </td>


    <td>


    2 days


    </td>


    <td>


    AGI


    </td>


    <td>


    7


    </td>


    <td>


    Luck


    </td>


    <td>


    15


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World


    </td>


    <td>


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td>


    END


    </td>


    <td>


    4


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    HP


    </td>


    <td>


    130/130 (+0.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    INT


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    MP


    </td>


    <td>


    50/50(+0.001/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS


    </td>


    <td>


    6


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Shamanic Fury (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    While a raid attack would be excellent since we would have the element of surprise, the fact that these elves didn¡¯t have fighting experience or even a bit of morale prevented me from attempting such a tactic.


    ¡°In the end, just like for the crafting of tools, the best example is a practical example.¡± ¨C I thought


    Signaling Alexa and the others to keep quiet and watch from the bushes on the hill, I pressed forward through the vegetation while keeping an eye on the village. There were no guards and given that this was a dungeon that appeared pretty much at the same time as me and the elves on Midgard, I was amazed that there actually was a Level 2 monster. I even thought that it might be a template, in order to create a power balance on the monsters side.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Probably because of the experience with the previous Job I had in the ¡®demo¡¯, I favored the long stone knife since it was sharp enough to stab someone, while I kept the spear in the left hand. Ambidextrous¡­ haha¡­ yea right! I¡¯d wish¡­


    Hoping that I won¡¯t be seen and zerg-rushed by the entire village, I crept and stopped before one of the ¡®houses¡¯. When I say ¡®houses¡¯, I mean 4 sticks standing in what is a far-cry from a square, rectangular or any other type of geometrical shape, on top of which branches and leaves were creating the impression of a roof. Even ¡®impression¡¯ might be an overstatement¡­


    ¡°No wonder there isn¡¯t any wind here! Even a slight breeze will blow this piggy¡¯s house¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t rush to attack the Murloc that was with its back facing me and instead thought of how the hell I¡¯m I supposed to cover this thing¡¯s mouth while stabbing it, without actually losing some fingers in the process.


    Back when I fought Goblins, given their humanoid form I was able to pierce through their lungs or diaphragm in order to stop them from speaking... or whatever they were using their vocal cords for... So, in turn, all I could do was wonder:


    ¡°Where the fuck does this thing have the lungs? Should I just grab a club and smash their heads in? Or their fins?¡±


    Remembering that I had nine people behind me, I decided to wing it and just stab the damn thing in the side. So I switched to a two handed grip on the spear and placed the knife on my improvised ¡®belt¡¯ (pretty much a couple of vines around my waist). I stood up from my crouching tiger/hidden dragon position and strongly thrusted in the midsection of the hunchbacked creature. Where or what exactly did I manage to stab? Fucked if I know, but a notification pleasantly surprised both myself and the fish-creature at the other end of the stick¡­ the pointy one.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! HP -123!


    Due to the piercing effect of the blow, your target is inflicted with Bleeding status! -11HP/sec!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A wheezing sound followed as the Murloc crashed on the ground, bathing the grass and plants in a blue viscous liquid.


    ¡°Would you look at that! Who thought that these ugly mugs are actual nobility¡­ Apologies m''lord!¡±


    I tried to remember about the elven lore, but all I was able to recollect was how Naga were connected to them, but not the Murlocs. At least not directly. They were actually brought into existence by a deity the elves worshiped, which makes you wonder what kind of imagination did that deity had¡­


    Now that the creature was dead, I was able to see something surprising in my Status Page ¨C to be more specific ¨C in the experience gain description.


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5% (?)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    150/150 (+0.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    75/75(+0.05/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°I can finally solve the mystery of the points required to level up! I¡¯m surprisingly expectant¡­ let¡¯s see: 5 experience points. Motherfucker! Is that even a lot? That¡¯s 5% of my quota for the next level! Isn¡¯t that exaggerated?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">(?)Current Experience: 5% ( 5 /100 points)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    When I remembered that I also had the blessing of the World Tree, I felt really faint. I promised myself that I will acquire the Blessing of Experience for the world, whenever I can and as fast as I can.


    With the stupid things I was thinking about, a more down to earth notion occurred to me. Or rather, my eyes fell on the ground where the Murloc kept bleeding¡­


    ¡°Uhm¡­ excuse me, what the fuck!?¡±


    Why wasn¡¯t the body turning into particles of light? Did I need to loot it first or something? After cooping a feel (or more) and almost throwing up in the process, I realized that there wasn¡¯t any looting system. So, what then? Does it not go away?


    When I was beginning to become troubled by the sudden change, I saw droplets of the blue blood glistering and disappearing.


    ¡°Now I see! From what Eternity told me, the core doesn¡¯t only absorb mana from the atmosphere, but once it creates its own unique pocket dimension it starts generating it as well. The reason why there¡¯s a difference in the corpses disappearing is because back in the demo, the dungeon had almost a year or so while this one has days since its appearance. This will make things annoying since the other creatures will be able to see this one¡¯s dead body¡­¡±


    I began dragging the surprisingly light body back uphill with me, leaving a rather visible trail of blood (at least for my slightly panicked brain) while heading towards the group. When they saw me and the corpse I brought along with me, a fearful and respectful look appeared on their faces.


    ¡°As you can see, it¡¯s not that hard to kill them and their HP is also on the low side. Is time to for you to get your first blood, so let¡¯s get this party going, shall we: Alexandra, you¡¯ll be standing at the front this time, however we¡¯ll be making use of tactics. We aren¡¯t animals, so we won¡¯t just fight them fair and square¡­ Each one of you stab your javelins in the ground near you where you can easily grab them and spread out yourselves in a single row at a distance of two meters between eachother. You¡¯ll be sitting here hidden uphill and wait for me to bait out a number of them. I doubt I¡¯ll be as successful as to bring the entire village in one go, however given that they should follow, you wait for me to pass and once I give the order you stand up and throw the javelins at them. Don¡¯t rush and make sure you properly aim! Once you threw the first one, pick the next and throw it! Repeat the process until you have no javelins left and then switch to the spear and prepare for close combat. Your damage values should be about the same as mine, however you need to make sure you aim for parts of the body which are important like the eyes, the mouth and the belly. Otherwise, you¡¯ll just be creating more work and risk of injury for yourselves. Alexandra, get them in position like I mentioned previously but stay hidden in the grass until I manage to bait out the ¡®villagers¡¯.¡±


    [I will! Be careful¡­](A)


    ¡°As cute as it might be having a beauty like you worrying about me, you saw for yourself how easy to kill these creatures are. Rather, I¡¯d be embarrassed to be killed or even injured by them.¡±


    Yup! Leaving on a good line is what being a man¡¯s all about! I even felt a bit proud about myself when I saw the look of respect the two guys gave me.


    ¡°Listen and learn young ones! Listen and learn!¡±


    While feeling cocky, I approached the village and saw a group of seven Murlocs about forty meters from where I killed my first monster on Midgard. I stabbed the spear on the ground and left the knife on my waist, while pulling out from the vines I used to strap them to my back, two javelins. Why only two? Because my Agility stat is low as fuck, while Alexandra¡¯s is way higher. Therefore I ¡®gifted¡¯ her three extra javelins.


    Now it¡¯s time for some more target practice! Yesterday when we held the hunting contest (that I miserably lost) I selected as my target a pheasant. Given its small frame it was expected of me to miss¡­ however, now that I had a group of seven mobs together the target, now that was manageable.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s in box numero uno!¡± ¨C I whispered as I threw the first javelin


    As soon as the first projectile left my grasp, I grabbed the second one, repositioned my body and adjusted my aim¡­ then fired once more!


    ¡°INCOMING MOTHERFUCKERS!!!¡± ¨C I yelled scarring the shit out of the small monsters


    As soon as my voice fell upon their ears, so did the first javelin. It actually impaled one of the Murlocs in the shoulder and pinned him on the ground like a nail hit by a hammer. It was quite funny to see his rag doll movement.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Damage inflicted! HP -43!


    Due to the piercing effect of the blow, your target is inflicted with Bleeding status! -12HP/sec!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Then only two, maybe three seconds later the other javelin stabbed itself in the paw/fin/foot of a creature, making it squeal sharply.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Damage inflicted! HP -13!


    Due to the piercing effect of the blow, your target is inflicted with Bleeding status! -5HP/sec!


    Due to the crippling effect of your blow, your target is inflicted with Slow status!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I gulped and grabbed the spear while keeping an eye on the surroundings. The Murlocs kept making these sounds that were supposed to threaten me, which in reality only threatened my ears. I found out about a minute later why, when a group of over twenty green monsters following five blue ones rushed to their direction.


    ¡°It looks quite overwhelming, but I know that they are weak. Even the Shamans¡­ That was their Rally Cry huh?¡±


    After they sized me up, an eerie silence descended and the only sound that kept replaying itself was the waterfall in the background. I counted a bit over forty total creatures which gave me cold feet when remembering that previously I only attacked from darkness due to my overpowered Stealth skill, but now I was facing a mini army of razor-sharp teeth and claws¡­


    When I saw an almost human-like sneer on the face of a Shaman, I turned on my heels and bolted the fuck out of there. Those pieces of shit were actually salivating! I swallowed back the girlish yell that almost pierced out of my throat and hightailed it to relative safety. Why relatively? Because I didn¡¯t trust those nine eveles to actually hit more than ten targets or so with the entire number of javelins¡­


    By the time the Murlocs woke up from their stupor when they saw me running, I was already halfway uphill. They began trampling everything in their path in order to grab a piece of my juicy ass.


    ¡°If only I would be this popular with the ladies¡­¡±


    With such stupid thoughts I turned around while running and almost tripped a couple of times in my panic, wanting to estimate the distance between myself and my death.


    To my utmost happiness there was about a hundred meters so all was good. I reached the top of the hill and stood in the bushes, looking down on the mob crashing like a wave against the mound, having a couple of the monsters rolling back downhill in the process, which looking like bowling balls that the rest of the group had to avoid.


    [Michael?](A) ¨C she whispered getting ready to stand up and give the signal to the rest


    ¡°Not yet! Let¡¯s wait a while¡­¡±


    Seeing the Murlocs slowly advancing, I decided to wait until they reached almost halfway to our location before personally making it rain for the second time on Midgard. It wasn¡¯t a long wait either¡­


    ¡°Alright folks! Let¡¯s start the fish-and-sticks operation! To your feet and grab onto a javelin! Aim properly and throw only at my command!¡±


    With a ¡®whoosh¡¯ sound, almost like some meerkats popping their heads out of the bushes, the hunters and Alexandra stood up by my side. Each one of them already had a javelin in their hands and was aiming at the spread out monsters in order not to target the same one.


    ¡°AIM! THROW!¡±


    A group of sticks were hurled at the fishes (fish and sticks... get it?) that suddenly halted their advance seeing the number of prey suddenly increase, unsure of whether to follow or to retreat, only to be showered by wooden projectiles once more. Given their number advantage, they ignored the javelins and braved the rain. Bad decision¡­


    All hunters made a Murloc fully stop on the spot and pinned it to the ground, while Alexandra¡­ well, let¡¯s just say that her javelin might¡¯ve impaled at least two monsters and still continued downhill.


    ¡°Good! Grab the second one! Aim! Throw!¡±


    The same situation replayed and this time another eight Murlocs bit the dust. Seeing their advance suddenly halted and their ranks shaken, I decided to deal the final blow.


    ¡°Fire at will!¡±


    [???]


    ¡°Ugh¡­ throw them as you want as fast as you can, but make sure you properly aim!¡±


    I didn¡¯t actually expect that in only twenty seconds or so they threw the remaining javelins with such speed. They looked at me with bloodshot eyes, filled with bloodlust that sent chills down my spine.


    You know what¡­ fuck it! Let¡¯s just go with the flow¡­


    ¡°Grab the spears and follow me! Make sure you stab every corpse you come around! If there¡¯s no notification of damage, move to the next! If there¡¯s a notification, stab it until it tells you it¡¯s dead! Me and Alexandra will go to the front and kill the escaping ones!¡±


    Seeing the fleeing twenty or so Murlocs, the desire to grind for experience rose in my heart as well!

 Important things must be repeated thrice!

    Descending upon the broken ranks of the monsters downhill, it gave me the impression of a heavy cavalry trampling a small group of scouts. The good news is the fact that the eight hunters followed my orders to the letter and kept stabbing the corpses on the ground, creating a rather grotesque picture given how long those corpses took to disappear. In order to protect the meal I ate at lunch, I imagined a group of juvenile offenders being forced to do community service work, using their picks to pick up garbage¡­ Yup! They were just collecting garbage¡­


    Me and Alexa? We were only five meters in front of the ¡®criminals¡¯ and were also quickly stabbing the shit out of every monster in range. I was more reserved, but Alexa¡­ she seemed to have really lost it for a second, as she was killing Murlocs left and right. If my damage was enough to kill one with a critical hit, her damage was sufficient with a normal strike, therefore the poor monsters fell like leaves to the spear in her hands, which was already blue colored due to the blood of her enemies.


    Seeing that she kind of activated a berserk condition, I quietly stood behind her and focused on dealing with the monsters trying to attack her from behind or from the sides. I didn¡¯t notice anything out of the ordinary while fighting, but suddenly there were no more Murlocs around us and the ones that were previously fleeing, stopped and turned to face us.


    Seeing their brave action which didn¡¯t stood particularly well with their previous cowardly behavior, I realized that something must have happened. Seeing how my Chaos senses began acting up made it even more obvious.


    ¡°Alexa! Get a grip! We need to¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Damage received! HP -15!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Before I even finished my sentence, feeling a hand on her shoulders made her instantly react and a spearhead whistled near my face. I began heavily sweating and stared incredulously at the slightly crazed woman in front of me¡­


    ¡°Is she on her period!? What¡¯s up with the sudden aggression?¡±


    Obviously, I didn¡¯t dare to joke around in this situation and because I was kind of stunned due to her unexpected reaction, I didn¡¯t get the chance to remove my hand either. Seeing that there was still contact, I used my fingers to press the space between the clavicular bone on her right shoulder and the shoulder blade, creating a sharp pain which made her wince and loosen the grip on the spear.


    Taking advantage of her reaction, I grabbed her hand and dragged her back to the ranks of the hunters which were staring stupefied at the two of us.


    ¡°Grab the javelins and rapidly move back on the hill. Prepare for the second wave!¡±


    [[[Understood!]]]


    ¡°And you! You klutz! How long are you going to space out!?¡±


    Probably surprised by the fact that I suddenly shouted, the group was moving even faster, while Alexandra blinked in confusion. She looked at me, then at her spear, then at my face that was grazed previously and almost started crying.


    ¡°Okay, okay! Leave that for later! I¡¯m alive and it¡¯s not that unexpected of you to go berserk given your status as this world¡¯s hero. The monsters in the dungeons are basically your nemesis, so it¡¯s fine as long as you keep your spear pointed at them¡­¡±


    [Sorry¡­](A) ¨C she said weakly


    ¡°I already said it¡¯s fine¡­ We need to regroup on the top of the hill. Seeing the Murlocs this calm even after we pretty much decimated more than 75% of their numbers makes me feel very unsafe. Come, let¡¯s go! You guys, hurry up as well!¡±


    I also grabbed six javelins and Alexa grabbed the remaining four, after which we scurried back and prepared to continue playing ''king of the hill'' with the creatures. Some of the javelins were slippery due to the blood and viscera on them, so I had the guys (because the girls were surprisingly squeamish even after they already killed at least five Murlocs each) clean them by wiping the handles against the vegetation on our feet.


    After a couple of minutes of preparation on our end and now standing at full attention, there was still no movement on the part of the monsters, which gave me a really uncomfortable feeling. The whole situation made me really uneasy about this dungeon. If before they were just rushing to get us because they saw me as food, now they were as organized as an army. That entailed¡­


    ¡°Fuck! A boss!¡±


    [Michael?](A)


    ¡°Everybody, be prepared to run at full speed to the exit if I give the signal! No one is allowed to go against that order and if you do, I will rather kill you myself than let you be eaten by those monsters! Is that clear enough!?¡±


    [[[Yes!]]]


    It seems that threatening them worked well enough, especially after they saw me kill a Murloc and bringing back Alexa from her berserk state by force. Alexandra was also rubbing her right shoulder and silently glaring at me, action which I decided to pretend I didn¡¯t see notice¡­


    As for the reason I was so careful all of a sudden? I wasn¡¯t sure if the monsters were gathering all the forces in the village to attack us, or if a boss was going to appear. However, if one thing was certain, if push comes to shove I won¡¯t hesitate to run with the tail between my legs!


    [Why aren¡¯t they attacking? Are they afraid of us?](A)


    ¡°From the looks on their ugly fish mugs, I sincerely doubt that. They are waiting for something, but I¡¯m not entirely sure what. Not yet anyway¡­¡±


    And once more, we didn¡¯t have to wait too long for the answer to arrive. A red Murloc three to four times bigger than the regular ones showed up. I let out a sigh and prepared for the worst¡­


    ¡°Last time even with better skills and stats I wasn¡¯t able to even deal fatal damage to the Kobold boss. Now that I have no proper weapons, no skills and even my attributes are lower, I don¡¯t dare actually try to solo it. As for going as a party¡­ there¡¯s no tank or healer, only DPS dealers. If there¡¯s one thing that might be the same, it¡¯s the cheat elf.¡±


    ¡°Alexa, if I remember correctly you have mastered both water and wind magic right? They should be maxed out so your spells will deal impressive damage. What exactly can you use?¡±


    [¡­I ¡­nt](A)


    ¡°Eh!? I didn¡¯t hear you...¡±


    [I CAN¡¯T! I don¡¯t know any spells!](A)


    I froze on the spot and stared at her stupidly. What did this chick meant by not knowing any!? How the fuck was that even possible given her grandiosely named ¡®Arcane magic¡¯ that was max level?


    Suddenly a thought struck me and I squinted in the area where the dead Murlocs were still vanishing.


    ¡°Drops? Is it possible to get skill books? Can¡¯t be the case right? In the demo there were only materials and coins. But to a world that doesn¡¯t have currency yet, what use would even gold have?¡±


    Unable to make heads or tails of the situation, I simply decided to do what I¡¯ve always done. WING IT BABY!


    ¡°Let¡¯s start by taking a look at the boss! If it¡¯s impossible we¡¯ll retreat¡­ Identify!¡±


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    ValueThe story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Murloc


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    40


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    35


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Murloc Commander


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    4%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2 days


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    37


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    45


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    34


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    530/530 (+15.5/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    40


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    450/450(+12.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Desolate Howl(passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Commander''s aura(passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Tidebringer''s aura(passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the dungeon</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Holly schnitze! Prepare to run! That¡¯s not something we can take on with only a handful of people.¡±


    [Michael, they¡¯re coming!](A)


    ¡°Fuck! Of course they are! Prepare to throw the javelins! Also don¡¯t forget about keeping your attention on me and follow my orders! Got it?¡±


    [[[Understood!]]]


    ¡°Good! Alexa, I¡¯ll count on you to throw nine of them. I¡¯ll try to buy us some time¡­¡±


    Seeing the Murlocs rush towards us and the elves actually maintaining their calm, I was slightly impressed. I brought the stone knife and used it more as a hammer instead of its intended purpose and snapped the javelin I took in two and then in four. Then I used the vines I had on my person (both around my waist and the ones used to support the javelins on my back) and set up a simple trap. It shouldn¡¯t do much, but even if one Murloc falls, it might slow down a couple others, creating a chain reaction.


    When I finished ¡®planting¡® the trap, I stood up and watched the monsters at the base of the mound preparing to assault us. Remembering just how many aura-type skills this boss had, I was quite scared to take them on...


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s get this started! Each hunter on the extreme left and the extreme right, begin throwing your javelins! AIM! THROW!¡±


    Two projectiles hit against the sea of fishes without much of an impact, except inflicting some isolate damage.


    ¡°The person next to the previous two also grab a javelin! Now all four of you: AIM! Throw!¡±


    Another four monsters were instantly prepared for grilling, given the skewer which ran them through. With less distance, there was more piercing power!


    ¡°Next two people grab a javelin as well! All six of you: AIM! Throw!¡±


    The monsters were already halfway up the hill and the projectiles pelted against them just like rain on a summer day. Another small number of Murlocs has fallen, probably never to rise again given the trampling they will receive from their colleagues and friends.


    ¡°Good! Now the remaining people grab a javelin as well! AIM! Throw!¡±


    With the maximum output and Alexandra finally joining the fray as well, you could see some monster absorbing a javelin like a sponge, while others were being pierced like a needle would through cloth by the cannon shots Midgard hero was aiming at them.


    ¡°Everybody! Fire at will!¡±


    This time they knew what that meant and they used their Agility attribute to its maximum efficiency.


    [Mister Michael! I don¡¯t have any other javelins left! Should I prepare for close combat?](Random Elf 1)


    [It¡¯s the same for me, Mister Michael!](Random Elf 2)


    ¡°Great! Good job you two! Now run for the exit!¡±


    Even if they might¡¯ve expected the order to come, they looked conflicted and hesitated.


    ¡°Do you actually dare to dawdle!? Get moving before I start throwing my spear at you slow asses!¡± ¨CI hollered


    Hesitating no longer, one guy and one girl began bolting for the exit.


    ¡°The same is applied for everyone else! As soon as your ammunition gets emptied, make a run for the exit. Don¡¯t wait for anyone else, or you might slow down the rest of the team!¡±


    When the Murlocs were only 20 meters away from us, only myself and Alexandra remained. She obviously slowed down the speed at which she threw the javelins, but not the power. If anything, it was stronger than before, literally blowing away at least four to five monsters with each strike.


    She was obviously not going to leave before I do.


    ¡°Okay Alexa, I get it! Now finish throwing them and let¡¯s run!¡±


    I bent over after seeing that she has only three left and wanted to check the tripping traps I set up, only to see that the Murloc¡¯s body disappeared and a book was in its place.


    I blinked once, not daring to do so a second time just in case it disappears and grabbed it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Would you like to learn the Dismember skill?</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Yes</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    An automatic notification prompted me awake. Monsters dropped skill books!? I turned my head towards the horde of monsters still climbing towards us and almost started crying when thinking of the many drops that I won¡¯t be able to collect¡­


    [I am done Michael! Let¡¯s go!](A)


    ¡°¡­yeah. Let¡¯s¡­¡±


    Kind of unwilling I followed her and ran towards the exit. It didn¡¯t take more than a couple of seconds from the point we started jogging and a sharp cry followed by the sound of a sandbag hitting the ground entered my ears.


    I involuntarily turned around and saw that a Murloc tripped over the vines and the others were either trying to avoid him, or were pushing him. Unable to climb over and being required to take a detour on either its left or right side, they were met with the second piece of vine stretched out. Another couple of monsters tripped, but that barely bought us five, maybe six seconds at max.


    If there was something that pissed me off crazily, was the fact that Alexandra was slowing down on purpose yet again, so she won¡¯t leave me behind. I swore to start jogging around the camp in the morning and in the evening so that my Agility stat can increase!


    We arrived quickly at the exit, where the remaining eight hunters were anxiously waiting for us to return.


    ¡°Why are you morons still blocking the exit!? Get out of here faster! Move, move, move!!!¡±


    Important things must be repeated thrice! Dunno where I read or heard that, however I agree wholeheartedly with it. While I appreciated their loyalty to Alexa or me, if they would¡¯ve been ambushed because of such a stupid reason, I would¡¯ve revived them only to kill them myself once more!


    With the sound of me scolding them, their facial expressions also changed when seeing the mob following close behind our asses and began pushing and shoving each other out of the dungeon.


    ¡°Go Alexa! I¡¯m right behind you!¡±


    [Okay!](A)


    At the same time she passed through the film while looking at me, her eyes widened considerably. I once heard that your pupils dilate when you see someone you are attracted to¡­


    *CRUNCH*


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage received! -256HP!


    Silenced status inflicted! You are unable to speak or cast skills for 5 seconds!


    Stunned status inflicted! You are unable to move for 3 seconds!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°OUCH MOTHERFUCKER! What the fuck!!!¡±

 Laying the foundations!

    Thankfully, I was in front of the dungeon exit and a sudden impact threw me through the film. The pain was absolutely absurd and I think I actually fainted once, only to be awakened not even a second later by the pain. All that happened while in mid-air, however once I fell face first on the ground, another wave of pain raised me to my feet, only to have my knees give out when I saw a freaking javelin piercing out of my abdomen.


    [MICHAEL!](A)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I realized that I was still silenced, which I found kind of stupid given that the wound was through my stomach¡­


    [I wanted to come back but wasn¡¯t able to enter! I saw the big red Murloc throw it, but couldn¡¯t do anything about it¡­](A)


    This poor girl was almost crying, however I was more concerned about the foreign object in my body. If the aim was a couple centimeters lower, I would¡¯ve literally been fucked by the boss!


    ¡°Finally I can talk¡­ damn this thing hurts! How the hell didn¡¯t I die!? I took over 250 damage and I only have 100HP Status Page!¡±


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5% (?)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 15</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9/250 (+0/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    175/175(+0.05/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The others were looking strangely and worriedly at me, while the javelin kept dangling and sending waves of pain through my entire body.


    The good news was that I leveled up and because of that I somehow managed to escape death. The bad news was that this javelin was surely stopping the bleeding and once I removed it, I would die given my 9HP left. Even the HP regeneration is currently at zero¡­


    ¡°Help me up. We¡¯re going back to the clearing¡­¡±


    [The javelin¡­](A)


    ¡°It needs to stay there for now. I¡¯m literally going to die if we remove it¡­¡±


    The journey back was¡­ painful! I think I fainted at least a dozen of times and asked one of the girls to hold it still while moving and the two guys were carrying me on their shoulders, dragging my feet against the ground. For the first time I realized that I had no footwear, nor did anybody else for that matter¡­


    And then I blacked out entirely! When I woke up I heard voices around me, but wasn¡¯t able to open my eyes¡­


    I fell asleep because of the pain and fever I was sensing, cursing at a certain game God for making this game uselessly realistic.


    When I managed to come back to life, I wondered if I would be back in my divine domain.


    [He¡¯s awake Miss Mia!](Random Elf 3)


    [Mas¡­Michael! Can you hear me? How many fingers I¡¯m I holding?](Mia)


    ¡°Pfft! OUCH!!!¡±


    Laughing because of a stupid reason caused me huge amounts of pain¡­ Duly noted!


    ¡°How long was I out?¡±


    [All day yesterday¡­ I am amazed that you woke up already¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Status Page!¡±


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    ValueThis tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5% (?)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 15</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    98/250 (+0.18/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    175/175(+0.05/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I looked down on my abdomen and saw that it was actually bandaged using cloth similar to the one all elves were dressed in in the beginning, when they were brought to Midgard. Thinking about how this strip was quite long, I wondered which girl is now partially indecent¡­


    [One of the guys you brought with you to explore the dungeon gave up his shirt and we were able to use it as bandages after washing it and I used a plants combination for medicine.](Mia)


    ¡°So it wasn¡¯t from a girl¡­ Did we get an points because of the medicine creation?¡±


    [¡­that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about when you almost died, master?](Mia)


    Uwah! That¡¯s a pitying look if I¡¯ve ever seen any¡­ Anyway, no Research Points meant that the elves didn¡¯t learn to create the medicine from her. It might imbalance the game to be honest, so I can see why she didn¡¯t¡­


    ¡°Oh right, there was a book on me¡­¡±


    [I already had one of the elves learn it. However it works a bit different than I expected though¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Meaning?¡±


    [The skill doesn¡¯t only have levels, but also proficiency. It starts from the Basic Tier and apparently only through continuous usage will it improve.](Mia)


    ¡°Max level and masteries?¡±


    [Max level is 10 from my speculations and each Tier has two levels. There¡¯s the Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Master and Grandmaster. Beside usage, a skill level can be increased through skill points as well.](Mia)


    ¡°Figured as much. How can we get those?¡±


    [Each five Job levels one skill point is given.](Mia)


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very stingy. How is the camp? Any changes?¡±


    [I think is better to let Alexandra explain the details master. She¡¯s been waiting for you to wake up and almost went sleepless because of you.](Mia)


    ¡°I understand. Call her over.¡±


    I forgot to ask her to bring up the user interface as well. Being restricted is quite annoying¡­ I also remembered how by the end of the day I will have enough points to research the Tools technology. Thinking about how many those Murlocs were, I need at least about fifty well equipped elves in order to beat them. And there''s the boss¡­


    [Michael! Thank Corbett you¡¯re awake!](A)


    Aaaaand that was super-weird to hear! I should find a way to have them not use my name when saying that¡­


    ¡°Is everyone else alright?¡±


    [Yes. Only you were injured¡­](A)


    ¡°Truly embarrassing, especially after I said that it would be difficult for them to actually injure me, even more kill me and now here I am... Anyway, did you guys level up?¡±


    [We all did. I reached level 5, while all other eight hunters reached level 3 and are pretty much halfway to the next level.](A)


    ¡°Just like myself. I see¡­ What about the camp? Give me a rundown of what happened yesterday.¡±


    After filtering out some extra unwanted details about how I had to be washed clean and there were guys that did that (the tears in my eyes were from the pain, okay!?), even if I wasn¡¯t able to stand up I could see the piles of stones and wood that were gathered.


    Now, this was the third day since I¡¯ve arrived on Midgard and I can safely say that I managed to make proper use of the time. I initially planned to get started with the buildings yesterday, however the whole ¡®get fucked if you fuck up others¡¯ thing happened.


    ¡°What about the territory? Was it created and recognized?¡±


    [From what Miss Mia said, yes! The entire clearing is considered as being our territory and we have two things that we need to decide on: the name of the camp and the first buildings we¡¯re going to start with. For both we waited for you to wake up under Miss Mia¡¯s instructions.](A)


    ¡°Mia, I didn¡¯t expect you to waste time like this¡­¡±


    [Is only 10 in the morning Michael... I already sent the two resources unit to gather wood and stone, while the farmland reclamation unit is waiting on standby. The hunters went out to restock as well. So no time was wasted just yet.](Mia)


    ¡°I should¡¯ve known¡­ For the name of the camp, I have already decided on Yggdrasil. For the buildings we¡¯ll start with the Elven Houses. Mia, what¡¯s the resources status?¡±


    [We have 1237 units of wood and 231 units of stone. I would advise we start building the Granary as soon as possible and store food in it as well. There are multiple fruits and vegetables that we can harvest from the forest.](Mia)


    ¡°What difference does it make? Won¡¯t the food go bad after some time passes? We don¡¯t have any way to conserve it, except from smoking them¡­¡±


    [After I analyzed the construction details, I reached the conclusion that there¡¯s an 80% or higher chance that mana will be imbued in the building, therefore affecting it in a positive way. I am speculating that in the case of the Granary, food might last longer due to the this particular effect. Also, the meat that was hunted two days ago is still fresh, hinting at the fact that there are differences between Midgard and Earth when it comes to decomposition.](Mia)


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    I signaled to the girls that I was fine and had them go take care of the camp. I had many things to think of, especially regarding dungeons¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">The first elven settlement in Midgard has been named Yggdrasil!


    Local happiness value increased!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°That¡¯s vague¡­ But since there¡¯s things like a safety value that must be met, happiness probably exists as well¡­¡±


    I kept thinking about the fight against the Murlocs and the skill book that dropped. If there are items that I can get from the dungeon, then probably they depend on things like the mana density of it. So, in theory at least, the older the dungeon/the better the drops.


    But to get drops, I need to kill the monsters first. To kill just the Murlocs I require more people, with better equipment and higher levels. No doubt, the next fight will be easier, however there might be sacrifices that I have to make if I want to kill that boss¡­


    ¡°I could have Alexa solo the boss, since she most likely can if given proper equipment, while the rest can draw the agro of the smaller mobs and level up in the process. But javelins won¡¯t cut it anymore¡­ I can¡¯t use branches to fight mana enhanced monsters¡­¡±


    So, in conclusion, I need to bolster my technology research and create new weapons and tools. Probably I can already begin casting metal, but I need to move out of the Stone Age in order to properly make use of that. Also, there¡¯s the issue of the buildings I need to have resources for and the production index for completing them fast.


    The good news is that, if the elven huts will be built under the ¡®instructions¡¯ of the World Tree, there was nothing for the elves to do. So in theory, I might be able to build them instantly, saving much needed time.


    Time tricked by slowly and after sunset, I closed my eyes and went to sleep. The first rays of sunlight brought me back to awareness and I surprisingly stood up. There was a bit of discomfort, however nothing compared with yesterday. Even my on my Status Page, my HP bar was at 92% and regenerating properly, showing that I was pretty much patched up.


    Mia saw me standing up and came over to me.


    [Master, do you feel better?](Mia)


    ¡°Yes. Nevermind that though! Quickly bring up the user interface and acquire the Tools technology.¡±


    [Understood!](Mia)


    It didn¡¯t take long and after a series of clicks and confirmations, an unexpected type of notification appeared.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Major achievement: Pioneering Researcher!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Your civilization successfully researched the Tools technology!


    Current and future generations will be provided with the knowledge to craft!


    New Jobs available after reaching first Tier!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Both for myself and the pretty AI, the news of an achievement were unexpected but well received. I nodded to her and she brought up the achievement interface.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Pioneering Researcher


    Requirements: research the first technology for your civilization;


    Rank: 1<sup>st</sup>


    Reward: 1000AP and 20% decrease in cost of future technologies cost</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Finally some good news! Mia, is there anything new in the achievement store?¡±


    [Nothing has been added master¡­](Mia)


    ¡°That¡¯s alright as well. There¡¯s no rush and is good to keep hoarding them for when we might actually find something useful. If anything, I¡¯m happier about the 20% decrease in cost. That¡¯s 300 fewer points required for the Farming and Gathering.¡±


    Now that one thing was taken care of and for the next research I required more than a week''s worth of research (without any inventions on my part), I decided to focus on the buildings for today and maybe create some shields for the dungeon diving squad.


    ¡°It would be good if I can begin training ¡®Spartan¡¯ elves. As for archery¡­ probably I¡¯ll need to research that before being able to properly create bows, longbows or crossbows¡­¡±


    ¡°Gather everyone and prepare for building the Elven Huts. We¡¯ll begin with building the first twelve and award them to the ones that participated in the dungeon diving with me and one of best performing elves from each unit. That means that there will be at maximum 9 houses which will be occupied with us included and we¡¯ll have another one three to provide them with. That way we¡¯ll at least look like we¡¯re rewarding them, which will hopefully improve their productivity¡­¡±


    [Understood master! I¡¯ll let Alexandra know as well.](Mia)


    Within a short 15 minutes or so, the elves were gathered on the Eastern side of the clearing, given that there was still early in the morning. I decided that the residential area will be placed here. As for my thought process, because the other two dungeons as well as the Western continent were bigger threats, the side that I picked has only a one floor dungeon. Maybe after another 100 years it might become a danger, but for now it was the safest option.


    ¡°Thank you all for arriving so fast. The reason you were gathered, is because we¡¯ll be laying together the future foundation of Yggdrasil, through the building of the first Elven Huts.¡±


    Using the interface Mia opened for me, I confirmed the position of the first buildings in the obvious vicinity of the World Tree. The following scene awed everyone present in the clearing, myself included.

 A womans perspective on things

    Alexandra¡¯s POV:


    Surrounded by 199 other members of my race, I watched in shock as another miracle occurred. Twelve trees sprouted from the ground and kept growing, seemingly wanting to grab the clouds. Not only did they grew in height but in girth as well, soon, not even ten people holding hands wouldn''t be able to encompass each one of these proud titans.


    There was an indescribable beauty and an absurdly calming feeling in the vicinity of these trees, while everybody feel to their knees and began praying to the God of Chaos, thanking him for the homes he provided us through a miracle. Only two people were standing as tall as the trees: Miss Mia and Michael.


    Even if there are only a few days since we arrived... or rather, brought to this world, these two people played a huge role in our survival and development.


    When I think back to the time before arriving on Midgard, there¡¯s only darkness and silence. There are even nights where I woke up frightened by dreams I had about that place¡­ However, in there where time was irrelevant a tear opened in the space around me and light flooded my eyesight. Before I could even try to scream or try to escape, I found myself under a huge tree, surrounded by more people than I could count. The feelings of fright and uncertainty were easily replaced by the beauty of the scenery and the warmness of the sun above our heads.


    While I didn¡¯t know the people around me, I could feel the same type of happiness in their hearts as the one I was feeling while my bare feet tousled the grass on the ground. There were giggles from the girls and even gasps from the guys when we all noticed the World Tree.


    Yes! Not every tree, but a World Tree!!! I barely had any memories beside my name and other simple things such as knowledge of plants, animals and the way to hunt¡­ but I knew the World Tree!


    Such a sacred being, there¡¯s no way I could never forget...


    ¡°Alright, alright! Quiet down please! Do you guys know what a God is? Hmm? You there¡­ yes, you! Tell me, what¡¯s a God?¡±


    Suddenly, a guy that was standing opposing to the location where myself and the remaining people were brought to, asked in a calm and composed manner. A God? Divinity¡­ someone that¡¯s even above the World Tree¡­


    However, even if the guy who was so suddenly asked seemed to have panicked a bit, was still able to give a proper answer. After another person answered did the same, the guy that asked the question proceeded in explaining how both answers were correct, however incomplete. Not only that, but he actually told us the name of this world¡¯s God, which was Michael Corbett¡­ he also presented himself as Michael.


    I felt a shiver down my spine and thought that we were in the presence of the one that brought us to this place and we weren¡¯t even kneeling in front of such divinity.


    [You said your name is Michael as well. What¡¯s your relationship with the God that brought us here?]


    I was surprised and scared at how bold my questioned was, once I realized the tone in which I asked it. If he truly was a God, he could wipe me out of existence if angered. Fortunately, it appears that they just share the same name, as improbable as that might sound.


    There was this nagging feeling at the back of my head telling me that this whole situation was rather fishy, but I had no way to know if what he said was the truth or not.


    [Is the tree behind us the World Tree?]


    I instinctively knew that it was, however I wanted to confirm this gut feeling I had. Apparently it was so, however I had to pay back the information by giving back my own name. Not only that, but ¡®Michael¡¯ also said that the God of Chaos, the deity of this world, planted the World Tree for us and the future people that will arrive to this world.


    One cannot question a God, however I could tell that everyone had their own concerns about this situation. Like for example, were we brought here from a different world? What happened to our home? What about our families, friends and loved ones? Why don¡¯t we have any memories about anything but plants, animals and how to hunt for something to eat? What exactly happened to us?


    Lost in my own chaotic thoughts, a girl looking about my age whispered in my ear and begged for me to ask the guy in front of us if we could return back to our world. The answer he provided was an answer for all my¡­ no, for all our questions: we were the only survivors that the Chaos God managed to bring back to this world.


    Our friends, families, our homes¡­ all gone! There was despair grasping the heart of every person present under the clear blue sky, but a follow-up soon came. In order to give us a fresh start, our memories were wiped clean in order to prevent us losing ourselves in grief and loss. Now we had a chance to start anew and we were encouraged by the words left for us, instructing: live strongly and happily!


    When the story about how our world was decimated by monsters, a type of animals but only stronger, strange terms were mentioned by this prophet. Words like ¡®weapons¡¯, ¡®agriculture¡¯, ¡®rearing¡¯ didn¡¯t ring any bells to me, however I felt a bit insulted when asked if I know what hunting is¡­


    Seeing the knowledge that this prophet possessed, I wondered if this world¡¯s God wanted him to lead us through our darkness, so I inquired about it. Fortunately or unfortunately, my question led to me being selected as this world¡¯s hero, promising to become an existence that will protect our people with my life and trample their enemies under my feet.


    Just when I thought that it would be just a title, a pillar of black light broke through the sky and embraced me. I wasn¡¯t scared and instinctively knew that this was the blessing mentioned previously by the prophet. The warmness came with a feeling of strength, strength that overwhelmed my senses and made me drown in the pleasure that power brought me.


    With such power that I could actually observe through the Status Page, I was able to compare it with the one of the surrounding people, then the next, then the next and realized that I was way stronger than them. The only ones I was curious about was Miss Mia and the prophet. If I am this strong, just how much stronger were the two of them?


    This day, I¡¯ll probably remember for the rest of my life, as well as the message I received from our savior: ¡°Work hard for yours and your people happiness!¡±


    In order not to forget this message, I swore in front of the World Tree a promise to protect and maintain the happiness of my people.


    Wanting to remain only an adviser, Michael began organizing us into groups and had me handle their separation. We began hunting since I had more strength than anyone else, a group followed Miss Mia to forage since she held more knowledge than even the prophet, while he himself took a group of people to scout the surroundings and find a source of water.


    The surprises kept coming as he created the ¡®weapons¡¯ he talked about and instructed me on how to use them, allowing me to instruct the others on how to do the same. I felt bad about it, since I had to pretend that it was my own knowledge, but he convinced me by saying that I need the respect of the people in order to lead them.


    By the time I returned to the camp from hunting, I saw the prophet meditating and everyone else was staying away in order not to disturb him. Using the techniques he taught me, I began dismembering the prey we caught and I could see the looks of respect the other elves were giving me.


    Miss Mia went and brought the prophet to instruct us on how to better maintain our food and he began constructing a ¡®meat smoking room¡¯. After Miss Mia minced some plants and fruits and sprinkled them on the meat, the smell of it being smoked made everyone drool in anticipation.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The prophet was happy with our success and instructed us to prepare food for everybody. Big fires were lit up using another technique he showed us and there was plenty for everyone to enjoy. People were dancing, singing and were less tense altogether given the happy atmosphere.


    Seeing that he stood at a distance from the rest and was watching over us, I brought a piece of grilled meat and handed it over. I found him surprisingly easy to speak to and he reassured that he only wants to help me and the rest of the elves, but he¡¯s not interested in leading us from a position of power. I hesitated a bit, but I decided to ask about the beds and their assignment as well¡­


    The result was the fact that he asked me to lead my people through example and sleep next to him and Miss Mia, therefore showing to the other girls that they should rely on the guys for comfort and stability in this new world, at least on an emotional level. I consider the girls to be stronger than the guys mentally and from their Status Pages, through the attributes as well.


    I was concerned since both him and Miss Mia appeared in front of us, that they might be a couple and having me intrude in their relationship will ruin the things between them, but was assured that there won¡¯t be a problem¡­ I had no memory before this place and sleeping next to a guy made me infinitely nervous, but I swore to protect and lead my people so I couldn¡¯t exactly back down here.


    And I can¡¯t say that I hated the idea of being around him. He was strangely comforting and even with all the strength I now had, he gave me a feeling of safety that only the World Tree could compare to. I can only hope that Miss Mia won¡¯t see it as him cheating on her with me¡­


    What amazed me was the fact that the prophet, Michael, thought that I disliked him. I was quite flustered and tried my best to explain that I didn¡¯t have a reason to, which made me really embarrassed. Now I was supposed to prepare mentally to sleep next to him, but he told me that he will act as a sentry and keep an eye out for wild beasts attacking the camp throughout the night.


    The thought of him being able to see me sleep defenseless didn¡¯t sit right with me and tried to suggest that I will also stay awake and help out. I was shut down pretty fast and with good reasoning as well¡­


    Whatam I to do if he sees me drooling or something even more unbecoming!?


    After all the arrangements in the camp were made and the first day was ending, I approached him once again and reported about everything that happened. He signaled me to sit down next to him and we both admired in silence the first of many sunsets upon which I¡¯ll look on Midgard.


    Seeing how approachable and friendly he was, I decided to ask a couple of things, one of which was seeing his Status Page. He wasn¡¯t reluctant and showed it to me.


    Michael Lewis. His name was different making me exhale in relief, but I was surprised by the fact that his attributes were normal, just like everyone else¡¯s. If there was a strange thing, it was the Identify skill. I decided not to ask, since he didn¡¯t question me about my own skills and I didn¡¯t want to be rude either. After some meaningless banter, I found myself falling asleep soon, unaware of how tired I actually was after this exciting first day.


    I had a dream of a young girl and her father that carried her through a forest, teaching her about different plants, mushrooms and how to check for animal tracks. There was a feeling of warmth and love that permeated the air which brought tears in my eyes.


    Before anything else could happen, I was shook awake by the light of the morning sun.


    ¡°Looks like someone¡¯s awake. Did you sleep well Alexandra?¡±


    Realizing that my eyes were still slightly moist, I wiped them and stood up fast. After using him as a pillow throughout the entire night, worrying him about a dream would be outright scandalous on my part. He didn¡¯t sleep from what he said, but he didnn¡¯t look tired at all. On the contrary, he looks expectant and eager to start the new day.


    What shocked me once more, were the radical ideas he had. He literally suggested that two girls share one guy when the first houses will be built. Not only that, but in the future there might actually an even more disproportionate ratio of guys and girls¡­ However, I¡¯m strangely not bothered by it and I doubt that the other girls would either since the more, the merrier.


    The day continued with breakfast prior to which we prayed to this world¡¯s God and thanked him for this new opportunity we were given. After that we were brought to the river were we previously created our weapons and Michael began inventing new objects that will help us in the future. There was a tool that could chop down trees, a tool that could dig the ground and prepare it for future plants to grow on it and even a tool that could break rocks so we can bring them back to our camp (even if I had no idea what we could use stones for...). Everyone was amazed and impressed, but even more so when they were taught how to create them as well.


    Soon, we were able to bring resources we could later on use back to our camp and Michael proposed another outrageous thing: to go and take a look at the monsters. Was it that simple to just go in the lair of those things and take a look at them? I wanted to ask but he simply started walking towards East and we had to follow. Why do I know about what East is? Because he taught me previously! It''s incredibly handy and it will make it easier for us to not get lost. Yesterday we arrived late because when coming back to camp, I was actually unable to determine which route to take back home...thankfully I saw the World Tree at sunset and knew where to return. That one, I will keep to myself since it''s embarrassing.


    These creatures which are our sworn enemies were actually located so close to our base that it frightened the nine of us, but Michael quickly let us kow that they are unable to leave their homes until they reached 100 floors. Apparently each floor is like one huge clearing where a type of monsters lives and each year a new one will appeared. I didn¡¯t know what a year was, but I was reassured to know that there are at least 99 more until they will be able to leave their lair.


    Following his command, we were stopped and had him explore the space after the entry in the ''dungeon''. I wanted to go in first since I''m stronger, but he didn¡¯t allow me due to the fact that I had to protect the remaining hunters. What about him though? Who will protect him?


    After we followed him inside, a strange new world unfolded in front of our eyes, but such a beautiful delusion was shattered fast by the group of monsters we found residing near the water. They looked like fishes with arms and legs and they were rather cute, but I didn¡¯t dare say it out loud, nor did the other girls, since our mission was to assess their levels and fight if possible.


    In order to give us an example, Michael went first and attacked a Murloc on his own. The monster died in one strike and he dragged its body close for us to see and get used to it. The smell was repugnant and I felt like I will throw up a couple of times, but I held it in. I need to lead my people and I cannot be weak¡­


    Next we organized in a formation for a fight against them and we surprisingly killed many of them. However, when we attacked using close-quarter combat, I lost myself because of the power I wielded. The feeling of absolute strength and the ease with which each monster I hit died, brought an intoxicating sense of achievement as I kept killing monsters left and right. Soon, only these Murlocs were in my sight and I easily lost my reasoning.


    When I came to it, I felt a slight sharp pain in my right shoulder and Michael¡¯s hand touching me. He had a worried but steady look and there was a cut on his face. Seeing my spear in his hand and a droplet of red blood on it, I realized that I attacked him somehow.


    What have I done and what if I actually injured or killed him!? I was embarrassed and felt guilty about it, however he dismissed the issue quickly and had us retreat. The monsters brought their strongest member and we began to run after a strategy Michael came up with to buy us some time, however right before both of us were able to exit, the red Murloc threw one of our own javelins and pierced him right through the abdomen.


    I was worried and didn¡¯t know why the entire time he was asleep, thinking that he might not wake up ever again... However he did and kept bringing another miracle now in front of me, probably just one of the many that I¡¯ll be able to see by his side in the future.


    ¡°Alexa, this is only the beginning¡­¡±


    Yes... I know that to be the truth and that future is indeed something to look forward to.

 Theres a blue future ahead...

    Michael POV:


    Watching this strange but weirdly enchanting phenomenon occur, I saw the elves drop to their knees and worship. What did they worship, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure... Maybe it was the World Tree towering with its shadow over the newly growing saplings, or maybe it was the Chaos God that brought them here and gave them the opportunity to witness such a wondrous sight.


    Even Alexa wasn¡¯t an exception, as you could read the awe on her face. There were some other feelings in there and probably given that these trees were supposed to be her new home, she might¡¯ve thought about her old one and the story I¡¯ve fed them. I felt a bit guilty¡­


    ¡°Alexa, this is only the beginning¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say, but I could see her eyes clearing up a bit, hinting at a conclusion she might¡¯ve reached. She will be a strong person to count on in the future.


    The trees kept growing and I saw Mia walk into a group of girls and began gossiping and giggling with them. I could feel cold sweat forming on my back when thinking about how this AI might become slightly troublesome the more humane she learned to be¡­


    To my surprise however, she grabbed a girl that was slightly smaller than her by the hand and led her to me. Mia was smiling, while the new girl was proudly following suite but didn¡¯t dare meet my eyes for some reason. I really wonder what type of person they see me as¡­


    [Michael, this is Denise!](Mia)


    ¡°A pleasure meeting you Denise. To what do I owe the honor of both of you coming to see me?¡±


    [Go ahead Denise! It''s your achievement so you are supposed to be the one to announce it¡­](Mia)


    [Yes big sister¡­ Hello! My name is Denise¡­ uhm, you already knew that¡­ I, I¡­ I was able to acquire a new skill and a new job after following your advice and creating the tools you instructed us to.](Denise)


    ¡°That¡¯s amazing! May I see your Status Page?¡±


    [Of course¡­](Denise)


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Denise Greenwood


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf Craftsman


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    4


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    6%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Woman


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    19


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    35


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    4 days


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Concentration</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">8</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    305/305 (+9.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> + 20</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    275/275(+3.7/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Crafting(Basic)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I was a bit shocked when saw the change to a different job indeed, even more when I read the description of the skill.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Crafting(Basic LvL 1) ¨C improves the success rate of crafting an object you already have knowledge of by 20% and increases the chance of inventing new things by 10%.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Not only was this a passive skill, but it was only level 1 and at the Basic mastery. With a higher level, she could create even more professional tools that will surely be in a better condition than what I can reproduce from memory. Not only that, but it says that she has a chance of inventing new tools as well.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Concentration


    The ability to clear one''s own mind of useless thoughts and focus solely on the task at hand.


    The higher the Concentration attribute, the easier it becomes for someone to give more than 100% in the quality of what they''re doing.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Denise, you see that attribute saying Concentration in your Status Page?¡±


    [Yes¡­](Denise)


    ¡°From now on, make sure you assign your free attribute points in it as well. I would advise three points in Concentration, one point in Intelligence and one point in Wisdom. We will need you to focus on creating new and better tools from now on. Is that alright with you?¡±


    [Yes! I really don¡¯t see myself fighting monsters, or even hunting for food. It¡¯s quite embarrassing for me to say that, but when I went foraging in the first day and crushed a berry in my hands I almost fainted when thinking it might be blood¡­](D)


    [Hihi!](Mia)


    [Big sister! Stop laughing! You promised¡­](D)


    ¡°Alright, alright! Both of you should focus and do what you enjoy the most. A really smart person once said that, if you do what you love doing, you won¡¯t have to work a single moment in your life. Do you understand what that means?¡±


    [Yes!](Denise)


    ¡°Good! I¡¯ll look forward to your new inventions!¡±


    I wisely chose to ignore the fact that this elven lady was calling Mia big sister, due to the fact that the answer as for why that was happening might give me a headache. But all in all is good to see them getting along that well. I turned to the ''big sister'' in question and confirmed my theory with her.


    ¡°However¡­ a skill and a new job. Mia, do you think that it might be because of repeated actions?¡±


    [It¡¯s possible master. Given that all the elves are already Tier 1, they were supposed to already have a job, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. So I can only speculate that those with affinity towards a specific domain will develop a new job easier. However, given that this happened only after we researched Tools technology, I strongly believe that there¡¯s a connection between research and the jobs that our civilization can promote to.](Mia)


    ¡°Well, it did say that new jobs will become available. A craftsman is already impressive, but I¡¯m curious if other will pop up as well soon. Like miners, woodcutters and others. Probably we¡¯ll have to wait for the next research in order for that to happen.¡±


    [I think so as well master.](Mia)


    ¡°What about the elven huts? How long will these trees keep growing for? They should be about 5-6 meters tall already¡­¡±


    [Acknowledged! Analyzing¡­ After my estimation, their growth should be at 90%. Is probable that the next step will be the infusion with mana, which might take a couple more hours.](Mia)


    ¡°So waiting around for that to happen might not be the best idea. There¡¯s so much to do, that I have no idea where to start¡­¡±


    [Well, how about we start from having more people focusing on resources since we still need more houses?](A)


    ¡°Alexa¡­ I think so too. It will be the best to create all the elven huts required as fast as possible. Sleeping in the open might be fun for a while, but people need to sleep indoors or there¡¯s a chance of disease. That and the fact that we¡¯re still vulnerable to animal attacks, even if those haven¡¯t occurred yet. Alexa, have Denise repair and replace the axes that need such actions and increase the number of woodcutters to fifty. The farmland reclamation team will have their numbers decreased a bit but make sure they keep working hard. By the way Mia, what¡¯s the situation with the seeds? Are we able to plant anything anytime soon?¡±


    [Unfortunately I haven¡¯t been successful in finding anything yet¡­](Mia)


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush, so don''t worry. Right now, the safety is priority number one, building the elven huts second, the wall third and then the granary, warehouse and the town hall last. So Alexa, your job will be to ensure sufficient guards for each group out there, as well as to make sure we have sufficient fresh meat, given that everyone will require as much energy as possible.¡±


    [I will make sure that happens! What are we to do about the Murlocs?](Alexa)


    ¡°For now¡­ leave them be. However, keep an eye on the hunters with promise and rotate them with the other elves that haven¡¯t changed their job or got specific skills like Denise. We need about 50 strong elves and we can easily clean the first floor. I¡¯ll think of some strategies to ensure that no one will die as well¡­¡±


    [I will keep that in mind.](A)


    The Murlocs¡­ After almost dying again and this time such an ugly creature, I might¡¯ve grown a bit hateful towards the little bastards. But that fucking boss was strong and only Alexandra might be able to face it properly. So what about the rest? After they respawn, there might be more than a hundred of them in that little village, so just counting on Alexandra was a bad call.


    Then what else can I do? ''Elven Spartans troops'' resurfaced in my mind due to the fact that a certain civilization reigned supreme in the cold-weapons era. Why? Due to their rigorous training and the tactics that they deployed, like for example, the shield wall.


    Who doesn¡¯t know the story of how 300 Spartans stood against thousands enemies? Did they do that because they were brave? Maybe¡­ However, more than that was their training, equipment and tactics that allowed them to perform such actions.


    So I need to make sure we have better equipment before going back in again and train them a bit in fighting tactics as well.


    [Master¡­ you zoned out again¡­ The elven huts are finished. Let¡¯s go take a look!](Mia)


    ¡°I still find it amazing how excited you can be about this, especially taking in consideration all the knowledge you possess¡­¡± - I said under my breath


    [Hurry up master!!!](Mia)


    ¡°Coming, coming¡­¡±


    I stood in front of one of these wooden giants and prepared to explore the new building, while everyone was curiously watching us. However, before I go in, let''s give them a little push¡­


    ¡°Everyone! These first houses were awarded to the ones with extraordinary contributions to our camp, however if you help the woodcutting team to bring the wood back to our clocation faster, we¡¯ll be able to create the remaining ones faster. Also, this is only the beginning! Soon, even better things will be available for us. The only thing we need is to work together and bring them into existence!¡±


    There was a huge clamoring among them and an obvious flame burning in the eyes of all the girls. I couldn¡¯t help but see the guys as puppies waiting to be adopted¡­


    Shaking my head and chuckling at the unaware gazelles about to be devoured by the lionesses in this clearing, I walked inside the elven hut Mia picked as our own. There was an actual door we were able to open and a small room with an indoor flight of stairs leading upstairs. I truly wondered if there were hinges that automatically came with the houses, or if there was something else altogether...


    ¡°Let¡¯s go Mia, Alexa. Weren¡¯t you curious about what¡¯s there to see inside?¡±


    [[Yes!]]


    They both run up the stairs and we were soon in a large room with windows. I blinked twice in confusion due to the fact that there were windows on a tree that''s supposed to be a house, but given the fact that I was currently in a world I help creating from a primordial times, I guess I shouldn¡¯t be that surprised.


    The room was¡­ pretty much a kitchen with a huge table and chairs in the middle. There were also drawers on the sides of the ¡®walls¡¯, where things could be deposited. Seeing another flight of stairs, I knew that there was going to be a bedroom¡­ the problem was, how many beds will there be?


    The answer to my question¡­ one! Just one huge bed occupying half of the room and again, another huge drawer that was probably designed for clothes, sheets and other stuff like that.


    ¡°Sheets in the Stone Age¡­ haha¡­¡±


    Drily laughing because I was scared to actually think about how I can¡¯t sleep at all and I¡¯ll have to share the bed with both Mia and Alexa¡­ I was seeing the color blue for some reason¡­


    [Michael, I just realized what we¡¯ll need¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Cond¡­ what exactly do you have in mind?¡±


    [Cond? I was thinking about sheets and bed covers. Also clothes and shoes¡­ We can¡¯t have our people keep walking barefooted in the forest¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Y..yeah¡­ you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    Fuck that was close! While increasing the population sounds amazing, having children all of a sudden is not as fun as it might seem¡­ So, yeah, I was thinking about condoms¡­


    However, clothes and shoes. A tailor is needed for the camp and the sooner we can get someone with a similar skill, the faster we¡¯ll be prepared for winter.


    ¡°Do you think I should try to create some bed covers or some rugs and have others work with furs as well in the hope that the same thing that happened with Denise, will occur again?¡±


    [It¡¯s worth trying. Plus that it might help us with future research¡­](Mia)


    Seeing that nobody brought into discussion the issue of sleeping into one bed, I avoided it as well.


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly have the girls sleep on the wooden bed, so I should do something with the furs caught¡­¡±


    I left the girls behind and headed towards a group of four girls and one guy tending to some furs near one of the roots of the World Tree. Why? Because the furs require air and other things like salt for example, which we don¡¯t have. So I decided to make use of the World Tree as much as I could.


    ¡°Hello! How¡¯s the work going?¡±


    [Hello Mister Michael! Is going great! The furs are now clean and they smell just as good as the blades of grass in the morning.](Random Elf no 4)


    This guy has a really good way with words. He will surely be popular with the ladies¡­ Also, he''s the dude that received the Dismembering skill book from Mia.


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. Go and grab a group of 15 girls from the farm reclamation unit and bring them over. We¡¯ll start using these furs and I¡¯ll teach you what you can do with them.¡±


    [Understood!](Random Elf no 4)


    Looking at the available materials, there were just furs of deer, skins of boars and feathers of the pheasants. Apparently everyone caught those poor birds in excess due to their sweet and succulent meat. So the feathers¡­ were even more in numbers than the furs.


    ¡°If I can find a way to sew them together, I can create some pillows with the excess of feathers and the furs can be used for some bed covers as well. As for the boar skin¡­ I really don¡¯t know how to create shoes from that, so I can only let it here for now.¡±


    [Michael sir! I brought the people, what are we to do next?](Elf no 4)


    ¡°We¡¯re going to start another Arts and Crafts class, of course!¡±

 The art of fucking with people!

    With Mia¡¯s help, we used some sort of thin grass as thread and I began sewing ¡®bed sheets¡¯ and ¡®pillows¡¯ together.


    For needles¡­ I just sharpened thin branches and created some toothpicks. Even I felt ashamed by the low level of technology and what I was supposed to improvise in order to make things happen. The good news is that when I told the girls that we might even be able to create clothes and shoes for them the soonest they learn how to create the same objects I did (and explained what clothes were) they furiously began sewing stuff together.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Animal Husbandry research technology through discovery!


    100 Research Points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in Trapping research technology through discovery!


    250 Research Points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well that¡¯s something¡­ However, I don¡¯t even have those technologies available to research yet. Does that mean that I am not as restricted as Mia originally said I was? Can I create anything as long as I have the possibility of doing so myself and then teaching it to the elves?


    ¡°And if that¡¯s the case, what would there be the thing that would profit my civilization the most at the moment?¡±


    While wondering about that, I saw elves literally dragging fell trees or carrying them on their backs. Not only them though, it was the same with the other people from the mining squad¡­


    ¡°Of course! How could I forget something so basic!?¡±


    [Michael, sir?](Random elf no4)


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me and continue working hard! I am expecting great things of you to produce! The things you people are creating will be used for us to sleep on. Make sure you do your best since our rest depends on you! Hahaha!¡±


    [Yes sir!] (Random elf no4)


    Leaving aside the hardworking girls and the dude that seemed really out of place visually, but verbally was definitely in the right spot, I headed towards the piles of wood where people kept bringing forward more and more trees. I wondered if it was possible to affect the environment by overdoing it, however Mia told me that the following day the trees that have been cut, will be back in the same position, due to the World Tree interference. We literally had an unlimited supply of wood!


    [Master! Why have you called for me?](Mia)


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking¡­ have you seen the two notifications previously?¡±


    [Yes¡­](Mia)


    ¡°I think is possible to build things outside the era we¡¯re on and I¡¯m planning to try out that theory.¡±


    [¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like you¡¯re seeing a lunatic¡­ I am planning to create some carts. In addition, for those, wheels are required. What do you think?¡±


    [It¡­ might work actually. Also it will be of huge help to the guys¡­](Mia)


    ¡°To the guys? Why? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ don¡¯t tell me that they actually listened and they are doing THAT?¡±


    [Was master the one that told them that they are supposed to protect the girls and take over the difficult jobs in their stead in order to impress them?](Mia)


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    [Leaving aside how chauvinistic that sounds master, the boys are overdoing it and while the girls don¡¯t mind them overworking themselves, they are not going to last long at this rate¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Ahem¡­ I will talk with them later. Anyway, let¡¯s build some carts then¡­¡±


    The plan was to first build up the parts, which I will later on assemble in front of everybody. Therefore, I began working alone in a spot near the World Tree for the entire day and once the sunset arrived, I was almost done.


    [Michael, we managed to gather quite a lot of wood units today. According to big sister, we have enough for another 23 houses. Should we have them constructed?](A)


    ¡°Hey Alexa! Yup, give her the green to go! Also, before dinner gather all the elves here at my location. We¡¯ll hold a late night lecture¡­¡±


    [Does it have to do with the strange pieces of wood on your feet?](A)


    ¡°Yes! These will prove to be of great help to us!¡±


    I was feeling extra proud due to a couple of things: one, I was better at sculpting than I originally thought and two, I literally just invented the wheel.


    Also I only wasted one tree, but based on a couple of mistakes I made I estimated that from a single tree of the same size as the one I took, at least two carts could be built if no screw-ups are involved.


    It was not a long wait and the elves gathered like penguins in a huge circle around me, carefully looking at the pieces of wood on the ground. I had Denise join me and announce to everyone else how she got a new Job and a new skill, also asking her to follow my instructions and assemble the foreign object which should heavily boost our current research progress. Soon enough¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in the Wheel research technology through discovery!


    500 Research Points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Your civilization successfully researched the Wheel technology!


    Current and future generations will be provided with the knowledge to craft and use it!


    New Jobs available after reaching first Tier!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I left the job of explaining things to Mia about how the cart will benefit our civilization, while I took Denise aside and described with a big amount of details the process that lead to the creation of the cart.


    ¡°Do you have confidence in building one yourself?¡±


    [I think so. Not only that, but after I assembled it following your instructions I was able to level up my Job. I¡¯m currently at level 7¡­](Denise)


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ amazing! I wonder if we can use that as a shortcut¡­¡±


    [Shortcut? What should I cut shortly?](D)


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it! What I need you to do is to grab at least nine more elves that might show interest in crafting and teach them everything you know. If they acquire the same Job as you within three days, you continue with them. For those that don¡¯t, replace them with others. Your current goal is to have, with you included, 10 people capable of creating every tool required for our camp. Can you do it?¡±


    [I will do my best!](D)


    ¡°Good girl! Go ahead and I¡¯m waiting for good news soon!¡±


    Now that I confirmed that my theory was working, I could simply push for the next level: metal casting! As long as I could create some proper weapons and some shields, dungeon diving would become much easier. However, for that, I need to create a proper stove¡­ and before the stove, I could use some pottery.


    ¡°Aaaargh! Screw it! Mia, we¡¯re going with pottery next!¡±


    [Uhm¡­ okay master¡­](Mia)


    ¡°¡­fine, we¡¯re going with pottery tomorrow given that it¡¯s already night. Let¡¯s go get some food going!¡±


    After dinner, Alexandra set up some sentries again and another 23 elven huts were assigned. Out of the original 75 I had planned out, 35 were already up and running, signifying a fast development of the camp. The problem was that for the remaining 40 houses I required 100 units of wood each, which brings me to four thousand units required. Then there is another 500 for the Granary, 500 for the Warehouse (the stone units are already sufficient for all required buildings) and on top of that another one thousand for the Wall.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. I am curious about how the other buildings will be completed, given that the elven houses just grew from the ground. Quite literally¡­


    Once we entered the house that was appointed as being ours, I saw Mia and Alexandra carry some objects to the bedroom. To my utmost surprise, the bed was already made and the girls took pride in explaining how it became the oasis of comfort in front of my eyes.


    First they gathered some grass from around the World Tree and they used it as a mattress (it was obviously Mia that had the idea), after which they used the bed cover made of deer fur to place it on top of it. As finishing touches the two pillows filled with feathers, which looked heavenly, were inviting any tired person to a night of good and relaxing sleep


    Seeing that the atmosphere became awkward between Alexandra and me all of a sudden, I took the lead and climbed into bed after washing a bit outside. I swore to create a bathhouse as soon as possible!


    Mia followed suite and not having another option, Alexa climbed up next to me as well. With one beauty on each side, I thought I should start practicing a Buddhist mantra once more for self-control.


    ¡°Honestly though, these girls are way too na?ve! I am a dude you know¡­ even if I wasn¡¯t aware of it up to this point, I apparently still have sexual needs after becoming a pseudo-God! This is a rather happy-yet-unfortunate situation¡­¡±


    Mia however took pity on me and left the system¡¯s interface open. With something to keep my mind out of the current situation, I should somehow be able to make it to the morning without being imprisoned¡­


    I brought the Civilization interface once more, ignored the Construction tab because there were no changes to it whatsoever and started playing with everything else insted.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Materials available</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">54 wood units</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1231 stone units</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">236 food units (food is estimated to last 1 additional day)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With this I actually remembered that I needed to stockpile food for a couple of months at least, in order for elves to begin¡­ mingling. For that, the Granary is necessary, so I will have it built next as soon as the elven huts are completed. The Wall will follow after.


    In addition, the materials the elves managed to gather on a daily basis were between 1000-2000 units of wood, slowed down because they had troubles in carrying it back home. However now that the carts have become available, the output the forest will bring will surely increase. Obviously, the same will apply to the mining squad.


    ¡°Which reminds me¡­ the first type of metal to be used in casting, was gold. In my case however, not only is that useless, but I might actually need something like iron, or copper, or other similar ores for weapons, equipment and other tools. I should ask Mia if there are any mines nearby that we can take advantage off.¡±


    The next tab I began fully exploring was the Research one. The available technology was still the same one: Farming and Gathering.


    The cost of it dropped due to the title I received as a pioneer and was currently worth only 1300 RP. The problem was that even with the breakthroughs I made with other technologies, I was still lacking a bit.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Research


    Used to decide the technological advancement, it consists of multiple branching paths one can chose, each one belonging to a specific time.


    Once a minimum of technologies have been researched, you can advance to the next era. Each era advancement will provide you with certain benefits.


    Current technologies available for research:


    - Farming and Gathering(1500 RP);


    Current Research Points available: 850


    Current Research Points growth: 209/day (assign people to researching a specific field in order to increase growth)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Research¡­. Total points and shit¡­ calculate properly based on prev]


    "Let''s see... since I was out for a couple of days and the research points production per day remained at 150, once I acquired Tools I was left with only 95 points. Then there were the breakthroughs which gave me 850 points due to them being major ones. Also now that I set it up as so, I have a total of 209 per day that I''m getting."


    If there was something that was different, was the production per day. There was an extra 9 points beside what each elf provides on a daily basis and considering that myself and Mia didn¡¯t count, I was unable to tell where the hell did they came from. Not that I was complaining, but obviously I would like to know so I can keep increasing the numbers.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s not from the title I got and surely is not from myself or the technologies I made breakthroughs on, what the hell changed today? Before this day, there was the 200 RP/day at max, because I obviously have 200 elves¡­¡±


    What surprised me was the blinking box for Great People. Usually that happens only when changes occur to a tab and I have not fully viewed them yet.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Great People


    They are exceptionally talented figures with special abilities, which appear in your civilization when you develop a particular technological advancement field sufficiently.


    Be wary!!!


    All Great People are considered civilian units and, as such, they are defenseless on the battlefield! They can be instantly destroyed if monsters or other enemies directly attacks them.


    Current Great Person:


    -Denise Greenwood (In training) - Provides ten times the regular amount of research points.


    The bonus provided by Great Persons is further increased by the Tier of their soul refinement (regular RP * 10* Tier LvL)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Oh¡­ now I see. However, to increase her tier to level 2 is going to take a while, given that she has to reach probably level 50 for Tier 2. FUCK! How could I forget about the miracles I currently have!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Soul Upgrade [Ex]: Active miracle! Cost: 10 Faith/use


    Description: In order to refine the quality of a soul, the number of soul points needed is cut in half (example: usually, 100 LvL 0 souls are required to upgrade a soul to LvL 1. This miracle reduces the amount to only 50. As the Tier LvL scales upwards, the reduction of 50% still applies!)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°But how do I use it? Let¡¯s try to select it¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Please select whom you would like to use Soul Upgrade on!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Denise Greenwood.¡± ¨CI whispered softly


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Denise Greenwood is currently at LvL 1 in soul refinement.


    Cost to upgrade to LvL 2 - 2500 SP.


    Due to effect of the miracle cost is reduced by 50%!


    Would you like to proceed?</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Yes</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Motherfucker! Why is the cost that high!? Even with the discount I get, there¡¯s still 1250 SP that are required for a simple upgrade to Tier 2? How much SP do I have?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Funds: 2588 SP


    Souls are used as currency in the ''Afterlife'' game. Due to the impracticality of the souls being directly handed over to the players, each soul is under a contract with the proprietor, making matters more simple.


    Upon deciding to use the souls to purchase population, the available numbers will be directly teleported to your world coordinates, at a designed location of your choosing. If you use them as currency in purchasing other items, the contract with the souls handed over is terminated.


    In order to make things fair, all souls will begin at LvL 0 and each one can be converted into population of each sex, depending on the requirement of the player.


    Soul Points can be gained either through birth of new population based on sexual interactions, or through daily accumulations.


    Each member of the population provides a specific number of points on a daily basis, as follows:


    LvL 0 - 1SP/day; LvL 6 - 100SP/day;


    LvL 1 - 3SP/day; LvL 7 - 250SP/day;


    LvL 2 - 5SP/day; LvL 8 - 500SP/day;


    LvL 3 - 10SP/day; LvL 9 - 1000SP/day;


    LvL 4 - 25SP/day; LvL 10 - 5000SP/day;


    LvL 5 - 50SP/day; LvL MAX - 10000 SP/day.


    Current funds growth: 647 SP/day


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Well that¡¯s bullshit¡­ I barely have enough to upgrade two people to Tier 2? But... I¡¯ll have to do it anyway.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± ¨CI whispered again while checking if I woke up any of the girls


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Confirmation received!


    Upgrading soul refinement Tier of Denise Greenwood to level 2!


    Would you like to pass on a Divine Revelation to the recipient?


    Because the target is currently sleeping you can provide the Divine Revelation in the form of a dream that will encompass the message.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I almost busted in laughter when I saw the notification. Wouldn¡¯t this mean that I could fuck with people while they are sleeping? Yes, there is a high cost for it, but imagine the results! It would be hilarious!


    Using the system¡¯s interface, I wrote on the virtual keypad (just noticed that there is one¡­) the following:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">The power invested in you through me, the God of Chaos, will allow you to lead your fellow elves to the peaks of civilization!


    Use it wisely and gather apprentices that will help you in your endeavor!


    Impart your knowledge upon them and live your life in happiness!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    While it sounded like absolute bull-crap since I forced her to do something while saying that I gave her that gift so she better use it, but at the same time I told her to be happy... it felt like I was brainwashing the poor child. I decided however to go with it because it was close to the normal message I had originally in mind, but also because I was curious what kind of dream she¡¯ll have. I will have Mia look into it in the morning.


    ¡°Fucking with people is certainly more relaxing than sleeping. Look at these two wasting so much time¡­¡±

 Another busy day begins...

    Leaving aside bad jokes, I looked at the Research tab again and saw it bumped to 219 RP/day as output, thing that made me smile. However, I should start boosting the numbers of the elves, but I can¡¯t exactly buy new ones¡­ so, the only available option is procreation.


    ¡°The number of SP I get depend on the Tier of the elves. Therefore, I need to start cleaning up dungeons. Also, the sooner I finish building up the camp, the sooner baby conceptions can begin. So¡­ I need to get those resource output increase a bit tomorrow and wrap it up with the homes.¡±


    The only thing that was left was the Social Policies tab. There were a couple of changes to it, such as the fact that I had actual culture points that I was gaining per day¡­ however their number¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Social policies are a concept representing the non-scientific or religious advancements of your society. They act as a system of gameplay bonuses, activated little by little as your civilization develops its Culture. Some of these bonuses are empire-wide (meaning they act on all cities and empire components at the same time), while others are related to particular buildings, units, or even Great People. Many Social Policies enhance individual buildings'' functions - check the list of buildings for more information on that.


    All policies are organised into trees, and each tree has to be unlocked before the specific policies in it can be adopted. The policies within each tree (or reforms) are further organized into branches, requiring that lower-level policies be adopted before higher-level ones become available. Unlocking a policy tree also activates a special bonus, as does adopting all five policies in it.


    Current civilization growth ¨C 2 culture points/day


    Total gathered ¨C 4 culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The good news was the fact that after two more days I could buy a social policy based on the next tab I checked. The bad news is that I am 100% unsure of which one should I go with. Probably each has their own benefits, obviously not making my job easier at all.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll do the same as I always did with the girls on Earth: one at a time!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Adopting Tradition greatly increases the rate of border expansion (25%) in cities and also grants +3 Culture points in the main settlement. Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all Policies in the Tradition tree will grant +15% Food Growth in all cities and a free Aqueduct building in your first four settlements. It also allows the purchase of Great Engineers with Faith Points starting in Industrial Era.


    Cost: 7 Culture points</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After reading the description, it can be summed up to a policy that automatically increases my borders (I can finally get some forests in my territories and get that religion bonus) and I also get an extra 3 culture points per day once selecting this option. That pretty much doubles my income.


    Besides that, there is also that line in the description of the social policies mentioning something about unlocking the five branches from the main reform.


    ¡°Probably that means that each main reform will focus on something in specific and I can purchase different benefits from each tree. But given that I have so many options, says that I can select the benefits I want out of each one¡­ that if I unlock each one first¡­ and if I ignore the bonus given once the policy is fully researched...¡±


    The religion boost that comes with the fast expanding borders, as well as the more than doubled culture points income sounds good in theory, however the problem is that I¡¯m 100% sure that the price will go up immediately after the first purchase. The second time I will buy a branch policy or even a main reform, the cost will likely jump. As far as the prices goes, to at least double the original one is within the limits of reason¡­


    ¡°There was that Murphy law saying that ¡®whatever can happen will happen¡¯, so it¡¯s better to not worry about it. Especially since it''s also something vague in there about a building that can be unlocked and will generate culture... What was the next available reform? Liberty¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Adopting Liberalism will provide +1 Culture point in every settlemnent. Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all policies in the Liberty tree will grant a free Great Person upgrade of your choice near in the main settlement.


    Cost: 7 Culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Such a stingy reform! It only gives me one culture point increase per day (since I don''t have enough elves for a secondary camp)¡­ and not only that, but there is no extra benefit! Why the hell would I even pick this option? It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever¡­


    ¡°And people are always complaining about communism. Look at this shit! What does liberty gives you? Almost nothing! The communism on the other hand gives you so many things. Well¡­ it might take more than what it gives you at the end of the day, but that¡¯s beside the point¡­¡±


    Nevertheless, if we are to flip the coin, if the reform is stingy, there is a high probability that the branch policies it provides will be generous. There¡¯s that saying that after each high hill there¡¯s a valley just as deep, or simply put, everything has a way of coming back to the middle¡­ Fucking limbo!


    ¡°Next one is the Military reform. Now this ones looks like some proper fun! Let¡¯s take a looksie at what¡¯s it about¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Adopting Military gives a +33% combat bonus against monters; from now on notifications will be provided when new monster encampments spawn in revealed territory. Gain Culture for the empire from each monster unit killed. (the Culture points earned is equal to the maximum LvL of of the defeated unit, multiplied by the average Tier level of the monsters, plus the added levels of the monsters divided by their numbers). Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all policies in the Military tree will grant Soul Points for each enemy unit killed (Note that this applies only to units killed directly by your actions. For example, you won''t receive Soul Points for a unit killed by the effect of a natural disaster). It also allows the purchase of Great Generals with Faith points starting from the Industrial Era.


    Cost: 7 Culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Oh boy¡­ I realized I just found the thing to have! How can a better reform exist than this one? I can literally fuck up Murlocs and other monsters and get culture points as a reward. With those culture points, I buy more benefits that I use to strengthen my civilization and my adventurer army and repeat the process.


    ¡°Funny how even on this second new world it¡¯s still all about grinding and repeating¡­ Even more after it''s fully researched! I can get Soul Points for killing monsters that spawn continuously!!!¡±


    I thought about picking it instantly for a second, but I changed my mind just as fast. Currently the cost to purchase a reform would cost me 7 culture points which I¡¯ll get by the end of tomorrow even without picking anything, so even if the second reform or policy costs me twice or thrice, if I pick Tradition which doubles my income to 4 points per day, it would still be a reasonable pick to make¡­ Nah! It actually makes more sense to go for Tradition first and then for the rest...


    ¡°I should stop trying to convince myself to pick something after I saw only three options¡­ What¡¯s next?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Adopting Piety reduces the cost of building Shrines and Temples by 50%. Provides a permanen boost of 25% to the current Faith points gain. Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all policies in the Piety tree will cause a Great Prophet to appear and each holy builing will provide +3 Culture points.


    Cost: 7 Culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This one gives the obvious boost in Faith points accumulations that I expected and it¡¯s an actual permanent 25%. That means that even later on when new people will be added and adopt the religion, the bonus will still apply to them. In addition, there is the line about reduced cost of holy buildings¡­


    ¡°So I will be able to build structures that will increase my Faith gain¡­ that¡¯s nice to know. Also, this reform is a given since this game is pretty much based on deities and them gathering power through their faithful. I still think that a certain useless game God is hiding things about the game and its purpose, however for now there¡¯s not much I can do about it.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I found it very likely that in the tree that this reform will unlock, I will be able to find some that will allow me to build things like a temple or an altar, or any other similar structures that will give the faithful a place to pray and worship. Not only that, but it was certain that through the said buildings, my civilization would advance and will become able to provide other bonuses like culture points, research points or who-knows what else¡­


    The conclusion after all this is that I require more culture points!


    ¡°The next one is Aesthetics. I can tell by the name that it will be something the girls will love¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Adopting Aesthetics allows you to earn and train Great Writers, Artists, and Musicians 25% faster. Provides a one time 50% increase in Culture points growth. Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all Policies in the Aesthetics tree doubles the Culture points bonus you receive from works of art created by Great Writers, Artists, and Musicians. It also allows the purchase of same previously mentioned three with Faith points starting in the Industrial Era.


    Cost: 7 Culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I felt a bit shocked when I read the damned thing. I mean, that one time 50% increase is certainly not something you want in the early phase of the game. Right now, that means a measly one extra culture point, but later on it might mean 100. For now I need to focus on boosting the existing points and I could easily do that by picking Tradition after which Liberty and then Military. The first ones will increase the passive gain of culture points, while the last will give me a way to actively gain some by wrecking havoc in the dungeons.


    What was a tad more interesting though, was that 25% increase for Great People. The fact that they could be trained or discovered faster, meant that after having them participate in specific activities repeatedly, I could possibly bolster my specialized population by a huge margin.


    Also, if I combine that with the Job system unlocked by the researched technologies, I will have a way to focus on improving in an overall manner as soon as possible. Now I see why Eternity said that picking both military advancement and technological evolution was a bad idea¡­


    ¡°Well, is not like I can¡¯t back down at this point, however I chose not to! I will feel bad if I just give up like that all of a sudden, just because things are not moving fast enough. However¡­ improving cultural development through war waging¡­ I suddenly feel very Genghis Khan-like. What else is there for me to check?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Adopting Commerce boosts the production for materials by 50% main settlement, allows the creation of trade routes between the settlements owned by the same civilization and allows your religion to spread through the trade routes to the newly built atheist camps. Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all Policies in the Commerce tree will grant a certain amount of Soul Points from every Trading Post in the civilization''s territory. It also allows the purchase of Great Merchants with Faith points starting in the Industrial Era.


    Cost: 7 Culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    When I saw the part mentioning the word ¡®settlements¡¯ I froze for a bit. That really meant that I would have to create multiple camps and create them based on specialty production for import and export towards other camps. Like for example, let us say that I create one such settlement by the sea/ocean. Given the access to fish and beaches, I can easily produce an industry-based camp focusing on salt and fishing. The products will be traded with the main camp for furs and grains (if we manage to plant such things) creating a flowing industry and even more important, creating jobs!


    In all games I¡¯ve played, unemployment was a biggest issue. To keep your populace working towards a goal is something truly important towards the productivity of a nation.


    Such a goal must be always crystal-clear. Take modern society as an example: everybody works his or her asses off for money. Why? Because having currency allows you to do stuff such as buying things you do not need, traveling to places you do not necessarily need to see, or purchase gifts to impress chicks you do not necessarily fancy.


    All in all, for a successful and happy civilization, is mandatory to have a working currency and for such a thing to exist, industries are mandatory. For the main camp, I could focus on forestry, mining (if there are good mines nearby) and even hunting in limited amounts for pelts and furs.


    ¡°But that¡¯s all for the future. In addition, once the 100-year mark is hit, trading between allied civilizations will be possible as well. I will need to take advantage properly of Eternity and her demon population. However, for me to have more things to trade I need at least a secondary settlement and for that I need more people. For more people I need either more SP generated by the current 200 elves, or I need to get babies going¡­ What I am worried about is the elven girls giving birth in the current conditions. I don¡¯t even have a proper doctor with knowledge about patching up a cut, so let¡¯s not talk about performing a C-section to ensure the life of both the infant and the mother¡­¡±


    Suddenly I felt really tired and worried about the future. But I had to keep going for the people that are counting on me to guide them. I realized just how much I needed to get my shit together and act like a proper God (pseudo) since there are already so many people praying to me daily.


    I never realized just how much of an impact that had on my personality. Maybe I already changed a bit because my divinity is chaotic, but now that I have to shelter so many souls and look out for them, I finally noticed just how heavy the pressure is.


    ¡°They say that even shit has a chance of turning into a diamond under enough pressure¡­ Maybe I can become the best version of me in this new world.¡±


    I instinctively looked at my left hand, which still has the scars on it. I didn¡¯t pay attention to it until now, but wasn¡¯t this body supposed to be an avatar of sorts? Why do I still have the exact same appearance?


    If one thing is for certain though is that, I will get my answers as time goes on but surely not now. For now, I must focus on developing my pretty elves.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Adopting Exploration gives increased movement speed for scouting units and also increased HP and MP regeneration while outside the territory. Once a new region has been fully explored it will provide a detailed report of the available resources through an interface notification. Provides the option of upgrading units to a higher tier, using Faith points. Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all Policies in the Exploration tree allows you to build new settlements with the current standard of the main camp. It also allows the purchase of Great Explorers with Faith points starting in the Industrial Era.


    Cost: 7 Culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Leaving aside the resource report, I almost stood up and started dancing on the bed when I saw the last bonus. If I can rank up the tiers of the elves using faith points, then I can simply use the soul points they produce to purchase more population, while boosting the daily production because of the higher tier of their soul refinement. Somehow, even I got confused while thinking that...


    ¡°Not only will the increase in soul refinement help the elves get stronger, but while fighting the monsters and get more culture points, I could possibly unlock even better benefits from the policies tree. I should change the order in which I¡¯ll get the reforms as Tradition, Liberty, Military and then Exploration. That way, I could properly take advantage of everything... However something tells me that I might have to change those plans sooner than expected ¡­¡±


    I looked outside the windows carved beautifully in the bark of the tree and saw the night sky showing signs of lighting up. Morning was on its way and I had to hurry up with the last available reforms to be selected, in order not to waste another day.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Adopting Navigation gives increased movement speed for naval units and increased range for naval combat units. Automatically awards you a Great Admiral and increases the chances of finding resources at sea. Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all Policies in the Navigation tree allows you to locate Treasured Islands. It also allows the purchase of Great Admirals with Faith points starting in the Industrial Era.


    Cost: 7 Culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well¡­ this is for later. Even if I have a Great Admiral, there is no use for one at this point¡­ I am intrigued about the Treasured Islands, but I can''t seem to read a description out of them, nor would I be able to actually visit them any time soon.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Adopting Technology  will grant a permanent increase of +50% to the research points daily production while the civilization is happy. Automatically awards the civilization with a Great Scientist. Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all Policies in the Technology tree will grant a free research Technology available to be bought with research points. It also allows the purchase of Great Scientists with Faith points starting in the Industrial Era.


    Cost: 7 Culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Oh wow¡­ Now what? I mean¡­ that¡¯s a permanent increase to technology research and I get to have a Great Scientist for free as well. Moreover, that is probably not going to be a Tier 1, but straight up Tier 3. If someone like Denise could easily learn to design something from scratch only from seeing it once as Tier 1, just what would a Tier 3 scientist be capable of? I can only imagine that new stuff will be researched a lot faster¡­ FUCK!¡±


    I found it stupid how I became able to know in advance that I will fuck up my choices without anyone else¡¯s interference, just based on previous experiences. Anyway, I might need Mia¡¯s take on this before making a decision, so I just moved on to the last available reform.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">World Order ¨C currently locked until your civilization reaches a higher level of Culture!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Talk about anti-climactic¡­ But that¡¯s at least one less option to worry about. If I take all the information in consideration, the order in which I pick the reforms should stay the same: there is Tradition first, Liberty second, Military third for the extra culture points and then I need to decide the order of Exploration and Technology. However, no matter how I look at it, Technology comes first. I will check with Mia in the morning to be safe¡­ Also, hehe! Since the culture points are awarded at the beginning of each day, I could get myself Tradition in the morning and hopefully get another first achievement.¡±


    I closed the system interface and began thinking about the new day ahead. Since there are so many things to be done, it is going to be another busy one¡­

 That sounded mighty fine!

    With the dawn of the new day, light flooded the bedroom and Mia began squirming like a child that does not want to wake up for school. I found it amusing and chuckled a bit.


    [Good morning mashter¡­] ¨C she said while yawning


    ¡°It¡¯s Michael, sleepyhead. How did you sleep?¡±


    [Great! The furs are comfortable and smell so nice¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Yeah, yeah! Just don¡¯t fall asleep again. I need your advice on something.¡±


    [Acknowledged! What could I be of assistance with master?](Mia) ¨C she said while standing up


    ¡°I already told you that you should use my name¡­ Anyway, you¡¯ve already read through the description for the Social Policy options right?¡±


    [Indeed.](M)


    ¡°What¡¯s your take on the order to acquire them?¡±


    [Tradition, Liberty, Military, Technology and then take a pause and move forward depending on the policies unlocked by the four.](M)


    ¡°Why not the Exploration after Technology?¡±


    [Because it is too early to start upgrading the rest of the elves using Faith points. Alexandra is waking up¡­](M)


    [Big sister, you are awake already. Is it morning?](A)


    Seeing the amount of cuteness overloading, I stood up from the bed before something else might.


    ¡°Good morning Alexa. Take your time, there is still a while until the sun fully raises, so do not be in a rush to get out of bed just yet. I¡¯ll go grab some fruits for breakfast.¡±


    [Mhm!](A) ¨C she nodded obediently


    Once I left the house (tree), I saw the sleepy sentinels that kept watch and greeted them.


    ¡°Good morning guys! Anything worth reporting?¡±


    [Good morning Mister Michael! Nothing relevant sir. It was peaceful.](Random Elf no5)


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing to hear. Bear with it another hour or so and you¡¯ll be able to go sleep. Thanks for the hard work!¡±


    [Thank you sir!](Random elf no5)


    Reaching the ¡®storage room¡¯, which was pretty much a spot on the ground covered with leaves on which different types of fruits, vegetables, plants or meat was placed, I realized another problem my civilization had: lack of properly cooked meals!


    As a person that worked under one of the best chefs in the world (well, at least back on Earth) and holds a shitload of recipes in my head, how could I allow a diet that¡¯s based on grilled meat and raw fruits or vegetables for my civilization?


    Returning to the bedroom with a leaf on which there were different fruits, I found the two girls laughing happily. Apparently, they no longer need to sleep and the drowsiness has long left their eyelashes.


    ¡°Breakfast is served my ladies! Now, while you will be pleasing your taste buds with the things in front of you, I need your opinion on something. What do you think of the current diet?¡±


    [Mas... Michael, are you referring to the lack of diversity when cooking the food?](M)


    ¡°Indeed!¡±


    [Unfortunately, I cannot be of help since grilled food and some other raw vegetables are the best I can think of Michael¡­ Do you have any ideas?](A)


    ¡°Quite a couple of them. But I want to do something different instead of me cooking them¡­¡±


    [You want to have some people develop the Jobs.](Mia)


    ¡°Correct again! It would be better if we can have a group of four to five people that could learn some recipes and take care of the cooking for the entire camp. That will ensure warm food to be available and the three main meals of the day. Do you think is possible?¡±


    [If Denise managed to get the Job of Craftsman after crafting continuously, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find five people that have aptitude for cooking. There are at least three that I think of which enjoy making food for everybody else, which I saw the last couple of days.](A)


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you girls then. Mia, basic recipes would do for now and we¡¯ll focus today on pottery in order to prepare the required tools for cooking. Have a word with Denise as well and have her prepare some spoons, forks and¡­ that¡¯s it because I can¡¯t really see knives made out of wood...¡±


    [Understood! The recipes should focus on nutrition.](Mia)


    ¡°Indeed! It is important to make sure there will be as balanced as possible, since otherwise we might have medical problems we cannot yet solve. Alexa, there is one more thing that we will do today, so you will have to gather the previous hunters that went with us and another 40 people. We¡¯ll begin preparing for the dungeon.¡±


    [Understood! Should I focus on something in specific as well?](A)


    ¡°Just make sure they are people capable of handling a spear, throwing a javelin and that are not afraid of spilling some blood on their clothes.¡±


    [I will get right to it!](A)


    ¡°Don¡¯t rush! The rest of the people are still sleeping¡­¡±


    This girl¡­ when it comes to fighting monsters she¡¯s way too excited. I think I could trade her to Odin for at least another couple of hundreds elves-worth of Soul Points. After all, he and any other War Gods will surely know how to appreciate a good berserker.


    All jokes aside, I should prepare for some fighting exercises between the dungeon diving group. Having them participate in different drills together will give them an idea of how to move and fight as a whole unit and can also get better acquainted with each other. As for the said exercises¡­ for now, I should focus on stamina building ones, as well as others that require teamwork.


    After a couple of hours passed, we split the 200 elves in groups. There were the 60 people unit for woodcutting (50 woodcutters and 10 guards), 35 in the mining unit (25 miners and 10 guards), the 49 people that Alexa picked for the dungeon diving unit, we were left with only 55 people. Out of the 55 there were the suddenly 10 people with Denise included that wanted to craft things only (probably due to someone messing with her dreams¡­) and because apparently she woke up even before sunrise and crafted like a madman, we currently have 2 extra carts that we can use beside the one I poorly made.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Obviously, I had her increase that number up to 10 as first priority and assigned another 20 people to the task of going back and forth between the resources spot and the camp and carrying them. The ratio was 7-3, with seven for the lumber and three for the stone, because we are currently in dire need of such a resource for the buildings¡­


    That left me with 25 people unemployed. Out of those, twenty were the people that yesterday played with the furs and learned how to sew shit together, so there was nothing to do about them, while out of the remaining five were the ones that Mia and Alexa picked to learn how to cook¡­


    ¡°In situations like this the low number of people becomes obvious¡­ I really need to get more people fast. Right! Let¡¯s pick the social reform Tradition before I forget¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Tradition socialreform has been selected!


    The cost of selecting it is 7 culture points and you currently have 8 points available.


    Would you like to proceed? </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Yes</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Major achievement: Socialist</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    Your civilization took its first step onto the political ladder and with it, the people will feel more at home.


    Your civilization acquired Tradition and received as benefits an increase of 3 culture points per day and a faster expansion rate of your territories borders!


    Due to the effect Tradition reform has on your world¡¯s population, the people¡¯s happiness increases!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    There was that vague thing about people¡¯s happiness again, but no actual numbers. However, now I can begin properly developing my civilization.


    [Master, have you seen the achievement?](Mia)


    ¡°Not yet. Does it have a good reward?¡±


    [The reward is all right, however master might be more interested in something else.](Mia)


    Seeing as how she was rather cryptic about it, I decided to take a look in order to satisfy my curiosity. However, boy was I surprised about what I saw¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Socialist


    Requirement: acquire the first social policy for your civilization;


    Rank: 3<sup>rd


    </sup>


    Reward: 500AP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Third place? Two others have made a pick before we did. How? If everyone starts with the same number of culture points per day, then it doesn¡¯t make sense for me to be third¡­¡±


    [However, do not forget that we had an entire day that we missed in the beginning master¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Right¡­ there was that. So you¡¯re implying that the other two didn¡¯t?¡±


    [Indeed.](Mia)


    ¡°I guess that makes sense¡­ Anyway, we¡¯ll catch up fast because we have something that they don¡¯t.¡±


    [Elves?](Mia)


    ¡°Pfft! Hahaha! No, I was thinking something more among the lines of the dungeons. Given that we have the Military reform and a group of Tier 1 dungeon divers that I¡¯ll get ready to fight soon enough, we¡¯ll overtake them soon enough.¡±


    [¡­ So my answer was correct¡­](Mia)


    ¡°¡­I guess it was. My bad love.¡± ¨C I honestly said after patting her head


    With everyone having their designated assignments and with the reminder that, in the end this is still a competition, I walked towards the dungeon diving unit waiting patiently for my instructions.


    Seeing its composition from afar, my dream of having a Spartan unit shattered with each step¡­


    ¡°Why are only six guys in this unit!? Oh my bad¡­ there¡¯s one more there in the back¡­ and there¡¯s me as well¡­ why the hell are there eight guys only!? How?¡±


    Seeing my expression, Alexandra shrugged and pretty much said through that: ¡®it is what it is¡­¡±. To avoid depression, I began thinking about what the hell I¡¯m I supposed to do if I can¡¯t create a unit capable of using shield wall to protect themselves.


    The only idea I could come up with was the obvious¡­ guerrilla tactics.


    ¡°Okay everyone! The tactics we¡¯ll be employing in the future will heavily rely on your stamina and coordination. So from now on, we¡¯ll hold daily exercises here in the clearing in the morning, go out, hunt in the afternoon and again do more exercises in the evening before sleeping. Any complaints?¡±


    [[[None!]]]


    ¡°That¡¯s what you say right now. Let¡¯s see how you manage to hold out after the first set. All right, let¡¯s get this party going, shall we? We will begin with laps around the clearing. Everyone split up in five rows of ten people and stay at an arm¡¯s length away from each other. Come on, quickly!¡±


    To my utmost delight, the group had a really good discipline and were quite expectant. Everyone heard the story of the first dungeon diving expedition against the damned Murlocs and quite the number of souls had the desire to fight sparked inside of them. Now if I could add some military next to their current discipline, the future expeditions will surely become easier.


    ¡°Alright! Let us get started! We¡¯ll all start running now until we reach the first tree of the forest, then circle around the clearing.¡±


    [When do we stop Michael sir?](Random elf no6)


    ¡°When your feet can no longer carry you! Go on, get moving!¡±


    Following an ancient rule, as Commander I also had to follow the orders that I gave in order to enforce that there is no difference in ranks when it comes to military rule. With something like an ironclad rule in place, it will be very difficult for them to break it and they will be more likely to follow it to the letter.


    Therefore, our bitter stamina training had truly started¡­


    ¡°Breathe in through your nose, exhale through your mouth. Find your rhythm. Actually, listen to my voice and pace yourselves based on it! Listen because you will sing along!


    Hi Ho Diddly Bop


    I wish I was back on the block,


    With my sixteen in my hand


    I wanna be a fighting man!


    Hi Ho Diddly Bop


    I wish I was back on the block,


    With my woman in my arms


    I wanna show her all my charms!


    Hi Ho Diddly Bop


    I wish I was back on the block,


    With my bottle in my hand


    I wanna be a drinking man!


    Now you guys sing along!¡±


    [[[[ Hi Ho Diddly Bop


    I wish I was back on the block,


    With my sixteen in my hand


    I wanna be a fighting man!


    Hi Ho Diddly Bop


    I wish I was back on the block,


    With my woman in my arms


    I wanna show her all my charms!


    Hi Ho Diddly Bop


    I wish I was back on the block,


    With my bottle in my hand


    I wanna be a drinking man!]]]]


    While listening to the 41 girls singing louder than the men, a song made by men for men to sing, I realized just how biased the army was about whom they let in and whom they didn¡¯t. Right now however, nobody even giggled or frowned, probably because in the beginning is quite hard to sing and run while pacing yourself to a specific rhythm. This is why this type of cadences was created after all¡­


    ¡°Alright you lot! You are all doing well so it¡¯s time to switch to a different rhythm! Pay attention and sing along after I finish the song!


    Hip hop lollipop


    Let me hear your left drop!


    That sounded mighty fine,


    Let me hear it three more times!


    Hip hop clippity clap


    Let me hear your fingers snap!


    That sounded mighty fine,


    Let me hear it three more times!


    Hip hop belly ache


    Let me see your booty shake!


    That looked mighty fine,


    Let me see it three more times!


    Now you lot as well! HIP HOP LOLIPOP¡­¡±


    [[[ Let me hear your left drop! ¡­]]]


    Okay, I admit that this one was bordering sexual harassment given the number of girls in the unit, but fuck it! Is not like such an office type of felony existed in the Stone Age. In addition, the girls do not seem to mind and the boys are strangely passionate about singing it¡­


    Why do I know such strange songs? Well¡­ During my visit in America, I spent a month with one of their military units as part of a program meant to show to everybody how the cadets usually lived their lives on a daily basis. The result¡­ One month of muscular pains and tons of such shitty songs ingrained in my memory.


    Two hours passed like that and everyone was gasping for air and barely dragging their feet, myself included. The obvious exception was a certain cheat elf, which was looking curiously at me to see what else I can possibly come up with and how long can I keep running. I need to save some face here¡­


    ¡°Alright! Everybody back to camp! Pace yourselves and do not run! We will march in an orderly fashion! Take the same position as previously mentioned, one arm away from the person next to you! Come on, come on, come on!¡±


    Not only did I crave some rest, but I also looked forward to the surprise I prepared to this future elite military unit! Some gourmet shit was about to go down!

 Time for a little competition...

    In the clearing under the World Tree, a group of ten people and Mia were working and talking endlessly. The fact that there were 11 girls in our crafting group, I decided to avoid talking or thinking about, since I was heading towards a proper matriarchy.


    ¡°Hello girls!¡±


    [Michael!](Mia)


    [Michael sir, have your exercises ended?](Denise)


    ¡°Not just yet, we¡¯re here for a short break. About the things I asked about, how long will it take?¡±


    [We are working on them, but by tonight, we will have enough for everybody! It is a wonderful idea and with it, we actually managed to have three other girls change their Job to craftsman! I also managed to advance to the Basic LvL 2 for my crafting skill!](Denise)


    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that. Keep working hard!¡±- I said while patting her head


    Realizing that it became a habit of sorts and the fact that Mia was looking strangely at me, I quickly changed the subject.


    ¡°Mia, about those five? How are they doing?¡±


    [I explained to them a couple of times the requirements and they had down the basics really fast. Who knows, maybe we will have a new Job by the end of the day.](Mia)


    ¡°I certainly hope so. What about the thing I requested for lunch? Is it ready?¡±


    [There are sufficient for your entire unit. How many do you plan to take?](Mia)


    ¡°Only enough not to starve them too much. We wouldn¡¯t want to ruin the surprise we have planned for them later on, now do we?¡±


    When the group heard the conversation, they were slightly confused but expectant about the ¡®surprise¡¯ I promised, but shuddered a bit when they saw Alexandra smiling at them. Poor people¡­ They actually think I will make them run through the night or something¡­ I won¡¯t okay! I really won¡¯t! After all, these girls and even the boys are especially good looking (to the point where I feel inferior), so they need their beauty sleep.


    ¡°Alright you lot! Create a single row and come to Mia here to get your gift for today.¡±


    Curiosity is a really powerful thing and it didn¡¯t take longer than a dozen of seconds for the queue to be created. They followed Alexandra¡¯s instructions and stood in line quietly and patiently advanced one at a time. Myself and Alexa were the last two people in the queue and we also took the ¡®package¡¯. After that, we turned around to the group in which the girls looked like a pack of hungry hyenas ready do rip the leaves apart and eat the thing which smelled like absolute heaven, while the guys looked like they were one breath away from devouring the small package with leaves included.


    ¡°What you hold in your hands is the work that our camp put in for five days in a row to create. Is nothing much, however I can guarantee the taste of it. Everyone, open your packages!¡±


    [[[Yes sir!]]]


    ¡°What you¡¯re looking and salivating at is the first batch of smoked meat available to our camp. This is a simple reward for your hard work this morning. As the training for the rest of the day will be quite hard, in order not to puke the meal you will have usually at lunch, I decided to replace it with these. Everyone, at ease and enjoy the ¡®meal¡¯!¡±


    [[[Yes sir!!!]]]


    I felt a bit bad for starving them, especially since they had a light breakfast this morning as well, however is better this way. I knew that the training was successful because during our run, I got a notification letting me know how I received some extra gains.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+1 point in Agility received! +2 points in Endurance received!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was guaranteed that I wasn¡¯t the only one, so I began to gulf down the smoked pieces of meat and the tomato-like fruit/vegetable.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+2 Endurance points received! +1 Strength point received! +2 Magic points received!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Well that was unexpected¡­ Alexandra?¡±


    [I received a total of 9 attribute points Michael!](A)


    ¡°¡­of course you did¡­ You lot! How do you like your reward? Is it good?¡±


    [[[YES SIR! THANK YOU SIR!]]]


    I still couldn¡¯t get used to the choir of voices which in a regular military unit would sound gruff and deep, to sound as high pitched and cute as this one was¡­


    ¡°Work hard you morons! Why can¡¯t I hear your voices? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be men among men!? How can something as puny as numbers overwhelm you?¡± ¨C I almost cried out


    The break was about a 30 minutes total, out of which they only had about ten to sit down and get some rest. If I can¡¯t create a Spartan unit, that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t provide them with Spartan training.


    ¡°Alright you lot! On your feet and get into position! Five rows of five one arm¡¯s length away from each other! Come on, come on, come on!¡±


    I was explaining complaints, however there was literally none? I was amazed by that, since they not only looked tired, they were most certainly as well. Seeing Alexandra look like she just returned from a walk through a park, all girls were pumped up to reach her standard, while the poor dudes, due to the second talk I had with them they were doing their best not to fall behind. The notion of showing off was postponed for now¡­


    ¡°Everyone get your spear, stone knife and five javelins each! Get your weapons fast and come back here! If any of you are late, they will have to run extra laps around the clearing tonight!¡±


    Seeing them run like the devil himself was behind them, I felt slightly bad about how I chased them around the World Tree this morning¡­ It¡¯s a necessary evil though!


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. I grabbed my weapons as well and Alexandra hers. When the group converged once more, they were already in formation looking ready to raid some Murlocs.


    They probably believed that that¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do, however they were wrong¡­ very wrong!


    ¡°Time for a competition! We¡¯ll split the teams in two, 25 on each group. Alexandra will lead one and I the other. The goal is simple: whoever hunts the most will win! We will score this competition using points: 1 point for each rabbit or other small animal, 2 points for a pheasant, 3 points for a deer and 4 points for a boar! Questions?¡±


    Alexandra immediately raised her hand, action that sent shivers down my spine. I wanted to tell her that she doesn¡¯t need to do that, however I remembered what I previously said about military law: everyone abides by it!


    ¡°Yes Alexandra?¡±


    [What about bears or wolfs?](A)


    ¡°Let¡¯s not mess with the wolfs for now please and we¡¯ll score the bears with 10 points each. However, I would advise against such an action. The others are not ready for such a fight yet. In addition, while you will be scored for the prey you bring back, you will also lose points for each injury your team has. I always emphasized that safety take priority over anything else, therefore keep that in mind! For tonight, the winners will receive a prize, so everyone, do your best!¡±


    [[[YES SIR!!!]]]


    I took my half of the group (we split the boys evenly four and four) and moved out in different locations. We went South, while Alexandra¡¯s group headed North. To keep things fair, we also split the four hunters that participated in the first dungeon expedition as four and four.


    The only problem was that our ¡®enemy¡¯ team had a crazed berserker in it and to top it off, she is strangely competitive¡­ However, if there was something proved by time back on Earth, is that a civilized way always provides better results than the barbaric approach.


    ¡°Alright folks! Eyes and ears at me! You heard the competition rules and I am hoping you want to win, right!?¡±


    [[[YES!!!]]]


    ¡°Good! Now, in order for that to happen and to maximize our potential we will be splitting in groups of five! Each group will have a squad leader responsible for calling the shots and deciding what to do in any specific situation. You people will decide on the squad leader! In addition, just as important, if you encounter the type of prey you cannot take out alone or is more abundant than you could harvest on your own, whistle and we will all gather to your location. Is that clear?¡±


    [[[Yes sir!]]]


    ¡°Good! I will not be a squad leader by the way, but I will provide instructions depending on the situation. Go on! Split up and create the teams!¡±


    After some internal fights about who gets me (about which I felt stupidly proud), we each took a different area at about 100 meters from each other. This type of exercise was supposed to help improve their communication as well as teamwork, but we¡¯ll also be able to maximize the efficiency of the hunting team.


    It didn¡¯t take long and my team found a group of five stags and about twenty deer. Everyone¡¯s eyes turned on me; however, I closed my eyes and waited for the designed team leader to make his decision.


    [Uhm¡­ since Mister Michael said that we should not kill too many healthy animals, we are going to focus and try to kill the stag and the deer at the end of the herd. The stag has been injured, so it is likely that he will be killed either by those wounds or by the wolves soon enough and the deer looks old as well.](Random elf no7)


    I nodded my head and patted the person¡¯s shoulder in appreciation. I was thoroughly impressed by the fact that he remembered so much from what I said, as well as observed so quickly things that even myself did not see. Like those wounds for example, anyone could see that it might have been a fight between the current pack leader and this youngster. However, the older and more seasoned stag was quite merciless with his contender and unluckily for him, his condition is very bad at the moment. What I couldn¡¯t see was the other deer. If one looked carefully, there was indeed a slight fur discoloration and the movement speed was slower than the rest of the herd.


    ¡°Haaah¡­ It¡¯s true what they say about still learning even after you already hit old age.¡±


    The guy set up the attack tactic as one person scaring them off from the front of the pack and lead them to the opposite way where the remaining four will wait to ambush the two marks. Due to the pack being so suddenly attacked, in their frenzy they will run away from the baiter and run over the older deer and the wounded stag.


    I thought that the situation itself was optimistic, mildly put, as in reality things never work as expected. Nevertheless, that in itself should prove as a good lesson and I¡¯ll also be able to see their ability to improvise based on their surroundings.


    [Michael sir, I will have to count on you to sneak passed the pack scare them our way.](Random elf no7)


    ¡°Understood!¡± ¨C I nodded and silently creeped in front of the unsuspecting prey


    From there on was easy sailing. I scared them off, they ran the expected route, and no trampling happened; however the two marks were slower than the rest and left behind. On the squad leader¡¯s signal, four javelins accurately fell hitting the two targets, three hitting the older deer that was still quite lively and one the injured stag.


    Once more I was impressed with this guy¡¯s judgement and the fact that he decided to not take any chances with the deer escaping, therefore focusing her with three people, while himself aimed for the wounded stag. That shot also was praiseworthy as it impaled the target through the neck and straight into the ground.


    ¡°Well done! Your name?¡±


    [Laurence! Laurence Greenwood sir!](Laurence)


    ¡°You did really well Laurence! I¡¯ll keep this in mind for the future. You three as well. Nice aim!¡±


    [[[Thank you sir!]]]


    ¡°Let¡¯s quickly take care of the prey like I¡¯ve taught you.¡±


    After draining the two of blood, we used some javelins and vines again to tie the prey and move towards the other groups when¡­


    *Loud whistling sound*


    [Michael sir!?](Laurence)


    ¡°Yes¡­ let¡¯s hurry to their location.¡±


    After rushing through the forest, we found a group of twenty people surrounding a bear. My legs almost gave out at the sight¡­


    ¡°You dimwits! What did I tell you about the bears!? Do you have a death wish?¡±


    [We did not seek it out ourselves Mister Michael; the bear attacked us all of a sudden. We were not injured because we backed away slowly and used our spears to keep it at a distance, however it suddenly got even more aggressive¡­] - Random elf no8 complained


    [Mister Michael, look at its underbelly. I think it was hurt and not by our group.](Laurence)


    ¡°Motherfucker what kind of eyesight do you even have? Are you Legolas in disguise?¡±


    ¡°Alright, all of you back down slowly and our team will engage it at close range. The others prepare your javelins and throw at my signal!¡±


    *RAWWWWR!!!*


    The bear obviously wasn¡¯t a fan of my strategy and instantly dashed towards me when saw that the circle opened up to let us in. I felt my sphincter loosening a bit and prayed that I won¡¯t shit my pants¡­ Speaking of which¡­


    ¡°Fuck! Can¡¯t this stupid fur-ball let people think in peace!? You four stay a bit behind me!¡±


    After hearing me curse, the four immediately complied and I used the only thing I could think of and stabbed the bear in the nose. The result? I almost went deaf!


    Moreover, not only myself, but everyone else as well. The good news was that the bear began to roll about on the ground with his snot badly pierced through, so I had a bit of leeway to back down with my group and give the signal.


    A rain of javelins followed and the bear was deader than dead. The good news? Bear paws meat! That shit¡¯s delicious! The bad news? A shitload of holes through the fur of the poor animal.


    We performed the bear¡¯s last rites (blood draining) and sent half of the group to go back to the clearing and drop the prey we caught so far near the World Tree, to the twenty-odd squad that takes care of skinning, tanning and sewing. Yup, I just multipurposed them this morning¡­


    Without even noticing, dusk was upon us and with it the end of the competition was signaled.


    ¡°I wonder if I¡¯ll still be able to keep my pride as a man. Knowing that crazed Valkyrie, she probably decimated half of the creatures North of the camp¡­¡±

 Progress is the path to success!

    Of course, when we returned to camp and reunited with Alexandra¡¯s group, I was unfortunately proven right. Unlike our team, theirs only returned with their spoils now, putting a strain on the people in her team due to the stupidly high weight.


    Not only that, there were no scratches even on the elves in her team despite the three bears they hunted. Obviously though, Alexandra was covered in bruises and cuts proofs of her entanglement with the bears one on one.


    Seeing the smug and very proud cheat elf, I promptly chop-smacked her head stupefying both her and the remaining people in the unit. She looked confused and wronged at me, but even those big beautiful eyes did not stop me from admonishing her.


    ¡°You dimwit! What did I say about safety first!? You obviously heard me, yet you still hunted three bears?¡±


    [But¡­but you hunted one also!] ¨C I she strongly complained


    ¡°One of our squads walked in on a wounded bear that attacked them. We didn¡¯t seek the damned animal out! Yet I can see from your wounds that you did! You realize how dangerous that was for the rest of the team? While you might be strong enough to fight one, what if a group attacked the rest of the elves? Also, you put a lot of strain on everybody carrying such a huge load back home and probably they didn¡¯t even get to hunt or develop a sense of working in a team. You should¡¯ve known that the purpose of these exercises is to train their teamwork. Not to mention that by doing everything yourself, you even lost the competition.¡±


    [But¡­ we hunted three bears!](A)


    ¡°Yeah, but you failed to hunt many other prey. See that small mountain the people in the processing squad are working on? That¡¯s our hunt for today. While the bear gives you 30 points, you wasted too much time killing them, so even without subtracting points for your wounds, you would have still lost. Same for you lot! Do not get caught in search for glory and achievements! Always use your head and try to figure out the safest and the most efficient way to complete a task. Got it!?¡±


    [[[Yes sir!]]]


    [Sorry Michael¡­](A) ¨C she whispered softly while lowering her head


    ¡°It¡¯s alright love. We all have room to learn and improve. Obviously the same applies to you as well.¡± ¨C I answered while patting her head


    After winning with by a landslide, my group cheered in happiness while the others were slightly dejected but did their best to comfort Alexandra by telling her how they will win the next time. I was happy with their overall reactions and took them back to finish the evening exercises.


    While running and having everyone sing along, I looked from time to time at the growing trees in the clearing. The residential area was already decided to be on the East side of the World Tree and currently, the last of the required elven huts were being completed.


    Not only that, but according to the report Mia gave me after talking with the processing squad, there are enough bed covers and pillows for every house. Given that only 71 elven huts were currently required, the number of bed covers was the same while two pillows per hut were sufficient.


    The news that pleased me the most didn¡¯t come from anyone in particular but it happened while we were still hunting, in the form of a notification from the system.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made in the Pottery research technology through discovery!


    500 Research Points have been awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Your civilization successfully researched the Pottery technology!


    Current and future generations will be provided with the knowledge to craft and use it! </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Seeing however that there was no prompt about any new Jobs being unlocked I assumed the fact that only specific main technologies have that effect while others will simply strengthen the previous ones. So, unfortunately there won¡¯t be any Harry Potter in this civilization¡­


    ¡°Alright you lot! Meal seems to be ready and every other unit returned as well. Get in marching position! We¡¯re going back to camp to get your surprise for today worth of hard work!¡±


    [[[Yes sir!]]]


    I began pondering about how I didn¡¯t want to get involved too much and tried to hold as little influence as possible, but I still ended up taking most of the power from Alexandra. She is still the representative and the hero, but I somehow became the freaking monarch of this small camp¡­


    My sullen thoughts were washed over fast by the clamoring of the people near the newly built houses, all apparently heading towards the same area: the ¡®dining hall¡¯.


    ¡°Dining hall my ass¡­ thank Reaper that Denise and the remaining nine apprentices managed to create some tables and chairs and placed them in four rows close together. Thanks to Mia¡¯s suggestion of assignment, they can at least eat and converse with each other properly, even during the meals. I also added a rule of my own, through which every person must stay in a different spot at each meal. That way, everybody will interact with everybody.¡±


    After leading the marching unit towards the ¡®dining hall¡¯, I realized that we were all sweaty and smelly. I instantly turned around and gave the order for everyone to go talk with Mia and have their houses assigned and pick up from inside a specific object.


    I did the same and after entering the house with Alexa, I found in the kitchen two big pots (closest thing to a mini-bathtub Denise could come up with through pottery) and two thin furs that were supposed to be used as towels.


    While leaving Alexa use the dormitory to clean herself and myself the kitchen, I wiped my body with the strangely nice smelling deer fur and inspected it closely. It was almost strange how it was processed a bit differently and it was thinner than even the ones used for the pillows. I gave up trying to reason it out and began thinking about inventing some shampoo and soap. However, after running my hand across my face, I felt some stubbles and realized that I might require some shaving soon enough¡­


    At the same time realization dawned upon me and I almost tripped over the big pot filled now with dirty water.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I taken a dump or even pissed even once after coming to this world!? After all, I ate big amounts and drank water even more¡­¡±


    After quickly cleaning up, I had one of the elves nearby go and call Mia for me. She arrived fast and looked strangely at the strange look I had on my face. I was quite unsure about how to ask her this.


    ¡°Mia, I know how this is going to sound, but I literally have no idea of how to ask it... After coming to this world, my bodily functions changed as I am unable to¡­ defecate. Do you have any idea as per why?¡±


    [Yes master! The changes are applied to my body as well. Given the fact that our body structure was changed because of the divinity influx received, its composition changed as well. For the reason why, is because the divinity affected the way our bodies operate by increasing their efficiency. For example, the digestive system is currently able to break down the food on molecular level and use every bit of it to strengthen the entire body. That is the reason why after eating, different attributes might increase.](Mia)


    ¡°Then¡­ what about the elves?¡±


    Do not misunderstand! I was still quite confused after hearing the explanation, however I wondered if something similar might have happened to the others.


    [It is the same for them, however with small changes. In their cases, the divinity was replaced by mana, strangely enhancing their bodies even better than our own. However, unlike master, their bodies still have the need for sleep, food and water. It is very likely that mana restructured everything about them, becoming a hybrid between the biologic composition back on Earth and a being made out of pure mana. If I was to estimate, about 60% or more of the elves organism is made of mana. Or rather, the water in their bodies contains huge amounts of it, given that the oxygen was replaced by it.](Mia)


    I became utterly silent (while trying to process and understand everything I just heard) and was reminded again how this was in fact a game and the elves are just the souls of the people who already died on Earth. A different being than a human was now standing in front of me, as Alexandra descended the flight of stairs.


    I had mixed feelings for a moment, when thinking about how exactly they were different and still trying to make sense of Mia¡¯s explanation. The simple version of it was that, due to the mana that restructured their bodies, they did not need to poop or pee¡­Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Haaah¡­ I guess that makes the public sanitation easier to handle in the future. With no toilets required, I could focus fully on creating the bathhouse of my dreams, where both man and woman could enjoy the warm water together.¡±- I said while running from reality


    Walking out with the two beauties towards the first truly scrumptious meal prepared, the smell of cooked food assaulted my nostrils.


    I looked curiously at the giggling Mia who wanted to keep secret what exactly was cooked and hurried along to the tables where all other elves were waiting patiently for our arrival.


    What I saw, once more caught me by surprise, as different type of covered plates were steaming still on the tables and multiple huge simmering pots released vapors that made everyone¡¯s mouths water.


    To go even further, there were two types of plates standing on top of the other with the one on top being a deep plate resembling a bowl and the one under being a regular one. Next to the plates, there were one fork and one spoon each, even a big utensil was apparent in the big pots that had either soup or stew. I looked at Denise and her group of craftsmen that had proud expressions on their faces and I felt the need to bow my head in front of them. Didn¡¯t we just jumped from the Stone Age to the Middle Ages at least when it comes to the quality of the food?


    We were prompted to take the seats by the group of five people which took the roles of chefs and I raised my hand in order to silence the crowd and gain their attention.


    However, instead of me speaking, I gestured to one of the girls to speak up as the representative of the chef unit.


    [Uhm¡­ hello everyone! As you might know already, my name is Andrea Greenwood and with the four people beside me, we prepared today¡¯s food. This is the first time we prepared something based on big sister Mia¡¯s instructions, so we would appreciate if you could tell us how the taste, texture and the food in general are.](Andrea)


    ¡°I think that it would help to explain the dishes you¡¯ve just created to everyone here, but try to keep it brief since everybody¡¯s self-control is about to run out.¡± ¨C I said while chuckling


    [Understood! With big sister Mia¡¯s help, we used different vegetables including some called potatoes and carrots as well as many others, cut the meat using the stone knives from the hunter units in small shapes and filled the big container you see on the tables with water. Big sister Mia called it a pot¡­ After all the ingredients were placed, we used a wooden lid to cover and let the water boil until it became less and less. Towards the end, we also used plants and mushrooms as well as an extra ingredient big sister Alexandra brought today called honey and as result is what you see in front of you. In addition, we have prepared as a second dish the same potatoes from before roasted as well as meat grilled, which big sister Mia called stake. I hope everyone can enjoy it!](Andrea)


    Under the cheers and applause of everyone, the girl which became several shades redder than before, took a sit and uncovered one of the pots. The other people staying at each table did the same thing and an intoxicating smell assaulted the nostrils of everyone present. Myself? I was stunned by the words I just heard previously!


    ¡°So Alexandra gained some honey after killing those three bears and she probably found them fighting among them for it. However, even more important, POTATOES! Mia actually found potatoes! Now not only can we diversify our culinary recipes, but we can also prepare to plant some. And there¡¯s no need to wait as usually the second yearly crop can be planted as late as mid-June¡­¡±


    Looking at Mia which was smiling happily after one-upping me again, I patted her head and slightly ruffled her hair which made her pout for a moment, only to beam an absolutely gorgeous smile once more.


    ¡°You little fox! Didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t find anything we can plant?¡±


    [Yesterday the woodcutting unit found them by mistake nearby.](Mia)


    ¡°I see. That is excellent! What do you think? Can we still make it if we plant them now? And how early can we expect the first harvest?¡±


    [The earliest they can usually be planted is a couple of weeks after the last spring frost. Given that we are in mid-summer, we can safely plant them. For the harvest¡­ it usually takes up to 10 weeks for the first tubers to form and it¡¯s quite unfortunate that we didn¡¯t manage to plant them early on, as we could¡¯ve easily took a secondary harvest from them if planted in spring¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Nothing we can do about that really, but I¡¯m really happy with the results so far! Next if we could find something to plant like corn or grain would be excellent¡­¡±


    [I will keep looking master.](Mia)


    [What are you two whispering about!?](A) ¨C she pouted displeased about being left out


    ¡°We were talking about the potatoes. We will be able to plant them soon, so the farm-reclamation unit will have a lot of work to do. Oh, right! Before I don''t forget¡­ Mia, interface please!¡± ¨C I whispered again


    [Acknowledged!](Mia)


    [Interface?](A)


    ¡°Oh shit¡­ my bad on that one. She actually heard me¡­¡±


    ¡°Nothing to worry about love. Everyone, let¡¯s give our thanks to the Chaos God for another day that we made it safe out of and also the chef unit that managed to cook us such a deliciously looking meal!¡±


    Everybody cheered once more for the three girls and two guys that cooked for the rest of the elven camp, following which everyone went silent for a couple of minutes and prayed from the bottom of their heart to me. It was a weird feeling seeing that, but even stranger when I realized that I could hear fain voices repeating and overlapping inside my head.


    There were voices that asked me for protection, others that asked me for power to defeat the monsters, some that prayed for the Radom Elf no9 to fall in love with them and others that simply thanked me for their new life.


    Unconsciously, I smiled and wanted to reply to their prayer, but didn¡¯t know how¡­ so I decided to use the only way which I knew: a Soul Upgrade miracle!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Select whom you would like to use Soul Upgrade on!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Andrea Greenwood.¡± ¨CI whispered softly


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Andrea Greenwood is currently at LvL 1 in soul refinement.


    Cost to upgrade to LvL 2 - 2500 SP.


    Due to effect of the miracle cost is reduced by 50%! Would you like to proceed?


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Yes</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Yes.¡± ¨C I confirmed making Mia look strangely at me


    The look in her eyes, I felt it was the look that a wife would give her husband after he spent their savings playing on roulette, but I had to do it. Otherwise, I could not do anything about this feeling inside my chest¡­


    [GASP!!](Andrea)


    Everybody stopped eating and talking, fully focused on the source of the sound. The girl herself was covered in a black glow seemingly absorb the light in its surroundings. I remembered how during the hero appointment, the same type of black color descended from the sky above, making me sweat a little.


    ¡°Why does it have to be black!? Is that some sort of flag?¡±


    [It is the blessing of God! Isn¡¯t it the same color big sister Alexandra had when she received the blessing of the God of Chaos?](Random Elf no10)


    Everyone began clamoring and saw the happiness that Andrea was radiating. Everyone began asking what sort of blessing she received and she obliged and answered. Before she did though, I already saw her Status Page and grinned.


    ¡°What an unexpected gain! With this, another great person joined the ranks!¡±


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Andrea Greenwood


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Level


    </td>


    <td>


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Race


    </td>


    <td>


    Elf


    </td>


    <td>


    STR


    </td>


    <td>


    10


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic


    </td>


    <td>


    9


    </td>


    <td>


    Elf Chef


    </td>


    <td>


    3


    </td>


    <td>


    28%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sex


    </td>


    <td>


    Woman


    </td>


    <td>


    DEX


    </td>


    <td>


    21


    </td>


    <td>


    Charm


    </td>


    <td>


    35


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Age


    </td>


    <td>


    5 days


    </td>


    <td>


    AGI


    </td>


    <td>


    18


    </td>


    <td>


    Luck


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World


    </td>


    <td>


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td>


    END


    </td>


    <td>


    13


    </td>


    <td>Concentration</td>


    <td>9</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    HP


    </td>


    <td>


    255/255 (+7.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    INT


    </td>


    <td>


    23


    </td>


    <td>Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td>+ 15</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    MP


    </td>


    <td>


    225/225(+2.7/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS


    </td>


    <td>


    19


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Cooking(Basic)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Once upon a dream (Part 1)

    Mia looked at me and prepared to ask, but I simply nodded and passed the interface I was seeing to her. I realized last night and tested it in the morning, but everything that she can show me through hacking the system (like it was in the case of the World Tree seed), I can return the favor by showing her what I can see using Identify.


    Her eyebrows rose slightly when reading the lines and she returned to eating afterwards as if nothing happened. Everyone enjoyed the food saying that the Chaos God gave his blessing to them and rewarded Andrea for her hard work, so the festivities kept on going.


    After dinner ended, everyone began talking about the attribute points received. I realized at that point that it was slightly different for everyone and that it was not a specific system through which the assignment happened. As for myself, I got only one notification after the desert was finished (fruits salad with honey¡­ surprisingly good):


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+5 Strength points received! +2 Dexterity points received! +4 Wisdom points received! +2 Charm points received!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    While I gained 13 extra attribute points after such a feast, I realized that I was the most unlucky one. Alexandra got a total of 32 and in average, even the unluckiest elf got at least 25¡­


    Seeing that I was about to cry, Mia reminded me that there¡¯s a difference between a body altered by divinity and one altered by mana, therefore why the elves were more susceptible to the increase than I was. I decided to accept it as that and decided to acquire the Exploration social reform as soon as possible, in order to fuck with the happy elves in their dreams! They should be as unfortunate and unhappy as I am¡­


    Everyone soon prepared for sleep in their new homes, except for a few guards left to keep an eye on the camp. I was feeling guilty about the whole night-watch thing and especially because most of them were girls, but there¡¯s nothing we could do about it, given that we still don¡¯t have a wall. When the Wall is built, we can decrease the number to the absolute minimum and have them work in shifts¡­


    While thinking about the future (now that the elven huts were fully built) I headed towards the dungeon diving unit that was still waiting for instructions close to the housing district.


    ¡°Alright you lot! That was our first day and it¡¯s only the first out of many! From now on, your daily life would look like that. Any complaints?¡±


    [[[No sir!]]]


    ¡°Good! You have done well and like I promised the prize has been given already during meal, but it was for everybody to enjoy. However, that will happen only once! From tomorrow onwards, we will keep switching the people in the teams. Do not forget that the whole purpose of the exercises is to get you to know each other better and work better as a whole! Understood?¡±


    [[[Yes sir!]]]


    ¡°Good! In addition, while this will be the first time for some of you sleeping on the same bed try to exercise restraint. I do not have a problem with having a relationship with the other elves you live with, but make sure that you get sufficient sleep! That is all! Good night!¡±


    I promptly made a swift retreat after dropping that bomb on them, since I did not want to see if there would be awkwardness or any other reaction on their faces. After all, a little inception didn¡¯t hurt anyone in particular either.


    Not only that, but sex is a good stress reliever, a good workout and a healthy habit overall. There was no reason for me not to promote it.


    ¡°Plus that, once they get a taste of it, there¡¯s no doubt on my mind that both sexes would ¡®grind and repeat¡¯. I wonder if this counts as ''fucking with their minds'', instead of their dreams.¡±


    Following my own advice, I got in the bed and stood perfectly still as Mia and Alexandra both snuggled next to me. After some thought however, I simply extended my arms and grabbed the two girls (AI and¡­ well, Elf I guess) close to my chest.


    Seeing how they did not fight it, I was happy for a second, only to fall from heaven to hell the next¡­


    ¡°How did both of them fell asleep so quickly!?¡±


    I shook my head and smiled bitterly seeing how fast asleep they were. Do they believe I am so weak-willed as to not make a move, or do they trust me so much to be a gentleman that they became so na?ve?


    Irrelevant of the answer, I found myself matching my breathing with theirs; in the entire silent room, only that and the sound of three synchronized heartbeats could be heard. With nothing much to do except creepily watch them sleep I closed my eyes as well, enjoying the calmness of the night¡­


    I am finally back home after a very long day at work (also highly boring for that matter)...


    ¡°Who the hell thought overtime is a good thing to invent?¡± ¨C I grumpily complained


    I throw my jacket on the floor of my narrow hallway, right next to the smelly-just-worn-shoes...


    ¡°It''s going to catch a bad smell and I really don''t want to wash it afterwards...¡±- I thought


    So I lift my jacket, throw it on the hanger, feeling like I¡¯ve just wasted unwanted energy in the process...


    Somewhat annoyed, I change into my slippers and take my time in unbuttoning the shirt, as I walk inside the kitchen so I can prepare some coffee. First jar...empty!


    ¡°Figures...¡±


    I slowly open the second one (slightly pissed), pour some water into the small dirty kettle on my stove and all of a sudden, it smells like relaxation, calm, tranquility.


    ¡°No sugar, no milk, no extra effort...¡± ¨C I declare loudly


    The clouds seem to shift and taken aback by them, I open the door to my balcony; the view is almost surreal. Even more, smoke (or rather vapors) left behind by a passing airplane seem to be cutting the skies, dividing them into two sides: a blue cloudless one, showing nothing but emptiness, while the other half is filled with violent colors of a blueish-red, hiding a retreating sun. Immersed in this almost-apocalyptic view, for a second I forget where I am, trapped within my mind and surrounded by my thoughts...If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Shit! I forgot the coffee!¡±


    Of course, it spilled and I have to clean it up... but not right now and not today! I wasted enough energy for 24 hours only on secondary actions, caused by my lack of self-awareness. Therefore, I just grab the kettle barehanded ¨C ¡°Burns like hell!¡± - and pour some coffee into my mug. Now I can finally go to my room, waste some time on my phone, drink my coffee, smoke a cigarette and then sleep until tomorrow. The problem is that, now prepared to leave the kitchen holding the mug in my left hand and the right holding the knob of the door prepared to follow my pre-sleep routine, I realize that I left the balcony door open while I rushed to get the coffee earlier.


    ¡°What''s wrong with me today?¡±


    I wonder about that, while deciding to just leave it as it is...it''s summer after all!


    Somewhat rattled with the events today, I head towards my bedroom from the kitchen and on my way there I almost trip over the shoes left there earlier when I came home. I want to scream and curse so badly and so loud right now, but I am satisfied with just kicking them away... after all, I did not spill any coffee. Not this time at least...


    Then finally, my bedroom! Moving through this house, while having a bad day is like going on a dangerous adventure and only taking a flimsy stick with you for protection. However, all is good now!


    Four empty walls, a drawer next to the bed, a table with a sole chair next to it, right near the curtain-less window... Yes! That''s the soulless room that I stare at, backed on my door, glued to it, just like reality chased me all the way here and I¡¯m trying to make sure I wasn''t followed, nor that she can enter.


    Oversimplified, my room, I know... but that is how I like it. It helps me keep my imagination intact and always ready to use.


    ¡°Crap! What time is it?¡±


    I wonder, scared I might have entered the room faster than the schedule, but it is ok! Relax me; we are on time, just like always. Therefore, let''s get things started!


    Since it''s only 8:35PM, obviously it''s too early for sleep, so like always using plan B.


    ¡°Wi-Fi is turned on so, let''s get some browsing done¡±


    Like preparing for exercises, I leave the coffee on the floor next to my bed and stretch a bit. Then I grab the huge pile of clothes from my bed and move it onto the chair. I remind myself know that I still have my work clothing on and with great efforts I change into more comfortable pants. Of course, I leave the unbuttoned shirt on me, because I look cool in it and I do not have any more energy to spend on extra actions.


    I let myself slip into my sheets, into the coziness of my bed and I suddenly feel more relaxed.


    ¡°Right! My phone...¡± ¨C I think and I reach under my pillow


    I stare at it and I get pissed off again... it''s cracked! And of course it is. It has been cracked yesterday too, one week ago also, even 6 months ago after I¡¯ve bought it.


    ¡°What were you expecting? For it to magically get fixed under your pillow?¡± ¨C I scold myself


    Something feels off today...and reality brings out the worse in me. So let us get things started! Facebook first...


    ¡°Let''s see: kittens, dogs, stupid people getting their asses handed to them by Darwin''s law - and here I thought I was having a bad day - aaaand selfies! Many selfies... of course. Look at those superb duckfaces and those overly smart quotes under the photo with a 15years old pumpkin girl wearing 10kg of makeup. I bet Kant or Einstein would turn in their grave if they could see what their words of wisdom have been reduced to just a quote on a high school kid¡¯s Facebook wall, with no real connections to the freaking photo. I have way too many kids on my friend list...unfriend this one because of the game requests - who plays this thing? - unfriend this one ... cuz¡¯ I have no idea who you are, this one for the picture with the smart quote, you for reposting and you? Well you I¡¯ll unfriend because you seem to genuinely have a very good day! I hope you burn in the lowest circles of Hell!


    Ahhh! Now I feel better. Let''s see the people from work now... It should be entertaining! Let''s see...¡±


    Work¡­ a stupidly competitive environment, created for the enjoyment of the higher ups, while the plebs suffer for the said entertainment. But there¡¯s bills to pay and rent¡­ so¡­


    ¡° ¡®Best team ever!'' HA! Dream on pal... Again with the productivity posts? Nobody has time to read those! Selfies again, more group selfies. Oh! This one... I had sex with this one last week... advantages of no strings attached? When you see a lame, sad, depressing status, you do not have to do anything about it! I think I can get this chick, but I need to take her out at least twice, I need to take her home with the cab on the first night, going after the second night at her place with the cab also... way too many expenses just for sex. Let us just text her!¡±


    [Hey, love! Got any plans for tomorrow?]


    And now we wait. It is simpler like this, but it''s also a gamble. It can go both ways really...


    ¡°Not even two minutes and a reply?¡±


    [Nothing... I¡¯m free!]


    Well she''s either desperate or bored, both of which work in my favor. Roll the dice young padawan!


    [Want to come over for a coffee at my place tomorrow? Say, about 9?]


    Not eight, because that will give her an escape timeframe and not at ten because that is like asking her to come over for sex. Nine is the comfort zone where they can cling to - sort off - which in their overly complicated brains, does not make them feel immoral.


    And we have a winner! She replied with [Sounds good!].


    Now it''s my turn: [Ok love! I will see you tomorrow night then. Going to sleep now because I''m tired as fuck!]. Not ''hell'', but ''fuck''. A bit of inception never hurt anyone... well... except in the movie. Since that would be the last message she will receive from me until seven or eight tomorrow, she is guaranteed to check it at least three times, while the last word she will remember from it is ''fuck''. In addition, it is 100% guaranteed that if she does not cancel by 3PM tomorrow she would come set up on having sex. If not, better, expecting it!


    ¡°Now back to scrolling! Again, selfies with half-undressed girls and some inspirational quotes... and this dude was supposed to be on medical leave! He is in fucking Spain!? Moreover, you post it on Facebook you moron? The nerve on some of these fuckers... or maybe the sheer stupidity? More selfies... cannot wait for the dislike button! Oh, this one is at it again: a picture of a girl pulling a guy over her by the tie over a bed, with the description... damn! ''Huge fan of inappropriate behavior! HUGE!'' God, I love my workplace! Moreover, I could do or say some things, but I have some appearances to uphold. Still...the future looks very promising... very promising indeed! Somehow we are back to selfies... this is plainly annoying! Enough Facebook for one day.¡±


    I needed some laughs and 9gag usually does the trick.


    ¡°Let''s see, let''s see... ''He''s not the father!'' bet he is not happy about that, ''cuteness of baby animals''... well I¡¯m not a monster and they are cute indeed...upvote! ''Creepy posts''... yeah... moving on! ''Epic fails¡¯, okay, here we go!¡±


    This was what I was looking for and was not disappointed. Like a moronic girl I¡¯ve met and said, ''as long as they''re fat and they fail miserably, it is politically right to make fun of them'', don¡¯t know why, but it does make sense... after all, it is funny!


    ¡°Anyway, let''s see next... ''Dinosaur dancing pole''....damn! So not into it today! Seems boring for some reason! Moreover, I have finished my coffee in between the ''cat-killer'' post and ''batman for president'' one. I guess it''s time for sleep.¡±


    It is 10PM and I have 10% battery left. One finally effort to put the mug on the table and charge the phone. I am so tired that I yawn violently while taking of the unbuttoned shirt. I need a new one...


    ¡°This one I can''t sleep with, this one doesn''t smell right, this one is too clean (I should keep it for tomorrow) and I¡¯ll just go with this one. DONE! There! Finally, I can sleep...¡±


    You see...I¡¯m excited this much because, the beauty of sleeping consists in the fact that, if you follow a specific routine without straying from it (something that helps you realize you''re dreaming when you''re dreaming and awakes you at full awareness in the dream), then reality becomes forever boring!

 Once upon a dream (Part 2)

    To me, it must have happened somewhere around a year ago, first time I had a lucid dream. Since then, I¡¯ve had more sex than a rock star could (enough to learn some new tricks), I¡¯ve fought and won multiple wars, singed and danced on a wide world tour with Michael Jackson and Queen, even learned a new language. Its fun, refreshing and you wake up without a single trace of fatigue in your body. Better than a blunt, I swear!


    I look outside the window... the light is dim, almost gone and it feels like a storm is brewing. I love this kind of weather and the thunder in the far distant corner of the city never fails to impress with his loud roar. I watch with curiosity the glass of my window, as a sole raindrop succumbs to gravity. I was right... It does not take long and through my slightly open window, the faint fragrance of the summer rain makes its way in, cooling off the smell of the heated concrete buildings all around me. A light breeze caring a chilly air, makes me cover myself with the blanket, still listening though, far... in the distance, the sound of everything being showered mercilessly by the summer outpour. I let every sound around me to be devoured by the rain, while I close my eyes and leave my mind wander.


    ¡°I forgot to pay the gas bill today... guess I¡¯ll do it in the morning. I also need to buy shampoo and toilet paper. And I forgot to smoke my cigarette while drinking the coffee... a decent day!¡±


    It doesn''t take long and I fall asleep. I see with my eyes closed the distorted light and I can hear the clock from the hallway beating like a human heart, while joined by millions of raindrops outside still falling. We''re good! We are at the boundaries between worlds, stuck here for a brief period of time. Now then, let''s open our eyes!


    I am a bit disappointed in the beginning, I must admit. I am sitting in a familiar kitchen room at work. I can see the rain outside through the transparent walls.


    ¡°The dream is still forming.¡± ¨C I said while glancing around me


    I have a cigarette in my right hand and I can feel the warmth and the fragrance of the coffee from the mug in my left. It''s impressive how even in this dream, the smell, the heat even the bad taste of the cigarette is just the same as in the real world. I look at the toxic thing in my right hand, inhale properly and exhale strongly...


    ¡°Smoking indoors...badass!¡± - I thought amused by the sign on the door showing ''No smoking allowed''


    I should take it easy and relax for a bit since I couldn''t enjoy both properly in the real life. The sound of the rain seems to have disappeared entirely, confirming that I am now fully submerged in my psyche. I am now able to hear only the sound of me slurping the coffee and the one made by me exhaling the smoke towards the ceiling. It is peaceful, but a fleeting thought crosses my mind, only for an instant, but making me smile involuntarily.


    It happened so fast that I can neither remember it properly, nor figure it out, so I do not pay attention to it. However, this is a dream and everything can change from the smallest thing you can imagine. And I should''ve paid attention to it, because that, kick started the dream...


    I sip one more time from this fine coffee, after which I put out the cigarette in it. Guess I¡¯ll play Vespucci for a bit and explore this dream. I head, slightly uneasy, towards the kitchen door having a feeling of... jealousy!? Okay... I leave the room of my deserted working place and the sound of an object being knocked over catches my attention.


    ¡°It''s near!¡± ¨C I thought all of a sudden again, without knowing exactly what I¡¯m referring to


    Since this dream has the mapping of my job''s real building, I assume it''s the meeting room. I move towards it, cautiously, only to find the door slightly cracked, letting a bit of light show on the outside. Now I am definitely curious! I reach for the doorknob, but I am stopped in my tracks by a loud moan! I can feel a big smile showing on my face, both because of the voice I clearly recognized and the direction the dream was taking. For some reason I decided not to open the door wide, but just enough to peak through it. Let us confirm who our mystery girl... is. Upon seeing tonight''s main act and it''s heroine, I remain silent, frozen, excited and restless all at the same time. The crazy beating of my perverted heart and the speed of the blood in my veins rushing through my body, revealing no remorse whatsoever, for witnessing such an amazingly erotic display, this forbidden fantasy... I see you alone with a guy in the meeting room, entangled in this deserted working place, all over the meeting table with the laptop''s speakers knocked on the ground.


    I must admit, I didn''t think of myself as the type that to like to watch, because I consider myself as being way to possessive for that, but it seems like dreams, really do show off our true self.


    ¡°It''s starting...¡±


    Because of her previous loud moan, he scolds her. I cannot see his face or hear his voice, but somehow it feels like they are talking. It is weird but I do not recognize the guy...


    ¡°Maybe a new hire?¡±


    To his scolding, she replies softly, panting and staring erotically at him, implying that she couldn''t help it.


    ¡°Talk about not regretting one''s actions...¡±


    His hand moves slowly from the table to her leg, up her thigh, grazing her skirt, all the way to her shirt that now reveals the nape of her neck, caressing that fair skin of hers. With his finger tracing her violently pulsating veins, touching her ear with his nails which in result makes her shudder in pleasure, down her cheek and then covering her lips, like saying ''Then hold it in!'', an order to which she replies with a perverted smile, arguing: ''Then make me!'' .


    This quick change of lines, the look in their eyes, the realization of the sin and even the fact that they were in a meeting room, him having her pinned down on the table, her know she''s at his mercy, just lit the fire. They started making out, kissing with passion, removing the chairs to making more space. In the heat of the moment, she drives her nails into his back, under his shirt, making him groan and seek punishment for you. Then, for a second you sneak a glance at me, the pervert spying on two perverts preparing to have sex in the meeting room. However¡­ she just continues to make out with him, as if nothing happened.


    ¡°Must be my imagination! It''s just a dream after all, which I control.¡±


    With that in mind, I let the door slide open as I calmly walk inside the room. Like I thought...they can''t sense me at all, as he is still immersed in her eroticism, unmoved, continuously exploring her lips. Again, her eyes wander until they meet mine and they lock on them for a couple of seconds, while I walk towards the chair, realizing that she is indeed aware of me...


    Driven by a strange impulse, I raise my left hand and press gently the pointer on my lips, asking for her silence. She shows a delighted smile, highly perverted, then turns her eyes on him, while I grab the chair and sit down. This is like a private cinema with VIP seats in the front row...


    ¡°Now then, the dream awaits!¡± ¨C I said smiling


    He violently opens her legs, forcing her black skirt up, showing the red lace of her underwear. In one fell swoop, with his left hand holding both of hers on the table above her head and his right caressing her neck, under her hair, next to her ear, whispering something then pulling her head back; his own legs opens hers even more, pressing his pelvis onto hers, then stopping the moaning forcibly with a deep kiss.


    It felt different this time, I can tell judging by her erratic breathing now that the kiss ended. She reaches for the buttons on his shirt, but he catches both her hands once again. Smiling at her, he places her left back on the table above her head and binding her movement, but the right, the right he holds gently, pressing his lips on your skin, touching your fingers and then kissing the palm of your hand. He let''s go for a second, surprising her, only to undo her jersey swiftly, pulling it out, leaving only her both hands trapped in it, which he lowers then behind her back. He smiles again and she catches it, reacting to it unconsciously by biting her lip with anticipation.


    Now, exactly as I planed, with her both hands trapped in her jersey, he goes straight for the hands, skillfully tying the piece of cloth so that she cannot escape.


    I already moved her hands behind her...


    ¡°Careful! I must be rough enough for her to enjoy, but not enough to hurt her...¡±


    Now he looks directly into her in the eyes, like announcing what''s to come, a warning to you of what''s to happen and your breathing stops for a moment. Now, I put a stop to the teasing for a moment, while I press slowly with my right hand on your chest, making you lean backwards. He keeps his hand there, while watching over her with a devilish smile, as she also seem to be enjoying his warm touch. His fingers, barely touching her breasts, he moves them precisely, just like a surgeon and with each touch she lets out a muffled moan, filled with pleasure and desire. This time tough, he does not silence you!


    With your neck exposed, he kisses you shortly on the lip, just a gentle tap, then pulling back each time, you trying to get more by reaching to his lips, teasing you again. The in the spur of the moment, I grab her chin with my left hand, leaving the right side of her neck vulnerable. He kisses it gently, taking his time in slowly biting her and listening to her shallow breathing each time he does that, wanting to know how you react and what to do to create that reaction, then moving towards her ear, nibbling on her earlobes, repeatedly, allowing and guiding her to indulge in pleasure.


    A swift movement of my right hand on her left thigh, going up and down on her leg, caressing it slowly while slowly driving my nails into your skin, makes you gasp for air, while he lets his tongue gently follow the veins on your left side of the neck, all the way to the ear again. His fingers reach slowly, but certainly under her skirt.


    He moves both his hands without her noticing and while kissing her in the same teasing manner, he unbuttons four of the obstacles, before she even realizes. When she comes to it, his right hand already revealed her naked shoulder and lingerie of the same passionate color.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. However, she mustn''t have time to say, do, or even think anything! Therefore, I raise my knee on the table, between your legs, while I pull you closer by bringing you into my arms forcibly. I bite you gently by the shoulder wanting to leave a kiss mark.


    ¡°Since you are you, you wouldn''t like this kind of attention from the people that would see it, would you?¡±


    I can tell that is true from your slightly angry face, but not angry at me, angry at your own carelessness for letting yourself get tied up and now being at my mercy... but you do love it! A deep kiss again, used to melt away all your thoughts while he raises your skirt, truly revealing the entirety of your underwear, red and most of all... inviting! He stops again and takes one more look at her exposed erotic self, gasping for air and desperately trying to hold the moans in, each time he touches you, by biting your lower lip. Nevertheless, that makes me want to try more, harder, to such extents that you will scream as loud as you can, immersing yourself in this forbidden ecstasy. I want you, to allow yourself to feel that!


    Again, I push her slowly backwards and she tries to fight back.


    ¡°I''m stronger though!¡±


    Now she lies on her back on this table that people use for presentations, facing the ceiling with my knee between your legs, which seemingly locked away your escape. With my left palm near your head planted like a tree on the table and my right on your waist, I want to tell you how beautiful you are right now, defenseless, completely surrendered to me, but I chose not to.


    He must not lean on her since she still has her hands behind, so I use my left hand as a support while kisses shower every part of your body: your lips, your neck, your ears, your neck again and now that your shirt is also unbuttoned, new possibilities appear. I kiss you gently on the right breast, covered with silk-like material, the only barrier now remaining between my lips and your bare skin and then gently bite your skin through it, receiving a scream filled with pleasure in exchange.


    ''See? I told you can make you scream!'' he could say, but it''s pointless right now. I would rather continue with kisses and would rather caress your neck again, the fingers leading the way, as I let my lips follow on your breasts again, your belly, your thighs, moving fast upwards again, tracing a direct line towards the most intimate part of you.


    He stops for a second and looks you in the eyes that are closed for a second and now that you noticed him doing so, while both his hands are reaching under your skirt, grabbing gently your underwear. With each movement of his fingers going upwards towards the lace and with each such touch he checks your reactions. You have given in! One last smile on his face showing that he won. He can remove your shirt and skirt with ease, but he must prove you that you belong to him now...


    He puts his right hand behind you, supporting your back while bringing you close to him, to which you do not show any traces of resistance. He slowly backs away standing in front of her, which rests now on the edge of the table, with the legs barely touching the ground, lingerie completely exposed to his now wondering eyes and confident smile. His hands reach for your shoulders, caressing them gently, then as he closes in on your lips, his left hand reaches your chin slowly raising it up, while his right slides from your shoulder down to your tied hands, slowly removing the jersey. With the free hands now supporting yourself on the table and looking into his eyes, it seems that you yourself realized that not only did you give in, you did so willingly.


    I untie your jersey and remove it. While you are leaning on the table, I kneel in front of you and let my fingers find the zipper holding the skirt in place, which slowly and gently is brought down, making it seem natural, like gravity taking its toll. The skirt is now at your heels and you raise your left leg as my right hand guides it up, leaving the skirt behind, on the floor.


    The thought of having her completely naked on this table enthralls me, but you look way too sexy in just underwear and a shirt for me to be able to do that.


    ¡°Kiss me!¡±


    I commanded you confidently with my eyes starring deeply into yours, only to be followed the second after by a reply on your end, now that both your hands are free. You grab me by the shirt and pull me down on top of you, kissing you deeply, with hunger and thirst, with rage and violence, with lust and passion. I''m about to lose any trace of self-control that I have remaining in my body at this moment, seeing how cutely you react to every touch, every kiss, every bite, anticipating what''s to come next. Allowing my fingers to trace every inch of your skin, I come across a fun idea. I get the tie, my tie, that lies on the table behind you and use it as a blindfold. You do not resist, rather, you embrace the suggestion. Moreover, it seems that I was right to do so! After every touch, every kiss, every bite, you react to them tenfold compared to the previous experiences.


    I kiss your neck and I bite your breasts through the silk like material. I caress your thighs and threaten to remove your underwear with both of my hands, but even then, you do not stop me. Your hands lie next to you on the table, or sometimes around my neck, showing signs of the previous surrender. You are mine to do what I please with and the only thing that can please me now, is to see you climax! To see your face voided of any trace of remorse, guilt or innocence. To see you fully engrossed in the pleasure I¡¯m about to bestow upon your body! To have you fully and truly give yourself up to me, by your own volition, like you''ve already done, but on a different level! I press my lips on your belly while kissing your skin slowly, tracing again a line towards your underwear. I use my left hand to slowly pull it down, but only enough to show more skin, nothing more... just teasing. However, a kiss in this newly exposed area is enough to make your body arch. I follow a red string in your underwear and you can feel my breath on top of them, moaning, gasping powerfully while driving your nails into the wood of the table and it makes me realize that if I keep it up, you''ll become addicted to this kind of pleasure. In addition, so will I...


    Unable to resist the urge, I once more kiss your thigh, your belly, your breasts, your neck, only to finish by deep kissing your lips, while my fingers slip inside you. I can feel your warmth, your wetness... your desire. I can see that neither of us can withstand any more of this teasing and each one of your now loud moans makes me curious of how you will react next. I feel consumed by desire and sexual intent. Enough! I need to have you... I do not remove the panties, I just pull them aside and your breath stopped even if I can tell your heart is still beating loudly, racing while expecting the next step. I undress also... I let my belt fall on the ground while the sound of it hitting the floor makes you gasp for air once more. I have waited long enough! I kiss you while supporting my weight using the left hand, while I let my right hand guide us both the most immoral of pleasures. One thrust! A second of silence, followed by the loudest scream yet, while I enjoy it fully. You are scorching hot and so very wet and you are gripping me so powerfully that it feels like I will melt instantly if I lose focus even for a moment, while also binding my movement with your legs around my back, showing that you want to move. However, just then at the utmost climax of this ¡®meeting¡¯, the door behind us slams and reopens fast and I turn around, fearing that someone walked in on us, but you show no signs of care, still lost in the labyrinth of pleasure.


    By turning around, I find myself sitting in the chair, watching the whole event from under the projector''s wall, while another ¡®me¡¯ was peeping through the cracked door. I look confused at both of them smiling at the scene that I was the actor of...


    Then I wake up! I grab my phone: 5:25AM. One more sound of a door slamming, helps me remember: the balcony door! It really makes me want to smash my phone against the wall... why?


    ¡°Too much wasted energy to close it? Are you for real? This day, plainly sucks!¡± ¨C I complain to myself.


    I stand up and pissed off, I walk to close my own window first. I pass by the mirror in the hallway, stop even if I am in a hurry to shut the damn thing and just stand there baffled. I am all sweaty in my underwear and a T-shirt, hair all messed up, all my muscles tensed, a vein on my neck showing a rapid heartbeat, redness of my skin showing high level of sexual arousal and most of all, a wicked smile on my face.


    "I am possessive after all!''


    I hear the door slamming again and it brings me back to my senses. Before turning around completely, I catch with the corner of my eye, a shifting smile on my face. Seems like I¡¯ve made up my mind.


    ¡°Now then...reality awaits!¡±


    I open my eyes and see the strange wooden ceiling, then look outside the yet to be lit sky. It''s almost morning....


    "What kind of dream is the dream of a dream!?" - I complained slightly while looking towards my lower body

 Dreams... of the future

    With the dawn of a new day shining brightly on me, I surprisingly woke up after a rather¡­ intense session. First things first, I didn¡¯t know I was still able to sleep and dream, so this could possibly become a new recreational activity.


    Second, my two hands were currently ¨C against my will, mind you ¨C holding tightly the two girls beside me. For Mia, my right hand was under her back and at the same time under her t-shirt/blouse between her voluptuous breasts, while for Alexa my left hand was also under her and even more boldly¡­ in her pants resting on her supple bottom.


    Seeing that neither of them woke up already, I sighed in relief and slowly and silently removed them (but obviously only after cooping another feel or two), preparing to make a run for it and pretend that nothing happened. To my utmost despair, the moment I stood up from the bed, the two girls also woke up looking more disheveled and a couple of shades more red than usual.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell they were asleep¡­ Shit! Did I just molest them while not awake to properly enjoy it!? I mean... With that dream flaring up my lust, there¡¯s no way I can¡¯t help it since it¡¯s been a while, but I hope they are aware that I was sleeping and didn¡¯t do it consciously. I mean I would love to, but I still have some decency and it¡¯s 100% not the time for that to happen yet.¡±


    Therefore, I gulped loudly and decided to rely on my thick skin, once more pretending nothing happened.


    ¡°Good morning! Did you girls sleep well?¡±


    Okay, I admit¡­ not the best freaking question I could have went with, but it¡¯s the only one I was able to come up with. The reaction to it¡­ some weak nods and the inability to meet my eyes.


    I even thought for a moment that I should say something among the lines ¡®don¡¯t worry, as I will take responsibility for my actions¡¯, but even without my chaos senses, I knew that was a bad idea.


    ¡°Right, Mia! Did Andrea say anything about breakfast?¡± ¨C I asked awkwardly trying to shift the topic


    [¡­yes Michael¡­ She will try out her skills and use the potatoes to recreate some recipes I have suggested. She will most likely go for fries and fried meat. Since we saved the animal fat like you requested, it is a good replacement for cooking oil.](Mia)


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear. I¡¯m looking forward to it then. Alexa, how do you feel after yesterday¡¯s workout? How do you think the rest will react to it?¡±


    [¡­yes¡­ I am feeling go¡­ all right! For the rest I cannot really tell since there is a difference in attributes between us. Michael, you are actually closer to them in that regard¡­ so if you have any type of muscular pains, they might as well.](Alexa)


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    I somehow managed to hold in the dirty joke I was about to tell and used the two buckets we were given per house, to go and bring some water from the small creek running through the clearing for the girls.


    On my way there, I saw multiple guys doing the same (after another group huddle with them I instructed them to try and keep the houses clean and bring water for the ladies in the morning). If there was something even an idiot could notice, was the fact that all of them were grinning ear to ear, unable to remain serious even when greeting me.


    ¡°These virgins just became men¡­¡± ¨C I thought while sadly thinking about my situation


    I did my best to ignore them (while thinking about creating required morning practice for every elf dude in the camp, just so I can torture them out of their current state of happiness) and headed back to my home. Only one thought remained in my mind along the way¡­


    ¡°What are we going to do if the girls remain pregnant?¡± ¨C I unintentionally said aloud


    The two girls froze, then blushed furiously and then looked at my hands with the intent to chop them off. I realized my mistake and since I had no way to back out, I just went ahead with it, once more counting on my thick skin.


    ¡°I just saw guys smiling like idiots outside, meaning that they had sex with the girls 100%. We don¡¯t have doctors, or even a midwife! How are we going to deliver the babies?¡±


    [Michael, I do not think that is going to be a problem. Right Alexandra?](Mia)


    [¡­](Alexa)


    Seeing her only nodding in response and blushing even further, I realized that there might be something I am unaware of. I waited for her to calm down and gather her courage patiently.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    [¡­the elf women can only remain pregnant during the Autumn Festival and the Spring Festival¡­](A)


    Hearing the ridiculous piece of news, I looked shocked at Mia who nodded and continued the explanation.


    [Apparently, in elven culture only during the Spring Festival can they celebrate life by creating new one and just as well, during the Autumn Festival life is given in order bring back the life to the dying nature.](Mia)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Basically, the elven girls were on the pill all year-round except for those two festivals? Speaking of which?


    ¡°???¡±


    [The Spring Festival would be around the 22 March back on Earth, while the Autumn Festival would be close to 23 September. They correspond with the spring equinox and the winter equinox.](Mia)


    I began contemplating the lascivious lifestyle my civilization will have because of this. Not only do I personally created the option to have a harem for them, but also gave them access to sex pretty much the entire year without consequences.


    Wait! Since we are talking about elves right now, are there differences between them and humans?


    ¡°What about the pregnancy duration?¡±


    [It is shorter than human pregnancy by half. In addition, the offspring will grow up fast. In just a month or so, their bodies and minds become those of an adult and they stop aging for a while, depending on their total lifespan.](Mia)


    ¡°Administrator?¡±


    [Yes¡­](Mia)


    Of course, that useless game God has a hand in this. Nevertheless, wouldn¡¯t a Goddess of Love or a God of Life be stupidly overpowered in that case? I mean, imagine them getting the elves¡­ Their population will increase at an alarming rate!


    The most important thing on my mind right now, was to prepare for the arrival of these children. Not only did they grow up fast, but also if they are anything like their parents, they will absorb the knowledge like a proper sponge. I need to set up a proper safe camp ASAP and advance quickly through some eras and Ages.


    I kept mulling over the unexpected information I received and began worrying badly. Even the pleasant breakfast did not make me happier given that I really needed to hurry up the speed with which my civilization developed. Seeing everyone eating with glee and conversing without a worry, I instantly wanted to ruin their good mood¡­


    ¡°Everybody¡­¡±


    And I stopped... Realizing that something was wrong with my thought process, I quickly analyzed what I just intended to do and the reason behind it, almost face-palming as a result. I didn¡¯t realize up to this point, but this chaotic disposition is exactly like its name implies¡­ chaotic as fuck!


    ¡°¡­we just started our eight day of our new lives! Not only that, but we must look forward to a future that belongs not only to us, but also to our children, grandchildren and even our great-grandchildren. I will not lie to you and say that everything is well and we will surely survive anything this world throws at us, because I do not have a way of knowing that. However, if I am certain of something, is that if we work together, we will be able to achieve anything we set up as our goal! Therefore, for today, the said goal will be to create the Wall, Granary and the Warehouse! I hope everyone will work hard as every chore is just as important as the other!¡±


    A loud wave of cheers followed, drowned soon after by the system¡¯s cold and asexual voice reminding me that I just finished eating.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+3 Endurance points received! +2 Intelligence points received! +1 Luck point received!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I was quite impressed by the impromptu speech I just delivered and the fact that I pretty much put pressure on the people that had sex last night in a very subtle way. What!? Of course, I am pissed¡­ After all, I am supposed to be a freaking God, however my followers banged before I was able to.


    Is not like I couldn¡¯t do the same, but I would literally start to question my mental sanity if I would admit that I want to have sex with the look alike combination of the woman that killed me and the woman (deity) that made me realize that I might have a foot fetish. Then there was Alexandra¡­


    Do not get me wrong (again)! There is absolutely nothing wrong with her, on the contrary! She is excessively good looking for someone like me. Nevertheless, I know her type from back on Earth¡­ She is going to need affection and attention, which I was not able to provide back then (so the girls called me a cold sociopath incapable of showing human emotions¡­) and most likely I might not be able to provide here either. I mean yeah, I will be able to sleep in the same bed with her, have sex and whisper sweet words¡­ But when it comes to going out on dates and¡­ going out on dates¡­ dates!?


    ¡°I¡¯m in the fucking Stone Age! Where the fuck would I go on a date? Sightseeing a dungeon in the glowing red color of the sun (as well as the monster blood scattered all around us)? Or maybe a ferry ride across the ocean (as soon as I move from the point where I can fucking build something different than a raft¡­)? Jokes aside, is very likely that if I do have sex with her and I create the beginning of my harem with Alexandra included in it, she will want a child¡­ Do I mind that? I won¡¯t really even get to be a father, as after a month I¡¯ll pretty much graduate from the chore and the little fucker will have to fend for himself if he¡¯s a guy, or I¡¯ll have to beat the shit out of some other guys coming for my daughter if she¡¯s a girl.¡±


    With a newfound goal in mind to become a father, I could tell that I walked towards the dungeon diving unit with a slight spring in my steps.


    The eight guys were surprisingly calm, while the girls looked¡­ surprisingly relaxed. For Reaper¡¯s sake! This is totally a post-coitus atmosphere!


    ¡°Alright you lot! Grab your weapons and get ready! We are running laps with them on today! Get moving!¡±


    Just because I decided to have sex in the future, did not mean that I was okay with the fact that these fuckers had their fun before I did¡­

 Growth through... eating!?

    The 8<sup>th</sup> day progressed quickly and just like yesterday, my dungeon diving unit returned to camp and get smoked meat rations in order to prepare for hunting and other exercises in the forest.


    Before we left, Mia rushed over to my side and stopped me.


    [Michael! Something came up¡­](Mia)


    ¡°I can see from your flustered appearance. What¡¯s going on?¡± ¨C I chuckled softly


    [Like you requested, I prepared to build the Wall when sufficient resources were gathered. However, when I selected it from the interface and acknowledged the construction, another notification appeared. Take a look¡­](Mia) ¨C She said after passing a window tab to me


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Wall construction confirmation received!


    Please assign at least 1 production point to start the building and design the area you want the Wall to encompass!


    Be advised that the longer its length, the more production points will be required.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I turned my stunned face and looked at Mia, which in turn noticed my confusion and brought up another description (presumably after hacking into the system¡¯s main interface again).


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Production points are gained by assigning workforce that specializes in building different structures (5 workers signify 1 production point/hour) </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Well that explains it¡­ Can you set up the Wall to encompass the clearing... about 20 meters away from the forest in a circle around the camp? Also, can gates be added?¡±


    [Yes for both of your questions. Here! This is a visual representation of how the building will look.](Mia)


    A virtual projection of the camp with the World Tree in the middle and the smaller (but still bigger than normal) trees which were the Elven Huts, was slowly being encircled by a wooden wall. Then as soon as the entire construcion took shape, Mia turned to me to ask about where to put the gates.


    [What is that!?](Alexa)


    ¡°Eh? You can see this?¡± - I asked perplexed


    [How can I not? Is that the clearing? How did you do that big sister?](Alexa)


    [Uhh¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Even if you look at me like that, there¡¯s nothing I can really do about it¡­¡±


    [This was the blessing given to me by the Chaos God. What you are seeing is just an image of the camp and we can use this to simulate the buildings we will create, like the Wall for example.] ¨C Mia said after glaring slightly at me


    [Wow! Big sister is amazing!](A)


    ¡°Ahem¡­ What about the gates?¡±


    [Where would you like to place them?](Mia) - she asked while pouting


    ¡°...one towards each cardinal direction. Make sure they face the three dungeons and the western continent as well. What about the people we can assign to the building process?¡±


    [¡­ we don¡¯t have any at the moment. Only the dungeon diving unit is currently available.](Mia)


    ¡°I see. What about the structure itself? How can we actually build it?¡±


    [We will require to split the trunks of the trees in four and place them at a distance of at least one meter away from each other. They must be firmly planted in the ground and we can leave a space of about 3-4 meters between them for the gates.](Mia)


    ¡°Make it 5 meters for the gates. Also, how is that a wall? Won¡¯t there be just random sticks sat one meter away from each other?¡±


    [I am not entirely sure, but that was everything I was able to receive as information from the system. Apparently the World Tree will take care of the rest¡­](Mia)


    [Big sister can communicate with the World Tree?](A)


    [Not really¡­ I can only see its intentions¡­](Mia)


    I found it quite funny how bad Mia was at lying, but Alexandra believed it (given that it would have been that much harder for her mind to process the fact that she can command the World Tree to pretty much do anything). However, even I was a bit curious about what she meant by ¡®the World Tree will take care of the rest¡¯.


    ¡°What about the production points required building it?¡±


    [The requirement is 50 production points to fully build it.](Mia)


    ¡°And if the entire unit would participate?¡±


    [All 50 of you could generate 10 points per hour, so it would take only five hours.](Mia)


    ¡°That¡¯s acceptable. Do we have axes to use?¡±


    [Following your previous instructions, each tool had its numbers increased up to one hundred. So yes!](Mia)


    ¡°Good! Alexa, go and inform the squad that for today we will be focusing on digging and woodcutting. It will be a good stamina building exercise. Also, have them grab one shovel and one axe each and prepare to head out at the edge of the forest. No, actually first gather them at the wood storing spot. We will need to chop the materials ourselves. Mia?¡±


    [One tree equals four units of wood, so 250 trees would suffice.](Mia)


    ¡°Well, at least everyone will have an equal share when it comes to the workload... Alexa, go ahead and group up the unit. We have work to do!¡±


    Surprisingly, nobody complained about the hard labor and simply grabbed 5 huge trees each, hacking with great gusto at them. Nobody helped anybody, since individual effort was required as well in a proper elite unit. Soon the sound of chopping could be heard throughout the camp, as 50 people slammed their axes simultaneously, lodging them inside the hard bark, then swinging the hammers down to split the trunks properly. The whole process looked smooth, but was stupidly tiring.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+1 Endurance point received!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Even something like that happened. Moreover, obviously it wasn¡¯t just me! Every elf received the bonus, making them look in reverence at me. I felt a bit guilty since I was literally using future aventuring soldiers as manual labor¡­ However, given our population shortage, there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it.


    After about an hour or so, every member of the unit had twenty logs that they began carrying to areas designed by Mia. Each one of us received an area of about 40 meters we were responsible for, in which we needed to dig the holes to plant the logs in. The process of carrying the logs and digging through the not-so-soft dirt, definitely strained my muscles.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+2 Strength points received!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    And exactly like Mia predicted, after 5 hours elapsed everyone¡¯s hard work was rewarded by the underwhelming sight of the wall¡¯s skeleton. I turned my head to this pretty all-knowing AI, inquiring with my eyes ¡®what next?¡¯, but she simply shrugged showing that she had no idea either.


    After a careful look at the logs standing up in the sun, I could see the slightly titled ones slowly straighten up.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°I guess it might be a lengthy process, so let¡¯s leave it be for now.¡±


    ¡°Alright you lot! Go and deposit the tools back from where you took them and get your weapons. It¡¯s time to work up your appetite! Andrea and her chef squad will surely prepare something good for us again!¡±


    After another wave of strangely energetic shouts, the sundown workout began once more. Halfway through it, another notification popped up.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+1 Endurance point received! +2 Agility points received! +2 Dexterity points received!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I was quite happy with today¡¯s gain. However, I began to wonder about the continuous increase in attributes through both workout and through meals. I mean the workout part I get. Even back on Earth, you can improve your body¡¯s condition through it. But the meals? The only thing I could reason was the fact that the ingredients were abundant in mana and as divinity or mana constructed beings, both the elves and myself received those bonus points through increasing the amount of mana concentration in our bodies. If what Mia said is correct, the digestive system has been perfected in such a way that everything we ingest is broken apart to molecular level and then absorbed. Obviously mana as well¡­


    The day was ending and we returned to camp, expectant towards the meal Andrea prepared. Even I was close to salivating due to the exquisite taste the food might have, after tasting what she prepared for us in the morning.


    Nevertheless, once again, we stopped close to the entry of the village and saw everybody else grouping up in the same area. Something was happening again¡­


    ¡°Mia?¡±


    [The preparations made by the World Tree are almost finished. The Wall final construction will commence immediately.](Mia)


    ¡°Did you inform everyone else?¡±


    [Yes Michael. Was it a bad decision?](Mia)


    ¡°Nope! A genius stroke rather! I can tell through my chaos senses that it was the right call to make. Let¡¯s enjoy the show¡­¡±


    The ¡®show¡¯ did indeed begin after about ten, maybe fifteen minutes. There was a deep creaking sound coming from the World Tree, as well as a green glow enveloping each of the logs creating the skeleton of the Wall. The glow quickly increased in radiance until we barely managed to keep our eyes opened and diminished just as fast, stopping the creaking sound as well.


    Just as everyone was looking stupefied at the others around, searching for an explanation of what the fuck just happened, something that I can categorize only as a miracle occurred. The logs began to grow branches and their height previously at about three meters, also grew up to about five or six. Not only that, but also the branches kept growing and intermixing with the other two on its sides, leaving no spots visible. As soon as the branches completed the walls, leaves began to grow, beautifying the whole construct through a vibrating green color.


    ¡°Beautifu¡­¡±


    Before I could finish praising the process, yet another strange occurance began. The same branches combined and created stairs close to the gates and at the top of the newly appeared tree crowns into an actual road, allowing people to patrol and keep an eye out for incoming threats while under the cover of the leaves.


    ¡°I should train myself some archers and transform the trees into watchtowers. My elven civilization not being able to use bows and arrows¡­ Legolas would be disappointed in me¡­¡±


    Now that the spectacle ended, everyone headed to the dinner hall as soon as they were able to wash up a bit. The food was excellent yet again and the obvious attribute points gain appeared.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+4 Strength points received! +2 Endurance points received! +5 Agility points received! +2 Dexterity points received! +3 Magic points received!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Pleased with the overall gain of attributes over the last couple of days, I brought up my Status Page and carefully inspected it.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    27


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    32% (?)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 15</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    323/323 (+9.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    227/227(+2.8/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    19


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I nodded pleased at the numbers shown, thinking how they are way above a level three. Not only that, but apparently my experience increased a bit as well. Is not a lot, but it stands to prove that just by training we could acquire experience. After a light wash I went to bed where Mia and Alexandra were waiting for me.


    I asked Mia to leave the interface opened and I sat comfy in the bed, reviewing today¡¯s events.


    ¡°We were able to only build the Wall, so the Granary and the Warehouse will have wait for tomorrow. In addition, this proved the need to have a proper builder unit since I cannot just move the elves from one job to the other if I want specialized populace. Also, the biggest unit which was the farm-reclamation, is currently overwhelmed by the work they have to put in planting of the potatoes. Even the production unit (still haven¡¯t decided on a name for them) which had twenty people was currently decreased to only half. The cooking unit is already understaffed and I cannot remove people from the resource units. The dungeon diving squad is also mandatory to remain at least this number and I required the craftsman squad to also remain with the same headcount.¡±


    The conclusion was that I required more people... If the elven pregnancy is indeed only about six months and all 130 girls remain pregnant after the Autumn Festival, I can expect an increase of at least 130 in population (if no infant mortality is involved and if no other fertility complications arrive). Also, given that in one month the children will develop at a stupidly fast pace, it means that I will face another problem soon enough: food shortage!


    I need to find another source of food ASAP if I want them to develop properly. Not only that, but grains and/or rice are mandatory as well. Even corn would work¡­


    ¡°If I remember correctly there should a social reform that I could adopt, which will increase the food production of the camp. That will help a lot and soon enough I should be able to research the Farming and Foraging technology which is guaranteed to unlock the farmer Job. With that, I will have even more specialized people handling the crops, or the future animals we might rear. There¡¯s so much to do¡­¡±


    Enjoying the newly found option that allowed me to sleep for recreation, I allowed my mind to rest and my body to recover after today¡¯s worth of physical exercises.


    When I opened my eyes, the dawn of the 9<sup>th</sup> day greeted me.

 Time and what to do with it...

    After breakfast and yet another speech through which I announced how yesterday¡¯s construction plan didn¡¯t go as planned because we¡¯re understaffed, I pointed out how everyone would keep doing their own thing, while myself and the dungeon-diving unit will focus on the hard labor of helping construct the Granary and the Warehouse for today.


    Obviously, after breakfast we still followed the training regimen set up, ran for about two hours and then returned to the camp where Mia was waiting with instructions for the new buildings.


    [For the Granary we need 500 wood units and for the Warehouse the same, but with an extra amount of stone required. The same 250 trees will be needed to be split up and used for the two buildings; however, it will be slightly more complicated for the Warehouse. The 100 stone units required to create the floor of the building as well as its foundation, so we will need to first complete Granary and then fully focus on the Warehouse.](Mia)


    [What about the building itself big sister? Can you show us that image from yesterday to give us an example?](A)


    ¡°That¡¯s a really good idea. Mia, can you separate the building into a schematic that would give us a blueprint of the building?¡±


    [Acknowledged!](Mia)


    With the blueprint available, we began the construction. First off, we needed to build the walls and for that, the 125 trees were separated into 25 pieces for each wall and another 25 to create pillars and rooms inside. Overall, there was a big ass granary¡­ that much was for sure.


    With that out of the way, we left everything else to the World Tree, looking forward to how the building would evolve. I quickly instructed everyone to take a break and munch on their rations and then began the work on the Warehouse. The only thing different than the Granary was the fact that we used the pickaxes and hammers to mince the stone and create the floor, but even that was simpler than actually building something from scratch.


    If there was something everyone was content with, was the gain of attribute points through hard labor, so we ended the day by running laps before sunset and enjoying the show the World Tree created once more with the completion of the two buildings. As for how to describe the buildings¡­ the process looked the same and branches interwoven with one another created both the walls and the roof, but the feature that ¡®stole the show¡¯ was certainly the floor of the Warehouse which looked like it was actually cemented. As for how the fuck this happened, Mia explained that it was a process of mana injection into the combination of earth, wood, stone and other minerals from the soil, creating the mixture in front of our eyes.


    As soon as the buildings were completed, stored food was promptly carried inside the Granary and separated on different spaces. There were a couple of huge rooms where meat could be placed on wooden hooks hanging from the ceiling, while the potatoes, other vegetables, fruits, etc. , were placed on the bigger room where the floor was made out of a thin sheet of wood.


    For the Warehouse, we separated it into three parts: the armory where the weapons will be stored, the tools room where all the tools our civilization can use will be stored and the materials room where wood and stone could be stored as well. To my utmost surprise, at the point where the wood was placed there for storing, the mana inside the room actually became visible for a second as fog covered the pile and decreased the size of the huge logs to a mere quarter of their previous size. The even stranger thing was that the weight was also less as soon as I tried to move one of them and I managed with ease.


    ¡°So it¡¯s not an illusion but the actual thing. Just what sort of options did the World Tree add to the building?¡±


    After some experimentation, we found out that once we took the log outside, after five minutes in the air, it would revert to its normal size before the World Tree played with it.


    Dinner was also served and after a good night sleep morning was again upon us.


    ¡°It¡¯s so strange how the days pass so fast and I don¡¯t even seem to notice it.¡± ¨C I thought as I washed my face and the sleepiness with it


    Ten days have passed from when the Manual Mode override was engaged and I can¡¯t really complain about it. Reaper had the right idea when creating this option for the enjoyment of the players.


    Turning my head and seeing the two girls dressed in furs and washing the clothes which are over-worn at this point, I began thinking about how could I create some proper fabrics for them.


    ¡°I could try and find some silk-worms¡­ maybe also some¡­¡±


    Before any other idea could come to mind, I blinked once and found myself in an all-too-familiar room. I was sitting on a comfortable sofa with a coffee table in front of my eyes, as well as a teacup releasing a pleasantly smelling vapor, hinting at its high temperature.


    I sighed, grabbed the teacup and sipped from it, placed it back on table while resisting the urge to hurl it at the face of the guy standing across of me. He had a business smile plastered on his face, but didn¡¯t take the opportunity to start a conversation, which I personally found intriguing.


    ¡°So? What¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m here this time?¡±


    [You don¡¯t seem surprised anymore¡­ quite boring.](Reaper)


    ¡°It¡¯s the third time already. It would be quite embarrassing to keep getting flustered over something this small every time.¡±


    [Indeed. Now that you were able to interact with Aethernithas and even managed to create a brand new world, something like transfixing time and space might seem irrelevant to you.](Reaper)


    ¡°When you put it that way¡­¡±


    [Haha! You are still a good sport I see. I¡¯m glad¡­](Reaper)


    ¡°Why would you be?¡±


    [I thought you will be angrier¡­ more annoyed with me.](Reaper)


    ¡°Why? Just because you used me as a pawn in your little schemes while also hiding important things that might help me out? Or the fact that you probably didn¡¯t even tell the other ¡®players¡¯ the real reason this game was started¡­¡±


    [How do you know that?](Reaper)Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    It would be an understatement to say that my very soul trembled when the tone of his voice changed and dropped thousands of degrees lower, obviously close to wiping me out of existence. That might¡¯ve been a landmine, however I need to clarify my standing in all this. I let him use me as a pawn, but like in my entire life back on earth, I will always bow my head because of respect, but never out of fear of subservience!


    ¡°I don¡¯t... I just figured that there might be a silver line for all this. After all, I don¡¯t see both you and Prometheus creating such a system only to preserve and gather power for all your Godly family. There might be a reason for it, something for which you felt pressed and went as far as to use the souls in the Void Chamber as well.¡±


    [Hmm¡­ you are smarter than I gave you credit for! However, there are things that are better left in the dark, unless you have sufficient power to withstand their weight.](Reaper)


    ¡°So I¡¯m not strong enough to know the reason yet, is that it? Do I need to be of a higher level as far as my Job goes? Or should I increase the rank as divinity of Chaos?¡±


    [Both!] ¨Che calmly stated


    ¡°What¡¯s the standard I should keep in mind as a goal?¡±


    [Tier 3 in soul refinement and at least rank 3 as a deity. Though, by the time your reach that, you might already puzzle some things together.](Reaper)


    ¡°Is that the only reason you brought me here?¡±


    [Mostly¡­ In the beginning, I planned to wait out 100 years before alliances could be created and 500 years before I will open the auction house to the players. However, due to you picking the Manual Mode, the future ramifications involved changed drastically. My strength will soon be insufficient to protect everybody so I need them to get stronger faster! If there is one good thing about you and your manual mode, is the fact that it prompted all others into action due to their competitive natures. I should thank you for that and as reward, I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret: at the end of the year, which for everyone will be in five months, the first auction will be held. As for the currency used¡­ you might want to grab a couple of extra achievements.](Reaper)


    ¡°I will do what I can¡­¡±


    [Also¡­ Aethernithas¡­ if you can¡­](Reaper)


    ¡°¡­ I will do what I can.¡±


    [Thank you! Anyway, off you go! You have much to do on your world if you do not want the monster army in the second continent flattening your pretty elves.](Reaper)


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Really didn¡¯t need that reminder from you. Anyway, you¡¯re keeping an eye on me?¡±


    [I am keeping an eye on everyone, so don¡¯t flatter yourself.](Reaper)


    ¡°I see¡­ anything else?¡±


    [Nope! Buh-bye!](Reaper)


    I blinked again and found myself back in the kitchen with Mia and Alexa washing their clothes still.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I should try and see if I can cultivate a silk-worms farm¡­¡±


    The 10<sup>th</sup> day proceeded like usual, only that this time there were small changes to our people assignment. The woodcutting unit stopped working and retuned to help the land-reclamation unit as soon as the number of wood units in the Warehouse hit 6000 and I did the same thing once the stone closed in to 3000 units. Now I could have the stone gathering unit build the Town Hall, while I can take my dungeon divers and hunt a bit.


    That night before dinner, I gathered everyone and held a night lecture happened once again. As for what the class is about¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re going to talk about time. You have all seen the Sun go up in the morning and going down at night. How do we tell how much time has passed in between? Let us say that we have some important tasks we need to assign you all only a limited amount of time to handle. How long do you do them for? How do we split the day? How do we split a longer period of time? You all know when the Autumn and the Spring Festivals happen, but what day would that be?¡±


    I kept talking more and more and began explaining what a second, minute, hour, day, week, month and year represented. They all listened eagerly and even asked questions from time to time. I explained to them the concept of how much of each unit creates a bigger one and then named the days and the months like they were named on Earth. Why? Because it was too much of a drag to think of new names and I was slightly afraid of what ideas they will have if I tell them to pick the names.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Progress made on the Calendar technology through research! 500 research points awarded!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Calendar has been successfully researched! Current and future generations will have general knowledge of time!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations! Through research your civilization managed to advance from the Stone Age to the Tool Age!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Major Achievement ¨C Two in a row!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The flurry of messages took everyone by surprise, but not because they could see them, but because they were able to see that! The finished Town Hall at the bottom of the World Tree was beginning its transformation and soon enough it became a simple double wooden door on the bark of the tree.


    ¡°Did the building failed?¡±


    [I think it was actually integrated inside the World Tree¡­](Mia)


    [Does that mean that we¡¯ll be able to set foot inside it?](A)


    ¡°I guess so¡­ let¡¯s go take a look¡­ Everyone! Myself, Mia and Alexandra will head inside and take a look first. If it¡¯s safe, everyone else will also be able to.¡±


    [[[Yes sir!]]]


    It was quite funny that only the dungeon diving unit replied, but everyone else didn¡¯t seem to have a problem with that either.


    So, ignoring the curious looks of 199 elves, I ventured inside the World Tree using its newly acquired double doors. What happened next though, scared the shit out of me!


    [Michael!!!](Alexa)


    ¡°I know¡­ It¡¯s the same type of film that is in each dungeon at its entrance. However, I sincerely doubt that we¡¯ll find monsters in the World Tree. This is most likely a space pocket, meaning that there¡¯s a different place than the outside. Let¡¯s take a look around¡­¡±


    The inside was a huge ceiling covered in wood (same as the floor, walls and pretty much everything else) and in the middle of the room which was between 20-25 meters from the middle to the walls and I didn¡¯t even bother with the height, there was a really familiar object.


    [Michael, that is a virtual projection as well as the interface¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I see that¡­¡±


    There was a virtual projection of the clearing with all its updates, including the new buildings. Trying to operate it, I was actually able to access the user interface and all the tabs in the menu. The only problem was that¡­ I wasn¡¯t the only one.


    [Michael, what does Culture and Research mean? Moreover, why are there so many other things in here?](A)


    I instantly looked at Mia for help, however she ignored my gaze (probably payback for before when I didn¡¯t helped her with Alexandra¡¯s question either), so I was left on my own.


    ¡°This is a system that allows us to see the entire camp, as well as our growth. The things we learned already, the things that we can learn in the future, things that will provide us help and the most important, the Faith. For the Chaos God this is the most important since if we can pray daily, it will strengthen his abilities and he will become able to help us even more in the future.¡±


    [If that¡¯s the case¡­ we shouldn¡¯t allow too many people in here. We should have everyone see it, however only the three of us, for now, should have access to it.](A)


    [I agree!](Mia)


    ¡°That¡¯s settled then. Let¡¯s give everyone outside a tour, since the World Tree is of major importance to them.¡±


    After each elf did their fair share of sightseeing, I took Alexa and Mia and entered the Town Hall once more. There were new buildings and Social Policies available¡­ not to mention that research was strongly required.

 Building order

    Gathering next to the huge interface window measuring at least five meters in height and another five in width, Mia began explaining to the pretty heroine what each tab meant. For some (like Constructions, Materials Available and Population) she understood them quite fast, while others (like Social Policies, Research and Great People) it took a more¡­ in depth explanation. What she was utterly confused about was why would we have access to Miracles that only the God of Chaos has. That¡¯s where Mia and I had to coax her into believing that the Chaos God prefers self-governance over heavily influencing his believers.


    [Thinking about how we were saved from our predicament in the previous world by Him and all the gifts we were given in order to live a happier life here¡­ but He doesn¡¯t plan to interfere at all with us? Why big sister?](Alexa)


    [We do not know¡­ However, we are talking about a God. Saving us and who knows how many others that might come later, giving us his blessings¡­ isn¡¯t that already more than enough? Wanting to have Him babysit us is already exaggerated.](Mia)


    [I guess big sister is right. However, isn¡¯t the Chaos God similar to Michael? Personality-wise? He also said that he doesn¡¯t want to be involved in leading the elves¡­](A)


    ¡° (¡Ño¡Ñ) ¡±


    [I guess he is, isn¡¯t he? I never noticed until now¡­](Mia)


    Seems like Mia was still taking revenge for leaving her to the wolves previously. Using that moment and the fact that the day was soon coming to an end, I began bringing up the tabs in the interface so we can examine the available routes we could take.


    ¡°Enough joking¡­ Let¡¯s take a look at what we need to take in consideration for the future of our civilization. Actually, Mia, bring up the tabs one at a time.¡±


    [Acknowledged!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Construction


    Provides the option to decide on the order in which buildings can be built.


    Keep in mind that each building provides certain benefits which affect other fields such as Research, Population growth, Production, or even the simple material gathering speed or amount.


    Current Production Points: 0 (Assign people in order to increase production)


    Buildings available:


    -Monument;


    -Shrine;


    -Stone Works;


    -Farms;


    -Lumber Mill;


    -Water Mill;


    -Barracks ;


    -Ancestral Library


    Production points are calculated based on the number of people assigned to the Construction field divided by 5. Be advised that each building will require a number of points in order to be completed and your civilization generates a specific number per day.


    If you are unable to meet the number of points required to build in only one day, the construction timeframe can be extended for longer periods.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°It seems like we¡¯ll have loads of work ahead of us¡­¡±


    [It is to be expected now that we advanced in the Tools Age¡­](Mia)


    [Big sister received the notification as well?](A)


    ¡°Notification? Alexa did you get a message about the advancement to the Tools Age?¡±


    [Yes, Michael¡­ and not only myself. All the elves did.](A)


    ¡°Did they now? Interesting¡­ ¡°


    I realized that maybe when that type of advancement happens, the notification becomes a World Announcement of sorts, meaning that the entire civilization is made aware. That is not bad at all really¡­ Thinking about it, wouldn¡¯t they be happier if they knew when something like that happened? All their hard work being rewarded will make them have a feeling of achievement.


    ¡°Mia, let¡¯s take a look at the buildings available. We need to decide on the construction order.¡±


    Nodding her head while sending her beautiful flaming hair afloat slightly, she touched the blue window and made a gesture towards the Construction tab. Then, she began expanding up the description for each building, one at a time.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Monument


    The Monument increases the Culture Points of a city, speeds up the growth of the city''s territory and the civilization''s acquisition of Social Policies.


    It''s the first building available for every city in the Tool Age, without having to research any technology as requirement.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Cost</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">200 Production Points and 1000 stone units</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Maintenance </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Inspections or repairs required once per month </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Technology req</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Specialists req to operate</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Effect provided</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+2 Culture Points/day</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Shrine


    Shrines are sacred monuments typically built to memorialize revered cultural icons or religious figures.


    Represented in nearly every religious denomination found throughout the world, shrines play an important role in religious ceremonies in both public and private worship.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Cost</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">200 Production Points, 500 wood units 1000 stone units</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Maintenance </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Inspections or repairs required once per month </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Technology req</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pottery (already researched)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Specialists req to operate</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Effect provided</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+2 Faith Points/day</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Stone Works


    The stone works serves as the workshop for stonemasons, who shape and process various types of stone to create both artistic and structural elements during the construction process.


    The art of stonemasonry is one of the world''s oldest professions, encompassing everything from the extraction of stone from quarries, to the actual carving of geometric shapes and the fitment of these stones at the building site.


    Historically, stonemasons have worked with everything from Limestone, which was primarily used in building massive structures, to Granite and Marble which were more commonly found in statues and monuments.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Cost</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">550 Production Points, 1000 wood units 500 stone units</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Maintenance </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Inspections or repairs required once per month </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Technology req</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mining</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Specialists req to operate</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Effect provided</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+50% increase in mining resource efficiency </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Farms


    A farm is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production.


    The name is used for specialised units such as arable farms, vegetable farms, fruit farms, dairy, pig and poultry farms, and land used for the production of natural fibres, biofuel and other commodities.


    It includes ranches, feedlots, orchards, plantations and estates, smallholdings and hobby farms, and includes the farmhouse and agricultural buildings as well as the land. In modern times the term has been extended so as to include such industrial operations as wind farms and fish farms, both of which can operate on land or sea.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Cost</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">550 Production Points, 750 wood units 750 stone units</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Maintenance </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Inspections or repairs required once per month </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Technology req</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Farming and Gathering (already researched)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Specialists req to operate</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Effect provided</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+50% increase in farming resource efficiency</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Hierapolis Lumber Mill


    A Lumber Mill is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing wood for construction or manufacturing; it is the basic facility in wood production.


    Requires the Lumber Mill to be placed near a running river.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Cost</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">550 Production Points, 1000 wood units 1000 stone units</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Maintenance </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Inspections or repairs required once per month </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Technology req</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Wheel and Calendar (already researched)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Specialists req to operate</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Effect provided</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+50% increase in woodcutting resource efficiency</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Water Mill


    A water mill is a building which uses water power to turn grain into flour. In a mill, grain is poured between two stones, one of which is turning slowly. As it moves between the stones the grain is ground into tiny pieces (flour).


    Many early mills employed animal or human labor to turn the grinding stone, but in a water mill water provided that power, freeing human and animal labor which could be employed elsewhere to greater profit.


    Later on, steam or electricity would power mills far more reliably and efficiently, but water mills were great labor-saving devices of their day.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Cost</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">550 Production Points, 1000 wood units 1000 stone units</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Maintenance </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Inspections or repairs required once per month </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Technology req</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Wheel and Calendar (already researched)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Specialists req to operate</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Effect provided</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+50% increase in food production of the territory (if grains are available flour can be processed) </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Barracks


    Barracks are military buildings that house a country''s professional soldiers. In addition to providing food and shelter for the soldiers, they provide training and medical facilities, as well as military jails, vehicle maintenance, and so forth.


    Barracks are important to a civilization''s happiness and well-being. They promote cohesion among the ranks, improving the soldiers'' chances of success in combat, and they control direct contact between civilians and soldiers, limiting the friction that is almost universally caused when the two groups intermingle overmuch.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Cost</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">550 Production Points, 1000 wood units 1500 stone units</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Maintenance </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Inspections or repairs required once per month </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Technology req</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Bronze working</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Specialists req to operate</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Effect provided</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+25% increase in experience gain through fighting for all units trained in this building </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Ancestral Library


    A library is a building housing a collection of books, scrolls, and other written material. Historically, books have been fairly expensive, often beyond the reach of a civilization''s poorer classes.


    The library allows the poor access to the same knowledge as the rich, greatly improving their chances of success and advancement.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Cost</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">550 Production Points, 1500 wood units 1000 stone units</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Maintenance </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Inspections or repairs required once per month </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Technology req</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Writing</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Specialists req to operate</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">None</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Effect provided</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+1 Research Point per day for each 2 people in your civilization </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I stared in wonder at the multitude of buildings available. Eight of them! While the amount of resources required for all of them is huge, the production costs are even higher¡­


    Seeing however, that specialist required to operate field, a strange idea popped in my mind.


    ¡°Mia, Alexandra, would you say that our current resource output is sufficient?¡±


    [Considering our costs and how many buildings we can construct daily, we are overproducing.](Mia)


    [I think the same Michael. The Granary could use more diversity as well as quantity, but the warehouse is reaching its maximum space allotted for wood.](Alexa)


    ¡°Then I have a suggestion: we reduce the number of people from the woodcutting and mining unit to half and prioritize building the Lumber Mill and the Stone Works. If that happens, the resource output remains the same but we will have more people to work with. Even more important, I want a specialized building unit and a Great Engineer ASAP!¡±


    [Then, should we have the first buildings be the Lumber Mill and the Stone Works?](Mia)


    ¡°Hmm? Nope! We¡¯ll build the Monument first.¡±


    [¡­ ¨r(¨s_¨t)¨q¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Oh wow¡­ that¡¯s a new expression. Hahaha! We need to focus on the benefits we receive from the Social Policies; therefore, while we will prioritize the resource production buildings, first one to be created tomorrow will be the Monument. I would absolutely love to have the Library as well, but we need to get the Writing tech first. Keeping that in mind, Mia, what¡¯s your take on the order we should go with?¡±


    [¡­Monument, Lumber Mill, Stone Works, Farms, Water Mill, Barracks, Shrine and Library. If we successfully research Writing in the meantime, then it will be Library first and then Barracks, followed by Shrine last.](Mia)


    [But¡­big sister¡­ shouldn¡¯t we build the Shrine as soon as possible? It feels disrespectful to the Chaos God to leave it last¡­](A)


    I realized that I haven¡¯t exactly put much thought into the religious point of view other people might have. I really don¡¯t care much about that Shrine given that it¡¯s only an extra 2 points of Faith per day, however, going by its description, people need a place where to pray.


    ¡°While it might be so, keep in mind that we are allowed to make all the decisions ourselves and the Chaos God choose not to interfere. That means that he already took in consideration this type of situation happening. What he wants from us more than anything is to survive and prosper! To do that, we might have to be a bit disrespectful from time to time¡­ however, this time I agree with you.¡±


    [[Eh!?]](Mia)(Alexa)


    I chuckled slightly seeing their reactions and their inquisitive looks.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have a total of 50 people removed from the two previously mentioned units. Beside them, on the first two days only, the dungeon diving unit will help with the building as well. Therefore, we will focus on construction both days. If 50 people generate 10 production points per hour, we will get 20 with 100 builders. That means one building per day for starters, but it will considerably slow down afterwards. Like I already mentioned, the first day we¡¯ll build the Monument and the Shrine on the following one.¡±


    [Why only the first two days Michael? The hard manual labor is very rewarding when considering the attribute points everyone in the dungeon diving unit received¡­](Alexa)


    ¡°While that might be true, we will begin our second dungeon expedition on the 14<sup>th</sup> day.¡±


    [So soon?](A)


    ¡°Yes. We need to bathe the new ones in a bit of blood and we¡¯ll also try something new tomorrow, in the hope of better weapons.¡±


    [You mean¡­](Mia)


    ¡°We¡¯ll try to melt ores!¡±


    [It will be difficult¡­](Alexa)


    ¡°But not impossible! We¡¯ll try and see what we can do¡­¡±


    Thinking about metal casting, another lifestyle Job came to mind: blacksmith! If I could grab another one of those for my camp, we will have a continuous income of weapons, armors and tools.

 To chose, or not to chose... that is the question!

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what other changes occurred due to the age advancement. Mia?¡±


    [Understood!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="4">Materials available</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Wood: 7864 units</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stone: 5272 units</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Food: 1736 units (food is estimated to last 8 additional day)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Others: 900 units</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Others?¡±- I asked unsure


    [Michael, they are probably the tools and weapons we deposited in the warehouse.](Alexa)


    [Correct! There are 100 axes, 100 pickaxes, 100 hammers, 100 shovels, 100 spears and 100 knives. The other 300 units are probably made of carts, thresh, or spares for the previously mentioned ones.](Mia)


    ¡°I see¡­ we have bolstered our tools quite a bit given the sparse materials and tech available. We should have Denise do an inventory check¡­¡±


    [Understood! Should I bring up the next tab?](Mia)


    Looking at the curious girls, I realized that changes might have occurred with Mia¡¯s personality. If an AI becomes more humane, would that be a good or a bad thing?


    ¡°Sure¡­ Bring up the Social Policies.¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Social policies are a concept representing the non-scientific or religious advancements of your society. They act as a system of gameplay bonuses, activated little by little as your civilization develops its Culture. Some of these bonuses are empire-wide (meaning they act on all cities and empire components at the same time), while others are related to particular buildings, units, or even Great People. Many Social Policies enhance individual buildings'' functions - check the list of buildings for more information on that.


    All policies are organised into trees, and each tree has to be unlocked before the specific policies in it can be adopted. The policies within each tree (or reforms) are further organized into branches, requiring that lower-level policies be adopted before higher-level ones become available. Unlocking a policy tree also activates a special bonus, as does adopting all five policies in it.


    Current civilization growth ¨C 5 culture points/day


    Total gathered ¨C 26 culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">


    Social Policies


    Mainly used in representing the non-scientific or religious advancements of your society.


    Also used to decide the order of cultural advancement, it consists of ten different branches one can chose between and invest in creating a unique civilization.


    Each choice can influence a specific field, like for example increasing the amount of Social Policy points, increasing the amount of Faith gained or even improving the Production or Research.


    Available social branches:


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Tradition (unlocked)</td>


    <td>Exploration</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Liberalism</td>


    <td>Commerce</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Military</td>


    <td>Navigation</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Piety</td>


    <td>Technology</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Aesthetics</td>


    <td>World Order</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">Currently able to buy another reform or a branching social policy from the Tradition reform.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°The Tradition reform seems to have been truly unlocked, so we might be able to see the branching policies available under it. Mia, if you¡¯d please¡­¡±


    [Acknowledged!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Adopting Tradition greatly increases the rate of border expansion (25%) in cities and also grants +3 Culture points in the main settlement. Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all Policies in the Tradition tree will grant +15% Food Growth in all cities and a free Aqueduct building in your first four settlements. It also allows the purchase of Great Engineers with Faith Points starting in Industrial Era.


    Current branching social policies:


    - Oligarchy;


    - Legalism;


    - Landed Elite;


    - Monarchy;


    - Aristocracy;


    Cost for a new branching social policy: 25 Culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [If these options are available, would the order big sister mentioned regarding the social reforms change?](Alexa)


    Mia turned her head and looked at me for an answer. I was unsure¡­ Let us just decide as always, after all other information has been acquired. For that, I needed to have the description of each one of those branching policies.


    ¡°Mia, let¡¯s see each option before deciding.¡±


    [Indeed, that is the best course of action. I will proceed then!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Oligarchy


    Oligarchy is a form of government in which a small segment of society has all of the power. Power might be held by a specific family or tribe, or people of a certain religion or from a special caste. Some city-states in ancient Greece were oligarchies, where all power was in the hands of a few elite families.


    Benefits: +50% increase in basic attributes (STR, AGI, END, INT) when fighting inside the territory and 10% reduced cost when purchasing policies from the Military reform


    Cost: 25 Culture Points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Legalism


    Legalism is a policy in which the relationship between the ruler and his or her subjects is laid out in a series of laws, which both sides must adhere to strictly. If the law is fair and is properly enforced, the people will be content and the ruler''s position will be secure. While this may seem to cover most governments that follow the rule of law, legalism almost achieved the status of a state religion in China during the Warring State Period.


    Benefits: provides a free cultural building in your first 5 settlements (currently available: Monument)


    Cost: 25 Culture Points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Landed Elite


    Under this policy, the power and prestige in a nation is held by those who own the land. The more land one owns, the more powerful one is. In some cases land ownership may be limited to members of a certain class, tribe, religion, or even gender. Great care must be taken by the landed elite to see to it that the great unwashed mass of peasants don''t become angry with them, as such situations often end with a radical redistribution of land, which may or may not be accompanied by the executions of the former landowners.


    Benefits: +15% crops speed growth in farms; food designed as territory¡¯s staple food receives 200% increase in both growth speed and quantity production (you can design up to two types)


    Cost: 25 Culture Points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Monarchy


    Monarchy is a form of government where power is vested in an individual. Often, but not always, power passes to the monarch''s heir upon the current ruler''s death. (There are some elected monarchies, but not many.) Monarchy is similar to despotism, but with one important difference: the monarch rules within the state''s laws, while a despot is above all law. It is of course quite possible for a monarch to be a despot - but it is also possible for a monarch to be part of a political process which allows the people a good deal of freedom. Great Britain would be an example of the latter.


    Benefits: -1 unhappiness points per each 2 elves your civilization has; 100% increase in production speed and quantity of staple resources gathering (you can design up to two types of such resources)


    Cost: 25 Culture Points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Aristocracy


    Aristocracy is a form of government in which a group of the most prominent citizens rule. Membership to this group may be hereditary, or it may be through merit or wealth or all three. The term is derived from the Greek word aristokratia, meaning "the rule of the best." There is a very thin line between an aristocracy and an oligarchy, and which form a government actually is might very well depend upon one''s point of view: the rulers might consider themselves aristocrats, while everybody else sees them as oligarchs.


    Benefits: +1 happiness for each 10 elves in your civilization; 15% speed increase for special buildings (15% Production Points reduction for such buildings)


    Cost: 25 Culture Points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I took a deep breath and felt a headache brewing. Just as Alexandra said, the order in which we should pick the policies and the reforms might change. Is it worth it though? While it might be worth it early on to get Oligarchy instead of Liberalism, all in order to get the Monument built up, it is a two way street.


    ¡°This¡­ is tricky¡­¡±


    [Michael, what should we do?](Mia)


    [What do you mean big sister?](Alexa)


    [Now that we have a production of 5 Culture Points per day and the option of increasing it with another two though picking Oligarchy, Michael is not sure which option should we pick¡­](Mia)


    ¡°What¡¯s your take on this matter Mia?¡±


    [There are pros and cons¡­ For example, the major pros are the fact that we will have an early on boost of points that will allow us to pick more policies and faster. In addition, we can save up the building time and possibly, the resources required for the Monument. The major cons consist of breaking the previous order and even more important, we will chose to forsake the Liberalism reform this time. That might mean forsaking other branching policies that might be even better once the reform is unlocked. Not to mention, there is a list of available cultural buildings on which only the Library currently shows. Nevertheless, what if in the future better buildings are available? Some that cost even more or has a higher requirement?](Mia)Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    [I see¡­ Big sister is right, is quite hard to pick between the two options¡­](Alexa)


    ¡°Not really¡­ Thank you Mia! Thank you Alexa! You just made my decision way easier than I thought it would be. We¡¯ll go like we planned in the beginning!¡±


    [You mean¡­](Alexa)


    ¡°Is not good to trip ourselves with short term gains and is better to make a decision after having all the information available about the options. Mia, you can make the honors!¡±


    [Acknowledged! Selecting Liberalism reform¡­ Requesting confirmation¡­](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Adopting Liberalism will provide +1 Culture point in every settlemnent.Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all policies in the Liberty tree will grant a free Great Person upgrade of your choice near in the main settlement.


    Cost:25 Culture points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Liberalism social reform has been selected!


    The cost of selecting it is 25 culture points and you currently have 26 points available.


    Would you like to proceed?</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Yes</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    Your civilization continues to climb the political ladder and the people¡¯s sentiment becomes available to be seen in the main interface!


    Your civilization acquired Liberalism and received as benefits an increase of 1 Culture Point per day for each settlement you possess (applicable for future settlements as well).


    Due to the effect of Liberalism reform on your people, the population sense of security and general happiness increased!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I can finally see the happiness thing I kept being reminded of so many times so far¡­¡±


    [I think that is the case Michael! Look on the main interface¡­ there is a new ¡®tab¡¯.](Alexa)


    And indeed, just like Alexandra pointed out, a new field became available to be viewed on the main interface showing People¡¯s sentiment. This time I didn¡¯t bother Mia with it and took action myself, bringing up the description for us three to check. The results¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">People¡¯s sentiment represents the ways your population feels about the current state of affairs.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Morale</td>


    <td>100% Positive - Your civilization is willing to work hard with little rewards;</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Security</td>


    <td>90% Positive - Your civilization feels secure thanks to the Wall and the armed forces in the settlement;</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Happiness</td>


    <td>55 Points - Your civilization is happy due to housing, food, water and a safe environment existing (Your civilization produces 5 points/day if the basic needs are met)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Unhappiness</td>


    <td>55 Points - Your civilization is unhappy due to little entertainment being available, clothing being insufficient and not diverse enough ( Your civilization produces 5 points/day until the basic needs are met)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">You can convert Unhappiness points into Happiness points by meeting the basic requirements requested by your civilization. Once doing so and the Unhappiness production per day becomes zero or negative, the Happiness production per day doubles.


    Once 150 Happiness points are reached, your civilization will be rewarded with a Golden Week! For 7 days all types of incomes in your territory (Culture Points, Faith Points, Reseach Points, Soul Points, production resources, etc.) are doubled.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well¡­ at least now I have a way to quantify the happiness, security and others¡­ Also, there¡¯s that ¡®Golden Week¡¯ thingy¡­ 100% increase to everything from culture points, to research points, faith and even soul points gain¡­ I simply need to decrease the Unhappiness stat and I should get a huge boost for those entire seven days. Also, I can simply wait another three weeks or so and I will automatically have enough points to start it either way.


    ¡°What about the newly unlocked Liberalism policies?¡±


    [Can I bring it up this time?](Alexa)


    ¡°¡­ ¨r(¨s¨Œ¨t)¨q ...¡±


    [You just need to gesture towards the Liberalism tab and tap gently on it. It will automatically bring up the options available. Then, you touch each branching policy and it will bring it up in front of us. Go ahead!](Mia)


    [S..sure! Let¡¯s see¡­ first gesture! Oooh! It worked! It worked big sister!](Alexa)


    [Hehe! Good for you! Go on with the next step!](Mia)


    [Yes! Next¡­ tap on it gently and again on the branching policies! There are also five like in the case of the Traditionalism reform!](Alexa)


    It was somewhat cute and I am glad I decided to involve Alexandra more in things such as this one. Not only will I be able to gain her complete trust that way, but also I might be able to throw some responsibility her way. Having both her and Mia take up the administrative work will certainly decrease the things I need to worry about.


    Remembering what Reaper said about how I need to increase both my Tier and my divinity rank and thinking of the second continent, I suddenly began feeling a sense of urgency¡­


    I sighed and tried to focus on the pop-ups in front of me.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Republic


    A republic is a form of government in which people or the representatives of the people have ultimate power rather than the power being vested in a monarch or despot. The people or their representatives may elect a leader, but that leader''s power derives from the consent of the people. Some classical cultures have had some form of republicanism, notably several Greek city-states and Rome (for part of its history), but for most of world history the monarchy was the most common form of government.


    Benefits: 5% decrease in the cost of Production Points in the main settlement and 5% decrease in overall Production Points in all settlements ( adds up to 10% decrease in main settlement and 5% in rest).


    Cost: 43 Culture Points</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Citizenship


    Citizenship is the policy of a nation that acknowledges that a certain group of people, usually based upon their race or tribe or where they were born, are members of that nation, and as such, deserve a certain amount of protection as well as some rights and privileges, above and beyond those accorded to foreigners. For example, a citizen can often move around the country freely, while a non-citizen may be subject to deportation or imprisonment if discovered by the authorities.


    Benefits: 25% decrease to material cost of all buildings; one free of cost ¡®Builder¡¯ Job change for one person (can be upgraded to Great Engineer once reaches Tier 2)


    Cost: 43 Culture Points</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Meritocracy


    A meritocracy is a system in which the most talented and worthy are assigned jobs and gain advancement in the government bureaucracy, rather than, say, those who are close personal friends of the current ruler (or congressman), or those from a certain tribe or caste or religion. Many long-lived governments swing back and forth between some form of meritocracy and some less sensible method of choosing those who run things. At first the officials are chosen for their ability, then over the years patronage or privilege creeps into the system and the government becomes increasingly inefficient and corrupt. Eventually things become so bad that the bureaucracy is jettisoned or reformed, and more meritorious officials are once again appointed.


    Benefits: +10% Happiness for each settlement you own; 50% decrease in Unhappiness for each new settlement you create.


    Cost: 43 Culture Points</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Representation


    Representation is a policy where the citizens of a nation appoint "representatives" to run the government. This might be considered a step up from collective rule, once the population becomes too large to support that government type. In a representative form of government, the country is divided into smaller, more manageable districts (or parishes, or states, or whatever), and each chooses one or more local citizens to represent their interests in the government for a set period of time. The representatives form a parliament or some other kind of deliberative body, and they rule the country. While most representative forms of governments are republics, it is not strictly necessary. Some representative governments elect temporary or permanent kings and other nobility to rule over them.


    Benefits: Each new settlement you create will only increase the cost of future policies with 35% less than normal, while each new settlements will provide twice the standard starting points; also starts a Golden Week.


    Cost: 43 Culture Points</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Collective rule


    Collective rule is the policy in which every member (or every adult member, or every adult male member) of the society takes part in the governing process, voting directly upon decisions rather than through a representative (as in a republic). While perhaps an effective form of government for tribes or small villages, collective rule becomes increasingly more difficult and unwieldy as the polity increases in size. If half of the citizens of a tribe of 100 each wanted to speak for one minute at a meeting, they could do so in under an hour. If half of the citizens of New York City each wanted to speak for one minute, they would need some 66,000 hours (plus a really huge meeting hall).


    Benefits: Provides a ¡®Mayor¡¯ Job change one time, free of cost; decrease the cost of future ¡®Mayor¡¯ class changes by 25% (a Mayor is required in order to create a new settlement)


    Cost: 43 Culture Points</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Now I could finally feel the headache I previously felt brewing¡­ Aren¡¯t each one of this policies pure gold? Seems like I was right when I said that a reform that was very stingy with its initial boost, would be quite generous with its policies.


    10% decrease in production points required for buildings? That is literally one day less of work for the building unit. Moreover, if that was not enough, I can force a class change to ¡®Builder¡¯ for one elf and then promote it to a Great Person, using the Soul Upgrade miracle. Then, to make it even better, I can increase the Happiness value, while decreasing the Unhappiness one, which will automatically push me faster towards the Golden age and if not, I can directly pick Representation to instantly start a Golden Age. For a week, I can directly boost my Culture Points to 12 per day, meaning that I can much easier improve my progression rate.


    Then there is Collective Rule¡­ It seems like I could start a new settlement and I should focus on its creation ASAP, but I have nowhere near enough population for it.


    ¡°We need to make some babies¡­ ASAP!¡±


    [[¡­(¡Ñ©n¡Ñ)¡­ ]](Mia)(Alexa)


    Okay... Maybe I could have phrased that better, but the main point still stands. I need to make sure during the upcoming festival all elven girls remain pregnant¡­


    ¡°I mean that we need more elves¡­ We can barely hang on given our situation, so we need more helping hands. Leaving that aside for now, Mia, Alexandra? What¡¯s your take regarding what should we focus on after the Liberalism reform?¡±


    [While I find most of the new unlocked social policies very attractive, I still think we should focus on the order we decided on previously and get the Military reform next.](Mia)


    [I agree. Also, since it says in the description of it that we can get more points by killing monsters; we should also wait until we completely researched the Military reform, before the next expedition. Since the next policy has a cost of 43 Culture Points we only need to wait seven more days from tomorrow onward and we can start the second expedition then.](Alex)


    [I also agree Michael. In doing so, we will have more workforces available for buildings and we can focus on smelting ores. In the best-case scenario, you can face the first floor of the dungeon with better weapons and armors. Worst-case scenario, you delay the attack by seven days. I cannot see any negative impact from it.](Mia)


    ¡°Hmm¡­ you two might be right. We can also have some fight practice done in those seven days, meaning that the dungeon diving unit will be more prepared. Also, in that case, we should try and build up the Barracks if the Metal Casting tech becomes available. The extra experience would be great. Speaking of which, let us take a look at the available technologies to be researched and let¡¯s go to sleep. Is quite late¡­¡±


    [Understood!](Mia)


    [All right!](Alexa)

 Is the little changes that matter

    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Research


    Used to decide the technological advancement, it consists of multiple branching paths one can chose, each one belonging to a specific time.


    Once a minimum of technologies have been researched, you can advance to the next era. Each era advancement will provide you with certain benefits.


    Current technologies available for research:


    Pottery ¨C already researched


    Animal Husbandry ¨C 1800 RP (-20% discount due to title)


    Archery ¨C 1800 RP (-20% discount due to title)


    Mining ¨C 800 RP (-20% discount due to title)


    Metal Casting ¨C 2400 RP (-20% discount due to title)


    Current Research Points available: 2545


    Current Research Points growth: 239/day (assign people to researching a specific field in order to increase growth)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Having both Denise and Andrea as Great Persons helps us quite a bit. We need to specialize more people. What I am incredibly conflicted about is why the hell isn¡¯t Mining already researched? Any idea you two?¡±


    [Very probably because only stone has been mined so far. There is a cooper reserve close by so we can move some people to mine there.](Mia)


    [Will that automatically complete the Mining technology big sister?](Alexa)


    ¡°Probably not¡­ this most likely has to do with the use of the ores. Marble? Any marble nearby Mia?¡±


    [I can check¡­](Mia)


    Why marble? Because is better for certain buildings and we could use it for sculptures or other stuff like that. That might help create a stonemason and who knows¡­ maybe the works of art will increase the daily culture point gain and if not, some extra sculptors to improve the beautifying of the camp.


    [I found a marble quarry but it is quite a distance away and carrying them using the carts we have at the moment is highly impractical.](Mia)


    ¡°What do you think we might require in order to facilitate an easier way to carry the cargo back to camp?¡±


    [Oxen or horses pulling bigger wagons.](Mia)


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    [Does that mean that we will focus on Animal Husbandry for the research Michael?](Alexa)


    ¡°Not this time love! I had in mind using marble for the Shrine and the Monument, but unfortunately, that is not possible this time. I plan to smelt some copper first and create some casts. If we manage to create some weapons we might get an achievement related to Metal Casting, case in which the amount of points required to completely research the knowledge related to it will be considerably lessened.¡±


    [That¡¯s a good idea master!](Mia)


    [Master!?](Alexa)


    ¡°¡­ ¨r(¨s_¨t)¨q¡­¡±


    Oh boy... This will be interesting to explain. Actually, it will be interesting seeing Mia try to explain this one. As for a backup plan, I could easily say that Mia was my maid and I can create a wealthy persona for my past self.


    "Your move Mia..."


    [...in the world from where the Chaos God saved us, I served master as his maid.](Mia)


    "Pffffft!"


    This girl... just how much did she took in terms of personality and personal preferences from me when she was ''installed''?


    [Maid? What sort of occupation is that big sister?](Alexa)


    "Now that''s a description even I want to hear. What would she say I wonder..."


    [A maid is a helper. A person very close to her ''master'' that helps them with everything and anything.](Mia)


    [I understand now! With big sister''s knowledge, nobody else besides you will be able to have a similar ''maid'' position.](Alexa)


    Hearing the reply made me question exactly what did Mia considers herself to be in relation to me. Actually, exactly what do I consider her to be?


    "An AI? Yes, but not fully... A regular girl with a shitload of knowledge? Yes, but not quite... I guess Mia''s just Mia after all..."


    [It does not matter how much knowledge you have Alexandra! What matters is how much you are willing to do for your master¡­](Mia)


    "Aaaaaaand let''s stop right there before you plant any stupid ideas in this girl''s head. I could see a rather terrifying development in the future given her personality (100% yandere), so please abstain from future comments... Alexandra! Leaving the whole maid business aside for now (until I can actually create maid uniforms), I need you to focus heavily on training the new bloods in the dungeon unit for fights. We''ll decide on a schedule while keeping in mind the minimum 10 hours per day required to be spent on building."


    [...okay.](Alexa)


    Safe! Almost got a three out of three there... Hmm, returning to topic at hand, isn''t something different from before when looking at the technologies available? They are blinking after all.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Alexandra, see if you can bring up the description for the available to be researched technologies."


    [Hmm? All right, I will try!](A)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Animal Husbandry


    Animal husbandry appears to have occurred at about the same time as the invention of agriculture. The dog appears to be the earliest domesticated animal, probably bred to assist in hunting and killing game. Evidence suggests that they were first tamed and bred in China - in fact, geneticists believe that about 95% of the dogs living today are descended from just a few common Chinese animals. Goats and sheep were domesticated in the Middle East perhaps by about 10,000 BC.


    Benefits: provides knowledge about taming and rearing of wild animals


    Cost: 1800 RP (-20% discount due to title)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Archery


    Archery is the technology by which a person uses the spring power stored in a bent stick (or "bow") to shoot a slender pointed projectile (an "arrow") a great distance at rapid speed. Throughout history bows and arrows have been employed in the hunt and in war. Their earliest use is lost in the mists of time, but probably dates from the Paleolithic era (which ended some 14,000 years ago) or even earlier (archaeologists have found stone points in Africa dating 60,000 years ago that may have been arrowheads).


    Benefits: provides knowledge of how to create and operate ranged weapons


    Cost: 1800 RP (-20% discount due to title)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Mining


    Mining is the process of extracting various useful substances from beneath the earth''s surface. The earliest mined elements include copper, iron, diamonds, gold, silver, salt and coal. Since one can''t eat any of that stuff, miners must be part of a community that grows enough excess food to support them and their families.


    Benefits: provides knowledge of how to mine and use different types of stones, metals or minerals


    Cost: 800 RP (-20% discount due to title)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Metal Casting


    Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process. Casting materials are usually metals or various time setting materials that cure after mixing two or more components together; examples are epoxy, concrete, plaster and even clay. Casting is most often used for making complex shapes that would be otherwise difficult or uneconomical to make by other methods.


    Benefits: provides knowledge of how to smelt and mold different materials


    Cost: 2400 RP (-20% discount due to title)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I found it quite intriguing how there were so many new details added. Just from those descriptions, I could gather sufficient data, which would allow me to do some experiments. Based on those experiments (if successful) I could develop the new techs way faster, without having to spend no more time than actually needed on them. Not only that, but a proper experiment done with the specific elves, would certainly make it easier to pick up new Jobs for them.


    "Speaking of Jobs, what''s going to be mine? In addition, will I qualify as a Great Person? I should probably already be given such a title due to the inventions and stuff. So, in conclusion, that means that I get the opportunity to only focus on dungeons with a specialization as Adventurer first and maybe a General after. If not, I could pick a lifestyle profession for the second option instead and try to help as much as I can with the technological advancement."


    "Okay! That is it for tonight girls! We have much to do in the morning so we should sleep early..."


    [What about the order in which we will research?](Alexa)


    "We will first restructure the units tomorrow and try to go with as many improvements in all technologies at once. For example, the mining unit will try to grab some copper for us to melt which then we will have Denise and her unit try to mold into things. That might bring us some achievements, which like previously stated, might drop the overall cost of the present ones. That will happen tomorrow and the day after, therefore days 12 and 13. The following two days we will also try to design and construct some bows and slingshots. I hope that that will bring us closer to the actual tech. Then, irrelevant of which way they go, we''ll acquire whatever tech we can on day 14 and decide then if either on that day or the following, we''ll start trying to create paper and teach people how to write and read!"


    [Oh, wow! That is a great idea master!](Mia)


    [Will that be helpful?](A)


    "Big time!"


    [Then I am glad to hear that!](A)


    "Alright! Let us leave it to that for today. Let''s get some shut eye!"


    The night passed (uneventful by the way) and morning was upon us. I realized at that point just how important a clock was back on Earth. Now that the notion of time was abstract, to say in the least, to the elves and in return that made me very hesitant when thinking about re-adding it in my civilization.


    Time is required for organizing chores - or at least in the society as I know it - and to deny time, would be quite impossible to do. Teaching them about it and if possible creating some primordial clocks, might help my civilization advance faster.


    "Maybe an hourglass... but I have no glass or a way to create that yet. So maybe a sun dial instead. In addition, I could create some calendars by carving the months and days on wooden boards. It will make the notion of time easier to grasp for everyone."


    [Master, you are awake already. Haven''t you sleep yet?](Mia)


    "Is not required, therefore I used the time to contemplate the changes we need to make. First and foremost we two need to talk. You changed quite a bit and the fact that you didn''t notice a simple mistake I made when calculating something, tells me that either you are concerned about something, therefore you mind is somewhere else, or that you''re becoming more of a human opposed to an AI."


    [A mistake in calculation? When!? How!?](Mia)


    "Calm down. Both scenarios are good news for us both. The math related to the Lumber Mill and the Stone Works. We had 50 people in each unit, right?"


    [...right.](Mia)


    "And the buildings provide an increase of 50% to the respective resources, right?"


    [...yes.](Mia)


    "Then, when only 25 will be left on each unit with the building boost in effect, what is the production rate going to look like compared with the current one?"


    [...it will operate at 75% master. Oh!](Mia)


    "Yup. You overlooked it at that point. That in my eyes isn''t a mistake, but a sign of growing as a person."


    [Nevertheless, it was a mistake...](Mia)


    "Not a relevant one. We would have seen the actual output eventually, therefore making the previous math irrelevant. After all, is just resources we are talking about and we have plenty of those to pick from our surroundings. However, there is only one you around and as I said, I like the fact that you are slowly developing your personality. Your own! Not one created because of my tastes or made up because of the knowledge you have. Your own!"


    [I understand. I will do my best... Alexandra is waking up.](Mia)

 A gathering of important people

    [Big sister? You two are awake already?](Alexandra)


    "Good morning sleepyhead! Were you able to rest properly?"


    I had a vague feeling of deja-vu, but I didn''t want to admit that there was yet another night in which I didn''t make a move on the two girls sleeping with me. I should probably make that happen before the festival, otherwise it will certainly make things awkward on the first try.


    "Plus that I didn''t exactly had practice in a while, nor do I know if I can still do the deed... It would be quite ironic to become a God, but as a result to suddenly become impotent. I should do a ''test run'', however I haven''t got a clue where would I find the privacy required for it to happen..."


    I found it amusing, the sort of problems I was suddenly facing. Rather, the type of problems I thought I might have. Mia confirmed it after all, the fact that our bodies have been enforced by divinity to become more efficient and better altogether quality wise. That would probably mean, in proportion of 90%, that I should be a star in the sheets.


    "Maybe there would be even an improvement."


    [Master... you are grinning again... It looks lascivious...](Mia)


    "...(¡Ño¡Ñ)..."


    Ignoring the rather scornful look Mia was giving me, I began contemplating how to bring into existence the showers for the current elven huts. If not (and mostly because is impractical due to the current level my civilization has) the best next option would be bathhouses. Two huge public bathhouses joined in the middle by a common area, which can serve as a pool.


    "It would be great if I could find a natural spring and create a thermal bath-house..."


    [Master, you are doing that thing where you think out loud again...](Mia)


    [Michael, what is a thermal bathhouse?](Alexa)


    "Is like a ... uhm... building with warm water where you can wash and soak in. You can use it to relax and wash away both the impurities on your skin, as well as the fatigue amassed during the day."


    [Oooooh! It sounds amazing!](Alexa)


    [It is... however, does master plan to have it created as one building only? Will there be a separation between men and women?](Mia)


    "I was thinking of creating two big buildings with indoor showers and both will be connected by an open bath as middle ground. Also, if we can somehow infuse the water in which we soak with mana, it will help hugely in strengthening our bodies as well."


    [...I guess it is a good idea. However, we need to create a couple of things in order to achieve that. Textile processing must be achieved in order to create proper clothing which won''t be just towels or lingerie easy on the body, but also something like a bathrobe ... ](Mia)


    "Yukata! We''ll need yukatas!!!"


    [...big sister, what is that?](Alexa)


    [Something that you can wear as clothing. Is quite pleasant, but it will take a while before we are able to create such a thing...](Mia)


    [Oh...](Alexa)


    I left the room and headed outside to get water, only to be greeted by the sweet morning air. It was quite early, probably 7am or something similar and it server as a reinforcement for the desire to create a sundial as soon as I can.


    It did not took long and under Andrea''s leadership, this morning''s breakfast was prepared. Like I already the last couple of days, with Mia and Alexandra by my side, I announced the changes that will occur due to the advancement to the Tool Age.


    "First off, I want to take the time to thank all of you for the hard work you put in the tasks you were assigned. I am proud of you all!"


    Cheers erupted on the tables and it was an obvious feeling of pride on everyone''s faces. I honestly spoke the truth, because there were no frictions between units nor did any fights or arguments surfaced. Probably that is the reason for the both the morale and the security levels being as high as they were.


    "As all of you saw through the World Announcement notification, we managed to advance our camp to the Tool Age. That means that now we have access to even more buildings, more advanced technologies and in the near future... better commodities, such as clothes for example."


    Seeing an even stronger reaction to my declaration, it was made clear just how accurate the Unhappiness tab in the People¡¯s Sentiment was. I should keep an eye on it at all times from this point onward.


    "Now then, in order to achieve yet another advancement, more is required of us to do! Therefore we will be re-assigning the units and the people in it!"


    There was no commotion this time, however everyone was keeping quiet and waiting with a glimmer in their eyes to hear what unit they will get assigned to. Before I could speak though, Mia and Alexandra whispered in my ear something regarding checking first if there are any more people that received a Job change due to repeated actions in a specific field.


    Agreeing that it is a sensible thing to ask in order to avoid a Tailor having to mine copper, I boldly followed their suggestion.


    "Like you already know, we have Denise and Andrea which have received our Chaos God''s blessing and are now in the possession of specific Jobs, basically doing what they like. My first question for you people is, are there any others that managed to receive similar blessings? Please raise your hands if it''s the case."


    To my utmost surprise and delight, there were at least seven hands in the air. Nah, make that eight! Eight elves received new Jobs! In addition, among them were familiar faces!


    "Laurence, you seem to have received a new Job?"


    [Yes sir!](Laurence)


    "Good! All of you on your feet and present the unit you are part of currently and the name of your Job. Laurence, you can start."


    I remembered Laurence because of the daily interactions with him during the dungeon diving unit exercises and the fact that he was the squad leader in the small competition I set up when the bears were hunted. I remember being thoroughly impressed by his leadership skills at that point and how easy he came up with a plan based on his observation skills.


    [My name is Laurence Greenwood and I am part of the dungeon diving unit! With our Chaos God''s blessing, I received a new Job of ''Commander''!](Laurence)


    A round of applause started by Mia followed and everybody congratulated him. I took the chance to sneak a peek at his new Status Page.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Laurence Greenwood


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Level


    </td>


    <td>


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Race


    </td>


    <td>


    Elf


    </td>


    <td>


    STR


    </td>


    <td>


    45


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic


    </td>


    <td>


    15


    </td>


    <td>


    Elf Commander


    </td>


    <td>


    5


    </td>


    <td>


    43%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sex


    </td>


    <td>


    Male


    </td>


    <td>


    DEX


    </td>


    <td>


    26


    </td>


    <td>


    Charm


    </td>


    <td>


    55


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Age


    </td>


    <td>


    12 days


    </td>


    <td>


    AGI


    </td>


    <td>


    22


    </td>


    <td>


    Luck


    </td>


    <td>


    35


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World


    </td>


    <td>


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td>


    END


    </td>


    <td>


    26If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    </td>


    <td>Leadership</td>


    <td>28</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    HP


    </td>


    <td>


    497/497 (+8.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    INT


    </td>


    <td>


    39


    </td>


    <td>Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td>+ 25</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    MP


    </td>


    <td>


    425/425(+3.4/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS


    </td>


    <td>


    42


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Tactics(Basic)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">56%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">43%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    As I originally thought, his innate abilities became skills and he has the same type of information gathering skill as I have. It made me wonder what differences are between the maxed out level I have for it and his level 1. As for his ¡®Commander¡¯ Job, is very likely that upon reaching Tier 2 it will be upgraded to ¡®General¡¯. His addition to the Great People tab didn''t happened yet, meaning that reaching that Tier 2 is mandatory for each basic Job to be recognized as a major talent.


    "Excellent Laurence! I look forward to some dungeon diving with you!"


    [Thank you sir! I will do my best to meet your expectations!](Laurence)


    "The next person please!"


    [H..hello! My name is Stephanie Greenwood and I am part of the land reclamation unit. I received two days ago our Chaos God''s blessing and my Job changed to ''Farmer''...](Stephanie)


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Stephanie Greenwood


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Level


    </td>


    <td>


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Race


    </td>


    <td>


    Elf


    </td>


    <td>


    STR


    </td>


    <td>


    35


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    Elf Farmer


    </td>


    <td>


    5


    </td>


    <td>


    21%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sex


    </td>


    <td>


    Female


    </td>


    <td>


    DEX


    </td>


    <td>


    36


    </td>


    <td>


    Charm


    </td>


    <td>


    45


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Age


    </td>


    <td>


    12 days


    </td>


    <td>


    AGI


    </td>


    <td>


    32


    </td>


    <td>


    Luck


    </td>


    <td>


    45


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World


    </td>


    <td>


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td>


    END


    </td>


    <td>


    36


    </td>


    <td>Concentration</td>


    <td>24</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    HP


    </td>


    <td>


    463/463 (+7.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    INT


    </td>


    <td>


    29


    </td>


    <td>Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td>+ 25</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    MP


    </td>


    <td>


    453/453(+4.1/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS


    </td>


    <td>


    35


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Plant comunication(Basic)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">2</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">76%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This time I took the lead and furiously clapped congratulatory. This was absolutely amazing! A Farmer! I actually have a specialist that can handle our crops now! I should prioritize using the Soul Upgrade miracle on this raw diamond as soon as I have the funds available. I should check for that later¡­


    "Honest congratulations Stephanie! Your new Job is a true blessing for our camp; especially given the current potatoes planting operation, which we have planned. With your help, our camp will not need to worry about food in the future, nor our future children!"


    Another wave of congratulations followed and the shy elf girl reddened like a ripe tomato. She should get used to this kind of treatment given that she will have future responsibilities I will throw shamelessly on her...


    "Excellent, excellent! So far, we already have two people that will be of immense help in the future, besides Andrea and Denise which practically are the hearts of the camp. The next person please!"


    [Hello! My name is Claudia Greenwood and I am part of the guardsmen unit! Under the Chaos God''s blessing, I was able to change my Job to ''Guard''!](Claudia)


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Claudia Greenwood


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Level


    </td>


    <td>


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Race


    </td>


    <td>


    Elf


    </td>


    <td>


    STR


    </td>


    <td>


    55


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic


    </td>


    <td>


    15


    </td>


    <td>


    Elf Guard


    </td>


    <td>


    6


    </td>


    <td>


    36%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sex


    </td>


    <td>


    Female


    </td>


    <td>


    DEX


    </td>


    <td>


    26


    </td>


    <td>


    Charm


    </td>


    <td>


    40


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Age


    </td>


    <td>


    12 days


    </td>


    <td>


    AGI


    </td>


    <td>


    22


    </td>


    <td>


    Luck


    </td>


    <td>


    40


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World


    </td>


    <td>


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td>


    END


    </td>


    <td>


    56


    </td>


    <td>Constitution</td>


    <td>45</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    HP


    </td>


    <td>


    683/683 (+15.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    INT


    </td>


    <td>


    29


    </td>


    <td>Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td>+ 30</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    MP


    </td>


    <td>


    413/413(+3.5/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Defend and protect(Basic)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">2</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">46%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The same process ensued and I was awed by this girl''s status page. She was the perfect fit for a ''tank'' position in the dungeon with those stupidly high attribute points in Endurance and the ridiculously high HP. Also instead of the usual Concentration, both she and Laurence have a new attribute... Leadership for one and Constitution for the other. Those two attributes are Job related from I can tell, meaning that each Job might be unique in its own way...


    "Honest congratulations Claudia! With you around, I have little to worry about our people being attacked by wild animals or monsters when gathering resources. My heart is truly at ease now! The next person please!"


    [Hey! My name is Anne Greenwood and I am part of the production unit. Regarding my Job, I received the blessing of the Chaos God and it changed to ''Tailor''.](Anne)


    "Eh!?"


    Unlike before, this Job utterly stupefied me and a dumb sound escaped my mouth. Everyone turned their eyes with a noticeable sound, almost asking ''what''s wrong?''. Realizing that the atmosphere became awkward, Mia jumped to my rescue.


    [Michael is probably surprised and impressed by the Job Anne received. It probably can be placed a step above the previously mentioned ones due to our immediate need for clothes. A Tailor will be a truly magnificent addition to our camp! I look forward to the new beautiful clothes you will create for us Anne!](Mia)


    [I will do my utmost to meet your expectations big sister! No! I will strive to go beyond them!](Anne)


    [I am pleased and reassured to hear that!](Mia)


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Anne Greenwood


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Level


    </td>


    <td>


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Race


    </td>


    <td>


    Elf


    </td>


    <td>


    STR


    </td>


    <td>


    25


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic


    </td>


    <td>


    15


    </td>


    <td>


    Elf Tailor


    </td>


    <td>


    6


    </td>


    <td>


    79%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sex


    </td>


    <td>


    Female


    </td>


    <td>


    DEX


    </td>


    <td>


    46


    </td>


    <td>


    Charm


    </td>


    <td>


    35


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Age


    </td>


    <td>


    12 days


    </td>


    <td>


    AGI


    </td>


    <td>


    42


    </td>


    <td>


    Luck


    </td>


    <td>


    55


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World


    </td>


    <td>


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td>


    END


    </td>


    <td>


    26


    </td>


    <td>Concentration</td>


    <td>54</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    HP


    </td>


    <td>


    425/425 (+5.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    INT


    </td>


    <td>


    36


    </td>


    <td>Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td>+ 30</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    MP


    </td>


    <td>


    433/433(+4.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS


    </td>


    <td>


    42


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Tailoring(Basic)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">2</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">26%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After checking the Status Page and recovering from the initial shock, I smiled and congratulated her as well. It appears that her special attribute was the same Concentration that Stephanie, Denise and Andrea had. That probably signified that lifestyle Jobs receive an advantage in regards to focusing a bit better on their work.


    "This is indeed a gathering of stupidly talented elves! Since they can''t be called Great People yet, I guess Impotant People should do it... However, now that is obvious that I can''t leave these unpolished diamonds remain in the dirt, what I''m I supposed to do with them?"

 Less responsibilities and divine lightning

    "Truly today is a blessed day! To have received this many great surprises and we still have four other people to go... I already can see our future becoming brighter and brighter! Let the next person speak up!"


    [Hello everyone! My name is Nicholas Greenwood and I am the leader of the woodcutting unit. The blessing I got changed my Job to ''Lumberjack''!](Nicholas)


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Nicholas Greenwood


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    65


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf Lumberjack


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    7


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    29%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    35


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12 days


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    35


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    46


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Concentration</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">52</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    519/519 (+7.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 35</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    403/403(+4.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Woodcutting(Intermediate)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">11%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Congratulations Nicholas! Is great to have a specialized squad leader, especially so early on! In addition, if I am not mistaken...


    [Yes sir, is as you guessed! My name is Gabriel Greenwood and I am the leader of the mining unit. Like Nick, I also received a new Job and it is called ''Miner''.](Gabriel)


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Gabriel Greenwood


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    55


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf Miner


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    7


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    28%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    46


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    35


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12 days


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    32


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    35


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Concentration</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">54</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    489/489 (+7.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 35</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    403/403(+4.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mining(Intermediate)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">15%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Excellent! Truly excellent both of you! Now I can be at ease regarding the future resources our territory will need. I am curious what other surprises did our remaining people prepared for us?""


    Seeing their almost identical status pages, I could already imagine these two bonding easily over a pint of beer at the nearby bar. It seems that Nicholas is specialized in STR and END, while Gabriel in STR, DEX and AGI. Also, both have their lifestyle skills already at Intermediate. With such a growth, I might not even need to bother with upgradng them to Tier 2...


    [Hello everyone. My name is Alice Greenwood and I am part of the production unit. I am not entirely sure how, but I received a blessing from our Chaos God and my Job also changed to ''Healer''...](Alice)


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Alice Greenwood


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    ValueYou could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    45


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf Healer


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12 days


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Holy</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">55</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    420/420 (+5.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    44


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 25</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    703/703(+13.5/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    40


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Minor Heal(Basic)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">23%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Holy fuck!!!" - I shouted almost chocking on an apple-like fruit


    [... ¨r(¨s_¨t)¨q ...](Mia)


    "Sorry but that was truly out of nowhere¡­ Alice, if I am not mistaken weren''t you part of the squad that helped with the creation of the pillows?"


    [Yes Mister Michael...](Alice)


    "And... well, can you think of anything specific that you did in order to get the change of Job?"


    Wasn¡¯t this the perfect opportunity to create more Healers? If I have four or five of them in the dungeon diving unit, I could easily crush more floors, irrelevant of the numbers we face! Also, her special attribute was Holy... truly interesting!


    [Uhm... because I am quite clumsy, I pricked my fingers quite the number of times and had to ask big sister Mia about the ''medicine'' she used when you were wounded. After I managed to use the herbs mixture on both myself and a couple of other people, my Job suddenly changed to the current one...](Alice)


    "That is absolutely amazing Alice! With you around, the few of us in the dungeon diving unit will be more confident in taking down the monsters such as Murlocs. Right! Before I forget! All of you are required to save your free attribute points and before assigning them you will need to talk with myself or Mia about how to benefit the most from their use."


    Thinking up to this point, there is a need to hold some ''classes'' about the Jobs and teach them how to decide what sort of route the user should take. I took this adventurer system more lightly than I should have...


    "Alright then! Let''s hear the last person! Please, go ahead! Hmm? You are Simone Greenwood, right? From Denise''s production unit?"


    [Yes Mister Michael. The Job I received is ''Researcher''.](Simone)


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Simone Greenwood


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf Researcher


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    6


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    56%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12 days


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Concentration</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">65</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    420/420 (+5.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    58


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 30</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    783/783(+20.5/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    62


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Research(Basic)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">20%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Moment of Briliance</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Hahaha! Truly, truly a great day! It is a pleasure to have you on board Simone! With so many great talents, the progress we will achieve from now on would be many times multiplied! Now then, I will announce the changes we''ll apply from today onward!"


    Realizing that I should give it at least a good couple of minutes of proper thought, I prompted everyone to indulge in the tempting dishes Denise and her squad created for us. I also quietly ate while pondering.


    "There already are elves capable of leading in their own fields, so I should grasp this chance to set up a proper skeleton for my civilization''s future government. I could create departments just like back on Earth and give more responsibilities to the ''geniuses''. That way, I will force them to be more actively involved in decision-making regarding our future. Or at least, for starters, they can be exposed to such pressure, learn and grow."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+2 Endurance attribute points received! +3 Strength attribute points received! +1 Agility attribute points received!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I raised a brow at the rather low amount of points I got (even by my standards) and realized that there is the possibility to reach a full stop soon enough for the shortcut we took. There should be a limit for how much we can we can boost our stats through eating.


    At the same time, if the mana concentration in the air, dirt, plants and animals increases thanks to the World Tree, then the shortcut might become available again. But that¡¯s in the distant future¡­


    I took a look around the tables and everyone pretty much finished eating and were patiently waiting for the new arrangements I prepared.


    "Alright people! First of all, we will regroup the entire 199 elves. Regarding Alexandra and myself, we will both continue to be part of the dungeon diving unit, while Mia will remain as adviser for all other units due to her extensive knowledge. Secondly, we will change and rename some of the current units as follows. The woodcutting unit, the mining unit and the land reclamation unit will retain their original names; however, under the leadership of Nicholas, Gabriel and Stephanie they will create and lead the Agriculture Chamber. The Agriculture Chamber is responsible for procuring and distributing the resources available in our territory. Regarding future adjustments, those will happen after we will hold our first territory administrative meeting. Congratulations you three!"


    There was another fervent amount of shouts and cheers for the first ''officials'' of the territory. Until now, myself, Mia and Alexandra held the reins tightly and didn''t really give others a chance to grab a piece of the pie. Now however, is time to lessen my workload... considerably!


    "Regarding your three units, each one of them will be reduced to only 25 people. I would ask out of the original three units for those who like what they are currently doing to volunteer in order to fill up the required spots. The most important thing is to make sure that you are comfortable with the type of work you are daily performing now! If that condition is met, either now or later down the road, would you find something better or change your mind into the future, the three leaders of the Agriculture Chamber will be responsible for finding where you''ll be the best fit for. Nicholas, Gabriel and Stephanie! I am expecting each of you to finish creating your new units within the shortest amount of time and report to Mia, as soon we finish with the assignment for the other units!"


    [[[Yes sir!]]]


    "Good answers! Next up, Laurence and Claudia! Your units will receive some changes regarding the names. Laurence, the dungeon diving unit will be renamed into the Adventurer unit. Claudia, your guardsmen unit will also change their name to the Homeland Security unit. Regarding the numbers¡­ Laurence!"


    [Yes sir!](Laurence)


    "Your unit will have a total of 50 people including yourself, Mia, Alexandra and me. The original dungeon diving unit participants should remain, but if any of them desire to change their occupation to something else, confer with Mia."


    [Understood!](Laurence)


    "Claudia!"


    [Yes sir!](Claudia)


    "Your unit will have a total of 25 people with you included and it will follow the same type of voluntary service. It is advisable to try and swap from one job to another between your unit and Laurence''s, since you both activate in a similar domain!"


    [Understood!](Claudia)


    "Great! Both your units will become part of the Military Chamber! We will discuss your attributions and responsibilities as well, in the first territory administrative meeting."


    [[Yes sir!]]


    "Good! Now then, that''s a total of 151 people, out of the 202 that we have in our camp that already have a Job. Next up, Alice!"


    [Y...yes sir!](Alice)


    "You are one of the most important person for the survival of our camp in case of wounds or disease. You will be a temporary member of the adventurer unit and might have to join us in our future dungeon expeditions. Claudia, the same might be required in your case. Any complaints?"


    [[No sir!]]


    "Alice, in your case you won''t participate in the fights, so you don''t need to worry. As for the dungeon expeditions, we will protect you with our lives, since those lives depend on you."


    [Th...Thank you...](Alice)


    Seeing such a cute blushing woman, the urge to embrace her almost overwhelmed me. Almost! Now that most of the things were already figured out, there was one final decision to be made. The building unit and the production unit... I have excessively few people at the moment for both to fully operate, so they might need to share the workforce for now.


    "Denise, Andrea and Anne! You three will become the leaders of the Building and Manufacturing Chamber. As the name implies it will be split in two units: the Building unit that handles constructions and the Manufacturing unit, which handles tasks like creating new tools, clothes and other useful things for our camp. I need for you to pick including you a total of 50 people... actually, the remaining people will be part of this Chamber, all excepting Simone."


    [[[Yes sir!]]]


    "Make sure you report to Mia as soon as your people have been selected, because we have a ton of work to do this week. Simone!"


    [I am here sir!](Simone) ¨C she shouted happily raising her hand


    "Hehe! In your case, you will be the leader of the Technology and Research Chamber as well as its only member at the moment. When more people will join us in the future, your unit will obviously grow as well. For now though, I am expecting great things from you even if you are alone."


    [I will do my best sir!](Simone)


    "It will be more than sufficient. All right people, every one of the leaders mentioned! I am expecting you to have your units completely formed as soon as possible. When the ''selection process'' ended, I will assign you your tasks for the day."


    [[[Yes sir!!!]]]


    I felt drained of energy already and the day barely started. To my utmost happiness, each squad leader did their job properly and the few elves available as workforce were split faster than pizza on a Sunday. The orders given were obviously still the same, keeping in mind that there weren''t really major changes except for the names and the appointment of the said ''officials''. Therefore, the Agriculture Chamber took care of food and the plantation of potatoes, as well as other resources required for building or manufacturing, while the Homeland Security unit dispatched 15 people total to guard them and another 10 operated the walls.


    The Adventurer unit and the Building and Manufacturing Chamber will focus on constructing the Monument. Obviously, the Adventurer unit will join only after the morning exercises.


    I had everyone depart and start focusing doing their own things, while Simone and I took advantage of her new overpowered skill. Of course, I already dispatched Mia to oversee the construction site, unwilling to overlook such an important thing.


    "Alright Simone. From what I can see, your new skill requires a certain amount of basic knowledge regarding the technology you are going to focus on for an entire 15 days. What we''re going to discuss is how to create paper."


    [Paper? Is it a type of material?](Simone)


    I could see a deep curiosity in her eyes, making me nod my head in agreement to the system''s choice in making her a Researcher. Actually, is it because of their personalities that they get certain Jobs, or do certain Jobs affect their personality?


    I shook my head and tried to clear it of useless thoughts, while remembering the skill she got.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Moment of brilliance (LvL 1) - Active Skill


    After arduously researching until the point of obsession, a single moment of silence takes over you. The solution becomes obvious and you easily achieve a breakthrough.


    Requirements: select a subject for research and for a period of 15 days the specialist will focus solely on it. At the end of the 15 days, either a breakthrough is achieved, or a considerable advancement is made, all depending on the amount of initial knowledge regarding the specific subject.


    Hint: If your specialist will focus on researching a specific technology, the progress is made up to 50% of the required amount of Research Points, once more, depending on the depth of knowledge he/she has about the subject.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    How could I possibly not take advantage of such a cheat!? Divine lightning might strike me otherwise!


    "Speaking of which... I am the person responsible for the ''divine lightning''... can I use that?"

 Today on, how its made!

    "The paper is indeed a type of thin material usually made from wood, hemp, rags or even grasses. The process requires usually mixing minced parts of the materials I mentioned and then drying them into flexible sheets that can be used for writing and many other things that we will have access only in the future. Any questions so far?"


    [Yes... what''s writing? What sort of process is required in order to transform the wood or other plants into this ¡®paper¡¯ material? What ... ](Simone)


    "Okay love! Let''s take it slow, shall we? Regarding writing... hmm, you can think of it as putting the words we use to communicate on something physical like a stone tablet or the paper I mentioned previously. That way we will be able to remember things easier by writing them down and furthermore, help the following generations learn easier from our research."


    [That''s amazing!!! That means that not only will they be able to learn from us, they will not have to waste the same amounts of times we, the predecessors, spent.](Simone)


    "Quite a bit so... Regarding the process... For our current level of technology, I am afraid that only the manual papermaking using wood pulp would be accessible right now and even that might be a bit of a stretch. For cotton based paper¡­ I can¡¯t even begin to dream about it just yet.¡±


    [Manual papermaking? Quick, quick! Explain the process!] ¨C she demanded


    Looking at this cute but hyperactive chick, I began sweating and hoping I remember the process correctly. After all, I only saw a TV show back on Earth regarding how it¡¯s made. Also, manual¡­ I finally noticed just how much of an inconsistency was the ¡®Dismembering¡¯ skill manual I found in the dungeon was. After all, it looked just like a book¡­ even if my world has no knowledge of such a thing being created yet. That simply stands to show exactly how much help would the dungeon expeditions be to my civilization.


    ¡°Also, thinking about the many Murlocs we managed to kill during the first raid and all the loot we lost¡­ my heart is bleeding¡­¡±


    [Michael? Are you alright? Does anything hurt? You look close to crying¡­](Simone)


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m fine. Anyway, let¡¯s get back to the process of creating paper. I will let you know in advance that is very probable that we will have to postpone the creation of such a material, most likely due to our lack in technological advancement. Your purpose will be to theorize and try to find ways to create the said material, after I provided you with how it usually is created. All right?¡±


    [I am all ears!](Simone)


    ¡°Is good that you¡¯re hyped, but try to focus. Then let¡¯s start with the materials. Currently the best available material for us is wood. Let¡¯s go to the warehouse, since having a physical example is the easiest way to make you understand.¡±


    On our way there, I had her explain why she managed to change her Job to ¡®Researcher¡¯ and her explanation was as simple as saying that she really loved listening to Denise talk about what she learned from me and she began thinking of how to improve those things. Then¡­ it just naturally happened.


    I began heavily sweating when the words ¡®naturally happened¡¯ reached my ears¡­ If no intervention from my Influence or divinity, or from the system for that matter, were involved then she is an absolute genius that was made to be a researcher. Otherwise, it is even more terrifying if the system has a hand in it, because in that case, it becomes even more complicated and I will not be able to control it in any way.


    ¡°All right, we¡¯re here! Here, take a look at this¡­¡±


    Using an axe, I split apart the bark of a fell tree and drew her attention to the fibers encompassing the log.


    ¡°These fibers are what we¡¯ll be using. They are split into softwood that is the long fiber and hardwood, the obviously shorter ones. Their properties in the creation of the paper differ. For example, the softwood adds to the tensile strength of the paper, while the hardwood adds to its opacity. Depending on the mix, the end material can be either brittle and transparent, or strong and opaque. A balance needs to be found in order for the end product to be of good quality.¡±


    She quietly listened while touching, pulling and stretching the fibers. Her eyes sparkled with each word I mentioned about a process she didn¡¯t know jack about. Alternatively, neither did any other elf for that matter. I honestly prayed to Reaper that if this is due to the system, all the newborns or future elves would be just as knowledge-thirsty.


    [However, the base material is fragmented and I don¡¯t think we can weave them together to create the type of thing you described¡­ What are the next steps?](Simone)


    ¡°The process mainly consists of placing small pieces of wood called wood pulp in a big pot and add water. That is called ¡®furnish¡¯. In addition, usually the mixture of fibers and water must be placed a couple of meters on a platform or something, in order to have it suspended. It is also required to drain it as well in order to separate a specific component of the wood called lignin from it and allow the wood to dissolve properly in water. After some time, the fibers become interwoven and the water can be slowly removed through a screening process and for drying, is good even going as far as forcing it out by pressing on the mixture with sufficient weight.¡±


    [In that case, it means that after the water is removed and the mixture is dried, it becomes the paper you are talking about?](Simone)


    ¡°In simplified terms, yes. The process requires five main steps usually:


    1) separating the useful fiber from the rest of the raw materials such as the cellulose from water and lignin;


    2) beating down the fiber into pulp if the pieces are too big;


    3) adjusting the color and other proprieties of the paper by adding special chemical solutions;


    4) screening the resulting solution by using a properly made paper mold;


    5) pressing and drying to get the actual paper.


    Right now, the first two steps we can achieve with ease. The following two we have problems with. Regarding trying to adjust the color¡­ I need to think of a way to do that and as far as the screening process, that¡¯s just as difficult.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    [I understand a bit regarding what you mentioned so far, but I am confused about this ¡®screening¡¯ thing. What does it mean?](Simone)


    ¡°Hmm¡­ usually is something that involves a mesh or another type of wooden frame with interwoven inert material which would allow to separate the fibers from the water and make it easier to drain the liquid, while maintaining the solid materials inside. That is more commonly called a paper mold. How it works is as simple as having it submerged in the ¡®furnish¡¯, pulled out, shaken and drained until it becomes a uniform coating. The salvaged material pulled from the ¡®furnish¡¯ can be placed in a different space and the process can be repeated until the amount of material required is reached. In addition, usually a press of sorts must be created in order to flatten and drain the material of water. At the end, the only thing left to be done is to have the paper dry by letting it stay in open air.¡±


    [It doesn¡¯t seem that complicated...](Simone)


    ¡°Is not, however the material won¡¯t be of high quality either. Irrelevant of that though, there are still things required to be constructed before we can begin creating it. Such as a container in which the water and the fibers can be placed and boiled, preferably over a platform that would allow a fire to be lit under. For the paper mold, we need to have copper and melt it into thin strips and weave them together into a mesh of sorts, while the wooden frame similar to a window must also be crafted. Lastly, a press is required as well. While having two big slabs of stone pressed against each other might do the trick, even that would require proper thought put into it. What you need to do, is to imagine a way to make the process I mentioned happen. I plan to have for today and tomorrow everyone from the Adventurer and the Building unit participate the 10 hours we need to finish the Monument and the Shrine, but after that Denise and Anne will help you create a small-scale papermaking laboratory. Things like the container can be done using pottery or clay manipulation and once we have the copper and smelt it properly, we might be able to construct the mesh as well. You will be responsible for the process based on what I explained so far.¡±


    [I will be glad to! I have so many ideas and things I want to try!!!](Simone)


    ¡°Activate your skill as well. The ¡®Moment of brilliance¡¯ one! I didn¡¯t see any cost for it¡­¡±


    [There isn¡¯t one. However, from the knowledge of it I have, my Concentration will jump with an additional 30 points when activating it but I will receive a backlash, which will decrease my Endurance, and Strength with 15 points for 5 days after the skill effect ends.](Simone)


    ¡°Huh!? There was an effect like that?¡±


    [Yes¡­ I don¡¯t know how to explain it, because is not in the description. However, I am sure that it is going to happen that way. Is like¡­ how you know to breathe without being taught by anyone.](Simone)


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡±


    Doesn¡¯t this mean that for the others there might be similar things? Moreover, for her to be able to endure the backlash properly¡­


    ¡°Simone, your free attribute points. Assign them as 5 points in Concentration, 15 in Endurance and 10 in Strength. Then, activate your skill and you can start working on making our civilization more cultured. I will try and find coal or other materials for ink¡­¡±


    [All right! Moment of brilliance!](Simone)


    ¡°Does she need to shout it? It¡¯s kind of embarrassing¡­ ugh¡­ it made the hair on my hands stand¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh!? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    Your Researcher reached Intermediate level and the Research Point output is increased by 25% for the following 15 days!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I dumbly stared at the notification yelling at me. Wasn¡¯t her Research skill level only at Basic mastery? Wh¡­ How!?


    ¡°???¡±


    [It says that my mastery rank increased by one rank due to Concentration reaching the 100 value¡­](Simone)


    The more I found out about the system and how it works, the more confused I became. Will it be the case for the other attributes? I should check with someone¡­ but whom? Usually I would go directly for Alexandra, however she was directly boosted over the 100 value after the appointment as Hero. However, some value might have increased due to eating¡­


    ¡°All right love, I¡¯ll leave you to it. If you need anything or if you have questions, you know where to find me.¡±


    [Mhm!](Simone)


    I smiled bitterly at the fact that she was already more interested in the research than myself and departed for the construction site. Alexandra and the remaining of the Adventurer unit should return soon enough.


    [Master! You have arrived faster than expected¡­ How did it go with Simone?](Mia)


    ¡°Better than expected. Did you see the system notification?¡±


    [Yes¡­ was it because of Simone? What did you do?](Mia)


    ¡°Why do you always assume that it¡¯s something that I¡¯ve done!?¡± ¨C I complained


    Nevertheless, when thinking about it, it was me that told her to add those 5 points in Concentration¡­ Anyway, I explained the entire happening to her and she just gawked at me in response and then incredulously said.


    [Master, I think your Chaos type divinity is affecting this world more than we initially considered it would. Just the fact that there is hidden information that your max level Identify skill can¡¯t perceive, or the fact that upon reaching 100 value in a specific attribute a skill promotion might happen are solid proof of that. If you would have knowingly have done it, it might have been a coincidence. However, you just randomly told her to split the 30 points in that specific way. If you wanted to take care of the backlash, wouldn¡¯t you normally ask her to place 15 points in STR and 15 in END? Why the 5 in Concentration?](Mia)


    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t think of that.¡±


    [Is not exactly bad, master. In fact, so far, each time your ¡®chaotic tendencies¡¯ manifested, there were positive results that followed. I sincerely doubt that you would unconsciously cause harm to your own world¡­ maybe¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Thank you love¡­ that¡¯s¡­ reassuring. I need your help with something.¡±


    [Sure! What can I do?](Mia)


    ¡°We need to find and locate hemp and cotton and if possible prepare to create plantations if we have suitable areas.¡±


    [For paper?](Mia)


    ¡°Not only. We will also prepare for clothes to be brought into existence, made from such materials. How about it?¡±


    [¡­difficult. Our location is quite far from where the cotton or hemp can be found. We are located in the middle of a forest after all. We can try to venture out there, but it will take a couple of days for that to happen.](Mia)


    ¡°Two days!?¡±


    [Going and return.](Mia)


    ¡°What about parchment?¡±


    [Difficult from the deer skin, but if we find goats, sheep or bovines, we might have a chance. You should take this up with Anne.](Mia)


    ¡°Right¡­ We could use some sheep¡­¡±


    [Wool? Indeed, winter is coming!](Mia)


    I allowed Mia go back to assigning tasks to the fifty people on site and sneakily pulled Anne out from the hardworking crowd. I explained to her the process, which pretty much required removing the fur from the deerskin after soaking it in water and then drying it for some days. Obviously, there were other small things required to be done, such as removal of fat or other obstructions, but after I told her how to stretch the skin, she promptly left to tell Denise about the wooden frame and the other things required.


    After one more time confirming that the building unit has to spend 10 hours in actually constructing stuff per day and then they can do whatever they want (as long as it¡¯s productive and doesn¡¯t impact the camp in a negative way), I patiently waited for Alexandra to return.

 Magic

    Under Mia¡¯s continuous instructions, as well as the use of virtual projections she kept bringing up to confirm over and over again with the three newly appointed ¡®officials¡¯, the Monument began taking shape. Sort of¡­


    ¡°It literally looks like a child which used rocks and logs prepared for a Jenga game...¡±


    I still wasn¡¯t able to get used to the way buildings were supposed to work in this new world. However, this time the groundwork was a bit more complicated. The stone materials were used to surround the wooden logs that were placed in an octagonal shape, giving the impression of a flight of stairs slowly ascending. The wood was separated into planks and created the previously mentioned hexagon, which by my estimations, was at least three meters wide and two meters tall for each of its eight faces.


    I became slightly interested in seeing how exactly is the building going to develop under the influence of the World Tree.


    [Michael! Big sister said you were looking for me. Did something happen?](Alexa)


    ¡°Hey! How did it go with the exercises?¡±


    [Great! Laurence took over your position and guided us through some joint hunting, before which we did some mock fights. It was quite interesting!](Alexa)


    ¡°Glad to hear that. Have the others already begun working?¡±


    [Yes! Big sis also sent Andrea and another four people to prepare the lunch given that there are only a couple of other hours left. Also, she dispatched Denise to create something called a sundial¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Great to know we¡¯re on the same wavelength¡­ I forgot about talking with Denise about that. Right! I have some questions about your Status Page, can you show it to me first?¡±


    [Sure¡­ Here.](Alexa)


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Alexandra Greenwood


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Value


    </td>


    <td>


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td>


    Level


    </td>


    <td>


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Race


    </td>


    <td>


    Elf


    </td>


    <td>


    STR


    </td>


    <td>


    83


    </td>


    <td>


    Magic


    </td>


    <td>


    183


    </td>


    <td>


    Hero


    </td>


    <td>


    9


    </td>


    <td>


    80%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Sex


    </td>


    <td>


    Female


    </td>


    <td>


    DEX


    </td>


    <td>


    114


    </td>


    <td>


    Charm


    </td>


    <td>


    95


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Age


    </td>


    <td>


    12 day


    </td>


    <td>


    AGI


    </td>


    <td>


    123


    </td>


    <td>


    Luck


    </td>


    <td>


    135


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World


    </td>


    <td>


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td>


    END


    </td>


    <td>


    88


    </td>


    <td>Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td> +45</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    HP


    </td>


    <td>


    842/842(+24.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    INT


    </td>


    <td>


    146


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    MP


    </td>


    <td>


    1330/1330(+39.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS


    </td>


    <td>


    172


    </td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Grand Mage (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Guardian of the Forest (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">75%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Wind arcane magic (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Water arcane magic (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Under the banner (active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Soldiers of the Forest (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">4</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">59%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mana manipulation</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Probability manipulation (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">16%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Agent of Chaos (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">2</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">69%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Limber(passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">26%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings granted by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the God of Chaos</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I thought I prepared myself mentally for the shock, but WTF!? Those stats are absurd! I opened my mouth to say something, but when I met her beautiful eyes looking back at me, the words stopped in my throat and my mouth mechanically closed. Then I began opening and closing it again, probably looking like a fish.


    Judging from her smug reaction, she was expecting this to happen.


    ¡°Once a cheat elf, always a cheat elf!¡± ¨C I complained


    [Hehe!](Alexa)


    ¡°Yeah, yeah! Tell me, did anything happen once your Agility or Dexterity reached 100 points?¡±


    [Hmm¡­ Oh yeah! There was that notification about my physique improving when I got the Agility to 100, but once Dexterity also caught up, it became a passive skill. The Limber one.] (Alexa)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Limber(Basic) Lvl 1


    Your body movement limits have been continuously stretched and due to it, the flexibility you show has drastically improved.


    Benefits: 10% increase in Movement Speed; 10% increase in Evasion rate.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I considered carefully the skill in front of my eyes and its ramifications. Since she already has the Wisdom, Magic and Intelligence attributes over 100 points, she should receive similar skills. Nevertheless, given that she already received growth similar like in the case of Agility and Dexterity attribute points through workout and food, there must be a different type of trick to it¡­


    ¡°Alexandra, add 5 Attribute points to Wisdom, Intelligence and Magic each.¡±


    [Uhm¡­ are you sure?](Alexa)


    ¡°Nope.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    [¡­(¡Ño¡Ñ) ¡­](Alexa)


    ¡°Just do it! When we go in the dungeon you will level up anyway, so the free attribute points shouldn¡¯t pose a problem.¡±


    [Okay¡­](Alexa)


    I waited but¡­ judging from her expression which was similar to someone swallowing a thousand bugs, nothing good happened. I found that intriguing, so I made another push.


    ¡°Is okay love. Add another 10 points in each!¡±


    [!!!](Alexa)


    ¡°Trust me!¡±


    [¡­if nothing happens you and me will go dungeon diving together to recuperate those free attribute points! These are the last ones I have¡­](Alexa)


    ¡°Agreed!¡±


    I could see small traces of the forming yandere, so I decided to tread carefully. However, a helping hand descended once more.


    *GASP*


    ¡°I will take that as a good sign. Show me!¡±


    [There are two new passive skills and one active¡­](Alexa)


    ¡°What!? Bring them up, quickly!¡±


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Thought acceleration(Basic) LvL 1


    A passive skill improving your mind¡¯s ability to process information.


    Benefits: 10% increase in information processing speed; 15% reduction in mana cost for skills</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Mana control(Basic) Lvl 1


    A passive skill derived from Mana manipulation (acquired when Magic reaches 100 point value), Mana control is based on both the Magic and the Wisdom attribute and function as a signpost advertising a mage¡¯s true strength.


    Benefits: 10% increase in mana related skills damage; 10% decrease in mana cost for any mana related skills</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Emission(Basic) LvL 1


    An active skill created after achieving Mana Control. Your body becomes able to manipulate and emit mana short distances away from it. The mana nature depends on what type of element the user is able to control.


    The cost of the skill depends on the distance and time the user is willing to use it for. The damage inflicted depends on the level of mastery of both the element and the Emission skill, as well as the amount of mana used.


    Current elements available to use: Water and Wind</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    I tried to breathe in and calm down, however I found that impossible. MAGIC! This girl became able to use magic! If she was strong before, she will become an absolute powerhouse now that wind and water can be bended to her will. Shieeeeet! I need to calm down!


    "Huuuuu! Alright... let''s give this a go love. Try and use the emission skill."


    [Uhm... how?](Alexa)


    "Eh!? What do you mean how? Aren''t you supposed to like... know how to use them just like you are breathing?"


    [That sounds stupid...](Alexa)


    "Ahem! W...well, try to activate it and see what happens..."


    [Okay... hmm... it is an odd feeling.](Alexa)


    "What is? You already activated it?"


    [Yeah. It feels like there is mist all around me and also part of me.](Alexa)


    "So not everyone feels the need to shout the name of the skill to activate it... thank Reaper!"


    "Try and focus on the mana inside your body and move it around."


    [Understood! I will try, but don''t have any expectations...](Alexa)


    "If it''s you, you should be able to do it easily..."


    And almost as to prove my point, a slight breeze could be felt around us. I looked at Alexa and her eyebrows were frowned, almost locked together. It was obvious she was struggling with something.


    "Talk to me! What''s happening?"


    [I don''t know how to describe it... is like there are two colors and they are mixed. Each time I try to move them together, there is only a slight movement. Is as if they are fighting back.](Alexa)


    "What colors?"


    [Green and blue. There''s also a darker color...](Alexa)


    "Hmm... try and move them one at a time. Focus on the green colored one first."


    [Okay.](Alexa)


    With a ''whoosh'' type of sound the entire wind in our surroundings stilled. Then a sudden gust almost threw me off my feet, expanding from Alexa''s surroundings to everywhere else like a furious gale. Seems like she was successful.


    [It used almost 100MP in just moving it slightly!?](Alexa)


    "That''s a good sign. Now focus and try to do something else... For example, focus on the green type of mana and gather it the palm of your hand."


    Following my instructions, the gale stopped thrashing about everywhere and instead started blowing upwards due to the palm of her hand facing in that direction.


    ¡°Great! Now concentrate and try to make the wind rotate in a small ball. Make sure you keep it in control and keep rotating it¡­¡±


    Seeing that it was actually doable, her eyes were sparkling with excitement. On my end, beside envy there were also feelings of pride. Who knew that reading so many novels would come in handy in coaching newbie mages?


    In addition, the progress she was making was utterly astonishing, probably because of the arcane mastery she has for the wind element. The rapidly rotating wind began to be visible to the naked eye, while its speed kept increasing as well. It was becoming slightly dangerous.


    ¡°Now pick a target and throw the wind ball at it. Please don¡¯t pick people¡­¡±


    [Alright! Hmmmmmm¡­ There!](Alexa)


    With a shout the wind ball, or rather, the wind bullet that was the size of a tennis ball was literally thrown towards a log about 30 meters away. I didn¡¯t know if I should laugh at the fact that she took my instructions literally and threw the wind ball like you would throw a rock at someone, or if I should commend her for having an arm that would put good pitchers back on Earth to shame.


    However, the moment of impact my smile was completely erased. Why? Because the log was pretty much disintegrated¡­


    ¡°New rule! Never use that inside the camp¡­¡±


    [Agreed¡­ Oh! The Emission skill proficiency increased!](Alexa)


    ¡°Great! You can go and hunt since you can take care of yourself and there aren¡¯t things that can harm you, especially now that you can use magic as well. Your goal is to get accustomed to both wind and water magic, but even more important, create three type of skills: the ones meant for attacking, the ones meant for defending and the ones meant for escaping. Once you have one of which, you can focus on adding more diversity. For example, create attacking methods that deal heavy damage to only one target, or ones that deal damage to big groups. If not, focus on attacking skills which deal damage in one shot, or some that deal damage over time. The most important thing you can try is to combine the water and wind magic. Always be careful of your remaining mana and do not overexert yourself. Got it?¡±


    [Yup! Can I go now?](Alexa)


    ¡°Ugh¡­ sure¡­ go ahead¡­¡±


    I had a really bad feeling seeing her ran with such haste and even the image of half of the forest being destroyed in the process of her ¡®training¡¯ flashed briefly in my mind.


    Shaking my head and hoping for the best, I saw 100 pairs of eyes looking at me with stupefied expressions.


    ¡°Right¡­ they saw that happen¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright people! As you saw Alexandra is able to control magic and I will tell you tonight at dinner how that happened. For now, let¡¯s focus on ¡­¡±


    [Michael¡­ we should take a break for lunch.](Mia)


    ¡°Hmm? Already? Oh! That little dimwit just ran off without eating first. Anyway, she should be fine for now. Okay everyone, let¡¯s ¡­¡±


    And just as I was prepared to announce the lunch break, a loud explosion silenced the entire camp. Must I always be right!? What is that knucklehead doing to create that sort of sound already!!!


    ¡°¡­ Ignore Alexandra going wild and let¡¯s grab something to eat.¡± ¨C I said defeated


    There were snickers here and there, which I ignored as well and began eating with great gusto. I had to hand it to Andrea and her group¡­ the food was amazing.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+3 Magic attribute points received! +1 Agility attribute point received! +1 Strength attribute point received!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Just like the gains after eating were. During the lunch conversation with all the present departments, reports were being made one after the other.


    The Homeland Security unit reported increased activity on the side of the wolves, the Woodcutting unit reported their resource gains so far and the Mining unit reported successfully starting the mining of copper. On Stephanie¡¯s side, the potatoes planting came along nicely and I received a full inventory list of the current food available in the Granary.


    I said that I want to have fewer responsibilities, but I didn¡¯t expect such efficiency from them given that they are new to this. Anyway, the squad responsible for the building of the Monument also reported through Denise that we are about halfway through its completion.


    Everything was on point and after the meal ended, I entered the Town Hall to take a look at the interface.


    Unfortunately there were no changes anywhere, so I brought up the Soul Points I currently had available and tried to see if I could upgrade some of the ¡®officials¡¯ I have promoted so far.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Funds: 4631 SP


    Souls are used as currency in the ''Afterlife'' game. Due to the impracticality of the souls being directly handed over to the players, each soul is under a contract with the proprietor, making matters more simple.


    Upon deciding to use the souls to purchase population, the available numbers will be directly teleported to your world coordinates, at a designed location of your choosing. If you use them as currency in purchasing other items, the contract with the souls handed over is terminated.


    In order to make things fair, all souls will begin at LvL 0 and each one can be converted into population of each sex, depending on the requirement of the player.


    Soul Points can be gained either through birth of new population based on sexual interactions, or through daily accumulations.


    Each member of the population provides a specific number of points on a daily basis, as follows:


    LvL 0 - 1SP/day; LvL 6 - 100SP/day;


    LvL 1 - 3SP/day; LvL 7 - 250SP/day;


    LvL 2 - 5SP/day; LvL 8 - 500SP/day;


    LvL 3 - 10SP/day; LvL 9 - 1000SP/day;


    LvL 4 - 25SP/day; LvL 10 - 5000SP/day;


    LvL 5 - 50SP/day; LvL MAX - 10000 SP/day.


    Current funds growth: 649 SP/day


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Judging from the previous cost and the current daily growth, I can afford one Soul Upgrade to Tier 2 each four days or so. Right now, I can create one Great Person and do the same tomorrow¡­


    ¡°The problem is which one of the officials should I focus on?¡±


    Nick the Lumberjack and Gabriel the Miner do not require such upgrade yet, so there is no point in wasting scarce resources on them. Simone was already upgraded once through her skill so there might not be any difference if I upgrade her to Tier 2, therefore I wasn¡¯t willing to gamble my few points away. Claudia¡­ Claudia might become a mandatory existence for dungeon raids, so she was a good candidate. However, I said that only after all buildings are completed and I have some metal casted weapons and armors, would I start the second expedition. That means that, since there isn¡¯t an immediate threat to the camp, I can postpone her promotion for later¡­


    ¡°Then there¡¯s Anne and Stephanie. Oh, right! And Alice¡­ That girl has so little presence that I tend to forget about her¡­¡±


    With Alice¡­ there haven¡¯t been any accidents so far and again, I will only go dungeon diving over a week later. Therefore, I will also postpone her for now as well. Between Anne and Stephanie, given how urgent the crop production is and how important its successful growth is, I would prioritize her. So I could go with Stephanie today and Anne tomorrow¡­ Regarding Laurence, I feel it is safer to let him develop on his own rather than forcing him.


    ¡°So I should promote Alice then¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Alice Greenwood is currently at LvL 1 in soul refinement.


    Cost to upgrade to LvL 2 - 2500 SP.


    Due to effect of the miracle cost is reduced by 50%!


    Would you like to proceed?</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Yes</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Confirmation received!


    Upgrading soul refinement Tier of Alice Greenwood to level 2! </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°¡­ Eh!? What the fuck did I just do!? Why did I upgrade Alice instead of Stephanie? This¡­ ¡°


    Remembering Mia¡¯s words regarding my ¡®chaotic disposition¡¯, I realized that once again, something outside my scope of understanding occurred. After all the rationalizing that I did, I still ended up selecting something else entirely. I felt like tears were accumulating in the corners of my eyes.


    ¡°Do I still need a brain? If the choices are taken away from me? Fuck! What use is a Tier 2 healer when nobody is hurt!!!!¡±

 Dont doubt chaos, just let chaos happen!

    I left the Town Hall before a vein might¡¯ve exploded in my head, finding Mia patiently waiting near the Monument¡¯s construction site. The look in her eyes was asking ¡®what did you this time?¡¯, so I lowered my gaze in order not to meet hers.


    There was an obvious sigh and I felt my ears burning up, especially after a chuckle followed.


    [Did you use Soul Upgrade on Alice, master?](Mia)


    ¡°Yes and no¡­¡±


    [Chaotic tendencies?](Mia)


    ¡°Chaotic tendencies¡­¡± ¨C I confirmed


    [There might be a reason for it and is a good thing overall, really. Due to the upgrade to Tier 2, Alice received another skill called ¡®Prayer¡¯. It¡¯s an area of effect type of skill and even at basic mastery it covers 10 square meters. The healing is about 25HP/second for 10 seconds and has a low cooldown.](Mia)


    ¡°I wanted to upgrade Stephanie to Tier 2¡­¡± ¨C I complained like a child


    [Having our one and only Farmer upgraded might have been a great deal in other conditions, however when dealing with potatoes, I doubt such specialization is mandatory...](Mia) ¨C she tried to comfort


    ¡°So I might¡¯ve made the right choice unconsciously you mean? What about Anne? I wanted to use the miracle on her tomorrow¡­¡±


    [Indeed. A Tier 2 Tailor would be of immense help to our camp right now¡­](Mia) ¨C she said accusingly


    ¡°Could you please stop throwing salt in my wounds? It is enough that I wanted to pick a person and I selected another¡­ or somebody did for me at least. How¡¯s the construction going?¡±


    [And here I thought master was good at changing the subject¡­ Hehe! Is going alright and we should finish faster than expected. Also, the first carts carrying copper ores have arrived, so I gave permission to Denise and four others to start building a furnace and some molds, based on the instructions I provided. Regarding the Tailor, don¡¯t worry as Anne already prepared under my instructions and made use of the furs and leaves from the World Tree to create some clothes.](Mia)


    ¡°Do you even need me here?¡±


    [If you will not be here, there won¡¯t be any surprises since nobody else would be able to be as ¡®chaotic¡¯ as you, master. As a result, it would be excessively peaceful.](Mia)


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ did you tease me enough yet?¡±


    [Almost.](Mia)


    Seeing her giggle like that made me think back to when she first appeared in my divine domain. At that point, her emotional maturity was equal to that of an infant. Seeing such growth, how could I be unhappy?


    ¡°That¡¯s good then. I will try to go and make myself useful by helping Denise and the others¡­¡±


    I left behind the smirking AI to properly deal with the completion of the Monument and headed towards the South side of the camp where the river was passing through. I remembered Alexandra and the fact that there are over three hours already since she left and didn¡¯t returned yet, but due to the fact that there wasn¡¯t a drop in Soul Points growth per day, I knew she was still alive and kicking. I only hope she doesn¡¯t scare all animals from the forest away¡­


    [Michael! Did big sister send you to help us?](Denise)


    ¡°Is this how they see me? Mia¡¯s helper? I guess it could be worse¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure... How¡¯s it going so far? What are you doing?¡±


    They explained how they created the furnace using clay and lit a fire inside. They felt stumped regarding how to melt the ores given that they didn¡¯t have a proper container, therefore I taught them how to create the vessel and bathe it in fire in order to improve its resistance.


    Regarding the molds, we used stone chisels to carve in some slabs spearheads and arrowheads. I wanted to have those first. Regarding the mesh for the paper mill¡­ that is going to take more time.


    Unknowingly, another three hours passed and the production of the furnace was coming along nicely. It was very likely that after leaving the tools we created dry a bit over the night, tomorrow we can give blacksmithing a try. I didn¡¯t know which of the six of us dancing around the furnace was happier, but I could already see a properly armed unit diving the shit out of the dungeons around our camp.


    [Michael! Come quick! It¡¯s Alexandra! She returned and she is heavily wounded!](Mia)


    ¡°She¡¯s what!? Where? Let¡¯s go!¡±


    It felt like having cold water poured over me when I heard Mia saying that. She told me that Alexandra was already in bed in our house and I asked her to go bring Alice ASAP. Fucking ¡®chaotic tendencies¡¯!


    Thinking about it, is very probable that I already knew how this was going to end, as soon as I told her to go and hunt¡­


    I rushed inside the dormitory and saw her. There were claw marks on her hands and legs, severe lacerations on her belly and collarbone, really close to her neck. This moron¡­


    ¡°You entered the dungeon¡­¡±


    [Yup! I need big sis to patch me up quickly so I can go back there and¡­](Alexa)


    Seeing my very-not-smiling face she stopped talking and looked down, after which continued in a smaller voice.


    [¡­only to the entry of the dungeon. I let the things I picked up from the Murlocs I killed there¡­ I could not carry any with me because¡­ of¡­ the injuries.](Alexa)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I was slightly shaken by the words ¡®picked up from the Murlocs¡¯ since I instantly remembered the Dismember manual, but I kept a stern face. It was required to scold her, otherwise things like this will repeat in the future.


    ¡°Do you understand what you did?¡±


    [I cleared the dungeon alone?](Alexa) ¨C she tilted her head cutely


    I staggered a bit once I heard her reply. There was also the smug look on her face¡­A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°She cleared it? Don¡¯t be swayed! Don¡¯t be swayed!!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not relevant Alexandra! Do you realize in how much danger did you put yourself in?¡±


    [It wasn¡¯t that dangerous¡­ I cleared it easily, but the red one used a strange skill at the end and brought back to life some of the dead Murlocs behind me. A whole 50 of them! I was just caught by surprise and the water wall I used for protection didn¡¯t work very well given that they could breathe in water apparently¡­](Alexa)


    ¡°Holly fuck! The boss had a resurrection skill!? No wonder she was wounded¡­ No! Remain stern! Scowl a bit as well for dramatic effect!¡±


    ¡°Alexandra¡­¡± ¨C I said with a deeper tone


    [I¡­ I am sorry¡­ I won¡¯t do it again¡­](Alexa)


    ¡°Oh shit! Now she¡¯s close to crying!? For Reaper¡¯s sake¡­ I¡¯d prefer fighting the Murlocs alone instead of dealing with this type of situations. Isn¡¯t this kind of unfair?¡±


    ¡°Haah¡­ Is good that you came back alive. Mia! Come in! I know you¡¯re outside¡­¡±


    [Hehe! We were caught Alice!](Mia)


    [¡­](Alice)


    This little devil! She¡¯s becoming naughtier by the day¡­ Looks like Alice is quite shy indeed. She went full tomato mode again since she was caught because of Mia¡­


    ¡°Alice, I¡¯ll leave treating Alexandra to you. Mia, how is the construction going? Can I remove some of the workers?¡±


    [The Monument is almost finished. Do I need to come with you?](Mia)


    ¡°No, it should be fine. I will take Laurence and the other original dungeon divers and secure the items Alexandra brought out of the dungeon. Are they by the entrance?¡± ¨C I asked looking at the pouting Hero


    [Can I come as well?](Alexa) ¨C she asked with a blooming smile


    ¡°No! You are grounded until further notice!¡±


    [You¡¯re mean! Big sister?](Alexa)


    [¡­ ¨r(¨s¨Œ¨t)¨q¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Are you two done? I asked a question, Alexandra¡­¡±


    [¡­near the entrance.](Alexa)


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you Alice.¡±


    [I¡­I¡¯ll do my best¡­](Alice)


    After grabbing Laurence and an eight other members of the Adventurer unit, we rushed to the entrance of the Eastern dungeon. I was a bit worried that drops might disappear after a while, either taken by animals from the forest, or reclaimed by the system.


    To my absolute happiness though, as soon as the dungeon entered our field of view, a small mountain of piled up things greeted us.


    ¡°Holly fuck, there are some weapons there!¡±


    I was once again caught by surprise and shouted, drawing the attention of everyone else on me. Could there be actual items? Like I saw in the demo? There are some books as well!!! Maybe some spell books¡­ or unique lifestyle skills¡­ I really wanted a blacksmith.


    Seeing the big amount of items on the ground, I had Laurence send two people back at the camp and grab two carts. We literally could not carry all of them by hand...


    In the meantime, myself, Laurence and six others began sorting through the items littering the ground.


    "Those are weapons and while they look shabby, they can replace what we''re currently using due to the superior quality. The only good one is that lance over there."


    I took my time and explained the different type of weapons out of which some spears and some rusty short swords would be the only ones that we could use. The rest could become scraps and melted down. The lance on the other hand, was a pleasant surprise.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Fishscale Vortex


    A weapon passed down generation after generation in the Murloc race, wielded only by the strongest member.


    Benefits: +3 STR attribute points; +5 Magic attribute points;


    Passive skill: Hydro-fury - increases the damage of water type skills by 25%.


    Active skill: One last stand - brings back to life for a total of 5 minutes a total number of corpses equal to the owner''s Magic + Intelligence + Wisdom / 10. Applicable in an area equal to the owner''s LvL *10. Cooldown: 24 hours</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I could barely contain my excitement! Not only did this lance was excellent regarding its length and sharpness, its passive skill was stupidly strong for a water user like Alexandra. Given that it dropped from the boss and she soloed it, she deserves to receive it. After she is not grounded anymore¡­ Anyway, the item had such a strange history?


    "The active skill is quite strong. If we manage to lay waste to a big chunk of the enemy forces with ranged attacks, we can use it and force the revived enemies to become cannon fodder, while we attack safely from behind them. That way we can minimize the damage we take during a dungeon raid. What''s your take on it Laurence?"


    [We should give it to Alexandra. Given the fighting style I have seen previously in the first expedition, she will be the only one to use it to its full potential. However... she managed to clean those huge numbers alone? That''s quite surprising...](Laurence)


    "That''s her forte after all. Given the blessing she received, she is the strongest when she is fighting. You, I need to become a proper commander able to direct troops in the battlefield."


    [Understood. Also... Alexandra was hurt because of the active ability granted by this weapon, right?](Laurence)


    "Indeed."


    [Given the prowess of our strongest fighter, it stands to show just how much of a wildcard this skill can be, if used at the right time. It will become a good ace in the hold to have.](Laurence)


    "Indeed. Have the others finished sorting out the items?"


    [Yes. As you can see over there, there are 16 of the spears you have mentioned. With just one glance, I can tell that they are sharper and stronger than the ones we are currently using. It would be great if we could have the entire unit equipped with such weapons. There is also three of these strange wooden things, but we didn''t know what they are, as well as some smaller type of spears. I don''t understand how we can throw them really...](Laurence)


    "A bow and arrows! That is excellent! With three of such weapons, Denise and Anne should have enough to re-create more of them. Hmm? Are those clothes?"


    [I thought so as well in the beginning, but they are a bit heavier than regular clothes...](Laurence)


    I quickly used Identify and found that they were in fact different pieces of equipment. Like for example, chest armor, gloves, pants, etc. They did not have any bonus attributes, however they were surely a better armor than the clothes the elves were brought to Midgard in.


    After scanning through some piles of meat which my skill recognized as fish meat, I turned my attention to the five books. Four of them were just as thin as the Dismember skill we got in the first dungeon attempt, while the other was slightly bigger and thicker as well.


    The smaller booklets were titled [Cook], [Tame],[Dismember] and [Sculpt]. I could obviously tell what each skill did and I was slightly annoyed at the fact that I got the Dismember skill again. Luckily, it appears that Laurence knew of the previous dude that received it and was quite overwhelmed due to the fact that he was the only one with proper ability to transform a carcass into usable meat... and other parts. Now that a second person could get it, maybe we can set up a butchery or something for the two of them...


    "Now this is interesting..."


    The last book had a title reading [Apiculture]. This was on the level of a technology, but there wasn''t any notification prompting me to learn the skill, or a notification saying that my civilization learned the technology.


    Which meant...


    "It''s a book with instructions... Laurence, can you read it?"


    [???](Laurence)


    Obviously, he had no idea what to do with the book and he wasn''t able to understand what the characters written on the pages of it meant.


    "I need to have Mia start a class where reading is being taught. For writing... we can take that up again once Simone finishes her research. I should get that ink going as well on my end given that it might be easier to create. After all, honestly, writing is by far more important than what you are writing on. "


    Once the two carts arrived, we loaded the good stuff on it and returned to camp. After we handed the meat to the random elf no.11 which had the Dismember skill, I saw that he was one of the guys which resided only with one girl at home. The girl was part of the production unit, so I didn''t think much about it and handed the duplicate skill to her.


    "In the future, we''ll set up a shop where you will be able to provide processed meat for everyone else. In the meantime, both of you work hard!"


    [[Yes sir!]]


    I am pretty sure that I set up a flag of sorts there, but I decided to just wing it as usual¡­ Chaos mustn¡¯t be doubted! Chaos should just happen!

 Dreams... of the past (Part 1)

    Afterwards, I passed the remaining manuals to Mia to assign and headed for the bed since sleepiness washed over me. I was surprisingly tired and intended to skip the meal in order to get to close my eyes faster. I unintentionally saw the finished Monument, which was about six meters in height and almost tripped over my feet when saw just how much of a change occurred to it.


    Something told me there was more to it than what it currently showed; however, I had no way of knowing just yet exactly what those hidden secrets might be.


    "Maybe I''m just overthinking it again..."


    After considering the situation, I took Alexandra and headed towards the ''dinner hall¡¯ that I promised myself I will make into a proper building soon. Before feasting could commence, I let everyone know of Alexandra''s accomplishment and warned the others about not even thinking of attempting such a stupid thing.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+2 Intelligence attribute points gained! +3 Dexterity attribute points gained!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With that subtle reprimand covered, I silently accepted the attribute points I gained and declared day 12 done. I fell into the bed after washing slightly and before I knew it, my consciousness vanished in the pits of time.


    ¡°Even if you keep running away, sooner or later you will have to face your past¡­ Let¡¯s start by telling you a story¡­¡±


    A deep voice I haven¡¯t heard from the dungeon in the demo, quietly made its way into my ears and the scenery chanced with it¡­


    ¡°Someone once said, that in order to understand who we are, we have to know our past, so we can avoid repeating it. However, for you to completely understand who both of us are, you must go to the beginning, when we were the same person. There you find out how the truth became story, story became legend and legend became myth, of course after small modifications from Lucius. And there you have it... the story of humankind! It is quite funny if you think about it. After all, grudges cannot be held for longer than a thousand years, even among family members. You will understand soon enough what I mean.


    However, this is the story of Earth and humans, after how Chronos, the God of Time, wanted us angels to know of it, telling it to us, in order to pass it further to our descendants..."


    Back in the early times when the Earth was covered in darkness and it was still empty, one being decided to change its fate and make it his domain. When he reached this newfound place, he discovered to his surprise that this small planet was in fact divided into three realms: the sky, the earth and the underground. He was astonished by this planet''s complexity, therefore he decided to get it out of darkness and created a small, young star near it, in order for light of life to be bestowed upon it. Nevertheless, in the absence of light for such a long time, nothing existed there except for an empty landscape and a lot of water. And so, Chronos started working arduously, creating the fauna and the plants of this world. At least that is what he told us... but, he was a lazy--ass old man, you can believe that much, so in my opinion he found that place as it was and just imagined doing that himself in order to have a better story to tell. He was such a braggart¡­


    However, he felt lonely after some time passed and decided to create a "contest" in order to populate the planet. It seems that it exists somewhere out there, another place far from Earth were angels and gods used to live. That was supposed to be Chronos home planet and apparently, he called angels from there to this place. But of course, none of them knew how cunning this guy is and the poor lot actually came in large numbers.


    [I want you to build a magnificent city in each of this planet''s realms. The most beautiful town''s builders will be rewarded with much happiness!](Chronos)


    That was what he told us. So, he separated all of them into three groups and left us to start working. You see, we angels are not as different from you humans as you may think, after all we were the same... the only thing is, that back then, all angels were immortals, body and soul. Therefore, an eternity did not seem like such a great idea without anything to do... and of course, getting bored easily, we started working even if we were not that attracted by the idea of a reward. I mean what could we want more than what we already had. We back then and our brother Lucius were in the group that was supposed to build the city in the realm of the Sky¡­ maybe that¡¯s how it all begin¡­


    After a long, long time spent with various tools in hand, we finished it. It was an amazing city surrounded by clouds and inside it, a palace truly fit for a God. When he came back, Chronos was so pleased that he decided to reward us anyway. We were already immortals and after such a long time spent living, we were pretty informed... so he decided to give us a gift like no other: wings! We were happy beyond words, after all it was our dream to fly since... well since forever. He rejoiced himself seeing us so happy and went down on Earth, in order to check-up on what others have done. However, things were not so fine down there. It seems that the Earth was so beautiful that the angels could not decide where to build their city. So, they have split into small groups and spread around the globe building small villages here and there. Chronos got so angry to see that he hasn''t been listened to, that he gathered and addressed them directly, preparing a punishment fitting for their disobedience.


    If us from the Sky were rewarded with wings, the angels underneath were cursed with mortal bodies and memory loss. They were now ageing and their bodies were rotting away, while it seemed that all the knowledge they once possessed, was now gone. It was a sad thing to witness¡­The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    [You are not worthy of being angels anymore! As so, from now on you will be called earthlings as reminder of your love for the earth being bigger than the one for me and your disobedience. Go now, leave from my sight and fill the cities you''ve created with you and your offspring.](Chronos)


    Such was the start of the humanity. We watched them having to learn everything all over again. They were primitive and stupid, thing that was a bit funny.


    When one of us asked Chronos why did he left their souls immortals, he answered "Because they have done one part of what I asked them! Now when their bodies die, their souls will come back to me and all the knowledge they once possessed, as well as the rest of the eternity will be spent by my side!".


    However, it seemed that after a time, some souls decided not to go for the Sky, embracing the generous God Chronos. A big part of the souls, were entering the third realm, the Underworld. Then Chronos was finally reminded of the third group he sent down there. He went to see his city but found nothing, not even his workers. However, he saw a large number of human souls there, unable to die, yet tormented by the flames of the center of the Earth. He was puzzled by this and didn''t knew what to do.


    The bad part was that, as always, he came up with an idea, one that was going to change everything, forever. He came back into the city we created for him, and to honor us even more he named it "Heaven", as in his natal language it represented the luxury and the beauty of this city. Then he selected a few people he saw working at this city. Between those people were us, Lucius and some other angels he picked. Believe it or not that, Adam and Eve thing you all heard was somehow true, because it was a special person we have fallen in love with. She was more of an forbidden fruit than the ones in the stories because of her brother... called ironically Lucifer. All I can say is that we and her fell in love really fast after the first time we saw each other. She and Lucifer were also present by our side, so when Chronos called us urgently sharing with his angels what he saw, he also shared his newfound idea. It seemed somehow bizarre... but after a short while we understood why. In fact, only after ten thousand years I was able to figure it out...


    [Human souls are suffering in the Underworld. I saw that and that made me decide on something! You are my most beloved angels, the one that helped the most in creating the city worthy of a God. So I decided to offer you as an extra reward, complete control over this three realms. I''ll give you a moment to think about which one you want, and then when I¡¯ll ask you, we will decide where you shall reign as God''s protectors.](Chronos)


    His decision was so surprising that rendered all of us speechless. Now we were to decide which domain did we want. The problem you see, was that each one of the six present angels there, wanted something. Of course, after seeing what the Underworld was like, neither one of us wanted to go there. I figured that Chronos was testing us in order to decide what we are going to protect as his precious followers. I came to the realization, but only after much time passed, that between all six of us were bonds existing, bonds that were different from one another, but at the same time strong like no other. Us and Lucius were blood related and even if we had our conflicts, we were powerfully tied together by our sibling blood¡­ or so I thought. The same was for Lucifer and Laura, being blood related they probably were stronger as a bond then us and Lucius. And then, there were Gabriel and Andrew, two other angels which were friends of us and brothers also. Above all Gabriel was looking up to Lucius as a brother and a friend and Andrews felt the same way about his brother Gabriel. We were in love with Laura and were really good friends with Lucifer. So we were three pairs of siblings each one different from one another, yet all of us bound to selflessly chose what we wanted to protect, disregarding those closest bonds.


    [Before you make up you mind, remember this: you must choose between three places and 5 people, because everyone one of you will rule one land by the side of another.](Chronos)


    Saying that was supposed to make thing easier for us, or so I thought, because in reality, we didn''t know what to choose, or maybe we did and deep inside our hearts didn''t want to admit it.


    After a while, Chronos called us back in order to hear our request and decide who gets what. We bowed our head and kneeled in front of him. Then we herd what he decided all along, before we could make up our minds, because after all, being a God allowed him to hear our thoughts and know what our answers would be even before we give them. It also seemed that something got him rather wrathful.


    [Before I tell you what I have decided, Andrew, I heard your thoughts being sincere and honest. Share it with the others and I will keep my promise to you, making them become true!](Chronos)


    [As You wish my Lord! The humans disobeyed you indeed. However, they are now helpless without you love or some guidance. I want to help them through their dark period and lead them to more peaceful and wealthy times. That is my only wish. As for a partner, I will have anyone you see fit to choose for me.](Andrew)


    [Yes my angel! Indeed your wish is pure and honest. As so, I will keep my promise and entrust you with the Earth and the humans. You will take the rank of ''Seraphim'' and I will grant you knowledge of all the languages that are spoken now and the one to be spoken in the future. Come, stay by my side, my Red-winged Seraphim.](Chronos)


    We watch Andrew walking slowly towards Him, sat in his right and gazed at us while we were waiting an answer from the God of Time. It seemed almost surreal what was happening back then. However, something got Chronos restless. Knowing already what choices did he had to make, even if he saw the future and the repercussions of his actions, it seemed pretty hard to decide. Only recently did I find out, that were those actions that led to his demise. If I think about it, he made those choices knowing that some day it would kill him, make it even more God-like in my heart and soul.


    [As for the rest of you!] -He shouted out loudly pointing on three of us- [Your thoughts were insincere and selfish. At least three of you! So, I¡¯ll be keeping my promise only for two of you completely and for the others I¡¯ll grant only one part or none! Hear me out, because this is what I have decided!](Chronos)

 Dreams... of the past (Part 2)

    We stood there frozen in fear of what he could have decided for us. Who knew that his next choices would be the right ones, even if they caused us so many reason for doubt and so, so much pain? It was clear that two of us would go straight to the Underworld in order to tame that place and bring peace to the souls that were suffering horribly within it.


    [First of all, Lucifer! Your wish is as clear as the light your name represents and the darkness that your heart harbors! You only wish for the Heavens, but to rule it alone! You have denied from the bottom of your heart that even your own blood will not rule by your side, nor your friends. As so, I entrust you with the title of "Lord of the Underworld". I think that the title will tell you what you will rule and protect!](Chronos)


    [...as you see fit my Lord!] -said Lucifer barely speaking


    I watched closely and even now I can remember the pain and the tears on Laura''s face hearing what her brother will have to do, and of course the anger and the hatred that I could read in Lucifer''s soul. It was like an ocean of pain transformed into hate and rage! After Chronos called him to sit beside Andrew, he continued:


    [Gabriel, one step forward! Your thoughts are also pure and honest. You want to stay beside your friend or your brother and it will not matter witch realm I will chose for you. However, given that you brother chose humans I must keep you here in the Sky in order for you to stay by my side! Come by the others!](Chronos)


    Again we watched someone walking towards this all knowing God, while he was being titled as "Archangel" given the power bring back to life any damaged soul. His wings also changed color and just like Lucifer turned black as night, Gabriel''s became golden as the sun. The three realms were decided for three peoples: Lucifer got the Hell, Andrews got the Earth and Gabriel got the Heavens. It all seemed fine, but I was the one that was fearing what could happen next. I wished for any realm as long as I have Laura by my side or as long as she is by her brother side and she wished for the same thing. What was going to happen now that I couldn''t have her by my side and Lucifer¡¯s was such a damning choice?


    [Lucius! You are no better than Lucifer and as so, you should follow him into the depts of the Earth. However, I did promised Gabriel that he would have the Heaven and his brother or you by his side. As his brother was assigned as the protector of the humans, it gives me no choice but to name you "Archangel" as well. However, you will not get to rule by Laura''s side, because your love for her is born from your hate and envy towards your brother! You will repent for those feelings while I watch over you, here in the Sky.](Chronos)


    I stood there in astonishment, unknown to me how to react. My brother loved the same woman as I did and hated me because of it. And now, either I get sent to the scorching inferno by Lucifer side, or I¡¯ll stay on the human world with Andrew and Laura will be sent in that horrible place with her brother! Each way was too painful for me! I didn''t have any idea of how to react or what to do in any of those situations. Who knew that all of this was already prepared in advance like a play, making all six of us actors, dancing in the palm of time¡­


    [Now for the two of you! If I could, I would fulfill both of your wishes in order for you to be together as you want. Nevertheless, as you see, that is impossible! ''Kyrie'' Corbett, you however, wished that Laura would stay by her brother side, if by yours couldn¡¯t happen. I will keep half of my promise to you and make that wish come true. Now than Laura...](Chronos)


    [No my Lord!!!] -both me and Lucifer shouted at the same time


    Our God smiled for a mere fraction of a second and then his answer to our request followed, accompanied by a loud thunder and a booming angry voice:


    [How dare you disobey my orders and ignore my wisdom! You will do as I say or disappear into nothingness here and now!](Chronos)


    [My lord!] -I said desperately- [Please hear me out! You promised to fulfill one of my wishes and yes, I wished for Laura or for her to be by her brother side. However, the Underground is not a place for such a delicate flower! I besiege you to let the humans gaze upon such a wonderful angel and once again feel the love of their God passed by her to them!](Chronos)


    [You fool! Are you aware of what are you asking? You are practically asking for punishment although you did nothing wrong! Haven''t I showed you how that place is like?](Chronos)


    ¡°Yes you did my merciful God! That is why I am making this request to you! Please allow me to go with my friend down there instead of her!¡±


    [As I said before, My word is absolute! However, a promise is a promise! I will accept you proposal. Now Laura will become a blue-winged "Seraphim" and stay by Andrew side, while you, my new found "Hellraiser" will go in the Underworld with Lucifer and do what the others couldn''t do, or die trying! You will build me the third city there, as punishment for Lucifer''s selfishness.](Chronos)


    [As you wish my Lord! Thank you for your kindness!] -I answered smiling bitterly towards Laura


    [Go now my Grey-winged ''Hellraiser"! All of you protect what you have to protect and respect what I have decided upon, or suffer the consequences for failing me! Especially you, Corbett! I have great expectations from you!](Chronos)


    The Underworld was a scary and dangerous place. How could I call myself a man worthy of love if I would let Laura go there and suffer when I could stop that? Andrew was a kind angel, dedicated to peace and love for the humans, which meant that probably Laura will be just fine by his side. Moreover, any human seeking guidance from her, will be sure to take God''s path!


    With sour and awkward feelings, I have said goodbye to my brother and Gabriel and escorted Andrew and Laura to the human world. "This two Seraphim-titled angels are going to change the course of humankind!" I told myself.


    [With their knowledge lost and their new found fear of death, you''ll sure be busy sister! I am sorry for my selfishness. If I were more like Andrew here, probably you would rule by my side in Heaven. I am truly sorry!] ¨C he said while lowering his head


    Instead of answering him, she embraced him tightly, letting her tears flow like a river of sad emotions! With each other parting Laura''s eyes now rest upon me. I do not know what to say... I have never knew what to say near her, that is the truth. However, I love her more than I ever loved myself and that is why I wouldn''t ever leave her to suffer or get hurt.


    She embraced me also, stopping me from saying anything useless. I wished for that moment to last forever, but it was impossible. After all, my own punishment was awaiting.


    [Take care of my brother and yourself! You know¡­ I will miss you every second.] -she said on a whispered tone


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°You know very well my feelings for you. Sorry, but it might take a while until we see each other again. So please take good care of you! You will be present in my thoughts every moment of my life from here onward...¡±


    "Don''t worry! I won''t let you feel any pain or sorrow! Even if it costs me... everything."- I thought


    I kissed her and watch as tears were falling from her eyes, making me almost cry as well. I felt so discouraged like I have never felt in my entire life. We talked then with Andrew and begged of him to watch over her so she will not do anything reckless and protect what was now, Earth''s most precious treasure!


    As we departed from those two, I could feel my heart breaking and my soul empty. Without her by my side nothing felt the same, even if now with my newfound best friend, I was heading towards Hell itself, the pain that I felt from leaving her behind was far greater, knowing that I will never see her again...¡±


    ¡°It seems like the time we have is not sufficient¡­ we will continue the story at a later point. Even if you keep running, there is no way to be fast enough to outrun your past¡­ Until later then.¡±


    I woke up shaking and feeling so much pain from my heart, more than I could have ever felt in my entire life back on Earth. My hands were shaking and I couldn¡¯t calm down no matter what I tried.


    Looking at the two beauties sleeping by my side, I realized just how much this ¡®dream¡¯ had shook me. Glancing outside the window and judging by the lack of light outside, it probably was still a good chunk of time until morning¡­


    ¡°Who knew I would become this scared to sleep again. What the fuck was with that dream? And why can¡¯t I remember the faces of the people in it!?¡±


    Remembering it vividly, I got out of bed and left the elven hut. Through the story told to me by that voice, it was obvious that it was trying to make me remember something, hinting at the fact that back then we were the same person.


    ¡°Slap my ass and call me Freddy! Did I just become Pinocchio and received a freaking conscience? And that story¡­ ugh¡­ I am so confused right now! Didn¡¯t Reaper said that the Earth just randomly appeared out of the nether and Gods were born after humans evolved into sentient beings? What¡¯s up with that Chronos? And that last line before waking up¡­¡±


    I was 100% sure that I would receive a continuation when sleep will engulf my tired mind once again. The only problem was, that I couldn¡¯t stop shaking, while even more than the trembling of my hands and the longing in my heart, there was an ocean of pure rage inside me ready to erupt at any given moment.


    I needed to calm down somehow, but the only way I could think of¡­ brought me to the Warehouse.


    [Michael sir! Did something happen?](Random elf no.12)


    ¡°Not really¡­ I need to get out for a bit and go for a walk. I can¡¯t seem to sleep. I¡¯ll grab some weapons and see if I can hunt something to tire myself out.¡±


    [Then I will prepare some guards to¡­]( Random elf no.12)


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother the others with my selfishness. Is alright, there aren¡¯t any animals around which could pose a threat. Anyway, I¡¯m going¡­¡±


    [¡­understood sir. Please be careful out there!](Random elf no.12)


    I nodded and left through the eastern gate, obviously headed towards a specific location, dragging a cart behind me.


    ¡°What should I make of you¡­¡± ¨C I complained bitterly, seeing the new addition in my Status Page


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    31


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    43% (?)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    28


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Title</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">''Kyrie''</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    331/331 (+9.4/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    31


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> + 15</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    262/262(+3.1/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 The meaning of a title!

    I was feeling puzzled by the title I randomly received. After all, I held no recollection of its meaning and it granted me no skills or extra attributes from what I can see at a single glance. What worried me even further, was the fact that I received it after the more than realistic dream I had.


    "Maybe prior to all this happening I wouldn''t have thought about it too much and blame it on an active imagination. However, given all the weird shit I''ve already experienced after my ''death'' back on Earth, I can''t simply ignore it."


    Trying to piece the pieces of the puzzle together, all I had so far was the existence of Gods (since I was currently considered one of them), the existence of the game we are currently playing (again, since I am a part of it) and the dream I had about the (apparently) first God to exist on Earth. Oh, right! And the creation of humanity.


    Moreover, if the voice I keep hearing in my head (and yes, I know how crazy that sounds) is indeed a piece of memory or maybe the ''me'' back then, although from what I remember in the conversation which was held at the last Assembly of Gods, reincarnation is not really a thing.


    "So then, while I can''t see the faces of the people in the story, I can still feel the familiarity with which I interacted with them. If this was just a random memory implanted in me, it would affect me all the same since my brain would recognize it as my own, therefore I can''t say for sure that it was still me. Ugh... complicated..."


    The whole problem in all this was the fact that in this ''puzzle'' of mine, I had only two pieces: the dream and the title. Nevertheless, the puzzle itself was at least 100 pieces big...


    ¡°So I guess I should inspect the title...¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Kyrie: Signifying the dominance of a Lord, this title is awarded only to those few capable of leading the demon hordes.


    Effect: allows contracting demons from the Underworld.


    Hint: once your Tier reaches LvL 1 and you can select your Job, it automatically becomes Lord, its effect making it possible for more demons to be contracted. At your current level, prior to Tier 1, only one demon can be summoned, at maximum one Tier higher than the contractor, depending on your luck.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Uwaaaaah... Underworld it is being mentioned again. Moreover, demons... Speaking of demons, Eternity said that she would chose them as her starting race. I truly wondered exactly how different they are, compared to humans or my elves.


    ¡°Nevertheless, a summoning ability and a Job that comes with it huh? How do I even contract the demon?¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">The system acknowledged your intent to establish a contract with a demon.


    Would you like to proceed?


    Alert!


    At your current Tier you will only be able to summon a low-ranked demon, Tier 1 at best!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Proceed!¡±


    I literally had no reason to hesitate. I mean is that, isn¡¯t it? Summoning someone else to be the tank while you take the backline... cowardly? Hell naw! It is called being safe.


    ¡°But this summoning ritual... isn¡¯t it way too flashy? What¡¯s with the blinding light?¡±


    Was there a need for the sudden Aurora Borealis? In addition, why the hell was there a sudden split in the air in front of me? Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! I had a really bad feeling seeing the ¡®portal¡¯ which pretty much was a huge tear in the space, about three meters tall.


    Then, almost like a slap in the face that would confirm all my worries, a large hand grabbed the left side of the portal.


    Hmm... How can I describe this? The color of the skin was blue and the hand itself could easily grab my head in its palm and cover it completely. That without taking in consideration the nails... or rather claws, which were 100% sharper than the rusty short sword I was carrying at the moment. Yup! I was scared shitless and was preparing to bolt at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°Motherfucker! I was curious about their looks and shit, but is there a need to fucking scare the soul out of me?¡±


    The silhouette which was towering at over 3 meters, required to bend its back in order to pass through the portal. Its blue skin was barely containing its bulging muscles and the veins appeared to be a step away from exploding through it. On its forehead a horn, about 5-10 centimeters, pushed out of the skin and on its back a pair of small wings that appeared incapable of carrying the giant through the air.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Overall, this huge monster was stupidly intimidating and looked down on me with its red pupils and a human-like sneer on its face.


    ¡°Fuck! This is bad...¡±


    [Are you the puny insect that dared summon this Great One?](stupid low-rank demon)


    My eyebrow twitched and I wondered if this piece of garbage would give experience once I killed it. I opened my mouth to speak, however the stupid low-ranked demon beat me to the punch once more...


    [Actually, it matters not! Now that this Great One arrived on this plane, I will make all you puny humans shudder in fear of my noble name! Let this world fear the name Iz...ual...](Izual)


    *PUCHI*


    I watched in abject horror as a hand emerged through the demon¡¯s chest, following which a wave of blue blood sprayed on my face and clothes, making my body involuntarily shudder for a second. Izual, the Great One (self-entitled) fell to his knees and glanced incredulously behind him.


    [It¡¯s you bitch!!! You dare attack this one!? Her Lordship will skin you alive! Just wait until she finally finds clues of you trail! She will have hellhounds rape you while the entire Underworld watches! She will...](Izual)


    A nasty sound of crunching bones was heard and after a loud *PLOP*, the head of the demon hit the ground. At the same time, the hand that pierced the chest of the demon retracted as well and took a bite out of something. I did not dare look at what that was and instead stared straight into the red eyes looking curiously at me, while munching on what was most likely, the heart of the stupid demon from before.


    There were two small horns on her forehead and the lithe body was covered with a lustrous blue skin, apparent due to her clothes... or rather, the haggard state of them. On her back a pair of wings bigger than Izual¡¯s (or maybe it just appeared so due to her height being normal) and to my utmost delight in this strange situation, a slim tail with a pointy end was waving about.


    Body-wise, she fell into the category ¡®I¡¯d jump on her anytime, anywhere!¡¯. She was about 1.7 in height and she had an hourglass figure with a well proportioned body, making me inwardly scream ¡®temptress¡¯. There wasn¡¯t anything exaggerated about her body and her face held a strangely calm while a beautiful smile remained plastered on her face, keeping in mind that she just killed someone of her own race. Long hair fell to her elbows, shining in the dim light given by the still open portal.


    ¡°I should¡¯ve bought some stars... the scene of this beauty would¡¯ve been better with them illuminating and not only with the moon. Leaving all jokes aside though, this situation is rather bad isn¡¯t it?¡±


    The pair of eyes pierced through the darkness and pinned my own gaze, making me unable to move. It reminded me of the same feeling I had when I was killed, making the whole situation rather uncomfortable.


    The smile on her face widened and with slow steps she began walking towards me. Given that I had no Fear resistance anymore, I couldn¡¯t even move the muscles on my face and just stared (probably with a plain look) at the approaching demoness.


    Seeing her stop merely a step away from me and still looking in my eyes, she bowed in a way similar to movies about nobility and spoke with a sweet voice.


    [This one is called Decarbia. May I have the honor of knowing the name of my contractor?](Decarbia)


    ¡°Michael Corbett.¡±


    [If your Excellency could forgive this one¡¯s lack of manners, I would like to close the portal, or else more demons shall follow.](Decarbia)


    ¡°Would that be an issue?¡±


    [I apologize if I might insult your Excellency, however judging by your current strength you are unable to establish a contract or defeat even the lowest ranked ones. As for my personal strength goes... I am afraid that I might be even weaker.](Decarbia)


    ¡°You say that after you slaughtered the one at your feet?¡±


    [Fortunately, I was able to catch him unaware. In a direct fight, I would not stand a chance him. I am well versed in the use of long-range magic, but we demons have a high magic resistance, the dumb dead one even more so. Therefore, if your Excellency won¡¯t mind...](Decarbia)


    ¡°By all means...¡±


    OIIIII!!! Who is this arrogant bastard talking right now? It can¡¯t possibly be the same person who was too scared to move a second ago and still is, right!? Also this chick... As beautiful as she is, she didn¡¯t even blink when killing one of the people of her own race. Okay, yes! The blockhead Izual kind of deserved that, but the fact that she slaughtered him as easy as killing a chicken worries me...


    Not to mention, the blockhead said something about this girl being a wanted criminal or something and even mentioned for the punishment to be as severe as being raped by hellhounds. The fuck did I just get myself into!? I would sincerely want not to be included in the list of people to be fucked by dogs... especially if they are hellish ones...


    [It has been done your Excellency!](Decarbia)


    She returned and with a slight bow, she reported to me. I could indeed confirm that the portal behind her was closing, meaning that this temptress will remain here with me¡­


    ¡°Huh!? Then, how do I send her back to hell or something, if shit hits the fan!?¡±


    I could feel beads of cold perspiration forming on my back, while I was strangely drawn to her beautiful eyes.


    ¡°Well, I guess that even if I die there¡¯s no problem, therefore let¡¯s just wing it...¡±


    ¡°I have a couple of questions for you if you don¡¯t mind Decarbia.¡±


    [It would be my honor your Excellency!](Decarbia)


    Seeing the honest (or at least that¡¯s what I thought it was) smile on her face, I slightly relaxed and prepared to make some sense out of the current situation.

 To each its own... misconceptions!

    Decarbia POV


    Today I think I might finally die... After eluding the forces of that pigheaded Amon for over three years, they have completely surrounded me this time. Not only that, but my magic essence is low as well.


    [I guess I would use the forbidden technique my father taught me and detonate my soul. That way I can at least take out some of these trashes with me in the process...]


    Whispering... I can¡¯t even talk out loud anymore and there aren¡¯t any demons brave enough to hold a conversation with me either. Let¡¯s not even talk about them helping me out, since the last demon which did, had its horns pulled out, its wings burned and skinned while still alive. That bitch Amon is that insidious.


    Looking ahead at the camp containing more than one hundred low-ranked demons led by the insufferable Izual, a garbage even among the trashes in the demon world, which in order to bootlick Amon and gain her favor, chased me nonstop for over three years now.


    If I could take that bastard Izual down with me, I am certain I would die with a smile on my face.


    [To think I was brought down to this level...]


    I don¡¯t even remember when I ate last and I can barely hold onto my consciousness due to the insufficiency of magic essence in my core. I am pretty sure that this time, I won¡¯t be able to ever wake up again.


    Touching the shadow collar around my neck, I felt a sense of helplessness take over me. Using this spell, Amon put a mark on my soul and the demons chasing me can always find me. No matter where I go or how fast I run, I am destined to fall into their hands sooner or later.


    [Since it is useless to fight back against an entire world, I might as well get this over with. Father, Mother, little sister... I am sorry but I cannot complete my filial piety to the three of you and avenge your deaths...]


    Standing up, I took a look at the gigantic transparent wall in front of me, which separated our world of any other. Amon guessed that my goal was reaching this place as my final destination, due to the stories my father always told the three of us. So, knowing that I will certainly die someday soon, I ran with all my might in an attempt to see this place at least once.


    [Hehe! I can certainly say it was worth it... it is even more beautiful than what father described it to be.]


    The sky was dancing in vibrant colors of blue and green, combined with the ever-moving clouds that seemed to be smoke, continuously flowing out of someone¡¯s cigar. Humans called this Aurora Borealis and it was one of the most beautiful phenomenon among all worlds.


    Mother always explained after Father¡¯s stories, that these dancing lights are imbued with magic essence so thick, that it thinned out the veil between worlds while they danced in the skies.


    I walked fearlessly towards my death while gazing at the beautiful scenery and one of the guards saw me, hollering like an animal at the rest. Lewd laughter and insults were hurled continuously as I moved forward through the sea of demons that parted to give way.


    Izual had a broad grin on his face as it saw me. These dumb insects... they have no idea what I prepared for them. Just a couple more steps and I will be in the middle of the crowd. That way, when I ignite my soul, the explosion can engulf more of them, including the vulgar pig in front of my eyes.


    [Ahahahaha! Finally I caught you bitch! That Amon lass was right about you coming here after all! Now that you can¡¯t escape anymore, she won¡¯t have any choice but to complete her promise to lay with me! Ahahaha! Who thought that I get to fuck you as well before that! Hahahaha!](Izual)


    [Boss Izual, don¡¯t forget to let us have some fun as well when you¡¯re done with her!](random stupid even lower-rank demon)


    Roars of laughter followed and I finally reached the spot I wanted to. Quietly I ignited my soul and smiled at the stupid garbage in front of me.


    [Hmpf! Seems like Amon was right about you being able to use that technique. Did you really thought you can escape, you sow!? Use the pendant!](Izual)


    A bright violet glow erupted from one of the henchmen and it appeared to target me. Instantly, the Soul Ignition technique was snuffed out and with it, my final hope was crushed.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    [Ahhahahaha! Look at you now bitch! Weren¡¯t you fearless a moment ago? What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s with the pale face? Ahahaha! Huh!?](Izual)


    I prepared to swiftly crush the soul fragment in my chest in order for these bastards not to take advantage of me any further, but a crack was formed directly behind Izual. All the demons turned their heads and found out it was actually leading behind the wall, obviously towards a different world. The magic essence seeping out through it made my body feel like spring finally came after an way too long winter.


    [Don¡¯t look so happy sow! You bastards keep an eye on her and don¡¯t let her move about! Her lordship Amon wants her alive to enjoy torturing her for all the trouble she¡¯s caused so far. I will go take a look at what¡¯s behind the portal and bring you as well if there are any resources to be plundered. To think there¡¯s a retard brave enough to summon this bitch! AHAHAHAHA!](Izual)


    In my mind, I was speechless. This pigheaded garbage was more stupid than pigs. Doesn¡¯t he know about the contracting ritual? He actually thinks he can go to another world and boss people around like he does here?


    [Eh...](Decarbia)


    I almost let out a yell when I realized that the Soul enslaving imprint which that cunt Amon placed on me was shattered. Not only that, but the magic essence in my core was finally able to nourish my being, making me feel like a plant in the desert after a heavy rain.


    [Are you the puny insect that dared summon this Great One?](Izual)


    My knees almost gave out when I heard that. That moron! Father and Mother always said that if there¡¯s a summoner able to complete the ritual, we are supposed to treat them with the utmost respect. Not good! If this keeps up and the contractor is enraged, there will not be a chance for me to escape this shitty realm.


    Looking at my current power level, I can barely use one Flash, which can take me behind that garbage. I think I can use this chance and rid the demon world of one more useless trash!


    [Actually, it matters not! Now that this Great One arrived on this plane, I will make all you puny humans shudder in fear of my noble name! Let this world fear the name Iz...ual...](Izual)


    I managed to pierce throughout his back, grab his soul fragment and take it out of his body. That way he will be weakened enough not to have any power and I can take care of him as well.


    A face full of surprise and resentment turned and looked at me while he fell on his knees.


    [It¡¯s you bitch!!! You dare attack this one!? Her Lordship will skin you alive! Just wait until she finally finds clues of you trail! She will have hellhounds rape you while the entire Underwold watches! She will...](Izual)


    Not wanting to hear another word out of his foul mouth, I used my right head to behead him and due to that, a great commotion started behind me back in the demon realm. It was obvious that in a couple of minutes after someone takes charge, they will come over. I need to inform the contractor!


    Before I could speak a word, I took a look at my surroundings and was astonished by the lush vegetation around me, while there was even grass tickling the soles of my feet, making me want to fly in the air and not dirty it by standing on it. However, before I can fully admire this world, I need to take care of the portal.


    I don¡¯t have enough strength left to close it, however, if I consume Izual¡¯s soul fragment I will have barely sufficient. Nevertheless, if I do so... I will become corrupted...


    Hesitating no longer, I threw it in my mouth and ate it directly. I tried to hold back the tears in my eyes, knowing that by doing this I failed my Mother¡¯s teachings and the continuous warnings she gave me.


    Controlling my emotions, I raised my head and made eye contact with a person standing across of myself and the now dead Izual.


    The moment I met his gaze, my soul shuddered and I realized that it was appraising me.


    A pair of brown eyes and a fair skin complexion, completely different from us demons. Not only that but compared to any of the male demons I met so far, he was better looking by a lot. However, he wasn¡¯t a human... I could tell by the smell, as well as the pressure he was unconsciously exuding.


    Even when compared to Father or Mother, the amount of magic essence he possessed was much higher. However, I could tell! When compared even to Izual¡­ actually, even the low-ranked demons behind me were currently stronger. Currently!


    [The amount of potential this individual has is endless! Maybe with him on my side...](Decarbia)


    Unknowingly I was already in front of him, unaware of when I even started walking. Not only that but I apparently stared at him the entire time. This did not follow the proper etiquette Father taught me and if Mother knew I was this discourteous to someone I just met... Gulp! I do not even want to think about it...


    Luckily, it seems he didn¡¯t mind. Michael Corbett... With the noble pressure he exuded it was obvious he was someone from an aristocratic background, therefore I addressed him as ¡®Excellency¡¯ and he didn¡¯t seem to mind. Also, when I foolishly insinuated that I should close the gate since both our strength is insufficient, he permitted it, however completely unfazed, as if the over 100 demons behind me were simple specs of dust in his eyes...


    [This great person! Maybe I could finally claim revenge for my family if I stay by his side...]


    ¡°I have a couple of questions for you if you don¡¯t mind Decarbia.¡±


    [It would be my honor your Excellency!](Decarbia)


    A new future in a new world... Aaaaah! Even the smell of the air is better.

 Demonic might!

    Michael POV


    I was truly curious about the look of relief this chick had after she ended the previous blockhead. However, I didn''t feel like she was dangerous... not to me at least.


    Rather, wasn''t she quite restless? It looked to me as if she was trying her best to restrain herself from looking around.


    "I guess she was truly brought from a different world..."


    "You don''t need to stand on ceremony with me. Let''s walk around so you can see how this world of mine looks like."


    I realized that I unconsciously called this world ''mine'', however it could be interpreted as me referring to the world I live in.


    [Thank you, your Excellency! Is this Earth?](Decarbia)


    "There''s no need to call me that. Michael would suffice..."


    [I... I wouldn''t dare...](Decarbia)


    "Treat it as my request please... Regarding the name, it''s Midgard."


    [I understand. Midgard!? Eh!? Not Earth?](Decarbia)


    "Mmm. Where do you come from Decarbia?"


    [I... your Exce... master Michael summoned me from the demon world. It is more commonly known as the Underworld and it can be considered to be one of the three realms of Earth. Master Michael, is this a different world than Earth?](Decarbia)


    "You can consider it as so. Regarding more details... I''m afraid that will have to wait for now."


    She didn''t seem to mind and while she took great care to face me each time we were talking, she was otherwise looking around, probably hating that her neck couldn''t do a 360.


    "Actually, thank Reaper it doesn''t! That would be some scary shit given that it''s still night... actually it won''t make a difference if it was day either..."


    Speaking of which, I should check her Status Page.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Alert!


    Identify skill failed to recognize the target''s Status Page!


    Target''s Soul Tier and Job Tier is above the user by more than one and doesn''t hold friendly relationship, nor is it considered a monster!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Master Michael?](Decarbia)


    Seeing me stop so suddenly, she turned her head and using the beautiful red pupils, stared at me. I honestly felt like my soul was being sucked out of me, but I quickly calmed down. Hmm... how should I phrase this in order for it not to sound impolite? After all, she might not want to show it to me, but could be forced to due to her being summoned here.


    "Decarbia, may I see your Status Page?"


    What!? I didn''t know how to phrase it, therefore I went for a straight ball. Honesty is best after all. However, not really¡­ at least, not judging by the confused look on her face... Did I step on a landmine?


    [Master Michael, what''s a Status Page? Eh!?](Decarbia)


    After a really, REAAAAAAAALY loud and girlish cry, she looked at me with misty eyes, almost like complaining about something. I truly felt wronged when seeing her accusatory look as I didn¡¯t plan this in advance¡­


    Realizing that she actually said the two words aloud and her page might''ve popped-up scaring her, she might think that I was playing a joke on her. I should explain this early on, otherwise I might become an irresponsible prankster in her eyes or something, diminishing the level of respect she shows me... I would like my heart to remain where it is and not in her stomach...


    "Relax. This world has a system familiar with the games back on Earth. Are you familiar with them?"


    [I am afraid not... But it does have my name on it... What does it represent?](Decarbia)


    "Hmm... how should I put it simply? I guess it is a way to get stronger quickly. I won''t inquire about other things since they might be personal, however please tell me what does it say in the box for the Job and the one for the Level."


    [Hmm... of course... Let me see... It says level 10 and Demon Elementalist. What does it mean?](Decarbia)


    "Interesting... I am currently at level 3, so what it means is that you are stronger than me. As for your Job, are you proficient with spells?"


    [Yes! Mother taught me... I learned from her how to control the elements of nature...](Decarbia)


    "It seems that I touched upon a sensitive subject... I am sorry for your loss!"


    [It is alright master Michael. I was alone for a very long time and was prepared to die not even half an hour ago. It was you who provided me with a way and a reason to live.](Decarbia)


    It seemed to me that this girl had quite the number of stories to tell, however I didn''t dare to pry given our current status. Actually, what exactly was our current status?


    "Uhm... Decarbia, what should we do now? Is there anything we need to sign or a ritual to complete the contract?"


    [I do not know honestly. My father talked about this sort of thing making it be stuff of legends, so I did not pay much attention to it. However, if a contract would be signed, I would be required to return to the demon world after master''s magic essence was depleted. If we don''t, I can simply remain by master''s side while I draw magic essence from the surrounding air. Actually, regarding that... why is there such a large magic essence concentration in the atmosphere!?](Decarbia)


    "Mostly because of the World Tree..." - I answered irresponsibly


    [There''s a World Tree here!?](Decarbia)


    "And dungeons filled with monsters we need to kill in order to improve the mana in the atmosphere." ¨C I added without a care in the world


    [Mana!? Oh! That is the olden word for magic essence. That explains why my magic essence is regenerated at such a fast pace.](Decarbia)


    "Well, not really. That would be because of the system... Actually, I guess is because of the body continuously gathering mana as well..."


    "Are you tired?"


    [No! After coming to a different world, how could I sleep?](Decarbia)


    "Then how would you feel about a fight with some monsters?"Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    [...master...](Decarbia)


    "Don''t worry. Even I can kill them with ease. If you can control spells, it would be even easier for you. Speaking of which, what spells do you have?"


    [I can currently use the Fire element and the Lightning element. For the others, my affinity is not that good, but I can use the Space-Time element a bit enabling me to create a small pocket dimension.](Decarbia)


    It seems like I am not the only irresponsible one, dropping bombs on the unaware people. What was this girl talking about with that apologetic tone? Not only fire and lightning magic, but also she can create a pocket dimension? That was that, wasn¡¯t it? The legendary inventory!


    "We''ll enter a dungeon and fight for a bit. I need to increase my strength. If it gets dangerous we will run, so don''t worry."


    [Understood master!](Decarbia)


    "Can you show me your Status Page?"


    [???]


    Obviously, after explaining and leading by example, I finally got a glimpse of my new companion''s Status Page. How should I say this... I think I might require retiring from dungeon diving, lest I want to continuously embarrass myself again and again.


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Decarbia Astor


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Demon


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    62


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    163


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Demon Elementalist


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    53


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    105


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    92


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    205


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Underworld (demon world)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    42


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+50</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    776/776(+12.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    181


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1420/1420(+28.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    132


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Grand Mage (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">80%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fire arcane magic (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Lightning arcane magic (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Space-Time Arcane magic (passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">5</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">23%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mana manipulation</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings granted by the world:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree (Provided by proxy)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Looking at her stats and skills, I started to wonder about the difference in Tiers and just how much of an impact having a Job has on the attributes. In my eyes now, it appeared to be a filter reassigning the said attributes depending on which area the Job focuses on.


    Take this girl(demon) for example. Due to her Job being a Demon Elementalist, beside some Agility attribute points for movement speed, which might actually be innate to her race, everything else is put in Magic, Intelligence and Wisdom, making her mana pool ridiculous when compared with her level. Not only that, but her skills make her an absolute glass cannon...


    "Decarbia, did you manage to inspect what everything means on your Status Page?"


    [Yes! This world is very interesting... Master Michael, my free attribute points, what should I invest them in?](Decarbia)


    "Indeed... in your case you appear to have 50 free attribute points to assign. Let''s leave that for later and let''s take a look at what your skills do."


    [Understood!](Decarbia)


    I sneaked a glance at the raven-haired girl, which apparently was only 20 years old according to her Status Page. I don''t know the difference between humans and demons, however she did seem young. But despite that, she already increased the level of the Grand Mage skill to Level 3 and is also at 80% proficiency.


    Even Alexandra was only at level 1 given that only recently she learned how to utilize mana for spells and she only had 5% increase on this skill for level 1. Therefore, at LvL 10, which might be the maximum, the damage output grows by 50% and the mana cost lowers by 50% as well.


    "I might need to prepare these two girls by diving some of the other two dungeons."


    [Master Michael, it feels as my elemental spells are stronger!](Decarbia)


    Seeing this girl so obedient despite the fact that we didn''t sign a contract and not to mention that she slaughtered that moron Izual so easily, gave me a truly strange feeling.


    Unsurprisingly her skills were quite similar to Alexandra, however with just one look you could see her being even more focused on dealing damage.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Grand Mage(Passive) LvL 3


    Provides a 15% increase in damage dealt by spells used, while the amount of mana required to activate any specific spell decreases by 15%.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Given that she said that while a small fireball was hovering over her hand was exuding quite the ferocious temperature, I unconsciously nodded my head hopeful that she will extinguish it fast. At the same time, I wondered about the other skills she had available and some obvious ones like Mana Manipulation, Fire Arcane Magic and Lightning Arcane Magic which were maxed out and one other which drew my attention.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Space-Time Arcane magic(passive) LvL 5


    Through the mastery of the arcane, one is able to bend the space and time to its will and create a pocket dimension in which time is slowed to a stop and the space can become limitless.


    Current space: 100 cubic meters </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I remained pinned on the spot slack-jawed at the ridiculous amount of space available in her ''inventory''. Wasn''t this kind of exaggerated?

 Thick skin! Thick skin!

    Currently she didn''t have the ''hidden'' skills (I called them that because you only get them after the attributes reach 100 points), but there were four of them which could unlock something, as soon as some bonus points would be added to them.


    "Decarbia, add 10 of the free points in Intelligence, Wisdom and Agility each and another 20 in Magic. Tell me if anything happens."


    [By your will!](Decarbia)


    Seeing her bow so polite gave me the shivers... I really dislike that exaggerated level of respect, since I am nobody that great, especially since I am just an avatar at the moment. In addition, quite weak when compared with pretty much anyone else on Midgard.


    "I need to educate this demonic lass a bit later, regarding common sense..."


    [Ooooh! This is impressive...](Decarbia)


    "It seems like you managed to receive some skills right?"


    [Just one, however its description is amazing. Here master, take a look!](Decarbia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Arcane Sage(passive) LvL 1


    Your mana manipulation reached the pinacle and can only be increased quality wise from this point onward.


    Effects: +50% increase in mana pool; +50% damage of all spells used; +50% decrease in mana cost of all spells used; +50% decrease in cast time of any spells; instant cast for any spells that take less than 5 seconds to cast.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Damn! D can you cast the same fireball from earlier?"


    [D?](Decarbia)


    "Well fuck... I have done the same thing I did with Eternity back then. Thick skin, thick skin!"


    "Does it bother you?"


    [Not really. I quite like it!](Decarbia)


    Well what do you know? It seems like this beautiful girl has a similarly beautiful smile if she uses it. I doubt that you can fake that, so I¡¯ll assume she truly doesn''t mind.


    "Hehe! With her joining, I can already see three girls added in my future harem. After all, is there a need for me not to be shameless?"


    "Oh wow... it said that there was only a 50% increase in damage? Why does it feel at least 3 times hotter, while its size also increased at least twice?"


    [Amazing! Is master well versed in elemental magic as well? You guessed it correctly!](D)


    "Really? It was just a feeling actually. I am a newbie when it comes to magic in reality. Hmm... are you confident in fighting some monsters? How''s your MP status?"


    [63% of its full capacity right now. How many monsters are there?](D)


    "Well, do you see the cave entrance over there?"


    [Yes. Hmm? There''s fluctuations of magic coming for it, but I can''t see passed the entrance even if I use magic essence, or rather mana, to enhance my sight. Why is that master?](D)


    "You can think of the dungeons being pocket dimensions similar to your skill. In each one of these dungeons there are multiple rooms called floors. Each floor has a specific monster type assigned to it and only after the entire room is wiped clean or if you kill the Boos, can move to the next floor."


    [¡®Boss¡¯?](D)


    "You can think of it as the chief of the monsters present on that floor. It is also at least 3 levels stronger than other monsters."


    [I see...](D)


    It was quite cute how well behaved this girl was and how much attention she was paying to my every word. Plus that her red pupils were very enticing, glowing quietly in the darkness of the night.


    "Ahem! Regarding the numbers, there should be a bit over 100 on the first floor and this dungeon has only one floor. Also, one of my friends already cleared it on her own today."


    [What!? Sh...She managed to kill over 100 monsters on her own?](D)


    "You don''t need to be surprised. You are actually stronger than her in both levels and magic. Keep in mind that most monsters are level 1 and 2, quite weaker than even myself. Only the boss is stronger."


    [Your friend can use magic? What kind?](D)Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Uwaaaaaah! Her eyes are sparkling...


    "Wind and water. But she only learned how to use them yesterday..."


    [I look forward to meeting such a peerless genius! I have so much to learn from her!](D)


    "No, no, no! I''d rather count on you teaching her stuff since in her case, she got that strong only after receiving a divine blessing from a God, therefore forcibly increasing the Tier of her soul."


    [Blessing of a God?](D)


    "Yes... Midgard''s only God is called... ahem... Michael Corbett the God of Chaos."


    [Eeeeeeeeeeeeh!? Master, you are a God!? No wonder there was a sense of divinity from you!](D)


    Oh shit! I forgot that I showed her my status previously¡­ And just look at her face! If she would have a tail, it would wave 100%...


    "Is just a coincidence..."


    [Don''t worry master! If you want to keep it hidden, I won''t tell a soul about it. However, I can see it clearly when I imbue my eyesight with mana, that unlike the air, plants or even the small animals on the ground which are made out of mana, master''s body is constructed from a different type of energy. It is much purer and much stronger as well.](D)


    "Eh!? There is such a thing?"


    [Indeed.](D) - she nodded


    "Haaah! Alright, you are right indeed and I am expecting you to keep it a secret. So far, there are only two people who know about this and you are one of them. After I created this world I was forced to take this shape and help my people evolve their civilization in time."


    [That sounds amazing master! How many humans are currently in the civilization?](D)


    "Zero."


    [Eh?](D)


    "On this world the inhabitants are called elves. They are a race that is more loved by the nature and much smarter than humans. Not only that but they also hold immense potential. However, there are currently only 200 of them and my helper Mia."


    [I never expected when master contracted me to come to this world, that it would be this interesting. I want to take a look at the monsters you talked about previously then. If what master said was correct, then I should be able to easily clean the first ''floor'' as well.](D)


    Laughing at the strangely hyped demoness, we walked towards the entry and touched the film covering the entrance.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Alert!


    Impossible to enter the dungeon for the next 14 hours due to the clearance of the entire dungeon.


    During the following 14 hours the dungeon will regenerate the monsters as well as the rewards, as well as create the second floor!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Second floor!? And there''s a cool-down once the entire dungeon is cleared?"


    Decarbia was looking strangely at my pale countenance and mutterings, however I couldn''t afford to pay attention to my image. If after clearing the dungeon the core wasn''t destroyed, did it create another floor? As a method of strengthening itself and protect it¡¯s heart?


    Wouldn''t that mean that that the monsters will also be stronger once the new level appears?


    "I truly didn''t expect this... It appears that we might require to make a trip to the next dungeon available. D, are you up for some scouting?"


    [Yes!](D)


    "Hahaha! It''s good to be excited, but we don''t know what type of monsters will be there, or their levels. Also, if I remember it correctly the dungeon in the South should have a total of 11 floors already, therefore I only want to take a look at what type of monsters we will have to deal with."


    [Yes! Let''s go!](D)


    Remembering once more how she easily killed someone earlier, I wondered if this girl wants to let loose and vent some frustrations. Based on what the Moronic One - Izual said, Decarbia was chased in the demon world at the request of someone else, probably someone with a high status. Not only that, but the girl herself said that she didn''t hold a proper conversation with someone else in a while and her family is no longer...


    "One can only imagine the kind of shit-storm she went through. It would be good for her mental health (and my general one) if she can blow off some steam."


    In the absence of an illumination source, D used her fire magic to light up the path, as we walked towards the southern part side of the camp. It surprised me to see how curious she was looking at everything on our way there.


    "Is there that much of a difference between Midgard and the demon world?"


    [Yes... due to continuous fights for power between different factions, the magic concentration in the air spiraled out of control and affected the plant and animal life. As result, you can only find patches of green, plants or trees, only on the estates of the nobles. As for animals go... they were mostly affected and due to the corruption of mana in the air, they meat became hard and unsavory. We demons don''t require physical nutriments to sustain life, however food was one of the few things we could indulge in... right now though, few might still remember the taste of proper food...](D)


    "I see. In that case, you will be happy to live in our camp. Andrea, our head chef, is an excellent cook! I''m sure you will fall in love with her dishes."


    [I truly look forward to it!](D)


    Seeing her expectant look made me want to through a feast next morning. After all, this poor girl hasn''t had a proper meal with a good taste in a while most likely.


    Arriving at the dungeon entrance, the same type of film separated the two different realms, preventing us from seeing anything.


    "Well then... shall we?"


    [I will take the lead then!](D)


    "Nope! I will act as a tanker since surprisingly my HP is higher than yours, while you will attack using spells from behind. Can you sense the presence of the living beings around you using mana?"


    [Yes!](D)


    "Excellent! Let us take a look then, shall we? Follow me, but wait at least three seconds after I enter. That way I will be able to draw away any monster nearby if there are any."


    After passing through the film, a slightly more illuminated room appeared, hinting of signs of moonlight. There wasn''t a moon in the ceiling of the dungeon floor, however there were mana crystals which were slightly glowing...


    "Right! I almost forgot..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Two in a row: Continously placing first will always have its perks.


    Reward: provides the planet with a natural satelite.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I know right!? Such an useless reward... But, while it''s not that impressive, it still helps big time. I would''ve loved some Soul Points to buy more elves or even Achievement Points instead, given the auction Reaper mentioned. I felt like tears were gathering in the corner of my eyes for some reason...


    [Master... are those...?](D)


    "..."

 Yet again we find ourselves... Grinding!

    Sheep! There were freaking sheep in the first level of the dungeon! Not only that, but a single sheep from this first floor was more than enough to deal with more than 10 Murlocs.


    I was pretty sure that mine and D''s mouth were opened big enough to fit an ostrich egg... Why? Because when I entered the dungeon there were two things that we both saw:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Alert!


    Due to the summoning contract between Michael Corbett and Decarbia Astor, they are considered as Master and Servant, allowing the sharing of experience.


    You can adjust the amount of experience gained by either party, by thinking of the percentage to be split.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Alert!


    Due to the relationship between the individuals Michael Corbett and Decarbia Astor, all damage between the two of them dealt by either to the other, is completely negated.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Moreover, obviously, there wasn''t only that, but once I used Identify on the sheep and their Status Page appeared, D could see it as well.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Demonic Sheep


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    29


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sheep


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    28


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Racial Explanation*</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    430/430 (+6.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    170/170(+1.11/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    13


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Physical Atack Nullification (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Bullshit!" - I couldn''t help but blurt out


    What the hell was with that Physical Attack Nullification on a mere sheep? If they are vulnerable only to magic attacks, wasn''t I completely useless? Also, why the hell do they have a racial explanation and such high stats!? Even without the nullification I would still barely be able to win against one...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Racial explanation:


    A sheep variant that received the protection of a dungeon and through it, acquired both strength and a fiery temperament.


    Usually calm, spending their days eating grass and basking in the sun, these sheep can become absolute Gods of slaughter once provoked!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    My knees almost gave out once I read the lines. What the actual fuck!? How can a sheep even become a ''God of slaughter''!? Actually, you know what? I really don''t even want to see that...


    [Master, it appears that the entire floor is as big as we can currently see it and there aren''t any other of these ''monsters'' lying in wait. On the hill in front of us, we can consider there to be the entire monster army in this room.](D)


    "The Boss?"


    [I think is the ram in the middle. He does look slightly bigger than the rest.](D)


    "Let''s take a look at its Status Page then!"


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Demonic Sheep


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    49


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Ram Commander


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    7


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    42%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    35


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    90


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    38


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    35


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    46


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Racial Explanation*</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    690/690 (+10.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    47


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    410/410(+5.11/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    33


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Physical Atack Nullification (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Commander''s aura (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Earth Shield (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Furry of the Sheep (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I expected as much but... wasn''t this guy sufficient to trample and gore the entire first floor of the eastern dungeon alone? And what''s with those skills? Is he a freaking earth bender? Not to mention the Dungeon Blessing which gave him an additional 100MP and 100HP, his entire Status Page is above mine big time...Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Physical Atack Nullification (Passive) LvL??? : Do you think the wool is just for decoration? Your attacks will be absorbed easily by the fluffy mana imbued sheep!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Earth Shield (Active) LvL???: With his desire to protect the heard, the Ram Commander created his own magic, capable of protecting an entire group of sheep!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Furry of the Sheep (Active) LvL???: Do you think my sheep are easy to bully? Do you think you can withstand the furry of the sheep!?</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I felt my face covered by multiple black lines when reading the descriptions. I expected as much but... wasn''t this guy sufficient to trample and gore the entire first floor of the eastern dungeon alone? And what''s with those skills? Is he a freaking earth-bender?


    "I think we might have to..."


    However, before I could speak, the demoness beside me invoked some sort of skill that created thunderclouds above the hill in front of us. Eh¡­ If I had to describe the floor in a rather simple and plain matter, it would be a vast valley filled with grass and other smaller plants and one small hill in the middle of it, where it appeared that the entire ''herd'' was resting. Quite beautiful with a rustic and pleasant feeling to it to be honest.


    The only problem was that now, the 100+ sheep were wide awake and glaring with their red eyes above them, at the dark clouds that could be visibly seen due to the slight lightning wandering through them from time to time, roaring through the silence of the night. And then it happened...


    *BZZZZT!*


    A loud noise representing pure electricity descended on the unaware monsters, followed by a multitude of similar others bolts, making the hill appear a stranded island in the middle of an ocean, pelted continuously by savage storms.


    After four to five minutes have passed and the ''sky'' cleared up of the thunderclouds, there wasn''t anything else left in the middle of the valley, not even the hill itself. In their place however, a small mountain of items raised to the sky, glimmering under the light of the mana crystals...


    Recovering from my stupor by taking a deep breath, I glanced at the heavily overpowered demoness by my side, which by the way was smiling like a child that did a good deed and was waiting for praise. I sighed heavily. I raised my hand and patted her on the head, once more relying on my thick skin to complete the intimate contact.


    "Good job!" - I quietly said


    [Mm!](D) - she nodded slightly


    Just seeing the multitude of items on the ground, I was utterly ecstatic about the fact that I had Decarbia with me, otherwise even with the cart I brought outside, there wasn''t anywhere near enough space for all of them.


    "Let''s see what sort of luck you have D."


    [What do you mean master?](D)


    "Do you see the items spread on the ground?"


    [Yes...](D)


    "They drop once monsters are killed in the dungeon and are usually things that we can bring back to camp in order to improve our civilization''s progress. This time, seeing the monster which we... you killed, something that we really need might actually become available."


    And what do you know... it was actually there. Of course, there was probably a 99% chance ¡®it¡¯ would drop¡­


    [Master... is this...?](D)


    "Wool. And huge amounts of it as well! Hahaha! Look at that puzzled face of yours love... don''t worry, you will automatically understand once you see the main camp. For now, let''s see what else is available for us to plunder..."


    Beside wool, there were a pair of gloves that one could identify as being out of the ordinary with a single glance. However, in my case the Identify was an actual skill, therefore I had a bit more insight when compared with normal people.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Earth shattering gloves - Gloves created from the skin and wool of the Battle Ram.


    Passive skill: -25% decrease in physical damage received.


    Active skill: Mini-Earth shield </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Yet another good item dropped from the Boss. It made me wonder if the Vortex Lance would drop once more after the eastern dungeon is refreshed. That would require further testing though...


    [Master, is that a magic artefact? There are magic undulations coming from it...](D)


    "I guess you could consider it as so. Here, take a look at its description."


    While I let Decarbia wonder at the effects of the pair of gloves, I surprisingly found small ore deposits among the wool and under it. Using Identify on it once again, I received a nice shock once more.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Gold ore - A metal heavily imbued with mana</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Zinc ore - A metal heavily imbued with mana</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    And there were at least about 20kg of each... This was truly excelent!


    "Judging from the fact that the monsters were impervious to physical damage, the fact that the gloves have an active skill that is related to the Earth element and now even ores drop, not only that but the previous dungeon had a lake and water monsters to match it..."


    [..it means that each one of these strange places might represent a specific element. This one might be Earth in this case. Is that your speculation master Michael?](D)


    "Indeed. But D, if that''s the case and we might encounter something like Golems on the following floors, your fire and lightning magic would be rendered useless..."


    [Don''t worry master! If the monsters have resistance to those two elements, than if I combine them both in a spell, even if they can nullify either they will not be able to resist the combination.](D)


    "Somehow... remembering the previous large area spell you used with only lightning magic, makes me quite frightful when thinking of what kind of monstrous spell you can create by combining two elements."


    [It is quite so... I saw it only once being used by a middle-rank demon in a fight between armies. Over two thousand demons low and middle-rank alike were wiped out of existence without being able to fight back. It was quite awe-inspiring.](D)


    Seeing her nod her head but unaware that she just suggested to use that sort of spell just seconds ago, made me wipe invisible perspiration from my forehead.


    "Anyway, it''s good that we have this type of dungeon. That means that we can ''mine'' while fighting and increasing our levels with ease here. Oh, right! Speaking of that, did your level increase?"


    [Yes! It increased to 12... Should I use the free attribute points?](D)


    "No need for now. Seems like I also jumped to level 8 in one go... that''s quite the power leveling... How is your MP?"


    [72% of the total capacity master!](D)


    "It actually went up? How much did you use on your previous spell?"


    [10%...](D)


    "Holly crap! You can actually use that spell 10 times in a row? Maybe even more when taking in consideration your mana regeneration... It is quite ridiculous to be honest."


    [Is that bad?](D) - she asked with an uncertain light in her eyes


    "On the contrary, is quite good! With your help as well as Alexandra''s, clearing out the dungeons will be a breeze in the future! Oh! There are three skill books?"


    Out of the three of them, two were the [Tailoring] skill, while the second one was (to my utmost happiness) [Blacksmithing]. For the first time I actually wondered if these skill books were more like class changing items, given that the elves are currently Tier 1 but no class.


    "That makes me think that there might be a difference between the Job Tier and the Soul Tier. I should consult with Mia regarding this, otherwise I won''t be able to make heads or tails of it on my own due to the lack of information. However, having that lass hack into the main system again¡­"


    "Obviously there aren''t any weapons or armors... What can I say, beggars can''t be choosers. D, can you please move all the items in your inventory?"


    [Inventory?](D)


    "*Cough! Cough!* Your pocket dimension... calling it inventory makes it simpler on my end."


    [Oh, I see! It sounds interesting, so I will call it the same!](D)


    I am certain that there was a shade of red covering my face due to being to embarrassed to look Decarbia in the eye. My previous gaming enthusiasm was taking over once more... I had to rely on my thick skin once more.


    Fortunately, I wasn''t able to remain in that state of mind even a second longer, due to a large violet magic circle, filled with strange runes and inscriptions, covering the entire loot on the ground. Then, as if it was a lie, everything else vanished.


    [It has been done master!](D)


    "I can see that D... you are amazing, you know that?"


    [Hihi!](D)


    I stood there thunderstruck by her sweet laughter, lost in the beauty of her shy appearance. Seeing the several layers of red shades on her cheeks, I finally got a grip and barely managed to remove my gaze from her impossibly attractive figure.


    The situation was rather awkward¡­ therefore, I took the lead and once again relying on my thick skin in order to decide the next course of action.


    "Should we take a look at the second floor then? I would like to fight a bit as well and if possible, raise my level to 10. That way I''ll be able to get a Job."


    [Mhm! I will follow master...](D) - she agreed with a slight nod


    Looking at the floor and following the valley on the opposite side of the entrance, we found a flight of stairs descending, most probably, to the second level.


    To my surprise, after five steps on the stairs that appeared to extend in the darkness infinitely, we already arrived at our destination.


    "This... there''s quite the drastic change between first and second floor..." - I quietly complained


    Decarbia seemed to agree, but sent a sharp stare to the ceiling from which stalactites were pointing at us, reminding me of the demo-dungeon.


    Throughout the barely glowing mana crystals, a cave like environment appeared, gloomy and for some reason... threatening.


    [Master... I am afraid that I can''t take all the monsters out in one spell like before...](D)


    "Hmm? Why do you say that?"


    [They are hiding on the ceiling among the stalactites. It''s probably the type of monsters that likes to ambush its prey.](D)


    "I understand, however we need to at least take a look at them... I will act as bait, so please tell me where an isolated monster can be found. However, if things get messy and I get jumped by more than one monster, don''t worry and just cast your spells without a worry. Your magic won''t be able to damage me, but it will damage the enemies. Alright?"


    [Are you sure master?](D)


    "Positive!"


    After all, the system said so and it doesn¡¯t have a reason to fuck with me¡­ probably¡­


    [...understood! It won''t be that difficult actually. From what I can sense, we are already targeted by one of them, so if you take a couple of steps forward it will attack you for sure.](D)


    "I see. Thank you! Stand by and be prepared to act if necessary. Your life comes first, since even if I die you can still remain and help my elves. Okay?"


    [...please don''t speak of such ominous things master Michael.](D)


    "Haha! Let''s see what this rusty short swords are capable of then, shall we?"


    It didn''t even take the two steps Decarbia mentioned and something fell at high speed towards me from the ceiling. Gazing at the strange object, I brandished my two swords and sent a strike at it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Damage inflicted! HP -3!


    Due to the piercing effect of the blow, your target is inflicted with Bleeding status! Status resisted!


    Due to the crippling effect of your blow, your target is inflicted with Slow status! Status resisted!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Damage received! -126HP!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The impact sent me hurtling on the wall of the cave next to the scared Decarbia. Seeing the brown blob moving on the ground in my direction, I hurriedly used Identify since the amount of damage I received wasn''t even close to be compared to the damage it dealt to me.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Demonic Slime


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    49


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Slime


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    7


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    33%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Asexual


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    45


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    60


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    48


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Racial Explanation*</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    530/530 (+7.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    7


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    260/260(+1.61/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Physical Atack Reduction (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Well fuck... D, can we deal with it?"


    [Not anymore master! The other monsters are also preparing to attack... Should I?](D)


    "No need! Go back the stairs!"


    While she waited for me next to the first step of the stairs, I backed out while still facing the slime which shined dangerously in the badly illuminated room. Unfortunately, it jumped at me again, surprising me with its stupid speed and strength, automatically sending me crashing in Decarbia''s embrace.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Damage inflicted! HP -3!


    Due to the piercing effect of the blow, your target is inflicted with Bleeding status! Status resisted!


    Due to the crippling effect of your blow, your target is inflicted with Slow status! Status resisted!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage received! -206HP!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Master, it appears we are outside. Are you alright?](D)


    We both flew through a slight film covering the stairs, which by the way, wasn''t there when we entered and found ourselves next to a wooden cart. It seems we were ejected from the dungeon.


    "I am. Let''s take a quick look at the first floor. I am curious if it''s the same thing as for the eastern dungeon regarding the cooldown."


    As soon as I placed my hand on the film, a familiar notification appeared.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Alert!


    Due to the first floor being conquered, a cooldown of 20 minutes is required to respawn the monsters on it.


    Alert!


    Unique items won''t drop twice, even if the same floor is conquered multiple times!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A broad grin appeared on my face and a single word escaped my mouth.


    "Grinding!"

 Elf Lord

    [Master, does this mean that in 20 minutes worth of wait, we can fight the sheep again?](D)


    "Pretty much..."


    Seeing this girl raring to have another go at the poor sheep, I prepared for a night''s time worth of repeated actions (in which I do nothing much except count on Decarbia to kill and store).


    "D, when you used your spell previously, did you see any notifications about the damage you dealt to the sheep?"


    [Hmm... now that I think about it, there was something like that. I think it mentioned about 132 monsters dying and a damage value of over 1500 applied in a general area, affecting everything on that hill.](D)


    I shuddered when the damage value reached my ears, scaring me stupid. That was more than sufficient to kill me twice over...


    "T...That''s good to know... "


    The time passed and with it, we entered the dungeon again. We found the sheep herd sleeping on the same hill and not missing even a beat, Decarbia sent out a spell she called Fire Storm, scorching the sheep into ash.


    By the point where the morning sun finally shone above the forest, we abused the poor sheep on the first floor exactly 10 more times. The amount of ores and wool we acquired was stupidly high and D''s inventory was about 75% full according to her estimations.


    "Who would''ve thought that even things like these can drop..."


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Common-rank Clothes - a set of normal clothes.


    Effect: slight increased defense (1%)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A grand total of 23 such sets dropped, which offered pretty much... nothing. However! These were freaking clothes. There was a shirt and a pair of trousers in each set, which meant that if I can get people to keep grinding here with Alexandra leading the troops, we can get new clothing for the entire camp!


    "The only thing left is to create some underwear, however for that one... made from wool... I guess it''s better than nothing. And given that I have two new [Tailoring] skill books, I can already have three people focus onclothes forthe elves and I could convert the Mining unit.... or better not. For now, I should get members of the dungeon diving unit to make sure we can dress the entire camp..."


    "D, we are going to return to camp."


    [But I am not tired yet...](D) - she pouted like a little girl


    "Haha! It has nothing to do with being tired, however, breakfast will be served soon. I think you might not want to miss it."


    [Oh! Go! Let''s go!](D)


    It amused me how easy to trick this girl was when food was involved. The problem was, that I wasn''t sure of how to decide on the ''whom and when'' to go grinding...


    "I guess Mia could confirm that for me. Hehe! After all the grueling work (done obviously by Decarbia) I broke through level 16, almost breaking through that level as well with 86% of the entire EXP bar full. Not only that, but D was already at level 19 and 34% of the full level. After we both get some good rest, I can get Alexa and the rest to come and grind. Of course, since Decarbia has better control over her magic and it''s easier for her to insta-crush the entire floor in one go, she will accompany the rest. That way, it will basically be power-leveling for the dungeon diving unit. Ugh... I guess I could listen to Mia''s advice as well first..."


    By the time I returned to the camp, the guards on the walls saw me and gestured to the rest to open the gate. However, even from over 15-20 meters away I could see their eyes open as wide as saucers when seeing Decarbia walking behind me and to my amazement, they directly jumped from the walls in front of the gate, spears in hand, obviously prepared for combat.


    "Not bad! Not bad at all!" - I nodded my head in approval of their pleasantly fast reaction


    [Michael sir! The person behind you?](random elf no 15)


    "A companion. Lower your weapons... I am afraid that even with all 6 of you here, you are unable to touch even a strand of hair on her head before you are turned into dust."


    Seeing me laugh so uproariously, they had bewildered expressions on their faces and kept sneaking glances at the beautiful, slightly blueish, but still sexy demoness.


    It made me sweat profusely, thinking of how Mia and Alexandra will react to having her sleep under the same roof and in the same bed as us. What!? Of course the demon I summoned is my responsability!


    "Thick skin! I must rely on my thick skin! A harem is my goal! And a million temples..."


    "Oh right! Is the camp awake?"


    [The last of the people are waking up, but miss Andrea and her squad already prepared the breakfast for us in the dinner hall.](random elf no 15)


    "It still pains me that we don''t have a proper building for it yet and only the name."


    [Actually Michael sir, miss Mia said that she plans to build it for us. That and something called a bathhouse.](random elf no 15)


    "She does huh? Well, that''s good I guess... We could slowly build it up, but it will require extra pressure on the building unit and might slow down the rest... Huh!? Why don''t we just have everyone else help? That way we will have 200 people focusing on building... Hmm! Thanks for the good idea!"


    [Hahaha! My pleasure sir!](random elf no 15)


    When we arrived at the dining hall with the guards, all eyes turned to us. Or rather, they riveted on Decarbia''s body, mesmerized by her beauty and unusual skin pigment. What made their gazes linger even longer, was the fact that under the heavy rain of so many eyes on her, Decarbia''s entire visage was tinged with a trace of red, showing an adorable expression of bashfulness.


    Even Mia and Alexandra were looking at her like they found a new puppy to play with and take care of. It made me sigh once I saw the guards bowing to us and going to a different table, while myself and D headed for the same place where Mia and Alexa were sitting at the moment.


    "Thick skin! Thick skin!" - I kept repeating to myselfEnjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    When I sat down next to the two of them and D on my left, everyone was curiously waiting for my introduction. It made me laugh bitterly to myself...


    "Everyone, this is Decarbia Astor! She is the first person to be brought over on Midgard by the Chaos God after we were. As you can see she is quite beautiful and unlike most of us she still has her memories intact, meaning that she will be of immense help to our camp. If that is still not enough, the only thing left that I want to add, is that she is currently stronger than Alexandra, up to the point where she cleared under my very own eyes the first floor of the southern dungeon on her own... 11 times in a row... without even being attacked once. D, if you''d please."


    Seeing me winking at her and getting what I was hinting at, she rolled her eyes in amusement and gestured to an empty space between the World Tree and us. Following a loud rumble, a literal mountain of well arranged items appeared. The strange part was that it kept increasing in height, which made even me do a double take on it. Just how much wool did we get from those dungeon runs!?


    Mia''s eyes literally glowed when she saw the materials, especially the wool and the ores. She gave me an ''I know what you have in mind'' type of look and smiled sweetly. On the other hand, Alexandra was astonished by the huge purple circle covering the mountain on all sides, turning her eyes to look at D, like she just found her long lost father.


    Under the powerful and scrutinizing gazes of everyone else, I waved my hand as signal and she once more, hid all the items back in her inventory. We need to have Mia organize them after breakfast and unloading everything closer to the warehouse will be easier for them to move it inside.


    "D, say some words to everyone. Just look at them... they can''t wait to hear your voice." - I teased


    [Hello everyone! Like master Michael said, my name is Decarbia Astor! Please take care of me now and in the future.](D) - she said after fiercely glaring at me


    Mia threw a strange glance at me, after which a feast began. Seeing tears in the corners of Decarbia''s eyes, I felt moved by how much she liked the food.


    "Oh right! I should hand Mia the lamb meat we got from the dungeon as well. Given that our ingredients list grew, the food variation should as well..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+2 Wisdom attribute points received! +1 Endurance attribute points received!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After the breakfast ended and D managed to unload all the items, including the lamb meat in the Granary, I quickly consulted with Mia regarding the matter of using all 200 elves to build today, to which she quickly agreed. Not only that, but I told her to look into the ranks of the clothes we found and see if the system hides some sort of ranking list.Also she was to find out if there is a difference between the Soul Tier and Job Tier. Mhm! That should do it for now...


    Asking Decarbia to follow me, we quickly arrived to our appointed elven hut. Mia already requested warm water to be ready for us to bathe and while I washed in the kitchen, yet again and she did in the bedroom, I kept explaining the current situation of the elven civilization. Everything from memory loss, to the level of civilization and the monsters which might sooner or later besiege us, Decarbia listened quietly.


    When she gave it the green to go, I climbed the stairs to the bedroom where I found her waiting for me on top of the bed, only with her lingerie on. It didn''t take the chaos intuition for me to figure out that it was a misunderstanding on her part, but the question in my mind was: do I want to solve it?


    "D... I don''t want to ask more details about your background, because I hope you will tell me yourself when you are ready. Also, I am not aware of the details of the contracting ritual and in regards to me being a God... as you can see I am a mere avatar of an elf at the moment, therefore you won''t find me ordering you to do something you don''t want to. So for now, let''s wait until you can get to know me better and if your feelings tilt in favor of us being together, I would accept that wholeheartedly."


    Seeing the redness go all the way up to her ears, I inwardly chuckled and scolded my perverted mind for wanting to tease her even further.


    Nevertheless, I joined her under the sheets and didn''t allow her not to sleep in my arms. Before thinking any further, I took a look at my new Status Page, pleased by what I saw.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    51


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    27


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf Lord


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    16


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    86% (?)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    38


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    42


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Title</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">''Kyrie''</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1023/1023 (+19.4/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    41


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+80</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    942/942(+13.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    34


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Demonic contract (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">15%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Excellent creature!

    I was happy to see Decarbia quietly sitting in my embrace, but she was obviously nervous given that we don''t really know each other. Demon or not, she is still a woman and would obviously be wary about sleeping in the same bed as another guy. Especially in his embrace¡­


    "All men are wolves after all... However, my lust became close to inexistent after my ''godification''. Should we do an experiment? Hehehe..."


    However, I didn''t want to do anything which would scare this pretty lass. After all (from what she told me at least) she was chased back in this ''demon world'' for Reaper knows how many years. Unable to remember the taste of proper food or the pleasure of sleep, carnal desires might be secondary on her mind right now.


    Seeing that she wasn''t able to calm down at all, I used a technique I learned from a really pervy buddhist monk, dude which was pretty much a gigolo before undertaking his vows. He called it ''matchmaking mantra''.


    I first pulled her closer to me, my chest touching her back. Due to the lack of clothes, our skin was in direct contact and I caught in the corner of her eye, a look similar to a deer in the headlights. I found it funny, but the current purpose was to calm her down, not scare her further...


    The skin is the most sensitive organ in the human body, therefore I used it to feel her heartbeat, listen to her breathing and slowly try to match it with my own.


    I took her right hand in mine, holding it under her chest, while breathing slower than she was. My breath touched on her shoulder, hinting at a more calm and relaxed atmosphere and inviting her to join.


    After some minutes passed and she got used to my presence and touch, her breathing stabilized and the beating of her heart calmed down considerably. At that point, I put my forehead on her back and closed my eyes. That was the final step and it showed great results.


    Physical contact, reassurance, emotional support and finally, a show of trust. Four simple steps from what that perverted monk called ''matchmaking mantra''. In the past, it was always surprisingly effective and from the looks of it, it works on demons as well.


    Maybe even more than it should, seeing the she turned to me and snuggled on my chest. As a man, that''s probably the thing, since it can tickle our protective nature the most and it obviously worked on me as well, given how I truly feel that I should make a place for her in this world as well. I used my left arm to slide under her head to support it and the right around her waist holding onto her, while we both slowly drifted asleep.


    [I am surprised you came back so soon... are you that curious about the continuation?]


    "Not really... I just fell asleep. Your name?"


    [Does it matter?]


    "Does it matter that I hear voices in my head as soon as I fall asleep? Yeah... kind of..."


    [Humorous... not something I can say I was at any point in time in the past...]


    "Irrelevant¡­ So? Who are you?"


    [You are wording that wrong...]


    "For a voice in my head you''re surprisingly annoying... Then? What now?"


    [We continue the story, until you find out what you worded wrongly.]


    "Haaah... Okay, do what you want. I will admit I am a bit curious..."


    The silence beguiled darkness and the darkness descended akin to a blanket over my body. I opened my eyes and blinked slowly...


    [A shitty place...](?)


    "Truly a shitty place..." - I confirmed


    Everything, which my eyes encompassed was drowned in a sea of fire, resembling the pure hatred of this world... unforgiving and unrelenting, not giving life even the slight chance to harbor hope of blooming in this God forsaken place.


    [I made you suffer my friend. All because of my selfishness...](?)


    "It isn''t like I don''t know what sort of person you are Lucifer... Beside that obviously exaggerated pride of yours, aren''t you my best friend?"


    [Saying that when you are even more prideful than I am? Corbett, are you making fun of me?](Lucifer)


    "Hahaha! Truly though... what are we supposed to do with this place?"


    Seeing the look in the eyes of this friend of mine that unknowingly dragged me down to hell with him, quite literally, I realized that even this sort of shitty place won''t put a damper on his ambitions.


    "Ugh... you should know my personality best. You know I dislike effort..."


    [You mean that I know how lazy you are.](L)


    "..."


    [Even if you roll your eyes at me, it doesn''t change the fact that it''s the truth.](L)


    "Are you really planning to go ahead with that crazy plan of yours?"


    [How do you know it is a crazy plan? I didn''t even tell you what I want to do...](L)


    "Why are you admitting that your plan is crazy before telling me what it is..."


    We both laughed for a while, trying to diffuse the shitty situation we were in. After Chronos ''sentenced'' both of us to manual labor in this third realm of the world, we found only flames for as long as our eyes could see. The image of her was still fresh imprinted in my memory, as well as the tears she was crying, while looking at her brother and me departing.


    Remembering the promise I made Chronos agree with forcibly, I felt powerless for the first time since meeting her. I have been in her company for so long that I forgot how to act and behave when I am not. To think that I forgot even who I was prior to meeting her...


    [Are you thinking of my sister?](L)


    "Mhm... Is it that obvious?"


    [Yes. I am truly jealous of you two. You know that?](L)


    "You never told me before. Why?"Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    [Because of how complete and at peace you two look like when you¡¯re together.](L)


    "Hahaha! That is truly the case... was, truly the case. Nevertheless, you haven¡¯t shown an interest in a soul companion ever since I met you. And Lucifer, we know each other for longer than either of us can remember..."


    [Just because I am jealous doesn''t mean that I am willing to give myself so trustingly to someone else. Just from seeing your reaction right now makes me realize that it''s a bad decision to make...](L)


    "Your thought process surprises me each time, again and again..."


    [Will you help me?](L)


    "Isn''t it why I''m here for?"


    [I want to make this place ours...](L)


    "I know how you wanted to make that sound, but it still came out wrong..."


    [I want to make this place better than the Heaven...](L)


    "And that came out blasphemous and we might get wiped out from existence if Chronos hear it..."


    [However, you will still help me?](L)


    "Is not like I have a choice, do I?"


    [Alright, let me do a sweep of this place first then.](L)


    Leaving aside his questionable personality, his strength and ability is first class among all angels. His leadership skills are unquestionable and he becomes stronger, the more people follow him. Thinking up to this point, even I begin to wonder if Chronos did this on purpose in order for his position not to be threatened.


    [I found others here!](L)


    "Huh!? Really? Let''s go then!"


    [There''s a literally ocean of flames which could easily burn our very souls away between our position and theirs... How do you plan to go there?](L)


    "Did you forget about these bad boys?"


    With a slight movement of my hands, on each ring finger a shadow appeared. A flicker could be seen in Lucifer''s eyes, showing a bit of greed. I don''t blame him though. Even characters like Chronos would be tempted, so there''s no reason to blame a straightforward person like this friend of mine.


    [Pandora''s Gifts...](L)


    "Mhm."


    [From my knowledge and even Chronos confirmed this for us, you are the only person in possession of two of these rings. The more in the possession of one user, the stronger the person becomes. That multiplier effect is said to be so horrific that even regular angels could contest in power with Titans with only three of these rings on their person. I wonder what all six of them could do...](L)


    "It''s said that they were never meant to belong to a single person..."


    [Do you know of their origins? Actually, you never told me how you came to possess them to begin with...](L)


    "It''s a really long story..."


    [We have nothing but time.](L)


    "Haaaah! Fine... In a past unknown to us, there was a place where the Ancients gathered and were born called the Playground."


    [Pfft!](L)


    "I know right? I also laughed when I learned the name and was punched in the gut because of it, but realized later on, just how appropriate it was when I was informed the reason for which it was called that."


    [Oh?](L)


    "Ancients... the ones which brought worlds and constellations into existence, as well as the ones we call Gods. For the Ancients that were born recently, all gathered there in order to learn how to use their innate powers and breathe more life into the universe. The Playground came into existence when a Supreme One became a teacher there, leading the young ones to follow in his footsteps. Playing around with the creation of countless worlds, stars and even life itself... what better name could it have?"


    [...](L)


    "Yeah, I also have no clue what the Ancients or the Supreme Ones are, but from the story I was told, they are existences way above the realms of Gods."


    [What does that have to do with the rings?](L)


    "Everything. The story is about one of these Supreme Ones, Pandora. Using her life experience and almost all her power, she brought into existence six Ancients with infinite potential. Deeming them as her sons and daughters, she taught them everything she knew and brought them to the Playground soon after for even more. All six of them were supreme geniuses, which easily overtook the other Ancients present there and their ''mother'' was gratified when she heard about it. When they learned everything there was to learn and the time to create their own worlds arrived, as parting gifts Pandora requested another Supreme One which owed a favor to her, to help her create something suitable for each one of them.


    Intrigued, the Supreme One agreed and by using a strand of the soul essence from each one of the children, he brought into being one of his most outstanding creations ever¡­ using six different stars that lived longer than he did. There were three girls and three boys among the children, so he decided to compress the potential of his creation to the maximum by using the burnt potential of the stars, therefore the rings were decided upon.


    For the youngest daughter that had a shy personality and was often bullied because of it, the ring had the ability of enhancing her aura many times fold, giving the impression of a supreme existence to those who wore it. To the second daughter that was a tomboy, the ring exuded an aura of absolute charm, capable of mesmerizing even the Supreme Ones, created from a mother''s worry that her child won''t find a suitable companion due to her personality. The firstborn daughter was really lady-like and outspoken, giving a carefree yet a responsible air. The only thing that she was lacking was flexibility. Therefore, a ring that could transform into anything she wished for was created. For the boys that were more interested in fighting, the rings became more violent. The youngest son which was incredibly smart and cunning but lacked the power of his peers, it directly magnified his overall power many times fold. For the second son that was as powerful as the oldest brother was, but didn''t know how to lead his people, the ring had an aura of leadership making sure that each order given would be followed to the letter. The firstborn of all the six children was an absolute genius, with strength, charm and undeniable leadership, however was not proficient in the arcane. The elemental arts of the Ancients was equal to the laws of the world itself, powerful enough to make the skies themselves burn if they wished it to, or the ground to be flooded by water all the same. Unable to sense the essence of the elements, the firstborn was given the strongest ring among all six, a ring capable of using any sort of elemental arcane art."


    [Long...](L)


    "Screw off! You''re the one that asked."


    [I wasn''t expecting you to be so long-winded. Anyway, which ones do you have?](L)


    "I forgot how much your personality sucks when compared with your sister''s... You know my abilities the best... which ones do you think I have?"


    [Oh, right... Huh!? You fucker! That means that you cheated in our fights so far!?](L)


    "Hmpf! Dealing with you just using my normal abilities is sufficient."


    [Arrogant bastard!](L)


    "Like you''re the one to talk..."


    The laughter of two beings echoed through the flaming emptiness, as darkness engulfed everything once more.


    [Seems like time''s up again...]


    "Are you him?"


    [Which ''him'' are you referring to? Anyway, you should know without having to ask, right?]


    "Underworld... The third realm of Earth... Then what does that make the other Gods beside Reaper? And Decarbia said she came from the demon world, also known as the Underworld. Same place? This... is confusing to the max... Also, what the fuck are Ancients and Supreme Ones?"


    [If I didn''t know then, what makes you think I''d know now?]


    "What about those two rings?"


    [Ancestral legacy. You have them as well.]


    "Bullshit! I haven''t received any... ancestral? Are you my ancestor then?"


    [I am your father!]


    "Fuck off! I''m serious here."


    [Like I said, you''ll know when the time is right. Look in your Status Page when you wake up. I hope you''d like my ... gifts...]


    I woke up some hours later under the gazes of Mia and Alexandra. They were smiling, however it didn''t really feel like a smile considering how scared I felt. Braving myself, I looked straight at Mia and asked her the time. It seems that I barely slept two hours...


    Signaling the two of them, we left the bedroom leaving a soundly asleep Decarbia. Looking at the beautiful aura she was exuding I suddenly thought to myself just how much of an excellent creature she was. Of course my gaze was caught and there was a trace of disdain in the eyes of the other two fairies by my side. It seems that my dream harem is still quite a far distance away...


    "Especially since I didn''t even kissed one of them so far... Since when did I become this useless!?"

 A sky full of stars

    That day marked the start of a truly hectic period. However, it was still one of growth and improvement for our camp and civilization overall. After some conversations with Mia and the other important figures of our social construct, the decision we reached was that for today, the focus of the entire camp would be on building.


    So, except for a few that manned the walls just in case, everyone worked hard on building under Mia''s instructions... me included.


    We decided that the Shrine and the Dinner Hallwill be completed today and surprisingly, we somehow managed. That night marked the inauguration of the Dinner Hall through a huge feast prepared by Andrea and her chef-squad.


    Well... I say night but there was still daylight left, therefore after some rations were prepared, I took the entire dungeon diving unit and Decarbia (which somehow woke up exactly before dinner was ready...) and left for the Eastern Water Dungeon.


    Obviously, power leveling was a guaranteed thing to happen, but only after I have these people face against the Murlocs on their own. It will serve as an exercise for them and the new equipment Denise managed to thinker with. When? Well¡­ during the time we were breaking our backs with the buildings that became harder and harder to construct, she took a couple of people and began melting away at the excess of spears or other useless things we had from the dungeon runs made by Alexandra and me last night. The result?


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Advancement made through autonomous research!


    Metal Casting Research Points requirement decreased by 700 points due to your civilization pioneering an unknown path!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The Metal Casting research dropped with 700 points in its requirement, which forced me to make a decision.


    We had a total of 3023 RP accumulated so far and only 1400 RP required to wrap up the research. In order to give the poor lass a break, I directly bought Metal Casting and Mining, thing that sent Denise down the rabbit hole, unable to extricate herself from the new knowledge she received. Yeah¡­ it didn¡¯t go as planned, I know, but to her it was like a breakthrough made because of her hard work and I couldn''t bring myself to tell her otherwise...


    Nevertheless, given that we needed to complete Animal Husbandry and Archery as well, I coaxed the little mad genius to focus completely on the latter one, since elven archers are a must. Legolas, this little master won''t disappoint you any further!


    Obviously, since she required materials to create something, she used the newly (looking like it''s about to collapse) forge and melted much of the useless stuff which kept piling dust in the Warehouse, creating many molds and evaporating much of the river''s water... That finally brought about some results, as a batch of proper looking spears were created and even two lances, using the Vortex as an example. To my utmost shame, I mentioned by mistake plate armor to her and this mad genius forced me to explain things in much detail for some good couple of hours (which exempted me from working at the buildings, but not from Mia''s contemptuous stare...).


    Anyway, the fight with the Murlocs was... disastrous and we still lost pathetically. At least until Alexandra and Decarbia used their magic and wiped out the remaining forces... Everything was fine and dandy up to the point where the Boss appeared and according to the reports from Laurence, the damage dealt by the slightly improved javelins wasn''t worth more than 20 points of damage per throw, while some didn''t even penetrate its fish-skin and were completely blocked. So, when we tried to engage in close combat (I was able to participate because I wanted to show off, given my new high level), the Boss flew into a rage and bitch-slapped my monkey ass. That took out 25% of my entire HP¡­ therefore I panicked thinking that some elves might get slaughtered and commanded D and Alexa to end this hateful bastard.


    [Michael are you alright?](Alexa)


    [Master?](D)


    "I am alright you two, don''t worry... Alexandra, last time me and Decarbia were here, we received a notification about a second floor appearing. Let''s take a look while the others take a break."


    [Shouldn''t we bring them along?](Alexa)


    "Nope. We aren''t sure what sort of monsters will appear there, so it''s better to go with just the three of us. D can use Fire magic so it shouldn''t be that difficult to wipe out the floor on her own."


    [Oh, right!Big sister D, can you teach me more about magic? You promised that you would...](Alexa)


    [I will, I will... However, I didn''t have time to do so yet. I will tell you a bit while we check the second floor like master said.](D)


    [Hmm? I noticed before, but why both you and big sister Mia call Michael ¡®master¡¯? Are you serving Michael like big sister does?](Alexa)


    [Uhm...](D)


    Even if you turn to me... Anyway, the second level was filled with snakes. I still shudder every time I remember the sight of them. It was like a huge ball resting upon an amazingly large slab of stone, all of them basking in the sun. The girls were curious at first and I had an inkling as for what theball was when I first saw it, however I decided to teach them a lesson about not dropping their guards in a dungeon like I did earlier with the Murloc Boss.


    When the walked closer and were about 30 meters away from the black ball, the snakes noticed their presence and lunged at them. I will just say that the screams of the two lasses washed away the shame I felt when the boss bitch-slapped me. Venting on the girls? Of course not! I knew they will react properly and exactly as I thought, Decarbia hit the snakes with lightning and fire that would be present only in myths and legends, while Alexandra minced the poor things into dust with air magic, only to flood the entire floor and wash away their remains with a tsunami. Now that''s what you can call overkill!The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Obviously, everyone''s levels went up in the process, but not sufficient, therefore the grinding for that night commenced at the Earth Dungeon. Given how the sheep were pretty much invulnerable to any damage, we stood behind the two magicians of our group and watched as the poor fluffy demonic things were abused to the max. We even ventured a couple of times in the second floor, but because the time we needed to wait to re-enter was increased when doing that, we focused on grinding.


    Day 11 marked the building of the Monument, while day 12 since arriving on Midgard marked Decarbia joining us. Now that day 13 ended after much grinding and some building, I could truly feel how fast the time passed, given the pressure that was put on us by the second continent...


    When day 15 ended, some major events finally occurred. We had enough culture points to acquire the Military reform which will grant us a steady path for future policies through dungeon diving. Not only that, but through Denise''s hard work (more like obsessed but I can''t really complain since she enjoys what she''s doing), we had another breakthrough in the Archery research, decreasing its cost down to 800 points. So I used out of the grand total of 1301 we had on that day, the required amount to buy it outright once more, leaving me with only Animal Husbandry and 501 Research Points left.


    Buildings also thrived as Stone Works and Farms were also finished, much to the delight of Stephanie and the two muscle-heads, since the following day we also wrapped up the Lumber Mill.


    We were now on day 16 and we were planning the location of the Water Mill for the following day, with only the Barracks, Ancestral Library and the Bathhouse required to be finished. I was also quite hyped about the last one, due to the fact that there was a pleasant surprise once the Dinner Hall was constructed.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Dinner Hall


    The hungry finally have a place to gather where they can enjoy both food and proper conversation!


    Effects: +1 Culture Point/day; 50% increase in respective food effects</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Due to it, not only did the food we ate gave more attribute points than it usually did, but the culture points gain per day went up a bit as well. Unfortunately, after acquiring the Military reform I was left with only 3 points, while the next policy required me to spend 104 for it. I felt my scalp tingling at the mind-boggling number and the fact that in the future it will likely go up again and again... but a helping hand was sent out in the form of a massacre.


    As bad as that sounds, it was the truth. Based on the general level of the monsters in a floor, once it was cleared, a number of culture points will be granted. For example, in the Eastern Water Dungeon the average level of the Murlocs was 2-3, so we were awarded 2-3 culture points with each clear. For the second floor the average was the same as the first floor from the Southern Earth Dungeon which was about five, so we grinded those again and got 5 culture points per each dungeon run on those floors. It made me wonder if I can dive the big dungeon in the second continent with D and Alexa and easily buy all the social policies and reforms available...


    There was also a pretty big improvement within the dungeon diving unit, something like a qualitative change due to them reaching level 10 and getting Jobs. They were happy about being able to finally stomp the Murlocs under their feet and even fought the snakes on the second level. There were some light injuries, but since beside Alice that was already a second Tier healer, we got a couple of Priest Jobs as well among the unit, the damage we took and the risk of major injuries was reduced to nil.


    These three days we acquired so much meat of different types without having to hunt, more clothes than required, enough that we had spares and a huge mountain of wool that our tailors began creating socks, pillows and blankets with for the cold season.


    According to Mia''s calculations, this 16th day represented the end of August in Earth''s terms, so I took a chance. With yet another mad scientist''s help, Simone and some deer that gave its life for our cause, we created the first calendar ever for our civilization. Obviously, we kept the same months, only that there were slightly more days in the year since it was too annoying to think of new names. And with it...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    By pioneering and braving the unknown, your civilization acquired the Calendar research technology without having spent any research points on it!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Major achievement: A path through the stars!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">A path through the stars


    Requirement: be the first to complete the Calendar research and make your civilization aware of the notion of time.


    Reward: one set full of stars for your world </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    That night of the 16th day, before I accepted the reward and put the stars on display for everyone to see, we held yet another huge feast (I''m starting to get used to those and the feeling of party, but we lack alcohol... we only have juice in its stead)during which I announced that Mia had an epiphany of sorts, granted to her by the Chaos God through which he let us know how proud he is of our achievements (yup I threw her under the bus once more). As reward, the sky itself will light the darkness of the night for us from this point onward. Cheesy, I know... However it worked and everyone got really hyped. I had to explain what stars are, which made things even more complicated, but once night arrived and they saw the glittering dots in the vast beautiful sky, everyone was stunned into silence by the breath-taking sight.


    Even for me, the view was amazing beyond any words, completely different than what it was on Earth and more pronounced. It truly appeared to be a path made of stars drifting like a river through the vast universe without a specific destination in mind. I remembered the Milky Way which it was visible with the naked eye back then, but compared to that, what I was currently looking at seemed much closer and way more colorful.


    That night, the entire camp slept outside, in the company of the others and the smell of the grass. Summer ended and with it, a colder wind began stirring across Midgard.

 A meeting of great importance!

    In the morning of the 17th day on Midgard, or better put right now, 1<sup>st</sup> of September year 1, I gathered all the unit leaders and some others in the Town Hall after breakfast, for a meeting about the future of the camp. I figured it would be best if I can involve them as much as possible in the major decision-making, given how important that is for my peace of mind... also, in order to allow me to laze and venture around Midgard with no worries later on.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for gathering here on such short notice! As you all know, the Chaos God gave us the option of seeing the status of our world through an interface similar to our own Status Page. You can think of it as the Status Page of Midgard..."


    There were slight murmurs among the people gathered, which weren''t just the leaders anymore, but some of the people which participated the most in the camp''s improvement during the last week. I decided to do this on a weekly basis, case in which the extra people might change and allow others to participate in the decision-making, giving them an extra incentive to work even harder.


    Anyway, after introducing everyone to what everything meant, I had Alexandra and Mia act as my co-presenters while I talked, with them brouging up the specific tabs (it felt like a joint power-point presentation in high-school¡­). Even Decarbia was stunned by the strange things she saw, saying how unprecedented it was that a civilization that had no knowledge of technology or magic at an advanced level, to have something as impressive as the Adventurer System was quite far fetched. Honestly, I had no way to refute that statement.


    "Let''s get started first of all with the list of materials available to us at the moment."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="5">Materials available</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">5400 wood units</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">8600stone units</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">12050 food units (food is estimated to last4 additional months)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Metals: 9790 units</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Others: 13030 units</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "As you can see the list of materials we currently have increased exponentially and our goal is to prepare for the three months¡¯ worth of winter. Obviously, we still have meat that we hunted, but we decreased the scope of that considerably in the last couple of days due to our gains in the dungeons, as well as the fact that we do not wish to overhunt and scare away the wildlife around the camp. Any questions so far? Yes, Andrea?"


    [Including deer and boar, we also hunted pheasant and other types of birds, therefore our reserves are more than sufficient. Nevertheless, that is not even 10% of the current Granary capacity, while fish and lamb meat acquired through the dungeons occupy about 50% of the full storage. I am afraid that we have more meat than we need, but not enough fruits and vegetables. Not to mention that the spices big sister Mia keeps teaching me about, are far from sufficient in our area or inexistent...](Andrea)


    "I had a similar conversation with her about this. Indeed the vegetables and fruits are far from enough around us and it might prove difficult to plant and grow them in the forest. Therefore, it is very likely that our Chaos God will bring over once more people on Midgard, we could start a second settlement, a distance away from the forest. Any thoughts on it."


    A conversation sparked from that simple question, which in return helped us reach a consensus. The second camp will focus on farming heavily for things like wheat, vegetables and also animal husbandry. That brought us to another important tab. Research!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Research


    Used to decide the technological advancement, it consists of multiple branching paths one can chose, each one belonging to a specific time.


    Once a minimum of technologies have been researched, you can advance to the next era. Each era advancement will provide you with certain benefits.


    Current technologies available for research:


    Pottery ¨C already researched


    Animal Husbandry ¨C 1800 RP (-20% discount due to title)


    Archery ¨C already researched


    Mining ¨C already researched


    Metal Casting ¨C already researched


    Current Research Points available:501


    Current Research Points growth: 239/day (assign people to researching a specific field in order to increase growth)


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "As you can see, the only thing left would be to either focus on this technology and complete it, or to move our attention to taming wildlife on our own and try to make another breakthrough. Stephanie, your squad had a trial with the bees and Mia helped out a bit as well. How is that going?"


    [Very well! From what big sister said, is probable that we could already harvest honey, however if we do so, there might not be sufficient food for the bees to survive through the winter...](Stephanie)


    "Is that so? In that case, it is better to wait. However, this signifies that if something as difficult as tending to bees was made possible, I am optimistic for other types as well. I think we should look for small birds, wild boars and deer. For other animals it might prove impossible for now..."


    [For the small birds, do you have in mind placing them around the Farms?](Stephanie)


    "In the farms actually. There should be sufficient people to handle that right now. There is no rush though, but you can give a try to capturing them alive, or their young and bring them back to camp. Consult with Mia regarding what sort of habitat to, in order to have them accommodate easier to our camp."


    [Understood!](Stephanie)


    "For the other resources we have available, like the wood and the stone, we will also delay the process of acquiring those for now. For the reason... is possible that wood will no longer be a requirement in the near future, therefore we will shift onto mining more vigorously. Especially copper and marble since they are better materials that our camp needs."


    Everyone appeared agreeable and the topic finally moved onto the final topic to be breached. Social Policies!


    "For the reform or policy next to be selected, we had an original plan. However, seeing that new options are made available each time we select and unlock a new reform, we aren''t that certain anymore. Let''s take a look at what the Military Reform unlocked for us first and we will decide together what the next one should be."


    After hunting like lunatics continuously for one day (leading to the Eastern Water Dungeons to be locked down for over 24 hours and pushing it to the creation of the third floor) we captured a total of 73 Culture Points after continuous grinding, beside the daily points. With a new day in front of us and the option to grind even more, it was a guaranteed thing that the fourth policy can be selected... The question was, which one?Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Military improves the effectiveness of one''s army in a variety of ways.


    Adopting Military gives a +25% combat bonus VS dungeon monsters, and notifications will be provided when newdungeonappearsin the known territory. GainCulture Points for the civilization from each dungeon floor cleared. Unlocks a random culture providing building after the Town Hall has been built!


    Adopting all policies in the Honor tree will grantdouble Culture Pointsfor each enemy dungeon floor cleared. It also allows the purchase ofGreat GeneralswithFaith starting in the Industrial Era.


    Current branching social policies:


    - Discipline;


    - Military Caste;


    - Military Tradition;


    - Profesional Army;


    - Warrior Code;


    Cost for a new branching social policy:104 Culture Points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Discipline


    In a military structure, discipline refers to a soldier''s willingness to follow legitimate orders, to respect superior officers, and to put their life in jeopardy or even die when required. Disciplined soldiers are expected to uphold the dignity of their uniform when off-duty and to protect the weak and helpless. Lapses in discipline may lead to military punishment or even courts-martial and discharge.


    Benefits: +25% increase in basic attributes (STR, AGI, END, INT) when fightingunder the leadership of a general or commander.


    Cost: 104 Culture Points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Military Caste


    In a society with a military caste, all members of the military are from a specific tribe, nationality, religion, or other socio-economic subgroup. Citizens who are not part of the caste are forbidden from joining the military and often from carrying any weapons at all, often because the military caste fears that the citizens might use the weapons against them. Much of feudal Japan was under a military caste system, as was ancient Sparta.


    Benefits: +10% increase inHappiness for local population when the settlement has Barracks built; +2 Culture Points/day.


    Cost:104 CulturePoints


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Professional Army


    A professional army is a full-time military organization that remains in being even when the country is at peace. Its soldiers are paid for their services by the state and spend their time training or performing public works when not at war. The earliest armies were not professional. When war was imminent, the country''s leaders would issue a call and all able-bodied men would shoulder their weapons and march off to battle. These amateur soldiers usually didn''t have much training and were often expected to supply their own weapons and armor, so their quality was not very high. They tended to desert when they had to tend to their crops, so battles were scheduled for the summer. If victory wasn''t achieved by harvest, the war would often be called off for a year.


    Benefits: +50%increase experience gained by the proffesions recognized publicly as soldiers of the civilization; 50% decrease in general cost of army related buildings;


    Cost:104 CulturePoints


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Warrior Code


    The warrior code represents those military organizations in which the soldiers feel a stronger allegiance to the army and their fellow soldiers than to anything else. The soldier is willing - if not eager - to fight and die for the army. He''ll follow orders without question, putting the good of the military ahead of his own personal welfare, or indeed the welfare of his nation as a whole. Such organizations can be very dangerous unless the nation''s leaders keep an extremely tight grip on it. According to some historians, in pre-World War II Japan, the Imperial Army and Navy were almost entirely out of civilian control, and their militaristic actions dragged that country into the ultimately-disastrous confrontation with the United States.


    Benefits: provides the civilization with a free Great General; decreases the amount of experience required for training Great Generals; increases Happiness of civilization;


    Cost:104 CulturePoints


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "So as you can see, these are the options available. Everyone, offer your opinion."


    [Michael, I still think we should follow the original plan...](Mia)


    [Indeed...](everyone else)


    "..."


    I was quite speechless seeing how an entire possible conversation was automatically shut down with a single sentence from Mia. Actually, exactly how much authority does this pretty AI has in our camp?


    "I am pretty sure her authority is above mine at least..."


    "Alright then... If nobody has any complaints, we will go with what was decided in the beginning. That means that for the next option, we will select...


    [Warrior code!]


    [Citizenship!]


    [We should unlock Aesthetics!]


    "..."


    These people... Where is the unity from before!? Indeed though, it is quite difficult to decide based on the many options we have available. The best choice at the moment is to focus on a way to improve the gain of culture points per day, all in order to increase the future gain of policies in an easier manner. At the same time, it would be the best course of action to also focus on unlocking as many options as possible for social policies, given that there might be hidden gems in there just like for the first three reforms...


    "I can understand why they are unsure... I am also hesitating in making a decision..."


    "Alright! I have decided! We will postpone a decision until tonight. Everyone is to consider the option they want, but you had better prepare arguments as for why you think is the best option. Do not follow commands, I need you to use your head and help this camp move forward. Is that understood?"


    [Yes sir!](everyone)


    "..."


    I wasn''t exactly 100% sure if that was considered a command therefore I decided not to pay attention to it. Now, there was one last subject to be discussed and with it, all bases would be covered.


    "Lastly, I have decided that we will focus on the buildings in the following order: today day 17 will be the Water Mill and the Bathhouse, day 18 will be the Barracks and day 19 will be the Ancestral Library. All these buildings are complicated and will require extra work and care, however they will prove extremely beneficial for our camp. Mia, regarding what I''ve asked you?"


    [There isn''t a problem. I was able to locate the underground spring and by using a canal we can re-direct the water near the forge and by creating an oven like chamber, the water passing through will be warmed up. Unfortunately is not possible to create a natural one due to the territory lacking a proper thermal spring...](Mia)


    "It is true as there weren''t any volcanoes in this area back then... It will have to work for now. We will improve it later. What about drainage?"


    [After conducting some tests, we will place the Bathhouse under the World Tree. Its roots will be able to purify the water and by creating a cycle, while the canals will maintain a constant level of warmth and obviously the World Tree keeps the water clean all day long.](Mia)


    "I see..."


    I, once again, saw just how much of a cheat this World Tree was. I truly hoped that Eternity received just as much help as I got from it.


    "Alright, that concludes this morning''s meeting. We will come back here tonight after dinner, in order to decide the order of things. Everyone, thank you for participating!"


    That way, the first true type of corporative meeting ended and another fun day started. Why fun? Because Laurence was already capable of leading the unit to clear up to the third floor of the Eastern Water Dungeon where Water Slimes were present, therefore we had him and the remaining people fight there, while myself, Mia and Decarbia ventured in the Southern Earth Dungeon. I was curious to see exactly how far we could go and what sort of monsters we could find in the lower levels.

 Wild-Wild West!

    With some light rations packed in Decarbia''s inventory, we arrived at the entrance of the dungeon. Being ¡®carried¡¯ by two girls through a dungeon, was definitely not in my plan of ''how I want to spend my next life'', however... there wasn¡¯t much I could do about it.


    While Alexandra reached level 19 in her Elf Hero Job and after being taught by Decarbia, not only did she become stupidly proficient with her spells, but also acquired Space-Time magic which is currently at level 2... It truly made me amazed at how much of a cheat elf the girl was. Decarbia herself was not that far behind either. Maybe from a different perspective she was even worse¡­ Not only did she broke through level 32, but she also acquired Compound magic... that broken skill actually allowed her to combine two (or more) types of magic and create different types of new ones, based on her comprehension. Initially I didn¡¯t think that much about it... But when you have a trio made of two impossibly smart and talented magicians as well as an AI that holds a shit-ton of knowledge about pretty much everything¡­ I started to wonder how hard could it be to create something like, for example, a hydrogen explosion in a targeted area, by simply lighting up the Hydrogen atoms in the atmosphere?


    The result of my impulsive advice to the three of them was... an absolutely devastated second floor of the South Earth Dungeon and burns all the way down to the shoulder plates on my back, while trying to shield the two dimwits from the blast. It hurt so badly that I almost shat myself, but thank Reaper Alice was nearby. I am not sure if my chaotic disposition influenced my choice in order to save Alexandra back then, or it was for this specific moment in order to preserve whatever little dignity I had left...


    Anyway¡­ now that Decarbia was teaching Alexandra the basics behind the Compound magic skill, I was sweating more and more profusely while triaging through the loot on the ground from the dead sheep. Obviously, they were blasted into the nether by a lightning storm, courtesy of the one and only Decarbia.


    Why was I sorting through what I needed and what I didn''t? Yesterday we maxed out D''s inventory and we weren''t able to bring out more than half of the loot. That resulted in the overall time the dungeon took to refresh, to decrease by 5 seconds. Not much, I know, but with our continuous grinding, we might be able to enter immediately in the near future...


    "Infinite grinding? What beautiful words!"


    [Master, I found another [Blacksmithing] manual.](D)


    "Finally! Great job D! Now we have three Blacksmiths! It will be easier in the future to get good weapons and other useful stuff. I guess that does it... Should we move to the second floor?"


    [Sure!](Alexandra)


    This girl was excessively eager to have a go at it, simply because she didn''t get a chance to show off on the first floor... To her utmost happiness, D allowed her to take care of more than 90% of the slimes by herself.


    The loot from the second floor was different types of ore and something called slime juice. I was dumfounded when I read the item''s name initially, but after Mia made some ¡®inquiries¡¯ to the main system and some experiments back at the camp, she gave me an amazing answer: alcohol! These beautiful blobs of amazing cuteness can be refined into alcohol through a fermentation process!


    The slime juice was collected with great gusto, while we selected only specific metals and minerals that we might need in order not to overburden the inventory. Another surprise was the fact that footwear actually dropped as well.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Common grade shoes (LvL 0)


    Effect: none


    Description: Lowest quality of footwear found in a dungeon. They are pretty much useless, as they don''t do anything for the user.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Nothing much¡­ but then again, they were heavily needed in our camp. That, combined with the fact that they could adjust themselves to the wearer''s foot size, made this second floor an absolute blessing for our camp. We only had some makeshift sandals that weren''t much. However now, the risk of frostbites in the winter decreased to zero, given that we wool-based socks became available as well. Yup! Our tailors worked their asses off and we have some wool spinners based on Mia''s competent schematics... it reminded me of the sleeping beauty story for some reason when looking at the thing, making me stay away from the needle for some reason...


    Later on I also decided that, since we used the South Earth Dungeon for grinding materials and Culture Points and pretty much every member of the dungeon diving unit has either skills or magic related Jobs, they will be able to grind alone without Alexandra or Decarbia in the future, if they coordinate properly.


    Me? Well, I could probably use better magic than both of them combined, due to a new entry in my Status Page¡­


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    62


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    38


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf Lord


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    27


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    31% (?)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    37


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    46


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    49


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    49


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    37


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Title</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">''Kyrie''</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1606/1606 (+38.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    52


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+135</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1525/1525(+26.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    45


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Demonic contract (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">2</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandora''s Gift - Imaginarium</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandora''s Gift - Pandemonium</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MAX</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The annoying part was that I no longer got any sort of attribute boost from eating... It might have something to do with my level and the fact that I also have 135 Free attribute points which I still haven''t assigned as of yet. Not only that, but I noticed that once I couldn''t strengthen myself through eating, each level up gave me +1 attribute point in all major stats.


    "It''s something..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Pandora¡¯s Gift ¨C Pandemonium


    As a mother''s gift for her children, born from the heart of the oldest star in the universe, the craftsmenship of a supreme existence that exceeded perfection in blacksmithing and most of all, a mother''s love.


    Ability: able to coppy any sort of magic related skill the user has ever seen


    Description:"To my beloved first-born son, as a reminder that nothing can stand in the path of hardwork."


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Pandora¡¯s Gift ¨C Imaginarium


    As a mother''s gift for her children, born from the heart of the oldest star in the universe, the craftsmenship of a supreme existence that exceeded perfection in blacksmithing and most of all, a mother''s love.


    Ability:able to materialize anything the user can imagine, as long is not outside the current technological era


    Description:"To my beloved first-born daughter, as a reminder that flexibility comes from one''s power of imagination."


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    So yeah¡­ after that dream, exactly as the voice said, the two rings appeared on my ring fingers of each hand as if they were always there to begin with. The left one that could, based on my own imagination, become anything I will it to and the right one that enables me to use any sort of magic I have seen before. I didn¡¯t exactly have a chance to check out the skills so far, therefore the purpose of this expedition.


    In addition, for the first time we are to explore the third floor of this dungeon. Given the earth attribute monsters that appeared so far, I was curious to see what else would pop-up next.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go you two! I will take point the next level while the two of you provide support.¡±


    [Understood!](Alexa)


    [Yes master!](D)


    I was truly excited to try out the two new toys, given the infinite possibilities both of them had in my mind. That and the fact that I would surely be able to strut my stuff in front of two absolute beauties.


    ¡°I wonder what sort of face they will make¡­¡±


    The third level was a rocky field filled with thousands of boulders, stretching for as far as the eye could see. Not only that, there wasn¡¯t only stone present but other minerals as well. I used Identify on them and the result made me nod in agreement with just how much the dungeon followed the earth attribute theme.


    ¡°Silver and iron ore in absolutely huge amounts, but no monsters in sight¡­¡±


    [Should I?](D)


    ¡°Nope. I will take point like I said. Activate Pandemonium!¡±


    The shadow on my right ring finger became corporal and a platinum bland looking trinket appeared on it. Hmm¡­ appearance wise, 10 points for the flashy appearance, but 2 points for looks¡­


    ¡°The hell!? Why does it look so bland!? Moreover, what is with the pitying eyes from these two¡­? Shit! This disappointing little shit!¡±


    ¡°Ahem! Let¡¯s see¡­ First off, I should check if there are any monsters on this floor¡­ Radar! Whisper of the living!¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    A ripple similar to a droplet of water hitting the calm surface of a lake could be heard in the silent rocky space and with it, a mana wave spread out in each direction of the floor. Alexandra and Decarbia were slack-jawed when they sensed what I was doing and had stupefied looks on their faces. It made me recover from the depression caused by the shitty looks of the ring.


    As for the skill I just used, the Pandemonium ring can copy any sort of magic spell or mana based skill I have ever seen, including Clara¡¯s, the cheat guild master from the demo world Reaper pushed me in. I wanted to try some others but this one was required first.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandemonium ability activated!


    Radar skill successfully replicated! 50MP have been used!


    Whisper of the living successfully replicated! 50MP have been used!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The feeling that rushed over me made me shudder involuntarily, while my head felt like it was splitting apart from the sheer volume of information I received. I could tell each blade of grass apart from each other and it felt like every living being had its own unique signature, allowing me to sense their location. The pain subsided and all that was left was a clear picture of the entire floor¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s strange¡­ There is only us three on the entire floor. There are no other living beings beside us here¡­¡±


    [Master, you can use such a large area spell!?](D)


    ¡°¡­I guess¡­¡±


    [But Michael¡­ you didn¡¯t have any magic related skills in your Status Page¡­ Is it because of your Job?](Alexa)


    ¡°You can look at it that way I guess¡­¡±


    There¡¯s no way I can explain to them that I have this power because I had a dream about some rings that someone else had to begin with and a voice in my head told me I possess them as well¡­ That sounds absolutely bonkers when said aloud!


    ¡°Let¡¯s move out slowly. I wasn¡¯t able to pick up any traps so this floor might be a safe area or a trap room, if no monsters are present. Stay behind me and step where I step. I don¡¯t want to take any chances.¡±


    As cool as that might¡¯ve sounded, after the first step landed on the grass, a grand formation lit up in the air above us. Then the same type of magic circle was slowly forming on the ground as well, with us in the middle making me want to cry¡­


    Moreover, if that wasn¡¯t enough, the previous thousand boulders started glowing in a really conspicuous way, while also vibrating violently.


    [Golems!](D)


    ¡°Hah!? How did you reach that conclusion?¡±


    [Magic formations are used by demons both as offensive and defensive means. This specific type might be a defensive one that activates the guardian golems once somebody intrudes in the designated territory.](D))


    ¡°So we are the intruders¡­ I knew that I just couldn¡¯t show off without interference¡­¡±


    [That¡¯s not the problem Michael¡­ Look at those huge things! Why are they still growing!?](Alexa)


    The ¡®things¡¯ she was referring to, were the humanoid golems that kept growing more and more in height, now towering over three meters each. Not only that, but their levels and attributes differed depending on the metal or mineral they were made from.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Golem


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    89


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Stone Golem


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    8


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    63%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    N/A


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    28


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    93


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1330/1330 (+82.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15/15(+0.011/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">None</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">-</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">-</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Golem


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    94


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Silver Golem


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    9


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    41%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    N/A


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    29


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    32


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    98


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1395/1395(+92.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15/15(+0.011/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">None</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">-</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">-</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Golem


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    105


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Iron Golem


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    86%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    N/A


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    41


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    109


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2330/2330 (+82.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15/15(+0.011/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    5


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Endless Life</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">5</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">50%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It didn''t took a genius to see how the Iron Golem was the Boss of the floor and that the only skill existing on this floor and belonging to the monsters, gave that bastard 1000HP. Before I could even start complaining about the idiot that created such absurd monsterson the third floor of a dungeon, over a thousand of the said creations began hurtling stones at us from a distance, hiding the ceiling of the floor from our eyes.


    ¡°Motherfucker! You two, get behind me! Imaginarium, activate!¡±


    The shadow on my left ring finger became corporeal as well, as the image of a coiling dragon devouring its own tail appeared. A bit happy about the fact that at least this one looked its part but unable to properly enjoy such a feeling due to the rocks which might burry all three of us where we stood.


    ¡°Dome transformation! Pandemonium ring, activate! Mana attribute infusion! Wind!¡±


    In a panicky manner, I kept blurting orders to the two rings while hoping I won¡¯t be crushed without having sex first. However, my luck wasn¡¯t bad¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Imaginarium activation successful!


    Protective dome realized!


    Pandemonium activation successful!


    Mana infusion skill successfully copied!


    Using 50MP for the activation and wind attribute infusion and 10MP/sec to maintain the infusion!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    According to my imagination, a glass like dome covered a space three meters around the three of us in all directions, while currents of air appeared to flow around it, both enveloping it as well as flowing inside of it. It was akin to a three layered protection field with a static and two moving ones. The fast moving currents above moved clockwise and the one under the static dome manifested by the Imaginarium moved counterclockwise at impressively fast speeds.


    The girls were just as surprised as I was, but when stones began raining upon us, we were forced into a high-alert state. The first impact ¡®rocked¡¯ the barrier, making me believe that it will easily pierce through. However, it didn¡¯t!


    Instead, the rock and the following ones behind were loudly broken into small pieces by the first wind layer, passed through the static dome and were turned into fine dust by the third layer also made from wind as well. I began sweating again as I realized that the dome the Imaginarium manifested wasn¡¯t a physic one since it didn¡¯t even slow down the fall of the rocks.


    [Amazing!](D)


    [It looks beautiful¡­](Alexa)


    ¡°It won¡¯t for long since we will be buried in dust soon enough¡­ Extend dome! Add extra water attribute mana infused layer!¡±


    [Pandemonium ring successfully activated! Water attribute mana infused layer added! Expended 50MP for realization and expanding the dome! MP required to sustain 20MP/sec!]


    The dome extended up ten meters in all directions including upward, as a bluish layer spiraled around the third layer as well. Soon though, that fourth layer became brown due to the dust infusion it received. Seeing the golems confused about their attack having no effect and preparing to throw again, my legs almost gave out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have sufficient mana to keep doing this forever! We need to take out the golems you two! D you take the right side, Alexa you take the left. I will handle the middle! They don¡¯t have any magic resistance but they do have absurd amounts of HP and Strength! Don¡¯t get hit by them and attack from afar! Imaginarium, retract! Imaginarium, activate! Dual Desert Eagle! Pandemonium, retract! Pandemonium, activate! Infuse wind attribute mana in the two weapons!]


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Imaginarium retracted!


    Imaginarium realized!


    Custom Desert Eagles created!


    Pandemonium retracted!


    Pandemonium successfully activated!


    Using 100MP to infuse the two weapons and an extra 10MP for each bullet used!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Seeing the command successful once again, I could barely contain my excitement. Not only that, but two platinum pistols now rested in my hands, as currents of flowing cold air infused in them. This, without a doubt, had to be¡­


    ¡°¡­the coolest shit I¡¯ve seen in my entire life! Holly fuck! They actually appeared! Look at this shit! They are absolutely beautiful! Hahahaha!¡±


    Ignoring the slightly scared gazes of the two beauties preparing to run by my side, I directly pointed the two pistols at two different golems.


    *Bang!* *Bang!*


    Two sounds similar to hand cannons went off and my slightly unprepared hands almost lost the grip on the weapons. The result was also scary¡­


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -560HP!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -630HP!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The bullets landed on the left hand of a golem and the other on the hip of another, both easily creating holes in the stupidly large bodies. Seeing the difference in damage values, it was obvious that if I could hit a more important spot like the head, the damage inflicted will go up as well.


    In that case¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s time for some wild-wild west action!¡±

 Improvement

    "Imaginarium activate! Tower shield! Pandemonium activate! Fire storm!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Imaginarium realized!


    Custom Tower shield created!


    Pandemonium successfully activated!


    Fire storm successfully copied!


    Using 50MP to activate the skill in the requested area!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Alexandra and Decarbia were also wreaking havoc in the areas designed for them, but I might''ve also overdid it by a bit, probably due to being overly excited. At the same time, I tried out many things and found some restrictions regarding the Imaginarium ring.


    One of the most obvious ones was the technology restriction. For example, I cannot have it transform into a tank and begin steamrolling over the monsters in the dungeons or a bomber plane that could kill from a safe distance. Why? Probably because on this world the technology tree itself is too far from that, therefore making it impossible to have something that will ruin the game¡¯s balance.


    Nevertheless, why did the desert eagles pistols materialized in that case? The answer I came up for that is simple actually: because they were simple sculptures. I had no gun powder or bullets, therefore just the pistols themselves could be considered a sculpture, or an object used in order to aim better.


    Since I used attribute infused mana bullets and the pistols themselves were used only as aim assistance, it implied that I could just as well shot the damn things from my hands. However, there was a slight difference that one could notice. For example.


    "Pandemonium activate! Wind attribute infused mana bullets!"


    Aiming with my right hand at the head of a golem, the bullet easily pierced through and dealt critical damage.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -790HP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "And now, for the second round... Imaginarium activate! Custom Desert Eagles! Pandemonium activate! Infuse the weapons with wind attribute mana! Down you go!"


    *BANG!*


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -1560HP!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    There you have it... Hitting the same spot of similar leveled golems, but the damage is almost doubled when using both rings. That makes me think that there might be an augmentation effect. The only problem is that my mana pool is majorly insufficient when compared with the consumption rate.


    "Finally time to use my Free Attribute Points. This will be quite hard to decide upon..."


    After much deliberation with Mia and some live experiments made on a group of over 50 people (the dungeon diving unit), some things were finally made clearer regarding the use of attribute points. First of 1 STR attribute points gives an increase of 1HP, while 1 END attribute points gives double that amount. Dexterity and Agility did not give any specific things that we could see, however given the Limber skill some of the ''lab rats'' we used, is guaranteed to increase movement speed and flexibility of the human (elven) body. The interesting things were the Intelligence, Wisdom and Magic.


    Intelligence gave 1MP per each attribute point invested, Magic gave 2MP and Wisdom provided a 0.2% MP regen. Given how there weren''t any specifics regarding HP regen, mine and Mia''s conjectures were that probably Dexterity and Agility might affect that somehow.


    Anyway, after even more deliberation on my part and only when the floor itself was finally cleared of the golems, all three of us directly sat where we were and caught our breath.


    "This time it was a lesson for us. We need to keep track of our MP consumption when using any spells or skills. Take your time and like we discussed with Mia, make sure you add some attribute points in Wisdom as well."


    [Understood!](D)


    [Okay.](Alexa)


    After some snacks while waiting for our MP to fully regenerate, I checked the updated Status Pages. Of course, there was some extras in my case, since I was the one catching up from behind.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Decarbia Astor


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Demon


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    230


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Demon Elementalist


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    38


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    83%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    119


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    125


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    150


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    215


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Underworld (demon world)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+0</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2460/2460(+49.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    230


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Ultimate Skill </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> 1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    3304/3304(+108.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    200


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    About Decarbia... I could only say that she was absolutely terrifying... all her attributes went passed the 100 mark and she received a new entry called Ultimate Skill about which she said that it wasn''t something she was able to talk about. Apparently, beacause of that even with Identify I could''t pry open the secrets even if I wanted to...


    Alexandra wasn even worse...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Alexandra Greenwood


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    101


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    201


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Hero


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    27


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    132


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    120


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18 days


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    141


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    195


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    106


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+90</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1799/1799(+44.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    164


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> Ultimate skill</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> 1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2287/2287(+99.9/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    190Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Even her said that she didn''t want to tell me anything about the Ultimate Skill which made me quite sad. I was literally abandoned by these beautiful but cruel girls. Also, she said that she doesn''t want to assign her attribute points as of yet due to the nature of her skill... thing that served only to further increase my curiosity.


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    65


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf Lord


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    28


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    72%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    40


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    60


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    52


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    70


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    40


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Title</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">''Kyrie''</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1659/1659 (+41.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    55


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 29</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1696/1696 (+52.3/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Yup... no ultimate skill for this little one. Also, I was so far away from it, that it made me wanna cry when comparing myself with the two cheats by my side. I will get my revenge sooner or later!


    Anyways, I up''ed my Wisdom and Magic to 100 and of course... I didn''t get any extra skills for doing that...


    "This is discrimination! I want to file a complaint! Bring me the manager here and now and have him apologize! What''s with this shitty bugged game!?"


    After some complaining and raging, I''ve calmed down a bit and inspected the Status Page once more. A qualitative improvement, but the sheer amount of attribute points themselves cannot be sold shortly either. After all, with sufficient HP and MP, once can become invincible...


    "However, is that sufficient?"


    [Master?](D)


    "Sorry D... Just talking to myself. What do you girls think? You both saw my Status Page and when compared with yours, mine is a generalized one making me a ¡®Jack of all trades¡¯, while Alexandra is focused on damage dealing through magic attacks as well as physical ones... and then there''s Decarbia which is an absolute glass cannon focused on dealing magic damage, with quite the arsenal of spells available. When comparing attributes, it''s obvious that a specialization is the best option, but for some reason after my Job changed to Elf Lord the stats are quite uniform."


    [I think it''s better that way...](Alexa)


    [Mhm! I agree as well.](D)


    "Eh? Why?"


    [Well, in master''s case, that ability of yours can manifest into anything you wish it to. So for example if you are surrounded by enemies in small cave and you don''t have the time to use magic, you can directly use your ability to manifest weapons and fight in close combat. Your attributes allow you to do so, but for myself for example that''s practically impossible. So, simply put you have versatility that myself and Alexandra don''t have. For example, even Alexandra is good only in close combat and proficient at close and mid-range magic, but ineffective at long distance. You don''t have that weakness at all...](D)


    "I guess that''s true. Thank you D!"


    [Hehe!](D)


    Thinking further, she might be right actually. With so many possibilities, being specialized would be a bad idea since I might find myself in a bind later down the road in the future.


    "Haaah... Guess what will come, will come! Have you girls fully regenerated your MP?"


    [[Yes!]](D)(Alexa)


    "Good! Let us take a look at the fourth floor then! Be prepared to run if things become dicey!"


    [Understood!](Alexa)


    [Yes master!](D)


    "Good! Let''s go!"


    The fourth floor was a swamp filled with huts and I began to doubt the earth attribute of the dungeon when I saw Lizardmen hissing at us. A rain of arrows shot from the tall trees put us at a disadvantage, but the Imaginarium protective dome helped us assess the locations of our enemies.


    When the Lizardmen saw that they couldn''t do anything with their arrows, they took up swords and shields with which they rushed us.


    Being so severely outnumbered I didn''t dare to play around and experiment, therefore we directly used a combination of skills. First, Alexandra used Great Flood a magic spell Decarbia taught her and targeted the entire ground in front of us. The result? The swamp became a lake, but the Lizardmen didn''t seem to be that bothered by it, on the contrary, they were sneering in a very human-like manner at our pathetic attempt to drown them.


    Then, Decarbia explained to them through actions, how our plan wasn''t drowning them, by using a high-arcane magic called Unstable Current. Electricity discharged from her hands in a terrifying manner, damaging all creatures that had at least one limb in the mana infused water Alexandra created.


    To wrap it up I activated the magic spell Clara (the guild master from the demo world) used on the Kobold village, but expanded the number and the width of the tornadoes. That in itself resulted in a huge catastrophe that destroyed the entire floor, even damaged the walls and ceiling of the room. Myself and the girls weren''t spared either since the pulling force exerted by five huge tornadoes at once was stupidly strong.


    In order to save us from dying from my own skill (I wasn''t sure if that was possible or not but didn''t want to gamble), I used the Protective Dome infused with two layers of wind attribute mana, which served to negate the pulling force.


    "Stop looking at me like that... It was an honest mistake..."


    [[Hmph!]]


    The pulling force raised the two of them in the air and messed up their clothes quite a bit... including their skirts. Yes, I ogled! Of course I did! It would be an insult not to, in that scenario, right? Why are they blaming me for it?


    The aftermath created by the artificial natural disasters was quite terrifying. If used in the world outside of the dungeon, even the World Tree would probably suffer quite severely, therefore I quietly banned the use of overpowered magic in the world outside.


    Seeing the weather change in the floor and suddenly raining with Lizardmen and their body parts was... traumatizing. Really though! Is there a need for the realism and gore to be exaggerated this much!?


    [Michael, there''s one alive here!](Alexa)


    [There''s also one here!](D)


    "On my way!"


    Using Identify, I could see that one was a regular monster, while the second was the Boss...


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Lizardman


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    59


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    27


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Lizardman Soldier


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    17


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    32%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    94


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    98


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    54


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    63


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1830/1830 (+82.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    45


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    620/620 (+7.01/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fleet of foot</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Krola


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Lizzardman


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    82


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    63


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Stone Golem


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    20


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    93%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    108


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    90


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    136


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    120


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    79


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2630/2630 (+82.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    85


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    862/862(+15.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    73


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A named boss and skills I couldn''t use Identify on. I felt like I should just make a run for it...


    Seeing how the regular monsters of this floor were already between 15-18 Level, while the Boss was 20... no matter how overpowered the three of us were, is very likely that we won''t be able to pass through the 5th florr.


    "It''s understandable though. Even in games a party had at least 5-6 people that were on different positions. For the three of us... basically three mages, with no heal, no tank, no kiter, a truly shitty party that could be used to dive dungeons."


    "Let''s take a look at the loot and we''ll take a break for our MP to regen. D, what did we get from the third floor?"


    [Mostly ores... in huge amounts. Besides that, there are five skill books separated like master said: 4 skills and 1 Job change.](D)


    "What sort of skills?"


    [Earth affinity deffensive skills.](D)


    "That would be good for Claudia... And the Job change one?"


    [...](D)


    "Hmm? What is it?"


    [...Stonemason.](D)


    "...how... appropriate... Anyway, I''m planning to have Claudia and Laurence join us in the future when we''re dungeon diving like this, while the rest will keep grinding. Also, given that we have more priests, Alice would joins us as well. It would be best to be properly prepared for whatever we might encounter deeper downstairs."


    [I agree. But for those three, their levels aren''t very high...](Alexa)


    "It''s alright, as we will help them increase their levels. With the skill books that we have found so far, we can improve their fighting ability, while their free attribute points will force them down the ''specialized'' route, just like the two of you. Claudia has a defense related Job, so her participation would assist big time and Laurence is heavily focused on Agility and Dexterity, with some of Alexandra''s skills regarding leadership, so he can be both a damage dealer and a kiter. Basically, we have a tank and a hunter, while Alice will be the healer. I can be any position really, while the two of you will be the damage dealers. Hmm... that''s actually a good team composition..."


    [Michael... do you think...](Alexa)


    "Huh? What? Do I think what?"


    [Big sister Mia. Do you think we can bring her along?](Alexa)


    "Eh!? Why? It''s dangerous and she isn''t a fighter... she doesn''t even have a Status Page..."


    [But... it''s obvious that she would like to join us whenever we tell stories of the dungeon expeditions...](Alexa)


    "Is that so?"


    [Mhm!](D)


    "..."


    Seeing even Decarbia agree and given that she joined only recently, I can only scold myself for being that pig-headed and unable to notice...


    "Well, she''s the smartest among all of us. Having her around might prove life saving later on. But if we do that, she stays at the back with you two and Alice. And we can bring her along only after we assess the difficulty of a floor. I don''t want to get caught by surprise and lose any of the people in our camp... We have fewer people than I would like and losing anyone would be a huge cause of grief for our camp."


    [Mhm!](Alexa)


    [I am sure Mia will be delighted once you give her the news.](D)


    "Nah... I will let you girls do the honors. After all, it was your idea. Is that a Job change book?"


    [Yes... however, the mana flowing out of it gives me a sense of despair and coldness.](D)


    ¡°Let¡¯s see... Holly fuck! It¡¯s a Necromancer Job!¡±

 The cost of being always right...

    "A Necromancer Job is a truly strong ace in the hold to have. In a war against other civilizations or races, corpses will always litter the battlefields. If I can have one of our elves to become one, with enough mana it can instantly have the dead turn against the living, creating chaos and unrest in the midst of their troops."


    [It has the same ability as the Vortex Lance?](Alexa)


    [But without any limitations... If a high level Necromancer can be nurtured, it will be of great help to you, master!](Decarbia)


    "Mhm! I agree... What about the remaining loot?"


    I quickly scanned through and found out some interesting pieces.


    "This..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Cuirass of Vitality (Rare) - The armor a strong warrior left behind, after leaving his life as well...


    Effect: +15 attribute points in Vitality; +5 attribute points in Strength; can block up to 5 attacks of monsters under the level of 20 or one attack if between levels 20-25


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With a slight wave of my hand after using Identify on the item, I materialized the window startling slightly the two girls when seeing the description. It was omnious but understandable nonetheless, since it is the first item of this sort that we found. Even the Vortex Lance is inferior...


    ¡°Right, I forgot to tell you two about this because I had Mia make some... ¡®inquiries¡¯ about it, but apparently, all sort of equipment we find in the dungeon have different rankings. The rankings are Common, Uncommon, Rare, Ex. Rare, Unique, Ex. Unique, Epic, Legendary and Divine.¡±


    [What is the difference between them?](D)


    ¡°Right... since you girls don¡¯t have the Identify skill, you don¡¯t have a way of knowing, but the ones we found so far are simple Common items with no extra benefits. Starting from Uncommon onwards, there¡¯s the possibility of equipment providing attributes boost, having skills or special effects, etc.¡±


    [Like the Vortex Spear?](Alexa)


    ¡°Yup. I didn¡¯t check it again, but from what I can tell it should be an Uncommon weapon and while it doesn¡¯t directly improve any attribute, it does have 2 ridiculous stats. I would¡¯ve brought it along since it goes well with your water attribute magic, however the grinding team needs it more than we do to save their asses in case of emergency.¡±


    [Mhm... Nevertheless, since there are so many grades, what would the difference be?](Alexa)


    ¡°No idea! Even Mia was not able to tell that much, but she recons that we will find out soon. There¡¯s one more point which makes me look towards the future...¡±


    [???]


    ¡°Blacksmiths! So far, since our weapons were created by amateurs, they aren¡¯t even considered Common equipment. Now that we have people under the influence of ''Job correction'' and all materials used in smelting contain mana, Mia deduced that it¡¯s impossible not to create graded items. Going by simple logic, the higher the Job Level, Soul Tier of the Blacksmith and the better the items used the better-graded does the item becomes. So in the future, we might have Blacksmiths capable of creating divine equipment. That¡¯s why I look forward to it.¡±


    [If that¡¯s the case and a simple meal can permanently increase the attribute points, I really want to see what a Legendary graded item can do...](Decarbia)


    Seeing her gaze focused on the next floor, I chuckled and shook my head slightly. While the three of us might be overpowered in these lower levels, is quite impossible with our small numbers to go deeper and gain that sort of equipment for now. There is also a matter of compatibility. So far, there were already the sheep that didn¡¯t even bother with physical damage and others which might be even immune to magical-type damage. If we encounter a situation where both types are present and their numbers reach in the same hundreds like they had so far, we would die with utmost certainty.


    "I really need to get that party started... I already have most positions already decided upon as well. I just need to get them to work together and start some diving expeditions..."


    The problem was the fact that every single one of them are important administration positions and taking them away even for a day, might slow or even paralyze the rate of the civilization''s improvement. However, at the same time, without them diving deeper we do not really have a way to jump steps and gain other items that can improve our camp with little effort. Moreover, the gain of Culture Points will only go up, the lower the floor we clear...


    [Master, do we go to the next floor?](D)


    Seeing her excited and slightly expectant eyes, I sighed inwardly and wondered where does she get all that energy from. However, indeed, I need to at least take a look at the next floor and gather some information.


    "We will take a look. Do keep in mind though that is highly possible that we will not be the match of whatever monsters we might face, therefore putting ourselves in serious danger. I want both of you to be prepared to flee the second I give the order, in the condition of it getting bad. Understood?"


    [Mhm!](Alexa)


    [Sure!](D)


    "In that case, let''s see what''s on this fifth floor, shall we?"


    Following the ends of the shattered rocky fields, grass began to sprout here and there, giving birth to lush vegetation in front of a flight of descending stairs. Seeing the entrance behind the green path, I took a deep breath and took the first step. The two girls at my side did the same while following closely.


    This time however, even after ten minutes of continuous descent we still have not reached our destination. Somehow this made me frown and sent a foreboding chill down my spine.


    When I prepared to give the order to retreat and go back up, a small light could be seen within the dark tunnel we were walking through.


    "I really don''t like this..." ¨C I began thinking


    "We should give up this time and return. For some reason, I feel that if we''re going to continue down ahead the situation is going to become very dangerous..."


    [Hmm? Then let''s return Michael. There''s no reason to go deeper even if it''s for scouting purposes right now...](Alexa)


    I was slightly taken aback by the decisiveness of this girl and stared at her wide-eyed. Wasn''t she supposed to have the personality of a battle maniac, diving in the middle of danger and going crazy with battle-lust?


    [I agree as well! I can feel a sense of danger from the end of this passage...](D)


    "Shit! Those are all flags! I should''ve kept my mouth shut... Return! Now before it¡¯s too late!"


    [Mhm! Eh!? Michael, the stairs disappeared!](Alexa)


    [Huh!?](D)


    "Fuck! I should have known this was going to happen. Fucking useless game God and his stupid ideas! Just how much of a weeb can he be to create this sort of situation!? I swear I''m going to bash that uselessly handsome face of his the next time I see him!"


    [...]


    Probably in the eyes of the two, I randomly exploded to vent out and in truth, it did help me calm down just like in the past. I then looked at the situation objectively and started analyzing the facts.


    "First of all we are talking about a dungeon which I didn''t partake in creating, but it''s probably a standard draft for each world, since I doubt that he would be hardworking enough to create tens of thousands of options. That means that, by taking the personality of the game God and the fact that this is the 5th floor..."


    "...Boss room!"


    My legs went limp and I had to lean on the wall to the left in order not to fall. Remembering the Boss of each floor and their personal strength when compared with the regular monsters, as well as the fact that this specific one should be above level 20 in strength, I suddenly felt like crying.


    [What do you mean Michael?](Alexa)


    [???](D)


    "Haaaaah... Remember how each floor has its own boss?"


    [[Mhm!]]


    "Those can be called mini-Bosses. Each five floors from now on, there will be one true Boss with strength surpassing the other four previous levels. Simply put, even if the four floors were to fight head on against this Boss with their ridiculous numbers, they won''t necessarily be able to win."


    [That strong!?](D)


    Seeing Decarbia''s shocked expression, I couldn''t help but helplessly nod. It was a matter of logic in every game I have played or every novel I managed to read. A Boss is supposed to be a test before a qualitative change in monsters present on a floor. Since the following levels are harsher, there was a system emplaced that would prevent weaker adventurers to seek useless death.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Trying to encourage myself, I took the lead after materializing a shield in front of me. The floating thing was also rotating in order to disperse the force of any sort of attack. Especially if the moment we step foot in the damned Boss room, should we suddenly get ambushed.


    Within another thirty seconds, we managed to exit the tunnel and found ourselves in a really small room. There were walls of stone of barely reaching three meters in height, quite different when compared with the floors we''ve seen before, as well as a door in front of us which was as big as the walls themselves.


    "Earth dungeon first, stone room now, stone walls and even a stone door... It follows the goddamn pattern so much that it is annoying. D, bring out the loot we gathered in batches. Only the wearable equipment though. We''ll need to bundle up if we want to weather this storm ahead..."


    Unfortunately, there were barely four extra pieces that could improve attributes, making me blush in shame at the stupid thing I declared so proudly before. Even so, I had the girls wear two layers of common clothes with one layer of uncommon type from the third level that we gained. That will make their movement stuffier, however it''s safety before anything else.


    "Let''s go in then!"


    With a slight push, the stone doors opened and with it, a foul stench reached my nostrils forcing me take a step back. If I am not mistaken, this smell should be from...


    [Blood!](D)


    "You think so too?"


    [Mhm! Unfortunately, I am quite familiar with it...](D)


    "Be on guard! Imaginarium activate! Dome of Protection! Pandemonium activate! Infuse wind attribute mana!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Imaginarium realized!


    Dome of Protection successfuly created!


    Pandemonium activated!


    Wind attribute mana has been infused in the Dome of Protection!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With the notification announcing it so, all preparations I could make were already done. All that was left, was to take down the Boss before we could extract ourselves from this unpleasant situation.


    *ROOOOOOAR!*


    As if the stench wasn''t enough, following an earth shaking beastly roar, an even worse smelling wind flashed past us and slammed into the dome. Seeing the impregnable shield shake, the bad feeling further intensified.


    "Fuck! How is it so strong? Only its roar infused with mana can cause damage to the dome? What sort of stupid notion is this?"


    "Prepare to cast magic at a moment''s notice. Alexa will use water to slow its movement speed and D will use her strongest magic to bash the ugly thing. If that fails, we will move depending on what info I get from its Status Page. Also..."


    My speech which was supposed to calm down the two nervous girls came to an abrupt end, when a freaking house came flying at us. Nope, I was not seeing things. There was an actual house hurtling through the air in our direction, hell-bent on squashing us like bugs.


    Leaving aside the modern look of it, I quickly inspected the terrain of this floor and saw how it was an actual city.


    "What the fu..."


    *HONG!*


    With a loud, deafening sound, my Dome of Protection shuddered violently and cracked slightly. Scared shitless, I began infusing even more mana with the help of the Pandemonium ring, in an attempt to strengthen our means of staying alive.


    Fortunately, once the wind barrier began forcibly rotating, the rubble created by the crashing house were grinded down into dust.


    [Master, should I assist?](D)


    "No! Save your mana for the fight with the Boss. That fucker is intelligent enough to attack from a distance, so he surely has to be quite the nuisance. Alexa, prepare to use Compound Magic that we talked about."


    [Understood!](Alexa)


    The only problem was that in front of absolute power, all tricks are rendered useless immediately. And almost as to prove this point, hundreds of houses and tens of sky-scrapers began flying in our direction. I felt my scalp go numb and I lost all sensation in my palms from clenching my fists too tight.


    [Should I use the new Compound Magic Michael?](Alexa)


    I almost spat out blood when I heard this little airhead saying that. What use would that even have!?


    "No need! Imaginarium, Remodel dome of Protection! Pandemonium, replace wind attribute mana with earth attribute!"


    With a thought, the round dome became a conic shape and then took the form of a sturdy pyramid, extending further and further, while the earth attributed mana was supposed to further strengthen its defenses.


    "It''s still not enough... Alexa use it! Decarbia as well, use your Firestorm and try to shift the direction of the incoming buildings!"


    Using physics, instead of having the impact hit a large surface and make it crumble easily, by changing the shape of the dome and lowering the surface exposed, we have a higher chance of surviving. At the same time, if D''s firestorm can displace the...


    "Displace... D, what''s the maximum distance you can activate that Hydrogen Blast at?"


    [You want to use that!? Then again, the situation is quite desperate... 100 meters and even that is quite a stretch. I am not sure I would be able to exert the same type of destruction as last time.](D)


    "That should be good enough. Use it dead in the middle and detonate it when the first skyscrapers reach that area. The blast should be sufficient to divert their direction to our surroundings, but not us. Alexa, use yours to blast at the houses that I point at immediately when I point at them. There''s no room for error, you two! Any mishaps and we literally get buried here..."


    [...]


    I realized that blurting that last line was not exactly very helpful to the already low morale, however the situation was as such. While my Imaginarium and Pandemonium were overpowered, they weren''t almighty. The amount of things I could create based on what I saw or can imagine is pretty limited due to the tech-tree restrictions.


    I mean seriously now... If I could bring into existence a freaking flying battleship, I wouldn''t be in this shitty situation right now, now would I?


    Within a blink''s worth of time, the flying buildings were already less than 200 meters away from us and when considering the time required for ignition and their speed...


    "Decarbia, now! Ignite it!"


    [Roger! Hydrogen Blast!](D)


    Enduring the shame of the loudly yelled skill and knowing I was the one to name it (mostly because the names the three of the airheads picked were so shameful that I felt like I was going to die from the cringe), a bright light suddenly expanded outwards the moment it encountered the buildings. With a loud bang, both the hydrogen, oxygen and the mana in that area were ignited and exploded in a big fashion.


    Due to the sudden air expansion, the direction of most of the skyscrapers and some of the houses changed or slowed quite a bit, but not even a second later at least fifty houses passed through the giant fireball and headed our way still.


    "Alexa, hit the ones in the middle and ignore the ones on the sides."


    [I am not very confident with my aim though... Here I go! Water Cutter!](Alexa)


    As the cringe sounding skill name left her lips (which made me remember how in the demo I actually enjoyed saying the names aloud), ten water jets materialized from thin air and shot forward with unerring speed.


    Water Cutter is a skill created based on a combination of water and air attributes with the use of Compound Magic, making use of water''s malleability and the air that coils around it, giving it sharpness as well as piercing power.


    In not even a second, they hit the houses that as result slowed down for a brief moment and then directly pierced through them and the ones behind. With the most immediate threat taken care of (quite easily), the remaining buildings began to plummet around this location, sending debris our way.


    "Remodel Imaginarium! Dome of Protection shape! Pandemonium activate! Re-infuse wind attribute mana!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Imaginarium realized!


    Pandemonium activated successfully!


    Selection of the Dome of Protection V.1 confirmed!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Surprised at the strange notification window, I pondered for a while and was quick to dismiss it for now. The reason?


    Behind the hoses that fell last, there was a huge behemoth with a wingspan of at least 20 meters looking down on the three of us with golden eyes.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Gargoyle


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Golem


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    202


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    30


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Gargoyle Boss


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    81%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    N/A


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    158


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    60


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    186


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    220


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    230


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    4630/4630 (+182.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    85


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1862/1862(+95.2/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    96


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Physical damage reduction</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">8</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Magical damage reduction</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">6</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Comparing sizes...

    "Why must I always be right!?"


    I quietly complained to myself after taking note of the two-type resistances the Boss had, wondering what sort of crime did I commit in a previous life to deserve this sort of treatment today...


    "He has an 80% physical damage reduction and a 60% elemental magic resistance according to the goddamn skill page..." - I said to the two waiting for an answer


    [What!?](Alexa)


    [Damn! This will be tricky...](D)


    The huge monster with stone wings, continued to defy gravity while its stupidly heavy (probably) body was hovering at about 10 meters above our heads. He was looking down upon us with disdain, just as a human would gaze at an insect.


    While that might piss me off usually, I didn''t have the leeway to do so this time.


    "I will take point and engage as the tank while the two of you will deal damage from behind. There isn''t any friendly fire option so just shoot everything you¡¯ve got at it. Don''t hold back, otherwise we might get buried here forever!"


    [Roger!](Alexa)


    [Understood master!](D)


    When comparing sizes, mine was smaller (surprisingly) for a change, given its seven to eight meters body and that¡¯s without taking in consideration the wings. Since it doesn''t have any offensive skills in its Status Page, it should mean that any attacks coming from it will involve close quarters combat.


    "And with those huge claws of his... Damn! Why must this be so ''thrilling''!? I can live with a normally boring life! There is no need for the extra ''heart-thumping'' action! I would prefer not to be crushed into meat paste..."


    "Screw it! Let''s do this! Activate Imaginarium! Custom Desert Eagles! Infuse lightning attribute mana!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Imaginarium realized!


    Custom Desert Eagles V.2 created!


    Pandemonium activated!


    Infusion of new lightning attribute... successful!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Seeing the, once again, strange and unusual notification made me realize what the change was about: the rings had the option of saving specific combinations!


    Like for example, for the Imaginarium, the Dome of Protection V.1 was probably considered the standard version with its round shape covering us and the wind-infused attribute whirling around it. The second version was the pyramid shaped one. For the Desert Eagles is the same thing, the difference being between the attributes used.


    "Let''s see what this can do then! Fucking giant chicken, fall down from the skies for your daddy!"


    *Bang!* *Bang!*


    With two loud gunshots, two bullets infused with lightning attribute mana exploded forth, aimed at the wings of the Gargoyle Boss. When they met...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Damage inflicted! -253HP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Damage inflicted! -353HP!


    Paralyzing status inflicted for 4 seconds!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Bingo! Attack now girls! Use your strongest spells!"


    Strange enough, as soon as those words escaped my lips I instantly regretted it for some reason, while my body shuddered ominously. I realized that this was due to the chaotic tendencies and scared me into thinking that the Boss might have something up its sleeves that can threaten my life, even while paralyzed.


    "Maybe it''s his roar from earlier on. It might be a soul-type attack or something even more fearsome..."


    [Alexandra, we are using it!](D)


    [Eh? That? We''re really using that, big sis''? Really?](Alexa)


    [Mhm!](D)


    ''That''? Why does hearing her saying that word sends shivers down my spine and not in a good way? Also, why is Alexandra so excited, while Decarbia is more serious than ever!?


    "Wha..."


    [While enemies are still standing in front of me, I swear to drown them in a hell of eternal ice! Through this oath, I offer my blood and my magic as a means to teach the world, the meaning of true despair!](Alexa)


    [While enemies are still standing in front of me, I swear to drown them in a purgatory of eternal flames! Through this oath, I offer my blood and my magic as a means to teach the world the meaning of true despair!](Decarbia)


    Whatever questions I might had in the beginning were forcibly stuck in my throat. This time however, it wasn''t because of the chant that a middle-scholar with a personality disorder might say when still half-asleep, but because it felt that the entire mana in the floor was gathering at the location of the two and churning violently.


    I swallowed unknowingly because of the sentiment of utter oppression that took over me and obviously, the Gargoyle Boss as well. The creature sensed the tremendous pressure the two skills the girls were using and was struggling to get out of the paralyzed status I inflicted.


    Seeing how he was very close to moving, but the girls were still gathering the mana of the floor with pale faces devoiced of any trace of blood, I realized I must do something to chain this bastard down.


    "Chain... Chain..."


    "Imagiarium reform! Chains of the Underworld! Pandemonium activate! Infuse earth and fire attribute mana!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Imaginarium realized!


    Pandemonium successfully activated!


    Chains of the Underworld reached a compatibility of 95% between the two Pandora''s Gifts!


    Effectiveness of the skill improved by 250%!


    MP required to support the skill: 2800


    Supplementing remaining amount from the total HP of the user: 1104</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    As the more than surprising notification reached my ears, pain assaulted my senses while a set of three black flaming chains slithered on the ground heading for the Gargoyle. Everywhere they passed, the earth would be scorched to the point of turning it into molten lava, making the stone eyes of the boss to widen, obviously scared.


    As soon as the chains touched the wings, a sizzling sound came out of the (at least what I thought it to be) stone, as an incredibly loud shrill was issued from the mouth of the creature. The chains did not show any mercy though as they continued to shackle the Gargoyle, that let moaning sounds of agony again and again.


    At the same time, blood began to trickle from the right corner of my mouth and my body felt as if it would crumble into dust any second now, proof of the HP supplemented by the usage of the two rings. Soon enough, a sense of impending doom came from behind me where the two girls were still preparing their spells.


    "You two!!!"


    The sight that welcomed me at the point where I turned around¡­ made me shiver in fright. Both of them were covered in blood, bleeding profusely from multiple wounds while the skills they activated finally manifested.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Seeing the Gargoyle still shackled to the ground and unable to move, I broke into a sprint towards the girls that were severely wounded.


    [I am alright Michael...](Alexa)


    [Hahaha... that is not very convincing when your face is full of blood Alexandra.](D)


    [You''re not the one who should talk big sis''... aren''t you the same?](Alexa)


    [Indeed... I didn''t expect the Ultimate Skills to be this taxing...](D)


    When I heard the two words, my body froze. Ultimate Skills, the skills both of them received when all their attributes broke through the 100 realm. While they are tyrannical in nature as it could be seen from the mana they devoured, they inflict so much damage on their user?


    "Are they similar to the Chains of the Underworld? Wait¡­ actually, what''s with that name?"


    Thinking about how it automatically came to mind, I realized that it might be something more than just chaotic tendencies.


    My thought process was swiftly interrupted by a whistling sound of something passing right by my head at high speeds, while a sensation of scorching heat and a feeling of freezing cold assaulted my wavering senses.


    "This..."


    The aftermath of the two skills landing on the poor Gargoyle Boss? Complete and utter annihilation!


    First, Alexandra''s Ultimate landed on the ground around the creature and swallowed greedily everything in that area. From the look of the blades of grass on the ground solidifying and then crumbling into small bits of dust, it was obvious that it was the type of freezing that went way down to the molecular level. The entire body of the Gargoyle, including the wings boasting over 20 meters in length, was fully devoured by the ice-attributed magic transforming it into a sculpture.


    "Strong!" --- I exclaimed in shock


    Then, without skipping a beat, a rain of hell flame dropped down on it. When ice and fire meet, usually there are vapors released into the atmosphere because of the opposing heat. This time however, there wasn''t anything. Just silence...


    "It actually liquefied it!?"


    Realization dawned upon me when I saw how the body of the monster, as well as at least 3 meters deep worth of earth was scorched into nothingness. Not even ash remained...


    "The fuck was that!? How can skills be so stupidly overpowered!?"


    [Well, it is not like there was not a price to pay for them master...](D)


    "True... with wounds that horrible, it would take you at least a week to fully heal."


    [She wasn''t referring to that Michael. There is a cooldown on the Ultimate Skills.](Alexa)


    "Makes sense really... To be able to use this sort of skill often by abusing the fact that we have Alice to heal... that sounds quite masochistic and inappropriate for various reasons... How long?"


    [3 months...](Alexa)


    "THREE!? That long?"


    [Mhm! I was expecting it to be at least one year though...](D)


    I looked at the site where the floor Boss was wiped out from existence and ignored the city behind that was utterly demolished by it, after it threw over half of the buildings at us. Nevertheless, there was something strange...


    "No item drops? Actually, there wasn''t any experience gain either..."


    [Me neither master... And that window that usually shows the damage inflicted didn''t appear either.](D)


    "Alexandra?"


    [Same for me Michael...](Alexa)


    After some silent contemplation, I shook my head and dropped the matter. I really have no way of knowing exactly what the fuck was going on here and decided not to let it bother me. Seeing a flight of stairs descending and the film covering the entrance behind me, I decisively took the two girls in my arms and bolted for the exit before something else happens.


    ----------------------------------------------


    Outside the Earth Dungeon


    ----------------------------------------------


    [They ventured further down the deeper floors so long ago... It''s already nightfall... Commander Laurence, do you think...](random elf no 26)


    [Don''t even say it! There is no way that those three can encounter any danger down there. Is more likely that they kept crushing floor after floor and they lost track of time. Big sister Mia, don''t listen to the nonsense of this moron! I am sure they are fine!](Laurence)


    After fiercely glaring at the person who just talked, giving him a meaningful look, he turned to the frail girl to his side that didn''t move her line of sight from the dungeon''s entrance for more than 4 hours now.


    [Mhm...](Mia)


    Seeing such a weak reply, he sighed and looked himself at the entrance that was suddenly blocked about 10 minutes ago, when a notification told them they can''t enter temporarily. Even Mia herself had no idea as per why it was so suddenly closed and could only infer that it has something to do with those three.


    [If they don''t come out in the next half an hour, we are to go inside and retrieve them!](Mia)


    [Miss Mia... even with all of us here, the third floor is outside the scope of our abilities, like you already saw. Not only that, but the dungeon is also closed out right now... I''m afraid we can only wait for them to...](Laurence)


    At that moment, the film covering the entrance suddenly bulged out and expelled three bodies out of it. When the people hit the ground, everybody noticed in horror how their clothes were covered in blood and they were barely holding on to their consciousness.


    [MASTER!!!](Mia)


    With a shrill scream, Mia prepared to bolt towards the trio but was grabbed by Laurence that had a look of shock and worry on his face. If the injuries were too grave...


    [Alice! You''re up! Focus on big sister Alexandra and big sister Decarbia!](Laurence)


    [Laurence, you!!!](Mia)


    Seeing the reproaching look on Mia''s face he could only smile bitterly and couldn''t decide how to explain that, even if he also wanted to rush the healing of Michael first, the person himself already declined it. Seeing that steadfast gaze of his emanating an oscillating but still strong pressure, he knew that he wasn''t in any mortal danger. The two girls on the other hand were the ones with heavy wounds that required immediate attention.


    [It''s alright Laurence, I can use the area-type heal. It came off cooldown some time ago.](Alice)


    [That''s great!] - he sighed heavily


    After Alice exhausted all her mana, even up to the point where she was close to fainting, the breathing of the two girls stabilized. Under Mia''s instructions two stretchers were quickly assembled (after a certain someone refused to be carried by the girls in the group) and the entire dungeon unit returned to the camp.


    Upon reaching their home, the previously jolly and lively elves were left dumbstruck by the sight of their hero returning on a stretcher next to the demoness that everyone acknowledged being even stronger. Not only that, but even Michael looked heavily injured.


    Seeing that the situation turned heavy, everyone was told to gather for dinner where the events that perspired in the dungeon will be explained.


    "And that''s pretty much the gist of it. While the fifth floor is quite dangerous, with sufficient people we can easily overcome it. Today were caught off guard and therefore the current situation. Nevertheless, this stands to show just how much we lack strong people. Alice, Laurence and Claudia will immediately join us in future dungeon dives as permanent members of the party. But we need even more than just them..."


    [If I may, I would like to recommend Adrian Greenwood to join the new team you want to create sir.](Laurence)


    "Adrian Greenwood? He''s a regular member of the dungeon diving unit, isn''t he? What''s the reason for your recommendation?"


    [Today we tried to enter the third floor...](Laurence)


    "Huh!? Are you people courting death? Didn''t I tell you that you can''t handle it yet?" ¨C I quickly berated


    [Haha... we got cocky after clearing the slimes with relative ease and wanted to try our luck. However, when we fought against the lizard-like creatures inside there, even if we repelled the first couple of waves, their numbers were too great. Fortunately, when we were pushed into a corner Adrian picked up the Vortex Lance I dropped in a fight and used its special skill turning the tables on them. The creatures were caught by surprise and after some heavy fighting, we managed to somehow clear the floor, albeit with many injuries. If we did not have miss Alice and the rest of the healers, we might''ve even lost people. It was my mistake to allow the rest to enter, however without Adrian we wouldn''t have made it out alive even with Alice''s help...](Laurence)


    "Haaaaah... I really hope all of you learned your lesson through this. This is not a game and lives can be lost with ease in the dungeons, even mine or Alexandra''s. Without sufficient strength, it is better to play it safe and grind in the lower floors until you reach a level that is high enough to allow one to survive later on. I won''t seek out punishment for the ones that ignored my order this time, but I won''t be lenient the next time. Adrian! Good job this time! Here''s your reward!"


    With a light throw, the Necromancer Job change skill book dropped in his hands, under the envious gazes of many. I wanted to use this as a way to lift the heavy mood, but also push them to work harder for the future rewards they might gain. Scold them first, reward them after. A carrot and the stick system always shows good results.


    [Thank you Michael, sir! I will do my best to help the camp in the future!](Adrian)


    "Mhm! I''m looking forward to it!"


    With a bright light the skill book dissipated, showing signs of Adrian having used it already. But the surprises didn''t end there...


    "What now..."


    The World Tree began churning and the leaves on its branches wildly swayed, giving one the impression that they might be removed any second now. Then, the entire space seems to have suddenly came to a halt, World Tree included.


    A bright glow enveloped the World Tree, as if it was undergoing an evolution of sorts, giving me a really ominous feeling.


    "Shit... Where''s Mia when I need her!?"

 Duality

    The strange phenomenon didn''t show any signs of stopping or even slowing down, but on the contrary, it seemed to increase in intensity, giving one the impression that the World Tree was preparing to try for a breakthrough into the next realm.


    "Could it be that it''s evolving to the second level? Wouldn''t that mean that the world itself will reach it as well? What the fuck is going on?"


    Then, the unwanted answer arrived...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">A total of 9 different types of magic have been recognized on Midgard!


    Initializing the Job Change system...


    Congratulations!


    Once a being on Midgard will reach Level 10 in body refinement and Tier 1 in soul refinement, the compatible jobs will be presented to chose between!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulation Midgard for commencing its evolution to the second stage!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Analyzing current Midgard''s situation... Four total suitable locations were found!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Analyzing the four locations and comparing them based on requirements...


    One suitable location confirmed!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Beginning Midgard''s transition to the second stage...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I stared with my mouth agape at the flurry of messages covering the red-tinged sky. There were a total of five different pop-up windows which were probably enough to cover a couple of square kilometers each, blinking in and out of existence.


    I turned my head and saw the elves staring at the same thing as I was and was scared shitless once more when I realized that they could hear and see the notification as well.


    Before I could say or do anything else, everything around me went fully dark before I found myself in a familiar room.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me..."


    [Is that how you greet old friends?]


    "What dogshit ''old friends''!? What the hell did you do this time? What''s this second stage transition and why the hell do I get the impression that it''s way shittier than anything else you''ve thrown my way so far?"


    [...mostly because it is...](Reaper)


    I felt the blood in my veins freeze with that reply and realized that, maybe for the first time since we¡¯ve met, this shitty game God was actually serious. That in return made me frown...


    "That bad, huh? Hopefully this time you can at least give me some details and not some Lao Zi-type bullshit."


    [Mhm! This time you need to know what you are dealing with. I guess we should start from the very beginning. Do you remember our first conversation when I asked you about what do you think a God is?](Reaper)


    "Yeah... Simply put, when one or more people think about a phenomenon and they attribute it miraculous abilities, if there is sufficient belief, a God would be born. Something like that, right?"


    [Indeed. However, that''s not the only way to ascend to godhood...](Reaper)


    "What!? There are other means?"


    [Unfortunately, yes. Otherwise, the Gods would become tyrants that people are forced to depend on and not the other way around. For example, there are worlds where humans ascend to the divine level through continuous fighting and devouring of each other''s energy, a similar method from which the Adventurer System was created. In other worlds, one can ascend to godhood only by being selected as a God''s successor and receive divinity that will restructure his body. Yet another type of world, allows all type of breathing creatures to cultivate the energy of the universe, which in return pushes their strength higher and higher, until they leave the contraints of mortality. There are as many methods as there are stars in the sky and there are just that many more worlds...](Reaper)


    "Then..."


    The sudden influx of information caught me unprepared and I stared in shock in the starry eyes of the divine being in front of me. If I am currently the God of a world and I have access to both the faith of my followers and a way to level up and increase the tier of my soul, which path...


    [...there isn''t a path that''s right or wrong. All of them are viable to walk upon and there isn''t a difference between their strength. The only difference is made by the individual. It has always been like that and it won''t necessarily change any time soon.](Reaper)


    "I see... And I''m guessing this situation has something to do with the other Gods from the other worlds. And that doesn''t refer to the other 999 from your little game, right?"


    [Right and wrong... Haaaah! This is way too early than I anticipated it would be. I was prepared to have this conversation with you only after about 1000 years have passed and you have matured as a God somewhat. Anyway, what do you know about duality?](Reaper)


    "Duality?"


    I shot the game God a strange look, but I abstained from making any snide remarks and pondered for an answer when I saw how serious he was. I think I already know where this was heading...


    "The concept of duality signifies that everything in the universe has at least two sides to it. Like a coin for example, heads or tails. Even if in its truest meaning it also has the sides that can be considered as the third part, the concept remains to prove that there are at least two meanings to everything. At the same time it''s a way to show the opposing nature of humans, black and white, one and zero, good and bad¡­"


    [¡­and there you have it...](Reaper)


    "So it''s like that after all... Let me guess: there''s a good group of Gods and a bad group. And I am somehow caught between the struggles between them?"


    [More or less. Honestly speaking, Gods aren''t the highest level one can reach. In a way, it can be considered just the beginning. Above Gods there are many other stronger creatures which power you can''t even fathom...](Reaper)


    "Ancients and Supreme Ones..."


    The moment those words escaped my lips, a look of intense fear and hatred flashed through Reaper''s eyes, pinning me on the soft sofa. I couldn''t move even a finger...


    [Why do you know of them!?](Reaper)


    "Would you believe me if I''d say I dreamed about it?"


    [Like hell, I would!](Reaper)


    "...it''s the truth though..."


    His eyes focused on me, seemingly trying to discern if I was speaking the truth or not. It''s quite hard to explain how I dreamed about a story the voice in my head narrated, in which Lucifer AKA the devil himself, was asking about Pandora''s Gifts... which the next day appeared in my Status Page.


    "Oh wow... it does sounds batshit crazy..."


    [Okay, fine! I will believe you for now... There are three divine major factions, out of which two are the strongest: the Gods and the Devils. Ironic, right?](Reaper)


    "You have no idea..."


    [Well, those two factions have been at war since longer than anyone can remember. But even then, throughout the millennia the numbers of both factions dwindled considerably and the higher ranked divinities perished as well. Seeing the two factions decrease in strength so badly, the neutral faction proposed a game between the Gods and the Devils: they were supposed to fight using civilization they nurtured from scratch, that they will throw at each other. So far, a total of 848 rounds occurred and believe it or not, it''s a tie.](Reaper)The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    A tie? 848 rounds? Doesn''t that mean that the factions that warred against each other with their civilizations 848 times so far? How many worlds does that mean? How many souls died? Actually...


    "Can a God die as well?"


    [Of course it can. Just the last couple of rounds we ''played'' have been particularly costly. Last round for example, which we lost by the way, ended with more than half of the Gods in our faction dying. Countless civilizations have been wiped out as well. Obviously we did the same to them as well in the previous rounds...](Reaper)


    "And is this round supposed to be the last one or something?"


    [Not really, no. It''s just one of the many that will happen. However, this time all the participants under myself are new to the game. I wanted to use the next thousand years to properly prepare them for the game, but you kind of ruined that for me.](Reaper)


    "How come?"


    [The first stage of the game is like a tutorial after the tutorial. It allows the players to get accustomed with how to lead their civilization, so at the point when the game truly begins, they will know what to do. The second stage, represents the true start and with it, the Devil faction will also invade...](Reaper)


    "Invade? As in, come over to our worlds?"


    [Precisely! In the past, they were the defenders and we were the invaders. Unfortunately the higher-ups lost the coin toss and now we have to play defender twice in a row... ](Reaper)


    "I am going to do my best to ignore how some absolute divine beings decide the fate of the universe with a mere coin toss, but why is there such a difference between the defenders and the invaders?"


    [It''s always easier to attack than it is to defend. At the point where the second stage begins, the Adventurer System comes in play and evens out the playfield. At the point where both forces are on the same level, but have different numbers, which one do you think will win? Not to mention that if the invaders catch a proper foothold, any attempts at erasing them will be neigh impossible. Imagine the invaders having a civilization more advanced than yours, on the same planet and them continuously attacking you. Do you think you could win with less numbers?](Reaper)


    "Fucking hell no! What the fuck!? How can it be so unfair towards the defenders?"


    [It''s not actually. However, it depends on the missions and how successfully you can complete them. As you know, in order to increase the numbers of your civilization members, Soul Points are required. The Game System will automatically generate a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly mission. If you complete it, you get more point. With more points, you get more people. With more people, you get better and harsher missions, but with better rewards. And from there on...](Reaper)


    "It''s just grind and repeat. What about those missions?"


    [They change every round, so there is no meaning in me telling you what they were in the past.](Reaper)


    "What''s your divinity ¡®rank''? Since you have the other Gods under you, are you an Ancient?"


    [Ancient? Hahaha! Nope! I am just a slightly stronger God. I guess you could say that I am at the peak of strength at the God level, but I am not anywhere near breaking through the next level. The type of divinity I am, requires that my underlings become stronger and the stronger they are, the more chances I have to progress.](Reaper)


    "Interesting... What sort of rank do you have in the God faction?"


    [Star Lord. The classification of the leaders in charge of Gods and their worlds is as follows: Star Lords with 1000 Gods and their worlds under them; Moon Lords with up to 5000 Gods and their worlds, while the highest ranked are the Sun Lords with as much as up to 10000 Gods and worlds under their watch.](Reaper)


    "I am guessing there are benefits for winning in a game round for you as well, right?"


    [Yup. But it depends on the ratio of the worlds that are successful in defending or attacking which I control. If 25% or less defend successfully this time, I get to keep my rank. If there''s 50% or less, I get automatically promoted to Moon Lord and finally, if there''s 75% or higher, not only do I get promoted to Sun Lord, but I will receive help in breaking through the next divinity realm.](Reaper)


    "How did you do in the last round?"


    [I didn''t exist last round... Remember that I was brought into existence by this generation''s Gods, in an attempt to conserve their own lives, by using their own divinity as fuel. As result, not only does that make me an artificial divinity, but also the other Gods and I depend on each other. If I die, they die as well and if more than 50% of them die this time... I will join them.](Reaper)


    "Huh!? Then, if you die..."


    [The others as well...](Reaper)


    "Then, I shall also?"


    [Nope. You are the wildcard and I pretty much bet everything I had on you this time. That is why I gave you the Manual Mode.](Reaper)


    "So the others didn''t have this option to begin with?"


    [Nope. Quite unfair of me, isn''t it? However, is not that I don''t want to give them that option. I can''t... Only one Manual Mode per each 1000 Gods under one¡¯s supervision. Therefore, you can say that you are quite the favorite child in my faction this round. If even you can''t hold on and defend, I can''t hope for the others to...](Reaper)


    "Can the members under you join hands and help each other?"


    [Are you thinking of Eternity?](Reaper)


    "Maybe..."


    [Yes. However, at the point where you do, the difficulty of the missions you both get goes up as well. Not only that, but the number of attackers goes up by 25% for each member of the alliance you have set up.](Reaper)


    "So that''s why you said is quite rough for the defenders. With rules like that, is as if the attackers are favored, while the defenders got the short end of the stick... Nevertheless, if we can join hands the pressure might decrease even if the number of attackers increase. What about communication between faction members? Will we have that?"


    [I will open a channel to do so.](Reaper)


    "So game-like... Can we intervene for one another? Can I bring my troops over to defend for another player?"


    [If you have sufficient leeway to do so, sure.](Reaper)


    "What about the attacks? How do those occur?"


    [Once per month you will be attacked at a random time, while you will also be given the option to attack once each two months as well.](Reaper)


    "..."


    From what he told me so far, things will get messy real-fast. I need to quickly bolster the level of my elves and since they have the option of picking Jobs now, it should make things easier. Not only that, but I need to focus on the technological development even more than before. With sufficient defense and powerful weapons, numbers will be irrelevant. Moreover, if we know about the attacks in advance...


    "Right! Will there be a notification about the day of the attack?"


    [There will.](Reaper)


    "Figures¡­ Then even if there will be a 25% increase in number of attacking troops, as long as we can support each other properly... Will all the attacks happen at the same time for everyone?"


    [Nope.](Reaper)


    "Excellent! Hmm? What''s with that look?"


    [Others thought as you did before... But in the end, most Gods were humans or were created by humans, therefore showcasing their personality. Would every human back on Earth throw itself in harm¡¯s way for somebody else?](Reaper)


    "True... Haaaah¡­ Never mind! I will help those who will help me and even go as far as stretch my hand to those I can reach. I won''t promise you anything, but since I am a God myself, I will do the best that I can for my faction, I guess¡­"


    To deal with the invaders and I also have the monsters to deal with starting next year... Wait... ''Four suitable locations''???


    "Piece of fuck! How wasn''t I able to tell earlier!? The invaders will use the dungeons?"


    [Yup... Originally, I planned to give you a thousand years to get accustomed with how they work and how to defend against monster waves that will occur. But someone ruined that for everyone else...](Reaper)


    "How the hell was I supposed to know that just by having 9 types of magic will suddenly break in the second stage!?"


    [It''s not just the different types of magic. It is the mana concentration of the atmosphere, the number of dungeons and the average number of floors, the highest level of the strongest person of your world and then there is also the types of magic available. Just that last one is stupidly hard to achieve... How the hell did you get summoning type of magic and necromancer magic within less than a month!? That''s way too stupid!](Reaper)


    "YOU''RE THE ONE WHO MADE THAT DROP IN THE DUNGEON YOU USELESS GAME GOD!!!"


    [Yes, yes, yes... It''s my fault! Now what are you going to do about the game?](Reaper)


    "My best to freaking survive... Ugh! When''s the first attack going to happen?"


    [In about two days. It will take that long for your world to break through the first level. A word of advice: you can still use the three dungeons on your continent, but without sufficient strength, don''t even think of the other one.](Reaper)


    "It''s there where the base will be for the invaders? And let me guess... at the lowest level?"


    [Bingo!](Reaper)


    "You suck so much!!! What about the other civilizations? I am the only one that has dungeons at the moment..."


    [When I took over this group, I selected the option to provide the ''simulators'' to my Gods as the benefit I was able to choose. Given that I am connected with the others, I can simply pass to them the knowledge I have. Obviously, beside the major dungeon that belongs to the Devil faction, each world will have another three just as you do. For training purposes...](Reaper)


    "That''s good I guess. Anything else I should know?"


    [For now, it should suffice. Everything else will become clear as time goes on...](Reaper)


    "Still acting mysterious and shit... "


    [Okay, time for you to be on your way then. Buh-b... Oh, right! The levels of everybody will reset to zero, but the civilization advances will remain. Hahaha! Buh-Bye!!!](Reaper)


    "Motherfucker!!!!!!"


    By the time I stopped yelling I was already back on Midgard at the dinner table, with many pairs of eyes looking quite dumbstruck at me...


    "Ahem! Sorry about that! We are to prepare for an emergency meeting ASAP! Everybody will participate and gather after dinner near the World Tree. Soon, huge chances will occur and we will need everyone to perform at 200% in order to be able to survive... Be prepared!"

 Connecting the dots

    With those words left behind, I rushed back to my house where Mia was taking care of Alexandra and Decarbia. I felt terribly exhausted both mentally and physically due to the injuries I suffered in the dungeon so far, but I didn''t dare dawdle. With such huge changes about to occur, I lacked the time for rest...


    After explaining to Mia what info I managed to pry from that shitty game God and brainstormed for ideas on how to handle what''s to come, some sort of plan took shape.


    [¡­and in that case, the day the second stage begins these invaders will attack us?](Mia)


    "Most likely..."


    [However, our levels will be dropped back to one on the same day?](Mia)


    "With utmost certainty..."


    [Then we need to raid the two dungeons as much as possible in the remaining time we have, while also preparing and enhancing our defenses.](Mia)


    "Raid the dungeon? Why?"


    [Materials! If our levels are restarted, then it means that we won''t be able to ''grind'' anymore and might be met with a shortage of them while under attack later on. Therefore, we need to stockpile as much as we can, for the worst case scenario. Not only that, but if we get equipment and skill books, we can use them after the reset happens. Do you know if the Jobs our elves have right now will be reset as well? Or our skills?](Mia)


    "Damn! I forgot to ask about that..."


    It would be honestly horrible if we lose the Jobs we got so far and the same can be said about the skills. Especially something as precious as Adrian''s Necromancer or Alice''s Priest, which in the war of attrition we''re going to fight, are absolute requirements and will dictate the fate of our civilization.


    [I think they will not. Strictly speaking, our elves are already at Tier 1 in Soul Refinement meaning that they are already stronger than most beings at the same level. Not only that, but we also have the World Tree. Even if the Job Tier is reset to zero, doesn''t mean that the Job itself will vanish entirely. Maybe it will remain there until the person reaches level 10 again...](Mia)


    "Mhm... the system notification did mention something about ''Jobs available to pick'', meaning that there will be more possibilities to choose from. If it is like the games I have played before, then it will make it easier to assign the elves to specific activity domains, improving the efficiency of our camp... Since we need to focus on technological development just as much as defense, what suggestions do you have for that area?"


    [Nothing changes for now regarding the Social Policies, if that''s what you''re referring to. It is best to keep what we''re doing right now, since a sudden change might be detrimental to our civilization''s progress. In a different order of ideas, we need to quickly bolster our ranged weapons production and train all elves to use them so we can maximize our advantage. We could also dig pits and build other traps around the walls... We might not know the numbers that will attack us, however I doubt there will be just 200 to match ours...](Mia)


    "I agree... Alright then, let us do what we''ve done up to this point, but focus more on military and technology. Also..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Breakthrough made through individual research on the Paper technology!


    Your civilization acquires full comprehension over the creation and the use of paper!


    500 Research Points will be paid as reward!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I looked at Mia that had a resplendent meaningful smile on her face, wanting to say that even after the darkest night, morning will still arrive. I found myself smiling in return¡­


    "Seems like our ''mad scientist'' managed to have a breakthrough. I will leave the nursing of these two to you while I''ll pay her a visit. After that, I will have to explain the situation to the rest so that there won¡¯t be full blown chaos later on. Make sure you''ll rest as well! I need you at your best¡­"


    [Mhm!] - she obediently nodded


    When I visited Simone, I was able to find next to the elven hut assigned to her a smaller wooden building that dubbed as a temporary laboratory. When I finally located the troublesome lass, she looked like a small panda with dark bags under her eyes from the obvious lack of sleep.


    I was at a loss for words when she suddenly busted with energy in my direction, wanting to explain to me all the insights she gained. I had to forcibly send the little minx to sleep, otherwise she might truly collapse soon. She agreed (although quite unwillingly) and I was freed from having to listen to a really long and boring explanation.


    On the other hand, immediately after that, I was put in the posture of having to provide the long and boring explanations myself about the changes which will occur in two days worth of time (and the atmosphere got strangely lively after mentioning that we will be attacked), as well as the direction everyone had to follow. These guys¡­ it¡¯s not like I¡¯m announcing a festival, you know!?


    [So we will drop back to level 1 and we will be attacked by a horde of enemies on the same day? Will they be monsters similar to the ones in the dungeon?](Claudia)


    "Regarding the horde, yes! Most likely... As far as the monsters go, I am not 100% sure it will be the case, but there is a strong possibility."


    [Understood! I will use the security unit I am responsible for to dig traps all the way until the forest and prepare some other traps. Do you have any other instructions for us?](Claudia)


    "Not at the moment, however there will be some general details for everyone else. First off, everyone will have at least one hour of archery practice before breakfast, lunch and dinner! We need to have everyone become proficient in ranged attacks ASAP, so we can dwindle the number of the enemies from afar. Next, the crafting unit will work full time with the goal of creating sufficient longbows and arrows, while their secondary target remains the completion of the structures we have yet to build. The security unit will focus on solidifying our defenses, however¡­ do make sure you mark the traps so our own people won''t fall for them. That will not be even remotely funny. The dungeon diving unit will work overtime, continuously diving and grinding for resources and equipment! Everyone, I know that the unknown is scary but it is also exciting! If there is one thing I know, is that we will weather whatever storms are thrown our way, together!"


    After a wave of cheers, everyone was dismissed and went to sleep early. Given that we have only two days left before the attack, things will get hectic starting tomorrow.


    Back in my bedroom, three heavenly beauties were sleeping soundly without a care in a world, sight that made me relax quite a bit as well. Alexandra and Decarbia''s complexion were pretty much back to normal at this point, therefore I climbed in bed next to them and realized just how tired I was.


    "It''s a good thing that I had the bed remade and its size enlarged, otherwise I might be forced to sleep on the floor soon..."


    Closing my eyes and relaxing my body, I instantly fell asleep. However, since I was still awake and aware after I passed out, it could mean only one thing¡­


    "Seems like I''m back here again... Oooooy! Little ancestor! Are you still around?"


    [Little ancestor? PHUHAHAHAHA!!! It''s stupid how much that fits Kyrie!!!]


    Surprised by the loud laughter, I froze for a second when I realized that it was a different person answering me than the one from last time. Even more so, he called him Kyrie? Isn''t that the title I got after the last dream I had?


    "You are a different voice than the one I heard last time..."Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    [Mhm! You can call me Khrone.]


    "At least you are polite enough to introduce yourself. The previous person didn''t..."


    [Really? Hmm... Then, so far, what sort of memories did he show you?](Khrone)


    "Memories, huh? So those were his memories after all?"


    [Yup. So, hurry up! Which ones did you see so far?](Khrone)


    "About Chronos and the creations of Earth, the girl he fell in love with and how he and Lucifer were sent to the Underworld. Then the story about Pandora''s Gift, which was really welcomed given that I can use them now. It was of great help in the dungeons."


    [Oh? You can already use them? That''s rather impressive... So you know that much already, huh? What stage is your world in?](Khrone)


    "Stage?"


    [Mhm! In the ''game''. Since I am here, it means that the game started once more and you, as our descendant will obviously be caught up in it. What''s your status in the game?]


    "Status?"


    [... are you an Ancient? A Sun lord? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re a Moon lord! That¡¯s quite demeaning¡­](Khrone)


    "Sorry to disappoint, but I was just a normal human that was killed by a really pretty girl, somehow woke up and the Star lord overseeing my world decided it would be fun to thrown me in the game, for his own entertainment. Then I became the God of my world and through the Manual Mode I am fighting on the front lines with my civilization. That''s pretty much the gist of it I guess. As for the stage, I guess the game is about to start in two days time. That''s when the first invasion will begin."


    [...oh wow! That''s a first for certain! In addition, you said that you were killed by a woman? That''s even more interesting... Anyway, it''s good that it''s just the start of the invasion. Are you on the defending or the invading side?](Khrone)


    "Defending."


    [I always preferred attacking myself... It does not really matter though given that neither Kyrie nor I can interfere directly anymore. We can only provide you with knowledge and what you do with it, it''s entirely up to you. Since he showed you the beginning, I guess you should see our end as well. Here is the last memory the two of us share...]


    With those words on a slightly sad tone left behind, the scenery changed and I found myself looking at seven people sitting on the ground of a dimly lit cave.


    They were covered in wounds of different degrees and not even the girls weren''t spared. The atmosphere was heavy, signifying that something major just happened...


    [Fucking Luciel! How dares that bastard backstab our faction and defect!?] ¨C a roar of anger broke the silence


    [Enough Lucifer... Is not as if we can do anything about it at this point...] ¨C a beautiful but lazy looking woman answered


    [Millie, I know that you don''t care about Corbett since you still have Khrone around, however how can you be that cold after he literally sacrificed himself for us!?](Lucifer)


    [Is not that I don''t care, but that we aren''t in a better situation ourselves. Moreover, that he hasn''t died yet, has he Khrone?](Millie) ¨C she said as she hugged the guy¡¯s arm


    [Stop being so clingy Millie... No, he hasn''t died. But his soul was heavily injured though...](Khrone) ¨C he replied after waving his hands and freeing his arm


    [Chet! How can you be so distant!? It has been so many years since I''ve last saw you as well...](Millie)


    [Khrone, is he really okay?] ¨C the other beauty asked on a worried tone


    [Yes Laura, your little lover is okay for now. However, as heavily injured as he is, is quite tough for him to make an appearance...](Khrone)


    [As long as he''s alright...](Laura) ¨C she answered obviously relieved


    [Little sister, your big brother is also heavily injured you know...](Lucifer)


    [Stop complaining, you big baby!](Laura) ¨C she scolded


    The sound of laughter lifted the gloomy mood of the cave, but the serious atmosphere didn''t change much.


    [We don''t have a way out of this, do we?](Lucifer)


    [Not really, no... The barrier Corbett used will last a half an hour at best, 5-10 minutes in the worst case.](Khrone)


    [So we''re going to die here? What about the others from our faction? They don''t know of that bastard''s betrayal and will greet him with open arms? They will be like lambs sending themselves to a slaughterhouse...](Millie)


    [Haaaah... You four, are you sure?](Khrone) ¨C he asked while turning back and facing the silent trio


    [Do you even have to ask Khrone? We already told both you and Corbett our decision to stay by your side. Moreover, in order to alert the other members of our faction is the most logical action to take. We cannot allow the Devil faction to get away with this easily or even more will be needlessly sacrificed...]


    [Rehael... as smart as you are, how can you say that is the best course of action¡­](Khrone)


    [Hahaha! We owe both of you more than we could ever repay, plus that we won''t really die anyway. Isn''t that right guys?](Rehael)


    The other two smiled and nodded, acknowledging consent. On the other hand, the Lucifer, Millie and Laura had shocked expressions on their faces.


    [What is the meaning of this? Khrone?](Millie) ¨C she asked again while grabbing his hand


    [Haaah... I told you that you are too clingy...](Khrone) ¨C he answered by tousling her hair in an affectionate way


    One could easily see the relationships between these seven based on the previous memories I¡¯ve seen before, about the start of their world. Even if Millie, Khrone and the other three were new characters, they were obviously comrades of the other three.


    [You want to stay behind and hold them off while we run¡­](Lucifer) - he concluded


    [Mhm.](Khrone)


    Silence descended on the small cave. The two girls began crying pitifully, while Lucifer had a solemn expression on his face.


    [Do you have any means of escaping?](Lucifer)


    [We did the ritual...](Khrone)


    [YOU WHAT!? Are you stupid? That''s a fucking curse you moron! Who''s stupid idea was it?](Lucifer) ¨C he yelled as he shook the guy by the collar


    [Kyrie''s.](Khrone)


    [Curse? What curse?](Laura)


    [Calm down, it''s not a curse. It''s a method for revival... Cough!] ¨C a new but familiar voice echoed


    [[[Corbett!!!]]]


    [I am alright, calm down... Listen to Khrone, because the decision has already been made. In the future, we will be able to come back to life with the will of the heavens, if the conditions are met. It''s not possible for all of us to survive otherwise and since all four of us already decided to do it, all that''s left is to execute the plan. When the four of us go out, find a chance to make a run for it.](Kyrie)


    [Do you have to?](Laura) ¨C she asked through falling tears


    [Silly girl... You know me better than anyone. Do you really think I''ll let you die under my eyes when there is something I can do about it? Anyway, my time is running out and I have to go back and rest. Wait for me, I will come and find you someday.](Kyrie)


    [Mhm...](Laura) ¨C she nodded as she accepted their parting kiss


    Watching the situation unfold, there were two things that shocked me. First off, those people were referring to Khrone and Kyrie while looking at the same person and the two different voices came from the same body. Didn''t they said that his soul was directly affected due to an attack? So if the two of them are the same person, why does Khrone look totally fine?


    The scenary changed and with it, I found myself surrounded by darkness, in the same place I arrived at when I fell asleep.


    [Questions?]


    "I don''t even know where to start from..."


    [Well, we don''t have sufficient time so hurry up!]


    "You and Kyrie are the same person?"


    [Yes and no... You can say that we''re two people sharing one body I guess... Were...]


    "Corbett, was his... your name as well?"


    [Yup.]


    "Then I''m I your descendant? Like, a child from one of those two girls Milly and... Laura?"


    [Nah... nothing that physical. I guess is something more close to body compatibility. We used a technique that allows us to merge mind and bodies with another person after a specific amount of time passed and sufficient energy has gathered. At that time, the closest match to our original body receives a portion of our souls, containing the memories we still have. That way, you can consider it as three people becoming one¡­ after you die, the same thing will happen in the future to you as well. Might sound unfair, but it is what it is...]


    "...I don''t even know how to answer to that. Well, it did help me out, so I can''t really complain. Luciel, wasn''t Kyrie''s brother?"


    [Yup...]


    "I see. That girl, Laura..."


    [Quite the beauty isn''t she?]


    "I just saw her in this memory of yours for the first time..."


    [Well, Kyrie''s soul was quite damaged in that fight. It''s understandable if some of his memories were affected. Quite sad that the memory of his lover was one of them...]


    "I saw that girl before."


    [Hm? Didn''t you say that you couldn''t see her in his memories?]


    "I saw her before I ''met'' the two of you. In real life..."


    [Are you sure it wasn''t just someone looking like her?]


    "Right now, I''m quite certain."


    [How so?]


    "She was the one that killed me..."


    Judging from the silence, it was quite obvious that he was not expecting that answer. Actually, I wasn''t expecting that either...


    [Anything worth of mention about how she killed you?]


    "If you''re talking about the ritualistic method, then yeah. She had an hourglass and a really strange dagger."


    [Oh? Did she now... Did you die on your birthday?]


    "Yeah, how did you know?"


    [That was a ritual to force the link between you and us. Interesting... seems like she awoke earlier than us this time. It might be Lucifer that had a hand in this... Anyway, our time is coming to a close, so be ready.]


    "Anything you can tell me about the invaders? Something that might help?"


    [Let me take a look at your memories...]


    After a couple of minutes have passed, Khrone''s voice echoed through the void once more.

 The end of the Tutorial

    [From what I can see, it is dungeons again... You will be facing monsters, similar to the ones you have met in the ones you''ve explored so far. However, they will be many more and much stronger. In the beginning they will be low leveled, but they will grow by two or three levels with each recurring invasion. You must improve your own civilization''s strength quickly if you want to survive. In addition, there is a period of about four to five hours between the level restart and the time of the attack, so I would advise you to do some urgent dungeon dives. That should boost the level of your elites and reduce the pressure on the army. Since the Game System is already activated, you should know that there is a huge difference between a person with a Job and one without.]


    "So Mia was right... The Jobs don''t go away. They just become unavailable until level 10... That''s excellent!"


    [Glad that we could be of some assistance to you. Hmm... since Corbett already gave you a gift, I should do the same... Oh, right! By the way, his name isn''t ''Kyrie''. That was just a title that he got... What should I gift you?]


    "You don''t have to give me anything. Just the extra knowledge is tremendously helpful. If I didn''t know about those 4-5 hours before the attack, I would''ve faced a horde of monsters with LvL 1 people and might incur heavy losses..."


    [That might be so, however I still want to give you something as well. I know! It might be somewhat early for you to get this, but I can''t think of anything else. It will be a big help to you! Aaaand done! Hahaha! Now that bastard Corbett won''t be able to brag anymore!]


    The darkness seemed to swirl around my location and with it, it felt as if a cloud of smoke entered my lungs making me gag and become unable to breathe properly.


    My body felt weak and I could barely maintain consciousness...


    [Hahaha! It seems like that lass truly has a good eye for people. From Corbett until now, you are the first to be this compatible with my innate power! Not to mention that the degree of compatibility is also quite high... You''re every bit of a monster Corbett used to be back then.]


    "Thanks I guess... What sort of power is this? My body feels heavy as lead..."


    [It will take some time for you to get used to it. If Corbett''s are active skills, mine are passive. I am sure you will appreciate them greatly. Time''s up for now! Get some rest and do your best in the upcoming first wave! If you do exceptionally well, the reward gets increased as well!]


    "That¡¯s a blatant foreshadow¡­ Understood! Thank you for your help!"


    [Hahaha! Is what we should do given that our fates are tied together? Oh, right! I have two pieces of advice left for you: one, find allies! You cannot hope to overcome this game alone and there are cases where the invaders band together to attack a single civilization. Unless you have a stupidly overpowered advantage, you can''t dream of overcoming them on your own. Lastly... Find Laura!]


    "Laura?"


    [I know you might have some misgivings about her, however you will need her help. Moreover, not only her, the other three as well. Since they used the same type of heavenly contract as we did, they will be likewise reborn. If you can find them, they will be of great assistance in this game round! As for the reason why... the other gifts of Pandora are in their possession just like in your case...]


    "The other three? How do I find them? Are they similar other Gods of this faction? Do you have a way to locate them? Hmm? Sir!? Mister Khrone?"


    What a dramatic exit... This ''ancestor'' of mine surely know how to leave one hanging¡­ Nevertheless, my consciousness was already fading away and the previous cloud of smoke was continuously burring itself in my body. I fell unconscious and I let my mind relax in order to get some rest...


    The morning light outside of window drew my attention to the sky I could barely see. Why barely? Because more than half of it was covered by a huge notification showing a big countdown...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Remaining time until the start of the first event:


    47hours 59minutes and 35seconds...


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I inspected the state my body was in and was happy to find out that I was actually fine even after most of the night I had reviewed memories with Khrone...


    With another look, I saw the three kittens curled up around me as well. On my left side was Mia hugging my arm looking cute beyond description. On my right there was Decarbia hugging Alexandra, which was sleeping on my chest.


    "I truly wouldn''t mind if I could keep living like this for rest of my life..."


    But that wasn''t a possibility anymore. Given the notification window outside and the information I got from both Reaper and Khrone, even as a God I can easily die. Therefore, I cannot let my guard down at all when considering that¡­


    "I am also quite a bit curious about Laura. Moreover, I need to help Eternity and the rest... Haaah! It becomes more and more tiresome..."


    That day passed in a flash while the entire camp was as busy as a hive of bees. Everywhere you would look there was someone doing something.


    The chef unit worked hard to prepare sufficient food for everyone and thanks to their efforts, there was sufficient energy to go around. The production unit worked overtime and about 300 longbows were crafter and over 1500 arrows. Because of that, we had to postpone the building of other things and focus on fortifying our defenses.


    The home security unit were worked to the bone, worse than any others. Not only did they dig pitfalls and planted sharpened sticks at the bottom, but also added things like barricades of wood with spears pointing forward while between them, one of the strongest types of ropes we could craft was tied. Since it was inside the grass and disguised properly, it was supposed to act as a trap that would have the monster in front trip and be trampled by the ones behind.


    ¡°Quite the gruesome team-kill if you ask me¡­¡±


    On the walls also there were many big rocks gathered, but most were moved on the west side of the camp since that was the direction of the Western Dungeon¡­ as well as where the notification seemed to point at. Therefore, we reinforced the western gate and the wall itself more than the other locations.


    At Decarbia''s pyromaniac suggestion and because of Mia''s helpful tendencies, they gathered resin from nearby trees and dried grass which they proceed to scatter in specific areas, all in order to hide the smell and act as an accelerant for the fire trap. Leaving aside how scary I thought these girls were, the idea itself wasn''t bad since not only will it severely burn the shit out of those monsters, but it will also force them to attack the western gate only where our defenses are strongest.


    The farming unit also helped by creating tranches and digging pitfalls here and there. For some reason, everyone thought the food was even better after working hard. I also couldn''t understand why everyone was so excited about us being attacked, but I sincerely hoped that they weren''t as battle crazed as Alexandra.


    "Having 200 elves go berserk... that''s way outside my endurance limits..."


    The last unit, the dungeon divers, also worked hard, pretty much without rest. The team was split in two as we grinded both the Eastern and the Southern Dungeons simultaneously. The haul we got was decent regarding skill books. Even things like Fireball, Ice Rain or Heal dropped! Not only that, but even class change skill books dropped, but most were regular ones like Ranger, Priest or Knight.


    The resources we gathered were quite ridiculous as well, but most of the metals were quickly melted into spears, arrows, swords and chest plate armors that were continuously manufactured by our (currently) never-sleeping production unit.


    So when the night finally arrived, I took over the watch and had everyone forcibly go to sleep. Even if the camp was to be attacked by wild animals, given my level and skills I could easily take care of a couple of thousands without waking up the others...


    The following morning, the camp resumed their strenuous activities at an even harsher pace. It made one wonder if they were actually looking forward to the battle tomorrow...


    "I think the Gods of War would be jealous to death if they could see the way my people are acting..."


    By the end of the day, most traps were finished and the fortifications of the walls were completed as well. Therefore we used most of the remaining time to continuously train the elves in archery. I didn''t even go dungeon diving this time (since I wasn''t even needed for the first four floors of each dungeon) and just stayed in and gave pointers.


    "As expected of the fantastic elven race! They pick up archery crazily fast!"


    I was impressed with the speed with which they learned it and even the farmers showed great talent in both ranged and close combat. I had them spar with one another so they can quickly get used to the weight of the weapons and armors, but given that the fight will be tomorrow... I sincerely doubt that their stamina would suddenly increase overnight anyway¡­


    That night another emergency meeting was held and with it the final preparations were being discussed.


    "From what you can see outside, we have 12 hours left until the attack. How''s the camp status?"


    [All preparations have been finished on the end of the security unit! After big sister Mia''s inspection, it is expected that at least five to six hundred monsters will fall prey to the pitfalls, as long as they aren''t bigger than a cow. In addition, if their numbers are high and they rush our defenses, the ¡®trip-traps¡¯ could kill at least a couple hundred more through having them trample each other. The third line of defense is the burning array set up and while its killing potential is the highest, it depends on the number that enters it. The fourth and final line of defense will be the wall itself where we can rain boulders and logs on them.](Claudia)


    "It does seem that everything depends on their intelligence..."


    "Good! I will command the battle myself! Hopefully the attack will happen only at the west Gate, otherwise we might be in trouble... Anyway, everyone worked extra hard these couple of days and I strongly advise you to properly rest! Especially the dungeon diving unit! Also..."


    I hesitated a bit when thinking about it, but in the end I decided to just go with it...


    "... tomorrow morning we should have some time between the attack and the level reset. That means that in that period, we will go dungeon diving to quickly increase our levels! If there are any of you who wish to join as well, let me know!"A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The reply... a huge uproar where everyone was yelling crazily that they wish to join as well...


    "..."


    [Everyone, silence please!](Mia)


    Surprisingly and quite saddening, the entire 200 people went deadly silent. Leaving aside the fact that I felt like crying, I was once more surprised by how respected this beautiful AI was by the others...


    [We do not know how long it will take to actually level up to 10 and we are not sure that we could manage even for the first batch of 50 people belonging to the dungeon diving unit. However, if there is enough time, then we will try with as many as possible! Judging by the remaining time, tomorrow at first light we will wake up and prepare. Just like yesterday, everyone is to go to sleep early and try to relax as much as possible. Alexandra will say some words as well.](Mia)


    I looked at Mia handling this like two major corporations were merging and passed the microphone to the second president to continue the presentation. It made me feel utterly useless... Well, at least the morale of the elves turned even fiercer after the following words.


    [I do not have many things to say to you, except for ''we will certainly win''! There is not even a doubt on my mind that we will do that and even more so, we will do it in a grand manner! Under Michael''s command, we will defeat the invaders tomorrow and prepare a grand feast to celebrate afterwards!](Alexandra)


    Roars of excitement and continuous cheers came as a response from the crowd. I truly shuddered when realizing that indeed, these people were will surely become addicted to fighting and warring... Once again I felt like I just tripped another flag and sighed bitterly.


    "With that being said, go home and rest well! Tomorrow, we fight to defend our camp!"


    After another round of cheers, everyone went home for the night. The notification that lit up the skies appeared to be brighter than the moon and in my eyes, it was tinged with a slight reddish hue, giving off a foreboding feeling.


    Since I didn''t know for sure when the level reset will happen exactly and we didn''t have an alarm clock, I already had Andrea prepare packed food for tomorrow''s expedition.


    "Hopefully there won''t be any deaths in our camp. With the low numbers we have, I really can''t bear to lose even one..."


    Letting the girls sleep in the bed, I quietly sat on a piece of wolf fur placed on the floor and tried to meditate. The last time I used this technique was back on Earth and I found it impressively useful in clearing up one''s mind of useless thoughts. With sudden clarity, I began assessing the situation objectively.


    "There''s an unknown number of enemies attacking, but according to Reaper, they won''t be high leveled since a balance must be maintained. At the same time, Khrone mentioned that they will be monsters so it''s not impossible that the attacking force would be monsters from the western dungeon."


    Remembering the four different dungeons as well as their attributes, I realized that the remaining two could be either air or fire...


    "Hopefully the monsters would be air-attributed. If they are fire attributed by any chance, then we''re mostly screwed. If they have fire resistance, then the fire array might become less effective, or in worst case scenario, ineffective. That means that the monsters might breach the gates, changing the fight into melee. That would not necessarily be the worst idea, if I manage to raise the level of my dungeon diving unit and block the breached area with the highest quality troops. The equipment we have so far is insufficient to cover fifty people, but we should have enough for some ''tanks'' to hold the fort while the rest attack from behind."


    I realized that the most important part, on which our survival rested, was leveling up before the attack. The thing that everyone counts on, or rather¡­ the person on which everyone counts on is no other than myself...


    "In my case, Pandora''s Gifts are skills granted due to the title ''Kyrie'' I received, which on its own affected the Job and transformed it into Elf Lord. So even if my level drops and the Job disappears, my skills shouldn''t. The difference is that in order to use the two skills, I require MP and at LvL 1..."


    Realizing that the situation was rather dire, I analyzed the two available dungeons and decided that only the Eastern Water Dungeon will be suitable for leveling up. Since we don''t have sufficient spells to deal with them and my mana probably won''t be able to replicate large scale spells like Fire Storm to deal with all the monsters in one go, there really wasn¡¯t the case of me being greedy¡­


    "So the Western Dungeon it is! That means Murlocs for the first level and snakes for the second, while the third might be a streach for now. With the sheer number of monsters and the experience blessing from the World Tree, after grinding a couple of hours I should have them reach Job level and begin to focus on the remaining elves."


    Without taking note of time, dawn was already upon us and the notification outside showed 6 hours and 20 minutes left. Suddenly, my body felt severely weakened and I crashed face-first onto the floor giving me a bloody nose.


    The rather loud noise alerted the three sleeping girls and they woke up.


    [Michael!? Are you alright? Ugh... what''s this?](Alexandra)


    [Master! Is it an enemy attack already!? What is this? My strength is leaving me...](Decarbia)


    [...I can''t feel anything...](Mia)


    "I am fine... mostly... Status Page!"


    The usual page I saw many times before, looked foreign to me at this point given the constantly decreasing numbers. After about five minutes, my body regained a meager portion of the former vitality, while I dropped to level 1.


    Before I could inspect the newly ''acquired'' status, I put my head out of the window and hollered as loudly as my throat allowed, destroying the silence of the camp.


    "Everyone is to wake up and assemble in the Dinning Hall immediately! Prepare for departure within 15 minutes!!"


    After coughing a couple of times, I peeked at the slightly surprised girls on the bed and chuckled seeing their expressions. Then I cursed in my head and realized that the elves might still not know how much is fifteen minutes¡­


    " Anyway¡­ It truly starts from here..."


    [Uuuuu... my stats decreased...](Alexandra)


    "You''ll get them back!"


    [Master... my spells...](Decarbia)


    "You''ll master them again!"


    [Master, I have a Status Page now!](Mia)


    "You''ll get it back...EH!? You what!?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    World Tree growth!


    Your World Tree is now 14 meters tall and fully controls and regulates the flora and fauna on Midgard!


    Due to biomass being above requirement and the planet being fully stabilized in accordance to mana, the World Tree focuses on mana conversion.


    Mana concentration growth has been improved by an additional 100%!


    The World Tree found traces of a foreign energy and deemed it as dangerous!


    The benefits provided to the Faeries race doubles!


    New benefits will be provided to the sentient inhabitants of the Midgard!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Due to the sudden influx of mana, Midgard receives sufficient resources to undergo an upgrade to the second level!


    The World Tree regulates and forcibly controls the upgrade!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Due to the exccess of mana considered dangerous for the evolution of Midgard, the World Tree infuses the extra amount to the three dungeons under its influence!


    Each dungeon grows by another twenty floors!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!!!


    Due to the growth of your World Tree, the influence your religion has over the civilization improves!


    The recognized territory of your civilization exponentially increases!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">The benefits provided by your religion have increased!


    Due to ''Divine Forest Paths'', your civilization receives a boost of 60% in Faith, Production, Social Policies and Research!


    Since forests occupy more than 50% of your territory, the hidden bonus will be provided!


    Armies fighting to defend the territory will receive a 10% increase in attack, defense, HP and MP, whenever an attack is recognized by the system!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">The event will begin shortly!


    The comunication channel between players of the same faction will now open!


    The Add Friends and Guild option has been added!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Wao!"(1)


    With a flurry of messages clouding my vision, I greeted the morning sun as well as day zero for the true start of the game with a wry smile on my face.


    "At least we still have a trace of hope left... Now then, let the game truly begin!"


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    0%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    27


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    28


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    22


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> Title</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">''Kyrie'' </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    230/230 (+0.4/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    32


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0 </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    180/180(+0.25/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandora''s Gift - Pandemonium</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandora''s Gift - Imaginarium</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Demonic contract (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Improved Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ------------------------------------------------------------------


    (1) - Everyone is a returnee reference

 Day 0 - The true start

    Watching the bright sunrise in silence, it felt as if it was declaring the start of a new era and not a new day. To be fair, it wasn''t far from the actual truth...


    I closed my Status Page with a sigh, highly pissed off at the fact that I had to start from scratch one more. I swore to myself, the promise of a lifetime at that moment:


    "Next time I see that shitty game-God, I must sock him in that smug mug of his with all my strength. At least one time! With a chair if possible!"


    I realized that my throat was a bit sore since I shouted at full force previously, when giving the wake up signal to the entire camp. Even more than my complaints about the slight discomfort however, for two of the three girls that just underwent their first ¡®reset¡¯, this situation appeared to be pure torture.


    [My stats decreased so much! Michael, what do I do? I even lost most of my skills...](Alexandra)


    "But you still are well above me in terms of attributes and number of skills, even after I acquired Pandora''s Gifts, aren''t you, you cheat elf!?"


    [Uuuuu... so many centuries of hard work went down the drain... Master! Uuu...](Decarbia)


    "What do you mean ''centuries''!? Just how old are you?"


    [Master, master! What should I do? I finally have a Status Page as well! I can go dungeon diving with all of you now!](Mia)


    "And you... Ugh! While I am quite happy for you, enjoying yourself while the others are wallowing in their own misfortune, it is quite unbecoming of that pretty and innocent face of yours to be unable to read the atmosphere! Although, it might be because of that innocence of hers..."


    I sighed once again and realized that I am doing that quite often these last couple of days. After looking at the notification that was counting down the remaining time until the start of the invasion, I acquiesced that it couldn''t be helped. Therefore, the only thing I could do was to stick to my original plan and head out to level up like lunatics before the attack occurs.


    "We''re short on time, so you girls get ready as well! This time, we are starting for real and this can be considered Day 1 for our camp, in its true meaning. It is no exaggeration to say that the survival of our camp rests on our shoulders. After all..."


    [Given that the rest of the elves are level 1 and aren''t as overpowered as the people here, we need to ''carry'' and power-level them. Right, master?](Mia)


    "Yeah... Get dressed and let us go to the Dinner Hall as well. It would be quite embarrassing if after shouting at everyone to gather there, we would be the ones last to arrive..."


    There were many other things I would have loved to check and prepare in advance for, but given the limited amount of time at our disposal...


    ¡°¡­we¡¯ll just have to wing it again!"


    [...](Alexa)


    [...](Decarbia)


    [...](Mia)


    Ignoring the pitying gazes thrown my way, I washed my face with the clear and cold water, allowing myself to sober up from the sticky and tiring feeling last night brought. I couldn''t help but remember about Khrone, the other ''side'' of my ancestor, as well as the ''gift'' he promised.


    "Since he said something about passive skills and how nothing new appeared in my Status Page, I guess my level should be insufficient. Maybe once I reach level 10 and get my ''Elf Lord'' Job back, it will automatically appear..."


    All four of us headed towards the meeting place, while I was still mulling over the information I had and trying my best to formulate a plan. I did say that I will ''just wing it'', however¡­ it truly isn¡¯t that simple given the many lives in this camp for which I am responsible.


    [Michael, big sisters, you have arrived!](Claudia)


    "Ugh... these guys!?"


    Everyone had big smiles on their faces and expectant eyes, making their thoughts stupidly obvious. Their reactions to, what could just as well be our destruction, were this... It truly made one wonder if they were Orcs rather than Elves with all that battle-lust boiling atmosphere in the Dinner Hall.


    "¡­ everything was prepared Andrea?"


    [Yes, Michael! The rations you mentioned have been prepared since last night and should last us for the entire day. Also, it is highly nutritional food rich in proteins, so that everyone will have enough energy for the entire day!](Andrea)


    "So she went with meat..."


    "G..Good! Ahem! Okay people! If everyone collected their rations, let us prepare for dungeon diving! We have 6 hours and 10 minutes left, so we must make it to the Eastern Water Dungeon within the next ten minutes! Get a move on!"


    [[[Yes, sir!]]]


    While pretty much sprinting to our destination, 203 people (200 elves, one pseudo-God, one pretty AI and a truly alluring demoness) made their way to meet the Murlocs in battle. Or rather, they were looking forward to squashing them like the bugs they were and grind them for experience until they reach level 10... If we had enough time that is...


    Through a fiery debate on our way there, the conclusion was that the original 49 people of the dungeon diving unit plus myself will participate, while also having Alice, Claudia, Decarbia, Mia and... well, pretty much every head of each department and a couple of other people with strong potential (all elves had that, but these guys were exceptional even by the normal Elven standard) reaching about 60 in numbers.


    "Would it be possible with so many of us? We didn''t exactly check for the limit of people that can enter up to this point..."


    [It should not be a problem master. Rather, the issue is the amount of experience we will get after clearing a floor...](Mia)


    [Mhm... big sister is right. With so many of us and at the same level, the shared experience would be quite meager even after clearing 100 Murlocs...](Alexa)


    "Nothing we can do about that since the other dungeons aren''t possible at this point due to our lack of mana and skills. Speaking of which..."


    After turning my head to the wide array of girls and realizing that we barely had 16 Elf dudes in the group predetermined to level up first, I smiled bitterly and continued with my question.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "...now that everyone''s levels dropped, what sort of skills can you still use. Do you have enough mana for them?"


    A look of realization dawned upon the faces of everyone present, including Alice, Decarbia and Alexandra, which without a doubt were the pillars of this party. I suddenly felt like crying and sent another inquisitive and pleading look their way.


    [... I can probably still use Fireball or Lightning Chain a couple of times.](Decarbia)


    "Then why do you avoid eye contact!?"


    [...I-I m-might be able to shoot some Wind Bullets... maybe...](Alexa)


    "Not with that a-a-a-attitude, you won''t!!!"


    [I can still use regular Heal about 20 times and one big Area Heal before I run out of mana!](Alice)


    "Why are you the only reliable one!?"


    Nope! My knees weren''t shaking at all... We manage to beat the Murlocs once without cheats, so now that we still have some, it shouldn''t be an issue... Right?


    Yeah... with better equipment, better weapons and the light cheats (Pandora''s Gifts) we will not have any issues in trampling a mere 100 Murlocs...


    "Flag... that was a flag for sure!!! Damn it!"


    [Michael, sir! You should not worry so much. Compared with the first time, not only do we have plate armors and sharper weapons, but we also have the battle experience required to deal with low-leveled monsters such as the Murlocs.](Laurence)


    "Mhm! That''s true..."


    Arriving in front of the dungeon, I nodded and turned to face the 200+ people waiting for instructions. If there was a point in time where I loathed the fact that only one group could enter the dungeon at a time, it was definitely this one¡­


    "Well then, we''re here and we will follow the previously mentioned arrangements! The 60 of us will go in first and after we do a run of the first floor, we will return to inspect the wait time before the floor refresh. After that, we will move depending on the results. Is that clear?"


    [[[Yes!]]]


    "Good! We literally have less than six hours left, so let''s make each second count! New dungeon diving unit... commence expedition!"


    [[[Yes, sir!!!]]]


    With Claudia and her huge tower shield leading the way (while I stood by her side), I sighed again and complained quietly in my heart about the absurdity of the current situation, as well as the difficulty level of the shitstorm I was randomly thrown into.


    I mean... the game just took a 180 degree turn from a friendly LAN game you play against your friends with a bet of a couple of beers, to a 12 hours Monopoly game where everyone is more or less a shark that will pounce on the other players at the first whiff of blood...


    "And it''s not only my ass on the line, but many other Gods from this faction I belong to, Eternity included. Somehow, it feels like I was just promoted to the MC of a novel from which many things are expected and I truly dislike that..."


    Passing through the all-too-familiar film covering the entrance of the water dungeon, I kept muttering curses under my breath at the stupid situation caused by a certain shitty game God and all because he was bored¡­


    "Alright, we''re in! Everyone in formation like we talked!"


    In seconds, a group of spear wielders, sword and shield or hammer and shield like Claudia, stood at the front of the group as a total of 15 people. They represented the tanks of this unit.


    Directly behind them, another 10 people including Decarbia and Alexandra which were the mages, focusing on mid to close range magic damage, while also able to shield and protect the tanks therefore having a position of damage dealers. The third line in this formation represented the archers with most promise in our group, archers that would rival even Legolas himself, numbering 30 in total that could be counted as hunters that are able kite. The last row was comprised of only four people including Alice, obviously being the healer unit.


    Myself? Mhm... well, I could use sword and shield for close range, spear for mid-range, or magic and the custom D-eagles for long distances. Therefore, I played the role of the wildcard as well as the commander of the party.


    "The village is up ahead, so let''s rile them up and attract them our way! We will use the terrain to our advantage just like the first time."


    With loud shouts and swords clanging against shields, we easily attracted the agro of the puny Murlocs. Over 100 of them were already rushing at us.


    "Let''s start with a big one... Oh, right! Let''s experiment! Pandemonium, activate! Fire storm!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">WARNING!


    Pandemonium activation, unsuccessful!


    Reason: Insufficient mana!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Tsk! So it''s like that after all... Wind Bullets, Fireballs or Chain lightning huh?" ¨C I complained while clicking my tongue


    With my meager 180MP, activating and sustaining something like Fire storm should be downright impossible until I reach at least 500 points in my mana pool most likely.


    "But I should still be able to do this... Archers! Draw!"


    The simultaneous sound of bowstrings being pulled and aimed at the sky was surprisingly satisfying. It truly made me realize that I was more or less on a battlefield already and I couldn''t help but smile, since the feeling itself was forcing me to accept the amount of power I was wielding right now. Moreover, it wasn''t brute physical strength or magical power, rather the power of a group which can easily surpass my own cheats.


    "Release!"


    Standing on the same hill as in the previous traumatic time I ''visited'' this dungeon, a rain of piercing arrows hit with unerring accuracy the rampaging monsters heading our way. Unlike the first time though, each time an arrow struck, a Murloc died.


    "Again! Archers, reload and remain on standby! Tanks create the openings! Mages prepare and shoot first level magic at them. Conserve mana and for those with AOE attacks, focus on the spots with larger numbers."


    Big balls of fire (hehe), wind blades and coiling chains of lightning struck the small monster horde, but failed to reduce their numbers as much as I initially hoped. Including the first wave of arrows, not even half their original numbers died, leaving more than our entire numbers still climbing the hill in our direction, obviously in a berserk condition due to their clansmen being brutally murdered in front of their eyes.


    I wanted to retort to the uselessly close relationship between the fishes, but I could not afford to at this point. Even if unfortunate...


    "¡­it seems like this is the best we can do at our current level from a distance. Tanks, prepare to engage and draw agro! Mages, prepare to shield and attack at the same time. Archers, fire at will! Healers, put priority on the tanks holding the frontlines... We shou..."


    [Michael! I can take care of them!](Claudia)


    "Eh!? What do you mean???"


    [These stupid fishes are fighting an uphill battle in front of an earth elemental mage? Hmpf! Tremor!](Claudia) ¨C she answered with a snort


    Without waiting for an answer on my end, she stomped the ground with her light foot and ripple of mana was sent into the ground. Following her action, cracks began spreading from her position onwards to the Murlocs, disrupting their movement speed and taking away from them the footholds.


    "Good idea, however we''re also on this hill, woman! We will come rolling in their midst if the hill collapses! Hmm? The hill collapses?"


    [Uhm... master? Please don''t do anything reckless...](Mia)


    [Master, maybe we should...](Decarbia)


    "Everyone back away with five steps each! Hurry! Pandemonium, activate! Tremor!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandemonium activated successfully!


    The Tremor spell has been reproduced!


    MP used: 50 points!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With the extra incentive, the hill decided to migrate to the position of the Murlocs in a grand fashion. This mini-landslide was quite effective as most of the Murlocs were buried underneath the earth and rocks, while the remaining ones had their movement sealed partially or entirely.


    "Wao! It was more effective than I expected..."


    [...](Mia)


    [...](Decarbia)


    [...](Claudia)


    "What are you all ogling at!? Can''t you see that there are still some alive? Hurry up and shoot them down! In addition, it''s barely one meter of dirt that swallowed them... It is unlikely that they were killed that easily. Advance carefully and..."


    [I can take care of them!](Claudia)


    "Is that becoming your catchphrase!?"


    [Tremor!](Claudia)


    Another ripple of mana was sent into the scattered dirt, however it felt slightly different from before as it applied and increased the pressure put on the buried Murlocs. The rocks and dirt themselves increased their weight while trying to solidify around the monsters buried underneath.


    "Are you Ga*ra!? We''re going to get sued for that!!!"

 Day 0 - Sashimi and fish rolls

    It took us barely ten minutes from the point where we entered the dungeon and we already managed to slay over 100 Murlocs. I could see everyone''s levels already reaching five and... Eh!?


    "Level 5 already!? How? Isn''t that too fast even for 100 Level 1 and 2 Murlocs? We are sixty people in this party..."


    [Master, remember the notification?](Mia)


    "Which one of them..."


    [The one about the synergy between the World Tree and the elves. It said that the benefits doubled.](Mia)


    "So, you think that means..."


    [The experience income has been doubled as well!](Mia)


    "It annoys me a great deal since it feels like this was preset to happen exactly as so..."


    [What do you mean master?](Mia)


    "If the true game only just begun and up until just recently the ''game'' we played was under the influence and supervision of a certain useless game God, it means that he planned for me to get the World Tree as an automatic reward since I am the only one that can use Manual Mode. Not only that, but since I was given the Elves as well as a second reward as well... It is too coincidental! It seems that I played right into the hands of that bastard¡­"


    Everyone threw suspicious looks our way seeing the shushed conversation occurring between Mia and me. In the end, I could only grit my teeth and move forward with the wiping of the Murlocs to vent my frustration. I decided on sashimi and fish rolls!


    Seeing another wave of even more than their previous numbers advancing in our direction, I couldn''t help but ask...


    "What the fuck!?"


    [Michael, aren¡¯t they way more than the previous times we''ve attacked this first floor?](Alexandra)


    "Thank you love, I can see that as well... What the hell is going on?"


    After cleaning them up once more through the use of arrows and magic skills, this time it still reached melee, while our group was advancing through a sea of fish corpses. It felt like a fish market from the smell.


    But we didn¡¯t really have time to admire or salivate at the thought of the fresh fish and that was because we were staring wide-eyed at the close to three hundred monsters led by the Boss of the floor our way.


    [I think that is the final wave, master!](Decarbia)


    "Why do you sound so happy!? They are more than previous and our people should be tired by...now. Huh?"


    Looking at my party that did not show signs of exhaustion at all, I could not help but tilt my head in confusion. We have been at it continuously for over half an hour and I wanted to boost our levels, sure, however not at the cost of our lives later on.


    "???"


    [Everyone leveled up and the fatigue does go away when that happens...](Claudia)


    "It does!?"


    [It does!](Claudia)


    The other also nodded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. What¡¯s up with that!? Why are they looking at me like I am the one lacking common sense!? This stupid Orc-Elves!!!


    [Master, I think I can start using stronger spells!](Alexandra)


    [Same here, but only enhanced versions of the basic skills...](Decarbia)


    "You have enough mana? Actually, you should! You leveled up after all! Status Page!"


    Opening my own and looking at the amount of mana that passed 500 points a while back, I could not help but smirk. Even if my level was still only nine, I should already be able to use that.


    "Pandemonium, activate! Hehehe! Fire storm!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandemonium successfully activated!


    The spell Fire storm has been recreated!


    MP used: 500 points</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Watching the all too familiar scene where mobs were engulfed by a deadly sea of flames, I could not help but get strangely excited as well. It was back! My OP-ness was back!


    With multiple windows showing the absurd damage dealt to the Murlocs, my experience finally bust through the roof and hit level 10, actually stopping at 48% of 12. The Elf Lord Job also appeared imposingly. There still weren''t any traces of Khrone''s ''gift'', but I couldn''t exactly be bothered with it right now.


    After all, now that not only myself, but Alexandra and Decarbia broke through level 10 and got their Jobs back (Alexandra already had hers by the way, since level 1... such a cheat elf...) it could only mean one thing.


    "The floor has been cleared! Everyone let''s go out of the dungeon quick!"


    With a successful first hunt of the Murlocs and everyone breaking through level 10, we rushed outside where the remaining of our civilization was waiting for a triumphant return. Obviously, they couldn''t calm down when they heard that in 40 minutes or so we managed to clear one floor and that our goal was reached with ease, but I couldn''t allow this festive mood remain for even a second longer.


    "Alright people! Focus and quiet down! We have work to do! Starting from now, we are going to split our groups into three. Leaving aside the initial 60 people there are 140 that have not leveled up yet. Therefore, we are going to split them into three groups of 45+ each and our group into 20 each as well. Alexandra will take one group and keep grinding the water dungeon, Decarbia will take another group and go to the earth dungeon, while I... will take the last with Mia and go to the north dungeon."


    [The northern one!? We haven''t explored it just yet... Isn''t it dangerous to go with so many Level 1 Elves, Michael?](Alexandra)


    "Not really... It should be monsters at level 10 max on the first floor, so they do not pose that much of a threat. Plus that I need to determine the attribute of that dungeon."


    [Attribute? Why?](Decarbia)


    [Master probably wants to know what sort of monsters will attack our camp later on. Given that all four dungeons have an attribute by default, by checking with the northern one he will be able to reach a conclusion.](Mia)


    [I see...](Decarbia)


    "Also, I am already at level 12 and I can use big AOE skills such as Firestorm at least a couple of times in succession as long as I level up even once. Given the remaining two attributes, the dungeon should be either air or fire. If it is air, there will be flying avian type monsters, while if it will be fire, there should be ground units I can easily drown using Alexandra''s Great Flood. By the way, I am still against that name since it feels that someone (Noe) will have some complaints about it..."


    [Michael sir! Reporting!](Laurence)


    "Hmm? What''s up? I told you people to relax and take it easy for a bit while we wait for the refresh of the dungeon. It hasn''t even been one minute. There''s a limit to your mental energy even if you level up and your body..."


    [No, sir! The dungeon was refreshed!](Laurence)


    "Was what now!?"


    [Refreshed! We can enter the first floor at any moment''s notice!](Laurence)


    I turned my head and looked at Mia for an answer only to see her shrugging and sighing.


    [Maybe it is because of the upgrade of the World Tree?](Mia)


    "???"


    [Didn''t the number of floors on each dungeon increase?](Mia)


    "So you''re saying that because the number of floors grew, the mana concentration is the same and can refresh the monsters faster?"


    [Probably?](Mia)


    I placed my head in my hands and took a couple of deep breaths. Winging it, it is!


    "Well... it doesn''t really matter does it? What we need to do right now is more grinding!"


    The groups split and each went their own way, trying to make the most of the time we had left. I reminded everyone that they must return to the camp by the time the countdown reaches one hour left, so we can have everyone relax their nerves slightly and have a proper warm meal.


    Listening to the continuous chatter among my group, I realized that most of them were talking about the Jobs received upon hitting Level 10 and what skills they have. Feeling as if I just woke up from a deep and stupid sleep, I meekly asked Mia.


    "Uhm, love? Can you show me your Status Page?"


    [Hmm? Yes master!](Mia)


    Seeing her all smiles, I couldn''t help but feel awkward and ashamed that I didn''t ask anything about it up to this point. After all, D and Alexandra already told me previously how much she wanted to join us in dungeon diving. Now that, she has the capabilities, of course she would be this happy.


    "But, like a moron I couldn''t see the forest because of the trees. What is the point of surviving, if everyone would be unhappy? Haaah... it seems that I still have much to learn..."


    "I am glad you can come with us from now on Mia." - I honestly said while patting her head


    [Mhm! Me too master!](Mia) - she answered with a resplendent smile


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Mia Greenwood


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    ProgressThis story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    91


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elven Bard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    48%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    38


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    60


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1 day


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    39


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    33


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    811/811 (+6.82/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    108


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+55</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1476/1476(+18.15/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    111


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Beloved by mana (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Songs of blessing (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Will of the Guardian (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">0%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Improved Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Bard, huh? This child''s desire to help was up to the point where she got a class that plays a secondary role in parties and focuses on buffing the remaining people. How truly fitting for someone as helpful as her¡­


    "But aren''t her specs a bit high!? Why I''m I the one left behind again!? Is this a joke? I''m trying my best you know!?" ¨C I asked myself with twitching brows


    Resolving myself to wipe the dungeon clear of any monsters I find and vent my frustration on them, while praising the pretty AI for her OP specs, we successfully reached the Northern Dungeon after about 15 minutes¡¯ worth of walk at marching speed.


    "Fire or wind, huh? If it''s wind, then it''s good because we won''t have avian type monsters attacking our camp. Given that we do not have aerial defenses except for the archers and mages, we will be put at a horrible disadvantage. On the other hand, if the dungeon is indeed wind though and the monsters attacking are fire attributed... the fight will 100% reach melee and it will become at least 50% more probable for serious injuries or even death to occur. Our walls also, aren''t fortified enough to sustain a continuous siege, especially if the enemy uses fire magic against the wood we have posing as fortifications... Fuck! We''re in a serious bind in both scenarios..."


    [Don''t worry master! I can use my songs to make everyone more powerful!](Mia)


    "That, I really don''t doubt. With you around and Alice, our survivability shot up at least three times higher than it was before. Screw it! If it came to this, we will do what we can! Everyone, let''s enter!"


    [[[Yes, sir!]]]


    Unknowingly, a sigh of relief escaped my lips at the point where I saw the layout of the first floor. A ''forest'', although due the rarity of the trees it couldn''t exactly be called that, filled with impressively tall and thin ones that even our World Tree loses to. At the top of each, huge round nests could be seen occupying more than half of the entire crown.


    Then, almost like sensing our presence as intruders, the nests started shaking and from within, one after another, birds with large wingspan headed our way. I stared at them using my Level 3 Identify.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Wind Roc


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    43


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Roc Soldier


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    93


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    30


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    89


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    50


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1260/1260 (+16.82/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    30


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    530/530(+4.15/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Wind rider (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Aerial Dive (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Dungeon''s Blessing</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "What''s a Boss level creature doing as a starting mob for the first level!? Wouldn''t I find a freaking dragon or something similar if I reach the last floor!?" - I couldn''t help but retorting


    However, in all honesty, level 10 monsters were good grinding materials for our current predicament. The problem is that I can''t use any big AOE skills unless more of them gather. Decarbia''s Thunderstorm would be incredibly useful, but the range I can cast it on doesn''t even take care of half of the monsters.


    "That means that I need to whittle down their numbers then, right? Imaginarium activate! Hehehe! Machine gun!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Imaginarium realized!


    Machine gun V1.0 has been successfully created!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Now for the finishing touches... Pandemonium activate! Imbue water attributed mana in the weapons!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandemonium activated successfully!


    Imbuing of water-attributed mana has been recreated!


    MP used: 100!


    Warning!


    Each bullet will use and additional 5MP!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Hmm? Was there a setting like that?"


    Looking at my current mana pool and the number of enemies though, I couldn''t help but think that it''s to be expected. Then, grinning and grabbing the two machine guns...


    "Say hello to my little fri..."


    [MASTER! We''ll get sued for that one as well!!!](Mia)


    "Well... then... Go croak you feathery bastards!"


    [I''d rather be sued than hear that every time as a battle shout...](Mia)


    Leaving the truly hard to please lass, I emptied over half of my total mana clearing out the first wave of Wind Rocs that assaulted us. Yes, more than 75% of the bullets I shot didn''t hit anything but air, but... it is what it is! Since I can use the fact that each time I level up the HP and MP replenishes, it doesn''t actually matter now that I reached 13 easily...


    [Master... because you wanted to show off, some of your bullets hit the nests... It seems like all the monsters on this floor are coming our way...](Mia)


    "A...and? L...let them come! They will fall like the others!"


    [Master... you knees are trembling...](Mia)


    Seeing the entire sky of the dungeon bloated by the sight of the birds, I panicked quite a bit and...


    "P...Pandemonium activate! Thunderstorm!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandemonium successfully activated!


    The spell Thunderstorm has been recreated!


    MP used: 750 points!


    Using an additional 250MP to further increase and amplify the effect of the lightning and the moisture in the atmosphere!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Moisture?"


    While I was still wondering about the moisture of the atmosphere in a dungeon, thunderclouds gathered above 80% of the entire dungeon, glistening with a black color ominously.


    With a loud roar that signaled the start, lightning without any rain blasted the birds into nothing but experience points.


    Seeing my unnatural expression, Mia could not help but giggle and explain.


    [Due to the water imbued bullets master fired recklessly, the microclimate inside the floor changed to a very humid one. So at the point where master used that skill, it was probably twice as effective in both the covered area and the damage dealt.](Mia)


    "Because of the bullets I shot? I only fired them with water because I wanted to weaken them and then use the electricity to deal more damage... what an unexpected bonus! So, all in all..."


    "... it went as expected!"


    [Master is becoming more and more shameless...](Mia)


    "W-Well, the more important question, is why did the flight of stairs for the second level appear already? Just how many did I killed just now?"


    [Probably all of them?](Mia)


    "Thank you for the brilliant deduction Sherlock... But where''s the boss?"


    [Wasn''t the bigger one among them the boss?](Mia)


    "Dunno... they all look like K*C to me..."


    [Master...](Mia)


    Leaving all jokes aside, it took me 20 minutes to clear this floor. 15 to cross of my list re-enacting one of my all times favorites scenes in Scarf*ce and the remaining five to sniff the scent of roasted chicken meat...


    "Isn''t this the perfect place for grinding!?"


    [I knew you were going to say that master...](Mia)


    Judging from the level 16 I reached with ease and the level 11 for the ones supposed to be power-leveled, a vicious cycle of mass murdering the chickens, gathering the loot and exiting the dungeon only to re-enter it 30 seconds later began.


    And then, after almost four more hours...


    "Looks like we have 1 hour and 15 minutes until the attack... we shouldn''t worry the others so let''s just leave."


    [But master... there''s too much loot....](Mia)


    "Hmm... true. Let''s send D and Alexandra to collect it later when we return to camp. Alright people, grab everything you can and let''s go. Leave the meat for the girls with the inventory to handle!"

 Day 0 - Start of the invasion

    Our haul this time was quite impressive as we were able to find more equipment than in both previous dungeons combined. However, 80% of it were accessories. Thanks to that, we made some discoveries through experimenting on myself, while waiting for the chickens being roasted by lightning.


    First off, there was a maximum of one necklace, two earrings and two rings that each person could equip. Unfortunately, I didn''t find things like bracelets yet, so I am still hopeful and looking forward to the future.


    Why two rings? Because that''s how many Mia was able to equip and was denied the third (or rather it had no effect). Why Mia and not myself? Because I couldn''t equip any rings since the two Pandora''s Gifts were considered equipment/skills and I wasn''t able to get any extra effect from them at all.


    "I guess it''s not good to be greedy, but at least I''m getting an idea of how the equipment works in this Game System as well..."


    The earrings... I skipped those and handed them to Mia since her eyes were literally sparkling. AI or not, she is still a girl after all...


    "It also reminds me of a dark period of my young adulthood which I would rather forget entirely... OOOOOOH! HOW EMBARASSSSSSSING!!!"


    Necklace... I also skipped the ones we found because they looked very girlish and my small heart couldn''t handle equipping that for a fight... What if the enemy makes fun of me and uses the opportunity where I am rolling on the ground in shame to finish me off?


    "God damnit! I swear I will get divine-level blacksmiths ASAP! Uuuuuu! I also want accessories... Custom made! With life-steal and mana absorption, so I can spam macro keys and level like on a private server... Uuuuu!"


    [¡­why does it feel that master is thinking about something strange again?](Mia)


    "..."


    By the time everyone returned to camp, Andrea and her group were already preparing lunch. There truly wasn''t anything close to an atmosphere that would hint at the upcoming invasion, rather on the contrary, it felt like preparations for a festival judging from the excitement in the air.


    [Michael, we brought all the poultry from the northern dungeon and after preparing it slightly, we had it stored in the Granary. It''s almost at full capacity by the way...](Alexandra)


    "I see. Thank you for the hard work¡­ Everyone! Andrea and her group prepared a new recipe for today, so let''s properly enjoy the feast before the battle!"


    Cheers followed, but I kept thinking about things among the lines of ''what if they eat too much and they get stomach cramps while in battle!?'' and couldn''t eat too much myself as result, even if I looked forward to the curry.


    Since Mia located the spots around the forest where plants similar to rice paddies were growing close to a river and ''migrated'' them in the farming sector of the forest by the river, our civilization¡¯s cuisine grew a bit.


    Watching everyone enjoy the meal in front of them, my thoughts were plagued by multiple questions while I also kept formulating different plans for the defense. I wanted to use every little advantage I could, therefore I turned my eyes to the Social Policies tab in the world''s interface with Mia''s help.


    [Should we stick with the original plan, still?](Mia)


    "I am not sure anymore at this point. Since we are going to be attacked for the first time, I want to strengthen our defense and offense as much as possible..."


    [Then, should we go for a policy from the Military reform?](Mia)


    "I''ll consider it and give you an answer soon..."


    Time passed in a blink and soon, only ten minutes remained until the attack. Sentries were posted in all directions since it took us only three to four minutes to move at the fastest speed from one point of the camp to the other by using the paved roads we painstakingly created.


    "However, it''s kind of obvious where the attack will occur from, isn''t it?"


    How should I describe that? Maybe it was something similar to the portal created when I summoned Decarbia, however more twisted and with a malevolent aura to it. It was the type of feeling raising enmity against it, thing that pissed me off for some reason.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Please confirm the acquisition of Land Elites for the social policy at the expense of 104 Culture points.


    Yes / No


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Knock yourself out..."


    Opening the interface for the Land Elites description, I nodded my head slightly.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Discipline


    In a military structure, discipline refers to a soldier''s willingness to follow legitimate orders, to respect superior officers, and to put their life in jeopardy or even die when required. Disciplined soldiers are expected to uphold the dignity of their uniform when off-duty and to protect the weak and helpless. Lapses in discipline may lead to military punishment or even courts-martial and discharge.


    Benefits: +25% increase in basic attributes (STR, AGI, END, INT) when fighting under the leadership of a general or commander.


    Cost: 104 Culture Points


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Since both Laurence, Alexandra and myself counted as one of the such ''commanders'', I selected this one for the attribute boost. 25% increase might not be much for a lowly one as myself, but when looking at the Status Pages of Mia, Alexandra and Decarbia, they were literally receiving a minimum of 25 points in their main attributes.


    Apparently, once the Game System actually came into play, once one hits Level 10 and gets their Job, their main selected attributes receive a boost worth of five points per level. Take Mia for example: until she reached Level 10, just like everybody else she got 1 attribute point each time she leveled up. However, once she got her Bard Job, her Intelligence, Wisdom and Magic received a five extra attribute points increase each.


    So one could consider that once Level 10 (AKA Job Tier 1) is reached, each time one levels up, their main attributes grow by six points.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Confirmation received! Deducting 104 Social Points!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Bonuses pertaining to the selection made will begin being applied to your civilization!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Nodding my head while taking into consideration extra improvements all Elves received due to upgrade the World Tree underwent, all preparations we could make were already verified at least five times over.


    All that was left was for the ''event'' to commence...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Warning!


    Warning!


    Countdown has almost reached the end!


    Time until the invasion: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... 0!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Initializing event...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Opening portal and allowing the connection to be created...


    Invader''s army arrives on Midgard!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Calculating the defender''s numbers and overall strength...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Designating the number of invaders allowed passing through the gate...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "The number? Shouldn¡¯t it be only one dude from the Devil faction? There¡¯s the option to get team-tagged!? Also, do the invaders already have a civilization and they send the specific number of troops, or..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Due to preselection, entry is permitted to only one invader...


    The invader side is granted 2 billion Soul Points to purchase units!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "IS THIS A TOWER DEFENSE TYPE OF EVENT!?" - I couldn''t help but retort


    The number of Soul Points given to the invader was four times the starting points I had when buying the Elves, so it made me despair quite a bit.


    However¡­''purchase units''? In that case, the attacker will be able to use units from the Western Fire Dungeon worth of those 2 billion points?


    "Would that be enough for a dragon?"


    [MASTER DON''T THROW SUCH IRRESPONSIBLE FORESHADOWS!!!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Difficulty rank of the event established at SSS!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Wao... We''re fucked!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Due to the influence of the World Tree, the overall level of the invading army has been reduced by two levels!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Nah, scratch that! We''re good to go!"


    [Is master bipolar?](Mia)


    I felt tears of gratitude pooling in the corner of my eyes due to the World Tree. A cheat is a cheat after all!


    "These bastards! Wasn''t the level of attackers supposed to be one!? How could the World Tree drop the level in that case? What bullshit is this!?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Confirming levels of invaders between 11 and 13!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">The event can now begin! Good luck to both sides!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I felt like suddenly throwing up blood¡­ Nevertheless, there was not sufficient time for complaints, as the skies literally broke apart, giving way to one person. The inviolable feeling that being was exuding, was similar to divinity yet felt complete opposite to it, evoking fear in the hearts of the ones who felt its presence. Nevertheless, I was certain that the being in front of me, was the enemy my civilization is supposed to face this time.


    "That''s a God for certain. Or rather, since it''s from the invading faction, I guess it''s more correct to say that he''s a Devil..."


    [Master should learn some from that person...](Mia)


    "Leave me alone!" ¨C I grumbled to the unnecessary comment


    Probably hearing our banter and noticing our camp, he gazed in our direction filled with disdain, looking down on us as if of us like ants. I was really ticked off seeing that and...Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    "This cunt! Imaginarium activate! Custom D-eagles! Pandemonium, activate! Infuse water and lightning attributed mana in the weapons!"


    *BANG* *BANG*


    Two instant shots were fired at the point where he opened his mouth to say something. Sneering at his stupidity for acting like the last boss of a game when he''s just a small fry, I watched the rapidly advancing bullets aimed at his head and... lower region. What? I was pissed off at his condescending attitude!


    [Hmpf!] - he coldly snorted


    A thick wall of transparent mana manifested in front of him, easily blocking the two attacks.


    [It seems like the rumors are true. The faction under the new Star Lord is comprised entirely of hatchlings. To think that the ruler of this planet is as rude as to not come and greet this great one! Does he truly not fear that I will trample on his civilization in a dominating manner worthy of my name!?]


    The 80''s villain who kept referring to himself as ''this great one'' roared to everyone''s eardrums displeasure.


    " ''This great one''? Wao! Aren''t you ashamed to utter such embarrassing nonsense aloud when you are just a small fry? Aren''t you a similar shitty Devil belonging to a Star Lord in your faction to begin with? Oh, right! I wonder if in their faction they are still called Star Lords¡­"


    I somehow managed to hold my complaints in, since I didn''t want to engage in a conversation with this small time trash. However, is there such a thing as a set of rules to this competition between the two divine factions?


    Since he mentioned that the ruler of the world must greet the invader, probably there is still an amount of curtsey between players.


    [Did this great one made you fear me just by showing my face? Why aren''t you coming to greet me already!? With such bad manners, no wonder the ants under you dared to attack me. Like master like servants! Hmpf! It seems like the great Abigor needs to make an example of you for your entire lowly faction to take heed! Hehehe! Even in the previous rounds I have played, there was not a point where 2 billion Soul Points were given out on the first round! HAHAHA! I shall burry your small camp, you rude thing!](Abigor)


    Seeing that bastard pointing at me, I couldn''t help but snort and shoot two more shots his way. The mana infused in the bullets was much less since I wanted to save as much as I can for the actual battle, but seeing how the small fry called Abigor did not attack the camp himself, he probably is restricted from doing so.


    "His power is probably way above mine, so his deity rank must be also. Now then... What''s his first move going to be?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Warning!


    Warning!


    The first wave of the invasion will begin shortly...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "So it really is tower defense-like!?"


    [There''s no time for jokes master! Look there!](Decarbia)


    Above the forest, about a kilometer in front of the wall, mana coalesced into a visible pool and a large portal opened, while though it, a large horde of monsters entered the fray. From a distance, they looked like 10-12 years old human children¡­ but with small horns, red skin and yeah... bat wings.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Fire Imp


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    33


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    63


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Imp Soldier


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    11


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    88%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    N/A


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    76


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    93


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    60


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    43


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    860/860 (+8.82/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    46


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    630/630(+5.15/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    56


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Mana Steal (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Endow (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "... is what it says. But really now, how many of them are there!? Didn''t they already break past a couple of hundreds?"


    [Imps!?](Decarbia)


    "Hmm? Is there a problem?"


    [Yes! Not only do they steal mana, but where Imps appear...](Decarbia)


    Just before she finished her words, the portal bloated and spat out another batch of demons  walking on all fours, with huge horns.


    [... Horned Demons usually follow!](Decarbia)


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Horned Demon


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    83


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    33


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Horned Demon Soldier


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    74%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    N/A


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    52


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    15


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    46


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    60


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    62


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1260/1260 (+12.82/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    36


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    420/420(+3.15/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Burning Fury (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Explosion (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The more physically oriented demons, beside the fact that they looked quite terrifying, they also had an ominous and a foreboding skill called Explosion.


    Looking with imploring eyes at Decarbia, she moved her line of sight not to meet mine and answered in a low voice.


    [While the Imps steal the mana from their enemies or the world itself, they can supply it to the Horned Demons that use it to infuse themselves with and literally explode themselves. I have seen the results of this combination among the Warlocks back in the Underworld... It''s not something to take lightly given their numbers...](D)


    "Those little things can steal mana!?"


    [Those ''little things'' are more proficient at manipulating mana than I am, master. They usually create a small pouch that is something akin to a small sub-world where mana is stored and compressed. They can bestow that mana when the pouch is full and then the onslaught can truly begin...](D)


    "Compressed? Is it visible? That pouch?"


    [It is. But is quite difficult to enter the battlefield and fight the Imps in melee to destroy their pouches since the Horned Demons guard those little bastards tightly. Also, if you recklessly try to destroy it, it can explode and kill you with ease since it is like having a bag of methane gas on your person.](D)


    "That... we might be able to use to our advantage..."


    Just by a rough estimation, the number of monsters at our doors was swollen to over 500 hundred and this was only the ''first wave''. In addition, that was not the only surprise...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Initiating the protection system, based on the defender''s camp fortifications...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fortifications located! Applying buffs...


    You can now view the status of your fortifications.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "..."


    [...](Mia)


    [Michael, look! There a 5 million number on our walls!](Alexa)


    "..."


    [...](Mia)


    [Master! The archers placed in the towers reported that they received a buff that increased their attack speed and the damage they deal three fold! It is visible in their Status Pages.](Decarbia)


    "..."


    [Master...](Mia)


    "I know... Don''t say it... Haaaah... We''ll take what we can and make use of the most of it!"


    Declaring so through gritted teeth, I looked again at the over 5 million defense points our walls and gates had. Besides the overall defensive value, the gates and the walls themselves also had similar hitpoints that probably signified how, once depleted, they will collapse with utmost certainty and our camp will become vulnerable to the invader¡¯s attacks.


    Things have truly became interesting¡­

 Day 0 - Little kids and red unicorns

    [Hahaha! With only 200 meager Soul Tier 1 Elves you want to resist my invasion? Foolish ant playing God in a far corner of this vast universe, it is time for you to learn the immensity of Heaven and Earth! Commence invasion!](Abigor)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Warning!


    Warning!


    The invading army has begun its attack!


    Defend your fortification and prevent the enemy from reaching their objective!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Objective for the invading army has been decided upon!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [A World Tree!? No wonder there were so many points given out! Ahahaha! Using this World Tree I can finally improve my rank in the Devil faction! However... a World Tree and a missing God...](Abigor)


    At the mutterings of the invading Devil a loud sound similar to static on a radio assaulted my hearing once more.


    "This feeling... Corbett!?"


    [Yes, ''tis I! However, my descendant, the situation is not in your favor at all...](Corbett)


    "What do you mean?"


    [That low level thug Abigor might figure out that you have the Manual Mode...](Corbett)


    "Would that be a problem?"


    [And a major one at that! If their faction finds out this early where the Manual Mode player of the divine faction are, they will focus more artefacts and skilled members to attack you. Given your lack of experience, that would be catastrophic. On the other hand, if we can hide it for now...](Corbett)


    [Why is there a need to hide? Can''t we just devour the small fry?]


    "Khrone too?"


    [Yo kiddo! Yeah... sorry to bother you like this but, since we barely managed to find you after fuck knows how long, we would prefer to keep you alive for a tad longer.](Khrone)


    [Khrone! Language! Tsk... You think we can do it?](Corbett)


    [Usually it should not be possible, but with the World Tree and if we play our cards right at the opportune moment...](Khrone)


    [It is our only shot at this point¡­ Okay, let''s go with that!](Corbett)


    [Mhm! Let''s go for it!](Khrone)


    "Would you please don''t ignore me and have a conversation among yourselves in my head!? What plan? What are you doing?"


    [You only need to defend properly for now. Judging from the mana reaction from those monsters, they should be under the levels of your army. So even with a thousand of them, you shouldn''t have a problem.](Corbett)


    [You take out the trash and we''ll help you grow up a bit! Hehe!](Khrone)


    "Grow up?"


    [Yup! It has to do with my gift for you! What do you say Corbett? Ain''t I great? If I didn''t give him the ability, we would be in quite the bind right now. Hahaha!](Khrone)


    [Stop your needless boasting! It was only by mistake! Anyway, Michael, focus on defending and we can take care of the rest.](Corbett)


    "Haaah... Okay, I guess. I''ll do what I can..."


    Taking a deep breath and looking upon the battle-ready Elves waiting for my command, I smiled and shook my head. What¡¯s there to worry? Won¡¯t this monster just become EXP for my armies?


    "Everyone get in positions! Archers, focus your fire on the Imps you see gathering mana! Shoot only when in range and do not be afraid to waste ammo, however aim properly! Mages prepare long-range magic and aim it properly where there are densely packed groups! Adrian, I''m counting on you to use that as soon as I give the signal!"


    [I shall bring them down sir!](Adrian)


    [[[Yes, sir!!!]]]


    "Mia, can your songs buff attack speed?¡±


    [Yes! It¡¯s called the Song of Swiftness!](Mia)


    ¡°Great! Use it on our archers first. Decarbia and Alexandra, fire big ones where they are strongly concentrated, but take note of your mana!"


    [Yes, master!](Mia)


    [Understood!](Alexandra)


    [I will do my best, master!](Decarbia)


    After getting a general idea of what sort of buffs she had, I could formulate a better plan. This¡­ might actually be doable!


    "Mia, after you buff the archers, prepare the Song of Abundance since we might need to recover the lost mana."


    [Mhm!](Mia)


    "Here they come!"


    The horde made its way towards our camp and another notification appeared in the skies, showing the numbers ''585/585''. Judging that as the overall number of the monsters in this wave, I also moved in one of the archer towers and prepared.


    "If it comes to long range sniping, I won¡¯t lose to anyone else! Imaginarium, activate! Dragunov Sniper rifle! Pandemonium, activate! Wind-attributed mana infusion!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Imaginarium realized!


    Dragunov sniper rifle V1.0 has been created!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandemonium successfully activated!


    Wind-attributed mana infusion has been recreated!


    Due to mana infusion, each bullet shot will cost 50MP!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Tsk! 50MP it''s quite a big amount even for my current mana pool... It is probably because of the weapon. Well then, let''s take this baby for a ride." ¨C I said while clicking my tongue


    Looking through the scope, I couldn''t help but remember the days I''ve spent target practicing with a World War 2 veteran. He annoyed me to death with his stories about how many headshots he achieved when he got drunk, but on the polygon, I couldn¡¯t help but agree and see his potential as a death God.


    "But thanks to him..."


    Breathing in and looking at the charging enemies, I aimed at one of the Horned Demons and fired.


    *BANG!*


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -1930HP!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Wao! It wasn''t even a headshot..."


    There was a barely audible sound from the rifle, but the wave numbers showing now ''584'' as well as the corpse shot through the chest proved that there was indeed a bullet that left the barrel.


    "Good! Let''s aim at the big ones for now. I can polish up my rusty aim at the same time also..."


    Each time a bullet was shot, a Horned Demon died. Also, while I barely managed to kill six of them so far given that they were moving, the first line of defense ''activated''


    The spiked pits were two meters each in width and three in depth, with steel spikes of over one meter and a half each at the bottom. When the monsters began falling inside them, both their advancement speed as well as their numbers were dwindled considerably.


    "436 remaining. Archers, draw and stand ready! I will give the signal. D, prepare the lightning festival!"


    [Understood!](D)


    After the training, the accuracy of the Elves could be considered high only under 300 meters. Now that they were over half a kilometer away, we could only wait. However, that did not mean that Decarbia had to do the same...


    [Raging Thunder God¡¯s Festival!](D)


    Like the name implies, the previously clear skies instantly darkened and lightning descended instead of the arrows. Even I had to admit that Decarbia''s AOE spells were more than welcomed both in the dungeons and now in the defense, as they covered the weakness of the low numbers we had.


    The numbers dropped to 380 after her skill, however the Imps finally started to move. Due to the previous spell agitating the mana of the atmosphere, they began gathering it in small pouches that were glowing like fireflies in the night.


    "So that''s the mana stealing technique, huh? It feels as if the mana in that area thinned after they stole it."


    [Master, they will begin infusing it shortly. We should focus on...](D)


    *BANG!*


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Critical damage inflicted! -2503HP!


    Your target died!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    *BOOM!*


    "Way ahead of you... Get it Mia? A-head? Since it was a headshot? Hahaha!" ¨C I laughed under the pitying looks of Decarbia and Mia


    In addition, while I might have said that lightly, I was quite shocked by the chain of explosions currently occurring in the midst of the enemy army. It seems that more than one Imp stole mana, therefore the explosion kept expanding from one corner to the other of the horde. It was truly festival-like!


    By the time the dust settled...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">The first wave has been defended successfully!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations to the defending side for doing so without casualties!


    Awarding 1 billion Soul Points!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations to the defending side for doing so without any damage taken to the fortifications!


    Awarding a one time use Racial Upgrade card as a hidden reward!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Second wave will begin shortly...


    Please prepare!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    My jaw dropped when I heard the notification. 1 billion! Isn''t that worth another 400 beautiful elves!?


    [Master, master! It is an upgrade! We can upgrade the Faerie race and unlock other sub-species like...](Mia)


    "DWARVES!"Stolen story; please report.


    [M-M-Master?](Mia)


    "I.WANT.DWARVES! I.WANT.ACCESORIES!"


    [M-Mhm...](Mia)


    With a strengthen resolve, I stared daggers at the moronic Abigail or whatever his name was, waiting for more cannon fodder to be sent our way. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can get my accessories.


    [So it seems my previous conjecture was right. A Manual Mode player in this shitty place is quite the unexpected haul. Ahahaha! This great one will trample on your civilization properly and steal the divine energy invested in this world. Ahahah! I can finally breakthrough the realm of the Moon Lords myself!](Abigor)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Warning!


    Warning!


    The second wave will start now!


    Prepare your defenses!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Tsk! Adrian, are you ready?"


    [Yes sir! Just give the word!](Adrian)


    "Do you have the confidence?"


    [My mana should be just sufficient. Hovever, I can use it only once probably...](Adrian)


    "That should be sufficient for now. Just focus on the instructions Decarbia gave you. D, guide him so that we can give that small fry in the skies a proper surprise!"


    [Roger!](D)


    This was the time for our own Necromancer to shine and since this Abi-girl was quite self-confident, it was the perfect time for a power move on my end.


    [If quantity isn''t enough, then what about quantity and higher quality? Commence invasion!](Abigor)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Warning!


    Warning!


    The second wave has begun!


    Good luck both sides!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Through a bloating portal, once more, monsters were making their way to our camp from the trees of the forest. This time, dogs the size of ponies and actual red unicorns were attacking.


    "Red unicorns!?"


    [...They are called Nightmares, master. Their speed is horrendous and that horn on their heads can pierce through the highest level of armor, as well nullify a magic attack. It''s a truly horrible opponent to have since it renders me quite useless...](D)


    "What about the puppers?"


    [...Hellhounds, master. They are extremely agile and their bites are poisonous as well. It''s going to be difficult defending against such numbers...](D)


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HellHound


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    56


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    10


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Hellhound Soldier


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    12


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    93%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Female


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    88


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    91


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    30


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    53


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1260/1260 (+8.82/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    23


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    430/430(+5.15/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    26


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Poisonous Bite (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Terrifying howl(Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Nightmare Steed


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    66


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    32


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Nightmare Soldier


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    13


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    56%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    98


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    45


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    86


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    60


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    69


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1460/1460 (+8.82/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    56


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    630/630(+5.15/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    46


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    <td style="text-align: center"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Magic Break (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Overflowing darkness (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Judging from the looks of it, this time that bitch Abi-girl must''ve spent quite the number of Soul Points to bring out these numbers. There probably were about between three and four hundred Nightmares and over five hundred Hellhounds.


    The wave notification confirmed it also...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Enemies remaining in the wave: 935/935</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Somehow, having everything I planned out work this smooth scares me... Adrian, what is the status? Are you in control?"


    [Mhm! However, there were too many that exploded entirely and I am unable to bring them back... Should I use the Vortex Lance?](Adrian)


    "Yup! We''ll go all out for once!"


    Once the army begun marching, they avoided the traps with no problems, however that was in itself a trap. By pushing Adrian''s Job over level ten, his Necromancy skill reached Advanced Mastery and was now able to bring back to live corpse that still had a full body.


    For the rest, we made use of the once-per-day-use skill of the Vortex Spear to force back into existence the fallen Imps and Horned Demons. Why?


    [They''re in position! Move now or we will lose the opportunity!](Decarbia)


    "They are all yours Adrian! Take it away!"


    [Understood! Minions, heed my call and wake up from your slumber! Your enemy''s flesh awaits!](Adrian)


    "What''s with that scary chant!? Hmm? The corpses are twitching..."


    Following the original plan, Adrian brought back to life the Imps, forced them to steal mana from the surroundings once more, infuse it into the corpses of the Horned Demons and then...


    *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*


    Voila! Suicide monster bombers! The results...


    "Damn... These bastards wanted to use that on our wall? It would have exploded into pieces with just one of them, wouldn¡¯t it!?"


    Unerring explosions decimated the ranks of the enemy horde, making the notification look like a countdown clock that went full ADHD mode. Obviously, by the time where the fireworks show ended, Adrian passed out.


    "Seems like it takes quite the toll on the user''s mind to control that many bodies at once. Someone take him off the wall to rest. He did his job beautifully! Archers, get ready! The remaining ones are coming!"


    [Enemies remaining: 141/935]


    I could not help but smirk when I saw the mug of the Abi-girl bitch distorted by rage through my Dragonov''s scope. I shook my head inwardly as I kept shooting down Nightmares. While they might have the ability to dissolve magic thrown at them, how could they if it was too fast to perceive?


    After tripping on the wires and being trampled by the ones behind, the 300 meters mark was broken for the first time, even that signaled the beginning of the end for the second wave.


    "FIRE!"


    Almost two hundred arrows accompanied my shout, as they fell with pinpoint accuracy on the bodies of the monsters. Since not all the arrows could kill a monster, I took the job of putting the suffering monsters out of their misery with a properly placed bullet in the middle of their eyes.


    After another couple of minutes...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Second wave has been defended successfully!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations to the defending side for doing so without casualties!


    Awarding 2 billion Soul Points!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations to the defending side for doing so without any damage taken to the fortifications!


    Awarding a one time selection of a free technology to be researched as a hidden reward!


    Reward can be chosen with one tier in advance of the current Age and Era of the civilization.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Third wave will begin shortly...


    Please prepare!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "There''s another one!? Just how cheap were these monsters!?"


    [Master, you might want to hide your teeth when you smile. It looks scary...](Mia)


    "I can''t help it love! Look at all the Elves and Dwarves I will be able to buy! Moreover, a free tech research as well? Even one step ahead of the current Era or Age? How can I not smile?"


    On the other hand, there was someone else fuming in the skies, obviously annoyed by the cheers happening on the wall. Seeing how red his face was turning, I couldn''t help but fuel the fire even more...


    *BANG!*


    ...with a bullet from my beautiful silver Dragunov, of course. It was very effective!

 Day 0 - Deity rank

    [You fucking ANT!!! How dare you attack me again and again!? Aren''t you afraid I will wipe you out from the face of this universe!? I will utterly destroy you and your camp! Purchase the highest available units with the remaining Soul Points! TRASH THEM INTO NOTHINGNESS!!!](Abigor)


    Nope, scratch that. It was SUUUUUUUPER effective! Effective to the point where he directly made use of the entire amount of points he had left, forcing the final round of this fight.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Warning!


    Warning!


    The last wave will commence shortly...


    Please prepare!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Okay people! This is what we prepared for! I''m taking command!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Activating effect of the social policy Discipline!


    Basic attributes of the defending troops have been increased by 25%!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Good! Mia, it is time for a concert! Start with the Song of Abundance and continue with the Final Requiem! We''re also going all out!"


    [Yes, master!](Mia)


    The first one increased the recovery of HP and MP by 200% for the following ten minutes, while the requiem buffs the dealt magic damage by 500% while decreasing the user''s magic resistance by 800%. Simply put, it was a double edged knife to be used on in specific situations. This, was one of them!


    "All magic classes, prepare!"


    [[[OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!!]]]


    "It''s time to end this!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Final wave commencing!


    Both sides, good luck!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The time for the final showdown arrived! It made me wonder how many will we face this time...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Enemies remaining in the wave: 14/14</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Eh!?" - I let out a stupid voice because of the unexpected situation


    Tilting my head, I saw the fourteen monsters averaging at over 4 meters. The looked like a combination between a human and a bull, but very different from a Minotaur. Their features were quite hard to describe, but they did have wings, although disproportionate to their size...


    Each one had a red-glowing orb in their left hand and a short sword on the right, giving an imposing feeling once one saw them.


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Fiend


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    106


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    130


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elite Pit Fiend


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    18


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    82%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    N/A


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    75


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    65


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    100 years


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    82


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    85


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    85


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    1660/1660 (+18.82/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    109


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2430/2430(+25.15/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    102


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Weakness (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Sacrifice (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fire Devil''s descent (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Magic Sage (Passive)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Meteor (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">???</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Wao... I think I might''ve fucked up this time... Wait! What the fuck!? Weren¡¯t they supposed to be limited to level 13 maximum!? Those are fucking level 18!!! Weren¡¯t they originally level 20!?"


    Seeing the multitude of spells available to those fourteen behemoths, I staggered quite a bit. However...


    "He who strikes first, wins! Prepare all your magic skill and hurl them at the enemy! D, Alexandra! Hold nothing back!"


    [[[Yes, sir!]]]


    [Understood!](Alexandra)


    [By your will!](D)


    The amount of mana gathered in the atmosphere around the wall reached the point where it was almost physical and could be touched by extending one¡¯s fingers. Everyone focused on the magic they were best at and poured in all their efforts in order to defend their home.


    "Seems like I need to give it my best as well! If it''s magic, how can I lose to anyone else? Pandemonium, activate! Hydrogen Blast!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandemonium forcefully activated!


    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The spell Hydrogen Blast has been recreated!


    Using 658MP and supplying the remaining 442 using HP!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I staggered and one of the elves caught me before I toppled over from the archer tower. It wouldn''t be funny to die like that... Corbett and Khrone would laugh their asses off if that would happen...


    Thanking the girl that caught me, I raised my head and stared at the area I detonated. Mhm... How should I put this?


    "...that looks comparable to the festivities in Rio de Janeiro."


    I couldn''t help but scare at the huge amount of spells and skills pouring onto the fourteen targets, only for the entire area to be encompassed by a large explosion, destroying everything from grass, dirt, oxygen, mana and monsters.


    "Wao..."


    [That...](Alexandra)


    [Yes... It''s at least three times more powerful than the one we used back then...](Decarbia)


    [NO!!!](Mia)


    Among the contemplating looks and complaints, with a loud scream, Mia literally sprouted wings and flew in the direction of the tower I was in, drawing my attention towards the upcoming fireball. Although, meteor would be more appropriate...


    [Song of shed mortality! Will of the Guardian!](Mia)


    The feeling she was now giving, was more pure when even compared to Eternity when it came to the divinity she was exuding. The wings helped a bit as well...


    "What I''m I doing admiring the scenery! She''ll get hit by that and she''ll be toasted!"


    "Imaginarium activate! Protective dome! Pandemonium, activate! Water infused mana!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Imaginarium successfully realized!


    Protective dome V1.0, deployed!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Pandemonium forcefully activated!


    Water-attributed mana has been infused!


    MP insufficient! Using HP to supply the use of the skill!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    *BOOOM!*


    Another loud explosion rocked the sturdy wall and the aftershock threw a couple of people off the wall. Given their constitution, I was not worried since it was only three to four meters high, but Mia on the other hand looked....


    "...FINE!? How are you alright after being hit by that? Even my dome broke!"


    [It is one of my skills. It gives me three seconds of invulnerability and with the Song of shed mortality I can absorb the mana from a single spell. But since master used the dome, I barely got back 700MP...](Mia)


    "..."


    I wanted to yell ''give me back my worries and HP'' when seeing that I had a silver of HP left, literally 6 points away from death... but I didn''t. I was actually happy to see her alive and a bit sad that she grew up so fast (to be more OP than me).


    "Alexandra, would you make the honors?"


    [With pleasure! Tornado!](Alexa)


    "..."


    I turned speechless from the way too excited response. Wasn''t that overkill? I mean, that poor Elite Pit Fiend probably gave its all and poured all the accumulated resentment towards us in the spell (which was nullified as if a joke by Mia), therefore it was already half-dead. Was there a need to end it in such a grand and exaggerated fashion?


    Yes there was! That way that bitch Abi-girl will get even more pissed off than I am right now!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Final wave has been defended successfully!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations to the defending side for doing so without casualties!


    Awarding 5 billion Soul Points!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations to the defending side for doing so without any damage taken to the fortifications!


    Awarding one Level 5 ranked divine artefact and a random world blessing as hidden awards. </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">The invasion ended with a successful defense on the end of the divine faction! Congratulations!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I had as of now, a grand total of eight billion Soul Points and I totally looked forward to buying as many pretty elves and skilled dwarves as possible. In addition, there was the free tech, some sort of artefact and even a world blessing!


    That shitty game God explained those before the tutorial started, so getting one this early will certainly be absolutely amazing! Just thinking of getting something similar to the blessing I got from the World Tree¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but grin.


    [You don''t have to get happy so soon...](Corbett)


    [Mhm! The true reward is still to be given! Open your eyes wide Michael! This, is the gift I''ve granted you!](Khrone)


    [Using your authority as the God of this world, shout the word ''declaration''. We will take it from there onward.](Corbett)


    "Uhm... okay..."


    Nothing ventured, nothing gained I guess! Nevertheless, do I really need to show to everyone that I am the Chaos God?


    "Haaah.... DECLARATION!"


    Midgard trembled! Literally! After the earthquake, the air froze, the clouds stopped in place and it felt as even time itself was brought to a halt. However, looking at the Elves behind me watching me with stupefied eyes, I couldn''t help but chuckle softly.


    "Leave everything to me. I''ll bring this to a close in the name of our Chaos God!"


    [[[Yes, sir!!!]]]


    "That said, I have less than 100HP and MP. Is that enough for what you have in mind?"


    [It''s more than sufficient. Look! He seems to have noticed.](Corbett)


    [You! What did you do? How can a puny ant invoke a duel declaration? I see! Therefore, you are him! HAHAHAHA! Finally! You have finally showed yourself coward! I will bring your head back to the Sun Lord and I will easily promote! Hahahah... Hmm!?](Abigor)


    There were no words on my part... or more adequately put, I couldn''t muster the strength to give a rebuttal to that little bitch Abi-girl. I felt that every ounce of energy in my body was stripped away leaving behind a truly cold feeling.


    The next second however, a warm influx of mana coursed through my veins, creating a connection with the World Tree.


    "The World Tree is supplying me with mana? And were both Pandora''s gifts automatically used? What¡¯s this?"


    [Mhm! That''s my innate skill. The Heaven Devouring skill. Everything that we can ''eat'' will become our power!](Khrone)


    Leaving aside the absurd and vague explanation, the overflowing mana was being channeled and was bringing ''something'' into existence. The shape... was quite familiar...


    "The chains!?"


    [You used them before, right? However, unlike your crude imitation, this is the real deal.](Corbett)


    [Corbett, you bastard! Focus and stop dropping all the workload on me! You know I''m bad at mana control... Do you want to wipe out his civilization?](Khrone)


    [Hmpf! I can do this much without even paying attention. It''s you who''s barbaric personality prevents something as easy as controlling your own mana to happen...](Corbett)


    "Would you both just focus and stop spouting such terrifying stuff!?"


    Seeing the chains materializing out of nowhere around me, all the elves but Decarbia and Alexandra cheered. Those two saw the price I had to pay previously for forcibly using a skill above my level and even experienced it themselves. They were worried that it might be the same right now as well.


    I turned my head and gave them a confident smile, while thinking how uselessly cool I am right now even if I am basically doing nothing in this situation, except standing still. I am good at pretending to do something though...


    [You bastard! What did you do!? What''s with the rampaging mana in this world? Hmpf! Never mind though! Do you think whatever an ant like you can do would be sufficient to entrap a quasi-Ancient like myself? Stop deluding yourself and gaze onto the power that you will never even hold a candle to!](Abigor)


    Another maelstrom of mana had begun swirling around the Abi-girl, looking almost as threatening as the chains. I actually started sweating, thinking that the restrictions I hoped were set in placed might''ve been flung to the side by this Devil in front of me. If someone as strong as him can directly use his personal strength, would there even be a need for a contest anymore!?


    [Don''t panic. That''s an artefact... Judging by the mana level, it should be around Level 4 of the mana gathering type. He''s basically trying to steal the mana of the world forcibly and open a portal to escape...](Khrone)


    [In front of this lord!? He actually hopes to wrest the control of the mana from me while I am using a medium that''s the owner of the world itself!? That''s the most insulting thing I''ve heard in the past couple of eons!!!](Corbett)


    Sensing the (unjustified) rage of this ancestor of mine, the chains began to hurl themselves at the space around the Abi-girl, locking it into place and isolating the mana. Simply put, anyone else by but myself won''t have the option of even circulating mana in their body, even less so able to cast spells...


    [You!!! What have you done!? How can you lock the space itself? This is a Level 5 divine artefact I gained due to my efforts in the previous game. It''s impossible even for Ancients to lock the space using mana only! Who... What are you!?](Abigor)


    [As always, you are bad at estimating the level of mana Khrone. It seems like you still have much to learn...](Corbett)


    [Damn! That''s a level 5 mana gathering artefact!? Just how good is the luck of this kid?](Khrone)


    [However, given his low divinity rank, I don''t believe that he can consume the full power of this small fry...](Corbett)


    [Mhm... Indeed, that''s too much of a stretch even with my ability. Hey, kiddo! What''s your current Deity rank?](Khrone)


    "Deity rank!?Wow... I haven''t heard that term in a while... Let me check."


    "Mia, connect me to the interface please!"


    [Hmm? Okay...](Mia)


    [An AI? Suspicious...](Corbett)


    "Wh-what are you talking about? She''s only a helper!"


    [What are you flustered about? He was talking about the fact that your civilization actually has an AI to begin with. Do you know how hard it is to get one of those? They are comprised of tons and tons of knowledge and they are absolutely indispensable to the rapid evolution of a civilization. He was talking about how it is suspicious for you to receive that much attention and help from the Star Lord of your group... Do you think the connection with us might have been discovered already?](Khrone)


    [Impossible! It''s too early.](Corbett)


    "You''re worrying too much. In my honest opinion, is just that shitty game God you are calling Star Lord, enjoying himself while adding an uncontrollable variable to his team. That is why he gave me the Manual Mode. Also, all members of our group of one thousand players have the AI."


    [What!? 1000 players with an AI each? Corbett, is that even possible?](Khrone)


    [...if he traded most of his divinity for it, yeah...](Corbett)


    [Who would be stupid enough to do that!?](Khrone)


    "YOU TWOOOO!!! Can you please make some sense when you talk!?"


    [Right... apologies. I keep forgetting how ignorant you are about the divine matters...](Corbett)


    "Can''t you say that I am new to it instead!?" ¨C I complained unhappily


    [It''s not that easy to advance in levels once one ascends to divinity and reaches a certain point. However, once that level is being breached, they will have sufficient power to help others grow as well. Meaning that, having full control over divinity, they can take or grant more power onto others. Your Star Lord might''ve traded a major part of his divinity, for extra perks in the game. It is not unheard of, but it is risky... Thinking about all other actions this leader of yours took, he either has great foresight or he is quite the gambler.](Corbett)


    "I incline towards the last... Even right now, he is probably enjoying his tea while watching us struggle."


    [Anyway, Khrone? Are we all good?](Corbett)


    [Yeah! All set. What do we do with the excess?](Khrone)


    [Well... we can''t just store it for later, so let''s just gift it to his alliance members.](Corbett)


    [Sounds good. So kid? Your rank?](Khrone)


    "Oh, right! Interface!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Rank: Newbie Deity of Chaos [Lvl 7]


    Each God needs to start somewhere! As a beginner, you will rack up experience based on special actions, number of followers that believe in you, as well as successful advancements of your civilization (cultural, technological, or otherwise). Current Exp: 2360/8000


    Since you are at the starting line as a deity, you have a maximum of two miracles you can perform. However, don''t let that discourage you! Each Rank Up will increase the number of miracles allotted by one. In order to Rank Up, you need to increase your level 10 times for the first one, 25 additional times for the second one, 50 additional times for the third one, 100 additional times for the fourth one, etc.


    Current Rank Up progression: 0/10


    Even if you are the lowest rank at the moment, don''t look down on your own divinity! As a representative of Chaos, you can notice pattern in advance, while the universe itself looks out for you. They say that everything started with Chaos and that everything shall be destroyed by Chaos in the end!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 Day 0 - Communication channel?

    [Newbie but at level 7 already? You did quite well for yourself didn''t you kid? So, Corbett? 25%?](Khrone)


    [25%? Do you want him to explode into particles? 15% is his max capacity right now. The rest we gift. Michael, is the communication channel open?](Corbett)


    "I think it was... How do I access it?"


    [Just say ''Communication channel open''...](Corbett)


    Even I with my thick skin was starting to feel really bad for all the things I didn''t know. However, I can''t help it! After all, I was just thrown in this mess without any details or instructions from that useless and shitty game God...


    "Let''s see... Open communication channel!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations! You have accessed your alliance channel for the first time!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You can select your username as default, or personalized!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You can communicate with the others, as soon as your username has been selected.


    Please chose one of the two options!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Select... personalized username!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Warning!


    For a personalized username there will be a cost of 100M Soul Points! Do you want to proceed?


    Yes / No</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Hell no! What''s wrong with you!? Who would be stupid enough to pay that much for a personalized username in a useless com channel!? Select ¡®default¡¯!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Default option selected!


    Username set up as ''Michael Corbett, Chaos God''


    You can now talk with the members of your alliance!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    * The Burning One, Prometheus: OOOOOH! Here comes the newbie, everyone! Welcome!  *


    * The Warring Beauty, Bishamonten: Welcome x2! </img>"> *


    * The All Father, Odin : Welcome, young one! XD *


    * The Merciful, Osiris: Welcome x3! </img>"> *


    * The Destroyer, Ares:  Welcome x4! </img>"> *


    *...*


    I suddenly heard the sound of glass shattering, or to be more precise, the sound of my delusions shattering. I honestly thought that these Gods were... you know, Gods! Why does it feel that I just joined a stupid W*at''s Up group!?


    "And why did they all personalize their usernames!? Is 100MP that little!? Are they THAT childish!? Why aren''t you two saying anything?"


    [...](Khrone)


    [..ahem! A-Anyway. Greet them and check to see if the gift option has been opened.](Corbett)


    You too!? What''s the purpose of a cool username like that!? Wouldn''t you rather upgrade the Soul Tier and create a major talent in your civilization? I am I the one that''s wrong?


    "...Let''s see. I can''t see any options."


    [You just joined so you shouldn''t have admin authority. Ask your alliance leader.](Corbett)


    "That shitty game God is on it as well?"


    [Just check the list of participants in the chat room!](Khrone)


    Why are you so excited!? Let''s see... That''s Ra, Thor... wow, so many of them... ''Game master''? Only one of them can be shitty enough to go for that sort of stupid username.


    * Michael Corbett, Chaos God: Hello everyone! Oi! @Game Master! Is the gifting option on? *


    * Game Master: Hey Michael! Congrats for defending the attack so early. You are the first in our alliance. *


    * Michael Corbett, Chaos God: ...thanks I guess! Gifting option? *


    * Game Master: It is on. Did you get something good? *


    * Michael Corbett, Chaos God: You will see soon. Look forward to it! *


    * The Burning One, Prometheus: ... *


    * The Warring Beauty, ... *


    * The All Father, Odin : ... *


    * The Merciful, Osiris: ... *


    * The Destroyer, Ares:  ... *


    These bastards! If I finished first and it happened just now, aren''t they under attack as well by the invaders? How can they be at leisure like this!?


    "That''s what they say. What now?"


    [You bastard! What do you keep muttering about!? Do you think you can bind me using these things? I shall take your head and present it you my lord! He will mount your head on his collection wall! Your world shall...](Abigor)


    [So noisy!](Corbett)


    With a slight tremble, the chains that were spread out like a cage around the Abi-girl in the beginning to seal his movement and mana, violently snapped at him, coiling around his body and mouth.


    Ignoring the obvious BDSM jokes I could make, I began to pity the Abi-girl for being abused like this by my two ancestors. Actually, thinking about it, didn''t I accept their story about the past a bit too easy? It is kind of late to back out now but, shouldn''t I be at least a bit suspicious about them?


    [MHMHMP! HMSPDAJ!](Abigor)


    [Good! Much better! Khrone, begin the ''extraction process''!](Corbett)


    [Hehehe! With pleasure!](Khrone)


    Ignoring the obvious change of route Abi-girl''s story was taking, I was frightened out of my mind when seeing the black chains suddenly bursting in flames and like a net covered the invading Devil in full. Then, another thicker one flew in my direction with a stupid speed, coiling around my arm.


    [Michael, focus on absorbing and digesting the power! It will be a lump full of mana-like energy, but stronger, more concentrated and absolutely deadly if you make any mistakes! Move it all around your body following the path set by your blood vessels until it completely melts and assimilates with your own divinity.](Corbett)


    "Again... Please, don''t say such absurdly scary things using such a calm tone..."


    Following the instructions poured onto my brain alongside the stupid amount of energy, I begun moving what felt like a mountain that might crush me at any point, around the insides of my body. That mountain slowly turned into a melting iceberg and its threat level decreased by the second, under a cacophony of yells and shouts from a properly ''bonded'' Abi-girl.


    Focusing my consciousness only on the task at hand while fearing for my life, I ignored the conversation between the two voices in my head which were discussing how to split a divine being''s entire life worth of hard work into smaller portions to be gifted and strengthen the faction of his enemy. Poor Abi-girl¡­


    [Michael, are you alright?](Alexandra)


    [Shh! Don''t disturb him now!](Decarbia)


    [Do you know what''s happening to master, big sister?](Mia)


    [As unbelievable as it might sound, he is stealing the power of the enemy. However, the process is highly dangerous and the amount of strength the enemy has is light years away from what he is capable of wielding at this point. Since he is threading on a thin wire, it''s best not to distract him lest we want something horrible to happen to him...](Decarbia)


    Listening to her words, all the Elves showed concerned expressions on their faces, while some even held their breath in order to minimize the sound they were making. To them, Michael was the one that welcomed them in this new world prepared for them by the Chaos God and led them to a more fulfilling life, in which they enjoyed good food and fun events.


    To them, he was the envoy of the Chaos God and the one who worked as much as they did, maybe even more, all in order to improve the situation of camp.


    At that point, they wished and prayed from the bottom of their hearts for the first time. They prayed for the success of the person that guided them so far, so that he will have sufficient strength to do the same in the future.


    [A good civilization!](Khrone)


    [Mhm! Doesn''t seem that they know he''s their God though...](Corbett)If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    [Maybe he wants to keep it that way. Do we distribute it now?](Khrone)


    [Yes, let''s start! I found something fun in his memories, so let¡¯s keep that a secret for now¡­](Corbett)


    While each was reacting in their own way, Michael finished absorbing the 15% amount of power fed to him from Abigor. Opening his eyes, the chains around his arm shattered and so did the ones around the invading Devil, revealing a now dried up twitching husk.


    [You... monst...](Abigor)


    "Famous last words... Nevertheless, I must hand it over to him. He had an epic entrance and a similarly awesome exit. He even turned into particles of dust..."


    [Master... you sound like the bad guy...](Mia)


    "Do I? Hehe!"


    [It wasn''t a compliment!!!](Mia)


    At the same time Abigor''s body was scattered all around Midgard, a *PING!* sound came from the conversation channel and a huge notification covered the skies of the world.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulation Midgard for successfully defending themselves in the first event!


    Rewards will be given based on calculated achievements!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Calculating...


    Defended against 2 billion Soul Points worth of monsters... awarding achievements!


    Defended against a total of three waves, far outstripping the number of defenders... awarding achievements!


    The monster''s level was lower than the defenders... deducting achievements!


    The defending side didn''t receive any damage... awarding achievements!


    The leader of the invasion army was vanquished... awarding extraordinary achievements!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Calculations complete!


    Giving the option to the defender that based on the previously received rewards, to choose between a Level 6 divine artefact and 10 billion Soul Points!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Please make your decision in the next 30 seconds!


    30...


    29...


    28...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "... Your suggestions?"


    [The Soul Points! More people equal a bigger army and therefore a bigger chance at defending.](Khrone)


    [That''s why you''re still too naive Khrone. He has a Level 5 artefact he will receive as a reward for the previous successful defense, another Level 5 mana gathering artefact from the killed Devil and now he can get another Level 6 one. An army of one million can''t stand in front of a truly strong artefact! You should know that already... Nevertheless, the decision is yours to make Michael!](Corbett)


    Considering their words, I pondered for a while. Using my Soul Upgrade blessing, I can continuously churn higher tier Elves through the 8 billion Soul Points already gathered. With another 10 billion, I could indeed bolster our numbers at a stupidly fast pace.


    Howeve... can I manage the sudden increase? Probably not! Therefore...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">6...


    5...


    4...


    3...</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "I chose the artefact!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Confirmation acknowledged!


    Awarding a random Level 6 artefact¡­


    Artefact Tears of Blood has been provided!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">All awards have been given and the event will now end!


    Defending players should work hard on their civilizations and prepare for the following invasion!


    Good luck both sides!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Then, with the disappearance of the huge notification and the re-appearance of the skies on their normal color, two small earrings fell on the palm of my hand. Hyped by the description of them being Level 6 artefacts even if I had no idea what that meant, as well as the cool name, I instantly used Identify on them.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Tears of Blood (Epic rank)


    A pair of earings created by a divine level smith.


    Passive skills:


    1. increase the Soul Tier of the wearer by one level;


    2. improves the effectiveness of buff-type skills by 100%


    Restriction: can only be equiped by a woman.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "..."


    [Well... I did say that the AI is important to your civilization, didn''t I?](Corbett)


    [Don''t let it get you down kiddo! Take a look at your Deity rank instead.](Khrone)


    Hearing Khrone''s excited tone, I instantly gave Mia a pleading look and she made the connection to the interface at once.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Rank: Newbie Deity of Chaos [Lvl 32]


    Each God needs to start somewhere! As a beginner, you will rack up experience based on special actions, number of followers that believe in you, as well as successful advancements of your civilization (cultural, technological, or otherwise). Current Exp: 29800/33000


    Since you are at the starting line as a deity, you have a maximum of two miracles you can perform. However, don''t let that discourage you! Each Rank Up will increase the number of miracles allotted by one. In order to Rank Up, you need to increase your level 10 times for the first one, 25 additional times for the second one, 50 additional times for the third one, 100 additional times for the fourth one, etc.


    Current Rank Up progression: 2/10


    Even if you are the lowest rank at the moment, don''t look down on your own divinity! As a representative of Chaos, you can notice pattern in advance, while the universe itself looks out for you. They say that everything started with Chaos and that everything shall be destroyed by Chaos in the end!


    *Currently able to select two extra miracles for your world. One can be bought, while the other can be claimed through a randow draw.*


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Is that drawing lots!? Why does this useless God made everything so chaotic and depend on chances!?"


    [No... it was like that made through the agreement of the two sides. To maintain fairness...](Corbett)


    [...](Khrone)


    "Not very convincing!!!"


    [Anyway, it''s time for us to go back to sleep. We used too much of our saved strength this time.](Corbett)


    [We''ll be back up in about six months worth of time. Work hard kiddo!](Khrone)


    "Thank you seniors for your help! I will do my best!¡±


    Seeing how there wasn¡¯t an answer, I let out a sigh of relief. It meant that it was finally over¡­ for now. All the still battle-ready Elves showed signs of tiredness, however they were still eager to fight if needed, judging from the look in their eyes.


    Realizing that I was still standing in the middle of the air, I gulped and begun descending slowly. My mind was racing and worrying about how I might fall face first onto the ground and ruin the awesome scene I have caused by taking down Abigor. Fortunately, the ¡®God-mode¡¯ was still on and only once I announce the Declaration finished, will the world go back to normal.


    Therefore, once I was 30 centimeters away from the ground, I whispered under my breath¡­


    ¡°Declaration finished!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Manual Mode override, reinitiated!


    Midgard returns to normal!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With a slight jump, I landed safely on the ground and looked at everyone waiting for me. They looked similar to press wanting an official statement back on Earth, thing that made me snicker.


    ¡°As you saw from the notification, the invasion ended¡­ WITH OUR VICTORY!!!¡±


    [[[OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHH!!!]]]


    A wave of cheers broke the awkward silence. It might have been only about an hour or two that the entire event lasted for, however the pressure on them was probably as much as it was on me, maybe even more. For those who lack strength, they will always dread the unknown¡­


    [Is it truly finished?](Alexandra)


    ¡°For now, it is¡­ We need to make preparation for the following month however. We need to become stronger, to the point where the invaders can only crush their own skulls against our walls and we can use our own power to mercilessly trample on their bodies. Only then will he have enough leeway not to worry about further attacks¡­¡±


    [It seems like we have much work ahead of us¡­](Alexandra)


    ¡°Mhm! And for yourself, as the hero of Midgard, I need you to remain by my side and help me out.¡±


    [¡­okay¡­](Alexandra)


    Seeing her blushing cheeks, I chuckled a bit and made mental preparations for the ¡®future¡¯. Yup! I need to extend the bed further and finally properly use it¡­ Tonight if possible!!!


    [What about the rest of the day master?](Mia)


    ¡°Indeed¡­ Everyone! Today is a free day! Everyone is to do what they want and enjoy some well-deserved rest! From tomorrow, we will begin working once more. Also, Andrea¡­ I will have to bother you guys again to prepare a proper feast to celebrate our victory.¡± ¨C I said smiling awkwardly at her


    [It will be my pleasure!](Andrea)


    After saying a few more words and setting everyone¡¯s mind at ease, we ¡®collected¡¯ everyone posted at the other sides of the camp, just in case of a sneak attack and dismissed them to rest as well. Given that it was still about 1PM by the time we entered our Elven Hut (judging from the sun-dial-cum-clock myself and a certain inventor tinkered with), we all sat on the bed and talked about small stuff, doing our best to relax.


    However, after barely five minutes or so of ¡®normal¡¯ conversation, the atmosphere turned awkward and silent¡­


    ¡°This is certainly not the type of ¡®atmosphere¡¯ I was thinking about creating for our ¡®first time¡¯.¡±


    [Master, about the changes¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Haaah¡­ I really wanted to leave those until tomorrow though¡­¡±


    [It seems like tomorrow won¡¯t wait for us though¡­ Take a look!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations Midgard for entering the Bronze Age!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations Midgard for unlocking new available buildings and technologies!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°¡­obviously¡­ When did we finish the other buildings?¡±


    [Well¡­ there was only the Water Mill left to complete and Simone helped finish the mechanism and said she will install it while we finish off the invaders...](Alexandra)


    ¡°Can that girl be more ¡®my-pace¡¯ than this!? Uuuu¡­ I really wanted to stay in and relax with you girls¡­¡±


    [¡­](Mia)


    [¡­](Alexandra)


    [¡­](Decarbia)


    Well, I didn¡¯t bothered hiding behind my thumbs anymore. I was a proper adult after all and there is a limit to my ¡®endurance¡¯ sleeping next or in between this many beauties. I might go berserk as well soon enough if I don¡¯t manage to bed these three¡­


    [Okay¡­](Mia)


    [Okay¡­](Alexandra)


    [Okay¡­](Decarbia)


    Yup! That¡¯s some nice and obedient girls right there. Hehehe! It would be quite bad if a big bad wolf would take advantage of that obedience, now won¡¯t it?

 Like taking candy from a baby!

    ¡°Let¡¯s get working then!!! Mia, what¡¯s first?¡±


    [¡­ahem! Then, first up it would be mast¡­ the promotion our Chaos God received. Due to ranking up twice, we are allowed to select two blessings. Here is how the blessing panel looks like¡­](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Blessings available for your civilization:


    <ol>


    <li> Defense related??????</li>


    <li>Proliferation related               </li>


    <li> Attack related ????   ?  </li>


    <li>Social related             </li>


    <li>Research related       ??</li>


    <li>Faith related</li>


    </ol>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Those are the main categories I take it¡­ Shiet!!! This is going to take a while, won¡¯t it!?¡±


    [It seems like it¡­](Mia)


    [M-master!? Why is Mia able to bring out the world''s, Midgard¡¯s interface?](Decarbia) - a slightly paniked question arrived


    ¡°Hmm? Because she¡¯s an artificial intelligence encompassing all knowledge of my previous world, brought to life through the use of divine power of a really powerful God and this ''game system''. Or, more simply put, she has access to it... Oh, while we¡¯re at it¡­ I am also the God of this world. Nice to meet ya¡¯!¡± - I replied on a light tone


    The obvious reaction from Mia came in a second after facepalming and looking at me with incredulous eyes.


    [Master¡­ that¡¯s so irresponsible¡­](Mia)


    ¡°¡­ but it¡¯s annoying to keep hiding it. I literally can¡¯t keep track of the lies anymore and I feel that they will still find out one day somehow. Is there a need for such a dramatic thing? Plus that I want them to know since we need their help moving forward¡­¡± - I complained like a child


    [¡­artificial intelligence? I don''t understand what''s that but it sounds impressive!](Alexandra)


    [¡­so Mia was created as a helper for this world? No wonder she is so amazing!](Decarbia)


    ¡°Bullshit! That¡¯s the part you¡¯re surprised about!? What about me? I¡¯m the God of this world, you know! THE Chaos God¡­¡±


    [Mhm¡­ Since you were with big sister from the start, I kind of figured out it might be the case. But I wasn''t entirely sure what sort of being big sister was. I am happy to know that she is even stronger than I am. Hehe! With her around I am always more relaxed and reassured!](Alexandra)


    [I also realized it from the point where I entered a contract with you, master¡­ It''s kind of impossible not to connect the dots, especially after you killed and devoured another divine being, probably at a higher level than you were. I am stil curious about that by the way...](Decarbia)


    Underwhelming¡­ impressively underwhelming! Where''s the jaw dropping reaction from both of them!? Actually, why I''m I the one being left with my mouth opened instead?


    Should I be happy that they accepted it so readily? I guess that''s a ''yes'' since a more exaggerated reaction might prove annoying...


    "Still... why do they only see Mia in a new light, while I am still the same as before in their eyes? Some divine punishment will be dished out later on tonight!" - I complained through bitter tears


    [Well... since that''s out of the way, we can get the opinions of everybody else as well. First, let''s take a look at the explanation page for the miracles. New things have been added.](Mia)


    "Oh? Let''s see then."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Miracles available: Soul Upgrade [Ex]; VIP discount [Uq]


    Representing the power of a God, miracles are at their base, raw divinity infused in different objects, people or landscapes. Their use is to make it easier for a God to expand and strengthen the belief of his followers, as well as improve the world he/she reigns in!


    Such miracles can be placed in two categories: active and passive.


    The passive miracles can grant permanent benefits, however they can''t directly spread out Faith, since they are hidden from sight. Also, given that they are continuously applied, the effectiveness they possess is limited.


    The active miracles provide a one time benefit to one or multiple targets and they allow the deity to confer a Divine Revelation once applied. Due to their limited use, the effects are stronger than the ones provided by the passive miracles.


    Each miracle differs from the others, based on its rarity as follows:


    Co: common rank;


    Uc: uncommon rank;


    R  : rare rank;


    Vr: very rare rank;


    Ex: extraordinary rank;


    Uq: unique rank;


    Ep: epic rank;


    L  : legendary rank;


    D : divine rank;


    Be advised that your actions prior to the rank up, decide the choice of miracles available to chose between.


    Due to the increased deity rank, you are now able to select two extra blessings for your world. Be advised that the cost of each blessing goes up with each selection made!


    Current price for one blessing: 500M Soul Points / one random free draw


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "500 million Soul Points!? That''s a rip-off! What the hell!!!"


    [While I was expecting that response from master, according to the description the price will go up once we purchase the first one. So... worst comes to worst, the second one will cost us at least 1 billion. I would advise purchasing both of them using Soul Points though, instead of using the random draw for now. At the point where it becomes too expensive, we can make use of it.](Mia)


    [I agree with Mia. It makes sense to save it up until we truly need it. However, what are those Soul Points you are referring to?](Decarbia)


    I hesitated a bit, since it was quite hard to explain that Alexandra and the rest were actual humans that died and now were reincarnated into this game, for the entertainment of the Gods of which I am also a part of. At the same time though, I didn''t want to lie to them anymore, making the situation quite uncomfortable...


    "This competition between Gods and Devils has Soul Points as currency. I am on the Divine faction and using those Soul Points we can buy different things like miracles or even use them to save some other people and increase our numbers, like it happened with you guys originally as well. That''s the most that I can explain to the two of you right now I''m afraid..."


    [It''s alright! Thank you for trusting and sharing with us even these details! So, what do you plan to do about the miracles?](Alexandra)


    "We currently have 8 billion points gathered by wrecking Abigor anyway... Mia, let''s see each category one by one and we''ll decide after!"


    [Understood. Then, first off it''s...](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Civilization defense-related blessings:


    1. Soldierize (Passive) - all fighting-related system Jobs will receive a 10% permanent increase in attributes and the passive skill Stand your ground


    Cost: 500M SP


    2. Oppressive might (Passive) - all invading enemies will have their total attributes reduced by 25% while on Midgard


    Cost: 500M SP


    3. Upgraded fortifications (One time activation) - provides a permanent two levels increase in defense for the walls, gates and archer towers of your civilization


    Cost: 500M SP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    As world-changing miracles, all three were quite impressive. And this was only the first category out of the six available. If each has three available options to choose between... it will be Social Policies all over again...


    "Opinions?" - I asked slightly annoyed


    [First option is great and it has a good synergy effect with the blessing we received from the World Tree. It should be at least 10 main attributes increase and since it''s a permanent one, the higher the level, the more we can gain from it. It also has a passive skill that is related to defense and since it''s passive and battle oriented, it might provide us with further benefits in the following invasions.](Decarbia)


    [I like the second option is a bit better...](Alexandra)


    [I agree with Alexandra. This time due to the effect of the World Tree, the level of the invaders was decreased by two levels, therefore their total attributes decreased as well, making the fight itself easier to win. If we add an additional 25% from this skill, defending will be as easy as taking a candy from a baby!](Mia)


    [Candy?](Alexandra)


    "Ahem! Mhm... honestly, while I like the first two, I am more inclined towards the third option. As you''ve seen in the notification during this attack, our fortifications have a limited number of hitpoints. If they drop to zero, our camp becomes vulnerable to direct attacks and not only would our buildings and civilians become targets, but if something like the World Tree becomes the objective again and the invaders reach their goal successfully, we are royally screwed. So, a double upgrade to the wall would be a tremendous help."Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    [But it''s not very clear as what the upgrade means...](Alexandra)


    "Actually, it''s not hard to guess. Most likely, at the point where our civilization would advance in Ages and Era, the buildings will automatically upgrade with the help of the World Tree, or we will have the option of being upgraded through the use of resources. If the next option turns from wood to stone materials for example and the miracle upgrades it twice... we might be able to turn our camp into an impenetrable fortress just by picking this miracle."


    [I see... I didn''t consider that. It''s a good idea!](Alexandra)


    [Mhm! I agree... But the first two are also good...](Decarbia)


    "There''s no need to make a decision just yet. Let''s see what else we have. But before that, Mia?"


    [Yes, master?](Mia)


    "How many people would our camp be able to support?"


    [As in, total population?](Mia)


    "Yes."


    [We already took that in consideration when we built the walls and given that they are at only 600 meters away from the forest and when thinking about the other buildings we might have in the future...](Mia)


    [And don''t forget about the extra houses!](Alexandra)


    [...yes, there was that as well... Probably about 5000 is our limit for now. If we can somehow transform the Elven Huts into something similar to residential areas, separated by different levels, we might be able to have even more. For now though, that''s the maximum.](Mia)


    "So, you have in mind housing blocks? I see... That''s fine for now. Let''s take a look at the next category."


    [Understood. Then, next up is...](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Civilization attack-related blessings:


    1. Weapon System (Passive) - all fighting related Jobs will receive a 50% permanent increase in damage dealt when using a compatible weapon and the passive skill Weapon Mastery(Basic);


    Cost: 500M SP


    2. Conqueror''s dominance (Passive) - when attacking the invader''s base, HP and MP is increased by 100% and attributes grow by 50%. Experience received from the enemies vanquished grows by 200%;


    Cost: 500M SP


    3. Military Weaponsmith (Active) - provides the possibility of upgrading a normal blacksmith to a Soul Tier 5 Military Weaponsmith, capable of creating rare ranked and above equipment.


    Cost: 500M SP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Looking at the second option, I was reminded of the possibility of attacking the Western Dungeon once each two months. Being the base of operation for the invaders, clearing up a couple of levels might shake their foundations and lower their might on the following invasions, even if nothing of sorts was confirmed by any of my seniors. Therefore, that choice was quite tempting and foreboding as well...


    [Again... it became even harder to decide...](Alexandra)


    [For our dungeon diving unit, the first option is an absolute must! A 50% increase in damage dealt will allow us to easily conquer dungeons and quickly grow our levels...](Decarbia)


    "Hmm? Wait a second... that second option... ''experience from the invaders''? Status Page!"


    <div>


    <table width="0">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Michael Corbett


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Value


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Job Name


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Level


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Progress


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Race


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    STR


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    111


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Magic


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    93


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Elf Lord


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    48


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    93%


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Sex


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Male


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    DEX


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    113


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Charm


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    45


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Age


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    25


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    AGI


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    114


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Luck


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    65


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    World


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Midgard


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    END


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    108


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Title</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">''Kyrie''</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    HP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2835/2835 (+91.7/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    INT


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    118


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Free Attribute Points</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+235</td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    MP


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    2788/2788(+54.31/sec)


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    WIS


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    111


    </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    <td style="text-align: center"> </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table width="1102">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Skill List</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Name</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Proficiency</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Identify</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">82%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandora''s Gift - Pandemonium</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">3</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">42%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandora''s Gift - Imaginarium</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">4</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">51%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Demonic contract (Active)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">72%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Blessings</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Improved Blessing of the World Tree</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Wao!"


    Counting on my fingers a couple of times, I realized that my attributes grew with one point until Level 10 for each level up and then increased by two points after getting the Elf Lord Job. However, with all the commotion and the stolen divinity from Abigor, I didn''t even stop to consider the experience gained from the monsters we wiped out. Also, since all the elves that participated in the event were considered in a single party (or, to be more precise, a civilization), the experience was equally distributed to all of them irrelevant of their contributions.


    And since I managed to reach level 48...


    "You three, what are you current levels?"


    [Hmm? Status Page!](Alexandra)


    [Status Page!](Mia)


    [Okay then... Status Page!](Decarbia)


    And indeed, judging from their stupefied expressions...


    [I actually reached 49!!!](Alexandra)


    "This absolute cheat elf... That makes no sense at all!!!"


    [Master, I am 48!](Mia)


    "Mhm... I guess, as the daughter of the system is a given for you to be a cheat as well..."


    [I am also at Level 48 master.](Decarbia)


    "Is it okay for me to cry? Is it!? I tried my best, right? Right!?"


    After swallowing a bitter pill, I closed my eyes and contemplated the changes. It appears that everyone''s levels increased big time already... a 10% increase in attributes is already worth between 10-15 points and that''s without any extra world blessing, or the Free Attribute Points they can add. If we could rapidly grow an elite force of about one hundred Elves up to Level 100, I could probably wipe out at least between 30-40 floors with ease once we attack, crippling the foundations of the invading armies...


    "Great! We will push for a Level 100 dungeon diving unit by the end of the next month, while also focusing on upgrading our civilization''s technological advancement. We need crossbows and ballista for the walls, so that our general defenses can be bolstered a bit... Also, after we defend the wave the following month, after about two weeks worth of time, we will initiate an attack on the Western Dungeon where the invader''s base is located at. That''s the purpose of the rush to Level 100."


    [Do you plan to select the Conqueror''s dominance then?](Alexandra)


    "It might not be necessary as of yet and we also have the rewards from next month, which could permit us to easily increase our funds or even increase my deity rank... Mia''s what''s the total population amount we can inject our camp with without having it fall in absolute disorder?"


    [Judging from Earth''s standards...](Mia)


    [Earth?](Alexandra) - she repeated confused


    [EARTH!? Master is... was, from Earth? Didn''t you say you are the God of Midgard?](Decarbia)


    "Mhm." - I calmly nodded


    [I don''t really follow... However, it''s unexpected for master to be from the same planet as me, yet from a different realm...](Decarbia)


    "Indeed..."


    [...ahem! So, like I was saying, judging from Earth''s standards it would be at maximum another 200 people. However, that is while taking in consideration the contemporary mentality and the huge amount of complaints and requests human ''snowflakes'' usually have. It was proven up to this point that the Elves are different, as there aren''t any stupid classifications between genders or races like on Earth. With much less insignificant problems, the number can increase.](Mia)


    I sweated a bit at Mia''s harsh words, while trying to agree with her slightly.


    "T-Thank Reaper for that..."


    [Therefore, I think we are good if we go up to five hundred more.](Mia)


    "500, huh? Can we really manage such a number? Wouldn''t it be better to set up a secondary camp? We will have access to more resources that way..."

 Options...

    [That''s probably a bad idea master.](Decarbia)


    "Why do you think so?"


    [Well... there''s a monthly attack on our camp, right? What if the secondary camp receives the full brunt of the invaders, while our main forces are busy defending this one? All our efforts and the people we sent there will get cleanly wiped out. For now, until we have sufficient leeway, I think we should focus on developing our current base!](D)


    [I agree as well, master!](Mia)


    [I also think that it will be hard to defend without sufficient people... However, if you think about it a bit... what if the attackers level next time are up to level 25, at maximum 30? If we truly do reach 100, what use having a ten thousand attackers when only one hundred Level 100 Elves can clean them up? In my opinion, if the next wave is similar, we should focus on developing a secondary camp as early as possible.](Alexandra)


    Listening to her words, which had sound logic behind them, I couldn''t help but ponder. A secondary camp would increase the number of resources available and we can have them solely focus on things our camp doesn''t produce and/or needs for future technological upgrades. Then, through a well-established trade route between the two camps, not only can we increase the diversity of the goods and keep the people happy, but also set up the foundations for a currency system. That will allow me to begin setting up a welfare package system, which on its own would give sufficient funds to the territory in the long run, that people will be able to start up their own business and purchase their own lands.


    "The ruling system I have set up at the moment it''s way too rudimentary... It might work for now because there are few people and we have a common enemy that appears hard to deal with. But if we technologically advance fast enough to easily overpower the invaders each time, the priorities and their demands will surely change. I could control them through military might or fear, however as history proved, it''s stupid, narrow-minded and a really bad idea overall. It will inhibit their personalities and destroy the potential of a nation. Therefore, that¡¯s out of the question..."


    "...all in all, we truly need to step it up a bit! I think Alexandra is right about the creation a secondary camp as there are enormous benefits to reap, just from doing so. Anyway, let''s put that on hold from now and check with the other available blessings."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Civilization proliferation-related blessings:


    1. Inborn Talent (Passive) - new souls born in your civilization will be one Soul Tier higher than the average Soul Tier of the parents, ensuring one innate skill per tier.


    Cost: 500M SP


    2. Not one, not two, but three (Passive) - provides a 100% chance that a mother will bear a pregnancy of at least two children and 50% chance of at least three.


    Cost: 500M SP


    3. Chaotic will (Passive) - decreases the chances of infantile deaths by 50%.


    Cost: 500M SP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    I stopped for a second and stared wide-eyed at the third miracle category. Won''t I burry in shame even Gods of Life or Love if I combine the second and the first option of the proliferation-related blessings? And besides those two, I have an extra wild-card that can further improve this cheat, don''t I!?


    "Mia, bring up the Influence tab!"


    [Influence? Okay! Coming right up!](Mia)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Influence: 27%


    It is well known that a God can influence his followers. A God of War will make his worshipers stronger, fiercer and more courageous, while a God of Life will strengthen their connection with nature, creating a balanced relationship with the environment and therefore increasing their reproduction rate, while decreasing the mortality.


    As a Chaos Deity, each percentage provides a chance that a genius soul will be randomly born. The respective soul will start at LvL 3 and will take part of a category of your choosing among the following possibilities:


    - Genius Scientist;


    - Genius Engineer;


    - Genius General;


    - Genius Musician;


    - Genius Prophet;


    - Genius Merchant;


    - Genius Writer;


    - Genius Artist;


    - Genius Admiral;


    - Genius Adventurer;


    - etc ...


    Keep in mind that each said genius can only be part of one category until they reach LvL 5 in soul refinement, after which you can chose a second category for them. Upon maxing out to LvL 10, a third category will also be presented, allowing at maximum three areas of influence.


    Since a synergy effect between categories exists, chose carefully! If your choices aren''t suitable, the effect the genius will have on your civilization will lessen considerably!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Watching the stupid increase, I couldn''t help but slightly panic. Those are Tier 3 souls, 27 out of 100. If combined with the first skill from the proliferation tab, that''s going to be a Tier 4 soul that will start with a minimum of four skills and a Job specialization, which will put them at a higher level than a Great Person in the same field. Not only that, but they will have the possibility of belonging to other branches than the ones mentioned in the Great Person tab. With such a thing, my civilization will advance on fast-forward for certain.


    "Haaah¡­ This is really rough... I can now understand why they are called world blessings! With such miracles, there''s no wonder how a world would suddenly improve or change monumentally just by selecting the said miracle..." - I said while sighing


    [If we weren''t so pressed by the current circumstances, I would''ve instantly suggested the first two options...](Mia)


    [Mhm! A 27% chance for a child to be born as a Tier 4 soul with four innate skills... and a 50% chance for triplets at that. From one hundred couples, there''s a high chance to get three hundred children! Not only that, but in six months their bodies and minds will mature enough to be considered adults. With so much manpower, we could easily defend our camps. Not to mention that these three hundred children will become elites among elites when compared with the current us.](Alexandra)


    [...Let''s see the remaining options before any further lamentation, shall we?](Decarbia)


    With three out of four of us laughing awkwardly, I threw Mia a look and a nod, after which she brought up the fourth category.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Civilization Social - related blessings:


    1. A politician''s Soul (Passive) - every person in your civilization provides 1 Social Point per day.


    Cost: 500M SP


    2. Politic research (Active) - Promotes a regular citizen to an ''Erudite'', allowing him to research a Social Reform or Policy per month. The respective policy will have its cost decreased by 75%.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Cost: 500M SP


    3. Crown the Tyrant (Active) - By selecting a leader for your world, you can select three free Social Reforms or Policies.


    Cost: 500M SP </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    At this point, I already had two tear-streaks on my face. Was there a need to make it so tempting!?


    [Master...](Mia)


    "Mhm... I know..."


    [Master, from what I''ve seen so far, these Social Policies are mini-world blessings. It won''t be a bad idea to make it easier to select more of them. Especially the second and third option. If we leave them for later, they will become amazing things to have at the point where the cost for just one policy will be immense...](Decarbia)


    "Mhm... I agree. But that first option would be of huge help right now in the present and the near future. 200 daily extra Culture Points income is not something to ignore. Not to mention if we suddenly bu... ¡®save¡¯ 500 more Elves. That''s 700 extra daily income, besides what we earn from the dungeons..."


    [...we could easily pick up more than five or so Social Policies by the time the next invasion occurs. That would allow us to balance the technological development as well as the might of our dungeon diving unit.](Alexandra)


    "Mhm!"


    That answer of mine felt as if it was answered through gritted teeth, due to how good each of these blessings were. Thinking back to the other two miracles he had... The other two miracles he had?


    "Hmm!? That VIP discount, does it still apply I wonder? Since it¡¯s something that was supposed to work only by interacting with the shitty Game God¡­"


    [Master, I''ll bring up the last two.](Mia)


    "Huh!? Yeah, go ahead please!" - I answered a bit out of it


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Civilization Research - related blessings:


    1. A researcher''s Soul (Passive) - every person in your civilization provides 1 Research Point per day.


    Cost: 500M SP


    2. Technological research (Active) - Promotes a regular citizen to a ''Researcher'', allowing him to research one technology per month. The respective policy will have its cost decreased by 75%.


    Cost: 500M SP


    3. Era suppressor (Active) - By selecting a technological path for your world, you will be awarded three free technological researches.


    Cost: 500M SP </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Civilization Faith - related blessings:


    1. A Priest''s Soul (Passive) - every person in your civilization provides 1 Faith Point per day.


    Cost: 500M SP


    2. Prayer (Active) - Promotes a regular citizen to a ''Prophet'', allowing him to improve one aspect of your religion per month to a certain degree.


    Cost: 500M SP


    3. Leading the faithful (Active) - By declaring a single faith for your entire world, you can chose three free upgrades to your current faith.


    Cost: 500M SP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Nodding my head at the similarity between them, I looked at the girls with a sour expression. The reply from them was a similar bitter smile, telling me to resign myself to this chaotic fate of mine.


    "Haaaaah... Then, shall we do this the ''democratic way'' and vote? Each of the four people present will propose a blessing and if their proposal gets supported by two or more participants, we will go with it. The same process will happen for the second blessing as well. Questions?"


    [... I have one. Is it fine to do decide on something so major, based on a vote between the four of us?](Alexandra)


    [While it''s true that more heads think better than fewer, the opposite is true as well. Right now, we also can''t announce master''s identity as the Chaos God, so we can only do it like this.](Mia)


    [Makes sense...](Alexandra)


    Well, it''s not like I don''t agree with her, however, no matter what we chose it will still be a good choice. That''s why is better to go with a vote and see everyone''s true thoughts. That way, we will certainly reach a conclusion... maybe... hopefully...


    "Alright then! Let''s start! Alexandra, you''re first!"


    [Eh!? Me? Can''t we let big sister Mia or big sister Decarbia instead?](Alexandra)


    "Nope." - I quickly shut down her attempt at fleeing


    [Uuuu... I think the Weapon System blessing is the best choice!](Alexandra)


    "Oh, wow! She almost had confidence when she said that..."


    "Great! Mia, you''re next!"


    [Understood! I chose Conqueror''s dominance blessing.](Mia)


    "Good! Decarbia?"


    [A politician''s Soul !](Decarbia)


    "Thank you... Interesting...


    [Master, what''s your proposal?](Decarbia)


    "Mine? I also think the Weapon System is required for my plan to quickly boost everyone to Level 100. And also, since I plan to invade the enemy dungeon and destroy as much as possible from it, I think the second option should be the Conqueror''s dominance. I would like more than anything to pick the Social Points boost, but we can''t afford that in the short run..."


    [It makes sense...](Decarbia) - she answered a bit downcast


    "You''re worried about the civilization stagnating, aren''t you?"


    [Is it that obvious, master?](Decarbia)


    "Just a guess. But actually, you needn¡¯t worry about such a thing happening."


    [???](Decarbia)


    "When comparing the current Elves with the humans back in the Tool Age for example, what''s your opinion?"


    [Cannot be compared!](D) - she quickly answered


    "Exactly! Not only do we have less people which are more united and focused on the directions we give, but they are more talented and way smarter. How can our progress be slow? While I agree that it could be much faster, right now we need to sacrifice that advancement speed for the safety of our civilization. Don''t forget that we will be invaded monthly..."


    [That''s true. Seems like my view of the current situation was too narrow...](Decarbia)


    "Not really. In normal circumstances, I would''ve also picked the technological development route since it makes more sense. While having two blessings like the ones I suggested, I would rather have 10 or more from the Social Policies, which will be even better."


    [Then, master wants to say that these aren''t the normal conditions?](Decarbia)


    Seeing her confused expression, I couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly and explain the situation further.


    "Not even close... Not to mention the leader of my group that enjoys absolute chaos more than he should, but the situation itself is also highly unstable due to the lack of information and other variables (like my two ancestors). Given that everything could turn on its head the following second, which do you think it''s safer? To have a highly developed civilization full of scholars, or to have sufficient military strength to defend oneself, irrelevant of what''s thrown your way?"


    [That''s...](Alexandra)


    [Master...](Decarbia)


    [You''ve suffered quite a bit master, haven''t you?](Mia)


    "W-What''s with the pity in your eyes!? I am fine, okay! Focus on the matter at hand!"


    Silence took over the room once more and this time, everyone was properly thinking about the best option to go with. There were many things to consider and even the two options I wanted to pick, I started doubting they were the best choice.


    ¡°At this point I could only count on these three and logic arguments to make my decision¡­¡±


    When comparing the pros and cons, I needed something to help my camp in the short run. Also, in this contest between factions, the one with the strongest fists always wins. Therefore I need to bolster my strength quickly, for which purpose I proposed the Weapon System and Conqueror''s dominance. That way I can create a specialized unit to take care of both defense and attack, while focusing on developing a secondary camp. Combined with the huge amount of points I received and the Soul Upgrade blessing I already have, no matter how I twist and turn, these two are the best option to go with.


    ¡°No matter how I think about it, the two I¡¯ve suggested are the best options I can think of for our current situation. What are your thoughts?¡±

 A new sub-race

    ¡°No matter how I think about it, the two options suggested are the best I can think of in our current situation. What are your thoughts?¡±


    [I agree! Judging from the first blessing you have picked, if we take in consideration the operation from this morning where the entire camp joined us in both dungeon diving and defending (keeping in mind that most of them weren¡¯t very familiar with weapons), if we were to add in the mix a skill that automatically gives them knowledge about how to use them¡­](Alexandra)


    [¡­we could have two hundred people that, at a moment¡¯s notice, could class-change from farmers to soldiers. That is indeed quite the scary thing.](Decarbia)


    [What¡¯s even scarier, is that even without practicing their proficiency won¡¯t be any lower than a person that practiced and fought hundreds of monsters. That means that after conquering their fear, even a person that never went dungeon diving before could easily overpower a monster at the same level, if equipped with proper items.](Mia)


    ¡°Indeed¡­ As for the second blessing, as I see it at least, it literally became a bonus event for our camp. Having the HP and MP doubled and even an extra 50% increase in attributes is already ridiculous, but on top of that off there¡¯s also a 200% increase in experience gained. And we can also do this each two months..."


    [But we don''t know the details yet, master. What if only 10 people can enter?](Mia)


    "Indeed. We have no idea about the restrictions placed on the ''event''. However, if we can attack with at least 100, it''s guaranteed that the dungeon unit will become an elite unit for certain. Anyway, let''s leave that for later and select the two blessings. I am getting real tired, real fast...


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Alert! You have selected the Weapon System blessing!


    Please confirm!  </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">YES</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">NO</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Yes!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Alert! You have selected the Conqueror''s dominance blessing!


    Please confirm!  </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">YES</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">NO</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Yes!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations Midgard for selecting two new blessings!


    Be advised that for the two passive blessings to take effect, there will be a delay of 12 hours!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A half a day required for the miracles to become ingrained in the Status Pages of the population... Somehow, it reminded me of a patch being added to a game...


    "Great! That''s done! What''s next?"


    [Buildings that ha...](Mia)


    "Declined! Tomorrow! Next!"


    [...uhm, research?](Mia)


    "Declined! Tomorrow! Next!"


    [...master...](Mia)


    [Michael, you said you would bring more people. Wouldn''t it be better to do that as soon as possible?](Alexandra)


    "Indeed... However, that is also something I wanted to do tomorrow... Ugh! Fine! Let''s get that done. What''s the situation with the houses?"


    [By building in advance, we can house a total of 1000 at the moment. We have a total of 200 elven houses build up at the moment and we can go with the previous arrangements. Over one hundred houses are currently empty.](Mia)


    "Excellent! That takes care of that, but we will leave it to the department heads to do the introduction and house assignment. Let''s see... where was that interface?"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Achievement store (races)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Human race [LvL 0]: Cost 0 AP ( This race can be upgraded and provide a new type of sub-race each 10 levels. Cost per upgrade: 50.000 SP for LvL 1 )</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Faeries race[LvL 0]: Already bought ( This race can be upgraded and provide a new type of sub-race each 5 levels. Cost per upgrade: 5M SP for LvL 1 )</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Great! We can upgrade the Faerie race first and based on that we will move forward. Let''s..."


    [Michael?](Alexandra)


    "???" - I turned confused to her


    [I cannot see anything...](Alexandra)


    "???" - I looked at her even more confusedIf you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    [Same for me, master.](Decarbia)


    Now this was a surprise! I looked at Mia but she confirmed that she could see it just fine, thing that raised a couple of questions. The girls were able to see the interface up to now with no problems, however all of a sudden there are restrictions placed. Does this have anything to do with the fact that they are souls from that Void Chamber? Actually, if myself and the others under Reaper use the souls as the most important resource in the game from that specific place, what about the other factions? This suddenly became complicated and gave me a really bad feeling.


    "I guess this is a restriction. There is a limit to the amount of information you can have access to, without being a God. Do not worry! As long as it''s something important I will let you girls know as well." - I said smiling


    In truth however, I knew that it was a lie. I didn''t have the heart to tell them the truth. In addition, in Decarbia''s case, I had no idea what she was...


    For now though, I need to focus on finishing the task at hand. Dealing with more than you can handle it''s bad for business!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Would you like to upgrade the Faerie race?


    Cost 5 million SP!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">YES</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">NO</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Yes!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Congratulations! Faerie race has been upgraded to Level 1!


    Would you like to upgrade to the next level?


    Cost 10 million SP!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">YES</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">NO</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Yes!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Congratulations! Faerie race has been upgraded to Level 2!


    Would you like to upgrade to the next level?


    Cost 25 million SP!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">YES</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">NO</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Yes..."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Congratulations! Faerie race has been upgraded to Level 3!


    Would you like to upgrade to the next level?


    Cost 50 million SP!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">YES</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">NO</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "I really don''t like where this is going... yes!"  - I said through gritted teeth


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Congratulations! Faerie race has been upgraded to Level 4!


    Would you like to upgrade to the next level?


    Cost 100 million SP!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">YES</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">NO</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Take an arm and a leg why won''t you!" ¨C I complained while heavily sweating at the number


    [Master, it is not that expensive... We still have over 7 billion SP, even if we spend such an amount.](Mia)


    "That''s true I guess..."


    [Big sis, what is happening?](Alexandra)


    "...yes..." - I answered powerlessly


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Congratulations! Faerie race has been upgraded to Level 5!


    Would you like to upgrade to the next level?


    Cost 250 million SP!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">YES</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">NO</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "NO!" - I yelled back at the system while almost spewing blood


    [[[...]]]


    Seeing the looks the girls were giving me, I felt a bit embarrassed. Nevertheless, truly, this system was created by a black-hearted businessman for certain!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulation Midgard for upgrading the Faerie race to Level 5!


    The Elven sub-race''s attributes increase by 5%!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Due to the Faerie race reaching Level 5, the Druid sub-race has been opened and is available to select!


    You can view the racial information by checking the subpage!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Say what now!? Druids? Where.are.my.fucking.DWARVES????¡±


    [Master? It said something about Druids? That¡¯s amazing!](Mia)


    ¡°I-Is it though? I really wanted the dwarves as the next sub-race¡­¡±


    [Master, if you think about it is the best thing right now!](Mia)


    ¡°How so?¡±


    [I can explain that instead, big sis! Michael, the Druids are like nobles of our race even when compared with us, the elves. They can communicate with the plants and animals and they also have very strong spells of every element. In the past, in a war between elves and another race, a very powerful druid was enraged at an entire sacred forest being cut to the ground and used to build a settlement in the same area. As result, he used his strength to revive the forest and bury the invaders and their homes deep within it.](Alexandra)


    ¡°Is there such a background story? I wonder just what kind of memories or history did Reaper gave the Elves.¡±


    [Moreover, wouldn¡¯t such sort of all-rounded-magicians be extremely beneficial to our camp right now?](Alexandra)


    ¡°Why do you think that?¡±


    [If we are going to suddenly increase our population with an additional 500, the food that we have won¡¯t last us more than one month. Not to mention that the druids can actually tame wild animals that we can further use, but which we will also have to feed. However, with skillful nature attendants like them, our agriculture department will flourish for certain!](Alexandra)


    ¡°You mean to say that, since they can influence plants, we can make use of that and boost our agriculture plans? Indeed if our harvest this upcoming autumn is sufficient, we would have passed yet another milestone.¡±


    [Yes! And not only that! The druids are fierce warriors as well. After taming wild animals, they can link their soul together and use that link to engage their inner bestial instincts. By doing that, they can actually transform in huge animal and wreak havoc through the enemy¡¯s lines.](Alexandra)


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s a blessing in disguise then. Let¡¯s bring some over to help our camp then, shall we?¡±

 Actions speak louder than words

    Browsing through the achievement store, I brought up the racial explanation sub-page and tried to find out what the system¡¯s take on Druids was. I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Druids


    The Druids excel in the fields of magic and agriculture, having exceptional affinity with mana as well as any living things. Being able to conjure magic limited only to their imagination and knowledge, but also able to care about the state of the environment they live in, unlike the Elves which only protect the nature¡¯s status quo, they have an important role in the development of a civilization and balance the technological advancement without hurting the ecosystem.


    One can say that if the Elves are the common folk of the Faerie race, or its guardians at best, the Druids are unmistakably the nobility!


    As part of the Faeries race, their lifespans are also blessed with thousands of years without taking in consideration their evolution to a higher Job Tier through rank up.


    World Tree presence detected in your world!


    Due to synergy effect, the Druids will automatically be converted to your Faith, because of your identity as Divine Guardian (because you planted the World Tree, your identity is automatically recognized as the God of the world, without the need for a Divine Revelation).


    The synergy effect of the World Tree provides a blessing to the Fairies race as follows:


    - an increase of 100% in basic attributes;


    - an increase of 200% in experience gained (general and not limited to assimilation)


    As your World Tree grows to the next level, more blessings will be unlocked!


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Seeing the curious looks the two girls, Alexandra and Decarbia were giving me, I explained to them the description of the Druid sub-race and they both marveled at the status increase the World Tree was giving. Since the benefits would only grow with its rank up, I remembered a certain Divine Artefact that could increase the mana conversion efficiency and was almost 100% sure that it was something I could use in correlation with the World Tree.


    After all, while my divine attribute was chaotic, it was the type of chaotic that will threaten your life, but once the danger pass, there were many gifts to be collected. The Abi-girl life was used to prove this point and I decided against ignoring such an obvious bait, but rather, make use of it!


    [What about the cost, master?](Mia)


    ¡°Right¡­ given the cost for the Elves, it¡¯s likely that the Druids will be more expensive to redeem. However, since we received such lavish gifts after the invasion, we can only use those points to our advantage instead of having them gather dust. Let¡¯s see what we got!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Available population for purchase:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">1 Human - 50.000 SP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">1 Elf - 500.000 SP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">1 Druid - 750.00 SP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Seeing that the amount only increased by 50% instead of the usual double, I couldn¡¯t help but frown. Considering my luck and a certain shitty game God¡¯s interference, I was certain that this wasn¡¯t a good thing. Once something becomes easy or accessible, it signified that right across the corner, there was a huge pitfall lying in wait.


    Nevertheless, theory and reality are two different things and without any information, it was just baseless speculation (some might be saying even slander) that will have a detrimental effect on both my mood and the festive mood of the camp. Therefore, I could only grit my teeth and prepare for the worst¡­ as always¡­


    [Master?](Mia)


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ Just thinking about some annoying things. Mia, Alexandra, Decarbia¡­ I have decided to bring over a total of 500 Druids and another 300 Elves. Not only that, but we will focus on a second camp effective immediately and call a meeting tomorrow to talk with everyone about it. I will think about the details and specifics of it as we go, but I want to hear your thoughts.¡±


    [800 new people? Master, even Mia said that 500 it¡¯s the maximum we can handle at the moment. Are you sure we can do this? We are talking about increasing our numbers five times fold¡­](Decarbia)


    ¡°If we were on Earth, no! However, this is Midgard! Not only are the inhabitants more tolerant and understanding, but they are kinder as well. We will make use of this situation to make a power move and bolster our forces, through which we could quickly make a leap in both the military and the technological fields.¡±


    [I agree with your view, Michael! If there is a time for it, it is certainly now while the morale and the sentiment of our people are at its highest. From a logistic standpoint, the resource our camp lacks the most right now, are people. With such an influx, we could double, if not, triple the speed with which our civilization advances.](Alexandra)


    [While that might be true, we can¡¯t be sure it is the right thing to do. Having two different sub-races living in the same area could pose problems, while segregating them into two camps would be even worse. I can list an endless amount of examples in the history of Earth where such things had catastrophic endings¡­](Mia)


    ¡°Then, your suggestion to make it work?¡±


    [Haaah¡­ master, are you certain you want to rush this?](Mia)


    ¡°Yes!¡± ¨C I answered stubbornly


    [The I would advise to split the people in the camp fairly, half and half. Not only that, but go the extra mile and include the same type of 50/50 mix in the important groups such as the dungeon diving unit, the Agriculture Chamber, etc. In addition, for the secondary camp, we need to send some of the current departments heads, but also promote some new blood from the Druids side. It will be a truly grueling process and we might fail a couple of times in our tries. Of course, that might be just me using the Earth when comparing.](Mia)


    ¡°No! I think you are right and we should prepare for the worst case scenario. Only that way we can respond accordingly. Then, I guess the decision has been made, right?¡±


    [Yes.](Mia)


    [Mhm!](Alexandra)The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    [Of course.](Decarbia)


    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s proceed then! Buy 500 Druids and 300 Elves!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Warning! Warning! Warning!


    Population purchase has currently been restricted and it can only be completed by the World''s administrator within the civilization''s designated interface waypoint.


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    When a blue window suddenly popped up, it caught both myself and the three girls by surprise, creating small gasps in the silent room. To suddenly face a restriction which wasn¡¯t existent prior to the invasion, was an obvious sign that my authority over the world I created, faced some interference.


    ¡°Certainly, there¡¯s always a flip side to the coin! Is the system worried that I might have too much of a headstart and try to place restrictions to make the game fair? If that¡¯s the case, I have no desire to comply with such blatant interference. I¡¯m not going to dance on the palm of their hands for entertainment purposes, but rather use that very own palm to bitch-slap them across the face if they think they can use me as a pawn.¡±


    ¡°Okay then! You three remain here and rest, while I will go and visit the Town Hall. That¡¯s the only probable ¡®interface waypoint¡¯, so I have to go there and complete the adjustments.¡±


    When I left the house and saw the Elves sprawled around in the grass under the World Tree, I couldn¡¯t help but agree with Alexandra¡¯s point. From a population standpoint, we were doing poorly! However, the answer to suddenly increase it five fold will be a bet that I was willing to take. Why? Because in this world, I was God and God always has the final word!


    While shaking my head in a useless attempt at clearing away the distracting thoughts, I already reached the Town Hall and entered it. Once again, I was caught off guard because of the changes that occurred to this room.


    The previously cave-like room with an out-of-place state of the art virtual interface, was now replaced with an office meeting room, where a huge table and about 50 chairs were placed before the same interface.


    Deciding to hold any meetings relevant to our civilization development here, from this point onward, I took a chair at the head of the table, facing the ¡®waypoint¡¯ that shouldn¡¯t be restricted anymore.


    ¡°Bring up the sub-page for the Achievement Store that will allow me to buy new population.¡±


    After a simple order, the same pop-up window appeared in front of me.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Available population for purchase:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">1 Human - 50.000 SP (specific Earth race)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">1 Elf - 500.000 SP (fantastic race, nature related)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">1 Druid - 750.00 SP(fantastic race, nature related)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°I would like to buy 500 Druids and 300 Elves.¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Alert!


    If you would like to proceed, 500 Druids will cost 375M Soul Points, while the 300 Elves will cost 150M Soul Points.


    The grand total spent, will bring you up to525M.


    Will you like to proceed?</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">YES</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">NO</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Yes!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Confirmation received!


    Deducting 525M Soul Points from the player¡¯s funds.


    Please specify the genders and approximate age of the population you have purchased!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°The gender huh? For the Elves they shall be split on a ratio of 1/3, one quarter being males while the other three quarters females. For the Druids¡­ Ugh¡­ 200 will be males while the remaining 300 will be females. Adjust the body¡¯s age around 20.¡±


    <table style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Confirmation received!


    Proceeding with the migration of the souls!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Oh fuck! I forgot that they would be brought here instantly. It might cause some panic¡­¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Alert!


    Due to the influence of the World Tree, the technological advancement, as well as the multiple blessings Midgard has, a period of 36 hours will be required before migration.


    Player, please prepare to receive the migrators!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Breathing in relief, I took another look at the message that gave me a bit of a reprieve while pondering what the fuck I¡¯m I supposed to do next. Yes, having the two raced mix would be hard and it might not even be effective without a proper leader taking control of the camps. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move, or have the girls leave my side either, so I was pondering how should I implement the Chinese lording system. If that could work, I might be able to have the two camps set up different departments (technological, military, agricultural, etc.), with a proper camp leader that will answer to me and the girls.


    ¡°But that isn¡¯t even the most important thing. I did decide on building a second camp, but where the hell I¡¯m I supposed to put it¡­ Bring up the world map by focusing it around the World Tree and our current camp!¡±


    A properly detailed map was brought up and not only was I able to see everything on it, I also had a specified area through which my current civilization scouted or passed through. It was impressive to see that in such a little period of time, we managed to plow through such a large area.


    ¡°Given that the wide forest covers a big part of the North, South and West of the continent, the only option is to go East. It is also the safest option because of the Dungeon in that area being the lowest threatening one. I would love to set up the second camp by the river, however that is utterly impossible given that it could just as well be on a different continent due to the stupid distance. I think it would take by foot, at least two weeks to reach the shore and that is by continuously walking. I must settle for a camp in the clear plains. With them, I will be able to focus heavily on agriculture and industry. That area has many ore deposits a bit north and could grow into a huge city as times goes on. I should check with the girls first and set up a meeting with the other important figures in our civilization to present the idea.¡±


    Stretching a bit, I realized that I unknowingly spent almost an hour in the Town Hall, so I got up and left for home. I felt more tired than ever and my insides were still hurting from forcibly devouring a higher being. Now that I think about it, even said aloud, it is utterly ridiculous.


    ¡°Those ancestors of mine are quite scary. I should organize their memories and see if I can uncover more mysteries.¡±


    Sighing again, I realized that since the true start of the game was announced, it became a habit of mine. I really disliked it. I could only climb into our bed, surrounded by the three beautiful girls and sleep in their embrace. That would wash away all the fatigue gathered throughout this day.


    ¡°As for sex¡­ Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to do it, but I don¡¯t want to force them either. I guess I will just let nature take its¡­ course¡­¡±


    As for why my thought process was so suddenly interrupted, that was because three heaven-shaking beauties were sitting on our bed, barely dressed in a transparent camisole each. With Mia¡¯s body taking after Eternity, but with that beautiful red hair of hers, Alexandra¡¯s supple body and bashful expression, Decarbia¡¯s alluring and almost demonic-like body filled with mature charm¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but gulp.


    ¡°It seems like they made their decision. As a guy, no questions should be asked!¡±


    ¡°Activate Pandemonium! Air Wall!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Pandemonium successfully activated! Air Wall has been created!


    Mana required to sustain a wall of continuously moving air around the room is 50MP/second.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Activate Imaginarium! 18+ version!¡±


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">¡­Imaginarium activated!</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Ignoring the almost complaining system''s voice, I glanced around me. With a film around the room blocking all sounds from entering or exiting, while also keeping a cool temperature and other ¡®tools¡¯ that would make even the most straightforward person shy, a truly awesome night started.


    After all, actions speak louder than words!

 Mid-summer nights (Part 1)

    Laying on my back after a very intense ''workout'', I whisper in a very low voice¡­


    ¡°Pandemonium, deactivate. Imaginarium, deactivate!¡±


    Looking at the three girls heavily asleep by my side and seeing how outside is already dark, a satisfied smile lingers on my face. Who knew that once my body was reconstructed by usage of divinity, I received such a ¡®boost¡¯¡­?


    ¡°I have to admit, even I am pleasantly surprised by my performance.¡±


    Happy but tired, I went through everything that happened since I ¡®died¡¯ at the hands of a certain redhead until now, recalling each event, in an attempt to gather more details about my situation.


    Unable to find anything of help, I let out a sigh through which I admitted defeat and closed my eyes. I hoped that sleep will provide me with the much needed clarity I desire.


    Listening to the breathing of the three beauties by my side, I synchronized mine with theirs and let my mind wander¡­


    A warm ray of sun touches my pale skin, as I open my eyes seeing the next breath I take leaking out in the cold air from my room just like it happens in winter time. I open my eyes again and instinctively look outside the window, trying to confirm that the long night has passed and that is morning again. I instinctively know that I have relived the same dream I keep on having since childhood and now that I am awake, the only proof of it happening, are the sweat on clothes that are glued to my body and the inexplicably cold air in my room, even if outside is hot as hell. It is summer again and the embrace from the girl of my dreams seems to be a really "cool" experience.


    Like I already mentioned, I¡¯ve been having this dream since childhood, therefore, not being able to dream anything else but this weird and psychotic scene where I am murdered in cold blood by a real beauty, made my parents think I¡¯ve got at least one or two screws lose. It only happened after I have been checked by many doctors and psychologists, that all of them have been rendered speechless by this occurrence, raising the white flag and giving up on me and my realistic dreams. Not even a single one of them has been able to figure out what was wrong with me, fact that scared my folks even more, mom finding peace in the opened arms of the church, praying to a God she knew almost nothing about until that point, as where dad told me somewhere between the age of nine and ten: ''You''re a man! Deal with your own problems!''


    To me though, it did not look like there was anything abnormal...well except for the dream. What I mean is that I was perfectly sane and able to use my head, unlike other people around me. Taking into account that I have had this nightmare so often, I spent many nights from my childhood without sleep, fearing what could happen once I close my eyes. However, with time, it became somewhat normal for me that once I close my eyes, a girl will try (and eventually succeed despite my attempts to stop it) to stab me to death. Come to think of it, the annoying fact about all this, is that after 18 years worth of having this dream, probably with the first five or six that I can''t remember, even now I don''t know how she looks like. Sometimes I remember glimpses of that dream once I am awake, like her red fiery hair and her cherry-red lips, but I forget them soon enough only to be reminded again in the next night''s dream.


    That, for me is really weird and bothersome! After all, I have spent so many mornings waking up screaming and covered in sweat...


    [Same nightmare?] ¨C he asked calmly while sipping coffee from a coup


    [It sure is cold like hell in here, did you let the A/C on again? The bill for this month is going to burry us both and here you are, trying to recreate the North Pole!! How many times must I tell you? There is no Santa Claus!!]


    That is my roommate Vic. He is my best friend, as well as my cousin. One year older than me, thing that makes him almost 19 and I can''t help but thinking of him as my older brother while, of course, he sees me as his younger and somewhat dumber brother. We have been together ever since I was born, because of my mother and his father being very close as brother and sister, which meant that our childhood was pretty much spent nagging and fighting each other, doing normal things that any child would.


    Now that we are a bit older, things have changed and our relationship got a more mature air. Even so, with him being smarter, better looking and older (things that are reminded to me on daily basis), he always looks out for me and gives me the help I want, if I need it. How could I get ever angry with him? It''s a complicated relationship between us, but even so, we care a lot about each other.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¨C I replied while scratching my head with my right hand and yawning


    ¡°It''s getting really tiresome! Come to think of it, what the hell are you doing on my bed with a coup of coffee in your...Fuck! Did I scream again?¡±


    [Yep! And it was kind of funny, in a native Indian sort of way! If you stop and think about it for a second, you''re just like my personal alarm clock in the morning. I do not have to worry about the time that I go to sleep, or the condition I am when I do! You will wake me up for sure, even if I happen to freaking die!] (Vic)


    ¡°And you let me have that nightmare while you were staying over there and enjoying your coffee and I was being daggered through the heart by a psychopathic woman!?¡±


    [Yep! Want some?](Vic)


    ¡°Get the fuck out...and make me some too!¡± ¨C I said while throwing a pillow at him


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    [Think of it as a payback for my sleep depravation...It''s KARMA man, KARMA!](Vic)


    With him laughing and me smiling bitterly, it seems like a just a normal day, if I ignore this massive headache I have.


    He left the room and opened the kitchen door, made obvious by the sound the cups from the upper shelf when he knocked one into another. I got up and while I was putting some clothes on and trying to do something that wanted to be some kind of stretch, there I was, wondering how long it will take before he will start nagging me again. We are staying in a small apartment where the rent is acceptable by the way. Nothing fancy, but at the same time, a cozy space that you can call "home far from home". It is a place we both chose out of convenience, so that we could have access to both university and some really close super-markets.


    Of course, as I previously guessed, he couldn''t stop teasing me so our discussion continued, like always, with him believing that he is always right. And you know what the worst part of it is? He IS always right!


    [You know, I really cannot understand you coz''!] ¨C he said while entering my room and passing me a coup of fresh coffee


    [You are living the dream! Literally!](Vic)


    ¡°Kind of... "dying the dream" maybe? Have to note that down somewhere before you continue your sermon...¡±


    [Do you know how many guys want to dream about a girl at least once a week? And you have that dream every time you fall asleep! But, to make things worse, you keep complaining about it! That is just like you...] (Vic)


    ¡°Shut up! I''m sure if you would have this dream, you''d "rise" to meet her expectation, but knowing your personality, i''m pretty sure that with a dagger in her hand, you''ll ''lose your head'' in the process. If you know what I mean¡­¡±


    [Oh! A morning joke? Sure! Make fun of the big guy! However, just so you know, if I was instead of you in that dream, she wouldn''t be holding a dagger in her right hand!](Vic)


    ¡°Ahh!! Just great! Now that''s an image I didn''t want to see like, EVER... Excuse me while I go iron my eyes out! Don''t you have classes Vic?¡±


    [Don''t YOU, have classes Michael? I mean if you skip anymore, I am pretty sure that you won''t pass this year! You sleep way too much. You are like an Olympic sleeper! Go outside, talk with your friends and while you are at it, you had better look for a job, because your only chance of passing this year, is by passing through the university''s doors! Got it? Like passing from one place to another... HAHAHA!] ¨C he said while laughing by himself


    Yes! That is my name: Michael Kyrie. I have kept on asking my parents about it, quite a few times, but they didn''t tell me anything of use. All that I know is that Kyrie means "lord" or something classy like that, thing we inherited from an ancestor of ours. Speaking of which, there¡¯s a strong feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu now that I think about it¡­ Anyway, about me there aren''t many things to say...I like all kinds of music, movies, and any other activities that involves moving very little and not giving a shit about the outside world. To put it simply I am a very plain person, pretty normal I may add, despite what others may think. My favorite sport, if that would exist, would be sleeping. Yes you''ve heard me right, sleeping! Even with that crazy dream I still like to spend a lot of time lazing in bed. Why? Well I asked myself that very same question many times, but the answer seemed to be always the same: because I get bored easily! And as result to that I couldn''t help but to find life, the same way: boring, simple and without any trace of anything fun or abnormal in it. It should be noted that the reason I probably got this view of the world, would be because of that dream. It made me want more than this life had to give and it transformed over the years in a passion for the supernatural (if you''d like to see it that way) and a continue wish to change or exchange this world with one that could keep my already abnormal mind, busy.


    The real world and the dream that I kept on having each time I would fall asleep, didn''t quite pair up well, so in return for keeping my sanity intact, the normality of the world and the abnormality of my dream became the attraction to supernatural. Quite simple actually! And healthy...


    [Dude, I must leave in five minutes or I¡¯ll be late for my first class!](Vic)


    ¡°Thank Reaper! Sure Vic! Don''t worry about me! Go and have a nice day, while I will fall asleep in those same...five minutes!?¡± ¨C I said, while pausing because of something that didn¡¯t seem right


    [Reaper? Are you still half asleep? Come on Mike, I¡¯m serious! Wake up and do something! Anything! It''s a beautiful day outside, the sun is up, it''s full of people and you should just go and enjoy the beauty of it. Find a job, find a girlfriend, find some unicorns for all I care! Just get out of the damned bed and do something!](Vic)


    ¡°Ugh... lots of people and a scorching summer Sun. Two things I hate the most paired up in a fucking combo!¡± -I thought


    It annoys me how ignorant is the human as a species and I consider myself more of a night person anyway. Therefore, getting up from the bed at 10 o''clock in the morning, only to deal with heat and other people is too much of a drag...As result, i just sleep throughout the day and get out after the stars appear, to just look at the sky, breathe in the cold air of the night, when there''s almost no one else outside that could do anything to ruin the perfect scenery. I can enjoy the moon and the silence as much as I please, without having anyone to bother me.


    ¡°But I don''t wanna go! It is hot outside and booooring! I wanna stay insindeeeeeee....¡± ¨C I complained


    [What are you!? Five? Get out of the bed Mike! It''s been three days since you left the house. If you go and search for some jobs, try at the mid-market, the one after ¡®FreeSells¡¯.If you are searching for some friends, you might ¡®wanna¡¯ pass through the campus. I am sure you''ll find your lost friends somewhere in there, maybe even in....CLASSES! I will be back late so don''t wait for me. Man, scolding you take to much time and effort! Gotta¡¯ run or I¡¯ll be late!](Vic)


    ¡°Fine mom! I''ll go out today...after all this talk, my sleep has gone out trough the window. Thanks a lot Vic!¡±


    [Shut up and get dressed properly already! You took your t-shirt backwards... And take a shower first! You stink! Bye!](Vic)


    While getting up from the bed, I had this strange feeling how I should be careful not to wake up someone, but then turned around and found the bed empty. This sort of strange feeling, made the headache grow worse¡­

 Mid-summer nights (Part 2)

    Taking Vic¡¯s advice and feeling the need for a cold, refreshing shower, I threw myself in the bathroom. While undressing and passing in front of the mirror, I stopped for a moment, feeling like my brain just paused for some reason. Seeing myself with the corner with the corner of my eyes, muscles still tensed because of the nightmare and veins seemingly wanting to burst out, there was a strong feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Because of it, my headache became stronger and stronger, the more I tried to realize why¡­


    Therefore, I just let the water drown away everything, thinking about what I should do today.


    I decided to go out in order to ¡®enjoy the beauty of the summer¡¯ and since I wasn¡¯t paying attention to my surroundings at all, I almost slipped and fall.


    ¡°For Reaper¡¯s sake! Dying in the bathroom sounds totally not Epic!!!¡±


    Once again, I stopped just like lightning struck me, confused about the weird expression. Something about everything around me appeared to be off for some reason and I couldn¡¯t put my finger on the reason behind it. To make matters worse, the more I tried to figure out why, the worse my headache turned to be.


    So, once more, I turned to ignorance and after dressing up, went into the kitchen. Seeing the time on the old clock hanging from the wall, I decided that I should skip breakfast and simply cook lunch.


    ¡°What should I prepare?¡±


    Looking at the ingredients in the fridge, I brought out my phone to search for some recipes. I also swore myself to find work in a restaurant business for a couple of months since I love cooking. Overseas if possible!


    On the phone, seeing the What¡¯s Up app, I zoned out for a moment, unable and unwilling to move. I felt like if I did, I would forget something important¡­


    ¡°Was I added onto a new group recently? I feel like I forgot something about it¡­¡±


    Seeing that it was useless and I couldn¡¯t remember anything, I focused on cooking some simple lunch and satiate my hunger.  After that, giving up and sighing, I decided to go out for once. Taking the first step outside, while the door didn¡¯t even close behind me yet, I realized that I was right straight away: the heat was absolutely unbearable, the people were just walking around smiling like maniacs, stomping onto the almost melting concrete like a pack of ignorant elephants.


    ¡°Foolish bastards! Now I have to consciously avoid walking into others on this terrible scorch!?¡±


    Looking at the slightly ajar door behind me, I was unsure if I should give up and walk back inside, or continue on this deadly quest. After a loud gulp, summoning all my courage, I took my first step out!


    Maybe I was just imagining things, however, it felt as if I was looking at the crowds continuously passing by me with different eyes than before. The happy couples holding hands, the salarymen and women that are running in order to make it in time to work, the teens barely taking their eyes out of the phone while avoiding to crash into others¡­ everything seemed¡­ off¡­


    By a miracle granted by the Gods, I was able to find a park surrounded by the walls of an old citadel. It gave the impression of being guarded by those huge walls and the light-poles that were everywhere you would look. I was impressed that even during daylight, I managed to discover this amazing place without giving up and running home, place which at first sight, seemed to be brought to life from an old book.


    I found myself an isolated bench somewhere close to an enormous Oak-tree and sat down there, while I watched people passing by. The wind going through the leaves, the smell of the moss from the walls surrounding me, all seemed surreal to the point where, for a second, I even forget where I was. It was so quiet, thing that it reminded myself why I don''t like being in the company of other people. I lied down, closed my eyes and fell asleep, while hearing the wind playing in the trees, the song of the birds and the warmth of the sun on my face.


    I woke up several hours later on the same bench, only that the sun had already faded and the moon took his place. For the first time in my life, I did not dream about the girl, in fact I did not dream at all. I just slept for like, many hours and woke up like any other normal person would do, without sweating and panting like a psychopath.


    I yawned while stretching my back. A person was sitting on the bench across the alley, looking at me... well, more like staring than looking, thing that felt kind of strange.


    [Hey!] ¨C a girl''s voice reached my ear, while I was looking to see if I still had all my belongings


    ¡°Hey....¡± ¨C I answered awkwardly while trying to see her face


    Weirdly enough, she was staying on a bench near to a light pole that, even weirder, did not work. That kind of freak me out, because it was the only one, from what I could see, that didn''t work from the whole freaking park!!!


    I''ve blamed my anxiety and lack of confidence in girls which faces I can''t see, on my absurdly scary dream and prepared to make a run for it.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    [You''ve been sleeping for quite a while. Are you okay?]


    Hearing the tone that appeared honestly worried, I gaped while instantly got up to my feet.


    "If I am okay? Leaving that aside, how does she know how much I¡¯ve slept? Man, a stalker is so not what I need right now."


    "Yea...it''s kind of relaxing for me. I like sleeping outdoors during summer, although I have a house and bed! You know¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry but is kind of late. I gotta run, or my friend is going to kill me!¡± ¨C I said in order to leave without being rude


    [Sure! We''ll talk again later.] ¨C she answered while waving at me


    No idea where that came from... I guess I just didn''t want her to think that I was a hobo. Anyway, this situation was awkward so I decided to end our conversation and, more important, get the hell out of here!!!


    ¡°Sorry but is kind of late. I gotta run, or my friend is going to kill me!¡± ¨C I said in order to leave without being rude


    [Sure! We''ll talk again later.] ¨C she answered while waving at me


    For the millionth time today, my brain shut the fuck down!


    "Wait-what!? Later? OWWW HELL NAAAAW!!! I have no idea who you are, because of course, I¡¯ve like, NEVER SEEN YOU BEFORE!!!. What is with the "later"? Shit! This girl is weird! I''d better leave before she starts transforming into something..."


    ¡°Okay! Take care!¡± ¨C I said while leaving with stupidly huge strides


    [You too! Beware of the dark alleys...]


    While almost tripping, I quickly turn my head because of that last line she threw at me.


    "Beware of your mom! Who the fuck still uses ¡®beware¡¯ this days!?"


    Obviously though, nobody was there anymore! She just vanished in the thin air... ¡®beware of the dark alleys¡¯? The hairs on my arms was literally standing attention¡­


    Scary lines, girl with no face staying under a light-pole, the only one I could see not working and now is shining brighter than any other, plus teleporting herself God knows where.... motherfucker!!! She scared me so good that I almost shat my pants!


    You would think that after a life of nightmares, I won''t get frightened that easily, but there I was, trying not to ruin my underwear!


    Obviously, I ran out of there like the devil himself was behind me and once I got out of the park and blend in between other people looking at me like a lunatic, I took one last look at the park walls while a shiver ran down my spine. There she was, on the edge of the walls, balancing her legs back and forward, just like a murderous psychopathic schoolgirl. I panicked like hell and wanted to scream like a schoolgirl myself, but, I knew from experience and movies that, if I would scream and point at her, she will disappear and I will be left looking like a lunatic myself. Therefore, I ignored her and walked calmly straight home looking like a freaking dancing robot that is pacing around the street really, really fast!


    Damn! She scared me so good that everything seemed suspicious and every person looked evil... and that last line... what the fuck was that? It sounded like a line from ''The Ring''! And no, that¡¯s not that one that involves pretty elves and cute hobbits! The horror one with the creepy girl coming out of the fucking TV!!! And, even worse, those movies aren''t fun at all when you''re alone!


    I tried calming myself, took a deep breath and continued walking. I just looked at the sky and remembered why I love the night so much. All those stars, the moon and the tranquility of the world¡­ it was just too beautiful to put in words. I know that it sounds like the thing a very romantic person would say, but I am not into that kind of stuff. Night sky and dreams are the perfect combo for a lazy-ass like me even if I am awake, that''s all. Usually people like the night only in the presence of someone precious to them, like lovers for example. Been there, done that! I actually thought for some time that, the reason for which I love nighttime so much, was because I longed to be alone with the girl I love and other romantic shit like that. However, I¡¯ve long passed that period - even if it was not even couple of months ago - and now is just admiration for the calm and the beauty of the night... obviously, when you aren¡¯t stalked by a malevolent and creepy schoolgirl which throws scary fucking lines at you!


    I don''t know... for me is a period of mystery and soul-searching, but for the girls that I¡¯ve dated, it was just an excuse to drop some clothes on the ground and have fun...Of course, I didn''t mind that on bit, but I didn''t want to have by my side a person who doesn''t like the same things as I do. That turned me into a ¡®loner pup¡¯, to put it Vic¡¯s words. I was just looking at the moon wanting to howl. Who knew that from this night forward, I would never be able to look the same way at the moon or the stars again?


    The silence in the air was briefly interrupted by a sharp shrill and a womanly voice soon followed:


    [Help me! Somebody help me please me....NO!!! Stay away!!!]


    I took a really deep breath and judged the situation logically. Her voice sounded so loud and clear in my head, but the place from where it was coming from....a dark alley. Dude, I know the drill, believe me: don''t ever, and I mean EVER, do what idiots do in horror movies!


    Simple and easy to understand, now that this whole scene was just like one of those shitty written scripts, where you wait for someone to pop out of the shadows with an axe in his right hand and a head in his left, even if it''s his own head.


    Nevertheless, something clicked inside me because of that voice and before I could even think what to do, I was running towards the alley. I mean not running, sprinting! It was something about it that made me worry, plus that, it is every chauvinist¡¯s secret desire to help a damsel in distress. I thought that maybe she is being threatened by some guy, or she has twisted an ankle ¨C which if I thought a bit about I probably couldn¡¯t do shit about anyway ¨C but this time... it wasn''t the case. Not at all! Or the time to be the gentleman for that matter...

 Mid-summer nights (Part 3)

    ¡°Hey! Are you ok? Where are you? Please say something!¡± ¨C I¡¯ve kept shouting while approaching the creepy place where her voice came from


    It took only a couple of seconds after I finished my sentence, and the worst case scenario occurred. As I remembered what the girl on the park said, I could feel something like a chill running down my spine and a crawling feeling of fright inside my stomach. My brain was telling me to run like I never ran before, but my whole body was paralyzed and glued to the ground. It was as the air itself grew heavy and it was pressing on my body from all directions, as I could feel another person¡¯s presence closing in on me, just like you would in a night terror. I was so scared that I could not even blink.


    ¡°Fucking way to go heavens! No fucking good deed left unpunished! Motherfucker!!!¡±


    Then, my train of thoughts was stopped as the shadows of night revealed the silhouette of a person walking towards me. I cannot express in words how huge was my fear in that moment, or my pupils for that matter, but when the cloud that was conveniently covering the moon was blown away by a cold gust of wind, the rays of moonlight revealed the body of a human walking calmly towards me. Once I calming down a bit and started to prepare logically, by concentrating only on my sight, I realized that the forming shadows belonged to a girl. Sandals with high heels, blue jeans and the more that person came closer to me, I saw a t-shirt with a message saying ¡®For my lover¡¯ and a black hoody. From her body forms, I indeed could tell that she was a girl but I couldn''t see her face because of the hoody...


    ¡°Why I¡¯m I having this problem with girls recently?¡± ¨C I complained unhappily in my mind


    She somehow passed by me, managing to escape my sight and a wave of cold air chained my body, to the point where I could barely resist falling to the ground as my knees felt weaker than ever. She got behind me, and her arms slowly touched my back, my neck, the shoulders, the chest, until they united in a tight embrace.


    [I finally found you!]


    It was the same voice that I heard screaming before, only that this time, instead of the obvious fear in it, it rather inspired dread, making my soul tremble. I felt as if I was hearing a church''s bell ringing slowly, but loud enough to wake me up from my slumber, a strange feeling altogether. In the seconds that she kept her arms united, embracing me, I somewhat got used to her presence and the fear was dissipating. I looked down at her hands, as I couldn''t move my body yet.


    Her fragile looking hands resting above my own, the feeling of her lips kissing my neck making my body and brain shut down and the feeling of her tears trickled on my skin, I was reminded all of those things I used to dream about every time I would fall asleep.


    ¡°I¡¯m still asleep?¡± ¨C I wondered


    [Look! The hourglass is almost empty...you nearly got away this time to! You know how hard it is for me to track you every time you have been reborn, just to find out that you have died again? Really now! What is with you and the death while young? You have to talk with Luci about this; there is something really wrong with you!]


    "What is she talking about? Something wrong with me? Lady, I¡¯m not the one talking about being reborn, died again and this Luci? Anyway, if this is the same dream, then¡­the hourglass! If I remember, now are about ...ten grains remaining and she holds it in her left hand, while in her right..."


    At that point, I looked scared and rattled at her right hand only to find it empty. The feeling of relief that I felt, it was indescribable, but soon, her voice that sounded as soft as a summer breeze, somewhat clumsy and embarrassed as if she had forgot something, punched me back to reality like a tsunami smashing against the shore. Any trace of peace or comfort disappeared when she completed her phrase.


    [Oh! I almost forget about this...] ¨C and she pulled out a dagger from her belt


    [Do you know how hard was to find this damned knife? It took me over two hundred years just to find out about it and another fifteen hundred to actually find it... Was there a reason to be so secretive about it!? Nobody in our group knew where it was and you were the only one still left in the nether from the four of you! I didn¡¯t expect you out of all of us to be this silly¡­]


    There it was. The instrument of my demise was right in front of me.


    However, after calming down the beating heart in my chest that seemed to leap out of my throat, I noticed that it was slightly different from the one in my dreams, since this one had black hilt and white blade, being the exact opposite of the other one. Of course, that didn''t mean that I was off the hook, after all, this one had a blade also. Somehow, everything was different from all the things that happened in my previous dreams, because this time I wasn''t THAT scared...I mean, sure! I was paralyzed with fear, but I wasn''t scared of her-her. More than that, I actually found her comfortable, if I can use that about a person. I had a weird feeling about how, sleeping next to someone recently changed my mind¡­ But I don¡¯t do sleepovers either¡­ Maybe this whole thing is because right now, I still think about it as being a dream that I was having while I was sleeping on a bench in the park and/or because of what Vic told me this morning about ¡®enjoying a girl¡¯s presence¡¯. Either way, this didn¡¯t feel like a dream, neither was the case to enjoy anything. This one meant business! Serious business!If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    The sound of the sands flowing reached my ear and with it, the scenario of my dream being followed to the letter right after she kissed my neck again passing over the depressing emotions and a bone chilling feeling of loneliness and incertitude...


    [Do you mind?] ¨C she asked while pointing at my shirt with the dagger and smiling [We should do this more often, by the way!]


    She then undid my entire shirt''s buttons with a gentle touch, only to finish after putting the hourglass in my left hand and the dagger in my right.


    [Be careful with those two please! Despite the huge price I paid for them, they are really easy to break. By the way, next time we go out, you are the one paying!]


    Those words made me so happy! Not the ¡®go out, part, obviously! The ¡®easily breakable¡¯ one. If I could just move my hand a bit, I could drop them and call it quits with this stupid dream where I end up dead! However, before I could do anything, the sound of the sand falling shocked my body so hard that, if she had not caught me, I would have smashed into the ground myself.


    [Easy now! Sorry! I forgot about that...Ahem! ¡®If the person who''s time is represented by the hourglass and the object itself come in contact, not only the time will go off faster, but the person will also experience a lot of physical and psychological pain¡­¡¯ See? It''s written here right under instructions. But then again, that serves you right for leaving me alone and making me search for you for over a half of a millennium! Anyway, don''t worry, this time I¡¯ll be staying with you ''till it ends. And maybe even after! If you''ll apologize properly, of course...]


    If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t you first, I don¡¯t know, take the damned thing out of my hands!? And what¡¯s with the splitting headache again?


    [Well...anyway! Look, it''s starting!] ¨C she said, making me look at the dagger


    [I think you''re paralyzed from being in my presence, so I¡¯ll help you see!]


    Then I realized that I was already resting in her lap and tried to sneak a peek at her face, however her hands quickly made me face towards the dagger in my right hand. The colors from the dagger were changing places, the white going up in the hilt and the black going down in the blade. That scared me shitless, seeing something impossible like that happening in front of my very eyes. Yet again, there was nothing normal about this girl, or the scenario that I was experiencing. But, I wasn¡¯t as surprised as I expected? Did I see something similar or worse than this recently? Strange¡­


    [Scared much?] ¨C she asked teasingly


    [Ohh....I see! You don''t remember anything do you? Well, in that case let me tell you at least about the dagger, since I¡¯ve already explained the hourglass. You see, this dagger is like the one you used in order to leave your body from back then. You used it like a vessel for your soul to inhabit. Of course, you can think about it like a syringe if you want to make it plain and not as interesting. After all, that is what it does and that is what you did. The dagger if, you remember a while ago, it was black hilt and white blade when I put it in your hand, and when you first used, a very long time ago, it was completely white. After you took out your soul, the blade became black for storing it and after a short while, it was passed into the hilt. Now, if i hold it, the colors will remain the same and the soul will be kept in check. However, once you touched it, it moved at the point of the blade trough this two red lines getting ready for the transfer in your body. Also the hilt is removable. Simple right? After all I am a good teacher...oh, and the symbol here, the bird with black wings, it''s your soul''s symbol. That is all that is to it!]


    "Yeah, I guess that makes sense.. Like hell it does!!! What are you going on about? Is this girl or something? What soul? What serine? What hilt? Have you completely lost it?"


    That''s what I thought, but it was all there. My dream had been upgraded to a deluxe version, where everything comes with a manual full of instructions and the confirmation that I truly have a black soul and a dark heart. I mean, all the conversations from my dream, the objects, this ritual, all is being explained and completed right now. And even more than that, as she explained everything to me, I could finally see her face properly.


    I saw again her cherry-red lips moving while she explained everything to me, her flaming red hair falling on my face that felt so soft, her small beautiful nose, her pale skin and her beautiful eyes, bluer and deeper than any ocean or sky I¡¯ve ever seen in my whole life. Her portrait was now complete and after 18 years of waiting, I can surely say that was worth it. She was by far, the most beautiful girl I¡¯ve encountered on this life and I lucky enough to use her lap as pillow. But¡­ why did this feel so familiar? Why does she feel so familiar? That red hair of hers and the eyes that had the power to see into your very soul¡­ Did I see them before in a different dream?


    The midnight didn¡¯t give way to answers and with the warmth of her body, her hands touching my face while explaining everything with a cheerful smile... I guess I had worse birthday parties than this.


    [Saw something you like, hotstuff?] ¨C she asked me while smiling


    "Sorry, didn''t mean to stare! I found it hard... to¡­ look¡­¡±


    And the words got stuck in my throat. I answered without thinking and what surprised me even more was the fact that I could, indeed, speak. Doesn''t this change the whole setting of the dream?

 Mid-summer nights (Part 4)

    "If I could speak, wouldn''t that change everything?"


    However, I didn¡¯t get the chance to consider anything else, as a pair of lips pressed down on mine, sealing away my power to speak. Seeing her lick her lips with satisfaction afterward, made me stunned and strangely happy. However, I also was at a loss for words... I honestly had no idea how to treat this strange dream anymore.


    [Hehe! Now that I got my payment, let¡¯s finish the ritual. You might be comfortable, but my legs are killing me¡­ I don¡¯t understand why you and my brother had to decide on such a stupidly complex ritual for the¡­]


    For the? I couldn''t hear the last part... her lips moved but I couldn''t hear her voice over the loud and aggressive static-like noise, akin to a reminder of the hourglass that I¡¯ve completely forgotten about. Upon turning my look onto it, the last grain was falling. The upper part was empty and at that point, with a large solemn gesture, she took the jar from my hand and smashed it violently against the concrete floor. She then reached for something that was within the pieces of shattered glass and sand. It was a small, folded piece of paper. Looking at it and then at me with a surprised face, she took her time reading it and continued with an angry face:


    [Really? After all the troubles you''ve put me through you think this is funny, or it makes up for my lost time while searching for you? Do you think it was easy even locating the hourglass? Do you know what kind of price I had to pay to find the dagger? Do you¡­ do you know how lonely this whole world felt without you? ¡®Thank you for finding me.¡¯ That¡¯s your message? After so many years that I¡¯ve lost count of?]


    Tears were streaking down her fair face, creating an interesting contrast with the moon above and her red flaming hair. Her eyes were clouded by tears, unlike the clear summer sky above us...


    ¡°It is indeed a shitty message after all that work¡­ What a shitty ancestor. Hmm? Ancestor? Ugh¡­ My head hurts like hell again¡­¡±


    Unable to voice out anything that might be able to console her, I forced every muscle in my body and slowly raised my right hand. She looked surprised and curious, while still a bit angry at me for some reason. Crazy or not, seeing such a beautiful woman cry and doing nothing about it, my dad would slap my face so hard that my head would do a 360.


    After, what it felt to me as an inhumane effort, with a trembling hand and beads of perspiration on my forehead, I wiped a falling tear from under her ocean-like blue eyes and did my best to smile.


    [A certain idiot should learn more from you. Thank you!]


    For some reason, I realized that this kiss she was planting on my lips again, was intended for me and not someone else. I couldn¡¯t realize for the love of me how they felt so different, but I was certain about it. Nevertheless, my thoughts have been brutally put to a stop when she took the dagger from my hand and point it at my heart while saying:


    [Now, enough with the cute human! Let''s awake my beloved raven from his slumber!]


    I watched the blade plunging towards my heart at a high speed. I totally freaked out, but then I thought how this was the end and now I¡¯m going to wake up from this dream, this nightmare that became so beautiful after seeing her face and feeling the taste of her lips. However, nothing happened...I just watched the blade coming straight at me in a slow and almost theatrical manner.


    My heart raced like crazy, while the tip of the blade came closer and closer to my chest, making my whole body tremble in fear. With a sudden chill, I could feel it piercing trough my skin, voraciously reaching for my insides. I felt pain like no other i''ve experienced before, while my hands where grabbing at the hard concrete around me, squeezing it tightly and ripping the skin around my fingers as result. Then, my whole body became cold from the touch of the blade that cut into my heart. I could feel something being pushed inside it, akin to a syringe, while fresh blood was seeping out of the wound. The blackness from the dagger disappeared and in its place, the blade became red with blood¡­ my blood! My eyes filled with unwilling tears from the pain, were helplessly looking at the dagger while my paralyzed body was being killed. It hurts so bad...and the feeling of cold seems to further freeze my body, not helping at all. My headache finally stops, while I am falling into a pit of darkness and solitude, while my head still rests on her lap. Pride! My pride, my idiotic pride as a man does not allow me to scream in pain given that she is still around. So I grit my teeth and hold on onto the little vestiges of dignity I have left.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    [That''s all! I think that we finished!] ¨C she said on a happy tone


    And at the same time, reaching for the dagger and pulling it out making me yelp like a small child. There goes my dignity... The pain is so intense that I fainted and woke up again, while the red dagger is being thrown aside like a toy that she got bored of. My sight becomes blurry and I try to see her face once more before I die. It became painfully clear to me that this wasn''t a dream, and anyway, if I we were to listen to the voice of people, even if it was a dream, whoever dies in their sleep, dies in reality as well. Therefore, either way I may look at it, I am facing death. It is as simple as that!


    It is wrong of me to want to kiss her at least once more before I die? I couldn¡¯t think of anything else but that. She infected my poor soul to the point that even in death, all I can think of, are her soft lips pressed against mine. However, the grip that the death has on me is too tight, and I can''t move or speak. This¡­ is the end.


    [Time to go too sleep. I hope you dream about me, my beloved raven!] ¨C she said while tears were continuously falling on my forehead


    With my last bits of power, I lifted my right arm, and gently touched her face while trying to force a smile through the pain, obtaining as result a really surprised look on her face. After that, I let my hand smash against the cold concrete floor under the force of gravity. I wanted to leave behind some words but I couldn''t think of any. After all, her own lips sealed my fate with one final kiss. My wish has been fulfilled and so, I, Michael Kyrie closed my eyes and waited for the death to come and claim me.


    My heart struggled to beat one last time, the sound of it echoing through my whole body, resonating with the sound of her tears falling on my face and after that¡­ silence was bestowed upon my soul, along with a feeling of relief and no more pain from my mortal body.


    It''s mid-night and it''s quiet...I died! Happy Birthday Michael!


    ...


    I forcefully sat up from my bed, unable to breathe properly. Grabbing onto the sheets with my right hand, while my left was searching the wound in my chest, I couldn¡¯t find a way to calm down. Wheezing and gasping, I looked around me and saw the same bed on which I¡¯d always wake up, followed by the rays of sunlight from outside, a cold temperature in the room and the realization that it was just a dream.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it too fucking real!? I can still feel the pain of being fucking stabbed to death! Just what¡­¡±


    [Same nightmare?]


    At the all too familiar question, I froze. This¡­ how can this be? How did I get home if I fell asleep on the bench? Did someone took out my phone and called Vic? Or was the entire thing a dream from the point where I woke up. My head felt like it was splitting apart and I was on the verge of having a panic attack.


    [It sure is cold like hell in here, did you let the A/C on again? The bill for this month is going to burry us both and here you are, trying to recreate the North Pole!! How many times must I tell you? There is no Santa Claus!!]


    Staring at his cup of coffee, I could feel the blood in my veins freeze. This was not possible, right?


    ¡°It''s getting really tiresome¡­¡± ¨C I said with a breaking voice


    ¡°Come to think of it, what are you doing on my bed with a cup of coffee in your hands? Did I scream again?¡±


    Looking straight into his eyes, I prayed that this was just a joke he was playing on me and that he will soon make fun of my naivety, while waiting for his answer.


    However, his reply was not the one I was hoping for¡­


    [Yep! And it was kind of funny, in a native Indian sort of way! If you stop and think about it for a second, you''re just like my personal alarm clock in the morning. I do not have to worry about the time that I go to sleep, or the condition I am when I do! You will wake me up for sure, even if I happen to freaking die!] (Vic)


    My heart seemed to have stopped and my brain shut down after receiving the same reply as the one in my ¡®dream¡¯, word-by-word. Is that even possible? Racking my brains to find out an explanation, I couldn¡¯t help but think, what if that wasn¡¯t a dream?


    ¡°But if it¡¯s not a dream, then what was it?¡±


    [What are you mumbling on about? Are you angry that I didn¡¯t wake you up? Think of it as a payback for my sleep depravation...It''s KARMA man, KARMA!](Vic)


    Listening to him delivering the same lines I already know, I got scared. To make matters even worse, the headache got so bad, that I thought my brain was preparing to leave my fucking skull.


    ¡°Just what the fuck is going on!?¡±

 Mid-summer nights (Part 5)

    The first thirty minutes passed by in an instant, as I was still stuck in the vivid memories of last night. Seeing how I suddenly turned into a vegetable, Vic thought that I caught a cold, therefore took pity on me and skipped the first two classes this morning in order to, in his own words, ¡®take care of me¡¯. Unfortunately for me though, in his dictionary, that represents forcing me to drink over a liter of warm tea (which I almost drowned in), a heavy breakfast consisting of French fries with eggs and bacon (with enough fats to give me a stroke), after which a good ten hours sleep (that I was really-REALLY trying to avoid).


    So, since all that sounds that I will end up in a hospital or worse, a looney bin, I refused. Or at least I tried¡­ until he forced me to do it anyway since, ¡®he knows better¡¯. What more could I do, but play along until he left?


    ¡°Great¡­ It¡¯s not enough that my head feels as if it¡¯s ready to burst apart like a watermelon any second now, but there¡¯s a new stomach ache as well to complement it. I need a shower¡­¡±


    Complaining silently about it while realizing how much I stank due to me transpiring worse than an athlete running a marathon, I decided to hit the showers. I was of course undecided between washing my very sticky and disgusting looking clothes I slept in, or simply purging them with fire. I fortunately decided on the first one, given that I don¡¯t have a stable source of income and have to sponge of Vic¡¯s sport bets¡­


    ¡°You don¡¯t win if you don¡¯t play, however, winning EVERYTIME you play shouldn¡¯t be possible, right? How is he an exception!?¡±


    Shaking my head at my uselessness and seriously considering dropping the college that I haven¡¯t attended since the start of this year, I pondered how I would fare if I would get a job. Wandering with different thoughts passing through my mind, while naked throughout the apartment, I found myself contemplating my body in the bathroom mirror.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ 404! Six-pack no longer found! Damn¡­ I need to start exercising aga¡­¡±


    But my useless banter was brought to a forced stop, as my line of sight was forcibly pulled in a specific area. With an increased heartbeat rate and rushed breathing, I kept staring at one exact spot. Touching it slightly with my fingers and tracing the skin, I swallowed a mouthful of saliva and noticed how my hands were shaking, ever so slightly.


    It was the spot between the seventh and the eight rib on the left side. It didn¡¯t feel painful, it wasn¡¯t bruised¡­ hell! It wasn¡¯t even slightly red! But¡­ I could vividly remember the feeling of the dagger piercing through my skin and plunging itself deeply into the heart, using that small gap.


    Only then did I notice that my cousin¡¯s ¡®recipe for disaster¡¯ didn¡¯t help me much in forgetting about the dream. Rather, it helped me slightly ignore it and pretend that it didn¡¯t happen. Now however, judging by the overly tensed muscles on my body and the bloodshot eyes¡­ it didn¡¯t work as much as I would¡¯ve wanted it to.


    ¡°I had this dream for as long as I can remember. How did it change so drastically in one night and why!? For Reaper¡¯s sake! There must be a reason!¡±


    Turning on the cold water in the shower and enjoying the frigid feeling of water cleansing my body, I used my every available neuron to figure out some clues. The conclusion I¡¯ve reached? ¡®Fucked if I know!¡¯


    How the hell was I supposed to know what triggered this ¡®patch¡¯ for my nightmare. I was perfectly fine with Version 1.0 where I wake up seconds before the dagger hits me. Who needs all this extra Hitchcock-type horror effects?


    ¡°Is that really the only way? It sounds stupidly stupid¡­¡±


    Sighing and resigning myself to my fate, I wiped myself dry, got dressed, wanted to drink a coffee to slightly procrastinate this stupid decision I was about to make and then realized that I was still full from the liter of tea forced down my throat, got dressed and¡­ left the house.


    Mhm! My stupidly stupid idea, was to re-trace the steps from the dream. That¡¯s like¡­ being in a horror movie and you hear some sort of sound coming from the woods at midnight, so you decide to take a lantern with you and explore the source of it alone. At least you have a lantern that you can use to either smash your own head in when the killer finds you, or it can even become the object the killer shoves up your ass once he catches your dumb-ass!You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    In my case though¡­ I had no other choice. It was like something was actively preventing me from finding out anything. I had this feeling nagging at the back of my mind and it didn¡¯t go away no matter how much I tried ignoring it¡­ It felt as if I was forgetting something really important. Therefore, I ventured outside under the watch of the sweltering sun which was mercilessly cooking the loathsome couples enjoying the good weather.


    Wishing them many strokes, I navigated throughout the sea of people aimlessly.


    ¡°How can I feel so parched after drinking that much this morning!?¡±


    Feeling like a dry fish on a sandy beach, I tried to find reprieve in a nearby bar or terrace. To my utmost lack of fortune though, I obviously let me wallet at home, making the corners of my mouth twitch in annoyment. Since there wasn¡¯t any chance for me to buy myself a proper drink, I decided to go for a free one.


    ¡°¡­but did I really had to re-trace my steps all the way here though?¡±


    Unbelievable enough, I was standing in front of some really high walls which still couldn¡¯t hide the towering trees behind them. Looking towards a specific spot, I could vaguely remember a certain creepy-stalkerish schoolgirl watching me blend in the crown, while so scared that I was worrying about my underwear.


    Patting myself on the back for a really well done job, I entered the park and waited in line with the other 7 years old to drink some water. With my thirst quenched, I found the bench on which I previously feel asleep inside my dream and¡­ well, sat on it.


    Then, the most predictable thing happened. I fucking feel asleep, even if I tried my darn best not to. Realizing that it was already night now that I was awake again, I nervously turned my head towards the lightpole near my bench.


    ¡°Ooooooh, fuck yeah!!! It¡¯s still working! Thank Reaper¡­¡±


    And just as predictably, it stopped working almost instantly after. My words and/or curses, remained stuck in my throat, unable to form any proper sentences, followed by my head turning like a really poorly oiled door knob¡­ almost creaking.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gotta be shitting me¡­¡±


    There she was! The creepy schoolgirl was watching me intently with a wide smile on her face.


    [Hey!] ¨C she greeted me


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± ¨C I once again, involuntarily answered


    [You''ve been sleeping for quite a while. Are you okay?]


    Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck! I almost forgot how worse this question sounded the first time. Hearing it again, it¡¯s even worse!


    ¡°Yes, thank you for your concern. My name is Michael. May I inquire yours?¡±


    Hell yeah, baby! Breaking the pattern! Exactly what are you going to do about it, huh!? Exactly! Nothing! I actually tried it this morning with Vic as well and just as I thought, my actions change the obvious pattern I dreamt about.


    But judging from her confused expression, something was amiss¡­


    [This¡­ why is this conversation so familiar?]


    ¡°Eh!?¡±


    Pattern my ass! What the hell does she mean? That¡¯s not something that was supposed to happen¡­ Obviously, now that I was already slightly panicking, my eyes were already opened as wide as possible, in the hope to catch a glimpse of her¡­ just in case she starts dashing towards me with a fucking hatchet in hand.


    And once more, predictably enough, the lightpole under which her bench was blinked and in that split second, she vanished.


    ¡°What the fuck!? Where did she go?¡±


    Already scared shitless, I was doing 360¡¯s with the hope that I will be able to see her before she appears directly behind me. To my misfortune, when the lights return to my lightpole, she fucking materialized right out the fucking nether and appeared right in front of me.


    Before I could fall on my ass like the disgrace I knew I was, her hands caught a hold of my face, while her feline-like eyes looked deeply into my own. A perfume similar to a combination of freshly mowed grass, oranges and mint filled my nostrils, as her fingers caressed my face.


    [So that¡¯s how it is¡­ I really dislike being used like this¡­ Little boy, you might want to wake up soon, or else¡­ Hehe! Don¡¯t blame this lady for not warning you.]


    What happened next? She flicked my forehead, I winced because of the sudden pain and closed my eyes, only to open them again and find her gone again.


    ¡°Since I¡¯m re-tracing my steps, how about I bolt out of here once more¡­¡±


    And so I did, this time blending in the crowd without even looking behind. Little did I know that the same lady from before, was sitting on the same spot, playfully swinging her legs back and forth, with a wide grin on her face.


    [To actually try to use this lady, you poor taste bastard know no shame! Hmpf! You actually think it¡¯s that easy to erase one of Khrone¡¯s descendants? Pfft! You overestimate your worth, demon scum! This lady is bored, therefore will watch your performance. Seeing you fail will surely amuse me greatly. Hahaha!]


    As her serene laughter echoed throughout the night, the sky itself shuddered for an almost impossible to see fraction of a second. Then, the moon brought silence to everything once more.

 Mid-summer nights (Part 6)

    Mixing with the crowd and doing my utmost best not to look back, I unknowingly remembered the words thrown my way by the pretty lady. I shuddered once I considered a certain possibility and trembled even more when I realized that I had only one way to confirm if it was the case or not.


    And certainly, not long after I prepared my heart for what was to come, I could hear it clearly:


    [Help me! Somebody help me please me....NO!!! Stay away!!!]


    A gasp involuntarily escaped my lips as I just confirmed two possibilities: one, I was still asleep and this is a reoccurring dream from which I wasn¡¯t able to wake up just yet, or two, this was reality.


    The truth was that, irrelevant of which one of the two was the case, I am in a horribly shitty situation. Therefore, I decided to do the one thing that I could think of: RUN!


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned before I enter that shitty alley! Who¡¯s stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice. Damnit! I¡¯m not into that sort of ¡®play¡¯, nor do I get pleasure from pain! Who the fuck would, with a dagger through his/her heart!?¡±


    Running while swearing, I turned right and left a couple of times, but there weren¡¯t any people to be found. This sort of situation gave rise to a feeling of fright, while my heart began racing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Fuck! How come is this place!?¡±


    To my utter disbelief, the place I was in was an alley. A simple alley hidden between concrete behemoths, barely receiving some light from a faraway lamp post and the moon in the sky. As soon as I wanted to run, my feet were once more chained to the ground and the feeling of fright creeped its way through my innards, while the sound of footsteps were coming from behind me.


    The all-too-familiar scene was about to be replayed!


    [I finally found you!]


    ¡°I honestly wish you wouldn¡¯t have¡­¡±


    Unable to escape, unable to wake up, unable to think clearly¡­ I began to panic. After all, if this was still a dream, it meant that I have no way of waking up from it, therefore forced to relive it again and again. On the other hand, if it was real, I was even more fucked, as I would literally die. Under such stupid conditions, what the hell could I even do?


    ¡°Think! Think! There must be something¡­ I must be missing something¡­¡±


    [Look! The hourglass is almost empty...you nearly got away this time to! You know how hard it is for me to track you every time you have been reborn, just to find out that you have died again? Really now! What is with you and the death while young? You have to talk with Luci about this; there is something really wrong with you!]


    Hearing her words, I couldn¡¯t help but perk my ears and try to take in every little detail, hoping I would grab hold of a lead. There had to be something I could use!This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Hourglass and dagger¡­ the same ritual through which I die. Based on the dialogue with her from last night¡­ or rather, last dream, that dagger is used to kill me and wake up someone else in my stead. Also, the point where she refers to me ¡®dying¡¯ in the previous attempts to find ¡®me¡¯¡­ she probably isn¡¯t even referring to the current me, but rather, to the person she is trying to somehow bring back to life. And then there¡¯s Luci. He seems like a key character and he should hold some sort of importance¡­ He also sounds familiar for some reason, like a story I heard before a long time ago and I am troubled in remembering the fine details of¡­¡±


    Realizing the lack of information, I could only grit my teeth and dive deeper inside this madness.


    ¡°Who is Luci to you? And why do you know his name?¡±


    A random question to which I was 99% sure I won¡¯t get an answer. These lines were scripted, but there was a certain amount of freedom based on something. I had to grab a firm hold of that something and find the way to unravel this stupidly psychotic dream.


    Seeing her startled face, I realized that I must¡¯ve hit a jackpot.


    [What are you talking about silly? He¡¯s my brother and your friend, of course¡­]


    Unexpectedly, there was an answer. Not only that, but now I have more details about this mystery person than before: she is the daughter of Luci, who also happens to be a friend of mine. Well¡­ not mine, mine, but probably this guy whom she was trying to sacrifice me for.


    [Oh! I almost forget about this...]


    As the knife was unveiled and the explanation started, I realized that once more I returned to the regular pattern. The deviation didn¡¯t last long enough to find a solution, or find out more information. I could only improvise and try to stall for more time.


    ¡°Your name?¡±


    [Eh? My name? Don¡¯t tell me you forgot it¡­]


    ¡°Unfortunately¡­¡±


    [I cannot believe that you actually dared forget my name! It¡¯s not enough that you did such a cruel thing to begin with, making me forget you, but you actually dared forget about me as well!? It¡¯s LAURA! Laura! I can¡¯t believe how much of an asshole you are!!!]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Staring speechless at the absolute beauty with flaming red head that was stomping on my feet with her boots in anger, I couldn¡¯t help but gape. Laura!? I heard it before, didn¡¯t I? This name of hers was too familiar.


    ¡°They say that it¡¯s almost impossible to control your thoughts and memories in a dream, so that¡¯s why I might have this problem. But I am certain that just recently I heard that name from someone¡­ Who was it!?¡±


    However, my time came to an end as the beauty grudgingly shattered the hourglass against the road under our feet and stabbed the dagger in my chest, under my wide-opened and surprised eyes. I didn¡¯t even had time to feel the pain, as my vision blurred and fell into unconsciousness, while hearing her lingering words¡­


    [Hmpf! That¡¯s payback! Also, you are going to pay for the meals in the next thousands of years.]


    Opening my eyes once more, greeted by the incredibly hot rays of sunlight from outside, I once again found myself in the same bed as always. Turning my head to the side, I found Vic sipping from his coffee mug.


    [¡®Morning!](Vic)


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡±


    I inwardly screamed as loud as I could, given that it was already the third time I was reliving this shitty dream. At least¡­ now I might¡¯ve found a way to break out of this loop!


    ¡°Note to self: do your best and don¡¯t piss off the red-haired beauty! Or the one in the park since she seems to be the stalkerish type¡­¡±


    Laying on my back in the bed and facing the poorly painted ceiling, I sighed in defeat. I wasn¡¯t sure of how many times I could go through this without completely losing my shit, but there was time for some slight¡­ experiments!