《Beast God》


 Chapter 1

    [Humanity has failed to evolve on their own; the Supreme One will now assist your evolution. You are in his debt.]


    The message flashed across every man, women and child''s vison on earth. For a moment the world seemed to stop. A moment later another message appeared.


    [Phase One: Weed out the Weak]


    Around the world, people who were over the age of 65 and under the age of 5 transformed into zombies, attacking their once loved ones and anyone around them. These zombies had insatiable hunger and instantly attacked everyone nearby.


    People that had a disability were also transformed into these zombies. In less than a minute over 3 billion people had been transformed into zombies and the number was on the rise. That wasn''t the end though. Monsters started coming out of the ground and some came from the sky. It truly was hell on earth.


    _______


    Bennett was laying on his back enjoying the warmth of the sun when the message appeared in his vision.


    ''Weed out the weak?''


    Looking around Bennett didn''t see anything out of the ordinary so he shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes again.


    *Crack*


    A loud crack made Bennett get up quickly. Looking around he found a meter long fissure in the ground. What scared the shit out of him was the small black creature crawling out of the fissure. It was short, little over a meter tall. It looked a lot like the fictional goblins you see in fantasy stories.


    In shock, Bennett hardly moved out of the way as the goblin ran at him swinging a wooden club. The club brushed his thigh, causing some pain.


    It''s quick! I need a weapon.


    Bennett quickly looked around for a weapon. Where he was laying was a flat patch a grass with not even a stick for him to swing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a rock the size of his first.


    His eyes lit up. The rock was close no more than 3 meters but the goblin was in between them.


    The goblin screeched and attacked Bennett again. Jumping sideways, he evaded the attack before sprinting towards the rock. Ben could hear the goblin behind him so grabbing the rock he turned around and smashed it into the goblins face.


    The goblin screamed in pain, grabbing his face with both hands, dropping the club. Ben quickly lifts the rock above his head and smashes down on the goblin. Again and again Bennett smashes the goblin until he can no longer lift his arm.


    Where the head should be is nothing but meat paste. Bennett falls back on his butt and takes a couple deep breaths, steadying himself.


    While Bennett tried to steady himself, a small light floated out of the goblins corpse and flew into Bennett''s chest.


    "What the hell!" Bennett yelled while grabbing at his chest.


    *Ding *


    A soft ding was heard in his head.


    [You have leveled up. Open status now.]


    "S-status?"


    A screen like you would find playing a video game appeared before Bennett.


    Bennett- Lvl 1


    Vitality (VIT): 5


    Strength (STR): 6


    Dexterity (DEX): 5


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.Agility (AGI): 7


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Wisdom (WIS): 4


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 1


    Skills-


    None


    Bennett silently looked at his stats. He had regained his composure from killing the goblin and was now calmly assessing the situation.


    Could they give me a little more information?


    [Tutorial activated.]


    Bennett wore a shocked looked on his face. He didn''t think they could hear his thoughts. Bennett quickly read through the tutorial that was provided for him.


    Taking a deep breath and letting it out Bennett closed the status screen.


    The tutorial explained lots. Basically an almighty being was tired of how slow humanity was evolving so it placed creatures called Nether Beasts onto earth. The Nether Beast can take any form but the ''almighty being'' made them take form of monsters from human cultures. These monsters carried a special energy that would help us evolve. It wasn''t just Nether Beasts that had Bennett worried. The tutorial said that the ''supreme one'' blessed not only the humans with a chance to evolve, but all living beings.


    Not only can humanity get stronger but also animals and insects.


    Great, going to be fighting giant ass bugs.


    They also set up this game like status for us because, their exact words were, ''we don''t want to confuse you stupidly simple humans''.


    What assholes.


    It also explained what the stats represented.


    Vitality was the life force of the body. It controlled the toughness and the healing speed of the body. Someone with high vitality could resist most attacks and heal quickly when injured.


    Strength and agility were obvious. The former controlled how much power you were able to create while the latter was the speed at which you could move.


    Dexterity controlled your reflexes and flexibility. The body would be able to react faster, whether to dodge or attack.


    Intelligence and wisdom had to do with magic which fascinated Bennett. Intelligence increases your mana with allows you to cast spells. It also can decrease the amount of time you need to cast a spell. Wisdom allows you to regenerate mana more quickly and increases your understanding of spells.


    So it is like an RPG game? Easy enough.


    Reaching down and grabbing the goblin''s club, Ben took a few practice swings. Use to the weight, he started walking back towards his house. He saw one more goblin lurking around the tree surrounding his house. Crouching down behind a bush, Ben debated whether to kill it or avoid it.


    Steeling himself, Ben decided to kill it. He understood that power would be everything in this new world and killing monsters was the way to gain that power.


    Slowly approaching the goblin from behind, Ben came within 5 meters of it before sprinting towards it and swinging the club at the goblins head.


    *crack*


    A sickening crack was made as the club hit the goblins head, killing it instantly. Before he could feel proud of himself, a loud howl was heard close to the house.


    "Duke!" yelled Bennett before sprinting towards the house.

 Chapter 2

    Bennett ran towards his house praying that Duke was okay. The dog had been with him majority of his life and held a special place in his heart. After clearing the trees Ben saw 6 goblins surrounding... Duke?


    Ben could hardly recognize Duke as he looked completely different compared to the loving German Shepard he use to be. His shoulders stood at around 1 meter tall and was over 2 meters long, not included his tale. Duke''s fur was pitch black while his eyes were blood red.


    The goblins surrounded him, only attacking from behind. Duke growled viciously at the goblin before pouncing on him and biting his neck. With a quick shake of his head, Duke broke the neck of the goblin. It was the opportunity the goblins were waiting for.


    The other 5 goblins all attacked at once. Duke tried to evade but the goblins seem to have some intelligence and grabbed his legs. Duke howled as he was being beaten to death by the goblins.


    "Hold on buddy!" Ben yelled running towards Duke.


    Distracted by Ben, Duke was able to kick free from the goblins holding his legs and quickly crushed the throat of the closet goblin. Ben caved in a goblins skull with his club. Duke and Ben made quick work the remaining 3 goblins.


    *Ding*


    *Ding*


    Ben heard two soft dings in head but choose to ignore it. He was looking at Duke.


    After killing the goblins Ben went to see if Duke was alright but Duke snarled at him. Confused and slightly hurt Ben was trying to calm him down.


    "Duke, its me buddy. It''s okay now." soothed Ben,


    He must have evolved, he should still remember me though right?


    Ben was worried, would he have to kill his best friend?


    Taking a deep breath, Ben put down his club and slowly walked towards Duke. Duke continued to growl and even barked a couple times as a warning to Ben to stay away.


    "Come on buddy it''s me." Whispered Ben, reaching out his hand to touch Duke''s head.


    *Grrrr! Barkk!*


    Duke bit Ben''s hand, loud snaps could be heard from the bones breaking and blood starting to drip from Duke''s mouth. Ben clenched his jaw but didn''t pull back, he continued to talk to Duke in a soothing voice.


    "That hurt bud but its okay. Remember the time I ran over you with the quad? I guess this is pay back. Hahaha" Ben laughed softly. He slowly reached out with his other hand and petted Duke''s head.


    Duke''s growl slowly faded before stopping completely. Ben noticed his the brightness in his red eyes dimmed a bit before hearing-This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    [Congratulations on taming a demonic beast! You are the first to accomplish this and will be rewarded with 2 levels and a weapon.]


    *Ding*


    *Ding*


    Duke let go of Ben''s hand before licking it and whining guiltily.


    Ben let out a light laugh before saying, "It''s okay buddy, all is forgiven." Rubbing his head on Ben''s leg the wolf still looked guilty of what had happened.


    On the ground, beside Duke, was a sword. It was around 70cm long with a straight singled edged blade. It looked lethal and deadly. Picking it up it''s stats were revealed.


    Ninjato Sword


    +2 STR


    +2 DEX


    +1 AGI


    Upgradable


    Its a nice bonus to my stats. Killing goblins should be no problem now.


    Tying the swords sheath around his waist, Ben slid the sword into it''s sheath. Taking a deep breath Ben tried to steady himself. A lot had happened in the last 20 minutes and it was a little overwhelming. Letting out a sigh Ben made his way into his house. His family was on vacation in the mountains so no one was home. Looking at the family picture on the wall Ben became worried for his family.


    "What am I worried about? Dad is with them."


    Bennett''s dad, Joe, was an extremely dependable man. He worked hard and took care of his family. He was a hard ass but Ben knew he''d keep them safe.


    "Grayson is probably having a great time." muttered Ben.


    His younger brother loved fantasy stories and games. To be able to live one just might be his dream come true.


    Grabbing the first aid kit from the bathroom, Ben sat down at the kitchen table and tried to bandage his hand using only one hand. The task was near impossible. Frustrated, he threw the bandage on the floor. Looking at his hand, he realized it wouldn''t matter that much anyway. Bones were broken and sticking out of the skin.


    He felt like crying. Would he have to cut of this hand? It wouldn''t heal right and become useless if he left it like this. The closet hospital was over 50kms away. He debated on whether to drive his truck into town but decided against it. More populated areas would be dangerous. Highly spawn rate for the monsters would happen in densely populated areas, not to mention the zombies infecting everyone. Ben also knew that the worst of humanity would appear using this opportunity to steal, kill and rape.


    Deciding against it, Ben opened his stats.


    Bennett- Lvl 5


    Vitality (VIT): 5


    Strength (STR): 6


    Dexterity (DEX): 5


    Agility (AGI): 7


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Wisdom (WIS): 4


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 5


    Skills-


    None


    Tamed Beasts


    Looking at his stats he had an idea.


    "Add 2 points to vitality." A warm feeling was felt throughout Ben''s body. Looking at his hand he could see it slowly start to heal on its own. Though it would still take a week or so to heal, he was elated.


    "Vitality speeds up the bodies ability to heal. Ill put one more point into vitality and put the last two points into dexterity." He choose dexterity because to be able to react to incoming attacks was vital in his mind. Feeling that familiar warmth over his body, Ben looked at his stats again.


    Bennett- Lvl 5


    Vitality (VIT): 8


    Strength (STR): 6


    Dexterity (DEX): 7


    Agility (AGI): 7


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Wisdom (WIS): 4


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 0


    Skills-


    None


    Tamed Beasts


    Noticing the new tab saying ''Tamed Beasts'' Ben clicked on it, a new panel appeared.


    Duke- Lvl 7


    Black Wolf


    Vitality (VIT): 10


    Strength (STR): 11


    Dexterity (DEX): 8


    Agility (AGI): 9


    Intelligence (INT): 3


    Loyalty- 100%


    Skills-


    None


    Tamed by Bennett


    Ben was shocked at Duke''s stats! They were way higher than his even though he was only 2 levels above Ben!


    This is unfair!


    Ben found out that beasts intelligence stat was actually based on their intelligence and had nothing to do with magic. Demonic beasts were unable to use magic until they evolved high enough.


    At least he is on my side, Ben thought, looking at the loyalty.


    Ben smiled before closing the panel. His hand was healing a little faster than before but it would still take some time. Ben stood up from the table and decide to test his new stats out.


    "Come on Duke!" Ben said before Duke followed him outside.

 Chapter 3

    Ben and Duke circled the house looking for anymore goblins or other monsters. When they found none, they went further away from the house and near the trees surrounding his house.


    Ben lived on an acreage in Saskatchewan, Canada. His closet neighbor was over 4kms away while the closet town was 25kms. Ben loved the space and peace he had without anybody bothering him. His father worked on the oil patch while his mother at the bank. His younger brother, Grayson, was 17 years old while Bennett was 18. They were close and did most things with each other.


    Ben looked towards the trees and felt a little fear. He knew they were going to meet something in there. Something dangerous. Steeling his nerves, he pushed forward into the thick of trees.


    What met him was silence. An eerie silence that gave him goose bumps.


    *Grrrrrrrr*


    Duke''s growl broke the silence and Ben quickly drew his sword. Eye''s darting around, Ben tried to find whatever it was that was there.


    "Where is it Duke?" whispered Ben.


    Duke let out a loud bark before darting farther in the trees.


    "Duke!" yelled Ben before chasing after him. Duke''s agility was higher than Ben''s so he was unable to catch him.


    *Mooooooo!*


    A loud moo was heard followed by Duke''s bark.


    A cow? We were scared by a damn cow?


    Shaking his head Ben followed the sound and soon found Duke and the cow.


    Except calling it a cow was wildly inaccurate.


    This ''cow'' was over 3 meters tall and 7 meters long. It''s fur was a dull yellow with a pair of sharp horns on it''s head. What shocked Ben the most, besides the size, was the fact that flames were coming out from it''s mouth!


    What the hell is this! A freaking dragon cow!?The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Duke jumped out of the way of the flames, leaving a scorch mark on the grass. Ben quickly ran towards the fire breathing cow and slashed down on the cows side. The attack worked leaving deep cut along the cows ribs.


    Ben smiled, looks like this wont be to har-


    *Booom*


    Smacking his head to Ben''s chest, he flew back 2 meters before landing on his back. With the breath knocked out of him, Ben curled like a shrimp. His chest was burning, he was sure something was broken. His vision flickered, about to pass out.


    No! I''m not dying!


    Slowly getting to his knees, Ben saw his chest was covered in blood,


    Yep, something is definitely broken.


    Looking at he damn cow he saw that Duke had a hold of it''s throat, the cow was trying desperately to shake the wolf off. Slamming Duke into the ground, letting out a yelp, he finally released the cows throat. Blood dripping from it''s throat, the cow let out a loud bellow before shooting flames at Duke.


    Duke tried to jump out of the way but was unable to avoid it all. The back half of Duke''s body was missing it''s fur and the skin was burnt and starting to blister.


    Seeing this infuriated Ben, ignoring the pain and grabbing his sword and charged the cow.


    "Fuck you!!!" screamed Ben.


    The cow was startled by the scream and turned towards him, exposing the wound on it''s throat left by Duke. Stabbing the sword with all his strength into the cows throat.


    *Splurt*


    Fresh blood washed over his hands and arms, Ben continued pushing the sword into its throat while looking into the cows eyes. Letting out a gurgled cry the cow slumped down to the ground before the light finally left it''s eyes.


    Ben pulled out the sword before collapsing next to the cow, passing out.


    Waking up from being unconscious, the first thing Ben felt was pain. Excruciating pain throughout his entire body. Opening his eyes, Ben saw that the sun was almost set and night was approaching fast. He needed to get home, home was safe. Outside? Not so much.


    Letting out a painful grunt as he sat up, propping himself against the corpse of the cow. Duke walked up to him gently nudging his good hand. The burns Duke acquired looked better than before. There was still no fur but less blisters and patches of new pink skin could be seen.


    Petting Duke''s head, Ben softly said, "We need to get back to the house, I don''t want to be out here when it gets dark."


    Duke seemed to understand as he prodded Ben with his head to get up. Standing up, Ben sharply inhaled, he had some ribs defiantly broke and moving at all was extremely painful. Clenching his jaw Ben started walking home, using Duke as a crutch the entire way.


    Finally making it back to the house, Ben locked all the doors before collapsing on the couch. Laying there he decided to check his stats before sleeping.


    Bennett- Lvl 10


    Class: none


    Vitality (VIT): 8


    Strength (STR): 6


    Dexterity (DEX): 7


    Agility (AGI): 7


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Wisdom (WIS): 4


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 5


    Skills-


    None


    Tamed Beasts


    He gained 5 levels? That cow was strong, fire breathing is cheating.


    "Add 2 points to vitality and give strength, agility and dexterity each one point." that familiar warm feeling came over his body as his exhaustion slightly faded. Ben closed the panel and fell asleep.

 Chapter 4

    Ben woke up to a warm ray of sunshine in his face which was quickly changed to a warm tongue licking his face.


    "Hahaha enough Duke, I''m alive and well. Just a bit sore."


    Sitting up, Ben examined his body. His t shirt was mangled and covered in dry blood, same as his chest. Duke, in comparison, looked much better. The burnt skin was replaced by new pink skin and the fur was already starting to grow back. Ripping off his mangled shirt, he headed towards the bathroom to clean himself off.


    ''Right, no running water.''


    With monsters and zombies running around it would be impossible to keep the power stations going across the country. Cell phones were also not working and Ben could only imagine the panic people were experiencing.


    ''Wait! The old man keeps a generator in the basement. Looks like I''ll have to praise him next time I see him.''


    Smiling to himself, Ben headed downstairs to start the generator. Glancing out the window Ben froze. The usual spacious yard was no where to be seen and what replaced it was trees- basically a damn forest!


    ''What the hell happened? Only a day had passed so how is this possible?''


    "Duke lets check it out!" said Ben, unsheathing his Ninjato sword and heading outside.


    The house was surrounded by countless trees- these weren''t your little saplings either, these were full grown trees. Almost all of them were over a 30cms in diameter with some even larger. Vines had also started growing along the side of his home like mother nature was trying to take back what once was hers. Bennett saw multiple goblins sulking through the trees, as well a large rodents. These rodents were as large as a dog with brown colored fur. What surprised Ben was that some rodents were eating dead goblins while others were eating each other.


    ''It''s time to leave,'' thought Ben. Though he was reluctant on leaving his family home he knew that this area was no longer safe. Closing the door quietly, he headed back inside. Grabbing a backpack, he started to fill it with granola bars and other nonperishable food, he also packed a water bottle with a fresh pair of clothes.


    He changed his clothes from the torn and bloody ones he was wearing. Grabbing a map of western Canada from his dad''s room, as well as a compass, he tried to figure out where he should go. His parents were in Banff for vacation so he should start heading that way. It was over 550kms away from their house.


    ''I''ll head to Lloydminster first and resupply.''


    All though he wanted to avoid other people, he didn''t have much of a choice if he wanted food and other supplies. Plotting his course, Ben stuffed the map in his backpack and headed outside.


    "I will handled to goblins, you take those rat things." Ben told Duke before running towards the goblins.


    *Slisshhh*


    A goblins head went flying before it had the chance to cry out. Not hesitating, Ben moved to the closest goblin stabbing him through the chest.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ''Adding those attribute points really do help,'' thought Ben as he was testing out his new abilities. He was faster, stronger and quicker than before, making killing these goblins easy. If he faced that fire cow again he was confident that he could kill it without getting injured. Slaughtering all the goblins he could find, Ben looked over at Duke to see how he was doing.


    Surrounding Duke were corpses of dead rodents, he was still fighting 2 but he could handle it. Watching Duke, Ben realized that his friend seemed to have gotten stronger as well. His movements were smoother and his strength seemed more explosive. Watching Duke kill the remaining rodents, Ben smiled to himself. ''We just might survive this after all.''


    Opening up his stats panel, Ben frowned. ''I didn''t level up after killing all those goblins?''


    Bennett- Lvl 10


    Class: none


    Vitality (VIT): 10


    Strength (STR): 7


    Dexterity (DEX): 8


    Agility (AGI): 8


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Wisdom (WIS): 4


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 0


    Skills-


    None


    Tamed Beasts


    Looking over his stats, Ben found a new tab. Clicking on the ''Class'' tab, Ben was greeting with a message.


    [Congratulations on getting to Level 10. After reaching Level 10 you will need to choose a class to help shape your future. Choose wisely.]


    [Assessing human Bennett... complete.]


    [Class options are:


    Swordsman


    Berserker


    Tamer


    Warrior


    Knight


    Soldier


    ...


    ...]


    This list kept going. Ben knew that this was a big decision that would help him survive in this new world. Scrolling through the different classes, Ben noticed that some were different colors.


    "What do the colors represent?" Ben asked the system, hoping for an actual answer.


    [Color represents the difficulty of the class quest. Green- easy, yellow- medium, and red- hard. Golden colored classes are special classes that can be held by one person. The difficulty varies but on average it is more difficult than red but are also stronger than the other classes.]


    "But how do I know what the class entails? There is no description for what the class entails." asked Bennett.


    He was met with silence from the system. Grumbling to himself Ben continued to look through the available classes. He stopped on a particular class.


    [Beast Warrior]


    Looking at this class Ben felt the impulse to choose it. What stopped him was the color... it was gold.


    Gold meant it would be extremely difficult class quest but in return, was stronger than the other colors. Though he had no idea what a ''Beast Warrior'' was he had a gut feeling that it was the right class for him.


    "Screw it! Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Right Duke?"


    *Bark! Bark!*


    "Hahaha damn rights! I choose Beast Warrior class!" Ben yelled before clicking the class.


    ...


    Somewhere not on Earth, an middle age man with greying hair was sitting on a stone throne. This man was a giant on a man, being well over 2m tall with rippling muscles covering his body. His eyes were closed and his face seemed to be peaceful.


    A young woman came in wearing a bright green dress that hugged her body perfectly, showing a shapely figure.


    "Master." she said as she bowed.


    The man on the throne didn''t open his eyes but said "Little Green I already told you that you didn''t have to call me that. You''re family." His voice was kind and gentle towards the young woman.


    "I wouldn''t dare master, you saved me from a life worse than death. Ill forever be in your service."


    Letting out an exasperated sigh, the man asked, "What do you need Little Green?"


    "I came to inform you that someone had chosen your class Beast Warrior from Earth." she answered nervously.


    A deep grumble came from behind the throne, causing sweat to break out on Little Green''s forehead.


    "Easy Black." the man said and the grumbling stopped and Little Green sighed in relief.


    The man didn''t speak for awhile before finally saying, "Watch him Little Green and find out what kind of person he is. If he isn''t up to standards kill him. We don''t want another mistake happening."


    "Yes master." Little Green turned to leave before the man spoke again.


    "Also find out what his Inherited Skill is."


    "Of course master." she turned and left the throne room.


    The man sat in silence for a long time before saying to himself, "I''ll just have a peak at this person. Just to see who exactly is trying to achieve my class."


    Slowly opening his eyes, the room was blinded by a golden light for a second.

 Chapter 5

    Clicking the Beast Warrior class nothing happened for a couple seconds. Just as Ben was about to ask the system what he did wrong.


    [Bennett has chosen the golden Beast Warrior class. Requirements to acquire this class are as followed:


    Kill a demonic beast at least 5 levels higher than yourself (1/1)


    Tame a demonic beast with a higher level than yourself (1/1)


    Achieve Basic Mastery with any weapon (0/1)


    Time Limit- 1 month


    Failure to complete these requirements will result in your death.]


    "... MY DEATH!?" yelled Ben furiously. "What utter and total bullshit! I die if I don''t get this class! It better be worth it!"


    Ben calmed down, looking at the requirements, he had already completed two of them and only need one more to get this damn class.


    ''Seems that stupid cow had a high level. No wonder it almost killed me. So all that''s left is to get basic mastery in a weapon? I guess mine will be sword but how to I achieve this?'' Ben gave this some deep thought. He finally decided to just keep killing and using his sword until it came natural to him.


    Him and Duke continued their way through the forest, killing goblins and other beasts that attacked them. Duke''s level continued to climb as Bennett''s stayed the same. Although Ben''s level stayed the same, he continued to improve. He wasn''t as awkward with his sword, his movements were much smoother and he didn''t waste energy with unnecessary moves. He was able to kill quicker and more efficient.


    Duke- Lvl 17


    Black Wolf


    Vitality (VIT): 20


    Strength (STR): 25


    Dexterity (DEX): 23


    Agility (AGI): 20


    Intelligence (INT): 3


    Loyalty- 100%


    Skills-


    None


    Tamed by Bennett


    Duke''s stats made Ben''s jaw drop. He was over twice as powerful as Ben! He noticed that his intelligence didn''t increase and wondered how he could increase it. It would be a lot easier to hunt if he could give Duke complex commands to help kill the prey.


    Pushing it out of his mind, Ben still hadn''t gained the sword skill he needed. Though he still had a month, the pressure was still there. Not for a second did he believe that the system was lying about killing him if he failed. He could tell that whoever programmed/ran this system had no qualms about killing a billion people, let alone him.


    Reaching a small stream, Ben asked Duke to check their surroundings for any danger. Watching Duke take off, Ben approached the slow flowing creek. Looking down at his reflections ben let out a laugh.


    His usual short blonde hair was messy with blood, mud and who knows what else caked in it. His green eyes were still bright and clear with dry blood splattered on his face. The creek was shallow enough to see the bottom, taking off his clothes ben jumped in and started washing his grimy body.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Watching the filth wash away from his body, Ben felt refreshed. After Duke made sure nothing dangerous was near, he jumped in and played around in the water.


    "Hahaha you truly haven''t changed buddy. You might be a wolf but to me you''re still a puppy." Ben laughed, relaxing for the first time since the world went to shit.


    It was short lived.


    While Ben and Duke were playing in the water, upstream four men were walking towards them.


    They were all dirty with clothes that looked closer to rags. They carried goblins clubs that still had blood on them, the leader of the group had pounded nails through his club making it more like a deadly mace. He was larger than other three and the others seemed to fear him.


    "Oi Scar, you hear that?" the leader spoke to the smallest man. His face had a fresh cut across it that looked hideous.


    "Sounds like someone or something is in the water. I''ll check it out." The little man took off towards the sound, his class was thief and excelled at stealth.


    "We may have new prey fellas," the leader gave them a cruel smile. The other two laugh wickedly. If you looked past the dirt and blood you could tell that these two actually looked very similar. They were brothers from the nearby town that just got released from prison.


    "I hope it''s another girl, the last one died way to quick." Dan, the older brother complained.


    "At least you got a turn! You killed her before I had a turn, bastard." Jared, the older brother, swore.


    "Enough you two, we are low on food at the moment so that''s more important then you horny idiots." scolded Phil, the leader.


    ''He says that but it is still him who gets first crack at the women.'' Dan complained in his head. It wasn''t his size that made the brothers fear him. They could over power him if they worked together. It was what he kept in his coat, a hand gun.


    Ben and Duke were leaving the water when Duke looked upstream and started growling.


    "What is it boy?" Ben asked trying to see what had Duke upset.


    Coming out of the trees Ben saw four men. They were a bit older than him and covered in filth. They looked dangerous and carried goblin clubs. The leader looked particularly menacing with his club that had nails sticking out from it. His long hair was disheveled and his face had a large sneer on it.


    All of them weren''t even looking at Ben, they were staring at Duke, they considered him the only threat here.


    *Grrrrrrrr!*


    Duke''s growls got louder as the 4 men came closer. They stopped and gripped their weapons tighter.


    "Quiet Duke." Ben whispered.


    The men looked at Ben is shock.


    "Hey brat, how''d you get that beast to listen to you?" asked Phil, still keeping an eye on the wolf.


    "He''s my friend, he trust me." Ben spoke evenly, even though his heart was pounding. He knew that these men weren''t good people and was trying to leave peacefully.


    "Trust eh? Good. Give him to me and I will let you live." smiling an evil grin, Phil took out his hand gun and pointed it at Ben.


    Sweat had appeared on Ben''s brow but he kept his voice calm, "Not going to happen, I suggest we both go our separate ways peacefully or I might ask Duke to rip out your throats." Ben tried to keep his voice calm but by the end of the sentence a cold edge was in his voice.


    Duke was his friend and he would be damned if he gave him to a bunch of bastards like them.


    *Grrrrr!*


    Duke growl returned as in agreeing with Ben''s words.


    "Well lets see what''s faster, your mutt or a bullet?" smiled Phil as he aimed at Ben.


    "Yes, lets." whispered Ben.

 Chapter 6

    Time seemed to stop for a split second.


    "Now!" yelled Ben as he ran as fast as his 8 AGI would carry him. Duke took off in the opposite directions. Both of them were trying to get cover behind the trees.


    *Bang!*


    Ben felt a sharp pain on his side that almost caused him to trip. Gritting his teeth, he regained his footing and dashed into the trees for cover.


    Looking down at his side he let out a sigh of relief. The bullet only grazed his side, leaving a chunk of missing flesh on his side but other wise superficial wound. Hearing the men running after him he ran further into the forest.


    ...


    "Damn it! You missed! How could you fucking miss!" spit was flying from Scar''s mouth as he yelled at Phil.


    ''All he had to do was shoot the kid and he missed!''


    "You shut your mouth you damn rat! I''ll kill you if you say another word." threatened Phil, upset that his lackey dared talk back to him.


    Scar let out a mocking laugh, "Do it. You only have one shot left, the second you take that shot is the second we kill you."


    Phil was shocked, he looked at the two brothers and they both had an evil smiles on their face. Angry boiled inside of him, ''These redneck trash are threatening me!?''


    Calming himself down, he said "You''re right, from now on we are equals. Our classes make us a perfect party and we should be able to defeat almost anyone."


    "Right! Together we can have as much women and money as we want! No need for us to fight!" Dan exclaimed loudly, nodding towards Phil and Scar.


    The other two seemed to agree, Phil relaxed and gave a friendly smile.


    In his heart is sneered, ''Dumb shits, you''ll be dead before you know it.''


    Finding blood on the ground Phil spoke up, "He is injured, we need to kill him before he heals. We don''t know what kind of class he has or if he has high VIT. Lets follow the blood. Scar can go ahead and scout while we follow him."


    The four of them agreed and started chasing Ben.


    They were overestimated Ben, he still didn''t have a class and his stats were all lower than the four men.


    ...


    Ben was sitting against a tree trying to stop the bleeding from the gunshot wound. Taking out his only spare shirt, he ripped it into pieces and wrapped his side the best he could.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ''It should stop the bleeding, my VIT still isn''t high enough it seems.''


    Ben was waiting for Duke to find him so they could ambush these bastards. Hearing voices Ben quickly climbed up the tree, hiding himself in the branches. Looking down at the four men, Ben listened to their conversation.


    "The blood trail ends here."


    "Do you know where he went?"


    "I''m a thief, not a tracker. I don''t have that skill."


    "Alright lets spread out and look for him, yell if you find him."


    ''These guys already have their classes!''


    Even though they already had their classes and levels were probably higher than his, he didn''t fear them. His control over his body and swordsmanship had improved.


    Watching them split up, Ben decided to follow the leader, Phil. His gun was the only real threat to him so he needed to be killed.


    Ben quietly slid down the tree before taking off in his direction. Ben watched him, he how his gun in his right hand and club in the left. Ben was waiting for him to put the gun away before attacking.


    Ben crouched down in a bush. Phil searched left and right, finally he was walking towards Bens hiding place.


    All of Ben''s muscles seemed to tighten in suspense, like an bow string ready to release. Killing animals and monsters is one thing, killing an actual human, no matter how evil, was completely different. He knew it was him or them, kill or be killed. Steeling his resolve, Ben knew what he had to do. Phil was getting closer and closer to him, due to Ben''s sword being so short, he had to wait until he was within a 3m range before attacking.


    *rustle*


    A light rustle was heard to the left of Ben and Phil turned towards the sound.


    ''This is my chance!''


    Dashing out of the bushes with his sword in hand, Ben closed the distance between the two in a blink of an eye. Before Phil could react, a thin line of blood appeared across his throat. Grabbing his neck in vain to stuck the bleeding, he dropped to his knees before falling over.


    *haa haaa haa*


    Taking deep breaths, Ben looked at the body. His stomach churned, threatening to empty itself.


    [Acquired passive skill Beginner Sword Mastery (1/10)]


    A look of shock crossed Ben''s face for a second before a huge grin appeared.


    "Hahaha! So you have finally appear!" Ben laughed loudly. The pressure he had been experiencing lessened knowing he took his first step into Sword Mastery skill.


    Duke walked out from the bushes with a confused look on his head, trying to understand why his master was so happy. Looking at Duke, Ben knew that it was him that gave him the opening to kill Phil.


    "Thanks buddy," Ben petted his head gently, "now lets go finish the other three off." A cold grin flashed across his face.


    ...


    Dan had been searching for over an hour now without finding the brat. He was getting frustrated and decided to head back to where they split up but before he did a figure walked out of the bushes.


    It was Bennett. His t-shirt was covered in blood from the gunshot wound but it didn''t look like it bothered him. Holding a deadly looking short sword he slowly approached Dan.


    "You have balls kid. HE''S OVER HERE!" Dan yelled, trying to attract the attention of the other three.


    "Save your breath. You''re leader is dead and your brother are already dead. Duke is taking care of the thief as we speak." he spoke calmly.


    Dan became drenched in cold sweat, "You''re lying!" he denied it.


    As he finished speaking, a giant black wolf walked out from the trees dragging a body.


    "S-scar?" he stuttered, petrified.


    "You''re brother help me level up my sword skill, I hope you can do the same."


    "N-no, please. Don''t kill me. I''ll do anything, just don''t kill me." he begged for his life. Tears covered his face as he fell to his knees.


    "Get up, Duke wont be part of this battle. Just you and me, you beat me and you can live." Ben stated.


    Madness over came Dan as lunged at Ben.


    ''All I have to do is defeat you!''


    Seeing the brother attack him, a small smile crept across Ben''s face.

 Chapter 7

    Wiping the blood from his Ninjato, Ben looked opened his stats panel.


    Bennett- Lvl 10


    Class: none


    Vitality (VIT): 10


    Strength (STR): 7


    Dexterity (DEX): 8


    Agility (AGI): 8


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Wisdom (WIS): 4


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 0


    Skills-


    Beginner Sword Mastery (3/10)


    Tamed Beasts


    Looking at the panel, Ben felt a little joy. His Sword Mastery skill increased again, if he could level it up 7 more times he would acquire his class. Thinking about this a frown appeared on his face.


    ''Those men already had their classes, they also had skills.''


    The last man, Dan, release some sort of berserk skill before dying, making him faster and stronger.


    ''You must acquire skills when you get your class and the skills must be related to the class you chose.'' Coming to this conclusion Ben was curious on what kind of skills he would get. He didn''t even know what his class was about so he decided not to worry about it and focus on getting his Sword Mastery up. Killing made ben get his priorities in order. He found himself more anxious to find his family and keep them safe. He also realized how weak he was, this gave him a burning desire to get stronger.


    With a new set of determination, Ben and Duke started walking into the forest.


    ...


    Up above the trees a young women, dressed in green, watched a young boy and his wolf walk away. She had been watching him for a couple of days now and wasn''t impressed.


    ''Afraid to kill and he relies on his wolf too much. He doesn''t deserve Master''s class at all.'' Letting out a sigh, she continued to watch him. She knew that her master would want more information about him to make an accurate assessment of the boy.


    ''He does have potential though... just needs the right push.'' she smiled cunningly before disappearing into thin air.


    ...


    Waking up to Duke licking his face, Ben laughed and pushed him away. This had been a common occurrence over the last week or so. Over the last week they continued to hunt and head towards the city of Lloyminster. Ben''s Sword Mastery skill had leveled up to 8 and he was excited to keep leveling up. His sword play had vastly improved from before. After acquire the Sword Mastery skill, piles of information flooded his mind. Different strokes, body position, etc. appeared in his mind and using this information he chose a style suiting himself.


    Different from before, Ben had a long curved blade strapped across his back that he got from killing a zombie.


    Katana Sword


    +1 STR


    +1 DEX


    +3 AGI


    Upgradable


    A shiver ran through Ben remembering that shit show.


    He had came across a deserted small town and needed to some food so they slipped into the grocery store. Before he could grab some instant noodles he heard a unnatural growl from behind him. What he saw was repulsive, a man with chunks of rotten flesh missing. Its skin was white with dried blood surround its mouth and ripped clothes barely hanging on its thin frame. With no warning or provocation, it let out an unearthly howl before running at Ben.


    ''What the hell! I thought zombies were suppose to be slow!'' Ben swore to himself, barely avoiding the zombie. Stabbing the zombie in the back Ben thought it was over until the zombie turned around, grabbing the sword from Ben''s hand and throwing it down the aisle.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Duke jumped on the zombie, bring him to the ground. The zombie kicked Duke in the chest, sending him flying. he crashed into a shelf knocking it down, a loud whimper came from him.


    ''There that strong!?''


    Duke''s STR was already over 20 but he was sent flying like he was a pup.


    Fear gripped Ben''s heart, these zombies were strong and not to be messed with. Scrambling down to get his sword, the zombie started for him.


    Running for his life, because he was, Ben grabbed his sword and turned down a different aisle. The zombie followed him, letting out more ungodful howls that shook Ben''s soul. Ben knew he had to finish this quick, Duke was injured and still not getting up while the zombie was gaining on him quickly. Turning down another aisle, Ben stopped and swinging his sword as hard as he could towards the zombie was right behind him.


    The sword found itself embedded in the zombies skull. The zombie crashed into Ben, sending him to the floor. The zombie was laying on top of him... not moving. Pushing the zombie off, Ben checked himself for any cuts or scrapes, hoping he didn''t get infected. After checking himself out he let out a breath of relief.


    Looking at the dead zombie, he thought ''Just like the movies. Only can kill them through the head.''


    "Ahhh! What the hell!" Ben yelled looking down at the zombie.


    Right in front of his eyes the zombie was turning to dust. In a matter of seconds all that was left was a pile of dust. In the pile of dust was a long sword with a curved blade. Grabbing the sword, Ben broke out in a huge grin.


    "And the dual wielding legend was born. Kirito will have nothing on me, hahaha."


    ...


    Ben and Duke were stuck in that town for days killing zombies. There were many life and death battles that they almost didn''t walk away from. Ben had acquired another sword and decided to use both swords. Was he ambidextrous? No. So why did he do it? Because he thought it looked bad ass.


    Though the first couple days he looked like a complete idiot, he slowly, very slowly improved.


    Another week had passed and Ben''s Sword Mastery skill was at level 9. Ben only had a week left before his deadline and the pressure was crushing him. He killed more and more monsters and beasts during the day and at night he practiced by himself desperately pushing himself. He could hardly sleep and he was starting to lose his mind.


    Duke had continued to level up.


    Duke- Lvl 20


    Black Wolf


    Vitality (VIT): 25


    Strength (STR): 30


    Dexterity (DEX): 23


    Agility (AGI): 25


    Intelligence (INT): 3


    Loyalty- 100%


    Skills-


    None


    Tamed by Bennett


    Though Duke being more powerful was a good thing, it made Ben feel ashamed that he was still so weak. Duke had bailed him out of almost every dangerous situation they found them selves in. Duke''s was a blur now when he ran and his strength could crush almost every enemy they met. This made Bennett the support character killing off the weaker monsters.


    Ben was so deep into his own thoughts that he didn''t notice someone approach him. A beautiful young woman dressed in green walked out from behind a tree.


    Surprised, Ben grabbed his two swords pointing them at her. She was tall with a body that would men drool and women envious. Her long green hair was pulled into a ponytail. Her dress was a darker green than her hair, it hugged her body and left little to the imagination.


    "Who are you?" Although Ben was shocked by her beauty, his instincts screamed danger.


    She gave a coy smile, "Are you really pointing your swords at a lady like me?" she asked innocently.


    Not lowering his swords, he replied, "Drop the act. To look like that and still be okay means you must be extremely strong. Now what do you want with me."


    She gave a sneer before answering, "Nobody would dare touch me on this planet. But you''re right, I do have business with you."


    She took a step closer before looking away, "Call your dog before he makes a big mistake."


    ''Shit, she knew Duke was waiting to pounce.''


    "Duke." he called out.


    Duke came out from the bushes growling towards the women before standing next to Ben.


    "Now that''s settled, I am here to offer you a deal. I''ll give you a test and if you survive you will succeed in gaining the Beast Warrior class, okay?" she said with a mocking smile.


    Panic ran through his body, ''How does she know?''


    "Doesn''t matter how I know. But know this. This test will put you through hell and your chances of dying are very high. BUT, if you do survive you will gain the class and my approval." she looked him in the eyes, "choose now. I''ll even let you choose another class if you want."


    Ben stared at her. Looking down at Duke, he knew his decision.


    Smiling, he answered, "Bring it on pretty lady."

 Chapter 8

    Although she smiled at Ben, it sent shivers down his back.


    ''Okay, so lets not taunt the all powerful woman next time. Okay Bennett? Idiot.''


    Scolding himself in his heart, Ben tried to look compose on the outside.


    "Oh the little boy has a pair all of sudden. I wonder if he will be this cocky after my test," she let out a small laugh, "if you survives that is."


    Before Bennett could respond he was surrounded by a strong wind that lift him off the ground and sent him flying across the sky. Watching him go, she let out a small smile before turning to Duke.


    "I guess you''ll have to come to but you cant participate. This is his test, not yours." With a wave of her hand, both her and Duke disappeared.


    ...


    Though Ben was scared shitless at the beginning, he was thoroughly enjoy himself. Flying through the air was a delightful experience that he couldn''t get enough of, but it ended all to soon.


    Ben flew over mountains and ended up over the ocean.


    ''She''s not going to make me swim and fight sharks right?''


    Ben saw a speck of land, an island no bigger than a square kilometer. It was covered in thick forest with a small clearing in the middle that looked like a tiny lake. Ben felt himself being lowered towards the island and before he could cry out in protest he crashed into the tiny lake.


    *Splash!*


    Ben swam to the surface and took a large breath of air. Quickly swimming to the shore where the mysterious lady was waiting for him. He shot her a glare as he dragged his wet and sore body of the water.


    "Oh did that hurt?" she asked innocently.


    Ignoring her question, Ben asked his own, "What is the test?"


    She smiled and opened her arms wide looking around, "I created this island and filled it with demonic beast and other humans. They are all stronger than you, all more ruthless than you, and all want to kill you." she paused as if to add dramatic effect, "your goal is simple. Survive for 7 days or kill them all. Whichever comes first."The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Ben''s eye gave a slight twitch. ''Oh is that all?''


    "Fine, lets start." he said, not wanting to waste time.


    "Oh and one more thing. Your mutt stays with me. This is your test, not his." she said before her and Duke disappeared.


    Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out. Opening his eyes he looked into the trees, trying to find his first victim.


    ...


    Sitting on the stone throne, the large middle aged man let out a low chuckle, ''Little Green is always taking things to far, but this should be a good test for the brat.'' he said to himself before speaking out loud, "Little Green."


    A flash of green light appeared before him and what appeared was Little Green and Duke.


    "Master," she said before kneeling. He waved off her gesture before asking, "What do you think of him?"


    She thought about what she had witnessed over the last 3 weeks of watching this brat and grudgingly said, "He has potential."


    "Hahaha," a booming laughter filled the room, "that he does. That he does."


    He reached out in front of him, as if trying to grab something, and the space seemed to distort and bend. Pulling his hand back, two round objects appeared in his hand.


    "If he passes your test, give him these. It''s will be his reward." he said quietly.


    "Master you cant be serious! These are the eyes of the Mekata race! The race is extinct and eyes like this are priceless! Let alone how powerful they are. He is just a brat from a trash planet! Why waste such a precious resource on him!" cried out in protest. This brat had potential, yes. But these were Mekata eyes! Once hailed as the strongest eyes in the universe!


    "Little Green you should know something. I am from that trash planet." the mans voice had a cold edge to it.


    Little Green broke out in a cold sweat before falling to her knees and slamming her head to the ground. "I''m sorry master! Please punish me!" she cried out, not daring to lift her head.


    Not giving it a second thought the man said, "Forget it, you''re not the first to call it that and you wont be the last." Letting out a long tired breath the man asked Little Green, "Do you know how I acquired these eyes?"


    Little Green was still kneeling with her head down, she didn''t answer and only shook her head, not daring to speak.


    "They belonged to my friend. He was one of the few Mekata race that survived the attack. He was being hunted for his eyes like all of his people were. He came to me in secret and I offered him protection and anything I could. He turned me down. He was tired and exhausted, he watched his race slaughtered to extinction. He had no will to live anymore." a sad look appeared on the man''s face, "I begged him to not to do it but in the end he killed himself."


    If Little Green could see her master right now, she see a tear rolling down his face.


    "Before he killed himself he gave me his eyes, saying to give them to someone who will use them to protect his people, because he was unable to protect his." he stopped and looked at Little Green again, "Supreme has called a council. I''m sure it is about Earth. Though I am powerful I wont be allowed to interfere too much with his decision. I''m betting on this brat to impress him."


    Little Green''s entire body was shaking.


    ''Master is putting all his hopes on that brat!? I shouldn''t have put him on that island!''

 Chapter 9

    Little Green was terrified of what she had done. She stuck Bennett on that island knowing that he would be killed, his chances of survival were pitiful. The men she placed on the island were all ruthless criminals that she had found from all over the world. Their strength and cunningness were far above his.


    Trying desperately to figure out a way to leave and save him, her thoughts were interrupted.


    "Leave him Little Green, I approve of your test." he smiled at her.


    Slightly raising her head but still not looking at him she said, "But Master, he will die."


    "Yes, he might die. But what if he doesn''t? If he survives, his strength will be far greater than before."


    Little Green disagreed, but kept it to herself. ''There is no way he survives.''


    "Whatever the outcome is, we will know in seven days." the man said quietly.


    ...


    Seven days later Little Green was standing on the tiny island by the lake. She was watching two individuals fighting to the death. One carried a butcher''s cleaver that he wielded with such speed that you only saw flashed of steel. The other one carried two swords, a short one and a long one.


    The latter was mostly fending off the butcher''s attacked but was able to sneak a counter in here and there.


    Watching the them, Little Green was stupefied.


    ''This... is the same brat?'' The change was like day and night. His sword play was on another level and his control over his body was almost at the master level. Though he was on the losing end of this exchange, she knew that his opponent was almost Lvl 20 and had a yellow class.


    She placed this man on the island to make sure he didn''t live and yet here he was almost fighting him to a draw.


    Seeing him evade a lethal slash, she almost cheered. He then attacked with a nice combo that should have killed or at least severely injured the butcher.


    The butcher used a simple reflect skill that deflected Ben''s blade away.


    Seeing Ben''s moved failed, she panicked.


    What she saw next shocked her to her very core.


    ...


    {3 days prior}


    Bennett was exhausted.


    His body had been pushed to the limits and was about to break down. Constant life and death battle left his mentally and physically exhausted. At Ben''s breaking point something happened.


    He could feel energy all around him. The trees, the plants and the earth. They all contained energy. This energy was all around him, and before he knew it, it started to flow towards him and enter him. He felt his old wounds heal, skin become tougher and body fill with unlimited vitality.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    [Bennett has awakened his Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child.]


    ...


    *Slash*


    The cleaver just missed his ear. Using this opportunity, Ben stabbed with his Ninjato towards the butcher''s stomach. Seeing this attack coming, the butcher took a step back, avoiding the Ninjato. Ben slashed at the butchers neck with his Katana. The attack was fast and precise, the two attacks but the butcher in a dangerous position.


    "Reflect!" the butcher yelled.


    A thin transparent shield appeared around the butcher, making Ben''s Katana deflect away from the butcher.


    Ben smiled, this is what he was waiting for. The skill only lasted for 1 second and he had to wait 10 minutes before he could use it again.


    Taking a step back, Ben activated his Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child. Tendrils of energy started to flow into Ben, his body oozed with vitality.


    Looking at Ben''s wounds heal, the butcher panicked. The kid was a lot tougher then he thought and he hid his skill to the very end.


    He decided to make an all out attack, putting his own life on the line.


    Seeing this Ben gave a small smile. Taking another couple steps back he avoided the butcher''s pursuit. The butcher was desperate, and desperation causes mistakes. He didn''t notice a patch of soil slightly different color than the rest and stepped on it, sealing his fate.


    The hole was no deeper than 30cms, but it still caused him to stumble.


    Ben had been waiting for this, stabbing his Katana through the butchers chest, almost limiting him off the ground.


    Blood splattered on Ben''s face but he didn''t flinch. His eyes never left the butcher''s face, watching the life leave his body.


    Throwing the body to the side, Ben wiped his blades clean on the butchers pants before sheathing them across his back.


    Thanks to his Inherited Skill, his fatigue was washed away as well as his wounds.


    He noticed the mysterious woman during the fight but couldn''t afford to be distracted, so he ignored her. Now that the fight was over he walked over to her.


    "Did I pass your test?"


    ...


    Little Green couldn''t answer, she just stared at him dumbly.


    ''His Inherited Skill is... is Nature''s Blessing?''


    It was an extremely rare skill that only a few were blessed with.


    This ability had endless possibilities and depended mostly on the possessor of the skill preference. One thing never changed though, that whoever had this skill was powerful and dangerous.


    It could grant you affinities with all the elements or extreme control over just one. The best known doctor in the universe had this skill and she was rumored to even bring back the dead.


    Her master had the skill Nature''s Gift, which was just a little weaker than Nature''s Blessing and his strength was respected throughout the universe.


    ''I must tell Master this. This is great news.''


    Little Green snapped out of her stupor before nodding, with a wave of her arm Ben was greeted by many messages.


    ...


    [Congratulations Bennett, you have acquired the Beast Warrior class.]


    [Each level will give you 15 Attribute Points. 10 distributed and 5 free.]


    (VIT) +2


    (STR) +3


    (DEX) +3


    (AGI) +2


    [You have gained the following skills:]


    [Soul Beast]


    [Beast Telepathy]


    [Beast Imitation]


    [Your skill Sword Mastery has been altered:]


    [Basic Sword Mastery- Dual]


    [Ding!]


    [Ding!]


    [Ding!]


    [Ding!]


    [Ding!]


    [Ding!]


    [Ding!]


    [Ding!]


    A flood of messages filled Ben''s head as well as a soft dinging sound. Before Ben could open his stats panel he felt his body get hot and start to burn.


    Letting out a small grunt, Ben felt his body ripping apart and being put back together repeatedly. The process only last a couple seconds and when it was done Ben felt... good.


    His body was overflowing with power and his senses to improve tenfold. He was able to make out the smallest details around him. He was able to hear the mysterious woman''s heart beat and he could smell her unique smell.


    ''Smells like nature.'' he surmised.


    Opening up his stats panel, he was left with his jaw dropped.


    Bennett- Lvl 18


    Class: Beast Warrior


    Vitality (VIT): 26


    Strength (STR): 31


    Dexterity (DEX): 32


    Agility (AGI): 24


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Wisdom (WIS): 4


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 40


    Skills-


    Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child


    Basic Sword Mastery- Dual (7/10)


    Soul Beast


    Beast Telepathy


    Beast Imitation

 Chapter 10

    Bennett- Lvl 18


    Class: Beast Warrior


    Vitality (VIT): 26


    Strength (STR): 31


    Dexterity (DEX): 32


    Agility (AGI): 24


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Wisdom (WIS): 4


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 40


    Skills-


    Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child


    Basic Sword Mastery- Dual (7/10)


    Soul Beast


    Beast Telepathy


    Beast Imitation


    Ben was still shocked at how different his stats looked from before he acquired his class. What interested Ben more was the skills he got, clicking on them he read the descriptions.


    Soul Beast- You and beast are linked by the soul. Able to enter and leave your soul on command. Your beast power is increased, depending on your stats. Limited to only 5 beasts.


    Beast Telepathy- Able to communicate with any and all beasts.


    Beast Imitation- Able to copy a skill or characteristic of a beast. Only able to copy skill from soul beast.


    Nature''s Child- Nature chose you as her child.


    1st Ability- Absorb natural energy.


    2nd Ability- Locked


    3rd Ability- Locked


    [Bennett''s tamed beast, Duke, wants to become your soul beast. Do you accept?]


    Ben agreed without hesitation. Duke, who was behind the mysterious woman, suddenly ran at Ben. Ben, who was happy to see his friend after a week apart opened his arms in preparation for him to be tackled.


    Right when Duke was about to make contact with Ben''s chest, he passed through it like a ghost. Duke''s entire body disappeared.


    Ben grabbed his chest, a little freaked out on what had happened.


    "Ahhh!" Ben have a short yell of pain. Looking down on his right arm, a black wolf tattoo appeared. It covered from his shoulder to his wrist. It was a tattoo of Duke!


    Though tattoo might be an inaccurate descriptions though. It looked real! Lifelike!


    ''Duke?''


    ''Bark!'' he heard Duke in his mind.


    "Incredible," he muttered staring at his arm.


    "Ahem."


    Looking up from his arm he saw the mysterious woman with an angry look on her face. He let out an embarrassed laugh, he been engrossed in his own world this entire time, ignoring the beautiful woman in front of him.


    "Umm, yes?" he asked innocently.


    "Hmph!" shooting him a dirty look. "Did you dig that hole and plan for him to step into it?" she asked pointing at the dead butcher.


    "Yes. That area had 10 different traps for him. All I needed was for him to fall in one after he used his skill and I knew I''d win."Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Nodding her head in approval, "What do you think of your new class?"


    "It''s strong. I get 15x more attribute points per level than before. I''m not sure about he skills though." Ben answered truthfully. The skills he got from his class didn''t seem that great in his opinion. There was no attack or defense skill that could help him in battles. They were useful but not great he thought.


    "Idiot! You don''t know anything. Imagine fighting someone and their arm all of a sudden is flexible like a snake. Or they grow claws. Your Beast Imitation skill has endless possibilities, it is only restricted by your imagination. You will realize the value of Soul Beast later on." she scolded Ben for his idiocy.


    Giving a sheepish grin, he realized he was thinking a little simple. The Beast Imitation skill would give his an edge during a close fight.


    "You''re right. Can I leave this god damn island now?" After spending seven days here, Ben could honestly say if he ever came back here in his lifetime it would be too soon.


    "Fine." she about to wave her hand but stopped halfway. "By the way, what is your Inherited Skill?"


    "Oh that. It''s call Nature''s Child." he answered indifferent.


    "N-nature''s... c-child?" she stuttered, unable to keep herself from shaking.


    ''Nature''s Child! Not blessing? It''s something I have never heard of! I must tell Master as soon as possible.''


    "Yes Nature''s Child. It allows me to absorb natural energy from my surroundings. Hey, what should I call you by the way?"


    "Call me Green." answered Green.


    "Green? Were your parents yellow and blue? Hahaha." Ben laughed at his own joke but quickly stopped after seeing her angry look.


    ''Okay not an art person. Noted.''


    "You can''t tell a single person what your Inherited Skill is. Do. You. Understand?" she pronounced each word like talking to a 4 year old.


    "Yes. But why?" Ben asked curiously, ignoring her mocking.


    "Just don''t." she said simply.


    "Fine. Can I go now?"


    "Do you want your reward or not? Because I promise you, if you miss out on this opportunity you will regret it the rest of your life." Green was annoyed. Why did this brat want to get away from me? Was she not pretty enough for this toad?


    "Reward? Wasn''t my class my reward?"


    "My master thought you deserved a something more." she said before taking out two small round objects from her pockets. She smiled evilly at me, "this might hurt a little."


    Trying to respond, Ben found himself unable to speak or move. He was bound in place unable to do anything.


    Ben watched Green walk towards him, he was so terrified that he almost shit his pants. ''Nothing ever good happens when I''m around this women!'' he screamed to himself.


    Ben watched her hand reach out to his face.


    He heard a sickening sound before pain erupted from his eye. Looking at Green , he saw her fingers covered in blood and his eye in her hand!


    She reached for his other eye.


    ''NO!'' Ben screamed but nothing came out. His world went dark.


    He wanted to cry. How the hell could he live in a world blind?


    A hot sensation interrupted his pity party he was having. It started from his eyes and spread out across his whole body.


    ...


    Green looked down at the brat, he was unconscious at the moment. The Mekata eyes were still altering his body and it looked like it would take some time until there were finished.


    ''Just how lucky is this brat. First his Inherited Skill and now Mekata eyes?'' though she cursed him for his luck, she was also curious on what he would accomplish with these two gifts. Just one of them could shake the universe but he managed to get both.


    ''Though he wont be able to activate the true power of the eyes for awhile, they will still be immensely helpful in his journey.''


    The Mekata eyes were know as the strongest eyes in the universe. There power widely varied, and according to the Mekata race, it depended on the person himself. Some Mekata people were able to control other people to do their bidding while others controlled all the elements, including time and space.


    All eyes had the ability to see through illusions and slow down an enemies movement. This is what made the Mekata such a fearsome race.


    Green sent Ben somewhere he could adjust to the eyes safely before disappearing herself.


    ''I must tell Master.''

 Chapter 11

    Green rushed into the throne room and took a knee, "Master, the child has succeeded."


    Sitting on his throne, the man smiled. His gold colored eyes gave off an unusual glow before dimming down.


    "So that brat succeeded? Good, in the future he will be a pillar for Earth. Go prepare my ship for the council meeting." a smile was still plastered across his face.


    The Beast Warrior class was rare and powerful. He only knew two in the universe that have this class and he was one of them.


    ''Should I tell my master? Or should I let him mature more?''


    Lost in his thoughts, he didn''t realize that Green hadn''t let the room yet.


    "Master." she called out.


    "Uh, yes?" being pulled from his thoughts. Frowning, he wondered why she hadn''t left yet.


    "Master your foresight is unmatched. This child is something special." she praised.


    "What do you mean?" he asked confused. He knew the child had potential. Just be getting acknowledged by the Beast Warrior class he knew that. But Little Green rarely gave out compliments, especially to other men, besides himself.


    "Master have you heard of the Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child?" she asked nervously. It was a skill she had never heard of. She didn''t know what it meant or signified.


    "Nature''s Child? You are sure Little Green?" the man''s voice no longer had any playfulness in it, he was dead serious.


    Sweat broke out on her back. "Y-yes master. The child said his Inherited Skill was Nature''s Child and that he is able to absorb the natural energy around him."


    The room was filled with silence.


    "...absorb the natural energy around him." the man mulled over what Green had told him. This skill had many uses and applications. "Little Green you aren''t to tell a soul about this."


    "Of course Master." She stood up and gave a quick bow before leaving the room.


    "Nature''s Child... Hahahahaha" the man burst out laughing, "Child! Child! A child of nature! Hahahaha!" the man seemed to losing his sanity the more he repeated it.


    He continued to laugh, mumbled to himself about ''child'' and ''nature'' before quieting down.


    ''I must keep him from the idiot Kal.'' he said as a murderous look flashed across his face.


    ...


    Somewhere back on Earth, in a cave, was a young man unconscious on the ground. He gave a slight twitch here and there letting you know he was alive.


    An hour or two passed by and the young man was skill unconscious but his body was changing.


    Muscles were becoming larger and more defined around his body and he was becoming taller as well. His blonde hair now had a gold shine to it that was for sure going to attract attention where ever he went.


    The young man was Ben and the Mekata eyes had finally finished altering his body, making it more suitable to use the eyes properly.


    Ben let out a moan before waking up. When he did open his eyes a flash of gold light filled the cave before disappearing just as quick. Ben''s irises were a bright gold color that could mesmerize anybody who looked for too long.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "What the.." Ben sat and looked around the dark cave. What shocked him was that he could see everything! The darkness didn''t seem to hinder his sight at all.


    "You there Duke?"


    Not hearing an answer, he looked down at his arm and saw that is tattoo of Duke was giving off a slight glow. Frowning Ben opened up Duke''s stats panel.


    Duke- Lvl 20


    Black Wolf- Evolving


    Vitality (VIT): 25


    Strength (STR): 30


    Dexterity (DEX): 23


    Agility (AGI): 25


    Intelligence (INT): 3


    Loyalty- 100%


    Skills-


    None


    Soul Beast


    ''Evolving?''


    This was a nice surprise for Ben. He had acquired a class that far surpassed his previous strength and now Duke could do the same.


    ''Looks like I''ll be on my own for awhile.''


    Exiting the cave, Ben was once again blown away from what he saw. Colors he had never seen before were vibrant and beautiful. The small details on the rocks and trees gave it an surreal beauty.


    Suddenly remembering what happened before waking up Ben reached up with one hand and touched his eye gently.


    ''I''m not blind?'' Ben distinctively remembered Green tearing out his eyes, but he could still see.


    ''Wait. She said this was a gift.''


    He opened his stats panel.


    Bennett- Lvl 18


    Class: Beast Warrior


    Bloodline: Mekata Eyes


    Vitality (VIT): 36


    Strength (STR): 31


    Dexterity (DEX): 32


    Agility (AGI): 24


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Wisdom (WIS): 4


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 40


    Skills-


    Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child


    Basic Sword Mastery- Dual (7/10)


    Soul Beast


    Beast Telepathy


    Beast Imitation


    ''Mekata Eyes?'' Ben was shocked at what he found. Curious, he clicked the tab.


    Mekata Eyes- Allows the user to see through illusions and enhance their perception.


    "... so I''m basically an Uchiha?" Ben said stumped.


    ''Not even a powerful one either. Whatever, I should be able to fight better anyway.'' Putting the Mekata Eyes to the back of his head, Ben starting exploring the area.


    He found lots of goblins in the area, they were taken care of quickly.


    *ROOOOAARRR!*


    A roar that shook the trees rang through the forest.


    Ben looked where it came from and saw the tops of trees moving.


    ''Something is coming this way. Time to say hi.''


    Ever since being put on hell island, Ben found himself less scared and more calm. He didn''t know if this calm was from his confidence in his newly found strength or came from killing all those people and beast on the island.


    Instead of fear, Ben found his self excited. Excited for a good fight and a strong opponent. He hadn''t test out his new strength yet and was curious at what he was capable of.


    Through the trees came a huge figure. It had a humanoid shape but it was over 4 meters tall and almost just as wide. It''s skin was pale green and arms were as thick as tree trunks, in fact he was carrying a tree for a club.


    Troll Lvl 25


    Skills-


    Berserk


    ''What the hell... must be because of the eyes.'' Ben concluded.


    Ben could now see the name, level and skills of anything he looked now.


    ''These eyes just might be useful.'' smiling to himself before crouching down, ready to attack.


    Letting out a loud roar, the troll charged Ben swinging his ''club'' at him.


    The club seemed to be moving extremely slow to Ben. ''Is it because of the eyes or is he just slow?''


    Jumping to the side, Ben avoided the attack. The spot where he was became a deep hole. Ben continued avoiding the trolls attack, testing his eyes and body to the full extent.


    ''Awesome. Just awesome, being an Uchiha is pretty sweet.'' he smiled before dodging another attack.


    The troll seemed to know it was being played with, releasing an angry roar. A red aura surrounded the troll giving him a frightful appearance.


    Ben''s eyes narrowed, he felt danger for the first time since the start of this fight.


    ''Add 10 points to STR, AGI, and DEX.'' he commanded the system. The familiar feeling of warmth spreading across his body appeared.


    Ben dashed toward the troll, he was a blur to the human eye. The troll couldn''t keep up with him even in his berserk state. Ben appeared before him, giving a quick slash with his Katana . He landed on the ground sheathing his sword. A thin line of blood appeared across the troll''s throat.


    Ben stood there waiting for the troll to die but was shocked when his neck healed up and attacked Ben.


    Thinking back through his limited knowledge he remembered that trolls have powerful regeneration abilities.


    ''So I have to kill it in one shot.''


    Ben unsheathed his sword once again, the troll slammed his club down where Ben was standing. Jumping on the club, Ben ran up it before the troll could react and stabbed his Katana through the trolls eye.


    The troll let out a piercing scream, grapping his face the troll fell back unto his ass.


    Ben made sure the troll died this time, the Katana''s blade was embedded up to the hilt in the troll''s eye.


    The troll let another scream out before finally dying.


    ''Bastards are tough to kill.''

 Chapter 12

    Somewhere in the universe, thousands of ships were headed towards Supreme 3.


    Supreme 3 was a giant ship that rivaled the size of a planet. It was the base for one of the four supreme commanders in the Mortal section of the universe.


    Green and her master entered the colossal ship. Green was extremely nervous, this was her first time on Supreme 3 and being at an actual council meeting.


    The meetings usual only happened once or twice every 100 years or so but this one was called only 30 years after the last. Green''s master always skipped the meetings saying they were filled with political bullshit that he couldn''t stand.


    ''Master hasn''t appeared at one of these since he found me. It must be because of that kid.''


    Entering a the council room Green''s draw jumped. The room had to be over a kilometer tall, the room was very spacious with all the seats facing a giant throne at the front.


    "He always was a pompous ass who liked to show off." Green heard her master mutter before taking an elevator up to their seat.


    Taking a seat, a beautiful green skinned girl appeared, "Can I get Mister and Misses anything?"


    "No. Thank you." Master dismissed her.


    Green looked around and saw many different species, majority were humanoid. Green Waiting for the meeting to start, Green leaned over and asked, "Master, what usually happens at these things?"


    An annoyed expression came across her master''s face, "Nothing, nothing at all. That''s why I hate coming to these things."


    Too scared to ask anything else, Green nodded her head and sat in silence.


    The lights in the room dimmed and a man dressed in a golden robe appeared on stage. His fingers were filled with rings and he wore many necklaces. He was wearing a large crown that was embedded with large jewels.


    ''Master was right, pompous ass.''


    He sat down on the throne that was to large for him and spoke, "I, Kal Ebbern VI, declare this council meeting started."


    The room was silent. Tens of thousand of aliens were quietly watching and waiting for Kal to speak.


    "As some of you might have noticed, I have blessed 7 planets with spirtual energy and the system as well as low level Nether Beasts. This will speed up their evolution and make them strong warriors." he said with a large smile on his face looking around at all the eyes on him.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Some people grumbled unhappily. They were from the planets that were ''blessed'' and knew that billions of their people had died.


    Someone shouted, "No one asked you to murder billions of people for no reason."


    The man who spoke was over 3 meters tall with grey skill, small pair of horns were on his forehead. A couple other people nodded in agreement.


    A dark look flashed across Kal''s face, "Do I need to be asked? They are under my jurisdiction, and I can do what I want to them."


    "Oh is that so?" a loud voice rang out throughout the room.


    All heads turned towards a single point in the room.


    Green put her head down trying not to draw attention to herself. It was her master who spoke up, contradicting Kal. No he was the center point of the entire room.


    Kal''s expression went from shock to livid, finally calming down he said, "So if it isnt ''The Beast'', so happy you could make it to this meeting."


    "Kal," he said slightly nodded toward him, "You are the Supreme in this quadrant but you don''t have the power to decide the life or death of the people in it. If you don''t believe me why don''t you ask your dad." Tuk said in a slightly mocking tone.


    Kal''s face turned bright red, "I have every right to impose the system on them, Tuk." he spat, unable to deny what Tuk said.


    "I didn''t say you didn''t. I said you don''t decide their life and death." answered Tuk calmly.


    Green looked at her master, ''His name is Tuk?''


    Over the years that Green had been following her master she had never heard his name.


    Unable to find the right words, Kal just glared at Tuk.


    A man appeared from behind the throne, clearing his throat, "What the Supreme Kal is trying to say is that the Commander is looking for more talents to help fight the Insects. Introducing the system onto these planets will kill many, yes, but will also force them to evolve and grow strong. The talented ones will have a chance to enter the Academies or the army to further their skills. We have even been given permission to allow a spirit clone of yours to enter the planet to help improve the overall strength of your planet."


    This man wore grey robes and a hood that hid his face, hiding all his features.


    Tuk let out a loud laugh, "Looks like the dog saved you again Kal."


    Kal ignored this comment and addressed the entire room, "You, the Gods of your planets are allowed to send down one spirit clone but you aren''t allowed to kill with it. With saying this I declare this meeting over."


    ...


    *SMASH*


    Kal was destroying everything he could grab, trashing the room.


    "TUK THAT FUCKING BASTARD!" yelling as loud as he could.


    Tuk had humiliated him over and over again. This time in front of his subjects!


    What drove Kal mad was that he couldn''t do anything to him! His supporters were more powerful than his dad! His teacher alone could kill his dad, not to mention all the connections he has with the Beast Clan''s.


    "Master we should activated the second phase." the grey robed man watched as the room was being trashed and his master screaming not saying anything as though it didn''t happen.


    "Yes, you are right. Lets begin the next phase but make Earth''s a little special." Kal smiled evilly, no one knew what he was planning.


    ...


    Back on Earth Ben was fighting another troll.


    The troll had activated his Berserk skill and was covered in a red aura.


    Ben was a blur, weaving through the troll''s attacks before delivering the final attack.


    The troll''s head separated from its body and hit the ground with a loud thud.


    Before Ben could sheath his sword a new message appeared.


    [Phase Two- Unite or Fight]

 Chapter 13

    [Phase Two- Unite or Fight]


    [16 Cities have been created through your world.]


    [The map feature is now available in the system.]


    [Foreign species have also arrived on the planet.]


    [For easier access, the continents will now be joined as one.]


    Ben felt the ground shaking beneath his feet, he saw birds take off into the sky and beast running in every direction, terrified of what was happening.


    ''Earthquake? No, it said continents joined together.''


    Across the world, the continents we''re slowly moving towards eachother. Buildings were collapsing and giant waves crashed into the shore lines.


    South American and Africa slowly connected together, Australia slid in between Africa and India. Greenland and Canada''s east coast joined together. Asia and Europe still was connected to Africa but the United Kingdom and other islands around the world joined the mainland.


    In less than a day, the world we known for thousands of years, was unrecognizable.


    A supercontinent was created.


    ...


    Ben was sitting by a fire roasted a small bird he killed. The bird was extremely fast and had a razor sharp beak that could slice open someone''s throat with ease.


    The bird tried to ambush Ben after he killed a troll. It''s attack was silent and fast but thanks to Ben''s eyes and high DEX he easily evaded and counter attacked, killing the bird.


    ''Beasts are getting stronger.'' he muttered in his heart, thinking that if he didn''t have the Mekata eyes, how difficult it would have been to kill this beast.


    Taking a bite of the roasted bird, Ben''s mouth was filled with greasy deliciousness. He had no salt or spices but the meat was still delicious.


    Ben finished the whole bird, only leaving a small pile of bones.


    Ben noticed his appetite had drastically grown since gaining his class. He assumed that it had to do with the change his body had after getting the Mekata eyes.


    On the island he was able to stave off his hunger with some berries and nuts he found but now he found that impossible.


    Ben opened up the new map function from the system.


    A map of world appeared before Ben, though it was different then the map he grew up studying. It was one giant piece of land with oceans surrounding it.


    16 bright dots were on the map. They weren''t spread out like he thought they would be.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    6 dots were found in what use to be Asia, China had 2, Japan 1 and India seemed to have 2. Russia only had one.


    These were heavily populated areas and it some people must have survived.


    South America and Africa were now connected and they had 4 dots between them. Ben knew that the one dot was in Brazil but he didn''t know what country the other dot was in.


    The States had 4 dots, one on each coast with another one in the south.


    The last dot was near the Canadian border. Just south of Saskatchewan.


    ''I should find my parents there.''


    Ben refused to believe his family was dead. Called it denial or just extreme confidence, he believed they were alive.


    Looking at the map, Ben placed himself somewhere in Mexico.


    ''That sadistic bitch couldn''t even put me back in Canada!''


    Looking at the distant between him and the city he needed to be at Ben felt like crying. Even with his speed and running for 12 hours a day, it would still take him months.


    ''Whatever, I will figure it out.''


    What concerned Ben more was the foreign species announcement. Were these foreign species hostile or not? Are they stronger than humans?


    Worried Ben looked down at his arm, Duke still showed no signs of waking up. Duke''s panel showed no time reference for his evolution.


    Letting out a small sigh, Ben stoked the fire before laying down and closing his eyes. Tomorrow he was going to enter the first city. He had barely any contact with people since the system started, the ones he did he ended up killing.


    ...


    Tuk was sitting in a bath with his eyes closed, enjoying the warmth from the water. He heard Little Green come in but didn''t bother opening his eyes.


    "Something the matter Little Green?" he asked.


    "Umm, yes Master. The Supreme just order Phase Two to begin for earth." her face was slightly red seeing her master having a bath and she tried to keep her voice calm.


    "I expected much. It''s nothing to be concerned with." Tuk waved his hand, dismissing her.


    "Master, the Supreme also let slaves from different races onto Earth."


    Tuk brows furrowed deeply as he opened his eyes and looked at her. This wasn''t normal was introducing a system to a planet.


    "The slaves aren''t strong, mostly from races that failed the systems phases. They also had their levels dropped back down to 10. But he did release over 50,000 slaves unto the planet with some of them with demonic nature''s." Little Green reported.


    Tuk''s frown deepened. Demonic nature species were bloodthirsty and ruthless, not to mention strong.


    "Technically he did nothing wrong. I can''t stop these slaves from entering Earth. In fact, this might be beneficial towards the kid. If he is able to create some allies, his chance for surviving this will be greater. But still, that pompous ass is trying to kill my planet. Looks like I might have to take a trip." the rooms temperature plummeted. Tuk was obviously enraged with Kal.


    Getting out of the bath, Tuk watched away into another room.


    Little Green stood there with a bright red face, after seeing her master in all his glory.


    ...


    A trail of dust followed Ben as he ran across the land. Ben decided to put the remainder of his free attribute points into AGI to increase his speed.


    Ben was now running as fast as a car on the highway would travel. The incredible thing was that he was able to achieve this speed in a blink of an eye. He attributed this to his high STR and DEX stats. He also noticed his VIT continued to increase even though he wasn''t adding any points to it.


    After experimenting, he found out when he uses his Inherited Skill, it would strengthen his body and heal his wounds.


    This discovery made Ben giddy with joy. His body would only strengthen with time and he had a hunch that the skill had much more abilities then just healing and strengthening.


    Ben ran most of then day and into the night. Only stopping to eat or use the bathroom. Late into the night he finally was able to see some lights up ahead.


    Getting closer Ben saw a giant wall with to torches lined up along the top. The wall had to be over 20m tall.


    Ben saw two guards at the top of the walls with large assault rifles, they had dark skin with black hair.


    ''God I hope my Spanish isn''t rusty,'' he joked before walking towards the gate.

 Chapter 14

    ¡°Who goes there!?¡± the large guard yelled, pointing his assault rifle at me.


    Raising my arms above my head, I slowly approach the gate.


    ¡°Just someone who needs a place to stay tonight. I''ll be gone in the morning.¡± Ben tried saying as calmly as possible.


    Ben looked over both guards, they were both hispanic. The one pointing the gun at him had a larger build and wore a cowboy hat. The other one was slightly smaller and had a scruffy facial hair. Both looked at him like he had shot their dog.


    ¡°No room, leave now.¡± the scruffy one said, not taking his eyes off him.


    Seeing that there was no room for negotiation, Ben shook his head and turned around, heading back into the darkness.


    ¡­


    Seeing the Ben leave, the scruffy man turned towards the other guard, ¡°Go get the boss, my scan only got his level, 19.¡±


    The cowboy gave scoff, ¡°The boss is already 20 and had unlocked his element. He¡¯s no threat to us.¡±


    The scruffy guy was still staring at where Ben walked into the night, ¡°You don''t understand. With my Scan skill, I can see the boss¡¯ level and class. I was only able to see his level even though he is lower level. He is dangerous.¡±


    The cowboy looked into the darkness before turning around and walked into the city.


    ¡­


    *SLASH!*


    Ben¡¯s Katana slashed through a large lizard.


    3 Horned Lizard Lvl 22


    Two more replaced the one that he killed.


    Ben had found a cave to stay the night and when he went to inspect it these damned lizards started pouring out.


    Ben had been fighting for the last 10 minutes, killing tens of these things but there seemed no end to them.


    *Ding*


    Hearing a soft ding, Ben realized he finally hit level 20.


    [Awakening elemental core¡­ ]


    Ben felt a burning feeling from his gut, painful waves radiated out it and ran throughout his body


    Clenching his jaw, Ben stabbed a lizard with his Ninjato and turned to run away. His way was blocked a huge lizard that almost doubled the size of all the others.


    King 3 Horned Lizard Lvl 29


    Skills-


    Cannibalism


    ¡®So he¡¯s the king of these lizards, kill him and the others should scatter.¡¯


    The pain was getting worse by the second, soon he might not be able to move. Ben knew he had to kill this bastard and get somewhere safe as soon as possible. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Ben gave a hard step, turning into a blur as he shot towards the king. Seeing Ben coming, the king felt the threat coming and the his body seemed to puff out before the spikes shot at Ben lightning fast.


    Shocked, Ben used his swords to deflect the incoming spikes. They were to fast and Ben was hit in his left shoulder and leg. They didn''t penetrate too deep thanks to his high VIT but gave a throbbing pain that hindered his movements.


    Ben grabbed the spike in his shoulder and pulled it out. Clenching his teeth Ben tried to absorb natural energy to heal himself.


    ¡°AHHHHHH!!!¡± Ben let out a loud scream.


    When he tried to absorb the natural energy the pain from his gut felt like he was being burned alive. He stopped immediately but the pain continued to rack through his body.


    Sheathing his swords Ben ran as fast as he could away from the king lizard. He felt like he was being burned alive but continued to run. He needed to find a safe place to ride out whatever was happening to his body.


    The lizard chased after Bennett for a while before realizing he wasn''t his match in speed and returning to his cave with the remaining lizards.


    Ben continued to run, looking for somewhere to hide. The land was flat with few trees and nowhere to hide. Ben saw a hill in the distance and decided this was his only hope, the pain was getting too much and his body was covered in sweat.


    Approaching this hill, Ben saw a small cave and dove in it without any hesitation. Sitting down and crossing his legs, Ben finally tried to figure out what was going on in his body.


    Closing his eyes, Ben looked deep inside his body. What he say was a bright blue energy coursing through out his, this energy came from his his gut. This energy shot out through his body causing his muscles to convulse.


    The energy was getting stronger and stronger causing Ben to let out a low grown.


    Just when the pain was becoming unbearable, Ben¡¯s eyes shot open and a blinding light filled the cave. His left eye emitted a bright blue colour while black mist came out from his right. The two energies seemed to want to devour each other until a stalemate was met.


    They retreated back into Bennett¡¯s eye, in the left eye a blue ring circled his pupil. The same could be seen in his right eye, except the colour was black.


    Ben¡¯s hair was standing straight up with blue lightning crackling in it while black mist was rolling off his shoulders.


    [Bennett has unlocked 2 elemental seeds- Lightning and Darkness]


    Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his body was sore and ache all over.


    Ben stretched his body, trying to work out the soreness out of muscles.


    Ben was curious to see what had happened to him and opened up his stats panel.


    Class: Beast Warrior


    Bloodline: Mekata Eyes


    Element: Lightning Seed & Dark Seed


    Vitality (VIT): 40


    Strength (STR): 47 (+3)


    Dexterity (DEX): 48 (+3)


    Agility (AGI): 53 (+4)


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Wisdom (WIS): 4


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 5


    Skills-


    Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child


    Basic Sword Mastery- Dual (7/10)


    Soul Beast


    Beast Telepathy


    Beast Imitation


    Ben clicked the Element tab.


    [Element- every being in the universe is born with an innate element. Unlocking the element in your body will strengthen you body.]


    [Darkness Seed- 2%]


    [Lightning Seed- 10%]


    Ben shook with excitement! Controlling an element! Which kid didn''t wish for that power!


    Marvel, DC and Avatar! They all had characters controlling different elements!


    And lightning! Arguably the best element! Lightning was fast and powerful. It''s fire power was unmatched!


    Ben didn''t have a clue about his second element, Darkness. This was usually used with shadows and for assassins.


    Ben could feel that his two elements came from different eyes. Rubbing his eyes Ben felt that there was still a lot still unknown about his eyes.


    ¡°Well looks like old Tuk fulfilled his promise. Come here youngster and let me have looks at you.¡± a voice seemed to appear out of thin air.


    Ben panicked and took out his Katana. Ben couldn''t find where the voice came from.


    The air shimmered in front of Ben, a person appeared in front of Ben smiling at him.

 Chapter 15

    A man stood in front of Bennett with a smile on his face. He was over 2m tall with bronze skin and golden hair. What shocked Ben was that his eyes were the same golden colour as his.


    The man looked Bennett up and down before he nodded with a approving smile.


    ¡°No wonder Tuk gave you my eyes, you have potential. Beast Warrior class with the Inherited Skill- Nature¡¯s Gift.¡± he said, taking a step towards Ben.


    Ben instinctively took a step back, trying to maintain the distance between them.


    ¡®This man doesn''t seem hostile but I can''t sense him at all. Even my eyes can''t see through him.¡¯ Ben kept his guard up. He compared this man to Green, he was unable to see through either of them.


    The man¡¯s smile grew bigger, ¡°Of course you can''t see through me and you¡¯re right. I mean you no harm. In fact I only want to help you.¡±


    ¡°Now why would a stranger want to help me?¡± Ben asked as he took another step back. His back hit the cave wall and he wasn''t able to back up another further.


    The man had an amused expression on his face, ¡°Stranger? How can we be strangers? I¡¯m part of you. Literally.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± Ben¡¯s voice was starting to rise. This man was talking bullshit.


    ¡®Part of me? How the hell is he part of me?¡¯


    ¡°Come on Ben, you''re smart. Figure it out.¡± the man looked at him expectedly. Seeing that Ben just continued to stare at him he let out a long sign, ¡°Your eyes Ben. They use to be my eyes.¡±


    Ben looked as though someone had hit on the head with a bat.


    ¡°Y-you''re eye?¡± reaching up and touching his face.


    ¡°Yes my eyes. Don''t worry I am already dead. What you are talking to is just a sliver of my soul I left attached to my eyes before I died.¡± the man seemed to be trying to calm Ben down.


    Ben looked at the man in absolute shock.


    ¡®How many more bombs did this bastard plan to drop!¡¯


    ¡°Okay okay okay. Time out.¡± Ben raised his hand, telling him to stop. ¡°So these Mekata Eyes are yours. But you''re dead. I¡¯m talking to a dead person whose eyes I''ve stolen. Just when this new world was starting to make sense. Great.¡±


    Ben was trying to get his mind straight. Since this new world came, Ben had been talking everything in stride. It was simple to him, kill and become stronger. Become stronger to find parents. Zombies? He had seen tons of movies about them. Monsters? It was like being in a fantasy game.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    But talking to a dead guy that eyes you were now your eyes? Seemed to be his breaking point.


    ¡°Right except for one thing. You didn''t steal my eyes. I gave them to you.¡± the golden man seemed to enjoying Ben¡¯s slight mental breakdown.


    ¡°Gave them to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, well not directly. I gave them to a close friend of mine to give to someone he deemed worthy, he picked you. I must give kudos to old Tuk, you are a great choice. You even have the lightning element as your innate element.¡± The man once again nodded his head towards Ben in approval.


    Taking a deep breath Ben steadied himself.


    ¡°Can you tell me from the beginning so I understand it better.¡±


    The man''s mood seemed to become serious as he gave a solemn nod.


    ¡°I was born on the planet Mekka, home to the Mekata race. The Mekata race had always boasted about it¡¯s ocular power, and for good reason. Our eyes were a gift from our god that we worshipped. The powers our eyes had varied greatly but were almost always powerful. They let us be almost unmatched throughout the universe. I wasn''t born so lucky. My eyes didn''t have any power, no mind control to teleporting, nothing. My family was embarrassed of me and I was shunned by my race and family.¡± pausing the man seemed to be lost in his memories.


    ¡°I left my planet and searched for a way to activate my eyes power. For years, I fought battles and entered forbidden places, nearly losing my life more times than I can count. Though my eyes powers still weren¡¯t activated, I still become a powerful fighter. I found an ancient scroll in a forbidden temple that mentioned how dragon blood can activate any hidden potential in a body.¡±


    Looking straight at Ben the man continued, ¡°One thing you must know is that the Dragon race is extremely powerful and they don''t take kindly to people killing their kin for their bodies. The entire race has been known to chase down anyone who kills their kind. Even with knowing this, I still decided to kill a dragon.¡±


    Ben was shocked at the balls this guy had. Dragons were all mighty beings that looked down on mortals and could kill them if they breathed too hard.


    ¡®Definitely crazy.¡¯ Ben concluded.


    Giving a slight smile, ¡°Maybe Ben, but fortune favours the bold.¡±


    ¡®He can read my thoughts?!¡¯


    Ignoring Ben the man continued, ¡°My luck was pretty good as I found a young lightning dragon on a uninhabited planet. He seemed to be searching for rare minerals to help his evolution in the future. Seeing this chance I attacked. Even though this dragon was young, it was still a formidable opponent. The battle lasted almost an entire day before I was finally able to kill it. But before I could celebrate, a dark dragon came. Things looked bleak for me but I still fought. With a stroke of luck I was able to kill the dark dragon but I was critically injured. Grabbing both the dark dragon and lightning dragons corpses I started to drink their blood essence. The pain that I felt is impossible to describe, you thought your element awakening was painful? Couldn''t even be compared to one another.¡±


    Ben gave an involuntary shudder, the pain his elemental awakening caused him had him on the brink of collapse.


    ¡°But luckily I survived through it and my eyes finally awakened. As you know, each eye controls an element, lightning for left and darkness for right. Control is the wrong word. We are able to become lightning and darkness, our bodies become the embodiment of these elements. Complete control. But that is only the beginning. The dragon blood affected my body and I gained both dragons bloodlines. These allowed me to have an extremely tough body and transform myself into a dragon. Though it took me years and years to perfect this ability, it allowed me to stand at the peak of the universe.¡±


    The man¡¯s face shone with pride, his name was once known by everyone. He was feared and respected.


    ¡°Of course the Dragon race was mad and demanded my head, there was little they could do because of my strength. I returned to my planet, welcomed with open arms and praises. Of course it didn''t last. The four highest ranking elders on our planet were jealous at my strength and that jealousy corrupted their minds, turning them against their own people. The contacted 4 races; Arch Demon, Dragon, Phoenix and the Human Alliance. As long as they agreed to hand over a precious bloodline of their respected race, the elders were going to poison our god and let them invade our planets.¡±


    Even though the golden man was just a sliver of a soul, Ben could feel his boiling anger towards these elders.


    ¡°By poisoning our god, our eyes powers wouldn''t work. Our people were slaughtered like sheep. They killed them and took their eyes hoping to acquire our bloodline. Seeing this my people slashed their own eyes, ruining them so the bastards wouldn¡¯t desecrate their bloodline. Seeing my race had no hope, I slaughtered my way out. Killing thousands of those bastards. I escaped to my friend, Tuk, who in which I gave my eyes to before killing myself.¡±


    With the story ending, the man stared into space. Anger, sadness, grief all flashed across his face.


    He then looked at Ben, ¡°You have acquired my eyes, with these eyes you have a responsibility.¡±

 Chapter 16

    ¡°A responsibility? These eyes were forced upon me. I watched as a sadistic bitch rips my own eyes out and placed yours in. How does that make it my responsibility!?¡± Ben¡¯s voice grew louder and louder until he found himself yelling.


    He found this situation complete bullshit! Yes, he felt sorry for the man¡¯s tragic past but why the hell should this become his burden!? Though he wasn''t asked, Ben had read enough novels and watched enough movies to deduce that the man was going to ask him to kill the four elders that betrayed their race.


    Plus the four races backing up these four elders were all super powers in the universe! Was this man mad!


    ¡°You''re wrong,¡± the man spoke quietly, ¡°the four races aren''t backing the elders up. They went their separate ways after the eradicated my people.¡±


    ¡°Still, I¡¯m a nobody from Earth. Hell, I didn''t know that aliens were real until this shit all started and now I¡¯m suppose to fight against universe powerhouses? It''s not practical.¡±


    ¡°Yes you are a nobody right now, but you have every advantage to make something of yourself. If you promise to help me with my revenge, I¡¯ll show you how to gain my old powers.¡± the man was almost pleading by the end of his speech. All his thoughts for revenge rested on the decision of a teenager.


    ¡°No.¡± Ben spoke without hesitation. He didn''t have some crazy sense of justice and wouldn¡¯t risk his life for someone who was already dead.


    The man was devastated. He tried thinking of ways to convince this kid but it was futile.


    Suddenly an idea came to him!


    An evil smile appeared on his face, ¡°You have my eyes, all four races and the elders wanted my eyes. When they see you with them, they will hunt you.¡±


    ¡°... you''re a dick.¡± Ben cursed him.


    ¡°Hahaha yes I am. Now listen up you brat.¡± the man''s face had a victorious smile on it. The golden man had failed to tell Ben that you could only transplant the Mekata eyes once, so the other races wouldn''t really come after him once they saw his eyes. They might kill him in anger but no chase him for his eyes.


    ¡°Before I died I sealed a portion of the dragon blood essence in my eyes. You are still very far from being able to unlock it but you will still need to know. Because it is two different bloodlines, they are always trying to absorb each other. You need to keep them in balance at all times or the two forces with destroy your body.¡± the man spoke like he was giving a history lesson, which pissed Ben off more.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°To unlock the two bloodlines, both your elements will have to have at least achieved core stage. When that happens you must be in an environment rich in darkness and lightning essence.¡±


    ¡®Where the hell am I going to find a place like that?¡¯ Ben cursed this man again, his tasks keep getting more and more unrealistic.


    ¡°When that happens, you will need to learn to control the dragonification process. Luckily you have the Beast Imitation skill, use this to imitate dragons skills and attacks if you can. It will help you in the future.¡± concluding his speech, the man noticed Ben¡¯s scowl.


    ¡°Listen young man, the universe is cruel and unfair. To survive you must become strong. Though you might think of my eyes as a burden, I promise you that they will give you strength needed to protect yourself and your love ones.¡±


    Ben nodded, he know that these eyes were a blessing.


    Smiling at Ben, the man said, ¡°Okay my time is basically up. Tell Tuk I¡¯m thankful for everything he did for me.¡± The man started to fade, before completely disappearing.


    Ben stood there is silence, staring at where the man use to be. A sense of sadness overcame Ben, the man''s story was a tragic one.


    Repressing these feelings Ben tried out his new powers.


    Ben concentrated, trying to find these ¡®seeds¡¯ in his body. After a few minutes Ben opened his eyes, his brow furrowed. He wasn''t able to find the elements let alone manipulate them.


    Pondering this, Ben suddenly smacked himself on his head.


    ¡®Idiot! My elements are from my Mekata bloodline!¡¯


    With this new realization, Ben focused on his left eye. The blue ring circling his pupil started to grow brighter as tiny sparks started shooting out his eye. Ben controlled to sparks towards his hand, looking down at his hand, Ben saw tiny lightning bolts appear between his fingers.


    ¡°... cool.¡± Ben had a huge smile on his face. The feeling of controlling lightning was something that anyone would enjoy.


    ¡­


    Elsewhere in the world¡­


    A man with a dark complexion sat by the ocean, staring at it. An old spear layed next to him. Before this new world came, he was a simple fisherman who loved the ocean but now the danger was too great.


    Just being near it like he was, would be considered dangerous.


    The man¡¯s name was Jason.


    Jason had been no one special before the new world came, he loved his simple fisherman life but when this new world happened, all his friends and family were killed before he could protect them.


    Since that day Jason wandered aimlessly, killing anything that attacked. He only found his comfort by the ocean.


    While Jason was staring at the ocean a man appeared behind him. This man was very well built with a dark beard and long dark hair. It made his deep blue eyes stand out that much more. He wore a dark blue tunic, the pin on his shoulder was a small trident.


    Jason jumped up and pointed his spear at the man.


    The man smiled, ¡°Hello Jason. My name is Poseidon.¡±


    ¡­


    In the Vatican City, a young priest was hiding in a cellar from zombies. Clutching his cross he sent a silent prayer.


    A bright light suddenly filled the cellar and a beautiful man with long curly blonde hair appeared from the light.


    ¡°Be calm child, for I have heard your prayers.¡± he said.


    ¡°St. Michael the Archangel. Defend us in battle¡­¡± the man muttered to himself.


    ¡­


    All over the world, gods from different cultures appeared before people.


    These people received blessings and advice from the gods. These blessings gave their strength a boost and acquired some unique skills. \


    ¡­


    Tuk stared down at Earth with a smile on his face, ¡°The others have already made their move on picking their representative. I have to admit Earth truly has many talents.¡± his smiled deepened before he looked in the direction of North America, ¡°Of course none of them come close to the brat I picked.¡±


    Letting out a laugh, Tuk¡¯s body shuddered before an exact clone of himself appeared beside him.


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s time to meet the brat.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Ben spent the next five days in the cave practicing his elements, leaving the cave only to find food and water.


    *Crackle crackle*


    Small lightning bolts danced across Ben¡¯s fist as he punched a 3 Horned Lizard. The lightning had a stun affect and also left the skin charred where it connected.


    Grabbing the lizard corpse, Ben start back towards his cave. He was frustrated with the little progress he made over the last five days.


    ¡®Hear I thought I¡¯d be throwing lightning bolts at people but I can barely create enough lightning on my hand to shock these goddamn lizards.¡¯


    His lightning element allowed to stunned his opponents for a brief second. His darkness element was a little more tricky. It had a corrosive property to his that is extremely useful against enemies with tough skin or armour but it would also corrode Ben¡¯s skin if wasn''t fully focused.


    This had happened twice, leaving Ben¡¯s right hand with no skin. Luckily he was able to heal himself quickly by absorbing natural energy.


    From there on, Ben didn''t let his concentration slip when dealing with the darkness element.


    Since Ben didn''t fight barehanded, he tried to inject his elements into his weapons. This ended up a failure, either his elements weren¡¯t strong enough or he didn''t have enough control.


    ¡®Whatever. I¡¯ll continue to train while traveling, let¡¯s leave tomorrow.¡¯ he decided, dragging the 3 Horned Lizard.


    Starting a fire, Ben skinned the lizard and spit roasted it.


    *Sizzle Sizzle*


    Fat dripped off the meat, making Ben start to drool. Even without spices and salt, it tasted delicious. With Ben¡¯s large appetite, he ate two of these lizards a day.


    They were easy to hunt and they were everywhere.


    Ripping off a leg, Ben began to devour the lizard. A couple minutes later there was nothing left but some bones. Patting his stomach, Ben proceeded to practice his element manipulation.


    Ben¡¯s eyes shined different colours, the left emitted bright blue sparks while his right eye had dense black fog.


    Turning the palms of his hands upward, blue lightning appeared in his left hand while black mist appeared in his right.


    This was Bennett¡¯s maximum control at his present level. The lightning danced between his fingers while the darkness started to swirl in his palm.


    Ben put more power into it.


    The lightning bolts grew larger, as they started to shoot in every directions from his hand while the black fog became thinker and covered his entire hand. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Beads of sweat appeared on Ben¡¯s brow. He was pushing himself past what he knew his limits in order to have a breakthrough.


    Feeling that he was losing control, Ben gritted his teeth and continued to pour more power into his hands.


    The lightning bolts got bigger and more out of control, striking the cave walls leaving scorch marks. The black fog become denser and darker, it fell to the floor corroding rocks into dust.


    Finally unable to bear it, Ben retracted his elemental energy. Ben fell backwards, taking long and ragged breaths. His hands were in terrible condition, one was burnt and covered in blisters while the other seemed to missing a layer of skin.


    Ben activated his Inherited Skill and slowly absorbed the natural energy around him. Ben felt his hands itch as they started to heal and his body recover some of its energy.


    After a couple minutes, Ben sat up and checked his progression.


    [Darkness Seed- 10%]


    [Lightning Seed- 12%]


    His darkness element had some pretty significant increases but his lightning had only increase by 2%.


    Letting out a sigh, Ben walked to the mouth of the cave and looked at sky. Civilization might have gone to shit but the night sky was magnificent compared to before.


    Millions of stars covered the night sky, making Ben in awe of their beauty. The moon also seemed to shine a little brighter but maybe he was just imagining it.


    A small bird interrupted Ben¡¯s star gazing , it landed on a rock close to him and gave a small chirp.


    Ben had been trying to use his Beast Telepathy skill recently, but it seemed the beast he met weren¡¯t smart enough to talk. The only one it kind of worked on was that king lizard and all he said was ¡® KILL KILL KILL¡¯.


    ¡°Hello.¡± Ben spoke to the bird in hopes of it working. The bird looked at him before blinking and flying away.


    Letting out a low sigh, ¡°Figures.¡±


    ¡­


    The little bird stopped a little ways from where Ben was and started to shapeshift into a giant man, Tuk.


    Tuk quietly watched Ben as he closed his eyes and went to sleep.


    He had been watching the boy for almost a week now and was becoming more and more impressed with this child.


    He wasn''t a leveling freak that only cared about increasing his level, in fact Ben¡¯s level was considered average compared to the rest of Earth.


    ¡®Indra¡¯s brat is already level 36.¡¯


    Though leveling was important, mastering your skills are the core of your strength.


    Tuk was happy that Ben was focusing on his elements, if he was able to reach the peak of seed level, his power could fight against people with higher levels than him.


    Tuk was also surprised at his elements, lightning and darkness. These two were usually opposite of each other and the fact that Ben had both was a but surprising.


    Though having two elements wasn''t exactly rare, it was still uncommon.


    Tuk decided to watch him for a couple more days.


    Tuk gave a sly smile before a piece of paper appeared in front of him.


    ¡®I should give him a little hint, right?¡¯


    ¡­


    Waking up, Ben¡¯s hands still felt a little itchy from healing yesterday but other than that, he felt refreshed.


    Walking out of the cave, Ben stopped dead in his tracks. I normal piece of paper was resting on the rock where that bird landed last night.


    On the paper it read, ¡®Try absorbing natural energy while practicing your elements.¡¯.


    Ben looked around, trying to search for whoever left this note.


    ¡®It¡¯s futile. Only Green knows about my Inherited Ability so it was probably her. But why doesn''t she tell me in person? Is she just trying to screw with me?¡¯


    Putting his questions aside, Ben continued to walk towards the small stream he found days earlier.


    Ben hesitated taking off his close because now he thought Green was spying on him.


    ¡®Sadistic and now perverted.¡¯


    Though he was feeling a bit shy he still decided to take all his clothes off and clean himself off in the stream.


    Wading into the stream, the water hardly reached his waist. Washing himself, Ben was still vigilant as he wanted to catch that perverted woman.


    ¡°Don''t let her escape!¡±


    Ben turned around and saw 3 men chasing a woman. These men looked similar to the ones at the base.


    The woman was covered in dirt and filth. Her dress was torn in multiple places, exposing some of her body.


    They were still over 200m away but they were running in Ben¡¯s direction.


    Jumping out of the stream, Ben got dressed and unsheathed his swords.


    The woman was still running towards Ben but when she saw him her face filled with despair.


    She thought he was part of the people chasing her and now she was doomed.


    Not paying attention, she tripped over a rock and fell to the ground hard.


    Ben didn''t notice her expression, as he was too busy staring at her ears.


    They were long and pointed!

 Chapter 18

    ¡®An elf?¡¯ Ben was shocked.


    He had read about them in books and seen them portrayed in movies but seeing them in real life was something else.


    For one, the movies didn''t do them justice. Though she was covered in filth and dressed in rags, Ben knew she was an absolute beauty.


    Her ice blue eyes alone made Ben stunned for a split second.


    The three men smiled when they saw her trip, but scowled when they saw Ben and readied their weapons.


    The leader of the group took a step forward, ¡°We are only here for the invader. We aren''t looking for trouble.¡± Tattoos covered most of this man¡¯s body, even on his face.


    ¡®Invader? Oh from the system¡¯s message.¡¯ Ben deduced.


    Looking at the elf again, she seemed pitiful. Her knees were bleeding and her arms were covered in bruises. She looked at the three men with hate.


    A sense of protection rose from within Ben.


    ¡®Push it down Ben. Don''t cause unnecessary trouble just for a pretty girl. These men are from the city and probably have some power people backing them up.¡¯ tried to use his common sense.


    ¡°Just kill him Ed, and lets screw this girl.¡± the shorter one snarled, holding a menacing looking axe.


    ¡®Ahhhhh fuck it. Let''s be a hero.¡¯


    Bennett darted towards the leader of the three, stabbing his Katana towards the man''s neck.


    Startled with Ben¡¯s sudden attack, Ed raised his saber hastily, blocking Ben¡¯s attack. Unable to deal with the force of Ben¡¯s attack, the man fell on his ass. Seeing this Ben quickly stabbed again with his Ninjato, piercing the man¡¯s throat.


    Ben pulled the sword free, a trail of blood squirted from his throat.


    Seeing this, one of the men turned around and took off in the other direction. The other was either brave or stupid and charged at Ben with his axe above his head.


    Sidestepping the attack, Ben stabbed him in the throat. The man sputtered some blood before collapsing.


    *Ding!*


    ¡®Level up? Nice.¡¯ This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Looking towards where the man escaped, Ben let out a sigh. He knew this might bring him trouble later on.


    ¡®Oh well. Mom would have killed kicked my ass if I hadn''t helped this girl, same with dad.¡¯ Ben expression grew sad, he missed his family.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± an delicate but angry voice rang out, interrupting his thoughts.


    Ben looked towards the girl in confusion. She was standing up, staring at Ben with murderous eyes.


    ¡®What the hell? I saved you and now you hate me?¡¯


    Not knowing what to say, ¡°Umm, I don''t want anything. Just trying to be a good guy, you know?¡± Ben scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Even he could hear how stupid he sounded.


    The elf scoffed, ¡°A good guy? I have yet to meet such a thing.¡±


    ¡°You know for a beauty you sure have an ugly personality. Should I call those guys back? I¡¯m sure it will save me some trouble later on.¡± Ben shot back, annoyed at this girls attitude.


    The young elf paled, ¡°No it''s fine. I apologize.¡± she lowered her head in defeat.


    ¡°Good,¡± Ben pulled a shirt and a pair of shorts from his backpack, throwing them towards the elf, ¡°there is a creek just down there. Go bathe and change. Once you are down meet me there.¡± Ben pointed at the cave on the hill before turning around and walking off.


    The young elf stood there stunned. He had given her clothes and just walked away, not trying anything with her.


    ¡°Why do I have to bath?¡± she yelled to Ben¡¯s retreating figure.


    No bothering to turn around, Ben replied in a loud voice, ¡°Because you stink!¡±


    The elf mouth was fell open, ¡°Bastard!¡± she yelled before storming off towards the creek.


    A slight smile appeared on Ben¡¯s face, ¡®Looks like she has somewhat of an interesting personality.¡¯


    Ben was starting to get a little hungry so he found a 3 Horned Lizard and brought it back to the cave. Starting a fire, he started to cook the lizard before hearing someone entering the cave.


    Turning towards the mouth of the cave, Ben saw arguably the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.


    This was a completely different person compared to the filthy, dirt covered girl from before. She had pure white hair that reminded him of fresh snow. Her skin was white with a slight red blush on her cheeks that gave her an innocent look. The baggy shirt and shorts only added to her charm, making Ben blank out for a bit.


    Her eyes are what really entrapped Ben, ice blue, they seemed to pierce his very soul.


    Giving a light cough, Ben looked away, hiding the blush that had creeped up on his cheeks.


    ¡°Umm¡­ you hungry?¡± he asked, pointing at the lizard roasting above the fire.


    She nodded slightly before sitting near the fire.


    ¡°I¡¯m Cloey.¡± she said in a small voice.


    Ben looked at her again and saw her status.


    Cloey Lvl 15


    Snow Elf


    Skills-


    Ice Manipulation


    ¡°Nice to meet you Cloey, I¡¯m Ben.¡± he answered.


    ¡®A snow elf? Wonder what that means.¡¯


    She gave a small nod and continued to stare at the fire.


    They sat in silence as the lizard was cooking, the sound of far hitting the fire filled the cave.


    Ben wanted to ask her many questions but refrained from doing so. He knew she would be more willing to talk after she ate.


    Ripping off a leg, Ben handed it to her. She took the leg timidly but once she took a little nipple, she took huge bites and finished the entire leg in no time.


    ¡°Would you like some more?¡± he asked, offering another leg.


    Giving a slight nod, she reached for the leg and started to devour it as well.


    It took her three legs before she seemed full. After she finished eating, she stared at Ben.


    ¡°What?¡± Ben asked, a little shy from her gaze.


    ¡°Why did you save me? What do you want from me? Who are you?¡± she shot off a load of questions in a single breath.


    ¡°Easy easy. To be honest I didn''t want to save you in the beginning. It will just invite trouble but I couldn''t ignore you, especially what those men wanted to do to you. As to what I want? Nothing really. You can do whatever you want. You can leave right now and I won''t stop you. I''ve already told you who I am, Bennett is my name but you can call me Ben.¡± he explained.


    Cloey went quiet as she trying to understand his answer.


    ¡°Anything else?¡± Ben prompted.


    ¡°Ah yes, can I have some more to eat?¡±


    ¡®I''m going to have to start hunting more just to feed us!¡¯ Ben let out a sign in his heart.

 Chapter 19

    Ben looked the pitiful amount of meat left for him, unable to decide whether to laugh or cry.


    Ben got up and headed out of the cave. Cloey, who was still wary of him, kept on eye on him.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Hunting, someone ate all the food and I am still hungry.¡± he shot an accusing look towards Cloey.


    Her face turning bright red, Cloey looked down at the ground making Ben almost trip over his own feet.


    ¡®Dammit, this woman is dangerous. She¡¯s going to bring me countless problems in the future.¡¯


    Ben decided to handle them when they came his way. All he had to do was be stronger than everyone right?


    ...


    Cloey watched him leave, unable what to think of this man. All he life she had hated men, with good reason. Her people were sold as sex slaves because of their beauty and trafficked across the universe. When her new master told her that all the slaves would have a chance at freedom, she jumped at it.


    She ended up on an unfamiliar planet, the natives lusted over her beauty just like anywhere else. With her level back at 15, she could hardly defend herself, so she ran. She ran from beast and humans alike, because to her they were not any different.


    Ben seemed to be different. He wasn''t oblivious to her beauty, that was easy to see as she caught him staring with a stupid look on his face. What shocked her is when she caught him staring he would act embarrassed and shy, like a child caught stealing sweets.


    Though he wasn''t overly handsome, his eyes were enough to leave Cloey mesmerized. She often caught herself staring into his eyes without realizing it.


    Though she didn''t trust him yet, she did have a favourable first impression.


    ¡®I wonder if he will share his food with me.¡¯ she thought rubbing her stomach.


    ¡­


    Ben opened his stats panel while walking towards the lizard nest.


    Bennett- Lvl 21


    Class: Beast Warrior


    Bloodline: Mekata Eyes


    Elements: Lightning Seed & Dark Seed


    Vitality (VIT): 42


    Strength (STR): 50 (+3)


    Dexterity (DEX): 51 (+3)


    Agility (AGI): 55 (+4)


    Intelligence (INT): 5


    Wisdom (WIS): 4


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 10


    Skills-


    Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child


    Basic Sword Mastery- Dual (7/10)


    Soul BeastA case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Beast Telepathy


    Beast Imitation


    Ben decided to pour all his free attribute points into AGI again. His style of fighting was to hit quick and hard. His STR attribute was already very high so he decided he needed to be faster.


    Ben gave a glance over his skills.


    ¡®Beast Imitation¡­¡¯


    He had yet to use this skill as he had no idea how to even start.


    ¡°One way to learn, I guess.¡± as he spotted a 3 Horned Lizard near a shrub.


    Ben sprinted towards the lizard with his newfound speed, his speed was able to beat a car now. He left his swords sheathed and decided to fight barehanded.


    Channeling his elemental energy, tiny lightning bolts danced around his left hand.


    ¡®Okay Beast Imitation, imitate a beast. Imitate Duke¡¯s claws.¡¯


    Picturing Duke¡¯s claws when he attacks in his mind, Ben felt his left hand start to itch.


    Looking down, Ben was speechless. His fingers had become longer while his fingernails became long and sharp. Without thinking to much, Ben attacked the lizard with his new hand.


    His ¡®claw¡¯ pierced through the skin without any resistance. The lightning left the lizard incapacitated as Ben broke its neck without hesitation.


    Ben looked down at his hand as it morphed back to usual.


    ¡®Cool. I still need practice but this is still cool.¡¯


    Grabbing the carcass, Ben started back.


    ¡®Bark Bark!¡¯


    Ben dropped the lizard as his arm started heating up.


    ¡®Duke! You finally awake!¡¯ Ben was ecstatic. He missed Duke¡¯s company and his strength when fighting.


    Ben¡¯s right arm gave a light glow before Duke appeared in front of Ben.


    Ben couldn''t believe his eyes, ¡®This was Duke?¡¯ he thought.


    Duke was covered in pure black fur but now it had a light red glow to it and his eyes were blood red.


    What shocked Ben the most was his size! He was the size of a freakin horse!


    His shoulders were almost the same height as Ben, standing around 1.75m. His paws were the size of dinner plates while the claws were as long pencils!


    ¡°That''s you right buddy?¡± Ben asked a little nervous.


    ¡®Of course you idiot!¡¯ a young childish voice appeared in his head.


    Without giving Ben a chance to react, Duke pinned Ben on the ground and started licking him.


    ¡°Hahaha okay okay enough. I¡¯m happy to see you to bud.¡± letting out a loud laugh, Ben scratched Duke¡¯s ear.


    ¡®Wait did he just talk to me?¡¯ Ben realized.


    ¡®Yes!¡¯ Duke replied.


    ¡°Holy shit, this is weird.¡± Ben muttered to himself.


    ¡®Why do I smell a female on you Master? Did you find a mate while I was away?¡¯ Duke asked sniffing Ben¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°NO you big idiot! I am just helping her out.¡± Ben denied.


    ¡®Do you plan on making her your mate Master? Is that why you are bringing food back? To present her with food in exchange for mating rights?¡¯


    ¡°Shut up you damn mutt! It¡¯s not like that! I¡¯m hungry so I got some food okay! That¡¯s it.¡± Ben yelled at Duke in frustration.


    ¡®I am hungry to Master.¡¯ Duke said innocently.


    ¡°Yeah? Well go get your own food. This is mine.¡± scolding Duke, Ben walked away.


    Duke looked at Ben before taking off in another direction.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be back after I eat Master!¡¯ Duke¡¯s voice rang out in Ben¡¯s mind.


    Ben smiled shaking his head, ¡®One headache after another.¡¯


    Curious about Duke¡¯s current strength, he opened his stats panel.


    Duke- Lvl 20


    Demonic Blood Wolf


    Vitality (VIT): 40


    Strength (STR): 51


    Dexterity (DEX): 36


    Agility (AGI): 48


    Intelligence (INT): 9


    Loyalty- 100%


    Skills-


    Blood Lust


    Soul Beast


    ¡®His stats are basically the same as mine.¡¯ Ben noticed.


    Clicking on Duke¡¯s skill a description pop up.


    Blood Lust- the user enters a crazed state for 30 seconds, raises all states by 25%.


    Ben thought this was an impressive and useful skill.


    ¡®With my Beast Imitation skill, I should be able to use it as well.¡¯


    Making back to camp, Ben noticed Cloey wasn''t in the cave anymore.


    ¡®Maybe she left?¡¯ shrugging his shoulders he started to fry the lizard.


    With the lizard finally cooked, Ben started devouring the lizard with his voracious appetite.


    Half way through the carcass, Ben heard Cloey walking into the cave. Looking up at her with a grease stained face, Ben saw that she had a wineskin attached to her waste.


    ¡®Where the hell did she get that?¡¯ he wondered.


    ¡°I have a large water bottle, so you don''t need to carry around that wineskin.¡± he told her, starting to eat his food again.


    ¡°It¡¯s not for drinking ,¡± she said, ¡°it is for fighting.¡± Uncorking the wineskin, water started to float out before turning to sharp icicles.


    Ben was impressed, those icicles could easily kill a lizard.


    Putting the water back in the wineskin, she looked at Ben expectantly.


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± he asked in between mouthfuls.


    ¡°Ah, yes. May I have some?¡± she asked, pointing at the roasted lizard.


    Ben truly felt like crying this time.

 Chapter 20

    After they finished eating, he asked Cloey what her plans were.


    ¡°I hope I can stay with you for the time being.¡± she said shyly, avoiding eye contact with Ben.


    ¡°That is fine with me but I would like to know more about you. If that is alright.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a Snow Elf. We are known for our beauty and our ability to manipulate ice. Because of our beauty though, we were persecuted and sold to the highest bidder as sex slaves.¡± a hateful expression appeared on her face as she remembered unpleasant memories.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that Cloey.¡± he tried to find some words to comfort her but couldn''t, he decided to be frank with her. ¡°I know you are only level 15 so we will need to level you up so you are able to defend yourself. Also we will be traveling north, hopefully leaving today so those men who were chasing you can''t find us.¡±


    Cloey looked at this man curiously, he didn''t offer much words of support or pity her situation. For some reason she felt comfort in that.


    ¡°Fair enough, let''s get going then.¡± she said wiping her hands on her shorts and standing up.


    Ben did his best not to look at her beautiful long legs but failed miserably.


    Letting out a light cough, ¡°Not yet, we are waiting for someone.¡± Ben let out a wry smile. He was curious on what her reaction would be meeting Duke.


    Cloey looked at him questionly, but didn''t say anything when Ben didn''t elaborate.


    Ben checked his supplies. He had two pairs of clothes, plus the one he was wearing, and two bottles of water. He had no food but he would just hunt when he got hungry. Though it was risky, it was better than dragging around a heavy backpack.


    Ben slung the pack across his back, ¡°He¡¯s here. Let''s go.¡± he said to Cloey.


    ¡­


    Cloey was a little apprehensive, ¡®He? Ben said nothing about a he.¡¯ Still wary of men, she followed Ben at a distance, not knowing what this new person would be like.


    Exiting the cave, she almost shit her pants.


    Standing there was a giant black wolf that gave off a demonic aura. The wolf¡¯s shoulder stood at almost 2m alone! If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    What shocked her even more was that Ben was petting it! Like a common dog! Like it wasn''t a giant beast able to tear them to shreds in seconds!


    He looked back at her and laughed, ¡°This is Duke. We have been friends for a long time. He won''t hurt you, I promise.¡±


    ¡®Promise? Promise my ass!¡¯


    Cloey stood there staring at Duke with her mouth wide open. She saw Ben whisper something in Duke¡¯s ear.


    Duke started walking over to her and her body froze. Unable to move a muscle, the giant wolf made his way towards her.


    The wolf circled around her, sniffing her while doing it. Cloey didn''t breath, let alone move. Stopping right in front of her, she closed her eyes in fear. Feeling his hot breath, Cloey thought this was the end.


    She felt warmth and wetness on her face before she opened her eyes seeing that the wolf was licking her face.


    She felt a little suffocated because the wolf¡¯s tongue was almost a wide as she was but still didn''t dare do anything.


    She heard laughter and saw Ben holding his gut while tears ran from his eyes.


    Duke gave her a final lick before trotted off and sitting next to Ben.


    She finally realized this was set up by Ben.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± she screamed as she uncorked her waterskin and sent a blizzard of ice flying towards him.


    ¡­


    Ben looked miserable as he gently touched his face. It was filled with little cuts from the ice that Cloey attacked him with.


    ¡°Talk about an overreaction.¡± he mumbled looking back at her. She gave a small but smug smile in return.


    Both of them were sitting on Duke¡¯s back. Ben thought it would be quicker traveling on Duke¡¯s back for the time being as Cloey¡¯s level was still low.


    Though he wasn''t going at full speed, Duke¡¯s pace was steady and they covered many kilometers already.


    Duke was 3m long so there was plenty of room for both of them. Cloey rode near the back of Duke while Ben sat on his shoulders, putting a bit of distance in between each other.


    ¡®Must be her avoidance of men.¡¯ Ben thought, not giving it much thought.


    They had been traveling on a highway 45, abandoned cars were everywhere but no people could be found, which worried Ben.


    Ben saw a sign that read, ¡®Welcome to Ciudad Ju¨¢rez¡¯, seeing a large city in front of him, Ben told Duke to stop.


    Getting off Duke, slowly walked forward. He had a bad feeling about this place. All the building were single story and worn down. You could find dried blood almost everywhere you looked but no bodies.


    Ben turned around, ¡°We are leaving.¡± he said with some panic in his voice.


    A loud scream filled filled the air. Looking behind him, Ben saw five zombies. These were different from the zombies that Ben had fought before. There wasn''t any rotten flesh falling off their bodies. Their skin was intact as well as well as their bodies. The only way to tell they were zombies was they white skin and pale eyes.


    Three of them were almost as wide as they were tall, built like NFL linebackers. While the other two were tall and lithe, there hands had long sharp fingernails.


    ¡®Great, I have to fight fucking Freddie Krueger.¡¯


    ¡°Duke protect Cloey!¡± Ben yelled before unsheathing his swords.


    Mutated Strength Zombie


    Lvl 27


    Mutated Strength Zombie


    Lvl 25


    Mutated Strength Zombie


    Lvl 24


    Mutated Agility Zombie


    Lvl 29


    Mutated Agility Zombie


    Lvl 27


    There statuses appeared above them, showing Ben their level.


    ¡®... shit.¡¯ Ben cursed.


    ¡°Okay new plan Duke! Take her somewhere safe then get back here and help me before I¡¯m killed.¡± Ben said letting out a nervous laugh.


    ¡°Don''t be stupid! I¡¯m staying!¡± Cloey yelled at Ben.


    Ben wanted to argue with her but the two Agility Zombie took off towards them.


    ¡°Fine! Use your ice to try and slow the Agility Zombies down! Duke you keep those big bastards occupied while I kill these fast bastards.¡± giving orders out, Duke took off towards the Strength Zombies while Cloey uncorked her wineskin.


    Ben rushed towards the Agility Zombies, sending out a silent prayer, ¡®To whatever god can hear this, you''re a dick.¡¯

 Chapter 21- Bens Poor Performance

    Ben and the first Agility Zombie clashed in the middle of the street, sparks flew when the swords and claws met.


    Breaking apart, Ben stepped forward again and swiped his Katana at its throat. It deflected the attack with its claws, seeing this Ben pivoted on his right foot and reverse gripped his Ninjato. Doing a half turn, Ben stabbed it in the side.


    He continued the motion, making a full turn, ending up behind the zombie. He had let go of the Ninjato, leaving it in the zombies side. Grasping his Katana with two hands, he made another slash towards its throat.


    The blade passed through its neck like it was cutting butter. The head toppled to the ground followed by the body. The hair on Ben¡¯s neck stood up and he instinctively turned and raised his sword in front of himself.


    *Boom!*


    Ben was sent flying into the side of the building. He didn''t crash through six walls or anything but cracks appeared along the wall and an impression of Ben¡¯s back.


    ¡®What the hell.¡¯ Ben said ignoring the pain he felt throughout his body.


    Looking up, Ben saw an Agility Zombie coming at him.


    Moving his head to the right, he felt it''s claws whistle by his head, leaving a scratch on his ear. Ben stabbed his Katana upwards through its body. The sword pierced its stomach and came out of its upper back.


    The zombie let out a soul shaking scream next to Ben¡¯s ear, almost making him pass out.


    Pushing the zombie with his free hand, Ben retracted his sword before stabbing it in the head, killing it.


    Ben felt wetness coming from his left ear, touching it he found his fingers covered in blood. He also realized he couldn''t hear anything.


    Ben saw that it was a Strength Zombie that sent him into a wall. He found Duke being attacked by two Strength Zombies while other stared at him hatefully.


    Duke could only retreat from the zombies attack, crushing anything they hit. If it wasn''t for Duke¡¯s AGI and DEX he would have been crushed already.


    Cloey was sending icicles towards the last Agility Zombie as it headed towards her. Ben wanted to help her but was stopped by a Strength Zombie.


    ¡®Duke use Bloodlust!¡¯ Ben yelled in his head.


    Duke gave a bark in agreement. Red aura surrounded Duke, his muscles swelled in size and his fangs and claws grew longer and sharper.


    Duke went on the attack for the first time, swiping his claws at the zombies. It crossed its arms in front of its chest, protecting itself from Duke¡¯s attack. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Long deep gashes were left on the Strength Zombies arms.


    Duke continued to attack with a frenzy, not giving the zombies a chance to react. Finally, one of Duke¡¯s attacks got through and pierced the zombies head.


    The other zombie released a bellow before attacking Duke in rage.


    Duke only had another 10 seconds left before his Bloodlust skill time was up.


    An idea came popped into Ben¡¯s head.


    ¡°Bloodlust!¡± Ben yelled out. Similar to Duke, his muscles started to swell and a bloodthirsty red aura surrounded him. The edge of his vision was tinted with red.


    Grasping the Katana with both hands, he let out a war cry before charging the Strength Zombie. Knowing he only had 30 seconds, he had to kill Strength Zombie before Cloey was killed by the Agility Zombie.


    The zombie threw out a heavy punch towards Ben, the air seemed to scream in protest due to the strength of the punch.


    Ben stomped on the ground, lifting himself into the air. The punch whistled by underneath him. Rotating his body mid air, Ben kicked the zombie in the face, causing it to take a step back.


    ¡®Ouch.¡¯ Pain shot through Ben¡¯s leg.


    Landing, Ben shot forward with his Katana stabbing towards the zombies eye.


    ¡°AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!¡±


    An almost human yelled emerged from the zombie before it died.


    Ben turned and hurried to help Cloey.


    He stopped and couldn''t believe his eyes.


    Cloey was standing over a dead Agility Zombie. Icicles had pierced the zombie all over but a large one had pierced it''s head. Ben saw ice on the road and pieced together what happened.


    ¡®Covered the road with ice to make it lose its footing before attacking it. Colour me impressed.¡¯ Nodding his head in approval he went to make sure Duke was okay.


    Though Duke¡¯s Bloodlust skill was over he had already injured the remaining zombie enough to kill himself.


    *Ding!*


    After Duke killed the zombie the familiar sound appeared.


    Ignoring it, Ben yelled at Duke and Cloey, ¡°Let''s get out of here. No way these are the only zombies in the city.¡±


    Nodding, they both headed out of the city. Ben could feel that Duke was exhausted so he didn''t ride him. He himself felt tired and sore from the battle and using the Bloodlust skill.


    He dashed over to the first zombie he killed, retrieving his Ninjato before heading out of town.


    ¡­.


    They ran for an half an hour before stopping at an abandoned house. Ben checked inside for any zombies or beast but didn''t find any.


    Ben and Cloey entered the house, Cloey sat at the kitchen table while Ben laid down on the couch. Duke was too big to fit inside and he went to go find himself a drink of water.


    Grabbing a bottle a water for himself, Ben drank half before stopping for a breath. He passed the other bottle of water he had to Cloey.


    She accepted without saying anything and started drinking.


    Ben channeled Natural Energy to heal his ears so he could hear again. After a few minutes, he was able to hear sounds again.


    He looked at Cloey who was leaning back in the chair with her eyes closed.


    ¡°You know,¡± Ben broke the silence between them, ¡°I was impressed with how you killed that zombie. Can''t see I expected that.¡±


    She opened her eyes and glared at Ben, ¡°Why? Because I am a girl?¡±


    ¡°No, not entirely. Because you don''t seem like a fighter.¡± Ben defended himself.


    ¡°I don''t seem like a fighter because I am a pretty girl?¡± she continued to glare at him.


    Ben threw his hands up in defeat.


    ¡°I''m more surprised on how you have survived this far. You have to be over level 20 but you didn''t use any elemental energy? Your plan to kill the zombies was crap and you have zero awareness of your surroundings when fighting.¡± Cloey continued to berate Ben.


    Ben stood there speechless.


    Seeing his loss for words she continued, ¡°You are a skilled fighter, there is no denying that but your style is too rough. Too inefficient. You need to kill your enemy quickly, not injure it and then kill.¡±


    Her voice took a softer tone this time but still gave Ben a scolding.


    ¡°Hahahaha! I like this elf. She¡¯s completely right!¡± a booming voice came from the door.


    Standing in the doorway was a mountain of a man. His arms were as thick as Ben¡¯s thighs and waist was as wide as a bears. His brown hair was short and starting to gray, he looked to be about a middle aged man.


    ¡°Hello, my name is Tuk.¡± the man smiled looking at Ben.

 Chapter 22- Tuk Explains Things

    First thing that Ben thought when he first met Tuk was, ¡®He has to be part troll.¡¯


    Cloey and Ben reacted quickly, she uncorked her wineskin and Ben pulled out his swords. Ben was curious on where Duke was doing and tried to contact him.


    ¡®Duke are you alright?¡¯


    ¡®No Master, I can''t move.¡¯ Duke answered back.


    Anger swelled up in Ben, ¡°What did you do to Duke!?¡± he yelled at Tuk, taking a step towards him with swords pointed at him.


    ¡°Don''t worry the little pup is fine.¡± Tuk said with a smile, not threatened by Ben at all. ¡°Why don''t we all sit down and have a little chat, okay?¡± he gestured towards the dining room table.


    Ben looked at Cloey and she gave a slight nod. Walking over he sat at the opposite side of the table to where Tuk sat, Cloey sat next to him.


    ¡°Well it''s a pleasure finally meeting you Ben. I have had my eye on you since you choose Beast Warrior as your class.¡± Tuk¡¯s voice was warm and welcoming.


    ¡°Since then? So Green works for you?¡± Ben shivered, remembering the sadistic woman.


    ¡°Now don''t be too hard on Little Green. Her test might have been extreme but you came out stronger in the end.¡± Tuk said, knowing what she did to Ben had left a tiny scar.


    ¡°Whatever you say.¡±


    ¡°Good, now listen up. What I am about to tell you is important. You know about the gods from ancient civilisations right?¡± he asked Ben.


    ¡°Umm like Zeus and stuff?¡± he answered confused.


    ¡°Yes exactly. Well they are real. I''m not saying all of them are real but most. Most of them died in the war but some are still alive and kicking. And all of them are on Earth right now.¡± Tuk explained.


    ¡°Sounds about right.¡± Ben answered nonchalant.


    ¡°... that''s your reaction?¡± Tuk looked shocked at his lack of shock.


    ¡°Well before this new world came to be, I was somewhat of an atheist. But when this shit started happening I knew that there must be a higher power of something. I thought that ancient civilizations were just unevolved and needed a reason for lightning or why the moon turns red but it turns out gods are real. So I guess I owe every religious person I mocked an apology.¡± Ben explained. He never really dismissed a higher being, he just thought if a higher being did exist that it wouldn''t give a shit if you had sex before marriage or cheated on a test.


    ¡°Umm okay. Well those old gods are on Earth right now choosing their champions basically. You are who I choose.¡± Tuk smiled proudly at Ben, as if he was a prize.


    ¡°You''re a god?¡± Ben asked incredulous. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Not only a god, a very powerful one at that. I picked you for many reasons but the main one was that you were recognized by the Beast Warrior class. A class that I was also recognized with.¡± Tuk said, giving a strange smile.


    ¡°Okay, cool. So what do we do now?¡±


    Tuk shot an annoyed glance towards Ben. He was a respected warrior throughout the universe but this brat is not giving him a second look.


    ¡°Other gods have given their champions a blessing or a weapon. I will give you neither. I will give you knowledge.¡± Tuk simply said.


    ¡°Knowledge eh? Well I guess knowledge is power.¡± Ben muttered.


    In his head he was calling out this old man for being a cheap son of bitch.


    ¡°First off, let''s talk about your battle. You made one almost fatal decision during your battle. Can you figure out what it was?¡± Tuk asked.


    Ben¡¯s brows bunched up as he thought deeply about the fight against the zombies.


    ¡°Dropping my sword, even though it was a seemed like a smart move at the time, it wasn''t in the end. My Sword Mastery skill is for dual wielding, my skill with a single sword is significantly lower. Which hindered my power in turn.¡± Ben gave his honest opinion about the fight.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± Tuk smiled, glad the boy figured it out.


    ¡°There are two main divisions in classes, Warrior and Mage. Warrior''s take in natural energy from their surroundings and absorb it into their bodies. Refining and strengthening their bodies. The natural energy that is absorbed by their bodies is turned into Internal Energy. This energy can strengthen your fist and create armour to protect yourself. It can also be used to strengthen weapons. Its limitations are that it loses power the farther it is from your body. That¡¯s why majority of warrior''s are close combat.¡± Tuk clenched his fist as a semi transparent energy covered his fist.


    ¡°Why do I have such terrible control over my energy then?¡± Ben asked curious about why he couldn''t control the energy in his body.


    ¡°Shush. I¡¯ll answer your questions after I am done.¡± Tuk said, shutting him down, ¡°Mages, like this Snow Elf, absorb natural energy as well, but they don''t refine their bodies with it. They turn it into mana, which is a type of energy that allows them to manipulate it better. Mana is used for their spells, which can very into almost anything you can imagine. They are also able to create a stone wall to defend or cast large area destructive spells that can wipe out an army.¡±


    Ben looked towards Cloey is fear, ¡®Would she be capable of this in the future?¡¯


    Seeing Ben looking at her in fear, she gave a smug smile.


    ¡°Now let''s talk about element attributes. Everyone is born with an attribute. These attributes give the Internal Energy and Mana the characteristics of the element. The Snow Elf for example was born with a high affinity with ice. Making it easier to use ice spells and freeze her opponent. She can still use other elements in spells but they won''t be as powerful as ice. Warrior''s attribute is a bit different. The Internal Energy will always have the elements characteristics in it. Meaning warrior''s can''t start use earth when their affinity is water.¡±


    You on the other hand have two elements, that come from your eyes. This makes you somewhat special. Most warrior''s with two elements would have to create two seperate energy pools in their bodies so the two elements don''t collide. This makes their initial progress slower but they have more variability in battle. You already have your elements separated into two pools, your eyes. That''s why you injured yourself badly when you were practicing and used both elements at the same time. They clashed in you body causing your injury.¡± Finishing his explantation Tuk folded his hands across his chest.


    Ben digested what he had been told.


    ¡°But wait, if Internal Energy and Mana come from Natural Energy, why am I able to absorb Natural Energy to heal myself?¡± Ben asked confused.


    ¡°First I want you to absorb Natural Energy while using your left eye. This will tell me if my theory is right or not.¡± Tuk waited for Ben to start.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Ben activated his skill and his left eye.


    Natural Energy around the room slowly started to move towards Ben. His eye was crackling with bright blue sparks. The sparks grew larger and larger until they came from his entire body and not just his eye.


    ¡°Okay enough!¡± Tuk shouted okay the lightning.


    Ben stopped, and felt exhaustion overcome his body, almost falling out of his chair he felt someone grab him. Cloey grabbed his arm, stopping him from falling out of his chair.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ben whispered.


    Not replying, Cloey retracted her hands and looked away from Ben.


    ¡°Just like I thought, incredible.¡± Tuk nodded his head in amazement, ¡°Mekata Eyes truly are amazing. By absorbing Natural Energy and activating an eye at the same time you are strengthening that eye.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ben asked, confused for what seemed like the hundredth time today.


    ¡°Okay each eye is a pool. Everytime you use the eye, you use the water in the pool. Of course the water will come back gradually but when you use Natural Energy and your eyes it slowly makes the pool bigger and bigger. That''s what your percentage means on your status panel, how big your pool is.¡± Tuk explained slowly.


    ¡°Your eyes plus your Inherited ability are a match made in heaven. Without your skill it would take years to control your elements. You''d have to do what you were doing before and slowly master the control. Now you can be far ahead of everyone.¡± Tuk stopped his explanation and looked into Bennett¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°You can be strong Ben. This planet isn''t your end, it''s only your beginning.¡±

 Chapter 23- A Natural Reaction!

    ¡°Leave this planet? Why would I do that?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°I can''t answer that for you. I hope you find that answer yourself.¡± Tuk answered.


    Ben went silent, he knew that there was a world beyond Earth to explore and it made him scared and excited.


    ¡°My time here is about over, do you have any other questions?¡± Tuk asked.


    ¡°Will raising my INT and WIS help me control my element?¡± Ben was curious, his INT and WIS were very low and Ben was unsure what to do about it.


    ¡°Raising it to 20 will help you slightly but after that it won''t have much of an affect, you''re a warrior not a mage.¡± Tuk explained patiently.


    Ben nodded his head in understanding.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t we met many people?¡±


    ¡°Most of the population is dead. Those who have survived are at one of the twelve cities. There pockets of survivors outside the cities though they are very few. The point of the system is to only bring out the strong and the smart. The best of the best of a race.¡±


    Ben expression grew serious. Mostly dead? ¡°Are my parents alive?¡± a shiver could be heard in his voice.


    ¡°I don''t know, I have only been watching you and a few others. If they are alive, they would be in a city. My advice is for you to travel to a city and take it over.¡± Tuk answered him.


    ¡°Take it over?¡± Ben gave a resolute nod before turning to Cloey who had been silent this whole time. ¡°Do you have anything you want to ask him?¡±


    ¡°Ummm n-no.¡± she stuttered, looking a little flustered.


    ¡°Snow Elf let me remind you that if you speak of Ben and his abilities to anyone, you will have me to deal with. Understood?¡± Tuk¡¯s voice turned cold and threatening. A formless pressure emanated from his body.


    Cloey¡¯s face went white and she started shivering, the pressure was too great for her.


    ¡°She¡¯s harmless gramps. Don''t worry.¡± Ben blocking the pressure being forced on her.


    ¡°Gramps?¡± his cold look slipped off his face and was replaced by a stunned one.


    ¡°Grandpa Tuk? Grandaddy Tuk?¡± Ben kept rattling off names.


    ¡®Grandpa? This brat has no respect!¡¯ Tuk cursed him in his head.


    ¡°I''ll be going now.¡± Standing up, walked towards the door before disappearing completely.


    ¡°Why the hell did you even stand up if you could disappear like that!?¡± Ben yelled out loud, hoping Tuk could hear it.


    Turning to Cloey, ¡°Let''s stay here for the night. Look in the bedrooms for clothes for you and me. I''ll take the couch.¡± Ben collapsed on the couch in exhaustion. Fighting those zombies and cultivating his eye drained him mentally and physically. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡­


    Cloey stared at him sleeping on the couch and couldn''t help but thinking, ¡®What a strange man.¡¯


    She didn''t understand why he trusted her so much. They have only knew each other for a few days but he still protected her against the zombies and defended her against Tuk. It didn''t make sense.


    ¡®Is it because of my beauty?¡¯ She quickly trashed that idea. She had seen lots of men pretend to be brave but in the face of real danger they saved themselves. Even in the face of a god he didn''t show any fear.


    Cloey shook her head, pushing her thoughts away and started going through dressers and closets for clothes. Cloey found black leggings and a white t shirt for herself and a white summer dress. She found jeans and a black t shirt for Ben.


    Seeing the sun set, Cloey crawled into a bed.


    ¡®Maybe he isn''t all that bad.¡¯ falling asleep, Cloey had a slight smile on her face.


    ¡­


    The sun shined through the window, illuminating Ben¡¯s face. Squinting his eyes, Ben sat up and stretched, giving a big yawn in the process.


    Cloey walked out from her room, wearing black leggings and a white t shirt. Her simple outfit accentuated her beauty even further.


    Ben was mesmerized by her beauty once again. The leggings showed off her slim waist and her round butt magnificently. Her t shirt was tight in the chest area, showing an alluring outline.


    Cloey saw Ben staring at her and slightly blushed, she then looked downwards and noticed something else.


    ¡°YOU PERVERTED PIG!¡± she screamed at him before going back into the room and slamming the door.


    ¡°What?¡± Ben was stupified. ¡®Was my gaze that lecherous?¡¯


    Looking down Ben realized what had happened.


    Good ol morning wood was alive and well and his loose boxers didn''t help hide much.


    ¡®Shit!¡¯ Ben turned beet red is shame and embarrassment.


    Putting his pants on and shoving it into his waist belt, he ran to Cloey¡¯s room and knocked on the door.


    ¡°Cloey I woke up with it I swear. It¡¯s a natural reaction, nothing to do with you! I promise!¡± Ben was desperate to explain himself.


    The door flew open and Cloey was standing there with a scowl on her face.


    ¡°Are you saying I not pretty enough to cause that? You find me repulsive?¡± her voice was filled with anger.


    Ben was speechless! He felt like crying, he officially knew what it felt like to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.


    ¡°Ah of course not¡­ very attractive and all.¡± he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.


    ¡°Pervert.¡± she spat out at him, walking past him and out of the house.


    Though Ben knew he was already in trouble and yet he still couldn''t help but sneak a glance at her bum.


    ¡®Good lord, talk about peach emoji.¡¯


    Following Cloey outside, he found her petting Duke. When he walked up she shot him a glare before she continued to pet Duke¡¯s head.


    Letting out a loud sigh he shook his head in defeat.


    ¡°Hey buddy, is there anything for us to eat around here?¡± Ben was hungry and he knew Duke would have went hunting last night.


    ¡®Yes Master, I¡¯ll go get some right now.¡¯ Duke took off in search for food.


    ¡®Thanks buddy.¡¯


    Ben went back into the house to pack his bag. He noticed some folded clothes next to the couch. Putting them in his bag he went back outside to start a fire to cook whatever Duke brought them.


    ¡°Um thanks for the clothes.¡± he said softly.


    ¡°Whatever. Say thanks by cooking some good food for me.¡± she said crossing her arms and looked at him pointly.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Ben sighed in defeat.


    ¡®What a glutton.¡¯


    Running into the house he grabbed some salt and different seasonings. He was no chef by any means but he knew the basics.


    Duke quickly returned to what seemed to be 2 large deer. These deer had red fur and a small horn in the middle of their head.


    One Horned Deer


    Lvl 14


    Ben proceeded to skin the deer and started frying it over the fire. After eating their fill, Ben started putting the spices into his backpack.


    He found Cloey looking at him like he was an idiot.


    ¡°What?¡± how did he piss her off this time?


    ¡°Are you dense or just stupid? Why don''t you use the system¡¯s storage ability?¡± she ridiculed Ben.


    Ignoring the jabs, ¡°Storage ability?¡±


    She let out an exasperated sigh and waved her hand, her wineskin appeared out of nowhere!


    ¡°How do you do that!?¡± Ben was shocked!


    ¡°It¡¯s a feature of the system. Just hold the item and say store.¡± she truly thought Ben was an idiot.


    Grabbing his backpack his tried it, ¡°Store!¡± The backpack disappeared into thin air.


    ¡°How do I get it to reappear?¡± he asked Cloey.


    ¡°Just say whatever it is you want.¡± Cloey answered impatiently.


    ¡°Backpack!¡± the backpack appeared in Ben¡¯s hand again.


    ¡°Hahaha how cool is that!¡± Ben laughed loudly, storing and restoring his backpack again and again.


    ¡°What a simple idiot.¡± Cloey said watching Ben laughing like an idiot.

 Chapter 24- Progress

    Ben, Cloey and Duke continued their way north, crossing the border into the States. They avoided the abandoned cities and searched through small towns, killing zombies, Nether Beasts and demonic beasts.


    Ben also started cultivating his eyes every night, slowly gaining better control over both Internal Energy pools. He could feel them constantly growing every time he cultivated them and it showed. He was able to control his lightning and darkness at a whole new level from before. He was able to use his elements in battle now, which made him stronger and gave him more variety.


    Ben also started to practice hand to hand combat with Duke. This gave him more flexibility in battle and kept him and Duke sharp.


    Duke continued to get stronger and level up. His body continued to grow, his shoulders were now the same height as Ben, almost 2m. He looked like a beast straight from hell with his black fur and red aura, his teeth were almost a foot long with his claws even larger. Duke seemed to have taken a shine to Cloey, always letting her pet him and playing with her.


    Cloey also rapidly improved. After a couple weeks of travel and hunting her level was almost on par with Ben¡¯s. She no longer needed to carry water to use her ice magic as she was able to pull moisture from the air and ground. Her attacks also became stronger and quicker. She seemed to have countless spells at her disposal. Even Ben would be nervous facing up against her on 1 on 1. Though she still called Ben a pervert and shot him dirty looks, the two of them became closer and their chemistry on the battlefield was excellent.


    Ben travelled past some of the new cities. He knew that the world had changed and old rules no longer existed. He knew the problems Cloey¡¯s beauty would bring in a place like that. Though he was confident in his strength, he didn''t want the hassle. He told Cloey his reasons and she agreed with him. She also pointed out that they might reject her because she wasn''t human.


    So they passed the massive cities and continued north. They met some people outside of the cities but they ran after seeing Duke¡¯s massive figure. Not wanting to wait for the city¡¯s reinforcements to show up, the three of them took off.


    Ben also began practicing his Beast Imitation skill. He realized how valuable this skill was but he was unable to utilize it properly during battle which frustrated him.


    ¡­


    *swish swish*


    Ben was practicing his swordsmanship in a secluded area. His body was a blur and you could barely catch flashes of silver from his blades. Ben slowed his speed down, performing different stances. When performing a slash, Ben¡¯s arm seemed to have no bones in it as it turned into a whip.


    *Swwwwiiiisshh*


    The attack was very powerful and fast, the Katana seemed to slice the air leaving behind a sound.


    Ben continued his practice, adding a kick hear or there to his attacks. It was incredible to watch as his movements were fluent and smooth.


    Finishing his practice Ben let out a deep breath and headed towards a small lake. When they first came here this area was filled with Nether Beast in the shape of Orcs.


    There were 20 of them feeding on a deer when Cloey began her assault, piercing a few with her icicles. Roaring with anger they chased after her only to be ambushed by Duke and Ben.


    Their teamwork had grown over the last 4 months of travel and numerous opponents didn''t intimidate them.


    Quickly slaughtering them, they made camp here.


    Ben took his clothes off and waded into the water, washing away the sweat he worked up practicing. They had accomplished a lot these four months on the road.


    All of them became stronger, individually and as a team. What Ben was most excited about was that they were almost at the most north city in North America. If Ben¡¯s family were alive, they would be there. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    After taking a refreshing bath, Ben headed back to the camp they made. He quickly checked his stats panel.


    Bennett- Lvl 49


    Class: Beast Warrior


    Bloodline: Mekata Eyes


    Elements: Lightning Seed & Dark Seed


    Vitality (VIT): 98


    Strength (STR): 149 (+3)


    Dexterity (DEX): 150 (+3)


    Agility (AGI): 201 (+4)


    Intelligence (INT): 25


    Wisdom (WIS): 25


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 0


    Skills-


    Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child


    Advanced Sword Mastery- Dual (2/10)


    Beginner Hand to Hand Combat (5/10)


    Soul Beast


    Beast Telepathy


    Beast Imitation


    [Darkness Seed- 88%]


    [Lightning Seed- 91%]


    Ben was satisfied with his stats but he was most proud of his progress in his Elemental Seeds.


    The progress was a slow one but Ben was finally nearing the peak of elemental seed level. He was able to control it freely throughout his entire body with little resistance. He had just mastered strengthening his swords with his Internal Energy which, Ben had to admit, looked extremely bad ass.


    Hand to hand combat was something he picked up while fighting with Duke. It allowed his attacks to vary and surprise his opponents.


    Ben also looked at Duke¡¯s stats.


    Duke- Lvl 45


    Demonic Blood Wolf


    Vitality (VIT): 70


    Strength (STR): 164


    Dexterity (DEX): 154


    Agility (AGI): 191


    Intelligence (INT): 9


    Loyalty- 100%


    Skills-


    Blood Lust


    Soul Beast


    Ben smiled, Duke was a force to be reckoned with, even wild beast his level were no match for him.


    Arriving at the camp, a fire was blazing as Cloey was cooking some rabbit on it. She gave Ben a glance before returning to her cooking.


    Ben gave a wry smile, ¡®Still so cold after all this time.¡¯


    Taking out some spices from systems spatial storage. He started to season the meat, though demonic beast meat was delicious on its own they had become accustomed to using seasoning. Plus it made it that much more delicious.


    ¡°So we should reach the city by tomorrow.¡± Ben said, unable to keep the excitement and nervousness out of his voice.


    ¡°Do you want me to wait here while you go?¡± Cloey asked, knowing her beauty would cause problems for them.


    ¡°No.¡± Ben shook his head, ¡°We shouldn''t have to be afraid of anyone with our strength and plus we are going to take over that city so anyone who dares cause you problems will be killed.¡±


    A light growl came from Duke showing his agreement.


    Cloey¡¯s face had a slight red tinge to it as she nodded in agreement.


    Just when Ben was about to tease her and loud screech came from the woods.


    Ben quickly summoned his swords and stood up, Cloey followed. They made their way towards the sound. What they found were three large red birds attacking a smaller black bird. What odd about this was that the red birds were covered in flames as they attacked the black one.


    Cloey whispered to him, ¡°That black bird is a slave. I saw him when we were sent here.¡±


    ¡°I don''t think these red birds are from earth either.¡± Ben tried to read the red birds status and was unable to.


    Seeing the attack coming, the small black bird let out a loud cry before black flames covered his body.


    It protected him from the first attack but the next two broke through its flames.


    The black bird went flying and landed on the ground unconscious with serious injuries. The red birds cried in triumph as they launched another attack.


    ¡°Protect him.¡± Ben told Cloey before taking off towards them.


    ¡°Ice wall!¡± Cloey yelled. A meter thick wall of ice appeared in front of the black bird. The first red bird hit the wall causing it to shudder but not break, the bird landed on the ground.


    Before it could fly up again Ben appeared before it slashing down with his sword. Ben¡¯s Katana was covered in lightning and looked frightening, the lightning increased the Katanas sharpness and helped him cut through most objects.


    The red bird was sliced in half. The other two stared in shock.


    ¡®Who are you!? You dare kill a member of the Phoenix clan!¡¯ a shrill voice rang through everyone¡¯s head.


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Ben coldly replied, ¡°Cloey now!¡±


    ¡°Frozen Rain!¡± Cloey cast another spell. Frozen raindrops appeared above the remaining two birds, it was sent flying at them.


    ¡®Whore elf! You dare attack us!¡¯ it screamed while dodging the attack.


    While it was distracted, Ben jumped up and attacked with his lightning Katana, piercing through the birds chest. It gave a shrill cry before falling to the ground and dying.


    The remaining red bird saw he was at a disadvantage and flew away. Cloey tried to stop it but the bird covered itself in flames and broke through her spell. Unable to stop it, Cloey glared at the bird. It dared call her a whore and deserved death.


    Swiping the blood off his blade, Ben walked up to the black bird. It had regained consciousness and was looking at Ben.


    ¡®Why did you save me?¡¯ a feminine voice appeared in his head.


    Shocked at her being a girl Ben replied, ¡°I don''t like people ganging up on others. Are you all right?¡±


    ¡®No, I am afraid I am going to die. You''re an idiot for killing them, they are from the Phoenix Clan.¡¯ her voice got weaker and weaker.


    ¡°If you say so.¡± Brushing off the name calling, ¡°Let¡¯s get you healed.¡± Ben started channeling Natural Energy into her body, attempting to heal her.


    ¡®Something¡¯s wrong.¡¯ Ben frowned. The Natural Energy was healing her body but not able to stop her soul from fading.


    ¡®They used a soul attack. You can''t stop my soul from fading away.¡¯ she said, barely a whisper.


    Ben made a decision before she lost consciousness.


    A message flashed across the black birds eyes.


    [Ben wants you to become his soul beast. Do you accept?]

 Chapter 25- Entering the City

    ¡®Soul Beast?¡¯ the black bird was falling unconscious. With its last thought, it agreed.


    Ben felt a familiar feeling in his soul as the black bird¡¯s soul became a part of his, his left arm started to burn as a tattoo of the black bird covered the arm.


    Looking at the tattoo Ben noticed that each black feather had thin gold edges to it, giving the bird a majestic look. Ben checked its condition; it was in a deep sleep and healing itself thanks to Ben¡¯s soul.


    Looking down at his arm Ben gave a small laugh, ¡°I hope mom doesn''t think I turned into a gangster or anything.¡±


    Cloey saw Ben¡¯s arm and looked at him questionly.


    Seeing her gaze, ¡°I made her into my soul beast.¡± he simply stated.


    A complicated look appeared on Cloey¡¯s face, ¡°She is obviously an enemy of the Phoenix Clan, part of the Divine Beast Alliance. Are you sure you want that kind of trouble?¡±


    ¡°How much trouble will she create compared to travelling with you?¡± Ben let out a laugh as he teased her.


    A light flush appeared on her cheeks, ¡®A newborn calf doesn''t fear a tiger.¡¯ She thought. Cloey let it drop, as she knew that Ben didn''t understand how powerful the Phoenix Clan is.


    Returning to camp, Ben let out a heart breaking yell, ¡°Nooooo!¡±


    The rabbits they were cooking were reduced to charcoal, ruining their supper. Though Cloey¡¯s reaction wasn''t as dramatic as Ben¡¯s, she still had a heart broken look on her face.


    ¡°I guess I will try and find something to eat.¡± Ben moped, dragging his feet as he walked into the woods.


    ¡­


    Ben was a roller coaster of emotions that night and couldn''t fall asleep. He couldn''t help but think of the worse.


    ¡®What if my family isn''t there? Are they dead? Should I keep looking for them if they aren''t there?¡¯ Countless thoughts ran through Ben¡¯s head.


    Unable to sleep, Ben got up and walked away from camp into a secluded area. Sitting down and crossing his legs, Ben began to absorb Natural Energy.


    Activating his right eye, black mist bellowed out from it and surrounded him. His Darkness element wasn''t very strong during the day but at night it was unmatched.


    His Darkness didn''t only have a corrosion effect but also allowed him to blend into shadows. Bennett truly felt like a ninja when he discovered this ability and tried to scare Cloey with it. He was able to scare her and make her scream but she didn''t talk to him for a week and once woke up buried in snow.


    Learning his lesson, Ben practiced this new ability at night. Melding in and out of shadows was taxing on his Internal Energy but was great practice for control.


    The black mist grew thicker and started to circle around Ben as he continued to cultivate his eye.


    After hours of cultivating, Ben stopped absorbing Natural Energy. The black mist started to return into his eye, the eye was still a gold colour but the black ring around his pupil was thicker.


    Stretching his muscles after sitting for so long, Ben grabbed his swords and started practicing. There was only an hour until sunrise so sleep was out of the question.


    Ben was able to use his Beast Imitation skill better now. He could imitate a snake and make his arm super flexible, he could also cover parts of his skin with scales to increase his defense. Though they were only tiny things, they helped Ben out in tough spots.


    Seeing the sunrise, he strapped the swords to his back and returned to camp, he found Cloey cooking breakfast.


    Ben chuckled, ¡®This girl is always hungry it seems.¡¯


    Duke was still snoring away but his ears twitched telling Ben he was awake. The black bird still hadn''t woke up but Ben didn''t expect her to for awhile. Thinking of the black bird, Ben opened up her stats panel.


    Ava Lvl 22


    Dark Phoenix (Divine Beast)


    Element: Black Flame


    Mana: 3/431


    Vitality (VIT): 102


    Strength (STR): 55


    Dexterity (DEX): 45


    Agility (AGI): 104


    Intelligence (INT): 111


    Wisdom (WIS): 120


    Loyalty- 55%


    Skills-Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Shape Shifter


    Rebirth


    Fire Spells


    ¡®What the actually fuck?¡¯ Ben was shocked. These stats were ridiculous. She was only Lvl 22 but her stat rivaled Ben¡¯s in some areas. Ben clicked on her skills.


    Shape Shifter- able to change size of the users body.


    Rebirth- exclusive skill to the Phoenix Clan. The user is bathed in flames, healing all injuries.


    Ava had numerous of different fire spells that Ben didn''t get into. What amazed him was the Rebirth skill. The ability to heal all injuries? How amazing was that!


    Ben was pondering to himself, ¡®Is the reason her stats are so incredible is because she is a Divine Beast? I will have to ask her when she wakes up.¡¯


    After having a small breakfast, Ben and Cloey climbed on top of Duke¡¯s back. They took off heading north, looking at the map they should arrive in less than 3 hours at Duke¡¯s normal speed.


    Ben¡¯s emotions got stronger and stronger the closer they came to the city. Cloey was able to tell how nervous Ben was, she saw him take off last night and knew he didn''t get any sleep.


    Putting a her hand on his shoulder she softly said, ¡°Everything will be alright.¡± She had know way to know if it was the truth or not but it still calmed Ben down.


    Looking at her, he smiled, ¡°Thanks Cloey.¡±


    ¡®She¡¯s right Master! We will find them and they will give you their blessings to breed with Miss Cloey.¡¯ Duke shouted in his mind, giving him his own version of comfort to Ben.


    Giving a small smile, he nodded his head, ¡°Well then let''s go.¡±


    ¡­


    The forest around them was getting thinner and thinner. Ben could see trails that looked used recently and even stumps left by trees being cut down.


    Telling Duke to stop, Ben and Cloey jumped down from his back.


    ¡°Sorry buddy but I don''t think I will be able to walk into this city with a giant wolf.¡± apologizing to Duke, Ben touched his head. Duke turned transparent before completely disappearing and then appearing on Ben¡¯s arm.


    Ben wore a black sleeveless shirt with a pair of black wind pants. His body was built and muscular with his light golden hair giving him an noble aura. His muscular arms were covered in black tattoos, depicting a wolf and a bird.


    Ben thought of changing but the clothes he had left were all tore from battles. Taking a deep breath he started to walk towards the city¡¯s gate.


    This wasn''t Ben¡¯s first time seeing these cities but it still took his breath away. The walls stood like mountains in front of Ben. Seeing people coming in and out of the gate, Cloey lowered her head and tried to cover her ears with her hair.


    ¡°You don''t have to hide. I already told you if anyone tries to fuck with you, I will kill them.¡± Ben gave a dangerous smile.


    ¡®Me too!¡¯ Duke added.


    ¡°Duke says he will too.¡±


    Cloey saw the promise in Ben¡¯s eyes. A tinge of red appeared on her cheeks as she nodded lightly.


    As they walked towards the door, people started to notice them.


    Both of them stood out from the norm, Cloey with her unmatched beauty and Ben with his gold eyes and hair.


    The two guards immediately noticed them, ¡°Are you two new to the city?¡±


    ¡°Yes, is there a problem?¡± Ben asked.


    The guards stiffened, a invisible pressure surrounded their bodies making it hard to breath.


    ¡°N-no sir. You''re suppose to pay 1 gold for newcomers to enter.¡± the guard stammered.


    ¡°Gold?¡± Ben frowned, was it the new form of currency?


    Cloey walked up and handed two gold coins over to the guards. Ben was shocked, he had never seen these coins but Cloey seemed to have them.


    ¡°I''ll explain later to you idiot.¡± she softly said. Her favourite thing to call Ben, besides pervert, was idiot.


    Giving her a quick nod, they entered the gate.


    ¡°Go report to the Lord about this. He will be interested in that man¡¯s power.¡± the guards smile turned evil, ¡°Or that woman¡¯s body.¡±


    ¡­


    [Entering City #01. Shop feature unlocked in system.]


    Entering the city Ben and Cloey were amazed. The streets were wide and had countless vendors and shops lines up. People were yelling, trying to sell their product.


    Ben shook his head, ¡®Humans sure are able to adapt.¡¯


    The new world only began 6 months ago but everyone here was already accustomed to this world. Seeing this Ben actually started to believe that they had a chance to survive in this world.


    Everyone in the city was over level 20 which surprised Ben.


    Heads turned when they saw Ben and Cloey. It was expected but Ben didn''t think it would be this bad. Cloey was attracting most of the attention with her beauty outshining anyone close to her.


    Though she was still shy and nervous, she did what Ben told her and didn''t hide. She looked straight ahead, not hiding her face and her ears were on display for everyone to see.


    Ben was catching flirty glances from some girls selling merchandise. Though Cloey outshone Ben, he was able to catch some attention to with his tattooed muscular arms on display and golden hair.


    Cloey¡¯s eye lit up as she saw a food vendor, glancing at Ben. Giving a slight nod, they both approached the vendor.


    ¡°What can a get the lovely couple?¡± A greasy man with a stained white apron asked with a large smile.


    Ignoring the couple comment, Cloey ordered, ¡°I¡¯ll have 4 kebabs please.¡±


    ¡°That will be 50 silvers.¡± passing over the money, Cloey grabbed the kebabs greedily.


    ¡°Excuse sir, do you know of anyone called Joe Arnott?¡± Ben asked hoping for some information about his dad.


    ¡°Can''t say I have but there''s a Grayson Arnott. He¡¯s one of the strongest mages this city has.¡± the greasy man told him.


    Ben almost burst with excitement! His brother was alive! ¡°Do you know where I can find him!?¡± Ben almost yelled at the man.


    Taking a step back in fear, ¡°The stadium. I heard Lord Cassie challenged him to a duel.¡±


    ¡°A duel? About what?¡± Ben¡¯s expression grew dark. If they injured his little brother¡­


    ¡°There¡¯s a rumor saying that Lord Cassie wants to make Grayson Arnott¡¯s girlfriend his women but wasn''t able to do it by force because Grayson was too strong. So he set up this duel with dirty intentions. Grayson had to accept because they started targeting his parents.¡± the man let out a small cry as he finished talking.


    Ben¡¯s anger was white hot and a faint red aura surrounded him.


    ¡®They will all die.¡¯ he vowed.


    ¡°Where is the stadium?¡± his voice was ice cold. The greasy man could smell blood coming off him.


    Pointing towards the stadium, Ben grabbed Cloey¡¯s hand and took off in that direction.


    ¡­


    Grayson dodged another sword strike before sending a fireball at Cassie. Cassie was able to deflect the fireball with his sword.


    Grayson was in terrible shape. His magician robes were tore and dirty and his blonde hair a mess. He had a shallow cut on his cheek that wouldn''t stop bleeding giving him a bloody look.


    ¡°I am finally able to kill you Grayson. You have no idea how much I have looked forward to this.¡± Cassie gave an evil smile. He had dark hair with a short stocky build. He had shiny new armour and a new sword that had to be at least Rare item.


    Grayson sneered and sent another fireball towards Cassie, ¡°Had to resort to poisoning me before the fight. I have less than half my mana and yet you still can''t beat me cleanly. How pathetic is that Cassie?¡±


    Cassie gave a shrug, not ruffled by his words, ¡°A win is a win. But don''t worry Grayson. I will take good care of your girlfriend, she will become my third wife.¡±


    Grayson became furious, ¡°I''ll kill you before that happens.¡±


    Grayson only had enough mana for one spell so he had to make it count. He ran towards Cassie to get closer.


    ¡°Pff idiot. Challenging a warrior in close combat?¡± Cassie shot towards him to.


    Cassie swung his sword, aiming to cut Grayson¡¯s head off. Grayson sent a fire spear straight for Cassie¡¯s heart, hoping to pierce him and kill him.


    ¡°Ice wall!¡± a voice rang out.


    A large wall of ice stopped both attacks from connecting and they looked for who had interfered with their match.


    ¡°Who dares stops our match?!¡± Cassie roared.


    A man walked unto the field. His light gold hair flickered in the wind and his bright gold eyes seemed to pierce their souls. Dressed in all black, the man gave a bloodthirsty aura.


    The man stared at Cassie before saying one word.


    ¡°Die.¡±

 Chapter 26- Family Reunion

    ¡°Who are-!¡± Cassie started to ask but before he could, Ben had him by his throat and was lifting him off the ground.


    Ben¡¯s hand had turned into a claw and was squeezing Cassie¡¯s throat tighter and tighter.


    ¡°My fath-!¡±


    *Snap!*


    His neck broke. Throwing the body onto the ground Ben coldy said, ¡°Don''t worry, I will kill him as well.¡±


    ¡°Lord!¡±


    ¡°Lord Cassie!¡±


    His servants and body guards all ran onto the field in panic. If the Lord died they would all die!


    ¡°Don''t worry, you are all going to die as well.¡± these cold arrogant words sent shivers down their spines.


    Both of Ben¡¯s hands became claws, he activated his left eye, sending lightning throughout his body. With lightning shooting out from his body and with sharp claws for hands, he looked like a god thirsty for blood. Before they had a chance to run away, Ben appeared before them, slashing their throats.


    Screams and begging were heard across the field as the slaughter continued. Ben¡¯s cold expression never changed as he wantingly slaughtered. He felt no sympathy or mercy for these people. They dared to raise a hand against his family? Then there would be no second chance for them, there fate was sealed.


    Blood covered the ground as Ben crushed the last man¡¯s throat. His hands turning back to normal, he walked over to Grayson. Cloey stood in front of him, Ben told her to protect him while he took care of the insects.


    ¡­


    Grayson looked around in horror. Bodies were laying everywhere, necks ripped open and bleeding. Their eyes still open filled with fear and shock.


    A beautiful woman was standing in front of him, her long white hair and devilish figure would make her the center of most men¡¯s fantasies.


    ¡°Umm excuse me? Who are you and who is that man?¡± Grayson nervously asked. He knew that they saved him but he wanted to know why.


    The white haired girl gave him a quick look before returning her gaze to the man dressed in black.


    ¡°He will want to tell you himself.¡± she said, her voice sounded like a beautiful melody.


    Giving a small nod, Grayson saw the man walking towards him. Standing up, he tried to brush off and adjust his robes to make himself look less pathetic. He ran his fingers through his long blonde hair, trying to tame the mess.


    As the man came closer, he got a better look at him. He was around 1.9m tall with a muscular body. His hair was a blonde but had a light gold tinge to it. The man¡¯s arms were covered in life like tattoos, a wolf and a bird from what Grayson could tell. What really surprised Grayson were the man¡¯s eyes. Bright gold iris¡¯ with different coloured rings in each eye. The blood thirsty aura he emitted made Grayson shiver.


    ¡®He looks familiar though.¡¯ Grayson thought.


    Steeling his nerves, Grayson greeted him.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Grayson. Thank you for saving me, sir. Is there-¡± Before Grayson could finish, the man embraced him with a tight hug.


    ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡± Grayson froze in fear, not knowing what to do.


    Letting him go, the man stared at Grayson, ¡°What you can''t remember you own damn brother?¡±


    ¡­


    Ben smiled at Grayson¡¯s shocked expression.


    His brother seemed to be doing good. He seemed taller than before, almost as tall as himself. His hair was still long like before, his father always gave him hell about it. Grayson was wearing a red magician robe that looked like it came straight from a fantasy movie.


    ¡°My brother?¡± Grayson¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Bennett? Bennett is that you?¡± Grayson was in disbelief.


    ¡°Of course you dumbass, who else would make the effort to save your sorry ass?¡± Ben joked punching Grayson in the shoulder.


    Grayson held his shoulder, still in shock from what Ben told him. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Tears swelled up in Grayson¡¯s eyes, ¡°Ben!¡± he cried diving back into Bennett¡¯s arms.


    Patting his brothers back, Ben gently smiled. ¡°Okay you baby. Let''s go see mom and dad. I have travelled a long way to see them.¡±


    Wiping his eyes, Grayson nodded. He then looked at Cloey and then back to Ben, asking him a question silently.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is Cloey.¡± Ben said introducing them, ¡°Cloey, this is my brother Grayson.¡±


    Cloey gave a slight nod towards Grayson and he returned it.


    Noticing her ears, ¡°You''re an elf?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Snow Elf.¡± Cloey simply stated, not elaborating.


    ¡°Okay now let''s go see mom and dad already.¡± Ben urged, the excitement in his voice was obvious.


    ¡°But Ben, what about all this?¡± Grayson motioned to the dead bodies. ¡°Some of these people are from powerful families and will come looking for revenge.¡± Grayson was worried for his brother because they would definitely come for Ben¡¯s head.


    ¡°Let them come. I haven''t vented all my anger yet anyway.¡± a blatant threat towards anyone who could hear.


    Though he was still hesitant, ¡°Okay let''s go see mom and dad. They will be thrilled to see you. We thought the worst.¡±


    ¡°Yes let''s go.¡± Ben said, almost jumping up and down with excitement.


    ¡­


    On the way to see his parents, Grayson told him about what they went through the last 6 months. Ben¡¯s family was relatively lucky as they were on their way home when the system was put in place. Monsters attacked their vehicle but dad and Grayson were able to kill them and get their classes. Dad chose a Warrior class called Berserker that let him unleash devastating blows in a small time frame. Grayson choose the mage class as his INT and WIS were unusually high. They found others wanderers like them and stayed together. When phase two came, they headed towards the closest city.


    It was on the way to the city that Grayson met his present girlfriend. Her name was Allana and she was a mage as well. They fell in love before they knew it. They made it to the city okay but their problems shorty began after. The self proclaimed ruler of the city son saw Allana by chance and started to pursue her. Unable to win her heart, he tried to take her by force but was almost burnt to death by Grayson. Jack Bosch, the leader of the city, had to step in to save his son. Though he wanted to kill Grayson, he didn''t dare make a mover or the other powerful families in the city might use this chance to join forces and attack him.


    His dad, Joe Arnott, acquired the sub class Blacksmith and started to work in a small shop near where they lived. Cathy, their mom, also got a subclass as a Seamstress and got a job in a large shop. Cathy also acquired the class Healer, thanks to Grayson and Joe leveling her up.


    Ben looked at Grayson¡¯s status.


    Grayson Lvl 44


    Fire Mage


    ¡°Grayson you said you are a mage but your status says Fire Mage?¡± Ben was confused.


    ¡°Yeah it''s the class I choose at level 25.¡± Grayson looked at Ben, as though it was obvious.


    ¡°Most people choose a new class at level 25 , 50 and 75.¡± Cloey calmly stated, knowing Ben didn''t know this.


    ¡°Oh I didn''t know that.¡± Ben wondered why he didn''t have that but he knew his class was something a little special.


    Grayson looked at Ben with a strange look, ¡®He doesn''t even know the basics?¡¯


    An annoyed look flashed on Ben¡¯s face, ¡°Hey what''s with that look? While you have been sitting all cozy in a city I have been fighting for my life in the wild. I didn''t have time to learn this stuff.¡± Ben ruffled Grayson¡¯s hair.


    Pushing Ben¡¯s hand away, Grayson noticed his tattoos again.


    ¡°Bro did you get those tattoos when we were on vacation?¡± Grayson asked, examining Ben¡¯s arm.


    ¡°Haha no it actually has something to do with my class.¡± Ben laughed at Grayson¡¯s shocked looked.


    Walking through the city, they arrived at the lower end housing and shops. Grayson looked embarrassed at where they lived.


    ¡°I wasn''t able to go out hunting that much because I was afraid to leave mom and Allana alone.¡± Grayson explained.


    Hunting was the main source of income most families had in the city. They could sell to shops or sell straight to the system.


    Ben nodded his head, not caring where his family lived as long as they were safe.


    Grayson walked up to a small house and opened the door, letting Cloey and Ben entered. Looking around the house, Ben could see his mother¡¯s influence everywhere.


    A young lady rushed out from a room, seeing Grayson she started crying and leaped into his arms. Grayson buried his face into her shoulder and tightly hugged her.


    ¡°Thank god. I thought you were going to die.¡± she sobbed into Grayson¡¯s chest.


    ¡®This must be Allana.¡¯ Ben mused.


    She was a beautiful girl with long black hair and clear brown skin. She had light brown eyes that gave her a pure look with light pink lips.


    Grayson was a good looking kid and had no trouble in the ladies department in high school so Ben knew she had to be a special girl to capture his heart.


    ¡°Grayson!¡± a new voice came from another room.


    Ben breath caught, ¡®Mom.¡¯


    His mother ran out and hugged Grayson and Allana. Joe also ran out and gave a large smile filled with relief. He walked over and hugged his son as well.


    Ben smiled and let them have their moment. His mother looked younger, like she was filled with youth. His father looks the same, just a little large thanks to his class.


    He stood by the door with Cloey and smiled at his family. He felt happiness knowing his family was alive and well and he was now reunited with them.


    ¡°Okay everyone enough. There¡¯s someone here who wants to meet you.¡± Grayson finally spoke, breaking up the hug pile.


    Joe and Cathy were stunned by Cloey¡¯s appearance. They didn''t think that anyone could be that beautiful. Allana was also stunned, she had always been praised for her appearance but now it seemed like a joke in front of Cloey.


    Cloey¡¯s face turned red as she tried to hide behind Ben.


    ¡°Haha always stealing all the attention.¡± Ben teased.


    Cloey pinched his side in response.


    Everyone seemed to focus on Ben now.


    ¡°Welcome to our home.¡± Joe greeted him.


    Cathy stared at Ben for awhile before taking an audible gasp. She walked forward and touched his face. ¡°Is that you Benny?¡± she whispered.


    Pressing her hand to his face, ¡°Yes mom. It¡¯s me.¡± he whispered, tears threatening to spill.


    Cathy¡¯s eyes turned red as she hugged her son. Both her boys came back to her today, what more could she ask.


    Joe was stunned, ¡®Ben? This is Ben?¡¯


    He did look like Ben but the hair and eyes were wrong.


    ¡°You''re Ben?¡± Joe asked.


    ¡°Yes dad. I might look a little different but it is me.¡± Ben smiled at his cautious father.


    Allana was still in Grayson¡¯s arms, ¡°This is your older brother you told me about? He is alive?¡± she asked stupefied. Grayson told her he was by himself when the system came into play and that his chances of surviving were very low. Though the family kept hope, they knew that it was a long shot he was still alive.


    Grayson smiled, ¡°Yes, Bennett finally made it home.¡±


    ¡­


    At the center of the city in a huge mansion, all hell was breaking loose.


    *Smash!*


    A table was destroyed and splinters sent flying.


    ¡°WHO DARES KILL MY KID!?¡± Jack roared, spit flying everywhere.


    Jack was a short man that was almost as wide as he was tall. His black hair had greying on the sides. His brown eyes were bloodshot with rage as he continued to destroy the room.


    The messenger was shaking in fear, not knowing if Jack would take his life in anger.


    After destroying the room, Jack was standing there taking deep ragged breaths.


    Looking at the messenger he calmed himself, ¡°Find out who he is and his level.¡±


    The messenger left in a hurry, thankful to leave with his life.


    Jack eyes turned bright red before turning back to brown, ¡°Whoever you are, you will pay for killing my son.¡±

 Chapter 27- Massacre After Supper

    Ben¡¯s mother made a huge supper for everyone. The mood around the table was a joyous one with Grayson and Ben returning. Joe even splurged a bit and bought some wine from the market.


    The food and drinks flowed smoothly as they celebrated. Ben got to know Allana a little better after talking with her.


    She was from a reserve near the city of North Battleford. She was on her way home from University when the system started but luckily she was able to get her class quickly to defend herself.


    Cathy quickly healed Grayson¡¯s wounds and he changed into a different robe. Seeing the blood on Ben¡¯s hand Cathy started to fret, wanting to heal him.


    ¡°Don''t worry mom, it''s not my blood.¡± Ben¡¯s smile was cold.


    Cathy looked at him confused.


    ¡°Mom how do you think I am here? Do you honestly think I was able to beat Cassie being poisoned?¡± Grayson chuckled, knowing how innocent his mom was.


    ¡°Well¡­ I don''t know.¡± she frowned, not knowing what to think.


    ¡°Ben and Cloey killed Cassie and all his men.¡± Grayson said with a straight face.


    Joe was surprised by the revelation. He knew that the city¡¯s lord, Jack, protected his son with many guards and Cassie¡¯s strength wasn''t weak either.


    ¡°B-but now they will kill you!¡± Cathy shrieked in panic. She just got her sons back and didn''t want to lose them again.


    Dismissing her worries with a wave of his hand, ¡°Don''t worry. If they come they will die. Even if they don''t come they are going to die.¡± Coldness radiated from Ben.


    Joe looked at his son, ¡°Are you sure?¡± It was a simple question but had a deeper meaning.


    A huge grin appeared on Ben¡¯s face, ¡°Absolutely.¡± he said brimming with certainty.


    ¡°Good then.¡± Joe said nodding his head, he started eating again.


    Cathy looked back and forth between her husband and son, still worried but let it go.


    Just when Ben was about to start eating again he was interrupted.


    ¡°What''s on your arms?¡± Joe scowled at Ben. ¡°I don''t remember raising a thug.¡±


    Ben¡¯s parents were fairly conservative and stuck to their own stubborn ways. Neither of them had any tattoos and mom only had her ears pierced.


    ¡°You didn''t dad. It''s part of my class.¡± Ben quickly said, a little nervous. Killing 4 mutant zombies? No problem. Facing his dad¡¯s scorn? He would choose the zombies twice.


    ¡°Your class? What does it have to do with your class?¡± he asked, not fully believing his son.


    Ben was about to explain but something stopped him. A cold smile appeared on his face, ¡°I¡¯ll show you. We have company.¡±


    Ben got up from the kitchen table and walked towards the door. Cloey was right behind him, knowing something was up.


    The rest of the family looked at each other before getting up and following Ben outside.


    The sun was starting to set, making the sky red. Outside of his family¡¯s house there was around a hundred people or so. They had surrounded the house making sure they couldn''t get away.


    Ben smiled as he greeted the crowd, ¡°Hello everyone, how can I help you?¡±


    A skinny man stepped forward, ¡°Are you the one who killed my son?¡± his voice filled with anger.


    ¡°If your son was trying to kill my brother at the duel this morning then yes. I killed him. Is there a problem?¡± Ben¡¯s smile never faltered, he talked to the man like he would a friend.


    The man didn''t answer, he glared at him and tightened his grip on his weapon.


    Another person stepped forward, ¡°What gives you the rights to kill anyone?¡±


    ¡°The rights? Hahaha! This does!¡± Ben stuck his fist out. ¡°If your fist is bigger than mine, how can I stop you from killing me? This is the way it is now. If you don''t like it, get stronger.¡±


    Complaints and disagreements sprang up from the crowd. Ben just shook his head in annoyance.


    ¡°Enough talking! You want revenge? Come get it! Anyone who steps back will be spared, anyone who stays will be killed. You have 3 seconds!¡± Ben yelled at the crowd.


    ¡°3! 2! 1!¡± Ben counted down. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    No one backed down, whether it was because Ben didn''t give them enough time or they thought they could kill him, he didn''t know.


    ¡°He¡¯s just a brat! Let''s kill him!¡± The same skinny man yelled, charging Ben.


    Ben looked at his dad, ¡°You wanted to know what my tattoos had to do with my class right dad? Watch.¡± Ben coldy smiled, holding his right arm out.


    The tattoo started to move, turning into a transparent mist. The mist started to form into a giant wolf, Duke.


    Duke¡¯s shoulders stood 2m tall, with his black fur he seemed to block out the already dying sun from the sky. Everyone stopped and stared in horror at Duke.


    *Growl*


    Duke started growling at the crowd, showing his huge fangs.


    ¡°We will step back.¡± The man said in fear looking at Duke.


    ¡°Too late.¡± Ben¡¯s voice sounded like ice. ¡°Kill them.¡±


    Duke took off towards the crowd and started to massacre. Every swipe with his claws killed a group of people, his jaws bit people in half and his tail sent some flying. Screams filled the air as Duke became a grim reaper. Some people were able to fight back with their weapons but still were no match for Duke. The killing only lasted 1 minute before it was over.


    Duke, who was covered in blood, padded over Bennett and sat down. Ben petted Duke¡¯s head, ¡°Good job buddy.¡±


    ¡®They were weak Master. No fun.¡¯ he complained.


    ¡°Don''t worry, next time it should be somewhat of a challenge.¡± Ben assured him.


    Looking back towards his family he saw them staring at Duke, horrified.


    An evil smirk appeared on Ben¡¯s face as he whispered to Duke.


    ¡­


    ¡®What the hell was that?¡¯ Grayson was thinking. His brother had summoned a demonic beast that slaughtered over 100 people in less than a minute.


    The beast was a giant black wolf that reminded him of the biblical hell hound. After massacring the crowd, the wolf walked over to Ben and sat down like a normal dog! What''s more is that Ben started to pet him like one! What kind of freak was his brother!


    The wolf then got up and started walking over towards them. Grayson instantly stiffened as he didn''t know what to do.


    Allana hid behind him, shaking in fear. Dad stepped in front of mom, Grayson could still see the fear on his face.


    The wolf came closer and started to sniff his dad, Joe didn''t react and continued to stare at the wolf. The wolf stopped bothering dad and started to sniff Grayson.


    Grayson closed his eyes, trying not to piss himself. He felt something warm, opening his eyes he saw the wolf was licking him.


    ¡°What the¡­¡± Grayson stopped, he saw Ben laughing as immediately figured it out.


    Cloey who was standing beside Ben looked at him with resentment, ¡°You did the same thing to me.¡±


    ¡°You were so scared too.¡± Ben continued to laugh, causing Cloey to step on his foot in anger.


    ¡­


    Jack stood on top of a nearby building watching the wolf massacre. He had sent these people to gauge Ben¡¯s strength and plan accordingly but somehow he summoned a wolf.


    ¡®Is he a tamer? No his physical stats are too high. Maybe it was a special one time item?¡¯


    Jack didn''t know what to make out of Duke and Ben.


    A man appeared behind him.


    ¡°Interesting right?¡± the man said looking at Ben.


    ¡°Can you handle the wolf?¡± Jack got straight to the point.


    ¡°Yes. It shouldn''t be a problem.¡± the man replied.


    ¡°Good. We will attack tonight.¡± Jack said, his voice filled with killing intent.


    ¡­


    ¡°... you¡¯re telling me this is Duke, our farm dog.¡±


    Ben¡¯s family was stunned at the revelation. They couldn''t believe that the old dog they had not only survived but was a giant wolf who could slaughter a 100 people no problem.


    Joe was staring at the tattoo of Duke on Ben¡¯s arm, ¡°So that''s why you have those tattoos. What about the other one?¡±


    Ben held up his right arm showing Ava to his family, ¡°This is Ava. I don''t know much about her myself as we just contracted together the other day and she has been asleep, recovering from her injuries ever since.¡±


    Allana was mesmerized by the black and gold colouring, ¡°She¡¯s beautiful.¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Shall we finish our meal?¡± Ben asked still hungry.


    Cloey nodded furiously, making Ben laugh.


    ¡°Glutton.¡± he teased causing Cloey to turn red.


    Cathy saw this and a knowing smirk creeped on her face.


    ¡°Cloey dear why don''t you sit next to me.¡± she said offering the chair beside her.


    Nodding shyly, Cloey sat down next to Cathy. She answered the questions Cathy asked in between mouthfuls.


    ¡°Are you an elf my dear?¡±


    ¡°Snow Elf.¡±


    ¡°How long have you been traveling with Ben?¡±


    ¡°Four months.¡±


    ¡°How did you meet?¡±


    ¡°I was being chased by some men and he killed them.¡±


    ¡°Oh ho! Saving the damsel in distress, what a cliche Benny.¡± Cathy teased her son.


    ¡°Damsel my ass, more like a demoness.¡± Ben muttered loud enough for her to hear.


    ¡°Ben that''s not how to talk to a lady.¡± Cathy scolded, ¡°Now apologize.¡±


    Ben looked to his dad for help but the man suddenly was very interested in his food. Cloey had a triumphant look as she waited for Ben¡¯s apology.


    ¡°Sorry Cloey.¡± he muttered, not sincere at all.


    ¡°Good now you can do the dishes with Grayson. With all the blood on your hands maybe doing to dishes will help cleansome of it off.¡± although Cathy was against killing, she knew what kind of world they lived in now. She still wanted her boys not to kill for pleasure.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Ben said, complaining in his heart how it was like he was 15 again.


    After the table was cleared and the dishes were done, everyone decided to turn in for the night. There wasn''t any spare bedrooms so Cloey and Allana shared a bed and Ben and Grayson would share a bed.


    Before going to bed, Ben pulled Cloey over to the side, ¡°Something might happen tonight so keep your guard up. You might have to protect my family while I will deal with them.¡± Ben voice was serious, he could feel something was going to happen and knew his family would be safe if Cloey protected them.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Cloey nodded, before shyly adding, ¡°be safe.¡±


    Looking at her charming red face Ben felt like he lost his soul.


    ¡°You better stop being so charming or my beastly desires might take over.¡± he teased grabbing her hand.


    Her face turned even redder as she tried to pull her hand back without success. She sent a wave of frost into Ben¡¯s hand causing him to let go and yelp.


    She ran into the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.


    ¡°Jeesh alway overreacting.¡± he said as he went to Grayson¡¯s room.


    Grayson was changing out of his robes and into a pair of sweats and a t shirt.


    ¡°Why do you wear a robe?¡± Ben was curious about his brothers fashion choices.


    ¡°All mages where them dumbass, it boost casting speed and spell power.¡± Grayson rolled his eyes at Ben¡¯s lack of common sense.


    ¡°Really?¡± Ben¡¯s eyes shone, ¡°Is there armour I can get to do the same thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You can get any kind of armour from the systems store. Also blacksmith shops sell it.¡± Grayson explained.


    ¡°Looks like I am going shopping tomorrow.¡± Ben was excited.


    Ben then looked towards the ceiling before giving a light smile, ¡°I have some things to take care of. I''ll be back later.¡± Ben activated his shadow element and disappeared into the shadows.


    Grayson stood there in disbelief, how many secrets did his brother have?


    ¡­


    Ben appeared on the room, seeing a short man already waiting for him.


    ¡°We haven''t been introduced. I''m Jack, you are?¡± the man spoke with confidence in his voice.


    ¡°Ben.¡±


    ¡°Well Ben you killed my son. So I must kill you and your family. But don''t worry, the women will live and will be sold off into brothels.¡± the short man''s voice took a cold edge as he talked.


    ¡°Oh is that so?¡± killing intent rolled off Ben in waves. ¡°Why don''t you tell that coward hiding to come out.¡±


    Another man appeared from the shadow of a building. ¡°I''m surprised you could sense me.¡±


    Ben smiled to himself, the shadows are his domain, of course he could sense you.


    ¡°Summon your beast and let''s fight.¡± the short man said, taking a large axe from his storage space.


    Ben summoned his swords and coldly smiled, ¡°I¡¯m more than enough.¡±

 Chapter 28- New City Lord

    ¡°Little arrogant, aren''t we now?¡± Jack voice shook with anger. He was the ruler of this city, ruler of thousands of people but now he was being talked down to by a teenager.


    ¡°Arrogant? Perhaps but let''s get started already. I¡¯m itching to fight some strong opponents. Both of you come at me.¡± Ben spoke calmly as he summoned his lightning. Arcs of lightning covered his body and jumped up and down his swords, his left eye gave off a blue glow, giving off a domineering presence.


    ¡°Henry go full out from the start.¡± Jack said solemnly, activating his blessing. Blood red Internal Energy surrounded his body. A demonic shadow appeared behind him, giving off an evil presence.


    Jack Lvl 55


    Demonic Warrior


    Belu¡¯s Blessing


    ¡®Belu¡¯s Blessing? Is he blessed by a god?¡¯ Ben looked at the demonic shadow behind Jack.


    Henry didn''t have that much of a presence but black mist surrounded him, shrouding his body.


    ¡®Darkness element? Interesting.¡¯


    Henry Lvl 51


    Shadow Assassin


    Ben smiled and waited for them to attack. He wanted to use this battle to gauge his true strength, that''s why he didn''t summon Duke.


    Ben saw Henry disappear into the shadows and Jack shoot towards him, swinging his axe.


    Ben met the blow head on, shockwaves were sent in every direction, shattering some of the closer windows. Ben was knocked back 5 steps while Henry only took one step back. Ben was slightly surprised that he was overpowered by Henry.


    While Ben was slightly surprised, Jack was completely shocked. His strength was his strongest attribute and he always put his free points into strength. Jack even activated his god¡¯s blessing, boosting his stats and giving him a sliver of divine power.


    Belu was a forgotten god that was worshipped in South America thousands of years ago. Her name was forgotten with the passages of time but she remained alive. When the system was place on Earth she saw this as a chance to regain her former glory. She selected Jack as her champion because of his ruthlessness and cunning behavior. He was also strong and had strong support around him. Belu was the Goddess of Blood, human sacrifices were often performed in her name.


    Jack knew he would have to go all out of he wanted to kill Ben, so he activated his god¡¯s remaining skill, Devourer. This skill consumed his blood and in return granted him immense strength. The problem was if he used it too long it could result in his death.


    Activating this skill, the aura around Jack grew thicker. Ben could smell blood coming from this aura and turned serious. He channeled lightning into his swords and legs, raising his speed as he dashed towards Jack.


    Jack aura continued to rise as he let out a roar, cracking the ground underneath his feet. Jack swung his axe, making the air scream in protest.


    Ben knew that he wouldn''t be able to meet the axe head on like last time so he twisted his body, making the axe narrowly miss him. He swung out with his Katana, trying to slash Jack¡¯s throat.


    Jack was still on the follow through of his swing but seeing Ben¡¯s attack he raised the handle of his axe deflecting the attack away. Ben smiled when he saw this, taking a step and closing the distance between them, he stabbed his Ninjato into Jack¡¯s stomach.


    *Pwwah*


    Blood dripped from Jack¡¯s mouth. Ben was about to follow up with another attack when the air behind him slightly shuddered. Henry emerged from his shadow, wielding two long daggers. Henry was extremely quick and Ben didn''t have time to defend himself. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Henry¡¯s two daggers slashed across Ben¡¯s back, leaving two bloody cuts. Henry frowned, his cuts should have been deeper. Between the ripped shirt you could see black scales covering Ben¡¯s back.


    Unable to defended himself with his swords, Ben used Beast Imitation and grew scales to add a layer of defense on his body. This wasn''t the first time he had down this, in the wild this had saved his life when a Speed Zombie swiped at his throat with its sharp claws.


    After this, Ben practiced growing these scales all over his body. He was able to put them just about anywhere and they were able to grow in less than a second. Thanks to this, Ben was able to avoid a serious injury.


    Henry retreated into the shadows after his attack failed. He was an excellent assassin. He picked the perfect moment to attack Ben and when the attack failed he immediately retreated.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have to be more cautious.¡¯ Ben realized how big of threat Henry was.


    He had to deal with Jack first and not leave any openings.


    ¡°Bloodlust.¡± Ben activated Duke¡¯s skill. Blood red aura, similar to Jack¡¯s, surrounded him.


    Without wasting time, Ben continued to attack Jack. His two swords weaved back and forth, not giving an opening for Jack to retaliate. Ben continued to pressure Jack with his attacks, making him continuous step back. Ben was still using his lightning element, whenever Ben swords made contact with Jack¡¯s axe, arcs of lightning would flash, leaving burnt spots on his axe and some on Jack¡¯s body.


    Ben knew his time was running out and attacked more furiously, waiting for an opening.


    An idea popped into Ben¡¯s head.


    Ben made a large flash of lightning, temporarily blinding Jack. Using this opportunity, Ben slashed Jack¡¯s throat.


    No blood flowed from his throat but he still covered it with his hands. Jack¡¯s aura disappeared and he died.


    [Bennett has killed the City Lord, making him the new City Lord.]


    [City Lord option unlocked in system.]


    ¡®I¡¯m the new City Lord?¡¯


    Ben was surprised that he was able to become the City Lord by killing Jack.


    Ben¡¯s Bloodlust skill was over and he felt a little tired from using the skill.


    Ben knew that he still had one more enemy and didn''t lower his guard.


    ¡°Henry. You have the darkness element right?¡± Ben spoke out loud.


    Henry appeared from a shadow from a building.


    ¡°So you killed Jack. I didn''t think your strength was this great.¡± Henry shook his head in disbelief. ¡°And to answer your question, yes. My element is darkness.¡±


    Ben drew the lightning back into his left eye, ¡°How about we have a competition? If I win you become my subordinate and if you win I will leave the city and let you become City Lord.¡±


    Henry was shocked at the offer, ¡°What is the competition?¡±


    Ben smiled, ¡°Who''s better in the dark of course.¡± Ben activated his right eye as dark mist poured out, surrounding him.


    ¡­


    Ben woke up to his dad pounding on the door, ¡°Wake up you two.¡±


    Groaning, Ben rolled over trying to block out the noise, only to find himself face to face with Grayson.


    ¡°Take a hike.¡± Ben said shoving the sleeping Grayson onto the floor.


    ¡°W-what happened?¡± Grayson was still half asleep and confused.


    ¡°You fell.¡± Ben simply said.


    ¡°You pushed me out of the bed, didn''t you?¡± Grayson asked, glaring at Ben.


    ¡°I told you. You fell.¡±


    ¡°... jackass.¡± Grayson cursed.


    ¡°Well next time don''t spoon me. Not getting any from your girlfriend or what?¡± Ben mocked.


    ¡°Do you remember how hard it was trying to be alone with a girl when mom was around?¡± Grayson asked, clearly frustrated.


    ¡°Hahaha she does like to hover, doesn''t she?¡± Ben laughed. His mom was happy when Ben or Grayson brought girls home to meet the family but she had strict rules that frustrated the boys.


    They were not allowed to be alone with their girlfriend.


    As a horny teenager, you could imagine the fights this brought between the boys and their mom. Cathy never backed down though, it was her house and her rules she always said.


    ¡°Get your own house then.¡± Ben thought the solution was simple.


    ¡°Houses are expensive. It took dad and I two weeks of hunting to afford this dump.¡± Grayson complained.


    ¡°Well I have a feeling things might change.¡± Bem smiled mysteriously.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Let''s go eat first and I will explain it to everyone.¡± Ben told him. He got dressed and heading out of his room.


    Cathy had the table full of food. Everyone else was already seated and waiting for the brothers.


    Ben sat next to Cloey as she gave him a long look. She felt the shockwaves of his battle last night and was worried that he was injured. Giving her a reassuring smile, her worries were set to rest.


    ¡°Last night I fought with Jack the City Lord.¡± Ben made his announcement.


    The table went quiet.


    ¡°Since I am here in front of you, I obviously won. I killed him.¡± Ben flatly said.


    Everyone besides Cloey was flabbergasted, Jack Bosch was extremely powerful and was rumored to have a god''s blessing.


    ¡°Because I killed him, I became the City Lord. This means that I get the mansion. I thought we could all move into it today.¡± Ben smiled proudly, he was glad that he could give his family better living conditions.


    ¡°Are we really moving to the City Lord¡¯s mansion?¡± Cathy asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes. Now let''s pack our things and go.¡± Ben stated.


    ¡­


    While his family packed Ben looked at his City Lord interface.


    City 01


    City Lord: Bennett


    Population: 232,735


    Military Strength: 21


    Economic Strength: 31

 Chapter 29- Shadows

    While Ben and his family were having breakfast, the rest of the city was in turmoil. Powerful families were found wiped out, their mansions filled with bodies and blood. Even the City Lord Jack, was found killed with his family.


    ¡°Did you hear? The Harris Family was wiped out!¡±


    ¡°Not only them! Finley family was to!¡±


    ¡°The City Lord¡¯s mansion was wiped out to!¡±


    The general public could tell that something big happened last night and it meant serious changes were coming for them. A tense atmosphere settled over the entire city. The streets were bare as people didn''t dare step out of their homes, they planned wait out the storm.


    While the entire city was holding their breath, Ben and his family walked leisurely down the street.


    ¡°I wonder where everyone is today.¡± Allana said looking around. This was the main road in the city and was usually packed with vendors, even the shops were closed.


    ¡°Probably because of Ben.¡± Grayson said, shooting him a look.


    ¡°Haha probably.¡± Ben gave a light laugh.


    He wasn''t really paying attention as he was occupied checking out the new functions in the system.


    [Shop]


    [Buy or Sell]


    Bennett clicked the [Buy] feature. A list flashed across Ben¡¯s eyes.


    [Weapons]


    [Armour]


    [Materials]


    [Skills]


    Ben clicked and scrolled through all the options. He found out that weapons and armour were ranked by quality. The order went from common, rare, legendary, mythical and saint. The system¡¯s store highest rank they sold was rare and it was stupid expensive. 1,000,000 gold coins!? Ben didn''t have a single gold coin let alone a million.


    Ben found that he could buy beast materials as well from here and craft his own armour and weapon. The skills section was very expensive as well, but for some reason all the skills were greyed out, so he was unable to buy them.


    Ben found out that the beasts and zombies that he killed could be sold back to the system for gold.


    ¡®No wonder Cloey always stored the bodies of everything we killed! She was making money! My money!¡¯


    Ben looked at Cloey furious. Cloey seemed to be able to figure out what he realized and gave a mocking smile.


    ¡°Cloey¡­¡± Ben said through clenched teeth.


    ¡°Ah? Yes Ben what is it?¡± she said in a sickeningly sweet voice.


    ¡°Can I have my money?¡± Ben said, trying to stay calm.


    ¡°What money? I only have a small amount and I worked hard for it. Why should you get it?¡± she pouted. It was completely fake and everyone could tell¡­ except one person.


    ¡°Ben don''t you dare bully her! You stop being lazy and earn your own money! Don''t you dare touch hers!¡± Cathy fiercely scolded Ben.


    Ben cowered in fear, his mom was one of the scariest creatures alive, even after monsters started becoming real.


    Cloey smile couldn''t get any bigger as she watched Ben cower before his mother. After 6 months of living with him and being teased she finally able to get some payback.


    They arrived at the City Lord¡¯s estate. The property was over 3 square kilometers with guest houses and recreational buildings. The main house was enormous, Ben had never seen a house so big.


    The property was surrounded by large cast iron gates. Beautiful gardens could be seen everywhere and even some small beast were running around. Ben thought about letting Duke have breakfast but decided not to because it might ruin everyone''s mood. Walking into the mansion, everyone''s jaw dropped. The room was beautiful! Gold encrusted walls with exquisite carvings, a large chandelier hung from the ceiling. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    A single man dressed in black and three servants girls waited for them inside.


    The man was who Ben fought against last night, Henry Night. Ben learned more about Henry after he defeated him last night. Henry was from the Night family, a family who for as long as they could remember were assassins. They were well known around the world and almost all the powerful family¡¯s or governments used them at one point or another.


    Thanks to their training, Henry and his family survived in this new world quite easy and managed to get to this city. Jack was already City Lord when Henry arrived and didn''t fight him for it.


    ¡°These three ladies will show you to your rooms and guide you around the mansion afterward.¡± Henry spoke elegantly. The three girls slightly bowed as lead one said, ¡°Please follow us.¡±


    Grayson and company followed the maids leaving Ben, Cloey and Henry alone.


    ¡°Did you accomplish what I asked?¡± Ben asked indifferently.


    ¡°Yes Lord. I have wiped out almost all of Jack¡¯s supporters.¡± Henry quickly said.


    ¡°Good. Thanks Henry.¡± Ben smiled.


    ¡°There is one more thing my Lord.¡± Henry seemed hesitant to say anything further.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Ben frowned at Henry reluctance to speak.


    ¡°Well two more things I guess. My father, the patriarch wants to talk to you before we become allies.¡± Henry seriously said. The patriarch of the Night family was always the strongest assassin in the family, regardless of bloodlines.


    ¡°I look forward to meeting him.¡± Ben nodded.


    ¡°The last thing¡­ maybe it would be better if we were alone my lord.¡± Henry said, looking at Cloey and then back to Ben.


    ¡°I trust Cloey with my life. She can hear whatever you have to say.¡± Ben said coldly.


    Cloey face felt a little warm from Ben¡¯s declaration. A happy feeling also blossumed in her chest.


    ¡°It is not that I don''t trust her my lord. It''s that she might be a little sensitive about the information.¡±


    ¡°Just get it out.¡± Ben snapped.


    ¡°I found a dungeon during the raid last night. In it were five girls. Including an elf that looks like her. Their condition isn''t great sir. Especially the elf.¡± Henry face had a hint of anger in it. The condition of these women was inhumane when he found them.


    ¡°TAKE ME TO HER NOW!¡± Cloey screamed at him, frost formed around her feet and mist seemed to rotate around her.


    Ben grabbed her hand, ¡°Cloey! Enough!¡±


    The frost around Cloey seemed to retract a little at Ben¡¯s yelling.


    ¡°Take us there Henry and then please go get my mother and bring her here to. Don''t let the rest of them come.¡± Ben said quickly, he knew that the girls probably would need medical care and his mom was the only healer they had right now.


    Henry took off and Ben and Cloey followed. Cloey face was pale and she looked frantic. Ben gave her hand a light squeeze, trying to get her to calm down.


    They followed Henry down many flights of stairs. Reaching the depths of the mansion. The dungeon wa dark and moist, it smelled funny as well.


    The girls were not in the cells, it seems that Henry or a maid brought them out of the cell and tried first aid on them.


    Cuts, bruises, burns. You name it these girls had it on their bodies. There was more purple skin then white to be seen. Seeing their condition, made Ben furious.


    ¡®What monster treats humans like this.¡¯


    Ben saw the Snow Elf that Henry was talking about. Her white hair was stained with blood and filth. Her face was bruised and swollen. Her wrist were bloodied and rubbed raw, Ben could even see the bone.


    There was shallow cuts all of her body, some were still bleeding.


    ¡°Lily!¡± Cloey screamed running up to her. Tears poured down her face as she barely recognized her friend.


    ¡°Cleoy move. Henry go get my mom.¡± Ben quickly said, pushing Cloey aside.


    Ben started to control the Natural Energy around him, absorbing it. He then placed his hand on Lily¡¯s head, sending the Natural Energy into her body. Her body started to heal at a visible rate, as the cuts closed and the bruises faded from her skin.


    Five minutes later, Ben stood up, ¡°She¡¯s completely healed Cloey. It might take her awhile to wake because of the trauma she experienced. Take her upstairs and find a room for her.¡± Ben stood up, letting her see her friend.


    Cloey hugged Ben tightly and whispered, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Ben gently smiled, ¡°You''re welcome.¡± Ben patted her back in comfort.


    Seperating, Ben started to treat the other girls. Cathy soon came and after her initial horror, she quickly started healing as well.


    The girls were in terrible shape but they all managed to survive. Ben created an infirmary in the mansion and placed them there until they woke up. Cloey put Lily in her own room and didn''t leave her side. Ben had to send her food or she would have forgot to eat.


    ¡­


    Ben was sitting in a large room with a long table and chairs around it. Someone at the door knocked.


    ¡°Lord it''s me.¡± Henry¡¯s voice came out from behind the door.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Henry and an older gentlemen walked in the door.


    ¡°Please take a seat. I¡¯m Bennett Arnott but Ben is just fine.¡± he introduced himself to the old man.


    ¡°I¡¯m Deke. Patriarch of the Night family.¡± his voice was deep and rough, like two boulders grinding together. He was average height with grey hair and black eyes. His body seemed to be very fit and his movements were precise.


    ¡°Deke. Are you interested in working for me?¡± Ben went straight to the point, not wanting to waste anyone''s time.


    Deke stared at Ben for a minute before saying, ¡°What work would we do?¡±


    ¡°Intelligence.¡± Ben simply said, ¡°I need to know everything in this city and I want your family to be my eyes and ears.¡±


    Ben knew he needed intelligence first if he wanted to be a successful City Lord. Knowledge is power.


    A strange light appeared in Deke¡¯s eyes. ¡°Not assassinations?¡±


    ¡°No. Maybe in the future but you son already took care of the people I needed dead. Right now I need information about this city and the people in it.¡± Ben didn''t need to kill anymore people or else the public might rebel in fear.


    Ben stared at Deke, ¡°You will have full control over this. I will give you gold and anything else you need to create an intelligence network. This will be your job and I will not interfere but I expect results. Wrong intelligence could cause lives to be lost.¡± Ben released some of his aura, showing Deke how serious he was.


    Deke didn''t show a reaction to the sudden pressure but was able to tell how powerful this man was.


    Deke contemplated for awhile. He had been a assassin since he was 11 years old and was trained in many things, included gathering intelligence. This City Lord was generous but he demanded results in return.


    Deke would be lying if he said he didn''t feel excitement at this new challenge. An excitement he hadn''t felt for a long time. According to his son, the City Lord was extremely powerful and had the Darkness element like their family. Ben was able to take on Henry and Jack on at the same time.


    ¡°Okay, I accept. What should we be called?¡± Deke said, showing a little excitement.


    ¡°Up to you. You are the leader.¡± Ben said, in truth he was afraid of calling it something stupid and have be ridiculed later by his family.


    Deke gave off a strange smile, ¡°The Shadows.¡±

 Chapter 30- Bringing Everyone Together

    The next couple days flew by for Ben. When he took over the City Lord¡¯s mansion, he had access to the city¡¯s treasury. He invested most of it in the Shadows, hoping Deke would be able to set up the operation quickly. Lily and the other girls were still unconscious and Cloey had barely left her side. Cathy took care of the other girls, checking on them everyday.


    The system had a message system that allowed the City Lord to address the citizens. Ben decided to use it to calm everyone''s worries and to lighten the atmosphere.


    [Hello Everyone, My name is Bennett Arnott. As most of you know I defeated to previous City Lord and took this title. I am young and will need everyone''s help, not only to survive these dark times but to thrive in these dark times. This is humanities darkest moment in history but I believe we have a chance here. A chance to become something better, stronger.]


    Sending the message out, Ben took a deep breath. He then summoned his family and Henry.


    After they all gathered Ben gave them tasks that needed to be done.


    ¡°Henry, I need you to bring the city¡¯s strongest to the mansion.¡± Ben told Henry.


    ¡°What if they refuse my lord?¡± Henry said a little nervous.


    Ben didn''t say anything for a couple of seconds, ¡°Then I will personally come visit them.¡± Though the words were innocent enough, Ben¡¯s voice was cold.


    Henry shivered before leaving to finish his task.


    ¡°Dad and mom, I want you to bring all the people with tradesto the mansion.¡± Ben told his parents.


    His parents gave him a questionly look.


    ¡°Even though there are a lot of stores, the hunters don''t seem to buy from them and sell to the system instead. Then in return, the trades people sell their finished products to the system instead of the hunters. There is no cash flow, no economy whatsoever. This needs to change.¡± Ben wanted humans not to become reliant on the system, it would slow their progress.


    Ben¡¯s reasoning opened his parents eyes. Both of them had professions and they knew about this problem. The major problem was that at the beginning the quality of the items produced by any trade was shit. The players didn''t buy it because it was poor quality and bought from the system. Seeing this pissed off the trades and they took a loss selling their products to the system.


    Ben planned to correct this and make the two parties come to an agreement.


    ¡°Grayson you were part of a hunting party right?¡± Ben asked his younger brother.


    ¡°Yes, both Allana and I were.¡± he replied.


    ¡°I need you to bring the leaders of these hunting parties here.¡± Ben spoke calmly.


    With a face full of determination, Grayson nodded and left the mansion.


    Ben sat in the room by himself. He wanted to make this city great but he had no idea how challenging it was. He knew that people would resist so the first thing he wanted to do was display his power. Of course strength wouldn''t achieve everything but it was a damn good start.


    Ben opened up his stats panel.


    Bennett- Lvl 50


    Class: Beast Warrior


    Bloodline: Mekata Eyes


    Elements: Lightning Seed & Dark Seed


    Vitality (VIT): 100


    Strength (STR): 152 (+3)


    Dexterity (DEX): 153 (+3)If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Agility (AGI): 203 (+4)


    Intelligence (INT): 25


    Wisdom (WIS): 25


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 10


    Skills-


    Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child


    Advanced Sword Mastery- Dual (6/10)


    Beginner Hand to Hand Combat (5/10)


    Soul Beast


    Beast Telepathy


    Beast Imitation


    [Darkness Seed- 98%]


    [Lightning Seed- 99%]


    Ben leveled up after he killed Jack and hadn''t distributed his free points yet. What confused him was that he had an extra 5 points. He couldn''t figure out why he had these extra points and decided to forget about it for now.


    Placing all his free attribute points into AGI, Ben also noticed how his elements had improved. He was on the cusp of his elements breaking through into Elemental Cores. Cloey had achieved this level and her power rose drastically. After achieving Elemental Cores, the elements would become part of your body. Wielding them would be easier than closing your hand. Ben also remembered that he would unlock the Dragon Bloodline sealed within his eyes. This made Ben excited, Dragons were the pinnacle of beasts and had unmatched power.


    While Ben was lost in his thought, Cloey walked into the room. It had been a rough couple of days for Cloey. Finding her friend beaten and raped to the brink of death. She had lots of anger in her but no where to place it. The man who did this was already dead and so was his family.


    ¡°Ahem.¡± Cloey cleared her throat, interrupting Ben¡¯s thoughts.


    Startled, Ben looked up and saw her standing there. She was wearing a white sundress with her hair in a ponytail, a perfect picture or beauty and innocence. Ben had to take a deep breath to calm himself.


    ¡°Cloey, how are you?¡± Ben got up and took her hand.


    Not pulling away but a faint blush appeared across her cheeks, ¡°Lily is up. She wants to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Meet me?¡± Ben was surprised.


    Cloey nodded her head shyly before pulling him along. The room Lily was staying in wasn''t to far from where they were.


    Knocking on the door, ¡°Lily it''s me. I brought Bennett.¡±


    ¡°Come in¡± a light voice came from the otherside.


    Pushing open the door, Ben and Cloey walked into the room. The room was huge, it had a large window, which had a beautiful view of a garden. The bed was larger than a king size. On the bed laid a beautiful woman that had the same white hair as Cloey. She still looked skinny and malnourished but much better than when they found her. Her age seemed to be late 20¡¯s or maybe early 30¡¯s but any man would still be enraptured in her mature beauty. Her eyes were a little lighter than Cloeys, but still had that ice blue colour.


    ¡°Hello I¡¯m Ben. You wished to see me?¡± Ben introduced himself.


    Lily stared at Ben for a long time. Though Ben thought it was weird, he never evaded her gaze and met it head on.


    Cloey was getting a little nervous. Lily was an elder before their race was enslaved. She was thousands of years older than Cloey and her experience and knowledge ran deep.


    ¡­


    When Lily woke up she saw Cloey and started to cry. The two beautiful girls held each other as they cried together, creating a soul stirring image.


    After crying Lily asked what had happened. Cloey explained what had transpired, that the man who did this was dead and that it wouldn''t never happen again.


    Lily found a little comfort in that man¡¯s death but didn''t fully believe in Cloey¡¯s promise. Lily asked what Cloey had been through since she was sent here. Cloey told her how she met Ben and how she had been travelling with him ever since. Though Cloey tried to hide it, Lily was able to tell that she fell for this man.


    Lily was unable to hide her anger, ¡°Cloey this is a man! They only want one thing and then they will discard you!¡±


    ¡°You''re wrong Lily. Not all men are like that, especially Ben. You will see when you meet him.¡± Cloey didn''t respond in anger. She also thought this before travelling with Ben. She had fallen for him. She knew it awhile ago.


    ¡°Fine then. Bring him here and I¡¯ll be judge him.¡± Lily said crossing her arms.


    ¡°Ah w-what?¡± Cloey stammered.


    ¡°Bring him here now. I want to meet him.¡± Lily said.


    ¡°Umm¡­ okay.¡± Cloey said.


    ¡­


    Ben was getting annoyed with the silence as he continued to wait for Lily to speak. Just as he was about to say something-


    ¡°Have you slept with Cloey?¡± she blurted out.


    ¡°Lily!¡± Cloey yelled, turning red from embarrassment.


    Ben let out a light laugh, the tension in the room disappeared, ¡°No not yet. She tried a couple times but I rejected her advances.¡± Ben said, wrapping his arm around Cloey as he teased her.


    ¡°Th-that''s not true!¡± Cloey stammered, her embarrassment turned to anger as she pinched Ben¡¯s side.


    ¡°Okay okay it''s not true!¡± Ben said squealing in pain. ¡°I didn''t reject her.¡± Ben mumbled with a teasing grin.


    Cloey sent an icicle at his head in anger.


    Watching these to tease and fight made Lily envious. Their relationship was more than friends but hadn''t crossed into lovers yet.


    ¡°Your eyes¡­ they¡¯re Mekata Eyes right?¡± Lily had seen his eyes and was shocked. These eyes were legendary throughout the universe and she had only seen them once before.


    Ben¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°Yes. I won''t tell you where I got them or how so don''t ask.¡±


    When Lily asked this question, Ben¡¯s first instinct was to kill her. He knew the allure of his eyes and the problems he would have to face because of them and didn''t want Lily to bring these problems to him.


    For a split second Lily felt killing intent before it disappeared.


    ¡°I have to go but if you need anything ask Cloey.¡± Ben walked towards the door before stopping the doorway, a gentle expression was on his face. ¡°I can''t imagine what you went through and I won''t try but I will say this. As long as I am here it won''t happen again.¡±


    He left the two girls in silence. Lily stared at the empty doorway. ¡®What a strange man.¡¯


    ¡­


    In the main hall people were pouring in. Henry had gathered the 5 strongest people their city had. These people held prestiges positions in the city and didn''t place the City Lord in their eyes. There was three men and two women.


    Cathy and Joe brought the trades people into the hall. There was over a hundred of them, from blacksmiths to bakers. Next enter were the hunting parties. These people left the safety of the city ever day to bring back food and materials to sell. They were battle hardened people who toed the line of life and death on a regular basis.


    Seeing that everyone arrived, Ben gave a small smile. It was time to put on a show.

 Chapter 31- Establishing Dominance

    ¡°Hello everyone. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I¡¯m Bennett Arnott, the new City Lord.¡± Ben spoke with a booming voice, filling the hall.


    ¡°He¡¯s the City Lord?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s so young!¡±


    ¡°He looks a bit like a thug with those tattoos.¡±


    Whispers filled the hall as people assessed the City Lord. Ben was wearing his usual sleeveless black t shirt with black pants. His golden hair was started to get long and outlined his handsome face. His golden eyes seemed to see through everyone there and gave off a domineering attitude.


    With everyone¡¯s eyes on him Ben gave a calm smile. ¡°First things first,¡± Ben turned towards the five strongest people Henry brought, ¡°you five are probably dissatisfied with this. So let''s fight. You can all come at me at the same time.¡±


    A cocky smile formed on Bennett¡¯s face as he taunted them. Ben knew he needed to establish his power in front of everyone and these five were the way to do that.


    ¡°Arrogant!¡± A tall red headed man stepped out. His body had rippling muscles with steel plate armour covering his chest and gauntlets covering his hands and forearms.


    Colton Lvl 55


    Flame Warrior


    ¡°I¡¯ll be enough to defeat you myself.¡± he said as red fire covered his hands and arms.


    ¡°Duke.¡± Ben said raising his right arm. The tattoo started to move before turning into a shadow. The shadows turned into a huge 2m tall 4m long black wolf.


    Everyone had a different reaction. The trades people took a couple steps back in horror as the hunters drew their weapons, ready for battle. The man with the red hair and flaming fist eyes narrowed as he stared at the wolf.


    ¡°I suggest you all come at me at once.¡± Ben repeated, ¡°This will be your last chance.¡±


    ¡°Arrogant child.¡± A lady wearing a green dress spoke. She waved her hand and a tall staff appeared.


    Shenelle Lvl 52


    Nature Mage


    The red haired man, Colton let out a loud yell before charging Duke. Shenelle attacked waved her arm as hundreds of vines appeared out of the floor and shot towards Ben.


    A small smile appeared on Ben¡¯s face as the vines surrounded him from all sides. Shenelle smiled in triumph as she looked at the ball of vines.


    Her look a triumph turned into shock as she turned around and found Ben standing behind her. Ben gave a small smile before chopping the back of her neck swiftly.


    The shock and surprise was still on her face as she fell to the ground unconscious. Ben turned to the last three and said, ¡°Now will you all attack me at the same time. It just might make it interesting.¡± Ben continued to taunt them.


    James Lvl 51


    Ranger


    Lilith Lvl 50


    White Cleric


    Lane Lvl 53


    Holy Knight


    Lilith, the White Cleric, stared at him with intrigue. ¡°My class isn''t for battle so I will stand down but I will heal everyone''s injuries.¡± This woman wore a white clerical robe that hid the curves of her body. Her hair was black with dark brown eyes. Her face was pretty but not overly beautiful.


    ¡°I won''t be participated either.¡± the Holy knight, Lane replied. He wore a full set of silver armour that gave a faint white glow. He had a long blonde hair that fell down to his shoulders, his blue eyes were clear and piercing and he stood over 2m tall.


    James looked at these two in exasperation, ¡°Well I¡¯m not going to take him on alone.¡± James wore regular jeans and a white t shirt. He was the only one that wasn''t dressed in armour with his short brown hair and green eyes.


    ¡°AAAAHHHH!¡±


    A painful yell filled the hall. Everyone looked to find the Colton lying on the ground, Duke had a paw on his chest holding him down. When he tried to move Duke started to growl and snapped as a warning not to move.


    ¡°You can release him now Duke.¡± Ben said.


    Hearing Ben, Duke jogged over to him and sat down looking. ¡®I kicked his ass Master.¡¯ Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Ben let out a loud laugh, ¡°Yes you did buddy, good job.¡± Ben petted and scratched Duke¡¯s ears.


    The hall was silent as they watched a man pet a giant wolf like he would a cute puppy. James looked at Lilith, ¡°And you thought I was a freak.¡±


    Lilith smiled in response before asking Ben a question, ¡°You can talk to animals?¡±


    ¡°Smart ones.¡± Ben replied simply, he continued to pet Duke.


    Lilith nodded before walking up to Colton, a faint white light came from her hands and enveloped Colton, healing him.


    Colton stood up after being healed and looked towards Duke with a little fear before looking at Ben.


    ¡°So what your tamed beast is strong? Doesn''t me you are.¡± Not accepting his defeat, he wanted to challenge Ben directly.


    ¡°Umm Colton I wouldn''t.¡± James warned him.


    ¡°Shut up skid.¡± Colton snarled at him.


    James put his hands up in defeat, but the corner of his mouth twitched threatening to become a smile.


    ¡°Come at me peasant!¡± Colton roared.


    Duke snarled at him, ready to kick his ass again but Ben stopped him.


    Ben left eyed glowed bright gold as bright blue bolts of lightning covered his body. ¡°Ready when you are ginger.¡± Ben mocked, making the come here sign with his hand.


    Flames covered Colton¡¯s arms as he threw a punch at Ben.


    Ben met Colton¡¯s fist with his own. Flames and lightning went everywhere as a small shockwave was sent through the hall.


    Colton was sent flying and he crashed into the wall, saliva flew from his mouth as he fell to the floor.


    Lilith shook her head in annoyance as she walked up to him and started to heal him again. After a couple of minutes Colton stood back up and stared a Ben.


    ¡°What you want another round?¡± Ben said raising his chin provocatively.


    ¡°No. You are definitely stronger than me.¡± Colton said in defeat.


    ¡°Good. Now we can move on to the next matter of business.¡± Ben said as he returned to the front of the hall.


    ¡°Hunters and trades people I need you end this stupid feud and start buying from each other.¡± Ben addressed the two groups.


    Murmurs broke out between the two as they looked at each other is scorn.


    Ben¡¯s voice grew cold, ¡°This isn''t up for discussion.¡±


    Ben¡¯s cold glare scanned both groups. ¡°Another thing, I will be placing a minimal level that every citizen has to reach. In 30 days I want everyone in this city to be level 30.¡±


    Protest broke out immediately broke up throughout the crowd.


    ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    ¡°Get real, not possible.¡±


    ¡°Enough.¡± Ben¡¯s cold voice rang out. He turned to the hunters, ¡°You will be in charge of bringing new people out in wilderness for experience.¡±


    One of the hunter leaders stepped forward, ¡°When we hunt we put our lives on the line. You expect us to risk our lives taking care of rookies?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ben said simply.


    ¡°You can''t be serious.¡± the man¡¯s expression grew dark.


    ¡°I am serious. Do you honestly think that these peaceful days will continue? Do you think that sooner or later we won''t be attacked by a horde of zombies or beasts or even other humans? Do you think these walls will protect us from these dangers? They won''t. We have to protect ourselves. I''m not saying that we all need to become warrior''s and fight but I expect everyone in the city to be able to protect themselves!¡± Ben¡¯s voice grew the longer he talked, ending with him yelling in the end.


    The room was silent. No one could argue with what Ben had said. This moment of peace wouldn''t last. Whoever started the system treated it like a game and their lives were worth nothing special.


    Ben took a deep breath before he continued, ¡°This will only be temporary. I plan to create an army to train the citizens.¡± Ben looked over at the five people Henry brought. Shenelle had woken up and was staring furiously at Ben.


    ¡°These 5 will are going to help me create 5 different divisions in this army.¡± Ben flashed a smile towards them as they stared at him in shock.


    ¡°They will be recruiting at a later date. Well that''s it for now. Thank you all for coming, remember hunters and blacksmiths you are to start selling to each other. The price will be the same as the system,¡± Ben let out a cold smile, ¡°and I will know trust me.¡±


    After a bit of grumbling everyone cleared out except Ben¡¯s family and the five strongest.


    ¡°I don''t remember agreeing to helping you create an army.¡± Colton said dissatisfied.


    ¡°You agreed when Duke handed you an ass kicking.¡± Ben said throwing him a sidelong glance.


    ¡°You-!¡± Colton sputtered before Lilith started giggling.


    ¡°What plans do you have for us then?¡± James asked calmly.


    ¡°Five divisions each with a their own specialty.¡± Ben said looking at each of them. ¡°James I want you to find other people with classes similar to yours. You will be a smaller division in charge of scouting the area around the city. Lilith I would like you to create a healing division. My mother is a healer and she made me realize how important they are. Lane, you will be responsible for defensive soldiers. Your division will be this city¡¯s shield and in turn you will be our sword Colton. You will lead the vanguard.¡± Ben stopped and stared at these last two. Colton was easy to read, a hot headed warrior with something to prove but Lane was different. Ben wasn''t able to see through him but felt he could still trust him somewhat.


    ¡°You are free to recruit whoever you see fit. He¡¯s some gold to start you off.¡± Ben gave the remainder of his gold to them.


    ¡°What about me?¡± Shenelle asked, pouting.


    ¡°I am not too sure.¡± Ben said in serious thought, ¡°Do you think there is enough mages to create a divisions?¡±


    Shenelle gave it some thought. ¡°Maybe not a large one but our fire power will be unmatched.¡± she said confidently.


    ¡°Okay do it. It will be up to you five to recruit your forces. If you need anything just ask.¡± Ben said dismissing them. The five gave a quick nod before heading out of the room, leaving just his family.


    ¡°Dad can tradespeople level up by increase their trade skill level?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°Yes. I gained 5 levels when I went from Beginner to Basic in blacksmithing.¡± Joe answered decisively.


    ¡°Good. Spread the word that I want all tradespeople to be a minimal of basic level in their trade.¡± Ben gave the order.


    Joe nodded before leaving the room as well.


    ¡°Grayson I want you and Allana to join the first group of hunters. Bring Duke with you to ease the pressure on the hunters because of the rookies.¡± Ben said giving Duke a light pat on his head. ¡°Behave yourself okay?¡±


    Grayson, Allana and Duke left the hall together, thankfully the hall doors were huge so Duke could fit through them.


    Cloey and Cathy were the only two left. Ben expression softened, ¡°Mom how are the girls?¡± Ben had been to busy these last couple of days to check in on them.


    ¡°All of them woke up. Though they are traumatised, they should heal over time.¡± Cathy said with a sad sigh.


    ¡°If they want, they can stay in the mansion as maids. This place is too big and needs more manpower to stay livable.¡± Ben suggested.


    ¡°I will tell them.¡± Cathy said.


    ¡°What is your plan mom? Will you join Lilith¡¯s division or continue as a tailor?¡± Ben was worried about his mom.


    ¡®What if she enters a battle?¡¯ Ben was worried and trying to think of ways to protect her if that happened.


    ¡°I will join Lilith. Your speech set fire in my blood and I need to do my part.¡± Seeing her sons worried expression she laugh and patted his cheek, ¡°Don''t worry I will be healing not fighting.¡±


    She left the room, leaving Cloey and Ben alone.


    ¡°Do you want me to join that Mage division?¡± Cloey asked.


    ¡°No. I want you beside me always.¡± Ben gave soft smile grabbing her hand.


    A faint blush creeped across her face but she didn''t look away. Ben got closer and closer until he was mere centimeters away. Just when he was about to close the distance a loud shriek rang in his head.


    *SHRIEKKK!*


    Grabbing his head Ben fell to his knees. His left arm started to burn.


    The Black Phoenix , Ava, had woke up.

 Chapter 32- Secrets

    Another shriek filled Ben¡¯s head, causing him to grab his head in pain.


    ¡°Ben what is wrong!?¡± Cloey cried trying to help him.


    ¡°Nothing, just our new friend finally work up.¡± Ben grimaced as his arm burned even more.


    ¡°New friend?¡± Cloey said confused, she then looked at Ben¡¯s left arm. I was slightly glowing and the tattoo was starting to move.


    A loud cry filled the room as a large black bird appeared in front of Ben and Cloey. The bird, Ava, was around 1.5m tall with a wingspan over 4m. She was entirely black with a gold trim around each of her feathers. She had a beautiful plume of feathers on her head that gave her a majestic look, she also had extremely long tail feathers.


    A dark flame covered her body as she spread her wings. After a few seconds the flame retreated and she looked at Ben with intrigue.


    ¡°Ava right? I¡¯m Ben. Nice to finally meet you.¡± Ben introduced himself with a friendly smile.


    Ava didn''t answer and continued to stare a Ben. Her beautiful red eyes never left him. Ben didn''t shy away from her gaze and stared at her.


    After a few minutes, she broke the silence.


    ¡°Thank you human for saving me.¡± a soft meliodas voice came from her mouth.


    ¡°No problem. So what¡¯s your plan now?¡± Ben asked curious.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked in confusion.


    ¡°Well we made this soul pact to save your life, not because we are friends or close. I thought maybe you''d want me to release you from it. Thought it would damage both our souls we could heal from it.¡± Ben explained to Ava. He didn''t expect her to stay with him. They hadn''t spoken 5 words to each other and only agreed to this to save her life.


    The Phoenix stared at him in shock, she thought he would want her power and strength but here he was asking her what she wanted, fully willing to end the soul pact they made.


    ¡°I would like to continue to be your soul beast if that¡¯s alright.¡± she said softly.


    ¡°Really? Why?¡± Ben asked surprised. She was part of the Phoenix Clan, a powerhouse in the universe. Why would she join a human from a no name planet.


    ¡°Hmph! It is so she can hide from the Phoenix Clan. They are clearly after her and now she has the perfect hiding spot, your soul.¡± Cloey gave a disgruntled sound.


    Ava nodded her head, ¡°Not only that, becoming a soul beast allows the beast to evolve easier. I have only been with you for a short while and my flame has already evolved.¡±


    ¡®Her flame?¡¯ Ben thought, bringing her stats panel.


    Ava Lvl 22


    Dark Phoenix (Divine Beast)


    Element: Black Hell Flame


    Mana: 431/431


    Vitality (VIT): 102 If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Strength (STR): 55


    Dexterity (DEX): 45


    Agility (AGI): 104


    Intelligence (INT): 111


    Wisdom (WIS): 120


    Loyalty- 60%


    Skills-


    Shape Shifter


    Rebirth


    Fire Spells


    ¡°Black Hell Flame?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°Yes. It evolved into a Hell Flame. Being your soul beast will help me become stronger so one day I won''t have to hide anymore.¡± a cold edge creeped into her voice as she explained.


    Ben nodded, ¡°Sounds good to me. Let¡¯s get along then in the future.¡± Ben smiled towards her.


    ¡°Ben! She is just using you to become stronger! Plus she is an enemy of the Phoenix Clan! They are a major powerhouse in the universe and you agree to help her just like that!? Don''t be stupid!¡± Cloey reprimanded Ben. She couldn''t understand what he was thinking.


    Ben looked at Cloey with a calm face.


    ¡°And?¡± he simply said.


    Both Cloey and Ava looked at him in shock.


    ¡°She is using me to become stronger. I am doing to same thing. He strength will greatly improve mine. I know she is an enemy of the Phoenix Clan but so what? You might not know this but I already have an enmity with the Phoenix Clan so who gives a shit.¡± Ben dismissed Cloey¡¯s concern. He had one goal at the moment, to get stronger. Ava could help him do that so why not use her?


    ¡°You have an enmity with the Phoenix Clan? How?¡± Ava asked astonished. She knew that she was on a relatively unknown planet, so how did a native from this no name planet already have an enmity with the all powerful Phoenix Clan?


    ¡°I trust you two so I guess you can know. Cloey remember what Lily said when I went to visit her?¡± Ben decided to trust them with his secret. Cloey he trusted with his life and felt he should have told already and Ava was his soul beast. Their souls were literally connected so she seemed pretty trustworthy.


    ¡°She said you have Mekata Eyes. What are they?¡± Cloey asked perplexed. She had never heard of them before.


    ¡°Mekata Eyes!?¡± Ava screeched.


    ¡°Yes. Not any Mekata Eyes, the strongest warrior from the Mekata Race eyes. You understand why the Phoenix Clan might want to kill me?¡± Ben asked Ava sarcastically.


    Ava just nodded her head mindlessly. She was still shocked that this boy from a no name planet had the legendary eyes.


    Ben then proceeded to explain what he knew about his eyes to Cloey and where they came from. He told her the story of meeting Little Green and the man who the eyes previously belonged to and how the four races might try and kill him for his eyes. Cloey was shocked that Ben had such a secret and such pressure on his shoulders. You would never be able to tell with his carefree attitude.


    It wasn''t just Cloey that was amazed, Ava could hardly believe her luck.


    ¡®With him I might be able to take revenge.¡¯ she thought. Her desire for strength was just as great as Ben¡¯s.


    ¡°Why is the Phoenix Clan trying to kill you by the way?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°Because she¡¯s a Dark Phoenix.¡± a voice came from behind Ben.


    Turning around, Ben saw Lily walking towards them. Cloey ran up to her, ¡°Are you sure you should be walking around?¡± she asked worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± she replied patting Cloey head lovingly. She looked over at Ben, ¡°I underestimated you. To think you had the legendary Dark Phoenix as your Soul Beast. Impressive.¡±


    ¡°In the Phoenix Clan there are many different variations to the bloodline. Ice Phoenix, Thunder Phoenix, etc, but none of them are stronger than the royal bloodline, Golden Fire Phoenix.¡± Lily looked at Ava, ¡°Except for an extremely rare variant bloodline, the Dark Phoenix. This bloodline is stronger than the Phoenix Clans royal bloodline. Millions of years ago the royal bloodline was almost wiped out by a Dark Phoenix. Since then every time a Dark Phoenix was born they would kill it instantly, no matter whose child it was.¡± Lily explained to everyone.


    ¡°She¡¯s right. My parents were part of the royal family, that¡¯s why I was able to live for this long. They were killed protecting me.¡± Ava¡¯s said with grief.


    ¡°How did you come to Earth though?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°I disguised myself as a normal Black Sparrow trying to find somewhere safe but was captured by slavers and sent here. The Phoenix Clan found me but were only able to send low level Fire Birds here due to the system being in place.¡± Ava said.


    Ben gave a nod, understanding a little better now. ¡°Well all we can do is get stronger right?¡± giving Ava a large smile.


    ¡°Yes.¡± she said determined.


    ¡­


    Outside of the City Lord¡¯s mansion the five strongest were talking.


    ¡°What do you think of him?¡± James asked them.


    ¡°He¡¯s strong.¡± Lilith simply stated.


    ¡°He is arrogant.¡± Colton barked, still unsatisfied with his loss.


    ¡°He is confident. When he summoned that beast his tattoo disappeared. He still had another tattoo which means he has another beast he hasn''t showed us.¡± Lane spoke in a deep voice.


    ¡°You''re right, he held back.¡± Shenelle commented, still remember his insane speed.


    ¡°Another thing is bothering me.¡± James said with a frown on his face.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Lilith asked.


    ¡°He knew all of our classes. I know you could guess with the way you three dressed but he knew I was a Ranger. I was wearing normal clothes, how could he know? We would have felt if he cast a scan spell.¡± James voiced his concern.


    Nobody was able to give him an answer as they tried to figure out how he did it.


    ¡°... maybe his eyes?¡± Lilith slowly said.


    ¡°Yeah those creepy gold eyes must let him see people''s status.¡± Colton agreed.


    ¡°Looks like this young City Lord hid his power deeper than we thought. We should do what he says and recruit people into our divisions quickly.¡± Lane decisively said.


    The other three nodded their heads before heading off in different directions.

 Chapter 33- Recruiters

    Ben decided to go hunting to level up Ava and get some money to spend on himself. He decided to join a hunting party to see how they worked and to protect the rookies. Duke was still with Grayson¡¯s group hunting and training the rookies.


    Ben walked down the street, the vendors and stores were in full force and actually had customers in them.


    ¡®Looks like they took my words seriously.¡¯ Ben was glad to see this, it would increase the economy and the city took a cut from every transaction made. Ben greedily watched the city¡¯s treasury grow.


    At the gates of the city there was a large group of people gathered around a short bearded man with a large battle axe.


    ¡°Listen up! The new City Lord has passed a law that all citizens must be level 30 by the end of the month! Each hunting party is taking a group of people to level up! Anyone who wants to level up can come up and grab a weapon, we will be hunting goblins this morning. Follow us if you want to safely level up, the Bloody Axe hunting party!¡± the bearded man yelled at the surrounding people. A pile of common weapons were on the ground.


    Ben walked up to the bearded man, ¡°Mind if I join your group this morning?¡±


    Bearded man looked up at Ben, his eyes widened in shock, ¡°O-of course! It would be our honour City Lord.¡± he gave a small bow as he fumbled over his words.


    ¡°Call me Ben.¡± smiling towards the bearded man.


    ¡°I¡¯m Jim.¡± he said.


    Whispers surrounded them as they conversed.


    ¡°He''s the City Lord!?¡±


    ¡°He''s a kid!?¡±


    ¡°Look at his tattoo! It¡¯s so lifelike!¡±


    Ben decided to address them directly, ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Ben, Ava and I will be joining you today for this hunt.¡± Lifting his left arm Ava appeared in all her glory.


    ¡°Woooah!¡±


    ¡°Look how beautiful that bird is!¡±


    ¡°Her name is Ava? Does she have intelligence?¡±


    Ben spoke to Ava through their soul connection, ¡®Do you want to say something to them?¡¯


    Ava nodded her head, ¡°I¡¯m Ava.¡± she simply said in her beautiful voice.


    ¡°S-she spoke?¡±


    ¡°W-whaaaat?!¡±


    Ben jumped on Ava¡¯s back and flew high above the group and flew over the wall and into the wilderness. Ben had asked Ava if he could ride on her back as she flew and she agreed.


    He loved the feeling of flying, the wind in his face and the wide open land. It was truly a freeing feeling. The trees were thick and Ben was hardly able to see the land with the exception of a lake here or there.


    ¡®There¡¯s a group of trolls 1km north of us.¡¯ Ava said.


    ¡°Well let''s go.¡± Ben spoke a little excited. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Ava let out a loud cry before heading north.


    ¡­


    Cloey walked around the mansion accompanied by Lily.


    Cloey and Lily both felt restless after Ben¡¯s speech yesterday and couldn''t sit still.


    ¡°Do you want to go shopping?¡± Cloey asked Lily.


    ¡°Is it safe?¡± Lily asked a little fearful. She was abducted last time she was tried to shop.


    Cloey grabbed her hand, ¡°No one would dare touch you and if they did it will be the last thing they do. I promise.¡± Cloey knew that Lily would forever be scarred by what happened to her and the only thing they could do was slowly wait for her to heal.


    ¡°I will go with you my dear if that would help.¡±


    Cathy approached them with a loving look on her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine Mrs. Arnott, no need to impose on you.¡± Lily said respectfully.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine dear. I have somewhere to go anyway. Let''s go together.¡± Cathy said cheerfully.


    The three of them left the mansion and headed towards the main street. The street was packed as usual but there was something different happened.


    ¡°Flame Warrior Colton is recruiting for warrior''s! Apply here! Good pay and will provide equipment!¡±


    ¡°Ranger James is recruiting for scout like classes! Good pay!¡±


    ¡°The beautiful Mage, Shenelle is recruiting mages for her army division! Learn from the best mage in the city! Good pay and spells provided!¡±


    ¡°The miracle healer, Lilith is recruiting healers. Come join!¡±


    ¡°Holy Knight Lane is looking for valiant warrior''s! Equipement is provided and the pay is high!¡±


    People were shouting all over the streets recruiting. Each recruiter had a crowd signing up and asking questions.


    ¡°Looks like Ben¡¯s army might actually happen.¡± Cathy smiled at the sight of the recruiters. She knew that this was part of Ben¡¯s plan to strengthen the city and the sight of it starting to take form made her happy.


    Cathy walked up to the healer recruit, ¡°I¡¯d like to apply for the healing division.¡±


    ¡°What is your class miss?¡± the female recruiter asked.


    ¡°Healer.¡± Cathy replied.


    ¡°Please fill out the sheet. The first batch of recruits will meet tomorrow at Lilith¡¯s compound at 1PM.¡± the recruiter said.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Cathy replied handing the filled out sheet back to her and joined Cloey and Lily again.


    ¡°Mrs. Arnott you plan on joining the army?¡± Cloey asked surprised.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the only way I can help my son.¡± she gave a small smile.


    ¡­


    *Slash*


    A troll¡¯s head fell to the ground and the body sooned followed. Ben looked over at the remaining troll.


    ¡°AAAAAAHHHHH!¡±


    It screamed as black flames covered its body, burning it alive. Ava hovered close by watching as the troll died. The ground was covered in headless trolls and burnt corpses.


    Ben checked out Ava¡¯s stats panel.


    Ava Lvl 32


    Dark Phoenix (Divine Beast)


    Element: Black Hell Flame


    Mana: 555/631


    Vitality (VIT): 152


    Strength (STR): 75


    Dexterity (DEX): 75


    Agility (AGI): 164


    Intelligence (INT): 221


    Wisdom (WIS): 220


    Loyalty- 65%


    Skills-


    Shape Shifter


    Rebirth


    Fire Spells


    ¡®10 levels in less than an hour? Now that''s power leveling!¡¯


    Ava was leveling like crazy and becoming stronger and stronger. Her stats already eclipsed the most powerful mage in the city.


    ¡°Ben there is a pack of wolves ahead of us. Should we attack it?¡± Ava asked.


    ¡®Her senses are incredible, way above mine.¡¯ Ben thought, he couldn''t sense these wolves or the trolls in the first place.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go meet them first.¡± Ben said, walking in the direction of the wolves. Maybe it was because of his class but he didn''t want to slaughter beast with intelligence. For the monsters he couldn''t care but the beast he felt he had a connection to them.


    The pack sensed his presence early and retreated back to a large cave. They seemed to sense Ben¡¯s strength because none of them challenged him or attacked. At the mouth of the cave over 100 wolves stood growling at him. These wolves had red fur with black marking on theirs sides. They stood around 1.5m tall and 3m long.


    The pack leader emerged from the cave, it stood around 2m tall and 4m long, around the same size as Duke. It¡¯s fur was a deep shade of red and the markings on its side were complex.


    ¡®What do you want human?¡¯ a feminine voice entered Ben¡¯s head.


    ¡°Oh so you can talk, good. That makes things easier.¡± Ben spoke loudly for her to hear.


    ¡®I¡¯m waiting human.¡¯ her voice sounded annoyed.


    ¡°I want to enter an agreement with your pack.¡± Ben spoke bluntly.


    ¡®What''s the agreement?¡¯ she asked mildly curious.


    ¡°Your pack will help my people scout the area. You can report your findings to a man named James. He will meet you at the human city¡¯s gate that is straight south of here in 2 days. In return, my people won¡¯t hunt or kill any of your pack members and if you find yourselves in trouble you can contact us and I will come assist you.¡± Ben knew that the most important thing he needed was information. He trusted Deke would set up a powerful intelligence inside the city but he needed information outside the city as well.


    This is vital if he wanted to defend from threats and he believed this wolf pack could greatly assist James and his scouts.


    ¡®What do you want us scouting?¡¯ she asked.


    ¡°Anything and everything. I need to know what is around the city. The man James is training people to do this job but he will need your help.¡± Ben hoped that James was the right man for this job.


    ¡®If we are to agree, first you must beat me in combat.¡¯ her voice was filled with battle intent as she stared Ben down.


    ¡°Sucker for punishment, eh?¡± Ben chuckled as he readied his fist, his swords wouldn''t be needed.


    Eve- Red Forest Wolf Leader


    Lvl 51


    ¡­

 Chapter 34- Emma and Ulfric

    The battle was over as fast as it started. Eve, the Red Forest Wolf laid on the ground panting.


    ¡°I hope to see you in two days.¡± Ben said cheerfully as he jumped up on Ava¡¯s back, ¡°Let''s go check on the hunting groups.¡±


    Ava took off into the sky and started flying towards the city. Ben enjoyed the wind in his face. He was proud that he had recruited a strong wolf pack to scout for the city but his plans didn''t end there. He eventually wanted to make them into mounts for one of his divisions. Ben fully planned to use his skills to the limit. He had grand plans for a cavalry and even an air unit but what he needed to do was find beast that would listen to him. He lucked out on these wolves he thought but hopefully he was able to find some other beasts that would listen.


    ¡®Ben, there is a hunting group below us that seems to be killing goblins. There are no injuries and the rookies seem to be doing fine.¡¯ Ava reported to him.


    ¡°There are three hunting parties out today, let''s check on them all. After we can continue to hunt.¡± Ben said.


    Ava gave a nod of agreement as she searched for the next hunting group.


    *Ding!*


    A soft ding sounded in Ben¡¯s head.


    ¡®Duke must be killing lots.¡¯ Ben knew that he got a portion of his soul beasts EXP and vice versa. Ben had dreams of Ava and Duke out killing monsters while he sat in his mansion, holding Cloey and eating delicious food and leveled up at the same time.


    ¡®If only.¡¯ Ben gave a small sigh.


    ¡®The next hunting party is fighting Ogres and they seem to be having trouble with them.¡¯ Ava said.


    ¡°Ogres? I killed a couple a while back. Tough opponents. Take us down.¡± Ben said.


    Ava dove straight down and Ben panicked as he felt he was slipping off her back. Ben grabbed a couple feathers and held on for dear life.


    ¡®That hurts Ben!¡¯ Ava cried into his mind.


    ¡°Yeah well I¡¯d rather not fall to my death!¡± Ben yelled back at her.


    Pulling out of the dive, Ava landed softly on the ground. Ben shot her a dirty look as he jumped down from her back. Ben saw around 40 people attacking 4 Ogres. The ogres were huge humanoid creatures that had green skin and a body with rippling muscles. They stood over 3m tall and used huge two handed axes for weapons.


    The ogres were surrounded by 10 people each, in front of the ogre were men with large shields. A man behind them were barking orders.


    ¡°Shield Bearers keep the line! Archers and mages fire everything you have! Warrior''s attack when you see an opening but be careful of the axe!¡± a man wielding a heavy broad sword shouted.


    ¡®Things aren''t too bad actually. Let''s watch for now and only act if they need help.¡¯ Ben decided to watch these hunters to gauge their strength.


    Ava agreed as they both watched the hunters deal with the 4 ogres. The shield bearers blocked the ferocious attacks while the mages and archers bombarded it with long distant attacks. Ben watched as a tiny man with a short sword snuck behind an ogre and slashed it''s ankle.


    The ogre let out a painful roar and swung his axe at the tiny man. The tiny man had already retreated behind the shield bearers and escaped the attack. The ogre could no longer put any weight on the leg and it''s mobility was severely impaired. Seeing this the warrior''s got braver and their attacks got more frequent on the ogre finally killing it and bringing it down.


    The small group cheered before quickly joining other groups to bring down the other 3 ogres. With the extra manpower , the ogres fell in quick succession. Cheers erupted and they quickly started heal the injured and store the bodies to sell later. Ben saw the same tiny man who crippled the first ogre come over to the guy who seemed like the leader of this hunting group. He whispered something in the laters ear before looking to where Ben was hiding. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    ¡°COME OUT! WE KNOW YOU''RE THERE!¡± the man leader yelled as he brandish his broad sword. The rest of the hunters quickly prepared themselves for an attack.


    ¡®They were able to sense us?¡¯ Ben¡¯s eyes narrowed at the tiny man, ¡®Must have been him.¡¯


    Ben and Ava slowly walked out of the trees. At first when they saw Ben they group slightly relaxed but when Ava came into view their vigilance became higher.


    Ben smiled, trying to be non threatening, ¡°Hi everyone I¡¯m Ben. That was impressive I must admit. Keep up the good work.¡± Ben felt like a tool saying these words but with swords, arrows and magic spells all pointing at you, you tend to say some stupid things.


    ¡°Who are you? And is this your bird?¡± the leader asked still pointing his sword at them.


    ¡°I have already told you. I¡¯m Ben and this is my friend Ava. She doesn''t like all these swords and arrows pointing at her so you might want to put them away.¡± Ben warned as he placed his hand on Ava¡¯s side.


    ¡°Ben? Like the City Lord Bennett? That Ben?¡± the leader seemed to connect the dots.


    ¡°The very same.¡± Ben smiled before jumping on Ava¡¯s back and taking off.


    ¡°That¡¯s the City Lord?¡± the tiny man asked the leader.


    ¡°Yes. When he called all of us to his mansion he defeat Shenelle and Colton in seconds. His strength is extremely deep.¡± the leader spoke solemnly.


    Ben and Ava continued to hunt throughout the day, checking in on the hunting parties periodically. Ava was leveling up like crazy and Ben even gained a level. Duke was still hunting with Grayson and Allana.


    Ben flew back to the city and landed outside the giant gate. He touched Ava¡¯s head as she returned to his soul. The guards were wide eye and jaw dropped as Ben passed them.


    Ben walked onto the main street looking for a shop to sell the beast parts he acquired today. Ben pulled over a random person and asked for the best tailor shop in the city, after getting directions Ben walked and found a large store with leather armour and beautiful clothes in the window.


    Ben saw many people entering and exiting the store, he entered himself.


    Entering the store, a flowery fragrance entered his nose. The store was displayed in a beautiful organized matter. Leather armour was displayed on one side of the store and luxury clothes on the other.


    Ben walked up the counter and asked the young lady, ¡°May I speak to the owner please?¡±


    The young lady looked at Ben and asked, ¡°May I ask who wants to speak to her?¡±


    ¡°The City Lord.¡± Ben simply said. He saw she was looking down on him so he decided to flaunt his title to speed things up a little.


    As expected, the young lady¡¯s eyes went wide and her mouth made a perfect circle. She quickly ran off leaving the other customers staring at Ben. He gave them a small smile and a quick nod before he continued to look through the leather armour.


    A few minutes later a beautiful lady came out. Her hair was black and pulled back into a ponytail, she was wearing a simple t shirt that showed off her large chest splendidly and jeans that were so tight if he put a quarter in her back pocket he would be able to tell if it was heads or tails. She seemed to be around 25 years old with deep hazel eyes.


    ¡°Hello I¡¯m Emma, the owner of this store. How can I help you?¡± her voice was pleasant.


    ¡°Nice to meet you Emma, I¡¯m Ben. I have lots of leather and hide for you. I¡¯d like you to make me some armour for me if that''s alright.¡± Ben said. He needed some armour for awhile now but never got around to it. He was going to buy some from the system but he didn''t want to be a hypocrite.


    Emma¡¯s eyes shined, ¡°What kind of hide do you have?¡±


    Ben waved his hand and a large black lizard appeared on the ground. The customers gasped in shock as the backed away from the body. Emma¡¯s eyes narrowed as she started to inspect the hide. Poking it and running her hands around it she mumbled to herself.


    ¡°... extremely tough leather¡­ make excellent armour.¡± she stopped looking at the corpse and her eyes returned to Ben. ¡°What armour do you want?¡±


    ¡°Bracers and breastplate. You can keep the rest of leather as payment and if it''s not enough I have another lizard.¡± Ben and Ava found these lizards today near some mountains. They were called Ironhide Lizards and their hide was extremely tough to cut through.


    ¡°One lizard is plenty but I would like to buy the rest of the lizards if that would be alright.¡± Emma saw the value in this hide and knew she could create some good leather armour from it.


    ¡°You sure? I have over 20 lizards.¡± Ben said scratching his head.


    ¡°Tw-twenty?¡± Emma stuttered, shocked at the sheer number of lizards.


    ¡°You can have the hides of all the lizards if you make a 5 set of armour. Is that alright?¡± Ben made her an offer. He wanted armour for his family and Cloey.


    ¡°Deal.¡± Emma quickly agreed to the proposition, knowing that there was much more than five sets of materials. ¡°Come back in a week and they should be done.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good.¡± Ben thanked her and left the store. He had one more stop to make before he went back to the mansion. Ben had asked his dad the day before who was the best blacksmith was in the city. Joe gave him one name- Ulfric.


    Ulfric was from a Scandinavian country that moved here when he was young. Even before the system came into play he was a blacksmith. Rumors had it that his Blacksmith skill was at master level.


    Ulfric¡¯s shop wasn''t on the main street but was a couple of streets off. It was located on a dingy street with hardly any stores on it. Ben found a building that had faint writing on the side that read ¡®Ulfric¡¯s¡¯, opening the door Ben entered the store.


    No one greeted him and the store was kind of empty with only a couple of swords and shields in the corner.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Ben called out.


    ¡°Be right there.¡± a gruff voice came from the back of the store.


    A man who was almost as wide as he was tall walked out. He had a messy beard and a bald head. His arms reminded Ben of tree trunks because of their size. He looked up to Ben and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Ben summoned his two swords and placed them in front of Ulfric, ¡°I want these upgraded please.¡±


    ¡°Upgraded? You bought these from the system?¡± his expression darkened.


    ¡°No. I killed a couple of zombies and these dropped from them. The description says they can be upgraded.¡± Ben explained, he knew that tradespeople were pissed off at the hunters for buying from the system.


    ¡°Drops? Those are extremely rare. I''ve only heard them.¡± Ulfric roughly said. It was true. Ben had killed countless beasts, zombies and monsters and he only got 2 drops.


    Ulfric continued to examine the blades, he abruptly turned around and headed back towards the back of his shop. ¡°Come back in 5 days.¡± he grunted as he disappeared.


    Shaking his head in exasperation, Ben headed back to the mansion.

 Chapter 35- Whats in the Bag?

    The mansion was empty when Ben returned, only the maids were present. Ben looked at the City Lord¡¯s panel.


    City 01


    City Lord: Bennett


    Population: 232,747


    Military Strength: 21


    Economic Strength: 34


    There was only a slight improvement to the economy and not much else.


    ¡®Looks like I have a long ways to go.¡¯ Ben let out a light sigh.


    Ben took out a small piece of jade out of his storage.


    Communication Jade


    Ben had seen these in the system¡¯s store and bought two for him and Deke. He was going to by more but they were very expensive. They allowed two people to communicate with each other over long distances, basically fancy ass walkie talkies.


    They haven''t been able to find the range limit of the jade yet. Sending his Internal Energy into the jade, ¡®Deke can you send someone to tell James to come to the mansion?¡¯


    The reply was immediate, ¡®Yes.¡¯


    Ben placed the jade back into his storage. Ben told a maid to guide James into his the hall when he arrived. Ben sat in a chair and waited for James to arrive, while he waited he looked at his stats panel.


    Bennett- Lvl 55


    Class: Beast Warrior


    Bloodline: Mekata Eyes


    Elements: Lightning Seed & Dark Seed


    Vitality (VIT): 110


    Strength (STR): 167


    Dexterity (DEX): 168


    Agility (AGI): 223


    Intelligence (INT): 25


    Wisdom (WIS): 25


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 50


    Skills-


    Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child


    Advanced Sword Mastery- Dual (2/10)


    Beginner Hand to Hand Combat (5/10)


    Soul Beast


    Beast Telepathy


    Beast Imitation


    Ben was surprised that he had gained 5 levels in one day. Ava and him killed many beast and monsters but they were mostly lower level and not very challenging. Duke must be on a killing spree. Ben brought up his stats.


    Duke- Lvl 56


    Demonic Blood Wolf


    Vitality (VIT): 85


    Strength (STR): 188


    Dexterity (DEX): 171


    Agility (AGI): 212


    Intelligence (INT): 9


    Loyalty- 100%


    Skills-


    Blood Lust


    Soul Beast


    Ben was impressed with Duke¡¯s progress and he was curious about what Duke was facing that let him level up so quickly. Both of  Ben¡¯s soul beast leveled up very quickly today. Ava alone gained 20 levels in just one day. Ben found this strange, both his soul beasts and him seemed to level quicker than before. Not only that, Ben gained five more free attributes points.


    Thinking about it, Ben connected it all to Ava. It all happened after contracted her as a soul beast. Hearing a knock on the door Ben pushed his thoughts to the back of his mind.


    ¡°Come in.¡± Ben called out.


    A pretty maid walked in with James closely behind her. He was wearing his casual clothes, jeans and t shirt.


    ¡°Thank you Anne.¡± Ben dismissed the maid, ¡°Have a seat please James. How¡¯s the recruiting going?¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Good so far. Still need to train and pick the elites but lots of applicants.¡± James reported.


    Ben smiled, ¡°Good good. I have some good news for you.¡±


    ¡°Oh? What''s that?¡± James knew this City Lord of his wasn''t simple and wouldn''t ask him here simply for a report after only a day.


    ¡°I met a pack of wolves today while hunting. You may have guessed it but I am able to communicate with beasts, well intelligent beasts. This wolf pack is willing to help your division to scout the surrounding area.¡± Ben quickly explained to James.


    James didn''t respond right away and just stared at Ben. ¡°... you got me a wolf pack?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The pack leader will meet you at the front gates in two days. Spread the word, no one is to attack any red wolves north west of the city. They are our allies.¡± Ben said seriously.


    ¡°How will I communicate with them?¡± James asked.


    ¡°... fuck.¡± Ben muttered to himself. He completely forgot that normal people can''t talk to animals.


    ¡°We had a ranger apply today with a special class called Beast Master Ranger that can understand sort of communicate with beasts through feelings not words. He will have to translate for me but it should work.¡± James quickly said, trying to avoid an awkward moment.


    ¡°Thank god.¡± Ben let out a sigh of relief. He didn''t think about this during his meeting with Eve.


    ¡°Another thing, try to make friends with the wolves. My hopes are for them to become mounts or even partners for your division. So make sure your people aren''t assholes.¡± Ben warned James, he wanted the rangers to befriend the wolves so they could become tamed beast for the rangers.


    ¡°Will do.¡± James gave a quick nod and headed out of the room.


    Ben was starting to really like this guy. He spoke the right amount and wasn''t arrogant or conceited.


    Ben sold the rest of the beast corpses he killed today to the system. Though he didn''t want to be hypocritical, he needed the gold to pay for things. He didn''t want to use the cities money for himself, in the future the four divisions will take up for most of the funding.


    Ben still needed to start an education system for younger kids and other facilities but he didn''t have enough time or money at the moment. He needed his city to become strong. Strong enough to defend from any threats and he believed the army would become that strength.


    After meeting with James, Ben walked through the mansion looking for his family. He asked a couple of the maids if they had seen them, ¡°They left earlier this afternoon mast and have not returned since.¡± she replied respectfully.


    ¡®Huh, where the hell are they?¡¯ Ben thought as wondered what everyone was doing.


    ¡°Benny were home!¡± Cathy yelled.


    Walking into the hall, Ben saw his mom, Lily and Cloey with arms filled with bags.


    ¡®The apocalypse happened and yet my mom decides to go shopping. Typical.¡¯


    ¡°Benny come help us with these bags. I''ll take the groceries to the kitchen and start cooking.¡± Cathy told Ben as she walked away to the kitchen.


    Lily and Cloey threw their bags to Ben. ¡°Take this to our room.¡± Cloey giggled as she and Lily followed Cathy to the kitchen.


    ¡°City Lord my ass.¡± Ben grumbled as he carried the bags to girls room.


    Throwing the bags onto the bed some clothes fell out of the bag. Ben picked up the clothes to put it back in the bag.


    Ben eyes widened as he saw what he had picked up, a lacey pink thong.


    ¡®Is this Cloeys? Please god let this be Cloeys.¡¯ Ben thoughts went wild as imagined Cloey wearing this thong.


    Peaking into the bag, Ben saw a matching lace bra. Ben swallowed a mouthful of saliva, trying not to be a full fledge pervert. Ben was just about to put the thong back into the bag when he ducked out of instinct.


    *Thwack!*


    An icicle shattered across the wall and Ben turned in horror to see Cloey¡¯s red face filled with anger and embarrassment.


    ¡°I-it just fell out I swear.¡± Ben stuttered, backing away in fear. The air was turning colder and colder in the room and frost was starting to form on the floor.


    ¡®Only one thing I can do.¡¯ Ben had to act fast.


    ¡°Ben¡­¡± Cloey started to say but was interrupted by Ben¡¯s lips on hers. Cloey¡¯s brain seemed to stop and the coldness retreated.


    ¡®Knew it.¡¯ Ben smiled, separating their lips. He looked at Cloey¡¯s shocked face, ¡°I think you would look great in that by the way.¡±


    Ben smiled slyly as he used all of his 223 AGI stat and vanished out of the room. Cloey stood their stunned until her face turned bright red and she stomped her foot in anger.


    Ben was strutting around the mansion, proud of himself for finally kissing Cloey. Though it wasn''t as long as he would have liked, he finally broke that barrier between the two of them.


    ¡°Why are you so happy?¡±


    Ben saw Lily staring at him from the doorway of the kitchen.


    ¡°Oh you know, family is alive, birds are chirping, sun is shining. The usual.¡± Ben said cheerfully.


    Lily¡¯s eyes narrowed in suspicious, ¡°Where is Cloey? She said she was just going to the bathroom and she never came back.¡±


    Ben gave an innocent expression as he shrugged his shoulders, ¡°How would I know?¡±


    Lily scoffed as she went to check in on Cloey.


    Grayson had returned to the mansion with Duke in tow. Grayson told Ben that the hunting party was a success and that no one got killed only injured. Almost everyone had achieved level 30 in the group. Apparently everyone was thankful for Duke¡¯s help as he was able to pin down some strong beast as the hunters killed them.


    ¡°Have you seen dad?¡± Ben asked his little brother.


    ¡°Apparently he went to apply for Colton¡¯s division today.¡± Grayson put his hands up trying to calm Ben down, ¡°I tried to talk him out of it but this was his decision. You know dad, changing his mind will be impossible.¡±


    ¡°Supper is ready!¡± Cathy yelled.


    Holding in his grievances, Ben and Grayson heading towards the dining room. Ben saw Cloey still red faced avoid eye contact and found Lily glaring at him. Ben gave a satisfied smirk and sat down next to Cloey on purpose.


    Cloey avoided his eyes as her face continued to grow red. Lily sat on the other side, giving him a menacing glare. Ben let out a light chuckle as he started to dish up. His mom was a great cook and she was showing the new maids how to cook. Today they were eating beast meat that the hunters had brought back with potatoes and salad.


    Ben quickly filled his plate up with food and sat back down. Filling a glass with some wine Ben went to dig in only to find his food cold.


    Cloey gave a small smirk as she saw Ben¡¯s devastated face at his dilemma.


    ¡°Today I applied for Colton¡¯s division.¡± Joe said when everyone took their seats. ¡°I plan to be apart of the army and I don''t want either of my sons to say anything about it.¡± his tone took a stern edge as he eyed both of his boys.


    Grayson immediately caved under his father¡¯s gaze but Ben held firm.


    ¡°Bullshit. You aren''t joining the army.¡± Ben was just as stern.


    ¡°I also joined Lilith¡¯s division, Ben.¡± Cathy gently said.


    ¡°Like hell.¡± Ben said harshly standing up. ¡°You don''t have to risk your lives so don''t.¡±


    ¡°I also joined Shenelle¡¯s division Ben.¡± Grayson said quietly.


    ¡°Why!?¡± Ben yelled at his family. He couldn''t understand why they had to risk their lives when they didn''t have to.


    ¡°Why not!?¡± Joe roared at Ben. ¡°Why can you be the only strong one allowed in the family!? Why do you have to take all the risk!?¡±


    ¡°Because I am stronger than all of you! Everyone in this city for a matter of fact! I will take the risk and protect my family so they don''t have to!¡± Ben roared back.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your decision Ben.¡± Cathy said softly. Grayson gave a light nod in agreement.


    Ben looked at his family members stubborn faces before sitting down in defeat. ¡°Fine but I am taking you out to train you myself.¡± Ben said in defeat.


    Cathy gave a sweet smile before saying, ¡°Okay now everyone dig in!¡±

 Chapter 36- Family Battle

    The next day Ben sent messages to Colton, Lilith and Shenelle that he would be training his parents and Grayson today. After a quick breakfast Ben took his parents and Grayson to the north gate. This gate wasn''t every busy and had few hunters leaving from it.


    Ben¡¯s swords were still being upgraded by Ulfric so he didn''t have any weapons and would be using his fists today. Ben sent Duke with another hunter group to help train some more rookies to level 30.


    Ben summoned Ava and climbed on her back. Thanks to Ava¡¯s skill, Shape Shifter, she was able to change her size. If she turned bigger it would slowly use up her mana so she tended to stay normal size but Ben asked her to turn larger so she could carry him and his family.


    Ben decided to head towards the Red Forest Wolf''s lair. Even though it was only a day since they met, he wanted to check in and see what they had found out.


    Landing in front of the large cave, Ben and company were met with tens of large red wolves growling at them. Ben held his arms out in front of him before yelling, ¡°I''m here to see your alpha, Eve.¡±


    Hearing him the wolves stopped growling and looked at each other before one wolf ran into the cave. A couple seconds later a extremely large red wolf walked out of the cave.


    ¡°Hello Eve, good to see you.¡± Ben called out cheerfully.


    Eve glared at Ben, obviously still sore from the beating Ben gave her yesterday. ¡°What do you want human? Our agreement was to meet tomorrow.¡±


    Ben smiled at her, ¡°Don''t be a sore loser. I am just here to check up on you and your pack.¡±


    ¡°Then who are they?¡± Eve said gesturing with her head towards Grayson and his parents.


    ¡°There my family actually. I am here to take them hunting. Do you know of any monsters or beast nearby that would make for good practice?¡± Ben asked Eve.


    Eve was surprised that Ben had brought his family out into the wilderness, let alone to hunt. ¡°Ogres to the north, around 1.6 kms. They are fighting a nest of Steel Jaw Ants. Straight west of here is a tribe of short people. They smell funny, like they aren''t from the forest.¡±


    ¡°Short people? Were they hostile?¡± Ben asked curiously.


    ¡°No they were only cautious against us but didn''t attack.¡± Eve answered simply.


    Ben was deep into thought, ¡®Short people? More slaves probably. I will have to check that out.¡¯ He planned to bring the slaves into the city and give them a place to call home. He believed that the humans could learn from these aliens and help prepare them in the future.


    Of course if the slaves caused trouble and killed humans he would wipe them out himself.


    Ben thanked Eve and started walking north towards the ogres and the ants. Ben had never fought against ants but he had killed ogres before and thought they would be a good a opponent for his family.


    Ben let Ava fly ahead of them scouting the situation. Ben and his family walked through the forest, enjoying the scenery and the quiet.


    Ben was the first to hear the grunts and yells from the ogres and told his family prepare themselves. His dad brought out a large axe and his brother a wand. His mother chanted something under her breath and touched the backs of Joe and Grayson. A light glow enveloped their bodies.


    ¡®A blessing?¡¯ This was the first blessing Ben had seen and was curious about how it worked. ¡®I''ll ask her later.¡¯


    ¡®There are two injured ogres just ahead of you.¡¯ Ava told Ben.


    Ben relayed the information to his family and added, ¡°I won''t be assisting you unless it is life threatening. Kill them as soon as quick as possible.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Giving Ben a quick nod, Joe and Grayson started walking again with Cathy behind them.


    Ben went to the side to watch the fight.


    ¡­


    When Grayson saw the two ogres he involuntary gasped. These monsters were 3m tall with a giant two handed axe. Their body was a mass of pure muscle that could crush Grayson with a single squeeze.


    These ogres were sitting down, their legs were cut up and bleeding. Grayson lean over to Joe and whispered, ¡°I''ll focus on the one on the left. You keep the other one occupied until I kill it and then I will join you. Mom will go with you for healing.¡±


    Joe nodded his head as he quietly tried to get closer. Grayson focused his mana in wand and yelled out a spell, ¡°Fire Spear!¡±


    A string of flames made in the shape of a spear appeared in front of Grayson and with a wave of his arm it went shooting at the ogre.


    ¡°ROAR!¡±


    The ogre yelled in pain, as the fire spear pierced his chest. Not wasting any time Grayson summoned another one and sent it towards the same ogre.


    ¡°Fire Spear!¡±


    Grayson continued to send spell after spell at the ogre.


    ¡°Fire Spear! Fire Spear! FIRE SPEAR!¡±


    Finally the ogre dropped to the ground dead as Grayson heard a faint ding in his head.


    Ignoring that, he focused on his father fighting the other ogre. The ogres legs were injured so it wasn''t very steady on its feet and stood its ground but didn''t pursue them. Joe was using his speed to attack quickly and then retreat before the ogre was able to hit him.


    Cathy was casting buffs on Joe while he fought. Grayson ran over and checked his mana, he had around a quarter left.


    Grayson thought of an idea. ¡°Dad activate Berserk and get ready!¡± Grayson yelled.


    Giving a short nod, a red aura surrounded Joe and his eyes turned pure red.


    Grayson called out a spell, ¡°Fire Whip!¡± A string of fire appeared in front of Grayson and he sent it flying towards the ogre. The whip wrapped around the ogres legs, making him unable to move. Grayson started pulling on the fire whip, hoping to trip the ogre but his strength was insufficient.


    Seeing his sons dilemma, Joe grabbed the whip and started to pull, burning his hands in the process.


    Giving a loud yell, Joe and Grayson managed to pull the ogre down.


    ¡°NOW DAD!¡± roared Grayson.


    Joe quickly jumped on top of the ogre and sunk his axe deep into the ogres skull.


    The fight was over.


    Cathy quickly ran over and started healing Joe¡¯s hands.


    ¡­


    Watching his family defeat the ogres Ben had to say that his brother was pretty powerful. No wonder Grayson created a name for himself in the city before he got there.


    Ben gave a faint smile as he saw his mom healing his father. Grayson seemed to be happy about killing the ogres but he had wasted too much mana in doing so and his dad should have used his skill so quick.


    They were about to find that out the hard way.


    ¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Grayson asked as he heard rustling.


    ¡°No idea.¡± Joe answered.


    The rustling continued to get louder until a horde of ants could be seen.  These ants were around a 30cm tall and 120cm long. Their exoskeleton was silver in colour and gave off a metallic shine. What gave these ants an intimidating look was their mandibles. 30cm long mandibles that were razor sharp and could cut through ogre hide like nothing.


    There was over a hundred of these ants and they all were heading towards Grayson and his parents.


    ¡°Quick let''s run!¡± Grayson said in panic.


    ¡°No point, they are quicker than us. They''d catch up in no time.¡± Joe said seriously.


    ¡°Ben hasn''t made his move either so he wants us to fight them.¡± Cathy said.


    ¡°Does he want us to die?¡± Grayson cursed under his breath.


    ¡°Grayson, use a spell that covers a large area. Cathy you stay back and buff me.¡± Joe gave them each orders.


    Taking a deep breath, Grayson prepared his largest spell. ¡°Raining Hell Fire!¡±


    Tiny droplets of fire fell from the sky, landing on the ants. The droplets became heavier and more frequent, burning the ants.


    The damage the spell caused was incredible as the ants scurried around trying to avoid the fire. Grayson fell to his knees, the spell over taxed his mana and he was feeling the backlash from it.


    Joe used the ants disorganization as an opportunity and started to slaughter the ants.


    The spell had ended but there was still fire on the ground burning the ants. Joe danced through the fire, killing as he went. Different colour of lights came off his body from the buffs Cathy was blessing him with.


    Though Joe was killing at an incredible pace, the ants numbers were endless and kept coming. Soon Joe had cuts and burns covering his body. Cleaving an ants head, Joe didn''t react fast enough when another ant bit his leg.


    ¡°DAD!¡± Grayson screamed.


    Joe quickly killed the ant that bit him but his leg couldn''t hold any weight now. Grayson rose to his shaky feet and tried to help his father but ended up just falling. Cathy sprinted towards Joe but was stopped by a couple of ants.


    A loud cry came from the sky as a huge black shadow covered them all. Black flames covered ground and the ants quickly turned to ashes.


    Grayson looked up at the bird and said, ¡°Thanks Ava.¡±


    ¡­


    Ben jumped down from Ava and saw his mother already healing his dad. Grayson was still unable to get up and was glaring at him.


    ¡°What? You think I should have acted earlier and prevented dad from getting hurt? Grow up. It your fault you idiot. If you didn''t waste you mana like a moron you could have helped him with the ants more and not sat there like a spectator.¡± Ben spoke harshly. He was upset with how Grayson wasted his mana so stupidly.


    Ben turned towards his dad, ¡°Dad, you used your Berserk skill way to early. You could have killed that ogre without using it. If you would have used it against the ants it would have had a stronger effect. Another thing, you dove into a horde of enemies by yourself. While brave, you aren''t strong enough for that. Don''t waste your life.¡±


    The two of them looked slightly ashamed as they looked down.

 Chapter 37- Never Drink with Dwarves

    Ben and his family continued hunting the rest of the day. They didn''t run into anything as threatening as ogres or a horde of ants but they still were able to train themselves. Watching his family level up Ben felt a little more assured for their safety.


    The upcoming months or years would be a bloodbath, Ben could feel it. All he could do now was try and prepare himself and the city for what was coming their way.


    The sun was starting to set so he guided his family back to the city gates.


    ¡°Aren''t you coming to?¡± Grayson asked as Ben stood outside the gate.


    ¡°No. I have something to take care of. I should be back tomorrow. Tell Cloey not to miss me too much.¡± Ben said, smiling as he jumped on the back of Ava and took off.


    ¡°What do you think he is doing?¡± Grayson asked his parents.


    ¡°Probably training. You saw how far apart our strength is from his. Today was probably a waste for him.¡± Joe said, watching his oldest son disappear in the sky, ¡°We need to get stronger.¡±


    Grayson slowly nodded with determination on his face.


    ¡­


    Ben returned to the Red Forest Wolf den and asked Eve to guide him to where the ¡®short people¡¯ were. After traveling for a bit, Ben saw the glow of fires in the distance.


    Stealthy approaching, Ben came close enough to see short but stocky figures around multiple fires.


    ¡®Dwarves!¡¯ Ben cried out in his mind. They was over a hundred of them from what he could tell and they seemed to be in rough shape. Their clothes were all tattered and their stocky bodies seemed thin. Lots of them seemed to injured or disabled.


    ¡®Ava did you see dwarves when you were sent to Earth?¡¯ Ben asked Ava. Cloey had saw Ava before being sent here so Ben thought maybe Ava had seen the dwarves.


    ¡®No, I didn''t . I saw a couple a demons and insects, that''s it.¡¯


    Ben drowned, he was sure that these dwarves were slaves from space but he wasn''t able to be sure.


    ¡®Well I could always ask them.¡¯ Ben smiled at his own bluntness.


    Ben stood up from behind the tree and started walking towards their camp. He was soon discovered by the dwarves and soon found himself facing the end of a spear.


    ¡°Hello. Can I speak to your leader please?¡± Ben asked politely, smiling at the dwarves.


    Being closer to them, Ben was able to make out some things he couldn''t see before. The dwarves were around 1.5m tall, with mostly stocky builds. The men had long beards that were braided while the womens hair was also braided. Their limbs looked thick and powerful, their forearms alone looked bigger than Ben¡¯s bicep.


    A old man with white hair and beard stepped out in front of Ben, he was holding a tall staff with different runes on it.


    ¡°You asked for me.¡± he said simply, his gray eyes seemed murky.


    ¡°Pleasure meeting you. Would you and your people be interested in joining my city?¡± Ben spoke bluntly, getting to the point.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°You''re city? A human city?¡± the leader asked. He seemed astonished at the idea.


    ¡°Yes. My name is Ben and I rule one of the cities created by the system. I am inviting you to join it. You will be provided with food, clothes and a place to live.¡± Ben clearly stated what he would be offering.


    ¡°Why would a human offer shelter to non humans, slaves for that matter?¡± a younger dwarf standing next to the leader spoke up. His arms were covered in rune like tattoos.


    ¡°Well I don''t like the idea of slavery so it doesn''t matter to me if you are slaves because you aren''t now. Human or not, as long as you help my city become stronger you are welcomed. You have my word.¡± Ben spoke truthfully. As someone who grew up on the 21st century, he was strongly against slavery in any form. As for letting non humans into his city? Who would question his decision. He was the city¡¯s lord and he dared anyone to challenge his rule.


    Though it was a dictatorship through and through, it was going to ensure the safety of the city. Ben¡¯s word was final and they was no taking a vote or other bullshit politics. Though Ben didn''t take a keen interest in politics before the apocalypse, he read enough to know that even the presidents and prime ministers of the world were not able to change much even when they were in power. This way Ben could make any change he wanted.


    The dwarves seemed to be hesitate to trust him and seemed to be torn on their decision.


    ¡°Well no need to rush to a decision. How about we eat our fill first, okay?¡± Ben waved his hand a three large deer carcasses appeared. Ben smiled as he saw the dwarves mouths start to water at the meat.


    ¡°How about you cook me a leg and you can have the rest?¡± Ben offered with a sly smile, knowing he was exploiting their weak spot.


    The leader looked at Ben with his murky grey eyes, he knew what he was doing but he had little choice in the matter. His clan was starving and they need the food. Giving a slight nod the warrior''s in agreement, they started cooking.


    Ben sat around the fire with the dwarves and learned lots about them. They were once a well known clan among the dwarves called the Iron Mountain Clan, they were apart of the Human Alliance but met there down fall when the went to war against a stronger dwarven clan. The alliance wasn''t allowed to interfere with interspecies conflict so when they lost the war the surviving members were all sold off.


    Just like in the stories, dwarves were masters at construction and forging. They created lots of weapons in the universe. The Iron Mountain Clan was relatively well known but not very famous. They had no god level craftsmen in their clan.


    Since coming to Earth, they had been fending off beasts and monsters with makeshift weapons. Their already small number was decreasing fast. With their levels falling back to 10, they were on the brink of destruction.


    Ben didn''t see any children running around and felt sorry for them. They had gone through hell and being sent to Earth was their only chance they had left.


    Ben pulled out some wine from his storage and proceeded to drink with the dwarves. He enjoyed these straightforward kind of people and wanted to help them.


    Waking up the next morning, Ben felt like a nail  was piercing his head. Shielding his eyes from the sun, Ben looked around and found a couple of dwarves still snoring away. After bringing out a bottle of wine Ben memories became fuzzy. The dwarves loved their alcohol and Ben was forced to drink with toast after toast. Soon Ben emptied his entire collection of wine he had in his storage.


    ¡°I am never fucking drinking again.¡± Ben cursed under his breath as he held his head in his hands.


    ¡°City Lord Ben!¡± the leader, whose name was Hal, called out loudly.


    ¡°Not so loud please. You damn dwarves made me get so shit faced that even my own breathing seems to loud.¡± Ben complained, still holding his head in his hands.


    Hal laughed at Ben¡¯s predicament, ¡°You brought alcohol out surrounded by dwarves, what did you expect?¡±


    ¡°What is it that you want Hal?¡± Ben wanted to find a dark place and sleep so he wanted to end this conversation.


    ¡°We decided to join your city.¡± Hal¡¯s voice took a serious tone.


    Ben looked up from his hands for the first time. Seeing Hal¡¯s serious expression, Ben felt ecstatic!


    ¡°That''s great!¡± Ben yelled before wincing and grabbing his head again.


    Hal chuckled, ¡°We have already backed up our belongings and are ready to move out when you are.¡±


    ¡°Okay, any of you have a bowl of cold water or anything. Ill wash my face then we can go.¡± Ben asked, still excited about winning over the dwarves. Someone brought him a bowl of water and Ben quickly washed his face and headed out with the dwarves.


    During the walk, Ben took out his communication jade and sent a message to Deke, ¡®Have all four generals at the north gate in an hour.¡¯


    Not waiting for a reply, Ben put the jade back into his storage and continued to chat with the dwarves. Apparently lots of different species were sent to Earth as slaves including demihumans and demons. Ben was curious about these races and looked forward in meeting them.


    During the march they met some monsters and beasts but Ben quickly took care of them, showing off his strength to the dwarf clan. He had already gained their trust last night but he wanted to show them that he had the strength to back up his words. Of course he hadn''t summoned Ava and Duke was still in the city so they didn''t know his real strength.


    An hour later, their group was finally able to see the giant walls of the city. The gate was open and had a small crows gathered at the entrance.


    Seeing someone approaching, they had their guards up but upon seeing their City Lord, they relaxed.


    Ben¡¯s four generals all looked at the dwarves curiously.


    ¡°Everyone, may I introduce the Iron Mountain Clan. They are dwarves and I have kindly invited them to join our city.¡± Ben spoke loudly to make sure everyone heard him.


    The four generals looked at Ben with admiration. He had made allies only days of becoming the City Lord. This assured them of their choice of following him.


    James walked forward and gave a small wave, ¡°Welcome.¡± he said simply.


    The other three followed suit, welcoming the dwarves.


    Hal stepped forward, ¡°We thank you for allowing us to join your city. Us Iron Mountain dwarves will do the best of our ability to help strengthen this city.¡±


    Ben smiled, excited for the future of his city.

 Chapter 38- Interrupted

    Ben bought a large compound for the dwarves to work, He made sure that there was forges on the property for the dwarves. After he guided them to their new home he had some people send over new clothes and food for them. He didn''t give them any alcohol, much to the dwarves disappointment.


    Leaving the dwarves to settle down, Ben went and found his four generals. He split the remaining money in the treasury and gave it to them for their divisions. The generals were shocked at the amount of money.


    ¡°I want only the best. You have no excuse now.¡± Ben looked at them seriously.


    Swallowing hard, they all nodded.


    Ben smiled and looked at James, ¡°James don''t you have a meeting soon?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you''re right.¡± James said, he took off running to the north gate.


    The other three looked at Ben in confusion. Ben smirked and said, ¡°I got him a wolf pack to help him out.¡±


    ¡°... a wolf pack?¡± Colton asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes a wolf pack. In the future I plan to not only bring humans and slaves but also beasts into the city. Intelligent beast mind you. I was thinking of using them for calvary and air support. What do you think?¡± Ben explained his plans to his generals. Their eyes shone with excitement.


    ¡®Our own mounts? A whole division of them?¡¯


    ¡°I want a tough beast like a bear or an ox! Something I can charge the enemy lines with and destroy their defenses!¡± Colton said loudly, pounding his chest.


    ¡°Something beautiful and strong, like a phoenix. It needs to match me perfectly.¡± Shenelle said lost in her own fantasies.


    ¡°A kind beast. One who can help me heal the injured.¡± Lilith softly said.


    ¡°Strong. Able to take an attack and dish it out.¡± Lane said.


    ¡°Idiots!¡± Ben scolded, a vein bulged on his forehead. ¡°The mounts you should get should cover your weaknesses not bring out your strengths. Also you don''t need to wait for me to do it. I got a tamed beast before I had a class, I¡¯m sure you 4 can do it too.¡±


    Ignoring the first part, the 4 generals looked excited at the thought of taming their own beast and quickly scurried off.


    ¡°Make sure you train your division! I won''t keep giving you money if they aren''t up to par!¡± Ben yelled at their retreating figures, shaking his head in annoyance.


    Ben looked at a shadows from a building, ¡°Come out. I know it¡¯s you Deke.¡±


    A grey haired man appeared from out of the shadow, ¡°Observant as always my Lord.¡± he said, giving a slight bow.


    ¡°How the intelligence gathering going?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°Proceeding smoothly. We have 5 bases set up throughout the city. We have prostitutes, maids and bartenders on payroll as well as my own family gathering information themselves.¡± Deke gave a quick and decisive report.


    Ben nodded, impressed with what Deke had accomplished with such little time. ¡°Do you need more money?¡± asked Ben.


    ¡°For now we are good. I will have a cost report sent to you giving you an idea of how much I will need each month.¡± Deke smoothly answered. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ¡°Perfect. Anything to report?¡± Ben asked curiously.


    Deke shrugged his shoulders, ¡°The general population is not happy with the level 30 rule you set but majority are still joining hunting squads to level up. The tradespeople are happier now that their products are selling. The 5 divisions are steadily growing with more recruits everyday. My estimations should but almost half the city¡¯s population will be joining the army. Men and women alike. Oh, the city¡¯s first newborn was born today.¡± Deke gave detailed accounts of what was happening in the city.


    ¡°A newborn? Is everything alright?¡± Ben asked surprised at the information.


    Hardly any children survived the ¡®Weed out the Weak¡¯ phase of the system and mostly adults were left. Ben had seen a couple of children in the streets but nothing significant. The fact that someone had a child was joyous and sad news. Joyess in the case that new life comes even in dark times and sad because it was born in arguably humanities darkest moment.


    ¡°He seemed healthy. Nothing different from what I can tell.¡± said Deke.


    ¡°Good.¡± said Ben, ¡°Say Deke, what do you know about James?¡±


    ¡°The Ranger? Not much actually. Though his class is a simple Ranger, he is very powerful. He keeps a low profile and is friendly with almost everyone.¡± Deke frowned, he didn''t know much about the mysterious Ranger.


    ¡°Everyone has their secrets.¡± Ben mumbled to himself, ¡°Deke I want you to find out what people occupations were before the system. Anything that might be useful to me and bettering this city.¡±


    Giving a quick bow and began to leave but stopped suddenly. He looked a Ben hesitantly before asking, ¡°Lord can anybody really get a tamed beast?¡±


    Laughing at the excitement in this old man¡¯s voice he answered, ¡°Yes. Just choose wisely. They become your partners.¡±


    Deke gave a quick nod and disappeared into the shadows.


    Ben headed home, to the City Lord¡¯s mansion for lunch.


    Entering through the gate, the maids all bowed to him and greeted him.


    ¡®Mom must have hired more maids.¡¯ he thought.


    Ben heard a loud bang and saw Duke running towards him. Duke and his huge body crashed into Ben, knocking him to the ground. Soon Ben was covered in slobber from Duke¡¯s tongue.


    ¡°Hahaha okay okay enough.¡± Ben laughed pushing Duke off him. ¡°Why aren''t you helping the hunting parties?¡±


    ¡®I missed you Master!¡¯ Duke cried.


    Ben laughed loudly before rubbing Duke¡¯s head and returning to his soul space.


    Ben found the mansion mostly empty with the exception of a few maids cleaning. Ben went to his room and laid down, still tired from drinking with the dwarves.


    ¡­


    ¡°AHH! What the hell!¡± Ben woke up to find himself covered in ice.


    He quickly found the culprit, Cloey was in the corner laughing at his situation.


    ¡°You missed me so much that you are unable to express your feelings and resort to being mischievous. I understand Cloey, it''s okay.¡± Ben shamelessly said.


    Cloey gave a snort, ¡°Yeah right. I heard you a couple of dwarves drank you under the table.¡±


    ¡°Well you heard right. Those short bastards can really put it away.¡± Ben grumbled.


    Cloey walked up to the edge of the bed, ¡°Your mom says supper time.¡±


    Ben smiled evilly before quickly reaching out and grabbing Cloey, pulling her onto the bed. ¡°You''re right, it is supper time but I think I will eat you instead.¡± Ben gave her a quick peck on the lips.


    Cloey¡¯s face went red as her stunning face showed embarrassment and anger.


    Ben placed his hand on her waist and pulled her closer, he kissed her deeply this time. Cloey went stiff and first but quickly melted into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Ben¡¯s lips parted and his tongue went into her mouth, searching for her tongue. Her tongue shyly met his as they began to intwine.


    Ben flipped Cloey onto her back and he was on top of her. He gave her another deep kiss before kissing her cheek then neck. Cloey gasped in pleasure as Ben kissed her neck, loving the feeling. Ben continued to kiss her neck, making his way to her collar bone and continued downward. Ben fingers started to undo Cloey¡¯s shirt as he continued to kiss her body. Her massive chest was rising and falling with every breath, causing Ben to almost lose his sanity. At the last button-


    ¡°Ben! Cloey! Supper time!¡± Grayson yelled.


    ¡®I''m going to fucking kill him.¡¯ Ben cursed viscously.


    Ben looked down and saw Cloey with her clothes and hair disheveled, her massive chest covered in a black bra that was begging to be taken off. Her white skin was flushed red and her breathing was erratic.


    It was the most beautiful sight Ben had ever seen.


    Leaning down and kissing her beautiful full lips, he whispered in her ear, ¡°Next time I will eat you.¡±


    Blushing even deeper, she pushed him away and started buttoning her shirt back up.


    ¡®Next time I will just rip it off. Much quicker.¡¯ Ben¡¯s mind was still focused on sex as he watched her fix her clothes.


    Taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself, Ben fixed his clothes and hair. He walked up to Cloey who had finished fixing her clothes and took her hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± he said pulling her along.


    Ben and Cloey arrived at the dining room still holding hands. Even though Cloey¡¯s face was red, nobody seemed to give it a second look, except for one person.


    Lily glared at Ben as he held Cloey¡¯s hand, noticing her red face, ¡®He must have done something to her! How dare he!¡¯ she thought.


    With everyone taking a seat, the food was served. Apparently the meat was brought back by Grayson. He and the mages division had gone out to the wild to train today and came across some pig beasts. He brought back a couple for supper. Cathy and Joe also trained with their divisions today.


    Ben sent a lightning bolt across the table and hit Grayson right in the forehead.


    ¡°Ow what the hell was that for!?¡± Grayson yelled as he rubbed the burn mark on his forehead.


    ¡°That¡¯s for interrupting.¡± Ben said.


    Grayson looked at him in confusion as Cloey blushed.

 Chapter 39- Plans

    After supper James showed up to the mansion looking for Bennett.


    Ben guided him into the private study and asked him to sit down.


    ¡°How was the meeting with Eve?¡± Ben asked James.


    ¡°Our translator was a bit shaky but we got the jist of it.¡± James said, ¡°This is what we gathered from the meeting.¡± James handed him a piece of paper.


    On it summarized what Eve had reported to James. She covered a 10 km radius around the city, looking for anything of interest. Looking through it, Ben found most of it pretty generic. Goblin nests, small hordes of beasts and the odd zombie here and there.


    Ben¡¯s eyebrows suddenly scrunched up. On the sheet it read that the wolves had spotted Speed Zombies north of the city. They had been spotted more than once in the past week alone. The weird thing was that when they were spotted the zombies didn''t attack but retreated back north.


    ¡®Are they scouting us? Are they that intelligent already?¡¯ Ben was worried. The city wasn''t ready for an attack yet and needed more time.


    Ben¡¯s thoughts were interrupted when the door suddenly flew open with a bang. Lily stood in the doorway with an angry look on her face.


    ¡°What did you do to Cloey!?¡± Lily spat out.


    Ben rolled his eyes in exasperation. ¡®What is this woman¡¯s problem!?¡¯ he thought.


    ¡°Nothing you old hag. Now get out, I am in a meeting.¡± Ben scolded her, annoyed with her constant interference in his and Cloey¡¯s relationship.


    Lily¡¯s face became furious, she was an elder of the Snow Elf race and now a baby human was scolding her! ¡°You dare!¡± An icicle shot from her hand towards Ben¡¯s head.


    Lightning covered Ben¡¯s hand as he caught the icicle and crushed it. It was cute when Cloey did it but he found it annoying when Lily did it.


    Ben was about to retaliate when James got in between them.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m James.¡± Flashing Lily a large smile, his eyes never left her face. He was enraptured by her beauty it seemed. Ben couldn''t really blame him, Snow Elves were gorgeous by nature and Lily was no exception.


    ¡°H-hi, I¡¯m Lily.¡± she stuttered, startled by the sudden interruption by this man.


    ¡°Lily? What a beautiful name.¡± James said smoothly.


    Ben rolled his eyes at his general. ¡®Did these lines ever work?¡¯


    Contrary to his expectations, Lily blushed and looked away shyly. Seeing her shy expression, James mouth fell slightly open, completely under her spell.


    She shot Ben a look and muttered, ¡°I will settle this with you later."


    She left the room in haste, not looking back. James eye¡¯s followed her out of the room until he couldn''t see her anymore. He stood there in a stupor.


    Ben walked up to him and slapped the back of his head, ¡°What you like older women?¡±


    ¡°Older women? If she is old then I must be an infant.¡± he said still looking at the doorway.


    Ben shook his head, not bothering to tell him that she was extremely old compared to human standards. ¡°You should go after her. Just be careful, she has gone through alot.¡± Ben said solemnly.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± James asked curiously.


    Ben explained the condition they had found her in and what the previous city lord had done to her and the other women. Ben found James with an enraged look on his face, veins bulged from his arms and neck. What Ben found strange was the air around him seemed to be agitated. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡®Does he have wind element?¡¯ Ben wondered.


    ¡°Jack¡­ I knew I should have killed him.¡± James said through clenched teeth.


    Ben patted his shoulder, calming him down. ¡°Only thing you can do now is to get her to trust again. It will be tough but I think you might have a chance.¡± encouraged Ben. Though she was annoying, Ben truly did want to see Lily happy after what she went through.


    James unclenched his hands and let out a sigh before giving a toothy grin to Ben, ¡°You know I always thought that love at first sight was the biggest pile of bullshit I ever heard but¡­ wow. When I saw her it felt like I left my body.¡± James explained with a lovesick expression.


    ¡°Get a hold of yourself. We have work to do.¡± Ben said, slapping the back of his head again.


    James rubbed the back of his head, ¡°What work do we have to do?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The zombies have me worried. We should check it out.¡± Ben rubbed his jaw, he wanted to find out how much of a threat they faced.


    James nodded in agreement, ¡°That bothered me as well.¡±


    Judging from the map in the system, the city was near the Canadian/US border. To the north of the city was the Canadian city of Winnipeg and to the south was the US city of Grand Forks. Cities is where zombies populated and were the danger lied for humans.


    ¡°In four days we will do a scouting trip. Make your preparations. Go tell the other four I wish to see them tonight.¡± Ben concluded, dismissing James.


    James nodded and headed out of the room.


    Ben went and found Cloey, Lily and Cathy talking by a large fireplace. Ben sat next to Cloey and gave her a kiss on the top of her head before taking her hand in his. He looked at Lily provokingly, daring her to say something. Lily gritted her teeth in anger at the display of affection. Cathy smiled at it, happy for her son to have found someone.


    Cloey slightly blushed but didn''t pull her hand away, ¡°How was your meeting?¡¯ she asked trying to break the tension.


    ¡°Good but someone decided to interrupt it.¡± Ben looked at Lily accusingly.


    Lily simply scoffed and looked away.


    ¡°But I guess it''s a good thing you did. James seems to be enamored by you and asked about you after you left. He seems to be very interested in you.¡± Ben said with a sly smile.


    ¡°Oh that''s just great isn''t it dear? Though we shouldn''t be surprised, you are gorgeous.¡± Cathy said clapping her hands in excitement.


    Lily started to act shy but a sad look came over her face. ¡°What did you tell him about me?¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry, I didn''t tell him you''re old.¡± Ben teased.


    An angry look flashed across her face, ¡°Not that you ass, about what happened to me?¡±


    Ben¡¯s face became serious, ¡°Yes I did.¡± Seeing Lily¡¯s sad expression made Ben feel terrible, ¡°But he said he is willing to wait and gain your trust first. No matter how long it takes. He is a love stricken fool but a good guy.¡±


    ¡°My trust? What do you mean?¡± Lily asked confused.


    ¡°He knows what you have been through and knows it might be difficult to trust a man again but he is still willing to try.¡± Ben explained.


    ¡°He still wants to try? Even though I¡¯m¡­ not pure?¡± she barely whispered the last part.


    Ben looked at Cloey confused.


    ¡°To elves, especially Snow Elves, your purity is extremely important. Most of the women¡¯s first physical contact with a man is their husband on their wedding night.¡± Cloey explained as she squeezed Ben¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Ben understood now, ¡°well you don''t have to worry about that Lily. Humans don''t really care about that.¡± Ben assured Lily.


    ¡°Really?¡± Lily asked surprised.


    ¡°Really really. Most humans have had sex with other people before getting married.¡± Ben said, trying to dismiss her concerns.


    Lily looked at Cathy questionly, ¡°It is true my dear, though this last generation is by far the worst. Sluts all of them.¡± Cathy shot a glare at Ben.


    Ben let out a light cough, avoiding her eyes. Ben suddenly felt his hand growing colder and colder. He found Cloey glaring at him with a dangerous look.


    ¡°City Lord, the four generals are here and wish to speak to you.¡± a maid announced suddenly.


    ¡°Oh well I got to go!¡± Ben said, turning into a blur.


    Cloey glared at his retreating figure and muttered under breath, ¡°Let¡¯s see how you escape next time.¡±


    ¡­


    Ben let out a breath of relief as he escaped that dangerous situation.


    He entered his private study and found his four generals already seated and waiting for him.


    ¡°Sorry for asking you here this late.¡± Ben apologized as he sat down. ¡°How are your divisions coming along?¡±


    ¡°Healers are difficult to train as they need people to get injured but so far it''s progressing smoothly.¡± Lilith spoke first, she was wearing a white robe.


    ¡°My soldiers are in need of more training.¡± Lane crisply said.


    ¡°Same.¡±


    ¡°Same.¡±


    Shenelle and Colton agreed with Lane.


    ¡°Understandable.¡± Ben nodded his head. It was too soon for any real results and didn''t expect much. ¡°The reason I called you here was this.¡± Ben lifted the piece of paper that James gave him. ¡°This was the report the Red Forest Wolves gave us. On it has some news that makes me nervous.¡±


    The four generals seemed to straighten up and gave Ben their full attention.


    ¡°Speed Zombies have been scouting the city. This tells me two things. One, they are planning an attack and two, they have higher intelligence then what we first thought. Both are bad news for us.¡± Bennett said gravely, looking at each one of his generals.


    All of their faces darkened at the news. They knew it wasn''t good news for them and could mean their early demise.


    ¡°What are your plans?¡± Colton asked, knowing Ben would have a solution.


    ¡°James and I are heading north to scout them. I need more information before making any serious decisions.¡± Ben told them.


    ¡°What about us? What do you want us to do?¡± Shenelle asked.


    Ben pointed at the paper, ¡°There is a cave filled with monsters according to Eve. I want two of you to investigate it and report back what you find. The other two I want to head south. There are a couple a small towns that I want you to clear the zombies out and look for survivors if there are any. You can take people from your division and use this as training if you want, because from the looks of things they will be seeing the battlefield soon.¡±


    Ben¡¯s generals all nodded in agreement, serious expressions covered their faces.


    ¡°That''s all I have to say. Decide amongst yourselves who will do what.¡± Ben finished saying.


    After they left Ben let out a long sigh and closed his eyes. Pressure was slowly building on him to prepare for the upcoming bloodbath. He just hoped he was doing enough.


    ¡®I have to get stronger myself.¡¯


    Instead of going to bed, Ben left the mansion and summoned Ava. They took off into the night, deciding to train all night.

 Chapter 40- Takon

    The next day the city was a buzz.


    ¡°Did you see all the soldiers leave this morning?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Must had been at least 1000 of them!¡±


    ¡°It looked like soldiers from 4 of the divisions. I saw Colton leading a group himself!¡±


    Early in the morning, four of the generals lead their troops out of the city. Colton and Lilith went south while Lane and Shenelle went east. James and his soldiers were nowhere to be seen but the public didn''t seem to notice.


    Ben met them coming out of the city as he was heading in. Colton and Lilith looked at him in shock.


    Ben clothes were torn and bloody, looking more like rags than actual clothes. He had cuts all over his body, included a nasty bite mark on his shoulder.


    Ben smiled at their expressions, ¡°Just thought I would train a little last night. Time seemed to have got away from me.¡± scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. What he said was true, time had got away from him and before he knew it the sun was rising. He rushed as quick as he can so he wouldn''t worry anyone.


    Lilith quickly walked towards him and raised her hands, ¡°Here let me heal you.¡±


    Putting his hand up stopping her, Ben said, ¡°Don''t worry about it. Save your energy for the soldiers not me. I can heal myself.¡±


    Ben closed his eyes and started to absorb Natural Energy from the surroundings. Lilith watched in amazement as his wounds started to knit back together right before her very eyes.


    Ben opened his eyes, checking his body out he smiled and gave a nod of satisfaction.


    ¡°Good luck today. Take this and use it if you need help.¡± Ben handed her a communication jade he bought recently. He then walked into the city covered in bloody rags.


    Colton walked up beside Lilith, ¡°He continues to amaze me. A fighter and a healer? Incredible.¡±


    ¡°His healing is as strong as mine.¡± Lilith said in disbelief.


    Smiling, Colton patted her shoulder waking her from her stupor, ¡°Let''s go. We have zombies to kill.¡±


    Ben made it back to the mansion and collapsed into his bed. Before he fell asleep he checked his stats.


    Bennett- Lvl 62


    Class: Beast Warrior


    Bloodline: Mekata Eyes


    Elements: Lightning Seed & Dark Seed


    Vitality (VIT): 124


    Strength (STR): 188


    Dexterity (DEX): 189


    Agility (AGI): 237


    Intelligence (INT): 25


    Wisdom (WIS): 25


    Unassigned Attribute Points: 120


    Skills-


    Inherited Skill- Nature''s Child


    Advanced Sword Mastery- Dual (5/10)


    Beginner Hand to Hand Combat (7/10)


    Soul Beast


    Beast Telepathy


    Beast Imitation


    [Darkness Seed- 99%]


    [Lightning Seed- 99%]


    Ben smiled at his progress. Even though he got injured and almost was killed, it was worth it for the boost in his strength.


    With a smile on his face, Ben fell asleep.


    ¡­


    Cloey sent an ice spear straight through an ogres heart, killing it instantly. She then summoned an ice wall, blocking an club thrown by a troll that was heading for her head.


    Lily sent an icicle at the troll, piercing it''s neck and killing it.


    Cloey let out a breath of air and looked at her surroundings. Frost covered most of the ground and the dead bodies as well. Her and Lily headed out early this morning to train and bring their levels up to par. Lily was especially in need of this as her level was fairly low compared to Cloey.


    ¡°Okay let''s keep going.¡± Cloey said as she and Lily headed into the forest to hunt more prey.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡­


    ¡°Don''t move, I¡¯ll heal your arm first.¡± Cathy told the young man as she started to heal him.


    Shenelle and Lane were exploring the cave that Eve had reported to James. The two had brought lots of their own soldiers for this mission but there were also soldiers from the other two divisions here, like Cathy.


    Healers were an extremely important personnel to have. So Lilith sent 10 healers with Shenelle and Lane to explore the cave.


    The cave was surrounded by goblins and trolls that the soldiers and mages took down quickly. There were some injuries, for the soldiers were still fairly inexperienced.


    Cathy quickly finished healing the young man¡¯s arm and made her way to the next injured.


    ¡­


    ¡°Mages attack now!¡± Colton yelled, as 10 zombies charged at them.


    Grayson and 2 other mages started firing their spells at the incoming zombies. Fire and ice rained down on the zombies, killing majority of the in the first wave of attacks.


    Grayson so one break to the right, avoiding the spells. Grayson quickly sent 2 fire spears towards it, piercing it and turning it to ashes.


    ¡°Good job boy! Now I see why Shenelle sent you with us.¡± Colton gave out a loud laugh.


    Grayson and the other two mages were the strongest mages in Shenelle¡¯s division so far. She sent them with Colton because she knew this mission was more dangerous than exploring the cave and Colton might need some extra firepower.


    Before Grayson could respond, a large roar shook the air.


    Three giant tank looking zombies were standing on the outskirts of an abandoned town, roaring at Colton.


    ¡°Looks like it is my turn to have some fun.¡± Colton said with an excited grin. His steel gauntlets suddenly were covered with fire.


    ¡­


    While all of Ben¡¯s family were out fighting and gaining strength, he was drooling onto a pillow.


    ¡°AHEM!¡±


    Ben jerked awake, looking around the room he saw James standing in the doorway.


    ¡°What.¡± Ben grumbled as he laid back down, diving under the blankets.


    ¡°It¡¯s already the afternoon Ben, time to get up.¡± James said with a flat tone.


    ¡°When the hell did you become my mother?¡± Ben spat back.


    ¡°Well mighty City Lord, you are needed. Shenelle and Lane came back and wanted to see you.¡± James started sarcastic but his voice turned serious.


    ¡°Already?¡± Ben had a bad feeling, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing serious, they are waiting with their findings in your private study.¡± James told him.


    ¡°Okay I¡¯m up. Let''s go.¡± Ben then looked at James, ¡°You know you could make an excellent secretary. Ever think about changing jobs?¡±


    James looked at Ben with contempt before leaving the room.


    Ben laughed as he got dressed and followed him.


    Entering the study, Ben saw Shenelle and Lane sitting down. Shenelle¡¯s mage robe was torn in a few places with a couple of scorch marks. Lane¡¯s shiny heavy armour had a couple scratches on it with some burn marks.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ben said solemnly.


    ¡°Dragon.¡± Lane simply said.


    ¡°A dragon?¡± Ben said astonished.


    ¡°When we got the the end of the cave, a dragon was there sleeping. Let''s just say it wasn''t happy being woke up.¡± Shenelle huffed as she looked at her robe in anger.


    ¡°Casualties?¡± Ben asked Lane.


    ¡°Four. It was from the initial attack from the dragon. Afterwards we were able to defend ourselves and retreat.¡± Lane slowly, ¡°It was¡­ strong. Stronger than anything I have faced.¡±


    Shenelle nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Four dead¡­¡± Ben mulled over that. Death was a common thing since the system was put in place, in fact majority of the world had died. But this was the first time Ben had lost anybody since he became City Lord.


    ¡°Lots were severely injured but thanks to the healers, their wounds were stabilised and brought to the infirmary. Your mom was extremely helpful.¡± Lane added.


    Ben¡¯s face darkened knowing his mom was put in such a dangerous place.


    Shenelle saw the look on Ben¡¯s face and quickly changed the subject. ¡°Were found these ores but were unable to find out what they are. Our appraisal skill only shows question marks.¡± she brought out a glowing blue chunk of rock from her storage and gave it to Ben.


    Ben took it and tried using his Mekata eyes but it surprisingly didn''t work.


    ¡°Deke.¡± Ben called out. From the shadow in the corner of the room, Deke materialized from the shadow. Lane and Shenelle both were started and summoned their weapons. James simply scowled at how he wasn''t able to sense Deke.


    ¡°Ask the Chief of the Iron Mountain Clan to come here please.¡± Ben¡¯s eyes never left the glowing blue ore.


    Deke disappeared as quickly as he appeared, Lane and Shenelle both looked at Ben with questions but seeing he wasn''t going to elaborate, out their weapons back into their storage space.


    A half hour later, the clan chief walked into the room followed by Deke.


    ¡°Thank you Deke. Chief have you seen this kind of ore before?¡± Ben handed Hal the ore.


    Hal murky eyes seemed to suddenly clear up as he grabbed the ore. ¡°This is called Blue Meteor Iron. Very strong and rare. Good for making weapons and shields. Where did you find it?¡± he asked, looking at Ben.


    Ben gestured at Lane or Shenelle. Lane stepped forward, ¡°In a cave close to the city. The walls were covered in this ore that the we didn''t need torches, the walls glowed.¡±


    Hal¡¯s eyes seemed to shine, ¡°This is a huge find. With that much material, we would be able to arm almost every soldier with Blue Meteor Iron shield and weapon.¡±


    ¡°But the problem is there is a dragon living inside the cave.¡± Shenelle said depressingly.


    ¡°I will handle the dragon.¡± Ben said indifferently. He then took out a communication jade. He sent his thoughts into the jade, trying to contact Lilith.


    After a few minutes of silence, he finally put the jade away.


    ¡°Shenelle you and your division will go south and assist Colton and Lilith. They seem to be having problems. Leave tomorrow morning. Lane, I want you to take control over the city¡¯s defenses. 24 hour guards on all gates, James you will supply a couple archers to stand watch as well. If you have any problems contact me with these.¡± Ben handed out 3 communication jades, one for each.


    ¡°Ben what''s wrong?¡± James asked worryingly.


    ¡°According to Lilith the zombies seem to be acting weird.¡± Ben answered.


    Ben looked at 3 of his generals, ¡°We all need to get stronger.¡±


    Ben left the room, leaving them in a daze. James was the first to steel his resolve and leave the room, Lane and Shenelle soon followed.


    Hal, stood there oblivious to the world as he handled the ore fondly.


    ¡­


    Ben took off towards the cave on the back of Ava.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s actually a dragon Ava?¡± Ben asked curiously.


    ¡®No. Probably a Drake or a Wyrm. Dragons are powerful magical creatures. They shouldn''t be on this planet yet.¡¯ Ava concluded.


    Ben nodded his head in agreement as they landed outside the cave. A blue glow came from the inside.


    Ben entered the cave, not meeting any monsters or beasts. After an hour of walking, Ben finally met the dragon.


    Its scales were a beautiful iridescent cobalt blue. It was around 2m tall with a long body that stretched over 10m included it''s tail. It had rear legs, with its front legs part of its wings. It looked at Ben with his bright yellow eye.


    ¡°Another human?¡± a deep voice rumbled out.


    ¡°Yes just another human.¡± Ben smiled.


    ¡°You understand me?¡± he asked surprised.


    ¡°Yes of course. I am Ben and you are?¡± said Ben calmly.


    The dragon looked at Ben with newfound interest.


    ¡°Takon.¡±


    Ben activated his eyes, showing Ben information.


    Takon- Frost Wyvern


    Lvl 70


    ¡®No wonder Lane and Shenelle lost to you.¡¯ Ben thought as he saw Takon¡¯s level.


    ¡°Well Takon, how about a battle? Winner takes all?¡± Ben offered, trying to provoke him in accepting.


    ¡°If I win you will die. If you win I will die. What more is there to offer.¡± Takon sneered at Ben.


    ¡°Okay fine. You win I die, but if I win I want you to become my soul beast. Deal?¡± Ben revealed his intentions.


    ¡°I would rather die.¡± Takon growled, attacking Ben.


    ¡°We will see about that.¡± Ben smirked, dodging it.

 Chapter 41- Tuk says Hi

    Ben body was covered in blue arcs of lightning making him look like a Zeus himself. When using his lightning element, Ben¡¯s speed and attack power drastically improved.


    Ben easily dodged Takon¡¯s attack and countered with a simple punch, landing on Takon¡¯s wing.


    Takon let our a snarl as he release of column of white flames at Ben.


    Ben¡¯s eyes narrowed as he quickly retreated out of the way.


    The edge of Ben¡¯s pants still got caught by the flame, making Ben cut of a piece of his pants. The fire sent cold chills throughout Ben¡¯s body.


    ¡®Ava what kind of fire is this?¡¯ Ben asked, watching the Wyvern carefully now.


    ¡®Should be a type of frost flame. But it seems like a high grade frost flame, a wyvern shouldn''t have this kind of flame. It¡¯s rare for Dragons and Phoenixes to even have it.¡¯ Ava said, Ben could feel her confusion through their soul link.


    ¡®All the more reason to make him my soul beast¡¯ Ben thought.


    ¡®Master I don''t think you should. While his flame is rare, he is still just a wyvern. A lesser dragon.¡¯ Ava advised Ben.


    ¡®You met Duke, he was just a dog. I don''t care for statuses, I want partners who can become stronger with me. If all of them are as strong as you Ava then it wouldn''t be any challenge becoming the strongest right?¡¯ Ben said to Ava as he dodged Takon¡¯s fire breath.


    Ava remained silent as she thought over what Ben said. Most people would want to become strong as quick and easy as possible but Ben didn''t. He wanted to grow and become stronger with his soul beast together, only then could he reach the top.


    Truth be told, Ben was thinking of his favourite anime he watched as a kid. The MC growing with his pets and becoming stronger with them. That¡¯s what he wanted.


    Ben focused his lightning element to his legs and fists, lightning armour formed covered his fist and feet. Ben had learned this trick from Colton after they spared. By focusing the element to a single point you could create something called elemental armour.


    Ben¡¯s sword were still being made and left him without his primary weapons. Thankfully his hand to hand combat skill was improving, although it was still at the beginner level.


    Ben got moved closer to the wyvern, landing punches and kicks on its large body. The wyvern tried to counter but Ben was too fast and the lightning was starting to numb his body.


    Roaring in frustration, Takon released his most powerful breath attack yet. White flames filled the cave, leaving Ben nowhere to run. Ben quickly covered his entire body with elemental armour. It was weaker and thinner compared to when he focused it to a single part of his body but it still gave him protection from area attacks like this.


    The white flames washed over him, leaving him shivering from the cold. Weirdly, the flames were burning through his armour and ¡®burning¡¯ his skin. While it looked like it was burning, what Ben felt was ice piercing his soul.


    Ben could feel his body and soul starting to freeze.


    ¡°AVA!¡± Ben called out in panicked. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The white flame completely overwhelmed Ben.


    Takon smiled viciously, ¡°Arrogant human dares say he wanted me to be his soul beast.¡± Just as he was about to return to the back of the cave to sleep, Takon saw a tiny black flame. Normally it would be difficult to see but it stood out easily thanks to the white flame that covered the entire cave.


    The black flame started to grow, getting bigger and bigger. The flame outlined the body of a human.


    Takon stared in disbelief as the black flame grew bigger.


    ¡°Thanks Ava. Looks like I am not able to defeat him by myself.¡± Ben said depressed.


    ¡®Hardly fair Master! You don''t have your swords!¡¯ Duke came to his defense.


    ¡®The mutt is right, you aren''t using your swords or any skills.¡¯ Ava chimed in.


    Ava had used her fire to protect Ben¡¯s body and soul from the white flame at the last minute. Ava¡¯s Black Hell Flame was almost a divine grade flame, causing it to easily defeat Takon¡¯s high grade white flame.


    ¡°But you use lightning element! How can you have such a flame!?¡± Takon yelled in disbelief.


    ¡°Well to be honest, this isn''t my flame. It¡¯s Ava¡¯s.¡± Ben simply stated.


    ¡°Ava?¡± Takon asked in confusion.


    Ben held his left arm out, couple seconds later a beautiful black Phoenix appeared next to him.


    ¡°... a Phoenix¡­ but how?¡± Takon was lost for words.


    ¡°Ava is my soul beast, one of my partners.¡± Ben said as he placed his hand on Ava¡¯s side and smiled.


    Ava looked away, embarrassed by this human¡¯s words. Phoenix¡¯s were noble lofty creatures that looked down on most life forms. To be called a partner by a lowly human would enrage most Phoenix¡¯s but Ava felt comfort in his words.


    ¡°You have a Phoenix as a soul beast¡­ she must not be a pure Phoenix.¡± Takon was muttering to himself at this point, trying to justify to himself why a Phoenix would ever enter a soul contract.


    Ava, hearing his words, immediately flared up in anger. ¡°I am of purest blood you fucking lizard!¡± Black flames flared out from her, giving her a menacing look.


    Takon shrunk back in fear. Those flames were devouring his own and giving off an evil feeling that caused Takon to be afraid.


    Ben patted Ava¡¯s side, calming her down. He looked over at the cowering Takon and sighed, ¡°I will come back in 4 days to fight again. I will win by myself.¡±


    Ben turned to leave with Ava entering his soul again.


    ¡°No need!¡± Takon called out to Ben.


    Ben turned around in confusion.


    ¡°Your strength is undeniable and if a phoenix is willing to follow you then there is no reason why I shouldn''t.¡± Takon said.


    [Takon wants to become your soul beast. Do you accept?]


    Ben immediately accepted. Feeling the familiar pain of his soul being torn apart and his skin burning. Ben welcomed the pain, this pain would only make him stronger. Ben¡¯s chest burned fiercely as a beautiful cobalt blue wyvern appeared on his chest.


    Takon Lvl 70


    Frost Wyvern (Rare Beast)


    Element: White Soul Frost Flame


    Mana: 325/320


    Vitality (VIT): 220


    Strength (STR): 210


    Dexterity (DEX): 188


    Agility (AGI): 222


    Intelligence (INT): 150


    Wisdom (WIS): 152


    Loyalty- 50%


    Skills-


    Breath Attacks (Frost & White Soul Frost Flame)


    Frost Body


    Master Aerial Combat (1/5)


    ¡®Strong.¡¯ Ben simply thought.


    ¡­


    Millions of miles away, Kal Ebbern VI was staring at a large screen. On it was planet Earth and it¡¯s different cities displayed.


    Kal brow furrowed, ¡°These damn lowly earthlings just won''t die. Worst than cockroaches.¡±


    In the corner stood a man covered in a grey robe that hid his face.


    The grey robe man suddenly tensed up and quickly appeared in front of Kal, shielding him from danger.


    ¡°Such an impressive dog.¡± a loud mocking voice came out from above.


    Looking up, Kal saw Tuk looking down on him with a mocking gaze.


    ¡°Tuk this is breaking the rules. You aren''t allowed to enter my domain without permission.¡± Kal spat out venomously.


    His hatred for Tuk had festered for thousands of years and only grew stronger everyday.


    ¡°Oh? A stickler for rules all of a sudden? Didn''t seem to be like that when dealing with earth.¡± Tuk¡¯s voice turned cold, making the room''s temperature drop in temperature.


    Kal feigned ignorance, ¡°I have no idea what you mean.¡±


    ¡°The slaves, allowing the Phoenix Clan¡¯s servants unto the planet and now you''re placing high leveled beast on the planet.¡± Tuk¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously. ¡°Did I miss anything?¡±


    A cold sweat broke out on Kal¡¯s back. Tuk himself was an extremely powerful cultivator and could easily kill him. Thankfully he had his grey robed servant to protect him.


    ¡°I-¡± Kal started to say.


    ¡°I don''t want to hear your excuses. I don''t care. If I have to come again¡­ it will be the last time we meet.¡± immense pressure filled the room, almost causing Kal to fall to his knees.


    The pressure disappeared as quickly as it came.


    Tuk started to walk away, he stopped and looked back at Kal, ¡°If you think your dog will be able to protect you¡­¡± Kal saw a flash of movement, then heard a loud bang. Turning he saw the grey robed man stuck against a wall. He fell to his knees and spat out some blood. ¡°... think again.¡±

 Chapter 42- Grades

    Ben returned to the city immediately and summoned Hal, chief of the Iron Mountain Clan. He told him that the cave was clear and mining for the Blue Meteor Iron ore could begin. The chief could hardly contain his excitement and ran off quickly to gather his clan.


    Hal seemed eager to prove his clan¡¯s worth to Ben and wanted to do a good job to show it. In no time, the dwarves were marching through the city singing a cheerful song. The dwarves brought lots of stares and looks but they seemed impervious to them and continued on their way.


    Ben asked Deke to keep a close watch on them for their safety. Though Ben accepted them into the city, that didn''t mean that the general public would. Racism is something deeply rooted in human nature and accepting each other has never been an easy thing. This is a even bigger challenge when dwarves and humans are actually different races from different worlds.


    Though there was a couple people grumbling in discontent,nothing major happened and the doors left the city for the mine. Ben sent Duke with them to guard them while they worked in case of an attack.


    Ben looked into his soul realm and saw that Takon was asleep. White flames surrounded him and seemed to slowly be absorbed into his body. Confused, Ben asked Ava what was happening.


    ¡®To answer you question I must first tell you how special your class is.¡¯ Ava said after a couple minutes of thinking.


    ¡°My class?¡± Ben questioned.


    ¡®Having a soul beast isn''t a rare thing. Lots of people have one. But when you get a soul beast you nurious it with your soul, helping it evolve and get stronger. Evolving gets more difficult as you progress but with your class, you are able to continue to evolve your soul beasts as long as they have enough potential. That flame that Takon uses, White Soul Frost Flame, isn''t something he was born with. He found it and absorbed it. Though he had good control over it, he never fully absorbed it and fused with it. Becoming your soul beast is his blessing, the flame is slowly fusing with him completely.¡¯ though Ava looked down on Takon for having ¡®impure blood¡¯ as she called it, you could still hear the admiration she had for him.


    ¡°What about your Black Hell Flame?¡± Ben asked, interested in this information.


    ¡®I was born with Black Flames, a high grade flame, thanks to my Black Phoenix bloodline. My flames evolved thanks to the nourishment of your soul and became Black Hell Flames. For me as a beast to evolve will take no less than a miracle, even with your class. My bloodline is the pinnacle of the Phoenix Clan and no other bloodline in the clan can defeat it.¡¯ Ava spoke with a little arrogance in her voice. Her bloodline was something she was very proud of.


    ¡°How should I help Takon and Duke evolve?¡± Ben asked, thankful for Ava¡¯s vast knowledge.


    ¡®Life and death battles. They need to push their bodies and minds beyond their limits and your soul will do the rest. Some materials could also help but I don''t believe you will be able to find them on earth.¡¯ Ava explained to him.


    Ben thought over what Ava had told him and started to plan. He had been going soft on Duke lately, maybe it was because he didn''t need to rely on his strength anymore or because Ava¡¯s strength overshadowed his but it was time for him to start fighting again. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡®Also¡­¡¯ Ava hesitantly said.


    ¡°Yes?¡± Ben asked curiously.


    ¡®You need to use your Beast Imitation skill more. It is an incredible skill that lots would kill for.¡¯ Ava told Ben, trying not to lecture him.


    Ben laughed at her words. He had been told this time and time again. It seems he needed to start listening when his own soul beast is telling him.


    ¡°I will I promise.¡± Ben consoled her. ¡°Tell me about these grades of flames you keep talking about.¡±


    ¡®Common Grade Flame, High Grade Flame, Divine Grade Flame and God Grade Flame. This is for all elements, not just flames. Common is found everywhere in the universe. You cook your food on common flames and most people are born with a common grade element. High grade elements are stronger and have special properties to them. Takon¡¯s White Soul Frost Flame for example is an high grade ice flame, it not only attacks the body but also the soul, making it a very dangerous flame.¡¯


    Ben shivered, remembering the feeling of his soul freezing.  ¡°How do I defend from it?¡±


    ¡®Couple ways. Have an element of the same grade to defend or cultivate a soul strengthening technique. There are also relics that can defend you from soul attacks.¡¯ said Ava.


    ¡°What grade are my elements?¡± Ben asked nervously. He didn''t have a soul strengthening technique nor a relic so his elements were his only option.


    ¡®Common.¡¯ Ava bluntly said.


    ¡°Damn.¡± Ben said feeling defeated.


    ¡®You don''t have to worry. You are able to use my flames.¡¯ Ava said as though it was the simplest thing.


    Ben was stunned. ¡®Beast Imitation¡­ of course.¡¯ He realised why everyone was harping in him to use this skill more. He could use his soul beasts elements and skills.


    Ben laughed at himself for his stupidity.


    ¡®My elements are common¡­ will this change once I gained my dragon bloodlines?¡¯ Ben thought, excited for the future and what they held.


    ¡­


    Ben entered his mansion and saw Cloey and his mother cooking something. His mother wouldn''t join Shenelle and her mages down south. His brother and father were already there and he didn''t want anymore family members in danger.


    Ben didn''t see Lily anywhere, ¡®Thank god.¡¯ he thought.


    Ben came up from behind Cloey and wrapped his arms around her waist. Knowing he was coming, she didn''t react and continued to cook, basically ignoring him.


    Ben frowned, he couldn''t remember doing anything to piss her off lately. Sure he teased her but it was always harmless.


    Ben looked at his mom confused. Cathy gave him a ¡®your girl your problem¡¯ look before leaving the kitchen.


    Ben suddenly felt his feet because cold, looking down he saw that his feet completely entrapped in ice.


    Cloey pulled away from his grasped and turned around. ¡°Now that you can''t run, let¡¯s have talk.¡±


    Ben felt a shiver run through his spine and a sweat broke out on his back. ¡°What about?¡± he asked smiling lovingly at her.


    ¡°How many girls have you been with?¡± Cloey asked, he eyes were basically slits now as she glared at him.


    ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Arguably the worst question a girl can ask a guy.


    Ben opened his mouth to answer but was stopped before he could begin. ¡°Don''t even think about lying because I will just ask your brother or mom.¡±


    ¡®Shit, would Grayson sell me out? Mom would in a heartbeat.¡¯


    Sighing in defeat, Ben said, ¡°What does it matter? I am with you.¡±


    Cloey let out a loud scoff, ¡°For now. What if someone prettier comes along? Then what?¡±


    Ben let out a light laugh, ¡°I don''t think that day will ever come. You are as close to perfect I could ever hope.¡±


    ¡°You say that now but there are millions of species in the universe. One of them are bound to be more beautiful.¡± Cloey said pouting.


    ¡°They could be angels. They still won''t be you.¡± Ben said lovingly.


    Ben broke free from the ice holding him in place and wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest.


    ¡°I love you Cloey. You and your damn ice.¡± Ben said softly.


    Cloey slowly wrapped her arms around Ben¡¯s waist and hugged him back.


    In the hall, Cathy watched the entire thing.


    Shaking her head, she whispered to herself, ¡°Didn''t answer the question and made her fall even deeper for him. Might be better than his father.¡±

 Chapter 43- Good Boy Duke

    Ben was pacing inside his private study with a worried look on his face.


    He just got a report from Lilith saying that the southern expedition wasn''t going very well. They had suffered casualties and only cleared two small towns out, no survivors had been found.


    What made Ben worried was that Colton was heavily injured by 3 tank-like zombies. Though he was able to kill them, the injuries he suffered would take at least 5 days to heal with Lilith¡¯s help. Though he would be alright it made the army''s moral low. A powerful general was almost killed, what chance would they have to survive?


    Ben was upset with this attitude. These people fought and clawed their way through the beginning of the system and are still this weak willed?


    Ben only spoke two words to Lilith, ¡°Push on.¡±


    Though they didn''t need to clear out the towns to the south, Ben knew they had to do it sooner or later. He would rather do it sooner so he had soldiers who experienced battle. Shenelle and her mages left this morning, making Ben feel a little better. Though mages were physically weak their firepower was undeniable and could crush their enemies at long distances.


    The dwarves continued to mine the Blue Meteor Iron from the cave. Hal¡¯s initial estimations were off, they mine held more than he originally thought. Some humans who were in need of money volunteered to mine the ores with the dwarves. Ben smiled at this, if these humans could work well with the dwarves it would make it easier for the city to except them.


    Takon was still in his slumber, slowing fusing with the flame. Ava had continued to inform Ben about everything she knew, from how to train to different races in the universe.


    ¡­


    Duke stood in front of a pack of huge dogs. What made these dogs special was they had two snarling heads.


    Orthros Lvl 55


    This pack of two headed dogs had been reported to Ben by Eve. They had some territory dispute which ended with a couple of Red Forest Wolves killed. Eve, unable to deal with them herself, asked Ben for assistance. He agreed immediately, using this for a training opportunity for Duke.


    Ava had informed him that for his soul beasts to evolve was to fight. Fight a deadly bloody battle and to push themselves beyond their limits. So this is what Ben did.


    Duke was surrounded by these Orthros, they numbered to be over a hundred. Not intimidated by their numbers, Duke let out a vicious growl and attacked the closest one. Duke was larger than the Orthros and bit down on its spine and gave it a quick shake.


    *Snap!*


    Its back instantly broke. Throwing it to the side, Duke continued his frenzied attack. The Orthros were shocked at first but soon snarled and attacked. Duke was able to kill a few and sent a couple flying with a swipe of his claws.


    Though Duke was holding his own, the sheer numbers of the Orthros started to wear him down. Cuts started to form all of his body and blood soon covered his fur. Finally an Orthros bit his leg, causing Duke to drop to the ground.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Seeing the opportunity the Orthros jumped on Duke, biting and clawing anything they could touch.


    Ava, who was watching through Ben¡¯s eyes wanted to say something but seeing Ben watching calmy kept her mouth shut.


    ¡®Come one Duke.¡¯ Ben cheered silently.


    *Aaawwwwwwwoooooo!*


    A loud howl filled the air. A dark red aura seemed to leak out from under the Orthros. Another howl rang out and with it, the Orthros went flying!


    Duke was surrounded by thick red aura that gave a bloodthirsty feeling. He was breathing heavy, with blood dripping off his body and his eyes red. Before the Orthros had a chance to get up, Ben had already slashed its throat with his claws and quickly moved on to the next one.


    The slaughter was over quickly as the last Orthros was killed and the red aura receded back into Duke.


    He stood there, staring at Ben.


    Ben gave a broad smile and said, ¡°Good boy.¡±


    A wolfish grin appeared on Duke¡¯s face before his eyes rolled back and he fell to the ground.


    Ben walked up to him and touched his head, sending him back into his soul realm to heal. ¡°Have a long rest buddy, you deserved it.¡± Ben said softly.


    Ben gathered to bodies of all the Orthros to sell at the market and headed back.


    Ben stopped at Emma¡¯s store to see if his and his family¡¯s armour was finished. He was a couple days early from what she had told him but he was leaving tomorrow and he needed armour for this journey.


    Entering the beautiful shop, the girl behind the counter immediately recognized him and went to the back to get Emma.


    A few moments later the girl re-appeared with Emma closely following her. She still was wearing skinny jeans that showed off her incredible figure. Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun with sewing needle sticking out in some places. Though he beauty couldn''t compare to Cloey¡¯s, she still was stunning.


    ¡°City Lord.¡± Emma politely nodded.


    ¡°Call me Ben Miss Emma. I just stopped by to see if my armour is finished. I know you told me a week but I leave tomorrow and I might need some armour.¡± Ben explained to her. He didn''t want to put any pressure on her to finish the armour.


    ¡°Yours is done but the other 5 aren¡¯t.¡± Emma frowned, ¡°If you give me till tomorrow they should all be finished.¡±


    Ben waved his hand and said, ¡°Don''t worry about it. I will just take mine for now.¡±


    ¡°Jill go get the City Lord¡¯s armour.¡± Emma commanded the girl who fetched her.


    Like a fire was lit under her ass, she took off quickly to the back.


    Emma eyed Ben in great detail. ¡®Tall, handsome and those eyes could turn any girl to a puddle. On top of that he is extremely strong and commands an entire city.¡¯ Emma¡¯s eyes began to shine with vigor as she stared at Ben.


    Ben became a little uncomfortable with her stare and gave a light cough before he examined some armour on display. Emma launched into saleswoman mode and started to say the bonuses and effects each piece of armour had. She used this as an opportunity to get close to Ben and get him to try on armour.


    Ben pretended to act oblivious to her attempts, nodded his head as she explained that armour gave stat bonuses to the person wearing it and if the material was good enough, had hidden effects.


    Soon Jill came out from the back carrying some black leather armour. Seeing it Ben was mesmerized. The armour was pitch black and had tiny blue lightning designs covering it. Ben only ordered a breast plate and braces so he quickly and easily put it on. The breastplate fit very snug but didn''t restrict his movements at all. The bracers went from his wrist to his elbows.


    Emma left and came back with a light black sleeveless shirt, ¡°This is the under armour I made to wear under your armour. It will provide slight protection and has breathing capabilities to prevent you from sweating.¡±


    Ben quickly took off his new armour and removed his t shirt he was wearing, showing his bare muscular chest.


    Jill looked away, red plastered all over her face but still snuck glances at Ben¡¯s body. Emma greedily stared at his body with lustful eyes. Ben¡¯s body was defined with beautiful sculpted muscles that made her almost drool.


    The shop door opened and 2 girls walked into the store. Emma was about to say they were closed, mad at the interruption but stopped when she heard Ben curse.


    ¡°Shit.¡± he said as he quickly tried to put on his armour.


    He recognized the two people that walked into the store.


    ¡°Hi Cloey! Hey mom! What are you doing here?¡±