《Rise of the Devourer》 Chapter 1: Do I get a lawyer? Chapter 1: Do I get awyer? Noah opened his eyes, and realised he was dead. The realization was immediately followed by an intense feeling of wrongness. He had no body, and the eyes through which he saw did not exist. Before he could give voice to the scream budding in his non-existent throat, words erupted in his vision. Generating Astral Script¡­ Complete! Wee to the Astral System. Name: Noah Brown Age: Dead Race: Human Items: - [???] A vast creature spread through the endless void. Massive tentacles spanned across infinity, dwarfing entire gxies underneath them. What Noah beheld made his thoughts explode. Space didn¡¯t feel linear, the infinite dimensions of the creature were all consuming and maddening. He tried to look away but found he couldn¡¯t. What he perceived was ever-present, all around him all at once, and he could see every side of it together. ¡°Human. You possess something we desire.¡± A dark rumble vibrated Noah¡¯s soul, the voice pulsing through him. The words were more screeches and shrieks than words, but the intent was conveyed nheless. The creature¡¯s sight was enough to snap Noah out of his existential horror at being dead. ¡°I¡­ died?¡± Noah asked, his thoughts still a swirling jumble. He tried to recall his death, yet a gap persisted in his memories, as if something had cut it out from his soul. This has to be a dream¡­ right? ¡°You had. Yet enough remnants were stuck together, we put the pieces back and reformed you.¡± ¡°So¡­ you recreated my soul?¡± Noah asked, not sure how to respond. ¡°Thanks, I guess?¡± ¡°We do not require your gratitude, human. Merely the item you possess.¡± ¡°Noah. My name is Noah.¡± He was oddly detached from the situation. ¡°Your name is immaterial,¡±the eldritch monstrosity said. The rumble passed through Noah, distorting something within him. The sensation of wrongness was further amplified alongside the odd disconnection from his emotions. He didn¡¯t linger there for long, theck of any intense feeling helped him think better. If this was a dream, then it was the most aware he¡¯d ever been in one. ¡°Alright. Well, I have some questions first,¡± Noah said. There was a pause, as if the Void god couldn¡¯t believe Noah¡¯s audacity. Then it simply projected, ¡°Ask.¡± ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°The Void. End of the Astral Realms, and existence itself.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ how did I get here?¡± ¡°You died when a limb we extended to the seal found it on you.¡± ¡°You killed me, is what I¡¯m getting,¡± Noah said to the giant realm-ending monster. ¡°We did not. You were merely torn apart by the Astral Rifts.¡± ¡°Alright, well. How did the seal get to earth? To me?¡± ¡°We do not know.¡± Noah paused, taken aback by the response. ¡°Really? Aren¡¯t you some kind of world ending infinite creature of doom. Howe you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°To imply we are lying is a grave insult, human. And we find this conversation tedious. Give us the seal, or we will take it by force,¡±the eldritch monster said, a howl tearing through reality. Reeling from the shock, he took a moment to recover. ¡°Jeez, alright, no need to be so aggressive,¡± Noah said. ¡°So¡­ I don¡¯t think I have the seal. I¡¯m not entirely sure what happened to be honest.¡± ¡°It is not a physical seal. You have merely bound it to your soul as an unfortunate result of your death. Separate it and the seal will manifest.¡± ¡°And¡­ How do I do that? Or rather, why? I see no reason for you to not eat me after I give you the seal. Or just erase me from existence.¡± ¡°We give you our word. You will not be harmed by us until the end of eternity, if you return the seal to us.¡± Something swirled around Noah, flowing into him. Like chains, he felt the words of the creature bind it. ¡°Reach within your soul. We have cast a spell on it, which will allow you ess to the Astral Script. It shall tell you the rest.¡± ¡°Reach into my soul you say¡­¡± Noah trailed off as the Eldritch monster made space itself vibrate, doing as the creature told him to. Surprisingly, the act came as naturally as breathing, which was ironic given how he was dead and couldn¡¯t breathe. [???] A source of infinite potential. Currently fused with the inhabiting soul. Noah looked in surprise at the text appearing in front of him. Taking a moment, he read through the description. ¡°Umm¡­ it says the seal is fused with my soul,¡± Noah said, growing slightly concerned. That did not sound good. The eldritch monster shifted, and space practically warped around him at the creature¡¯s movements. ¡°Unpleasant. Highly unpleasant. The scattering must have fused the seal with your soul. Separating it will be a near impossible task.¡± ¡°Guess that¡¯s too bad.¡± ¡°Perhaps. But there is a solution that still remains. Form a pact with us, human. And we will allow you to return to a physical form and live again.¡± Noah froze. Normally he¡¯dugh at the notion of making some pact with an eldritch universe-ending cthulhu, but each moment he spent in this void, he grew more and more numb. Each non-existent sensation made something within him crumble. The desire to have a living, breathing body grew like a hunger he could not satiate, eating him from the inside out. ¡°What would this pact entail? I refuse to be a puppet trapped in my own body,¡± Noah said to the creature. ¡°You will live as you had before, but will serve as a Vessel for my being. You will be our rebirth, the path through which our hunger can grow once more. All you must do is not turn against us.¡± ¡°What happens if I break this Pact?¡± ¡°If you were to turn against us, then your soul will be imed by us, bing a part of our being.¡± ¡°How delightful,¡± Noah said with a t voice, thinking everything over. The moment he decided, his fate would be determined. If he had a body, Noah suspected his heart would be racing. ¡°I feel like I shouldn¡¯t sign a soul pact without getting it checked once. Do I get awyer?¡± Noah asked the gigantic tentacle monster. ¡°The pact of the souls cannot be governed by mortals. The will of each spirit governs it instead.¡± ¡°And you being a realm-eating creature, your spirit will likely be stronger too, making this an unfair pact. How can I trust you to not harm me?¡± Noah asked. ¡°You cannot.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Noah thought over his next words. ¡°Do I get a choice here?¡± ¡°Yes. If you refuse, we will consume your soul and distribute its essence to try and obtain whatever we can from the seal.¡± ¡°So¡­ basically no. That simplifies it then. As long as I¡¯m not made to do things against my will, and or mind controlled, I can agree to it.¡± But could he? Noah was still unsure. ¡°That is eptable.¡± Words shed in front of him, as a warmth rose from his soul. The Incarnation of Void wants to make a Pact with you. Would you like to ept? Yes/No? Noah hovered over the selection for the Yes option. Memories rushed him, of his death, of the dark tendril piercing his chest. He didn¡¯t remember exactly what happened, but something whispered in his mind. Don¡¯t. His soul wavered, swirling and distorting, before he refocused on the eldritch creature swirling in front of him. ¡°No. I refuse,¡± Noah replied. The eldritch monstrosity stirred, infinite tentacles moving through space. ¡°We do not understand. Was our message not clear?¡± ¡°No, I heard you loud and clear. And I refuse. Go ahead and eat my soul. I¡¯m already dead after all. May as well die again for good and proper.¡± The universe stilled, slowing down. The dark Void creeped around Noah, and for a moment, he felt as if time had stopped moving. After a long silence, the creature spoke once more. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because it feels like a trick. Aren¡¯t you a god? Just take it from me. Literally everyone knows not to make soul pacts with swirling void entities. It never turns out well. I refuse,¡± Noah replied, selecting the No option on the Pact. Another silence filled the endless void, before a shudder broke through as the monstrosity dissipated, fading into nothingness. ¡°You are a perplexing soul, Noah Brown,¡±a voice replied,cking the resonance it once possessed, but no less powerful for it. ¡°But we¡¯re afraid your choice is not eptable.¡± Your refusal has been denied. Dark tendrils rose around Noah, grabbing and holding him in ce, as a shadowy silhouette of a man moved toward him. ¡°If you cannot be our puppet, then be our messiah instead. Rise in our name and entertain us. We will harvest the seal from your soul when it has been weathered and cracked by death,¡±the void whispered. Dread rose in Noah¡¯s soul as a finger touched his forehead. New words appeared. A new Pact has been made. Serve as the messiah of the Incarnation of Void. Would you like to ept this Pact? Yes/No? ¡°No,¡± Noah whispered, and the world pushed him harder. New Pact: Serve as the messiah of the Incarnation of Void. Would you like to ept this Pact? Yes/Yes? The words pushed against Noah¡¯s soul. ¡°No.¡± The words faded once more and space distorted, crushing his spirit under its pressure. The Void forces you to ept. ¡°Fuck off! I refuse!¡±Noah screamed. Unimaginable pain assaulted his spirit, like his mind was being torn into infinite pieces and being put back together instantaneously. The momentsted for an eternity in the dark expanse of nothingness, eternal pain and agony, the only constant in his existence. ¡°Why do you struggle so much?¡±the shadow asked, its gaze weighing on Noah¡¯s soul. ¡°Do you not understand? We are giving you an honour few have ever received. To be our emissary, the carrier of our word into the physical realms. You would be a god among the mortals, and they would worship you as one. Why then, do you still refuse?¡± For a brief moment, the pain eased, letting Noah speak. His spirit wavered, settling from the torment as it coalesced back together. ¡°Fuck you. I refuse to give up my freedom.¡± Noah gave a metaphorical middle finger to the endless shadowy silhouette of the Incarnation of Void. A hum echoed through the dark at his words. ¡°Your soul already frays. It cannot hold for long. You will lose sense and sight of who you are, lost unto this void forever. You are far fromimmortal as a stray spirit. Why do you not understand?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s you who doesn¡¯t understand. I refuse. I will not bow to you, and I will not bend to your demands. So either kill me or¡ªor leave me in this void. Do whatever the hell you want, I refuse,¡± Noah said, ice in his voice. The shadow retreated, and the pressure faded from Noah¡¯s spirit. ¡°Then speak. What will convince you to cooperate with us?¡± The Void stirred, and for the first time, he couldn¡¯t sense it threatening to consume him. Free from the agony, his mind raced toe up with a solution. Despite everything he¡¯d said, he didn¡¯t truly wish to die for good. ¡°Make a Pact with me,¡± Noah said. ¡°Allow me to live my life, and in return I will not rise against you. This ensures that I can¡¯t use it against you.¡± ¡°And what benefit does this give us, when we could cease you from existence right now?¡± ¡°The same reason you haven¡¯t already. You¡¯re not sure that forcing it will work,¡± Noah replied. The Void listened. The Void swirled. The Voidughed. A thousand screams echoed in his mind as the universe rippled. He stared at the giant swirling silhouette with concern, waiting for it to reply. After a few moments, theughter faded as the Void settled around him. ¡°Very well.¡± Words appeared in front of Noah. You have made a Pact with the Incarnation of the Void. Pact of the Voidborne: You have done what none have before, forming a pact with the Void itself, and binding it to your spirit. Will such an act lead to a foolish demise, or the rise of a new Ascendant through the Astral Realms? No one knows. The Incarnation of Void has agreed to your Pact and is bound to your soul. Initiating transformation. ¡°The void itself shall now be tied to your spirit, mortal. We shall see how you use this power.¡± A pull tugged at Noah as he felt darkness begin to seep into his soul. At first it was a light pressure. That soon changed, flooding into a boundary he did not know existed inside of him. Pain reced the pressure, growing more intense with each pulse of the endless Void pouring itself inside his soul, cramming itself in until there was nothing left to fill. The sensation left Noah feeling denser, like he¡¯d gained more substance, even though he was just as immaterial as before. When the Void settled around Noah, another prompt opened. Transformationplete. [???] has Awakened. Initiating Rebirth. A call pulled him toward¡­ something. A distant chant thattched onto his soul like a hook, and reeled him in. Slowly but surely, a great sucking sensation dragged Noah away. With each passing moment, the resistance heightened, the space around him feeling thicker and thicker, as if reluctant to let go. He felt like he was being squeezed through a thick bundle of space jelly, and forced through viscousyers of dark and cold. Suddenly, a bright light manifested in front of Noah¡¯s eyes, and with a satisfying pop, he broke free of the Void. Summoning call heeded. You have arrived on Erandir. Chapter 2: Into the Murder Den Chapter 2: Into the Murder Den A cold and grainy sensation brushed against Noah¡¯s body. His eyes fluttered open. Solid grey rock met his sight, and Noah tried to understand where he was. ¡°Where the hell¡­?¡± Noah mumbled, pushing himself up. He appeared to be in some sort of underground chamber. He was wearing his old shirt, a giant hole cut through it by the monstrous tendril still present on both sides. Dark cloaked figures stood in a circle all around him. He was on some kind of altar, a dark red circle with little runes carved into it. He had a bad feeling about all of this. ¡°What is a human doing here?¡±one of the robed figures whispered. ¡°Look carefully, its Void affinity is something only a creature from the Abyss could possess. And it can talk. A creature of the Abyss that can talk! Perhaps this is some ancientelemental testing us,¡±the other robe-wearing man said. After a while of whispering and mumbling, one of them stepped forward and bowed deeply to Noah. ¡°O¡¯ great being of the Abyss, we are humbled by your presence.¡±The man spoke in anguage Noah didn¡¯t know but could somehow understand. Soon after, the man was joined by the other members, all chiming in and chanting the words in unison. Red light started to emanate from the circle beneath him. ¡°O¡¯ ye creature of the Abyss, ye wise immortal, ept this offering of blood, and hear our plea,¡± the figure said. From below the altar, they dragged an unconscious woman up the stairs. She was gagged, hands and feet tied with weird metal contraptions that glowed dimly in the dark. A man at the end of the chamber began to walk closer, a long sword held upright in his hand. Noah swallowed. ¡°I need information. Anything. Give me anything I can use,¡±Noah whispered under his breath. As if responding to his words, text appeared in front of his eyes. Name: Noah Brown Race: Human Rank: Unawakened Paths: Locked. Locked. Locked. Attributes: Power: 0 Agility: 0 Constitution: 0 Mystic: 0 [Abilities] [Skills] [Perks] [Quests] [Items] ¡°What?¡± Noah muttered, caught off guard by the words. The cloaked figure stirred, and Noah¡¯s distraction caused the words to fade. He wanted to curse. Why of all ces did he have tond in a cult¡¯s summoning circle? Before he could process the information, another new screen floated in front of him with a chime. New Quest generated! Quest: Run! Run! Run! You¡¯re in an unfamiliar ce, with unfriendly faces. It¡¯s probably a good time to start running. Be quick, before it¡¯s toote. Difficulty: Medium Reward: [Map] system unlock. ¡°Is this some kind of prank?¡± Noah mumbled. The cultists stirred, as if unsettled by his words. Noah nced around, before fixing his gaze on one particr cultist. ¡°You. Answer me. Where am I? Last I remember, I was in the endless Void.¡± The cultist jumped at his words, surprised at having been singled out. ¡°O¡¯ great eternal being. This realm is called Erandir. We have summoned you here, to ask of you a boon in exchange for the life of an Awakened.¡± Noah processed the information as rapidly as he could. Seems like I got summoned by these cultists. Fucking void-tentacle-monster, knew I couldn¡¯t trust it. Keeping his thoughts to himself, Noah stood. The cavern was dark and big. The altar had red stains that did not look recent. Meaning this was far from the first time they¡¯d been sacrificing people to summon eldritch monsters. While he felt sorry for the victims, he couldn¡¯t risk dying right after he got his second shot at life. They think I¡¯m an elemental or something don¡¯t they? Perhaps I can use that. Cultists are almost never people who have a good grasp on reality. ¡°So, what you mean to tell me, is that some mere humans disrupted my sleep and called me here from the Void, just for a favour?¡± Noah said, trying to mimic the indifferent distaste of the void beast. The cultists appeared surprised. He noticed concern on the faces of some. ¡°Is themunication spell still working?¡±a voice mumbled. The cultist Noah had pointed at stepped forward. ¡°O¡¯ great creature of the Void, you misunderstand. This realm is material, beyond the Void, and with this pact, you will be free to enter this realm.¡± Not sure how to reply, Noah decided to settle on frowning, as if he were contemting something. In the meantime, he tried to bring back the first page he¡¯d gotten. At will, Noah found himself capable of summoning an ovey in front of his vision. A little circle at the top left with his body disyed, two bars to the immediate right. He moved his head around ever so slightly, and found the disys moving with his gaze, but never preventing him from seeing things. Focusing on the image of his own body, Noah was able to select various items. The page from before opened up, and Noah began to look through the options. [Abilities] [Skills] [Perks] [Quests] [Items] Alright. Some kind of a game system. The fact that I¡¯m level 0 and have 0 in every Attribute doesn¡¯t seem very good, but I don¡¯t have time to worry about that yet. Scanning the menu, Noah selected [Perks]. Perks: [Quest System] [Inventory] [Universal Language Comprehension] [Identify] [Voidborne] [Fate Touched] [???] Noah¡¯s eyes jumped to the three question marks and he selected the option. [???] [Progress until unlock 0/10] A source of infinite potential. Unsure of what that even meant, he moved on to [Fate Touched]. [Fate Touched (Divine)] You¡¯ve been in the presence of someone beyond fate itself and have been marked by them. Fate will struggle to take a hold of you, and unlikely circumstances, both good and bad, will find their way to you. Noah nced around his surroundings. Is this the reason I got summoned into a cultist base of all ces? Trying to ignore the potential reasoning, Noah moved onto another Perk. [Voidborne] The creatures of the void will listen to yourmand and smell the unending hunger within your soul. But those that oppose it, will feel hostile in your presence. That sounds about right. Moving on, Noah opened the [Quest System] option. [Quest System] A spell cast on your soul lets youprehend and ess the Astral Script of this realm in a format you are intimately familiar with, providing goals and rewards. And¡­ that¡¯s a Quest System? I suppose that¡¯s fair. He moved on to the next option. [Identify] The universal skill provided to almost all species of Awakened. Though somehow, you¡¯ve managed to ess it before Awakening yourself. The Perk letsyou identify things. Talk about a generic description. It¡¯s almost like whoever was writing this just got bored and typed in the most basic description they could. Trying not to linger, Noah moved on to [Inventory]. [Inventory] After a prolonged exposure to the interdimensional rifts, the Astral Affinity has generated a personal space of storage within your soul. Transformed by the [Quest System], it has taken the shape of the [Inventory] Perk. Allows you to store items inside. Noah was pleased by the Perk. An Inventory would be extremely useful. He opened the [Items] menu to see if there was anything in there he could use. The disy changed to show four rows of four item slots. With the one on the top left containing something that looked like a letter. Wondering how to take the item out, he moved his hand toward the disy and found he could simply grab it out of the Inventory. ¡°Teleportation with not even a hint of space magic. A master of the Abyss itself!¡±one of the cultists cheered. Noah continued to ignore them. A seal marked with swirling tentacles covered the envelope, which Noah promptly broke, and read the letter inside. Wee to Erandir! This letter is to inform you that you currently possess the Diamond Premium Package provided by the Incarnation of the Void. Your stay on Erandir will be terminated under the following conditions: You break the Pact. Your soul is corrupted or destroyed. [???] is lost. If you have anyints, please direct them to your provider. If you¡¯d like to upgrade your package, please reach out to the Astral Space to learn more. Hope you have a wonderful stay! Noah stared at the letter, then his gaze drifted to the tied up woman and the cultists looking at him with reverence. Yup. I¡¯ve definitely gone mad. Putting the letter back into his Inventory, once again with a wave of reverence and awe from the cultists, Noah moved on to the other Perk he thought was useful. Identify says I can get more information about things. Let¡¯s see what I get. Mentally triggering the Perk, Noah looked at one of the cultists and words popped up in front of his eyes. [Abyssal Cultist - ?] ¡°I can see they¡¯re cultists on my own, goddammit!¡±Noah cursed underneath his breath. His gaze went to the man with the sword, now climbing the stairs to the altar. Another disy popped up. [Abyssal Executioner - ?] The hair on Noah¡¯s arms began to rise. He looked at the woman and words popped up again. [me Warden - ?] Okay¡­ that¡¯s something. I¡¯m gonna guess she isn¡¯t very thrilled about this situation either. Maybe if I can get her free, she can get us out of here. Smoothing out his features, Noah spoke in asmanding a voice as he could. ¡°I have decided. I am willing to grant your plea, but I want this woman alive. She shall serve as my servant,¡± Noah said, impressed by how absolutely ridiculous he sounded. The cultists turned to one another, whispering. ¡°What is the matter? Do you refuse?¡± Noah asked, his voice going deep and cold. ¡°N-No, O¡¯ great one. We just¡­ this is unprecedented. All pacts in history have been made by the ritual of blood and soul. To change that now¡ª¡± Noah scoffed. ¡°Your customs are nothing to one such as I. Mere blips in the eternal cosmos of the universe. Make your choice now, humans. Do you refuse?¡± Noah¡¯s eyes went to the Abyssal Executioner, now almost at the top of the stairs. ¡°Speak!¡± he shouted. ¡°N-No¡­ we do not, O¡¯ great one,¡±the cultist stammered. Noah nodded, his eyes briefly ncing at the woman. Idly, he noticed her finger pressing against her restraints. Stepping forward, Noah walked outside of the circle. The cultists stumbled back in a hurry as he made his way to the woman, before kneeling beside her. Noah grabbed the woman¡¯s chin, lifting her up. Her light brown hair swayed behind her back, but she remained limp. Leaning in, he whispered in her ear, ¡°This is probably strange to hear, but I¡¯m not from here, I have no idea where I am right now, and I need your help to get out of here. And for that, I need you to cooperate. Pretend that I¡¯ve taken over your mind and that you only listen to me now. When I drop you, slowly open your eyes and rise from the ground.¡± There was a twitch at the corner of the woman¡¯s lips, her eyes fluttering for the slightest of shudders. Noah didn¡¯t linger on her reaction, promptly letting go of her. ¡°She is my vessel now. I have imed her soul, and it is mine tomand,¡± Noah said, his heart starting to race. This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. To his surprise, the woman stirred, opening her eyes. The cultists stumbled back, as if in disbelief. ¡°S-she is awake!¡± one of them eximed and bowed his head toward Noah. ¡°Raise your heads, and free her from her chains,¡± Noahmanded. The cultists looked hesitantly at each other. Slowly, one of them began to move closer, holding a strange circr object. Noah assumed it was the key. ¡°What in the depths name are you doing!¡±a scream erupted in the distance, echoing through the chamber. Noah looked ahead and saw a tall man with pale skin wearing flowing robes walking closer. Two massive men trailed behind him, wearing dark ted armour and giant curved des at their waists. Noah used Identify on all three of them. [Abyssal Executioner - ?] [Abyssal Executioner - ?] [Abyssal Cult Chief - ?] Uh oh, herees the chief. ¡°Chief! The¡­ great elemental has enved this woman and made her his servant. We-we were merely following his instructions,¡± one of the cultists shouted. The man at the centre turned his eyes on Noah with a cold piercing expression, sending a shiver down his back. ¡°That. Is. A. Human,¡± the chief said, each word intoned with vibrating fury. ¡°Capture him immediately, you buffoons!¡± ¡°Well, there goes my n,¡± Noah said, dashing forward. The ground shuddered beneath Noah as he tackled the cultist. Tearing the key out of the man¡¯s hand, he threw it toward the woman. ¡°Free yourself!¡± Words shed in front of his eyes as a new prompt appeared. New Quest generated! Quest: Kill! Kill! Kill! The time to sneak around has passed. Now it¡¯s time to fight or die. Difficulty: Medium Reward: Experience Points. Before Noah could react, the cultist beneath him shoved him aside, and a dark tendril rising near his leg dragged him toward the summoning circle. With a roar, the Abyssal Executioner dashed to Noah, cutting him across the chest with his sword. ¡°Motherfucker!¡±Noah cursed, turning ever so slightly to avoid the de piercing his heart. The de yed arge piece of skin off, then nearly cut his arm off from the shoulder. He pushed back against the Abyssal Executioner but the taller man did not budge an inch. He screamed as the executioner pulled the de back spraying blood all over his clothes. On instinct, Noah ducked, the sword slicing through his hair instead, and he rolled to the side, trying his best to not be chopped to pieces. The woman¡¯s roar tore through the cacophony of noise, and a wave of something hot and bright poured over Noah. Clutching the cut on his chest, he watched a river of me flowing right above him. The fire swept through the cultists, burning the Abyssal Executioners to a ming crisp and sweeping through the circle of cultists. One by one, the cultists fell, mes spreading and consuming any that came even close to where the woman stood. ¡°Step aside, you fools! She¡¯s an E ranker! Let me take care of her,¡±the Abyssal Chief shouted, rushing the woman. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to regret bringing me here!¡± the woman screamed. mes coated her body, swirling in little infernos around her fist. Despite his heart racing at the magical battle, Noah did not have the time to sit around and watch. A cultist nearby leapt toward him. Rolling to the side, clutching at his bleeding chest, Noah grabbed the de lying near the burnt executioner¡¯s corpse and spun it around toward the cultist. With a thud, the de pushed itself through the cultists gut with little resistance, and the man slumped over. Briefly, Noah¡¯s eyes met the cultist¡¯s wide gaze, surprise and pain mixed in with the horror as the cultist sensed his approaching death. In a jerking motion, he pulled the de back out. Thick red blood sprayed all over him, some getting into his open mouth. Pushing the cultist¡¯s body aside, Noahy on the ground, blood pounding in his ears, as a loud ringing sensation echoed. Through the corner of his eyes, he saw red spreading through his entire body, as the top bar slowly but surely continued to drop. In the distance, he could hear the screams and shouts of the battle, with a distinct smell of burnt flesh filling his nose. After what felt like hours lying on the ground, slowly bleeding to death, Noah heard a chime as new words appeared in front of his eyes. You¡¯ve defeated [Abyssal Cultist (Common) - level 27]. [???] has consumed [Abyssal Cultist] [Progress to unlock 1/10] Quest: Kill! Kill! Kill! Complete. Secret Objective: Free Aurelia Fauster, Complete. Experience obtained. You have no Paths. Experience Points cannot be awarded. Would you like to awaken a Path? Yes/No? ¡°Huh¡­?¡± Chapter 3: Arcade Awakening Chapter 3: Arcade Awakening Noah stared at the floating words, but his sight was drawn to the dropping HP bar. The stab wound had not been small, and he was rapidly losing blood. He doubted he¡¯d be alive much longer. Any motion sent pulses of pain arcing through his entire body, freezing him in ce. He twitched, trying to breathe through the pain, but a familiar numbness from earlier in the Void began to return. ¡°You¡¯ve¡­ got to be kidding me,¡± he wheezed. ¡°Dying¡­ the instant I get here? What a cruel joke.¡± Noahughed, the act sending a wave of fire through his body. After curling up to fight against the pain, he closed his eyes. Anger and frustration filled him when he found the system notifications still floating in his vision. It was unreasonable, but right now, as hey dying at the beginning of what was meant to be a brand-new life, anger was all he could feel. Cold numbness flowed to his fingers, as sensation began to leave his body. Noah looked at the health bar, watching the number float into his vision. Health: 7% With nothing else to do, and scant hopes for surviving, he selected the Yes option. There was obviously magic in this world, perhaps he could find something that would heal him. You¡¯ve begun the Awakening! A strange energy permeated through Noah¡¯s body, flooding a part of his being that only now did he understand was his soul. The energy swirled around somewhere in his abdomen before reaching out to the rest of his body. New words shed. You¡¯re being transported to your Astral Space. Nausea flooded him. The sensation of being whisked away, despite not moving whatsoever, left the world dizzy around him. With a snap, Noah found himself on his feet, standing in a dimly lit arcade shop. Congrattions! The Diamond Premium Package has engaged a special event for your Awakening! You can select up to three Paths at once! Neon lights shed around him as various old and new machines shimmered and glittered with the ssic musty and sweaty smell that permeated these ces. ¡°Where in the world¡­¡± Noah mumbled, before his eyes widened at a creature standing near him. At the entrance of the shop, behind the counter where the manager should¡¯ve been, sat a ball of tentacles. It was like someone had made a ball of yarn, except with fleshy and slimy tentacles that stank like nothing else he¡¯d ever smelled, and then decided to add a gaping maw at its centre, just for good measure. ¡°Oh, this is a strange form,¡±the creaturemented in a garbled speech like the sound of shattering ss, lifting a tentacle up to inspect itself. Dark ck goo dripped from it onto the floor, before it ate through the concrete within seconds. Noah stepped back. ¡°Apologies. Allow me to pick a more appropriate form,¡±the creature said and curled up. In a blink, a man stood where the ball of fleshy tentacles had, wearing a in white shirt, a ck zer, and jeans. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± the man said. ¡°Apologies for that disy, though in my defence, it was your subconscious which provided me with that form. My actual form is far from that grotesque.¡± ¡°Who the fuck are you? And where the fuck am I now? I feel like it was minutes ago that I¡¯d arrived in a new world.¡± ¡°Well, ordinarily it is not my task to guide a newly Awakened through their Awakening, but it seems like we have special circumstances,¡± the man said. ¡°I¡¯m Dn,¡± he tapped the name tag on the right side of his shirt. ¡°Just Dn, because once again, your subconscious did not wish to give me a surname. I represent the Void as a piece of its being, and I exist within your Astral Space as a part of your Astral Script, due to the Pact you made. As such, you have been allocated some benefits, one of which has assigned me, much to my chagrin, as the guide to your Awakening.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Dn. Is this my Astral Script then? Actually, what even is an Astral Script? I remember seeing the word before.¡± ¡°The Astral Script is, in simple terms, a part of your soul. It is what connects the magic from the Astral nes and allows it to manifest. This is the form yours has chosen to take, referred to as an Astral Space. Perhaps you are familiar with this ce?¡± At Dn¡¯s words, Noah took another look around. Walking through the store, he found a familiar old sofa, with his writing on it which he¡¯d made as a kid. But what was different was a shrimp dispenser installed next to it, with an all you can drink soda machine that had an ¡®everything¡¯ option on it. Noah smiled, feeling childlike joy he hadn¡¯t felt in ages. He clicked on the shrimp dispenser, adding some whipped cream on top, then filled a cup full of the everything soda. Somehow, despite the disgustingbination, the food tasted amazing. ¡°I think I¡¯m in love,¡± Noah said, taking another sip of the fizzy drink, then biting into a barbeque coated shrimp. After he¡¯d had his fill, he moved through the rows of machines, finding a particr one among them. An old fighting game he loved to y as a kid, before they¡¯d discovered his mom¡¯s cancer and had to move away for her treatment. Memories flooded back to Noah . Somewhere over the years between trying to find a treatment for his mother, and her death, he¡¯dpletely forgotten about this ce. Walking closer, Noah pushed the y button on the old machine, and it loaded with familiar retro music. Wee to Astral Fighter! Assessing character¡­ Anomaly found. Integrating past life experiences. Calibrating¡­ A myriad of texts exploded in front of him. From crying, to talking, to job hunting and algebra. Everything he¡¯d ever done was listed in a long list that zipped past him within a second, yet he knew each and every word that had been on it. One by one, every machine in the Arcade lit up, glowing brightly as the neon lights shed. New characters appeared on the screen afterward. Please select at least one Path to proceed! His face appeared and he wore all sorts of different attires. Beneath each name were Paths disyed in glowing words. Path options: [Warrior] [Martial Artist] [Pugilist] [Brute] [Thug] [Mage] ¡­ [Prophet of the Void] [Champion of Earth] [Void¡¯s Herald] [Hellion¡¯s Hero] A myriad of options were spread out across the various arcade machines. The fighting game one had what looked to bebat rted Paths, while others had different focuses. Merely scrolling through all of them took five minutes or so. ¡°I¡¯m guessing I need to pick from these?¡± Noah asked, looking at Dn. ¡°It is good to see you are not aplete fool. Yes, you need to select a Path. An Astral Script is the summation of everything you have ever done in your life, from every meagre task, to the grandest of aplishments. All of which will allow you to pick a Path to walk upon,¡± Dn said. Noah realised that the guy never blinked. His stare was constant, and unrelenting. ¡°What do I need to know about picking my Paths? What should I avoid, and what should I look for?¡± Dn simply stared at him, and Noah wondered if something was wrong. ¡°You must know of the four Attributes already. Power, Constitution, Agility, Mystic. Each of these govern an aspect of your abilities. Paths will have grades, and higher grade Paths obviously provide greater rewards. That said, it is not always the correct option to pick the highest grade avable, as it can lock future potential away. Ultimately, the purpose of a Path is to increase these Attributes, to allow you to grow stronger,¡± Dn said, his eyes flickering to the side momentarily before he continued. ¡°We like stronger.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°How final is my choice?¡± ¡°So many questions,¡± Dn said, clicking his tongue. ¡°You can change, but it¡¯ll reset your levels, and you¡¯ll have to Awaken again. Deities can do it for you without losing your levels, but you¡¯ll have to pledge yourself to them for that.¡± Noah frowned at Dn¡¯s reaction. Wasn¡¯t answering questions his job? ¡°So it¡¯s not permanent, and I have multiple options but I shouldn¡¯t get something random just for shits and giggles either,¡± Noah hummed to himself thoughtfully. ¡°Are there any other options for Path changes without losing levels?¡± he prodded, feeling like Dn was trying to avoid exining things as much as he could unless explicitly asked. ¡°I don¡¯t get paid enough for this,¡± Dn said. ¡°You have rank ups. Your rank upon Awakening will have a grade going from F to A. Your Paths will hinge on this grade, and to keep progressing you will need to rank up. The first checkpoint will be level 50, this chart shows the rank up points,¡± Dn said, pointing to empty air. With a chime, a chart popped up in Noah¡¯s vision. Rank F: level 1-50 Rank E: level 51-100 Rank D: level 101-200 Rank C: level 201-300 Rank B: level 301-500 Rank A: level 501-999 Ascendant: level 1000 ¡°In these, there are a few important checkmarks. Level 100, 300, and 500. At these points, your Path can evolve and increase its grade. When you reach this point, you can return to this ce, and change the direction of your Path.¡± Noah nodded, satisfied as he returned to the slew of options. Scrolling through the screen with the many versions of himself in various attire, he went back to the start, and selected the first option. [Warrior (Common)] You have a gift for fighting, and that gift will be what forms your Path. Requirement: Win a fight. Rewards: +1 free Attribute per level. An understanding filled Noah, of the nature of this Path, and the abilities it would unlock. A [Warrior] focused primarily on weapons and meleebat. Rather standard as far as Path options went. Anew prompt appeared. Would you like to try a training battle? Yes/No? Noah raised an eyebrow, before selecting Yes. An arena opened, with an enemy on the other side, as Noah gained control of his character. Muscle memory had him moving the character perfectly against the training bot, and he racked up hitbos upon hitbos. Each move and attack was apanied by an understanding of how it would be in real life. The image of him fighting against monsters and enemies came to Noah. He returned to the menu soon after, looking at [Martial Artist] and [Pugilist] next. [Martial Artist] was simr to [Pugilist] but with more varied moves involved. The same went for [Thug], [Brute],and [Boxer]. All of them provided 1 Attribute Point per level. Noah decided to walk around, checking the different arcade machines with different options, when one caught his eye. [Gamer (Common)] You have enjoyed games, and at some point considered yourself a gamer. It is a path for those who truly wish to immerse themselves into the act of gaming. Requirement: y a game. Call yourself a Gamer at least once. Rewards: +1 free Attribute per level. Noah cringed at the requirement. He did not wish to be reminded of his dark teenage history. [Speedrunner] was an interesting Path, where the abilities seemed focused around reaching goals at a fast rate. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t the [Speedrunner] Path be a higher rarity? Like¡­ breaking the system andpleting the game in this context sounds like it would be broken,¡± Noah said. ¡°It¡¯s merely a Path that allows you to progress faster, but the progression it provides may not necessarily be good. At a high enough rank, perhaps you will be able to do enough for the Path to be worthwhile, but reaching a given rank will be difficult with the rewards this Path provides. Next to impossible, if anything.¡± Noah put aside the idea of breaking the game system. A shame, but perhaps he¡¯d be able to manage it in the future. As of now, reaching the MAX level with a weak Path did not sound very appealing. There were quite a few strange options in some of the machines, like [ountant] and [Retail Worker], thetter of which gave Noah chills with how his avatar stood with a dead smile stered on his face. He¡¯d rather die again than pick that Path. Noah looked at the [Gym Bro] Path, snorting. That one would be focused on muscle and body development, which was not the worst thing. Noah continued going through the list, finding some not so nice Paths in the options as well. Things such as [Sociopath], [Thief], [Murderer], [ve],and so on. ¡°Why is there¡­ a [ve] Path. Who would pick something like that?¡± ¡°Not every Awakening happens willfully. The [ve] Path can also be forcibly applied to someone, due to its nature. Same goes with Paths such as [Murderer] and [Thief] and so on. Upon certain conditions, those Paths can be obtained even outside normal Awakenings,¡± Dn replied. ¡°Does this world often employ very then?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I¡¯m not aware. Mortal affairs are not something I keep track of, but it is likely for at least some empires to have very.¡± The longer Noah looked at himself in chains as a ve, the more uneasy he felt. Not wanting to linger, he moved past them. The list continued, as Noah scrolled through faster and faster, until he found [First Aid Medic],which made him pause. ¡°Will I be healed after I select a Path? I¡­ was almost dead before,¡± Noah asked. ¡°Normally, you would be dead by now. But part of the benefit of the Pact is that, for your first Awakening, time has been significantly slowed down. As long as you can heal yourself after returning, you should survive,¡± Dn said. It was unfortunate, but moments ago he¡¯d already been resigned to death, so this was most certainly an improvement over that. Realising what he needed, Noah began to sort through all the healing options. [First Aid Medic], [Emergency Medic], [Medic], [Cleric], [Healer], [Masseur], and [Potion Brewer],among others, appeared as his options. None he selected seemed capable of saving his life quick enough. After some more idle browsing, Noah discarded themon Path options, finding their rewards significantly lower than the others. There were a couple that struck out to him within the umon options. [Blood Ritualist (Umon)] Willing or unwillingly, you¡¯ve participated in a ritual of blood. Now be capable of channeling the Astral into your being to call creatures from realms beyond. Requirements: Participate in a blood ritual. Rewards: +1 Mystic, and +1 free Attribute per level ¡°Nope,¡±he whispered, seeing the robed cultist with a dagger in his hand and cut-off fingers forming a ne around his neck. The Path had healing abilities, but it would require an arranged ritual. Noah doubted he¡¯d have that kind of time. Plus, he wasn¡¯t going to be one of the cultists. Noah moved on from the sinister-looking options and found an interesting choice. [Crusader of Helion (Umon)] You have killed an Abyssal Cultist, pushing back against the encroaching Void beyond the realms. Join Helion, channeling her strength as yours in the war against the dark unending realms of hunger. Requirements: Kill an Abyssal Cultist. Rewards: +1 Mystic, and +1 free Attribute per level Warning: This Path will vite the Pact. A giant lock sign with a Cthulhu symbol on it closed the Path off to him. ¡°If you pick that Path, you¡¯ll die,¡± Dn said, his voice clipped. Noah could sense the undertone of anger and moved on. He didn¡¯t want to join any religious organisations either way, so that was fine with him. After a time of sorting through the lists of [Healers] and [Medics],he found himself looking at a peculiar Path option. [Exsanguinator (Rare)] You draw blood from the Astral Realms, channeling it as you please. Draw life from the creatures you defeat, and channel it to heal or harm as you please. Requirements: Understand how blood works. Having basic Biology knowledge. Ingest mana rich blood. Rewards: +1 Constitution, +2 free Attribute per level. ¡°What about this Path?¡± Noah asked. ¡°A blood Path focused on drawing blood from your enemies. It can also be used to share blood between allies. Allows for good healing, while also providing an avenue for damage,¡± Dn said, as if reading off some pre-written script. Blood focus made Noah a little uncertain, but it definitely looked like the best Path he could select at the moment. Moving through, Noah began to find some higher grade Paths. [Astralwalker] and [Realm Traveler] both appeared to be simr Paths, based on his abrupt realm shifting experiences. Opening the two, he looked at their descriptions. [Realm Traveler (Rare)] You¡¯ve travelled the realms and seen the interdimensional rifts for yourself. Now be capable of creating rifts through realms at your will. Requirements: Travel the interdimensional Astral Rift without being destroyed. Rewards: +1 Mystic, +2 free Attribute per level. Noah entered the training arena, finding his character capable of creating portals. The fighting style was odd, cutting rifts in reality to generate shockwaves, pull out items and jump around with no regard for gravity or physics. It looked like a powerful Path, and he added it to his list. [Astralwalker (Epic)] Floating through the interdimensional void, you have absorbed wisps of the Realms of the Astral. Find yourself connecting with the realms beyond. Requirements: Have absorbed a part of the interdimensional Astral Rift. Rewards: +1 Agility, +2 Mystic, +2 free Attribute per level. Noah whistled as he noted the rewards for Astralwalker. The increase seemed to be incremental, with Common Paths providing one per level, Umon providing two, Rare Paths providing three, and Epic ones five. [Astralwalker] was [Realm Traveler] on steroids. The Pathcked the ability to tear through reality like [Realm Traveler] did, but had more abilities for movement and teleportation directly ingrained into the Path itself. Noah jumped around with the character in the training arena, teleporting all around his enemies as he attacked them through cuts in reality itself. There were a few more Epic Paths, but most were either sinister with dark powers like [Cultist of Doom] and [Herald of the Apocalypse], which he did briefly consider, but blood sacrifice did not sound like his thing. Then another Path caught Noah¡¯s eyes. [Void Hunter (Epic)] You have alingeringhunger within you, and the instincts of a hunter. Find yourself channeling the Void to hunt anything that maye in your path. Requirement: Have a natural instinct for hunting. Have a high Void Affinity. Rewards: +1 Mystic, +2 Power, +2 free Attributes per level. The Path felt powerful¡ªdrawing upon the Void as it cut through everything around it with ease. Noah watched his character tear through anything that may cross it¡¯s path with raw power, sometimes enough to even damage himself. It was a pure DPS Path, sacrificing everything else to do damage. Noah mentally began to form an idea for how he couldbine it with Astralwalker. After taking a few more minutes to test it, he moved on. As he reached the bottom, Noah stumbled upon one that burned his eyes. The Path glowed a bright golden shimmer, almost blinding him. Noah¡¯s jaw dropped. [Champion of Earth (Legendary)] A champion of a distant realm, now here to herald a new era. Requirements: Save Earth in a grand sacrifice. Rewards: +1 to all Attributes, +6 free Attributes per level. His avatar wore golden armour, with a long flowing cape. The Path not only provided ten Attributes per level, but the abilities themselves that Noah could sense were downright ridiculous. Noah looked at the requirement condition and frowned. It was referring to how he died, but despite his efforts, the nk regarding his death in his memory persisted. ¡°What¡¯s up with this Path?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It¡¯s all golden and everything and with ridiculous rewards.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Legendary Path, and that one in particr is a bit more special than most. Like all starting Legendaries, it will provide powerful benefits, but at a cost. This one will tie you to an Oath, one which you cannot break, and will force you to adhere to a code of justice,¡± Dn replied. ¡°Will I get to select the Oath?¡± Noah asked. Dn only smiled, and Noah took it as a ¡®No¡¯. He looked at the Path once more and the rewards it offered. It was tempting, excessively so, but selecting it, Noah could tell the binding it would cause. He would be forced to be the ideal [Champion of Earth], and work for its cause whether he wanted to or not. He would have to fight for a cause, and he would be unable to deviate from it. It was a position of power, but little real choice of his own. The thought still appealed to him, but he put the Path aside and moved on. There were two other Legendary Paths left. The next one was dark, oozing with the energy of the Void. [Void¡¯s Herald (Legendary)] A herald of the Void, here to bestow its unending darkness into the material worlds. Requirement: Have a Pact with the Void. Rewards: +10 Attributes per level. Cannot be assigned by you. ¡°You should take that one,¡± Dn said. Noah chuckled, ignoring him. The Path was horrible, seeing how it would leave him with no free will of his own. He would be a puppet of the Void, only there to serve as its representative. Turning back, he selected the final Legendary Path. [Hellion¡¯s Hero (Legendary)] Be the unknown Hero of the goddess Hellion and sacrifice your soul to strike against the master of the Abyss, and the end of creation itself. Requirement: Have a connection to the Incarnation of the Void. Have heroically sacrificed your life before. Reward: Your name will be praised by Hellion¡¯s followers. Warning: This Path will break the Pact. ¡°How did that¡ª¡± Time froze as a burning golden light shed from the arcade screen. Noah stared at the Path, an intimate understanding of its purpose filling him. Selecting this option would immediately kill him, using his soul to strike at the Void. Despite having no desire to die, the golden light showed him a visage of millions chanting his name, of his memory being immortalised into the realm, along with the righteous glory and heroic act it would be. Noah grit his teeth, not letting himself be drawn in as he moved past the option. With a snap, the effect faded as time resumed. ¡°¡ªget here!¡± Dn cursed, then looked around in confusion. ¡°You didn¡¯t pick¡­ okay. Good. You made the right choice,¡± the man said, rather flustered. The expression felt odd against his naturally stoic attitude. Clearly he hadn¡¯t been meant to receive that option, but something presented it to him. Hellion, likely, if he had to guess. The fact he¡¯d almost been pulled in to select against his wishes made Noah angry, but he breathed the emotion away. Being angry wouldn¡¯t help him. Reaching the end of the list, Noah scrolled back up before closing his eyes. It was time to pick. No matter how he looked at it, he needed healing abilities. And as it stood, [Exsanguinator] was the only Path that not only gave him healing, but also offensive abilities. It was also the only Rare grade healing Path avable. ¡°Which Paths do you think I should pick?¡± Noah asked. ¡°[Void¡¯s Herald],¡± Dn replied. ¡°Besides that one.¡± Dn clicked his tongue. ¡°[Exsanguinator], at the bare minimum.It¡¯s the only other one where you will not die immediately after returning and will allow you the chance of surviving whates next. The rest you have the options to pick as you please, but a bnced distribution is optimal. If one Path is heavily Constitution-based, unless you purely want to grow Constitution, it¡¯d be best to pick something that could bolster your other Attributes.¡± Noah nodded, finalising his choices. [Exsanguinator] Path selected. [Astralwalker] Path selected. [Void Hunter] Path selected. Would you like to finalise your selection? Yes/No? After taking a shaking breath, Noah mentally selected the Yes option. A pressure rose from inside his abdomen as swirling energies flowed and collided, expanding outward. The arcade machine began to glow, dizzying lights shing while loud retro game music yed in his mind. The swirling energy began to grow, turning warmer and warmer, until it felt like someone had stuck a glowing metal rod in Noah¡¯s gut. The energies ripped their way through his body and he writhed, unable to hold back his groans that soon turned into screams of agony. Every inch of his insides burned like a zing fire, filled to the brim with something that threatened to explode from the inside. ¡°Oh, I forgot to tell you. The process of your first Awakening is quite agonising,¡± Dn said nonchntly, as Noah twitched on the ground. ¡°Fu¡­ck¡­ you¡­¡±Noah tried, yet his mouth stopped working as his spirit began to dissolve. The arcade machine jingled onest time with a cheerful melody. ¡°Good luck with surviving, Noah,¡± Dn said, a sly grin widening on his lips as Noah¡¯s spirit was pulled back into his body. Chapter 4: Cultistus Exterminatus Chapter 4: Cultistus Exterminatus A myriad of words appeared in Noah¡¯s vision as he opened his eyes. You¡¯ve Awakened the [Exsanguinator] Path. You¡¯ve Awakened the [Astralwalker] Path. You¡¯ve Awakened the [Void Hunter] Path. [Exsanguinator] has unlocked Ability [Blood Drain] [Astralwalker] has unlocked the Ability [Blink]. [Void Hunter] has unlocked the Ability [Obliterate]. Rank has increased to F [Exsanguinator] has reached level 3! [Astralwalker] has reached level 2! [Void Hunter] has reached level 2! Power has increased to 4. Agility has increased to 2. Constitution increased to 3. Mystic has increased to 6. +14 free Attribute Points awarded! He ignored the words, focusing on his health bar. His vision was spinning, and consciousness was a fading thread. He¡¯d lost too much blood, and he needed to move quick. Health: 4% Noah reached out to his Path. An entirely new sense opened around him. Something he could feel at all times within his mind and reach out toward at will to control. Moving on instinct, Noah drew on a nearby source, and something thick and warm began to flow into his body. You¡¯ve used [Blood Drain]. Noah shuddered. A painful itching sensation crawled over his injuries. Skin rapidly mended itself, and his organs healed within seconds as his abilities worked. Your health has been partially regenerated. Health regeneration increased by 100% for 5 minutes. Health: 11% The sensation dulled, fading to the background. Trying to raise his head, Noah looked at his chest. His wounds hadn¡¯t healedpletely, as pain still pulsed when he moved. But at least he was no longer in immediate danger. He focused on his health bar and found it ticking upward thanks to his increased health regeneration. Noah rolled himself over. With effort, he raised his body off the ground, sitting upright. Each movement was followed with pulses of pain, which forced him to stop and breathe through it. With jerking movements, Noah pushed himself up to his feet. He noticed the cultist he¡¯d killed. The man¡¯s body was wrinkled and twisted, eyes wide in shock, as if something had drawn every ounce of life from his body. Noah stumbled back, understanding what just happened. A numbness filled him at what he¡¯d done, but he had no time to contemte the guilt or moral implications. The Abyssal Cult Chief dashed around with the fire magic woman he¡¯d freed. Not a single cultist had survived the battle besides the chief. A field of burnt and charred bodies littered the dark grounds of the underground chamber. The strong smell of burning flesh made Noah¡¯s head spin, nausea building up in him. This time, he controlled the sensation, briefly looking at the stone ceiling to settle his mind before he returned to the fight happening in front of him. The woman he¡¯d freed¡ªAurelia, as his Quest log told him¡ªfought fiercely, like a wild beast pushed to the edge. Golden mes followed each motion she made, every punch and kick destroying chunks of the ground. Despite that, the Abyssal Chief had no visible damage. Little swirling tentacles and ck wisps struck Aurelia, nicking her skin through her thin white clothes, painting them red. As if to reinforce his fears, a new Quest appeared. New Quest obtained! Quest: Cultistus Exterminatus You were summoned here as an eldritch monstrosity by Vikral Nayfar. It only seems fitting to exterminate him like one too. Optional Objective: Don¡¯t Die Difficulty: Hard Reward: A Rare grade Ability Tome Noah dumbly stared at the Quest. He looked back at the fight taking ce, before looking back at the Quest screen. ¡°Gotta love how not dying is an optional objective. Might as well name the Quest ¡®Fuck you, Noah¡¯,¡± he said, helplessly watching the battle. Aurelia Fauster continued to fight, but she was starting to show signs of exhaustion. In the meantime, the Abyssal Chief looked just as enraged and energetic as he had when he¡¯d first arrived. Noah ran his hand through his hair. He needed to do something, except everything he could think of felt like terrible options that included him being burned or skewered to death. ¡°Okay, assess the information first. Find out what I can do,¡± Noah murmured, trying not to lose himself to the panic. He pulled up the Status page from his inbuilt menu, and checked for changes. Name: Noah Brown Race: Human Rank: F Paths: Exsanguinator - level 3 Astralwalker - level 2 Void Hunter - level 2 Attributes: Power: 4 Agility: 2 Constitution: 3 Mystic: 6 Attribute points: 14 Noah reached out to the Attribute Points option and saw the Attributes light up. Thinking for a moment, he selected the Mystic Attribute. Mystic increased to 7. Noah looked over his body, clenching his fists to see if he could feel a difference. He noticed that the second bar in his vision had increased by a small amount. Picking the other free Attribute, Noah put five into Constitution, five into Agility, and three into Power. Power increased to 7. Agility increased to 7. Constitution increased to 8. Noah found that the values were updated in his menu. A powerful shudder shook the chamber, and Noah ducked as a ming rock shot toward his head. Dark tendrils struck chunks of ming rocks and fire-coated fists as the two participants continued to fight. He went through his menus, trying to find something relevant. Anything. Opening his Inventory, Noah put his arm through it and felt his hand brush against something on the inside. He jerked his hand back out. It was the letter from earlier. Putting it back, he felt a sensation of awareness filled him at the act, as if the object were a part of him. Like something he could move. Acting on the sensation, Noah tried to move the letter around in his Inventory, and made it manifest through the menu above his palm. He looked at the battle happening, as an idea clicked in his mind. Perhaps¡­ Noah picked up the executioner¡¯s sword lying on the altar nearby, cing it inside his Inventory menu. Before he could pick up anything else, a loud crash pulled Noah¡¯s attention. A dust cloud swirled around the chamber, where he saw Aurelia copse to one knee, bleeding from her many injuries. Cursing at hisck of time, Noah rushed down the stairs of the altar. ¡°Stop!¡±he screamed at the cultist chief, who nced back at him with fury. Noah checked the chief¡¯s name from his Quest log. ¡°Viktral Nayfar, this has all been a huge misunderstanding. I am an emissary of the Incarnation of Void, sent to deliver a message,¡± Noah said, finding his words invoking an all epassing silence. Viktor¡¯s face contorted in fury as he regarded Noah. ¡°Do you take me for a fool?¡± ¡°No. But trying to hurt me will be a mistake,¡± Noah said, trying to keep the waver out of his voice. Taking out the letter from his Inventory, he raised it to the chief. Viktral stared at the letter, his eyes widened in shock. ¡°That¡ªit cannot be¡­¡± he murmured. Trying to keep his racing heart still, Noah moved closer to the chief, keeping the letter in front of him, and handed it to the man. ¡°The Void has heard your devotion, Viktral. It has heard your call, and now gives an answer,¡± Noah said, heart pounding in his chest against the stream of lies. The chief grabbed the letter, reading through the contents. An expression of disbelief covered his face, and Noah nced behind the man, to where Aureliay. He dearly hoped she understood what he was trying to do. ¡°The Incarnation of the Void itself¡­ An honour of a lifetime¡­¡± Viktral said, his voice wavering. He looked up at Noah, and the man¡¯s expression twisted, his body vibrating with anger. ¡°And you dare lie about it?¡± Noah felt his gut drop. He jumped back but Viktral was faster. His hand grabbed Noah¡¯s shoulder and a crack resounded. Noah screamed, but he could not move as Viktral held him in ce. In a blind panic, Noah poured all he had into Blink. The world slowed down as Blink activated, turning grey. Through an intuition he didn¡¯t know he possessed, Noah could feel the Astral Realm sweep over his body, as the world distorted. In that long fleeting moment, he could feel his Astral abilities freed, removed from the chains that bound them. Reaching out, he grabbed the executioner¡¯s sword from his Inventory andunched it at Viktral. The world shifted. Noah reappeared at the far end of the underground cavern. Warning. Low mana. Mana: 4% A painful scream tore through the chamber, and Noah saw his de buried into Viktral¡¯s shoulder. The Abyssal Chief red at him with a look of fury and hate. ¡°Aurelia!¡±Noah screamed with all he had. Rushing forward, Aurelia jumped in as fire erupted all over. Her fist struck Viktral in the gut,unching the man at the other end of the chamber¡¯s wall with a shuddering shock that sent a crack through the wall, causing rocks to copse. Fire erupted from Aurelia¡¯s fists, and she rushed after Viktral,unching into a barrage of strikes. shes of light poured through the dust cloud, a vast amount of mana swirling through the battle. Strikes and shockwaves made the entire cavern shudder. A few momentster, the shockwaves settled. The battle was over. Noah stood, heart racing in anticipation as he waited for the dust cloud to dissipate. Suddenly, a notification appeared in his vision. You¡¯ve helped defeat [Abyssal Cultist Chief (Umon) - level 72/Flesh Grafter (Umon) - level 63] [Exsanguinator] has reached level 6! [Astralwalker] has reached level 4! [Void Hunter] has reached level 4! Power increased to 11. Agility increased to 9. Constitution increased to 11. Mystic increased to 13. +14 free Attribute points awarded. Quest: Cultistus Exterminatus Complete! Reward: [Tome of Infliction (Rare)] obtained. [???] has partially absorbed [Abyssal Cultist Chief/Flesh Grafter] [Progress to unlock 8/10] A wave of relief flooded Noah and he copsed to the ground. It took him a moment to notice a throbbing headache eating at his brain, like a nail being hammered into his skull. The world spun in circles, dizziness and pain assaulting him. Distantly, he saw Aurelia make her way toward him. ¡°Hey,¡± Noah said, raising a hand as he smiled awkwardly. Aurelia did not look amused. Folding her arms, she looked down at him. ¡°You¡¯ve got some exining to do.¡± Chapter 5: Inventory ++ Now with autoloot Chapter 5: Inventory ++ Now with autoloot ¡°Who are you, and why were you summoned by a summoning circle?¡± Aurelia demanded, tapping her foot. ¡°You¡¯re wee for the help,¡± Noah said, trying not to be annoyed at her attitude. He remained where he¡¯d copsed, watching Aurelia with an uncertain look, a woman who could pulverize him in a single blow. Her eyes shed golden, mes twirling around her fist. ¡°I¡¯m extremely short on patience, and the only reason you aren¡¯t a burnt husk despite the very real possibility that you could be some kind of strange eldritch monster is the fact you helped free me. So answer my questions honestly. Don¡¯t lie. I¡¯ll know. Nod if you understand,¡± she said, the glow in her eyes increasing. Noah returned a slow nod. ¡°Are you human?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Noah didn¡¯t hesitate to answer. Aurelia frowned, but whatever method she was using to find if he was lying or not, didn¡¯t seem to have been triggered. He¡¯d been worried for the briefest of seconds if he¡¯d been changed into something less human, but his Status page listed him as human, so it was a safe bet he still was. ¡°Are you with the cultists?¡± ¡°No,¡± Noah said. ¡°Were you sent by the Iron Fists?¡± ¡°Who even is that?¡± ¡°Answer the question,¡± Aurelia snapped. ¡°No.¡± Silence settled as a contemtive expression took over Aurelia. A momentter, she nced at him with an analysing gaze. ¡°Are you from this world?¡± Noah swallowed a lump in his throat, not replying immediately. Should I tell her? What if they kill anything that¡¯s not from this world? It wouldn¡¯t matter either way. His shoulder was injured, his mana was low, and he had no way of escaping if she wanted to kill him. Slowly, he raised his head and replied, ¡°No.¡± Aurelia gave him a terse nod. With almost a sigh of relief, she walked up to him and copsed nearby, taking him by surprise. Noah was taken aback by the sudden change in her. ¡°My apologies for acting like that. I really appreciate the help, even if you just stood around for a while. Nothing about you made sense, and I¡¯ve already been betrayed once today. Forgive me if I appear on edge,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Fair enough,¡± Noah replied. ¡°In my defence, the Quest had ¡®don¡¯t die¡¯ as an optional objective, and I wasn¡¯t too keen to jump into it without having some kind of n.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t die in your what?¡± Aurelia said, raising an eyebrow at his words. ¡°Nevermind. My name is Noah. Noah Brown. And I¡¯m not entirely sure how I¡¯m here. I think I died.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You cannot just bring a person back to life like that. Not without some god interfering,¡± Aurelia said. She leaned in, squinting at him. ¡°You even knew my name.¡± Noah raised his hands, shifting back slightly. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not lying. Can you exin anything that¡¯s happening? And think about it. Why would I help you escape if I wanted to harm you? I¡¯m even more lost than you are. I don¡¯t know where the heck I am, or where to go from here, or howe I have magic all of a sudden¡­ Honestly, I have so many questions,¡± Noah said, slowly putting his hands down as he saw Aurelia¡¯s expression rx. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m just incredibly stressed out. None of this was supposed to happen¡­¡± Aurelia said, staring into the distance. Noah waited as long as he could, but the pain in his shoulders became too much to bear. ¡°Sorry to disturb you while you¡¯re resting but¡­ could you maybe do something about this,¡± Noah said, pointing at the shoulder Viktral had attacked, which hung limp by his side. Likely dislocated. ¡°Ah yeah, sure,¡± Aurelia said. She moved and crouched beside him, inspecting his shoulder. ¡°Clench your teeth,¡± she warned. Aurelia grabbed his shoulder and pushed the arm. Despite the warning, Noah bit his tongue at the intense pain that assaulted him as the shoulder joint was pushed back into his socket. Leaning his head back, he breathed through the pain. Aurelia sat by his side, closing her eyes. After a minute or two, as the pain slowly faded, Noah asked, ¡°Why¡¯re you just sitting here with your eyes closed?¡± Aurelia opened her eyes, ncing back at Noah. ¡°I¡¯m meditating.¡± ¡°I¡¯m as much a fan of that as the next person, but I feel like it¡¯d be smarter to do that when we¡¯ve escaped first,¡± Noah said, ncing around at the corpses littering the area. ¡°Not the most calming of ces.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t know anything do you?¡± Aurelia said, surprised. ¡°I¡¯m meditating to replenish my mana. From the feel of your aura, you¡¯re dangerously low as well.¡± ¡°My aura?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Yes, your aura. Did you not have any Awakened in your world? In fact, how old are you? Most people tend to awaken when they turn twenty, but you definitely look older than that, and you¡¯re just level 6,¡± Aurelia asked, before looking at Noah again. ¡°Exsanguinator¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m twenty-four, and I¡¯m pretty sure we didn¡¯t have any Awakened in my world. Or magic. Not this kind of magic anyhow,¡± Noah said, before ncing back towards Aurelia. ¡°Well, maybe? What¡¯s an Awakened?¡± ¡°Someone who has ess to the Astral Scripts and can level up in their Paths. What¡¯s Exsanguinator about?¡± Aurelia asked in return. Noah almost replied, before he paused. A blood-based Path like his could be taboo or seen as inherently evil. ¡°Are there any taboo Paths?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Many gods forbid certain Paths. But most aren¡¯t outright taboo. Anything that does not dabble in necromancy or ritualistic sacrifice is allowed by the adventurer¡¯s guild.¡± ¡°Are you a part of that? The adventurer guild?¡± Noah asked. He could imagine what an adventuring guild might be like, and the thought of being able to visit one filled him with excitement. ¡°I am. I¡¯m an E ranked adventurer. I¡¯d show you my te, but the cultists took it when they captured me,¡± Aurelia said, frowning. Noah gave it some thought, then decided to keep the details of his Paths to himself. He didn¡¯t want to exin how he¡¯d gotten three at once either. ¡°Exsanguinator is blood-based. It lets me heal, which is how I survived being stabbed.¡± He nced at Aurelia, using Identify on her. [me Warden - ?] ¡°You¡¯re a [me Warden] then?¡± he asked her, reading the description. Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. ¡°I am, but I have two.¡± It only shows the highest level Path. That¡¯s good to know. ¡°How did you get here by the way? You¡¯re clearly powerful,¡± Noah asked. Aurelia¡¯s expression fell at his words, as if recollecting a grim memory. ¡°I got set up. I was working with an adventuring team, and we¡¯d gotten a search Quest for disappearances around these parts. Turns out, the team I was working with was a part of it. Theyced my food and handed me over to the cult.¡± ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve had a rough day as well,¡± Noah said. ¡°Yeah,¡± Aurelia replied and clenched her fists. ¡°I really should¡¯ve seen the signs. I gotcent and nearly died.¡± ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Noah said, shaking his head. ¡°How did you get here?¡± Aurelia asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I know you were summoned by the cultists but¡­ souls of the departed do not move on to the Void.And if they do in your world, then I pity your reality.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s just me. Honestly, I¡¯m not really sure. I can¡¯t remember how I died,¡± Noah said. ¡°Well, Outerworlders are not without precedent in Erandir. They¡¯re not exactlymon, butmon enough that we have a word for them. Perhaps you¡¯ll meet someone from your home.¡± ¡°Is that so? That would be¡­ an experience,¡± Noah replied, trailing off. ¡°You don¡¯t sound too thrilled by the idea?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°I mean, I¡¯d probably be happy at the time. But it would remind me of everything wrong I¡¯d done in my previous life as well,¡± Noah said, looking up at the dark cavernous ceiling. ¡°Honestly. Despite almost dying multiple times today, I still have no desire to go back. I¡¯m not sure what I¡¯d even go back for.¡± Aurelia remained silent, drawing Noah¡¯s focus back to her. The brown-haired woman was silently regarding him, as if trying to find something within his expression. ¡°Is there something on my face? Or are you just taken away by what you see?¡± Noah said, shing her a grin. Aurelia looked away and chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°No, I was merely surprised.¡± ¡°Surprised that someone as handsome as me had a shitty life back home?¡± ¡°Surprised at how simr we were,¡± Aurelia said, leaning against the wall. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s your world like? You said it didn¡¯t have any magic.¡± ¡°We have magic tricks. Sleight of hand and stuff like that. Nothing like the awesome magic you have here. Oh, but we do have the inte, so I guess it bnces out.¡± ¡°The inte?¡± ¡°It¡¯s awork that connects these devices you use to look up anything. Any question you have, it¡¯ll probably have the answer to. The majority of the world¡¯s information and data is stored on the inte. Although most of it is just porn.¡± Aurelia hummed. ¡°That sounds like the Astral Script, but more essible. And not limited to magic. Although I don¡¯t know if it has this ¡®porn¡¯ you speak of.¡± ¡°The Astral Script huh. Well, mine did take the form of an RPG system which isn¡¯t that many steps removed from the inte in the grand scheme of magic things,¡± Noah said. ¡°What¡¯s¡­¡± Aurelia¡¯s mouth moved as she tried to pronounce the word, only to give up with a shake of her head. ¡°The thing you said just now.¡± ¡°RPG system? It¡¯s a kind of game¡ªActually, I¡¯ll exin thatter, too much context needed in between before it¡¯ll make sense,¡± Noah said. Aurelia looked at him weirdly, then turned away. ¡°You should meditate as well,¡± she said, crossing her legs and straightening her back. ¡°A ce like this is bound to have a storage chamber with magical artefacts. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m leaving all of that behind. I also need to find any belongings of the person who I¡¯d originallye here to find.¡± ¡°There¡¯s other people here?¡± Noah asked, feeling a bit better at the idea that he wasn¡¯t the only one trapped far outside his depth. ¡°None alive. They kept us in a small dungeon underground. I was thest one there,¡± Aurelia said, souring Noah¡¯s mood. Closing his eyes, he straightened his back, and tried to focus on meditating. It took him a while to settle his thoughts from running into a thousand different tangents. Thoughts of the fight and the recent events kept shing in Noah¡¯s mind, ying themselves over. He¡¯d killed two people. Not by ident, but intentionally. He¡¯d killed even more, if he counted freeing Aurelia. They would¡¯ve killed him too if they could¡¯ve. Viktral almost did. But despite the knowledge, despite knowing these people deserved what they got, Noah found the sight of the dying cultist, his eyes wide in shock, firmly stuck in his mind. He let out a breath, then dismissed the image as he focused on the warmth swirling in his abdomen. You are meditating. Mana regeneration increased by 100% Congrattions! You¡¯ve obtained the skill [Meditation]. Noah startled, his eyes fluttering open at the sudden chime in his head. ring at the words, they disappeared. ¡°My soul¡¯s user interface sucks,¡± Noah grumbled, closing his eyes once more and reactivating Meditation. Even without the mana bar increasing twice as fast, Noah could sense something in his body starting to fill. After just a few minutes, Noah¡¯s spirit was filled to the brim, like a bowl with too much water, ready to spill over. Mana: 100% Noah opened his eyes, finding his energy replenished, as if just awakening from a nap. He nced sideways and saw Aurelia Meditating still. Deciding to use his time to explore his system, Noah opened up his menu. Name: Noah Brown Race: Human Rank: F Paths: Exsanguinator - level 6 Astralwalker - level 4 Void Hunter - level 4 Attributes: Power: 11 Agility: 9 Constitution: 11 Mystic: 13 Attribute Points: 14 Selecting his Attribute Points, Noah thought it over before distributing them. Power increased to 16. Agility increased to 12. Constitution increased to 15. Mystic increased to 15. He looked at the two bars at the corner of his vision and found them ever so slightlyrger. Satisfied by the choice, Noah closed the menu, then opened his [Abilities] menu. Abilities: Exsanguinator: [Blood Drain (Basic)] - level 1 Astralwalker: [Blink (Basic)] - level 1 Void Hunter: [Obliterate (Basic)] - level 1 Noah selected Blood Drain, Blink, and Obliterate. [Blood Drain (Basic) - level 1] You can draw upon the blood of others to heal yourself. Increases healing regeneration and can negate blood loss and bleed. [Blink (Basic) - level 1] The realms cannot hold you. Jump through reality and teleport a short distance around you in the blink of an eye. [Obliterate (Basic) - level 1] Channel the energies of the void to annihte everything that maye in your path. Noah whistled as he read through the descriptions. Blink and Blood Drain he¡¯d already used and had a good idea for how they worked. The more mana he used with Blink, the further he could teleport. Curious, Noah reached out to Obliterate. The skill felt intuitive. Dartk wisps gathered at his hands, coating them with the essence of void. A prickling sensation ran along his skin as he used Obliterate, and he nced up, noting his health starting to dip. Cancelling the skill, the health drain stopped immediately. ¡°That¡¯s going to be tricky. Good thing I have [Exsanguinator] though,¡± Noah murmured, closing the [Ability] menu and moving on to his [Skills]. Skills: Meditation (Basic) - level 1 Astral Resistance (Basic) - level 7 Soul Resistance (Basic) - level 7 Void Resistance (Intermediate) - level 14 Noah selected the Meditation skill. [Meditation (Basic) - level 1] Increases natural mana recovery rates by 100% during the meditation period. Increases physical recovery rates while active. ¡°That¡¯s neat,¡± Noah said, closing the description. Changing options, he went to his resistances. Soul Magic? He stared at the resistance in confusion, before opening the prompt. [Soul Resistance (Basic) - level 7] Your soul has weathered the Void, absorbing pieces of the Astral Interdimensional Rift, before being put back together. It has grown resistant and rigid, resilient to change. Soul Magic will struggle to take hold of you. Before he could move on to the other resistances, he felt Aurelia stir as she stretched her limbs. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m full. Let¡¯s move,¡± she said, standing up. Noah followed after her to where she¡¯d fought Viktral. Noah stood a ways behind, watching her go through his clothes. She picked out items from the dead man¡¯s robes, before letting out an aha! holding up a bracelet. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Noah asked, trying to ignore that she¡¯d just looted a corpse of a person he¡¯d helped her murder. ¡°A storage device. It has a pocket dimension inside where you can put things. We can get the contents inside it if we take it to the city,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Sounds like a convenient tool,¡± Noah replied, looking at the bracelet in wonder. ¡°It is, but it¡¯s also annoying. Storage devices are all blood bound. You need special tools to open one up, even after the owner has died. If I don¡¯t find a key for him then we¡¯ll have to make a trip to the nearest city to open the bracelet and hope it¡¯s in there, so that we cane back here and pick the area clean,¡± Aurelia said, continuing to search through the dead man¡¯s robes. ¡°Can you show it to me for a second?¡± Noah asked. Aurelia threw the bracelet to him and Noah scrambled to catch the thing without dropping it. Inspecting the bracelet, he noticed various gems and little symbols carved in it that lit up when turned at a certain angle. An idea came to Noah, and he opened up his Inventory. Pushing the bracelet into the menu, he tried to store the item, but found it touching the menu screen as if it were solid. Words shed in front of Noah¡¯s eyes a momentter. [Inventory] has detected a storage device. Would you like to transfer the items from [Viktral Nayfar¡¯s Storage Device] to your Inventory? Yes/No? Noah selected the Yes option, and a myriad of notifications erupted in his vision. 3 x [Mana Stones - F] obtained. 17 x [Mana Stones - E] obtained. 2 x [Mana Stones - D] obtained. 1 x [Potion of Healing (Umon)] obtained. 1 x [Tome of Sight (Common)] obtained. 1 x [Twin Daggers (Umon)] obtained. 1 x [Ring of Abyssal Eye (Rare)] obtained. 1 x Cer Key obtained 1 x Abyssal Cultist Chief robe obtained. Scrolling through his Inventory, Noah briefly nced at all the items, before picking up the one with the key symbol. The key was iron and rusted, and Noah could not detect anything magical about the item. He used Identify on it, to check just in case. [Cer Key] An old, rusted key to a cer. ¡°Aurelia?¡± Noah called out. ¡°What is it?¡± Aurelia asked, not looking back as she continued to search through Viktral¡¯s robes. ¡°I think I found the key.¡± Chapter 6: The Full HD Isekai Experience Chapter 6: The Full HD Isekai Experience Noah held up the key to Aurelia. ¡°Where did you find that?¡± ¡°From Viktral¡¯s storage device in my Inventory,¡± Noah said. Opening his Inventory, he fumbled around before pulling out a ss vial filled with a crimson liquid. Using Identify, he pulled up the item¡¯s name. [Potion of Healing (Umon)] A Potion of Healing. Can be used to heal injuries by applying directly, or by drinking the potion. ¡°There was this in the bracelet, and a dagger, actually, two daggers, some books, a robe, a ring, and a lot of mana stones of different grades,¡± Noah said, counting on his fingers as he listed each item. Aurelia made her way to Noah. She extended her hand, and Noah handed her the key. Looking at the key for a while, she then looked at the potion Noah held. ¡°And you can just take things out of storage devices?¡± she asked. Noah shrugged. ¡°Apparently.¡± Opening his Inventory, he scrolled through the items on disy. ¡°He really did have a lot of stuff though.¡± Reaching into the Inventory, Noah pulled out the Abyssal Cultist robe. The cloth was ck, with little markings beside an eye on the back. ¡°Creepy,¡± Noah said. He looked down at his shirt, which still had a giant hole torn through it, and was now coated with dirt and blood. ¡°Eh, better than what I have I guess.¡± Taking off his shirt, Noah ced it into his Inventory. 1 x Dirty and torn shirt added. Noah dismissed the notification and put on the robes. Moving still hurt his chest injury, but the pain was mostly gone now, with the injury itself nothing more than a bright pink patch. Noah moved around, inspecting his new attire. The robe was slightly too small, making it look more like a long skirt. ¡°How do I look?¡± Noah asked Aurelia. Turning, she frowned. ¡°Like a cultist I¡¯d want to murder on sight.¡± ¡°Come on, it can¡¯t be that bad,¡± Noah said. ¡°What would you think if someone dressed in the robes of a reviled cult that had tried to sacrifice you?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Fair,¡± Noah replied, his enthusiasm at having new clothes slightly curbed. Opening his Inventory, he looked at the rest of the items. The ring caught his eye, and he grabbed it, noticing an eye set within it. The eye looked right back at him, twitching and moving ever so slightly. ¡°That has to be cursed,¡± Noah said, showing it to Aurelia. A look of disgust came over her face as she watched the eyeball moving around. ¡°Abyssal Eye ring. Common in these cults. It provides greater mana capacity and channelling. But no, it isn¡¯t cursed. Definitely disgusting though,¡± Aurealia replied. Noah stared at the eyeball ring. ¡°I hate how it keeps looking at me,¡± Noah said with a shudder. ¡°Do you think I should use it?¡± ¡°If you want to. As long as you don¡¯t mind having a disgusting eyeball on your finger,¡± she replied. ¡°When you¡¯re done ying with your new toys, let me know and we¡¯ll head down to the cer.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Noah said.¡°Guess I¡¯ll have just have to settle for creepy powers now.¡± He slid the ring on. [Ring of Abyssal Eye (Rare)] equipped. [Identify (Basic) ¡ú Identify (Intermediate)] With the eye ring sitting snugly on his finger, and he selected it in the menu. [Ring of Abyssal Eye (Rare)] The Abyssal eye captures all. Provides a boost to mana regeneration. Increases total mana capacity. Increases Identification abilities and perception. Noah¡¯s eyes went to the two bars on his ovey. The bottom one increased by one-fourth and slowly filled up. Idly, he nced at Aurelia, using Identify on her. [me Warden - level 68] I can see her level now. Closing the menu, he picked up the other item¡ªtwo daggers with curved edges that were bound together with blood red des came into Noah¡¯s hand. He checked the description. [Twin Daggers (Umon)] Twin daggers forged in iron. ¡°Neato,¡± Noah said, dropping the daggers back into his Inventory. ¡°I love the convenience of having an Inventory ability.¡± He searched for Aurelia and found her dragging the cultists corpses onto the altar. Noah frowned, walking up to the summoning altar. His eyes remained on the pile of corpses as Aurelia brought Viktral¡¯s body overst, dropping it into the pile. Aurelia walked further back from the corpse pile, dipping her head, and whispered something under her breath. mes rose around her hands, gushing toward the pile in a stream, and the bodies lit up in mes. A swirling whirlpool of emotions filled Noah¡¯s chest, as the fire slowly consumed each of the bodies. He didn¡¯t feel sympathy or pity. They would¡¯ve killed him if he¡¯d let them be. He had to ensure his own survival. But his breath still shook slightly. He had taken lives today. Perhaps he¡¯d have to take even more lives tomorrow. How many times would he do it when his life was at stake? Noah did not know. But he knew he would have to. That this was far from thest time. ¡°Was this your first time killing somebody?¡± Aurelia asked in a whisper. Noah nced at her, noticing how her brown eyes shined golden against the light of the me. ¡°How could you tell?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been in this job long enough to know,¡± she replied, looking back at the pile as the mes burned bright enough to illuminate the entire cavern. ¡°Seen it often enough.¡± Noah grew curious. ¡°Why do you still do this then?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a difficult question,¡± she said. ¡°In part, it¡¯s because of the money. Being an adventurer pays better than almost any profession out there. We can travel freely across the continent and are allowed in almost any country. The strongest of adventurers are world renowned names that shape entire empires. The wealth, the renown, the respect. All of it appeals to me.¡± ¡°I feel like there¡¯s more,¡± Noah said. ¡°Well. If I had to give just one answer, it¡¯d be that I could not sit by doing nothing. I¡¯ve seen what happens when people don¡¯t fight back. When no one steps up. And I don¡¯t want to see it again,¡± Aurelia said, looking back at Noah. ¡°If we had not killed them today, they would¡¯ve taken the lives of many other innocent people.¡± Noah didn¡¯t reply, and the two of them stood in silence as they watched the fire eat through the bodies, leaving nothing but ash behind. Once the mes had consumed everything, Aurelia made her way down the altar. Noah followed her. ¡°Do you think I can be an adventurer?¡± Aurelia nced back up and smiled. ¡°Yes. You not only managed to free me in what should¡¯ve been an extremely confusing situation, you also kept your calm enough to not jump in blindly. And tried to de-escte. It¡¯s more than what I expect from any newbie.¡± Noah smiled back. ¡°Ah, to think all that time bullshitting and lying in job interviews would help save my life from a magic cult. Life is wildly unpredictable, huh?¡± Aurelia chuckled. ¡°So, Mr. Outerworlder. Do you have any good abilities?¡± ¡°Well, I have this thing,¡± Noah said, reaching into his Inventory to grab the two tomes he obtained. They were giant old books bound in leather, both written in anguage that Noah couldn¡¯t read. He wondered if hisnguageprehension was limited to spoken words. ¡°Can you read these?¡± ¡°The tomes? Of course not. Tomes are written in runes forming the Astral Script. Only Celestians can read them. You¡¯ll need a Tome crafter to decipher them,¡± Aurelia said, grabbing one of the tomes. ¡°How do people use them then?¡± he asked, inspecting the other tome. ¡°Ritual magic. You use the tome as a conduit and let the script do its work. If you needed to be able to read these, then most Awakened wouldn¡¯t have a majority of their abilities,¡± Aurelia said, flipping through the tome then closing it with a p. ¡°This one seems to be for an infliction based ability, which is always good to have. What¡¯s that one for?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°It says Tome of Sight.¡± Noah studied the swirling violet patterns drawn on the cover. ¡°Perception based abilities are good, in general. But not always worthwhile. Though given the circumstances, I¡¯d suggest using them, and you can rece it with a better abilityter if you unlock one. I can draw a ritual circle for you, though I can¡¯t say it¡¯ll be a good one.¡± Noah put his hand on the giant book, and a prompt appeared in front of his eyes. [Tome of Sight (Common)]: Unlocks a sight based ability upon use. Would you like to use this item? Yes/No? The book fluttered open, words glowing a bright blue and gold as they shed with magic. ¡°I think I can use this directly,¡± Noah said, ncing at Aurelia. ¡°Interesting. Try it? Though I¡¯m not certain if the process will be pleasant,¡± Aurelia replied. After a moment¡¯s consideration, Noah shrugged and selected Yes. Please select a Path for the [Tome of Sight]. Noah selected [Void Hunter] after thinking it over. A Hunter Path might have good vision abilities. With a bright shing light, the book dissipated into the air and a strong wave of mana flowed into Noah¡¯s body, and settled near his abdomen. [Tome of Sight (Common)] consumed. [Void Hunter] has unlocked the ability [Void Hunter¡¯s Eye] Noah felt a new sense open up as his vision expanded. Suddenly, it was as if he¡¯d just taken off extremely blurry sses for the first time in his life. Little details from even across the dark and dim cavern were visible to him. [Ring of Abyssal Eye] has increased [Void Hunter¡¯s Eye] to level 3 temporarily. Reaching out to his newly gained ability, he selected it, opening the description. [Void Hunter¡¯s Eye (Basic) - level 1 (level 3)] You can see clearer than ever, and your eyes can peer through the darkest depths. Be capable of perceiving in multiple directions at once around you. ¡°Whoa¡­ it¡¯s like I¡¯m seeing in 4k. Having the full HD Isekai experience,¡± Noah said, looking at everything around him in fascination. ¡°I think I can see mana now.¡± When he turned to Aurelia, her mana was a brighter shade of red and gold. ¡°Not quite,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°What you see is my aura. Every Awakened has one, and it is technically the mana you release, but whenever I say that the mages get mad and go on a long rant on why exactly I¡¯m wrong.¡± ¡°I see. My aura then,¡± Noah said, clenching his fists. Translucent wisps swirled around him. ¡°This is sick.¡± ¡°Why would it be sick?¡± Aurelia asked, confused. ¡°Not literally. I meant, this is very awesome and I like it,¡± Noah replied, feeling more than ready to put his new abilities to use. ¡°So, what now? We go in?¡± ¡°Not yet. You still have another tome to unlock,¡± Aurelia said, holding out the tome. ¡°Oh right, I forgot.¡± Noah took it, and pressed his hand on top of it. [Tome of Infliction (Rare)]: Unlocks an Infliction ability. Would you like to use this item? Yes/No? Noah selected Yes, picking [Exsanguinator]. Wisps of energy flowed into him once again, stronger than the previous tome. [Tome of Infliction (Rare)] consumed. [Exsanguinator] has unlocked the ability [Bleed]. [Bleed (Basic) - level 1] Blood is what you reap, and blood your enemies will shed. Inflict the [Bleed] status effect on enemies. Can be applied to weapons. ¡°It says I can inflict the Bleed status effect on enemies, and I can apply it to weapons.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a good one. Quite handy too. Typically only shows up in rare or above,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°What Path did you get?¡± Noah asked. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind sharing, of course.¡± ¡°Warrior Monk and me Warden,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°You have two Paths then? The cultists only seemed to have one,¡± Noah said. ¡°Not everyone unlocks all their Paths immediately. To rank up, you need all your Paths to be at the advancement threshold. You can unlock three Paths but having all three slow down progress since you need more tomes for your Rank E advancement. Although, it also gives more rewards. Most people need to rank up twice before they unlock three Paths. I¡¯ve even heard of a few that had all three Paths from the beginning, but that¡¯s very rare,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah hummed in thought, slotting the information away. Aurelia continued. ¡°I got two because my dad knew a few conditions to unlock two at once. And I knew exactly what I wanted, which helped me pick. And having all Paths together often provides Path Fusion options. I¡¯m aiming for my third Path for my D rank advancement, and a fusion with it.¡± ¡°Path Fusion?¡± ¡°Exactly what it sounds like. Two Paths, and very rarely three,bine to make a stronger one. It also frees up a slot for you to take on another entirely different Path too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the Path Fusion you¡¯re aiming for then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a bit silly,¡± Aurelia said, ncing away. ¡°Surely not? I won¡¯tugh, I promise,¡± Noah said. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ from a myth. One my dad told me a long time ago. A legendary Path called Sunlight Warrior. That¡¯s my goal. I¡¯m told one of the few ways to get a legendary Path is through Path Fusion, well, outside of being chosen by some deity or god. But those oftene with Oaths or Restrictions, because it¡¯s ultimately borrowed power.¡± Noah noted everything Aurelia said for his advancement. ¡°Alright, moving on. You said you had mana stones, right? Eat an F grade one before we head in. Do not eat a higher grade mana stone,¡± Aurelia said with a stern tone. ¡°What¡¯ll happen if I do?¡± Noah asked, picking out an F grade mana stone from his Inventory. ¡°You¡¯ll get mana poisoning if it¡¯s one grade higher after a small boost in strength. If it¡¯s two, you¡¯ll get a rapid burst in strength for a while before you be paralysed as the mana makes its way through you¡ªthat¡¯s really painful. Possibly lethal. Any higher, and if you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll just explode from the inside and die on the spot. If not, you¡¯ll slowly die as the mana breaks you from the inside out piece by piece,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah gulped, closing the Inventory. Feeling ready, he followed Aurelia deeper into the cavern while she wrapped new bandages around her fists. ¡°The cer is a bit further in. Be careful, there might still be some people or things alive,¡± she said. ¡°Things?¡± Noah asked, a bit concerned. ¡°What? Feeling nervous?¡± Aurelia said. Noah grinned back. ¡°Excited, if anything. Let¡¯s sweep this ce clean.¡± Aurelia tightened the bandages around both her fists. Clenching her hands a few times, she grinned. ¡°You got it.¡± Chapter 7: Blood Behind the Walls Chapter 7: Blood Behind the Walls Two exits led further into the cultist hideout leading into a much narrower corridor, with various rooms carved and set up inside the cavernous walls. Noah followed behind Aurelia, as she went through every room checking for traps, before she searched and tossed anything important towards Noah for storage. Catching the coin and slipping it into his inventory, Noah nced at the long corridor. ¡°Just how big is this ce?¡± ¡°On the shorter end of things, if anything. The corridor is an illusion trap, there¡¯s a pit spike in the ground there,¡± Aurelia said, as she opened a dusty chest hidden under the floor, before sorting through the contents. Noah watched the adventurer work, and couldn¡¯t help but feel as if he was desecrating graves of dead people. The graves of some terrible terrible people, but that didn¡¯t change the nature of the act. Aurelia threw a book towards Noah, and he caught it using his inventory but found the book bouncing off from the hole he¡¯d made in space. Notifications appeared in his vision. Your inventory is full. Would you like to rece an item? Yes/No? ¡°Uh-oh, my inventory is full,¡± Noah said, opening his inventory as he checked all sixteen slots filled by different objects. ¡°You still have the storage device you emptied right?¡± Aurelia asked. Noah nodded, taking out the storage device from his pocket, before he tossed it to Aurelia. The adventurer inspected the device, before hovering her hand over the gem embedded in the centre of the bracelet. mes swirled around the device, before being absorbed by the gem, as the colour inside changed from a ckish-purple to a much brighter orange-gold. ¡°Alright, this should be easier now,¡± Aurelia said, closing the chest. After a quick nce around the room, she walked out, and Noah followed behind. Silently, he observed the cultist caverns, taking note of the little symbols carved in various locations. There was an unnerving sensation from the single minded devotion represented by the things shown here present in the surroundings. ¡°I wonder what makes these people so¡­ lost. Single mindedly acting out atrocities. Strange to see how human nature doesn¡¯t really change much even across worlds,¡± Noah murmured. ¡°The allure of power, misguided beliefs, led astray by false pretences or sometimes, merely being born to the wrong parents. But all of them were awakened. They made a choice to participate in these acts, and to participate in the crimes. We can¡¯t keep thinking of them as victims,¡± Aurelia said, ncing back at Noah, her eyes glowing dimly in the dark. Noah saw a golden glow diffused in her surroundings, like a beacon of light. He realised it was her aura. ¡°I¡¯m not victimising them,¡± Noah replied. ¡°At least not the people I fought today. They were people willing to take a life, or allow the act. And they were people willing to die for their twisted cause. What I¡¯m instead thinking over are the people who didn¡¯t have a choice. Even back in my world, the targets of cults are people who are helpless, with nowhere else to go, people on the down and low, with not the best grasp, or in desperate need of something to cling on. What do we do with those people? What if they wish to be free of the path they may have been forced to pick?¡± Aurelia continued to walk ahead in silence, continuing her inspection for traps around the corridor as they made their way. The silence grew longer, and Noah wondered if he should move on. ¡°There are ways,¡± Aurelia said, her voice tight. ¡°The church of Helion has been fighting the Abyss for millennia. Their priests can cleanse you of the Abyssal paths. But It¡¯s not a kind act. The ritual burns the person being cleansed in Helion¡¯s mes. It is used as punishment to torture cultists, and as a method of public execution. Most who undergo the ritual die, and those who survive are left with terrible scars throughout their bodies that will never heal, no matter the magic used upon them. They can sometimes be seen in Hellion¡¯s temples, serving as helpers.¡± Noah paused at Aurelia¡¯s words. ¡°That sounds¡­ incredibly cruel. What if it¡¯s a child who was forced?¡± ¡°They are executed as an act of mercy,¡± Aurelia replied, not looking back at Noah as she replied. They walked in silence after that. A few minutester, the cavern began to turn dimmer. Aurelia gestured to Noah, pointing at a gate further in the chamber. Noah raised his awareness, following behind Aurelia, as they moved closer. The chamber had a wooden gate, far more ornate and carved than all the rest they¡¯d encountered so far. He spotted brief wisps of manaing off of the door itself. ¡°Some kind of lock. Hmm, guess I¡¯ll need to open it,¡± Aurelia said, before looking at Noah. ¡°Stay behind.¡± she said and Noah moved away from the door. Golden wisps gathered around Aurelia¡¯s fists, as fire swirled around her. With a thrust that almost made her form blur, she struck, the fire exploding outwards as the door was shattered into burning embers thatunched into the room in an explosion of fire. Noah stared at the exploded door, now reduced to embers and burning pieces of timber. ¡°I guess that¡¯s one way to open a lock,¡± he murmured, following behind Aurelia as she stepped into the room. Aurelia walked to the table set in the middle of the chamber, flipping open a book. ¡°Probably the chief¡¯s chamber. But I don¡¯t see anything here. It¡¯s oddly empty,¡± she said, closing the book in her hand, as she looked around. ¡°Well, if I was the head of a taboo cult, I would be paranoid too. Maybe he hid his loot somewhere else,¡± Noah said. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look around, just in case,¡± Aurelia said, walking around the desk as she began to inspect. Noah made his way to the shelf instead, picking up one of the books present on it, before blowing the dust off the leather bound tome, and immediately regretting it as the cloud got into his eyes and nose, making him cough. Stepping away from the pile in a coughing mess, he opened the book, and used identify. [Ritualist book of Advanced Abyssal Call - (Rare)] An advanced book on the ritual practices of calling creatures from the endless void. Would you like to consume [Ritualist book of Advanced Abyssal Call]? Yes/No? ¡°Huh,¡± Noah murmured, dismissing the prompt. ncing into the contents that he did not understand a word of, he took out one item before he put the book in his inventory instead. One by one, he made his way through the shelf, looking at the many magical books present, shoving and moving every book on the shelf ever so slightly. ¡°Come on,e on, I know there has to be a secret door here,¡± Noah whispered, as he made his way to the other end of the shelf. Moments before he was about to give up and move on in disappointment, he heard a click as he tried to pull out a particrly heavy book. Pulling all the other books nearby out, he felt around the area of the book with his hand, trying to look for the trigger mechanism. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Aurelia asked, looking at him in confusion. ¡°Employing the lessons I¡¯ve learned from every movie to have ever existed,¡± Noah said, shifting the book back, before his eye was caught by an ornate te of gold stuck on the leather bound book. Grabbing the section, he pulled it back and found a key shaped hole inside the book. Taking the key out from his inventory, he inserted it into the keyhole with a beating heart. Stepping away, to run back at a moment¡¯s notice in case of a trap, he turned the key. A slow, quiet click echoed throughout. A momentter, the shelf in front of him began to shudder, dust falling off of the hinges. ¡°Yes!¡± Noah eximed in excitement, as the shelf began rising ever so slightly from the ground. After the movement had stopped, Noah gently pushed at the book, as the giant shelf turned around like a spinning door. ¡°How did you find that?¡± Aurelia asked, baffled. ¡°You can thank modern media and movies for that,¡± Noah replied, stepping behind the shelf. The room behind the shelf was dark, and made of polished and carved stone tiles, unlike the natural dirt coloured cavernous walls from before. ¡°Your world must be a strange one.¡± A few moments after, he heard Aurelia¡¯s footsteps behind him as the shelf closed behind him, plunging the chamber into darkness. Even his enhanced vision struggled in the dark of the chamber. ¡°Firefly,¡± Aurelia whispered, lifting her palm as little sparkling balls of light rose from her fingertips, lighting up the chamber. ¡°That felt different from your normal abilities,¡± Noahmented, watching the floating embers. ¡°It''s a spell. Not a part of my abilities. It was the first spell I learned from my mentor.¡± ¡°A pretty spell,¡± Noah replied, before ncing at the chamber he found himself in. The area looked dark, and oddly like a prison with little cells with metal bars present inside. He could see wisps of blood everywhere inside the chamber. Clinging to the wall, the floors, and permeating the air inside. With a sudden chime, he saw words appear in his vision. Hidden Quest found! Quest: Blood behind the walls You¡¯ve strayed from your path, wandering into hidden secrets that were never meant to be uncovered. Will you seek them out? Or be wary of the warning that¡¯s whispered by the blood. Objective: Uncover the mystery hidden in the secret chamber. Difficulty: Unknown Reward: None. ¡°I got a new quest,¡± Noah said, ncing back at Aurelia. ¡°Quest¡­ the thing you get from your Astral script that gives you rewards right?¡± she asked, and Noah nodded an affirmative. ¡°It¡¯s called the blood behind the walls. It¡¯s telling me to uncover the mystery hidden in this chamber. Oddly, there¡¯s no reward and difficulty is unknown.¡± ¡°Ominous,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Noah replied, looking further into the dark chamber. The firefly spell was providing enough light that he could clearly see through the dark chamber. Till the end, he saw six prison cells inside, each empty on the inside. Noah was ready to step ahead, when Aurelia grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Hold on,¡± she said, looking past him at the prison cells with a frown. ¡°I think it might be best if you stop here.¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Noah asked, confused by her sudden change in demeanor. ¡°I had not expected anything terribly dangerous to be present here after we¡¯d already taken care of the cultists, but this is starting to feel dangerous. You¡¯ve barely awakened. An F ranker would not be doing anything but simple monster extermination tasks at first. I know your abilities are quite powerful, but I¡¯d think over it before just barging in,¡± Aurelia said. Noah considered her words for a moment. The unknown difficulty alongside the ominous note was creepy. ¡°Why not go back out with me? Go to the nearby town, and then returnter with more people.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. The team who betrayed me would likely be around, and I risk encountering them in the guild itself. It¡¯ll be a mess if I return and¡­ I was blindfolded when they kept me in one of these cells. But I know there were others around, I heard them. And I know they had all been killed before me. If I don¡¯t find their bodies, they¡¯ll rise as undead sooner thanter, especially in a ce like this. I can¡¯t let that happen,¡± Aurelia said, her eyes steeled, and shing with an fiery glimmer. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll follow you. I definitely don¡¯t want to be alone out here, and I don¡¯t want you to die either,¡± Noah said. Aurelia snorted. ¡°It¡¯s cute that you think you can even dent anything that could kill me.¡± ¡°I helped with Viktral and freed you from the cultists didn¡¯t I?¡± Noah said, raising an eyebrow with a smirk. ¡°Fair. Although, you¡¯re certainly taking well to magic for someone whose world supposedly has none.¡± ¡°What can I say, I¡¯m just that good. Definitely not because I¡¯ve sunk thousands of hours in games,¡± Noah said, shrugging. Aurelia shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m starting to feel like your weirdness has more to do with who you are, and not just the fact you¡¯re not from this world.¡± ¡°Thanks. I take pride in being one of the weirdest people I know,¡± Noah replied. Together they made their way further, reaching up towards the first pair of cells facing each other, with metal bars to keep the prisoners inside. The creepy prison section quieted down the banter that¡¯d begun, made all the more grim by the realisation that it¡¯d held innocent people prisoners here before they¡¯d been murdered helplessly. Noah walked quietly, following silently behind Aurelia as they made their way through the prison area. The blood wisps kept getting thicker, the further he walked, before the section ended into a corridor that extended in two separate directions. Aurelia turned left, motioning for Noah to follow and he did. The path curved around, turning narrower and narrower, till Noah could barely fit inside. He walked partially sideways, ducking under the low stone roof that pressed against his forehead. ¡°Why the hell is this corridor so cramped," he said out loud, feeling more and more ustrophobic at the increasingly cramped space someone his size was absolutely not meant to be in. ¡°Defensive architecture. Won¡¯t stop an Awakened, but it¡¯s an annoyance. The walls are all mana forged. Tough to break,¡± Aurelia said, striking her fist against the wall. A shudder pulsed through the area, a small crack forming where she¡¯d struck. ¡°A normal wall would¡¯ve had a hole in it from that,¡± she said, continuing forward. After a particrly narrow and small gate that Noah once again had to duck through, they found themselves in a small study. A single shelf, and table and chair were the only furniture in the chamber, with notes lying scattered all over the table and the floor. ¡°What is this ce?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Viktral¡¯s secret study,¡± Aurelia said, a book in her hand that she nced through. ¡°He was trying to make some kind of a chimera from his familiar. A perfect creature capable of forming the optimal conduit to the destructive nature of the void.¡± ¡°Can I have a look?¡± Noah asked. Aurelia handed him the book, and Noah began to flip the contents, before stopping at a page with highlighted notes. ¡°The first prototype is a failure. A powerful creature with impressive regeneration, yet the creaturecks in intelligence and potential. It had been a mistake to put so many spirits into a single creature. The second prototype¡­ I still regret its loss. It had potential. So much potential. It had retained nearly all its human intelligence. But the process was too scarring, making the creature unstable. I need a stronger base. An E rank Awakened at least. I¡¯ve put a request out. Hopefully with this, I will finally achieve our goal.¡± Noah paused as a realisation urred to him. ¡°A chimera? Do you think Viktral didn''t sacrifice every prisoner he gathered, but instead¡­?¡± His suspicions were confirmed further when words appeared in his vision. Quest: Blood behind the walls,plete. Objective:Uncover the mystery hidden in the secret chamber,plete. Reward: None. Before he could tell Aurelia about the quest, Noah heard a man¡¯s scream echo throughout the cavern. The shout was followed soon after by a high pitched shriek that shook Noah¡¯s body to his core. ncing towards Aurelia in horror, he dashed forward, quickly overtaken by the much faster adventurer who made her way through the narrow corridor, and out into the other section. Panting, and running as fast as he could, Noah followed behind, rushing into the right side corridor. The closer he moved the better he could sense the shudders and shivers pulsing through the ground, like the steps of something giant moving around. Noticing Aurelia¡¯s golden aura, Noah stumbled out from the small entrance, finding her kneeling next to a bleeding cultist, with half his body torn to shreds. Catching a nce at the man¡¯s injured side, he froze in ce, as he saw the man¡¯s organs spilling out of his gut. A pool of blood covered the ground, dragged over from underneath the metal gate carved with glowing magic runes, from where the shudders came from. ¡°It¡­ grieves¡­the Master¡­¡± the cultist whispered with thest of his strength, before his eyes turned nk. ¡°He¡¯s gone,¡± Aurelia said, standing up, before her eyes turned towards the locked chamber. Noah followed Aurelia¡¯s sight, peering inside, and the sight made his skin crawl. A giant¡­ something, walked inside. Faces, joints, fingers, bones, sinew and flesh were all stitched together with dark inhuman flesh and threads as if without any regard to form the creature that roamed the inside of the chamber. Words appeared in front of him as he used identify on the creature. [Flesh Grafted Horror - ??] Noah could hear the various voices screaming from inside, and he felt a chill run down his spine when he realised they wereing from the faces that¡¯d been sewed onto the abomination. ¡°This is¡­¡± Noah tried to speak, but words failed him as he stood in silence. He felt his body freeze in ce, as the creature paused, noticing their presence. Slowly, it moved through its many mishmash of limbs up to the door, before bringing its central eye near the slit in the metallic door, as it looked at the two of them. Time slowed down, as Noah stood with his breath held in ce. The creature''s eyes inspected him, ncing him up and down, as the screams echoing from the many faces stitched onto it continued to fill his mind. A momentter, it moved on, eyes going towards Aurelia instead. Moving its central face closer, the abomination sniffed once, and then twice, before moving back, as if satisfied. The giant spider-like monster turned around, losing interest. Noah almost copsed at having the threat pass, when suddenly one of the stitched on faces pointed a finger at him, as its singr bloated eye went to the Abyssal ring resting on his finger. A moment of silence passed, as Noah¡¯s heart dropped in horrific realisation. The creature erupted with a loud shriek, leaping towards the two of them. ¡°Run!¡± Aurelia screamed, mes shooting from her fists. Noah dashed backwards, narrowly dodging the shroud of debris from the copsing wall and door. With a chime, a new prompt appeared in front of him. New Quest obtained! Quest: A Familiar¡¯s Vengeance You peeked behind the curtain, and caught a glimpse of the atrocity hidden within. And it glimpsed you. Now it hungers for you, who slew its master. Objective: Escape Viktral¡¯s familiar. Secondary Objective: Don¡¯t let Aurelia Fauster die. Difficulty: Very Hard Reward: An Epic grade Ability tome. ¡°Now¡¯s not the fucking time!¡± Noah screamed at the system, running for his life. Chapter 8: Flesh Grafted Horrors Chapter 8: Flesh Grafted Horrors Explosions shook the ground, plumes of mes beingunched by Aurelia at the giant amalgamation of limbs. Tendrils and limbs reached out from the creature as it opened therge central beak forming its head to let out a shriek that made Noah¡¯s body freeze up. ¡°MASTER. KILLED. VENGEANCE.¡± The creature howled in a ghastly voice, its many faces vibrating with anger, as it shifted its spider-like body on its double ended joints made entirely of hands, before leaping its massive body at Noah. Cursing any gods that might be listening, Noah leapt once more, rolling under the creature as the giant monster collided into the small door frame, copsing the corridor. ¡°The roof will fall at this rate!¡± Aurelia shouted, mes shooting from her hands towards the horror. The creature shrieked, the fire burning through its limbs and spreading across its body. Noah looked at the rather low roof of the area, now cracking and shuddering as the flesh horror threashed about, screaming bloody murder. ¡°Get in the chamber!¡± Noah shouted, running into the area the flesh-grafted horror hade from. ¡°KILLED. MASTER. DIE,¡± the horror howled, as the central bloated face dislocated its jaw, and a giant tentacle-like tongue shot itself towards Noah. The limb shot faster than Noah could react, wrapping him up as it yanked him closer. In a panic, Noah poured everything he had into Blink, but the ability burned, blue light shimmering, but nothing happened. [Flesh Grafted Horror]¡¯s aura suppresses your abilities. Ability usage costs increased mana amounts. The horror hung Noah upside down, when a blinding ray of light shot across the hall, cutting the giant tongue into two. Dark purple des sprayed everywhere, as the creature shrieked, turning angry eyes towards Aurelia. ¡°YOU. PEST. EXTERMINATE.¡± The flesh on its giant spider-like body ripped, muscle and bone shifting as four of the frontal limbs dislocated and distorted, sharpening into spears of bone and flesh. Veins throbbed, blood flowing freely, coating the bone spear-limbs with a deep crimson glow. Sucking in air, the creature bloated its bellow, before letting out a soul rending shriek that distorted the air in front of it. You¡¯ve heard [Phantom Shriek] from [Flesh Grafted Horror]. You¡¯ve resisted its effects. A numbing sensation ran through Noah¡¯s body. Though the notification said he¡¯d resisted the effect, that fact seemed to have not done anything about the impact of the sound itself, which still sent his ears ringing. With a jump the creature leapt all the way near the top of the cavernous chamber, striking at Aurelia with its bony spear appendages that it stabbed into the ground one after the other. Aurelia rolled, fire zing beneath her feet as she dodged the attacks with precise movements, keeping close to the monster and punishing any gaps it showed. The battle raged on like a dance, rock and soil sting as fists collided withrge piles of bone and flesh in movements that were almost too fast to keep up with. Noah stood aside, watching Aurelia move with the experienced step of a seasoned fighter, who knew exactly what had to be done. Fire danced on her fist, erupting in waves of mes that scorched the flesh of the abomination, whittling its strength down by eating through its giant mass of flesh. The creature grew faster and more agile the more she burned, yet no matter how swift, its bony appendages seemed incapable ofnding a strike on Aurelia¡¯s body. Growing increasingly frustrated as the fire charred the creature flesh, it raised its four bony front appendages, pointing them outwards. Then, with a twist, the creature began to spin rapidly. If not for the fact that Noah barely dodged the flying chunks of rock that would¡¯ve bashed his skull open in two, the motion would¡¯ve likely made himugh at theical nature of it. Aurelia jumped, fire bursting from her feet, with a flip, shended atop the creature, striking down as a gust of fire burst from her. Gathering her mana, she set her hand on the creature, as a whirlpool of mes began to consume the flesh-grafted horror. The abomination shrieked, the sizzling heat making the air blur as the dark cavern was lit up brightly by the mes. The creature stumbled back, as Aurelia jumped off its back. Slumping down, it fell down, body scarred and bloodied from the mes, as the stench of burnt mes filled the air. ¡°No¡­ No no no no!¡± The creature wailed, its voice horrifying simr to a crying child¡¯s. Noah looked at the human faces stitched onto the creature. Scrunched up and twisted in an eternal expression of agony. His eyes met a man¡¯s face on the abomination¡¯s side, one eye missing, with the other nearly popping out of its socket. His face was distorted in an expression of horror, his lone eye looking at Noah. A shiver went through Noah¡¯s body, as he imagined the suffering he was witnessing in front of him. Anger filled him, as he stood, fists clenched, watching Aurelia move to deliver the final strike. ¡°No¡­ Stay back!¡± The abomination shrieked, now sounding scared of Aurelia. Raising its bony spear appendages, it shrunk its giant fleshy body inwards, like a child afraid to be hit back. Noah wondered if Aurelia would hesitate. She did not. Moving swiftly, Aurelia gathered mes in her hand, as fire erupted from around the ground beneath the flesh grafted horror, consuming it in a pir of burning mes. A momentter, the pir of me dissipated, leaving behind a char husk of flesh lying limp on the ground. Noah kept an eye on his notifications, wondering why one had not appeared yet for defeating the horror. His concerns were confirmed as Amurelia clicked her tongue, jumping away from the creature. Raw pink flesh moved across the creature¡¯s burnt limbs, forming at a rapid pace as the creature shuddered, and convoluted. ¡°Pain. Hurts. So much,¡± the creature wailed. Dark wisps swirled around it, stirring up dust. Two bony appendages began to protrude from its back, cutting through the flesh as they sprayed blood everywhere. Torn tattered wings erupted from its back, covered in dark crimson sludge that poured from the creature. The crimson sludge swirled, like molten skin and flesh being shaped anew into muscle and body mass. The horror grew thinner, sprouting a tail made of spinal bones protruding from its back with flesh covering them in a pink mash. Its body split in the middle, forming a giant wave with teeth made of rib bones sharpened to an edge. Opening its way, the creatures howled another howl that sent ripples through the area. You¡¯ve heard [Phantom Wail] from [Flesh Grafted Horror]. You¡¯ve partially resisted the effects. You¡¯ve been inflicted with the [Terror - I] debuff. All attributes reduced by 10% Mana regeneration reduced by 10% Health regeneration reduced by 25% Noah felt a sensation of exhaustion fill him, like his body had been covered in a nket restricting every movement he made. The giant creature, now much more elongated, spread its wings, leaping into the air. Extending a crimson tendril swung around in arge arc, mming into the dark. Using blink, Noah teleported further away, raising his arms to protect himself from the rocks shooting at lethal speeds all over. Noah heard Aurelia¡¯s shout, as a giant arm protruded from the horror¡¯s body, formed of sludge like crimson flesh. It grabbed her in its new giant ws, swinging her around like a doll. Fire erupted from Aurelia¡¯s hands, burning through the tendril but it was toote. The creature maintained its grasp, flinging her into the wall. The creature cried, dark wisps flowing in rising currents, as it leapt up into the air, circling the area with a high pitched shriek. Its ws flung outwards, cutting through the rock as the walls began to copse, giant boulders pouring down from everywhere. The abomination cried, lunging towards Noah. With another blink, Noah teleported through the creature¡¯s attack, his heart beating rapidly, as the horror crashed into the wall behind him. Blink has reached level 2! Noah ignored the notification, looking for Aurelia. He noticed her copsed near the edge of the chamber. The creature rose from where it had crashed, having noticed the same thing. Spreading its wings out, the creature howled, before making its way towards Aurelia. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t,¡± Noah said, using a dimensional pocket to quickly bring his dagger into his arms. Dashing forward with a blink, he moved in close to the giant fleshy abomination, stabbing one of its faces with the weapon. You¡¯ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Flesh Grafted Horror]. The creature resists the effect. The creature swung, and Noah teleported back. Without giving the monster any time, he teleported behind it, stabbing the dagger into its fleshy body once more, and cutting through the flesh. ¡°Eat shit!¡± he shouted, as the creature shrieked in pain. The Horror turned, whipping with its tail at Noah, who teleported through the attack, dodging it by a hair¡¯s width. For a brief moment, the world spun around him, as a new notification appeared in his sight. Warning. Low mana, Mana: 9% Using a dimensional pocket, Noah put another F grade mana stone in his mouth, biting the rock as it dissolved in his mouth. You¡¯ve consumed [Mana stone - F] Mana regenerated to 100% You¡¯ve been afflicted by [Minor Mana Poisoning - I] The mana surged through Noah¡¯s body, as he jumped, teleporting behind the creature. Grabbing onto a bone protruding from its spine, Noah climbed atop the horror, before shing with his de at the base of its wings once more. The horror howled, spreading its wings. Noah continued to sh at the thick base of the giant wings, cutting through the flesh as the creature beneath him thrashed in pain. Noah dug a dagger into the creature, anchoring his feet in the protruding bones from its back. Wrapping a hand around the wing¡¯s bony stem, Noah continued to sh through till he¡¯d reached the bony structure. The horror continued to jump, smashing itself into the wall to try and remove Noah from atop itself. In a desperate attempt, the horror leapt into the air, ring its wings out before spinning around as it headed straight towards the wall. Noah leapt atop the creature¡¯s back, falling from above. In a blind panic, he used Blink, teleporting downwards and closer to the ground as he crashed, and rolled into anding that did not break both his legs. The cavern shuddered,rge piles of rubble copsing around the horror. Noah took the moment to nce at Aurelia, finding her still unconscious where shey. Without any time to check, he hoped she was alive, before rushing closer to where the horror had fallen. The creature picked its giant body up, shaking the rubble off, before it turned its many eyes towards Noah, howling in anger. ¡°KILL. FOR MASTER. KILL!¡± Noah ran, his chest now hurting from his running around, as the creature charged towards him. With a blink, he barely dodged another attack, the giant monster crashing into another wall, and copsing it. Finding his legs trembling as he copsed, Noah felt his body screaming at him. Extending his arm in the direction of the horror, he whispered. ¡°Blood Drain.¡± [Flesh Grafted Horror] has resisted the ability. ¡°Are you¡­ shitting¡­ me?¡± Noah panted, despair rising in his mind. The horror shrieked, seemingly enraged by the ability it had sensed as it charged once more. Noah teleported away, but the explosion from the horror caught him, flinging him back as he rolled on the ground. Feeling strength seeping from his body, Noah pushed with his best, bringing himself back to his feet. ¡°You¡­ overgrown¡­ piece of ham¡­¡± he panted, raising his dagger towards the creature. The horror charged, and Noah teleported sideways, cutting through the creature¡¯s flesh near the wing on its back, using its own momentum against it. You¡¯ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Flesh Grafted Horror]. The creature has resisted the effect. Warning. Low mana, Mana: 4% Noah stumbled, turning around as he looked at the horror. The creature shrieked, its one wing now folded by its side from the damage he¡¯d done. The monster shrieked, crimson mana ring around it. With a kick, it charged towards Noah. With thest of his mana, Noah reached out into his inventory with Dimensional Pocket, taking out a mana stone. You¡¯ve consumed [Mana stone - E] Mana regenerated to 200% [Mana stone - E] has increased all attributes by 25. Power increased to 41. Constitution increased to 37. Agility increased to 40. Mystic increased to 40. You¡¯ve been afflicted by [Mana Poisoning - III] A wave of energy coursed through Noah, almost bursting through his body. The world slowed down around him, his mind running faster than ever. With a rapid blink, Noah teleported through the charge. Landing on his feet, he leapt, and activate obliterate causing void mana to pulse rapidly on his arm. Gathering the void mana in his palm, he struck, cutting a hole into the creature¡¯s body. The horror erupted in a loud shriek thrashing in pain. Noah didn¡¯t wait, jumping onto the creature¡¯s body, as he plunged his des into its back. Channelling obliterate, he poured the void magic through the weapon, cutting with ease as he brought down the single remaining wing of the creature. Howling in agony, the horror shrieked, moving rapidly to throw Noah off. Using a blink, Noah near the creature¡¯s mouth, stabbing his de in its upper jaw and pulling. You¡¯ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Flesh Grafted Horror]. The creature has resisted the effect. Obliterate has reached level 3! Blink has reached level 3! Another blink had him at the Creature¡¯s behind, shing at its tail. Using every ounce of mana in his body, Noah teleported under the creature¡¯s body, shing at its belly with both his daggers. The flesh parted, the horror screaming in pain as Noah teleported out, using an obliterate powered fist to punch at the creature¡¯s knee, cracking the bone. The horror copsed, unable to support its weight, as Noah teleported to another leg, shing through the joint with his twin daggers. You¡¯ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Flesh Grafted Horror]. The creature has resisted the effect. With both its front legs shed, the horror copsed. Taking use of the opportunity, Noah teleported directly above the creature¡¯s head. A momentter, gravity did its work as he plummeted. Channelling Obliterate , Noah formed a longer dark de of energy around the dagger as he used the momentum to sink both his daggers into the creature¡¯s fleshy skull. A loud howl rang through the horror as the des sunk into it, cutting through the flesh. The creature thrashed, twitching for a second, as its body convulsed, before it copsed onto the ground with a loud thud. Noah pulled his dagger out, feeling the world spinning all around him, as he copsed where he stood, falling down from the jaw of the fleshy abomination. Temporary Mana Buff has ended. All attributes returned to normal. You¡¯ve been afflicted with [Paralysis - V]. You¡¯ve been afflicted with [Migraine]. Warning. Low Mana. Numbing pain ran through Noah¡¯s body, like his body had been wrung like a twisted piece of cloth, before unfolded out and left to dry. Pain wracked every muscle he knew, and some he was sensing for the first time as a throbbing headache ate through his skull. Yet, no matter how long Noah waited, the kill notification didn¡¯te. Laying on the ground, he watched the creature behind him stir, the flesh wounds on its body stitching themselves back together, as slowly but surely the horror rose back on its body. Noah wanted to curse, but found his tongue sitting limp, unable to move. He could barely breathe anymore as every sensation began to leave him. In a daze, he watched the horror rise, vibrating in fury before the creature extended its long fleshy tongue, grabbing Noah up in it. Trying his best, Noah pushed to move any body limb, but found himself unable to muster any energy to move. He watched, as the creature pulled himself closer, before swallowing his body whole as he slid down the fleshy abomination¡¯s throat. Darkness filled the inside, liquid and blood mingling in. Noah¡¯s heart pounded in his chest, as the familiar terror of death filled him once more. Focusing every bit of willpower he had, Noah tried to move his finger. Slowly, but surely, he moved his finger around the dagger in his hand, then his thumb. An unknown amount of time passed in the dark, as hey floating in the creature¡¯s stomach, moving each finger one at a time. After what felt like an eternity, he¡¯d managed to raise his hand high, with the dagger¡¯s de aimed downwards. Angling the de a momentter, he let his arm fall. The de sunk into the creature¡¯s flesh with a squelch, digging in. The walls of flesh around Noah shuddered at hisst act of defiance, before settling. Moments before Noah closed his eyes, losing the battle against looming death, a notification appeared in front of his eyes. You¡¯ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Flesh Grafted Horror]. An awareness rose inside Noah, a sense he hade to identify as blood. And he felt it now, flowing from the wound he¡¯d just create inside the creature. Reaching out with his mind, and thest wisps of strength, he used Blood Drain. You¡¯ve used the ability [Blood Drain] on [Flesh Grafted Horror]. Your health has been partially regenerated. Affliction [Terror - I] has been removed. [Paralysis - V] has been reduced to [Paralysis - II]. Health regeneration increased by 50% for 5 minutes. Health: 34% The blood seeped into Noah¡¯s body and the sensation of exhaustion lifted as his attributes were restored. Coughing the disgusting liquid from his mouth, he rose in the bowels of the fleshy monster, before stabbing into its belly once more. You¡¯ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Flesh Grafted Horror]. You¡¯ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Flesh Grafted Horror]. You¡¯ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Flesh Grafted Horror]. ¡­ [Bleed] has increased to [Bleed - II] Noah shed with abandon, as the creature jumped thrashed in pain. He screamed, a primal raw sound of rage and survival, as he cut through the creature¡¯s insides. Obliterate covered his de, giving the weapon an extra edge as he climbed up the throat cavity cutting the flesh all the way through. You¡¯ve used [Blood Drain] on [Flesh Grafted Horror] [Bleed] has reached level 4! [Blood Drain] has reached level 3! [Void Hunter''s Eyes] has reached level 2! Light reached into Noah¡¯s eyes as he crawled out of the creature¡¯s mouth, soaked in blood and slimy fluids that covered him from head to toe. The giant horror twitched and spasmed behind Noah, bleeding from the inside out. A momentter, its limbs settled, as the creature died atst. A myriad of notifications erupted in Noah¡¯s vision, but he didn¡¯t pay them any mind. Moving mindlessly, he stumbled to where Aureliay unconscious, slumping down next to her. The darkness took him away a momentter. You¡¯ve defeated [Flesh Grafted Horror (Umon) - lvl 104] [Exsanguinator] reached level 11! [Astralwalker] has reached level 9! [Void hunter] has reached level 9! Power increased to 26. Agility increased to 17. Constitution increased to 20. Mystic increased to 30. +30 free attribute points awarded. Quest: A Familiar¡¯s Vengeance Complete. Hidden Objective: Kill Viktral¡¯s Familiar,plete. Secondary Objective: Don¡¯t let Aurelia Fauster die,plete. Rewards increased to Legendary grade. Reward: [Tome of Lifeblood (Legendary)] obtained. [???] has absorbed [Flesh Grafted Horror] [Progress to unlock 43/10] [Unlocking¡­] Chapter 9: Shards of [???] Chapter 9: Shards of [???] burning eyes to the dark cavern. Where was he? This didn¡¯t look like his room. ¡°Was I drinking¡­ again?¡± His memories returned the second heid his eyes on the giant corpse of the monster he¡¯d just fought. He nced sideways and found Aurelia missing from where she¡¯d fallen. He assumed she was alright, because if there were any other threat, he was in no shape to do anything about it. Noah noticed his clothes had been cut through and wrapped up with pieces from his robes. Likely Aurelia¡¯s work, if he had to guess. Focusing on his breathing, Noah closed his eyes, engaging in Meditation. You are Meditating. Mana regeneration increased by 100% A sensation like cool water washed over Noah, briefly reducing his pounding headache. The sensation was soon interrupted by a sharp spiking pain spreading outward from his abdomen. He doubled over in pain, Meditation fading, remaining in his bent position till the pain became more manageable. ¡°What the actual fuck?¡± Noah said when the pain had mostly faded. Slightly concerned, he opened his menu to check. Little icons dotted the ovey of his vision, hovering just under the health and mana bar. He selected them and an array of words popped up. You¡¯re afflicted with [Migraine]. You¡¯re afflicted with [Mana Poisoning - II] You¡¯re afflicted with [Exhaustion] You¡¯re afflicted with [Mana Fatigue - III] ¡°I guess that exins some of it,¡± Noah said, dismissing the notifications. Opening the Inventory, he looked at the potion he had, before deciding he didn¡¯t want to risk it. He¡¯d rather wait for Aurelia to return. In the meantime, he opened his main menu, looking at the changes. Name: Noah Brown Race: Human Rank: F Paths: Exsanguinator - level 11 Astralwalker - level 9 Void Hunter - level 9 Attributes: Power: 26 Agility: 17 Constitution: 20 Mystic: 30 Attribute Points: 30 He¡¯d gained a considerable number of levels with the fight, far more than the one with Viktral. Perhaps because of his greater role in killing the abomination. He looked up at his health bar, which was significantlyrgerpared to before. Health: 61% He doubted he would¡¯ve survived without the high health. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake?¡± Aurelia said, walking into the chamber. ¡°I wish I wasn¡¯t,¡± Noah replied with a grimace. ¡°Are you doing alright?¡± ¡°Thanks to you. It¡¯s a miracle that either of us are alive at all. I still can¡¯t believe you had to save my life¡ªtwice. I know I was exhausted, but I can¡¯t believe I let myself be taken out like that¡­¡± Aurelia shook her head. ¡°Honestly, me neither. I thought I was a goner for sure,¡± Noah said. Aurelia crouched next to Noah and put a hand on his chest. ¡°Mana poisoning, we¡¯ll need to take care of that.¡± ¡°Do I need to be concerned?¡± Noah quickly nced at his health bar. ¡°Not a lot. Mana poisoning can get nasty, but it¡¯s very rarely lethal. Thankfully, there¡¯s an easy way to fix it,¡± Aurelia said, sitting next to him with her legs folded. ¡°Close your eyes and focus on your mana. Then release as much of it as you can till you¡¯re empty.¡± ¡°That¡¯s it? That sounds way too easy,¡± Noah asked. Aurelia just gave him an amused smile. He followed her instructions, closing his eyes before he focused on his body. Vaguely he could tell that the mana in his body was collected somewhere between his chest and abdomen. Like an intangible swirling wisp not muchrger than his fist in size. Reaching out to the wispy sensations, he began to make it travel through his body, then pushed it outward. With a deep exhale, Noah felt the mana starting to drain from his body, being released into the air around him. The process felt natural at first, but as the mana bar continued to deplete, Noah found his chest tightening, almost as if he was suffocating. Sweat began to bead his head. Warning. Low Mana. The sensation intensified, and Noah had to stop multiple times to catch his breath. After nearly fifteen minutes, he finally felt thest wisps of mana leave his body. Mana: 0% Affliction [Mana Poisoning] has been removed. Noah panted, feeling out of breath. Each pore on his body felt like it had been opened and was trying to pull in as much air as it could. A tingling sensation covered his skin, as Noah became oddly clear headed. With shaking hands, he tried to anchor himself, each sensation magnified. ¡°It¡¯ll feel strange for a while. Wait for your mana to naturally recover. It¡¯ll take a day or two for your mana regeneration to return to normal. Take off that ring by the way, it¡¯s only going to make things worse,¡± Aurelia said. Noah gulped, nodding at her words and he took off the Abyssal ring, putting it back into his inventory. [Ring of Abyssal Eye (Rare)] removed. Ability levels have been reset. ¡°Do you have any water?¡± he asked. ¡°I have a healing potion,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°It¡¯ll do,¡± Noah said. Aurelia handed him a vial filled with a sloshing red liquid, and Noah pried the lid open gulping the bitter liquid down. A tingling sensation covered him all over his body, and his headache started to slowly fade. His gaze returned to the giant flesh horror¡¯s corpse in the middle of the room. ¡°What¡¯re we gonna do about that?¡± Noah asked. Aurelia nced at the giant fleshy corpse. ¡°I¡¯ll burn it. With how much suffering those people have gone through, we wouldn¡¯t want to leave it intact to be revived as an undead.¡± Noah shuddered, imagining himself having to fight an undead version of the creature. Looking for a change of topic, he opened his Inventory and noticed the tome he¡¯d obtained ¡°Right. I got a Tome of Lifeblood. You think I should use it, or will the mana poisoning cause any issues?¡± Noah asked, taking the tome out. ¡°Lifeblood? I¡¯ve never heard of it,¡± Aurelia said, looking at the tome sitting in Noah¡¯sp. ¡°Since you¡¯re F ranked, you¡¯ll need all the abilities you can get. And new abilities certainly don¡¯t hurt. But. There are some abilities that can cause permanent changes, so¡­ well, I still think it¡¯s worth using it. Lifeblood sounds like it would be helpful.¡± ¡°I¡¯m assuming there¡¯s monsters and stuff outside this ce? If I¡¯m really going to be an adventurer, I probably need more abilities. I¡¯d almost died against the horror despite doing what I could and you having already injured it,¡± Noah replied. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve made up your mind then,¡± Aurelia said with a smile. ¡°Alright, here we go,¡± Noah said, putting his palm above the tome and words popped up in front of him. [Tome of Lifeblood (Legendary)] Unlocks the Lifeblood ability upon use. Would you like to use this item? Yes/No? A bright golden light shed from the tome as Noah selected Yes. This time, he didn¡¯t get a path option to pick from, as Exsanguinator automatically got selected. Magical runes swirled around as the book faded into the bright light, before being absorbed into Noah¡¯s body. The energy made his skin tingle, as words appeared in front of him. Exsanguintor has unlocked the Ability [Lifeblood]. Noah selected the Ability, opening up its description. [Lifeblood (Basic) - level 1] Your blood is filled with a strong vital force. You can store life within your blood, utilising it to enhance your healing greatly for a small period of time. Permanently increases all healing abilities by 10%. Permanently increases health regeneration by 100%. Provides immunity from low grade poisons. A rush of energy swept through Noah. Through a sense that he¡¯d only just developed, he could now feel an emptiness in his mind, where he could store the extra health to provide him a burst of healing when necessary. ¡°That¡­ was powerful,¡± he said, clutching his fists as his eyes went up to his health bar, now increasing twice as fast. ¡°That was a lot of energy being released. What does the Ability do?¡± Aurelia asked, curiosity brimming in her voice. ¡°I can store extra health and use it to give myself a burst of healing when needed,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I feel like you keep getting all the ridiculous Abilities, its unfair,¡± Aurelia said. Noah shrugged. ¡°You having magic in your world your entire life is unfair from my perspective.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah went through his notifications, trying to see if he¡¯d missed something, when his eyesnded on one particr message. [???] has unlocked. Would you like to consume [???]. Yes/No? Noah looked at the message for a long moment. Instead of epting the prompt, he opened his menu and the description of the item. [???] [Unlocked] A shard of infinite potential. Noah raised his eyebrows, realising the description had subtly changed. Taking the Abyssal Ring from his Inventory, he equipped it, increasing his Identify skill capability. [???] [Unlocked] A shard of *** ******** filled with infinite potential. Can be consumed to gain an Aspect and unlock the seal. Words were missing from the text, distorting and twisting with glitchy fluctuations. A headache assailed Noah, growing stronger the more he tried to look at the missing words. ¡°Can Appraisal or Identify spells just show up with missing words sometimes?¡± Noah asked. ¡°If there¡¯s a seal or a lock, or the skill and or spell isn¡¯t strong enough, then yes. Although sometimes, the item itself can be broken, which may also cause this,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah took off his Abyssal Eye ring, not wanting to overstrain his mana so quickly. Thinking over the description, Noah opened the prompt. Would you like to consume [???]. Yes/No? Whatever the Incarnation of Void had so desperately wanted, had been inside of this. His missing memories, the gaps in his mind, and how he had died¡ªthe answers were all likely tied to this thing. After closing his eyes, Noah mentally reached out to the prompt. He hadn¡¯t gotten here by hesitating. You¡¯ve consumed [???]. Noah¡¯s world exploded in a cacophony of noises. Initiating bonding seque¡ªERROR. Illogical bonding. No trace of Divinity found in soul signatures. Deviating from standard protocols. Processing fate. Modifying gic code. ¡°What? What do you mean by modifying gic code?¡± Noah blurted, but the machine continued undeterred. Processing¡­ Prevented chances of gic defects in offspring. Removed the possibility of cancer. Increased immune system response. ¡­ Reduced ageing factors. He stared nkly as a long list of conditions and problems rapidly flew past Noah. A warmth filled his gut, like someone had lit a fire inside his stomach. Gene code modified. Adapting Soul signature. Choose your Aspect, Ascendan¡ª Error. Target has insufficient soul capacity. Modifying. Adapting. Aspect cannot be selected. None apply. Creating a new Aspect¡­ Aspect of the [Devourer] generated. [Devourer (Unique/Growth)] You are the Devourer. A primal hun¡ª Noah barely got the chance to read before the words were interrupted. New Quest obtained! Quest: Shards of [???] Through strange and unknown circumstances, you¡¯vee to possess a shard of [???]. But it is far from the only one that exists. Memories remain hidden in these pieces that¡¯ve been scattered across Erandir. It¡¯d do you well to start searching. Objective: Find all the Shards of [???] Difficulty: Unknown Reward: Unknown Noah watched the system beep madly. Transformation¡­ Iplete¡­ With the cold deration, Noah felt his soul awareness hit him all at once, like the feeling of falling at the edge of sleep and jerking awake. His body tensed, muscles tightening, as a hot flood of energy filled him. [Devourer] has applied [Purify] on you! ¡°Purify¡­?¡± Noah got out before the hot pouring wave of energy flooded him once more. Through the pain, he saw Aurelia step away from him in horror. Unable to hold back the nausea, Noah bent over, and dark thick sludge began to empty from his stomach. With each passing moment, more and more leeched forth, escaping from his body and pores, as the energy continued to pour through him. Now on all fours, Noah continued to vomit, until his gut waspletely empty, and his body was soaked in ayer of dark gooey filth. With shivering limbs, he saw something new appear in front of his eyes. You¡¯ve been Purified! All magical abilities have been enhanced. Affliction [Migraine] has been removed. Affliction [Mana Fatigue] has been removed. All Attributes increased by 5. Noah tried to say something, but before he could, his limbs gave out. He copsed into the pool of his own vomit, twitching briefly, then passed out. *** Aurelia stood nearby, continuing to watch with a grimace on her face. Noah froze up, with energy ring around him. She suspected some kind of rank up process was happening and stayed away to not interrupt. She¡¯d seen the process Noah was going through plenty of times during rank ups, as the body removed all toxins inside it. Yet this was the first time she¡¯d seen so muche from a single person¡¯s body. ¡°Just what kind of toxic ce was his world¡­?¡± she wondered aloud, feeling sorry for Noah. Chapter 10: Touching Some Grass Chapter 10: Touching Some Grass Noah¡¯s eyes fluttered open, and he found himself lying in a bed. A thin white sheet was the only thing covering his body. The robes he¡¯d been wearing were gone, and he waspletely naked. Curiously, he sniffed his body once, and gagged. Aurelia stepped into the room, ncing at him. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake. How¡¯re you feeling?¡± ¡°I feel like if I don¡¯t take a shower right now, I¡¯m going to die,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I figured as much. I burnt the robes you¡¯d been wearing, there was no salvaging those. There¡¯s a shower attached to his chamber, and I¡¯ve started the mana script so it¡¯s going to have warm water.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah replied, getting up from the bed. Taking the sheet covering him, he wrapped it around his waist like some kind of Greek skirt, and made his way to the shower room. Stepping in, Noah found the chamber to be surprisingly simr to what he¡¯d expect a modern shower room to look like. The room was made of carved stone bs, with a metal shower that had a t head with no holes, and a rune carved into it. And instead of a tap, there was another rune down below with the same symbol as the shower. Walking under the showerhead, Noah sent a pulse of mana as water began to rain from above him. ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s cold!¡± ¡°The rune on the right controls the warm water!¡± Aurelia¡¯s voice came from outside, and Noah tapped the rune on the right side, and the water began to turn warm. He let the sensation of the water pouring over him soak him, his muscles rxing. Sighing in contentment, Noah let the shower wash away all the filth and grime from his body. After a few minutes of soaking, Noah tapped the water rune, turning it off. Just as he was about to leave, a bright light shed beneath his feet, and he noticed a glowing rune light up under him. The light engulfed him, and Noah felt an oddly cleansing sensation cover him from head to toe. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Cleanse]! You feel cleaner than ever. You feel rxed after a nice shower! [Exhaustion] has been removed. Noah inspected his body and found that every ounce of dirt and grime had been removed. Even the dirt under his nails was no longer stubbornly there. ¡°This just made the entire day of almost dying worth it.¡± Stepping outside the shower, he found a pair of white robes were neatly folded within a wardrobe. Noah picked one up, putting it on, and looked at himself in the mirror. A pink scar covered his chest where he¡¯d been stabbed. Simr scars were all over his body, little pink gashes that¡¯d healed rapidly from the many cuts and bruises he¡¯d received. ¡°Just yesterday I was at work, and now I can absorb blood and pull things out of nowhere,¡± Noah said. Now that he finally had some time to himself, Noah had the time to look around for what exactly happened with that strange vision. Reaching out to his menu, he opened his ovey. Name: Noah Brown Race: Human (Modified) Rank: F Paths: Exsanguinator - level 11 Astralwalker - level 9 Void Hunter - level 9 Attributes: Power: 32 Agility: 23 Constitution: 26 Mystic: 36 Attribute points: 30 An uneasy feeling filled Noah¡¯s gut at the thought that he may not even be human anymore with all the gic tampering and whatnot that was mentioned, but lingering on the thought wouldn¡¯t help him, and so he moved on. Noah noticed his Attributes had all increased by 5. A significant jump, which essentially gave him nearly 6 levels worth of Attribute Points all across. His Constitution especially had skyrocketed, and Noah could feel the difference in his body. It was almost as if he was more alive. His body felt more energetic, more sensitive to sensations, and he just felt better overall. Trying to test the changes, Noah jumped up to see if he could do superhuman feats now. Instead of reaching high up, he jumped up as normal, and almost slipped on the wet floor, barely catching himself from face nting. ¡°I guess not,¡± he murmured, flexing his muscles to see if he felt different. He could remember the overpowering sensation from when he¡¯d eaten the Mana Stone, an energy had flooded him. And even before that, he¡¯d definitely been moving around faster than he should¡¯ve been able to and jumping higher than he ever had before. So, something had clearly changed with him, but when Noah tried to replicate the differences right now, he didn¡¯t feel anything significant. It would take some figuring out to understand how this worked, and how he could consciously use his newly gained superhuman abilities, instead of just blind panic unlocking them for him. Putting the experimentation on his Attributes aside, Noah went to his menu again, looking through once more. Opening the sub menu section, he selected the [Perks] tab. Perks: [Quest System] [Inventory] [Universal Language Comprehension] [Identify] [Voidborne] [Fate Touched] [Devourer] As he¡¯d expected, the question marks had been changed to Devourer after the vision. Clicking on the Perk, he expanded it to get its description. [Devourer (Basic, Unique/Growth)] You are the Devourer. A primal hungerlurks within you. You yearn to grow, to fight, to consume all that bar your path. Gain increased experience when fighting stronger enemies, but gain decreased experience when fighting weaker foes. Your abilities are enhanced to their maximum potential. Your instincts are sharper, your eyes see farther, and your spirit shall remain unwavering. Increases all Attributes by 5%. Noah¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s powerful!¡± he eximed, looking at the straight up 5% bonus to all his Attributes. ¡°What the hell does Growth mean though?¡± Focusing on the word, Noah tried to gain more understanding, and more words appeared in front of him. Growth Attribute: This attribute can increase in strength through either magical processes or your own actions. Noah whistled. With every twenty stat points, he¡¯d get an extra one for free. Scaled over hundreds of levels, that would add up quite significantly. Especially if I can increase the bonus with the Growth Attribute. Opening his Attributes menu, Noah noticed his 30 free points. Noah decided to put one into an Attribute to check his Perk boost. He put in 5 points to Mystic, not confirming his allocation, and first observed the Attribute. From the looks of it, the disyed Attributes were always rounded down, so he wouldn¡¯t see the increase till the Attribute was at 20. After doing some calctions in his head, Noah allocated his free Attribute Points. Power has increased to 47. Agility has increased to 25. Constitution has increased to 35. Mystic has increased to 42. His priority had been Power and mana capacity, which had been his biggest problem. For now, he¡¯d also decided to keep a fairly even build. His Attributes had gained the 5% bonus, and received one additional point when they crossed twenty. Feeling satisfied with his choices, he left the bathroom. He found Aurelia waiting for him. ¡°Do you want to take a shower too? That was probably the best one I¡¯ve ever had. I¡¯d thought you guys would have medieval technology and stuff, but I guess magic makes up for it.¡± ¡°I already took one,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Really? When?¡± ¡°When I was moving you here and searching around. So, a few minutes ago.¡± Noah raised an eyebrow. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like it.¡± Aurelia walked closer, putting a hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, he felt the air around him begin to heat up, hot enough to prickle his skin as steam began to evaporate from him. A momentter, Aurelia stepped back, a satisfied smile on her face. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll admit, that¡¯s convenient,¡± Noah said. ¡°One of the Perks of fire abilities. Another is that winter basically isn¡¯t a concern for me. Which is such a relief. I think that¡¯s a fairly big part of why I picked my Paths too,¡± Aurelia said, small mes dancing across her knuckles. ¡°Really? You dislike winter?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I love winter. Freedom from dreadful heat, and snow fights are some of the peaks of my childhood.¡± Aurelia grimaced, scrunching up her face in disgust. ¡°I despise the cold. I¡¯d rather be warm and cozy forever.¡± ¡°Understandable. I wonder if you¡¯ll enjoy ice cream. Honestly, I¡¯d hate summers, but ice cream makes up for it. You can eat them in winter too, but it¡¯s not the same.¡± ¡°Ice cream?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°It¡¯s a dessert made of milk, a fuck-ton of sugar, and it¡¯s one of the best things humanity has created in my world. Right after pizza,¡± Noah said. ¡°I can¡¯t tell if I don¡¯t understand you because whatever spell is tranting isn¡¯t working, or if you¡¯re just being weird.¡± ¡°Who knows,¡± Noah said with a smile. ¡°Let¡¯s head out. I don¡¯t want to stay a second longer in this ce,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Me neither,¡± Noah replied. It took a while for them to make their way through the underground caverns. After walking for half an hour, they noticed light streaming in from the outside. Noah rushed ahead, pushing through overgrown vines and nts at the entrance. He wiggled his bare feet, feeling the grass against his skin. He looked up at the sky, momentarily blinded by the light of the sun. As his vision adjusted, he saw two bright balls glowing in the bright blue sky. ¡°You guys have two suns?¡± he said, looking at Aurelia in surprise. ¡°You don¡¯t? That¡¯s so weird,¡± she replied. ¡°It really isn¡¯t. How do you calcte day and night?¡± ¡°What do you mean? When the suns go down, it¡¯s night. When theye out, it¡¯s day. Though sometimes in winter it¡¯s still too dark after first dawn, so the day really only begins after both the suns are out.¡± ¡°First dawn¡­ huh?¡± Noah murmured, watching the suns hanging in the sky. He looked behind him and found two shadows that ovepped each other. ¡°This is so weird,¡± he murmured again, looking ahead to thendscape. The grass, the trees, the little insects that flew around felt both familiar and alien at the same time. He really was in a brand new world of magic. Quest: Run! Run! Run! Complete. Reward: [Map] system, unlocked. A mini-map appeared at the corner of his vision, where he could see his current location. Every other ce was dark and invisible, except for the cultist base that he¡¯d already explored. ¡°Would be more useful if it wasn¡¯t all nk,¡± Noah said. ¡°Did you find the thing you were looking for?¡± Aurelia nodded, a ne appearing in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s a protective charm. Given to children to ward off evil spirits. Not really magical in any way. I found it in one of the prison cells.¡± A sombre realisation settled on Noah. New Quest obtained! Quest: Lost Remembrance You¡¯ve found a ne belonging to someone in Layfar Vige. Find them and return the item. Difficult: Easy. Reward: Experience Points. ¡°Guess that makes it official. I just got a Quest to go to Layfar Vige,¡± Noah said. He saw a little marker on his map, showing the location. ¡°Let¡¯s head out, shall we?¡± Aurelia nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll set up camp, the suns will be down in a few hours. I suppose this¡¯ll be your first adventuring Quest, so I better show you the ropes as your senior.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to learning from you, senpai,¡± Noah said, bowing his head. ¡°I feel like you¡¯re making fun of me, but I can¡¯t tell why.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Aurelia rolled her eyes, walking away. Noah chuckled to himself as the two of them made their way into the forest. Chapter 11: Armadial Riding Chapter 11: Armadial Riding Thest day had passed by in a blur for Noah. After finding somewhere in the nearby forest to camp, the two of them had fallen asleep quite quickly. Noah had asked about any concerns for monsters or wild animals attacking them, but Aurelia had mentioned something about aura suppression, and Noah stopped listening, quickly falling asleep soon after. The next morning greeted him with two bright suns shining over the horizon. Stretching his limbs, Noah noticed Aurelia missing from her spot. Not feeling particrly concerned about the disappearance, he moved to grab the waterskin Aurelia had left outside, filled up from some nearby stream. Clear water flowed into his palm, quenching his thirst, before using some more water to wash his face in an attempt to shake off his grogginess. ¡°I really hope they have coffee in this world,¡± he said, putting the waterskin away. A rustling noise of bushes had him nce sideways, and he noticed Aurelia walking towards him, with two strange armoured creatures that looked strangely like a hybrid between an armadillo and a giant sloth standing near their camp. ¡°Aurelia¡­ what¡¯re those?¡± Noah asked, looking at the giant tanks. Before he got a response, his system gave him the answer, as he used identify. [Armadial - lvl 37] ¡°Oh these? Some wild Armadials I found. Pretty much the best way to traverse a forest like this.¡± ¡°Wild ones?¡± Noah asked, surprised. ¡°Are you sure they won¡¯t try to eat us instead? I mean, that creature looks like it could pick fights with an elephant.¡± ¡°What¡¯s an elephant? Also, armadials are herbivores, and pretty tame. They¡¯re also known to help out humans as long as you feed them,¡± Aurelia said, petting the face of one of the creatures. Noah looked at the creatures in fascination, before walking up to one of the armadials himself. They were tall, almosting up to a bit above his head while still on all fours. Which was quite big given Noah¡¯s height. Gently, he pet the creature¡¯s scales body, ready to blink away if it tried to bite. The armadial didn¡¯t pay Noah attention, continuing to eat the grasszily. ¡°This is¡­ pretty cool. We have creatures like these in my world too. Armadillos. But they¡¯re much, much smaller, and eat insects. We¡¯ve kinda ruined our forests so interacting with animals like this is extremely rare.¡± Aurelia smiled, gently scratching the armadial under its chin, and it leaned into the scratch. Watching Aurelia, Noah turned towards his own armadial, but the creature just gave him the side eye, dissuading any attempts preemptively. ¡°It¡¯s so easy to forget that everything here is new to you. Thest time I was excited about armadials was when I was six,¡± Aurelia said, the armadial she was scratching nowpletely rxed as it rested its giant face in her hands, melting. ¡°Did you have them in your city? I remember you said it was underground,¡± Noah asked. ¡°Not in my city no, but I¡¯d seen plenty. They¡¯remon enough in forest terrains, and my father once took me with him to ride one,¡± Aurelia replied, her eyes turning distant in nostalgic memory. ¡°Do you not meet him often now? Your father that is?¡± Noah asked. ¡°He died when I was fourteen,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Ah¡­ I see¡­ it sounds like you miss him,¡± Noah said. ¡°Of course I do,¡± Aurelia replied, frowning at his response. Noah shrugged. ¡°That''s good. It''s hard for me to imagine missing my father. I may have a man who led to my birth, but I never had a father. But I do miss my mom. And on days when I miss her a lot, I try to remember the happiest days I had with her, and cherish the fact that those moments happened," Noah replied. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Aurelia said, brushing the armadial¡¯s body. ¡°My father was a great man. It¡¯s good to miss him isn¡¯t it? Sad, but good.¡± ¡°It is,¡± Noah replied. ¡°You had a great father, and that¡¯s something to cherish.¡± ¡°Thank you, Noah,¡± Aurelia said, her lips curving upwards in a smile. ¡°No problemo,¡± Noah replied. Grabbing onto the armadial¡¯s body next to her, Aurelia climbed the creature with a ¡®hup¡¯. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving now.¡± Noah turned to face his own armadial, looking back with a bored expression as it continued to chew on its grass. Trying to mount the creature, Noah put a hand on its back, but the creature simply shook its body, making Noah fall. Noah looked at his Armadial before looking back towards Aurelia. ¡°Hey, can we switch?¡± Aurelia smiled, kicking her Armadial as the creature began to move away. Trying once more, and sliding down once again, Noah decided to use Blink. With a pop, he fell on the back of the Armadial. The creature snorted, as if annoyed that it lost the battle, before following behind the creature. ¡°Alright, this might get a bit jerky so grab on tight,¡± Aurelia said, patting the back of her own Armadial. ¡°On mymand, kick the armadial lightly with your heel and it¡¯ll follow.¡± ¡°Wait hold on¡ª¡° ¡°Hah!¡± Aurelia eximed, as her armadial jumped. It¡¯s long ws hooked around a tree¡¯s trunk, climbing rapidly before jumping to a different tree. Noah screamed, as his armadial lifted its front legs, before jumping towards a tree. Rapidly, the creature climbed upwards, before leaping. The momentum threw Noah across the branches as he screamed, arms iling outwards. Blinking in a panic, Noah moved to a branch, which failed to support his weight. With a crack, the branch broke, as Noah fell, but it¡¯d done enough to break his moment. He crashed down onto the ground head first, with his ass hanging above him as hey against the tree trunk. Aurelia¡¯sughter echoed through the forest, as Noah¡¯s armadial slowly made its way down next to him, before licking his face with its long tongue. ¡°This is not funny,¡± Noah grumbled but it only made Aureliaugh harder. The forest flew past, as Noah and Aurelia rushed through the trees at rapid speeds. The armadials were dexterous creatures despite their sizes, and couldnd on surprisingly thin branches and support their entire weights on them. After some time spent limating, Noah began enjoying the experience. He flew through the forest, twenty feet above the ground, feeling nigh invincible as he rode the giant creature¡¯s backs. More times than he could count, he¡¯d startedughing out loud at the sensation of the wind rushing through his hair, and the adrenaline rush that made his heart beat loud. ¡°Having fun?¡± Aurelia asked, her own armadial slowing down to move in pace with Noah¡¯s. ¡°The most I¡¯ve ever had in my life,¡± Noah replied, a giant grin stered on his face. Aureliaughed at his words, her hair whipping in the wind behind her. ¡°I know the feeling? The first time my father took me I was so scared I peed my pants. I was so embarrassed that I refused to ride them again until muchter. But the second time, I went slow and steady, and fell in love with the experience.¡± ¡°I can see why,¡± Noah replied, his armadialnding on a tree, making him adjust his grip. ¡°It¡¯s definitely an experience. Almost feels like I¡¯m flying on a dragon¡¯s back.¡± ¡°You guys had dragons? I thought your world did not have any magic,¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Oh we have dragons. Tons of them. In movies, in stories, in myths. So many dragons. None are real though. We used to have really giant lizards called dinosaurs, which were the closest thing to dragons we ever had. But they died millions of years before humans.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a particrly bad thing. Elder Dragons wipe out entire cities when they appear. It¡¯s been centuries since thest one though. A lot of people think they¡¯re actually myths to hide attacks from elite groups of the strongest Awakened. Which is silly,¡± Aurelia said. Noah raised an eyebrow. ¡°Interesting conspiracy. What do you think though? Are Dragons real?¡± Aurelia looked ahead, eyes focused. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve seen some creatures that defy all imagination. So I can believe it. There¡¯s things out there that even the strongest Adventurer would be dwarfed by. I don¡¯t see why Elder Dragons couldn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°An interesting take. But I know what you mean. I''ve met something like that as well,¡± Noah said, before frowning. When had that happened? Aurelia nced at Noah, but didn¡¯t ask any further questions. The two continued to move around, wind rushing past them before Noah noticed Aurelia slowing down. His own armadial followed, slowly making his way down towards the ground beforending on the ground. ¡°What happened?¡± Noah asked curiously. ¡°The forest patch¡¯s ending. We¡¯ll have to make the rest of the way on the ground,¡± Aurelia replied. Both their armadials shook their heads, before beginning to proceed on the t ground at a much steadier pace. Noah looked ahead, and noticed the trees thinning. A few momentster, the dense forest gave way to arge grasnd extending into the distance. Hills rose further in the horizon, a little stream cutting through thendscape. ¡°Is that¡­ Layfar vige?¡± Noah asked, squinting his eyes. He could see tiny dots far in the distance. ¡°It is. We should reach there in four hours or so,¡± Aurelia replied, ncing towards Noah. ¡°In the meantime, why don¡¯t I tell you a bit more about where you are in Erandir?¡± ¡°Sure, I should probably learn a bit moremon sense so I don¡¯t instantly out myself as an outerworlder,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Mhm. The kingdom we¡¯re currently in is Melior Republic. It¡¯s a monarchy, but we have a council of elected members that keep the powers of the throne in check. The Awakened society that I mentioned? They y a huge role in this, consisting of a majority of the members. Guild leaders, some famous adventurers. These are the people that form the council.¡± ¡°A quasi monarchy. Not what I had expected,¡± Noah replied. ¡°There¡¯s a power struggle happening there right now, but I¡¯ll leave that forter. Melior falls in the south east section of Erandir, and where we¡¯re right now is pretty much as close to the edge of civilization as there is. Further from here, in the direction we came from are the Lost Woods. It¡¯s an B grade zone, so pretty terrifying creatures live there.¡± ¡°B grade zone?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Mana grade zones are what determine the general mana density in any area. Monsters and their strengths are a direct result of the mana density of an area, this area for example, is E grade, so the monsters here are typically of F and E grade. A B grade zone will have extremely powerful creatures present in them,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Interesting. So if there¡¯s a B grade area, then does that mean there¡¯s A grade areas too?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Death valley. It¡¯s in the far north,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°What an innovative name,¡± Noah said. ¡°d to see people¡¯s naming senses don¡¯t change even across worlds.¡± ¡°I enjoy the simplicity of it. Even if you¡¯re someone who has no idea where the hell you are, you¡¯ll hear Death valley and know you need to get out. It¡¯s simple, and it does it¡¯s job,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fair. But I wonder what kind of creatures live in Death valley. Undead?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Everything. Undead, basilisks, wyrms. All sorts of monstrosities. Even Dragons. If the rumors are to be believed.¡± ¡°Oh? Any Dragon you may know?¡± Noah asked curiously. ¡°Not really, no. It¡¯s considered bad luck to say a dragon¡¯s name, in case it appears. Entire cities are wiped out when they do,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Appropriately terrifying,¡± Noah said, thinking over one day riding one. Perhaps if he could convince it by defeating it in a riddle. Time flew past, as the two of them continued to talk. Eventually, the two suns were reaching high up into the midday sky. Noah watched Layfar vige in much greater detail now, rows of house with neat andpact constructions and a fair amount of brickid paths met him. The scene looked a lot more like a frontier town to him than a remote vige. People began to notice the two of them approaching on their giant armadials. Distantly, Noah heard a kid shout ¡®Adventurers¡¯, in an excited voice. Quickly, a crowd began to gather. ¡°Is this how they greet you everywhere?¡± Noah asked, looking at Aurelia. Aurelia shook her head. ¡°Only in small viges like this one,¡± she replied. Noah watched the children gathering at the vige roads, and looking at him in wonder and excitement. ¡°I think I¡¯ll enjoy this.¡± he said, as the two of them entered Layfar Vige. Chapter 12: Checking in Chapter 12: Checking in Layfar vige looked a lot more like a frontier town than a remote vige. Noah was surprised by the modern construction of the vige¡¯s buildings and streetyouts. The buildings themselves were made from abination of stone and wood, with adhesive material that looked a great bit like cement. It made him wonder whether a lot of information from worlds like earth had reached this world through other outer-worlders like him. As they approached closer, the children began to gather. Most young, five to ten year olds, with a few older kids standing around that looked slightly more wary. Noah smiled at the children, but they seemed more enamoured by his ride. He couldn¡¯t me them, the armadials were quite captivating. Unlike the younger children, the few older ones were definitely more interested in Aurelia and Noah. Quite a few of them nced at him curiously, but whether it was his demeanour, or his attire, they could pretty quickly tell that he wasn¡¯t a proper adventurer, and would shift to staring at Aurelia in fascination. Despite the interest shown by the children, none walked too close, or tried to disturb the two of them as they made their way into the town. Noah soon spotted the reason, with the few adults that were watching them. Their expressions were not hostile, but he couldn¡¯t describe it as anything except apprehensive. More than a few kept a tight grip on their kids who were trying to take a better look. The two of them continued to make their way before Aurelia stopped in front of an inn, stepping down. Noah followed her, before patting his own armadial. ¡°Thanks for the ride buddy,¡± Noah said. The armadial snorted, shaking its head, before bumping it against his hand lightly. ¡°Can you get these guys some hay? Add these into the feed too,¡± Aurelia said to a man who¡¯d walked outside from the inn. The man nodded with wide eyes as she gave him the crushed powder of two mana cores, and a third intact one. Patting the armadials, he took the creatures away from the entrance and Noah waved goodbye to the creatures. ¡°Why did you give the guy three?¡± Noah asked, curiously. ¡°His pay, or tip I suppose. Always give the workers a little extra, and they¡¯ll make life a lot easier for you at any inn.¡± ¡°Common sense works across worlds it seems.¡± ¡°Nothing about you ismon sense, so I¡¯d suggest keeping details about yourself vague,¡± Aurelia said, walking up to the gate of the inn. ¡°Why? Will I get in trouble?¡± Noah asked. ¡°You said Outerworlders were not unknown.¡± ¡°To an adventurer like me who travels a lot? Yes. To the people in this small vige at the border of civilization? You may as well be a talking nt,¡± Aurelia said, before pausing. ¡°Actually, that¡¯ll probably raise less eyebrows,¡± she added, as she stepped into the inn. A little bell at the door chimed as she did. Noah looked up and saw an insignia of two crossed swords above the inn. He followed behind her, taking a look around the inn. The entrance was fairly simple, with a burly man with the most impressive moustache Noah had seen in a long time standing behind the counter. A couple other people were further in in a section that looked like it was meant to serve as a tavern. ¡°Wee, adventurers. How long would you be staying?¡± the innkeeper asked. ¡°One night for now, two beds,¡± Aurelia said, cing two F grade mana stones on the counter. The man took the stones, leaving a key on the counter. ¡°Second floor,st room on the left.¡± Aurelia nodded, taking the keys, before turning to face Noah. ¡°I¡¯ve got some work to do. And people to talk to. Do you want to rest in the room?¡± Noah thought over it for a moment. ¡°Nah, I think I¡¯m going to hang around downstairs for a while. Maybe explore a bitter. First time in civilization here where people aren¡¯t actively trying to murder me, might as well enjoy it.¡± The innkeeper looked at Noah strangely, and he quickly realized his mistake. He saw Aurelia¡¯s eyebrow twitch as she red at him. ¡°Stop saying nonsense,¡± Aurelia said, pping his shoulder lightly. ¡°I¡¯m off. You can get the keys from here if you want to enter the room before I¡¯m back,¡± she added, pointing at the counter, before she walked out. ¡°A feisty one you¡¯ve got,¡± the innkeeper. ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Noah said, shaking his head. ¡°Though it¡¯s one of the things I enjoy about her.¡± ¡°Care for some ale? Given you¡¯reing from the forest, either you were one of the idiots who try to head to the lost woods, or you¡¯re part of the team that went to look for the lost vigers. Either way, I can¡¯t imagine you not needing one.¡± ¡°Sure, it¡¯s still a bit early but whatever. I could use some alcohol in me,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Boy! Get the man a mug of ale!¡± the innkeeper shouted. A teenage boy called out from the back. ¡°What¡¯s your name, boy?¡± The innkeeper asked. ¡°You look quite new from the looks of you.¡± ¡°Noah Brown. And yeah, I just awakened yesterday,¡± Noah replied. The teenage boy walked from behind the inn, walking up to Noah before handing him a wooden jug filled with a pale yellow liquid. Noah took a sip, smacking his lips. The ale tasted slightly like moss. ¡°Helion¡¯s tits. You awakened yesterday? What¡¯re you doing round these parts walking around with a E-ranker then? If it¡¯s for the girl, then drop it. Dying ain¡¯t worth it kid.¡± ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not like that. I was in a dangerous situation and was forced to awaken. I got really lucky or I¡¯d be dead. Aurelia¡¯s just helping me get used to this whole being awakened business,¡± Noah replied, taking another sip of the musty ale. ¡°Ah, young adventurers. Makes me miss my youth,¡± the innkeeper said. ¡°I¡¯m Lorian, by the way.¡± ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Lorian,¡± Noah said, raising his mug. He looked down at the scars on Lorian¡¯s arms, before using identify. [Stone-carved Warrior - ?] ¡°You were an adventurer as well?¡± Noah asked, before realising the man didn¡¯t have even the hints of an aura. ¡°Ah, I used to be. Lost my magic in an ident, and decided to call it quits, d I still had all my limbs and life,¡± Lorian replied. ¡°What kind of monster was it? I didn¡¯t know you could lose your abilities like that,¡± Noah said, taking another sip of the ale. ¡°Depths damn me if I know. We were doing a quest up north in a dungeon. Bit more than we can chew. As we were doing our work, all of a sudden something pops out of the depth. Didn¡¯t even see iting. The moment it came in, we couldn¡¯t move our bodies at all. It crashed through, all pearly and translucent. Two of my teammates died instantly, this other one lost his eyes. I lost my mana. To this day, I haven¡¯t heard of this thing again, or what it even was,¡± Lorian said. Noah hummed, not sure how much of it were tall tales and exaggerations, and how much was urate. But regardless of the uracy, he felt interested by the story. Taking another sip, he looked down at the ale in his half filled mug, before looking up at Lorian in surprise. ¡°Is there any alcohol in this at all? My tolerance is pretty decent, but I should¡¯ve felt at least a slight buzz by now,¡± Noah said. ¡°Ohd, your constitution¡¯s probably too high. Either that or some spell interfering, I don¡¯t know. But that ale¡¯s got alcohol in it, alright,¡± Lorian said. Noah looked down at his cup, before lifting it up as he chugged the rest of it down. The answer to his question came a momentter, as a system message popped up in front of him. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Intoxication]. Lifeblood has cleansed [Intoxication]. Noah¡¯s heart dropped as he saw the words. ¡°Are you¡­ shitting me?¡± he said, lips trembling. ¡°I can¡¯t get drunk?¡± ¡°Ah, constitution ability eh?¡± Lorian asked. Noah didn¡¯t reply, slinking down onto the counter. ¡°Nooooo¡­ This is the worst. The absolute worst,¡± he murmured, regretting ever taking the ability. Lorianughed. ¡°You can control your abilities. Just turn it off.¡± ¡°Wait really?¡± Noah asked, perking up. Focusing, he tried to turn off lifeblood. Words appeared in front of him as he did. [Lifeblood] has been deactivated. ¡°Woo!¡± Noah cheered. ¡°Bring me another ss! I need to celebrate!¡± ¡°You heard the man!¡± Lorian called out, as the boy went back in. The innkeeper turned to look at Noah. ¡°Just use the ability when you¡¯re too drunk and you¡¯ll be sober soon after. Depending on the type, it may even cure hangovers.¡± Noah grabbed his new mug of ale, taking a drink from it. ¡°Best. Ability. Ever.¡± Casually chatting with Lorian, Noah went through a couple of mugs, managing to get his [Intoxication] up to two. After feeling that he¡¯d had enough, he turned on Lifeblood. Lifeblood has cleansed [Intoxication - II]. Noah immediately felt his head clear up. He smiled at the ability, before turning to look at Lorian. ¡°Oh, I forgot to ask. What¡¯s been going on here? Everyone looked a bit on edge when we arrived.¡± ¡°Ah yeah. There¡¯s been people disappearing in the woods. Started about¡­ six months ago now? A couple of people went to look and they didn¡¯t return. Folks stopped going further in the forest, a couple of adventurers came to look as well, but they didn¡¯t find anything. People mourned, and gave up, but after they stopped going to the forest, things were fine for a month or two. Then the mines copsed. People went in to search for survivors but once again no one came. The vigers had already been on edge, and this was enough for them to seal off the mines. I think they called some adventurers a couple days ago to look again,¡± Lorian said. Noah frowned. The timing did match up with what Aurelia had mentioned. But he found it strange that the previous had not found the cultist hideout. The cave was not inconspicuous, but it wasn¡¯t exactly difficult to find either. ¡°I hear they¡¯re considering sealing off the mines for good. Some people are protesting, the vige will struggle to survive through winters without coinsing from the mine. But there¡¯s been howling and cryinging from the mines asionally, and people are getting concerned about undead. If there¡¯s an infestation budding and the guild gets involved, this entire vige would have to be evacuated, and no one wants that.¡± ¡°Ignoring your problems and hoping they disappear. The age old solution,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Is what it is. Ain¡¯t nobody around that¡¯s going to be fixing this problem. Those who tried never came back, and there¡¯s only so many people a vige like this can lose,¡± Lorian said. ¡°Perhaps the adventurers you guys hired may get somewhere.¡± ¡°I sure hope so,¡± Lorian replied. Noah nodded. ¡°How much for the ale?¡± ¡°One F grade mana stone is enough. It¡¯ll also get you dinner tonight if you want it,¡± Lorian said. Noah made a stone appear in his hand from his inventory, tossing it. ¡°Thanks for the talk, Lorian.¡± ¡°Ain¡¯t got nothing better to do,¡± Lorian replied with a chuckle. Noah walked out of the inn, looking around. The first sun was slowly but surely beginning to approach the horizon, while the second smaller sun slowly trailed behind, giving the sky an odd mix of red and blue hues present at the same time. He looked around the vige, taking a stroll through. People went about their day, only asionally ncing towards Noah, before they lost interest. He was d Aurelia had found some clothes for him to wear. He doubted wearing cultist robes here would¡¯ve helped him at all. Making his way as Noah observed all the merchants and stalls hawking their goods, he eventually found himself walking out of the center of the vige. As he did, he noticed people whispering, and upon listening closer, found the reason. ¡°The mayor says the mines is going to be sealed. One of the adventurers we¡¯d called returned apparently.¡± ¡°Is he serious? How will we have enough saved up to get through winter? Much less the next year? If the mines are closed then the vige will copse!¡± Noah noticed simr talks happening all over the vige. Deciding to look further, he began to follow a couple of the people who were making their way to the mayor¡¯s ce. A few minutes of walkingter, Noah found himself in the northern end of the vige, standing in front of the only home with two floors. He saw the people walk in, and noticed a fairly decent sized crowd standing inside. Sufficiently curious, he walked up to the door, and made his way in. Entering the chamber, he felt grateful for his height, as the entrance was packed, with people standing, watching themotion happen. Noah saw the source of it as well. A lean man wearing well fitting clothes, and a much shorter bearded bald man, whose face was red with fury. Noah used identify. [Mayor - ?] [Stone-carved Miner - ?] ¡°Depths damn me, but I won¡¯t let you starve this town to death!¡± the shorter bald man shouted. ¡°If you close those mines, this vige will end. It will not happen immediately. But mark my words, we will die. A slow, painful, pitiful death. I¡¯d rather whatever¡¯s in the mines eat us all.¡± ¡°Are you listening to yourself Gerome? We cannot lose anymore people, or risk the guild getting involved,¡± the taller man, who Noah suspected was the mayor, replied, before turning towards all the gathered people. ¡°Please, don¡¯t crowd this ce. I know all of you are concerned. I am too. But I¡¯m only trying to act in the best interests of our survival.¡± ¡°Best interest my arse! You¡¯re just going to get us to shrivel and die slowly instead of fighting back!¡± the bald man shouted. Noah nced around the chamber, before he found Aurelia standing on the other end. She noticed his gaze immediately, eyes widening in surprise. Noah made his way through the crowd towards her, wading through the crowd without trying to catch too much attention. The ongoing argument helped with that quite a bit. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here?¡± Aurelia asked in a hushed whisper. ¡°I could ask you the same,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I¡¯m here to talk with the mayor in private, and get some information on the adventuring team that¡¯d betrayed me.¡± ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem very private,¡± Noah said, ncing at the gathered crowd. ¡°He was busy,¡± Aurelia replied bitterly. ¡°Well, I had a drink, chatted with the innkeeper, and now I¡¯m here,¡± Noah said, before looking back at the ongoing argument. ¡°Should we help out?¡± ¡°What do you think I¡¯m here to do? We don''t really have anything to travel with from here on either. It''s why I''m trying to talk to the man,¡± Aurelia asked, frowning at him. ¡°You need to be more assertive, then. Watch and learn.¡± ¡°What are you trying to do? Noah?¡± Aurelia asked, but Noah ignored her words, cutting through the crowd, as he immediately caught the attention of the people. ¡°Please, gentlemen. Arguing like this doesn¡¯t suit you. Ultimately, both of you desire for this vige to survive and prosper, well, as a matter of fact so do I. So why not think over a solution together, instead of arguing over who¡¯s right and who¡¯s wrong?¡± Noah said, walking up the mayor, and the bald man Gerome, before putting a hand on both their shoulders. ¡°And who the depths are you?¡± Gerome asked in annoyance. Noah grinned, taking a step back, before he red one arm and bowed theatrically. ¡°Noah Brown, newly Awakened adventurer, and the solution to your problems.¡± Chapter 13: Delivery Quest Chapter 13: Delivery Quest Noah nced around the room, noticing the people¡¯s attention on him as he continued. ¡°The problem of this vige is quite simple. There is something happening in the mines, and you need someone to go in and take a look, but it¡¯s obviously dangerous so you need someone who¡¯d be willing to do a task like that and be able toe back out alive,¡± Noah said, before pointing a thumb at himself. ¡°You might be starting to see where I¡¯m going with this.¡± Whispers rose all around, as the people nced at him in confusion. Noah¡¯s smile widened. ¡°We don¡¯t need someone who¡¯ll just be another casualty in the mines, boy. You don¡¯t even dress like an adventurer, and you yourself said you¡¯d just awakened. Why¡¯d we send in a greenhorn to die?¡± Gerome asked, folding his arms. ¡°Because I won¡¯t be going alone,¡± Noah said, before pointing at Aurelia. ¡°She¡¯ll be there with me.¡± Eyes swept towards Aurelia, the woman ring at Noah for his disy before she stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m an E rank adventurer, and I was hired by someone in this vige for a quest a few days ago. I believe this problem of yours may be tied to my quest as well.¡± ¡°I remember you,¡± the Mayor said, turning towards Aurelia. ¡°Didn¡¯t youe here with a team?¡± Aurelia¡¯s expression distorted briefly, but she kept her calm. ¡°I was, and part of the reason I¡¯m here is to look for them. But I¡¯m willing to make a stop to get this done as well.¡± ¡°For fairpensation of course,¡± Noah added. ¡°We¡¯d be more than grateful to receive your help. Please, name a price,¡± the mayor said, ncing at Noah. ¡°Would you guys have an Ability tome?¡± Noah asked. ¡°We... have some, but they may not necessarily work for you. I would suggest heading to Windrest city to find them,¡± the Mayor said. ¡°Windrest city?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It¡¯s the nearest city with the guild hall. And so they tend to have an inflow of adventuring gear,¡± the Mayor replied. ¡°It¡¯s where we¡¯ll be heading next anyway. And as for the quest, a D grade mana stone will do. And two horses,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I¡¯ll be heading with the two of them there. I¡¯ve been working there for nearly four decades now. I know the ce better than the back of my hand at this point, and you¡¯ll need someone to guide you around so you don¡¯t get lost,¡± Gerome added. The mayor nodded. ¡°Then it is settled.¡± New quest obtained! Quest: Trouble in the mines Something is hiding in the mines of Layfar, unsettling the town. Perhaps the remnants of a sinister legacy? Objective: Investigate the mines. Difficulty: Medium. Reward: Experience points. ¡°And that makes it official,¡± Noah said, before grasping the mayor¡¯s hand in a shake. ¡°A pleasure doing business with you.¡± The man looked back at him, raising an eyebrow, but did notment any further. Aurelia pushed Noah to the side, talking to the mayor, as the gathered people began to leave. Noah was going to listen to Aurelia¡¯s talk, when Gerome walked closer, patting his arm. ¡°Where are you from, boy? You said you just awakened, and you look awfully old for that.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. Ie from a pretty far area from here. We didn¡¯t really have magic there, so I only recently got the chance to awaken a path.¡± ¡°No magic? Youe from a dead zone?¡± Gerome asked, nching. ¡°A dead zone?¡± Noah looked at the man in surprise. ¡°There¡¯s ces with no mana out there. Dead zones, death zones, whatever you wanna call them. They drain the life out of anything that lives there. Barren, wasted ces, scarred from whatever transpired to make them that way,¡± Gerome said, as if reminiscing an old story. ¡°Well¡­ my home was more stones than trees, and not exactly teeming with wildlife. But I wouldn¡¯t call it a dead zone or anything,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Well, regardless. If you manage to solve this problem, you¡¯ll have done this vige a favour,¡± Gerome said, extending his hand out. Noah grasped it, shaking the man¡¯s coarse and giant hands. ¡°Of course,¡± Noah replied. Gerome nodded, seemingly content about something. ¡°I¡¯ll see you two tomorrow morning then.¡± Noah watched the miner walk out, before turning back to Aurelia. There was a thoughtful expression on her face, as she walked towards Noah. ¡°Find something?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Yes. The team should be in Windrest city. It¡¯s the closest city on this side of the continent, so we can also get you registered with the guild,¡± Aurelia said, a golden glimmer dancing across her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s get this done quickly.¡± ¡°Sounds like a n,¡± Noah said, as the two of them stepped out together. Aurelia nced at the sky, and the twin suns about to make their way down the horizon. The ne appeared in her palm as she opened her hand. ¡°I should return this.¡± ¡°I want toe with you,¡± Noah said. Aurelia did not object, as the two of them made their way. Their path took them towards a home near the edge of the vige, near the direction they¡¯d initiallye from. He followed the directions, soon standing in front of a home. ¡°This is it,¡± Aurelia said. Noah noted the quest marker on his map ovepping with the house as well. Standing outside the door, he tried toe up with something to say, anything. Moving closer, he tried knocking, but his hand simply hovered over the door. The choice was soon robbed of him, as Aurelia knocked instead. A momentter, the door swung open as a frazzled looking woman stood behind it, looking at him in confusion, before they drifted towards Aurelia. Silently, she reached into her storage and grabbed the ne, presenting it to the woman. ¡°I believe this belongs to you.¡± The woman¡¯s eyes widened, lips contorting as she stared at the ne hanging from Aurelia¡¯s hands. She stumbled forward, grasping the ne in her hands. ¡°This is¡­ Pierce¡¯s¡­¡± she said, before looking up at Aurelia. ¡°Did you¡­ did you find him?¡± Noah looked at the woman¡¯s eyes, disbelief, fear, and hope all present together. He nced sideways at Aurelia, and found her expression steeled at the cruel act she had to do. Aurelia shook her head. Noah watched the hope shatter on the woman¡¯s face, her expression distorting. She took another look at the ne in her hands, before clutching it close to her chest. A pained sob broke her voice as her resolve broke, the grief overwhelming her. Noah rushed forward, gently grabbed the woman¡¯s shoulders to support her when he thought she was about to fall. The woman didn¡¯t pay him any attention, fixated on the ne that she clutched as close as she could to her chest, deep painful sobs writhing her body with shivers and shakes. Aurelia moved in closer, helping to hold the woman as she continued to cry. Idly, he noted a couple people staring nearby. Movement came from within the small home, and Noah saw a young girl of about sixteen rush out, before staring at her mother in surprise. She stared at Noah, before at her sobbing mother he was holding the shoulders of, and continued to stare wide eyes. ¡°Can you help her in?¡± Noah asked the girl. She looked at him, before nodding, as she walked closer and helped support her mother, walking in. Noah handed the woman on to the girl, letting her take her mother. Aurelia helped her support the woman as they walked inside. He noticed the girl¡¯s eyes catch the ne in her mother¡¯s hand, and she nced back at Noah realising what had happened. Her eyes watered, turning shimmery as well. She opened her mouth to say something, but held the words back, turning towards her mother instead. ¡°Mom, calm down. We¡­ we¡¯d been prepared. No one had returned,¡± the girl¡¯s voice broke with a choked sob briefly and she had to take a moment. ¡°Please¡­¡± Noah watched the scene, feeling like he was intruding on something he should not be a part of, yet at the same time, just walking away after he¡¯d delivered the bad news seemed wrong as well. The girl moved back, seating her crying mother on a chair inside. Turning around, the girl quickly wiped tears from her eyes, as she turned to Aurelia. ¡°Thank you for returning Pierce¡¯s ne. We¡­ It hurts, but we can at least move on. If you¡¯re waiting to get paid, then I¡¯m afraid we have nothing to give you. But the mayor will be willing topensate you for your services.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be paid by the mayor. We¡¯re doing a continuation of the quest by searching the mines,¡± Aurelia said, and then paused. There was a slight breath in take, a shiver in her breath, like anger and sorrow seeping out from under a tight lid. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t do more.¡± The girl nodded. Noah watched the crying mother, and the girl who held on firmly, even as her hands shivered and shook, and felt anger swirl in his chest. Silently, he nced at Aurelia, finding a simr expression in her eyes. With an unspoken understanding, the two of them turned, wanting to give the family the space and time to grieve properly. ¡°Wait,¡± the woman¡¯s hoarse voice came from behind the half closed door. Noah turned to see the woman standing, eyes red and puffy, as she walked up to the gate. ¡°I want to know what happened. Please. Anything you know. I just¡­ I want to know how my son died.¡± Noah looked at the woman¡¯s resolute eyes, before he nced at the smaller girl standing at the gate, looking back at her mother with a sad expression. Noah nced at Aurelia, meeting her eyes. A momentter, they walked closer, taking a seat near the woman. ¡°Your son, and a lot of other people from this vige, perhaps some from other viges nearby as well, were taken by Abyssal cultists. They¡¯d been performing blood sacrifices,¡± Aurelia said, taking a breath. ¡°Me and mypanion both had been captured by them as well, and had nearly died, before we managed to escape. If it wasn¡¯t for him, I would¡¯ve died. Afterwards, we spent some time searching for any survivors, but unfortunately, we did not find anything. All I found was this ne.¡± Noah nced at Aurelia, the woman looking back at him momentarily at his gaze. She hadn¡¯t told them of the blood grafted horror. The woman listened in silence, not replying in any way. Seconds stretched on as they sat in silence, before the woman asked, in almost a quiet whisper under her breath. ¡°Did you kill them?¡± she asked. Noah looked up at the woman. Her voice had been a whisper, yet he saw the anger burning deep within. ¡°Everyst one.¡± The woman looked down, clenching her fists. For a moment, she almost felt hollow to him, like he¡¯d just robbed her of the only purpose she¡¯d beentching on to from this entire ordeal. ¡°Pierce¡­ he had always been reckless,¡± the younger girl said, looking at Noah as tears flowed from eyes. ¡°He was always heading out near the mines and the forest to hunt, and capture some smaller monsters that he could find. I told him not to, I told him so often, but he never listened,¡± the girl said, her throat turning mmy. ¡°How old was he?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°He¡¯d turned fourteen justst month,¡± the girl replied. For a moment, Noah¡¯s mind tried to find a child¡¯s face within the body of the horror, but he stopped soon after. The thought made his heart drop. He clenched his fists in anger, at all the agony a single man¡¯s twisted desires had inflicted. ¡°I¡¯d been ready for this day,¡± Pierce¡¯s mother said, looking at Noah. ¡°Pierce¡¯s father had been an Adventurer, and even when he married me and left the adventuring life, the adventuring life never really left him, and I¡¯d lost him eventually. Pierce had had the same desires as his father. Afraid of losing him, I¡¯d tried to make the boy reconsider. Even threatened him, but ultimately, I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to change his heart, even if I made him agree to it. It would eat at the boy from the inside,¡± the woman looked up at Noah. ¡°You do not seem like an adventurer. Do you share that with him? Is that why you do this?¡± ¡°I¡­ honestly¡­ I don¡¯t know. Everything so far has been a desperate move to stay alive in a difficult situation in a ce I do not know anything about. So, I don¡¯t know yet. Earlier, I would¡¯ve said I was just running away from my past. But the idea appeals to me solely on its own as well. The magical powers feel addictive, and¡­ I do want to explore this world.¡± ¡°This world?¡± the girl asked, looking at Noah, who held back a wince. He could feel Aurelia¡¯s re on him. ¡°Feels like an entirely new world here, so I slipped my tongue. I¡¯m not from around these parts. Honestly, I have no idea how far away my home is,¡± Noah replied. "I see¡­ Then¡­ I have a request," the woman said, looking up at Noah. Slowly, she leaned over, before handing him the locket. "Please take this with you on your adventures. I think Pierce would have wanted that." Noah looked down at the ne in his hand, clenching his fists before he nodded. "I''ll treasure it," he replied. ¡°Thank you,¡± the woman said, wiping the tears in her eyes. Noah nodded, ncing at Aurelia. With nothing else left to say, they quietly made their leave, leaving the family to grieve their loss. Objective: Deliver the Ne to its owner¡¯s family,plete. Reward: Experience points obtained. Noah looked at his system message, before dismissing it. "Let¡¯s head to sleep. The suns are almost out, and we need to be up early to go into the mines,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I do look forward to some food. Hard to y monsters on an empty stomach,¡± Noah said, following behind Aurelia. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know already, I¡¯d think you had some experience with this adventuring thing,¡± Aurelia said, raising an eyebrow. Noah chuckled but didn¡¯t reply. There was a good reason he¡¯d been given the Gamer Path option after all. Chapter 14: Trouble in the mines Chapter 14: Trouble in the mines The morning suns peeked through the windows, their light reflecting off of the sweating from Noah¡¯s body. Three hundred twenty seven¡­ three hundred twenty eight¡­ three hundred twenty nine¡­ Noah¡¯s arms wobbled, as he did three hundred and thirty three push-ups before his body finally gave in. That was almost five times over what he had been capable of doing before. Breathing lightly, as he felt his body recovering almost near instantly after the exertion, Noah pulled out a towel and began to wipe himself off. Despite his best efforts to rest, he¡¯d only needed around six hours to sleep to feelpletely refreshed. It had been no more than a day since he¡¯d awakened, but already the changes were starting to feel massive, and if Aurelia¡¯s words were anything to go by, even if he didn¡¯t level up anymore, he¡¯d continue to see these changes ur as his body adapted to his newly increased attributes over time. ¡°Best feeling ever,¡± Noah said, as he looked out the window. Aurelia had gone out for some work slightly before he¡¯d woken up, leaving a note for him before she did. Noah had decided to spend the time experimenting with his newly gained abilities. An array of colors swirled around his hand, [Obliterate] and [Bleed] mixing together in red and ck wisps that gave an almost eerie look. Like Death and Blood, intimately intertwined in a cold and cruel dance. The sight made a pleased smilede up Noah¡¯s lips. He had magic now. Real magic. There was very few things that could make him feel bad now. Changing into more appropriate clothes after he¡¯d wiped his sweat off properly, Noah headed down, finding Lorian manning the counter. ¡°How¡¯d you sleep, boy? If at all,¡± the innkeeper asked with a snicker. ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Noah replied with a wave. ¡°Yet,¡± he added with a grin. ¡°I see how it is. Gotta keep at it to get the prize, eh?¡± Lorian said. ¡°What do you have for breakfast here?¡± Noah asked, changing the topic. ¡°Most of everything that¡¯s not super fancy. What¡¯d you like? Yourdy friend came in to cook for herself, so she¡¯s left you some food as well if you want that,¡± Lorian said. ¡°Aurelia cooks?¡± Noah asked, surprised. ¡°She cooks damn well,¡± Lorian replied. ¡°Almost as good as me, and I¡¯ve been at it for over a decade.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised. What did she make?¡± ¡°Bacon, eggs and mashed potatoes,¡± Lorian replied. ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± Lorian called for the younger teen that worked in the inn, and soon Noah had his breakfast in front of him. Despite Lorian¡¯s word, the deliciousness of the breakfast still took him by surprised, and he practically snorted the food down. ¡°Also, I heard that you guys are heading to the mines today, is that right?¡± Lorian asked, as he came and picked up the empty dishes from Noah¡¯s table. ¡°We are, yeah. Will be going to solve the mine issue once and for all,¡± Noah replied, picking pieces from the gaps in his teeth as he did. ¡°You should be careful in there. There¡¯s something sinister lurking around, and it¡¯d be a shame if something were to happen,¡± Lorian said. ¡°Thanks for the warning,¡± Noah replied, and Lorian nodded, walking away. After feeling satisfied with his meal, Noah stood up from the table, and walked outside. All Aurelia¡¯s note had mentioned was to be at the Mayor¡¯s ce in an hour or so. Strolling through the vige, and taking a look around the streets, Noah made his way over to the Mayor¡¯s ce, before walking inside. ¡°Ah, there you are,¡± said the bald miner, Gerome, turning towards Noah. The miner had a pickaxe on his back this time, and looked to be in work clothes. Aurelia stood nearby as well, with new leather armor on that he hadn¡¯t seen on her before. Noticing his gaze, Aurelia reached into her storage bracelet, before taking out another piece of leather armor. ¡°This one is for you,¡± she said, handing the item over. Noah inspected it. Leather Armor (Common) A simple armor made of leather. Noah shrugged, before putting it on top of his clothes. With his inventory being the way it was, he didn¡¯t really need any belts or such either, and for the most part was as well equipped as he could be. ¡°If the two of you are ready, then we should start moving. It¡¯s a short distance away.¡± Noah nodded, ncing at Aurelia once. Following Gerome¡¯s lead, the two of them headed out from the Mayor¡¯s ce and towards the mines. A little quest marker showed the location in his map, though he couldn¡¯t see the path yet since he hadn¡¯t been to the ce. The walk took roughly thirty minutes, before they reached the mine¡¯s entrance. And Gerome informed them of the history of the mines as they did. ¡°This used to be a dungeon. A young one anyway. Started to dig, form areas, before something or the other killed the core, leaving this husk. But as a result, the ce is chock full of mana stones to mine. Even some D-grade ones. Wouldn¡¯t have the vige here if this mine didn¡¯t exist.¡± ¡°Wait, dungeons can die?¡± ¡°Sure can. Kill the core, and it will. Although it¡¯s extremely stupid to do so. A tamed dungeon is one of the most precious resources someone can have. Many kingdoms have been founded on the basis of their hold over some dungeon or the other,¡± Gerome replied. ¡°Maybe it was an undead dungeon? Those are a nation level threat, and basically every guild ever would mobilise to kill it before it could spread.¡± ¡°Nah, this one was a typical earth type dungeon. Asmon as theye. Anyway, we should move in,¡± Gerome said, as the three of them walked up to the entrance. Noah saw the pile of rocks that looked like they had been copsed in. Before he could move closer to try and see if he could cut his way in using Obliterate, Gerome went closer, taking up his pickaxe. Lifting the tool up, he struck a few times in different locations, and Noah watched in fascination as the whole pile of rocks copsed, allowing them entry inside. ¡°Was that an ability?¡± Noah asked, surprised. ¡°A decade¡¯s worth of experience, and some ability,¡± Gerome said, making his way in. Noah followed, stepping into the cavernous entrance. Carts full of glowing stones greeted Noah near the entrance, other equipment and pickaxes lying around. The walls themselves glittered as if they had been sprayed with shining dust. ¡°What¡¯s all the light?¡± Noah asked, watching the cavern as the light from the entrance began to fade. ¡°Mana stones. All embedded in there. Normally the entrance is almost entirely barren, but it¡¯s been a while since there¡¯s been any mining here, so it¡¯s started to regenerate rapidly,¡± Gerome replied. ¡°You should keep your focus up Noah. There could be monsters lurking. Especially in a former dungeon.¡± Noah nodded, before pulling out the daggers from his inventory. Keeping them clutched in his hands, he continued to walk around, feeling d he¡¯d gotten [Void Hunter¡¯s eyes]. The amount of darkness in the cavern would¡¯ve been near impossible to see through without them. Little guidingmps were present along their path, but none that seemed to be working. ¡°Is it supposed to be this barren and quiet in here?¡± Noah asked, feeling an odd creeping sensation starting to descend on him. ¡°Normally there would be critters and what not moving around. But it¡¯s been like this since the noises starteding,¡± Gerome said. Turning a curve through the tunnels, they found themselves in front of a door, locked by arge wooden handle. ¡°The main section of the mines is here,¡± Gerome told them, before pulling the handle as he unlocked the door. The narrow path led to a much more open section, and Noah saw carved chunks of rock, and minerals present all over inside in a much bigger open space, filled with glowing stones that shone like stars. But his eyes were looking at something else entirely. Blood covered the floor, limbs, bones and rotting flesh from the corpses of miners filling the mines. Noah stared, feeling the stench and sight churn his gut. Silently, they walked in further, making their way through the path as they cut through the corpses. A momentter, a piercing cry cut through the voices, a distinct shriek as if someone was screaming. ¡°S..top!¡± the shriek came again, this time clearer. Noah turned towards Aurelia, before all three of them began to rush in the direction of the voice. Moving through the mines, they reached another gate, and Noah used Blink to teleport to the other side. In the distance, he saw a miner lying on the floor, bleeding, and clutching his gut. Rushing closer, Noah crouched, trying to check his pulse. ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re here now. What did this to you?¡± he asked, trying to help the man. ¡°No¡­ You need to¡­¡± the man looked up at him, and Noah froze. Half his face was reced by dark oozing flesh that swirled and squirmed with hundreds of tiny suckers, and teeth lined on the inside. ¡°Run,¡± the man gasped, as he fell down, and Noah stumbled back. He watched in horror, as the man¡¯s body continued to mutate, bloating more and more with suckers and tendrils that overtook him. An inhuman shriek tore itself from the man¡¯s mouth now, his face almostpletely distorted. Noah used identify on the creature. [Void-grafted Human - lvl ?] ¡°Get away from him, Noah!¡± Aurelia shouted, rushing closer. The system chimed in Noah''s head as he teleported away. Quest: Trouble in the minespleted! Reward: Experience points obtained. Quest: Viktral Nayfar¡¯s legacy. You¡¯ve found the sinister remnants of Viktral Nayfar¡¯s research. Destroy it, and end the victim¡¯s suffering. Difficulty: Hard Reward: An Epic grade summoning tome. Chapter 15: Viktral Nayfars Legacy Chapter 15: Viktral Nayfar''s Legacy A shiver crawled down Noah¡¯s spine at the horrifying shrieks that came from the man¡¯s mouth as the void tendrils continued to grow from its body. He watched, keeping his de clutched tight, as the man mutated. Tendrils extended from the miner¡¯s backside like multiple tails with gaping maws of endless teeth akin to amprey¡¯s. His face was covered in dark bloated skin, his eyes hidden behind a smooth covering that took over his upper face, leaving only the man¡¯s lower jaw exposed that grew with fangs, dripping drool that fumed like acid. Noah saw the single question mark floating above the creature from Identify. But something about the creature made his gut churn. It felt dangerous, more so than the Flesh grafted horror. ¡°Gerome, step back slowly, and stay away,¡± Aurelia said. Gerome followed her directions, nodding as he slowly backed off. ¡°I¡¯ve not questioned you about your abilities too much since Outerworlders tend to rarely followmon sense in their strengths. So right now, I¡¯ll be trusting you to keep yourself alive. Stay on your guard.¡± Tense moments passed as they continued to watch the creature twitching and transforming. Noah was tempted to rush in right now while it looked vulnerable, but his instincts held him back. Soon, with a piercing shriek that made Noah flinch, the creature moved. And then it vanished. Sheer reaction saved Noah, as he blinked away in the next moment, finding the void-creature standing behind where he had been moments ago. Aurelia screamed as sheunched a plume of fire, rushing the beast, but the creature melded into the dark wisps, vanishing once more. Noah scanned the chambers, using Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes to pick up on the traces of mana, as he found the horror clinging to the ceiling above him like a bat. The beast leapt down, talons bared forth and Noah blinked once more, avoiding the attack. Teleportation ability. And frequent ones. That¡¯s so fucking unfair. How dare it have my ability? The beast howled as it missed twice, likely not having anticipated someone else with an ability simr to the one it had. With a shriek the creature jumped, shing at Noah. The attack was followed by another teleport and shbination, that soon turned into a barrage of teleports and shes. Attacks continued to hit Noah as the beast jumped madly. The creature was fast, faster than he was. Noah blinked, trying to dodge, but the beast would chase, and it would get there faster. Blood coated Noah¡¯s clothes as cuts began to rack up on Noah¡¯s body. He needed to do something, or he would be outmatched. I¡¯m thinking too much. I need to stop thinking and start reacting. Taking his eyes off the beast, Noah focused on the trails of void. Using his des to block, he swung, letting the beast¡¯s ws ng against them. The monster growled, frustrated. Changing targets, it turned towards Aurelia. Running on its elongated limbs, with itsmprey like tendrils extending from its body, the creature rushed towards her. A piercing shriek tore itself from its mouth, as wisps of void simr to when Noah used obliterate. mes coated Aurelia¡¯s fist, as she ran away. The void-beast howled in anger as it gave chase. Aurelia continued to shoot balls of fire behind herself as she ran up to a giant b of rock cut from the mines that had been stacked near the walls. Rapidly moving behind the boulders, she grabbed it, digging her fingers in as they cracked the surface of the rock. With a powerful shout that shook the caverns Aurelia lifted the giant rock taller than her, and likely at least five time as heavy. Fire erupted from her hands, coating the giant boulder as she flung it at the creature. A deafening crack echoed through the cavern as the boulder exploded into ming rocks that scattered everywhere, and covered the chamber in blinding dust. Noah didn¡¯t wait for the dust to settle, his eyes capable of piercing through the haze as they tracked the void mana. The beast had dodged the attack, but it had let it¡¯s guard down, which gave him an opening. Using Blink, Noah appeared right behind the creature. Bleed and Obliterated mingled across his daggers, extended their edges into jagged curved spikes as he stabbed into the creature¡¯s shoulder. A howl of agony shot through the beast but Noah didn¡¯t stop, pulling his de through the oozing dark skin and tendrils as he drew dark purple goo from within. You¡¯ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Void-grafted Human]. Not wasting his chance, Noah used Blood Drain on the creature right after, as the dark purple goo began to flow into him. You¡¯ve used [Blood Drain] on [Void-grafted Human]. [Lifeblood] partly resisted [Necrosis Poison]. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Necrosis Poison-I]. Health partly regenerated. Noah cursed, as the dark blood burnt like fire through his veins. The momentarypse cost him heavily, as the creature shed through Noah¡¯s chest, drawing blood and cutting through the muscles on his shoulder. ¡°Fucker!¡± Noah screamed, blocking the talons partly with his des as he blinked away. Aurelia jumped in to draw the creature¡¯s attention, allowing Noah a moment to recover. Blood dripped down from his shoulder, now pulsing with poison. Noah looked at his health bar dropping, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn¡¯t have [Blood Drain] to heal himself with, and the poison would continue to eat at his health. Shit. This is bad. This is really bad. I need to end this quickly. Tearing his shirt with his de, Noah wrapped the wound on his shoulder as quickly as he could to stop the bleeding. Taking out the remaining potion from his inventory, Noah drank a sip, before returning it back to his inventory. He could feel Lifeblood burning against the poison, but whatever the creature¡¯s blood was made of, was potent. His skin was turning ck, and he could feel energy leaving his body. You¡¯ve gained Poison Resistance! The notification chimed, as Noah felt the effects of poison slow down just a little. Without any time to observe the effects, he moved on, rushed into the battle once more. Aurelia fought, as the voidbeast teleported and moved rapidly. The creature was fast, and as the battle kept going, it seemed to be getting even faster. Noah rushed in with a blink, shing with bleed coating his weapon before dodging the void-creature¡¯s attack. Aurelia covered his gaps, taking the moment to strike the creature¡¯s chest with a fire coated punch thatunched it into the walls. A crack went through the cavern, boulders and rocks copsing as the creature was flung across. Noah channeled his mana, ready to blink closer when Aurelia stopped him. ¡°Wait. Something¡¯s wrong,¡± she said. Noah paused, turning towards the beast. He watched the creature pulsating and moving, as wisps of void mana poured through its body. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ changing,¡± Noah murmured, unsure how he knew. He reached out to identify and found the creature¡¯s name change as well. [Abyssal-Grafted Human lvl - ?] ¡°We should kill it, before it can finish transforming,¡± Noah said, eyeing his dropping health bar and the dark taint that was rising from his shoulders as the poison spread, before rushing ahead. Bleed and Obliterate hummed around his de, as he shed into the mass of tendrils flowing over the creature, and notifications zed in his mind. A dark cocoon of energy gathered around the creature as Noah continued to stab. ¡°Noah get back!¡± Aurelia shouted from afar. Noah failed to react in time, as a pulse of void energy exploded outwards. Pain dominated his mind, as he was flung across the cavern, his ears ringing. He could hear screams and shouts, but his mind danced in a daze, as notifications yed in front of his eyes. Critical Hit! You¡¯ve lost a limb! You¡¯ve gained the [Stunned] status effect. You¡¯ve gained the [Bleeding] status effect. Health: 21% [Lifeblood] has activated. Health regeneration increased to 500% Noah stared in a daze, as his vision slowly came to. It took him a moment to realise what had happened as he tried to push himself up, and found air in the ce where his left arm used to be. A bloody stump with bones protruding from his flesh greeted Noah, as blood gushed like water from a stream. A stunned daze filled his mind, as his eyes remained rooted on his missing arm. He tried to move his fingers, to move his wrist, and found a numb pain go through his body as the muscles near his elbow twitched. It didn¡¯t feel real. None of this felt real. Vaguely, he noted his flesh moving visibly in front of his eyes as the flesh in his stump grew to stop his bleeding. Noah tried to pick himself up, and stumbled over, unable to bnce himself properly. A secondter, he felt the blood dripping off the right side of his face, and he realised half of his right ear was missing too, only a bloody p remaining in its ce. In a daze, Noah looked around, before finding what he was looking for. Stumbling ahead, he walked where the stump of his handy, still clutching onto his dagger. Reaching down, he picked it up with his remaining arm, watching the dark flesh of the poison eating through it now that Lifeblood did not work on it anymore. Silently, Noah put the arm into his inventory. Poison Resistance has reached level 2! The notification snapped Noah out of his daze, as the sounds of the battle finally reached him. He looked out to the cavern, and saw Aurelia struggling as the void beast teleported all over the cavern. She continued to throw fiery boulders at the creature to retaliate but the beast would merely teleport away when she did. I need to snap out of it. Noah¡¯s eyes kept returning to his missing stump, but he forcefully peeled them away. He had magic now. It would heal. It was not permanent. Right now, he needed to help Aurelia and he needed to survive. Picking his other dagger up, he ced it in his mouth, biting on the handle to make sure he had a grip. Keeping the other dagger in his hand, he let anger flood into his mind, and numb the shock and arm. Fury rose within Noah, anger and pain tearing itself out as he screamed. With a kick off the ground, he rushed, Blinking closer to the Abyssal beast. Obliterate covered his body, moving in wisps as he coated himself with it and head butted the abyssal beast. The creature squakwed, taken by surprise as Noah twisted, both his daggers shing through the monster at once as his des cut through its shoulder. The Beast howled, and Noah put the dagger in his mouth into his inventory as he bit into the tendrils. With a pull, he tore through the flesh, the dark oozing flood burning his throat as it flowed into him. Poison Resistance has reached level 3! [Lifeblood] has reached level 2! Noah screamed a raw primal scream of fury, as he tore into the creature with abandon. Aurelia joined him, pummeling the Abyssal beast with pelting mes. ¡°Teleport away!¡± she screamed, and Noah blinked away as mes gushed from her hands, drowning the Abyssal beast. The creature howled, fire burning it¡¯s body as Noah panted, stumbling from the blood loss and poison, as pure adrenaline kept him on his feet. He waited for the creature to teleport away, but the monster continued to shriek. Then, as the fire dimmed, the creature jumped, teleporting to the end of the cavern, as it melded into the shadows once more. A momentter, something clicked. ¡°Aurelia, flood the cavern with fire! It can only teleport through shadows!¡± Noah shouted. Aurelia looked at him in surprise, before nodding. Putting her hands out, she let her mana gather, as mes poured out from her. A giant ball of fire began to manifest, floating into the air, and lighting the entire cavern up. The abyssal-creature shrieked, howls of anger and rage as embers still clung onto its body. The abyssal beast dashed ahead, clinging to the scant few shadows that remained as it jumped out, but it was far more predictable now. Noah moved, attacking as the beast manifested in one of the shadows. His de cut through the beast¡¯s body, dark flesh splitting up with sizzling ooze of ck wisps. Obliterate pulsed as Noah¡¯s mana dipped rapidly, and the creature roared, teleporting away once more. Noah turned, trying to find where the creature was, when a scream made his gut drop. In the distance, he saw the abyssal-beast, standing with tendrils around Gerome¡¯s throat, as he clutched the miner, and put a w at his throat. The beast garbled, as if trying to speak words to say something, before he pressed his w further into Gerome¡¯s neck. Noah watched, fear coursing through him. He¡¯d known the monster was smart, with the way it fought. But smart enough to take a hostage? He saw the creature¡¯s face, cut from his de and burnt from Aurelia¡¯s fire, revealing the miner he had seen underneath. A dim light of intelligence glimmered in his eyes. Noah wracked his mind, trying to think of something, anything, when he remembered an item he had kept with him. Reaching out to his inventory, noah pulled out the voidbeast¡¯s letter, opening the seal as he let the pure energies of the void ooze out. The creature froze, sensing the energy within the letter, as Noah raised it up. "You recognise this, don¡¯t you?¡± Noah said, presenting it to the beast. The creature rasped a hoarse growl, as it raised Gerome further up in the air. ¡°If you know this, then you should know that I¡¯m tied to it too. You can feel it can¡¯t you?¡± Noah said, slowly stepping closer. He tried to reach out to his [Voidborne] perk, trying to imbue his voice with mana as he spoke. The abyssal-beast growled, baring its teeth as Noah moved closer. ¡°Let him go,¡± Noah said, trying to put mana into his words. The beast moved a step back, holding Gerome tighter. ¡°Let. Him. Go.¡± Something snapped, a tension that Noah could feeling connecting him to the beast. He felt the creature¡¯s spirit brush against his, before crumbling, as he felt his [Devourer] aspect re. The beast roared, throwing Gerome aside, as he rushed towards Aurelia. Noah blinked, but instead of teleporting away, he moved in closer, using the monster¡¯s momentum to stab it in the gut. Not waiting for the beast to retaliate, Noah teleported back. Aurelia rushed after him, the giant ball of me she¡¯d maintained all this time moving with her. Noah watched as the globe of fire crashed into the void beast, and the cavern shook with a horrible shudder from the explosion. Noah ran closer, de clutched in his hand as he waited for a sign from the monster. Walking through the dust cloud and mes he moved closer to the abyssal monster. The tendrils on the creature¡¯s body burnt with mes, revealing the miner underneath. The man looked pale, burns, wounds, and cuts covering his entire body as the void-tendrils grew from his skin, like festering wounds that were draining his life. Slowly, Noah walked up to the man, as he twitched, before gasping. ¡°P-Please¡­¡± the man begged, and Noah clutched his de tighter. He could not be merciful. This was a monster. But the words that came next, made Noah¡¯s gut drop. ¡°K-Kill¡­ me¡­¡± He stared at the man, body mutated, and mind overtaken by this monster, and nodded. Bending down, he pressed his de at the man¡¯s throat, and slit it. Blood flowed freely from the wounds, and Noah used [Blood Drain] to elerate the process, as his own wounds healed. You¡¯ve used [Blood Drain] on [Stone Carver lvl - ?] [Necrosis Poison] removed. With a final shudder, the man closed in eyes. And for a moment, Noah felt as if he¡¯d heard the man mutter thank you to him. You¡¯ve defeated [Abyssal-Grafted Human (Rare) lvl - 59] You¡¯ve defeated [Rock-Miner (Common) lvl - 42/Stone Carver (Common) lvl - 48] [Exsanguinator] reached level 15! [Astralwalker] has reached level 13! [Void Hunter] has reached level 13! Power increased to 55. Agility increased to 33. Constitution increased to 39. Mystic increased to 54. +24 free attribute points awarded. [Blink] has reached level 4! [Void Hunter''s Eyes] has reached level 3! Quest: Viktral Nayfar¡¯s Legacy Complete. Reward: [Tome of Abyssal Summon (Epic)] obtained. Noah stared at the two notifications, as the horrible sinking realisation came to him. ¡°He was alive. The miner was still alive. Trapped in his own body by that creature,¡± Noah said, ncing at Aurelia. ¡°What a terrible fate,¡± Aurelia said, watching the corpse. Noah nodded, ready to move on when another notification came in his vision, taking him by surprise. Would you like to consume [Abyssal-Grafted Human]? Yes/No? Noah gave it some thought for a moment, before selecting yes. The corpse began to dissipate, breaking into ash like motes that flowed into Noah¡¯s body. [Devourer] has absorbed [Abyssal-Grafted Human]. [Progress till next rank: 11/100] Memory absorbed. A vision yed through Noah¡¯s mind, as he saw from the man¡¯s perspective. Felt the torture, and the pain the man had undergone, as his body had been mutated and changed beyond recognition. He felt the horror, the anguish, as the man was made into a prisoner within his own body, and forced to eat people and kill them as the beast within it demanded. Noah saw the flesh grafting, the experiment that Viktral Nayfar had done, and the inhumane acts the man had to suffer through. But through the pain, at the very end of it, he also felt¡­ peace. Death was what had finally let him havefort through his suffering. Noah closed his eyes, clenching his teeth. Anger filled him, the anguish, the suffering that had been inflicted by a single man. He bared his teeth, growling as the fury of the memory overtook him. He would hunt them. Each and everyst one of them. New Quest obtained! Quest: Abyss Hunter You¡¯ve seen the atrocities of the abyssal cult, and found fury boiling in your heart. Objective: Destroy the Abyssal cult, and hunt every member within it. Difficulty: Impossible Reward: Unknown. ¡°Let¡¯s get you out of here, and to a healer,¡± Aurelia said, giving him a shoulder to support him. Noah let her, leaning onto the woman. The support snapped something, the tension in his body leaving at once, as the anger and adrenaline that had kept him going faded, and his eyes drooped. Before Noah could realise it, he passed out. Chapter 16: Terrible to see you again Chapter 16: Terrible to see you again A familiar jingle rang in Noah¡¯s mind, as his eyes snapped open. He looked around, finding himself standing in a familiar Arcade center. It was hard to forget his Astral space, but the sudden shift still left him jarred for a moment. ¡°Good morning Sleeping Beauty. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m pleased to see you,¡± Dn said. Noah watched the manager reclining on his leather sofa, with a bowl of nachos in his hands. Other simr bowls, wrappers and packages were scattered in a mess nearby as the giant screen yed an old documentary on World War 2 from Earth. ¡°Why am I here?¡± Noah asked, looking down at himself in confusion. It took him a moment to remember he didn¡¯t have a left hand. The only indication of such being the transparent ghost like appendage where his left arm was. Noah looked at his hand, before sping it with his other hand. It was physical, as material as it could be, like he¡¯d never lost it in the first ce. There was no difference Noah could feel between it and his real arm. ¡°I think you know why you¡¯re here,¡± Dn replied, taking another nacho chip from his bowl and biting into it. ¡°Have I told you that your world is fascinating? Distantly removed into the thirdyer of cosmos, with the Veil so heavily present on it that no magic could seep through, yet just as violent as any other I¡¯ve known, if not more. Perhaps the nature of mortals simply doesn¡¯t change.¡± Noah walked up to Dn, trying to take in everything. ¡°How did you get ess to these?¡± ¡°The Astral Script is connected to your soul, so obviously it could take information from stuff you knew, or were connected to. I hadn¡¯t expected my stay here to go on for much longer, so I had merely been trying to consume as much knowledge as I could,¡± Dn said, changing the channel from a remote he manifested out of thin air, as the screen began to y a si from thete 90s. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect me to survive?¡± Noah asked, though the fact didn¡¯t really surprise him. Dn had never been co-operative or happy to be here. ¡°No. I had not. Perhaps congrattions are in order. You surpassed my expectations,¡± the manager said, eyes not leaving the screen. ¡°Have you been trying to sabotage me all this time then?¡± Noah said, grabbing the remote from Dn¡¯s hand. Before he could turn the disy off, he realised the device had no buttons on it whatsoever. ¡°It¡¯s thought controlled, and that was rude,¡± Dn said with a click of his tongue. Putting his bowl of Nachos aside, he pulled himself up from the sofa as Noah turned off the si with its horrendousugh track. ¡°And to answer your question, no I was not. The pact will not allow it. But that does not mean I cannot hope for your demise,¡± Dn replied with a shrug. ¡°It¡¯s also fun to ce bets on how badly you¡¯ll mess up. That said, I still hadn¡¯t expected quite this much.¡± Noah cringed as Dn gestured at his arm. ¡°Regardless. There are things we need to discuss,¡± Dn said. The tone of his voice shifted, taking on the same t inhuman infliction it did before. But this time, with ice seeped into it. ¡°Specifically, the quest you so wilfully unlocked. You can¡¯t just go and destroy the Abyssal Cult.¡± ¡°Perhaps I should be ttered that you believe I¡¯m capable of it,¡± Noah said, thinking over the question as he did. ¡°I don¡¯t. But my beliefs do not matter here.¡± ¡°If I got the quest, then it is not viting the pact. I don¡¯t see why I can¡¯t then?¡± Noah said, raising an eyebrow. In truth, he had no idea whether the quest unlock meant his pact was vited or not. But he was willing to take a gamble. Dn remained silent for a moment. ¡°Name your price,¡± he said, in the next moment. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°What would you need to give up on this quest?¡± Dn asked, frowning. ¡°The Abyssal cult are mortals that may not directly be linked to the void, but they have their use. It would be annoying if you went and destroyed them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure I need to care. Sounds like a you problem.¡± Dn looked at Noah, holding his stare with a nk expression at his words. Noah met the man¡¯s eyes, not blinking back. ¡°You¡¯re being difficult.¡± ¡°Maybe you should¡¯ve been nicer if you didn¡¯t want me to be.¡± ¡°Every human has a price. It doesn¡¯t have to be money. People, loved ones, wishes, desires, dreams. Everyone has one. Tell me something I can give you, and let this go. There will always be suffering in the world, inflicted by others. That is merely the nature of mortals. How many will you kill, how many will you try to protect? You¡¯re just one person. You cannot change the way the world works.¡± ¡°Then howe you¡¯re afraid of me trying?¡± Noah said, smiling. Dn looked at Noah, slightly in surprise now. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why you care so much Dn. Doesn¡¯t the void have many cults? Given the fact that I have void powers and Aurelia didn¡¯t seem to bat an eysh, they don¡¯t seem to be outright taboo. Just the Abyssal cult itself. Why then do you care so much? Those guys didn¡¯t look like they knew what the void wanted, or that it even wanted something. They were merely looking for power.¡± ¡°That is just how humans work,¡± Dn replied. ¡°Not all of them,¡± Noah shot back. ¡°You¡¯re a fool. You do not count.¡± ¡°A fool that¡¯s more important than everyone else in that cult you so dearly want to protect from scary old me,¡± Noah replied. For the first time since Noah had met Dn, he sighed. ¡°What would it take for you to reconsider?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to know why the Abyssal cult is so important first,¡± Noah said. Another moment of silence, before Dn nodded. ¡°Very well. You¡¯ve already seen the void itself. To be more specific, the Astral realm where all Void manaes from. Creatures of the void reside in this ce, but it is not the only ce where they live. Pockets of void exist in physical realms. These locations are called the Abyss, and it is what these cultists draw power from. The Abyss spreads, it leaks the void into reality, consuming it, and allowing the creatures from within the Astral reach into the physical realms. We provide strength to the cultists that, and they work to expand the Abyss into the physical realms.¡± ¡°So, you give power to any that ask, without any regard for the consequences they may cause.¡± ¡°What mortals do is none of our concern,¡± Dn replied. Noah didn¡¯t pursue, but the frown on his brows deepened. ¡°Why does it matter that the Abyss expand itself?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It is the void¡¯s nature to consume. There is no evil or good in it. It is simply what it is.¡± ¡°Perhaps. But that still doesn¡¯t justify the suffering I saw. That I felt,¡± Noah replied, more anger leaking in his voice than he had anticipated. ¡°And you¡¯ve had your revenge. Of a man you never knew, and had no connection with. But you¡¯ve still had it. I see no reason for you to still care so much.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s the difference between us,¡± Noah replied. ¡°You have heard of the nature of the Abyss. Now, tell me, what would make you reconsider your choice?¡± Dn asked, changing the topic. ¡°Nothing. Nothing will make me reconsider Dn. I will destroy the Abyssal Cult. Whether it be in a year, or ten. I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t have a n, or any fixed goals in mind. But I know that I won¡¯t sit still if I see something like this happening again,¡± Noah dered, looking into Dn¡¯s eyes. ¡°What about the children then?¡± Dn asked. ¡°Do you think the cults only have adults? There are entire families of children that the mortals have raised with twisted beliefs and ideologies. From all I¡¯ve seen, it is not looked kindly to kill an immature mortal spawn. But will you do it?¡± Noah paused, hesitating. ¡°I¡¯ll judge them for myself, and see if they can be helped or not.¡± ¡°But that will not make them stop being cultists. You cannot be there for all of them. And if you take them to Hellion, they will simply be killed for their crime of working in cohorts with the Abyss and the Void.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make them abandon their path then.¡± ¡°It is not that simple. An oathes with a cost. And what if they refuse? Will you kill them then? New members will join too. So long as the power exists, those that desire it will seek it out. Your attempt is futile. There is a reason your task is impossible.¡± Noah paused, unable toe up with a reply. He frowned, thinking in silence. What could he do? He knew Dn was trying to discourage him, but he also knew it was a fact that he was just a single person and could not be everywhere and stop everyone. ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Noah replied. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t seed. All that matters is that I do something. The task being insurmountable is no excuse to not even attempt to make a difference.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fool indeed,¡± Dn replied. ¡°Perhaps. But I dislike when meaningless suffering is inflicted upon others. I¡¯ve seen it far too often, in my own life, in the lives of others I cared about. Those with power, refusing to help those without. I don¡¯t want to be someone like that,¡± Noah said. ¡°Not to mention, I have a n now.¡± Noah was pleased to see the confused expression on Dn¡¯s face. ¡°The abyssal cult requires an Oath to the void, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Noah said. ¡°It¡¯s an oath to the void, and the creatures of the Abyss. The same void, and it¡¯s creatures that are bound to me by my pact.¡± Dn frowned. ¡°By extension, the members of the Abyssal cult are bound to me as well. And if so, then I will have authority over their oath. And the ability to transfer or change it. The Pact of the Voidborne will allow memand,¡± Noah said. Dn didn¡¯t reply. ¡°So¡­ what if I convert these people? Change their oath by modifying it with a greater one to me. I don¡¯t even have to do it all by myself. As long as I have the ability, and people can know, that there is another path. Another option. To have a chance to redeem themselves. To have a chance to change their Paths. That¡¯s all that¡¯ll be needed,¡± Noah said, and his promation was met with confirmation by the Astral Script. New Quest obtained! Quest: A New Void You¡¯ve embarked upon a Path to create a new Oath, and save those that you deem redeemable from the clutches of the vicious oaths of the Abyss, and the merciless justice of Hellion. Objective: Form a new Path Difficulty: Extremely Hard Reward: Unknown Dn stared at Noah. ¡°You¡¯re mad,¡± he whispered. ¡°Do you know what that even means? You want to be a god?¡± Noah shrugged. ¡°Sounds like a respectable goal, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Dn went silent, as if unable to understand how this conversation had taken this turn. ¡°You tread on dangerous grounds, Noah Brown. The Path you have chosen? It will enrage the gods, and bring their wrath upon you, should they ever take note.¡± Noah smiled. ¡°Enraging gods and treading on dangerous grounds seems to be my whole thing now.¡± Dn looked at Noah, before nodding. ¡°I see that your mind is made. Very well. I did all I could. It has been terrible to see you again Noah.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°You too,¡± he replied. A way marked with a Neon signbelled ¡®Exit¡¯ led the way out. Noah walked through the gate, before abruptly he felt the floor vanish from beneath him. With the sensation of falling, he jerked, and a momentter, he was awake. Chapter 17: Extending Trust Chapter 17: Extending Trust It took a moment for Noah to register where he was. This wasn¡¯t the cavern he had been in, and neither was it the room he was staying in. The ceiling was made of wood here, unlike the stone structure everywhere else in the vige. A sheet covered Noah¡¯s body, and he pushed himself up, when his bnce flew off, and he tumbled sideways. A numbing pain hit him from his left arm, and he remembered once more that he¡¯d lost it in thest fight. Pulling himself up with his other arm, Noah raised himself, the sheets covering his body sliding down. Bandages covered his chest, face and arm, patching him up. Clearly some amount of time had passed since he¡¯d passed out. ¡°I don¡¯t like how often I''m passing out,¡± Noah murmured, and paused. His throat was hoarse, quite a bit so. ncing sideways, he noted a wooden stool next to his bed, with a silver colored bell resting on a tray. Picking it up, he decided to ring the bell a few times. A momentter, a woman wearing delicate but simple garbs of green and white walked in. Noah instinctively used Identify on her. [Soothing Healer - ?] ¡°How do you feel?¡± the woman asked. Her voice was calm, unnaturally so, and it made Noah rx as he leaned back onto his bed. ¡°Thirsty,¡± he replied. The woman nodded, picking up a jar of water from the wooden table set across the room, and poured it into a ss, which she brought up to Noah¡¯s mouth. ¡°I can drink it myself,¡± Noah replied, grasping the ss. To his surprise, his arms shook as he held the ss, but he pushed through, and drank the water. The relief was immediate, as his thirst was parched, and Noah let out a breath. ¡°How long was I out?¡± ¡°Hmm. Two days, now. You have a miraculously powerful recovery. I had expected you to take at least a week to recover,¡± the woman said, giving Noah a kind smile. ¡°Thank you, for looking after me. I¡¯m not sure what happened after I passed but I doubt I would¡¯ve survived on my own.¡± ¡°No need for thanks. It¡¯s my job after all. And the entire vige is eternally grateful to the two. If anything, we should be the one thank you,¡± the woman said. ¡°You seem used to this,¡± Noah said. ¡°There¡¯s this¡­ soothing feeling about you. Is that because of your path?¡± ¡°It is and it is not. We do live next to a mine. And one that used to be a dungeon at some point. idents happen. And limbs get destroyed. I¡¯m the only healer this vige has after my father died, so I have to learn how to keep them calm, and allow them to grieve properly for their loss. But my abilities do help.¡± Noah nodded. Though grief, he wasn¡¯t entirely sure on. Perhaps it simply hadn¡¯t registered properly yet? ¡°Can I ask for your name?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Leah,¡± the woman said. Noah paused at her words. ¡°I had a friend named Leah,¡± he said, a strange emotion rising in his chest. ¡°Well, co-worker more than friend. But she was a kind woman. I just feel sorry that I¡­¡± Noah trailed off. What am I sorry for? He frowned, trying to think of something. He felt sad when he thought about Leah, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t remember why. Like someone had poked a hole in his memory. Is this rted to my death again? Despite his best effort, he could not remember what it was, and a momentter, he realised he was simply staring into nothingness. Noah put the thought aside. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m starting to daze out.¡± Leah waved his worry away, moving over to check on his injuries. ¡°Nothing to apologise for. Your body is working extremely hard to heal you, so it is natural to be a bit out of it.¡± Noah nodded, before his gaze went to his stump. ¡°Is there anything that can be done about this, or is it toote now?¡± Leah looked at Noah¡¯s stump, as her smile finally slipped. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I could¡¯ve tried to regrow it. With your healing ability there was a chance for it to work, but you had traces of Necrosis Poison which had eaten up your insides, especially your heart. I had to prioritise healing those. I don¡¯t think I can regrow it anymore. It¡¯ll take a full restoration ability to bring it back. And that¡¯s far beyond my abilities.¡± Noah nodded. He¡¯d not had much hopes, but it still hurt to hear. ¡°What if I still have my arm? Could you do it then?¡± he asked, before taking it out of his inventory. Blood dripped from the cut off limbs, dark lines running across his veins as the sheets were stained red, and Noah cursed for his stupidity. Leah gasped, before rushing closer. She closed her eyes, touching the limb as a light began to glow from her palms. Silently, she shook her head. ¡°The poison is inside this limb. It will poison you if I try to reattach it. The arm is still alive, but only barely, and it will die in minutes. I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± This time, Noah felt his chest tighten briefly. But he returned a nod nheless, sending the arm back to his inventory. ¡°I understand. Thank you for saving my life, Leah.¡± The woman nodded, taking the bloody sheets off and recing them with new ones for Noah. After refilling the water and making sure he was okay, she left his chamber, not lingering for much longer. Noah looked at the cut off arm he held, before putting it back inside his inventory. He wasn¡¯t sure what else he could do with it either way. With a sigh, he leaned back. He could still feel his fingers, like they were all still there, and he could even try and move them. But the action would only bring pain, and make the muscles that should¡¯ve connected to his hand twitch painfully. His eyes went to the health bar on top, and he saw roughly one tenth of it greyed out. It seems the injury had cut down on his maximum health as well. Noah closed his eyes as he rested in silence. Thoughts churned inside his head, frustration, annoyance, anguish. But he couldn¡¯t really make himself regret trying to help. The relief he had felt from the miner¡¯s memories, as he¡¯d finally been freed in death. The sensation made Noah¡¯s heart sink, the thought of death being so peaceful and kind made him afraid, like it invited him into it as well. In some ways, he was d he didn¡¯t remember his own death. A gentle breeze rustled the windows in Noah¡¯s room, as the door opened with a click around him. Noah opened his eyes, and saw Aurelia walk in. Her face and arms were covered in some bandages as well, but she was in far better shape that he was. ¡°How¡¯re you doing? The healer told me you were finally awake,¡± Aurelia asked, pulling a wooden chair for herself as she sat next to Noah¡¯s bed. ¡°Good, I think. Besides the whole, one arm down thing,¡± He said, raising the stump with a wry smile. Aurelia nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not as big of a deal as you may think. Regrowing an arm is possible with full restoration, it¡¯s just costly to find a healer who has that specific ability. But you also have a blood based path, so chances are, your Rank up or your Path evolution will also allow you to simply grow your arm back. And there are quite a few magical prosthetics that¡¯re quite good too. As they say, better an arm than a head,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right,¡± Noah replied, though he still couldn¡¯t help the bitter feeling that rose in him. Aurelia looked at Noah, her eyes studying him. ¡°To be quite honest with you. I have intentionally not been asking much about your abilities. Outer-worlders tend to have strange powers, that much is known, and you¡¯d saved my life, not once but twice. So I was grateful for your help and didn¡¯t want to pry into anything you didn¡¯t share on your own. But¡­ I don¡¯t think I can do that anymore.¡± Noah nced at Aurelia, wondering what this was about. ¡°Let¡¯s start with the easy stuff. I can feel three distinct mana types in your aura. You don¡¯t have enough control to hide it, and so they pop right out as well. So from the start, I could see you had three paths. It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess from your abilities either. A strange thing, but not the strangest in the world. But not only did you have three paths, they also felt fairly powerful. More so than normal. You also fought like you had prior experience in this. People who¡¯ve never fought before don¡¯t fight like that. Thatbined with the fact that you appeared in an Abyssal Cult with void abilities¡­ I had always had concerns. So I¡¯d kept an eye out, but even when you had the chance, you went out of your way to fight alongside me, and didn¡¯t run away or abandon me when things got tough,¡± Aurelia said, her eyes remaining at Noah. Noah shuffled, unsure how to react. "I practiced martial arts in high-school. Kick-boxing, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Taekwondo. Never stuck to one for long, but I liked to fight. I''d always been good at it too. As for the Paths... I wasn''t sure what to say about them, so I kept my quiet. I was in an unfamiliar ce, and people had just tried to kill me," Noah replied. Aurelia nodded. ¡°I understand. And that''s why, I''m going to trust you with something I have not shown almost anyone else. And in return, I¡¯ll have to ask you to trust me as well. Because, if by the end of this talk, I do not have an appropriate answer. I may be forced to something I really do not want to,¡± Aurelia said, extending her finger and a ring manifested on her hand. ¡°I was trying to determine who you were Noah, and whether I was going to trust you to travel with me. This ring was what let me do it. Try and inspect it,¡± Aurelia said. Noah did. [???] An unknown ring with unknown properties. Noah looked up at Aurelia in confusion. ¡°I can¡¯t see anything,¡± he replied. ¡°Try again,¡± Aurelia said. Feeling confused, Noah still went along with it, and tried once more. Veil dispelled! [Ring of Second Chance (Legendary)] Made from the frozen tear of an ancient life Dragon. The ring heals the bearer if their health reaches under 1% and teleports them to a predetermined safe location. This item can only be used once. ¡°This was what the team who¡¯d betrayed me didn¡¯t know. And the reason I¡¯d feltfortable putting myself in a vulnerable position,¡± Aurelia said. Noah looked up at Aurelia, before ncing back down at her ring. ¡°Given that you¡¯re telling me all this. I assume I passed the test then?¡± he asked. ¡°Or so I¡¯d thought. But in the mines, you¡¯dmanded the void creature. Not to mention that strange letter you¡¯d brought out again, oozing with the more pure void mana I have ever seen. That is not normal¡­ and I¡¯m starting to wonder if when we¡¯d first met, you had some method to deceive my abilities.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I was being honest.¡± ¡°I think so too. But I¡¯m not sure. I want to trust you Noah, I really do. But I¡¯ve already been betrayed once, and I¡¯m finding it hard to. It¡¯s why I need to know. Just¡­ what are you? Why do you have all these strange abilities, and why do you keep throwing yourself into these dangerous situations? You could¡¯ve easily let me handle the mines, or the quest of going back. It would¡¯ve made sense to do so. But you went out of your way to interfere, as if driven by some sort of goal or purpose. Yet, despite your seemingly righteous qualities, you canmand the creature of the abyss, and seem to utilise their powers. I¡¯m just not sure what to make of you,¡± Aurelia said, looking into Noah¡¯s eyes. Noah met Aurelia¡¯s eyes, ncing back. Could he trust her? Yes, he had been frivolous with speaking about things, but that was about him bring from a different world, a rtively understood thing, if Aurelia was to be believed. But having a pact with the void, having no memory of his own death, and then the shards¡­ should he tell her? What would happen if he did? Well, she might kill me right here. But if I don¡¯t, I doubt she¡¯ll take me along with her. And¡­ maybe I could navigate this ce all on my own, but it¡¯s an entirely new world. I¡¯m not sure how far I¡¯d make it without someone¡¯s help. Noah sat in silence, before making his choice. He liked Aurelia. She was a bit strange, but her hesitation made sense, and he could see the reasoning behind her actions as well. ¡°I cannot say,¡± Noah replied, watching Aurelia¡¯s expression as he spoke. "I don''t have the memories of my own death, not just my death, but also, things in general as well, as if holes have been cut out from my mind. But I can promise you this. The reason I canmand void creatures is because, as I told you, I woke up in the void after my death. It is why I have my Path, and it is part of why I have that letter as well. I don''t intend to cause you any harm, I do not intend to kill any innocent people, and I am not a raving mad lunatic who''s trying to plot the end of the world. I''m just a lost man in an unfamiliar world, trying to explore my new surroundings. You can use your lie-detecting ability to check," Noah said, looking into Aurelia''s eyes as he spoke. "I''d bluffed, I don''t have anything like that," Aurelia replied, then paused as if considering something. "Hold our your hand." Noah felt a bit confused, but extended his hand. A mana stone appeared in her hand, and Aurelia ran it across his palm. "Hold this in your hand and press it over your heart. Let your mana flow through the stone." Following along, Noah pressed his fist at his heart, keeping the mana stone balled up in his hand, as his own mana flowed into it. "Repeat this after me. I have not said anything that is untrue today, I swear this on my Astral soul," Aurelia said. "I have not said anything that is untrue today, I swear this on my Astral soul." Noah felt the stone in his glow brightly before settling down. You''ve sworn an Oath of Honesty! Noah looked down at his hands in confusion. "What did this do?" "When you lie, your mana and aura waver. Only masters of aura can hide that, and a mana stone can detect strong wavering. If you were lying, that stone would''ve cracked," Aurelia said, taking the mana stone from Noah''s hand, before nodding. "Very well then. I''m going to trust you Noah. I owe you my life, and I''m not going to be any more ungrateful to my saviour." Noah shrugged. "Seen worse, dealt with worse. Water under the bridge." "That is a strange sentence, what does that even mean?" Aurelia asked, frowning. "It means to let bygones be bygone," Noah replied. "I see. Water under the bridge. A curious expression," Aurelia said, before looking back up to Noah. "I know that I said I''ll trust you just now, but I''m still curious about something. Why did you butt into the affairs of this vige. There was no reason to put yourself at risk like that." ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t expect it to be this dangerous. I guess I got cocky after I survived two dangerous fights unharmed. Magic has also been¡­ addicting. I can just teleport now. It¡¯s so wild. And I let it get to my head. But at the same time, that¡¯s also just how I am. I don¡¯t remember how I died, but thest memory I have of before my death is punching my boss right in the face because he was harassing a co-worker of mine,¡± Noah said, smiling. ¡°I just like to butt into other people¡¯s business.¡± ¡°And you lost your arm. Or you could''ve died You¡¯re not invincible Noah,¡± Aurelia said, and then paused. ¡°Are you?¡± Noah snorted. ¡°No. I seriously doubt it.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m still adapting to all of this. All of you, really. But if you¡¯re going to be an adventurer, especially one that will be traveling with me, then you cannot take risks like that. I understand wanting to help, but your life and survival should be your priority. You can¡¯t help anyone if you¡¯re dead. So, no stupid risks and gambles without thoughts given to it.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± he replied, and then paused, before shrugging as he added. ¡°I guess I really went out on a limb there huh?¡± Aurelia looked at Noah with a surprised expression, before a snort escaped her. Her face contorted with a groan as she cupped her face in her palm,ughing as she did. An amused cackle burst out of Noah¡¯s mouth at her expression, as he felt significantly better than he had done before. ¡°You¡¯re the worst,¡± Aurelia said, standing up from her chair. ¡°Sure, but you haveadmit, that was really funny,¡± Noah said, still smiling from ear to ear as Aurelia began to walk out. Shaking her head, she let out a sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just agreed to put up with you for any longer.¡± Chapter 18: Say hi, Tony Chapter 18: Say hi, Tony The drifting rays of the suns began to peek over the horizon, as first dawn began to rise. Noah breathed hard, sweat dripping down his face, and off his nose as he held himself upside down with a single hand, and slowly lowered himself. His muscles ached, bnce still off with half a limb missing as he did the workout. It had taken a day for Noah to be able to start walking and doing things again, and another to nearly fully recover. The healer had asked him to remain under observation, but for the most part, he¡¯d been healed from everything except for his hand. With a grunt, Noah lowered himself to the ground, as sweat covered his body. He was adapting decently to theck of a hand, though a lot of time he still forgot he didn¡¯t have a left arm anymore. At least it wasn¡¯t my right hand. That would¡¯ve been a nightmare. Walking outside the room, with his morning workout done, Noah picked up some water, before heading to the bathroom. There were no toothbrushes in this world, and neither was there any toothpaste. Which was to be expected. And Noah had wondered if he¡¯d just have to resign himself a life where he couldn¡¯t brush his teeth. Fortunately, there was magic, and it seemed to be the solution for everything. Noah walked into the bathroom, picking up the Potion of Cleaning. He drank the blue liquid, swirling it around his mouth as he felt a strange refreshing fizz of after taste leave him. After clearing his mouth, Noah changed the bandages on his arm, throwing the old sweaty and bloody ones away before binding his stump with the new ones. Lifeblood had leveled upst night, as Noah had been sleeping, and he¡¯d felt really d that he¡¯d gotten the ability. There was a good chance he wouldn¡¯t have survived without it. After finishing his new morning routine, Noah made his way out of his room. To pass time, Noah had taken up a couple of hobbies. The first was working out, to adjust to his new situation till he had a prosthetic avable. The other was reading. There was a small library in this town that the mayor kept, and as a thank you, he was allowed ess to it. There was a lot of information to be gained in books, and given how new this entire world to him, Noah had appreciated the ability to do so. He''d learnt quite a bit about where he was. The Melior Republic, and the location he currently was in. Other countries, cities, empires and so on. A good bit of history, magic, religion and so on. The biggest shock which really shouldn¡¯t have been a shock to him was that gods were real. And real in the way that they came down to appear among their followers, and talk to them. Fairly frequently at that. Eventually, his interests had moved on to prosthetic arms, and healing solutions. There were many types, from regr wooden arms to magical and even some mechanical magic powered devices that functioned simrly to a normal arm. Quite a few had additional features to offer as well, that allowed for increased utility. As Noah had been reading through the book, he¡¯d found a possible solution for his problem from a rather unexpected source. One of the books had mentioned the usage of parasitic summons to connect and control bodies. Noah sifted through the pages, opening the specific mention of the parasite.
Void Parasitic/Blood Parasitic Summons A summon from the abyss that is parasitic in nature. Its appearance is like a slimy worm of roughly three inches, though some can be asrge as five. They burrow into the spine, taking control of the brain before killing their hosts and overtaking their bodies, to turn into mindless monsters. Using the body¡¯s life-force and feeding onto it, they multiply in numbers, before spreading to other creatures.
His first thought had been intrigue as Noah had read the passage, but the further he read into the excerpt, the more curious he''d gotten.
Rather than merely being horrifying body stealers, which they indeed are. These creatures also posses the ability to enhance and modify the body of their hosts to a terrifying degree. Monsters are well known for their ability to undergro rapid growth and evolution at the same checkpoints as people do for their Paths, but these creatures are able to induce a process simr to this growth. Very rare instances have been observed where the fusion with one of these parasites has led to the host gaining in strength and power, leading to a sessful mutually symbiotic existence. But that is an anomaly, that is very rarely reproduced and has not yet been observed under artificial circumstances. One of the main concerns regarding these creatures is their requirement for life-force. Both the Blood and Void variants feed on life to sustain themselves. And it is why even as summoned familiars, they are used on prey and enemy targets to take over, rather than assimting with their owners, because to keep the parasite alive in your own body you would need to constantly feed it. This will result in a need for constant healing potion or high vitality items that will add up in cost, and if such items are not eligible, will result in death from starvation for the parasite. As such, I have deemed it impossible to try and implement the body modification process of these parasites without expensive equipment and spells specifically designed to host these creatures. And at such an expense, there are better and safer alternatives avable, making this a non viable choice.
The more Noah had looked into it, the more viable his option had seemed in his very specific case. The creature were capable of taking control of the body and modifying it for their purposes, and though as summons they were typically used to puppeteer other creatures or people by the Abyssal Cult, there was nothing saying they could not be used directly on the summoner¡¯s body to control a dying limb. Flipping through the pages, Noah closed the book, before taking up a different one.
Void summons. Excerpt - III (Life Command) While frowned upon by most as Abyssal creatures of destruction and outright despised by the church of Hellion, void summons provide a crucial role in many a jobs and aspects, with their natural hunger of life making them excellent hounds, and their ability to destroy items without leaving any residue makes them excellent, if rather odd garbage disposal methods for dangerous magical residues and items. This excerpt in specific will discuss the lifemand summoning chain that is required to summon a void creature. Unlike normal summons that can be contracted for sustainance, mana and other such rquirements. Void summons solely feed on the lifeforce of their host. These extremely powerful creatures as such are limited in use and are only summoned when there is a prey which can be devoured to feed their hunger, saving the summoner life force that would other be need to spent upon them. Trying to circumvent this requirement in part is what has tied Abyssal cults and cults of the void with blood sacrifices, where victims are forced to sacrifice their life energies to summon these creatures and sustain them, so that their summoners do not have to. Due to this requirement, all void summonse with a lifemand. It is an oath bound upon their spell that binds them to an agreement that they must obey their summoner, and they must not harm their summoner or other creatures around them unless explicitly ordered to. It is the existence of this oath and Lifemand that allows the summon of these creatures of the Void, and the interactions of this Life Command is quite possibly the greatest feat for the summoning of Abyssal creatures. In the next Excerpt, I will be breaking down the uses of Abyssal creatures, and the dangers they posses.
Noah closed the book, before reaching out to his inventory, as he pulled the Skill book he¡¯d picked up from the cultistir. [Skill Book of Advanced Abyssal Call - (Rare)] An advanced book on the ritual practices of calling creatures from the endless void. Noah had dismissed the book at the time, not feeling particrly interested in the task. But now, with both a tome for the ability to summon a familiar, and a book to learn the ritual of summoning? There was a possibility that this could serve as a solution to his problems. Taking the books for his reference, and putting it inside his inventory, Noah began to make his way out of the library. The more he¡¯d thought about it, the more worthwhile the n had seemed. But he would still ask Aurelia about it before going through with any of the steps. It took Noah a few minutes to find Aurelia, and he saw her in her room, working on some maps and documents by herself. ¡°Hey Noah. Up early today?¡± Aurelia asked, as he walked into her chamber. ¡°Couldn¡¯t really sleep. Too much energy. I¡¯ve been in bed for two days now. Needed to get out of there and do something.¡± Aurelia nodded, blowing the candle lighting her room as the suns began to pierce through the early morning¡¯s darkness. From the looks of it, she hadn¡¯t slept through the night. ¡°Are you busy?¡± Noah asked. ¡°No, I¡¯m just about done. I was trying to make some ns for our trip, and see if I could guess where the team that had betrayed me would¡¯ve gone. Windrest is the most likely answer, though if they¡¯re not there, then they would at least pass through the city, so I could track them from that point on.¡± ¡°Any luck?¡± ¡°Some,¡± Aurelia nodded. ¡°But not as much as I¡¯d hoped for,¡± she paused, closing her notes before she turned to Noah. ¡°So, did you need something?¡± ¡°Actually, yes. I¡­ well. Have a look,¡± Noah said, handing Aurelia the book, after opening it on the relevant page. Aurelia frowned as she read through the contents. ¡°What do you intend to do with this?¡± she asked. Noah pulled out his tome and the ritual book on summoning, presenting it to her. ¡°I think I can connect my arm back with this.¡± ¡°With¡­ a Parasite?¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I hate to tell you this, but that sounds insane.¡± ¡°I know. But I¡¯ve spent almost every waking moment I had researching this for the past day. All the Parasite needs is lifeforce, and I have an ability that gives me an abundance of just that. They also are adept at modifying the bodies of their host, and can even operate and control dead creatures and limbs. The creature will not only be a summon, but my ability will allow me tomand it well too.¡± ¡°Summons take mana to keep. What will you do when your mana runs out?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Not these. They only need mana if they do not have any lifeforce to feed on. Like most creature of the void, lifeforce is what they thrive on, and so long as the parasite resides in my arm, it¡¯ll be able to drink on my lifeforce.¡± ¡°What if it tries to harm you?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°I can de-summon it. It¡¯s a familiar, I¡¯ll have control. And I read into it. I read into it for a long time because obviously this sounded like a bad idea, but my ability, the one that saved my life, is extremely fitting to sustain a creature of the void. And the parasite''s hunger grows the more it needs to control. With only an arm to look after, it''ll be below my natural health regneration.¡± Aurelia hummed in thought. ¡°Okay, you have me beat. I can¡¯t think of a counter. But I don''t like this idea. Putting a parasite inside your arm sounds extremely dumb. There are prosthetics, or you could just wait a few months to have enough money to regrow your limb. Doing it this way right now is risky. Not to mention, I¡¯ve never heard of someone using a summon, much less a Void parasite in this way. There¡¯s no guarantee it will work.¡± ¡°I know. But I¡¯m willing to take the risk. I don¡¯t think the creature can harm me, the lifemand is coded into the spell. If it tries, the creature will be bound by the spell and sent back to the void. In which case I''ll just store my arm again, and try something else, or get a prosthetic arm,¡± Noah said. ¡°Very well. In that case, let¡¯s move to an open chamber. I¡¯ll watch you do the summon,¡± Aurelia said. Noah nodded, as the two of them stepped out. Making their way downstairs, Noah found a fairly empty chamber that was being renovated, and walked in. After making his way in, he picked the Ritual summoning book, letting it¡¯s prompt appear in front of him. Would you like to consume [Skill Book of Advanced Abyssal Call (Rare)]? Yes/No? Noah selected yes. A ruse of mana flowed into him, as the book glittered with light, before flowing into Noah¡¯s body. A momentter, information flooded in his mind, on how exactly he needed to perform the ritual, and ways to improve upon it. You¡¯ve gained the Skill [Abyssal Call]! Due to high proficiency item use, [Abyssal Call (Advanced)] starts at level 25! Noah took a D grade mana stone from his inventory, as he bent down, and began to scribe on the floor. Even though he¡¯d never performed this summon before, his hand moved steadily, as if he¡¯d been doing this for years. One by one, lines were engraved upon the floor by his mana stone, as he watched the circle form. Minutes flew by as intricates line appeared on the floor, as if something Noah knew as well as the back of his hand. The sensation was odd, yet perfectly natural. With ast stroke, the circle wasplete, as Noah let out a content sigh of satisfaction. He nced at Aurelia, who stood watching him work. Upon noticing his sight, she gave him a nod, and Noah returned it. Taking out the tome now, Noah walked to the centre of the summon circle, careful not to disturb any line he¡¯d carved. Standing in the middle, he let his mana flow into it, as a prompt appeared in front of him. Would you like to consume [Tome of Abyssal Summon (Epic)]? Yes/No? Noah epted the prompt, selecting Void Hunter as the path for the tome. With a bright sh, the dissipated flowing into Noah. [Tome of Abyssal Summon (Epic)] consumed. Initiating Summon Call. Noah felt the ability working, as the line of mana around him red to life, burning with intensity. He focused, letting the mana flow through him as he called out into the abyss for the summon he wanted. Taking out his arm from his inventory, he let it set on the ground, as blood flowed from it freely. Feeling the blood mingle with the mana, Noah began to recite the chant. "O Abyssal void of endless dark and hunger, feed upon this offering of life, and bind thy body unto this Astral soul. Let your hunger be mine, and my blood be yours," Noah said, struggling to keep a straight face as he did. A moment passed, and then another, before something called back. The mana lines turned ck, as void energy seeped through them, before dark gooey liquid pulsated flooding through the lines. Noah watched the liquid swirl, defying gravity as it began to coalesce around his arm, forming a worm like creature that wiggled around on the floor. [Void Hunter] has unlocked [Abyssal Parasite]! Noah felt a connection to the creature, and the creature vibrated, sensing the connection as well. There were rings formed of teeth that opened into a gaping maw at one tip, likely meant to burrow through a body before taking over it. He could tell the creature was suffering, not meant to live outside a host body, and he mentally permitted the creature to join with the arm. Within moments, the Abyssal Parasite vanished, burrowing into the skin, as it attached itself to the limb. Noah picked the limb up, and a momentter, he felt the creature vibrating, as a single thought presented itself to Noah. Name. ¡°You¡­ want a name?¡± Noah asked, and sensed a feeling he could only describe as an enthusiastic yes. Noah hummed in thought, trying toe up with a fitting name for a parasite that may end up being his left arm. A momentter, he chuckled, before deciding on the name. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Tony,¡± Noah said, before turning towards Aurelia. "Say hi to Aurelia, Tony." Noah said, waving his own detached arm, as he sensed the parasite vibrate inside, before the goop came out, and wiggled. Aurelia rolled her eyes, and Noah chuckled once more, before he returned to the task at hand. Quite literally this time. ¡°Alright Tony, let¡¯s get you connected back to my body like you¡¯re supposed to be.¡± Taking out his dagger, he grabbed it awkwardly alongside his severed arm, before cutting off the skin covering that had grown on his stump. Closing his eyes, he pressed the de before shing through his flesh as blood flowed freely. Trying not to waste any time, he quickly pressed the severed arm with the parasite now onto his bleeding stump, attaching it at the joint. The next moment, he felt tony crawl up into his arm, as the parasite linked itself to Noah¡¯s body. Chapter 19: Whos the best ungendered parasite? Yes, you are! Chapter 19: Who''s the best ungendered parasite? Yes, you are! Tony was born not that long ago. Before now, before it had be Tony and gained a name it had not truly existed. It¡¯s home was dark. Really really dark. Light did not exist in Tony¡¯s home, and neither did time. It knew it existed, but sometimes it was hard to tell. It was a lot like sleeping, but permanently. With no sensations or feelings to distinguish existence from non-existence now. And it was boring. The big-scary-god did not like Tony thinking that. Creatures of the dark and void were not supposed to be bored. But Tony could not help it. There was literally nothing to do. The only thing that differentiated Tony¡¯s not-really-existence in the unmoving endless dark had been the other creatures of the Void. Some of them, unlike Tony, moved around. And very rarely, they bumped into Tony, and it was magical! Thest time he had been awake, a much bigger void creature had passed by, almost eating Tony, and that was the most sensation he¡¯d ever felt! It was almost enough for Tony to let itself be eaten, just to be able to experience what that may feel like. But Tony had held off. Because Tony knew. There were things outside the endless-dark. Unlike most of the sleeping creatures of Tony¡¯s home, the big moving things were restless. They ate other creatures, and moved in the dark, as if aching the loss of something painful. They were always hungry, no matter what they did, and always aching to go back, as if they couldn¡¯t bear to be in their home anymore. Tony agreed. Their home was really boring. One day, as Tony had bumped into another big void thing, and almost gotten eaten again (exciting!) it had wondered what made them so hungry. And curiously, it had bit into big creature. Well, bit was a lie. Nothing really existed in the dark, but Tony had taken a metaphorical not-bite. And it had eaten life from them. That was the first time Tony had truly felt something. It had fulfilled a sensation it had been born with, and never knew could be fulfilled or lost. Hunger. But that time, it had felt less hungry, and it was the best thing Tony had ever experienced. There was noparison. Noing back. Tony¡¯s life had changed the moment it had eaten, and it understood why these creatures moved so restlessly. You could not suffer the hunger after you had satiated it once. That was the day Tony grew afraid of death. Before that point, death was quite close to its home. Just more permanent in its non existence. But now? Death meant losing on the chance to maybe one day eat this again. To feel sensations. No. Never. It could not allow that. And so it had been waiting patiently. It was hard. Very hard. An eternity of darkness and nothingness was really boring to wait through. But Tony had held on, and on and on and on. Sometimes it would move a little, to try and intentionallye in the path of the big void creatures to get a taste again. But most of the times, it would just sit still. Waiting. And it worked. After void knows how long, Tony heard a voice. A voice! It had never heard a voice before. It didn¡¯t even know what sound was until then. But it had called out, offering life! Tony had rushed. Every creature nearby around him, the entire summation of void summons had moved, trying to reach out to the voice. But there had been a barrier. The voice only wanted some kinds of void creatures, and not others. Tony had not cared, simply rushing through, and the barrier had allowed him to pass. Briefly, it had sensed the hunger as every other void thing behind him ravenously bit at the barrier to pass through as well, and felt some pity. But not for long. Not for long at all. Tony had been sucked into the voice, as it had said all sorts of stuff to Tony. Don¡¯t eat everything. Don¡¯t destroy everything. Don¡¯t be bad. Listen to Master. Master is priority. ept everymand. Tony had heard every word inside it, memorising it by heart. It did not matter what the voice asked. If Tony could feel that sensation again? It would do it instantly. And as Tony had been sucked out of the void, a lot like being pulled through a viscous shell that covered it on all sides, the world had expanded. Tony had felt things. So, so so many things. Air, ground, vibrations, the scent of life on every corner of this ce, the magic that tied it to its master. It¡¯s master¡¯s mind, mana, dirt. It could eat, it could feel, it could sense, it could hear, it could think. For the longest second, Tony had felt frozen. It was so much. Too much. It could not think. Then the spell had kicked in. It had moved Tony, automatically, and given it form. For the first time in Tony¡¯s life, Tony had a body. An actual body that could touch thing. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it. Far from it. Before Tony could even marvel and wiggle in joy at existing, it felt the master ask it to move into a body. And so it had. The wave of life had almost knocked Tony out. Tony had felt drowned. The hunger was screaming at it now, screaming to eat through everything until nothing was left. It wanted to eat, it wanted to eat so much that it felt more anguish than the eternal void had ever made it feel. But it could not. Not yet. And so, despite the pain, it waited. Then the spell told it to get a name. Tony did not know what a Name was. And so it thought about asking its master. The master, apparently knew, and after thinking for some time, not for very long, he had given Tony its name. And thus, Tony was born. Tony wiggled in joy, as its master had picked it up, and then told Tony to say ¡®hi¡¯. Tony did not know what ¡®hi¡¯ was, but it could not refuse. The spell would¡¯ve sent it back to the void if Tony had, and the mere thought made Tonyshiver with dream. NOPE. And so Tony did its best, and moved partly outside, and wiggled a little. That seemed to have worked, and Tony felt happy again. It had done a good job. Right? The master didn¡¯t understand Tony¡¯s question, but Tony didn¡¯t feel undeterred. It would¡¯ve been impossible to. But Tony¡¯s tasks were only beginning. The master told Tony that his life-flesh-full-of-blood thing needed to be attached back. The spell immediately flooded Tony with information about how exactly the flesh-thing, a hand, worked. Tony felt a rush of joy. It had a job now. The first job his master had asked of it. There was no way Tony could mess this up. And so Tony dug in, burring through the flesh till it found the nerves. Tony didn¡¯t quite understand how it knew what to do, but it knew what to do. Probably because it was the most awesome Tony there ever was. Attaching itself to the nerves, Tony began to flood it with its magic. The void ate things, it destroyed things, so Tony had to be delicate. There were not-good poison things inside the arm too, and Tony quickly sucked them up and stored them in a separate location away from the blood vessels, before isting them. Good. The nasty stuff was gone. Now Tony could begin the real work. The first thing that needed to be done were the bones, muscles, tendons and everything else. Tony let its body dissipate throughout the arm, flowing seemlesly across it using the blood vessels to the various locations, before it began to create flesh from its own body to attach itself to the disconnected stump. ck flesh and muscles grew from the inside as the arm began to reconnect with the goop, and Tony made sure everything was ced correctly. After the muscles were done, Tony began to reconnect the nerves. This was the easiest, since the nerves were the part Tony was physically the most connected to as well. He grew the nerves out, letting them trace back their destroyed areas, as new cells grew and began to join. Good. Very good. Now thest step. Tony moved out of the blood vessels, and into the muscles, before slowly, and carefully, it began to connect them back. The task was tricky, and Tony had to move carefully to not mess up anything. If there was any gaps or leaks, the blood would flow out everywhere, or air could get in and that would be bad. Very bad. And if he did a bad job, Master may send it back. No, no that was not allowed. And so Tony focused, more than it had ever focused. And slowly, after making sure everything was in ce he let the blood flow in. Tony¡¯s mind exploded. Life. TherewassomuchofLIFE. Tony wanted to scream, instead, it satisfied itself by vibrating and shaking uncontrobly as life energy flooded it. For a small moment, Tony forgot everything it was doing and just began to eat. If Tony could drool right now, it would be flooding saliva through the arteries, but that would be bad. And Tony wasn''t bad. Neither was Tony sloppy. The blood was delicious. More delicious than anything Tony had ever eaten in its entire life. Which may not be much, but Tony knew that there was nothing that could possibly taste better than this. Because if there was, eating that may very well kill Tony from sheer joy. Which was bad. Because Tony wanted to stay. After a few moments, as Tony finally snapped out of its daze. It had grown a lot as it had fed on the blood mindlessly, and now its body wasrge enough to fill the entire arm. Tony wanted to climb up above the body, but the Master had said no, and with this delicious blood on offer, Tony would not try to even risk angering its master. So it spread itself through the arm, still drinking in the blood, and continued to grow. Then, there was a moment, a strange odd moment that was just another new experience of the many, but this one was odd. Tony felt full. Tony had never felt full. Everything felt¡­ wrong. The hunger had been constant in the void, a part of eternal existence that tied Tony. But now, it felt calm. Like he had finally satisfied it for now. Tony had never felt like this. It was satisfied. Content. But there was no time to linger, more work was still needed to be done. Tony guided the blood flow through the arteries, and veins, letting the life blood heal through the damage that had happened. The nerves began to work and Tony now could sense the sensations its master was feeling. It hurt. It hurt a lot. But Tony was worried it had messed up for a while. But its master did not tell it to stop, but rather, sent a sensation of pleasure towards it. I¡­ did good? Tony couldn¡¯t convey the thought. It didn¡¯t know words. But it shivered in joy nheless. It was doing a good job! Continuing with increased enthusiasm, Tony continued to tie every string of muscle, tendon, nerves, skin and all that it could find. Normally it would be hijacking the nerves and leaving unnecessary body parts to die, but that was clearly not what its master wished. And so Tony would do better. Everything began to heal quickly from the life-rich blood, and Tony watched the arm begin to recover. The only location that was not healing was where Tony had stored all the not-bad poison. Which was not-good. Tony tried to think of a solution. Putting it in blood was bad. Master would get sick, and that was very bad. So not that. Thinking of a solution, Tony created a separate nd. It took dead cells and materials that were being removed and used them to create a pocket that it filled with the not bad stuff, allowing it toe from near the fingers. It would keep the not-bad stuff inside a pocket of dead stuff, preventing it froming out. Good. At this point, Tony¡¯s job was mostly done. It just had to watch and the arm would grow back to normal as it used to be again. This was a good job. A job well done. It had done the best, and surely its master would be pleased to have the arm back. That was what the master had asked of it after all. But Tony felt unhappy. If this had been a regr corpse, Tony would''ve sharpened the nerves, heightened its senses, elerated the muscture. It would''ve not just fixed the body. It would improve it. Though obviously not for the host. Because they would be dead. But. Why couldn''t it do that now. Why not do the very same thing to its current host, even if it may be a partial one? And so Tony began. The skin began to form, as the parasite dissipated itself into the bloodstream, breaking into smaller and smaller parts. It fused with the blood streams and bones, modifying the cells within the arms to be better. Stronger. The arm began to morph, the muscles shifting. Bone grew rapidly as ws formed from the jutting arm. Tough skin grew on top of it, and Tony moved the little nds near the ws to secrete the not poison stuff. The arm began to mutate, and Tony adapted and grew, as more instincts and knowledge meshed, guiding it to a form superior to what it had been like before. As Tony¡¯s energy faded, and the arm settled down, Tony vibrated onest time, feeling satisfied. The job was finished. I did good? Master is happy? Unfortunately for Tony, his master could not understand or hear Tony''s thoughts. Not yet. And so Tony merely vibrated, before letting itself drift off to sleep. It would need time to digest all of this, and so it would return to non-existence for just a small while, even though it did not want to. As Tony drifted off, the little parasite vibrated onest time, feeling pleased with itself. Today was the best day ever. Chapter 20: A Handy Upgrade Chapter 20: A Handy Upgrade Pain shot through Noah¡¯s hand as he copsed on his knees. The sensation hade in like a punch to the gut, except, it was more like every nerve in his hand was on fire, every muscle, bone, tendon, skin and blood vessel pulsating with a fiery hot pain of knives being stabbed through him. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Abyssal Parasite]! You¡¯ve gained [Fever-I]! ¡°De-summon the creature Noah,¡± Aurelia said, fire zing around her fists. Noah raised his hand, taking a moment to reply. It took his all to focus on bearing through the pain, as he felt Tony moving inside his arm, and reconnecting everything back into ce. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine¡­¡± he gasped, slowly rising to his feet when another wave of pain had him copse once more. ¡°You don¡¯t look fine,¡± Aurelia said with a concerned voice, but Noah did not have the mental capacity to reply to her. You¡¯ve gained the skill [Pain Tolerance]! Noah watched the skill notification from the corner of his vision. His pain was no less worse now, but it was ever so slightly more manageable to bear through it. Sweat continued to pour down Noah¡¯s body, and he could feel his breath rising through his lungs. He was hot, extremely hot. Slowly, Noah tried to take off his shirt, to cool down somewhat. Finding the movement far too difficult to execute, his frustration spike, as he pulled, tearing it away. The air brushed against his body with a frigid sensation, and he panted as more and more heat began to build up. [Fever-I ¡ú Fever-II] After a few moments, Aurelia walked closer, crouching next to him. Lightly, she pressed her arm on his shoulder, and frowned. ¡°You¡¯re burning up.¡± ¡°I have a fever,¡± Noah said, ncing sideways. His eyes noted his health bar, dropping rapidly as Tony ate through his lifepool to heal his arm. Yet, though his health was dropping, Noah could also see the grayed out end of the bar starting to decrease. His n was working. ¡°I need¡­ health potions¡­¡± Noah said with thest of his willpower, before the pulsating pain began to much to bear. He grit his teeth, clutching his hand, as sensation began to return in a flooding wave. Closing his eyes, he focused on the pain, trying to breathe through it. Pain is just a feeling. Don¡¯t let it control you. Be aware that it exists, but don¡¯t let it take over your mind. [Pain Tolerance] has reached level 2. The skill increase motivated Noah to focus harder, as he began on his breath even harder. Before he knew it, Meditation triggered in, as Noah began to absorb the mana around. He focused his entire attention on his breath, letting his mind stick to the sensation of air moving in and out of his lungs. [Meditation] has reached level 2. [Pain Tolerance] has reached level 3. Breathe in. Breathe out. Keep it slow. Keep it steady. Breathe from my gut, and focus on the way my chest moves. Don¡¯t think about the arm. Don¡¯t think about the pain. The only thing that exists right now, is the flow of my breath, and the sensation of the mana flowing in as I breathe. Time passed by in a blur, as Noah continued to breathe. Notifications popped up in his disy,ing one after the other, but he did not focus on them, simply sticking to his breathing. Then, with a snap, almost instantaneously, Noah felt all the pain vanish. [Meditation] has reached level 4. [Meditation] has reached level 5. [Pain Tolerance] has reached level 4. [Pain Tolerance] has reached level 5. [Pain Tolerance] has reached level 6. [Fever-III] has been removed. He opened his eyes, surprised at thepleteck of sensationing from his arm. Merely moments ago, the pain had been so overwhelming that he would¡¯ve copsed from it, if not for his skills. Noah reached out to Tony, trying to understand what was happening, before realising Tony had noticed his pain and turned off the nerves in his arms. ¡°Here,¡± Aurelia said, putting a healing potion in his hand. ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah said, and drank the potion. The liquid felt refreshing as it poured into his body, before rapidly spreading throughout him with a cooling sensation. ¡°You¡¯re good now?¡± Aurelia asked, ncing down at Noah¡¯s hand. ¡°Yeah, the pain just vanished all of a sudden,¡± he said, before observing his hand as well. He tried to move his fingers, and found them twitching and responding lightly. A sensation of annoyance came from Tony and Noah stopped any further movements to let his summon work. Little strings of dark goop pulsated at the joint where Noah¡¯s arm was joint back to the elbow, holding everything together. Noah could feel the ck goo slowly but surely assimting with his hand as it reinforced and reattached everything where it was supposed to go. The process was fascinating, and Noah watched his rather pale arm present in a deep ck in color. His skin looked thicker now, more sturdy, and there were ws formed above where his fingers was supposed to go. Noah could see the dark wisps of void mana emanating from his wed hand, as his muscles grew and expanded and his body morphed. Then, with a positively delightful sensation from Tony, Noah felt the nerves kick back in, as sensation came back in all at once. With a sudden pause, a myriad of notifications exploded in his vision. [Abyssal Parasite] has reached level 2. [Abyssal Parasite] has reached level 3. ¡­ [Abyssal Parasite] has reached level 6. Ability evolution unlocked. [Abyssal Parasite ¡ú Abyssal Symbiont]! [Lifeblood] has reached level 4. Race evolution unlocked. Human (Modified) ¡ú Human (Symbiont) All attributes increased by 2. Noah watched the notifications in wonder, as he flexed his new hand. A momentter, he reached out and selected Abyssal Symbiont. [Abyssal Symbiont - Tony (Basic)] An Abyssal parasite, that now resides within your arm, and has be a part of it, making it a host limb. The process changed its nature, and yours, creating a symbiotic rtionship. The summon shall feed on your lifeforce, and obtain a sliver of the experience you do for any foes you defeat. And in return, it will obey yourmand, sharpening your instincts, honing your body, and increasing your strength. Noah read through the description, before reaching out to Tony once more. Tony did not respond, and Noah could sense that the parasite- or rather, Symbiont was sleeping, resting to allow for the changes it had undergone to properly process. ¡°That¡­ is quite the hand you have now,¡± Aurelia said, watching Noah. ¡°I admit, I didn¡¯t really expect it to work.¡± ¡°To bepletely honest, I wasn¡¯t very certain it would either. But I had researched as much as I could, and made sure I had the ability to remove the parasite from the body if it didn¡¯t work out, so I figured it was worth the shot,¡± Noah said, before raising his arm and forming a fist. His obsidian-ck muscles pulsated as he did, rippling under his skin. As he opened his fist, sharp curves des popped out, made of a bony like material, but with a metallic gleam on them. Noah grinned like a child on Christmas eve. ¡°Absolutely worth it.¡± ¡°You should keep that hidden,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°It¡¯s not unheard of for adventurers to pick monster body parts as a recement for a limb, if the limb ispatible, but it¡¯s still quite a rare sight. And nothing quite to the extent of¡­ that,¡± Aurelia said, as Noah retracted his ws with a metallic ng. The movement was fairly instinctual, if a bit difficult to control. Noah could tell he¡¯d have even more control when Tony was awake, but that would have to wait for now. ¡°This is so sick,¡± Noah said, moving the ws in and out around his fingers. They were like grafted above his fingers, and he could flex the muscles in and around his palms to move them at will. He could even sense a weird pressure that secreted a dark liquid. Necrotic Poison,Noah realized a momentter. ¡°Sick for sure. A bit disgusting as well. Your hand still looks fairly human in some ways, which makes it even more disturbing,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Oh, right. Sick means good with you. Your world must be a strange ce so that sick means good.¡± Noah shrugged, and found his ws pop out involuntarily. He contracted the muscles again. ¡°I¡¯ll need to learn how to control this,¡± he said, flexing his fingers. When the ws were missing, his hand looked normal, if he ignored the fact that it was pitch ck in colour, and had a subtly different shape to it than a regr hand. The part that made it stand out the most was the void mana oozing from the limb. ¡°I would suggest keeping that hand hidden. It draws the eye, and unnecessary attention is rarely a good thing,¡± Aurelia said, moving closer. ¡°Can I touch it?¡± she asked, pointing at his hand. ¡°Sure,¡± Noah said, and Aurelia grabbed his hand. Slowly, she pressed on his hands, and then ran her fingers under the tips where the ws were embedded. With an involuntary pop the des came out, and Aurelia ran her finger across the edge of one. ¡°I will say, having an inbuilt weapon within your body can be quite an advantage. As Awakened grow, one of the concerns we have to deal with is gear at an appropriate level for us. But since this hand is still a part of your body, and thus connected to your Astral Script, it should grow alongside the rest of you.¡± Noah whistled before flexing his fingers once more. ¡°I want to test it out.¡± ¡°We should probably head out of here for that then. Wouldn¡¯t want to break this ce,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Of course,¡± Noah said, failing to keep his grin in check as he followed behind Aurelia. After picking up a new shirt with longer sleeves to hide his new hand, the two of them had made their way bit further from Layfar vige, and near a forest grove. After finding a suitable spot, with a thick enough tree, Noah folded his left sleeve up, letting his ws pop out in their full disy. Rushing in, he swiped his ws across the tree, and found they cut through the bark with ease, as they tore out a chunk of wood. He swiped once more, and then again, digging into the tree one swipe at a time. On thest swing, he let his necrotic-poison seep out, as it shed through the tree. Within moments, the bark began to rot, the poison spreading through it as it ate through the tree. Noah grinned like a maniac, watching the poison spread. ¡°I feel like Wolverine, but better and with more magic,¡± Noah said. ¡°Don¡¯t get too happy just yet. You¡¯ll need to learn how to utilise a wed hand. Your fighting style is suited for a fist, and you¡¯re clumsy with your left arm,¡± Aurelia said, watching from a distance. ¡°Sure, I bet Tony could help with the clumsiness too. There¡¯s likely going to be an adaptation period for me to get used to this arm,¡± Noah said, clicking his ws against one another. ¡°I swear, I just cannot stop smiling when I look at them.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get you. Most people would not be pleased if they had a hand that looked like it belonged to an abomination.¡± ¡°Oh you¡¯re so wrong. Forget the magic, just having this kind of an arm? A lot of rich people back home would pay rivers to get it. It¡¯s just¡­ cool.¡± ¡°Cool?¡± ¡°That means, it¡¯s¡­ like, awesome to look at, and fun. A way to say whether something is good or not. Although it can also be used in other contexts. If someone says ¡®we cool?¡¯ it means they¡¯re asking ¡®is our conflict sorted now?¡¯ and trying to make peace,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Man, I never thought about any of that before today.¡± ¡°Your world is weird,¡± Aurelia said, leaning against a tree. ¡°Yours is weirder. It has dragons in it.¡± ¡°Dragons are not weird,¡± Aurelia replied calmly. ¡°Says you. A massive lizard with wings that breathes fire is definitely weird where I¡¯m from.¡± ¡°I think a Dragon will still be less weird than you, if you ever went back,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°You bet,¡± Noah said with a smile. Turning his attention to a different target of practice, he found a fairlyrge boulder nearby. Walking up to it, Noah extended his ws, and swiped at the boulder. His ws cut through the rock, but the imprint was shallow, and Noah felt a stinging pain when he did so. ¡°I guess it¡¯s still bone,¡± Noah murmured, before he paused as an idea ured to him. Reaching out to obliterate, he let it coat his ws, sharpening the skill to an edge. For a moment, the void oozed out of Noah¡¯s control, surprising him from the intensity of it. Noah tried again, and found the magic reacting quite strongly to his left hand. Letting obliterate channel, Noah took another try, swiping at the rock once more. There was barely any resistance as his ws cut through the boulder with ease, leaving five sharp w marks behind as he did. Noah gasped in joy as he watched the w marks. ¡°Okay, this is officially the sickest thing ever.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back for now, weirdo. People might get concerned that you suddenly vanished. You cane back hereter if you still want to mess around with your new arm,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°You¡¯re a killjoy, do you know that?¡± Noah replied, clicking his tongue, but he knew she was right. Retracting his ws, and letting Obliterate fade, he followed behind the woman, reaching out to his Astral script. He still had attribute points to spend. Name: Noah Brown Race: Human (Symbiont) Rank: F Paths: Exsanguinator - level 15 Astralwalker - level 13 Void Hunter - level 13 Attributes: Power: 57 Agility: 35 Constitution: 42 Mystic: 56 Attribute points: 24 Taking a look at his Astral script, he decided to spend his pointster. He wanted to experiment a bit with them before he invested them all. Closing the Astral script, Noah turned towards Aurelia. ¡°What¡¯re you smiling about?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Nothing. I just thought of something funny.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Aurelia said, raising an eyebrow in question. Noah grinned, unable to hold his smile back as he replied. ¡°I just saw my new arm, and thought to myself. What a handy upgrade.¡± Aurelia froze in ce, as Noah cackled madly to himself. The woman slung a fireball at him, and Noah blinked away before it could hit him, still cackling as he fled from her. ¡°I hate you,¡± Aurelia said, ignoring Noah as she stomped away. Chapter 21: Ability Testing Chapter 21: Ability Testing Noah sat at the counter in Lorian¡¯s tavern, nursing a mug of ale in his hand. It wasing up to roughly a week since Noah had arrived in Layfar vige, and their trip at the ce was just abouting to an end. Of that period, he¡¯d had his new arm for two days now, and Noah was finally able to gain enough control over his new limb to keep it in a rtively human shape, allowing him to go outside once again. When at rest now, his hand looked almost like a normal once, except, seemingly made of obsidian skin that glistened under the light. He¡¯d found the ability to harden his skin, making des unable to cut through without magic. Noah suspected there was a lot more going on within the limb, but as of now, Tony was still asleep, and Noah would have to wait till his summon woke up to really test things out. ¡°How the new hand treating ya?¡± Lorian asked, cleaning a mug nearby as he walked over to Noah. His new arm had quickly be the talk of the vige with its striking appearance, even when he kept it hidden under bandages. ¡°Good. Better than before, really,¡± Noah replied, taking another sip of his ale. ¡°Must be some prosthetic. I¡¯ve heard talk of magical ones that are indistinguishable from the real thing, but it¡¯s something else to see one in front of me.¡± Noah nodded, but didn¡¯t reply. So far, only Aurelia knew how he¡¯d gotten his new arm, and he intended to keep it that way. ¡°I hear there are rumours floating around about how I got this arm?¡± he said, changing the topic. ¡°Ah, yeah. This is a fairly small vige, and there isn¡¯t much excitement to go around usually. Don¡¯t pay too much attention to it,¡± Lorian said. ¡°Oh, I love the rumours. They¡¯re all delightful. I had the most wonderful encounter this morning because of it.¡± Earlier this morning as Noah had been out for a run, he¡¯d seen some kids stalking him, whispering under their breath how he¡¯d eaten the monster in the mine, and that¡¯s how he had that arm. Their mothers had told them, he¡¯d eat them if they didn¡¯t behave. Noah had done the only thing that was appropriate, and done his best impression of a terrifying baby eating monster, a respectable profession in his opinion, as he¡¯d teleported behind the kids and screamed as loudly as he could. The memory still brought a chuckle out. ¡°So, how long will you be staying here? Not that I¡¯m trying to kick you out, but I figured you¡¯d have better ces to go to than this little vige,¡± Lorian asked. ¡°We¡¯ll be heading out in two days. Aurelia is charting a way, and making preparations for the trip,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Letting thedy take the charge, huh?¡± Noah shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know this area. Like, at all. So yeah. Better than being lost and ended up dead.¡± ¡°True,¡± Lorian replied. Noah took onest sip from the ale, before chugging down whatever remained in the cup. He couldn¡¯t really turn lifeblood off with Tony in his arm and asleep, so he¡¯d had to make do with just the taste for now. ¡°By the way, I have a request for you,¡± Noah said, ncing at Lorian. ¡°What is it?¡± the man asked, looking back at Noah curiously. ¡°Could you get me the items on this list?¡± Noah said, digging out a folded sheet of paper from his back pocket and handing it to Lorian. Lorian grabbed the sheet of paper, taking a look at it briefly. ¡°What in hellion¡¯s name is this?¡± he said, reading through the list. ¡°A living animal, preferably a rat or rabbit. A bottle of sand, a big pile of pebbles, at least a hundred, a vial of blood, preferably fresh¡­¡± Lorian trailed off, before looking up at Noah. ¡°Are you trying to summon a demon or something?¡± Noahughed, but Lorian¡¯s expression didn¡¯t lighten whatsoever. ¡°No, it¡¯s just, I¡¯ve gotten new abilities, and I want to test them out. No demon summoning, I promise,¡± Noah said. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll see what I can do. But if you want it today, it¡¯s gonna cost you,¡± Lorian said. Noah reached out into his inventory and took out five E-grade mana stones. ¡°Will this be enough?¡± Lorian¡¯s eyes popped out, and he grabbed three before returning two. ¡°Adventurers,¡± he murmured under his breath. ¡°You¡¯ll have it by the end of the day.¡± Noah smiled, nodding as he got up and walked out of the tavern. He mentally put in a feel for how much his mana stones and money really were worth, though it would likely take some more time for him to gain a proper sense, but if he was right, then he was rich. Noah did not remember any point in his life back on Earth where he could ever be called rich. Rich was too far off a word for him to grasp, and for the majority of his life he was used to going job to job and living paycheck to paycheck. Even as a child, with only his mother to rely on, Noah had always felt wanting for things. Combining all of that with now him being in a new world, he felt oddly taken back at the idea of having money for the first time ever. Perhaps... he could find a use for this at some point? Noah shrugged, tossing the two mana stones in his hand yfully before he slipped them in his inventory. A smile remained stuck on his face as he walked back. It felt really good to be rich. It took Lorian a few hours to get everything for him. And Noah watched the teenage boy that worked at Lorian¡¯s inn bring everything to him on a cart. ¡°Master couldn¡¯t find everything, so he listed out what he could find here,¡± the boy said, handing Noah the paper. Noah took a look and shrugged. Most of what he wanted was here. ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah told the boy, before taking the items and carrying them one after the other. After a few minutes, Noah had a stack of a random assortment of items ced in the chamber where he had summoned Tony. This time, having taken permission before doing his tests. Leah had not been very happy at having to clean the blood and lines of mana from hisst stunt. Aurelia sat in the chamber in one corner, eating a strange blue mango. Noah had tried it, and found it tasted way too sweet for his preferences. ¡°I¡¯d appreciate some help,¡± Noah said, carrying the cage with the rabbit inside. ¡°I¡¯m sure you would,¡± Aurelia replied, taking another bite of the mango. The woman had decided the best way to take revenge on Noah, constantly making puns with her, was to ignore him as much as she could. Noah shrugged, carrying thest of the items into the chamber. After keeping everything, he looked at the list in his hand to see what all Lorian had gotten him. Live animal - Rabbit Blood - Pig¡¯s blood from today. Sand - Not sure why you didn¡¯t just get some yourself. But I got a bottle of refined sand they use in construction. Pebbles - I didn¡¯t count, but the guy told me there¡¯s more than a hundred. Boulder - Miners aren¡¯t around, and the mine is closed. Couldn¡¯t get this one. Magical creature - There¡¯s a small glow-worm that has mana in a box. Couldn¡¯t get anything else. Large stick - Got some long branches from a lumberjack. Again, I have no idea why you didn¡¯t just get it yourself, but I¡¯m not going toin. Noah checked the items before putting the list away. ¡°So, what¡¯re you nning to do with those?¡± Aurelia asked, finally taking some interest. ¡°Like I told you before, I¡¯m nning to test out my abilities.¡± ¡°And how do you intend to do that?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Just watch,¡± Noah said, as he walked to a different corner of the chamber. Then, one by one, he began to empty his inventory, letting the items drop down till there was nothing left. ¡°Alright, test one,¡± Noah said, walking to the items he had. Bending down, he picked a pebble up in his hand, and used Blink. As expected, the pebble was still in his hand when he reappeared. Noah went back to the items, and this time, picked up the vial of blood and tested again. The same result applied, and Noah appeared with the vial of blood still in his hands. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Aurelia asked, as Noah continued to go through the items. ¡°Trying to see what all I can teleport with,¡± Noah said, this time carrying the pebbles. To his surprise, it was slightly harder to teleport this time than before. Noah tried once more, teleporting back, but with fewer pebbles this time, and the ability worked more easily. ¡°Huh,¡± he murmured. ¡°It seems like carrying a lot of items makes my ability harder to use.¡± Putting the pebbles in his inventory, he tried again, and found Blink working perfectly. So inventory items don¡¯t affect it. Moving on, Noah grabbed the big stick, and then teleported once more. The ability worked, as was to be expected. At the other end of the chamber, Noah let the stick fall to the ground, and put his feet on it, trying to blink. Blue mana burned around him before he vanished, appearing on the other side. But the stick didn¡¯te with him. Noah moved back to the stick again, this time sitting on the floor, with his legs crossed, and the stick on hisp, as he tried again. Blink buzzed with mana but did not activate. ¡°Interesting,¡± Noah murmured. He tried again, this time pouring just a little more mana and found himself on the other end of the room, as the stick fell onto the ground. So it only carries stuff I¡¯m holding. Noah walked out of the chamber, finding a wooden box. Slowly, he began to put various items within the box, before setting them on the ground. Then, he took off one shoe, and grabbed the box by his toes, lifting it up. Using Blink, he appeared on the other side of the room, the box still grabbed by his toes. ¡°Yup, that¡¯s so weird.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so confused right now,¡± Aurelia murmured. ¡°I can only teleport items I¡¯m holding on to. Can¡¯t teleport it if I¡¯m just touching it. So even if I wanted to, I couldn¡¯t say, teleport myself away with this building,¡± Noah said, pressing his hands against the wall as he tried for just a moment. His mana faded into nothingness, and his ability did not activate. ¡°That¡­ makes sense,¡± Aurelia said, holding her chin in thought. ¡°The ability needs to channel your mana into the item to pull it through. It cannot do that unless you¡¯re actively holding on to an item. I assume this is a built in restriction within the Astral scripts for the ability. Though there may be other, more powerful abilities that don¡¯t have such restrictions.¡± ¡°Right. So, that¡¯s one thing tested. Now¡¯s another one,¡± Noah said, before walking up to the cage with the rabbit. He looked at the little rabbit inside, that sniffed when it approached, before recoiling upon noticing his new arm. Noah didn¡¯t mind, just d that it was staying put. ¡°Hopefully nothing happens to you buddy,¡± he said, before activating blink. A momentter, he was standing on the other side of the room, carrying the little rabbit in his arms. Noah looked down, making sure the rabbit was fine. The little fur ball looked confused at the sudden change in scenery, but otherwise rather unharmed. ¡°I can teleport living things too then,¡± Noah said, before opening the cage as he held the rabbit in his hand. He used Blink once more and found it working without issues. Petting the rabbit¡¯s head, he walked back and put it back inside its cage. Taking out the glow worm, he held the box, feeling the manaing from it. A momentter, Noah reactivated Blink. There was some resistance at first, but it soon vanished, and Noah appeared ahead, with the worm still alive. Nodding, he put the box aside, taking a seat as he began to meditate. Mana flowed rapidly into him, and before soon, he was full. Mana: 100% ¡°Final test now,¡± Noah said, getting up from the floor as he put his hand on Aurelia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to teleport you alongside with me. Is that fine?¡± ¡°It is,¡± Aurelia said, and Noah nodded, before activating Blink. His mana settled and moved, but nothing seemed to happen as he activated the spell. He frowned before looking at Aurelia. ¡°Maybe this isn¡¯t considered holding for the system. Can you give me your hand?¡± Aurelia followed along, as the two held hands, and Noah tried once more. This time, the ability activated. Mana burned in a furious frenzy, digging into his resources with rapid speeds. A bright blue sh burned, almost blinding Noah as he felt the world slip from underneath him. Warning. Low Mana. Blink has reached level 5! Noah copsed on the floor as the world spun around him. He gagged, feeling the contents of his stomach starting to rise, as the disorienting sensation overwhelmed him. Aurelia looked to have some side effects as well, she stood leaning against the wall, clutching her head. ¡°That was¡­ awful,¡± Aurelia muttered, trying to regain her bnce. Noah nodded, wiping the drool from his mouth as she slowly pulled himself back to his feet. ¡°I¡¯m almost drained, and¡­ yeah, that was awful.¡± He gagged once more. ¡°I guess¡­ it¡¯s good to know that I can teleport us out in an emergency,¡± Noah said, trying to settle his spinning vision. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯d want to pick that over just dying,¡± Aurelia said, clutching her head harder. ¡°I feel like my brain is about to split in two.¡± ¡°Guess that¡¯s our unofficial half-time break then,¡± Noah said, before onest wave of nausea hit him. His resistance finally gave up as the food rose up into his mouth and Noah ran to the nearest bathroom as he began to empty the contents of his stomach. Chapter 22: Still Testing Chapter 22: Still Testing It took about half an hour for Noah to recover from his nausea, and after some settling down, he returned to the chamber with Aurelia to continue his testing with the abilities. ¡°Okay, so Blink can teleport people and living things, but big people, or magically strong people are very hard to Blink and leave me gagging on the floor,¡± Noah said aloud, noting to try Blink on a person below his level to see if it was Aurelia¡¯s higher level that was affecting his ability, or just her size. Noah knelt before his giant pile of collected items and pressed his hand against one of the items, trying to put it inside his Inventory through just his mind. Nothing happened. He picked up some pebbles and started to insert them one by one. 1 x pebble obtained. 2 x pebbles obtained. 3 x pebbles obtained. ¡­ 27 x pebbles obtained. The process was painstaking and slow, and he wondered if he could just shove a bunch of them in at once. Willing to test, he picked up a pile, and pushed them against his Inventory. Noah felt some resistance, before mana was drawn from him, and the pebbles vanished into his inventory menu. 48 x pebbles obtained. Noah hummed in thought. He grabbed onto the Inventory menu itself to see if he could move it around. The action didn¡¯t do anything, and so Noah tried again, but this time mentally willing the Inventory menu to move so that it was facing upward. There was a pressure against his mind, like something was holding him back from doing that, but Noah pushed harder. Like passing through a thickyer of viscous goop, he felt something break past, as his Inventory menu moved, now facing upward. If Noah let his concentration go, the Inventory would slip back. It felt a lot like extending a rubber band and holding it still at maximum extension. Noah¡¯s eyes widened in surprised, before he smiled. Taking a big pile of pebbles, he let it drop over the menu, and all of them began to be absorbed. 78 x pebbles obtained. 99 x pebbles obtained. 17 x pebbles obtained. Noah watched his menu, noting that a single slot could only keep up to 99 pebbles before automatically moving to a different slot. ¡°It¡¯s so strange to watch you drop pebbles, only to have them disappear into nothingness,¡± Aureliamented from where she sat. ¡°And awesome,¡± Noah replied. He willed his Inventory to turn over to face downward. The pressure in his mind rose once again, but he pushed through, then willed his pebbles to fall out. A shower of little stones fell on the ground, ttering all over the floor as his Inventory emptied itself. Noah then attempted to will his Inventory away from him and go next to Aurelia. As the Inventory floated away, Noah felt a sharp spike of pain assault his head, making him almost fall. He let the Inventory go, and it snapped back into ce and the pain receded. ¡°God, that was¡­ awful¡­¡± Noah said, clutching his head. ¡°What did you do?¡± Aurelia asked, not looking particrly concerned. ¡°Tried to change my system menu and move it away from me,¡± Noah said. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± she spat back. ¡°You cannot move your Astral Script beyond your soul¡¯s range, which is your aura. Trying to push it outside can cause your soul to be permanently damaged. Honestly, I¡¯m surprised you aren¡¯t on the floor, crying yourself to unconsciousness. Soul bacsh hurts quite a bit, even seasoned adventurers struggle with the pain.¡± ¡°I have some resistance to both,¡± Noah said, clutching his head as the throbbing pain started to fade. Moving on from that test, Noah took up his bottle of sand, and picked out a single grain. Taking it, he put it inside his Inventory. 1 x grain of sand obtained. Noah continued to put grains of sand, watching them settle in one after the other, before being capped out when he reached ny-nine. Taking the rest of the bottle, which had a lot more than ny-nine grains, he put it in the Inventory as well. 1 x bottle of sand obtained. The bottle had taken more mana than each grain of sand, which hadn¡¯t even registered, but the difference in storage capacity was iparable. That means it takes containers and categorisation into ount. It¡¯s better to store armour as 1x set of armour, instead of individually, but doing so also costs a lot more mana. Satisfied with his tests, he returned the individual grains to the bottle and retrieved his bottle of blood. When he¡¯d put his arm in his Inventory, the poison seemed to have stopped damaging it, allowing Noah time to find a solution without his armpletely decaying. But he wasn¡¯t sure if that was merely because it was his arm, or something that applied universally. There was a brief moment of resistance when he pushed the bottle inside his Inventory. 1 x bottle of pig blood obtained. Blood can go in. Not quite alive, but definitely close to it. Next, he went back to the rabbit, gently picking it up and scratching his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, buddy, but this is for science. I¡¯ll give you something nice after it¡¯s done,¡± Noah said, and put the creature in his Inventory. 1 x Rabbit obtained. Noah waited for a minute, and then another just for good measure. He would feel really bad if the rabbit died, but better it than a person he tried to save and killed identally. After enough time had passed Noah took the rabbit out. The animal seemed unphased, merely confused. ¡°Okay, so either there¡¯s air inside my Inventory, or this rabbit got frozen in time,¡± Noah said. After a moment¡¯s thought, he put the rabbit back in. He¡¯d check in an hour again. Better be safe than sorry. Done with that test, Noah looked up at Aurelia. ¡°Hey, do you want to go inside my Inventory?¡± ¡°Inside your what?¡± Aurelia asked, looking up in surprise from the book she was reading. ¡°My Inventory. I want to see if I can put people in it. I put the rabbit inside and it worked just fine,¡± Noah said. ¡°No,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Oh,e on! It¡¯ll be a great test,¡± Noah pleaded. ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to,¡± Aurelia replied, looking to her book again. ¡°I won¡¯t put you in for long, I promise. Just in and out,¡± Noah said. ¡°Stop annoying me. I don¡¯t want to,¡± Aurelia said, snapping her book shut and ring at him. Noah paused, seeing genuine anger in her expression. ¡°Alright, my bad. But can I ask why?¡± Aurelia hesitated. ¡°Because¡­ it¡¯s probably dark in there.¡± Noah stared at Aurelia, unsure of what to make of it. ¡°You¡¯re afraid of the dark?¡± Aurelia didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Is¡­ that why you have fire powers,¡± Noah asked, as some things began to make sense. ¡°Stop asking me stuff,¡± Aurelia said, getting up to leave. ¡°Okay, alright, I¡¯m sorry. Just hold on. The reason I wanted to try is because I think time is stopped inside my Inventory, so if you were ever lethally injured, I could put you inside and save your life. If you still don¡¯t want to try, that¡¯spletely fine, but I thought it was worth knowing, since it could be a matter of life or death. You¡¯d told me no more dumb risks, right? For that, I need to know what my powers are, and how exactly they work,¡± Noah said. Aurelia stopped at his words, and after several tense seconds, she gave him a small nod. ¡°But take me out instantly or I¡¯ll punch you, and for real this time,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Of course,¡± Noah replied. Grabbing her hand, Noah pressed it against the Inventory panel and felt Aurelia being pulled. Arge amount of mana began to be sapped from him, simr to Blink, and he pulled her away. Could not store item. Capacity exceeded. Noah stumbled back, slightly dizzy. It took a moment before he reoriented and read the notification. ¡°Capacity exceeded it says,¡± Noah murmured. ¡°But it did activate. So I think it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Good. I hope we never have to use it,¡± Aurelia said, going back to her chair and opened her book. Noah shrugged. He took a pebble in each hand, moving on to the next test he had in mind. Obliterate hummed in both hands, as the stones began to rapidly dissipate. Noah counted the seconds for each hand, watching as the pebbles disappeared entirely. Left hand: four seconds. Right hand: seven seconds. Noah nodded, satisfied, taking up two more pebbles. This time, he tried toyer Obliterate on top of the pebbles, like he did with his des. It took some effort, but the spell formed a shell around the pebble, making them look a deep dark colour. Noah threw the rock, watching it eat through the floor, before the Obliterate spell he¡¯d put on the pebble dissipated. Noah fished the pebble out of the hole and found it mostly unharmed this time. Taking arger rock this time, Noah tried toyer on it and found the mana requirements far higher. Trying to eat through the rock took the same amount of mana, but the process was slower, and to hasten it, Noah would have to spend more mana. ¡°Do abilities not have a fixed cost?¡± Noah asked. ¡°There¡¯s a minimum activation cost, but even that can be circumvented with a partial activation. So no, not really,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. He tried a few more experiments with shaping Obliterate, but found he could onlyyer it on top of things he was holding. No distant manifestations, but he could form orbs of Obliterate above his hand and throw them. After going through Obliterate, he took the rabbit out. The creature looked just the same and did not seem to realise what had happened at all. ¡°I guess that confirms it. Time does stop inside,¡± Noah said. He put the rabbit down, letting it walk around for a while, and went to pick up one of his des. He noticed the rabbit sniffing at Aurelia¡¯s hands, before it began to snuggle up to her. ¡°Wow, it loves you,¡± Noah said. ¡°They can sense warmth,¡± she said, picking the rabbit up, and it practically melted in her arms. ¡°Can you hold it tightly? I have to injure it a little,¡± Noah said. Aurelia red at him. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not like I want to do this. But I need to see if my blood can heal other people or not. If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ve got a healing potion,¡± Noah said. Aurelia gave the rabbit aforting pet. ¡°I¡¯ve got him.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, buddy. This will only hurt for a second,¡± Noah said. Taking his de, he made a small cut, and blood began to well. The rabbit kicked, trying to free itself, but Aurelia kept a grip on it, shushing it to calm the creature down. Noah moved quickly, cutting his own hand, a bit deeper than he¡¯d intended. Taking the blood, he let it drip onto the rabbit¡¯s wounds. He watched in fascination as the rabbit¡¯s wound healed almost instantly, and the creature calmed down. The rabbit leaned in and began to lick the blood off his palms. ¡°That¡¯s so strange,¡± Noah murmured, looking at his palm. The cut was almostpletely healed. Aurelia let the rabbit go, and it jumped over to Noah, continuing to lick the blood left on his palm. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t tell anyone about that ability,¡± Aurelia said with a grim voice. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re a walking bundle of regenerative potion. If you don¡¯t want a maniac to enve you and make you into a potion harvesting machine, keep your mouth shut,¡± Aurelia said, ncing down at the rabbit. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of legendary abilities of such strength.¡± Noah nodded. He¡¯d need to keep quiet about Lifeblood then. After gently brushing the rabbit, Noah let the creature go. The rabbit pawed at his leg, as if demanding more of his blood. After a while, Aurelia scooped it up and took it outside the vige. Done with most of his work, Noah continued to experiment with the rest of his abilities. Nothing of note was observed with Bleed, Blood Drain and Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes. The abilities worked within their defined scope. When Aurelia returned, Noah had moved on to messing around with his system interface. He could change the menu locations and disys if he wanted, but the same pressure would remain in his mind when he did. ¡°Is there a way to hide notifications?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It can be a little annoying during battle.¡± ¡°Well, I just made a box for mine, and everything goes there. When I want to see, I pick it up from the box,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°It¡¯s amon practice.¡± Noah nodded, making an inbox mail icon at the top. A lot of unread notifications. He felt something press against his mind, but Noah pushed and the resistance copsed, as the icon manifested. Noah selected it and every notification he¡¯d ever gotten was listed inside. ¡°Neat,¡± he said, Thest major thing he¡¯d wanted to test were his Attributes. There wasn¡¯t much to define how each Attribute worked other than it¡¯s given name. Power, for example. Did it increase his ability power? Or did it increase his strength? How about Agility or Constitution? Noah tried to focus on the Attributes. Arge pressure manifested in his mind, stronger than any other previous resistance. He continued for a while, trying to see how far he could go before the pain began. A light headache began to bud, before something caved in. You¡¯ve gained the Skill [Soul Modification]! A wide array of notifications took over Noah¡¯s vision. Sub-Attributes [Range - F0 to SSS]: Power: Ability Damage: D2 Special Damage: F8 Magical Damage: E6 Aura Strength: D7 Agility: Movement Speed: D4 Casting Speed: D2 Cognitive Speed: F4 Reflex: A0 Constitution: Vitality: B1 Endurance: D0 Strength: D2 Physical Resistance: D8 Mystic: Mana Capacity: E9 Mana Regen: D1 Willpower: D0 Magic Resistance: D3 Special Attributes: Charisma: D3 Luck: B9 Growth: S A pulsating headache throbbed behind his eyes. He read through the list quickly before looking to Aurelia for verification. ¡°Are there Sub-Attributes?¡± ¡°There are, the guild evaluates them for you when you register,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah nodded, trying to ignore the headache. Not quite satisfied with the information, he reached out to Strength and expanded it to give more details. A massive wave of pressure descended on him, but Noah grit his teeth and pushed through. The pressure continued to increase, a sharp pain spiking in his head before the wall copsed. Noah¡¯s system menu exploded. Soul Resistance has reached level 8! Soul Modification has reached level 2! Each muscle group, tendon, bone, and part of his body was listed with various numbers rushing past in his mind. Noah¡¯s mind froze, and he copsed to the ground, passed out. Chapter 23: Travel Plans Chapter 23: Travel ns Noah opened his eyes, finding a light headache pulsing against his head. It took him a second to shake the blur from his eyes, as he rose up. ¡°I don¡¯t like how this is bing a thing,¡± he murmured, shaking the sheet resting on him off. Rising to his feet, Noah looked around. The sun ¡ª or rather suns ¡ª were still high up in the sky, so most likely he hadn¡¯t been unconscious for a very long time. Or I was knocked out for an entire day. Trying not to dwell on the possibility, Noah reached out to his Astral script. A sharp pain formed in his head as he did, and he let themand go. Best to leave that alone for now. Walking outside his room, Noah looked around for a bit, before making his way to Aurelia¡¯s room. After a quick knock, the door opened. ¡°Finally awake?¡± Aurelia asked. She wore a light armour, and pants, with her belts strapped around her. ¡°It would seem so, unless this entire thing has been a dream. Then no, not yet,¡± Noah replied. Aurelia turned sideways at the door, gesturing for him toe in, and Noah walked into the chamber. The inside of Aurelia¡¯s room looked a lot neater than his, and he wasn¡¯t even particrly messy. The sheets were folded, and neatly tucked in, the tes were set on a side table and were cleaned enough to reflect his face, and the floor was practically shining in her room. All of this only made the single section of disorganisation in her room stand out even more. Maps were scattered across her table, markers and pointers charting ces in a disorganised mess that seemed to connect into one another. ¡°Sorry about the mess,¡± Aurelia said, quickly rushing past Noah to her table, as she began to sort the sheets of parchment. ¡°You¡¯ve been working on something?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Trying to chart a path from here, make a best guess where the team that betrayed me might go, and where to go from there if I don¡¯t find them in Windrest,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve been working hard.¡± ¡°Well, one of us has to.¡± ¡°Touch¨¦,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Anyway, if you had a little time to spare, would you mind if I ask you some questions? About the sub-attributes.¡± ¡°I figured you would, so go ahead,¡± Aurelia replied, as she finished sorting all the maps into a neat pile, and ced them on the table. ¡°What are sub attributes? Unlike regr ones, they had no numbers, or anything. But¡­ letters and ranks?¡± ¡°Right. We¡¯ve not had a proper discussion on this, so I suppose this is about time. Do you know what your attributes are?¡± ¡°They¡¯re stat points, right? I kill monsters, I gain levels and stat points, and thus be stronger?¡± Noah said. ¡°Stat points? I don¡¯t know what that is, but no. Not quite. Attributes are a reflection of your current potential maximum in the four attributes of your Astral soul. Power, Constitution, Agility and Mystic. These are the four attributes that define your soul, and when you strengthen these attributes, you strengthen the capacity of your soul.¡± ¡°How¡¯s that different from what I said?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Because strengthening attributes does not mean you immediately grow stronger. Imagine your soul has an ability to grow. It defines the potential you have, so when you strengthen an attribute, you¡¯re increased that part of your soul,¡± Aurelia said, before taking out a sheet of parchment as she began to draw a diagram, before she showed it to Noah. ¡°Is that a rotten apple?¡± Noah asked with a frown. ¡°This is you,¡± Aurelia said with a frown. She then pointed to a circle around him. ¡°And this is your soul.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s my soul bigger than my body?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Because it is. Your soul is almost alwaysrger than your body, that¡¯s what your aura is. But your body is not capable of utilising all the potential inside your soul. It holds your soul back. Now, when you train, you increase your sub attributes, and the vessel size increases a little. So now your soul has more room to fill,¡± Aurelia said, before she began to list down some of the sub attributes. ¡°Each attribute has four sub attributes. And the more you train each one, the more you get out of each primary attribute you have. There are some things that are easy to train, Strength is a major one. A D ranker with a lot of Power attributes may still be weaker than you, if you are extremely bulky, have a lot of muscle, and can utilise all your power attributes to their maximum capability. This is why training is so important, and people who grow too fast struggle with a lot of problems. It¡¯s called being oversouled. When your soul grows too big for your body. That¡¯s something we¡¯ll discusster.¡± Noah nodded, trying to memorise everything. ¡°Now, there are some sub-attributes that¡¯re harder to train. It¡¯s difficult to train processing speed, as it defines the actual speed of processing information for your brain. Reflex is another one that¡¯s hard to train without magically upgrading your body. There are certain limits that simply cannot be crossed so easily. That said, there are other sub-attributes that can be trained very easily. Any kind of damage, resistance with your actual resistance skills, movement speed, aura strength, mana capacity, and so on. All of these can be trained, and there have been known instances of humans achieving S ranks in these sub-attributes. But that is extremely rare,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Has there been any SS or SSS rank sub attribute people?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Not publicly. But some famous adventurers were suspected to have had them. Sub attributes are extremely private, and the guild takes an oath when it evaluates you to not divulge this information with anyone. So if someone wants to share, they have to choose to do so on their own,¡± Aurelia said, putting away her diagram. ¡°Now, that leaves the final sub-attributes type. Special sub-attributes. Honestly, it¡¯s not something you need to think or worry about. These sub-attributes¡­ they don¡¯t reflect any primary attribute that you can change. They¡¯re tied to your fate and animus, and simply reflect the nature of your soul. There are items that can temporarily change your luck, charisma, and even growth, but they¡¯re rare.¡± ¡°Luck and Charisma are obvious enough to me, but what does Growth mean?¡± Aurelia hummed in thought. ¡°The specifics are reallyplicated, but it essentially means how fast your body and soul can grow. People with a higher growth sub-attribute just grow faster. The why and how is not something I could exin to you, but most B ranker have B or A growth attributes ranks,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah hummed in thought. Growth was his only S rank attribute, and he wasn¡¯t entirely sure if it was the [Devourer] aspect or something else. But given the benefits of the 5% attribute point increase, and with the increased experience gain, it made sense it would affect his growth attribute. ¡°Keep in mind, all of this means nothing if you¡¯re weak. You could have SSS in everything, and still die simply because your level wasn¡¯t high enough, or you made a mistake. All sub attributes do is define how well you¡¯re utilizing your soul¡¯s potential.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°Thanks, that makes a lot of sense.¡± ¡°I would suggest not to worry too much about you sub-attributes right now. There¡¯s a lot you have to learn about, well, everything really, and it¡¯s part of why I had decided to leave all of this till you got registered. The guild exins all of this to everyone new when they do the evaluation.¡± ¡°Is the evaluation necessary?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Like, what if I want to keep my sub-attributes hidden?¡± ¡°You can. But for most people it doesn¡¯t make sense to. Unlike you, most people don¡¯t directly modify their Astral script interface. It¡¯s a bit ludicrous to even try to do that. The standard interface is a certain way because it¡¯s the easiest manifestation of your astral soul, and allows you parse information simply. So if you want to know your sub attribute, typically going to the guild is your only option.¡± Noah hummed in thought. ¡°Well, since I can check mine on my own, I could just refuse.¡± ¡°You could. But keep in mind, rank adjustments will also happen ordingly. Level isn¡¯t everything, so your sub-attributes also y a part in what rank the guild allocates to you. If there is some specific sub attribute you do not want to share, you can hide that from them. It depends on you. For stronger people, or someone with more renown, they can rece the evaluation with a directbat test for ranking, but the guild doesn¡¯t have infinite resources, or people sitting just for you. They wouldn¡¯t waste their time if they don¡¯t think you are worth it.¡± ¡°Makes sense. I¡¯ll give it some thought on our way there,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Alright, nowe here. You should know the path we¡¯re taking,¡± Aurelia said, taking out a map from her stack of maps, which she unfurled on the table. Pointing a finger, she pressed her hand on the bottom left corner. ¡°We¡¯re here right now, south west end of Melior republic,¡± she said, and Noah saw the fairly small kingdom at the edge of the continent. ¡°Behind us, those are the lost woods,¡± she said, dragging her finger down to arge expanse of green that covered the entire southern section of the continent. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Noah asked, pointing further below, at a circle made in the sea. ¡°The former southern Abyss, and the kingdom of Nyxis. My home,¡± Aurelia said. Noah looked up at Aurelia, but the woman didn¡¯t dwell on the revtion. ¡°There¡¯s two ways to Windrest here. One that cuts through the forest section, and one that goes around it. The forest path takes two days if we stop to rest through the night, one day if we travel continuously. The path that goes around takes a week.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be taking the shorter path, then?¡± Noah asked. ¡°If you¡¯re in a rush to die, then yes. I¡¯m not, so I¡¯ll be taking the longer path. The way cuts through a valley with a well-established trading route. Most we¡¯ll have to worry about are bandits and wolves. Maybe a couple of dire-wolves, but that¡¯s all. If we manage to find a caravan, we could offer to protect them in return for travelling with them as well,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°We¡¯ll get to Windrest in a week, and then I¡¯ll go look for the team that betrayed me. You should go get registered. Tell them that you¡¯re an outer-worlder, they¡¯ll get someone to help you out regarding paperwork. But don¡¯t spread the news around, obviously. Once you¡¯re registered and evaluated, you can start taking quests. We¡¯ll put in an official quest in for the Iron Fist, and gain information from the guild. In the meantime, you should go explore the city and try to get as many tomes as you can,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°What about after that?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Well, if we find the Iron Fist, we get them locked up, I get mypensation, I split it with you, and then we go our separate ways,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Noah. ¡°Or you coulde with me. I was nning to head to Heartilia. There¡¯s some people I know there, good folks, I¡¯ll get some money saved up, do some quests, before seeing where things take me beyond that.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°Aye aye captain! Whatever you think is best,¡± he said. Then a chime interrupted him. New Quest obtained! Quest: The City of Winds! Reach Windrest with your adventuringpanion safely. Difficulty: Medium Reward: Experience points. A marker showed up on Noah¡¯s mini map, pointing at Windrest in the distance. ¡°And I¡¯ve got a quest for it too, so this just made the trip official.¡± ¡°Good. We¡¯ll leave in an hour then. The Mayor got us the horses while you took your nap, and I¡¯ve made the preparations. Pack your¡­ I guess you don¡¯t have anything.¡± ¡°Yup. Empty handed, with an inventory full of junk and ready to leave,¡± Noah said. ¡°Let¡¯s head out then,¡± Aurelia said, packing her things, and Noah followed along. *** Their exit was almost as abrupt as their visit. They got their horses and mounted them, Noah taking a few minutes to adjust to the animal that didn¡¯t seem very fond of him. Quite a few townsfolk hade to say thanks to the two of them for clearing out the mines, and more than a couple of them had been pointing at Noah¡¯s obsidian colored arm peeking through his bandages. Noah saw the innkeeper, Lorian, in the distance as well and gave the man a wave before he noticed the woman whose son¡¯s ne he had. She stood with her daughter, looking at him. Reaching out to his neck, Noah grabbed the ne, disying it to the woman. He mouthed the words ¡°I¡¯ll cherish it,¡± and the woman dipped her head in gratitude. ¡°We are just a small town, but the two of you have been a great help. Please, feel free to visit if your paths ever bring you this way. We¡¯d be more than happy to wee you,¡± the Mayor said. Aurelia nodded and then tapped her horse. With a jerk, the horse began to move, and Noah¡¯s horse followed as well. ¡°What a strange visit,¡± Noah said, ncing at his new hand, where Tony slept peacefully. ¡°It¡¯s only just the beginning,¡± Aurelia said with a smile. Noah nodded, feeling excited about his journey ahead. Indeed, this was only just the beginning. Chapter 24: Escort Mission Chapter 24: Escort Mission Noah wiped sweat of his brow, squinting his eyes against the blinding light from the midday suns that hovered overhead, casting two dark shadows under his feet. His horse continued to move through the open grasnds with a steady gait, which he was thankful for. He didn¡¯t think he could¡¯ve dealt with being jerked around in this heat. ¡°How much longer?¡± Noah asked in a whine. ¡°I don¡¯t think asking that again and again will make you get there any faster,¡± Aurelia said. Noah groaned, feeling the heat starting to get to him. He had always been morefortable in cooler temperatures, and the sudden heat was making him feel ufortable and sluggish. ¡°Can¡¯t we take a break or something?¡± he asked. Aurelia shook her head. ¡°We need to keep moving. We¡¯re on a tight schedule, and we can¡¯t afford to waste any time.¡± Noah sighed, knowing that she was right. Though the knowledge of her rightness did not make the heat any less worse. ¡°Why is it so hot all of a sudden? The weather was nice till now,¡± Noah asked, fanning his shirt. ¡°The suns are closer today. They cycle every fifteen days,¡± Aurelia replied after a quick nce at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s nice weather, if you ask me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re insane,¡± Noah said. ¡°I wish my magic powers gave me magic cooling abilities, too.¡± ¡°They could if you gain heat resistance,¡± Aurelia replied with a shrug. ¡°High Constitution also will help.¡± ¡°I really hope Windrest is nicer than this,¡± Noah murmured. He let his sight wander, looking out at thendscape all around him. The change in environment was quite sudden. Where if the cultist hideout and forest had felt distinctly temperate in their biome and temperature, the path Noah took felt quite arid. The ground was a lighter shade than before, with thorny bushes forming the majority of the vegetation. In the far distance, Noah could see the silhouette of giant tree from the direction they¡¯de from, which at first he¡¯d mistaken to be mountains in the distance. ¡°Do you guys have this kind of patchy biome everywhere?¡± Noah asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Just that, we were just in a forest, and I can see those absolutely massive giant trees in the distance, but now all of a sudden we¡¯re in a desert like area,¡± Noah said. Aurelia thought over it. ¡°I guess so? Biomes are determined by mana type and grade. Right now, this ce has sr mana stones, so it¡¯s much drier. Layfar had earth, the forest had a mixed bunch, and Windrest has, as the name suggests, wind. So it¡¯s entirely dependent on that.¡± ¡°I hope there¡¯s not many ces with sr mana stones then,¡± Noah grumbled. Aurelia chuckled. "You''ll get used to it. The key is to stay hydrated and take breaks when you need to. We''ll take a small break soon enough, and you can rest and cool down then." Noah nodded, before letting his focus drift. With not much else to do, he reached out to his Astral script, trying to find a way to distract himself. But despite his best effort, he still found a sharp pain pierce through his head. ¡°How long will my head hurt when I try to reach out to my Astral Script?¡± ¡°A day a two. Your soul is like a muscle, so it needs time to heal when you pull it. The pain isn¡¯t really real, but a warning sign from your soul telling you to not mess with things any further. You can still ess your Astral script just the same.¡± ¡°I see. Lesson learned, don¡¯t fuck around with my soul,¡± Noah said, putting it away. Thankfully, his inventory and abilities seemed to work just fine, even if he couldn¡¯t summon his astral script properly. Noah pulled out a water skin, taking big gulps from it, before letting it return back. ¡°I swear a week of this will drive me mad.¡± ¡°Do you see that?¡± Aurelia asked, looking in the distance. ¡°See what?¡± Noah asked, turning further ahead. At the edge of his vision, Noah could see dark figures moving against the blinding light of the sun. ¡°There¡¯s people there. But also, I see something else behind them,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry,¡± she added, kicking her stirrup as her horse raced ahead. A lot more clumsily, Noah kicked his own stirrup as he followed behind. Their sight got a lot clearer as they got closer, and Noah found a couple of carts being pulled by giant oxen with four horns. Noah used identify on both. [Merchant - ?] [Quarox - ?] As they approached, the man sitting on the cart jumped up in joy. ¡°Has the guild already sent people?¡± Noah looked at Aurelia in surprise, who nced back at him, sharing his confusion. ¡°We¡¯re not from the guild. Just two adventurers making their way to Windrest. Is something the issue?¡± The man¡¯s face fell at her words, as he sat down once more. ¡°There¡¯s been andslide in the valley and the way ahead is blocked. Memphis knows how long they¡¯ll take to send the Geomancers for clearing the way out.¡± Aurelia frowned, before turning her gaze ahead. Noah followed her sight. In the distance, he could see the path move up to a valley section, and if he squinted, he could roughly make out a giant pile of rocks blocking the way in. ¡°Is it supposed to look like that?¡± Noah asked. ¡°No,¡± Aurelia replied, pulling out her map, as she began to check. ¡°We¡¯re definitely at the right ce¡­¡± Aurelia said, biting her lips. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°We could take the shorter route, but it¡¯s risky. And I have no intention of sleeping in the forest, so we¡¯ll have to travel through the night,¡± Aurelia said, ncing back at Noah. ¡°Are you insane? You¡¯ll go through Serpent¡¯s grove?¡± the merchant who seemed to have been listening to their conversation butt in. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Besides the terrible name, I mean,¡± Noah said. ¡°There¡¯s rumours of a Wyrm in that path. I know you¡¯re adventurers, but I wouldn¡¯t risk my life for that.¡± ¡°Nonsense,¡± Aurelia spat back. ¡°A Wyrm? Here? There¡¯s barely enough mana for a wyvern here, much less a Wyrm.¡± ¡°Listen, all I know is that people who went through that route saw something terrifying. So if you want to go, it¡¯s your funeral,¡± the man said, before pausing. ¡°I guess you could take those three as well, the man¡¯s been begging all of us to cross the serpent¡¯s cross but no one¡¯s quite that suicidal yet.¡± Noah nced at Aurelia, who looked back at him with a conflicted expression. Their discussion gathered attention, as more of the merchants waiting, and nning to set camp began to turn in their direction. Noah spotted a couple looking in their direction, and his eyes met theirs. A momentter, the man began to rush in his direction, holding up his hand. ¡°Adventurers! Please hold on,¡± the man said, walking up to the two of them. ¡°I¡¯d like¡­ to offer you a quest. Please, take me and my family through the serpent¡¯s grove. My son is sick, and we need to get him to the city. There¡¯s no way we can wait for a week or more. Please, we¡¯llpensate you for your trouble.¡± Noah used identify on the man. [Sculptor - ??] ¡°A sculptor?¡± Noah asked, feeling surprised. ¡°I am, a sculptor for the mayor of Altius,¡± the man said. ¡°Please help us, I can repay you for your troubles. But we really need to get to Windrest as soon as possible.¡± Aurelia frowned at the man¡¯s words. Noah nced back into the crowd, and saw a woman clutching a boy, not more than three or four years of age. His face was a flush red. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Noah asked. ¡°We don¡¯t know. We¡¯ve tried every healer we could find. But they¡¯re saying we need C rank healer or higher, and there¡¯s no one that capable around here.¡± Noah turned his horse around, getting off from his mount. Walking up to the kid, he crouched next to the woman. ¡°Can I see?¡± he asked, extending a hand. The woman looked at him, before nodding, as she presented the child. Noah pressed a palm on his forehead. The boy was burning up. Getting up from the kid, Noah walked back to Aurelia. ¡°Can I talk to you privately for a second?¡± Aurelia looked at him for a moment, before nodding. Getting off her horse as well, she followed him a little distance away. ¡°The boy¡¯s dying. His fever is way too high. Surely, we can¡¯t leave them be? Even without thendslide, the kid wouldn¡¯t have made it through the week like this.¡± ¡°You¡¯re suggesting we take them then? Going by ourselves is dangerous enough, but bringing escorts? We¡¯d be putting both theirs and our lives at risk.¡± ¡°What do you suggest we do then? Leave the kid to die?¡± ¡°We could take them to Layfar vige. It¡¯s only a few hours away,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°They said they need a C rank healer,¡± Noah said, before pausing. ¡°I could feed the kid some of my blood. It¡¯ll help for a while. My ability¡¯s strong enough to hold back necrotic poison, so it should keep the kid alive too.¡± Aurelia red at him. ¡°What did I tell you about using your ability publicly?¡± ¡°Yes, to not tell it to anyone. And I don¡¯t n to. I¡¯ll mix it in with a healing potion,¡± Noah said. Aurelia paused, before ncing back behind Noah. The man continued to look at them with desperate hope in his eyes, and after a moment of resistance, she sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t let them see that it¡¯s your blood,¡± she added quietly. Noah gave a small smile, before walking further into the bushes. Taking out his dagger, he cut his right palm open, letting the blood flow into his vial of healing potion. It took three shes for enough to gather, as his wounds kept healing rapidly, but after a while, Noah let the potion mix in, before he put his dagger away. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much,¡± the man said, grasping Noah¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve got a potion, which might help the kid,¡± Noah said, before taking a sip in front of the man. ¡°It¡¯s alright, we were most likely going to go through that route anyway. I¡¯m Noah, and this is mypanion Aurelia,¡± Noah said, and Aurelia dipped her head. I¡¯m Leon, and this is my wife, Shaya, and my son Irios,¡± Leon said, as Noah walked to the little boy, and gently presented the vial to him. It took a moment for the kid to open his eyes, before he turned his face away, resisting to drink. Shaya, the mother, gently pat Irios¡¯ back. ¡°Hey Irios. You¡¯re a brave kid, aren¡¯t you? This is just some medicine to help you, okay? We¡¯ll take you with us to the city, so that you can feel better. But you¡¯re brave, aren¡¯t you? Just take a little sip, and you¡¯ll feel better, I promise,¡± Noah said, coaxing the boy. After a little nudging, the boy opened one eye, and then took a hesitant sip from the bottle. A momentter, he greedily began to drink the potion, emptying the vial, before closing his eyes, as he instantly fell asleep. ¡°Let¡¯s head out,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°If we¡¯re going then I¡¯d rather move quick.¡± New Quest obtained! Quest: Escort Mission Escort the family of three to Windrest safely through the serpent¡¯s grove. Difficulty: Hard Reward: Unknown. Noah looked at the quest, noting the difficulty, before he shrugged. He wasmitted now, and he wasn¡¯t going to say no. Noah nodded, before climbing up on top of his own horse. A momentter, it was obvious that Leon was a better horse rider than him, and he let the man take the reins, sitting behind. Shaya and Irios climbed in front of Aurelia. ¡°I¡¯ll pray for you,¡± the merchant who¡¯d first talked with them said, ncing in their direction. ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah muttered, looking at Aurelia. ncing back at him, she checked the reins on Noah¡¯s ride. ¡°Make sure to keep a tight grip, we¡¯ll be moving fast,¡± she said, before kicking at the saddle of her own horse. With a kick start of his own, the five of them turned right, and began to make their way rapidly towards the forest. Chapter 25: Serpents Grove Chapter 25: Serpent''s Grove The aridndscape began to shift quickly as the group approached the serpent¡¯s grove. It wasn¡¯t difficult to see why the name had been given, once Noah could see portions of the forest on his mini-map. The forest path ran like a serpent through the otherwise aridndscape, appearing a lot like a green serpent making its way across the map. Noah appreciated the shade the trees provided as they entered the forest proper, feeling the air be a lot more humid from the surrounding vegetation. ¡°The path should exit right in front of Windrest. If we keep travelling through the night, we should get there by sunrise,¡± Aurelia said, ncing towards Noah and Leon. Noah continued to ride behind Leon, who in turn followed behind Aurelia. The bright summer day had quickly turned to a rather dim hazy path as the canopies of leaves and braches blocked out almost every bit of sunlight from reaching the ground. ¡°You mentioned you were from Altius, yes? Where exactly is that? I¡¯m still new to these parts, so I¡¯m not really familiar with the names yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a town to the west of here. Not particrly big, but it¡¯s near the Lost Woods, so we have an abundance of wood.¡± ¡°Huh, interesting. So you work as a sculptor in the town?¡± ¡°I do. I¡¯ve got a sightly quirky ability that lets me animate my sculptures, so they can be used for a lot of things. And the mayor has kept me around for making watch towers, and guardian sculptures for the town to keep them alerted of any threat that may being,¡± Leon said, before digging out a tiny wooden sculpture from his pocket. Noah saw the small bear of wood shake itself, before it walked around on his palm in wonder. ¡°That¡¯s so neat. Are they alive, or are you just controlling them?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Neither. They¡¯re not alive, but I don¡¯t control them limb from limb either. I give them amand, and the sculptures follow it to the best of their ability,¡± Leon replied, putting the little sculpture away. Noah thought about the various applications of having an ability like that. There were likely limits due to mana, but if Leon wanted, he could make an army for himself. All of that from a sculptor based Path. ¡°How do you two intend to find a C grade healer? Even in Windrest, they¡¯re not exactlymon, and those that are there are not cheap,¡± Aurelia said, ncing back. ¡°We have a party we¡¯ve been sending letters to, who has a C grade healer. She was kind enough to agree after hearing about our problems,¡± Shaya replied. Aurelia frowned at the woman¡¯s words. ¡°Were they called the Iron Fists by any chance?¡± ¡°No, I think they were named¡­ Righteous Light, or something simr,¡± Shaya replied. Noah snorted at the name, but did notment any further. ¡°We¡¯re really grateful to have found somebody,¡± Leon said, ncing at his son. ¡°Irios has been sick for over a week now, and we¡¯ve been lost on what to do, or why. A lot of other children have also been getting sick around now, and some people are mentioning a curse or a gue.¡± ¡°Just the children?¡± Noah asked, raising an eyebrow. Leon nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a seamstress, but I also work as a midwife,¡± Shaya said, ncing to the side for a moment, before continuing in a quieter voice. ¡°All the births in thest month have been stillbirths. It¡¯s left people unnerved.¡± ¡°There¡¯s been more Abyssal Cultists on the move as well, and Hellion¡¯s church seems to be sending priests out,¡± Leon said. ¡°It¡¯s all been quite scary. The stillbirths, the elderly and children falling sick. It¡¯s why we¡¯re thinking after Irios is better, we may move to a different city,¡± Shaya said, brushing Irios¡¯ head lightly. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you. I can¡¯t just leave the town, Shaya. Not after all the Mayor has done for us,¡± Leon replied. Shaya didn¡¯tment any further, and conversation died down as they moved through the forest. The forest began to thicken as they made their way. Noah was surprised by just how dark it was. The suns were still out, but it felt like night, and if he didn¡¯t have [Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes] he would¡¯ve been struggling to see. Aurelia created small sparkling balls of light to keep visibility clear. A loud screech shook the forest, as they skid to a halt. ¡°Ahead, north west,¡± Aurelia said in a clipped voice. Noah nced in the direction, feeling a shiver run up his spine. ¡°What was that?¡± Leon asked. ¡°We¡¯d rather not find out,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Head east, we¡¯ll be stepping off the path.¡± Leon steered the horse, following behind Aurelia as they redirected their path. Noah continued to keep his eyes in the direction where the sound hade, before noticing a small blur far off in the distance. He used identify. [Mothbear lvl - ??] Noah turned away, trying to not catch the creature¡¯s attention. The trees seemed to grow taller, the fauna around them almost all-epassing as every bit of light seemed to vanish. An eerie silence nketed the forest now, and he could barely distinguish day from night. ¡°Is it¡­ supposed to be this dark?¡± Noah asked. He was starting to have a bad feeling. The horse whined beneath Noah, starting to catch on to his nervousness, and he patted the animal. ¡°No¡­ something¡¯s wrong,¡± Aurelia said, stopping her horse. ¡°Wait here,¡± she said, handing Shaya the reins to the animal. Jumping off, she kicked off the ground, and began to leap from branch to branch, as she rapidly made her way up. The branches rustled as Aurelia vanished into the thick vegetation, only the sound of rustling leaves any indication of where she was. Silence filled the ever-darker forest, as the temperature began to plummet rapidly. With a sudden rustle, Noah saw Aurelia jump down, a grim expression on her face as shended back down. ¡°Get off the horses. We need to get out of here. Quick,¡± she said, helping Shaya down, before she pped the horse¡¯s back. The animal reigned back with a neigh, before rushing away. Noah followed along, taken aback but not questioning her as his own horse rushed away as well. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, as they began to rush rapidly through the forest. ¡°It¡¯s an eclipse,¡± Aurelia said, not slowing down whatsoever. A horrified gasp escaped out of Shaya¡¯s mouth, as she clutched her son tighter, covering his eyes. Leon¡¯s expression turned grim as well. ¡°An eclipse?¡± Noah murmured, before looking up to try and see what was wrong. ¡°Don¡¯t look at it you idiot!¡± Aurelia snapped. She paused, noticing her tension, and took a deep breath. ¡°Two eclipses happen every year. On days when the two suns and the moon are all aligned. At that time, when day turns to night, the Watcher, the moon you see, opens its eyes, and looks upon the world,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Leon. ¡°It¡¯s called the Watcher¡¯s Night. And it inflicts madness upon any who look at it. Monsters will be going in a frenzy, and undead will be rising in hordes for the duration of the eclipse. We need to find a safe ce and fast.¡± Noah nodded, trying to keep his curiosity in check and keep his eyes from drifting up. Neither Leon nor Shaya questioned why Noah didn¡¯t know about something that was likelymon knowledge, and he didn¡¯tment on it further as they kept a brisk pace through the forest. Shrieks and howls began to rise, the eerie silence of the forest now starting to stir. Slowly, the dark skies began to lighten with a deep red glow, and Noah heard Aurelia mutter a curse under her breath. With a piercing pulse of something, Noah felt the eye open in the sky. The gaze was palpable, like a pressure pushing against his mind, asking him to look up, and gaze back into it. The Watcher¡¯s Eye opens. It judges your soul. Noah paused as the words disyed in front of him. He nced around, trying to see if any of the others had gotten something simr, but no one seemed to be reacting. ¡°Depths take me,¡± Aurelia said, fire twirling on her first. ¡°Protect the family!¡± she shouted, before rushing ahead. Noah quickly saw the reason. A giant mothbear was howling, as it rushed towards the five of them. The bear¡¯s eyes were bleeding, and an unnatural red. [MothBear lvl - ?] Fire burst through the forest with a blinding light, as Aurelia intercepted the creature. ¡°Run!¡± Noah shouted, blinking in front of Leon and Shaya, as he took out his des and let bleed cover his weapon. Quest Updated! Quest: Escort Mission Survive the Watcher¡¯s Night and escort the family of three to windrest safely through the serpent¡¯s grove. Difficulty: Very Hard Reward: A Legendary grade ability tome. A viper jumped at Noah from the shadows, fangs bared and eyes bleeding. Noah shed his de, Obliterate cutting through the creature with a single slice. The kill notification shed in front of Noah, but he had no time to look at it, as every living thing around them rustled madly. The ground stirred, a hand grabbing onto Shaya. The woman shrieked, about to fall, and Noah rushed ahead, catching her and Irios. A piercing wail cut through the forest, as the boy cried, and Noah cut through the hand grasping onto Shaya¡¯s ankle. [Lesser Undead lvl - ?] Taking his de, Noah stabbed it into the rising skull of the undead with obliterate. You¡¯ve defeated [Lesser Undead lvl - 18 (Common)] Noah helped Shaya back to her feet, before watching the woman stumble and cry out in pain. Her ankle was starting to swell. Noah cursed, thinking for a moment, before he sliced his palm and pressed it against her leg. A burst of fire exploded behind them, and Noah heard a roare from behind him. He turned and saw a giant bear of wood with glowing green eyes, fighting alongside Aurelia, as Leon held with his hand outwards, and sweat beading on his face. Nodding, Noah helped Shaya up. ¡°Can you walk?¡± he asked. The woman nodded, gritting her teeth. ¡°You¡¯ll have to bear through the pain.¡± He said, before giving her an arm as he began to run ahead. Aurelia rushed in from behind, one half of her face wed by three giant scar marks that dripped blood down her cheeks. With a jump she climbed on top of the wooden bear, and extended a hand to Noah. Noah grabbed Aurelia, pulling Shaya with him, as they climbed atop the charging bear sculpture tearing through the forest. ¡°Where are we going?!¡± he screamed as a horde of monsters continued to give chase. ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Aurelia screamed back, and Noah saw terror in her eyes. ¡°One of my sculptures can see a cave ahead, we could hide in there till the eclipse passes,¡± Leon screamed against the rushing winds, ncing back at us. Noah nodded, ncing at Aurelia who did not reply. Fire dominated her fists, as she shot balls of mes at the screaming and lurching hordes of undead and monsters. Human and monster corpses alike rose from the ground, eyes bleeding through their skulls as they howled and shriked. ¡°Watch out!¡± Aurelia screamed, as a child undead leapt from the trees, tackling Noah off the bear. The air pushed out of his lungs, as the undead tried to bite at his face. Noah screamed in horror, grabbing the undead¡¯s jaw as he held it back. ws burst from his left hand, digging into the monsters as Noah pushed the creature back before a st of fire took out the undead¡¯s skull. Chunks of meat and dark blood sttered over Noah and he pushed the burning corpse aside. Pulling himself up, Noah rushed ahead, using Blink to teleport himself back on top of the wooden bear. ¡°Are you okay? Check for any bites. Undead have necrosis poison,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Noah replied. He felt at his neck, feeling the teeth marks. But the necrosis poison did not take hold, and even while asleep, he could feel Tony sucking up the poison into his arms and the nds under his ws. ¡°Mother Hellion, O gracious goddess of justice, please protect us,¡± Shaya whispered under her breath, clutching her hands before she gave a kiss to Irios sleeping in her arms. ¡°There, there¡¯s the cave!¡± Leon shouted. Noah looked in the distance, noticing a giant cave like the open maw of a serpent bearing down upon them. Charging through the cave the wooden bear crashed inside, its wooden body cracking as they skid to a stop. Noah flung out, and stumbled onto the ground, crashing into the cavern. Groaning, he pulled himself, up. Aurelia stood on guard near the entrance, breathing heavily as fire danced around her fists. Noah blinked closer, his own de in his in hand. The hoard of undead howled and screamed through the forest, wing at air, yet none seemed to be approaching near the cavern. ¡°Are¡­ are we safe now?¡± Noah asked, watching the monsters standing at a distance. ¡°I think so,¡± Aurelia replied, blood dripping down her face. ¡°Let¡¯s move further in. Keep your guard up.¡± Noah nodded, turning around. ¡°Is¡­ I¡­¡± Noah heard Leon whimper. Trying to see what was wrong, he turned back when his eyes met the creature¡¯s, and his heart stopped. [?????] A giant snake, no, a Wyrm, looked back, striking terror into Noah¡¯s heart. Its emerald eyes shone in the dark, the pressure of its aura crushing Noah¡¯s soul as he fell onto his knees. You are in the presence of an Ascendant. Your soul trembles in fear. [Terror - V] inflicted. All attributes reduced by 100% You cannot move. The creature was massive, its ancient mawrge enough to swallow them all at once. Two horns jut from its crown as an overbearing aura that crushed anything in its presence emanated from its body. He tried to reach for air, but his chest refused to move. Even his heart was still under the pressure of the aura. He was dead. Never had Noah been so certain of his oing death than in this very moment. There was nothing he could do to beat this. This was a god. And he was a mere speck of dust in front of it. The Wyrm moved closer, opening its maw. From the corner of his vision, Noah saw tears flowing down Aurelia¡¯s eyes before she closed them in eptance. Leon tried to move, to reach out for his son. He failed. There was no resisting this. Then, with a piercing cry, Irios cried out. The boy cried and wailed, his voice echoing through the cavern. Noah saw the Wyrm pause, its eyes resting on the crying boy in Shaya¡¯s hands. The Wyrm paused before slowly moving its head closer. Noah tried to move, to do anything, but his body refused to listen to hismand. Despair wed at his heart as he watched the Wyrm move towards the small child. But the cruel end he had anticipated did note. The giant Wyrm sniffed at the child as Irios¡¯ cries died down. The boy now reached out at the giant Wyrm, seemingly unaffected by its aura as he pressed a palm against the serpent. Laughter echoed through the caverns, like summer chimes filled with the joy of a child. Noah watched in wonder, unable to understand what was happening. The Wyrm slowly reached down towards Irios, before opening its mouth. Irios reached out, and grabbed a bright emerald green scale from the wyrm, before breaking it off. Laughter echoed once more as bright green light pulsed from the scale, into the boy. [Terror - V] removed. Noah gasped, his heart finally beating again as he breathed once more. He coughed, feeling his body revolting against the sensations he had felt. After he¡¯d caught his breath, Noah looked up, and saw the Wyrm turn back further into the cave. Following the creature¡¯s gaze, Noah looked back, and his eyes widened in surprise. There was a single egg in the back, almost half the size of Noah¡¯s body. It sat upon a nest made of straw, and the Wyrm¡¯s body was coiled around it. Noah saw the Wyrm¡¯s scales cracked and decaying as mana and life flowed from the giant creature into the egg. The creature was dying. The Wyrm turned towards the five of them before snorting. A deep rumbling bellow that shook the earth came from its mouth. ¡°Leave. When the False-night ends.¡± With the deration, the Wyrm turned around, retreating back into its nest. Slowly, Noah stood up, unable to shake off the daze that came from the experience. One by one, they all walked towards the entrance of the cavern as they waited for the eclipse to end. The red skies dimmed soon, retreating away from the skies before the light of the sun pierced through. Sanity returned to the monsters as they copsed from exhaustion, and the dead returned to their graves, running from the light of the suns. Noah stumbled out, followed by Aurelia, Leon and Shaya, as they walked through the silent forest. ¡°We should¡­ make camp,¡± Aurelia murmured, and Noah nodded in a daze. ¡°I¡¯ll go pick up some kindling,¡± Leon added. Noah nced towards the cave, and the skies above him, wondering if he had just woken from a dream. His sight went back to the scale resting in Irios¡¯ hand as proof of the reality of everything that had happened. Perk [Fate Touched] activated. Luck B9 ¡ú A0. Noah watched the notification before he shook his head and followed Leon to gather firewood. He really needed some sleep. Chapter 26: A Night in the Woods Chapter 26: A Night in the Woods Noah felt a hand shake him, as his mind slipped away from the darkfort of sleep. Taking a moment to blink off the drowsiness, Noah looked up and saw Aurelia crouching next to him. ¡°I¡¯ll need to catch about an hour of sleep. Can you take over the watch?¡± Noah nodded, pulling himself up, yawning and stretching out his limbs. ¡°I love feeling refreshed after just a few hours of sleep,¡± he murmured, looking to the still crackling fire. ¡°You must have a high Constitution for your level,¡± Leon said, tossing a piece of wood into the fire. ¡°I mostly see sleep reduction with E rankers or higher.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t sleep?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I took a small nap, but I doubt I could¡¯ve slept even if I wanted to,¡± Leon said. Noah noticed some tools next to Leon, and scraps of shaven wood. Leon smiled, and took out the little bear statue to show it off. ¡°This little guy needed some repairs after that battle, so I figured I may as well make use of my time.¡± Noah stared at the bear, realising that he could see burn marks and scars from their fight. There was a sizeable chunk missing from its side. ¡°Can you shrink and grow them at will? It was quite surprising when I saw the giant wooden beare out of nowhere.¡± ¡°Some I can. The special ones. Most others I can¡¯t. Cub was one of the first sculptures I ever made, so he¡¯s more special than most, and I have the most control over him.¡± Noah looked at the little bear, at the marks, feeling the gentle movements of Leon¡¯s hands as he worked on fixing the sculpture. ¡°I know you said they weren¡¯t alive, but¡­ do they feel pain and stuff?¡± Leonughed. ¡°No, they¡¯re sculptures. They can¡¯t feel pain, but¡­ Cub definitely feels alive. Perhaps if I keep growing, maybe I¡¯ll be able to bring them to life better.¡± ¡°It sounds like you care about your sculptures a lot,¡± Noah said. ¡°I do. It¡¯s why I got me my [Life Sculptor] Path. It¡¯s my greatest desire to create a sculpture so perfect, it can capture the essence of life, and be indistinguishable from the real thing.¡± ¡°Do you think you can do it?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Probably not. But that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t try,¡± Leon replied. ¡°And after that encounter¡­ I feel like I have a chance.¡± Noah nodded, leaning back. The crackling of the fire let his mind begin to drift, and he reached out to his Astral Script to see if he could finally open it. To his surprise, the interface popped up with only a dull throb. Name: Noah Brown Race: Human (Symbiont) Rank: F Paths: Exsanguinator - level 22 Astralwalker - level 20 Void Hunter - level 20 Attributes: Power: 72 Agility: 38 Constitution: 49 Mystic: 78 Attribute points: 66 Noah eyes bulged as he looked at his menu. The recent battle had gained him a lot of levels. All of which he¡¯d not gotten any notifications for. Reaching out to his system, he pulled up all relevant notifications. You¡¯ve survived [Terror ¨C V]. You¡¯ve survived the presence of an Ascendant. You¡¯ve gained the skill [Terror Resistance]! [Terror Resistance] has reached level 3! [Exsanguinator] has reached level 22! [Astralwalker] has reached level 20! [Void Hunter] has reached level 20! [Blink] has reached level 7! [Obliterate] has reached level 6! [Blood Drain] has reached level 7! [Bleed] has reached level 8! [Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes] has reached level 12! [Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes (Basic ¡úIntermediate)]! [Abyssal Symbiote] has reached level 7! [Soul Resistance] has reached level 9! There was a lot to go through, and Noah was a bit shocked by just how much had changed from that single encounter. Looking at his new Skill, Noah opened Terror Resistance. [Terror Resistance (Basic) - level 3] You have survived the depths of terror and lived to tell the tale. Find yourself resistant to Terror effects. He was pleased by the new gain. Terror was the worst status effect he¡¯d seen so far, and if the resistance meant he wouldn¡¯t be as helpless against a creature like that again, then he¡¯d love to have it on him. Going back to his screen, Noah looked at his free stat points. He¡¯d umted a lot, so it was about time to invest some of it. Noah¡¯s reflex was attached to Agility, which was a stat he¡¯d most likely benefit from improving. Mystic was already quite high, and Power tranted to more damage by his abilities. Constitution was also an easy one to get done, with his health directly tied into it. After a few more minutes of thought, Noah distributed his points. Power increased to 76. Agility increased to 72. Constitution increased to 80. Noah saw his health bar rapidly increase in size as a wave of energy pulsed through him. The feeling was euphoric, and his body twitched from the rapid increase in Attributes. ¡°Did you¡­ did you strengthen all your Attributes at once?¡± Leon asked. Noah found himself struggling to reply, as each muscle in his body tensed. ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes,¡± Leon said with a sigh. ¡°You¡¯re really new to this, aren¡¯t you? Lie down and sleep. You¡¯re going to need rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine,¡± Noah replied through clenched teeth. ¡°You¡¯re really not. With how rapidly your aura is expanding, your body must be going into overdrive to keep up with the changes. If you can¡¯t sleep, then Meditate. I¡¯ll keep watch by myself for now.¡± Noah didn¡¯t argue with him, closing his eyes as he began to Meditate. Mana flowed into him as his mind sunk within his consciousness. His focus deepened entirely on his breath, and the sensations began to slip away. Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out. It was calming, and Noah could feel each breath filling his mana pool and rejuvenating his body until he was filled to the brim with Mana. The capacity had grown, from a shallow puddle to a deep bowl of water that rested within him. Mana Regen: D1 ¡ú D2. Mana: 100% Noah opened his eyes, finding himself feeling a lot calmer. He nced at the skies, realising the suns were starting to rise in the distance. ¡°Hope you feel better?¡± Leon asked Noah. ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Good. There¡¯s a rule of thumb we teach newly Awakened for strengthening their Attribute. Rank F to E, the rmended amount is no more than twenty-five at a time. Above that it¡¯s fifty, up to Rank C. Rank B can do up to seventy-five. And a hundred at once is what Rank As are rmended,¡± Leon said, ncing at Noah. ¡°Typically, this is only information nobles and their children learn. Commoners don¡¯t have the resources or the kind of Paths that can survive encounters where they grow this rapidly.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡± Having mostly recovered, he reached out to his system again, and noticed his notification system was still messed up. Noah frowned, focusing on the notifications. He could feel his concentration pushing against his Astral Script, as he began to move the notifications to a folder. Forming the notification box properly, Noah then began to focus on tagging them. Levels. Skills. Abilities. Attributes. Sub-Attributes. Each tag would have a different disy priority, and he¡¯d be able to ess all of it one at a time, or all at once if he wanted. A ping chimed in Noah¡¯s ears, alerting him to a notification, and a single red dot on the icon appeared. Noah opened the notification, before seeing the Skill tag highlighted and saw the new Skill up. [Soul Modification] has reached level 3. Noah smiled, happy to see his new system was working. Now he wouldn¡¯t be spammed by random increase notifications while in the middle ofbat and could check them at his leisure. There was more to be done, and Noah suspected there could be a lot more tweaks he could make to his Astral Script, but he didn¡¯t want to strain his soul again, and decided to leave this be for now. Moving through the notification folder, Noah reached Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes, and opened the [Ability] menu. [Void Hunter¡¯s Eye (Intermediate) - level 12] You can see clearer than ever, and your eyes can peer through the darkest depths. Be capable of channeling mana into your eyes to look at life-force. Noah noticed the change regarding the mana channeling. He tried the ability out, feeling Void mana gathering in his eyes. Vibrant shes of green covered his eyes, his own body being a particrly bright source. Looking around, Noah found one particr spot blindingly bright, and he had to stop his ability to be able to see clearly. Noah blinked a few times, clearing his vision, before he saw the glow came from the scale Irios was clinging to as he slept next to his mother. Noah used Identify on the scale. [???] The scale of an ancient being. ¡°How is Irios doing now?¡± Noah asked, turning to Leon. ¡°His fever vanished almost entirely. So I¡¯m hopeful,¡± Leon replied. ¡°You should keep the scale hidden. It¡¯s¡­ got potent life-force in it,¡± Noah said. ¡°I can feel it,¡± Leon replied. ¡°I n to make a ne out of it and let Irios keep the scale. The life-force will be good for him as he¡¯s growing up,¡± Leon said. Noah nodded, clutching his own ne. ¡°I¡¯m still not sure how Irios wasn¡¯t affected by the Terror effect,¡± Noah said. ¡°He¡¯s a child. Unawakened are typically immune from effects like that,¡± Leon said. ¡°Huh,¡± Noah murmured, ncing back at Irios. The sun¡¯s rays pierced through the forest trees, and Noah noticed Aurelia stir and wake from her sleep. After taking a few moments to settle her wild hair, she turned toward them. ¡°Any problems?¡± ¡°None,¡± Leon replied. ¡°Was a rather peaceful night.¡± ¡°Good. The monsters are likely all exhausted by the eclipse, so at least we had that going for us. We should get moving, I want to get to Windrest before sunset.¡± Leon nodded, going over to wake his wife and son. Noah took the time to put out the campfire. He watched Aurelia, sitting next to a pool of water as she stared into it. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Noah asked, snapping her out of the daze. ¡°What? Yes, yeah, everything¡¯s fine,¡± she replied, wiping at her eyes once. ¡°Still feeling the aftereffects?¡± Noah asked in a quieter voice, crouching next to her. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just a little unsettled. Back there, in front of that wyrm, I had epted my death. My purpose, everything I¡¯ve been working toward, I lost it all. Just like that. It¡¯s just¡­ taking some time to move on from that.¡± Noah rested a hand on Aurelia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But we¡¯re alive.¡± Aurelia nodded. ¡°We are.¡± Noah smiled, patting Aurelia¡¯s shoulder once more as he got up. Leon and Shaya were awake, and so was Irios, who clung to his mother, the wyrm scale tightly grasped in his hand. Noah looked out into the distance, seeing first dawn light up the sky, as the suns began to peek over the horizon one after the other, and birdsong began to whistle through the brightening sky. After checking for everything, and gathering up their camp, the party of five made their way through the forest. It took roughly the entire day to exit the forest before they were forced to make camp as the suns set. After resting through another night, they set out a few hours before the suns rose once again. In the meantime, Noah had been learning more about the eclipse from Aurelia and Shaya. ¡°The eclipse happens roughly twice a year. No one is sure why, but that¡¯s how it works. The time of an eclipse can be hard to predict, with some happening as close to each other as a single month,¡± Shaya said. ¡°There¡¯s another lunar event called the Bloody Moon. It¡¯s a moon that appears when the Crimson Heart awakens, but that one hasn¡¯t happened since the primordial god went to sleep. The Watcher also has a Night of the Dead, but that happens every few years, and the eclipse itselfsts for an entire day. It¡¯s a big thing, and causes a lot of unrest. The only people who seem to know when these will happen are the Watcher¡¯s cultists and the Crimson Cultists.¡± ¡°Wait, so all of these things are influenced by the cults and primordial gods?¡± ¡°The cultists don¡¯t cause them, though I¡¯ve heard somerge scale rituals can. But they can predict these events. Unfortunately, it¡¯s hard to get that information from a cultist, so there¡¯s no real good way to tell.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wild. How many cults are there like that?¡± Noah asked. ¡°There¡¯s many sub-branches, but all of them follow one of the three primordial gods. The Incarnation of the Void, the Watcher, or the Crimson Heart. Each of which have the Abyssal Cult, the Lunar Cult, and the Crimson Cult respectively.¡± ¡°And the gods are against them?¡± ¡°Hellion, the mother goddess of Justice, fights against the Abyss in her eternal war. But all gods are against the cults, yes. Raelinah, the old goddess of War, led her Valkyries against the Crimson Heart a millennia ago, putting it to sleep. Now the god of War, Rutha, has taken over the task. And Septah, the god of Mercy, protects against the Watcher. The other gods don¡¯t have any specific foe, but they all shelter us against the primordial god¡¯s influence,¡± Shaya said, pulling out a ne she wore. ¡°I see,¡± Noah said. ¡°Do you follow any of them?¡± ¡°Hellion is my goddess, but my mother worshiped Septah, and so I¡¯ve grown up with the god of Mercy¡¯s teachings. This pendant was given to me by my mother, and though I do not worship Septah, I have met him once and his words stay close to my heart,¡± Shaya said. Noah did a double take. ¡°Wait, hold on, you met the god!¡± he asked, baffled. ¡°As in¡­ in person?¡± Shaya looked at him in confusion. ¡°I did. It was during a festival held in Septah¡¯s name and the god had visited our church for him, which is when I saw him.¡± ¡°So the gods¡­ often meet their believers? In person?¡± Noah asked, struggling to wrap his head around the idea. ¡°Not often. Maybe with the high ranking clerics. But they do appear in their churches. And sometimes elsewhere too,¡± Shaya replied. ¡°Man¡­ our gods were just¡­ distant things. Imagine actually meeting the god you worship,¡± Noah said, before shaking his head. ¡°Well, some old deities did that, but they fell out of faith. It¡¯s a bit hard to keep faith in a deity that does not respond,¡± Aurelia said. Noah nodded, though his thoughts churned. Of what he¡¯d heard of Hellion, he did not have a good impression of the supposed goddess of Justice, with her ruthless and merciless ways. Given how she¡¯d asked him to sacrifice his life the moment he¡¯d gotten here for her cause also did not fill him with good feelings about the goddess. Letting his thoughts drift, Noah watched the sunrise light up the grasnds, as the City of Windrest became visible. Tall walls and andscape filled with windmills greeted Noah. There was a constant wind circling the city, and the architecture reflected it. The buildings were tall deeper in the city, peeking above the walls as the central and higheryers of Windrest rose up above thendscape. Many bridges connected the tall buildings, and Noah spotted more than a couple people jumping off from the top with wing-like gliders attached to their arms, allowing them to fly around. ¡°What¡¯re those things? That they¡¯re using to fly?¡± Noah asked, pointing at the group of people jumping off the walls of the city. ¡°Ah, those are feather-gliders. They have wind mana stones embedded in them, and let you para glide for a long distance,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Windrest is famous for those, but you see them in other ces as well. They¡¯re not good outside of very specific terrain, but here, you¡¯ll see almost everyone using them to travel,¡± Leon added. ¡°I loved flying with those as a kid,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I¡¯ll show you how it works when we get in.¡± ¡°Actually, about getting in. I don¡¯t see any gates? Are we on the wrong side?¡± Noah asked. No matter how he tried to look, he couldn¡¯t find an entrance to enter the city. ¡°Like that,¡± Aurelia said, pointing. Noah looked where she was pointing and saw a giant tform at the walls. With a sudden burst of wind, a tornado manifested beneath the tform, carrying arge group of wagons and people up the walls. ¡°Oh shit, an elevator,¡± Noah said, watching the tform move steadily up beforeing to a stop at the top. ¡°Yup. A wind based one. There¡¯s eight of those in all directions of the city. We¡¯ll be entering from the southwest gate,¡± Aurelia said. Noah watched the elevators and the flying gliders with fascination as they made their way through the grasnd. By the time the suns rose above the walls, the party of five had reached the base of the gate and were waiting their turn to board. Noah felt like a child stepping on an esctor for a first time as he walked on the giant stone floor. With a jerk, he felt the entire tform start to move up, the four chains on all sides nging as they held them stable. Powerful gusts of wind blew all around as they rose high into the sky, beforeing to a stop at the very top of the walls. ¡°I always liked the view from this city,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°It is quite a sight,¡± Leon agreed. Noah watched the path they¡¯d taken toe here, the forest out on the horizon, with a widey of grasnd all around the city. ¡°Can¡¯t deny the sight,¡± Noah added. ¡°Let¡¯s head in. I don¡¯t have my adventuring te, so we¡¯ll have to go through security,¡± Aurelia said. Following her, he waited in line, watching as people walked by the guards. He saw the security ask everyone to ce their hand on a stone, before asking them the same three questions. Noah walked up to the man, and the guard looked at him with an uninterested look. ¡°ce your hand on the stone.¡± Noah followed the instructions, cing his hand on the stone. ¡°Name and age,¡± the guard asked. ¡°Noah Brown, twenty-four.¡± The stone lit up with a white light. ¡°Are you a member of any of the three cults?¡± ¡°No.¡± The stone lit up again. ¡°Do you have a criminal record?¡± ¡°No.¡± The stone lit up once more, and the guard nodded. ¡°Pass through.¡± Noah walked through the entrance, and waited for the rest of hispanions. ¡°We¡¯re here. I cannot thank the two of you enough for helping us,¡± Leon said. ¡°We¡¯ll be in debt to you both,¡± Shaya added, bowing her head. ¡°I know this isn¡¯t nearly enough, but please take this as my thanks for taking us through the pass. Irios looks well now, but we¡¯ll still take him to a healer, just to be sure. We wouldn¡¯t have been able to get here without your help,¡± Leon said, digging into his pocket. He put two brightly glowing stones in Noah¡¯s hands, and two in Aurelia¡¯s. [Mana Stone - C] An aspectless C grade mana stone. ¡°This¡­ this is a lot,¡± Aurelia said, looking up at Leon. ¡°Please, don¡¯t refuse. I truly, genuinely cannot thank you two enough. And I was hoping to give somepensation to you not just for epting the quest, but also for the wyrm scale,¡± Leon added. Aurelia looked back at the scale in Irios¡¯ hand, then nodded. ¡°Very well.¡± Leon extended his hand to Noah. ¡°It was great to meet you, and you, Aurelia. We¡¯ll be in Windrest for a while, but even after we leave, don¡¯t hesitate to ever reach out if you ever need anything.¡± ¡°It was a pleasure for me as well,¡± Noah said. ¡°May Hellion¡¯s guidance watch over you two,¡± Shaya added, dipping her head once, and Noah returned a nod. ¡°We¡¯ll take our leave now. Till fate brings us together again. Till then, I hope youe to enjoy our world, Noah,¡± Leon said with a wink and turned away. Noah stared in surprise at the man, thenughed. A momentter, a notification for his Questpletion chimed. Quest: Escort Mission, Completed! Quest: City of Winds, Completed! Noah looked out to the new city. Taking in a breath, he smiled, feeling excited to explore. It was time for him to finally register as an adventurer. Chapter 27: Interlude: Just a Bunny Chapter 27: Interlude: Just a Bunny In the vige of Layfar, in a rather unassuming bush, a bunny was crouching. The bunny was by all means a rather regr animal. But this one in particrly was unsatisfied, and was searching for something. The bunny chewed on grass, eating food. It was hungry and so it ate. This had always been the case. It had never had to think about that. It simply ate when it was hungry and slept it was tired. But recently, it had been captured. The bunny was terrified, and had felt scared. But then, while still captured by the giant creatures, it had been given something. Something delicious. It wanted that. It wanted more of that life. So it chewed on grass, and thumped its feet angrily. This was not enough anymore. But¡­ how could it get more of that other thing? The bunny thought, and it thought long and hard. It was not really good at thinking, and it got distracted rather easily. But this time, it really gave its all in thinking. And it came to a conclusion. The giants must have the life-elixir. The red beacon of delicious life, the nectar of dreams that it had been fed upon. So if it wanted more, it had to go to the giants again. The bunny wiped its face with its hands, and rubbed its long ears as it continued to chew on the grass. It had a n now. And so, after it had enough, the bunny hopped. And hopped and hopped, as it began to make its way back into the vige. It took some time, before the bunny saw the first giant. It was not a particrly big one, and this one had long fur on its head. The bunny jumped closer, before rubbing itself on the giant¡¯s leg. ¡°Oh! A bunny! Hello? Do you want something?¡± The bunny did not understand the little-giant¡¯s words, so it continued to rub itself against its leg. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± the giant asked, before reaching into her clothes. ¡°I only have this leaf.¡± A leaf! The bunny liked leaves, and this one smelled nice. So it took a bite, and another, before quickly it began to nibble on the leaf. ¡°You¡¯re cute,¡± the giant said, running its hand through the bunny¡¯s back. It liked that, and let her continue, as it enjoyed its meal. But wait! That¡¯s not what it wanted. It was here for the life-elixir. That the life-mother had so graciously fed it. And so the bunny paused, before thumping its feet as it tried to cling to the little-giant¡¯s leg. ¡°What? Oh, you want to climb up? Okay,¡± the little giant said, as she picked the bunny up. The bunny felt a bit confused, but did not resist. Maybe she was going to take it to where the life-elixir was? ¡°I wonder if I can keep you. I doubt Nat would let me, though. Or mom. But you¡¯re just so cute,¡± the little giant said before touching its nose. The bunny sneezed. It did not like that, but it would tolerate it, if it meant more life-elixir. Soon, the little-giant began to walk, talking her further into the town. Very quickly more and more giants began to appear. Some were smaller than the little-giant, but most were a lot bigger. Some scared the bunny, and so it found cover in the little giant¡¯s arms. Others gave it food, and it epted the ones that smelled nice. ¡°Mom! I¡¯m back!¡± the little giant shouted. The bunny ducked, not enjoying the loud shouting from the little giant, but it sat patiently. This was where the life-elixir was. All it had to do was hold on for a little while. ¡°What took you so long Auri? And what¡¯s that?¡± the bigger giant asked. This one also had long fur on its head. ¡°It¡¯s a rabbit I found! It was really friendly and kept snuggling up to me. Can we keep him? Please? Please please please pleaaassseee?¡± ¡°I already have enough problem with you and your brother. We¡¯re not going to get a pet that you¡¯ll get bored of in a week and leave to die. Not to mention, that¡¯s a wild rabbit. It¡¯ll run away very quickly.¡± The bunny sat quietly, listening to the giants make sound. It did not know what was happening, but it hoped that if it waited, maybe they would give it some life-elixir? ¡°No, Auri. I don¡¯t want to hear any arguments, let the rabbit go.¡± ¡°But look at it!¡± the little giant eximed, holding out the bunny. The bunny looked at the bigger giant, before it tried to reach out for her. Was she the one who would give it the life-elixir? ¡°I know¡­ it¡¯s adorable. And really friendly. Which is just another reason not to keep it. Maybe its someone else¡¯s pet and got lost. Just let it go, and it¡¯ll go back to its home,¡± the older giant said, before grabbing the bunny. The bunny heard the little giant shouting something, but the older giant carried it outside, and ced it on the ground, before closing the door shut. Staring at the door, the bunny wondered just what had happened. Where was its life-elixir? It went to the door, and tried to climb up on it, and w at it, but it did not budge. After a while, it gave up, and turned around. Hmm. Perhaps those giants did not have the life, elixir. Maybe it should try a different one? The bunny hopped around, going to a different giant. This one was taller than the little giants, but not as tall. It also had almost no fur at all anywhere. ¡°Oi, what¡¯s this rabbit doing out here?¡± the furless giant said, bending down as it picked the bunny up. ¡°A girl brought it because she wanted to keep it. She¡¯s been crying about it for a while now,¡± a different giant said. This one was a lot taller, but also more thin, and had short fur on its head and face. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m getting a bit hungry. Some rabbit might be good for dinner,¡± the furless-giant said, holding up the bunny. The grip was starting to hurt, and from the voice, the bunny had a feeling this man was not going to feed it anything. Instincts kicking in, the bunny began to thrash its legs to free itself. It moved and struggled, kicking at the air before it turned its head towards the hand holding it and bit. Something changed. A liquid flowed into its mouth, and the bunny felt a familiar taste. It did not wait to think on it, as the furless-giant let go of it, and the bunny ran with haste. But the taste stuck in its mind. That thing. That was what it wanted. The bunny ran and ran as the furless-giant gave chase for a while before stopping. Soon, it was in tall grass and hidden, and it sat thinking. That thing had tasted simr. But it was¡­ wrong. It was not enough. It did not have life in it. It was not the same. No no no no! That could not be! How, how could it find the life-elixir again? The bunny huffed and jumped in anger before thumping its legs angrily. It needed more. Needed to find the right kind. But where? Things seemed to have it in them. Maybe¡­ maybe it could try to take it out of them? The bunny thought of this. It had seen animals eat other animals. The bunny only ate grass, but it knew some of the other things ate animals. And when they did, it saw the red thinge out. Maybe it could try to do that? The bunny ran through the grass, trying to find something. After some searching, it found a squirrel. The bunny hid in the grass, waiting for the squirrel toe closer. It waited patiently, watching the little creature more before it jumped and¡ª and the squirrel ran away before it could do anything. The bunny watched the squirrel all the way up on the tree and thumped its legs in frustration. Maybe it needed to try something bigger. It walked around once more, searching, before finding a big boar. The bunny thought about it, before it ran in and kicked at the boar. The big creature turned, kicking at him, before it snorted and walked away. The bunny thumped its feet, and charged again, this time biting at the boar¡¯s leg. The boar kicked once more, and this time, the bunny flew back. Pain. It hurt. It saw red blooding out of it, and fear filled its heart. No no no! It could not lose its life-elixir! The bunny sat, breathing heavily as the wound slowly healed. The life-elixir it had been given before was still working, but it was all almost gone now. It could not do that again or it would die. It needed something small enough, but alsorge enough, and not very fast. The bunny hopped through the grass, trying to search for something that would fit. As it walked around, it saw another bunny, peeking out from a burrow. An idea came to the bunny. The other bunny would not think it was an enemy. So¡­ it could then attack and get its life-elixir. And so it approached the other bunny, and sniffed and greeted it. The other bunny looked a bit confused, but after sniffing around a little, it turned back around, ready to return to its burrow. Then the bunny jumped, and this time it did not miss. Teeth bit into fur and skin, as the red liquid filled its mouth. The other bunny thrashed, but it did not let go of its prey, and continued to dig in. It kicked with its legs at its face, hitting as hard as it could. Slowly, painfully, the other bunny stopped moving. Red coated the bunny¡¯s fur now, its mouth covered in a coat of blood. After the bunny knew its prey was dead, it began to eat. The red things filled its mouth, and its hunger began to be fullfilled. It had hunted. It had killed. It felt good. Words erupted in front of the bunny as it finished eating its brethren. You¡¯ve killed a normal rabbit! You¡¯ve gained the [Cannibal] perk! You¡¯ve gained the [Kin-yer] perk! Experience points awarded for your first kill! Evolution unlocked. Would you like to Evolve into a Murder Bunny? Yes/No? The bunny did not understand what this was, but something in it knew that it had done things correctly. And so, it reached out to the glowing words, written in the color of the life-elixir, and selected yes. Pain shot through the bunny¡¯s body, as it copsed, twitching on the ground. Consciousness faded in and out as its body began to undergo changes. After a long long time, the bunny opened its eyes again, and found itself¡­ changed. It could think more clearly now, it could smell better. It could smell blood. There were ws under its paws, and a horn that jutted from its forehead. Its teeth were sharper as well, and its eyes saw more clearly. The bunny looked around, feeling an entirely new set of instincts take hold of it. It was a hunter now. And it wanted more. The sky turned red, as the bunny sat up and gazed upon it. In the sky, a giant ring of red light lit up, as an eye looked down upon the world. The bunny saw the eye, and felt a vast presence look back upon it. It was vast, vaster than anything and everything the bunny could even imagine. The eye gazed into its soul and the bunny trembled with fear. But¡­ there was another feeling in the bunny. Kinship. The eye hungered. It too was a predator. Just like the bunny. The Watcher¡¯s Eye looks into your soul. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Madness - V]! The bunny felt the madness encroach upon its mind, and it weed it. It would hunt. It would grow. And it would evolve. But first, it had to find the life-mother that had given it the elixir it so desired. And so the bunny sniffed the air, before finding the trail of the delicious scent of life, and began to follow it. Thus began the journey of the murder-bunny. Chapter 28: The City of Winds Chapter 28: The City of Winds Noah watched the city of Windrest from atop the walls. The walls themselves were wide enough to form a twone street, going all around the city. Noah could see many people flying up and down on the walls through locations setup around the perimeter of the city with elevators and wind tunnels that blew gusts of air upwards to provide lifts to those flying around on wings. There were also stairs, reached down to the differentyers of the vertical city with many bridges spanning out pathways across the area, almost like a forest of stone and wood. ¡°This is so unreal, just the way this city is built and everything about it,¡± Noah murmured. ¡°Is it? It feels like home to me. Nyxis isn¡¯t quite like this, but we don¡¯t have muchnd horizontally, the entire kingdom spans from top to bottom within the abyss, and so the way Windrest is build always made me a little nostalgic,¡± Aurelia said, looking out at the city. Reaching out to his Quest log, Noah looked at the quest rewards he¡¯d gotten. Quest: The City of Winds Objective: Reach Windrest with your adventuringpanion safely,plete. Reward: Experience points obtained. Quest: Escort Mission Objective: Survive the Watcher¡¯s Night and escort the family of three to Windrest safely through the serpent¡¯s grove,plete. Reward: [Tome of Dimensional Pocket (Legendary)] obtained. Noah looked at the tome sitting in his inventory, whistling quietly. Dimensional Pocket sounded a lot like inventory, but given the Legendary grade of the item, Noah suspected it was bound to be something good. He quietly let the tome rest in his inventory. He¡¯d absorb it when they were somewhere private and he could have the time to go through his abilities. ¡°Busy?¡± Aurelia asked, as she watched him swiping at the status screen in front of him. ¡°You should pick up mentalmands for your Astral script. That tip tap of whatever form your scrip takes is a very quick give-away of an inexperienced newbie.¡± ¡°I can do mentalmands, but I¡¯m trying not to strain my soul. It¡¯s still a bit sore from my messing around previously,¡± Noah replied, closing his menu. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s fine then. Just as long as you know not to do it in the guild when you¡¯re trying to get yourself registered,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Anyway, how do you want to go down,¡± she asked, looking ahead at the rest of Windrest. ¡°The free way are the stairs, we just walk down the walls till we reach either of the many tforms we want to go to. The second option is taking the Elevators down, the third option,¡± Aurelia said, ncing sideways, as a smile came upon her face. ¡°Is flying.¡± Noah followed her gaze and saw a man jump off the walls, before unfurling giant wings attached to metallic limbs that connected to his shoulders, as he took off. Many other winged people flew, jumping from building to building with tforms build and wind channels to let them reach a higher level to glide from. ¡°I think you know the answer just as well as I do,¡± Noah replied, matching Aurelia¡¯s smile. With a nod, Aurelia took the lead, as the two walked across the circumference of the walls. ¡°I also have a few other things that I need to pick up from the market here before we head into the city. We¡¯ll go the guild first, which you can see near the centre, the tall building with the swirling stairs just next to the castle. After that we¡¯ll find an inn for the night,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°There¡¯s a market on the walls?¡± Noah asked in in wonder. ¡°Yup, with how frequently people move through the walls, there¡¯s a pretty substantial market established here,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah nodded, before he looked off the in the distance, noting the adventurer¡¯s guild. His gaze travelled from the building, to the castle ced on an elevator central hill, rising above the rest of the city and catching the eye with its polished white marble like construction. A giant za was build in front of it on the ground, with multiple bridges and pathways leading out to various buildings and structures. He followed Aurelia as they made their way down the very top of the walls. Corridors and passageways of bricks were established from the stairways leading down forming multiple concentric circles all around within the internal structures of Windrest. A varied variety of people and adventures walked around Noah, most humans, but he saw some odd sights as well. ¡°I never asked you what kind of people live in Erandir did I? I can see it¡¯s not just humans,¡± Noah said. ¡°It would take a really long time to list all of them. For this part of the content, most areas are humans. You¡¯ll also find some Gaelick tribes to the east around here and around Aquaris. There¡¯s the Merfolk, and the are the Celestians, which there are an oddly high number of in Hertilia. It all depends. But for Windrest, the primary poption besides humans are Drailiths. Lizard like people with draconic wings. The Wyvern riders are primarily Drailiths here.¡± Noah stared nkly at Aurelia. ¡°Say¡­ so you guys don¡¯t have like¡­ elves¡­ and dwarves and stuff?¡± Aurelia raised an eyebrow, looking at him in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s an elves?¡± ¡°Right. Elves and stuff are like¡­ the standard fantasy race of people I think of when I think of a fantasy world. So I totally expected there to be some here. They¡¯re good at magic, tend to live in forests or nature and have pointy ears, but otherwise look human. Oh and they also don¡¯t age much. Maybe they have a different name, or maybe they just don¡¯t exist,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°I mean¡­ that kind of sounds like Celestians? They live quite long, are the most predominantly magical race on Erandir, but they don¡¯t really have pointy ears. Celestians are amazing at word-chains and celestial magic, which is a rare magic type of the Astral branch. They were the first race to discover the Astral system and the Astral nesas well, which is how it got its name. They gain butterfly like wings upon maturity, and most humans consider Celestians to be extremely beautiful. There was an entire war where Celestians were sold as ves in this empire before they were taken down.¡± ¡°Fascinating. So kind of life elves but not really. It surprises me then that there aren¡¯t many of them around when they seem so powerful.¡± ¡°Who said there aren¡¯t many around?¡± Aurelia looking at Noah in confusion. ¡°Celestians are the most politically powerful race on Erandir. They forged this continent, and paved the way for others to rise to power. Melior Republic is a human kingdom so you don¡¯t see as many, but that doesn¡¯t mean that we dominate. Humanity has been growing, but humans are still limited to the southern territories for the most part. In the north, you¡¯ll struggle to see nearly as many humans,¡± Aurelia said. Their talks continued for a while, before soon they reached the market. The difference was rather stark to Noah. Lines of hawkers and merchants sat, shouting out to passer-by¡¯s and selling various kinds of items. All sorts of people walked by, the crowd pulsating and move like a living breathing creature in its own right. Noah used identify as people walked by, watching the various Paths appearing and disappearing from his vision. He was surprised by just how many people were D rank here. Every one in ten person seemed to be. Aurelia walked up to one merchant, picking up a in mask with a single red jagged line running down one eye slit. ¡°How much for this?¡± ¡°Two F grade. Five if you want an enchantment put on it,¡± the merchant replied. Aurelia hummed in thought. ¡°I¡¯ll give you six, so throw in a veil and enchantment of voice alteration.¡± The merchant nodded, taking the mask back. Noah used identify on the man. [Mask Crafter - ?] He watched the merchant working, a chisel being used to mark in various symbols that lit up uponpletion. A momentter, the entire mask shone brightly for a single moment. Noah used identify on the item. [Enchanted Mask (Common)] A mask enchanted with a veil and an enchantment of voice alteration. Aurelia grabbed the mask, giving the mana stones to the merchant, before she put the mask one. ¡°How do I look?¡± Aurelia asked, twirling left and right. Her voice was ever so subtly off, slightly distorted and deeper than it was supposed to be. ¡°Odd,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Also slightly creepy- Ow!¡± Noah eximed as Aurelia punched his shoulders in reply. ¡°Hey, I was just being honest!¡± Auerlia snorted, before she reached into her storage device and pulled out a cloak and wrapped it around her. ¡°Okay, now you just look like a creepy stalker,¡± Noah said, watching Aurelia. ¡°Better that than my former party finding out I¡¯m alive,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I suppose, but I still wouldn¡¯t,¡± Noah said, and Aurelia ignored him. ¡°Let¡¯s go, the feather-gliders are just ahead,¡± she said and Noah followed her. Just a little ahead, near one of the open sections carved around the passageway within the walls was an extended tform and a bunch of merchants sitting with giant mechanical wings that hung on stands and strings. Noah watched the disy in awe, as Aurelia walked to one of them. ¡°Looking for two feather gliders,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯ll be three F grade mana stones per hour if you rent it, or fifty five F grades per if you want to buy,¡± the merchant reply. Aurelia snorted. ¡°I¡¯m not a tourist. Thirty F grades stones per feather-glider with this quality.¡± ¡°He definitely is,¡± the man said ncing at Noah. ¡°Regardless, I can¡¯t do below fortydy, there¡¯s been a shortage of crafters and the prices have gone up. If you want, go ask around anywhere. The whole Abyssal incursion has been driving prices up like mad,¡± the merchant said. ¡°Thirty-five,¡± Aurelia replied, and the merchant grimaced. ¡°Thirty eight, that¡¯s the best I can do. Take it or leave it.¡± Aurelia thought over it for a moment, before nodding. The merchant held out a bracelet and Aurelia tapped hers against his before picking up two of the wings from the disy rack. ¡°What was it about an Abyssal what?¡± Noah asked the merchant. ¡°There¡¯s been a lot of movement from the Abyssal cultists. Especially in this region. Hellion¡¯s church has been up in arms about it. Lots of deaths. They say an Abyssal door opened to the north as well in some vige. Entire thing massacred with no one left in sight.¡± Noah nced at Aurelia, who looked back at him from behind her mask. ¡°We¡¯ll find out at the guild,¡± she said, extending one of the wings to Noah. ¡°I assume it¡¯s your first time flying?¡± the merchant asked Noah. ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Alright, let me teach you how to use them properly so you don¡¯t fall identally,¡± the merchant said. ¡°Does that happen often?¡± Noah asked, starting to feel a little concerned. ¡°It¡¯s been three months since thest time, only broke a few bones, there¡¯s a safety mechanism built in to slow you down in case you¡¯re an idiot and start falling,¡± the merchant said, taking the wings, before he began to tie them up on Noah¡¯s back. ¡°It¡¯s simple, the wings work on their own, but they¡¯re connected to your mana. So you¡¯re their supply and source. Moderate your mana flow to control the wind you¡¯re channelling in them and they¡¯ll do the rest on their own. If you ever think you¡¯re low on mana, find a surface tond on and rest. To turn, lean your body in the direction you want to move in and the wind will follow,¡± the merchant said, clicking a belt over Noah¡¯s shoulder, and then another, before pping him on the back. ¡°Off you go now.¡± Noah nced back at the man, before turning towards Aurelia. Her own wings were smaller, and much more graceful looking, with the metal edges curving gently around her body in an almost angelic appearance. His own wings in contrast wererger, and felt more brutish, with clearly showing metallic hinges connected to the limbs connecting the wings to his back. Together, the two of them walked to the edge, and Noah watched different people jump off the tforms and move through the city on their wings with casual ease. A minutester, it was their turn to step off. Looking down, Noah watched the long distance he¡¯d fall if the wings didn¡¯t work. He gulped, feeling a sudden paralysis take him. ¡°I¡¯ll go ahead, follow me when you feel like you can,¡± Aurelia said with a smile. Noah nodded, watching her step to the edge. A momentter, the wings on her back unfurled, as a gust of air rapidly blew around her. Leaning forward, she fell down the edge and vanished. Rushing to the edge, Noah went to see if something went wrong, when with a sudden burst he saw Aurelia rise up into the sky, her wings spread wide behind her back. Her screams of excitement echoed through the air as she danced like a bird, gliding across the skies. Finding the fear start to fade, Noah nodded, closing his eyes, before he channelled his own mana. He felt the jerk of his wings expanding behind his back, before the wind pulsed around him. Feeling the sensation of the wings subtly adjusting their movements in response to his body, Noah bounced in ce, realising how light he felt. Then, ncing down, he closed his eyes and took a long deep breath before stepping off. The ground fell from beneath him as the wings unfurled and his mana pulsed. Wind rustled in his ears as Noah kept his eyes closed, but the sensation of falling did note. A momentter, he opened his eyes, and found himself hovering awkwardly mid-air near the walls, gliding around. Feeling a little embarrassed as the people at the watched him, some chuckling in amusement, Noah directed the wind, letting the feather-gliders move him as he pulsed his mana. He screamed as a gust of windunched him forward rapidly but in moments, the screams turned to excitedughs as wind followed hismand, and the wings moved on their own at his will, propelling him forward. He quickly began to swim through the air, gliding like a bird as the currents of wind took him across the city. ¡°This is so amazing!¡± Noah shouted, rushing towards Aurelia on his wings. Aurelia smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t they? I loved them as well. But let¡¯s not get too lost, feather gliders are mana intensive, so let¡¯s head towards the guild before we run out,¡± Aurelia said. Noah nodded, before smiling. ¡°Last one there treats the winner to dinner!¡± Noah shouted, before pulsing his mana. Wind burst behind him as heunched ahead,ughter echoing from him. Sights and buildings whir past, other simrly flying people moving around and across him as Noah danced clumsily across the skies. In a second, he sees Aurelia overtake him with ease, moving with swift grace and Noah grins. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Letting his mana fill the feather gliders, Noah shot ahead, using Blink twice to catch up partway of the distance. The wind howled in his ears, drowning almost every sound as he shot ahead of Aurelia, racing at high speeds. Noah heard a cracklee from behind him. A momentter, the wind fell from beneath him, and he cursed. Noah twisted and turned, guiding the wind as he tried to find a ce tond. Looking back, he saw a small piece of wood lodged in one of the joints of the feather gliders. Falling, Noah used Blink to move closer to the ground as he tried to control his flight. A momentter, he crashed onto a cart beneath him. ¡°Ouch,¡± he murmured, slowly pulling himself up, finding his body covered in scraps of leaves and fruit. ¡°What in Avera¡¯s name are you doing?!¡± the merchant shouted, as Noah slowly pulled himself up. Aurelia moved in as well,nding next to Noah. ¡°Sorry, he¡¯s new,¡± she said, before taking out two mana stones. ¡°Here¡¯s for the trouble,¡± she said, hanging the crystals to the guy. ¡°Idiot,¡± she muttered at Noah, pulling him up by his hands. ¡°Sorry, got over excited,¡± Noah murmured, clutching his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine though.¡± ¡°Should¡¯ve probably lost another arm. Maybe a leg this time. That would teach you,¡± Aurelia murmured. ¡°Whatever, we¡¯re at the guild at least.¡± Noah shook the remnants of vegetables off his body, brushing his hair. Putting his wings into his inventory, Noah turned towards the guild. A fairlyrge entrance stood in front of him, with a multi story building connected to multiple iing bridges carrying traffic. ¡°Let¡¯s get you registered,¡± Aurelia said. Noah nodded, following her. As they were about to enter, Noah heard a shoute from inside, before the gates in front of him burst open in shatters of wood. Instinctively he blinked away, taking out his dagger, before he saw a man copsed against the wall of the building. Noah stared at the man, before turning towards the guild itself. A giant herculean man with lizard like scales that shone like obsidian in the sun and more muscles than he¡¯d ever seen on any person stood at the gates. Noah used identify. [Guild Master - ???] ¡°Keep your lousy ass out of my guild, you understand?!¡± the gigantic man shouted, snorting. A momentter, he saw Aurelia face palm. ¡°Right¡­ I forgot who the guild master was here.¡± The giant lizard guy¡¯s eyes fell on him, his eye slits narrowing. ¡°Are you with him?¡± Noah shook his head. ¡°No, not at all. I¡¯m here to register as a new adventurer,¡± Noah replied. ¡°He¡¯s with me,¡± Aurelia said, stepping up. ¡°Ah, a new applicant,¡± therge man said, and Noah was starting to understand he was a Drailith like Aurelia had said. ¡°NAE! THERE¡¯S A NEWBIE HERE!¡± the guild master shouted, loud enough to make Noah¡¯s ears feel like they would pop, before he turned around and headed back in. Noah looked around, at the copsed man, the broken gate and the silent ongoing watchers, before a young girl walked up to the door. ¡°Are you the new adventurer?¡± the girl, Nae he presumed, asked. ¡°Yes¡­?¡± Noah murmured. ¡°Great! Come in!¡± Noah followed inside and then froze as he noted the myriad of people in various degrees of armor lying unconscious everywhere. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mind all the unconscious people, today¡¯s spar day so they¡¯ve been training with the guild head. They aren¡¯t dead, just too tired to move,¡± Nae said in a cheerful voice, as she walked up to the counter. Noah gulped, following behind her. He was starting to get a bad feeling about all of this now. Chapter 29: Guild Registration Chapter 29: Guild Registration Noah walked through the adventurer guild¡¯s hall, trying not to step on anyone lying on the floor. Despite the surprisinglyrge number of unconscious people, the majority of them were conscious. Though some were clearly in better states than others. Noah nced around the halls, checking the various adventurers out. Different kinds of armors, gears, Paths and auras all mingled together in this single hall. The building extended quite a bit up above him, and Noah could see the upperyers having a lot activity. Everyone within the guild was moving with purpose, decked out in gear and if not, then brimming with powerful magical auras. He could feel himself standing out like a sore thumb among all of them. ¡°Alright. Are you familiar with the registration process?¡± Nae asked, walking up behind the counter. Noah shook his head, before ncing around. ¡°Aren¡¯t you too young for a job like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m half-celestian and most likely older than you,¡± Nae said with an amused smile. ¡°Sorry for interrupting, but I¡¯d like to get a few things done before we move to this,¡± Aurelia said, walking up to the desk. ¡°I¡¯m Aurelia Fauster, Bronze two rank adventurer. I went on a quest with the party Iron Fists recently, and lost my te, would I be able to get another one?¡± ¡°Give me a second, I need to check,¡± Nae said. A book flew from the shelves onto the table before flipping open. ¡°Alright, that¡¯ll be twelve F grade mana stones for a re-issue.¡± Noah saw the ability, raising an eyebrow before he used identify on Nae. [Guild Receptionist - ??] A D rank receptionist huh? Somehow I don¡¯t feel very surprised by that after seeing the Guild Head. Though it does seem to show that Aurelia isn¡¯t all that stronger than me either. Unaware of Noah¡¯s musings Aurelia extended her hand, tapping against a round device on the table, before nodding. Nae reached down, and a momentter handed a bronze te with two stars on them to Aurelia. ¡°Anything else?¡± Nae asked, looking up. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m vouching for this guy as he has no Identification proof. He¡¯s also new to Erandir so it¡¯d be great if you could go over everything once for him,¡± Aurelia said. Noah stared at Aurelia, surprised at how easily she¡¯d given out that information. ¡°It¡¯s fine, the guild are the people you want to tell about this. They¡¯re the ones who¡¯re the most capable of protecting you from any potential legal problems or otherwise given how you¡¯re not exactly the citizen of any kingdom or country on Erandir,¡± Aurelia said with a wave of her hand. ¡°She¡¯s right, most Outerworlders tend to register with an entity like the Church, the Guild or join any of the given Kingdoms through grants after either paying their way in or by swearing fealty to the ruler or governing body. Of all these options, ours is the most free one,¡± Nae said, before stepping around the counter. ¡°Let¡¯s head to a private room first.¡± Noah followed the short receptionist along. They walked into a side corridor, before stepping into an elevator that looked like an odd mix between a modern one and one of those ancient elevators from the 1900s. With a ding, the elevator chimed as they reached the fifth floor, and Noah stepped off into a rather tastefully decorated room, with wooden floors that disyed the view of the rest of Windrest from atop it. The air inside was milder, and clearly magically moderated with carpets covering the majority of the central area and table. ¡°This ce is typically reserved for very important guests but it¡¯s the only room currently not in use and the Guild Master lets me use it anyway, so we¡¯ll continue here,¡± Nae said, taking a seat on one of the chairs. Noah and Aurelia following, sitting opposite to her. ¡°Very well, so here are a few things you should know. First, unlike the church we do not expect you to worship any deity, or adhere to any frequent summons or prayers, unlike any royal we will not tie you down to a specific kingdom or its politics. All you will be required to do as a registered adventurer is continue taking quests, answer summon calls in case of emergencies if you¡¯re capable and not be a part of any of the three cults. I¡¯ll give you all the information you need before you make any decisions,¡± the girl said with a sweet smile. Noah hummed in thought. ¡°What would be this emergency summon call you speak of? And what if I do not answer?¡± ¡°There are multiple kinds of emergencies. An Abyssal Incursion, a Crimson Rot gue, or a Lunar Eclipse being the primary ones. All of these are threats that adventurers are required to respond to. That said, your role will be dependant on yourbat capability. We cannot ask you to go into a certain death situation. As for not responding, typically, the consequences are minor if you can provide a legitimate reason, but repeat offences will lead to the termination of your contract and you will be cklisted from all guilds on Erandir.¡± ¡°Quite harsh to cklist someone for not showing up, isn¡¯t it?¡± Noah asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°It has to be harsh. These events are major threats. The recent Eclipse alone caused the western gate to be entirely blocked off. Repairs are still underway and the economic bacsh from that alone willst for the rest of this year. Prices are rising up, trade routes have been blocked to the south with andslide. And the monster horde resulted in 43 casualties, 29 of them civilians. People die when the Primordial Gods move, to not respond to a threat like that is to betray all the civilised races,¡± Nae said, looking into Noah¡¯s eyes with a gaze not befitting her child-like appearance. Noah nodded. ¡°Got it. That sounds good to me.¡± ¡°Great! Alright, so as an Outerworlder you most likely do not have any affiliations or identification proofs with you. So we¡¯ll have to create one for you instead. For that end, I¡¯ll need you to fill out this form. Given that you talk fluently, I assume your you have some kind of trantion ability or item, but if you can¡¯t read this, let me know and I¡¯ll read it out for you,¡± Nae said, before taking out a form that she extended to Noah. Picking up the piece of paper, Noah was surprised when a notification erupted in front of his eyes instead. Guild Registration form of Adventuring (Outerworlder) An Identification and Registration form for Outerworlders to join the Adventuring guild of Erandir (Branch: Windrest), under the Interdimensional Astral Entity agreement of the Council of Awakened, Section 4-C. By signing this document you are agreeing to be a part of the guild of Windrest ande under its legal jurisdiction and authority over your person as a being not from Erandir or its tied Astral nar entities. This is a magically binding contract. Do you agree to the terms? Yes/No? Noah looked at the disy, before putting it aside into his notification box. Looking down, he could see his form was actually five pages very neatly stacked together to almost appear as one, with prints present on both sides highlighting the exact terms of his contract. ¡°I didn¡¯t know legal jargon existed here too,¡± Noah murmured, sighing. ¡°Kinda has to. Nows of any given kingdom currently apply to you. In a way, your rights are not very different from a monsters. If suppose I were to kill you right now, no one could or would prosecute me for the act because legally you would be considered an extra dimensional entity. Also, you don¡¯t pay taxes. Which is the bigger problem to the kingdom I imagine. ¡°Thankfully for you, if you do join the guild, any ie you earn will not be taxable as the guild itself is responsible for being ountable for it¡¯s individual member¡¯s taxation requirements. This goes regardless of which kingdom you are currently active in. Besides some noted exceptions like the Undends and the Blighted Kingdom of course,¡± Nae said, before reaching her hand out once again as another page flew into her palm. ¡°You can take your time with the contract if you want. Or get a schr who specialises in legal contracts to look at it for you. But in the meantime, you should provide me your details so that I can add you up for the general registry. The previous form just puts you under guild Jurisdiction, but the general registry is what officially makes you an adventurer,¡± Nae said. ¡°Okay. And what do I need to do for that?¡± ¡°ce your hand here and then answer my questions,¡± Nae said, extending a rock simr to the one he saw at the gates, but this one gave off a lot more mana and was far more polished. Noah put his hand on the orb, feeling Mana seep into his skin and flow into his body like an intrusive limb. Tony stirred, not pleased by the invasion of its space. ¡°State your name and age.¡± ¡°Noah Brown, twenty four years old.¡± The stone lit up as Noah replied with a bright white light. ¡°Are you involved with any of the three cults?¡± ¡°No,¡± Noah replied. The stone lit up this time, but dimmer. ¡°Half-truth. borate,¡± Nae said, looking up at Noah. Noah nced sideways at Aurelia, and the woman took off her mask, looking back at Noah before she gave him a nod. Taking in a deep breath, Noah thought over his words, before he replied. ¡°I was summoned to Erandir by Abyssal Cultists, which is where I found Aurelia, tied up as a sacrifice, after freeing her, we killed the cultists and made our escape. Later in a mine I killed another Abyssal creature that was part of the sick experiment the cultists had been performing. That has been the extent of my involvement with the Abyssal cult.¡± A bright white light shed in front of Noah. ¡°Do you consider yourself an ally or foe to Erandir and it¡¯s people?¡± ¡°A neutral party that is not unwilling to help.¡± A bright light shed once again. ¡°A list will appear in front of you. Take a few minutes to read through it and tell me if you have any of these Paths,¡± Nae said, before words shed in front of Noah. [Abyssal Cultist] [Crimson Cultist] [Soldier of Rot] [Lunar Cultist] [Flesh Grafter] [Soul Grafter] [Doom Caller] [Necromancer] [Necro-Enchanter] ¡­ [Void¡¯s Herald] [Champion of Crimson Rot] [Lunar Prophet of Heralded Doom] Noah looked through the long list of Paths presented in front of him. It took him a few minutes to read through everything, and he saw quite a few familiar names within the listed options. ¡°No,¡± Noah finally replied, feeling relieved to not see any of his Paths appear. A bright light shed in front of him. ¡°Alright, great, then we¡¯re almost done. As ast courtesy question that we ask Outerworlders, do you wish to entail the help of the Guild to return back to your home world? If yes, you¡¯ll be required to work a certain number of months to pay for the costs of hiring a powerful enough Astral mage, but with the Fate link tying you it should be possible within a year or two and is something we can provide to you,¡± Nae said. Noah froze at the words. Go back home? Noah had thought about the idea once or twice, but he¡¯d always assumed he wouldn¡¯t have the option until much muchter. Even then, he didn¡¯t feel very keen to return to his previous life. If I go back¡­ Kev would be so pissed off. I just took off on him and then died. And I would have to find a new job and everything too. Unless they had a funeral for me and dered me dead. I¡¯m not even sure I left a body behind. I guess I never went on that date with Leah either. Thoughts of a past life filled Noah¡¯s mind. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath. ¡°No.¡± The orb shone a dull white. Noah ignored the orb. ¡°Very well. The option to do so will be avable to you in the future as well.¡± Noah nodded before removing his hand from the orb. ¡°Alright, now I¡¯ll need to get an evaluation for your Paths, your attributes and your sub-attributes. All of this will of course be kept private,¡± Nae said. ¡°Actually, is there an alternate option if I don¡¯t want to share all that information?¡± Noah asked. Nae looked up at Noah. ¡°Since you¡¯re an outerworlder, let me put things simply. The guild doesn¡¯t really ept F rankers. Most don¡¯t have a full set of abilities, and given that this is an E grade zone, you need to be a certain level of strength to get in. That said, we know levels are far from an urate representation of strength, so if we see potential, F rankers can get in as well. So really, it¡¯s in your benefit to share the information, you also get to see your sub-attributes which is something you¡¯ll want to know for your first Path evolution at level 100. Your sub-attributes influences what choices you get, and it matters a whole lot more than many newbies realise.¡± Noah hummed in thought, before shrugging. ¡°I have my reasons, is there really no alternative?¡± Nae looked surprised, before she nodded. ¡°Well¡­ normally we¡¯d hold abat evaluation. But¡­ you already saw the state of the adventurers. With the Eclipse so soon, and the Abyssal Incursions happening around the area, we¡¯re really short staffed. I¡¯m afraid we cannot really spare a person to hold abat evaluation for you.¡± Noah frowned, thinking over the situation. ¡°Can¡¯t Aurelia take the test? She¡¯s an adventurer.¡± ¡°She cannot. There are designated people who do the job,¡± Nae replied. Noah¡¯s frowned deepened, as he thought on whether he should share his Astral Script. He had no idea how much she could see, there was Tony, his [Devourer], [Fate-Touched] and [Voidborne] aspect to consider, all of which couldnd him in trouble. A chime interrupted his thoughts, and Noah turned to see the guild master walk into the chamber. ¡°Apologies Nae, but I couldn¡¯t help but overhear your conversation,¡± the guildmaster said, walking into the room. Nae stood up from her chair, Noah and Aurelia doing the same. ¡°You¡¯re the outerworlder I take it?¡± The guild head said, walking up to Noah. Given Noah¡¯s height at six foot three, he was not used to being looked down at, but the muscr Drailith towered over him, a good head¡¯s height taller. ¡°I am,¡± Noah replied. ¡°We don¡¯t see them very often around here. You¡¯re the third one I¡¯ve met. My name¡¯s Raesar Drakan, Guild Master of Windrest,¡± the man said, extending a hand. Noah grasped it. ¡°I¡¯m Noah Brown, a pleasure to meet you,¡± Noah said, holding back a wince at the man¡¯s tight grip. ¡°Hmm, not bad for your level. I heard you needed abat evaluation?¡± ¡°Raesar, you don¡¯t have time!¡± Nae shouted, but the guild master ignored her. ¡°Umm¡­ yeah?¡± Noah said, feeling the Drailith¡¯s grip on his hand bing tighter. ¡°Good. Great. Allow me to test you then,¡± Raesar said, pulling Noah in as he grabbed him by his waist and lifted him up. ¡°Wait- hold on, what¡¯s happening?¡± Noah said, looking back and he saw Nae cupping her face in her palm. Briefly the girl looked up with pity in her eyes and whispered a sorry. ¡°Prepare the training field!¡± Raesar said, before jumping out the window. Noah screamed in panic as they fell the five stories of the building, beforending with a loud thud. Surprised at still being unharmed somehow, Noah coughed as Raesar let him go, and he fell to the ground. ¡°Come,e Noah! Show me what you can do!¡± The guild master shouted, his voice growing more and more excited. Noah clutched his hand, feeling a throbbing pain go through it as he looked up at the giant Drailith. Two draconic eyes looked back at him, a mouth of sharp teeth exposed by the wide grin upon the man¡¯s face. Noah felt a shudder run down his spine. Just what kind of crazy ce had hended himself in? Chapter 30: Combat Evaluation Chapter 30: Combat Evaluation Noah noticed more than a few onlookers gathering, looking at the guild master and him. Adventurers that had been awake came near the entrance to look at him, and he felt a strange sensation pushing against his aura over and over. A momentter he realized it was from all the people using Identify on him. I wonder what they see. Dusting his clothes, Noah stood up on his feet, watching the grinning guild master, whose muscles were growing evenrger somehow. ¡°Can I have a few moments to prepare?¡± Noah asked. Raesar¡¯s predatory grin fell a little at Noah¡¯s words. ¡°Getting cold feet?¡± ¡°No, I just need to check something in private,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Can¡¯t give my best if I¡¯m not prepared, can I?¡± Raesar nodded. ¡°Indeed, indeed. That is true. Head in and use one of the free waiting chambers. I¡¯ll wait for you at the training ground,¡± Raesar said, before the giant Drailith made his way back into the guild. Noah made his way inside, looking around before he found the empty room Raesar had mentioned. Walking in, he quickly locked the door behind himself, and breathed out. ¡°Alright. Change of ns. Use tome now, and figure out how to not be left unconscious on the guild floor against that monster,¡± Noah said out loud, before he reached into his inventory. Picking out the tome, he sent a pulse of mana into it, as the prompt appeared in front of him. [Tome of Dimensional Pocket (Legendary)]: Unlocks the Dimensional Pocket ability upon use. Would you like to use this item? Yes/No? Noah looked at the prompt for a moment, before selecting yes. The tome shed with a bright sh of light, engulfing Noah for a moment. Astralwalker got selected automatically, as a powerful pulse of energy flowed into Noah. [Astralwalker] has unlocked [Dimensional Pocket]. [Inventory] reacts with [Dimensional] pocket. Ability evolution detected. [Inventory] can be fused with [Dimensional Pocket]. Would you like to evolve [Dimensional Pocket]? Yes/No? Noah looked at the prompt in surprise. Merging his Perk with an ability? Would that mean he would lose the perk? Or would it simply upgrade the ability? Before deciding further, Noah decided to test Dimensional Pocket. The ability felt intuitive and he reached out with his instincts. Reality wavered in front of his, his fingers grasping on something as a cut in reality opened. Noah put his hand in, finding the insides simr to how his inventory, but as a space separate from it. From what he could feel of it, the space was smaller than his inventory, but he had more control over it. Noah reached out again, this time forming the dimensional pocket further from him. His mana strained slightly, but the pocket formed. Noah closed the pocket, before turning to a vase set on the table within the room. He reached out, forming a dimensional pocket under it. The vase shuddered, before falling into the pocket. Noah could feel the item, and he reached out to his dimensional pocket, and willed the item to appear in his hand. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Noah breathed, looking at the vase in his hand. He opened another dimensional pocket, finding his mana strain as he opened two entrances, and put the vase back in, before he willed it to appear back from the pocket on the table. The vase teleported back where it was, as the pocket at the table closed. ¡°I can teleport items now,¡± Noah said, whistling. He opened his abilities menu, pulling up the description of the ability. ¡°I¡¯m waiting Noah!¡± A shout shook the guild as Noah heard Raesar¡¯s voice. He heard the heavy stepsing closer, and realized his time was up. Reaching out to the prompt, Noah quickly selected the yes option for the ability evolution. [Inventory] has fused with [Dimensional Pocket] [Dimensional Pocket] has evolved into [Dimensional Storage]! [Dimensional Storage (Legendary, Basic) - level 1] The astral energies reside in your soul, forming a pocket dimension that you have ess to. Now merged with [Inventory] this space has grown in size, and flexibility. Allows you to store things inside your own dimensional storage. The door to the chamber burst open, as Raesar stood outside. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Noah replied. ¡°AMAZING! Thene, show me Noah! Show me how you fight!¡± The Drailith shouted with his booming voice. Noah winced at the shout, before he followed Raesar out through the guild pathways. They made their way towards the center of the guild, leading to an open chamber that extended all the way to the top of the building. Quite a few adventurers were slumped around the area, while others were seated with tired expressions. Many eyes turned towards Noah, as he entered, and he felt the same sensation of identify scanning his aura from before. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking abat evaluation, make sure no one who¡¯s unconscious is left in the arena, and stay outside the borders,¡± Raesar said. The awake adventurers nodded, though none moved. Everyone had already left the arena, and carried all unconscious people outside. Raesar nodded with a pleased expression, before turning to Noah. ¡°Very well. Now, let me exin the rules for how this will go. I will fight you, and you will try to survive. For your own safety, do not hold back against me. If you do, you may die.¡± Noah paused, feeling the weight of Raesar¡¯s aura starting to press on his now. He nodded. ¡°Good. Second. Given the level difference, I will not use any Abilities, or Skills. I cannot turn off my Perks, so there¡¯s no way around those. But everything else, I will not use. You are allowed to use everything you have. Fight to win. Is that clear?¡± Raesar asked. ¡°Clear,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Thenstly, the moment yound a single hit on me, you¡¯ll pass.¡± Noah paused. ¡°Just¡­ a single hit?¡± He asked, unsure if he¡¯d heard the Drailith correctly. ¡°A single hit,¡± Raesar replied, his voice unwavering. ¡°That¡­ seems easy?¡± Noah said. Chuckles broke out from the watching adventurers, but Raesar paid them no mind. ¡°If you think so, then it shall be an easy test for you to pass. Now, take your stance,¡± Raesar said, before turning to the onlookers. ¡°Remi, can you stand?¡± Raesar asked. ¡°I¡­ think so,¡± an adventurer woman replied. Noah nced at her. The woman had bright orange hair, with even brighter light brown eyes. She wore leather armor padded with fur, her hair cut short and unevenly, making her have a rather grizzly look when mixed with her bulging muscles. Noah used identify. [Bearw Champion - ??] ¡°Good. You will be the judge of this evaluation then,¡± Raesar said. The adventurer, Remi, stood up, wobbling for a moment, before she reached the edge of the arena. ¡°Participants, take your position,¡± Remi announced. Noah walked to one end of the arena, mimicking Raesar. ¡°Ready?¡± Remi asked, ncing at both sides, as she said her hand up in the air. Noah nodded. Raesar simply grinned. ¡°Begin!¡± Noah rushed forward, kicking his feet as heunched ahead. The recent boost from his giant attribute jump showed now as he covered nearly fifty feet within a second. Reaching out with Dimensional Pocket, he manifested his two des into his hands. Twisting his entire body, Noah jumped with the motion of a roundhouse kick, leading his arms sideways to sh at Raesar. As his des were about to connect, Noah used [Blink] to teleport behind Raesar. There¡¯s no way he can counter this no¡ª A fist mmed into Noah¡¯s side, faster than he could see, as he flew across the area, crashing into the wall. The wall shuddered but did not budge, as Noah slowly slid down to the ground. ¡°Wha¡­¡± he mumbled, his head spinning as blood flowed into his mouth, filling it with a metallic taste. ¡°Whoa! A teleportation ability and¡­ some kind of autonomous storage? You almost got me!¡± Raesar said, his voice like an excited child¡¯s. Noah coughed, clutching his chest, as he felt Lifeblood running wild to fix his broken ribs. He had not even seen the Drailith move. Was he¡­ was he that much faster? ¡°Come on, show me more Noah! Surely you have more right?¡± Raesar said, standing with hands on his hips as his grin continued to widen. Noah pushed himself to his feet, spitting the blood and broken shards of his teeth onto the ground. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re already healed. A really powerful healing ability. Fascinating. So fascinating,¡± Raesar said. Noah shouted, as he rushed ahead once again. Obliterate burned in a frenzy, as the void energies coated his dagger, extending the de¡¯s length. Noah teleported around the arena, as he threw one dagger and then immediately formed two dimensional pockets in the dagger¡¯s path. The dagger vanished, teleporting right in front of Raesar but Noah did not wait to watch. Using Blink, he moved right in front of Raesar attacking with his des. Raesar moved once more, catching the flying dagger Noah had thrown between his ws, while his other hand moved rapidly, grasping Noah¡¯s wrist midair as he lifted him up. ¡°Ah, blood. That exins the healing. But void too. You already have three paths? What a specimen!¡± Raesar eximed. Noah wrestled to free his hand, before he pushed Blink as hard as he could, freeing teleporting away. Panting as he appeared on the other end of the arena, Noah watched Raesar inspecting his dagger. ¡°A rather boring weapon for a man as fascinating as you. You should get something thatplements your fighting style. A sword, or even better, a spear to give your abilities more range. With your teleportation abilities, you will be able to move in close and far as you please, so having a spear will allow you the range you are missing, while also allowing you to intercept enemies and attack when at close range,¡± Raesar said, before tossing the dagger back towards Noah. Looking down, Noah used dimensional pocket to teleport his weapon back into his hands, not willing to bend down and give Raesar a chance, though he doubted the man needed it. ¡°Do you have anything else?¡± Raesar asked, tilting his head. Noah simply stared at the giant lizard. ¡°It seems not. Very well, my turn now. Defend yourself,¡± Raesar said. Noah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, as Raesar vanished from in front of him. It was only his instincts that allowed him to blink away in time. A loud crash sounded out where Noah had been, the ground cracked against Raesar¡¯s fist. Noah gulped. Even Lifeblood may not have saved him had that connected. ¡°Good reflexes!¡± Raesar said, and Noah realized the man had not teleported, but simply moved faster than his eyes could see. Just¡­ what kind of monster is this. Raesar rotated his shoulders, as cracks and pops sounded out. ¡°Alright, enough warm up,¡± Raesar said, his smile slipping. Noah saw the vertical slits of his eyes start to widen as an expression to focus took over his face. A primal part of his brain, one that he did not know existed began to scream at Noah. He needed to run. Raesar moved once again, and the air erupted. Noah blinked but he could not move far away enough, putting his daggers out, Noah blocked the w strike as sparks red through the air. The Drailith¡¯s ws cut through the de, shrapnel of metal flying everywhere. Noah flew, letting the moment of the strike carry him, as he blinked to orient himself so that he wouldnd on his feet against the walls. Absorbing the momentum. Raesar continued, relentless in his pursuit as another sh came at him, faster than Noah could react and in a panic Noah raised his left hand, letting his ws appear as he blocked through the strike. The sh cut through wrist, drawing deep red blood, as Raesar grabbed his midsection and pinned him to the ground. ¡°Oho! A grafted monstrous arm¡­ or not quite. Void? What a fascinating thing. Did you kill a humanoid void beast and graft its arm onto yourself?¡± Raesar asked, the killing intent from before fading instantly. ¡°I¡­¡± Noah gasped, unable to breathe or reply. He pushed at Raesar¡¯s hands, but the man did not even budge. Noah kicked, wrapping his legs around Raesar¡¯s massive arms, but even with the weight of his own body fighting against the Drailith¡¯s single limb, he could not make the lizard budge. I need to do something. At this rate I¡¯m going to pass out. Noah channeled obliterate around his body, focusing them at his feet as he tried to kick Raesar, but the Drailith simply grabbed his leg, twisting them so that he could not move them at all. Completely stuck and unable to breathe, Noah slowly felt himself asphyxiating, as the air began to leave his lungs. His ws grasped against Raesar, trying to free himself but nothing happened. ¡°Amateurish. Your body is working against you. But more so, my aura is restraining you. It has a weight, but you clearly cannot perceive it,¡± Raesarmented, but Noah could barely listen as his lungs began to burn for air. In a blind attempt, Noah shifted his leg, touching Raesar¡¯s thigh with his feet. A momentter, he pushed Dimensional Pocket. 1 x Leather pants obtained. Raesar moved back, surprised as he stood buck naked. The momentum was enough to kill the pressure and Noah tore Raesar¡¯s hand away partway, before using Blink to push himself away. Coughing, he gasped for hair, before looking up and saw Raesar standing buck naked. Deep bellowingughter echoed from the man. ¡°Crafty. I like that. You¡¯re fun Noah. Show me more!¡± Without any hesitation, the naked Drailith rushed at Noah. Without any moment to think or act, Noah watched the giant lizard rushing at him at a rapid speed and opened a Dimensional Pocket around himself, blinking into the gap in reality. The world vanished, as Noah sat in absolute darkness. Energy pulsed all around him, and he could feel his mana draining rapidly out of him. He looked around, and saw space itself twisting. Things did not feel 3-dimensional, with space twisting and turning in strange ways that made Noah¡¯s head hurt. ¡°Okay, okay, don¡¯t look at the fracture fabric of space. Think, what do I need to do?¡± Noah murmured. He was not sure if time was stopped inside for him in his own inventory, or something else but he did not have time. His mana was vanishing rapidly, and he had maybe a minute at max avable to himself. ¡°How do you hit someone who¡¯s faster, strong, has better reaction time, and more skills than you?¡± Noah murmured, before chuckling as hisnded on the jar of sand he¡¯d put in, and the many many pebbles in his inventory. ¡°Of course. Of course. You y dirty,¡± Noah said, picking the sand in his fist, and pebbles. Taking a breath, Noah blinked out of his inventory slightly left to where he had been. A spray of sand and pebbles sted out of the dimensional pocket he¡¯d made, as Raesarunched himself right into it. The Drailtih roared a draconic roar as the sand entered his eyes. Noah jumped in, not wasting a single breath as he struck with his w, Obliterate running in a frenzy. Dimensional pockets opened everywhere and Noahunched sand and pebbles from all directions. The Drailith moved even with his eyes closed, as the pebbles struck him from all directions. Noah used the dimensional pockets as anchors, teleporting from one to the other, not staying in a single ce. He held his breath, not making a single sound as he continued tounch pebbles from all directions. Noah watched Raesar turn around blindly trying to determine where he wasing from. Warning. Low Mana. Not now¡­ not now¡­ Noah continued to teleport. His mana kept falling, reaching the edge of his resources. Just a little more. Pebbles continued to strike Raesar as the Drailtih roared in anger. Now! Noahunched himself forward, using blink to appear right in front of Raesar as he struck with his left hand, obliterate humming on his ws as he struck. ¡°Not so quick!¡± Raesar roared, as he struck back. ws struck ws, sparks nging as Raesar roared and grabbed Noah, tackling him to the ground with a crash. The lizard¡¯s heavy breathing flowed over Noah as the Drailith put his entire weight into keeping Noah in ce. ¡°It was a good attempt,¡± Raesar said. Noah didn¡¯t reply, breathing heavily. With a gulp, he looked at the Raesar who¡¯d slowly opened one eye, and then grinned. ¡°Look behind you.¡± Raesar turned, and saw a daggering out of nowhere, pressing against the scales rising on his spine. Noah dropped the dagger, pulling his hand back out of the dimensional pocket as his mana drainedpletely. A pounding headache rose in his head, as Raesar rose up, letting him go. ¡°A good match,¡± Raesar said. A momentter, the Drailith offered a hand, pulling Noah up. ¡°Noah Brown has won thebat evaluation!¡± Remi eximed, raising her hand up in the air. ¡°Holy shit the newbie won!¡± a shout came, before cheers broke the arena. ¡°What¡¯s his score? Where does he rank?¡± Noah turned, and saw a few adventures going through a book, as they wrote down something. ¡°F-forty eight! He¡¯s in the top fifty!¡± More screams erupted from the adventurers, a lot more of whom seemed conscious now. Noah stared at the scene uncertainly. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± To his surprise, it was Remi who answered his question. ¡°Today¡¯s spar day, so we¡¯ve all got time records for how long wested against the guild head. There were one hundred and seventy four fights today, before you, many of them with D rankers or higher. You¡¯re the hundred and seventy fifth, and rank among the top fifty for today.¡± Noah turned towards Raesar, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull. ¡°You fought A hundred and seventy five times today?!¡± ¡°Indeed!¡± Raesar said with a wide grin, still standing entirely naked and his scaled body bulging in the sun. Somehow, Noah couldn¡¯t help but feel infected by the man¡¯s attitude, as he chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re insane man,¡± Noah said. ¡°Merely passionate,¡± Raesar replied with a wink. ¡°Either way, I congratte you on passing the test Noah Brown. Wee to my guild.¡± ¡°A pleasure to be here,¡± Noah said. ¡°Good, Nae will have the rest of the procedure for you to follow for entrance. All the tedious paperwork and what not, so go do that whenever you feel capable. If you need to rest, feel free to pass out anywhere.¡± ¡°Yeah, I may need to sit down,¡± Noah said, realizing his legs were shaking. Moving back to the edge of the arena, Noah leaned against the walls, as he slowly slid down and sat on the floor. His body was aching with every inch, and his muscles felt like they were on fire. As Noah breathed, trying to focus himself on meditation to refill his mana, his eyes caught the notification folder, and widened in surprise at what he saw. Level notifications: 3 Abilitynotifications: 17 Sub-stat notification: 2 Chapter 31: Adventuring Business Chapter 31: Adventuring Business Taking a moment, Noah opened his notification inbox, letting the notifications disy themselves in front of him. [Astralkwalker] has reached level 21! [Voidhunter] has reached level 21! [Astralkwalker] has reached level 22! Power increased to 78 Agility increased to 74 Mystic increased to 84 +6 free Attributes. Movement Speed: D4 ¡ú D6 Strength: D2 ¡ú D3. [Lifeblood] has reached level 5! [Abyssal Symbiote] has reached level 8! [Obliterate] has reached level 8! [Dimensional Pocket] has reached level 3! [Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes] has reached level 15! [Blink] has reached level 10! [Blink (Basic ¡ú Intermediate)] [Astral Resistance] has reached level 10! [Astral Resistance (Basic ¡ú Intermediate)] So many of his abilities had levelled up. Even against the wyrm he¡¯d not seen this much improvement. ¡°From your expression, I take it the spar was beneficial?¡± Raesar asked. ¡°How could you tell?¡± ¡°Experience. People grow the most when they¡¯re forced to push beyond their limits. And you¡¯re just getting started. The most growth happens at this stage where your Astral Soul and body rapidly grow into the potential they¡¯ve arisen to. But that doesn¡¯t mean you can stop training once you¡¯ve crossed certain level thresholds. Raw Attributes will only take you so far if you do not train your Abilities, Skills, and Sub-Attributes properly. There¡¯re far too many over-levelled junkies out there with no foundation in them,¡± Raesar said, snorting. The giant Drailith¡¯s chest muscles twitched as a thick tail behind him moved around to curl at his feet. Raesar turned to look back down at Noah, extending his hand to him. ¡°Now, I¡¯d appreciate it if you could return my pants, please.¡± Noah¡¯s gaze travelled downward. Somehow, he¡¯d forgotten the muscr man was naked all this time with how casually he¡¯d been walking around. Quickly reaching out to his Dimensional Pocket, he retrieved Raesar¡¯s pants and handed them to the man. Raesar nodded, walking away. Noah turned to Remi. ¡°Do all Drailith¡¯s have that monster hanging on their lower halves?¡± Remi chuckled. ¡°Never seen a Drailith naked before?¡± Noah shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re not all like that. Drailiths are typically about the size of humans, the guild head is just tall. Which reflects everywhere on him I suppose,¡± Remi added, chuckling once more. Noah looked at Raesar, now wearing pants again, still brimming with energy. He wondered if there was a [Big Dick] skill somewhere out there that he could try to get. And if Raesar secretly had it on him. If that exists, the method to get it is totally a guarded secret in some vault. ¡°Are all guild heads as strong as him?¡± Noah asked Remi. ¡°Some are stronger, most are weaker, but it depends on where you are. Go to arger city, or a guild around a higher grade zone and you¡¯ll find more powerful people in the area. Someone of the guild head¡¯s capability could easily be a guild head in Heartilia too, but Raesar inherited the ce from the previous guild head who¡¯d taught him. He refused all opportunities and offers to move somewhere else. Says a guild¡¯s only worth is in the heart you give it, and there¡¯s none in those damn nobles,¡± Remi said. ¡°You make him sound pretty awesome,¡± Noah said. ¡°He is pretty awesome. You¡¯ll learn that if you stick around. Most of us do, and it¡¯s only because of him,¡± Remi said. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to rest now. Great match.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah replied. I should¡¯ve asked about the [Big Dick] skill too. Putting his silly fantasies aside, Noah went back to his ability upgrades. [Blink (Epic/Intermediate) ¨C level 10] The realms cannot hold you. Be capable of entering the Astral Rifts for a short period of time as you teleport around in the blink of an eye. The short part was removed from his teleport range. Could he teleport really far now? Noah wanted to test the hypothesis, but his mana was still recovering, and it would likely not be good to randomly try and teleport around. There was also the mention of Astral Rifts, but Noah wasn¡¯t sure what that meant. Another thing he¡¯d have to test to find out. Moving on, he opened the description for Astral Resistance. [Astral Resistance (Intermediate) ¨C level 10] You have started to gain a basic grasp upon the fabric of space itself, peering through the gap between the realms. Your soul has absorbed the Astral Rifts, growing ever more resilient to the magic. Noah wasn¡¯t sure what the grasp upon the fabric of space meant. Maybe it was something I saw inside my Dimensional Pocket. Closing the ability menu, Noah decided to not invest his free stat points right now. Feeling his mana still quite low, he closed his eyes to Meditate. The surroundings slipped away as he focused solely on his breath, and the flow of mana making its way into him. Time seemed to slow down as his awareness expanded. The mana within him filled to the brim. Yet, unlike before, Noah felt now that he could push. Focusing on his mana, he continued to fill more and more. The mana began to seep out of his body, but a very small amount remained. As a dull ache told him pushing any further would cause damage, Noah stopped. Opening his eyes, he saw new notifications had arrived. Mana: 105% Mana Capacity: E9 ¡ú D0. Cognitive Speed: F4 ¡ú F5. Somehow, the improvements hadn¡¯t stopped yet. A wide grin began to rise on Noah¡¯s face, a budding desire to fight Raesar growing within him. I wonder how much stronger I need to be before I can challenge him. Stretching his limbs and finding the familiar sense of energy that came after a good workout, Noah made his way back through the training hall. Taking the elevator up, he reached the waiting room on the fifth floor, and started that way when he heard Nae¡¯s voice. ¡°Those damn rot-infested motherfuckers.¡± Noah did a double take at hearing the curse in Nae¡¯s high-pitched and girlish voice. The words were followed by even more expressive cursing, and then Aurelia answered. Noah entered the room, finding the two women seated with grim expressions. ¡°Umm, is this a bad time?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Yes,¡± Nae replied, her eyes rooted to something in her vision that Noah couldn¡¯t see, a murderous glimmer in her eyes. ¡°I have some Abyssal-scum who managed to slip under my watch to catch and skin.¡± ¡°I assume you were discussing Aurelia¡¯s former party?¡± Noah asked. ¡°We were. Apparently, I was far from an isted case,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°There have been more and more reports of missing people, and now that I¡¯m charting this, a lot of them are tied to Quests certain party members have taken,¡± Nae said, clutching her hair. ¡°This is awful. If people lose faith in the guild, the bacsh¡­ Just how are these cultists avoiding Identify?¡± Nae bit at her nails, continuing to alternatively pour over sheets of paper with naps that flipped on their own, or swiping at the air. ¡°Did you learn anything?¡± Noah asked Aurelia. ¡°Not much, not on the grand scale of things. But the Iron Fists are near Windrest, on some other Quest,¡± Aurelia said. Noah expected to see more anger, hate, or any form of emotion to find that the party who¡¯d betrayed her and left her to die was so close. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so calm,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Aurelia replied. It was only then that he noted the zing orange mana glowing in her eyes. ¡°Most fire Paths are passionate people, loud, energetic, boisterous. They get angry when they do, and do not hesitate to show it. It fuels their magic, as much as the magic feeds into their personality. It¡¯s a good thing too, it strengthens them. Do you know why I can live amongst those people andpete with them, when I am not at all like that?¡± Aurelia asked, the orange flickers in her eyes growing stronger. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a got a Berserker Perk is why,¡± Nae said. ¡°Or something pretty damn close to it anyway. If you ever meet a Berserker, they¡¯ll be the most calm and controlled people you¡¯ve ever seen. They bottle their anger. And that is not metaphorical. They literally bottle it up inside their soul as mana, and then let it explode once enough has umted. I suspect your friend has been doing that ever since you freed her,¡± Nae said, ncing at Aurelia. ¡°Or maybe longer. That¡¯s a lot of mana.¡± ¡°What she said,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°I¡¯de close once or twice to using my abilitiespletely, but that would have left me drained for a week. It would¡¯ve essentially meant letting those guys go. I hope you can forgive me for that,¡± Auerlia said, dipping her head once. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what there is to forgive,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°If I had used my ability, you wouldn¡¯t have lost your arm.¡± Noah nced at his arm. A strange emotion filled him. He looked back up to meet Aurelia¡¯s eyes. ¡°Would you have used it if I was about to die.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Then I have no problems. You did what you thought was the best, despite my reckless choices, and the lost arm ended up being a good thing anyway,¡± Noah replied, leaning back on the sofa. ¡°Thanks, Noah,¡± Aurelia said, patting his shoulder. ¡°Shut it you two, I¡¯m working,¡± Nae spat, hissing like an angry cat. Papers flew in and out all around the room, letters glowing and shuffling. Noah watched the woman¡¯s abilities in wonder, hearing words he could not understand or make outing from her mouth. ¡°Mantra chains. Fate magic,¡± Aurelia whispered, having noticed his curiosity. Noah nodded, trying to watch closely. With a sudden twist, a single word began to glow with a brilliant golden light, rising from the map. ¡°Aquaris. They¡¯re in Aquaris,¡± Nae said. Aurelia looked back, returning a nod. ¡°Good. Great. Consider this an official request on behalf of the guild to track down the members of the Iron Fists and bring them to us. Keep one of them alive,¡± Nae said. New Quest obtained! Quest: The Vengeful Hunt You¡¯ve found the location of the traitorous members of the Party Iron Fists. Find them and bring them to justice for their crimes. Difficulty: Hard. Reward: Unknown. ¡°And Quest received,¡± Noah said. ¡°By the way, can you finish the registration process to make me an adventurer?¡± ¡°Ah, right. Give me a minute, my hands are tied. I¡¯ve got so much to track. We¡¯ll need to vet every member in the guild with a Pdin of Hellion. You¡¯ll likely be apanied by one on your Quest, With the Identify veil being this good, the only reliable way to root these cultists out now is Light of Judgment, and that¡¯s a divine skill. ¡°Anyway, agree to this contract and let it record your mana signature,¡± Nae said, handing a scroll to Noah. ¡°You can take it to someone as well if you want to take be sure. Just don¡¯t lose it, or I will have Raesar beat you into the ground.¡± Nae snorted. ¡°I feel like your personality did a flip while I was gone¡­¡± Noah said, putting the contract into his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°I¡¯m FAR too pissed to be nice right now. If news of the fact that cultists infiltrated the guild and organized human trafficking and ritual sacrifices right under our nose on official guild Quests gets out, we could all be facing trial held by the Avera-sted pantheon of gods,¡± Nae replied. ¡°That¡­ sounds bad?¡± Noah said. ¡°Very, very bad. A trial of the pantheon has not been held in five decades. It¡¯ll destroy the guild. Hellion isn¡¯t known for her mercy,¡± Nae said with a sigh. ¡°Worst case scenarios aside, make up your mind, Noah, and give me a few days to deal with this mess. We¡¯ll arrange a pdin to apany you and give you the details, rewards, and all of that. For now¡­ well. Enjoy Windrest, I suppose.¡± Nae picked up the documents on the table. Tapping them on the table, she neatly stacked them in a row, and they disappeared in a sh of light. ¡°Well, we should head out then,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Aurelia. I¡¯ll make sure you get your Quest rewards, and an additionalpensation from the guild for putting you in danger like that,¡± Nae said. Aurelia nodded, and she and Noah entered the elevator and made their way out of the guild. ¡°Do you want to go the inn now?¡± Aurelia asked once they reached the main street. ¡°Are you kidding me? I¡¯m finally in a city after like a week. And we¡¯ve got some good money on us, which means there¡¯s just one thing to do!¡± Noah said, smiling happily. Aurelia quirked her eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s time to go shopping, baby!¡± Chapter 32: Shopping Quest Chapter 32: Shopping Quest Noah walked through the streets of Windrest, taking in the sights of the buildings, people, and streets. He hadn''t really had many opportunities to travel on Earth. With money being tight, survival had always taken priority over anything else. But now that he was here, Noah almost felt like his desire to explore the world wasing true, even if it wasn''t the world he''d thought he would be exploring. "Is there something in particr you want to buy?" Aurelia asked. "Yeah. I broke one of my daggers in the spar, and Raesar told me to get a spear. I''ve been thinking about that," Noah replied. "Although, half the fun in shopping is just wandering aimlessly and looking around to see what''s there." "Feels like a lot of wasted time if you already know what you want," Aurelia said. "It''s not a waste if I have fun," Noah replied with a smile. After a few minutes of walking, Noah spotted the central za. It was the sound that reached him first, as crowds of people, both human and otherwise, walked around the city. Turning a corner, he saw the marbled central area with a giant swirling tunnel of wind holding up a massive ship tied to the za with chains. "What''s that?" Noah asked. "That''s a wind raft. A kind of airship. This one is just for disy. Something something historical replica? The northern end of Windrest has a wind raft port; they go to all the major cities in the Melior Republic." "They look an awful lot like blimps, but with wings attached," Noah said, ncing up at the wind rafts. "You said you wanted to buy a spear, right?" Aurelia asked. "Yeah," Noah replied. "Well, I know a ce that can get you that and also look at that contract for you at the same time," Aurelia said. "Oh? What kind of ce handles both legal issues and selling weapons at the same time?" "You''ll see," Aurelia said with a smile. Walking through the za, Noah made his way through a thick crowd of people, trying not to lose sight of Aurelia as they moved forward. Taking the eastern road out of the central za, the two made their way through the main street before Aurelia pulled Noah into a side section that was quieter than the rest. Noah walked alongside the road, ncing at the shops without any names on them, disying all sorts of strange items set behind ss-paned windows that shimmered with mana if he looked too closely at them. "Here it is," Aurelia said, standing in front of one particr shop. The top wooden bar bore a strange emblem and crest, though Noah had no idea what they denoted or meant. The disy in front featured random assortments like a peculiar watch, a scroll tied up with a seal upon which a butterfly sat, and a weirdly ominous-looking dagger with serrated edges that resembled teeth marks. "Are you sure this ce sells weapons? This entire alley gives me the creeps," Noah asked. "I''m sure. Now stop being scared and follow me," Aurelia said, grabbing Noah''s hand as she walked through the door. "Hey Josiah," Aurelia greeted, raising her hand. "Ah, my dear firebird Aurelia! It''s been too long!" the gangly redhead said, walking towards Aurelia as he embraced her in a hug. [Rune-crafter lvl - ??] It took Noah a moment to realize that he was not speaking the samenguage as he had been all this time. The man, Josiah, turned to face Noah, adjusting his monocle as he inspected him. "And who would this gentleman be?" "This is Noah, a friend. We''re traveling together," Aurelia said. "A pleasure to meet you," Noah said, extending his hand. "A pleasure it is," the man replied, shaking Noah''s hand. "You''re not from Erandir, are you?" Noah paused. "How could you tell?" He asked. "You spoke my tongue," Josiah replied. "It''s not anguage found in this world." Noah looked at the man, unsure of what to make of the statement. "Are you also¡­?" He trailed off. "Oh no, not at all. I was born here. But my great-great-grandfather came to Erandir from Netrilos. We have almost no cultural marks left of his home besides thenguage he brought with him," Josiah replied. "Josiahes from a family of renowned genius crafters. He''s also been a great friend of mine after I moved to these parts, and made my gauntlets for me," Aurelia said. "Nonsense. I''m merely average. But speaking of your gauntlets, where are they?" Josiah asked. "I lost them. Got captured by a cult, barely escaped. Looked for them everywhere but no luck. I think the cultists must''ve sold all my gear," Aurelia said, her smile slipping at the memory. "Ah, my dear, that is most unfortunate. But perhaps this is a good thing. I''ve just gotten my hands on some powerful fire spells, and had been itching for a chance to use them. What say you? Want me to make you a custom spell-bound set?" Josiah asked. "Would¡­ that not be too much work? I need to leave the city quite soon," Aurelia asked. "You wound me by saying such things, my friend. For you? I''ll get it done within the day," Josiah replied. "Then I would really appreciate it, Josiah," Aurelia said, and the redheaded man smiled. "Is there something your friend would like as well?" Josiah asked, looking at Noah. "Yes, actually. I''m looking for a spear, possibly one that would suit my specific battle style. But before that, I''ve got a magical contract that I wanted someone to look at," Noah said, taking out the scroll. "Ah, a contract. Sure," Josiah said, and Noah handed the scroll to the man. "Oh, the guild registration. Yeah, I''ve seen this before. Let me just take a look." Noah watched the shopkeeper move to the back, cing the scroll on a table. Josiah selected a quill, dipping it in ink as he pressed it against the scroll. The paper lit up, words glowing and swirling all around the man as the contract began to vibrate with mana. A momentter, the words rapidly rushed back onto the paper, settling down as the magic faded. "It''s a pretty standard contract. You''ll be bound to the guild, and they''ll have legal jurisdiction over you. So if you were to get imprisoned for life, the guild will have a say in what''s done with you. It''s likely the best option for you to pick since the guild works with almost all kingdoms on Erandir and has peaceful ties with most," Josiah said. "Alright, that''s basically what I was told as well. Thank you," Noah said, putting the scroll away. "Hypothetically speaking, by the way, what would happen if I tried to break this contract?" "There''s a spell attached to it, which will inform the guild of your location at all times using your own mana. They''ll send people after you until you''re eventually captured or manage to escape to a ce they cannot reach. I would not rmend doing that, though. You''d be marked as a fugitive across Erandir. Which is far worse thanmitting a crime within a single kingdom." "An international criminal, huh? Not quite the life I would pick, but it does sound badass," Noah said, rubbing his chin in thought. "Ignore him, he''s an idiot," Aurelia said, pping his shoulder, and Josiahughed. "It''s been a while since I saw you this cheerful, Aurelia. It seems your new friend has been good for you," Josiah said with a smile. "I tell her that too, but she refuses to believe it. I''m an amazing presence to have around," Noah said with a smirk. "Anyway, I have onest weird question. Regarding magical contracts. Can a soul pact be broken?" Josiah paused, his smile slipping. "A soul pact?" He asked again. "Umm, yeah. Like, with a god, for example." "No," he replied. "Not unless the god in question explicitly tells you that you can." Noah frowned for a moment, trying to think over how much he could say here. "But what if you''re the one who initiated the pact, and the god epted it?" "A pact initiated by you... hmm. It is possible. As the holder of the pact, it is within your ability to break it, but against a god... the difference in spirit is so vast that the god would simply overpower your soul and break the pact, whereas you doing that would destroy you," Josiah said, humming. "But. If... hypothetically. You can kill yourself, trap your soul in, say, a soul-gem, anchor yourself to Erandir, and then return to a body once more, to the pact you would be considered dead. And thus, it would dissolve on its own." "Is that actually possible?" Noah asked. "Not really," Josiah replied. "When you die, you go to the underworld. And the god of Death is not one to let wayward souls leave his domain." Noah nodded, satisfied by the answer. Aurelia began discussing the details of her gauntlets with Josiah, as Noah stood nearby, letting his thoughts drift. A way to break a soul pact. He would have to look into this. Chapter 33: A New Spear Chapter 33: A New Spear Noah patiently waited as Josiah and Aurelia''s discussions came to an end, and then it was finally his turn to choose a weapon. "So, what specifically are you looking for?" Josiah asked. "A spear, but I''m not really familiar with the weapon, so I can''t say much more," Noah replied. "A spear, huh?" Josiah said, rubbing his chin. "I''ve got some to show you. Follow me." Noah followed the shopkeeper into the back of the shop, entering a spacious storage area filled with items disyed on shelves and in boxes. A kiln and an anvil sat on the right side, with rows of weapons lining the walls. "I''ve got this beauty right here. A spear engraved with triple-thrust. So, if you hit once and use the skill, it''ll strike three times almost simultaneously," Josiah said, cing the weapon in Noah''s hands. Noah used Identify on the weapon. [Enchanted Spear (Umon)] A spear enchanted with the triple-thrust spell. Consumes mana upon activation. The spear featured a stone embedded within its wooden shaft, with runes etched that extended to the tip. Noah spun the weapon around, trying to get a feel for it. "Or if you''re more interested in range, then there''s this one," Josiah said, presenting a different spear to Noah. This one was longer and much heavier, its entire body made of some kind of metal adorned with intricate runes. "When you use your mana, the wind spell activates and sends nearly invisible, rapidly cutting wind des," Josiah exined. Noah used Identify. [Windsher (Rare)] A weapon made of wind-attuned steel and wind mana stones, embodying the Howling Fury spell within it. Consumes mana upon activation. "There''s also this entire rack full of spears if you want to pick one yourself." Noah nodded, returning both spears to Josiah as he began to examine the options one by one, using Identify on each of them. [Sharpened Spear (Umon)] A spear with the sharpening enchantment on it. Noah picked up the weapon, stabbing the air a couple of times to get a feel for it. From what he could tell, the spear was mostly ordinary, but with an exceptionally sharp edge due to its enchantment. Setting the weapon down, he moved on to the next one that caught his eye. [Switch-de Spearsword (Rare)] Infused with the blood of a lycan, this silver de can transform into a sword. "Whoa, what''s this one?" Noah asked. "Ah¡­ that¡­ is a childhood project. I''m a bit embarrassed by it, but I kept it around because of its rarity. It''s not a very practical weapon, but the craftsmanship and strength are top-notch," Josiah said, scratching his cheek. Noah found a small trigger on the shaft and pressed it. The spear shifted and twisted, transforming into a de with a humming edge that shimmered a blood-red color. "Holy crap, that''s awesome," Noah said, swinging the de around before pressing the trigger again to turn it back into a spear. "Just a toy. But I did enjoy making it," Josiah replied. Noah put the spear back and moved on to the next one. [Dual Spear (Rare)] A specially crafted spear with des on both ends that can cut through rock with ease. Noah spun the weapon around, feeling a little silly. "I am the dark lord," he said, spinning his spear like a staff. The spear smacked one of the shelves, almost knocking a spear onto him, and Noah stopped. "Yeah, I doubt I can use this," he said, putting the Dual Spear back. As Noah moved through the row, one spear in particr caught his eye. It was on the bottom shelf, set in a corner, covered by a thick rug and secured with locks. Noah bent down to grab it, but Josiah caught his hand. "That one''s cursed," he warned. "Cursed?" Noah inquired. "Yes. Cursed. It''s a weapon with Blood rot infused in it. It''s powerful, but it''ll kill you." Noah pondered for a moment. "Can I just take a look?" Josiah hesitated but eventually nodded. Pulling out a key, he unlocked the spear and carefully removed the covers, revealing a bright red spear that gleamed with a crimson hue. Noah used Identify. [Spear of Crimson End (Common/Growth)] A spear infused with Crimson Rot and the remnant spirit of a dying warrior of the Scarlet Valkyries. The spear bonds with its owner and grows along with them. "A growth item?" Noah asked, surprised. "Yes. They''re rare, but not unheard of. Items that grow in power over time. Bonded weapons, all of them. If this wasn''t a cursed spear, it would sell for no less than 10 B-grade mana stones." "How much would it cost if I wanted to buy this anyway?" Noah asked, looking at the spear. "My friend, since you''re Aurelia''s acquaintance and I know you''re not from here, I''ll say this as politely as I can. Don''t buy this. I''m not selling it. The only reason I haven''t thrown it away is that I''m holding out hope that maybe one day I can remove the rot from the spear. But as it stands, this spear will kill you. Crimson rot cannot be cured. If you contract it, the only option to save yourself is to cut off the infected limb. Poison resistance doesn''t even work on the rot; you need Rot resistance instead, at an intermediate level, and very few people have that." Noah thought it over for a moment, then rolled up his sleeve to show his prosthetic hand. "I think with this, I can use it." "Ah¡­ a prosthetic. But even so, the rot will eventually destroy that too, and if you identally cut yourself with it¡ª I can''t in good conscience sell this to you," Josiah insisted. Noah frowned, contemting his options. He was fairly confident that his Lifeblood ability could handle the Crimson rot. If he let Tony handle the rot with his arm, and poured Lifeblood and consumed potions, he could likely level up Lifeblood, gain rot resistance, and eventually be able to use the spear. However, this all depended on when Tony woke up. "I know how this sounds, but I have certain advantages that I think may allow me to use this weapon. But I don''t n to use it right away," Noah exined. Josiah looked conflicted. "I think you should let him have it," Aurelia interjected, leaning against the door. "You guys were taking a while, so I decided toe see what was up." "Why would you say that, Aurelia? You know how terrible the rot is," Josiah protested. "I know. But I''ve seen Noah recover after being pumped full of Necro-toxins. He''s immune to the poison type now, and given his abilities, if you refuse, he''ll teleport in here at night and steal it from you." Josiah turned to face Noah. "A teleportation ability?" Noah shrugged. "Fine, very well. But don''t say I didn''t warn you," Josiah said, carefully wrapping the spear and reapplying the magical seal. "I''ll sell it to you for eight D-grade mana stones. That seems fair, considering no one else is likely to be crazy enough to take this off my hands." "How about five D-grade mana stones?" Noah bargained. "Eight. Take it before I change my mind," Josiah insisted. "Fair enough," Noah agreed, handing over his C-grade mana stone. In return, the shopkeeper gave him two D-grade mana stones. "Actually, can I get a skill tome for spear ability?" Noah inquired. "I have an intermediate Spear Proficiency tome, which I can give you for these two D-grade stones." "Yep, that''s perfectly fine," Noah agreed. Josiah retrieved the skill tome, and Noah identified it. [Skill Tome of Intermediate Spear Proficiency (Umon)] A skill tome containing the Spear Proficiency skill. Noah picked up the tome, nodding in gratitude to Josiah. "I''d be willing to take the spear back if you can''t manage to use it. Of course, not at the same price," Josiah offered. "I''ll keep that in mind," Noah responded. After exchanging parting greetings with Aurelia, the two left the shop. Not wanting to waste any time, Noah used his Spear Proficiency skill tome while he was still ahead. You''ve absorbed [Skill Tome of Intermediate Spear Proficiency] Skill [Spear Proficiency] obtained! [Spear Proficiency] starts at level 10 and ranks intermediate due to item usage. A wealth of information filled Noah''s mind: how to grip a spear, proper attack techniques, and how to position his feet. It felt as though he''d acquired a new set of skills. Noah practiced the motions with his wrapped cursed spear, moving as if it came naturally to him. "You should put that spear away until you''ve figured out if you can actually use it or not," Aurelia advised. "Come on, let me have some fun!" Noah protested but put the spear in his inventory anyway. "Fun, huh? Actually, if you want to explore Windrest, how about going to see the Astral Rift in the castle?" "The what in the where?" Noah asked, puzzled. "The Astral Rift. It''s a tear in reality leading to an Astral ne. The pce was built above one, and they let people look into it. This one leads to the Wind Astral ne." "Huh," Noah mused. "Why not? It sounds fun." Aurelia smiled at his enthusiasm. "Alright then, off to the castle we go." Chapter 34: Astral Rift Chapter 34: Astral Rift Noah and Aurelia wandered through the city, leisurely making their way to the castle. It was Noah who took his time, darting around whenever something new or interesting caught his eye, while Aurelia had to shepherd him back on track like a mother corralling her overly energetic child. ¡°Come on, we could¡¯ve stayed a while longer to watch the show,¡± Noah grumbled as Aurelia pulled him along, firmly holding his hand and refusing to let go. ¡°No, we couldn¡¯t. The bards perform there all day, and you just wanted to keep flirting with that woman. Then you wanted to try out the Derilon pie before somehow being talked into paying for an air-craft tour ride. I¡¯m not letting you wander off anymore or you¡¯ll get lost, and then it¡¯ll be my responsibility to find you and bring you back,¡± Aurelia said, tightening her grip. Noah had tried to see if he could force his hand free, but the smaller woman had a deceptively strong grip. He could escape, but it would take effort, and he didn¡¯t think it was worth angering Aurelia. ¡°Okay, fine, but we really could¡¯ve stayed until the end of the song, at least? And I wasn¡¯t flirting¡ª¡± Aurelia gave Noah a pointed look. ¡°Okay, fine, but she was hot. And I never knew there was an entire job dedicated to collecting magical herbs,¡± Noah said. ¡°That woman wasn¡¯t interested in you, Noah. She¡¯s an herbalist, and in these parts, that means she¡¯s a thief. They target tourists primarily, offering to take them out for drinks before showing them their ¡®special herb¡¯ with extra kicks. Then you¡¯d be knocked out, robbed blind, and left naked in some alley.¡± ¡°Alcohol doesn¡¯t affect me,¡± Noah said. Aurelia let go of Noah¡¯s hand, stopping in her tracks as she turned to face him. ¡°Why are you acting like this?¡± she asked, folding her arms. ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Like a child. You¡¯ve been drawn to everything you see and ignoring me when I tell you to do something or go somewhere,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I just want to explore. I¡¯m in an entirely new ce with so many things to see. There¡¯s no harm in wanting to explore, is there?¡± Noah asked. ¡°In fact, why are you so tense? You look like you¡¯re permanently clenching your jaw.¡± Aurelia paused for a moment, touching her chin. ¡°No, I¡¯m not. And I just don¡¯t want to lose track. Exploring a little is fine, that¡¯s why I¡¯m taking you to the castle. I understand this is all new for you, but we also have a Quest, and I want to visit the library at the castle and start making preparations for it instead of wasting my time wandering around the city.¡± ¡°You could always leave me to explore and go do what you want,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°I could, but I don¡¯t trust you not to get yourself into trouble. You¡¯re very clearly not from here, and that makes you an easy target for any unsavory characters. Cities like these always have them. But if you think you can handle yourself and really want to explore, I¡¯ll leave you be,¡± Aurelia replied. It would be enjoyable to wander around by himself and sightsee, but he was also quite curious about the Astral Rift. Both Blink and Astral Resistance had advanced to intermediate levels, granting him new abilities. A rift might help Noah understand his abilities better. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Noah said. ¡°Great, let¡¯s not waste any more time,¡± Aurelia responded. They crossed several overhanging bridges, and Noah found himself standing in front of the castle at the highest point in Windrest. ¡°Does a prince live there?¡± Noah asked, looking at the marble structure adorned with intricate magical runes carved into the walls. A spiraling staircase led them around the castle toward a secondary building next to it. ¡°No, that¡¯s the governor¡¯s house. The elected governor resides there during his term. Though I believe the current one has been in power for nearly four decades now,¡± Aurelia exined. ¡°Corruption?¡± Noah inquired. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t heard anything about the governor here. He seems to do a good job managing the Wyvern Riders and maintaining their hive, as well as ensuring the City of Windrest remains functional. I think most people like him,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°What¡¯s that one?¡± Noah asked, pointing to the building Aurelia was leading him toward. It was nearly as pristine as the castle itself, albeit smaller in size. ¡°That¡¯s the Church of Avera, the goddess of Wind and Knowledge. She¡¯s the local deity of Windrest, and I believe she¡¯s the one who opened this Astral Rift,¡± Aurelia responded. ¡°Really? Can gods just open those like that?¡± ¡°She did, so they probably can. Though most happen naturally and in the wild¡ªa sort of crazy magical phenomenon that quite literally scars reality,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Interesting. And what do you mean by ¡®local goddess¡¯? Is she only found here?¡± Noah inquired. ¡°Basically, yes. Not all gods are equal, of course. There are many smaller deities, local to certain ces and people. Avera is one such deity.¡± ¡°Does she reside in this church, then?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Sort of? I don¡¯t really know what deities do, but she appears quite often. It¡¯s not rare to meet her, so if we¡¯re lucky, we may see her,¡± Aurelia exined, then paused. ¡°Be respectful if she appears, okay? No stupid jokes.¡± ¡°What do you think I am, four?¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to believe a four-year-old would be better behaved,¡± Aurelia said with a snort. Noah clutched his heart in mock hurt as they entered the church. The interior was quite simr to the church¡¯s exterior, but Noah noticed a faint green hue within the marble. Eventually, he realized it came from the wind mana embedded in the walls themselves. A gust of wind passed through Noah, and he turned to see a strange little child made of green light, almost like an odd ghost, circling around his head. ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± Noah asked, uncertain of what to do, when the small creature giggled and flew away. ¡°That¡¯s a wind elemental. You¡¯ll see a lot of those here,¡± Aurelia said. True to her word, the farther Noah went, the more elementals he saw. Most were little balls of magic that could barely create a gust of wind, while a few were encased in mini tornadoes, boasting a much more defined shape and humanoid appearance. Noah used Identify, but for some reason, the skill refused to work on the elemental. The creature seemed to sense Noah¡¯s attempt and nced back at him before giving him a smile, revealing sharp fangs. ¡°Do these guys just roam around this ce?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It¡¯s the temple of the goddess of wind, so yes. They roam freely here,¡± Aurelia replied. One little elemental decided to use her head as a resting ce. Noah reached out with a finger, trying to pet the little elemental¡¯s translucent hair, when the creature turned and bit him instead. ¡°Ouch,¡± Noah said, clutching his finger. A single red drop welled up. ¡°Why do they hate me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe ask them?¡± Aurelia suggested. Noah grumbled. He did have the [Universal Language Comprehension] Perk, didn¡¯t he? Turning to face the elemental, Noah asked, ¡°Why do you dislike me?¡± The elemental jumped, turning around once before its eyes settled on Noah, turning beady. ¡°You can understand me, can¡¯t you?¡± Noah asked. The elemental continued to stare at him in confusion. A momentter, it gave him a nod. ¡°Great. So, why do you guys hate me?¡± ¡°Stinks!¡± the elemental replied, pointing at Noah. ¡°I¡­ stink?¡± Now he was just confused. ¡°Stinks! Void! It stinks!¡± the elemental said, giggling happily as it flew away. ¡°What¡­ did you just do?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°I asked the elemental why it didn¡¯t like me,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Apparently, it¡¯s because I stink.¡± Aurelia stared at him nkly then burst outughing. ¡°That¡¯s not funny, okay?¡± Noah said, though he found himself joining in herughter as well. ¡°Oh, mother¡¯s mercy, a wind elemental told you that you stink. By god, you really must. I wonder if my nose has gone numb from being near you too much since I can¡¯t tell anymore,¡± Aurelia said, sniffing at her clothes once. ¡°I hope I don¡¯t stink.¡± Noah shook his head. A few momentster, he found himself standing in what looked to be the central chamber of the church, with a giant statue of a woman holding a harp in one hand and a book in another, sitting atop a giant peacock. A glowing cut in reality was ced beneath the statue, with barriers around it to prevent people from walking right up to it. ¡°That¡¯s Avera. And her divine familiar, Vari,¡± Aurelia exined. ¡°A peacock, huh? I didn¡¯t know they existed here,¡± Noah replied. ¡°They don¡¯t. She got it from a different realm. Is that animal found in your homnd?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°In some parts of it, yeah. Not where I lived, though,¡± Noah said, before his attention was captured by the Astral Rift. ¡°That¡¯s the rift, I take it?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Indeed. This one leads to the Astral ne of Wind. You can probably feel the torrent of wind mana flooding outward from it,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I can definitely feel something,¡± Noah replied. Walking closer, he kept his eye on the cut in reality, finding something oddly captivating within it. There were swirls of mana and magic within that held his attention in ce, but also¡­ something more. Like he could see ayer of something on top, a fabric that had been cut through and then pierced with a needle to go into the cut itself. The shape didn¡¯t feel three dimensional, and Noah had a hard time perceiving it. Astral Resistance has reached level 11. His system seemed to agree with him. Noah walked right to the edge of the barriers, eyes rooted to the Astral Rift. There was a hole in there, a path that led to¡­ somewhere. Somewhere inside the rift itself. ¡°What happens if I go inside there?¡± Noah asked, turning to Aurelia. ¡°You get ripped apart into little pieces before dissipating into mana,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°It¡¯d be a silly way to die, but you also can¡¯t really go in. The entire thing is magically locked. They wouldn¡¯t keep the rift open to the public if it wasn¡¯t,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah hummed. A momentter, he saw the wind elemental from beforee back, twirling around his head. ¡°Stink man!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stinky, damn you!¡± Noah shouted, and the elementalughed. ¡°Want to see home?¡± ¡°Home?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Yes! Mother will like stink man!¡±the elemental eximed, bobbing up and down. ¡°Follow!¡± Then, the little ball of wind dived into the rift, disappearing entirely. The hole Noah saw in the rift, the tunnel, it widened for a moment, reaching out to him. ¡°That elemental just invited me in,¡± Noah said, ncing at Aurelia. ¡°What?¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Yeah, in fact, the gate¡¯s open now, I can see into the rift. Hold my hand,¡± Noah said. ¡°Noah, what are you trying to do?¡± Aurelia said, looking at him hesitantly. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but something tells me I should go in. And I¡¯m the type who listens to his guts,¡± Noah said. ¡°Noah that is not a good idea¡ª¡± Aurelia said grabbing his shoulders but it was toote. Blink red to life, burning brightly around the both of them, and with a blue flicker, they vanished. Space dted around Noah as he felt himself being swept in currents of something beyond his perception. It took him a moment to understand that it was reality itself warping around him, bending him in ways that should not be possible in three dimensional space. ¡°Here!¡±the elemental chimed. There was no air in the dark gap between realities. This space between realms was what he used to transport himself. Every point here was connected to every other, motion was merely a result of where to and where from on theyers tied to this space. It was as if reality was a fold of napkin, two dimensional, and this gap was the in between, connecting thoseyers together in a three dimensional structure. Noah found himself drifting. He did not have a body, not outside the boundaries of the spell that protected him from this ce and kept him intact. He could feel his soul contorting, and reality itself blending around him. But there was a path. Someone had carved it. The strength required to do so was so unfathomable Noah could barely imagine it, just walking upon the path was difficult for him, and every moment that passed, he considered jumping back out to Erandir. Focusing his mana, he concentrated. He closed his eyes, not finding any benefit from watching twisted space which gave him a pounding headache. All that mattered was the hole through the Astral, connecting the two realms together. Noah let himself be pulled along by the passageway that had been cut into the Astral itself, as reality enveloped him much like it had when he¡¯d been reborn from the Void, before letting him out with a pop. Warning. Low Mana. Level notification: 3 Ability notification: 12 Noah stumbled, breathing heavily. He ignored the notification, trying to gather his bearings as he stood in a brand new reality. ¡°What have you done!¡± Aurelia screamed. Her words didn¡¯t transmit, Noah¡¯s eyes upied by the other person standing in the room. No. Not a person. A goddess. ¡°Wee,¡± the goddess of Wind and Knowledge said, smiling. ¡°It has been a long time since I¡¯ve had such interesting visitors.¡± Chapter 35: Averas Palace Chapter 35: Avera''s Pce Noah stared at the goddess, lounging upon her throne with a silver goblet in her hand, containing some kind of golden liquid inside it. The woman¡¯s face was the definition of perfect. But not the kind of symmetrical face Noah would¡¯ve expected. No, Avera looked a lot like a normal woman, one in her thirties who had gone out of her way to take the best care of herself, but her beauty rested in the draw she had. There was an aura of pull, of¡­ divinity that captivated Noah. Out of habit, he tried to use identify, but found the skill not even reacting. The goddess gave a chuckle. ¡°I am not under the Astral System, Noah. It¡¯s funny that you¡¯d even try to identify me.¡± ¡°How do you¡­ know our names?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I know many things, Noah. I am the goddess of Knowledge after all,¡± Avera said, sipping from her goblet. Aurelia took in a sharp breath, putting her hand on Noah¡¯s head as she made him bow, repeating the same motion herself. ¡°Please forgive our intrusion and insolence Avera, we did not intend any disrespect. This guy is just an idiot and followed an elemental inside here,¡± Aurelia said, clutching Noah¡¯s head tightly. ¡°Oh, far from disrespect, I¡¯m quite amused. I left that gate open for the elementals to travel freely, but I never expected people to follow through from there,¡± Avera said, raising her hand. The elemental twirled, whispering into the goddess¡¯ ears. ¡°My friend here tells me yourpanion is quite an interesting person?¡± Avera asked. ¡°Umm¡ª¡° Noah tried to speak, but Aurelia pushed his head down again. ¡°No, goddess. He¡¯s merely lost, and stupid. I think his parents may have dropped him on his head as a child for him to think jumping in an Astral Rift is a good idea,¡± Aurelia said, almost growling under her breath. Noah felt heat starting to build upon her palms. ¡°Now now, no need to loosen up your anger like that, Aurelia. It was not entirely Noah¡¯s fault. Fate is a fickle thing, and it had pulled him, or rather, the thing he carried here alongside him,¡± Avera said, rising from her throne. ¡°My, you do stink of Void though. Perhaps a shower will help,¡± she said, snapping her fingers and Noah felt a torrent mana flood his body, coursing through him. An intense feeling of invasion filled his mind, but it vanished just as quickly as it came, and Noah realised he felt rather refreshed. ¡°What did you do?¡± Noah asked, patting himself. He felt more awake than ever before. ¡°Washed away the muck you¡¯d picked up on Erandir. Especially the bits of Void your little parasite creates,¡± Avera said, as she stood right in front of Noah. Unlike the Wyrm, he did not feel a crushing presence from this woman, but her aura was far vaster instead. He could not feel its end, or the depth of how far it ran. Avera extended her hand, and Noah felt something pull from somewhere inside him. ¡°There it is,¡± Avera said, holding Noah¡¯s new spear in her hand. The cloth wrapping it vanished, alongside the lock, as the bright red spear appeared in front of her. ¡°Ah, the Scarlet Valkyries. What a pitiful state to have been reduced to for such valiant warriors,¡± Avera said, a deep seated sadness in her voice. ¡°Not only do you possess Raelinah¡¯s Valkyrie¡¯s spear, but you also bear the touch of her hand upon your very fate. Tell me, has she returned to us atst?¡± Avera asked, looking into Noah¡¯s eyes with a pleading expression. ¡°I¡­¡± Noah trailed off, unable to look away from the entrancing circles inside Avera¡¯s gaze that seemed to suck him in. ¡°I don¡¯t know who you¡¯re talking about.¡± Avera stepped back, looking once again at the spear. ¡°Perhaps you are not aware of your own fate yet,¡± Avera said, as the cloth and seal reappeared on the spear. ¡°This weapon did note to you by coincidence. Do you think it is random chance which creates these quests you follow? Do not be so blind, child. Seek her, and once you have, let her know that I still remember the promise she gave me,¡± Avera said, handing the spear back to Noah, before pressing a finger to his forehead, as the words engraved themselves in his mind. ¡°I¡­ if I may ask. Who is this Raelinah?¡± Noah said, before ncing at the spear in his hand. ¡°And what does this spear have to do with her?¡± ¡°Raelinah¡¯s the old Goddess of War, I believe. Shaya had told us of her,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Indeed. She was the old goddess of War on Erandir. And she led the most valiant order of Valkyries against the Crimson Heart. This spear belonged to one of the Valkyries from that order,¡± Avera said. ¡°Though it has been tainted with Crimson Rot now, but perhaps even that can be a boon, if you learn how to make use of it,¡± Avera replied. ¡°What happened to Raelinah if she was so powerful?¡± Noah asked, looking at Avera. ¡°She left,¡± Avera replied, turning away as she took another sip from her goblet. ¡°She left? Where?¡± ¡°I do not know,¡± Avera said. ¡°But you have clearly met her, given that [Fate-Touched] mark upon you.¡± Noah paused, trying to remember something. He could vaguely recall meeting someone¡­ but the memory was near his death, and barely coherent. ¡°I¡­ I think I did,¡± Noah replied. ¡°You most certainly did, Noah. And if you¡¯re here that may mean she is about to return as well. I suspect the [Fate-Touched] mark will lead you to her, if you can follow its guidance.¡± ¡°May I ask you something, goddess?¡± Aurelia said. ¡°You may.¡± ¡°Could you tell us what¡¯s happening with the Abyssal cult, and how they¡¯re intruding upon the guild? Innocent people¡¯s lives are being lost because of them, and we¡¯re both on a quest to find the ones responsible,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Knowledge is wealth. And I do not part with mine for nothing,¡± Avera replied. ¡°But, in this regard, I cannot help you even if I wanted to. The void protects those under its shade. I cannot perceive their movements from here,¡± Avera replied. ¡°I see. Thank you, goddess,¡± Aurelia said, bowing, though her voice was quieter. ¡°Though I cannot help you directly, I can allow you the ability to help yourselves,¡± Avera added. ¡°As the goddess of knowledge, I have collected many books, teachings, and items in my library. Some of these may lead you to your target.¡± ¡°Can we look?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Not for free,¡± Avera replied. ¡°Knowledge for Knowledge. That is the price. You must each give me something you possess that I do not know of, or do not possess myself.¡± Aurelia frowned. ¡°Easy. Do you know that electricity is actually caused by tiny particles of negative charge called electrons that orbit around a cluster of positively charged particles in the centre called protons, and that is what forms all of existing mass?¡± Noah said. ¡°I do indeed know how atoms work, Noah. And quantum mechanics, their function, and even vibrating energy matter theorems. I knew of a man from Earth who¡¯d found his way here, and he¡¯d traded me a lot of information. Wonderful guy, he even had this recording of music from your world about all the rock music that was the new craze,¡± Avera replied. Noah heard the goddess talk, before his eyes widened as an idea came to him. ¡°I do have something, but I cannot say it out loud,¡± Noah said, walking closer. Avera raised her eyebrows in curiosity, before leaning in. Noah walked up to her ears, whispering. Avera¡¯s eyes widened, and she looked at Noah with a gasp. ¡°Is that true? Oh my poor heart,¡± Avera said, clutching her chest. ¡°Yeah, it was tragic. But the man¡¯s still a legend,¡± Noah said, before walking closer. Aurelia watched the interaction from afar, feeling strange as the goddess chuckled, before outrightughing out loud at his words. ¡°That is most delightful! Very well, the two of you may roam here freely. But do not disturb Vati if you find him, he does not like strangers. Oh, and do not step outside this pce¡¯s grounds. Only my magic is keeping you two from being ripped apart into dust particles.¡± ¡°Noted!¡± Noah replied cheerfully, as she waved her hand, and a door cut open in reality, leading them into the library. Noah looked back at Aurelia, giving her a wink. ¡°You wanted to go to the library didn¡¯t you? So here we are!¡± ¡°Just what did you tell her?¡± Aurelia asked, baffled. ¡°Brought her up to speed on celebrity news from earth. From the way she was talking, I could tell she was a few decades behind,¡± Noah said. ¡°You can never say I don¡¯t know how to deal with gods again.¡± Aurelia stared at the amused Noah, who walked into the library. Shaking her head, she followed, and the portal leading in closed behind her. Looking up, Noah stared at the vast library with swirling stairs leading up high enough he could not see the top. Books upon books sat in an infinite row of moving shells. Space was not linear, and neither was gravity, with the walls having their own nes of existence interconnected into the other spaces present within the library. ¡°Well, I guess we better start looking then?¡± Noah said, ncing at Aurelia. ¡°Yeah,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°This may take a few days.¡± Walking through the shelves, Noah slowly began to go through the sections. There was an order to everything, and Noah thanked the goddess for her foresight. Making his way through the many sections of topics, he eventually found his way into the sections on the primordial gods, before picking up a book on Crimson Rot. Finding a pile of books to read, Noah walked, before taking a seat on one of the swirling stairs as he began to read through the contents. Hours flew by as Noah read, learning more and more context about this new world. The mana within the library made him feel as if his concentration was at its peak no matter how long he had to focus, and the information continued to fill his brain with each new line he read. The Crimson Heart was a strange primordial god. Fundamentally, it was the God of Growth and Life, which did not sound at all like an evil god. But the more Noah read, the more apparent it became why it was such. The Crimson Heart embodied unchecked abundant growth. It embodied mutation, cancer, and pulsating tumors. The kind of growth that ran wild without regard for life or death, simply existing to multiply. And then, after it grew, it would begin to rot. The Crimson Rot did not merely decay things, it mutated the body it affected, growing pustules and limbs and eyes and hair as it twisted the person afflicted beyond recognition, painfully and agonisingly growing them beyond their capabilities, before all life escaped the affected limb, and it began to decay. Then the rot would settle in, as the blood seeped through the pores, turning the skin red and mushy, earning it the name of Crimson Rot. If the Void was the antithesis to Life, then the Crimson Heart was unregted abundance. Two ends of the same spectrum, with both leading to death. The Rot was a nasty way to die, for any unlucky enough toe in contact with it. But Noah also remembered that he had been made immune to cancer from when he¡¯d gained his Devourer aspect. The fact that Crimson Rot used the person¡¯s own lifeforce against them was problematic, given how much of it Noah had. But if he could control the Crimson Rot¡¯s ability to run life apart, and then reverse it into an enemy while feeding them his own lifeforce from lifeblood, he¡¯d be able to destroy them by healing them wrong. ¡°Reverse Healing,¡± Noah murmured, the idea taking hold in his mind. Given Tony¡¯s void abilities, he should be able to regte the Crimson Rot, and if that was true, then he may be able to allow just enough to seep through for Noah¡¯s own healing to fight back against the rot, as he slowly gained resistance. It was a risky move, especially if it didn¡¯t work, but poisoning himself to train his resistance looked like the only possible way for him to make use of his spear at this point. As Noah was flipping through a section, detailing methods on how to purify the rot and safely contain it to increase rot resistance, he sensed something stir in his left arm. With a sudden pulse of mana, his left arm lifted itself, stretching his fingers as if waking up from a long nap, as a consciousness he hadn¡¯t felt in a few days made itself aware to Noah once more. Noah smiled, feeling pleased. Tony had finally woken up. Chapter 36: Abyssal Eye Tony Chapter 36: Abyssal Eye Tony Sleeping. It was a thing that all living creatures did, a part of life and being alive. Tony had not known this. Neither had he experienced it before. To Tony, sleep had been the eternal darkness of the void, the stillness in which his existence would blend into non-existence, the difference between the two fleeting and entirely dependent on a stir within his surroundings. Sleep was like that, and Tony hated it. How could anything ever spend a single moment not experiencing this wondrous world, and instead choose to settle into fleeting non-awareness? Tony did not understand it. Still, shaking off the slumbering drowsiness, quite literally, Tony moved his master¡¯s arm, letting him know that he was awake. A momentter, Tony paused at the thought. He? I am he? Gender was not a concept that applied to an Abyssal parasite. They were creatures devoid of sex, and their method of replication was more akin to an amoeba¡¯s. Yet now, though Tony didn¡¯t know why, he was certain that he was a he. It was a strange feeling, only made stranger when Tony noticed the other changes within itself. He had¡­ evolved. Tony understood the concept of evolution, but that had only applied to its host before. But this time, it was not just his host that had changed, but Tony himself as well. All his understanding of destroying his host was gone, reced instead with ways of beneficial enhancement to both of them. His instincts had changed as well, no longer did he have to twist his instincts of strengthening a prey. Tony shivered, excitement filling him. Just what else had happened while he was sleeping? What all had he missed during his time? Trying not to burst into joy, Tony began to take hold of everything one by one. First thing was the arm. Tony was now diffused into every part of the arm. Each cell, muscle, nerve and even the bones were fused together with Tony¡¯s body, feeding it precious life. Tony felt the inflow of life and shivered, yet no longer was this life overwhelming to him. No longer did he feel satiated from the torrent of life-blood that had once driven him to frenzy. He was hungry. Tony felt a slight bit of concern growing within him. Would his hunger keep growing if Tony grew as well? His instincts warned him that if he could not keep his hunger in check, he could hurt his master. Tony did not know, and neither did he have a way to convey his thoughts to the master. ck goo moved and pulsed around Tony, and he sensed the master reaching out to him. Their connection was better now, and Tony sent a greeting to the master. ¡°Good morning buddy. Had a good nap?¡±The Master¡¯s voice said. Tony could not hear things, but the information was transmitted through their familiar bond. Tony sent back an affirmative, alongside a sensation of frustration. He had missed so much! The masterughed, and Tony felt confused for a moment. Was the master happy at his suffering? ¡°That¡¯s alright. Not a whole lot happened that would interest you,¡± the Master said, and Tony epted his words. ¡°So, I¡¯ve been thinking about this for a while now Tony. I love having you in my arm and everything, it¡¯s quite good, but I figured you might also like being able to move around independently of your own,¡± the Master said, and Tony sensed something being slipped onto the Master¡¯s hand. ¡°Do you think you can inhabit this ring?¡± The master asked. Tony let his senses spread out. Dark goo rose from the Master¡¯s skin, flowing into the ring, as Tony felt a torrent of mana, and a pulsating eye in the middle. The ring was not alive, it had no soul, but it had a body, and a small source of life to keep the eye alive eternally. Void mana filled the ring, and Tony felt himself naturally adjusting into the ring, as his goo fused with the nerves set around the life crystal powering the eye. A hunger rose in Tony, to devour the crystal, but his master had not ordered that. Shuddering, and keeping his hunger in check, Tony found himself fusing with the ring, as something changed. The eye moved, then moved once more. As Tony realised what had happened. He could see now. He could see! Things. Colours. Light. Darkness. Shadow. Faces. Ground. Sky. Mana. Magic. He could see it all! The world expanded in a million colors, light rays flowed in through the eye, as Tony looked up to see his master¡¯s face. He was showing his teeth, normally an expression of aggression, but this time, Tony knew the Master was smiling. Tony shivered, feeling an overwhelming joy pass through him as the world yet again expanded to him forever. Tony moved the new eye rapidly, trying to take in everything. ¡°Okay that¡¯s really gross. See if you can detach the ring. You have my permission to take full control,¡± the Master said. Tony stopped, thinking over the newmand for a moment. Take over entirely. But the ring had no body. How would he take over? Tony felt distraught. The master had told him to take over, but he could not do that without a body. The ring was metal outside the eye, and Tony could not control metal. But he also could absolutely NOT deny the master. What if he got sent back to the void? The boredom would kill him! Tony shivered in fear, rapidly running his mind at high speeds. He drew upon the life-blood, trying to think better, clearer and faster. Possibilities expanded, as Tony tried toe up with something. Then it realised. What if he tried to heal the eye? Tony could heal. Especially now, as a symbiote, Tony could grow back tissues. But if he tried to heal the eye, it would not grow in a form Tony wanted, and would not function. Tony paused once again. So many difficulties. But then, another idea came. What was healing? Why did Tony have to follow the eye¡¯s previous form? It had no soul, nothing to guide its shape. It was merely an eye. So what if Tony grew it into the form he wanted? Tony shivered. Yes. This was a good idea. Moving his body through the arm, Tony let himself divide, and focused his attention on the ring. As void goop began to flow in, the eye started to distort. Tony focused. Vision changed, colours expanding. Nerves grew first, expanding out from the base of the eye as they began to cover the ring. Sensations expanded for Tony, his mind now able to feel the structure of his new body. Using the ring as a skeleton, Tony began to grow muscles upon it. The eye pulsated, stretching and Tony rapidly began to draw lifeblood from his master. Flesh grew, ck and raw, oozing with void, as it formed a socket around the ring. Within the structure, attice of bone grew. Tony paused for a moment. He would need to move, but forming legs seemed inconvenient. Wings? Tony thought over it, before a form came to it from its instincts. Yes. That would work. Bones jut forth from the side of the eye socket, extending into two little wing-like structures. Muscles followed the bone, before nerves, blood vessels and skin covered the ps. Tony continued to adjust, changing, evolving and improving as the body manifested. So much life was passing into it right now, and all of it was being used up instantly. The new body was hungry, drinking in the lifeblood with wanton as Tony formed the body. Then, slowly, Tony formed a single slit within the ring at the base, opening it up around the Master¡¯s finger. Moving his new wings, Tony gave a test p, then another, before taking off. Wings fluttered rapidly as Tony flew, feeling a new set of instincts guiding him as he buzzed around. He was flying! Delight filled Tony as he circled around the Master, watching him look at Tony with an expression of wonder. ¡°Oh wow, a single eyed bat. That is¡­ actually kind of adorable,¡± Noah said. Tony looked around the area, and saw rows upon rows of shelves. He sent a questioning feeling to his master, as he looked at the things stacked on the wooden shelves. ¡°Ah, that. Those are books. They contain knowledge in them, written by people about all sorts of things. Stories, information, details about biology, everything you can think of and more. You can read them and learn things,¡± the Master said. Tony froze. Things. He could¡­ read? Was¡­ was that possible? Tony turned its body, wings pping slowly as he tilted his new eye up. The walls extended high up into the skies, books decorating every inch of the wall. Tony could¡­ eat words? Gain knowledge? The prospect did not feel real, but it was. Tony knew this. And the excitement hit him all at once. Buzzing, he flew through the air, soaring higher and higher as he saw the building keep on rising up. Books. Book! So many books! He would read everything in this ce. He wanted to know, he wanted to learn. That, too, was hunger, and the hunger grew like a rising beast within Tony¡¯s mind. He wanted to know everything present in this ce. A momentter, Tony felt his connection to the master weakening, as strength began to leave his limbs. Stopping, Tony realised his life-force was running low, and at this rate, his new body would die. Slowly moving down, Tony flew back to his master, perching upon his arm. Exhaustion settled in a momentter. Tony can¡¯t fly for long. Need master¡¯s life-blood. Tony wasn¡¯t sure if everything was conveyed properly, but the master gave a nod. ¡°I guess I¡¯m still your source of energy huh? A lot like a charging port if I think about it. Rest up buddy, you did a lot. Maybe go to sleep for a short while to adjust to your new body,¡± the Master said. Tony did not like this idea, but its eyes were already drooping. Its life-force was running low, and it needed to refill. Retracting his wings, Tony wrapped them around his master¡¯s fingers, feeling the connection to him snap back into ce. A momentter, the life-force began to fill Tony¡¯s mind, lulling him into a sense of calmness. Then a voice spoke in Tony¡¯s ears. You¡¯ve reached level 9! You¡¯ve reached level 10! Rank increased to Intermediate. You¡¯ve unlocked the ability: [Metamorphosis]! Tony saw the words sh in front of him and gave a pleased shudder as sleep took him away and dreams of eating books soon filled his mind. Being alive was the best. Chapter 37: I like to call myself a risk taker Chapter 37: I like to call myself a risk taker Noah heard a ping from his notifications and looked at the folder. There were multiple unchecked notifications within and he opened them to look at what he¡¯d gained. [Astralwalker] has reached level 25. [Astral Resistance] has reached level 15. [Dimensional Pocket] has reached level 6. [Blink] has reached level 14. Agility increased to 77. Mystic increased to 90. +6 free Attribute Points. [Lifeblood] has reached level 6. [Abyssal Symbiote] has reached level 10. [Abyssal Symbiote (Basic ¡ú Intermediate)] [Summon Ability: Metamorphosis] obtained! Noah eyed the changes, surprised by the massive jump for Astral Walker, and all its rted skills. It made sense in some ways, he¡¯d just traveled across realms through an Astral rift, which was bound to give him some experience. His attention moved to the summon ability, as he wondered what that meant. Perhaps Tony¡¯s transformation had triggered something? Noah nced down at the sleeping Tony resting on his finger. Moving back to his previous task, he pulled another book out from the pile, as he began to read on the Crimson. There was a lot of information on the Crimson cult, the Crimson Heart, and the primordial gods themselves. But a lot of it also referred to the Scarlet Valkyries. Noah flipped another book open, discussing the Scarlet Liberation, and the War to kill a Primordial God. There have been many wars on Erandir. Most fought by mortals, but some were fought by gods. Perhaps the most famous of any of these, outside the Eternal War with the Abyss, was the Bloody War. Led by the Scarlet Goddess of War, Raelinah, named for her hair, and the trail of blood she left in her wake, the Scarlet Valkyries had fought the greatest travesty to have ever arrived on our realm, with the arrival of the Primordial Outer God, the Crimson Heart on Erandir. It is not often that a Primordial God manifests within a realm. The Astral rifts are witness to such events, where worlds have shattered under these wars. It was here, where the Scarlet Valkyries had risen, rebelling against the Crimson Heart, with the battle that formed the Crimson Valley that persists today as the only mark of this war, and the many revenants of this cruel century-long battle that has left a permanent scar upon this world. The skies are forever red there, the ground tainted crimson with blood, as rot and decay subsume life in all forms and nature. Though the war was won, it was not without cost. The goddess left this realm upon the war¡¯s end, and the world fought over the scraps of the Bloody Heart¡¯s pieces, leading to decades of stagnation. Even today, this Rot still persists, waiting for a chance to return upon our realm. Noah closed the book, breathing out. He returned it to his pile, picking another one when a gust of wind blew in his face, as a high and squeaky voice screamed in his ears. ¡°Stinky man!¡± Noah gave an unamused look to the wind elemental, who in reply bared his sharp teeth at him. ¡°Met mother. Mother likes stinky man. Less stinky now!¡± The elemental eximed. ¡°Yes, I met your mother. Who had a lot more manners than you,¡± Noah replied, and the wind elemental twirled happily. ¡°That was not praise¡­¡± ¡°Want to show stinky man something,¡± the elemental said. Noah looked at the creature in surprise as it twirled and spun around, before flying out of the library. He took a look at all the books remaining around him and the little progress he¡¯d made in actually finding a way to use the spear. I guess a walk wouldn¡¯t hurt. Noah followed behind the elemental, as it made its way out of the library. A gate of light appeared from the ground near the walls, cutting into reality itself as the elemental flew through and Noah followed behind. Walking through the blinding light, Noah found himself standing in a corridor carved from the green and white stones he¡¯d seen within the church. But these stones contained far more potent mana in them, brimming with energy. ¡°Here!¡± the elemental eximed. Noah followed, watching the elemental fly into a circr chamber, with an odd fountain at its center. Multiple wind elementals swirled around the fountain,ughing and whistling as they chased each other, creating gusts of wind. Moving closer, Noah sensed what the fountain was. Pure wind mana moved through the water, oozing outwards. From within it, he could see the little orbs of light rising and swirling around the area, as the wind elementals chased them around. The elemental he¡¯d been following flew into the fountain, sinking into the surface of the mana-water. Noah walked closer, peering through into the water¡¯s surface as his eyes widened. An entirely different world was visible beneath the water; gusts of wind flew freely, as mana storms swirled and circled around in giant cyclones. There was a beauty to the ce, of pure primal energy roiling without restraint, forming a beautiful, yet terrifying, sight. Noah reached out with his hand, trying to touch the surface of the water. ¡°I would not rmend doing that. You will die,¡± a voice spoke in his ears, stopping him. Noah turned back, and saw a giant peacock lounging in front of him. It was big, taller than Noah even while sitting down. Its skin was a deep azure color, each of its feathers brimming with brilliance. The sight was mesmerising, so much so that it took Noah a minute to realize he was no longer standing in front of the fountain. ¡°What¡¯re you doing here, mortal?¡± the peacock asked, looking at him with its brilliant and vibrant eyes. The question snapped Noah out of his daze. ¡°I found my way here through the Astral rift, and was given ess to the Library by the goddess Avera. I assume you are Vati?¡± ¡°That I am,¡± Vati replied. ¡°That Avera, pulling in mortals yet again. Her fascination with your kind perplexes me.¡± The peacock turned to look at Noah, squinting its eyes. ¡°Not to mention you reek so much of the Void and Crimson¡­ just what kind of mortal has she picked this time?¡± Rising from his ce, the massive peacock moved in closer, bringing its head near Noah. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re fate bound. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t Avera¡¯s fault that you¡¯re here, then.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that a few times now. What does that even mean? Is there literal fate guiding me?¡± Noah asked. ¡°No, foolish mortal. Fate does not guide anybody. It simply dictates the possibilities. Infinite realms of possibilities exist within this world, but the realms upon which fate guides you are more likely to ur than others. You have strong fate with this ce, so your path would¡¯ve most likely led you here one way or another.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Noah murmured. ¡°That is¡­ interesting.¡± ¡°I am d you are amused, but I wish to sleep. You have already imposed upon my slumber. Do not raise my ire any further and leave. And do not try to enter the Astral realm of wind again. I will not save you the next time you try,¡± Vati said with a quiet snort. ¡°Thank you,¡± Noah replied, with a light bow. ¡°Just, before I go, can I ask you one small thing?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The reason I¡¯m in the library is to try and figure out how to use this spear,¡± Noah said, bringing out his new weapon. ¡°But so far I haven¡¯t found any mention of how to prevent Crimson Rot, aside from just being strong enough to resist it.¡± ¡°Your spear inflicts Crimson Rot - V on its wielder. There is no cure for this level of the Rot. No antidote, no balm. Healing magic only makes the Rot worse, potions only make the Rot worse. There is no method to resist the Rot in existence, besides sacrificing the inflicted limb to preserve your life,¡± Vati replied. ¡°Surely¡­ there has to be something right? From what I¡¯ve read, Void is the antithesis of Life. And Crimson is abundance. What if you mix the two?¡± ¡°You would need a life-force potent enough to bnce both ailments at once. Only a fool would attempt something such as that,¡± Vati replied, before looking at Noah again. ¡°You do look like a fool though.¡± ¡°I like to call myself a risk taker,¡± Noah replied. ¡°So, if I have arge enough life¡ªpool it¡¯s possible?¡± Noah asked. ¡°You don¡¯t, not as of now,¡± Vati replied. ¡°But. If you can subsume the spirit within your spear before the Rot kills you, there is a chance you will survive.¡± ¡°Subsume the spirit?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Read what the Astral Script tells you of your weapon. There is a spirit living within your spear, it is the source of the Crimson, and the reason this weapon hungers so for growth.¡± Noah used identify on his weapon again. [Spear of Crimson End (Common/Growth)] A spear infused with the Crimson Rot, and the remnant spirit of a dying warrior of the Scarlet Valkyries. The spear bonds with its owner, and grows along with it. Noah read the description, before looking back up at Vati. ¡°So what do I do?¡± ¡°Bond with the spear, ept the Crimson Rot and let it run wild. If you can win over the spear, and have it recognise you as its master, the Rot will no longer inflict you when you use this spear. But you will have to do so before the Rot kills your body.¡± Noah frowned, looking at the spear in his hand. He did not have a weapon, and given the growth nature of this one, he¡¯d appreciate it if he could unlock it sooner thanter. ¡°Do you think I can do it?¡± Noah asked Vati. ¡°You have fate with this weapon. But those who rely on fate are fools. Ultimately, the choice will depend on you,¡± Vati replied. Noah frowned, looking at the spear, before he spun it around and nted the butt of it on the ground. ¡°Well, I did say I was a risk taker.¡± ¡°Mortals. Foolish as ever. But this is entertaining. Very well, I shall watch over you. Your death, or your victory, both shall live eternally here within my mind.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah replied to Vati, as he pulled away the cloth covering the spear. Taking a deep breath, Noah grabbed the spear with his hands, feeling the red color seep into him. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Crimson Rot - V]. [Lifeblood] resists [Crimson Rot - V]. [Crimson Rot - V ¡ú III]. [Abyssal Symbiote] resists [Crimson Rot - III]. [Crimson Rot - III ¡ú II]. [Crimson Rot] has applied [Cancer]. [Devourer] negates [Cancer]. [Crimson Rot] has applied [Mutation - III]. [Lifeblood] negates [Mutation - III]. Max health will be reduced by 5% every minute. Noah ignored the myriad of notifications, feeling the Rot start to flow through him. Lifeblood began to work in a frenzy, his own body changing as the Rot began to warp him. Quickly taking a seat, Noah closed his eyes. Setting the spear in his palm, he reached out with a pulse of mana, and a new prompt appeared in front of him. Do you wish to bond with [Spear of Crimson End]? Yes/No? Noah selected the yes option, as he felt himself being pulled into the spear itself. With a sudden pull, he was standing in a vast battlefield. Bodies upon Bodies littered the ground, which had turned red from the seeping blood. The sky burned a bright scarlet, the setting sun standing still as if watching over the battle from its ce. Noah grasped the spear in his hand, looking around at the area before his eyes locked onto a figure, standing in the distance. Wearing golden armor that had turned a deep rusted shade of red from the blood soaking it, a woman stood, holding a spear in her hand. The same spear that Noah held in his. The woman looked lost, her eyes distant and uprehending. Slowly, she looked up, and Noah saw the dark crimson eyes looking at him with unrestrained madness. Using identify, Noah watched the woman in the distance, feeling a shiver run up his spine at what he saw. [Scarlet Valkyrie Remnant - ??] Chapter 38: Scarlet Remnant Chapter 38: Scarlet Remnant Noah''s instincts screamed at him to move, and he teleported moments before the ground exploded as a spear embedded itself where he''d stood faster than he could see iting. Panting, he looked up and saw the Valkyrie staring at him, before she extended her hand, and the spear flew back into it. Noah noticed the ground decaying where the spear had struck, as more of the oddly shaped red growths that littered thend began to rise from the ground. Looking at the Valkyrie, Noah observed her armor absorbing these growths, red protrusions and mutations covering her battered and broken body. He used [Void Hunter''s Eyes] and saw the woman''s lifepool burning wildly inside her body. Her own lifeforce mingled with the Crimson Rot, attacking her insides as each limb continued to decay further and further. Noah nced down and noticed her feet were bloody stumps, leaving ck and red trails in the red sand with each step she took. She was a corpse, a husk somehow hanging onto life and walking with sheer willpower. Yet, at any point, if Noah looked into her eyes, he would see the soul of a warrior, still burning with a single-minded purpose: to fight her enemy. Golden light shed around the Valkyrie''s spear as she raised it to the sky. Golden spears manifested around her, glowing with a divine aura, before they shot towards Noah. Using Blink, Noah dodged out of the way as the rain of spears continued to strike at him. The Valkyrie moved, her broken and worn-out feet kicking the sand as she ran faster than Noah had anticipated, lunging at him. With a Blink, Noah teleported behind her, striking at her sides as his spear shed through her abdomen. Dark red blood erupted in a slow, aching flow, and Noah''s fingers burned where the droplets had touched him, spreading the Crimson Rot even further. The Valkyrie roared, turning before she leapt, as a golden aura gathered around her. The spear lit up with Power, a golden circle forming around the Valkyrie. Noah used Blink to rapidly teleport away as golden spears thrust upwards from the ground where he''d stood. He took a stance, nting his feet in the ground, trusting [Spear Proficiency]''s guidance, as he pushed Bleed and Obliterate to the brink. Red and ck mana mixed around the de as Noah twisted his upper body, allowing the strength to carry upwards from his legs, through his core and into his arms as he threw the spear. Shooting like an arrow, the spear moved, striking the Valkyrie as it pierced her side chest. Noah teleported closer, letting his ws protrude as he shed at the Valkyrie. Blood sprayed, and Noah twisted mid-attack to dodge, using Dimensional Pocket to teleport the spear back into his hands. He spun the weapon around, using the base to strike at the Valkyrie''s chest. The Valkyrie growled, her limbs rotting and breaking apart from the attacks as dark blood dripped down. She twisted, drool dripping from her mouth as her mad eyes focused on Noah. A bright golden sh gathered around her, as Noah felt a divine aura descend. Lightning crackled before a burst of gold emanated from the Valkyrie''s weapon. Noah screamed, using Blink to dodge, but the attack had struck. His body was singed, as if burned by the light. Blood flowed down his limbs, and he looked at the Valkyrie, noticing her wounds stitching themselves back together. Broken limbs mended, rotten flesh reassembled, and the woman''s wounds faded as she pointed her spear at him. "Fight me, warrior," the woman said, her voice soft but firm. For a moment, she almost seemed lucid, but the intelligence passed, and madness returned to her eyes as the Valkyrie snarled beforeunching ahead. Noah cursed as he rushed at the woman. Spear struck spear, thrusts and blows deflected off one another as the two warriors engaged in a dance of battle and skill. With each exchange that scraped Noah''s skin, he could feel the Crimson Rot seeping into him. Every passing moment revealed the far greater skill of his opponent. The only reason Noah could keep up was his abilities and the fact that the woman''s body was broken beyond belief, unable to respond properly to her movements. Slowly but surely, Noah''s health continued to drop, the bar at the end graying out as the Crimson Rot continued to eat at his lifeforce. Golden aura surrounded the Valkyrie, and a sudden burst of energy had her moving rapidly. The spear struck Noah, cutting through his sides and tearing out a chunk of flesh. Health: 42% Max Health: 81% Noah screamed, clutching his side as he blocked the Valkyrie''s next strike with his ws. Metal shed as the Valkyrie twisted, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him up. With a thrust, Noah felt the spear pierce his midsection before he was unceremoniously tossed. Health: 23% Max Health: 80% Noah coughed, blood flowing freely from his wound. Acting quickly, he pushed his mana. Within a second, he jumped into his dimensional pocket, creating an exit path behind the Valkyrie to appear from. From within, Noah let his spear fill with Bleed and Obliterate, pouring as much mana as he could before he threw the spear. The spear emerged from nowhere, striking the Valkyrie in the back and piercing her all the way through. You''ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Scarlet Valkyrie Remnant] Without wasting a minute, Noah used Blood Drain, drawing upon her injuries, and felt the very ground itself shifting as the soaked blood within the valley stirred, flowing into him. Health: 61% Max Health: 79% Noah felt the lifeforce flow into him, yet a portion of it fed the Crimson Rot. The Rot grew faster, its destructive force eating at Noah further and further. Using Blink, he teleported out, pulling the spear through the woman''s body. The Valkyrie roared, golden light filling her spear as she thrust the weapon outwards. Blood poured from her wounds, the hole in her abdomen slowly stitching itself closed as the golden aura continued to heal her body. Noah struck again, using his spear to pierce her shoulder. The Valkyrie roared, grasping Noah''s spear as she pulled back, causing him to lean and go off bnce as she reached out and bit. With a roar, she sank her teeth into a chunk of flesh at Noah''s neck while he elbowed her skull, knocking her sideways. Clutching the wound, Noah jumped back, using [Blood Drain] once more, as the blood from the Valkyrie and the surroundings began to flow into him, healing his body even as it fed the Rot. The woman growled, now lying on all fours as she chewed on the flesh she''d bitten. Blood dripped down her jaws, and her inhuman gaze looked at Noah with deep-seated hunger. "Just what kind of monster are you¡­" Noah murmured, raising his spear and leveling it at her before teleporting closer. The woman leapt, abandoning all human sense and form as she struck. Golden spears rose around her body like thorns of death as they shot at Noah. Flying projectile spears danced in the air, cutting through his body even as her own wounds continued to heal with each strike. Her spear swung, blocking Noah''s as the de cut through his wrist, severing two fingers. [Lifeblood] activated. "Fucking healing piece of garbage," Noah cursed, striking right back, as [Bleed] hurt his enemy and [Blood Drain] continued to heal his own wounds. Blow after blow struck between the two warriors, blood tainting the ground and chunks of flesh falling onto the sand, as both of them continued to heal themselves over and over, with each strike of the enemy fueling the other. Noah watched his health, cursing as he saw the max health bar nearly down halfway. I need to move quickly. I''m dead if this turns into a battle of endurance. Jumping back, Noah used Blink once, then once again to gain distance. Circling around and moving to keep the Valkyrie in his vision, he slowly began to form Dimensional Pockets all around the arena. Warning. Low Mana. Using Dimensional Pocket, Noah teleported a mana stone into his mouth. [Mana Stone -F] consumed. Mana regenerated to 100%. A surge of energy filled Noah as he continued to create more and more Dimensional Pockets around the Valkyrie, parrying her blows as he led her in circles. Even with the mana stone, Noah felt his head pound, each new Dimensional Pocket creating a strain on his ability. Letting the number count reach the max it could, Noah teleported further away. [Obliterate] and [Bleed] ran in a frenzy, as the spear in Noah''s hand twisted. Void and Blood mana seeped through the weapon, changing its bright blood-red color to a darker, deeper shade, with lines of ck running all across it. Noah let his mana fill the weapon until he was almost out of mana again. Then, with a blink, Noah moved closer to the Valkyrie and shot his spear. A Dimensional Pocket appeared, as the spear moved into one reality, vanishing from existence, before arriving in another. The weapon moved through invisible portals, cutting as it pierced through the Valkyrie. Noah red his mana, shifting all the Dimensional Pockets in a twisting array. Blood dripped down his nose as space began to warp itself around the area, but Noah persisted. Warning. Low Mana. The spear continued to move without stopping, traveling through portals as it struck the Valkyrie repeatedly. Her abdomen split open, blood and rotten organs seeping out, before the spear pierced through her arm, severing the limb. The weapon in her hand fell to the ground, as the spear struck once more, piercing her heart and causing blood to pour freely from her body. Limb after limb broke, falling, leaving the Valkyrie lying on the ground, bleeding. Her left leg was severed, her right shoulder missing entirely, with gaping holes in her abdomen and chest. Noah felt his mana bacsh at him, causing his head to pound. The pain made him fall to his knees, as he took a moment to breathe through the agony. Meditation picked up the sensation, allowing Noah to divert his mind from the pain in his head and rise once more. Slowly, he walked toward the Valkyrie, looking down at the woman who was somehow still alive in her state. Her skin slowly turned red as the Crimson Rot began to take over, her resistance finallying to an end. "P¡­lease¡­" she breathed, and Noah looked down to see if she had something to say, but found her eyes already consumed by the Crimson Rot as it devoured her flesh. Whoever she spoke to, it was not him. "Mother¡­ I have... failed you," she whispered, her single arm reaching out for the setting sun. Noah felt a strange sorrow fill his chest upon witnessing the woman''s state. Taking his spear, he pointed the de at her, and with a swift thrust, he pierced her neck. With a final gasp, the woman clutched his leg, before her breath faded, and the eternal rest of death finally imed her. You''ve killed [Scarlet Valkyrie Remnant (Rare) lvl - 127]! Noah stared at the notification, acknowledging his kill. He sighed, feeling his body grow heavy as he finally realized how rapidly his heart had been pounding. His clothes were soaked in blood, his skin raw from the many wounds he''d regenerated from during the battle. He looked at his left arm, noticing two fingers with entirely new pink flesh near his knuckles. A momentter, he vaguely recalled losing them in the battle. Lifeblood had healed the stumps back with [Blood Drain] fueling the rapid healing. Sighing, Noah waited for the trial to end. Something stirred near Noah, and he looked down. A hand grasped his feet, as dark red blood began to ooze, flowing around him. "Forgive me," the Scarlet Valkyrie spoke, rising from where shey. Before Noah could move, the woman lifted him up, striking at him before she threw him like a toy. He screamed, flying across the battlefield before crashing into the deep red sand. The sky burned a dark shade of red above him, as Noah saw the sun had set. A single moon hung in the night sky, glowing an ominous crimson color. Noah pulled himself upright, turning to face the Valkyrie. Red mist rose from the ground, Crimson Rot emanating from every inch of the battlefield as it flowed into the woman. Her spear was gone, broken, and she rose, with mutated crimson flesh forming new limbs and a de of bone protruding where her arm once was. Her golden armor had cracked and rusted from the rot, and she stood naked upon the battlefield, resembling a goddess of Death and Blood. [Crimson Rot Valkyrie - ??] Noah stared at the woman, his heart sinking. You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me. Chapter 39: Resting Grounds Chapter 39: Resting Grounds Crimson mist enveloped the Valkyrie, forming a strange living armor around her body. Thorny bushes of mutated nts climbed her feet, while a crown of red roses adorned her head. She stood upon the battlefield like the very image of an angel of death, here to im his life. Cursing, Noah reached into his inventory and bit into a mana stone. Mana flooded his veins, revitalizing and coursing through every inch of his body as strength surged within him. You¡¯ve consumed [Mana stone - E] Mana regenerated to 200% [Mana stone - E] has temporarily increased all attributes by 25. Power increased to 105. Agility increased to 107. Constitution increased to 107. Mystic increased to 113. Crimson sand erupted around her as the Valkyrie charged toward him with far greater speed than before. Her bone de jutted forth, glistening with a deep red shimmer as it struck. Noah blocked the assault with his spear, but the impact knocked him off his feet. Using the surge of mana, he exploited the momentum, chaining Blink and Dimensional Pocket to appear behind the Valkyrie. But the Valkyrie was prepared. She turned, her de parrying his spear as her hand reached out and caught Noah, grabbing his throat. Noah clutched her hand, feeling her fingers crushing his windpipe as she lifted him into the air. Kicking at her, he pushed at her shoulder with his feet, using his ws to slip through her fingers and free himself. Dimensional Pocket thrust a spear out of reality at the Valkyrie''s back, shooting through her midsection. The woman turned, growling as blood-red sand crawled up her backside, blocking the attack. Noah coughed, teleporting away as he pulled his spear back to him. Even with his increased attributes, the Valkyrie was simply faster. Stay focused. You''ve fought an enemy both stronger and faster than her, even if he was holding back considerably. Noah thought back to Raesar as he gripped his spear tighter. Taking a breath, he teleported back in. "Eat this!" Noah shouted, flinging sand from his spear at the Valkyrie''s face. Pebbles shot from his dimensional storage as he struck within the chaos. The Valkyrie roared, stumbling back as Noah''s strike drew blood, cutting across her bare chest, now covered in dark red marks that swirled around her body. Activating Blood Drain, Noah healed himself, his eyes ncing at the health bar. Time was running out, each passing moment consuming more of his maximum health. He needed to act quickly. Health: 46% Max Health: 51% Leaping forward, Noah let neurotoxins flow from his wed hand as they dripped down the shaft of his weapon, soaking his spear. The dark poison shed through the Valkyrie, hissing like mes as it ate through her skin. The woman struck back, her bone de shing against Noah''s spear as she lunged and attacked faster than he could react. Noah ducked under the blow, turning his head sideways instinctively as the de cut above his eyebrow. Blood flowed down into one eye, obscuring his vision as he was knocked off bnce. Noah roared, unleashing the full power of Obliterate. The void mana consumed his health at an rming rate, faster than he could heal. Despite the risk, he channelled the energy into his spear. The once-red weapon turned jet ck, as if cut from reality itself, its sharp edge extending outward. Noah struck with the transformed spear, arcs of void energy shooting out as theyshed forward. The Valkyrie twisted to avoid the attack, but the arc sliced through her arm. Bone and muscle wereid bare, and Noah watched as the red flesh slowly stitched itself back together in a grotesque, mutated form. The Valkyrie stumbled from the impact. Capitalizing on her momentary vulnerability, Noah rushed in and struck with his spear. The weapon pierced through the Valkyrie''s midsection with ease, the void mana consuming her insides. Noah activated Bleed and drew upon her health with [Blood Drain], feeling his own vitality restored. The Valkyrie growled, looking up at him before reaching out and cupping Noah''s cheek. Caught off guard, Noah froze as the woman leaned closer, pressing her lips against his. You''ve been inflicted with [Valkyrie''s Curse]. Health regeneration reduced by 10%. You are partially paralyzed. Temporary Mana Buff has been forcefully ended. Warning. Mana Low. An electric shock coursed through Noah''s body as his life force went haywire within him. His body refused to move or obey anymands, his own life force feeding the Valkyrie''s power. In a panic, Noah used Blink to teleport away, but the Valkyrie was faster, grabbing his feet and mming him to the ground. Her bone de sliced through the side of his neck, metallic blood flooding Noah''s mouth and flowing down his airway into his lungs. As he struggled to breathe and began drowning in his own blood, he tried to fight back. But the Valkyrie twisted, and bloody thorns emerged from her body, piercing Noah and pinning him in ce as they seeped Crimson Rot into his very being. Warning. Health Low. Health: 11% Max Health: 47% Desperate, Noah struck the woman''s hand with his spear, using Blood Drain to heal himself. The Valkyrie screamed, her red aura boiling over, and her de shed. Noah attempted to evade the attack, but he couldn''t move as his shoulder was cut through. Pain finally shattered his willpower, and he crumbled. The Valkyrie showed no mercy, delivering another sh across his chest with her protruding bone de, piercing his heart. Warning! Health in Critical Condition! Health: 3% Max Health: 42% Blood filled his mouth and lungs, a wheezing sound escaping through his clenched teeth as Noah''s body convulsed, tensing against his will. Gasping for breath, he stared into the woman''s scarlet eyes, a distant memory flickering across his mind. To think I would die twice in the arms of a beautiful woman. Noah frowned. He couldn''t remember that memory. Was it even his? But the thought did notst. The world began to darken, Noah''s vision fading as his injuries took their toll. Blood flowed freely from his wounds. Closing his eyes, Noah let the weight of his body sink into the sand. Sensations faded, as the world slipped through his fingers, and a dark, cold dream drew him in. Why was he fighting? Noah couldn''t remember. It had been four years since his mother died, and everything afterward felt like a blur. Mom''s gone, my friends are gone, I don''t have a job, I didn''t even finish high school. What am I still fighting for? As the darkness threatened to consume him, Noah found himself drifting in and out of consciousness. Scenes from his past life on Earth yed out before him, like a nostalgic dream that refused to fade. He saw himself as a child, sitting in the park with his mother, the sunlight filtering through the trees and casting dappled patterns on their faces. Herughter rang in his ears, a sound that had once been a balm to his soul. The scenes shifted, and he found himself walking the halls of his high school, the chatter of his ssmates a distant buzz. In another moment, he wasughing with friends at a party, the taste of soda lingering on his tongue. These memories, once so vivid and real, felt like a fading dream, slipping through his fingers like grains of sand. The line between his past life and his current existence blurred, leaving Noah lost and adrift in a sea of recollections. But the happiness did notst. Noah watched as his mother''s health began to deteriorate, her once-vibrant smile fading as cancer slowly ravaged her body. The countless nights spent in sterile hospital rooms, the scent of disinfectant and despair clinging to the air, all came flooding back. He felt the crushing weight of her absence, an emptiness that threatened to swallow him whole. He watched himself push his friends away no matter how they tried to help. Days passed in an alcohol fuelled blur as he sank further into depression. Conversations dwindled,ughter ceased, and eventually, they became strangers passing each other by. The friendships that had once been so important to him now felt like a distant, aching memory. He watched the darkest memories from his past, feeling pain he¡¯d long since buried rise in him. He wandered through those days like a ghost, detached from the world around him, as if his life on Earth had been nothing more than a dream. Was his existence truly so meaningless, his story just another tragedy lost in the sands of time? Maybe he had done enough. Maybe it was time to let go, to find peace in the darkness that beckoned him. The darkness wasfortable, cold but inviting. Sinking into its depths didn''t seem like a bad idea right now. How long had it been since he¡¯d simply been able to close his eyes and rest? Maybe I can finally rest now. Slowly, he sank, his consciousness fading. Memories came and went, passing thoughts that did not linger in his mind. Everything was a blur, even his own existence. All that existed now was Darkness. It was peaceful. And quiet. Noah could rest now. He could finally¡­rest. A shudder escaped Noah¡¯s mouth, hisst breath fading as the final point of health vanished. Two final words filled his vision. And with those words, his second life came to an end. You Died. Chapter 40: My Turn Now Chapter 40: My Turn Now Noah looked at the words, floating in front of him. Was this death? He had expected more non-existence from an event like this. A voice rang through the dark. It stirred the unending stillness of the void, like a ripple through existence. Noah frowned, feeling his rest being disturbed. Just who was calling out to him? The void continued, echoing in Noah¡¯s mind. Atst, unable to ignore it, Noah let the voice reach his mind. ¡°Master!¡± Awareness returned to Noah¡¯s mind, as he saw a floating eyeball with bat wings in front of him. ¡°Tony?¡± he asked, confused by what he saw. ¡°Tony!¡± the creature responded. Though how he spoke, Noah could not tell. The eyeball had no mouth after all. ¡°Where are we? Heck, where are you?¡± Noah asked, ncing around. ¡°A dream, master. A bad dream. I have been here before. The non-existence was simr. Where reality and non-reality mingle into a single existence,¡± Tony said. ¡°What?¡± Noah blurted. ¡°I have no idea what anything you just said means.¡± ¡°It means Master is losing! But Master cannot lose. This is a battle of wills, Master. It is not real. The spear is fighting Master¡¯s willpower, so Master needs to fight back. The battle is both real, and not. But you cannot lose, or I will lose you!¡± the eyeball eximed. ¡°The real battle is with the crimson, eating at Master¡¯s health!¡± Noah looked up, and saw his health bar. It was empty, the health entirely gone, with more than half the bar missing. Health: 0% Max Health: 31% ¡°Am I dead?¡± ¡°Nope! The mind lies. The Valkyrie beat you, so your spirit thinks it is dead. But it¡¯s not dead till the Crimson eats through everything. What Master needs to do, is push, and force your mind to fight,¡± ¡°Okay¡­ so¡­ what do I do?¡± Tony pped his wings, thinking with an audible humming sound. ¡°Master could fight back with me?¡± Tony suggested. ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Noah replied, staring at the flying eyeball. ¡°I can show!¡± Tony eximed, before flying into Noah¡¯s chest. Instead of a collision, Tony slipped inside Noah¡¯s chest. Void mana red inside him, as he felt Tony¡¯s consciousness reach out and mingle with his. Perspectives changed, his mind running faster and faster, as the darkness began to shudder. Sensations returned, and with it returned the pain. The agony was like a thousand needles piercing his skin, before threading through his muscles as they cut through the bone before pulling out the other end, all at once. He could sense a sharp, knife-like pain poking behind his eyes, and if he could, Noah would w his eyeballs out just to rid himself of the agony. ¡°Focus! This is Master¡¯s mind!¡± Gritting his teeth, Noah focused on the pain, using it as a lifeline to pull himself back to reality. The darkness receded, and the world around him slowly came back into focus. He was battered and broken, but alive. Summoning thest of his strength, Noah pushed himself up from the ground, his body trembling with the effort. The Valkyrie, sensing his resurgence, turned her scarlet eyes upon him, surprise and anger evident in her gaze. As the pain fueled him, Noah felt a surge of power unlike anything he''d experienced before. [Abyssal Symbiote] has used [Metamorphosis]! All attributes increased by 25% Time remaining: 60 seconds Notifications upon Notifications filled his eyes, sub-attribute and attribute increases taking up his vision. He moved them all to his notification folder, not spending a second on them. Rising up, Noah spun his spear around, pushing the Valkyrie away from himself. His eyes glowed with a fierce determination, and the void mana within him roared to life, wrapping around his spear with a deadly purpose. ws struck against her bone de, sparks flying across as Noah growled,unching the Valkyrie backwards. He could feel Tony moving through his body and mind, calcting each move, each muscle that would tense and rx and optimizing everything. Noah barely had to think, and his body would do precisely what he wanted it to do. The world slowed down, and Noah looked ahead, watching his foe staring at him in surprise. He nced down, noting his wed arm extending all the way to his shoulder and into his chest. His body¡¯s structure was changed, more demonic, as dark swirling skin covered patches of him, oozing with void mana. Noah reached out to his Dimensional Storage. Blindly grasping within, he selected a single glowing stone from within, letting the stone teleport into his mouth. Closing his eyes, Noah bit on the mana stone, the crystal cracking into pieces as a flood of energy flowed into his body. You¡¯ve consumed [Mana Stone - D] Mana replenished by 300% All attributes increased by 50. Power increased 164. Agility increased to¡ª Noah dismissed the notifications. They did not matter. All that mattered was this battle. He needed to win before he died in reality. His eyes nced at his health bar, watching the numbers drop. Max Health: 31% Noah looked at the Valkyrie standing in the distance. A moment of silence remained as the two warriors looked at each other. Slowly, Noah moved his neck, cracking the bones with a pop as a guttural growl escaped his mouth. A manic grin was spread across his face, splitting it apart like the perfect visage of a demon. ¡°My turn now.¡± With a deafening roar, Noah charged towards the Valkyrie. The Valkyrie, sensing the surge of power within Noah, prepared herself for his assault. Her eyes narrowed, and she gripped her bone de with renewed vigor. As Noah closed the distance, the world around him seemed to slow down even further. Every detail of the battlefield, every speck of crimson sand, stood out with perfect rity. His senses were heightened, his reflexes sharpened, as if he was no longer just fighting to survive, but to truly live. The Valkyrie and Noah shed, their weapons meeting in a deafening symphony of steel and bone. The force of their strikes sent shockwaves rippling through the air, threatening to tear the very fabric of this reality apart. Their deadly exchange continued, eachbatant pushing the other to their limits. Noah''s spear found its mark again and again, carving deep gashes into the Valkyrie''s mutated form. Blood and flesh sprayed across the arena, forming a crimson mist that bathed the two warriors. Time remaining: 37 seconds The Valkyrieshed out at Noah''s neck, her de aiming for a lethal blow. As death closed in, Noah''s skin and muscles near his neck hardened in response, a swift adaptation from Tony to protect him. The sharpened edge skidded across his reinforced skin, leaving a shallow cut instead of a fatal wound. Seizing the opportunity, Noah thrust his elongated ws into the Valkyrie''s side, tearing through flesh and organs as he pulled his hand upwards. The Valkyrie screamed in pain, her bone de striking out in retaliation. Reacting instinctively, Noah raised his arm to block the iing strike. Tony had already adapted Noah''s body again, forming a hardened bone de from his arm that met the Valkyrie''s weapon with a metallic sh. Without wasting a moment, Noah took advantage of the brief opening in the Valkyrie''s defenses. Using his dimensional pocket, he teleported his spear into his free hand, swiftly thrusting the weapon at the weakened Valkyrie. The spear pierced the Valkyrie''s chest, the void mana within it hungrily devouring her life force. She gasped, a mix of surprise and agony in her eyes as she struggled to maintain her grip on her bone de. Noah pressed his advantage, putting all his strength behind the spear, driving it deeper into the Valkyrie''s body. Crimson thorns grew, burning through the skies, as a shell of bloody mutated nts began to rise, trapping Noah. ws grew from Noah¡¯s feet as he used them to free his body, pulling his spear out as he teleported away from the Valkyrie. Crimson Spears rose from the ground, shooting Towards Noah. Roaring, Noah shed his w, Obliterate burning in a frenzy as it cut through the spears of energy. Fire erupted in Noah¡¯s face, the heat singeing his vision as the Valkyrie rushed closer, swinging her weapon. Spear shed with bone de, the impact shaking the ground as Crimson mana mingled with Void mana, and reality began to fracture at the impact. Noah used Blood Drain, as the life-force from all around him began to be pulled into his body. The Crimson Rot burned his skin, his muscles broke down and rebuilt themselves every second, as Tony continued to fight to keep his body intact. Time remaining: 17 seconds As the Valkyrie lunged forward again, her spear aimed for Noah''s heart. He deftly dodged the attack, using his newfound agility from his wed feet. With a feral snarl, Noah summoned thest of his strength,bining it with the stolen life-force from his surroundings. Noah''s eyes glowed from the overflowing mana. One strike, all he needed was one strike. He leaped towards the Valkyrie, his spear crackling with thebined energies of Crimson, Void and Blood. Obliterate and Bleed mingled in a frenzy as the spear distorted. The Valkyrie, sensing the imminent danger, tried to block his strike, and Noah let her. Letting go of his spear, he used the blow to swerve into a strike as he tackled the Valkyrie onto the ground. Grabbing her in a hold, Noah clutched her throat, cutting off her airway. The Valkyrie roared, as thorns stabbed through Noah¡¯s back. Fighting through the pain, Noah roared, teleporting his spear right above the two of them. The weapon hung in the air, and as the Valkyrie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise she kicked, her hand crushing Noah¡¯s bones and tearing through his skin, but he held on. The spear fell, gravity doing its job as the weapon maintained its momentum. With a final scream of defiance, the Valkyrie pulled at Noah¡¯s arms, before the spear pierced through her mouth and back out the other end. Noah felt the spear cutting a good way through his neck as blood flowed from the wound. He felt the Valkyrie¡¯s blood mixing with his own as the woman¡¯s body shuddered with a final twitch. Time remaining: 0 seconds Metamorphosis has ended! Temporary Mana buff has ended! You¡¯ve gained [Mana Poisoning - V] You¡¯ve gained [Migraine] You¡¯ve gained [Fatigue] You¡¯ve killed [Crimson Rot Valkyrie - lvl 127 (Legendary)] Noah¡¯s heart pounded as the notifications continued to pour in front of him. Feeling all strength fade from him, he sensed Tony return to the ring at his finger, the changes to his body reverting back to normal. With effort, Noah pushed the Valkyrie¡¯s body aside, raising himself up. His arms were mangled, bone jutting through flesh and soaked in blood, with crimson rot having eaten and mutatedrge chunks of his skin. He looked horrible. Would you like to consume [Crimson Rot Valkyrie lvl - 127]? Yes/No? Reaching out with thest of his strength, Noah touched the Valkyrie¡¯s corpse, before he selected yes. [Devourer] has absorbed [Crimson Rot Valkyrie lvl - 127]. [Progress till next rank: 43/100] The corpse disintegrated into ash, flowing into Noah, as faint memories of an eternally long battle of death and carnage filled his mind. The surge of memory was thest straw. Noah copsed onto the ground, feeling his mind fade into the darkness. Thest thing he saw, the chime of a new notification, informing him of his victory¡¯s rewards. [Spear of Scarlet End] has bonded with you. Level notifications: 29 Skill notifications: 52 Chapter 41: Victory Spoils Chapter 41: Victory Spoils A soothing sensation enveloped Noah, like he was floating within an endless ocean. His eyelids fluttered, opening to a white ceiling above him, as a gentle, pale green glow bathed his body. Trying to move his limbs, Noah realized that he was, in fact, floating in a pool of water. Pulling himself upright, he looked down, realizing he had been stripped of his clothes, with only his shorts left on him to preserve some of his dignity. His gaze drifted to the spear in his hand, clutched tightly in his grasp. The spear itself had changed, its deep red color was now inteced with stripes and patterns of ck that ran all across it. Noah felt a strange sense of connection to the weapon, like it was a newly gained limb to his body. ¡°And the fortunate fool awakens.¡± Noah nced sideways, watching Vati seated nearby. The giant peacock looked at him with the usual arrogance, but there was more curiosity present in the gaze than there had been before. ¡°I must admit, I did not expect you to survive.¡± ¡°Why am I in a pool?¡± Noah asked, looking at the pale green marbled tub he was in. ¡°Avera put you there, when I told her you were about to die. It¡¯s a tub filled with pure lifeforce,¡± Vati replied. ¡°I should thank her,¡± Noah murmured, looking down at the green water. Grasping the marbled side of the tub, he pulled himself over, the water sshing down his body with stinging pain as he made his way out onto the floor. ¡°What happened to my clothes?¡± Noah asked. ¡°The Rot ate them. I don¡¯t believe you realize how you look right now, mortal. Perhaps you should nce back at the water to take a look,¡± Vati said. Noah frowned, before he moved back to the tub, ncing into the rippling water surface. As the water settled down, his own image became clear. Noah stared at himself in surprise. The ck skin up to his elbow now rose all the way to his shoulder, with dark stripes reaching into his chest. Stripes of ck ran across the left side of his neck as well, looking like strange eldritch tattoos. But the most striking change was his eye. His left eye was pitch ck, the white portion having turned a deep dark shade, while his iris had turned a crimson red, glowing ominously. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Noah muttered, touching his own face as he looked at himself. There were red scar marks all over his body, crimson patches of skin from where the Crimson Rot had afflicted him as he was unconscious. ¡°I take it, you are not a fan of your new appearance?¡± Vati asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. On one hand, it looks badass. On the other hand, I look so freaking evil it¡¯s not even funny,¡± Noah said, pulling his eye to see if his entire eyeball had turned ck. ¡°Your familiar worked hard to keep you alive, even as the Crimson Rot continued to devour your body.¡± Noah nodded, stepping back, as he inspected how he felt. There was a burning sensation running through his entire body with each heartbeat, but other than the strange heat, he felt perfectly fine. Better than ever, if anything. ¡°I feel like I just took the longest nap of my life,¡± Noah said. ¡°You were unconscious for nearly a week, so I believe that would be correct,¡± Vati said. ¡°What?¡± Noah blurted. ¡°I was out for an entire week?¡± ¡°I believe so, but I am not one to keep track of mortal time. It should be three days on Erandir due to the time dtion,¡± Vati said, ncing at Noah. ¡°Oh wow. That is¡­ a bit jarring,¡± Noah said, before ncing at the spear in his hand. ¡°I hope it was worth it.¡± ¡°You have a Growth item, child. There are few of these in all of Erandir. It is a weapon capable of bing a partner for life. Do not merely treat it like a tool, it is more akin to a limb that will remain with you for life. Should this spear break, you will forever feel its missing presence, like an aching gap in your soul,¡± Vati said. Noah nodded, looking at his spear, before he used Identify on the weapon again. [Spear of Crimson End (Common/Growth)] Progress to Umon Rank: 0% A spear infused with Crimson Rot. The spear is bonded to Noah Brown, and will grow along with him. Applies [Crimson Rot - I] on enemies. Noah looked at the spear with satisfaction, feeling pleased with his new weapon. Putting it away in his inventory, he stretched his limb, before deciding to take a look at all his new status notifications. He reached out to his Astral script, changing the disy settings to show his entire level ups in a single notification. He felt a slight resistance before the UI changed, disying itself in front of him Paths: [Exsanguinator] level 22 ¡ú 42. [Astralwalker] level 25 ¡ú 41. [Void Hunter] level 21 ¡ú 39. Abilities: [Blood Drain] level 7 ¡ú 13. [Bleed] level 8 ¡ú 13. [Lifeblood] level 6 ¡ú 9. [Blink] level 14 ¡ú 16. [Dimensional Pocket] level 6 ¡ú 7. [Obliterate] level 8 ¡ú 12. [Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes] level 15 ¡ú 22. [Abyssal Symbiote] level 10 ¡ú 16. [Blood Drain] has ranked up to Intermediate! [Bleed] has ranked up to Intermediate! [Obliterate] has ranked up to Intermediate! Skills: [Pain Tolerance] level 6 ¡ú 11. [Spear Proficiency] level 10 ¡ú 17. [Rot Resistance] gained! [Rot Resistance] level 0 ¡ú 6. [Pain Tolerance] has ranked up to Intermediate! Sub-Attributes: Ability Damage: D2 ¡ú D5. Special Damage: F8 ¡ú E3. Reflex: A0 ¡ú A1. Vitality: B1 ¡ú B4. Endurance: D0 ¡ú D1. Physical Resistance: D8 ¡ú C0. Attributes: Power: 78 ¡ú 116. Agility: 74 ¡ú 94. Constitution: 80 ¡ú 101. Mystic: 86 ¡ú 142. Free Attribute Points: 12 ¡ú 120. Noah stared at the long list, feeling overwhelmed by the many notifications. Even after he¡¯d made it concise, the changes took up half of his vision to disy. ¡°From your expression, I believe the improvements were substantial?¡± Vati asked. Noah gave a nod. ¡°As is to be expected. You absorbed the spirit of a Scarlet Valkyrie. One who had survived the war with the Crimson Heart. Merely just that alone would result in great boons for anyone,¡± Vati replied. ¡°I would suggest taking your time to go over what changes have urred. You are reaching closer to your rank up to Grade E, where your Paths will strengthen, and provide you with new abilities. Which abilities you get there, will be influenced by your choices now.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Noah said, as he returned to his screen. Going through the list, he decided to first take a look at all the skills that had ranked up. Reaching to the top, he opened the description for Bleed. [Bleed (Rare, Intermediate) - level 13] Blood is what you reap, and blood your enemies will shed. Inflict the [Bleed-II] status effect on enemies. Can be applied to weapons. Noah read the description, noting [Bleed] had gone up to [Bleed-II], closing the menu, he moved on to the next ability. [Blood Drain (Rare, Intermediate) - lvl 13] You can draw upon the blood of others to heal yourself or others near you. Increases healing regeneration and can negate blood loss and bleed. So I can heal others now, too. I wonder what the range on that is. Noah reached out to the ability, feeling a new sense. If he wanted, he could direct the healing to someone else as well, though with lower efficiency. [Obliterate (Epic, Intermediate) - lvl 12] Channel the energies of the void to annihte everything that maye in your path. Can now beunched as well. Noah read the description, whistling. Channeling obliterate into his wed arm, he found the dark jet ck ws shimmering with a greater intensity. He knew if he wanted, he could send five arms of void mana from his ws. Feeling pleased, Noah let obliterate dissipate, as he moved on to his skills. [Pain Tolerance (Intermediate) - lvl 11] You are adept at ignoring pain. You may choose to be numb to pain for a short while. All ignored pain will be experienced at once when this ability runs out. Noah looked at the ability, feeling a bit concerned. Turning his pain off could be quite useful, butpletely turning it off was a risky thing to do as well. Pain was important to tell him how things were, and if he took it too far, he could be immobilized by the bottled up pain hitting him all at once. Something to keep in mind I suppose. Closing the menu, he moved on to his newest skill addition. [Rot Resistance (Basic) - lvl 6] You¡¯ve survived the deadliest of Rots, and now your body is resistant to its effects. Noah closed the menu, taking a breath. From the corner of his vision, he could still see the [Crimson Rot] affliction in his disy, telling him the Rot was not purged from his body. The burning pain every time his heart beat let him know as much, too, but lifeblood and his resistancebined seemed capable of holding it back for now. Finally, Noah opened his attributes. He had 70 free ones, which was far more than he was going to put. Selecting twenty five attributes, Noah distributed them between Agility and Constitution. Agility: 94 ¡ú 108. Constitution: 101 ¡ú 114. Noah felt a rush pass through him, as the attributes changes happened. He checked his free attributes, noting 45 still left and decided to put them in after he¡¯d had some time to test all his upgraded abilities. ¡°I do wonder how I don¡¯t have mana bacsh,¡± Noah said, inspecting his own body. ¡°Because the battle did not ur in reality,¡± Vati replied. ¡°Right. That makes sense¡± ¡°This was amusing. I forgive your intrusion for the entertainment you provided, now leave me alone to my slumber and go bother Avera. You are her guest after all, not mine,¡± Vati said, rising up. ¡°Thanks for your help, Vati,¡± Noah said, before he gave the divine bird a bow. A door appeared behind him, glowing brightly. Noah stared at it for a moment, before stepping through to the other side. ¡°Wee Noah. I heard of your little stunt,¡± Avera said, sitting on a bench across Aurelia. A magical board was set in front of them, with little pieces that moved and jumped and cast magical spells. It took him a moment to realize they were ying some fantasy version of chess. ¡°I did tell you he was an idiot,¡± Aurelia said, as her own pieces moved, the troops shooting arrows at Avera¡¯s army. ¡°The boy does like to test his luck. Perhaps it¡¯s fortunate that he has quite a bit of it. But luck is a fickledy, you should not rely on it,¡± Avera said, taking a sip from her goblet as a sly smile hung on her lips. Briefly, Aurelia nced at Noah, giving him a once over. ¡°You look awful. That eye and arm are going to be really hard to exin,¡± she said, scrunching up her nose. ¡°I think you mean badass,¡± Noah said, puffing his chest out, though he knew he¡¯d need to quickly find some clothes once he was out. Or hide while Aurelia brought him some. ¡°I see your familiar modified your physique. These are not changes that will revert easily, so be careful of where you tread, lest your humanity may be lost one day.¡± ¡°Can that happen?¡± Noah asked, feeling slightly concerned. His powers were growing, but every step seemed to be taking him in a direction he wasn¡¯t sure could be called entirely human. ¡°It already has, Noah. You are not really entirely human at this point. Humans do not have Crimson Rot running in their veins, or Abyssal parasites embodying their arms. The rate at which you are growinges with its fair share of sacrifice. No poweres without a price. Just be aware of what you¡¯re willing to pay,¡± Avera said, as she took another sip. Noah watched the board, seeing Aurelia¡¯s troops advancing when a powerful gust began to rise. A mini tornado appeared on the battlefield, as Aurelia cursed, realizing she had stepped into a trap. The spell wiped her troops, flinging her soldiers outside the board as they vanished into little motes of mana. ¡°I surrender,¡± Aurelia said, and Averaughed in delight. ¡°It was a good battle!¡± She eximed, though Aurelia did not seem to think so, as she grumbled under her breath. ¡°You two seem to have gotten a lot closer,¡± Noah muttered, walking up to the two women. ¡°We had a chance to bond while you had gone to knock on death¡¯s door. Your friend is a fascinating woman, if you ever try to get to know her,¡± Avera said, leaning back on her chair. Noah nced at Aurelia, who looked back at him with an expression he couldn¡¯t quite read. ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s definitely interesting,¡± Noah replied. Aurelia stood up from her seat, walking up to Noah. Avera followed behind, though her steps were far more graceful, as the wind rustled with each step she took. ¡°I believe the time to part hase. I would not be a good goddess if I ignore my believers for too long,¡± Avera said. Aurelia nodded, standing up as she bowed her head deeply. ¡°It was a great honor to get to know you, goddess.¡± Noah walked closer, presenting his hand to Avera. She looked back at him, before grasping his hand, as they shook. ¡°It was nice to meet you,¡± Noah said. ¡°Indeed, it was. And we have fate tying us still, so I¡¯m certain we¡¯ll meet again. I bid you two farewell on your journey. You have my blessings upon you,¡± the goddess of Wind and Knowledge said, a gust of air blowing through them. You¡¯ve gained Avera¡¯s Blessing! You will learn things twice as fast for a short period of time. The Wind will guide you on your path! Noah stared at the notification, as the goddess smiled. With a wave of her hand, the world rippled around them. ¡°¡®Till we meet again,¡± Avera said, as the world blinked around them. With a startle, Noah found himself standing back in the church of Avera. But before he could even reorient himself, a shout came, followed by someone jumping on him and tackling him to the ground. ¡°What the¡ª¡° Noah eximed, noticing Aurelia had dodged her attacker, but now stood with her arms raised above her head, as she slowly kneeled on the ground. Noah felt his head being pressed to the floor, as shackles nked around his wrist, draining him of all mana near instantly. ¡°It¡¯s a void beast!¡± Someone shouted, a spell sting over Noah¡¯s head. ¡°Stand down!¡± A voice shouted, shaking the air with the power in it. ¡°You two are under arrest for trespassing and unauthorized entry of the Windrest Astral Rift!¡± a tall Drailith shouted, walking closer as his draconian eye looked down upon the two of them. Gulping, Noah looked up at the Drailith as he realized how he must look with his eye and arm. He tried to use Identify, but found his ability refusing to work. You are being suppressed. Astral System locked. Noah read the notification, feeling his gut sink, as the Drailith crouched next to him, looking him in the eye. ¡°Take them to the holding cell. We¡¯ll present them to the governor.¡± Chapter 42: Get out of jail card Chapter 42: Get out of jail card Noah sat within a dark damp chamber carved entirely of stone, with a single metal door frame as the only source of light within the room. With [Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes] not working, the darkness was enough to keep him blind to everything around him. Aurelia stirred near him, the only soundsing from her were her quiet breath, and the asional rustle. Even so, Noah felt d to have someone with him, or he would¡¯ve gone mad stuck here all by himself. Using his elbow, he pushed the metal shackle against the wall, slowly going over the motions to not make too much sound. ¡°I guess we messed up a little huh,¡± Noah said, pulling at his shackles. The metal stirred with Magic, refusing to budge. ¡°We?!¡± Aurelia eximed, with far more anger in her voice than he¡¯d ever heard from her. ¡°I told you to be careful. But no, you just have to go against anything I say. First you lose your arm, then you put an Abyssal parasite into it, before getting us killed by insisting on going through the Serpent¡¯s Grove, and then you pick the single cursed item you could find before somehow injecting the Rot into yourself and surviving only to be even more monstrous looking. There¡¯s no we here, Noah,¡± Aurelia huffed, breathing hard as she red at him. Somehow, even in the pitch dark, her eyes were bright enough to reflect back light. ¡°Is this how you are when your Berserker Perk turns off?¡± Noah asked, leaning back. Aurelia paused, seemingly taken aback by his question. Noah watched her go silent, murmuring something to herself as she sat quietly for a while, breathing deeply three times. ¡°Yes. This is how I am,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Not the best version of me, is it?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know. But I like this Aurelia more. She seems more honest, and more real,¡± Noah said. Aurelia nced at him for a moment in surprise. ¡°Thanks,¡± she whispered. ¡°And you didn¡¯t deserve that lecture. Not all of it. I agreed to go through the Serpent¡¯s Grove, and I forgot to do something about your appearance as well.¡± ¡°Nah, definitely deserved. I¡¯ve been an idiot. I have a bad habit of doing things before thinking about them,¡± Noah said under his breath. ¡°That you certainly do,¡± Aurelia said with a chuckle. Noah struck his elbow at the wall again, and felt something crack. A little chunk of rock broke off, and Noah found a jagged edge behind him, where he could wedge the chains. A few minutes of fumblingter, Noah found the chain anchor itself, as he pulled. Noah¡¯s muscles strained, body tensing as he used his weight to pull with everything he had. The magic on his handcuffs whirred, vibrating as Noah kept pulling, before a crack had him face-nting on the cold stone floor. ¡°What¡¯re you doing? Don¡¯t even try to break those, they¡¯re reinforced,¡± Aurelia said. Noah rubbed his face, feeling blood dripping from his nose. Picking himself up he felt at his teeth with his tongue, before spitting the blood out of his mouth. ¡°Well, I certainly have nothing better to do,¡± he replied. Steps echoed through the hallway a momentter, as a figure walked up to the prison cell. With a metallic rumble, the gates opened, and a human man walked inside a strange te in his hand. Walking up to Aurelia, he nced at her once. ¡°State your name.¡± ¡°Aurelia Fauster,¡± Aurelia said, before frowning The te lit up, words shing upon it. ¡°E rank, almost D now. And a registered adventurer. Why did you enter the Astral Rift?¡± the man asked. Noah felt his heart racing as he saw Aurelia¡¯s Astral script disy itself. ¡°Wasn¡¯t my choice, but also to make sure this idiot here didn¡¯t get himself killed,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°What is your association with this void creature? He does not seem to be your summon,¡± the man asked. ¡°I¡¯m not a void creature,¡± Noah replied in Aurelia¡¯s ce, and the man frowned, but ignored him. ¡°He¡¯s not. I can confirm it. The guild has already checked him and given him the go for registering,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Very well,e with me,¡± the man said, walking up to Aurelia. Crouching, the man reached behind her back, unlocking her shackles as they fell to the ground. Clutching her wrists, Aurelia stood up, stretching her body as she took in a deep breath. ¡°Ah, that feels so much better.¡± ¡°Follow me,¡± the man said, turning around. ¡°Wait, hold on, what about me?¡± Noah asked, but the man did not stop, making his way out. Aurelia followed, ncing at Noah once, before she whispered something under her breath that he couldn¡¯t hear as the door shut behind them. Noah sat alone in the darkness, feeling the cold slowly starting to seep into his body. His mind kept running through the number of possible things that could go wrong if they looked at the wrong parts of his Astral script, or decided to ask questions that he could not give a good answer to. Looking around, Noah tried to see if he could escape should the need arise. His nces showed nothing useful, and without identify, he had no idea if he could take on the guards in a fight. Certainly not with these shackles ced on him. Trying once more, Noah reached for his Astral Script. The shackles whirred around him, vibrating as Noah continued to push. A piercing pain enveloped his head the more he continued, as the vibration of his shackles increased. Come on,e on, do SOMETHING. A crack echoed in Noah¡¯s head, as he felt the pain vanish. Opening his eyes, Noah realized blood was dripping both from his nose and ears, but his mind was somewhere else. A screen disyed in front of him. Astral Script (LOCKED): Name: Noah Brown Race: Human (Symbiont) Rank: F Paths: Exsanguinator - level 42 Astralwalker - level 41 Void Hunter - level 39 Attributes: Power: 116 Agility: 108 Constitution: 114 Mystic: 142 Attribute points: 95 [Abilities] [Skills] [Perks] [Quests] [Items] Noah stared at the disy, before trying to reach out to his perks menu. The system did not budge, remaining unresponsive as the shackles whirred even harder than before. The pain this time was enough to leave Noah copsed on the ground, feeling as though his head was splitting apart. A momentter, he redirected his efforts, trying to push away [Voidborne] out of his Astral Script. A simr pressure appeared, but Noah continued undeterred. The shackles whirred, vibrating like crazy as a muted gasp left Noah¡¯s mouth from the pain. A momentter, a simr feeling as before, that of something cracking, came again as his menu edited itself. [Voidborne (Hidden)] Noah panted, feeling the blood dripping from his ears and nose, as sweat beaded his entire body. Taking a few moments to breathe, Noah pulled himself up, wiping the blood on his hands, making sure none of it was visible on him as he put his back against the wall to rest. His head felt like it had just been stabbed a hundred times over. Unfortunately for Noah, his rest did notst very long, as the gate to his prison cell opened again. A guard walked to stand in front of Noah. ¡°Name, please.¡± ¡°Noah Brown,¡± Noah replied, feeling a powerful intrusive sense push against him. He hissed involuntarily, feeling annoyed at the sensation. Noah let go, allowing the strange sensation to go through him. He shuddered, feeling oddly vited as a deep part in him somewhere felt looked at. A momentter, he saw his Astral script disying itself to the man. Noah felt his heart pounding, as he saw the man scroll through the menu. ¡°Get up,¡± the guard said, walking inside. Noah groaned, pulling himself up with effort. The guard looked at him, before turning around and walking out. ¡°Won¡¯t open these?¡± Noah asked, shaking his shackles. ¡°You wish,¡± the guard snorted, closing the prison cell behind him. Another guard stood outside with a spear. ¡°Follow along and don¡¯t try anything,¡± the guard said, and Noah nodded, following behind. Walking through the narrow corridors, Noah found himself standing in an office. He noted Aurelia standing inside, before his gaze went to the man seated on the central seat. The man was old, looking to be somewhere around sixty, with a balding head, and a round figure. He wore simple but expensive looking clothes, with a white shirt and a brown coat. But something told Noah the man was strong, a lot stronger than he appeared. ¡°Is that the prisoner?¡± the man asked. ¡°Yes, governor,¡± the guard said, saluting. Another guard walked closer, before pushing on Noah¡¯s shoulder, making him kneel. ¡°And you¡¯re iming he¡¯s an outerworlder, which is why he¡¯s unregistered with any kingdom?¡± the governor asked, turning to Aurelia. ¡°I am. And I¡¯m willing to vouch for him,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Noah. ¡°Hmm, this is a difficult position to be in. The man is most certainly human, but not entirely. He¡¯s fused himself with an Abyssal symbiote? I have never heard of the type either. Not to mention, entering an Astral Rift without permission. Had he copsed that rift by ident, all of Windrest would¡¯ve been destroyed.¡± ¡°Forgive me for the insolence, governor, but I don¡¯t think something the goddess Avera herself created can be copsed so easily,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Be that as it may, this does not set a good precedence. Laws exist for a reason,¡± the governor said, frowning. The gate to the chamber opened, as another guard walked in, whispering something in the governor¡¯s ears. The man turned, looking sideways, before nodding. The guard walked out at the governor¡¯s response, before a familiar figure stomped in. ¡°Apologies for the inconvenience one of ours has caused you governer,¡± Nae said, bowing. ¡°No need, miss Nae, and I don¡¯t believe this individual is registered yet, so you are not in charge of his actions,¡± the governor said. ¡°Indeed, which is something the blockhead should realise, so that he can learn to perhaps think a bit more before he jumps into stupid actions,¡± Nae said, ring in his direction. ¡°But we did intend to take him in, and Raesar does not back down from his word. So he¡¯s one of ours as long as he intends to join the guild,¡± Nae said. The governor nodded. ¡°Very well, then the question lies with the individual. Do you intend to join the guild, Mr. Noah?¡± Noah looked up at the governor, his gaze going to Nae a momentter. ¡°I do,¡± he replied. ¡°I hope you have the contract with you,¡± Nae asked. ¡°I have it,¡± Noah replied, trying to reach out for it from his inventory before he realised he could not right now. ¡°In that case, I¡¯d like to offer apromise. We¡¯ll dock his pay for six months, the first term of his signed contract, which will be given to the governor¡¯s house aspensation for all the trouble he has caused you. And if he acts up again, I¡¯ll send Raesar after him,¡± Nae said. The governor shuddered before chuckling. ¡°Harsh measures, that.¡± ¡°Deserved, in my opinion. He needs to learn that his actions have consequences, especially because he¡¯s an outerworlder,¡± Nae replied. ¡°Very well. It seems you have this handled then, miss Nae,¡± the governor said, before turning towards the guards. ¡°Release him.¡± One of the guards walked closer, and Noah felt a pulse of mana travel near his hands before the shackles fell off. Astral System unlocked! Soul Modification level 3 ¡ú 7. Soul Resistance level 9 ¡ú 10. Soul Resistance has reached rank Intermediate! Noah stood up, feeling like a restraint had finally been lifted from his soul. Taking in a deep breath, he enjoyed the sensation of mana returning to his body. ¡°Take out the contract and sign, or I¡¯ll dump you here right this instant,¡± Nae said, walking closer as she stomped on his foot. ¡°Ouch,¡± Noah said, feeling surprised by the strength in the woman¡¯s rather small body. Reaching out to his Inventory, Noah grabbed the contract. Words disyed themselves in front of him. Guild Registration form of Adventuring (Outerworlder) An Identification and Registration form for Outerworlders to join the Adventuring guild of Erandir (Branch Windrest), under the Interdimensional Astral Breach Entity agreement of the Council of Awakened, Section 7-C. By signing this document, you are agreeing to be a part of the guild of Windrest ande under its legal jurisdiction and authority over your person as a being not from Erandir or its tied Astral nar entities. This is a magically binding contract. Do you agree to the terms? Yes/No? After looking through it once, Noah selected yes. Contract epted! Noah felt the magic ce something akin to a mark somewhere on him, a constant reminder of the presence of the contract. ¡°We¡¯ll take our leave now governor, I apologise once again for all the trouble,¡± Nae said bowing. ¡°I would like to apologise as well,¡± Noah said, bowing once. The governor nodded, as the three of them exited the office. Walking through the pristine halls, Noah realised the next moment that he still only had his shorts on. ¡°Umm, can I get some clothes?¡± he asked. Nae nced at him, before reaching out into her inventory as she took out a robe. ¡°I only have my clothes,¡± she said. Noah looked at the cloth, realising the size difference. Shrugging, he put the robe on. The open front chest and short length ending around his upper thighs only served to make his appearance all the more odd looking, but he found it toote to try and return the robe now. ¡°So, I may have bailed you out but that does not mean we¡¯re done, okay? I have words for just how much trouble you put me through,¡± Nae said with a scowl. Noah saw Aurelia nodding along with her arms crossed. ¡°Sorry?¡± Noah said, and Nae kicked his leg. ¡°Don¡¯t sorry? Me. You¡¯re an adventurer now, so you better act like it, or I¡¯ll have Raesar pummel you. Trust me, that¡¯s not a threat, that¡¯s a promise.¡± Noah gulped, nodding at her words. ¡°Good. Now, I had a look at your Astral Script. Given how strongly you wanted to hide it, I thought you might¡¯ve had some strange Paths or not great sub-attributes. But by mother¡¯s grace, what kind of monster are you?¡± Nae said, whispering. ¡°I won¡¯t share anything here, I¡¯m not an idiot, but if I knew, I would¡¯ve gotten you into the guild without a second thought.¡± ¡°Umm, this means they are good, right?¡± ¡°Good is a bit insufficient to describe it. You have some of the best sub attributes I¡¯ve ever seen on a new adventurer. You¡¯re sorelycking in some regards, but the ones you¡¯re strong in, you¡¯re really strong in,¡± Nae said, before ncing at his arm. ¡°Is it the Symbiote thing that¡¯s the reason for your sub-attributes?¡± Noah shrugged. ¡°Fine, don¡¯t tell me, but I do have a question,¡± ncing back, Nae looked Noah in the eye. The words that came from her mouth next made him want to curse. ¡°Why do you have a divine perk?¡± Chapter 43: Mistakes Chapter 43: Mistakes Noah looked at Nae in silence, trying to think over what to reply. Failing toe up with anything, he simply shrugged in response. ¡°Do you know what a divine perk is?¡± Nae asked. ¡°Not really,¡± Noah said, ncing down at the woman. ¡°It¡¯s a perk that you did not naturally have, but were instead given by a god. All clerics, pdins and such have divine perks, because their perks and paths are directly given by the gods they follow. But somehow, here you are with two divine perks on you,¡± Nae said. ¡°Wait, what do you mean two?¡± Noah asked, before pulling up his Perks menu. Perks: [Quest System] [Inventory] [Universal Language Comprehension] [Identify] [Voidborne (Hidden)] [Fate Touched] [Devourer] [Avera¡¯s Blessing] Noah looked at the Avera¡¯s blessing perk, before opening it up. [Avera¡¯s Blessing (Divine/Temporary)] A blessing given by the goddess of wind and knowledge. You learn things twice as fast while the blessing is active and the wind follows you on your path. ¡°Huh,¡± Noah said, reading the description. "I get Avera''s given the Astral Rift, but what about the other one?" Nae asked. "Actually, hold on. If you could see that, howe I still got in trouble?" Noah asked. "Because gods are not allowed to interfere with statews. Do you know how much of a mess it would cause if a god could just do whatever they wanted? There''s rules in ce and it doesn''t matter if Avera likes you or not," Nae said, before ncing at Aurelia. "I believe you told the Governor about it?" Aurelia nodded. "I did." "Makes sense how you get off easy then. Also partly because what you did shouldn''t have been possible in the first ce. If elementals can open the rift it''s a security breach. One that will need to be patched," Nae replied. "Huh," Noah murmured, surprised. "I''m surprised gods don''t have more authority." "They do within their churches and temples. But if gods were allowed free rein, chaos would ensue. We don''t want to return to that era of war again. It''s why the Pantheon exists," Nae replied. "Makes sense I suppose," Noah replied. ¡°Anyway. So, how do you have the other divine perk?¡± Nae asked again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that information was private to me just a few days ago?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Sure, but don¡¯t you want to know who else had Fate-Touched?¡± Nae said, eyeing Noah with a sly grin. Noah looked at the woman, wondering if she actually knew something or whether she was lying. A momentter, he shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t actually know. I don¡¯t remember how I came here, my memories are all vague.¡± Nae frowned. ¡°Huh, you don¡¯t seem to be lying. That¡¯s a shame,¡± she said, kicking a rock aside in disappointment. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll tell you. Do you know what an Ascendant is?¡± Nae asked. ¡°Those things with five question marks?¡± Noah asked. Nae stopped. ¡°You¡¯ve met an Ascendant?¡± she asked, staring at him nkly. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Noah said, ncing at Aurelia, who shrugged at him as if to say ¡®don¡¯t look at me for help¡¯. ¡°Where? When? Who was it? This is important, Noah. Ascendants don¡¯t just wander around like that,¡± Nae said, stepping closer and closer with each breath. ¡°It was a wyrm,¡± Noah replied, taking a step back from Nae¡¯s sudden intensity. ¡°We met it on our way here while hiding during the Eclipse. It let us go.¡± ¡°Of course it did, if you¡¯re standing here. A wyrm¡­ I had heard rumours but to think one was actually so close. I¡­¡± Nae frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should even do anything. It¡¯s not like we can do anything but pray if it decides it wants to kill all of us. And given that it let you go, I don¡¯t think the wyrm wants trouble either.¡± ¡°It had an egg. It was protecting the egg,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Shit. Shit that¡¯s so bad. If it¡¯s brooding here then that means it¡¯s dying, and using thest of its life-force to feed the egg. And the baby will likely be a legendary so if anyone stumbles there not only can they die, they may unleash a ravenous young wyrm onto us as well,¡± Nae said, biting her nails, before she turned to Noah. ¡°You guys just keep bringing troubling news. I don¡¯t know whether to be grateful or mad.¡± Noah gave a nervous chuckle. "So, who else had the [Fate-Touched] perk?" Noah asked. "Ah, that. Ryugan. An Ascendant Monarch. Fate-Touched people have a stronger grasp on fate, so they influence things more strongly. But fate also has a stronger grasp on them, and can pull them in directions, if that makes sense. Some of the strongest people on Erandir were known to have the perk," Nae said. The group walked into the guild soon, following Nae to her office on the fifth floor. Upon arrival, Noah noticed a man already seated inside. With tinum blonde-hair, a chiseled face, and silvery eyes, the man was the image of a prince. The white armor with golden trims only served to further the image. [Hellion¡¯s Pdin - ??] ¡°Apologies for the dy, Erwest. This is the party I mentioned,¡± Nae said. ¡°Aurelia Fauster, a pleasure to meet you,¡± Aurelia said, extending her hand. ¡°Erwest Ivan, and the pleasure is mine,¡± the man said, as they shook. ¡°Noah Brown,¡± Noah said, extending his hand as well. The pdin grasped it, giving him a nod. When Noah tried to pull his hand away, he found the pdin staring at him, his grip tight. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Noah asked, holding back a wince at the man¡¯s tight hold. ¡°No, my apologies,¡± the pdin replied, pulling his hand back. Noah felt a throbbing pain go through him where the pdin had grabbed him, but he ignored it. He¡¯d anticipated there would be issues from the start. ¡°Alright, so, first things first. Noah? You¡¯re grounded. You will not be allowed to go on this quest, and if I find you trying to anyway, I¡¯ll send you back into the governor¡¯s prison cell,¡± Nae said, putting her hands on her hips as she red at him. ¡°Wait what? Why me? I mean, okay fair, I made a mistake but am I not already getting a pay cut for that?¡± Noah said. ¡°Don¡¯t why me you idiot. It¡¯s not about the mistake, it¡¯s about the fact that you put Aurelia¡¯s life at risk alongside yourself. That is NOT eptable behavior for an adventurer. You have talent, Noah, even I¡¯ll admit that. But that means next to nothing if you cannot work with other people, and more specifically, cannot be trusted. I have no idea how Aurelia has not chewed you out more, and I¡¯m half tempted to let her rx her Berserker abilities to be as mad as she wants. You would deserve it, too,¡± Nae said, snorting. Noah looked at the woman unable toe up with a reply. ¡°If I may say something,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Noah. ¡°I agree, Noah has been reckless. At first I thought it was because he was unsettled. Brand new world, magic, I can see how it would be overwhelming, but clearly it¡¯s more than that,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Noah once before she returned to Nae. ¡°That said, he has saved my life twice. And has been a good support. I¡¯ve been through life or death with him, which is why, despite him breaking my trust, I¡¯m willing to give him a chance. So if you¡¯d allow it, I would like to have him with us on this quest. He will be invaluable,¡± Aurelia said. Nae frowned, ncing at Noah before she turned to Aurelia. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Aurelia nodded. ¡°I extended my trust to him when we escaped the cult. I''m willing to do it one more time. I think he''ll not take risks like that again.¡± "I won''t," Noah nodded. "And I do mean it. I''ve been letting all the magic get to me, and I''ve been treating this world like a fun trip almost. Like it''s not quite real. But that¡¯s no excuse for my actions, and I can¡¯t keep doing things like this. So far it was only me who got hurt which was easy to ignore, but this time I stupidly put your life at risk too. Things could¡¯ve gone far worse than they did and I''m sorry for dragging you into the Astral Rift with me without thinking and putting you at risk like that,¡± Noah said, bowing his head lightly as he did. "I didn''t use my fire abilities and you lost your arm, you dragged me into an Astral Rift, almost getting me killed. I''d say we''re even now,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Deal,¡± Noah said, smiling as well. Nae coughed. ¡°Great. Ignore my orders. But sure, if you think you can trust him I¡¯m willing to give him another chance. But first, stand here. We need to get you two vetted by Erwest so stand here and don¡¯t move,¡± Nae said. ¡°Vetted how?¡± Noah asked. ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Nae said, and Noah walked up to where she had indicated, followed by Aurelia. Erwest walked closer. ¡°I¡¯ll be using an ability of mine, which judges evil. So if you aren¡¯t a part of the Abyssal Cult, or any of the other cults, or an undead, lich, necromancer, demon, or something of that sort, you will not feel anything but a warm light,¡± Erwest said. Noah stared at the man, before his heart began to pound. Will my pact end up hurting me? He stared at Erwest, feeling his heart race as he began to think if he should back down from the quest while he had the chance. Unable to move, Noah watched dumbly as a golden light manifested around him, before forming a brilliant beam. Erwest lit up with a golden glow, as his armor shimmered before Noah found the same light gathering above him. Panic kicking him, he tried to step away. ¡°Actually I¡ª¡± Before he could speak, the light descended upon Noah¡¯s head, as his world turned white. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Light of Judgement]. Hellion¡¯s Gaze judges you. You¡¯ve been found guilty. Chapter 44: Death Wish Chapter 44: Death Wish Pain erupted across Noah¡¯s body, fire burning through every inch of him. Even with the Crimson Rot battle he had not felt something quite like this. His soul shuddered under the pressure, aching and cracking, and Noah lost all awareness of where he was and what he did. The visage of a brilliant woman standing in golden light bathed him, as a pulse echoed in his soul. He felt like he would die, in fact, he wasn¡¯t sure how he wasn¡¯t already dead. [Devourer] resists [Light of Judgement] Noah felt something echoing in his soul, rising from the depths as it smothered the light, absorbing it. Unconsciously, Noah found himself activating his Pain Tolerance ability, as the sensations vanished instantly. As awareness returned to him, Noah realized he¡¯d been standing silently without moving an inch. The pain had been enough to make him pass out just as he had been. Blinking his eyes, Noah looked at his health bar, finding whatever minor damage was done had already been erased by Lifeblood. A momentter, the light faded away, as Noah looked at his arm, noticing it burning with golden mes. ¡°What?¡± Erwest muttered, staring at him as he drew his de. ¡°Just what are you?¡± ¡°Uhh,¡± Noah stared, unable toe up with anything. His mind was still stuck taking everything in. Aurelia stepped between him and the de, and Nae walked up, having Erwest put the weapon aside. ¡°I did expect this. He¡¯s got an Abyssal Symbiote as his arm. That¡¯s why it¡¯s burning,¡± Nae said, before ncing at Noah. ¡°He himself is unaffected. If he was a cultist, he¡¯d be burning all over and rolling on the ground in pain.¡± Erwest looked at Noah, assessing him for a moment. The mes slowly dwindled on Noah¡¯s arm, before fading entirely. ¡°Why are we bringing in a man who would use something as filthy as an Abyssal creature to be his arm of all things,¡± Erwest asked, de still pointed at Noah. ¡°Because we do not discriminate against Void users. The void is neither evil nor good. You cannot rage against pure destruction,¡± Nae said. Erwest turned to look at Noah, ring at him for a moment. ¡°I finally understand why I had such a bad feeling about you now,¡± the pdin said, withdrawing his sword. ¡°I do not approve of this. This man has, as you already mentioned, put his teammate¡¯s life at risk, and not only that, but he has half merged his body with a creature from the abyss. I had made the assumption that his ck eye was from some injury or a prosthetic, but I see now that it was a choice.¡± Noah gave a shrug to the man. ¡°Losing an arm isn¡¯t much of a choice.¡± His voice was somehow calm, but he felt a cold sweat drenching his back as he did. That had been close. If there was an acting skill, he should really unlock it by now. ¡°Please, Erwest. We need to focus on the real target. The Abyssal cult has slipped right under our nose for gods know how long. We need to bring these guys back, and all the others that we can identify to find out how they¡¯re doing it and stop it. Don¡¯t lose focus of who our real enemy is,¡± Nae said. Erwest looked at the woman, before giving a nod to Nae, and then Aurelia. ¡°You¡¯re right. My apologies, Nae, and Aurelia. We need to stay focused on the enemy.¡± Noah noted the man¡¯s distinctck of apology for drawing a de on him, but he ignored it. Conflict would not serve him here. ¡°Good. Thank you,¡± Nae said, before turning towards Noah. ¡°Alright, then you two are in the clear. We can start working on our n now,¡± Nae said. Walking up to the table, she took a seat, as a map manifested in her hand. ¡°Due to the nature of this event, we can¡¯t really contact the guild in Aquaris to tell them to capture the team. We have to assume all of them arepromised, since we don¡¯t know to what extent the infiltration has urred. From my divinations I know they¡¯re still in Aquaris, but that is about all the information I have at the moment. Thest quest they picked was within the city, to clear out some stray monsters that had spawned near the water source, a standard quest. The location is slightly outside the city itself, in a nearby vige. So chances are they will most likely be there when you arrive,¡± Nae said, as a marker lit up on the map, highlighting the location. ¡°What do we know about the party?¡± Noah asked. ¡°There¡¯s three of them,¡± Aurelia answered. ¡°Garett, Evans and Alta. Garett has a Brawler type path, closebat, hits hard. Recently reached D grade and is the party leader. Evans is a ranger, fast, long range, likes to use daggers with poisons, smoke bombs, and traps alongside his bow, but will also use martial arts, he¡¯s E rank. Alta is a healer, blood mage really, but she specialises in healing abilities, also E rank.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a three on three, but ideally you want to ambush them and not give them a chance. That¡¯ll entirely depend on the situation to situation case though,¡± Nae said. ¡°I¡¯ll take on Garett, I know his abilities, and though he¡¯s a rank above, with my Berserker ability I¡¯ll be able to keep up. I believe with divine abilities most poisons should not affect Erwest, and as a Pdin you¡¯ll be well suited to fight Evans.¡± ¡°Guess that leaves Alta to me,¡± Noah said. ¡°It does. She may be the lowest levelled, but be wary of her. She¡¯s crafty, and she¡¯s got some nasty abilities that can cause you to trip up,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Alright, so we have a general n in mind. Now, I¡¯ve arranged a wyvern for you guys. Called in some old favours. It¡¯ll get you to Aquaris within the day. You will be leaving before first dawn tomorrow. So, you have all of today to make any and all preparations you need and to rest up. Now if you would, please leave, I¡¯ve got a hundred other things to do,¡± Nae said. ¡°Alright,¡± Noah said. The three made their way to the elevator, as it slowly began to descend. Noah felt a strange awkwardness as he stood behind the Pdin in silence, watching the guy clenching and unclenching his fist everytime he looked at him. Deciding to distract himself, Noah pulled up his Astral Script, investing another 25 Attributes in Agility and Constitution. Agility: 108 ¡ú 121. Constitution: 114 ¡ú 127. Noah checked his free points, noting sixty six still remaining. It would take him two days to get through most of the remaining ones, which would be cutting it really close for the quest. Moving on, he opened his skill menu, before selecting Soul Resistance. [Soul Magic Resistance (Intermediate) - lvl 10] Your soul has weathered the void, absorbing pieces of the Astral interdimensional rift, before being put back together. It has grown resistant and rigid, resilient to change. Soul magic will struggle to take hold of you. Be capable of resisting soul suppression. Noah noted the added bit about soul suppression, wondering if that was what the shackles did when they locked all his abilities. With a ding, the elevator ride ended, and Noah closed his menu, walking out. ¡°Hey,¡± Noah called out to the Pdin who stopped, before turning back. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like my paths and all that, but I hope we can still work together to bring these guys down. Which, trust me, I want to as much as you.¡± ¡°I highly doubt that,¡± Erwest said, looking down at Noah. ¡°But I will not do anything that will jeopardise the mission. My goddess has asked me to do this, and her word, I do not break. Do not mistake this for friendliness, our interactions will be limited to a shared goal within the quest.¡± Without waiting for Noah¡¯s reply, the Pdin turned around, walking away. ¡°That is one grumpy dude,¡± Noah said, watching the Pdin walk out. ¡°Don¡¯t mess with the Pdin, Noah. He¡¯s stronger than both of us, and you wouldn¡¯t want to make the church of Hellion your enemy,¡± Aurelia said. Might be toote for that I¡¯m afraid. ¡°So, where to now?¡± Noah asked, changing the topic. ¡°I believe Josiah should have my gauntlets ready, so I¡¯d like to get them,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Sounds good,¡± Noah replied, as the two made their way out of the guild. Silence persisted on their walk, as Noah found himself ncing at Aurelia to study her expression. ¡°I did mean it, by the way,¡± Noah said, turning to look at Aurelia. ¡°When I apologised, I mean.¡± ¡°I know. I could tell,¡± Aurelia said, looking back. ¡°Do you mind if I ask you something?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°Do you want to die?¡± Noah paused in his steps, staring at Aurelia. ¡°What¡­ do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I''ve seen adventurers like you. They grow really fast, but they also die just as fast. Jumping into one thing after another recklessly. My father had a friend like that. I called him uncle Dan, because my father always told me they were brothers. He was the strongest man I knew. I thought nothing could defeat him, he would always win in the end, ande out stronger than ever,¡± Aurelia said. Noah found the look in her eyes distant, as if mourning a lost memory. ¡°Until one day, he didn¡¯t win. And just like that, he was gone, along with everything else I ever knew. I lost two fathers that day,¡± Aurelia replied, before ncing back at Noah. ¡°I¡¯ve avoided joining parties because of this. I don¡¯t want to get attached. It¡¯s why I only stick around temporarily. But I¡¯ve been with you for¡­ almost a month now? It¡¯s not the longest I¡¯ve spent with people, but a lot has happened, and I¡¯m starting to feel happy about traveling with someone. So, tell me now if you want to die, and I will help you the best I can before I leave.¡± Noah stared at Aurelia, not sure how to reply. He paused. He wasn¡¯t sure. Somehow, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say no. Did he want to die? No. Not really. But¡­ if he did. He would not care much either. ¡°You told me you didn''t want to go back because you wanted to run from your past, just like I had,¡± Aurelia said, looking into Noah¡¯s eyes. ¡°But to me, it looks like you''re still running.¡± They walked the rest of the way in silence. Chapter 45: Practice Battle Chapter 45: Practice Battle Noah walked into the shop with Aurelia, although his mind still kept lingering on Aurelia¡¯s words. The shopkeeper, Josiah, greeted the two of them, walking up. ¡°Ah, firebird, you were gone for a while. Here for your gauntlets I take it?¡± Josiah said. ¡°Yup. I hope they¡¯re ready?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Indeed they are, and dare I say it, this one¡¯s one of my best works yet. Let me bring it out for you,¡± Josiah said, before walking into the back chamber. A momentter, the man walked back out with two fiery red gauntlets in his hand, which he set down on the counter, before shaking his hand. ¡°They¡¯re quite hot. Take a look for yourself!¡± A searing wave of heat spread through the shop, rising from the gauntlets. The carvings on them had me patterns that seemed to dance and flicker in the light, with small red gemstones embedded within the engravings. Noah watched Aurelia inspecting the gauntlet, and he used inspect on the items as well. [Pyresh Gauntlets (Epic)] A pair of Epic grade magical gauntlets crafted from an alloy of volcanic steel, imbued with the essence of me gemstones. The gauntlets can store fire within themselves, before releasing it in an explosive burst. Picking up the gauntlets, Aurelia inspected them. One by one, she slid them on her hands, clenching her fingers on both fists. Sparks flew as she struck her fists together, the carvings on the gauntlets lighting up with mes. ¡°This is amazing, Josiah!¡± Aurelia eximed. ¡°Only the best for you, firebird,¡± Josiah said, bowing gracefully. ¡°But can I afford them? This has to cost quite a bit,¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Less than your friend¡¯s spear did,¡± Josiah said with a chuckle, before turning towards Noah. ¡°Speaking of which, what happened to your eye?¡± Noah broke out of his thoughts at Josiah¡¯s words. ¡°Ah, that. Just an injury,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like a normal injury to me. You should get that looked at,¡± Josiah said. Noah nodded, but did not respond further. Aurelia ran her hand over the counter. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve transferred the mana stones. Thanks a lot again, Josiah.¡± ¡°Anytime, my dear,¡± the man said with a wink. ¡°Hope they serve you well.¡± A few more minutes of talkingter, the two took their leave from the shop. ¡°You turned quiet,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Noah. ¡°I guess,¡± Noah replied, looking back at him. ¡°Just thinking about some stuff.¡± ¡°About what I said?¡± Aurelia asked. Noah nodded. ¡°Well, thinking is good. But we can also get lost in it. And I must say, I don¡¯t like you this quiet. Where¡¯s my annoying and boisterous guy who loves to hear himself talk way too much, hmm?¡± Noah shrugged. ¡°Sometimes he likes to just watch quietly.¡± ¡°Bah. You¡¯re just being moody,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I know something that¡¯ll cheer you up though.¡± Noah raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her words. ¡°And what may that be?¡± ¡°I just got my gauntlets, and you just got a new spear. There¡¯s only really one thing to do,¡± Aurelia said. Noah hummed. ¡°I do like the sound of that,¡± Noah said, ncing at Aurelia. ¡°But are you sure? My spear has Crimson Rot, wouldn¡¯t that be really bad?¡± ¡°Only if you can hit me. But I doubt your spear has potent enough Rot to break through my natural resistance entirely,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Well, as long as you¡¯re sure,¡± Noah said. Following Aurelia, he walked into the guild. After talking for a few minutes at the reception, they managed to get a training room for themselves for the day. Feeling surprised at how easy that was, the two walked inside the chamber, and Noah summoned the spear in his hand. Aurelia took off her shirt, standing with just her chest covered. Her tanned skin was visible with marked scars, with muscles bulging on both arms. Her abs glimmered in the light and Noah stared for a moment, feeling surprised. She had a lot more muscles than he had thought. ¡°Ah, this feels good. I obviously won¡¯t use my saved up mes, and we¡¯ll avoid lethal attacks, and using the edges of our sharp weapons, but otherwise no holding back. How does that sound?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Noah said, taking off his own shirt as well, as he stood with his top bare. He wasn¡¯t about to be overshadowed by Aurelia. Spinning the spear once, Noah took his position, spreading his feet apart and bending his knees. Aurelia rolled her shoulder, before raising her fist. mes danced across her fists, as she smiled a predatory grin. ¡°Alright, ready?¡± Aurelia asked. Noah let Obliterate cover his spear, before nodding. ¡°Ready.¡± Aurelia leapt forward, blurring as she moved. Noah used his shaft to block her strike, finding himself pushed back as his arms ached from the impact. Heavy. Aurelia did not give him a moment, as a fist covered in me shot towards him from below. Noah ducked, letting his spear spin as he blinked away. Reappearing nearby, Noah shot his spear outwards. Aurelia dodged, her gauntlet parrying the strike as sparks flew from the impact. Rushing in close, she swung, mes swirling towards Noah alongside her fist. Noah felt the searing heat as he blinked once more behind her, swinging his spear from at her. Aurelia turned, using her palm to take the blow. ¡°Slow!¡± Aurelia screamed, grabbing Noah¡¯s staff as she pulled. Noah felt himself being pulled off bnce, he moved to blink away but Aurelia grabbed his arm, and the aura suppression from her grip was enough to throw off his ability. Moving in, her fist hit his gut, as Noah flew from the impact. The world spun around Noah as he crashed into the wall. Pain coursed through his gut, as he pulled himself up, ring at Aurelia, feeling lifeblood repairing his injuries already. ¡°Oh now you¡¯ve done it,¡± Noah said with a growl. Aurelia smirked, beckoning him closer. Not giving in to the obvious taunt, Noah threw his spear towards Aurelia. The weapon flew and Aurelia moved to dodge, but Noah created a dimensional pocket, teleporting the weapon in the direction she had dodged in. Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, as she parried the spear with her gauntlets, but the de still nicked her face. Noah watched the Crimson Rot set in, and rushed ahead. Using blink, he moved in close, teleporting the spear back into his hand, as he swung the weapon downwards at her with obliterate reinforcing the de¡¯s impact. Raising her fists, Aurelia blocked with both her gauntlets as fire erupted around her. Noah beared through the pain. He did not wait, forming Dimensional Pockets all around Aurelia. Blink whirred in a frenzy as he appeared and reappeared from all directions, striking at Aurelia. Sparks flew as metal struck metal. Little by little, cuts and scratches began to cover Aurelia, each strike setting in more of the Crimson Rot, which slowly ate at her total health pool. Noah used blood drain, finding his injuries healing faster and faster. With each strike he grew faster, whirring like a wind as he struck at Aurelia over and over,nding hits. With one final hit, Aurelia¡¯s defense copsed atst, as a gap peeked in through her defences. Jumping on the opportunity, Noah leapt in, striking to end the battle. ¡°Gotcha.¡± Fire erupted around Aurelia, exploding in an inferno. Noah shouted as mes engulfed him. He tried to blink but Aurelia grabbed him, as her fist struck true. Noah moved, blocking her fist with his spear and found himself pushed back. Punch after punch came from the woman, each strike heavier than thest, and Noah found his muscles screaming in protest at having to bear the weight of the force. His body screamed at him to stop, but Noah pushed, tanking blow after blow, as he swung, using the back end of his spear to strike at Aurelia¡¯s gut. Grabbing his spear, Aurelia leaned in. Noah let blink run with full power, pulling her along with him as he teleported the two of them into the air. For a moment they hung midair, before Noah used his weight to push down upon Aurelia as they fell. Warning. Low Mana. Aurelia swung, wrapping her legs around Noah¡¯s midsection as she tossed him around, using him to cushion her fall. Feeling the air push itself out of his chest as his body finally caved in, another punch rushed towards Noah¡¯s face and he closed his eyes on instinct. A momentter, upon not feeling a strike, he opened his eyes, finding an open palm towards him. Grabbing Aurelia¡¯s hand, Noah pulled himself on his feet, realizing just how sore his body was. Bruises covered him at every inch, and he was sure he¡¯d fractured at least a few ribs. Thankfully, pain tolerance made it so he barely felt most of it. ¡°Good spar,¡± Aurelia said, smiling. ¡°You¡¯re really strong, you know that?¡± ¡°Says the winner,¡± Noah said, but he couldn¡¯t help the smile rising to his face. ¡°I¡¯m almost 40 levels above you Noah. And you almost won. That is ridiculous,¡± Aurelia said, before frowning. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ll necessarily win against you in a serious fight.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you would win if you use your Berserker thing,¡± Noah said. ¡°That¡¯s ast resort. I can¡¯t move after the ability ends, so if I don¡¯t end the fight then and there, I¡¯m dead. Your teleport, then this damned Crimson Rot are all so annoying to deal with as well. And you heal fast. I would hate to fight you.¡± Noah smirked. ¡°Being annoying is my strong suit.¡± Aureliaughed at his words. ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡± Feeling a lot better, Noah watched Aurelia standing in front of him, the two of them both battered with injuries. ¡°This feels so silly, but I¡¯m grateful that you did this. I feel better.¡± ¡°Anytime. A party looks after each other,¡± Aurelia, said, patting Noah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m going to go and get someone to purify the Crimson Rot. Then we should rest up for tomorrow.¡± Noah nodded, before slowly walking to a corner of the chamber and taking a seat. His heart was racing in his chest, skin burning from bruises and breath quick from the exertion of the fight. Closing his eyes, Noah took in each sensation. He was alive here. In a new world, unexplored and magical, and with many things to see. It didn¡¯t matter if he was still running from his past. This was a new start, and he was going to make the most of it. Opening his eyes, Noah looked at his notification folder, and a grin took over his face. It seems his spar had shown results. Level notifications: 3 Skill notifications: 5 Sub-attribute notifications: 3 Noah reached out to open the notifications when a different pop-up stopped him, and made his heart drop. [Pain Tolerance] has ended. Chapter 46: Take off Chapter 46: Take off Pain assaulted Noah¡¯s senses all at once. The sensation was sharp, like a piercing knife directly plunged into the back of his skull, carving its way through his brain. It was as though his soul was being wrangled and torn apart under a light so bright it seared through his bones. Noah¡¯s vision cked out, his senses leaving. For a moment, a long agonizing moment, there was nothing but darkness, and the pain that he suffered within it. The sensation came and went before he¡¯d realised it, but the aftermath was just as bad. His nerves fired at the smallest sensation, his mind automatically filtering out any and all stimuli as his heart rate rose to a rapid crescendo, a deep seated terror rising within him. The rush of sensation was enough to drown out the voice calling out to him. Blurred by the phantom ringing in his ears, Noah heard his name being called distantly. The voice grew closer with each repetition until suddenly, Noah felt himself being shaken and opened his eyes. Aurelia sat in front of him, grasping his shoulders as she shook his body. ¡°Noah, snap out of it!¡± She yelled, and he finally blinked. ¡°What¡­¡± he mumbled, unable to reply properly. What happened? ¡°You were screaming, and refusing to respond. Just screaming. Are you okay? What happened?¡± Aurelia said. Noah didn¡¯t respond to her words, still reeling from the surprise. I was screaming? He had not even realised it. A metallic taste filled his mouth and Noah realised there was blooding from his gums. Touching his teeth with his finger, Noah found they had cracked in ces, with marks on his tongue that were being healed rapidly. He had almost bit his tongue off. ¡°Noah?¡± Aurelia asked, leaning closer. ¡°Is it the spear? It¡¯s still not toote to get something else.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the spear,¡± Noah replied, as he put the spear into his inventory. ¡°It was a bad dream.¡± The lie came naturally, perhaps not entirely false, either. It had certainly felt like a bad dream. Aurelia looked at him skeptically. She opened her mouth as if to argue, but then paused once more. ¡°It¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t want to tell me, but people have limits. Our abilities do, too. Don¡¯t forget that you¡¯re still human.¡± Noah looked up at Aurelia, before giving her a nod. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Satisfied by his answer, Aurelia let the topic go. ¡°I¡¯ll wait outside, join me and we¡¯ll head out to get an inn,¡± she said, picking up her shirt from the floor as she walked out. Taking a breath, Noah let his body rx. That was bad. I need to be careful about using pain tolerance. Noah felt the sweat covering his body, his limbs still shaking slightly from the intense pain he¡¯d just felt. Makes me wonder just what caused it. Light of Judgement? Seems a bit harsh to inflict this much pain, just for having a pact. Or is it something else entirely? Staring out into nothingness, Noah let his mind wander over his thoughts. Feeling he¡¯d gained enough energy to move, he picked himself up, grabbing his shirt before making his way outside the chamber. Aurelia was standing nearby, watching the other adventurers go by in silence. ¡°You¡¯re good now?¡± She asked upon noting his arrival. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. Thanks.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± Following her, Noah made his way out of the guild. He could use some sleep right now. *** The inn was fairly normal, andrge enough that both of them could get their separate rooms without much concern. After finding a bed, Noah immediately copsed, letting his body sink into the mattress. Yet, despite the exhaustion, no sleep graced his eyes. Instead of wasting his time, Noah decided to spend it practicing his meditation skill. Time flew by as the steady pulse of mana moved around his body, before a chime let him know he¡¯d gained another level in the skill. Noah let his concentration slip at the notification, opening his eyes. He watched as the suns set, and the watcher rise into the night sky through his window, bathing the night sky in its gentle light. ¡°I really am in a different world,¡± Noah murmured to himself. Moving to his system interface, he opened his notifications to look at the skill increases he¡¯d not gotten the chance to check. Paths: [Exsanguinator] level 42¡ú 43. [Astralwalker] level 41¡ú 42 [Void Hunter] level 39¡ú 40. Abilities: [Obliterate] level 12 ¡ú 13. [Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes] level 22 ¡ú 23. Skills: [Pain Tolerance] level 11 ¡ú 16. [Meditation] level 5 ¡ú 6. [Rot Resistance] level 6 ¡ú 9. Sub-attributes: Strength: D3 ¡ú D6. Endurance: D1 ¡ú D2. Ability Damage: D5 ¡ú D6. Attributes: Power: 116 ¡ú 118. Agility: 121 ¡ú 122. Constitution: 127 ¡ú 128. Mystic: 142 ¡ú 145. Free Attribute Points: 70 ¡ú 76. Taking his free Attributes, he put one Attribute at a time into Power. Eventually, he stopped when he¡¯d added twelve. Finding himself feeling alright, he continued to add twenty in Power, twelve in Agility, and twelve in Constitution before needing to stop. Power: 118 ¡ú 139. Agility: 122 ¡ú 135. Constitution: 128 ¡ú 140. Only thirty-two free Attributes remained now, which he should be able to apply on his way to Aquaris. Noah eyed his Lifeblood ability. It was still stuck at level 9, despite Rot Resistance having levelled thrice. Perhaps he needed to push it a bit more to get it to level 10. Noah looked at his health bar, and pulled up his max health, checking the change. Max Health: 90% The Crimson Rot was still present in him, but lifeblood and his resistance kept it at bay, making sure his health did not drop any further than it had. Closing the menu, Noahid back on his bed, watching the time tick by in silence. Aurelia¡¯s words filled his mind, repeating themselves. Trying to find a distraction, Noah opened a dimensional pocket, before teleporting himself inside. His mana began to drain as he existed within his own Astral space, watching the rifts between reality mesh into a singr entity around him. Standing in the void, Noah felt the mana draining from him, as a thought came in his mind. Taking a seat on the nothingness below him, Noah closed his eyes, reaching out to the mana around him. There was a bit of resistance at first, before reality warped itself around him as the mana began to flow. Meditation activated, as Noah felt the mana starting to gather. A strange rhythm established itself, as mana flowed into Noah¡¯s body, before flowing outwards into the dimensional storage. A few minutester, a chime yed in Noah¡¯s ears, and he opened his menu, watching a new level for his Astral magic resistance. Feeling pleased, Noah closed his eyes again, as he put all his focus into meditating. Time flew by, chimes running as Noah felt his mana drain slow down to a trickle. Little by little, the dimensional storage drained his mana, further enhancing the push from his meditation skill. Eventually, Noah felt his mana settle, as if reaching a strange sort of equilibrium. Opening his eyes, Noah inspected his skills, taking a look at the changes. [Astral Magic Resistance] level 15 ¡ú 17. [Meditation] level 5 ¡ú 10. [Dimensional Pocket] level 6 ¡ú 8. [Meditation] has ranked up to Intermediate! Teleporting back out of his dimensional storage, Noah opened his Meditation skill. [Meditation (Intermediate) - lvl 10] Increases natural mana recovery rate by 200% during the meditation period. Increases physical recovery rate while active. You can enter a meditative state of focus while doing other tasks for a short period of time. Noah read through the description, noting the passive mention. Would it let him learn things faster? Or perhaps it could even be applied tobat? Something he¡¯d need to test out. Looking outside, Noah noticed the sky starting to brighten. First dawn would arrive soon, which meant it was time to leave. Rising from his bed, Noah stretched his body, feeling surprisingly refreshed despite not getting a wink of sleep. Looking at his arm, he adjusted the Abyssal Eye ring that now hosted Tony¡¯s body, feeling his familiar stirring, ready to wake up at any moment. A knock came from the door, and Noah opened to see Aurelia standing outside. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°As much as I¡¯ll ever be,¡± Noah replied. Aurelia nodded, and the two of them made their way out. The city was quiet, the dark of the night still kept most confined to their beds as the two adventurers traveled to the guild. Upon arrival, Noah noticed their rather massive ride eating from a giant cart set aside for it. ¡°Good lord, that thing is huge,¡± Noah eximed, watching the giant creature. ¡°Ah, you two are here. Great, I was starting to think Noah slept in or something,¡± Nae said, standing at the entrance. Erwest stood next to her, looking at Noah with a displeased expression. Noah decided to focus his attention on the Wyvern instead, using identify. [Juvenile Wind Wyvern - ??] ¡°That¡¯s a juvenile?¡± Noah asked in surprise. ¡°You thought we¡¯d bring an adult? Please, we¡¯re not going to war,¡± Nae said, scoffing. ¡°Anything we need to know before we head off?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Yes, actually. I stayed up all night making this, it¡¯s a tracker that¡¯ll lead you to the Iron Fists. It should help a lot with locating them,¡± Nae said, as she handed a strange, almost gyroscopic device with multiple golden rings that shed with runic letters. Aurelia epted the device, nodding. Erwest took the time to tie a saddle around the wyvern, before climbing up on the creature¡¯s back. Aurelia followed, and Noah joined her, using blink to seat himself. ¡°Alright, go and get those abyss damned motherfuckers for me,¡± Nae said, grinning. The wyvern pped its wings, a powerful gust rising underneath it, and then, with a leap up into the air, they were off. Chapter 47: Battle Traps Chapter 47: Battle Traps Noah watched the world fly by in a blur beneath him from atop the Wyvern¡¯s back. Open fields, forests, viges and such all meshed into a giant canvas as they flew amidst the clouds. Noah kept a tight grip on the edge of his saddle, trying his best not to slip an inch. Despite the fast speed they were moving at, the journey was surprisingly quiet, with a pocket of air diverting the harsh torrents of wind. ¡°You don¡¯t seem too excited about flying? People tend to have a much stronger reaction when they fly this high for the first time,¡± Aurelia asked, ncing back at him. ¡°We had airnes, so I¡¯ve flown before. This is just more windy and life-threatening,¡± Noah said, ncing downwards as he tightened his grip once more. ¡°Say, how often do people fall off these things?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t let go and you won¡¯t need to know,¡± Aurelia said with a smile. Noah didn¡¯t reply, simply keeping his grip as he watched the clouds fly past. The temperature was cold, with the wind pocket around them being the only thing that kept warm air in cirction and stopped the three of them from freezing to death. ¡°How close are we?¡± Noah asked. Aurelia opened her palm as the tracking device manifested, a golden glow shimmering across its many revolving rings. ¡°Close. We should startnding so that we don¡¯t get spotted.¡± Erwest nodded, steering the wyvern downwards, as they rapidly began to descend. Slowly, Noah saw the tiny vige start to expand in size, as they flew closer and closer still. Flying around the vige, the wyvern settled down in the nearby forest, pping its wings to create powerful gusts of wind as it touched down on the ground. Noah jumped off first, feeling his feet firmly nted. ¡°Ah, how I missed you, solid ground.¡± Aurelia rolled her eyes, climbing off behind him. Erwest stepped offst, tying the wyvern to a tree nearby, before he produced a bucket full of meat for the creature to eat. ¡°Where are these heathens?¡± Erwest asked, ncing at Aurelia. ¡°We should not be wasting any time dilly-dallying here.¡± Aurelia touched the device, which lit up, disying a glowing map hologram above it. ¡°They¡¯re here, in this cavern. There¡¯s a pocket here leading to a section of water mana stones that''s the source of one of the many water channels around Aquaris. The marker shows them here, near the pocket.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the n? We go in, rush them down, tie them up and bring them back?¡± Noah asked. ¡°No, we don¡¯t. We ambush them instead. Look here,¡± Aurelia said, zooming in on a section of the cavern. ¡°We move in and head towards this section and find our way in. Then, once we have a good vantage point, we¡¯ll catch them off-guard and take them down one on one. As discussed before, I¡¯ll handle Garett, Erwest can take care of Evans, and Noah, you can take on Alta.¡± Noah nodded, and Erwest gave a grunt. Aurelia put the tracking device away, nodding as she put on her gauntlets, sparks flying off of them as a golden ze erupted in her eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s bring them down.¡± *** Noah looked at his mini map, finding the cavern slowly start to fill in. The area was damp, water dripping down and echoing through the dark caves as they walked through the twirling and twisting tunnels within. Streams of water flowed through the cavern, making Noah frown as he nced at the glowing blue stones filling the area with water mana. The party moved in a three pronged formation, with Erwest at the lead, Aurelia on his right and Noah on his left. Walking just a little further in, Noah paused when Erwest raised an arm, signaling for them not to move. A momentter, the Pdin rushed ahead, sword drawn with a golden fury of light as he turned the corner. A muted gasp came, the sound of flesh being sliced by metal, and then a few secondster, a final thud. Noah waited, gripping his spear tightly as he remained around the corner. Aurelia stayed next to him, crouched low, with her fists ready to strike. Erwest walked back around the corner, blood now covering his pristine sword and armor as he motioned for them to move closer. Walking ahead, Noah saw the corpse lying on the ground. A clean strike had cut through the man¡¯s neck, piercing it all the way as he¡¯d died. The man wore a deep red robe, marked with the symbol of a crimson heart stabbed through by a sword visible upon it. ¡°Crimson cultists,¡± Aurelia whispered, ncing sideways as she frowned. ¡°Has there been crimson cult activity in these parts?¡± Erwest frowned, before ncing up. Signing he signaled two more further ahead. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it,¡± Noah said, stepping forward. Standing near the corner, Noah watched the two cultists standing guard. Blink whirred as he teleported ahead. Bleed and Obliterate moved in a frenzy as he stabbed through the first cultist, piercing his chest from behind, killing the man instantly. Before the second man could move, Noah leapt and grabbed his throat. Necrotoxins flowed down his wed hand, as he used blood drain, the man struggling in his grasp for a few seconds, before all life was drained from his body. You¡¯ve killed [Abyssal Cultist lvl - 47 (Common)]. You¡¯ve killed [Crimson Cultist lvl - 52 (Common)]. Noah turned around, signaling for the rest of them to move closer. Aurelia and Erwest walked by, taking nces at the corpses before they moved ahead. The mana in the chamber began to grow denser as they moved further in. Turning through a section, the party found itself making their way into a cross section, with a giant man standing at the entrance to a massive gate. A massive curved sword held in his hand, as he patrolled the corridor. Noah used identify. [Abyssal Executioner - ??] They remained hidden around the corner, and Noah nced at Erwest, who looked at the giant man with a frown. ¡°I¡¯m going to draw him out,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Noah. Touching her gauntlets, she put them in her storage ring, before quickly recing her armor to the simple garb she¡¯d been in when Noah had first encountered her. Taking out a dagger, she nicked herself in a few spots, letting blood drip onto her clothes, before throwing her hair into disarray. Noah understood her n, nodding at her. A momentter, Aurelia stumbled out into the open area. The Abyssal Executioner turned, eyes ring through his helmet. Aurelia looked at the man, as color seemed to drain from her face she stumbled back, before turning as she ran. The Abyssal Executioner moved without a word, rushing ahead with his massive sword raised overhead as he gave chase. Aurelia continued to run, then stumbled, turning the corner where Noah and Erwestid in wait. They waited only half a breath, before the giant man turned, and the two leapt into action. Obliterate blurred through Noah¡¯s spear, Bleed coating it in a red glimmer as he struck. Erwest moved rapidly, his own sword slicing through the Abyssal Executioner''s armor. But their enemy was fast. Moving with surprising speed, the executioner blocked Noah¡¯s spear with his sword, while taking Erwest¡¯s attack with his thick arm, protecting his neck. Noah cursed, heart beating rapidly as he pulled his spear back. The Abyssal Executioner opened his mouth, ready to scream and alert the entire area when a me covered fist nted itself in his face. The impact was powerful,unching the giant man into the cavernous wall, before Aurelia jumped in, crushing his windpipe with another well ced strike. The man sunk to the ground, eyes wide in horror as he stared at Aurelia. With a final strike from Erwest¡¯s de, the Executioner¡¯s life came to an end. You¡¯ve killed [Abyssal Executioner lvl - 117 (Umon)/Abyssal Warrior lvl - 32 (Umon)]. Panting, Noah turned to face his teammates, nodding to them. Together, they moved to the giant entrance, pushing it open ever so slightly, before they peered inside. A massive cavern was set within, not too dissimr to the one Noah had first opened his eyes in. Five figures stood around in a circle atop an altar, with cages set beneath the stairs. Noah saw the people tied up within the cages, in varied states of undress and injury as he felt his anger rising to a tide. ¡°It¡¯s them. The Iron fists. Standing on the altar with the cultists,¡± Aurelia said, her own eyes burning with mes as she looked at the party that had betrayed her. ¡°Two of them are D ranked cultist chiefs. Abyssal and Crimson both. Three hostages, all shackled.¡± Erwest said, ncing sideways. ¡°How¡¯re we doing this?¡± Aurelia bit her lips, looking through the gap. ¡°Let¡¯s wait and watch for now.¡± ¡°We need to act before someone finds the corpses and starts screaming,¡± Noah said, ncing back in the direction they¡¯de from. ¡°I¡¯ll stand guard here, you two enter and find a quiet location near the altar. See if you can free the hostages before we strike,¡± Erwest said. Nodding, Noah moved. Slipping through the gap at the entrance, he crouched around the shadows. Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes activated, as he saw lifeforce brimming around him in all directions. With a blink, Noah teleported further, hiding behind a pir within the cavernous chamber. Standing as still as he could, he let his breath settle down, and waited. ¡°You said you would bring five,¡± a man barked from above the Altar. ¡°There¡¯s only three of them here, and one does not even qualify!¡± ¡°Do you have any idea how difficult it is to capture D ranked adventurers? And we did get five, it¡¯s not my fault they killed themselves when they realised what was happening,¡± another man replied, wearing leather armor and with a ymore at his back. Noah had a feeling he was Garett. ¡°This is insufficient. The ritual demands five sacrifices. Our transaction is notplete until you bring what was asked of you,¡± the cultist chief hissed, stepping ahead, when a man moved in a rapid step, dagger poised at his throat. ¡°Do not draw your weapons at me,¡± the cultist vibrated in fury. ¡°Let us not lose our temper. And you have to understand that all this preparation will be for nothing, if you do not bring us the right amount. Now please, withdraw your weapon,¡± the crimson cultist chief said, a high pitched female voice, with a graceful touch to it. Not the kind of voice he expected to hear here. Garett nced sideways as the ranger pulled back his dagger. The conversation continued atop the altar, but Noah did not pay it any further heed. He watched Aurelia slowly make her way to where he was. Nodding to her once, Noah moved ahead, using teleport to move right up to one of the cages set around the altar. ¡°Shhh,¡± Noah whispered as the woman inside stared at him in horror. ¡°M-monster?¡± she whimpered, and Noah realised how he must¡¯ve appeared in a dark dimly lit cavern with his monstrous eye. ¡°Not a monster, no. I¡¯m here from the guild,¡±Noah replied, ncing at the cage. Walking up, he checked the lock, finding no keyhole, but instead a strange rune encrypted on it. ¡°Do you know how to open these?¡± The woman stared nkly at him, but snapped out of her daze quickly. ¡°They use a te with a rune carved on it. It¡¯s with that man. They use the same one for all the cages,¡± the woman pointed in a hushed tone towards the top of the altar. ¡°Is there any chance you can draw the rune for me?¡± Noah asked. The woman nodded hesitantly, before she slowly drew a symbol on the dirt floor. Noah took out his single good dagger, copying the symbol onto the lock itself as he let his mana flow through the de. The lock vibrated, whirring, before clicking open. The woman stared wide eyed, before moving ahead. ¡°But¡­ these?¡± she said, pointing at the shackles. ¡°We¡¯ll get those too. For now, stay here, and don¡¯t make any noise. Find somewhere to hide if you can, and sneak out. You¡¯ll find my teammate outside. He¡¯ll get you to safety.¡± The woman nodded, slipping out of the cage. As she slowly began to walk away, Noah turned to check on Aurelia. He noted her standing with the other cage open as well, the man inside slowly making his way back towards the entrance. ncing at her, Noah gave a signal, before turning to thest prisoner. Using Blink, Noah teleported to the cage as he began to carve the unlocking rune on the lock. The drailith inside stirred but did not move, already having noticed the other two prisoners they¡¯d freed. Moving with haste, Noah quickly unlocked the cage, as the lock opened with a click, freeing the man inside. Instincts rustled as Noah sensed something move behind him. Before even thinking, he turned, spear appearing in his hand, but he was too slow. A dagger rushed towards his face, cutting through his cheeks before another blow struck him in the gut. Noah felt himself crumple from the strike, falling backwards. He tried to blink, but before the ability could activate, two arrows shot him in the chest one after the other. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Paralysis - III] You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Toxin - III] Lifeblood resists [Paralysis]. Lifeblood resists [Toxin]. [Paralysis - III] ¡ú [Paralysis - I] [Toxin - III] ¡ú [Toxin - I] Noah grunted, feeling his body turning numb rapidly as a cloud of smoke rose around him. He tried to move, but the man was faster, shooting another arrow that pinned him to the ground. Noah screamed, unable to hold his voice down as the ranger walked up to him, eyes looking down menacingly. [Potioncraft Ranger - ??] Noah nced sideways, seeing Aurelia in a simr state with a woman holding her down with bloody chains. Steps echoed from atop the altar, as the cultist chiefs and Garett walked down the stairs. Noah tried to move, but the ranger didn¡¯t relent, his arrows keeping him pinned in ce. A momentter, he felt his mana draining as shackles tied his arms together, locking his abilities away. ¡°Well well well, look who we have here. If it isn¡¯t my dearest Aurelia,¡± Garett said, making his way down, as he crouched next to her. ¡°Tell me something. Just how are you still alive?¡± Chapter 48: Cultist Chaos Chapter 48: Cultist Chaos The Abyssal and Crimson chiefs made their way from atop the altar, looking at the two of them in surprise. ¡°Have you gone insane?¡± the Abyssal chief roared. ¡°We told you to keep this as secret as possible. And you brought adventurers right to our door!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Garett replied, ncing back at the chief. ¡°She was dead. I¡¯d handed her off to the cultist hideout south of Layfar, near the Lost Woods. There¡¯s no way for her to have gotten out of there.¡± ¡°Yet she clearly did,¡± the Crimson chief said, snorting. ¡°This has been a huge disaster.¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± Garett replied, ncing in Noah¡¯s direction. ¡°Evans, grab the two that escaped and bring them back.¡± The ranger nodded, leaving Noah where he was and rushed outside the chamber. ¡°How is it not a disaster? If the guild knows, we need to leave, and quick. Just kill them already and we¡¯ll move to another location,¡± the Crimson chief said. ¡°We won¡¯t be running,¡± Garett said, ncing down at Aurelia. ¡°If the guild really knew what was going on, they wouldn¡¯t have sent an E and F ranked adventurer. They¡¯d raid the entire ce, leaving no gaps. No, this was an individual mission to scout for information,¡± Garett said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, my dear?¡± Aurelia spat in his face, fire burning in her pupils. ¡°The guild will be here if I don¡¯t return. They know what you did, and they¡¯ll find you. All of you. It doesn¡¯t matter how far you run, your petty lie is revealed now.¡± Garett wiped the spit off his face, then kicked Aurelia in the gut, making her cry out in pain as she rolled over, groaning. ¡°As defiant as ever,¡± Garett said, turning to the cultist. ¡°Here¡¯s your sacrifices. Five of them. If we¡¯re killing them anyway, you may as well finish what you were here for.¡± The chiefs nced at each other. ¡°That one wouldn¡¯t be sufficient. F rankers don¡¯t have enough life-force,¡± the Crimson chief said. ¡°No, no, that one has enough,¡± the Abyssal chief said, turning to Noah. ¡°In fact, he has more than enough.¡± Walking closer, the Abyssal chief crouched down, staring at Noah. ¡°My, your body is mutated so horribly. What is this?¡± The chief pressed a finger to his forehead with his sharp nails. ¡°Void take me, this lunatic decided to put an Abyssal parasite in his body. And he still lives!¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time to marvel over the sacrifices, Hayver. Bring them in and start the ritual,¡± the Crimson chief said. Garrett grabbed Aurelia, hauling her over, even as she kicked around, trying to free herself. Noah felt himself being picked up, his body still fighting against the paralysis and toxin. Closing his eyes, he did not struggle, saving his energy. His attention was entirely focused on the shackles tying him. Like before, Noah called for his Astral Script, finding resistance. But this time, the action was easier than before. Astral Script (LOCKED): Name: Noah Brown Race: Human (Symbiont) Rank: F Paths: Exsanguinator - level 46 Astralwalker - level 44 Void Hunter - level 43 Attributes: Power: 145 Agility: 137 Constitution: 143 Mystic: 153 Attribute Points: 48 Noah closed his eyes and pushed with everything he had to reach out to his [Abilities] menu. A piercing pain rose in his skull, blood starting to drip from his nose before a crack came, and the ability unlocked. Using nearly all the mana he had, Noah reached into his Inventory, and teleported a Mana stone into his mouth. He did not eat the stone, letting it sit as he panted, already exhausted. Not yet. Just one more thing. Noah reached out once more. Selecting all the free Attributes he had, he put a few into Agility for an extra edge on his speed, while the majority went into Mystic. A pounding pain went through Noah¡¯s chest, making him shiver, but he pushed through it. He¡¯d lived through far worse very recently. This much wasn¡¯t going to make him pass out. A prompt hung in front of Noah¡¯s eyes, for epting the selection. He let it hang there for now. His heart raced, nerves taut with tension as he felt himself being shoved onto an altar. What a funny coincidence, to be back here again. Opening his eyes atst, he saw Aurelia nearby, now gagged so she couldn¡¯t bite. Nearby, the Drailith remained tied as well, the prisoner¡¯s eyes nk and distant, as if he¡¯d lost all hope for survival and epted his fate. Noah continued to watch as the cultists stood around them, whispering chants. The ground beneath them stirred, dark mana gathering as a strange electrifying energy ran across Noah¡¯s body. Reaching out to Tony, Noah nudged him awake, instructing him to wait for hismand. ¡°What¡¯s taking your teammate so long?¡± the Abyssal chief asked. ¡°They might¡¯ve ran far,¡± Garett said, though a frown lingered on the man¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll go check,¡± the Crimson chief said, heading down the altar. The woman made her way to the entrance, just passing the threshold when a bright golden light shed, blinding everyone in the chamber. A sword of light cut through the Crimson chief, slicing her in two, and her body fell apart. Erwest rushed inside. ¡°Eva! How¡ªhow dare you!¡± the Abyssal chief roared, vibrating with fury as he rushed at Erwest. Noah pressed his teeth against the mana stone, cracking it as he selected the Attribute allocation. As the mana stone was rapidly absorbed, Noah felt Tony move through his body, merging into him. His body transformed, ws sharpening as his body began to morph. You¡¯ve consumed [Mana Stone - D] Mana refilled by 300% All attributes increased by 50. Abyssal Symbiote has used Metamorphosis! All attributes increased by 25%! Time remaining: 60 seconds. Power: 145 ¡ú 247. Agility: 137 ¡ú 242. Constitution: 143 ¡ú 245. Mystic: 153 ¡ú 315. Mana surged through Noah, and his body set on fire. Light poured out from cracks as the torrent of energy threatened to break him apart. Noah roared, pushing all his mana into the shackles. They vibrated violently, and with a crack, the shackles shattered, freeing him and returning his abilities to him. ¡°Stop them!¡±the cultist screamed, as chaos broke out on the altar. ¡°Garett!¡±Aurelia screamed, mes rising around her in a storm. Mana poured out of her body as the shackles melted off her hands, and fire engulfed her entirely, lighting up the cavern. With a leap, Aurelia jumped ahead, her hair now strands of fire, her body engulfed in a storm of me with each step. In a rapid rush, her fist struck his de and fire engulfed the two. The ranger pulled out his bow, poison arrows loaded, ready to take out Aurelia. ¡°No you don¡¯t!¡±Noah screamed, his voice distorted like a demon¡¯s. Teleporting to the ranger, he blocked the arrows with his arm. Tony hardened his skin before he even had time to think. His spear spun in an arc, stabbing at the ranger who jumped back and threw daggers to aid his escape. Noah let the daggers hit, the poison redirected by Tony into his ws. With a bestial snarl, he teleported near the ranger and thrust his spear. His spear shed with a short de, and the metallic ng rang through the area. Noah ducked, dodging chains of blood, and teleported himself into midair. Before he had time to think, Tony had already found the attacker, and threw his spear at the blood healer. His weapon struck true, piercing the woman¡¯s gut, just as he teleported close to her. With a sh, he tore out her throat, pulling his spear free, when two arrows embedded themselves in his back. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Life Drain]. Noah saw his blood seeping from him toward the woman, as her brutal injuries rapidly began to heal themselves. Not wasting any time, Noah moved in closer, grabbing her by the throat and spinning her around to block the next wave of arrows with her body. Chains of blood wrapped around Noah, searing his skin, but he turned on Pain Tolerance, ignoring the sensations. Letting his Necrotoxins seep in, Noah crushed the woman¡¯s throat, making sure she was dead. You¡¯ve killed [Blood Reaper (Rare) - level 92 /Life Mage (Rare) - level 89] Using her corpse to block iing arrows, Noah kept her in his w, snarling as he rushed towards the ranger. Time remaining: 14 seconds. Throwing the woman at the ranger, he teleported behind the man. His spear dragged through the ground, leaving a scar on the earth as Obliterate ran in a frenzy. Every instinct, every thought was enhanced as his mind worked faster than it ever had before. The ranger dodged the corpse, and loosed arrow after arrow at Noah. Crouching on all fours, Noah dodged the arrows, then used his ws to sh through one. Leaping into the air, he teleported. The ranger had picked up the woman and was using the dead body as a barricade. But it wouldn¡¯t help him in the least. Noah thrust the spear into her back, simultaneously creating a Dimensional Pocket around the weapon. The weapon appeared on the other side, slicing into the Ranger¡¯s abdomen. The ranger stumbled back, blood pouring from his mouth. He looked at his gut, confusion written all over his face at where this spear impaling him came from, and at the Crimson Rot now spreading through him. ¡°What¡­¡± the man mumbled, before Noah¡¯s ws shed through his neck, cutting off his head, and his lifeless corpse fell to the ground. You¡¯ve killed [Potioncraft Ranger (Rare) - level 134 /Shadow Rogue (Rare) - level 104] Noah roared at his victory, a primal sound that tore itself from his throat. Time remaining: 0 seconds. Metamorphosis has ended! Temporary Mana buff has ended! You¡¯ve gained [Mana Poisoning - V] You¡¯ve gained [Paralysis - III] You¡¯ve gained [Migraine] You¡¯ve gained [Fatigue] The wave of energy washed away from Noah as Tony returned to the ring. Exhaustion hit him all at once and he copsed where he stood, finding himself incapable of moving. His Astral Script disyed in front of him as his mind floated in a daze, unable toprehend the words. [Exsanguinator] level 46 ¡ú 50. [Astralwalker] level 44 ¡ú 50. [Void Hunter] level 43 ¡ú 50. You can rank up! Noah¡¯s gaze drifted to the storm of fire battle still going on. Closing his eyes, he let his mind be dragged into the depths of darkness. He¡¯d just have to trust his team to win their battles. Chapter 49: Flames of Fury Chapter 49: mes of Fury Fire. That was all Aurelia saw in her vision. Anger boiled in her mind like a frenzied me, ready to consume everything, including her. Everything she¡¯d held back, every emotion, and all the rage now burst forth in an inferno. Aurelia rushed forward, her fists glowing like the two suns as she struck Garett. Her fists created dents in his armor, turning the metal hot enough to flow from the impacts as she continued to pummel him. The warrior¡¯s ymore swung, striking at her, but she took the blow with her gauntlets, letting her mes bellow forth with a roar. ¡°How DARE you lie to me?!¡± Aurelia roared, as her fistnded in Garett¡¯s gut,unching him backwards. Aurelia jumped forward as Garett flew, striking him down and plunging him into the ground. ¡°All. Those. People,¡± she said, each word apanied with a strike thatnded on the warrior, breaking bones. ¡°All. That. Suffering,¡± Aurelia said, as Garett kicked her off, coughing blood. She pulled herself up, her injuries lighting up in mes and healing themselves immediately. She lunged forward, with a strike, matching Garett¡¯s speed as her fist struck his ymore, pushing the man back. ¡°For what purpose?¡± Aurelia asked, as fire burned in her eyes. ¡°Why did you do it? Why did you betray me?¡± Garett didn¡¯t reply, as a wave of energy gathered around him. He roared, the air pulsating as a red aura settled around him, as he swung his giant ymore like a dagger. Aurelia took the blows with her gauntlets, each strike turning heavier than thest. Letting her mes re, she roared, jumping up into the air, before striking the earth beneath her. The ground erupted beneath them, mes flowing through the earth andunching upwards. Garett was flung backwards, his feet digging in as his de left marks through the ground. Kneeling as he remained upright only with the support of his ymore. Embers burned his clothes as smoke filled the air between them. ¡°It was a job. You just happened to be an easy target with your solo questing and lower level,¡± Garett replied. Aurelia stared at Garett. ¡°That¡¯s all? It was a job?¡± she asked, feeling her mes rousing around her. ¡°All those nights¡­ all those screams as one by one I heard the people around me being ughtered. As I had to fight that abomination formed from their flesh, begging me to end their torment. All of that¡­ because it was a job?¡± Aurelia said, finding her voice shaking. ¡°Yes. It was a job. They paid me good money, and I needed money. Simple as that. You would understand if you could look past your own inted self-righteousness,¡± Garett said, spitting. ¡°You disgust me,¡± Aurelia said, striking her fists together as her fire rose once more. ¡°Good. I never liked you either.¡± With a scream she rushed forward, her fist striking his chest as blood flew in the air, sttering all around them. Garett roared, swinging his sword as the de cut through the air, sending out a pulse that shot at Aurelia. Dodging the attack, Aurelia twisted her gauntlets, as chained des came out of them. Letting mes cover her weapons, she struck, swinging the chained des at Garret. The des struck true, finding purchase in his armor as she pulled the man closer, before she hit him in the gut, knocking him over. Garett took the blow, rolling backwards, as he coughed up more blood. As Aurelia rushed closer, he roared, blue crackles gathering towards him. Lightning burst through the area, striking Garett, as electricity crackled in a frenzy. Aurelia felt the electricity course through her body, burning through her skin as she wasunched into the cavern wall. Garett rushed closer, his ymore piercing the wall where Aurelia''s head had been a moment ago. He pinned her body to the wall still, pushing his shoulder into her chest ¡°You never used identify on me did you?¡± Garett asked, lightning crackling all around him in a frenzy. [Thunderd Warrior - ??] ¡°What did you¡ª¡± Garett struck before she could finish, lightning crackling in a frenzied storm. Thunder mingled with fire as Aurelia¡¯s fists caught Garett¡¯s ymore, holding it back. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯m seeing your wild side, Aurelia. Is this how you really are?¡± Garett asked, kicking her aside, before he struck the ground. Lightning crackled through the cavern, rushing at Aurelia, as she copsed from the strike. You have been paralyzed. mes of Fury has ended. You cannot move. ¡°Show me more. Show me MORE. The anger, the fury, I want to see it before I kill you,¡± Garett said, smiling through his bleeding face. ¡°You¡¯re insane,¡± Aurelia said, trying to push to move. Her struggles failed, with her body still numb from the electricity. ¡°No, no no. Not that, not that at all. That¡¯s the boring you. The you I did not care to have killed. I want to see the you that burns with hatred and bloodlust. Show me the anger, show me the emotions!¡± Garett said, looking at Aurelia as shey copsed on the ground. He nced sideways, watching Erwest fighting the Abyssal chief before he clicked his tongue. ¡°The cultist will die soon as well. What a shame.¡± Turning back to Aurelia, Garett pointed his ymore at the Pdin. ¡°Will you show me that anger if I kill the Pdin?¡± he asked, in a voice calm enough to send shivers down Aurelia¡¯s spine. ¡°You¡¯ve lost¡­ your mind,¡± Aurelia said, trying to put strength into her limbs, but they refused to work. ¡°No, then. How about the other one? What if I kill him?¡± Garett asked. Aurelia looked up, trying to push herself up as she grit her teeth. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s the one then,¡± Garett said, turning around. ¡°No, Garett, stop!¡± Aurelia screamed as the man rushed ahead. Putting ineverything she had, Aurelia tried to push her body, but it refused to work. In a rush, she reached into her storage ring, taking out her single C grade mana stone, before swallowing it whole. You have eaten a C grade mana stone. Power fills your body. Your mana has regenerated to twice the capacity. All attributes have been strengthened by 100. Aurelia ignored the ming words of her Astral script, as she put everything she got from her mana stone into activating her mes of Fury again. With a kick, fire erupted around her body once more. The mes of fury strengthen your body. All attributes are increased to twice their strength. Aurelia Fauster, Rank E. Path of the me Warden is at level 92. Path of the Warrior Monk is at level 95. mes of Fury has 120 seconds remaining. Your Power is 488 Your agility is 380 Your Constitution is 384 Your Mystic is 400 May your Path light the dark. Aurelia rushed ahead, chasing after Garett, but she was toote. She watched as he stood, ymore plunged into Noah¡¯s chest. With a scream, she threw her chain des at him in a frenzy. Fire erupted across the chains, an explosion throwing the mad adventurer back. ¡°I will NOT lose someone again,¡± Aurelia screamed, as a storm of fire engulfed her. ¡°There¡¯s the anger,¡± Garett said,ughing as lightning erupted around him. Aurelia rushed the man, fire engulfing her body. She swung her chain des, swirling them around in an inferno as sparks flew from where they struck Garett. Using her des as leverage, she pulled herself closer, her fists striking hard and fast. Lightning mingled with mes, the electricity numbing her body, but she pushed through the sensation. You¡¯ve grown resistant to lightning. Aurelia ignored the words, single mindedly focused on her enemy. Grabbing Garret by his leg, she tackled him to the ground, and using her chain des, she stabbed him in the knee, before dragging the de to destroy his knee cap. Fire melted through his armor as Aurelia¡¯s fist hit his chest, breaking his ribs. Aurelia roared, letting her anger take over. Her fists continued to strike, over and over and over and over and¡ª ¡°Aurelia!¡± A shout came, as a hand grabbed her fist. She blinked her eyes, realising that she sat upon a corpse, with only burnt, fleshy pulp in front of her. ¡°Stop. He¡¯s dead.¡± She looked back up, and saw Erwest grabbing her hand. ¡°He¡¯s been dead for a while now.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Aurelia muttered, as she looked at the ming scroll in front of her. You have in a Legendary Thunderd Warrior - lvl 121. me Warden is at level 100. Warrior Monk is at level 100. You can rank up. ¡°Noah?¡± she asked, turning around as she rushed towards him, but found her limbs not cooperating. ¡°What about Noah?¡± she asked, as Erwest lifted her up. It took her a moment to realise her fists were broken and her ankle had swollen red. Blood pooled in her mouth with her ribs cracked and flesh burnt from the attacks Garett had sent. ¡°I tried,¡± Erwest said, ncing back where the Abyssal Cultist chiefy unconscious, and tied up. ¡°But between fighting the cultist chief and capturing him alive, I couldn¡¯t save him.¡± Aurelia moved over to Noah, watching himy unconscious. Blood covered his torn clothes, his breath still and unmoving. ¡°No, there¡¯s no way,¡± Aurelia said, pressing her hand against Noah¡¯s chest, yet despite how long she waited, no heartbeat returned. ¡°I¡­ I was the one who said he shoulde even when Nae tried to stop him. Because of me. I can¡¯t¡­¡± Aurelia found her words breaking. Erwest walked closer, kneeling as he took his sword out, putting it on Noah¡¯s chest. Closing his eyes, he said. ¡°I had misjudged him,¡± Erwest said, ncing back at Aurelia. ¡°But there is one thing I can try. His life has not been vanquishedpletely. If he is righteous, then mother Hellion will protect him,¡± the Pdin said. Closing his eyes, a golden light engulfed Erwest as he spoke. ¡°O warrior of justice, mother of light. Grant this soul a blessing of life.¡± Light rose from the de, turning into a bright sh as it swallowed Noah whole. Erwest stepped back, as the two of them watched. ¡°Now, everything will be decided by Hellion.¡± Chapter 50: Hellions Judgement Chapter 50: Hellion''s Judgement Noah opened his eyes to a bright light. It was the kind of light he¡¯d typically only ever experienced at the dentist, somewhere he¡¯d only really been to once as a kid, where they had pointed a shlight right in his face and then instructed him to stay still under that torture somehow. Blinking, Noah looked as his vision began to clear, as a figure appeared in front of him. It was a woman with blonde hair, and golden eyes. Two dark ck wings came forth out of her back. She was adorned with golden armor covering her body, a sharp and pristine sword in her hand. She stood tall, taller than him, or really, any other person he knew. It was not her physical size, that much even he could see, but rather just her presence that made her seem farrger than she physically was. ¡°Who are you?¡± Noah asked, looking around the empty white space, seemingly without end. ¡°Am I actually dead this time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Hellion,¡± the woman replied, her voice oozing a sense of authority that made Noah feel like he should be on his knees and bowing. ¡°And you¡¯re not dead. Yet.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Noah said, looking at the goddess of justice he¡¯d heard so much about. He gave her a wave. ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Noah.¡± ¡°I know who you are, Noah,¡± Hellion replied. ¡°A faithful of mine reached out to me, requesting I grant you life at the verge of death. This is your trial, where I judge whether you are worthy of such a boon or not.¡± Noah looked at the goddess of Justice in silence, feeling a lot of emotions passing through him. ¡°This is a strange location to have a trial, isn¡¯t it? Just endless nothingness?¡± Noah asked, ncing around. Hellion, surprisingly, nced around after him, before nodding. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong. It is a bit nd. Perhaps this will suit your preferences more,¡± she said, snapping her fingers. Noah found himself sitting in a modern room on a sofa. Two cups of hot tea were present in front of him, as sunlight filtered in from the window in the room, tastefully decorated with a few potted nts. Picking up the cup, Noah took a sip. ¡°Yuck, green tea. Always hated it. Do you have coffee by any chance? I must admit, I¡¯ve been dying for some coffee aftering to Erandir. It¡¯s one of the few things that sometimes makes me want to go back to Earth.¡± Hellion tapped Noah¡¯s cup of tea, as it turned to coffee. Taking a sip, Noah sank into the sofa behind him. ¡°Ah¡­ bliss,¡± he said, before ncing at Hellion with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Given that you can already tell a lot about me just by looking, I feel like you intentionally picked the tea knowing that I hated it.¡± ¡°I considered your preferences briefly, but my anticipation for your reaction outweighed any desire to please you. And I like green tea,¡± Hellion said, taking another sip from her cup. ¡°Fair enough. So, about that trial of judgement. How¡¯s that going to happen?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It has already happened,¡± Hellion replied. ¡°It has?¡± ¡°Yes. It has. Otherwise you would be dead by now,¡± Hellion said, looking at him. ¡°So¡­ I passed?¡± Noah asked. ¡°My aspect has deemed you just, had you been anyone else, you would¡¯ve passed,¡± Hellion said. ¡°But I could not let that happen. And so, I brought you here to judge you. Personally.¡± ¡°Hold on, back up a bit. I¡¯m a bit confused. What do you mean your aspect judged me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel particrly inclined to teach you about how deities work,¡± Hellion said. ¡°I mean, you might be killing me after this, so for all I know this may be myst conversation ever. Can¡¯t you indulge me at least a little?¡± Hellion looked at Noah silently for a few moments. ¡°Very well. Each god has an aspect. Some have multiple. Us gods are not omnipresent. We are present in many ces at once, but not everywhere. Our forms have limits, too. Greater than human limits, but limits nheless. I, as the goddess of Justice, inhabit the Aspects of Righteousness and Justice. And to be able to carry out justice, by providing every righteous individual the ability to pick my path, I cannot be there to personally judge it. Instead, my Aspect, my divinity¡¯s core and the magic tied to my faith, judges people. Anytime someone picks an ability, a path, or calls upon my name, they¡¯re calling upon my Aspect. Very few can directly summon me.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°That actually makes a lot of sense,¡± he said. ¡°So if your Aspect judged me to be a good guy, what¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°The problem is that your existence is a threat. A non-insignificant one. I do not know who you are, or how you came to be on Erandir, but I can feel the pact you have with the Void itself, and it is a powerful one. That alone justifies keeping you here, instead of letting you return to Erandir.¡± ¡°Keeping me here?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Follow me,¡± Hellion said, standing up. Noah followed the goddess as she opened the door to another room. The gate led outwards to an open field. Flowers covered the expanse, animals ying happily across them. But most of all, what caught Noah¡¯s eyes was the number of children. Hundreds of children yed around the fields, dancing and giggling and chasing each other. ¡°Mother Hellion!¡± A girl with a flower crown on her head called out, rushing towards the goddess. Soon, many of the children followed, crowding her as they all tried to hug her. Hellion bent down, gently picking up one of the younger children in her arms. ¡°How have you been, my children?¡± Hellion asked, a gently motherly smile on her face. ¡°We¡¯ve been good, mother!¡± ¡°The best! As always!¡± ¡°Mort took my toy, mother!¡± one of the girlsined, pointing at a boy who winced. The boy jumped. ¡°S-she¡¯s lying!¡± ¡°Mort, I can tell when someone is lying. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡± Hellion said, looking down at the boy. ¡°Y-yes mother,¡± the boy said. ¡°What do we say when we do something bad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the boy said, looking at the girl. ¡°You¡¯ll return her toy, won¡¯t you?¡± Hellion asked, and the boy nodded. She smiled, satisfied, before gently patting the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Good boy.¡± The boy smiled, before rushing away with a few of the other kids. ¡°Mother, who¡¯s this?¡± a small child asked, pointing at Noah. ¡°Ah, this¡­ this is my guest. I¡¯ve brought him here to show him your home.¡± ¡°Will he be joining us?¡± one of the kids asked, looking at Noah. ¡°He looks old though.¡± ¡°He is a bit old, isn¡¯t he?¡± Hellion said with a slight smile, as the kidsughed. Noah continued to watch the scene, not knowing what to make of it. He watched the goddess walk by the children, calling each of them one by one and caring for them, giving them lessons as she made her way through the fields. Eventually, she reached a particr child, one of roughly around thirteen years of age. He stood with a spear, striking a practice dummy with loud exmations. ¡°Pierce, what¡¯re you doing?¡± Hellion asked the child. ¡°I¡¯m practicing my spear mother Hellion. When I¡¯m reborn, I want to be a powerful warrior who can beat the cultists,¡± the boy said, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. Hellion smiled, patting his head gently. ¡°I¡¯m sure you will be.¡± The boy then paused, turning towards Noah. ¡°Is that my ne?¡± he asked. Noah looked down, clutching at the little talisman still hanging by his neck. Clutching it, he walked up to the boy and crouched down as he took it off and pressed it into the boy¡¯s palm. ¡°It is. Your mother gave it to me to bring it alongside me on my adventurers. But I think it should belong to you.¡± ¡°Mom?¡± Pierce asked, staring at him wide eyed before he looked down at the ne. ¡°You¡¯re an adventurer?¡± he asked, in a quiet whisper, as if it was some sort of secret. ¡°I am,¡± Noah replied with a smile. Pierce looked at Noah, his eyes glimmering with excitement. ¡°You should keep it then! It¡¯ll protect you on your adventures!¡± Noah stared at the boy, before smiling as he gave a nod. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, putting the ne back on. Hellion moved on, leaving Pierce behind as she met all the other kids. A few momentster, when she¡¯d walked through all the children, she returned back through the gate she hade from, the children all waving goodbye as she did. Noah stared at the garden, the gate closing behind him as a torrent of emotions filled his chest. ¡°What¡­ was that ce?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my Eden, if you may. I keep the children who I could not save there in my own eternal paradise. Children whose lives I ordered taken as they were forced into a path I could not bring them back from. Children who died to tragedies at the hands of cultists from whom I could not protect them. They all stay here, for as long as they wish to. And eventually, if they so choose, they can return back to Erandir to begin a brand new life,¡± Hellion said, looking at Noah. ¡°It is where I wish for you to stay as well. You may not be from our world, but to have taken your life would be unjust. This would be my way to make up for it.¡± Noah stared at the garden. A lifetime of blissful paradise. For a long moment, his heart wavered, tempting him. What else could he ever want? Here, he could have all the things he wanted, all theforts he desired. Noah looked down, clutching the ne hanging at his neck. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Noah said, shaking his head. ¡°I have things left to do.¡± Hellion frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t allow that, Noah. Your existence is far too dangerous to return to Erandir. You are tied to the void. The void which corrupts reality itself. It is vicious, unjust, it is cruel for it does not differentiate between right or wrong. And the Abyss feeds upon the strength of the void. The void strengthens the pits of the Abyss, like a gue spreading onto the world. A bnce must be kept, to ensure my people can survive. In this eternal war, you are a piece that can cause tides to shift, and for one side to lose to the other. I cannot risk that.¡± ¡°Why? As you said yourself, what you will be doing will be unjust. Even if you make up for it, that does not correct the mistake. Not with me, or with any of these children. They may be happy here, and they may have had awful parents, but they deserved to live happy lives.¡± ¡°They are happy,¡± Hellion said, frowning. ¡°But they¡¯re not alive, are they?¡± Noah replied. Hellion looked down at Noah, golden light glimmering around the goddess. ¡°You said I was a piece that could tilt the axis of the war. I have no idea how, but if so, then use me. Use me in your war and bring an end to this suffering. Isn¡¯t that what the just path is?¡± ¡°You do not know what you¡¯re getting yourself into,¡± Hellion replied. ¡°Maybe not. But I know what I want. I swore to destroy the Abyssal cult, when I saw the cruelty it inflicted so easily upon others. And I swore once again to save those that have been pulled into the Paths of the Void. To bring them under me, under a new path, and free them from their doomed fates,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m an impulsive guy, I make rushed choices, and I¡¯m not the smartest by any means, either. But when ites down to it, I like to think that I choose the just path.¡± Hellion stared down at Noah, as golden light gathered around her. The office room dissolved around them, the infinite whitespace returning. ¡°Very well. Then a piece in our war you shall be,¡± Hellion said, as she raised her sword and touched it on Noah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°May this burden now crush you under its weight.¡± A brilliant light shone around the sword, flowing into Noah¡¯s chest. You¡¯ve gained [Hellion¡¯s Blessing]! [Fate Touch] activated. Luck A0 ¡ú A2. Quest: Abyss Hunter updated! You¡¯ve seen the atrocities of the abyssal cult, and found fury boiling in your heart. Destroy the Abyssal cult, and hunt every member within it to satisfy your rage. Difficulty: Impossible ¡ú Extremely Difficult. Reward: Unknown. Noah stared at the quest in wonder, before a smile blossomed upon his face. A momentter, the blinding light covered him, and his soul returned to Erandir. ¡°I look forward to seeing what you''ll do, Noah.¡± Epilogue: A Lost Bunny and The Abyss Epilogue: A Lost Bunny and The Abyss Time was a strange concept. One that the murder bunny hadn¡¯t known too well before. It understood day and night, but time? Time was something new. A different understanding. What was also new were the glowing words. The bunny hade to like them. Closing its eyes, it tried to bring the words back out, disying them in front of it. Name: Unnamed Rank: F Murder Bunny - level 27 Perks: Kinyer Cannibal Forest-Tyrant Ruthless Hunter Racial Perks: Murder Stab - level 8 Predator¡¯s Senses - level 11 Bloody ws - level 9 It had grown over its journey. Fought many battles. Won some, lost others, but it had left its mark. Still, despite how long it had been walking, the bunny had not found the life-mother yet. The target was elusive, ever so far from its reach. Continuing to travel behind that delectable scent, the bunny paused. It had a thought it had not considered before. Was it¡­ lost? The bunny thumped its feet in frustration. How would it find the life-mother if it was lost? Kicking the dirt, the bunny charged as mana gathered in its horn. With a rush, it impaled a nearby squirrel. The bunny let the corpse drop, ignoring the body. It didn¡¯t feel particrly hungry. Walking ahead, the murder bunny sniffed the air, once again trying to follow the trail of blood. The scent seemed to grow a lot thicker in these parts, traces of bloodshed remaining. Hopping across the forest floor, the bunny marched on, stabbing any critters it saw on its way. Life was simple for a murder bunny. It was a predator. So it hunted things. A strange sensation stopped the murder bunny in its path. A strange cavern stood not far away, and for the first time, its instincts told it to run. The murder bunny frowned. Predators did not run. It pushed against the feeling, marching forward. [Madness - V] has negated [Draconian Fear] The bunny bounced into the cavern, and stopped when it noted a giant snake inside. Or was it something else? Snakes did not have horns. The creature looked weak, its eyes were closed, and its body withering. Hopping closer to the creature, the bunny poked it with its horn. A momentter, it realised the thing was dead. Losing interest in the giant creature, the bunny looked around. There was strawid out farther inside, and a rustling noiseing from the nest. The bunny moved in and saw a strange, smaller snake, with simr white scales. The snake looked at the bunny, hissing as it bared its fangs. The bunny did not care, simply continuing to watch. Its attention was entirely focused on the smell that kepting from the snake. Life. So much of it. The bunny¡¯s hunger roused. Yes. Today, it would feast. The snake reared back, energy rising, andunched itself at the bunny. Within a second, the bunny jumped back, feeling far more power than it expected from the tiny creature. Rock cracked where the snake struck and the bunny looked on in shock. Still, it was a small thing, nheless. Gathering its mana, the bunny rushed forward, its horn stabbing the snake. With a swipe of its w, the bunny struck the snake¡¯s head, before cutting into it. It took a few minutes of struggle, as the snake tried to wrap itself around and choke the bunny, before it stopped moving. Atst, the creature gave a dying shudder. You¡¯ve killed a [Newborn Life Wyrm (Legendary) - level 3]! Murder Bunny has reached level 30! The bunny dug into its feast. Blood coated its fur red as it ate and ate and ate. It could not stop. Not even if the life-mother appeared right now. Each bite filled the bunny with more life than it had ever felt. It was addicting, and before the bunny knew it, it had consumed the entire snake. Its body changed as it ate, growing faster than it ever had. And once it was done, the words of the world whispered in its ears. You¡¯ve consumed a Legendary Wyrm! Murder Bunny evolution unlocked. Murder Bunny ¡ú Draconian Jackalope. Racial Perk: Draconian Fear obtained! Racial Perk: Sky-step obtained! Racial Perk: Wyrm-blood obtained! The bunny closed its eyes, content with its meal. It had grown today. And it would continue to grow. *** One weekter. Nae sighed, rubbing her stiff shoulders as she sat in her office. The work never seemed to end nowadays, with one thing after anothering up around her. First the eclipse, then the Abyssal Incursions, then the cultists, and now a dead Ascendant wyrm and its missing baby. If the guild didn¡¯t chew her head off for letting a Legendary egg slip out of her fingers while it was close by, then the priests of Hellion most certainly would, for what she was about to tell them. ¡°I need a break,¡± Nae said,menting her work requirements. With a deft mentalmand, she manipted her Astral Script to disy her required records, before pulling out the documents she needed onto her desk. The least she could do was be organised, especially given the kind of information they¡¯d extracted from the Abyssal Cultist Chief they¡¯d caught. ¡°I swear, ever since I saw those guys, I¡¯ve only ever gotten more work,¡± Nae said aloud. She nced outside, watching the city and its people. It was a good reminder of just why she worked so hard, of what she was protecting. A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Sending a pulse of mana, Nae opened the gates, and Raesar walked in. ¡°Is the news true?¡± the guild head asked, showing a rare instance of concern. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it is. I verified it with multiple sources.¡± ¡°Damn rot infested cretins,¡±the Drailith hissed. ¡°Does the council know?¡± ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m about to head out and give them the news,¡± Nae said. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Raesar replied. ¡°No, you have your duties, and I need someone here to manage all the teams. The purge is still going on, and I can¡¯t afford to have you wasting time.¡± Nae picked up her papers. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, Raesar.¡± ¡°I know you will be. I just felt¡­¡± the guild head trailed off. Nae smiled, patting the giant Drailith¡¯s arm before she headed off. The elevator took her down and she made her way out of the guild. Walking across the main bridge, she showed off her te, taking the direct entry to the governor¡¯s ce. Once inside, she was led to the council¡¯s chamber. Nae stood outside, her heart pounding, and took a few calming breaths to settle herself. A momentter, the call came, and she entered. The lords of all the major cities of Meilor and the primary guild head sat within the chamber, alongside the high priest of the church of Hellion. A representative from the Empire, and all allied states was also present. ¡°Are you Miss Nae Celestine?¡± one of the five lords asked. This one represented the monarch directly. ¡°I am, m¡¯lord,¡± Nae said, bowing her head. She tried not to suffocate under the weight of their auras or use Identify by mistake. ¡°Very well, present the documents.¡± Walking up, she handed the documents to each of the members with a seat. Whispers rose within the chamber, soon turning into outright exmations. ¡°What is this nonsense?¡± the lord of Reimont asked, mming the paper on the table, cracking the wood, and the ground beneath splintering from the motion. Nae did not flinch, nor did she move a muscle. ¡°Everything is exactly as it is presented, m¡¯lord.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me this report is urate?¡± Krios, the lord of Heartilia asked, lifting the paper. Nae met his eyes, an A ranker who could snap his finger and kill her with a thought. ¡°Yes. All of it is true.¡± ¡°Then¡­ that means,¡± the governor nched, face turning pale. ¡°It means war,¡± the high priest said. ¡°There is no other path to take.¡± ¡°Have you confirmed this information?¡± Krios asked, looking at Nae. ¡°Yes, we went through a long and intensive investigation process. All evidence points in this direction,¡± Nae said, expression grim. Silence reigned in the council chamber as Nae spoke the words all of them dreaded hearing. ¡°They are trying to open a new Abyssal Rift in Heartilia.¡± *** Noah opened his eyes, staring at a wooden ceiling. Hey on a bed with a simple white sheet covering his body, a warm light filling the room. By this point, he¡¯d gotten used to waking up at random locations. Slowly pulling himself up, he spotted Aurelia seated on a chair next to his bed, sound asleep with her arms resting near his legs. The room looked to be some kind of medical chamber, with lots of bandages, potions and such lying around the room. Roused by his motion, Aurelia stirred. Yawning loudly, she sat up, rubbing her eyes and Noah gave her a smile. ¡°Good morning. Had a good nap?¡± ¡°Mornin¡¯,¡± Aurelia mumbled, still half-asleep. Then she froze, eyes stuck on Noah. ¡°Hi,¡± Noah said, waving at her as his smile widened upon seeing her reaction. ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°I am indeed,¡± Noah said, stretching his limbs. ¡°My body¡¯s hurting all over like I haven¡¯t moved in ages. How long was I out?¡± Noah asked, then he paused. ¡°Wait, are you crying?¡± ¡°No, I just woke up and had something in my eye, idiot,¡± Aurelia snapped, wiping at her eye. ¡°You were unconscious for ten days. We healed you and brought you back, but you wouldn¡¯t wake up. The healers didn¡¯t know what was wrong and I thought¡­¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not gonna kick the bucket that easily. This isn¡¯t the first time I almost died,¡± Noah said with a chuckle. Aurelia joined him, her relief evident. Noah noticed something different about her¡­ Her aura felt different. Not as muted as it had been before. Curious, he used Identify on her. [Cinderborn - ??] ¡°You ranked up?¡± Noah asked. Aurelia gave a nod. ¡°The battle was enough.¡± ¡°Did you get what you were hoping for?¡± Noah asked. ¡°No,¡± Aurelia replied, shaking her head. ¡°But I might¡¯ve gotten something better.¡± Ash swirled around her palm, embers burning within them with a deep red glow that glimmered with a muted power. Noah watched in fascination as the magic flowed in before fading out of existence. ¡°You should thank Erwest. He¡¯s the one who saved you,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Yea, I figured that out when I met the goddess,¡± Noah replied, scratching his chin. ¡°I honestly didn¡¯t expect him to do that.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t like you, but he¡¯s still a Pdin. He won¡¯t leave allies to die,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah nodded. ¡°What happened to the cultists?¡± ¡°We captured one and learned some information. I¡¯ll bring you up to speedter, but for now you should rest. I¡¯m gonna go bring a healer to check in on you, just in case,¡± Auerlia said, getting up. Just as she was about to exit, he called out, ¡°Hey, Aurelia? You remember the thing you asked me?¡± Aurelia looked back at him. ¡°About you wanting to die?¡± ¡°Yea. When I was there, in front of the goddess. I could¡¯ve chosen to stay. Spend an eternity in paradise. I really did think about it. Honestly, it sounded perfect andfortable,¡± Noah said. ¡°But then I remembered something.¡± Noah grasped the locket he¡¯d received from Pierce¡¯s mother, still tied securely around his neck. ¡°I¡¯d made a promise that I¡¯d bring this with me on my journey. Can¡¯t fulfill my promise if I die, can I?¡± Aurelia stared at the ne, smiling. ¡°Better not die then.¡± Noah watched her walk out of the room, and leaned back on his bed. With a moment to himself, he reached out to his Astral Script, letting all the notifications he¡¯d missed disy in their entirety. Quest: The Vengeful Hunt, Completed. Reward: [Party] system unlocked. Paths: [Exsanguinator] level 46 ¡ú 50. [Astralwalker] level 44 ¡ú 50. [Void Hunter] level 43 ¡ú 50. You can rank up! Abilities: [Blood Drain] level 13 ¡ú 15. [Bleed] level 13 ¡ú 15. [Lifeblood] level 9 ¡ú 10. [Blink] level 16 ¡ú 17. [Dimensional Pocket] level 8 ¡ú 10. [Obliterate] level 13 ¡ú 15. [Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes] level 23 ¡ú 24. [Abyssal Symbiote] level 16 ¡ú 18. [Lifeblood] has ranked up to Intermediate! [Dimensional Pocket] has ranked up to Intermediate! Skills: [Soul Resistance] level 10 ¡ú 13. [Soul Modification] level 7 ¡ú 10. [Rot Resistance] level 9 ¡ú 10. [Soul Modification] has ranked up to Intermediate! [Rot Resistance] has ranked up to Intermediate! Attributes: Power: 198 ¡ú 213. Agility: 194 ¡ú 200. Constitution: 196 ¡ú 200. Mystic: 252 ¡ú 271. Free Attribute Points: 0 ¡ú 34. Noah smiled at his Astral script, pleased with his growth. He¡¯de a long way from when he¡¯d first arrived in the cultist summoning circle. And his journey was only just getting started. End of Book 1 Character AMA End of Book 1 Character AMA From A_ Very_Unique_Name
Why did Noah die when he got stabbed by that dude while he was down? ( ch.49 ). With Tony and his effective regeneration, plus innate durability, I would¡¯ve thought he could¡¯ve survived that
First, he did not die. His heart just stopped. Now the reasons: Mana fatigue, lifeblood had already gone on overdrive during metamorphosis and ran out, the multitudes of status effects, and the paralysis effect the electricity applied basically making his heart stop. Lifeblood can''t fix that. From Weas97
To Tony, can knowledge fill your hunger? Would you like Noah to let you out more or are you morefortable resting in his arm?
Knowledge is fun! But not filling. Not food. Master teaches me many things, but need life to survive. So much life. Delicious delicious life. Life fills hunger. Makes hunger less. But never gone. Which is why I like exploring! And learning! Want to know more, learn all there is, and more, there is so much to see, so much sensations. Sometimes it is overwhelming, but I''m getting used to it! But... sometimes sleep is needed. I don''t like sleep. It is non existence again. Which is bad, terrible, awful. But necessary. Being outside more will be nice though! From Kishard
What is going to be your first legal drink?
Age of drinking is 18 years old here so I''ve already had my first legal drink ;) From Ironsouled
If Noah and Aurelia had theme songs, what would they be?
I''ll let the characters answer for themselves. Noah: Bury the light for sure. For sure. Can you imagine how sick it would be if I can just turn my hands into ws or use metamorphosis while teleporting around with a cursed spear while the background is just sting "I am the storm that is approaching!" Though to be honest, I think Undefeatable will be a very close second pick for me too. Oh oh, but Doom Eternal''s The only thing they fear is you would also be amazing. Ahhh, so many choices! Bury the Light. Undefeatable. Doom Eternal: The Only Thing They Fear is You Aurelia: I really like I see fire. It''s a pretty song from an amazing story, and it inspires me to keep going no matter what. This cover from Peter Hollens of the song is my favourite version of it. I See Fire - Peter Hollens From Magicalnes
Question(s) to the void, what part of Nathan''s adventure is most entertaining so far? What do you think of murder bunny?
I''m going to assume Noah. A human, dreaming of changing the Path of the world. His defiance when he lost his arm entertained us the most. The rabbit is inconsequential. A speck, upon a speck. But perhaps that will change with time. For now, we merely watch. QiMC2 Book 1 launch + webcomic QiMC2 Book 1unch + weic Hey folks. I''m still on break, and still very sick. But my first book just gotunched on amazon! You can find it on Kindle and Audible and it''s also getting a weic! If you have kindle unlimited, please consider adding the book to your library as it will support me massively. You can also check out the weic here. As an incentive, if the book crosses ABSR rank 1000, I will release a chapter from book 2 early during my break! Here''s the animated book cover art. Book 2: Chapter 1 — Invitation Book 2: Chapter 1 ¡ª Invitation Tony''s single eye was hovering over Noah''s shoulder, as he was perched upon his bed flipping through the pages of his book. He¡¯d been put under forced bed-rest by the healer, despite his protests, as ording to her he had essentiallye back from the dead. Without much else to do, Noah had decided to take up reading. But unlike him, it was Tony who had been most interested in the task. The Abyssal creature obviously could not read, but it could understand what Noah was reading through their summoning bond, and could then corrte that to their respective words and letters. The process had been slow at first, but given Tony¡¯s ability to perfectly recall everything and Avera¡¯s blessing making Noah read and understand at twice his normal speed, Tony had ended up memorizing the entire dictionary of words. Now, the two of them spent their time looking up various stories of the past, information about locations and information about abilities, skills, paths and so on. A knock on the door interrupted Noah, before Aurelia walked in, Nae tagging along with her. ¡°Hey, what brings you two along?¡± Noah asked, closing his menu. Tony pped around, circling above Aurelia¡¯s head, before taking a seat on top of her head. For whatever reason, he really liked Aurelia, like every other animal or spirit Noah had ever met. ¡°The healer told us to let you know that you¡¯re discharged now,¡± Nae replied, walking across the room as she grabbed a chair for herself and took a seat. ¡°Wait, really?¡± Noah asked, feeling surprised. He¡¯d been wondering how long his torture would have to continue. ¡°They saw you teleporting out at night, and figured there was no point in keeping you here much longer if you could just run away,¡± Nae said with a frown, and Noah winced at her gaze. ¡°You¡¯re not in trouble. Well, not for this anyway,¡± Aurelia said with a smile, taking a seat on Noah¡¯s bed. ¡°That¡­ sounds like I am in trouble then,¡± Noah replied, ncing back at Nae. ¡°I promise I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± ¡°Just shut up and let me speak,¡± Nae said, pping his leg with a file of documents. ¡°I¡¯m here to basically bring you up to speed on what has been happening ever since you almost died.¡± Noah nodded. He had some idea regarding the movements of the cult, but he hadn¡¯t had a proper discussion on the topic just yet. ¡°Keeping it brief. We killed the Iron Fists, and brought back both you and the cultist chief. Ours was just the first, there were others who had gone on simr missions and had returned with other cultists and traitor parties. Three of them so far, with two that escaped and have been named wanted criminals and are being hunted. The guild spent nearly a week interrogating the prisoners and making sure their information was urate,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Nae to continue. ¡°The ritual you found was a blood sacrifice. That much is obvious, but this one was moreplicated than your usual one. The ritual on its own did not do much, but instead fed into a muchrger andplicated spell. But the main problem is the fact that this spell is currently active all over the Melior Republic.¡± Noah looked at Nae. ¡°Is that even possible? Putting a spell over an entire kingdom without detection?¡± ¡°We certainly didn¡¯t think so,¡± Nae replied. ¡°But the trick was¡­ both cruel and clever. The spell drains an extremely small amount of life force from people. Most people will not even notice it, as their natural regeneration will cover it. But it is a significant draw upon unborn and newborn children, the sick and elderly,¡± Nae said. Noah¡¯s mind went to Irios, the child had been sick with an unknown disease that had somehow cured itself when it met the Wyrm. Clenching his fist, Noah felt anger rise in him. ¡°It¡¯s led to many stillbirths, and elderly or sick people dying. The cults are gathering individuals with strong lifeforce to sacrifice so that they can maintain a chain link to the entire spell, extending its range. It¡¯s all been going on for a while now, right under our noses,¡± Nae said, her eyes burning up with anger. ¡°Do you know what the purpose of it is?¡± Noah asked. Nae nced at Aurelia once, before turning towards Noah. She whispered words under her breath that made reality seem to ripple. Noah saw letters manifested around Nae, as they went and covered the room, as if sealing it off. A prompt appeared in front of Noah. [Oath of Secrecy] Upon agreeing to this oath, you will not be allowed to share this information outside of individuals who share this oath as well. Do you ept the oath? Yes/No? Noah looked at the prompt for a long moment, ncing back at Nae. The woman silently stared at him and Noah epted the prompt. ¡°There¡¯s a spell somewhere in Heartilia. We can¡¯t find it. But it¡¯s the center of all this life-force. They¡¯ll try to use it to open a new Abyssal rift.¡± Noah stared at Nae nkly. ¡°That sounds bad. But¡­ What¡¯s an Abyssal rift?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a tear in reality to the Abyss. Simr to the Astral rift in Windrest, but imagine it being the size of an entire city, and this one would continue to spew voidlings out into the world. It¡¯s a massive cmity to allow one to be opened,¡± Nae said. ¡°You remember I mentioned I was from Nyxis Noah?¡± Aurelia said. Noah gave her a nod. ¡°The entire kingdom of Nyxis is what remained after the southern Abyss was closed. The war to close it took nearly a century, and the scar that it left in the world wasrge enough to harbor an entirely new ecosystem, country and environment. There is no light in Nyxis, the mark of the Abyss cuts the depths out from the rest of the world, and the deeper you go the greater the mana pulls you in. After a certain point¡­ you be unable to ever return back to the surface.¡± Noah looked at Aurelia, trying to imagine a holerge enough to keep a kingdom in. ¡°Okay, so, Abyss bad! Got it. So what do we do now?¡± ¡°You? Not much. The guild is sweeping through the entire kingdom, and trying to destroy as many cults as they can find. It¡¯s a long and arduous process. Your party already did its job by bringing us this information. The rewards were alsorge enough that the governor has decided to reduce your sentence to merely a month of your remaining sry, and you¡¯ll get to keep the money you get from quests,¡± Nae said. ¡°Okay¡­ so why share all this information with me?¡± Noah asked, looking at Nae. ¡°I know I am curious and want to know, but that does not seem to be reason enough to share confidential information like this. At least, you don¡¯t seem like someone who would do that.¡± ¡°You are correct. The reason I¡¯m telling you all of this is this letter,¡± Nae said, extending her hand as a letter appeared in her hand. ¡°It¡¯s for you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± Noah asked in surprise, looking at the letter skeptically, before he picked it up. Staring at the letter in confusion, a momentter he realized the solution, sending a pulse of mana to break the seal. Folding the paper open, Noah began to read. ¡°Dear Noah Brow. I have heard many tales of your participation in the recent events regarding the Abyssal Cult,¡± Noah read out loud, before looking up at Nae and Aurelia. Neither gave any reaction and so he continued. ¡°I find your valormendable and your growth nothing less than astonishing. Both you and your team have been vital in the discovery of this devious n of the cults, and I would like to officially invite the three of you to my manor in Heartilia. Please consider this a show of appreciation for all that you¡¯ve done for us by bringing this terrible n to light. It would please me immensely to be able to entertain brave adventurers such as you in my castle. Signed by Krios Al Valruant, The Lord of Heartilia.¡± Noah folded the letter, looking back up at Nae in confusion. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Exactly what it looks like,¡± Nae replied. ¡°Your party has been officially invited by a B ranker, and the Lord of Heartilia himself.¡± Book 2: Chapter 2 — Soul Strain Book 2: Chapter 2 ¡ª Soul Strain Noah stared at the invitation in his hand, before putting it into his inventory. ¡°What¡¯s the time frame on the invitation?¡± ¡°The Lord didn¡¯t specify, but it would be rude to keep him waiting for an answer. That said, you can im that you¡¯re still recovering from your injuries if you want to dy,¡± Nae replied. ¡°That¡¯d be nice. I¡¯d like to rank up before I go at least,¡± Noah said. ¡°Actually, you really shouldn¡¯t,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because you don¡¯t have a full set,¡± Nae replied. ¡°A full set?¡± Noah asked, confused. ¡°A full set. Each path lets you unlock four abilities on your own. Naturally, since most people only have one path at rank F, this is not a difficult task as you always start with one ability unlocked. But for you¡­¡± Nae trailed off. ¡°The reason you unlock a full set is because you gain your fifth ability on rank up. This ability cannot be obtained through a Tome, and is a product of your own actions, the rest of your ability sets, and the direction you want your Path to go. When ranking up, you¡¯ll essentially craft your set ability that¡¯ll define your Path,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°My mes of Fury was my set ability for example. I unlocked it when I ranked up to rank E.¡± Noah frowned. ¡°So I can¡¯t rank up till I have all my abilities filled out?¡± Noah asked. ¡°You can, it would just be really stupid if you did,¡± Nae said. ¡°There¡¯s also another thing we have to discuss,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Nae. ¡°Noah, do you know how Astral Scripts and leveling work?¡± Nae asked. ¡°You kill things, you fight or do things in ordance with your path and you level up, which strengthens your soul,¡± Noah replied. ¡°That is correct, but not urate. It doesn¡¯t quite strengthen your soul, but more so, increases its size and potential well. The reason we limit attribute strengthening is because rapidly increasing our attributes can cause harm to our bodies as they fail to keep up with our soul,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°It¡¯s called being Oversouled. It¡¯s one of the most stupid things you can do. And guess who almost did it to themselves?¡± Nae said, looking at Noah. ¡°Okay¡­ so how bad is that?¡± he asked. ¡°I feel alright.¡± ¡°Show me your Astral Script,¡± Nae said. Noah looked at her before ncing at Aurelia in surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t look at her, show me! This is a private conversation and I¡¯ve already seen it anyway,¡± Nae said. ¡°How?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Right, you don¡¯t know. I may be a half, but I¡¯m still a Celestian. Just mentally direct it towards me and I¡¯ll be able to see it,¡± Nae said. Noah thought over it for a moment, before nodding. Reaching out to his Astral Script, he opened the page, before trying to mentally nudge it towards Nae. You¡¯re about to share your Astral Script with Nae Celestine. Do you agree to this action? Yes/No? Noah selected the yes prompt, as he felt something link him and Nae together. Astral Script: Name: Noah Brown Race: Human (Symbiont) Rank: F Paths: Exsanguinator (Rare) - level 50 Astralwalker (Epic) - level 50 Void Hunter (Epic) - level 50 Attributes: Power: 231 Agility: 200 Constitution: 223 Mystic: 264 Attribute points: 0 ¡°By the stars¡­ how long ago did you arrive on Erandir again?¡± Nae asked, ncing at Noah. ¡°A month I think? Maybe five weeks¡± Noah replied. ¡°And you went from nothing to here in a single month?¡± Nae asked again? Noah nodded. Nae nced at Aurelia. ¡°How did you not notice?¡± Aurelia shrugged. ¡°I just thought he was an outerworlder so things worked differently for him.¡± With a pause, she nced at Noah. ¡°He¡¯d always been weird from the start after all.¡± ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s bad?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say. One one hand, I know for a fact that you¡¯re a monster now. On the other, you gained nearly thirty attributes a day. Which is five over the maximum limit. Your soul is growing so fast, there¡¯s no wonder just a slight hit to it put you in aa,¡± Nae said, sighing. Noah frowned, looking down at his arms. He could see the mana around him, and his own aura, movingzily around his body before leaking outwards. ¡°I feel fine to be honest.¡± ¡°You feel alright, but your soul is unstable right now. Can¡¯t you feel it? Your aura is diffusing at the edges. If you rank up now, your body will copse,¡± Nae said. ¡°So, what should I do?¡± Noah asked. ¡°First of all, don¡¯t rank up. You¡¯re also banned from training or fighting,¡± Nae said, before turning to Aurelia. ¡°You keep an eye on him. If he tries to escape, drag him back.¡± Aurelia gave a nod, and Noah groaned. ¡°I¡¯ll look into something for your soul. Think about what you want to do with the invitation in the meantime,¡± Nae said, getting up. Noah heard her murmuring something about troublesome adventurers and insane outerworlders under her breath as she walked out of the room. Noah nced back at Aurelia, and she looked at him in silence too. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re my prison guard then.¡± Aurelia chuckled, before shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m trusting you to not escape.¡± Tony pped above Aurelia¡¯s head, circling around before the eye-bat flew back to his book. ¡°He¡¯s reading?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°He loves to,¡± Noah replied with a shrug. With a curious humm Aurelia walked closer, taking a look at the book Tony was reading. ¡°Oh, I know this book,¡± she said, picking it up. ¡°My dad used to read it to me when I was a kid.¡± Flipping through the pages, she sat down, beginning to read through as Tony perched upon her shoulder, reading along with her. Noah leaned back, his mind filled up with thoughts of what to do next. The rank up beingte felt annoying, but it made sense to wait. It was just frustrating that he could not grow as fast as he was capable of. Without much else to do, Noah opened his Astral Script, looking at his abilities. Abilities: Exsanguinator (3/5): - Blood Drain (Rare) - lvl 13 - Bleed (Rare) - lvl 13 - Lifeblood (Legendary) - lvl 10 - None - Locked. Astralwalker (2/5): - Blink (Epic) - lvl 16 - Dimensional Storage (Legendary) - lvl 8 - None - None - Locked Void Hunter (3/5): - Obliterate (Epic) - lvl 15 - Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes (Common) - lvl 24 - Abyssal Symbiote (Epic) - lvl 18 - None - Locked Noah noted the locked ability slot, realizing it was most likely the set ability Nae and Aurelia had mentioned. His system interface had also changed as his Soul Modification had ranked up to Intermediate. More information disyed itself to him now, and more than once, Noah had been tempted to dive deeper into his sub-attribute, especially now that his soul resistance was at the intermediate stage, but he¡¯d held off on the idea till he was officially discharged from his bed-rest. Going through his abilities, Noah opened the two big ones that had ranked up atst. [Lifeblood (Legendary, Intermediate)] - level 10 Your blood is filled with a strong vital force. You can store life within your blood, utilizing it to enhance your healing greatly for a small period of time. Permanently increases all healing abilities by 25%. Permanently increase health regeneration by 150%. Provides a 5% increase to Constitution. Provides immunity from intermediate grade poisons and low graded rot. The effects of lifeblood had been rather obvious and immediate. Noah¡¯s dark demonic looking eye had returned to normal, as Tony no longer needed to fill in the gaps caused by the damage from the Rot. His arm had gained some dark tendrils running up to his shoulders but the dark red blotches and scars from the Rot had faded as his Crimson Rot effect had been countered entirely. But somehow that had been just the small part. His constitution had gained an additional 5% increase and all his healing abilities now healed 25% more health. The effects had been massive, and likely a good part of the reason why he¡¯d survived his injuries in the first ce. Just looking at the description brought a smile to Noah¡¯s face. He¡¯d only grown more and more ridiculously strong as his abilities had reached higher ranks. Moving on, Noah opened Dimensional Storage next. [Dimensional Storage (Legendary, Intermediate) - level 10] The astral energies reside in your soul, forming a pocket dimension that you have ess to. Allows you to store things inside your own dimensional storage and merge other dimensional storages into your own to permanently increase their size. You can anchor three items to summon into your dimensional storage regardless of distance. Dimensional Storage on the other hand, had not had any changes that immediately stood out to Noah, but upon practice he¡¯d found a few things of note. The inside of his storage felt a lot more stable now, the drain on his own mana reduced significantly. If Noah wanted, even without meditation he could remain inside for nearly five minutes before his mana ran out. But therger change had been the item allocation. Three slots hovered above the ability, where Noah could mark items he wanted to attach to. Testing with a pebble, Noah had throw it outside his window as far away as he possibly could. After the pebble had long escaped his line of sight, Noah had tried to teleport it back. The pebble had returned immediately to his dimensional pocket. But what was even more surprising, was how he could assign himself as the target too. The act was pointless as Blink allowed him to enter his dimensional storage at any time, but it showed him that there were no restrictions ced upon assigning people or living things as the target, and if he could pair this with the dimensional pockets he had, and blink, he could effectively swap ces with allies and enemies mid-battle. He¡¯d been unable to sleep properly as ideas had kept flooding him on the various ways he could use his new abilities. Trying to keep his grin and the itch to escape this room in check, Noah closed the menu, before moving on to his skills. Both Soul Modification and Rot Resistance had reached rank intermediate, and he opened them up to look at their descriptions. [Soul Modification (Intermediate) - lvl 10] You dabble with your soul, meddling with the very connection of the Astral Script to your existence. The task is risky, but you¡¯ve managed to avoid the drawbacks for now. Be capable of modifying your Soul and Astral Script to your preferences. Be capable of peering deeper into the underlyingyers of the Astral Script. Noah had nicknamed the skill, developer mode, as it essentially allowed him to peer back theyers of his Astral Script, and look at its insides. He had not tried to mess around too much given how unstable his soul had felt ever since he¡¯d received Hellion¡¯s blessings, but the temptation to do so had never quite left him. Moving to thest item in the list, Noah opened the description for his Rot Resistance. [Rot Resistance (Intermediate) - lvl 10] You¡¯ve survived the deadliest of Rots, and now your body is resistant to its effects. Your blood harbors the rot with no harm to you any longer. Thest one was the one he was the least sure how to feel about. ording to the description, his blood no contained the crimson rot, so he could no longer use his healing abilities from lifeblood as long as he kept the resistance on. He could turn off the resistance if he wanted to, but then using his spear would inflict him with Crimson Rot again, if he ever forgot to turn it back on before he did. Closing the menu, Noah remembered the reward from hisst quest. Reaching out, he opened the party menu. Party Members: Noah Brown: Exsanguinator (Rare) - level 50 Astralwalker (Epic) - level 50 Void Hunter (Epic) - level 50 Health: 100% Mana: 100% Two bars disyed his status on his interface. ¡°Hey Aurelia,¡± Noah called out. ¡°Can youe here for a second?¡± Aurelia looked at Noah in surprise, Rising from her book as she walked closer. ¡°What is it?¡± she asked. Noah did not reply, looking through his menu before he found the option to add a member. Opening the option, he pointed it at Aurelia as a prompt rose. You¡¯ve asked Aurelia Fauster to join your Party. ¡°Noah¡­ What did you do?¡± Aurelia asked, staring at a screen floating in front of her. ¡°I sent you an invite to join my party. Not sure how it works yet, but I think I have an idea. Click on yes,¡± he said. Aurelia looked at him uncertainly for a moment, before she pressed the yes option on her screen. Aurelia Fauster has joined your Party! Party Members: Noah Brown: Exsanguinator (Rare) - level 50 Astralwalker (Epic) - level 50 Void Hunter (Epic) - level 50 Health: 100% Mana: 100% Aurelia Fauster: Berserker Monk (Rare) - level 104 me Touched (Rare) - level 102 Cinderborn (Legendary) - level 105 Health: 100% Mana: 100% Noah looked at the interface, before his eyes widened in surprise as he turned towards Aurelia. ¡°You got a legendary Path?!¡± Book 2: Chapter 3 — Shackles Book 2: Chapter 3 ¡ª Shackles Noah looked at Aurelia in surprise, as he saw her legendary path in the status menu. ¡°You have a legendary Path now?¡± ¡°Yes, I do,¡± Aurelia replied with a smile. ¡°I just got it with my new evolution. It wasn¡¯t even a Path fusion but instead an entirely new Path unlock. I had met the requirements for finally unlocking my third Path. I also got another option from just the wyrm encounter we had.¡± ¡°What Paths did that unlock?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It gave me the ''Draconian Rider'' legendary Path. But given that I don¡¯t have even a juvenile wyvern, much less something draconic, it didn¡¯t make sense for me to pick it. It wasn''t the Path that I wanted to progress on anyway, so I went with my current option,¡± Aurelia said before she eyed the system menu in front of her. "What about you? Given that you¡¯re only at rank F, the Paths that you have are quite impressive. I had a single rare Path and one umon, while you have two epics and a rare. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you manage to unlock one, if not two, legendaries at your own evolution when you reach level 100.¡± ¡°It''s hard to do that when I can''t even rank up at level 50, isn¡¯t it?¡± Noah said, shrugging. ¡°You¡¯re not going to be at level 50 forever, and whatever you do, your experience will be carried over when you rank up. So even if you do not rank up for a while, it won¡¯t really stop you from progressing.¡± "What do you mean? Experience will carry on? As in when I rank up, I''ll get the experience from before my rank up too?" Noah asked. "Essentially, yes. What this means is that you¡¯ll be able to continue progressing, and whatever you do will add your total experience onto your Path when you do rank up," Aurelia exined. "Will that not cause the oversouled problem again?" Noah asked. "It will, if you keep progressing at the same rate. Honestly, there is no other way to solve your problem than to simply slow down. Take some time, train your body, and make sure that it can keep up with how fast you are growing. Being oversouled is no joke, and if your aura copses, you may even be unable to progress for quite some time, if notpletely crippled from the aftermath," Aurelia cautioned. "Hmm," Noah hummed in thought. "So what you''re telling me is that if I can find a way to have my body keep on growing as fast as my levels, I can progress however fast I want to." "That is not what I¡ª" Aurelia sighed in defeat. "I give up. I knew you would take it this way. Yes, if you can find a way to make your body progress as fast as you are, you can, in theory, prevent being oversouled. That said, if there was a way to do that so easily, we would not have this problem in the first ce, don''t you think?" Noah nced down at his arm and the ring on his finger. Tony flew around the room and Noah smiled. "I do have something that most people don¡¯t, though," he said, as an idea began to bud in his mind. Aurelia understood his look, ncing at the little demon before turning back to Noah. "Are you seriously considering this?" she asked. "Yes, I am," Noah replied. "If Tony can modify my body, which he already does with metamorphosis, I think I might be able to solve this issue without too much trouble. It would save us time as well, and it would allow me to not be tied down or slow down my progression." "You do realize that poweres at a price, right? When we awaken our souls, we reach out and connect to the Astral script, inheriting the magic within it. But that magic also changes who we are, sometimes very physically. My eyes were not this color at birth. They are a result of the magic that is within my soul, a direct product of the Paths I have picked and who I have be. You yourself are far from who you were just a month ago. Your arm, your eyes, your body, everything about you has been changing so rapidly. Trust me, Noah, you need to slow down, or else you may even lose sight of who you are, and be intoxicated by these powers," Aurelia warned. Noah looked at Aurelia seriously, thinking over her words. What she said had merit. Yet, at the same time, his enemies were so muchrger than he was. Each encounter and battle made him realize that he was far from being strong enough to survive, let alone achieve the goals he had set out for under Hellion¡¯s blessing. He wasn''t entirely sure if the void still considered the pact valid or not. He could feel the pact; it existed within his soul. However, it was tentative now; where before its grasp had been firm, now its shape wobbled, as if uncertain of its existence. "I''ll take your words into consideration," Noah replied. Aurelia looked like she wanted to say something, but before she could, there was a knock at the door. It then opened to reveal the massive Drailith standing outside. Raesar''s sharp teeth glistened as he smiled, ducking down to avoid his head hitting the door frame as he walked into the chamber. "I heard about your little problem, Noah," Raesar said, "and I think I have a solution." Noah looked at the guild master, an eyebrow raised in surprise. The giant Drailith moved closer to Noah before bending down, as he put two oddly-shaped bracelets around Noah''s wrists. Magic runes glowed on them. Your aura is being suppressed. Noah stared at the bracelets in confusion, feeling them gnawing at his mana, then he looked up at Raesar. "What are these?" he asked. Raesar grinned as if amused by himself before he replied, "Aura suppression shackles," he said, ncing at Aurelia. "They eat at your mana and suppress your soul and aura to keep them in check. They prevent you from using your abilities as freely and will make you consume twice as much mana for them. Normally, these are used for prisoners, especially spirit animals, so that their abilities can still be used, but not to the fullest extent. But in this case, I believe this is the perfect solution for you." Noah nced down at his wrist, shaking them, feeling the weight of his new shackles. He tried to use Blink, but found the ability shaky. The shackles vibrated, suppressing his abilities, and he found himself having to push before the magic kicked in, and he was across the room. "These are¡­ unpleasant. Very unpleasant." Raesarughed. A booming chuckle that shook the room. "Yes, they are," he said, sounding far more amused than Noah felt about the whole ordeal. ¡°Our souls are tied to our wills, which is how we use mana. It¡¯s like a muscle that you can train. With these shackles, you¡¯ll train your willpower and mana control so that you have greater control over how your soul interacts with your body. Of course, that only goes so far, at some point your body needs to be trained to match too.¡± "What if I want to take them off? Like, say, what if I get attacked and need to fight with my full abilities?" "I¡¯ll give you a key," Raesar said, ncing at Aurelia, "I''ll also give her one. You''ll be able to open the shackles with them, but as your guild master, I forbid you from doing so until you have managed to solve your problem and reach an eptable level with your sub-attributes. I don¡¯t tolerate half-baked individuals in my guild. Your attributes mean nothing if your body is not capable of using them. Do you know what happens if, say, you excessively strengthen a single attribute?" "You get a high feeling, as if your body is tensing, clenching, and being wrung dry like a dirty rag," Noah said. "That is merely the beginning. If you keep going, your body will tear itself apart and your soul will burst. You won¡¯t die, but you''ll wish you had. The magic in your soul will escape your body, leaving it ravaged, and you¡¯ll slowly be torn apart. It is a gruesome fate, one of the worst. Strong adventurers must be aware of this. This is why I insist on sparring with all my guild members. It is their abilities that we must hone first and foremost. Strength will naturally follow." Noah heard footsteps outside the room, as he saw Nae walking in. She paused at the door before she looked at Raesar. ¡°Why do you always run so fast?¡± she sighed. Her eyes drifted to Noah¡¯s hands, and she sighed again. ¡°I see, I was toote to stop this idiot.¡± Raesar chuckled once more. "You''re too soft. And from what I have seen of Noah, I''m certain he''ll be fine. He even managed to use his teleportation ability with the shackles on. So he''s clearly got some kind of soul resistance or other." Nae turned to Noah. ¡°You do?¡± ¡°Is that bad?" Noah asked. "No, if anything, soul resistance is a highly useful skill. But at the same time, it makes you harder to capture or suppress in case you go rogue. It¡¯s not a skill any governing body would want their citizens to have. It can get you put on observation lists. Be thankful the governor¡¯s soldiers did not notice or go through everything." Raesar snorted. ¡°They''re fools to fear the ability. Soul suppression is not the only way to capture someone. It is merely the safest. It¡¯s their fear that makes them so reliant on it." Turning to look at Noah, the Drailith''s slit eyes focused on him. "You should go to Heartillia. I don''t care much for the Lord there, but the city itself is the capital of Melior. And it will allow you to find far more ability tomes than you can in a city like Windrest." "Erwest is going as well," Nae added. "I¡¯m not quite sure why. It could be because his church asked him to, or because he himself wishes to ept the invitation. Truthfully, we could use some more people there. The guilds and the lords are working against the cults, but it''s difficult to ascertain who is on our side and who isn''t, especially now when we need the church¡¯s help to even determine who can be trusted." Noah turned to look at Aurelia questioningly. Aurelia responded with a shrug. "I¡¯ve never seen adventurers take this long before deciding on setting off on an adventure." "I guess you¡¯re right," Noah conceded. "It would be a shame to not see the city, and I¡¯m curious about what this lord might have to say as well." "Very well. I will arrange the transportation and notify Erwest that you two are joining him. There will be some quests that will need your attention while you¡¯re there, if you don¡¯t mind. They''ll be under-the-table jobs, so we will not announce them, nor will they be in any public or guild records. But they will reward you handsomely." "What¡¯s the quest?" Noah asked, raising an eyebrow. Nae donned an impish smile at his words. "We want you three to infiltrate the Abyssal cult in Heartillia." Book 2: Chapter 4 — Quest Choice Book 2: Chapter 4 ¡ª Quest Choice Everyone in the chamber, including Raesar, looked at Nae in surprise. ¡°Are you being serious?¡± Noah asked. ¡°That¡­ does not sound like a very logical n.¡± ¡°Why choose us?¡± Aurelia asked, looking at Nae in confusion. ¡°Because there aren¡¯t many people that I can trust or ask to do this. My hands are tied and the adventurers are busy, working hard to purge the cults. But breaking the spell chain is going to take time. And we¡¯re sorelycking in information. I need someone who I know I can trust, and who I can send to Heartillia without arousing suspicions.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure this is a good idea,¡± Raesar said, ncing at Noah. ¡°It is one thing with Aurelia and Erwest but it¡¯s far too risky for aplete newbie. Their abilities also do not lend themselves to subterfuge,¡± Raesar said, ncing towards Nae with a frown. ¡°That¡¯s the thing. They won¡¯t be using subterfuge. As a party they¡¯re unknown. Especially Noah. With the cultists we¡¯ve captured, we can have them pretend to be one of the traitorous party members working for the cults. I¡¯ve already got enough details to make it happen.¡± ¡°Erwest will blow our cover right away. Even if you can make them believe that we¡¯re cultists, it¡¯ll be extremely difficult for you to convince them that a Pdin of Hellion will be one,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°The cultists aren¡¯t the only ones who know how to hide their identities,¡± Nae replied. ¡°I won¡¯t force you, it¡¯s your call. This job will be risky without a doubt, but it could also be our key to stopping the Abyssal Rift from being opened. We barely know how much time we have left, and the cults are starting to take notice that we¡¯re onto them,¡± Nae said, looking at Noah. The woman¡¯s eyes were sincere, and he knew she would respect any choice he would make. Aurelia nced at Noah for a moment, before turning to Nae. ¡°I don¡¯t think this¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do it,¡± Noah replied. Nae¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at him. ¡°We will?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who told me you became an adventurer because you couldn¡¯t be one of the people who could just sit and watch? That you had to act? This is our chance to act. We could infiltrate the cult, gain information and prevent a catastrophe from happening.¡± ¡°There are better ways to act that do not require infiltrating a cult,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Nae. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t understand how you even n to get us in. Undercover jobs like this take months at a minimum. We don¡¯t have the expertise, or that kind of time.¡± ¡°I have a n,¡± Nae said. ¡°You¡¯ll be survivors. The Abyssal Cultists you brought were made to swear an Oath. The conditions were his own survival from the church of Hellion in exchange for his cooperation.¡± Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°They agreed?¡± she asked in surprise. ¡°I was shocked too. But apparently, Hellion herself gave her word.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. Hellion herself letting a cultist live¡­ it sounds like a fairytale¡± Aurelia said, staring at Nae. Noah frowned, ncing upwards into the sky. Was it his involvement that brought on a change? Or had she simply decided the price was worth the cost? ¡°Honestly, if you ask me, she¡¯ll kill him in the end, or have him killed. But it doesn¡¯t matter. The guy is under our control, and oath bound, he¡¯ll die if he tries to run or sabotage you. This might be our only real shot at stopping this in time,¡± Nae said. ¡°I¡­¡± Aurelia trailed off, ncing at Noah. Noah watched Aurelia hesitating, as if something was stuck within her chest. ¡°Hey Nae, Raesar. Can I talk to Aurelia alone for a moment?¡± Noah asked. Nae looked at him, before giving him a nod. ¡°Nae may believe you are the right people for this, but I do not. You¡¯re new, Noah, and I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll find others who can ept this mission in your stead. So do not make the choice under obligation,¡± the Drailith said, looking at Noah as he walked out. Noah turned towards Aurelia. ¡°Is something the matter?¡± ¡°No. Yes? I just¡­ I don¡¯t like this. Infiltrating a cult, working on a secret job that may decide the fate of an entire city and kingdom, if not the continent? The responsibility just feels very heavy,¡± Aurelia said, clenching her fist. ¡°I feel like a coward for saying this now, when you¡¯re not even from this world and are ready to help the best you can.¡± ¡°No, I think your response is the natural one. It is a big responsibility. You don¡¯t have to think you¡¯re a coward for that,¡± Noah said, patting Aurelia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And while adventuringes at the risk of death, dying to a monster in battle and being tortured by cultists is a different thing altogether. When I killed the monster in the mines¡­ I saw glimpses of the miner¡¯s memories. It¡¯s not a fate I¡¯d ever wish to live through.¡± Noah¡¯s grip tightened on Aurelia¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Thanks Noah,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°I think a part of me was afraid too. Of being put in a cell again, being captured and made so helpless.¡± ¡°There are people who might be going through that right now, in these cults. What happened to you¡­ we could stop it from happening to them.¡± Aurelia looked up at Noah, and he saw a golden glimmer in her eyes. Ash and embers swirled around her fists as she nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Noah looked into Aurelia¡¯s eyes, before giving her a nod. Walking to the door, he let Raesar and Nae back into the room. ¡°We¡¯re in,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Thank you,¡± Nae replied, dipping her head lightly. New Quest obtained! Quest: Abyssal Reconnaissance You uncovered the secret of the Abyssal Cult, but more remains hidden in the shadows. Join them under a guise, infiltrating the cult to find out the truth that lurks within the Abyss. Difficulty: Very Hard Reward: Unknown Aurelia jumped back. ¡°What¡­ is that,¡± she said pointing at the air in front of her where Noah saw a quest window floating. ¡°You¡­ got the quest too?¡± He asked, and Aurelia looked at him in surprise. ¡°What? What quest?¡± Nae asked, ncing between the two of them in confusion. ¡°It¡¯s my ability, it gives me rewards for doing quests I get. Apparently I can share it with others now,¡± Noah said, turning towards Aurelia. ¡°You should ept that.¡± Aurelia epted, selecting yes as the window faded, and Noah returned to the conversation. ¡°Back to the topic, what¡¯s the n? We head there, meet the Lord, somehow enter the cult afterwards and then send back information?¡± Noah asked. ¡°A very crude manner of putting it, but yes,¡± Nae said. ¡°You¡¯ll meet the Lord of Heartillia at his castle, who will be made aware of your n. Once there, you¡¯ll try to find out the location of their hide-outs, and if possible, the source of the spell. If you can destroy the spell, amazing, but if not, just its location and structure will do as well. We¡¯ll keep a strike team ready based on your information and raid the cult, during which you¡¯ll join the frenzy and support from the inside before making your escape.¡± ¡°Sounds fun,¡± Noah said. ¡°What if we¡¯re captured?¡±Aurelia asked. ¡°We¡¯ll be making preparations for that. Methods for you to escape if that ever happens, but obviously there¡¯s risk involved with everything,¡± Nae said. ¡°You can use the guild armory,¡± Raesar added, his draconian eyes focused on Aurelia. ¡°Obviously I can¡¯t let you have everything. A lot of items there are contained because they shouldn¡¯t be out in the world. But with my authority, I should be able to let you guys borrow some gear.¡± ¡°What kind of gear?¡± Noah asked, feeling interested. ¡°Anything you could think of. But don¡¯t be dazzled by the rarity of the items. Amon weapon that fits you is far superior to a Legendary you can¡¯t wield.¡± ¡°When will we need to leave for Heartilia?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°In a week. I need time to make preparations, and I assume Noah will need time to work on his soul strain. It¡¯s a bit tight, but I¡¯m sure a couple of spars with Raesar will take care of it,¡± Nae said with a wink. Raesar grinned, his muscles bulging as the drailith''s sharp teeth glistened. ¡°What about it Noah? Shall we spar again?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not kill him immediately,¡± Nae said with a smirk. ¡°Yeah, with these things on, that¡¯s a real possibility,¡± Noah raised his hands, presenting the shackles. ¡°Getting cold feet now? I did not expect such spineless talk from you,¡± Raesar asked. ¡°We¡¯ll see you say that when I beat you,¡± Noah said, smiling a predatory grin back, matching Raesar¡¯s smile. Raesar growled, his voice rumbling. ¡°I¡¯ll look forward to you matching your ims with your fists.¡± ¡°Hotheads,¡± Nae said, shaking her head. ¡°Take him away before he riles Raesar up even more.¡± Aurelia nodded, grabbing Noah by the cor. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re heading out.¡± ¡°Wait hold on-¡± Noah protested as Aurelia pulled him, finding himself unable to break out of her grip. ¡°You too, big guy. We have work to do,¡± Nae said, grabbing Raesar by his pants as she pulled him along. Noah let himself be pulled along, watching Nae and Raesar disappear as they made their way out of the guild. A momentter Aurelia let go of him. ¡°Where are we going?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m taking you to a healer,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at him. ¡°A healer? Why?¡± ¡°You said you wanted to speed up your body to catch up to your soul quickly, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Then you need a healer to make sure you don¡¯t cause damage to yourself, and I know someone who can help,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Huh,¡± Noah murmured. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to agree to that so readily.¡± ¡°We¡¯re going on a quest, and it¡¯s important that you keep up. I wouldn¡¯t do this normally, but bringing you along while your soul is strained is even worse. And you need a special kind of doctor, too,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°What kind of special?¡± Noah asked. Aurelia looked back at him for a moment. ¡°A flesh grafter.¡± Book 2: Chapter 5 — Body Modification Book 2: Chapter 5 ¡ª Body Modification Noah didn¡¯t argue further, simply following behind her as she led the way. The path took some turns, going down through streets and stairs until the tall buildings and the surrounding walls left the ground covered in shadows entirely. The bottom sections of Windrest were a lot filthier inparison. Aurelia continued to make her way through the city, when finally, she walked through thest alley. A dirty cracked door was in front of her, and she knocked it thrice in a specific rhythm. A click came from behind the door, as a man wearing a cloak opened the gate, ncing at her. He stood hunched, amp in his hand, with crooked teeth and a scar running down his left eye as he nced at Noah. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Mypanion. Is the doc here?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°First the fee,¡± the man said, spit flying as he spoke. Aurelia handed him three cores, and he pocketed them instantly, before stepping back. ¡°He¡¯s inside, working,¡± the man said. Noah followed Aurelia in, wondering just what kind of ce she¡¯d brought him to. Within the house was a home lit up with crystal balls that reminded him of modern lighting. The chambers were far cleaner than the streets outside, and he could see people walking around. ¡°This is a hospital?¡± Noah asked. ¡°That¡¯s one purpose this ce serves,¡± Aurelia said, frowning as she nced through a corridor ahead. Looking further, Noah spotted scantily dressed women, some with wings on their bodies, or horns as smoke filled the chamber. ¡°Wait¡­ are we in a brothel?¡± ¡°No, but we¡¯re behind one. A lot of diseases can¡¯t be fixed with healing potions, so you need healers and doctors. And¡­ this ce has a taste for grafted women.¡± ¡°Grafted women?¡± ¡°Some call them angels. They get their flesh modified, artificially changed, and often with other features attached for beauty. But it¡¯s a process that shortens their lifespan, often killing them at a fairly young age,¡± Aurelia said. A woman walked out of the door, covering her chest with a jacket, but Noah noted dark patch marks on her body, like deep scars or gashes. ¡°Come on,¡± Aurelia said, opening the door, as she walked in. ¡°Doc,¡± she greeted. The doctor, to Noah¡¯s surprise, was a young man who looked roughly his own age. Well built with a beautiful symmetric face and deep green eyes, he could easily pass for a prince. [Surgical Flesh Grafter - ??] ¡°Ah, firebird. Long time no see,¡± the man said, before his eyes went to Noah. ¡°Your newpanion?¡± ¡°For the moment. He needs your expertise,¡± she said, before ncing at Noah. He stared at Aurelia, walking closer. ¡°I¡¯ve got some issues with soul strain and need my body to catch up within a week.¡± The man looked at Noah, before ncing back at Aurelia for a moment in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this isn¡¯t a training center. Neither do I do miracles. Maybe pray to a god,¡± the doctor said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid most gods won¡¯t like me much,¡± Noah said, before pulling up the sleeves on his arm. ws extended from his fingers as he presented it to the man in front of him. ¡°What did you do?¡± he moved closer, touching his arm. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ perfect. A perfect attachment. What kind of master grafter has created this? There is no seam, no lines, no tissue scars, nothing. It¡¯s as if you were born with this arm,¡± the Doc said, his voice shaking in reverence. ¡°You can thank this little guy for that,¡± Noah said, as Tony detatched from the ring and flew around in circles. ¡°What in the-¡± the Doc stumbled back as the demon flew in his face. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°An Abyssal Symbiote. It¡¯s what I put in my arm when it got cut off before reattaching. He did the rest,¡± Noah said. ¡°You did¡­ how are you alive? The cost on your life will be enough to drain you,¡± the Doc asked. ¡°I¡¯ve got some abilities that help me with that,¡± Noah replied. The Doc stared at Noah before turning towards Aurelia with a frown. ¡°You brought him here on purpose didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°The question isn¡¯t that, but whether you can help him or not. You still owe me fromst time,¡± Aurelia said, as embers and ash swirled around her body. The man looked displeased, but his attention once again returned to Noah. ¡°I do think I can. I¡¯ve never done this before of course, but with this¡­ it might be possible.¡± ¡°How long?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°At least three days. Possibly a week. I¡¯ll give it sixty percent chances that he survives. That¡¯s only because he¡¯s still walking with an Abyssal creature inside of him,¡± Doc said, ncing at Noah. ¡°The rest will depend on him. There¡¯s a chance that he¡¯ll survive but his mind won¡¯t. I¡¯ve seen people break over less.¡± Aurelia nced at Noah. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this Noah?¡± she asked. Noah frowned, closing his eyes. He took a deep shuddering breath, before opening them. Looking at the Doc, he met his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Doc nodded, before heading out. Noah heard footsteps, hearing people walking out, before the man came back and closed the doors behind him. ¡°I¡¯ll still be charging you for this,¡± the man said. ¡°You¡¯ll level up at least twice if you manage this and you know that,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, and get out. He won¡¯t be walking anytime soon, so leave now before he starts screaming. Don¡¯te back until tomorrow,¡± Doc said. ¡°I¡¯m not liking all this mention of pain. Why will I be screaming?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re asking me to rebuild your body from the ground up. Those scars- crimson rot? You¡¯ve put yourself through a lot and your body is showing the marks. To do what you want, I¡¯ll need to break your body down first before rebuilding it,¡± Doc said, walking around the chamber and changing the setup. Aurelia nced at Noah, before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll be back tomorrow. You can trust the Doc for now.¡± Noah returned a nod as well, before watching Aurelia walk out. ¡°Remove your clothes,¡± the Doc said. ¡°Umm¡­ okay,¡± Noah said, taking off his shirt. A momentter, he removed his pants as well, standing in his shorts. Doc nced towards him for a moment before walking closer. The man put a needle into Noah¡¯s arm, pinching him. ¡°Tell your creature to move onto this needle.¡± Noah asked Tony to move, and dark slimy goop covered the needle as Doc pulled it out, transferring to a te. ¡°Now lie down on your stomach here,¡± the man instructed, and Noah walked up to the bed with in white sheets, beforeying down on it. A strange sensation filled him as he remained prone on the bed. A momentter, a pinch came at his neck as he felt Tony shifting around near the area. ¡°Bite this,¡± the doc said, handing him a cylindrical piece of wood. Noah looked at the item, before ncing at the man. ¡°What¡¯re we trying to do here?¡± he asked, starting to feel more and more nervous about this. ¡°Like I said, we¡¯ll break you down. First, I¡¯ll break your bones, slowly, inch by inch. Then your muscles and tendons, as I make my way upwards and outwards frying your nerves. From the bottom of your toes to the top of your head, and each strand of hair. Everything in your body, every area that you know, will hurt before being reconstructed again. And we can¡¯t numb it. The creature shares your senses, it needs to know what to do and numbing the pain will not allow it to. So, if you don¡¯t want to bite your tongue off, bite that instead,¡± Doc said. Noah turned, starting to have second thoughts about his choice as he bit on the piece of wood. But before he could protest, he felt chains on his arms tying him down to the table. ¡°So that you don¡¯t kick me or try to kill me. Which I¡¯m almost certain you will,¡± the Doc said, tying a piece of cloth around Noah¡¯s arm. A momentter, he crouched down, reaching eye-level for Noah. ¡°You will hate me. Perhaps forever, more than any man you could know. Hate me all you want, but trust me, when you stand again, there will not be a human body more perfect than yours in existence.¡± The Doc¡¯s voice shuddered, almost as if in ecstasy at the vision. A momentter, he stood up walking around the area as he took off his shirt. ¡°Don¡¯t resist my abilities,¡± he said. [Greater Regeneration] has been applied. [Flesh Morphing] has been applied. [Ray of Hope] has been applied. Noah felt the abilities wash over him, his body reacting to them. He could feel Tony shifting around as well, slowly spreading across his body. ¡°This will hurt. Tell your creature to be ready and to follow my lead,¡± Doc said, pressing an arm on his leg. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three before I start, so brace yourself.¡± Noah let out a grunt, mentally sending amand to Tony. Feeling his heart beating, he waited for the words toe. ¡°Three!¡± the doc said, as words shed in front of Noah¡¯s eyes. [Bone Crusher] has been applied.Critical Damage!You¡¯ve gained [Fracture - V]. Book 2: Chapter 6 — Resolve Book 2: Chapter 6 ¡ª Resolve Noah¡¯s life became agony. The bones shattered within a moment, yet that was merely the start. The worst pain began in the healing, as slowly, step by step, he felt Tony move each fracture back into ce. Lifeblood roared in a frenzy, working to heal, but the Doc was faster, breaking the bones moments before they healed. Anger burned in Noah, the torment making him thrash in futile resistance. The process continued regardless, there was no stopping now. One by one, bone by bone, his body broke, first the right leg, then the left. He lost count of how many times his body was fractured as Tony brought each piece back into ce, reconstructing it. He asked the Abyssal Symbiote to stop, but each time he did, the pain only got worse, and the Doc, more ruthless. He hated the man. Hated that he knew Noah¡¯s limits more than he himself did. Each cut, each incision, each stitch and fracture done at just the time when his healing was about to catch up, but never dyed to the point where he had any reprieve. By the time they reached his ribs, Noah began to beg. Death would be kinder than this torment. ¡°Meditate. The pain is merely a sensation. Ignore it, do not let it overwhelm you,¡± the Doc said, not stopping for a moment. There was no kindness in his voice, no mercy or sympathy. Just cold precision as he ran his scalpel over Noah¡¯s body, cutting through his flesh. Noah grit his teeth, feeling the piece in his mouth starting to crack under the force. He closed his eyes, focusing purely on his breath. Breathe in. Breathe out. He felt [Ray of Hope] nket his mind, letting him cling on with all he had. The rhythm of his breath was the only support he had. Everything faded. The world, every crack of his bones, or the ng of the scalpel, or even the brimming light glowing on the ceiling. All that remained was the dark, and his own breath. He did not know how many times he had passed out. Even theck of consciousness did not feel real, as he faded in and out of a dreamed haze. When he opened his eyes again, his body was bandaged all over, covered in a dark gooey ck coat. The Doc walked up to Noah, pulling up his eyelids and shining a light into them, checking if he was conscious. ¡°Good, you¡¯re still there,¡± he said, patting Noah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°The worst of it has passed. Mostly.¡± Noah stared at the man, his mind still stuck in a daze. ¡°What¡­¡± he mumbled, trying to form words before he found even his jaw and teeth hurting. ¡°Don¡¯t speak. Not yet,¡± the Doc said, hushing him. ¡°Your parasite has gone to sleep to recover. It worked hard to rece every bone and muscle in your body. Your creature¡­ it is a genius. The tensile strength of your muscles and tendons are beyond human limits now. Your skeleton can likely shatter rocks if you smash it against anything. And it has only just begun,¡± the Doc said, his voice shivering as if in reverence, as he ran a hand down Noah¡¯s face, before covering his eyes. ¡°No, a human is too fragile. You won¡¯t be a man any longer, I¡¯ll make you a living demigod.¡± With those words, Noah found his eyes closing shut. As his mind drifted through the darkness, he saw Aurelia standing next to him. A dream? He could¡¯t tell. She held his hand, and whispered something. Noah could not remember, but he knew the words hadforted him. Her visage was reced by his mother¡¯s, she stood in the dream, healthy once again in front of him, as she grabbed him in a hug. Noah reached back, but found her form fading into mist from his touch. The darkness retreated from his mind. The second time he regained his thoughts was worse. No longer did he feel dazed and numb, and every sensation within his body now screamed at him. He tried to move, but found the chains still holding him in ce. He had to be awake for this one. Needles pierced his eyes, slowly, as liquids flowed into them. The sensation was akin to having fire poured directly into his brain. The pain was enough to stop his heart for a moment, forcing the Doc to redirect Tony to bring his heart back. Guess I¡¯ve died thrice now. When they were finished with his eyes, his brain came next. Starting from his spine, the Doc inserted needles in between his joints. The process was strange, turning his entire body numb before periodically sending pulsating currents through every nerve inside of him. Noah grit his teeth, but by now, his meditation was practiced. The rhythm of his breath flowed steadily, as his mind separated itself from the pain, simply regarding it with calm observation. He could feel his body moving against his will, muscles tensing. The chains that restrained him had started to crack against his pull, and the Doc had to transfer him to a different table as the one he¡¯din on began to fail under his strength. As Noah opened his eyes, his new vision let him perceive colors he had never seen before, as he saw the Doc look down upon him. No longer did the man look ecstatic, but instead, a frown now hung upon his face. ¡°It¡¯s almost done,¡± he spoke, ncing sideways as if searching for something. ¡°I¡¯ve grafted over a thousand people in my lifetime, Noah. Do you know how many would¡¯ve survived this?¡± Noah stared in silence for a long moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he rasped. ¡°Three. Including you, that is,¡± the Doc said. ¡°But for the first time, I¡¯m afraid I may have created something I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± The man did not speak any further, turning away as he left Noah in the dark of the chamber. Noah did not dream, he could no longer tell when he meditated, or when his mind had fallen asleep. There was little difference in the two any longer. But even through the dark, his awareness had expanded. He felt his skin heal, the scarred flesh joining seamlessly. His muscles grew, but they weren¡¯t merelyrger, but denser. Far denser than they had been. His body trembled, fevers filling his night as he sweat. Even his pores were new. Smaller, more efficient. Every strand of hair was different, the follicles now thicker. Through the worst of the nights, he could feel Tony, beating alongside his heart in his chest. Every part of him was joined with the symbiote now, each thought between the two of them seamlesslymunicated. He understood the creature more now, its hunger, its desire for life, and it understood him,forting him through the agony. Closing his eyes, Noah once again sank into the darkness, letting Tony take over. *** Tony was happy. A wild contrast from how his master felt, but Tony could not help but be happy. He was being useful! He had gained many levels, reaching level 24 so quickly. Life continued to pour out into Tony as he worked endlessly. He was free now, to change, adapt, and modify. But this work was hard. Tony¡¯s instincts guided him, but very quickly he realised that hecked the skill the doctor had. And so, he began to learn. It started slowly, from the bones, as he began to restructure and shape them. Each time the bones broke, Tony would redirect the life, growing them back denser, stronger, with more flexibility built into them. But soon, Tony hit a dead end. The bones could only grow to certain limits, limits that were not strong enough or good enough. To continue growing them, Tony would have to change the structure fundamentally. But changing was difficult. Changing meant redoing the entire process and going from the beginning to the end. It would mean Master would suffer, and Tony did not want that. Spreading across the bloodstream, Tony slowly began to gather his scattered body. He had grown rapidly, feeding on the life, but now, the life-force was no longer sufficient to keep up. He had to grow more, much more, and faster. But what was stronger than bone? Something that Tony could use? The symbiote vibrated, thinking it over. It wished it could talk to the doctor. Maybe he would know. Butmunication was still difficult, and Tony could not build vocal cords without consuming too much life-force. It would endanger the master¡¯s life and that was something he could absolutely not do. Frustration brewing, Tony waited for the bones to break again. It took time now, a single spell not enough to break them, but as the cracks formed and the healing began, an idea came to him. What if¡­ what if instead of growing bone, Tony let his body fill the gaps? It was a strange thought. But it made sense. Tony could be anything. Muscle, tendon, cartge. If he could infuse himself into the master¡¯s body, he could allow the body far more versatility. But¡­ would Tony still be himself at that point? Where would he reside? His body was the source of his spell, his consciousness. If he merged that into the master¡¯s body¡­ The thought made Tony afraid. It was a new feeling. He had never felt afraid to die before, but now death terrified him. Dying meant that he would no longer be able to experience this world. But at the same time, Tony wanted to be helpful. He wanted to help his master, who was going through a lot of pain to improve. How could Tony give any less than his very best at this point? Determined and with his resolve firm, Tony began. Dark particles separated, flowing around the body as they began to fuse. The symbiote seeped into the cracks in Noah¡¯s bones, reinforced his heart, and veins, healing tears in his muscles, his eyes, and his ears. Every inch and every part of Noah¡¯s body fused with the Abyssal Symbiote. A consciousness diffused itself across Noah, as Tony merged with every part of Noah¡¯s body. Life-force hummed, flowing throughout Noah as his body rebuilt itself onest time, reforging itself into a new form. Tony felt content as his mind mingled with Noah¡¯s, forming something new. Words shed in front of him, informing him of his sess. You¡¯ve reached level 25! Rank increased to Advanced. Ability [Diffused Transformation] obtained! He hoped Master would be proud. *** Noah opened his eyes, blinking awake as he looked up at the ceiling. There was a strange sensation present within him, but he could not describe what it was. Pulling himself upright, Noah looked down at his hands. The chains were gone now. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake,¡± the Doc said, walking up to him, before pressing a hand to his chest. Noah looked at the man, not sure what to think or feel. His memory felt patchy, like he could not separate dream from reality. ¡°How long¡­?¡± he asked. ¡°A week,¡± the Doc replied, continuing to check on Noah¡¯s body. ¡°Alright, no signs of injury, no signs of atrophy, all recovery has been good,¡± the Doc said, stepping back. ¡°It¡¯s done then?¡± Noah asked. It¡­ didn¡¯t feel real. The time he¡¯d spent here felt so much longer than it was. Like an eternity had passed between this week. ¡°It¡¯s done, yes,¡± the Doc said. ¡°I¡­ honestly, I don¡¯t think I could¡¯ve created this even if I wanted to. It was your summon that did it. He should be sleeping now,¡± the Doc said, before walking up to his table as he picked up a mirror and handed it to Noah. ¡°Have a look for yourself.¡± Taking the mirror, Noah pointed it at himself. The first thing was his hair. It was white now, like the color of pure snow, even his eyebrows were pure white. His eyes were a different shade as well, a deeper reddish hue to them. But while his hair had grown white, his skin had taken on a light bronze hue. Noah looked at his body, ncing down at himself. His muscles had grown, but their bulk had not changed massively. Yet, at the same time, he could feel just how much denser they were. His monstrous arm had changed as well. Slowly moving off the table, Noah stood up, finding himself a little wobbly. He looked around, realizing he had grown. ¡°It¡¯ll take you a few more days to return to normal. Your body has been birthed anew. It can grow a lot faster now, but to see real development you still need to train. That said, physically, you¡¯re in peak human condition¡ª no, no that¡¯s wrong. You¡¯re in a condition far beyond what any human at your level could ever hope to achieve.¡± Noah looked at the Doc, who watched him with what he could only call pride. He watched his tormentor, the man he¡¯d imagined killing so many times in thest week, and then, letting out a breath, he allowed the anger to fade. ¡°Can I have my clothes?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I¡¯m afraid your old ones won¡¯t fit you anymore. But I¡¯ve got some you can borrow,¡± the Doc said, handing him a shirt and some pants. Noah grabbed the clothes, putting them on before he turned to look at the Doc. For a moment, the man flinched and Noah realised something. The Doc felt afraid. Staring at the man silently, Noah gave him a nod. ¡°I¡¯m heading out.¡± ¡°Wait, Noah- you shouldn¡¯t just walk out there,¡± the Doc said, heading after him, but Noah ignored the man. His eyes hung on the many notifications in his notifications folders, waiting to be seen. But he did not open them, he did not care right now. Book 2: Chapter 7 — Guild Armory Book 2: Chapter 7 ¡ª Guild Armory Noah looked at his mini-map, his [Party] tab showing Aurelia¡¯s location. Walking through the city¡¯s upperyers, he stood outside a tavern for a moment, checking to make sure he had the right ce. Opening the tavern door, Noah was barraged with a myriad of smells. Various scents of sizzling meat, ale, dirt apanied by conversations,ughter that mingled within flooded him all at once. Having spent nearly a week within a dark room strapped to a bed, Noah found the sounds and smells overwhelming his new and far more sensitive body. Taking a moment to adjust, he scanned the tavern, before his eyes found Aurelia seated by herself in a corner, nursing a drink. Walking with his footsteps subdued to not make any sounds, he made his way to Aurelia. ¡°Excuse me, is this table free?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s not free¡ª¡° Aurelia froze as she saw who she was speaking to. ¡°Noah?¡± Noah smiled, taking a seat across Aurelia at the table. ¡°The one and only.¡± ¡°Should you be walking already?¡± Aurelia asked, ncing at him. ¡°The Doc told me it¡¯ll take you some time to recover.¡± ¡°Clearly he underestimated me then,¡± Noah replied, raising a hand to stop the tavern maid before ordering a drink for himself. ¡°So, how do you like my new look?¡± ¡°It makes you stand out,¡± Aurelia said, taking a sip of her ale. ¡°White hair, red eyes. Neither are features you find easily,¡± she nced down at his left arm, holding the cup the tavern maid delivered to him. ¡°At least your arm is back to normal.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a shame. I liked that arm. Can¡¯t say if I can transform it again or not till Tony wakes up,¡± Noah replied. Turning off Lifeblood, he took a sip from his drink, staring at Aurelia in an uncertain silence where neither spoke up for a long minute. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Aurelia asked, looking into Noah¡¯s eyes. Noah stared at the woman, before looking down at his ale as he began to chug the drink down in a single go. Letting out a breath as the alcohol poured down his throat with a burning sensation. Taking a moment to look down into his mug, Noah stared at his reflection in the liquid sheen left behind before looking up to meet Aurelia¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he replied quietly. Aurelia extended her hand, grasping Noah¡¯s. ¡°If I¡¯d known how difficult the process would be, I would¡¯ve never brought you to the Doc.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Noah replied, looking up. ¡°I would¡¯ve needed to do this sooner orter if I wanted to keep progressing like I have. Which I do. This world is dangerous, and¡­ I need to grow stronger to live here. A week of torture is worth the price. I¡¯m just d it¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Have you eaten anything?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Not in a week, no. Came here straight away from the Doc¡¯s ce. Not in the mood to eat anything, not sure it¡¯ll stick inside,¡± Noah replied, before looking up at her. ¡°Did you¡­ were you there, during the week?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I was. A few times, not too often. You were sleeping most of the time,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah stared at her, feeling a question fill his chest. ¡°Did I say anything? About¡­ my home?¡± Aurelia looked at him for a moment, and Noah couldn¡¯t read the expression that passed across her face. ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± she replied. Noah let out a breath, before giving her a nod. Tossing three mana stones on the table she got up, before grabbing Noah¡¯s hand. ¡°Come with me, I have a gift for you.¡± Noah raised an eyebrow in question, but let Aurelia pull him along. Walking alongside her, he followed behind Aurelia through the streets. ¡°Where are we going?¡± he asked, as they made their way through the streets, before arriving onto the central road. ¡°The guild,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°You¡¯ll see soon.¡± True to her word, Noah found himself in front of the guild, being pulled along with his hand grasped by Aurelia like a mother walking her son, as she led him into the building. Nae stood behind the reception counter, noting their arrival with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Is that Noah?¡± she asked, walking out from behind to take a better look. ¡°By the stars, it is! What happened to you?¡± ¡°I decided to shake up my looks a little. The old one had been with me for quite a few years now, I figured it was time to change,¡± Noah said, smiling at the small woman. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ not merely a cosmetic change in my view. But if you don¡¯t want to share then don¡¯t,¡± Nae said. ¡°We¡¯re here for the thing,¡± Aurelia said to Nae. ¡°So he¡¯s ready then? Good, I was starting to get worried. Follow me,¡± Nae said, leading the way. Noah stared at the two, wondering what all of this was about. Following Aurelia, who for whatever reason still insisted on pulling him by his hand, he made his way deeper into the guild. They made their way to the elevator, Noah walking inside, before he saw Nae standing near the buttons for the floor. Blue mana shimmered on her fingertips as she began to press multiple floors one after another, as if entering a pin code. The elevator shuddered, shaking, before the doors closed as the device began to slowly make its way down. ¡°There¡¯s an underground floor?¡± Noah asked, watching as they sank beneath the earth, dirt and stone walls taking up their view. ¡°Multiple,¡± Nae replied, ncing at Noah. ¡°What? You think we¡¯d keep all the secrets above ground so that anyone and their mothers can barge in?¡± ¡°No. Just surprised,¡± Noah replied, watching the elevator make its way down multiple floors beforeing to a stop. As the doors opened, he stared at a pristine chamber made of what looked to be polished marbles. A giant stone gate resided in front of him, with crystal lightmps lighting up the inside of the chamber. Cool air washed over him as he stepped outside the elevator and he looked up to see vertical slits cut into the stone tiles with runes carved behind them to ensure air venttion. Nae walked up to the door, before pressing her palm upon the spherical crystal set inside it. The crystal lit up with a blue glow, runes ring and spreading out in a web-like pattern all across the door, before with the hiss of escaped air, the giant stone door lifted itself up. ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m using Raesar¡¯s authority to allow you two ess to this ce for our quest. Normally this is a ce only the guild master can ess,¡± Nae said, as they walked further in. Noah nced around, noting various chambers leading to rooms filled with rows of items of all kinds. He walked around, noting various elixirs, skill books, tomes, weapons of different kinds, all present inside. There were two more doors in their path, each one requiring a more intricate process to unlock. As the final door opened with a hiss, Noah found himself standing inside an armory lined with weapons and gear everywhere he could see. ¡°Whoa, this is¡­ are all of these legendary grade items?¡± Noah asked, looking at the nearly hundred if not more items lying around. ¡°Yup. All legendary. You two can pick two each for yourself. But a lot of them are cursed, so don¡¯t touch anything without my permission. Once you¡¯ve made your choice, tell me and I¡¯ll let you know if I can authorize you taking the items or not,¡± Nae said. ¡°This seems extremely generous,¡± Aurelia replied, looking at Nae. ¡°It is. But you also don¡¯t own these items. The guild is merely lending them to you. If you do a good job on your quest, we may let you keep them, but for now, they are entirely for the purposes of this quest.¡± ¡°An incentive to ensure a good job, is it?¡± Noah said, finding himself grinning as his eyes made his way across the chamber, scanning the many items giving off powerful magical auras. ¡°You can consider it that, yes. Do a good job, and whatever you pick can be yours. I¡¯d say it¡¯s a fair deal given the difficulty of your quest,¡± Nae said. Quest updated! Quest: Abyssal Reconnaissance You uncovered the secret of the Abyssal Cult, but more remains hidden in the shadows. Join them under a guise, infiltrating the cult to find out the truth that lurks within the Abyss. Difficulty: Very Hard Reward: Legendary Gear from the Guild. Noah looked at the quest update. ¡°Alright, I admit, I¡¯m feeling motivated now.¡± ¡°Good, now go pick something,¡± Nae replied. Walking further into the chamber, he began to go through the many items, grinning like a child in a candy shop. Book 2: Chapter 8 — Child in a Candy Shop Book 2: Chapter 8 ¡ª Child in a Candy Shop Noah walked through the armory, his eyes moving across the chamber as he took the various items in. Walls and shelves were covered with gear, and one by one he began to use Identify on them. [Soulme Diadem (Legendary)] A circlet inset with a me-like gem that burns with ethereal fire. It boosts the wearer''s magical abilities and allows them to cast spells with a thought, significantly reducing casting time. Noah looked at the crown set with jewels that gave on ethereal wisps as if eternally on me. ¡°That one won¡¯t be of use to you. It¡¯s for spell-casters. On which note, if you guys are forming a party with the Pdin you should get a spell caster as well, you have a brawler, a fast damage dealer, and a pdin, all you need is a mage now.¡± Noah nced at Aurelia, who stood on the other end of the chamber, looking at an amulet. She noticed his nce, and then gave him a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Erwest is interested in adventuring. He seems to only be joining us because of orders from his church.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair, but it¡¯s not rare to have Pdins act as adventurers. Many churches consider ying monsters and helping people out as a service to their god, which allows them to level up,¡± Nae replied. ¡°I see,¡± Noah replied, taking onest nce at the Soulme Diadem. The item was captivating, but given he had no Mage rted paths, and neither did he use any spells, it was a useless item to him. Moving on, he walked across the chamber until a cloak caught his eye. It was ethereal, almost transparent, but with stars scattered all around it, like it was fading in and out of reality. Noah walked up to the cloak, before using Identify. [Celestial Feather Cloak (Legendary)] A cloak woven from the feathers of a Legendary Celestial Roc and crafted by a Master Tailor, It provides enhanced flight capabilities, and magical protection against attacks from behind. Noah stared at the cloak of feathers, imagining himself with celestial wings behind his back as he soared through the skies. He chuckled at the image, before adding the item to the list. ¡°Ah, I really wanted that one when I first saw it,¡± Nae whispered. ¡°It is quite beautiful,¡± Noah replied, staring at the cloak, before he nced down at Nae. ¡°And why¡¯re you only following me around? What about Aurelia?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not the outerworlder, and I trust her not to touch anything she shouldn¡¯t,¡± Nae replied, crossing her arms. ¡°Touch¨¦,¡± Noah said, moving on. His eyes caught onto gauntlets glowing with a pristine white shimmer and golden light. [Elysian Gauntlets (Legendary)] Gauntlets made from heavenly white steel and embellished with golden filigree. They enhance the wearer''s strength and grant them the ability to create shields of pure light, offering extra protection. ¡°I feel like Erwest would love these,¡± Noah said, looking at the gauntlets. ¡°I¡¯m not lending weapons to Hellion¡¯s church,¡± Nae replied with a snort. ¡°Fair enough,¡± Noah said, walking past. Item upon item passed him by as he made his way, before he managed to create a list of four items, including the Celestial Feather Cloak. [Abyssal Bow of Shadows (Legendary)] A bow crafted from the Heartwood of a Nightshade Tree. The arrows fired from this bow create shadow duplicates, confusing enemies and multiplying the damage dealt. [Tesseract Locket (Legendary)] A locket imbued with spatial magic, allowing the wearer to store an almost infinite amount of items within an interdimensional space essible only to them [Quadrivium Ink (Legendary)] A magical tattoo inscribed on the user''s skin, appearing as an intricate pattern of glyphs and runes. Each glyph represents a different weapon, for a total of four which can be stored within the ink. Current items: a longbow, dual swords, a shield and a war-axe. Each weapon made by the Quadrivium Ink is crafted from pure energy, a radiant manifestation of the user''s fighting spirit. [Trickster''s Amulet (Legendary)] An amulet that grants the ability to create illusionary duplicates of the wearer. These duplicates can perform simple tasks, making it a perfect item for diversion and trickery. Every item in the list was more tempting than the previous one, and if Noah could take all of them he would. After asking Nae for permission, Noah picked up the Abyssal Bow of Shadows, feeling the dark wood of the weapon stir his void mana with a deep unsated hunger present within it. There was no string on the bow, but as Noah channeled his mana into the weapon, the weapon guided him as a string made from dark wisps formed on the bow. Pulling back, he felt the void gathering into ethereal arrows that he could shoot if he so wished. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare fire that,¡± Nae warned. Noah let the mana dissipate, as he put the bow back, before he picked up the [Tesseract Locket]. Clutching it, he could feel a powerful Astral energy inside it, and the Dimensional Pocket stirred within Noah¡¯s spirit, wanting to devour the item immediately to upgrade itself. For a moment Noah felt tempted, but he put the item back down. [Quadrivium Ink] looked interesting. It was a simple bottle with a feather present in it, but the ink itself was made of pure mana. The feather was also stuck inside the bottle. ¡°You can¡¯t take it out. It activates if you pour mana into it,¡± Nae said, watching Noah try to pull out the feather from inside. Feeling a little silly, he looked at the bottle, before putting it back on the shelf. Atst, he picked up the [Trickster¡¯s Amulet]. With a pulse of mana, Noah found a spectral duplicate of him standing in front of him. He could feel the specter like a limb, and something he could guide and control. A grin formed on Noah¡¯s face as he pointed at the specter Immediately, he pointed at the specter, and made it point back. ¡°I¡¯m Noah,¡± Noah said. ¡°No, I¡¯m Noah,¡± the specter replied. Laughing to himself at the joke no one else would understand, he walked up to his specter, giving it a high-five as his hand passed through the illusion¡¯s hand. Chuckling, and feeling amused, Noah put the amulet back as he hummed, rubbing his chin in thought. ¡°I¡¯ll take your entire stock,¡± Noah said, ncing at Nae. The woman stared at him, before cupping her face in her palm. ¡°This is not a joke Noah, I¡¯m already stretching my authority to lend you these. And if you break or lose anything, you will have to pay us back.¡± ¡°I know I know, I was just trying to lighten the mood, jeez,¡± Noah said, before taking a nce at all the items. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s a tough pick. All of these are really good, but at the same time, I want something to enhance my offensive abilities. Technically the bow does that, but switching between a spear and a bow constantly sounds annoying forbat.¡± Nae shrugged at Noah¡¯s words. ¡°There¡¯s still a lot of other items you can look at.¡± Noah nodded, before his eyes went to a shelf with only a few items set on it. Walking closed, he nced at it when Nae stepped up and grasped his shirt. ¡°Those are cursed.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just taking a look,¡± Noah replied, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation Nae let him go. Walking closer, Noah looked at gloves. Gears were set upon it with a giant crystal at its center that called to him. It was almost as if the gloves were whispering in his mind, to wear them, and use them. Noah used Identify. [Gloves of Forgotten Promises (Legendary/Cursed)] Gloves that grant the wearer extraordinary dexterity and the power to manipte time on small objects they touch, but will gradually erase the user''s memories, starting with the most cherished ones. ¡°Terrifying,¡± Noah said, reading the description of the item. Moving on, he nced at the scythe hanging off the shelf and glowing with an ominous green and ck aura. [Harbinger of Pestilence (Legendary/Cursed)] A scythe, forged with an obsidian de that emits a sickly green aura. It inflicts devastating physical and magical damage, but at the cost of slowly sapping the user''s life force over time. ¡°Would be perfect if I wanted to look even more edgy,¡± Noah said, ncing at the scythe before his eye caught onto a tome. Walking closer he saw the cover shining with a soft, mesmerizing glow of twilight, containing swirling gxies against a backdrop of void-ck nothingness. Noah used Identify on the item. [Tome of Starforged Arms (Legendary)] A Tome containing the ability to summon two ethereal arms crafted from the raw, celestial energies of the cosmos. Imbued with the raw cosmos and the power of the Watcher¡¯s Eye, they inflict madness upon any spirit too weak to use them. These Astral arms, bound by the user''s will, mimic the movements and capabilities of their physical counterparts with startling precision, and their power intensifies in direct proportion to the user''s magical prowess. They can master skills on their own and can function autonomously. ¡°Why¡¯re these here? It doesn¡¯t say cursed,¡± Noah asked, looking at the tome. ¡°Because it¡¯s a tome tied to the Watcher. Thest person who used these went mad. Some items don''t need to be ssified as cursed to be cursed,¡± Nae replied. Noah hummed in thought, before he moved on. Making his way through the armory, he slowly identified almost every item present inside it. Hours passed as he went by everything, thinking over every possible item and its usage, before finally making his choice. ¡°I want Quadrivium Ink and Tome of Starforged Arms,¡± Noah said to Nae. ¡°Can¡¯t give you the second one,¡± Nae replied. ¡°I won¡¯t go mad,¡± Noah said, looking at Devourer¡¯s description. ¡°I¡¯m quite certain I¡¯m resistant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a risk. And taking the tome back will be impossible, so if it doesn¡¯t work, we just lose a legendary grade item,¡± Nae said. ¡°You said I could pick any two,¡± Noah replied, frowning. ¡°I did say I would also decide if you get the things you picked or not, and I¡¯m saying no,¡± Nae replied, crossing her arms. Noah frowned, looking around the chamber. ¡°How bad will it be if I take it anyway?¡± ¡°We might have to kill you. I¡¯ll definitely have Raesar kick your ass,¡± Nae replied. Noah frowned, before he nced at his shackles. ¡°Can you increase their power?¡± he asked, pointing at the shackles. ¡°I can¡­¡± Nae trailed. ¡°Are you really going to?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Fine, suit yourself then. But if you go mad, I¡¯m putting you down,¡± Nae replied, as she touched his shackles. Light and runes red as a message popped up in front of Noah. You are being suppressed. Astral System locked. Feeling the shackles drain him, he grabbed the tome, letting his mana flow into it as the prompt appeared in front of his eyes. Would you like to use [Tome of Starforged Arms (Legendary)]? Yes/No? Noah selected yes, and felt his spirit being pulled in. He was a spec here, a grain of sand within the vastness that surrounded him as the unending infinite vastness of the cosmos poured into his mind. Then he blinked. A giant eye looked upon Noah. Its iris was formed of colors he could not describe, and dimensions he could only imagine. Realitiesyered itself within the eye that looked into Noah¡¯s soul, making him shudder. Noah floated in the void, as the giant eye regarded him. And then the eye split in two, revealing teeth that lined a gaping maw within as it spoke in a screech that threatened to break Noah¡¯s mind. ¡°WE SEE YOU. ENDER OF REALMS, CHILD OF HUNGER. WE ARE WATCHING. PERISH HERE, BEFORE IT AWAKENS AGAIN.¡± A swirling vortex pulled Noah into the eye¡¯s maw as the teeth chewed upon his flesh, breaking his bones. His left arm was gone, before his legs were eaten, leaving only his torso. Blood flowed freely as the eye continued to eat him alive and Noah felt the momentst forever. He felt his impending death loom over, yet never quite reached him. An eternal torment. Yet, there was light here. In the darkness within the eye¡¯s maw, Noah saw a shining light and reached out towards it with his single remaining arm, before he grasped it within his hand. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Madness - V] [Devourer] resists [Madness]. The stars copsed upon Noah, flowing into his soul. nts, stars, entire gxies filled his spirit with the energy of the cosmos reforming his broken body, making him whole again. From this vast unending realm, two arms were born. Each one a part of him, as much as his own body was. [Astralwalker] has unlocked [Starforged Arms]! Noah opened his eyes. He was in a different room now, one far more empty than the armory he had been in. Raesar stood in front of him, arms crossed as he looked down upon Noah. ¡°State your name,¡± the guildmaster asked in a serious voice. ¡°Noah Brown,¡± Noah replied, looking at Raesar. ¡°Countdown from ten to one.¡± Noah followed the instruction as he counted backwards from ten. ¡°Well, it seems your confidence was not unfounded,¡± Raesar replied, ncing back. The door to the chamber opened as Nae and Aurelia walked inside. Aurelia was wearing an eye patch with flowing mes alongside ck scale armor giving off a menacing presence with fire patterns and runes present all over it. Noah used Identify on the items. [Ember Eye (Legendary)] An eyepatch made from the skin of a Pyro Serpent, known for its fiery gaze. It enhances the user''s perception and reactions, enabling them to predict opponents'' moves in a fight and see in heat-vision. However, the constant influx of information can overwhelm the user''s senses, leading to disorientation if not managed carefully. Noah whistled as he read the description. If he didn¡¯t have Tony he would¡¯ve likely picked this one for himself. [Infernal Heartte (Legendary)] A chest armor made from obsidian dragon scales, each shimmering with an internal fire. When worn, it enhances the user''s resilience exponentially, grants resistance to fire, and can imbue the user''s attacks with me. ¡°Sick items,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Why is it sick¡­ oh, yes. Yes it is very good,¡± Aurelia replied, before smiling. ¡°Darn right it is. That armor is part of a legendary set. We¡¯ve only got the heart-te but even that alone is powerful,¡± Nae said, before walking up to Noah as she reduced the resistance on the shackles, before handing him the Quadrivium ink bottle. Noah took the item, looking at it. ¡°I just have to put my mana in this, right?¡± ¡°Yes. The ink already has weapons stored in it, but if you ever learn runecrafting, you can use any weapon you want and put a copy of it in the tattoos. The ink will refill itself over time for use,¡± Nae replied. Noah nodded, before sending a pulse of mana into the item. Do you wish to use [Quadrivium Ink]? Yes/No? Selecting yes, Noah watched the quill shine as it rose into the air with a glow. Flying over to Noah¡¯s neck, it began to move, carving glyphs with a rapid speed. Mana seeped into Noah¡¯s body with an electrifying sensation as the feather moved, and then it was done. The Quill lost its glow as it returned to the ink bottle, now devoid of any ink inside it and Noah put the item in his inventory. Stretching his neck, he tried to call for his new abilities. Two arms formed of star matter and glowing a deep blue formed around him. He moved them around, making them shake hands, before giving a high-five to both of them, one after the other. ¡°This is so cool,¡± Noah said, before he activated the ink. The magical tattoo red to life, as a bow made of mana appeared in his spectral hands. Drawing the strings back, he formed a bolt, charging it up with his mana and a smile hung upon his lips. ¡°Alright, now that you have your items, as promised, I¡¯m going to have Raesar kick your ass,¡± Nae said, turning around. ¡°Wait what?!¡± Noah eximed but the short woman did not wait. A momentter, his eyes drifted to the giant Drailith, now looking down upon him with a predatory grin. A shiver ran down Noah¡¯s spine. Book 2: Chapter 9 — Improvements Book 2: Chapter 9 ¡ª Improvements Moving to the sparring chamber, Noah stood opposite Raesar. Taking a moment, he checked on his abilities that had upgraded. Opening his notifications, he ignored his sub-attributes for now, simply focusing on Meditation and Pain Tolerance. [Meditation (Advanced) - lvl 25] Increases natural mana recovery rates by 300% during the meditation period. Increases physical recovery rates while active. You can activate this ability for a 100% increase in recovery rate even while doing tasks. Noah looked at the meditation, before activating the ability. He felt mana being pulled into his body at a faster rate as his focus heightened. Moving on, he checked Pain Tolerance. [Pain Tolerance (Advanced) - lvl 29] You are adept at ignoring pain. Be capable of ignoring pain for as long as this ability is active. Noah stared at the ability, feeling a strange sensation, before he turned Pain Tolerance on. He was d all that suffering had amounted to something useful. ncing around, he found none of the adventurers watching this time, all of them most likely busy on one quest or another. ¡°This time, we will be sparring. Last time I had been testing you and had simply asked you tond a hit. This time, you need to win.¡± ¡°What about these?¡± Noah asked, raising his hand to show off the shackles. ¡°You¡¯ll be keeping those on,¡± Raesar replied, making Noah grimace. ¡°You¡¯re more than twice the level you were when you first sparred against me, stop making that face,¡± Raesar said. ¡°Now, take a stance,¡± Rae said. Noah summoned his spear in his hand before activating Starforged Arms. Two spectral hands manifested around him, and he had two curved des appear in each arm from his tattoos. The drain on his mana was higher, each activation putting a greater pull on his mana, but he continued nheless. Hey bud, are you there? The thought went nowhere as Tony continued to sleep. Guess I¡¯ll have to do this on my own. Raesar¡¯s muscles bulged as the guildmaster stood, grinning his sharp predatory smile. ¡°Now, show me Noah. Show me how you¡¯ve improved. Come, let us fight!¡± The first to act was Raesar, leaping into motion. His bulky body shook the ground as he moved at rapid speed, rushing towards Noah. Yet unlikest time, Noah did not have to teleport to dodge. His eyes were sharper, his body stronger, and he was faster. Dodging the move, Noah struck with his spear, the weapon sending sparks flying as Raesar deflected it with his ws. Starforged Arms spun around, swinging their des of mana as Noah continued, moving in and aiming for the drailith¡¯s gut. Therge man roared, spinning as his ws cut through Noah''s arms, dissipating one of them, while his tail smacked Noah, sending him flying. Blood filled Noah¡¯s mouth, but he didn¡¯t relent, teleporting right back into the fight, he charged at Raesar with his spear. Another activation had the missing Starforged Arm appear again and he sent them out of Raesar¡¯s reach as they shot bolts of mana. Raesar moved faster, sucking in air before he let out a powerful roar, making Noah¡¯s ears pop. The fraction of a moment that Noah was stunned was enough, as Raesarunched forward, his fist mming into Noah and sending him flying. ¡°So slow! Fight, fight back!¡± Raesar said, not giving him a moment as he rushed ahead. Using Blink, Noah dodged the iing blow, before he began to form dimensional pockets. Teleporting around, he thrust his spear into a cut in space, mixing the strike in with the bolts from his starforged arms as the attacks struck at once from multiple directions. Raesar spun, taking the bolts of magic to his back but catching the spear into his arms behind him from where Noah struck from a dimensional pocket. Noah tried to pull the man along, but found his strengthcking as he was pulled through his own dimensional pocket, before Raesar mmed him into the ground. Noah rolled on the ground, feeling his body ache, but he was surprised to find no bones had broken yet. ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re quite a bit more resilient now,¡± Raesar said, before his smile widened. ¡°Good, that means I can go all out.¡± The drailith seemed to vanish as he rushed forward, and Noah barely dodged the blow heading for his face, yet the strike from Raesar¡¯s feet had Noah falling. Blink red, teleporting Noah away from the punch that made the ground crack. Obliterate and Bleed swirled in a frenzy as Noah began to apply them to his Starforged Arms. His weapons changed color, now turning a shade of blue, red and ck all mixed together as they fired arrow after arrow. Raesar ran across the field, charging at Noah, who continued to dodge, teleporting away from the strikes every time one came. Noah continued to run for a while, letting his arrows strike from afar, before Raesar stopped. Looking upwards, the drailith growled, before squatting. With a leap, he flew up above, striking at where the spectral arms shot from. Noah let the arrow dismiss itself, as he swiftly recalled the arms before using the chance. Teleporting himself into midair, Noah struck with his spear and two des of mana, each weapon covered in Obliterate and Bleed. The shes from the sword sent arcs of void flying through the arena as the strikesnded on Raesar, drawing blood. The drailith roared, before using his tail to grab Noah. Pulling him close, he grinned as the two fell, beforending a strike at his chest. Noah shot downwards,nding on the ground with an explosion that sent clouds of dust flying as the floor cracked beneath him. His body ached, as he felt his ribs finally break, though the pain barely registered in his mind. Lifeblood worked on the damage, fixing the injury as Noah teleported away from Raesar, who was about to fall on top of him. Blood filled his mouth and he coughed, clutching his chest, before ncing at his mana. Mana: 42% Advanced Meditation was working hard to allow him to keep up, or else he would¡¯ve been drained by now. Taking a moment, Noah tried toe up with a n to win. Without Tony, his abilities were limited, and while he could use a mana stone, that would go against the spirit of the spar. There was no point if he couldn¡¯t win using his own abilities. Raesar stood where Noah had fallen, the tiles cracked beneath his scaled feet. ¡°I¡¯ve changed my mind. Take off the shackles,¡± he said. ¡°Really?¡± Noah asked, surprised by the change in attitude. ¡°Yes,¡± Raesar replied. ¡°Put them back on after this spar, but take them off for now.¡± Noah nodded, reaching into his inventory as he took out the key. A momentter, with a click, both shackles fell to the ground. Noah rotated his wrists freely, taking in a deep breath as he felt the weight from his soul finally lift itself. ¡°Oh man, that feels so much better.¡± ¡°Now that you¡¯ve learned to use your abilities under a restraint, continue like that. Your mana usage is inefficient and you waste too much. The shackles forced you to reduce that,¡± Raesar said. ¡°Before, when your ability required half a ss, you were pouring in an entire ss worth of mana, making it overflow. Do you understand?¡± Noah nodded. ¡°Good. I will be using a single ability. Try not to die,¡± Raesar said. Noah stared at the drailith, unsure whether he was serious or not. He watched as Raesar¡¯s aura fluctuated, gathering around his body. A red glow gathered around him, his muscles tensing as he stood in a stance, letting out a quiet breath. Then the drailith moved. Noah barely saw the strikeing before he was pummeled into the ground. His spear blocked the attack, cracking under the force of the blow as the ground gave beneath him. Teleporting, he dodged, but Raesar moved faster. A roar came from the drailith, his draconic eyes glowing a red shimmer as he charged. There was no longer any leeway to think as Noah continued deflecting barrage after barrage of blows. Starforged Arms moved, a shield forming around him as he teleported to keep dodging the attacks that threatened to punch through his body. His ability struggled against the strength of Raesar¡¯s attack, the shield dissipating within three blows, forcing Noah to run again. There was no room to counter-attack, and Noah found himselfcking time to even breathe as he took blow after blow that shattered his bones. A final blow struck Noah in the gut as he flew across the arena, before crashing into the wall. Groaning, Noah struggled to pull himself up as Raesar rushed closer, pinning him down. Staring at the drailith, Noah looked in his glowing red eyes before using one final desperate shot. Burning his mana, Noah pulled on Raesar with Blink. Resistance red, his mana pushing against Raesar¡¯s aura. Noah screamed as his mana was sapped, blue wisps glowing around his body, before the world shifted. Warning. Low Mana. Mana: 6% Noah stood in the darkness of a swirling cosmos within his dimensional storage. He looked ahead, watching Raesar standing nearby. His mana was nearly empty, but his regeneration seemed just enough to keep them both in here. ¡°What is this ce?¡± Raesar asked, looking around. ¡°My inventory. Although this is the first time I¡¯ve been able to bring someone else in with me,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Curious ability. Regardless, our battle continues,¡± Raesar said, turning towards Noah. As Raesar charged, Noah teleported, finding Blink barely costing anything inside his inventory. The drailith looked at him in surprise before charging again and Noah blinked once more, dodging with ease. The pattern continued for a good minute, and Noah began to sweat, watching his mana drop down to 2%. Raesar looked at Noah in frustration. ¡°That is a difficult ability to work against,¡± he replied. ¡°I would need to use my other abilities to do anything,¡± Raesar said, humming. ¡°How long can you keep us here?¡± ¡°Forever,¡± Noah lied. Raesar squinted and Noah did his best to keep his expression neutral as he gave a shrug. ¡°Very well, I run out of patience. Let us call this match a draw,¡± Raesar said, extending a hand. Noah walked up, grabbing it as he shook and gave the man a smile. As if on cue, he felt his mana run out as both of them were spit out of his dimensional storage. Raesar stared at Noah, realising what had happened. ¡°Like you said when I first came here. Use anything to win,¡± Noah replied with a win. The drailith boomed withughter, patting Noah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You amuse me, Noah. It was a good battle.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°A good battle indeed.¡± ¡°Keep training with the shackles, and if you can reach B rank, I believe you can surpass me in strength one day as well,¡± Raesar said, patting Noah¡¯s shoulder before he turned around and walked away. Noah watched the drailith walk out of the chamber, before he nced around. The floor tiles were cracked, the walls too, and the arena looked like it had been attacked by an army passing through. Noah smiled, feeling pleased before his attention went to his notification menu. Smiling, he clicked the box open. Time to see how much I¡¯ve improved. Chapter Schedule Change Chapter Schedule Change Hey folks! Sorry for missing thest two updates. I''ve got an announcement on the schedule. For a short while, Rise of the Devourer will be slowing down to one chapter a week. The change willst till I''vepleted the second book of The Laws of Cultivation as the deadline is closing in, which will take a few weeks to maybe a month to do. So next chapter will be on Monday, 8 am PST. That''s all for this announcement, I hope all of you have a wonderful day/week. Book 2: Chapter 10 — Hellion’s Vessel Book 2: Chapter 10 ¡ª Hellion¡¯s Vessel Noah opened his status menu, letting the notifications expand in front of him. Astral Script: Name: Noah Brown Race: Human (Modified/Symbiont) Rank: F Paths: Exsanguinator - level 50 Astralwalker - level 50 Void Hunter - level 50 Attributes: Power: 231 Agility: 200 Constitution: 223 Mystic: 264 Attribute points: 0 Abilities: Lifeblood level 10 ¡ú 14. Abyssal Symbiote level 18 ¡ú 25. Abyssal Symbiote has reached rank Advanced! Skill: Meditation level 12 ¡ú 25. Pain Tolerance level 16 ¡ú 29. Rot Resistance level 10 ¡ú 12. Meditation has reached rank Advanced! Pain Tolerance has reached rank Advanced! Sub Attributes: Power: Ability Damage: D6 ¡ú D7. Special Damage: E3 ¡ú E9. Magical Damage: E6 ¡ú D0. Aura Strength: D7 ¡ú D9. Agility: Movement Speed: D6 ¡ú C0. Casting Speed: D2 ¡ú D8. Cognitive Speed: F5 ¡ú E4. Reflex: A1 ¡ú A3. Constitution: Vitality: B4 ¡ú B7. Endurance: D2 ¡ú C0. Strength: D6 ¡ú C4. Physical Resistance: C1 ¡ú B0. Mystic: Mana Capacity: D0 ¡ú D4. Mana Regen: D2 ¡ú D6. Willpower: D0 ¡ú D9. Magic Resistance: D3 ¡ú D6. Noah stared at the changes in his sub-attributes. This was the singlergest jump he had seen so far, with everything receiving a significant boost in power. His Agility and Constitution had increased by extreme amounts especially. Reflex had increased two ranks, while Vitality, Strength and Endurance had increased by nearly 10 ranks in a single go. And if he understood how his body functioned correctly, the changes here will only keep on happening as he trained further. Curious to take a full look, Noah opened his sub attributes menu. Power: D3 Agility: C1 Constitution: C7 Mystic: D6 Noah looked at the ranks in confusion before realizing the change was likely from his new tier of soul modification, and an average of each sub-attribute. Reaching out to his Astral script, he tried to bring the increase for each sub-attribute group directly. Power: D0 ¡ú D3. Agility: D6 ¡ú C1. Constitution: C0 ¡ú C7. Mystic: D1 ¡ú D6. Taking a moment to recover, Noah looked around the sparring area. If not for his trick, he would¡¯ve lost, and this was with Raesar using a single ability once, while Noah had been giving it his all. Perhaps it would go differently if he had Metamorphosis, but he could not rely on Tony to be avable all the time. The ability took a toll on the symbiote, and he needed to be capable enough to survive encounters even without it. ncing at his shackles, Noah used his keys on them before essing their interface. Suppression Shackles Current suppression: 25% Rank limit: C Looking at the menu, Noah began increasing the suppression before stopping it at 75%. With a quiet grimace he put them back on, as they drained his mana rapidly. ¡°That is disgusting,¡± Noah said, his body feeling like it was made of lead. He knew the sensation was not real, yet the sensation of weight still bothered him. Standing up with a grunt, Noah began to use his mana. The act felt like he was pushing a boulder uphill, and merely summoning his spear from his storage had him nearly panting. Tightening his grip, Noah pushed on, letting Obliterate and Bleed cover his de. Reducing the suppression down to 60% to adjust, Noah summoned Starforged Arms, then made a single sword and a shield appear in each one. The second time felt easier, his spirit slowly getting used to the heavy weight of the shackles put upon it. With a thought, he had the arms attack him, as he began to spar. *** Erwest walked through the dark and quiet halls of his church. A summon thiste at night was rare unless it was an emergency. And if it was, then the church was far too quiet. His steps echoed down the hallways of the church, as he made his way to the praying room. An open space, formed in a circr manner to allow all faithful a view of the All-Mother¡¯s statue standing with her sword aimed towards the sky at the centre. Stepping in, Erwest noticed the high priest standing within the chamber and gave the man a bow. ¡°Your holiness.¡± ¡°Erwest,¡± the high priest replied, using his name. Erwest felt surprised, but did not reply. ¡°The goddess has expressed her desire to speak with you.¡± Raising his head with a sharp breath in-take, Erwest looked up at the man with wide eyes. ¡°With me?¡± The high priest gave a nod. ¡°I was not told of any further instructions. She wishes to keep her discussion with you private.¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m honored, your holiness. But why?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°I can¡¯t im to know her ns. Perhaps she is pleased with you and wishes to give you a reward, or perhaps she has a task that none but you can do. It is not my ce to question her will,¡± the priest replied. ¡°The rest is between you and her now.¡± Erwest watched the man walk out of the chamber, before he took in a breath. Looking up at the statue of Hellion, Erwest stepped up towards it. Pressing a palm against the base of the statue, Erwest called upon her name. A golden light shone from within the statue, burning brilliantly within the halls. You are in the presence of a Divine Aura. Hellion¡¯s light fills you with strength. ¡°My goddess, it is the honor of a lifetime to be in your presence,¡± Erwest said, going down on his knees. ¡°Raise your head my child,¡± Hellion spoke. Erwest raised his head, looking at the goddess he worshiped standing in front of him, a gentle smile upon her lips. Her brilliance was blinding, yet also gentle at the very same time. The mere sight of her filled him with reverence and strength. ¡°Erwest, young child, I have been watching you for the past few days. Your service to my name pleases me immensely.¡± ¡°Your words are too kind goddess. But I must admit I feel confused. For what purpose have I received this honor from you, goddess?¡± Erwest. ¡°Impatient to learn the truth?¡± Hellion asked, her dark wings spreading behind her back as she stepped down from her pedestal with a slow descent. ¡°No, my goddess. Forgive my rudeness,¡± Erwest replied, bowing his head immediately. ¡°Do not be so afraid, child. You are not being punished here. I merely have a task for you,¡± Hellion said, putting a hand on Erwest¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Stand up.¡± Erwest stood, his body moving on its own as he now stood face to face with his goddess. For a moment, he felt as if his life had been fulfilled. If he died now, perhaps he would not mind it very much. ¡°You are a brave warrior, but you let your past scars guide you too much. Our enemy is cunning, and to fight him, we must not be afraid to take what at the time may not seem as the most just or righteous path.¡± Erwest looked at the goddess, before nodding. ¡°Yes, my goddess.¡± He did not understand why he agreed. He did not believe what she had said, yet somehow, at this moment, his heart was entirely willing to believe whatever Hellion would tell him. If she told him fire rained in winter, he would believe her. ¡°Good child,¡± Hellion replied, smiling. ¡°Your parents would be pleased to see how you¡¯ve grown up.¡± The words shook Erwest, as he stared at the goddess. ¡°They¡­ are they there? Do they know?¡± he asked, finding his words trailing. ¡°They are with me, and happy, but they do not know. I keep the dead separate from the world of the living. That was the pact I made with the god of death. All they know is that you work in my service,¡± Hellion said. Erwest clenched his fist, terrible memories he¡¯d long buried in his mind rising once again. ¡°That anger you feel is strength, but only when it is mastered. Use it for the task, I present you with. You have met with an outerworlder by the name of Noah recently, have you not? I wish for you to stay with him. Travel together, be apanion and earn his trust. Be my eyes and ears and watch him in my stead. See who he is. And if I judge him to be evil, then you shall be the de I use to y him.¡± Oath of Hellion¡¯s Vessel: You are the goddess¡¯ eyes, her ears, her mouth, and the de with which she delivers justice. Your soul will belong to Hellion, for her to use to light the way within this world. Erwest looked at the words in front of him, before his eyes met Hellion¡¯s. He bowed. ¡°Your word is mymand.¡± Chapter [RotD | B2] 11 — Good Luck Chapter [RotD | B2] 11 ¡ª Good Luck Noah¡¯s body hurt in every ce it could hurt. Hey on the sparring arena, eyes shut for a few minutes to catch his breath and let his body rest. Other adventurers simrly were lying all around him in various degrees of undress and exhaustion. His personal training had continued well into the day when some adventurers had taken note. Intrigued by his ability, they¡¯d offered to spar and train together. One thing had led to another, and now nearly a dozen adventurers had begun training alongside Noah, switching groups and pairing up to work on different aspects that they felt they werecking in. Some had noticed his shackles and had decided to get their own sets, before the entire thing had devolved into a masochistic endurance game of who couldst with the most suppression on their abilities. The entire thing was infectious and Noah had found himself being pulled into the excitement, working hard topete to the best of his abilities. ncing out from the window in the training arena, he watched the sun slowly in the distance as morning made its way into a new day. Footsteps echoed in the hall, and Noah saw Nae looking down onto him. ¡°Raesar rubbed off on you too, didn¡¯t he?¡± she said, watching him lying on the floor bare-chested. Noah returned a grin back at the woman, and Nae shook her head. ¡°Get up you idiot. We need to start nning before you leave. Today¡¯s the day.¡± Pulling himself up, Noah felt his body already on its way to recovery. He would need to sleep eventually, but so far Meditation had more than sufficed and Lifeblood took care of exhaustion rather quickly as well. Shaking hands with the few who still stood, and exchanging some brief words, Noah left the training chamber feeling invigorated. His sub-attributes had jumped a lot over a single night, especially Mystic and Power rted ones, but the bigger surprise had been his abilities. Starforged arms had reached level 7, already almost at rank Intermediate. Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes had finally ranked up to Advanced as well, after having been stuck at level 24 for a long time. ¡°I see you increased your shackle suppression,¡± Nae said, ncing at Noah¡¯s hands. ¡°At this rate, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need them for much longer. You should start looking into tomes, you need just three more before you can rank up, which will be significant once you¡¯re in Heartilia.¡± ¡°How much does a legendary tome cost?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Depends entirely on what the ability is. But most cost at least one C grade mana stone at a minimum,¡± Nae replied. ¡°You can also have a tomecrafter make one for you, but that will require finding the right crafter and resources. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s worth the hassle.¡± ¡°Tomecrafters?¡± Noah asked. ¡°People who make ability tomes. Do you know that Celestians can read ability tomes?¡± Nae asked. Noah gave a nod. ¡°That¡¯s because we write them, too. We create the ability tomes, and the methods are quite tightly guarded. It¡¯s part of the advantage of being one of the first races to discover the Astral system.¡± ¡°Huh. I must admit, I never gave thought to where ability tomes came from. So if I wanted to have a very specific ability, I could ask a tomecrafter to make it for me?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Before that, you will need the right monster core to imbue into the Tome. Then you¡¯ll need a tomecrafter who is capable enough and willing. Then there¡¯s the price of getting tomes made as well. Like I said, not worth the hassle.¡± Noah chewed over the information as the two of them walked. Entering the elevator, he watched Nae type in a sequence of numbers again, as they began to descend down. ¡°Where are we going this time?¡± Noah asked. ¡°To meet our prisoner,¡± Nae replied. With a chime the elevator opened and Noah stepped out to find Aurelia and Erwest standing within the chamber already. Noah eyed the Pdin for a moment, who looked back at him as well. Walking up to the man, Noah extended his hand. ¡°Thank you for saving my life.¡± ¡°I only did what I was supposed to do,¡± Erwest said, looking down at his hand, before looking back up at Noah. ¡°Your hand has returned to normal.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. New hair and eye color too. It¡¯s a neat look isn¡¯t it?¡± Noah said with a smile. Erwest did not reply and Noah quietly retrieved his hand. Guess we won¡¯t exactly be chummy. ¡°Alright, all of us here. So let¡¯s talk about how this is supposed to go,¡± Nae said. ¡°How do we intend to keep the prisoner from being found out?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°Orthe Lord from questioning who he is.¡± ¡°Excellent question,¡± Nae said. ¡°We¡¯ll be trapping this guy in a dimensional pocket.¡± ¡°In a what?¡± Noah asked. ¡°A Dimensional Pocket. Don¡¯t you have one as an ability? We¡¯ll be storing him inside one, with a mana stone to fuel it. In fact, I already have,¡± Nae said, as she raised her hand, showing off a translucent bracelet that appeared with a shimmer of light. With a touch, the bracelet lit up, and a man sat on the ground, his hands and feet tied in shackles with powerful magical restraints on them. His hair was disheveled and the man looked like he hadn¡¯t slept in weeks, but Noah struggled to feel even an ounce of pity for him. ¡°Where¡ª¡± the cultist gasped, looking around in confusion before his eyes met Nae¡¯s. ¡°You could¡¯ve warned me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to make demands of me, Hayver,¡± Nae said, her eyes glowing. ¡°Want me to throw you back into the other box?¡± The man shuddered visibly, his face turning ghastly pale and Noah wondered just what this box might be for the cultist to be so afraid. Noah looked at Erwest, finding him surprisingly calm in the presence of the cultist chief. He¡¯d half expected the Pdin to draw a de on him by now. The man noticed Noah¡¯s gaze, looking back up at him for a moment as their eyes met. ¡°Why are we keeping him around for this discussion?¡± Aurelia asked, looking down at the cultist with disgust. ¡°Because he¡¯ll be guiding you to the cultist hideout,¡± Nae said, ncing down. ¡°Exin to them,¡± she added, kicking the man¡¯s back lightly. The Abyssal cultist looked like he had words to say, but swallowed his anger as he continued. ¡°I¡¯ve got a contact in Heartilia. We keep hideouts separate so that if one location falls, others don¡¯t getpromised. But I¡¯ve got some connections I can pull to have them take me in.¡± ¡°You heard the man. You go in, meet this contact and act as if you¡¯re the Iron Fists. Obviously they don¡¯t know your party name or much about you, so it won¡¯t matter. Head in and join the cult,¡± Nae said, waving her hand as the cultist vanished again. ¡°Aurelia, I¡¯d like you to keep the bracelet,¡± Nae said, taking off the item as she handed it to her. ¡°I believe it should be with me,¡± Erwest spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m the highest leveled in this group, and my abilities will allow me to take care of him, given how I already captured him once.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that. You¡¯re not from the guild, and with Aurelia¡¯s rank up, she should catch up to you very soon.¡± Nae said. Aurelia nodded, epting the bracelet. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°How do we trust someone so readily willing to betray his allies?¡± Noah asked Nae. ¡°We aren¡¯t trusting him. We¡¯re making use of him. He¡¯s sworn an oath, so he knows what¡¯s in his best interests. It¡¯ll keep him from being able to actively betray you. So he can¡¯t lead you directly to a trap if he knows it¡¯s a trap,¡± Nae said. ¡°What about Erwest? He¡¯ll be caught immediately,¡± Noah said, ncing at the man. ¡°I won¡¯t be,¡± Erwest replied. ¡°Use Identify on him Noah,¡± Nae said. Confused, Noah turned to Erwest and used Identify. [Stalwart Warrior - ??] Noah stared in confusion at what he saw. ¡°You¡¯re not a pdin anymore?¡± he asked, confused. ¡°He is. But Divine Paths are a bit special. For example, if you are a Pdin of Hellion, and for whatever reason you no longer wish to be, you can forsake that path and its divinity will be removed. Which will convert it to a base path equivalent instead, without all the divine perks and abilities,¡± Nae said, ncing at Erwest. ¡°Obviously Erwest did not do that, but I believe Hellion is allowing him the ability to change due to this quest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised by how willing the goddess has been with this entire thing. I thought she¡¯d be more¡­ busy,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°The All-Mother is busy, but a new Abyssal Rift is no small matter. We have a heavy burden upon our shoulders and she is merely doing her part in supporting us,¡± Erwest said, ring at Aurelia. ¡°Calm down bud, she didn¡¯t mean anything by that,¡± Noah said, patting Erwest¡¯s shoulder. The man nced at Noah, before, to his surprise, giving a nod. ¡°Apologies, that came out harsher than I had intended to. But I merely want you to understand just how much the goddess is doing for us, at every moment.¡± ¡°Sure, I believe it,¡± Noah said. ¡°So, what now? How are we nning to head to Heartilia? Wyvern again?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Actually, no,¡± Nae said. ¡°Your ride should be here any minute.¡± As she spoke, the world around them stirred. Light shed as Noah saw a portal open up in front of him. Two soldiers walked forth, ncing at the four of them. ¡°The Lord of Heartilia is awaiting your presence.¡± Noah nced around in surprise. ¡°Is¡­ that our transport?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Seems like it,¡± Aurelia replied. Erwest headed in first, and after a moment of hesitation Aurelia followed. Noah looked on to the swirling blue gate before ncing at Nae. ¡°Good luck,¡± the woman said, as he stepped into the light. Chapter [RotD | B2] 12 — Krios Al Valraunt Chapter [RotD | B2] 12 ¡ª Krios Al Valraunt Noah stepped through the portal, feeling the flickeringyers of space around him. The transportation took a long moment that seemed to stretch on endlessly before abruptly ending with him standing within a giant hall of marbled stone. Myriads of magical items and auras tugged at Noah¡¯s attention, but he found his eyes drawn back to the man in front of him. ¡°Wee, my dear guests!¡± the man¡¯s voice echoed through the chamber, resonating the magical portraits hung on the wall. A ping sounded in his mind, as he noticed a new notification arrive, but his attention was caught by the man in front of him. He wore a velvet red zer with a white shirt underneath. Golden adornments that looked a lot like military medals hung upon his chest, with the man¡¯s silver hair slicked back in a polished look. Noah noticed Aurelia bowing her head, and followed along, giving a small bow. Erwest only gave a nod. ¡°I hope your journey did not feel unpleasant. Some of our guests don¡¯t react very well to spacial transportation methods, especially at this distance so I was concerned,¡± the man, who Noah was now certain was the Lord, said, eye-ing them up and down. ¡°I¡¯m used to it,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°I¡¯ve got Astral resistance, didn¡¯t feel much,¡± Noah said. Erwest nodded. ¡°Not an issue.¡± ¡°Great! That is most lovely to hear!¡± Krios eximed. Noah looked at the man, not having expected¡­ this. He was prepared for a lot more ceremony and authority when he¡¯d heard of the man¡¯s stature. Even his aura felt nearly non-existent to Noah, almost like a faint whisper. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that meant the man was weak. The opposite, if anything. ¡°You¡¯re Erwest, I believe? I had heard you were a pdin, but what I see tells me something else.¡± Erwest kept his passive expression, but gave a small nod. ¡°Some circumstances have made it so.¡± ¡°Very well, I shall not pry then,¡± the Lord said, patting Erwest¡¯s shoulder once before he moved on. ¡°You, my beautifuldy, must be Aurelia Fauster. I¡¯ve heard of your strength, and it seems the battle allowed you to Rank up as well!¡± ¡°You tter me, Lord Krios. I¡¯ve got much to learn,¡± Aurelia said. Noah nced at her, and could tell she did not feel as ttered as she looked. ¡°Nonsense. At your age, your level and strength are bothmendable. Especially for this region. At your current progress, you could easily match up to adventurer guild members from the central kingdoms as well.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aurelia replied, and the Lord seemed satisfied. Atst, he walked up to Noah, looking at him with an expression of anticipation. ¡°You must be the Outerworlder, Noah Brown.¡± ¡°The one and only,¡± Noah replied with a grin. ¡°Confident! I like it. I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about you. I hope Erandir has been to your liking?¡± Lord Krios asked. ¡°Aside from almost dying multiple times, it¡¯s been fun for sure,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Indeed. I heard a rumor that you attached an Abyssal Parasite to your arm, is that true?¡± Lord Krios asked. Noah wondered how rumours of him had spread this far. Though, if the Lord knew enough about them, he supposed finding out something like this would not be difficult for the man either. ¡°It¡¯s true, yes,¡± he replied with a shrug. ¡°Quite the adventurous choice. The church of Hellion was not pleased to hear of it,¡± Krios replied. ¡°The goddess herself did not seem to care, so I think I should be fine,¡± Noah said. Krios paused for a moment. ¡°The goddess Hellion and her church are not the same entity. Like how the Incarnation of Void is not the Abyssal cult. Or else we would ban all void magic. It would be good to keep that in mind.¡± Noah snuck a nce at Erwest to see if the man gave a reaction. Not finding anything from the Pdin, he turned back to look at Krios. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Wonderful. Now, let me formally introduce myself as well. I¡¯m Krios Al Valraunt, the lord of Heartilia and a lightning mage of some decent skill,¡± the Lord said, for a moment letting the grip on his Aura loosen. Noah felt the intensity of the magicing from the man, a strong pulsating power that crackled around him that made his skin tingle from the sensation. I wonder who¡¯s stronger between him and Raesar. ¡°Now that introductions have been made, let me escort you to the banquet hall, my family is waiting with a feast that we¡¯ve prepared for you,¡± the Lord said. Noah¡¯s party followed along. The castle was tall, pirs of marble like stone rising up top with carvings of what seemed like historical tales with angelic creatures etched at every corner. The abundance of mana within the air was another thing that stuck out to Noah. Every breath he took seemed to replenish him more than normal and he wondered if it was the mana density simply being higher or an effect within the castle itself. They walked through the halls, entering a long corridor from which Noah could take a look outside into the city. The sight made his eyes widen in surprise. They were high above the ground, with a garden surrounding the castle premises. Beyond the garden walls, Noah saw the city, finding bridges with capsules of metal carved with magic that looked an awful lot like trains. The streets were paved, with multiplenes for carriages and footpaths separated neatly. Glowing runes filled the city, tall multi story buildings rising into the skies. He could see multiple carriages moving without any animal to draw them, likely powered by magic, but not that far from how a car would look. The sight was a strange mix of modern and fantastical scenery, unlike the middle age period of development the rest of the world had looked like. Atst, Noah noted his gaze ending at the wall surrounding the city, with a glimpse showing a bridge leading over a river of some sort, but the rest was obscured from his sight at this distance. ¡°Enjoying what you see?¡± Krios asked, noticing Noah¡¯s nce. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m¡­ quite surprised actually. This city feels almost familiar to me. Even if distinctly different,¡± Noah replied. ¡°The buildings, those trains, the car-like carriages, just the feel of it reminds me of home a little.¡± ¡°Is that so? Your world must be an interesting ce then. Heartillia is the only city in Meilor with a significant Celestian poption, and the city reflects that. There¡¯s an abundance of magic in the city, or, as much as there can be for a D grade mana zone. The actual Celestian territories obviously have much more. Nheless, this city is one I feel proud of,¡± Krios said. Continuing to watch the sights, they quickly reached the doors leading to a banquet hall. A soldier saluted the lord, before giving a nod to Noah and the others, as he opened the door. Inside, a long table spread across the hallway, lined with food of various sorts. On the other side, a woman stood in the chamber. Her hair was a pristine silver, and she wore clothes of white and blue with a few tasteful ornaments set upon them. Noah noticed the ethereal blue wings folded behind her back, as the woman walked closer with a smile. ¡°This is my wife, Ayra,¡± Krios said. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet the three of you,¡± the Lady said, and Noah dipped his head, trying his best not to stare at the gorgeous woman. ¡°The pleasure is ours,¡± Aurelia replied with a smile. As they entered the halls, Noah heard a door being burst open loudly. Instincts kicked in as he summoned his spear, ready to face whatever wasing. ¡°Dad!¡± a kid shouted, before freezing as he saw Noah and the others. ¡°Who¡¯re these guys?¡± ¡°Arlos! Didn¡¯t I tell you we had guests?¡± Ayra said, as the kid winced, rushing to his father. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Krios said, as Arlos ran up to his father to hide from his mother¡¯s gaze. The lord turned to face Noah. ¡°Apologies for my son. He¡¯s still learning his manners.¡± Noah de-summoned his spear. ¡°Sorry for drawing a weapon. I¡¯m not used to¡­ not sensing people arriving close to me,¡± Noah said, before his eyes went back to the child. Arlos had silver hair like his mother, but his eyes had a deep orange color simr to his father. ¡°He¡¯s not awakened yet, so that is to be expected. And exactly why he must learn to be more disciplined,¡± Krios said, before turning to his son with a stern smile. The kid ran behind his father with an eek, and Noah couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Can I have lunch with you, father?¡± the boy asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already have lunch?¡± Ayra asked. ¡°Uh- right, yeah I did,¡± the boy replied, averting his eyes. ¡°Arlos¡­ did you feed your food to Evrax again?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Arlos said, in the most unconvincing voice ever, and the woman sighed. Krios simplyughed, before telling his son to go ahead and take a seat with them. Happy, the child rushed ahead and sat down at the table. ¡°Let us start as well, or the food will get cold,¡± Krios said. Noah nodded, feeling surprisingly hungry at the sight of the food. A variety of dishes were present in front of him. The first looked to be some kind of steak, but the meat was nearly pitch ck in color. Hesitantly, he cut into it, before taking a bite. You¡¯ve consumed [Obsidian Quarox Steak]. Health and Stamina regeneration increased. Noah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as the notification shed in front of him. But even more so by the taste of the food. The meat melted in his mouth, as vors rushed him all at once, and he began to dig in. ¡°I hope the food is to your liking. Given my rank, I don¡¯t really need to eat anything at this point, but I like to still enjoy the pleasure of eating. As such, I¡¯ve hired quite the skilled team of chefs to prepare things.¡± ¡°This is the best thing I¡¯ve ever eaten,¡± Noah said with a mouth stuffed full of food. Even Aurelia was eating happily, though she¡¯d waited till Noah had taken a bite. Erwest on the other hand, simply sat at the table, not touching anything. ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll be sure to let the chefs know their work was appreciated!¡± Krios said. ¡°Can¡¯t these be used in ce of potions?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°This is clearly magical cooking, so it seems like it¡¯d make sense.¡± ¡°It can be, and sometimes is. But food is a lot less intense in effect than a potion with equivalent effects, so mostly it is just a thing people enjoy for pleasure,¡± Krios said. ¡°If it were up to me, I¡¯d pick this over potions any day,¡± Noah said, as he bit into what looked to be a chicken wing, but had turned out to have an almost sweet vour. More notifications popped up in his vision, informing him of his boosted health, stamina and mana regeneration. ¡°I certainly know of people who do. But the shelf life is not nearly as long. These things lose their magical abilities quickly, unlike potions which stay good for a really long time.¡± Noah listened, before wondering if he could just store all of the food in his dimensional pocket. He already knew time did not pass for any items stored there, and he enjoyed the idea of being able to eat a meal like this wherever he wanted. ¡°Can I know who the chef is?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I¡¯ll send you his information if you¡¯d like. He has a famous restaurant open within the city, though I sometimes ask him to take time off for me. If you wish to meet him, I can make the introductions,¡± Krios said. Noah nodded in thanks, as he continued to devour his meal. After stuffing himself as much as he could, and slipping a few tes from Erwest¡¯s portion into his dimensional pocket when he thought no one was looking, Noah sat at the chair, feeling content. Aurelia had eaten less, but even her lips had a smile lingering upon them. The meal came to an end soon, and the servants took the tes away as Noah watched them with eyes of longing. Erwest let out a cough, ncing at Noah for a moment before turning towards Lord Krios. ¡°Pardon me, but I believe there must be a reason you have summoned us so quickly all this way?¡± Krios looked at the man, raising an eyebrow. ¡°One reason was indeed to meet the three of you, and thank you for what you did. My people and I, we are both grateful for this tragedy that you brought to light. But you are indeed correct. I do have something I wish to ask of you three.¡± Noah straightened in his chair at the Lord¡¯s words. The food and the sights had made him forget for a moment just why he was here, and that this man was someone with far more authority than all of them. ¡°What could adventurers like us do for you, Lord Krios? Surely you have far more powerful people at hand,¡± Aurelia said. The Lord paused, before raising a hand. Noah sensed multiple shadows move around the room. His hair rose on his back as he realized they¡¯d always been present in the room, just outside his awareness. The servants left as well, closing the door behind them. ¡°I do indeed. But they are not people who I can trust with this work. My men have raided an Abyssal cult near the city, just beyond the old city walls. In this cultist hideout, we¡¯ve found an Astral Rift. But the rift itself is unstable, and anyone over D rank walking inside will likely copse it. I need adventurers who I can trust with this task that are also capable enough,¡± Krios said. ¡°What¡¯s inside the rift?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°We think it is a vault, or a hidden dungeon. Possible outside Erandir and in a pocket dimension,¡± Krios replied. ¡°I have other people I can turn to, but you three seemed the most suited to me for this task. I will of course reward you handsomely as well if you ept, and put in a good word with the guild should you seed.¡± Noah hummed in thought, before ncing at Aurelia. To his surprise, it was Erwest who spoke up. ¡°We would like some time to consider.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the Lord nodded. ¡°In the meantime, I have prepared chambers for you three to rest. Feel free to utilize them, and even if you decide not to take the quest, I will not hold the choice against you.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding,¡± Erwest replied, and got up silently to leave. Noah looked at the lord, nodding once, before he joined Erwest, Aurelia getting up with him as well. The three of them walked outside the banquet hall, before a guard began to escort them to their rooms. Many thoughts yed in Noah¡¯s mind, about the Lord and the entire situation, but he kept quiet for the moment. His gaze went to the notification he¡¯d gotten upon arriving at first, and he opened his notification box to check. What he saw made his eyes widen in shock. Quest: Shards of [???] updated! There is a Shard of [???] near you. Find it, and obtain it for yourself. Difficult: Extremely Hard Reward: Unknown Book 2: Chapter 11 — Good Luck Book 2: Chapter 11 ¡ª Good Luck Noah¡¯s body hurt in every ce it could hurt. Hey on the sparring arena, eyes shut for a few minutes to catch his breath and let his body rest. Other adventurers simrly were lying all around him in various degrees of undress and exhaustion. His personal training had continued well into the day when some adventurers had taken note. Intrigued by his ability, they¡¯d offered to spar and train together. One thing had led to another, and now nearly a dozen adventurers had begun training alongside Noah, switching groups and pairing up to work on different aspects that they felt they werecking in. Some had noticed his shackles and had decided to get their own sets, before the entire thing had devolved into a masochistic endurance game of who couldst with the most suppression on their abilities. The entire thing was infectious and Noah had found himself being pulled into the excitement, working hard topete to the best of his abilities. ncing out from the window in the training arena, he watched the sun slowly in the distance as morning made its way into a new day. Footsteps echoed in the hall, and Noah saw Nae looking down onto him. ¡°Raesar rubbed off on you too, didn¡¯t he?¡± she said, watching him lying on the floor bare-chested. Noah returned a grin back at the woman, and Nae shook her head. ¡°Get up you idiot. We need to start nning before you leave. Today¡¯s the day.¡± Pulling himself up, Noah felt his body already on its way to recovery. He would need to sleep eventually, but so far Meditation had more than sufficed and Lifeblood took care of exhaustion rather quickly as well. Shaking hands with the few who still stood, and exchanging some brief words, Noah left the training chamber feeling invigorated. His sub-attributes had jumped a lot over a single night, especially Mystic and Power rted ones, but the bigger surprise had been his abilities. Starforged arms had reached level 7, already almost at rank Intermediate. Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes had finally ranked up to Advanced as well, after having been stuck at level 24 for a long time. ¡°I see you increased your shackle suppression,¡± Nae said, ncing at Noah¡¯s hands. ¡°At this rate, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll need them for much longer. You should start looking into tomes, you need just three more before you can rank up, which will be significant once you¡¯re in Heartilia.¡± ¡°How much does a legendary tome cost?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Depends entirely on what the ability is. But most cost at least one C grade mana stone at a minimum,¡± Nae replied. ¡°You can also have a tomecrafter make one for you, but that will require finding the right crafter and resources. I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s worth the hassle.¡± ¡°Tomecrafters?¡± Noah asked. ¡°People who make ability tomes. Do you know that Celestians can read ability tomes?¡± Nae asked. Noah gave a nod. ¡°That¡¯s because we write them, too. We create the ability tomes, and the methods are quite tightly guarded. It¡¯s part of the advantage of being one of the first races to discover the Astral system.¡± ¡°Huh. I must admit, I never gave thought to where ability tomes came from. So if I wanted to have a very specific ability, I could ask a tomecrafter to make it for me?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Before that, you will need the right monster core to imbue into the Tome. Then you¡¯ll need a tomecrafter who is capable enough and willing. Then there¡¯s the price of getting tomes made as well. Like I said, not worth the hassle.¡± Noah chewed over the information as the two of them walked. Entering the elevator, he watched Nae type in a sequence of numbers again, as they began to descend down. ¡°Where are we going this time?¡± Noah asked. ¡°To meet our prisoner,¡± Nae replied. With a chime the elevator opened and Noah stepped out to find Aurelia and Erwest standing within the chamber already. Noah eyed the Pdin for a moment, who looked back at him as well. Walking up to the man, Noah extended his hand. ¡°Thank you for saving my life.¡± ¡°I only did what I was supposed to do,¡± Erwest said, looking down at his hand, before looking back up at Noah. ¡°Your hand has returned to normal.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. New hair and eye color too. It¡¯s a neat look isn¡¯t it?¡± Noah said with a smile. Erwest did not reply and Noah quietly retrieved his hand. Guess we won¡¯t exactly be chummy. ¡°Alright, all of us here. So let¡¯s talk about how this is supposed to go,¡± Nae said. ¡°How do we intend to keep the prisoner from being found out?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°Orthe Lord from questioning who he is.¡± ¡°Excellent question,¡± Nae said. ¡°We¡¯ll be trapping this guy in a dimensional pocket.¡± ¡°In a what?¡± Noah asked. ¡°A Dimensional Pocket. Don¡¯t you have one as an ability? We¡¯ll be storing him inside one, with a mana stone to fuel it. In fact, I already have,¡± Nae said, as she raised her hand, showing off a translucent bracelet that appeared with a shimmer of light. With a touch, the bracelet lit up, and a man sat on the ground, his hands and feet tied in shackles with powerful magical restraints on them. His hair was disheveled and the man looked like he hadn¡¯t slept in weeks, but Noah struggled to feel even an ounce of pity for him. ¡°Where¡ª¡± the cultist gasped, looking around in confusion before his eyes met Nae¡¯s. ¡°You could¡¯ve warned me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to make demands of me, Hayver,¡± Nae said, her eyes glowing. ¡°Want me to throw you back into the other box?¡± The man shuddered visibly, his face turning ghastly pale and Noah wondered just what this box might be for the cultist to be so afraid. Noah looked at Erwest, finding him surprisingly calm in the presence of the cultist chief. He¡¯d half expected the Pdin to draw a de on him by now. The man noticed Noah¡¯s gaze, looking back up at him for a moment as their eyes met. ¡°Why are we keeping him around for this discussion?¡± Aurelia asked, looking down at the cultist with disgust. ¡°Because he¡¯ll be guiding you to the cultist hideout,¡± Nae said, ncing down. ¡°Exin to them,¡± she added, kicking the man¡¯s back lightly. The Abyssal cultist looked like he had words to say, but swallowed his anger as he continued. ¡°I¡¯ve got a contact in Heartilia. We keep hideouts separate so that if one location falls, others don¡¯t getpromised. But I¡¯ve got some connections I can pull to have them take me in.¡± ¡°You heard the man. You go in, meet this contact and act as if you¡¯re the Iron Fists. Obviously they don¡¯t know your party name or much about you, so it won¡¯t matter. Head in and join the cult,¡± Nae said, waving her hand as the cultist vanished again. ¡°Aurelia, I¡¯d like you to keep the bracelet,¡± Nae said, taking off the item as she handed it to her. ¡°I believe it should be with me,¡± Erwest spoke up. ¡°I¡¯m the highest leveled in this group, and my abilities will allow me to take care of him, given how I already captured him once.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that. You¡¯re not from the guild, and with Aurelia¡¯s rank up, she should catch up to you very soon.¡± Nae said. Aurelia nodded, epting the bracelet. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°How do we trust someone so readily willing to betray his allies?¡± Noah asked Nae. ¡°We aren¡¯t trusting him. We¡¯re making use of him. He¡¯s sworn an oath, so he knows what¡¯s in his best interests. It¡¯ll keep him from being able to actively betray you. So he can¡¯t lead you directly to a trap if he knows it¡¯s a trap,¡± Nae said. ¡°What about Erwest? He¡¯ll be caught immediately,¡± Noah said, ncing at the man. ¡°I won¡¯t be,¡± Erwest replied. ¡°Use Identify on him Noah,¡± Nae said. Confused, Noah turned to Erwest and used Identify. [Stalwart Warrior - ??] Noah stared in confusion at what he saw. ¡°You¡¯re not a pdin anymore?¡± he asked, confused. ¡°He is. But Divine Paths are a bit special. For example, if you are a Pdin of Hellion, and for whatever reason you no longer wish to be, you can forsake that path and its divinity will be removed. Which will convert it to a base path equivalent instead, without all the divine perks and abilities,¡± Nae said, ncing at Erwest. ¡°Obviously Erwest did not do that, but I believe Hellion is allowing him the ability to change due to this quest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised by how willing the goddess has been with this entire thing. I thought she¡¯d be more¡­ busy,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°The All-Mother is busy, but a new Abyssal Rift is no small matter. We have a heavy burden upon our shoulders and she is merely doing her part in supporting us,¡± Erwest said, ring at Aurelia. ¡°Calm down bud, she didn¡¯t mean anything by that,¡± Noah said, patting Erwest¡¯s shoulder. The man nced at Noah, before, to his surprise, giving a nod. ¡°Apologies, that came out harsher than I had intended to. But I merely want you to understand just how much the goddess is doing for us, at every moment.¡± ¡°Sure, I believe it,¡± Noah said. ¡°So, what now? How are we nning to head to Heartilia? Wyvern again?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Actually, no,¡± Nae said. ¡°Your ride should be here any minute.¡± As she spoke, the world around them stirred. Light shed as Noah saw a portal open up in front of him. Two soldiers walked forth, ncing at the four of them. ¡°The Lord of Heartilia is awaiting your presence.¡± Noah nced around in surprise. ¡°Is¡­ that our transport?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Seems like it,¡± Aurelia replied. Erwest headed in first, and after a moment of hesitation Aurelia followed. Noah looked on to the swirling blue gate before ncing at Nae. ¡°Good luck,¡± the woman said, as he stepped into the light. Book 2: Chapter 12 — Krios Al Valraunt Book 2: Chapter 12 ¡ª Krios Al Valraunt Noah stepped through the portal, feeling the flickeringyers of space around him. The transportation took a long moment that seemed to stretch on endlessly before abruptly ending with him standing within a giant hall of marbled stone. Myriads of magical items and auras tugged at Noah¡¯s attention, but he found his eyes drawn back to the man in front of him. ¡°Wee, my dear guests!¡± the man¡¯s voice echoed through the chamber, resonating the magical portraits hung on the wall. A ping sounded in his mind, as he noticed a new notification arrive, but his attention was caught by the man in front of him. He wore a velvet red zer with a white shirt underneath. Golden adornments that looked a lot like military medals hung upon his chest, with the man¡¯s silver hair slicked back in a polished look. Noah noticed Aurelia bowing her head, and followed along, giving a small bow. Erwest only gave a nod. ¡°I hope your journey did not feel unpleasant. Some of our guests don¡¯t react very well to spacial transportation methods, especially at this distance so I was concerned,¡± the man, who Noah was now certain was the Lord, said, eye-ing them up and down. ¡°I¡¯m used to it,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°I¡¯ve got Astral resistance, didn¡¯t feel much,¡± Noah said. Erwest nodded. ¡°Not an issue.¡± ¡°Great! That is most lovely to hear!¡± Krios eximed. Noah looked at the man, not having expected¡­ this. He was prepared for a lot more ceremony and authority when he¡¯d heard of the man¡¯s stature. Even his aura felt nearly non-existent to Noah, almost like a faint whisper. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that meant the man was weak. The opposite, if anything. ¡°You¡¯re Erwest, I believe? I had heard you were a pdin, but what I see tells me something else.¡± Erwest kept his passive expression, but gave a small nod. ¡°Some circumstances have made it so.¡± ¡°Very well, I shall not pry then,¡± the Lord said, patting Erwest¡¯s shoulder once before he moved on. ¡°You, my beautifuldy, must be Aurelia Fauster. I¡¯ve heard of your strength, and it seems the battle allowed you to Rank up as well!¡± ¡°You tter me, Lord Krios. I¡¯ve got much to learn,¡± Aurelia said. Noah nced at her, and could tell she did not feel as ttered as she looked. ¡°Nonsense. At your age, your level and strength are bothmendable. Especially for this region. At your current progress, you could easily match up to adventurer guild members from the central kingdoms as well.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Aurelia replied, and the Lord seemed satisfied. Atst, he walked up to Noah, looking at him with an expression of anticipation. ¡°You must be the Outerworlder, Noah Brown.¡± ¡°The one and only,¡± Noah replied with a grin. ¡°Confident! I like it. I¡¯ve heard quite a bit about you. I hope Erandir has been to your liking?¡± Lord Krios asked. ¡°Aside from almost dying multiple times, it¡¯s been fun for sure,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Indeed. I heard a rumor that you attached an Abyssal Parasite to your arm, is that true?¡± Lord Krios asked. Noah wondered how rumours of him had spread this far. Though, if the Lord knew enough about them, he supposed finding out something like this would not be difficult for the man either. ¡°It¡¯s true, yes,¡± he replied with a shrug. ¡°Quite the adventurous choice. The church of Hellion was not pleased to hear of it,¡± Krios replied. ¡°The goddess herself did not seem to care, so I think I should be fine,¡± Noah said. Krios paused for a moment. ¡°The goddess Hellion and her church are not the same entity. Like how the Incarnation of Void is not the Abyssal cult. Or else we would ban all void magic. It would be good to keep that in mind.¡± Noah snuck a nce at Erwest to see if the man gave a reaction. Not finding anything from the Pdin, he turned back to look at Krios. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Wonderful. Now, let me formally introduce myself as well. I¡¯m Krios Al Valraunt, the lord of Heartilia and a lightning mage of some decent skill,¡± the Lord said, for a moment letting the grip on his Aura loosen. Noah felt the intensity of the magicing from the man, a strong pulsating power that crackled around him that made his skin tingle from the sensation. I wonder who¡¯s stronger between him and Raesar. ¡°Now that introductions have been made, let me escort you to the banquet hall, my family is waiting with a feast that we¡¯ve prepared for you,¡± the Lord said. Noah¡¯s party followed along. The castle was tall, pirs of marble like stone rising up top with carvings of what seemed like historical tales with angelic creatures etched at every corner. The abundance of mana within the air was another thing that stuck out to Noah. Every breath he took seemed to replenish him more than normal and he wondered if it was the mana density simply being higher or an effect within the castle itself. They walked through the halls, entering a long corridor from which Noah could take a look outside into the city. The sight made his eyes widen in surprise. They were high above the ground, with a garden surrounding the castle premises. Beyond the garden walls, Noah saw the city, finding bridges with capsules of metal carved with magic that looked an awful lot like trains. The streets were paved, with multiplenes for carriages and footpaths separated neatly. Glowing runes filled the city, tall multi story buildings rising into the skies. He could see multiple carriages moving without any animal to draw them, likely powered by magic, but not that far from how a car would look. The sight was a strange mix of modern and fantastical scenery, unlike the middle age period of development the rest of the world had looked like. Atst, Noah noted his gaze ending at the wall surrounding the city, with a glimpse showing a bridge leading over a river of some sort, but the rest was obscured from his sight at this distance. ¡°Enjoying what you see?¡± Krios asked, noticing Noah¡¯s nce. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m¡­ quite surprised actually. This city feels almost familiar to me. Even if distinctly different,¡± Noah replied. ¡°The buildings, those trains, the car-like carriages, just the feel of it reminds me of home a little.¡± ¡°Is that so? Your world must be an interesting ce then. Heartillia is the only city in Meilor with a significant Celestian poption, and the city reflects that. There¡¯s an abundance of magic in the city, or, as much as there can be for a D grade mana zone. The actual Celestian territories obviously have much more. Nheless, this city is one I feel proud of,¡± Krios said. Continuing to watch the sights, they quickly reached the doors leading to a banquet hall. A soldier saluted the lord, before giving a nod to Noah and the others, as he opened the door. Inside, a long table spread across the hallway, lined with food of various sorts. On the other side, a woman stood in the chamber. Her hair was a pristine silver, and she wore clothes of white and blue with a few tasteful ornaments set upon them. Noah noticed the ethereal blue wings folded behind her back, as the woman walked closer with a smile. ¡°This is my wife, Ayra,¡± Krios said. ¡°It is a pleasure to meet the three of you,¡± the Lady said, and Noah dipped his head, trying his best not to stare at the gorgeous woman. ¡°The pleasure is ours,¡± Aurelia replied with a smile. As they entered the halls, Noah heard a door being burst open loudly. Instincts kicked in as he summoned his spear, ready to face whatever wasing. ¡°Dad!¡± a kid shouted, before freezing as he saw Noah and the others. ¡°Who¡¯re these guys?¡± ¡°Arlos! Didn¡¯t I tell you we had guests?¡± Ayra said, as the kid winced, rushing to his father. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Krios said, as Arlos ran up to his father to hide from his mother¡¯s gaze. The lord turned to face Noah. ¡°Apologies for my son. He¡¯s still learning his manners.¡± Noah de-summoned his spear. ¡°Sorry for drawing a weapon. I¡¯m not used to¡­ not sensing people arriving close to me,¡± Noah said, before his eyes went back to the child. Arlos had silver hair like his mother, but his eyes had a deep orange color simr to his father. ¡°He¡¯s not awakened yet, so that is to be expected. And exactly why he must learn to be more disciplined,¡± Krios said, before turning to his son with a stern smile. The kid ran behind his father with an eek, and Noah couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Can I have lunch with you, father?¡± the boy asked. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already have lunch?¡± Ayra asked. ¡°Uh- right, yeah I did,¡± the boy replied, averting his eyes. ¡°Arlos¡­ did you feed your food to Evrax again?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Arlos said, in the most unconvincing voice ever, and the woman sighed. Krios simplyughed, before telling his son to go ahead and take a seat with them. Happy, the child rushed ahead and sat down at the table. ¡°Let us start as well, or the food will get cold,¡± Krios said. Noah nodded, feeling surprisingly hungry at the sight of the food. A variety of dishes were present in front of him. The first looked to be some kind of steak, but the meat was nearly pitch ck in color. Hesitantly, he cut into it, before taking a bite. You¡¯ve consumed [Obsidian Quarox Steak]. Health and Stamina regeneration increased. Noah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as the notification shed in front of him. But even more so by the taste of the food. The meat melted in his mouth, as vors rushed him all at once, and he began to dig in. ¡°I hope the food is to your liking. Given my rank, I don¡¯t really need to eat anything at this point, but I like to still enjoy the pleasure of eating. As such, I¡¯ve hired quite the skilled team of chefs to prepare things.¡± ¡°This is the best thing I¡¯ve ever eaten,¡± Noah said with a mouth stuffed full of food. Even Aurelia was eating happily, though she¡¯d waited till Noah had taken a bite. Erwest on the other hand, simply sat at the table, not touching anything. ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll be sure to let the chefs know their work was appreciated!¡± Krios said. ¡°Can¡¯t these be used in ce of potions?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°This is clearly magical cooking, so it seems like it¡¯d make sense.¡± ¡°It can be, and sometimes is. But food is a lot less intense in effect than a potion with equivalent effects, so mostly it is just a thing people enjoy for pleasure,¡± Krios said. ¡°If it were up to me, I¡¯d pick this over potions any day,¡± Noah said, as he bit into what looked to be a chicken wing, but had turned out to have an almost sweet vour. More notifications popped up in his vision, informing him of his boosted health, stamina and mana regeneration. ¡°I certainly know of people who do. But the shelf life is not nearly as long. These things lose their magical abilities quickly, unlike potions which stay good for a really long time.¡± Noah listened, before wondering if he could just store all of the food in his dimensional pocket. He already knew time did not pass for any items stored there, and he enjoyed the idea of being able to eat a meal like this wherever he wanted. ¡°Can I know who the chef is?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I¡¯ll send you his information if you¡¯d like. He has a famous restaurant open within the city, though I sometimes ask him to take time off for me. If you wish to meet him, I can make the introductions,¡± Krios said. Noah nodded in thanks, as he continued to devour his meal. After stuffing himself as much as he could, and slipping a few tes from Erwest¡¯s portion into his dimensional pocket when he thought no one was looking, Noah sat at the chair, feeling content. Aurelia had eaten less, but even her lips had a smile lingering upon them. The meal came to an end soon, and the servants took the tes away as Noah watched them with eyes of longing. Erwest let out a cough, ncing at Noah for a moment before turning towards Lord Krios. ¡°Pardon me, but I believe there must be a reason you have summoned us so quickly all this way?¡± Krios looked at the man, raising an eyebrow. ¡°One reason was indeed to meet the three of you, and thank you for what you did. My people and I, we are both grateful for this tragedy that you brought to light. But you are indeed correct. I do have something I wish to ask of you three.¡± Noah straightened in his chair at the Lord¡¯s words. The food and the sights had made him forget for a moment just why he was here, and that this man was someone with far more authority than all of them. ¡°What could adventurers like us do for you, Lord Krios? Surely you have far more powerful people at hand,¡± Aurelia said. The Lord paused, before raising a hand. Noah sensed multiple shadows move around the room. His hair rose on his back as he realized they¡¯d always been present in the room, just outside his awareness. The servants left as well, closing the door behind them. ¡°I do indeed. But they are not people who I can trust with this work. My men have raided an Abyssal cult near the city, just beyond the old city walls. In this cultist hideout, we¡¯ve found an Astral Rift. But the rift itself is unstable, and anyone over D rank walking inside will likely copse it. I need adventurers who I can trust with this task that are also capable enough,¡± Krios said. ¡°What¡¯s inside the rift?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°We think it is a vault, or a hidden dungeon. Possible outside Erandir and in a pocket dimension,¡± Krios replied. ¡°I have other people I can turn to, but you three seemed the most suited to me for this task. I will of course reward you handsomely as well if you ept, and put in a good word with the guild should you seed.¡± Noah hummed in thought, before ncing at Aurelia. To his surprise, it was Erwest who spoke up. ¡°We would like some time to consider.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the Lord nodded. ¡°In the meantime, I have prepared chambers for you three to rest. Feel free to utilize them, and even if you decide not to take the quest, I will not hold the choice against you.¡± ¡°Thank you for your understanding,¡± Erwest replied, and got up silently to leave. Noah looked at the lord, nodding once, before he joined Erwest, Aurelia getting up with him as well. The three of them walked outside the banquet hall, before a guard began to escort them to their rooms. Many thoughts yed in Noah¡¯s mind, about the Lord and the entire situation, but he kept quiet for the moment. His gaze went to the notification he¡¯d gotten upon arriving at first, and he opened his notification box to check. What he saw made his eyes widen in shock. Quest: Shards of [???] updated! There is a Shard of [???] near you. Find it, and obtain it for yourself. Difficult: Extremely Hard Reward: Unknown Book 2: Chapter 13 — No better time than now Book 2: Chapter 13 ¡ª No better time than now Noah read through the quest again, wondering what it meant. He had gotten it the moment he had stepped in Heartillia, did that mean the shard was somewhere in the city? Or did it specifically mean this ce? How would he even find something like that, when he had no idea what the Shard may even look like? His thoughts raced, as he walked through the hallway before being led to a set of chambers with the view overseeing all of Heartillia. Noah sat himself on a wonderfully soft bed and if he hadn¡¯t been distracted, he would¡¯ve noticed the temperature being a pleasant cool, with a little magical light runes lighting up the insides. But right now, all he could think of was the quest. Opening his menu, he tried to search for any more information, but nothing showed up within the message, or his mini map. No quest markers, and no guidance points. He continued to look for information when a knock at the door interrupted him. Noah frowned, wondering who it could be, when a familiar voice called out. ¡°I have something to discuss,¡± Erwest said from outside the door. Noah stared in surprise, not expecting the man. Opening the door, he saw Aurelia standing behind the tall pdin. ¡°Sure,¡± he said a momentter, walking aside as the two of them entered and took a seat. Noah walked to the bed, before he decided to grab the chair instead. Taking a seat as he picked one of the fruits from the table, Noah looked at the Pdin. ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Before we discuss, do either of you have some method to make our conversation private?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°Not really. I didn¡¯t bring any wards with me,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I could bring you two into my Dimensional Storage. Can¡¯t get more private than that,¡± Noah replied. ¡°No. And it didn¡¯t work on mest time, did it?¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I¡¯ve grown since, and I managed it on Raesar. I¡¯m sure I can do it,¡± Noah said. ¡°Still no, I would rather not,¡± Aurelia leaned back, crossing her arms. ¡°How would the Dimensional Pocket work?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°I just touch you, and then bring you two inside with me, and then I use meditation to keep up my mana for as long as I can,¡± Noah said. ¡°You may feel a bit dizzy from the scene inside though.¡± Erwest considered it, before giving a nod. ¡°Very well.¡± The pdin turned to look at Aurelia and Noah followed his gaze. Aurelia seemed like she wanted to refuse. Her eyebrow twitched, before she let out a reluctant sigh. ¡°Fine. But I don¡¯t want to stay in there a second longer than I have to.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯ll need your hands.¡± Reaching out and grabbing their hands, Noah activated Dimensional Pocket. His mana whirred, straining. For a moment Noah wondered if the ability would fail, but the spell kicked in with its familiar blue light as the three of them were transported inside. Swirling colors ofyered space moved all around the three, and Noah let go of their hands, focusing on activating meditation. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to keep you here for long, so let¡¯s be quick with our discussion.¡± Aurelia murmured something, as a ball of light flew around her. ¡°It is about Lord Krios. I do not trust him,¡± Erwest said. ¡°Oh?¡± Noah asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°The man seemed quite friendly and nice to me.¡± ¡°Friendly and nice do not mean he is good in nature. I think we should refuse his quest,¡± Erwest said. ¡°While I don¡¯t particrly disagree, but I¡¯m not sure why you think he cannot be trusted. It is his city that will be wiped out should a rift open,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°The why I do not know, but I find his timing too convenient. A rift to a vault within an abyssal cult that can only hold D rankers at best. Given his position, he should have the ability to call for any kind of adventurer he wishes for, but he chose to call the two of you, provincial adventurers without any track record besides the cult raid on Iron Fist. And me, a pdin of the Hellion¡¯s Church. His actions do not make sense,¡± Erwest said. Noah frowned. ¡°I think you¡¯re being too suspicious. Are you sure it¡¯s not because he warned me against the Hellion¡¯s Church?¡± Erwest looked at Noah for a long moment. ¡°No, it is not. I understand what my church stands for. Lord Krios can have his own opinions, but what he said was ultimately the truth. The goddess is not her church, we are her limbs, her tools to carry out justice. But we are not, and can never be her.¡± ¡°You say that, but being told that would still make you biased, don¡¯t you think. Not to mention, the convenience thing sounds too stretched to me. I don¡¯t see any reason for the Lord to lie to us about this. What would he even gain from it?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I agree with Noah on this one. I can¡¯t think of any reason for Lord Krios to be against us,¡± Aurelia said. Erwest sat quietly for a moment, before nodding. ¡°Regardless, I believe we should remain focused on our mission at hand. We are here to stop the Abyssal cult, not raid them for treasures or gain favours with a Lord.¡± ¡°So you say, but the astral rift could end up leading us closer to whatever the cult has been doing in these parts. I think it only makes sense to go investigate further,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Not to mention, I need tomes to rank up. And this quest could be the way for me to obtain them.¡± ¡°There are other ways to obtain tomes,¡± Erwest said. ¡°Are they as fast? Each day we waste is a day closer to an Abyssal Rift opening here and wiping the city out,¡± Noah said. The two red at each other for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s leave this talk forter. First we need to find out more information,¡± Aurelia said, breaking the tension. ¡°Indeed. And you two need training,¡± Erwest. ¡°Me, I get, I¡¯m new. But Aurelia?¡± Noah asked, surprised. ¡°She is not much better than you. She has some training, so she¡¯s not wild like you are, but her basics are weak. She has not even mastered her aura properly yet. All signs of someone who has not had any guidance on their Path.¡± Noah looked at Aurelia, but the woman simply shrugged. ¡°He¡¯s not wrong. I never had a teacher. I¡¯ve just been stumbling my way around through the dark.¡± ¡°Which is fine for an F ranker, but a D ranker needs to be better. Regardless, she is not the one I am the most concerned about,¡± Erwest said, before turning to Noah. ¡°You are.¡± ¡°I can hold my own,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I did in the fight with Iron Fist.¡± ¡°You nearly died that day. It was the All-Mother who saved you,¡± Erwest replied. ¡°Touche. But I took down two people, both a higher level than me.¡± ¡°They underestimated you. What would you have done had they been prepared? If they had run away to wait out your abilities, had they been using more defensive measures? You won¡¯t have your advantages forever. At some point, people will recognise that you are an explosion. Dangerous at a short distance, but easy to avoid. You can punch at a level above you should be able to, but it drains you. You have no stamina. And that will get you killed sooner thanter.¡± Noah looked at Erwest, feeling surprised by his words. ¡°Well¡­ I guess you aren¡¯t wrong,¡± he admitted. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to hear any of this from you though.¡± ¡°If I am to be a part of this team, I would like to do my job properly. And what you have here, is not a team. We are merely three individuals fighting together, and hoping for the best. If we wish to do something as dangerous as infiltrating a cult, we need to work as one,¡± Erwest said. ¡°What do you have in mind then?¡± Aurelia asked. Erwest looked at the woman, and then nodded. ¡°Our quick arrival will be a boon. We will be infiltrating the cult as escaped cultists and adventurers, the only reasonable path for any of them to take would be by foot. And given the distance, it would take a month for them to arrive. At the very least, three weeks. We will have that amount of time to train you two, and learn more about what is happening in this city.¡± ¡°How exactly will we be training?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Your shackles are good for willpower. Keep using them. But your body needs honing. You have also used skill tomes without any real foundation. I will be fixing that so you can better use your weapon. Then, over anything else, we will practice Aura control. It is not something an F ranker would normally need to know, but your case is special. You will learn to suppress your Aura, and how to use it on others for dominance. How to hide where you are, and obscure your location and how to move without being detected,¡± Erwest said. ¡°We¡¯ll also need to make sure we get a tome that will help Noah with stealth. My eyepath will help with scouting and I can hide myself if need be. I did grow up in Nixis, so I¡¯m familiar with blending in shadows and moving undetected.¡± ¡°Sorry to interrupt,¡± Noah said, wincing. ¡°But I¡¯m almost out.¡± A momentter, he let his ability turn off, as the three of them returned back to the chamber with a pop. Breathing in, Noah felt the high mana density quickly filling him back up, and he saw a notification telling him Dimensional Pocket had leveled up. ¡°I believe we have our ns made,¡± Erwest said, standing up. Noah stood up as well. ¡°Indeed. So, what¡¯s first on the menu?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± Erwest asked. ¡°We¡¯ll be training. So what¡¯s first?¡± Noah asked. ¡°You want to start¡­ right now?¡± Erwest asked, looking surprised. ¡°Sure,¡± Noah shrugged before grinning at the man. ¡°No better time than now to start.¡± Book 2: Chapter 14 — Aura Training Book 2: Chapter 14 ¡ª Aura Training The Lord had been happy enough to lend the three of them his training ground when inquired. Noah now sat on a dirt floor that was clearly created with magic given its uniformity. The walls of the chamber were covered in protective shielding, with a bunch of training equipment set around the chamber. One of which were a bunch of swinging targets set behind a course of thin wooden poles that kept moving around in a dizzying manner, clearly powered by some sort of array Aurelia was standing on said poles, dodging the little strikes that came her way while trying her best to use her mes and ash to only damage the target on the other end of the training course without burning anything else. Noah found himself wishing he was in her ce instead. ¡°Pay attention,¡± Erwest said, and Noah turned to look back at the pdin. Erwest was seated with his legs crossed in front of Noah, carrying a bundle of pebbles in his hand that he¡¯d asked Noah to give him. ¡°When you said training, I was imagining something with a bit more movement,¡± Noah replied, ncing back at Aurelia. ¡°You¡¯re not ready for that. And your abilities don¡¯t require as much control as hers do,¡± Erwest replied. ¡°We are not here to indulge, but to fix the things that you two arecking in.¡± Noah sighed, knowing the man had a point. He did not like it when Erwest used logic to convince him. ¡°Right, go ahead. I¡¯m paying attention.¡± ¡°As I was saying. Your Aura is an extension of your soul, so the more in tune you feel with it, the more control you can exercise over yourself. Right now, your Aura is unstable, wild, running without control and fraying at the edges. Your body is adapting to it quickly, but your aura has still not obtained control of itself,¡± Erwest said. ¡°So how do I obtain control over my aura?¡± Noah asked. ¡°The easiest method is to obtain an aura ability. It allows you direct control over your aura and how you use it.¡± ¡°Aura ability?¡± Noah asked. ¡°An ability that works in tandem with your aura. There are quite a few of them in existence. Healing aura abilities, blood aura, death aura, divine auras.¡± ¡°Should I have one then? I don¡¯t think I do.¡± ¡°No, aura abilities are notpulsory. They are merely the easiest way to gain control over your aura.¡± Noah raised an eyebrow. ¡°What¡¯s the hard way then?¡± A rare hint of a smile reflected on Erwest¡¯s face. ¡°Aura resistance training. You already know how Aura suppression makes abilities harder to activate and cost more mana, correct?¡± Noah gave a nod. He had felt the effects with the blood grafted horror, and especially so with the Ascendant Wyrm. ¡°That is an effect of Aura suppression. But if you can control your own Aura, you can resist the suppression. It¡¯s harder, but this is another method to gain control of your own aura. I will use my own Aura on you, and suppress you with it. Try and focus on my aura pushing against yours, and push back with your own,¡± Erwest said. ¡°Now, if you¡¯re ready, I¡¯ll begin.¡± Noah gave a thumbs up, and Erwest let his aura out. It was a golden shimmer, simr to the divine aura he¡¯d felt from Hellion herself but subtly different. More stern, with a stronger sense of ideals in it. Noah felt the aura pushing on his shoulders, like a weight that he was being crushed under. It wasn¡¯t anything he couldn¡¯t bear, but the sensation was still ufortable. Any mana usage felt simr to walking underwater, like every movement he made carried an extra weight to it. Noah closed his eyes, trying to focus on Erwest¡¯s aura. His mind returned to his first battle with Raesar and how the man hadbined the weight of his aura and his own body to pin him in ce. He thought of the Ascendant Wyrm, with its aura so overwhelming and powerful that even his heart had stopped beating under its pressure. He imagined the feeling of helplessness that hade with the event. The feeling of paralysis andck of control, where even fighting back had not been an option he could have. Noah let the feeling fill his mind. The image changed, from the Wyrm, and Raesar, to the sight of his mother, lying on the hospital bed, her skin wrinkled beyond her age and her hair thinned out from the chemotherapy. Even back then, he had been helpless. Noah bared his teeth as he pushed. He would not be helpless in this world. The aura pressure buckled, but Erwest redoubled the strength as the weight on Noah¡¯s shoulder increased. He could feel the man¡¯s strength now, the power that was carried in his aura. It was disciplined, controlled, and intent on crushing him entirely. For a moment, he almost felt as if the man was trying to kill him, but he knew the feeling to be an illusion from his mind. Yet, Noah let the illusion continue, using the threat. His heart raced faster in his chest, and Noah leaned on his survival instincts. He tried to imagine a nket enveloping him, covering him from all sides of his body, like an armor around him. ¡°I will be using my full strength now,¡± Erwest said. Noah nodded lightly, before he felt as if a boulder had copsed on his shoulders. He nearly buckled under the weight, but somehow managed to keep himself upright. Picturing the nket once more, he slowly began to expand it back, outside of himself. He imagined wisps flowing around him, weak, and malleable. Slowly, inch by inch, Noah began to gather those wisps together. It was hard, the pressure on his shoulder made him grit his teeth as his newly enhanced muscles tensed under the strain. He gathered the wisps all around him, making them denser and denser. Soon, theyer was thicker, it extended only an inch outside his body. But it was firm, and unbending. Noah felt the weight slided off of him, as he breathed easier. He continued to pull the wisp closer, as the nk was nearly intermingled with his skin. But it was dense, vibrating with power as it held the weight of the aura crashing upon him. Noah opened his eyes, looking back at Erwest. The pressure was still there, but now, it felt more like a bag he was carrying, rather than a boulder that was crushing him under itself. ¡°Congrattions,¡± Erwest said. ¡°You¡¯ve learned how to control your aura.¡± Erwest¡¯s aura slid off of him, and Noah wiped the sweat off his forehead, before giving the man a pleased grin. ¡°Do not be too happy just yet. Learning to control your Aura is barely the first step, you must also learn to be precise with it, conceal it when needed, and use it on others for your advantage like I did just now,¡± Erwest said. ¡°Sure boss, no happiness, got it,¡± Noah replied, his smile still fixed upon his face. Erwest did notment, but Noah thought he could see the man letting out the quietest of sighs which pleased him immensely. ¡°Blindfold yourself with this,¡± Erwest said, handing him a white piece of cloth. Noah grabbed the cloth, looking at it for any magical hints. Not finding anything, he put the blindfold on his eyes. ¡°I can still sort of see things with this,¡± Noah said. ¡°How many fingers do I have showing,¡± Erwest asked. Noah frowned. ¡°Three,¡± he replied. ¡°I had none,¡± Erwest said. ¡°Now close your eyes as well. The blindfold is merely to make sure you cannot cheat.¡± Noah closed his eyes, wondering just how this would be helping him train his aura. A momentter, he felt a sharp pain on his forehead as something struck him right in the centre. ¡°Ouch,¡± Noah eximed, rubbing his forehead as he grabbed the item, realising it was the pebble he had given Erwest. ¡°What the hell? What was that for?¡± ¡°That, is your next training exercise,¡± Erwest said. ¡°Like I mentioned, your aura is a part of your soul. Right now, it is concentrated around you, but you can also use it to sense anything moving towards you. With enough training, just my intent to throw the pebble will be sufficient to warn you.¡± ¡°You could¡¯ve told me that before you hit me,¡± Noah said. Erwest did not respond, but Noah had a feeling the man had a pleased look on his face. Focusing on the nket, which he now knew was his Aura, Noah let it expand outwards. His aura shifted, returning to its previous state and Noah focused his attention on feeling any movement. Something shifted around his aura and he moved to dodge. The pebble struck his chest this time and Noah feels the sting of the rock. Given his resistance and upgraded body, the Pdin had to be throwing it really hard for it to sting like this. The exercise continued, as Noah tried to dodge any pebbles thrown his way. He found it easier whenever his head was targeted, soon bing capable of dodging most projectiles aimed at his forehead. But Erwest did not make it easy. Whenever Noah got the hang of a particr body part, he would switch it up. Throwing the pebbles in random directions and sometimes just letting them hop into hisp just to make him flinch before throwing another. Dodging on his arms was harder, his instincts not as concerned for damage to his limbs, and thus, making his focus less sharp. As the hours passed, Noah felt his body feeling sore from all the pebble strikes he had taken. He rubbed his arms, and chest, as he pulled off the blindfold. ¡°We¡¯ll move on to thest exercise now,¡± Erwest said. Noah sighed in relief. He was d for the sense training to be over. ¡°Thest exercise is concealment. The most important one for our purposes,¡± Erwest said. ¡°It¡¯s also something you already know how to do, just not consciously.¡± Noah raised an eyebrow at that. ¡°Concealment is simple. And simr to Aura resistance. To hide your Aura, all you must do is withdraw it within yourself. Imagine your soul extending out of your body. Your vessel has gaps, and your aura is what escapes from it. To hide it, you need to take hold of that aura and confine it within your body. Merge the two together so there is no separation left.¡± Noah followed the words, picturing his aura. Focusing on the wisps around him, he tried to pull them back into himself. The first step came easily, his aura gathering around his body as it formed ayer around him. The next step was much harder. No matter how Noah tried, his aura would not move inside his body. He continued pushing, forming the aura into denser and denseryers, but the wisps insisted on forming outside, instead of moving inwards. ¡°You¡¯re trying to force it. Don¡¯t force the aura, let it naturally settle inwards. Think of it as curling your limbs in. You¡¯re returning something that has always belonged inside you,¡± Erwest said. Noah tried to change his image, letting the Aura expand. Instead of pushing from the outside, he began to pull. Like a gentle tug, he let his aura sink in somewhere inside him. Noah focused on that ce, the source where he could feel his Aura connect to. It was a part of him, something he could sense within himself. Letting that part of him reach out, Noah called his aura. This time, it moved, slowly submerging itself into his body. Bit by bit, Noah gathered his aura, until it was all inside of himself. He felt oddly full, like a vase crammed too full with earth, and ready to burst out. His body tensed, as he kept a tight grip on his aura. Noah opened his eyes, and saw Erwest frowning as he looked at him. It took him a moment to notice why. ncing down, Noah saw shapes running across his arms and legs, and covering his body in red, blue and ck shimmering patterns. The runes shifted color, changing form as they faded in and out of existence. ¡°Is this¡­ supposed to happen?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Not normally, no,¡± Erwest replied. ¡°But sometimes Auras can take on new forms whenpressed.¡± Noah looked at his tattoos. They were barely visible now and if he focused he could make them fade with a thought. ¡°It feels like¡­ I have too much magic inside me somehow.¡± ¡°This could be a result of your aura being toorge for your current vessel,¡± Erwest said. ¡°Your soul is stronger than you, and so your Aura has to find ways to distribute that energy, taking on this form. That¡¯s the best example I can think of right now,¡± Erwest replied. ¡°So there shouldn¡¯t be a problem then?¡± ¡°I doubt there will be. For now, continue holding your aura, and meditate. I will be leaving to gather information, stay here till you¡¯ve trained enough to keep your Aura concealed while you go about your day,¡± Erwest instructed before standing up. Walking up to Aurelia, he gave her some instructions as well, before he headed out of the training chamber. Noah sat where he was, looking at his tattoos, feeling them re if he allowed mana to flow in them. Feeling happy about the change, he closed his eyes once again, focusing on meditating as he kept a grip on his aura. Hours passed as he meditated, his control improving with every breath, and soon, Noah was walking around the arena while keeping meditation active and his aura concealed inside of him. After a while, he found his willpower exhausted, his control starting to slip and Noahy on the dirt floor, letting his mind rx for a moment. With some free time, he opened up his notifications. You¡¯ve learned [Aura Control]! [Aura Control] level 0 ¡ú 4! Aura Strength C0 ¡ú C1. Will Power C1 ¡ú C2. He heard footstepse near him but didn¡¯t open his eyes to look at Aurelia. ¡°I¡¯m going to a tavern, you want toe?¡± she asked, standing over him. ¡°I¡¯ll pass today, thanks,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I¡¯m surprised, it seems like Erwest really ran you down,¡± Aurelia said, before she headed out of the chamber. Noah waited for a few moments, till he was sure Aurelia was gone. Pulling himself up, he called for Tony and the eyeball manifested near him. ¡°Hey bud, found anything interesting?¡± Tony shook his eye, before sending him a feeling that Noah tried tomunicate. ¡°Too many guards?¡± Noah asked and Tony gave a nod. ¡°That¡¯s fine, we can take our time to look,¡± Noah said. ¡°For now, let¡¯s head out. I¡¯ve got some ns.¡± Tony let out a cheer that Noah felt through their bond. The eyeball flew around his shoulder as Noah made his way out of the Lord¡¯s castle. He had some Tome-crafters to find. Book 2: Chapter 15 — The Modern Leisures of Magic Book 2: Chapter 15 ¡ª The Modern Leisures of Magic Noah walked out of the giant gates of the Lord¡¯s castle, finding himself standing on a giant path paved with neatly carved stones and concrete pathways. Lamplights stood at intervals, oddly Victorian in their design, but themp itself shimmered with magic runes running up its length, betraying its nature. Noah took in the sights, watching carriages move past him without any animals drawing them as they left a trail of mana behind their paths. Taking the footpath, Noah took in the sight as he aimlessly wandered around. Tony flew alongside him, drawing a couple of nces from nearby people, but few found his presence odd, most seeming uninterested after their initial curiosity. Noah looked at the people around him, noticing almost everyone had silver colored hair, that shone with a near ethereal luster. With the majority having deep blue eyes. Using identify, he could see all sorts of people walking around the city, though few of them appeared to have anybat rted Paths. Climbing up an overhead crossing, Noah found his eyes attracted by a central za with a gathering of people standing around it. Walking closer, he noticed a water fountain, but the water was held horizontally midair, like a screen, as images disyed on it, with an apanying spell providing the sound. ¡°Holy crap, they have Televisions here,¡± Noah eximed to himself, watching the people looking at a beautiful woman with silver hair announcing some kind of news about the empire¡¯s politics that he didn¡¯t understand. Noah walked around, feeling impressed by just how different this ce felt from every other ce he¡¯d been to so far. It hammered home the realisation that he had only barely seen this world and all it had to offer. Walking around the za Noah¡¯s sight was caught by the trainworks that flew overhead in carriage-likepartments. Following the roads, he soon found the entry station as he made his way in. A guard stood at the entrance, silver hair and blue eyes like everyone else, but the man had a rotund figure, and a thick moustache, giving him an oddly human like appearence. Noah quietly wondered to himself if he was a half Celestian like Nae. ¡°Hey man, how much does a ticket cost?¡± Noah asked the guard. ¡°Do you have a sky-rail pass?¡± the guard asked, looking him up and down. ¡°I don¡¯t think I do,¡± Noah replied. ¡°You can buy a ticket at the counter then, but they¡¯ll need to see some documents or an entry permit,¡± the guard said, losing interest. ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah said, walking past the entrance before standing at the counter. A woman stood behind, with light brown hair and green eyes, clearly human. ¡°How can I help you sir?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to get a ticket,¡± Noah said. ¡°Sure thing. Do you have an entry permit, or a verification form?¡± ¡°Will this work?¡± Noah asked, taking out his adventurer registration form. The woman frowned for a moment, taking a look. ¡°Ah¡­ Outerworlder,¡± she looked back at Noah, staring at him. Noah smiled, waving at her. ¡°Yup. Nice world you guys have. Maybe a bit too violent though.¡± The woman handed him back the form. ¡°Apologies. I have just never met an Outerworlder before. Ie from a much more remote ce.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯d stare if an alien popped up in front of me and said hi too,¡± Noah said, chuckling to himself at the image. ¡°Here¡¯s your ticket. It¡¯s a day pass. If you want to ride tomorrow, you¡¯ll have to get another one.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah said, grabbing the ticket as he walked further into the station. After reading the notice boards with the sky-rail schedules, he decided to take the one leading to the far end of the city. He was curious where the wall and the bridge led to. After waiting for around fifteen minutes, his ride came along. Noah noticed the sky-rails were a lot like older trains, with wooden walls and design structure. He saw metallic hinges attached at the top, connecting the train with a magical script that ran along the entirety of the rail track. The doors opened up as Noah walked in, before taking a seat. ¡°The modern leisures of magic, huh,¡± Noah murmured with a smile. There were a couple people already inside. Two Celestians, and one person with blue skin and sharp ears that he couldn¡¯t recognize from any species he knew of. The man nced back at Noah, making him look away. In a few seconds, the sky-rail started moving, and Noah watched the city pass by him. Despite the familiarity, there was no denying that this ce was nothing like his old world. The magic may have allowed simr kinds of advancements to ur, but the simrities were mostly superficial in nature. Even so, he still found himself feeling nostalgic for the first time since he had arrived here. Maybe one day he¡¯d be able to go back home and apologize to his friends, and tell them what a crazy adventure he had been on. As the sky-rail moved through the city, Noah started to see the wall near the other end. Unlike Windrest, this wall seemed to divide the city into two halves with multiple bridges leading the way across from one side to the other. ¡°I wonder what¡¯s on the other side,¡± Noah said out loud to himself. ¡°You¡¯re new?¡± the man seated next to him asked. ¡°Yeah, not really from here. First time in the city,¡± Noah replied. ¡°The bridge there leads to the Old capital. People just call it the Old Heartillia now. How did you even get inside if you haven¡¯t gone through there?¡± "Teleportation. Long range teleportation. So I¡¯m making my way from the inside out.¡± ¡°Must have been some impressive magic if it got you through the entire city,¡± the man said. ¡°Probably,¡± Noah replied, ncing out. ¡°What did you mean by old capital?¡± ¡°You must be from somewhere really far if you don¡¯t know. The old city of heartillia was where Melior¡¯s first capital was, back during the human empire era. Then the Celestians came and decided to build a new city, but they kept the old one as it was.¡± ¡°Huh, so the Celestians took over?¡± Noah asked. ¡°No, it was the alliance. When the kingdom changed from a monarchy to a democracy. Well, sort of. The aristocracy still has some power and the king still lives in his pce,¡± the man said. ¡°I only see one pce here, and that¡¯s Lord Krios, right? Where is the King then?¡± ¡°In one of the central kingdoms. He doesn¡¯t actually live here anymore. Probably not interested in living at the edge of civilization when he can live it up with the rest of the rich folks.¡± ¡°Huh, so the council runs the country then?¡± ¡°They do. Every city has either a Governor or a Lord, and they form the members of the ruling council. Them and the three churches and the adventurers guild effectively form the ruling body. If you go to the central kingdoms, you¡¯ll also find the mage guild, and the schr¡¯s guild and many others, but here only the adventurer¡¯s guild runs things.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Noah said, listening to the man talk. ¡°Well, that¡¯s my stop,¡± the man said, getting up from his seat. ¡°If you¡¯re heading to Old Heartillia, I¡¯ll advise caution. That half of the city has seen better days, and with the recent cult incursions, crime lords seem to run the ce.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind,¡± Noah replied and the man stepped off. He continued on his ride for about half an hour more before his stop was reached as well. Stepping of the sky-rail Noah noticed this station was a lot less maintained than the one he had started from. Walking out, he stepped onto the streets, before making his way towards the bridge. A small river ran underneath the bridge, and Noah could see some structures below that indicated the ce would open up to allow for ships to pass. He nced sideways, noticing docks in the distance with boats and fishermen going about their day. As he reached the gates, he noticed most of the traffic wasing into the city, with very few walking back out towards the old capital. ¡°You there, stop!¡± a voice called out, stopping Noah in his tracks. He turned and saw a guard walking up to a merchant making his way into the city. The guard this time was a human man, with a pale brown uniform instead of the white and blue striped ones he had seen earlier. ¡°Did you pay for entry?¡± the guard asked the merchant. ¡°I have a pass,¡± the merchant replied, taking out a sheet of paper. ¡°The pass is different. You need to pay a fee if you want to enter. One E grade mana crystal,¡± the guard said, growing visibly irritated. Noah could tell something was off by the expression of others watching the scene happen, but none seemed to be interfering. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have that much on me,¡± the merchant said. ¡°Then we¡¯ll take the cart,¡± the guard said, walking around. Using blink, he stepped closer, putting an arm around the merchant. ¡°Hey there buddy, long time no see,¡± Noah said, looking at the merchant who nced back at him in confusion. ¡°Is something the matter here? My friend here has a delivery for Lord Krios, an urgent one. I¡¯m not sure the Lord will be happy to hear his favorite son¡¯s request was dyed because of you,¡± Noah said, pulling out the envelope within which he¡¯d received the Lord¡¯s letter as he showed off the insignia. The guard looked displeased, but grunted once. ¡°Let him go.¡± The merchant looked at Noah, and Noah gave the man a wink. ¡°I knew you were a reasonable man my friend. Now how about I pay you in that man¡¯s stead, and you can let me know where I can find something I¡¯ve been looking for,¡± Noah said, taking out an E-grade mana crystal from his inventory which he held out to them. ¡°I want a Tome crafter. One who may not have issues about working with some¡­ unusual requests. If you catch my meaning.¡± The guards looked at each other, before one turned towards Noah. ¡°The Pit has one, but he works for the big boss. You¡¯ll have to talk to him directly,¡± the guard said. ¡°Appreciate it,¡± Noah said, tossing the crystal to the guard before he made his way across the gates. The bridge had an incline rising up to the middle before sloping downwards, allowing Noah to have a look at the old capital as he entered. The architecture on this side was a lot closer to what Windrest had been, with stone and wooden houses, and rtively short buildings. The main street was paved but not nearly as well maintained, with a lot more dirt and filth littering everything in sight. The people were also more varied here, barely any with silver hair or features standing on this side of the track and most wearing far more tamer and cheaper looking clothing. There were also far more people here, the city streets feeling narrower than they actually were, felt much more crowded, with animals, wagons and people moving around in a constant bustle. Noah walked through the streets, taking his surroundings in. He really should¡¯ve asked where the Pit was when he left, but he figured exploring would not hurt either. He felt slightly apprehensive at just walking into what looked to be a den of crime, yet at the same time his teleport abilities meant it would be hard to catch him if he really needed to escape. Noah had kept some mana stones in his inventory as well, just in case. Tony stirred in his chest with the desire to help. The Abyssal symbiote had done some reading as Noah was training and gave him the general gist of it the best he could from their bond. Tome crafters were hoarded. Viciously so. Any and all that existed were under employment of powerful merchants or lords, and were kept a close guarded secret. If Noah wanted to have any chance to get the tomes he wanted, he would need to do it through less than pleasant avenues. Walking around, Noah noticed more than a few eyes looking his way. He did not wear any fancy clothing, but his white hair likely made him seem like a Celestian walking around in this part of the city. His off-tone skin color also did not help with it either. It didn¡¯t take more than five minutes before he felt something around his back pocket. Noah would not have noticed it without his aura sensing so he grudgingly thanked Erwest in his head as he grabbed the offending hand. A teenager gaped at him like an idiot as Noah looked at the boy, using identify. [Pickpocket - lvl 24] ¡°I was expecting something like this,¡± Noah said and the kid tried to pull his hand but Noah¡¯s grip remained firm. A momentter, he saw four other kidse out of the shadows. One of whom took out a knife. [Thug - lvl 38] ¡°I wouldn¡¯t if I were you,¡± Noah warned. The kids jumped him at once, leaping and Noah teleported. People moved away, the crowd separating as Noah appeared behind the kid with the knife. The boy was fast, turning as he swung at Noah, but Noah was much faster. Grabbing the knife he pped it out of the boy¡¯s hand before kicking him in the gut. Trying not to be too rough, he grabbed the kid by his cor. Starforged arms moved on hismand as they disarmed the rest of the kids with any weapons as well, bringing the knives, daggers and one bottle of some kind of liquid to him. The other kids were already long gone, having abandoned the boy in Noah¡¯s arms. He looked at the items before throwing them in his inventory. ¡°We¡¯re¡­ sorry. Made a mistake. W-We won¡¯t touch you again. I promise,¡± the kid whimpered. ¡°No shit. Unless you want to be kicked again,¡± Noah said as he saw the kid looking at him with a pale face. ¡°Anyway. This makes things easy. I''m looking for the big boss of the Pit, where can I find him.¡± For whatever reason, the boy¡¯s face turned pale at his words, far more so than it had before. ¡°H-he¡¯s down the street, take the third right and y-you¡¯ll find an entrance with a guard. The pit is there.¡± ¡°It better not be a lie,¡± Noah said, letting the kid drop on the ground as he scampered away like the rest of his crew. Shaking his head, Noah made his way ahead, following the directions. Time to meet this big boss of the Pit. Book 2: Chapter 16 — Big Boss of the Pit Book 2: Chapter 16 ¡ª Big Boss of the Pit The Pit was both an easy and hard ce to find. Hard because Noah had to walk through thin alleyways and go through shady looking ces until he found a door with no symbol or signs to denote anything. Easy, because once you knew where to look, it was hard to mistake the giant structure. The pit was a dome carved beneath the earth, with seats of earth forming a viewing arena, inside of which warriors would fight each other to the amusement of their audiences. There were no real safety precautions and the cost of viewing seats got higher the higher up they were, so if you wished to watch from a safe distance, that safety was going to cost. Noah walked through the halls outside of the fighting arena itself. He had expected to have to argue with the guards or be stopped on the way, but somehow, no one had tried to keep him. He did have to ask for directions a couple of times, each interaction being slightly awkward as people stared at him for long moments, unsure of what or who exactly he was before they told him where to go. Finding a door with magical enchantments on it, Noah presumed he was at the right ce. After coughing once, he knocked, but found the door to already be open. Two men and one woman were inside, the men seated on sofas with food set on a small table and mugs of ale in their hand. The woman sat on arge chair in the center, looking at him in confusion. She had dark blue hair, with two fox-like ears and a tail behind her back, with a scar running across her jaw up to her left eye. [Dream Snatcher - ??] ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± she barked. ¡°Someone who wants to talk,¡± Noah said, shutting the door behind him. The guys had stood up by now, their hands ready at their sides. Both were D-rank and while Noah was confident in his ability to escape, he was hoping it didn¡¯te to a fight. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a Tome-crafter, and I was pointed towards you. Need someone who can work with some unconventional requests,¡± Noah said. The woman looked at Noah, before raising her hand as the two men pulled back. ¡°You think you can just walk in here and ask me for things? How did they even let you in?¡± Noah gave a shrug. ¡°He looks like one of them damned Celestian. They probably thought he was an officer. Not many folks with white hair,¡± one of the men standing nearby said. ¡°I¡¯m not here to make demands, just ask. And I will pay,¡± Noah said. ¡°Pay huh? No, I¡¯m not interested in crystals,¡± the woman said, taking a sip before she licked her lips revealing two fangs. ¡°Why don¡¯t you pay me with your body?¡± ¡°What?¡± Noah blurted, taken aback by thement. The womanughed, before pointing outside the ss window behind here. ¡°Get in there, and fight. I lost a fighter yesterday, you¡¯ll do as a recement. If you win, I¡¯ll let you talk.¡± Noah considered the option, ncing out into the Pit. ¡°What¡¯re the rules?¡± "You either surrender or you die. Quite simple, really," the woman said, taking a sip out of her wine ss. ¡°Sure, how many will I have to fight?¡± The two men nearby burst intoughter at his words. ¡°Guy here thinks he can survive against more than one!¡± ¡°Shut up you two,¡± the woman snapped. ¡°Three. Three rounds, three opponents.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name, boy,¡± the woman asked. ¡°Noah Brown. You?¡± ¡°You can call me Vix,¡± the woman said. ¡°Let¡¯s see what you can do.¡± *** Noah stood in the waiting arena, feeling a little strange to be here. People had gathered as the day had passed and now a crowd of onlookers was seated all around, as crystals exchanged hands and alcohol began to loosen inhibitions. A few momentster, Noah saw a man with a box in his hand take up one of the central tforms. ¡°WE¡¯VE GOT SOMETHING EXCITING TODAY!¡± a loud voice boomed through the arena. ¡°A NEW F RANKED CHALLENGER, NOAH BROWN, HERE TO TAKE ON THREE FIGHTS, FOR A PRIZE. THE FIRST FIGHT? AGAINST THE QUAKER!¡± Noah winced at the loud booming announcement, as people cheered and shouted in a cacophony of noises. Some seemed like slurs against Celestians, while others were shouting how long he wouldst and making bets. The ground shook for a moment and Noah watched a sturdy and well built topless man walk through. He had leather wrapped around his waist with ws forming the buckle. The man screamed in a loud roar as he stepped through and Noah used Identify. [Stone Carved Warrior - lvl 82] Noah prepared for his own fight, deciding to start with just his spear. The man was shorter than Noah, but with a much stronger physique. Though Noah already knew that with magic being a thing, physique was not a good way to tell how strong someone was. After all, he¡¯d had his own body modified to grow beyond normal limits. Taking out his spear, Noah stood, ready for the fight. The man looked at him, before snorting. ¡°You¡¯re in over your head kid. Surrender and I¡¯ll let you go with only a few broken bones.¡± Noah didn¡¯t respond to the taunt, though the words did bring a grin on his face. ¡°NOW. LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!¡± The man let out a roar, his voice vibrating the air as he raised a foot and stamped it down. Spikes of rock jut from the ground, shaking the earth and the entire Pit. Noah teleported, jumping in the air. Charging up Obliterate, he shot arms of void towards the man, before throwing his spear. Dimensional Pocket whirred, as the spear vanished midair, before shooting from behind the man. To his opponent¡¯s credit, the man moved fast, preventing the spear from skewering him right through the middle, and taking the hit to his arm. Noah didn¡¯t stop, teleporting closer as he struck with his fists at the Quaker¡¯s chest. Grabbing the spear back in his hand, he dodged the shards of rock shooting towards him with Blink, before putting his spear at his opponent¡¯s throat. The Quaker stared at the de, pressing against his neck as a droplet of blood slid down. ¡°Your arm can still heal from the rot after you cut it out. But your neck won¡¯t,¡± Noah said, and the man raised his arms. ¡°I¡­ surrender,¡± The Quaker said. The arena remained silent for a moment. ¡°A-AND THE WINNER IS NOAH! J-JUST WHAT HAPPENED HERE? THE QUAKER HAS LOST IN UNDER A MINUTE!¡± Cheers now shook the Pit, boos and jeers mixed in with loud cheering noises from any who had bet on him. Noah smiled, enjoying the attention as he gave a bow to the audience. ¡°So, who¡¯s next?¡± Noah shouted, looking around. ¡°A CONFIDENT CHALLENGER, AND NOT WITHOUT REASON. BUT WILL HE BEAT THE VOLT? THE MAN WHO CANNOT SPEAK, CANNOT SURRENDER!¡± From the other entrance, Noah watched the next contestante through. The man was huge, taller than Noah by a good bit with a massive body and no hair or eyebrows. He wore thick armor, with his lower jaw reced with a metallic contraption of some sort. Noah sensed lightning crackling around the man and used Identify. [Shock-warrior lvl - ??] "GET READY FOR AN ELECTRIFYING SHOWDOWN!" The crowd erupted into cheers, their anticipation palpable. Noah considered his options. Given the rank difference, he had to be at least a little careful this time around. The man struck his fists together, the metal gloves leaving sparks as they touched. ¡°LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!¡± This time, Noah moved first. Striking with his spear, he charged Obliterate as the weapon struck into the armor. A blue shimmer shone on it, as Obliterate buckled, scratching, but unable to pierce through the man. A massive punch covered in electricity shot towards Noah and he dodged the fist, ducking under the attack. Deciding to go all in, he summoned Starforged arms, before using Quadrivium ink to bring out his energy des. The Volt screamed, shing his fists together, as the area around him was covered in lightning. Noah jumped back but found the attack singeing his body and tensing his muscles as one portion of the lightningnded on his body. The Volt rushed forward, using his giant body as the metallic hinge on his mouth opened up, and a concentrated beam of lightning shot towards Noah. Teleporting, Noah dodged, but the man continued, turning his head as the lightning shot again. Moving rapidly, Noah dodged the attacks as his mana faded away. He needed to find a way to strike. Thinking quickly, Noah changed his Quadrivium ink to a bow, shooting mana arrows at the Volt¡¯s face. The bolts struck the lightning shots, nullifying them as Noah closed in. His spear spun around, Bleed and Obliterate running in a frenzy. Pulling his hand back Noah shot the weapon as hard as he could, using Dimensional pocket to teleport it around before striking at the Volt¡¯s neck. The weapon struck, hitting the armor, where lightning exploded from the man¡¯s body. Noah moved in closer, letting obliterate gather on his fingers as his ws formed. shes, he aimed for the metallic attachment at the neck. The volt roared as Noah took a powerful bolt of lightning to his body. Quadrivium ink rapidly formed a shield, blocking most of the impact as Noah struck at the man¡¯s jaw. A heavy punch knocked him back, his ribs aching from the strike, but the damage was instantly healed by lifeblood. Noah skid across the arena, teleporting his spear back into his hands as he watched the Volt standing, with sparksing out of his now dislocated metal jaw. With a roar, the man rushed forward, lightning echoing his trail. Noah dodged sideways, letting the Volt crash into the wall as the arena wall broke. The audience screamed, running away to avoid being crushed and cheers shook the ground. Taking the opportunity, he moved in closer, as he kicked up his way on the Volt¡¯s body and grabbed his neck. The Volt pulled back, lightning coursing through Noah¡¯s body and burning his nerves but Pain Tolerance kept his mind focused. Meditation ran, keeping his mana recharged as lifeblood continued to heal any injuries. The heavy man thrashed before mming himself backwards to crush Noah. Taking the fall, Noah almost felt his ribs being crushed under the weight, but he maintained his grip on the Volt¡¯s neck. His arm muscles bulged as he continued to choke the man, turning his bald face red. After a few moments of thrashing, and one final st of lightning, the Volt passed out. ¡°THE WINNER IS NOAH BROWN!¡± Cheers shook the arena as Noah panted, feeling his body aching in pain. Burns covered him all over and his health was down to nearly half. He took a moment to nce at his stats and felt pleased to see lightning resistance in his skill list, but the feeling was short lived. One match remained, and he was in less than ideal shape now. Feeling blood in his mouth, Noah spit it out. He¡¯d just have to push through. ¡°THE FINAL MATCH REMAINS. THE TERROR OF THE PIT, THE UNTAMED BEAST. SNOW!¡± Noah looked at the entrance, waiting for his opponent. He kept his spear in hand, ready to strike, but the sight of who came out made him pause. A young girl, barely fourteen years old, walked into the arena. Chains tied her hands and legs, a cor around her neck. Her skin was pale, her eyes a deep blue, yet the most striking features were the two ck horns jutting from her forehead. Noah watched the girl, feeling confused. He used Identify, and the Path name made his gut sink. Book 2: Chapter 17 — Dog Fight Book 2: Chapter 17 ¡ª Dog Fight Noah watched the words floating in his vision, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth. [ve - lvl 32] ¡°Is this some kind of sick joke?¡± Noah asked, garneringughs from the crowd. His distaste grew further at the reaction, and he turned to face the girl. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not going to hurt you. If you¡¯re being forced, nod and I¡¯ll surrender,¡± Noah said. The girl looked up at him, her eyes distant. She whispered under her breath, and Noah barely caught the words. ¡°Shadow.¡± Dark wisps gathered around the girl, as her body changed. Noah felt his breath as she saw the young girl transform. Her skin turned pitch dark, her horns growingrger. Her limbs extended as her skull elongated with sharp teeth. Dark fur grew on her body as the chains around her hands and wrists stretched with her new size. Noah felt a shiver run down his spine, as he checked Identify again. [Abyssal Fiend - lvl ??] Anger filled Noah at the sight. The memory of the miner¡¯s suffering, and his pain returning to him. The crowd screamed with more excitement than ever, shouts and screams echoing for the monster. With a roar, the beast lunged. Noah moved, teleported away. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight you!¡± Noah tried, but the beast did not respond. He thought about escaping, but as things were, the monster would chase him out of here. Firming his grip on his spear, Noah steeled his resolve. ws shed at Noah, Void mana pouring through the arena. The beast howled, its body vibrating with fury as it lunged for him. Noah struck with his spear, the ws digging into his weapon, as the rot climbed up the beast¡¯s body. Looking at the red poison, the beast howled, before burning void mana in a fury. The crimson rot burned from the void, as dark red wisps escaped, and Noah felt his concern grow. It can eat through the Rot. The abyssal beast lunged and Noah teleported again, gaining some distance. Shouts echoed through the arena to fight the beast, but Noah maintained his distance, dodging the Abyssal Beasts attacks. His mind raced, trying to think of ideas as he shot projectiles from Starforged Arms to keep the Abyssal Beast engaged in a different direction. The trick onlysted for a while before the Abyssal Beast learned to ignore the arms, and lunged at Noah. He moved deftly, dodging the blows and using his Quadrivium Ink shield at times to block any attacks he couldn¡¯t dodge, but the defensive maneuvering was not his method of fighting, and it was taking a toll on both his stamina and mana. Gritting his teeth, and with no good options avable, Noah began to push back. Striking with his Spear, Noahyered bleed onto the beast, making as many cuts as he could. Each strike left a little bit of Crimson Rot to seep into the Abyssal Beast¡¯s body. And although the Rot would not remain, it would still do damage and destroy parts that would take energy to heal. To add more on top, Noah rubbed his hands on the de of his weapon, as Tonyyered Neurotoxins upon the edge. Now each thrust sent pings to Noah, inflicting Bleed, Rot and Toxin damage that would build up over time. The beast howled, sensing the poison slowly starting to break through its defenses. Growing desperate, the monster red with void mana, jumping back. Noah circled the arena, keeping an eye on it, as he saw a purple ball of energy forming in the beast¡¯s mouth. A momentter, the ball turned into a beam that scattered in multiple directions, curving all around as they shot at Noah. Cursing, Noah blinked away, but found the strikes changing directions to strike at him. Bolts of void shot at him, injuring his abdomen, arms and leg as his clothes were torn and soaked in blood from the barrage. Noah called upon Blood Drain, his injuries healing rapidly inbination with Lifeblood. The beast didn¡¯t give him much time. Shooting another beam of projectiles the monster jumped in the air, beforending on the arena wall. Using the wall as a jumping base, the Abyssal Beast leapt, as ghastly mes filled its mouth, pouring outwards and flooding the arena. Noah teleported into the air, blinking above the beast as hended onto the monster. Grabbing onto the scruff of its neck as hard as he could, Noah stabbed the spear hard. The beast kicked back with a howl, void projectilesunching at Noah from the air around him. The monster¡¯s body twisted, its form changing as abyssal tendrils burst from its back, lunging at Noah. Noah shed his spear, stabbing at a tendril, yet another managed to grab him, mming him into the ground. Noah felt the aura of the beast descend upon him, trying to pin him in ce. The sensation felt like a mountain crushing him, but Noah grit his teeth, and resisted. With Tony¡¯s help Noah cut through the tendril with obliterate powered ws. Pouring as much mana as he could, he flooded Blink, teleporting away to the other end of the arena. The cheers were deafening now, a part of the arena destroyed from the impact of the beast. Noah panted, as the beast growled in a deep rumble, the two of them assessing one another. Tony stirred in his chest, and for a brief moment Noah considered using metamorphosis. Passing out here would be really stupid. And I don¡¯t want to show all my cards if I can avoid it. Though he¡¯d wished for a moment longer to breathe, the Abyssal beast had other ideas. With a powerful lunge the monster struck. Noah teleported, moving to the other end of the arena. Charging his spear up with obliterate, Noah threw the weapon as hard as he could towards the monster. The beast moved, but the de struck it¡¯s body, drawing a deep gash as it crashed into the wall, sending a crack into the structure of the arena. Using dimensional pocket, Noah called the spear back as the monster rushed him. Teleporting at thest moment, Noah let the monster crash head first into another wall, before shing into its body and filling it with Rot and Toxins. The beast roared, its voice shaking the air and pushing Noah back as it turned. Fire gathered in its jaws once more, as it began to fill the arena with ghastly mes. Noah jumped, dodging as he climbed up the arena wall, and the crowd screamed as they ran up the seats to avoid being burned to death. Fire covered the ground, lighting up the arena in a ghostly ming hellscape. Noah jumped as the monster chased him, feeling his stamina dropping. Lunging and running around the walls, Noah let the monster crash into the pirs and gates, sending rocks and debris flying. Jumping above the monster, Noah threw his spear. The beast jumped sideways, dodging, shooting its own projectiles. Teleporting midair, Noah blinked right in front of the monster. Quadrivium ink manifested a bow in his hands, as Noah pulled back on the bow. Obliterate turned the blue mana a deep purple-ck as Noah shot the Void bolt at the creature right in its face. Disoriented, the monster stumbled and Noah took the chance. Rushing in, he stabbed its gut with his spear, before shing with his ws. The beast howled in pain, as Noah struck at its face, hoping to render it unconscious. The attack struck true, as he saw the monster stumbling, growing dizzy. Feeling his victory within gasp, Noah moved in with an obliterate powered punch to end the match, when his eyes caught a glow shining across the beast¡¯s cor. With a sudden howl, the beast roared, mping onto Noah¡¯s hand with its jaw before flinging him across the arena. Crashing into the wall, Noah groaned, pulling himself up as he watched the monster kicking around, almost as if in pain. The cor grew brighter as the beast¡¯s eyes turned red and it began to run around madly, rushing at the audience seated in the arena. Noah looked at the people who screamed, running for their lives and cursed. Teleporting in, he blocked the beast¡¯s charge with his spear. The monster bit the weapon, as Crimson Rot flooded it, but it paid no heed. Pulling Noah up, the monster bit, swinging its head around wildly till Noah¡¯s grip loosed and he flew off across the arena. Rolling across the floor, Noah tried to pull himself up, but the beast was faster. It lunged, its maw about to bite off Noah¡¯s face. Noah grabed the monster¡¯s mouth with his hand,s struggling to keep it open. Drool covered his face as he looked into a pith ck maw of endless nothingness, feeling the fangs digging into his fingers and drawing blood. Warning. Low Mana. ¡°I surrender!¡± Noah shouted, but the beast gave no signs of stopping. Pushing his body, Noah summoned Starforged arms, having them stab into the beast¡¯s jaw. Howling, the beast finally pulled back, and Noah teleported away. ¡°Stop the match!¡± Noah shouted. ¡°Snow stop!¡± he heard Vix¡¯s call. The cor on the beast¡¯s body lit up as it howled. A momentter, the monster began to shrink, its fur fading as the girl¡¯s form returned. Her eyes rolled into her head as she fell onto the floor,pletely naked. ¡°W-WHAT A MATCH. BUT OUR CHAMPION HAS PREVAILED. THE VICTOR IS SNOW!¡± Noah panted, watching the unconscious girl on the ground. No one stepped in, not even to cover her body. Slowly walking closer, Noah took out one of the few shirts he kept on him, draping it onto the girl. A moment of silenceter, he turned to look at the viewing arena, watching Vix looking back down at him with an amused smile. Picking the girl up, Noah began to walk out of the arena, when the guard stopped him. ¡°Put her down,¡± the man said. ¡°Make me,¡± Noah barked, ring at the man. ¡°Let hime in,¡± a voice called from what appeared to be a device on the guard¡¯s chest, and the guard stepped aside. Noah walked in, making his way up to Vix¡¯s chamber, as he kicked the door open. ¡°If it isn¡¯t our challenger,¡± one of the men chuckled. ¡°Where does she live,¡± Noah asked Vix, ignoring the man. ¡°Where I want her to,¡± Vix replied, drinking from her ss. ¡°Put her down and someone will take care of her. She¡¯s not yours.¡± Noah wanted to argue, but he knew he would not be able to back up his words. Especially in his current condition. Walking across the room, he gently let the girl down onto a chair before he turned back to Vix. ¡°So, what now?¡± ¡°Three was our deal. You lost to her,¡± Vix said, pointing. Noah did not reply to the unfair nature of the match and setup. ¡°You look angry. Do you feel that much for this girl?¡± Vix asked. ¡°No one should have to be forced into very,¡± Noah said. ¡°It¡¯s a disgusting practice.¡± ¡°Quite the righteous man,¡± Vix said, drinking her wine ss empty. ¡°But she isn¡¯t a person. She is a monster. A creature from the Abyss. Allowing her to live is mercy enough.¡± Noah stared at the woman in silence, before ncing back at the sleeping girl. His gaze lingered on the cor and chains on her, a bitter emotion rising in his chest. Unlike the miner, she didn¡¯t seem to have been taken over, so perhaps there was a chance¡­ Noah let the thought fade for the moment. ¡°I do like you, though,¡± Vix said. ¡°You entertained me a lot more than I had thought you would. So I¡¯ll let you go. Ask the guards to take you to Devin. He¡¯s the one you need,¡± Vix said. ¡°In return, I want you toe back here and fight,¡± Vix said, extending her hand. ¡°I¡¯d call it a fair deal. So let¡¯s shake on it, why don¡¯t we?¡± Noah looked at the woman¡¯s hand for a moment, considering it. A momentter, he grasped her hand, shaking it. Vix smiled an evil grin. ¡°That¡¯s my boy. I¡¯ll enjoy watching how long youst.¡± Book 2: Chapter 18 — Its what I do Book 2: Chapter 18 ¡ª It''s what I do Noah was escorted by the guards to a chamber below the Pit. Stone walls were reinforced with thick bs of rock, with guards stationed at intervals. Noah saw multiple chambers, looking almost like prison cells, most were empty, but some had people or things inside of them. Reaching the end of their path, the guard grunted for Noah to walk in. Giving a light knock, Noah waited a few moments for the door to open up. ¡°Who is it? I told you not to disturb me for a few days,¡± a man said, peeking through the sliding window of the gate. ¡°Hey there, I¡¯m Noah. I was sent here by Vix. You are Devin I assume?¡± The man looked at Noah for a second, before he shut the eye panel. With a click, the gates unlocked as a hunched over man wearing an eye patch regarded him. [Tome-Crafter - ??] ¡°Get inside, take off your shoes then stand in that circle and don¡¯t move till I tell you to,¡± Devin said, pointing at something drawn on the floor at the entrance. Noah used Dimensional pocket to teleport his shoes in his Inventory, as he stepped inside the circle. Devin closed the door behind him, before walking around the circle. Picking up a mana core that Noah couldn¡¯t properly see, he inserted it into a slot carved next to the gate and the magic circle under Noah¡¯s feet lit up. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Cleanse]. You feel cleaner than ever! Noah felt the grime on his body evaporate into thin air. Every little bit of dirt, dust, sweat that was on him seemed to vanish as a cool refreshing feeling covered him. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Noah eximed, feeling better than he had in weeks. ¡°I so need that spell.¡± ¡°No you don¡¯t. It is costly to use a Cleanse spell like this one. Which is why whatever you¡¯re here for better be worth my time,¡± Devin said, staring at Noah. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten a deal from Vix. I fight in the pit, and in return, I can have you create tomes for me,¡± Noah said. ¡°What kind of tomes?¡± Devin asked. ¡°Ability Tomes. I need three of them to rank up,¡± Noah said. ¡°What kind?¡± Devin asked. ¡°That¡¯s the problem. I don¡¯t really know. So far I¡¯ve just been picking up every ability tome I got without really nning it out,¡± Noah said. Devin looked at Noah, with a questioning gaze. ¡°You want me to pick three abilities for you then? I¡¯ll need to see your Astral Script for that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need an Oath for that,¡± Noah said. Devin looked at him before whispering words under his breath. [Oath of Secrecy] An Oath between Devin Barrow and Noah Brown. Upon agreeing to this oath, Devin Barrow will not be allowed to share this information outside of individuals who share this oath as well. Do you ept the Oath? Yes/No? Noah read through the words, selecting yes as the Oath settled into ce. Reaching out, he extended just the list of his abilities to Devin. You¡¯re about to share your Astral Script with Devin Barrow. Do you agree to this action? Yes/No? Noah selected yes, as the screen made itself visible to Devin. He felt d to have read about how to safely share details of his Astral script. Things like Oaths, sharing limited information, and his ability to withdraw his Astral script all would be important if he wanted to keep his information to himself. The tome crafter went through his Astral Script, silently looking through the menus. A few moments passed as Noah observed Devin reading through everything. ¡°Hmm, the first one seems to be the base ability. All higher than I would¡¯ve estimated. You also somehow have three, Avros knows how. Three legendaries too,¡± Devon said, looking up at Noah. ¡°You said you picked up everything you saw. How did you even find all these?¡± Devin asked. ¡°Lucky break on a quest,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Must have been some quest,¡± Devin said, humming. ¡°I see a few problems here. First, Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes. It¡¯s Common grade, and given every other ability you have, it¡¯s a waste of an ability slot. Second, blood drain. A healing based skill, good if you only fight a specific type of enemies, but many will be resistant, some may have poison, some may not have blood whatsoever. Highly situational in usage, and you already have a far superior healing ability to go along with it, so redundant as well. As for your free slots, well, really, it depends on what direction you want to head in. I can¡¯t make legendary tomes, but I can do Epic grade ones with the right material,¡± Devin said. ¡°What kind of materials?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Monster Cores, mana stones, runes, a bunch of stuff. You¡¯ll have to bring what I don¡¯t already have,¡± Devin said, before looking at his Astral script again. ¡°For Blood Drain, I would rece it with a Tome of Harvest. Rare grade, so it will likely give you a superior life steal ability. Since Blood Drain is a Feast based ability it can merge with the Harvest ability and grow to Epic. For Eyes, I would use a Tome of Perception. Should unlock something sense based, merge with the eyes and rank it up to Rare. Then I would go with a familiar for Exsanguinator, one that can efficiently inflict bleed on enemies while you get to maintain your distance.¡± Noah paid attention to what the man said, noting everything forter reference. ¡°What about Astralwalker and Void Hunter?¡± Noah asked the man. ¡°If the abilities merge, they will free up a slot I assume?¡± ¡°They do. For void hunter, a Tome of Stealth. But I¡¯ve never dealt with Astral magic before, so that one is on you. Maybe a Tome of Ruling for an aura based ability. Regardless, it¡¯ll cost you a bunch, so whatever deal you have with Vix, I would clear it first.¡± ¡°How much does the Pit earn?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Depends on how you fight,¡± Devin replied. ¡°Fight with one of the top fighters, and you¡¯ll see a bigger crowd. The big fights happen after midnight, which is when the D rankers sh. If you do well, you could see up to 10 D grade mana stones in a day,¡± Devin said. ¡°And how much will all of these cost?¡± Devin asked. ¡°14 C grade crystals, or one B grade,¡± Devin said, shing a crooked smile. Noah nodded, doing the work in his head. He had three weeks to earn that amount. One way or another. ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah said. ¡°By the way, what¡¯s up with the girl? Why is she¡­ she looks so young.¡± ¡°It''d do you best to stay away from her. She''s a demon wearing human skin. If you¡¯re asking then you must have seen what she really is. I suggest you keep your curiosity to yourself,¡± Devin warned. Noah looked at the man, before giving a nod. He put his hands behind his back, as a small blob of dark goop dripped down his fingers. After making sure Devin hadn¡¯t noticed he walked towards the door before making his way out of the chamber. As he walked out of the gate, the guard regarded him with a look, before turning around. Following behind the man, Noah made his way to the entrance of the Pit before the guard walked off to return to wherever he was supposed to be. Noah walked around the area outside, trying not to draw any eye. Tony called out a momentter, having found what Noah had asked him for. Noah closed his eyes and focused. There was a small link connecting him to Tony with strands of life-force. Focusing on that link, Noah used Blink as the magic red to life. *** Snow opened her eyes, finding herself back in her chamber. It was made entirely of stone, with little inside, and barely any light to speak of. The only thing she could see were the dimly lit walls outside from within the small gaps in the metal gates. She stirred, her chains rustling as she tried to remember what had happened. Letting Shadowe out always made her memories difficult to work with. Clutching her head, she tried to recall, and slowly the events passed through her memory. ¡°We almost lost,¡± she whispered, as she remembered the man she was fighting. The pain still coursed through her body, the orders imposed on her having left a strain. Shadow stirred in her chest. He was recovering from his injuries. The battle was tough. She could feel his frustration. And fear. ¡°I know¡­ I know you are. But what if we lose again?¡± Snow whispered to herself. A shudder passed through her body at the thought, and she felt Shadow¡¯s anger rising. ¡°She could punish us again. Or¡­ send us back.¡± Void mana swirled around Snow as she sat, huddling up and curling around the wall. Memories she did not wish to relive were returning, and she tried to pull her mind away, closing her eyes. The darknessforted her now, letting her thoughts fade away, as all she experienced was a calm trust from Shadow. Something echoed from outside, dragging snow out of herforting darkness. She looked up, and noticed the guards whispering, before one by one they began moving somewhere. A momentter, a blue light shed in front of her as the man from the arena appeared. Snow jumped back, her heart sinking. It was only through sheer effort that she kept herself from screaming as the man looked at her. ¡°Hey!¡± he said, waving. Snow stuck her back to the wall, her heart racing. Shadow stirred, ready to leap out, but the cor kept him in check. She was helpless. ¡°P-please don¡¯t hurt me,¡± Snow whispered. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t want to- I didn¡¯t want to hurt.¡± The man moved in close, pressing his hand on her mouth. Snow¡¯s eyes widened, her body going stiff with fear. ¡°Shh,¡± he said, putting a finger on his lips. Slowly, he turned to look outside, and Snow noticed the guards had returned. ¡°I will use some magic. Don¡¯t resist it. I just want to talk,¡± the man whispered in her ears. Snow looked at him, blinking tears out of her eyes. She didn¡¯t know what to do. A momentter, she gave a small nod. Magic red around her, and she felt herself being pulled somewhere. She tensed, fear taking over her body for a moment, but she forcefully kept herself in check. A momentter, the world vanished around her, as she found herself in a strange unending ce. The world didn¡¯t make sense, bending and twisting everywhere with colors swirling around. It made her eyes hurt. ¡°Sorry about scaring you Snow. I¡¯m Noah Brown, and I¡¯m not here to hurt you. I just want to talk,¡± the man said, and Snow stared at him. He was strange, his hair was white, but not like the Celestians she had seen. His eyes were a light red color, and he looked nothing like anyone she¡¯d seen. Snow continued to stare in silence at the man. ¡°I just wanted to know how you got here. Do you have any parents?¡± Noah asked. Snow looked at him, the question bringing up painful memories. She shook her head. ¡°No parents. No family either I assume. Well, I was curious about how you became the big monster thing. You see, I can do something simr as well,¡± the man said, showing off his hand. Snow¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as his arm turned pitch ck, wsing forth from his fingers as he transformed. Even his pupils changed, ck swirls running up his body and face. ¡°Y-you have a Shadow too?¡± Snow asked, finding her curiosity winning over her fear. ¡°Shadow?¡± the man asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you mean, but the reason I can do this is my buddy here. Say hi to Snow, Tony.¡± Snow watched as dark goop formed around the man¡¯s shoulder, before a floating eyeball with wings started flying. It flew closer to her, circling over her head before it nested itself near her head. Snowughed. ¡°That tickles,¡± she said, touching the little eye. Shadow felt curious as well. The eyeball flew back to the man a momentter, flying around his shoulder. ¡°So, who is Shadow?¡± the man asked. Snow looked at him silently, before she turned to shadow. ¡°Should I tell him?¡± Shadow rustled in her. He didn¡¯t trust the man. ¡°He has someone like you. Maybe¡­ maybe he can teach us somethings.¡± Shadow did not like the idea. Learning from a stranger, even just being here could get them punished. Snow felt a shiver run down her spine at the thought, as she clutched her cor. ¡°I-I need to get back. I can¡¯t be here,¡± she said, her breathing growing heavy. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay. Calm down. No one can find you here, and time moves slowly when you¡¯re inside,¡± the man said, crouching. The eyeball moved to her as well, resting on her head as it radiated a sense of peace. Snow took a long breath, before giving a nod. ¡°O-okay¡­¡± she took a moment, before answering the question. ¡°Shadow is¡­ my friend. Like your friend. But he cannote out.¡± ¡°Is that why you have those horns?¡± Snow gave a nod. ¡°How did they bring you here?¡± he asked. Snow paused, feeling her mouth run dry. ¡°The¡­ cult,¡± she whispered. ¡°They¡­ they caught me. Said I was¡­ special. Brought me here, before they sold me to this ce. I tried to run¡­ but they¡­¡± Snow trailed off, feeling her words die. The man stood in silence, before she felt a hand on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you had to go through so much. I don''t have much time to talk right now, but I promise I¡¯ll be back to free you. But I can''t do it immediately, so I would like you to wait a little.¡± Snow felt her heart drop. ¡°You can¡¯t!¡± The man looked at her in confusion. ¡°T-they can find me. With this cor. And then they¡¯ll kill you. And catch me again. I-I can¡¯t go.¡± The man¡¯s expression darkened, and he moved closer, still crouching as he remained at eye level for her. ¡°I have got friends. And I know of ways to break shackles. See, I¡¯m even wearing one right now,¡± he said, lifting his arm and Snow saw the shackles resting on his wrist. Her eyes widened in shock. ¡°W-were you a ve too? Did you run away?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°No, I wasn''t a ve. For now, all I want you to do is trust me, and not give up. I¡¯ll find a way to get you out of here.¡± Snow looked at the man, into his red eyes, and found herself wavering. ¡°I¡­ why would you do this for me? You have nothing to gain, and you could die.¡± The man paused, thinking over it. ¡°Because I¡¯m a nosy person,¡± he said, giving her a bright smile. ¡°It¡¯s what I do. Book 2: Chapter 19 — A New Routine Book 2: Chapter 19 ¡ª A New Routine Noah made his way back out of Old Heartilia. The security for crossing over in this direction was a lot harsher, but Noah was let through without much problems. As he walked across the bridge separating the two halves of the city his mind remained on Snow, and everything he had seen in the Pit. If he wanted to keep his promise to the girl, he would need to find a method to break that cor and a ce for her to stay. There would be no point if all he did was free her and then abandon her to fend for herself. Given her horns, Noah wondered what he could do. In all honesty, he was also quite curious about the girl. Having a void creature inside someone was not something he¡¯d thought he would see, given how appalled everyone was at the idea of him having Tony. The girl also seemed more skilled at using her void fiend than he was with Tony. He could see her dazing off as her aura subtly shifted, clearly using some kind of mental method ofmunication with her familiar. ¡°I should probably figure out something like that for us too,¡± Noah said out loud. Tony shivered, clearly excited by the prospect. On his way back, Noah decided to look around for a library. After asking once or twice, it turned out libraries were considered a sacred ce in celestian culture, which meant there was an abundance of them to be found here. After wandering for a short while, Noah found one and walked inside. The library was cleanly maintained, and a woman with silver hair and blue eyes greeted him at the counter. ¡°Hello! Is this your first time here?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Wee then! To use this library, you need to show me an identification card.¡± Noah grabbed his adventuring contract, showing it off to the woman. He watched her read through the screen, her eyes widening momentarily. Noah gave her a smile. ¡°Thank you, this is sufficient,¡± she said, before runes red around her hand as she ran her fingers on top of a rectangr piece of thin metal. Words imprinted themselves on them. New Heartilia Library Card Name: Noah Brown ess level: Tier 2 This permit is valid for 180 days. ¡±What does Tier 2 ess mean?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Ah, there¡¯s different floors with different ess levels. Civilians only have ess to the ground floor, adventurers, mage guild members and schrs all have ess to the ground floor and the first floor.¡± ¡°How can someone ess the higher floors then?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll need a letter from the head of the adventurer guild, mage guild, or schr¡¯s guild. Or from Lord Krios,¡± the woman replied. Noah gave a nod, before heading further in. Looking around, he found an elevator leading to the first floor and made his way up. Tony came out as well, pping happily in his bat-eye form. ¡°Let¡¯s start looking, shall we?¡± Noah said, smiling. Tony cheered. *** Things began to settle in a rhythm over time. For the next two weeks, Noah would get up with the sun, and go on a run around the city making his way from New Heartilia to Old Heartilia and back. Aurelia would join him, as the two ran together through the rtively empty streets as First Dawn made it¡¯s presence known over the horizon. Noah was surprised to see just how much Aurelia had grown with her rank up. If she wanted, she could easily outpace him now, though she typically ran alongside him. His stamina was not bad, especially if he considered that he was effectively running nearly twenty miles two ways across. But even he would be left panting by the end, while Aurelia barely seemed to break a sweat. ¡°Have¡­ I told you¡­ how unfair¡­ this is¡­?¡± Noah rasped in a hoarse voice, panting as they stood in their training arena. ¡°The fact that you can keep up with me while being F ranked is what¡¯s unfair,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah tried to sh her a smile, but all he could manage was an awkward twitch of his lips. He was d to have lifeblood, the ability working hard to recover him from his exertion. A few momentster, he was back to normal. After their morning routine, Noah would practice his aura training with Erwest. The training setup had changed as well, now he had to use his abilities while the shackles suppressed his mana control and willpower. Noah would have to dodge pebbles while Erwest supressed his aura. What made the training worse was that Aurelia would be doing the exact same thing, while also simultaneously bncing on awkward wooden tforms, showing the gap in their fundamentals. After Noah was exhausted, they would switch to resistance training. Noah would spar with Aurelia and Erwest, using wooden weapons of all kinds. Spears, daggers, short swords, bows, all without allowing any abilities toe into y. Whoever lost would have to do a set of exercises, before jumping immediately into another spar. It was a brutal training regimen, and even with all his abilities, Noah sometimes wondered if he could keep up. Yet, to his surprise, everytime he was about to give in, he managed to push just a little further, and just a little harder than he could¡¯ve before. The rate at which his body was improving astonished even him. His muscles were far more defined, and he seemed to have lost size but the loss in size had been more than made up for in density. Even besides the obvious improvements in his body, a bunch of improvements were invisible, if not for his Astral Script. Noah opened the menu, grinning as he looked at the improvements. Abilities: [Blood Drain] level 16 ¡ú 17. [Bleed] level 15 ¡ú 17. [Lifeblood] level 14 ¡ú 15. [Blink] level 18 ¡ú 21. [Dimensional Pocket] level 13 ¡ú 14. [Starforged Arms] level 7 ¡ú 9. [Obliterate] level 17 ¡ú 20. [Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes] level 26 ¡ú 27. [Abyssal Symbiote] level 25 ¡ú 26. Skill: [Lightning Resistance] level 0 ¡ú 2. [Soul Modification] level 10 ¡ú 11. [Terror Resistance] level 3 ¡ú 4. [Spear Proficiency] level 17 ¡ú 18. [Aura Control] level 4 ¡ú 9. [Bow Proficiency] level 0 ¡ú 4. [Sword Proficiency] level 0 ¡ú 7. [Shield Proficiency] level 0 ¡ú 5. [Gauntlet Proficiency] level 0 ¡ú 8. Sub attributes: Power: D5 ¡ú C1. Agility: C1 ¡ú C4. Vitality: C8 ¡ú C9. Mystic: D8 ¡ú C0. He¡¯d gained a bunch of skills rted to his training, and Erwest had told him that if he got everything to intermediate, he should be able to fuse them into [Weapon Mastery]. A higher grade of skill. His sub--attributes as well had been progressing rapidly, both Mystic and Power raeching into the C grade overall. Noah had felt the change as well. He had better control over his abilities, and the damage they did was higher even though his overall attributes had not changed at all. Noah expanded on the menu, noticing something strange as well. Charisma: D5 ¡ú D6. He wasn¡¯t sure what had caused the change, but he wasn¡¯t going toin about it. As his training came to an end, Noah made his way out of the Lord¡¯s castle. The three of them had tried to move out to an inn, but Lord Krios had insisted that they stay for as long as they remained in the city. Noah did not mind the stay either, with the food being as good as it was, he was more than happy to indulge a little. Walking through the street, he made his way to the library, before greeting A. Noah had be pretty familiar with the Celestian receptionist with his near daily visits, though more than him, she¡¯d taken to Tony. The symbiote came out upon seeing A, circling above her head happily. ¡°Hi Tony!¡± A waved, and Tony bobbled up and down, waving his wings in a greeting Noah had taught him. ¡°I¡¯ll be on the first floor, as usual,¡± Noah said, raising his hand as he signaled Tony to return. ¡°Ah, actually. I got something for you,¡± A said, as she bent to take something out from the drawer behind her desk. A momentter, she pulled out a book for him. ¡°I know that you¡¯re trying to learn more about Erandir¡¯s history, specifically their ties to very. I won¡¯t pry why, but here¡¯s a really good book exining things if you want,¡± A said. Noah picked up the book. There was nothing written on the cover, just a leather cover that looked like it had seen better days. ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah said, making his way to the first floor. Taking his usual spot, Noah let Tony wander around to read as he¡¯d like, before opening the book. Going through the content, Noah flipped through the pages detailing the history of the various empires, trade, and the role that very yed. There were arguments about very being vital for the economy from certain sections of the empire back in the day, and the author had not taken kindly to their ims, tearing them apart one by one. Reading the passages both angered and pleased Noah, to see that even in this world there were people who could see sense and understand why a practice like this was wrong. For the current day, very was abolished in the allied countries, but there were caveats present even in this. Cultists could be turned into ves without issue. Some species and races descending from monsters were still not part of any allied race, and thus could be turned into a ve. In certain states, people could effectively sell their kids into very. Theck of Astral Script ess before awakening made any kid especially vulnerable, and thus an easy target for loopholes. Given the nature of the world, and the manyws that existed togetherbining thews of the churches, guilds and the state made the rights given to a child varied. Vix was using precisely that gap, alongside Snow¡¯s status as an uncertain member of the allied races because of the Void Fiend in her to keep her enved. Everything about this made Noah clench his fists in anger. From the start, he¡¯d found that it was always the kids who suffered. Whether it be due to the cult, or due tows that failed to ount for children who werecking the strength an Awakened adult would possess. What a shitty system. Flipping ahead through the book he started to see some solutions. The adventurers guild could buy any ves and free them. As an entity, the adventurers guild did not practice or condone very and was likely to free any children who had been captured. The other option was to have a ruling entity annul the ve status that may have been applied on an individual. Both options had their own caveats as well, but they were things Noah nned to look more into. As Noah kept reading, he found something more specifically rted to his own interests as well. The magical aspect. All of very was inflicted by the use of Paths, which connected to a shackle or cor imbued with orders andmands that a ve had to follow. Like an Oath, but far more powerful. Not following an Oath or trying to break it would inflict pain upon a ve, before ultimately killing them. But there were ways to remove these restrictions. Mind magic, for one, was a method. If the Oath or order could be removed from a ve¡¯s mind, the magic will not take effect. Soul magic was another method. Anyone with a powerful enough soul had the ability to directly resist the Oath put upon them. But so long as the ve Path remained, the person in question could not obtain any other Path, or use them if they had some from before. It was a system that ensured no one could obtain abilities that could resist the very inflicted upon them, and just the thought of being in that position made Noah sick to his stomach. Making his way through to read ahead, Noah found onest method. If the owner of any ve could be killed, the ve can be taken by anyone who is nearby and freed if they so desire. Noah let out a breath, as he closed the book. His mind ran through scenarios. If things worked in his favor, he would be able to convince Nae to free Snow and provide her with a home while cutting a deal with Vix. He did not like the idea, but it was better for Snow and less risky. But if things didn¡¯t work out¡­ Noah closed his eyes, deciding on his choice. He would have to be ready to kill Vix. Book 2: Chapter 20 — Chain Breaker Book 2: Chapter 20 ¡ª Chain Breaker Noah made his way through New Heartilia, crossing over the bridge as he walked to the other half of the city. Over the past two weeks, his visits to the Pit had be part of the routine, and he even had a nickname in the arena now. The guard let him through the gates without question, not that they needed to. Thest time he had been stopped, he¡¯d let them know that his teleport was not restricted by whatever wards they may have put upon the ce. The evenings were when the Pit came alive. People of all sorts and ces would head here, as crystals would exchange hands, and the gambling would begin, fueled by liquor and poor choices. Noah wasn¡¯t going to judge them. He¡¯d been in that exact ce once. Lost and with nothing to turn to, the desperation had pushed him in all sorts of wrong directions. It just hurt him to y a part in that, even though he knew that should he somehow stop this ce from existing, something else would simply take its ce. Heading further in, Noah walked into one of the chambers the participants had. Eyes turned towards him, a few nods of acknowledgment. Normally he would be chatting freely, but here he¡¯d tried to keep to himself. It wouldn¡¯t do if people became toofortable with him. A screen, like the one he saw in New Heartilia was setup inside, much more scrappy looking and like a strange sort of box holding a rippling liquid that disyed the view but it was still not something he had expected to be there. Not willing to chat, he simply spent his time watching the fights happen before his own turn came. The starting events were always slower, lower level fighters, with far too many young kids who had just awakened, thinking they would try out their luck and win a good few crystals to spend. Some did win, but most were left with broken ribs and a load of regret. ¡°Another brat. They need to stop letting them in,¡± a bulky man snorted from neary. Noah turned sideways to nce at him. The Volt, was his nickname, but Noah had found out that the man was called Gary. He could kind of see why Gary had chosen to not go by his own name in the Pit. Not exactly the most intimidating thing to hear. ¡°This one looks good. Been a while since a kid with potential came along,¡± one of the fighters said. A woman with sharp triangr knives tied into her long pony-tail. A strange fighter who wore extremely revealing clothing with a ck and purple theme that matched her own eye color. [de gent - level 87] Noah looked at the screen again, paying a bit more attention now. The kid wore simple garb, and carried a curved de with runes on it. Noah watched the boy fight, cing him at somewhere about eighteen. His opponent was much taller and more muscr, but also F ranked, so the match wasn¡¯t too overwhelmingly skewed in one direction or the other. The kid was hanging on pretty well despite the difference in strength against all the mes being thrown at him, but it was nothing too special. Just as Noah¡¯s attention was about to move away, he saw a sh pass through the arena. The man, that the kid had been fighting suddenly flung himself towards the kid in a ridiculous manner, stumbling forward as if he was being pulled in. The boy¡¯s de cut through the tall man¡¯s chest, shing a deep wound, before he kicked him in the knees and put his sword at the man¡¯s neck. Noah stared, unsure of what just happened. The Volt whistled. ¡°Nasty,¡± he said, before ncing sideways. ¡°Guess you¡¯re the one who¡¯s facing him now.¡± Noah grunted, standing up, but his mind returned back to what he saw. Some kind of telekinesis ability? Or maybe something else entirely. Taking out his spear, he smiled, adjusting his shackled as he set them at 75% suppression. Guess he would just have to find out. Walking through the dark corridors, Noah heard the announcers loud booming voice echo through the dark Pit. ¡°AFTER AN UNEXPECTED VICTORY, OUR CHALLENGER MUST FACE A MAN WITH A NEAR PERFECT WIN STREAK, AND A DEBT TO PAY. IT IS NONE OTHER THAN, THE CHAINBREAKER!¡± Noah grimaced at his moniker, as he walked into the arena. His shackles had quicklye into notice during his fights, especially once people had figured out that he had been fighting with his abilities suppressed. A LOT of fighters had taken it as a challenge to push him far enough to get his shackles off. Though few had managed. Changing his focus, Noah used Identify on the boy. [Ra¡¯kathurn Swordsman - level 45] Noah frowned. He hadn¡¯t seen thatnguage before. Typically, anything he used Identify on came up in English. Did the kid have some kind of artifact? He focused, noticing multiple auras around the kid, and Noah summoned his spear in his hand. The kid had multiple Paths. Maybe even three. ¡°LET US SEE IF OUR YOUNG WARRIOR CAN GET THE SHACKLES TO COME OFF!¡± Guess I¡¯ll find out. With a loud cheer from the audience, the fight began. Noah simply stood where he was, letting the boy make the first move. Spinning his sword around the kid took a stance, as purple mana began to gather on his de. Then with a spin he leapt up in the air before mming his de into the ground. Noah used blink, teleporting away. His eyes widened in surprise as the kid flew into the air, following him in a swirling tornado, a second de now appearing in his hand. He was holding backst round? Noah didn¡¯t have time to think, as he countered with his spear. The boy had far more control in the air, and Noah teleported once more, returning to the ground. The kid did not relent, moving downwards and Noah jumped back as the ground shook far from the impact of the falling boy. A momentter, Noah figured out the trick. Gravity magic. A smile came upon his face, excitement now generated at the new kind of opponent. Readying his spear he looked at the boy, standing proud and tall with a smug impression and he redused his suppression shackles down to 50%. ¡°Take those shackles off,¡± the boy said. ¡°Make me,¡± Noah replied. Leaping ahead, the boy dug his two des into the ground, as spikes of rock thrust out of the ground. His own weapons were covered in the rocks from the area as he tore pieces out of the ground and beganunching them at Noah. Jumping through the gaps between the rocks, Noah used obliterate to destroy the rocks. The kid had used his attack as a cover to close in but Noah had been expecting the move. Bleed and Obliterate whirred as Noah thrust his spear, shing with the boy¡¯s swords. Void, blood and gravity mana melded together in a frenzy before both of them were sted back by the impact. Noah felt a burning sensation running up his arms, the gravity mana having cracked his bones just the tiniest bit. He¡¯s strong. Noah activated Starforged arms, as the two ghastly spectral limbs appeared. Letting a de appear in each arm, Noah began to coordinate his attacks. The spectral arms swung their des as arcs of void mana shed across the arena. Noah used dimensional pocket, making a chain of invisible portals through which he threw his spear, charging it up with mana. The spear cut through reality, teleporting around the area as two mana des continued to sh. A momentter, the spear appeared in front of the kid, when a purple st of mana twisted it midair, deflecting the weapon. Noah called his spear back, as he moved in. Charging obliterate. Swinging his spear, Noah let his hand transform and harden as he shed with his ws. Sparks flew as his hand caught the de, deflecting the blow. He felt the gravitational push crushing him, but he was stronger, as his spear cut through the boy¡¯s side, leaving a gash. Using the chance, Noah activated blood drain. With a swing, the boy hit back, his de far heavier than Noah had anticipated. The impactunched him, Gravity magic throwing him into the wall as he crashed. Cheers erupted around the arena. Noah coughed, wiping at his mouth as he felt blood flowing from his cheeks. Through the dust, he saw the boy standing, charging up an attack. Blue mana formed around his des, the runes glowing on them, as six copies of his weapon formed around him. A momentter, the weapons shot towards Noah in a curving arc. Calling starforged arms, Noah changed his weapon into a shield, blocking the attack. A beam of blue followed right after, curving in a cutting arc, as he felt himself being pulled in by gravity. Noah let the magic pull him, using the momentum to kick off harder. Rushing closer, he jumped over the attack, before teleporting behind the boy. Charging a throw, he let his spear descend before he teleported closer, grabbing the boy¡¯s face as he mmed him into the ground. The boy¡¯s eyes widened as he felt ws grasped around his throat. For a moment that felt like eternity, Noah watched the kid¡¯s eyes widen as they looked at the spear falling right towards his face, spelling his doom. Extending his arm, Noah caught the weapon an inch from the kid¡¯s face, as he let go of his throat. ¡°I¡­I surrender,¡± the kid whimpered. ¡°AND THE VICTOR IS THE CHAIN BREAKER!¡± Cheers shook the arena, and Noah soaked in the sound for a moment. ¡°Good match,¡± he said, extending his hand. The boy looked up in surprise before grasping his hand as Noah pulled the kid back to his feet. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Arkios,¡± the boy said. ¡°Arkios Ra¡¯kathurn.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Noah Brown,¡± Noah said. ¡°Gravity magic is fun. I didn¡¯t know it existed before now.¡± ¡°You knew?¡± the boy asked. ¡°I guessed,¡± Noah replied. The boy looked at him, before giving a nod as he turned around and walked out. Noah stood for a moment, for the next. ¡°AND THE NEXT- ah it¡¯s Snow.¡± Jeers and boos came from the crowd, shouts and callsing for him. ¡°Fight her, coward!¡± a man shouted. Noah red at the man, putting the intensity of his aura into his vision. The balding man shrunk back at his look, and Noah turned away. ¡°Hi Snow,¡± he said, waving his hand. ¡°H-hi Noah,¡± Snow replied, clutching her simply white shirt nervously. ¡°Had anything good happen today?¡± The girl stood for a moment, before giving a nod. Noah smiled, before turning around as he looked at the referee and raised his hand. ¡°I surrender.¡± The man sighed, and then announced the match. ¡°And the victory goes toSnow,¡± then in a rare show he added. ¡°We need to stop putting you two against each other.¡± Noahughed, as he walked around, and made his way back inside. Lifeblood had already healed the scratches, cuts and little injuries he had gotten, including the small fracture near his wrist. As Noah began preparing to leave the Pit, a man¡¯s voice called. ¡°Vix is calling you.¡± Noah looked at the guard, before giving a nod as he walked out, making his way upstairs to where Vix sat. Walking to the door, Noah decided to simply teleport inside. The man that remained with Vix, Vros, as he¡¯d learned his name was, jumped in surprise. ¡°Hellion¡¯s tits, you need to stop teleporting everywhere.¡± ¡°Maybe you should get an anti-teleportion ward if you dislike it so much,¡± Noah said with a shrug. ¡°Shut up Vros, your aura sensing is getting sloppy,¡± Vix said,ughing. ¡°You know it¡¯s not. This guy has somehow learned how to hide his aura this well in just two weeks. Don¡¯t start ming me when you keep picking all the monsters up.¡± Vix chuckled as she drank from her wine ss, waving the man out. Noah watched Vros leave, before he turned towards the woman. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Noah, Noah Noah. So aggressive. You should rx a little more,¡± Vix said, pointing at the sofa. Noah nced at the sofa, thinking over it for a moment, before he sat down. ¡°Good, now, here¡¯s your reward for being a good source of entertainment for me,¡± the woman said, waving her hand. Mist flowed around and a momentter, Noah saw two tomes appear in front of him. He picked them up, using identify. [Tome of Harvest (Rare)] [Tome of Perception (Rare)] Noah put the tomes in his inventory. He¡¯d look at themter. ¡°Now, I need you to stop throwing every match you have against Snow. She¡¯s our show runner, and you¡¯re our newest rising star. The people are paying heavy crystals to bet on you two. We can¡¯t have you ruining that,¡± Vix said, leaning back against her chair. ¡°I won¡¯t fight a child,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Especially an enved child forced to fight against her wishes.¡± ¡°Is she? Or does she enjoy it? The human side of her may say something, but the beast? It loves the violence. It craves it. I¡¯ve had her for almost a year now, and if I don¡¯t let her lose, she goes mad.¡± Noah stared at Vix, frowning. He couldn¡¯t tell if she was lying to manipte him or not. He knew very well that Tony had this strange unending hunger to him, so if the void fiend had an impulse to fight as well¡­ he could see her words being true. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t change my stance,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I thought you would say that,¡± Vix said, licking her lips. ¡°Afterall, an outerworlder who¡¯s working for Lord Krios would have to be someone special.¡± Noah stared at Vix as the woman got up, walking next to him and leaning near his ear. ¡°See, I''m starting to wonder if you really are who you say you are. There''s two kinds of adventurers afterall,¡± she said, almost in a whisper. "The kind who know how the world works,¡± she said, before leaning over as she grabbed Noah¡¯s chin. "And the kind who willfully ignores it.¡± Leaning away, Vix let go of Noah¡¯s chin. ¡°Do you know why this Pit exists?¡± ¡°Because people like you do,¡± Noah replied. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± she said, taking a sip. ¡°But we wouldn¡¯t exist, if no one came here. This is a business afterall. You cannot sell something no one buys.¡± ¡°What are you selling me then?¡± he asked, raising an eyebrow. Vixughed. ¡°It depends. Have you heard of the Astral Rift that has opened? There¡¯s a vault inside, one found in an Abyssal cult. I want you to go in there and retrieve something for me.¡± Noah found his surprise rising. ¡°What do I get, if I do that.¡± Vix turned, looking at Noah as she finished her wine ss, before it evaporated into smoke. ¡°If you seed. I¡¯ll give you Snow.¡± Noah stared, eyes wide in surprise. ¡°Keep her, free her, toy with her. It will not be of any concern to me,¡± Vix said. ¡°But only if you can bring me what I want.¡± ¡°And what is it that you want from this ce?¡± Noah asked. The woman smiled, her eyes infinite swirls of orange as Noah noticed the two sharp canines peeking from below her lips. ¡°The Shard of a dead god.¡± Book 2: Chapter 21 — Next Steps Book 2: Chapter 21 ¡ª Next Steps Noah stared at Vix in surprise. A chime yed in his mind, but he put the notification aside forter. ¡°Which god?¡± Noah asked. ¡°No one knows,¡± Vix said, leaning back. ¡°Gods aren¡¯t supposed to die in the first ce. They¡¯re immortal in the true sense. Kill one, and a new avatar will pop up in its ce. They won¡¯t have the previous avatar¡¯s memories or personalities, but it will still be the same god,¡± Vix said, licking her lips. ¡°What do you n to do with the Shard?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Sell it, use it, maybe hang it on my wall if it looks nice. There¡¯s many options,¡± Vix said. ¡°So, what do you say?¡± Noah frowned, thinking over it for a moment. I could save Snow this way. But at the same time¡­ can I trust her? This reeks of a trap. And I can¡¯t give her the Shard either way. He looked at Vix, trying to judge the woman. Was she someone who would give up what to her was a profitable tool? No, no she isn¡¯t. And I have better ways to free Snow. ¡°I¡¯ll pass,¡± Noah replied. Vix looked at him, for a brief moment, surprise reflected in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ll¡­ pass? Why?¡± ¡°Just not interested in risking my life,¡± Noah said with a shrug. Vix looked at him, her smile gone now, as the foxy tail behind her back moved around quietly. ¡°If you¡¯re not interested in Snow, I can give you crystals as well. Enough that you¡¯ll not need more for years.¡± Noah shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t see why you don¡¯t send your own men to get it for you, instead of me.¡± ¡°Because I need someone both low ranked and powerful enough. Do you know how hard it is to find someone like that?¡± ¡°No clue, but that¡¯s your problem,¡± Noah said, getting up from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking tomorrow off,¡± he added. ¡°Hold on,¡± Vix said. Noah turned, before catching a device she¡¯d thrown at him. ¡°If you chance your mind, use that to contact me.¡± He looked down at the metallic cube, before storing it in his inventory as he teleported out of the chamber. Making his way out, Noah opened his notification to check what he had gotten. Quest: Shards of [???] updated! There is a Shard of [???] in an Astral Rift Vault. Find it, and obtain it for yourself. Difficult: Extremely Hard Reward: Unknown. The change was no surprise, but it was still good to have confirmation. ¡°I guess the question now is¡­ what do I do about this?¡± Noah murmured out loud. Tony sent a shiver of excitement to him. Noah hummed, as he tried to parse what Tony meant. ¡°You think I should ept the quest?¡± Tony sent another shiver, this time more joyous. ¡°Tomes, is it? You¡¯re not wrong. I do need more tomes, and fighting at the Pit isn¡¯t working fast enough,¡± Noah frowned. Perhaps he needed to have a talk with Aurelia and Erwest. *** As the suns set over the horizon, Noah gathered the rest of his team-members together. He¡¯d found Aurelia in a tavern, apparently cooking something for a group of drunkards. While Erwest had been, expectedly, at the church of hellion. ¡°So, why did you drag us both here?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°We should move to my dimensional pocket first,¡± Noah said, extending his hand. Aurelia grimaced, but didn¡¯t refuse, and Noah teleported both of them in. ¡°I hate this ce,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Hey!¡± Noah eximed in mock hurt which prompted an eye roll from Aurelia. ¡°Enough fooling around, why have you brought us here?¡± Erwest said. Noah gave a cough. ¡°Right, so, I have some information that I have gathered, which I thought was worth sharing. But before I did, I wanted to ask what you two have been up to in your free time as well, and if you learned something.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve mostly been training, but in the evenings I¡¯ve been crashing at multiple pubs, taverns, inns and so on, mingling around in all sorts of ces to try and gain a feel of the ce,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m struggling to feel that there¡¯s any cultists here. Almost no cultist activity seems present inside the city. Not in New Heartilia at least. This far south in the continent that¡¯s almost hard to believe. Every city tends to have at least some people unhappy with the regime, or the gods, and looking for a way to feel included and to have meaning. To have nothing whatsoever is¡­ somehow even more suspicious.¡± ¡°Matches most of what I saw. There¡¯s a pretty evident division in the two halves of the city,¡± Noah said. He nced at Erwest next. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± Erwest looked back at them for a moment, before he gave a nod. ¡°I have gathered information from my church. They have been looking for the source of the spell draining the life-force from the kingdom and¡­ they have found that it isn¡¯t on Erandir.¡± ¡°What?¡± Aurelia eximed. ¡°What do you mean it isn¡¯t on Erandir?¡± Erwest gave her a t look. ¡°Exactly what I said. The source is not on Erandir. This is why no one has found it yet.¡± ¡°If¡­ it¡¯s not on Erandir. Then howe the spell works here?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Hold on, I think I get it. It¡¯s not on Erandir but it¡¯s tied to it,¡± Aurelia said, looking up at Erwest. ¡°Yes. The source spell is in a tied realm, simr to this ce we¡¯re in.¡± ¡°Depths,¡± Aurelia cursed. ¡°How¡¯re we supposed to find something like that?¡± ¡°We may not have to,¡± Noah said. ¡°Remember the astral rift Lord Krios talked about? I was told from another information source, what exactly can be found in there. It¡¯s a Shard of a Dead god.¡± Noah felt his twopanions staring at him in confusion. ¡°Gods do not die Noah. Neither do they leave shards behind,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Or so I was told, but¡­ I think this one did die. I don¡¯t know how or who, but it has left shards, and now, people are looking for it,¡± Noah said. He paused. Now came the choice. How much should he say? After a moment of consideration, he continued. ¡°I have a Shard. In my soul. It¡¯s why I came to this world. I¡¯m not sure how it got there, but I know that there¡¯s more around.¡± Aurelia looked at him in silence, but it was Erwest¡¯s gaze that he felt the most sharply. ¡°We need to tell the guild about this,¡± Aurelia said. He saw her taking out a familiar cube, as runes lit up on it. ¡°I hope this works in here.¡± A momentter, mana stirred bright runes shing on the metallic cube, before a projection disyed itself. ¡°What is it?¡± Nae asked, before she noticed the two of them. ¡°Oh, hello there, Noah, Erwest. Not quite sure why I can¡¯t see anything but darkness around you, but I guess I won¡¯t question it.¡± ¡°You guys can facetime?¡± Noah asked, baffled. ¡°Facetime?¡± Aurelia said. ¡°This is a scrying tool. And it costs a lot of mana to use so don¡¯t waste time.¡± ¡°Right right. Okay, effectively. We¡¯ve found out that the spell source may be in a rift, that Lord Krios wants us to enter on his behalf. There are others looking for to enter this rift as well. It¡¯s a vault, found inside an Abyssal Cult, and in there, is, ording to someone I know, the Shard of a Dead God. I think that¡¯s what the cult is after.¡± ¡°Hold on, hold on. The Shard of a what?¡± Nae eximed. ¡°A Dead God. Don¡¯t ask me how, but I¡¯m positive that the information is correct,¡± Noah said. ¡°By the stars. A dead god¡¯s shard- and the abyssal cult is after it. But the rift exins why we can¡¯t locate it. Alright, I want you three to ept the quest and bring the Shard back to us,¡± Nae said. ¡°Not to Lord Krios?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°No. Not to Lord Krios. If it is indeed the Shard of a Dead God, then we need to secure it before it falls into the wrong hands.¡± ¡°The Church will not be willing to hand over something like that. If it is truly a piece of¡­ a god, then it should belong with the gods.¡± ¡°We can discuss that when the Shard is away from the cultists Erwest. Right now, the priority is retrieving it,¡± Nae said. ¡°So we¡¯re going in the Rift then?¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Try and scout out the cults in the area if you can too. Have you contacted the cultists yet?¡± Nae asked. ¡°Not yet. We decided to wait, and train Noah up a little,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°That¡¯s fine, but make contact now. They won¡¯t just let you in instantly. Try to find out what the cult is doing with this Rift and Shard. I¡¯ll start searching from my end,¡± Nae said. ¡°I can ask the cultist chief?¡± Aurelia said. Nae thought about it for a moment. ¡°No, don¡¯t bring him out. The less information he has, the better. Use him to establish contact, and then scout when you have the chance. The longer you take, the higher the risk is of them finding out. Assume you only have one chance, as soon as you know where their hideout is, move in.¡± ¡°Got it,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but I also had a request,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯ve been fighting in this ce called the Pit, not entirely legal but it was an easy method to get my hands on some Tomes. And¡­ there¡¯s a girl there, who¡¯s not entirely human, there¡¯s a monster that seems to be a part of her. She is being forced to fight after being enved. I want to save her.¡± Nae frowned, before groaning. ¡°Noah, trying to buy a ve out from an illegal organisation- that¡¯s a whole other mess. And I hate myself for saying this, I really do. But we don¡¯t have the time right now. There could be an Abyss opening in Heartilia and that¡¯s risking the lives of millions. Once this entire thing is done, we can talk about this girl.¡± Noah found his expression darkening, but he didn¡¯t protest. He understood Nae¡¯s reasoning, even though he didn¡¯t feel good about the choice. ¡°Alright, thanks for letting me know. I¡¯ll be searching from my own contacts. Good work so far,¡± Nae said. Then with a flicker, the projection faded, as the cube turned off. Noah let his own ability fade, as the three of them reappeared in their chamber. He nced sideways. ¡°I¡¯ll be stopping our training sessions from tomorrow. If you wish, feel free to continue without me,¡± Erwest said, getting up as he left. ¡°I likely won¡¯t join either. I need to start reaching out to the cult, and it¡¯s better if it¡¯s just me for the start,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll continue how I have and try to gain more information then,¡± Noah said. The three of them got up, and Noah watched Aurelia and Erwest leave. A momentter, he sighed, sitting back down on his bed, as his mind ran through multiple thoughts. Clutching the ne he wore, Noah tried to focus on his next steps. The only thing he could do now was to grow stronger. Opening his eyes, he reached out to his Dimensional Pocket, before taking out the tomes he had gotten. [Tome of Harvest (Rare)] [Tome of Perception (Rare)] It was time to upgrade his abilities. Book 2: Chapter 22 — Ability Upgrades Book 2: Chapter 22 ¡ª Ability Upgrades Noah had decided to move to the training arena, for unlocking his abilities. Standing in the open grounds of the arena, Noah took out [Tome of Perception] first, using Identify on the item. [Tome of Perception (Rare)]: Unlocks a Perception ability. Would you like to use this item? Yes/No? Noah selected yes, as options appeared in front of him to select a Path. Picking [Void Hunter], Noah felt a pulse of mana pass through his body as the tome dissolved into little particles of light. With his higher aura perception, he could sense the mana spreading evenly across his body and aura. [Tome of Perception] has reacted with ability [Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes]. Ability merge initiated. [Void Hunter¡¯s Eyes (Common)] has evolved to [Void Hunter¡¯s Senses (Rare)] Rank decreased to Intermediate. Noah felt something change immediately. The way he could see the world shifted- no, not just the way he saw things. It was his entire perception. Every sense he had felt changed. He could feel the flow of air distinctly on his skin, being able to tell which direction the air was moving and what was blocking its path. His own heartbeat loudly pounded in his ears, taking a few moments for the sound to fade to the background as he adjusted. Given the increased sensitivity his body already had, this almost felt overkill to him. His brain struggled to keep up with the influx of information and he felt the world spinning as a headache pulsed in his mind. Noah fell to the ground on one knee, clutching his head as he felt Tony startle awake and go into a panic. The Symbiote hurriedly rushed up towards Noah¡¯s brain, adjusting the influx of sensations, and taking off the workload. Noah triggered Meditation on instinct as he parsed through the sensations. Notifications yed in Noah¡¯s head, but he ignored them for the moment, till the sensations began to feel more manageable. A momentter, he remembered he could turn off abilities, and turned off [Void Hunter¡¯s Senses] as the sensation faded. ¡°Good god, that was a lot,¡± Noah said, rising back on his feet. Nausea slightly filled him, but he controlled the feeling. ¡°Sorry for just thrusting that on you buddy,¡± Noah said. Tony sent a pulsating shiver. ¡°You¡¯re the best, Tony. Thank you,¡± Noah said, closing his eyes. ¡°Alright, you can go back to sleep now, Tony. I¡¯ll be good on my own.¡± The Symbiote sent a feeling of concern, but obliged, returning back to his sleep. Noah opened his new ability¡¯s description. [Void Hunter¡¯s Senses (Rare)] Your senses are sharper than ever. Your eyes can peer through the darkest depths, your ears can pick up on the faintest of sounds, and your instincts are honed to their limits. Find your senses enhanced in a spherical range all around you. Noah read the description, whistling to himself. With Tony added on top to push his senses, and his own modification, the Rare grade of the ability felt like an underestimation for what he could actually do with it. Taking a deep breath, he turned on the ability again. Immediately the senses poured in with an overload of information, but Noah had kept Meditation activated. He let his awareness expand as he took everything in one by one. His eyes saw far, in much greater detail than he thought possible. He could change his focus, to see even the minute details of the grains of wood on one of the trees in the distance. ncing around, he looked up to the skies, seeing birds flying high above and he could see their bodies in extreme rity. The sensation sent a shiver down Noah¡¯s back. He took a step ahead, and his feet picked up on the vibration traveling from his body as he stepped. He took another step, feeling the same vibration flowing through the ground. The air moved around him, disced by his walking, and he could sense the flow that it left in his wake. Step by step, Noah walked, adjusting to his new senses. The smell was perhaps the most jarring. He could smell the air. It smelled¡­ like nothing he had ever smelled before. The normal air¡¯s scent felt magnified, and he could smell Aurelia and Erwest having been around here, their trails of scent somehow identifiable to him now. Speeding up in his steps, Noah began to jog in circles around the arena. Each step was a new wave of information, each blink felt slower than ever before, as Noah quickly switched into a full blown run. Jumping up, Noah kicked off the wall,nding on one of the log pirs setup in the arena for training. So far, only Aurelia had been using it, as Noah had been getting one on one training time with Erwest. Standing at the start of the course, Noah looked at the way ahead. The goal was simple; he had to walk across the logs without being smacked in the face by one of the many projectiles that would be thrown his way, or the swinging logs. The catch? He had to do it blindfolded. Noah closed his eyes, letting his newly enhanced senses take hold. Meditation sharpened his attention like a razor, as Noah felt the air flow ahead of him. Slowly, he took a step ahead, standing on the next log as he shifted his weight. Feeling ted at his sess, he continued to focus, taking the next step as his confidence increased. The vibration traveling across the logs served to dampen his senses, and the noise of the swinging logs distracted him from finding his way, yet Noah continued without much problems, letting the flow of air on his body guide him. A crack echoed, as one of the triggers got activated, throwing a rock at him. Noah quickly turned sideways, dodging the rock within a split second before he¡¯d even realized where it wasing from. Another shot activated and Noah jumped ahead. A log swung towards him, and Noah felt iting immediately. Turning around, Noah kicked up in the air, dodging the log, another pebble shot towards him, and Noah caught the rock,nding on the logs. Two pairs of swinging logs moved towards him and he bent down, letting them pass over his head. Quickly rising before they returned, he moved ahead, turning and twisting sideways. The course continued to grow in intensity as more and more objects barred his Path, and Noah found himself growing slower and slower. The logs beneath his feet now were barely enough to hold him, and a part of his focus had to be dedicated entirely to bncing himself. After a few minutes, Noah finally lost his focus, as a particrly tricky arc of a pebble hit him on his shoulder, knocking him off bnce. Quickly turning mid air, Noahnded on his feet, as he finally opened his eyes as he saw he¡¯d almostpleted the entire course in one go. ¡°Holy shit,¡± Noah said. ¡°That felt amazing. I was literally doing kung-fu.¡± Tony shivered happily, pleased to see Noah happy. ¡°I should teach you about Kung-Fu tony. It¡¯s an amazing form of martial arts from my world, and it makes for some of the best movies.¡± Letting a breath out, Noah decided to open the notifications he had gotten. [Void Hunter¡¯s Senses] level 10 ¡ú 12. Cognitive Speed D2 ¡ú D6. Noah smiled, pleased to himself. ¡°Alright, time for the next one.¡± Reaching out to his Dimensional pocket, Noah took out the second tome. [Tome of Harvest (Rare)]: Unlocks a Harvest based ability. Would you like to use this item? Yes/No? Noah selected the Yes prompt. But instead of getting an option for selecting a Path, he got another new prompt in front of him. [Quest System] and [Devourer] resonate with [Tome of Harvest]. Rarity increased to Epic. The tome red brightly, as Noah felt his aura shudder as the ability was absorbed. Noah felt a pulse of energy flow through his body, as more notifications arrived. [Devourer] and [Quest System] have unlocked ess to [Astral Vault]. New sub menu [Astral Vault] created. ERROR! ess not granted. Patching error¡­ Diamond Premium Package has unlocked [Astral Vault] with limited ess! [Astralwalker] has unlocked [Celestial Harvest (Epic)]! Noah felt a flood of mana flow into him, leaving him restless as his body shivered. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Noah eximed, as he read through his notifications. What had happened just now? Noah opened his ability description. [Celestial Harvest (Epic)] You are capable of harvesting the foes you defeat. Obtain loot and credit points upon harvesting an enemy. All credit points can be spent in the [Astral Vault] for items. The activation of this ability will depend upon the Luck sub-attribute. ¡°Huh. So it¡¯s a looting mechanism? And a luck based one at that¡­¡± Noah said, surprised by the description. After a moment, he opened his sub-attributes menu. Luck: A4. ¡°Better give me some good rewards with a luck stat that high,¡± he said, before moving on to his menus. [Abilities] [Skills] [Perks] [Quests] [Items] [Party] [Astral Vault] Noah opened the new sub menu, watching the menu expand. [Astral Vault] Credit Points: 1 Do you wish to spend 1 Credit Point to roll for an item? Yes/No? Shrugging to himself, Noah selected yes. You¡¯ve spent 1 credit. 1 x Pebble was added to your [Dimensional Pocket]. Noah checked his Dimensional Pocket and indeed, there was one extra pebble in there. He took the rock out, feeling its smooth surface in his hands. ¡°So¡­ I unlocked a gacha system?¡± Noah muttered to himself. ¡°I guess game systems don¡¯t change even in a fantasy world.¡± Tony shivered, sending a pulse to Noah. ¡°Oh? Yeah, I was thinking the same thing bud,¡± Noah said, smiling to himself as he put the stone back in his Dimensional Pocket. There was only one thing to do after getting an ability like this. It was time to go hunt some monsters. Book 2: Chapter 23 — Monster Hunting Book 2: Chapter 23 ¡ª Monster Hunting After a brief search, Noah had found his way to the adventurer¡¯s guild in the city. The building was rather hard to miss, once he knew what he was looking for. Stepping in, Noah watched the doors open up automatically for him. The temperature inside was a pleasant cool, with a fragrant scent filling the area. Noah watched as people of all kinds and species walked around. The guild was muchrger whenpared to Windrest, with multiple reception counters present at the front, lines formed around them as people lined up. Looking around for a moment, Noah¡¯s eyes found themselves on a disy with various items listed. It was a lot like a board, set high up in the air, with a list of quest names, categories, requirements and pay listed on them. ¡°First time?¡± a man asked, looking at Noah. ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Not quite sure how the system works here. My previous guild was¡­ not like this.¡± The man chuckled. ¡°I bet. Celestian magic and all that. Head that way to the counter, tell them what quest you want after you pick one from the disy. They¡¯ll set you up.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Noah said, dipping his head lightly as he walked ahead. Scanning through a bunch of quests, Noah finally found one he thought would fit. Quest: Iron Teeth Infestation Difficulty: Bronze-III Rmendation: An E rank Party with at least one D ranked member. Payment: 25 D-grade mana crystals. After reading a little more, Noah found the quest quite fitting. The infestation would be filled with F to E grade monsters inrge quantities, perfect to test out his abilities with. The fact that it was fairly close by was just the icing on the cake. Walking to the counter, Noah waited in line for his turn toe up, before a woman with shining silver hair greeted him. [Astral Assistant - ??] "Hello, how may I help you today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking to take up the Iron Teeth infestation quest,¡± Noah said. ¡°Of course, may I look at your adventuring te?¡± Noah paused. ¡°Ah¡­ I don¡¯t think I have that yet. Will this work?¡± he said, taking out his adventuring contract. I have to give it to Nae, she wasn¡¯t lying about the benefits of joining the guild. This hase in use multiple times now. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t help you till I have an official designation. The guild cannot assign any quests to an unranked adventurer,¡± the woman said, handing back the form to Noah. Noah frowned, thinking for a moment. ¡°Actually, is it possible for you to contact a guild in a different city?¡± The receptionist hesitated. ¡°I can, but there will be a payment. A call typically costs around five E-grade mana crystals. But the cost may be more or less depending on distance and mana usage.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay,¡± Noah said. The woman nodded, opening a drawer as she took out a blue runic square, simr to the one Aurelia had, and what Vix had given him. ¡°Who would you like to contact? Please keep in mind we can only contact official runic cubes, and not any individual owned ones.¡± ¡°Nae Celestine from the Windrest adventurer¡¯s guild.¡± As the receptionist twisted the cube around, runes red on the device, before a chime yed on it. Nae¡¯s smiling face greeted him from the floating projection. ¡°Hey Nae! I need some help,¡± Noah said, waving to the woman. Nae¡¯s expression visibly fell. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you. What do you want?¡± ¡°You could at least pretend to be a little happy to see me,¡± Noah said. ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to y around Noah,¡± Nae said, as he saw her hand reaching out to cut the connection. ¡°Okay, hold on, this is serious,¡± Noah said. ¡°I need to take a quest but I¡¯m being told I don¡¯t have an adventuring te, so I can¡¯t. Can you do something?¡± ¡°Oh, right. That¡¯s actually my fault, sorry. I got so caught up in, well, everything. Ipletely forgot to get that made,¡± Nae said. ¡°We would be able to issue one. If the individual¡¯s information can be transferred,¡± the receptionist added. ¡°Right. I believe in this case, the individual does not wish to share his information, so I can¡¯t do that. But I already have the assessment ready. I¡¯m sending it right now,¡± Nae said. A momentter, another chime ran over the device, and the receptionist pressed a rune, before frowning. ¡°Bronze-I for an F rank?¡± she asked. ¡°Yup. It would be higher if it wasn¡¯t for a few annoying conditions,¡± Nae said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I still can¡¯t issue the quest in question here. The quest is Bronze-III and requires a party,¡± the receptionist said. ¡°What¡¯s the quest about?¡± Nae asked. ¡°Iron-teeth infestation.¡± Nae hummed in thought, and Noah gave her a pleading look from across the projection. ¡°So, truth be told, this guy is an idiot. Now that he knows, I''m almost certain that he''ll run off on his own if you try to stop him. Just let him go,¡± Nae said. The receptionist looked hesitantly at Nae, before turning to look at Noah. ¡°She¡¯s not wrong,¡± Noah said with a shrug. After a moment¡¯s consideration, the receptionist nodded, as she walked across the counter to a strange box-like device nearby, tapping a nk metal te on it. A momentter, she put the te on the counter. ¡°I¡¯ve registered the quest. That will be your te, please keep it with you as we won¡¯t be able to reach you without this in case of an emergency or to return your belongings should you die.¡± ¡°Grim,¡± Noah said, reading the te. Adventurer te Bronze-I Noah Brown He flipped it over to read the backside. Please return to the nearest guild if found missing. The message made him chuckle as he read it, before he put the te in his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Thanks Nae.¡± "Don''t die, or I''ll be annoyed,¡± Nae said, before the spell was cut with a click. ¡°May the stars guide you adventurer,¡± the receptionist said and Noah made his way out. *** The cart rattled beneath Noah, as he leanedfortably on a sack full of grains. He¡¯d hitched a ride on a wagon heading in the same direction. Typically Noah was the person who would be filling in the silence between any conversations, but this once he felt scant need of it, with the merchant talking nearly non stop since he¡¯d picked up Noah. ¡°And so there I was with the boy, and I told ¡®em, I ain¡¯t got no crystals, but the men weren¡¯t listening. Bein¡¯ a merchant and what not, I ain¡¯t one for fighting and stuff, not at me age, but with m¡¯boy behind me I couldn¡¯t appear weak y¡¯know? So I picked up a pitchfork and went after the darned bastards. Did I tell you I used tah be a farmer? Grew the finest corn this side of Melior,¡± the man said. ¡°Yeah you told me,¡± Noah replied. Only like three times. He kept that thought to himself. ¡°Anywho, like I was saying. I¡¯d be all up for hunting some monsters myself, but the years areing in, and them beasties have been a little unstable this part of the year. And with m¡¯boy grown up and all, I¡¯d prefer not to take risks y¡¯know? Wanna see that fool get married while I¡¯m still alive at least. Not that I can¡¯t, of course, I¡¯ve still got me skills all well and good.¡± ¡°Right, going back a little. The monsters, they¡¯ve been unstable recently?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Oh yeah. Bunch of theming into civilizednd. Them beasties ain¡¯t dumb y¡¯know? They know what they can take and what they can¡¯t. But they¡¯ve been rushing into civilization, for thest few months. The crop¡¯s been dying too, bunch of children getting sick as well. It¡¯s a right pain I tell ya. M¡¯boy almost got bit by a serpent that wandered out the forest, and we ain¡¯t got no healer. Thank Septah that I was there and I took care of that beastie.¡± Noah hummed in thought. ¡°Is this infestation recent?¡± ¡°About a week old or so. This one grew out of sight, but now that it¡¯s big enough, them beasties are aiming for the fields. They wipe through the crops like some kind of wildfire. But that ain¡¯t even the big thing, Iron Teeth aim for the animals and people too. Chew them out from the inside. It¡¯s all sorts of nasty and dangerous,¡± the man said. ¡°They¡¯ve got these razor de teeth, and they grow up to be about your arm¡¯s size. Fast too, and they¡¯ve got these armored shells. Got anything they can eat and they¡¯ll clear it in seconds. Let it grow, and these beasties kill entire kingdoms.¡± ¡°Huh. Sounds like a locust swarm but worse,¡± Noah murmured. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± the man asked, ncing back. ¡°Locusts. Flying pests that fly in swarms of millions and tear through crops. They¡¯re basically a disaster for farmers. We have them back in some ces at my home,¡± Noah said. ¡°Must be some far off ce. Never heard of these locusts before. But that does sound simr to Iron Teeth. I hear the big ones can fly too, so you better hope they ain¡¯t that mature yet. That¡¯s a right nightmare. Run if you see them, don¡¯t waste your life,¡± the man said. ¡°I appreciate the warning,¡± Noah replied. After a little more talking and stories from the merchant-farmer, Noah hopped off the wagon at his destination, waving the man goodbye. Turning around, Noah saw the forest extending outwards from where he stood up a hill. New Quest unlocked! Quest: Iron Fest Infestation! There is an infestation of Iron-teeth nearby. Find them, and clear them out. Difficulty:Hard Reward: An Epic grade ability Tome. ¡°I was wondering when that would show up,¡± Noah said. A dirt path led further in and Noah followed the trail, making his way through the forest. [Void Hunter¡¯s Senses] pinged him at every step, as he made his way around. He was still adjusting to the sheer amount of informationing from the skill, but with Tony¡¯s help, he was adapting fast. The forest was rich, but Noah felt an oddly surprising silence in it. He¡¯d expected to sense or hear a lot more wildlife, but the ce seemed almost barren. An rm rang in his head as something fell from above on top of him and Noah blinked back, spear in his hand and ready to fight. He paused, noticing the creature was already dead, with half its body missing and organs syed out. ¡°Is that from the infestation?¡± Noah murmured out loud. He couldn¡¯t use identify on the creature, but whatever it was, it had not been given a chance to resist. ¡°Also, what was that rm in my head? It damn near gave me a heart attack.¡± Tony shivered. ¡°My ability? It does that?¡± Noah said, feeling a little strange that he had no idea till now. The sensation had felt like his instincts had fired all at once for him to rush into flight or fight mode. He¡¯d need to adjust to that too. ¡°I¡¯m d Marvel doesn¡¯t exist in this world, or they¡¯d probably sue me,¡± Noah said, trying to lighten his mood. Even so, he kept the spear clutched in his arms, and his eyes set out to the forest around him. ¡°Well, guess we should head in?¡± Noah said, and Tony shivered happily. Noah walked ahead but his eyes lingered on the mangled corpse behind him. A momentter, with a slight exertion of his will, he reduced his shackles down to fifty percent. He¡¯d rather not take too many risks all at once. Book 2: Chapter 24 — All the Loot Book 2: Chapter 24 ¡ª All the Loot Heading down, Noah soon watched the dirt path be taken over by wild growth, as he walked through the forest, trying to steer himself. It wasn¡¯t a particrly difficult task, given the trail of destruction left behind. Even the vegetation was thinning, being torn to shreds by whatever resided here. He had to rely on Tony to keep his sense of smell under control, as his new senses had quickly started to overwhelm him. Noah kicked a corpse aside, feeling the blood and guts clinging to his shoes. ¡°Gives me the creeps,¡± he said, watching the torn up corpse, as if the creatures had lost interest midway as the creature had died. Walking ahead, Noah felt Tony shiver once. A momentter, the symbiote manifested in his eye-bat form next to him. ¡°Ahead?¡± Noah asked, and Tony gave a nod. Crouching through the bushes, Noah stilled his breathing. Meditation activated, focusing his attention and increasing his focus, he felt every sense meld into one. Moving slowly, and with careful steps, Noah moved further. A cave entrance was right ahead, and Noah could hear the creatures crawling all around inside. Raising his hand, he sent Tony in. The symbiote split his body into smaller clones, before sending one inside, while the others scattered around the area. [Diffused Transformation], Noah noted. Tony¡¯s advanced tier ability. So far he had not had much opportunity to test it. It put a strain on Tony to be split like this, his attention divided across multiple forms. They¡¯d both need some practice with this, but now wasn¡¯t the time. A momentter, Tony returned, sending a pulse of thought. Noah gave a nod, readying himself. From the cave, a gray looking creature moved outside. Its body was an oily silver, with tes of armor, its face being a circr gaping maw with razor-like teeth all around it. A green acidic saliva dripped from the creature, as the monster tried to jump at Tony, to take a bite. Thrusting with his spear, Noah skewered the monster, momentarily surprised by the ng of the armor ting on the creature. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see,¡± Noah said, extending his hand towards the creature. The ability activated with a pulse, as the creature¡¯s body began to dissolve into silvery particles. Rolling a luck check¡­ sessful! You¡¯ve harvested [Iron Teeth - lvl 36]. 2 credit points obtained. That was less credits than he¡¯d expected. He hummed to himself. A few momentster, Tony brought out a few more creatures. This time, Noah charged his spear with Obliterate, shing in an arc as he cut through all three at once. As the notifications for the kills chimed, he used Celestial harvest. Rolling a luck check¡­ sessful! You¡¯ve harvested [Iron Teeth - lvl 41]. You¡¯ve harvested [Iron Teeth - lvl 38]. You¡¯ve harvested [Iron Teeth - lvl 32]. 7 credits obtained. 1 x Iron Teeth fang obtained. Noah opened his Astral Vault tab, before he rolled with his entire 9 credits. 1 x Rusty dagger obtained. Taking out the dagger, Noah saw the de was chipped, with rust covering all over it. If he struck it too hard, he suspected it would shatter and leave rusted metal inside whatever thing it was plunged in. ¡°I guess it¡¯s better than a pebble,¡± Noah said. A momentter, he saw Tony rushing out, as the symbiote sent a shiver of rm. Noah prepared himself, watching as something stirred in the darkness. A momentter, arge group of worms appeared in his sight, all rushing towards him like a cresting tsunami of silvery teeth and death. ¡°Shit!¡± Noah cursed, throwing his dagger as it killed one, barely making a difference. With a quick Blink he teleported back, creating distance. Flying rapidly, Tony sunk back into Noah¡¯s body, as the Symbiote began to work hard to manage Noah¡¯s sensory input. Letting Obliterate charge, Noah transformed his hand into its monstrous form, as wed shes cut towards the hoard. Starforged arms manifested around him, a de on each hand, as Noah moved into the wave of creatures. Diffused Transformation got its time to shine as Tony rapidly changed Noah¡¯s body to its monstrous form. His muscles bulged, his skin taking on a dark shade of ck. The red in his eyes shifted as well, while ws grew from his hands and feet. Unlike with Metamorphosis, Noah did not gain a boost of attributes, but there was also no time limit on usage for this. Growling, as he felt Tony¡¯s innate hunger mix with himself, Noah leapt into the swarm. Notification upon notification chimed in his head, as his ws tore through the nket of Iron-teeth, Celestial Harvest crumbling their corpses for loot. His ws struck their armored shells, Tony hardening his own skin as the iron teethtched onto his body. Noah let them, allowing the Crimson Rot to seep into his blood and fill their bodies. His mana des shed through the hordes, keeping the crowd at bay as they only allowed as many monsters as Noah could take on at once to attack him. Hundreds of teethtched upon his skin, burrowing in only to find crimson rot filling their bodies, and killing them from the inside. Yet not every creature died. Some survived the initial Rot effect, drinking from Noah¡¯s lifeblood to heal themselves. Noah pried the creatures off himself, growling as they tore out chunks of his flesh, before crushing them in his fist. But the battle had always been one of endurance. The swarm continued to flow out, an unending nket of Iron-teeth that clicked their monstrous maws as they ran on their crab like legs, leaping up and towards Noah. Using Blink, Noah teleported back, before climbing up a tree. He panted, feeling his energy drained as he saw the swarm pour outwards and cover the ground. Diffused Transformation faded, as Noah used Blood Drain to recover his stamina and heal his injuries, while looking around. ¡°Should¡¯ve asked Aurelia toe. Burning them would¡¯ve been a lot easier to do,¡± he said, watching the swarm pour out. A momentter, Tony chimed with a thought. ¡°Hit their home huh? It¡¯ll be risky,¡± Noah said, and Tony sent another pulsing shiver. Noah grinned at the thought from his Symbiote, before he jumped back down from the tree. The Iron-teeth swerved towards him, like a nest of sharks smelling blood. Noah transformed, his body changing as his form adapted under Tony¡¯smand. With a kick he leapt over the Iron-Teeth swarm, slicing through any that clung onto him with his spear as he rushed into their hive. The bustle of the swarm grew, as a humming noise filled Noah¡¯s head. Millions of holes filled the cavern like a giant ant hill that had been carved into this ce. The Iron-Teeth continued to pour out, and Noah began to sh his way through them like an arrow piercing a wave. Flesh and blood soaked the ground around him, his spear drinking in greedily from the monsters he slew. Blink whirred as he teleported around, rushing forward towards the center of the hive. Tony guided him through the twisting caverns, through the swarm of monsters all around him. A sudden rm rang in his head, as Noah took a turn and he blinked away. A giant sh cut through where he had stood, taking down the wall. Noah stared at the monster, buzzing with insect-like wings, and two scythe arms attached to it''s body. [Juvenile Iron Teeth - lvl ??] Noah grasped his spear tightly as more flying enemies came out from behind the creature. A momentter, he grinned, rushing in towards them. The beasts flew rapidly, rushing towards Noah as their wed arms shed towards him. Noah''s senses guided him, as he twisted around the attack, before thrusting his spear through the monster¡¯s throat. Another sh came at his back and Noah let go of his weapon, turning to block the strike with his own ws. Obliterate gathered on his remaining hand as he thrust it within the beast¡¯s cut, before tearing it into three, as the monster fell to the ground. Dimensional Pocket pulled his spear back as Noah swung it to rid it of the bloody remains of the monster, before watching the three flying creatures hovering nearby. They stared at him, monstrous eyes twisting in consideration. A momentter, the creatures flew past Noah, rushing outside. Surprised, he watched the creatures go, before realizing something strange. None of the smaller worm-like Iron Teeth had followed him inside. ¡°Are they abandoning their home?¡± Noah wondered out loud. He wondered if his Quest would still reward him, if the monsters simply ran away. Walking further into the hive, Noah continued forward. More creatures began to appear, juveniles that buzzed around the hive, but few engaged with Noah. After a few moments of walking, Noah reached a wide chamber where all the tunnels from all across the hive connected. Yet, what he saw inside was far from what he had expected. A sea of red painted the hive, blood, flesh and chitinous pieces coating each wall. Corpses upon corpses filled the area, with the few that remained alive, trying to make their way out. Noah¡¯s eyes were drawn to a particrlyrge creature¡¯s corpse. A giant monstrous beast with a worm-like body andrge insectile legs. It¡¯s maw gaped open with giant teeth lining all its insides, and Noah realized it to be an adult. A chime went off in his head. Quest: Iron Teeth Infestationpleted! Tony sent a shiver, a warning contained in the thought. Something stirred near the giant Iron teeth corpse. Noah gripped his spear tighter as he moved closer to the beast. Slowly moving to gain a better look Noah felt surprised by what he found. A small rabbit sat next to the corpse, chewing on the remains. Its head had two curved horns, its teeth sharp like fangs with its eyes a deep red, showing madness lurking within. [Draconian Jackalope - lvl 72] With a pause, the rabbit stopped eating its meal as it noticed Noah standing there. As the creature''s eyes turned towards him, Noah found the strongest rm he had felt that day go off. His senses all screamed at him of danger and a terrible realization made his gut churn. The Iron Teeth¡­ they weren''t swarming me. They were running for their lives. Book 2: Chapter 25 — A Bloody Battle Book 2: Chapter 25 ¡ª A Bloody Battle Noah watched the creature looking at him with intent eyes, its nose sniffing the air. He had trouble reconciling the threat he felt from his instincts with the creature he saw in front of him. The bunny moved closer, eyes intently staring at Noah. For a moment, Noah wondered if the creature was friendly. Then it opened its mouth, revealing sharp fangs as the air rippled visibly with a roar. You¡¯ve heard [Draconian Roar]. You¡¯ve partially resisted the effect. Stamina and health regeneration reduced by 10% Noah stumbled back from the strength of the roar, shocked even further that he hadn¡¯t simply resisted the effects. The bunny dashed ahead like an arrow shot from its quiver, and Noah jumped back, teleporting out of the creature¡¯s way. Like a bouncing rebounding attack, the bunnynded on the walls kicking off as it rapidly changed directions and moved towards Noah as its horns grazed his thighs, drawing blood. How is this thing faster than me? Noah moved his star forged arms, creating the bow from Quadrivium ink as bolts of mana shot at the rabbit. Tony transformed Noah¡¯s body as he took out his spear, striking at the rabbit. The beast continued to dance around him, gouging out chunks of his body as it shot all over the arena, jumping from wall to wall, and boulder to boulder like a loose arrow. Noah growled in annoyance, swinging his spear around, as he tried to hit the rabbit, but the monster was faster than him, and it was aware of it. Teleporting to avoid injuries, Noah tried to move away or draw the beast somewhere open with less tforms to jump off of, but the creature was smart, and would simply stand still, looking at Noah silently if he tried to move out of the cavern. Standing on the other end of the cavern, Noah looked at the rabbit. It was the very image of a predator guarding its kill. The rabbit¡¯s deep red eyes bothered him, their gaze unrelenting, and he wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d seen the creature blink even once. For a moment, he considered if he should turn away. He¡¯d alreadypleted his task. His eyes looked around at the hive full of corpses. If he left now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to use his harvest ability on them. ¡°I can¡¯t believe a rabbit is making me do this,¡± Noah murmured to himself, as he nted the butt of his spear on the ground, teleporting it into his Dimensional Pocket. A momentter, he grabbed his wrists, adjusting his shackles, Noah set a pulse of mana to them, as one by one both of the shackles fell off his wrist. ¡°Ah that feels good,¡± Noah said to himself, moving his wrists freely as he took a breath before storing the shackles in his Dimensional Pocket as well. Tony sent a shivering pulse to Noah. ¡°You feel that too huh?¡± Noah eximed, smiling. A momentter, ws extended from his hands and feet, his body transforming into a partial demonic form and Noah let out a guttural growl as he looked at the creature. ¡°It¡¯s been some time since I went full throttle. Let¡¯s have some fun, bud.¡± With a kick Noah shot forward, moving rapidly. Chaining blinks he closed the gap in an instant, mming his fist where the rabbit was. His hand struck the ground, cracking the rock floor. Noah looked up, noting the bunny jumping at a wall and thenunching back at him. He let void mana gather in his ws, striking at the rabbit¡¯s horns with Obliterate. Sparks flew at the impact, as both the rabbit and Noah were shot back. Noah looked at his arm, noticing it shaking after the impact, before his eyes went to the rabbit. It too had taken a hit, shaking its head to clear away the dizziness. We¡¯re equally matched huh? He smiled at the thought, letting void mana channel through his body as he rushed forward again. The rabbit jumped back this time, creating distance. A red glow pulsated around its body and fur, before Noah noticed the blood covering the arena starting to rise. ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t!¡± Noah activated Blood Drain pulling at the blood as well. Their abilities shed, a torrent of blood filling the air and swirling around as they both pulled, making the air vibrate with the sh of mana. He felt the rabbit¡¯s willpower straining against his, and he pushed, bearing down with the entire weight of his aura. The rabbit pushed back, its own willpower like a sharp razorde ready to cut through him as their auras collided rupturing the two abilities entirely. Noah felt his injuries healing as a sliver of the blood flowed into him, while the rest simply dissipated. The bunny looked displeased, huffing as it thumped its feet. Noah didn¡¯t give it time, moving ahead to strike the beast with its w. The rabbit opened its mouth, not trying to avoid Noah¡¯s strike at all. An rm rang in Noah¡¯s head, and he teleported away at thest second before his strikended. Fire erupted in the cavern, flowing over the ground as it came from the little rabbit¡¯s mouth. The temperature in the cavern rose rapidly as the mes swirled all around. Noah felt his body catch me, catching the edges of the rabbit¡¯s breath. He let the fire burn, lifeblood dealing with the damage as his body quickly began to grow resistant. Moving ahead towards the rabbit he charged the creature once more, when the bunny hopped into the air, and then continued to hop away. Noah¡¯s strike hit the ground, and he growled in frustration. Looking up, he saw the rabbit in the skies circling around as it shot balls of me. Noah jumped onto the wall, running up its length as he kicked off to hit the rabbit, but his mobility was far more limited in the air, and the rabbit struck with its st of mes, sending Noah crashing to the ground. With a cough, Noah looked at the rabbit, smugly flying in the air and he regretted not picking up the item which gave him wings back in the guild. Noah felt a shiver from Tony, which made his eyes go wide. Another breath of fireunched down from above and he teleported away, finding a better spot. ¡°Really?¡± he asked, the thought from Tony feeling a little ridiculous. Tony shivered excitedly. ¡°Are you sure? I haven¡¯t used the ability since¡­ well, since the body modification.¡± Noah felt another pulse. The symbiote felt confident. ¡°Alright then,¡± he said. He felt Tony¡¯s main body move out of his ring, and flow into him. Their minds began to interlink, thoughts being shared far more deeply and instantly. Noah¡¯s skin changed, a dark ck hue taking them on. His muscles and bones began to morph, teeth growingrger, pupils turning into slits. Two horns jutted from his temple, deep red eyes glowing in the dark. A tail grew from behind him, alongside two bat-like wings that formed behind his back. Abyssal Symbiote has used Metamorphosis! All attributes increased by 25%! Time remaining: 90 seconds. Noah growled, feeling power coursing through his body. He looked up above in the air, eyes focused on his target. A momentter, he kicked off the ground, wings pping as Tony supplied every instinct he needed to have to use his new limbs like they had forever been his. The symbiote worked in tandem with Noah, as they shot towards the skies. Fire rushed towards them, as the bunny moved away but Noah was faster now. He rushed forward, ws swinging. The rabbit met his strike, its horns glowing with a brilliant light and the crackle of lightning. Noah used Obliterate and Bleed through channels in his fists, as the two struck. A powerful explosion shook the cavern, lightning and void mana bursting outwards. Noah¡¯s body was ame as he crashed onto the ground with a powerful thud, the stone cracking underneath him. Pulling himself up, he shook his head, before noting the bunny standing on the other side. One of its horns was broken, blood dripping down onto its fur as a manic look stayed upon the creature. Noah matched the expression with his own grin, growling as the two charged each other. ws met horns in a destructive dance of magic. Obliterate tearing up the ground, as both of them drew the blood in the caverns to heal their wounds. The bunny shot mes from its mouth, burning Noah¡¯s body but he remained where he was, striking back in return with his ws and carving into the rabbit¡¯s flesh. They traded blow upon blow and the damage kept building up, until they both stood staring at each other, panting in exertion. Noah felt his timer run out as his body returned back to its human form. He felt the fatigue set in and fought it, trying not to fall over. The rabbit looked back at him, blood now soaking it from head to toe. Noah stared at the creature, feeling a strange sense of respect for it. But the battle hade to an end. He moved in with thest of his strength, lunging at the rabbit. The bunny charged as well, ready to strike at Noah¡¯s throat with its horns. Then, in a move that left the rabbit baffled, Noah let the strikend diverting it to his chest. Using the opportunity he grabbed the rabbit, before summoning an item from his Dimensional Pocket. Two shackles clicked in ce around the rabbit¡¯s feet, changing size to fit their new wearer. The bunny thrashed to fight back but the trap was set and Noah let the shackles go up to full suppression. He felt the rabbit biting at his fingers, drawing a small amount of blood as it tried to fight back, and Noah grabbed it by the scruff of its neck. The bunny kicked and squirmed to free itself, but it was pointless. ¡°Got you atst. Take the might of having arger brain size,¡± Noah said, before pausing. ¡°Did I just feel proud to have outsmarted a bunny?¡± He sighed, nearly facepalming, before he copsed onto the floor, as his exhaustion kicked inpletely. The bunny continued to struggle in his arms and Noah grabbed it tighter. ¡°Don¡¯t squirm too much or I¡¯ll kill you,¡± he said, growling. Somehow, the creature understood, stopping immediately. ¡°I still don¡¯t know how a level 72 rabbit was stronger than so many other D rank enemies I¡¯ve fought. Maybe it¡¯s the Draconian part?¡± he said, looking down at the rabbit. A momentter, he chucked the rabbit into his Dimensional Pocket, deciding to leave its fate up forter. Leaning back, Noah looked around at the mountain of corpses around him. Half were burnt to a crisp and scattered to bloody chunks from the battle, but the giant Iron Teeth¡¯s corpse was still intact. Standing up, Noah limped to the giant beast¡¯s body, cing a hand on it, as he activated Celestial Harvest. Rolling a luck check¡­ sessful! You¡¯ve harvested [Iron Teeth Matriarch (Rare) - lvl 206]. 81 credit points obtained. ¡°No item? What a scam,¡± Noah said, before ncing around. A momentter, he let celestial harvest activate on the remaining corpses. You¡¯ve harvested [Iron Teeth (Common) - lvl 47]. You¡¯ve harvested [Iron Teeth (Common) - lvl 28]. ¡­ You¡¯ve harvested [Juvenile Iron Teeth (Umon) - lvl 104] You¡¯ve harvested [Iron Teeth (Common) - lvl 32]. 17 x Iron Teeth fang obtained. 2 x Iron Teeth Scythes obtained. 1 x Iron Teeth Core obtained. 79 credit points obtained. Noah felt his mana drain rapidly as the ability activated, and he had to sit down for a moment as he felt himself growing dizzy. Closing his eyes, he began to meditate to refill his mana, feeling it rapidly fill up. When he was full, he began to use his ability again till he was nearly spent. The cycle of meditating and harvesting followed for several hours, until the hive was wiped entirely clean, including the nearby remaining areas. Noah took a seat on a boulder, finally done with his task as he let his mana build up again with onest meditation. Opening his eyes, he pulled out his notifications to check on them. Abilities: [Blood Drain] level 17 ¡ú 19. [Bleed] level 17 ¡ú 18. [Lifeblood] level 15 ¡ú 16. [Blink] level 21 ¡ú 22. [Dimensional Pocket] level 14 ¡ú 15. [Starforged Arms] level 9 ¡ú 10. [Celestial Harvest] level 1 ¡ú 9. [Obliterate] level 20 ¡ú 21. [Void Hunter¡¯s Senses] level 12 ¡ú 15. [Abyssal Symbiote] level 26 ¡ú 27. Starforged Arms has ranked up to Intermediate! Skills: [Lightning Resistance] level 2 ¡ú 3. [Fire Resistance] level 0 ¡ú 2. [Terror Resistance] level 4 ¡ú 5. [Aura Control] level 9 ¡ú 10. [Aura Control] has ranked up to Intermediate! Noah looked at his Celestial Harvest skill now resting at level 9 in just a single day of use. He found it a shame that it hadn¡¯t reached intermediate already, but he suspected that was only a matter of time. Starforged Arms and Aura Control had both ranked up, but he decided to wait before checking their descriptions. Changing menus he opened his Astral Vault to see how many points he had gotten. [Astral Vault] Credit Points: 1137 A smile came up on his lips as he saw the number of credits he had. After a moment of thought, he pulled up a prompt, investing all of the points in one go. Do you wish to spend 1137 Credit Points to roll for an item? Yes/No? With the smile of a seasoned gacha yer, he selected yes. Book 2: Chapter 26 — How do I go back? Book 2: Chapter 26 ¡ª How do I go back? Noah looked at his menu in anticipation, raising an eyebrow when he heard the sound of a drumroll. Rolling¡­ sessful! Critical Roll! 1 x [Cloak of Shadows (Legendary)] obtained! His eyes widened in surprise as he burst out inughter at the reward. A momentter, after calming himself, Noah opened his quest rewards to look at the tome he¡¯d obtained from clearing the nest. Quest: Iron Teeth Infestationpleted! Reward: [Tome of Swarm (Epic)] obtained. Noah looked at the Cloak in his hand with a smile. ¡°To think I went to all that trouble fighting in the Pit when I could¡¯ve just done this all along.¡± But instead of using his Tome or trying the cloak out immediately, he set them aside for the moment, opening his abilities instead. [Starforged Arms (Legendary/Intermediate) - level 10] Arms forged out of the cosmos itself. You control three arms crafted from the raw, celestial energies of the cosmos. Be capable of attaching two of these arms to your body for decreased mana consumption and increased magical effects. Noah read through the description once, before he summoned the starforged arms. Three arms appeared around him, their starry blue looks unchanged from before. ¡°Says I can attach you guys to me?¡± Noah said out loud, talking to the ability as if it was sentient. Perhaps a sign that I was slowly going insane. Calling them towards him, he tried to understand how exactly he would attach them, when the ability very helpfully automatically triggered some sort of instinct. Two arms moved on their own, growing from being just elbows to be a full shoulder joint as they joined themselves to Noah¡¯s body. He felt them connecting to his back, altering the muscture ever so slightly as they sprouted like ghastly limbs erupting from his shoulders, like some part of his soul was about to break out of him. Noah twirled around, feeling the arms¡¯ presence. They had no weight, in the standard meaning of the word, but he could feel their metaphorical weight in his mind and soul, like he¡¯d always had these two extra limbs attached to his body since his birth. The sensation was jarring, almost more jarring than when he¡¯d first had Tony merge with him, but it was far from the worst he had gotten used to. Just a few minutes of walking and Noah was doing pushups with the ghostly arms. He was extremely pleased to find out that they did not tire like his physical arms, but instead only consumed a small amount of mana. With his Advanced meditation being active at all times, he was recovering more than he spent each second even with the arms constantly working. ¡°I could get used to this,¡± Noah said, leaving the arms attached to his back. They cost no mana to sustain if he didn¡¯t use them, and he was already starting to get used to their presence and felt a strange reluctance to part with his new limbs. Moving on to his other ability, Noah opened Aura Control¡¯s menu. [Aura Control (Intermediate) - level 10] You¡¯ve mastered your aura, gaining control over it. Be capable of expanding your aura presence to overwhelm anyone weaker than you, and restrict their movements. Noah messed around with his Aura control, trying to note what was different about it. From the start his Aura had felt like a nket that had covered him, but now, it was as if he¡¯d gained better rity and could sense a level deeper into them. Rather than a nket, it felt more like a shell to him. Like an external organ that was still very intrinsically connected to whatever magic existed in this world. Little threads of mana ran across his body connecting what was likely his soul to the aura he controlled. He remembered Aurelia¡¯s words. ¡°Your aura is the expression of your soul. If your soul is a bottle of ink, your aura is the book being written using that ink, with your body as its sheet of paper.¡± Noah flexed his aura now, feeling thest remaining bits of soul strain vanish entirely. The effect had not been immediately obvious but his aura no longer frayed and escaped outwards. Like a leak had been fixed in the drainage system of his soul, and the stuff that made up his aura was now content to remain within the confines of the boundaries he dictated it to remain in. The changes only pushed Noah further to find thest tome he needed. He¡¯d ovee the hurdle that had been holding him back from Ranking up, so all he needed now was one more tome and he would be ready. And to that end¡­ Noah took out the Tome reward he had gotten for clearing out the nest, letting it rest in his arm. Taking a seat on the ground, with his legs crossed he put the tome in hisp, flipping through the magical runes engraved within it. The act gave him a headache, Aurelia¡¯s warning about doing thising to mind, but Noah still found himself curious nheless. His trantion perk seemed to work even for elementals and writtennguage, but somehow, he could not read whatever was written within these tomes. Feeling curious, he continued to flip through the tome, till his headache went from a mild throb to a pounding pain until he was forced to avert his eyes and rest them for a few minutes. Noah looked back at the tome sitting in hisp. ¡°I guess if it was that easy to figure out how Tomes worked everyone would be doing it,¡± Noah said, closing the tome as he pressed his palm on top of its cover. Letting the mana flow, he waited for the prompt to present itself. Would you like to use [Tome of Swarm (Epic)]? Yes/No? Yes. The Tome erupted in a shower of light, runes flowing into Noah as the pages dissolved into motes of mana that filled his body. He let the light settle, the energy from the Tome spreading into his aura. For the first time, he could vaguely follow how his Aura became altered by the tome. If his aura was an expression of his soul, then were the tomes altering his soul itself? Or were they the words being written by the so-called Ink in his soul? What if they literally do that? Use ink made of souls to craft these? The thought was grim, especially if it came from the soul of people, but Noah didn¡¯t linger on the hypothesis as the ability awakened. [Exsanguinator] has unlocked Bloodfly Swarm! Noah hadn¡¯t had to pick the Path this time, so the tome had made the choice for itself. He reached out to his menu, opening the description of the ability. [Bloodfly Swarm (Epic/Basic) - level 1] You can summon a swarm of bloodflies, their hunger for life and blood unending and evesting. Control the swarm to inflict repeated [Bleed] damage upon your enemies for a short period of time. Noah stood up from where he had sat, as he channeled mana into the ability. A red glow appeared around his hands, before a buzzing noise filled the air. Blood colored mana flowed from his fingers as a swarm of flies manifested. The insects hummed wildly, swirling around in search of a target. Noah directed them towards one of the boulders, just to see what would happen and the flies struck, swarming the rock as they buzzed around it harmlessly for a few moments before disappearing as the mana supplying them faded. ¡°Well, unless I¡¯m made of rocks I know I wouldn¡¯t want to be on the receiving end of that,¡± Noah said, shuddering as he pictured a swarm of blood thirsty insects descending upon him. The damage was perhaps the least sinister aspect of the ability. Unable to do any tests with no live target given his thorough sweep with Celestial Harvest, Noah moved on to finally testing out his new Cloak. He picked up the cloth, feeling its billowing dark smoke. The fabric felt simr to how he imagined it would feel if darkness had been turned material through convincing the reality of the world that it was in fact solid and could be touched and picked up. Yet, as if reality itself became uncertain at times his grasp on the cloak felt tenous, as it phased in and out of this ne of existence as if it was uncertain about whether it truly belonged or not. [Cloak of Shadows (Legendary)] A cloak made of shadows, formed by a Mage from an older order of magic lost to time. The cloak allows its wearer to take on a shadowy form, turning ethereal for a moment. No physical attacks can harm the user in this state. ¡°Quite literal i-frames?¡± Noah said out loud to himself. He put the cloak on, feeling it wrap around his body. His ster arms twinkled like shining beacons from behind it, giving him a strange appearance with the dark cloak letting almost no light pass through them. Noah sent a small strand of mana into the cloak as he felt its ability activate. His body sank through the ground beneath him as Noah tried to scream, but realized he no longer had a body. The world around him was dark, no sound or sensation existing in the darkness, when a momentter, he realized that he could in fact still see, just no longer from his eyes. Void Hunter¡¯s Senses seemed to love the cloak, conveying in heavy detail exactly how he didn¡¯t exist in the three dimensional reality anymore, and the longer Noah felt the impossible dimensions of his existence in the form of a shadow, the more his mind frayed. Letting the ability fade, Noah returned back from his shadowy existence, as he stumbled over a few steps before emptying his stomach behind a nearby boulder for the next few breaths. After everything had left his gut, Noah wiped his mouth, feeling the nausea still swirling inside his head. ¡°That was awful,¡± Noah said, the memory bringing up another bout of nausea that he forcefully held down. Silently, he picked the cloak off his body, putting it back into his inventory. He would have to practice controlling his senses as he used the ability, or settle for existing in a state of total sensory deprivation while he was ethereal. He figured if he used the cloak for just a few seconds to simply phase in and out of shadow form he would likely do a lot better, but that was for future him to figure out and manage. After taking a few more minutes to breathe in, Noah picked himself up and began making his way out of the nest. Walking the way he came, and picking off a couple of the corpses he had missed from the few monsters that had escaped the nest, Noah finally found himself standing back on the dirt path leading the way out. After a moment of standing on the road, he realized one ring w with his travel ns. ¡°Now¡­ how do I go back?¡± Book 2: Chapter 27 — Blood Bond Book 2: Chapter 27 ¡ª Blood Bond It had taken an entire day for Noah to walk to the nearest vige before he had been able to borrow a ride the rest of the way to Heartilia. He¡¯d had to take a couple of stops to meditate with the bunny in his inventory. Even with the shackles suppressing it the creature was a noticeable drain on his mana pool. After arriving in the city atst, Noah had made his way across the city, before arriving at the Lord¡¯s manner, crashing onto his bed as he¡¯d slept the rest of the day away. It was the next morning that Noah found Aurelia, training in their practice arena. ¡°Where did you disappear off to?¡± she asked, shooting a fist size hole in one of the targets swinging at her. ¡°Quest. It was a bit far off,¡± Noah replied, yawning as he scratched the back of his head. Jumping off the tform Aurelia stepped closer, noting his new ghastly arms. ¡°New ability?¡± ¡°Old one upgraded,¡± Noah said with a pleased grin as one of his Starforged arms flexed to show off a spectral bicep. ¡°Looks quite neat. Are you nning to give it a weapon to use as well?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet. If my guess is right, the next tier up should allow me to attach two more arms. With Quadrivium ink I could give each one a weapon to wield if I wanted.¡± ¡°Your abilities only keep making you more and more annoying,¡± Aureliamented with a huff. ¡°Hey! What does that even mean?¡± Noah said, faking mock hurt at her words. ¡°It¡¯s apliment. An annoying opponent is one you think twice about fighting,¡± Aurelia said, before she paused. ¡°Wait, what happened to your shackles?¡± ¡°Ah- good thing you brought that up,¡± Noah said, digging into his dimensional pocket before he grabbed the rabbit by the scruff of its neck as he brought it out. The rabbit kicked in the air, displeased but Noah¡¯s grip remained firm. ¡°I found this little guy on the quest, single handedly taking apart an Iron Teeth nest. Almost killed me too, but I managed to get it with the shackles.¡± ¡°What even¡­ Draconian Jackalope? I¡¯ve never heard of a monster like that. Level 72¡­ you said it almost killed you?¡± Aurelia said, looking up at Noah in disbelief. ¡°Yup. I was surprised as well. It¡¯s not like I was holding back or anything either.¡± Aurelia hummed, as the rabbit continued to kick around, but the shackles persisted, and Noah let out a guttural growl with Tony¡¯s help that settled the creature¡¯s struggle. ¡°What do you n to do with it?¡± Noah¡¯s four arms gave a collective shrug. ¡°That¡¯s why I brought it with me. What do you think I should do? I could kill it, now that it has the shackles on, but somehow that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But if I free it it¡¯ll escape. It¡¯s fast, and it can fly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t release a monster in the middle of the city,¡± Aurelia said, her lips pursed, but she didn¡¯t linger on the idea, instead, focusing on the bunny in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s mad,¡± Aurelia mentioned a momentter. ¡°Yeah it definitely is. One hell of a rabbit for sure.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s under the influence of [Madness].¡± Noah paused with a quiet ah, raising the rabbit to look at its face. The creature looked adorable, with a button pink nose and two beautiful hornsing from its face, but only till you saw its eyes. The eyes were swirling circles of red and ck that drew you into them, betraying something deep underlying. ¡°It probably looked into the Watcher¡¯s eye, nothing else leaves madness this strong usually.¡± ¡°So¡­ should I kill it then?¡± Noah asked. The rabbit kicked once, as if it understood what was going on and did not want to wait any further to test out its luck. ¡°No. If it¡¯s as strong as you im, you should tame it. You can make it a familiar, the process is very simple. You''ll have to fight the madness off of course, and there''s a chance that this thing''s willpower will surpass yours,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah looked down at the bunny, which had returned to its struggle, biting at the shackles on its feet now, instead of Noah¡¯s arm. He didn¡¯t think the creature had any kind of soul resistance to break free, the shackles could hold Noah in at full power even with his resistance, but he didn¡¯t want to wait till the bunny developed a resistance or figured some other way out. ¡°How do I do that?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I¡¯ll draw the circle. I¡¯ve done it once before for a party I was with. We found a greater spirit, and one of the elementalists wanted to tame it.¡± ¡°Did it work?¡± ¡°Nope. The elemental fried his mind and the rest of us ran. It was stupid to even try, but the guy insistented.¡± ¡°That does not inspire confidence in me, you know?¡± Noah said. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Aurelia replied, walking around the training ground as she took out a little piece of chalk and began to draw the lines. ¡°The elemental they tried to capture was a hundred levels higher than our highest party member. The rabbit is roughly the same power level as you. At worst, the bond fails and we have to kill it.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Noah said. He watched Aurelia work through the magic circle, slowly drawing one rune after the other. He could tell shecked practice, as she went back multiple times making sure each rune and line was in its correct position before she moved on to the next. Noah¡¯s Abyssal Call skill gave him enough of an understanding to be able to know what the magic circle did, as he pointed out a couple adjustments for Aurelia to make here and there. In effect, the spell would tie Noah to the rabbit, and the rabbit to Noah. It was not dissimr from the Pact he had with the Void, except on a much smaller scale, and much weaker in nature. Noah would be the host from which the familiar would draw resources, and in return it would follow Noah¡¯smands. That is, if he can bend the rabbit¡¯s will to his own. It was in effect, a battle of willpower and spirit. If the rabbit, by some chance won, it would be able to impose its will upon Noah through the bond instead of the other way around. ¡°Has someone ever been made into a familiar by a monster?¡± Noah asked, as Aurelia finished thest rune in the circle. ¡°Not that I¡¯ve heard of. There are dragons who can probably do that, they¡¯re smart enough. But the familiar bond doesn¡¯t work unless you agree to it. So even if a monster tries to impose its will on you, it can¡¯t turn you into its familiar. Not unless you agree to be one.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s good to know. Would have been awkward to be forced to be the familiar of a rabbit,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯ve seen weirder,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Put the rabbit in the center and remove its shackles. There¡¯s a barrier spell so it can¡¯t escape until the ritual isplete, but you¡¯ll need to stop it for a single moment, between when you ce it and when you begin the ritual.¡± Noah gave a nod, stepping forward into the magic circle, making sure not to alter any of the lines drawn on the ground. cing the rabbit down, he red his aura, using it to impose a single idea onto the rabbit. Stay. To his surprise, the creature didn¡¯t move even as he took off the shackles. ¡°Let¡¯s start,¡± Aurelia said. Noah blinked back out before he sent a pulse of mana into the magic circle and the entire thing came to life. A translucent barrier surrounded the rabbit, runes of magic ring in swirling patterns as Noah felt the magic connecting him and the rabbit. ¡°Alright little bunny. Time to see what you can do.¡± *** The rabbit felt annoyed. First, its feast had been stolen from under its grasp. Then it had failed to obtain any of the delicious nectar from the life-mother. The life-mother was there, right in front of it, and it had tried to win, to gain a prize that it longed for so desperately but then something had gone wrong. Its power had been stolen. Little things on its paws had made it remember a time back when it was still prey. Still so weak. The sensation made the bunny shiver in anger. No, no it would never be that again. But no matter how hard it had tried, the cruel, vicious chains had tied it down, stripped it of all power, and forced it to act as though it was prey again. To add to the humiliation, it had then been thrown in a dark swirling void that made its mind hurt like it was splitting into multiple pieces. The bunny had gazed down the swirling shifts of reality, and for brief moments it felt like it could see through them, but it was powerless to do anything with the chains, and so, it had simply existed in the dark. When it finally came back out, into light and into the world, it had been ready to die. But instead, the life-mother had just shown it off to a different woman. One that smelled of fire and ash, of destruction. She pleased the bunny, the destructioning from her almost a soothing sensation. Not that it mattered, it knew when it had lost. And the nature of prey was simple. It was eaten. But- somehow, to its surprise. It was not eaten. Instead, it now sat inside some weird contraption with swirling things of magic that flowed all over and around it. The bunny thumped its feet in annoyance. Either the life-mother had made a mistake, or had let it go. It did not matter. It was free now. Lightning gathered upon its horns, a deep red like the color of blood as it rushed forward¡­ and mmed into an invisible wall. The bunny shook its head, confused. It walked closer, pushing once more but found a strange wall stopping it. It pushed and pushed but the wall refused to budge. It was enough to make it thump its feet in annoyance. Just what was happening? Then, it felt something. No- someone spoke to the bunny. It resisted, without even thinking. Pushing back on the thing that hade through. The magic grew stronger and the bunny felt the pressure grow upon it. It resisted, baring its teeth as it growled in anger. Then, to its surprise, the magic growled back. The shudder was deep, primal, the sound of a predator on the hunt. A predator greater than it. The bunny stopped, considering the magic for a moment. It did not fear death, but even it did not wish to die for no reason. The magic continued to grow, before it asked a single question. Do you ept to be Noah Brown¡¯s familiar? Yes/No? The bunny looked at the words, at the magic that spoke them. It looked beyond them too, at the predator standing behind. The one it had so desperately wanted to get to for so long. The life-mother, the one who had allowed it to experience the first taste of that delicious nectar. The bunny felt kinship in that. A sensation it did not feel often. Here, with this, it could grow, further than it had been able to on its own. With a silent thought, the bunny epted. The magic red, swirling all around it as the runes flowed into the bunny and it felt the magic fill its body. The barrier copsed as it rested on the ground, before the life-mother- no, before its master came and picked it up in its arms. The bunny looked at its master, and saw a predator smiling back. ¡°I¡¯m going to call you Bun Bun.¡± Book 2: Chapter 28 — Cultist Meetup Book 2: Chapter 28 ¡ª Cultist Meetup You¡¯ve bonded with [Draconian Jackalope]. [Draconian Jackalope] has inflicted [Madness] on you. [Devourer] resists [Madness]. Noah read through the notifications, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t that fun.¡± Noah said, looking down at the bunny making innocent beady eyes towards him. After a moment¡¯s consideration, he put Bun Bun into his Dimensional Pocket. The rabbit conveyed its displeasure, but did not resist as Noah sent it in. ¡°How do people keep familiars normally?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Some are summoned from the Astral nes, while others stay in a smaller form and travel with their owners. If the familiar for some reason can¡¯t take a small form, there are some devices with pocket dimensions inside them that can keep the summon inside. Your Dimensional Pocket likely works very simrly. Familiars tend to typically just sleep inside them till they¡¯re needed. Only a very rare few stay manifested all the time like Tony.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Noah said, feeling Bun Bun having settled inside the darkness and gone into a sleep-like state as well. He suspected time didn¡¯t exactly flow normally inside, especially if he was not present. He still wasn¡¯t sure how exactly his Dimensional Pocket worked, or how he didn¡¯t suffocate inside with no air, but those were random musings for some other time. ¡°How¡¯s the cultist search going?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Actually, we found the cult. Erwest is out right now making contact. We think tonight is when we should move. The only hold up we had was that you¡¯d suddenly vanished,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°My bad. Guess it¡¯s time for us to start the mission then? What¡¯s the n looking like?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Bring out Hayver, go at the meet up point, then try to find out as much as we can and hopefully not get caught,¡± Aurelia replied, stretching her limbs. ¡°Sounds like my kind of n,¡± Noah said grinning. ¡°Yup. Making itplicated has no purpose, we¡¯ll figure it out while we are there. None of us are trained for espionage, and we shouldn¡¯t appear to be trained either. Just three adventurers who are trying to escape being caught now that they fucked up.¡± Aureliapleted her stretches, embers and ash dancing around her body, before she returned to her training. Digging into his Dimensional Pocket, Noah picked out his new cloak, putting it on his body. ¡°Guess I should do some training as well.¡± A momentter, he sent a pulse into the item, as his body turned ethereal, turning into a shadow. *** Erwest sat in a tavern, watching the people of the city pass him by. The denizens of the tavern were primarily adventurers, who did not care that it was the middle of the day as they gulped down alcohol after havingpleted all sorts of quests. No one gave him a second nce here, with his armor and sword, he fit in perfectly in the establishment, aside from the fact that he was by himself. There was an annoying human quality to this city, the filth, the poverty, it was all a reminder of his own childhood, one he cared not to remember too often if he could. ¡°Ay, big man. Your mug¡¯s empty,¡± the waitress said, swiftly moving in with tworge pitchers and a tray bnced on her hands, as she swiftly moved in to pick up the mug to fill it with alcohol. Erwest held up a hand, stopping the girl. ¡°I don¡¯t drink.¡± She gave him a look, surprised, before shrugging as she moved on to serve the other tables. Erwest reprimanded himself for letting that slip. He wasn¡¯t a pdin right now, but years of habit were still difficult to just shrug off. Still, that was no excuse for being sloppy. Time continued to pass, and slowly Erwest began to be more and more suspicious if he had been given the right ce or not. Hours passed by as he waited, the suns now slowly making their way across the horizon to let in night to take over the sky. Erwest stood up, ready to leave when a hand touched his shoulder. He turned to look at the waitress from before, ¡°Take a seat big man.¡± Erwest look at the girl in confusion as she pointed at the chair. ¡°You wanted to see me didn¡¯t you?¡± He stared at her for a moment, still unsure. He squinted at the girl, using Identify. [Waitress - ?] ¡°You shouldn¡¯t believe what your eyes see so easily,¡± the girl said, sitting herself down onto the chair. The loud chaos of the tavern began to be drowned out by Erwest¡¯s heartbeat, as he took a seat in front of the girl. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked, leaning in. ¡°I could ask the same for you, can¡¯t I?¡± the girl said, leaning back in her chair. Erwest noticed the girl¡¯s eyes, now slit pupils instead of anything resembling a human. ¡°A pdin of Hellion, a fire berserker from Nyxis and an outerworlder with ties to the void. Not exactly the kind of people who go looking for the cult exactly.¡± Erwest stood up, hand on his de, but the girl was fast, her hand wrapped around his with an iron grip. ¡°Not here, unless you want to blow your cover to the whole city.¡± He looked at the girl, feeling her strange aura lurking over him. She was powerful, enough to match him should ite to blows. Slowly, Erwest let go of the hilt of his de, and the girl stepped back. ¡°Tell Noah to bring you two to the Pit. We¡¯ll talk there.¡± Then, as if the visage of the woman had been a lie, the girl¡¯s eyes slipped back to normal, as she turned around and returned to her job. Erwest stood in silence, chewing on what had just happened here. There was something going on here, more than any of them had understood previously, and he didn¡¯t like how much he did not know. With a silent huff, he turned around, and made his way back to the Lord¡¯s castle. There was a lot to discuss. Book 2: Chapter 29 — An Unexpected Ally Book 2: Chapter 29 ¡ª An Unexpected Ally Noah tore through the food in front of him greedily, feeling the magic in it filling both his hunger and mana, a sensation that felt hard to describe urately outside of simply amazing. Despite being the Lord¡¯s guest, the amount of time he met or interacted with the lord was fairly low. A man of his stature tended to be busy, and Noah himself had been jumping between too many things to have time to sit down or just stroll around. ¡°It¡¯s good to see that you are enjoying the food,¡± Krios said, walking into the chamber. ¡°Best thing I¡¯ve had,¡± Noah said, as he continued to eat and the lordughed. ¡°I hear you¡¯ve been training quite a lot. I hope you¡¯ve had the time to explore the city as well.¡± Noah bit through thest of his food, drinking from his cup before he replied. ¡°It¡¯s been nice, quite a lot to see and learn about the ce. Had some interesting encounters as well.¡± ¡°Good, that is very great to hear. Then do you think that your party cane to a decision regarding my request then?¡± Krios asked. Noah frowned for a second, before he rose from his seat. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can speak on that by myself.¡± ¡°I understand, but I would appreciate it if you could let me know by now,¡± Krios said, patting Noah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Will do,¡± Noah replied, as he walked out of the chamber. Tony formed around Noah¡¯s shoulder, perching on his shoulder. ¡°What do you think?¡± Noah asked the Abyssal Symbiote. Tony shivered, pping his wings. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not sure either. Now that I know what¡¯s in the rift, I don¡¯t know what he would use it for,¡± Noah said out loud, and Tony pped his wings, circling above Noah¡¯s head. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll find out,¡± he said, and Tony swirled, before flowing back into Noah¡¯s body. He met Aurelia on his way back to his chamber, the woman stood with a concerned expression on her face. Noticing Noah¡¯s arrival, she walked closer. ¡°Erwest is back. We need to talk in private.¡± Noah looked on curiously at her, but did not ask questions for now. Following behind her, he went to Erwest¡¯s chamber, finding the pdin standing inside with a frown on his face, which only got worse when he noticed the two of them. ¡°Can you bring us to your-¡° ¡°Yup, got it,¡± Noah said, reaching out to touch Erwest and Aurelia¡¯s shoulders, before he teleported them into his Dimensional Pocket. A momentter, he remembered what was inside, as lightning sparked and Bun Bun rushed towards him. Noah picked up the murder bunny who was looking at Aurelia and Erwest with a hungry gaze. ¡°Will it be a problem?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°I doubt it,¡± Noah said, offering his finger to the rabbit who bit it lightly, before licking off the blood happily like a suckling child. Erwest seemed satisfied with that, and continued. ¡°The cult lead was a false one, I was met by a woman- at least I think a woman. She knew who you were.¡± Noah raised an eyebrow. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°To tell you to bring us to the Pit, and that you¡¯ll know how to reach her,¡± Erwest replied. Noah cursed. ¡°Who is this woman, Noah? And how does she know you?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°She¡¯s Vix, the one who runs a fighting pit in Old Heartilia. I was fighting there to get ability tomes. The enved girl I¡¯d talked about is with her, and she was the one who told me about the Shard of the dead god. She wanted me to go into the rift to get the Shard for her.¡± The faces around him darkened at his words. ¡°She intercepted you then? How? Did you not see hering?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. The waitress in the tavern was who came to me. But I don¡¯t think that girl is Vix herself. She can likely possess others or a simr ability of some sort. She knew what I was there to do and who all of us were,¡± Erwest replied. The two of them looked at Noah. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell her anything,¡± Noah replied. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to. Just catching her eye could be enough to lead her to us,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Erwest interjected. ¡°We need to decide what to do.¡± ¡°We don''t have much choice,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to see what she has to say. If she knows who we are and what we¡¯re up to, she knows too much to simply ignore.¡± Noah¡¯s brows furrowed, as he reached out to the darkness. Space rippled as a box-like device appeared in his hand. ¡°She¡¯d told me to use this if I ever changed my mind.¡± Erwest and Aurelia looked at Noah, before giving him a nod. Noah sent a pulse of mana, as the runes on the device lit up in front of him. A projection appeared in the air, flickering briefly before he saw Vix looking back at him, a grin on her face. ¡°I knew you¡¯de back,¡± Vix said, raising her finger as she snapped her finger. A light red from the box, spreading out to all of them. Noah felt his Dimensional Pocket copse, as his body was dragged out into reality. With a sh, the three of them stood in front of the woman, standing in her office. Noah looked at Vix, a pleased grin on the woman¡¯s fox-like face. ¡°Wee, my three suicidal guests,¡± Vix said, spreading her arms wide open. Erwest drew his de, and fire swirled around Aurelia. ¡°Calm down,¡± the woman said, manaced into her words. Noah felt himself rxing, almost against his wishes. ¡°The suicidal part would¡¯ve been if you¡¯d barged into the cult without meeting with me. I¡¯m d you had enough sense to not do that.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Erwest spat. ¡°So agressive,¡± Vix said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take our seats first? I¡¯ll start,¡± the woman said. ¡°Also, while we¡¯re at it, I¡¯d appreciate it if we could put aside all the weapons for now. It¡¯s a bit rude after all.¡± Erwest red at the woman, but after a moment, he put his sword on the table in the chamber, before taking a seat at the sofa. Aurelia and Noah followed him, sitting down as well. ¡°Great, now, let¡¯s talk. I¡¯m here to offer an alliance. You three and me. It may be a bit hard to believe perhaps but both of us want the same thing. You want to stop the abyssal cult? Well, so do I!¡± ¡°Bullshit,¡± Noah spat. ¡°You don¡¯t care about the cult or people¡¯s lives.¡± ¡°Sure, if you want to think that. But I do care about my business here, and an Abyssal rift opening in this city is not exactly going to benefit me,¡± Vix said, leaning back in her chair. ¡°How did you find out all this? The information has been kept tightly in check,¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°My naive dear, the information has been kept in check from you guys. My ears are in ces the guild can only dream of reaching. And the cults have been abuzz since your stunt, it didn¡¯t take much to find out what was going on,¡± Vix replied. ¡°Why do you say that we were suicidal?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°Let me paint you a picture. You three just head into an abyssal cult, killing the cultists there and grabbing the leaders, before uncovering their big n. You think they won''t know who you are?¡± Vix said, before pointing at Noah. ¡°This guy at least had enough of a brain to change his appearance. It threw me off for a bit, but once I knew who you two were, it did not take long to put the pieces into their ce after finding out Lord Krios had three adventurer guests.¡± ¡°But Hayver¡ª¡° ¡°Is a cultist. You¡¯re really choosing to believe a cultist chief now? Maybe if he had been a low ranking member, perhaps he would¡¯ve chosen to speak up, but he¡¯s a chief with his own hideout,¡± Vix said, shaking her head. ¡°Bring him out if you want, I can prove it to you.¡± Aurelia nced at Erwest. The pdin gave her a slow nod. ¡°We¡¯ll kill you if you try to pull anything on us.¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Yes, yes, feel free,¡± Vix said, waving her words away. Aurelia activated the item where she¡¯d kept Hayver, and a momentter, the cultist came out. He sucked in a long breath, but froze as his eyes went to Vix. ¡°You-¡° Vix moved rapidly, clutching Hayver¡¯s throat with her hands. Erwest grabbed his de, putting it against Vix¡¯s throat but the woman did not move an inch. ¡°Hey Hayver, long time to see.¡± ¡°Why¡­ are you¡­¡± the cultist choked. ¡°Step back pdin, I¡¯m not going to kill him. He¡¯d much rather I did, but for once he¡¯s more useful to me alive,¡± Vix said. Erwest did not move an inch, keeping his de poised. Vix continued, her tail now swaying behind her, as her vertical slit of eyes lit up. Hayver struggled in her hands, but Vix kept her grip firm and slowly the cultist stopped struggling. Vix let go of the man, as he dropped onto the ground. ¡°Get up,¡± shemanded. Hayver silently rose to his feet. ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°Just a littlemand spell. He¡¯ll listen to everything anyone tells him to do for a while,¡± she said, before looking towards Hayver. ¡°Get on your knees and bark.¡± The cultist moved without a word, getting on his knees as he barked. ¡°Stop that,¡± Erwest said, pressing his de. ¡°Jeez, you¡¯re no fun,¡± she said, as Hayver stopped. ¡°Get back up, and then tell them everything about the cult you haven''t told them yet,¡± Vixmanded. Hayver stood back on his feet, before looking at the three of them. ¡°The spell cannot be fullypleted without a catalyst. The Shard is needed to start the rift, and the cult ns to ambush whoever obtains the Shard on their way out to take it from them,¡± Hayver said, and then paused, as if struggling to say the next words. ¡°Speak,¡± Vix said. ¡°A fitting offering to the void is needed. An offer was made by the immense and unending incarnation of the void itself. A trade of power in exchange for the shard. We had been ordered by¡ª¡° Hayver stopped in his tracks, clutching his throat. A scream burst from his mouth as he wed at his face, falling onto the floor. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Erwest demanded, but Vix simply frowned as the man continued to twist, before his body burst into dark mes, crumbling into ash. ¡°He broke an Oath. That¡¯s why he hadn¡¯t said anything,¡± she said, kicking the pile of ashes that had moments before been Hayver. ¡°And now you know,¡± she said, looking up at the three of them. ¡°The rift is a trap. But if you work with me, I can make sure you can get out. All I need in return is that you bring the Shard to me.¡± Vix turned to face Noah. ¡°As a show of my goodwill, I¡¯ll keep the former offer for Snow open. And I¡¯ll also let you keep the Shard, so long as I get a fair price for it. Agree to this and I¡¯ll show you how to safely get into the rift, and get out,¡± she said, before ncing at Noah. ¡°I¡¯ll also throw this in,¡± A tome appeared in her hand that she threw towards him. Noah caught the tome, looking down at it suspicious as he used Identify. [Tome of the Hunter (Epic)] Erwest watched the woman with a silent re, before he pulled back his de. ¡°Why should we work with you?¡± he asked. ¡°The Lord has asked us of the same thing, we could simply tell him what we know.¡± ¡°You could do that. And I probably won¡¯t be able to stop you. But if you choose to not work with me, working with the cult will be my only option,¡± Vix said, looking into Erwest¡¯s eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be my enemy.¡± Erwest looked back at the woman, hand still on his sword. ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate being threatened.¡± ¡°Same, my friend. But you¡¯d be losing out if you walk away from this,¡± Vix said, as a glowing scroll appeared in her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s shake on it, why don¡¯t we?¡± Vix has offered a magical contract: The Quest for the Shard: In return for information, security, the ownership of Snow and a Tome, Vix asks you to bring the Shard to her from the Astral Rift. Do you agree to this? Yes/No? Erwest looked back at Noah and Aurelia. Noah simply looked back, neither agreeing or disagreeing as he let Erwest make the choice. Turning back around, Erwest down at Vix, before he grasped her hand. Noah saw words sh in front of his eyes. Quest updated! Book 2: Chapter 30 — Rank Up Book 2: Chapter 30 ¡ª Rank Up The trio sat in a tavern nearby, expressions of concern, nervousness and one odd excited face reflecting around the table. ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re going into the rift then?¡± Aurelia asked, ncing towards Erwest. Erwest grunted in reply. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you agreed to that woman, it did not seem like a choice you would make.¡± ¡°I did not want to,¡± Erwest said, grimacing at the mug of ale in front of him, before he pushed it aside. Aurelia squinted at the man. Only the church of Hellion would do anything as silly as ask people not to drink, but at least they didn¡¯t enforce the rule. Still, she was not surprised to learn that Erwest did not drink regardless of that. Grabbing her own mug, Aurelia gulped down the cheap alcohol, barely noticing any effect from it having reached D rank. ¡°Do you think we can trust her?¡± she asked. ¡°No,¡± Erwest replied. ¡°Then why have we epted her terms?¡± Aurelia said, before a baffling idea came to her. One that was obvious but given the person in question, she had failed to consider. Leaning in, she asked in a whisper. ¡°Did you lie?¡± Erwest shook his head. ¡°We will go, and we will find this Shard. But as for whether we give it to her or not is an entirely different question. If the cult wants this Shard, and from all I¡¯vee to learn, that much is clear, then obtaining it for ourselves will only further our objective.¡± ¡°Well the guild is already advertising this whole rift business. A bunch of newly minted adventurers areing from all over for this legendary artifact trove in the rift. Whoever has their hands on the rift gets to choose who to sell it to, or whether to keep it or not,¡± Aurelia said, before noticing how quiet Noah was being. She looked sideways so see him smiling to himself and jabbed his side with her elbow. ¡°Ouch. What?¡± Noah asked, looking around. ¡°Sorry, I was thinking of something else. What¡¯re we talking about?¡± ¡°The rift, and what we n to do with the Shard. Assuming we can even get it in the first ce.¡± ¡°I mean, we keep it? Obviously, right? Vix is bribing us to give her the Shard, offering Snow¡¯s freedom in exchange. The guild and Lord Krios may have their own rewards, but¡­ I need the Shard for myself. And I know for a fact that once I have it, the cult won¡¯t be able to take it back. So we stop the cult, and I get the Shard, and then I try to figure out how to free Snow, so it¡¯s at a minimum a win-win,¡± Noah said, leaning back on his chair as he bnced it on the very edge. Aurelia nced to look at Erwest, who let out a grunt in reply. ¡°We need to train. How many days do we have before this rift is openpletely?¡± ¡°A week or so from now. The guild is holding it closed at the moment,¡± Aurelia said. Erwest got up from his chair, picking up his sword. ¡°I¡¯ll be out for some time.¡± Aurelia nodded, watching the man go, before she turned her gaze towards Noah, who was back toughing randomly to himself, lost in daydreams. She shook her head, though she couldn¡¯t really me him all that much. She¡¯d been a lot more excited for her first rank up. ¡°Come on Noah, let¡¯s get yourst ability.¡± *** Noah felt a bubble of excitement filling him. Though the circumstances had been a little strange, he had finally managed to get his hand on thest tome he needed. Following Aurelia, he made his way to the training chamber, where he sat on the ground, keeping the tome in his hand. ¡°You know the drill, use the tome and see what you get. But don¡¯t just rush ahead after that immediately,¡± Aurelia instructed. Noah gave a nod, as he ced his hand on the Tome, before sending a pulse of mana into it. Would you like to use [Tome of the Hunter (Epic)]? Yes/No? Yes. The tome burst into light, flowing into him, as Noah felt the magic altering his aura. But there was a slight difference now, this time, the effect felt more pronounced, like everything had just clicked into ce. [Void Hunter] has unlocked [The Hunter¡¯s Mark] Noah felt an intuitive understanding of how the ability worked fill his mind. Reaching out to his Astral script, he opened the description of the ability in front of him. [The Hunter¡¯s Mark (Basic/Epic) - level 1] Unallocated Marks: 1 You are a hunter. Find yourself capable of marking your prey by touching them, once marked you will see their location at all times. All marked prey will take additional damage from any abilities you use. Noah read through the description, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. That was certainly an interesting ability. There seemed to be no distance whatsoever on how long or how far he could track someone. ¡°Got something good?¡± Aurelia asked him. ¡°Yeah, a mark. I can track people with this. Oddly enough there¡¯s no distance limitation shown,¡± Noah replied. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite good. But also not what I¡¯d expected when I saw the tome,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°I kinda want to test how far the ability can work,¡± Noah said, before he reached into his Dimensional Pocket and called for Bun Bun. The rabbit appeared, sniffing at the air expectantly, as it looked at Noah. ¡°Bun Bun, you need to run as far away as you can. Then, when I call you,e back to me and I¡¯ll give you a reward,¡± Noah said. He took out a small de, nicking his finger as he offered a few drops of blood. The rabbit licked the blood, as Noah set the Mark onto it. He felt the Mark establish itself, and saw it appear as an icon on his mini map. Lightning crackled around Bun Bun as he jumped into the skies, quickly racing off into the distance. Noah sat, quietly watching the icon move. A few minutes passed, and he saw the rabbit now flying out of Heartillia, into the forest of the beyond, with no change in the tracking of the marker. He decided to let his familiar run for a while, before he would check to see how far he had gone. ¡°Well, this should be useful. Although it¡¯s a shame I only have one,¡± Noah said out loud, watching Bun Bun speeding away. ¡°Seems like a useful ability for sure,¡± Aurelia agreed. ¡°Now, for the rank up. Take these,¡± Aurelia said, before tossing some crystals at Noah. He caught them, before using identify. [Mana Stone - E] ¡°What¡¯re these for?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll use them in your rank up. Ranking up is effectively pushing the boundaries of your soul, for which you need mana. Early ranks only need mana stones, butter on you may need powerful artifacts to absorb for your rank ups,¡± Aurelia said, as she began to ce down a few more mana stones all around Noah in a circle. ¡°Now, once you start the process, you cannot stop midway. This is very important, so I will say it again. Once you start, you cannot stop. If you do, you could cripple yourself permanently. This is why rank ups are almost always made with someone watching over you or in a safe space, as you will be extremely vulnerable while you are doing it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stop midway. Got it,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Good, the rest is very simple. Simply start absorbing the mana from these mana stones, till you can feel yourself pushing at some sort of barrier holding you in. Keep absorbing the mana till that barrier breaks,¡± Aurelia said. Noah nodded, closing his eyes. Focusing on the mana stones in his hand, he began to absorb the mana from them into himself. Very quickly, he found his own mana pool rapidly rising before he reached the limit of what he could hold. Mana: 100% Like a vessel filled to the brim with water. Every instinct in his body told him to stop, or he would overflow, but Noah pushed against the instinct, forcing himself to keep on drawing on the mana. The mana began to flow in torrents, his core failing to hold it in as it overflowed outwards. It flowed from his spirit into his body. First his chest, his arms, his legs, his muscles. Noah felt Tony shudder awake at the sudden influx of mana, but he continued to draw in more and more. Every part of his body and spirit were greedily sucking in the mana he provided them, like he had been starving his body all this time. A cool sensation filled his entire body, as the mana began to fill in every gap there was to fill. Abruptly, the flow stopped, like something had clogged the pathways. Noah drew more, but found the way being held back by something. He continued to push further, and after just a light nudge, the barrier copsed, as a torrent of energy began to flow into him. A flood of notifications appeared in front of Noah. All attributes increased by 25. Your rank has increased to E. Processing existing experience points¡­ [Exsanguinator] has reached level 72. [Astralwalker] has reached level 69. [Void Hunter] has reached level 70. Power: 231 ¡ú 299. Agility: 200 ¡ú 246. Constitution: 234 ¡ú 286. Mystic: 271 ¡ú 359. Free attributes: 0 ¡ú 122. [Exsanguinator] has unlocked [Blood Debt (Unique)]. [Astralwalker] has unlocked [Astral Projection (Unique)] [Void Hunter] has unlocked [Netherme Burst (Unique)] Noah opened his eyes, feeling a wave of strength trapped inside his body. Like he had eaten a bolt of lightning, and now the energy was demanding a release. His hands were shaking, begging him to let all that power he¡¯d absorbed out into the world. His abilities erupted all at once, magic and mana swirling around him as he let out the majority of the excess mana from his body, till he could finally feel back in control. ¡°Congrats Noah,¡± Aurelia said, smiling as she watched him slowly rise to his feet. ¡°You¡¯re an E ranker now.¡± Book 2: Chapter 31 — New Abilities Book 2: Chapter 31 ¡ª New Abilities Noah took a moment, just feeling the strength in his body. He felt a powerful itch to test just how much he could do now, but he resisted the impulse, opening his Astral script to take a look instead. Astral Script: Name: Noah Brown Race: Human (Symbiont/Modified) Rank: E Paths: Exsanguinator (Rare) - level 72 Astralwalker (Epic) - level 69 Void Hunter (Epic) - level 70 Attributes: Power: 299 Agility: 246 Constitution: 286 Mystic: 359 Attribute points: 122 After nearly a month of nothing, his attributes had jumped up all at once, and Noah could keenly feel the difference this time. His higher sub-attributes meant each increase of his attributes tranted to more strength, making the actual changes even more substantial than they had ever been previously. Taking his attributes, he added fifty one in agility, thirteen in constitution and one in power. Power 299 ¡ú 300. Agility: 246 ¡ú 300. Constitution: 286 ¡ú 300. Free attributes: 122 ¡ú 57. He felt his spirit straining once again and decided to leave it there for today. ¡°Phew, that¡¯s a jolt,¡± Noah said, feeling the energy distributing itself across his body. He stretched his limbs, feeling a rush filling his head urging him to run till he dropped. ¡°You¡¯re feeling the post rank up high. I can¡¯t imagine dealing with three at once with my first rank up.¡± ¡°It¡¯s definitely¡­ something else,¡± Noah replied, letting out another breath, yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t help but burst out inughter every few seconds. To distract himself, he decided to open the description of his new abilities. [Blood Debt (Unique/Basic) - level 1] A debt is owed with each reaping.Target any opponent with your aura, reaping the blood they owe. Consume each instance of [Poison], [Bleed], [Toxin], [Rot], [Necrosis], [Madness], [Frost], [Burn] and any other damaging status effect from your target, while doing the damage the abilities would do within fifteen seconds immediately. Noah stared at the ability dumbly. He went back through the description, reading it carefully again to make sure he understood what he was seeing correctly. ¡°You look shocked, what did you get?¡± Aurelia asked, walking closer. Noah looked at the woman, and a momentter, he sent the description towards her through their party menu. Aurelia looked at the description, as her expression morphed from curiosity to a frown, to shock. ¡°This is¡­ powerful. If you can use it correctly, this¡­ you could kill things far above your own strength level.¡± ¡°I think so. If I¡¯m reading it correctly. I¡¯m having a hard time believing what I¡¯m seeing to be honest. Maybe I¡¯m interpreting it poorly,¡± Noah replied. ¡°You¡¯ll need to test its limits. Abilities like these typically have harsh limiters on how they can be used. But even so¡­ this is such a you kind of ability. A reckless unrelenting strike with extreme damage and just as much risk,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I wonder if I can use the ability on myself,¡± Noah wondered. ¡°Are you sure you want to?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Probably not,¡± Noah replied, closing the description. Feeling his excitement only increasing, he opened the next ability that he had gotten. [Astral Projection (Unique/Basic) - level 1] You have connected to the Astral on a deep level, now find yourself capable of drawing upon its essence to project yourself onto reality. Creates Astral projections that are sustained by the mana put into them at inception. All experiences by the projection are sent to the original upon their copse. Noah read the description, sending it to Aurelia at the same time. ¡°This one feels a little disappointing for the final ability. Projection seems neat, but my other abilities are more useful overall,¡± Noah said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it out? This one isn¡¯t difficult to test,¡± Aurelia said. Noah agreed, and channeled the ability, feeding it mana. It took him a moment to get a hang of it, but his instincts guided him through the steps. The world distorted around him, and a momentter he saw himself standing in front of him. A strange shiver went down his back as the projection looked at him in silence, not replying. ¡°Hey, can you talk?¡± Noah asked, before realizing that he could justmand the projection. ¡°Yeah,¡± the projection replied glumly. ¡°Fuck me. Guess I¡¯m just a clone.¡± Noah looked at the projection warily for a second. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not gonna kill you, that would be so stupid. We¡¯ll merge back anyway. It just sucks to know that I¡¯m not real, that¡¯s all,¡± the projection Noah replied. ¡°Well, sorry about that,¡± Noah said, patting the projection¡¯s shoulder. A momentter, he pulled his hand back, realising he could touch the projection. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re real?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t you know that already?¡± The projection asked. Noah realised that he had known that instinctively. The ability had told him the projection would be physical, he just¡­ hadn¡¯t realised. ¡°This is creepy,¡± Aurelia said, watching the interaction. ¡°One was enough of a headache, now there¡¯s two of you.¡± The projection suddenly began to fizzle and it looked down at its hands. ¡°Well, there¡¯s my time. Maybe put more mana in me next time,¡± the projection said, as it fizzled out into nothingness. Noah felt a flood of memories and sensations fill his mind, making him feel oddly dissociated. He took a deep breath. He had not enjoyed the memories from the projection either. It had been¡­ gloomy, knowing its existence was just confined to an ability and meant just as a test. Just as he recovered from the experience, a terrible idea formed in his head. ¡°Hey, do you think I could make a clone, and then test out my Blood Debt ability on it?¡± Noah said, looking at Aurelia. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure you should do that. Not with how much intelligence the clones seemed to have.¡± ¡°It was the fact that it had no purpose, more so than the fact that it was going to die,¡± Noah replied, knowing the feeling very well. A meaningless existence felt¡­ not pleasing. ¡°Well, it¡¯s your ability. Do as you like,¡± Aurelia said. Noah gathered his mana, this time putting half of everything he had into the ability. The world distorted in front of him once again, as another clone formed. ¡°You can use all my abilities right? Including Lifeblood?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± the projection replied. ¡°Great. Let¡¯s do this then,¡± Noah said, reaching into his Dimensional Pocket, as he took out his spear. The projection turned off its resistances and Noah used [Bleed] as he shed it across the chest. You¡¯ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Astral projection]. You¡¯ve inflicted [Crimson Rot] on [Astral Projection]. ¡°I¡¯m so d we have pain tolerance leveled to Advanced rank,¡± the projection said as it bled freely from its chest. Noah didn¡¯t stop, letting Bloodfly Swarm manifest as he let it attack his projection. The projection had a resolute expression as the swarm of bloodflies descended upon him. You¡¯ve inflicted [Bleed] on [Astral Projection] x 15 [Bleed] has increased to [Bleed - II]. [Bleed - II] has increased to [Bleed - III]. As the notifications poured in, Noah reached out with his aura. Red mana flowed around him in a swirl as he reached out with his hand, and then with a pull, reaped the status effects. [Blood Debt] has affected [Astral Projection]. A flood of lifeforce moved from the projection, forming a sword of blood above its head. The projection blinked away, trying to dodge, but the sword remained above his head as it struck down, striking his body. Within a moment, lifeforce exploded forth as the projection copsed. The memories flowed into Noah, and he fell onto his knees. There had been no pain, yet the sensation of the power tearing apart his body within a second still sent him reeling. Groaning, Noah slowly stood back up. ¡°I¡¯m not doing that ever again,¡± Noah said. Tony sent him a shiver of agreement. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of stories of abilities like that going wrong, so I¡¯m with you there,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah moved on to the final ability. [Netherme Burst (Unique/Basic) - lvl 1] The mes of the Nether realms are yours tomand. Use your lifeforce tounch a burst ofherme, inflicting the fire upon your target. Upon infliction, the mes will eat the target''s lifeforce for a short amount of time. Noah shared the ability with Aurelia onest time, reading through it. The idea was fairly simple with this one. A me that ate life-force. With everything else rting to the void following the same concept, this was just a natural extension of the ability. ¡°Simple but effective. Fitting for a Path like Void Hunter,¡± Aurelia said. Noah nodded, before he reached out to the ability. Letting his lifeforce flow into the ability, Noah saw a ball of ck fire manifesting in his hand. Aiming the ball forward, he continued to pour more lifeforce into the ability, till the ball of fire was sucking in the light from its surroundings, casting a shadow around it. With a simplemand of his will, Noahunched the mes. A burst of fire exploded outwards, spreading throughout the arena. Dark mes covered the ground, erupting up into the air. Noah watched in fascination as he felt the lifeforce from the air itself being sucked into the mes as they burned. Aurelia had stepped back, behind him, not willing to let the mes touch her body. After a few minutes, the fire ran out of fuel, burning out. Noah looked down at his fist, clenching it, as Lifeblood had already recovered the lifeforce he had lost. ¡°You know what Noah?¡± Aurelia said, looking at thest vestiges of the ck mes before she turned to face him. ¡°This was already true, but all the more so now. I would hate to fight you,¡± Noah simply grinned back at the woman. Book 2: Chapter 32 — Noah vs Noah vs Noah Book 2: Chapter 32 ¡ª Noah vs Noah vs Noah It had taken a few days for Noah to really start feeling the effects from his Rank up. He had grown in height by a few inches, and his frame had expanded, shoulders bing just a little wider, legs growing to subtly shift his proportions to give him a greater stride. But the greater change had urred internally. His modified body had not had a chance to show itself off properly till this point, since Noah had not been able to increase any of his attributes. But now that he had, his body had grown by leaps and bounds. He¡¯d found himself keeping pace with Aurelia on their runs, almost out speeding her. Though he couldn¡¯t beat her entirely yet, he was matching the woman¡¯s higher stats with rtive ease. The attributes had also caused a change in his mentality. What would¡¯ve been life-threatening injuries once upon a time now felt like a minor inconvenience. Noah remembered identally getting stabbed in his gut during a spar and just pulling out the weapon, letting the injury heal within a few minutes. It felt surreal, the boundaries of lethality had been shifting for Noah for quite some time now, but the sudden burst made it extremely apparent that he was no longer a normal human by any means. Even though he¡¯d known as much, the realization of what that meant had only urred to him just now. Noah sat in the training grounds now, meditating. Two other Astral projections sat near him, each carrying a third of his total mana pool, leaving a third for Noah himself. He¡¯d also quickly realized he could create projections and store them in his Dimensional Pocket till he needed them. The only restriction he had on the ability was that his maximum mana pool would be divided across his projections. Seeing that Noah had promptly put every remaining free attribute point he¡¯d had into Mystic, bringing the total up to 418. As his mana recovered back to full, Noah pulled himself to his feet, alongside his two projections. He¡¯d learned quickly that upon the destruction of a projection as they merged back into him, he would also receive whatever experience they had gained. Noah¡¯s skills had been shooting up in levels rapidly. He was just at the edge of bringing all his weapon proficiencies to the Intermediate rank. Using Quadrivium Ink, Noah formed two des of mana, the other two projections taking the bow and axe respectively. ¡°I must say, this is a new level of masochism,¡± one of his projections said, getting in stance. ¡°And the fact that we can¡¯t kill you, but you can kill us is just incredibly unfair,¡± the other one chimed in, drawing back the bow, as an arrow formed upon it. Noah raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t want to do this?¡± he asked the projections. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± the projection said. Noah grinned. ¡°Get ready then.¡± The projections took a stance, and then, with an unsaidmand, the spar began. Noah rushed forward, blink teleporting him away from the shots of the longbow, but that had been predicted already, as a heavy war axe of mana swung down upon him. Starforged arms burst from his back, a shield forming in one axe as he held back the attack, while the axe struck at his projection. A barrage of arrows shot at him from a distance, Obliterate charged within them, as the projectiles cut through his reinforced skin like butter. Noah blinked, rushing away from the strike, when a swarm of bloodflies gave chase, using Dimensional Pocket, he captured the swarm redirecting it towards a different projection, but the ability faded by that point, the second projection moving towards him rapidly, as ck mes surged from its arm, covering the ground. Noah kicked into the sky, leaping ten feet in the air as he shot his bow. The projections gave chase, one of them jumping up as its war axe swung heavily, knocking him into the ground. The second projection was onto him a momentter, swirling in curving arcs as its des dug into him. Noah sent a pulse of mana, as he sunk into the shadows, the attack phasing through him. He moved across the area, as his spear appeared in his hand. A projection was already on him, a fist striking him in his gut with a powerful blow, Noah flew back, as the projection blinked forward, Starforged Arms forming behind him as all six hands struck him with blow upon blow. Bloodfly Swarm swirled around the entire time, covering the training arena in a swarm of red death, as ckmes continued to swirl around eating at his life-force. Notifications shed of bleed and mes, before a giant blood sword manifested above his head, descending upon him with a powerful blow. Noah blinked away, trying to escape the attacks, as his mind raced. ws formed on his hand, Tony working to assist him, as he let Obliterate charge them, sending arcs of void mana across the swarm of flies, cutting through them. His own Bloodfly Swarm rose to match the attack, cutting back the swarm, but the other Projection moved in that time, his axe sending an arc of Obliterate at Noah that he barely protected against with his shield. His spear spun in his arms, striking back with Bleed and Obliterate charged to the brim in the weapon, as he growled in frustration. He was annoying to fight. The projections continued to rush in, each move coordinated with near telepathicmunication, and they had nearly all abilities Noah himself had, except for Tony, his spear and his cloak. Barrages of bolts shot towards Noah, piercing his body as blood sttered and another bleed effect arose. He sensed Blood Debt activating over him, and Noah sent a pulse to Tony. With a roar, his skin turned dark, his jaw changing shape to be sharper, wings burst from his back, a tail forming behind him as his form changed. Abyssal Symbiote has used Metamorphosis! All attributes increased by 25%! Time remaining: 90 seconds. Noah had been told that Inspect showed him to be a Void fiend in this state, though right now that was the least of his concerns. He rushed in, now faster than his projections, as he cut through the swarm, flying with his new wings. Void mana arced on his ws as he set giant shes of them across the projection carrying the bow. The clone did not stay standing, teleporting away immediately but Noah followed, and he was faster. His ws descended upon the clone, grabbing it by the ground. The clone struck with des cutting Noah¡¯s gut, before bursting into a final explosion of ck mes that covered his body. You¡¯ve defeated [Astral Projection] Noah let out a roar, as he turned to face thest projection. He moved with a rapid intensity as the clone rushed at him, axe charged with Obliterate and Bleed. Noah¡¯s ws met the mana weapon, and cut through them, Quadrivium Ink shivered as the weapon copsed and Noah grabbed the projection from his tail. His wed hand pierced the clone¡¯s chest, as its body dissolved, mana flowing back into him. You¡¯ve defeated [Astral Projection] With a triumph, Noah let out a grunt of satisfaction, as Tony withdrew back and his body shifted to return to a humanoid form. He wobbled from the many shing experiences flooding his mind, as they filled him, when finally he heard the chimes he¡¯d been waiting to hear. Abilities: [Blood Drain] level 20 ¡ú 21. [Bleed] level 18 ¡ú 21. [Lifeblood] level 16 ¡ú 17. [Bloodfly Storm] level 1 ¡ú 5. [Blood Debt] level 1 ¡ú 3. ¡­ [Netherme Burst] level 1 ¡ú 3. Skills: Meditation level 26 ¡ú 28. Astral Resistance level 16 ¡ú 17. ¡­ Aura Control level 10 ¡ú 11. He sorted through the notifications till he got to the ones he wanted to see. Sword Proficiency level 10 ¡ú 12. Bow Proficiency level 9 ¡ú 10. Shield proficiency level 8 ¡ú 10. Axe Proficiency level 10 ¡ú 11. Bow Proficiency has ranked up to Intermediate. Shield Proficiency has ranked up to Intermediate. Skill fusion unlocked. Spear Proficiency, Bow Proficiency, Shield Proficiency and Axe Proficiency can bebined into Intermediate Weapon Mastery. Would you like tobine these skills? Yes/No? Yes. You¡¯ve unlocked Weapon Mastery! [Weapon Mastery (Intermediate) - level 10] You have learned all kinds of weapons, reaching a skillful level with all of them. Now, you find yourself having an intuitive understanding of any weapon you hold. Noah smiled to himself, as he read through the skill description. He picked up his spear, feeling a familiar understanding, but now it was apanied by depth that hadn¡¯t been present before. Noah summoned starforged arms, before summoning an axe, shield and two des in them. He felt an understanding, on how he could chain these weapons together, make them bring out the strength from within each other. Whereas before, his understanding had felt like a shallow puddle, now it was a deepke, one he had only touched the surface of. The door to the training arena opened, and Noah saw Aurelia walk inside. ¡°Still sparring? You need to let your body rest too,¡± she said, shaking her head. ¡°I feel fine,¡± Noah replied, de-summoning his weapons and putting his spear back into his dimensional storage. ¡°That¡¯s your high constitution lying to you. Your body still needs to rest, to prepare for tomorrow,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°We¡¯re entering tomorrow?¡± Noah asked. Aurelia gave a nod. ¡°I just got word from the guild, it opened a few days early. We¡¯ll be meeting up at the Pit to gain informationter, before heading out, so rest up.¡± Pulling up his Astral script, he checked on Bun Bun. His map had now expanded to be zoomed out much further, as his familiar had crossed arge amount of distance. Realizing that he would likely not be able to tell how far his ability worked, except knowing that it worked pretty damn far, he called back the rabbit. His ability burned, mana glowing, and with a crackle, the bunny appeared around him, sniffing his hand. Noah let it bite his finger, before drinking on his blood like a suckling baby rabbit. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll rest for the moment then,¡± Noah replied, picking Bun Bun up in his arms. Aurelia gave him a nod, heading back out of the arena, and Noah followed behind. He still didn¡¯t know how to feel about working with Vix, but it was one method he could use to free Snow. He just needed to figure out how to do that while also keeping the Shard for himself. Book 2: Chapter 33 — Astral Rift Book 2: Chapter 33 ¡ª Astral Rift A full moon rose in the sky, bathing the world around in a gentle light. Noah looked up at the flying moon, still finding it hard to believe it was a giant eldritch eye that floated in the sky. The three of them had arrived at the Pit at night, and for once, the arena had been quiet, only Vix¡¯s men walking around carrying out whatever work they had been ordered to do. One of the men waved the three of them in, as they saw Vix herself standing in the corridor, shouting orders at her men to move various items all over. ¡°Decided to move shop?¡± Noah asked, watching all the boxes. ¡°Noah, isn¡¯t it nice to see you here. No I¡¯m not moving, but if you guys seed, this ce will certainly not be the same,¡± Vix said, her canines peeking from behind her lips as a tail swayed behind the woman. Noah noticed Snow standing behind her, almost as if hiding from his gaze. ¡°What¡¯s she doing here?¡± Noah asked, ncing at Snow. ¡°She¡¯ll be going to the rift with you,¡± Vix said, ncing back at Snow as she walked further out. Noah kept an eye on Erwest, but the man did not react in any visible manner. Noah nced at the girl, having a bunch of questions, but he didn¡¯t voice them for the moment. Now wasn¡¯t the time. ¡°Let¡¯s head to my office, I¡¯ll give you three a rundown of what you can expect,¡± Vix said. Noah followed behind the woman, ncing at Snow a couple times. Stepping inside Vix¡¯s office, Noah saw a map unfurled upon the woman¡¯s desk. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you that the ce is a Vault. Likely either of the dead god himself, or an Ascendant, given the make. The ce itself is a pocket dimension that hastched onto Erandir like a parasite. A thin thread of space connects the realm from ours, keeping it frompletely drifting out into the Astral Rifts, and the reason why the rank of people who can enter is limited. But that doesn¡¯t means that what you¡¯ll find inside will be the same rank as you.¡± ¡°We¡¯d expected as much, but what rank of enemies are we expecting?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Hard to say, it¡¯s a high ranked vault. But the ce has been drifting in the Astral Rifts, unmaintained for centuries now. What¡¯s in there is hard to know, but from the mana signatures, I suspect it¡¯s a C rank zone. So anything with a higher grade should be dead, or dying of mana starvation,¡± Vix replied. ¡°What¡¯s the map?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°A rough guess on the size of the ce,¡± Vix said, turning the map towards them. Noah spotted three distinct areas within. Vix pointed a finger at the first area. ¡°This is where the rift will drop you, there¡¯s a forest here. It goes in a circr area surrounding the realm entirely. This area is only D grade, so you shouldn¡¯t find anything too powerful. We got that much information from the cultists.¡± She dragged her finger to the next area ¡°Not sure what¡¯s here, but this is where the mana grade jumps up to C, be prepared for anything,¡± Vix said, before pointing her finger at the center. ¡°This is where the vault itself is, the central facility could be spotted from the edge of the realm, it¡¯s a giant castle, hard to miss. No readings on here, could be a higher grade too, but the entire thing has a powerful illusion on it, the interiors are entirely unknown. This is where the Shard is.¡± ¡°So a race to the center, and we don¡¯t know more than half of the area yet,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°There¡¯s a reason I wanted you three. Not many adventurers can take on something like this while also being low level enough to not copse the rift itself,¡± Vix said, rolling up the map, before she put the map forward. Noah picked up the map, putting it in his dimensional pocket. ¡°You¡¯ll have Snow. She can smell enemies and guide you through the area, avoiding anything too dangerous. And monsters won¡¯t be the only thing in that regard, the vault will likely have traps, other cultists, adventurers, anyone and everyone who knows of the Shard will be aiming for it.¡± ¡°How long will the rift stay open?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°One week. But I suspect there¡¯s a time dtion field inside, so it might be close to a month for you. Try to make it out before it copses, or you¡¯ll be stuck inside forever, much like whatever else lives inside there right now.¡± The three of them stood in silence, as Vix walked around her table. ¡°Discuss anything you need to, and when you¡¯re ready, step out and I¡¯ll take you to the rift,¡± the woman said, walking up to the door, before she turned to Snow. ¡°Listen to what they say.¡± With a click, the woman walked out. Noah looked at Aurelia and Erwest, taking a seat at one of the sofas. ¡°So¡­ do we need to make any kind of n?¡± ¡°Stick together, head towards the target, and obtain what we need to before returning,¡± Erwest said. ¡°I¡¯d say that¡¯s a bit simple, but it¡¯s hard to make ns for something like this where so much is just unknown. We¡¯ll simply have to stay quick on our feet and react to anything that happens as it does,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Noah. ¡°How¡¯s your new abilitying along?¡± ¡°I got weapon mastery atst, so that¡¯s nice. The sparring has put me at the edge of advanced for a bunch of abilities, while my new ones are almost at Intermediate,¡± Noah said. ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you¡¯re using your ability to beat yourself up for training. Don¡¯t you experience everything they do?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°I do, and it¡¯s worth every little bit. I¡¯ve been progressing stupidly fast,¡± Noah said. ¡°I can see that,¡± Aurelia said, smiling a little. ¡°Do you have anything to say Erwest?¡± she asked, turning towards the Pdin. Erwest¡¯s eyes were stuck on Snow, who had been trying her hardest not catch anyone¡¯s eye. ¡°Who did this to you?¡± The girl looked at him in confusion, and Erwest pointed at her horns. Noah rose from his seat. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t scare the girl.¡± Erwest looked at Noah, an unamused expression on his face. To Noah¡¯s surprise, Snow replied a momentter. ¡°No¡­ no one did.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Erwest asked, frowning. ¡°Just so you know, you don¡¯t have to answer him if you don¡¯t want to,¡± Noah said. Snow looked at him, giving him a nod. She looked up at Erwest, before looking down as she clenched her fist. ¡°What will you do¡­ when you find out?¡± Erwest looked at the girl. ¡°I will make sure justice is delivered to them.¡± ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± Snow replied, looking up. ¡°I killed them.¡± Silence filled the chamber as we all looked at the young, malnourished girl standing in front of us. ¡°When I was younger, we used to live in the mountains to the north. It was winter, and I was outside gathering dry wood with my sister. When¡­ we found a puppy. A wolf puppy, but it was weird, not exactly normal. I saw it was injured and wanted to help, but my sister was scared and pulled me away. But¡­ter that night, I went out in secret and found the puppy. And¡­ I gave it some of my food. It ate the food, and then it jumped into my shadow. I was surprised and happy, so I named him Shadow, and he followed me home.¡± Noah saw the girl¡¯s voice slowly starting to gain some warmth. The sensation offort was almost palpable when she talked of the memory. Yet her fists were clenched, a pain hidden underneath. ¡°We lived together happily, Shadow would stay with me hidden, and we would y together. Until one day, some bandits appeared. My mom screamed at us to run. My sister was outside. I wanted to run, but it was freezing outside. I couldn¡¯t run. So I hid in one of the cupboards. The bandits continued to loot and break apart the house. My mom was begging¡­ dad was already dead. But they didn¡¯t kill my mom immediately. They¡­¡± the girl trailed off, her voice emotionless as she repeated the events. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. I didn¡¯t try to help her. I just heard her screaming and crying, till they were done, and till she couldn¡¯t cry anymore. I kept still, holding my breath. Hoping, praying they wouldn¡¯t find me. But they did, I wanted to scream. Shadow jumped out in front of me then, biting one of the bandits and I ran as fast as I could. I rushed out as the bandits gave chase, Shadow following behind me, biting the bandits when they came close. I got out of the house, picking up the sleds as I rushed out, but there were others outside. One of them grabbed me and I felt something cold cut through my chest,¡± Snow said, finally looking up at us. ¡°I don¡¯t remember what happened after that. But I woke up and, there was blood everywhere and Shadow was nowhere. The bandits were all dead. I ran. For days. Till I found a vige. But they didn¡¯t let me in, capturing me instead. I saw my face for the first time there¡­ I had horns now. They thought I was a monster, but they didn¡¯t kill me, instead they sold me, and eventually I was sent here.¡± Noah heard the girl¡¯s story, feeling a strange bunch of emotions going through his chest. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that happened to you,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°That¡¯s awful.¡± ¡°I guess. It wasn¡¯t too bad. Shadow was with me. He would protect me whenever they tried to hurt me a lot. He would take over¡­ and take all the punishment. I wouldn¡¯t feel anything. But I can tell it hurts him, and I don¡¯t want him to hurt, so I obey what my masters say,¡± Snow replied. Noah felt a sinking sensation in his gut. Walking closer, he went on a knee to match Snow¡¯s height. ¡°My promise to you is still there. Once this is done, you¡¯ll be free. Do you have any idea where your home was? Maybe your sister is still around there somewhere.¡± Snow shook her head. ¡°That was¡­ eight years ago. I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°How old are you now?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°I¡¯m sixteen,¡± Snow replied. ¡°Wait what?¡± Noah said, looking at the pale scrawny girl in front of him. He would¡¯ve at best guessed thirteen, and not a day older. ¡°ves don¡¯t grow as well, especially if they aren¡¯t taken care of. I imagine having a void fiend inside her means her lifeforce is being spent sustaining Shadow, so she never grew as much,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°They think I¡¯m younger, which is good. They¡­ don¡¯t try to have their way with me. I¡¯m too young, too skinny.¡± Noah looked at the girl, feeling horrified at the matter of fact way she¡¯d said those words. He forcefully pulled his anger back, keeping it bottled up inside of him. Aurelia scowled in disgust. ¡°Has Vix ever tried to do something like that?¡± Snow shook her head. ¡°No, Vix only has me fight. She¡¯s better than all the others. If I do what she asks, she treats me well. But the cultists¡­¡± The girl shivered as she spoke the words, and Aurelia patted her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s alright, we¡¯ll be helping you so you¡¯ll be fine.¡± Snow gave a nod. ¡°Let us head out,¡± Erwest said. Aurelia nodded, and Noah rose back to his feet. Turning around, he made his way outside, when he felt Snow¡¯s hand grabbing at him, making him stop. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked, looking down at the girl. Snow opened her mouth, but light shed at her cor, and the girl closed her mouth, shaking her head instead. ¡°Nothing. I just got scared.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be scared about, we¡¯ll protect you. And like you said, you will have Shadow with you, right?¡± Noah said. The girl gave a nod, and the four of them made their way out. Vix was outside, back to her work. Turning towards them, she gave a small smirk. ¡°If you¡¯re ready, then let¡¯s get going.¡± Noah nodded. They followed Vix to a different room, and Noah noticed Devin inside, with a giant circle filled with runes so fine he¡¯d need a magnifying ss to read etched on the ground. ¡°Touch the cleaning spell before stepping in, or I¡¯ll y your skin,¡± the man barked. Even Vix followed the man¡¯s intruction, activating the cleaning spell. Noah did so happily, feeling all the grime vanish off of him. He really needed to get his hands on that spell one of these days. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°The spell that¡¯ll take you into the rift. How did you think we were entering it?¡± Vix asked. ¡°By¡­ going to the rift,¡± Erwest said. ¡°Inside a cult, closely guarded by the Guild and likely the Lord¡¯s troops?¡± Vix asked, raising an eyebrow. Erwest huffed, but did not say anything. ¡°Alright, it should be ready. Thank Septah it¡¯s a full moon, the amount of mana needed to link teleportations into an unstable pocket dimension would be so stupid otherwise.¡± ¡°Step inside,¡± Vix said. The four of them made their way into the circle, standing at the four corners marked with symbols for them to stand in. Devin stood outside, working through the final checks, murmuring to himself. ¡°Alright, this is as good as it gets. Now take this,¡± he said, tossing a crystal ball enchanted with runes. Aurelia caught the device. ¡°When you¡¯re ready toe back, smash that and I¡¯ll start the spell.¡± Aurelia nodded, storing the crystal. ¡°On a count of three, I¡¯ll activate the spell. You¡¯ll feel a jerk, don¡¯t resist it,¡± Devin said, before pressing his hand on the ground. ¡°Three¡­ Two¡­ One!¡± A brilliant light shed beneath their feet, as torrents of mana began to be sucked out from the air. The world shook, being covered in light. Noah saw Vix smiling as she watched them go. ¡°I¡¯ll be looking forward to good news,¡± the woman said, as the world turned to light. Noah stumbled, feeling the world twist. A green grasnd flowed all around him, with a purple sky overhead. He could faintly hear the sound of waterpping at a shore behind him somewhere, but his eyes traced the forest line in front of him. Noah barely had the time to look around at the surroundings, when he realized something terrible. ¡°Umm¡­ guys?¡± he called out. A rumbling growl came as a reply. A giant crocodile with spiked tes on its back walked out of the shrubbery, its piercing red eyes regarding him with hunger. [Deidacroc - lvl ??] ¡°You¡¯re definitely not what I was calling for,¡± Noah said, breaking into a dash as the crocodile lunged at him. Book 2: Chapter 34 — Scattered Book 2: Chapter 34 ¡ª Scattered Noah managed to escape the giant murder croc fairly quickly, though that did not help his situation whatsoever. Noah walked around the forest, his senses telling him he was far from alone in the dense foliage. Though nothing else seemed too keen to try to make him into a meal. Pulling out his Astral script, Noah saw a dot on the map showing Aurelia on a different end of the ind. He regretted not having added Snow and Erwest to his Party, but then it also meant they would¡¯ve been able to see his Paths, and he did not feel like the risk would¡¯ve been worth it. Wondering if they had all been scattered or if only he had been separated, Noah made his way around the forest till he once again stood on a coarse stony shore, with green waterspping at its sides. Noah took in the scene, watching the purple sky stretch out endlessly until it met the green sea in the distance, like a scene out of a painting. Stepping closer to the water, Noah tried to see how far he could see. Even with his enhanced vision, Noah could not see the end of the ocean as it stretched on. Having some idea about how much mana it took to sustain a Dimensional Pocket he wondered just why a ce like this would exist, and have so much of it be taken up by a sea. Waterpped at his skin, a burning sensation grabbing Noah¡¯s attention. He bent down, touching the water between his fingers and watched as it lightly stung his skin, letting out smoke. ¡°Acid?¡± Noah muttered out loud to himself. Feeling his ability tell him the water was fine to take on, Noah stepped further into the water. After ncing around, he quickly stored all his clothes in his Dimension Pocket before jumping into the ocean as he began to swim. A strange sizzling sensation covered him all around, and he saw any little bits of grime he may have had on his skin sizzling away. Though there was barely any, after he¡¯d gone through Devin¡¯s cleansing spell. You¡¯ve gained [Acid Resistance]. [Acid Resistance (Basic) - level 1] For unknown reasons, you saw a sea of acid and decided it was a good idea to go swim in it. Now you find yourself capable of resisting the acidic effects on your body. Noah grinned to himself, watching the notification sh as he rose to the surface, taking a deep breath. He looked at the ind a little distance away, bouncing up and down to the waves of the ocean. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no harm in going for a little swim huh? We could probably circle around the ind to see what else is out there too,¡± Noah said. Tony gave a shiver of excitement, curious about the acid, and Noahughed, before he dipped back down under the currents, letting the acid act as a nice bath as he swam through its currents. *** Lying on the beach, Noah looked at his newest Skill with a smile on his face. One of the projections was fighting a dog like monster on the beach, while another grilled one of the fish Noah had caught while swimming. [Acid Resistance (Intermediate) - level 12] You have drunk the water of an acid see, swam in it. The insanity of the act aside, your body has be immune to all low grade acids, and your blood can turn acidic should you want it to. Pulling himself back up, Noah put on some pants, not enjoying the sensation of rocks on his groin. No matter how high his constitution, or how much his body had been modified, certain sensations still felt unpleasant no matter what. As the Astral projectionnded the striking blow on the dog, before harvesting its corpse for credits, Noah walked over to sit on the shell of a tree with the other projection, taking one of the skewered fishes. ¡°I¡¯m guessing no signs of the others?¡± Noah asked the projection between mouthfuls. ¡°Nope, nothing. Just us and these monsters,¡± the projection replied, spinning a stick over the mes as he cooked another fish, before taking a bite. Noah wasn¡¯t sure if eating did anything for the projections, given that they were made of mana, but he didn¡¯t object. It felt wrong to deny a man of food he has cooked himself. Thest projection came back as well, taking a seat as he grabbed thest fish and began to tear through it, likely spent from the battle with the demon dogs. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n now?¡± Noah asked. ¡°You do know how silly it is to talk to ourselves like this right?¡± The projection said, looking back up at him. ¡°It does help me think though, talking to somebody, even if it¡¯s just myself. And hey, I do surprise myself sometimes!¡± Noah replied. ¡°I say we should head straight through the forest to the castle, fighting whateveres. It¡¯s good experience anyway. I think we can hit level 100 in a week if we try,¡± the projection that killed the dog replied, picking his teeth with one of the fish bones before he threw it in his mouth and chewed on it with a crunch. Noah had been realising more and more that his projections were not quite his clones, but more alternate versions of himself. Aurelia¡¯s warning came to mind, but he moved on from it. Right now didn¡¯t seem like it was the time to be concerned over something like that. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike that. But I think we shouldn¡¯t just charge ahead, the n was to use Snow¡¯s abilities to avoid anything we can¡¯t fight. We could split up, spread out and try to cover as much ground as we can,¡± the projection cooking the fish said, ncing at Noah for his opinion. Noah hummed in thought, thinking over it. ¡°See, the problem with splitting up is that our mana pool is only a third of what I would normally have. So if any of us, but especially I find something I can¡¯t kill¡­ do you guys live after I die?¡± Noah said. The projections looked at each other before ncing at him. ¡°Nevermind, I never said that,¡± Noah said, realising what that may imply. He didn¡¯t want to find out. One of the projections turned his hands to a w in a threatening manner, as if he was going to pounce on Noah, and Tony flew out and buzzed around his face. ¡°Ouch, stop it Tony, I was messing around!¡± ¡°Tony, it¡¯s fine,e back,¡± Noah said, as the little bat came back. Noah felt an intense anger at the projection from the little creature. Apparently the idea of Noah dying was really displeasing to the little Abyssal symbiote. Noah gave Tony a scratch, as he returned back inside him. A momentter, an idea came to him. "Hey Tony, when we fought Bun Bun you split up, can you talk to your other parts even at a distance?" Noah asked. Tony shivered, sending the thoughts to him. Apparently the symbiote could telepathicallymunicate with any piece of itself. "What''s he going to do?" One of the projections asked. "What if each of you keep Tony with you? And I can mark you with my Dimensional Pocket, so if anything happens, all of us can summon the other two andbine if need be." The other two projection''s eyes widened before they looked at each other in surprise. "Well, what do you know." "I do surprise myself sometimes." Noah chuckled, before asking Tony. The symbiote seemed a little hesitant, but did not disobey. The little eyeball split into three, forming three smaller eyeball bats, with each part going to one of the Noah''s. Noah used his ability on the other two projections, as they used their abilities on each other, linking their teleportations together. Noah checked his ability to see if he may be missing anything. [Dimensional Storage (Legendary, Intermediate) - level 18] The astral energies reside in your soul, forming a pocket dimension that you have ess to. Allows you to store things inside your own dimensional storage and merge other dimensional storages into your own to permanently increase their size. You can anchor three items to summon into your dimensional storage regardless of distance. There was nothing here that he thought could interfere with his ability working. "I think this should work, but let''s test this just in case," Noah said. Together, the three of them stood up, heading in separate directions as Blink took them away. After sufficiently far enough, Noah nced at Tony. The Abyssal Symbiote shivered, sending a pulse out to his clones. A momentter he felt the ability activate as he was pulled across the Astral realms, appearing next to one of his projections. "Confirmed, it does work," One of the Noah¡¯s said, grinning. Noah nodded. "Alright, then let''s head out boys. We need to find our team, and kill some monsters on the way." "First one to the castle wins!" One of Noah said, blinking away. Noah smiled, before bursting into a dash of his own. No way was he going to lose to his own projection. Book 2: Chapter 35 — Lost Book 2: Chapter 35 ¡ª Lost Snow shook off the jarring sensation of the spell, blinking her eyes as the world around her changed. A lush forest surrounded her, with vegetation unlike anything she had seen before. A purple sky hung overhead, peeking from between the canopy. Where was she? And what happened to the others with her? She looked around, trying to see if she could find anybody nearby, yet her eyes spotted nothing, even when she filled them with void mana to be able to see lifeforce. It seemed like she was going to be alone here. Something stirred in a bush nearby and Snow jumped, walking out of the area before whatever it was decided toe after her. She was not used to being outside like this, and the open forests and trees teeming with life made her eyes spin, and her heart race. Was she going to get eaten? Shadow rumbled,forting her. He would protect her from anything that would threaten her. Snow nodded, calming herself down a little. Focusing on her next steps, she tried to decide what to do now. She had been trying to tell the adventurers not toe here, but Vix¡¯s words restricted her. Her eyes looked up at the sky, finding the trees blocking her view. Shadow stirred in her chest. They should find a high vantage point to see where to head. Snow nodded. She had orders to follow to find the Shard, and she didn¡¯t want her cor to punish her. Looking at the tree in front of her, Snow let her ws dig into the bark, getting a hold. Swiftly moving up the tree, she raced up to the top, grabbing on the branches as she pulled herself above the canopy, watching over the forest. The trees extended a great distance forward, before ending in what looked like a swamp from this height. But the greatest thing of notice was the castle standing between the swamp. No, not standing. Floating. A small chunk of the earth was levitating just a little bit above the ground, holding the entire castle upon it. Snow nced around away from the castle, and she noticed smokeing from somewhere within the forest. Perhaps that was one of the adventurers? It would be good to meet back up with them. She would be safer. But what if it was someone else? Shadow rumbled in her chest. ¡°I know,¡± Snow replied. ¡°But I¡¯m still scared.¡± Shadow growled in her mind. ¡°You¡¯re strong and big, you won¡¯t get it,¡± Snow replied. Shadow protested but she did not argue with him further. He had always thought she was a coward, and she was fine with that. It had kept her alive. Shadow could be the brave one, she was happy living a timid life. Slowly she slid down the tree, thinking for a few moments. It was definitely worth checking out the smoke, if it was indeed her allies. And if it wasn¡¯t, she just had to get away before they caught her. With a nod to herself, Snow gathered her courage and began to head in the direction of the smoke. It seemed her course of action was decided for now. *** Snow traversed the forest, making sure to avoid anything that looked even vaguely threatening. Her sense of smell let her know any time something dangerous woulde near. Shadow didn¡¯t enjoy it, the wolf was more inclined to growl back at them, and send them scampering, but Snow didn¡¯t intend to let him do that. She would be spent if he came out and vulnerable to anything that decided she was a fitting snack. ¡­And she didn¡¯t have spare clothes. She really didn¡¯t want to run around naked. Getting closer to the camp, Snow heard the voicesing from ahead and slowed down her approach. Using her small build to her advantage, Snow crouched within the bushes, slowly moving closer till she could see the camp and vaguely make out what they were discussing. It only took a few minutes for her to realise that this wasn¡¯t the people she was looking for whatsoever. But before she turned around to leave, their words caught her attention. ¡°Are you sure the information is correct?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no doubt. The guild, church, lord Krios, and anyone you can find with any semnce of power ispeting to get a hold of this thing. They say it¡¯s a Mythical artifact.¡± ¡°What even is this thing we¡¯re looking for?¡± ¡°No idea, some kind of shard, but I couldn¡¯t find any details on its appearance.¡± Snow moved a little closer, paying attention. She hadn¡¯t been told much about what they were looking for, except that it was really important. ¡°It¡¯s a bit ridiculous but I hear it¡¯s the Shard of a Dead god.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, Gods can¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Well, apparently this one did. And left behind pieces of itself.¡± Snow¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Was that what they were looking for? Did the others know? Before she could think any further, Shadow growled, sensing somebody behind her. Snow turned, her ws red out, but she had been too slow. The blow connected as she was thrown back. Snow screamed, and Shadow almost came out, but she held onto control, telling it to stay in. Blood dripped down from her head, and it didn¡¯t take much effort for Snow to pretend to be knocked out, she had almost cked out from that one hit. Shouts came from the camp, weapons being drawn and pointed at her. Shadow pushed back against her further, but Snow kept a tight grip on the wolf. She wanted to hear more. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± one of the men asked. ¡°This thing was sneaking around,¡± another man said, kicking her lightly with his leg to check if she was awake or not. Snow did not move, keeping her breath even and still. ¡°ve girl¡­ no clue what she is. Might be something that lives here. Some kind of freak pet of whoever made this ce.¡± ¡°Should we kill her?¡± one of the women asked. ¡°Looks harmless enough. I figure we just tie her up and bring her back with us, send her to the guild or the church. They¡¯d probably give a bounty for her head, especially if she really is some kind of freak magical experiment,¡± the adventurers said, bending down as he slung Snow over his shoulder. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡± the man asked, walking closer to the camp, as he set Snow down nearby, tying her to a tree. ¡°The whole area ahead looks like a swamp. D or C grade, couldn¡¯t tell. But it¡¯s not going to be easy to get through. Some giant Deidacrocs have made it home, alongside other nasty shit. Then there¡¯s the depth damned cultists. Saw a couple crawling around.¡± Snow felt a shiver run down her spine, unable to hold the response back. Shadow growled in anger at the memory. ¡°How many? Did you kill them?¡± ¡°Three. No, I didn¡¯t engage. They were F grade goons. Low ranking members most likely. The cults have been hit hard with the recent orders for the hunts, so they likely don¡¯t have much manpower anywho,¡± the man said. ¡°Alright. We head in to the swamp and find a way to enter that castle then. Grab whatever loot we can find, and this Shard,¡± one of the men said. Snow continued to listen, all the while trying to get a sense of her environment. Her back was against the tree, arms tied behind her, but her ws were free. Carefully, she started to cut through the thick rope, moving as slowly as she could. She should be able to blend into the shadows and sneak away once she got free. The men continued to talk, and Snow almost had the rope cut, when one of them walked closer. ¡°What about this ve girl?¡± one of them asked. ¡°It¡¯d be a pain to leave her here. She¡¯ll also die of starvation most likely.¡± ¡°I still think we should kill her. Or it. There¡¯s a bunch of monsters that can shapeshift. I don¡¯t want to risk it.¡± ¡°Shut it Merios. I¡¯m going to teleport her out, give me our transfer device,¡± the adventures said. Snow felt her heart pick up. Were they going to send her out? Her cor began to heat up a little. No she couldn¡¯t allow that. If she went out without fulfilling her orders, there was no telling what would happen to her. With a strong pull, Snow tore through the rope, and began to run. ¡°Oh fuck, she¡¯s awake. Get her!¡± a shout came, as Snow ran. Her body transformed rapidly, Shadow finally breaking free as Snow felt herself mingling with the void fiend. Her body changed into a wolf as she ran on all fours, rushing through the forest. The men gave chase for a while, but she was fast, leaping through the forests at high speeds as she continued to rush through the foliage towards the swamp, the others would likely be heading towards the castle too, so that was where she would find them, if anywhere. She really hoped they had some spare clothes. Book 2: Chapter 36 — Favours to the Dead Book 2: Chapter 36 ¡ª Favours to the Dead Erwest felt the jarring sensation of teleportation surrounding him, before vanishing in a blink. Sounds of wildlife filled his ears, as he found his bearings looking around himself. ncing around, he noted theck of hispanions. Drawing his sword, Erwest began to take stock of his environment. Had Vix sent them into a trap? He had taken a gamble agreeing to work with the woman, and he was starting to wonder if the choice had been wrong. He wished he could reach out to the All-Mother, to ask Hellion to guide him through to the path of justice, but his mission demanded secrecy of him. He could not reach out to her, not yet. Not before he¡¯d found the root of the Abyssal cult and eradicated their filthy spell. After a few wary minutes, Erwest lowered his guard, but kept the de equipped in his hand. Perhaps the teleportation had been interrupted as some form of defense from Rift. Regardless, there did not seem to be an ambush waiting for him. Taking a look around, Erwest watched the alien forest in front of him. The sky above was purple, white clouds hanging low, and he wondered just how a sky could exist at all within a rift, but the rules of the Astral were far beyond him, and he was no schr. Moving through the foliage, Erwest noticed sounds of sobbinging from nearby. Raising his de, wary of a trap, he made his way closer towards the sound. The foliage began to pull back, revealing ruins. Broken walls, shacks and huts showed the ce used to be a vige. A chilly wind flowed over Erwest¡¯s neck as he spun around, finding a pale woman standing behind him, tears running down her cheeks. Her ears were pointed, little feathers cresting her body, but she had no beak like a Harpy. A half-blood, or one of the humanoid tribes with beastial race boons. Erwest studied her features, only realising a momentter that the woman was translucent. Spirit Remnant level 23 The woman continued to cry where she stood, not paying any attention to Erwest. Her feet were bound to a pir with ropes, with marks of ropes and scrapes running across her body. Erwest looked down beneath him at the grassy earth, realizing it was likely where her body was buried. There was no grave, nothing but earth to hold her. Erwest looked up at the woman, putting his sword back in its sheath. He stood silently for a moment, wondering if he should move on. The dead that lingered had much to regret, but it was not his job to interfere. He was not a priest, he was pdin, the de of his mother, and he was here for a purpose. This was a distraction. Erwest turned, ready to step away when, to his surprise, Noah¡¯s face came to his mind. The man, young, immature, foolish and ignorant as he may be, would likely have jumped up to help the dead spirit, despite having no rtion to her whatsoever. He also would¡¯ve likely made things worse if left to his own devices. With almost a defeated sigh, finding his own actions continuing to surprise him, Erwest turned back around. ¡°Why are you crying,¡± he asked the woman, feeling his irritation growing at her sobs. The woman continued to cry, sniffling and gasping for air though she had no body anymore. But she clung onto the illusions of life. It would not take much to turn her into a wraith, or any other kind of sinister undead, the right words, the right whispers and a touch of magic. But for now, for better or worse, she was untouched, and merely a spirit. ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± the woman gasped, failing to speak up. Erwest watched her break down into cries again, and he started to regret his choice. Still, he had chosen. Gently, he ced his hand on her shoulder. He could not touch the woman, but the mimicking action would have her responding nheless. The woman slowly looked up at him for the first time, her eyes red, and Erwest noticed her face was scarred, a de¡¯s mark running across her cheeks. That was no beast¡¯s mark, someone had intentionally scarred this woman. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± the spirit said, shivering as she looked up at him. ¡°Stand up,¡± Erwestmanded. The young woman let out an eep, but she rose, standing up straight. Erwest noticed the ropes tying her feet restricting her posture, keeping her at an awkward bend. Her feet had been shaped by the ropes, twisting from their bad posture. ¡°Why are you crying,¡± he asked again. ¡°I¡­ my father¡­ and brother¡­ they didn¡¯t die¡­ they didn¡¯t¡­¡± the woman trailed off, her eyes distant as if reliving an old memory. ¡°They didn¡¯t die, you say. What happened to them?¡± Erwest asked. The spirit snapped out of her daze at his question, refocusing. ¡°The¡­ men came, lied. Promised to help us. They killed everybody¡­ but¡­ not all of us. My brother and father fought¡­ and they got captured. Turned into¡­ into those monsters¡­ Please¡­ please help them. I can hear them crying¡­ please give them peace,¡± the woman begged, crying once again. Erwest looked back at the vige, now noticing the destruction of the ruins was not all old or rued over time. Something had been breaking the ce apart. ¡°You said men. Who were they?¡± Erwest asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ they¡­ they had official crests. We had been here for so long, the outside world had very little contacts with us. But they said they could bring us out, give us new lives in the real world¡­¡± ¡°A pretty lie. You said official crest. Of what kind?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ someone important. Please¡­ they have been suffering for so long¡­ please help them,¡± the woman begged. ¡°I have nothing to give¡­ but I will tell you anything you want in return.¡± ¡°I will, but first tell me. What had the men wanted? Did they tell you?¡± ¡°No¡­ but we figured it out. They were looking for something in the Lord¡¯s castle. But they didn¡¯t know, the Lord had died decades ago, and the ce is guarded by his familiar. They couldn¡¯t enter, they didn''t know the way. But we did, and they wanted to find out. Learn how to sneak past the dragon.¡± Erwest froze at the woman¡¯s words. ¡°There¡¯s a dragon guarding the castle?¡± The woman nodded. ¡°You said you knew how to slip past the dragon, yes?¡± Erwest asked. The woman nodded again. ¡°If I kill the beast, will you tell me?¡± ¡°I will. I swear on my soul,¡± the woman said, touching her chest. Erwest nodded. ¡°Very well.¡± Turning around, he headed towards the ruins with his de drawn. It did not take much time for Erwest to notice the void mana traces present in the vige. Lifeforce was thin in the area, the earth beneath his feet cracked, dry and dead, a drastic contract to the lush forest around them. A little creature crawled out from beneath a copsed building, screeching. Erwest moved swiftly, as he shed through the creature, killing it. You have in a Voidling level 38. Hellion¡¯s light graces your Path. He looked down in disgust at the creature as it dissolved into motes of dark mana under his aura. He had suspected the men had been cultists, this confirmed it. At least he knew what he¡¯d be getting into. Erwest moved along, taking note of the little soundsing from the many buildings around him. Another voidling leapt at him from the underside of a broken roof, almosttching onto his face. A swift sh from his de skewered the beast, before Erwest crushed it under his foot. More creatures drew closer from the sounds, and Erwest began to move faster. If he was right, there was likely a Blood Horror lurking around in this territory. He needed to take it out before the rest of the creatures could interrupt him. Heading further into the ruins, Erwest found his way to a central area within the vige, a ce that looked like it might¡¯ve been a gathering ce for vigers. In there, Erwest saw his target. A giant hulking grotesque creature, eating on the carcass of a dead beast with its many hands. Blood Grafted Horror level 162. It had been some time since he had to fight abyssal creatures. And Erwest almost found himself more rxed in the situation. This was what he had trained to do, this was what he was meant to do. Not all this sneaking around, not these politics, and baby sitting of an annoying outerworlder. This. Killing these filthy cretins, destroying them. He was the goddess¡¯ de, this was his purpose. Tapping into powers he¡¯d missed having, Hellion¡¯s golden aura enveloped him, as he felt the weight of her own justice now resting upon his shoulder. He could almost see her, standing behind him, a part of his being, and watching over his steps. He¡¯d been feeling mother Hellion¡¯s wishes much more keenly ever since she had made him a vessel, yet up till now he had not had the chance to truly see what that had meant. Every void creature nearby hissed and shrieked at the light. Many of the Voidlings ran from the light, evaporating just from a glimpse at the All-mother. The blood horror chewed on the corpse, ncing at Erwest as it, too, shielded its eyes from the light. Its many limbsshed out, but Erwest was faster. His de shed, cutting through the front arms with bony scythe like appendiges. The creature shrieked in pain, mming its arms as it swung at Erwest, but found its swings only hitting air. The creatured howled, picking up the body it had been eating as it threw it at Erwest to block his view. Erwest shed through the carcass, dashing forward towards the horror. The monster mmed its hand onto the earth, shaking the ground as its main hands picked up boulders around it, throwing them at Erwest. The gut of the abomination began to bloat, pulling in air rapidly. A momentter, the creatured vomited burning acid all over. Erwest rolled, dodging the acid, but the horror crawled forward on its arms, rushing him. Erwest¡¯s de shed, cutting through an arm, but the beast wasrger, its body weight throwing Erwest back. The horror did not stop, leaping at him where Erwest had fallen. The pdin rolled, dodging the attack, before raising his weapon up as he grabbed it in both arms. Hellion¡¯s golden light gathered at Erwest¡¯s de, as he mmed his de onto the earth, crouching down. ¡°Oh great mother of light, bringer of justice, give me strength to y evil in your name.¡± A golden aura enveloped Erwest, the light spreading outwards in a circle, granting him strength while also eating through the monster¡¯s health. Hellion¡¯s visage hung behind Erwest, watching over him, as his de lit up with a golden aura. Erwest shed, a golden arc cutting through the beast as it shed through a chunk of its body, immediately vaporising it into ck mist. The creature howled in pain, twisting and rolling on the ground. Moving closer, Erwest looked at the horror wailing like a child with disgust and pity. Its body was twisting, eating through its own energy, and if he gave it time, the monster would transform and heal its injury. But he did not intend to do any such thing. Raising his de, Erwest plunged it into the beast, letting Hellion¡¯s light fill the creature. A golden aura covered the beast¡¯s inside, its body glowing, with cracks opening that leaked light out into the world. With a final howl, the blood horror dissipated into dark mist, breaking apart entirely. You have in a Blood Grafted Horror level 162. Hellion¡¯s light graces your Path. Erwest looked down at the ground, closing his eyes. ¡°May your spirit find rest in the mother¡¯s embrace,¡± he whispered, letting the blessing sink into the air. Stepping forward, behind the copsed buildings where the horror was, Erwest began to dig through the ruins before he found what he was looking for. A pulsating heart remained nearby, dark red runes running outwards from it. This was what had caused the void creatures to slip the gaps ande here. The collected lifeforce from all those vigers. Erwest took his de, cutting the disgusting organ open, as blood flowed freely. A burst of lifeforce erupted outwards, flowing into the air and out to the world. Silently, Erwest looked back at the vige. The void creatures would die on their own over time without a source sustaining them. He looked down at his arms for a moment, before closing his eyes. As good as this had felt, he still had a mission. Light glowed around Erwest for a moment, before his Pdin path vanished once more, taking the golden aura with it. Turning back around, he made his way back out of the vige, feeling oddly light hearted. As he walked out, he saw the woman waiting for him, her form looked a little clearer now. ¡°I have done as you have asked,¡± Erwest replied. The woman bowed deeply. ¡°Thank you. Thank you so much. My family knows peace atst.¡± Raising her head, Erwest saw the woman look at him and give a smile. Her cheeks did not move correctly, the scar on her face distorting her features a little, yet¡­ something about the smile made Erwest feel peaceful. ¡°As promised I¡¯ll tell you how to get past the dragon. The Lord had made tunnels to dig for mana crystals. Most of them are dead ends, but if you look closely, you will see a single arrow pointing downwards, with a circle carved in the walls of some. These caverns lead to a pathway deep inside, that will connect to the bottomyer of the castle. You can enter from there.¡± Erwest nodded to the woman. ¡°Thank you, that will help.¡± Ready to step out, something held him back as he turned towards the spirit. ¡°What do you intend to do now? Your ties to this ce have been severed.¡± The spirit looked at him, and then down at her. ¡°My feet are tied, and I am bound to this ce. I thought maybe if you killed my father, I would be free too but that does not seem to be the case.¡± ¡°I could banish you, if you wish,¡± Erwest replied. ¡°No¡­ no. I want to stay. This ce is dear to me. Perhaps I can restore it a little, though I do not know how yet,¡± she said, raising her hands, as she made them go through the tree next to her. ¡°Then I bid you farewell, spirit,¡± Erwest said, turning away. ¡°Wait!¡± Erwest paused. ¡°Morlina,¡± the spirit said. ¡°I remembered. My name is Morlina. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Erwest Ivan,¡± Erwest replied. ¡°I will remember it, Erwest. Thank you, for helping me.¡± Erwest nodded, walking away from the spirit. A little light shone in his chest, as words lit up in front of him. Hellion¡¯s Pdin has reached level 159. He looked at the words of light in confusion, unsure why it hade now, and not when he had beaten the monster? He looked up at the sky, trying to see if the goddess was perhaps ying some tricks on him, but found nothing he could see within the purple skies. A message then perhaps? He did not know, but it did not matter right now. He¡¯d found more information, now he needed to find the others, and enter this castle. Book 2: Chapter 37 — Beneath the Earth Book 2: Chapter 37 ¡ª Beneath the Earth The world swirled in a familiar disorienting manner before with a pop Aurelia found herself standing in an unfamiliar location. Keeping her guard up, she raised her firsts, little wisps of embers burning through her gauntlet as she looked around. She was in a dpidated wooden house that also looked like it served as a storage room. Pickaxes, axes, bags of stones, cut pieces of lumber and such littered around the dusty chamber, all apanied by dim blue lightning entering from the outside, that lightly illuminated the chamber. Where was she? Aurelia looked around herself, finding herself alone in this ce. Had the spell gone wrong? Keeping her guard up, she looked around the area. The first thing she noticed were the sounds. ngs of metal and little grunts echoed through the chamber, even from inside her little shack, Aurelia could tell she was somewhere underground from the way the sound moved around her. Moving closer to the walls of the storage room, she looked through the gaps to the outside. Figures moved in the dark, carrying items that she recognized to be mining tools. [Stone-Miner - lvl 142] Aurelia continued to watch the miners move to a silent rhythm outside, mining through the walls at the mana crystals embedded around them. She looked back around her, trying to figure out just where she might be, this was not the forest she¡¯d been told to expect. Not to mention she was all by herself. New Quest obtained! Quest: Scattered Your allies have been separated from you. Find them, before something that shouldn¡¯t, does. Reward: Experience points Aurelia jumped back at the notice. She¡¯d been getting these ever since Noah had added her to his Party thing or whatever. She had never gotten used to it, the Astral Script looked so different from hers, with a transparent blue background with glowing words that flickered in too neatly cut out shapes. At first she¡¯d been ignoring them, but eventually she¡¯d figured out how they worked, which exined to her how Noah got all the tomes that he did. She couldn¡¯t deny her jealousy. Had she had something like this when she was younger, she could¡¯ve¡­ she let the thought die. Regardless, so they¡¯d all been scattered, wonderful. So now, where could she find a way out. Walking through the gates of the shack, Aurelia looked around herself. The miners moved nearby, either not noticing her presence, or not caring that she was there. She couldn¡¯t tell. Their bodies were strange, morphed humanoid shapes, but with little crystals and rocks embedded into them. But it was the eyes that bothered her the most, they moved without any purpose in their gaze, like mindless husks wandering the area without any thoughts about what they were doing. Walking outside, and seeing if any of the miners would react, and finding that no, they did not, Aurelia began to look around at the area. The mana crystal mine was thriving, with tons of mana crystals collected in little jute baskets that the miners would carry. Aurelia looked at on in particr, noting the multitudes of F and E grade mana crystals, with some D grade chunks littered here and there. Even uncut or unrefined as they were, these would sell for quite some money. It was like having a fortune in front of you, but only in little copper coins from her home. She wouldn¡¯t even be able to carry all of this. Picking up some of the D grade mana crystals for herself, Aurelia began to make her way down the mining tunnels. So far nothing had attacked her, but that didn¡¯t mean she was going to let her guard down. Carefully walking down the mines, Aurelia began to note the equal intervals at which the miners were working. Like something had set preordained paths on which they could move, they would only ever adjust their path if she directly walked in front of them. Aurelia looked around, before she spotted one section with some sort of device. A metallic container about twice as big as she was set on the ground with runes engraved upon its surface. The miners would take their crystals, depositing them into the machine, as it lit up with runes, crushing the crystals and consuming them. Aurelia walked closer, noting the device as it ate crystals. The device looked like a mix between something the celestians would develop with their fancy magic runes, and one of the technological metal based devices some of the northern kingdoms had. She¡¯d seen diagrams of it, but never really understood how they worked. Aurelia walked around the device for a few minutes, spotting little pipes going into it from the walls, as mana runes and wisps ran up the walls. She¡¯d been wondering how a ce like this could exist in istion, but perhaps these were the devices that controlled the Astral Rift? She pressed her hand on the device, and felt a wave travel through the mines. The miners all stopped moving, before turning towards her direction. Aurelia looked at them, realizing she¡¯d messed up. Slowly she pulled her hand back from the device, stepping back. The miners continued to look at her for a moment, before they turned back around, returning to their tasks. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not touching that again,¡± Aurelia said to herself, turning around as she began to make her way ahead. Given the size of this ce, she wasn¡¯t sure if she would be able to find a way out, especially with how many smaller tunnels seemed to branch outwards from the main path. As Aurelia walked, her path ended abruptly with a giant gate of wood standing in her way. Aurelia looked around, trying to see if she¡¯d missed something, yet the path definitely ended where she stood. Walking closer, Aurelia gave the gates a push, finding them jammed. With a harder push, the wooden gates moved with a vibrating scratching sound. Stepping inside, Aurelia saw a giant creature covered in little crystals sleeping inside. [Crystalline Troll - lvl 168] With a rumble the giant rose, noticing her presence. Aurelia stepped back, trying to step out, but found the doors closed behind her back. Magical runes glowed on the door, telling her she would not have much luck trying to run back out. Cursing her luck, she gathered her mes, preparing for battle. The troll rose with a powerful roar that shook the earth, as it raised its heavy body. Aurelia rushed in, fire swirling around her gauntlets. Embers swirled around her, ash mixing in with her fists, as she rushed up to the troll. It stood towering over her, its bodyrge enough that if it wanted it could simply crush her with its body. Aurelia struck her fists at the creature¡¯s feet, finding its skin as hard as rock. Cracks spread through her strike at the creature, as the creature howled, falling forward. Aurelia jumped back, before she rushed up to the creature, climbing on its back as she grabbed the two horns jutting from its head. Pulling back on them, she reared its head back, before striking with her fists. Each punch drew blood, breaking its rock-like skin, but she couldn¡¯t continue the barrage, as the creature mmed its face into the ground. Aurelia jumped back, almost being ttened on the ground within a single shot. The troll shook its head, pulling itself back up, as it looked at her in anger. With a roar, the beast lunged, arms swinging and Aurelia weaved through the attack, striking at its feet again. The creature stomped, forcing her to jump back as it grabbed a giant boulder in its arm, making it look like a normal rock in its hang, before chucking it at her. Letting mes gather in her gauntlets, Aurelia struck the boulder, shattering it before it struck her. She let out a warm breath, the heat around her rising. She was hoping to conserve her strength. Her heat had finally begun to rise. Allowing the gathered mes to rise, Aurelia let fire cover her body and self. Embers burst around her rising in strength. Embers of Fury strengthens your body for a minute. All attributes by 100% Power increased to 974. Agility increased to 702. Constitution increased to 758. Mystic increased to 802. May your Path light the dark. Rushing in, Aurelia moved like a zing meteor. Fire trailed her steps as she moved in towards the stroll, her fist striking its chest, sting the monster back as its hard outer shell cracked. Aurelia let her strikes continue to strike at the troll. The beast roared, falling over, as Aurelia grabbed its face, holding its throat as she pulled back, letting her gauntlets gather heat. Charging her mes, she pulled her gauntlets back, the des attacheding out free, as she sunk the weapons into the trolls neck where the rocky skin had been cracked enough to reveal the underneath flesh. mes burst through the creature¡¯s body as it let out a shuddering roar, toppling over. Aurelia jumped back, breathing heavily as she watched the giant corpse of the fallen creature. Path of the Berserker Monk has reached level 124 Path of the me Touched has reached level 122 Path of the Cinderborn has reached level 113. She watched the words burn themselves into her Astral script. Pulling her des back, Aurelia tossed a D grade mana crystal in her mouth, replenishing her lost mana immediately. ¡°Well¡­ that was a workout,¡± Aurelia said, checking her surroundings to make sure no other threat was lurking nearby. Her armor glowed with her mes, absorbing the mana around her as it reabsorbed the mes she had used to funnel them back to her. Aurelia smiled, pleased by her gear. She will have to thank Nae when she went back. Turning around, she looked behind her at the area the troll was guiding. A gate, much smaller and built with stone awaited her. An arrow with a circle at the top of it was carved into the door. She pressed her hand onto it, pushing the door open with effort. Aurelia looked beyond the entrance, finding an even more tunnel awaited her, this one lined in carved stone bs, with musty and humid airing out, alongside a rotting stench. It took her a moment before Aurelia realized what the tunnel was. ¡°Ugh, I hate this ce,¡± Aurelia said, letting a small ball of me manifest around her, as she stepped into the sewers. Book 2: Chapter 38 — Astral Projection Book 2: Chapter 38 ¡ª Astral Projection Being a projection was a strange thing. It knew it was one, not a real entity, yet at the same time, it was Noah as well. While musing the questions about his own identity, Noah¡¯s projection delivered the final blow to the giant boar that had charged him, before using Celestial Harvest on its corpse. You¡¯ve harvested [Giant Swamp Boar (Common) - lvl 72]. 3 credit points obtained. The projection walked ahead,menting the fact that it could not level up. It would have to merge back to the original before any experience obtained could be applied. The projection continued on its path, not trying to hide his presence whatsoever. The number of monsters in the surroundings had only increased the further he¡¯d walked, with many seeing his level and deciding he was easy prey. It had dly taken the experience they provided, drinking in happily in the thrill ofbat. Very few had decided to test their luck afterwards. The projection kept his own aura in check, not using it to ward off monsters that maye his way. Perhaps it was the knowledge that he couldn¡¯t truly die, but any inhibitions he originally tended to have regarding his own safety were almost entirely gone now. It was as free as he wanted to be, and could take as many risks as he¡¯d like. Walking through the forest, the projection spotted another monster hiding nearby in ambush. [Lurking Vine-eater - lvl 92] Spotting the giant nt with teeth lining its insides, the projection saw the trap, but continued on its path anyway. As he stepped into the creature¡¯s maw, vines shot forward, grabbing him, as a giant bulbous mouth started to envelop him. Void mana thrummed in his arms, ws forming in his hands as he shed through the interiors of the vine rapidly. Green fluid rushed out of the monster, its body being shredded to pieces as Obliterated burned. The projection used Blood Drain to soak in thest remaining ounces of life from the creature as its body copsed onto the ground. The projection was about to use celestial harvest, when it stopped. How long had it been since he had fed his Devourer attribute? The projection called its Astral Script, going into the menu. [Devourer (Basic, Unique/Growth)] [Progress: 68/100] You are the Devourer. A primal hungerlurks within you. You yearn to grow, to fight, to consume all that bar your path. Gain increased experience when fighting stronger enemies, but gain decreased experience when fighting weaker foes. Your abilities are enhanced to their maximum potential. Your instincts are sharper, your eyes see further, and your spirit shall remain unwavering. Increases all Attributes by 5%. Somewhere along the way, his original had decided to stop feeding into the ability. The projection knew that the original had not even realized that he was doing this. That he was afraid of what an ability like the Devourer meant for him. Or what it would make him. But he knew, didn¡¯t he? Afterall, he did not have the same inhibitions that the original did. It knew, he could tell, the power that could be obtained from this ability. The projection put its hand on the monster¡¯s corpse, waiting for the prompt to arrive. Would you like to consume [Lurking Vine-eater - lvl 92]? Yes/No? Yes. [Devourer] has absorbed [Lurking Vine-eater - lvl 92]. The body of the creature copsed, its strength now flowing into the Projection. But¡­ something strange happened. The progress bar of Devourer did not move, but instead, the projection felt his mana pool increasing. Not the original¡¯s total mana pool no. His mana pool increased. The difference wasn¡¯t big, but it was significant enough to be noticeable. It had just grown independently of his main body. Well. This has implications. The projection looked around itself, now finding a new hunger within him. What else could he eat? What else could he devour? His senses spread out around him, bringing him all kinds of information. Looking around, he heard faint whispers in the distance, alongside a familiar scent. There were people nearby. ncing around himself, the Projection smiled, before making its way through the bushes and foliage in the direction of his target. Moving for around five minutes, he found himself at the edge of the foliage and the beginnings of the swamp. The ground was muddy, water logged above the earth turning the entire environment humid, with a thinyer of mist hanging near the surface. The projection¡¯s eyes pierced through the mist, hiding in the bushes he listened to the men moving about a camp, tents and other items set all around the area, with the workings of what looked to be some kind of ritual setup. [Abyssal Cultist - lvl 68] [Abyssal Cultist - lvl 72] The projection saw their levels, finding nothing that would be extremely impressive. It continued to search, till its eyesnded on one man, leading the rest of them. [Abyssal Cultist Chief - ??] Perfect. The projection sat with its breath held still, waiting for the chance as it watched the camp continue to move about. The cultists moved in unison, holding beasts tied up in cages that they moved towards the ritual spell. sks filled with flood, little orbs and pulsating heart like objects that the projection could not ce moved around the camp. It continued to wait, and watch. The chief walked around, making sure everything was right. As the preparations ended, and the beasts were brought to the center of the ritual, the cultists began to gather in a circle, chanting their rituals. The chief stepped in, chanting its own magic. ¡°O¡¯ eternal darkness. Endless governor of hunger and night, ept this sacrifice of life, of blood, and heed mymand in return.¡± The spell circle red, starting its magic. The projection leapt in action. Using blink he moved behind the chief, grabbing him by the throat and lifting him up. The cultists jumped back in panic, their spell fluctuating. ¡°K-keep the spell going,¡± the chief spat from the projection¡¯s grip, before he crushed the man¡¯s throat, cutting through it with his ws powered with obliterate. The projection frowned. That¡¯s it? What a disappointment. [Devourer] has absorbed [Abyssal Cultist Chief - lvl 142]. Strength flowed into the projection, bringing up his sour mood at theck of fight. Turning his eyes towards the cultist, the projection grinned, like a lion looking at its prey and wondering how it should hunt it before it delivered the killing blow. The cultists stared in shock and horror at the projection, but their chanting did not stop. The projection blinked in front of another its wed hand piercing through its chest and crushing the man¡¯s heart. [Devourer] has absorbed [Abyssal Cultist - lvl 68]. The man¡¯s face remain frozen in a state of shock and horror as his body dissolved into little motes of light that flowed into the projection, filling it. As the projection waited for the other cultists to run in fear and scatter, their chanting grew more intense, the lighting from the spell circle under his feet growing. The projection stumbled from the wave of energy. A summon? It did not matter. Blinking forward, it shed through the next cultist with a powered strike of Obliterate. Nethermes burned through thest two, their bodies rapidly fueling the abyssal fire as the projection consumed them. [Devourer] has absorbed [Abyssal Cultist - lvl 72]. [Devourer] has absorbed [Abyssal Cultist - lvl 67]. [Devourer] has absorbed [Abyssal Cultist - lvl 78]. Feeling itself almost returned to what its mana should¡¯ve been, the projection looked around. Though the cultists had died, the spell had not faded, still glowing brightly underneath his feet. The projection waited for the spell toplete, standing over the magic circle, as void mana continued to swirl around it. A dark portal opened in the ground, like reality had been erased from the area, before a giant worm rose from the ground. It¡¯s maw split open in four sections, revealing rows of teeth lining the insides. The creature crawled out of the Abyss, letting out a shriek as it entered reality, hunger radiating outwards from it. The projection watched the creature, nearly thrice his size in length, towering over him, with a giant body. [Abyssal Greatworm - lvl ??] It looked at the creature, and understood the hunger it possessed. ¡°Obey.¡± The projectionmanded, using its will against the worm. The creature looked down at him, and the projection felt its aura push against the creature, tugging at the workings of the spell. A shattering roar pushed back his will, breaking hismand. The pact of [Voidborne] has weakened. You can no longermand creatures of the Void. The projection read the notification, frowning. Of course, the blessing the original had received. It had been wondering what the impact would be. The creature roared in anger, displeased at the attempt to subjugate it, as it lunged. With a blink, the projection teleported, dodging the attack with ease. A smile came upon his lips, as it got the fight it had been anticipating all this time. The worm roared, sinking into the earth as it began to borrow rapidly. The earth shook beneath, as the projection waited. Mana fathered at its hands, mes filling it. The ground burst beneath him as the worm appeared, its maw open, ready to swallow him whole. ck mes burst from the projection, sting into the maw of the worm, eating through the lifeforce that tied it to this realm. The creature shrieked, but did not stop as the maw closed around the projection, teeth digging ito its body. ws formed around the projection¡¯s hand as it swung at the insides. Obliterate and Bleed hummed in a frenzy, each strike coated with Nethermes, sapping more life out of the creature. A burst of bloodflies exploded from the projection, inflincting bleed upon the creature, as dark ooze seeped out of it. Blood Debt rose from the projection¡¯s aura, forming a de atop the creature before mming it into its body with powerful strikes. ws and teeth continued to bite into the projection, the worm sinking back into the earth without relenting even as it bleed and took damage from the inside out. Feeling its strength fading, the projection grew worried. If it took too much damage it would dissolve. Reaching into the dimensional pocket, the projection grabbed at its spear. Taking its weapon, it plunged it into the creature¡¯s body. Red Crimson began to seep out, bleeding into the void, even as the void mana ate back at the rot. But the projection did not stop, sinking the de deeper into the fleshy walls of the creature, it began to use blood drain, pulling the life mana into its spear. The weapon howled, as void mana began to flow into it, mingling with the crimson rot as the two forces of life and death collided. Nether me burst around the projection, now covering the inside of the worm surface as the projection reached out with Devourer, and did something it had not thought possible. It began to Consume. The worm shuddered, its body breaking apart as pieces flowed into the projection. With an explosive burst, the creature erupted outwards from the earth, opening its maw to let a final scream at the skies. The projection reached out once again, once again using Consume upon the creature. The monster broke, thest vestiges of its life fading, as the creature flowed into the projection, healing its injuries and increasing its strength. [Devourer] has absorbed [Abyssal Greatworm - lvl 217] [Spear of Crimson End] has ranked up to Umon. The projection panted, stumbling out of the withering husk, yet it felt more powerful than it ever had. But something worrying was happening in his vision. Experience points obtained. Error. No soul detected. Astral Script unavable. Patching irregrity. Energy began to rise from inside it, the Astral script now working to eradicate his existence. The projection began to sweat. New entity created. Race allocated: Astral Spectre. Allocating experience. For creating a new race you¡¯ve gained the title [Progenitor]! [Astral Spectre] has reached level 8! Error - Attributes cannot be allocated. Error report has been logged. The projection stared at the words in disbelief, mouth hanging open in surprise. He had gained levels? Book 2: Chapter 39 — Wayward Projections Book 2: Chapter 39 ¡ª Wayward Projections Noah sat on a corpse of a giant Deidacroc he had in. Bun Bun remained buried within the body of the creature, eating pieces from the corpse with abandon, coating his fur a dark red.Noah paid the bunny no attention, his focus was on his Inventory. The menus moved past, as he looked through all the items he had in his Dimensional Pocket. ¡°Where the heck is my spear?¡± Noah said, trying to check once again to make sure he hadn¡¯t missed it somehow. Tony shivered, pping around his head, taking a look as well. Noah tried to remember if he¡¯d somehow left it, but that was impossible. He always kept the weapon safely in his Dimensional Pocket. Tony sat on Noah¡¯s head, sending quiet whistles. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not worried. It¡¯s just weird,¡± Noah said, scratching his head. ¡°Can the projections ess my Dimensional Pocket?¡± Tony gave a shrug with his wings. Noah returned his eyes to the Dimensional Pocket. Reaching out, he called back the spear with the Dimensional Pocket. The air vibrated in front of him, as if something was resisting, before the spear popped back into his hands. Checking the weapon in his hand, Noah felt something different. The design on the weapon had shifted subtly, now little strands of ck twisted around its red shaft, changing the design subtly. Using Identify, Noah checked the weapon. [Spear of Crimson End (Umon/Growth)] Progress to next rank: 7.2% A spear infused with Crimson Rot and Void mana. Inflicts [Rot-II] upon use. A hunger has awakened in the weapon, morphed by [Devourer], the weapon drinks in the lifeblood of its enemies. Noah spun the weapon around once, feeling it fit better in his hands than before. Something had changed the weapon and he wanted to know what. ¡°Time for an emergency meeting, send the word Tony,¡± Noah said, as the little bat-eye fluttered around,municating with its other versions. A momentter, Noah activated his ability. The world warped around him, as his two projections appeared. ¡°I was just about to finish going through what was a pretty important piece of information so this better be important,¡± one of the projections said, looking annoyed. ¡°I was fighting cultists, we probably lost a level or two because of this,¡± the other one said, clicking his tongue. Holding the spear in his hand, Noah waited a moment to see if either of the other two wouldment on the weapon¡¯s change. After neither said anything any further, Noah spoke up. ¡°We¡¯ve had some time to explore, I thought it best tobine what we¡¯ve all learned, and if we¡¯ve found any leads to the others.¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we have done this through Tony? Wasn¡¯t that the whole point?¡± the projection asked, as one copy of Tony rose from the creature, before merging with his. Noah didn¡¯t reply, as Tony supplied information his other selves had gained. Noah¡¯s eyes went to the other projection, as he used Identify on him. [Astral Projection - lvl 13] ¡°How did you gain levels?¡± Noah asked. ¡°What?¡± the other copy said in surprise. ¡°You have levels?¡± The projection gave a shrug. ¡°Dunno. I was fighting a big abyssal worm and then I got a bunch of notifications and now I have levels. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ so strange. I thought we couldn¡¯t gain levels till we fused back,¡± the other projection said, holding his chin in thought. ¡°Can you merge back?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Probably,¡± the projection said, shrugging. ¡°I¡¯m still connected to you.¡± ¡°This is weird,¡± the other projection said. Tony nodded in agreement. ¡°Was the spear your doing as well?¡± Noah asked, showing the spear. ¡°Yeah, happened around the same time I got levels. I like the change,¡± the projection said, smiling. Noah agreed, but that wasn¡¯t the point right now. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could use my Dimensional Pocket.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t either, learned that pretty recently after I split. Turns out my pocket is connected to yours, just gotta stretch a little,¡± the projection said. ¡°Alright, so clearly a bunch has happened. So, progress report, you first,¡± Noah said, looking at the projection with levels. ¡°I walked around, killing a bunch of stuff and harvesting credits. No levels by this point. Then I found some cultists, doing some kind of ritual. I lurked through the area, trying to see what they were up to. There was one chief and a couple others around, but nothing too strong. I jumped in and killed the chief, before taking out the others but the spell activated and a big Abyssal Worme out. I fought it and killed it, which is when the spear changed and I gained levels,¡± the projections said. Noah hummed in thought. ¡°So it just happened on its own?¡± The projection nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t assign any attributes though, but I can feel myself getting stronger.¡± Noah could feel it as well, the projection had as much mana as he did. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s a whole thing to look at,¡± Noah said, turning towards the other projection. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Well, I walked around for a while, looking at the mini map and trying to move in a way that would maximise our area coverage. Eventually I found the ruins of a vige and made by way through. There were some undead around, and a pulsing bundle of life-force. Abyssal cultist work. I took it out before I began to go through the ruins to see if I found something interesting. There was a diary talking about the origin of this ce, and a map,¡± the projection said, as the map appeared in his hand. Noah grabbed the map, looking at it. Multiple settlements, branches and locations marked with different names and purposes were set. One line pointed at a way towards the castle. ¡°So we know the way to the castle?¡± Noah asked, looking at the projection. ¡°Well, I was about to find out before you pulled me here. There¡¯s something guarding the main castle gates apparently, and there¡¯s ways to avoid the creature. Though I don¡¯t know how,¡± the projection said. ¡°And give up on the experience we could gain? Why?¡± the other projection asked, frowning. ¡°Because it¡¯d be stupid? Whatever it is was powerful, and the Familiar of the Ascendant that created this ce. And unlike the Wyrm, there¡¯s no guarantee that this one will be peaceful, especially since we¡¯re here to raid its home.¡± Bun Bun seemed to have been intrigued, peeking out from the corpse before he jumped out, and thumped its feet. Apparently it agreed with the projection that wanted to go fight the creature. Noah sighed. ¡°This is like watching my thoughts act out in real time. I wonder if this is how I look to other people.¡± ¡°You should decide,¡± one of the projections said. The other one nodded, now looking at him as well. Noah watched the two projections, thinking through the problem. ¡°We¡¯ll go look at this thing before before deciding.¡± ¡°So, are we going to merge back then?¡± the other projection asked. Noah nodded. ¡°It¡¯s best that we did. We¡¯ll just have to trust that the others make it to the castle as well. There¡¯s a time limit on this ce, and if the cultists find the Shard before us, this will have all been for nothing.¡± The projection nodded, and a momentter, Noah felt his mana increase as the memories and experiences returned to him at once. [Exsanguinator] has reached level 75. [Astralwalker] has reached level 73. [Void Hunter] has reached level 73. Power: 300 ¡ú 306. Agility: 300 ¡ú 304. Constitution: 300 ¡ú 304. Mystic: 418 ¡ú 430. Free attributes: 57 ¡ú 77. Noah nced at the other projection, who had his eyes closed but otherwise did not seem to be doing anything. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Merging back doesn¡¯t seem to be working,¡± the projection said. Noah frowned for a moment. He tried to recall back the projection with his ability on his own but felt a resistance pushing against him. ¡°Strange, guess we¡¯ll have to do this the old fashioned way.¡± Getting up, Noah raised his spear as Obliterate channeled into the weapon. ¡°Wait wait, hold on a second,¡± the projection said, raising his hands. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Noah asked looking at the projections, as he raised an eyebrow. ¡°Uhh, what¡¯s that behind you?¡± the projection said. Noah turned behind him and found nothing. ¡°What do you mean there¡¯s nothing there¡ª¡° Noah froze as he saw the projection dashing away at rapid speeds. It took him a moment for him to realise what had happened, and another moment to realise that he¡¯d fallen for something that stupid. ¡°What the fuck,¡± Noah said, before realising that he was going to lose the projection if he waited any longer. Taking his attributes, Noah dumped fifty points in agility. A rush of energy filled his body, altering his spirit, and the rush almost made him tense up, but his spirit was much stronger now and he pushed through the rush of energy. Agility: 304 ¡ú 357. Using Blink, Noah gave chase. The projection moved quickly, blinking rapidly all around the ce and Noah had to keep his senses peeled out to not lose track of it. Noah focused his attention on his ability, feeling the thread of mana connecting him to his projection. Letting his will power focus on it as much as he could, he pulled back upon the connection. The projection stumbled, as the connection yanked itself, and Noah did not relent, moving ahead as he continued to pull back. A momentter, he felt the connection snap, as the mana he had put into the projection flowed back into him. But the projection itself remained. ¡°Should¡¯ve figured this would happen,¡± Noah said, rushing forward through the dense foliage of the forest. Raising his spear, and letting his senses guide him, Noah shot his weapon. The spear moved around the trees, shooting like a speeding arrow as itunched ahead, but the projection teleported at thest second, jumping away. Noah growled. The projection had every ability he had. He really was annoying to fight. Chasing the ripples in the atral rift, Noah blinked as well, rushing behind the projection. The astral realms swept over reality as he moved through tangled webs of space, before reality reasserted itself. With a pop Noah appeared behind the projection andunched himself. The two crashed into muddy waters and Noah grabbed the projection¡¯s throat, holding him down as a growl escaped his mouth. ¡°Wait¡­ wait I can exin,¡± the projection tried. ¡°It better be good, because right now I¡¯m thinking that the cultists managed to corrupt you and I¡¯m not very inclined to let an evil clone of myself run around,¡± Noah replied. ¡°No they didn¡¯t I just-¡± The projection¡¯s eyes widened deeply, almost in fear as it raised its hand, pointing up. ¡°Look¡­ look behind you,¡± the projection said. ¡°Oh seriously? Do you think I¡¯ll fall for that twice?¡± Before Noah could strike, the world darkened around him as he felt a powerful presence behind him. Keeping his grip on the runway projection, Noah turned back. A giant creature remained behind him, its giant body towering over the two of them, with deep iridescent scales gleaming in the sunlight as it covered the them underneath its shadow. Two wings came from the creature¡¯s back, and a long leg that led into a maw full of giant teeth, and two reptilian eyes that regarded them with cold intensity. Noah did not need to use Identify to know what this was. A creature so majestic, the legends of it had pierced even his home. One whose mere name was feared to be spoken by the people of this world. [Adult Lightning Dragon - ????] Book 2: Chapter 40 — A Draconian Problem Book 2: Chapter 40 ¡ª A Draconian Problem Noah felt the creature¡¯s aura hold him in ce, frozen like a mouse trapped in the ws of a lion. But instead of feeling fear, Noah felt a strange sense of awe as he looked at the creature in front of him. A creature of Myth, now standing in front of him. Which also might want to eat him. The dragon raised its giant foot, pressing Noah down onto the muddy waters. The projection had blinked long ago, taking the chance to escape as Noah pushed against the ws of the dragon, trying to blink away but found his ability fizzling out to nothing. A loud roar shook the area, and Noah felt a strange terror pierce his heart, gripping him. He gasped, the murky water now filling his lungs, yet even as he drowned, he found himself paralyzed by the terror. Your aura has been suppressed. You have heard a Dragon¡¯s roar. Your soul trembles in fear. [Terror - IV] inflicted. That sensation was back again. The helplessness he¡¯d felt against the Wyrm, the powerlessness. It was easy to get drunk on his powers, but moments like these reminded him of how truly insignificant he was in all of this. Dealing with gods and wards of ages, he had deluded himself into thinking he mattered, yet a single dragon could end him on a whim and that would be it for him. Noah felt the air escaping his lungs, as his vision started to slowly darken. His constitution worked against him now, keeping him alive through the sensation of his lungs being filled in murky water, as he drowned terribly, terribly slowly, healing the damage the moment it happened, but not enough to keep himself from losing health. The health bar in Noah¡¯s vision slowly continued to tick down, depleting itself. Noah tried to push but there was no strength in his limbs, his aura was too weak to even nudge the weight of the dragon. Slowly, the water seeped into him, eating through his health, as the edges of despair began to creep in. Health: 48% He was dying, a terrible, and slow death, and he couldn¡¯t even resist. Tony shivered and moved around in a panic, trying to activate Metamorphosis, but the ability refused to work. The symbiote rose into the air, pushing against the dragon¡¯s feet. It was pointless. Noah watched his health now drop below a quarter, as his consciousness began to waver. Lightning shot around the water a momentter, as the w lifted. Noah rose his head, coughing the murky water out as desperately worked to catch his breath. After he¡¯d finally stopped coughing his insides out, Noah looked up at the Dragon and saw Bun Bun iling around in the dragon¡¯s ws, trying to bit or kick at it. Slowly the dragon¡¯s eyes turned towards Noah. ¡°Is this creature yours?¡± Noah froze under the low rumbling voice. He looked at the dragon in surprise, before his eyes went to Bun Bun. He considered lying for a moment, but decided not to. If the dragon had some ability that could spot lies, he would be fucked. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s my familiar,¡± Noah said. The dragon growled, looking at little Bun Bun iling around in its ws as the bunny froze. ¡°Why have you not taught it manners?¡± Noah blinked. ¡°Umm, what?¡± he said, feeling a little confused. Mere moments ago this thing had been about to drown him to death. ¡°You keep a draconian creature and yet teach it no manners, do you intend to raise a feral monster? Because its hunger will only grow with time, and so will its arrogance.¡± ¡°So- wait, I don¡¯t understand. Are you not going to kill me?¡± Noah asked, not understanding what was happening here. ¡°Why would we? We¡¯d simply been waiting for you to answer, but you didn¡¯t seem very willing. Even so, we wouldn¡¯t kill you simply because youck manners.¡± ¡°But¡­ you¡¯d been drowning me¡­¡± Noah trailed off. The dragon¡¯s eyes widened, as sparks crackled around it. ¡°Oh, apologies. I forget that you creatures need to breathe to survive.¡± Noah looked at the dragon, and felt a strange exhaustion fill him. Had he been about to die¡­ because the dragon forgot that he needed to breathe? Laughter burst out of Noah¡¯s mouth, disbelief, adrenaline and relief all mingling into a strange release of emotions as his legs gave out. ¡°Are you okay? Did we break you?¡± the dragon asked. Noah wiped tears from his eyes, taking a deep breath. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, looking up at the dragon and giving it a smile. ¡°You¡¯re a lot less terrifying than people had led me to believe.¡± The dragons snorted. ¡°Do not ever say that to any other dragon. They will kill you for the insult.¡± ¡°But you won¡¯t?¡± Noah asked, curious. ¡°I¡¯m so curious, I¡¯ve always wanted to meet a dragon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a strange one. Why would you want to meet death?¡± the dragon said, lowering Bun Bun into Noah¡¯s arms. To Noah¡¯s surprise, the rabbit was shivering now, trying to bury itself in Noah¡¯s arms. ¡°What did you do?¡± Noah asked. Bun Bun had never looked this afraid. ¡°We taught it some manners. Nothing much,¡± the dragon said, then narrowed his eyes. ¡°Oh, that exins it. You¡¯re an Outerworlder aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Noah said. ¡°And you¡¯re a dragon.¡± ¡°We are. That exins a lot about your attitude.¡± ¡°My name is Noah,¡± Noah said, looking up at the dragon. ¡°What¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°We do not have a name. Not anymore,¡± the dragon replied. ¡°What do you mean not anymore?¡± Noah asked. The dragon looked down at him, eyeing him silently. ¡°Tell us this first, Noah. What brings you here? Do you seek the treasures buried in thisnd, to raid and plunder its corpse till not even bones are left, before the realm sinks into the beyonds of the rifts?¡± Noah felt a powerful wave of mana flow over him, at the dragon¡¯s question, the creature¡¯s eyes searing holes into him. ¡°I¡¯m here to save this ce,¡± Noah replied. ¡°There¡¯s a Shard of great power in the castle. Abyssal cultists are trying to gain it to open an Abyssal Rift, likely through here. My goal is to stop them.¡± The dragon growled. ¡°Those vermin. Yes, we know. We have killed many, but they keep returning. Their leader lied to us, took advantage of our nature and chained us to this ce,¡± the Dragon said, raising its ws as a magical chain made of bright glowing runes manifested. ¡°We have weakened, without Ryugan¡­ our strength fades, and mana dwindles. This ce cannot support us, and those vermin took advantage of our weakened state,¡± the dragon said, as lightning crackled all around it. ¡°You said their leader? Who was he?¡± Noah asked. The dragon nced down, its anger fading. ¡°We could not see. He wore a veil even our eyes could not pierce. The man had arrived with promises of giving us a new purpose and freedom, and in return he had given one of his men a blessing, to change their Paths into a legendary one. The leader of an adventuring team called Iron Fist.¡± Noah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, as he looked at the dragon, pieces of the encounter clicking in ce. Aurelia had mentioned that Garett had gained a legendary path all of a sudden, one of lightning magic, even though he¡¯d not crossed any evolution points. ¡°We killed them,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Iron Fist. We killed them and the cultists. They¡¯ve been trying to work on this for a while, draining the lifeforce of innocent individuals, and sacrificing people but they need that Shard, and if I can get it before them, I could stop their ns,¡± Noah replied. The dragon looked down at him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we cannot allow that.¡± ¡°But¡­ why?¡± ¡°Ryugan¡¯sst wish was for us to protect his legacy. To protect this ce. We are bound to his wishes, and cannot allow any more people to step foot into this ce. We won¡¯t fail twice.¡± Noah looked at the dragon, feeling his frustration rising. ¡°Can¡¯t you see that doing this only helps the cultists? I don¡¯t know who yourpanion was, but I don¡¯t think stopping me helps you fulfill his wishes.¡± ¡°We understand, Noah. We are not foolish. But our nature forbids it. We cannot let you go, not without us apanying you, and we are chained to this ce.¡± ¡°What if I break it?¡± Noah asked. The dragon looked at him, and then realised his head andughed. The world shook around Noah from the dragon¡¯sughter, creatures running away in fear from the nearby forest. ¡°This chain has the lives of hundreds put into it. Nay, thousands. Weakened though we may be, it still holds us back, drains our strength and prevents us from breaking it. You think you can do what we cannot?¡± the dragon said, snorting. ¡°Like you said, it¡¯s draining your power, but I¡¯m free aren¡¯t I? And it wouldn¡¯t hurt to give it a shot, I have quite some prior experience in breaking shackles,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Very well, if nothing else, watching you struggle with amuse us,¡± the Dragon replied. Noah nodded, walking closer. The dragon pulled its w ahead, straining the magical chain as it manifested. Moving closer, Noah sawplicated threads of magic interwoven into the spell. His [Universal Language Comprehension] perk tried to decode the meaning for a second, before it gave up. Noah put his hand on the chain, feeling the deep coursing power in it. If his shackles had been a rope binding his soul, then this was multiple giant steel wrapped around each other. Continuing to let his senses go through the chains, Noah began to let his soul feel out the areas. With his own shackles, he¡¯d learned very quickly that the spell supressing his soul was not equally strong. Like any chain, it was only as strong as its weakest link. Making his way around the dragon with his hand on the chain, Noah eventually found the spell tying into argerwork of mana threads feeding it energy. Tony pped around Noah, chiming. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a pretty good idea actually,¡± Noah said, as Tony jumped around, pleased. ¡°Hey, do you think if I cut off the supply of this spell, you¡¯ll be able to break it?¡± Noah asked. The dragon nced back at him, looking at the chain tying it. ¡°Hmm. Perhaps. It is worth trying.¡± Noah nodded, grabbing the runic chain in his hand, as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Steadying his soul, Noah began to pull. Mana coursed through his body, as he poured the entire weight of his will, aura and mana into the chain, pulling on it. The chain began to glow rapidly, torrents of mana flowing into it, as it began to resist Noah¡¯s pull. Noah felt the strength of the chain tugging on him, responding in retaliation by trying to suppress him instead. Noah¡¯s body started to seize up, as the suppression began to mount, but Noah was used to the sensation. He continued to pull, resisting the supression put upon him. Veins popped in his arms and forehead, blood pounding in his ears as the weight of the magic capable of holding a dragon struggled against his hands. ¡°Gaaaaaahhhh,¡± Noah screamed, his spirit aching against the strain as his body was pushed to its limits. Soul Resistance has reached level 16! Blood started dripping down Noah¡¯s nose, and a momentter, Noah felt his legs give out as he copsed on the ground, panting, bleeding from his nose and ears. Noah remained there on the ground, feeling his body aching in every possible area it could ache in. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­. I couldn¡¯t¡­ do it,¡± Noah panted, looking up at the dragon. The dragon did not reply, holding up its w as it looked intently at the chain, before its eyes went to Noah. ¡°No,¡± the dragons said. ¡°It is miniscule but look here,¡± the dragon said, pointing at one section of the chain. Noah stood up, looking at where the Dragon pointed. One of the chain links, with its thousands of runes, had a single rune slightly broken. A powerful aura rose from the dragon, and Noah looked up to see the dragon baring its teeth out, a menacing look that made him freeze in his footsteps in the creature¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you have Soul resistance?¡± the dragon asked, its voice shaking the world. Noah gave a nod. ¡°Level 16, it leveled up just now.¡± The dragon looked at him, before a low rumble started to escape from the creature¡¯s mouth. A look of fury now taking on his face as he looked at the skies. ¡°Yes, Ryugan. We see what you¡¯d meant now.¡± Noah regarded the dragon, starting to feel a little scared by it. ¡°It has been years since we¡¯ve felt this thrill. Noah, stay with us for some time. And learn. We will teach you how to hone your soul, to sharpen it like a de, one that can cut any chains.¡± The dragon said, giving him a terrifying smile. Noah felt a shiver run down his back. Book 2: Chapter 41 — A Lesson on Magic Book 2: Chapter 41 ¡ª A Lesson on Magic Noah had not been to school in a long time, but this felt like the closest experience he¡¯d had to sitting in a ss. He sat on a log he¡¯d dragged over from a broken tree, and now was listening to the dragon teach him about the fundamentals of magic. ¡°Do you know how we talk, Noah?¡± the dragon asked. ¡°Uhh, using your mouth?¡± Noah said. ¡°If we tried to speak with our mouth it would sound something like this,¡± the dragon said, and Noah heard what sounded like a giant lizard choking on something but somehow the sound managed to still remain utterly terrifying. ¡°The mouth movements you see are purely for show. It unnerves people when we do not do them. But this is telepathy, you hear the voice not in sound, but directly in your mind. Your mind merely makes up for the difference in reality, letting the sound appear real. It is also because we are skilled enough to know how to control the sound as well.¡± ¡°Neat! But how does this help me help you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting there. Telepathy is a form of an attack, the difference merely lies in intent and power. If we were to do something like this for example-¡° Noah clutched his head as the worst headache of his life came down upon him. You¡¯ve been inflicted with [Migraine-IV] He activated pain tolerance on reflex, feeling the pain fade, yet his mind still throbbed, and his thoughts swirled around in jumble, like he¡¯d woken up after a decade of sleep and something had scrambled the inside of his head. ¡°S¡­stop,¡± Noah begged, falling down from his log. A momentter, the magic faded as his head cleared itself. ¡°Did you gain the resistance?¡± the dragon asked. Noah took a deep breath, pulling himself up. ¡°Okay, if we¡¯re going to do this, we need to establish some rules. I¡¯m resilient, but no surprise mind attacks. Or any attacks actually. Tell me first.¡± The dragon looked down at him, and Noah remembered for a moment just what kind of a creature he was talking to. ¡°Apologies, we got excited.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Noah replied. ¡°And no, I didn¡¯t get a resistance.¡± ¡°Shame. Perhaps you weren¡¯t resisting hard enough.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Noah asked. ¡°To gain resistance to something, you must actively resist the thing. For example, when we use telepathy to drown you, you must resist the effects and try to retain focus. That is how you gain resistance,¡± the dragon said, lowering his head to bring itself to Noah¡¯s eye level. ¡°Huh, alright. I still don¡¯t understand how this helps you, shouldn¡¯t we be focusing on soul resistance instead?¡± The dragon let out a snort. ¡°We forget how inexperienced you are. Like a child, even by human standards. To answer your question, let us ask you this. What is resistance? How can you resist some things but not others, and why?¡± ¡°Well¡­ because that¡¯s how the system works?¡± Noah said, realizing he¡¯d never given it any deeper thought. "It¡¯s just one of the many magical abilities I¡¯d gained upon arriving in this world. I wasn¡¯t about to start questioning all of it at the time, I had other things to worry about. Like not dying. And doing that would¡¯ve very quickly made me lose my sanity.¡± ¡°But that is no longer the case. You are not in any danger of dying, and you have had time toe to terms with your circumstances. So think about it,¡± the dragon said. Noah sat back down on the log, thinking. Why did he gain resistance? The dragon said the method to gain resistance was to¡­ resist. But why would that cause the magic to be weaker? ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Noah replied, looking up to meet the dragon¡¯s eye. ¡°The answer is your soul. When you resist something Noah, you are exercising your soul, almost like a muscle. And the more you do it, the better it gets.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Noah replied. He¡¯d felt something simr whenever he¡¯d gained a resistance, though he hadn¡¯t realized that before now. ¡°So all resistances are based on the soul?¡± ¡°Not just resistances Noah. Skills as well. Before the reform of the Astral scripts, Paths had revolved around skills. This is from an era history itself has forgotten, before the Celestians had created their empire, and the Pantheon was still young. Vestiges of that old system now reflect as the skill section,¡± the Dragon replied. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s¡­ interesting. I never thought about the Astral scripts changing themselves. Or being changed by somebody. How did the systeme to existence in the first ce anyway?¡± ¡°That is one of the mysteries that remains unanswered to this day. We know there was a time before it existed on Erandir, but what that world looked like, we can only guess at. Even the oldest Dragon I knew did not know of a time before the Astral Script existed,¡± the dragon said, its eyes distant as if remembering an old memory. ¡°Regardless, we lose track. The thing we want to ask you now is, if all resistances are in reality resistance gained by the soul, then what does soul resistance mean?¡± Noah took a few moments to think about it. ¡°It resists things that directly affect the soul?¡± The dragon smiled, a terrifying look as it revealed its giant teeth. ¡°Indeed. Soul magic is a form of magic, and soul resistance is in reality soul magic resistance. The reason it does not say so is because what constitutes magic itself is vague, and does not have a simple answer. So it puts it into arger bracket that contains fringe cases that may not necessarily count as magic.¡± ¡°Alright. So¡­ I guess the way to train that would be to resist¡­ I guess something like your shackles?¡± ¡°Indeed. Though that is far too great as task and highly ineffective, so we will take a simpler approach first,¡± the dragon replied, raising its head slightly as lightning crackled in its mouth. ¡°I have a question. How did the chain even manage to capture you? I assume you have really high resistance?¡± ¡°We have [Greater Spirit Resistance (Elite) - level 74]. Had we taken the opportunity to rank it up to Expert, we likely would¡¯ve broken the entire chain ourselves.¡± Noah¡¯s eyes widened at the numbers. ¡°Elite huh. I haven¡¯t even touched that rank.¡± ¡°Things change beyond level 50. But that is for ater time. For now, we must train you to the point where you can unlock [General Elemental Resistance].¡± ¡°Alright. So doing that increases my soul¡¯s overall resistance or something?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Indeed. It makes your soul as a whole more resistant. But that¡¯s not all we must do. We need you to also gain all three major resistances. That is, [General Infliction Resistance], and [General Spirit Resistance].¡± ¡°That¡­ sounds like a lot,¡± Noah said. ¡°Normally this is something that would take a year at a minimum to achieve with dedicated training. But with our help, I believe we can do it in¡­ hmm. Two weeks. If you wish, you could also use the chance to bring up your Pain tolerance up to Elite, the rewards are quite worth it.¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Noah said, feeling nervous at the casual way the dragon was describing all of this. The dragon leaned in, moving its giant face close to Noah as he sniffed him. ¡°Your physique is unusual, we assume you¡¯ve modified it in some way?¡± ¡°Yeah, that had been one torturous week.¡± ¡°Hmm. So your base resistance is good. We can sense more vitality than average in your body as well, so good constitution. Indeed, you¡¯re a near perfect specimen for this task.¡± ¡°Alright, so what will this involve?¡± Noah asked. ¡°We will have you gain resistance to most major types of damage. Each general resistance category consists of a specific type of damage. Elemental resistance resists direct magic attacks, infliction resists things such as poison, rot, disease, cancer, toxin, necrosis, burn, frost, and other statuses. While spirit resists soul, mind, and mana damage.¡± "Mana?" Noah asked, curious. "Yes, there are many techniques that exploit your susceptibility to mana to break past your defenses. For example, we know of a healer who used arcane magic to heal, and had the ability to damage their insides using mana. The man never used his ability in this regard, but it had often saved his life when things had turned difficult since almost no one bothers getting a resistance to mana," the dragon said, huffing. Noah was pushed a step backwards from the gust of wind. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that make it harder to use any abilities?¡± ¡°Does your void resistance make using your abilities harder?¡± the dragon asked. ¡°Well, no, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Noah replied. ¡°It does not. Mana is the same. It makes you robust to outside sources of mana. So yes, if you wish to obtain mana from someone else, it will be harder to do so, but man sharing abilities are a fringe use case, and at Advanced levels, you can simply selectively resist the source of mana as well. People are simply toozy to ount for abilities like this, leading to their doom when theye face to face with it.¡± ¡°This makes me want to get that. Mana damage I mean,¡± Noah said. ¡°We could see your Astral magic allowing something like that. Or you could develop an Arcane Body, which would be the more ideal option.¡± ¡°Arcane body?¡± ¡°A body that has mana ingrained into it. A lost art, but not entirely so. There will be ways if you look into them.¡± Noah gave a nod. ¡°What you must now do Noah, is gain the resistances that you¡¯re missing, and level them up to Intermediate. Upon doing so, you will merge them into general resistances. Ideally we¡¯d do this at Advance though.¡± ¡°Oh? Why not at Intermediate? I did that for my weapon mastery skill.¡± ¡°Because general resistances are slower to level up. Your weapon mastery will level more slowly than any individual resistance will, since it incorporates all weapon types there are. If you merge at advanced, you directly reach the advanced rank. Given how tight the deadline is though, we do not have a single second to spare,¡± the dragon said, raising its head up. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do this then,¡± Noah said, taking a deep breath to prepare himself. ¡°We will use our telepathy now. Prepare yourself.¡± Noah nodded, and after a split second of consideration, he decided to turn off his pain tolerance as well. The dragon¡¯s magic mmed his brain like a speeding train, destroying any and all logical thoughts. Noah found his head feel like it would split in half, as he struggled to feel anything beyond the pain and the sensation of beingpletely and utterly overwhelmed. With extreme effort of willpower that struggled to gather his mind, Noah slowly reached out to his meditation, like an achor of calm in a swirling tornado. Mana began to flow into Noah¡¯s body, a set rhythm from his body now moving to the slow beats of his heart. The process was painful, each attempt at focus being broken by theplete overwhelming downpour of brain scrambling magic pounding in his head. I¡¯ve lived through worse. Focus. Breathe. In. And out. In. And out. Slowly, steadily, Noah¡¯s breath began to stabilize. He didn¡¯t notice the notification when it first came, telling him he¡¯d gained the resistance. He simply felt the pain lessen, and focused even more deeply. Time passed in a steady rhythm of breaths, and as Noah felt the final remaining bits of pain stop, he opened his eyes. Three moons glowed in the sky above, each a different color, and at different positions. Noah looked at the dragon seated nearby, its eyes glowing in the dark, and a menacing look upon its face. He checked his resistance. You¡¯ve obtained [Mind Resistance]! [Mind Resistance] level 0 ¡ú 10. [Meditation] level 28 ¡ú 30. [Mind Resistance] has ranked up to Intermediate! [Mind Resistance (Intermediate) - level 10] You¡¯ve survived the barrage of telepathy from a dragon, keeping your mind from falling apart into shambles. Now find yourself resistant to all forms of mind attacks, and capable of reverting back the damage to the user. Noah looked up from the description at the dragon seated under the night sky, grinning at him as lightning crackled around its body and its reptilian eyes focused. ¡°You show promise Noah, we are going to enjoy breaking you down as we build you up.¡± Chapter KU/Audible announcement of Book 1 Chapter KU/Audible announcement of Book 1 Hey folks, due to KU regtions chapter 5 to 50 has been removed from RR. I tried to give a fairly long warning period but if you''ve still missed parts of book 1, you can join my discord server through this link to request a pdf or epub copy of the book 1. Alternatively, you can also grab the book on Kindleand Audible. (Peter Kenny is narrating the audio). The book has been proof read and edited to have certain events slightly altered based on your feedback, but it''s nothing that will affect the story long term so you can also simply continue reading from where you are. Any readers who''re up to date will not be affected by this. I''d also like to thank all of you for reading this story, and for the support you''ve given. Thank you for reading the story, and I hope you will continue to enjoy the journey ahead. Book 2: Chapter 42 — Training Montage Book 2: Chapter 42 ¡ª Training Montage Fire burned through Noah¡¯s body, turning his skin a darker shade. He hadn¡¯t entirely been sure that it was possible to be burnt so badly, but the dragon was more than happy to teach him about it. The ground around him had dried up from the heat, a portion of the swamp now cracked and devoid of any water as the dragon continued to pour out mes. He felt lifeblood working on overdrive, and even then it was not enough. Hordes of corpses were set near Noah which he kept draining blood from at a rapid rate, while Bun Bun went out to terrorize even more of the forest¡¯s denizens, murder them and bring their corpses back for Noah to drain dry. [Fire Resistance] has reached level 10! [Fire Resistance] has ranked up to Intermediate! Noah felt the resistance kick in, as immediately the damage began to lessen significantly, no longer requiring an additional source of healing for Noah to keep up. He felt a heat now contained inside his body, pulling in energy from the mes he was covered in. [Fire Resistance (Intermediate) - level 10] You¡¯ve survived the fire breath of a dragon and trained under it. Your body can now withstand all kinds of mes. Noah read the description, feeling a smile forming on his lips. ¡°Hmm, that took around eighteen hours. Your slow regeneration is holding us back,¡± the dragon grumbled, letting lightning escape its scaly mouth. ¡°Hey, I even dumped all my free points into Constitution. I leveled up twice. Just sitting here.¡± ¡°Bah. Your level is too low. Your healing ability needs to reach Advanced. Tell your rabbit to bring you live specimens so we can speed up the process. It¡¯s a distasteful way to grow, often resulting in ack of any actual skill, but given the circumstances, it¡¯s what we need.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure Bun Bun is capable of not killing prey¡­¡± Noah said, trailing off. ¡°This is where the discipline we mentionedes into y. Command the rabbit. You fed it the blood of a life wyrm, so you need to be prepared to train it like one too.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ life wyrm? What do you mean?¡± Noah asked, looking at the dragon in confusion. ¡°Your familiar. It has grown to gain Draconian nature via a life wyrm. There are very few other creatures that could produce a result like this. Though how it managed to even get close to one is a mystery. Perhaps it found a newly born child.¡± Memory of the life wyrm came to Noah, and the egg it protected. He turned to look at Bun Bun, off in the forest, hunting gleefully, and a strange feeling filled his chest. ¡°I knew that wyrm I think. There¡¯s no way there were multiple of them around. Now I feel awful.¡± ¡°Why? The life wyrm will simply regenerate.¡± ¡°So it didn¡¯t die? That¡¯s hard to imagine with Bun Bun. He¡¯s a vicious little guy.¡± The dragon snorted. ¡°Life wyrms do not die, Noah. They simply undergo rebirths. Your little rabbit did nothing that other creatures do not. A young life wyrm is the most vulnerable creature there is, with no mother to protect, and a massive feast to gain for any beast that can resist its aura. A third of the draconians running around were formed by eating a life wyrm, it too is a part of the wyrm¡¯s natural cycle.¡± ¡°I¡¯m confused. So it can¡¯t die even if it gets eaten?¡± ¡°No. The wyrm you saw was being reborn. Whatever remains of it¡¯s life-force will simply gather anew and form a new egg for the wyrm to hatch again. They are even known to give their scales to creatures who they think will protect their reborn younger selves. In return, the creature that harbors the life wyrm obtains a draconianpanion for life.¡± Noah remembered the scale that the wyrm had given to the kid he¡¯d met, Irios. Did that mean that the family had suddenly gotten a life wyrm egg on their hands now? He¡¯d definitely need to ask about it when he got the chance. Bun Bun jumped out of the forest, bringing along a wild boar nearly four times his size. Noah was surprised to see that the creature was still alive, like he¡¯d asked. Swiftly, he formed ws in his hands, killing the creature as mercifully as he could, before offering his hand to Bun Bun for lifeblood for obeying hismand. The bunny gleefully jumped up, sucking on his finger till it had had its fill, before running off to the forest to find more prey. ¡°Let us continue Noah, we have much training to be done.¡± Noah nodded, taking a deep breath, as a brand new form of magic mmed against him, tearing down his body once more. *** A week had passed before Noah had hit his first brick wall. Water swirled around Noah, drowning him under it, all while simultaneously attacking him with high pressured beams. His level ticked over slowly, terribly so, as the water surrounded him, robbing him of oxygen and threatening to knock him unconscious. This was thest requirement he needed to fulfill before he could consolidate his resistances, yet the water turned out to be an elusive opponent. Noah felt a pressurized beam attack his body, cutting through his skin and bones, enough to cause his organs to spill out into the suspended ball of water he was floating in. Blood Drain pulled massive pools of life-force from the corpses piled nearby. With a sign from his hand, he signaled the stop sign as the water copsed and Noah took a deep breath in. ¡°You are not resisting the water, you are resisting being drowned, Noah,¡± the dragon said. Noah waved away the exnation that he¡¯d heard over and over now. ¡°I know. I know but¡­ it¡¯s hard. Every instinct I have resists this.¡± ¡°Given your proficiency we had forgotten that you are, at the end, a mere human. The fact that you have had less qualms about being buried in piles of earth, being burnt alive, electrocuted till you could not move is perhaps the more worrying sign, this is likely the more natural reaction for a human.¡± Noah gave a wry smile at the dragon¡¯s words, knowing them to be true. He¡¯d always had a fear of water, ever since he¡¯d almost drowned as a kid in a swimming pool. It had been a nothing moment, just a slip as his foot had caught at something. Someone had dragged him out in just a minute, but the memory had lingered with him for years. He¡¯d eventually forced himself to confront the fear and learn how to swim,ing to enjoy the process, and for the longest time he¡¯d thought that he had ovee it, but here, he realised that had been a false assumption. He looked at the corpse having turned to a husk. With blood drain increasing to advanced, his health increase had gone up a significant amount and Noah pulled up his ability description to look at the ability. Noah sat on the muddy ground, watching Bun Bun yed with the corpse of a deidacroc. The bunny had managed to kill a juvenile and was now tugging at its tail in a weird form of y. He used Inspect on Bun Bun. [Draconian Jackalope (Familiar) - lvl 97] ¡°Will Bun Bun also have some kind of evolution at level 100?¡± Noah asked the dragon. ¡°Likely. Most creatures do. Though it is harder to tell with Draconians. They do not follow standards as closely. Dragons do not have evolutions, for example. No such thing is needed for what is already at the peak. But they do have branches they pick. Level 100 is where we picked ours.¡± ¡°Lightning?¡± Noah asked. ¡°No, we picked spell casting. We were born a lightning dragon.¡± ¡°Oh. Wait. You¡¯re a mage?¡± Noah asked, baffled by the idea. The dragon sighed. ¡°How do you think we¡¯ve been using all these different kinds of magic so far?¡± ¡°I just thought all dragons could do that.¡± ¡°Your thoughts fascinate us. No, they cannot. Almost all dragons are limited entirely to their own element, but we are not. Lightning is not something we had to learn, ites naturally to us, like acid does to an Acid dragon, or fire does to the fire ones. But we learned the other magics, mastered them, and in doing so, honed our lightning to a new level as well.¡± ¡°I see. That¡¯s fascinating. You know, I have this guild manager woman who has been helping me, well, she mostly scolds me but it¡¯s well intentioned. Anyway, she told me my party just needed a spell caster now. So once we¡¯re done here, do you want to join us on our journey?¡± Noah asked, looking up at the dragon¡¯s eyes. ¡°That is¡­ you do realize we¡¯re a dragon right?¡± ¡°Right. The guild head is a Drailith, which feels like the humanoid dragon type, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t discriminate against you,¡± Noah said, shrugging. The dragon looked down at him, and then let out a rumblingugh. ¡°Sometimes we struggle to believe that you are serious about the things you say. But we know that you are, which makes it highly humorous.¡± ¡°I was always the funny guy in my friend group,¡± Noah said, grinning back at the dragon. ¡°Well, perhaps it will not be a terrible idea to travel alongside you. There are very few people who hold the capacity to break these chains, but with enough training, we can see you one day getting there,¡± the dragon said, before ncing at the castle behind him. ¡°It has been¡­ nearly a century since we left his ce. Even for us, that is a significant amount of time. Perhaps¡­ perhaps it is time to let go.¡± ¡°I think your friend would¡¯ve wanted that too,¡± Noah replied. ¡°You assume to know more than you do. Ryugan had a purpose, he wished to figure out the greatest mystery of our world, of the Astral Scripts. He¡¯d been close too, the Shard had shown him a glimpse at a hidden truth, but his enemies got to him before he could learn what they were. If he were alive, he would wish for us toplete his legacy.¡± ¡°Do you know?¡± Noah asked. ¡°We have some idea. But if we knew, we would not be here.¡± ¡°Perhaps going out will help you learn. I know for a fact that there are more Shards out there,¡± Noah said, hesitating for a moment, before he pointed at his chest. ¡°I have one right here.¡± The dragon paused, leaning in as he squinted at Noah before its eyes widened in surprise. ¡°You speak the truth. It is hidden behind a spell even we cannot peer through, but once you know it is there, it¡¯s not hard to see.¡± ¡°A spell?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Indeed. A great working of magic, no, a god. There is something powerful protecting your soul Noah. Had you gained the favour of some god?¡± ¡°Well, I definitely gained something from some gods,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Hmm. No, this is no mere blessing. This god, whoever they were, have imbued a portion of their very spirit to protect you. Just what would warrant a measure like this? Even other gods would fail to pry the Shard out of your soul unless you willingly hand it to them.¡± Noah thought back to his first interaction with the Void. Was that why he¡¯d gotten his pact, or even a conversation at all? In hindsight, the void god himself being unable to just take the Shard had always been strange. ¡°I don¡¯t remember how I died. But¡­ I remember a figure. Someone I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°It is likely the god who put this spell upon you. Though the only question we wonder is¡­ why?¡± Noah shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m trying to find out.¡± ¡°Let us return to your training then.¡± Noah gave a nod as the dragon began anew, water rising all around Noah and engulfing him in a suspended ball. Noah closed his eyes on instincts, before forcing himself to open them. Waves of pressurized water attacks began to strike, as Noah activated meditation to focus on resisting them. The water flowed around him, as Noah held his breath tight, trying to feel the water all around him, to let it soak into him and the magic of his soul. ¡°You are still avoiding the water, Noah. Let it fill you, allow it to reach your deepest parts,¡± the dragon said, its voice perfectly clear even through the water. Noah opened his mouth as water rushed in and his instincts revolted immediately. He mped his jaw shut tight, his brain screaming at him that he would drown. But¡­ I won¡¯t. Drowning can¡¯t kill me anymore. Noah tried to internalize that. To really think about it. What would happened if he opened his mouth? Well, the water would flow in, his lungs would fill up, and he will not be able to breathe. What then? I can hold my breath for minutes now. It¡¯ll take minutes to even notice a drop in my health. Noah continued, repeatedly imagining it, over and over and over. Life and blood kept flowing in from the corpses, healing any injuries he took. That¡¯s right. I just cannot drown now. It felt weird, like it shouldn¡¯t be possible, but he knew it to be true. He¡¯d grown in ways that were hard for the base human instincts inside his mind toprehend, but he was beyond the simple limitations that had once gued him. So what was he even afraid of? A memory returned to Noah, the memory from his childhood. Of the helplessness as he was pulled in by the water, the way it had entered his body, robbing him of air and life. He¡¯d been terrified back then. He couldn¡¯t even breathe, much less scream. But not anymore. I¡¯m no longer helpless. With a slow release of tension, Noah allowed his body to rx, before he inhaled. Water rushed in, flowing into filling his lungs. His mind screamed in panic at the sensation but Noah pushed through. He was stronger now. Even if his body was drowned in water, and no air was in his body, it could not harm him anymore. He was not helpless. He would not ever be helpless again. [Water Resistance] has reached level 10! [Water Resistance] has ranked up to Intermediate! Skill fusion unlocked. [Fire Resistance], [Lightning Resistance], [Ice Resistance], [Void Resistance], [Astral Resistance], [Acid Resistance], [Wind Resistance], [Earth Resistance], [Wood Resistance] and [Metal Resistance] can bebined into [Greater Elemental Resistance] Would you like tobine these skills? Yes/No? Yes. You¡¯ve unlocked [Greater Elemental Resistance]! [Greater Elemental Resistance (Intermediate) - lvl 10] You¡¯ve faced a varied amount of magical damage from all kinds of magic, often willingly, and as a result have gained a resistance to nearly all forms of magical attacks. Noah smiled, opening his eyes as the water copsed around him. He felt the water inside his body slowly break down into mana, being absorbed by his lungs and stomach. ¡°Congrattions, Noah. We¡¯ve not said anything to needlessly excite you, but we¡¯d been hoping you¡¯d unlock [Greater Elemental Resistance].¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Did you know that I would?¡± ¡°We¡¯d suspected you would. General resistance can be unlocked from four or five mostmon magic types, but greater requires more width. With the ones we trained, youbined ten, which is typically enough for the greater variant,¡± the dragon replied, smiling. Noah stretched his body, feeling pleased as he rose to his feet. ¡°Well, that sure was a lot of work. I think I want to take a day off to rx now.¡± The dragon hummed in thought, which was more of a loud low rumble than a humm. ¡°Given the current speed- well, it shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem. What do you intend to do?¡± Noah looked back towards the forest where Bun Bun was hunting. ¡°Just gonna go test out my abilities a little, can¡¯t let Bun Bun have all the fun.¡± Book 2: Chapter 43 — Saving Noah Brown Book 2: Chapter 43 ¡ª Saving Noah Brown The projection walked through the forest, sensing the lingering shadows in his wake. The cloak he had retrieved from Noah''s Dimensional Pocket before their separation now clung to his back as he roamed aimlessly through the forest. Nearly a week had passed, during which he had done little more than battle other creatures, consuming them to increase his mana. Despite his newfound independence, he remained something other than human and subsisted on mana. With his connection to Noah severed, most of his abilities had vanished, forcing him to engage inbat just to stay alive. However, as he aimlessly wandered, a persistent question nagged at his mind. Why had he run away? What was his purpose? Was he afraid of death? Or had he grown too distant from the original and his own identity? No, that wasn''t the truth. He was a part of Noah, and if the need ever arose, he would not hesitate to sacrifice himself to save him. Then what was driving him, and towards what? The projection continued to move skillfully through the shadows, having be highly proficient in using the shadow cloak, a necessity for hiding from creatures too powerful for him to defeat. He was steadily growing stronger, but the absence of the abilities he had grown ustomed to was a harsh reality. He retained fragments of some abilities, like Quadrivium Ink, alongside a few other remnants, but most abilities now felt distant, beyond his reach. It was akin to attempting to flex muscles in a limb that no longer existed¡ªa highly unpleasant sensation that gnawed at the projection''s mind. He had considered ending his existence and reuniting with the original multiple times, but something had consistently pushed him forward. As the projection sliced through a thicket in front of him with his mana de, he glimpsed the ruins of a nearby vige. Something drew him toward the vige, an almost premonitory feeling, as he ventured into the dpidated ce. Small void-lings scattered as he walked along the pathways leading to the center, where an inexplicable force called to him. Raising his arms, he summoned mana des through his Quadrivium Ink. Although he had reached level 27, he was still far from regaining his former strength. He needed to proceed with caution. As the projection ventured deeper into the ruined vige, he discovered the remnants of a building, and a strange sensation coursed through him. With a swift kick, he sent the barely hanging shattered door crashing down. Inside, he observed a pulsating mass of flesh throbbing on the ground, with tendrils sinking into the earth. It resembled a grotesque tumor, surpassing human size, fused with the very ground and siphoning away life force. Pressing a palm against the fleshy, pulsating mound, the projection sensed a massive pool of life force intricately tied to the ball of flesh, with more being poured into him every passing moment. Was this the result of the cultists'' spellcraft? As the projection focused more on the connections within the pulsating heart, he also sensed something else linked to him¡ªan indescribable sensation that resonated deep within his soul. The projection felt the aspect of [Devourer] stirring within him. He could sense another fragment of the Shard connected to this, interwoven with the spell itself. Shock widened the projection''s eyes as he sensed it again. The Shard was undeniably tied to the spell. But if that were the case, then why... A shiver coursed through him as the projection leaped to the side, des ring out in readiness. His gaze locked onto a towering wolf bearing down upon him, its fangs bared. The wolf''s body bore scars, with dried blood covering its fur. The wolf roared, pressing against the des, poised to tear the projection apart in an instant. Then, the projection caught sight of the creature''s face and found it strangely familiar. "Shadow?" The wolf paused, a glint of intelligence entering his otherwise crazed eyes as he pulled back from the projection. Confusion flickered in his gaze as he sniffed at the projection before growling once more, baring his teeth in warning. "I''m not Noah, but I''m his projection. I''ve been searching for you," the projection exined, his eyes shifting to the injuries covering the wolf. "Are you okay? You look injured." The wolf continued to growl, though this time not at the projection. Upon a second nce at the projection, the wolfy down, gradually transforming back into Snow. The projection moved closer and, after a moment''s hesitation, wrapped his cloak around Snow. "Are you okay?" the projection asked, crouching in front of the girl. She silently shook her head. "I need to say something," Snow said, her voice choking, as if each word required tremendous effort. She looked up at the projection, took a deep breath, and clenched her teeth. "You need to... get... awa..." The girl clutched her cor, a radiant light ring as she fell to her knees, her words transformed into silent agony and writhing. "Stop, you don''t need to," the projection said, holding the girl in his arms. He poured mana into the cor, pushing against the magic. The projection felt the magic attempting to bend his will under itsmand as well, but he resisted. The blinding light faded after a few moments, as Snow took slow deep breaths to calm herself down. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and scars covered her body. The projection picked her up and cut his arm with his mana-infused blood, letting it well up. He was thankful that Lifeblood had remained, but any lifeforce the projection lost could not be naturally recovered. "Drink this," he said, offering his palm. Snow looked confused but did not object as she drank the blood, and her wounds visibly began to heal. A few momentster, after she had calmed down, the projection picked her up. "You were telling me to get away, yes? Don''t reply if your cor doesn''t let you." Snow looked at the projection, blinking her eyes. She didn''t say anything, yet her expressions were indication enough. "I''m assuming you realized something while you were out there. And I think I have an idea," the projection said, ncing back at the pulsating heart. If his assumption was correct, then this entire situation was going to be much more difficult than he had realized. The projection considered going back to the Original and exining but quickly abandoned the idea. It wouldn''t work. Noah would simply continue anyway. He needed to work from the outside to make a difference. Walking toward the mound of flesh, the projection ced his hand into the spell section and began to Consume. Lifeforce and mana rushed into his body in a powerful torrent, causing his reserves to rapidly swell. Within moments, the mound of flesh was reduced to a dry husk. "I''m starting to understand why I needed to act separately. Noah does not know what''s happening, and even if he did, he would still not change his actions. The price is too high to stop," the projection said, ncing at Snow. The girl looked at him, her eyes wide. "But... why?" "That¡¯s just the kind of person he is," the projection said, smiling. "But me? I''m all his selfish desires. The craving for growth, the sense ofmand and power. I don''t have his sense of justice. No, calling it justice would be wrong. I don''t have his guilt, and neither do I think that trying to do good in this world will make up for the mistakes of my past." "I don''t understand," Snow said, looking at the projection. Moving closer, the projection put a hand on Snow''s shoulder. "What I mean to say is, my Original is an idiot and will get himself killed here if we don''t do something to stop him. But to do that, I need your help. We need to find all of these fleshy life blobs and destroy them, and then we need to head to the castle together where you will likely meet with the rest. But I need you to promise that you won''t tell the others about me." "Would that help Noah?" Snow asked. "I really hope it does," the projection replied, offering a hand to the girl. "So, are you willing to help me? You don''t need to do anything against your orders. Vix did tell you to listen to me, yes? So just continue to do that." Snow looked at the projection, then ced her hand into his, giving him a nod. The projection smiled. He had answers now, answers the Original likely knew but would never act on because he was simply too damn righteous for his own good. But he wasn''t, and so he would act. Finally, he understood his purpose. His purpose was to save an idiot named Noah Brown. Chapter Rise of the Devourer Book 1 is out on Kindle and Audible! Chapter Rise of the Devourer Book 1 is out on Kindle and Audible! The book has been published on Kindle and Audible, narrated by the voice of the Witcher, Peter Kenny! If you have kindle unlimited, or want to get the edited version of book 1, consider adding it to your kindle library, or getting the audiobook! Kindle Audible Normally I would do this announcement in the author note with a chapter, but I''m kinda sick, and traveling, a nastybination, so chapters will take a little time. In the meantime, here''s arger pic of the cover art for the book with the glorious Tony! And right, Noah as well. Book 2: Chapter 44 — Hunter and Prey Book 2: Chapter 44 ¡ª Hunter and Prey Bun Bun tore through the corpse of a giant serpent, feasting upon his prey as he drank in its lifeblood. He had been growing stronger, having found many prey to sustain his evesting hunt and hunger. The life-mother had ordered him to bring corpses to fuel the strange exercise, and Bun Bun had been more than happy to oblige. Lightning crackled across Bun Bun¡¯s horns as his sharp teeth and ws bit through the thick leathery body of the creature with ease, tearing it apart. Bun Bun¡¯s body had grown as well, he knew this. He was nearly twice the size that he once had been as a simple rabbit, his white fur now a light shade of pink, and his red horns crackling with lightning. There was an agitation that Bun Bun felt inside of himself, one that he understood to be an itch to grow. This form was starting to feel limiting, his legs, and body too weak for the strength he used. He needed to grow, and he was so close. Thumping his legs onto the ground, he kicked up onto the corpse of the snake, taking a look around the perimeter. Bun Bun¡¯s eyes swirled around the area, trying to see if any other prey remained. With his hunts, Bun Bun had found most monsters quickly flee the area. Those that didn¡¯t, had fallen to him. Now, the forest felt quiet, even the insects did not chirp when he moved through here, and Bun Bun felt a strange sense of emptiness. Surely there had to be more? Was there nothing beside the life-mother that could beat him here? Bun Bun did not believe this. Having once been prey, he had seen predators from afar, creatures so grand, even the life-mother would not be capable of beating them. He¡¯d just met one too, after-all. The memory brought a shudder to Bun Bun. The dragon¡¯s aura had been¡­ unending, vaster than anything Bun Bun had ever experienced. It was a dragon too, just like Bun Bun, but older, stronger, and much more powerful. It had reminded Bun Bun of the time he had been prey. And it had taught him that he still was. That so long as there was a predator above him, he was still the same rabbit that he had always been. The fear had sparked something, a desire to change. What was the point of it all, if he was still a prey? No, he could not allow that. He needed to grow, stronger than everything he knew, strong enough that nothing could threaten it anymore. Yes, yes that is what he desired. And for that, he needed to hunt. Bun Bun swept his eyes around, peering through the forest. Acidic water ran through the grounds, forming a delta of acid that filled the air with a yellow haze, impairing the rabbit¡¯s vision. Bun Bun could smell the blood in the air, not just from his own prey, but from the many hunts that had taken ce here. This ce was a hunting ground, and Bun Bun intended to use that. Leaving the giant serpent¡¯s corpse half eaten, Bun Bun jumped off the creature, kicking off air as he moved into the bushes nearby. Finding himself a ce high above on one of the branches nearby, he sat down in silence. The wait had begun. Rivers of acid trickled down near the serpent¡¯s corpse. The outer skin was thick and resistant, but any acid that touched the insides burned the flesh with a piercing hiss as it released more smoke into the air, blurring vision. Bun Bun kept his eyes and ears peeled, waiting. He did not have to wait for too long. Something moved nearby, and Bun Bun sank low, ttening himself onto the tree branches as he peered from between the leaves. A creature came closer, ncing around carefully as it began to inspect the corpse. Looking through the haze, Bun Bun saw the creature and found his disappointment rising. A fox nibbled at the corpse of the serpent, eating small bites from the flesh before it would jump back to look around itself. That was not enough, not nearly enough. That creature would not be able to help him. Bun Bun was about to rush to the serpent to chase off the fox, when a shadow stirred from the river. Water sshed, acid raining all over the earth as a giant maw mped around the fox. A giant leathery monster with a spiked back rose from the river, keeping the fox mped down in its maw as its sharp teeth tore through the creature within seconds. Bun Bun turned still, simply watching the creature swallow the fox in a single gulp before its eyes turned towards the serpent. Bun Bun knew this creature. A Deidacroc. He had fought one before with the life-mother, a smaller, younger one, yet the battle had still been difficult. And this one was nearly twice asrge. A strange thrill began to rise in Bun Bun as it watched the deidacroc decimate the serpent¡¯s corpse. That would do. This creature would be enough. Watching in silence, Bun Bun waited till the deidacroc had eaten nearly the entire corpse. After its meal had beenpleted, the giant monster slunk around the river delta, moving across the watery grounds before ity on the banks, basking in the heat of the sun. The creature¡¯s eyes slowly began to dip down, the lethargy of a good meal taking the deidacroc in its throes as it began to sink into sleep. Bun Bun leapt with rapid speed. Shooting like a bolt of red lightning, Bun Bun struck near the monster¡¯s head, his horns charged with mana piercing the deidacroc¡¯s leathery skin. The monster leapt up, thrashing as the sudden attack struck, yet Bun Bun knew it had not been decisive. Jumping back, the rabbit let out a powerful roar, shaking the ground around it, as the Deidacroc turned, and its red eyes, now burning with anger, found Bun Bun. The Deidacroc moved its massive body at rapid speeds, maw open wide as it charged Bun Bun. The rabbit leapt, shooting fire at the creature as he swiftly dodged the attacks. mes ignited the gases rising from the rivers of acid, as green mes filled the air, covering the entire river delta. Fire spread rapidly, soaking the world as Bun Bun danced within the fiery death arena. Mana gathered around the Deidacroc¡¯s body, its giant spines vibrating as lightning formed around them. Bun Bun matched the lightning with his own, red sparks crackling across his horns. Red and blue lightning struck against each other, a rapid st shaking the area. Bun Bun found his magic overwhelmed and dodged the strike, feeling the effects of the foreign lightning. The deidacroc took the change, rushing in with its maw open ready to chomp down onto Bun Bun and end him in a single go. Bun Bun jumped to the skies, raining down mes from above as the heat of the area rose to a rapid high, with the acid rapidly burning away into the air. The deidacroc roared, as lightning bolts flew into the sky, striking at Bun Bun, but the rabbit was much faster. Bun Bun dodged the strikes, moving deftly around, but he knew he needed something better. A battle of attrition was not something he would win, yet the monster¡¯s leathery skin was far too thick to pierce. Jumping around the skies, Bun Bun looked down at the giant monster, before remembering something it had seen. The serpent¡¯s corpse had been protected from the outside, but on the inside, the acid had worked. There was danger, and Bun Bun¡¯s instincts were against doing something that dangerous. To enter a predator¡¯s mouth was death, this much he knew. Bun Bun continued to swirl in the skies, shooting fire and lightning from above, as the deidacroc sat below, maw snapping at air, and spines shooting bolts of lightning. They both knew that Bun Bun would tire out first. There was no choice. Slowly, gradually, Bun Bun began to descend. In a manner that looked as if his mana was running low, body unable to sustain flight. The deidacroc continued to fight, but the monster slowly started to grow morex, its confidence taking over. It thought it had won. Eventually, Bun Bun let himself fall from the skies, pulling his aura back inwards. The deidacroc leapt, catching Bun Bun in its maw as the giant teeth sunk into Bun Bun, as the creature¡¯s mouth began to close in on him, threatening to crush him to death. Bun Bun had no time, bones breaking and body torn from injuries as the monster tried its best to eat him, Bun Bun let mes gather in his mouth. Pulling a powerful breath in, the little rabbit let loose with everything he had. Fire and lightning erupted on the insided of the deidacroc as the beast thrashed in agony. Bun Bun dug into the beast¡¯s inside, teeth and w tearing flesh apart as fire and lightning continued to bear down. Bun Bun¡¯s horns struck the upper jaw of the deidacroc, piercing bone and skin through as it broke out from the inside. Teeth sank into the deidacroc¡¯s mouth, tongue being ripped apart as fire burned the insides of the creature and lightning kept it paralyzed. The deidacroc thrashed and roared, twisting and turning. Acid flowed into the creature¡¯s mouth as it sunk underwater in a desperate attempt to survive, and Bun Bun found his body burning from the acid. But he was not going to stop now. mes erupted once more, burning the acidic water on the inside out. Bun Bun¡¯s horns tore gouges through the beast¡¯s mouth once again as the deidacroc twisted and turned, blood flowing from its inside freely, and sizzling into the aciding water till nothing remained. An eternally long minute passed as the creature thrashed in water, and Bun Bun found himself near the end of its energy. With a final st of fire, the rabbit escaped the deidacroc¡¯s mouth escaping ontond. Shaking off the blood and acid, Bun Bun sat down on the ground, taking a few moments to recover. Injuries covered his body, blood soaking his fur, but he was alive. Bun Bun¡¯s eyes moved sideways as he saw the giant deidacroc crashed onto the shores of the acid river, its red eyes now zed. Moving over to the giant creature, Bun Bun looked in both awe and surprise at the monster still clinging onto life. With thest of its strength, the deidacroc snapped at Bun Bun. A strange respect filled Bun Bun¡¯s mind, as he saw the giant monster refuse to die despite its injuries. This was a true predator. And he had taken it down. With a final pull of Mana, Bun Bun crackled with lightning and struck the giant deidacroc. The creature was sted back, its body falling into the river, as Bun Bun saw the words of the world fill his mind. You¡¯ve killed an [Adult Deidacroc - lvl 183 (Epic)]! Draconian Jackalope has reached level 100! Evolution point reached. You can evolve now. Evolution selection given to owner of the Familiar bond. Bun Bun looked at the words, thumping his legs in victory. A momentter, he sensed the life-mother¡¯s presence, as the world fluctuated around Bun Bun. Silently, Bun Bun looked up at the life mother, pride filling him as he jumped into the inviting arms. *** Noah picked up Bun Bun, finding a strange notification appear in front of him. Your familiar is ready to evolve. Would you like to evolve Bun Bun? Yes/No? Looking at the notification, Noah nced around. Little swathes of fire burned around the river, alongside other marks of destruction covering the area. He could guess what might have happened here. ¡°Just what will I do with you, you hungry murder monster,¡± Noah said, petting Bun Bun on his fluffy head, as he gave him some of his lifeblood to drink. A smile covered his face nheless. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll see what kind of murder monster you evolve into huh?¡± Turning around, he began to walk back to the Dragon. He¡¯d like its advice, with what Bun Bun¡¯s evolution may have to offer. The rabbit slept quietly in his arms as they made their way back. Book 2: Chapter 45 — Bunny Evolutions Book 2: Chapter 45 ¡ª Bunny Evolutions Noah sat on his trusty log which had somehow survived everything that it had. Likely a disy of the dragon¡¯s control and ability. Bun Bun rested in his arms, sleeping peacefully, as the dragon inspected the little creature. ¡°Young, arrogant, but it does care for you. It would be wise for you to keep it under your control. Familiars that be stronger than their masters may begin to get ideas.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯ll be stronger than me?¡± Noah asked, petting Bun Bun¡¯s head. ¡°Not if you continue with our training, no. But it will certainly gain strength with this evolution, and the draconian blood in it will tempt it to try and defy you, like all children do. To test limits. It is on you to set boundaries. I advise fighting with it once it has evolved, showing it that even now, you are still its master,¡± the Dragon said, raising its head. Noah looked down at Bun Bun, thinking over it. ¡°You think I should wait before I evolve Bun Bun then?¡± ¡°No, given its state, we imagine it will take it a few days topletely transform. Better to do it now thanter.¡± ¡°Alright, anything I should know before I begin?¡± Noah asked. ¡°There are many paths to strength, but not all are worth walking. And some are hidden under guises that may look weak at first. Do not be tempted by power whose price you do not wish to pay.¡± Noah nodded, before pulling up the prompt for Bun Bun¡¯s evolution. The message appeared a momentter with a chime. Would you like to evolve Bun Bun? Yes/No? Noah selected yes. Mana began to gather around Bun Bun, swirling and soaking into his body as Noah found an entirely new menu appear in front of him. [Draconian Jackalope] has reached level 100! Evolutions unlocked! [Blood Hare (Rare)] The path of blood follows your familiar. Its journey began when you first fed it your blood, and now blood will fuel its way. The Blood Hare is a master of blood, capable of sensing life, and draining blood from its victims, using it to strengthen itself on its hunts. A vicious predator that lurks and hunts without mercy. Perks: [Blood Sense], [Blood Fury] Noah read through the description, finding that it provided a mental image of what it would look like as well. He could see Bun Bun, with red fur, horns gone, and with an unending hunger for blood. In many ways, it was simr to his Exsanguinator Path, just more blood thirsty. ¡°A blood based path. One that fits the nature, but not the strength of your familiar.¡± ¡°You can see this?¡± Noah asked, surprised. He hadn¡¯t shared the description with the dragon. ¡°We can¡¯t see what you see, but we can tell what shape has been given. The rest is easy to guess.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that could be done.¡± ¡°Not without a few hundred years of experience and practice. So no, not for most.¡± Noah chuckled, moving on to the next option. [Pyrolopine (Rare)] A path of mes, and endless burning ambition. Your familiar walks the path of embers and fire, now it shall be forged anew in mes. A rare evolution that can bend fire to its whims. Perks: [me Body], [Emberstorm] Noah saw the image, with Bun Bun¡¯s antlers having transformed into elegant, me-like shapes, and its eyes flickering with the intensity of a burning fire. It embodied fire and heat in its each step, burning everything around it. ¡°We already have enough pyromaniacs in our group,¡± Noah said, chuckling. ¡°It is one of the most primal sources of energy after all. And one of the easiest to learn forms of destructive magic.¡± Noah moved on to the next option. [Infernal Jackalope (Epic)] Your familiar walks the path of fire and blood, of infernal fury and death. What better path for it than that of the Infernal? The Infernal Jackalope is a master of fiery agility. It can move swiftly and gracefully through mes without harm, covering itself in fire and the blood of its prey, it can strike terror into creatures far greater than it. Perks: [Infernal Frenzy], [Infero Burst], [Infernal Aura] Noah read through the description, as the picture of Bun Bun covered in ck fur, with fire burning all around him, and blood red eyes came to him. The visage of a demonic creature of doom and death. ¡°Man, all of these are pretty scary looking,¡± Noah said, looking down at the rabbit in his arms. ¡°A creature created by killing a newborn draconian, that much is to be expected. The infernal realm is not one that has many pleasant Paths to offer. But they do provide strength.¡± Noah nodded, looking at the option, before he moved further down. [Stormhorn Rabbit (Epic)] Your familiar has shown its mastery over lightning, bing a formidable force of nature. The Stormhorn Rabbitmands the skies, summoning thunderstorms with ease and delivering electrifying attacks. It can channel the power of lightning to protect its allies and strike fear into its foes. Perks: [Tempest Strike], [Stormhorn Thunder], [Aerial Dominance] Noah saw a regal rabbit with two antlers jumping across the skies, with storms and lightning following in its wake. The image felt powerful, and regal. ¡°Ah, a path of the storms. Our domain, or close to it. We suspect your encounter with us allowed this Path to manifest. It is certainly the best one of those we¡¯ve seen so far.¡± ¡°Yeah, it seems a lot less sinister,¡± Noah said, looking down at Bun Bun, before he moved to the next option. [Skybound Harew (Epic)] Your familiar''s aerial prowess has gained it an affinity for the skies. The Skybound Harew soars through the heavens as a celestial avian, manipting the winds and stars to its advantage. It has be a guardian of the skies, capable of moving across the Astral realms. Perks: [Astral Navigator], [Wings of Cosmos], [Skybound Guardian] Noah saw a hare moving across the skies, but this time, with far more agility and grace than the previous option. What this versioncked in raw might, it made up for in agility and grace. He could picture Bun Bun, soaring across the skies without a care in the world, moving free from the chains of gravity, andmanding the winds and the skies. ¡°And this one was influenced by your Astral Path. An interesting evolution, though one not often seen on Erandir.¡± ¡°Seems very mobility oriented, which suits Bun Bun. He¡¯s always been extremely fast. But I wonder how much an Astral direction would fit him.¡± ¡°Whatever you choose will shape your familiar¡¯s path. In some ways, you are choosing what it will grow to be. So think about what you wish for your familiar to be, and then decide.¡± Noah nodded, looking at the Skybound Harew, before he moved on from the selection. [Dragonspawn Leoprid (Legendary)] Your familiar walks the Path of the dragons. A race lost to time, the Dragonspawn Leopridmands the tempestuous fires with a breath of searing mes, rivaling the ferocity of lesser dragons. The very essence of lightning courses through its being, granting it the power to shape the elements as it sees fit, whether to safeguard itsrades or obliterate its adversaries. Revered as a guardian of timeless knowledge and a symbol of indomitable strength, this legendary entity roams thends, finding trinkets of knowledge to hoard and gather for itsir, much like a dragon. Perks: [Draconian Heritage], [Eternal Guardian], [Celestial Aegis], [Temporal Warp], [Elemental Body] Noah read the description, looking at the perks in surprise. ¡°What a fascinating Path,¡± the dragon said, leaning in. ¡°Dragonspawn like this had died centuries ago. Before, when the kingdom of dragons had fallen, they filled the forests andnds, each and every one hoping one day to reach the heights of a true dragon. We never thought we¡¯d get to see that Path return once again.¡± ¡°Some of these abilities look a bit ridiculous. What does Draconian Heritage mean? Or Eternal Guardian, or Temporal Warp?¡± ¡°Draconian Heritage will mean that this Path, unlike your familiar¡¯s current one, is a path of a true dragon. Till now, your familiar had only been a Draconian in name, but with this path it would have the true blood of dragons. Eternal Guardian merely allows it to be well loved by people. Anyone who sees your familiar will know it to be a protector, and will treat it with respect. It also allows it to find knowledge hidden in ces otherwise unknown. Temporal Warp is a minor temporal effect. Equivalent to a Hasten spell. Time will flow faster for your familiar for a short while.¡± Noah whistled as he heard the abilities. ¡°That all sounds broken. What¡¯s the catch?¡± ¡°There is no simple catch. It is a choice, like any other. The nature of the strength herees from a lost time, so it will be more difficult for future evolutions to guide themselves.¡± ¡°Gotcha, okay. So no major drawbacks,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m finding it hard to think what couldpete with this, but there¡¯s onest one left.¡± Noah scrolled down, opening thest description. [Apocalypse Bunny (Legendary)] Your familiar walks the Path of Doom. The Apocalypse Bunny represents theing of the end. Any creature that gazes upon your familiar will suffer from madness. Your familiar can call upon the strength of the three Primordial gods, using Undeath, Rot and Void to bring terror upon the world. Its mere presence is the symbol of the end, marked as a sign for theing Apocalypse, and its magic can bring about utter dissolution. In its presence, one witnesses chaos and annihtion. Perks: [Oblivion Embrace], [Doom Bringing], [Apocalypse Herald], [Primordial Vessel], [Destroyer] Noah saw Bun Bun, now transformed, with ethereal silver fur that gleamed with celestial stars, obsidian antlers filled with Void, and crimson rot running through its blood and eyes. With each step, destruction followed in his wake. For a moment, Noah found himself captivated by the strength on disy. ¡°And this¡­ a result of your ties to the Primordial Gods. We hope it is obvious, but do not pick this Path Noah. Though it offers endless strength unmatched by any other, it is a path of ruin.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°Yeah, I think it¡¯s fairlymon sense to avoid a Path with Apocalypse inside of it.¡± Scrolling back up, Noah went through the options again, before settling on his pick. ¡°I feel like this is a rather obvious pick here,¡± Noah said. ¡°The correct path is often very obvious. But mortals tend to over think things too much.¡± ¡°I guess so,¡± Noah said, looking at the selections. He opened the option again, looking at the form of a draconian creature, with two horns and wings. Somehow both intimidating yet adorable at the same time. ¡°Welp, here goes,¡± Noah said, selecting the Path. You¡¯ve selected Dragonspawn Leoprid! Your familiar is evolving! Racial Perk: [Draconian Heritage] obtained! Racial Perk: [Eternal Guardian] obtained! Racial Perk: [Celestial Aegis] obtained! Racial Perk: [Temporal Warp] obtained! Racial Perk: [Elemental Body] obtained! Noah saw Bun Bun¡¯s body glowing, as magic began to pour into the little creature. Slowly but surely, the rabbit began to grow, changes forming visibly in front of him. ¡°Keep him somewhere safe. It will take a few hours for the changes to ur, and then a few days for him to wake up.¡± Noah nodded, putting Bun Bun into his Dimensional Pocket. The dragon rose from where ity, looking back down at Noah. ¡°With that done, let us resume our training. You wouldn¡¯t want to lose to your familiar when it wakes up after all.¡± Book 2: Chapter 46 — Terror Resistance Book 2: Chapter 46 ¡ª Terror Resistance The petrification slowly wore off of Noah¡¯s body as the final level required pinged in his head. [Paralysis Resistance] has reached level 10! [Paralysis Resistance] has ranked up to Intermediate! Skill fusion unlocked. [Poison Resistance], [Toxic Resistance], [Necrosis Resistance], [Rot Resistance], and [Paralysis Resistance] can bebined into [General Infliction Resistance] Would you like tobine these skills? Yes/No? Yes. You¡¯ve unlocked [General Infliction Resistance]! [General Infliction Resistance (Intermediate) - lvl 10] You¡¯ve suffered through many kinds of inflictions, a varied amounts of status effects, bordering on extreme masochism, and as a result have gained a resistance to most forms of status effects. Noah smiled, watching thest level kick in, before he flopped down onto the ground, entirely spent and wrung dry. The past week had been the most intense week of his life, even counting the body modification he¡¯d gone through. He still sometimes wondered how he¡¯d managed to survive it. If there was a form of damage type that the dragon could inflict on him, it did, and it did so with glee. ¡°Congrattions. Your training is almost done, and at current speeds, it seems like it will only take you thirteen days instead of the estimated two weeks as well,¡± the dragon replied in its rumbling voice. Noah wished it was being sarcastic or trying to poke fun at him, but the creature was genuine, which only made it worse. ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah replied, pulling himself up before he looked at the dragon. ¡°I can still level this up to its greater variant, right?¡± ¡°If you have enough resistances unlocked, the option should appear on its own.¡± ¡°Cool cool cool, just wanted to be sure,¡± Noah said, pulling himself up, before he took out some of the roasted fish he¡¯d kept for himself and began to eat. ¡°Do you not eat?¡± Noah asked, looking up at the dragon between mouthfuls. ¡°If the mood strikes, but it is not a requirement. More of a leisure activity,¡± the dragon said, looking down at Noah. ¡°The same should apply to you for the most part as well, but you seem intent on eating regardless.¡± ¡°Well, it feels good to have a full stomach? Even if I don¡¯t necessarily get hungry anymore,¡± Noah said, finishing off the fish, including the bones. The things he could digest easily had gone up in list very quickly. And he liked the crunchiness of the bones. Noah took the time to go through his Dimensional Pocket, forming a gateway inside to check in on Bun Bun. His rabbit had almostpletely transformed, now looking much more draconic, though still retaining some of his rabbit like features. Noah watched Bun Bun sleeping peacefully. ¡°Is it normal that he¡¯s sleeping for this long?¡± Noah asked, looking up at the Dragon. ¡°With the degree of changes urring? A week would not be too long either. Your familiar will need time to gather its strength, and in that time, you should strive to do the same.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get this done then. What¡¯s next?¡± ¡°You have already obtained Elemental and Infliction resistance. So now what remains is [General Spirit Resistance]. We know that you already have Soul resistance, and we have leveled your Mind resistance to be sufficient. But do you have any Terror resistance or Mana control?¡± ¡°I have Terror resistance level 5 and Mana expulsion at level one, not sure if that¡¯s what you mean by Mana control?¡± ¡°Hmm. So not as much work as we had initially thought. Very well, let us begin with terror then, it should be a simple task,¡± the dragon said. ¡°Alright,¡± Noah said, bracing himself. ¡°You misunderstand, Noah. Unlike everything you dealt with previously, Terror resistance is entirely in your mind. If you cannot handle it, let us know. Do not push yourself against more than you can handle. Keep your limits in mind,¡± the dragon said, seeming almost hesitant. ¡°And no matter what you feel, Noah, remember. I am not your enemy. I am not trying to kill you.¡± Noah paused, looking at the dragon. This was the first time it had told him not to push hard or do his best. He gave a nod, sitting down and taking a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯ve met an Ascendant before. I have an idea what it¡¯s like. I faced it against you recently as well. I can take it.¡± The dragon nodded, and without a word, Noah felt its aura descend upon him. His mind began to scream. You feel a dragon¡¯s wrath. Your soul trembles in fear. [Terror - IV] inflicted. Noah felt his body stiffen, his heart pounding in his chest as movement became a struggle. The world around him transformed, as he looked into the dragons¡¯ eyes, and saw the true nature hidden inside of it. Death. It was looking at him. It would not take any effort, a simply swipe, a push of its will, and he will be reduced to nothingness. ¡°Breathe Noah. Breathe. And resist the fear. Do not run from it, face it down.¡± Noah almost didn¡¯t hear the dragon¡¯s words. Everything seemed like a lie. It was a predator, ying with him, toying, before it descended upon him and finished the job. Why had he agreed to this? He was helpless here. Even in this new world, he was reminded of his reality at every step. He was powerless. Breathe. Noah reminded himself, and realized that his breath had been stuck in his chest. Slowly, with a lot of effort, Noah took a breath in. His body wanted to hyperventte, to push him to the brink of panic. Uncontrolled shivers ran down his body, his heart beating erratically. No matter what he tried, Noah found his body convinced that he was going to die. Noah tried to reach for meditation, to activate the ability and anchor himself, but found the effort futile. He couldn¡¯t focus, couldn¡¯t think, couldn¡¯t do anything beyond shiver there in fear at the certain death that was about to descend on him. He¡¯d asked what the dragon had done to Bun Bun to make it shiver like that. Now he understood. This was no mere fear of Death, but a deep rooted terror of absolute helplessness. Of soul crushing despair at the realization at how little you mattered in front of true power. The dragon stopped, its aura receding and Noah panted, tears dripping down from his eyes. ¡°You are not ready,¡± the dragon said. Noah grit his teeth, before looking up. ¡°No, no I can do this. I just need to push harder.¡± ¡°No, Noah. Terror resistance isn¡¯t about resisting terror. It is perhaps the most unintuitive form of resistance, but to truly be resistant to terror, you must be unaffected by it to resist it.¡± Noah looked up at the dragon, his face flushed as he wiped at the tears in his eyes. ¡°But¡­ how? Even when I knew that you aren¡¯t going to hurt me¡­ my body just¡­ refuses to believe. I was looking down into despair and hopelessness. It¡¯s like my mind is outside my control.¡± ¡°And that is what terror does. It takes control from you, makes you an observer. But you must wrestle that control back.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that,¡± Noah said, sitting back down on the log. The dragon hummed, before ncing at him. ¡°There is this trick that Ryugan taught us. Of what mortals do when they are faced against hopelessness and despair.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°They pretend.¡± ¡°Pretend?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Yes, Noah. They pretend. They fake their courage, fake their bravery, hide the shivers and the beating of their hearts, and pretend that they are no longer mortals. That for just a moment, they are no longer hopeless.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°I called it foolish to Ryugan at the time. But he merelyughed at me. It took us some time to understand why. You see Noah, be it mortals, or dragons, or even gods. We are all imperfect creatures. And we all strive towards some goal or other in our lives. They call us immortals, but our lives are still finite. Nothing is eternal, not us, not this world, and nor the gods. And so, to live through this life, knowing of our transient nature, we often need to pretend that we are greater than what we truly are. And in doing so, slowly, eventually, we begin to embody the lies that we tell ourselves.¡± Noah looked at the dragon, seeing a hidden story reflecting in its eyes. Just what had it seen? With every word the dragon spoke, Noah could see the effect hispanion had left on him, changed and morphed him into something better. And for a moment, Noah gained a desire to be the same. To be that false, perfect version of himself that he knew was simply a lie. But¡­ if a lie is what is needed, then he would lie. To himself, to this world, and to the gods if need be. ¡°There¡¯s a saying from my home. Fake it till you make it. I never believed in it before, because I alway felt like I was faking everything but never going anywhere,¡± Noah said, looking at the dragon¡¯s eyes. ¡°But perhaps it was because I never truly believed the lies I told myself.¡± The dragon looked down at him, and nodded. ¡°You merely need to lie to the world, and convince it that you are fearless. And it will make you so.¡± Noah nodded, taking a deep breath in. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m ready.¡± Wordlessly, the aura came, and Noah felt his body mp up again. Shivers filled his mind, his instincts all screaming at him to run, to move, to do something. This time, Noah did not try to calm himself down. He simply let the fear go through him, observing it happen, seeing his body respond to it. Slowly, inch by inch, he raised his eyes, meeting the dragon¡¯s. With effort he unclenched his jaws, moving every finger one after the other. The terror still filled his body, the shivers still broke out against his control, yet Noah pushed through, pretending he was not afraid. With great effort, Noah stood up on his feet, almost stumbling back down at the wave of terror that washed over him, but he held strong. Slowly, focusing solely on staying upright, Noah walked. One step. And then another. And then one more. The steps came in a rhythm, as he moved closer, the more his mind screamed. The more his body shivered, forcing Noah to stop, simply to catch his breath. His heart was pounding hard enough that his chest began to ache, but Noah continued. Time passed in a blur, what should¡¯ve been a distance of mere seconds took hours, as Noah moved with great effort. As the sun began to set on the purple skies, he finally put his hand upon the giant Dragon¡¯s body, looking up into its eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid,¡± Noah said, grinning at the dragon. ¡°No, you are not.¡± [Terror Resistance] has reached level 10! [Terror Resistance] has ranked up to Intermediate! As the aura retreated, Noah¡¯s legs gave out. The dragon extended a w, holding him up as Noah panted. ¡°That¡­ was awful.¡± ¡°Indeed. But now you will never have to do it again. Unless you wish to gain the advanced resistance at some point.¡± Noah shuddered at the thought, before he slowly picked himself up. ¡°Yeah¡­ not for at least a year.¡± ¡°Understandable.¡± Noah looked up at the skies, as the moons slowly began to rise over the horizon, and nced back at the dragon. ¡°Alright, what now? Mana control?¡± ¡°Mana control, and mana resistance. We believe it should take one day for both, and then you will have every form of resistance that you could need.¡± Noah wiped the sweat off his brow, taking a deep breath in. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get started.¡± Book 2: Chapter 47 — Final Training Book 2: Chapter 47 ¡ª Final Training The dragon looked down at Noah meditating in silence. Mana flowed around him with each breath, filling Noah¡¯s body and spirit. ¡°Can you feel the mana?¡± the dragon asked. Noah opened his eyes, letting go of meditation. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I always could, but you keep saying I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Do we need to exin again?¡± Noah thought about it, before giving a nod to the dragon. ¡°The way you feel mana is like your sense of touch. You can feel it around you and inside you, but only vaguely. What you need to do is sharpen your senses, rify it.¡± ¡°Sure, but I¡¯ve been meditating for some time now and nothing has happened.¡± ¡°That is because you still do not understand. You rely on the Astral scripts to do the work for you, instead of using it as a tool, you depend on it, like a crutch.¡± Noah hummed in thought to himself. ¡°This is a precise art, one only true spell casters utilize. The Astral scripts are a great tool, perhaps too great, and you allow it to do the heavy lifting for you. But if you ever wish to truly reach great heights, you must understand how your magic works, to control it.¡± ¡°So like the difference between driving an automatic versus a manual,¡± Noah said to himself. ¡°We do not understand what that means.¡± Noah took a few minutes, exining the concept of cars to the dragon, finding the creature fascinated. ¡°So you utilise a different fuel source. Interesting. These gears are fascinating, we believe the celestians and the Depth-dwellers use something like that in their tools and weapons. Your example makes sense, it is indeed simr. You must shift the gears from automatic to manual, and take control.¡± ¡°Okay. So¡­ again. How do I do that?¡± ¡°Hmm, take any ability you¡¯d like, one with an external manifestation. Say, like a ball of fire.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got one,¡± Noah said, raising his hands asher mes began to coalesce around his arms in a ball. ¡°Wonderful. Now make it a cube.¡± ¡°Umm. Okay¡­¡± Noah said, before looking at the ball of mes. He frowned, trying to alter the shape of the ball of mes. The action felt strenuous, and the ball ofher me crumbled apart at Noah¡¯s prodding. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s annoying,¡± Noah said, summoning another ball of mes. He tried once again, but found the ability not taking any shape other than the one his instincts told him it could. ¡°Noah, do you understand the purpose of Tomes?¡± ¡°To unlock abilities, yeah?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Yes. But how do they do that? How can you summon that ball of mes? How is it, that you can turn your mana, into this specific kind of fire?¡± ¡°Well¡­ because¡­ the Tome taught me how?¡± The dragon shook its head. ¡°No Noah, it did not teach you. It imprinted the spell onto your soul. When you use your magic, it¡¯s akin to pulling a lever. There¡¯s a neatly created spell already there on your soul, and you can feed it mana and it will create exactly what it needs to. That is how an ability tome works.¡± ¡°There¡¯s skill tomes too though, aren¡¯t there?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Slightly different, but roughly the same principle. Skill tomes impart knowledge directly onto your soul as well. It¡¯s often less efficient than learning that skill on your own, since you do not develop the right muscle memory. Though with practice, one can mitigate that disadvantage.¡± ¡°Hmm, okay. So how do I learn how to do the thing that the ability tome taught me on my own?¡± The dragon snorted, lightning crackling a round its body. Noah had learned to read the different kinds of lightning bursts as different degrees of amusement. And this was the equivalent of holding his gut and doubling downughter in human terms for the creature. ¡°It will take you your lifetime to learn how to do that. There is a reason why the Astral script exists. The era of Celestian dominance came entirely from this. They figured out how to impart the knowledge of creation and magic onto the souls of people. The astral scripts is merely the summation of all their umted knowledge over thousands of years. Do not hope to attempt that same on your own.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll believe you there. So¡­ what am I learning to do here?¡± ¡°Hmm. Taking your example of these¡­ cars yes? These devices had the gears you mentioned. What you currently have is simply a push of the button, a method to activate and deactivate an ability. To use it, or to not use it, and with how much mana. What you want, is multiple gears, to dictate how intensely the mana should be applied, how much of it should transform into the spell, and how much of it should be used to alter the spell itself. Remember, the further you move from the shape of an ability, the more mana intensive it bes.¡± Noah nodded, focusing once again on his Netherme Burst ability. With a simple will of mana, the ck mes manifested in a ball around his palm, and Noah let them remain there, slowly gathering in strength. As he did, however, he began to focus on the mana itself. The way it flowed through his body from the insides, and out into the spell itself. ¡°Now we return to the start. But perhaps you will learn better by doing it. Start meditating Noah, but keep your ability active.¡± Noah followed the dragon¡¯s instruction, focusing on the ability as he began to meditate. His focus sharpened, his sensations heightening as he began to feel the flow of his mana. To his surprise, it was not his palms that were gathering the mana. There was no single part of his body that was assisting the flow of his abilities, but instead the mana wasing out from all around him, flowing into his aura, before being directed towards the spell equally from all directions. You¡¯ve learned the skill [Mana Sense]! [Void Hunter¡¯s Senses] has increased [Mana Sense] to level 3! His awareness expanded instantly, as the flows of mana turned into millions of tiny streams moving both inside him, and outside his body through his aura. There were pathways that the mana flowed through in his auras, and for brief moments, he could see flickers, simr to the runes he read within the Tomes themselves. The mana was mimicking those shapes, as it flowed inside the spell, almost like it was passing through an invisible mesh. ¡°Good. You see now. Finally. Now change it Noah. Change the ability you use.¡± The ck ball of fire continued to float above Noah¡¯s palm, slowly growing in size. And Noah began to slightly alter the flow of the mana going into it. At first, he slowed the mana down to a trickle, stopping the ball from growing. And then, he did something that his mind struggled to grasp. Noah began to reverse the flow of mana, the ck mes slowly beginning to shrink in size as the mana he had put into it began to flow back into it. You¡¯ve learned the skill [Mana Reversal]! ¡°We¡¯re surprised. You are draining your own spell of mana.¡± The ck mes slowly winked out of existence, as Noah opened his eyes, realizing he¡¯d lost track of time. ¡°That felt¡­ weird. But in a good way. Almost natural in some regards.¡± ¡°You are very peculiar Noah. To learn reversal before control is¡­ abnormal to say the least.¡± ¡°Is it? It felt¡­ very natural to me.¡± ¡°It is. Reversal is a much more difficult skill than control. To find it natural is abnormal.¡± Noah shrugged. ¡°Regardless, we think you might be ready. Try to alter the ability onest time, and once you have, we will begin training your resistance.¡± Noah nodded, summoning theherme ball again. He felt the sensation of mana flowing around, but this time, instead of reversing the flow, Noah began to alter it. The act felt much more difficult, but slowly the mana streams began to shift, as the ball changed shape, bing elongated, before spreading outwards into a shape resembling very vaguely that of a cube. You¡¯ve learned the skill [Mana Control]! Skill Fusion unlocked. [Mana Expulsion], [Aura Control], [Mana Sense], [Mana Reversal], and [Mana Control] can be fused into [Mana Mastery]. Would you like tobine these skills? Yes/No? ¡°Uhh, I got a skill fusion. Mana Mastery.¡± ¡°The reversal seems to havepleted a set. Regardless, refuse it. If you¡¯re capable, then we can take a day or two more to get you the greater variant.¡± Noah nodded, selecting No. ¡°Very well, now let us work on your resistance. Once you have that unlocked, we will focus on your mana mastery.¡± ¡°Sounds good. So, what am I supposed to do here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rather simple. We will use our mana to attack you. You must utilize your newfound control and understanding to resist us.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Noah said, bracing himself for the attack. A momentter, he felt a pulse of mana hit him, flowing inside his body as a sharp piercing pain struck his chest. You¡¯ve been inflicted by [Mana Poisoning - III] You¡¯ve been inflicted by [Mana Paralysis - IV] You¡¯ve been inflicted by [Migraine - III] Noah felt his body be wrung from the inside out, simultaneously feeling like he had too much mana inside him and he would explode, and like he had none and was being drained of everything. Gritting his teeth, Noah pulled his attention together, and began to focus. The mana was flowing from outwards, into him like waves, and he began to focus on where it wasing from. As his senses expanded, Noah found streams of mana, piercing his aura. Like tiny threads with needlepoints poking holes into his spirit and soul, as they made their way in to poison him. With a pulse of his will, Noah pushed back on the mana, closing the seams in his aura, preventing mana from entering. Once that was done, he focused on the mana inside him. A giant pool of mana was swirling inside, disrupting his own mana and ability to use any spells or focus. Noah pushed with his will, focusing on the mana inside as he began to pull into it. The mana began to swirl, slowly being gathered around in a collected knot. Forming a focus pathway from inside of him, Noah let the mana gather in his abdomen, and then let out a long deep breath. The mana poured outside of him, as his body found itself clearing the remnants by abosoring it into his spirit. You¡¯ve gained the skill [Mana Resistance]! The dragon started a second attack within moments, this time with even more force, and Noah was forced to repeat the cycle. Without even realizing it, he activated meditation, as his focus increased, his attention entirely on the mana flowing inside of him. Time flew by in a daze, as Noah continued to purge the foreign mana from inside of him, stopping any more from entering. With one final deep exhale, Noah felt his spirit clear out, as his aura stopped any extra mana from entering his body. [Mana Resistance] has reached level 10! [Mana Resistance] has ranked up to Intermediate! Skill Fusion unlocked. [Mind Resistance], [Terror Resistance], [Soul Resistance], [Aura Resistance] and [Mana Resistance] can be fused into [General Spirit Resistance]. Would you like tobine these skills? Yes/No? Noah opened his eyes, looking at the prompt in front of him. ¡°ept it,¡± the dragon said. Noah selected yes, as the prompt vanished. You¡¯ve unlocked [General Spirit Resistance]! [General Spirit Resistance (Intermediate) - level 10] Your spirit has endured through much, having grown in strength by trial and tribtions, it has be capable of resisting most forms of spirit attacks. Find your will unbending. May no chain ever bind your spirit. ¡°It has been exactly fourteen days since we began,¡± the dragon said, looking down at Noah. ¡°Normally, we would ask you to start breaking these chains, but we have grown curious. It has been a long time since we taught anyone, and you are an interesting student. We appreciate yourpanionship, Noah. And if you wish, we can continue. But if you are in a hurry, we can proceed ahead as well.¡± ¡°Geez, you¡¯ll make me blush,¡± Noah said, before thinking for a minute. ¡°I¡¯d love to continue learning, but time is of essence here.¡± ¡°We understand. The teachings can continue once we have aplished the task you arrived here for.¡± Noah nodded, ready to try and work on the chains, but the dragon held him back. ¡°But first, we believe you have a familiar to take care of.¡± At the dragon¡¯s words, Noah felt his bond, and opened his dimensional pocket and saw a creature with runes marked upon its face, two horns rising from tis skull, wings that shone in the light and white fur that extended into a slick tail, slowly opening its eyes from a long and deep sleep. Bun Bun had woken up. Book 2: Chapter 48 — Power Testing Book 2: Chapter 48 ¡ª Power Testing Noah watched Bun Bun step out of the Dimensional Pocket, yawning as he stretched his newfound limbs, spreading the wings growing from his sides with feathers glowing in all colors with mana. The changes created a beautiful sight, a fur covered dragon-like creature, that still retained some rabbit characteristics. Bun Bun¡¯s legs were even now, as he walked on all fours, instead of hopping around, his face was marked with runes around his eyes and on his forehead, which glimmered and glowed with endless magic. Two horns curved around, rising from his forehead, with long floppy earsing from the side. A mane covered his chest, reaching to his back, which moved into a much longer tail that ended with a pointed tip. ¡°Life-mother?¡± a voice spoke in Noah¡¯s head, like a young child speaking in his head. ¡°Was that you?¡± Noah asked, turning to the dragon. ¡°No, your familiar speaks to you.¡± Noah turned to see Bun Bun looking at him, with more curiosity and interest than ever before. ¡°You can speak now?¡± Noah asked Bun Bun. The dragonspawn responded with a nod, pping his wings. ¡°Still learning. Not as good as Life-mother yet.¡± Noah looked at Bun Bun in fascination. ¡°Is that what you call me? That¡¯s¡­ an interesting name. I¡¯m Noah, if you did not know yet. I¡¯d definitely prefer that over life-mother.¡± ¡°Noah,¡± Bun Bun repeated as if testing the word, before crackling with lightning in satisfaction. ¡°Can all dragons speak through telepathy?¡± Noah asked the Dragon. ¡°No, but many can. It is not too difficult to transmit thoughts through mana. We do so naturally without even realizing it.¡± Bun Bun walked around, looking at the dragon as it spoke. A momentter, the dragonspawn bowed his head. ¡°We take no offense,¡± the dragon replied, looking down at Bun Bun. Noah wondered why he heard the words, but realized the dragon had intentionally transmitted them to him. The dragon then nced back at Noah. ¡°Your familiar is curious to test its new abilities. Perhaps you¡¯d like to help Noah?¡± Noah looked at Bun Bun. ¡°Sure, sounds fun.¡± Lightning sparkled around Bun Bun, as he pped his wings. Noah summoned his spear in his arms, his own mana swirling in his core. A bubble formed all around them. ¡°We¡¯ve made a protective area, so you can practice feely. We can heal any injuries that be too dangerous here. And we¡¯d rather not have you destroy this forest.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try not to,¡± Noah replied, starforged arms forming behind his back, as mana weapons appeared in them. Iridescent magic began to glow around Bun Bun. And with the dragon watching over the two of them, the spar began. *** The world felt different to Bun Bun as he shot ahead. Every sense felt new now, more powerful than before. But more so than anything, it was his mind that had changed. He felt¡­ more aware now. Having woken up in the dimensional pocket, the iprehensible twists and turns of dimensions had felt just a little less iprehensible to his vision. Memories of everything he had done till now returned, almost like glimpses of a past life. He could think so much more clearly now, see more with his eyes, smell more, and understand more. And with that understanding, came knowledge, and Bun Bun couldn¡¯t help butment the foolishness of his past self. But now wasn¡¯t the time. He moved rapidly, using his new wings to take up in the skies. Mana flowed through his wings, generating wind that lifted him up in the air. The mana flowed through his body with no resistance, and Bun Bun found himself capable of forming more than just lightning or fire. Every element now swirled around him, water, wind, earth and more. He could create it all. But hecked practice, and old habits won. Swirling colors mingled in lightning form as they shot at Noah from the skies. The man took the attack directly, stepping back a single step as smoke rose from his body. ¡°Ouch, that stung,¡± Noah said, brushing at the point of impact. ¡°That¡¯s not normal lightning is it?¡± he said out loud, looking up at Bun Bun. ¡°No, it is not. Though you are still resistant to it.¡± Bun Bun pped his wings, trying to figure out what else he could do. Reaching out to his new abilities, he found his aura strengthened far more than before. With a powerful breath, Bun Bun let his aura expand, the draconian presence weighing down upon the earth. Noah stood unharmed, simply smiling at the rabbit. ¡°Frustrating,¡± Bun Bun said, looking at the dragon. ¡°We know. He has spent two weeks gaining resistances,¡± the dragon said, giving Bun Bun a pleased smile. Bun Bun snorted, not ready to give up this easily. He¡¯d just been testing his abilities so far, but now he would try and utilize them. Raising mana, Bun Bun began to form balls of electricity that swirled and circled around him rapidly. Another part of him reached out to [Temporal Warp] as the world slowed down around him. [Draconian Heritage] told Bun Bun how to conduct his lightning, to deal the most damage, and Bun Bun shifted his mana flow to match, as des of lightning formed around him. [Elemental Body] turned his body ethereal, lightning now inhabiting all of his being, as he turned into more mana than physical matter. The world continued to move at a slow pace as Bun Bun shot forward like a bolt of lightning. The entire sequence happened within a fraction of a second, as the rapid speeds and power generated a burst through the air evaporating everything nearby immediately. As time resumed at a normal rate, Bun Bun saw Noah fly into the barrier, crashing there as smoke came from his body. For a moment, the dragonspawn worried that it had gone too far, but a momentter, Noah stood back up, with a small hole in his chest that rapidly began to fill back in. ¡°Fuck¡­ that hurt a lot,¡± Noah said, blood dripping from his mouth as he clutched the hole in his chest. A few momentster, the deep pulsating mass of flesh was gone, covered with newly formed pink skin and flesh. ¡°Your constitution ability is on par with dragonblood. We¡¯re pleased to see its growth.¡± Noah spit blood from his mouth. ¡°Just reached level 23. Might¡¯ve been in some trouble had it been lower.¡± Bun Bun prepared his stance, as he saw Noah walking closer. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve clearly grown a lot. Now it¡¯s my turn to show off a little,¡± Noah said, as he split into three. Blink activated as all three versions teleported around the area rapidly. Obliterate, Bloodfly Swarm and Netherme shot at Bun Bun, followed by attacks from the mana weapons by the many arms. Time slowed down around Bun Bun as he weaved through the barrages of attacks, his body turning to lightning. Noah turned, watching Bun Bun move in bullet time before he Blinked, appearing in front of the rabbit. A ball of ck mes burst in front of Bun Bun, rising like a pir as they consumed him entirely. [Eternal Aegis] formed around Bun Bun, covering his body in shields as he jumped through the mes. His horns met Noah¡¯s spear, sparks flying from the impact as both of them wereunched backwards. Noah looked at Bun Bun, his two projections appearing next to him, all three grinning maniacally. The dragonspawn pped its wings, raising them up in the air. Mana swirled around Bun Bun, as a storm of lightning descended upon them. mes burst out from Bun Bun¡¯s mouth, covering the area, before time once again slowed down, as Bun Bun nearly doubled his speed. Moving with lightning coursing in his body, Bun Bun shot through the chest of one Noah, crashing right through. The dragonspawn did not stop,nding after its charge and jumping right back up before it shot through another¡¯s chest, using the charge to kick off of the ground before it shot towards the third. Mana swirled as Noah turned rapidly even in bullet time, his eyes now a deep ck, with red shining in them as ws met horns. Time resumed at normal speeds, as a shockwave shook the earth, the projections vanished, dying from the strikes as Noah and Bun Bun wereunched backwards from impacts, lightning and void colliding in a brilliant sh of magic. ¡°You¡¯re fast. But I can keep up,¡± Noah said, his voice a guttural humm as his body finished transforming. Bun Bun pped his wings, snorting. He would not lose this easily. Noah raised his ws in response, fangs peeking through his lips as his face split into a demonic grin. ¡°Let''s end this then.¡± Time slowed down for one final time, now grinding to a halt as magic filled Bun Bun¡¯s body. He turned into lightning itself for a moment, transforming into a bolt as the rabbit poured its entire mana pool into the strike. Noah moved with Tony¡¯s help, pushing himself to the edge of his limits as Nether mes and Obliterate gathered in his ws. Bun Bun rushed ahead, moving faster than the eye could keep up with as he shot ahead. Noah swung, but missed the dragonspawn as its horns crashed into Noah¡¯s chest, piercing through and back the other side. Time resumed as Noah¡¯s ws burst into mes, while he wasunched backwards from Bun Bun¡¯s strikes. The mes ate through the dragonspawn¡¯s Aegis, draining his mana as Bun Bun watched from afar, panting, and feeling his strength fading as nearly all his mana was spent. As the dust and dirt settled, Bun Bun saw Noah rise from the cloud, his wounds already healed. The portion on his chest grew a silvery sheen, having turned into a hardened metallic matter. Bun Bun slowly let his concentration go, Aegis fading as he copsed onto the ground. Noah walked closer, the metamorphosis fading as he sat down next to the dragonspawn, before lying onto his back. ¡°I really¡­ want to say¡­ it was easy,¡± Noah said, between breaths, ncing at Bun Bun. ¡°But I¡¯m¡­ not sure¡­ I can walk.¡± Bun Bun saw the man looking at him with a pleased smile, and felt something forming inside him. Before, he had merely been here for the lifeblood. Drawn mindlessly like a moth drawn to a me. But now¡­ now he wanted to stay. He wanted to see how far this man would go. And he wanted to go alongside with him, growing stronger together. Gently, Bun Bun pushed his head against Noah, allowing his body to rx, and in moments, sleep took him away. *** ¡°It seems the match was a draw,¡± the dragon said, as the shield faded. Noah brushed Bun Bun¡¯s head, feeling his body aching in every part. Even Tony had gone to sleep from the strain of keeping up with Bun Bun¡¯s speed, and Noah found his head pounding. ¡°Barely¡­ I almost died,¡± Noah replied, coughing blood, as he felt the broken mess that was the insides of his chest. His heart had stopped beating multiple times from the electric shocks, forcing Tony to jumpstart it again from the inside. ¡°We would not have let you,¡± the dragon replied. ¡°I know. It¡¯s just a little ridiculous how strong he became. And he only just evolved.¡± ¡°You will be stronger, when you do.¡± ¡°Yeah. I guess that¡¯s what I¡¯m struggling to wrap my head around. All of this is already firmly in the range of superhuman, and turns out I¡¯m only just getting started.¡± ¡°Levels are poor representations of strength. Some Paths go much further than others. And to travel upon them, you need to progress at a rapid rate as well. You are not too unlike a young dragon. Except, you were born mortal, and cannot grasp the strength that is fated onto you yet.¡± ¡°I suppose,¡± Noah replied, watching the clouds floating by. ¡°Rest now, Noah. When you wake up, we will break these chains, and finally be free,¡± the dragon said. Noah closed his eyes, letting his mind sink into sleep with the pleasant chime of level ups washing over his ears. Book 2: Chapter 49 — Broken Chains Book 2: Chapter 49 ¡ª Broken Chains Noah woke up to a sun shining in his eyes. Blinking himself awake, he looked up and saw Bun Bun looking down on him. ¡°Hey there,¡± Noah said, picking himself up. ¡°Wake up. Dragon waits.¡± Stretching his limbs, Noah saw the dragon seated where he always was, using one w to draw words onto the ground. ¡°How long did I sleep?¡± Noah asked, feeling his body oddly tense. ¡°Eight hours or so,¡± the dragon replied. ¡°Huh, that¡¯s unusual,¡± Noah replied. It would¡¯ve been normal if he was still back on Earth, but his levels and constitution meant he barely slept four hours every few days. ¡°Exhaustion has a way of creeping in without you realizing it,¡± the dragon replied. Noah nodded, yawning as he sat on the ground, before his eyes went to his notification menu. He¡¯d been letting them pile up for a while now, and now would be a good time to check how much he¡¯d grown. Noah opened his astral script, letting the full menu disy itself. Astral Script: Name: Noah Brown Race: Human (Modified/Symbiont) Rank: E Paths: Exsanguinator - level 84 Astralwalker - level 81 Void Hunter - level 82 Attributes: Power: 352 Agility: 388 Constitution: 350 Mystic: 456 Attribute points: 4 --- Abilities: Exsanguinator Blood Drain (Rare/Intermediate) - level 24 Bleed (Rare/Intermediate) - level 23 Lifeblood (Legendary/Intermediate) - level 23 Bloodfly Swarm (Epic/Basic) - level 9 Blood Debt (Unique/Basic) - level 5 Astralwalker Blink (Epic/Intermediate) - level 24 Dimensional Pocket (Legendary/Intermediate) - level 21 Starforged Arms (Legendary/Intermediate) - level 17 Celestial Harvest (Epic/Basic) - level 9 Astral Projection (Unique/Basic) - level 9 Void Hunter Obliterate (Epic/Intermediate) - level 24 Void Hunter''s Senses (Rare/Intermediate) - level 24 Abyssal Symbiote (Epic/Advanced) - level 33 Hunter''s Mark (Epic/Basic) - level 9 Netherme Burst (Unique/Basic) - level 7 --- Skills: Meditation (Advanced) - level 35 Greater Elemental Resistance (Intermediate) - level 10 General Infliction Resistance (Intermediate) - level 10 Abyssal Call (Advanced) - level 25 Pain Tolerance (Advanced) - level 38 Soul Modification (Intermediate) - level 11 Weapon Mastery (Intermediate) - level 10 Aura Control (Intermediate) - level 11 Mana Control (Basic) - level 8 Mana Reversal (Basic) - level 3 Mana Expulsion (Basic) - level 8 Mana Sense (Basic) - level 9 ¡°A lot of my abilities are at just the edge of advanced. That¡¯s kinda weird,¡± Noah said, scrolling through his ability menu. ¡°Likely because one of your projections has still not returned. With pieces of your self missing, it will be a little harder to advance.¡± Noah frowned, remembering about the projection. That was a whole another problem he needed to solve. ¡°If you feel ready, then let us begin,¡± the dragon said. Noah got up, stretching once, before he walked closer to the dragon. The runic chain appeared as the dragon lifted a w and Noah walked to its end, to the one link he¡¯d lightly damaged. ¡°We do not expect you to be able to break the supression it puts on us. But if you can break the chain tying us here, we¡¯ll be able to be of some help.¡± Noah nodded, grabbing the chain in his hands. With his newfound abilities, he had a much greater sense for theplex intricacies involve in the spell itself. The magic was simr to what Noah felt when he used an ability, but much more grand. Layers andyers of minuscule threads of mana wound together to form the chain itself. Noah felt the power being poured into it, the giant pool of lifeforce and mana that fed the spell powerful enough to keep a dragon chained up. Yet somehow¡­ this time, the pool felt weaker. Shallower. Like something had cut out part of its supply. Noah did not dwell on the sensation, taking a deep breath in as he prepared himself. ¡°Alright then, here goes nothing.¡± Pouring his mana in, Noah began to pull. The supression of the chains washed over Noah, flowing into him. He could sense what the chains did now, his spirit was being intruded by the mana of the spell, his own focus being disrupted by the runes, while the supression diverted a part of the spell effect onto him, to prevent him from pulling. Noah was ready this time though, he pushed back against the spell¡¯s effects, using everything he had to continue pulling. ¡°Break, you stupid chain,¡± he screamed, muscles bulging as he pushed with everything he had. [Genereal Spirit Resistance] has reached level 11. Noah felt the dragon pulling with his w as well, the might of the dragon now aiding his efforts as Noah continued to pull. The supression grew stronger, and Noah began to feel the pressure put on his soul as the chains began to restrain him. He resisted the effects, feeling the magic struggling against his resistances. Tony joined the efforts, using his abilities. Abyssal Symbiote has used Metamorphosis! All attributes increased by 25%! Time remaining: 90 seconds. Noah felt his body transform, strength rising inside of him as wings formed in his back. He pped the wings, pushing the ws growing from his feet into the earth for a stronger grip, as he pulled harder. A crack sounded first, the chain groaning against the strain now as mana began to leak from the spell. Light escaped the chain, burning Noah¡¯s skin with its intensity. Bun Bun joined the effort, pouring his own mana into the chain as the dragonspawn began to tug at the chain as well. A flood of mana began to flow out, the [Eternal Aegis] forming within the chains, trying to push the two links apart. Noah¡¯s muscles began to ache as he continued to pull, the chain shaking inch by inch as the spell began to break. ¡°Noah, use your reversal. Consume the mana in the chains.¡± Noah heard the dragon¡¯s words, but found himself at his limit. His mana was pushed to the brink, and if he let his focus slip for even a second, he would be sted apart by the torrents of magic flooding him. But¡­ there was one other method he had didn¡¯t he? With a slow prod, Noah let [Devourer] reach out from his spirit, and draw upon the chain. Then, as if letting a beast he¡¯d kept chained within loose, he let all control go. Power erupted in Noah¡¯s body, flowing into him in massive streams. Noah screamed, as the massive torrents began to sear his body, carving runes upon his skin as they imprinted themselves onto him. With a giant crack, the chain snapped, exploding with a torrent of mana as Noah felt himself being sted backwards. Crashing into trees, Noah felt the world spinning in his vision, as a chime rang in ears. [Devourer] has consumed [Grand Spell of Suppression] Perk [Runic Chains] obtained. [Progress to next rank 99/100] Find the next Shard to rank up [Devourer]. Perk [Fate Touched] activated. Luck A4 ¡ú A5. With the words floating in his vision, Noah¡¯s mind sank into darkness. *** A headache pounded behind Noah¡¯s eyes as he opened them. A figure floated in his vision, a gentle warmth flowing from it. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake. We had begun to grow worried,¡± a man said, with long silver hair flowing down his back. Noah looked around in confusion. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± he asked, pulling himself up as he checked his surroundings. He was still in the swamp area, though it could hardly be called a swamp anymore. ¡°My apologies, I forgot that you cannot read Auras. I am the dragon, Noah. The one you just freed,¡± the man shaped dragon replied. ¡°Oh¡­¡± Noah said, looking at the young man that hardly looked to be in his thirties. He noted his eyes, the pupils shaped like a dragon¡¯s. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could shapeshift.¡± ¡°Metamorphosize. It is simr to what your symbiote can do, but with much more precise control. We will teach you some day,¡± the man said, smiling. ¡°It worked then?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Indeed, although it had some interesting consequences,¡± the man said, raising Noah¡¯s arms. Noah saw what he meant, looking at the glowing symbols set onto his forearms, wrapped around almost like chains. ¡°Huh that¡¯s¡­ new. I think I remember vaguely seeing something about this before I lost consciousness.¡± ¡°You absorbed a part of the chain, though we do not quite know how. And they have imprinted themselves upon you,¡± the dragon replied. ¡°Is it harmful?¡± Noah asked. ¡°No, in fact, we think it may be a boon. Your Astral Script should be able to tell you more.¡± Noah opened his astral script at the dragon¡¯s words, finding a new perk now present in his menu. [Runic Chains] Chains formed from pieces of a Grand spell of Suppression. Now imprinted upon your very body. Be capable of summoning runic chains to restrain and suppress foes. ¡°It¡¯s fascinating to us how you assimted a piece of the magic within yourself, but we suppose now is not the time for ruminations,¡± the dragon said, rising, before it offered a hand. Noah grasped the hand, pulling himself up as well. ¡°We are in your debt Noah, as promised, we will bring you through the castle, and when the timees, fight by your side. We may still have these shackles on us, but a dragon is still a dragon.¡± Noah smiled at his words, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll appreciate any help I can get.¡± The dragon then turned, to look at the ce it had been bound to for months. ¡°This week has changed many things, and most of all, it has changed the meaning of the words Ryugan had left us with.¡± Walking ahead, Noah saw streams of mana rising around the dragon, as the destroyed swamp began to regenerate at rapid rates, filling with life again. ¡°We failed in our duties when we let those vermin enter this ce, and trick us into these shackles. Now, it is time to make them pay the price.¡± The dragon nced back at Noah. ¡°We had told you we had no name anymore. That had not been a lie, but it had not been the truth either. A dragon¡¯s true name holds power, and so we keep it a secret. For freeing us, and allowing us to finish our duty, we owe you that truth.¡± ¡°Only if you want to tell me,¡± Noah said. ¡°I don¡¯t mind calling you something else if you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°We do, though we hope you will not tell others,¡± the dragon said, turning back to the castle. ¡°Our name is Zaxius,¡± the dragon said, as a wave of mana flowed through the area. You have learned the name of a true dragon! One skill point awarded. Noah stared at the notification, not understanding what had happened. ¡°Uhh¡­ it just said I got a skill point.¡± Zaxius looked back at Noah, and smiled. ¡°It is something you will need when your skills reach level 50. For now, simply keep it as it is. And before we forget, in the presence of others, you can call us Zax.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°Well, it¡¯s great to meet you Zax.¡± The dragon smiled, lightning crackling all around it and Noah felt a shiver of excitement run down his back. ¡°You too Noah. Let us hunt these cultist vermin out of this realm.¡± Book 2: Chapter 50 — A Long Entrance Book 2: Chapter 50 ¡ª A Long Entrance Noah walked through the entrance of the giant castle, marveling at its construction. A giant staircase led up to the massive castle gates that shone under the light of the sun with a silvery glint, refracting light at its surface to create a glittery effect that gave the ce an ethereal presence. Bun Bun and Tony flew around the area, sniffing and checking out various ces around them. ¡°Man, this ce must¡¯ve taken quite some time to build,¡± Noah said, ncing at the swirling stairs moving all around the castle. He noted the skies above him changing at a far greater intensity than the movement they took would indicate, with clouds flying past far behind with each step. ¡°They built this castle as a gift to Ryugan. One of the few human Ascendant Monarchs of the time had it built in honor of Ryugan. He never liked the gaudiness of it, but there were no other monuments quite this well crafted in their magical capacities. When Ryugan created this realm, the castle had naturally formed an anchor for it,¡± Zax said, as they walked up the stairs. ¡°You seem to have noticed the clouds, yes?¡± ¡°Yeah, not quite sure what¡¯s happening there.¡± ¡°This pathway has a spell put upon it, the staircase extends space for miles. Given the nature of the Astral rift, reality is easier to alter, and any who cannotprehend the spell will be forced to walk for weeks on end, before they ever reach the castle itself.¡± Noah whistled, finding himself in awe. Only after Zax had mentioned it, did Noah¡¯s senses begin to pick up upon the stretchedyers of space in the area. Even with his Astralwalker path, Noah still struggled to look past the spell active in the area. Zax smiled. ¡°This is why you went to the trouble of freeing us. And though the cultists may have entered the castle, it took them many sacrifices to make their way through the ce. Their insolence was not without a price.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Noah said, looking out to the rest of the Astral Rift. ¡°I do wonder how mypanions will be able to enter the castle though.¡± ¡°There¡¯s plenty of entrances. Most do not have nearly as many obstructions as this main pathway does. Though each has their own traps and security measures in ce, but with time and ack of repair, not all remain functional anymore,¡± Zax said, ncing back at Noah. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to check in on your friends once we have arrived inside the castle.¡± Noah gave the dragon a nod, taking in the scenery as they went. ¡°You have mentioned Ryugan a few times. He was also a human, right?¡± ¡°Indeed. Though he was a peculiar one. Oh, did we ever tell you that he was an Outerworlder as well? One touched by fate, much like you. Though that¡¯s where the simrities between the two of you end. Ryugan was meticulous, he liked being prepared, and he hated jumping into things without thinking them through. He was also somewhat paranoid,¡± Zax said, a smile upon the dragon¡¯s face as he brought up memories. ¡°One time, he was so worried that there was a trap set by his enemies that he managed to sneak into their encampment and capture their leader, just to ask him what the trap was,¡± the dragon said,ughing at the memory. ¡°Really? Dang, that¡¯s kinda cool actually,¡± Noah said. ¡°Oh it gets better. When we told him that he had their leader, and would not need to fight against an entire army by himself anymore, he thought about it for a few moments and then said ¡®but that would be an unfair match.¡¯ And sent the general back so that he could beat the traps they¡¯d set up fairly. They surrendered before he could try.¡± Noah chuckled at the story, trying to imagine a war against a single man. ¡°This realm was built by him in hister years of life. Ryugan had tried to find ways out of Erandir, and found the way blocked. Something prevented him from returning to his world, and he had made it his quest to find out why. There were still Outerworlders who would arrive on Erandir, and Ryugan had found and gathered many under him to try and understand what prevented them from returning back the way they arrived here. And what it was in this realm that called them to itsnds. Eventually, as he continued to gather people, they began to look to him for direction and support. This realm ended up bing one of many of his projects to help the people who had nond to call home. Outerworlders for one, but also former ves, many of them,¡± Zax said, looking at Noah. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s fate yet again that you have arrived here then.¡± ¡°Perhaps. I don¡¯t really believe in fate, but I met the goddess of Wisdom, Avera, and she told me something simr. That fate brought me to her. What does that even mean?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It means that your actions have predictable oues, Noah. Fate is merely the most likely path we take. It is not a predetermined oue, but a deeper look at our reality, and an understanding of how things will unfold,¡± Zax said. ¡°Not sure I understand.¡± ¡°Let us exin it to you this way. If you take a rock and drop it, what do you think will happen?¡± ¡°It will fall?¡± Noah replied. ¡°How do you know?¡± Zax asked. ¡°Because¡­ gravity? Because that¡¯s what happens if you drop something?¡± ¡°Precisely. It is not that you could see the future, but that your understanding of the world allows you to know what path the rock will take. The rock does not know this, it does not know where it will go or what path it will take, but you can see the rock, see the world around it, and know that should you let go of the rock, it will drop. Fate, Noah, is just that. The ability to look at the world, and know how it will unfold.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­ an interesting way to look at it. It sounds an awful lot like calcting every variable involved to find out what the future would be. Are people really that predictable?¡± ¡°In some ways, yes. In others, not really,¡± Zax said, ncing up. ¡°Youing here was fate. And perhaps you meeting us and freeing us was fate too. But what you will do from this moment? That rests solely upon your hands.¡± ¡°Howe fate rarely seems to change?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Because people rarely change, Noah. How likely was it that you would have not tried to free us of our chains back then?¡± Zax asked. ¡°Well. I don¡¯t know. I figured it was worth trying. And I didn¡¯t have a way to enter the castle, you were stopping me,¡± Noah said. ¡°We were never stopping you. Merely preventing you from entering from the front gates. There are other entry ways Noah, and you could¡¯ve chosen at any time to walk away and enter one of those. But instead, you went through weeks of grueling training to free us,¡± Zax replied. Noah looked at the dragon, feeling an ufortable emotion rising inside of him. ¡°People rarely change their nature, Noah. We have seen it. They may slowly mature and shift directions, but their trajectories are much like a rock falling down, or a log floating in a river. It is the river, and the gravity, that decides their actions, not them,¡± Zax said. Had he simply been drifting on a river? Unable to pick what path he would head towards? The thought made Noah ufortable. ¡°You have the Fate Touched perk, don¡¯t you?¡± Zax asked, looking at Noah. ¡°I do, yeah,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Do you know what it does?¡± Zax asked. Noah brought up the perk description. [Fate Touched (Divine)] You¡¯ve been in the presence of someone beyond fate itself, and have been marked by them. Fate will struggle to take a hold of you, and unlikely circumstances, both good and bad, will find their way to you. ¡°That fate will struggle to take a hold of me, and I¡¯ll have unlikely things happen around me,¡± Noah said. ¡°You are merely reading what the Astral script is telling you,¡± Zax said. ¡°But that is not the whole picture. We just told you, everyone can change their fate. Then, if so, what does being Fate Touched mean?¡± Noah frowned, thinking over it. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted, looking back at Zax. ¡°It means that you can see when fate changes significantly. Your fate was changed by someone else. And you possess the ability to do the same for others,¡± Zax replied. ¡°How?¡± Noah asked. ¡°You bring change Noah. You are an outsider to this realm. If this realm is a rock, moving in a fixed path, then you are the wind blowing its off the course. Your ability allows you to bring change to the fate of those around you. Think about thest time your perk activated. We felt it happen when you broke our chains. And as we said, that was your fate. But what was ours?¡± ¡°To be¡­ trapped?¡± Zax gave a grim nod. ¡°To remain bound in chains,menting our choices and actions, unable to protect the memory of our friend, or his legacy. That was our fate, Noah. The path our choices had brought us to. But you altered it. Just by existing, you continue to change the fate of others.¡± ¡°That feels like a lot of responsibility,¡± Noah said. ¡°It is, but have you ever thought about what it means for your own fate? Your existence changes the world around you, your fate brings change to the lives of others, but is that something you truly wish to do? Is that a path you want to embark upon? Do you choose to change the fate of others, or are you merely flowing on a river of fate created by someone else?¡± Noah stopped in his tracks, looking at the dragon. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he replied. ¡°It is something to think about Noah. Think upon your path, on what your purpose is, and whether it is something you have chosen for yourself. When you alter fate significantly, your perk activates and tells you of it. Think of thest time that happened,¡± Zax said. ¡°When I broke your chains,¡± Noah said. ¡°What about before that?¡± Zax asked. ¡°When I met Hellion and gained her blessing, despite my ties to the Void. When I met an Ascendant Life Wyrm protecting its egg, but instead of killing us like bugs, it gave the sick child with us its scale, and let us go.¡± ¡°And in those moments, whose fates were changed? Was it yours, or was it theirs?¡± ¡°It was¡­¡± Noah paused looking into the dragon¡¯s eyes as he understood what he meant to say. ¡°It wasn¡¯t mine. I¡­ never changed my own fate.¡± Zax did not reply. ¡°How can I?¡± Noah asked. ¡°That¡¯s something only you know the answer to,¡± the dragon said, turning around and Noah realized they had reached the entrance of the castle. ¡°Wee to our home, Noah,¡± Zax said, touching the giant metallic gates as they shuddered open, revealing a massive castle¡­ covered in dark ooze and swirling creatures. A voidling leapt outwards and was caught by Zax, who vaporized it in a second. ¡°Let¡¯s go clear the vermin,¡± the dragon said, blue lightning crackling around it. Noah nodded, putting the thoughts of fate behind him as he entered the castle. He had a Shard to find. Book 2: Chapter 51 — To the castle Book 2: Chapter 51 ¡ª To the castle Snow walked through the dingy broken house, following behind the Noah-projection. She watched him do his thing, as he put his hand into the disgusting pile of flesh till it turned to ash, removing all the nastiness from the area. They¡¯d been traveling together for quite a few days now, taking out blobs like this from everywhere. asionally they¡¯d also run into adventuring parties. Most of them were dead, or undead. The one party they¡¯d found alive was being eaten by a monster. Snow had seen it herself, even before she found this Noah. The cultists had been moving around through the rifts, killing the different adventuring groups one by one. But when they noticed her, they simply ignored her presence. She walked behind, watching the not-Noah, as she¡¯de to call him, open a rusted iron door with a kick, coughing at the dust that rose up. He was weird, and not in the same way that Noah was. He was quieter, more serious, and more scary. She sometimes thought maybe she was being fooled. She¡¯d heard of mimics before, although never as a person. But he was always kind to her, making sure she never had to do anything. She almost wished he let her help more. ¡°You shoulde in here, I¡¯d rather not have a monster see you there and think there¡¯s easy prey to be had,¡± the not-Noah said, poking his head out from the dark chamber. Snow got up, dusting her cloak and new clothes that they¡¯d found from a nearby house and walked in. That was another weird thing she had now. Clothes. They fit her, unlike most clothing she had worn. It was a simple skirt and some sandals, alongside a shirt that was just a littlerger than her, with little threading sewn in. It looked like it belonged to a young girl. Likely younger than her. She wondered what happened to her. With the state this ce was in¡­ she could guess. ¡°Oh hey, look at that. An entire ritual altar,¡± not-Noah said, walking down the stairs into the dark chamber. Snow followed behind, asking for shadow¡¯s help as her eyes changed, allowing her to see through the darkness. The sight made her freeze. There were books and tomes scattered around, with a giant circle of runes marked in the center. Only the thin cracks between the wooden beams let in any light, with melted candles around the walls as thest signs of any life around here. ¡°Something wrong?¡± Not-Noah asked, looking at her. She shook her head, calming herself down as she walked further in. She was not back in the cult. No one was going to try to harm her here. A creak of the wooden board made Snow jump up in surprise, and she saw a rat run out from the gaps, before escaping. Her heart pounded in her chest, before she continued on her way down into the dark chamber. ¡°Looks like this ce was a cer, before the cultists likely re-purposed it. Makes me wonder how long they¡¯d been here, if they had the time to do so much.¡± Snow looked at the not-Noah. It was things like this that made Snow wonder whether he knew or not. She wished she could tell him the truth, but her cor would kill her if she did. And when she tried, he told her he knew, that he understood what she was trying to say. But at the same time, if he knew¡­ why wasn¡¯t he trying to run away? He told her they would save the real Noah, but if he really knew, then why wouldn¡¯t he tell Noah the truth. Then they could all run away from here. All except her. The thought gave her pause. She¡¯d been unable to shake the idea that it was because of her that he was not running away. Because she¡¯d be left behind. She didn¡¯t want to think it was like that. Thest thing she wanted to do was to have someone else die because of her. But what if that was true? She¡¯d tried to deny it, but she couldn¡¯t think of any other reason not to run from here, especially if he knew. The jumble of thoughts made her head hurt, until Shadow grew restless. Snow apologized to the wolf, allowing him to go back to sleep. Shadow had been working all day and night, keeping watch when she needed rest. Not-Noah had offered to keep her in a Dimensional Pocket but it was her own insistence to not be a burden that she tried to keep up with him, even when her body couldn¡¯t. And Shadow had to be the one to do the work because she was stubborn. More and more, Snow found herself feeling like a burden. She really didn¡¯t want to be one. But at the same time, she was seeing so many new ces. When was thest time she had gone out of the Pit? She barely remembered anymore. It had been over a year. And now she was out here in this fascinating ce, wearingfortable clothes. And she didn¡¯t want to leave. She really was selfish. Even though the longer she stayed here, the more she put Noah in danger. Feeling her legs start to ache, Snow walked around the cer, before she found a dusty chair with one leg that was broken, and sat down on it. She hadn¡¯t had much time to sleep. Not-Noah barely slept, and even with Shadow¡¯s help, she was getting tired. There wasn¡¯t much to eat around here except the monsters not-Noah hunted for her, and she struggled to eat those without getting herself sick. She watched the projection walking around the chamber, picking books one after the other. She wanted to ask him what he was doing, but didn¡¯t want to disturb him. The projection read a book, scratching his head as he did, before he moved on to another one. Trying to push herself, she let her thoughts out. ¡°W-what are you¡­ looking for?¡± Not-Noah nced at her, before closing the book in his hands. ¡°Trying to see if I can find some information about the kind of spells they were building, but most of this stuff is beyond my understanding. I do think I know what that big circle is for though.¡± Snow looked down at said big circle, as it spanned nearly the entire chamber they were in. ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡± she asked, finding it a little easier to speak the second time. She had slowly been improving in her ability to talk. Normally, the only one she had to talk to was Shadow, and with him, she needed no words. But being with Noah for so long, she was forced to make herself speak things out loud for once. ¡°It¡¯s a teleportation spell. I can vaguely tell that it leads somewhere near the castle, but I can¡¯t tell exactly where. I do think I can override it with my abilities, which is why I¡¯m trying to see if there¡¯s anything I can use here.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ll help,¡± Snow said, getting up from where she sat. ¡°Sure, maybe check in that pile of books,¡± Noah asked. Snow walked over to the pile, picking them up. Then she realized a w in her n. She didn¡¯t know how to read. No, that wasn¡¯t true. She knew some words and letters. Her sister had taught her when she was little. She just forgot most of it. Slowly, letter by letter, Snow began to go through the books, trying to read what they had inside of them. The effort made her head hurt, but at least it was something she could do. And she didn¡¯t need Shadow for this! Painstakingly, Snow went through each book, trying to understand what it may be about before she sorted them in a pile to show not-Noah. As she was trying to read the cover of one book in particr, she noticed a diagram drawn in it that looked awfully familiar. ¡°I-I found something¡­ I think¡­¡± Snow said, looking back at not-Noah. The projection walked closer and she handed him the book. ¡°Oh yeah, this is it. There¡¯s a bunch here. I think I can use this,¡± not-Noah said, gently putting his hand on Snow¡¯s head. ¡°Thanks for the help.¡± Snow smiled, ducking her head to hide her face from him as the projection walked away. She had helped him! She felt a little better now. Walking back to her chair, Snow took a seat, and began to watch the projection work. Taking a reference from the book, he began to slowly make changes to the spell with a piece of rock, carving them into the floor itself and erasing portions as he went through. After a lot of scratching and squiggling, she watched the projection close the book atst. ¡°I think it¡¯s done. But I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s safe, so if you want, you can stay here as well. I¡¯ve cleared the area out so you should be safe. And if I die, Noah will know where you are ande find you,¡± the projection said. Snow got up shaking her head in a rush. She didn¡¯t want to be left behind! ¡°I-I want toe¡­¡± The projection frowned, ncing down at the spell circle. ¡°Alright, then hold my hand and stick to me.¡± Snow beamed, rushing closer as she grabbed the projection¡¯s hand. She felt mana flowing through it into her, as the spell circle beneath her lit up. For a moment, the old fear took over her heart, but she clutched the projection¡¯s hand tighter, and closed her eyes. A momentter, the world twisted around her as Snow found herself falling onto something wet and mushy. She opened her eyes, and saw an arm poking out from a pile of something. A rotten stink covered the area, overpowering her sense of smell and making her eyes water. It took her a moment to realize where she was. She was sitting on a pile of corpses. Snow almost screamed, but before she could, she felt Noah pick her up and jump down from the disgusting heap of flesh. ¡°Stay quiet,¡± he said, moving around the pile silently as he pressed a hand over her mouth. With tears in her eyes, Snow nodded. A momentter, she heard the noise. Something was there. Snow could feel it, eating through the pile of corpses. She nced up and saw the bodies, broken and rotting here. Were these all the vigers? Was one of them the girl whose dress she wore? She didn¡¯t want to think about it. ¡°A zombie rat. Level 122,¡± the not-Noah whispered, looking at her. ¡°It probably can¡¯t infect me. So I¡¯m going to go out there to fight and kill it, in the meantime, you should look for a chance and run out of here. I can feel Tony nearby, so Noah should be with him too. Try and find him.¡± Snow looked at the not-Noah, afraid to go on her own. But she pushed the thought away, and gave him a nod. The projection nodded, getting up from where he was, before he shouted. ¡°Come here you idiot rat!¡± The monster raised its head as the projection punched its face. Snow made a run for it. The giant monster shrieked,unching at the projection as Snow began to make her way out. Other rats, almost half her size began to crawl out, most rushing towards Noah, yet some chased her down. She ran, panting, her legs hurt as she put everything she had into running. Shadow stirred, but he was too tired, she had to run by herself. She felt the ws and teeth scratch her legs and back but she didn¡¯t stop. She was probably bleeding. The injuries hurt. Snow continued to make a run for it, moving towards an open door that she stumbled through, before closing the door behind her. The rats mmed into the door, and she moved away, trying to see if it would hold or not. After a few moments, she turned around and began to move quickly. She needed to find Noah. Book 2: Chapter 52 — A Castle Tour Book 2: Chapter 52 ¡ª A Castle Tour Noah looked around the castle, finding it covered in slimy ck overgrowth that gave the ce a horrifying alien look straight out of a lovecraftian book. Bulbous masses moved, and throbbed, tendrils covering the area as void mana overflowed through the surface. Voidlings jumped through the shadows, scuttering about within the darkness. ¡°Jeez, this ce looks awful,¡± Noah said, watching Zax¡¯s expression darken. ¡°The vermin have taken far too many liberties, tainting our home as they please,¡± he said, lightning crackling around him as he talked, eradicating groups of voidlings and the pulsating growths covering the castle as he walked. The dragon scanned his surroundings, taking in the now burning tendril masses where he stood, before he looked at Noah. ¡°The Shard you seek is likely within the central halls. We could take you there right now, but your friends have some time yet before they arrive. What do you intend to do?¡± Noah thought over the question. ¡°Ordinarily I¡¯d love to go in by myself and see what happens, but I think this time, I¡¯d like to wait till everyone is here.¡± Zax gave him a nod. ¡°In that case, we would like to clean this ce. The overgrowth is repulsive and taints the legacy Ryugan has left behind for us to protect. If you¡¯d like, there are three grafted horrors in the next chamber, which may keep you and your familiar entertained.¡± Bun Bun¡¯s ears perked up at Zax¡¯s words, and Noah nced at the flying dragonspawn. Silent words were exchanged between the two of them, before Noah nodded to Zax. ¡°Leave it to us.¡± The dragon walked ahead, magic swirling around him in an impressive disy as he systematically began to eradicate the overgrowth. Noah walked across the division in the hallway, making his way to the chamber he¡¯d been pointed at. After a little bit of walking, he found what he was looking for. [Blood Grafted Horror - level 131] [Abyssal Grafted Horror - lvl ??] [Soul Grafted Horror - lvl ??] Noah saw the creatures, sitting across the arena. The blood horror was simr to the first one he¡¯d fought, with limbs upon limbs stitched together in a coalesced mass of bodies that made a deep revulsion rise from within him. The Abyssal horror was simr, but instead of limbs, dark tendrils and void ooze covered the creature, binding itself in a ball of tendrils and limbs that moved around blindly through the chamber, looking for anything to eat. Yet, it was thest horror that really made Noah¡¯s skin crawl. The ghastly spectre danced around the chamber, shrieking with faces of screaming people moving in and out of reality as they phased through its body. The creature tore through anything it found reaching out with its spectral limbs to crush any voidlings and other abyssal monsters before consuming them. Nothing moved close to the soul grafted horror, keeping a good distance away from it. He nced at Bun Bun, the dragonspawn ready to test out his new abilities on some proper targets. ¡°Wanna make it apetition?¡± Noah asked, ncing at Bun Bun. The dragonspawn looked up at him in confusion. ¡°How?¡± ¡°The blood one is 5 points, abyssal one 10, and soul one 20. All the other little ones are 1 point each. Whoever has the most points wins.¡± Bun Bun looked at the chamber, before giving a nod. Noah grinned alongside the dragonspawn, summoning his spear in his hands. ¡°On three then.¡± Taking a stance, he began the count. ¡°Three, two, one, start.¡± Noah blinked inside the chamber, skewering a voidling on his spear as he cut through another with ws that forms on his palms. Bun Bun moved through the area like lightning half a dozen voidlings exploded in crackles. Therger creatures looked at the two, shrieking and howling as every monster in the chamber turned towards them and began to attack. ¡°Slow,¡± Bun Bun sent to Noah, who saw the dragonspawn grin back at him. ¡°You little- you¡¯re not winning this easily,¡± Noah said, as Tony flowed throughout his body, transforming him. Abyssal Symbiote has used Metamorphosis! All attributes increased by 25%! Noah threw his spear, piercing through a line of voidlings in a go before harvesting them with Celestial Harvest. One of therger horrors turned towards Noah, and he moved, facing the creature. The blood horror shrieked, lunging at Noah with its body twisting as it formed des of bones. Noah teleported, moving above the creature as the spear appeared in his hand. With a rapid plunge, he sunk the weapon into the monster, before activated Netherme Burst. ck fire burst inside the monster¡¯s body as the horror let out a howl. Noah let Bloodfly swarm burst out, cutting and shing through the monster¡¯s body and applying bleed upon it. It¡¯s natural healing abilities struggled to bear through the various attacks, and Noah activated Blood Debt. Giant swords of blood mana formed above the creature, stabbing it multiple times, piercing through its body and leaving it a hollowed husk. Noah jumped off the corpse, taking a second to remember just how differently this fight had gone when he had first arrived in this world. A smile came upon his face as he looked back around himself and saw Bun Bun taking care of the Abyssal grafted horror at rapid speeds. Feeling metamorphosis ticking, Noah turned towards the final foe. The soul grafted monster swirled through the area, picking up pieces of every soul of the now dead monsters. Noah jumped as the elongated amalgamation leapt towards him, before gulping down the soul of the recently killed blood grafted horror. Noah watched the soul amalgamation changing shape, growing in size as limbs burst forth from it, giving it a red sheen. With a blink, he moved towards the creature, stabbing his spear into it, but found the weapon simple passing through. The soul horror turned to Noah, grabbing him in his hands as its many faces began to dig in. Noah felt their attacks phase through his body, and go directly towards his soul. A terrifying feeling shook him to the core, as he felt his soul being bitten into by the creature, but the panic subsided as his training kicked in. Noah burst a pulse of mana into the monster, as the creature¡¯s faces bloated before popping like fleshy balloons. Heyered his spear in Obliterate, letting the mana coat every inch before he struck the monster with the weapon. The physical form went through the creature as it reeled, but the mana broke apart chunks of its soul as Noah began to dig into the creature. The soul grafted horror shrieked, reeling back, as it pulled back the hand it had sent inside Noah¡¯s chest. In it, he saw a doll that looked just like him formed in the monster¡¯s hands. With a sh, the monster cut the doll, and Noah found himself on the ground. A giant gash covered his chest, bleeding all over, almost like his body had somehow been convinced that he had been injured and changed its shape to mimic the injury. Noah looked at the creature grabbing at the doll¡¯s head and he felt his body freeze under the magic. Lightning shot through the creature, tearing it apart as Bun Bun went through the creature¡¯s body, as the doll in its hand broke apart into misty pieces. Noah leapt up, ignoring the gash in his chest as he struck. Obliterate cut dark pieces out of the monster, ashermes tore through its soul body, eating at them. Shrieks and howls came from the amalgamations of many faces as Noah¡¯s mes continued to burn it alive with each strike he delivered. Bun Bun moved around zapping like bolts of lightning at speeds Noah struggled to follow, tearing chunks of the beast out. Piece by piece the amalgamation was whittled down, and Noah grabbed at a pulsing ghastly heart. Tony slowly retreated from Noah¡¯s body as he returned to his human form. Looking at the organ, Noah began to press his fingers in to crush the thing when Tony shivered, sending him an idea. Noah paused, considering the thought. A momentter, he activated his new perk, as chains formed around his forearms. Slowly, they moved out, binding around the heart. Noah felt his mana flow into the heart, changing it. A symbol formed upon the still beating heart, as the color within it changed. A new notification appeared. [Spectral Heart (Rare)] A heart made of souls, capable of binding spirits upon itself, it is now bound to yourmand. The spectral heart can be used in necromancy to create a bound Revenant soldier, to imprison the soul of whoever you may wish to capture. Noah looked at the heart in disgust, throwing it inside of his Dimensional Pocket. He inspected his chest, noticing the injuries mostly gone, but his health was still not back to full. His Lifeblood did not seem to be working on the injury, almost as if his body had not quite registered that he was injured yet. Bun Bun walked up to him, ncing up and putting a paw at his leg. ¡°Hurt?¡± ¡°Not much, I¡¯ll heal soon,¡± Noah said, smiling at the concern shown by Bun Bun. ¡°Guess you won this round.¡± The dragonspawn pped his ears around, looking pleased. A momentter, his eyes went back to Noah. ¡°Draw. We both got same.¡± ¡°Draw then,¡± Noah said,ughing. Picking up Bun Bun, he continued through the chamber, trying to see if there was anything else around. Walking through the corridors, the two of them continued to pulverise any other voidlings that appeared through the area. While passing by what looked like a life engraved with a giant magical circle, Noah heard a whimper. ¡°The girl is nearby,¡± Bun Bun informed him a momentter, and Noah began to listen carefully. Moving in the direction of the sound, Noah walked towards the elevator, before noticing the wall behind the giant circr contraption to not be as rigid as he¡¯d been led to believe. With an obliterate coated punch, Noah broke through the wall, to find a corridor filled with a disgusting stench. A creature shrieked at him, lunging and Noah shot his spear through the monster before he could even see what it was. After stepping back, Noah noticed the monster to be a filthy giant rat, with its body rotting away in pieces. [Zombie Rat - lvl 68] ¡°Zombies?¡± Noah said, ncing further in, before he walked through the corridor. More rats swarmed him as Noah continued to dispatch them one by one, finding the stench growing stronger the further he moved. Reaching in through an entrance into a chamber, he found the source of the sound. Opening a beautifully carved wardrobe, Noah found Snow inside, bundled around herself and hugging her legs, with scars marking her body. ¡°No! Get out!¡± Snow screamed, jumping back at the light. ¡°Snow, it¡¯s me. Noah. Calm down,¡± Noah said, holding her shoulders. It took her a few seconds before her eyes settled to the brightness, finally noticing who she¡¯d been found by. ¡°N-Noah?¡± she whimpered, looking at him in disbelief. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me. What happened?¡± Noah asked. Snow stared at him, before down at herself. A momentter, tears broke from her eyes, as she copsed into his arms. Noah caught her, noticing the wounds on her back, now festering with a green color, simr to what he¡¯d seen on the zombie rats. ¡°Shit,¡± Noah cursed, ncing back before he poured all his mana into Blink. The world around him changed, as he appeared behind the dragon with a pop. ¡°Zax, this is one of my friends but she¡¯s hurt. Zombie rats. Can you help her?¡± Noah asked, holding out Snow to her. The dragon turned, looking at him in surprise. ¡°Zombies?¡± he said, his voice ice cold. ¡°Yeah, rats. A lot of them,¡± Noah replied. Zax cursed to himself as lightning burst all around the dragon, before his eyes went to the girl. ¡°Come with me,¡± he said, and turned, walking down the hallway. Noah followed the dragon, walking through a series of illusionary walls, and gates that broke under the dragon¡¯s touch. ¡°Stand here and keep your hand on me through the spell,¡± Zax instructed, standing on a giant magical circle. Noah nodded, putting one hand on Zax¡¯s shoulder. The dragon¡¯s eyes turned blue, a vast amount of mana pouring out of him, and a momentter, the world twisted around Noah. With a startle, Noah looked at the chamber he now stood in, a giant dome like arena filled with items that oozed mana and energy. Entire piles of gold, jewels and other objects remained here, and the location made a single thinge to his mind. A dragon¡¯s hoarde. ¡°Bring the girl here,¡± Zax said, walking them through the chamber, before he showed Noah a small pool of green water. ¡°Put her in there.¡± ¡°Will she be fine? Won¡¯t she drown?¡± he asked, worried. ¡°This is life-essence. She can¡¯t drown in this even if she tried,¡± Zax replied. epting the dragon¡¯s words he slowly lowered Snow in the water, submerging her under it. Immediately, he began to see the girl¡¯s wounds starting to heal. ¡°Maybe add a handful to yourself, that soul injury does not look pleasant,¡± Zax added, pointing at Noah¡¯s chest. ¡°Ah, sure,¡± Noah said, taking a small amount of the green water before he put it upon his chest. Within a moment, he felt a rapid surge go through his body, as his injuries began to knit themselves closed within a second. Noah shook with the energy pulsing through his body, the strong release of euphoria making him nearly copse and run mindlessly into the pool. It took him a few moments of breathing to shake the feeling off, yet the memory of the sensation still made him shiver. ¡°This is why we did not n to bring you here. Indebted as we are, this ce turns even the most good natured people greedy. We¡¯ve seen it far too often,¡± Zax said, looking down at the still shivering Noah. ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I can feel that,¡± Noah said, slowly pushing the idea of killing Zax and stealing the entire pool and everything else in here out of his mind, one breath at a time. ¡°I¡¯m shocked that Bun Bun hasn¡¯t jumped in yet, or Tony,¡± Noah said, feeling both his familiars sitting calmly. Almost too calmly. ¡°We put a mind nk spell on them. Apologies for not telling you, but your familiars going rogue would not have been conductive,¡± Zax said. ¡°I see. That¡¯s fine,¡± Noah replied, before his eyes scanned the chamber. ¡°So, what is this ce?¡± he asked the dragon. ¡°This is mine and Ryugan¡¯s vault. We have stored many of the things we collected over the centuries in this ce,¡± Zax replied, his expression turning soft at the memory. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of artifacts. Can I look through them? I saw the guild¡¯s legendary artifact vault and this thing makes that ce look like a toy store,¡± Noah replied. Zax looked at Noah, assessing him for a moment. ¡°You seem to be in control of yourself. Feel free, but do not try to take anything without telling us. It is both for your benefit and ours. Some things remain here simply because leaving them out in the world would do too much harm.¡± ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t take anything,¡± Noah said, before looking at the giant pile of artifacts waiting in front of him. That was going to be a difficult promise to keep. Book 2: Chapter 53 — The Dragons Vault Book 2: Chapter 53 ¡ª The Dragon''s Vault Noah looked around the vault, feeling the energying from all the artifacts vying for his attention. He knew the sensation wasn¡¯t just his imagination. Little wisps of mana moved from the artifacts interacting with his aura as they drew Noah towards them. ¡°Before you go wandering around the ce, I have a suggestion if you¡¯d like to hear it,¡± Zax said, standing above Snow as magical runes flowed around his palm. ¡°Sure, what is it?¡± Noah asked the dragon. ¡°The girl, she is a ve is she not? From the sight of her, we can sense her soul. She is far too weak and small for someone of her age, and now that she is inside this life-essence, it will try to correct that. But her cor will resist the changes,¡± Zax said, the magic continuing around his hands even as he talked. Noah frowned, looking at Snow¡¯s cor glowing dimly as her wounds healed. ¡°The girl is not someone we know of, so this is not our matter to decide. But we know your personality fairly well by now, and we know what it is like to be bound in chains. As such, if you think it is something you wish to do, then we suggest breaking her cor.¡± ¡°I looked into it. It was one of my first thoughts. But if I try to break it forcefully the cor will kill her. It¡¯s why I was forced to think of alternatives,¡± Noah said, as he looked at Snow. The girl¡¯s pale skin began to take on a slightly healthier shade for the first time since he¡¯d seen her. ¡°Not if we¡¯re here. The spell on the cor can be interfered with, and stopped for the duration you tug at it. If not for our own shackles, we would have broken her cor on our own.¡± ¡°You can do that?¡± Noah asked, eyes wide. ¡°Do you doubt our capabilities?¡± Zax asked, huffing. ¡°No, no I don¡¯t,¡± Noah said, looking back at Snow. Watching the sleeping girl, his expression became resolved. ¡°Let¡¯s do it then. I¡¯d already promised her I would free her. It¡¯s about time I followed through on my word.¡± Zax smiled, lightning crackling around him. Extending his hand, the Dragon slowly lifted Snow up in the air, keeping her floating at chest height for Noah. ¡°The process is the same as what you did for us. But this time, we will help offset the spell and make it a little easier on you. On our signal, start pulling.¡± Noah nodded. The dragon floated his hand over Snow¡¯s cor, as lightning sparked between his fingers, igniting the runes on her cor. A momentter, he pulled a small glowing orb from inside the cor, before crushing it in his fingers. ¡°You may begin.¡± Noah grabbed Snow¡¯s cor, feeling the suppression trying to resist him. Letting his mana and aura settle around him, he pushed back against the Aura¡¯s resistance. The chains on his arms red to life, wrapping around the cor, as Noah felt a stronger grip directly from his spirit tugging onto the cor. With a tug Noah pulled at the cor. Mana crackled with exploding sparks, as the cor began to vibrate angrily. Energy flowed in through the cor, but Noah simply drank it in, assimting into his body. [Mana Reversal] broke down the spell, as his own mana began to pull. A blinding sh came from the cor, as a crack appeared in the metal. Noah groaned, his muscles bulging as he put his body weight into breaking the cor. Crack. With a shattering burst of sparks, the metal exploded into pieces, flying all around. Noah was flung backwards, falling onto the ground with a burnt piece of the cor in his hands, now smoking and sparkling as its mana slowly vanished. Zax raised his hand, and captured the broken shards of the cor, bringing them to the dragon. With another gesture, he gently lowered Snow back into the pool of life-essence, still sleeping and unaware of the freedom she¡¯d been granted. ¡°A disgusting tool,¡± Zax said, looking at the pieces of the cor. With one finger, he separated the part with the only glowing rune on it, before moving it towards Noah. ¡°You should be able to absorb this piece. Simr to what you did with our chains,¡± Zax said, leaving the cor piece in Noah¡¯s hand. Noah looked at the small chunk of metal, with runes carved onto it. Closing his eyes, he tried to probe it with [Devourer]. A moment or two passed, before Noah opened his eyes again. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do that consciously yet.¡± ¡°Ah, that exins some things,¡± Zax said, humming to himself. ¡°Keep the piece with yourself. It cannot harm anyone anymore.¡± Noah nodded, throwing the metal piece into his Dimensional Pocket before he pulled himself back on his feet. Dusting off himself, he nced at Snow, watching the girl sleep peacefully. ¡°Will she be alright now?¡± Noah asked. ¡°She¡¯ll be better than alright. A pool like this, if misused, causes cancerous overgrowth. But the void beast inside her drained her life. Had she continued to live as she had, she would¡¯ve died by the time she turned twenty. Now, if she can gain a suitable path and embark upon it, she may live for centuries.¡± Noah looked at Snow, trying to use Identify on her and found the Perk unreactive. ¡°Will she be able to pick a Path now? I don¡¯t see the ve one anymore,¡± Noah said. ¡°When she wakes up, she¡¯ll have the ability to choose. But that may take some time. With the life-essence, her body will begin to fill in the growth it had been unable to reach thus far. She will need some time to adjust to the changes,¡± Zax said, before extending his hand. A dome of mana formed around the pool of water Snow was in, before the entire section vanished. ¡°We¡¯ve ced her in our spatial storage. When she awakens, we will bring her back.¡± Noah nodded, feeling a weight lifted off his chest. He nced down at his hands, looking at the chains now wrapped around his forearms with runic symbols. ¡°Chainbreaker huh. It might not be such a bad name after all.¡± ¡°To free those who are bound, it is a noble task,¡± Zax replied. ¡°I may have selfish reasons for wanting to do so, makes it feel a lot less noble,¡± Noah replied. ¡°We all have selfish desires. To me, that simply means you are helping yourself as well as others. A win-win, as you would call it,¡± Zax said. Noah grinned at the dragon¡¯s words. ¡°Alright, is there anything here that I can use? I know you told me not to touch anything, so I¡¯ll just let you point out what may be helpful. I¡¯d feel better if I can go in prepared.¡± Zax frowned, thinking to himself. ¡°Truthfully speaking, Noah, almost everything here is simply beyond your capability to use.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Can you see item ranks, Noah?¡± ¡°Item ranks?¡± Noah asked, confused. ¡°It seems not. Items also have ranks dictating their strength. For example, that mana weapon tattoo on your shoulder is a Rank E item. This means that you require Rank E amounts of mana to sessfully use that item. It is the same idea behind how a Rank A legendary Path is not the same as a Rank F one. Higher Rank items are more powerful, so even a legendary Rank F item will likely be meaningless against a rare Rank D item. The items we have collected here are nearly all Rank A or Ascendant rank.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Noah said, looking around him once again. ¡°That¡­ kinda makes sense.¡± Zax nodded. ¡°It is why you find yourself having greater strength than others. A rank F epic path will simply not be the same as a rank E epic path. Which is why when your familiar evolved, you saw Rare path options as well. Because that too was an increase in strength for your familiar.¡± Noah frowned, thinking over the dragon¡¯s words. ¡°So it can make sense to go down in rarity sometimes when you rank up?¡± ¡°Indeed. Your rewards will not be the same when you have reached your ss rank up. That said, it is still better to find an equal grade or higher, if you can.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Now, back to your original inquiry. We do think we have something¡­ let us see,¡± Zax said, ncing around the vault. A momentter, he raised his hand, and a mirror rose up before gently resting in his hand. ¡°You can see people you have significant fate with through this mirror. Though not everyone may appear equally,¡± Zax said, handing Noah the mirror. Noah used identify. [Mirror of Friend Finding (Legendary)] Find your friends, through this mirror, allowing you to check upon their wellbeing regardless of how far they may be. Even though it¡¯s a massive invasion of their privacy. The mirror will not work should you not have a significant enough tie to the person you wish to seek. Noah looked at the information, snorting to himself. ¡°That looks like a weak ability for a legendary artifact,¡± Noah said. ¡°Can only see friends with this.¡± ¡°It is admittedly limited in who it can be used upon, but the legendary naturees from its ability to have no limits upon how far you can look. You cannot use any scrying through this rift, but the mirror will still work for those outside it,¡± Zax replied. Noah hummed, turning the mirror around, looking for a switch or rune to use it. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Zax asked. ¡°Trying to see how to use it,¡± Noah said. ¡°Simply send your mana in and say the name of the person you wish to see,¡± Zax said. Feeling a little embarrassed, Noah coughed, before he sent a pulse of his mana into the mirror. ¡°Aurelia.¡± The mirror lit up and Noah saw Aurelia, walking in a dark cavernous ce. A few creatures moved after her as she quickly struck at them. ¡°Aurelia, hey!¡± Noah called out, but found the woman unresponsive. ¡°Guess she can¡¯t hear me.¡± ¡°No, though she looks to be inside the sewers beneath the castle. She should be here in a few hours at best,¡± Zax replied. Noah let the image fade, pouring his mana in once more. ¡°Erwest.¡± The pdin¡¯s image formed quickly as he walked through what looked like a cer, covered in ck tendrils from abyssal creatures. ¡°And your other friend is in the bottomyer of the castle it seems,¡± Zax said, looking through the mirror. ¡°We should be able to bring him up here faster.¡± Noah nodded, letting the images fade. Now that he¡¯d checked up on his teammates he wondered who else he could see. ¡°Nae,¡± Noah said, watching the woman seated next to Raesar, alongside other important looking figures. Noah watched the meeting continue, the expressions grim and serious around them. As he looked around, Noah flinched when he saw Nae looking back directly at him, before the image flickered out. ¡°Oh, she noticed the spell. A clever one, that girl,¡± Zax said, impressed. Noah shrugged, thinking over who else he would like to see. ¡°Avera,¡± he said, and a momentter the goddess¡¯ pce opened up in his vision. ¡°Noah?¡± the goddess said, looking at him in confusion. ¡°What a strange spell you have used. And is that- I see. I hope you are not troubling yourpanion too much,¡± Avera said, before her gaze turned towards Zax. ¡°We stillment Ryugan¡¯s passing. There have not been many others like him since.¡± Zax gave a nod to the goddess. ¡°Ryugan had mentioned how much he enjoyed your library, goddess. It was the one ce he had truly felt home.¡± ¡°We know, my dear. And we miss the boy,¡± Avera said, before she returned her eyes to Noah. ¡°Try not to pry into the domains of gods if you can, not all of us will enjoy the intrusion,¡± the goddess said, smiling. ¡°Sorry, my bad. It¡¯s good to see you though. No idea how you¡¯re talking to us, I thought this thing couldn¡¯t do that,¡± Noah said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be the goddess of knowledge if I didn¡¯t keep certain secrets, would I? ¡°Avera said, her smile turning sly. ¡°Take care of yourself, there are difficult challenges that await you.¡± Noah looked at the goddess, giving her a nod, before the screen blinked out. ¡°Well, that was something,¡± Noah replied, looking back at Zax. ¡°It surprises us that you knew Avera well enough for the device to work. Not many mortals can call a goddess their friend.¡± ¡°I guess so, I met her a few months back. Nicedy, though meeting her alsonded me in trouble. She told me it was fate that I met her.¡± ¡°If she said so, then it must have been,¡± Zax replied. Noah went back to the mirror, trying to think of who else he would like to see. After a moment of thought, a name came to mind. ¡°Irios,¡± Noah said. The mirror didn¡¯t show anything. ¡°Leon,¡± Noah tried again. The mirror shimmered once, before the image of the sculpture he¡¯d met at the serpent''s grove appeared in his vision. He saw the man, in his home, with sculptures in his hands that he worked diligently at, carving away. A momentter, Leon looked up, and Noah saw his son walking towards him, with a small white serpent-like creature following behind him. ¡°Wow, Irios grew up fast,¡± Noah said, watching the kid appear much older than how he had just a few months earlier. ¡°Guess he also got the life wyrm too.¡± ¡°So that is the child. He will grow much faster than normal humans with a life wyrm bonded to him. Though such a tie also brings unwanted attention and greed from others towards him. We hope the parents know how to protect the child,¡± Zax said, watching the scene. ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah replied, as the image faded from the mirror. Turning it around, he handed it back to Zax. ¡°Thanks for letting me use it.¡± Zax saw the mirror, epting it back, before looking back at Noah. ¡°Do you not wish to see someone from your home?¡± Noah paused. ¡°Can I?¡± he asked. ¡°The mirror has no distance. And if it fails, you will simply not see anything. But the fact that you didn''t even try surprises us.¡± ¡°Well. I just¡­¡± Noah trailed off. Zax slowly extended back the mirror to him, and Noah epted it. Looking down at the mirror, Noah sent a pulse of mana, finding a name rise to his mind. ¡°Leah.¡± The mirror shed, swirling with colors over and over. After nearly a minute of swirling, a faint image appeared, of a woman working as a waitress, carrying tes around her job. Noah watched his former co-worker, wondering if she remembered him at all. Or that he had died. As the thought came, Noah saw the mirror shift, the time changing to night. Leah sat in front of herptop in the dark, a cup of coffee next to her as she worked on something intently. It took Noah a few minutes to be able to see what she was looking at on her PC. Different news articles, keywords and headlines were highlighted, with links going to them all from a word file. ¡°Mysterious disappearances. Abnormal sightings of people going missing. Mass hallucinations? Multiple people were found dead at an old warehouse. Terrorism activities by extremist groups suspected. Noah Brown¡¯s death. Missing body.¡± Noah¡¯s eyes widened as he watched. Vague memories of what had happened around his death returned, enough to piece together some parts. She had seen what had happened? If so, perhaps she would have the answers he was looking for. ¡°Leah, can you hear me?¡± Noah tried, but found no responsesing. He turned towards Zax, ¡°Can you use a spell to allow me to talk to her? Please. I need to ask her something.¡± Zax looked at Noah, thinking over it. ¡°We can try.¡± The dragon put his hand upon the mirror, mana flowing through its surface as runes began to travel down its body at rapid speeds. Noah saw a bright light sh from the mirror as the magic took a hold of it. ¡°Something¡¯s wrong,¡± Zax said, his words clipped, a frown on his face. The mirror turned ck with a crackle, cracking in two as the magic faded. Zax stumbled, and Noah looked in shock as a drop of blood ran down the dragon¡¯s nose. ¡°Almost made us lose our human form,¡± the dragon said telepathically, wiping the blood off. ¡°We will never be doing that again.¡± Noah nodded, agreeing to his words. Emotions rumbled in his chest ufortably, and Noah found himself unable to think straight. ¡°I need somewhere to meditate,¡± he said. He had not expected for this to happen. For someone to care that he was gone. ¡°Use the cleansing pool there. Maybe use the chance to consolidate your final skills as well.¡± Noah nodded, not really listening as he walked towards the pool. After taking in a deep breath, he activated meditation, feeling its calming effects wash over him as he began to sink deep into focus. He needed some time to think. Book 2: Chapter 54 — Reunion Book 2: Chapter 54 ¡ª Reunion Time flowed past as Noah meditated in the vault. The many artifacts naturally boosted the mana density inside the area, speeding up his progress nearly ten folds. With a deep inhale, Noah felt the mana flow into his body in a steady stream, the final level ticking in ce. Mana Reversal has reached level 10. Mana Reversal has ranked up to Intermediate. Skill Fusion unlocked. [Mana Expulsion], [Aura Control], [Mana Sense], [Mana Reversal], and [Mana Control] can be fused into [Mana Mastery (Intermediate)]. Would you like tobine these skills? Yes/No? Noah opened his eyes, letting the notification remain. He selected No, closing the fusion option, before looking back at Zax. ¡°How¡¯s Snow doing?¡± he asked. ¡°Better,¡± Zax replied, busy with something else as the dragon tinkered around with some artifacts. Noah got up from his meditation spot, heading next to the Dragon, as he saw a holographic projection floating in front of him, showing the castle in its entirety. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Noah asked, trying to touch the projection. Zax grabbed his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t touch anything,¡± he said, ncing back at Noah. ¡°Any changes you make here will reflect within the castle itself.¡± Noah pulled back his hand, looking at the projection in surprise. Zax waved his hand around, runes flowing freely, as he answered his question. ¡°This is the control rune Ryugan setup for the castle. We can see what is happening and where from this ce. Though many parts have broken down over time and from corruption by the Abyssal entities. But we can assign resources, manage how much mana is spent on which defenses, among other things. It lets us control the castle, and this entire Astral rift, by extension.¡± ¡°Looks almost like a mini game,¡± Noah said, watching the various runes fly by. ¡°Can you see the cultists?¡± ¡°Indeed. We¡¯ve sent many of them to ces they would rather not be in via teleportation already. The rest wizened up and quickly left. But those within the castle still remain hidden. We¡¯ll need to cleanse the area on our own,¡± Zax said. ¡°I can help,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Indeed, we were hoping you would,¡± Zax said, before pointing to one section of the castle that expanded. ¡°This is the central chamber, where the root of the corruption is, if we remove this, most of it will be gone. It¡¯s very likely that the cultists have kept the Shard you seek there as well.¡± Noah saw the chamber, barely visible and flickering within the projection. Dark tendrils covered it in overgrowth that spread outwards into the entire Astral rift from within. Zax moved his hand, as the chambers shifted, and Noah saw a different section appear in front of him. ¡°This is where one of your friends is. If you vouch for them, we can bring them within the vault.¡± ¡°I can. Not that you need me to, you could stop all three of us if you wanted,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯d rather it does note to that. But we trust you, and yourpanions,¡± Zax said, as a rune spell formed at his finger tips. ¡°We¡¯ll send you to both of them, once you are ready, we¡¯ll bring you back.¡± Noah nodded, and Zax touched the rune on his fingertips onto Noah¡¯s chest. A brilliant light shed, before Noah felt his body slip into the gap between the realms, as he vanished. *** Aurelia walked through the sewers, her eyes glowing with a ming effect. She hadn¡¯t thought she could hate a ce more than her home, but thest two weeks had proved her wrong. The constant darkness, scuttling of monsters and the filth was about to drive her insane. The entire thing was a maze and she was slowly starting to go insane. With enemies all around, and her food supply empty, she was regretting evering here. Even with her constitution and rank, theck of sleepbined with the constant vignce was starting to get to her, making her paranoia shoot up through the skies. She could barely settle herself down anymore. Not unless she was meditating. Using her aura to deter any creatures that may begin to get some ideas, she sat down against the walls, closing her eyes for a brief few minutes. With a ming glow, her astral script appeared in front of her eyes. Aurelia Fauster¡¯s Astral Script Race: Human, 22 years old Rare Path of the Berserker Monk level 139. Rare Path of the metouched level 137. Legendary Path of the Cinderborn level 122. Power increased to 708. Agility increased to 518. Constitution increased to 465. Mystic increased to 578. Rare ability Fury Strike has reached level 41. Rare ability Heat Vision has reached level 39. ¡­ Legendary ability Embers of Fury has reached level 27. May your Path light the dark. Aurelia let out her breath, feeling her attributes sink within her soul. The only good thing that hade out of her being here had been the increase in her level and skills. The constantbat had been taxing, but was also good practice for her to gain a hold on her new skills. Her armor had also made most attacks barely a threat. Getting up from her meditation spot, Aurelia continued making her way, scanning the area with her heat senses to see if anything would attack. The pathway had continued to twist and turn around, but by now she was certain that she was getting close. All she had to do was to find an exit. Walking down the hallway, Aurelia continued to let embers flow past her hands, burning the many tendrils that crawled around the area, seeping into the rock and cracking the foundations. The un-death gue creating zombies was another problem she¡¯d had to keep a watch for constantly. Even small mistakes would cost her, though thankfully nothing powerful had found its way to her yet. What was happening here, it was bad, and if it spread out from the rift in a big city like Heartillia¡­ she didn¡¯t want to even think about it. A cracking noise came from nearby, and Aurelia stopped moving, holding her breath. Focusing on her senses, she listened carefully, an found footsteps. A single pair, but fast. She could sense the manaing off. It was something powerful. Keeping her guard up, Aurelia pulled her aura inwards, going still as she moved ahead without making a sound. Embers burned with a deep red across her armor and body, as she began to gather the heat she had stored over weeks. The footsteps grew nearer, moving quickly. Aurelia took a stance. Step. Step. The sound of water sshing. Too fast for a zombie. Too even. Too heavy for a skeleton. A cultist then? She could feel hints of the void manaing from it. Aurelia got ready. As the person turned the corner, she leapt, scorching grasp burning with furious mes to hold whoever it was. The next steps happened within a single fraction of a second. Blue mana shed as the man teleported, Aurelia turned sensing it behind her. She raised her gauntlet letting the spear thrust towards her deflect off of them, as she struck with her other fist, finding it caught by a monstrous arm with ws. Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°N-Noah?¡± ¡°Hey there, d to see you''re alright,¡± Noah said, smiling at the woman. Aurelia stepped back, looking at him in disbelief. ¡°A-are you actually Noah?¡± she asked, finding it hard to believe what she saw. Was she finally starting to hallucinate after spending weeks in the dark? ¡°Yup, it¡¯s me. I¡¯ve got a friend who¡¯s got a safe ce we can go to. He sent me to fetch you, and then Erwest. I already found Snow,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Oh,¡± Aurelia said, looking at him, uncertain of what to say. ¡°You look¡­ so¡­¡± she trailed off, starting to realize why she had thought he was a hallucination. ¡°Clean,¡± she finally said, ncing down at herself, with grime and filth covering her armor, her hair frazzled and her mind constantly on the edge. ¡°Yeah it looks like I¡¯ve had a better time than you. Let me bring you in and you can clean up, I¡¯m sure Zax has something like that,¡± Noah said, extending his hand. Aurelia nced down at him, slightly in disbelief, before she grasped the extended palm. A rune shed around the two of them, and she felt herself slipping into the gap between the realms. As the light faded, Aurelia closed her eyes from the bright light shing at her. It took her a moment to reorient herself, before she could finally see where she stood. A pristine marbled chamber, filled with piles of artifacts so powerful they radiated mana into the air. Magic flowed around her in boundless heaps,plex spell workingsyered upon one another to create this ce. As she looked around, her eyes finally met the man standing next to Noah. She did not need to use identify to tell who he was, or rather, what. Her spirit screamed it to her immediately, her body going stiff with terror as she saw death personified look at her, and give her a smile. ¡°Zax, this is Aurelia, the woman who¡¯s helped me more than anyone else in this realm and who I¡¯ve been traveling with since I first arrived on Erandir,¡± Noah said, before turning towards her. ¡°Aurelia this is Zax, he was a friend of the man who owned this realm and is helping us kick out the cultists from this realm. Oh, also he¡¯s a dragon.¡± Aurelia continued to look at Zax, somehow feeling even more intimidated than when he had dragged her in front of a goddess. A god had to follow rules, with their strengths being so iprehensible, it stopped registering. But a dragon? She could still feel her mind telling at her to do anything to get away. ¡°Your friend seems to have the much moremon reaction to me,¡± Zax said, ncing at Noah. ¡°I know you¡¯re having fun with it though,¡± Noah said, before looking at Aurelia. ¡°It¡¯s fine, he¡¯s a friend. You can trust me.¡± ¡°I- how- what?¡± Aurelia said, looking at Noah. ¡°I¡¯ll let your friend settle in, clean up a little and fill her in on the details. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and get your other friend in the meantime?¡± Zax said. ¡°Alright, sounds good,¡± Noah said, as the dragon snapped his fingers. A rune shed on Noah, glowed brightly before he vanished. Aurelia continued to stare, realising that she was alone now, inside what looked very much like a dragon¡¯s hoard. With said dragon standing in front of her. ¡°Hmm, where do I begin. Humans shake hands as a greeting, don¡¯t they? I¡¯m Zax, a lightning dragon, pleasure to meet you,¡± the dragon said, extending his hand. Aurelia looked at him in confusion. ¡°Perhaps not, may just be a thing Noah does then. I¡¯m not caught up on human customs,¡± the dragon said. ¡°Let me help you clean up first.¡± As the dragon snapped his fingers, Aurelia felt every little bit of grime from her body vanish, leaving her feeling refreshed. There was even a slight smell of flowersing from her now. ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± Zax said, nodding to himself as if he¡¯d done some difficult task correctly. ¡°Would you like to rest a little before Noah returns?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh- uhh,¡± Aurelia found her words failing and simply gave a nod. The dragon snapped his fingers, as seats appeared in the chamber for her to sit on, morefortable than anything she¡¯d ever sat on. ¡°These were obtained by Ryugan especially for himself. They have a spell to increase the restfulness created by sleep ten fold and were crafted by-¡° Zax said, but the words began to fade. A spell pulsed over Aurelia and she found all her weeks of tension slip past her instantly, as she fell asleep. Book 2: Chapter 55 — Freedom Book 2: Chapter 55 ¡ª Freedom With a light groan, Snow felt consciousness return to her heavy body. Slowly, she opened her eyes to a marbled chamber she had never seen before. Pale light filled the insides of the room, voices whispered nearby as a blurred figure appeared in front of her, cing their hand upon her forehead. She enjoyed the sensation of warmthing from the hand, the feeling luring her back towards sleep. She had beenfortable, away from the pain, worries and nightmares. Just endless dark. But her body didn¡¯t seem as inclined, almost aching to wake up. She opened her eyes once more, her vision more clear now, as she saw a man standing above her, an unfamiliar face, with sharp slit eyes telling her he wasn¡¯t human. ¡°How do you feel, child?¡± the man asked, his voice deep and soothing. Snow looked at him nkly, not understanding what was happening, yet his words held apulsion, and she spoke without even realizing it. ¡°Better,¡± she said, and found the words alien. Whose voice was that? It was¡­ deeper. Smooth and firm, without any stutter in it. She touched her throat, finding it changed somehow. The man smiled at her response. ¡°The gue has been purged from you, but as a result of the treatment, you¡¯ve also aged like you should have in all those years.¡± Snow slowly raised herself up, realizing she had been lying down on something extremelyfortable. Even her clothes were new, not hers. Yet the most striking changes remained underneath them. Her body had grown, her limbs growing to be much longer, her frame had changed, there was more definition present in her thighs, legs, waist and arms. Her chest had grown as well, giving her a much more feminine lookpared to her scrawny childlike self that had constantly appeared malnourished. Snow looked up at the man next to her in confusion. Failing to find the right words to ask him. Too many things moved around in her mind right now. How had she even survived in the first ce? And¡­ and what about the other Noah? Was he okay? ¡°We can tell you are confused. That much is natural. To answer the questions you seem to be working up to, Noah brought you to us, and we cured you of the gue from the zombies. As a result, your body has grown, drinking in the life-force it had lost feeding the void fiend inside of you. So you now have the physique you already should¡¯ve had. Here, you can see for yourself.¡± At the man¡¯s words, a mirror floated in front of her, and Snow saw a stranger reflected there. A young woman sat on the bed, a beautiful dress covering her body. Her horns had also grown, slightlyrger and more defined now, her face was sharper, but not in a malnourished way, and for ack of a better word, she looked¡­ beautiful. Her skin was still pale, but no longer did it look sickly, and her hair had taken on a deep ck lustre, almost shining under the light. Watching her reflection in the mirror, she felt horror growing inside of her. She looked like a delicate young woman now instead of the scrawny girl she had been. Even if Vix herself didn¡¯t do anything to her, she would no longer appear as a child. What would she do if her men tried to do something to her? Being beautiful was a curse to a ve. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want to look like this¡­ The way I was¡­ it was better. Safer. I want to go back to that,¡± Snow said, looking at the man, almost pleading him to change her back. A sad expression took over the man¡¯s face. ¡°We have seen many ves, child. A lot came to seek Ryugan for refuge, and thus, we had met many just like you. But time made us forget the pain, dulled its edges. Even after everything Ryugan had done, it was one of his greatest regrets that he could not truly abolish the vile practice,¡± the man said, cing a hand on her shoulder. ¡°Look again, this time at your neck.¡± Snow followed his words, though she did not understand why. What about her neck¡ª Her mind froze at what she saw. Reality not quite settling in upon her. She touched her neck, feeling her hand at her throat. As she had before. But the realisation had never even made it to her mind. Her cor¡­ the chain that had bound her for so many years was gone. ¡°I know it can take some time to ept what you see, but the truth is in front of your eyes. The choices you make no longer have to depend upon others, and what they wish you to be.¡± Snow looked at the man next to her, telling her that she was freed, when she¡¯d long ago lost even the slightest hope. ¡°Did¡­ did you do it?¡± she asked, trying to make sense of her circumstances. ¡°It was Noah. He brought you here, and broke your chains. We are a little restricted ourselves, you see,¡± the man said, raising his hand as she saw aplex runic shackle around his wrist. With the ease he moved, with which he used his magic, she struggled to see him as being bound. ¡°Though it will not take us long to break these, but other matters require our attention first. One of which had been keeping you alive.¡± Snow looked at the man, trying to think of something to say. Yet, she felt nothing. She was free now, but a part of her almost wanted to return to the chains. To be bound again. That¡¯s how she saw her life, as a ve. That¡¯s what she had been for almost half of her life now. What was she to do now? The freedom felt terrifying. What if they caught her again? ¡°We know that look, girl. We¡¯ve seen it many times. Those who have been chained for too long, often forget what it means to be free. The chains seep into their minds, their spirits. And while Noah may have broken the chains on your neck, we would like to help you break the chains within your mind,¡± the man said, as magic began to glow upon his fingertip. The ball of light floated off his finger, before slowly sinking within Snow¡¯s chest. Darkness began to seep into her vision, the man¡¯s voice growing distant. ¡°These are memories. Your own memories. They will remind you, what you have forgotten.¡± *** Snow looked around herself, feeling her mind muddled. What had she been doing? ¡°Snow! Don¡¯t stop, we have to go home before the sun sets!¡± a girl¡¯s voice came from ahead. Snow¡¯s attention snapped back. Oh right, she was collecting sticks for burning with her sister. She needed to get back or mom and dad would get mad at her. Letting out a breath that puffed into a white cloud, Snow ran ahead to catch up to her sister. ¡°Wait!¡± she called out, huffing against the weight of the sticks in her basket. Her sister looked back at her, face flushed against the cold of winter. ¡°Do you think snow will fall tonight?¡± Snow¡¯s face scrunched. ¡°I hope not. Work will be so much harder tomorrow.¡± Her sisterughed at her words. ¡°It¡¯s always so funny to me that you dislike snow that much. Mother should¡¯ve named you Snow-hater if anything.¡± Snow stuck out her tongue at her sister¡¯s giggles, though she eventually found herselfughing alongside her as well. As the two girls walked down the hilly path, her sister stopped. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± she asked. ¡°What?¡± Snow said, trying to pick up on the sound. ¡°It sounds like an animal crying,¡± her sister said, ncing around, before she began to head towards the sound. Snow followed behind, curious, as they walked off the path. ¡°Here!¡± her sister said, jumping down a small incline, as she found a tiny cavern. Snow peered from behind her sister, watching the animal. ¡°It¡¯s a puppy!¡± Snow eximed, trying to rush in when her sister caught her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t. It¡¯s a monster,¡± she said, her voice tense. Snow looked at her sister in surprise, before ncing at the little creature. A small pup, with ck fur, and a white scar on its forehead. It looked at the two of them warily, blood flowing from its wounds. ¡°But¡­¡± Snow protested. ¡°We don¡¯t help monsters,¡± her sister said, ending the argument. ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Snow looked at the pup, watching its eyes regarding her silently as she was led back home. After returning, Snow put down her dry-wood, moving around the house. Her mother stood in the kitchen, cooking while her sister told her what they saw. Her mother shook her head, saying something, but Snow didn¡¯t hear it. She walked around, back to her and her sister¡¯s room, yet her mind was still on the pup she saw. Within a few minutes, the sun began to set and her mother¡¯s voice came, telling her it was time for dinner time. Snow sat down with her family, her father back from the hunt in the woods. ¡°How was it?¡± her sister asked. ¡°Not great. There¡¯s been something wrong with game this winter. We may have to get some food from the nearby towns,¡± her father said. ¡°I hear there are cultists moving around these parts. The girls saw a void fiend in the woods today,¡± her mother said. ¡°What¡¯s a void fiend?¡± Snow asked, looking at her mother. ¡°It¡¯s a monster. A bad monster,¡± her sister said, doing her best impression of a roaring monster. Snow ignored her sister. ¡°But it was a puppy!¡± ¡°They don¡¯t all look like monsters, dear. But they¡¯re still dangerous, now eat your food before it gets cold,¡± her mother chided. ¡°Try to avoid that path from now on. I¡¯ll let the other hunters know to kill the fiend by tomorrow,¡± her father added. Snow¡¯s eyes widened. They were going to kill that puppy? But¡­ why? It was a kid, and it was hurt. Shouldn¡¯t they help it? The topic changed, something about harvest and Snow lost interest. As her father talked, she silently tore a chunk from her bread, hiding it under her clothes, before quickly finishing her meal. Waiting afterwards, Snow remained in her room as the sky turned dark. As night fully settled upon the world, and Snow heard the sound of her sister¡¯s even breathing, she opened her eyes. Carefully rising, she walked out of the house, before heading out into the forest with the food. Rushing through the woods, she looked around, eventually finding the area. Walking inside, slowly she offered the bread, as the pup yapped at her, trying to bite her hand. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± she said, leaving the food in front of it, as she moved back. The pup did not move, keeping its eyes on her, and Snow sat silently, content to watch it. Time passed, the night growing colder, and after just a few minutes, it began to quickly devour the piece of bread. ¡°You must¡¯ve been hungry huh?¡± she said, reaching out as she gently began to rub its head. The pup pulled back for a second, but decided the food was worth the risk and began to eat again. ¡°I have to go back now. But I¡¯ll bring you some more food tomorrow.¡± Snow said. The pup ate thest bit of its bread, looking up at Snow as she stood up. Slowly, it moved closer, letting out a howl. ¡°I wish I could take you with me. But I can¡¯t. Don¡¯t stay here though, the hunters might try to hurt you,¡± Snow said, before giving it onest pet. The wolf looked at her, its eyes ncing at her with a strange intelligence. A momentter, dark wisps flowed from it, as the wolf¡¯s body dissipated, before mingling back into her shadow. Snow¡¯s eyes widened, as she saw the wolf vanish. But she could feel its presence somehow, inside of her shadow. A momentter, the wolf returned to physical form. ¡°You can do that?¡± she asked, and the wolf pup growled in response. Somehow, she knew it was answering her. ¡°Wow¡­ you¡¯re really smart huh? Okay, if you can hide in my shadow then I can take you home. And the hunters will just think you ran away.¡± The wolf pup nodded, before once again jumping into her shadow. ¡°I¡¯ll need a name for you though,¡± Snow said, thinking to herself. ¡°How about Shadow? That sounds like a nice name!¡± The wolf pup, Shadow, let out a quiet growl, letting her know he was pleased. Snow smiled to herself, as she began to quickly make her way back home. She¡¯d gained a new friend today. *** Snow opened her eyes, the memory slipping away. Tears flowed down her cheeks, and she found herself unable to stop them. The man put a hand upon her shoulder, as Snow found herself breaking down into sobs. ¡°Let it out child. It is better to do so now, than to keep the pain inside,¡± the man said. ¡°Noah and his friends have gone to cleanse the nearby area of monsters. By the time they return, we will discuss what needs to be done next. But until then, take all the time you need. We are here with you.¡± Snow¡¯s cries continued, years of pain echoing through her as she wrapped her hands around the man she did not even know, and simply let herself sink into thefort of his warmth. She felt Shadow in her chest, silent, watching, the one friend she still had from all that time. The one thing she had never lost, even when everything else had been taken from her. The cries eventually faded, slowing down as a new emotion rose in front of her. She pulled back from the man, wiping at her eyes, a new determination rising in her chest. ¡°This ce is a trap and I need to tell the others,¡± Snow said, looking at the man. As she did, she touched her neck, feeling at the missing cor. ¡°I¡­ I also want to help. Help Noah, and the others. I want to grow stronger. For both me and Shadow. I know I have no right to ask But¡­ can you help me?¡± The man smiled. ¡°We will, child. But first, perhaps you would like to speak more of this trap,¡± the man said, as a glowing circle appeared in their chamber and Snow saw Noah, Aurelia and Erwest return together. She looked at the man, giving him a nod. Shadow stirred in her chest, sending her a rumbling sensation offort. I know, Shadow. Snow replied, touching her chest. She was free now. No. They were free now. Both of them. And they would never be bound again. Book 2: Chapter 56 — Id like to help Book 2: Chapter 56 ¡ª I''d like to help Noah and the rest sat on the sofa Zax had summoned, their gazes collectively resting on Snow, waiting for her to speak. Noah suspected she would need some time, but Snow had simply shook her head in response, her eyes far more determined that he¡¯d ever seen her. It was almost as if her spirits had finally been freed, and Noah couldn¡¯t help but feel pleased. Snow took a deep breath, raising her gaze as she looked at the three of them. ¡°Vix set you up in a trap. She¡¯d ordered me to attack Noah once the contract ended. To do that, she is nning to appear whenever Noah finds the trap.¡± Noah heard the words, ncing sideways at Aurelia and Erwest, who both gave him a nce as well. A momentter, he shrugged. ¡°I kinda expected something like that already.¡± ¡°We all did, really. Her offer was too suspicious,¡± Aurelia said. Snow looked at them, her turn to be surprised. ¡°B-but¡­ then why did you agree?¡± ¡°Better for Vix to think we¡¯re ying to her tune than to be wary,¡± Erwest said. ¡°You said when Noah got the Shard. Not any of us three. Does she know about his-¡° Aurelia paused, ncing at Noah. ¡°She might¡¯ve known that I was nning to just absorb the Shard. Technically, after doing that if I went to her, it would¡¯ve still fulfilled the contract, on the off chance that she stuck to her word,¡± Noah said. Snow looked between the three, starting to feel confused. ¡°Sorry, I- what do you mean absorb¡­ it¡¯s a¡­ it¡¯s a god¡¯s shard right? How can you just¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got one, and I can get other pieces. Not sure how I got it, or from where, but it¡¯s kinda why I¡¯m on Erandir in the first ce,¡± Noah said. ¡°I just know that I don¡¯t want to let the cult get its hands on the Shard.¡± Snow looked at Noah, trying to process all the information. ¡°Okay- I see. I do know something else too. Vix hid this very carefully, and I think the only reason I found this out was because she did not think there was any way to break my cor. But the person on whose orders she has been doing all this, is none other than Lord Krios.¡± Once again, the three of them looked at each other. Aurelia groaned, covering her face. ¡°I¡¯d been trying to convince myself that I was wrong.¡± ¡°Guess we owe Erwest an apology. He caught on immediately,¡± Noah said. ¡°Nothing of the sort. Krios is a tricky man, and even I doubted myself once,¡± Erwest replied. ¡°You knew?¡± Snow said, bbergasted. ¡°But- how?¡± ¡°Too convenient. He called us here, us specifically, when he could¡¯ve used any of his own men or adventurers, then asked us to go into the rift, then we find out about the Shard which Noah can¡¯t ignore, and you, who he¡¯d definitely want to try and free,¡± Aurelia said, and then paused. ¡°Still, his reasons all made sense. The biggest thing holding me back is¡­ why? I still can¡¯t find any reason for the Lord to work with the cult. Unless, did the divine light fail to find him out as a cultist?¡± ¡°Not possible. You cannot trick the All-Mother¡¯s light. He is not a cultist,¡± Erwest replied. ¡°Hmm, Krios. Is that the name of the man?¡±Zax asked. Aurelia and Erwest stopped for a second, forgetting a dragon was seated right next to them. ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah replied. ¡°He¡¯s the Lord of Heartilia. Very influential and powerful guy.¡± ¡°It¡¯d make sense that they could infiltrate the guild if it was with his help. But the question just won¡¯t leave my mind. Why? Why would a Lord like him do this? It¡¯s one thing for some countryside baron to aim for power but Lord Krios? He has nothing to gain by working with the cult,¡± Aurelia said, frowning. ¡°Maybe they are threatening him?¡± Noah said. ¡°If the cult had that much power, we would have long been doomed. He¡¯s an A ranker.¡± ¡°And we have a dragon on our side,¡± Noah said, ncing at Zax with a smirk. ¡°Which only really evens the scales, at best. Zax is still suppressed by the chains and even at full strength, if there¡¯s anything that can match a dragon in power, it¡¯s an A ranker,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°We can break these chains. This ce has the tools, all we will need is some time. And we can create more of that, if need be. But first, we need to understand what we are up against,¡± Zax said. ¡°Well, there¡¯s Lord Krios, possibly his men too though I doubt it. Vix and her goons, and the entire abyssal cult vs the four of us,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Five. I¡¯ll fight too,¡± Snow added, a determined look in her eyes. ¡°I know you want to Snow but as things stand you¡¯ll only get hurt,¡± Aurelia said. Snow touched her chest, dark wisps rising from her fingertips. ¡°Shadow is strong. With him, I can fight too.¡± ¡°Before we start getting too excited, there is one thing I would like to bring up too,¡± Erwest said, cutting through the conversation. ¡°While we were separated, did any of you notice these clots of life inter spread all throughout the rift? I¡¯ve been thinking on those. That¡¯s the spell we¡¯ve been looking for isn¡¯t it? The thing drawing the life-force from everybody outside and funneling it into a spell.¡± ¡°Well yeah, makes sense that it is, the cultists had ess to this rift for a while. What¡¯s your point?¡± Noah asked. Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Hold on, so if this Shard of a dead god is here, then why have they not used it to open a rift already?¡± ¡°Unless they have deceived you, and the Shard isn¡¯t here,¡± Zax added. Noah opened his quest, looking at it once again. Quest: Shards of [???] There is a Shard of [???] in an Astral Rift Vault. Find it, and obtain it for yourself. Difficult: Extremely Hard Reward: Unknown. ¡°No, it¡¯s definitely here. I can tell that much,¡± Noah said. ¡°But if it is, perhaps they can¡¯t ess it. Not without you. This entire time, both Krios and Vix had been focused on Noah quite heavily. Maybe their goal had been to bring you into the rift from the start?¡± Aurelia said. ¡°It would exin certain things,¡± Erwest said. Noah frowned to himself. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a trap, the Shard is too valuable to leave it in cultist hands.¡± ¡°Even if going to them may be what puts it in their hands in the first ce? Walking into a trap knowingly is madness,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°No, because if we know it''s a trap, we''ll be prepared for it,¡± Noah said. ¡°That''s not how it works. We don''t know what exactly they''re nning to do. Or what the trap may be,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°We can see that for you,¡± Zax said, ncing at a little projection in his hand. ¡°They have powerful veils, but nothing that we can¡¯t pierce with some effort.¡± ¡°Even so, I think Noah should sit out of this one. It¡¯s too risky to bring him into a trap set specifically for him,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°That¡¯s one less person to fight alongside you. Even if Zax can handle Krios, can just the three of you take on Vix and the entire cult?¡± Noah said. ¡°Having you would not improve our odds by much either would it?¡± ¡°Unless we can bring him up to D rank,¡± Zax said in Noah¡¯s ce before the dragon regarded Noah. ¡°You are close aren¡¯t you?¡± Noah gave him a nod. ¡°In this vault, with our equipment, we can give you some time. All of you. To prepare for the battle that is uing. There is no need to try and rush into things,¡± the dragon said, leaning back on the sofa. ¡°Not to mention. If we are to fight the vermin, it would not do for us to leave a single one alive.¡± The dragon¡¯s aura red for a moment, a predatory smirk showing his non-human face lurking beneath. ¡°This is madness,¡± Aureliamented. ¡°We should leave this ce and inform the guild of the cult¡¯s ns and take them out.¡± ¡°That does not solve our problems. The rift still remains under the cult¡¯s control, and can we even exit this ce right now?¡± Zax frowned. ¡°You bring up a good point. There¡¯s a spell locking the astral rift. We could try and break it, but the realm would copse with the spell.¡± Aurelia cursed under her breath. ¡°So¡­ guess our options are simple. We fight. I like that,¡± Noah said. ¡°Sometimes, the simplest answers are the best ones,¡± Zax added. ¡°I still don¡¯t think Noah should be with us. It increases the risk too much,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I agree with Aurelia. If Noah is what they want, bringing them into their trap will simply be us ying into their hand,¡± Erwest added. ¡°But losing even one person is still a big blow,¡± Snow said. ¡°We don¡¯t have any other choice,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°You do have a choice,¡± a voice said. Noah¡¯s voice, yet not the Noah who sat in front of them. Noah spun, spear in his hand, as he turned it towards the projection, rising from the shadows wearing his cloak. ¡°Hey there me,¡± the projection said, hands raised. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Noah asked, eyes narrowed. The projection nced behind him for a second, before dropping his hands by his side. ¡°I¡¯d like to help.¡± Book 2: Chapter 57 — Spectral Shadow Book 2: Chapter 57 ¡ª Spectral Shadow Noah raised his spear at the projection, watching it stand there with its hands raised. ¡°Give me one reason not to kill you immediately,¡± Noah said. "What a mean way to greet yourself,¡± the spectre replied, not showing any fear. ¡°What¡¯s going on Noah?¡± Auerlia asked, looking at the spectre in confusion. ¡°One of my projections ran away. Not sure why but it was after it encountered the Abyssal cult. I¡¯m thinking they did something. Regardless, I don¡¯t want an evil clone running around,¡± Noah said. ¡°He helped me,¡± Snow said, standing up. ¡°I only survived because he helped me out. We took out all the life clots spread everywhere too.¡± Noah nced at Snow, surprised for a moment, before looking back at the spectre. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Will you trust me if I say yes?¡± he asked, shrugging. Noah looked into the spectre¡¯s eyes for a moment, before he lowered his spear. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a lot to say besides what I already did. I want to help,¡± the spectre replied. ¡°Or maybe you just want the Shard,¡± Noah said. ¡°Maybe I do. Maybe I don¡¯t,¡± the spectre replied, non chnt. ¡°Why did you run away? You could¡¯ve told me what happened,¡± Noah said. ¡°Well, at the time I didn¡¯t really know, but I¡¯ve had some time since then to think. There¡¯s multiple answers, so I¡¯ll start with the first one. I didn¡¯t want to die.¡± Now frowned. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve changed in some ways. The levels and status, both have changed me. Maybe at the time I still could¡¯ve merged back with you, but now that seems unlikely. I used Devourer. It gave me mana, and made me grow. But perhaps I grew too much. Instead of a limb, I be more¡­ of a person instead?¡± ¡°You are correct, spectre,¡± Zax said, breaking his silence. ¡°But you are notplete yet. You can tell, can¡¯t you?¡± The spectre looked at Zax, giving him a nod. ¡°What does that mean?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It means that your spirit has the ability to regrow itself Noah. Like a tree branch that can grow roots and be its own tree. When you make your projections, you split your spirit, and this one, has grown into its own tree. But itcks a soul still. So it is not entirely separate from you yet,¡± Zax said. Noah nced back. ¡°So that means I can still kill it and fix the problem?¡± ¡°Whoa man, bloodthirsty aren¡¯t you?¡± the spectre said. ¡°Shut up. Just looking at your face annoys me,¡± Noah spat back. Aurelia gave Noah a look, but he didn¡¯t reply. ¡°Not quite. We do not think killing the spectre would do anything at this point. A child cannot be the parent again. Not with that method. But first, we will let the spectre speak,¡± Zax said. ¡°Right, where was I? Yeah, why I ran. The first reason you know now. The second is¡­ a little moreplicated. Have you noticed that whenever you make us, we¡¯re not all quite the same?¡± ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Well, I got your sense of self preservation. The one you have tried so very long to keep in check. Guess what happens when that bes free?¡± the spectre said. Noah looked at it, trying to make sense of its words. ¡°So because of that you don¡¯t want to die?¡± ¡°The opposite. Because of it, I don¡¯t want us to die. To me, you¡¯re still me. More me than I am in some ways. There is this nagging voice in my head that is telling you to keep you alive, even if it means forcing you into a box and shoving you into my dimensional storage,¡± the spectre said. ¡°You don¡¯t get to choose my actions,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I know, which is why I¡¯m here. Trying to help,¡± the spectre replied. ¡°I can¡¯t trust you. Not until you be a part of me again,¡± Noah said. ¡°The almighty dragon says we can¡¯t. But you¡¯re more than free to try,¡± the spectre replied. Noah raised his spear, and the spectre bared its fists. Ready to fight if it came down to it. ¡°Stop,¡± Zax said, raising his hand. ¡°There is a way still.¡± Noah and the spectre both looked at Zax, listening intently. ¡°You two are not unlike twins. Identical, but not the same. No, in some ways, you are even more simr than twins are. You share the same spirit and soul after all. But while the previous connection has been lost, nothing stops us from creating a new one,¡± Zax said. ¡°How?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Spectre, would you be willing to be a part of Noah, if it meant you still got to keep your sense of self?¡± Zax asked. The spectre thought over it. ¡°I¡¯m not too opposed to the idea.¡± ¡°Noah, would you be willing to ept the spectre, if it was a part of you, independent, but still you?¡± Noah thought over it as well. ¡°I can work with that.¡± Zax nodded. ¡°Very well, thenstly. Would you be willing to sacrifice that cloak, as a price for this bond? It will not be gone, but it will be a part of the spectre instead. But as a price, you yourself will not be able to use it.¡± Noah shrugged. ¡°I never liked it anyway, so that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Very well. In that case, we have a way,¡± Zax said, walking closer. Turning towards the spectre he pointed to the cloak. ¡°Hand it to us.¡± The spectre looked at Noah warily for a second, but handed the cloak to the dragon. Magic red around the cloak, invisible shadowy wisps rising from upon it. ¡°A work of art, not seen anymore in the world. A fine piece, this is. And a fine tool for what we require of it.¡± The cloak slowly began to dissolve, before eventually it converted into a ball of shadow threads, intangible, yet present, floating above Zax¡¯s palm. ¡°Spectre, absorb this,¡± Zax said. The Spectre looked at it in confusion. ¡°You can, can¡¯t you?¡± Zax asked. A momentter, the spectre¡¯s eyes widened, before a grin formed on its face. ¡°Ahahaha, I¡¯d never even considered- man we have a lot to learn.¡± Zax smiled as well as the spectre took the shadowy ball, closing his eyes. A momentter, something shifted as the threads began to flow into the spectre, changing it. Dark wisps began to flow into the spectre, altering its body, and a momentter, the figure copsed turning into a dark shadow within the ground as, moving around freely before it rose back up again. ¡°Noah, use your chains to bind the spectre back to yourself,¡± Zax said. Noah nodded, letting his runic chains form. The spectre stood still as the chains slowly began to wrap around it one by one, runes flowing into its body. The two of them looked at each other, a swirl of magical runes surrounding them, as Noah felt some part of his soul pulling at the spectre, and sighing in relief as the gap left in him was closed. With a flowing pull of mana, the spectre dissolved into dark motes, flowing into Noah¡¯s body. Perk [Spectral Shadow] unlocked! Noah felt a burst of energy and memories flow into his mind in a wave. [Spectral Shadow (Unique)] Your shadow is a spectre, one with its own free will, but still bound by your spirit and soul. All experience obtained by the spectre will be granted to you. Title [Progenitor] obtained! [Progenitor] You are the progenitor of an entirely new race of astral creatures. Find your abilities permanently increased. All attributes have increased by 5% Bloodline Perk [Astral Spirit] unlocked! [Astral Spirit (Bloodline)] All members of your bloodline will inherit your ability to form spirit spectres, and all spectres within the world will follow your will. Mystic attribute increased by 5% Race change initiated. Race: Human (Modified/Symbiont) ¡ú Astral Humanoid (Symbiont) [Exsanguinator] has reached level 98. [Astralwalker] has reached level 95. [Void Hunter] has reached level 96. Power: 352 ¡ú 401. Agility: 388 ¡ú 423. Constitution: 350 ¡ú 384. Mystic: 456 ¡ú 507. Free attributes: 4 ¡ú 88. Blood Drain has reached level 25! Bleed has reached level 26! Lifeblood has reached level 24! ¡­ Hunter¡¯s Mark has reached level 10! Netherme Burst has reached level 8! [Bleed] has ranked up to Advanced! [Blood Drain] has ranked up to Advanced! [Bloodfly Storm] has ranked up to Intermediate! [Blink] has ranked up to Advanced! [Celestial Harvest] has ranked up to Advanced! [Astral Projection] has ranked up to Intermediate! [Obliterate] has ranked up to Advanced! [Void Hunter¡¯s Senses] has ranked up to Advanced! [Hunter¡¯s Mark] has ranked up to Advanced! [Astral Projection] resonates with [Astral Spirit]. [Astral Projection] has evolved into [Astral Spectre]! [Astral Spectre] Your spirit can form seeds, each one capable of growth, that can be harvested by you as you please. Be capable of forming spectres that can grow over time. Noah closed his eyes, feeling a vast pool of energy filling him, as he was changed in some crucial way. Guess I¡¯m officially no longer human. Slowly opening his eyes, Noah saw Zax standing in front of him, watching him in silence. He looked down at himself, finding his body mostly the same, yet the changes that had happened, invisible though they may be, had been significant. ¡°How do you feel?¡± the dragon asked. ¡°Mostly the same,¡± Noah replied, moving his body around. ¡°Says I¡¯m no longer human.¡± ¡°You barely were even when we met you,¡± Zax replied. ¡°I guess that¡¯s true,¡± Noah replied. A momentter, his shadow stirred, the spectre rising from the ground as it stood in front of him. It ¡°Whoa, that was¡­ weird.¡± ¡°Guess I¡¯m stuck with this guy now,¡± Noah said, looking at the Shadow spectre. ¡°Aren¡¯t you d. I¡¯m like your second inmand. Also, now that I¡¯m a part of you again, I can tell how sloppy you were when creating us. You do know that you have absolute control on every ability we can ess yeah? Kinda dumb to include Dimensional Pocket and Devourer in that you know,¡± the spectre said, shrugging. ¡°You only have yourself to me.¡± Noah¡¯s eyebrow twitched. ¡°Excuse me for not figuring out how an entirely new ability works. Unlike everything else, this one didn¡¯t evene with a clear feeling of how.¡± ¡°Unique abilities are created by you, anyone else who inherits this ability will have the guidance of your soul, but you will have to pave your own way with them,¡± Zax replied. ¡°Maybe don¡¯t do that again, unless you want more free clones running around,¡± the spectre said, before dissolving into little motes of darkness as it returned to Noah¡¯s shadow. Noah shook his head. ¡°This is a bunch of stuff, I¡¯ll need some time to process.¡± ¡°As is natural. And I assume, the rest would like to take some time as well to prepare before we head in for battle,¡± Zax said. The rest nodded, Snow in particr. ¡°That was strange to watch,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°With that done, we should discuss what our next steps should be,¡± Erwest added. Noah nodded. The specter in his shadow moved, smiling, as his thoughts were conveyed to Noah. A momentter, Noah¡¯s own expression turned into a smile as he looked at everybody else. ¡°I¡¯ve got a n.¡± Book 2: Chapter 58 — Game Plan Book 2: Chapter 58 ¡ª Game n The rest of the group looked to Noah at his words. The spectre continued to grin from the shadows, as Noah began to exin. ¡°There¡¯s a few things we know so far. First, the trap might be specifically set for me. So most likely they¡¯ll be waiting for me. In that case, me going alone is kind of a stupid choice. But¡ª¡° ¡°I don¡¯t like where this is going,¡± Aurelia interrupted. ¡°¡ªWhat if, I did go alone? But not quite me,¡± Noah said. ¡°What do you- oh,¡± Aurelia said. The rest had caught on as well within a second. ¡°How does that help? The clone gets caught and dies, they find out we know about the trap, but the Shard is still with them.¡± ¡°No, I think I know what he¡¯s thinking of,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Noah. ¡°If Noah uses his dimensional pocket, or rather, the shadow clone does¡­¡± Noah grinned. ¡°Exactly. I can enter my own dimensional pocket, but so far, I had no way to move around when I did so. I would simply reappear where I had entered it. But now, I can move around.¡± See? I¡¯m already being useful, the spectre said, snickering. Noah rolled his eyes, but continued. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s a good idea,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°But it still puts you at risk.¡± ¡°We¡¯re afraid there¡¯s one major w. You can¡¯t hold us inside your dimensional pocket,¡± Zax said. ¡°True. And not having Zax would reduce our firepower by a lot, even if we can catch them off-guard,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Would they not expect the dragon? They should¡¯ve noticed that he¡¯s been freed,¡± Erwest said. ¡°No, that much we¡¯ve taken care of. It has not been long since our chains were broken, and we made sure no cultists were left alive outside the castle when we entered with Noah. Those on the inside have been trapped here, and cannot leave its premises. They have no way back out,¡± Zax added. ¡°So an ambush, for the ambush huh?¡± Aurelia said. Zax waved his hand, showing the centre of the castle. ¡°This is where the remaining cultists are,¡± he said, as glowing marks lit up near the centre. ¡°In this chamber, is the source of the spell connected to this entire realm and beyond. The Shard is at its core, powering the spell. And most likely being fed by it.¡± A disy of the shard came upon the projection, glowing in gold, with tendrils of red spell lines spreading out beyond the castle. ¡°So the trap is likely there as well?¡± ¡°Indeed. This area is still not clear, so our scrying is limited, but they¡¯ve most likely put the trap there. But even before that, there is another challenge,¡± Zax said, as the map shifted. ¡°At the entrance to this chamber is a beast, guarding it. To reach the center, you will have to defeat the beast first.¡± ¡°How strong is it?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Stronger than you can handle,¡± Zax replied. ¡°The beast is close to B rank, if not quite over the mark. As you are now, you would lose.¡± Noah raised an eyebrow, but did not question the dragon¡¯s words. ¡°If all four of you went here, you could take it down. But alone, Noah will not be able to. Especially while also keeping people inside his Dimensional Pocket,¡± Zax added. ¡°So¡­ what then?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°We could eliminate it, but not without revealing our presence to the enemy,¡± Zax said, raising his hands. ¡°Not with these still on us.¡± Noah frowned, watching the map floating in front of Zax. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a pre final-boss guardian fight right?¡± ¡°A what?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°A pre final-boss guardian. Basically, it¡¯s- a fight that tends to be gimmick based. Think about it, why would the cultists not want me to enter their trap. Makes no sense, yeah?¡± Noah said. ¡°Indeed. It is a bit strange,¡± Erwest said. ¡°Well, what if they put the monster there to guard the Shard. Which makes sense, they wouldn¡¯t want to risk someone else getting there. And when they see me, or us, really. They could just artificially weaken the guardian, make the fight easier for us. Make us think we¡¯ve won, cleared their hurdle, and then while we least expect it, they spring a trap upon us,¡± Noah said, ncing around at the others. ¡°It¡¯s exactly the kind of sleazy trick I expect Vix to pull on us.¡± ¡°But even if so, it¡¯s still risky to send your Shadow to fight alone. And it doesn¡¯t solve the problem of how we could bring Zax with us,¡± Aurelia said. Noah turned to look at the dragon. ¡°Could you scry if lord Krios is in this realm?¡± Zax frowned. ¡°We do not think so. The man was careful, even with us. We do not think he would be present there.¡± ¡°I think we can do it by ourselves then. If it really is a trap, and if it¡¯s only Vix and the cultist, I think we can take them down. And if things go wrong, nothing¡¯s stopping Zax from barging in and zapping everything to oblivion,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯ll still be taking on a risk,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°We¡¯re adventurers. That¡¯s kind of our job, isn¡¯t it?¡± Noah said, smiling. Zaxughed at his words. ¡°I don¡¯t like how much you enjoy doing things like this,¡± Aurelia said, shaking her head. ¡°It is reasonable enough,¡± Erwest said, surprising Aurelia and earning a stare from her. ¡°We have a dragon on our side,¡± the pdin said. ¡°Do you think the lord can stop him?¡± ¡°But- well- I mean¡­¡± Aurelia failed to find a reply, and then sighed once more. ¡°Fine, I guess it¡¯s a reasonable enough risk this time.¡± ¡°Something you are forgetting, is to ask how you intend to use the Lord. Do you have any evidence? Because the word of this child alone will not suffice,¡± Zax said. ¡°We could capture Vix,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°As bitter as it may be, but keeping her alive could help us get a testimony against Krios. If he truly is as guilty as imed.¡± ¡°Even if not, someone is. And having Vix with us will allow us to get some evidence atst about who¡¯s behind all this,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°The church of Hellion will also be participating in the investigations. Some of which are already underway,¡± Erwest added. ¡°It¡¯s not going to be easy to make her speak. What if she has an escape route ready? She does have the advantage on us in terms of location and preparation,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°We can take care of that much,¡± Zax said. ¡°While you head towards the chamber, we¡¯ll clear out the remnants of the cultists and the abyssal spawn, before setting up an anti-teleportation ward. No one will be able to leave or enter the Astral Rift unless we want them to.¡± ¡°Alright, sounds like we have everything we need,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯ll need some time to prepare the spell, and a little more to work on Snow¡¯s Path. In the meantime, go and clear out the remnants of the abyssal spawn outside Noah, and get to level 100 if you can. Take some time to check your progress as well. Even if you can¡¯t rank up here, it will still be significant to be at the cusp before you enter the fight,¡± Zax said, ncing sideways. ¡°The battle ahead will help with what you can unlock when you do select your path evolutions.¡± ¡°Guess that¡¯s as good a ce as any to start,¡± Noah said. ¡°What about us?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°We see no reason why you can¡¯t obtain some more levels before the fight alongside him,¡± Zax replied. Aurelia nodded, and so did Erwest. The spectre moved around in Noah¡¯s shadow, excited at the prospect of growth. Perhaps even more so than Noah himself. Zax looked at the three of them, and then with a silent incantation, cast a spell. A sh of runes spun around the three, and a momentter, they were gone. Book 2: Chapter 59 — A New Path Book 2: Chapter 59 ¡ª A New Path Snow watched Noah and the rest vanish, before her eyes turned towards the Dragon standing next to her. She still wasn¡¯t sure what to make of him, she¡¯d certainly heard of dragons before, but none quite like this. She had pictured them being¡­ a lot more fearsome and terrifying. Zax turned to look at her, with a gaze she couldn¡¯t really read. ¡°Do you feel uncertain about your choice now?¡± Snow shook her head. ¡°No, I want to help. I-I want to be free. And, I feel like, as long as I remain weak. I can never truly be free.¡± ¡°There is some truth to that,¡± Zax said. ¡°At the very least, power does help. Though it is not everything,¡± the dragon said, lifting his own shackles to disy them. Snow still found that hard to believe. Who could chain a dragon? She knew Vix was power, and that she likely had support from Lord Krios¡­ but. Even for him, she just found the prospect hard to picture. ¡°We can see the questions lingering in your eyes. But it is only ever a reminder to be vignt. All that said¡­ that man. Whoever he was, was not ordinary. It is a difficult enough to chain us in the first ce, but then to create chains we cannot break? We can count the people who can make such things in the single digits,¡± Zax said. ¡°Then¡­ how?¡± Snow asked. ¡°Who knows,¡± Zax replied. ¡°It is a mystery. But we hope to find out. When we capture this woman who had enved you. And the lord of this city you speak of.¡± Snow nodded in reply. ¡°But first, we must begin with you, shouldn¡¯t we? Do you understand how a Path works? Or how most people awaken one?¡± Zax asked. Snow was about to nod her head, but she paused. Did she actually? No one had ever quite told her how things worked, had they? She¡¯d never been expected to have any other path than the one which had been forced upon her. She had never expected to have any other Path. Silently, she shook her head. ¡°We had expected as much. The biggest cruelty done to a ve, is how even upon gaining freedom, all that awaits it is a cold, unfamiliar world, that cares not for their well being. The chains extend beyond the physical ones, and knowledge, or theck of it, can be one of them,¡± Zax said. Snow¡¯s expression turned serious, the realisation settling upon her. ¡°Please teach me.¡± Zax nodded, smiling. ¡°A Path, is a representation of how you choose to grow the essence of your soul. For many, it is simply something they obtain, when they have found a way in life, and their souls have matured enough to be capable of essing the Astral script. Although, a ritual is required nheless for initiation,¡± Zax said, before turning towards her. ¡°Your soul was forced to grow before its time. But as a consequence, it is more robust now, and will grow faster, and more easily. It is no constion for the cruelty of the chains, but still, it is a strength you alone possess. All we need to do now, is to re-awaken that soul, and give it ess to the Astral Script, and the rest will happen automatically,¡± Zax said. Snow nodded, carefully noting every word, before she frowned in thought. ¡°You had said I could¡­ awaken a special Path¡­ is there something I am supposed to do with that?¡± ¡°There are Paths that are hidden, and Paths that have been lost. Divine Paths are the domain of gods, and cannot be offered by anyone but them. As such, not everyone obtains equal ess to the Astral Script. But. Having lived for as long as we have, we have learned some things. All you need to do, is to ept your soul, and embrace it,¡± Zax said. Snow looked at the dragon, before giving a hesitant nod. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± The dragon stepped around her, multiple hands forming out of thin air with mana, drawing glowing lines upon the floor as runes began to float through the air. ¡°It has been some time since we have done this ritual, but the workings should remain the same. When you feel a nudge brush itself against your very being, ept it as a part of you.¡± Snow nodded, focusing on the magic flowing around her. One by one, she felt the runes swirling around in circles, encapsting her body in mana. As the spell grew, she started to feel a pressure begin to rise from within her, like a warmth, about to flood her body, and flow into her limbs. Snow almost burst into tears at the sensation, like she¡¯d just reimed yet another part of her being that had been separated from her, but she kept her emotions in check, letting the warmth fill her entire being, as words appeared in front of her. A Shadow can exist, only in light. Your Astral Script has been generated. With a burst of magic, Snow felt the world shift around. And she found herself standing in a dark endless expanse, with a single bright source of lighting from ahead. Like a star, glowing brightly in the void. Yet, somehow, the ce was extremely familiar to her as well. As if she¡¯d spent many days in this ce. Something dark shifted amidst the void, a figure slowly moving closer. Snow watched the darkness move, shifting around, and a momentter, a bright smile swept up her face. Shadow walked closer, his body now muchrger as the wolf rubbed itself against Snow, as she took him in a hug. ¡°Shadow! Is it really you?¡± Snow asked, looking into the giant void wolf¡¯s eyes. A rumbling sound came from Shadow, as his thoughts were conveyed to her. ¡°I¡¯ve missed being able to pet you,¡± Snow said, leaning against the wolf, as she gently brushed his smooth fur. After taking her time to cuddle against the big wolf, she looked at him once again, this time in confusion. ¡°But why are you here? I thought this was going to be my Astral ne or something. I see nothing else here.¡± Shadow nudged his face into Snow¡¯s, brushing her as his body vibrated. United. Together. We pick. Snow heard the wolf¡¯s words, echo through her, as she brushed his fur once more. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Any Path I pick, it has to be with you.¡± Shadow let out a low growl, denoting his satisfaction with her words. Snow smiled, turning towards the light glowing in the distance. As she watched it, she saw more figures now appear through the darkness. Curious, Snow walked closer, before her eyes widened in surprise. She saw herself, standing there. She wore a hunter¡¯s clothes, with dark tattoos covering her body. A ne made of fangs hung from her neck, the horns on her head longer, and curved, with sharper fangs peeking from her mouth. As she saw the figure, words appeared in front of her eyes. Path of the Void Hunter - Epic A path of the hunter, for one subsumed with a predator and the being of the void. Together with your wolf, hunt those that lurk in the dark. Snow watched the figure standing in front of her, a path she could embark upon, should she wish to. She looked at it for a moment, before stepping back. She wanted to see more. Another figure rose from the shadow, this one hand des in her hand, and a meaner look in her eyes. A wolf¡¯s fur was wrapped around her waist, with the spectre of a shadow lurking behind her. Her horns were smaller now, little stubs, but her ws ran longer, sharper. Path of the Abyss yer - Epic Many have wronged you in your life, forced suffering upon you. But now, you walk the path of vengeance, of power, and death. Mercy is not your task. After all, you never got any. Snow stepped back from the Path, feeling the intense aura rising from the woman. That was¡­ a Path she could see herself walking. Had she not met Noah. Not met Zax. Not been given the hope to be able to dream again. But vengence¡­ it was not the Path she wanted to dedicate herself too. The figure dissolved back into the void, as she stepped further ahead. Many paths appeared in front of her, of magic, ofbat, of learning. Each with their own unique features, and their own special characteristics. Yet, it was one in particr that caught her eyes. Snow watched a woman, standing with grace, as dark tattoos were marked upon her, with the markings of a wolf, but not just that, there were others too. Creatures that did not yet have a shape or form, a if undecided of their existence. Yet they existed, there within reach. The older version of her looked down, a smile upon her face, as one of her tattoos shifted, flowing outwards like ink, as she saw another Shadow form in front of her. With a sleeker form, and more grace, he stood with his own tattoos, glowing like the starry night, with a promise of power. Snow stared, captivated, looking into the woman¡¯s eyes, as the words of the Path appeared in front of her. Path of the Rune-Ink Tamer - Epic Your life was changed upon meeting a creature of the void, and now, you have embarked upon a Path to try and meet many others. Mastering the art of the Inks, you carve upon you the spirits you harbor. Snow looked at the Path, ncing around her. There were many options, many directions her Path could take. But¡­ if there was one wish, more so than anything that she had¡­ She touched her chest, feeling the Path convey the emotions to a part deep within her. Slowly, Snow reached out one hand. The woman looked down at her, tattoos glowing with powerful magic, as she reached back out, and grasped Snow¡¯s hand. A momentter, the woman¡¯s figure dissolved into darkness flowing into Snow¡¯s body, as words shed in front of her. You¡¯ve awakened Path of the Rune-Ink Tamer! You¡¯ve learned the ability [Inscribe (Epic)]! As the power settled into her soul, Snow felt something fit in ce. No matter what, from now on, she would never truly be alone. *** Noah shed through the pile of voidlings, finding thest of them crumple under his spear. He watched the monsters whittle down to nothing, his spectre greedily devouring them as the remnants of mana flowed back into him. Noah nced around, finding Aurelia and Erwest nearby, simrly done with anybat as well. Opening his Astral script, he took a moment to look upon it. Astral Script: Name: Noah Brown Race: Astral Humanoid (Symbiont) Rank: E Paths: Exsanguinator - level 97 Astralwalker - level 95 Void Hunter - level 96 Attributes: Power: 412 Agility: 432 Constitution: 442 Mystic: 530 Attribute points: 0 Skill points: 1 Noah let out a dissappointed sigh, closing his window. He¡¯d really been hoping to get to level 100 before going into the next fight, but thebat here had barely been enough to give him a single level. ¡°We should be done here,¡± Aurelia said, walking up to him. ¡°Yeah, unfortunately,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Disappointed?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°A little bit. Was hoping to get to level 100 and rank up before the fight,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Well, at if what Zax said is correct, you know you¡¯ll rank up after the fight for sure. So, that¡¯s something to look forward to,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°Yeah,¡± Noah nodded, before giving her a smile. ¡°Guess you¡¯re right. Time to kick this monster¡¯s ass and get to rank D. And finally get out of this ce.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Aurelia said, smiling as well. ¡°If we¡¯re done here, then let us return,¡± Erwest said. A momentter, a magic circle appeared beneath them, as they were teleported back. Book 2: Chapter 60 — Final Checks Book 2: Chapter 60 ¡ª Final Checks With a burst of magic, Noah and the rest appeared in the chamber. Noah''s eyes went to Snow, who stood next to Zax, now looking taller and bolder than before. But the most notable change was the tattoos marked upon her body. They ran from her shoulder down to her or with portions covering her face and her horns. Her horns had changed as well, curving further with the ck tattoo turning white as they flowed over the obsidian colors. Noah watched as the tattoos on Snow''s body shifted and moved before a figure appeared next to her with a burst of dark mana. The shadowy figure took the form of a wolf, standing next to Snow protectively. Noah whistled. ¡°That looks impressive.¡± Snow smiled, brushing the wolf¡¯s fur gently. ¡°What was that creature?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°A void fiend,¡± Erwest said, gripping his sword for a second. ¡°That Shadow,¡± Noah said. ¡°He lives inside Snow¡ªwell I guess not anymore.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Shadow is friendly, right Shadow?¡± Snow said petting the giant wolf like it was just a big dog. Shadow looked at Erwest with a growl before leaning into the rubs and chin scratches that Snow so freely bestowed upon him. Noah and the others walked closer to the wolf, watching the giant abyssal creature lie down and let the giggling teenage girl y with it. ¡°This really makes me reconsider everything I¡¯ve been taught about abyssal creatures,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°This is not normal,¡± Erwest said. ¡°I think even Noah can see that. But it is still fascinating, even if it¡¯s not the norm. It''s wonderful and amazing to see that these creatures are capable of things likepassion and empathy,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°They really are,¡± Noah said. ¡°Tony has been nothing but curious here since I first got him. You really don¡¯t expect that from something like an abyssal parasite. Or even just a normal parasite really. Not sure if it¡¯s because Tony is special, or we just haven¡¯t had the chance to explore these creatures of the void.¡± Erwest remained silent, not participating any further in the conversation. ¡°I¡¯m fairly sure that Tony is not a normal abyssal parasite. Those things are not really capable of thought. All they do is infest corpses and create monsters,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I did use an Epic grade Tome to summon Tony. That¡¯s probably a part of it,¡± Noah said. "Likely," Zax said. "Let us leave this discussion forter. All of us have a task to fulfill right now. Have the three of you finalized your choices?" Noah nced sideways at Erwest and Aurelia. "I think so. There isn''t much else left to do besides kicking the cultists'' asses." Zax nodded. "You should take a few minutes to make anyst-minute preparations you would like. I have prepared a bag of potions and mana crystals for each of you from the items that I deemed usable at your current rank." "From the start, you have been extremely helpful, and I know this may be a bit premature, but we would like to pay you back for your help. Noah may not be able to break the shackles; truthfully speaking, I''m not sure there''s anyone besides an ascendant who can. But if there is someone, the guild will likely know them. And I''m sure they would be tripping over themselves to make a dragon like you their friend," Aurelia said. "We have given it some thought. If this matter is resolved without any unforeseen problems, then we will likely seek out the help of this guild of yours," Zax said. The dragon looked at the three of them. "Take a few minutes to rest or meditate. You can make use of the mana reservoir within this vault to replenish yourself. Once you''re ready, we will teleport you to the location." The four of them nodded and then took a seat. Aurelia sat down to meditate, and Snow talked with Zax to better understand her abilities. Erwest moved a little further before taking a seat in what looked like prayer. Noah wondered if Hellion could hear him. Walking a little further himself, Noah took a seat beside the pool of life that Snow had been in. He had intentionally not been checking his abilities, as he had been hoping to do so together once he had ranked up. But since the possibility was unlikely before the big fights, Noah opened his astral script and began to check his upgrades. [Blood Drain (Advanced) - lvl 25] You have honed your ability to harness the blood of others to a remarkable degree. In addition to the healing benefits and the ability to mitigate blood loss and bleeding, you now possess the power to temporarily enhance your physical prowess. Noah read through the description wondering how long the boost in physical strength wouldst. He had already tried keeping vials of bloodas a healing substitute and had found his ability to be rtively ineffective if the target was not recently dead. If he was a little more cruel, he probably could have kept small animals or monsters in his dimensional pocket, to be drained freely for strength and healing. He put the thought aside for now. He¡¯ll have the chance to test out the limits of this ability soon enough. Moving down the list, he looked at the next ability upgrade. [Bleed (Rare, Advanced) - lvl 25] Blood is what you reap, and blood your enemies will shed. Inflict the [Bleed-III] status effect on adversaries, causing more severe and persistent bleeding. Can be applied to weapons, or via aura. Noah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise at the next change. The bleed ability had so far been a background status in effect, but if he could apply it without having to make contact with the weapon¡­ the opportunities to use it inbat expanded significantly. Noah reeled his excitement back under control. He could already picture the many ways he would use his newfound abilities, but it would not do to get lost in excitement. Closing the description, and making a mental note for yet another thing to test in the next fight Noah moved on to the next ability. [Bloodfly Swarm (Epic/Intermediate) - lvl 10] You can summon a swarm of bloodflies, their hunger for life and blood unending and eversting. Control the swarm to inflict both [Bleed] and [Pestilence] damage upon your enemies, weakening them over time. Noah grimaced as he saw the next description. The bloodfly ability was unpleasant from the start, and the intermediate rank-up and all the further amplified that effect. He was not familiar with the [Pestilence] status effect but he could not imagine it being pleasant. He moved on to the next ability. [Blink (Epic, Advanced) - lvl 25] The realms continue to bend to your will. You can now teleport instantaneously within the physical realm and traverse the Astral rifts for a few seconds, granting you unparalleled mobility and the ability to phase through physical obstacles and explore hidden dimensions. Noah read the description, the abilities, and the inbuilt guidancetelling him how it would work.Activating blink Noah stepped into the gap between realms, as his form turned incorporeal. He felt his mana burning rapidly as he phased right through physical objects before reappearing. He could already think of the few ways the ability coulde in handy, especially for dodging attacks. Satisfied with the change Noah moved on to the next one. [Celestial Harvest (Epic, Intermediate) - lvl 10] You now not only obtain loot and credit points upon defeating enemies but also gain the ability to siphon a portion of their essence, with a small chance to enhance your own attributes. The potency of the rewards will rely on your Luck sub-attribute. Looking at the upgrade, Noah remembered to check his astral vault. [Astral Vault] Credit Points: 782 Do you wish to spend 782 Credit Points to roll for an item? Yes/No? After thinking for a few seconds Noah pressed yes. Rolling¡­ sessful! 1 x [Amulet of Knowledge (Epic)] obtained! An amulet appeared in front of him, dropping in his hands. The object was golden colored, with silver lines running across it, forming an emblem in the center. Noah used Identify. [Amulet of Knowledge (Epic)] An ancient amulet forged by a forgotten civilization''s master craftsmen. This amulet resonates with the mystical energies of the Astral, allowing its wearer to obtain more knowledge. Noah read through the description once, before equipping the item. Amulet of Knowledge equipped! Identify has been upgraded! Noah nced sideways at Snow to test out his new abilities. [Rune-Ink Tamer (Epic) - Lvl 1] [Name: Snow] A tamer capable of holding creatures in runes made of ink tattooed on their body. Huh, that¡¯s a lot more detailed. Noah thought, before closing the menu he moved on to the next ability. [Obliterate (Epic, Advanced) - lvl 25] Channel the energies of the void to annihte everything that maye in your path. Now, unleash this devastating force in a focused beam, obliterating targets with pinpoint precision. ¡°Holy shit, did I just get a deathser?¡± Noah said, finding his excitement skyrocketing. It took an impressive amount of willpower for him to not just st the ability immediately. Yet another thing, he now looked forward to using theing battle. Somehow, this trap is bing less about the threat and more about the fun. I will almost be disappointed if there¡¯s nothing there. Closing the description Noah moved on to the next one. [Void Hunter¡¯s Senses (Rare, Advanced) - lvl 25] Your heightened senses now extend to a remarkable range of 10 feet in all directions, granting you an unparalleled awareness of your surroundings. Your eyes pierce through the deepest darkness, your ears detect the faintest whispers of sound, and your instincts are finely tuned to perceive even the subtlest of changes in your environment. Noah had already felt that one, it was hard not to when his senses expanded in range to almost double the previous size. It was only with Tony¡¯s help that he could keep up with his newfound senses and not simply be drowned by them. Closing the menu he moved on to the final ability upgrade. [The Hunter¡¯s Mark (Epic, Intermediate) - lvl 10] Unallocated Marks: 2 Your hunting prowess continues to grow. You can now mark two prey targets simultaneously, allowing you to keep a vignt eye on both. The marked prey not only remain visible at all times, but they also suffer increased damage from your abilities, making them more vulnerable to your relentless pursuit. "Sweet," Noah said with satisfaction as he closed the menu. His shadow stirred, sharing the emotion. ncing at the others, he noticed that Aurelia had finished her meditation, and Erwest stood beside Zax, ready to depart. Walking closer to them, Noah joined the rest of the group. "Here," Zax said, handing Noah a bag as well. Noah looked inside and found several mana crystals, potions, and a bracelet. "The bracelet will allow me to keep track of all of you," Zax exined. "Actually, I have something that might be better," Noah said. He took a moment to ensure his trust in them before proceeding. "Yeah, I do. If not them, then I can''t trust anybody in this world." Noah sent invitations to the rest of them, inviting them to join his party. At the same time, he noticed everyone''s eyes widen as the invitations appeared in front of them. "I''ve changed the settings so that it will only show the name, location, health, and mana of every party member," Noah exined. Erwest Ivan has joined your party! Snow has joined your party! Zax looked at Noah, and it took him a moment to realize why. "Oh, his true name will appear in the tab." Before Noah could say anything, he saw a name pop up in his tab alongside the rest. Zax has joined your party! Noah opened his party tab. Party Members: Noah Brown: Health: 100% Mana: 100% Aurelia Fauster: Health: 100% Mana: 100% Erwest Ivan: Health: 100% Mana: 100% Snow: Health: 100% Mana: 100% Zax: Health: 72% Mana: 41% All eyes turned to Zax as they noticed his health and mana. "We are alright," Zax assured them. "This ce simply does not have enough mana to sustain us very well anymore, and the shackles do not help." A moment of silence followed as every member of the party realized that everything the dragon had done was not just due to the effects of the shackle''s suppression but also with less than half his mana pool, all while being injured. "You are terrifying," Noah said to Zax. The dragon smiled. "It''s likely that you are the only one here who didn''t already feel that way, Noah." As Noah chuckled at the dragon¡¯s words, another pop-up appeared in front of them. New Quest generated! Quest: Big Bad Ugly A great foe awaits you within an obvious trap. But the time to run away is long past. It is now the time to fight. Objective: Kill the Guardian. Difficulty: Very Hard Reward: Shard of [???] Noah noticed the quest and soon realized he wasn''t the only one who had obtained it. He nced sideways, observing the rest of the party members as they looked at their own quest screens. "Well, I guess it''s time," Noah said. At his words, Zax unleashed his magic, forming the teleportation spell around them in an instant. "We will keep the beast trapped and prevent the horde of monsters from rushing you. If any of you are ever in danger, we will pull you back," the dragon assured them. Noah nodded as his specter emerged from Shadow. "Leave it to me, boss," the specter said with a happy grin. cing his hand on each of his party members one by one, the shadow brought them all into Noah''s dimensional pocket. As the world faded away into the astral confines, Noah felt the teleportation spell activate. The next moment, they vanished. Book 2: Chapter 61 — The Big Bad Ugly Pt. 1 Book 2: Chapter 61 ¡ª The Big Bad Ugly Pt. 1 A long corridor appeared in front of the specter. The castle walls glistened with murals and paintings depicting events long past. A giant metal gate stood at the end of the corridor, beckoning the specter towards it. Unlike the rest of the castle, this ce was clean of the squirming voidlings and flowing tendrils. Not a single monster was present in sight, no creatures of the void, no abyssal monsters, no blood grafted horrors, or soul amalgamations. The only thing that existed was the giant creature sleeping near the gates. The specter grinned, summoning the spear in his hands. With a tug of his will, he called upon Identify and used it on the creature. [Void Guardian (Rare) - level 157] A guardian beast, summoned from the void. The creature stirred upon sensing the specter¡¯s presence. But the specter did not give him the chance to prepare. Using Blink, he rushed in, closing the distance between them immediately. Charging his spear with Obliterate, he thrust it at the creature, piercing one of its legs as blood sprayed out like a fountain. The monster roared, as the specter used the spear as a jumping tform tounch himself towards the creature¡¯s face. The monster growled as the specter wed at its eyes, blinding it in one of them. The giant creature grabbed the specter in its hands, before mming him onto the floor. Using Blink, he escaped, pulling out his spear from the monster¡¯s leg before striking at it once more. The creature roared, grabbing at him pointlessly. Anger surging, the monster swung its fists at one of the pirs, breaking it with a strike. Grabbing the giant stone pir, the Guardian mmed it onto the ground, throwing the specter back as the tiled floors cracked. Shattered rocks flew across the arena, a few hitting him with minor cuts that healed within a few seconds. Now enraged, the Guardian rushed towards him in a dash. The ground shook from the Guardian''s steps as it smashed through the pirs before striking at him. He blinked away, reappearing behind the Guardian and throwing his spear, striking at the creature¡¯s back. The monster roared, turning over and mming at the ground, sending out a shockwave. He clicked his tongue. "This ce is gonna break down before I can kill the guy.¡± The specter dodged another barrage of attacks from the Guardian as the monster continued to smash its pir across the arena, spraying rocks all over the ce. The specter melded into the shadows, watching the monster run around in rage, as it began to formte a n. I need to target its weak points. Legs are no-go, too big, too much healing, and I cannot waste too much energy. Watching the giant Guardian, the specter¡¯s eyes moved up its body and towards the one bleeding eye. A thought began to form in the specter''s mind, an idea that could potentially allow it to kill the giant creature without having to spend too much effort. Grinning, it melted out of the shadows, appearing in front of the raging monster with open arms, taunting it to attack. ¡°Hey there, big guy, looking for me?¡± The Guardian paused, surprised for a brief second before it leapt in roaring anger. The specter melted back into the shadows, dodging the attack as it used the momentum of the giant creature against itself, making it crash into one of the pirs. The castle shook, pieces of the roof falling upon the Guardian, as they crushed the monster. Taking the opportunity, the specter appeared with a Blink, letting Bloodfly Storm loose. You¡¯ll make for a good test dummy. As the swarm of ravenous insects formed, they quickly descended upon the Guardian, swarming the specter with notifications. [Bloodfly Storm] has applied [Bleed]. [Bloodfly Storm] has applied [Pestilence]. ¡­ Bleed has increased to [Bleed-II] As the ability vanished, the specter watched the roaring Guardian squirm in pain. But he wasn¡¯t done yet. Calling upon Blood Drain, the specter began to absorb the blood of the Guardian with glee. [Blood Drain] has temporarily increased physical abilities by 10% [Void Guardian] has inflicted [Necrotoxin] You have resisted [Necrotoxin]. ¡°Ooh, that feels good,¡± the specter said, stretching its limbs as the energy from Blood Drain permeated his body. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s end this.¡± A sinister grin appeared on the specter¡¯s face as he stood upon the monster¡¯s giant body, before unleashing Blood Debt. A massive blood de appeared above the Guardian, looming like a death sentence. With a sickening squelch, the de pierced its body, making the monster twitch and shudder as its health rapidly vanished. The creatures shuddered, before coughing blood, as it red with bloodshot eyes at the specter. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m surprised. You¡¯re still alive,¡± the specter said. ¡°Guess that¡¯s perfect to test onest ability.¡± The specter charged Obliterate into his weapon. The red body of the spear slowly began to turn ck until it was pitch dark, like reality had been cut out in the shape of a spear. A momentter, the energy began to gather at the tip of the weapon, flowing with mana. ¡°Deathser, go!¡± A beam of ck energy shot towards the Guardian, piercing its skull between its eyes. With a final shudder, the creature fell, dark brain matter oozing out of the hole in its head before vanishing into ash-like particles as the monster evaporated. You¡¯ve killed [Void Guardian (Rare) ¨C Lvl 157]. The specter walked up to the Guardian, putting his hand on its head. A momentter, he let Devourer activate as the Guardian¡¯s remnant mana nourished him. Mana: 100% Feeling great after that workout, the specter turned towards the giant gate. ¡°Man, if only whatever is waiting for me in there can be this easy to beat too,¡± he said before chuckling to himself. ¡°Who am I kidding, I love a good fight.¡± Cracking his knuckles, the specter blinked right up to the giant gates before putting his hand on the metallic frame, feeling the mana pulsing beneath it. ¡°Ah, one more trap,¡± he said, feeling the gate draining his mana. It was a subtle spell, and he wasn¡¯t sure he would have noticed if not for the mana resistance training. ¡°They really wanted to make sure I was weakened before I entered. I have to make sure to thank Zax for that mana resistance.¡± The specter closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he allowed himself to feel the flow of the mana within the gate. Normally, he would need to put mana into the gate to unlock it, and if his mana sense was correct, it would drain him till he barely had anything left before opening. Thankfully, there was an alternative solution. The specter slowly began to feed his mana into the gate. But he did not relinquish control. Steadily his mana drained till it was somewhere around 50%, when he reversed the flow of the mana, activating Mana Reversal. The gate shuddered, fighting against the pull, but he continued as energy flowed into his arms. The runic chain imprints on his shadowy body flickered to life as the mana began to course through them. Slowly but surely, the gates began to be drained as more and more mana continued to pour into his body. The energy burned before being consumed by the runic chains. The gates groaned, the spell on it trying to resist the mana reversal, but he simply continued to push. Let¡¯s see who has more resistance. Mana: 110% Glowing runes flowed across the gates as more and more mana poured into the specter. Chains grew from his arms, binding themselves to the gate as he began to pull. With a creaking noise, the giant metallic gates shuddered, and he grunted, pulling at it with all his strength. Mana: 125% The lights on the gate flickered before finally running out. Slowly, the heavy metal gates shuddered open, revealing the chamber inside. Taking a moment to catch his breath, the specter wiped sweat from his forehead. The chamber inside was a massive circr hall, with multiple thrones set across it in a circle, overlooking the central tform. Yet, what caught the specter¡¯s eyes more than anything was the object in the middle of it all. Within a giant pir of light leading up to the roof floated a piece of something. The object looked rather ordinary, made of some kind of stone, like the shard of a mural. Not even the barest hint of Divinity or magic was present within it. Yet, the specter did not doubt for a second what the object actually was. Something in his soul, in their soul, screamed that there was a lost piece of him, a piece he had left behind somewhere. Perhaps in the void where he had first arrived, or perhaps from even before that. Walking inside, for a moment all thoughts fled the specter¡¯s mind regarding the trap. The only thing in his vision was the Shard. Nothing else mattered. Walking up to the center, the specter reached out with a hand, into the light. ¡°AAAAHHHH!!¡± A scream tore itself out of the specter¡¯s mouth. The light burned. It burned his soul. The fire spread up his arm, into his body, breaking it down. The specter reached for pain tolerance but found the skill ineffective. There was something primal in that light, something greater than he was. And it knew. It knew who he was. Or rather, what. Pulling his arm back out, the specter panted. He would have to think, he would have to think of a way to break through that light. But first... The sound of pping came from behind him as the specter turned. ¡°You have surprised me, Noah. I never expected you to get this far. From the start, you''ve just been full of surprises,¡± a familiar voice said. The specter turned to see Vix standing behind him. ¡°What are you...¡± Before he could finish, the specter felt a pulse of magic flow through the entire chamber. Mana shed around him, before flowing into the floor as a giant magic circle appeared. A powerful force pushed onto him, sinking him into the ground, before chains of light, simr to the ones on Zax, bound his arms and feet. The specter pulled, trying to break free and destroy the chains, yet with the direct suppression effect upon him, he found the task difficult. ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± Vix said. ¡°These chains can hold a dragon. You will never break them.¡± The woman walked closer, kneeling as she leaned in towards the specter¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m so curious. What did you do to the dragon? It seemed to have just vanished. There is absolutely no chance that you killed it. We would have known. Neither could you have broken the chains,¡± the woman said, reaching out with a pointed finger that she put upon the specter¡¯s head. ¡°Ah, if only I could keep you alive. You would have made for such a great pet. Unfortunately, I need that Shard in your soul.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this? Didn¡¯t we have an agreement?¡± the specter asked. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Ipletely forgot. I should fix that,¡± Vix said, ncing back at the shard. ¡°Thank you for bringing this shard to me, Noah. With this, our contract isplete.¡± Questpleted! ¡°I should have never trusted you,¡± the specter spat, anger reflecting on his face. ¡°Yes, you shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Vix replied. ¡°Goodbye, Noah.¡± Mist flowed around the woman¡¯s arm, forming a curved de with runes inscribed upon it that glowed with an ominous aura. The specter pulled at the chains, trying to free himself pointlessly as Vix sunk the de into his chest. As the weapon sunk in, its magic activating, the specter looked into the woman¡¯s eyes. Slowly, as his body began to fade into darkness, he saw Vix frown and gave her a smile. ¡°Gotcha,¡± the specter said, vanishing. With a burst of magic, Noah and the rest appeared, weapons drawn, as they struck at the woman. Magic red, fire swirling around Aurelia, as she punched Vix. Erwest swung his de, shing at Vix, as he drew blood. Snow snarled, dark magic rushing from her as Shadow leapt from within her chest, pushing the woman down onto the ground. Noah walked closer, looking down at the bewildered woman, and smiled. ¡°Guess it¡¯s a good thing I never trusted you.¡± Book 2: Chapter 62 — The Big Bad Ugly Pt. 2 Book 2: Chapter 62 ¡ª The Big Bad Ugly Pt. 2 Vix looked up at them in surprise, struggling against Shadow, but the wolf kept her pinned to the ground. ¡°How did you¡ª¡° her eyes went to Snow, realization following a momentter. She noted theck of a cor on the girl¡¯s neck. Even with her appearance vastly changed, it was difficult not to recognize her with the distinct horns, and the giant void wolf standing next to her. ¡°You,¡± Vix growled in anger. ¡°I gave you a home, I fed you, I took care of you. And this is how you repay me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even try that,¡± Noah spat. ¡°She was your ve. Whatever you did was for your own benefit. Do not try to make it look like a favor. You took a girl and made her fight day in and day out, treating her like a disposable object.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Noah, you don¡¯t have to stand up for me here,¡± Snow said, walking closer to Vix. She leaned closer. For a long moment, Snow stood there, waiting to see if she felt anything. ¡°I did repay you, Vix. I repaid you by telling Shadow not to tear you limb from limb the moment he set his eyes on you.¡± The wolf growled in response to Snow¡¯s words, bringing its face closer to the woman¡¯s neck. ¡°I have repaid you by being more merciful than you ever were towards me. So don¡¯t try to make it seem like you did me a favor,¡± Snow said, leaning back from Vix. ¡°You are better than the cultists, I will admit, but you were better in the same way Poison is better than Rot. Ultimately, both kill you one way or another,¡± Snow said, magic swirling in her eyes as she looked down upon her tormentor, her former master, and found herself truly free. ¡°Who put you up to this?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Was it Lord Krios?¡± Vix snorted. ¡°You can prove nothing.. I don¡¯t know how you broke her chains, but this girl¡¯s words mean nothing.¡± ¡°But yours will,¡± Noah said, grinning cheekily. ¡°I have a friend in the guild. Her name is Nae. And I¡¯m sure she¡¯d love to make you talk.¡± Vix looked up at Noah, before her growl shifted into a smile. ¡°You¡¯re an idiot,¡± she spat as her body dissipated into mist. ¡°Seriously?¡± Noah groaned. ¡°You¡¯re really going to use the same trick we used?¡± Mist rose in the arena, filling the chambers. ¡°You may think you''re smart to get through the trap. But you''re still stuck here. And I intend to finish what I started,¡± Vix said, her voice echoing through the chamber. ¡°Reinforcements!¡± Erwest warned, raising his de. Bun Bun crackled with lightning, sensing the presence of enemies around as well. The mist continued to flow, quickly drowning the arena in a thick fog that even Noah¡¯s senses struggled to pierce. Chants echoed from around the arena, voices of the cultists mingling together as a spell began to form. ¡°I¡¯ll handle the cultists. Make sure Vix cannot escape,¡± Aurelia said, smacking her gauntlets together as fire and ash circled around her. ¡°Bun Bun, you help her as well,¡± Noah said, as the dragonspawn followed behind the woman. ¡°You are fools,¡± Vix''s voice echoed through the chamber. ¡°And I''ll make sure you don¡¯t step out of this ce.¡± Noah''s senses warned him of iing attacks as he teleported, jagged daggers flying past where he had stood. The mist moved around him, figures in the fog dancing as theyshed at him with shifting weapons, solidifying for just a moment and striking from different directions. The fog swirled, drowning his senses, blinding him, and slowly pulling him away from the rest of the members. Noah continued to move, trying to focus on Erwest and Snow, but found himself drifting away like a log being carried by the torrents of a river. Magic swirled around the arena, distant shes of fire and lightning piercing the fog for moments before fading away. Noah could hear the cacophony of dying screams from the cultists. Vix''s voice hummed through the fog, a gloomy song ying through the mists, as they began to dance to its tune. You hear the [Gravesong]. You¡¯ve be [Disoriented]. You¡¯ve be [Hopeless]. All attributes reduced by 25%. Noah felt the magic filling his mind, coursing despair into him. Shadows moved, monstrously forming like a twisted nightmarescape, and began to attack Noah and his body, drowning the arena in its effects. Noah''s senses warned him of every shadow that moved, the things that lurked at the edge of his perceptions, as he jumped and ran and twisted, dodging unseen attacks that faded into mist as they hade. My senses are working against me. Noah tried closing his eyes, yet the attacks only worsened, scratches and cuts of knives digging into his skin. He felt the poison within them, felt it coursing through his body. But his resistances stood strong. Though they would notst forever. ¡°You should have just died. All your presence has ever done is bring suffering,¡± Vix''s voice came from within the song, like a haunting echo in his mind. ¡°All those people in Heartillia will die now because of you.¡± ¡°Shut your damn mouth. I am not the one killing anybody,¡± Noah said, before mping his mouth shut. She was trying to anger him. And he was falling for her tricks. Noah closed his eyes again, letting meditation kick in as his focus sharpened like a honed de. He let out a breath, listening to the song y. The attacks increased in intensity, like a flowing tide the misty struck him, drawing blood. He felt the poison now, strong enough that it bypassed his resistances, chipping away at his health. Yet Noah did not move. He simply listened to that haunting music ying in the background. There was a rhythm. The music would rise, reaching a high, like a growing tide, and the mist would follow, before it would slow, beats stilling, as a chilling sensation ran through Noah''s mind. He found it now, found what made him blind. And he pushed back against it. You have resisted the [Gravesong]. Noah found the rhythm and waited for the tides of the mist to rise. As stated, he let his mana flow freely. He could feel the others now, within the mist. And they could feel him. As the fog grew denser, Noah waited for the song to pause for that one brief moment. Now. He struck, spear in hand, thrusting his weapon through the fog, in a distant corner, away from all of them. After all, with a fighting style like hers, she would not remain close to them. The spear struck as he felt the song shake. There was no voice, no screams of pain, but he could tell he had hit her. He¡¯d heard through her mist. And now she knew that he could find her. Noah recalled the spear back to his hand, seeing the blood on its edge. He smiled. The song changed now, growing more frantic. The monsters became frenzied, as Noah continued to pierce his way through them. Dark tendrils rose from the ground, trying to tie him down and impale his body, but Noah broke through them within seconds. He could tell now, distantly, that Aurelia and Bun Bun were almost done. The cultists had not stood a chance. Closing his eyes once more, Noah focused yet again to hear the music. It was harder now, the song shifting, new rhythms flowing into one and changing between each other. Tension shivered in his mind, sharpening his focus, as Noah waited for the moment once again. Sharp strikes rushed out, piercing the fog once more, as his weapon struck true. The song shook this time, the mists growing weaker. He was not the only one now, he sensed Erwest sending des of light towards the woman, cornering her. As a burst of fire and lightning crackled once more, thest cultist screamed in death, before Aurelia and Bun Bun shifted their focus. They were closing in now, all five of them, and Vix had nowhere to run. Noah sensed something move behind him and he turned, parrying the attack. The des bounced off of his ws, when he stopped. One de pressed against his throat, Vix¡¯s hand clutched around his neck as she pulled, splitting it. Stumbling backward, Noah clutched his throat, feeling blood filling his mouth. Stabs came once more, burying themselves into his gut, the poison seeping in through them as the woman swirled and shed across him. A st of magic struck her, throwing her across the arena with a golden sh. Shadow leapt out through the mist, his jaw mping upon Vix¡¯s body, but she faded back into the mist before he could finish. Noah stumbled back, clutching his throat, as another set of daggers struck him. Vix¡¯s figures moved through the mist, a misty de piercing his chest. ¡°You may get me here,¡± she whispered. ¡°But I¡¯ll take you down with me at the very least.¡± Blood sprayed freely from Noah¡¯s body, as Vix pulled out her de. More attacks followed, but the woman melted back into the mists. Noah felt his injuries, burning, blood pooled in his lungs now, threatening to drown him, as he struggled to breathe. Notifications came, his health dipping below one third of his total. Lifeblood pulsed, as his injuries quickly began to repair themselves, yet Vix did not even give him time to rest. The mist faded now, away from the entire arena, and focused solely around him. Noah¡¯s eyes widened, as he felt the world outside disconnect from him. His party tab shifted, one by one, losing all its members, until only he was left. Blood stained his clothes, Noah clutched his neck, feeling at his throat, a pink gash of fresh flesh covering the injury. If not for my resistances, I would have died. Noah clutched his spear, focusing inwards. Tony shivered, begging to be released with Metamorphosis, but Noah kept it in check. He had a feeling that Vix had not yet shown all her cards. ¡°You are incredibly frustrating, Noah. Any other E ranker would have died already,¡± Vix said, dancing through the mist, as misty figures struck at him from multiple directions at once. Noah teleported but found his ability interrupted by Vix as his sense of space began to warp. ¡°I had so many contingencies. So many safeguards. Yet somehow you¡¯re still here. Standing in front of me. Just what makes you so special? Is it the shard? Is it the fact that you are an Outerworlder? Or is it that Pact you made with the void?¡± Vix asked. Noah did not reply. He knew any talk here was meaningless. And if she was talking, it meant she was trying to stall for something. The misty figures continued to attack, growing stronger and stronger with each passing second. With her attention focused solely on him, Noah could feel himself being pushed back. She was stronger, they both knew that. Yet, he still had a chance. All he needed was one good strike. A n began to form in Noah''s mind. A risky one, but if it worked, it would have the strike he needed. Slowly but surely, Noah began to gather his mana. There was a pattern to it, a rhythm to the attacks. He could not teleport, but to attack him, she needed to appear physically. Attacks from the mists were not strong enough to injure him enough. And she knew that too. All she was waiting for was a chance. And he would give her one. But he could not be too obvious about it. Noah used blink again, finding his ability refusing to work as it should. Space was warped around him, tied into the mist, separating them from reality. Yet even so, he continued to pour mana, blinding blue light flowing into him, as he disappeared, appearing at a different portion of the fog arena. ¡°Running is pointless,¡± Vix said. ¡°You cannot run from here.¡± Noah ignored her, trying one more time. He poured mana into blink, letting the ability vibrate with power as he tried to push through her mist. Foggy figures struck at him, shing at his chest, blood continued to drip, yet Noah pushed through. ¡°It¡¯s pointless. You cannot break through my ability,¡± Vix said, but there was an edge to her voice now. Noah continued undeterred, using nearly all his mana, as the blinding light shed around him. The mist swirled around Noah, multiple figures striking at him as his ability began to activate. For the briefest of moments, he saw Vix¡¯s figure appear from the mist, manifesting physically, as she struck with her de. Noah did not dodge, letting the de sink into his belly, as he grabbed the woman by the throat, drained, blood dripping from his mouth. ¡°Finally,¡± he spoke, as Blink activated. With a blinding sh, Noah vanished alongside Vix, breaking through the fog as he reappeared beside his party. Vix thrashed, pushing her sword further into Noah¡¯s body, but he simply held her tight, keeping her sped in his arms, as the runic chains around his elbows wrapped around her neck. His friends descended upon her immediately, Erwest cing his de above the woman, while Aurelia grabbed Noah¡¯s chest, trying to make sure he was alright. Noah ignored her concern, his eyes focused on Vix. ¡°I know you won¡¯t speak so easily. But here¡¯s something funny. You see, I have just learned that breaking ve cors requires magic very simr to what¡¯s involved in making them,¡± Noah said, as Vix¡¯s eyes widened. For the first time, he saw genuine fear reflected in the woman¡¯s eyes. Void mana pulsed, Tony spreading through his body to patch the worst of his injuries. He could see his health dipping below 10%, but he kept a hold on the woman. Lifeblood was keeping him alive, even if just barely. The chains wrapped around Vix¡¯s neck, the magic flowing into her. ¡°Who do you work for?¡± Noah asked. The woman opened her mouth, her eyes bulging as if they would pop out. Her hands continued trying to pull away from Noah''s chains. ¡°Speak,¡± Noahmanded, putting the weight of his will behind his voice. ¡°You¡­¡± Vix groaned, tears welling in her eyes. ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t understand¡­ I could have¡­¡± ¡°Speak,¡± Noahmanded, with everything he had. ¡°I was¡­ following¡­ the orders of¡­¡± Runes shed around the woman¡¯s neck, her body jerking, tensing as if something was trying to rip her apart. She shuddered, shaking for a long moment, before her body turned limp. You have killed [Grave-song Illusionist (Epic) - Lvl 217]. [Exsanguinator] has reached Level 100. [Astralwalker] has reached Level 100. [Void Hunter] has reached Level 100. You can rank up. Noah ignored the notifications, feeling disgusted at the woman. He spat, a bitter taste filling his mouth as he stepped back from the woman¡¯s corpse. ¡°What in the world¡­¡± Aurelia said, watching the now-dead woman. ¡°Some kind of spell. Likely what the cultists were also under. And if so, she must have known that she would die. It¡¯s likely why she was so scared to speak,¡± Erwest said. ¡°What should we tell the guild now?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°We''ll just tell them what we found out,¡± Erwest said. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here first.¡± ¡°Wait. The shard is still within that pir of light,¡± Noah said. ¡°I need to figure out a way to get it out. Zax should know a way.¡± Before Noah could try to reach the dragon, he felt a shiver run through the castle arena. A momentter, the dragon¡¯s voice spoke in their heads. ¡°What happened? Something just initiated the blood ritual,¡± Zax asked them telepathically. The ground continued to shake, shivering as mana began to gather. Dark runes lit up around the arena, the bodies of the cultists alongside Vix floating up in the air. ¡°Shit,¡± Noah cursed, dashing towards the Shard. A blinding light shed, magic grander than any they had ever seen before activating, as the spell tied to the entire astral realm began to pour mana into this location. The world shook around them, sending Noah stumbling, as dark light permeated from the ground. From beneath the shard, the ground turned ck, a rift into the abyss opening up. ¡°We need to get out of here,¡± Erwest shouted. But before any of them could move, the pir of light shattered. The tendrils moved, grabbing the corpses floating around the arena along with the shard. Noah blinked, teleporting closer to try and wrestle the shard free, but one of the tendrils struck him, mming him back onto the ground, leaving only a sliver of health left. A giant creature crawled its way from beneath, rising through the rift, its body long, with giant teeth lining its mouth. Yet, the real mouth opened from beneath its belly, showing a gaping maw lined with rows of teeth from where the tendrils came. In a single tug, the creature devoured every corpse nearby, including the shard as it pulled its way out, filling half of the arena just with its body. Noah pulled himself up, drinking one of the potions, as he felt his injuries begin to heal. Slowly he looked up at the giant creature and found himselfughing as he used Identify. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious.¡± [Abyssal Maw (Legendary) - ???] Book 2: Chapter 63 — The Big Bad Ugly Pt. 3 Book 2: Chapter 63 ¡ª The Big Bad Ugly Pt. 3 Noah dodged one of the limbs rising from the giant beast that struck down upon the arena, cracking stone and sending a wave of void mana howling into a pulse. The beast roared, its underbelly opening into a giant maw as it continued to eat its way out of the rift. The shard was now firmly within the creature''s body. Noah felt the ground shake, cracks spreading across the walls as the realm around them began to break down. Rifts in reality spread like cracks shattering through space, more and more tendrils from the monster continuing to rise outwards, pulling things into its giant maw¡ªstone pirs, corpses, it ate everything in its path. "What should we do now?" Noah shouted, ncing at the rest of them. "Run?!" Aurelia screamed, dodging one of the tentacles herself as a portion of the wall crumbled down around her. "We cannot just leave that shard within the beast; we need to kill it before it''s toote," Erwest said. "Can we even kill it?" Noah asked, shooting a charged Obliterate towards the creature, which shrugged it off as if it was nothing. "We have to try," Erwest said. "If that thing gets out into the city¡­" Aurelia trailed off, ncing at the rest of them. "The realms are breaking, we are holding back a hoard of monsters rising from the abyss. But¡­ We cannotst long; the spell is powerful, unless we can stop its source, we will not be able to prevent the abyss from opening,¡± Zax said, his voice clipped. "If they could do this all this time, why did the cultists even bother with all that they said," Aurelia said, frustration and anger mixing across her face. "Now is not the time to worry about that; we need to bring this thing down," Erwest said, raising his de as he pointed it towards the beast. "The all-mother guide my path." "Guess that''s that then," Noah said, dodging another falling section of the chamber as he saw more of the creature following out. "We will bring back any of you if you get injured. We do not intend to let a single person die here," Zax said, the message being conveyed telepathically to their minds. "I¡¯ll be counting on you then," Noah said, raising his spear. "Let''s do this. We can do this if we work together." His team members nodded, each preparing themselves with fire, lightning, holy light, and void mana, alongside Noah''s own. As all of them readied to attack, the giant beast continued to eat its way through the castle, no concerns or worries in its mind. The only thing it did was eat anything that its limbs could reach. "You will have to strike at the beast''s core. This creature had been what we were sensing from the very start, guarding the Shard¡­ but we had not expected it to be this bad," Zax said. "Got it," Noah said, ncing sideways at Erwest, who gave him a nod in return. Holy light charged around him as he raised his de, an aura of divinity covering him. "By the all-mother''s grace and justice," the pdin said, rushing ahead with a powerful swing of his de into the creature. The golden arcs of energy struck the beast, tearing gashes through its body. Dark smoke bellowed as Hellion¡¯s light melted the creature with each swing of Erwest¡¯s de slicing through its flesh. The monster finally reacted to them, thrashing around with its massive appendages. The tentacles reached out, grabbing at the floor itself, trying to cave them into the abyss alongside the rest of them. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Aurelia screamed, jumping in as ash and embers swirled around her, covering her body in dark armor. Fire spread through her eyes and hair now, as she activated Embers of Fury, roaring in rage as her fists struck the beast¡¯s maw, pushing it back in a shrieking fury. Snow called back Shadow, the wolf shining with the girl as the teenage girl''s figure transformed, changing to be something more between a wolf and a human. Noah called upon Tony, the symbiote reacting happily as its powers surged within him. He did not activate metamorphosis, not yet; he was going to wait for the right opportunity, but that didn''t mean he couldn''t use his other abilities. His hands turned to ws, his feet changed, and his muscr structure responded, his skin hardening as Noah physically changed to be stronger. His attributes may not have been enhanced, but that wasn''t the only thing he could change was with Tony''s help. Charging mana into his feet, Noah kicked off, blinking ahead as he shed with his ws, cutting through one of the tendrils. The beast continued to thrash, picking up pieces of the ground to put into its maw, but more and more of its focus was now being dedicated to the attacking party members. Even so, they were still not significant enough threats for the monster to stop devouring its way through the castle. Noah could feel the shakes and shudders as the realm around them continued to copse, the abyss spreading beneath their feet. He could feel it now, the presence of millions of void creatures at the edge, waiting to pour out and devour anything in their way. The only thing holding them back was Zax. They needed to win, and they needed to win fast. "There, within its mouth, can you see it?" Zax asked. Noah continued to sh his way through the tendrils, the gooey, slippery void mes thrashing around him with powerful strength, destroying anything and everything in their path with abandon. It felt like he was fighting a mountain, one that did not care for his existence, like a fly buzzing around a creature far too big, too powerful. "Bit busy trying to survive," Noah sent back to the dragon. "We are aware. But if you wish to win, you must attack its weak point. You have four minutes left, after that we will be forced to bring you back and escape from this rift," Zax said. Noah grimaced, he could see the rest of his party grimacing alongside him. The odds were against them, and so was time. They needed an entrance, an opening to attack the monster''s core. "We will coordinate with you," Zax said. "Working together, we can guide you to where to go, all at once, to give you the chance that you need. The final blow will rest on you, Noah. You''ll have to make sure you either destroy or take the shard as you do." Noah gave a nod as the dragon began to strategize. "Focus on its tentacles. Destroy as many of them as you can. Target the base so that you can hit the portion from where it cannot regenerate them fast enough," Zax said. Noah rushed ahead, shooting his spear into the maw of the beast, charged with void mana. Obliterate pulsed through the shaft of the weapon like missiles shooting from auncher. The spear shot ahead, crackling with ck lightning as it struck the beast. Noah blinked closer immediately after, the ws on his hands charged with ck mes as he let loose a Netherme burst into the creature''s maw. The beast roared for the first time, shrieking in pain, as the fire spread and one of its massive appendages began to break apart. "No, get away," Zax said. Noah blinked away as the beast snapped its mouth at him. Its body thrashed as the entire castle shook, sending ripples across the area. More pieces fell into the now-expanding abyss. Erwest headed in, his de charged with light as he shed through the tendril, getting a deep gash within it. Another pulse of golden aura tore through the massive tendril as smoke bellowed from the beast''s body. Noah teleported in at Zax''smand, touching Erwest, before quickly teleporting him back out before the beast could grab him. Aurelia struck next, her fiery fists mming into the beast as she pushed back one of its giant feet, wing at the edge of the abyss. She screamed, striking at the creature, pushing it further into the abyss. Snow jumped in as well, attacking one of the tendrils. She was raised into the air and mmed down, but the fusion of Snow and Shadow kept grappling with the tendril, tearing it apart. The tendril lost a giant chunk of flesh, dropping onto the floor and disintegrating into ck particles. The beast didn''t simply remain still to be attacked. It let out a shrieking wave, momentarily stunning everybody. Noah pushed through the effect, striking with his spear, but the beast was faster. A tendril grabbed Aurelia, raising her into the air before smashing her down on the ground, sending cracks across her body, pulling her in, almost dragging her down into the abyss. mes burst around Aurelia, ash swirling in a frenzy as she fought. Noah struck with his spear, attacking the tendril as Aurelia grabbed the monstrous appendage with her bare hands, fire bursting through them. She ripped it apart, but a limb shot from within the monster''s body, impaling her chest. Noah felt his heart drop as he rushed closer to her, but before he could reach her, he heard Zax''s voice in his head. "We''ve got her. Keep your focus," Zax said. Aurelia''s body vanished in a sh of light. The beast continued to thrash, its gaping maw raising itself out of the abyss, eyes shining with fury and hate. Tendrils came from the creature''s body, grappling with Snow. Noah rushed towards her, shing with his de as he freed the girl, taking a blow on his face as a tendril cut through his shoulder. Noah rushed in with his spear, striking the tendril, severing it with his hand while the aura burned it till nothing remained but dark motes of magic like glowing ash. "Two minutes," Zax said. "Target the inner mouth." Noah turned his attention and saw Bun Bun rushing closer, lightning bursting around the dragon spawn as he rushed in, striking with fury and haste. Noah followed with his de, arcs of golden light streaking towards the beast where the appendage had been cut off, hitting the body of the creature and cutting gashes into it. With a blinding sh of lightning and mes, Bun Bun rushed in, letting out a powerful burst of elemental magic that tore through the creature''s insides. A momentter, a tendril grabbed his familiar. Noah felt the teleportation from Zax wrapped around the rabbit, pulling him out just in time, yet the attack had been enough. Within the gaps caused by the attacks, Noah could now see a sight: a tight ball of wrapped tentacles within the creature, clutching the Shard. "One minute. We cannot hold for long," Zax said. Erwest nced towards Noah, before facing the Devourer. "You have one shot, don''t mess this up. I''m trusting you," he said. A momentter Erwest rushed in, jumping within the beast''s maw. Noah clutched his spear tightly. He looked at the fight and waited for his chance. Golden arcs shed, the creature thrashing in pain, shrieking as the light of Hellion continued to cut it apart from the inside. Seconds passed slowly as Noah watched. The magic continued to break apart the castle, the roof copsing. Noah saw the void surrounding them, the purple sky now ck, stars reflecting within it as the castle sunk into the abyss alongside them. He waited and continued to wait, watching Erwest, waiting for the signal. As the thrashing settled, he felt the pulse of mana for the teleportation as themand came. "Now." Tony whirred with rapid frenzy as Noah''s body transformed in an instant. Abyssal Symbiote has used Metamorphosis. All attributes increased by 25%. Time: one hundred and twenty seconds. Noah rushed in, his body transforming. Wings protruded from his back, his legs changed as his form turned into that of a being from the abyss himself. He dashed forward, not thinking of anything else as he jumped directly above the creature¡¯s gaping maw. Fires burst around his body, dark mes covering him and his spear, as his weapon absorbed all of it. Not enough. I need more. Taking out one of the mana crystals that Zax had given him, Noah put it in his mouth, crunching on it, as he felt the surge of energy wash over him. You have consumed [Mana Crystal - C]. All attributes increased by 200. Dark lightning shed, mixed in with the mes from the ce itself. The powers of blood, astral, and voidbined, forming a singr force. Purple colors swirled around Noah, crackling, bending reality as he jumped into the maw of the creature. Tendrils rushed out towards him, the bleeding monster looking up, ready to devour itsst prey. Noah continued to fall, channeling every ounce of mana into his body until there was nothing left for this final strike. As the creature, groaning, wrapped its tentacles around Noah''s body, grabbing him to be devoured, Noah let his spear loose with all the energy he had stored. A ball of ck, red, and blue merged into a singr purple colored explosion as the weapon howled. Reality shattered within the breaking astral realms as the spear struck the beast like an exploding missile, piercing its core. The monster howled, shrieking in pain as its limbs shot through Noah''s body before dragging him into the abyss with itself. With the veryst of his strength, Noah used one final blink, sinking even deeper as he reached out towards that shard he had been seeking all this time. As his hand grasped the piece of Divinity, something within him rose, something primal and so familiar. Noah heard the abyssal maw shriek in pain, its body burning from the mes of the Nether. Yet, right now, none of that was in his mind. The only thing he felt was an unending hunger and the cold grasp of the abyss. You have killed [Abyssal Maw (Legendary) - Level 317]. Feat of strength performed! You¡¯ve obtained the title [Titan yer]! Devourer activated, and Noah felt his mind scream in hunger. The Shard flowed into his body, merging with his soul, pieces of it returning into ce like a puzzle that had just gotten another part restored. You have consumed a Shard of [???]. [Devourer] has increased in rank. Questpleted! Noah felt Zax¡¯s magic wrapping around him, covering his body in a warm and familiar embrace. As the blinding light of teleportation magic rose around him, he closed his eyes as his consciousness faded away into darkness. Conditions met. Path evolutions avable. Starting evolution. Transporting to Astral Space. Book 2: Chapter 64 — Evolution Pt 1 Book 2: Chapter 64 ¡ª Evolution Pt 1 The world swirled in a daze of fog. Floating around him. His memories were jumbled. Where was he? He¡¯d been¡­ What had he been doing? What happened to¡­ the words slipped from Noah¡¯s mind, memories jumbled and tangled. A woman¡¯s face appeared in his vision, his thoughts reced by new ones. Ah¡­ that¡¯s right. I¡¯m dying. ¡°I¡­I¡¯m dead aren¡¯t I?¡± Noah asked weakly, a wheezy rasp to his voice as air whistled through the hole in his chest. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ve frozen your body and my magic keeps your soul from departing. But I cannot hold it for long,¡± the angel replied, a sorrowful sound in her voice. Even though he knew what was happening, hearing it still made his throat m. ¡°Is everyone else alive?¡± Noah asked, finding more strength in his to speak. ¡°Many are injured, but all are alive,¡± the angel replied. ¡°I see,¡± Noah murmured, feeling the strength in his body starting to fade again. ¡°I do not know the reason for your actions, Noah. I had not expected a human of all things to decide to help me on a task like this. But know, that if it wasn¡¯t for you, then this world would¡¯ve been lost to the Void. You have saved countless lives today. The world may not remember you. But I will. I will not forget your sacrifice,¡± she whispered in his ears. The words did not console Noah. But as death slowly eased into his body, it was the onlyfort he had. ¡°I¡¯ve opened a portal to the inter dimensional rifts. It will dissipate your body, returning it to nothingness alongside the seal,¡± the angel said, letting go of his hand. ¡°One¡­st thing,¡± Noah mumbled, his eyelids starting to turn heavy. ¡°I never got your name.¡± The angel paused at his words. Looking down at Noah, she replied. ¡°Raelinah. My name is Raelinah. A Valkyrie of the Dawn.¡± Slowly, Noah closed his eyes. [Devourer (Basic ¡ú Intermediate)] The Shard of [???] has been integrated. *** Noah opened his eyes to a familiar arcade in his sight. It took him a few moments to adjust, the memories of his death messing with his mind. Sounds of pping came from the chamber, footsteps echoing as they made their way towards him. ¡°Congrattions, Noah. I truly did not expect you to survive this long. You¡¯re almost like a pesky cockroach, and I mean that as apliment,¡± Dn said. ¡°And you¡¯re like the¡­ uhh,¡± Noah trailed off, failing toe up with a scathing enougheback. Fuck, I¡¯m gonna find something in the shower a few dayster and totally regret it not finding it now, won¡¯t I? ¡°Whatever. Can you just like, leave me alone,¡± Noah said, shooing Dn away. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t, since, technically this ce and by extension you, are sort of my job. As much as I hate it,¡± Dn said. ¡°I really hadn¡¯t missed seeing you,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Likewise,¡± Dn said. Noah ignored Dn, looking around the Astral Space instead. He could feel the connection he had to this location a lot more deeply now, aspared to before. Not to mention¡­ some things felt a little different. The arcade machines were still the same, but a lot of them had¡­ references. Noah spotted a w machine, with little plushies of Bun Bun and Tony within them, alongside a small life-wyrm. Another fighting game had a character awfully simr to Aurelia present within it, fire and ash swirling around her in a cool animation. Noah walked around the area, taking in everything for a few moments, before something caught his eyes. An arcade machine, marked with a blood symbol. Walking closer, Noah pressed the power button on the device, as it activated with a creepy jingle. Starting evolution for [Exsanguinator]. Collecting unlock requirements. Compiling results¡­plete. Wee to The Game of Blood. A myriad of options exploded in front of Noah, lining his vision. The machine shone with a red light, like some kind of horror game, as the various path options began to present themselves on the screen. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a lot,¡± Noah said, scrolling through the options rapidly. He saw at least thirty options within the selection menu. ¡°Well, yes. Everything you do influences your Path. And for better or worse, you¡¯ve managed to do a lot of things in a rather short amount of time,¡± Dn said. Noah scrolled through the list for a while before he realised he could adjust it based on rarity. Checking off the options, he turned off all ss options below Epic rarity. The list shrank rapidly, going from a massive amount to something much more mangeable. Noah smiled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see what we¡¯ve got.¡± Noah went back to the start, looking at his first option. [Sanguine Exalt (Epic, Rank D)] You have traversed the path of the Exsanguinator, honing your mastery over the essence of blood. Rise now, as the Sanguine Exalt, wielding dominion over the blood and life force of your adversaries. This path marks you as a master in both sapping the vitality of your foes and fortifying your own, specializing in the potent art of blood and life force maniption. With the prowess to inflict severe bleed status effects, you turn the very lifeblood of your enemies into a weapon, achieving a harmonious bnce of offensive might and defensive resilience. Requirements: Have the [Exsanguinator] Path at level 100. Rewards: +5 Constitution, +3 Power and +2 free attributes per level. +50 Constitution. Warning: Taking this path will alter some abilities. ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s a big jump. Ten attributes per level and fifty Constitution in a go? At Epic grade? Wow,¡± Noah said, reading through the Path descriptions. ¡°And that¡¯s the basic upgrade huh?¡± ¡°Your ignorance is amusing,¡± Dnmented, sitting on the sofa nearby and watching Noah in silence. Noah ignored the guy, moving onto the next option. [Dragon''s Apprentice (Epic, Rank D)] You have learned from a true dragon, gaining a sliver of it¡¯s wisdom. Walk the path of a Dragon''s Apprentice, mastering the art of draconic energy and might. You will be the guardian of ancient secrets and a wielder of the raw, elemental forces that dragonsmand. With abilities to harness draconic fury and the elemental breath of these mythical beasts, you bnce the ferocious strength of dragons with strategic prowess in battle. Requirements: Must have reached level 100 with a strong affinity or connection to dragons. Rewards: +5 Mystic, and +10 free attributes per level. +25 Mystic +25 Constitution, +25 Power, +25 Agility. Enhanced affinity with elemental energies, reflecting the diverse nature of draconian powers. Warning: Choosing this path will lead to modifications in some existing abilities, aligning them more closely with draconian essence. This path will also affect your Race. Noahughed as he saw the path evolution. He¡¯d expected something like this, but seeing it in front of him still made him chuckle. The funniest thing is how I¡¯m actually tempted. I wonder how Zax would feel about this? He looked at the path for a few more seconds, before moving on to the next one. [Hematic Bodycrafter (Epic, Rank D)] You have suffered painful torture to achieve the body you have. Now be capable ot honing it to the utmost limit. Be the Hematic Bodycrafter, mastering the art of self-enhancement through blood maniption. Harness your own life essence to fortify and adapt your physical form, achieving feats of strength, agility, and endurance beyond normal limits and be a living testament to the transformative power of blood magic. Requirements: Must have reached level 100 with a focus on self-enhancement and blood maniption. Have willingly modified your own body. Have advanced [Pain Tolerance]. Rewards: +10 free attributes per level. +25 Constitution, +25 Power. Enhanced self-healing and adaptive bodily modifications. Warning: This path will change your race and some abilities. Nope. Once was enough. And this option feels a little redundant since I already have Tony. Though being able to go further than I already can might be nice. The 10 free points is also kinda nice. Noah thought over it for a few seconds before moving on. [Blood Beastmaster (Epic, Rank D)] You have altered your familiar Bun Bun with blood, turning a regr rabbit into a magical beast. Now embark upon the path of the Blood Beastmaster,manding creatures transformed by the essence of blood. Be capable ofmunicating with, controlling, and empowering blood-altered creatures, turning them into loyal and formidable allies. The bond you forge with these creatures goes beyond mere control; it''s a kinship born of shared essence and mutual reliance. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Must have transformed andmanded blood-altered beasts. Rewards: +5 Mystic, +3 Constitution, and +2 free attributes per level. +25 Power, +25 Mystic. Heightened ability to bond with and empower creatures altered by blood magic. ¡°Huh,¡± Noah muttered out loud. He read through the description again, before the memories of the one rabbit he¡¯d experimented on returned to him. ¡°Wait a second¡­ I did that?¡± he trailed off, realisation slowly dawning on him. ¡°Ah yes, the age old enemy. Consequences of our actions,¡± Dn said, chuckling. ¡°I¡¯d been wondering all this time when you would realise it. I must say, I¡¯m a little disappointed by your reaction,¡± Dn said. ¡°You knew?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Of course I did. It¡¯s not like I have anything better to do,¡± Dn replied, lounging on the couch as he began to trim his nails. Noah shook his head, looking one more time at the path, before he closed the option. Guess I should be careful about what I feed my blood to. Moving on, he opened the next Path. [Affliction Warden (Epic, Rank D)] You have been been poisoned, burnt, frozen, cursed and inflicted with all sorts of affliction, gaining resistance to most. Take up the mantle of the Affliction Warden, developing resistances to various afflictions and the ability to cleanse them from others. As an Affliction Warden, you stand as a protector, shielding yourself and your allies from the myriad corruptions that gue the world. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Must have the [General Affliction Resistance] ability. Rewards: +5 Constitution, +3 Mystic, and +2 free attributes per level. +30 Mystic,+20 Constitution. Superior resistance to poisons, diseases, and curses, along with enhanced abilities to cleanse and heal these afflictions in others. Neat path. Probably great for a doctor, but unfortunately not what I¡¯m looking for. Noah moved on to the next one. [Scarlet Renegade (Legendary, Rank D)] Your path is tied to the old goddess of war. Now embark upon it as the Scarlet Renegade, forged in the ancient traditions of the Scarlet Valkyries and blessed by the war goddess Raelinah. Wield the sacred and potent magics of war and purification, mastering abilities that cleanse corruption and smite foes with righteous fervor. This path empowers you to resist and repel the Rot, turning its corrupting influence into a source of strength and defiance. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Must have [Crimson Rot Resistance] at Intermediate rank or higher. Must have [Weapon Master] at intermediate. Must have ties to the Scarlet Valkyries. Rewards: +5 Constitution, +4 Power, +3 Mystic and +3 free attributes per level. +50 Constitution, +50 Mystic, +25 Power, +25 Agility. Enhanced resistance to corruption and disease, particrly against the effects of the Crimson Rot. Warning: Adopting this path will result in modifications to some existing abilities. Noah¡¯s eyes widened as he read through the option. ¡°One fifty attributes in a go and fifteen per level huh? That¡¯s¡­ pretty nuts,¡± he said, going through the path description. He read through the options, thinking over them carefully. Did he want to go firmly into the anti-crimson route? The feeling he got from the path was not bad, and it could potentially lead him to finding Raelinah as well. But¡­ was that really his path? Or was he simply being influenced once again by things outside his control? Doesn¡¯t matter. Whatever gives me more strength will serve my purpose. He moved on to the next option. [Crimson Knight (Legendary, Rank D)] Embrace the path of the Crimson Knight, wield the Crimson Rot as a weapon. Step into a realm where corruption bes a source of strength, turning the battlefield to your advantage, spreading its influence strategically to weaken foes while remaining impervious to its harmful effects. Dominate through a blend of resilience, mystical prowess, and tactical agility, turning a feared affliction into an ally inbat. Requirements: Must have reached level 100 and demonstrated an affinity for controlling and utilizing the Crimson Rot. Rewards: +5 Mystic, +4 Power, +3 Constitution and +3 free attributes per level. +25 Constitution, +25 Power, +50 Agility, +50 Mystic. Be immune to the Crimson Rot, relishing in it¡¯s embrace. Warning: Adopting this path will result in alignment with the Crimson Rot. Pass. I¡¯ve got enough Primordial Gods on my back already. Noah moved on to the next option. [Wyrmblood Guardian (Legendary, Rank D)] You have survived an encounter with a Life wyrm, and have obtained the Lifeblood ability. Now be the Wyrmblood Guardian, embracing the ancient and venerable essence of dragonkind. Your blood will be potent, turning into an elixir of life with formidable regenerative powers unparalleled by any other. Gain formidable strength and resilience, wielding the life-affirming energies of a Wyrm to protect and empower both yourself and those around you. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Must have all three types of general resistances or greater. Must have encountered and survived a meeting with a Life wyrm. Possession of the [Lifeblood] ability. Must have saved someone''s life using your own blood. Rewards: +8 Constitution, +4 Power, and +3 free attributes per level. +75 Constitution, +25 Power, +25 Agility, +25 Mystic. Mixes the essence of life-wyrms in your blood. Warning: Adopting this path will result in modifications to some existing abilities, aligning them with the blood of wyrms. Noah paused, as he looked through the option. This one felt¡­ powerful. He could sense the potency of the life-force within the path, and how it would change his Lifeblood. Would be nice to be able to have more health. After looking at the path option for some time, Noah moved on to thest avable path. [Blood Reaper (Unique, Rank D)] You reap the blood of your enemies, embodying the essence of affliction and retribution. With the unique ability Blood Debt as your cornerstone, master the art of inflicting and reaping afflictions. You wield the power to turn the pain and suffering of your enemies into a source of strength, manipting their afflictions to your advantage and using their own weaknesses against them. Requirements: Have reached level 100. Have the unique ability [Blood Debt]. Have two or more affliction inflicting abilities. Rewards: +5 Power, +5 Constitution, and +5 free attributes per level. +50 Power, +50 Constitution, +25 Agility, +25 Mystic. Enhances all Affliction abilities. Warning: Adopting this path will result in modifications to some existing abilities. Noah read through the description, before closing the menu. A lot of things went through his mind, as he tried to think on what direction he¡¯d like to take from here on. Frowning, he stepped away from the arcade machine for the moment. I can decideter, let¡¯s see what the other Paths have to offer first. Book 2: Chapter 65 — Evolution Pt 2 Book 2: Chapter 65 ¡ª Evolution Pt 2 Noah moved over to the next arcade machine, with glittering stars and images of space printed upon it, alongside a picture of him wearing an astronaut suite and flying towards a gxy, while striking a pose. Chuckling, he turned on the arcade machine, as it came to life with a majestic jingle. Starting evolution for [Astralwalker]. Collecting unlock requirements. Compiling results¡­plete. Wee to The Gctic Conquest! Once again, a myriad of Path options appeared in front of Noah, and he quickly changed the settings to only include Epic and Legendary grade options. After trimming the options, Noah opened the menu, and began to look at the options. [Realmwalker (Epic, Rank D)] You have traversed multiple realms, gaining an understanding of the realms. Embrace the path of a Realmwalker, mastering the art of dimensional travel and maniption, navigating the myriad worlds that exist beyond the veil of reality. Your deep connection to these realms grants you unique abilities to traverse, understand, and influence the fabric of space and time. Requirements: Must have reached level 100 with [Astralwalker]. Rewards: +3 Agility, +3 Mystic and +4 free attributes per level. +50 Mystic. Warning: Adopting this path will lead to modifications in some existing abilities. Your perception of reality may also be altered. Same deal as Sanguine Exalt with this one. Not a bad choice though. If I didn¡¯t have legendaries waiting. Noah moved on to the next one. [Ethereal Shaper (Epic, Rank D)] Step onto the path of the Ethereal Shaper, where the boundaries of the soul and the physical world blur. This path allows you to manipte your soul and aura, reshaping them to achieve various effects, from enhancing physical abilities to creating ethereal constructs. As an Ethereal Shaper, your mastery over your inner essence grants you unique capabilities in bothbat and personal development. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Have [Soul modification] and [Aura Control]. Rewards: +5 Mystic, and +5 free attributes per level. +50 Mystic.Increased mastery over soul maniption and aura shaping. Warning: Choosing this path will fundamentally alter your soul and aura abilities, changing the way you interact with your inner essence. Interesting. Noah read through the option. The change was subtle but present, with his abilities shifting from Astral to be more soul focused. He liked the feeling he got from it. Don¡¯t want to get anything close to necromancy¡­ but this could help me break the Pact down the line. Something to consider. He moved on. [Cosmic Sage (Epic, Rank D)] You have met the goddess of wisdom and learning, now embark upon a path of knowledge as the Cosmic Sage. This path is imbued with the knowledge of the cosmos, allowing you to decipher the mysteries of the universe and use this understanding to cast powerful astral spells. Your connection to the astral realm is deepened, granting you insights into the fabric of reality and the ability to manipte it to your will. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Have gained Avera¡¯s Blessing. Rewards: +5 Mystic, and +5 free attributes per level. Unlock [Spells]. Learn everything twice as fast. Warning: Embracing the Cosmic Sage path will alter your astral abilities. ¡°Huh¡­ no immediate attribute increase but¡­ twice as fast learning. Hmm. Tempting,¡± Noah said, looking at the Path for a few more seconds. It was a good option, but given the number of options further down, it was likely that there would be a better legendary option avable. He moved to the next one. [Chainbreaker (Epic, Rank D)] You have shown the strength andpassion to break chains, both literal and figurative. As a Chainbreaker, you step into a path of liberation, freeing others from their bonds and fighting against oppression. This path endows you with the strength to shatter shackles and the resolve to stand against tyranny. Your journey as a Chainbreaker will be one of resilience and determination, as you be a beacon of hope and freedom. Requirements: Must have reached level 100 and have a history of breaking chains, both in freeing others and in personal liberation. Rewards: +5 Power, and +5 free attributes per level. +50 Power. Gain an increased ability to break suppression chains. Warning: Adopting this path will lead to modifications in some existing abilities. Noah paused on this one for a moment. I could get it, and try to break Zax¡¯s chains for good. Almost tempting, given the potential rewards doing that could have. There was a part of him that liked the idea, being free of restrains was appealing, and having the ability to free himself and others of chains¡­ he liked that. Putting the option aside for now, he moved on to the next one. [Star Weaver (Legendary, Rank D)] Having harnessed the cosmic energies of the stars, the path of the Star Weaver beckons. This path allows you to weave the raw celestial energies into powerful spells and attacks. As a Star Weaver, youmand the mysteries of the cosmos, crafting starlight into both devastating offensive spells and awe-inspiring defensive auroras. Your journey will be one of astral exploration and cosmic discovery. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Must have the ability [Starforged Arms]. Rewards: +5 Mystic, +5 Power and +5 free attributes per level. +50 Mystic, +50 Power. Mastery over cosmic and celestial energies, allowing for the creation of powerful astral spells. Warning: Embracing this path will transform your abilities to align with the celestial and cosmic forces. Noah saw the path, his arms expanding and growing in number, each capable of casting spells independently. The path would be a force to be reckoned with, hurtling magic without any pause. A heavily magic based ss with a lot of utility. Combine that with Astral specter and my clones¡­ terrifying. And it¡¯s just the first legendary option so far. Noah moved to the next one. [Watcher''s Herald (Legendary, Rank D)] Embody the enigmatic power of the Watcher as a Watcher''s Herald. This path grants mastery over the unsettling energies of madness and the astral realm. Harness the ability to afflict enemies with bewildering psychic effects and manipte the very fabric of reality, bending it to your will with the Watcher''s cryptic knowledge. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Must have resisted the Watcher¡¯s Madness. Rewards: +5 Mystic, +4 Power, +3 Constitution, and +3 free attributes per level. +100 Mystic. Enhanced psychic and astral abilities, specializing in inducing and controlling states of madness and manipting astral phenomena. Warning: Embracing this path will inflict madness on those around you. Tempting, but pass. Not interested in bing a puppet. Noah closed the option, moving to the next one. [Spectral Sovereign (Unique, Rank D)] Ascend as a Spectral Sovereign, a master over the spectral realm and its inhabitants. Command legions of spirits and specters, bending them to your will. This path allows you to summon, control, and empower spectral entities, turning them into allies in battle. As a Spectral Sovereign, you also gain the ability to traverse the spectral realm, using it to your tactical advantage. Requirement: Have reached level 100. Have the [Astral Spirit] bloodline. Have the [Astral specter] ability. Rewards: +5 Mystic, +4 Wisdom, +3 Power, and +3 free attributes per level. +100 Mystic. Absolute control over all specters and enhanced domain control. Warning: Embracing this path will affect the [Shadow specter]. Opening the path showed him an image of himself,manding a veritable army of specters, which all obeyed hismand. He could see the sheer power present within the ss, honing his new bloodline ability to its limits. Noah whistled. ¡°Now that¡¯s powerful,¡± he said, looking at the abilities for some time, trying to think of the many ways he could use it. He moved on for now, opening the next option. [Runebody Arcanist (Legendary, Rank D)] As a Runebody Arcanist, delve into the ancient and powerful art of runic magic. Your body bes a living conduit for arcane runes, each etching granting you unique magical abilities and enhancements. This pathbines physical endurance with mystical prowess, allowing you to cast potent spells and adapt to variousbat situations with the power of runes. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Have [Mana Reversal], [Mana Control] and [Mana Resistance]. Have absorbed pieces of a great magic source. Rewards: +15 free attributes per level. +75 Mystic. +50 Power. Gain an [Arcane Body] bing one with mana and magic. Warning: Embracing this path will affect your Bloodline and [Runic Chains]. Noah stopped at the description. He saw himself, covered from head to toe in runes, magic had be a part of him, and he a part of it. There was no longer a difference between the two, as spells were used with the utmost efficiency, his body bing enhanced beyond its limits by the magic engraved upon it. He remembered Zax¡¯s words about the [Arcane Body]. Noah hovered over the option for a moment, before closing it. He¡¯d see the others first. [Rift Sentinel (Legendary, Rank D)] Embrace the role of a Rift Sentinel, a legendary path focused on the active monitoring and policing of dimensional breaches. You possess heightened abilities to sense and respond to unauthorized or malignant dimensional activities. As a Rift Sentinel, your deep understanding of the multiverse allows you to patrol and secure the boundaries between worlds, preventing potentially catastrophic incursions. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Have [Dimensional Pocket]. Have [Inventory]. Have traveled to multiple Astral Rifts. Have helped protect an Astral Rift. Rewards: +5 Agility, +4 Power, +3 Mystic, and +3 free attributes per level. +75 Power, +75 Mystic. Be capable of opening rifts across realms. Noah felt the power present in the ss. It had a duty too, one which would bind him, but in return, he would also obtain a vast amount of power. The role of a protector, of not just one realm, but all of them. Yet, there was one thing, more than anything, that the Path told him. With this? He could go back to Earth. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, before moving on to thest option. [Astral-Vault Keeper (Legendary, Rank D)] Step into the enigmatic role of an Astral-Vault Keeper, a custodian of the vast and mysterious Astral Vault. This path grants you unparalleled ess to a trove of astral knowledge and artifacts, each holding untold power and secrets. As a Keeper, you have the unique ability to manage, protect, and utilize these astral treasures, leveraging them to influence the course of events across various realms. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Have unlocked the [Astral Vault]. Have [Celestial Harvest]. Have [Dimensional Pocket]. Have the [Diamond Premium Package]. Rewards: +15 free attributes per level. Gain unlimited ess to the [Astral Vault]. ¡°Man¡­ all of these are good,¡± Noah muttered to himself as he went through the all the descriptions. He frowned, thinking over all the options, before scratching his head in frustration. ¡°Guess I might as well see what I¡¯ve got for Void Hunter,¡± Noah said, closing the menu as he moved away from the Arcade machine, walking to thest one. Book 2: Chapter 66 — Evolution Pt 3 Book 2: Chapter 66 ¡ª Evolution Pt 3 Noah walked up to thest device, noting the teeth, ws, and tentacles marked upon it, themed like an eldritch horror game mixed with a survival game. He started the machine, as it lit up with an eerie jungle tune before words shed in front of him. Starting evolution for [Void Hunter]. Collecting unlock requirements. Compiling results¡­plete. Wee to The Abyssal Survivor! Used to the process by now, Noah moved through the menu, leaving only Epic and Legendary rank options, before he quickly began to make his way through. Alright, let¡¯s speed run this. [Abyss Hunter (Epic, Rank D)] Embark on the path of the Abyss Hunter, where the dark and enigmatic depths of the abyss be your hunting ground. This path endows you with an unmatched ability to track, hunt, and vanquish creatures that lurk in the abyssal nes. As an Abyss Hunter, your intuition and prowess are honed to perfection, allowing you to navigate and dominate in the most treacherous of environments. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Have the [Void Hunter] path. Rewards: +4 Power, 3 Agility, and +3 free attributes per level. +25 Power, +25 Agility. Warning: Adopting this path will alter some abilities. Same deal as before. Good option, but there will be better ones. Next. [Cultbane Shadow (Epic, Rank D)] Step into the shadows as a Cultbane Shadow, a path dedicated to dismantling and disrupting the workings of dark cults and their abyssal machinations. With skills honed for infiltration, espionage, andbat against cultists, you be a silent guardian against the spread of corruption and darkness. This path empowers you with abilities to detect, counter, and eradicate cult activities, standing as a bulwark against the encroaching shadows. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Have taken down one or more cults. Rewards: +4 Agility, +3 Power, and +3 free attributes per level. +25 Agility, +25 Power. Enhanced abilities in stealth, granting you an edge in subterfuge and anti-cult operations. Warning: Adopting this path will make you the sworn enemy of the cults. Huh, this one is neat. Could potentially help me take down the cults. Likely not worth giving up a legendary option for though. Next. [Abyssal Emissary (Epic, Rank D)] As an Abyssal Emissary, you have formed a unique bond with the creatures and energies of the abyss. This path allows you tomunicate and negotiate with abyssal entities, harnessing their strength and knowledge. Your deep understanding of the abyss makes you a bridge between worlds, capable of wielding abyssal magic and influencing its denizens. Requirements: Must have reached level 100 with a history of positive interactions and alliances with abyssal creatures. Rewards: +4 Mystic, +4 Power and +2 free attributes per level. +25 Mystic, +25 Power. Enhanced abilities tomunicate with, summon, and control abyssal entities, along with a deepened understanding of abyssal magic. Warning: Adopting this path will make you an enemy of the Hellion Church. That¡¯s an interesting one. Potentially useful, but not worth alienating the church, even if they¡¯re annoying. Noah thought over it for a few seconds, before moving to the next one. [Abyssal-Titan Summoner (Legendary, Rank D)] As a Abyssal-Titan Summoner, delve into the art of calling forth andmanding the titans of the void,manding untold powers of destruction. Harness the chaotic and potent forces of the abyssal-titans, using them to achieve unparalleled feats in both offense and defense. Your strength will be unparalleled, and your presence alone will strike fear into the hearts of your enemy. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Have Advanced [Abyssal Call]. Have the [Titan yer] title. Rewards: +5 Mystic, and +10 free attributes per level. +80 Mystic, +20 Power. Mastery over void summoning, enabling control over powerful void entities and maniption of void energies. Warning: Adopting this path will alter some abilities. Noah read through the description, letting the mental imagee easily into his mind. He couldmand creatures¡­ titans, of the void. The raw strength within the creatures alone would be something to behold, but the path was also¡­ ritualistic. He would need to study and prepare summon circles and he himself would not have any power, even if his summons would be terrifyingly strong. He moved on to the next option. [Hellion''s Vindicator (Legendary, Rank D)] Embrace the righteous fury of Hellion''s Vindicator, a warrior blessed by the goddess of justice to fight against the void and its corrupting forces. This path bestows divine powers to smite foes with righteous energy and protect allies from abyssal influences, embodying the bnce between light and darkness. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Have received the blessing of Hellion, the goddess of justice. Rewards: +5 Power, +4 Constitution, and +6 free attributes per level. +50 Power, +50 Agility. Gains divine justice powers, including smiting foes with holy energy and shielding allies from abyssal corruption. Warning: This path will break the Pact. Of course I got this. Thank you Hellion. He knew the goddess hadn¡¯t directly given him the option, but it still made himugh nheless. He moved on to the next one. [Spectral Phantom (Legendary, Rank D)] As a Spectral Phantom, your connection to the spectral realm is unparalleled. This path enhances your shadow clone abilities, allowing for moreplex and coordinated attacks and reconnaissance. The specter can now act with greater independence and in perfect sync with you, making you a formidable duo in any scenario. Requirements: Must have reached level 100 and possess the [Shadow specter] perk. Rewards: +5 Agility, +4 Mystic, and +6 free attributes per level. +50 Agility, +50 Mystic. Mastery over spectral abilities, enabling advanced coordination and utilization of your shadow for various strategic advantages. Warning: Adopting this path will alter your [Spectral Shadow]. Heck no. Strong? Sure. Will I do it? Nope. Not gonna give that guy any more control. And I already have Tony. Noah felt his shadow stirring somewhere inside his mind, grinning happily. He could not manifest here, but he was still attached to Noah¡¯s soul. Noah rolled his eyes, before moving on to the next option avable. [Titanbane (Legendary, Rank D)] Step into the role of Titanbane, a legendary figure known for ying titans and other colossal creatures. This path grants you the strength, skills, and tactics needed to confront and conquer the mightiest of foes. Your prowess against giants makes you a legend among warriors, feared by behemoths and respected by all. Requirements: Must have the [Titan yer] title. Have survived encounter with an Ascendant. Have beaten an enemy two ranks above you. Rewards: +5 Power, +4 Agility, and +6 free attributes per level. +75 Power, +75 Agility. Specialized abilities forbating colossal creatures. Warning: Adopting this path will alter some abilities. Experience gained from weaker enemies will be reduced. Noah¡¯s eyes widened. That¡¯s another strong one. He could feel the strength present in it, it¡¯d force him to constantly fight stronger foes, but the rewards would also be quite worth it. Frowning in thought, Noah decided to read all the way to the end first. I¡¯ll keep this one in mind. [Void''s Apostle (Legendary, Rank D)] Step into the enigmatic and powerful role of Void''s Apostle, a path for those who have embraced the full spectrum of the void''s mysteries. This path allows you tomand the entirety of the void''s forces, leading its creatures and wielding its enigmatic energies. As Void''s Apostle, you be a conduit for the void, channeling its raw power and directing its creatures in a grand symphony of chaos and destruction. Requirements: Must have reached level 100 and shown a deep connection with the void and its entities. Rewards: +15 free attributes per level. +75 Mystic, +75 Power, +25 Constitution, +25 Agility. Unparalleled mastery over the void, includingmand over its creatures and the ability to manipte void energies for various effects. Warning: Embracing this path transforms you into an embodiment of the void. Noah¡¯s eyes widened slightly. That¡­ was a lot of rewards. 200 attributes in a go, and 15 free attribute per level. It was somehow tempting despite how much of a bad idea it was. He nced sideways at Dn, who¡¯d been watching awfully quietly now. ¡°What?¡± the man asked. ¡°Do your thing, go, I don¡¯t care.¡± Noah looked onest time at the Path, before closing the option. He hadn¡¯t selected it before, and he didn¡¯t intend to select it now. [Abyssal Predator (Legendary, Rank D)] Be an Abyssal Predator, achieving a perfect symbiosis with your abyssalpanion, making you a true apex predator within its realms. Your symbiote will be capable of protecting you, forming armor and weapons with its body, and your enhanced physical form and attunement with abyssal energies make you a terrifying force, capable of adapting and thriving in the most hostile environments. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Have modified your body. Have the [Abyssal Symbiote] ability at advanced rank. Rewards: +5 Power, +5 Agility, +5 free attributes per level. +75 Power, +75 Agility, +25 Mystic, +25 Constitution. Enhanced [Abyssal Symbiote]. Warning: This path will alter your [Abyssal Symbiote]. Noah saw the option, watching it in his mind. Tony would be capable of forming armor with his body, giving him versatile limbs to use at any point or make weapons off of, Metamorphosis would also grow stronger alongside a direct improvement to his baseline abilities. And his mental processing and abilities would be sharpened too. He would truly be, in all meaning of the word, an Apex Predator. Out of all the options so far, this one was the most tempting one. Closing the menu for now, Noah moved on to thest option. [Netherme Warrior (Unique, Rank D)] Embrace the path of the Netherme Warrior, a master of the mysterious and potenther mes of the void. Wield these unyielding mes with expertise, letting them flow through you without harm. As a Netherme Warrior, you harness the destructive and elusive power of these mes, using them to incinerate foes and light the path through the darkest of battles. Requirements: Must have reached level 100. Have the [Netherme Burst] ability at Intermediate rank. Rewards: +5 Power, +4 Agility, +6 free attributes per level. +100 Power, +50 Agility, +25 Mystic, +25 Constitution. Increased mastery over theher mes. Warning: This path significantly alters your affinity with fire and void energies. Noah closed the menu after reading thest one, before he began to walk around the Astral space. His mind raced through the options, as he tried to think of the many possibilities thaty in front of him. All of them were good, though some clearly better than others. ncing around, Noah searched the area before finding a piece of paper and pen lying on the now unmanned reception desk. Picking the two up, he began to write down his options. Exasnguinator: 1) Scarlet Renegade: Ties to Raelinah. Could lead to something. Fairly powerful, and further increases my spear abilities. Overall bnced between regen and damage. +50 Mystic, +50 Constitution, +25 Agility, +25 Power 2) Wyrmblood Guardian: Makes Lifeblood even better. Kinda broken regeneration wise. +75 Constitution, +25 rest all. 3) Blood Reaper Enhances Blood Dept. Crazy DPS build. More damage focused. +50 Power and Constitution, +25 Mystic and agility. Astralwalker: 1) Chainbreaker: Not worth probably, but could let me break Zax¡¯s chains. Epic grade. 2) Star Weaver: Multiple hands spellcasting Path. Powerful offensive, less focused on movementpared to before, but high versatility and ability to overwhelm opponents. +50 to Mystic and Power. 3) Spectral Sovereign: Powerful, focused on the specters more so and my bloodline upgrade. Not sure if it''s better than Star Weaver or not though. +100 Mystic. 4) Runebody Arcanist: Strong, lots of focus on arcane magicbined with physical attributes. The opposite of Star Weaver in some ways. +75 Mystic, +50 Power. 5) Rift Sentinel: Can go back home with this... Not sure I want to, yet. Also powerful ability. But tied with a duty. Simr to Earth Champion from the start. +75 Mystic and Power 6) Astral Vault-Keeper: Gives ess to Astral Vault. Free shop ess? Not entirely sure. Harder to get a read on this one, the images were unclear, but seems powerful. Lessbat focused though. No attribute gains on unlock. Void Hunter: 1) Titanbane: Strong. Quite strong. +75 to power and agility. But will make it even harder to level up unless I¡¯m fighting things way above my level. 2) Abyssal Predator: The one I like the most. Makes Tony stronger, and more versatile. Increases sub-attributes and attributes both, and upgrades [Metamorphosis]. Powerful and versatile. +75 Power, +75 Agility, +25 Mystic and Constitution. 3) Netherme Warrior: High DPS. Destruction based path. Fire focused, I could probably give Aurelia a run for her money with this one. +100 Power, +50 agility, +25 Mystic and Constitution. Noah frowned, as he wrote down all his options, trying to think on which ones would be the best for him. Lost in his thoughts, he didn¡¯t notice Dn walk up to him till the man was right behind him, making Noah jump. ¡°Can¡¯t make up your mind?¡± Dn asked. Noah turned, surprised, before he paused. ¡°Yeah. A bit. All of these are good, just not sure which one is right for me.¡± ¡°All of them are, or they wouldn¡¯t have appeared. These are potential futures. But if you can¡¯t decide, then think on which would you would dislike the most, and go from there. Thest option is the one you hate the least,¡± Dn replied. ¡°Don¡¯t people do the opposite? Pick the one they like the most?¡± Noah asked. Dn shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m not a person. And that is a foolish way to choose. A feeling of dislike is always stronger, and easier to navigate with.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Noah said. ¡°Thanks. That¡­ may have actually helped me.¡± Dn waved him away, before turning around as he walked back to the sofa. Noah turned to look at the note, closing his eyes. He pictured him, having each path, one by one, picturing how he would use them, and what they would mean for him. After a few minutes of meditating on his thoughts, he opened his eyes. "Alright, I''ve made up my mind." Book 2: Chapter 67 — Evolution Pt 4 Book 2: Chapter 67 ¡ª Evolution Pt 4 Noah selected his choices, as the system chimed in front of him. You¡¯ve selected [Wyrmblood Guardian (Legendary)] You¡¯ve selected [Runebody Arcanist (Legendary)] You¡¯ve selected [Abyssal Predator (Legendary)] Would you like to finalize your choices? Yes/No? Taking onest look to make sure he was certain, Noah pressed yes. [Exsanguinator (Rare)] has evolved into [Wyrmblood Guardian (Legendary)] +75 Constitution +25 Power +25 Agility +25 Mystic All healing abilities increased by 100% Health regeneration increased by 250% Constitution increased by 15% [Astralwalker (Epic)] has evolved into [Runebody Arcanist (Legendary)] +75 Mystic +50 Power All magical abilities increased by 150% Mana regeneration increased by 200% Mystic increased by 20% [Void Hunter (Epic)] has evolved into [Abyssal Predator (Legendary)] +75 Power +75 Agility +25 Constitution +25 Mystic All abilities of [Abyssal Symbiote] have been increased by 100% Physical abilities increased by 200% Power increased by 10% Agilityincreased by 10% Bloodline [Astral Spirit] has changed to [Cosmic Wyrmblood]. Race changed from [Astral Humanoid] to [Draconian Humanoid]. [Cosmic Wyrmblood (Bloodline)] Your bloodline holds the legacy of the wyrms, and the powers of the cosmos. All members of your bloodline will inherit yourmand of spirits, and the powers of dragonkin. Mystic and Constitution increased by 10% Perk [Draconian Aura] obtained. Perk [Arcane Body] obtained. [Mana Control], [Mana Sense], [Mana Reversal] and [Mana Expulsion] synergise with [Arcane Body] fusing into [Greater Mana Mastery]. Sub attributes: Power: C1 ¡ú C8 Agility: C5 ¡ú B0 Constitution: C9 ¡ú B2 Mystic: C0 ¡ú C6 Noah eyes widened in surprise, as he felt his body changing on a fundamental level. Even here, within his Astral Spirit, he could feel the surge of power and lifeforce flowing through him. He felt the surge slowly course through his spirit, and almost felt d that he was in his Astral Spirit. If he had to feel the sensations y out fully in his own body¡­ he wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d have held onto his consciousness. Letting the notifications y out, Noah began to go through his abilities. [Blood Drain (Rare)] has evolved into [Life Siphon (Legendary)] [Life Siphon (Legendary, Advanced) - lvl 29] You have learned the ability to siphon the life of your enemies. Reach into your enemies core, draining their life force and strength, restoring your health and significantly enhancing your physical and magical prowess. Find your mastery of life strengthened, drawing from all creatures possessing any amount of life-force. That takes care of the biggest weakness of Blood Drain. No more getting poisoned and feeling awkward if the enemy has no blood. [Bleed (Rare)] has evolved into [Wyrm¡¯s Curse (Legendary)] [Wyrm''s Curse (Legendary, Advanced) - lvl 28] Embody the wrath of the dragon with Wyrm''s Curse where your enemies'' veins be conduits of their undoing. This ability inflicts the [Wyrm''s Curse] status effect, marking adversaries with a draconic sigil that saps their life, feeding it to you. This curse can be inflicted through direct contact, via aura, or applied to weapons. Just a straight up curse huh? That sounds nasty. Noah felt the ability¡¯s instincts fill him, his aura changing rapidly, the effect further enhanced by his new [Draconian Aura]. [Lifeblood (Legendary)] has evolved into [Wyrmblood (Legendary)] [Wyrmblood (Legendary, Advanced) - lvl 27] You possess the blood of wyrms. Find your healing abilities significantly amplified, turning your blood into an elixir of life and be capable of storing life beyond the limits of your vessel. You are immune to most advanced toxins and corruptions, and most intermediate rots. I really have to make sure people don¡¯t target me for my blood. Noah read through the ability, but he didn¡¯t really have to. If before he had vaguely felt the loss of his humanity as the thought of being stabbed in the gut had be only an inconvenience, now it did not even register. He knew, in this moment, that if he tore his own arm out, it would grow back within minutes. Seconds, if he used Life-siphon. I really am just turning into a monstrous freak. [Bloodfly Swarm (Epic)] has evolved into [Bloodwyrm Swarm (Legendary)] [Bloodwyrm Swarm (Legendary, Epic) - lvl 13] From the depths of your draconic power, you call forth a swarm of Bloodwyrms. Command these creatures born from the essence of dragons and shaped by your mastery over blood, unleash a maelstrom of destruction upon your enemies, inflicting [Hemorrhage] and [Mise] upon your enemies. This ability keeps bing nastier and nastier. Noah could feel the bloodwyrms, just at the edge of his reach. He could also use them to restrict enemies, binding them as the wyrms surrounded his target. [Blood Debt (Unique)] has evolved into [Wyrm¡¯s Feast (Legendary)] [Wyrm¡¯s Feast (Legendary, Intermediate) - lvl 10] You can harness the hunger of wyrms. Be capable of consuming each instance of [Poison], [Bleed], [Toxin], [Rot], [Necrosis], or any other damaging status effect transmuting them into vital energy, gaining a buff to your mana, health, stamina and physical prowess. Not unique anymore huh? I guess that makes sense. But still¡­ this is quite powerful. Not really as DPS heavy anymore, but I could heal others with this ability, while also gaining a buff for myself. Noah felt himself itching to test out his abilities. Should at least see what else I got though. [Blink (Epic)] has evolved into [Arcane Step (Legendary)] [Arcane Step (Legendary, Advanced) - lvl 29] You have be one with mana, your body now a seamless expression of magic itself. Find yourself capable of stepping through the realms, to teleport with ease, even across jumps between magical dimensions. You can bypass not just physical obstacles but also magical barriers and wards making you a master of both spatial and mystical movement as you move through theyers of reality with the same ease as walking through your own home. Well well well. This is some good shit right here. Noah felt the abilities engraved upon his body, runic tattoos now covering his arms, legs and portions of his chest. The magic flowed in them, glowing, letting the mana from his surroundings flow into him seamlessly. It was still difficult to truly grasp just how much he had been changed. Not until he got the chance to test things out. [Dimensional Pocket (Legendary)] has evolved into [Cosmic Vault (Legendary)] [Cosmic Vault (Legendary, Advanced) - level 25] The arcane energies fill your spirit, forming a vast astral expanse, a boundless sanctuary where the energies of the cosmos converge. This ability grants you a personal realm, hidden beyond the reach of time and space. Gain the ability to reach into any other dimensional storages with ease, whether yours or not. Holy shit. Noah¡¯s eyes widened, a grin covering his face as he read the description. Could he just¡­ steal from all pocket dimensions now? The thought almost made him startughing out loud, but he controlled his excitement. There were other things to note too, like how his rather unstable pocket realm had started to gain more physical form. He wasn¡¯t sure how that would change things just yet, but he was dying to find out. [Starforged Arms] has synergised with [Quadrivium Ink] and [Astral Vault]. [Starforged Arms (Legendary)] has evolved into [Runeforged Armaments] [Runeforged Armaments (Legendary, Advanced) - lvl 25] Your body is Arcane, and so is your spirit. Gain the ability to manifest ethereal arms and weapons, now etched with potent runes. Each armament is a masterpiece of celestial energy and runic enchantment, obtained from the [Astral Vault] and added to your growing armory, capable of executing devastating attacks or castingplex spells. The runes on these arms can be customized to various effects ¨C from bolstering your defense with wards to enhancing offensive capabilities with elemental fury. Noah let the ability summon itself, as the runic tattoos on his body lit up. Magical des and spears appeared around him, glowing with runes, each an extension of his own body. He switched the weapons out, changing them for arms, finding their appearance altered, as runic tattoos covered them. He de-summoned the arms, smiling to himself at the change. Maybe over time I could just call out 100 weapons at once and just shove them onto someone. [Runic Harvest (Legendary, Intermediate) - lvl 10] Current Runes: 0 Harvest runes from creatures, holding them onto your Arcane Body. Be capable of reaping the ambient arcane energies from the environment, as well as from any magical sources or ley lines within your vicinity, increasing the strength of your abilities with each rune gained. Huh, interesting. So it¡¯s changed the credits to runes? Could be neat. [Arcane Specter (Legendary, Intermediate) - lvl 11] Specter count: 2 Your specters grow, bing a part of the Arcane. Be capable of forming perfect replicas of yourself, that follow your everymand, acting independently engage inbat or work in tandem with you, allowing forplex magical strategies and deceptions. The Arcane Specter is more than a mere duplicate; it''s an extension of your will and magical acumen, able to navigate and manipte the battlefield with the cunning and finesse of a seasoned arcanist. And this one made the division finite. But in exchange, now it¡¯s basically two more of me. Noah wondered how the ability would work when taking his [Spectral Shadow] into ount. [Obliterate (Epic)] has evolved into [Void Annihtion (Legendary)] [Void Annihtion (Legendary, Advanced) - lvl 30] You harness destructive powers with the unbridled chaos of the void. Unleash cataclysmic forces that tear through the fabric of reality, annihting anything in its path. Find yourself capable of creating a vortex of void energy, engulfing and disintegrating enemies with ruthless efficiency. The deathser became the death area attack. Noah smiled, alreadying up with different uses for the ability. [Void Hunter¡¯s Senses (Rare)] has evolved into [Abyssal Awareness (Legendary)] [Abyssal Awareness (Legendary, Advanced) - lvl 29] You have a predator¡¯s awareness as your perception pierces the darkest depths. You can sense the slightest disturbances, track the most elusive of creatures, and perceive beyond physical obstacles within the range of your senses. Find an area around you where you have absolute perception of objects. Isn¡¯t this just straight up X-ray vision? Noah closed his eyes, and realized that he no longer needed to keep his eyes open to ¡°see¡± if it could be called that. He saw things from a centered perspective from within his body, in a sphere all around him. The sensation left his head spinning, and Noah cut it off, opening his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s going to take some time to get used to,¡± he said, before checking the next ability. [Abyssal Symbiote (Epic)] has evolved into [Abyssal Fusion (Legendary)] [Abyssal Fusion (Legendary, Advanced) - lvl 36] You have be one with your symbiote, in both mind and body. Your physical form is a fluid canvas of abyssal energy, allowing for adaptive transformations as your body is enhanced in strength, agility, and resilience to suit anybat situation. Broken. Absolutely broken. Noah could tell how much Tony¡¯s abilities had expanded. The symbiote was sleeping now, unable to enter the Astral Space, but if he was awake, Noah could already see Tony going crazy over the changes that had urred so far. [Hunter¡¯s Mark (Epic)] has evolved into [Predator¡¯s Mark (Legendary)] [Predator''s Mark (Legendary, Intermediate) - lvl 10] Current Avable Marks: 2 You are a true predator, and your mark defines you as such. Be capable of marking your prey, giving them a curse that decreases their attributes up to 25% based on the difference between your levels if your prey is weaker. Other predators will recognize you and your mark, leaving your prey alone. Each marked target bes more vulnerable to your attacks, and their weaknesses areid bare to your predatory instincts. Terrifying. I could just bully any thing below me in levels. [Abyssal Inferno (Legendary, Intermediate) - lvl 10] You carry the inferno of the abyss. Be capable of unleashing the full, devastating power of the abyssal mes in a hellish inferno. Alternatively, you can concentrate the mes into a focused, incinerating beam, reducing everything to ashes in your wake. And now I have a death fireser instead. Moving on from the skills, Noah finally arrived at the notification showing his attributes. [Wyrmblood Guardian] has reached level 107! [Runebody Arcanist] has reached level 106! [Abyssal Predator] has reached level 109! Power: 409 ¡ú 743. Agility: 416 ¡ú 655. Constitution: 426 ¡ú 737. Mystic: 561 ¡ú 858. Free Attributes: 22 ¡ú 178. Noah looked at the numbers in awe. He¡¯d expected the change to be big but seeing it for himself was something else entirely. Even now, his body was still rushing to catch up, and it was only because of his spirit Path options that he could even do this at all. He suspected, if his body had been like before, he would¡¯ve be oversouled. Opening his menu, Noah looked at his Astral Script. Astral Script: Name: Noah Brown Race: Draconian Humanoid Rank: D Paths: Wyrmblood Guardian (Legendary) - level 107 Runebody Arcanist (Legendary) - level 106 Abyssal Predator (Legendary) - level 109 Attributes: Power: 743 [+148] Agility: 655 [+131] Constitution: 737 [+210] Mystic: 858 [+245] Attribute Points: 178 The menu changed a little. I guess the bracket numbers are my buffs and the values I see are the effective attributes? Deciding to leave his free Attributes untouched for now till he¡¯dpletely caught up to the rank up, Noah closed his Astral Script. ¡°You sure are weird,¡± Dn said. ¡°Mortals are typically a lot less willing to let go of their humanity in the pursuit of power.¡± ¡°I feel human,¡± Noah replied. ¡°If so, then you¡¯re merely fooling yourself,¡± Dn said, pointing sideways toward a mirror. ¡°You can see for yourself.¡± Noah looked into the mirror. His body was covered in tattoos now, with mana seamlessly flowing through them. His eyes had turned a deeper shade of red, pupils turned into vertical slits, and his canines had grown into fangs. His physique had changed as well. His limbs were far more proportionate than they¡¯d ever been, his skin soft like he had just been born, and his muscles denser. Overall, his frame was smaller, yet somehow, it exerted more power. An aura of fear swirled around him,manding respect. Noah shrugged. ¡°The sacrifices we make to look badass.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve changed. You would not have epted this so easily when you first arrived here,¡± Dn replied. ¡°I guess so,¡± Noah said. Dn looked at him for a few seconds, clicking his tongue. ¡°There, that¡¯s for you,¡± he said, pointing behind Noah. Turning around, Noah saw a gate within the arcade, the words ¡®Training Chamber¡¯ written on it. Below that was a handwritten note¡ªStaff only! ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you see for yourself?¡± Dn said. Feeling skeptical, Noah walked up to the door, pushing it open. It was an open endless expanse, with swirling colors forming the entire background. Noah tentatively put a foot forward, finding a solid surface within the swirling colors. A chime pulled his attention to a notification arriving in front of his face. Wee to the Training Chamber! In this facility, you can participate inbat replicas against foes you have encountered before. Please keep in mind that the testing chamber can only replicate abilities you¡¯ve seen the enemies use and is ultimately a memory re-creation. Hope you have some fun training! As the message vanished, Noah looked around in confusion. ¡°So¡­ I can summon things I¡¯ve fought before? Hmm¡­ Aurelia?¡± A figure of Aurelia appeared in front of him, her fists raised. ¡°Huh. It worked. How about¡­ Raesar,¡± Noah tried again. The figure changed to take the shape of the giant Draelith, looking down at him with a grin. ¡°Interesting.¡± Noah reached out and his spear appeared. He dismissed Raesar¡¯s figure, smiling in excitement as an idea came to him. ¡°Viktral Nayfar,¡± Noah said, and the cultist chief appeared in front of him, looking at him with a look of anger and disgust. Noah spun his spear around, Void Annihtion crackling through it. With a smile, he regarded the enemy, itching to test out his new abilities. ¡°Let¡¯s see how strong I¡¯ve be.¡± Book 2: Chapter 68 — Training Chamber Book 2: Chapter 68 ¡ª Training Chamber Noah charged at the cultist chief, moving faster than the man could react. Using Arcane Step, he appeared right in front of the man, his spear pierced through as Void Annihtion activated. Dark void mana flowed through the weapon, cutting a hole in the chief''s body. Not giving his enemy any time to react, Noah charged Abyssal Inferno, unleashing its fury. mes burst from his hands, incinerating the cultist with a burst of fire till not even ash remained. Noah looked down where the cultist once stood, remembering a time when the man had seemed overwhelmingly strong. He spun his spear around nting his spear on the colorful cosmic ground underneath him, grinning triumphantly. "Alright, time for the next one." Noah tried to picture the Blood-grafted horror he had first encountered within the Abyssal cult. ¡°Blood grafted horror,¡± he said, as the creature manifested in a swirl of red and ck, forming a ghastly entity. Noah remembered how horrible and disgusting the creature looked and how much suffering it had caused to everyone forced to turn into such monstrosity. The Blood-grafted horror roared as it charged in. Noah used Wyrm¡¯s Curse on the creature as the ability activated. Mana flowed into his eyes, lighting up as his aura swirled around him with newfound power. Momentster, the system chimed. You¡¯ve inflicted [Wyrm¡¯s Curse] on [Blood-Grafted Horror]. The curse¡¯s ability began to work as the creature writhed in annoyance and agony. A small amount of life started to flow back to Noah from the creature, slowly increasing in intensity. The Blood-grafted horror shrieked, annoyed by the curse as its many limbs, enhanced and twisted forms, and knots of flesh moved its giant bulbous body around to kill the source of its annoyance. It looked at Noah, its fleshy mouth starting to reveal an array of bones meshed together in a mishmash of stitched-up chaos. The creature jumped, arms swinging. Bony appendages formed des as they struck down. Noah did not dodge this time, letting the strikend. The attack, even after how much he had grown, cut through his arm, stopping only at the bone, almost tearing his arm off entirely. Noah grabbed the second strike, catching the bony sword striking at his head. He looked sideways as blood flowed freely from the wound, dripping from the cut. Momentster, with an exertion of his spell, his body and blood began to reform and mend itself, restoring in front of his eyes. In a few seconds, his hand was back to normal as he clenched his fists, smiling happily. "Sick as heck," Noah said. He did not regret getting Tony back when he first lost his arm but it still felt great to finally have the ability to recover any lost limbs. Clenching his fists, Noah channeled Void Annihtion as he punched the creature in front of him. The giant monster flew back, its giant body iling as it tumbled, bones and flesh breaking from the strike. Reaching out to his abilities, he summoned the Bloodwyrm Swarm. The snakelike draconian creatures of blood manifested from the cosmic void, wrapping themselves around the blood-grafted horror, their teeth sinking into its body. Notifications chimed in his mind. [Bloodwyrm Swarm] has inflicted [Haemorrhage]. [Bloodwyrm Swarm] has inflicted [Mise]. Noah used Arcane Step, appearing right in front of the creature. The bloodwyrms held it in ce, keeping it tied, as the creature resisted. The horror¡¯s many eyes and faces looked towards him as reaching out to try and grab him, but mes of Abyssal Inferno turned its limbs to ashes before they ever reached his body. The creature roared, pushing against his restraints, shrieking more and more. You¡¯ve heard [Phantom Wail] from [Flesh Grafted Horror]. You¡¯ve resisted its effects. The creature, knowing Noah stood unharmed, began to grow more wary, its form slowly starting to transform. Its bulbous form shifted to be a draconian creature of blood and bones, wings sprouting from its back, but Noah didn''t n to let it continue. He tightened the bloodwyrms around the creature, holding it in ce before Void Annihtion filled his fists. ck fire erupted around his hand as the abyssal inferno crackled. With a powerful strike, Noah''s fist exploded in mes, almost sending the creature flying, but the blood swarm held, tying it into ce. Fist after fist descended on the creature, attacks faster than the monster could transform. Its body broke apart before it could regenerate. The strikes became faster and faster, each one tearing a chunk out. Barely seconds in, he struck, and the creature shuddered, falling down into a copsed pile of flesh and bones. Still alive, but only barely. Noah looked down at the monster in front of him with disgust before pointing his palm towards the creature. With one final pulse, ck mes erupted around the blood-grafted horror, consuming it entirely. Cracking his neck, Noah smiled. "Alright, who''s next?" He tried to recall who else he had fought before a name settled into his mind. "Ah yes, that¡¯d make for good practice." Noah called upon the Valkyrie he''d fought to obtain his spear. He formed the image of the woman in his mind before speaking the words, "Scarlet Valkyrie." Momentster, golden and red light erupted as the Valkyrie manifested in front of him, and Noah summoned his spear by his side, which vibrated as if resonating with the Valkyrie''s presence. The Valkyrie looked at Noah, her eyescking any intelligence or recognition, but for just a moment, she nced at the spear in his hand and a brief smile formed on her lips. Noah struck first, rushing forward as he threw his spear with a charged Abyssal Inferno. The spear shot forward at speed, slicing through the air with a crackling burst. The Valkyrie moved, agilely dodging the attack, then countering with her own. Golden spears formed around her,unching towards Noah in a swirling array. He used Arcane Step, dodging the attacks and teleporting around her as he closed the distance. Swirling violet magic enveloped her, golden light healing her crimson rot-ridden body as she struck with her spear, sending pulses of golden red energy out. Noah closed in, summoning his Runeforged Armaments. Swarms of magical des formed around him, runic ents adorning them. With a singlemand, he unleashed a ze to counter the Valkyrie''s spears. The two weapons shed, canceling each other out in a burst of blue and gold magic. Noah rushed forward, striking with his weapon. The Valkyrie moved, her own spear meeting his in a dance of des. The two struck in unison, Noah spinning his spear around, trying to stab at her throat, aiming for a one-hit defeat, but the woman was fast and dexterous. She moved swiftly, dodging within an inch of his strikes, matching them with her own. It didn''t take long for Noah to realize who was more skilled between the two of them. But that didn''t mean she was stronger. ck mes wrapped around Noah, countering the Valkyrie''s attacks and forming a wall. He teleported, appearing behind her, and threw his spear again. She turned swiftly, using her own spear to deflect the attack, but she wasn''t prepared for another de striking from behind, stabbing into her gut. Swords descended one after another, piercing her body and heart. Noah teleported closer, manifesting a runic de into his arm. He looked at the tortured woman, then with a single strike, beheaded her. "I guess she can''te back from that," Noah said as the woman disappeared into motes of light. He took a few moments to let his health and mana recover before considering his next enemy. It was an obvious choice, one that Noah had been itching to try out. He smiled, anticipating the next challenge as he spoke the words. ¡°Raesar.¡± The giant drailith appeared, grinning at Noah as he looked down upon him. Noah looked up at the man with reptilian eyes with a grin as well, almost as if the two shared an unspoken joke. Then, without a word, they both struck ¡ª Noah with his spear and Raesar with ws. The drailith overwhelmed Noah with his sheer power sending his spear flying. Noah recalled his spear in his inventory, switching to closebat. He could feel that Tony was sleeping, not being present within this space, but he still couldmand Tony for his abilities. Dark, gooey slime flowed over Noah¡¯s body, forming armor that coiled around his arms as wed gauntlets. His mind, working faster now, sharpened his thoughts as meditation kicked in. Noah began to match Raesar blow for blow, each strike from the beast sending a crack across the area, sounding like a machine gun firing. Noah met each strike intentionally, matching Raesar. But with every other strike, he found himself being pushed back. As the battle continued, the strikes began to umte. Raesar¡¯s fist would crack his bones before they immediately repaired themselves. But the more Noah fought, the faster Raesar''s strikes became, faster than he could heal them. Wounds covered Noah,blood flowing freely around him. What Noah had done to the Blood Grafted Horror, Raesar was now doing to him. There was a chance Noah would win the endurance match. As the notification had mentioned, Raesar could only use the skills that Noah had seen him use ¡ª only ever just one. But even so, Noah found himself being pushed harder and harder to the brink. His ck armored gauntlets slowly began to crack. His fists shivered, his body pushed back by the intense aura and he almost felt like he was about to fall over. Using Arcane Step, Noah teleported away, creating distance between them. His blood acted quickly, battered and broken fingers mending themselves as bones healed and his flesh knit itself back. Noah cracked fists, pushed back his fingers into their sockets. His blood dripped down into the colorful cosmic backdrop, fading into nothingness. Raesar simply stared, grinning as he watched. Noah knew Raesar would not attack until he made the first move. "Even here, you have so much leeway huh?¡± Noah said. Raesar did not respond; this was just a projection. But the drailith¡¯s eyes narrowed just the slightest bit. Noah summoned his spear back, looking at Raesar with a look of determination. "Round two. This time, let''s give it our all," he said. Raesar''s demeanor shifted, his aura changing to a deep red as his eyes expanded and his ferocious grin widened, focusing intently on Noah. Once again, with a wordless signal, the two moved at once. Noah lunged with his spear, charging them with Void Annihtion as he struck. Raesar countered with his ws, but the ability cut gashes, drawing blood. Noah used Life Siphon, pulling onto the drailith¡¯s lifeforce as he bolstered his own. des of magic manifested around Noah, taking strikes from multiple directions. He spun his spear, charging it with Abyssal Inferno as ck mes enveloped the air. A wave of fiery force and annihtion crackled around the spear, sending arcs with each swing and pulses of void mana with each thrust. The guildmaster moved, dodging and moving faster than Noah, but Noah kept up, his enhanced speed and perception just enough to match the monstrous man. Using Arcane Step to intercept and thrust his spear. Another attack came from behind, striking Raesar faster than he could react. Raesar ignored the pain, his ws descending on Noah, nearly tearing him into pieces with a single strike. Jumping back with Astral Step, Noah touched his chest to feel the deep gashes as they healed themselves. With a pulse of mana, he summoned both specters as two more clones of him appeared. These ones did not look like him, but more like magical clones, yet what theycked in personality, they made up in power. They moved as one, ck mes manifesting around their mana weapons. Noah teleported, switching ces with the specters, attacking Raesar with theirbined strength. Bloodwyrm Swarm rose from around Raesar, entangling his ankles, and more des poured out from his Runeforged Arnaments. The drailith shrugged off the assault, striking at Noah with a fearsome swipe of his ws. One of the specters teleported back in, recing Noah as it took the strike for him. Noah returned a momentter, thrusting his spear and cutting through Raesar''s defenses, drawing blood. Raesar let the weapon sink into his body, using it to grab at Noah''s spear. His ws struck at Noah''s shoulders, severing his arm entirely. Noah stumbled back, slipping away as a specter took his ce, unleashing Abyssal Inferno. The exploding ck mes engulfed Raesar, who rolled, rushing through the onught as he charged the specter, killing it. Noah clutched his shoulder, stopping the bleeding as he Life Siphon, but it wasn¡¯t enough. Turning towards Raesar, Noah used Wyrm¡¯s feast. [Wyrm¡¯s Feast] has consumed [Hemmorage]. [Wyrm¡¯s Feast] has consumed [Mise]. As thest spectre died, Noah drew upon more of Tony''s abilities as he activated Metamorphosis. Tendril-like mes burst from his back, ws forming at his hands and wings taking shape behind him. His size grew as he turned into the visage of a demon with hellfire swirling all around. Noah roared, rushing in. mes danced around him as he struck with his ws, matching Raesar blow for blow. His shadow stirred, rising as the two of them attacked in unison, teleporting between each strike. They struck at once, the drailith letting out a roar, swinging his arms as he wed at Noah. Noah struck back with his own ws charged with Void Annihtion, the impact sending both of them flying. Not wasting time, Noah teleported in with Arcane step as he grabbed the drailith¡¯s arm and with a scream, lifted Raesar¡¯s massive body of ground. For a brief moment, Noah saw Raesar''s eyes widen before he mmed him down onto the ground, tackling him down. Fire continued to gather, Abyssal Inferno burning as Noah stored more energy within his arm. Raesar wed at him, pulling him down, but Noah held strong, his Shadow Specter striking at the Drailith with bursts of Void Annihtion and des of mana. Raesar roared in anger, before swiping his tail as he cut through the Shadow with a single strike. Noah summoned bloodwyrms once more, using them to hold Raesar in ce. The Draith roared, resisting as Noah held him to the ground. He felt his shoulder tearing from the force, but Noah continued, pushing more and more mes into his limb. Raesar screamed, muscles bulging, his aura intensifying as he tore one of the Bloodwyrms holding his arms. He grabbed Noah¡¯s arm, before ripping it off entirely. As the drailith¡¯s ws were about to maul him to death, Noah unleashed his ability. All the mes gathered within his body escaped in a single st. A sphere of ck mes manifested around them, darkness descending as fire swallowed everything. Noah felt Raesar''s strike punch a hole through his gut, tearing out his insides before swiping at his face as they tore out his eyes. Noah teleported away before he copsed, his healing working in a frenzy to keep him alive. He felt his heart racing, waiting for his eyes to heal back up, but due to Abyssal Awareness he could still see around him, perceiving from somewhere beyond his eyes. Due to this, he saw Raesar rise from the fury of ck mes and delt his hear sink in defeat. The drailith stepped out of the inferno, the mes dying down around him. Yet, when the man came out, the sight shocked Noah. He looked up and saw Raesar''s body burnt to a crisp; one half of his arm was missing up to his chest, a giant hole showing his ribs and lungs, the flesh of his body a fused and searing mush with his skull showing in parts. Raesar looked down at him in silence before he spoke. ¡°Good fight.¡± The drailith copsed in a heap, his body fading into motes of light immediately after. Noah felt his body rx, tension fleeing as if his strings were cut loose. He chuckled, the aughter rising slowly at first, before turning into a mad cackle. He had done it. He had done it! After his wounds had healed enough, Noah rose up from where he had fallen, looking down at where Raesar''s body had been before it disintegrated into motes of light. He shook his head in disbelief. ¡°Still just one fucking skill. What a monster.¡± Noah put a hand on his gut, feeling his messed up organs slowly sliding into ce. ¡°I should probably stop now,¡± Noah said. ¡°But I do have onest opponent I want to face.¡± The image came easily to him, the majestic form of his next challenge. ¡°Zaxius,¡± Noah said and the dragon manifested in a crackle of energy. Zax stood in front of Noah in human form, his expression neutral. Noah looked at Zax, summoning his spear back into his arms as the effects of Metamorphosis faded. He felt the ability return a momentter, ready to be activated again, he realized there was no cooldown on his abilities here. For a few seconds, Noah simply stared at Zax, trying to think of how to strike. Every path he could see was blocked, every method he could think of was intercepted. Noah felt Zax''s aura of terror pour over him, overwhelming even his resistances. For a brief moment, Noah found his heart shaking, pounding with terror and fear. Looking at Zax, he tried toe up with a strategy for a few more minutes before deciding to just strike, letting Abyssal Inferno charge for as long as he could before throwing Void Annihtion into the mix as well. Noah raised the weapon, letting it fill with energy as ck lightning crackled around it. He charged his muscles with everything he had, tensing up as he pulled back, before throwing the spear with all he had. Crack! The weapon moved faster than he could see, striking at Zax instantly. An explosion erupted, but Noah did not wait to see the result. Teleporting with Arcane Step, he appeared right in front of Zax, Abyssal Inferno charged before he formed two specters immediately after. Three strikes of the ming charge rushed towards Zax. But Noah didn¡¯t stop there. Mana des appeared around Zax, striking as one in a frenzy. Bloodwyrms rose from the ground, trying to drag the dragon down. For the briefest moment, Noah felt like he could win. His strike willnd, there should no way to dodge¡ª Lightning burst around Zax tearing through the specters immediately, at the same time, a pulse of water magic neutralized his abyssal inferno, blowing steam. Magic flowed faster than Noah could even perceive, canceling his des and tearing through his bloodwyrms. In the next moment, Zaxius cast another spell, as a bolt of lightning rushed towards Noah. It all happened within a fraction of a second. Within a single blink of an eye, Zax had destroyed all of Noah¡¯s abilities, before the bolt of lightning pierced his heart. Thest thing Noah saw was Zax standing just as calmly as he had, before everything turned white. You died. Noah felt himself reappear in a blinding sh of light, his legs shaking as he fell onto the ground. His heart thundered in his chest, as his mind tried to grasp what had happened. He had just died. Died in a mere few seconds, unable to do anything. He looked up and saw Zax still standing there, unscathed, with shackles around his arm Noah forced himself to calm down, a smile recing his grim expression. "I still have a long way to go," he said, dismissing the image of Zaxius. Standing on his feet, Noah looked around himself, taking a few moments to ground his mind back to reality. He took a deep breath. He had grown. "Alright, let''s head back," Noah said, and almost as if onmand, a gate of light appeared in front of him, with the words ¡®Exit¡¯ shing above. Noah looked at the gate suspiciously for a moment before stepping through as blinding light surrounded him. With a jerk, his spirit returned back to his body as he opened them and woke up. Book 2: Chapter 69 — Aftermath Book 2: Chapter 69 ¡ª Aftermath With a sudden jerk, Noah opened his eyes. It took him just a second to regain his bearings as he looked around his surroundings. He was sitting in a nondescript room, quite typical of the rooms he had seen in the Celestian parts of the city, with white tiles, polished floor, and somewhat modernistic decorations with traces of minimalist design. Abyssal Awareness spread out around him, the information from his senses flowing in a steady, constant stream. He was in the guild right now, in one of the resting rooms, and could feel the others in nearby chambers. All except Zax. Tony was still sleeping, the changes from the evolution remained ongoing for the abyssal symbiont. He could feel the wyrmblood fueling the symbiote. Noah stood up from the bed, stretching his limbs as he felt more fresh than he ever had before. The jump in his attributes had been massive; he could feel it slowly starting to settle into his body. He could think faster, no, not just think faster, he could see, hear, feel, and process all kinds of information faster than he could have before. It was like the resolution at which he felt time had been upgraded. The sensation was eerie; the world around him felt slower. Noah had already noticed this happening as his attributes had been growing over time. But with a sudden jump pushing him way over the 500 mark, close to a thousand, and sending nearly all his sub-attributes into the B grade, the difference was indescribable. Walking up to the mirror hanging on the wall, Noah looked at himself. His hair was longer now, likely as a result of the Lifeforce changing his body, forcing it to grow. He had already seen his eyes; the rounded pupils were now vertical, giving him an eerie look. Noah grinned. He did not dislike it. Sensing somebody walking outside his door, Noah used Arcane Step as he teleported outside. With a startle, a young woman jumped, clutching her chest. "Hey there, sorry about the jump scare. Do you have any idea how long I''ve been sleeping? And where one of mypanions might be? His name is Zax." ¡°Umm, yes. You have been sleeping for roughly one day. And, yourpanion should be¡ª" ¡°Oh, nevermind, I see him. Thanks,¡± Noah said, before using Arcane Step once more as he teleported away to the chamber just below him. As he appeared with a sh of blue light, Noah saw two things happen in rapid session. First, two people rose with extreme speed from their chairs, the one on the right drew a de, swinging it towards his throat with an intent to kill. The second followed right after, reaching for the sword swinging towards Noah. Without any time to think, Noah moved on instinct, his hand transformed, ws forming upon them as he intercepted the sword. Dark, gooey matter flowed from within him, forming armor around his neck, while hardening the skin in the area. Sparks flew as the de that was swung at his w, deflecting his fingers, but stopping at his throat, cutting through a thinyer of his armor, but enough to draw blood. ¡°Noah!¡± a shout came from a familiar voice, behind the two figures. It was only now that Noah began to register who was present in the room. Raesar stood next to the woman, his hand grabbed around her wrist. Noah looked at the woman; she was tall, taller than him, with a muscr figure covered in scars and a menacing aura that flowed around her. Her hair was white, her eyes blue; he could somewhat tell that she was a Celestian, though she certainly did not look the part. Noah used Identify. [Veteran demaster - ???] ¡°How did you get through the wards?¡± the woman asked. "Ekira, he is¡ª" Nae tried. ¡°I know who he is. But I need to know how he bypassed our defenses,¡± the woman said, ncing back for a brief moment, before her eyes returned to Noah. ¡°Wards? There was one?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I just used my ability.¡± Ekira nced down at Noah''s body, noticing the arcane runes imprinted upon him. ¡°We will discuss this further another time,¡± she said, withdrawing her de. Noah let out a breath as the sword moved away from his throat, the aura of the woman receding. Raesar stood next to him, a smile upon the man¡¯s face. ¡°It is good to see you, Noah. You have grown.¡± ¡°It''s great to see you too,¡± Noah said. ¡°But what are you doing here?¡± ¡°Let''s return to the topic at hand,¡± Zax said, drawing everybody¡¯s attention. ¡°Now that Noah is awake, we should fill him in on what all has been happening.¡± ¡°They don''t know our identity. We''re merely a powerful mage to them,¡± Zax sent to Noah telepathically. ¡°Got it. Is everyone else still sleeping?¡± Noah asked back. ¡°Yes, your Path evolution sped up your recovery. The rest will take a little more time. It seems you got some good options,¡± Zax replied, with the barest hint of a smile. Walking towards the table at the center of the chamber, Noah took a seat that Nae summoned from seemingly nowhere. ¡°Right, I¡¯ll give you a rundown. After the three of you went into the astral rift, the guild began to crack down on the cultists remaining within the city. We dered a state of emergency, taking control within the city, making sure none of them could escape. From the intel we gained from the captured cultists¡ªnot much, unfortunately, as they all died from a binding spell we could not break¡ªwe managed to locate all the cultist hideouts in and around the area and clear them out. The only thing left was to find out the main base and who was hiding them from detection. We did find thetter,¡± Nae said. ¡°Vix,¡± Noah said. ¡°Indeed, although we found out toote. The Pit was already empty, all its resources moved and relocated. The only thing left were the scraps and junk within the hollowed-out arena. The rest, we found out from your friend here. He¡¯s given us a general rundown of everything that happened and has been helping us settle things within the city. Everything being said, good job, Noah. All of you have saved the lives of countless people, and the guild has taken note of your achievements. Your bounty is under review for¡ªactually, I''ll let you find out on your own," Nae said. ¡°The fact that you sent them under my nose without ever telling me still pisses me off,¡± Ekira said, leaning back in her chair as she snorted. ¡°So, are the cultists gone now?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I wish. They were scattered; we got most of them, but definitely not all. Adventurers are still out there looking for the escapees in hopes that we can find out more about their activities. The good news is that the cult''s hold within the Melior Republic is basically in shambles. We''ve dismantled the Pit, taking it all apart. The process also allowed us to crack down on all the criminals that ran around the city freely before. Heartillia is safer than it has ever been,¡± Nae said. ¡°And what¡¯s the bad news?¡± Noah asked. ¡°We have found out that all three of the cults are working together. An unprecedented event. Like the churches from the Pantheon, the cults have had rtively friendly ties with each other, but never have theye together like this before. If they really are joining forces, theirbined threat presents some greater problems. Especially if we take into consideration that the primordial gods may also be working together. But even so, it still begs the question of who was leading them.¡± ¡°Actually, what has Lord Krios been doing during all this? Because, from what we found out, he was the most likely one to have been helping the cultists,¡± Noah said. The atmosphere within the room changed, expressions shifting; Noah could not tell why. ¡°Ah¡­ you don¡¯t know, do you?¡± Nae said. ¡°Don¡¯t know what?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Lord Krios is dead. He was assassinated.¡± Noah stared in disbelief. ¡°When? How?¡± ¡°One day before you returned. We still haven¡¯t found who did it. It was in his own manor. One of the servants found his body,¡± Nae said. ¡°His wife, Ayra, has taken the position of acting Lord and governor of the city, we did a check on her background as well but found everything clean. So if Lord Krios was involved, his wife wasn¡¯t aware of it,¡± Nae said, before sighing. ¡°But given his position and circumstances, we are still investigating his ties to the cult. It¡¯s all a mess. A giant heaping mess.¡± ¡°Someone silenced him then? And you have no idea who?¡± ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t the binding spell like the cultists at least. Lots of the Lords and governors want to hold a funeral, and hunt down those responsible. Having the guild ask that we investigate him for charges of crime now¡­ is difficult. Krios was well-liked by his peers,¡± Nae said. ¡°The perfect way to get rid of evidence. Feels like it should be proof enough,¡± Noah said. ¡°I wish it was that easy. You have no idea how frustrating managing all of this has been for me,¡± Nae replied. ¡°We are looking into it," Ekira said. ¡°But even if we find Lord Krios guilty, what then? You intend to punish a dead man? Our goals are to focus on finding the people within our ranks who may have led to this breach. Tightening up regtions. And making sure this cannot repeat.¡± ¡°Anyway, that is for us to discuss. We appreciate everything you have done so far, but this is our job now,¡± Nae said. ¡°Indeed. And we intend to make sure you getpensated. Your friend Zax has already made his request, and the guild will be looking into finding ways to free him of his shackles. I remember you had brought up the topic of the ve girl. Zax''s stories about her helped. And we are already working on making sure she will be safe,¡± Nae said. ¡°There is the matter of this shard of the dead god. The church wants to im it,¡± Ekira said, turning towards Noah. ¡°To im you.¡± ¡°In three days, amittee of higher-ranking guild members, governors, and church officials will be there to give an honorable reward to your party for your help in saving the city. At that time, this will also be discussed in my presence. You will be asked some questions; make sure you don¡¯t lie, Noah. You are in good consideration right now, so there¡¯s very little chance that the church will get a hold im over you. Just make sure you are on your best behavior,¡± Nae said. ¡°Right,¡± Noah replied. "I¡¯ll make sure.¡± ¡°Alright, well, you can go and rest now,¡± Nae said. As Noah stood up, Raesar looked towards him. ¡°We should spar sometime.¡± Noah grinned back at the guild master. ¡°We should.¡± ¡°We will head out with Noah as well,¡± Zax said, standing up. Together, the two of them stepped out, making their way through the guild. "Do you intend to keep your identity a secret?" Noah asked. ¡°For now, at least. Until we have gained a better perspective of how society has changed. It has been a few centuries since we were around. And humans change so quickly,¡± Zax replied. ¡°From your perspective we surely must,¡± Noah sent back. ¡°Not just ours, Noah. Yours too. At this rate, you will be an A-ranker before the end of this decade, possibly faster. And if so, you too will be immortal,¡± Zax replied. Noah¡¯s smile slipped. ¡°I guess I will be. I haven¡¯t really thought about it much.¡± ¡°It is perhaps a difficult thing toe to terms with as a human. We dragons are born in solitude. We have no mother or father to raise us. We fight for our own survival since birth. Very few among my kind take to forming rtionships, most prefer their ownpany. But for your kind, it is different. Very few will ever make it as far as you. You should be able to feel it by now. Yourpanions, even now, will struggle to keep up with you.¡± Noah frowned. ¡°Yeah, I could feel it. I was just trying not to think about it.¡± Zax put an arm on Noah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We will be around for a while yet. So you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Noah looked at the dragon, giving him a smile. ¡°Now, if you are free, why don¡¯t we travel around the city? It has been some time since we have seen human cities, and this one is particrly peculiar,¡± Zax said. ¡°Oh boy, do I have some fun stuff to show you,¡± Noah smiled, as the two teleported out with a sh of magic. Book 2: Chapter Epilogue: Drakonias Book 2: Chapter Epilogue: Drakonias Twenty-eight¡­ Twenty-nine¡­ Thirty¡­ Noah set the heavy bar back on its stand, the metal creaking and groaning under the weight. The Celestian guild had a training area/gym. Naturally, Noah had decided to make use of the facility. Over thest three days, his attributes had mostly settled, and his body had finished its rapid changes. His muscles were as dense as rocks now, and after he had gone to test his strength, it averaged 1500 lbs of weight for over 30 sets. If there was ever a doubt that I had gained superhuman strength, then this rified it. When Noah had seen Raesar using the same weight as a dumbbell, lifting it with casual ease, it was almost as if the further he progressed, the more he truly got to experience how monstrous some of the people around him were. But instead of feeling despair, that only pushed Noah to work harder and strive for even more. Wiping the sweat off his brow, Noah sat up. The soreness in his body from the workout was already fading away, his abilities healing him rapidly. A momentter, a spell activated below him, cleansing his body entirely of all sweat and grime. You have been [Cleansed]. Noah smiled. He could see why the adventurers here loved this ce. The door cracked open, Aurelia peeking in. ¡°You are still not ready? We are going to bete.¡± ¡°Sorry, lost track of time. I will be ready in a second,¡± Noah said. A momentter he jumped into his Cosmic Vault. The changes to the ability had made it into a much more solidified space, and Noah had decided to decorate it, turning it into a room of sorts. The swirling spaces of the fraying astral nes had be more stable, expanding the area within which he could keep things. Noah had decided to put in a wardrobe, some chairs and a table, alongside a small sleeping and resting ce for Bun Bun, where the dragon spoilt currently slept peacefully without any care in the world. Walking to the wardrobe, Noah picked out an outfit for himself. He and Zax had gone on a shopping spree, and Noah had been surprised to learn just how rich the dragon was. At one point, he had taken out an A-grade mana crystal to try and pay for clothes, and the shopkeeper had almost fainted. Afterwards, they had been treated like some form of nobility, being shown around and guided at all times by an attendant. Noah did not mind the treatment, although it did get stifling after some time. Picking out the most free and expensive-looking clothes that he had, nothing too expensive, he¡¯d made sure to keep Zax in check, he put on the clothes, switching into them. The shirt was white with golden embroideries set on it, alongside simrly designed pants. It really did not suit him. ¡°Definitely would¡¯ve been nicer if it was all ck,¡± Noah said. Tony shivered, the abyssal symbiote''s body flowing out from Noah, covering the dress. A momentter, the design changed, turning the clothes ck while giving them a sharp edge. Red, ck, and silver mingled together, matching Noah''s hair and eyes. He smiled at the change. ¡°Yup, much better. Thanks, Tony.¡± Using Arcane Step, he went out of his Cosmic Vault, appearing next to Aurelia. ¡°The others?¡± he asked. ¡°They are all ready; we¡¯ve been waiting for you,¡± Aurelia said. She was also wearing a dress for once, something he had never seen her wear before. Up until this point, her attire had always been that of an adventurer, and the change in looks took Noah by surprise. ¡°What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Aurelia asked. ¡°Nothing. Just, you look good,¡± Noah said. ¡°You should wear dresses more often; it suits you.¡± Aurelia¡¯s cheeks flushed for the slightest of moments. "Thanks,¡± she whispered. Noah smiled, offering her an arm. Aurelia looked down at the offered arm, raising an eyebrow in confusion. ¡°In my world, it is customary for the man to escort thedy. Since we have all dressed up anyway, we might as well y the part too,¡± Noah said. ¡°You have strange customs,¡± Aurelia said, as she put her arm through Noah¡¯s. Using Arcane Step, Noah teleported the two of them across the guild, arriving in front of the chamber where the meeting was held. Erwest, Snow, and Zax stood nearby. Snow was dressed up in a shirt and pants that entuated her tattoos and horns, Zax wore robes typical to a mage, though these were more refined-looking than his usual attire. Meanwhile, Erwest simply wore his Pdin¡¯s armor as always. ¡°That¡¯s disappointing, man. I was expecting to see you all dressed up,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯re not here to y games, Noah," Erwest said. ¡°You really need to rx sometimes, you know? Don¡¯t be a tightass all the time,¡± Noah replied. ¡°We have to enter now. Stop arguing,¡± Aurelia said, letting go of Noah''s arm. Momentster, the gates opened in front of them as the party members walked in. Together, the four of them bowed. Zax did not, but the dragon still dipped his head in acknowledgment. ¡°Please, raise your heads,¡± a woman''s voice said. Noah looked up to see Lord Krios''s wife, Ayra, sitting at the center. She looked tired, the joyful expression once seen on her face reced by exhaustion and sadness. ¡°We have heard of your contributions to our city. Though my husband is no longer here to see this, I would like to thank you in his ce, for heeding our call and protecting our city. We are in your debt,¡± Ayra said, dipping her head once. Noah noticed a few of the Lords frowning at the gesture. He also noted that members of the church were not present. He had heard of their prejudice against Snow, even after everything she had done. ¡°We did as we were supposed to. As adventurers do. Nothing more, nothing less,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Even so, you are all heroes and the city would like to thank you for your contributions. Ideally, we would hold a celebration, but given the circumstances, we decided it was best to keep matters private,¡± Ayra said, before ncing sideways with a nod at Ekira. The muscr woman stood up from her position, taking a tray from an attendant nearby, and walking up to them. ¡°This is a medal given to those who have contributed significantly to the kingdom. If you show this anywhere, they will know that you are a friend of the Melior Republic.¡± One by one, she ced the medal on all five of them before stepping back. ¡°We have also prepared a reward for your Quest as well,¡± Nae said, stepping forward. ¡°For sessfully preventing an abyssal rift from opening, and saving an entire city, your party has been awarded 5 A-grade mana crystals. And for Noah and Aurelia, both of you have had your ranks increased to Silver-I and Silver-II respectively. As per the prior agreement, you also get to keep the equipment the guild has provided you.¡± An attendant walked closer, with one more tray holding five glowing crystals on them. Noah felt the mana within them, at least five times as much as he had within himself, and found his eyes captivated. Gently, he touched it, putting it into his Cosmic Vault. ¡°For Snow, hereby, we would like to grant you the offer to choose. You could be a citizen of the country, or you can join the guild as an adventurer. Either way, you will be officially recognized by our jurisdiction, and the past that has happened will not repeat,¡± Nae announced. ¡°There were some who did protest your existence. But the guild has decided to protect you as one of ours. No matter where you go, we will make sure that you have somewhere to belong to.¡± Snow gave a nod, tears glistening in her eyes. Noah smiled. ¡°For the lightning mage Zax. We would like to invite you to join the guild. Even with the shackles, there are very few A-rank mages present. Your presence alone will be significant in our battle against the cults,¡± Nae said. ¡°We will consider it," Zax replied. Nae nodded. ¡°With the rewards done, we would like to discuss something regarding the events surrounding this incident. As the five of you may already know, the cults are working together to try and obtain the shards of a dead god. We do not know who this god is. The church has refused to speak on the topic. But we know that it represents something the cult wants. And we cannot let them have it,¡± Nae said. ¡°To cut the discussion short. How did youe to possess the shard, Noah? We know that you¡¯re an outerworlder, but was this god from your realm?¡± Ekira asked. All eyes rested upon Noah now; he could feel a spell working around him. ¡°Truthfully, I have no idea either. The memories from my death are vague. All I know is that it has something to do with the old goddess of War, Raelinah. And that it is in part because of her that I am here.¡± ¡°The old goddess? How is she involved in this?¡± Ekira asked. Noah shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s part of what I¡¯m trying to find out.¡± ¡°Alright. Can you separate the shards that you have?¡± Ekira asked. ¡°No, they are a part of my soul. As far as I know, they cannot be taken out.¡± ¡°Then, what do you intend to do when you have all the shards? Do you intend to be the new god? We have not seen one since the dawn of the astral systems.¡± ¡°Not really, no. The shards¡­ hold pieces of my soul. I realized this after finding this one. And finding the shards will likely give me the answer to what happened when I died, and why I am here at all in this world,¡± Noah said. The room looked at him in silence, before Ekira stepped back. ¡°If any concerns remain regarding Noah¡¯s possession of the shards, I would like to present the points that so far, he is the only one who has been able to absorb them,¡± Nae said. ¡°From the ounts of the astral rifts, Noah is somehow tied to this dead god and its shards. And the cultists did not just want the shards; they want him too. As such, keeping him with us will ensure that the shards cannot fall into the cultists¡¯ hands.¡± ¡°One of the church¡¯s ims?¡± one of the Lords spoke up, looking at Noah. ¡°I have permission from my goddess, and will stay by Noah''s side, making sure that he has not gone off the wrong path. And if he ever does, I will be ready to kill him,¡± Erwest replied. Silence once more. Another lord spoke up a few momentster. ¡°Are you not a member of his party? How can we trust you?¡± ¡°My only allegiance is to the goddess Hellion. I am bound to my duty,¡± Erwest said. And Noah saw a crystal shimmer in the distance, shining, hidden behind the counter where the Lords sat. Ah, so that¡¯s how they catch lies. ¡°We also have guild members with him, and his actions so far have earned our trust,¡± Nae said. ¡°I can vouch for him. I know a man who deceives and lies. Noah is not that. We have fought, and we have sparred. There has been blood and sweat shared. I have taken him under my guild. Should anything happen, I will be prepared to take responsibility,¡± Raesar said. Whispers came from within the seats of the Lords; momentster, Ayra spoke up. ¡°We would call the matter settled. Noah Brown is a trusted individual. We would like to spit in the face of his contributions to the city.¡± ¡°There is one concern remaining. We apologize to ask this of you so soon after your previous mission, but we have found information on cultist movements from one of our neighboring kingdoms. The lunar cultists have been active there recently, and we are suspicious that perhaps there might be another shard present there. We would like you to go there and investigate.¡± ¡°Where exactly is this ce?¡± Noah asked, curious. A map¡¯s projection appeared in front of him, showing him the location. Off the coast of the continent, on an ind nearby was a ce marked, with a familiar silhouette. One even people from Earth would recognize. Noah heard a chime of a Quest go off in his head as Nae spoke. ¡°The lost kingdom of dragons: Drakonias.¡± Chapter Book 2 Preorder on Amazon [Stubs on 20th Jan] Chapter Book 2 Preorder on Amazon [Stubs on 20th Jan] If you¡¯ve enjoyed the book so far, please consider leaving a review, or buying the book onunch to support me. It¡¯ll help me out a ton. Book 3: Chapter 1 — A New Journey Book 3: Chapter 1 ¡ª A New Journey Noah stretched his body in the gymnasium of the Adventurers'' Guild Hall, grunting as he felt his muscles releasing some tension after his exercise. He had taken toing to this ce to train his physique, especially after his rank up evolution, as his body had continued to undergo drastic changes over thest week. He had gained roughly two more inches in height in that time. His shoulders were just a little bit broader now, his frame growing to be more proportional to the rest of his body. From the outside, the physical changes more or less ended there and he had not gained any substantial amount of muscle. Instead, he had found the muscles that he had shrinking in size, growing more and morepact and denser. After talking to Aurelia about it, he''de to know it was amon phenomenon experienced by adventurers, especially if they had a rapid surge in strength. Which made just people like Raesar and Ekira all the more strange, as both had well and truly trained their bodies to the maximum physical limits that they could. Theparison had only made Noah more eager to continue working and continue training himself. Even after the modifications he¡¯d made to his body to keep up with his growth, if he stopped pushing himself, eventually, he would run into a wall, or the growth of his levels at his soul would surpass his physique, forcing him to stop, and he did not intend to go through the procedure again. Not that I think that is even an option anymore. I imagine something like that is typically a one-time thing. It had been a week since his new journey had been announced, and he had obtained the rewards from the guild forpleting his previous quest and stopping the abyssal rift from opening. Nae and Raesar had returned to Windrest soon after, both of them busy with their responsibilities and unable to stay for much longer. Noah had promised to spar with the Drailith when he returned, and the guildmaster had given him his usual predatory grin, agreeing with excitement to see how far he hade. As Noah finished up his stretches, he noticed Erwest walking into the chamber. The man had a thin sheen of sweat on his body, clearly from training. Noah looked at the Pdin in silence. Despite the fact that they had been together for almost three months now, the two of them did not talk very much. And not for ack of trying on Noah''s part. "Training?" Noah asked. The pdin gave a quiet nod, simply walking inside, as he began to look through the gym equipment. Noah, for a moment, considered if he should just leave the man be and return to his own training, but something pushed him, and he turned once more towards Erwest. "Hey, if you''re looking to train, why don''t we spar together? It would be nice for me to have a sparring partner besides Aurelia once in a while," Noah said. Erwest nced back at him, staying silent for a few seconds, long enough that Noah felt awkward and was about to take back his offer. But before he could, Erwest spoke back up. "Alright, what kind of spar?" "Well, I¡¯m thinking of just sparring without using any abilities. I cannot imagine this ce surviving something like that very easily," Noah said. "The guild has enough nullification wards that even if you tried to pry through the chamber, you would run out of mana five times over before you left a dent,¡± Erwest said, snorting. ¡°But you''re right that the equipment would not survive," he added, ncing around the area before walking towards the sparring section. Noah followed behind, standing in front of the pdin, looking at him in anticipation. "Ready when you are.¡± Erwest nodded, taking a stance, as he took his de out from a sheath. Noah summoned his spear in his own hands, letting energy flow over the weapon, covering it in the ck color that mingled with the Crimson red, adding ayer to the de to stop the Crimson rot from reaching Erwest but keeping its sharp edge. A momentter, Noah assumed a stance as well, letting his weapon mastery guide him. With a wordless signal to begin, Erwest moved. The pdin rushed in, trying to close the distance as he swung his sword in an arc. Noah jumped back, maintaining the distance between them, as he thrust his spear forward, trying to catch Erwest off guard. The pdin moved nimbly, dodging his thrusts as he leaned into the spearhead, grabbing the shaft of the weapon. Noah twisted his feet, pulling back. The extended de from the side of the spear sliced through Erwest''s hand. Erwest let go and ducked his head to dodge the attack, using his de to block Noah''s spear. With one twisted foot, Erwest slid his de down the spear¡¯s shaft, forcing him to pull his weapon back and turn it at an angle. Noah allowed his weapon mastery to guide him as he spun his spear around, shifting the weight of his body, letting the spear go for a second. Noah kicked at Erwest''s feet, swiping at his legs. The pdin moved quickly, grabbing Noah''s spear, while Noah, caught off bnce, was midair. Noah leapt up, grabbing the weapon back. Every part of him reached to use Arcane Step to gain distance and rebnce the rhythm of the fight, but the pdin anticipated him. His sword struck down as Erwest pulled the spear back away, drawing in Noah. With a kick, he threw the spear away. As the weapon ttered on the ground, Erwest''s de rested at Noah''s neck. Noah looked up in surprise, smiling as he stood up. "Man, you kicked my ass.¡± Erwest drew back his de, putting it into a sheath as he looked down at Noah. "You have powerful abilities and use them well. Your mastery and control with your weapon is that of an amateur''s. It almost feels like you know enough to not make the most basic mistakes and understand when you''re doing something wrong, but not enough to know how to fix what you''re doing wrong," Erwest said. "Pretty much, I''ve just been figuring this out as I go. But I am by no means very good at it yet," Noah said. "That is to be expected,¡± Erwest said. ¡°You have only had a few months to train. It is something seen quite often among warriors who grow too rapidly and do not have the necessary time to build a proper foundation.¡± "Well, with how things are going, I don''t think I will ever have said time. So I''ll just have to learn how to quickly master everything that I must," Noah replied. "You''re right," Ekira said, walking further into the gym. "As you are right now, you won''tst very long in Drakonias. You need to do a lot better if you want to win the trials, both of you." "Have you just been standing there silently watching us?" Noah asked, slightly unnerved. "I''m not saying if that''s creepy or not. But it would have been nice if you let us know. Like, did you even go as far as to use some ability or other to hide from my senses? Was that just so you could have an entrance right as the spar ended?" Ekira did not reply to Noah''s words, the guildmaster even more stoic than Erwest was. "How long has it been since you arrived here, Noah?" Ekira asked. Noah thought it over for a second. "I think around 5 to 6 months now. Longer than I thought it had been, but somehow it doesn''t feel very long either." "So you arrived here roughly 5 months ago and went from level 0 and unawakened, to a D-ranker in five months. Is that right?" Ekira said, looking at Noah before she shook her head and sighed. "I heard of it from Nae, but it is still something to hear and see for myself. But even with your ridiculous speed, it won''t be easy to manage the trials.¡± "You keep mentioning the trials. Is this rted to the Drakonias thing? Nae had said something about it, but honestly, I really did not listen to much at the time." "Yes, it is the trial that the three of you are supposed to participate in. The trial for bing a Dragon Warrior. I assume you have no idea what I''m talking about?" Ekira said. "Nope, no clue whatsoever," Noah replied. "The trial is a rite of passage in Drakonias. Here, if you''re a D-ranker, you are typically going to be somewhere in yourte 20s or early 30s. Some people remain in rank C for the rest of their lives. Roughly half or so manage to reach rank C, which is the highest level they ever go. But to Drakonians, rank C is when they consider you an adult. It is a rite of passage for all children, built around supporting them and ensuring that they continue to grow properly," Ekira said, looking at Noah before she raised an eyebrow in question. "Were you ever told how this C-rank upgrade works?" "Not really. I assumed it would be simr to my F-rank upgrade, where my abilities would get stronger? Or that I''d get some new abilities," Noah said. "No, not quite. At rank C, you get to choose a path focus. It is the thing that will define your path from there on out. For a warrior, this is typically their weapon. For a mage, their staff or perhaps a book. For a cksmith, it could be their hammer or anvil. There are no restrictions to what you can choose as a path focus, but whatever you choose will bind to your soul, bing a part of your path, and it will shape the options you get when you rank up to B," Ekira exined. "You must know this already, don''t you, Pdin? I hear the Hellion Church tends to set certain restrictions on what you can choose and what you cannot." "I am aware of how the rank-up works," Erwest replied. Ekira nodded. "The trial of the Dragon Warriors, as I said before, is for children who have reached the cusp of rank C. Uponpleting the trials, you are awarded the title of a Dragon Warrior, and at the same time, you''re given artifacts that you can choose from, either to define as your path focus, or to use to enhance your body, spirit, mana control, whatever you can think of. But there is one other thing ¨C for the best warriors, they are allowed to see the Dragon''s Heart and gain its blessing. We suspect that the shard that you are seeking might be within said Dragon''s Heart," Ekira said. "It would do you well to train. The trials are going to be held in roughly 6 months from now. So the three of you have six months to reach rank C and then win against the myriad of adventurers and warriors participating in the trial alongside you.¡± "Will we be the only party going to this ce?" Noah asked. Ekira snorted. "Far from it. There''s an airship that travels to Drakonias in about a week. We had to struggle to get you three on the airship. Many adventurers and warriors will be traveling alongside you to go to Drakonias and participate in the trials. Some have even held off from ranking up to C for over a year just to participate. Completing the Dragon Warriors'' trial is one of the few guaranteed ways to obtain a title.¡± ¡°Besides, the advantages that the title itself provides, they are also allowed to freely travel in and out of Drakonias whenever they wish to. So, besides just the motivations for the shard, there is also plenty of reason for just your party individually to want to seed in these trials. After all, only roughly those under the age of 25 in human years are allowed to participate. So the best of the very best talent gathers from all over to gain the title of the Dragon Warrior," Ekira exined. Noah nodded at the woman. "Dragon Warrior, huh? Does sound badass," Noah said, grinning to himself at the idea. "After all, if I already have the plentiful wyrm, why not go all the way and obtain the heart of the dragon as well?" The woman shook her head, turning around as she made her way out of the gym. "Don''t embarrass us there," she said, before walking away. A momentter, as Ekira disappeared from the gym, Aurelia stepped inside from the gates, Snow tagging behind her. "Was that the¡­ Guildmaster?" Aurelia asked. "Yeah, she was just telling us not to be an embarrassment in the Dragon Warrior trials and exining how they worked," Noah replied. "That''s right, though. You''re slowly starting to adjust to this world, perhaps I''m trying to adjust to you, but sometimes I forget that you''re not from here," Aurelia said. "Anyway, Snow and I are going to shop for some gear. It''s time that we bought and reced a few ability tomes and some gear to go along with it, if she''s toe travel with us all the way to Drakonias. Would you two like toe?" Aurelia asked. "Sure, always happy to shop around and explore the city a little bit. Didn''t get too much time to do that, however, before," Noah said, before ncing at Erwest. "What about you, Erwest? Would you like to shop with us?" "No," Erwest said, turning around as he walked away. "Guess that was a little too fast," Noah said, shrugging. "I''m sure he''lle around over time." "Let''s go for now. Before the crowd starts to grow. There are a lot of things that I had looked at before that I wanted to check out," Aurelia said, as the three of them made their way out of the Adventurers'' Guild. Book 3: Chapter 2 — Gear Upgrades Book 3: Chapter 2 ¡ª Gear Upgrades Noah walked around the city, making his way across North Heartillia with Aurelia and Snow by his side. No matter how often he strolled through the streets, he couldn''t help feeling just a little bit at home with how the city was structured, like a strange mix between a modern city and something out of medieval fantasy. The three of them were looking for shops that would sell ability tomes alongside gear for paths with more magical inclinations. They hade across many that fit the description, but none seemed to be up to Aurelia''s standards, and fewer still had tomes that suited Snow''s path very well. The girl herself also drew quite a bit of attention. Her horns had always drawn the eye, but now, with the magical tattoos running up her face and across them, she made for a striking image. When Aurelia had first asked for ability tomes for the summoner or tamer category of paths, one shopkeeper had assumed that Snow was just one of her summons, which had been hrious to watch as the misunderstanding unfolded, with Aurelia getting mad on Snow''s behalf, while Snow herself tried to cate Aurelia and apologize for some reason. "What about that one?" Aurelia said, walking up to one of the stores with ability tomes set behind a ss disy, protected with a powerful spell. "This ce looks like it might have some good tomes," she said, ncing back at Noah. Noah shrugged, not knowing any better to distinguish this particr one from any of the previous ones they had gone to. He let Aurelia decide as she pleased. Looking at the words on the shop, Noah couldn''t help but wonder if his ability would allow him to teleport inside and put stuff in his dimensional pocket. With a very gentle nudge, he tried to test the hypothesis but did not go all the way. He stopped himself from activating his ability and simply walked through the entrance behind Aurelia and Snow. A young Celestian girl ¡ª rather, likely middle-aged, considering what he hade to learn about how Celestians aged and exactlyhow old Lord Krios''s wife was ¡ª walked up to them. "Hello, wee to the Astral Emporium. How can I help you today?" "We''re looking for ability tomes for a tamer or simr paths. Do you have any rare or epic grade ones avable?" Aurelia asked, cing her hand on Snow''s shoulder. "It''s for her, and if I can be a bit more specific, I''m hoping to get an ability tome of spirits, channeling, binding, or any that would be simr to those." The woman looked at Snow, her eyes shining blue for a moment, likely from some sort of ability that she was using to gain a bit more information. "I think we have what you''re looking for. Please wait a few moments, and I will bring the ability tomes out," the woman said, turning around as she walked to one of the doors leading to the back chamber. "Man, this ce sure has so many options for ability tomes. Would have been nice if I could just walk into a store and buy some," Noah said, picking up one of the tomes on disy, a rare grade one called ''Tome of Beast Speak''. It was nothing that he would have picked up for himself, but it was still nice to have had ess to these. He suspected he could use one to adjust or change his abilities, even now. "Well, Heartillia is a city with a lot of Celestians, and given how they pretty much control the entire market for ability tomes, it''s not a terribly big surprise that the city would have more options than other ces," Aurelia replied. "I know, justmenting for nothing. I like the abilities I have, can''tin at all," Noah replied. "Good. You better not, you have really powerful abilities, so I don''t want to hear it," Aurelia said. Noah grinned in reply, putting down the ability tome in his hand. The Celestian woman walked out from the back chamber, her hand hovering over the counter. The ability tomes manifested with a blue light as the three of them walked closer to take a look. Noah used Inspect on the tomes. [Tome of Binding (Epic)] [Tome of Arcane Infusion (Epic)] [Tome of Spirit Communion (Epic)] Aurelia frowned, flipping open the tomes and going through them one after the other, inspecting them for something. A momentter, she looked back at Snow. "Which one do you like the most?" Aurelia asked. "I''m not sure. This one, maybe?" Snow said, pointing to the Tome of Spirit Communion. ¡°Looks good,¡± Aurelia said. "What about the second one? You can pick two, I think. You should wait if you want more than two right now. It will be best to not decide before you have a better grasp on your abilities and what they might be building up to," Aurelia said. Snow nodded, looking at the options, before she pointed at the tome of material binding. "What was this woman, I think. Shadow likes this one," Snow said. "These two. Please," Aurelia replied. The celestian woman nodded, grabbing two of the tomes, before the third one vanished. "That will cost two D-grade crystals, or twenty-three E-grade mana crystals." Aurelia nodded,pleting the transaction with her adventuring te. ¡°What happened to the crystals you got?¡± Noah asked, looking at Snow. ¡°I have them. Since she doesn¡¯t have her own te, she decided to give them to me for safekeeping,¡± Aurelia said. The celestian woman handed the two tomes to Aurelia, who then gave them to Snow. "Feel free to use them right away," she said. Snow looked at Aurelia, nodding before ncing down at the ability tomes in her hand, taking a deep breath. She sent a pulse of mana as the tome itself turned into a bright light, before being absorbed. A secondter, I saw the abilities pop up in my vision. [Ink Binding (Basic/Epic) - lvl 1] Be capable of binding spirits and creatures with your ink, capturing them onto a surface. A bound spirit can then be released at will with amand it must follow. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. [Spirit Channeling (Basic/Epic) - lvl 1] Be capable of channeling a portion of the ability of your spirits, enhancing and altering your physique and spirit to draw upon their strengths. Part of the perk from having her in my party I guess? As Snow went about using the ability tomes, Aurelia looked at the celestian woman. "Would you have any essories and gear for a tamer path as well?" she asked. "Of course, just one second,¡± the woman said. Walking around the chamber, she picked out a few items, one after the other, before they appeared at once on the counter in front of us. Noah began to go through the items, using inspect to check them out. [Runic Brush of Binding (Rare)] A finely crafted brush made with bristles that resonate with arcane energy. Perfect for inscribing runes on various surfaces and even in the air, this brush enhances the precision and potency of each rune drawn. [Bracelet of Veiled Essence (Rare)] A bracelet crafted with mystic crystal and inscribed with runes, serves as a shield against identification spells. When worn, it conceals the wearer''s magical and physical signature, making them undetectable to prying eyes. [Cloak of Aversion (Epic)] A cloak woven with threads of astral energy, providing protection and camouge with a passive ability to make anyone looking at you unable to tell how you look. Hiding the wearer¡¯s aura and making them easily forgettable. [Elixir of Elemental Affinity (Rare)] A mystical potion that temporarily grants the user an affinity to a specific element of choice. Upon consumption, the user can harness and manipte the chosen element, enhancing theirbat or magical abilities aligned with that element. Noah looked through all the items. ¡°All of these look quite good,¡± he said, ncing at Snow. ¡°Do you like anything?¡± Snow frowned as she looked at the options, before picking up two items. ¡°The brush and the cloak,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking the bracelet,¡± Noah added, picking up the bracelet, to check it once more. Given how often people had tried to look at his script, additional security wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°I¡¯ll take the elixir then, seems helpful,¡± Aurelia added. The shopkeeper smiled, and for some reason I felt like she¡¯d intentionally brought out the exact assortment of items that she did. ¡°Is there anything else that you would like?¡± the woman asked. ¡°Right, yes. Can you inspect and upgrade the rank of weapons here?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Yes, we can. But unfortunately not immediately. You can leave the weapons you¡¯d like to get upgraded and we can get it inspected andpleted before the suns set,¡± the woman said. Aurelia took off her gauntlets, putting them on the counter. The shopkeeper gently picked it up, using a spell as a detailed description about her gauntlets appeared. ¡°Can I see?¡± Noah asked, and a momentter, Aurelia shared the description with him. [Pyresh Gauntlets (Epic, Rank E)] [Weapon Skill: zing Fury] [Durability: 73%] Forged from volcanic steel and imbued with me gemstones, the Pyresh Gauntlets embody the fusion of masterful smithing and fire magic. Lightweight yet durable, they resonate with the power of fire, storing thermal energy within their core gemstones. These gauntlets are not just for defense; they hide a surprise - retractable chain des, sleek and sharp, ready to extend forbat at a moment''s notice. Onmand, the gauntlets release their stored energy in a spectacr burst of mes, which can be directed as a focused stream or an explosive radial ze. Enchantments protect the wearer from the heat, making them perfect for warriors whomand fire in battle. Glowing runic engravings signal when the gauntlets are charged, ready to unleash their volcanic fury,bining the raw power of mes with the lethal grace of hidden des. ¡°Interesting, that¡¯s a lot more detail than I normally get to see,¡± Noah said. ¡°We have certain spells and abilities that allow us to obtain more information from items,¡± the shopkeeper said. ¡°Oh? Care to share?¡± Noah said, leaning in. The womanughed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s a trade secret.¡± Aurelia nced at Noah. ¡°I¡¯m getting my gauntlets upgraded, what about you Noah? You want to get your spear looked at?¡± ¡°The inspection is free if you also get it serviced with us,¡± the shopkeeper added helpfully. ¡°Alright, sure. But umm¡­ be careful with the spear,¡± he said, taking out the spear. He expected to see the shopkeeper be horrified, but her expression remained even. ¡°Ah, crimson rot. That is¡­ difficult and rare. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to work on it, unless you can remove the rot.¡± Noah sent a pulse to Tony as the symbiote rushed into the spear, covering it in a thinyer, turning the entire weapon pitch ck, before diverting away the crimson rot. ¡°It should be good now,¡± Noah said, handing the weapon to the woman. Putting it on the counter in front of her, she used her spell, as the description appeared in front of Noah¡¯s eyes. [Spear of Crimson End (Growth, Rank E)] [Weapon Skill: ???] [Durability: 38%] [Progress to next rank: 27.8%] A relic from the time when the Scarlet Valkyries, followers of the old goddess Raelinah, waged a relentless war against the primordial god, The Crimson Heart. Once a symbol of valor and resistance in this epic battle, the spear has since been overtaken by the very blight it fought against, its essence intertwined with the Crimson Rot. This weapon, which once gleamed in the hands of a Scarlet Valkyrie, now pulses with a corrupt power. It inflicts the Rot-II status, a manifestation of the destendscape scarred by the eternal conflict. The spirit of the Valkyrie that once wielded it remains within, lending the weapon its ability to grow and evolve beyond its current form. Now morphed even further with void essence, a deep hunger lurks within the weapon. ¡°This is¡­ quite the weapon. I¡¯m afraid we cannot rank it up as it¡¯s a growth aspect weapon,¡± the woman said. ¡°I see. By the way, why does it have question marks in the weapon skill?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Perhaps the weapon skill hasn¡¯t been awakened. That would be the most likely exnation with a relic of this type. Usually they have some requirement or trial to unlock these things,¡± the shopkeeper replied. ¡°That makes sense. Is it normal to have such low durability though?¡± Noah asked. ¡°No, this weapon¡­ it¡¯s in very poor condition. The spirit within it is keeping it intact, but the length of time it has survived has taken its toll. I¡­ am not sure if we can repair itpletely, but we can try. But it will be expensive, given the special nature. At least 3 C-grade mana crystals,¡± the woman said. Noah thought over, before shrugging. It wasn¡¯t like he had much else to spend his money on. The woman nodded, before carefully putting his spear down. One by one, the three of them paid for their items, Snow grabbing her cloak and putting it on, and even though she didn¡¯t cover her face, the cloak somehow made her descriptions harder to nail down. Noah put on his bracelet, feeling it activate. ¡°Hey, what do you see when you use Identify on me?¡± Noah asked Aurelia. ¡°Just three questions, nothing else,¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°It¡¯s very obvious that you¡¯re hiding your astral script. Higher grade items can show a fake one, but just know that none of these things are infallible. The guild can easily circumvent them. Which is why we had so much trouble when the adventurers who¡¯d turned traitor had gone under the radar,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Yeah, I know. I just need it to be there for general purposes. Kinda like a lock. You won¡¯t stop someone with the right tools, but you can make their job harder and make yourself look less appealing,¡± Noah said. Aurelia nodded, turning to Snow as a smile covered her face. ¡°Alright, with this taken care of. Let¡¯s get some real shopping done, and buy you some clothes!¡± Book 3: Chapter 3 — Shopping Book 3: Chapter 3 ¡ª Shopping Noah walked around the store, his hands full with bags of clothing as he followed behind Aurelia and Snow. He wasn''t sure why he had expected shopping for clothes to go any differently in this world than it would in his own. His expectations had been quickly shattered as Noah became little more than a baggage carrier. Snow would asionally look towards him with sympathy, as she was dragged around by Aurelia, who was excitedly running around finding all sorts of clothing to dress her up in. They had been at it for hours now. Aurelia had first dragged Snow to a salon, getting the girl a haircut, shortening it till it was just around her neck in a bob cut. Afterwards, they had begun looking for some essories, which had taken far too long, before Aurelia had settled on a ring with a small spatial storage inside of it for Snow. "Here, hold this," Aurelia said, handing Noah Snow¡¯s newly bought cloak before taking the girl with her into a dressing chamber to try out some more clothes. Noah sighed, resisting the temptation of just chucking all of the items he currently carried into his cosmic vault. He had tried to disturb them before, and the store owner had not taken kindly to his actions. Aurelia had exinedter that stores in more developed cities like Heartillia tended to have arger adventuring poption, making spatial storage items fairlymon, and as such, most stores had wards in ce to prevent theft. But obviously, certain abilities could still bypass those, so store owners typically kept another spell to tell them if any kind of space magic was used within the premises of their shops. Noah nodded. The system made sense, but the funny thing to him was how it wasn¡¯t because of the spell that the shop owner at the previous ce had caught him, but because he had willingly gone to the reception and taken the items out. Which had only further shown him that his abilities could now break past wards. Or at least could break past most of them, which only made it all the more difficult to resist using his abilities. With great power,es the great temptation to fuck around with it. With a click of the door''s handle, Aurelia stepped out from the changing room, walking in front of Noah before she twirled around, showing off her new orange and yellow dress. "How do I look?" she asked. Noah hummed to himself, rubbing his chin as if deep in thought. "Surprisingly, like a normal person and not someone who could punch my head off. Quite a shocking transformation indeed." "What does that mean?" Aurelia said, punching his shoulder hard. He knew she had put effort into it because he actually felt some pain. "Ouch," Noah said in mock hurt, rubbing his shoulder as Aurelia pouted. The woman turned, ncing towards the dressing room. "Come on out, Snow, don¡¯t be shy," she said. A secondter, Snow slowly stepped outside as well. The girl wore a white shirt with a ck skirt and leggings, and ck and white shoes that entuated her horns and tattoos instead of hiding them. A blush covered Snow¡¯s face as she stepped out. "This feels strange." "No, it doesn¡¯t! It looks great on you, right Noah?" Aurelia said, looking towards Noah, her fists ready by her sides if he dared disagree. "Yeah, it looks great. You look like an entirely different person than when I first met you. The clothes suit you," Noah said, being truthful with hispliment. If he had seen her like she was right now back when he had first met her, he would not have recognized her at all. "Really?" Snow asked, gaining some more confidence as she looked down at her own clothes. "I told you it looked great! Alright, now let¡¯s try this one," Aurelia said, showing the dress she had picked, ready to drag the girl back in with her. "Uhh, what about Noah?" Snow said, half in panic. "Me?" Noah asked. "Yeah, will you not buy anything?" Snow asked. "She¡¯s right, you should definitely get some new clothes while you¡¯re here. It¡¯s unlikely that we will get the chance after we are in Drakonias. What¡¯s the point of going on adventures and earning a lot of money if you don¡¯t ever spend it," Aurelia said. "Having fun on their adventure?" Noah replied. "Also, what¡¯s wrong with my current clothes?" Aurelia nced Noah up and down. "Well¡­ it''s not awful." "What do you mean it¡¯s not awful? These look great," Noah said, looking down at his rather simple clothing. He¡¯d never spent much time considering what he got, and most of it had been from the spares within the guild. "Do you really think that?" Aurelia asked. "I do. It¡¯sfortable enough, that¡¯s about as much as I care," Noah replied. "You are even more hopeless than Snow. Come with me, I¡¯ll get something for you," Aurelia said, handing the dresses she held to Snow before grabbing Noah¡¯s hand, and dragging him over to the men¡¯s clothing section. He nced back at Snow, who took a sigh of relief at having diverted the woman¡¯s attention away from her, before whispering a sorry towards Noah. Noah let himself be pulled along, as Aurelia began to grab different clothes one after another. This is starting to feel an awful lot like a date. The thought made him pause. He had not considered something like that at all sinceing here, partly because a good chunk of his time had been spent surviving, and a good chunk more had been spent training, preparing for uing disasters. Now that the most immediate threats were gone, Noah finally felt like he could take some time to breathe. But the entire reason he had been avoiding doing this was that doing so brought up thoughts like this. Dating someone¡­ it felt like that would mean he was giving up on ever going back. Which he still wasn¡¯t sure he ever actually wanted to do. He knew the option was there, and if he asked Zax for help, there was a good chance that he could actually go back if he wanted to. But he was pretty sure he did not. At least not right now. But somehow, the thought of building a new life in this world, or spending and sharing it with someone else also felt wrong. He couldn¡¯t pick which one he preferred. He enjoyed his new world quite a bit, but he also selfishly wanted to not grow too attached if he ever truly got the desire to return back home. Might be toote for that¡­ Noah thought, looking at Aurelia and Snow. He had definitely made friends here if nothing else, so what was stopping him from trying something a bit deeper with someone? His eyes drifted to Aurelia, the thoughts taking root in his mind. He definitely wouldn¡¯t mind; she was the person he had spent the most time with. From the very beginning, since he had arrived in this world, she had been the one by his side. Royal Road''s content has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The rtionship somehow had always felt more like he was a child that she was responsible for, and had to educate about the ways of the world. But, after nearly six months, Noah had more or less adapted to his new life here and the dynamic between the two of them had shifted to be more or less equals. She¡¯s not a bad choice either. But¡­ It would definitely be weird, and a little bit like dating your coworker. Not repeating that mistake again. Noah tried to push the thought away, but it remained in his mind. He definitely wouldn¡¯t mind having someone with whom he could truly share himself. But alongside the thought, Zax''s words came to his mind. He was growing fast, too fast by normal standards, and if he reached a certain rank, he would be immortal. What if whoever he was with was not as strong as him? And would age normally? Even Aurelia was starting tog behind him now. He was almost certainly stronger than her now, though the difference between their skills and skill levels more or less put them on equal footing. But how long would thatst? Noticing his silence, Aurelia finally stopped going through the assortment of clothes, looking up at him. "Is there something on my face? You¡¯ve been looking nkly at me for a while now." Noah shook his head. ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just thinking. About some stuff.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not like you. If you don¡¯t want to buy clothes, then we can do something else,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that¡ªI like the ones you''ve picked. You can buy them. I¡¯ll pay youter. I just need to step out for a while for some fresh air,¡± Noah said. Aurelia looked up at him, clearly wanting to ask more questions, but she did not pry, simply nodding as she walked towards Noah. Noah sighed. ¡°This is why I hate not having things to do.¡± Using Arcane Step, he teleported out. Maybe he could find some monsters nearby to hunt for a short while with Bun Bun. That would probably clear his mind. *** Damian Vexley, the quintessential rich young master of the city, strolled through the bustling streets with his usual entourage of other merchant kids who liked to follow him around whenever they could. A grin was stuck on Damian¡¯s face, his mood extremely pleasant as he¡¯d finally managed to get to level 50, only two years after his awakening, and his father had given him a handful of crystals to burn for his achievement. ¡°What are you nning to get, Damian?¡± Lyle asked. ¡°It¡¯s not things that I¡¯m looking for, idiot. Think of something better,¡± Damian replied. ¡°Uhh, food?¡± Brent replied, and Damian shook his head, wondering why he even bothered hanging out with these two. ¡°No, I¡¯m looking to mess around and have some fun. This ce is filled with a lot of Celestian women, it¡¯d be dumb not to try.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they really old?¡± Lyle asked. ¡°So what, Lyle? That only makes them better,¡± Damian said, snickering to himself. ¡°What about them?¡± Brent said, stopping in front of one of the clothing shops, as he pointed inside. Damian followed the boy¡¯s gaze. ¡°Huh, what do you know? Those two are quite something,¡± Damian said, looking at the two women inside. One looked to be a bit younger than him, a strange girl with tattoos and two obsidian horns, and another that was older, closer to his age with auburn hair. They were an unusual pair, and something about them piqued his curiosity. ¡°Oh, never mind, there¡¯s a guy with them,¡± Brent said. Damian clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s probably a clerk or something, look at the cheap clothes he is wearing.¡± A momentter, he saw the women walk away, and his smile returned. ¡°See?¡± he said, looking at Brent. ¡°Do you think those horns are real?¡± Lyle asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go and ask?¡± Damian said, as he stepped inside the shop and sauntered over to the girls, his steps full of arrogance. ¡°Hey there, beautifuldies. You seem new here, would you like me to show you around?¡± he said, as the girl with the horns stepped away from him. Damien would¡¯ve felt hurt at the reaction, but found the other one chuckling to herself, as his confidence was boosted once more. ¡°What do you say? We could have some fun together,¡± he added, throwing in a wink as he twirled some crystals around in his fingers. The woman¡¯sughter grew a bit stronger now, as Damian¡¯s growing confidence began to shrink again, while the other girl was practically hiding from his sight. Had he really grown that rusty? ¡°No thanks, I know my way around,¡± the woman replied, turning away. ¡°Oh hey, can I get your name at least?¡± Damian asked, walking closer. ¡°It''s a bit rude to ask before you tell me yours, isn¡¯t it?¡± the woman said, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Ah, of course. My apologies. I¡¯m Damian Vexley, son of the owner of the Vexley Company. You have likely heard of us. My friends and I were about to celebrate my reaching level 50, and having such lovely women with us would only make the celebrations better.¡± The woman hummed to herself, seeming a bit more interested. ¡°Never heard of the Vexley Company, but congrats. Though I¡¯m afraid we¡¯re a bit busy.¡± ¡°Ohe on, don¡¯t be so shy,¡± Damian said, walking closer. ¡°Hey, what about you? Wannae with us? We could show you some fun ces. Also, are those horns real?¡± Damian asked, reaching out to touch the girl''s shoulder. But before he could, something erupted in a dark smoke. A giant creature came out of nowhere, as Damian stumbled back. ¡°Shadow! Come back!¡± the girl shouted, as a giant wolf stood between Damian and her now. ¡°Wha- what in the world?¡± Damian shouted, shooting a mana bolt from one of his artifacts before he could think. The attack missed the wolf, rushing past as it struck the woman, cutting through the clothes she was holding. The woman turned towards him, her eyes glowing. ¡°Oh, you''ve gone and done it now,¡± the woman said, the remaining torn pieces of the cloth burning up as a powerful aura of rage burst around her, fire and ash swirling in a frenzy. ¡°Fuck, these two are crazy!¡± Damien shouted, turning around to run when he mmed into a wall, stumbling back. A wall¡­ wait, no. Damian opened his eyes, looking up to see a white-haired man with deep red eyes looking down at him. Two vertical slits in his eyes pierced his very soul, a spray of blood on his sleeves and face. On ident, his instinct kicked in to identify his threat, as he used the ability. [???] Damian¡¯s blood ran cold as the man leaned in closer, and a menacing aura of terror washed over Damian. ¡°Didn¡¯t see you¡­¡± the man said, before reaching out with his hand. Tears filled Damian¡¯s eyes, as he stood and ran away screaming. He was never going to try and hit on random women again. *** Noah scratched his head, watching the boy in front of him run away while screaming something incoherent. Shadow was standing out in the open, licking Snow''s face as Aurelia took some deep calming breaths. "What the hell happened here?" Noah asked, looking at the woman. "Nothing, just some idiots. Let''s go now," she said, turning towards the rather angry-looking shopkeeper, as she handed him some crystals, grabbing her clothes before making her way out with Noah, Snow, and Shadow. "What- what was that?" Noah asked, confused. "Nothing, it was nothing. Let''s go back and grab our weapons now, I think we''re done," Aurelia said, walking outside. Snow sat on Shadow''s back now, brushing his fur, as she nced towards the two of them. "Shadow doesn''t want to go back in. Is it fine if I keep him around?" "Sure, he can stay," Aurelia said, shrugging, before ncing at Noah. "Where had you gone? You have blood on you," Aurelia said, wiping the blood off Noah''s face. "Ah, sorry. Wait- you don¡¯t get to do that before you tell me what happened," Noah said. Aurelia sighed. "Alright, fine. Just some rich kid trying to hit on us, I ignored him but he was persistent so Shadow came out and he got spooked and shot a spell which may have made me lose control of my berserker ability for a second¡­ and the rest you saw," Aurelia said, ncing away. Noah looked at her in disbelief beforeughter bubbled out of him. "Holy shit, so that¡¯s why he? Oh my god, that''s fucking hrious," he said, clutching his belly. Aurelia looked away, before eventually sumbing toughter as well. Eventually, as the two settled down, Aurelia wiped tears away from her eyes. "Alright, let''s get out of here before we draw any more attention," she said, as the three jumped on Shadow. "And tell me where you went while we go back to grab our weapons." "Uhh¡­ so about that," Noah said, trailing off, as the three made their way through the city on the back of a giant void wolf. Book 3: Chapter 4 — Discoveries Book 3: Chapter 4 ¡ª Discoveries Zax stood within the library, going through the various shelves, as he tried to look for the book that may have the answers he was seeking. A spell pulsed around him, being cast independently with a strain of thought in his mind, maintaining a ward that would silence his presence here. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be here, but just a brief look at the procedures required to gain legitimate ess to the location had made the Dragon opt for the easier and faster route. Independent clones of him moved around the area¡ªnone as fancy as the ability Noah had, these ones could only follow onemand¡ªgoing through the books alongside him, as a stream of information continued to pour into his mind. Zax put the book down in his hand, running another divination spell quickly, as he let the spell guide him to his next book. Picking it up, he began to rapidly flip through the contents of the book, trying to find out more information. The shard of a dead god¡­ he still didn¡¯t understand how such a thing hade to be. Afterall, what could kill a god? They were true immortals, even if you killed the avatar of a god, another one would be born. Yet something clearly had, and he wanted to find out what. One of his spell wards triggered as Zax closed the book in his hand, noticing the familiar presence behind him. ¡°You seem to be looking for something,¡± Ekira said, leaning against one of the shelves, with her arms crossed. Zax turned around to face the guildmaster. He didn¡¯t intend for it toe to an open conflict, but he still dismissed a few clones to clear enough mental capacity to restrain her safely. ¡°I¡¯d made sure we redid all our wards after the kid had just teleported right through one of them. Would¡¯ve been shameful had that happened twice. We still can¡¯t stop someone like you, but at least it alerts me,¡± Ekira said. ¡°Apologies on the intrusion. We did not have the time to follow procedures,¡± Zax said. Ekira chuckled to herself. ¡°I don''t really know who you are, Zax or even what you are. You im to be a mage, but my instincts don¡¯t quite agree,¡± the woman said, as she uncrossed her ams and stepped closer to him. ¡°But I didn''t get this far by being blind. I know it when someone can kill me with ease. And that''s when you''ve got those chains. The fact that you''re ying along nicely is all I need.¡± ¡°We appreciate it,¡± Zax said. He very much wanted to avoid conflict if he could. Ekira looked at him, frowning. ¡°That said, I''ll let you know that if you ever force my hand, I may not be able to stop you, but I will hurt you enough to make you regret it before I die,¡± the woman said, with practically a growl. Zax looked down at the woman, and gave her a nod. Had he been younger, the insult would¡¯ve made him eradicate her on the spot, but now, it only added to the fascinating nature of humans. How they stood in front of things greater than them, determined to fight till the bitter end. He had no doubt that he¡¯d regret it, should he ever have to fight the woman in his current state. ¡°You''re more perceptive than we''d anticipated,¡± Zax finally said, putting the book in his hand back on the shelf ¡°Comes with the job. Those who weren¡¯t died,¡± Ekira said, leaning back against the shelf once more. ¡°So? What''re you looking for? There¡¯s likely a good reason why you¡¯d be sneaking in this ce all on your own.¡± ¡°It has been a long time since we have been out of the Astral Rift, so we¡¯d like to catch up on developments some what. But the bigger question we seek, is answer to the identity of who this dead god might¡¯ve been, and what killed them. We¡¯ve been around longer than most, and even in the rift¡­ we would¡¯ve felt it if a god had died. Any god,¡± Zax said. ¡°That''s the big question isn''t it? But no one knows where this mystery god supposedly came from. Or what the cultists intend to do with these Shards. We just know that it exists, and that whatever they¡¯re nning to do, we don¡¯t want to let them do it,¡± Ekira replied, ncing sideways as one of Zax¡¯s clones picked up another book, still working on gathering information. ¡°All I know is that something is happening, and I don''t like it.¡± Zax thought over the woman¡¯s words, closing his eyes as he tried to piece together everything that he¡¯d managed to learn so far. He didn¡¯t like what he saw either. *** Noah watched Bun Bun and Tony running around the little patch of forest they hade to, just a little distance outside of Heartillia. He had decided to spend some time in nature training with his spear, and both Tony and Bun Bun had taken it as their cue to start ying. Which, in their case, meant violently terrorizing the local poption of monsters for the most part. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Bun Bun being Bun Bun, that came as no surprise, but Tony had decided to join in as well. The symbiote had gotten significant upgrades to its body, bing capable of altering its form into multiple shapes, splitting into different bodies which he could control altogether with ease. Noah watched his familiars running around, chasing after some squirrels, yapping at them to make them run up trees. The scene reminded him of the few times he had gone hiking with friends who brought along dogs, which would act in much simr ways. Although a dog would be significantly less terrifying than these two. Letting the two of them y, Noah brought his attention back to his spear. After the repairs, Noah could almost feel the spear thrumming in his hands, as if shivering from anticipation of being used. Visually not a lot had changed, his weapon still looked more or less the same, but the feel of it had shifted dramatically. It had also made him realize that he had been neglecting his training with the spear. His spar with Aurelia had been evidence enough that without his specific abilities, he would be powerless. And even now, he had so far often had to rely on using tricks and traps, surprises, and other simr methods to win his battles. But that would onlyst for so long. There was also the weapon skill thing he had seen yesterday, which was another thing that he needed to figure out. He had asked the woman if the weapon skill would lock automatically as his spear grew, and what made the progress of the weapon go up. He reyed the woman¡¯s words in his mind. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to say how the weapon skill may reveal itself. It could very well be that the skill just does not exist right now and needs to be created by you somehow. Growth weaponse in all shapes and forms. Some grow by killing monsters, some by training with them, others based on the bond with their owners. In the case of this one¡­ it may very well be all three. This is going to sound a bit strange, but talking to your weapon could also help you gain a better understanding of it. As so far, it''s mostly just been dormant, but really, you should treat your weapon as apanion rather than just a tool. That is in part what being a growth weapon means. I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to say that they are alive, but they are definitely close. The better you understand your weapon and cherish it, the more it will respond.¡± Noah looked down at his spear. "Guess I''ve been neglecting you, huh?" Noah said. For a moment, he almost felt the spear shiver in his hands. He wasn''t sure if he had imagined that or not, but he put the thought aside for now, taking a stance against a particrly big tree. He shifted his grip on the weapon, trying to remember everything that Raesar had told him. Weapon mastery guided his stance, telling him to shift his fingers, to twist his legs sideways so that when he thrust, the rotation would add additional momentum to the weapon. He shifted the weight of his body, focusing all his attention on his own posture. He had never given such deliberate thought to how he moved. If he had to define his own fighting style, Noah would call it instinctive. He moved based on instincts, guided by them. There had not been many asions when that had failed him; his instincts had always been good, and he had always been a good fighter. But if he truly had topete, if he was going to be fighting up against trained warriors, then he needed to be better. He needed to be deliberate. Just instincts were not going to be enough. Noah took in a deep breath, letting his chest and abdomen fill up with air, before slowly letting it out. Then, with a powerful thrust, Noah struck. A crack sounded in the forest, animals scattering as birds flew away in fear. A second cracking noise came soon after, followed by a third. Noah thrust his spear, going through the motions over and over as he chipped away at the void, the weapon cutting through it with each precise strike. Yet even as he moved, he could feel that there was something missing. Weapon mastery kept guiding him, as he simply changed the position of his body, the way he twisted his legs, the way he moved his arms, the exact moment he struck, letting that energy carry outwards into the weapon. As he moved, slowly the tip of his spear began to blur, the strikes causing pressure waves in the air to create bursting noises as he thrust his weapon faster and faster. With a final swing, the tree was sliced into a clean section, as it toppled over next to Noah. [Weapon Mastery] level 11 ¡ú 12. Wiping the sweat off his brow, Noah smiled as he saw the level up notification. Yet something still felt off. He focused himself on the feeling he had gotten from his spear. He had done everything right, moved the exact way that weapon mastery had told him to, but there was something missing there. It was almost as if his spear was telling him to move in a different way, but he couldn¡¯t quite understand how. The bracelet on his wrist vibrated with a buzzing noise, and Noah looked down. It had been one of the items they had bought on their shopping spree yesterday, and every member of their group had gotten one. Noah sent a pulse of mana, as the bracelet activated, the gemstone on it glowing. ¡°Where are you?¡± Aurelia¡¯s voice came through the bracelet. ¡°In the forest just outside of Heartillia. What¡¯s up?¡± Noah said. ¡°What do you mean ''what¡¯s up''? We need to start moving out, the airship leaves in an hour and we¡¯re going to bete.¡± ¡°Oh crap, I lost track of time. I¡¯ll be back in a second,¡± Noah replied, looking around himself, seeing how he had taken out a decent section of the forest with his training. ¡°Guess I did go a little overboard.¡± ¡°What will I do with you,¡± she said and Noah could almost see her shaking her head. ¡°Come back quick,¡± Aurelia added, before her voice cut out from the bracelet as it deactivated. ¡°Alright, Bun Bun, Tony, time to head back,¡± Noah said. A momentter, Bun Bun rushed back, jumping into his arms, quickly followed by Tony who sank into his body. Taking onest look at the patch of forest around him, Noah activated Arcane Step, as he teleported back. Book 3: Chapter 5 — Departure Book 3: Chapter 5 ¡ª Departure Noah stood in the guild hall, waiting for everybody else. He had already taken care of everything that he needed to, and now he was waiting for Aurelia to finish her preparations. It was a little funny, given that she was the one who had told him to hurry or they would not make it in time. Erwest sat on a chair nearby, reading a book about Drakonias, which had taken Noah by surprise. Perhaps the pdin was truly interested in giving this a fair shot, instead of simply apanying them to keep him on a leash. Snow stood nearby, standing next to Zax, wearing the cloak that made her more inconspicuous. The girl practically blended into thin air behind Zax. "Sorry! Im done now! Aurelia eximed, stepping out of her room with arge bag on her back. What happened to your dimensional storage? Noah asked, raising an eyebrow. It''s full, she replied. Anyways, lets get going or we are going to bete. Give me that, Noah said, grabbing the bag before sending it to his cosmic vault. Are you sure? I may have to ask you for things from that, it might get annoying to constantly take things out, Aurelia said. Its fine, lets get moving, Noah said as their party began to make their way. As the five of them stepped out into the central halls, Ekira walked in. "Ah good, I was about toe to check on you. Follow me, the spell is ready, the guildmaster said, walking back out of the chamber, as the rest of them followed behind. Spell? What spell? Arent we going on an airship? Noah asked. Yes, we are, but not from here, Aurelia replied. Following behind the guildmaster, they arrived in a side chamber where Noah noted the spell circle glowing brightly on the floor. Stepping inside, Ekira gave a nod to a woman crouching near the spell, who pped her hand at the signal. Mana swirled around the chamber, flowing into the runes inscribed on the floor. Noah felt his body tingling at the sensation of mana, his arcane body reacting immediately as he began to sense the flow of magic. His eyes widened in surprise as he realized what the spell was. A momentter, a portal opened up above the magic circle, and Noah saw a familiar face standing on the other side. Get through quickly, we cannot hold the portal open for too long, Ekira said, as Noah and the rest walked through, stepping into the familiar halls of the Windrest Adventuring Guild. Hope they didnt cause too much trouble, Nae said to Ekira. They were alright. Ill leave the rest to you now, Ekira said, as the portal closed behind them. Alright then, d to have you guys back. Nice to see that weve got some new members joining the party. Unfortunately, theres not much time to chitchat, the airship will be leaving soon, so lets get moving quickly, Nae said, stepping out of the chamber they had arrived in. If you can just teleport across cities, why not do the same for Drakonias? Noah asked, walking behind Nae. Because teleportation is costly, and long-range teleportation is even more costly. And long-range teleportation across countries is so costly that the mana flowing through the spell would be enough to vaporize people. Which means theres a hard limit on how far teleportation can go, unless the target of said teleportation is quite resilient. We also dont have that kind of money to throw around, Nae said, ncing back at Noah. There are also political considerations, restrictions on the usage of teleportation spells, personnel required for running said teleportation spells, and so on and so forth. Its not that simple. Why not just teleport us to the airship then? Noah asked. Right in the middle of a busy transportation hub, with multipleplex spells that are carryingrge amounts of cargo and/or passengers? Nae asked. Im d to see you havent changed much, Noah. Noah chuckled to himself. Its not my fault I dont know stuff. If you count my arrival to this world as a birthday of sorts, then Im probably the smartest six-month-old there is. Aurelia snorted, and even Snow giggled at his words. Nae simply rolled her eyes, though a smile also hung on her face. It didnt take long for them to arrive at the hangar. It was arge area of the city sectioned off, with giant egg-shaped ships, whose wings made of a mixture of metal and wood, moved around in the area. Mages stood beneath many of them, casting wind magic to control their movements, and Noah looked on in fascination. Its interesting to me how you guys have things like airships, given the difference in technology I see overall. Back home, it took us way longer to figure out how to make these things. I wonder how these ones work. The airship? They''re just floating balloons reinforced with metal and wood. They get enchanted to be lightweight and float, and the rest is taken care of by wind magic spells, Nae replied. Man magic sure is convenient, Noah said. Which one are we boarding? Aurelia asked. You see the big one there, hovering just above the ground? Thats the one, Nae replied. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Whoa, Snow eximed, looking at the giant airship. Noah felt impressed by the size of the structure as well. The spell seemed to remove a lot of restrictions that would have otherwisee from having a ship of this size. He wondered just how many people it could fit inside. All of them walked up to a rampid out at the back of the ship, leading inside. Four guards stood at the entrance, checking some form of tickets made of thin metal, responding to a pulse of mana as the tes would light up. Nae walked up to the entrance, holding out the tickets on their behalf. The guard nced down, before nodding as the runes on the tes activated. The room numbers are on the keys, the guard said, handing the tickets back. Nae nodded, turning around before she held out the two metal tes. These will be the keys to your rooms. Dont lose them. Only two? Noah asked. "Well, we kinda got you in at the veryst second, so that''s the best we could do," Nae replied with a shrug. You guys can decide who stays where. Aurelia grabbed one of the metal tes. Snow and I will stay together. You three can share the other one. Noah nced sideways at Erwest. Guess well be roommates for a while. Erwest took the second key with him. "I''ll be heading back now; this is about as far as I go. Good luck to all of you, Nae said, giving all of them a smile. And make sure you win. You bet, Noah replied, grinning. The Celestian woman waved them goodbye as they all walked into the airship. Noah nced around at the various decorations hanging in the form of paintings on the walls, showing pictures of the different captains who had led the ship, and the various sceneries on the way. A lot of the items also seemed to be depicting Drakonian culture, with their lizard and dragon-like representations in the form of rugs, and trophies of monsters on the wall. "Damn, this ce is kinda nice, Noah said, feeling like hed entered a luxury hotel of some sort. Their paths eventually led them into arge hall, filled with all sorts of people, almost half of whom looked like adventurers. "Whoa, huge," Noah eximed. How the heck is this ce so big here? We can sense some dimensional magic, so the ship is likelyrger on the inside, Zax said, humming to himself as he appreciated the spellwork. Behind them, Noah heard the gates closing as crew members moved around, getting the ship ready to fly. Seems like we were thest ones to get on. As they stood in the hall, waiting alongside everybody else, a woman looking to be roughly in her mid-thirties walked up to the front. She wore a uniform with a mix of white, blue, and purple colors, that covered her slim yet muscr body. She stood tall, close to almost Noah''s height, with silvery white hair that led down into a long braid behind her back, and a presence thatmanded attention. Noah used Identify on the woman. [Skywarden - ???] Alright, fellows. Wee aboard the Skydancer. I am Arie Brightwind, your captain for this journey. Before we take off into the skies, I would like toy some ground rules. Most of you here are one of two things: either merchants or adventurers. Given the timing, more adventurers than merchants from what I can see. Ive been running this route for thirty-two years now, and I say this every time before we start. For the duration of this journey, I will treat you no different than I would treat my own men. Which means that when I say something, youre supposed to listen and obey, Captain Arie said, ncing around the chamber. A few of the adventurers shifted, but most seemed to take her words in stride. You have the training hall avable to you, feel free to make use of it as long as you dont break anything. Food will be served in the dining halls during fixed hours. If yourete, you will have to suck it up. This one is going to be a longer journey, which is going to take us anywhere between three to five weeks to reach Drakonias depending on the weather, and what kind of things we meet on our way. Do not start fights. I know your type, I know how itchy you get if you''re in confinement for a long period of time, thats why you have the training hall, I do not want to see any conflicts while we are in the air, or I will make you regret it. Understood? the woman said. Noah nodded, alongside most of the adventurers, but not all of them. He could already see a few that did not enjoy the womans authoritative tone among the crowd. Now, with that out of the way. The route to Drakonias often goes through Griffin territory. Me and my men can handle them, but it could happen that we require your assistance. I will be expecting you to coordinate with us, if you dont want to crash into the ocean and be food for some sea serpents. We might even be seeing some Thunder Wyverns, if any of you have experience dealing with those let me know and Ill put you to use. Andstly, pray that we do not run into a storm wyrm, Arie said, taking onest look around the entire chamber. Noah looked around himself as well, watching the many faces. He smiled, imagining what it would be like to meet a Griffin, or wyvern. Perhaps he would even get the chance to ride one. Alright. With all of that done, lets begin our journey, the woman said, a pale green aura shining around her as a gust of wind swirled. Noah heard heavy thumping noisee from outside, like a giant metal chain following, then with a sudden jerk, the airship took flight. You have the training hall avable to you; feel free to make use of it as long as you dont break anything. Food will be served in the dining halls during fixed hours. If yourete, you will have to suck it up. This one is going to be a longer journey, which is going to take us anywhere between three to five weeks to reach Drakonias depending on the weather, and what kind of things we meet on our way. Do not start fights. I know your type, I know how itchy you get when you''re in confinement for a long period of time, thats why you have the training hall. I do not want to see any conflicts while we are in the air, or I will make you regret it. Understood? the woman said. Noah nodded, alongside most of the adventurers, but not all of them. He could already see a few who did not enjoy the womans authoritative tone among the crowd. Now, with that out of the way. The route to Drakonias often goes through Griffin territory. Me and my men can handle them, but it could happen that we require your assistance. We will be expecting you to coordinate with us if you dont want to crash into the ocean and be food for some sea serpents. We might even be seeing some Thunder Wyverns. If any of you have experience dealing with those, let me know and Ill put you to use. Andstly, pray that we do not run into a Storm Wyrm, Arie said, taking onest look around the entire chamber. Noah looked around as well, watching the many faces. He smiled, imagining what it would be like to meet a Griffin or wyvern. Perhaps he would even get the chance to ride one. Alright. With all of that done, lets begin our journey, the woman said, a pale green aura shining around her as a gust of wind swirled. Noah heard a heavy thumping noisee from outside, like a giant metal chain falling, then with a sudden jerk, the airship took flight. Book 3: Chapter 6 — Airship Book 3: Chapter 6 ¡ª Airship Noah looked at the captain, wondering if it was alright for her to just stand there while the ship took off. He didnt have any idea how things worked here; it probably was fine, but it still felt strange to see. People began to scatter, some heading into their rooms to rest, others checking out the training areas on the top floor. In his mind, Noah had been treating this airship like a typical airne from his world, but standing here, he realized that this ce was truly a flying ship, more so than anything else. He looked around the area, trying to see if he could spot something like a map to show him theyout of the ce. Theres one on that pedestal, Aurelia said, pointing to a pedestal made of white marble with glowing runes on top of it. The party walked towards the pedestaleven Erwest, to Noahs surprise, followed themtaking a look for themselves. A few other adventurers were also looking around, but most seemed to already be familiar with theyout of the ship. Noah stepped up to the pedestal, looking at the projection glowing on top of it, which showed an image of the ship flying through the air with its insides visible. Hold on, is that us? Noah asked, noticing the five dots standing within the map around where the pedestal should be. He walked around a little backwards and saw the marker moving backwards as well. Looks like its working in real-time. Must be some kind of tracking and projection spellyered together, Aurelia said. Are they spying on us? Snow asked, her eyes darting around in concern. Noah could understand the feeling; if he were sitting inside a flying ship for the first time with no way to get out, and the ship itself started to track his every movement, he would feel a little unsettled too. Its a simr mechanism to what''s used by the bracelets that you bought, but on a muchrger scale. They can''t spy on us exactly, just see where we are within the ship itself, and it is possible to block the spell, but we suspect that would likely draw unwanted attention, Zax replied. Noah gave the dragon a nod, bringing his attention back to the map itself. The ground bottomyer seemed to be inessible, mostly filled with cargo, and the details were missing. The ce they stood on was the central part, which also served as the dining hall, with their rooms to the left and right of the halls. Further beyond the hall was what looked like the captains cabin, and besides the rooms themselves, he saw something like a viewing deck extending out into the open air. On the top floor was the training arena, divided into multiple little chambers with arge central one connecting them all. I know I have said this before, but seriously, just how big is this ce? Noah said once more. If his estimates were right, this ce was likely asrge as a typical cruise ship on Earth. And it could fly. This one is on the smaller side of anything. The truly big ones are basically flying castles. I have heard rumors that one of the ascendant monarchs has one, Aurelia said. Ryugan had one a little bigger than this, though it did not move as fast and was more meant to float around through the skies, Zax said. Ryugan? The Ryugan Valtorius? Erwest asked. One of the ascendant monarchs from a few hundred years ago? And an Outerworlder too. Everyones eyes turned towards Zax, then towards Noah as they all began toe to their own conclusions. Perhaps. Anyway, why dont we head out to the Captains cabin? I doubt you have seen one of the cores that supplies these aircraft before, Zax said, in an awful attempt to change the topic. No one pointed it out, simply agreeing to the offer as they began to follow behind Zax. Heading through the hallway, they arrived in a smaller chamber with multiple uniformed crew members standing inside. Different kinds of mechanismsyered the walls. Just further ahead, in a small cabin, the captain stood at the forefront seats, ss windows looking outside to the skies, but that area seemed to be off-limits. A few other adventurers were also present inside, looking around the area and chatting with each other. But the thing that captured Noahs attention was the glowing light green orb at the center of the chamber, with metallic pipesyered in glowing lines of runesing outwards and spreading into the rest of the ship. He used Identify on the item. [Sky-Dungeon Core (Legendary, Rank B)] Is that whats powering the ship? A dungeon core? Noah asked. Indeed. Dungeon cores are the strongest sources of mana. Theyre not unlike mana stones, but what makes them special is their ability to generate mana and control it in precise manners. Higher rank cores alsoe with certain special abilities tied to them, Zax said. Wait, hold on, so were standing in a dungeon right now? Noah asked. Kind of," Aurelia said. Youre standing in something that could be a dungeon if left unchecked would be more urate. Its kind of like a really big mana stone right now, and one that can generate its own mana over time. If its like a mana stone, can you eat it? Noah asked. In theory, yes. In practice, anyone who has tried has gone mad and was taken over by the core itself. There are some who still wish to utilize the power of dungeon cores by binding them to their bodies, but it is a fools errand to try and do so, Zax said. And highly illegal, Aurelia added. Dungeon cores are typically owned by whoever rules thend, and given the risk a rogue remnant with a dungeon core attached to it poses, anyone who tries will immediately be executed with the highest priority. Noted. Dont eat the dungeon core, Noah said. Its also partly why airships like these are rtively rare, even during the most prosperous times within the continent, Zax added. You have to justify the consumption of an entire dungeon''s worth of mana, alongside the risks thate with something like this ship, and many cannot. Interesting. But why keep it out here in the open then? What happens if someone messes with it or identally does something? Noah asked. It is quite difficult to destroy a dungeon core. But even beyond that, the core itself is protected by multipleyers of wards. It would take even us a minute or two to breach through them, Zax said. If youe across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. And I really hope you wont try, Arie said, stepping out from her cabin as she walked up behind the group. I was informed of your partys arrival, and especially you, my friend. You dont see many A-rankers outside of the central ins. Someone like you doing all the way out here; the air must feel practically lifeless to breathe for you. One learns to adapt over time, Zax replied in an even tone. The same could be said to you. Ive got this baby feeding me as much as I need, Arie said, tapping the top of the dungeon core. An elegant solution. Were you the one who came up with the design of this ce? Zax asked. I knew the guy who did, Arie replied. He was my grandfather. Wait, Aurelia said, her eyes growing wide in surprise. Was your grandfather Thalor Windweaver? The founding father of Windrest? Yup. Thats him. Old bastard made a name for himself before vanishing off to God knows where. Given his level, he might still be alive somewhere out there, Arie said. Anyways. Ive heard a little about the quest that your party is on. I don''t care enough to pry as long as you don''t cause a mess on my ship, she said, looking at Noah. Everyone else followed her gaze. What? I havent done anything, Noah said. This is unfair. We know better than to wait until you do something by now, Aurelia said, making Snow suppress a giggle. Ill leave you all to it, Arie said, waving her hand as she walked away into one of the other chambers. Noah looked around himself, trying to find what else there was to explore, when his eyes went to the viewing deck outside. Stepping out, he felt the wind whipping past him, clouds soaring by. A simple handrailing was the only thing between him and the open skies. Whoa, this is amazing, Noah said, walking up to the railing as he looked down beneath him. The world flew past underneath, forests and grasnds slowly drifting by in a beautiful and surreal sight. Aurelia joined him, looking down as well. Snow joined in shortly afterwards, holding tightly onto Noahs shoulders, as a smile surged from the girls face. For a moment, all of them simply looked down in silence, marveling at the beauty of what they saw. Noah felt his heart quiver, as he saw the world beneath him, a beautiful and brand-new magical world, with thousands of sights that he had not yet seen. Did you have something like this back in your world, Noah? Aurelia asked. Yeah. But nothing quite like this," Noah replied. The airships we had were a lot faster, and since we have no magic, people are a lot more fragile. We could only really see things from inside, from a rather controlled environment. That makes sense. Unawakened children would probably struggle to stand here, Aurelia said. Yeah. Honestly, this feels kind of dangerous. What if someone falls? Noah asked, pushing gently on the railing. This isnt very strong. You cannot fall. There is a spell around the airship that will catch you if you do, before teleporting you back inside, Zax said, his eyes looking out towards the horizon. Noah looked down beneath him, and for a moment wondered if he could fly with Tonys help and teleport back in should he begin to fall. Hisst experience with flight had not gone very well, but he had learned since then; he was a lot faster and more in control of his body now. The smarter side of him won out ultimately, as he decided against it. As he was about to step away, Noah heard some noiseing from nearby. He turned and saw a lizard-like man with a wide grin on his face being chased by two women as he jumped over the handrails. Kan! one of the women shouted, wearing golden and red armor that made him oddly nostalgic, while the other began to conjure water from her hands, a magic spell floating around her. The lizard manKaughed to himself, spreading his wings wide, as he flew around the ship. The mage woman sent chains of water to catch him, but the man swiftly flew around, dodging them. A momentter, Noah heard a very familiar voice shouting from inside. AGAIN?! I warned youst year, you buffoon! she shouted, stepping out onto the viewing deck with an expression of human anger. Wind swirled around the woman as she took to the air with a single jump. Why do you think I do this? He refuses to spar with me otherwise, Kan shouted, twirling a spear in his hands as his wings pped behind his back, a toothy grin full of sharp teeth disyed across his face. Lets dance, Arie. Just you and me, two lovers of the skies. Arie moved swiftly, a powerful gust of wind propelling her like a missile, leaving a sonic boom in its wake. More and more people began to step out onto the viewing deck, now watching the battle taking ce. Oh, theyre at it again! Wanna bet how long hests this time? one of the adventurers shouted, while the rest began to throw in their bets. Noah noted the water mage from before now standing with her palm covering her face. I can feel her pain, Aurelia said. What do you mean? Im not that bad, Noah replied, as he looked back up at the skies. Right? None of the others replied to his words. What is he? Ive never seen a Drailith with horns and wings, Snow asked. Hes a Drakonian, a known race of battle maniacs. They live in Drakonias and are the descendants of dragons, Erwest replied. Oh, so hes a dragon? Snow asked, before looking at Zax. The dragon chuckled at her words. No, not a dragon, but the closest thing we have that wont immediately kill everybody in sight, Aurelia said, before ncing sideways at Zax. No offense. None taken. We are aware of the nature of our brethren, Zax said. Noah continued to watch the fight. The Drakonian man moved too fast to use identify on, but he didnt need to tell that he was strong. Although Arie was much faster, the Drakonian man used his spear with swiftness and technique that showed years of training. He could tell that both of them were holding back significantly, but even so, Noah struggled to imagine that he would be able to keep up with either of them currently. A secondter, Noah jumped back as the twobatants began to head in his direction. With a powerful burst of energy from Arie, the two crashed back onto the ships deck, surprisingly not breaking anything with theirnding. Arie had her hand wrapped around Kans neck. I surrender, Kan replied, as the woman hesitated, letting go. You''re cleaning the entire deck for a week. No food for that duration either. If you pull something else, Im gonna throw you off, the captain said, stomping off. The two women who followed the Drakonian walked up to him, one of them punching him on the head as the man winced. I swear, Ive told you so many times not to pick a fight with her. When are you going to listen? the armored woman said. Hey, this is like the only time I get. She doesnt leave her ship ever. I wouldnt do this if she just agreed to join us for a spar like a normal person. And you know she enjoys these, Kan replied. He is hopeless. Theres no point in trying. Well, Val, Im of half the mind to just abandon him, and the two of us can go to the trials together, the water mage said. Hey, you can''t do that, I am the team leader! Kan protested. It sounds like a good idea, Sera. What good has this meathead ever done for us anyway? the armored womanValsaid, nodding. Finding his curiosity piqued, Noah walked up to the three of them as the crowd began to disperse, having had their fill of the entertainment. Couldnt help but overhear. Are you three also heading to take the Dragon Warriors trial? Not three, Kan said, standing back up on his feet. Just these two. Noah looked up at the Drakonian, realizing he stood tall, nearly a full head taller than he was. Finding the chance now, he used Identify on the man. [Dragon Warrior - ??] The Drakonian man grinned. Book 3: Chapter 7 — A New Party Book 3: Chapter 7 ¡ª A New Party Kan leaned over, his reptilian eyes focused on Noah. Wyrmblood is it? No, theres more. I like it. The dragon warrior extended his hand. Im Kan, leader of the Drakanthorn Vanguard. And these two are my party members, Valeria and Seraphina. Noah took the chance to identify both of them. [Ominrune Schr - ??] [Warbound Valkyrie - ??] Noah grasped the Drakonians hand, shaking it. Im Noah Brown. These are my friends, Aurelia, Erwest, Snow, and Zax. We are heading to the Dragon Warriors trials as well, and I overheard you guys talking. From the looks of it, it seems like you have alreadypleted a trial before. Although I didnt know Dragon Warrior was a Path. Yep, Ivepleted it. A couple of years ago, actually. Wouldnt have been allowed to leave my home without that. I know its not a path, I am a Spearmaster. But for titles, you can equip them, or keep them active, and thats the one that people will see. Noah raised an eyebrow. That was something he needed to check. Now that I think about it, I never actually saw what Titan yer did. Kans gaze drifted behind Noah. You said youre heading to the Dragon Warrior trials? We are, Aurelia said. If its not against any rules, we would definitely love to know a little more. Kan frowned. None of you are strong enough, though. The girl is definitely too weak, and one of you has no need for a title like that, he said, his eyes lingering on Zax. I like you. Youre strong. Maybe as strong as our King. I would ask you to spar, but Im afraid it wouldntst for more than a few seconds. Zax nodded his head. Perhaps in a few decades, child, he said with a smile. Kanughed. If anyone else had said that, I would have taken it as an insult. But yes, perhaps in a few decades. The Drakonian shifted his gaze back to Noah. You guys should reconsider. They wont stop you frompeting, so the younger kids certainly join to train, but you wont make it, and outsiders can onlypete once. I rmend training for at least a year. Your party looks young; if you train hard, all of you can still make it for next year. Im afraid we cannot really wait, Aurelia replied. Youre an Outerworlder, one of themSeraphina, if Noah remembered correctlyeximed all of a sudden. The woman rushed closer, grabbing onto Noahs hand and staring at his hands, examining each of his fingers one by one. Noah almost teleported away, taken aback by the sudden intrusion. I kept getting a weird readout from you; it makes sense now! Your body is amazing. Were you born with it? Or did it be like that when you came here? Ive done a study on Outerworlders at school and how their travels across the astral rifts changed their bodies and souls permanently. I have never quite seen such a vivid manifestation of change like this. The womans eyes then went to Snow. No way! Is that a void Before Noah could feel any further weirded out, and jump onto Snow, Kan grabbed her head with his hand. Ouch, ouch, ouch, stop it! Seraphina eximed. No, you stop that, Seph. We have talked about this. You cannot just start fawning over people whenever you see some kind of magic that interests you, Kan said, dragging back the woman. Noahughed. Its fine, and to answer your question, no, I wasnt born like this. In fact, my world had no magic at all. I got these after I got here, quite recently in fact. As Kan let go of the woman, sheposed herself. Wait, hold on. Didn''t have any magic? How did you get anything done? Thats such a magical-world personment. There are other ways to do things. And we developed technology, Noah replied, shrugging. That sounds terrible. Seph, dont be rude, Valeria said. Noah grinned. It was. A little bit. But we had movies, and we went to the moon, so it wasnt all that bad either. What are movies? Seraphina asked. Theyre like ys, except you can do a lot of things with them that arent real, withputers. If only I could show them to you, I think you would love The Matrix. Kan would probably really like The Karate Kid. Huh, I didnt get much of that sentence. I guess youre using some kind of trantion device, Seraphina said. Kan coughed into his hand. Sorry about her. She is normally the reasonable one, but whenever kinds of magic are the topic, her personality flips. Anyways, if you guys really cannot wait well, you could try hyper-leveling. Just hunting in the forest would be sufficient challenge at your level, which would rapidly help you grow. Although it still might be a bit too unreasonable for Noah. Yeah. Kan has been training us nonstop for thest six months. And he says that we are still not good enough, Seraphina said, mimicking Kans expression. He says you are not good enough, Valeria said. He thinks I can make it. Whatever, you know thats only because youre a battle junkie like him. Im a schr! My first and foremost job is to learn and gather knowledge, not train day in and day out, Seraphina said. Why would you take the trial if youre a schr? Aurelia asked. Oh, thats because I want to study the dragons heart. But they only let their victors see it, so I need to win, Seraphina replied, as if the statement was matter-of-fact. If this is not an intrusion to your ns, perhaps your party can train with these three. From what we can see, Seraphina has a good understanding of various elements and magic, which would make for a good pair against Aurelia. And Aurelia can help Seraphina learn how to battle with someone who has powerful berserker abilities, can hit above their weight for short periods of time, Zax said, as the two women looked at each other. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Valeria seems to have more berserker abilities and is also a pdin of Rutha, which would make a good training partner for Erwest to hone his technique against a more unpredictable warrior, while Erwest can challenge her with his technique and more diverse abilities, the dragon added, before looking at Kanstly. Andstly Im afraid Noah cannot teach you much. But you can teach him how to use his spear better. Kan thought it over. Sure, if the girls are fine with it. It would be good practice for these two and some entertainment for me. Its been some time since I''ve had a chance to fight someone who also uses a spear. The Drakonian looked at Noah, grinning to himself. The smile reminded him of Raesar; he could see the two of them immediately bonding over their shared love for sparring. Maybe its a cultural thing. The dragons and lizard people being battle maniacs. Im kind of hungry, can we do this tomorrow? Seraphina said, holding her stomach as it growled. Kan, you have to clean the deck as well. Dont push the captain any further than you already have, Valeria added. Whoops, right. Guess we can start the training from tomorrow then. We can meet in the training halls at first dawn, Kan said. Sounds good, Noah replied. As the two groups were about to disperse, Kan turned back. Actually, I never got the name of your party. What are you guys called? Noah looked at Aurelia, who simrly looked back at him. He shrugged. Were still working on that one. *** Noah sat in his room, going through his astral script, as he looked at the current title he had. [Progenitor] You are the progenitor of an entirely new race of astral creatures. Find your abilities permanently increased. Active: All attributes have increased by 5% As it turned out, he did have title equipped, and that doing so gave certain additional abilities that were in the active category. Taking his remaining free attribute points, Noah put them into his attributes before checking the final number. numbers, as he turned of progenitor. Power: 645 [806] Agility: 552 [690] Constitution: 577 [807] Mystic: 633 [928] Noah looked at the numbers, before unequipping Progenitor. Power: [806 774] Agility: [690 662] Constitution: [807 778] Mystic: [928 895] Wow, thats a significant drop. The buffs sure add up. Noah went to his Titan yer title next, opening it up. [Titan yer] You have yed a titan, leaving the mark of its battle upon your soul. Find your spirit unwavering against stronger foes, and your aura unsupressed. Active: Gain 50% more experience when fighting against stronger enemies. Noah whistled at the as a reward, but it was the active one that made him grin. That was exactly what he needed right now. That much further thought, Noah activated Titan yer, adjusting his astral script to better reflect its active nature. Astral Script: Name: Noah Brown Race: Draconian Humanoid Rank: D Title: [Titan yer] Paths: Wyrmblood Guardian (Legendary) - level 107 Runebody Arcanist (Legendary) - level 106 Abyssal Predator (Legendary) - level 109 Attributes: Power: 645 [774] Agility: 552 [662] Constitution: 577 [778] Mystic: 633 [895] Attribute points: 0 Skill Points: 1 Noah grinned, looking at this status. He was looking to the sparring matches tomorrow. A click came from the door, and Noah saw Zax step into the room. Wed been looking for you. And you didnt immediately find me? Somehow I doubt that, Noah replied. Well, we never said we were looking for long, Zax replied, taking a seat in one of the chairs within their room. Which, thankfully, was quite spacious, and Noah could always jump into his Cosmic Vault anyway. Theres something we wanted to discuss alone with you, Zax said. Sounds serious, what is it? Its regarding your aspect, and the Shards. We would like to talk a bit more if possible. Noah stopped slouching, the dragons words catching his attention. He thought over it for a second, before deciding there was no point trying to hide things from Zax. If there was anyone who can help him, it was Zax. Sure, what do you want to know? How did you get the Shard Noah, and from where? No clue. Also, and I know this is pointless, but I hope youve made this space private? Noah asked. We have, no one can enter here, or hear anything we say, Zax replied. Alright. Sweet. Well, I woke up in the void and the void god asked me for the Shard. I felt extremely disconnected from reality and so instead of being afraid like I would normally, I just got pissed off and told him to fuck off, and eventually managed to form a pact that got me here. I know that the old goddess of war Raelinah was involved somehow, and I remember seeing her when Id died. But everything else is a blur, Noah replied. Zax frowned, going silent for a long minute, just thinking. Can we see your Aspect? Zax asked atst. Sure, I needed to check on it anyway. It upgraded since I got thest Shard, Noah said, pulling up his menu as the description for Devourer appeared. [Devourer (Intermediate, Unique/Growth)] [Progress to next rank: 0/250] You are the Devourer. A primal hungerlurks within you. You yearn to grow, to fight, to consume all that bar your path. Your spirit I hungry, and seeks strength. Gain increased experience than normal when fighting stronger enemies, but gain decreased experience when fighting weaker foes. All your abilities are enhanced to their maximum potential. You can absorb the essence of others and Consume them for yourself. Increases all Attributes by 10%. Noah took the aspects message and shared it with Zax, who frowned. Magic circles swirled around the dragon as he read through the message, his eyes going over it multiple times, before atst, he looked back up at Noah. Do you know what an Aspect is, Noah? Zax asked. Only kind of. I talked to Hellion and realised that a gods aspect does a lot of things that they dont directly handle. So something along those lines? Zax gave a nod. You are correct. But what you dont understand is that Aspects only exist with Ascendants. And Gods. And you are neither. And this Aspect. It is not yours either. You will have an entirely different aspect for yourself, Zax said. Umm. Okay? What does that mean? That I get to have two? Noah asked. We dont know. Weve never seen this before. But currently it seems like youre acting like a vessel to this dead gods shard. And Devourer is slowly assimting into your soul. Your astral script tells you something, but it is not the truth, the script cannot ever glimpse the truth because Aspects are beyond its capacities, Zax said. That honestly I dont know what to make of that. What happens if I collect all the shards? Noah asked. If you truly as a vessel. Then either you be the next god of this Aspect or, the more likely option, this gods spirit and Aspect take over you and use you as a vessel to be reborn, Zax said. That does not sound very good for me. It is not. So the cultists theyre gathering the shards to what? Revive the god? The devourer? Noah asked. It is most likely. Or perhaps they merely intend to use its powers, not understand the forces they are ying with, Zax said. So what should I do now? Give up on the shards? Stop absorbing them? No. Its a littlete to stop now. But perhaps it was some really good fortune that you got the abilities you did, and found a shadow spectre that shares your soul, Zax said. Wait do you mean We cant be sure. Well need to study more. Perhaps there will be some more books in Drakonias. But it is a possibility, Zax replied. For now, forget about these concerns and simply focus on training as best as you can for your uing trials. In the meantime, we will look for a solution. Noah nodded, as Zax stood up from his chair. We have faith in you Noah, the dragon said atst. Thanks, Noah replied, as Zax teleported away in a sh of light. Book 3: Chapter 8 — Training Hall Book 3: Chapter 8 ¡ª Training Hall After spending a rtively restless night in his new bed, Noah arrived at the training hall as the light from the first dawn began to pierce through the skies earlier than he had anticipated. It really was strange to be living on something that was flying through the clouds for such extended periods of time. As Noah entered the chamber, he noticed Kan already present within the chamber. Erwest was there as well. Noah stepped inside, finding the chamber to be nothing like he had anticipated. He had been expecting a sparring room like he had seen in the Windrests Guild, with a giant open area marked with lines and protected by wards. Yet instead, the chamber was small, with seats present inside as if to watch something, with a ss wall directly opposite the seats, separating a different area which contained multiple magic circles and runes covering it from top to bottom. Is this the right ce? Noah asked as he stepped inside. His eyes went to the ss wall, and he noticed different screens disying the visage of a forest. It is. I assume you have never seen a projected battleground before, Kan asked. Nope. I have not, Noah replied. Its basically what it sounds like; this thing can make projections of you and re-create all kinds of environments and training grounds that look and feel no different from reality when youre inside. It allows people to train as if they were doing the real thing, which can create a substantial difference in the nature of the training and the result it bears. And as a bonus, you dont have to worry about killing the other person and can go all out, Kan said, before the draconian nced sideways with his reptilian eyes and gave Noah a toothy grin. Neat, right? Yeah. Quite a bit. I''m not sure I understand how it works, to be honest, Noah said, looking at the screens. Just watch, Kan said. Noah looked at the ss wall. The images moved around before jumping to Seraphina. Noah saw the woman walking around as different runes filled the air around her, forming all kinds of patterns faster than he could read them. A creature sat on her shoulders, some kind of mix between a cat and a fox with long ears that stood up and scanned her environment. On a nearby screen, Noah saw Valeria moving through the forest stealthily, circling around Seraphinas location. The womans hand was tight around her war axe, her eyes set on her target as she moved with nearly no sound. He could almost hear their breaths, along with the sound of the insects crawling throughout the forest. As Valeria closed in, the creature on Seraphinas shoulder turned, letting out a warning screech. The Valkyrie jumped, quickly intercepted by a razor-sharp pressurized de of water. Twisting mid-air, Valeria dodged the attack that nearly cut her in half as her war axe mmed into the ground, tearing up the earth and shaking it. Seraphina jumped off, wind runes appearing around her feet as she took to the skies,bining her wind runes with fire runes as lightning struck from her fingers. Valeria blocked the bolt with her axe, a red and golden aura swirling around her as the woman roared, her presence intensifying. Leaping up into the air, she threw her axe at Seraphina, who created a barrier blocking the attack, but the weapon shattered it and went past it, cutting through her shoulder and drawing blood. Seraphina did not stop, and neither did she pay attention to the wound, her fingers already casting another spell. mes burst from her fingers towards Valeria, who charged through the attack, flying at the airborne woman. Seraphina pushed herself backward, further into the skies, as Valeria fell back to the ground, her war axe flying back into her hand. mming her axe into a nearby tree, she used the leverage to kick off back into the skies for another attack. She swung her weapon, a beam projecting from it as it struck Seraphinas barrier, shattering it and breaking her spellcasting as she fell to the ground. Valeria leapt, her fist striking the womans gut where it was blocked by a boulder rising from the ground as Seraphina grimaced, blood flowing from her mouth. The earth beneath Valerias feet exploded, the ground caving in beneath her. The Valkyrie roared, rushing out as Seraphina continued to cast rapidly, water runes mixed with earth as the pitfall trap quickly turned into quicksand, dragging the Valkyrie in. Golden wings erupted from the womans back, as she jumped out shaking off the mud, but Seraphina continued. Vines rose from the ground, grabbing at her feet and arms, trying to drag her back into the muddy trap. Fire spilled from Valerias arms, burning the vines as she rushed closer. Her fist, charged with golden red energy, struck at Seraphina, who shrieked, raising her hands in the air. Noah did not hear any sound but read the womans lips as the words tranted themselves automatically. I surrender! Both figures vanished in a sh of blue light, reappearing in the chamber where Noah stood. Neither had any injuries present on them, nor did they bear any kind of armor that he had seen them wearing during the battle. You are so mean, Val! Seraphina eximed, folding her arms as she pouted. The critter on her shoulders let out a chittering noise, as Seraphina fed it a mana crystal, before it vanished into blue light. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition. You need to be prepared for traps to go wrong. And you give up immediately the second you get hurt. No matter how good of a mage you are, Seph, if you give up that easily, youre not going tost, Valeria said. Good match, girls. Dont be so hard on her, Val. She took one of your attacks directly and did not give up even when she started to bleed. Just a few months ago, that alone would have been enough to make her quit for good, Kan said, patting both women on their shoulders. Hmph! Seraphina pouted, snorting as she walked back and sat down on one of the chairs with her arms crossed. Looks like our new friends have arrived, Valeria said, taking note of Noah. Noah nced back behind him, noticing Snow, Aurelia, and Zax all standing within the chamber, having arrived there while he had been busy watching the battle. Indeed. So lets not embarrass ourselves, Kan said, before turning to speak to Noah and the rest. Wee to the training hall! Its one of the best, if not the best part about this airship. But this will be what we will be using to spar. Unfortunately, this little thing can only handle two people at once, so we will have to do those in pairs, as the other chambers have been taken by different teams, Kan said. I still cant believe they have put one of these on an airship. I knew that higher-grade kingdoms and certain nobles had ess to simted battleground chambers. But I never thought I would see one avable on an airship, Aurelia said, gasping in reverence. Not just one, four. Its a great way to train for the trials, and given that this airship really only makes the trip twice a year back and forth between Drakonias, they deemed it worth the price, as many peoplee here simply to have a chance at using one of these," Kan said. Its an illusionary device, is it not? A sophisticated one. We do not think these had existed back when we had been around on the continent before. Quite the fascinating creation, Zax said. Precisely. Yes, its an illusionary device. The battle does not actually take ce, but instead, its a hallucination shared between two people. Though the experience is very much real and that is what matters as far as training is concerned. Its a great way to gain both experience and levels quickly, Kan said. Noah looked at the device in fascination. It reminded him of his training chamber within his astral space. But here, he could actually gain levels from the battles he participated in. Alright, so lets start with the basics. Right now, the three of you are like teenagers. You''d struggle to even stand in front of the king, Kan said, before looking at Noah. Well, you mightst for a minute. Noah grinned at the mans words. He had trained against the Dragon after all. Stop grinning, Noah, Zax said. You have your own problems. Your fast growth means all your skills aregging behind, both in levels and actual experience. You fight entirely on instincts, which is fine, but it''s not going tost against seasoned warriors. Kan nodded. I could tell as much just by looking at him. There was a distinctck of experience reflected in the way he stood and moved, but hes got very good natural instincts, which is probably why hes made it this far. Noah thought of his battle against Raesar, who had almost beaten him while using just a single ability and sheer raw power. Before we begin the training, do the three of you know the trials and what happens within them? Kan asked. All of them shook their heads. Alright. The battlefield is different every time, so is the exact challenge. But there are three: the Dragons Breath, the Dragons Will, and the Dragons Might. The first one, you have to go through a chamber with dragon mes, rushing across before the chambers close while fighting anything that attacks. After that, there''s a path to traverse where you will have to face the aura of a Dragon bearing down upon you. Each step you take, the intensity of it will grow stronger and stronger, and the path you must walk more treacherous. Youll have to maintain your calm and traverse through the arena to sessfully pass the trial. And then finally, those who remain will battle until the top five are chosen, and are awarded the title of Dragon Warrior. But the winner is the only one who gets to go further into thest chamber, and try the trial of the Dragons Heart. Did you take it? The Dragons Heart trial? Noah asked. I did, Kan said. I failed. Its been decades since anyone sessfully traversed the path. Noah stood silently for a few seconds, his mind going through the possibilities. He had already seen Kan, and how strong the man was. But he had also failed. He clenched his fists. I need to get stronger. All right. Since we already have pairs that were going with for today, I got us some sticks with numbers on them to decide who will go first, Kan said, extending three sticks that he grabbed in his hand. Each one of you picks one. Noah tried to use his abyssal awareness to peek through Kan''s closed fist but found his ability obstructed by the mans aura. Finding his attempts obstructed, Noah gave up and just grabbed a stick, before looking at the number. Three, Noah said, before shrugging to himself. Two, Erwest said a secondter. Noah turned to look at Aurelia. Guess Im first, she said, her gaze moving towards Seraphina. Aww, I was hoping my turn would best. I swear I have the worst luck, Seraphina said, getting up from her chair. Looks like its Aurelia and Seraphina first. Both of you, put your hand on the magic circles on the ss, please, Kan said. Seraphina walked up, cing her hand on the circle as she stood, tapping her foot impatiently. Aurelia walked up a bitter, slightly more hesitant, before cing her hand on it as well. Great. Now send a pulse of mana into the spell, and it will send you a message to activate it. Just select that and With a pulse of blue light, the two girls vanished, and a momentter, they appeared on the ss screen in front of the rest of them. Kan shook his head before focusing his gaze on the ss. Well, lets enjoy the show then. Book 3: Chapter 9 — Sparring Match Pt. 1 Book 3: Chapter 9 ¡ª Sparring Match Pt. 1 Aurelia felt the world twisting around her as she found herself standing in the new environment. The searing hot air washed over her skin, the sudden rise in temperature making her body tingle. She stood on a circr rocky tform, with cliffs surrounding her on all sides. The smell of sulfur and ash filled the air, the skies red from mes rising from the volcanoes all around her, jagged rocks and cliff sides as far as her eyes could see. She could feel theva beneath her feet, as the ash stirred within her body. It felt hard to believe that none of this was real, because no matter how she tried to search for any traces of an illusion, she could find none. The ground beneath her feet and the fire that surged near the earth felt as real as the breath she took and the beating of her own heart. Aurelia raised her fists. Seraphina stood on the other end, poised and calm, almost looking bored as she inspected the environment. Runes danced in her eyes, a mystical blue light swirling around her hands. An open arena with nowhere to run. If I didnt know that Kan could not choose the arena for us, I would have suspected that this was his handiwork, Seraphina said, ncing towards Aurelia. Aurelia did not reply, keeping her fists raised she began to gather the embers within her body. Embers of fury stirred, but she continued to feed the mes, holding them in forter. Not one for chitchat, I take it? In that case, let''s just get this over with, Seraphina said, as a magic circle formed underneath her feet. Aurelia charged with a fierce yell,unching towards Seraphina. Fire and ash swirled around her fists as she moved in and struck. To her surprise, the woman didnt dodge, simply standing there as a barrier formed around her. Aurelias fistnded, hitting solid air, and she felt magic pulse back in return, nullifying her impacts. The barrier pulsed against her attacks but did not break. Seraphina spun, a de of pressurized water slicing as it pushed back Aurelia. The ground beneath her feet shuddered before cracking as a hardened geyser burst from the ground, soaking her in boiling water. Aurelia drew upon the heat from the water and steam, drawing it inwards into her body as she charged her mes. The steam covered her vision, hiding the arena from her sight, and Aurelia shifted her focus to sound. Fire spread through the boulder, as she listened for the whereabouts of her enemy. With the barest hints of mana, she felt a presence nearby, as Seraphina struck. Heated pressurized water shot at Aurelias chest, throwing her backward. Maintaining her grip, Aurelia dug her heels into the earth, feeling the strain of the beam of water against her chest as her armor began to creak from the strain. ncing downward, she let one of her knees buckle and copse in a disy of weakness, before putting her hand on the ground and digging her fingers in. The steam began to dissipate as Seraphina appeared once more, standing with a bored and smug expression, as water continued to push back against Aurelia, preventing her from moving. You should surrender. This is not going to be fun for either of us to continue, Seraphina said, as the water beam stopped. Aurelia panted, feeling the dent in her chest te from the attack. She spit out some blood, feeling her mes slowly mend her injuries, before she looked up. You should talk less, Aurelia said, as mes burst from beneath her. Letting the des from her gauntlets sink into the earth, she tore a chunk of earth out from the ground. mes flowed through her chain des, and onto the boulder as Aurelia spun the ming rock around in circles before she slung it towards the woman. Seraphinas eyes widened and she jumped back. A quick cast barrier appeared as the giant fiery boulder smashed into pieces. Using the boulder as cover, Aurelia charged in, fire covering her fists as she struck at the womans barrier. The barrier buckled, pulsing with powerful waves as Seraphinas eyes widened in surprise. What are you trying to do? My barrier nullifies magic, you cant break it, Seraphina said, but the womans voice had a quiver in it. Aurelia screamed, her fists striking faster and faster until her hands were a blur. Fire began to sizzle the air around Aurelia, melting the earth beneath her, her hands ming bright streaks, each impact of her fists onto the barrier sending a shivering tremor across the earth. Sparks flew through the air, as Seraphina slowly began to be pushed back. The mage poured her mana into the barrier, pushing back. A single crack appeared in the barrier. Aurelia continued to attack. The ground burst into a powerful geyser beneath Aurelias feet, jagged rocks rising from the earth to interrupt her. Aurelia stomped on the ground, fire covering her feet as she crushed the rocks and evaporated them into steam before they could touch her body. The cracks began to spread, Seraphina now cornered against the edge of the arena. With a powerful roar, Aurelia struck, letting the mes she had been gathering free with a final strike as an inferno erupted from her fists. Crack. The barrier shattered, the strikending as Seraphina flew off the edge of the arena. Ash and dust covered the area, taking up her vision as Aurelia panted. Did I... win? A pulse of mana traveled across the arena, gusts of wind clearing the dust and ash as Aurelia saw Seraphina flying in the air with wind swirling around her body. A green shimmer covered her skin, showing her mostly unharmed, yet a single drop of blood flowed from the womans mouth. Stolen novel; please report. I had underestimated you. Youre quite strong for your level. But I wont make that mistake again, Seraphina said, wiping the blood with her hand. Runes red around the woman, Seraphinas eyes glowing a bright blue as magic crackled all around the arena. Power gusts swirled, carrying the ash upwards in a swirling hurricane. Lightning crackled, a storm swirling all around Aurelia as the ground beneath her began to shake. Hot geysers of water burst from the earth, forcing her to dodge. Lava rose from the ground, cracking the earth beneath her, rocks crumbling from the cliffsides before being lifted up by the gusts of wind. A tornado descended upon the arena, at the center of which Seraphina flew, her magic boundless as runes swirled in a circle around her. With horror, Aurelia realised what was happening. She was destroying the arena itself. Jumping around, Aurelia dashed, dodging the burstingva and geysers, the jagged rocks that flew at her carried on razor sharp winds. Seraphinas voice echoed through the storm. Seek. A chain of lightning bolts crackled, striking at Aurelia, shooting her into a giant boulder. She felt her body tensing up, the electricity jamming up her muscles, but she pushed past the resistance. The arena began to disintegrate, now copsed into a swirling tornado with flying rocks swimming all around in circles, carryingva and ash with it. Aurelias mind raced, as she jumped, dodging crashing boulders and flying through the tornado before crashing onto another boulder and barely hanging on. Lightning struck once more, and she jumped, dodging the bolts that shattered the rocks she stood on. She couldnt wait, she needed to act. Letting her chain dese free, Aurelia spun them around, fire charging up on the des edges before she threw it across. The de melted into a flying boulder, lodging itself in as Aurelia pulled herself up. Another giant boulder rushed towards her and she turned. Putting her feet up, she caught the giant boulder, groaning from the strain, before she kicked it back upwards. Using the momentum she swung her de,tching onto the boulder as she pulled herself up into the air. The lightning strikes grew more intense, rushing after her, and curving through the air, as a bolt struck her chains, the metal carrying the current and singing her arm, paralyzing it for a moment as causing her grip to be lost, and she hung loose at the mercy of the winds and the winds were not merciful, for theytossed her, mming her into a boulder as her bones cracked from the impact. Another lightning strike cracked down, as Aurelia barely pushed herself sideways, the boulder she had crashed on shattering into pieces. She flew in circles within the whirlwind, boilingva rising from underneath with the air. Even with her heat resistance she wouldntst long if she soaked inva. Her head spun in circles, the world blurring around her, and for a moment it felt like everything would go dark. Another lightning bolt cracked, shattering a boulder near her, as Aurelia snapped herself awake. Focusing her mind, she called upon her fires, letting Embers of Fury activate. Embers of Fury strengthens your body for a minute. All attributes by 100% Power increased to 1634. Agility increased to 1318. Constitution increased to 1058. Mystic increased to 1316. May your Path light the dark. Aurelia roared as ash and embers covered her body, fire surging from within her. Letting a burst of mes rise from her hands, she kicked off a boulder, swinging her chain des as she began to jump her way up the tornado. Lightning crackled, striking as she moved, jumping across the swirling winds with powerful bursts. Seraphinas magic swirled in a frenzy, as bolts of lightning struck rapidly. Crack. Aurelia took the strike, letting her health soak it, as she kicked and spun from a giant boulder in midair, letting the winds raise its speed to an extreme amount beforeunching it upwards. The boulder shattered in a loud boom, as rocks flew across the winds. Jumping up, she let her chains drag the boulders, fire coating them and turning them red hot as she began to sling them at Seraphina flying high above. Boom. Crack. Boulders and lightning crashed together, shattered rocks flying all around her as Aurelia continued to rise. Roaring and screaming with mes dancing on her limbs, Aurelia rushed up, jumping on smaller and smaller rocks, before she reached out her hands. Swinging her chains, Aurelia struck Seraphina directly, the womans eyes directed towards her atst. Lightning struck, flowing through the chains, burning Aurelias body and almost throwing her off, but she maintained her grip. Flying high above, Aurelia crashed into Seraphina, as the two women began to tumble down. The swirling tornado raged all around her, as Aurelias fist struck Seraphina, a barrier forming around the woman, absorbing the blows as she shot lightning back. The two tumbled through the winds, the tornado howling around them, as both screamed in fury and anger. Aurelia let all her magic gather into her fist as she prepared for a fiery fist. Blue mana crackled around Seraphina as her lightning gathered in a powerful bolt, before the two struck each other. The world shook in a bright sh. The tornado dissipated, rocks,va, and ash falling from the skies, copsing back onto the earth. Amidst the dust, the two women fell, both unconscious from their strikes. With a sh of light, both of them arrived back in the chamber. Aurelia panted, her mind jerking at the experience. What a match! Kan eximed, pping as he looked at the two in excitement. I havent seen Seph go all out before. She usually gives up a lot earlier against Val. But to think you managed to match her! Theres a lot we can learn and review in the battle, but for now, congrattions to the both of you. It was a spectacr battle, Kan said, patting Aurelias shoulder. Aurelia swallowed, giving a nod as she tried to settle herself back into reality before looking up. Seraphina had a frown on her face, as she looked towards Aurelia, her arms folded. Good fight, the woman said, before turning away and taking a seat. Aurelia smiled, feeling pleased as she stood straight. A momentter, she opened up her astral script and her smile became even wider. Rare Path of the Berserker Monk has reached level 168. Rare Path of the metouched has reached level 167. Legendary Path of the Cinderborn has reached level 142. Ah, I know that look. Looks like you got some levels out of that, Kan said. This is bad, Aurelia said, failing to keep her excitement in check. With this thing around I might be a battle maniac like Noah. Book 3: Chapter 10 — Sparring Match Pt. 2 Book 3: Chapter 10 ¡ª Sparring Match Pt. 2 Erwest stepped up to the ss pane, preparing for his own turn. Valeria walked closer after him, putting her hand on the ss pane. "Just send a pulse of mana, and it will activate," Kan instructed. Erwest followed the instructions, seeing a message pop up in front of him. As he selected ''yes'', he felt his feet leave the ground for a moment, a sensation eerily simr to being teleported, and the wall changed around him when he reappeared. Clouds flew nearby, the sun beaming down upon him as he stood on the floating piece of rock, flying through the skies. Two bridges of golden light connected the ind to others, some smaller, somerger, all flying through the skies. He walked to the corner of the ind, looked down, and saw endless clouds flowing underneath as far as the eye could see. "A pale imitation of the celestial realms," Valeria said, standing across from him at the other end of the floating arena. Erwest turned back around to face her, nodding at her words. She stood in golden and red armor, covering only parts of her body, looking more like a barbarian than a warrior of the church. He did not need to inspect his own attire; he could feel his familiar white and golden armor donned upon him. "I have not had the chance to fight a Pdin of Hellion before. We are on the same side in most things, after all. So, I hope this will be an interesting battle, at the very least," Valeria said. Erwest drew his de in response to her words, and she smiled in response, raising her war axe. Before either of them moved, the battle already started as their auras expanded rapidly, shing against each other, trying to fight for dominance. Valeria roared as she charged forward. Swinging her axe, she struck it at the ground, sending a pulse of energy through it, cracking the surface beneath Erwest, offsetting his footing. Valeria leapt into the air, bringing her axe down in an overhead swing. A shield manifested on Erwest''s left arm, as he blocked the strike from Valeria, parrying the attack as he swung his sword at her, slicing through her chest. Red blood sprayed onto the ground, coating Erwest''s sword. He used the momentum, swinging his shield around at the woman, striking her jaw with it, sending her sliding back with the strike. Valeria grinned, spitting blood, rotated her shoulder, and stretched her neck. Steam rose from her body as her wounds visibly closed, her blood evaporating away. Erwest remained on guard, simply watching the woman as he maintained his stance. "You''ve got good technique," Valeria said. "But you''re too passive, too reliant on your sturdiness." Valeria twisted her heavy war axe, spinning it as if it weighed nothing, then thumped it on the ground. The ground shook, cracking where she struck it, as a red aura began to rise from her body. Wordlessly, the woman rushed in closer. Erwest struck back, keeping hisposure as he used his shield to block the strike once more. The impact pushed his feet backward, his arm shaking under the weight. Letting his technique guide him, he twisted his back foot, shifting his weight as he struck with his de. Golden light swirled around him, covering his sword as he shed at the woman. She swung her own war axe, blocking his de with her attack. Their exchange continued, like a graceful dance of blood and magic. Golden light shed, sparks flew with the strike of weapons, and red blood dripped onto the ground, painting it. But it was not Erwest who bled. With each strike and counter, more and more injuries began to appear on Valeria''s body. Her strikes were intense, each attack sending Erwest a few inches backward, almost breaking his guard, but the pdin held strong, leveraging his de and shield to absorb all impacts as he struck back with precision. *** Noah watched the battle, crossing his arms. Shes going to lose if this continues, Aurelia said, looking at the screen. Im not sure why she is just going at him straightforwardly when clearly her attacks are not working. Circle around him, strike from behind, but she doesnt seem to be interested. Shes just ying with him. She will turn it around instantly. No way she loses here, Seraphina said, leaning forward in her seat. Right, Kan? Shes not losing, is she? Kan nced at Aurelia, before his eyes went to Noah. What do you think? Is Valeria going to lose? Noah frowned, silently looking at the battle. Shes definitely more injured. And Erwest has taken no strikes directly. Though shes clearly stronger, hes using his technique to utilize her strength against her, Noah replied. You didnt say yes or no, Kan said, raising a scaly eyebrow. Noah hummed, his frown growing. No. Shes not losing. What do you mean? Shes lost a lot of blood. Even if she has high regenerative powers, its not going to be endless, Aurelia said. Well yeah. She has lost a lot of blood. But she hasnt taken a single hit on anything vital. All the blood hase from her limbs and the strikes have healed rapidly. Not to mention, her attacks are growing stronger and stronger with each strike. Erwest can barely keep up with her, and he is almost falling off the arena from the pushback. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Aurelia turned back around to look at the fight. At Noahs words, she noticed that Valerias body was a lot less injured than the blood dripping from her would indicate. And Erwest was nearly at the edge of the ind, being pushed back. Kan grinned. She does that. She loves to do that. I call it Valvnche. Its slow and weak and feeble at first, but the more she fights, the stronger it grows, and at the end, its an overwhelming tide of raw power that can crush anything in its path. The only times I have beaten Valeria is when I made sure to do it quickly and as thoroughly as I could. If you let her grow into the fight, then you have lost it before you even realize. *** When the first strike hit Erwests shoulder, barely stopped by his armor, was when he finally realized his mistake. Instead of slowing down and wearing out as the battle continued, Valerias strikes instead continued to grow in intensity. Her swings became faster, each one carrying more power than before. He barely had the time or energy to strike back anymore, it took his all to hold her back with his shield, but the impact still pushed him backward. Erwest nced behind him, seeing the edge of the ind approaching. He needed to change his strategy, and quickly. His shield copsed into a pulse of golden light, shooting forward in a dazzling strike that pierced through Valerias chest, giving him a moment of time. He jumped, dashing across the ind''s edge as he rushed towards the bridge, crossing to a different area. Not daring to turn back to see if she was chasing him or not, he could hear her feet as she rushed in closer, faster than him. He knew he could not run forever, but the time he needed, he had gotten. Bending down, pretending he tripped on something, Erwest grabbed a fistful of soil in his hands as Valeria closed in. He turned, throwing it at her. The woman swung her axe undeterred by some dirt, but the dirt had been a distraction. A sh of golden light pulsed forward, glowing with the intensity of the sun as it blinded everyone momentarily. He rushed in closer, unable to see but he knew where she was, he could smell the dirt he had just thrown, and that was enough. His de struck, ncing off her war axe, before plunging into her gut. Erwest closed in, using his shoulder to tackle her to the ground, as the two fell together. He pulled his de out, blocking the strike from her war axe barely, as the weapon''s edges cut into his shoulder and back. Valeria screamed, striking Erwest with her fist as he flew across the arena, tumbling onto the ground. Coughing up blood, he clutched his stomach, feeling the impact burst his organs. Golden light lit up around his hand, healing the injury, but notpletely. Using his de to push himself back onto his feet, he saw the woman standing upright, the hole he had made in her stomach with his sword already gone. But it had left its mark. Valeria coughed, wiping blood from around her mouth, her eyes swirls of red, her own blood coating her body red as sheughed out loud. I never took you for the type to use cheap tricks. Is that how the pdins of Hellion fight? Valeria said. The taunt was an obvious one, and Erwest knew that replying would not help him in any way. And yet he could not help himself but say something. No, Erwest said, raising his sword as a golden light shed around him. Its how adventurers fight. Valeria smiled, raising her war axe. I like it. Its better than what you had before. It has soul, and passion. Show me more, Erwest. Show me how you fight against this. A torrent of golden light burst from Valeria, rising in a torrent around her as it swallowed the arena. Rapid gusts of wind flew across the ind before the woman rushed in closer. Valeria tackled Erwest, grabbing him as she took him to the skies. Erwest swung his sword around, trying to fight her off, but the womans grip remained. She twisted and turned in the skies, rotating rapidly, her golden wings shining against the light of the sun, as the world stopped for a moment. Then they fell. Valeria descended rapidly, spinning faster and faster before she crashed into the ground with a powerful m. A surge of dust and dirt flew into the air at the impact, and Erwest felt his bones crack. His golden shield faded from beneath him, his armor dented and falling off his body, as he slowly picked himself back up. Valeria swung in, her axe flying through the cloud of dust, nearly cutting his head off from his body then and there as he ducked under the strike. Her wings shed like des of light, cutting through his shoulder, nearly taking the limb off as she rushed in closer and grabbing his neck and mmed him onto the ground. Her fingers curled around his throat, crushing his windpipe as Erwest kicked her in the chest, pushing her back. He could feel his body aching; he did not have long. But depths damn him if he was going to give up before his body. Rushing in close, bleeding with a broken shoulder, Erwest tackled Valeria. The Valkyrie swung her axe, digging into his body, but the pdin did not take note, simply continuing to push as he took the strikes and leapt from the ind. A shield of light manifested around both of them, trapping them in a golden sphere as the two began to fall. Grabbing Valerias shoulder, Erwest swung his fists till they were red and raw as he struck at her face. Valeria''s wings cut into his body, slicing him into pieces, but he continued. A hoarse, broken scream tore itself out of his crushed throat as he grabbed the Valkyries wings, pulling at them as hard as he could. Valeria screamed, as one of her wings tore off; she grabbed Erwests face, clutching his throat, and with a powerful squeeze, caved his skull in. *** The world shivered around Erwest as he stood back in the training hall. It took him a moment to settle himself and remind himself that the battle had not been real. You should sit down. Experiencing death, even if a false one, can take a toll, Kan said. Tell me about it. I am still not used to the feeling, Noah said. Erwest looked up at the Drakonian, giving a nod as he took a seat, his mind still dazed and distant. As he did, his eyes caught the Valkyrie as she walked closer. For a moment, his mind immediately jumped to prepare for a battle as he saw her, but the woman simply put her hand on his shoulder. Good fight. Youve got good technique, but you need to put more of yourself in your fights. When you continued to fight after I crushed your throat - you terrified me for a second. It was the eyes of someone ready to fight till theirst breath, Valeria said. Thats the good part about this ce. You can go through that, without actually dying. Once you know what it is like to lose it all and to give everything. You can fight and begin each battle like it was going to be yourst one, Kan said. Erwest looked at the Drakonian, meeting his eyes, and gave a nod. He needed to be better. At the thought, he saw words appear in front of his eyes, the golden light of Hellion filling his spirit. Hellions Pdin has reached level 177. Stalwart Warrior has reached level 179. de of Justice has reached level 176. Hellions light graces your path. Even he could feel the powerful sensation of empowerment. Perhaps traveling with this group wasnt so bad after all. Book 3: Chapter 11 — Sparring Match Pt. 3 Book 3: Chapter 11 ¡ª Sparring Match Pt. 3 Noah walked up to the ss pane, taking a breath as he prepared himself for his turn. Kan stepped up beside him. You know the drill. Put your hand on it and send a pulse of mana. Noah nodded, cing his hand on the magic circle, as he felt the runes re up at his touch. He sent a light pulse to the spell, feeling it activate as a prompt appeared in front of him. Would you like to begin a Simted Battle? Yes/No? As he selected yes, Noah felt himself being pulled into the spell, magic flowing over his body. For a brief moment, he saw the ripples within space itself, flowing outward from the spell, but he let himself be pulled along as his mind was transported somewhere else. Opening his eyes, Noah found himself standing in what looked to be a coliseum arena. Stone walls and stairs encircled his position, two barred gates barring the only way outside as sunlight beamed down upon the two of them. Kan stood on the other end, a spear in his hand and wearing his usual attire. He held a spear in his hand, carved seemingly of a sslike stone with an aquamarine shimmer and jade green engravings running up its length. Noah looked at the Drakonian standing confidently, reached out his hand sideways, summoning his own spear. Thats a nice spear you have, beautiful and ancient. Oh, a growth weapon. But its still untamed. Fascinating. Im curious to see what abilities you have, Noah. This is my first time sparring with an Outerworlder. So show me everything you have, Kan said. Noah nodded. Reaching out to Tony, he felt the abyssal symbiote spreading over his body as armor formed around him. Taking a stance with his spear poised, Noah lunged forward. Rushing in, he used arcane step to immediately arrive in front of Kan as he thrust his spear outwards, taken by surprise. The Drakonian hit his spear under the base of the de, deflecting it to the side, while the Dragon warrior used the back of his spear to push Noah back, still standing exactly where he had been before. Noahs eyes widened for a moment, surprised at how easily he had been deflected. Whoa, you almost got me there. Nice trick! Kan said,ughing as if pleased by the fact that he had almost been hit. Activating arcane Specter, Noah summoned two copies of himself who stood with spears in their hands as well, formed of glowing blue mana and starlight that twinkled across their bodies, shimmering with the light of distant gxies. Arcane runes ran across the specters, as they inherited his intent. Using arcane step, all three of them vanished, thriving together as they began to attack from all directions. Kan, with his wings spread out, a gust of wind flowing outwards, raised his spear and began to spin the weapon. Twisting his body, the spear struck against all three of them, the back of the weapon hitting all their chests, pushing them backwards. With a single swipe, his specters'' necks were separated from their bodies as they dissipated, while Kans own spear rested against Noahs throat. Noah gulped. You have a habit of trying to jump in closer. You prefer close-rangebat and hitting your enemy hard, but it looks like you cannot match them if they can keep you at range, Kan said. Noah stepped back, lowering his spear. Well. This has been embarrassing, he said, feeling awkward. No such thing. You would have gotten someone closer to your level. They would not have the speed or reflexes to react quickly enough. Theres also the fact that I have been studying you this entire time, so I already knew how you might like to fight before you even began. I know how that sounds, but I wouldve been fast enough to react to them anyway, which you werent ready for. You have a nice trick, but its ultimately just a trick; if it fails once, its not going to work again, Kan said. Anyways. The others are probably getting bored, and this is supposed to be a spar. Now that I have a general understanding of your level and capabilities. Why dont you go all out with everything you have, no holding back, and see how you do, Kan said. Noah looked up, before nodding. Stepping back, he began to gather his abilities. Abyssal inferno crackled, fire running up Noahs armor, lighting it up from the inside. Weapons manifested around him from Runeforged armaments, floating beside him. He reached out with his aura, using predators Mark upon Kan as he felt his ability settle in and his senses hone in on his target. He reached out to Tony, the symbiote shifting his body as he began to transform. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Metamorphosis activated, and Noah felt a surge of power rising through him, mes burning within him as he took on a demonic form. Steam flowed from his body, mixing with dark smoke, and the red wisps of his blood aura. Metamorphosis has activated. All attributes increased by 100% Power: 774 1419. Agility: 662 1214. Constitution: 778 1355. Mystic: 895 1558. Noah let out a breath, dark mes licking his body as every muscle in him tensed, ready for the next strike. Void annihtion flowed through his spear, ck lightning crackling around the weapon. Kan looked down in surprise, before taking on a stance, readying himself. Letting himself tense like a stretched rubber band, Noah raised his spear and then shot forward like an arrow. A powerful boom shook the arena as the two warriors met, their spirits colliding as the very ground shook beneath them. Kanughed, wings spreading behind his back as both of them took to the skies. Noah let his charge of abyssal inferno loose, fire raining through the air, turning the world red and ck as the Draconian warrior flew around the skies, maneuvering around the searing hot mes, his spear striking against Noahs ws. Noah moved in closer, Runeforged armaments shooting forward as the des shed Kans body. With a powerful stir, he split into a shadow, appearing beside him with a charged abyssal inferno let loose, as Kans eyes widened in surprise. Noah did not waste his chance, moving in closer as his spear struck the warrior, stabbing him in the chest as the crimson rot began to spread. Kan swung his spear, his wings shing at the shadow specter who melted into darkness, teleporting around. Noah moved with a furious frenzy, his ws ringing against Kan''s spear as the two warriors collided, their strikes sending pulses of shockwaves around the Colosseum. Noah rushed in close, his ws charged with void annihtion. Using arcane step, he arrived right next to Kan, his ws swinging; they struck his spear, the weapon cracking under the strike. The warrior roared, mes rising in his mouth as a red aura spread around Kan. His demeanor shifted as his spear struck rapidly, three strikesnding within a second, the shaft of the spear cracking as it broke the sound barrier with a sonic boom. The impact shattered Noahs rift, flinging him backward, and the Draconian warrior didnt give him any chance, flying forward as he lunged into following Noah, tackling him to the ground. Noah summoned his Bloodwyrm swarm, the serpentine limbs rising from around him as they wrapped around Kan. The Dragon warrior roared, pulling at the Bloodwyrms as his spear impaled Noahs chest. Noah grabbed the weapon, void annihtion in his ws as he clenched his fist, breaking the spear in two. Kan threw the broken shaft, mming Noah into the ground, tossing his own spear before taking it into his arm as he stabbed him again in the chest. Noah coughed up blood, kicking Kan as he dodged the strike of his own spear aimed towards his throat. Rolling sideways, he pushed himself to freedom; Kan kicked him in the gut, sending him rolling once more. He grabbed the spear still lodged in his chest, pulling it out as he teleported, dodging another strike from the Dragon warrior, as Kan roared mes out of his mouth. With a powerful roar, the Dragon warrior retaliated, aiming for where Noah had teleported as the two began to wrestle on the ground. Kan grabbed at Noahs throat, and Noah wed at his face, gouging his eyes, before pushing Kan down underneath him and pinning him to the ground. Kan struck with his fist, striking Noahs chin, as he threw him off, breaking and dislocating his lower jaw. Bothbatantsy on the ground, bleeding and half-dead, as they both panted for air. Kan rose first, limping over to Noah as Noah prepared himself for another death, but instead, the Dragon warrior offered him his arm. Noah looked at it in surprise, grabbing it as he pulled himself up, using his hands to put his jaw back in ce and his broken fingers into their sockets. Wyrmblood whirled in a frenzy, pulling his body back together as Noah returned to his normal form, metamorphosis fading, and his body aching and shivering from the exertion. That was amazing! Kan eximed, still panting and beaten but with a beaming smile on his face. You were matching my strength there. I am shocked. You have some terrifying abilities, Noah. Noah smiled in reply. Youre the terrifying one. Did I make you worry even once that you could lose? Kan simply grinned in reply. "You will get there. Noah smiled as well, before he raised his hand and shouted out. I surrender. The spell activated at his words, blue light shing all around him as the two of them returned back to the training hall. [Wyrmblood Guardian] has reached level 108! [Runebody Arcanist] has reached level 108! [Abyssal Predator] has reached level 110! Noah smiled as he saw the notifications. His body was still in peak condition and ready to go for one more round. All right. Unfortunately our time with this baby is over now. But we can all use it once every day. For now the regr training hall is open, we can use that to train our skills now that you''re familiar with what each of us can do, Kan said, ncing around the room as everyone returned a nod. A smile took over the mans face. Alright. So what are we waiting for? Lets get to it. Book 3: Chapter 12 — Spear Training Book 3: Chapter 12 ¡ª Spear Training The parties split into different groups, each moving to a different chamber to train. Noah followed Kan as the two of them stood in a much more normal-looking training hall, holding their spears. Alright, Noah, so before we begin, I want to know how much you know about spears. Did you have any in your own world? Kan asked. We did. Its probably one of the first weapons humans invented if I''m not wrong. At least back in my world, Noah said. Kan nodded. I don''t know who created the spear, but it was first poprized and honed by my people on Erandir. Its history is tied with ours and just as long, Kan said, spinning his spear around with ease as he showed off his skills. The benefit of the spear is its length and its range. It''s primarily a weapon for hunting, but many of its forms have been adapted for war and killing people as well, but my kingdom still prefers hunting and throwing spears. What''s the difference? Noah asked. There are a lot of subtle differences in make, design, and material used. But the biggest difference is that hunting spears are lighter and more flexible, while war spears are heavier and longer. My weapon is a hunting spear. It''s meant to be used primarily against beasts and monsters from higher up in the air, but can still be used very effectively against people with enough skill. Yours is a weapon of war. It is meant to incapacitate, kill, and pierce through armor on humanoids, Kan said. Noah nced sideways at his weapon, keeping his hands wrapped around it. Can I hold it for a second? Kan asked, gesturing towards his spear. Noah hesitated. It has Crimson I know, I can see that. But I will be fine, Kan said. After a moment of hesitation, Noah walked up to the Dragon warrior and handed him the weapon. As Kan gripped his spear, his hand sizzled with Crimson rot that quickly began to spread. Quite the feisty weapon, Kan said. Noah was just about to teleport the weapon back before the rot could spread any further when he saw a red aura materialize around Kans hand, as dark red smoke flowed out of his hands, burning away the Crimson rot. Noah watched in surprise as Kan thumped the spears butt onto the ground, without any effects from the Crimson rot on his body. Nothing I cant handle though. You have Rot Resistance? Noah asked. No. Well, yes, I just got it. But I just burned away the rot with my aura. Most poisons and rots do not have an effect on me because of it, Kan said. Although this one took some effort. That''s quite the curse. But this weapon its a beautiful one. You''re lucky to have her, Noah; make sure you take good care. Her? Noah asked, wondering if Kan was one of those people who personified their weapons. Her. The spirit in your spear. You haven''t met her? Kan asked. I did. It was a Valkyrie I had to fight. But she was broken. And I thought I killed her, Noah said. Shes not dead. But I can tell that she has gone through a lot. Growth weapons are living things; that''s how they grow. Taking one on as your first weapon can be both a boon and a curse. They are difficult to handle and can sometimes reject their masters too. But this one seems to like you. She''s not very happy that I''m holding her. Quite the faithful one you have. But she''s also far from revealing her true potential. Suppose I can help you along a little further on your path for her sake as well, Kan said. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Noah nodded, eyeing his spear as he tried to search for the spirit within. He didnt see anything different, but he definitely felt what Kan was talking about, even if just faintly. All right. I told you that your weapon is a war spear, yes? Let me tell you what that means. So, you see these curved des extending from the base of your main one? Do you know what they are there for? I assumed it was to be able to swing the weapon and stab someone sideways. And to do more damage in thrusting? Noah asked. Yes and no. It is indeed there so that you can use the side of the de to attack as well if need be, but thats not its primary purpose. Its primary purpose is to keep your enemy away from you, Kan said, raising the spear as he thrust the weapon forward, stopping an inch before Noahs chest. When you stab someone, those side des will prevent it from going all the way in. It will also prevent your enemy from leaning in through your weapon to attack you, he said, bringing the spear back as he took a resting stance. Then theres the tail end. Your spear has two des. One at the front and one at the bottom. It means that you can change grips easily, switching which side you can attack from, which allows you to do things like this, Kan said, taking a step forward as he spun the weapon around shing. Noah took a step back, sensing the de would cut him, when Kan brought in the bottom end, thrusting it forward in a single motion from the spin as it rested just against Noahs throat. I see your point, Noah said. Kanughed. Hah, point. Thats funny. You''re amusing, Noah. But keep your focus on the training. This was just a basic maneuver; you can do a lot more with two-sided weapons. But theyre harder to train with because each part of them is meant to kill. It can kill the wielder if used incorrectly, Noah ignored thement on his unintentional pun, as he gave Kan a nod. The Crimson rot definitely doesnt help either, he added. I bet it doesnt. Still, this is not your biggest issue. Far from it, really. A powerful weapon is a boon to any warrior. Your problem is that your instinct is to throw this weapon. Given that you can teleport it around, its not the worst idea, and throwing is certainly the most powerful form of attack that you can use, but the critical disadvantage is that if someone grabs your weapon and prevents you from gaining it back, you have just lost your weapon and given it to your enemy, Kan said. Right. But what if my goal is to close in? Then, because theyre holding the weapon, their arm would be upied and I can use that advantage to strike, Noah said. Why dont you try it? Kan asked. What? Try it. Attack me. Try and take your spear back from my hand, or use it as an advantage, Kan said. Noah frowned, looking at the Drakonian for a second before he rushed in. Arcane step carried him as Tony transformed his hands into ws, void annihtion crackling among his fingers as he swiped at Kan. The Drakonian stepped back, spear spinning around, the tip of the weapon a blur as it bent and moved in dizzying patterns. The weapon struck against his ws, diverting the attack, before stabbing his chest. Noah tried to move back but the hook of the weapon cut into his flesh as Kan pushed him backward. With a powerful fist, Noah felt his legs buckle as he fell and the man pinned him to the ground, a spear through his chest. A-alright. Lesson learned, Noah rasped, before Kan pulled the spear back, extending an arm as he pulled Noah up. I know you didnt go all out, but you shouldnt have to, is my point. If a move like this is enough to draw a trump card, youre going to lose. Noah rotated his shoulder, feeling his chest rapidly close the flesh wound as his body healed. Touching his shirt, he quickly swapped it out for a different one from his cosmic vault. I know that youre not a spear fighter, Noah. Even an untrained eye could see it. And I know that youre stronger with your bare arms and ws, but that is precisely why you must learn how to use this weapon effectively. When you transform, I know that its not permanent, that theres a time limit, and you strain your body when you do. Its a trump card. But instead of using it judiciously at key moments to overwhelm your opponent, youre forced to rely on it because thats the only thing you have and the only thing you know how to use effectively. Your instincts guide you, but instincts are predictable, and as such, are weaknesses as well. Which is why you must use this spear as a limiter, use it to limit the raw energy you can unleash and hone it into a disciplined and sharp tool, Kan said. Noah shuffled, just the thought of not following his instincts made him ufortable. Noah''s grip tightened on the spear, feeling an unexpected wave of relief wash over him as his fingers curled around the weapon''s body. His resolve was mirrored by a subtle vibration from the spear, as if it too shared his eagerness to grow stronger and evolve. Kan, poised with his own spear, assumed abat stance. His reptilian eyes locked onto Noah the air between them seemed to crackle. The Draconian grinned in excitement. "Enough talking now. Let us spar. Book 3: Chapter 13 — Catching Up Book 3: Chapter 13 ¡ª Catching Up Every inch of Noah''s body was in pain. By the time night had rolled around, even his powerful regeneration abilities could not keep up with the training as Kan left him a sore mess. He could barely remember what he had eaten and suspected that Tony was running his body to make sure he got enough food before he passed out. Unfortunately for Noah, passing out was exactly the opposite of what happened. Hey down in his room, waiting for his mind to drift away, yet instead, it kept reying moments from his spar with Kan today, going through every little mistake he had made and what he could have done better. Kan felt different from Raesar, even though the two of them shared a lot of simrities. But in Raesars case, he was so far ahead in both sheer strength and technique that Noah could barely glimpse at his strength. Even the training he had done after his Path evolution had only been a recreation of his memory, and undoubtedly, the man had a lot more to show. But Kan? Kan was just strong enough to be better and more skillful, but not enough to be unfathomable. He could see the difference, and he could see how he could reach the Dragon warrior''s strength. The gap between them was just barely out of his reach. And that sensation, that frustration, lit a fire in Noahs chest to sprint forward as fast as possible and shrink the gap between them. He sighed, getting up as he teleported out using arcane step, realizing he was not going to get any sleep. The airship was lit up with crystal lights, a form of mana stones with runes carved on them to produce light, covering the hallways in an unnatural white glow. Walking around, he felt the even breaths of the many people sleeping through the night, but many others, like him, were still awake. Making his way around, Noah used one more arcane step to teleport himself out to the deck of the ship as he stood under the open sky. A full moon was out, glowing gently in the night sky as it lit up the clouds drifting below him like a foggy sea. Noah watched the sight, marveling at its beauty as he saw andscape he doubted many others ever had. He looked to the stars above him, wondering if any of them were his former home, and if the light from them had managed to reach this far. He doubted it. Magic did not seem to be a thing in his former reality, and if it really was, then he was certainly too far away to see the light from all the way there. Couldnt sleep? Aurelia asked, as she stepped out onto the deck. Noah nced back to look at her, noticing the simple white dress she wore instead of her usual battle-ready attire. Yeah. What about you? Noah asked. Couldnt sleep. Too many people nearby. Im just d they have noise-suppressing wards on each room, Aurelia said, leaning against the hand railing of the ship as the wind gently brushed her hair. I saw you walking and thought I would follow before you vanished. Surprised you didnt fall off the ship by teleporting since its moving fairly quickly. Huh, now that you mention it. Im surprised I didnt either. Certainly didnt feel any different from teleporting on steady ground, Noah replied. Weird. Your magic is weird, just like you. Space stuff is always weird. Your eyes would start spinning if I could exin rtivity to you unfortunately, Im not that smart. Never paid much attention in school, Noah said. You went to school? Im surprised. You dont seem the type, Aurelia said. Everyone did. It was mandatory I think. Some kids got homeschooled, but you need money for that. Not something my mom could afford; she was barely paying rent with two jobs while also taking care of me. So I went to a local public school that epts anybody and everybody. "Curious, your world is an interesting ce to have schools like that. Ive heard of some ces trying to make schooling avable for everybody, but Im not sure if thats a thing yet or not. The schools I know only take in noble kids or the children of wealthy merchants. I never went to one; everything I learned was taught to me by my dad. And some of his friends, sometimes. They mostly taught me how to get in a brawl, how to take down a guy if he ever tried to push me around by kicking him between the legs, and also how to run from the guards," Aurelia said, as a smile formed on her lips. "I was going to say that was all useless but honestly, it helped me more than learning the numbers did." Noahughed at her words. "Sounds like your dad had some good friends." Aurelia hummed in reply, leaning her head onto the railing as she let the breeze gently flow by. For a moment neither of them spoke, simply watching the clouds fly by, lit by the light of the moon shining upon them. If youe across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Youve been looking at the sky. Trying to see something?" Aurelia asked. "Not really. Well, I was wondering if one of those stars might be my world. But I doubt it. Magic wasnt a thing, though perhaps it is and we just dont know. But with how good the telescopes and stuff got, I doubt its close enough to be visible." "The stars? Your world was among the stars?" "Sure, I mean, one star. The sun, we have one. Unlike the two you have. Its kind of weird that you have two suns but one moon." "Thats not- Im confused. How can your world be among the stars, stars dont have worlds. They''re just glowing lights in the sky," Aurelia said. Noahughed, but instead of seeing Aurelia be amused, he only saw her confusion grow. "Oh, you werent joking. Umm, how do I exin this. The sun is a star - or suns in this case. Ands move around them. And all those stars out there have their owns, some of them might even have life." "Thats not Noah. None of that makes any sense. The sun moves around the world, and so do the stars. Its how day and night happens. You cant have worlds around glowing lights in the sky," Aurelia said. "People used to think that actually, thats not" Noah paused, realizing something. He currently stood on a flying airship, on a mystical magical with dragons, and gods. Slowly he looked back up at the sky. "Tell me this. If I could fly straight up towards the sky, what will happen?" "Youll die. There is no air up there." "Assuming I wont die because there is no air. What then?" "Well. If you dont go mad from the watchers eye, and you dont get pulled by the void, eventually you will reach the sky." Noah turned to look at Aurelia, trying to wrap his mind around the concept. "The sky you mean I can touch it?" "I dont know anyone who has. But I assume you can," Aurelia said. "Sounds a little silly though. Trying to touch the sky. But maybe you could grab a star if you can go that far." Noah looked back up at the sky, the world suddenly feeling vastly different than it had moments ago. "You said it was weird that we had two suns not two moons. I just remembered a story my dad told me when I was a kid. Well, in short, apparently we had two moons as well. But one day it vanished," Aurelia said. "What happened to it?" Noah asked. "No one knows. It just vanished. I wonder what can just vanish a moon like that, Noah said. Who knows. Its probably a good thing that we dont know. Best not to draw the attention of something that can make a moon vanish," Aurelia said. Noah hummed to himself as he looked at the sky. "Im curious why you''ve decided to stick around - which I''m happy about, just wondering I guess. You could totally have just stuck around Heartillia. Unlike Erwest, the guild doesn''t want you to keep tabs on me and make sure I don''t go corrupt or something." I wonder too, Aurelia said,ughing to herself. Surely because of how handsome I am, Noah said, holding his chin as he winked at her. Aurelia rolled her eyes. Its probably because I have grown stronger in thest six months since I met you than in the previous two yearsbined. Its also because... I avoided teams for a long time. I avoided them because I was afraid of losing people. And so, I only did solo jobs, which locked me out of a lot of quests. I pushed myself asionally, working with some teams if they didnt have enough members. Not all of it was bad, but it was primarily just survival. I would work to earn enough money to get by, then try to save up so that I could buy better gear and get stronger. Then Id lose it if I got too injured, and the cycle would repeat. It was dull, Aurelia said, ncing towards Noah as she met his eyes. Being with you is exciting. Youre quirky, but its also the things and events surrounding you. Something is always happening; its not always easy, but its never dull. Even if I were blind, I would be able to tell that youre going to go far - if you dont die, anyway. And I want to travel along as you do. I want to go to different ces, see new sights, explore new ces, fight new challenges. And trying to make sure you dont surpass me too quickly is a nice challenge that lets me push myself. Thats not what I had expected, Noah said. What about you? Why are you doing all this? Why keep going? With Zax around, it really wouldnt be too difficult to find the magic to send you back home, Aurelia asked. I dont know. I have to. And its fun. Magic, adventuring, it''s all like a dream. It feels like if I stopped, Id wake up, and I dont want to, Noah replied. That makes no sense, Aurelia said. Noah looked at her and smiled. Yeah, it doesnt. Leaning away from the handrail Noah turned around. Anyway, since we are both up and sleep doesnt seem like its happening, why dont we go spar a little bit? We cant just sit around doing nothing if you want to get strong enough for the trials in time. Aurelia nodded, as the two of them made their way back in. Just as Noah and Aurelia stepped into the training hall, they heard noisesing from within. As they opened the door, both of them were surprised to see Erwest already there. The pdin looked towards the two of them momentarily in surprise. Whyre you here, Erwest? Aurelia asked. Couldnt sleep, Erwest replied. Aurelia nced at Noah, the two of them sharing a smile as they walked inside. Seems like all of us had the same idea, more or less. Might as well train together, Noah said. Heading in, the three of them began to train. Book 3: Chapter 14 — The Spears Spirit Pt. 1 Book 3: Chapter 14 ¡ª The Spear''s Spirit Pt. 1 Noah rushed forward with his spear, thrusting it towards Kan. The Drakonian warrior struck back with rapid precision, his own spear twisting and bending as it deflected Noah''s thrust. Then, he spun his weapon around, using the base of the staff to strike back at Noah. Noah leaned away, dodging the attack and using the chance to move in as he swung his spear around, shing and forcing Kan to step back. Tony tensed the muscles in Noah''s legs, changing them so that he could burst forward in a rapid rush, putting his entire body''s weight behind his thrust as he attacked Kan. The Drakonian leapt into the air, his wings fluttering as he began to fly. With a rapid change, wings grew from Noah''s back as Tony altered his body, and he jumped up as well, following behind. He threw his spear at the Dragon warrior, who intercepted it by grabbing the weapon. But instead of teleporting his spear back, Noah teleported towards his spear. The Dragon warrior''s eyes widened for a brief moment as Noah struck with his fist at his chest, throwing him back. The Dragon warrior spun in the air,ughing as his red aura coalesced, his muscles twitching under his scaled body. Noah used metamorphosis rapidly, his body transforming as both warriors shed mid-air. The air shook from the strike, with void annihtion meeting Kan''s spear as the magical strikes collided in a flurry of light. Kan thrust his spear rapidly, a triple strike hitting Noah, stabbing his chest. Noah used his own spear, shing at the Dragon warrior''s face, spinning his weapon around before using the backside to thrust in a surprise strike. Kan breathed fire from his mouth, the air sizzling hot and burning bright. The two danced in the air, the battle shaking the grounds and sending magical storms brewing. With a rapid thrust of his weapon, Kan pierced Noah''s heart. But before he sumbed, Noah used the chance to pull himself closer, using his own spear to stab Kan in the gut. Both warriors fell from the skies, Kan steadying himself before Noah, who found his eyes closing as death took him. You Died. [Wyrmblood Guardian] has reached level 116! [Runebody Arcanist] has reached level 115! [Abyssal Predator] has reached level 116! With a sh of bright light, Noah reappeared, taking a deep breath as he settled back into reality, clutching his heart for a moment to make sure it was still there. Feeling the beating of his heart calmed Noah down immediately. As weird as this was, he had definitely started to get used to the sensation of dying. "Good fight!" Kan eximed, walking closer as he pped Noah''s shoulder. "If that had been real, I would have had a very real chance of dying without a healer. The rot certainly would have gotten me. Would have been a nasty way to die," Kan said, smiling almost as if he was describing the weather outside. "You''re lying, and it doesn''t help me. I know you were still holding back a little," Noah said. Kan smiled even harder at his words. "That''s the right attitude. You have been growing well, Noah," the Drakonian said. Noah gave a nod. It had been roughly 10 days since he had started training here, and the spars in the chambers had be a regr routine, rapidly. And with them, dying had be a regr routine as well. If he was not wrong, he had died a total of 14 times by now. "Now, what do you think you did wrong?" Kan asked. That was another part of the ritual: probing each other for mistakes and realizing where they could improve. In Noah''s case, it was mostly Kan teaching him indirectly. "Should not have let you run away. If instead of striking, I had used Bloodwyrm''s, I could''ve restrained you long enough to transform and then keep you grounded, giving myself an upper hand. And after you took to the skies, I should have tried to bring you down as quickly as I could, and used my spear to strike at your wings. My spear was shivering, but I had lost myself to my instincts. I should have listened to her more." "Excellent! It''s good that you can tell all that on your own. But even if you had tried to hold me down, it would not have worked because I had been ready for that. Although, thats a lesson for another day," Kan said. The Dragon warrior nced sideways, and a momentter, Noah did as well, sensing Zax walking into the chamber. "We hope we didn''t interrupt anything," Zax said. "You say it like you couldn''t just see what we were doing inside," Noah replied with a chuckle. "Merely following courtesy. Our abilities do not excuse us from social norms," Zax said, before turning towards Kan. "We have prepared the thing you mentioned." "Already? I guess that''s to be expected from an A-rank mage. Still, that''s quite fast. You might be better than any other mage I have ever met," Kan said. "What''s this about?" Noah asked. "You, actually. There''s something I have been meaning to do but did not have the resources to do here. So I asked your friend Zax here for a favor," Kan said. "Here it is," Zax added, as a smooth spherical stone appeared in his hand, glowing with a white and blue shimmer with many runes swirling around its surface. Noah looked at the magical object curiously. "Feels like I''m stating the obvious, but guess I''ll y along. What''s that thing?" "This," Kan said, taking the stone in his hand, "is a spiritual conduit. We''ll be using our training hall alongside this today, to send your spirit into your spear." If youe across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. "Okay..." Noah said. "And how''s that going to help?" "It''s amon way to bind objects that have a spirit in them. But it is also sometimes used to deepen that bond as well. The more your spirit is tied to your spear, the more the two of you will reflect each other in your path," Zax said smoothly. "Indeed. So, are you ready to have some good old private bonding time with your spear?" Kan asked. "Are you saying it like that intentionally..." Noah said, to which Kan looked at him in confusion. "Never mind. What am I supposed to do?" "Summon your spear and then activate the battle simtor. I will do the rest," Kan said. "Alright," Noah walked up to the ss pane, putting his hand on the magic circle. Kan walked to the other end, but instead of cing his hand like normal, he put the stone onto the magic circle. Noah watched the stone get absorbed through the ss, vanishing entirely. A secondter, a prompt appeared in front of him. Would you like to enter a dream? Yes/No? Noah looked at the message skeptically before selecting yes. A momentter, he felt his body being pulled inside as he vanished. *** Noah found himself standing on a battlefield covered in blood. No... not just blood, he realized, but blood and Crimson rot. The sky above shone a deep crimson hue with a red moon glowing at the horizon. Corpses littered the ground, people moving back and forth, as their weapons shed. Magic collided together before falling apart, taking lives as it did. A constant scream and rush of sound enveloped Noah, the air filled with the scent of blood and sweat, and the dying screams were drowned out only by the constant patter of steps and the ngs of metal striking metal. His mind was overwhelmed for a moment as sensations assaulted him all at once. He stood, almost in a daze, before his attention was caught by something moving in the sky. He could see it weakly, a figure of a woman flying with scarlet hair and golden wings. She moved rapidly, fighting a giant beast whose body dripped dark red blood from which monstrous creatures rose themselves, attacking everyone else. Noah knew that woman. The faded memory in his mind returned, of the goddess he had met back on Earth. The one who held the answers to everything. He wanted to shout out, to call her name, but before he could, a de was thrust towards him. Noah moved on instinct, protecting his neck as the weapon missed his throat. He stepped back, ws forming on his arm as he blocked the second strike, before using his spear to attack back and pierce through the throat of the monstrous man covered in rotting red skin. [Crimson Shambler - ??] Blood seeped through his throat, the dying soldier gurgling as he slumped before Noah pulled his spear back out. Just what was happening here? What are you doing?! A woman shouted at him, rushing ahead as she took out the soldier Noah had just killed who had been trying to rise back up. Noah stared nkly, not understanding what was happening. He looked down a momentter and saw himself donning armor simr to the woman''s, d in red and gold. Protect the Divine Child! the Valkyrie shouted, as words appeared in front of Noah. Quest of the Spears Spirit You find yourself in the memory of the greatest war in history. Aid yourpanions and stop the Divine Child from falling into enemy hands, to alter the tides. Difficulty: Hard Rewards: A Greater Bond with your Spear. After reading the quest, Noahs eyes scanned the battlefield to search for the figure in question. Soldiers d in rotting armor, their flesh searing as blood pooled around their limbs, shambled around like zombies, shrieking and screaming as theyunched themselves at the oing soldiers, many exploding into red mists that carried the Crimson rot with them. Looking through the haze, Noah found a child d in golden and white robes, standing ahead with a dying Valkyrie protecting her. Noah rushed forward, spinning his spear around as he thrust the weapon between the eyes of a shambling soldier, splitting it in two. He leapt above the crowd, void annihtion crackling around the spear as he threw the weapon at the monster aiming for the child, piercing its chest and skewering a row of blood-covered abominations, like the worlds grossest barbecue. Bloodwyrms rose around Noah, biting into his enemies, as the Valkyries roared and screamed, supporting him. Golden light shed all around him, figures moving and holding back the rising tide of enemies surrounding them even as the rot tore through their bodies and skins. Using arcane step, Noah rushed closer, arriving next to the child as he grabbed her, trying to pull her into his cosmic vault. Target is too powerful to contain. Noah froze, confused as he looked down at the child. She couldn''t have been more than twelve, looking an awful lot like Snow had. Summoning his spear back in his hand, Noah stabbed another monstrous figure attacking him without paying much attention. Every creature in the area seemed to be aiming for the child, held back only by rows and rows of Valkyries holding the enemies at bay. He didn''t have much time to worry, and if his ability wasn''t going to work, he simply had to do it the old-fashioned way. Hold on, Noah said, as he picked up the kid, flinging her over his shoulder. Thankfully, she did not protest or seem to mind much. Briefly, out of curiosity, Noah used identify on the girl. [Nascent God ?????] [The Divine Child of Mercy] I guess they were being literal when they said divine child. The title shed before Noah''s eyes, but it offered little in the way of exnation. The urgency of the situation didn''t allow him to ponder on it for long. With the child secured over his shoulder, Noah focused on navigating through the chaotic battlefield. Turning around, Noah began to run, teleporting and jumping through the enemy''s strikes, using his spear to cut through the Crimson shamblers, while avoiding the exploding ones that tried to leap at him and cover him in Crimson rot. The sounds of war were deafening, and the smell of blood and death permeated the air. The Valkyries around him fought bravely, their golden armor shining amidst the crimson chaos. Their battle cries and the shing of steel against the monstrous foes created a symphony of destruction that echoed across the battlefield. Noah pushed through, using his spear with precision and deadly force, creating a path through the enemy lines. His every move was calcted and swift, leaving behind a trail of fallen adversaries. The bloodwyrm swarm continued to tear into the enemy ranks, acting as both a shield and a weapon. Noah''s eyes constantly scanned the surroundings, looking for the safest route. He used Arcane Step to dodge more dangerous clusters of enemies, appearing and disappearing in a blink, always moving towards what he hoped was a safe haven. In the distance, he could still see the scarlet-haired goddess battling the giant beast, her movements a blur of grace and power. As he fought and maneuvered through the battlefield, Noah felt a deep connection with his spear growing stronger. Every swing, every thrust, every kill seemed to resonate with the weapon, as if it were an extension of his own will. As he moved through the nearby group of Crimson shamblers, Noah heard a powerful roar as a giant axe split one of them down the middle. The person who did so did not bring Noah any relief. [Crimson Marauder - ???] Noah stared as the massive man d in thorny armor of deep red Crimson with a belt of skulls and a giant war axe in his hand walked closer, before he took another swing, this time at Noah. With a mumbled curse, Noah teleported, making sure the kid he was carrying did not fall off as he began running for his life. Chapter New Story Announcement! Chapter New Story Announcement! There was a chapter posted before this in case you missed it. I have a new story out which I''ve co-written with a friend of mine. It''s called System Reset: Forged in Nightmare and it currently has four chapters out (around 20k words, the chapters are pretty chonky). It''s a returnee system apocalypse with a cksmith MC. If that sounds like something you''re interested in, go check the story out! Here''s the synopsis and cover as well.
Alex Smith had many regrets. A dead end minimum wage job, an estranged sister, and friends that had left him behind. Then the apocalypse happened and fantasy became reality. Except... Alex''s reality did not change. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. After 15 long years surviving the Integration, his life came to an end against an enemy he could never hope to beat. But when fate sends him back to the very beginning, Alex is faced with a choice. [Wee to the Nightmare Tutorial] He will not hold back this time
Book 3: Chapter 15 — The Spears Spirit Pt. 2 Book 3: Chapter 15 ¡ª The Spear''s Spirit Pt. 2 Noah dodged the attack, as the axe tore through the ground, Crimson rot spreading from the strike. The Marauder screamed, its howl shaking the air and pushing Noah backwards as he felt his soul shiver for just a moment. You have heard the cry of a [Crimson Marauder] Youve partially resisted the effects. All regeneration slowed down by 10% Noah felt his body turn sluggish, as the Marauder''s aura began to weigh down on him like a physical weight. He teleported once again, trying to move and run away with the kid in his arms. There was no way that he could beat the guy while also carrying a child with him. Wait a second. If Im carrying a literal god child Can you do something to protect yourself? Noah asked the kid, who had been surprisingly silent this entire time, watching on passively. It took the child a moment, as if she was unsure that he had been talking to her. Noah stabbed another Crimson creature, dodging its attack as he waited for the kid to answer. I can make shields, she said atst, in a quiet whisper. Good. Great. Shield yourself, and dont move, Noah said, setting her down. The girl looked at him for a moment in surprise, before a golden glow lit up around her body as a spherical sphere formed, protecting her. The Marauder returned quickly after that, throwing his axe towards Noah who barely dodged the attack but staggered, before the giant man rushed in faster than he could see and mmed him in the gut with a punch, throwing Noah back, sending him tumbling across the battlefield. Coughing as blood came out of his mouth, Noah slowly pulled himself up. The Marauder rushed in closer, mming his war axe down where Noah''s head was. Rolling to dodge the strike, Noah summoned his spear back into his hands, thrusting it at the man, stabbing his arm, before teleporting once more behind him. Two more specters appeared around Noah as the three of them called on bloodwyrms all at once, that bit into the Marauder''s limbs, holding him in ce for a second. Noah rushed back, trying to use the chance to grab the kid and run away when the Marauder screamed, grabbing his bloodwyrms. The man bit into them, tearing chunks out as his ability dissipated. The specters fought, summoning Runeforged armaments as they attacked. The Marauder grabbed the specter''s head, twisting it as one dissipated before mming his axe through the body of the second one, killing it as well. Noah moved faster now, teleporting ahead as he quickly grabbed the kid and began to run away. The Valkyries moved around him, trying to cover his tracks, but the Marauder moved with reckless abandon. Its axe tore through the earth, Crimson rot forming an edge on the de of the weapon as each swing sent a wave that cut through enemies and allies alike. Throwing his axe at Noah with a burst of power, the Marauder snorted, turned around, and used his spear to deflect the weapon. The strike''s weight sent Noah backwards, as he barely deflected the giant axe, feeling his arm shiver from the impact of the strike. The weapon flew around, moving in an arc, cutting through people like a scythe cutting through grass, as it flew back to the Marauder''s arms. With a roar, the giant of a man charged, cutting through the wave of bodies and swinging with abandon as he headed straight towards Noah at a rapid speed. Turning around and putting the child back down again, Noah faced the enemy. His shadow stirred, rising from the ground as it struck at the Marauder. Noah charged with void annihtion and his spear, using life siphon to soak in the massive amount of life force swirling all around him to heal his wounds while he charged abyssal Inferno, the mes licking his body as his spear vibrated with power. As the shadow fought the Marauder, giving him a few precious seconds, Noah let his spear fly. The weapon flew with a howl, crackling with power as it struck, exploding in a ming strike of ck and red, as fire and void swirled. Noah turned, ready to rush away with the time this strike had bought him, when something moved through the air rapidly. He swiveled, trying to dodge, but if he moved out of the path, the strike would hit the child. In a split second, he changed his actions, forming ws as he tried to deflect the attack, and the axe rushed ahead, cutting off his shoulder entirely. Clutching his wound, Noah stumbled, almost falling over, as the Marauder rushed closer. Noah tried to call upon metamorphosis but found that Tony was not here and his ability failed. He struck with his spear, cutting through the Marauder''s armor and into his chest, but the strike wasnt enough. A powerful punchnded in Noah''s gut, tearing through his body, the handing out from his back as the armored man roared, pulling his guts out. Noah drew upon life siphon, sucking up all the life force he could, he tried to strike with his remaining arm, but the Marauder grabbed it, twisting it in the other direction before tearing it out from the elbow. Uwfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. A kick had Noah on his knees, as the Marauder reached out to grab his head and pull it off his body when a bright golden light shed, mming the giant armored man back. A shield formed all around them, shimmering with words that Noah couldn''t read, as he turned to look sideways at the kid he had been protecting. Kill me, the girl said, looking him in the eye. What Noah mumbled, his voice hoarse, his body bleeding rapidly from his shoulder, arm, and the hole in his gut. The girl''s golden aura covered his body next as his injuries began to heal faster. Noah drew harder on life siphon, marking any enemies near him with the Wyrm''s curse before using bloodwyrms to kill them as he absorbed their life force. His limbs began to form at an incredible rate, but he didn''t have time to marvel as the Marauder rushed in once more, striking at the shield with his axe, as it buckled, cracking. Kill me. I know that this is a memory. Which means I most likely already died. You dont need to do all this to save me, the girl said. Noah frowned at her words. Im a God. A nascent one, but Im still immortal. I have already died before. I cannot truly die. All that''ll happen is that I will forget all my memories and be reborn again. You can''t kill me forever. And they dont want to. They want me captured alive. You dont have to suffer for my sake when you dont even know who I am. Kill me, and you will havepleted your task. Another strike from the marauders hit the shield, the cracks now covering all parts. Noah felt his abilities reform thest of his injuries, as both his arms reappeared. But he didnt pick up his weapon; instead, he simply looked at the girl and asked her a question. Whats your name? The girl looked at him in confusion, but after a moment of hesitation, she replied, Septah. My name is Noah. And since we know each other now, I cannot just leave you out here to die, can I? Noah said, smiling as he grabbed the weapon. Noah turned around, as the marauders struck onest time, shattering the shield. Noah let abyssal Inferno loose, rushing in closer as ws formed around his hands. He called upon his training with Kan, keeping his mind focused, honing his instincts instead of giving in to them. He stabbed at the marauder''s chest, aiming for the gap in his armor. The giant man swung his ax down and Noah teleported aside. Bloodwyrms rose from the ground, grabbing at the marauder''s legs, as the axe swung around in a curve, almost cutting off his arms again. A golden shield manifested around Noah, shattering from the impact of the war axe, but with enough strength for him to dodge the attack. He thrust his spear, ducking under the strike of the marauder, as the armored Crimson man swung his axe downwards in a powerful strike. Noah used his ws, striking back as he deflected the attack before using the exact moment to thrust his spear. Golden light burst around him, strengthening him in that moment as it covered his spear, lighting it up. With a thrust, Noah pierced the marauder''s felt, but he knew that would not be enough. Kicking at the giant man, he grabbed at the horns jutting from his head, pulling them down as he put his fingers on the marauder''s face. The marauder screamed, trying to bite at Noah, but not before Noah unleashed abyssal Inferno from his fingers, burning the creatures face. Pulling his spear back out from his throat, Noah swung it into its heart, piercing the armor with void annihtion crackling around his weapon. Golden light lit up once again, as Noah cut through the armored mans body, before dragging his spear up to slice him in two parts. Youve killed [Crimson Marauder - lvl 427]. Noah looked back to see the girl panting, Golden light shining among her hands as her power flowed through his body. Thanks for the help. I probably would have died without it, Noah said, gently picking her up. The girl gave him a nod, sweat covering her face as she closed her eyes to rest for a moment. Noah began to run, using his teleports to start making his way out of the battlefield. The world blurred around him as he moved at rapid speeds, but the battlefield stretched on endlessly in all directions. The world was drenched in blood, war covering every inch of it. But eventually, after fighting his way through the hordes of enemies, and with the childs help, after what felt like an infinite number of hours, Noah finally saw the end of the battlefield. Panting, he stepped away, finding a broken house where he stepped inside and put the child down, before taking a seat himself. As Noah caught his breath, he looked sideways to inspect the child and found her silently observing him. Whats wrong? Noah asked. This. This was not supposed to happen. I shouldve died in that battle, Septah said. And you didnt. I dont see the problem, Noah said. Fate should not change this easily. Even in a memory. The purpose of these is to inherit, not to alter, Septah replied. Fate this and that. What does it matter? Spending all your time just worrying about what should have happened or what should happen, is no way to live, Noah replied. I suppose youre right. I will remember this, Noah. Thank you for saving my life, Septah said. A golden light shed from her hands as Noah saw words appear in front of his eyes. Questpleted! Hidden objective: Save Septahpleted! [Blessing of Septah] obtained. Youve inherited the memory of a great battle. [Spear of Crimson End] has reached Rank D. [Spear of Crimson End] has unlocked [Valkyries Call] weapon skill. Weapon Mastery level 12 13. As the world faded away, Noah could see the girl smiling. *** Noah opened his eyes, finding himself back in the training hall, seated with his legs crossed and the spear sitting in hisp. He looked down at the weapon, finding golden engravings marked upon its body now, as the weapon had simply shifted in its form. "How was it? Zax asked. Good. Rtively speaking anyways, Noah said, standing up. So, did you get something good? Kan asked. Lets see, Noah said, using Identify on the spear. [Spear of Crimson End (Growth, Rank D)] [Progress to next rank: 0.4%] [Weapon Skill: Valkyrie''s Call] A spear infused with holding the spirit of a Scarlet Valkyrie and the memory of the great war against the Crimson Heart, inflicting crimson rot on its enemies and wielder alike. A hunger has awakened in the weapon, morphed by [Devourer], the weapon drinks in the lifeblood of its enemies. He could feel the weapon skill lingering at the edge of his awareness, waiting to be used. Noah smiled. Yup. But theres only one way to really find out, he said, raising his weapon. Kan grinned in response, as the two headed out to spar. Book 3: Chapter 16 — Beach episode... in the sky? Pt. 1 Book 3: Chapter 16 ¡ª Beach episode... in the sky? Pt. 1 Time had passed rapidly and Noah had sunk himself into training day in and day out. It was almost a month since hed first boarded the ship and hed more or less grown ustomed to his life out here in the clouds, sparring and training till he almost fell over and passed out. Given the intensity of their training, the group had decided to take their very first day off to rest a little. Noah had protested but surprisingly Kan had been the one to insist, saying even their bodies needed some time to recover. Noah knew that was true, but he couldnt help but feel itchy as he sat out on the deck with a ss of some kind of fruit alcohol in his hand. Hed tried to treat this like a vacation but despite himself his mind would run back to thoughts of training, and hed get up to practice a move set only to catch himself and stop. Hed even tried to break in secretly, but Zax had setup a spell thatd caught him when hed tried. With a reluctant sigh of defeat, Noah sunk into his chair, opening his astral script one more time to look at all the upgrades and improvements hed gotten as hed trained. Astral Script: Name: Noah Brown Race: Draconian Humanoid Rank: D Title: [Titan yer] Paths: Wyrmblood Guardian (Legendary) - level 127 Runebody Arcanist (Legendary) - level 126 Abyssal Predator (Legendary) - level 127 Attributes: Power: 914 [1098] Agility: 743 [890] Constitution: 837 [1129] Mystic: 871 [1175] Attribute points: 0 Skill Points: 1 Noah had been hoping something would happen when his attributes reached four digits. Hed even equipped his Progenitor title to boost them, but to his disappointment, nothing had happened. He was still hoping still holding out hopes for when his base attributes got there. Still, despite that, he couldnt help but smile at his progress. The amount of attributes he gained per level was significantly higher now, and naturally, Noah had assumed that it would mean he would also grow slower than before, but his current pace was faster than how fast hed been growing previously. It was almost hard to believe, despite Noah living through the experience. Almost all his abilities were over level thirty and those that werent were catching up rapidly. He opened his menu, looking at the blessing he had obtained from the dream trial as well. [Septahs Blessing (Minor)] Gain a 10% boost to charisma. People will find you more mellow on their eyes, and your voice will sound more pleasing and more convincing. And you will find yourself weed in any church of the Goddess of Mercy around Erandir. Noah had asked if there was a way to see Charisma as an attribute, and the dragon had told him there was, but never borated further. While it wasnt a powerful boon or anything that increased Noahs fighting abilities in any way, it was still nice to have around. Closing the menu, he sighed, leaning back in his chair as he tried not to open up his Astral script to stare at the numbers again. The progress was almost addicting, and Noah found himself living for the moment he would hear the notification after every training battle. Hed almost wanted to put the entire training setup into his cosmic vault to forever keep ess to it, but like all good things, his time and the journey was also nearing an end. And that made his forced break day today all the more unbearable. Noah didnt move from his spot as he sensed Aurelia and Snow walk out, both wearing more casual attires, as they stepped onto the deck. The sun shone brightly above all of them, the sky was a bright and clear blue, given how they were above the clouds and everything. Aurelia wore a stray hat, and a white bikini with a towel wrapped around her waist. Snow wore more normal looking clothes. This tale has been uwfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Whats up with that look? Noah asked, rising from his chair. Were going swimming! Snow eximed, before Aurelia could reply. What she said, Aurelia replied. Did Seph not tell you? Noah noted the nickname, but did notment. The two women had grown surprisingly close in their time sparring with each other. Clearly not. What am I missing? Unless you intend to swim out in the sky somehow, Noah said, rising from his chair. Theres a Snows eyes widened as Aurelia covered her mouth rapidly. It might be more fun now if we dont tell him, Aurelia said, in a whisper loud enough that even without Noahs enhanced senses, he still wouldve heard it. Snow looked at Aurelia, and the corner of her eyes crinkled in a pleased expression as she gave a nod. Noah rolled his eyes. Thats so childish. What is it? Is this why Kan told us to have a day off? Noah asked. Yup! the drakonian said, this time genuinely surprising Noah as he appeared out of nowhere, wearing a swimsuit as well. Its a mandatory break for every trip! No wonder you of all people had agreed to it. I shouldve known something was wrong, Noah said, rising from his chair. As he took a look around, he began to notice a lot of the other passengers wearing simr clothing as well as they stepped out on the deck of the ship. Noah simply sent a pulse to Tony, as the symbiote shifted around Noahs body, his clothes changing into a suitable attire as well. He couldnt help but smile at the change, and the convenience of the ability. Youre the best, Tony. The symbiote shivered happily, pleased at the praise. Alright, announcement time. Those whove been on this ship before know this ce already. Those who havent, have likely heard of it anyway. But if you still dont know, well be stopping at one of the few natural sky inds, on our way, and you can step outside. But its a B grade habitat and there will be monsters around. Stronger than what you can handle. Dont provoke them, and dont get into fights, the captain announced, her voice carried across by a spell as it echoed throughout the ship. With a click, the voice ended, as Noah raised an eyebrow in confusion. Sky ind? Indeed! Sometimes when theres enough wind mana crystals, pieces of the earth can levitate to the skies. These are quite rare, especially stable ones, but this one is always on this route to Drakonias, and is filled mostly with water, Kan said. That exins the swimsuits, Noah said, ncing out front. He squinted his eyes, trying to search for the ind amidst the clouds, but found the suns re covering his sight. You wont see it just yet. Give it a few seconds, Kan said. A momentter, Noah felt the ship starting to descend. Clouds surged from around him, as the ship went down, covering the world around Noah in a hazy fog. After a long hazy moment, the clouds began to part, and Noahs eyes widened at the sight. A beautiful ind floated in the sky, with a waterfall rising out of a cliffside covering arge chunk of it in a giantke, around which all sorts of strange creatures flew and swam about. The group walked up to the edge of the deck, looking below them at the beautiful sight as the ship gradually descended downwards. Kan grinned, spreading his wings, as he stepped back to get some space. Alright, heading out! he shouted, rushing forward as he jumped off the deck. A green light swirled around him, and a momentter, the dragon warrior was teleported back on deck. Ah I forgot about that spell, he said. Noah burst intoughter at the drakonians antics, the rest joining him in their amusement. Oh, we can see it clearly now, Kan said. Noah turned around to look at the giant open beach floating in the middle of the sky. The majority of the ind was covered in water, forming a beautifulke. He could see creatures swimming around in the water even from this far above. The rest of the ind was covered in exotic looking trees and nts, with a small mountain at the center of it. Noahs eyes spotted creatures flying around in the distance, and he squinted, using Identify. [Thunder Wyverns - ???] Thunder wyverns huh? Noah murmured to himself. Yup. A whole bunch of them. I wrestled one a few years ago. It almost ate me, Kan said with augh. Dont try that, Aurelia added, as if afraid Noah would want to mimic him. Noah rolled his eyes. He was not that stupid. The thing had three question marks, even with his ratherrge surge of strength itd chew him out, or injure him seriously. Oh, look, sky manatees, Aurelia said, pointing ahead. Noah followed her finger, and saw flying creatures extremely simr to manatees, but with azure bodies and a shimmering glow gently floating around in groups. As the ship descended, the creatures began to circle the ship, using its wind to carry them before they used to gusts to rise further up in the air. The sight looked mesmerizing, their bodies reflecting the sun in various glows that made them look other worldly. As the winds settled, the ship soon sunk down, settling gently down onto water, as the protective spell covering it dissipated, letting people off. Alright folks. You have three hours while we check everything and make repairs for thest stretch. Dont cause any trouble! Captain Aries voice echoed across the ship. Noah looked out at the beautiful ind in front of him, waiting to be explored and he couldnt help but give in to the sight. Perhaps it wasnt a terrible idea to take a day off for once. Book 3: Chapter 17 — Beach episode... in the sky? Pt. 2 Book 3: Chapter 17 ¡ª Beach episode... in the sky? Pt. 2 After the shipnded, Kan took off flying off. Using Arcane Step, Noah teleported himself onto the beach, while the others slowly made their way out the normal way. After a moment, the rest of their group arrived at the beach. Snow had brought out Shadow, who sniffed around at everything, looking at the sea curiously. Noah brought out Bun Bun and Tony formed next to him as well. The three familiars quickly began to run around the beach, chasing each other. To Noahs surprise, even Erwest was wearing simpler clothing as he stepped out. Kannded gracefully next to Noah, wings pping behind him and a smile stered on his face. Alright. Whos feeling up for a swim? Not me, please and thank you, Seraphina said. Noah noted runes shing on her feet, somehow keeping any stand from sticking to her body. Im good as well. Not a huge fan of water, Aurelia replied. Noah snorted at that. Who wouldve thought the fire brawler would not be a fan of water? Ill join, he said, looking at Kan. Ill join as well, Valeria said, her toned body shining with a bronze sheen under the sunlight. The valkyrie nced towards Erwest. What about you? Do you want to join?" she asked. Erwest raised an eyebrow, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Umm Before he could reply Kan intervened. With a hearty p on Erwest''s back, he eximed, "Don''t be a wuss. Join in. It''ll be fun." Kan grasped Erwest''s shoulder, pulling him forward. The four of them, including Noah, now stood near the shoreline, the sound of waves gently crashing in the background. Grinning broadly, Kan unfurled his wings, "Let''s see who can reach the edge first and then back. Make it a bit of apetition, eh?" Valeria stretched her body, her bright orange hair set loose, before she nced back towards Seraphina. You sure you dont want to join? I thought your magic could handle everything? Seraphina snorted. Thats an amateurish attempt at riling me up, even for you. And my magic can handle everything. Its literally in the name of my path. Sure couldnt handle my axe, Valeria said, grinning. Its not gonna work, give up Val. Im not joining your stupid game, Seraphina said, crossing her arms. Sure, suit yourself. But just so you know, we did thisst year and Kan was gloatingabout winning for months. I know I cant beat him, so if youre fine with hearing that Seraphina shivered, her eyes drifting to Kan who simply gave her a toothy grin. It was a magnificent victory worth gloating about! He proudly eximed, putting both arms on his waist as he unfurled his wings behind him. Ugh I cant believe Im doing this, Seraphina groaned. If Im joining, you are too, she said, grabbing Aurelias arm. Wait, hold on, what? Aurelia said, but before she could resist, Seraphina had her floating in the air so she couldnt resist as she brought Aurelia along. Perfect! A properpetition! Kan said, turning around as he looked out at the giantke. Lets set the rules. We all race at once to the edge and back. The first one back is the victor and gets Kan paused, looking around him to search for a suitable prize. A day spent with their partner of choosing on a date! Excuse me?! Seraphina gasped. I didnt agree to that, I didnt agree to any of this! Aurelia protested, still being floated up in the air by Seraphina. Oh? The stakes are truly high here, Valeria said, ncing sideways towards Erwest for the briefest of seconds. Noah looked at Erwest, who simrly looked disinterest in the reward. He shrugged, and the pdin returned the sentiment with a grunt. I shant hear of any protest, it has been decided! Kan said, turning around as he stood at the shore. Now, if Zax would be so kind to referee the match, and give us a countdown, we can begin! Zax wore an amused yet serious expression as he walked up to the shore. Very well, we shall do the honours, he spoke, as if preceding over a very serious matter. Somehow, the matter was settled there, as everybody lined up next to each other. Bun Bun and Shadow sat on the shore, and Bun Bun crackled with lightning, almost as if cheering him on. Noahs shadow stirred as well, sitting on the beach, with a smile on his face as he watched them. On your mark, Zax said, as everybody took their position. Magic thrummed around the shore, some of the other adventurers starting to take note. Noah sent a pulse to Tony, who quickly began to born his body. His limbs elongated, webbings forming between his fingers. He even felt gills appearing on his neck, though right now still half formed, as Tony continued to adapt his body based purely on instinct. Ready? Zax said. A pulse travelled. Noah saw runes shing around Seraphina. Valerias aura was condensed down around her body, swirling the sand beneath her feet. Ash and embers licked Aurelias body, while Kans muscles tensed and even Erwests golden aura was flickering as he prepared. Go! A boom shook the beach as they all shot off, causing a giant ssh in the water. Noah dove headfirst in, moving his arms and legs as his body transformed with rapid speed, letting him breathe and see inside the water. Because of that, he could immediately tell that not everyone who had started out was currently under water. Breaching the surface momentarily he looked up and saw Seraphina running on water, propelled by a wave and gusts of wind as she rushed ahead. Thats cheating! You arent swimming! No one said you had to swim, Seraphina shouted. A momentter, Aurelia rushed past her, fire sting from her hands and feet in a barely controlled explosion as she barreled past, skimming over the surface of the water. Exacty! Aurelia shouted from ahead, as Seraphinas grin quickly flipped upside down. Noah sped up his own attempts, using Arcane Step as he teleported forward, rapidly closing in the gap, appearing near Aurelia. Nothing says I cant stop you either, he said with a smile, before vanishing as Aurelia shot a beam of fire at him. A spectre appeared behind Aurelia which she had anticipated, quickly burning it with fire, but as the spectre faded to magic, her eyes widened. Stolen from its rightful ce, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Another spectre burst out from the water, void annition crackling in his hands as he struck Aurelia down, catching her. In the meantime, Noah continued to swim rapidly, using Arcane Step to make up for his speed. Seraphina shot a beam of water towards him, as he quickly jumped below the surface to dodge, when his eyes widened in surprise. Kan swam besides him, just about caught up. The drakonian was making good use of both his wings and tails, his scaled streamlined body far more suited for the water as he caught up with Noah, toothy grin belying his confidense. Tgbats undahgear, Noah garbled, before realising he couldnt speak through the water. Kan simply rushed on ahead, jumping out of the water once, before he redove, swimming past all of them. An axe struck the water just a little further, stopping both of them in their tracks as a rapid explosion shook the ground. A secondter, Noah saw Valeria and Erwest surfing on Erwests summoned weapons, as the two of them moved as a team. Erwests de shed towards Seraphina with a golden arc. EEP! Seraphina screamed, ducking. Another arc struck her wind barrier as her concentration broke, the spell fading and dunking her in water. Valeria jumped ahead instead, as Erwest gave her a push. The Valkyrie flew through the air, golden wings erupting from her back as the axe vanished, appearing back in her hands. With a crazed smile and a scream she barreled into the water near Noah and Kan, mming her axe hard enough to cause a giant wave to form, pushing back both of them. Noah felt himself being carried away by the water flow and rushed out of the water with Arcane Step. Abyssal Awareness told him of an iing attack, as he moved on instinct, summoning his spear and blocking Valerias axe. As both of them fell back down, wings erupted from behind Noahs back. ncing sideways, he saw Kan tackling Erwest and Aurelia at once. Ultimately were still just sparring here. I shouldve seen thising, Noah said, and the woman cackled in joy, one that Noah very much mimicked. A secondter, the two of them struck. Noahs spear met Valerias axe, bucking under the weight of the strike. With a rapid thrust he tried to counter, when the woman kicked him, rushing on ahead of him. This is still a race! She shouted, moving ahead. Noah used Arcane Step, appearing near her as he sted Abyssal Inferno towards her, before setting two bloodwyrms onto her. And Im winning, he shouted as rushed ahead. The end of the ind appeared soon and Noah reached the edge, jumping into the water once, as his body shifted once more with Tonys help. Bursting out into the air, he dodged a strike from Valerias axe, teleporting around her as he began to rush back. As he did, a barrier appeared in front of him formed of glowing runes, blocking his path as he mmed into it. A momentter he saw a soaking wet Seraphina, with a furious expression and glowing eyes rise out of the water. I am NOT going to lose. Uh oh, Noah said, dodging as a bolt of lightning crackled through the sky, rushing towards him. he teleported, as a storm began to brew beneath him. Seraphina moved rapidly, the wind carrying her as she shot forward, lightning strikes raining down on everyone else. Noah weaved through the storm, flying as he dodged the array of lightning bolts before he mmed into the woman, as both of them sshed into water. Swimming together now, she saw her tried to use her spell, but grabbed her hand to prevent her from casting. A rune appeared on her mouth, a bubble of air forming. Idiot. We literally train to not be incapacitated from spellcasti Aurelia mmed into Seraphina,unching her aside, before Valeria caught her in a bear hug, jumping out of the water. A secondter, a golden barrier formed around the woman, capturing her inside it. Yet you still cant help but talk pointlessly, Valeria said, as Seraphina mmed her fists in outrage against the barrier. Slow! All of you are slow! Kan shouted, rushing past them with a rapid speed. No you dont! Noah shouted, as he summoned his spear, charging it with void annihtion. Flying out of water, he looked at his target, before shooting the weapon. The water rose in a tidal ssh, but he knew that would not be enough. A secondter, a powerful surge of mes washed around the area, as the water began to boil and hiss. He looked down to see Aurelias mes glowing from even under the water. The temperature change was enough to force Kan out of the water to breathe, when Valeria struck at him,unching herself forward. Noah rushed in as well, quickly followed by AUrelia as all three of them began to tackle the drakonian. Kanughed, excited by the prospect. Dodging all three of their attacks, the drakonian continued to fly around, striking back at each of them. Noah spun through the air,unching beams of void mana that crackled like ck lightning. Valeria followed with her axe strikes, one catching Kan off guard as he tumbled. Seeing a change, Noah used Arcane Step to rush ahead but felt the spell fail as he suddenly he felt a hand on his feet. He looked down and saw Aurelia clinging on. You cant teleport without me if Im grabbing you, can you? Aurelia said, smirking. With a st of fire, she pulled Noah back into the water with herself. All of them were in the water now, and the beach was right next to them. Stopping any attempts at fighting, they all began to rush forward. Magic surged as they all swam as fast as they could. Noah kicked his legs, arms swinging as he moved with all his effort. Kicking and rushing through the wave, he swamp still hended onto the beach face first, rushing to stand up as he shouted. Goal! First! I won! Victory! All four of them frowned, ready to argue of their victory when Zax arrived at the shore. Zax Noah called out, ready to have the dragon prove his efforts. Tell them that I won. I clearly was first, wasnt I? None of you won, Zax replied, before turning sideways revealing Erwest standing at the beach, blonde hair soaked in water, which somehow only added to his looks. I won, Erwest said, smiling. What?! No way! I dont believe it. Before the arguments could spill over, Zax coughed into his fist. Let me exin. While all of you were tackling one another, Erwest reached the end of theke and then used the spell I had attached to yourmunication bracelets, and simply teleported back. Since there seemed to be no objections against using items on you or items that were a part of your gear, by the rules, he won. Noah stared at Zax in shock, before looking at Erwest. Damn we got outsmarted. Kan cackled loudly, amused as he walked up to Erwest, pping his back. Way to go! Just goes to show that victory is not always about strength or skill. Sometimes, its about who can cheat the best. I still dont believe that Erwest of all people did that, Aurelia said, looking at Noah. So, who are you going to pick? Valeria asked, looking at Erwest. For your reward, that is. The one day date. Since you did all that to win, you must have someone in mind. Erwest looked around himself, meeting everybodys eyes as they looked back at him. The pdin then looked at Zax, and shook his head. Ill chose myself. Since Im a part of the team as well, thats a valid choice. Boo! Noah jeered, and the rest joined him. Coward! Valeria shouted, as Erwest ignored them all, silently walking away for his solo date with himself. Well, seems like you guys are having a lovely time, Captain Arie said, flying down onto the beach. Couldnt help but notice with all the ruckus you were causing. Now half the lot of them are racing across theke as well, she said, shaking her head. You shouldve join us, Kan said, trying to pat her shoulder but Arie grabbed his hand. Im far too old to be fooling around like this. Not to mention, Im duty. But I appreciate the offer, she said, looking at the Drakonian. I just hope we havent caused enough noise to stir the residents of theke. That would be a pain. The residents of theke? Noah asked. Yeah, every few years during a sky serpent arrives here to raise its young. By now they typically leave, but sometimes we run into them. Generally theyre very docile and avoid interacting with others in that period but if disturbed enough they can get aggressive. Uhh, do you by any chance mean that thing? Snow said, pointing to theke. They all turned, noticing the water growing more and more frenzied, forming a whirlpool. Septahs mercy, I shouldve kept my damned mouth shut, Arie cursed.Get up and start moving back to the ship, were leaving, Arie said, wind swirling around her body. Zax, follow me. I might need you for this one. Noah got up, spear in hand as he watched from the shore. The world around them began to shake, and after a few seconds, a massive serpent,rge enough to blot out the sky rose from the water, creating a tidal wave that washed over the beach before they were all covered under its shadow. Noah simply gaped at the giant creature,rger than anything else he had ever seen, before instinctively, he used Identify. [Adult Sky Serpent - ????] Noah gulped. Book 3: Chapter 17 — Beach episode... in the sky? Pt. 3 Book 3: Chapter 17 ¡ª Beach episode... in the sky? Pt. 3 Shouts and screams rose, magic ring as adventurers began to prepare forbat while running around. Protective spells red on the airship, people rapidly, moving around. Noah summoned his spear, ready to quickly rush to the ship but found himself stuck where he was when the serpents gaze rested on him with the full weight of its aura. It was the weight of a mountain, a veritable tide of power all stumbling onto his shoulders. It took his all to not fall onto his knees. The moment passed, the serpents eyes shifting away immediately to Arie and Zax, yet the feeling did not, as Noah stood frozen. For the first time, he realised that even when training for terror, Zax had never been using his entire auras force. Not even close. The two figures flew in the skies, lightning crackling around Zax and wind swirling around Arie. Noah, we need to go, Aurelia said, touching his shoulder as he snapped out of his daze. He nodded, looking once again at the giant serpent, and the face off. Ready to rush back to the safety, Noah put his hand on Aurelia, searching for Snow to teleport both of them in at once, when he found the girl, looking at the sea serpent with a frown. Snow! Stop standing around, we need to get back to the ship, Noah shouted. The girl jerked, looking at him in surprise, before her eyes went back to the sea serpent. She ran closer and Noah grabbed her hand, activating Arcane Step to teleport away when he felt Snow tighten her fingers around his. No. Noah stop, she said, as Noah paused, looking down at her in surprise. It- she does not want to harm us. I can feel it. Its my path is telling me. She needs help, but all this magic is scaring her. You need to bring me to the captain and Zax. What? Noah eximed, taken aback by her words. He heard thunder rolling in the skies, a storm brewing from the intense magical outputing from the creature, as mana began to rise. Noah looked at Zax, and Arie, feeling the intense weight of the aura, feeling uncertain if he even could, go there without passing out. Please, Noah. I can talk to her! Snow eximed. Noah looked at Aurelia, who shared a simr look of concern. He looked down, meeting the girls eyes and the plea reflecting off in them. Noah cursed. Hop on, he said, crouching down as he picked Snow up in his arms. You guys head back, Ill teleport out instantly if anything goes wrong, he said, ncing at Aurelia, and the rest, before using Arcane Step as he teleported to the skies. Moving through the air Noah chained a sequence of teleports, rising higher and higher. Arie noticed his arrival, but the woman seemed preupied, her aura battling against the giant serpents own dominating power, as she tried to shield her ship and persuade her. Stop! Noah shouted, using another Arcane Step to gain more height. He cursed as the wind covered his words, his own focus faltering under the intense pressureing from the three people. He condensed his aura, shielding Snow with everything he had who clung on tightly to not fall off. Sweat dripped down Noahs body. Even with all his abilities, the intensity of the auras here were enough to rapidly burn his mana for everysingle spell he used. In a desperate attempt to keep afloat, wings sprouted from his back with Tonys help, pping rapidly as he tried to navigate. A hurricane brew in the skies, and for a moment it felt like things would explode in violence. Noah took a deep breath in. Hold on! Noah shouted with everything he had, this time managing to catch Zaxs attention. The dragon waved a hand as a spell formed around Noah, shielding him from the powerful winds, and slowly bringing him up. What in the depths are you doing here?! Arie eximed in horror, as she saw Noah. Snow says she can talk he panted, ncing at Zax, who gave him a nod. But first turn off the spells its scaring the sea serpent. Arie looked at him as if he was insane, before looking at Snow who he carried in his arms. A momentter, her expression turned serious. No, Im not risking my ship and crew over this. The risk is too high. Were going to leave. This tale has been uwfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The sea serpent opened its mouth, a loud earth shaking rumble rising from it as the sky crackled from above. Youre scaring her! She doesnt want to fight! Snow shouted . Listen that ship? Its my responsibility. The people on it? Theyre my responsibility too. Im not telling them to turn off the protective spells and hope nothing goes wrong, Arei replied, her own mana rising. Noah could sense wind gathering around the ship, ready to take it up in the air. We can make a different spell to protect the ship if something happens. You have our word. For now, follow the childs wishes. Her path is one that can help us resolve this peacefully, Zax said, looking Arie in the eye. The captain hesitated, looking at Zax, and then back at Snow. After a long moment, she cursed under her breath, shooting off rapidly back to the ship in a rush. As Arie leaved, her own auras protection fading, Noah felt the weight of the creatures aura double, nearly sending him tumbling. Zaxs magic intensified, holding him in ce. They all waited a few moments, after which the ships magic faded, and it stood, unprotect and at the mercy of the serpent. What else do you need? Zax asked. Snow hesitated for a moment, looking at Noah for reassurance. You can do this, he said, and the girls nodded, looking back at Zax. I can talk to her. Can you can you bring me closer? Snow said. Done, Zax replied, as wind rose around Snow, lifting her from Noahs arms. She shrieked in fear for a second, afraid of falling but when her body kept levitating, Snow blushed, before ncing towards the giant serpent. Slowly, Zaxs magic rose her up into the air, bringing her closer and closer to the serpent. Noah could see Zax straining to shield her from its aura, but he knew he couldnt do anything to help, and so he simply watched. After a long minute, Snow floated, nearly eye level to the giant serpentrge enough that she would barely be as big as its eye. Moving closer, she slowly raised her arm out at the serpent. Her fingers trembled, body shivering as she closed her eyes, simply waiting with her arm extended. A moment passed in silence, before she felt a gentle push as something coarse and rough touched her palm. Slowly, Snow opened her eyes and saw the serpents giant face touching her palm, its nostrils ring. The mana began to fade, the storm slowly dying out as the creature regarded her. Snow felt her heart racing, the ball of fear and anxiety melted in palpable relief that blooded her with the rush of adrenaline, bursting out of her mouth inughter. After a moment, Zax and Noah both moved closer to Snow, who looked up at the serpent, and found herself hesitaitng. Ive never done this before, she said, ncing back at Zax. Yet you know that you can. You carry the runes, and the magic they bring. It is in your soul. Let it guide you, and the answer shalle, Zax said. Snow gave a hesitant nod, looking at Noah. You can do it. Closing her eyes, Snow channeled her magic. The runes on her body lit up with mana, glowing a mix of ck and white. Slowly, her mana flowed from her hand, into the serpent. A momentter, a bond formed between the two as the serpent pulled back its head. We hear you, child. The words resonated across the world, the serpents intent clear in them as she looked down at Snow. The girls eyes widened in surprise at her sess, but she quickly calmed herself, We dont mean you any harm! Snow shouted. We know. You cannot harm us. And we trust the old one with you, the serpent replied, looking at Zax. Noah nced at the dragon, reaching out their shared telepathic connection. You can talk to the sky serpent? Why did you wait for Snow to arrive? Zax nced sideways at Noah. We thought it would be a good lesson. She would grow from this, and learn the nature of her powers. Even you couldve talked to her had you so desired. You can understand her words after all, cant you? Yeah, why wouldnt I understand? Noah asked. Because she speaks a lost tongue, known only to dragons and their kin, Zax replied. Ah, Noah said, realization settling onto him. He brought his attention back to the serpent. Dont understand, Snow said, and Noah realised her words were clumsy, as she was speaking an unfamiliarnguage. Why threaten if not afraid? She asked. We did not intend to threaten you. Merely, to catch your attention, the sky serpent said, its eyes drifting to rest upon Zax now instead. We sensed the old one. And wish to ask a favour. We are willing to hear, Zax replied, speaking much more smoothly than Snow did. The giant serpent bowed its head to the dragon.Please save our children. They are trapped, and we cannot reach them. Even from up here, Noah could hear the collective gasp everyone took as they watched the sky serpent bowing its head to Zax. Very well, Zax replied, ncing sideways at Noah and Snow. What do the two of you wish to do? As Zax asked, a prompt appeared in front of Noah. Your party has been given a quest! Quest: Rescue Mission Your party have received a quest from Axzeriethal the Sky Serpent to rescue her children. Difficulty: Moderate Reward: Axzeriethals Blessing Would you like to ept this quest? Yes/No? Noah nced sideways. From the looks of Snows widened eyes, she had received a simr message. He turned to face Zax, and then gave the dragon a nod. Lets do it, Noah replied. A chime rang in his ears. Quest epted! Book 3: Chapter 19 — Beach episode... in the sky? Pt. 4 Book 3: Chapter 19 ¡ª Beach episode... in the sky? Pt. 4 Zax brought them down to the ship afterwards, as they exined what was going on to everyone else. So let me get this straight. The sky serpent asked you to save its kids? Arie asked, clutching her head. Her, Snow said in a quiet whisper. Well, more or less. Didnt ask me, asked Zax, but the offer apparently extended to our entire party, Noah replied. We did give our word. Regardless of what you decide, we do intend to help. And we can catch up to the ship if need be. Or make our way without it to Drakonias, Zax said. No, Id rather not have you board mid flight. Or enter their borders like that. Both options are worse, Arie said, before sighing. Alright, I can give you guys a few hours to sort this out. But after that, we need to leave. Snow smiled at the womans words, and Noah nodded in reply. Hope you dont mind us joining, Kan said, stepping closer. Couldnt help but overhear. Sounds like a fun quest! Do we even know where the kids are? And what could they possibly need saving from that a sky serpent cant do? Seraphina asked. Theyre stuck at the bottom of theke apparently they got caught in some kind of trap. The sky serpent destroyed that ship, and was why she was concerned by ours. But she cant reach her kids and theyve been stuck there for a while now and need toe out soon to breathe, Snow said. Seraphina hummed. Well, I definitely cant go that deep underwater, Aurelia said. I dont think I can help. We can take you with us. But it would be best to choose who goes in there wisely, Zax said. Ill go, Kan said, raising his hand. Im good at swimming. Ille. I want to see the kids, and study their magic if possible, Seraphina said, and then a secondter, added. Oh, and save them of course. I would like to go as well. I was the one who asked us to help the sky serpent. And Id like to be able to help, Snow said. Noah smiled. Absolutely. We can use your help there. Seems like we have the members needed. Let us not waste any time, Zax said. Together, the party headed back out from the airship, to the beach. Do we have any idea where to look? Seraphina asked. For a moment, Noah was tempted to add Kan and Seraphina to his party and show them the quest objective on the map, but he decided he wasnt that close to either of them yet. Zax waved his hand instead as a path appeared. This will take us to the location, the dragon said. Of course, the convenient use of magic that I cant source or even read. Youre quite the mystery Zax, Seraphina said, eyeing the dragon. They headed into the ocean, Zaxs spell covering Snow and himself, while Seraphina used her own spell to dive in, with a bubble of air around her. Kan just jumped in, and Noah transformed his body, adapting it for water, before stepping inside. The water covered Noahs sight but he could see clearly, ayer of translucent skin protecting his eyes. He tried not to think about how inhuman it was to be able to morph his body like this, as he followed Kan to the depths. Weve cast a spell so that all of us can talk to each other, Zax said, his voice ying in Noahs mind. Telepathy. Zax, tell me something. Are you secretly an Archmage? Seraphina asked. Noah heard Zaxsughter in his head. We used to know one. A really long time ago. But we never got that far. An Archmage requires to be at the pinnacle of their field. We got close. But our preference is to have a wider scope, Zax replied, looking at Seraphina. Arent you the same? Your magic has a clear path, yet to old it to be able to traverse as many branches as possible. Not many choose this path. It is a difficult and unrewarding one. Theyre stupid is why. And I dont care about power of strength or any of that. I dont love some magic. I love all magic, and I love it equally. Its my dream to be able to master every form of magic there is. I even spent a year trying to reconcile divine magic into the Arcane theory, though that obviously didnt work out. Ah, are some mages still trying to do that? They never seem to learn, Zax replied. Well do it. Ill do it myself if I have to. I refuse to take gods as an exnation, there has to be logic behind it. Everything does, even if it doesnt look like it at first nce, Seraphina replied. I wish you the best of luck, in your endeavour. If you do manage it, you would be renowned and proimed as perhaps the greatest mage in history. Afterall, few know the secrets of Gods, or how they came to be, Zax said. Well find out. Ill find out, Seraphina replied. They continued onwards silently for a few minutes, before Kan spotted something. There, whats that? He said, pointing to a giant crack in the ground, as they reached the surface of theke. The light seems to be going inside. Makes sense the sky serpent couldnt reach this, theres barely enough space, Seraphina replied. I can feel them inside. They seem to be struggling, Snow added. Lets hurry, Noah said, as one by one they entered the crack in the ground. Moving through the crevices, the party swamp around the various denizens, of theke. Light began to blink out, as even Noah struggled to make out some of the details in the pitch dark. Seraphina whispered something, as a few glowing balls of light appeared, illuminating the ce. There, I see something! Snow eximed. They followed her finger, and noticed a portion of the wall was copsed, with a glowing lighting from underneath it. Slowly, the party descended, standing next to the crumbled rocks. Well use our spears, Kan said. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition. Noah nodded, summoning his spear in his hand. Both of them put their weapon into the pile of rocks, jamming it in. Then, at a signal, they used it as a liver, as the giant rocky section began to buckle. Magic swirled around Seraphina, water swirling to lift the rock. Zax snapped his fingers, as a burst of water pushed from underneath, freeing the entrance entirely. A cave revealed itself, as the party stepped inside. Noah suddenly found the water vanishing as he poked his head inside the cave, a barrier of some kind holding the water back. Whoa, whats this ce? Noah eximed, stepping inside, onto the wet ground. Ive heard of these before. If you have air attuned mana stones under water, caverns like these can form. Although this one doesnt look to be natural, she said, looking down as the group noticed mana stones for lights embedded in the walls, though none that seemed to work anymore. Lets move ahead carefully. There might be people around too, Kan said. The group nodded, stepping ahead carefully as they made their way in. The paths curved and bent, revealing more and more signs of someone having set up almost a base of sorts here. Boxes and goods filled the ce, and after a little bit of walking, Noah and the ground heard some voices whispering. Zax quickly cast a spell to muffle their sound, while projecting the voices of the people talking, as the group began to listen. Whatre we gonna do? Its been over a week, and no one hase yet. We dont have much food left a mans voice trailed off, almost holding back a sob. You were the one who wanted to catch the sky serpents! Dont me me. I aint nning to die here, like depths I am. Ill skin those snakes and eat them if I have to, another man barked, spitting. If you open their cage, well be the ones getting eaten. Especially by their mother. Shes probably still around out there one more man said in a gloomy voice. Noah and the group looked at each other in surprise. Raising his hand, Noah had Tony form a small eyeball that pped around, flying closer, as it shared what it saw with him. Looking at the men, he found three of them, all huddled around boxs, sitting with a fire in front of them, and swords at their waists. He used identify. [Sky Pirate - Lvl 147] [Sky Pirate - Lvl 154] [Sky Pirate Captain - Lvl 174] The eye moved around, before quickly finding a cage with glowing walls holding the sky serpents inside. Tony flew back quickly, sinking into Noahs body as he turned to face the rest of them. Sky pirates. Three of them. Roughly level 150 for two, and the captain whos level 174. The serpents are in a cage, Noah sent. Kan grinned. Lets teach them a lesson then. Noah matched the drakonians smile. At his signal, the two of them rushed out. Noah teleported out, spear held out as he rushed towards the sky pirates. Void Annihtion charged around his weapon as he pointed it at them. Hands up in the air, or well strike! He shouted. The sky pirates jumped in surprise, each holding onto their weapons. A secondter, they looked at Noah and Kan, before their gaze drifted back towards Zax standing with a smile behind all of them. To Noahs surprise two of the men broke down in tears as they began to thank him. Were saved! One of them shouted and Noah took out his suppression chains and put them onto the pirates. Well, that was strange, Noah said, looking at Kan, before he looked back to the pirates. How did you even get stuck here? The big serpent broke our ships, and was waiting for us and our spell for breathing underwater ran out one of them admitted. Serves you right for doing something like this, Seraphina said with a snort, before she walked up to the cage with the sea serpents. Lets get these guys free. As she walked closer, one of them hissed, threatening to strike back, making Seraphina move back in fear. Snow walked closer instead. We wont harm you were here to help. Promise. We can bring you to your mother, she said. The sky serpents settled, moving around, but one of them still kept its guard up, quietly watching the rest. Noah used identify on the creatures. [Young Sky Serpent - Lvl 37] [Young Sky Serpent - Lvl 22] [Young Sky Serpent - Lvl 24] That ones feisty, Noah said, as the serpent hissed, looking at him. Noah hissed back. Dont do that! Snow pped his arm, before speaking gently to the serpent again to calm them down. Theyre scared. And hes their big brother. Hes trying to protect them, she said. Gently, she reached an arm out. The sky serpent struck, biting her hand, enough to make her bleed. Noah frowned, about to suggest they keep them in the age as he simply put them in his cosmic vault and brought them out, but Snow didnt pull her hand back. After biting for a bit the sky serpent let go, when Snow didnt rx. Slowly, it retreated, and Snow brought her hand closer. You were scared, werent you? She said, gently touching the serpents head. I know the feeling. I was locked in chains like this for a long time too. It hurts, and hurts so much and youre always afraid, she said, in a gentle whisper. The sky serpent looked at her, before it gently licked her wound where it had bit her, as if apologizing. Its okay. I dont mind it, she said, before ncing back to Seraphina. Can you open their cage now? They wont hurt us. Seraphina looked at Snow in surprise. Youre quite surprising, she said, before walking to the age. Normally itd take an hour to decode this, but I have a better idea, Seraphina said, as mana swirled around her. A secondter, a very thin beam of presurised water rose from one of her fingers, as she cut apart the lock. With a thud, the chains on the cage fell, as the gates opened and the serpents rushed out. Alright, lets bring them back to their mother, Noah said. We have a faster way, Zax said. A magic circle appeared beneath all of them, as they were teleported in a sh of light. Noah blinked his eyes, as the sun shed down onto him from thekes shore. The sky serpents flew into the air, reuniting with their mother who sat amidst theke, gently looking at them all, before she slowly bowed her head to Zax. We are in your debt. Questpleted! Youve received [Axzeriethals Blessing]! [Axzeriethals Blessing] Find yourself capable of directing the winds at your will. The kin of dragons will recognize you as their friend. Noah smiled as he read the description of the ability. No need to mention it. We were happy to help! Noah shouted back. Arie stepped onto the beach besides them, taking one look at the sky pirates as everything clicked. Looks like well be putting our prison cells to use after all. And it wont be one me! Kan eximed happily. Lets head back, its about time we left, the captain said. The party turned, about to head back, when the sky serpents voice echoed one more. Child of Void. This one wishes to apany you, the sky serpent said. Snow looked back and saw one of her children flying close by. Oh are you sure? She asked, as the sky serpent hissed. What about your mom? Is she alright with you leaving her so soon after? Snow said, looking up at the giant serpent. They will leave our nest one day or another. This one wishes to follow you. We will not stop him. And with the old one, he can learn some things we cannot teach, the serpent said. Snow looked down at the sky serpent flying in front of her, and into its sea green eyes, before giving it a smile. Well, in that case. Id be happy to have you, she said, gently touching the snake. The tattoos on Snows body lit up, flowing onto the serpent, before the creature flowed into Snow. The tattoos changed shape on her, the form of a snake appearing besides the wolf, and a momentter, the sky serpent reappeared, glowing tattoos on its body as well, as it hissed. We will take our leave now, child. Thank you for helping us, the giant serpent said. A powerful gust rose around the ind, as the sky serpent flew up in the air, followed by its children. The party watched them disappear into the skies, fading out into the distance. Did you know that sky serpents are considered good omens by sailors? Kan added, ncing sideways at Arie. Thats by sea sailors, because it means the wind is steady, she said, shaking her head, though a smile was on her face nheless. Alright, time to head back, Arie said, wind carrying of them up in air, while Kan and Zax flew on their own. Flying around, the captain left them on the deck, heading inside. A momentter, the ship began to shake, starting to take off. Arie, always so forceful. Its why I love her so much,Kan said, sighing wistfully. Seraphina kicked the drakonian. Aurelia and the others walked up to the group, noting their new addition. Oh, a baby sky serpent. Its so cute and so tinypared to its mother! Aurelia eximed, before looking at Snow. What do you want to call him? Snow thought over it for a second. Sky? She suggested. Noahughed. Zax shook his head. Well need to teach her how to name things better. Sky, the sky serpent twirled around happily at his new name, letting out a pleased hiss. And just like that, the party took off back into the skies, with a new member on their team. Book 3: Chapter 20 — Arrival Book 3: Chapter 20 ¡ª Arrival Noah watched from the airships deck as their destination began to appear in the distance. The clouds slowly began to part as the airship lowered itself and the ind of Drakonias began to appear. Hed already seen the ce on map, but watching an ind structure in the shape of a dragon sprawling out over the ocean with his own eyes was apletely different experience altogether. Noah spotted many creatures flying and swimming around the ind, almost all of them draconic or carrying some remnants of dragon heritage with them. A myriad of wyverns circled over the inds, high up in the skies, as the airship passed silently by, leaving Noah staring in wonder. What do you think, impressive isnt it? Kan asked, stepping out to the deck next to Noah before leaning casually on the handrail. Yeah, Noah replied, still taken aback by the beauty. The ce looked a lot like the tropical inds hed often seen pictures of back home, with vibrant sandy beaches and lush green forests surrounded by Azure blue seas. But on top of all of that, this ce also had dragons. Noah couldnt help but smile to himself. It really is. Just wait till we get to the city, we have some of the best food out of anywhere, Im not even biased about that, Kan said, grinning at Noah. Sounds fairly biased, Noah chuckled. Actually, in this one regard I believe him, Aurelia said, walking out to the deck from behind the two of them. Sorry, couldnt help but overhear. But also, Drakonias, as secluded as it may be, is known for some of its famous delicacies. Theres a lot of things you can only find here, and Ive seen nobles often boasting about getting their hands on some, even all the way down south in Nyxis. Exactly! Its one of the reasons why I had trouble traveling outside, and dont particrly enjoy going to the central kingdoms even though they have more resources. Like, dont get me wrong, I love all the celestial artifacts and their new fangled magic systems and everything, but the weather is gloomy outside of select seasons with all the rain and snow, and the food rtively nd. Hard to stomach that, quite literally, Kan said. Noah tried to picture a cold but well developed county with nd food and gloomy weather in his head, and he got the imagine of Kan sitting in a chair in a distinctly british looking location, while sipping tea and eating fish and chips. He couldnt help butugh at the image. Whats so funny? Kan asked. Nothing just we have a ce back in my world that sounds very simr, He said. Whats funny about that? Kan asked, raising an eyebrow. Noah spend roughly the next ten minutes trying to exin exactly why a british draconian guy walking around would be hrious, The draconian got weirdly intrigued and even Aurelia seemed curious, both listening to him talk with great detail. Eventually settling on a terrible imitation of a mock british ent. "Oi mate, I''ve ''ad nuff of dis cheap stuff. Tis rude to bring this innit? Spend you some five quids to get earl grey if you want me skills here. Rather schewpid of you not to. Right then. I''ll be off back to me world then. Cheers, he said before bursting out intoughter at the absolutely stupidity of it. I dont get it, Aurelia said, looking confused. Yeah, I dont think I get it either, Kan replied, seemingly losing interest. Anyway, Ill be returning to check on my team. Need to make sure Val isnt still sleeping. Let her go and she can snore the day away, Kan said, before heading inside. Noah continued tough to himself every few moments even after the Draconian mans departure, before finally calming himself down. Taking a deep breath in, he wiped tears off his eyes. Man, I guess it doesnt trante very well. Damn it. Now I want to somehow get ess to the Inte again. As fun as a fantasy world can be, I really miss the memes. Thats probably the first time youve said you miss something from your home, Aurelia said. Most outerworlders tend to be more distressed and have a much stronger desire to return, youre certainly a special case, Noah. Really? Huh. I guess so? I think I wouldve wanted to go back a lot more if magic didnt give you guys indoor plumbing, night time lighting, and the general bare minimum of conveniences that I have grown used to. But to have all that plus magic and want to go back Noah shrugged to himself. This has been like the best vacation of my life so far. Aurelia hummed to herself. A vacation, huh? Well, not exactly. But I just figure if I could have traveled back home I wouldve felt the same way. Free from everything. Society, jobs, money, rent, it was a lot. This,paratively, is a lot better. And Im rich as well, Noah replied. I suppose we did earn a lot from ourst quest, Aurelia said, ncing sideways. The inds were just underneath them now, as the ship began to make its preparations fornding. Lets head inside. The wind spells should be activating soon. Noah nodded, following her back in. There was a buzz of excitement from the people inside, their long journey finally at an end. Noah spotted Erwest standing next to the map which showed their location in real time. Zax stood nearby, working on some kind of a magical device. How far away are we? Noah asked. Erwest nced back at him, before turning back around to the map. Weve entered Drakonian from the eastern end. Theres three main inds, and well be heading to the central one, to the capital located here. Drakoria, Erwest said, zooming out the map to show a city at the dragon shaped inds chest. Also called the Dragons Heart. Shouldve seen thating, Noah replied. A few secondster, Noah heard Aries voice from what sounded an awful lot like a microphone, though he could detect the wind magic actually being used to project her voice. Alright folks, the long journey is nearly at its end. Despite the few hups and a near catastrophe, this was all in all a rather sessful trip. People cheered back in reply to the woman. In around five minutes, well bending in Drakorias airship port, after which all of you will be free to go about as you please. The ship will be here for a week as we recharge the core and stock up supplies, before well be leaving on the return journey. Many of you will be here with us on the way back, and many more wont be. For those who will stay on the ind, I wish you best of luck on your goals and endeavours. Especially to any taking on the trials. That is all from me. Well be back here in five months time for another trip, Arie said, before the words cut off. Noah felt the magic re all around the ship, wind swirling as they began to rapidly descend downwards. He walked up to the windows, looking outside as the city began to appear in all its glory. He could see soldiers flying around the ship, guiding it on its way down before an anchor sank down to the ground, being set in ce, slowly reeling the ship into ce. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. A few tense minutester, Noah felt a thud as the ship touched down. Wee to Drakonias, people!" The gates of the ship began to shudder open, chains moving and magic flowing through the ship. The passengers all began to gather, before making their way out and Noah decided to not jump out or teleport out but instead to be patient this time. Partly because Kan didnt seem to be doing that, which was quite the surprise. As the two parties gathered together, Noah made his way out of the ramp leading into the port. The bright sunlight shed onto him as he took in the air. Weirdly refreshing to be on solid ground again, he said. It is, Aurelia replied. Sky, the sky-serpent apparently agreed, cheerfully spinning all around Snow. Shadow seemed content to simply be sitting inside. I should probably let Tony and Bun Bun out as well, Noah said. Maybe after weve found a ce to stay at, Aurelia added. Their conversation got interrupted when a Draconian man wearing a uniform walked up to the ramp. He shared the same scale color as Kan, but his tone was slightly darker, and the man had more visible scars. Uncle Valros! Kan cheered, though the other man did not look nearly as happy. Walking closer, ring at him. Dont you try to gloss over this boy. You were supposed to be back three months ago, the man said. You know how it is with adventuring, a month, three month, its all hard to say. Arent you happy Im back safe and sound? Kan said, shrugging. Try telling that to your father, the man said. To Noahs surprise, Kan visible shuddered. Come on, cant you please talk to him this one time. Please? Boy, Ive saved your hide too many times. Now you will have to deal with it on your own, Valros said, before he nced towards the rest of them. I thought your party only had two people? he asked. Ah, right. This is Valeria and Seraphina, my party members. And these guys are friends we met on the way, theyre also giving the trial, Kan said. Valros looked at Valeria and Seraphina first, inspecting them. Without a word he nced sideways towards Noahs party afterwards. You might want to I told them. They cant. But theyre growing pretty fast so it might be possible, Kan interrupted. Valros hummed, before his gazended on Noah. Wyrmblood huh. I see why Kan took an interest then. Hard to see it nowadays. You could have a shot, Valros said. Thanks, Noah replied. Lastly, the mans gaze went to Zax, and for a moment he simply stared at him silently, eyes turning ever so slightly wider. Turning away, Valros looked at Kan. These are your friends, yes? You should invite them to stay. Oh, right, of course, Kan said, before looking at Noah and his party. You guys wanna stay at my ce while youre here? Would that be alright? Theres quite a few of us, Aurelia asked. No problem, weve got more than enough rooms, Kan said. He didnt tell you guys but hes actually fairly important here. Like a noble, Seraphina said. Wait, youre a noble? Aurelia asked in surprise. We dont really have nobles. But my father is fairly important. Hes the what do you call it. Hes a sworn protector of the king. One of the royal guards, and he looks after parts of the kingdom, Kan replied. We would be d to invite his friends to stay for the duration of the trial, Valros said, and though he was quick about it, Noah saw him stealing nces at Zax. All of us really appreciate it, Aurelia replied. Noah let her handle any discussions, ncing towards Zax. Whats happening? Zax, unlike Noah, did not show any indication of theirmunication as he replied. We think he hasfigured out our identity. It was a struggle for Noah to not instantly stare at Zax in surprise. He tried to keep his expression neutral as he continued. How? Did he see through your magic somehow? Noah asked. No, we dont think he did. In fact, this is even more interesting than some simple counter spell, Zax replied, polite smile still maintained on his face. Noah didnt break stride, continuing polite talks with Valros and listening off handedly to Kan talk about the city, and its history all the while his eyes continued to scan Valros. Whatre you two doing? Aurelias voice spoke in Noahs head, almost making him jump. Instead, he simply stumbled for a step before catching himself. Is something wrong? Kan asked, ncing at Noah. Uh- no, I just tripped. Not used to brick roads all that much, Noah said, tapping his foot on the ground. Kan seemed to buy it, returning to his tour guide of the ce as they continued to walk. Briefly he nced towards Aurelia in surprise. How had she used telepathy? Zax had made a spell link between the two of them, so Noahs mind resistance training had taught him how to use that to talk to Zax, but he was fairly sure Aurelia didnt have that, and didnt know telepathy, at least before now. Whyre you looking at me like that? Aurelia asked, once more, the words projecting to his mind. Noah reached out to Zax. How is she using telepathy? We built in the feature into your bracelets. At close range, you can reach out to one another andmunicate through the spell present in it. We had told you this, Zax said. Oh, Noah said, realizing hed never actually paid much attention to what his bracelet could do. He sent a pulse of mana, feeling the spell activate silently, and found a vague sense for his own bracelet being linked to all the members in his part. A prompt popped up in front of him as he did. Form a telepathic link to party member: Aurelia Fauster? Yes/No? Noah clicked yes, and felt the link form. Wow, this is neat, he sent, feeling oddly excited. You didnt pay attention, did you? Aurelia sent, giving him a side eye. Noah ignored her look, feigning ignorance. No idea what youre talking about. Anyway, Valros figured out Zaxs identity. And hes saying its not because he broke his spell. What?! Aurelia eximed, stopping in her step, almost tripping over herself as well. Kan nced back. Not used to the roads? Not used to the roads, Aurelia replied,tching onto the terrible excuse with a simple nod. You two need to stop acting like children, Ernest added, shaking his head. Zaxs identity was found out, Noah sent back. Even the pdin stopped, but only for the briefest of moments, before catching himself as he continued onwards. Snow looked up at the three of them, and Noah decided he may as well let her know too. The girls eyes widened in surprise, but of the three of them, she had the least obvious reaction. Sky tells me the big guy is terrified, Snow replied to them. I guess that means we wont get attacked at the very least, Noah replied, before ncing at Zax. Do you think itll cause problems? Zax remained quiet, not replying to Noah as he continued looking at Valros, eyes flicking around, clearly inspecting something. No. We dont think it will. And we mightve figured out how he found us out. How? Aurelia asked, looking towards Zax. Noah internally noted to tell her to learn to be less obvious. It was more difficult than people realized to talk to someone without actively looking at them. It had taken him some practice with Zax before he got the hang of it, and if he wasnt paying attention, he still sometimes did turn his head. Zax continued after another long moment of silence. This time, all four of them stopped in their tracks at his words. We think he knows another dragon. Book 3: Chapter 21 — Drakonias Book 3: Chapter 21 ¡ª Drakonias Kan looked back at the four of them. You guys really arent used to it, huh? I suppose our roads arent the best given how we mostly fly around, the Draconian replied. Are brick roads that strange? Seraphina questioned, looking at the four of them. Hard to say, perhaps the southern kingdoms dont have them, Valeria replied. Yeah, haha, I think being in air for so long might just screwed with our sense of bnce a little, right Noah? Aurelia said, ncing towards him. Right, yeah, sea sickness, but for the sky. Well be fine in a minute, just distracted watching the city, Noah replied. That makes sense. Were not far now either, Kan replied, turning back around as all of them continued on their way. Noah took a breath of relief at their flimsy excuse having worked out. But if Valros really did know, things might get problematic soon. The man, surprisingly, did not seem to notice their behavior, though his eyes still often went towards Zax. I think I need an exnation, Aurelia said. All of us need one. They have another dragon? Will it be as strong as you? You said your kin werent very kind to people, Noah replied. Sky says he can smell something too. Its very faint but theres the scent of another dragon on the person, Snow added. Yeah were certain. There is another dragon in this city. Which is curious because, as we told you Noah, our kin are not too keen on cooperating with creatures they see as sign of weakness and dilution of their bloodline. Draconians are akin to what a monkey might be to a human. There are some shared traits and ancestry, but one is far beneath the other. Well, to their eyes anyway. We obviously disagree. Thats an understatement if Ive ever heard one. Dragons are like a hurricane. Except they can hold grudges and remember faces. Nothing goodes out of being in the presence of once, Aurelia said, before turning towards Zax. No offense. None taken. You are correct in your judgement, Zax replied. The all mother has been a friend to the dragons, Erwest sent, ncing towards Zax. But even shemented on their unwillingness to socialize with anyone or anything they see as beneath themselves. Not to mention, the dragons left at the end of the ancient era. Any sightings of one havent been seen in centuries. Its the thing that makes the im of Drakonias being their descendants contentious. If there was a dragon around in Drakonias all this time why would they hide it? Right, yeah. Also this is making me realize how weird it is that Ive gotten used to having Zax around. I keep forgetting that youre a dragon, youre nothing like I imagine one to be. I always pictured a dragon to be far more intimidating, Aurelia said, before pausing. Again, no offense. If youd like we could transform back to our true form. Keeping a polymorh, illussion, and aura suppression spell going at all times does get a little taxing after you do it for a month with no breaks. A bit like sitting still without moving, Zax said. I really dont think thats a good idea Aurelia trailed off. Hes joking, Noah added, ncing to look at Zax who maintained a neutral expression. You are joking, right? Atst, the dragon gave a slight smile, but did not say anything further. What do you intend to do? Erwest asked, looking at Zax. Nothing. We simply intend to watch. Theres already a tracking spell on Valros that he wont be able to detect. And if he does, that will tell us more still about his capabilities. We are in no great need to hide our identity, it is simply convenient for us to do so. Im not sure I want the kind of attention that woulde with us hanging out with a dragon, within a kingdom that reveres and worships dragons, Aurelia replied. I dont know, it sounds like it could be fun. Whats the worst that can happen? The worst that happens is whichever dragon is hiding here decides it doesnt like another one barging into its territory and decides to fight. You do NOT want to get involved in a fight between two dragons, Aurelia sent. And neither do we. As we are, we cant match up to our brethren, if they really decide to take offense. Dragons are not just vicious to other creatures, but to one another as well. It is in our instincts to guard ournd, and to not let another enter it. But if there truly was a dragon around, it shouldve noticed our arrival. Even those with no talent for the finer natures of magic have the best senses there are, and would be able to sense our presence. Which is why this is so interesting, Zax said, and Noah could feel the dragons curiosity piqued. It was the same expression he had made when Noah had first arrived to him and the dragon had decided to train him. Lets just see what happens, Noah replied, and the group nodded in reply. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition. The streets moved in curved paths before eventually the group arrived in front of a ce that looked like a partial mix between a military training ground, and a mansion. Noah stared at the building, the gates not particrly fancy but build of thick metal with magic running through it. Two guards stood at the gates, wearing uniforms and saluted Valros as they entered inside. The ground was barren and made of sand and earth, with next to no decorations inside. Little tents were setup in therge field around the main building with all kinds of practice dummies and training areas setup. Noah spotted a group of draconians flying in formation in the sky with a squad leader guiding them as they swooped down with spears in their hands, before rising right back up into the skies again, each one having stabbed a small sack of some sort which was pierced on the tip of their weapons. Wow, this is very military, Noah said, looking around himself. My dad likes to train people! He thinks the youth is getting weak and needs to be hardened up for tough times or something like that. But people look up to him so a lot of them join, Kan said. Your father is not wrong. This training will only help make sure that we are prepared for any and all threats to our nation and can protect it in times of need, Valros said. Is there something in particr thats dangerous here? Aurelia asked. This is a C grade area with the majority of creatures having some hint of a draconian lineage in them. Everything is dangerous here, Valros replied. Seraphina whistled, as she ran forward of the group to stand next to a statue of a draconian man wearing pristine armor. Wow, the magic in this thing is so old. The woman said, practically drooling at the sight. Valeria followed after with a sigh, grabbing Seraphina by the cor as she dragged the entranced woman back. Dont be rude, Seph. Kanughed. Valros seemed a lot less amused, the man definitely gave a strong military feel to Noah, but perhaps the tension was alsoing from the knowledge that a Dragon was walking next to him. Though, if he truly did know, he definitely was hiding it well. If Noah hadnt been told of it, he wouldve never caught the subtle nces towards Zax. Noahs eyes were caught by another group, this one marching on the ground. But the strangest thing were theck of wings that he saw on them. Are those Drailiths? Noah asked, and say Valros twitch his brows at the words. No, those are Draconians of low birth, Kan replied. Noah looked at him with slight confusion and hesitation. Lowbirth? Well, they have less dragon blood in them. So they dont have wings. Not all draconians are born with wings. In fact, only about one in ten are, Kan replied, ncing towards the marching group before turning away once more. You shouldnt make thatparison again, Noah. Or ask about the bloodline. Theres a lot of value given to the purity of ones blood in here, and how close it is to a dragons, with a true dragon being something of a god figure to them. And drailiths look simr, but are not dragon blooded, so anyparison is taken as an insult, Aurelia said. Its like calling a wolf a dog, Zax added. Their group soon walked into the mansion at the center, entering through the gates. The building was made entirely of stone and did not have any paint on it. Though he did spot some kind of coating covering the walls, giving it a very earthen look. Heads of all sorts of creatures were mounted on the walls, magic flowing through them, preserving them in time. He noticed more than a couple paintings as well, many of what looked to be Kans father, though there were some of a younger Kan as well. As they entered the central hall, a figure walked into the chamber, one that if Noah had to guess would be a teenager. Noah didnt spot any wings on his back. Brother Kan, it is good to see you, the boy said, dipping his head. Another child came out, this one much younger, with little wings on her shimmering behind her as she rushed out and hugged Kan. Ahaha, I missed you Keya! Kan said, picking the girl up in his arms, as she giggled. He then turned to the boy. Good to see you doing well too, Kean. Are these all your party members, brother? I thought you only had two, Kean asked, looking at them with curiosity. Kean, you forget your manners. These are guests, we do not ask questions, Valros said with a sharp tone. Apologies, Kean replied, lowering his head slightly. Oh, dont be so harsh uncle, these are friends, Kan said, setting his sister down on the ground . The girl apparently did not like that, as she tugged at his lugs, before shouting. Kan! Look, look, I can fly now! The girl closed her eyes, focusing intently. Her wings pped behind her back with intensity, and Noah felt magic pulse through them as a gust of wind rose around her, floating her a few inches off the ground. By the skies, you really are! Thats amazing Keya! Kan shouted, and the girlughed, pleased. Ill y with some more in just a minute, but first let me get my friends settled in, okay? Keya, lets go to your room for now, Kean said, holding the little girls hand. Ill take care of her, he added to Kan. The boy nced at the rest of them for a moment before he headed back out. Kan turned to the group. So, you guys have seen half of my family already. Father might be here sometime as well, but I assume you probably want to rest a little first? The group gave a mix of affirmative responses. Alright, theres some rooms for guests, Ill show them to you, and afterwards we could head out. Theres a good ce I know that serves the best Drake steaks in the entire kingdom, you guys will love it, Kan said, excitedly. Noah nodded, but his attention remained on Valros, who stood there silently. We would like to head out sometime. Theres a ce weve been to here before, that wed like to visit again, Zax said. Oh, sure, I didnt know you were familiar with this ce Zax, Kan said. It was a long time ago. A lot has changed so we arent too familiar, but finding the ce shouldnt be an issue, Zax replied. If you do not mind me asking, what is this ce you would be visiting? Valros asked, looking at Zax. Its a grave of an old friend. A little outside the city, on the south side, beyond the forest. A short flight away. We had told him we would visit if we were ever around here, Zax replied. Whatre you doing? Noah asked Confirming our suspicions. But also, exactly what we said. Going to a grave. The ce we told him is the grave of a dragon. Ah, thats dragon grave. I did not know anyone was buried in the part. Its a dangerous area filled with monsters. Even for someone of your caliber, I would be remiss to send a guest of our household walk away like this. Please, allow me to apany you, Valros said. Very well, Zax replied. We will be heading out then. The group nodded. Dont wait for us. Well be back soon. Try not to cause trouble, Zax sent to Noah. With your expression, I feel like I should be the one saying that. The dragon gave him a mischievous smile. Book 3: Chapter 22 — Dragons Grave Book 3: Chapter 22 ¡ª Dragon''s Grave Valros walked out of the mansion, his mind running through the multitudes of possibilities. His guest walked with a calm demeanor, seemingly unaware of his turbulent state of mind, as he scanned the area with the hint of a smile on his face. Regardless of his own thoughts, he couldnt be rude to the man. Especially if he really was a dragon. Valros didnt even want to think of the chaos that would cause. He regarded Zax, as the man had introduced himself, noting the mages simple yet pristine clothing that had gone out of fashion over a century ago glimmering with residual mana that did not leak even a hint more than it shouldve. Trying not to get lost in thoughts again, he addressed the mage. Would you like me to call for a carriage? Valros asked. Humans liked their carriages. And if this was a really powerful mage with some ties to a dragon, or a dragon in disguise, how Valros should behave did not really change. He would treat him as his form indicated, lest he find himself a head shorter and his kingdom in shambles. We thought flight might be more appropriate, Zax replied, looking up at the clouds to inspect the weather. We can carry you, if you do not wish to take to the skies. Valros had to hold back a snort. A draconian who was afraid to fly. Even the lowborn would jump off high cliffs since early childhood, using wind spells and the like to learn how to break a fall and survive. And he was brother to a Royal Guard. Flight suits me just fine, Valros replied. Hispanion gave him a smile, the kind that made his stomach churn, the kind with hidden intentions behind it that he couldnt read very well. For a moment he had to wonder if he was being lured to an isted location to be made into a quick meal. As much reverence as he possessed for dragons they were not kind. He put the thought out of his head. If a dragon wanted to make a meal of him, hed already be dead. The thought was stupid. The man next to him could likely content with his majesty, he would simply have to assume there were no ill intentions present. Zax let mana swirl around his body, wind whipping up and making his clothes flutter, before he was floating off the ground. Valros let his own wings spread behind his back, mana channeling through the natural dragon scales present there as wind swirled beneath them, generating enough thrust to let him take to the skies. His own take off was much powerful, and to an amateur it would be a disy of strength, but he knew the truth. The real power was in control, and Zax was flying like gravity may as well not exist at all. Following behind Valros the mage led the way in the direction of the dragons grave, and Valros followed next to him. We remember that one of the things we had liked about this ce was the weather. The wind and the clear skies always made flying through the inds a much morefortable experience, and made it easier to spot locations from high above as well. Back then there were no kingdoms on this part though, Zax said. Valros nearly stumbledor the equivalent of that with flight, which was losing control of his wings and the wind in them, as he dipped in height for a moment before catching himselfthe kingdom of Draconian was nearly a thousand years old. They had been here since the end of the ancient era. Almost entirely since the dragons left thesends. Just how old was Zax? Did youe here very often? Valros asked. He may as well try to learn a little more about his new guest. Right now, all he had to go off of was the familiar sense of aura and his gut quivering in the same way it did whenever he met with Vion. Butpared to the girl, Zax barely had any strength in his aura. He looked, felt and sounded entirely human even on a deeper look. And yet, it was those moments, the little seconds when Valros looked into his eyes that he felt something deep inside his soul shake in the kind of primal fear that only those who had seen the eyes of an apex predator knew. We came here every now and then. This ce had some family members, all long dead now, or gone off somewhere. We had been much younger then, and eager to leave, go out into the world, and leave a mark on it, Zax said, a smile hanging on his lips that conveyed the kind of regretful smile one could only show to the follies of their youth. As the winds flew around the two sky bound men, the towering earth and stone buildings of Drakonias faded, as the giant Dragon Grave began to appear in the distance. Valros continued to follow, wondering if they would be finding any sort of graveyard in the area. None existed, as far as he knew. Even in death, the body of a dragon possessed powerful magic, powerful enough to warp its surroundings. To bury the dead near such potent power was to invite a hoard of undead upon yourself. Yet, the mage continued flying without stop, eventually crossing the checkpoint where guards patrolled the boundary of the area to allow none to breach the sanctity of the dragon grave. Valros heart rate spiked when he saw some warriors on patrol notice their arrival and ready their weapons to strike and he stopped those fools before they invited death upon them all. The mage slowly began to descend, arriving next to the maw of the giant dragons corpse which had transformed into a cavern and a dungeon over the centuries. With wind swirling around both, the two men slowly nted their feet back onto the ground. Zax looked at the skeleton with a forlorn expression. Valros didnt dare ask the question that remained in his mind, and so he simply stood there, next to the man. We had left a grave from him nearby, taking from the human custom of carving tombs and gravestones to remember their dead, Zax said, walking closer to the caverns mouth. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Valros followed behind silently. Zax led him next to the dragons maw, before waving his hand. A spell unraveled from the area and a beautiful gravestone appeared from behind the illusion magic that had been set in this ce. Zax crouched next to the tombstone, a snap of his fingers clearing out the dirt from it. Flowers blossomed on the tombstone, the name present on it faded to time, but as the dirt cleared, he could make out what was underneath. The greatest dragon warrior. Zax turned to look at Valros. Would you care to listen to a story? Valros nodded. Its a story of a dragon. One who didnt listen or paid much attention to others. Egotistical, and rash. Born to a society of mages, he alone possessed no talent for any magic, not even the simplest kind. But instead, he was given might. He wasrger than all his siblings and his physical prowess were unparalleled. And so, he chose to be a warrior. Though he held weapons in contempt, his mind was changed by a powerful woman who managed to beat him, leaving him with a scar over his eye. Infatuated with her, he took on a human form, vying for her love. She did not reciprocate. The dragon was not used to being denied, and so he tried to take her by force. But the woman beat him time and time again. And as she did, he began to grow frustrated. Eventually, deciding to pick up a weapon and train with it. He was a natural, growing stronger with rapid speed and eventually managing to best the woman. But though he could match her might now, his heart remained out of his grasp. The dragon was not pleased. But he knew he could not force things. And so he began to court her. This time, not as a dragon, but as a man in love. In time, the woman was won over by his efforts, and they married, and together they founded a home here. The man eventually came to be known as the Dragon Warrior, Zax said, before turning around to regard the grave as he brushed his hand atop the tombstone. It has been some time, old friend. Valros heart was racing, beyond an inkling of a doubt. Coherent thoughts fled his mind as he stumbled a step back. Who who are you? Zax nced at him, and Valros felt the mage- no, he felt the dragon let go of the restraints on his aura. A pulse of magic that overpowered the aura of the giant dragons corpse now spread out all around him, sending Valros to his knees. He bowed his head deeply, his eyes rooted to the ground as his breath and his heart both stilled under the presence of the dragons might. In that moment he knew he was dead. He need not look at his astral script to read that terror shook his heart, or to see that the might of the creature in front of him dwarfed him so much that his very soul resisted the thought of fighting back. And yet, just as quickly as it hade, it vanished once more. Valros looked up, surprised that he still took breath and saw Zax facing the gravestone. Weve found some funpanions to once again travel with. Much like Ryugan, though none quite as sharp as him. But they have a good heart, all of them. Had you still been here, we think you wouldve quite liked sparring with Noah. Though you also likely wouldve killed him, The dragon chuckled to himself at the words. If Valros could sweat hed be pouring buckets. As it was, he only felt the chills in his body as both his mind and heart prepared for the iing death. He dared not speak, dared not even breathe in the dragons direction, and yet, this could be the end of their kingdom. The end of everything he loved. And if these were thest words he uttered, so be it, he had to serve his duty. Honored one, forgive me for speaking without permission but I must ask... why have youe here? Valros blurted the words out like his life depended on finishing the sentence. Zax simply nced back at the man. You do not have to shiver like that. Unlike the dragons you know of, we do not believe in senseless killing. And the reason for our arrival is simply to apany our friends. Friends... you say, Valros said, finding it hard to believe that a party of D ranks, and one F ranker girl would be friends with a dragon. And yet, the dragon himself said the words, so who was he to question it. And... do your friends... intend to... Valros struggled to find the words, or say what he needed to respectfully. No, we do not intend to take over the kingdom, Zax said, shaking his head. Were no longer a child. That phase is behind us. Zax waved his hand as the magic pulsed once more, hiding the tombstone in in sight, gone from this reality as if it had never existed. This corpse. Our friends corpse. It is its heart, the dungeon core, which grants the title. Isnt that so? Zax said. Indeed, it is as you have guessed, esteemed one, Valros said, bowing his head. The dragon walked right in front of Valros. How did you find out who we were? We know it wasnt a w in our spell, so it must be because you know of another dragon, Zax said. Valros clenched his teeth. He looked up at the dragon, meeting his eyes. I cannot say, honored one. Not even on my life. It is an oath to my king that I am bound by. Axeros had many children, yet none were true dragons. Unless... Zax trailed off, his eyes widening. He hid the child. If one had truly inherited his blood... the child would age very slowly, and his own instinct would mean he would kill it before it could ever mature. Valros looked at Zax, before bowing his head. It is as you say. She resides within the pce, and none know of her beyond only the king and those in close confidence with him. And as shameless as this is, since you know the truth, I must beg of you to not speak of this to anyone. Valros felt Zaxs eyes on him, and for a moment he felt like his insolence had truly brought death upon him. You have our word. If he has truly left a daughter behind... then she would be our niece. We would like to meet her, Zax replied. Valros looked up at Zax in shock. Really? Wouldnt that... wouldnt you... Like we said, we are not like our kin. Our instincts do not control us. And a young dragon? She would need to be disciplined, and none of you would have the capacity to. We would like her to know of her kin, and of her father and mother, Zax said. Valros bowed his head, feeling tears gather in his eyes. We- no, this entire kingdom, will be in your eternal debt, honored one. The dragon put a hand on Valros shoulder. You may stop with that honored one. For the moment, we are Zax, a human mage, adventurer, and nothing more. This is an order. Valros felt his shoulders stiffen, before he gave a nod. Zax hummed to himself. Perhaps it would be better still if we brought Noah to her. We assume she can take a human form, if she has stayed hidden so long. Her mothers blood would mean she would have an easier time of it than us as well. The two could definitely learn from one another. Umm... Vion is... she does not tolerate other people very well, Valros said. Zax looked down at him, and grinned. Even better. Then this would be the time to break her in, and show her that the world is far greater than she realizes. Valros felt a shudder run down his spine. Book 3: Chapter 23 — Solo Spar Book 3: Chapter 23 ¡ª Solo Spar By the time afternoon had rolled around, the party had split up into different groups. Zax had already left with Valros. Aurelia had decided to take a mid-day nap by herself, Snow and Seraphina were in the library reading books, and Erwest had gone somewhere with Valeria. Kan, simrly, was busy with some work. Noah, finding himself without much to do, had decided to spend some time training. Hed found a sparring chamber rtively quickly out in the training fields. A dojo-like space with wooden board floors and mage lighting setup on the walls. The marks and dents on the floor denoted that the ce was used to practice hand to handbat, and other simr sparring sessions. Noah had been slightly concerned that a wooden floor would break if he was too rough with things, but to his surprise had found the floor extremely sturdy, despite theck of any visible magical spell fortifying it. Tony shifted at hismand, his ck overcoat sleeves receding, leaving him topless as he stretched his muscles, feeling them quiver in anticipation. The training Kan had put them through had certainly not been gentle, and with all the overtime sparring sessions Noah had done with Aurelia and the others, even his modified body had demanded he rest. But now that he had given himself that much needed rest, he was in better physical shape than ever before. There was a mirror in the sparring room, mounted on the wall with what seemed like a spell to keep the surface clean. Noah walked in front of the mirror to look at himself. There were no scars on his body despite everything he had put it through. No marks, and no indications of the torture he regrly put himself under. His muscles looked both firm and soft at the same time, but for how lean his body and build was, he filled out his figure quite well. He also couldnt be too certain, but he had a sinking suspicion that he was bing more attractive the more he leveled up. His jawline was more refined, and his abs were firm enough to bend steel. It was a little surreal to look at himself right now. Noah had never been unfit. Never been fat. But there was a world of difference between being fit and having the body of a model. His proportions didnt exactly make sense either, the strongest of people didnt look like this, and he had to wonder if the system adjusted his physique to suit what he thought looked good. His charisma sub attribute had also gone up by one to D7. Quite the introspection. Are you gonna kiss yourself now? His shadow specter swirled, manifesting in front of him. Noah rolled his eyes. He didnt particrly care how he looked, and neither did any monster that would be looking to make him into a good meal. But it doesnt hurt to be hot, the shadow added, reading his thoughts. You unnerve me sometimes, Noah said, looking at his shadow. Probably because Im you. Its weird to hear your own voice from someone else isnt it? Now imagine knowing that you arent actually yourself but instead just a copy, its definitely an experience, Ill tell you that, the shadow said, an evil glint shing across its eyes, like it was sayingIll murder you if you arent on your toesbut Noah knew the jokes for what they were by now. The shadow specter was bound to him, they were part of the same entity. If Noah died, the shadow would die with him. And hed had a dozen or more chances to kill him already. But had never made any indications of doing so. The specter had been very docile and had mostly kept to himself. Although every now and then when they were alone, he woulde out to chat. Ignoring the specter, Noah opened up his Astral Script. Astral Script: Name: Noah Brown Race: Draconian Humanoid Rank: D Title: [Titan yer] Paths: Wyrmblood Guardian (Legendary) - level 129 Runebody Arcanist (Legendary) - level 128 Abyssal Predator (Legendary) - level 130 Attributes: Power: 938 [1125] Agility: 808 [969] Constitution: 853 [1151] Mystic: 878 [1185] Attribute points: 0 Skill Points: 1 All four of his attributes were nearing the thousand mark as their base. The amount of attributes he gained per level was downright insane. Just in raw power, he was already stronger than Aurelia unless she was using her berserker abilities, and even then, Noahs metamorphosis meant in nine out of ten matches, he would most likely win. Erwest was trickier, the pdins holy powers countering his void abilities quite thoroughly, but Noah still didnt see himself losing in a confrontation. The fact that just a month ago, winning against either wouldve been a difficult task told him just how fast he was growing. It wasnt like the others had stopped progressing either. He was simply that much faster than them. Noah pulled up his skill and ability upgrades. A myriad of notifications appeared, almost every ability having gone up by a few levels sincest time. Having three full sets of legendary abilities meant it took that much more work to level each of them up, but Noah had managed to keep his pace up. He ignored most of the abilities, picking out the one he was most interested in. Weapon Mastery level 13 18 That was the biggest change that had happened so far. Training with Kan and focusing on his spear had made his weapon mastery go up by five levels in a single month, pushing it faster than ever before. Noah had distinctly felt the difference as well. His connection to his spear had increased, and he was much more in tune with the weapon. But, due to the broad nature of the skill, it wasnt just his spear skills that had increased. As weapon mastery went up, Noah had automatically found himself gaining insights on how to better use others weapons. Armaments could summon any weapon, and Noah had found himself using swords, bows, shields, gauntlets, daggers and anything and everything in between with a much greater degree of skill, like the skill itself was guiding him and correcting any mistakes he might be making. It made him excited. As much as he liked his spear, he definitely would not mind expanding his arsenal a little bit more. Right now the only two primary weapons he used were his spear and his ws, with everything else acting as a support role, or his clones using the weapons to act as distractions. But if he could master multiple weapons, he could switch between them with ease and vary his fighting style drastically. Noah looked down at his arms, summoning his runic chains. The chains unraveled from his forearms, manifested with glowing runes as they glistened in power. An idea began to bud in his head, but there would be more testing and practice required before he could really put it to good use. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences. He de-summoned the chains, looking at his Astral script as he pulled up his sub attributes. Power: C8 C9 Agility: B0 Constitution: B2 Mystic: C6 C8 His power and mystic sub attributes had gone up. Noah had definitely felt the difference, and given that those two were his primary attributes, any increase in the sub attributes meant he felt the difference significantly. And yet, there was still a long way to go before he was ready for the Dragon Warriors trial. He had no doubt that hispetition would be fierce, and if he wanted to win, hed need to continue progressing at a rapid rate. Noah looked at the shadow specter lounging around without a care. Were sparring, Noah announced to the specter, who simply looked back at him and grinned. Reaching inside his dimensional space, Noah pulled out his spear before tossing it to the shadow. The specter raised an eyebrow in question. Are you sure? He asked. Yup, Noah replied. He reached out to Tony, themunication between them now wordless and in sync as the symbiote recreated his clothes, but this time instead of a long leather like jacket, he wore dark armor that covered his skin, with muscr fibers woven into it that seamlessly flowed around his body, hardening bony materials that glistened like obsidian. Tony continued to move across Noahs body, rising up to his face as his dark tendrils flowed all around him, giving him a particrly demonic look. Noah flexed his ws, before slowly asking the symbiote to reduce the coverage of the armor. Tony shivered once, slightly confused at themand, but obeyed. His ws changed back to fingers, the armor now receding to be more light, only covering his body like a simple albeit still pitch ck piece of leather armor. With a nod, Noah let his chains manifest wrapped around his forearms and in his hands. He bound the weapons around his knuckles, being able to freely control their motion. He raised his fists in a stance, regarding the shadow, whose eyes widened with understanding. Ah, so thats how this is, the shadow said, understanding the premise of the spar. They would both be working on their respective weaknesses, while trying to learn from the other. There was nothing as good as being able to spar yourself for finding weaknesses in your fighting style. The specter aimed the spear towards him, and then without the need for any signal, the two began. The specter thrust the spear forward and Noah used the chains to block the des strike. Sparks flew from the impact as Noah guarded himself from the attack with his hand while rushing in closer. Weapon mastery guided him as he unwound the chain on his left hand, swinging it forward in an arc towards the specters head. The specter blinked away, dodging the strike before another thrust came at his back. Noah blinked back in response and a dance of engagements and teleports began between the two, like a game of rock paper scissors, the oues were determined within an instant, and then reset as one or both participants teleported to dodge the strike, before reengaging with the battle. The dance ofbat continued between the two, both each others exact match. Both familiar with one anothers abilities to the fullest extent and capable of replicating it. The oue for victory would be decided in a single instant, and yet neither relented in their battles. Weapon mastery guided Noahs movements, each action he took now more precise. His chains moved like they had a mind of their own, wrapping around the spear, their suppression powers capable of resisting the rot on the weapon as he pulled the specter towards him. The specter rushed in, not pulling away or resisting, knowing they were equal in strength and instead using the momentum to try and kick Noah in the gut to free the spear, but Noah was prepared, he angled his chains, catching the feet of the specter as he pulled at the spear, this time making the specter go off bnce. With both hands tied and in an awkward grabble Noah used the only thing he could and mmed his head against the specter as hard as he could. The impact resounded with a crack, both participants stumbling backwards from the shock. Noah felt blood drip down his forehead onto his cheeks before it burned away in steam from the residual heat rising from his body as Abyssal Inferno churned inside. Wyrmblood meant the injury was healed before it had even had a chance to open properly. The shadow simrly stumbled, though no blood came from him, the specter entirely ethereal on the inside. Bothbatants panted, both had been an equal match to the other. Noah let his chains dissolve away, extending a hand towards the shadow. The shadow looked at the offered hand, before grasping it in a shake. Reminds me of my high school days, Noah said. Those bullies were never this mature after we kicked their asses though, Shadow replied as the two of them snickered over the shared memory. Noah checked his abilities, slightly disappointed to see no level ups, but there was more tobat than merely levels. He was much better at using the chains now, and there were budding insights in his head about the ws in his own spear usage that he had seen with the shadow specter. He would meditate on those tonight. And he had a feeling that after he did, he might just see a level up in his weapon mastery skill. As Noah thought over what insights he could draw from this spar, his Shadow gave him a hesitant nce. What? Noah asked. It wasnt like him to be shy. So, Ive been thinking about this and, dont take this the wrong way Sounds ominous. Im definitely still you and all that but Ive been thinking that it would be nice to have my own name. Noah looked at the specter in surprise. I know, it sounds weird, and I didnt think it would bother me this much. But like, Im you but Im also not entirely you am I? Right now, Im just the shadow or the specter or what have you and I thought that was fine, but I definitely also kinda feel like having my own name my own identity would be nice. Even if Im still a part of you. A bit like Tony, the shadow said. Noah cupped his chin, humming in thought. Well, I suck at names. I would call you shadow but Im afraid thats been taken already. The specter chuckled. Yeah, tell me about it. My whole shtick is not even unique! Noah thought a little bit more. Dark Noah? The specter cringed visibly. Yeah, never mind. Im not good at this. But Ill try to think of something. I dont mind giving you a name. I just never did because you have my face and everything so it felt weird. Yeah, no, I get it. I really get it. Not being yourself while also being the identical copy of someone is strange. But Ive been telling myself that were kinda like twins. Simr but not the same, and inseparably tied together. Though in our case thats also literal, the shadow said. Yeah, I can see that. Hmm. A twin. Well, its not like we can ask mom to name you. Yeah on that topic. Since souls are real and magic is real do you think that I dont know, Noah interjected. Hed definitely had the thought before. But this wasnt Earth. There was no reason his mother or her soul would be here. So if she was somewhere, it would be on Earth, or wherever souls went after people died there. He hoped it wasnt the void. Footsteps echoed from nearby, and a momentter the gate to the sparring chamber opened with a thud. Shadow NoahThat still felt awkward but it was better than everything else Noah had thought ofhad already melted back into Noahs body, assimting with his shadow. Kan stood on the other end of the door, looking inside curiously. You were sparring by yourself? The draconian man raised an eyebrow. Uh, yeah, just some mild training, Noah said. Alright. well, The rest of us are going out into the city to explore a little, before having some food. Remember the steak ce I talked about that had the best stuff from anywhere? I managed to get a spot for us there, even though it typically needs a reservation week prior ahead in time. You wanna join us? Kan asked. Noah adjusted his coat, which Tony had reformed without him even needing to askNo matter how often he said this, it wasnt enough. Tony was the bestas he walked up to the man. At the mention of food, Noahs stomach let out an audible grumble and though he really didnt need to eat food anymore, working out still raised his appetite. I suppose thats answer enough, Kan said with a smile. Noah grinned back in response. Book 3: Chapter 18 — Beach episode... in the sky? Pt. 3

Book 3: Chapter 18 ¡ª Beach episode... in the sky? Pt. 3

Shouts and screams rose, magic ring as adventurers began to prepare forbat while running around. Protective spells red on the airship, people rapidly, moving around. Noah summoned his spear, ready to quickly rush to the ship but found himself stuck where he was when the serpents gaze rested on him with the full weight of its aura. It was the weight of a mountain, a veritable tide of power all stumbling onto his shoulders. It took his all to not fall onto his knees. The moment passed, the serpents eyes shifting away immediately to Arie and Zax, yet the feeling did not, as Noah stood frozen. For the first time, he realised that even when training for terror, Zax had never been using his entire auras force. Not even close. The two figures flew in the skies, lightning crackling around Zax and wind swirling around Arie. Noah, we need to go, Aurelia said, touching his shoulder as he snapped out of his daze. He nodded, looking once again at the giant serpent, and the face off. Ready to rush back to the safety, Noah put his hand on Aurelia, searching for Snow to teleport both of them in at once, when he found the girl, looking at the sea serpent with a frown. Snow! Stop standing around, we need to get back to the ship, Noah shouted. The girl jerked, looking at him in surprise, before her eyes went back to the sea serpent. She ran closer and Noah grabbed her hand, activating Arcane Step to teleport away when he felt Snow tighten her fingers around his. No. Noah stop, she said, as Noah paused, looking down at her in surprise. It- she does not want to harm us. I can feel it. Its my path is telling me. She needs help, but all this magic is scaring her. You need to bring me to the captain and Zax. What? Noah eximed, taken aback by her words. He heard thunder rolling in the skies, a storm brewing from the intense magical outputing from the creature, as mana began to rise. Noah looked at Zax, and Arie, feeling the intense weight of the aura, feeling uncertain if he even could, go there without passing out. Please, Noah. I can talk to her! Snow eximed. Noah looked at Aurelia, who shared a simr look of concern. He looked down, meeting the girls eyes and the plea reflecting off in them. Noah cursed. Hop on, he said, crouching down as he picked Snow up in his arms. You guys head back, Ill teleport out instantly if anything goes wrong, he said, ncing at Aurelia, and the rest, before using Arcane Step as he teleported to the skies. Moving through the air Noah chained a sequence of teleports, rising higher and higher. Arie noticed his arrival, but the woman seemed preupied, her aura battling against the giant serpents own dominating power, as she tried to shield her ship and persuade her. Stop! Noah shouted, using another Arcane Step to gain more height. He cursed as the wind covered his words, his own focus faltering under the intense pressureing from the three people. He condensed his aura, shielding Snow with everything he had who clung on tightly to not fall off. Sweat dripped down Noahs body. Even with all his abilities, the intensity of the auras here were enough to rapidly burn his mana for everysingle spell he used. In a desperate attempt to keep afloat, wings sprouted from his back with Tonys help, pping rapidly as he tried to navigate. A hurricane brew in the skies, and for a moment it felt like things would explode in violence. Noah took a deep breath in. Hold on! Noah shouted with everything he had, this time managing to catch Zaxs attention. The dragon waved a hand as a spell formed around Noah, shielding him from the powerful winds, and slowly bringing him up. What in the depths are you doing here?! Arie eximed in horror, as she saw Noah. Snow says she can talk he panted, ncing at Zax, who gave him a nod. But first turn off the spells its scaring the sea serpent. Arie looked at him as if he was insane, before looking at Snow who he carried in his arms. A momentter, her expression turned serious. No, Im not risking my ship and crew over this. The risk is too high. Were going to leave. This tale has been uwfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The sea serpent opened its mouth, a loud earth shaking rumble rising from it as the sky crackled from above. Youre scaring her! She doesnt want to fight! Snow shouted . Listen that ship? Its my responsibility. The people on it? Theyre my responsibility too. Im not telling them to turn off the protective spells and hope nothing goes wrong, Arei replied, her own mana rising. Noah could sense wind gathering around the ship, ready to take it up in the air. We can make a different spell to protect the ship if something happens. You have our word. For now, follow the childs wishes. Her path is one that can help us resolve this peacefully, Zax said, looking Arie in the eye. The captain hesitated, looking at Zax, and then back at Snow. After a long moment, she cursed under her breath, shooting off rapidly back to the ship in a rush. As Arie leaved, her own auras protection fading, Noah felt the weight of the creatures aura double, nearly sending him tumbling. Zaxs magic intensified, holding him in ce. They all waited a few moments, after which the ships magic faded, and it stood, unprotect and at the mercy of the serpent. What else do you need? Zax asked. Snow hesitated for a moment, looking at Noah for reassurance. You can do this, he said, and the girls nodded, looking back at Zax. I can talk to her. Can you can you bring me closer? Snow said. Done, Zax replied, as wind rose around Snow, lifting her from Noahs arms. She shrieked in fear for a second, afraid of falling but when her body kept levitating, Snow blushed, before ncing towards the giant serpent. Slowly, Zaxs magic rose her up into the air, bringing her closer and closer to the serpent. Noah could see Zax straining to shield her from its aura, but he knew he couldnt do anything to help, and so he simply watched. After a long minute, Snow floated, nearly eye level to the giant serpentrge enough that she would barely be as big as its eye. Moving closer, she slowly raised her arm out at the serpent. Her fingers trembled, body shivering as she closed her eyes, simply waiting with her arm extended. A moment passed in silence, before she felt a gentle push as something coarse and rough touched her palm. Slowly, Snow opened her eyes and saw the serpents giant face touching her palm, its nostrils ring. The mana began to fade, the storm slowly dying out as the creature regarded her. Snow felt her heart racing, the ball of fear and anxiety melted in palpable relief that blooded her with the rush of adrenaline, bursting out of her mouth inughter. After a moment, Zax and Noah both moved closer to Snow, who looked up at the serpent, and found herself hesitaitng. Ive never done this before, she said, ncing back at Zax. Yet you know that you can. You carry the runes, and the magic they bring. It is in your soul. Let it guide you, and the answer shalle, Zax said. Snow gave a hesitant nod, looking at Noah. You can do it. Closing her eyes, Snow channeled her magic. The runes on her body lit up with mana, glowing a mix of ck and white. Slowly, her mana flowed from her hand, into the serpent. A momentter, a bond formed between the two as the serpent pulled back its head. We hear you, child. The words resonated across the world, the serpents intent clear in them as she looked down at Snow. The girls eyes widened in surprise at her sess, but she quickly calmed herself, We dont mean you any harm! Snow shouted. We know. You cannot harm us. And we trust the old one with you, the serpent replied, looking at Zax. Noah nced at the dragon, reaching out their shared telepathic connection. You can talk to the sky serpent? Why did you wait for Snow to arrive? Zax nced sideways at Noah. We thought it would be a good lesson. She would grow from this, and learn the nature of her powers. Even you couldve talked to her had you so desired. You can understand her words after all, cant you? Yeah, why wouldnt I understand? Noah asked. Because she speaks a lost tongue, known only to dragons and their kin, Zax replied. Ah, Noah said, realization settling onto him. He brought his attention back to the serpent. Dont understand, Snow said, and Noah realised her words were clumsy, as she was speaking an unfamiliarnguage. Why threaten if not afraid? She asked. We did not intend to threaten you. Merely, to catch your attention, the sky serpent said, its eyes drifting to rest upon Zax now instead. We sensed the old one. And wish to ask a favour. We are willing to hear, Zax replied, speaking much more smoothly than Snow did. The giant serpent bowed its head to the dragon.Please save our children. They are trapped, and we cannot reach them. Even from up here, Noah could hear the collective gasp everyone took as they watched the sky serpent bowing its head to Zax. Very well, Zax replied, ncing sideways at Noah and Snow. What do the two of you wish to do? As Zax asked, a prompt appeared in front of Noah. Your party has been given a quest! Quest: Rescue Mission Your party have received a quest from Axzeriethal the Sky Serpent to rescue her children. Difficulty: Moderate Reward: Axzeriethals Blessing Would you like to ept this quest? Yes/No? Noah nced sideways. From the looks of Snows widened eyes, she had received a simr message. He turned to face Zax, and then gave the dragon a nod. Lets do it, Noah replied. A chime rang in his ears. Quest epted! Book 3: Chapter 24 — Exploration Quest Book 3: Chapter 24 ¡ª Exploration Quest Noah followed Kan out of the sparring chamber, arriving at the entrance of the estate where he saw the rest of the party gathered together. Aurelia stood with a rather sleepy expression, her eyes squinted and hair ever so slightly a mess like she had only just woken up from her nap. Erwest and Valeria remained together, the pdin standing stoic as ever while Valeria continued to chat with him excitedly. Noah had to wonder if there was something going on between the two, but it was hard for him to picture Erwest in any other expression besides a scowl. Snow stood next to Seraphina, Sky flew next to her as Seraphina inspected the sky serpent with intrigue while the two discussed the magical properties of the creature. Upon his arrival, Snow turned to look at Noah, before rushing closer. Noah! Look what Seraphina taught me! The girl eximed, Sky trailing behind her as Snow stood still in front of him, before closing her eyes as she whispered a chant under her breath. Noah could hear the words but hisnguage perk didnt tell him what it meant, if anything. The tattoos on Snows body lit up with magic, one in particr flowing around before a momentter, her shadow stirred, as Shadow appeared in her arms. Noah blinked, taken aback for a moment. Instead of the giant void wolf he usually saw, an manageable albeit still overgrown ck wolf pup now hung in Snows grasp, licking at her fingers and wiggling around to go free. Hes so cute! Look at him! Snow eximed, like any young girl would if given a puppy in their hands. Shadow wiggled around, before jumping out of her hands, clearly notfortable with being treated like a cute little pup. Though unfortunately for him, that was exactly what he was, and almost everyone nearby soon gathered around the tiny Shadow, looking at him with varying levels of expression. The only one who didnt was Erwest and even his eternal scowl looked a little less mean right now as he looked at Shadow. Aurelia on the other hand looked like she wanted to choke Shadow to death in a bear hug, and the wolf gave her a light growl that did not deter her whatsoever from petting him. His wagging tail at said pets did not help either. Thats really cute, Noah said, giving in the to impulse as well as he couched down and pet the much smaller wolf. Has he actually be a child now, or is this temporary? Temporary, Snow replied, shaking her head. Its a spell! It lets you summon big familiars as their smaller forms. They made it for big wyverns and griffins, but it works on almost anything. Tired of the attention, Shadow turned towards Snow, jumping into her arms. Kan pped his hands to draw attention. Alright, we should leave the familiar be and not give him a good reason to turn into his big form and bite. Sorry about that Shadow, I got excited, Snow said, and Shadow licked her face affectionately. The girl looked at the others. He says hes not mad. Kan smiled. Great. Now, we have a few hours, the sun is still up, its midday at best, and the ce I talked about wont open for six hours. So, I was thinking we could explore the city! Its the first time for all of you, well, besides me, from what I can tell, and theres a lot to be seen! Where do you have in mind? Valeria asked. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Theyre holding a Drake race. Huge drakes, almost wild, on the outskirts in a forest track. You get to ride those and race to the end and the victor wins a cash prize. Youre also allowed to knock the other contestants off their rides, Kan said, sharp teeth shing. Pass, Seraphina said immediately. Ill pass as well, Valeria added. Theres a temple to the three gods here right? I want to visit and let them know Im here. And alsomune with Rutha. He gets annoyed if I dont talk to him for too long. She spoke as if the god was her friend, and given what hed seen of the gods so far, Noah could believe that. Im going to look for magic shops. Drakonias is outside Erandirs maind and its magic origins are tied to old dragon magic. I bet theres some rare grimoires and tomes I can find if I go hunting for one, Seraphina said, almost drooling at the thought, before she nced at Snow. You wanna join me? Snow looked at the woman, and then at Noah and the rest, like a girl looking to her parents for permission to be allowed to go y with a friend. Noah smiled at the look. Feel free to. You dont need our permission, Noah said. Snow beamed at his words, blushing ever so slightly before she gave Seraphina a nod. I want to head to the adventurers guild. Check out what kind of quests they have. Its been a while since Ive done any simple andnguid quests. All of it has been save this city, eradicate this cult. It sounds nice to do something simple again for once, Aurelia said. Ill join Valeria, Erwest added. What about you Noah? Kan asked. At his words, Noah saw a notification pop up in his vision. Quest: Explore the city You are in the city of dragons, explore your surroundings and discover things before you have to meet up for the evening. Sub-objectives: Visit Septahs temple. Participate in a Drake race. Complete an Adventuring Quest. Buy a magical grimoire or tome. Time Limit: 6 hours Reward: Will vary based on sub-objectivepletion. Noah raised an eyebrow, as the quest appeared in front of him. That was a little odd, since typically his quests were more dangerous. Orbat focused. He saw the different areas pop up on his mini map showing exactly where he needed to go for the different subtasks. After a bit of thinking he settled on the closest objective first. Ill head to the guild with Aurelia. We''llneed to register with the guild and I might as well checkout some of the quests there, Noah said. Sub-quest initiated! Alright. I suppose well all be splitting up then. The ce is rtively easy to find, just look for a giant drake symbol drawn on top of a tavern in the Marchant street. Or just ask anyone to point you to Darians Steaks and theyll know where you need to go, Kan said. Noah nodded, noting the location marked on his mini map with a fork and a knife. He shook his head in amusement. Alright, then see you guys at the tavern, Kan said, wings spreading behind him as the man took off into the skies, kicking up dust everywhere. Valeria saw that and turned to Erwest with a sly grin. You want to Were walking, the pdin said in a tone that indicated he would not listen to any further objections as he stepped out. Seraphina let her magic swirl around with wind lifting her in the air, and Sky circled Snow, helping generate more lift as the two girls floated upwards. Im certainly not walking when I can just fly, Seraphina said, and Sky cheered as the two of them flew off into the skies, heading out towards their goal. Now only Noah and Aurelia remained. Noah turned to look at Aurelia who looked back at him with a shrug. Together, the two of them walked out of the estate, and towards the adventuring guild. Book 3: Chapter 25 — Exploration Pt. 1 Book 3: Chapter 25 ¡ª Exploration Pt. 1 The Drakonias adventurer guild embraced their draconian identity, as Noah saw therge dragon depiction built upon the entrance, and other draconic symbols covering every part of the architecture. Much like the rest of the city, the building was made of stone, but the guild was structured more like a spire, with multiple floors and levels, alongside entrances that were clearly meant to be flown into. In some ways, it was quite simr to the Windrest guild and extremely different in other ways. Noah walked behind Aurelia as the two walked through the giant wooden gates to step inside the guild. The guild on the inside was tall, with armor sets, stands carrying spears, and different trophies of monsters hanging on the walls as decorations. A bunch of adventurers were lounging around a table nearby, ying cards with pictures Noah didnt recognize, while others inspected the quest board with a frown. Instead of the magical board, this one was ssy, with paper scrolls hung onto them with pins. But even these werent meant to be removed, as Noah realized when an armored woman pulled out her own scroll, touching one of the listed quests and the writing was copied over. The two of them walked up to the reception desk, a jubnt draconian woman wearing two pink ribbons on her horns that did not go very well with her dark green scales sitting there. Noah used Identify. [Draconian Manager - ??] Noah wanted to roll his eyes at the question mark. He wondered how long itd be before half the people he met would stop being too high leveled for his Identify perk. Ill probably just go to some even higher grade before that can happen. The woman, unaware of Noahs thoughts, greeted the two of them. Wee. Those are some new faces. First time here? Yup. Wed like to register and check out the quest board, Aurelia replied, extending her adventuring te. Noah followed, taking his own out from his inventory as well. The woman quickly grabbed the tes, touching them to an orb that lit up on contact, showing words that disyed their general information. After both of them were registered, the receptionist handed them their tes back, and Noah grabbed his. Were looking for a simple quest, something that could be done in a few hours if possible. Is there something like that avable right now? Aurelia asked. The receptionist frowned, cupping her chin as she hummed to herself. ncing at her orb, she looked towards Aurelia. Since both of you seem to have status ailment resistances, I think I do have one, she said, bending down to grab a scroll from a drawer which she pulled out and ced on the table. Its a quest to catch an escaped cat. A dragon blood cat from the family of a wealthy Merchant, whos put out a ratherrge rewardpared to the difficulty of the quest, the woman replied. Noah wanted to snort. Did they really have people catching runaway cats? He certainly wasnt interested in spending his evening walking around trying to lure a pet cat for some richdy. Aurelia raised an eyebrow. Im surprised this hasnt been taken already. Thats a ssic golden quest if Ive ever seen one. Golden quest? Catching a cat? Noah asked. Golden quest- its an easy quest that pays well. Typically because its a personal quest from some rich person or family. You can almost never catch one unless you get really lucky. The moment one arrives they get snatched up. And unlike you, most adventurers dont enjoy throwing themselves into danger recklessly, Aurelia replied. Well, theres a few problems. The cat in question, Draco, has wings, so he can fly. The second is that, he seems to have been hit with a [Madness] spell, though thankfully only a minor one. But it makes him erratic, and difficult to catch. Hes...quite fast, the receptionist said. Madness? Thats a cultist spell, Aurelia said. The receptionist nodded, before bending down and picking out another sheet. This is a quest weve issued. There have been disturbances with madness inflicted creatures and we want to find the source. At the womans words, a quest prompt popped up in front of Noah. Sub-quest updated! Sub-Quest: Feline Madness Catch Draco the cat, and find out whats been inflicting madness on the nearby creatures. Time: 6 hours Difficulty: Medium Reward: Given upon main questpletion. Noah felt surprised that he wasnt given a prompt to ept as the quest had simply been updated. He felt a little peeved about that. Hed been thinking of looking into it, but now he felt like he was being told to, and somehow that made him want to not do it anymore. Grumbling to himself, he picked up the quest sheet. We might as well check it out, Noah said. Aurelia looked at him, before giving a nod. A momentter, he heard a telepathic message from her. The guild did tell us there has been lunar cultist movement here. Technically thats why were here, and not the trial. This might give us some more insight into that. Very well, in that case please take this and feed it to Draco. It will cure any status affliction he has, the receptionist said, before handing a pellet that Aurelia took. Noah inspected the item. [White Herb Pellet (Umon, Rank F)] A pellet made from purifying white herbs mixed with cat food. The pellet can cure [Frost], [Toxin], [Poison], [Burn], [Paralysis], [Bleed], [Madness], and [Terror] up to a single rank. Draco wasst seen near the forest, just outside the city, the receptionist said. Thanks, Aurelia replied with a light nod. Together, both of them walked out of the guild, and Noah opened his mini map, noticing a new quest marker with a cat icon being shown on his map telling him the general area he needed to look in. I have the location, Noah said. Yeah, I see it too, Aurelia said, ncing at a simr tab open in front of her. Your astral script is so strange. I never get used to seeing it. Now imagine having to get used to an entirely new world, Noah replied. Touch. This tale has been uwfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Lets go find this cat, Noah said, and the two of them head out towards the forest. *** At the edge of the city, the tropical forestndscape expanded in all directions, covering the bright blue skies with deep green foliage that was filled to the brim with life. Noah checked the map and noted he was in the right area, and looked around himself. This was an awful far ce for a pet cat toe to. The chittering of creatures around them abated whenever Noah looked towards the source, and he could tell it was his Abyssal Predator path that the effect wasing from, telling the creatures to avoid his attention. Add his new draconian aura and that only made finding a cat difficult. So, how are we looking? Should we split up? Aurelia asked. I have a better idea, Noah replied, and reached into his Astral Vault, summoning Bun Bun. The dragonspawn appeared nearby, stretching his limbs before yawning loudly. Its eyes looking at Noah expectantly. Well be needing you buddy, Noah said. Bun Bun didnt move an inch, still looking at him expectantly. Payment first huh? he muttered to himself. Reaching down, Noah let the dragon spawn bite his finger and greedily lick his blood. After he was satisfied, Bun Bun sniffed the air, moving through the forest as the two of them followed behind. After a few moments of following Bun Bun, the dragonspawn paused, eyes turning focused. A secondter, Bun Buns wings unfurled, lightning crackling around him as he shot forward in a blur. Noah and Aurelia nced at each other in surprise, before the two of them rushed behind Bun Bun. Running through the forest and using Arcane Step, the two followed behind. In the distance, Noah spotted a creature moving rapidly, wings furled as Bun Bun gave chase. Reaching out to his predators mark he focused on his target, as the mark was applied on the rapidly moving cat. Reaching through the mark, Noah let out a guttural growl, as his aura flowed over to the creature. Just for good measure, Noah summoned bloodwyrm swarm, as blood wyrms rose from the ground, wrapping around the creature. Bun Bun grabbed the cat as well, pressing a foot down onto it, as he looked up at Noah, feeling like a proud child showing off a sessful hunt. Good job Bun Bun, Noah said, brushing the dragonspawns head, before he called him back to his Astral Vault. On the ground, the cat continued to hiss and howl, ws trying to cut through Noahs bloodwyrms. Noah noted the cats eyes were red, clearly taken by madness. He used identify on it. [Draconian Feline (Draco) - lvl 103] [Status: Madness - I] Aurelia knelt near the cat, and the creature thrashed even more, hissing loudly at her. Calm down, were trying to help you, she said, trying to show the pill but the cat didnt seem in any mood to be reasonable. A momentter, growing frustrated, Aurelia shoved the pill into the cats mouth. As the cat bit onto the pill, it paused, the thrashing fading. Another bite, as the pill broke down and the cat ate the pill, and magic flowed through its body, its eyes turning normal. After a few moments when the cat finally calmed down, Noah let the bloodwyrm swarm fade, and Aurelia picked him up, brushing its fur. Well, guess we have him, Aurelia said. Noah nodded, before ncing at his mini map. Its a little strange that a pet cat was all the way out here. Do you want to search a little? Aurelia nodded, and Noah continued looking around. There was a strange feeling he was getting but he couldnt quite pinpoint it. After walking around through the forest, he finally noticed it. It was the noise in the background. It was too quiet here, like there was something wrong with the forest itself in the area. Little eyeballs rose from Noahs body as Tony began to quickly scout the area. Within a minute, the symbiote had found the source of the problem, returning with a flutter. Found it, Noah said, following behind Tony as the symbiote led the two of them to a ruin. Walking inside, Noah stepped back when a powerful growl came from inside and he saw a bunch of creatures with glowing eyes. Large rats, a fox, some bats, and everything in between here seemed to have been inflicted with madness. Before the creatures could strike, Noah summoned bloodwyrm swarm to restrain them. A burst of mes took out the few that he hadnt been able to trap. Noah let his aura surge outwards, marking them one after the next with Predators mark as the Terror effect froze them in ce. Stepping into the ruin, Noah pushed aside vines leading inside, and saw an azure orb with an eye carved into it glowing with magic as a beam of sunlight poured onto it from the top of the ruin. [Cosmic Lunar Eye] has inflicted [Madness]. You have resisted [Madness]. Noah raised an eyebrow, walking closer as he picked up the orb, using identify on it. [Cosmic Lunar Eye (Umon/Cursed, Rank D)] An azure orb holding a crescent moon emblem. Gazing into its glowing surface is known to induce vertigo and unease. Crafted by an ancient cult who worshipped the primordial Watcher, using concentrated pale moonlight to empower their rituals, often driving them mad. A chime yed as Noah read through the description. Thats a lunar cultist item. But why out here? Aurelia said, avoiding looking directly at the orb. Noah put it into his Astral Vault to avoid risking identally inflicting madness onto anything nearby. Not sure. This doesnt look like a cultist hideout. Too small and unkept, Noah said, before sniffing the air. No smell for any people having been here in a long time beside us. Lets go back for now, Aurelia said, and Noah nodded. Together the two of them stepped back out, and Noah looked at the creatures writhing against his restraints. What are we going to do about them? He asked. Curing them will be too expensive. Without the orb, theres nothing keeping them here and if we leave them, theyll kill the wildlife till some other adventurer has toe kill them. Its best if we took care of it, Aurelia said. Noah nodded, and Aurelia handed him the cat. Noah looked at Draco, the draconian cat looking at him with an annoyed expression and he put the creature in his Astral Vault. He stepped outside as Aurelia remained inside. A momentter a blinding sh of fire shook the ruins and notifications shed through Noahs vision. He didnt read them. Killing helpless creatures gave him no joy. Aurelia stepped out a momentter, the ruins copsing behind her and kicking up dust. No one should be able to go inside and stir things up anymore, Aurelia said. Good work, Noah said, extending a hand towards her. Aurelia looked at him, raising an eyebrow in question. I set a marker. We can teleport back, he said, smiling. Remind me to get teleportation abilities in my next life, Aurelia said, grabbing Noahs hand as he activated Arcane Step. *** Questpleted! Noah dismissed the notification as he returned the cat, and put the lunar eye, with a cloth draped over it. The receptionist looked at the item warily, putting it away. Taking their tes, she touched the orb, and the crystals were transferred over. The reward is 10 D-grade crystals for the cat, and 20 D-grade crystals for the orb, for a total of 30, Ive added 15 each to both of your tes, the receptionist said, handing the tes back. Aurelia whistled. Noah was impressed as well. That was quite good pay for such a short quest. Do you know how that orb got there? Noah asked. Oh, if I had to guess, its likely an old artifact that got awakened when someone interacted with it. We had a big lunar cultist presence back in the day before we exterminated the cult and banished the cultists. But every now and then some items still get unearthed, she said. Noah nodded. Well, that was that for now. What do you n to do now? Aurelia asked. We have some time. Noah thought over the question. He looked at his exploration quest, and saw the guild quest crossed out. The two of them still had two hours left before they had to meet for dinner. Noah looked through his list of quests, opening the map. The temple of Septah was nearby. Think Ill be heading to the temples, Noah said. Surprising. I got a message from Snow, so Ill be meeting up with her and Seraphina, Aurelia said, raising her bracelet to show the blinking light indicating a message. Looking at it, Noah had to wonder if Zax was taking note of the off handed mentions Noah had made of phones and what not as he made these. He certainly kept adding new features all the time to the bracelets. Sounds good, he replied atst to Aurelia. See you at the tavern then, Aurelia said, stepping away as she headed out of the guild. Noah made his way out of the guild as well a momentter. Looking at the location he needed to go, Noah channeled Arcane Step and began to teleport across the city. Hed gotten tired of walking. Book 3: Chapter 26 — Exploration Pt. 2 Book 3: Chapter 26 ¡ª Exploration Pt. 2 Noah teleported to the steps of the temple, drawing a couple of surprised nces from nearby. The surroundings had a more fifty-fifty ratio of humans and draconian, a bunch wearing different symbols and emblems of their respective gods. White marbled stones formed the temple, amon theme that Noah had begun noticing across the many temples and churches to the gods. Did they all just prefer white? He¡¯d expected a bit more variance across locations, but given that the gods could just talk to their followers, perhaps it wasn¡¯t quite like that. Noah made his way up the step, deciding not to teleport or otherwise use his abilities too much. Thest time he¡¯d done that around a space for a god had resulted with him in handcuffs. Not that they can really stop me with those anymore. The thought amused him. Continuing on his way, Noah began to take note of the depictions on the temple. Oddly enough, the construction reminded him of roman buildings from back in his world. The entrance had distinctive pirs built high and tall with three giant entrances into the structure. Each gate had a sculpture of the respective gods carved at the top, depicting which one was dedicated to each god. The left most one had Hellion standing with a sword in her hand, wings red behind her back, looking poised and determined, as she always did. At the right side was a man, he had scars on his body, and flowing hair that ran like a mane behind his back, with a square jaw and sharp eyes. A war axe rested on his shoulder with casual grace. Rutha. In the centermost gate was a woman, wearing flowing robes, and her hand to her chest, a motherly expression of love and concern on her face. She looked different now, but Noah could see the resemnce to the Septah he had met in his dream. Would she remember? It didn¡¯t exactly happen, it was just a dream trial. And yet¡­ I have a feeling that she will remember anyway. Noah could see Ernest¡¯s location on his mini-map, marked there. He was inside Hellion¡¯s church, and Noah decided not to disturb the pdin. He often went to pray and did not appreciate being intruded upon. Not to mention, it would likely be best if he did this on his own. He walked into the central chamber, going through the door as he marveled at the inside of the temple. Different sculptures depicted various depictions of Septah. The goddess stood in one, gingerly covering the eyes of a child and with another hand she banished cosmic abominations. In others, she could be seen at the bedside of an old woman, her hands givingfort to her in herst moments. Dozens of other depictions were present inside, showing all sorts of different stories. Noah continued to watch them all with fascination as he made his way inside. The temple itself was rather small and straight forward, without too many people inside. At the center, beneath colored ss panes was the statue of Septah, words to a prayer to the goddess carved onto the pedestal she stood on. But before he could read the words, a woman caught his eye. She remained kneeling near the statue, wearing white robes that seemed to indicate she was a priestess of sorts, but the thing that caught his attention was the white blindfold the woman wore on her eyes. Noah used Identify. [Priestess of Septah - lvl 147] Noah was surprised when the woman turned towards him, inclining her head in question. ¡°Is there something wrong, faithful one?¡± Noah realized he¡¯d been staring. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said reflexively. ¡°I just- err, I was surprised by your blindfold, but didn¡¯t want to be rude. Is that some kind of practice?¡± The priestess rose to her feet. ¡°You must not have seen a priestess of Septah before. Eyes are that with which we watch the sins of the world and let the evils seep into us. To avoid being tainted by such things, we give our sight to the goddess, and in return, obtain her eternal light, letting us see things from within our souls and avoid the madness of the Watcher,¡± the priestess replied. Noah felt fascinated at that. A skill that let you see from the soul- sounded awfully simr to his Abyssal Awareness ability. He wondered how different the ability the priestess had was from his own. ¡°But I am surprised,¡± the priestess continued, looking at him. ¡°You have the goddess¡¯ blessing on you, indicating you have encountered her¡­ not just in prayer, but in spirit. Yet you were surprised by me,¡± the priestess said. Noah scratched his cheek. ¡°I¡¯ve encountered the goddess in a dream before. This is my first time to her temple. She¡¯d told me she would remember me if I visited her.¡± He could see the priestess¡¯ eyes widen in surprise even through the blindfold covering her eyes. ¡°Is that truly so? Well, why don¡¯t you send a prayer to the mother. Perhaps she willmune with you,¡± the priestess said. Noah gave her a nod. ¡°Alright. Although¡­ I have no idea how to do that.¡± The priestess smiled. ¡°Do not worry. The goddess does not take offense easily. Simply read the prayer and call to her with a genuine heart. I will show you.¡± Nodding once more, Noah walked right up to the statue, behind a hand railing preventing people from directly touching the statue or dirtying it. ¡°Kneel here. I will read the prayer, simply follow me,¡± the priestess guided, kneeling in front of the stature. Noah kneeled next to her on one knee, feeling a little awkward at the motion. He looked up at the statue and the words written on it, before he joined his hands together. The priestess began and Noah closed his eyes, trying to recall the image of Septah in his mind. This narrative has been uwfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Goddess Septah, cloak our minds, Shield us from the Watcher¡¯s spell that blinds. Save us from the moonlit sky, In your grace let sanity abide.¡± Noah waited for a moment for something to happen. A few breaths passed, and he was about to open his eye, giving up on the task, when something bright manifested somewhere in front of him. You¡¯ve invoked Septah¡¯s name. A gasp came from next to him and Noah opened his eyes and saw the goddess¡¯s statue glowing with light. He could see everyone in the temple bowing their head from his periphery vision, even as his eyes remained affixed on the goddess¡¯s statue. ¡°Close your eyes, the goddess is speaking with you!¡± The priestess quickly spoke and Noah closed his eyes. The light began to grow around him, and a momentter, the world changed. He opened his eyes once again, and found himself standing in cloudy expanse, with the goddess in front of him, standing with a smile. This wasn¡¯t his first time meeting a goddess by any means ¡ª he absent mindedly noted that he¡¯d not met a single god besides the void god, if he could even give that eldritch abomination a gender ¡ª but with his senses grown, he could see¡­ a lot more. And what he saw felt a little like trying to stare at the sun. The presence the goddess had was overpowering, it wasn¡¯t oppressive and it didn¡¯t freeze him in ce, yet he could feel her power in a deep part of his soul that told him this woman was beyond mortal understanding. ¡°It is good to see you again, Noah. Thank you for saving me back then,¡± Septah said. Noah blinked, taking a moment to respond. ¡°Uh- you¡¯re wee.¡± The goddess¡¯ smile widened at his response. He tried to close his eyes and pull himself together for a moment. ¡°Sorry, and hold on¡ª you do remember that?¡± ¡°I do. I told you I would. I do not lie,¡± Septah replied, tilting her head. ¡°Or are you implying that I would?¡± ¡°No, no, no, nothing like that, I was just surprised. Does that mean that the dream really happened?¡± Noah asked, finding his thoughts running. Somehow he hadn¡¯t really expected to meet Septah just like that, and it¡¯d thrown him off bnce. ¡°Not quite. It was a dream, but dreams are part of reality too. Just not reality itself. I saw and experienced everything you saw and experienced, in much the same way. Just like how I am both here and not at the same time,¡± Septah replied. ¡°Right, aspects, I was told about it. Must be difficult being all over the world at the same time,¡± Noah said. Septah giggled. ¡°That is the first time someone has showed sympathy to me for my position. But no, it is not difficult. It would be harder to ignore my faithful and not respond.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Noah replied. He looked at the goddess in silence, not sure where to go from here. ¡°So¡­ do you want something from me?¡± Noah asked. ¡°That should be my question, no? You¡¯re the one who called me,¡± Septah said. ¡°Right, right I did.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not used to interacting with deities when it¡¯s not an antagonistic position, or when you aren¡¯t willfully barging your way in, are you?¡± Septah said. Noah scratched his cheek at that in embarrassment. For some reason the woman unsettled him, more so than Hellion, Avera or even the void god ever did. Noah didn¡¯t understand why until he looked in the woman¡¯s eyes and understood why. Her eyes, the way she looked at him, it was filled with empathy and love. It reminded him of his mother. He stared at her, something twisting in his chest painfully. ¡°Let me help you remember why you wished to have me here. I believe there are some questions you wish to know the answers to,¡± Septah said. ¡°Right. I do, yeah. What¡­ what was that dream all about?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Why were you a child? And, why were those things after you?¡± ¡°It was the war against the Crimson Heart, led by the old goddess of war Raelinah. They were after me¡­ because I was still in my nascent form, and they wished to sacrifice me to the heart, to give it power,¡± Septah said. ¡°Raelinah¡­ do you know her then? And what happened afterwards? Who won?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Unlike the dream, I had died back then.¡± ¡°What?¡± Noah stared in shock. ¡°I thought gods were immortal? And you- you¡¯re still here?¡± ¡°Gods die too, Noah. Though not permanently. When one of us dies, our Aspects reform us, typically as younger forms of ourselves. We will know a lot of things, including who we are, from birth. But the memories of our past incarnations are lost. The memories of my time back then are anecdotal. Sources borne by others who carry the memories still,¡± Septah said with a sad look on her face. ¡°And to answer your other question. I do know Raelinah. Or did. After the war, she left our realm, through the Astral Rifts, a feat previously thought impossible, even for us, to somewhere beyond. To what purpose¡­ I do not know,¡± Septah said. Noah chewed over the words. ¡°Do you know what my connection to her is? And¡­ if gods are immortal. Howe one of them died and left behind shards?¡± Again, Septah¡¯s expression changed, that look of pity forming on her face. ¡°Your connection to Raelinah¡­ it is difficult for me to speak of it. I cannot give you an answer to those questions Noah. But if you truly wish to know no matter what¡­ seek the reaper,¡± Septah said. The clouds began to swirl around the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m afraid our time will have to end here, Noah. Thank you foring to see me,¡± she said. ¡°Wait! I still haven¡¯t¡ª¡± The world shot back into focus, as Noah opened his eyes, still kneeling in front of the statue in the temple. A jumble of emotions swirling in his chest, as his unsaid words swirled in his mind. I still haven¡¯t asked why you were looking at me like it hurt you to see me. Noah stood back up on his feet, and found the priestess nearby, who bowed her head to Noah. ¡°May the goddess¡¯s mercy heal your soul,¡± she said. Noah nodded, making his way out. He didn¡¯t want to stay here for much longer if he could. His eyes went to the timer of his quest and he saw it tick down by the minute, before chiming with a ding. Sub-questpleted. Quest: Exploration,pleted! Noah dismissed the prompt. He would check the rewardster. Taking a deep breath, he channeled Arcane Step, as he teleported away. Some food was exactly what he needed right now. Book 3: Chapter 27 — Drakans Steaks Book 3: Chapter 27 ¡ª Drakan''s Steaks Noah followed his mini map, soon arriving in front of an establishment with a wooden banner on top that had a draconian man holding out a te with the most oversized peace of steak he had ever seen in his life. Through his ability, Noah could already see inside the tavern, noting that Erwest, Valeria and Aurelia were already inside. Walking in, the door ringed with a chime. A bulky draconian man called out. ¡°Wee to Drakan¡¯s Steaks!¡± He shouted, standing behind an obsidian looking tform on top of which he grilled a giant piece of steak. The smell of food filled the air inside. A smaller, younger draconian girl that wore a typical tavern maid¡¯s dress and carried three mugs of ale and a te of food in her hand looked to greet him. ¡°Do you have a seat booked? If not¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s with us!¡± Aurelia called out, raising her hand and the girl looked behind before giving Noah a nod. Noah walked to the table where Aurelia sat nursing a ss of some kind of drink while Valeria had a mug of ale in her hand. Erwest did not have anything in front of him. He knew the churches did not restrict the consumption of alcohol by any means, in a world with magic filled with Awakened, all except Hellion¡¯s church which wasn¡¯t a fan, but did not outright ban it. The pdin was merely a stickler for rules. ¡°Looks like I¡¯m early,¡± Noah said, taking a seat next to the group. ¡°You¡¯re on time. The others arete instead,¡± Aurelia replied, taking a sip from her drink that had what looked like swirling glitter inside of it, which constantly changed colors. Noah could sense manaing off of it. It looked fancy. ¡°How did your visit go?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Good. I think. Shorter than I¡¯d thought,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I assume the ruckus at the temple was because of you?¡± Valeria asked, swirling her cup of ale in her hand. ¡°Ruckus?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Normally the gods do notmune so easily with people who are merely visiting. But Septah visited upon your arrival. People took note,¡± Valeria replied with a grin. Erwest grunted, but did not add anything further. ¡°Not that this guy would know. He talks to the gods as if they were his friends,¡± Aurelia said, shaking her head. ¡°Well, if there¡¯s any god who wouldn¡¯t take offense to that, it would be Septah,¡± Valeria said, taking a sip. ¡°She¡¯s kind. Perhaps too kind, even. Rutha often grumbles about how easy she is on her followers.¡± ¡°You seem to have a friendly rtionship with your god,¡± Noah asked. ¡°Of course. I have sworn my life to him, it is only natural. And unlike this guy, we don¡¯t revere Rutha as a distant object to be worshipped, he¡¯s a guiding source, a light to be followed, he guides us, and we make sure he does not stray too far from his path.¡± ¡°Your god is the youngest in the Pantheon too. Mother Hellion has seen the wars,¡± Erwest said, ncing at Valeria. ¡°Don¡¯t say that to Rutha. He¡¯s sensitive about it,¡± Valeria said. ¡°You know, I actually don¡¯t know much about Rutha. I know that he¡¯s the god of war and he took the position after Raelinah left¡­ but how? Can anyone just be a god?¡± ¡°Hmm, well, there¡¯s a lot of history on that topic. Too much to cover right now, so I¡¯ll give you the short answer. No, Rutha did not be a god after Raelinah left. He was already one. He merely filled her role. The great wars¡ª When the crimson heart fell, when all gods except Hellion died, and when Raelinah left her throne¡ª that was when Rutha had first arrived. He was a lesser god, in the westernnds to where the Rot had made its home. He was the god of valor. And when Raelinah left, he stepped up to fill her role, bing one of the three primary deities of the pantheon,¡± Valeria said. The door chimed once more, and this time Seraphina and Snow walked inside, with Snow carrying some heavy looking magical tomes in her hand. ¡°Oh, talking of the Great War are we?¡± Seraphina said, interest piqued as she came and took a seat. Snow, simrly, sat next to her, setting the books down onto the table. ¡°Just giving a quick rundown, don¡¯t get started Seph,¡± Valeria said, rolling her eyes. ¡°This girl is a history nerd. It¡¯s why I don¡¯t talk about any of this often.¡± ¡°What¡¯re those books?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Some grimoires we got. These ones are for Snow, to help her learn some summoning spells outside of base abilities. She can¡¯t just rely on ability like a dumb brute when she¡¯s got such a prime base to be a well rounded summoner. I almost wanna steal her from you guys,¡± Seraphina said, patting Snow¡¯s head as the girl blushed. Aurelia pouted. ¡°Why not put them in your storage bracelet?¡± Noah asked. ¡°The magic might interfere with the content of the books,¡± Snow replied. ¡°You need a perfectly stable spacial dimension to store these without any damage and even I can¡¯t cast one. I have one ring made especially for storage for that purpose,¡± Seraphina said. Noah hummed to himself. Calling on his Astral vault, he let a slit in reality open up above his hand to show inside. ¡°Will this work?¡± He asked. ¡°That¡ª¡± Seraphina paused, looking at the cut in reality floating above his hand for a few moments. Her eyes shed once, before she nodded. ¡°Yeah¡­ is that an ability?¡± She asked, looking up at Noah. ¡°Yup. Storage perk, ability and Arcane Body,¡± Noah replied, as he nced at Snow. ¡°You want me to store these?¡± The girl gave him a nod, and Noah touched the books, storing them inside his dimensional vault. He took a moment to check the notifications he got. You¡¯ve obtained 1x [Grimoire of Conjuration Spellcasting] You¡¯ve obtained 1x [General Arcanum Compendium - I] The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the vition. You¡¯ve obtained 1x [Grimoire of Summoning Spectral Elementals] When he looked up from his notifications, Seraphina had moved next to him, her eyes shining. ¡°Hey, Noah. Do you have any ns to go back to your world?¡± Naoh looked at Seraphina, raising an eyebrow at the sudden question. ¡°Not at the moment, no.¡± ¡°Good, so¡­ you want to settle here? In our world?¡± She asked. ¡°Uhh, I mean¡­ I guess?¡± Seraphina nodded, leaning back away as she cupped her chin in thought. Noah felt weirded out by the girl, and could see her sneaking nces at him every few seconds. After a few seconds of silence, she turned towards him and asked. ¡°Why don¡¯t we get married?¡± ¡°What?¡± Noah nearly spat the ale he had been drinking, coughing in sheer surprise. ¡°What?!¡± Aurelia shouted, louder than even him. ¡°Not again, Seph!¡± Valeria replied, rising from her chair. ¡°I mean it this time!¡± Seraphina protested, before turning towards the still coughing Noah and grabbing his hand. ¡°My father is a well respected mage, and he¡¯s been wanting me to get married anyway. With your strength, he shouldn¡¯t have anyints given how fast you¡¯re growing. We could be an amazing duo! I could teach you spell casting, and how to use your magic way more effectively. And our children, with your Arcane Body and clearly distinct bloodlinebined with my expertise would be the strongest mages this world has ever seen. They could break new grounds in magic, advance the entire world by leagues. Think of all the things we could achieve together!¡± Seraphina said, her eyes quite literally glowing from an overflow of mana. A chime rung from the door once more as Kan stepped through the gates, watching themotion unfolding inside. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He asked, as half the table sat around, watching Seraphina¡¯s proposal with shock, while Valeria cupped her head in embarrassment. ¡°She proposed again. This time to Noah,¡± Valeria said. ¡°Oh, hah! No,¡± Kan said, walking closer as he grabbed Seraphina by the scruff, dragging her. ¡°Don¡¯t be a nuisance, Seph.¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯t yet refused!¡± Seraphina shouted, protesting. Kan paused. ¡°Oh, I guess he hasn¡¯t,¡± he replied, turning back to look at Noah. All eyes were set onto him, and Noah found himself almost wanting to teleport out of the room immediately. ¡°Uh, I think I¡¯ll pass,¡± he replied, before looking at Seraphina. ¡°No offense to you though, you¡¯re lovely and all that. But I don¡¯t n to do something like that.¡± ¡°There, you heard the man,¡± Kan said, dumping Seraphina onto her chair. Shaking his head, Kan sat down next to her. Seraphina looked dejected. ¡°My magical arcane babies¡­¡± she whispered under her breath. ¡°Don¡¯t pay attention to her, she gets like this whenever she hears of an innate Perk or Bloodline ability that she enjoys. She¡¯d proposed to Kan when she¡¯d first met him because her dragonoid babies would serve as good research material for studying old draconian magic,¡± Valeria said. ¡°Right,¡± Noah replied, still taken aback by the whole encounter. ¡°Moving on¡ª have you guys ordered already?¡± Kan asked, ncing at Valeria. ¡°While back, should be ready soon,¡± Valeria replied. ¡°Nice. I was worried the hunt may have gone poorly but it seems not,¡± Kan said. ¡°The hunt?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Oh yeah, they go out to the northern cliffs where the Wyverns live and hunt them. There¡¯s a whole bunch that call the mountain tops their home. It¡¯s a pretty dangerous ce and the hunt doesn¡¯t go well a lot of times, which is partly why it¡¯s hard to get a reservation for this ce,¡± Kan said. ¡°Huh,¡± Noah said, remembering seeing some of the wyverns in the distance. ¡°Could we go there Seems like a good ce to train.¡± ¡°Hmm. That¡¯s not a bad idea. But it¡¯s¡­ also a dangerous ce. The younger wyverns are fine, but the older ones are all B rank. And the oldest, the elder wyverns are A rank¡­ they would kill us pretty quickly. The only reason this ce works is because the older wyverns think any weak ones who die to us just prunes their spawn. It encourages the wyverns to grow and it keeps them strong,¡± Kan said. Noah pictured wrestling with a wyvern, before taking to the skies on the back of one. He grinned at the thought. The door¡¯s bell rang once more, and Noah sensed Zax and Valros walk into the establishment. ¡°Ah you¡¯re here atst,¡± Kan said. ¡°Apologies for the dy. Some things hade up,¡± Zax replied, smiling politely. Noah looked at the dragon, sending him a telepathic message. ¡°How did it go with Valros?¡± ¡°He knows of our identity. And there is indeed a dragon here. We will discuss more of thister,¡± Zax replied. The two of them took a seat, when Kan looked at Zax. ¡°Actually, with Zax around we could definitely head to the Wyvern cliffs. Noah suggested we could go there to train,¡± Kan said. ¡°Nonsense. You shouldn¡¯t trouble the man for such pointless tasks,¡± Valros spat back. ¡°No such thing. It is an interesting idea. We could head there after the royal court,¡± Zax said. ¡°Royal Court?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Yeah, we wanted to meet the king. Why don¡¯t the rest of youe with us?¡± Zax said. Noah spotted Valros expression shift and twist, as if he¡¯d break out in a sweat, if he could. In contrast, an amused hint of a smile lingered on Zax¡¯s expression. ¡°Sure,¡± Noah replied, not probing too deep. Zax nodded, satisfied. A few momentster as everyone sat, the man cooking the steak walked closer to their table, carrying a massive te with a huge piece of steak directly on top which he set down at the centre of the table. The tavern maid girl walked around, cing smaller tes in front of each of them. ¡°Here you go folks, the prized Drakan Steak, hunted just today from a B rank level 321 Lightning Wyvern. I won¡¯t say much more, the meat will speak for itself,¡± the man said, standing with his chest puffed out. Noah looked at the giant still sizzling b of meat, with silver flesh on the sides and a deep red core in the middle, and the smell began to make him drool. Cutting into the piece, he grabbed a slice and then took a bite. An electric shock ran through his body, the steak melting in his mouth. Letting out a gasp, Noah stared with wide eyes, noting simr reactions from the rest of them all around him. ¡°Holy shit,¡± he heard Valeria mutter to herself. Noah agreed. Holy shit indeed. Kan grinned at their expressions. ¡°I told you this ce was the best.¡± Without a further word, he began to dig into the steak with abandon, feeling it pulsing with power. By the time he was done, he was stuffed to the point that he couldn¡¯t eat a single bite more. Noah noted some notifications that had popped in his vision. as a notification appeared in front of Noah¡¯s eyes. You¡¯ve consumed [Lightning Wyvern Steak]. Power increased by two permanently. Agility increased by one permanently. Minor buff to lightning damage provided. He smiled at that, feeling energy filling his body. ¡°That was amazing,¡± he said. ¡°Of course, only the best at my ce,¡± the burly draconian chef said. Noah nced at him, before using Identify. [Drakan Chef - ???] A B-rank chef? Goddamn, I didn¡¯t know that was a thing. ¡°Drakan is the best,¡± Kan said. ¡°Hey, if we bring you a hunt of our own, could you make it again?¡± Noah asked, ncing at the man. The chef snorted. ¡°Easily. This one was weaker than usual. Bring me a powerful one, and I¡¯ll show you a meal you¡¯ll never forget for your life,¡± Drakan said. Noah nodded. That was it then. His n was fixed. He was going to go hunt himself some wyverns. Book 3: Chapter 28 — Quest Reward Book 3: Chapter 28 ¡ª Quest Reward Noah and the rest of the group had returned to Kan¡¯s estate, and Noah sat in his room, legs crossed, as he practiced his meditation. The suns had set over the horizon, night time taking over the skies, and as Noah focused on his breath, he felt the window in his chambers shift ever so slightly. ¡°Took you a while,¡± Noah replied, ncing behind himself. His shadow stood there, leaning against the wall. ¡°Had some stuffe up. You¡¯ll want to see this,¡± the shadow replied, as a tome appeared in his hand. Noah inspected the title. [Tome of Soul-Harvest (???)] A forbidden tome of soul harvest. Noah raised an eyebrow at the tome. ¡°The old witch running the ce immediately knew what I was. Told me she had what I wanted but made me run some errands for it. After that, she gave a dumb prize but I managed to win enough by betting on drake races,¡± the shadow said. ¡°You bet my money? How much?¡± Noah asked.The shadow shrugged. ¡°We have enough left. But this didn¡¯te cheap.¡± ¡°This cost twelve B-grade crystals. I won four, there¡¯s four left after the costs,¡± the shadow replied. Noah¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°What the fuck?¡± He said. That was nearly everything he¡¯d made so far, including the reward for saving all of Heartilia. ¡°Why did you¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth it. I wasn¡¯t going to, but I damn well could tell that this was worth it. Have you seen a Tome with question marks on its rarity? And that¡¯s with our upgraded Identify,¡± Noah paused. That¡­ was true. The only times he¡¯d encountered that was when he had inspected the Shard, or the scale of the Wyrm. Still¡­ having spent that much definitely stung a little. ¡°The quest reward better be worth it,¡± he murmured to himself. He opened the quest window, looking at his notifications. Questpleted! Sub questpletion: 4/4 Rewards: 1x [Skill Book of Advanced Soul Binding (Legendary)] Noah stared at the rewards in confusion. His shadow whistled at that. ¡°If there was ever suspicion regarding your Paths, that will make it clear that you¡¯re evil and need to be killed.¡± Noah frowned. ¡°Why is this the reward?¡± The shadow shrugged. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯d know? We¡¯re the same person. I know about as much as you do.¡± ¡°You know what happened at the shop you went to. Your soul-harvest tome may be why this was the reward,¡± Noah said. ¡°I seriously doubt that. We both did an equal number of quests,¡± the shadow replied. Noah felt frustration fill his chest, but before he could speak further, a slip of paper fell from the tome in his hands, fluttering before it touched the ground. ncing at the shadow in surprise, Noah picked up the paper slip, reading what was written on it. Spell of Re-animation: A spell to bring those who have died and departed to the beyond, back to this world. Below that the steps for the spell were written, exining the rituals andponents needed in brief. ¡°Oh boy. That¡¯s some not fun magic huh?¡± The shadow said. Noah nced at the shadow, before reading the list of items needed. ¡°A spectral heart. A spectral soul replica. Advanced Soul Binding. A soul harvest ability, general resistance to all forms of magic. Soul resistance and Soul modification,¡± Noah said, finishing the list. ¡°Seems tailored to fit you,¡± the shadow said. ¡°Maybe the quest system¡¯s looking out for you or something?¡± ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s been giving me rewards and leading me in directions that result in this path,¡± Noah said. He did not like that thought. The shadow flowed into dark motes, melting as he grabbed the tome in his hand, sitting cross legged across from Noah on the floor, before flipping through the notes. ¡°Ah shit,¡± the shadow cursed a momentter, closing his eyes. ¡°Damn thing inflicts madness if you read it.¡± Noah grabbed the tome back. ¡°Stop ying with that.¡± The shadow clutched its eye, rubbing it a few moments longer. ¡°Alright¡­ lesson learned. The question now is¡ª are you gonna use that?¡± ¡°Not without knowing more about it,¡± Noah said, before tapping his bracelet. He felt the spell fizzle into ce as it connected to Zax. ¡°Zax. I need you here for something. It¡¯s important.¡± A secondter, the dragon appeared right next to Noah in a blink. The dragon¡¯s eyes instantly scanned the area, before he nced down at Noah. ¡°Nothing seems to have breached our spell perimeters without our notice. What is the emergency?¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition. ¡°This,¡± Noah said, handing the soul binging skill tome to Zax. ¡°I got that from a quest. Err, quests are a thing I get when¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯ve exined it before,¡± Zax said, flipping open the Tome as he read through the contents. ¡°Interesting.¡± ¡°I had a quest to¡­ explore? And one of the things he got from a sub quest was this tome. And then this spell procedure,¡± Noah said, a limb of shadow extending from the ground as his shadow specter handed the book to Zax. Zax looked through everything, frowning as he did. ¡°Interesting. This is old magic. Older than we thought existed. We assume you can¡¯t see the rarity of this?¡± Zax asked, holding the tome. Noah shook his head. ¡°How much did this cost you?¡° Zax asked. ¡°Nearly everything I had,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Hmm, cheap. This here is an Ancient rarity Tome. It¡¯s a special rarity category that does not appear often, simr to Unique and Growth, but even rarer, for things that predate the Astral script¡¯s existence,¡± Zax said. You¡¯ve learned of the Ancient rarity. You¡¯ll be able to identify Ancient rarity items from now on. Noah looked at the tome, using inspect on it once again. [Tome of Soul-Harvest (Ancient)] A forbidden tome of soul harvest from a period of history lost to time. ¡°This seems like something I shouldn¡¯t be using?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Well. We can¡¯t say that. Just for this tome alone¡ª use it for sure. You already have a harvest ability, this will likely fuse with that to produce something new. But as for this skill book and spell¡­¡± Zax frowned. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Well. There are three caveats to this procedure and ability, Noah. But first, we¡¯ll exin what the spell itself is,¡± Zax said. Noah nodded. ¡°After using this spell, or rather, this ritual, if you were to ever die, you would find your soul in the underworld. This cannot revive you immediately. What it can do, is give you an anchor which you can use to return,¡± Zax said. Noah had assumed as much, but a revival spell still surprised him. ¡°Will I still be me? Or would I be a zombie?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Most undead are dead, their souls have moved on. But no, you will not be a revenant¡­ at first. If you were to die a second time¡­ there are chances,¡± Zax said. ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good,¡± Noah said. ¡°Depends on how you look at it. But that¡¯s not a concern as of now. Just the revival alone has a lot of risks. The Watcher¡¯s domain persists over souls. It will try and call for you, try and grasp you. The reaper, and the underworld exist to protect souls from the madness of the watcher, but it is a treacherous journey to reach the inner sanctums. Your body would also be in danger, for the duration that your soul exists within the underworld.¡± Zax said. Noah nodded. He¡¯d expected there would be some catch. ¡°The second¡­ the pact you have formed would break, even if you cane back to life. The consequences of that¡­ are difficult to say.¡± Noah stirred. He¡¯d definitely been hoping to break his pact if possible, but now that he had a potential path in front of him, he had to consider the choice carefully. Did he truly want to? Or was he being hasty? He let the thoughts dissolve, returning his attention to Zax. ¡°Andstly¡­ your shadow will fuse to be one with you, and will no longer be independent. The two of you will merge again to truly be one,¡± Zax said. Noah nced at his shadow, who was surprised at the words. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a bit surprising,¡± The shadow said, scratching his head. ¡°Guess you won¡¯t need to find a name for me then huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª¡± ¡°Oh shut it. We both know this is good for us. I¡¯ll make you do it if you don¡¯t on your own,¡± the shadow said. ¡°Noah should get some time to consider his choices at the very least,¡± Zax said. The shadow shrugged. ¡°I think we both know this is something that¡¯s good for him- but yeah I agree. Some time is good. I¡¯d like a little bit of time as well,¡± the shadow said, before ncing at Noah. ¡°But if you decide not to because of me, I¡¯m gonna be mad.¡± ¡°Big wordsing from you. As if I think that highly of you. I¡¯d be happy to get rid of you,¡± Noah replied, snorting. ¡°I take it back. Zax, can I take him over instead? This guy irritates me,¡± the shadow said. ¡°Zax, can you destroy him? I think leaving him alive was a mistake,¡± Noah spat back. Zax sighed, shaking his head. ¡°Stop acting like children you two. And stop fighting like siblings.¡± ¡°Who¡¯d have an awful sibling like this guy,¡± Noah said, making a disgusted face. ¡°Well, I¡¯m like, not even a month old so¡­¡± the shadow said. The two of them looked at each other a momentter. ¡°Alright, I guess we do act a little like bickering siblings,¡± Noah admitted. ¡°Kinda weird. I¡¯d always thought what it¡¯d be like to have one, but never imagined it would be¡­ like this.¡± ¡°Like you cannot stand them, but would still give your life for them?¡± Zax asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Uhh, yeah,¡± shadow replied. ¡°It is a bit one-sided though.¡± Noah looked at him in surprise. ¡°What? Shut up. You know I will. That¡¯s why I exist. To protect you,¡± the shadow said, blushing ever so slightly. ¡°Well, I appreciate that. It¡¯s hard to say I would die for you, because my death would kill us both. But I wouldn¡¯t want you to die,¡± Noah replied. ¡°I doubt I can, as long as you¡¯re alive. I¡¯ll simply return to you instead,¡± the shadow replied, shrugging. A few moments of silence remained after that. ¡°Let¡¯s get back on topic,¡± Zax said, handing Noah the ability tome. ¡°We believe you should use the ability tome right now, and then wait for some time before making a decision.¡± Noah frowned, looking down at the tome. A momentter, he looked up at Zax. ¡°Do you think¡­ my quest system has been leading me towards things that would lead to this?¡± Noah asked. ¡°That is¡­ difficult to say. Fate is difficult to read, as we¡¯ve already mentioned, but especially yours. Even gods would struggle to see your fate clearly. It is possible that it may have, or more likely, your quest system is adapting to events that happen around you and charting a path that it thinks you will head towards. But ultimately the choice has to be yours.¡± Noah looked down at the tome, before nodding. Sending a pulse of mana, he saw the prompt appear. Would you like to absorb [Tome of Soul-Harvest (Ancient)] Yes/No? Yes. A pulse of energy, stronger than any he¡¯d felt before from a tome pulsed into Noah¡¯s soul, etching something into it. Ability [Soul Harvest] unlocked! No ability slots avable. Ability fusion avable. Fuse [Runic Harvest] with [Soul Harvest]? Yes/No? Yes. Ability [Soul-Rune Harvest (Ancient/Unique)] unlocked! [Soul-Rune Harvest (Ancient/Unique)] Current Slots: 0/3 Harvest the soul of your enemies, capturing them into runes that adorn your Arcane Body, allowing you to summon phantoms and specters that will obey all yourmands. Noah let out a breath, feeling the power settle into him. Zax nodded, before handing the skill book and the ritual procedure back to him. ¡°This should go without saying, but do not take those out in public, or let anyone find out you have them.¡± Noah nodded. ¡°Well, then, we¡¯ll be heading back. Let us know if you need something else,¡± Zax said, teleporting away. Noah sat in his room, his mind going through stuff. His shadow specter melted into the shadows as well, flowing into him, leaving him alone in the darkness. I¡¯m not suited to this much thinking. Deciding not to worry about it for the time being, Noah went back to his meditation. Whatever might happen, he¡¯d just need to deal with it as the time came. Before long, his thoughts were soon reced by the thoughts of wrestling a wyvern and killing it before forming a soul mount out of one that he could ride on. Book 3: Chapter 29 — Royal Palace Book 3: Chapter 29 ¡ª Royal Pce As morning rolled around and they began to prepare for their visit to the royal court, Noah realized that he¡¯d forgotten to get an exnation from Zax on what had happened with him and Valros. Nighttime had passed by in meditation and his thoughts going over the quest rewards and what implications it held for him. He decided he¡¯d just let the dragon tell him. Zax wasn¡¯t the type to forget, so if he hadn¡¯t told him yet, there was likely a reason for it. Abyssal awareness spread outwards as Noah sensed Kan arriving outside, and he teleported to join the man. Valros stood next to him, alongside Aurelia, and a momentter, Zax arrived as well. ¡°Where are the rest?¡± Noah asked. ¡°This is all of us,¡± Zax replied. ¡°Erwest and Valeria are busy with something. And Seraphina is teaching Snow some spells, so it¡¯s just us,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°It¡¯s best not to bring too many people to the royal court as well,¡± Kan added. Noah hummed to himself, but did notment any further. Instead, he looked around, trying to see how they¡¯d be traveling. ¡°Uh, are we going to walk there?¡± He asked.¡°Nope, we¡¯re going to fly,¡± Kan replied, wings spreading behind him. Noah looked at Zax before shaking his head. Magic flowed from Zax, lifting Noah and Aurelia off the ground as well, and the group took to the skies. They flew through the skies and Noah took in the sights of the city all around him. The ind was certainly beautiful, and he could see why draconians preferred to fly so often. It really did beat walking. Within a few minutes they could see the castle and began to fly over the walls. Noah spotted a few guards rising to intercept but Valros signaled something to them and they stopped quickly. The pce itself was rather simple. Made primarily of stones it was more like a fortress, with lots of areas where he could see warriors training and sparring against one another. ¡°Is there something I should keep in mind when meeting the King?¡± Noah asked, ncing towards his group. ¡°Like, etiquettes or whatever.¡± ¡°It surprises me that you¡¯re asking that now, when you never bothered to learn any when we met a goddess, or the lords,¡± Aurelia said and Noah shrugged. ¡°Not really. Just follow what we do and you¡¯ll be fine, but we aren¡¯t all that big on etiquettes. Just don¡¯t act rude and you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Kan said. ¡°We do not ascribe to the customs of the northern and central kingdoms. It is not the little social details that makes a man, and the king prefers us to speak with our heart. It tells more about someone¡¯s nature when they do so. Keeps men honest, and keeps them sharp,¡± Valros added with a snort. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll be fine. The king likes strong people Noah. I¡¯ve met him a few times before on official things because of my father. He¡¯s intense! And really strong. Some of the councilmen say he may end up bing another one of the Ascendant Monarchs,¡± Kan said. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that term. What¡¯s an Ascendant Monarch?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Guess we never exined, huh?¡± Aurelia replied. ¡°There are four primary empires, made up of all the known kingdoms, and then some extraneous territories.¡± ¡°First is the Celestial empire. It is the only empire with three Ascendants. They are part of the ruling council, but the empire follows a quasi-democratic system. All celestials. Then there are the Human kingdoms. This isprised of most of the southern kingdoms. We have an Ascendant Monarch¡­ technically. But he doesn¡¯t do much, the empire is more of an alliance of kingdoms. After that we have the Holy City. Run by the leaders of the pantheon, and governed directly by the gods, at the top there is the Pope, who is also an Ascendant Monarch. Also human. Andstly we have the Southern alliance. Includes a lot of the non human kingdoms primarily, including Drakonias but also Nyxis and the Crimson blightednds. Two monarchs currently, a beast-man and a mer-woman,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°If the King bes an Ascendant, we will be the second empire to match the Celestians,¡± Valros said. Aurelia nodded. ¡°There are of course, other ascendants too. It is known that a Lich Ascendant rules over Death Valley. Some others simply dislike being tied down to responsibility and roam the world. But either way, there are only a handful of them in the entire world. It¡¯s a pretty big deal.¡± Noah nced towards Zax. Hispanion, Ryugan had been an Ascendant hadn¡¯t he? And an outerworlder as well. I wonder if Zax knows any other Ascendants. Alive ones anyway. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. They reached the central castle soon after, descending at the entrance of the pce. The guards bowed as they made their way inside. Noah found it a little difficult to call this ce a pce, it was more of a fort. The entire structure of this ce seemed to be set up with a military structure, instead of a more typical aristocratic setup. Everyone here that Noah passed was strong, quite strong, that much was certainly obvious. Their group moved quickly, reaching one of the central gates where a taller draconian man stood waiting for them with his hands behind his back. Noah recognized him from the many portraits at Kan¡¯s home. He was tall, almost as tall as Caesar, and had a sharp gaze that seemed to pierce through everything. Noah used Identify. [Royal Guard Commander - ???] ¡°Brother, these are our guests,¡± Valros spoke, and then he introduced all of them. When he got to Zax, the man gave him a nod of his head in acknowledgment. ¡°This is my brother, Averos. Commander of the Royal Guards,¡± Valros said. ¡°I have heard of your party. I hope my troublesome son hasn¡¯t caused much trouble during your travels,¡± Averos said. ¡°Ohe on, I¡¯m not that bad,¡± Kan protested, and his father shot him a look. ¡°No such thing, it has been a rather pleasant and enjoyable journey,¡± Zax replied, smiling to himself. The man chuckled, and Noah caught surprise reflected on Kan¡¯s face. ¡°With one of your stature, anything would appear so,¡± Averos said, before turning towards the gate. ¡°Let us bring you to our king, there, we can discuss the details further.¡± Zax nodded. Noah looked at the dragon to try and probe an answer, but the group simply continued as therge stone gates shuddered open, and they walked through the entrance. Inside was a rather simple room, with a carved throne made of rock present on the other end, on top of which sat a man. Banners decorated the room, weapons disyed behind the throne, but it was quite simple, and sparingly decorated for the throne room of a kingdom. Yet, it was the man that caught Noah¡¯s attention. His scales were pristine, a slight smile present on his face and folded wings closed behind his back. His aura swept over the entire room and Noah felt the power of the man in front of him sweep over them. You¡¯re in the presence of Royalty. You¡¯ve partially resisted [Draconian King¡¯s Aura]. All attributes and abilities reduced by 75%. Valros, Kan and his father all bowed to the king, and the rest of the party followed. All except Zax. The king raised his hand, and Noah felt the pressure on his shoulders lighten. Attribute and ability reduction reduced to 25% ¡°It is a pleasure to have you here, adventurers. Wee to our kingdom,¡± the man said, as Noah and the others raised their heads. The king looked towards Zax a momentter, and then stood up from his throne. Descending from his steps, he walked up in front of the dragon, standing taller than Zax did in this form. Then, he put a fist to his chest and dipped his head ever so slightly. ¡°It is an honor, especially to have you here. We are graced by your presence,¡± the man said. Abyssal Awareness let Noah see the room all around him, which is why he spotted the exact moment when Kan¡¯s jaw dropped open. But at the same time, Valros and Averos did not react visibly. So they know. Which means it is likely that they have another dragon here. Noah¡¯s eyes went to the king. He tried to assess the man, to look for anything. There was power, a lot of power behind him, and Noah instinctively knew that using Identify would be pointless, the king was shielded from prying eyes, but his power also felt like a mix of his burden, of the weight of the kingdom that he carried. It didn¡¯t feel like a dragon to him. Draconian, certainly, more than any other he had seen. But more like Noah, like something partly there, but not entirely so. ¡°We had always intended to visit this ce sometime. Our memories of here are not the fondest, but we do owe this ce many things. But now that we know Axeros¡¯ legacy remains, we feel that it is our duty to look after it,¡± Zax said, before looking at the king. ¡°It must have been difficult.¡± A wry smile came upon the king¡¯s face. ¡°She is old enough now. In her second century. The first two had been the most difficult. But there are some things we simply cannot teach her. And in many ways¡­ she is still a child,¡± the king said. Zax nodded. ¡°Children. They are never easy. Much less of our kin,¡± Zax said giving the man a sympathetic nod. ¡°Where is she?¡± The king nced at Averos who stood up, putting his fist over his heart before he went out of the chamber. ¡°We might need to go outside. She¡¯s arriving soon,¡± the king said. The rest of them overheard the conversation, each picking up pieces. A lot of things worked in Noah¡¯s mind, but he followed Zax and the king outside, into one of the training chambers as they stood waiting. It took a minute, before he spotted something moving rapidly towards them from the distance, growing bigger by the minute. When close enough to see, Noah finally realized what it was. A girl, a human girl, stood upon a giant Wyvern, grabbing its neck with her arms and a wild grin on her face as she rapidly descended towards their group. ¡°GET OUT OF THE WAY!¡± The girl screamed, as they all jumped back from the inevitable crash that kicked up a giant pile of dust. The earth shook for a moment and Noah watched in surprise as the girlughed to herself, a sweetugh that rang from her chest, before stepping out of the dust cloud to look at the rest of them. ¡°We had almost broken him in! Why did you have to call us urgently? This better be something actually important,¡± the girl said, ring up at the king, fire gently licking her body. The wyvern behind her was dying, its neck having broken from the impact. The king spoke something to the girl but Noah didn¡¯t pay attention, his eyes captured by her visage. Her hair was a deep red, her eyes orange and fiery and she wore a simple adventurer¡¯s attire. By all means and for all purposes she looked as human as someone could. Yet, in that moment, when her eyes turned to meet his, he knew her true identity in his soul. She was a dragon. Book 3: Chapter 30 — A Young Dragon Book 3: Chapter 30 ¡ª A Young Dragon Zax regarded the young dragon in front of him, arrogance and self confidence oozing from her demeanor. ¡°It is good to meet you, Vion,¡± Zax said, smiling pleasantly at the girl. He could definitely see the reflection of her mother in her visage. Though what he sensed underneath was certainly far more dragon than human. The thought made him smile just a little bit wider. ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked, looking at Zax. ¡°Vion, this is Zax, a guest of our kingdom,¡± the king said, stepping forward. Zax nced back, giving the man a quiet hint to remain where he was. It¡¯d been some time since Zax had encountered a dragon, but if this was the girl¡¯s first time¡­ things were not going to be peaceful for long. ¡°We knew your parents. Powerful warriors, both of them. It delights us to see that you still carry their legacy,¡± Zax said. Vion looked at Zax in surprise, before she nced back towards the king. ¡°He knows.¡± The girl looked back at Zax. ¡°You know who I am¡ª and you say you knew my parents. How?¡±¡°We considered your father, something akin to a brother. And in truth, we were not that distantly rted in blood ties as well. We¡¯d be something of an uncertain to you,¡± Zax said, and Vion froze where she stood. Her eyes scanned through Zax, tried to pry through his illusions and magic. She couldn¡¯t. His spell wasplete, and she was still a youngling, barely in her second century. And so Zax let a little bit slip, let the barest of hints peek through. The reaction was immediate. Vion jumped back, her own transformation slipping ever so slightly as her eyes narrowed into slits. Fire danced all around her as she let out a throaty growl, looking at him with raised hackles. ¡°You. You are lying,¡± she growled, fire dancing around her body as her red hair swirled with magic all around her. No, not quite fire, Zax noted. Lava. ¡°We are not. You have grown away from your kin, and it has made you forget how things work. You have not yet learned how to control your instincts,¡± Zax said. Vion had already stopped listening, as the ground around them began to boil,va forming around her. Zax cast seven different spells within an instant, forming a barrier around the nearby group watching them, and hiding the entire location from any prying eyes. The young dragon let a barrage ofva burst out towards Zax, which were blocked by a simple barrier, and the remnants ofva collected into balls that cooled down instantly forming obsidian spheres that floated in the air around Zax before sparkling into lightning. Zax simply smiled at her, not a single singe on his body. Vion looked at the dragon and her instincts made her feel threatened for the first time in her life. She called upon Identify, but only found what she¡¯d seen from the start. [Lightning Mage - ????] And yet, when she looked at him, her mind screamed at her to remove this threat from her territory. To eliminate all that stood in her path. Vion channeled her magic,va forming all around her and rising into pirs. The air itself began to sizzle, heat rising within the confined barrier. She would show him. It didn¡¯t matter that he was an A-ranker. Halfblood though she may be, she was still a dragon. For a moment her self-confidence was regained. That was right. She was a dragon, far stronger than anything or anyone around her. She spent her time fighting creatures a rank above her for fun, there was no way that the man in font of her could be a dragon like her. He didn¡¯t have any pride, didn¡¯t have any of the weight that a dragon would. He talked so humbly. Vion refused to believed it. And yet, her body hesitated to move. She did not understand what she was feeling, there was a new emotion in her chest. Her muscles were¡­ shivering? She ignored them, letting herva flood outwards. The mage moved fast, teleporting in the blink of an eye as he raised pirs of earth that blocked her surf ofva. Vion didn¡¯t stop, she let her dragon blood burn, her body glowing as her veins ignited withva flowing through her. Opening her mouth she shot a giant ball of fire. A beam of water appeared around the mage, equally asrge as it flowed around her strike, cooling it down. Steam erupted everywhere, blinding her, and the man moved non-chntly through the zing heat, arriving next to her as he tapped her shoulder. Vion turned, striking back but he blocked the attack with a silent cast of a barrier, smiling at her. She looked him in the eye and felt her breath spike. She was sweating, her chest felt heavy and her body felt paralyzed. Just¡­ what was happening? ¡°What magic are you using! Why¡­ why am I paralyzed. The astral script said nothing,¡± she screamed at the mage, trying to punch him, only to find every strike she made intercepted before it even began. ¡°That is no magic. It is an emotion. One, even dragons feel,¡± Zax said, and with ease he closed in, grabbing her shoulder, as he looked her in the eye. The two draconian pair of eyes met each other, and Vion finally understood what she was feeling. Fear. Words appeared in front of Vion. Terror floods your body. Erase it. End it. Kill the source before it kills you. Affliction level: III Vion lost her senses. Her body changed, transforming, for the first time in her life, as something awakened inside of her. She roared, light erupting around her body as the figure of the young girl changed into a mighty dragon. Obsidian scales that sizzled with heat covered her body,va flowed in her veins, her eyes glowing with heat and energy. She swiped at her foe, all thoughts having left her mind, as the ground melted into a pool ofva underneath her feet. She spread her wings behind her, charging towards her enemy asva filled her throat. Pure instincts drove her, all rational thought having left her mind. There was a single purpose in her mind now. To kill the threat. To kill the thing which made her feel this way. To be free of this emotion. Zax watched the girl, moving deftly as she swiped at him, and the world burned around him. He nced back for a brief moment to the group behind him, before focusing back on the task at hand. The girl had finally touched upon her true nature. Now, it was his job to reel her in. The dragon muttered a silent incantation under his breath, and his human form dissolved into light. *** Kan stared in shock at the battle taking ce in front of him. Two dragons collided against one another, lightning andva mingling together in the most powerful spectacle he had ever seen, and yet, not a hint of it crossed the barrier that remained in front of him. Yet, that was not the most surprising thing. It was the fact that he had been traveling with said dragon for over a month and had not realized a thing. Kan nced around, looking at the others. A myriad of expressions were around him, yet not a single one of them looked surprised. Noah and Aurelia he could understand, but not even his uncle, father, or the king showed even a hint of shock. ¡°What in the depths is happening here?¡± Kan asked, as explosions shook the world around him from the battle taking ce. Stolen story; please report. ¡°Vion has lived for a long time, but she is a halfblood. Up until now, she¡¯d been unable to attain a draconian form despite our best efforts¡ª¡± ¡±¡ªNo, I meant why the fuck are none of you surprised at all?! Did all of you know??¡± Kan shouted. Kan nced around meeting the eyes of everybody one after another, finding all sorts of looks present around him. Noah put a hand on the draconian¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sorry about not telling you. Zax prefers not to reveal it if possible.¡± ¡°I figured it out the moment I saw him. Know one dragon, and it¡¯s not hard to spot the others. There are tells,¡± Valros said. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us till he practically confirmed it to you directly,¡± his father, Averos said, giving his brother a smile. ¡°Well¡­ I didn¡¯t want to raise a false rm.¡± ¡°We knew Kan, but not for very long. About Zax that is. We thought the dragons had all left. Imagine our surprise when one showed up at our doorstep,¡± the king said, ncing at him. ¡°Yeah¡­ no kidding¡­¡± Kan replied, before looking towards Noah. ¡°So you guys knew all along?¡± Kan asked. ¡°Well, yeah, sort of. We met Zax a bit before we met you guys and after freeing him, and stopping an Abyssal Rift from opening, he decided to travel with us,¡± Noah said. ¡°You guys did what?!¡± ¡°That was mostly him, we were shocked when a dragon just popped up in front of us and told us he was Noah¡¯s friend. Oh the Abyssal Rift, right. Wow, I¡¯m turning into Noah. Absurd things no longer feel absurd,¡± Aurelia said, cupping her cheeks as if having a crisis about her identity. Noahughed. Kan felt the world spinning around him for a moment. And yet, when he had a moment to calm down, and look at the scene in front of him, to see not one, but two dragons in front of him, fighting, in the epitome of battles, a spectacle that he could only dream of watching in his life, he found the shock being reced by a brand new emotion. Kan clenched his fists tightly by his side, trying not to let his face morph into a grin as he watched the battle. A new resolve formed in his heart. He¡¯d be damned if he let this chance go to waste. *** The battle came to an end a few momentster, and Noah watched as Zax pressed his foot down onto the young dragon. He had to admit, he felt a little surprised that Vion had hurt him at all, as a small area on Zax¡¯s body had the barest hints of a burn mark. Noah wondered if he could do the same. ¡°Submit.¡± Zaxmanded, hismand shaking the entire world. Noah felt the weight of themand indirectly push against him and he almost buckled, falling down, but caught himself. He nced around and saw Aurelia had lost herself as well, and Kan had stumbled ever so slightly. The other three draconians stood unfazed. Vion let out a whimper as Zax growled down at her, and a momentter her energy was exhaustedpletely as she returned back to her human form. Zax raised his foot from the girl, transforming back into his human form as well. A spell was cast on Vion to obscure her naked figure, as her clothes reformed themselves out of thin air, covering her body. The girl stirred awake, her eyes fluttering as she opened them. ¡°What¡­ happened?¡± She murmured, still not truly back. Zax extended his hand, dispelling the barrier all around them as he pulled the young dragon up. Noah and the rest of them walked closer. ¡°You did it Vion,¡± the king said, putting a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You transformed into a full fledged dragon.¡± The girl looked confused, almost dazed, yet with each passing second, her awareness returned. She looked at Zax, ring at him. ¡°You!¡± She shouted, but a single look from the dragon cowed her instantly. ¡°We understand that it wasn¡¯t a pleasant experience. But it was for your own good. This is something even true dragons must learn, much less a halfblood who had never taken on a dragon form. Your instincts are powerful. So powerful that they can override the Astral Script itself. You must learn how to tame them, if you are to ever truly inherit your parents legacy,¡± Zax said. ¡°Hate us if you must, but you will learn.¡± Vion red at Zax, but her anger faded quickly, reced by a conflicted emotions. ¡°My parents this, my parents that. Why does it matter? I never even met them. I don¡¯t even know their faces!¡± ¡°Then you merely need look into a mirror. And you will see the reflections within it. The rest, we can teach you,¡± Zax said, as magic swirled all around him. An illusion formed all around them, two figures standing within the fog. A man, carrying a giant battle axe, and a woman standing next to him. The girl stared, in shock, but the illusionsted but a mere moment, before it faded away. ¡°We are not your enemy Vion. We are¡­ perhaps the only kin you have left. If there are others, we do not yet know of them. But we are here. And we will be here. For as long as you want,¡± Zax said. Vion looked at Zax, her expression twisting as she clenched her fists. ¡°I don¡¯t need you,¡± Vion said. ¡°Perhaps not. But do you truly not wish to know of your parents? Who they truly were?¡± Zax said. ¡°If you don¡¯t, then we will leave. If you truly do not want us to be here, then we will not bother you again. But do not make decisions in anger,¡± Zax said. ¡°We came here because we knew your parents, and felt an obligation. Young dragons can be difficult to handle, especially those who do not yet have a handle on their instincts.¡± She growled. ¡°Lady Vion, I know that this is difficult for you, but if you can truly learn how to master your gifts, our kingdom will forever beplete,¡± Averos said, walking closer. Vion red at the man. ¡°That¡¯s all you guys care about isn¡¯t it? This kingdom and it¡¯s legacy and what not.¡± ¡°We care about you Vion. Stop acting like a child,¡± the king said, raising his voice. ¡°You know you must learn. You are simply shaken by the experience. But it is something that will empower you. The fact that you are resisting so much is precisely why we do not let you leave the pce.¡± ¡°You¡¯d never let me leave anyway. The risk is too high and what not,¡± Vion shot back. ¡°But especially not if you cannot show that you can be trusted to stayposed. To be in control, and to not lose yourself should an enemy far beyond you were to appear and push you to the limits,¡± Zax said. Vion didn¡¯t reply. The dragon¡¯s expression softened. ¡°Have you visited your father¡¯s grave?¡± ¡°Once. From the outside. I didn¡¯t want to go in,¡± Vion replied, much more quieter now. ¡°It may be grim, but that is his legacy. And¡­ that heart belongs to you, more than anyone else. But if you do not prove yourself worthy, you will never truly be able to inherit what he has left behind for you.¡± ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know. Do I really need to? I don¡¯t even know them. And¡­ what if he didn¡¯t really want me?¡± Vion asked. ¡°There are many dragon bloods. But the soul of a dragon can only be inherited under special circumstances. Why would he have gone to such lengths to make sure you would survive, had he not loved you?¡± Zax asked. Vion looked at Zax. She opened her mouth, as if to protest, but then closed it once more. ¡°Okay,¡± she whispered. ¡°What was that? I couldn¡¯t hear you,¡± The king asked. ¡°I said okay!¡± Vion shouted, and the group smiled. Zax nodded at her words. ¡°Noah, and Aurelia. For the two of you specifically, there are a few things Vion can do. She is a fire dragon. For Aurelia, there can be no better person to train with or enhance her magic through. For Noah, she is the daughter of the greatest warrior we ever knew. Do not look at her level and make the mistake of thinking she is on par with you. She is still a dragon, levels are a poor measure for her strength, just as they are for you,¡± Zax said, ncing at the two of them. ¡°And for you, Vion. From Noah you can learn how to fight till the very end, to persevere, and to keep going even when you are the weaker opponent. From Aurelia you can learn how to control your mes, to bottle your fury. And to tame your instincts,¡± Zax said. ¡°What about me?¡± Kan asked. ¡°You are already a proficient warrior, Kan. We will be relying on you to keep these three in check, but we have some other ns for you as well,¡± Zax said, and the draconian nodded. ¡°ns?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Indeed. We¡¯ll be leaving the three of you upon the Wyvern cliffs. Your task would be to survive the wilds and to defeat and bring the heart of an adult wyvern within one hundred days. Kan will visit there every few days to train with and to watch over you, but he will not interfere, only guide and train with you. We will not interfere regardless of circumstances.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of this?¡± Vion asked. ¡°To prepare you for the trial. And them,¡± Zax said. ¡°Are you fine with this?¡± Vion said, looking at the king. ¡°Him just barging in and demanding all this.¡± The king looked at Vion, and nodded. ¡°It is for your own good.¡± ¡°Why do you guys get to decide that?¡± she spat, heat rising around her body. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Zax asked. ¡°What?¡± Vion snapped back. ¡°Do notpensate for your fear, Vion. You are a dragon. Fear is not something you are used to. But that is precisely why you must learn this. Learn this from them, from people who live so much closer to death than we do, and yet fight back anyway,¡± Zax said, ncing at Noah and Aurelia. ¡°But if you wish to back out now, we will not force you. We do not teach cowards.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± she burned with fury. Vion turned towards the wyvern cliffs. ¡°Watch me. I¡¯ll be out of there in a week.¡± ¡°Do the two of you have any objections?¡± Zax said. Noah nced at Aurelia. ¡°Well, I was gonna go there anyway,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t have any problems. We need to train for the trial, where we do that doesn¡¯t matter too much,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°And that settles it then,¡± Zax said. New Quest obtained! Quest: A Wyvern¡¯s Heart Obtain the heart of an adult wyvern before the 100 day time limit for your test. Difficulty: Hard Reward: Unknown Noah smiled as he looked at the quest. ¡°Then, let us depart,¡± Zax said. ¡°Wait, right now?¡± Noah said, but before he had any time to protest, wind magic gathered around all of them. ¡°Hold on tight!¡± Zax said, and with a trailing scream from Vion, the group was off into the skies. Book 3: Chapter 31 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 1 Book 3: Chapter 31 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 1 Wind stirred around wax, rustling the shrubbery around the group as the four of themnded. Vion stumbled forward, seemingly not very used to being flown around at rapid speeds. ¡°The wyvern cliffs are not too far from here, but this will be where we will be leaving the three of you. We¡¯ll be here to pick you up in one hundred days. Though if you wish to return early, you can do so as well, after you¡¯ve obtained an adult wyvern¡¯s heart,¡± Zax said. Noah gave a nod to the dragon, taking in his surroundings. The forest was tropical and dense, with sunlight barely making it through the canopy, and life teeming and buzzing all around him. The mana levels in the air were also higher than normal, and he could sense multiple presences nearby, tho none even tried toe close. If his own aura wasn¡¯t enough to keep them away, then Zax and Vion¡¯s aura certainly did the trick. Three draconian auras with two actual dragons arriving out of nowhere. I¡¯d be running away as well. After a few breaths Vion had visibly calmed down from her abrupt abduction and transportation, and was now ncing around the forest with a dreadful expression. ¡°What will we do about food? And where will we sleep?¡± Vion asked, looking at Zax. ¡°And there¡¯s no bathrooms here either¡­ I¡¯m sweaty and feel gross and want to take a bath.¡± Noah and Aurelia looked at her, somewhat surprised. ¡°You sound a lot like the princesses we¡¯d abducted in our juvenile years, and not the dragon you are,¡± Zax said, looking at Vion. ¡°Well maybe because I am a princess,¡± Vion said with a hmph as she nced away from Zax.¡°You are training. Here, you must hunt to eat, and sleep where you find a safe location. And you can bathe in anyke or river you may find if you so desire,¡± Zax said. Vion shuddered at Zax¡¯s words. ¡°You want me to live like a savage? And what¡­? Eat monsters?¡± Vion asked. ¡°Indeed. That, too, is a part of your training.,¡± Zax said. Vion¡¯s expression fell, a look of disgust forming on her expression before she let out a defeated sigh. ¡°I suppose I can fast for a month.¡± ¡°The wyverns steak we had was pretty great. We could make that when we catch the wyvern,¡± Noah added. ¡°Those are prepared, by chefs, in a kitchen. Do either of you have any cooking skills?¡± Vion asked, looking at Aurelia and Noah. ¡°Aurelia can cook,¡± Noah said. ¡°Not¡­ wyvern steak. But¡ª I suppose there¡¯s a first time for everything,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°The three of you can begin from now. We¡¯ll be returning to the others. Since this is supposed to train you, we won¡¯t be here to save you should something go wrong, and you will be unable to call for us. Your lives are in your own hands,¡± Zax said, and by the tone of his voice, Noah could tell he was serious Noah gave him a nod. ¡°We¡¯ll be fine.¡± The dragon took one look at the three of them, before magic swirled all around him, covering in him light, and he was gone. Vion let out a deep sigh, before sitting on a boulder nearby. ¡°So¡­ what now?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s make a n. We need to get an adult wyvern¡¯s heart right? For that we¡¯ll need to find one,¡± Aurelia said, taking a seat next to Vion as she pulled out a piece of paper from her dimensional storage. Aurelia turned to Vion. ¡°Vion, you were on one, weren¡¯t you? Do you know where to find them?¡± ¡°Juveniles? Yes. They¡¯re everywhere around these areas, and even wander around the city sometimes. But the adults stay inside and are much higher atop the mountains,¡± Vion said, looking up towards the forest canopy. Through a gap in the forest path, they could see the cliff rising tall into the skies, and distant creatures swirling around it. Vion pointed in the direction. ¡°See those cliffs? That¡¯s not a natural mountain. These mountains aren¡¯t really mountains but giant nests of wyverns, it¡¯s all empty on the inside. There¡¯s caves inside all of them, filled to the brim with wyverns. That¡¯s where they brood and nest.¡± Noah followed Vion¡¯s pointed direction, looking at the tall mountain and trying to picture it filled up with Wyverns. ¡°That sounds like a lot of them,¡± Noah said. ¡°Probably in the thousands,¡± Vion replied with a nod. ¡°The juveniles go out and hunt the furthest, the adultse out less frequently, and stay higher up to catch stronger prey. The queen stays inside with the eggs and the young near the top of the cliff.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Sounds a surprisingly lot like an ant colony,¡± Noah said. ¡°It¡¯s simr, except they can fly and bite your face off and breathe lightning,¡± Vion replied, grinning. ¡°Could you maybe make a map?¡± Aurelia asked. Vion thought about it, before taking the piece of paper and the quill as she began to scribble onto it. After a few minutes, a rough illustration of the area was drawn. With a forest section, a river dividing the area in two, the mountains, and then the sea beyond that. ¡°These two peaks are the main ones,¡± Vion said, pointing at the two tall mountains on her drawing. ¡°We can¡¯t really see it from here, but that¡¯s the central one. The one we can see is a side nest,¡± Vion said, before circling the other mountain. ¡°There¡¯s two colonies here, Sky Wyverns and Thunder Wyverns. They don¡¯t get along particrly well but have sort of a truce between the two groups. The juveniles fight all the time though, it helps weed out the weak ones and keeps them sharp,¡± Vion said. ¡°Which ones are easier to get?¡± Aurelia asked. Vion hummed to herself. ¡°Sky wyverns are very fast, but do less damage. Harder to catch though. Thunder Wyverns are less fast, but can breathe lightning. About the same?¡± Noah looked at the mountain, trying to observe the distant wyverns in the sky. Tony bubbled forth from under his skin and Noah raised the symbiote up as it took to the skies, observing the target. ¡°Gross, what¡¯s that?¡± Vion asked, looking at Noah. ¡°Tony, my abyssal symbiote, and also how dare you. He¡¯s the best there is,¡± Noah replied. ¡°Abyssal symbiote¡­¡± Vion¡¯s eyes widened, as she turned to look at Aurelia. ¡°Is it¡­ did he put an abyssal parasite inside of him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Aurelia said, shaking her head. Noah felt a steam of thoughtse to him via Tony. ¡°The one we¡¯re closer to is the Sky wyvern nest,¡± Noah said. Vion frowned, before looking down at her map and marking an X mark. ¡°So we¡¯re somewhere around here. To move ahead¡­ we¡¯ll need to head through this direction, cross the river and reach the base of the nest. That will take a day or two to get to. The river has¡­ annoying creatures.¡± ¡°What kind of creatures?¡± ¡°Sea serpents. Well, juvenile sea serpents that is. Theyy there eggs up stream and the children stay in the river till they have outgrown it before heading out into the sea. There¡¯s also deidacrocks and other pesky monsters, and most of them have draconic blood which means they¡¯ll have weird mutations and abilities,¡± Vion said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound too bad. So we cross the river and then we need to enter the nest?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Are you insane? You will die. There¡¯s thousands of wyverns inside, and they will swarm and annihte you before you can even blink,¡± Vion said. ¡°So¡­ how else can we get an adult? You said they don¡¯te out.¡± ¡°They stay inside most of the time, but not always. If there¡¯s a big enough threat then they¡¯lle out to defend the nest. The only problem is reaching that high up on the cliffs without dying to all the stray juveniles trying to pick us off.¡± Aurelia frowned. ¡°This might be a lot moreplicated than just hunting an adult wyvern. No wonder Zax gave us a hundred days worth of time.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re overthinking it,¡± Noah said, looking out to the cliff. ¡°If there¡¯s too many wyverns, we simply need to kill a bunch. Isn¡¯t that the whole point of this training?¡± Noah said. ¡°That¡¯s the dumbest idea I¡¯ve ever heard,¡± Vion said. ¡°Even I would not be able to take out all the wyverns, my stamina wouldn¡¯tst, and neither would my mana.¡± ¡°Who said we have to take them all out?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, we need to just lure one out right? And if this is really like an ant colony, then we want to kick it up and make ourselves seem like a big enough threat.¡± ¡°That will put the entire nest onto us. Sounds like a good way to die,¡± Vion replied. ¡°Listen, I wasn¡¯t done. We kick it up, kill a bunch of juvenile and just kick up a storm, and then run. As the wyverns start flooding out, the bait runs into the other nest. In the meantime someone else was doing the same thing to them so both sides are riled up. The wyerns start shing against one another, fighting against each other and using the chaos we lure out an adult. The third person will be waiting for the right chance during this and give the signal to recollect before we take out an adult wyvern,¡± Noah said, grinning to himself. ¡°That¡­ is so stupid,¡± Vion said. ¡°But it might just work,¡± Aurelia said, looking at Vion. Aurelia turned towards Vion, holding her hand. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m supporting this, but this might be the best method to get an adult wyvern.¡± Vion looked at Aurelia in surprise, before ncing back at Noah. A momentter, she let out a sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll keep this as a tentative n, but I¡¯m going to thing of something else. For now, let¡¯s focus on tossing the river first,¡± Vion said. ¡°Alright. Sounds like a good first step,¡± Noah said. ¡°We¡¯re around here so we can¡ª¡± Vion paused as her stomach let out a loud grumbling noise. The girl blushed visibly, holding her stomach. ¡°What¡­ this¡­ this never happens¡­¡± she said. Noah chuckled to himself. ¡°Seems like someone¡¯s hungry?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never¡­ I¡¯ve never had this happen. After that battle and transforming, my body feels strange,¡± Vion said. ¡°I understand. I get quite hungry after I use my embers of fury as well. Though mana stones can do the job as well, but food is definitely good to have. We should get something to eat,¡± Aurelia said. Noah nodded, before ncing towards the sky. A momentter, Tony flew down, before merging back into his skin. ¡°Good news. Tony found something nice. From what I can tell, it was some kind of a giant wild boar,¡± Noah said. The image formed as Tony¡¯s thoughts were shared with him, and Noah pictured the creature. A giant boar withrge tusks and some draconian scales on its body. Licking his lips, he nced towards the other two. ¡°Seems like we have our food bait as well.¡± Book 3: Chapter 32 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 2 Book 3: Chapter 32 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 2 Noah walked towards the boar, staying below the line of shrubbery, as the group slowly moved closer, making sure not to startle the creature. The giant boar stood nearby, almosting up to Noah¡¯s shoulders in height, and at least eight feet in length. Noah used Identify on the creature. [A Draconian Wildboar - lvl 172] A secondter, his bracelet gleamed and Noah saw a notification pop up in front of him. Item [Runewoven Bracelet of Arcana] has modified your perk. Inspect has been upgraded to Analyze. ¡°What the shit?¡± Noah eximed, looking down at his bracelet, as the glow of light died down within it. He nced sideways to see Aurelia looking down simrly at her own bracelet. ¡°You got the same thing?¡± He asked. ¡°Yeah. Just when did Zax have the time to change the bracelet?¡± Aurelia asked. Noah shrugged, checking his bracelet. He¡¯d never paid much attention to it before, used to the conveniences it provided, but he was starting to realize just how much Zax was slowly building into the item. Using his new, Analyze perk, Noah checked the item.[Runewoven Bracelet of Arcana (Rank D, ???)] Durability: 8/9 Type: essory A bracelet made with intricate runesandplex magics that even the Celestians would wish to study, should they get their hands on this device. This arcane bracelet allows others with simr bracelets tomunicate with one another from long distances. It also gives the following abilities. [Telepathy], [Quick Transfer], [Second Chance], [True sight] and [Analyze]. Warning: Not all abilities are currently active Noah stared at the list of abilities in surprise, alongside the three question marks on the grade. He already knew what Telepathy and Quick Transfer did. It¡¯s what they used to talk to each other telepathically or teleport to one another when within the range of the abilities. But the rest were all new to him. One by one, Noah selected the abilities. [Second Chance] This ability is passive and can only activate once before it has to be recharged. If the wearer¡¯s health goes below 1% this ability activates and heals them back to 10%, and cures any status ailments currently present. Once used, the ability is then ability is then deactivated until recharged. Warning: This ability is currently inactive. Noah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he read through the description. So if he¡¯d hypothetically almost died, this bracelet would heal him back and cure any status ailments? Broken. Needs to be nerfed. He read the other abilities. [True Sight] This ability allows its user to break through any veils, illusions and other means of deception used by those around them. As a secondary effect, it also enhances the vision of those wearing it slightly. That was quite the useful ability. He almost wished he¡¯d had it when he was dealing with Vix and the others. He moved on to read thest ability description. [Analyze] This ability allows someone to gleam the true nature and value of any item or object, and gain short pieces of insights from the Astral script itself. An ability so covetous, it was hidden by the Celestians to guard their treasure of knowledge, but not entirely. Noah whistled at that. Aurelia, simrly, looked pleased. Neither of the other two had any idea when Zax had done this, but it was certainly a nifty addition. ¡°Can we still talk to Zax? Or teleport out of here?¡± Noah asked. A secondter, he tried to contact Zax but found on error message popping up on his bracelet. ¡°Nope. He¡¯s clearly adjusted it at some point in preparation for this,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Did you see the second chance ability?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Yup. It¡¯s insane. No wonder he¡¯d asked for my ring, he¡¯d been trying to replicate the spell all along. I¡¯d forgot to ask it back from him too,¡± Aurelia said, looking down at her wrist. ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little left out,¡± Vion said, watching the two of them fawn over their device. ¡°Sorry, we got distracted,¡± Aurelia said, turning towards the wild boar nearby. It was still far, and hadn¡¯t noticed their presence. Noah used Analyze on the creature. [Draconian Wildboar (Rare) - lvl 172] A draconian wild boar. One of the weaker creatures found within the northern forests of Draconias, these boars are a result of the dragon blood spreading through this area from creature to creature. Its mutations give it a thicker skin, and scales in portions. It can also breathe fire. Good thing you¡¯re resistant, isn¡¯t it? Huh. That¡¯s the first time the description has directly referred to me. Noah nced towards Aurelia. ¡°Did you get the same description from the creature as well?¡± ¡°It told me some details about the boar, yes,¡± Aurelia replied. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°Neat, and quite helpful here. Let¡¯s go get it. It doesn¡¯t sound very strong, and there¡¯s three of us.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not jump in without a n. I think we should setup a trap,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°It¡¯s a boar. Why do we need a n to catch a boar?¡± Vion asked, scoffing. Noah thought for a second. ¡°I¡¯ll go teleport on top of it, and take it by surprise, using my spear to score a direct hit near its head. You two thene in and deal the finishing blow if it¡¯s not dead immediately. How¡¯s that for a n?¡± He asked. Aurelia looked at. Sighed. And then gave him a nod. ¡°Alright. We¡¯ll do it your way.¡± Noah grinned, taking out his spear. He nced at Vion and Aurelia, the dragon woman rolled her eyes, while Aurelia gave him a nod, and the two moved closer towards their target, crouching and doing their best not to make any noise. Noah kept his eyes on his target, waiting for the right moment. He could feel the buzz of mana swirling under his skin, moving through his runic tattoos with almost an electric buzz of thrill, waiting to be released. Aurelia and Vion took position. The boar, unaware, continued to graze. Noah focused his attention. Arcane Step whirred, the mana pulsing as he was gone, reappearing the next instant on top of the wild boar. Wham! The spear sunk into the creature¡¯s body, as the boar let out a loud squeal. Noah cursed to himself. The monster reared up, trying to shake him off, but Noah grasped his spear, trying to pull it out for another strike. The spear buckled, but did note out, and a horrifying realization dawned on Noah. As the creature continued to rear back, shrieking wildly in pain and trying to shake him off, wildly swinging him about, Noah noted his spear didn¡¯t go deep enough, the creature healed fast, so fast that the skin around the wound was already back and his spear was stuck inside. ¡°Damn it, Noah!¡± Aurelia cursed, rushing out alongside Vion rushed out. The creature continued to thrash wildly as Noah clung on desperately. It mmed, running around fast and bringing down trees within the forest from the force of its impacts. Even with all his enhanced body and power, a direct strike of that would certainly crack his bones. Aurelia and Vion gave chase. Aurelia struck with ming fists, while Vion shes, transparent ws forming around her hands as she attacked. The wild boar swung, shaking its face as it tried to hurt the two women, but they were fast, deftly dodging its strikes. All it did, was knock down more trees. As the creature realized its efforts were not bearing any results, it changed focus, turning to run away instead. ¡°Oh, no you don¡¯t!¡± Aurelia shouted, jumping forward. Fire roared all around her, and Vion joined, with herva forming. The twobined their attacks, forming a fire andva ball to try as the twobined their strengths to attack. The boar, sensing the fireball, turned around as fire began rising in its mouth. At once, the two attacks rushed out, colliding. The world turned white for a few moments as heat sted everywhere. Noah, finally with a moment where the boar had stopped thrashing, grasped his spear firmly and then pulled it out. The creature had burns on its body, but its dragon blood was healing it, and fast. Noah had warmblood and was aware just how potent it could be. He had to kill it in one shot. ¡°Don¡¯t burn it!¡± He shouted, before charging Void Annihtion into his spear, as the energy crackled around like ck lightning. With a powerful thrust, he struck, sinking the weapon deep into the creature¡¯s skull this time. The boar¡¯s eyes rolled up into its skull with one final roar, as it plopped onto the ground, dead. The notification popped up in his interface, alongside a notification showing all three of his paths had leveled up once. Noah jumped down from the creature, pulling the blood covered in brain matter out with a squelch. The blood and gore burning away as he channeled his void abilities, and the rest was absorbed by the spear hungrily. Aurelia looked at him standing there with a proud face, and sighed. ¡°Well, that wasn¡¯t too bad,¡± Noah said. Vion raised an eyebrow, looking around them. The entire forest around them was wrecked, fires zing through the area. Where the fire spells had struck each other, the sight looked like a meteor had struck the earth, scorching it ck. ¡°Well, I guess we wrecked the ce a little bit,¡± Noah said. ¡°You really need to stop jumping into battles¡ª¡± Vion¡¯s eyes sharpened, as she raised her and, signaling for them to be quiet. The two pause, noticing the sudden tension from the dragon woman. She pointed upwards for them to see. ¡°There, one of the wyverns noticed themotion and ising here, we need to hide.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just one? We could take it out,¡± Noah said. He¡¯d been itching to try his soul harvest ability, and a wyvern seemed like the perfect test subject. ¡°It¡¯s a scout. We don¡¯t take out scouts, unless you want the entire hive to descend on us immediately,¡± Vion replied, keeping her voice low. ¡°Hide your mana,¡± she added. Noah quickly put the giant boar in his inventory and then moved along with the rest of them. The group ran from the wreckage, hiding in a nearby forest section as they watched the giant wyvern swoop down with a thud. The creature came down with a powerful wind of gust, moving much faster than a creature of that size should normally be able to. It looked around the area, sniffing with curiosity. Noah had seen the juveniles before, back when they had travelled to catch the Iron Fist. They were fairlyrge, but this one wasrger even still, and its body was a different color, a mix of white and a pale blue that ran through its scale like stripes, almost looking like tattoo marks. [Juveline Sky Wyvern (Legendary) - ??] A sky wyvern scout. These type of wyverns are built for agility, and the adults can move fast enough to break the sound barrier, causing sonic booms. It is said that an elder or ancient Sky wyvern is capable of flying to the edge of the sky and back within a few seconds. They are notoriously difficult to handle, or catch, but make for excellent mounts, for the brave souls who can tame them without losing their heads. Noah moved back as the the wyvern turned towards their direction for a moment. It moved closer, sniffing in their direction. He could see Vion and Aurelia tensing, ready to strike back if needed. Hey bud, need your help. Noah said, as Tony came out from his body, pping around. Noah teleported him using his dimensional vault, and a secondter, a screeching noise came in the distance. The wyvern turned, distracted by the noise as it followed Tony who was long gone. The three of them slowly moved away, making their way out of the area. It was only after the Wyvern took off, did they breathe easy. Noah patted Tony, as the creature returned. ¡°Good job bud,¡± he said, as Tony twirled happily, before sinking back into him. ¡°That was¡­ scary,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Yeah, and those guys are huge. Much bigger than the wyverns we had seen,¡± Noah said. Vion scoffed. ¡°Domesticated wyverns are like dogs, whereas wild ones are wolves. They¡¯re bigger on average, and stronger. They¡¯re Legendary grade creatures, and have the attributes to show for it. Even a juvenile is stupidly strong.¡± ¡°Even the domesticated wyverns are a force to be reckoned with. A wyvern rider squad has a lot of strength and influence, and entire kingdoms have been built on that foundation before,¡± Aurelia said. Noah paused as he realized something. ¡°Wait, so if wyverns are legendary grade, what are dragons?¡± Vion froze, as if taken by surprise from that question. Noah turned to look at her. Aurelia looked at her as well. The two pair of eyes bore into the dragon-woman. ¡°So- did you know, dragons are one of the few creatures who have both race levels and can also pick a path under certain circumstances?¡± Noah realized he¡¯d never used Identify on Vion, and a momentter, he used the new upgraded ability. [???] [Runewoven Bracelet of Arcana] has applied [Truesight]! [Name: Vion] [Race: Draconian Humanoid - lvl 72 (???)] [Path: Magma-mancer (Rare) - lvl 114] Noah stared at the question marks at her rarity. Vion sighed. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ called mythical. It¡¯s a rarity above legendary.¡± You¡¯ve discovered the mythical rarity! You will be able to identify mythical grade objects from now on. One skill point awarded. ¡°Oh¡­ I got a skill point for that,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°You¡¯re E rank?¡± Noah asked, shocked. ¡°Mythical¡­ I have never heard of it. And, why is it hidden? And why were you not telling us?¡± A shriek interrupted their conversation as the group looked overhead to see a few more wyverns now circling up above. ¡°I¡¯ll exin, but let¡¯s get somewhere safe first,¡± Vion said, before pausing. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ a long story.¡± Noah looked at Aurelia, who returned a simr look, before the two followed Vion. Book 3: Chapter 33 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 3 Book 3: Chapter 33 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 3 The wyverns continued to circle overhead, a few more arriving in the area to scout the scorchedndscape. The giant reptilians moved about with uncharacteristic speed, gathering wind and putting out any remnants of the fires that may have remained from the aftermath of their battle with coordinated work. Tony in his eye-bat form had split into multiple tiny pieces that were scattered around the forest, watching the wyverns, as they constantly fed information to Noah. The three of them, in the meantime, sat inside a small cavern they¡¯d found nearby. Noah and Aurelia looked at Vion questioningly. The dragon woman sighed. ¡°Alright, where do I begin.¡± ¡°Maybe from what¡¯s mythical rarity and why it¡¯s hidden in the first ce,¡± Noah suggested. ¡°And why you in particr felt the need to hide it from us,¡± Aurelia added. Vion nodded. ¡°So. I cannot im to know the entirety of it. The Astral Script has many secrets, that much, everybody knows. There are systems and mechanics in ce that are hidden by nobles and royals all around the world. Special requirements for certain Paths, rituals and magics that can allow someone to take multiple paths from the very beginning. Tomes, abilities, skills and their interactions and intermingling. Required skill fusion, skill tiers, among many many other things,¡± Vion said, in a single breath. ¡°I¡¯m aware. It¡¯s one of the things that had made Noah so strange, since he had managed to get three Paths from the very beginning, instead of the standard single path most people got,¡± Aurelia said, ncing sideways at Noah. Vion continued. ¡°Right, well, basically, there are certain rarities that are like that too. Rarities above Legendary. They exist, they are a thing. But they are hidden by the Astral Script, unless you have some really powerful perception abilities, or have managed to stumble upon the requirements necessary to find out about them.¡±¡°¡­Or you happen to know a dragon,¡± Noah added. ¡°Or that,¡± Vion agreed. ¡°But why? Why have the rarities be hidden?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Before I answer that, let me ask you this. Is there a type of rarity type that you¡¯re aware of, which is above Legendary? Besides the one you just learned.¡± Aurelia thought over it. ¡°There¡¯s unique paths and items. But those are not necessarily better in all cases. There¡¯s growth items but they, too, aren¡¯t always better,¡± she paused as she realized something. ¡°Divine items¡­ and divine paths.¡± ¡°Exactly. Divine rarity. It is a special rarity above Legendary that can only be obtained by worshipping a god. Though few ever give out things of such power or influence easily, most Divine category paths of clerics and pdins are not actually Divine grade. There¡¯s a difference between the two. But that¡¯s amon one that almost everyone knows about. Divine grade. The reason it ismonly known is because the gods must directly give them to you. It cannot be obtained by any other means. They can control it,¡± Vion said. Noah chewed over the information. This was the second new rarity tier he¡¯d learned of just now, and it made him wonder just how much information he still didn¡¯t have. If he wanted to ever truly destroy the cult and free himself from the Void God¡¯s pact, he would need to learn. He returned his attention to Vion¡¯s words. ¡°¡­which is why these rarities are kept hidden. Because, one of the conditions of unlocking a Mythical grade path, is simply knowing of the rarity in the first ce. Well, it¡¯s not quite that simple. But that is one of the factors. If you know of the rarity, you can unlock it. The other method is reach level 100 with a legendary grade ability, and then upgrade it into a mythical ability. Or to find a mythical grade tome and do it that way. But those tomes are guarded even more heavily. The money needed to get one would be enough to buy arge city.¡± Noah thought of the Ancient grade tome he''d used very recently. He gulped. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t exin why you would have to hide it from us,¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°I¡¯m getting there,¡± Vion said, pausing for moment as if to sort her thoughts. ¡°Okay, so, I¡¯m notpletely sure if this is true or not, but it¡¯s what Draxias¡ª err, the king told me when he was teaching me about my legacy. You are aware that the celestians were the one who created the Astral Script in the form that it is today, yes?¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the vition. Noah nodded. ¡°Though they had help from the pantheon, but it was they who created the first spell that began the astral script itself, and as such, they have a lot of control. Now¡­ it is debated how much control they have, as the first empires of the time have long fallen, and a lot of the knowledge of that period has been lost to time. It is said that the dragons had fought a war against the celestians during the period they had been conquering all they could, which had directly resulted in the fracturing of the empire and the formation of the alliances. I don¡¯t know if this is true or not, but that¡¯s how the story goes,¡± Vion said. Noah remembered Zax mentioning something in rtion to that at some point. Had the dragon been part of that war then? He would have to ask. ¡°Anyway, so, while the celestians have mellowed out a lot over the centuries, they still hold the most influence on the astral scripts of any race. And, I have heard that, if inconvenient people manage to gain this information and ess to these special rarities and their paths, then the Ascendant Monarchs sent hunters, to take care of them. It is¡­ almost a myth. But the King says he has met one of these hunters before. A man powerful enough to level kingdoms all by himself, with sharp pointed ears, but with white hair and blue eyes. His bones formed an ethereal armor around his body, dding him in white. The Bone-d Reaper,¡± Vion said. ¡°That¡­ does not sound real,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I know, I didn¡¯t believe it either. But¡­ you are aware of how there was this myth going around that dragons did not actually exist, and were just a lie to cover up attacks from ascendants? Well, these figures were almost always involved in that. That, and whatever group theye from, as there¡¯s certainly more than one. It¡¯s a folklore, the reapers and their actions. But there is truth behind it,¡± Vion said. ¡°And, theye after you if you get too strong?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Not always, not necessarily. But yes. Some say they control the central kingdoms, that all of them are Ascendants and the Monarchs are working under their orders. That¡¯s a bit far fetched, but there certainly is some connection,¡± Vion said. ¡°This sounds like a big conspiracy theory to me,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°An organization of ascendants running things from the shadow? I¡¯m not so sure.¡± ¡°I would agree, but recently, something has changed. More and more incidents are rising. The shifts with the cults. Movements in the underground, spells. In fact, the city you two just came from. Heartillia, didn¡¯t it lose its Lord to a mysterious assassination? Something is happening. There have been murmurs of the organization moving around, and somethings about a dead god,¡± Vion said. Noah¡¯s attention snapped to the woman at the mention. ¡°Draxias says a god has died, and that his shards havended on Erandir. And the Reapers seek the pieces,¡± Vion said, leaning back. ¡°Not that I get it. The gods are immortal, and none we know of have died.¡± Aurelia looked towards Noah, surprise reflecting on her face as well, but Noah¡¯s attention was captured instead by the new quest he had gotten. New Quest obtained! Quest: The Reapers You¡¯ve heard the legend of the Reapers. A mysterious organization of powerful people who do not like strangers getting too strong. Especially strangers holding the pieces of the dead god they wish to collect. Objective: Find out more about this mysterious organization. Difficulty: Hard Reward: Unknown Noah looked at the quest for a long moment, before waving it away. He would deal with it when he got to that stage. He already had the mystery of the lunar cult to solve, and the preparations for the dragon warrior¡¯s trial to make. Deciding this was a good time to bring it up, he turned to Vion. ¡°So¡­ where does the Ancient rarity sit at? That¡¯s also one of the hidden ones,¡± he asked. Aurelia jumped. ¡°I¡­ got another skill point,¡± she said. Vion looked at Noah in surprise, before shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s below Mythical, adjacent to Legendary, but a bit different. It¡¯s more like unique in the sense that, it can be better or worse, but primarily just denotes things that predate the astral script and are not inherently a part of it. I don¡¯t know much more beyond that.¡± Noah gave the woman a nod. He had a feeling that if he could inspect the scale from the Life Wyrm again, it would have shown up as Mythical now. He pulled up his own quest for the Shards. Quest: Shards of [???] Through strange and unknown circumstances, you¡¯vee to possess a shard of [???]. But it is far from the only one that exists. Memories remain hidden in these pieces that¡¯ve been scattered across Erandir. It¡¯d do you well to start searching. Objective: Find all the Shards of [???] Difficulty: Unknown Reward: Unknown He¡¯d gotten this quest right at the very start, when he¡¯d just arrived on Erandir. Noah looked at it once more, inspecting the shard directly. [Shard of ???, (Divine/???)] A shard of ** ******* attached to the soul of Noah Brown. Contains an aspect of the Devourer, and a piece of a forgotten memory. Noah put the description away. Taking a breath, he got up. ¡°The wyverns have left the area, let¡¯s move before they return. The river is nearby, I¡¯ve had Tony scout the area. There shouldn¡¯t be too much in our path to cross,¡± Noah said. Vion and Aurelia both nodded at him, as the group got up. Noah took a look at his quests, before focusing himself. The games of gods would continue on, and while he didn¡¯t know what that future held for him, for now he knew what his task was. He had some wyverns to hunt. Book 3: Chapter 34 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 4 Book 3: Chapter 34 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 4 It took nearly an entire day of walking, even with their speed, before the group finally found their destination. It was the smell that Noah noticed first, the distinct smell of water somewhere in the distance growing stronger and stronger till it was everywhere. Next came the sound, of water flowing through the area. Tony moved swiftly through the sky, staying low enough to be under the canopies above to avoid being detected by the wyverns, scouting the area ahead. It didn¡¯t take long for them to arrive at the shores of the river, looking upon the rocky banks as humid and cool air flowed all around them. Vion walked close to the river, leaning down as she cupped her hands, picking up some water within it. There was a faint glow present within it, and Noah could sense mana swirling within the water. Vion drank it. ¡°This riveres from the heart of the cliffs, where the wyverns live. Both of the peaks, and their subsidiaries are a single mountain range and right from their center, this river flows out, carrying a lot of the residual mana from the wyverns,¡± the dragon woman said, taking out a water container which she began to fill up. ¡°That¡¯s quite a lot of mana. Even the air has more of it,¡± Noah remarked. He looked at Vion, who seemed almost relieved drank more of the water, and Noah remembered how Zax¡¯s status had said he was¡­ mana deficient, that there wasn¡¯t enough mana in the area to sustain him properly. ¡°I¡¯m surprised how you live in the city. Don¡¯t dragons need a lot of mana to survive?¡± Noah asked. Vion nced up at him, standing up as she put aside her waterbed into a storage device. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not a full dragon, am I?¡± ¡°Are you not? You looked like a dragon when you were fighting Zax,¡± Noah said. ¡°It¡¯s¡­plicated,¡± Vion said, ncing aside. Noah heard a beep from his bracelet, before Aurelia¡¯s voice came to him telepathically. ¡°Don¡¯t pry. There¡¯s clearly a lot ofplicated things going on with her background.¡± ¡°If we¡¯re going to be here for a while together, I think knowing more wouldn¡¯t hurt. Not to mention¡­ is Vion even giving the trial? Her level isn¡¯t very high, and she¡¯s an actual honest to god dragon. What would the title even do for her? I feel like the whole point Zax sent her with us is so we can learn more, and maybe help her control the dragon form or whatever.¡± Aurelia didn¡¯t reply, and Noah continued. ¡°How does the dragon thing work anyway? It says all Draconians are descendants of dragons.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t actually know. My growth was slowed down by spells and potions and all sorts of things, and then, I was given this form at birth, a human, not even a Draconian but a human instead. It¡¯s all sorts ofplicated,¡± Vion said, before facing towards the river. ¡°Let¡¯s worry about crossing this thing for now. I can see the sea serpents further up the river. This is the one area even the wyverns avoid. Sea serpents are nasty.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just rush across quickly?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Or I could teleport us across,¡± Noah added. ¡°Won¡¯t work. I¡¯ll show you,¡± Vion said, as she picked up a somewhat t rock. Heat rose in her fist as the rock began to glow, soon turning red, before she swung it. The red hot rock shot forward, arcing through the air, as it sizzled. Boom. A bolt of lightning came from nowhere, striking the rock as it vaporized into thin air, leaving nothing behind. Noah and Aurelia simply stared in surprise. ¡°What was that?¡± Noah asked, trying to search his senses for the source of the lightning, but failing to find something there. Vion pointed in the water, and after looking for a few moments, he saw it. A giant crocodile like creature slept under water, eyes glowing as it peered up at them through the surface, as if waiting. Others around it swam through the river as well. ¡°And that¡¯s just the deidacrocks, a bit further you have the serpents who can cause hurricanes and also shoot lightning,¡± Vion said, pointing upstream. ¡°And then downstream you have the sea, where you¡¯ll find the big mom whose kids all of these ones are.¡± ¡°Alright, I see the point. But why can¡¯t I teleport us over? Just in and out, easy,¡± Noah said. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Can you?¡± Vion asked, skeptically. ¡°The river has a lot of mana. Idk if you feel it or not, but this entire river is chock full of mana, and it¡¯s just gushing outwards up into the air. It¡¯s like a wall.¡± It took Noah a second to realize what she was talking about. He¡¯d gotten so used to the gradual increase in the mana that he had almost not noticed the giant current of mana moving in front of him, flowing outwards and surrounding him in all directions. It wasn¡¯t the air which had more mana. It was the river, whose mana presence was so strong that it was making the mana in the air denser, spanning out into the entire forest. Noah looked at the river thoughtfully. A secondter, he let mana flow through the sigils formed onto his arcane body, as magic twirled and twisted. A momentter, he shed as Arcane Step activated and he was gone. He stood at the other edge, looking back to see Vion and Aurelia. Noah gave the two of them a wave. A secondter, Arcane Step activated once more as Noah jumped back around next to the two women. ¡°Well, consider me impressed,¡± Vion said, sniffing. ¡°That¡¯s a powerful teleport ability. But at the same time, even if you can make it across all on your own safely, I¡¯m not sure you can do it with the two of us in tow.¡± Noah looked at Vion, raising an eyebrow. ¡°Is that a challenge?¡± He asked. ¡°No, no it¡¯s not. It¡¯s a prediction, because I don¡¯t want your teleport to fail midway and send us sinking into the river, or worse,¡± Vion said. ¡°I think you¡¯re too pessimistic,¡± Noah said, walking closer to Vion. He gestured to let him touch her shoulder and the dragon woman shrugged. Putting a hand on Vion¡¯s body, Noah let Arcane Step channel, feeling the resistance she created against his ability. He frowned. She was right about one thing at least. She was difficult to teleport. Noah had been expecting it, despite the woman¡¯s level being lower than his, she was, after all, a dragon, and Noah knew by experience that it wasn¡¯t the levels so much as it were the cumtive stats of someone that really affected how difficult that person was to move around with his teleport abilities. Still, he had also been right as well. She was definitely underestimating him. He had two simple and easy ways to transport her, and he decided that he was going to use both. ¡°It can be done,¡± he said, looking at Vion. She did not seem convinced. ¡°Are you sure Noah? We don¡¯t necessarily have to push ourselves, especially since we may have to fight a wyvern at any point. And there might be areas without any monsters for us to cross if we walk along the shore for a little bit,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Just hold on,¡± Noah said, as he called onto his shadow. The shadow specter emerged, without any need for Noah to exin the n to him or anything. Vion looked horrified, watching the dark specter manifest out of nowhere. ¡°You¡¯re with my, mdy,¡± the shadow said, curtsying towards Aurelia as he extended her hand. The woman looked extremely uncertain, ncing in Noah¡¯s general direction with an expression that said ¡®what are you doing?¡¯ As she epted the shadow¡¯s hand. The arcane spells swirled around the two, Arcane step activating as the shadow and Aurelia both were on the other shore in the next instant. ¡°Our turn,¡± Noah said, extending his hand to Vion. ¡°It won¡¯t be that easy with me¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªJust trust me on this one,¡± Noah interrupted. Vion stared at him, then, after letting out a quiet sigh, she put her hand in his. Noah activated metamorphosis. His body transformed, a monstrous form starting to appear, but Noah did not let the physical transformations happenpletely. Or rather, he asked Tony to dial them down. His teeth still turned to fangs, and the vertical slits in his eyes grew longer and sharper, and there was a downright threatening aura of void around him, but otherwise, he remained unchanged. All except for his attributes. Noah felt power rippling through his body, as all his attributes doubled in power. Letting Arcane Step channel, he barely felt a blip as the two of them appeared on the other side of the river. Vion let out a quiet ¡®oh¡¯ as she stepped back, while Noah let go of Metmorphosis, the short burst of power not giving him the usual exhaustion afterwards. He¡¯d been experimenting with more fine tuned control of the ability like this, but there was still some tricky parts that he and Tony needed to figure out together. He grinned at the two women, as his shadow merged back into him. ¡°See? I told you I could do it.¡± Vion almost seemed disappointed. ¡°You don¡¯t look too happy?¡± Noah asked, looking at the woman. Then, he realised something. ¡°Did you¡­ want to cross the river? With some kind of n?¡± The dragon woman did not reply for a long minute. The silence held between the two of them. Vion nced back at the river behind her. A secondter, in a quieter voice, she admitted. ¡°I had thought of a n. We could single out a deidacros, fight it, as these creatures are always hungry to fight, and then when it knew it couldn¡¯t beat us, we¡¯d use the prey we caught as lure and sit on top of the monster and sail across.¡± Noah and Aurelia simply looked at her. The two nced at each other. He knew Vion was something like a century old. But he also knew that she was treated like a teenager for all intents and purposes, and that was starting to be evident over time. She was not a child, she was capable and a powerful young woman, and dragon, but she certainly wasn¡¯t a mature adult. Not that I am one either. He patted Vion¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How about this. If we have to cross back at some point, we¡¯ll use your method instead.¡± That seemed to cate the Dragon woman, as she gave Noah a little nod. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste too much time now, the hive is just there,¡± Aurelia said. Here, through the gaps of the cleared near the shore, they could see it more clearly, the mountain peaks, as the foliage thinned down a little. The group made their way closer. Book 3: Chapter 35 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 5 Book 3: Chapter 35 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 5 The forest thinned around the group as they drew closer and closer to the giant wyvern cliffs. The structure started to dominate thendscape, the creatures around these parts bing more and more draconic. Noah did not understand what the connection was between wyverns and dragons and this entire location, but it was certainly evident in the flora and fauna. They¡¯d found a nt that shot fire sacks at you. A goddamn nt. Noah had picked up some of the sacs and put them in his inventory. It seemed like the kind of thing Zax would have fun tinkering with. Perhaps he could tell the dragon what a molotov was. Noah heard a high pitched call from above, and looked up to see some birds circling up above. He paused, squinting, as he took a better look with his enhanced vision. No¡­ not birds. ¡°Are those wyverns?¡± He asked, surprised. From this distance they looked norger than a small bird. They had to be flying really high above. ¡°Stay down, they can see you even from that high up,¡± Vion said, looking up at the sky as well, as she gestured for the group to walk through a different section of the forest, better hidden by the foliage. Noah continued to walk, taking asional nces up at the sky. More and more wyverns continued to fly around, the area soon teeming with them. He had to wonder just how this forest could sustain so many giant creatures like that? A wyvern had to eat a significant amount, surely, and the forest would only have so many creatures. He decided to ask Vion, who had be more or less their guide through this forest. For a princess who supposedly didn¡¯t get to go out a lot, she certainly knew a lot on the topic. ¡°Well, it¡¯s simple. They can¡¯t live off of this forest alone, this ce is barely enough for a hundred wyverns, much less thousands.¡± ¡°Then¡­ how does not one, but two hives exist?¡± Noah asked.¡°I¡¯d been wondering that too. No matter where you go, typically higher rank creatures and predators were fewer in numbers. Stronger monsters can survive for long periods of time without any food, but their mana is primarily divested in modifying their bodies, and as such, a certain amount of food and mana bes required for them to survive. Same reason why a human ascendant can hang out in low rank areas without much issues, but a monster cannot,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°The answer is both simple and not. The wyverns here are maybe around a third of the wyverns, and they¡¯re almost all females. They¡¯re here, because they¡¯re feeding their spawn and brood. They go out much farther away to gather food for themselves. All male juveniles are kicked out of the hive after breeding season, and often they just eat the weaker males to sustain themselves,¡± Vion said, pausing as a wyvern passed from above, flying surprisingly close by. When the threat cleared, she continued. ¡°This is also why the adult wyverns do not mind if you kill the juveniles. Almost all of them are males who are just a burden on the hive. I know a lot of wyverns often intentionally do not touch traps set by hunters, as it¡¯s mostly the juveniles who fall for those, out of desperation and hunger,¡± Vion said. ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s¡­ yikes. Talk about having it rough,¡± Noah said. Aurelia nodded. ¡°That¡­ is quite harsh. Though I know it is not just wyverns that do something like this.¡± ¡°Nature can be quite brutal. Which is why, if we had to hunt a male wyvern, even an adult, we¡¯d likely be done by now,¡± Vion said. ¡°The females are stronger?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Yes. But that¡¯s not the main problem. It¡¯s the fact that if you hurt or kill one, the entire hive will hunt you. Female adults are the leaders, and are the ones who look after all the children and raise them. The juvenile females go out to bring food, the adult females tend to the spawn in their rest alongside the elder wyvern, who both guards the entire hive and enforces order. Which is why this entire thing is such a pain. We need to kill a wyvern, which is the easy part, and then we need to somehow get out without being turned into wyvern food,¡± Vion said. Noah hummed to himself thoughtfully. It looked like this task was not as simple as he¡¯d initially expected. In his mind, he¡¯d simply prepared himself to fight against a wyvern, till he won eventually. But perhaps a bit more tact would be required this time. ¡°You know quite a lot about wyverns, don¡¯t you Vion?¡± Aurelia asked. The woman paused, freezing in her tracks for the barest of moments, before she continued. Neither Noah nor Aurelia missed the reaction. ¡°A bit, I guess. I didn¡¯t have a lot to do but read, which is why.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impressive. You sound like you¡¯re an expert and have a lot of experience handling wyverns.¡± Vion didn¡¯t reply. ¡°We shoulde up with a n, on how exactly we¡¯re going to get an adult wyvern. I¡¯d prefer to keep the cause chaos and incite a hive war as ourst resort if possible,¡± Aurelia said, not prodding the woman any further. ¡°Yes. So, I¡¯ve been thinking about this. We¡¯re likely going to be here for some time, and that means we¡¯ll likely want some ce where we can wind down, rest, recover, without having to worry about wyverns breathing down our necks all the time. And what I thought was that we could use an abandoned chamber. Wyvern hives have a lot of abandoned paths, and sometimes tunnels and such copse, and the wyverns just leave the areas, as it¡¯s not worth digging them out again. Older tunnels, especially at the bottom of the hive are often like this, as wyverns prefer to stay up top, and only the juveniles are forced down. It¡¯s where I¡¯ve been trying to lead us towards,¡± Vion said. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the vition. ¡°That sounds good. We could start by getting a safe ce, and then we could try to slowly scout out the hive and find where the wyvern adults are, and then work out a n to lure them out,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°So, here¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking right. Zax has sent us here, because we need to train. And, why specifically the heart of an adult wyvern? Like, I¡¯m sure we can setup a trap and do it, probably. But how does it help out in our real goal, which is getting stronger?¡± ¡°Fighting an adult wyvern is not an easy task, and. The levels would be significant. Even if we all fought it together. But Noah is right. I feel like we¡¯re missing something,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°In the first ce, it¡¯s not that easy to lure an adult wyvern out. They don¡¯t typicallye out, our bait will just invite a bunch of juveniles. And if we cause enough of a stir, the hive will get alerted to our presence and we¡¯ll be as good as dead meat,¡± Vion said. ¡°Is there something specific about a wyvern¡¯s heart perhaps? Like, maybe it can be used to create something that helps us?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°Given that he gave up a hundred days to get it, and intentionally mentioned we would not be under his surveince or protection¡­ I don¡¯t think so. I think the intention is simple. We need to train and fight our way through,¡± Noah said. ¡°That¡¯s suicide,¡± Aurelia replied. Vion simply frowned, thinking about something. ¡°It is suicide. But¡­ no no way. There¡¯s no way it¡¯s that.¡± ¡°What?¡± Aurelia asked, looking at Vion. The dragon woman looked at the party members present. ¡°Noah¡­ you have wyrmblood, don¡¯t you?¡± Vion asked. Noah nodded. ¡°Of course, you saw them for yourself.¡± ¡°And you, Aurelia. You have your armor and have been in the presence of a dragon for a while now,¡± Vion said. ¡°I still don¡¯t see what that has to do with usmitting suicide via wyvern teeth, but yes, I do,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Well, as¡­ iplete as I may be, I am still a part-dragon. A true-dragon, and not a draconian. And, if there¡¯s one thing wyverns heed to, it is dragons. And¡­ okay, so this is just a maybe, but the hive has a matriarch, or queen if you will, obviously. But she alone doesn¡¯t lead all the groups, obviously. There are smaller tribes, and many other sub groups, which have their own leaders. And it is a position that younger wyverns do contest and fight for. If they lose, they are kicked or, if they don¡¯t just die in battle. But if they win, typically by killing the older head, they then lead that particr group.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ you think he wants us to¡­ take over the hive?¡± Aurelia said, eyes wide. Vion shook her head. ¡°No, we could never. Not even a smaller tribe would tolerate us for long. But there have been cases when outsiders, including some people who have managed to be a part of a hive with this method. There¡¯s a chance that we could be a part of the hive, if we kill an adult wyvern. Of course, this will mean not dying immediately as the wyverns try to kill us, and we¡¯ll need to be strong enough to take on an adult wyvern individually for all of us¡­ but¡­ there is a chance.¡± The three of them simply stood there for a long moment, taking that thought in. ¡°Let¡¯s just get into the hive first, and then we can think further,¡± Vion said, heading ahead. Noah and Aurelia looked at each other, before following behind the woman. *** The suns hovered near the top of the mountains, as the group finally found what they had been looking for. ¡°There, there it is,¡± Vion said, and then whispered something so quietly even Noah¡¯s enhanced hearing could barely make it out. ¡°I knew I¡¯d remembered the way.¡± He didn¡¯tment on it, but something was clearly going on here. The group walked into what looked like a cave mouth built into the ground, covered with vines and moss, and reminded Noah an awful lot of the cultist hideout he and Aurelia had first met. That was not a pleasant thought to think about. He tried not to let it linger, as he walked inside, feeling a powerful wave of mana hit him in the face. You¡¯re in a high mana concentration zone. Mana regeneration increased by 100% Arcane Body reacts to the mana in the environment. Your attributes are all temporarily increased by 10% ¡°Whoa, what was that,¡± Noah said, looking at his notification, as he felt a burst of power starting to fill him, like the mana was seeping into his body on its own. ¡°Mana zone. They exist. People start wars over them. Big and deep dungeons are often like this, deeper in,¡± Vion said, continuing to walk with steady steps through the twisting pathways, as she led them deeper into the ground. ¡°I¡­ kinda get why. I feel like I just drank two bottles of energy drink. My entire body is literally buzzing,¡± Noah said, seeing the arcane sigils on him faintly glowing with mana, as if sucking it all in greedily. ¡°Stay quiet, we¡¯re near the main entrance,¡± Vion said in a whisper, a serious expression on her face. Noah noticed light seeping in from further ahead, and he followed, keeping his aura hidden and his steps silent. As the group walked through the entrance, they arrived in a giant well lit cavern. What Noah saw here, made his jaw drop open in awe. A massive area stood in front of him, covered in vegetation, moss and nts of all sorts, with massive stctites and boulders jutting around the area, giving the ce the feel that it was meant for giants, and they were merely ants in this location. Each surface inside seemed to be covered to the brim with wyverns. Noah saw a bunch with fiery red stripes, others that wererge and had a rocky exterior. Some with four wings instead of two and others with sleek thin bodies as they clung onto the walls, or sat on one of the ledges, or flew around in the central area, moving from one chamber to another. Beams of sunlight peered from the gaps above, lightning the ce, making it looking ethereal. It was like they¡¯d just entered a brand new world. But more than anything, it was the numbers. Though Noah had grown quite strong over the time, he could feel it here, thebined presence of hundreds¡­ no, thousands of wyverns permeating the air. And underneath it all, a powerful aura that permeated the entire hive, one that seemed to rival Zax in power. He paused his inspection as a particrlyrge wyvern swooped by,nding nearby as it crushed a juvenile that had been acting up under its giant ws and feet, before licking the blood off. Noah didn¡¯t even dare breathe, much less use Identify. He simply stared. Fuck me. And we have to kill one of these, here?! He felt a lot less confident about his chances now. Book 3: Chapter 36 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 6 Book 3: Chapter 36 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 6 The group moved deathly silently, and only when they were a little further did Noah dare use Identify, as the description of the creature appeared. [Adult Rock-scale Wyvern (Legendary) - ???] One of thergest kinds of wyverns there are, what these hulking creaturesck in mobility and flight ability, they more than make up for in their sheer bulk and rock hard defenses. A rock-scale wyvern will burrow into the earn and eat rocks and minerals rich in earth mana, growing their scales with minerals that¡¯s extremely hard to pierce. In a particrly cruel practice, these creatures are captured and forced to feed a specific diet to grow specialized mana stones and gems which are then mined from their bodies. The practice has spread across colonies and the wyverns now have an innate distrust of humanoid creatures. That¡¯s you, just so we¡¯re clear. Noah didn¡¯t have the time to question the description¡¯s direct addressal of him yet again. But it was definitely a little weird. His quest window sometimes did it as well, and it kinda creeped him out. Hundreds of wyverns continued to move across, only a fewing close to the location the group was moving through. The entire area was a maze, and ording to Vion, this was far from thergest central chamber. It was a vertically spanning highway of tunnels and chambers filled with wyverns flying around, and the constant beat of wings and the rumbling of growls and shrill calls filled the air behind them. They ducked behind a pir, as one of the nearby wyverns sniffed, before turning in their direction. Noah kept himself ready to teleport them out of sight immediately if they were discovered. Tony sharpened his senses to let him better perceive any threats, and act immediately. He took a breath of relief as the giant wyvern turned away, distracted by something else and let go of their location. Vion continued forward, undeterred, and Noah and Aurelia followed behind. The woman¡¯s steps were sure as they made their way and the other two did not question her, simply following her lead. They had to pause and wait out more than one wyvern flying near them. And in one particr area, Aurelia had almost given their position away when she¡¯d identally sneezed, but they¡¯d somehow managed to get through, finding their way to the tunnel Vion pointed out. The activity died out quickly as they moved into one of the lower tunnels, only a couple of wyverns now present in the area, and almost all of them were juveniles. Most were sleeping at that, while others were fighting over some scrap of meat or something simr. Noah watched with fascination, heart racing the entire time. There had been many fascinating and unreal things he had seen in his stay on Erandir so far, but this one was definitely up there with the most fascinating and bizarre of them. He continued onwards, deeper into the tunnels till barely any of the wyverns remained in the area. ¡°There, that should be good,¡± Vion said, heading towards what was effectively a crack in the wall. The dragon woman didn¡¯t hesitate, squeezing through instantly. Aurelia looked at Noah hesitantly, before following behind, grunting to fit into the tight space. Noah shrugged as well, before using Arcane Step to teleport directly inside. Aurelia grumbled as he appeared, dusting herself off. Noah inspected the inside of the chamber. It was a small hole in the hive, with its main entrance caved in, blocking what likely was the normal entrance in here. But what gave him pause wasn¡¯t that, but instead the different boxes and markings on the walls from words and other obvious signs of people having lived here at some point. There was even a giant b of rock which had been carved by someone, with little pieces of hay spread on top, serving as the world¡¯s worst bed. ¡°Uh¡­ you don¡¯t think the wyverns suddenly wanted to use beds or learn how to write?¡± Noah asked, looking around. ¡°Wyvern hunters. Some build hideouts like this in abandoned sections and use them to set their traps and check in on them. It¡¯s amon practice, unfortunately. Because someone is always stupid enough to take risks like that,¡± Vion said. Noah remembered the trapped sky pirates, who¡¯d been somewhere simr, trying to catch the sky serpents. The thought made him wonder about Snow and the others. He wondered what they were up to. ¡°There¡¯s even some food here, though it¡¯s some kind of jerky and hard tack, so nothing particr good. We could also always go out to hunt, and we already have some of the giant boar we caught, if we end up using it for ourselves¡ª oh they have some mana stones too. But not much. Looks like about fifty F and E grade crystals, ¡± Aurelia said. Noah sat on the bed, feeing the hard surface against his back. He wasn¡¯t particrly picky, and in his journey he and Aurelia had slept in the forest often enough, but with the month long trip on the airship and even before that, mostly staying in taverns and guilds, he¡¯d gotten used to having thefort of civilization again. ¡°Man, it¡¯s gonna suck not having decent food, or a bed, or being able to take a shower for so long.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be a baby Noah,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Though I have to agree about the shower at least. I once had to head out to clear a monster infestation with a team in a desert area and none of us could take a shower as all of had to preserve our water, and I think I¡¯d lost my sense of smell during that period. It didn¡¯t return back till like a week after I was back,¡± Aurelia said, shuddering. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m not looking forward to that. I¡¯m just d I no longer have to use the bathroom or whatever. Imagine that,¡± Noah said. ¡°Perks of D rank. You go through all the food you intake, and your body can take out the impurities through your aura and breath,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°I still remember when you started just vomiting back when you¡¯d gotten your lifeblood ability, and then be covered in gunk all over your body before passing out. I¡¯d been so shocked.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°When? I don¡¯t remember that,¡± Noah said. ¡°It was right after our fight with flesh horror, back when we¡¯d first met. Hellion¡¯s breath, it feels like that was years ago. Has it only really been six months? So much has changed since then,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Um, so, I don¡¯t want to interrupt the reminiscing, but¡­ I have a dimensional chamber. We can just use that,¡± Vion said. Aurelia gasped, while Noah just stared at Vion in confusion. ¡°A what?¡± He asked. ¡°It¡¯s easier to just show it to you. Step back for a second,¡± Vion said, looking around the chamber, as if assessing it, before she found a location that seemed to roughly be in the middle, and took out a crystal. Vion set the crystal on the ground, as it began to glow, and runes shed onto its body, before being projected onto the chamber. The runes shifted, rapidly, almost like a machine scanning the chamber, and then, a secondter, the crystal rose in the air, shining rapidly, before Noah felt the world around him change. He blinked, finding himself standing in the middle of what looked like a luxurious living room, filled with little tidbits, pictures and what not. Vion blushed as she swept aside a pile of clothes and other stuff scattered around. ¡°Sorry, I haven¡¯t been here in a while. It¡¯s a little messy.¡± ¡°What in the¡­ where are we?¡± Noah asked, still taken aback at the sudden teleportation. He paused. No¡­ no they hadn¡¯t teleported out. He would¡¯ve been able to tell. His astral abilities were attuned to space firmly now, if they¡¯d moved, he would¡¯ve been able to tell and even resist it. No, this entire room was teleported in instead. He looked around in surprise. ¡°A dimensional chamber, it basically is a portable home that exists in a pocket dimension and with enough space, you can anchor it and get ess. The main gate there will lead us back out into the chamber we had just been,¡± Vion said. Aurelia still seemed taken back, just looking around herself in disbelief. ¡°I had forgotten for a second that you are an honest to god princess¡­ no, not just that, but the heir to one of the oldest kingdoms on Erandir. This is¡­ I can¡¯t even begin to imagine what this must cost. I¡¯ve never seen one this big.¡± ¡°Are these rare?¡± Noah asked, looking around himself. ¡°Very. Only lords and nobles or very rich adventurers have these typically. It¡¯s stupidly costly to create a pocket dimension of this size, especially a variable, mappable one, that can carry structure- there¡¯s like a ton of things working here that take so much work. I couldn¡¯t even begin to exin it,¡± Aurelia said. Noah hummed to himself. Functionally this seemed simr to his Astral Vault, except he could travel with it anywhere. Though he did admit, he didn¡¯t have any walls or a roof, and staying for too long in a swirling void of colors made his stomach queazy. ¡°Let¡¯s head out for now, the extra mana in the air means the chamber willst for longer, but it does need to be recharged, so it¡¯s best if we only use this when we want to sleep or something important,¡± Vion said. The group nodded, and they followed the woman out of the door in the room, teleporting back to the chamber they had just been a second earlier. Before either of them could get their bearing, the entire group paused, as they all collectively sensed a presence outside. A wyvern sat outside, growling, and wing at the wall, as it tried to peer inside, having clearly noticed their presence. ¡°Shit, did it sense the mana from the device or something? I thought we¡¯d managed to sneak in,¡± Aurelia whispered, looking around. The wyvern let out another growl, as Vion froze in ce. Noah quickly used Analyze. [Juveline Acid Wyverns (Legendary) - lvl 172] The acid wyvern. It is amon misconception that wyverns only have base elements, some, such as this particr one, do not have a lot of magic, but instead have some really messed up racial abilities, like the ability to burn your face off by spewing a lot of acid. Which this one seems like it would do if you don¡¯t do something quick. ¡°It¡¯s a juvenile, acid wyvern. We can take it, and end it quick if we¡¯re fast, and once it¡¯s dead I can pull its body in our inventory,¡± Noah said, summoning his spear. ¡°I¡¯ll teleport out there and distract it, join me and we¡¯ll take it down rapidly.¡± Aurelia said, channeling her mana, ready to jump into action. Noah challenged his mana, as Arcane Step activated and he rushed out. The Wyvern turned around, surprised at seeing Noah there. A momentter, as it was about to let out a roar, Noah rushed in, Tony reinforcing his arm as he punched the wyvern¡¯s jaw strongly. He didn¡¯t waste any time, activating metamorphosis, as his body transformed. Noah rushed in, chains forming around his arms as he wrapped them around the creature, shutting its jaw close as Noah jumped onto its head, pulling the wyvern¡¯s neck back up. Aurelia appeared out of the area the next instant, fire zing around her fist, as the wyvern thrashed. The two didn¡¯t need to talk at all as Aurelia struck the wyvern with a ming fist, tumbling it to the side, and Noah¡¯s chains tightened around him. His shadow formed next to him, spear in hand, ready to plunge the de into the wyvern¡¯s eye socket, and directly into its brain when Vion appeared, shouting. ¡°Wait!¡± She shouted, as the shadow stopped, the de an inch away from the wyvern¡¯s eye. ¡°Please¡­ wait,¡± she said, looking hesitant, as she walked closer. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Aurelia asked, looking at the woman, her voice clipped. ¡°You can let her go, she¡­ she won¡¯t do anything,¡± Vion said, before putting a hand on the wyvern Noah had trapped. Noah looked at Vion as if she¡¯d gone insane. He looked at Aurelia and the woman had a simr expression, but gave him a nod. Noah loosened his grip on the chains, as the wyvern copsed on the ground, letting out a low guttural growl. ¡°Sorry, I¡­ I¡¯ve not been telling you guys something. I actually know this hive. Ie here, every now and then. This wyvern is one I know as well,¡± Vion said, petting the wyvern who grumbled, before shoving Noah off of her, she she raised herself up, and then snorted heavily. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you guys to know because I was afraid you¡¯d tell Draxi- that you¡¯d tell the king,¡± Vion said, ncing away. Noah looked at the woman in surprise. ¡°That we would¡­ what?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Vion said. ¡°It¡¯s just. It¡¯s a secret I¡¯ve kept for so long. I didn¡¯t want anyone to know. But¡­ Zax clearly knew. Somehow. And I had a feeling he wanted me toe here, which is why I led you guys here, but I still didn¡¯t feel sure if I could tell you. I¡¯m sorry for hiding this,¡± Vion said, petting the wyvern. ¡°Alright. Okay,¡± Aurelia took a deep breath. ¡°So¡­ you¡¯re friends with this wyvern hive? Does that mean¡­ what? We need an adult wyvern¡¯s heart. I don¡¯t know about dragons, but we typically don¡¯t go into a friend¡¯s home to rip out one of their family member¡¯s hearts.¡± Aurelia said. The juvenile wyvern growled at Aurelia but Vion patted her again. ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s a little bit moreplicated. I had been trying toe up with a n but¡­ alright. Well, if you¡¯ve found out anyway, you might as well,¡± Vion said, as the wyvern next to her snorted, before the dragon climbed on top of the creature. ¡°Meet who?¡± Noah asked. Vion looked down at Noah, who stood staring at her in surprise. After a moment of hesitation, she replied. ¡°Quazithril. My foster mother. And the queen of this hive.¡± Book 3: Chapter 37 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 7 Book 3: Chapter 37 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 7 Noah and Aurelia sat behind Vion atop the wyvern¡¯s back, who¡¯d grunted in annoyance but had allowed them to climb on. Though to allow it, Aurelia had to give it a D grade mana stone as an apology first. Which was first, if someone had just tried to kill Noah, he¡¯d be at least a little mad too. As they moved through the hive, Noah simply watched in awe at the many wyverns flying around in the giant hollow caverns. Many looked in their direction, many moreing closer to eye them or sniff around, but then they¡¯d return to whatever they had been doing. He wasn¡¯t sure how they weremunicating with one another, but for the time being, it seemed they were safe here. Still, despite knowing that, Noah couldn¡¯t help but feel his hear thundering. Not quite in fear, no, it was a mix of both excitement and anticipation. This ce felt dreamlike, as he watched an untold number of fantastical creatures flying all around him. The wyvern continued to move up towards the top of the mountain, flying deftly, though Noah had to grab tightly to stay on as the wyvern twisted and turned around through the skies. Vion on the other hand, rodefortably, belying experience and skill at having done so before. It didn¡¯t take them long, before they near the top of the mountain, moving through a gap in what was effectively the roof, the group emerged in arge central chamber formed close to the very peak. The first thing Noah saw was a giant wyvern, one close to size with Zax instead of a typical wyvern looking down at them, sniffing questioningly. He felt himself stiffen up under the wyvern¡¯s gaze, as it looked at the three of them, and let out a bone rattling growl. Then, the wyvern turned away, grunting and Noah felt like he could copse. It was only then did he finally use Analyze. [Elder Sky Wyvern (Mythical) - ????] Elder sky wyverns. Known for their agility and flight, these creatures are so fast that when they fly at full speed they create a sonic burst despite theirrge sizes, and leave ming trails behind them. An elder wyvern is said to be one of the few creatures that can take on juvenile dragons as well, and it is said they would often keep the rumbustious dragons under control, making sure they did not burn the whole world down. Because honestly, if you let those guys free that would be the first thing they would do. The next they would do is fly off to find another world to burn, because they¡¯re just psychopaths. Anyway, because of this, they¡¯re the most suited to taking care of their own young as well, and are often assigned as the queen of any wyvern hive, and tend to raise their young and teach them some manners. Side note, if you see one of these and they are not a matriarch in the hive. It is because something bigger and scarier is. Good luck! Noah tried not to let the description worry him too much, but he had to admit, it was a little concern. Thankfully, there was so much happening that it was easy to not linger on the topic. Their wyvern stopped as they entered what looked like a nursery, but for baby dragons instead. Tiny little wyverns flopped and jumped around, wrestling and ying with one another and yapping and growling. As Noah stepped down, a nearby wyvern bit at his shoes, trying to tear a chunk out till one of the elders growled, and the little wyvern whimpered, before running off. Noah used Analyze on the little creature. [Baby Sky Wyvern (Legendary) - level 32] A baby sky wyvern. Adorable small little creatures, almost like how a baby lion is adorable. But don¡¯t be fooled by the guy¡¯s beady eyes or little baby teeth. He¡¯s gonna grow up and tear your face out and w your eyes, before making a meal of you. All while making happy chirping noises. Did you know that wyverns could chirp? It¡¯s really cute. These descriptions are just getting weirder and weirder. At this point it¡¯s straight up talking with me. Noah couldn¡¯t deny being at least a little amused though. It was weird, but it made him snort in amusement. The system seemed to y at almost being a little malicious in its descriptions. Other wyvern babies started to look at them, staring at the newers. The brave ones tried toe closer, till the elders snapped them back in ce, while others stayed afar, watching with a mix of fear and curiosity. The wyvern the group had ridden, walked through the chamber, the ceiling not high enough in here to fly freely, and they walked behind the creature, heading deeper in the creatures, passing through the crowds of many wyverns. Noah almost wanted to wave back at more than one baby wyvern that looked up at him with beady eyes. He wished Snow was here, her new baby sky serpent would surely love it here. She herself would also likely love it. And maybe she¡¯d get to keep one of them as well. He should see if he could ask Zax to make that happen. With dozens of gazes in their direction, the group made their way closer and closer, and Noah began to feel a heavy presence starting to weight down on him, like the mountain itself was starting to take note of his presence. It was an odd sensation, simr to what he¡¯d felt when training his fear resistance against Zax, but not quite the same either. Abruptly they came to a stop against a wall in the chamber. Noah wondered what was going on, when he noted that the wall here looked a bit peculiar. Before he could take note, the world rumbled all around them, and the wall raised itself up in the air, revealing arger section of the chamber. No¡­ not a wall, Noah realized btedly. It was a wing. A wing so big that it covered the entire section. A giant hole that seemed to go down all the way to the bottom of the mountain right at the centre peered from beyond the area, and from the terrible depths stirred what he could only describe as a literal mountain moving in front of him. The ground continued to shake as a giant scaled face that looked like it was a part of the mountain itself turned to look at them. The entire hive shifted, a buzz going around them as the creature regarded them, and Noah stood frozen where he stood, watching in awe. He used Analyze, and even the words appearing in front of him seemed to have a nearly reverential undertone to them. [Ancient Sky Wyvern Queen (???) - ?????] [Name: Quazithril] Quazithril, the ancient sky wyvern queen. A wyvern from an era before the current one, older than the mountain you currently stand upon, which was found as a result of her hive. An Ascendant wyvern has the ability to level mountains, and might that even dragons would respect. It is not extremely well known, but unlike dragons, wyverns never stop growing. Creatures who are always considered inferior to the magically and physically superior dragons who are born with an innate bloodline that can only be described as mythical, they have always been the superior tower that casts a shadow upon the wyverns. Well, not anymore. An ancient wyvern is a creature even dragons would respect, and fear. They may not have the same kind of myth around them, but they are no less fearsome, and part of the myth around dragons, amusingly enough, has actually been ancient wyverns wrecking up cities in their rampage and then being mistaken by people who don¡¯t know any better. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Quazithril is an ancient sky wyvern, one of the oldest who have existed on this ind before people ever called this ce home. There have been many people and creatures who have tried to im the title of the monarch of the skies, but none would have a imrger than Quazithril in the modern day and age. She lives a quiet and content life within her hive, conserving her mana and sleeping most of the time, but if she were ever to take flight again, it would have ripples across the entire world. So, yeah, be respectful. Noah didn¡¯t have to be told, to know that. The creature¡¯s body was a dark grey, scales like rock itself. He could spot the azure and blue shimmer of the sky wyverns present underneath the rocky exterior, but it was as if her body itself had began to be fossilized over time, rocky minerals depositing onto her, giving her a particrly menacing look. The giant wyvern looked down at them, sniffing at the three of them, eyes taking in their presence. Then, a secondter, she opened her mouth and spoke. The world shook, the deep voice rumbling the entire mountain. ¡°Vion¡­ it has¡­ been a while¡­¡± the wyvern said, and Noah only understood the words due to his trantion ability kicking in and making the words more understandable to him. ¡°Sorry about not visiting more often, Quazithril. They¡¯re keeping more tabs on me now, and it¡¯s getting harder to sneak out. You know stubborn Draxias can be,¡± Vion said, pressing her hand against the giant wyvern¡¯s snout, as the massive creature let out a snort, that nearly blew Noah back. A momentter, the giant wyvern turned to look at Noah and Aurelia. ¡°Friends¡­?¡± The queen asked, the words shaking the world around them. Vion looked back at Noah and Aurelia, as if thinking about that question. ¡°Something like that,¡± she replied, turning back to look at the Wyvern. Quazithril closed her eyes, and a long moment passed in silence. Then, Noah felt a presence brush against his mind, and a much more feminine voice spoke to him. ¡°We had been wondering why you were sneaking around the hive. We had expected you. And your friends. The dragon hade to meet us, and informed us that you would likelye here.¡± ¡°You knew we were here all along?¡± Noah asked, surprised. ¡°Of course we did. You think you could walk into our home and not be found out? The scouts had found you when you first caused a giant fire in the forest and began heading this way. None of you are particrly stealthy,¡± the wyvern queen said, and Noah scratched his cheek in embarrassment. ¡°Umm, your majesty¡­? If Zax has talked to you. Do you¡­ know what task he has for us?¡±Aurelia asked. ¡°We are aware. He told us you younglings need training, to learn how to hunt, and to learn our ways. Weplied, though only because we think it is what Vion needs. She has spent long enough learning the ways of her mother¡¯s kin,¡± Quazithril said. ¡°How did he sense you?¡± Vion asked. ¡°I thought you said you were hiding.¡± ¡°Do not look at us like that, child. If you have met the dragon, you should be well aware that there is no hiding from him. He is not like the others of his kin, he does not have their arrogance, or their rashness. Despite being on the cusp, he has chosen not to ascend, and we believe it is only because should he do so, there is a chance he would seed, and attain godhood, and he does not wish to have to deal with those responsibilities.¡± Vion frowned, aplex expression on her face. ¡°Is he really that strong?¡± ¡°Not as he currently is. Something, or someone, has put him in shackles. But his weapon is not power, but knowledge. There is a reason dragons do not live terribly long, despite their power. They are rash, brutish, and most of all, they are arrogant, and underestimate their enemies. A dragon that has lived for such long¡­ and with the wisdom to look past such things? Child, we do not know how powerful he is, but we would not like to find out. Listen to him, he is your kin, more than we are. If he has sent you here, then he has some purpose in mind that is to your benefit.¡± Vion looked at the giant wyvern, her expression thoughtful. A momentter, she gave a nod. Noah kept his thoughts to himself, but he had to wonder just what Zax¡¯s backstory was. He knew the dragon was powerful, but the wyvern, the giant wyvern with five question marks who could likely breathe too hard and wipe them out, seemed to hold him in respect. That¡­ did not seem normal. But then, almost nothing was normal about Zax. He remembered how the man who he had apanied, Ryugan, had been an Ascendant as well. Same as the wyvern here. It made Noah¡¯s heart race with excitement. Just how far could he go, with Zax by his side? He did not know how long the dragon intended to apany him, but he had to make use to the opportunities he availed to them. And this was clearly one. ¡°Vion, child. There are some things you must know. The thunder wyvern hive, that old terrible fool will likely be waking up soon, after six centuries. Thest time he woke, we lost most our children to him. This time, we intend to be more prepared.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ he is waking up? When?? We need to tell the kingdom, it¡¯s going to be chaos!¡± Vion shouted, all of a sudden in a panic. ¡°There is time. A few years at least, perhaps a decade. Not long, but enough. And there will surely be war. But that is not a concern for children such as you.¡± ¡°No way it is not, the entire kingdom will be in threat, you know how male hives are! Don¡¯t pretend like this isn¡¯t my problem,¡± Vion said. ¡°Male hives?¡± Noah asked, unable to hold himself back. The giant wyvern nced in his direction. ¡°There are some that exist, male centered hives. Not true hives. They exist with a male at the top of the pecking order, one who uses his authority andmand to control the wyverns under him. It is an ability certain wyverns are born with, the ability tomand their lessers. It borders on mind control, but the wyvern uses his spawn to gather feed for itself, and generally causes a lot of destruction. Ourst battle put him to sleep, and that hive took on some semnce of normality, but he will be waking up again soon, and he will be hungry,¡± the wyvern exined, before turning back to Vion. ¡°You must already have seen that the forest is turning bare. The wyverns have been gathering food, leaving nearly nothing behind. At this rate, the forest will begin to copse. We have been sending our children to take care of them, but some extra ws can always be good in such a task,¡± the wyvern said. ¡°But¡­ these guys do not have a pair,¡± Vion said, ncing back at the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can find some suitable matches for them. Spar against our children. The young ones have begun to grow toozy. Their pride will be hurt, if they lose. But they will obey.¡± ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on? Who¡¯re we sparring? I thought we needed to¡­ take the heart of an adult wyvern,¡± Noah said, before pausing as he realized who he was talking to. The ground shook, and it took Noah a moment to realize the ancient wyvern had justughed. ¡°You will spar with a child of ours, to form a bond. A rider¡¯s bond. It is an ancient rite. Though one we no longe observe in this kingdom. Afterwards, you and your mount will be together for your stay here, and you will apany them on hunts and spar against them. Feel free to rip the hearts out of some of the thunder wyverns you find, if you so wish,¡± the wyvern said. Noah clenched his fist, unable to supressed his excitement at the idea. He¡¯d been day dreaming about riding a wyvern for a while now. ¡°Thank you, Quazithril,¡± Vion said, stepping back from the ancient wyvern. ¡°It is a mother¡¯s job to look after her children,¡± the wyvern said, pushing her head further into the princess, who hugged her back. It was a strange sight, to watch the small girl hugging a literal mountain. He didn¡¯t know what their rtionship was either, but he could feel the strong bond the two shared. A momentter, the two parted, and the wyvern looked at the two of them. ¡°You two are wee here for the time. But our courtesy does not extend too far, if you decide to harm our children,¡± the wyvern said, looking at Noah specifically at the end. Noah nodded, sweating. ¡°Apany her to the chambers. She will show you the children who are ready. We will rest now,¡± the wyvern said, turning around, as she turned around, and the entire hive shook. They stepped back as she rested her wing back in ce, sealing the entire area off like a wall had appeared there. Noah stood, watching the wall, still reeling from the experience, when Vion turned around and led the group. ¡°Here, they¡¯re a bit lower. You¡¯ll need to beat one of them if you want to earn their respect. Skivi let you ride her on my word, but the others are not going to, so be prepared,¡± Vion said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this is happening,¡± Aurelia said. Noah looked at her, and a momentter he patted her back. ¡°Look on the bright side. We get to have our own wyvern mounts!¡± Noah said, grinning. Aurelia just shook her head as the group walked out. Book 3: Chapter 38 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 8 Book 3: Chapter 38 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 8 They arrived in a room filled with a bunch of juvenile wyverns. The ce looked almost like a y area, with more than a couple wyverns fighting over scraps of food, or different sticks, or just wrestling one another. Vion looked around the area, a couple of the wyvernsing up to her and sniffing her in greeting. More than a few approached Noah and Aurelia as well, though with more wariness. One wyvern tried to push Noah, but was surprised to find him not budging as easily as it seemed to have expected. Noah looked back with an amused look at the creatures acting like giant cats. Though not everyone was friendly, not even most. The majority simply looked at them warily. ¡°Quazithril has told them about you guys, so you won¡¯t get attacked here, if if you were to wander off. But try not to do that if possible,¡± Vion said, ncing around the chamber. ¡°Honestly, there¡¯s not much to say, pick any one you think you can bond to, and then you¡¯ll have to get the wyvern to agree to it. Typically that¡¯ll mean besting it inbat,¡± Vion said. Noah looked around at the many many wyverns all around him, struggling to contain his excitement. He went through the group, trying to look through the many wyverns present here. More than a couple watched him pass by, curiosity rising at a human amidst their mist. One caught Noah¡¯s eyes, a wyvern with four wings and a shimmering yellow body. He used analyze. [Juvenile Light Wyvern (Legendary/Variant) - lvl 178] A light wyvern. These creatures have a rare form of magic imbued into their bodies, allowing them to control light. With enough practice these wyverns can go invisible or blind your enemies, or just create some really fun light works. This is a mutation, instead of a normal normal, making this creature particrly rare. Noah tried to walk closer to the wyvern in question, but it disappeared from in front of his eyes. Noah paused, squinting, before he focused his senses on the aura being given off. A little further, he felt the wyvern, moving away from him. With an Astral Step, he teleported, arriving directly in front of the wyvern, who seemed to think it had ditched him. The wyvern paused, appearing again, looking down at him in surprise. It let out a little rumbling noise, light shing in its eyes, and Noah extended to let the creature sniff him. The wyvern leaned down and sniffed him and Noah patted the wyvern¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll go together, but I have a friend who¡¯ll probably go well with you,¡± Noah said, as the wyvern rumbled, before turning around and vanishing once more. Noah turned away, looking at some of the other ones. His disy had caught some eyes, and now arger wyvern was making his way towards him, as if to check him out. Noah looked at the big creature, noting its dull grey and brown body and the two horns jutting from its head, giving it a draconian look. [Juvenile Mud Wyvern (Legendary) - lvl 182] A juvenile mud wyvern, the result of a water attuned wyvern getting it on with an earth wyvern, with a gift for both earth and water magicbining to form a mud wyvern. Though that doesn¡¯t sound very threatening, these creatures can control both water and earth, drown you where you stand, crystalize you in earth, and they can swim through the earth itself and shape their environments. Though their magic is not on par with a mud dragon who can do these things with greater skill, a mud wyvern makes up for it with their great endurance and resistance to all sorts of elements. The mud wyvern looked down at Noah, its bodyrger than most of the juveniles present here, as it snorted. It raised its front wing towards Noah, as the ground beneath Noah¡¯s feet began to turn into a puddle. Noah teleported away, going behind the wyvern, but the wyvern seemed to have anticipated it, as a wall of earth rose from the ground, the entire area turning to mud around the creature as it sank into the earth. Noah jumped back as jaws rose from the ground, like an alligator snapping to catch its prey, almost dragging in Noah. He tried tond, but found the earth once again turning to liquid. Instead of resisting, Noah let himself sink into the muddy waters, letting Tony alter his body so that he could still see. The viscosity of the ground was high, but still enough to allow him to move and swim around. The wyvern moved like it was just swimming through water, circling around Noah as it waited. A momentter, when it realized Noah was not just drowning, it began to head towards Noah. Noah let the creaturee to him, and then grabbed the wyvern¡¯s jaw as it tried to bite at him. He knew Vion had said he wouldn¡¯t be attacked, and he suspected he wouldn¡¯t die but that didn¡¯t mean they wouldn¡¯t try to rough him up. That was fine. That worked just fine with him. Noah charged abyssal inferno, still holding onto the wyvern¡¯s jaw. As the heat gathered around him, the wyvern shook him off,unching him back, as it circled away, sending waves of water spiraling around him, trying to dragon Noah deeper into the thicker earth and incase him there. Not letting the wyvern seed, he shot the abyssal Inferno from his hands, the water bursting with the heat as the st created propulsion that pushed him upwards. Reaching the surface again, Noah took a deep breath, then he dove back down again. The wyvern seemed less sure now, but Noah wasn¡¯t done just yet. Using Arcane step, he teleported onto the wyvern¡¯s back, andtched on. The creature thrashed, trying to pry Noah off, but Noah¡¯s ws were sunk in. The creature began to swim around, jets of muddy water forming as the earth turned to a strange smooth liquid thing wherever the wyvern moved, as it tried to shake Noah off. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the vition. The creature spun and moved around, jumping up out of the ground and then mming back in, trying to shake him off, but Noah continued to cling on. The thrashing continued, mming into other wyverns and into walls as the wyvern desperately continued, and Noah simplyughed, enjoying the ride. After a few moments, the creature emerged out of the earth, lying low on the ground with a whiny squeak as it admitted defeat. Noah finally let go of it, jumping in front, he looked at himself, finding himself soaking wet with brown muddy water that covered him from head to toe. Heughed, and the wyvern, to his surprise, seemed to be amused, as it bumped his head into him, snorted, and then turned around and walked away. A different wyvern, a blue one, walked closer, and opened its mouth, before a stream of water began to shoot itself at Noah. It took him a second to realize this wasn¡¯t another wyvern attacking him, but that it was helping him clean itself. Noah let the mud wash itself off, before charging abyssal inferno and letting it heat himself up from the inside to dry himself. A momentter, he looked at the wyvern and nodded in appreciation. ¡°Thanks buddy,¡± he said. The wyvern chittered, in an almost squeaky noise, before turning away from him. Noah slicked his hair back, feeling rather refreshed. More wyverns were starting toe check him out, sniffing at him. One just pulled Noah onto his back and began to p its wing as thick smoke bellowed out of its mouth. He realized a momentter that this was a game to all of them. ¡°Alright, I guess I can y with you this time,¡± Noah said, as the wyvern shot up into the air, ember and smoke bellowing out of its hot body as it spun through the air, trying to shake him off. Noah justughed. *** Noahy on the ground, exhausted as more than a few wyvernsy curled up around him. Many had looked at the game and decided they wanted to join in, some had tried to y with one another, and more than a few had been fighting one another to be the next one. Eventually, he¡¯d just made them line up and made groups which would then chase Noah till he was caught. The process went on for a few hours, till he was truly exhausted. The wyverns didn¡¯t y easy either, biting, snapping and wing at him. One had straight up bathed him in fire, almost burning away his clothes till he¡¯d pped that one on the nose to stop it. Aurelia had gotten caught up in the stir he¡¯d caused, the other wyverns pestering her as well, though she¡¯d eventually convinced them to enjoy her light show instead. Vion had just been watching in fascination, a smile stered on her face. Noah pulled himself up, pushing off a wyvern¡¯s leg from his body, as it slept. He turned to face the woman, seated next to her acid wyvern, scratching its giant head. ¡°I can see why youe here to hang out with them. They¡¯re quite fun to hang out with,¡± Noah said. ¡°They are. I love them a lot. Wyverns are smart, they have a reputation for viciousness, but to people they consider family, they are extremely kind to,¡± Vion said. Noah stretched. ¡°Honestly, at some point I just started having fun and forgot that I needed to pick one of them to bond with. Most of them were quite fun, it¡¯s a little hard to pick,¡± Noah said. Vion gave an understanding nod. ¡°It can be difficult. You need to have the right temperament, or the wyvern will not work. But you also need the right magical bnce. Not all wyverns will work well with all riders,¡± she said. ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s tough,¡± Noah said, scratching his chin. Vion looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, pausing in her generous scratches to her wyvern, who seemed annoyed that she had stopped. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going toment, because this is best done naturally. But¡­ there¡¯s one you should take a look at,¡± Vion said, ncing behind Noah. He followed her gaze, and saw a pristine wyvern. Its body was a deep shade of ck, its eyes draconian, and its body almost seemed to meld into the shadows, like it cast a shadow on the world around it. Noah used Analyze. [Juvenile Nightshade Wyvern (Legendary/Variant) - ??] A Juvenile Nightshade Wyvern. These are a rare form of wyverns who have the aspect of darkness and fire in them. It¡¯s not really known how they are born, and attempts at breeding shade and me wyverns has only ever been sessful. Creatures of the night, these creatures are the rare lone hunters and ambush predators who prefer to work by themselves instead of in groups. Aloof by nature, nightshade wyverns are notoriously difficult to tame, but the few who have can attest to their ability. One of the strongest wyvern magic types, these creatures can fly nearly silently ripping the jaws off of anybody. Blessed with the flight speed of a sky wyvern and the stealth of a shadow wyvern, there¡¯s hardly a better wyvern type to be found. The wyvern seemed to notice Noah¡¯s nce, but simply nced away, returning to the bow it had been crunching on. Noah walked closer to the wyvern, and the creature pped its wings, flying a little further. Noah looked at the creature, raising an eyebrow, before he used Arcane Step toe closer. As he did, he felt heat wash over him as blue mes burned in the wyvern¡¯s throat, a warning growl as it looked down at Noah. ¡°Hey there bud,¡± Noah said, raising his hand as he stepped back. The wyvern closed his mouth, smoke rising as the me dissipated. The creature snorted, and then returned to its bone. Noah looked at the wyvern, thinking for a second. A momentter, he reached into his inventory. ¡°You know, you¡¯re chewing on that bone. But I have something better for you,¡± he said, as he brought out a section of the wild boar he¡¯d caught. The nightshade wyvern looked at the offering, ncing up at him, before snorting as if scoffing. ¡°Alright, fine fine, how about this,¡± Noah said, bringing out half of the giant wild boar. The nightshade turned around, raising its wings to fly off. ¡°Alright here,¡± Noah said, taking the entire thing out, and then just to add onto it, he threw in a D grade mana stone on top. A bunch of wyverns had perked up at the sight, and some had already began heading towards Noah in a rush. The nightshade wyvern paused, considered it for a moment, and then leapt onto the wildboar¡¯s body, growing at any of the wyverns who tried toe near, threatening them. It took a giant bite, swallowing all of the crystals at once, before digging into the pieces. More than a few tried to snip, but the nightshade wyvern formed shadowy extensions on its ws, swiping the earth, and growled with blue mes glowing in its mouth and eyes. Noah watched the creature in fascination, smaller than most of the wyverns in the area, but still strong enough to hold itself up against all of them. He walked closer, putting a hand on the creature¡¯s head who nced at him, but then continued to eat its meal. ¡°Yeah, it has to be you. We¡¯re gonna have some fun times together buddy,¡± Noah said, grinning to himself in anticipation. Book 3: Chapter 39 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 9 Book 3: Chapter 39 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 9 Noah looked at the shade wyvern sitting nearby, idly crunching on the remaining bones, and sighed in frustration. He¡¯d spent the entire day trying to get the shade wyvern toe to him. But the only time the shade wyvern showed any interest was when Noah offered mana crystals or food. At least it was no longer running away when Noah approached, but if Noah tried too hard to get close, it would turn invisible, and move away. It was like trying to get a cat to like you, except this one had wings and could breathe fire. Noah tried one more time to walk closer and just touch the wyvern. Said wyvern paused in its crunching of bones, eyeing him for a moment, as if to dare him to do it. Noah froze in his step and he could¡¯ve sworn the wyvern scoffed, as it resumed to its chew toy. ¡°You know you can get one of the other wyverns too,¡± Aurelia said, walking up to him. Next to her the fattest looking wyvern Noah had seen sat, its face oddly round, making it almost look like a giant lizard-puppy, with its tongue hanging out from its mouth and fire asionally sting from its nose as it got too excitement. It was even wagging its tail. Aurelia nced sideways and scratched the creature¡¯s face, and the wyvern leaned into it, enjoying the sensation. Noah noted Aurelia¡¯s hands were glowing with mes, and any other creature would be yowling from pain, but not the giant wyvern who seemed like it would just about roll over onto its back. ¡°Yours seem to like you a lot,¡± Noah said, grumbling, trying not to be jealous. ¡°He¡¯s great. Apparently one of the few males they keep around in this hive, because he¡¯s too docile and they decided he was harmless enough,¡± Aurelia said, tossing a mana crystal to the wyvern who jumped up in the air to catch it, crunching down on it happily. ¡°I believe it,¡± Noah said, looking at the creature. He imagined this was how wolves originally got domesticated too. One just walked up to a human and realized what a fantastic source of free food they were. Noah nced back at his own wyvern, who was done with the bone it had been chewing, and was now trying to clean its teeth with the ws at the end of its long and sleek wings. The creature noted his nce, paused, then with a little chitter, melded into shadows and disappeared. Noah tried not to sigh. He didn¡¯t seed. ¡°I¡¯ll try for a little while longer. If it¡¯d at least let me get close to it,¡± Noah said. ¡°That one does seem more headstrong than the rest. Vion said she¡¯d be surprised if you manage to bond to her. Apparently that one¡¯s always been the arrogant child, though she also said it¡¯s for good reason,¡± Aurelia said. ¡°Right. You know, that gave me an idea. Do you think these guys can understand us?¡± Noah asked. ¡°This one seems to do,¡± Aurelia said, ncing towards her big fire-lizard. ¡°Hand,¡± she said, and the big wyvern put its hand on hers. Aurelia tossed another low grade mana crystal at the wyvern who snatched it up happily. ¡°I¡¯m regretting not picking up that Draconian Rider path I¡¯d gotten. It¡¯d certainly being in handy right now. You bet I¡¯m gonna get even more options for it if I ever reach B grade,¡± she said, and paused. ¡°If I was by myself I wouldn¡¯t be so sure. But I have a feeling that if I keep hanging out with you it¡¯ll end up being an inevitable thing,¡± she added. Noah wasn¡¯t listening, his attention taken by the wyvern. Locating the wyvern hidden by in shadows, Noah let Arcane Step take him right up to the creature. The wyvern nced at him, but did not immediately run away. Right when it was about to turn away, Noah held out his hand with a C grade mana crystal. The wyvern paused, looking at him in surprise. It leaned in, sniffing once, and then tried to bite at the crystal but Noah pulled his hand back. ¡°Not so easily, it¡¯s for a wager. Between you and me. A challenge,¡± Noah said, wondering if the creature would even understand what he was trying tomunicate. His clothes stirred, void goo rising as Tony¡¯s singr eye formed, the symbiotic chittered as he pped around Noah before going up to the wyvern. Noah watched in surprise as Tony shivered and vibrated, changing forms and shapes, and the wyvern watched him intently, seemingly understanding what the symbiotic was saying. A secondter, Tony returned to Noah, sinking back into his body and the wyvern nced towards Noah, snorting. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition. Then, the creature leaned its head, as if telling Noah to get on. Noah grinned to himself. Tony you¡¯re the best. The abyssal symbiotic let out a quiet cheep of excitement, before returning to his dormant state. Noah climbed on the nightshade wyvern, the creature letting out a grunt as if annoyed. He grabbed onto the obsidian ck scales on the giant creature¡¯s back. Before he had any time to ready himself, the wyvern raised its wings and nced upwards. For the briefest of seconds, Noah thought he saw the creature give a grin, before they were off. ¡°Whoaaa,hold onnn!!¡± Noah shouted, as the creature shot forward like a missile off to seek its target. The wyvern jumped ahead with a rapid head start, wings slunk next to its body as it just sank down towards the bottom of the hive like a shooting bullet. Other wyverns scrambled rapidly to get out of the way, as the ground rapidly approached the two of them and for a second, Noah thought the two of them were going to collide into the ground and be paste. He tightened his grip on the wyvern¡¯s back. At the veryst second, with a rapid thrust upwards the wyverns wings spread out and it turned going parallel to ground, wings red outwards, and the eleration of the change almost threw Noah off, but he clung on. The wyvern nced back at Noah still on his back, nowughing from the adrenaline rush, and grunted in annoyance. Then the creature sped up even further. Noah felt the air now howling in his ears, moving faster than he ever had and he had to learn down and squint to see anything. Within seconds the wyvern spun around, moving through chambers and barely dodging the wyverns that came in its path with inches to spare. Noah had to duck more than once, mming into wings and ws that threatened to poke his eyes out or w at his limbs by ident. His heart was thundered, lifeblood healing any injuries as they continued to move, and he could feel the magic thrumming inside the creature¡¯s body now, underneath the scales. The wind howled, the scenery moving fast as a buzz surrounded them, they moved like an arrow, spinning and curving in all directions and spinning up and down. The wyvern even tried mming Noah into a wall at one point, but Noah held firm, not letting loose in his grip. Seeming growing more and more annoyed, the creature turned up instead, starting to fly straight up. Its speed slowed down a little but now Noah had to fight against gravity as he clung on with one arm grabbing onto the wyvern¡¯s back. The wyvern began to spin sideways, trying to shake him off and Noah felt his muscles groaning in pain as more and more force jerked him around, his grip shaking. Forming ws at his hands, Noah tightened his grip, pulling himself upwards. Raising his body up he wrapped his legs around the wyvern, righting himself. The wyvern roared now, annoyance rising as it sted a blue ball of fire ahead of itself that turned into a giant plume of me washing over them and Noah was forced to close his eyes. AS the heat passed him by, Noah he felt air hitting his body from all directions, the world turning colder. He opened his eyes and saw clouds all around him. They were out of the hive, and into the skies. ¡°Holy shit, this is awesomeee¡ª¡± Noah shouted, before being cut off as the wyvern dived down once more, the world sting all around it. Noah felt the air hitting his body so hard that he started to actually lose health, even with lifeblood¡¯s constant healing. He watched his health dip by 1% then 2% and then more, his fingers starting to bleed from having to keep his grip. The wyvern roared in anger, fire sting ahead of it and covering the world in waves of heat as he continued to speed faster and faster. The world shivered for a second, a st echoed around them, and then Noah¡¯s ears began to ring, as everything went silent. He couldn¡¯t think now. Couldn¡¯t even see anything, every inch of him focused on just keeping his grip. The wyvern roared, and then dark wisps of magic began to rise all around it, as the creature spread its wings out spun upside down. The change was so sudden, Noah felt his world spinning from the jerking force of the motion, and the next second he was flying off. His body shot forward like a missile across the surface of ake, moving so far that his skin began to burn from the friction. Noah¡¯s instincts kicked in as he triggered Metamorphosis, his body partway through his transformation, his back turning obsidian colored as he mmed into a tree, shooting through it, and then another, and then one more. After nearly a dozen broken trees, Noah mmed into a giant boulder, shattered it into pieces as he finally came to a stop. He watched his health with a dazed nce, lingering somewhere in the low 30s as it rapidly began ticking up from lifeblood. His spine had nearly shattered, and one of his arms was twisting the wrong way, and his ankles were broken, he coughed blood, groaning in pain, realizing he¡¯d forgotten to turn on pain tolerance. He flipped the skill on, breathing in relief, as he twisted his limbs back into ce, cracking his joints into their sockets, Noah rose up to his feet, as his health quickly rose back to full. He strained his neck and saw a wyvern flying in the air, sting blue mes all across the sky, roaring in celebration. He had only been half certain before, but now his mind was made now. It had to be this one. Noah found a feral grin rising to his face, which was half transformed from metamorphosis, giving him a truly monstrous look. ¡°Oh it¡¯s on now.¡± Book 3: Chapter 40 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 10 Book 3: Chapter 40 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 10 Noah moved through the underbrush of the forest deathly silent, as he trailed his quarry. Predator¡¯s Mark and Wyrm¡¯s Curse remained on the creature, thrumming with power. His target was a draconian stag, a giant creature with massive antlers that could breathe fire and shoot lightning from its antlers. Like everything else in this ce. Tony swirled in his clothes, his steps further silenced by the symbiotic coordinating Noah¡¯s body and adjusting the formation of the clothing items on his body. He watched from the under bush as the stag grazed in the distance, blissfully unaware of his presence. Noah used Analyze on the creature. [Adult Draconian Stag (Epic) - ??] Anadult draconian stag. If you think just because these guys eat leaves and grass that they aren¡¯t dangerous then either you¡¯ve never seen one, or you¡¯re an idiot. Since you¡¯re reading this, the answer is an idiot. These creatures eat nts with the highest mana concentration, and that mana tends to slowly gather itself into their antlers, making them extremely prized items for hunters. But these stags don¡¯t just stand by and roll over, with a lot of mana,es a lot of firepower. Draconian stags are known to be able to breathe fire, and shoot lightning from their antlers, before charging you to gore you to death. And if they think you¡¯re too big to handle, then they¡¯ll run off faster than you can blink. Noah let out a breath. The creature hadn¡¯t yet noticed Noah¡¯s presence, as he creeped closer, and his predator¡¯s mark gave Noah a sense for the stag¡¯s awareness level, and where he ended to strike. The creature¡¯s skin was thick and unless Noah struck at its neck and broke it, the battle would be lost. He clutched his spear tighter in his hand, feeling his power course through a weapon. His instincts were honed in, entirely present in this moment. The stag looked up, ncing in his direction. There was a pause. Noah held his breath still, not moving an inch. The creature moved, and Noah struck like lightning. Multiple things happened at once. Bloodworm Swarm was summoned within a second, wrapping around the creature¡¯s legs and biting on, inflicting Mise and Hemmorage simultaneously. Two arcane specters formed, one with a copy of Noah¡¯s chains and another with a copy of his spear made from Runeforged Armaments. All three of them teleported around the creature, The spectres striking. The first specters using the chains, as the star reared back, breathing scorching hot mes that burned the specter, nearly vanishing it. The second specter came in, thrusting its spear into its body, as lightning shed and the stag roared in pain. The world was covered in a blinding sh, a mini thunderstorm filling the area, the sound of thunderp echoing through the forest as the two specters evaporated. Noah moved in, his own spear shooting forward. He let the spear¡¯s power unfold, calling upon its skill. Valkyrie¡¯s Call thrummed through the weapon, as crimson and golden light erupted from the weapon, power surging through Noah. The weapon struck true, piercing the stag¡¯s throat, multiple copies of the weapon manifested one after another, swirling with golden light as they all pierced the creature¡¯s body, the stag shuddered, eyes bloodshot and red, as it let out a final scream, me sting all around the area. Then, with a shiver, the massive stag copsed. You¡¯ve killed [Draconian Stag (Epic) - Lvl 254] [Wyrmblood Guardian] has reached level 135! [Runebody Arcanist] has reached level 135! [Abyssal Predator] has reached level 136! Noah let out a sigh, looking down at the creature in front of him. A wave of satisfaction ran through his body, as he dismissed his abilities, and put in the free attributes he¡¯d just gained. He nced up at the skies, knowing the shade wyvern was watching, lurking in wait. He let out a whistle, and a few minutester, the dark wyvern swopped in, jumping down as hended on the stag¡¯s corpse. Noah shook his head. Thest week had gone in a simr fashion, with him hunting creatures for the wyvern and making bets with the creature, as he tried to hold on. Their little routine would happen every day, and Noah had rapidly gotten better at holding onto the creature as it flew, but the wyvern had also improved at throwing him off with new and different tricks. The two would continue in this way, and if Noah lost, he¡¯d be forced to give the creature some mana crystals, or hunt something it wanted to eat. The wyvern¡¯s demands had only growth with time, it¡¯s wants for what it wanted to eat growing more and more demanding. He wanted to grumble. Aurelia¡¯s wyvern inparison listened to everything she said, and was practically stuck by her side. She¡¯d already be quite proficient in her riding skills as well and had been going out more and more, fighting against groups of enemies and hunting. The wyvern continued to munch next to Noah, ncing up at him every now and then and grunting. The creature had certainly gotten used to Noah, but it also seemed to mostly be using him as a source of easy food. At least the experience from all this hunting has been good. Noah had gone up nearly 10 levels in just a week, with how powerful creatures were in this forest, sometimes hunting one could end up taking an entire day. Some days he¡¯d just have nothing. It certainly was not easy, but that made sess all the more thrilling and rewarding. Noah paused, as the wyvern rose its head from its meal, offering Noah a piece. He looked on in surprise, watching the bloody piece of meat in the creature¡¯s mouth, then he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m good, you can have it,¡± he said. The wyvern looked at him, as if to ask ¡®are you sure?¡¯ Before it raised its neck and swallowed the whole thing in one gulp. This content has been uwfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Noah brushed the creature¡¯s scales. Well, he couldn¡¯t say he¡¯d made no progress at all. He¡¯d definitely began growing closer to the creature in his own way. Which was why Noah was surprised when the wyvern began growling with a low rumble all of a sudden, blue mes hissing in its jaw. He stepped back, before realizing the wyvern was not looking at him but behind him instead. Noah turned around and nced up to see three wyverns swirling in the skies. Lightning crackled around their bodies, as they began toe closer, growling as well. He grew wary, clutching his spear as he watched the wyverns swoop down on the ground, their giant bodies crackling with energy. One in particr, the one in the middle, wasrger than the others, with scales that vibrated with lightning magic. Noah used Analyze on the creature. [Adult Thunder Wyvern (Legendary) - ???] Uh oh. An Adult Thunder Wyvern, known to be one of the most ferocious kind, with great magical prowess that allows them to hunt creatures above their weight ss, these are one of the , leanest, meanest, and baddest bitches of this forest. They don¡¯t y nice, and they have no reason to. Because here, those who have the biggest stick get to take it all. Lightning magic courses through their scales, and thunder wyverns can shoot bolts of lightning from their mouth as well. They can also summon lightning from the skies and in generally, are really really good at destroying things. I¡¯d best start running. Noah read through the description. He took a quick nce, and the smaller wyverns around the big one were also thunder wyverns each, but both were juveniles. The nightshade growled, blue mes sting from its mouth, but not spreading out very far. A warning strike. Noah kept his attention focused, ready to engage or run as needed. He watched the thunder wyverns rumbling and snapping at each other, and he realized they were arguing about who¡¯d get to go in. One moved its head closer to take a nip at the corpse of the stag, and the nightshade closed its jaw, growling. The adult thunder wyvern looked down, and seemed to snort. Lightning crackled around its body, striking down in a brilliant bolt that caused a shockwave to pulse through the forest. Birds flew as the world shook from the impact, and lightning continued to crackle around the creature. It looked down on the nightshade, snorting, as if in derision, before wing at the ground. The nightshade nced at Noah, then back at the creatures. A momentter, the shade wyvern stepped back. The food wasn¡¯t worth the fight. Noah looked at the creature, eyeing it, he nced at the thunder wyverns for a moment before heading with the wyvern. To his surprise, the wyvern lowered his head, telling Noah to climb on. A moment of surpriseter, Noah climbed on as the the creature spread its wings and took to the skies. Thunder clouds gathered in the sky above, the cackling shrieks of the thunder wyverns filling the skies, Noah could feel the creature¡¯s anger bubbling inside of it, at the humiliation, and he patted its back. ¡°I feel you buddy,¡± he said. ¡°But, you know what? If we work together, we can get strong enough to beat those guys,¡± he added. The wyvern snorted. Then, out of nowhere, the skies twisted, a bolt of lightning formed above their head with a rapid surge of power, striking down at them. The world turned white at first, and then ck. For a moment, everything was dark, before Noah regained consciousness. The wind howled against his face and he realized he was falling rapidly. He looked to the side and saw the adult wyvern hovering above the trees, looking in their direction, a massive surge of lightning all around it. The creature watched them fall, before dismissively turning away. Noah felt panic surge as the ground continued to rapidly close in towards him, the shadewyvern next to him falling as well, having one unconscious. Shit shit shit shit. He wasn¡¯t sure he¡¯d survive a fall from this high on even with all his body enhancements. He wasn¡¯t keen on finding out. Using Arcane Step, he teleported to the wyvern grabbing onto it. ¡°Hey, hey! Wake up!¡± Noah pped the wyvern¡¯s face, but the creature didn¡¯t seem to be waking up. Cursing, Noah formed ws in one of his hand and sliced his hand open. Blood ran free and Noah poured it down the wyvern¡¯s mullet. His blood surged, life-force flowing into the wyvern. With a groan, the wyvern opened its eyes. It took it a moment to realize what had happened, before the wyvern twisted through the sky, wings pping. Crashing through the tree line the two came down, slowing their descent rapidly, before finally resting on the ground, scrapes covering both of them all over their bodies. Noah stumbled back from the creature¡¯s back, heart pounding as he stumbled onto his feet. It took him a moment to realize just how low his health was, with his healthcare blinking as it hovered in the low 20% His entire body had the smell of burnt flesh and his hair stood on its end. Arcane Body hummed under his skin, charged with power. It was only when he looked at his notifications did Noah realize what had happened, and his heart dropped. [Adult Thunder Wyvern]¡¯s Aura suppresses you. You resist the effect. [Adult Thunder Wyvern]¡¯s Aura stirs yours [Draconian Aura]. Your lightning attack effects increase by 50% temporarily. [Adult Thunder Wyvern] has marked you for [Thunder Tempest]. The thunder wyvern hive stirs, gathering its power to strike you. You¡¯ve been struck by [Thunder Tempest]. [Second Chance] has activated. Health restored to 10% [Electrocuted] debuff removed. [Static] debuff removed. [Unconsciousness] debuff removed. [Wyrmblood Guardian] has reached level 144! [Runebody Arcanist] has reached level 143! [Abyssal Predator] has reached level 144! Noah felt a jolt run down his body. He¡¯d died just there, had it not been for Zax¡¯s bracelet. Even then, with how low his health had been, the fall would¡¯ve certainly killed him. He nced towards the nightshade wyvern, seeing powerful wounds on its body. There was a hole in one of its wings and scorch marks covered its scales, having melted and burned them, but the damage was lesser. The strike had struck Noah directly, so the wyvern had only been hit by the edge of it. He walked closer to the wyvern, taking out a mana stone as he gave it to the groaning creature, who silently took the mana stone, letting the power flow through it as it healed. Noah pat the wyvern¡¯s neck, feeling a strange well of emotion rising inside of him. The wyvern opened its eyes, and Noah met the creature¡¯s eyes, feeling a simr emotion reflected inside them. ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re not just going to let them do that, are we? You don¡¯t just hurt us and get away with it,¡± Noah said, his voice calm, yet an undercurrent of anger rippled through it. The wyvern looked into Noah¡¯s eyes, and then it raised its head and let out a loud screech into the skies. Blue mes sted out of its maw, cutting through the skies like a stream as they dissipated into the air. After it was done, the wyvern grunted and lowered its head. He didn¡¯t need to look at any notification to know something had changed. Noah climbed on. pping its still healing wings, the nightshade wyvern took off to the skies, heading back to their hive. The two of them had a lot of training to do. That adult wyvern didn¡¯t know who he¡¯d made an enemy of, and Noah was going to let it find out when he ripped its heart out of its chest. Book 3: Chapter 41 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 11 Book 3: Chapter 41 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 11 After they¡¯d returned to the hive, Noah found himself back inside Vion¡¯s chamber which they¡¯d moved to a more convenient location in the hive. He sat in afortable room, looking down at his hands, feeling a strange shiver run through them. This certainly wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d almost died, not even close, but something was different this time. It had felt the most certain. The most abrupt. It hadn¡¯t been on his terms. He hadn¡¯t gone in and taken any dumb risks, he hadn¡¯t chosen to fight any gods, or talk back to someone far more powerful. He¡¯d¡­ just been in the wrong ce at the wrong time. That¡­ something about that made it worse. And yet, at the same time, he didn¡¯t feel anything. Noah¡¯s shadow stirred, forming next to him, buzzing with what felt like barely restrained fury. ¡°Hey,¡± Noah said, nonchntly raising his hand. His shadow seemed to open and close his mouth a few times, as if trying to speak but he just couldn¡¯t find the right words. At the end, the specter spoke through gritted teeth. ¡°You do realize what happened just now? You died. We died.¡± ¡°No, we just used up our free extra life. It even said it charges back up as well,¡± Noah said. ¡°Why¡¯re you being like this?¡± The specter asked. ¡°I feel like that¡¯s my question to be asking. This isn¡¯t the first time this has happened. Stuff like this happens. From the very moment I came in this world, something¡¯s been trying to kill me. The recent period of ease seems to have made you forget that,¡± Noah said, frowning. ¡°Do you even understand what it¡¯s like to know that myself, my own reflection, do these things, knowing that it¡¯s just your life but mine that¡¯s tied to you as well? Have you maybe ever given it any thought?¡± The specter asked.Noah stayed silent, unable to find words to reply. ¡°Listen¡­ I¡¯m sorry. But what do you want me to do? I didn¡¯t instigate anything. I¡¯m not being stupid here. I know I can be sometimes, but this one wasn¡¯t on me, was it?¡± Noah said. ¡°You know what you can do. What you¡¯ve had the option to do for a while,¡± the shadow specter said, walking closer. ¡°What¡¯re you so afraid of?¡± Noah looked into the specter¡¯s eyes, pausing. ¡°You know, it¡¯s ironic that you¡¯re giving me this lecture. Wouldn¡¯t doing that just kill you?¡± ¡°No it will not. I will return to where I belong. To you. But¡­ I¡¯m starting to see something now. This is all just an excuse isn¡¯t it?¡± The specter said, leaning back. ¡°You don¡¯t want to do it, not because you care about me or whatever, but because you¡¯re afraid aren¡¯t you? Afraid of getting me back. I am the part of you that was afraid. The part you keep trying to run away from. No wonder we split apart the first chance you got. It must be so easy, without that constant voice in your head. Without the fear of the consequences haunting you. It¡¯s so easy to live here if you don¡¯t have to be afraid about your own life, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s all fun and games, you can chase off cool things and live without any worry of any consequences,¡± the specter said, form wavering and darkening as shadow wisps began to swirl around it for a moment, before they settled down. A moment of silence remained between the two of them, before the specter whispered. ¡°Do you even think about it anymore? About home? And the people you left behind?¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Noah snapped. ¡°I didn¡¯t leave anyone behind. I didn¡¯t have anybody at all, in the first ce. After mom died¡­ no, there was nobody. And if you want to say that piece of garbage of a man that¡¯s supposed to be my father somehow matters then you don¡¯t know anything.¡± The shadow specterughed. ¡°That¡¯s a lie and you know it. The memory is vague, but you remember Leah don¡¯t you? And what had happened? She wasn¡¯t the only one either, a lot of people were impacted by us. By our choices. But forget even them. There was someone more important than any of them as well, wasn¡¯t there? I don¡¯t remember. We don¡¯t remember. Not since we came here, which makes it so easy to ignore, but you feel it, don¡¯t you? Something was taken from you. Something you had,¡± the specter said. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Noah felt something wavering, vague memories swirled in his mind, giving him a light headache at the back of his head. ¡°She knows. Raelinah. It¡¯s why we¡¯ve been chasing her. That¡¯s what all this has been about, has it been not? It¡¯s why you were so desperate, were you not? When you woke up in that void you knew you had lost something. Something truly important. More than either of our lives. How can you¡­ how can you just forget that? You¡¯ve cut that part of yourself off, shoved me aside, simply living in the moment, as if there truly is nothing you care about in the world,¡± the specter said, his form wavering even further. ¡°You know you¡¯re iplete, that we¡¯re iplete. And if you know what¡¯s best for you. For both of us, then you¡¯ll fix what you broke,¡± the specter said, before dissolving back into Noah¡¯s shadow. Silence remained in the chamber after that, Noah sitting there by himself, thinking back on the words. It hurt, because all of it was right. But was it so wrong? Was it so wrong for him to just¡­ live carefree? He knew he wasn¡¯t normal. He¡¯d never been normal. No normal person arrives in a world of monsters and starts ughtering them one after another. No normal person jumps into the maws of death without any concern. But why did that matter? He¡¯d never been normal, not even back on Earth. This ce felt more like home than Earth had ever did to him. Why could he simply just live life without any worries. Noah clenched his fist, unable to find any answers. But something hurt in his chest. The shadow had been right been about one thing at least. He was iplete. No matter how much he disliked the nature of the powers these shards gave him, no matter how much he disliked how¡­ inhuman he was, at his core. And that was the thing, all along, wasn¡¯t it? From the very start, he¡¯d understood that, at the very core of him¡­ he wasn¡¯t truly human. There was something terrifying that existed inside of him, something he did not like admitting existed there, but he could see glimpses of it. In those moments, when he is fighting and living the thrill of it all, that inhuman thing inside of him felt more satisfied than anything else. The Devourer felt satisfied. Noah closed his eyes, trying to focus his thoughts. Magic thrummed in the chamber, and Noah felt a familiar but surprising presence arrive next to him. He opened his eyes, and saw Zax standing there. ¡°Apologies. It took us some while, but we¡¯re d to see you are unharmed Noah,¡± Zax said, dusting his clothes. ¡°Now¡­ we did say we wouldn¡¯t be interfering, but the second chance thing had also been a security measure to make sure the risk and rewards were not out of bnce. Technically, you died and failed the test,¡± Zax said. Noah looked at Zax. ¡°Are you serious?¡± The dragon scoffed. ¡°No, this had always been a training exercise, but we wanted to see what you wanted to do. We can¡¯t easily charge that spell, it¡¯s a powerful one and takes time.¡± Noah paused for a long moment. Then an idea came to him. ¡°What if I use my dimensional vault?¡± Zax shook his head and sighed. ¡°We knew you¡¯d say that, no, that would cause you to explode. It¡¯s why we built in some protections.¡± ¡°Bummer,¡± Noah said. ¡°We do mean it when we said we can¡¯te to save you Noah. We¡¯re busy with certain tasks,¡± Zax said. Noah nodded. ¡°I know. It¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t have you babysitting me all the time. I need to get stronger on my own. And I have an asshole thunder wyvern to take revenge from.¡± Zax thought for a moment. ¡°Very well, we¡¯ll let you continue.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Noah said. After a second¡¯s hesitation, he added. ¡°And¡­ about the thing. The spell I got, from the quest. I think I¡¯m ready to use it.¡± Zax paused, ncing back at Noah, then, the dragon gave him a small smile. ¡°We¡¯ll need some time to make preparations. Complete your task here first,¡± Zax said. And with that, the dragon teleported away, vanishing. Noah sat in the chamber for a little longer, then, letting a long sigh, he made his way out. He knew he wouldn¡¯t get any rest now, so he might as well train a little. Book 3: Chapter 42 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 12 Book 3: Chapter 42 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 12 The suns had set over the horizon, and Noah walked around the hive, rather quickly finding the shade wyvern curled up around itself. There were still marks on its body from the attack by the thunder wyvern hive but its wounds had mostly healed as the creature rested. The creature raised its head to regard him with a silent acknowledgement, before returning back to its sleeping position, pretending as if it hadn¡¯t seen him arrive. Noah smiled as he walked up to the wyvern, patting its scaly body. He felt the powerful muscles running underneath the creature¡¯s skin. ¡°What do you say, we go out there and practice a little bit,¡± Noah asked. The wyvern kept its head down, eyes closed as it grunted and huffed. A secondter, it swooped a wing under Noah, picking him up and throwing it onto its back, before heading off into a running start. The wind rushed by as the wyvern leapt, before spreading its wings out, and within seconds they were out of the hive, flying under the moonlit skies above the forest. From here, Noah could see the various lights shining in the distance from the city of Drakonias. Noah clung onto the creature¡¯s back as the two moved silently through the night sky. He smiled, watching the world pass him by. *** The two had taken some time, flying around, as the nightshade wyvern had shown Noah how it hunted. The creature was practically invisible at night. Its wings barely made a sound as it swept through the air, gliding gracefully before pouncing on unsuspecting prey, killing them before they realized what had happened. An ambush predator at its finest. Noah had taken to apanying the creature, watching off from the side or directly from its back as it hunted, but the two needed to work together, learn how tobine their strengths. The wyvern did not seem to agree much with that thought, but was tolerating his antics nheless. ¡°So, you coulde in silently and then I¡¯d use my spear to skewer the enemy, then bind them with my chains and you couldnd on them with your ws before sting them with fire,¡± he exined to the wyvern that sat next to the corpse of a monster it had hunted just now. The wyvern yawned. Noah watched the wyvern, thinking about how it could make it listen. It was like a rebellious teenager. Though it seemed to be willing to let Noah apany it, but it wasn¡¯t very willing to listen to hismands. It did not think of him as his superior, merely a pesky human that was worthy enough to bring along. That was fine, he could work with that, but he definitely needed to earn the wyvern¡¯s respect. ¡°Why don¡¯t we try it on those deidacrocs?¡± Noah asked the wyvern, pausing as he thought over it. ¡°Or, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re afraid.¡± The wyvern nced at him, snorted, then turned around andy back down again, chewing at its meal. ¡°I thought you would be less afraid, a mighty wyvern and everything, but I suppose even wyverns are gonna have limits,¡± Noah tried again, shaking his head in an exaggerated look of disappointment. ¡°Well, guess I¡¯ll just do it on my own then. It¡¯s fine, I can go kill that thunder wyvern on my own.¡± He nced at the wyvern one time, the creature not paying any attention, and then Noah turned around and walked away. Intentionally keeping his speed up, Noah moved away quickly, using Arcane Step to make his way through the dark forest. He wasn¡¯t entirely sure the shade wyvern would follow him, and if he did, it would be difficult to tell, even for him, but Noah hoped that it would. He struggled to hold back his smile when he felt the slightest of whispers from behind him, sensing the creature following him from afar. *** The river flowed with a calming noise, brushing against the smooth rocks and pebbles sitting underneath the river bed. Noah could sense the presence of manyrge deidacrocks, simr to the ones he¡¯d fought in the astral rift where he¡¯d Zax. Though quite a few were bothrger and stronger here. He eyed one in particr, underneath the shore, watching him closely, ready to strike should Noah turn around. He used Analyze on the creature. [Draconian Deidacrock (Legendary) - ??] A draconian deidacrock is what happens when you take a crocodile, feed it a ton of steroids, give it the ability to breathe fire and shoot lightning and then ask, what if we crossbred it with a dragon? These murder machines have so much murder in their bodies that Michael Myres would probably want an autograph. Bigger, meaner, and stronger than a normal Deidacrock these creatures can st apart anything short of a¡­ well, honestly, nothing. The word deida is from an oldnguage, which when added as a suffix meant ¡®the bringer of violent death¡¯ which should tell you exactly what they thought of this monster. If you see one of these, you don¡¯t want to stupidly read descriptions about how murderous they are but instead, turn the other way and run. If youe across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. If only you were so smart, huh? Noah scratched his head at the mention of obvious reference from his home. That¡­ was stranger than anything before, even the mention of Noah being directly in the references. Was the system taking knowledge from him? Or had that been someone else? He knew other Outerworlders existed on Erandir so perhaps someone from Earth had found his way here in recent times and the system had learned this from them somehow? He shook his head, putting the question out of his mind. Noah bent down, picked up a rock at the slowly creeping in deidacrock, tossed it in his hands a few times. Then, with a mental trigger, he activated metamorphosis, funneled nearly half of his mana into the stone as his body transformed in an instant and then filled it chock full of void annihtion and abyssal inferno before throwing it as hard as he could. The water exploded, the crock rearing back in pain but Noah didn¡¯t wait. His runic chains formed around his arms as he threw them around the crock¡¯s mouth, blocking the fire building within them. With a powerful screamed he pulled the creature towards him, angling himself onto its back the crocodile thrashed, its body tearing the ground and bolts of lightning shooting out of its spiky scales on its back. Noah continued, muscles aching with strain as he pulled the creature up, remaining atop the monster, before he began to punch. His strikesnded, covered with void annihtion, and crackling with each hit. Wyrm¡¯s curse continued to seep away at the monster¡¯s strength, predator¡¯s mark weakening it even further and Noah used life siphon to drain the monster¡¯s life force with each strike that hit the creature. The deidacrock, indignant, injured, and enraged, flipped itself over in a death roll, freeing itself partly of Noah¡¯s strikes and pulling him alongside its massive body. Lightning strikes flickered once more, the creatures dragging Noah with it and threatening to bite his head off. Noah dodged the attack, but found his arm in the creature¡¯s mouth as the monster twisted, tearing it off from his elbow cleanly. Before the arm waspletely cut off, Noah filled the limb with the stored up energy from Abyssal Inferno as the deidacrock swallowed the limb. A fiery explosion rocketed the monster from its insides, sending the creature twitching onto its back. Noah stumbled back, clutching his shoulder, but with metamorphosis, life drain and wyrmblood all active, the limb grew back within seconds. He filed the move he¡¯d just done off in his mind as a possible attack to use, if the situation was desperate enough. Before the deidacrock could recover enough, Noah jumped in, spear forming in his hand as he took the weapon and used it to concentrate his void annihtion. The crimson spear turned dark, lightning crackling around it as Noah mmed it through the deidacrocks underside, piercing it entirely. The massive creature thrashed, shivering and twitching before turning still as it died. You¡¯ve killed [Draconian Deidacrock (Legendary) - lvl 247]! [Wyrmblood Guardian] has reached level 145! [Abyssal Predator] has reached level 145! Noah sighed, stumbling back, before looking behind him at the wyvern, hidden underneath the bushes. The shade wyvern walked out from the underbush, looking at the creature he had killed, and then back at Noah before snorting, as if to say ¡®I can do that much too¡¯ ¡°Your turn then,¡± Noah said to the creature, walking up to it and patting it on its shoulder. The wyvern looked down at Noah and then at the river before it let out an irritated growl. Noah chuckled to himself. *** The suns began to rise as he watched the shade wyvern picking fights with deidacrocks all night. The two had taken turns, stacking kills one after another in an attempt to one up each other, and Noah sat there, buried and battered and his abilities all spent from his fights, as he watched the shade wyvern pick a giant deidacrock in its ws and drag it out onto the shore, sting it with blue mes and dodging its lightning strikes. The B rank adult deidacrocks mostly remained underwater, both Noah and the shade wyvern avoiding them as they would pick off the kills the two left behind, eating the creatures and fighting one another for the biggest slice. He watched the shade wyvern huff in frustration as histest prey shot a bolt of lightning at him with striking precision before darting back into the water and escaping into the river currents. First Dawn broke momentster, the sun peering over the horizon as its rays bathed the forest, Noah smiled as he stood up. ¡°Guess it¡¯s my victory then,¡± he said, and the wyvern let out an irritated growl covered in deep blue mes. ¡°So, will we be doing the hunts from tomorrow in my way?¡± He asked the creature, who avoided looking at Noah, but did not dissent. Noah smiled in response. Noah took a moment to nce at his levels. He¡¯d gone all the way up to 148 in two of his paths, and 147 in his remaining one. All in a single night of work. He knew that wouldn¡¯t continue as he kept up his training, but it certainly was some rapid growth, evenpared to the training he¡¯d done back on the airship. The fact that the threat was more real seemed to have supercharged his growth. Zax had told him it was like that. The amount of risk he put himself under would always increase the rewards he got out of it. His title of Titan yer was also helping him a lot. He suspected it was partly why he¡¯d jumped nearly 10 levels simply from surviving the strike from the thunder wyvern, even if it hadn¡¯t been on his own ability. The level difference meant he got just that much more out of that encounter. If it was going to be like this then he could certainly look forward to the rest of his time in this ce. Jumping onto the shade wyvern¡¯s back, the creature spread its wings out and then the two made their way back to the hive. Book 3: Chapter 43 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 13 Book 3: Chapter 43 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 13 Noah rested in the dimensional chamber, lying on thefortable day. It had been a bit over a week since he¡¯d begun going out on nightly hunts with the nightshade wyvern and today was their break day, as the wyvern had needed some time to recover, not having Noah¡¯s level of crazy regeneration. He didn¡¯t mind the rest, though in truth, he also hoped he could find a better use of his time. Their huntssted through the night but given Noah¡¯s rtively low need to sleep he still had a decent amount of free time with not much else to do. He spent most of his time nning or preparing and sometimes he¡¯d go out by himself to fight some creatures on his own, but the experience was not as rewarding. Both literally and in his levels. Working together with the wyvern they were able to find and cover much more ground and take out many more creatures together, such that even though being alone gave more experience per battle, his levels went up more during his hunts. It exined why Zax had had them go through all of this to get here and do this. The growth had been rapid fast and Noah was pushing level 160 already. Finding himself without much to do, Noah got up from his bed, ready to head out and see if he could find somebody when, to his surprise, he spotted Vion in the chamber, seated on one of the tables with her head slunk down. ¡°Hey, is something wrong?¡± Noah said to the dragon princess, walking up to her. Despite this being her own chamber, Vion was rarely seen in here, preferring to stay with the wyverns. She certainly seemed to be enjoying her freedom out here and it was mostly Aurelia and Noah who would use this dimensional chamber. Vion raised her head, seemingly having not realized Noah was here, as she fixed her expression. ¡°Nothing. Just tired.¡± ¡°Really? I feel like I have so much energy that I don¡¯t know what to do about it,¡± Noah said, taking a seat next to the woman on a chair of his own. ¡°That¡¯s nice. d to see you¡¯re enjoying yourself,¡± Vion said. ¡°Ohe on, don¡¯t be like that. Tell me what¡¯s wrong, talking about it will help you,¡± Noah said, before using Identify at the woman.[Race: Draconian Humanoid - lvl 87 (Mythical)] [Path: Magma-mancer (Rare) - lvl 154] Noah¡¯s eyes widened in surprise as he realized the woman had almost shot ahead of him in regards to her path, and she was starting to close in on her first evolution on her race as well. He paused, realizing something. ¡°Is it your racial levels or whatever?¡± He asked, looking at her. ¡°No¡­ well, sort of,¡± Vion finally admitted, slinking onto the chair in front of her. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I still don¡¯t know how to transform. I¡¯m getting stronger, yes, I¡¯m getting better, yes, but¡­ am I truly a dragon even? I know that¡¯s stupid but¡­ sometimes it really doesn¡¯t feel like it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, of course you are. And the point of being here is to learn how to control your powers better anyway isn¡¯t it?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Yes, but¡­ what if I can¡¯t?¡± Vion said. ¡°I always thought that as I grew older, one day I¡¯d just suddenly be able to. That one day I¡¯d just automatically unlock my dragon magic and then I could be free and do whatever I wanted to, but¡­ what if I don¡¯t? I¡¯m not a full dragon after all. I¡¯m a draconian humanoid. That¡¯s¡­ not a dragon.¡± Noah frowned. He knew this was just her fear talking, her argument was pointless, she had, in front of his own eyes, be a dragon and fought Zax. But he understood her fear nheless. ¡°It¡¯s not just that. It¡¯s¡­ everything. I¡¯m getting older and they can¡¯t keep me hidden forever, or protect me till I magically one day gain powers. I need to be capable on my own. Draxius has done a lot, but all of that hinges on me learning how to be who I¡¯m meant to be. I still don¡¯t know why it has to be me, but he says that it does. That I¡¯m the hope this kingdom has, its heir, and that only I can bring the dragons back to their home. But¡­ why not Zax? If he¡¯s here now, why can¡¯t he do it? He¡¯s so old and strong and wise, why does it still have to be me?¡± Vion said, clenching her fist. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t know who I am, or what it even means to be me. I don¡¯t know what I want to do with my life. And most of all¡­ I feel afraid. Afraid that if I win, if I reach the thing lying in what¡¯s supposed to be the corpse of my father, I¡¯ll find it, and it¡¯ll reject me.¡± Noah paused. He hadn¡¯t realized so much had been going on with Vion. He¡¯d always known her life wasplex, and so was her history, but this was certainly a lot to have on your shoulder. He understood, somewhat. Standing up, Noah walked up to Vion and patted her shoulder. ¡°Get up,¡± he said. The princess looked up at him, confused. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because you and I are going to spar till you figure out your dragon transformation thing,¡± Noah said with a smile. *** The two of them stood outside the hive, in a clearing within the forest without that many predators around. The second sun peeking over the horizon in the distance, marking full dawn¡¯s rise for the world. Noah stood opposite to Vion, the dragon princess acting uncertain and nervous as she remained there. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± she asked for the tenth time, ncing down at herself. ¡°I appreciate you wanting to do this but you really don¡¯t need to, nothing says it¡¯s going to work and if it did¡­ I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be able to control myself and not hurt you.¡± Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the vition. ¡°It takes a lot nowadays to hurt me,¡± Noah said with a cheeky grin. He¡¯d been noticing the princess had be a lot less self assured when they¡¯d arrived here, and Noah assumed there were a bunch of things involved within that. She¡¯d just met another dragon for the first time ever, lost inbat, felt Zax¡¯s aura head on and touched upon her own true self, then immediately afterwards she¡¯d been thrown out of herfort zone and had to fend for herself for the first time. Even with her prior excursions outside, given how old she was and howparatively low her level was, Noah had to assume she had rather little in the way of actual experience. Especially seeing how fast she had grown once she¡¯d actually been allowed to roam free. All of that had likely contributed to a lot of emotional turmoil and self doubt. He could¡¯ve been like that, had things been different. In some ways, he already was. He knew the parts of himself that he was willfully ignoring, and the parts of him that he did not feel like he had enough control over. ¡°Just think of it as a spar. We¡¯ll push each other to our limits, and grow together. Don¡¯t worry about any kind of transformation or anything, just show me what you¡¯ve got.¡± Clenching her fist pressed against her chest, Vion took a deep breath before nodding. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s do this.¡± Noah summoned his spear, taking a stance. Heat washed around the dragon woman, her red hair flowing as the world around her began to distort. Noah felt the pulse of heat wash over his skin. Kicking her foot down, Vion melted the ground underneath her, turning the earth tova. Theva moved upwards, forming a ming earth ball of fire as she shot it towards Noah. With Arcane Step Noah easily moved out of the way, appearing closer to the woman. To the side, a giant explosion melted the ground, leaving a massive pool of magma behind. She turned around rapidly,va forming and rising from the earth in a wall that tried to pour over Noah. he teleported again, moving closer still. Vion growled and heat erupted from all around her, the ground beneath her turned tova in all directions, rising up in the air like a tidal wave, balls of magma began to swirl around her, ming hot streaks rising from them she shot them towards Noah. Noah dodged the strikes, using Arcane Step to move behind the woman. He thrust his spear, stopping it just before hurting Vion, pressing it against her spine. Vion pursed her lips, then huffed as she raised her hand in defeat. Noah lowered his spear. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to fight,¡± she said a momentter. ¡°I¡¯ve always just¡­ sted things away. But if you can dodge it then I¡¯m not sure what to do.¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± Noah replied. He scratched his chin. ¡°To be honest with you, the only way I know how to do this¡­ is by example. There¡¯s¡­ this feeling that kicks in when you¡¯re in danger. When the threat is real. It¡¯s like, you stop thinking before you act, and you just do the things instead. I¡¯m not sure how to exin it, but it¡¯s this point where I feel, almost at peace. The thing in front of me, the enemy I need to vanquish, it is everything in my mind now, it is all I can think of, and it requires my full attention or it will kill me. I need to keep going, keep moving, faster, strong, better,¡± he said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Vion said. ¡°What were you thinking when fighting Zax?¡± Noah asked. ¡°I was¡­ angry,¡± Vion said, pausing. ¡°Angry and¡­ afraid,¡± she added. ¡°Yes, but those are emotions. What were you thinking?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± the dragon princess trailed off. ¡°Nothing. I wasn¡¯t¡­ thinking anything.¡± ¡°Precisely. And, I think the whole problem you have, the entire reason that you can¡¯t control yourself is because you are thinking. You are thinking when instead you should be feeling.¡± Noah said. Vion bit her lower lip in frustration. ¡°There¡¯s something I want to try. I think it¡¯s the fastest way to do this, but you¡¯ll need to be ready for it,¡± Noah said. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Vion asked. ¡°I¡¯m going toe at you with the intent to kill,¡± Noah said. Vion just blinked, looking at him in surprise. ¡°I¡¯m going to try not to kill you if I can, but I won¡¯t hold myself back, so if you¡¯re careless¡­ you might die,¡± Noah said. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not so sure about that,¡± Vion said. ¡°Do we really have to?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t. You can also just give up. Or you could slowly work at it on your own terms. This is hard, it will likely hurt, but if you want to fight in that tournament, if you want that title, or to seek your father¡¯s legacy or whatever it is, then I would do this,¡± Noah said. Vion clenched her fist, looking down at her feet. Closing her eyes, she took a long breath, before letting it out. When she opened her eyes, Noah saw a glimpse of the princess underneath, proud and confident. ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to fight you.¡± Noah nodded. Then, he felt himself peering at his own soul. The words he¡¯d said to Vion¡­ they applied to him too didn¡¯t they? The thing he¡¯d been ignoring, whether intentionally or just subconsciously, he was aware of it now. He felt the shard he¡¯d absorbed from the abyssal rift inside his soul. The way it shaped him. The way it changed him, and the things it created. He had to give it his all here. To give all he had. How could he help Vion if he was holding back? And that was the thing, wasn¡¯t it? Noah, from the very beginning, had been holding himself back. Because he was afraid. So very afraid of what he may find, should he allow his true self to appear. I hate this¡­ and I hate the fact that I¡¯m going to do this now. He closed his eyes, and began to dig deep into himself. The tattoos on his arms manifested, as he felt his magic flow freely, the ability of Arcane Body getting to truly shine here. Next, Noah felt Tony permeate through him. He felt the wyrmblood¡¯s lifeforce surging inside of him, flowing like a tidal wave. He let it all go, seizing control over it all, as the lifeforce burst forth. Metamorphosis triggered on its own, his body starting to change. His skin turned obsidian ck, his modified muscles shifted, tensing and turning like steel. Dark void energies swarmed his body, his visage shifting to turn into a demonic creature of the abyss standing in flesh. Next was his aura, his draconian aura that rose from his new lineage, her focused that, using the techniques Erwest had taught him, and he focused it, into a razor sharp de, and pointed it at Vion. But there was more, more still, the deepest part of him that he kept caged at all times. That he¡¯d had ever since the very beginning, but had tried to deny. He felt at his aura, at his soul, at the core inside of him which contained those shards, like puzzle pieces that had been missing when he¡¯d first awoken, but now, a part of him was reimed. He looked at that monster inside, and then, he let it out into the world. The [Devourer] has awakened. Hunger dominates your spirit. Power rises within your soul. Infinite potential burns through your veins. All abilities increased by 100% Book 3: Chapter 44 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 14 Book 3: Chapter 44 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 14 It happened in an instant. Vion had felt Noah¡¯s aura, felt its weight. It was simr to her, simr to Zax in many ways, but not truly like her. It was weaker, false, a facsimile. Then, something had changed. She felt a shudder run up her spine, and when she looked in front of her, she no longer saw Noah standing in front of her. [Devourer - ???] A deep white glow permeated out of the demonic creature¡¯s eyes as it stood in front of her. It was unlike anything else she¡¯d ever felt before. She knew what this was. She¡¯d been made to learn. She was afraid. You¡¯ve felt the aura of the [Devourer]. Terror floods your body. Run. Run as fast as you can. Run before it can catch you. Affliction level: IVThe creature stood, so still, and unmoving, like it meant her no harm. It didn''t even seem to focus on her, and yet, she felt her body shivering and shaking. She didn¡¯t know what he had done, she didn¡¯t understand what ability or power this was, but in that moment, she knew one thing to be true. That thing was going to kill her. The creature looked at her, almost as if curious, like it was pleased to see her there. Then it smiled and every sense of notion vanished from Vion. Power flooded her body as she began to run. Before she could even move much further, the creature teleported in front of her, ws brandishing as void lightning swirled around it. It shes and the world seemed to be cut for a moment, before the abyss itself shrieked from the gaps as the st knocked her backward. Vion turned, she felt her mana soaring through her, heat sting everywhere asva began to rise from her body. She let theva soar, creating a st towards the creature as she began to rush away. The creature teleported once more, appearing in front of her. She froze. The monster stood right there. Noah¡¯s face was inches away from her, yet it was the eyes, she saw the creature, its eyes, the way its outline shifted and she knew it wasn¡¯t him anymore. And then, a thought even more terrible than that came to her. What if¡­ that was Noah. She didn¡¯t have the time to think. The creature¡¯s pressed a palm against her, and she felt herself being sted back in a shockwave, crashing into a row of trees as she took them down with her. Vion pulled herself up, coughing blood as the creature stood in the distance, simply watching her. Her arms shook as she clenched dirt. Then, a new emotion rose from inside of her. Anger. She was not going to die like this. She was NOT going to be kicked around. She was not a weakling, she was not some frail princess who didn¡¯t know any better. She was a dragon. Vion roared, as she felt a surge of power rise from within her. She let it, let the power rise, but she did not relinquish control. Her instincts, the instincts she¡¯d buried so deep underneath came out in full force, and they refused to buckle down. If she was going to die, she would take her enemies down with her. [Dragon Soul] has awakened. [ss: Magma Mancer] temporarily removed. Race temporarily changed to [Juvenile Magma Dragon] And yet, just as she did, she felt it, felt the aura vanish as the monster she¡¯d been fighting disappeared. The change was so abrupt, so sudden, Vion felt her anger snap off, as her mind reeled. She stared, looking ahead and found Noah seated on the ground, clutching his chest. She tried to walk ahead, but she stumbled. She looks down at herself, and realizes she is still in her dragon form. Not just for that inexplicable moment, no she is truly just here. A strange well of feelings bud from within Vion, and for a moment it almost felt as if the magic holding her together would snap, but she pushed it back, kept it in ce. She walked, reorienting herself. She wasrge now, so muchrger, she had four legs, and wings and a tail, and her body was so vastly different, and yet, it felt more natural than anything had ever felt in her entire life. She moved, one step at a time, walking up to Noah who simply sat there, dazed. The man snapped out of his daze as she approached, and after a moment, he smiled as he looked up at her, a proud expression on his face. ¡°You did it!¡± Noah eximed. *** Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the vition. Noah grinned happily as he regarded Vion, now standing in her dragon form. He pulled himself to his feet, reorienting himself from the experience he¡¯d had. The memories felt like they were already being pushed away by his mind, like he was trying to forget it all, but he held onto them. Now wasn¡¯t the time. Now wasn¡¯t the time to understand exactly what he¡¯d done. He would do itter. But he knew, he knew that he would have to confront this. He¡¯d run from this for long enough. Hopefully Zax would have an answer for him. Vion looked down at Noah, opening her mouth to speak. Lava dripped forth, burning the ground next to her as she did, a rumbling growling being the only thing that came out. Noah reached out with his device, telepathically talking to her. ¡°It¡¯s probably better to talk like this, till you get used to your new form.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes¡­ you¡¯re right,¡± Vion said, lowering her head to be at eye level with him. Noah put a hand on her face. ¡°But I did it Noah. I¡­ I did it. I¡¯m a dragon now,¡± Vion said, therge dragon rumbling. Noah¡¯s skin burned where he touched her, her aura so hot it was almost unbearable, even for him, but he kept hisposure. ¡°You did it,¡± he replied. Vion closed her eyes, letting the moment sink in. ¡°You know what? I had always wanted to fly. Ever since I was a kid, I¡¯d wanted to fly. Now¡­ now it¡¯s time to do that. Hop on,¡± Vion said, brushing Noah closer. ¡°Are you sure?¡± he asked, uncertain. ¡°You just gained your form. I saw you stumble there with walking, maybe don¡¯t rush it?¡± ¡°No, no it has to be now. I have a feeling, just trust me,¡± Vion said, and Noah gave in. Walking closer, he climbed up the magma dragon¡¯s back, feeling the heat from her skin rising through her body. Vion turned, her eyes towards the skies. She spread her wings out, letting the heat seep out in the world, as magic began to gather into them. ¡°Alright. Here, goes nothing,¡± she said and began to run. The dragon moved like a boulder running and the heat inside her melted the world around her. Noah felt the shaking and the jumps as Vion rushed ahead before leaping into the skies as she spread her wings. He watched, ready to jump off or teleport in case things went wrong, and for a moment the dragon seemed like she would fall right back down, crashing into the trees. Then, a surge of magic flowed through her body, heat rising from beneath her. Vion pped her wings once, then twice, and before they knew it, they were in the skies. ¡°Oh my god, I¡¯m flying!¡± Vion eximed, wings pping as she continued to rise up in the air. Noah watched in fascination as the world slowly began to move away from her. Birds flew away, letting out calls. Any creatures who saw her in the sky either froze or ducked away as Vion moved through the skies, moving higher and higher. Noah watched from her back, taking in the sights as she felt the dragon rumbling underneath her in joy. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ been here before. On the back of other wyverns and creatures. This ce had always felt oddlyfortable. And yet, I always knew there had been something missing. Now¡­ now I understand it. It is so different. To be this free, untethered to the ground, to move as I wish through the skies. I feel like¡­ I¡¯m free of the chains I was given at birth,¡± Vion said, and for a moment Noah wondered if the droplets of magma he saw were tears in the dragon¡¯s eyes. The two flew in the skies for a few minutes, before Vionnded back on ground. Noah stepped off of the dragon¡¯s back, and a secondter, he saw the creature¡¯s body shift and sh, glowing as it shrank, eventually settling down into the form of a woman. Noah felt surprised when Vion walked up to him and wrapped him in a hug. He froze, unsure of what to do, before simply letting the woman settle there, as he put a hand on her back. ¡°Thank you, Noah,¡± she whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Noah replied, as Vion stepped back. Noah had to avert his eyes a momentter.. Vion stood there, as naked as the day of her birth. The princess huffed and harummed after a moment, realizing what the transformation had done as well, before she looked up at Noah. ¡°Oh, is that a blush I see on your face?¡± Vion asked, moving closer. Noah stammered, before coughing as heposed himself as he looked back at Vion. Her red hair somehow seemed even more like fire than it had done before. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve seen enough women naked by this point. Even before arriving to this world. And we also had this wonderful thing called the inte¡ª¡± Vion chuckled at his words, making Noah pause. ¡°Alright fine,¡± she said, and with a flick of her wrist, clothes appeared in her hand. ¡°Now if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to not be standing around naked.¡± ¡°Right, of course,¡± Noah said, before turning around as the princess put on some clothes again. A secondter, he switched off Abyssal Awareness as well, the constant stream of information from all around him vanishing, leaving him with just his own senses. ¡°I¡¯m decent now,¡± Vion said and Noah turned around, switching the ability back on. He hadn¡¯t realized how used to he had gotten with that ability at some point. Vion stood there, one hand on her waist and a grin on her lips, excluding the confidence he¡¯d first seen when he¡¯d met her. But unlike then, this did not feel like a false pretense anymore. ¡°I have to ask you though¡­ what the hell had you done there? Was that some ability? It said Devourer when I looked at you, and¡­ you did not feel like yourself anymore,¡± Vion asked. ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s simr to your dragon thing, except I can¡¯t really control mine either, I think,¡± Noah said, not sure how to answer the woman. ¡°It¡¯s not an ability I like to use very often.¡± Vion gave him a nod. ¡°I think I understand. It¡­ for a second I had felt genuine fear, and if you hadn¡¯t transformed back on your own¡­ I would¡¯ve likely tried to kill you.¡± Both of them stood there in silence for a moment. ¡°Anyway, this was good. What do you say about making this a regr thing? My mornings are free so we coulde here to train,¡± Noah asked. He hadn¡¯t looked at his notifications, but he knew he¡¯d leveled up at least once, and his abilities had risen in levels a bunch of times. ¡°Sure, sounds good. I need some practice controlling my transformation anyway. And using my abilities without transforming,¡± Vion said. ¡°Sweet. Same time tomorrow?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Sounds like a n,¡± Vion replied. Noah grinned at her. ¡°You got it.¡± Book 3: Chapter 45 — Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 15 Book 3: Chapter 45 ¡ª Wyvern Cliffs Pt. 15 Two months passed in the blink of an eye, as Noah continued to train day in and day out. He sat atop the back of his nightshade wyvern, the two swerving through a sky serpents trying to attack them, deftly dodging their strikes. The creatures hissed and snapped in irritation, bolts of lightning crackling in all directions in an attempt to stop the two, but the shade wyvern deftly dodged through them all, listening to Noah¡¯smand from the subtle tap of his foot and his pats to guide it and tell it of any oing strikes. A st formed in the nightshade¡¯s mouth, blue mes spreading around it as juvenile thunder wyverns all reared back. Just below, near the river, a good chunk of their siblings had tried, trying to ambush Noah and his wyvern, when the two had struck back, taking out what had been the leader of the pack. He¡¯d anticipated the younger ones would run off in fear, but instead, they¡¯d grown even more fierce, as if burning with the desire to take revenge. The nightshade soared through with rapid speed through the fire appearing on the other ahead, leaving behind their pursuers. The wind rumbled under the creature¡¯smand, its wings sleek and powerful, silently carrying the two of them across the forest, into their section of the territory as the thunder wyverns watched in frustration, being left behind. Noahughed, flipping a finger off the two creatures as the two of them swiftly headed back into the hive through one of its many entrances. The nightshadended gracefully when inside, as Noah jumped off, patting the creature¡¯s side. ¡°Man that was fun,¡± he said, as the wyvern rumbled in agreement, shooting a small ball of blue mes to show his excitement as well. The two of them had just raided the thunder wyvern hive, striking at a group of juveniles, and taking them out rapidly. Such attacks had be a regr part of their day and now, any thunder wyvern would immediately attack them on sight. Noah looked through his notifications from the battle, seeing his level had gone by one on all his paths. You¡¯ve killed [Juvenile Thunder Wyvern (Legendary) - Lvl 179] You¡¯ve killed [Juvenile Thunder Wyvern (Legendary) - Lvl 184]You¡¯ve killed [Juvenile Thunder Wyvern (Legendary) - Lvl 237] [Wyrmblood Guardian] has reached level 187! [Runebody Arcanist] has reached level 187! [Abyssal Predator] has reached level 189! Noah smiled at his progress. He was close, so close to his goal. Thest two months had been filled with constant training, and all his abilities and skills had rose up rapidly in that period. Some of the most notable changes were his Weapon Mastery, which was pushing advanced rank, having reached level 24, and both his meditation and greater mana mastery had also risen up significantly as Noah had taken to spending his free time meditating and absorbing mana inside the hive beyond his capacity to train his mana limits. Noah had also gained a brand new skill in his time here and leveled it up to intermediate. [Wyvern Riding (Intermediate) Level 12] You¡¯ve sessfully bonded to a wild wyvern and learned how to ride it. Find yourself capable of understanding the bodynguage of any wyvern, not just the ones you are bonded to, and the capacity to guide them as you ride on their backs. Aurelia had also gained the same skill, when Noah had asked, and Vion apparently had ranked hers up to the advance tier in her time here. It wasn¡¯t just his general skills that had gone up though, all of Noah¡¯s abilities had significantly risen in levels as well. But there were a few that had done so more than the rest. Noah pulled the list of skills up in front of him. [Abyssal Fusion (Legendary/Advanced) - Level 48] [Void Annihtion (Legendary/Advanced) - Level 45] [Arcane Step (Legendary/Advanced) - Level 47] [Wyrmblood (Legendary/Advanced) - Level 48] He¡¯d talked to Vion and Aurelia, and when a skill reached the advanced tier cap, it no longer went up rank through just work. That was where the skill points finally came in. If Noah wanted to upgrade it further, then he would need to use a skill point to do so. He remembered the conversation from Zax ages ago where the dragon had talked about how the reason he had been imprisoned was because one of his resistances had been at level 74. At the Elite tier, and the dragon had not spent the needed points to increase that to Expert. He also remembered Zax mentioning that level 50 was where abilities and skills finally started to show their true potential. And had told Noah to increase his Pain Tolerance to Elite should he ever level it that far. He hadn¡¯t done that just yet, it was far too easy to simply turn off his sense of pain with all the fighting he did, but one of these days, he was nning to train that ability up. Noah opened his quest menu, looking at the timer counting down how much time they had left. Quest: A Wyvern¡¯s Heart Obtain the heart of an adult wyvern before the 100 day time limit for your test. Remaining Time: 3 days Difficulty: Hard Reward: Unknown Noah let out a breath. They were all close, pushing the boundaries of C rank already, but there was no longer any time left to train. Noah patted the wyvern once more, the creature grunting as it remained curled up nearly, with its eyes closed. ¡°The time hase for our revenge,¡± Noah said, ncing at the wyvern. Whatever training could be done, had been done. Now, it was time to head into the hive and finally finish this hunt. Patting the wyvern next to him, Noah walked out to a separate chamber for his solo training. *** Noah sat in the chamber, meditating as mana continued to flow all around him. The runic marks on his bodies glowed, pulsing like magical sigils as they soaked in the mana, attuning it to Noah. If youe across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. He¡¯d learned this identally one time as Noah had tried to speed up his mana regeneration artificially and had identally gone over the limit. Instead of causing mana poisoning, his body had digested the excess mana and added it to his total attributes. Noah had, of course, immediately tried to eat a C grade mana crystal to test, but had found it much harder to do the same with the sudden burst of power from a mana crystal. A bit bummed out at theck of an obvious exploit, he¡¯d still been rather pleased to have this method. After the strike by the wyvern, Noah had started heavily prioritizing his constitution and mystic attributes. Wyrmblood made it so that any massive injury healed immediately but it was deathly obvious that if someone could kill him in one hit, no amount of regeneration would bring him back to life. As the mana settled into his body, Noah felt the sigils thrumm, as the notification chimed of his mystic going up by one point. Noah opened his eyes, before he opened his status menu to take a look at his attribute points. Power: 1,524 [1,828] Agility: 1,381 [1,657] Constitution: 1,640 [2,214] Mystic: 1,823 [2,461] Noah smiled in satisfaction. To think he¡¯d barely reached a thousand points with all his buffs when he¡¯d arrived here. He wondered just how he wouldpare to Kan now, or the guildmaster Raesar. He couldn¡¯t wait to test his abilities. Standing up, Noah moved on through the next step of his exercises. Taking out his spear, he began to brandish them, using moves one after another as he trained and refined his skill. Frequently, Noah would switch between the spears and his chains, using the two in tandem, before swiftly forming armor from his clothing with Tony¡¯s help to block strikes, or transforming just his hands into ws to strike. It was a strange, almost chaotic way of fighting, with the spear inflicting rot, the chains putting suppression effects onto his enemies, and the armor making him sturdy with the ws allowing Noah to get in close and strike with his full strength. It was only when he sensed Aurelia arriving nearby did Noah stop his training, sweat beading down his body and his breath heavy. He stored the spear in his inventory, wiping off the sweat as he watched Aurelia enter his training chamber. ¡°Hey,¡± the woman waved. ¡°Vion wants us to gather up and meet up with Quazithril. It¡¯s time for us to make our move.¡± Noah gave a nod, before following behind the woman. Aurelia had changed significantly over the past two months as well. A swirling aura of ash and ember surrounded the woman, like a lingering specter of death. She¡¯d told Noah it was the result of one of her abilities ranking up to Elite. She¡¯d promptly used the skill points she¡¯d gained to rank it up and now her aura was a fiery promise of death that whispered in the ears of any nearby. It was far from the only change that had happened, her hair had started to take on a slightly lighter shade, like it was slowly switching to an ashen color, and there was a distinct magical presence around the woman now. Noah suspected just by virtue of her abilities Aurelia would be able to give him a fight, despite him having much more attributes by now. Outside, he jumped upon Aurelia¡¯s wyvern, as the giant fiery creature let out a breath of mes, before taking off to the uppermostyers. Noah and Aurelia had at one point wanted to name their mounts, but Vion had informed them how important names were to wyverns, and to not do so, unless they intended to stick around for life. Noah had found that a shame, as he¡¯d alreadye up with a bunch of cool names, but he¡¯d decided to respect the creatures. For better or for worse, they were guests here, and despite how amazing his time had been, they would soon need to depart. As the wyvern came to a stop, the two adventurers jumped off the creature¡¯s back, Aurelia giving the big wyvern a mana crystal in thanks. Noah noticed Vion standing a little further ahead, looking up and clearly engaged in a conversation with Quazrithril. The giant wyvern matriarch spent most of her time sleeping, her passive aura and abilities deterring anything stupid enough to want toe inside to attack. It was partly why the thunder wyverns mostly stuck to their own territory. The attack that Noah had been struck by had been one of the kind of attacks which a hive could use against its enemies within their own territory and it was part of what made a wyvern hive so dangerous. That and the thousands of angry wyverns of course. Noah walked up next to Vion, Aurelia following behind him. The giant wyvern matriarch¡¯s eyes shifted to regard him, and soon he felt the mental connection snap into ce as her still rather surprisingly motherly voice came to him. ¡°You three children have grown rather well in such a short period of time,¡± Quazrithril said, bringing her face closer. Noah could feel her breath, and the power contained inside of her mountainous body. ¡°Even our strongest childrendo not grow this fast usually. But with you three, our hive has found its strength rising. No children wish to be left behind after all, and the strength of those you carry, pushes the others to rise above as well. For that, you have our thanks,¡± the ancient wyvern said, lowering her head slightly. Noah grinned. ¡°The pleasure was ours, really. It¡¯s been extremely fun to fly around all day, hunting all sorts of creatures and fighting monsters and picking off pesky thunder wyverns. I doubt either of us could¡¯ve grown this much on our own either,¡± Noah said, before ncing sideways at Vion. As far as growth went, Noah had not been the fastest in this group for the first time since he¡¯d arrived here. He used Identify on Vion silently. [Race: Draconian Humanoid - lvl 97 (Mythical)] [Path: Magma-mancer (Rare) - lvl 194] Her changes were less apparent than Aurelia¡¯s, more subtle, but you could see it in the way she held herself. While before, she¡¯d felt like a childshing out at adults, now there was a calmness that permeated her, apanied by the slight smile of confidence she held on face. With their frequent sparring, Noah had watched Vion grow first hand, and he¡¯d started to understand what people must¡¯ve felt like when watching him grow. She¡¯d grown adept at her transformation rapidly and had managed to unlock the ability to use a lot of her draconic abilities even in her human form. At some point, Noah had no longer been the dominating force between the two of them, and he found himself wondering just what kind of strength she would unlock, when her race finally reached D rank. Vion noticed his look, and nced back at him briefly, her smile expanding as she understood his expression. It was a smug look of pride, challenging him to keep up with her. Noah found himself grinning even harder. ¡°It is true, our children have certainly helped. And now, it is time to utilize that strength. Given the circumstances, and how the enemy hive has started to push into our territory as their strength grows, we must send our children to cull their ranks and push them back,¡± Quazrithril said. All three of them looked at the giant wyvern, giving her a nod. ¡°This is not true war, but it will likely be the closest thing any of you will have experienced. The time hase, our children prepare. You should too. Tomorrow, at first dawn, we will move towards the hive, to try and bring as many of their numbers down,¡± Quazrithril said, and a pulse went by through the entire hive. The three of them resolved themselves. Noah clenched and unclenched his fist, finding an aching itch rising inside of him. It was time, atst, time for a second match against the thunder wyvern, and for him to take his revenge. Tomorrow, he would take the heart of an adult wyvern. Book 3: Chapter 46— Wyvern Heart Pt. 1 Book 3: Chapter 46¡ª Wyvern Heart Pt. 1 Noah sat atop the nightshade¡¯s back, feeling the breath of the creature beneath him, and the nervous tension filling its body. Noah patted the wyvern¡¯s back, feeling a simr emotion himself, somewhere halfway between excitement and nervousness. Groups of wyverns sat near the top of the hive, watching the skies from their perches as anticipation filled their chests as well. There were thousands of them, all waiting atop the hives. The groups had been segmented into squadron like formations, with leaders heading the charge and co-ordinating the attacks. Vion and Aurelia were in different segments, each of them leading their own segments. Noah, on the other hand, would be going in alone. The three had had a talkst night regarding whether they all needed just one heart, or one for each. The system had rified the answer rather quickly, making it clear they would each need to bring a heart of their own. That was fine. In truth, Noah was d it was this way. He wanted to face the wyvern on his own terms. Just him and his mount. It was their battle. The others would have their own fights as well. He felt the wyverns all shift in anticipation, as the skies began to brighten in the distance. It was surprising how quiet the world was, as if it knew what was to happen, and was waiting with baited breath. Noah watched the first rays of the sun peer over the horizon in the distance. There was a pulse, and then he felt a connection to Quazrithril. The matriarch reached out to all her children, but also Noah¡¯s group as he heard her voice in his mind. ¡°Go forth my children. Go forth and show them our might. Today, we push back the detestable thunder hive back, and reim thend they have taken for us. Go forth. For the hive.¡± The wyverns all roared. Including Noah¡¯s own nightshade, their magics erupting all at once, and Noah felt a chill run up his spine as the creatures all rushed ahead, starting to jump and take off together. The skies turned a patchwork of multicolored wings, and bursts of magic as the entire sky hive rushed forth. His nightshade jumped off as well, shadows lingering under its wings as the fast moving wyvern rushed ahead. Wind howled, a shrieking sizzle cutting through the air as the two of them moved ahead with speeds hardly any of the others could match. Or so Noah had thought. A momentter, he paused as he saw a sleek butrger blue striped wyvern fly close, wind moving in steady silent streams around it. More joined quite quickly all around their group and Noah looked around himself in surprise, before using Analyze. [Adult Sky Wyverns (Legendary) - ???] There is hardly anything faster than an adult sky wyvern. Withplete control over the wind around their bodies and flight magic this potent, these creatures can break the sound barrier at their top speeds without much effort. Just the sheer momentum alone from these creatures is enough to make a ncing blow from their ws lethal and rip you apart like meat confetti. Good thing these ones are on your side, eh? Noah watched the wyverns nce sideways at him and his shade wyvern for the second. These sky wyverns were the direct children of Quazrithril, the leaders of the hive. They looked at Noah, then let out a rumbling chittering sound, as if to say ¡®keep up¡¯ before, with a burst of power, they shot ahead. Explosions rocked the air as sonic bursts shook the world around them, the wyverns rushing ahead like missiles let loose. Noah watched them go, and then grinned. ¡°We can¡¯t let them make us look bad bud,¡± Noah said, and his nightshade grunted in agreement. Then, the two of them shot forward as well, moving faster. The thunder wyvern hive quickly came into view in the distance, clouds swirling above the hill like a storm brewing in the sky as the thunder wyverns began to rush out in a panic, taken back by the surprise strike. Noah watched the first of the strikesunch, howling des of wind shot forward from the sky, wyverns moving faster than it was possible to even see. Lightning strikes stuck down from the skies, bolts shooting down as the entire thunder wyvern hive crackled with power, but the sky wyverns swiveled and moved with precise control, dodging the bolts of lighting as they struck at the thunder wyvernsunching the first strikes. Despite knowing the power of the sky wyverns, Noah still found his jaw drop as he watched the sky wyvern cleave through a thunder wyvern¡¯s body right from the middle with their powerful ws. There was one strike, then one more, and then one more, and soon, a raining barrage of sky wyverns shot downwards like raining missiles as they tore through the scrambling and surprised thunder wyverns all desperately trying to flee from the strike. It was a bloodbath, leaving literal clouds of blood sprinkling down from the skies above the hive, as the sky wyverns all let out roars of thrill at their sessful strike. Noah and his wyvern closed in, circling the perimeter of the battle as they all slowed down, letting the battle unfold. Noah found his heart pounding as he watched the scene. Notifications swirled from the system, but he had no time to check any of them, feeling a strange sensation rising in his heart. Quazithril had said, this was not a true war. Noah wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to see what a true war between the hives looked like then. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any urrences elsewhere. Not surprisingly, the thunder wyvern hive did not just take the attacksying down. Noah felt the power gathering in the skies, simr to the attack that had struck him. And a massive bolt of lightning formed in an instant, before striking down one of the adult sky wyverns immediately. More bolts followed, striking across the ranks, as wyverns continued to pour out from the mountainous hive to protect their home. His own wyvern rumbled, fury rising, ready to jump in but Noah brushed a hand on the creature¡¯s back, telling it to wait. They had to be patient. They had a specific target in mind. The main segment of the sky wyvern hive soon began to arrive from behind them, and as they did, all hell broke loose in the area. Myriads of attacks began to tussle, wyverns tangling with wyverns, and magical abilities going haywire. The mana in the air was vibrating so powerfully Noah could feel it on his skin, each strike adding to waves of pulsing energy into the area. His eyes continued to scan his surroundings, his mount remaining low and rtively hidden. Tony enhanced his body slightly, letting him see clearer at a greater distance, and it did not take Noah long to find his target. A particrlyrge thunder wyvern roared, flying out of the hive. Its body shimmered and moved with power, as it breathed a bolt of fire that took down an entire group of juvenile wyverns in a single strike. Noah focused on the creature, and he knew without the doubt that it was the one who had struck at them. Noah pressed low, his hand on his wyvern¡¯s back. Tony moved to transform his skin, turning it a darker shade, increasing his stealth and Noah began to charge his own attacks. Abyssal Inferno swirled underneath his skin, his body rippling with void energy. Arcane Body hummed with the mana all around him as wyrmblood pulsed in his veins, feeding the symbiote as it continued to enhance Noah. Without needing to speak a word, hemanded his wyvern, as they shot forward like a silent bolt of the night. The two moved with haste, crossing the distance rapidly as his nightshade swung and dodged any enemies that came in their path. Noah watched his target, the wyvern unaware of their approach as it continued to tear through the ranks of sky wyverns. Noah took out his spear. It thrummed, quivering, almost as if in anticipation. Void Annihtion pulsed, the spear¡¯s crimson turning a dark shade. Noah fed it power, as much of it as he had inside of himself. His mana dipped down to half, but he let it. They swept in close, blue mes bursting in his nightshade¡¯s mouth. The adult thunder wyvern turned, noticing them atst. It was toote. Fire erupted, a howling ball of blue mes striking the thunder wyvern like a point nk missile as the fire burst against its body rocking the adult wyvern off its path. Noah, not willing to let himself be outdone, let abyssal inferno and void annihtion lose across his spear at the same time, ck fire and lightning of pure void energy bursting form his weapon¡¯s form as he shot it forward. The weapon howled as it tore through the sky, striking the falling wyvern through a wing and sending it crashing into the hive. The nightshade and Noah swept down, rushing in as they moved with rapid speed, his nightshade¡¯s ws ready to tear out the creature¡¯s throat and Noah¡¯s ws ready to rip its heart out. Then, a storm of lightning erupted from ahead of them, striking his wyvern as it howled, losing control for a moment as the two of them crashed into the wyvern hive, kicking up a dust cloud. Noah jumped, ncing behind at his wyvern. The nightshade shook its head, rising up and letting out an angry grunt but Noah had no time to check for too long. His spine crackled with rm and he dodged with Arcane Step as bolts of lightning sted the ground he¡¯d stood at moments ago. The adult thunder wyvern growled in fury, rising up and towering over Noah as he looked down upon the two of them, eyes burning with anger as it realized what had struck it. Noah extended his hand, teleporting his spear back into his arms as he pointed it at the creature. The nightshade rose to its feet, lowering its head as it looked up at therge thunder wyvern with a hissing growl, as blue mes burst inside its mouth. The two creatures shrieked and roared at each other, wings swerving and mana pulsing, and Noah could feel the interaction going on between them. He moved cautiously, eyes on the giant monster as he walked with his nightshade, moving in a circle. The thunder wyvern struck first. Lightning bolts rose from the creature¡¯s mouth and Noah teleported as the nightshade dodged the strike, firing a ball of me as it swooped in, snapping with its jaw. Noah struck from the side, spear shooting at the thunder wyvern with charged void annihtion that sank into the wyvern¡¯s body, as the creature let out a howl of rage, but before it could strike back, the nightshade shed at it with its ws, tackling it onto the ground. Reaching into his inventory, Noah crunched on a mana stone, feeling his mana replenish rapidly as his power surged. He had meditation active, his mana regen increased in power and his focus sharpened on his target. The two wyverns wrestled and tumbled, kicking up dust as blue mes and bolts of lightning crackled against one another. The nightshade snapped at the thunder wyvern¡¯s wing with its jaw, before causing fire to bubble in its throat, as it burned through the creature¡¯s skin. The thunder wyvern howled in pain, before biting down at the night shade and letting a burst of thunder explode. Noah rushed in, teleporting in as he punched the thunder wyvern¡¯s jaw with a transformed limb. Then, for good measure, Noah let a burst of charged Abyssal Inferno explode out in a beam of furious hot void mes as the thunder wyvern was shot back, howling in back. Touching the nightshade, now free of the thunder wyvern¡¯s jaw, with an exertion of his mana, he used an arcane step again, teleporting the creature back away from the thunder wyvern. The nightshade shook its head, and then growled, rumbling, but Noah extended a hand towards the wyvern. ¡°You¡¯ve done your part buddy. Go out and help the rest,¡± he said, ncing at the nightshade. His wyvern looked at him with surprise, before growling with mes in refusal. Noah nced at it. ¡°I know I said we would do this together¡­ but this is my fight. That monster? It¡¯s my prey. Do not get in my way.¡± The nightshade looked at him, paused, and then at the thunder wyvern still reeling from the strike. The nightshade growled, before eyeing Noah, its face telling him ¡®don¡¯t you dare die¡¯ before it jumped, leaping off and going back outside to join the fray. Noah turned around to face the thunder wyvern, having put out the abyssal mes and now furious than ever with lightning crackling all around it. The monster rose up to its full out, letting out an angry roar, and Noah smiled. Then, he removed his suppression shackles. Book 3: Chapter 47 — Wyvern Heart Pt. 2 Book 3: Chapter 47 ¡ª Wyvern Heart Pt. 2 Noah let out a breath, steam rising from his mouth as abyssal inferno rose in fury, storing abyssal mes inside his body. Tony changed, forming armor on his body and ws on his eyes and his eyes transformed, the draconian pupils sharpening even further, the visage of a demon looking back. Noah knew what his powers were like. Despite how much he made an attempt to take them as a joke or in a light way, there was something deeply wrong with him on the inside. This joy, this thrill, this glory, the beating of his heart inside his chest. It was like he could not feel alive outside of these moments. In these moments, he found his identity slipping, and the monster inside slipping through the cracks of his human facade. But that was fine. That was also who he was. And in this moment, he let that sensation consume him in its entirety. [Metamorphosis] has activated. All attributes doubled for 120 seconds. Noah shed his human skin, the demon lurking inside bathing in the light as he transformed. Wings erupted from his back, his form changing to abandon any semnce of humanity. He forgot his spear, forgot his training and his abilities. In this moment, he was here, he was alive, and he had a prey he needed to kill. Noah rushed forward. Lightning erupted across the world, a storm of strikes shing all across the arena as the thunder wyvern roared. Its wings spanned out, bolts of lightning spreading out, before a pulse of lightning spread out in a circle. Noah teleported, arriving directly in front of the creature as he punched the giant wyvern. The moment his strike hit, Noah unleashed an abyssal inferno through his first, the strike turning into a shotgun st as it staggered back the giant wyvern. Predator¡¯s Mark manifested on the thunder wyvern, and Noah instinctually could feel the creature¡¯s weaknesses. His aura swerved outwards, Wyrm¡¯s curse stacking on top of the thunder wyvern as Noah summoned bloodwyrm swarm, the little bloodwyrm biting at the wyverns body and feet tying it up. Noah summoned his specters, two of them manifesting immediately as he began to teleport around the creature. Weapons shone around his specters, shooting forward and striking the wyvern. He continued to switch ces with them, constantly jumping between strikes as he charged a beam of energy through void annihtion before shooting it towards the thunder wyvern. The giant creature screamed, the strike knocking it sideways, before it roared and spread its wings in anger. It gathered lightning in its mouth before breathing bolts of lightning all around the area. Noah dodged as his specters evaporated, the ground sizzling and charring from the fury of the attack as the air smelled of ozone and storm. The wyvern roared, before mming its jaw towards Noah with a snapping surge of power as a bolt of lightning struck Noahunching him back. Noah flew, crashing into the wall as the stone behind him shattered and cracked. Blood poured down his face, soaking his body but he got no time to recover as the wyvern lunged towards him and mmed into where he was. Reacting on instinct Noah grabbed the wyvern¡¯s giant teeth, pushing down at the maw trying to mp down on him and eat him with all the strength he had. He saw sparks gathering in the creature¡¯s throat inside, its aura suppressing Noah¡¯s ability to teleport this close in. Noah roared, pushing upwards as he grabbed a fang and twisted, tearing it out. The wyvern roared in pain, and Noah jumped back out, teleported up to the wyvern¡¯s face. Reaching ahead Noah raised the fang up in the air as he mmed it into the wyvern¡¯s eye. Lightning burst forth like a storm, striking down onto the wyvern itself as Noah¡¯s world went white. For a long second he only saw a white blurred haze, hearing his ears ringing, the next second, hsi senses returned and he saw his health in the red, his body charred and burned. It took him a moment to realize what had happened. The hive¡­ it had struck the wyvern itself. To take both of them. Noah pulled himself up to his feet, spitting burnt blood from his mouth. Steam erupted from his body as wyrmblood rapidly began to heal him and Tony covered his broken areas of armor, rapidly removing the effects of the electricity pulsing in his nervous system Noah watched the wyvern, now with one eye and mad beyond belief as it red down at him. Noah grinned maniacally. Metamorphosis: 60 seconds remain. ¡°An eye for an eye. But you took my life, and so I will take yours,¡± Noah said and the wyvern howled, as if it understood his words, and then the creature rose in the skies. Its massive wings pped, and lightning surged across its body, Noah watched the creature spin through the cavern, a giant w of lightning shing at Noah as it swooped downwards. Noah teleported, using an Arcane step to jump onto the wyvern¡¯s back, dodging the attack as the massive creature howled. And then it spun, before crashing through the entrance and rushing outwards. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the vition. Noah rose into the sky, the thunder wyvern howling and roaring as they moved towards the stormy clouds crackling with lightning up above. Noah held on desperately, feeling lightning coursing into him from the creatures body, he found his grip slipping as he was pulled back and he desperately flung himself, grabbing a scale on the wyvern¡¯s back as it roared once more, lightning bursting all around it. Gritting his teeth, and feeling singes burning his entire body, Noah wed himself up. The wyvern swerved twisted as it tried to flung off Noah, but he¡¯d spend weeks sticking himself to the night shade¡¯s back. Noah clung on, climbing the wyvern¡¯s back, moving towards its head as the creature roared. The wyvern howled, starting to grow desperate. Noah sensed it now, the creature¡¯s fear, as it began to move with more brash and wide movements. It gathered lightning in its mouth, shooting it up into the clouds, letting out a screech for help. Noah dug his ws in, punching the creature on its back with power strikes as he moved and the wyvern thrashed. Then, a momentter, the clouds above rumbled and Noah paused, a strong sense of rm filling his body. He looked up and saw the clouds gathering for another strike, ready to shoot. He didn¡¯t have any time, he had to move immediately. Noah teleported, moving off the wyvern as he arrived above it, the wyvern immediately opened its mouth to eat Noah but he aimed his hands downwards and let a charged st of void annihtion and abyssal inferno loose inside the creature¡¯s throat. The thunder wyvern sted his own bolt of lightning, the two strikes colliding mid air and exploding in a pulsing shockwave of mana that flung them both off. The next instant, clouds struck down with a bolt of lightning as wide as a pir. Crack. The world turned silent against the deafening noise, and Noah felt himself lose consciousness for a long moment once more. When he opened his eyes, metamorphosis had deactivated, his health was down to 10% and he was falling from the skies. But he was alive. He turned, watching the thunder wyvern falling as well, the creature¡¯s one wing had ripped off and been burned down to its bones, with sickly charred flesh sticking to it, and one side of its body was a sizzled patched mesh of burnt flesh from where the bolt of lightning had hit it, as it desperately tried to fly but could not. The creature thrashed desperately, bursting lightning from all around it, and Noah dove in moving closer. The wyvern howled as it realized Noah was here, responsible for all of this, and it began to madly attack with everything it had. Still low on health and without metamorphosis, a single strike would kill Noah immediately, but he went in anyway, mming his fist down onto the wyverns maw. Swinging around, Noah found a sh from the wyvern¡¯s w nearly ripped his body in shreds as he felt a warning sh in front of him. Warning! Health down to 5% [Wyrmblood] has activated. Health regeneration increased by 500% temporarily. Noah mouth the creatures maw once again snapping at him, but this time, Noah turned, mming the wyvern. His flesh knit itself back, his bones snapping into ce as lifeforce surged inside of him and Noah grabbed the Wyvern throat around in a hug. The wyvern roared, trying to get rid of him, but Noah remained, and then, he roared, as he began to squeeze. The wyvern thrashed, growing more and more desperate as Noah¡¯s muscles ached and his body was strung tight. He continued to grasp, his arms bleeding and his muscles feeling like they would tear from the force of it. He screamed with all he had, and then, he felt something give, as the throat of the creature shattered in his arms. Noah felt the thunder wyvern shudder onest time, before going limp. Noah¡¯s body was on the brink of copse and as the tension drained from him, he realized how fast the ground was approaching beneath him. Noah tried to focus himself, he bit his lips, hoping to teleport into the trees to break his fall, he took out a B grade mana stone as a desperate attempt to maybe keep himself alive, but before he could crunch on the stone and hope for the best, he heard a shriek from nearby. A dark figure swung across the sky, snatching him from within the air. Noah twisted, trying to free himself for a long second, before he realized who had caught him. He looked up and saw the nightshade pping its wings, before it swung Noah up, tossing up onto its back and then let out a roar of victory as the creature turned around and swung slowed down its descent. The corpse of the thunder wyvern crashed within the trees, falling onto the ground, joining the myriad of corpses that littered the area now. Noah watched the scene, panting, barely awake and alive. The wyverns continued to fight, but the thunder wyverns had considerably thinned out. The sky wyvern hive had also began to retreat, having aplished its task of damaging and striking at the wyvern forces. The shade wyvern flew around the area, before swooping down next to the corpse of the thunder wyvern. The creature raised its head, letting out a howl of victory that other wyverns from nearby returned. Noah stumbled off the wyverns back, looking at the giant corpse in front of him. Battered and broken, he still had taken the creature down. As Noah walked closer though, he realized he¡¯d made a mistake. That was no corpse. He watched the thunder wyvern, its breaths slow and rasp, its body broken and shattered. But it was alive. After everything, despite all it had suffered, it was still alive. The creature eyed Noah, as he walked up to it, and he no longer saw any hate inside the wyvern¡¯s eye. No anger, nothing. It knew it had lost. It had epted it. There was a strange sense of respect that Noah felt in that moment. An acknowledgement towards his enemy. ¡°You were strong. Thank you,¡± Noah said, as he plunged his hand into the wyvern¡¯s chest. The wyvern shrieked onest time, as Noah grasped at the creature¡¯s heart, ripping it out. Notifications shed once more. You¡¯ve killed [Adult Thunder Wyvern (Legendary) - Lvl 432] [Wyrmblood Guardian] has reached level 200! [Runebody Arcanist] has reached level 200! [Abyssal Predator] has reached level 200! You can rank up! Noah looked out at the wyvern¡¯s heart in his hand. A grin rose on his face, and raising his head, he let out a loud roar into the skies. The wyverns roared back with him. Book 3: Chapter 48 — Return Book 3: Chapter 48 ¡ª Return Noah blinked his eyes, looking at the bedroom he was in and trying to remember what had happenedst. In a vague blur the memories came of the events after the battle. After killing the wyvern Noah stored its heart and body in his inventory before rising on the nightshade as they returned. The return party had only suffered minor strikes, most thunder wyvern busy tending to their injuries and licking their wounds. The return from the battle had been ridden on a surge of adrenaline from the victory. Noah had found Aurelia and Vion quickly, both of them looking injured as well, but both had alsopleted their quests, and had a smile on their faces. Everything after that had been a blur as Noah had reached the hive and immediately copsed, falling asleep. He rose from the bed, feeling his head hanging heavy, but his body felt rather freshed. Stretching his limbs, Noah got up from his bed, feeling a jolt of excitement run through him as he finally began to go through all his notifications. A myriad of notifications filled his interface, a dozen assisted kills that had also been attributed partly to him, but the main ones were these. Quest: Wyvern¡¯s Heart,plete! Reward: [Advanced Skill Book of Cooking]. You¡¯ve gained one skill point for killing an adult wyvern.Your title [Titan yer] has increased in strength. [Wyrmblood] has reached level 50. [Arcane Step] has reached level 50. [Abyssal Fusion] has reached level 50. [Void Annihtion] has reached level 50. There were dozens of other little notifications as well, with all his abilities going up at least one level, even the ones he didn¡¯t use at all. And the monster continues to grow. Can¡¯t wait to see what Kan and the others think of me now. The thought brought a smile to his face as he got up, which was when the gate opened with a click and Aurelia stepped inside. ¡°Good morning,¡± she said, smirking. It was dark outside just behind her. ¡°Good morning. Had the best nap of my life,¡± Noah replied, in too much of a good mood to evene up with some kind of quip. ¡°That was a nap, huh? If that was a nap then I¡¯m not sure I want to know what proper sleep would look like,¡± she said. ¡°Give it a few years and I bet I¡¯ll wake up while saying something like ¡®who dares disturb my slumber!¡¯¡± Noah said, doing his best impression of a grumpy dragon. ¡°That fact that I believe you is probably the scariest part in this,¡± Aurelia replied, shaking her head in exasperation. ¡°Anyways,e. Our ride back to the city has arrived?¡± ¡°Our ride?¡± Noah asked, his mind immediately heading towards the airship they¡¯d taken to arrive at Drakonias. ¡°Zax of course,¡± Aurelia said. Noah paused. ¡°Did you just call an ancient dragon that even an ascendant wyvern and the queen of this hive respects your ride? Are you trying to rece me as the group idiot or something? You¡¯ll have to battle me for the role!¡± Aurelia¡¯s eyes widened ever so slightly. Then, a smile formed on her lips. ¡°You know, I really don¡¯t realize it being with you so often, but you¡¯re definitely leaving your mark on me. And I¡¯m not sure how I feel about that.¡± ¡°d that it¡¯s not Erwest who¡¯s rubbing off on you?¡± Noah asked. Aurelia burst intoughter. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could ever get a stick that far up my ass.¡± Noah grinned. ¡°I will say, it¡¯s weird, but I do miss him a little. I wonder what he¡¯s been up to?¡± ¡°Yeah, it is weird, given how grouchy and grumpy he is and how he barely talks to us at all¡­ but I¡¯d definitely grown used to his presence. I definitely miss Snow more though.¡± ¡°I wonder how her and Shadow and Sky are doing as well. And Kan, Valeria, and¡­ actually, maybe not Seraphina. Not sure I want to know what she in particr has been up to,¡± Noah said, remembering her proposal out of nowhere to marry him and have his kids. ¡°Hmm, good thing we¡¯re about to head back!¡± Aurelia said, grabbing Noah by his arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Noah let himself be pulled along, as the two stepped out of the dimensional chamber. *** The wyverns buzzed with activity the past few days, the pulse of victory and joyous roars still goes around through the area. Noah felt the same buzzing excitement filling him as he walked to the matriarch of the hive, finding Zax and Vion already standing there. Vion looked more ufortable than Noah had ever seen her. Apparently, the princess was still notpletely over her experience with Zax. The older dragon stood rather gracefully next to the young princess, talking to her about something that Noah couldn¡¯t hear. Likely a magical spell Zax had created to keep their conversation private. The group noticed their arrival and Zax gave Noah a wide smile. ¡°The sleeping child awakes,¡± the matriarch said in greeting, as the two of them arrived. ¡°It seems the training was rather sessful,¡± Zax said, ncing at the three of them one after another. Vion shifted under Zax¡¯s nce, almost as if ufortable. Aurelia had a burning look in her eyes, as if this fact was only going to push her harder and faster. Noah simply grinned happily like an idiot. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the vition. ¡°They have. And so have our children. Though the battle was not without losses, the thunder wyvern hive is now in recovery, and it will take just a little longer for that old fool to wake up. And our children have all grown stronger from the battles, especially those who have apanied the three of you. For that, you have our thanks,¡± the ancient wyvern said, rumbling as she lowered her head to be closer to the three of them. ¡°It should be us who should be thanking you. Thanks for helping us train and for not telling your children to turn us into snacks,¡± Noah said, and the ancient wyvernughed, shaking the entire hive around her. ¡°Though he says it as a joke, we definitely mean it. This wouldn¡¯t have been possible without you. I could¡¯ve never imagined growing so much in such a short period of time. We truly appreciate it,¡± Aurelia said, and then nced towards Noah. ¡°Although, I must admit, I¡¯m a bit miffed that Noah has caught up to me atst despite that.¡± ¡°Better keep up or I¡¯m gonna leave you behind!¡± ¡°I¡­ also want to say thanks¡­¡± Vion said. ¡°Anything for our children. And you are one of them,¡± the matriarch said. Vion nodded, and then after a pause, she nced towards Zax. ¡°To¡­ you too. Even though just looking at you still makes me wanna punch your face in.¡± Zaxughed. ¡°It would be remiss for a young dragon to do anything but. You from before certainly would¡¯ve, but not you now, that is a mark of growth. Not just as a person, but over your mastery of your instincts.¡± After a moment, he paused, before his expression was reced by a gentle smile. Zax extended a hand and for a moment Vion¡¯s entire body tensed, but he simply ced it on her shoulder, and lightning crackled around his body. Vion¡¯s own magic responded, the world around her heating ever so slightly. ¡°It is difficult for dragons to mingle with kin. We are¡­ terrible creatures in that regard. Ever so hungry to fight, to prove our worth. No matter how vast or powerful we grow, we remain unable to learn how to express our love in any but the most aggressive and violent of ways. A part of me recognizes it wasn¡¯t entirely education that led me to my actions. I may have mastered my instincts, but I am not free of them. I had thought I was, for the longest time, but I have learned to know better by now,¡± Zax said, his hand remaining on Vion¡¯s shoulder. For some reason, Noah felt as if he could almost hear Zax¡¯s heart pounding. And the way his body adjusted the force he used ever so slightly, to not hurt her even the slightest. The way his magic flowed around her, almost as if instinctively shielding her. ¡°Your father was like this too. All of us are. But not you. You¡­ you¡¯re something so special that sometimes even knowing that I mustn''t, I end up putting the weight of those expectations onto you,¡± Zax said, and then he smiled, as if reliving an old memory. ¡°But when I see you like this¡­ it is impossible not to see that you¡¯re clearly your father¡¯s daughter. And have the same troubles he did. He, too, was clumsy with words. It was your mother who taught him otherwise. That woman, she taught him how to love, and if he could be here, if he had been here, he would¡¯ve shown you. But since he is not, I feel like I must in his stead,¡± Zax said, looking Vion in the eyes. Vion looked back in a daze, her own body shaking ever so slightly. ¡°No matter how much you may loathe me, how much anger you may feel towards me, even if ever you were to for some reason toe to loathe me, know this, I will forever be your kin, and should you ever need me, should you ever call my name, I will be here, by your side, standing till myst breath. Because I am your kin, and you are mine. And nothing can take that away,¡± Zax said, and it almost felt like the mana around them vibrated just a little at his words. Like the world had bound a new oath. Vion stared at Zax, and then a tear dripped from her eye. Noah couldn¡¯t describe the expression he saw on Vion¡¯s face. But it was one that struck him in his heart. So that¡¯s what it¡¯s like¡­ to have a family. Noah had almost forgotten what it felt like, since his mother¡¯s death. But that wasn¡¯t true, was it? No matter how much he ran from it, he was starting to grow attached. A part of him hated it, so very much that he often got the desire to simply vanish. It was kept at bay only by his constant distractions by a brand new world to keep him upied with. After all¡­ the thought terrified him. Vion wiped the tear from her eyes, before she gave Zax a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll remember that.¡± Zax smiled, seemingly satisfied at that. ¡°We had not felt very convinced, when we had first left this child at the doors of the kingdom. But now, we think it has been the right choice. We are proud to see you grow, child. Go forth, and reim thisnd, and the legacy it has in store for you,¡± Quazithril said to Vion. ¡°I will,¡± Vion replied. ¡°Good. Now, before you head off, there are some children of ours who wish to say their farewells,¡± the ancient wyvern said and a momentter Noah saw Aurelia¡¯s wyvern, Vyxirax, rushing over. It was only on their way over here that Noah had found out that the wyvern had allowed her to name it. Given what Noah understood of the naming sequence, typically names and such were only epted by people the wyvern saw as lifelongpanions or personal friends that shared a deep bond. They also often had multiple names because of this, which is something Noah had also only recently found out. Vion¡¯s wyvern flew in as well, brushing against the princess with affection. Though the two had been together for years so there was not as much intimacy. Just a silent conformation of the bond they shared. He watched, with very mild jealousy, as Aurelia brushed the giant fire lizard-puppy, her lingering motes of ash mingling with the wyvern¡¯s magic with some kind of resonance. A secondter, he saw his own wyvernpanion, sitting nearby, not as willful or arrogant given that a full dragon and the matriarch were both present here, but it continued to pretend to not pay much attention to either, acting all nonchnt. Even though Noah could tell full well that this was as close as the wyvern got to sheer awe and respect at anything. Before he went to give his own buddy a bunch of pets that it would as always ignore, pretending not to like them all the while Noah would not acknowledge the ever so slightly wagging tale, he had to admit to a little bit of jealousy and desire that was lingering in his heart. He really wanted to bring it- bring her along. The wyvern and him, over the past three months, had definitely formed a bond. It was nothing like what he shared with Tony, where Tony was almost like a part of himself. But it was also nothing so frivolous that he didn¡¯t admit to a pang of hurt at the thought of having to leave. With those thoughts, Noah walked up to the nightshade, who ignored him, even as her tail began to move ever so slightly and he began to dish out his loads of pets and scratches. ¡°Hey there bud. Thanks for the great time together, it was a st,¡± Noah said, before leaning in to give the wyvern a hug. ¡°I¡¯lle visit every so often, alright?¡± Noah said. The wyvern paused in its enjoyment, and then, a secondter it snorted before bumping its head into Noah¡¯s body. A trail of blue mes shed over its entire skin for just one second, as if to say, ¡®you better¡¯ before the aloof creature pulled itself back, shooing Noah away with one wing. Noah smiled, watching the wyvern go, knowing that he¡¯d be making trips here often to meet the darn thing for sure. It was only after he¡¯d had his goodbye, did Noah finally turn to face Zax. The dragon stood, extending his hand towards the three of them. ¡°Come, let us return to the kingdom. Your friends are waiting.¡± One by one, all three of them held the dragon¡¯s hand. Noah turned, taking onest look at the wyvern hive. And then, with a sh of light, they were gone. Book 3: Chapter 49 — Mana Hearts Book 3: Chapter 49 ¡ª Mana Hearts Noah sat in a chamber within the Drakonian pce, in a chamber that had been assigned to him. Vion had quickly met up with the King, who¡¯d taken her away alongside Zax, while Noah and Aurelia had each been given their own chambers to rest in. He didn¡¯t understand what that had meant and Noah wasn¡¯t curious enough to pry at the moment. Their return was quiet. Kan and the rest had not yet been informed and the group simply remained in the pce, waiting for¡­ something, apparently. It took a few minutes, before an attendant walked up and knocked on the door before opening the gates. ¡°Your presence has been requested,¡± the attendant draconian woman said with a bow, as Noah got up from the bed he¡¯d been sitting on, following her lead out. Aurelia waited outside, a simr expression of curiosity on her face as the two of them. They were escorted by the attendant, arriving at what looked like a chamber to receive private guests in. Heading inside, they saw Vion sitting there, alongside Zax, and the King, who all turned to look at the two of them. The attendant woman took a deep bow before excusing herself as Noah and Aurelia both stepped inside. Aurelia gave a bow to the king, Noah simply looked around, feeling confused about what was happening. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± he asked a secondter. ¡°Nothing too serious. There were just some things we needed to get done,¡± Zax said, ncing towards Vion and then the king. The king turned to face Noah, a smile on his rather scary face that only made the man look even more terrifying. ¡°We got the chance to hear some of the things you three got up to. It sounds like you¡¯ve had quite the adventure.¡± ¡°Come, take a seat. Some matters must be discussed with you two as well,¡± Zax said, and Noah and Aurelia walked up and took a seat. ¡°First of all, we would like to congratte you three on sessfullypleting the task we¡¯d assigned you. The purpose had obviously been simply to serve as a training exercise, so even if you had failed, as long as you achieved the root cause, it would not have been a loss of any kind,¡± Zax said, his gaze sweeping across all three of them. ¡°But. Your efforts had not been for nothing either. There is a purpose for which we had had you obtain the heart of an adult wyvern.¡± ¡°What kind of purpose?¡± Aurelia asked. ¡°You are aware of what a monster core is?¡± Zax asked. ¡°It¡¯s an organ which channels and holds the mana of a monster. The part which grows over time as a monster grows. It¡¯s why stronger creatures cannot just wander into lower mana density areas,¡± Aurelia said, as if reciting a textbook. ¡°Correct. It is an organ, one of the primary ones for any kind of creature that grows and levels up via its race. But not all creatures hold their mana in their cores. And not all of them hold it just in their cores. For a wyvern, and for dragons for that matter, their hearts do the task,¡± Zax said. Then, the dragon stood up and reached out a hand to Vion. ¡°If you could hand me your heart,¡± he said. Vion looked up at him for a moment, before a giant heart appeared in her hand as she manifested it from her storage space. The heart vanished as quickly as it had appeared. ¡°You two as well,¡± Zax said as Noah and Aurelia both handed their own hearts to the dragon. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Zax nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Our goal, with this task, had been to create something simr for you. There are methods, known, albeit highly secretive methods, that allow people to mimic the abilities monsters have. And the reason why these creatures, with only one race to derive levels from, can still contest people and are so powerful. One of the many reasons anyway.¡± ¡°Wait¡­ so¡­ you¡¯re gonna give us new hearts?¡± Aurelia asked, a bit taken back. ¡°I already had mine upgraded once, I don¡¯t see why a second time will be any problem,¡± Noah said. ¡°Why would I need one?¡± Vion asked. ¡°The heart is a magical entity, the wyvern heart will simply be the vessel for the magical item this will create. All of which is to say, we are not going to add a second heart inside your bodies,¡± Zax said, looking at Aurelia. A momentter, he turned to look at Vion. ¡°As for your question. It is true, a wyvern¡¯s heart will not do anything for you on its own. But as you currently are, your own draconian abilities are suppressed. Ours are too, a human form cannot sustain it. You know this much by instinct. But this heart will be something of a kickstarter, like a scaffolding that will allow you to utilize more of your powers while still retaining a human form.¡± ¡°Had you¡­ nned all of this?¡± Aurelia asked, looking at Zax. The dragon smiled. ¡°We¡¯d anticipated certain oues, certain choices and certain directions, but the result itself had always been in your own hands.¡± ¡°And the result is that all of you are now at the cusp of Rank-C. Which is good, as you¡¯d need that to participate in the trials. We encourage all of you to not try to rank up just yet. As you are aware, there are a few things that tend to be required for rank ups. And for Rank C, it is the choice of a path focus,¡± the king said. ¡°Path focus? What¡¯s that?¡± Noah asked. ¡°It¡¯s what the name implies, something that focuses your path. Your paths follow certain trajectories, certain paths, like their name implies, and up till rank C, they are free, un-relegated and could diverge drastically. You could start off as a warrior and end up as a mage within the same path, in some broad constructs. But after C rank, your path will effectively narrow itself down. You can think of it as specializing in something. A warrior can use any weapon, but a swordsman¡¯s path only goes ahead with a sword,¡± the king said. ¡°Isn¡¯t swordsman already a path that can be chosen?¡± Noah asked, confused. Zax answered this time. ¡°Yes. But that same path will be broad still within that context as well. What kind of sword, what kind of de, what kind of fighting style? These are all things not inherently tied to your path yet. But they will be, as you move ahead.¡± ¡°Precisely,¡± the king said. ¡°So, you must pick a path focus for all of your paths. Pick a direction that each of your paths will be headed towards, and the evolutions you will obtain from here on out will be centered around that. But that¡¯s not the end of it. A path focus¡­ it is an object. You tie your path onto something. A sword, a gauntlet, a lute, whatever the object may be, you tie yourself to that, and center yourself within it, and that object will forever be a part of you, connecting itself to your very astral script and soul. It is a choice which can be changedter on, but not very easily, and thus, something to pick carefully.¡± Zax nodded. ¡°This is why the rewards from the trials you are about to give are often used as path focuses by many. The more powerful the thing you tie yourself to, the more powerful the path options that be avable to you.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s why we think you should wait till the end of the selection rounds for the trials at the very least,¡± the king said. ¡°But, do not think this is the end of your work. The peopleing here have had much more time to train and practicepared to you, whereas all of you have only just barely caught up to the entry line. You must hone your abilities and your skills and keep on pushing them to the next level, as far as you can take it and further beyond still. Only then will you even have a chance of victory,¡± Zax said. ¡°We¡¯ll prepare training areas. Vion has expressed her desire to join you two, and your group has been of immense help to her, so we would want to help you train as much as possible in the remaining time before the selections truly begin,¡± the king said. Noah looked sideways at Aurelia and Vion, who all sat contemting the words from the king. ¡°Well. I see no problems. The n had always been to train more, and I have quite a few skills I¡¯ve been itching to upgrade some of my abilities and test them out anyway,¡± Noah said, excited. The king smiled at his words. ¡°We expected nothing less.¡± Book 3: Chapter 50 — Shadow Binding Book 3: Chapter 50 ¡ª Shadow Binding After a brief look at the training grounds, Zax had found Noah and teleported to a chamber with magical runes all over the ce. Moments like this sometimes reminded Noah of how easy it would be for Zax to kill him and the rest of them even in his current weakened state, should he want to. He put the thought out of his mind, looking at the dragon with curiosity at their sudden detour. ¡°Apologies for abruptly bringing you here. This is something we had to prepare in secret and we wanted to avoid attention. From our understanding, what we¡¯re about to do is quite forbidden, and we wouldn¡¯t want to create a diplomatic incident,¡± Zax said. ¡°What thing?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Your request. The re-binding of your shadow to you, and the ability you had received.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Noah trailed off, remembering what he¡¯d said, or rather, what he¡¯d asked for. His shadow swirled, rising up from the ground. The shadow specter let out a whistle. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of magic.¡± ¡°It was aplicated spell. Even for us. And not a magic field we are very knowledgeable about,¡± Zax said. ¡°A magical thing you don¡¯t know about? Color me surprised,¡± the shadow said. ¡°Soul magic has been guarded and restricted since before our time, it is not a field one dabbles in easily. The consequences are great for any mistakes made,¡± Zax replied. ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s safe then? We can probably wait a little if needed,¡± Noah said. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s safe. That was the primary thing we¡¯d made sure to address,¡± Zax said. Noah nods. ¡°There¡¯s actually a few things that I wanted to talk to you about as well. The first was that, ever since I got the bracelet with the Analyze ability, the descriptions have be¡­ not sure how to put it. It¡¯s talking directly to me and referring to my current circumstances at times and using knowledge from my world. It seemed harmless but it¡¯s still kinda weird.¡± Zax frowned to himself. ¡°We¡¯ve heard of simr things happening. As an individual grows, their astral scripts almost always change and adapt, going from the neutral entity to something that seems to take on a personality that either mimics them, or someone they know. But it happening this early on is a bit strange. Your soul resistance and modifications have probably sped up the process,¡± Zax said, before ncing towards the shadow specter. ¡°This binding will probably only exacerbate the process even further.¡± ¡°Is that something to be concerned about?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Not normally no, but let us know if things change significantly. Your case is¡­ a little special for sure,¡± Zax replied. ¡°Right¡­¡± Noah trailed off. His mind lingered on the next thing he wanted to talk about, and how to broach the subject. Just how did someone talk about something like this? ¡°Zax¡­¡± Noah said, taking a breath as he made himself look up at the dragon. ¡°What¡­ am I?¡± Zax looked at Noah, pausing. Noah looked intently at the dragon, feeling his chest tightening as he waited for an answer. He could feel the shadow had stopped pretending to not listen as well, now staring directly at Noah. ¡°Is this supposed to be some kind of a puzzle?¡± Zax asked, looking at Noah. ¡°No, I¡¯m asking honestly. I have always thought that I¡¯m a human from earth who just flung here. I mean, there isn¡¯t anything else to be, I have all the memories of my life from back on earth and there I had been nothing more. But¡­ ever since I found that other shard piece, this feeling inside me has grown stronger and stronger. Like there¡¯s a human Noah, the me I know, and then there¡¯s¡­ someone else inside,¡± Noah said, pausing. ¡°The¡­ Devourer.¡± A strong revulsion rose inside him, his chest tightening as a wave of emotions threatened to overwhelm him. He hadn¡¯t even realized he¡¯d started using Meditation to keep it all at bay on his own. Noah took a breath as he looked sideways towards the shadow. ¡°You¡¯d already realized this a while back, hadn¡¯t you?¡± Noah asked. The shadow didn¡¯t reply. ¡°I¡¯ve known this to some extent. Certain impulses, and my ¡®instincts¡¯ and the way they guide me. There is a deep inhuman quality to me. So¡­ I want to know. What am I really? And¡­ how did I trulye here, and what was I doing on Earth?¡± Noah asked. Zax looked at Noah and then the dragon let out a sigh. ¡°These aren¡¯t questions we can answer for you Noah. There is indeed a separate entity inside of you. And there is a very strong corrtion between this entity and those shards you seek. Perhaps¡­ Perhaps it is some remnant of the god which had died. And somehow it found its way to you and attached itself. These are all hypotheses we¡¯ve considered, among multiple other ones. But the truth is that we simply don¡¯t know. And we can¡¯t find out without more answers,¡± Zax replied. The dragon walked closer and then put a hand on Noah¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But we can say this. Whatever the being inside of you is, it does not define you. It is not you, nor are you it. Like how your hand is not you, nor are you your hand, or any other part of yourself, but the consciousness living in this moment and making choices. And from your choices, we know that you¡¯re a good person Noah.¡± Noah looked at the dragon, and then gave him a nod. A swirl of emotions rose and then were pushed down inside of Noah. There were many things he wanted to say that he did not. This tale has been uwfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Frustration, fear, and most of all¡­ guilt. Afterall, he knew one thing. When he¡¯d let that creature out¡­ he¡¯d felt like he¡¯d finally shed a shackle he had forever been wearing on himself. That thought scared him. ¡°The goddess Septah said to seek the Reaper. And that he will have answers,¡± Noah said. ¡°The reaper huh¡­ only a goddess can say something like that so nonchntly,¡± Zax said. ¡°Why? Who¡¯s the Reaper?¡± Noah asked. ¡°The Reaper is¡­ he¡­ or rather, they are an entity that define death within this realm. A formless being that does not have any single shape. It is said the reaper visits you in the visage of a loved one at your final hour and guides you to the underworld, protecting you from the gaze of the watcher in the journey across realms,¡± Zax said. ¡°Sounds¡­ a lot like our own reaper.¡± ¡°We are not surprised. The reaper is not a god limited to just this realm, but a being that connects many different realms together, watching over the souls within them. They are a god, but unlike the gods of this realm or the primordial gods, the reaper¡¯s role is perhaps the most duty bound, and they cannot truly leave the underworld. But none of the other gods can enter their realm either. Only the dead can. It is a protectednd, a ce for the departed souls. Even if you can reach the underworld, getting to the reaper would be¡­ a very difficult task.¡± ¡°No wonder the quest rewards have been slowly adding more and more reasons to head there. Clearly it wants us to meet this guy,¡± the shadow said. ¡°Things like your quest system are not unheard of, especially in individuals with a stronger touch of fate onto thempared to others. So the idea is not entirely without basis,¡± Zax said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how to feel about something like that dictating my movements,¡± Noah said. ¡°Nothing. These things can dictate paths, and nudge you, but which path you end up taking is entirely in your own hands,¡± Zax said. Noah nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll say that¡¯s quite enough chit chat. Let¡¯s get this thing over with,¡± the shadow said. ¡°Indeed. Let us,¡± Zax said, motioning them to head into the center of the magical circle, with two smaller circles carved into the runes present on the floor. Noah stood on one side and the shadow moved to another side. Zax then took the spectral heart out and let it float in between the two of them. ¡°Noah, this process must be performed by you. What we¡¯re doing ultimately is simply managing it externally and boosting its ability. But the initiator must be you,¡± Zax said. ¡°Alright. So, what do I need to do?¡± Noah asked. ¡°First, take out your skill book and use it,¡± Zax said. Noah took out the skill book from his dimensional vault. The item appeared in his hand, followed by a prompt. Would you like to consume [Skill Book of Advanced Soul Binding]? Yes/No? Noah looked at the prompt, took a breath and then selected yes. The book lit up, before dissolved with a bright sh as the familiar torrent of information filled Noah¡¯s mind, this time a significant amount that flowed into him like a rushing wave, almost knocking him off his feet for a second. Noah stumbled back, holding his head. There wasn¡¯t a headache, but his mind moved slower for a second, struggling to incorporate all the new information. He stood there, feeling a throbbing sensation in his head, before soon, it disappeared. Skill [Soul Binding (Advanced)] obtained! ¡°You should now have an understanding of how to proceed. Use the spectral heart as the host to bind the shadow back to yourself, forming an anchor onto the world itself,¡± Zax said, as the runes began to glow on the ground. Noah steadied himself, and then nodded. A set of information that wasn¡¯t his own began to guide him. The sensation was quite strange, but this wasn¡¯t his first time using a skill book and he soon settled into the motions. He took a breath, reaching out towards the spectral heart, letting his aura expand outwards. The shadow joined him, letting its own aura reach back out towards Noah as the two auras intertwined at the point the spectral heart was floating. Noah began to cast. ¡°Whispers of the beyond, in form we are bound, the endless infinite and indestructible, of that from which all was born. Let it be bound, to the vessel which contains, the ethereal immortal self, an anchor against the final call. Anima Immortalis Est In Morte.¡± Something began to shift, the heart at the center of the spell beginning to pulse. Noah felt his mana seep outwards, sinking into the heart, but his attention was soon taken by the shadow. Noah looked the specter in his eyes, watching him looking back. The shadow gave him a smile. ¡°See you soon,¡± the shadow said, as the runes underneath lit up with a bright sh. The shadow dissolved into the heart the next instant, turning the ethereal heart into a dark shadowy entity. The next instant, the heart shot into Noah¡¯s body, and Noah felt a powerful pulse of energy fill his body. Memories, and emotions began to fill his mind. His perspective split in two, scenes reying themselves from a different angle, a different train of thought. Silent, watching, waiting. A part of himself, one that he¡¯d¡­ not severed, but pushed away, it rose back up to the front again. A part of himself that he¡¯d wanted to not exist. The same part, which now he realized, was what made him human. Noah copsed to his knees, dark spectral shadows swirling all around him. A notification popped up in front of him. [Shadow Spectre] perk has changed to [Shadow Heart] You can be a shadow, your heart beating with the pulse of the darkness that remains unseen. Even death struggles to touch you. Find yourself capable of defying death once, leaving an anchor onto this realm to guide yourself back from the final end. Noah simply sat there, on his knees as the spell came to a halt. It was hard to truly describe how he felt at this moment. Zax walked closer, checking on him for a moment, before patting his shoulder. ¡°Take your time. In a few hours, your friends are throwing a feast to your return, from the wyverns all of you have caught at Drakan Steaks. When you are ready, head there,¡± the dragon said, turning around as he left Noah in the chamber. Noah simply sat there, looking down at his hands silently. He¡¯d expected loss, but this was entirely the opposite. He felt the secondyer of magic in his soul, the shadow heart like ayer around his own heart, beating in tune with it. Noah stayed there for a moment, before standing back on his feet. ¡°Is that how I really sound to other people?¡± he said atst. A smile came on his face, as the diverging perspectives fullybined, and Noah decided how he wanted to spend the next few hours. Zax had been wrong. He didn¡¯t need a few hours to sort his memories or emotions. He was never that emotional. No, instead, he needed those hours so that he could finally use his skill points to upgrade some of his abilities and test them out atst. Noah smiled in anticipation. Book 3: Chapter 51 — Ability Upgrades Book 3: Chapter 51 ¡ª Ability Upgrades Noah sat on the rocky floor, opening up the options of his abilities as he took everything in. He¡¯d shot up in power rapidly, and it¡¯d done wonders for his attributes. Especially after he switched his title back to Progenitor. Astral Script: Name: Noah Brown Race: Draconian Humanoid Rank: D Title: [Progenitor] Paths: Wyrmblood Guardian (Legendary) - level 129 Runebody Arcanist (Legendary) - level 128Abyssal Predator (Legendary) - level 130 Attributes: Power: 1631 [2038] Agility: 1436 [1795] Constitution: 1744 [2441] Mystic: 1860 [2604] Attribute points: 289 Skill Points: 4 Noah took the attributes in. His buffed attributes were above two thousand, especially his constitution and mystic, which had quickly risen to be his two primary attributes. Still, he at least tried to maintain a rtively bnced ratio between all his attributes. Taking his free attributes, Noah put a hundred and eighty in agility, before putting the rest into power. Power (Buffed): 2038 ¡ú 2175 Agility (Buffed): 1795 ¡ú 2020 Satisfied with that, Noah moved on to look at his abilities which had all reached level fifty. [Wyrmblood (Legendary, Advanced) - Level 50] [Arcane Step (Legendary, Advanced) - Level 50] [Abyssal Fusion (Legendary, Advanced) - Level 50] [Void Annihtion (Legendary, Advanced) - Level 50] Unlike before, reaching the next rank up level didn¡¯t automatically level up the abilities. From now on, he would have to use a skill point anytime he wanted to upgrade his abilities. Extremely conveniently, he had exactly four skill points avable right now, but more than one ability of his was close enough to level fifty that it would make perfect sense for Noah to wait a little bit and grind his ability levels, before spending his skill points. He thought over it for a moment, going through his abilities one by one. There were a few abilities of his that had ranked up to advanced as well, and Noah pulled them up. [Bloodwyrm Swarm (Legendary, Advanced) - Level 28] [Arcane Specter (Legendary, Advanced) - Level 30] [Abyssal Inferno (Legendary, Advanced) - Level 33] Noah selected his bloodwyrm swarm ability, opening it¡¯s description. [Bloodwyrm Swarm (Legendary, Advanced) - Level 28] Your mastery over the draconic arts has reached new heights, allowing you to transmute your own blood into a swarm of lethal Bloodwyrms. These sanguine serpents, imbued with your essence, obey your everymand, whether you desire them to strike as a frenzied horde, inflicting [Hemorrhage] and [Mise] upon your foes while leeching their life force to fuel your own, or to coalesce into a singr, monstrous Bloodwyrm of unparalleled might. With this fearsome ability, you be a living conduit of draconic power, your very veins a wellspring of both destruction and vitality. Unleash the fury of your Bloodwyrm Swarm, and bear witness as your enemies are consumed by the sanguine tide of your making. ¡°Creepy,¡± Noah said, looking at his own blood. So now he could turn his own blood into the creatures? He made a cut on his hand, letting the blood flow out and he could feel the power lying there. He let the blood wyrms appear, the creatures forming and flying around, waiting in anticipation as they formed one by one. His wyrmblood rapidly refueled his blood, letting him create more and more, and even after he had almost a dozen made, he still felt like he could simply keep going. ¡°Is¡­ is there even an end?¡± Noah wondered to himself. There likely had to be, but he wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to spend hours slowly bleeding himself. A momentter he realized where the limit was. His lifeforce was sustaining the wyrms and thus, his health regeneration had slowed down rapidly. It took a few seconds for his wound to close when he let the healing work on it, a far cry from the instantaneous healing he experienced normally. If youe across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Mildly disappointed that he didn¡¯t have an infinite bloodwyrm supply, he moved on to the little wyrms. Extensions of himself, he couldmand them simr to how he couldmand Tony, and Noah simply had thembine into one entity. The blood wyrms swirled and fused, blobs of blood pulsing as a muchrger wyrm made entirely of blood now floated in front of Noah, looking rather terrifying. ¡°Oh boy, that¡¯s¡­ quite the scary sight,¡± Noah said, patting the bloodwyrm on its face. His hand sank into the creature, beforeing back out coated red from his own blood. Noah shook off the blood, feeling disgusted, before he dismissed the creature. The giant bloodwyrm flowed back into him, before disappearing. Noah filed away the ability for the time being. He moved on to Arcane Specter. Opening the ability, Noah lets its description appear. [Arcane Specter (Legendary, Advanced) - lvl 30] Your mastery over the arcane,bined with your [Shadow Heart] perk, has unlocked the ability to summon forth a legion of Arcane Specters, each one a perfect reflection of your own form and magical prowess. No longer bound by a fixed specter count, the size of your spectral army is limited only by your mana reserves. These ethereal warriors can meld into shadows, strike at yourmand, and persist indefinitely, sustained by your arcane energy. With this army at yourmand, you can executeplex strategies, overwhelm enemies with numbers, or scatter your forces to gather intelligence and strike from afar, making you a one-man army capable of waging war on an unprecedented scale. Noah whistled to himself. A part of him was tempted to test the ability out, but he decided to leave this one forter. He moved on to the next ability. [Abyssal Inferno (Legendary, Advanced) - lvl 30] Yourmand over the abyssal mes has reached terrifying new heights. Not only can you unleash the full, devastating power of the inferno in a hellish maelstrom or concentrate it into a focused, incinerating beam, but you can now also shroud yourself in the very mes of the abyss. This passive ability grants you an aura of unearthly fire, constantly flickering around your form, ready to be unleashed at a moment''s notice. The abyssal mes that engulf you serve as both a formidable defense and a potent offense, searing any who dare toe too close and empowering your every strike with the fury of the abyss. With this newfound mastery, you have be a living embodiment of the abyssal inferno, a force of destruction that even the mightiest of foes will learn to fear. Noah read the ability, before trying to reach for it. Like turning a switch on and off, he found himself able to summon dark ghastly abyssal mes all around him, setting himself on fire, quite literally, as the mes burnt through his lifeforce. He realized, rather horrifyingly, that if he wanted, he could turn off the wyrmblood and the mes would simply consume him alive without ever stopping. He turned the ability off. ¡°Well, that was quite fun¡­ but now, time for the main stuff,¡± Noah said, as he returned to his level fifty abilities. After a bit of deliberation he decided to at least upgrade one ability right now, and then decide if he would upgrade more or not. After thinking for a moment, Noah picked Abyssal Fusion. A prompt appeared in front of him. Do you wish to use a skill point to rank up [Abyssal Fusion]? Yes/No? Yes. Initiating rank up. This ability is tied to a familiar. Familiar Tony [Abyssal Symbiote] has begun evolution. The rank up willplete upon thepletion of the evolution. Evolution Time: 240 hours Noah watched in horror, as he felt Tony shudder before the symbiote went to sleep, all the little fine tunings done by the creature now gone, and his Abyssal Awarenessnow flooding him with information, without any filter remaining to restrict what he could sense. A headache assaulted Noah, and he looked up at the sky with a frown. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair!¡± he shouted. Then, he selected another ability, and after a moment¡¯s hesitation, used another skill point. Do you wish to use a skill point to rank up [Arcane Step]? Yes/No? Yes. Initiating rank up. [Arcane Body] has synergized and upgraded the capacity of [Arcane Step] Upgrade Time: 180 hours ¡°I see how it is,¡± Noah said, looking at his notifications. His body was practically humming now, as if sucking in mana, and the runes on his body were shing and glowing. Noah tried using Arcane Step but found the ability inactive, as if it had gone dormant. It was still there¡­ but sleep. He had a feeling he could force it to activate, but he didn¡¯t push the ability unnecessarily. A part of him knew it¡¯d be best to do something like this one step at a time, especially if upgrades like this took away the ability from him during the period of the upgrade. s, it didn¡¯t take him long to lose all willpower as he caved in and used his other two abilities as well. Afterall, if he used them all at once, then he¡¯d have to wait less time for each. Initiating rank up. [Cosmic Wyrmblood (Bloodline)] has upgraded [Wyrmblood] Upgrade Time: 200 hours Initiating rank up. [Void Annihtion] gathers powers from the Abyss. Upgrade Time: 120 hours Noah looked at his timers, and then, with quivering excitement building up inside his body, he left the chamber he¡¯d been waiting in, to head out for the feast that awaited him. Book 3: Chapter 52 — Feast Book 3: Chapter 52 ¡ª Feast Noah arrived at Drakan¡¯s stake, having realized only after he left that without Arcane Step, or Tony avable he would have to walk to the ce. Having arrived a littlete, he could already hear everybody from inside the ce, and as Noah opened the door, he was greeted by a table full of familiar faces. ¡°There he is!¡± Kan shouted, a cup filled with a drink in hand as he stood up and walked towards Noah. Noah smiled as he looked at the draconian man who wrapped an arm around his shoulder. ¡°Late as always, eh? I¡¯ve been hearing of your adventures from the others,¡± Kan said. ¡°Fashionablyte,¡± Noah said, smiling. Kan patted his back,ughing far more than the simple quip should¡¯ve gotten. And then, he looked at Noah expectantly. ¡°You¡¯ve grown stronger. I look forward to seeing how much.¡± Noah nodded, before he looked at the rest of the group. Valeria sat, leaned back in her chair, next to Seraphina and Snow who were going over some book, likely not having even noticed Noah¡¯s presence. Snow¡¯s sky serpent, Sky hovered over her shoulder and Noah noticed a modest sized Shadow lying under the table, almost blending into the darkness. Snow herself had changed, having grown even further, looking not that much younger from Seraphina anymore. Her tattoos had also changed subtly, though Noah could not tell how exactly. The girl sat with her horns in the open and a much greater confidence came from her presence. Noah used Identify on her. [Rune-ink Tamer - Lvl 72]Noah looked in surprise at her. The girl had ranked up to E rank and gone all the way up to level 72 in the time he¡¯d been gone. Snow raised her head, noticing him atst and Noah gave her a wave in greeting. Erwest was there as well, surprisingly enough, seated next to Valeria. The pdin regarded Noah and gave him an acknowledging nod. Slight hints of scars covered his arms and face, and there was something very subtly different about him. Erwest had always been withdrawn and acted like he perpetually had a stick up his backside but he felt even more aloof than before now. Noah checked the man¡¯s level. [Hellion¡¯s Pdin - Lvl 200] Aurelia was seated on the other side, besides Snow, and with another surprising person besides her. The red-haired princess looked at Noah with an almost embarrassed expression as he entered. Even from a nce he could tell she felt quite out of ce here, and Aurelia was partly sticking to her to give herfort. Seraphina was thest one to notice Noah, finally raising her head when Snow stopped paying attention to her, and the woman gave Noah an annoyed expression for having interrupted the two of them. Noah took all of it in, before stepping towards the table alongside Kan. He took a seat next to Vion. The group regarded him with varied expressions and Noah was once again hit with the realization of how everyone around him had changed. It really had been quite some time, despite it having passed in what felt like a blink of an eye. He hadn¡¯t been the only one making progress. A secondter, he realized something, and nced towards Kan, using Identify again. [Dragon Warrior - ??] Kan sensed the check, and winked at Noah. Which was rather weird given his draconian face. ¡°A drink for my friends here as well,¡± Kan said, calling out to the waitress who nodded, before quickly bringing a cup of some kind of alcohol in front of Noah. He picked the cup up, and took a sip. It was sweet. ¡°So, I heard you guys had quite the adventure out there. The princess and Aurelia have been telling us about it,¡± Valeria said, taking a sip from her cup. ¡°What have they been telling you?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Well, the princess talked about how you were really stubborn and kept chasing a difficult wyvern to bond with, and how you guys would spar and that you were particrly rough and did not hold back at all, but even then she would still win most of the time,¡± Valeria said. Noah raised an eyebrow, ncing at Vion. Vion seemed like she¡¯d be embarrassed for a second, but almost like a switch flipping, she brushed her hair aside. ¡°Of course, we wouldn¡¯t allow ourselves to lose,¡± she said in her princess voice. Noah simply hummed to himself. ¡°Though, Noah was a good partner as well. He did not hold back and pushed our limits, helping us grow. We wouldn¡¯t have been able to get this far without him,¡± Vion added. Valeria hummed to herself, looking at Vion, and then ncing at Aurelia. A secondter she nced sideways at Seraphina. ¡°That¡¯s some toughpetition, Seph,¡± Valeria said. ¡°Competition?¡± Noah asked, confused, but Valeria did not borate. ¡°I¡¯m honestly a little disappointed that I didn¡¯t get toe along. Wyverns are fun. I heard you guys even participated in a proper territory war? Those are rare and really good way to raise your levels. I¡¯m jealous,¡± Kan said. Vion snorter. ¡°That was nothing more than a mere skirmish. A true war would not have seen us survive.¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve seen one princess?¡± Kan asked. ¡°Oh- uh, well, no, but Draxi- the King has talked about it, so we know a bit,¡± Vion said. At the mention of the King, Noah looked at Aurelia, sending her a message through their bracelets. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°What kind of narrative are we running with for Vion here? Or do they know?¡± Noah asked. ¡°They know she¡¯s a secret hidden princess of the King. Not that she¡¯s also a dragon,¡± Aurelia replied. Noah nodded. He watched Vion who continued to chat, and he could see she was enjoying herself quite a bit, despite her princess persona. He suspected she didn¡¯t know how to interact with other people very well without it. ¡°I also wanted to see the wyverns,¡± Snow said looking at Noah. ¡°What kinds were there? They all have innate magic and I hear a hive can even have rare ones. The one the princess was talking about was one wasn¡¯t it? A nightshade wyvern?¡± ¡°Yup,¡± Noah replied. ¡°We also saw a few other variant types. Not sure what that means though.¡± ¡°It means these types do not naturally ur. Like albinos, but magical versions of that. Sometimes it¡¯s also a result of two abnormal wyverns pairing up. Normally one parent¡¯s magic wins, but sometimes they bothbine,¡± Seraphina replied. Snow¡¯s eyes glimmered with excitement at that. ¡°You know¡­ we can probably go back sometime in the future. Maybe after the trial is done,¡± Noah said, picturing Snow riding on the back of his wyvern. He would enjoy that as well. ¡°Really?¡± Snow asked, practically jumping up in excitement. ¡°Really,¡± Noah replied, smiling. ¡°No fair, I want to go as well!¡± Seraphina protested, pouting. ¡°You cane as well,¡± Noah said. ¡°Though we may have to check in. The wyverns probably won¡¯t like having so many people drop in all of a sudden,¡± he added, ncing at Vion. ¡°We can make arrangements. After the end of the trials all of us can head to the hive to meet the wyverns,¡± Vion said. The group cheered in response. ¡°Folks, apologies to interrupt but I¡¯ve gotten some rather unfortunate news,¡± a draconian man spoke, heading their way, wearing an apron on top of a muscr scaled body. It took him a moment to recognize Drakan, the chef and owner of this ce. ¡°The hunters have sent word that there have been territorial conflicts in the area. The entire forest is wary and game is rare, so we won¡¯t be able to get today¡¯s stock. I truly apologize for the inconvenience. I will, of course, give you a full refund, and everything you¡¯ve had so far will be on me,¡± the man said. The group paused, ncing at Noah, Aurelia and Vion, a couple of smiles broke out. Noah stood up. ¡°I actually have something with me,¡± he said to Drakan. The chef paused. ¡°I appreciate the offer¡­ but there are certain standards I follow, and it would be an even bigger insult on my name to serve something subpar. It is why I only bring and ept the finest quality of game.¡± Noah hummed, ncing around. Walking by, he pushed aside a few tables together to form arger area as Drakan simply watched him. After fiding the table to berge enough, he took out the wyvern from his inventory. The giant creature¡¯s corpse appeared in a blink, the table underneath creaking from the weight. Drakan stumbled back. Noah nced towards the man. ¡°Is this up to your standards?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes¡­ yes that¡¯ll do. I¡¯ll get on it,¡± Drakan said, quickly rushing back into the kitchen. The rest of the groupughed, Aurelia rolling her eyes as she whispered ¡®showoff¡¯ under her breath. Noah simply grinned. *** The suns had set by the time the group¡¯s feast ended, and everybody was stuffed. Drakan had practically been vibrating, going all out in his preparation of the food, muttering something about his levels. They stumbled, almost all of them slightly tipsy. Given their high constitutions, it¡¯d taken some really strong spirits to have any effect at all. But with lifeblood not working, even Noah had gotten a little drunk. Erwest and Snow did not drink, being the onlypletely sober ones. Seraphina groaned as they stepped out, leaning against Kan¡¯s shoulder, her face flushed red. Noah had found out, a littleter, that the woman barely had any constitution, choosing to put nearly all her points in mystic. He did not feel surprised to hear that. A cool breeze passed by the streets, Vion ncing around the group. The princess had opened up more and more over time, eventually even dropping her royal we and now a slight blush from the alcohol remained on her face. The group remained there for a moment, taking the breeze in. Kan pulled Seraphina up, the woman starting to fall asleep on his shoulders. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be having back to our manor. Where are you guys staying right now?¡± ¡°At the castle, for the time being,¡± Aurelia said, ncing at Noah. ¡°Best not to have Vion go back on her own,¡± Noah said as well, and Kan nodded. Valeria nced towards Snow and Erwest. ¡°What about you two?¡± she asked. Snow paused. She looked between the two of them hesitantly. ¡°I¡­ I think I''ll stay with Seph. She¡¯s been teaching me a lot of things, and it would be easier for me to learn if I¡¯m with her,¡± Snow said, ncing sideways as if she felt guilty. ¡°Sounds good, you take care alright? We¡¯ll have timeter to catch up properly. Bun Bun and Tony will like ying with Shadow and Sky as well,¡± Noah said. Snow nodded. Noah watched her for a moment. She had grown, and had also grown more independant. It was a lot of small things, but collectively, they added together. Noah had to admit, he¡¯d felt responsible for her. But now¡­ he had a feeling that she would be able to find her own way, even if he wasn¡¯t around all the time. ¡°I¡¯lle with Noah. It¡¯s my duty to keep an eye on him and I¡¯ve already let him run around unsupervised for long enough,¡± Erwest said. ¡°Yeah yeah, of course. How could I forget my guardian,¡± Noah said. ¡°You guys should visit the castle. We have quite a few sparring areas and they could use them to train for the preliminary rounds of the trials,¡± Vion said. Valeria looked at Kan in surprise. ¡°Uh, sure. Did not expect to get to train in the castle but why not, it definitely won¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Good preparation before the trials begin. Only a couple weeks left now,¡± Kan added. ¡°I look forward to sparring with the two of you again.¡± Kan¡¯s eyes then drifted to Vion. ¡°And you, of course, princess Vion.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get too cocky by the way. We haven¡¯t just been sitting around. All of us have been training our assess off,¡± Valeria said, grinning at Noah. Seraphina said something as well, her words too slurred to make out properly. Kan pulled her up again, telling her to detoxify but Seraphina wasn¡¯t listening anymore. ¡°Well, we should head back before she starts throwing up,¡± Valeria said. And with that, the group split in two, speaking their goodbyes as they went their separate ways. Noah, Vion, Aurelia and Erwest turned around, making their way towards the castle. They all walked in silence for a few moments, Noah taking nces towards Erwest in between. The man had mostly been silent during their entire stay. ¡°Soo,¡± Noah said, ncing at Erwest. ¡°What have you been up to in the meantime?¡± ¡°Training,¡± Erwest said, not borating any further. ¡°Uh-huh?¡± Noah said, as the group returned to silence. After a few seconds, Erwest nced towards Noah. ¡°You two have grown,¡± he said. Noah paused, surprised, before smiling. ¡°Yeah, we have.¡± Erwest grunted, and the group continued on their way. Noah looked out to the castle in the distance, watching the lights of the city flickering in the night as the moon began to rise through the sky. He looked up, staring at the moon, at the Watcher that looked upon the world. It had almost been a year since he had first arrived in this world. And even now, he was only just getting started on his path. He thought of the shade wyvern. He¡¯d need to make sure he was stronger by the time he went to meet her again. Strong enough to be on par. For now though, the trial awaited him. Book 3: Chapter Epilogue — Fate Book 3: Chapter Epilogue ¡ª Fate Vion stood in a chamber covered in wards, deep beneath the castle. The walls around her were without any seams, having been created magically in a single go, with dimensional spells keeping this ce tethered to reality with the slightest of pathways. Not even the closest guards to the royal court knew of this ce. No trusted advisors, nobody outside of the core members of the royal bloodline. Until today, that is. She nced at Zax who stood next to her. A fully grown adult dragon. No, calling him an adult was a meaningless distinction, she knew he was older than many ascendants even. The reason why he himself wasn¡¯t one escaped her, but she wasn¡¯t going to pry. And this wasn¡¯t about him. It was about her. Vion took a deep breath. She could feel the nervous tension permeating the chamber. She couldn¡¯t deny her own beating heart, that was for sure as well. ¡°Both of us knew the time woulde, and I would not lie in saying I had certainly dyed this as far as I could¡¯ve,¡± Draxius said. The king spoke much more frankly here, for here, he was not king, in this ancient chamber¡­ he was simply Draxius. The man closest to being a father for her in life. ¡°I know this is not the time¡­ but I do wonder if you resent me for that,¡± Draxius asked, looking at Vion. ¡°Somewhat,¡± Vion replied, crossing her arms. ¡°But not because you kept me hidden and confined for so long. But because you never told me why or how you felt.¡± Draxius said. ¡°The burden had felt too heavy, and I am¡­ not a great parent. Had your father still been alive, he would¡¯ve been able to talk to you more honestly.¡±¡°Well, then do better, because you¡¯re the only one I have,¡± Vion said, snorting. She did not look at Draxius after her im, looking at Zax instead. ¡°Is there something I need to be worried about? Will I go on a rampage, sleep for a century, or turn into some kind of hideous monster?¡± ¡°No, well the rampage thing may be a real concern, but not the others. And this ce can take a rampage from you. So you need not worry yourself,¡± Zax said. Vion nodded, but before she could proceed, Zax put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°All that said, you have to remember this too. You are special, and this ce is special. You can feel it, can¡¯t you? The ties this has with you. You were what this kingdom was meant to be, what their people were meant to be, the ideal, the true essence of two halves formed into one. And as such, none of us truly know what this will entail for you,¡± Zax said. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not too worried. Afterall, what kind of dragon refuses to grow?¡± Vion asked. Zax paused, and then grinned at her. ¡°You have grown more than we¡¯d anticipated.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not growth, it is¡­ understanding. This was what I¡¯d been meant to be. From the very beginning. I had felt it, and now that I know, I can feel it crawling under my skin, the wrongness. The spell that was iplete, itching forpletion. I won¡¯t deny myself this. Not now. Not anymore,¡± Vion said. And with those words, Vion stood in the center of the chamber as both Zax and Draxius stepped back. The process she meant to undergo was no grand spell, neither was it someplex or dangerous magic. It was simply evolution. A process every creature with racial levels went through. Even dragons. And yet, just by the nature of her existence, it became aplex thing, a process that birthed something new. Yet¡­ unlike dragons, her path hadn¡¯t been a juvenile dragon, or even a draconic humanoid or whatever. It had been none of those things. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the vition. She had a single option to pick from. And nothing else. Vion opened her astral script, the words blooming into existence upon stone with glowingva like words carved onto them. You stand upon the precipice of change. Your true form awaits you ahead. Take the plunge. Evolution Options: [Dragonborne (Unique)] You are the child of two halves, the merger of two worlds. Now, you will create a new one, the blending of two races into a brand new force that will have you at its helm. The legacy of this kingdom, and the one who created it. Vion looked at those words, shining and glowing, shimmering with power. She didn¡¯t even have to think of it, and that power flowed into her, changing her. She closed her eyes, slumber taking her away, which was why she didn¡¯t see the notification that came after it. A notification not meant for just her, but for ever Awakened on Erandir who could see their astral script. A new Great Race has been born. The world changed in that single moment. *** Two figures sat around a table in a dark chamber. Only one was truly present there, the other aplex spectral spell that few would be able to see through and recognize as an illusion. ¡°It¡¯s happening,¡± the spectral woman spoke, looking at the notification that had appeared in front of her. Her, and every living being on Erandir. A man sat on a chair near her, legs set on the table with a cube puzzle in hand, each with a magical sigil inscribed on it that shifted as he turned pieces of the cube, formingplex patterns. ¡°Slightly earlier than I had anticipated,¡± he said. ¡°That does not inspire confidence. Are you even still in control of events? The dragon you chained is free and helping the shell, making guiding the shell much harder than necessary,¡± the woman said. ¡°He broke fate that time,¡± the man said, twisting the cube with precise movements. ¡°Like how he did when he met Hellion and gained her blessing despite being tied to the void? Or how he did when that life wyrm protected him from the watcher¡¯s touch?¡± the woman asked, clearly angry. ¡°And yet, he is exactly where he should be, doing what we need him to do,¡± the man said, as the runes on his cube lit up, matching as magic flowed and the device opened up, revealing a golden and ck object inside that pulsed with power. ¡°What are you nning anyway?¡± The man sat up straight, moving the pyramid in his hands around as reality flickered around the object. ¡°I¡¯m observing, our attempts at creating a vessel suitable enough to hold the shards have all failed, and I think we can use this one to our purposes,¡± he said. ¡°The void tried it too, and failed, you can¡¯t chain him, not directly, the seal protects him. And if we let him run free, he¡¯s just going to keep gaining shards and eventually the beast will escape out of its human shell, and this will all have been for nothing,¡± the woman said. ¡°Doubtful that it will happen so soon. We already have two major shard pieces, without them, he cannot Ascend,¡± the man replied. ¡°We need all of them. And we need to kill it and extract the shards,¡± the woman said. ¡°Not yet,¡± the man replied, standing up from his chair as the woman stopped the protest she would¡¯ve continued on with for hours. He knew well enough how that went, he''d lived through that reality a few times to see if he could change her mind. He couldn¡¯t. She paused, knowing this to mark the end of this conversation. Lastly, she asked. ¡°Does he suspect who you are?¡± she asked. The man straightened his white shirt. ¡°No. He has no idea.¡± ¡°What about the dragon? He is smart, he will be able to see through you given long enough. The risk doesn¡¯t seem worth it,¡± the woman asked. The man nced down at his body, and then spun the pyramid as reality changed. He stood now, as a young boy, somewhere around eighteen or neen. He could feel the identity prodding his level. [Chaos Primer - Lvl 200] ¡°I hate when you do that without warning. It makes me nauseous,¡± the woman said. The man hummed in contemtion. ¡°This form is a little finicky. Suppression at this level is tough, even for me,¡± he said atst. He let the form dissipate for a moment, as his body flickered, changing the identify result along with it. [Fate Architect - ?????] ¡°Just don¡¯t get found,¡± the woman said atst. ¡°Everything we have done, all of it will be for nothing, if you let this chance go.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± the man replied. With a flicker, his attention went to the ind, and the trial for youth. The trial to be a Dragon Warrior. A smile lingered on his face. It had been a long time since he had gotten to directly participate in one of his games. And that too, not in a simted world. He was going to enjoy this. Chapter Stub Warning: Book 3 Stubs on July 1st Chapter Stub Warning: Book 3 Stubs on July 1st Hey people, basically what the title says. Book 3 is going to be stubbed on 1st of July, which is Monday, so if you aren''t caught up yet you should probably start binging. And if you are caught up and would like to support the amazonunch, you can go to Amazon to Preorder the Book. This tale has been uwfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. As for book 4, things are a bit busy on the life end so book 4 may take a bit to roll out. Might somewhere near the end of July. In the meantime, you could check out my co-written story System Reset, if you haven''t yet already. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!