《The Girl in the Abyss》 Chapter 1 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 1 When I was born, my mother gave me a storybook about a young princess who was held captive in a very tall tower by an evil wizard. The princess would sit by her small window every day wishing to be free while looking at the beautiful world far behind those rusted bars. On onesad day she begged the heavens to send a hero to save her, and to her surprise, a small pixie appeared and told her never to lose hope. She expected the Pixie to leave like everyone else in her life had but instead she stayed quickly became the princess¡¯ very first friend. Just a few days later the evil wizard was defeated, and a kind hero saved the princess. She thanked the heavens, her new friend, and most importantly the hero before heading off into the beautiful world together. This little storybook was my most important possession, in fact, it was my only possession, and after I learned how, I would read it every day while praying to the heavens for a hero to save me too. One day, a little before my fifth birthday, I thought my prayers were finally answered when a man arrived and told me I was going to my new home. While holding my hand, we left the small windowless room I lived in for most of my life. We traveled through dark halls while passing many of the people who hurt me before arriving at a set of glass doors. I could see sunlight peeking in and outside there was a road with a long gold car waiting at the sidewalk. The doors opened by themselves frightening me but I didn¡¯t make a noise or jump back, I was trained never to cause trouble for my new master. After passing through I looked up as we walked, the sky was blue just like in my storybook, but sadly the sun was hidden behind the tall buildings. Once we were a few steps away from the long car, a new person who looked like a butler quickly came out and opened the door for us. My new master entered first before permitting me to sit beside him. It was my first time using a seatbelt, so I was struggling, but Master helped fasten it and then with a wave of his hand we were on our way. Master was very handsome and even reminded me of the hero from my storybook. He had short blonde hair, blue eyes, and beneath his fancy suit were big arms. When he noticed me staring, he smiled and started speaking to me. ¡°Hello little miss, my name is Robert Teller. You are Ellie correct?¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sir.¡± ¡°Good, do you know why you are coming with me?¡± ¡°You are my new master, sir.¡± ¡°Good, good! Jason never fails to ensure his stock are properly trained! Do you know how hard it would be to get slaves nowadays if it wasn¡¯t for him? People without money just don¡¯t understand the need for them; they are truly brainless. I guess that¡¯s why they have no money!¡± He began laughing at his own joke and even slapped his knee. I did my best to smile although I didn¡¯t really get it. ¡°Now what is it you¡¯re holding there?¡± ¡°This is my storybook, sir. Its called The Princess and the Hero.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ would you mind reading it to me?¡± ¡°Of course, Master! I read it as much as I can every day!¡± I enthusiastically read it to him but when I finished he didn¡¯t say anything. I was worried he didn¡¯t like it and slowly became more and more scared as the silence persisted. Finally, he calmly asked me a question. ¡°Ellie, are you hoping I¡¯m a hero who''s come to save you?¡± He looked at me waiting for an answer. I was so scared; I didn¡¯t know how to reply. ¡®Would he really be willing to save me after buying me?¡¯ I¡¯ve been trained to be a slave for as long as I could remember. Cleaning, cooking, proper etiquette, and even how to make people happy but most importantly angering your master results in being hurt or thrown away! Despite this, I desperately wanted to say yes even for the smallest chance of being free so with tears in my eyes and every ounce of courage within me I nodded my head yes. ¡°I see, that is enough for now. You may look out the window if you like.¡± He turned away. I didn¡¯t understand and I immediately regretted my decision. ¡®I may have angered Master, why did I do something so silly? I should have just been grateful he was kind¡­ The people from the tall building would probably scold me if they were here.¡¯ I ended up staring at my feet ashamed for the rest of the drive. Upon exiting the car, I was met with a walkway leading through a beautiful garden filled with many different colors and two large stone fountains. At the very end was a massive silver house that was just as beautiful or even more so then the garden and fountains. ¡®The buildings I know are tall, but this one looks so much prettier, It''s like a castle! Is this where I¡¯ll be living from now on?¡¯ The same person who opened the car door walked in front of Master and I as we followed the garden path. I felt like I was in a different world, just this morning I was being threatened by the people in the tall building and now I was somewhere so wonderful. ¡®I wish I hadn¡¯t angered Master¡­ I will do my best to work hard so he forgives me!¡¯ The man who was leading us opened the large front door while bowing. Upon entering a row of women wearing black and white dresses on both sides bowed. ¡°Welcome home Master!¡± The room was amazing! A big chandelier was above us, more big rooms were to our left and right, and in front was two grand staircases leading to another floor. Everywhere I looked things far more valuable than me could be seen, paintings of people that looked like Robert lined all the walls, and various shiny things were on the shelves and tables. Reaching the middle of the room a tall woman wearing a fancy dress and jewelry walked over and kissed Master. She was very pretty with long brown hair, green eyes, and a sparkly dress which showed off her thin figure and large chest. ¡°Welcome home Honey! Is this the new one?¡± She said while moving her head to look down at me. I immediately bowed and greeted her. ¡°H-Hello Madam!¡± ¡°Yes, I thought she would be more interesting!¡± Master laughed. ¡°Hmm, interesting indeed. You two get her out of this and into her new uniform, meet us in the basement when you''re done. Don¡¯t keep us waiting!¡± ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± Two women to our right spoke simultaneously while still bowing. They stood up waiting for me to come over, I made sure to bow to Master and Madam before following them. We made our way down a small hallway titled servants quarters to the right of the stairs, the surrounding rooms were smaller here but they still looked much better than the tall building I was from. We eventually stopped at a room that had a big mirror and some shelves with different types of clothing on it. Looking at all the pretty uniforms I asked them if I would be wearing a black and white dress too, but they ignored me. The woman with black hair and purple eyes pushed me in front of the mirror and started undressing me while the woman with red hair and green eyes went to grab the uniform. They were both very good looking and had their hair tied back however I could see dark circles under their eyes. I set my storybook down beside me so that it wouldn¡¯t get in the way. This was my first time in front of such a large mirror and I could see my whole body! My hair was brown ending a little above my shoulders and matching my brown eyes, my skin was light but not pale, and my body was very thin. Most of my features could be summed up as ¡°small,¡± but that was normal since I was little. After being completely undressed the red-haired woman came back with my new uniform. While she was making sure it would fit I did my best to try and be friends with them. ¡°I¡¯m Ellie; it''s nice to meet you both! I¡¯m sorry for asking about my uniform before introducing myself. I know I¡¯m little but I will do my best and work hard! I hope we can be friends!¡± The black-haired woman on my left, who was about to start dressing me, began crying. ¡°I can¡¯t do this! She¡¯s too young! She doesn¡¯t even know what¡¯s happening to her!¡± ¡°Are you going to take her place or try to stop it!? If not, we have orders, and I do not plan on making Madam angry.¡± The red-haired woman was getting upset. ¡®I don¡¯t understand; do they think I don¡¯t know I¡¯m a slave? Why is the black-haired woman crying?¡¯ ¡°Miss are you okay? I know I¡¯m a slave so you don¡¯t need to worry! Master was kind to me and this place is very beautiful. I look forward to living here!¡± The black-haired woman started crying even more and dropped the undergarments she was holding. ¡°Hand everything over I will do it myself! You need to go clean your face, meet me back here so we can head to the basement.¡± As the black-haired woman was leaving I apologized, but she didn¡¯t say anything. I thought it would be best for me to stay quiet from now on as I was only causing trouble by talking. The red-haired woman dressed me in my new uniform which was a simple white gown with no socks or shoes. As we exited the room, the black-haired woman was already waiting, so we quietly returned to the entrance room and then went into a similar hallway on the left side of the stairs. The small hallway quickly became winding stairs leading down to a cold stone basement. The maze-like hallways were lined with uneven stones which caused my feet to become very cold and I even stubbed my toes multiple times. Eventually, we arrived at a stone wall with a metal door where Master and Madam were waiting. I immediately bowed and thanked them for my new uniform even though I didn¡¯t like it very much. ¡°You two may wait for us at the stairs. We will take her from here.¡± The two women bowed and left leaving me alone with Master and Madam. ¡°Ellie, I was telling my lovely wife about the storybook you have! We were wondering what you thought of the evil wizard? You may speak freely.¡± I was confused again. ¡®Why would master want to know that?¡¯ ¡°I, um, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a nice person.¡± ¡°Is that so? He never hurt the princess, she seemingly had food, and he made sure she had a nice room. Did the hero even ask why he was keeping the princess there before he killed the poor wizard?¡± Master and Madam both watched while waiting for my reply causing me to become nervous. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know sir, t-the story said he was evil.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the problem Ellie; people just label someone evil without understanding that person at all! For example, the woman who cried when she was supposed to be dressing you, she labeled me evil because I purchased a child for this very special position. She doesn¡¯t understand that slaves in today¡¯s age, like herself and you, are no one. People that served no purpose. I have purchased all my slaves to give them purpose.¡± Master had a proud smile and as he spoke the last sentence. I was becoming more and more frightened. I had no idea what Master was talking about. ¡®Did my storybook upset him this much? Should I apologize and say the wizard was not evil? Maybe thank him and apologize for the black-haired woman?¡¯ ¡°S-Sir I am very grateful that you purchased me, I-I am sure she is sorry.¡± Master knelt and started patting my head. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about her Ellie, I already made sure she is sorry. She won¡¯t be able to call me or anyone else evil ever again.¡± I was starting to panic I didn¡¯t know what was happening. ¡°Sir I-I don¡¯t know what you mean.¡± ¡°Stop toying with the stupid girl Robert! Ellie that woman will be severely punished because she disobeyed my orders and insulted her benefactor. We are very kind owners, so she won¡¯t lose her life, just her tongue.¡± Master got up and started complaining to his wife that its no fun unless it''s dramatic but I was no longer paying attention to what they were saying. ¡®The black-haired woman was hurt because she cried for me?¡¯ Master looked at me as I was holding my gown tightly doing my best not to cry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ellie, I got sidetracked, so back on topic! I¡¯m going to give you a purpose! You see my wife and I have a rather¡­ unique hobby. We met each other because of it! To put it simply we enjoy others suffering especially those who are far below us. In today¡¯s world you can¡¯t just go killing and torturing any peasant off the street so we use people like you. Therefore, I am not an evil man Ellie, you are someone that no one wants, if anything, I am a hero for giving you this opportunity!¡± ¡®I¡¯m going to be hurt? Did my storybook cause all of this?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t hold back my tears any longer; it was just too much and I was unable to keep up with it all. As I silently cried Master opened the metal door and then ordered me to go in. It was a big white square room with the same uneven stones lining the ground. Half of it was a cage divided into three cells and the other side had many weapons andscary devices. In the left and right cells were two women who were both extremely thin and had bruises and cuts all over them. The left one was a girl with long light brown hair and brown eyes standing and bowing and the one on the right had short messy dark blonde hair with yellow eyes and was sitting while looking at us. ¡°Ellie, the one bowing is Stacy and the one sitting is Kendra. These two will be your roommates! My beautiful wife will provide your first meal once you get into your cell.¡± ¡®Why was this happening? I didn¡¯t do anything wrong and I try my hardest never to cause trouble, why? I don¡¯t want to be hurt! I don¡¯t want to be in a cage!¡¯ Holding my book, I ran out of the room as fast as I could. The uneven stone tiles caused me to trip and I even got lost in the hallways, but I kept going, I didn¡¯t want to be in a cage! Eventually, I bumped into someone as I turned a corner, looking up I saw the red-haired woman who dressed me. I immediately grabbed her leg and through my tears I told her everything that happened, what they said about the black-haired girl, and that they were going to hurt me. She picked me up and said it would be okay; she kept repeating it while rubbing my head as I cried into her shoulder, just as I was about to look up I felt someone else grab me. ¡®I¡¯m back in the white room! The woman lied and brought me back!¡¯ I struggled but it was meaningless, Master threw me into the middle cell and slammed the gate.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Master I found her in the halls while waiting for your and Madam¡¯s return. She dropped this when she found me.¡± She handed my storybook over to Master before bowing and leaving. Madam came over to the cage and spoke to me while Master looked through my storybook. ¡°Ellie I¡¯m disappointed, you were being such a good girl¡­ I guess we¡¯ll put this escape attempt behind us since it''s your first day but you won¡¯t be getting any dinner tonight!¡± The can she put towards me was cat food which I would have at the tall building sometimes. This cat food however smelled really, really bad and it looked like something was moving in it! I threw up on the floor from the smell alone. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Ellie; it¡¯ll be waiting for you tomorrow. Honey, I am heading upstairs for dinner.¡± After kissing Master, Madam walked out of the room with the can. Shortly after master finished looking at the storybook and walked towards my cage. ¡°Ellie, you didn¡¯t tell me your mother wrote a note on the last page! Let me read it out loud so your two new roommates can hear! Dear Ellie, Mommy loves you so much. We don¡¯t have a lot, but I hope this story helps you through any sad times in your life. Xoxo Alice.¡± I read that phrase just as many times as I read the story itself, it was my favorite part. I had no memories of my family but I always dreamed of being together with them. Someone to hug me when I was sad, teach me lots of different things, and read books with me, it was all I ever wanted. Master held it up to the cage and then slowly ripped the page out. I begged him to stop and reached for the book but he was too far. Once it was removed he folded it and put it into his pocket then looked down at me again. ¡°Ellie, would you like to know how you became a slave? Jason told me, its pretty funny.¡± I stopped begging and looked at him. I always wanted to know but none of the people in the tall building would tell me. I nodded my head while wiping away tears from my eyes. ¡°She sold you Ellie! She sold you for a night¡¯s worth of drugs!¡± He began laughing. ¡°M-Mommy sold me?¡± Tears I just wiped away swiftly returned. ¡®I thought that I was stolen or she was in an accident, but my mommy sold me? She didn¡¯t want me?¡¯ ¡°You see Ellie? There is only one person in this world who wants you, who can give you a purpose, that¡¯s me. As for the rest of this book¡­¡± Master pulled a lighter out from his pocket and lit the edge of the pages on fire, I begged him to stop but he just watched me with a smile as my storybook burned. Once over half was gone he throw it towards my cage where it landed just out of reach, I stuck my arms out as far as I could, but I was unable to get it. When only ashes remained he walked over and kneeled in front of me. ¡°This will be your home until the day you die; no one will ever save you.¡± Master continued laughing as he left the room. When the metal door closed the light also turned off leaving nothing but darkness. I fell back landing in the puke from earlier and cried the hardest I ever cried. ¡®The tall building had people that hurt me when I made a mistake and fed me bad food but I never expected I would go somewhere even worse! Mommy sold me, my storybook was gone, and now I was going to be hurt for fun.¡¯ On the cold, uneven stone ground of my cell, I cried until I fell asleep. ~~~ I awoke later to the same darkness. I was so cold and the wet puke on my uniform only made it worse. ¡°H-Hello?¡± ¡°So, you finally woke up? I can¡¯t believe those psychopaths picked a child. You will probably be getting most of their attention for a while, so I will do you a favor and explain how your life is going to work. Your name is Ellie correct?¡± I quietly replied yes. ¡°I¡¯m Kendra and the girl on the other side of you is Stacy, she won¡¯t talk to you so don¡¯t bother. Stacy believes she will someday be set free if she shows absolute obedience, I can tell you right now it¡¯ll never work. With introductions out of the way lets get onto the daily routine. Most days will consist of Sharron giving us disgusting ¡°food¡± with water then Robert torturing whoever he wants later that night, speaking of which, he will probably be here soon.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t call him Master? Sharron is Madam, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and yes, there is no point, it won¡¯t help you. The bucket in the back of your cell is to go to the washroom and the cells are cleaned once every seven days, at the same time a servant will hose you down and provide new uniforms. You can keep the old one and use it as a blanket, bedding, or extra outfit. Lucky for you, the cells were just cleaned today, it will get disgusting as the week progresses.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really cold, can I borrow one of your extra uniforms?¡± ¡°No. Robert would take yours and mine away if he saw that. He treats the extra uniforms as a reward system. Ellie let me make something very clear; we are not friends. If I can use you to get out of even a single day¡¯s torture, I will. I am only telling you all of this because I will be getting a lot of time off due to you.¡± I was startled by everything she said and I could feel tears once more coming to my eyes. ¡°I-If we¡¯re here together why can¡¯t we be friends?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start crying. I let it go when you first got here but I won¡¯t listen to it again. You have not experienced the pain of being tortured yet, every single time there is a chance Robert will accidentally kill you. Do you think you were the first to be in the middle cell? Before you and Stacy there was two other people that are both dead, I will take every chance I get to avoid Robert¡¯s torture. Now do you want to know the rest or are we done?¡± ¡°P-Please tell me the rest.¡± I didn¡¯t want to know but I felt I would regret not listening. ¡°The routine is done but I¡¯ll give you some tips. First, never throw up, no matter how disgusting the food or how painful the torture, you will regret it. The man who was in your cell before you starved to death because he kept throwing up. Second, if the food has bugs in it that means extra food, don¡¯t pick them out. Third, try and keep your cell clean as that puke will now be there all week. Finally, try not to get anything on your uniform so that its cleaner when you get to keep it, I use my bloodied ones as the base for my bed. That¡¯s pretty much everything, any questions before I ignore you?¡± ¡°Will the light turn on? I don¡¯t like the dark.¡± I was shaking due to fear and the cold. ¡°When the light turns on that means the door is opening, anything else?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it, that means we¡¯re done.¡± I thanked her, but there was no reply. After curling into a ball in the middle of my cold cell I began to cry silently, not long after, the metal door opened and the light turned on. Just as Kendra said, he picked me. Tonight¡¯s torture was using the page with my mother¡¯s note to give me paper cuts between my fingers and toes before beating me till I passed out. The next day I tried to eat the food but threw it up into my bathroom bucket, following that I was picked again and tortured. I eventually learned to keep the food down but I continued to be Master¡¯s favorite for torture. The type of torture changed a lot, but most nights ended with being beaten. On average I was picked four nights a week, I quickly went from fearing the dark to wishing the light would never come back on. Time began to blur and I slowly became numb to the pain, before I knew it over five years passed and I was ten years old. ~~~ Today when Sharron delivered our food she told us Robert would be busy with work and a guest would be visiting me. This would occasionally happen when Robert¡¯s Company had something important to deal with however I never had a guest before. Once she finished watching us eat the room became dark and I waited for my guest. After a few hours the door opened and a black-haired woman walked in with Sharron, it took me a little to remember but it was the woman who cried while dressing me. ¡°Ellie, do you remember Hailey? She¡¯s the person you reported for not following our orders.¡± Sharron smirked as she stated the blatant lie. Hailey started screaming things at me but it was all garbled and I understood none of it. Robert and Sharron obviously knew from another source yet they told this woman it was because of me that she lost her tongue. I tried my best to tell her Sharron was lying, but she wouldn¡¯t listen, whatever they did to her took both her mind and kindness away. My cell opened and I was ordered to walk out, Hailey then used a wooden pole to start beating me. ¡°Hailey has been working very hard to earn our forgiveness. Today when I lifted her triple work duties she made a written request to be able to punish you. She disobeyed orders for you Ellie and in return you immediately betrayed her, I fear I wouldn¡¯t even do something so horrid!¡± The beating was not to bad; she was very weak compared to Robert. What hurt the most was the only person who had ever been kind to me was tricked into thinking I hurt them. In-between hits I continued trying to tell her that she was lied to but suddenly the beating stopped and everything began shaking. When I opened my eyes I saw everyone including Stacy and Kendra staring blankly in front of them. They were all frozen in place and the shaking didn¡¯t move them in the slightest. A few minutes later they returned to normal and Sharron, appearing to be frightened, put me back in my cell and told Hailey to close the metal door. Once darkness returned I heard Stacy crying, she never made a sound unless she was saying yes or thank you, so I became even more confused. ¡°Kendra what¡¯s happening? Why did you all start staring at nothing? How did no one fall during the shaking?¡± ¡°It was God, he came down and spoke to everyone!¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Everyone just started staring in front of them during an earthquake!¡± ¡°I was standing in a glowing white room when God himself appeared in front of me, he was blurry, but I could understand him and feel his power! He told us our world alongside others were changing and to survive we needed to accept his Guidance! Now computer screens are in front of me and we have things called classes and skills that will help us. It''s like a video game!¡± I never played video games, so Kendra¡¯s explanation was of very little help. ¡°Why is Stacy crying then?¡± I asked confused. Stacy did her best to speak while sobbing. ¡°God¡¯s Guidance picked a class based on a bunch of stuff like my life and dreams only to give me the slave class! Even God says I¡¯m a slave! I want to be free; I want this to end!¡± It was the first time Stacy spoke to me so I didn¡¯t know what to say and I couldn''t tell if this was a good or bad thing. ¡°I got Slave as well but the skills are still useful and its possible to get other classes! Ellie, it said he visited everyone, maybe you somehow skipped it? Try saying status to see if it pops up.¡± ¡°Status¡± **ERROR** A black screen did appear in front of me. ¡°It¡¯s only big red letters that say error?¡± ¡°Wow Ellie, God must truly hate you.¡± It was my first-time hearing true pity in her voice. I didn¡¯t believe in a god, but I guess I was wrong. ''Why would an all-powerful being let me live a life like this then not grant me a gift even Sharron received? How was this fair?¡¯ For the first time in a while, I felt like crying. ¡°I guess nothing changes for me¡­ I¡¯m just going to lay down.¡± I crawled back into my uniform bed. ¡°Stacy stop crying! You have resistance skills, right? This could be our way out! Our class may suck, but no other slave would have these! If we gained a good class through hard work we would become very powerful!¡± ¡®Would Robert really let them become regular slaves?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous, yet I was also happy for them. God granted them a chance at escaping this horrible room. Since it had nothing to do with me I ignored their excited talking and slowly drifted off to sleep. ~~~ ¡°Wake up!¡± I immediately sat up, to my surprise the light didn¡¯t turn on and Robert was carrying a torch. Stacy and for some reason Kendra were both standing and bowing already. ¡°Listen up! I need to know your classes! If its good, you may be able to get out of here.¡± Kendra and Stacy both replied slave before he looked down at me. Even more defeated then usual I replied. ¡°I did not get a class. It just says error when I try to check anything.¡± I saw Robert hold back a laugh as he took out a tiny blue stone and told me to put my hand through the bars. After reaching through the gem was placed on my palm and nothing happened. ¡°Ellie I was worried you would get a princess class due to that book you had! That mana gem would¡¯ve absorbed a single mana point if you had a class or magic, you truly have nothing! I don¡¯t know if this is amazing or sad. I guess it doesn¡¯t matter, you three have a new role! I will be using you to train various skills, expect a large increase to our hours together! I will be back in a little bit after I add your classes to our list and make some arrangements.¡± ¡°Master, please wait!¡± Kendra yelled as Robert was about to turn around. ¡°Master, we may have horrible classes, but Stacy and I have skills that no other slave would have! We have rare ranking resistance skills! If we were able to work hard and obtain a better class for our active class slots we could become your strongest slaves! Please give us a chance to prove our usefulness to you!¡± Robert stopped and put his hand over his chin in thought. ¡°Hmmm¡­ You do make a good point Kendra, but I will have to think of something to prove your sincerity. Please be prepared for it when I return.¡± Once Robert left Kendra and Stacy started speaking happily. I laid down in my uniform bed waiting for Robert¡¯s return. ¡®The skills Stacy and Kendra talked about were resistance skills, did that mean they get hurt less? If they¡¯re the only ones with those skills I assume it''s from being tortured.¡¯ While I was trying to wrap my head around skills Robert came back with Sharron. ¡°I have discussed the matter with a few close friends and my wondrous wife. We have agreed to give you two a chance but we want to make sure you both understand something first. I received a legendary origin class and my wife received a rare origin class so if you think for even a second that you can disobey us, you will become nothing but experience points for our classes and skills. Now onto the test! Gain the first rank of Unarmed Mastery using Ellie within thirty days. If you don¡¯t want to hurt her you may stay in your cage and keep living as you have been.¡± Without hesitation Kendra and Stacy agreed. I closed my eyes and cried as the two people that suffered alongside me pulled me out and took turns attacking me. ~~~ After a month of over two times the usual torture, they still hadn¡¯t obtained the skill. The final night towards the end Robert told them it was enough, and they passed, it turns out he just wanted to know how long they would go for. From this daily and unending torture my body was starting to give out. I was starving, could no longer move, and the last attempt left me bleeding pretty severely. Seeing my sorry state, Robert came and kneeled beside me. ¡°It¡¯s a shame¡­ If you obtained a class and skills I¡¯m sure you would¡¯ve been one of my most powerful slaves. Unfortunately, there is no longer a need for slaves in your position, not when bandits and monsters give much more experience. As a reward for being my loyal little punching bag I will let you die. Not even I can give someone who''s been rejected by God a purpose in this new world.¡± Robert got up and ordered Stacy and Kendra to begin dragging me to the basement stairs, during which he walked alongside us and continued speaking. ¡°People sure are strange. Before if I purchased one slave I was evil but now when I slaughter monsters and bandits with an army of slaves I¡¯m labeled a great hero! My name has spread across the state and people are rushing here from all over to gain my protection! I¡¯m probably going to set myself up as the Hero King, sounds cool doesn¡¯t it?¡± When we arrived at the winding staircase Hailey and Sharron were waiting. Robert ordered for me to be dropped and then explained how my life would end. ¡°Stacy and Kendra this is the final test I have for you, as for you Hailey this is your reward. There are smaller groups in the surroundings that are refusing to join us while also remaining neutral. We will be using Ellie here as a fake rare class holder sent by these groups to kill me. With this ingenious plan we can get the people living on the property riled up for war! You will carry her out at sundown while telling all of them that she attempted to slit my throat when I was sleeping. Once everyone is angry, I will make a heroic appearance and let them know she is from the smaller groups in the area. After that, you can then take her out into the woods behind the mansion and get rid of her. Hailey will take you both to get regular servant uniforms and I will carry Ellie to the entrance room. We begin in 15 minutes!¡± Robert picked me up and carried me under his arm. While we walked he stuck his hand into my wound and rubbed my blood on himself, I couldn¡¯t tell if it was to hurt me one last time or to make the lie look real. Once upstairs he threw me on the ground by the main door. I stared at the chandelier above me and noticed my vision becoming blurry. ¡®Was I really going to die? I was in so much pain, maybe¡­ maybe it''s for the best that I die. My mother didn¡¯t want me, God didn¡¯t care about me, and even if I lived it would just be more pain...¡¯ I ignored everyone who returned and eventually felt myself being dragged. When the door opened I saw a beautiful twilight sky. I reached my shaking hand out towards it. ¡®I wish I could go far away.¡¯ The property was covered in hordes of people, tents, and trailers. I heard Kendra and Stacy¡¯s voices then finally Robert¡¯s before feeling myself being lifted. In front of me was a sea of angry people looking at me and cursing my name. After being dropped, Stacy, Kendra, and Hailey dragged me around the right side of the mansion. With everything I had left I begged the surrounding people to save me. Some watched me with scorn, some looked away, and others called me a liar. No one spoke out for me. ¡®How could they let this happen?¡¯ As we passed the tent and trailer city that surrounded the mansion we eventually made it to the tree line. Inside the forest I was dropped on the ground and not long after I heard digging. Looking over I saw Stacy, Kendra, and Hailey working away with shovels. ¡°This seems about right¡­ Drag her in.¡± I begged the heavens for someone to save me. ¡±Please¡­ someone, please¡­ I don¡¯t want to be buried alive¡­¡± I tried to move my body, but I only felt pain, nothing was responding to me. My arms were grabbed and I was pulled into the hole. As dirt fell on me I cried out and pleaded with them to stop but it was ignored. When dirt covered everything below my neck I tried once more to tell Hailey it was a lie, but my final pleas were met with her smile as dirt fell on my face. I turned my head to the right trying to stop it from going into my mouth and nose. As the dirt moved in around me I took a deep breath and tried to make a small air pocket to breathe from using my face but the packed dirt wouldn¡¯t move. Hoping one last time that God or a hero would save me I held my breath for as long as I could, but no one came. The crushing feeling on my chest forced me to breathe but only dirt entered my nose and mouth. I felt the last of my tears soak into the earth before painfully suffocating. Chapter 2 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 2 I was floating down into darkness, the fear and pain from suffocating were completely wiped away. For the first time I simply felt¡­ calm. I no longer needed to worry about being a slave or dying, I could rest. I became tired and my eyes slowly closed. ¡®Wherever this is at least it¡¯s somewhere that wanted me¡­¡¯ ~~~ I would continuously wake up only to have myself fall right back asleep. This time I decided to try and stay awake while checking my surroundings. It was darkness. I couldn¡¯t even see my hands and I had to open and close my eyes multiple times to make sure they were actually open. Weirdest of all I felt myself falling, slowly floating down deeper, and deeper. Sleep overtook me once more and my eyes fell shut. ~~~ I woke up again, this time I felt a presence, like someone was watching just out of sight. I reached my hand out towards it but sleep forced my eyes closed. ~~~ An unknown amount of time passed while I repeated the cycle of waking up and immediately drifting back to sleep. I was starting to become frustrated. ¡®I¡¯ve been here for so long, is this how I will exist forever? I¡¯m grateful for such a calm and warm place, but this is it? I¡­ I want to be free!¡¯ I started resisting but sleep would always win in the end. ~~~ It was the 1137th time I attempted staying up and I was becoming angrier and angrier. This time when sleep was about to win again I started screaming and flailing my arms and legs. ¡®I¡¯ve suffered my entire life and now I¡¯m going to sleep here forever? I refuse!¡¯ I yelled at whoever was watching. ¡°I WANT TO BE FREE!¡± To my surprise I was gently pushed by an unknown force into a wall of rock. I immediately grabbed onto it and did the first thing that came to mind, climb. Sleep was still trying to beat me but I used my determination to keep it down. The idea of being free, having friends, and being with people that cared about me pushed me forward. I wanted it, I wanted to be happy! ¡®I will be free! I don¡¯t care if I have no classes, I will find a way to be strong!¡¯ Fantasies and daydreams of a life I never had filled my head pushing me onward. ~~~ I climbed and climbed, it felt like months passed as I continued upwards. Finally, my hand reached up and felt a ledge. Looking above me I could see a faint light shining. After pulling myself up and entering a dark cave I found a portal made of spiraling darkness. Disregarding any of the possible dangers I ran through. ¡®I¡¯m already dead, what''s the worst that can happen?¡¯ On the other side I became frozen in place, a screen appeared, and I heard a voice inside my head. -You Have Entered the Country: ¡®Teller Kingdom¡¯, Capital City: ¡®Hero¡¯s Domain¡¯- -God¡¯s Guidance Initiating¡­- -Error: Introduction Missed- -Error: Banned User is Reattempting God¡¯s Guidance Initiation- -Ban Reason: User was selected as the random test subject for Earth¡¯s ban system- -Returning User to the Fallen Abyss¡­- -Override: Outside Interference has Lifted the Ban- -110 Years Late Compensation Bonus Granted- -Generating Status, skills, and Human Origin Class with 110% Increased Generosity¡­- -2 Origin Skill Bonuses granted- -Race has Been Updated to Human/Fallen- -Human Racial Bonus Granted- Human ¨C Grants ¡°Human¡± Title. Grants +4 free attributes at age 10. Grants 1 free attribute for every 10 class levels earned. Grants 10% exp increase for all skills and classes. Average lifespan: 80 - 100 years. Birth Rate: Normal. -Fallen Racial Bonus Granted- Fallen ¨C Grants ¡°Fallen¡± Title. Grants Divine Class Fallen. Grants access to the Divine Power resource. Grants 1 free attribute every 10 class levels earned. Grants Power of the Fallen Abyss EXP skill. Average lifespan: Immortal. Birth Rate: Infertile. -Racial Class Granted- [Divine] Fallen - The Fallen Abyss is a land of Death and Darkness which none may return from, you are something that has crawled out of it. All death and dark damage done is now a unique variant ¡°Abyssal¡± which uses the affinity bonuses of both death and dark. Grants high death affinity. Grants high dark affinity. Grants divine skill Touch of the Abyss. Grants divine skill Eyes of the Abyss. Grants Mythical skill death Resistance III. *Unique* Grants a random companion from the Fallen Abyss. Fallen Class receives its own Origin Class Slot. 1 Dexterity, Constitution, Endurance, Intelligence, and Wisdom every 10 levels. 5 Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/100 -Generating Origin Class based on Life, Desires, and Dreams- [Mythical] Hero of Darkness - Hero''s are those who save the weak but why should you care about that? When you were suffering they looked away, when you were tortured they pretended not to hear, and when you were being buried alive none of them gave you a second thought. Let the world know what suffering is; you are the hero of no one but yourself. All damage done does additional dark damage. Grants high darkness affinity. Grants mythical skill Darkness Infusion. Grants Mythical skill Darkness Resistance III. Grants a Hero¡¯s Weapon to fit the user. 1 Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Endurance every 10 levels. 4 Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/70 -Congratulations! You have earned the Class [Very Common] Slave!- Slave - You''d probably have to ask your owner to see the class description anyway. Effectiveness of all Slave skills increased by 20%. Level: 1/5 -[Very Common] Slave has been placed in Active Class slot 1- -Skills have now been Generated. Please review them at a later time- -Some notifications have been skipped. Please review them at a later time- -Displaying Full Status- HP: 50/50 (0.50/H) STM: 50/50 (0.50/M) MP: 10/10 (0.05/M) DP: 0/?? (??) Active Level: 3 Total Level: 3 Title: N/A Name: Ellie Race: Human/Fallen Age: 10 Gender: Female Mana Affinity: [Death: 87%], [Dark: 91%], [Electric: 2%], [Fire: 2%], [Unaspected: 23%], Origin Classes: [~D~ Fallen Lvl: 1/100], [~M~ Hero of Darkness Lvl: 1/70] Classes: [~V~ Slave Lvl: 1/5] Sub Classes: Attribute Points: 4 Skill Points: 43 Companions: [Artel Noir Lvl: 1], Attributes: EXP Bonus: 40% (1.4x) EXP Bonus to Skill level 1: 240% (3.4x) [Origin Divine 1/10], [Origin Mythical 1/5], [Power of the Fallen Abyss 1/5], [1/1 Human], Titles: [Human], [Fallen], [Divinity], Combat Skills: Passive Combat Skills: Passive Combat Defence Skills: [Pain Resistance III 8/10], [Fear Resistance III 6/10], [Blunt Damage Resistance III 4/10], [Slashing Damage Resistance 6/10], [Piercing Damage Resistance 2/10], Magic Skills: [Touch of the Abyss 1/10], [Aura of Divinity 1/10], [Abyssal Infusion 1/10], Passive Magic Skills: [Soul Link 5/10], [Eyes of the Abyss 1/10], Passive Magic Defence Skills: [Abyssal Resistance IV 2/10], [Electricity Resistance 1/10], [Fire Resistance 1/10], Survival Skills: [Climb 9/10], Passive Survival Skills: [Hunger Suppression 9/10], [Emotion Suppression 6/10], Life Skills: Passive Life Skills: [English 5/10], [Noble Etiquette 4/10], [Housekeeping 2/10], Crafting Skills: Passive Crafting Skills: [Cooking 2/10], I didn¡¯t know where to begin, I tried to think back on the little I overheard from Stacy and Kendra but it just left me even more confused. While I was attempting to comprehend everything in front of me my vision returned to normal and I found myself in a garden. It was a sunny day, I looked at the sky and held back my tears. ¡®I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m free!¡¯ It was a vast open area surrounded by golden walls and it looked like there were buildings on the other side too. ¡®That place in the middle looks familiar¡­ That¡¯s Robert¡¯s Mansion! He turned this area into his yard and built a wall around it?¡¯ I was in a garden which went from the wall to the back of the house, in the middle was a massive floating fountain made of a diamond-like material. Off in the distance I could see an area with guards training and even horse stables. While I was staring at everything in awe I heard a voice to my right. ¡°Excuse me miss, are you lost?¡± A girl about my age asked. ¡®Her appearance looks familiar, brown hair, green eyes, and a pretty face¡­ She looks like a young version of Sharron!¡¯ The girl was wearing a pink dress and had a golden tiara on her head. ¡°Are you related to Robert and Sharron Teller?¡± I did my best not to sound angry but it wasn¡¯t exactly a face I wanted to see. ¡°You know the names of my great grandparents? Did they hire you? Your gown has dirt all over it.¡± I looked down, it was the white gown I was buried alive in. ¡®Did the 110 years late bonus mean I was gone that long? Wait, this is bad! Robert was already strong before I died, even with my classes I don¡¯t think I can defend myself against him yet!¡¯ ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m just lost, I think I will head over that wall or look for an exit.¡± I tried to lie but she just started giggling. ¡°Miss no one can go over that enchanted wall. You can only leave or enter through the castle district gate.¡± She walked over and grabbed my hands which were surprisingly clean. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t lie to a princess, I know it can be scary being in front of the royal family but that could get you in a lot of trouble! I will help you find your way back to the servant¡¯s quarters.¡± The Princess lead me by the hand towards the mansion. ¡°Princess is Robert here right now?¡± I asked hoping I wouldn¡¯t have to see him. ¡°Great Grandfather has been gone for a few months but he will be back within the next hour. You should call him Hero King otherwise you¡¯ll be punished if someone hears that.¡± As she was gently pulling me along I checked my status again. Specifically, I looked at free attributes. ¡®My status said it had 4 free attributes, does that mean I can make myself luckier so bad things won¡¯t happen anymore?¡¯You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. -Please confirm free attribute placement: 4 Luck Attributes (Y/N)- I clicked the Yes, and my Luck became 3. ¡®I don¡¯t feel any different, did I do it wrong?¡¯ It was something I would have to worry about later. Near the back of the house a young man in armor ran over. He had black hair, dark eyes, and looked to be of Asian descent. On the front of his full gold plate armor was a silver cursive T. ¡°Princess, please don¡¯t run off like that! Do you know how much trouble I would be in if someone found out you were alone?¡± He was clearly out of breath. ¡°Sorry Sir Knight, the garden was just so beautiful today that I couldn¡¯t help but wander off. However it¡¯s a good thing I did, I found this servant girl who was lost!¡± ¡°Princess please don¡¯t try to justify it and stay by my side from now on, alright? As for you little servant girl, how did you get so much dirt on that gown, are you even wearing shoes? The head maid is going to be pissed when she finds you.¡± ¡°Sir Knight! Please don¡¯t try to scare her there are not many girls my age in the mansion. I¡¯m sure if I tell the head maid how sorry she is there will be no trouble.¡± ¡®Knights and Princesses, was this my storybook? I had little understanding of how the country I was from worked but even I knew there was no princesses and knights anymore. What happened in the last 110 years?¡¯ ¡°I guess we¡¯ll be escorting you through the servant¡¯s quarters. Try not to let that gown touch anything. I don¡¯t want the maids complaining to me.¡± Just before entering the servant¡¯s area we were stopped by a fatter, younger Robert who looked about four years older than us. The knight became silent and bowed. ¡°Dearest sister, have you found another pet for me?¡± ¡°Brother, leave her alone!¡± He walked over to me. ¡°You have the potential to be one of my servants once you are clean, but alas, it will have to wait for another day.¡± He leaned in and rubbed the side of my face. ¡°My sister won¡¯t always be around to protect you.¡± ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°I am merely joking sister.¡± He laughed as he walked off to the main back door. The princess turned and took both of my hands again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll see if you can be one of my personal maids so Brother can¡¯t bother you.¡± ¡°Princess we don¡¯t even know what she was hired for¡­¡± Escorted by the Knight, we entered the servant¡¯s area. During this time the Princess never once let go of my hand and she would often turn her head while giving me a reassuring smile. ¡®You¡¯re just a younger Sharron yet you¡¯re kind.¡¯ I ended up feeling guilty and conflicted. ¡®I know I shouldn¡¯t trust her, I shouldn¡¯t trust anyone, but I didn¡¯t know what else to do.¡¯ Eventually, we made it to the entrance room where maids in black and white dresses were lining up. It was just as I remembered outside of the lights now being white glowing stones. ¡°You two wait right here, I¡¯ll get the head maid.¡± The Knight gave the princess a stern look before walking off. While we waited, the Princess started telling me stories about the ¡°Hero King.¡± ¡®How was I going to deal with this situation? I don¡¯t know how many people I could fight and that¡¯s assuming I could fight at all! If the princess wasn¡¯t lying only the main gate is an exit.¡¯ I was beginning to panic. ¡®How can I escape!?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ve been out there for less than an hour and you¡¯re already in dire trouble? We may have to use the Abyss Portal¡­¡¯ A voice besides my own appeared inside head. He sounded like a boy my age. ¡®Who are you? Can you hear this?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m your companion from the Fallen Abyss! The great and powerful Artel Noir the Third! If you need to escape let me know. Wait¡­ um, give me a few minutes to figure out Hysa¡¯s instructions. I, um, also recommend you get familiar with at least one of your combat skills¡­ just in case.¡¯ The princess was still telling stories about the Hero King so I checked my three combat skills while she rambled. [Divine] Touch of the Abyss ¨C Allow Abyssal energies to flow through your body. Abyssal damage done to anything that touches your body or weapons. MP Cost: 6000/M Source: Free skill of the Fallen class. Skill level: 1/10 -Would you like to apply Human Origin Bonus (2) to this skill? (Y/N)- I clicked yes, this skill costed way too much so maybe the bonus would help. -Mana cost reduced to zero. 1 Human Origin Bonus Remaining- ¡®Did this mean it was free now?! I assume ¡°M¡± is minute which means it will cost zero a minute!'' [Divine] Aura of Divinity - An aura of divinity surrounds you causing anyone within range to feel awe or fear. MP: 120/M Source: Divinity Title Skill Level: 1/10 The origin bonus option did not pop up for this one. ¡®It says it''s from a title so I will have to check that when I get the chance. I don¡¯t have the mana to use it right now anyway.¡¯ The last skill was supposed to be Darkness Infusion from my Hero of Darkness class. [Mythical] Abyssal Infusion ¨C Infuse Abyssal mana into your attack, spell, skill, or target. Cost: Varies depending on amount infused. Source: Free skill of the Hero of Darkness class. Source: Skill adjusted by Fallen Class. Skill level: 1/10 -Would you like to apply Human Origin Bonus (1) to this skill? (Y/N)- I clicked yes again hoping it would make it free as well. -Abyssal Manipulation granted for free. 0 Origin Bonuses Remaining- [Rare] Abyssal Manipulation ¨C Allows precise control over Abyssal mana. Passive Source: Granted by Human Origin Bonus. Skill level: 1/10 ¡®How was an entirely new skill a bonus to Abyssal Infusion? It''s not what I was hoping for but I guess can¡¯t complain about getting another skill.¡¯ I wanted to keep looking through my status but the knight returned with the head maid. I could see the confusion on her face however before she could say anything the princess stood in front and began speaking. ¡°This girl was lost, please don¡¯t be too hard on her. I¡¯d also like her for to be trained as my personal maid.¡± She made it look like a formal request by giving an elegant bow. ¡°Princess, this girl is not from the Mansi--¡° ¡°Announcing King Nicholas Teller, Queen Maria Teller, Crown Prince Robert Jr. Teller, and Princess Sariah Teller!¡± The princess waved to me while smiling before running to join the other royals in the middle of the room. The head maid quickly forced me into the line and whispered as we stood waiting for the Hero King. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you got in here but we can¡¯t move now, pray to God none of the Royals take offense from that outfit. When the Hero king arrives immediately bow and keep your head down.¡± ¡®Artel is the portal ready?¡¯ ¡®J-Just a few more minutes!¡¯ The front door opened and a group of four walked in. Robert and Sharron were both the same despite 110 years passing and I didn¡¯t know who the other two were. As everyone else bowed I instinctively went to do the same, but I stopped, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to bow after how hard I worked to be free not even if I was terrified! I stood tall and stared at him. Everyone went pale as Robert stopped in front of me, my body wanted to start shaking but I held myself firmly in place. He stood still, maybe expecting me to bow in fear, but I only glared. He finally turned and looked at me. ¡°Is there a reason this dirty rag is staring at me?¡± ¡®Artel please hurry!¡¯ Seeing his face brought about a rising anger inside me, I wanted to yell at him, but my fear was holding me back. -Congratulations! Emotion Suppression has increased to 7/10!- ¡°Great Grandfather, please allow me to punish this servant for you! There is no need for someone as powerful as yourself to waste time on such trash.¡± It was the fat prince who was being a pervert in the backyard. Robert ignored him and continued staring while placing his hand on his chin. ¡°What¡¯s your name? How do I know you? That outfit¡­ I know that outfit¡­¡± ¡®How could he forget?! He tortured me in this uniform almost every night!¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s the outfit I was wearing when you had them bury me alive! It¡¯s the same outfit I wore every time you tortured me! How could you completely forget that Robert!?¡± The anger finally won. No one in the room moved, even the prince backed down, supposedly Robert was very serious about his Hero King title. ¡°Oh, I remember now! I saved you and granted you a purpose! Little Ellie has risen from her grave in the backyard, did a high-ranking necromancer raise you and grant free will? No, you are definitely alive. I¡¯m genuinely curious Ellie, how are you standing here?¡± ¡°You never saved me! You tortured me for over five years then had me killed! You¡¯re not a hero! You¡¯re a disgusting, evil monster!¡± Everything I bottled up was pouring out. His face changed to anger. ¡®Artel! Please hurry!¡¯ He immediately came over and lifted me by the neck. ¡°Its fine Ellie, your room in the basement has been empty ever since you died. I will take my time getting the answers I want from you. It will be just like old times.¡± ¡°Touch of the Abyss!¡± I squeezed out the skill name while choking. My entire body became ink black and misty black particles began emanating from me. The damage or shock caused Robert to drop me, as I was about to hit the ground a dark void opened pulling me in. ~~~=--^--=~~~ The skin on the front of my hand was gone and what remained was being eaten away by a spreading darkness. I was only able to use Hero¡¯s Gaze on her for a second but there were definitely two origin classes and one was Divine. ¡®This is a problem, a very big problem, how did she go from no class and being dead to having two origin classes!? Since she had no magic her soul couldn¡¯t have gone to The Great Sea of Mana¡­ Did something powerful resurrect her?¡¯ This was a brand-new mystery. My little Ellie showed up to make things more interesting just like in the past. Disregarding the pain in my hand I continued thinking. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen a second origin class. God¡¯s introduction specified that it was impossible to get a second one. Hell, even two useless origin classes would cause an uproar.¡¯ Its widely agreed upon that despite Divine and Mythical classes being listed as possible in God¡¯s introduction, they were not available to Humans as an origin class. ¡®I have confirmed the existence of a few Divine classes but none were related to combining mana types¡­¡¯ Death and dark mana were both present on her body however they combined into an entirely new mana type under her use. I had never seen anything like it. I had a skill called Dark Lightning which did both electric and dark damage but they were still separate mana types. The closest thing I could think of was some racial bonuses which modified mana types but it was never a combination of two. ¡®As for mythical classes the only ones I have solid information on are Ancient Dragons and Elemental Lords and I can¡¯t exactly go to those races for any favors.¡¯ Having a mythical class as a human is a world-changing event let alone both divine and mythical as origin classes. The only relieving part of this entire situation was that she was still level 1 in both. ¡®I have time to get rid of her before she becomes powerful or other countries pick up on it. If any were to find out she existed, they would scramble to bring her to their side.¡¯ As I looked up from my hand everyone around me was still silent although most were no longer bowing. Whatever Ellie became frightened them. The appearance and the fact that she damaged me was not something they saw every day. ¡°Sharron, heal my hand, the rest of you listen closely. Everything you saw and heard here today does not leave this room.¡± ¡°Hero King, please allow me to put the highest of bounties on her head!¡± My overweight great-grandson, the current prince, made a stupid suggestion contradicting what I just said. ¡°I already told you it does not leave this room! If anyone spreads this information the punishment will be far worse then death.¡± ¡°Dearest, this wound is definitely from a divine skill. All attempts at healing it with light failed, nature is having an effect though.¡± Sharron¡¯s concerned face told me that it was serious. ¡°We will discuss it in my office, head up there before me, I need to talk with my grandson. The rest of you may all leave.¡± Once the room cleared my grandson, the current king, walked towards me and bowed. ¡°What may I do for you, Hero King?¡± ¡®He¡¯s already getting old. I¡¯ll have to train that useless pervert soon¡­¡¯ ¡°I need materials for three spirit summoning¡¯s from my soul prison. I have a trio of dead slaves who didn¡¯t finish their job.¡± ~~~=--^--=~~~ I felt confident in myself for the first time in my life. ¡®I stood up to him! I actually did it!¡¯ I was floating downwards in darkness once again but unlike before my feet touched solid ground. I was back in the Fallen Abyss yet I could see all around me, not due to light, but maybe a skill I obtained? It appeared to be a large circular platform made of black stone. It was almost like an island in an ocean of darkness, no matter what direction I looked off the platform there was nothing. ¡®Head towards the middle that¡¯s where my friends are. Some might seem scary at first, but they are all very kind, its thanks to them I was able to activate the portal.¡¯ I went towards the middle of the platform where I saw a table with people sitting around it but before I could get close an unknown force stopped me. A tall and extremely beautiful woman got up from one of the stone thrones and walked towards me. She had long platinum blonde hair, slightly glowing azure eyes, and she was wearing a dress that looked like it was made from thousands of magical silver leaves. The feature I was most interested in was her long-pointed ears. It was like the Pixie in my storybook. ¡°There is a reason that skill is supposed to cost 6000 mana a minute. Are you going to keep it on forever?¡± In front of me a mirror embordered in silver leaves appeared. I expected to see myself but only a monster stared back at me from the other side. Its eyes were white dots and its body was ink black darkness, then to add to the terrifying appearance streams of darkness and black mist were emanating from it. ¡®It''s very similar to the skill I used¡­¡¯ I looked down at my arms then back at the mirror. ¡°T-That¡¯s me?¡± ¡°Yes, so are you going to turn it off?¡± ¡®I¡­ I don¡¯t want to. With this power I was able to protect myself, why should I turn it off when it costs zero mana?¡¯ While looking at the woman I told her I wanted to leave it on, in response, she hit me on the head. ¡°Turn the skill off or I will do it for you.¡± I was surprised and didn¡¯t know how to react, so I turned it off and apologized. ¡°Good, you know how to listen after all. Come to the table I can¡¯t be away from it for too long.¡± I followed behind her while holding my head where she hit it. This was the first time someone scolded me since I was in the tall building yet it was different from what I was used to. When she hit my head, it was just a tap on top, not something that was meant to hurt me. I looked up at her from behind; she was secretly nice like Artel said. Once we were at the table, she gestured for me to sit first before sitting down herself. The roundtable had seven stone thrones including my own. If I counted my seat as one, the second seat to my right had the tall beautiful women, the third seat had a tiny man with a long beard, the fourth seat had an old woman with scaly wings, and the fifth seat had a large human-like creature wearing armor. The sixth seat was small and empty and the seventh seat was very big and empty. The table itself had spiraling designs all over it and was made from black stone like everything else here. No one was saying anything, so I asked where we were. ¡°It''s nice to meet you all! ¡­Um, where are we?¡± I knew it was the Fallen Abyss but the place I was floating down from originally and this island were very different. ¡°This is our sanctuary within the Fallen Abyss little one.¡± The tall human like creature said in a deep and powerful voice. Once again it was quiet so I asked another question. ¡°Why are you all sitting here on this island?¡± ¡°¡­We thought it was a nice spot for a picnic.¡± The tiny bearded man said in a high-pitched male¡¯s voice. I looked around once more and they were not moving, only staring forward. I was starting to worry something happened to Artel¡¯s friends when, suddenly, I heard the old lady chuckle before the others joined in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ellie, we have been at this table for 110 years. You¡¯re the first new person to arrive so we decided to have some fun.¡± ¡®Their jokes always suck, how was that even funny? They pick on me all the time too.¡¯ Artel pouted inside my head. ¡°Artel, get out here, she¡¯s going to see you eventually so just get it over with.¡± The beautiful woman said that while looking at me. Suddenly I felt something fly out of me towards the small throne that was empty. A little ghost floated above the seat with his stubby little arms crossed while doing his best not to look at me. I had seen him before or at least something like him! It was in the tall building; I found a Marshmallow candy that was shaped like a cute little ghost and Artel looked like the cartoon ghost on the wrapper! He was snow white with a wisp-like shape, had small stubby arms, little black eyes, and a tiny black mouth to match it. He looked like a living marshmallow ghost plushie! ¡°Artel you¡¯re my companion, that means you have to follow my orders.¡± He looked at me confused before nodding. ¡°Please come here.¡± Everyone at the table stared as Artel slowly floated over. Once he was within reach I grabbed him and hugged him as tightly as I could. ¡°You¡¯re so soft! It''s like a marshmallow! Can I call you Arty from now on? I always wanted a plushie!¡± The table burst into laughter while Artel struggled to escape my hug. He truly felt like a soft marshmallow and he was so cute! I was rubbing my cheek against him while he complained. ¡°I am the heir to the great Noir demon bloodline! I demand you unhand me!¡± I stopped and used both hands to hold him in front of me. I was sad but if he didn¡¯t like me holding him it would be mean of me to force it. I let him go and he started floating back to his seat but about halfway there he looked back at me. I couldn¡¯t help but have a sad expression so I looked down to try and hide it, a few seconds later I heard quiet grumbling in front of me. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t squeeze me again I guess its okay¡­ Just stop looking so sad¡­¡± I looked up at him and asked if it was really alright. ¡°I¡¯m your companion, so I have to be nearby to protect you after all.¡± Artel was blushing while turning his eyes away. ¡°Thank you, Arty! I promise I won¡¯t squeeze you too hard anymore!¡± I grabbed him and hugged him again. ¡°Artel is the weakest of the table members. When he was selected we were worried he¡¯d be useless to you but it seems he will have a role as your living plushie even if he can¡¯t do anything else!¡± The tiny person¡¯s comment caused everyone¡¯s laughter to continue while Arty yelled at them and called them bullies. Once everyone calmed down Arty tried to go back to his seat but he couldn¡¯t escape my arms. Seeing Arty wouldn¡¯t be moving the tiny bearded man hopped up onto the table and started speaking. He was about the size of an adult¡¯s hand, his beard and mustache were white, he had a big red nose, and his arms were very muscular for his size. He was wearing a pair of red overalls and a red cap that made it so I couldn¡¯t see his eyes. ¡°It''s about time we introduce ourselves! I¡¯m a Gnome named Snaps Magee, but most call me Old Man Snaps.¡± His voice was very high, but it wasn¡¯t annoying. ¡°It''s nice to meet you, Mr. Magee!¡± He bowed to me and went back to his throne, the beautiful woman next to me stood up. ¡°I am Aurora Silverleaf, a High Elf.¡± I used this chance to ask her about Pixies. ¡°Ms. Silverleaf are you related to Pixies?¡± ¡°Elves are Loosely related to Fairies and Pixies. I¡¯m sure you will meet both eventually.¡± I thanked her as she sat back down. ¡®Aurora looked sad when she was staring at me. I hope I didn¡¯t trouble her too much with my skill.¡¯ The old lady stood up next. She was wearing a thick looking grey sweater, pants, and boots, almost as if she was ready for snow. Her grey hair was slightly curly and done up in a bun, her grey eyes were covered by reading glasses, and her horns, wings, and tail were also grey. Her skin was mostly light like my own however grey scales were present in some locations. Out of everyone at the table, she looked the kindest and was always giving me a gentle smile. ¡°I¡¯m Hysa Ash, a dragon that loved to travel and learn.¡± Hysa spoke with a soft voice before sitting down. Finally, the tall creature stood up. He was double the height of any adult I¡¯d ever seen, his body was covered in muscle, his skin was brown, and there was a single horn coming out from the top of his helmet. Overtop of his already strong looking body he was wearing full black plate armor covered in bone spikes. ¡°I am Zurik, the first Earth Ogre.¡± His voice was powerful but not frightening. After greeting him, he sat back down. ¡°Ellie everyone here has many things they can teach you. You are a part of our little group now so don¡¯t hesitate to ask anything when you¡¯re here. Unfortunately, we do not have much time left due to how fast the portal was required. Generally, it can be used once a month and you will be able to stay here for a day each time.¡± Hysa explained. ¡°How come I can leave but you¡¯re all stuck? Is there anything I can do?¡± I understood what it was like to be trapped so I wanted to help if I could. ¡°This place is a sanctuary to us, we were saved by it and have become bound to it. Our fates were far worse than death before God¡¯s Guidance came.¡± Zurik said solemnly. ¡°You on the other hand are different! You¡¯re in between so you can visit and leave through the portal.¡± Old Man Snaps added. Finally, Aurora began speaking. ¡°Ellie there are a few important things you need to know. Touch of the Abyss is powerful but also dangerous, its expensive cost is supposed to keep it in check. The abyssal energy flowing through you will slowly corrupt your soul, never keep it on longer then you need to. Artel make sure you are always looking out for her.¡± ¡°Aurora how come you¡¯re never that worried about me?¡± Arty whined. ¡°She reminds me of someone important unlike you.¡± Aurora¡¯s statement caused Arty to slump further into my arms sadly. ¡°Our time is almost up, start saying your farewells Ellie.¡± ¡°Thank you everyone for being so kind and welcoming! Even if we can only see each other once a month I will always look forward to it!¡± Everyone waved and wished me luck while Hysa walked over. ¡°I¡¯ll be putting you near a different Human country, the one you came in from would be far too dangerous. According to the little information we have this place is a good country to start your adventure in. The world is vast and beautiful Ellie, make sure to learn and experience everything you can!¡± A dark portal appeared in front of me. Before I walked in I yelled back to everyone. ¡°No matter how long it takes, I promise I¡¯ll find a way for us all to go on adventures together!¡± I didn¡¯t wait for a reply and quickly ran through the portal. I found lots kind people that cared about me, one of my dreams already came true. Chapter 3 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 3 We appeared in a forest next to a very large river. It was my first time experiencing the beauty of nature so I was very excited, Arty was of course still in my arms. ¡°Arty look at all the water and trees! Do you think I could try swimming?¡± Since I was finally free things that I always wanted to try filled my head. ¡°In a river that large you¡¯d probably get eaten by a monster. We need to be careful on land as well.¡± As we were speaking a sailboat came into view traveling close to the shore. ¡°It¡¯s a boat!¡± I had never seen a boat before. He left my arms and pushed me down. ¡°You have to be more careful! You¡¯re a 10-year-old girl alone in the wilderness, Slavers, bandits, and monsters will see you as an easy target!¡± ¡°Arty I¡¯m not alone, I have you with me?¡± Arty¡¯s face changed to a sad expression. ¡°That¡­ That will take a little to explain. It''s pretty late let¡¯s find a spot to set up camp for the night.¡± I didn¡¯t know anything about making camp so Arty did all the work for me. It was thankfully very warm out but the fire still felt nice. ¡°How come you said I was alone when you¡¯re right here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ellie, I¡¯m useless. My soul¡¯s covered in many powerful curses that have merged with it. Not only am I stuck in this form, but my attacks also can¡¯t do damage. The most I can do is act as a small shield since I can¡¯t die. If any other member was picked you wouldn¡¯t have to worry about a thing, but you got me. I¡¯m so sorry Ellie.¡± Little ghost tears started falling from his eyes. I pulled him in and hugged him against my chest. ¡°I¡¯m happy I got you Arty, please don¡¯t apologize.¡± I held him while we quietly watched the fire. A little while later he returned to his usual self and I opened my status screen. ¡®I remember seeing a skill that had soul in the title, maybe it can help him.¡¯ Soul Link - For the Noir demon bloodline love is a power far stronger than any magic. You and your partner may both share one skill with each other. Passive Source: Artel Noir Skill Level: 5/10 ¡®Didn¡¯t he say something about a demon bloodline in the Fallen Abyss?¡¯ ¡°Arty my status says you gave me a skill! See, you¡¯ve already helped me!¡± ¡°I gave you a skill? What is it?¡± ¡°Its called Soul Link, it says we can share a skill!¡± Arty left my arms and flew in front of me. His face was completely red. ¡°T-That¡¯s my bloodline power! You shouldn¡¯t have that skill! I refuse to believe it. A member of the table must have told you to say that, yea that¡¯s it, that must be it!¡± He began nervously laughing. ¡°I really have the skill, is it bad that I have it?¡± I asked, confused by the sudden outburst. ¡°It''s embarrassing!¡± His face was still red and he was no longer making eye contact with me. ¡°Please tell me what¡¯s going on, I don¡¯t understand why this skill is embarrassing?¡± ¡°All demons have bloodline powers and the Noir family is considered one of the most powerful. When a member of the Noir family gets married the couple can link their souls. Once linked they will be together forever and everything they learn is shared. If one was a blade master and the other was a master of magic they would now both be a master of sword and magic. Can you tell me what the skill specifically says Ellie?¡± I read it out loud to him. ¡°Even my bloodline was damaged from the curses¡­ Wait that¡¯s not what¡¯s important here! T-This means that we¡¯re¡­¡± His entire body was red and he refused to look at me. ¡®I think I understood now! This meant that Arty and I were linked together forever by love!¡¯ I immediately grabbed him and hugged him tightly. ¡°Arty you¡¯re my marshmallow ghost husband now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it out loud like that! This is so embarrassing, we¡¯re too young to get married, and I didn¡¯t even agree to it! I was only 12 before I became like this!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want me as your wife, Arty?¡± I jokingly gave him the saddest face I could. His started to nervously panic before finally answering in a quiet grumble. ¡°I¡­ I guess it''s not to bad being linked together with you...¡± I giggled and laid down next to the fire with him in my arms. ¡®I stood up to Robert, I met a bunch of kind people, and I found out I had a cute little marshmallow ghost husband. I¡¯m so happy!¡¯ A few tears fell from my eyes as I drifted off to sleep. ~~~ The night passed without issue. When I got up Arty was staring at what I assumed was his status screen. ¡°I think I know how I can make use of this form and the Soul Link skill! I usually can¡¯t have any skills besides my EXP increases, but if you send me a skill with Soul Link, I will be able to level it while you¡¯re sleeping or doing other things. I only have two skills I can share with you, which would you prefer Origin Divine or Power of the Fallen Abyss?¡± I opened my status screen and went down to the EXP Bonus skills. [Divine] Origin Divine - You have obtained a Divine Origin class. Prove to the world why you are superior. Exp bonus of 10% per level of this skill. Current Total: 10% Passive Source: Have a Divine Origin Class. Skill level: 1/10 [Mythical] Origin Mythical - You have obtained a Mythical Origin class. Prove to the world why you are superior. Exp bonus of 10% per level of this skill. Current Total: 10% Passive Source: Have a Mythical Origin Class. Skill level: 1/5 [Racial] Power of the Fallen Abyss - You have become a member of the Fallen Abyss, its power flows through you. Exp bonus of 10% per level of this skill. Current Total: 10%. Exp bonus of 200% for the first level of all skills. Exp and skill level bonus increases per level of this skill. Current Total: 200% Passive Source: Fallen Race. Skill level: 1/5 [Racial] Human - Humans are versatile creatures. Exp bonus of 10%. Passive Source: Human Race. Skill levels: 1/1 ¡®I think Power of the Fallen Abyss is better for me, this way I can get the skills I need even faster. We can also change them once a day according to Arty so it''s not like I¡¯m stuck with this choice.¡¯ I picked Power of the Fallen Abyss and I gave Arty Housekeeping to test out how fast he could level it. [Very Common] House Keeping ¨C Cleaning speed and quality slightly increased. Passive Source: Granted by God¡¯s Guidance based on life lived until that point. Skill level: 2/10 -House Keeping has now been shared with Artel Noir- -Artel Noir has shared Power of the Fallen Abyss with you- ¡°Arty, is the only way to gain new skills practicing stuff?¡± I asked while still staring at my status screen. ¡°You can use skill points to buy skills from your class, attribute, and affinity shops. Skill points are gained from completing skills which grant a set amount based on rarity. You also get a skill point every class level and there is a bonus amount every 10 levels for uncommon classes and up.¡± I thanked Arty and checked all my class stores. -Fallen Class Store- [Divine] Grasp of the Abyss ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Passage ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Summon Abyssal ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Reality Shift ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Extinguish Life ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Requiem of the Fallen ¨C 100 SP [Divine] Land of Death, Sky of Darkness ¨C 100 SP [Title] Lord of the Fallen Abyss ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 43 -Hero of Darkness Class Store- [Mythical] Shadow Fade ¨C 40 SP [Mythical] Darkness Unending ¨C 40 SP [Mythical] Barrier of Darkness ¨C 40 SP [Mythical] Night of a Thousand Blades ¨C 80 SP [Legendary] Hero¡¯s Refuge ¨C 20 SP [Legendary] Analyze ¨C 20 SP [Legendary] Limit Break ¨C 40 SP [Companion] ¨C 40 SP [Title] Hero of Darkness ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 43 -Slave Class Store- [Very Common] Labourer ¨C 2 SP [Title] Slave ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 43 -Attribute Store- [A] Enhanced Constitution I ¨C 20 SP [A] Enhanced Endurance I ¨C 20 SP ~ Store Updates based on Attributes ~ Available Skill Points: 43 -Affinity Store- [Rare] Generate Random Dark Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Death Skill ¨C 10 SP ~ Store Updates based on Attributes ~ Available Skill Points: 43 ¡°It says I already have 43 skill points, how did I get those?¡± Arty was cleaning random things around camp so he explained while he worked. ¡°When you received your classes some of the skills must have merged which completed them. Skills can merge with other similar skills and when you complete a skill it can also evolve or derive a new skill.¡± I checked my notification log. The mythical skills Death Resistance III and Dark Resistance III merged which created the divine skill Abyssal Resistance IV. [Divine] Abyssal Resistance IV - 70% reduction to death and darkness damage. An additional 3% per level of this skill. Current Total: 76% Passive Source: Merging of Death Resistance III and Dark Resistance III. Skill level: 2/10 I was overwhelmed by all the different options. ¡°Which skills should I focus on first? There are so many!¡± ¡°Everyone at the table agreed attribute enhancement skills were the most important. They give you a better foundation for other skills and make the attributes stronger.¡± Trusting everyone¡¯s judgment I used my skill points on the two attribute skills. -Skills Enhanced Constitution and Enhanced Endurance have now been purchased for 40 SP- [A] Enhanced Constitution ¨C All constitution bonuses increased by 50%. Passive Source: 10 Constitution & 20 SP Skill level: 1/1 [A] Enhanced Endurance ¨C All Endurance bonuses increased by 50%. Passive Source: 10 Endurance & 20 SP Skill level: 1/1 Since I already had my status screen opened, I decided to change one last thing. I never knew my last name so I put Noir to match Arty¡¯s. I looked over the status screen once more before deciding to check the rest later. HP: 75/75 (0.75/H) STM: 75/75 (0.75/M) MP: 10/10 (0.05/M) DP: 0/?? (??) Active Level: 3 Total Level: 3 Title: N/A Name: Ellie Noir Race: Human/Fallen Age: 10 Gender: Female Mana Affinity: [Death: 87%], [Dark: 91%], [Electricity: 2%], [Fire: 2%], [Unaspected: 23%], Origin Classes: [~D~ Fallen Lvl: 1/100], [~M~ Hero of Darkness Lvl: 1/70] Classes: [~V~ Slave Lvl: 1/5] Sub Classes: Attribute Points: 0 Skill Points: 3 Companions: [Artel Noir Lvl: 1], Attributes: Attribute Enhancements: [Enhanced Constitution], [Enhanced Endurance], EXP Bonus: 50% (1.5x) EXP Bonus to Skill level 1: 450% (5.5x) [Origin Divine 1/10], [Origin Mythical 1/5], [Power of the Fallen Abyss 1/5], [Power of the Fallen Abyss 1/5], [1/1 Human], Titles: [Human], [Fallen], [Divinity], Combat Skills:Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Passive Combat Skills: Passive Combat Defence Skills: [Pain Resistance III 8/10], [Fear Resistance III 6/10], [Blunt Damage Resistance III 4/10], [Slashing Damage Resistance 6/10], [Piercing Damage Resistance 2/10], Magic Skills: [Touch of the Abyss 1/10], [Aura of Divinity 1/10], [Abyssal Infusion 1/10], Passive Magic Skills: [Soul Link 5/10], [Eyes of the Abyss 1/10], Passive Magic Defence Skills: [Abyssal Resistance IV 2/10], [Electricity Resistance 1/10], [Fire Resistance 1/10], Survival Skills: [Climbing 9/10], Passive Survival Skills: [Hunger Suppression 9/10], [Emotion Suppression 7/10], Life Skills: Passive Life Skills: [English 5/10], [Noble Etiquette 4/10], [Housekeeping 2/10], Crafting Skills: Passive Crafting Skills: [Cooking 2/10] ¡°Let¡¯s start following the river to see if we can find the place Hysa was talking about.¡± We went in the direction the boat from yesterday was going. The beauty of the forest and river made me excited for all the places our adventures would take us. After a few hours of walking, we came to the edge of the forest where Farms scattered the land and a huge yellow stone wall stood in the distance. -You Have Entered the Country: ¡®Safe Haven,¡¯ Capital City: ¡®Safe Haven¡¯- Arty entered my shadow so that others couldn¡¯t see him and I began walking alongside the farms. Eventually, a dirt road came into view and more farms could be seen on the other side of it. As I grew closer I could see large carts being pulled by horses waiting in line. There was a horse in my storybook, so I wanted to meet one but I was being given strange looks so I kept to myself and got in line. When I reached the front a guard dressed in a mix of metal and leather armor approached me. ¡°Miss, are you traveling alone?¡± ¡°Yes, I was told this place was somewhere safe.¡± The man looked at my previously white gown that was still stained with dirt. ¡°Hmm¡­ Let me guess escaped slave?¡± ¡°How did you know?!¡± I was surprised that he could guess. ¡°Not many little girls travel alone or dress like that. If someone told you to come here, you were either abandoned or escaped from somewhere. Regardless you¡¯re safe now. This is one of the last countries that still outlaws slavery. Wait on the other side of the gate, the owner of the third orphanage was just here to check on a recruit, I¡¯ll have someone run and grab her.¡± I walked through the gate and was met with a bustling city. The buildings were at most two stories tall and looked like a mix between modern and medieval, the roads were made of cobblestone, and the people going about their day were dressed in rougher handmade clothing made to look like a modern style. While I was looking around a woman came and kneeled to match my height. She had long orange curly hair in a pony tail, freckles, and blue eyes. She looked to be in her twenties and her outfit was a simple dress. ¡°Hello, my name is Lesley. I run the residential district¡¯s third orphanage, would you be willing to tell me your name?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Ellie. It''s nice to meet you!¡± ¡°Well Ellie, I¡¯m happy to see your in high spirits after traveling alone. Let¡¯s head to the orphanage and get you cleaned up. On the way I will tell you a little about Safe Haven.¡± She glowed with genuine kindness. Lesley held my hand and led me through the busy streets. I was getting a lot of looks due to the state of my clothing but I didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Safe Haven was founded by 25 heroes. When the old world came to an end they used their knowledge of classes and skills to create a place for people to find refuge. These 25 Heroes started all the guilds that make Safe Haven unlike any other country, even the Adventurer¡¯s Guild which can be found all over the Human Continent today was started here in Safe Haven. The guilds send experts to the orphanages for free lessons and recruitment, an expert from the Adventurer¡¯s Guild will visiting us tomorrow so you''re just in time!¡± ¡°Ms. Lesley does Safe Haven have a King and Queen like the Teller Kingdom? Did the 25 heroes all have the Hero class?¡± ¡°Safe Haven has The Council of 25, each of the 25 seats is top-ranking members of different guilds here. The 25 heroes all had different classes but none of them were the Hero class itself sadly. Ellie are you from the Teller Kingdom?¡± I nodded my head yes. ¡°You¡¯ve come quite far. It''s very rare we get any escaped slaves from there. I¡®m sure the 25 heroes would be happy that you made it, their biggest goal was providing a safe place for children to grow and live peacefully. We¡¯re here now, the third orphanage.¡± The building was very large, looked like a log cabin, and had a big sign on the front that read ¡°Lesley¡¯s Home for Lost Children.¡± There was even a small park across the street. ¡°Ms. Lesley is this place named after you?¡± Lesley Chuckled. ¡°I wish I were that important, this building and I were both named after one of the 25 Heroes.¡± As we entered the double doors we were greeted by a man about Lesly¡¯s age sitting at a desk. The building was made of dark brown logs giving it a cottage look and the walls also had many children¡¯s drawings hanging from them. Passing the desk, we entered an area with a large table and many chairs. On the left side of the room was a bookshelf which had windows above it and the opposite side of the room had the same windows but underneath was a smaller table with paper and paints. The back of the room had identical staircases on each side that led to an interior balcony and underneath were three doors. One was the bathroom, one was the kitchen, and one was Washroom/Baths. There were children of different ages all over the room however there was one specific girl that caught my attention. She looked like a normal person outside of two fluffy triangle ears being on her head and a tail waving back and forth behind her. ¡°Everyone! We have a new girl that will be joining us. She has traveled very far to get here so please make sure she feels welcome!¡± Most of the children stared without saying anything the girl with strange ears on the other hand ran over and excitedly greeted me. ¡°I¡¯m Poko! Why is your outfit covered in dirt? Did you fight a monster!?!¡± The excited girl had tanned skin, strawberry blonde hair, and large cat-like amber eyes. Her fingernails looked to be more pointed then regular people¡¯s and she spoke fast. Lesley shook her head. ¡°Poko, she just got here. Give her a little time before you ask questions like that.¡± ¡°Its okay Ms. Lesley I don¡¯t mind!¡± I didn¡¯t want the girl to get into trouble. ¡°In that case Poko will be your guide and help you with the bath while I go get you some new clothes. Ellie, if she starts asking too many questions just splash some water at her.¡± We both agreed and Poko quickly dragged me off to the bath. I had cold showers in the tall building but never a warm bath so I was pleasantly surprised. Poko used the time I was washing to tell me all about her dreams of being an adventurer. After I was done Lesley came in with a new outfit in her hands. It was a simple navy-blue uniform like Poko¡¯s and it even had socks and shoes which I was very grateful for. ¡®I¡¯m finally clean and comfy!¡¯ ¡°Ellie will be taking the open bed in your room Poko. Make sure she doesn¡¯t get lost!¡± Poko was again dragging me along, this time up the stairs. It was a long hallway with many doors and just a little to our left we entered a room labeled ¡°5¡±. It was not very large but it looked cozy. It had two bunk beds on each side and a window on the back wall. The size or sharing didn¡¯t bother me since it was much better then I was used to. Poko jumped to her top bunk with ease. ¡°The one under my bunk is free! We each have a bin under the bed to keep our things in as well.¡± I felt the bed with my hands, it was so soft, I never touched anything like it before. I slowly laid down and my body relaxed. ¡®I get to sleep on something like this?¡¯ My previous beds included blankets on a floor and uniforms on a stone floor so this was an unimaginable upgrade. While laying on my new comfy bed I decided to ask Poko about her ears. ¡°Poko how come you have fluffy ears and a tail?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a beast-kin from the cat tribe, or at least my parents were. I¡¯ve been in Safe Haven my entire life, I was told a doppelganger monster killed them when I was little.¡± Her usual excited attitude was replaced by sadness. I apologized for asking about it. I spent the afternoon talking with Poko. After what seemed like a few hours dinner was announced and all the children sat around the big table. It wasn¡¯t until the food was right in front of me that I realized how hungry I was. I assumed it was most likely due to hunger suppression. [Uncommon] Hunger Suppression ¨C It is easier to ignore hunger and you can go slightly longer without food. Passive Source: Granted by God¡¯s Guidance based on life lived until that point. Skill level: 9/10 The last time I had eaten was 110 years ago and even then, it was just trash from Sharron. The food they gave everyone was soup with potatoes and meat in it alongside a piece of bread. It was delicious or at least the best thing I had ever eaten. ¡®It''s so yummy!¡¯ Tears rolled down my face as I quickly ate the meal. After dinner I went to the bookshelf and started reading the different books. Most were fiction but there were a few non-fiction books as well. The most interesting was a book called ¡°The Five Continents.¡± It described how God took one continent from each world and placed them in a flower shape. The bottom of each continent connected to the Sky Tower in the middle, it stated the human continent was at the top and ended at what used to be the Mexico Guatemala border. It also listed the dominant race of each continent which were Humans, Elves, Demons, Beast-kin, and Dwarves. -Congratulations! You have earned the Skill Reading!- [Common] Reading - Slightly increases reading speed. Passive Source: Earned by reading. Skill level: 1/10 ¡®Arty I gained the reading skill!¡¯ ¡®Congratulations! If you level that skill up all the way, you will be able to read books fast. I think Hysa said she has the highest evolution of it and only has to touch a book to know everything inside.¡¯ As I was about to dive into another book bedtime was called out. Lesley came and helped me put all the books away since I read many more than I initially realized. ¡°Ellie, how was your first day? A few of the children told me you cried during dinner.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I had food that tasted good, I was just very happy.¡± I was silent for a couple seconds. ¡°Ms. Lesly is it okay for me to have all these nice things?¡± My life changed drastically in such a short time. I went from a life of pain to so many wonderful things and people. I was scared that I would wake up and find myself back in that white room. She patted me on the head. ¡°Of course its okay, every child deserves a good home. Let¡¯s head up to bed.¡± After arriving upstairs, I crawled into the bottom bunk. Despite how comfy the bed was I found I was having a hard time falling asleep. ¡®Arty its an emergency I need you to come out here!¡¯ ¡®I can see around you so I know nothing is happening. What could possibly be the emergency?¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t sleep, I need my plushie.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m a real demon, not some child¡¯s toy.¡¯ ¡®Please? I like it when you¡¯re with me.¡¯ I begged as sadly as I could inside my head. He reluctantly appeared while blushing and not making eye contact. ¡®I¡¯m only doing this because I want you to fall asleep faster.¡¯ I hugged him against my chest and not long after I drifted off to sleep. ~~~ The next morning I was woken up by an excited Poko. She was explaining how we needed to get our chores done before the expert arrived or we wouldn¡¯t be able to watch. I was never given a specific task so I helped different children with various things. Every time I would begin helping everyone would stare at me in amazement supposedly the speed and ability of my cleaning was above that of a paid maid thanks to the Housekeeping skill. Towards the end even Lesley was watching. ¡°Ellie you look like a professional!¡± ¡°Thanks Ms. Lesley! It was only because of the housekeeping skill though.¡± Lesley and the surrounding children gave astonished looks. ¡°Ellie do you truly have that skill? I heard only maids who have been on the job for around five years get the first level.¡± I nodded my head. ¡®Was it that rare? It said it''s from the very common category.¡¯ ¡®Arty are skills hard to get?¡¯ I asked inside my head. ¡®No one at the table has leveled up or gained any skills, they just have what they started with from God¡¯s Guidance. We know a lot about God¡¯s Guidance itself but not the time requirements.¡¯ ¡°Ellie, do you have any other skills?¡± I nodded again. ¡°In that case how about we talk with the expert after the lesson. I¡¯m sure a guild will be interested in recruiting you!¡± Shortly after chores were completed the man from the front desk announced the expert¡¯s arrival. A buff and balding old man wearing chainmail walked in with a giant sword on his back. Poko became star struck and ran towards the door barraging him with questions. ¡°Now hold on little miss lets get the lesson done first and then you can ask away.¡± He spoke with a hearty voice. The man had grey hair and dark blue eyes and despite his age he was extremely fit. In the bookshelf area the children all took a seat on the floor surrounding the man. ¡°Hello! I¡¯m Carl Stalic, a C Rank adventurer from Adventurer¡¯s Headquarters. Who here is familiar with the guild¡¯s ranking system for members?¡± Poko¡¯s hand shot up instantly. ¡°I know! From highest to lowest its S, A, B, C, D, E, and N.¡± ¡°Good! This is the ranking system you will find in most guilds. Today we are going over your status screens after that I will have a smaller lesson with those of you 10 and up.¡± Lesley rolled a small chalkboard over which Carl used to write out an example status screen. ¡°We will begin with Health Points and Stamina. Each point of Constitution increases your HP and STM by 5 points and each point of Endurance increases your HP regeneration by 0.05 an hour and STM regeneration by 0.05 a minute. Next is Mana Points, each point of Intelligence increases MP by 5 and each point of Wisdom increases mana regeneration by 0.05 a minute.¡± He was about to move on but hadn¡¯t mentioned divine points. ¡°Sir what about divine points?¡± He paused for a second surprised by what I asked. ¡°It seems we have someone that¡¯s read about God¡¯s Message! There is indeed a fourth resource called divine points which God¡¯s Message stated it was exclusive to divine classes. Unfortunately, nothing else was said about it.¡± ¡®That¡¯s a shame. I guess I¡¯ll have to ask Arty.¡¯ ¡°Active level refers to the total level of your active classes. We will go over active classes once we get to that part of the status. Active levels can vary greatly. Most normal people will see level 5 at most but experts like myself who have obtained two uncommon classes will have an active level of around 30 ¨C 40.¡± When he finished the last line all the children clapped in amazement. ¡®I¡¯m already active level 3. I think Carl is making it sound a lot harder then it is.¡¯ ¡°Every intelligent race has a title for their race. The race titles are just for show but some people use them to show pride for their heritage and such. There are other titles which grant rewards, for example, every class gives you a class title for completing the Class Shop and that title grants a unique class skill and some extra bonuses for your class.¡± I was getting the idea that they didn¡¯t know anything about divine rank stuff so I was going to leave those questions for Arty. ¡°Name is your name. You can only change it to pre-set options when specific conditions such as marriage are met. Race is your race. There are no half races so when two different intelligent races have a child it will be one race or the other. Age is of course your age and gender is your gender.¡± ¡®I guess I¡¯m not half human half fallen; I¡¯m just both.¡¯ ¡°Mana Affinity is very rare. Your affinity percent is a damage and effectiveness increase for that mana type. For example, if you had a light affinity of 15% your light spells would do 15% more damage and your light healing spells would heal 15% more. If someone has an affinity from birth it will generally be around 5% - 15%. Those of us who are not blessed at birth can increase affinities by using that specific mana type. The process is very, very slow and gets harder with each percent.¡± ¡°Sir how often is someone born with a mana affinity? What about really high affinities like 90%?¡± I asked wondering about my affinities. ¡°There are no set numbers. We only know its extremely rare to be born with an affinity and those will usually be the people that go on to get rare or even legendary classes. As for an affinity of 90% that¡¯s only possible for Dragons and Elementals.¡± ¡®Death and Dark affinities were granted from my Divine and Mythical classes so that¡¯s probably why he would say it''s not possible. It still doesn¡¯t explain my unaspected affinity¡­ I will wait until the end to ask since it¡¯s a question specific to me.¡¯ ¡°Next we have origin classes. I usually skip this one but I¡¯m sure our little reader would call me out for it! Origin classes are an extra active class slot. Unlike active classes, origin classes can never be switched or removed. They were granted to all humans 10 and above when the old world ended.¡± ¡°Beast-kin didn¡¯t get Origin classes?¡± Poko asked. ¡°Nope, just humans. Humans had the largest disadvantage because we didn¡¯t have any magic in our old world. On top of that all the old ruins and machines ran on energy types that no longer work due to magic interfering. To help Humans get back on their feet they were all granted a single origin class and two origin skill bonuses. Sadly, that bonus was strictly for the humans alive at the time, anyone born after does not have them. There are very few people still alive today with an origin class.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other way to get them?¡± Poko asked disappointedly. ¡°It¡¯s believed they were created for that one purpose unfortunately.¡± ¡®I¡¯m technically from when the world ended so I guess that makes sense.¡¯ ¡°Next we have active classes or regular classes as some call it. You can have two active classes at a time however the second slot costs 5 skill points so it¡¯s a large investment! Any classes that are not in your active slots become subclasses. Subclasses only grant a fraction of their bonuses but you can continue to use any skills from it like normal.¡± ¡®Slave will definitely be my first subclass!¡¯ ¡°Attribute points and skill points refer to how many available points you have to use. For example, humans get 4 free attributes they can use once they become ten years old. You can never change this so do not use them without permission from a teacher.¡± ¡®I want my life to be luckier, I don¡¯t regret my choice.¡¯ ¡°Companions refer to creatures that are bound to you. Normally classes like Beast Tamer will be the only ones to use this slot.¡± ¡®Arty did you hear that? He said you¡¯re my cute marshmallow ghost husband creature.¡¯ ¡®He only said creature, not the rest!¡¯ The last thing we will be covering today is the Attributes. There Is a lot of speculation regarding the specifics of each one so I can only give you the description that was provided in God¡¯s Message. Your guild or teacher will be the one that tells you which are most important since its different for every class. I will write out the list on the other side of the board. Strength - The physical power of your body. Melee combat, carry weight, heavy weaponry, etc. Dexterity - The speed, flexibility, and accuracy of your body. Ranged physical weapons, sneak, movement speed, attack speed, etc. Constitution - The health of your body. Health and Stamina pools, resistance to status effects, natural armor, etc. Endurance - Your body¡¯s ability to persevere. Health and Stamina regeneration, withstanding harsh conditions, willpower, etc. Perception - The ability of your body¡¯s senses. Eyesight, hearing, sensing those around you, etc. Intelligence - Your mind¡¯s ability to comprehend both knowledge and magic. The strength of the mana within your body. Magic attack power, mana pool, understanding, etc. Wisdom - Your mind''s ability to retain and use knowledge. Your body¡¯s ability to use mana. Mana regeneration, mana control, memory, problem-solving, etc. Charisma - Your ability to influence others. Intimidation, barter, leadership, etc. Luck - The world¡¯s kindness to you. Better odds for anything regarding chance, random events in your favor, breakthroughs, etc. Craftsmanship - The ability to create using your hands, skills, and mana. Crafting, enhancement, enchanting, etc. Control - Your ability to focus and control the crafting process. Quality, success rate, rarity, etc. Carl was now answering some of the younger children¡¯s questions so I took the chance to ask Arty some things. ¡®Arty I have lots of questions!¡¯ ¡®Ask away.¡¯ ¡®What are divine points?¡¯ ¡®Sorry Ellie not even Hysa knows.¡¯ ¡®What about the divinity title?¡¯ ¡®Hysa, Aurora, and Zurik have it. I think it¡¯s from having a divine class and five divine skills.¡¯ ¡®What about Mana affinities, the one not from my classes or being tortured?¡¯ ¡®You were probably just lucky. You can ask about it, from what we heard so long as you don¡¯t talk about origin classes or divine stuff there shouldn¡¯t be any trouble.¡¯ ¡®Thanks, Arty!¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s everything for the little ones today. Those of you 10 and up please remain seated.¡± Lesley led the younger children away. There were only a few people left sitting. I guess this was the age you started working or joined a guild. ¡°For those unaware you cannot get a class or use your free attributes until you are ten years old. Generally, if you work very hard in a specific area people begin to get their first class around 15. Who here is planning on entering the Adventurers Guild?¡± Poko immediately put her hand up and a few of us followed soon after. ¡°Four candidates? Good! We will be discussing classes, affinities, and how to join the guild. Now let¡¯s get the simple question out of the way who here has an affinity or a class?¡± He said the last part sarcastically. I put my hand up and was met with surprised looks from everyone including Carl and Lesley. ¡°You know the guilds can check if your lying, right?¡± Carl¡¯s voice was much more serious now. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that but I¡¯m not lying.¡± I was going to leave information out but I wasn¡¯t lying about anything. ¡°Then may I ask which you have?¡± ¡°Both.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes grew wider and some children began whispering. Lesley came over and asked carl for one second. ¡°Ellie there is serious trouble for lying about these things, are you positive you have both?¡± I nodded, it was the truth after all. Carl cut in before Lesley could continue. ¡°In that case may I ask what the class is? You can remain silent but it will need to be confirmed by the council. There hasn¡¯t been a 10-year-old human class holder since God¡¯s Guidance first came.¡± ¡°Its okay, I don¡¯t mind sharing. My class is Slave.¡± Lesley started hugging me tightly and most of the children turned away while others changed from looks of amazement to pity. I didn¡¯t understand the reaction since she knew I was a slave already. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Ellie, to have that class by ten years old¡­ How can people be so cruel?¡± Some tears fell from her eyes as she held me. ¡°Ms. Lesley, I don¡¯t understand? You knew I was a slave already.¡± ¡°It takes years of hard work to obtain a class. To have that class already means you were worked harder than most could imagine long before you became 10. I promise that you will never suffer like that here.¡± She gave me another tight hug before letting go. Carl¡¯s voice changed again, this time to a kinder tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that Ellie. If you have an affinity everything will get much better, may I ask what it is?¡± ¡°Its 2% for fire and electricity and 23% for unaspected mana.¡± The pity in the room vanished and the surprised looks returned. Carl started laughing and Lesley who was just crying congratulated me happily. ¡°Ellie are you 100% positive this is correct? If so, the crafting guilds may start a war over you! Heck, the Dwarves may even send a diplomat to see you directly!¡± Carl continued laughing. ¡°Mr. Stalic, I don¡¯t want to be in a crafting guild! I want to be an adventurer!¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ In that case there are a few ways you could do both. The Culinary Guild and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild have a close relationship, when adventurers go on long and important missions it''s nice to have good food, so they hire an adventuring chef to join them. If you manage to get the Mana Cooking skill or the uncommon Chef class you¡¯ll be invited to join high ranking adventurer parties even if you can¡¯t fight. Having food that increases attributes for short periods of time can be the difference between life and death.¡± I was very happy with the suggestion. ¡®I can make yummy food and go on adventures, why would I not want that?!¡¯ ¡°We¡¯ll discuss this more after the lesson. Does anyone else have a class or affinity?...¡± He waited a couple seconds taking the question a little more seriously. ¡°In that case, we will go over rarity tiers which are Very Common, Common, Uncommon, Rare, Legendary, Mythical, and Divine. These tiers are used for classes, skills, dungeons, monsters, and items. It should be everyone¡¯s goal to work towards having at least one uncommon class. It is a lot of hard work unless you''re lucky but the result is living a very good life in whatever field you get one in. If you work extra hard you may even end up with two like myself! For rare and above it¡¯s best not to get your hopes up and Legendary Classes would put you at the top of society. One of the 25 heroes had a legendary class and it allowed him to make this country. It is not possible for regular races such as humans to get a mythical or divine class.¡± The lesson continued with information Arty already told me about and then guild stuff I didn¡¯t need to know. Once it was over the four of us who wanted to join were called to speak with Carl in the Orphanage¡¯s office area. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you all one warning. The life of an adventurer is one of danger and many people die on this path. If that does not bug you then I can take you back and get you signed up tomorrow. You must have at least one common class to get past N rank! Would you still like to go?¡± We all agreed and Carl said he would come back tomorrow. Lesley had a small farewell celebration after dinner for us and then we all went off to bed. ¡®Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little weird that the Hero of Darkness is going to take cooking classes?¡¯ Arty teased. ¡®It''s also weird that I¡¯m married to a marshmallow ghost but that turned out to be pretty nice.¡¯ I replied while hugging him. We continued talking until I fell asleep. Chapter 4 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 4 Poko and I were woken up extra early by Lesley. She had prepared a big breakfast for us and the two others that would be leaving today. On our way down to eat, Poko made a declaration that we would all be friends since we¡¯re heading to the same place. The first to introduce herself was a girl with Asian features and a serious personality named Mitsu. She had long black hair, black eyes, light skin, and was tall for a girl our age. She told us her parents were from another country far to the west before they died. The other was a quiet boy named David. He had dark brown skin, brown eyes, and very short curly black hair. He told us he grew up alongside a caravan but it was wiped out by monsters. After I finished eating Lesley pulled me aside and told me she would clean up my hair which had grown very long. Once in the washroom she sat me in front of a long mirror and put a towel around me so the hair would not get on my clothing. My body grew quite a bit but I was still a very small person especially for a 10-year-old. When Lesley was done my hair returned to the shortcut I liked. I washed up as quickly as I could and met everyone in the main room where my friends were speaking with Carl and two other people I didn¡¯t recognize. One was a woman dressed in a strange yellow gown. She had golden blonde hair, golden eyes, and she looked to be in her fifties. The other was an older man in a black suit. He had grey hair, brown eyes, and looked to be the same age as the woman. ¡°She has arrived. Ellie this is Third Chair Gala Spring and to her right is Seventeenth Chair Hamilton Hall. He is the leader of the Culinary Guild.¡± Lesley introduced me. I gave them both a proper greeting. I was surprised by how natural it felt, even skills like noble etiquette were powerful in their own way. ¡°This girl is an orphan? I don¡¯t see that kind of respect from most of the adults I deal with.¡± She eyed me up and down. ¡°I will be checking your affinity to confirm you do indeed have 23% with Unaspected Mana.¡± She walked towards me with a clear stone. I began to panic. ¡®Would this see my other affinities?!¡¯ It was placed on my hand and I prepared for it to turn black but nothing happened. Gala and Hamilton both looked at me with disappointment however Carl walked over and interrupted. ¡°I completely forgot she has two smaller affinities as well.¡± Carl was rubbing the back of his head and nervously laughing. ¡°Ellie you need to focus on the one you want to appear in the stone.¡± I focused on my unaspected mana and the stone quickly become a whiteish blue. Their eyes lit up with delight and Hamilton handed me a paper. ¡°This is the Culinary Guild¡¯s current offer. Should you accept, you will be treated as our highest priority student. The guild¡¯s Library, recipes, and lessons from all staff will all be fully available to you. I have been informed you wish to work alongside the Adventurer¡¯s Guild so I¡¯ve arranged for Will Novak to be your personal instructor. We will fully cover your time with the guild.¡± Hamilton spoke formally reminding me of a butler. ¡®Arty I don¡¯t really understand what a lot of this means, could you look?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a very good offer. They will be treating you as their prized student. You should take it.¡¯ ¡°Thank you, I graciously accept.¡± While I was trying to look cultured Poko ran over and hugged me. ¡°Congratulations Ellie! You have to come cook for us alright?!¡± I happily agreed and we made a promise that we would visit each other. There were two carriages out-front, Gala entered one alone, and Hamilton was waiting for me at the other. As I was about to leave Lesley hugged me. ¡°I know you were only here for one day but it makes me happy knowing you made friends and found somewhere to go so quickly. Always remember that you are welcome here Ellie.¡± She let go and waved me off with a smile. I was sad to leave someone so kind but I had my whole life ahead of me now and I would definitely come back and visit. From the carriage window I watched as we passed through the residential district and then arrived at the guild district. The guild district was massive, in the distance I could even see the river with a strange blue barrier in front of it. Each guild was very large and had unique and sometimes funny designs. My favorite one that we passed was shaped like a giant jack-o-lantern with a star covered wizards¡¯ hat on top. It was weird seeing old-world buildings mixed with stuff that looked like storybook covers. We arrived at a large three-story building that had many windows. It looked like it was an old-world school that was maintained. The property had a fancy cobblestone wall and a metal gate, as we approached the gate it opened by itself and Hamilton began speaking. ¡°The Culinary Guild took an old-world style with the construction of our headquarters. You can rest assured it is up to date with all the latest magic conveniences. Unlike the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, we have set terms so your entrance is an exception. You will be joining the beginner classes listed on this page and your room is listed on the bottom. Are you okay with sharing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with sharing, thank you Mr. Hall!¡± ¡°I will take you to your first class. It should have just started.¡± The inside of the building was very well lit which was the complete opposite of the tall building I was from. The lobby walls were lined with photos of different foods and I wanted to reach in and try each one! Every room we passed smelled wonderful, there were sweet smells, cooking meat, spices, and many more I didn¡¯t even recognize. We stopped in front of a door covered in various sweets and above it was a sign that said ¡°Cooking & Mana Cooking.¡± ¡°Excuse me Ms. Powder, the student I told you about has arrived.¡± Ms. Powder was a very large woman with curly black hair and dark eyes. ¡°Oh welcome! This is the cooking class, our goal here is to obtain the Cooking skill or Mana Cooking skill if you have the talent for it.¡± Hamilton left after telling me the location of his office and Ms. Powder gestured me to an open spot at a table. When I arrived a few students were giving me displeased looks but I was still quite excited since I always wanted to attend school. I looked over the recipes in front of me, to my surprise I was able to figure them out instantly. My cooking training in the tall building was basic yet the Cooking skill gave me the knowledge needed to make such amazing foods. ¡°Ellie will be joining our class. She is a beginner, so please give her assistance if she ever asks. For today Ellie just do your best with the recipes in front of you.¡± After making sure Hamilton Hall was gone she returned to a pile of powdered donuts and reading. One of the girls at my table gave me a dirty look before speaking so everyone nearby could hear. She had black hair done up in pigtails with red ribbons, red eyes, and looked about one year older than me. ¡°How did an orphan get into the Culinary Guild halfway through a semester? Have you ever tasted food that¡¯s not watered-down soup?¡± She finished with an exaggerated insulting laugh. I tried to ignore her but she continued making fun of my orphanage uniform. I knew I was bound to run into mean people eventually so I wasn¡¯t going let it get me down. ¡°I just need to get the Mana Cooking skill, right?¡± I asked out loud while looking over the recipe. ¡°Just get the Mana Cooking skill? You say it like that¡¯s some simple task, only the best get that skill! It takes years of hard work as well as mastering how to put mana into the food you make.¡± Despite not liking this girl I should be grateful to her since she gave me a hint that would make this very easy. I knew how to infuse abyssal energy into stuff so I just had to apply that knowledge to unaspected mana and infuse it into the food. I began work on a pie but it was obvious I lacked even a single point in Craftsmanship and Control. This caused a few students to laugh as I stumbled through the steps however the dish itself was not my goal, gaining the Mana Cooking skill was. I started roughly infusing unaspected mana into the ugly pie I was making. It took me a while but I finally finished. -Congratulations! You have earned the Skill [Mythical] Unaspected Mana Infusion!- -Congratulations! You have earned the Skill [Uncommon] Mana Cooking!- -[Common] Cooking 2/10 has now merged with [Uncommon] Mana Cooking granting one skill level and 1 skill point.- A big smile appeared on my face while I reviewed the notifications. There was still a lot of time left in class so I decided to give it another try with the Mana Cooking skill. It was similar but I quickly realized how little of the mana actually made it into the food compared to Unaspected Mana Infusion which put every bit of the mana into it. I continued making failed pies in hopes of raising my skill levels but instead, a class notification appeared on my fifth attempt. -Congratulations! You have earned the Class [Legendary] Starlight Chef!- Starlight Chef ¨C You have discovered a path walked by few. Using Death to control the ingredient¡¯s condition, Darkness to consume the impurities, and mythical control of mana infusion you can create true food for the soul. You cook 100% faster and your food buffs last 100% longer. Grants high unaspected mana affinity. Grants Legendary skill starlight cooking. Grants legendary skill starlight kitchen. Grants 1 free Wisdom, Craftsmanship, and Control Attributes. 1 Wisdom, 1 Craftsmanship, and 1 Control every 10 levels. 3 Bonus Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/50 -[Uncommon] Mana Cooking 2/10 has now merged with [Legendary] Starlight Cooking granting one skill level and 3 skill points.- -Would you like to replace [Very Common] Slave with [Legendary] Starlight Chef in Active Class slot 1? (Y/N)- I selected yes, that horrible class would finally be down in the subclass area. After confirming the Slave class was gone I checked my two new skills. [Legendary] Starlight Cooking - You have learned to use death and dark mana to cook while infusing unaspected mana into the food you make! Increases cooking ability, cooking speed, reduces cooking mana use, and Increases attributes granted by your food. Passive Source: Free skill of the Starlight Chef class. Skill level: 2/10 [Legendary] Starlight Kitchen ¨C Summon astral cooking devices and tools. Cooking with astral devices and tools greatly increases cooking speed, flavor, and quality. MP Cost: 60/M Source: Free skill of the Starlight Chef class. Skill level: 1/10 ¡®I need more intelligence before I can use Starlight Kitchen but it sounds pretty!¡¯ I was completely out of mana from my cooking attempts so I put my hand up. ¡°Look everyone! She¡¯s going to tell on us for making fun of her!¡± The people at my table started laughing but I ignored them. After waiting five minutes Ms. Powder finally looked up and asked what I needed. ¡°I¡¯ve earned Mana Cooking, what do I do now?¡± The room burst into laughter as they looked at me then my poorly made pies. ¡°Quiet! I don¡¯t tolerate fooling around in my class get back to the recipe Ellie!¡± I put my hand back up and waited for her to look over again. After a few minutes she asked what I needed now. ¡°Ms. Powder I earned the mana cooking skill, I promise I¡¯m not lying.¡± I spoke as respectfully as I could. ¡°I¡¯ve been told you are a student who has great potential but I will not take such ridiculous claims seriously. If you do not stop this behavior I¡¯ll be forced to provide disciplinary action for disrespect.¡± The students were all snickering and Ms. Powder returned to eating powdered donuts and reading. I decided to wait for class to end while talking to Arty inside my head. After Ms. Powder dismissed us I went to Hamilton¡¯s office and knocked on the door, a few seconds later he invited me in. ¡°Was there an issue with your class Ellie or something you would like to talk to me about?¡± ¡°Sorry for the trouble Mr. Hall. I gained the mana cooking skill but Ms. Powder didn¡¯t believe me.¡± Hamilton gave me a surprised look before walking over to a large shelf and opening a locked wooden box. Inside was a stone like the one Gala used. ¡°This stone was special ordered from the Mind Guild. It can detect the mana cooking skill, can you put your hand out for me Ellie?¡± Hamilton placed it in my hand, shortly after it glowed green to show I had the skill. Hamilton completely lost his formal way of speaking. ¡°Unbelievable, you gained this today?! Did you have any prior cooking experience?!¡± ¡°I had Cooking at skill level 2 but that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°At skill level 2? Why didn¡¯t you mention this earlier?!? To think I would find such a prodigy with unaspected affinity, this is unlike anything I¡¯ve ever seen! The classes are canceled Ellie. You will be learning under Will Novak starting tomorrow. The rest of your time will be spent learning recipes and practicing.¡± I was given my own private kitchen to practice in. Since no one was around I switched the skill I was sharing with Arty to Starlight Cooking and we started cooking together. My mana would quickly run out, but Arty had unlimited mana, so he would keep going while I read new recipes. My food became a lot prettier and very tasty thanks to the new attributes from Starlight Chef. ¡°Arty try this cupcake. I think it''s my best one yet!¡± I was staring at the tray of cupcakes I just finished. ¡°Did you have to put little ghosts on each one?¡± Arty complained. ¡°They¡¯re Arty cupcakes, try one!¡± I shoved it towards his face and he reluctantly took a bite. ¡°This is¡­ This is amazing! I shouldn¡¯t be able to taste food in this form! Ellie, what did your class description say?¡± I read the class description and the skills to him well he stuffed his little ghost mouth with cupcakes. It made me happy that he liked them. When he was done he put his ghost hand in a thinking position for a while before replying. ¡°We will definitely have to bring some with us next time we go to the table. Old Man Snaps used to make a lot of stuff including food so I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll know something.¡± Our night continued with pleasant discussions and cooking, by the time we were done I gained my first level up and some new skill levels. -Congratulations! Starlight Chef has leveled up to 2/50!- -Congratulations! Starlight Cooking has increased to 3/10!- It was getting late so I made my way to the room I was assigned to. I was excited to meet whoever I was sharing with. ¡®Hopefully I can make another friend!¡¯ When I arrived and opened the door I was met with a beautiful room with red curtain decorations and red bedsheets. ¡®It looks like a pincesses room!¡¯ The beds looked like they could fit at least two people and under the glass window were two wooden desks which had their own glow stones on them. Like the orphanage there was a bed on both the left and right sides of the room. On the right bed my new roommate was reading recipes. He looked over at me surprised before asking what I was doing here. He had short dark brown hair, tanned skin, green eyes, and he looked to be the same age as me.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°The paper says this is my room, ummm, maybe I got it wrong!¡± I reviewed the paper once more. ¡®room number 31¡­¡¯ It was definitely the right place. ¡®I¡¯m not very comfortable rooming with a boy. I wish Hamilton would¡¯ve told me.¡¯ ¡®You hug me till you fall asleep every night, how are you uncomfortable now?¡¯ Arty sounded annoyed. ¡®Cute little ghosts named Arty don¡¯t count!¡¯ The boy was holding his hand to his forehead. ¡°Girls and boys are supposed to have separate rooms, how did my father mess something that easy up?¡± ¡°Your father looks after the rooms? Mr. Hall was the one who gave me this one.¡± ¡°I am Harrison Hall, his son. I will get it sorted out tomorrow, for tonight we¡¯ll just have to deal with it.¡± Harrison turned the light stone off on his side of the room before quickly laying down. I didn¡¯t own pajamas or another outfit so I crawled into my bed and went to sleep with Arty. ~~~ The following morning I was woken up by our door being slammed. Harrison''s face was filled with anger and he threw a pile of clothing at me. ¡°I hate my Dad! He thinks I¡¯m going to follow his plan!? Ellie I will never marry you!¡± I sat there confused while looking at Harrison. ¡°Harrison, did something happen?¡± I began piling up the clothing that was all over my bed now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ This was all my fathers doing. He is insisting I do everything I can to make you like me. He even told me to give you all that clothing as a gift.¡± Harrison, who had calmed down, was now laying on his bed. ¡®Ellie, I don¡¯t like this guy, you should go insist on a new room.¡¯ ¡®You sound jealous Arty.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯d never be jealous!¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry, my marshmallow ghost husband will always be the only person for me.¡¯ I replied inside my head holding back my laughter. ¡®That¡¯s the last time I worry about you then! Stupid Ellie.¡¯ He began pouting again. ¡°These clothes are all mine? They look so pretty!¡± There was dresses, pajamas, skirts, pants, shirts, winter wear, and much more. All of it looked super expensive. ¡°Yea they¡¯re from my dad. He had someone buy you a bunch of stuff from the Tailoring Guild¡­ Since we¡¯re stuck here together I will be setting up some rules! You¡¯re not allowed to change when I¡¯m in the room, no leaving your clothing or makeup everywhere, and no spraying perfume in here!¡± I didn¡¯t mind since I don¡¯t own makeup or perfume anyway. After Harrison left the room I grabbed a new outfit and went to the showers. Due to the early hours no one was around and I finished quickly. My new outfit was a light blue dress with matching slip-on shoes and white socks. When I looked back up from putting my shoes on I noticed a woman waiting for me. ¡°Will Novak will be arriving at your kitchen in two hours. He will be testing your skills so please ensure you are in top condition.¡± The woman bowed and walked away. I made my way to the kitchen and looked through the recipes. ¡®I need something to show my cooking skills. Baking is my favorite right now and Arty really liked my cupcakes so I will go with the same cupcakes I made last night!¡¯ I was excited but also very nervous to meet my new teacher. After preparing everything, I waited for Will to arrive. ~~~=--^--=~~~ I was called back to the guild because some kid had grand dreams of being an adventuring chef. There weren¡¯t many chefs that wanted to risk their lives so we¡¯ve been desperate but a ten-year-old girl? What a waste of time. At Hall¡¯s office he wouldn¡¯t tell me anything about her except that she was granted a private kitchen so I made my way there. ¡®Of course it''s on the other side of the building¡­¡¯ The girl waiting for me inside barely looked ten, she was very small for her age. ¡°It''s nice to meet you Mr. Novak.¡± She gave a formal greeting. ¡®Was she from an important family? It would explain the manners and special treatment.¡¯ ¡°You are Ellie, correct? I will be testing your cooking. If it does not meet my standards your training will be canceled. No one is risking their lives for a kid that can¡¯t properly do the job.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! I prepared everything to make cupcakes if that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡®Cupcakes? Does this idiot think she¡¯ll be baking cupcakes in city ruins or the wilderness?¡¯ ¡°Ellie please explain to me how you would make cupcakes while out in the wilderness?¡± Her face changed from surprise to sadness before finally apologizing. ¡°Mr. Novak what should I make for my test?¡± I looked through the recipes she¡¯d been studying, most were baking, and she had no idea what type of foods gave which attribute. I took out a recipe from my pocket called Adventurer¡¯s Beef Stew which granted one constitution attribute for 30 minutes. This recipe was a favorite amongst adventurers for its bonus and flavor. She looked it over and quickly gave me a determined nod. She was fast but it''s still the speed of someone with less than 3 dexterity attributes. A short while later she handed me a bowl with a big smile on her face. I sat at the counter and began eating it. ¡®The flavor is amazing! I¡¯ve made this stew hundreds of times but it¡¯s never turned out like this! How high were her craftsmanship and control?!¡¯ Once I was done I opened my attributes. Attributes: ¡®Three attributes from a regular recipe like this?! This was impossible, only foods made from legendary ingredients granted 3 attributes!¡¯ I looked at my status effects next and what I saw almost caused me to throw the stew back up. ¡®This attribute bonus would last eight hours!? The top chefs in guild just celebrated a regular recipe being pushed to one hour! Who was this girl?!¡¯ I pictured that old bastards smirking face. ¡®He did all of this on purpose¡­¡¯ ~~~=--^--=~~~ After eating my stew Will hadn¡¯t moved at all and was staring at the bowl. He was a tired scruffy looking man maybe in his thirties or early forties that had dark red hair and tired dark brown eyes. His skin was very tanned and he had a lightly muscled body. ¡°Mr. Novak you¡¯ve been staring at the empty bowl for a while, did you not like it?¡± I asked anxiously. ¡°Y-You pass. We¡¯ll go to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild tomorrow to begin training.¡± Will left without saying anything about the stew. ¡®Maybe he thought it was only okay? I did my best to follow the recipe and I even infused all my mana in it. I¡¯ll have to try harder next time¡­ There is still a little left over so I will put it aside and ask Harrison to try it tonight.¡¯ The private kitchen had many magic tools that were like old world devices so I spent the rest of the day getting familiar with each one while talking to Arty. When I returned to the room Harrison was not back yet. I used the time to try on the pajamas I was gifted. ¡®There so soft and cute! As I was twirling in front of the mirror a depressed Harrison walked in. ¡°Father said the rooms would not be changed¡­ We¡¯re definitely stuck sharing now¡­¡± He walked towards his bed before letting himself fall face first into it. ¡°Harrison, I made Stew today for my teacher but he never told me if he liked it. Would you like to try it? I warmed it up before I came back to the room.¡± ¡°I skipped dinner with my dad because of the argument. I guess your stew is better than nothing.¡± I handed Harrison the bowl and after the first spoonful he began eating it very quickly. Once done he looked up giving me a strange look. ¡°D-Did you really make this? I have never tasted anything this delicious before!¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy you liked it! My teacher just left after eating it so I thought it was bad.¡± ¡°Ellie who is your teacher? I don¡¯t see you in any classes.¡± ¡°His name is Will Novak. We¡¯re going to the adventurer¡¯s Guild tomorrow.¡± I climbed into bed. ¡°The Traveling Chef is your teacher?! He has an uncommon cooking class and a rare combat class! No wonder your food tastes so good already!¡± ¡®Mr. Novak hasn¡¯t taught me much yet but I guess it¡¯s a good excuse to use.¡¯ ¡°Ellie aren¡¯t you scared of fighting monsters? With this cooking you could become a famous chef here or in Camp Freedom. There¡¯s no need to go do such a dangerous job.¡± ¡°I want to go see and learn as much as I can! It''s not fun being stuck in one place for a long time.¡± ¡°Then I will become an adventuring chef too!¡± Harrison declared with a determined look. ¡°Why would you want to do that Harrison?¡± I was surprised by the change in attitude. ¡°I-I think I understand why father wanted me to marry you now¡­ I will definitely keep you safe!¡± ¡®Look what you¡¯ve done! You¡¯re cooking made him fall in love with you! I told you he was bad news¡­¡¯ I politely declined anything related to marriage while giggling due to Arty¡¯s jealousy. Shortly after Harrison ran off saying he would get permission to join us tomorrow. ~~~ The following morning I woke up early to prepare lunch for myself, my teacher, and hopefully my friends from Orphanage. I followed the recipe for a unique sandwich called ¡°Adventurer¡¯s Rest.¡± ¡®Since it has Adventurer in the title I¡¯m sure Poko will like it.¡¯ I made my way to the entrance area and met with my teacher who told me we would be walking. It was another beautiful sunny day and I was enjoying all the neat looking guild buildings. One near the water was a big whale and you entered through the mouth to get inside. ¡°Mr. Novak is all the fish in the Culinary guild from the big river?¡± ¡°A lot of freshwater fish and monsters are from the Potomac River, but we rely on traders and shipments from ocean settlements for our other supplies.¡± After an hour we arrived at a huge stone building. Will told me the buildings behind this one were all part of the Adventurer¡¯s Campus and the one in front of us was the headquarters. Before entering he explained the role of an Adventuring Chef. It turns out there are four types, the first was a chef who needed protection, the second was a chef who could also fight, the third was a mana chef who needed protection, and the fourth was a mana chef who could fight. No one would higher the first type and the fourth type is how you get rich. He then went on to explain that I must join the Adventurer¡¯s Guild first and let a high-ranking member test my cooking for stat bonuses. ¡°Mr. Novak, didn¡¯t you try my food already? Were the stat bonuses not good?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be your teacher otherwise I would¡¯ve skipped this tedious work.¡± ¡°Waaaaaaait!¡± We turned to find Harrison running to catch up with us. ¡°Mr. Novak¡­ please accept¡­ this letter¡­ from my father¡­¡± He said in-between breaths. ¡°He wants me to look after two kids now? What is that man thinking¡­ Since you don¡¯t have mana cooking your test will simply be for cooking ability.¡± I was happy Harrison came. I would definitely introduce him to everyone. The inside was a formal and neatly kept place and there weren¡¯t many people like Carl who were carrying around large weapons. Will walked up to the front desk and began speaking with a woman there. ¡°Harrison is this where people accept missions to fight monsters?¡± ¡°Nope, this is just the HQ building. It''s mostly paperwork and relations between the different guilds in Safe Haven. The training school for young recruits is behind the HQ. We will be heading there when we pass.¡± ¡°You two, the receptionist will be requesting an official to test the food. Let''s head to the assigned room.¡± As we were about to walk away a wrinkly and thin old man in a black and purple robe stopped us. What was left of his messy balding hair was grey, his back was slightly hunched, and it looked like his eyes were completely black. It was the first time someone¡¯s appearance scared me. ¡°An official to test food you say? I can volunteer.¡± He spoke in a raspy voice. ¡°Sir there is no need for you to handle such a small task.¡± The receptionist rejected. ¡°Its fine, its fine, I was about to go find some lunch anyway.¡± ¡°Then I am very grateful for your assistance on this matter Mr. Velmor.¡± While walking to the room he kept glancing at me with a creepy smile. I did my best to smile back while moving closer to Will. ¡®This guy has death magic on him and he is definitely someone that practices it. He keeps staring at you when you¡¯re not looking, be careful Ellie. I¡¯ll do my best to watch him.¡¯ When we entered the room Will pulled Harrison and me aside. ¡°That old man is the leader of the Death Magic Guild and the ninth seat. I don¡¯t know why he volunteered for this but he is very important. Make sure you go all out.¡± We both nodded. As we were about to start cooking Mr. Velmor stopped me but told Harrison to continue. ¡°The items in that basket were made by you, correct?¡± ¡°They are Adventurer¡¯s Rest sandwiches made by me Sir.¡± I replied respectfully. ¡°Food made for friends is always filled with such love. I will take one of those for your test.¡± I handed him one of the extra wrapped sandwiches and he immediately looked it over and started muttering. ¡°Amazing¡­ To use it in such a way¡­¡± He eventually took a bite before looking at what I assumed was his status screen. ¡°Three Endurance, remarkable.¡± He ended the sentence with a quiet and creepy old laugh. He wrapped the remainder of the sandwich and put it away in his bag. When Harrison¡¯s dish was done the old man took a bite, said we passed, and then quickly left. Harrison looked a little upset that the man hadn¡¯t said anything about his cooking, but he cheered back up when I tried some and said it was yummy. ¡°Well that was¡­ I guess all I can say is some guild leaders can be a little strange. Anyway, you both passed so let¡¯s get you registered.¡± We were brought back to the front of the building where the receptionist was waiting. After giving her our full names, we were handed a card that had a big N on the left side then our name and picture on the right. The back of the card had Adventurer¡¯s Guild in big letters and the card itself felt like plastic but I was unable to bend it. ¡®Ellie can I ask you a question?¡¯ ¡®Of course! What would you like to know?¡¯ ¡®Why does your card have Noir as the last name?!?¡¯ Arty yelled in my head. ¡®I never had a last name, so I put Noir.¡¯ ¡®You can¡¯t just use the last name of my family like that!¡¯ ¡®I thought I was a part of your family since we¡¯re married. If it''s not alright I can try and change it¡­ I¡¯d really like to keep it though¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­fine but you¡¯re family like a sister.¡¯ ¡®Is it okay to be married to your sister?¡¯ ¡®Yes! I um mean n-no-- I give up¡­ please take good care of me Ellie¡­¡¯ It took all my effort to not laugh out loud at Arty¡¯s silly pouting. ¡°Alright, you two we will be joining a training party, I assume those sandwiches are for friends here? If so, we can probably set you up with them. Let¡¯s head through the back door to the campus and please keep in mind you¡¯re still culinary students so get ready to walk here every morning.¡± We entered a beautiful park that had lots of grass and trees. There were many buildings around it and I could see lots of people with various weapons and armors going about there day. We followed Will to a building that had a big N on the front. It was made of wood and was much smaller than the stone HQ. The inside had a small restaurant area to the right and a large reception desk on the left. ¡°Are these both new Adventuring Chefs? There quite young this time, I¡¯m guessing no cooking skill yet?¡± A busty woman with black hair and purple eyes wearing a uniform that was definitely too small for her came over. ¡°I wish it was that simple Charlotte¡­ The girl has mana cooking already, in fact, the guild master has deemed her the star of the entire Culinary Guild. It¡¯s caused me so much extra work¡­¡± She looked down at me while giving a smile. ¡°Hmmm, you better be careful then. If the big timers hear about a cute little girl that can make them attribute enhancing food they''re going to swarm. How about you come work for our restaurant area instead, the tips will be amazing.¡± I declined politely which caused the woman to chuckle. ¡®Cooking¡¯s fun but I want to go on adventures!¡¯ ¡°We¡¯re here to get them a training team. Ellie has some friends from the third orphanage that should be N ranks.¡± ¡°The cute little cat girl? She has made quite a name for herself already.¡± The busty woman returned to the counter and began going through papers not long after she handed a card to another receptionist. ¡°Your friends will be here soon, don¡¯t forget about my offer, little girls shouldn¡¯t be running off into the wilderness.¡± She winked at me before walking off. We grabbed a large table in the restaurant area and I began preparing the lunch I made for everyone. I was looking forward to having them all try it! ¡°Ellie!!!¡± Poko ran over and gave me a big hug. After Mitsu pulled her off, I greeted everyone. ¡°This is Harrison; he is going to be an adventuring chef as well. We were both hoping to join your training party. Oh, and the sleepy looking guy is my teacher Will Novak.¡± ¡°I was the prodigy of the Culinary guild before Ellie arrived, my name is Harrison Hill.¡± Poko was already heading towards the food while Mitsu greeted us. ¡°Ellie you obtained the cooking skill? I thought that was a requirement for adventuring chefs.¡± ¡°I already had the cooking skill when we were at the orphanage. I recently earned the mana cooking skill though!¡± ¡°Y-You already had it? How many skills do you have?¡± ¡°Umm most of the slave ones, there is only one left in its class shop.¡± I tried my best to give a half-truth. ¡°Were you planning on telling your teacher that? We¡¯ll be reviewing your skills tonight¡­ Of course they find a ten-year-old kid with an arsenal of skills for me to look after¡­¡± After Will finished complaining Mitsu continued. ¡°People shouldn¡¯t look down on a class, even one like Slave, I¡¯ve completely underestimated its use.¡± David was holding Poko back from the food. ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear it''s going well for you Ellie. Mitsu and Poko are both naturals so I¡¯ve been working hard to keep up with them ¡­and to stop Poko from requesting duels with the other parties.¡± ¡°Thank you Mitsu, thank you David!¡± I was happy Poko brought us together before leaving. ¡°My apologies, I was distracted by skills again. Our party would be more than happy to have you both join us.¡± Mitsu spoke formally. After the greetings were done we all sat down to eat. Everyone except Will and Harrison had surprised looks after tasting the food. ¡°Ellie we¡¯re going to be able to train for so much longer thanks to your sandwiches! I knew your cooking would be the best!¡± Poko proudly exclaimed. ¡°The paper on common adventurer foods said this one would only provide one endurance but Ellie¡¯s provides three? Was it wrong?¡± David asked Will who just finished his. ¡°The paper¡¯s right kid, Ellie¡¯s cooking is an exception to logic.¡± When I finished cleaning up Will made an announcement. ¡°Since you¡¯re Ellie¡¯s party members, I will be training you all from now on when Ellie is here.¡± ¡°Sir I do not mean to be rude but how will a chef teach an adventuring party?¡± Mitsu asked. ¡°Do you know about the Adventuring Chef?¡± Poko¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°I know everything about him! They say he can slay any monster with a single shot and cooks the flesh right off their bodies!¡± ¡°That¡¯s exaggerated but I¡¯m him.¡± Her jaw dropped and she stared in silence. ¡°We broke Poko.¡± David was waving his hand in front of her face. ¡°T-The Adventuring Chef is my teacher!? I request a duel!¡± Mitsu hit her on the head. ¡°Please disregard my earlier comment and this one¡¯s ridicules attitude.¡± ¡°I need to get an idea of your teamwork and strength, so I will set up a fake mission for you in the small forest at the back of the campus. Your job will be to escort Harrison through the forest since I know he can¡¯t fight yet. If the VIP gets hit with paint in any way, you all fail.¡± ¡°Team huddle!¡± Mitsu called everyone over while Will made his way to the forest. ¡°The Adventuring Chef is famous for taking out the eyes of monsters with his slingshot so he will probably use that with paintballs. If we all use shields and surround Harrison we can quickly make our way through the forest.¡± ¡°Sorry for being a burden everyone, I promise I will get better!¡± ¡°Its okay Harrison, you can join me in the evenings for extra practice if you like.¡± ¡°David you¡¯re the best! Thank you!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t really fight either so can I come too?¡± I couldn¡¯t use my Abyssal skills so I need to practice other stuff. ¡°Everyone is welcome.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going if Ellie¡¯s going!¡± Mitsu had her hand over her face. ¡°Everyone¡­ Please focus¡­¡± With our plan to be the ultimate wall in place we got big wooden shields and made our way to the forest. Inside was dark and it had a single path going through. ¡°Take a left.¡± ¡°The path is to our right though?¡± Poko asked confused. ¡°Will never said it had to be on the path and if we¡¯re lucky we can make it through without seeing him.¡± ¡°This is the coward''s way!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the safe way Poko. If this were a real mission would you be happy if one of us got hurt?¡± David calmed her down. ¡°No¡­¡± We surrounded Harrison and made our way through the forest. Things were going well but ? of the way through paintballs started being shot at us from behind. ¡°Go forward! He¡¯s behind us and we¡¯re almost out!¡± When victory was just within reach, a large snap was heard, and we were soaked with paint from above. ¡°Congratulations, you all were killed by a Bungle Tree Frog¡¯s acid.¡± Will walked up behind us while Mitsu fell to her knees in defeat. ¡°Y-You had enough time to set up traps?¡± ¡°This forest is filled with traps for training purposes. I just filled up a few with paint. You were so focused on rushing you forgot to look out for other dangers.¡± ¡°I challenge you to a duel to restore my party¡¯s honor!¡± Poko exclaimed. Will shot a paintball at her forehead and she fell over and rolled around in pain. ¡°Looks like we will be starting with the basics¡­¡± My daily routine became adventurer chef training in the morning and then cooking practice with Harrison or Arty in the evening. Poko would brag about my cooking to anyone that would listen causing other training parties to be jealous. When word got out that I had mana cooking with high attribute food party invitations began flooding in for me. As a result Will was forced to decline for me and keep them away which he often complained about. Will and the adventurer training taught me many things and I even purchased my second active class slot for Slave which quickly hit level 5/5. I was finally living the life I had always dreamed of with friends I loved. Before I knew it a month passed and it was one day until I would be visiting the table. Chapter 5 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 5 ¡°Arty what do you think everyone at the table would like? I was thinking of doing a roast and salad with pie for dessert.¡± I was hovering over a pile of recipes while preparing today¡¯s lunch for the party. I wanted tomorrows meal to be perfect so everyone could see how much I¡¯ve progressed. ¡°They haven¡¯t eaten in 110 years so they¡¯d be grateful for a loaf of bread. You don¡¯t need to stress so much. Your food is always delicious Ellie.¡± ¡°What if I mess it up this time and they all hate it?¡± Arty hovered over and used his stubby little ghost hand to tap my forehead. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I know they¡¯ll love it.¡± Over the past month, I experienced many new things, leveled up, and even learned some new skills. HP: 75/75 (0.75/H) STM: 75/75 (0.75/M) MP: 10/10 (0.20/M) DP: 0/?? (??) Active Level: 30 Total Level: 30 Title: N/A Name: Ellie Noir Race: Human/Fallen Age: 10 Gender: Female Mana Affinity: [Death: 87%], [Dark: 91%], [Electricity: 2%], [Fire: 2%], [Unaspected: 75%], Origin Classes: [~D~ Fallen Lvl: 1/100], [~M~ Hero of Darkness Lvl: 1/70] Classes: [~L~ Starlight Chef Lvl: 23/50], [~V~ Slave Lvl: 5/5] Sub Classes: Attribute Points: 0 Skill Points: 40 Companions: [Artel Noir Lvl: 1], Attributes: Attribute Enhancements: [Enhanced Constitution], [Enhanced Endurance], EXP Bonus: 90% (1.9x) EXP Bonus to Skill level 0-2: 890% (9.9x) [Origin Divine 2/10], [Origin Mythical 2/5], [Power of the Fallen Abyss 2/5], [Power of the Fallen Abyss 2/5], [1/1 Human], Titles: [Human], [Fallen], [Divinity], Combat Skills: [Combat Medic 2/10], Passive Combat Skills: [Dagger Mastery 2/10], Passive Combat Defence Skills: [Pain Resistance III 8/10], [Fear Resistance III 6/10], [Blunt Damage Resistance III 4/10], [Slashing Damage Resistance 7/10], [Piercing Damage Resistance 2/10] Magic Skills: [Touch of the Abyss 1/10], [Aura of Divinity 1/10], [Abyssal Infusion 1/10], [Unaspected Infusion 5/10] Passive Magic Skills: [Soul Link 5/10], [Abyssal Manipulation 1/10], Passive Magic Defence Skills: [Abyssal Resistance IV 2/10], [Electricity Resistance 1/10], [Fire Resistance 2/10] Survival Skills: [Climb 9/10], [Sprint 2/10], [Jump 2/10] Passive Survival Skills: [Hunger Suppression 9/10], [Emotion Suppression 7/10], [Survivalist 2/10], [Pathfinding 2/10], [Stealth 2/10], Life Skills: Passive Life Skills: [English 5/10], [Reading 5/10], [Noble Etiquette 5/10], [Housekeeping 4/10], Crafting Skills: [Starlight Kitchen 1/10], [Hasty Touch 3/10], Passive Crafting Skills: [Starlight Cooking 5/10], [First Aid 5/10], Today¡¯s lunch was a pizza I put together. It was divided into six slices and each one had different toppings, this way it was everyone¡¯s favorite pizza! After properly wrapping it Arty entered my shadow and I made my way to the front of the Culinary Guild to wait for Harrison and Will. I stood around for thirty minutes but no one came to meet me. ¡®Did I lose track of time while cooking!?!¡¯ Using my Sprint skill I ran to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild as fast I could. -Congratulations! Sprint has increased to 3/10!- Out of breath, I arrived at the N rank missions building where we always ate. ¡°Ms. Charlotte do you know where my party and Mr. Novak is?¡± ¡°They¡¯re already in the forest training area on the west side of the campus.¡± Charlotte¡¯s voice was cold and she didn¡¯t even turn around. ¡®Why is Charlotte speaking so weirdly?¡¯ She always asked me if I reconsidered joining the restaurant and would joke around. I was becoming anxious. ¡°Ms. Charlotte is everything alright? Do you know why they left without me?¡± ¡°Are you trying to make them wait longer with stupid questions?! Hurry up and go!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry for the trouble!¡± I did my best to apologize before running out. ¡®Arty what¡¯s going on, did I do something wrong? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m late today.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sensing unusual magic in the area and it''s reminding me too much of the day I became like this. Ellie lets leave the city. There is no reason to be risky.¡¯ ¡®What if everyone is hurt or needs help? I don¡¯t want to leave them Arty!¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to leave the place and people who made me so happy. ¡®Why would they not wait for you!? Why would Charlotte not even look at you!? Something¡¯s happening, please Ellie let''s go now! I¡¯ll start preparing the portal just in case.¡¯ I wanted to believe nothing was wrong but I¡¯d never seen Arty like this so I reluctantly agreed. After dropping the pizza I started running while hoping everyone was okay. Just before entering an alleyway two skeletal hands grabbed my ankles causing me to fall face first into the cobblestone pathway. No amount of struggling could shake them off. ¡°I knew it was better to set up an ambush here. A monster will always run at the first sign of danger.¡± The creepy old man was here with a bunch of other people in the same colored robes. I struggled but it was useless. The old man walked over to me and knelt. ¡°Where are you hiding¡­¡± Something was quickly pulled from me. Looking behind I could see Arty trapped in his bony hand. ¡°Let him go!¡± ¡®I¡¯m sorry Ellie, I¡¯m so sorry! I should have seen it sooner. Please run! Use touch of the abyss!¡¯ Arty pleaded. ¡®I won¡¯t leave you! You¡¯re my best friend!¡¯ ¡®Please Ellie, I¡¯ll never be able to forgive myself if you were hurt, run!¡¯ ¡°This is quite the interesting minion you have here Ellie. I will be sure to take my time studying him. Sever Soul!¡± ¡®Thank you for everything Ellie. I didn¡¯t like to say it out loud but I was very happy being linked with you. Please forgive me for being so weak.¡¯ -Connection to Artel Noir has been lost. Last shared skill has become permanent until the connection is once again established.- I started crying and did as Arty told me. ¡°Touch of the Abyss!¡± The hands immediately turned to dust. I could hear the frightened screams from behind while I ran as fast as I could. At the edge of the Adventurer¡¯s Campus, I was stopped by a wall of armored people, my teacher, and my friends. ¡°She really is a monster¡­ Everyone stand ready!¡± Will sadly yelled. ¡°I¡¯m not, its just a skill!¡± ¡°SHUTUP! You think you can trick us again!? A Doppelganger like you killed my parents!¡± Poku was yelling as tears rolled down her face. I didn¡¯t have time to argue so I sprinted to the right however I was knocked down by a pain in my ankle. A metal ball had gone right through. ¡°Chains of Eternal light!¡± Glowing white chains wrapped around me until I could no longer move. ¡°Its good to see you again first seat Lesley Light. Taking responsibility for the monster you brought into the city I assume?¡± The old man exited from the shadows behind her. Lesley was the kindest person I¡¯d ever met so I felt a glimmer of hope as I called out to her. ¡°Ms. Lesley I¡¯m not a monster! Please believe me!¡± Ignoring the old man Lesley turned to me. ¡°I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t think you are Ellie. A monster never sees them self as one. May I ask what you think of the lives you¡¯ve taken? Even a child in the orphanage was one of your victims, do you feel anything for them?¡± Her voice was stern yet still kind. ¡°I never killed anyone! I would never hurt someone!¡± ¡°Just lies then¡­ Morfran, I apologize for doubting you. To think such a powerful Doppelganger made it passed me, it explains so much¡­ I was a fool for not questioning the skills and affinities¡­ The chains will last a day and the cage is enchanted. The council stands behind your judgment.¡± She began walking away. ¡°Allow it to be clearly known that the Death Guild has caught the monster who has been terrorizing our citizens! The council has now confirmed it and as per our laws I claim it for study!¡± I tried to deactivate Touch of the Abyss but it wouldn¡¯t turn off. ¡®Why is this happening?! Please wake up, please¡­ It must be a nightmare!¡¯ I looked over to my teacher and friends. ¡°Mr. Novak, Poku, Mitsu, David, Harrison, please save me! I¡¯m not a monster! It¡¯s a divine class and I never hurt anyone!¡± It was becoming harder to speak through my tears. ¡°I want to keep spending time together as a party, being with everyone is all I ever wanted! Please believe me! Please¡­¡± I started sobbing. ¡°A divine class, do you think we are fools Ellie?! We need to go grab whatever she made and have it checked for human flesh. I can¡¯t imagine what she¡¯s been feeding us to get those attribute values¡­¡± It was my first-time hearing Will yell. They left while giving me looks of disgust and Poko spit on me as I begged her to believe me. The old man started looking me over. ¡°We¡¯re lucky it was weak against multiple people. Get it loaded up and bring it to the Death guild¡¯s holding room. I will make sure it pays for its crimes. Only touch the chains unless you want to lose your hand!¡± I was loaded into a cage with glowing white bars on the back of a wagon. A few armored men began pulling it towards the Death Guild. People lined the streets yelling with faces of anger and disgust while others looked away in fear. ¡°Please not again, someone, anyone! Please save me!¡± Like the last time, no one spoke out for me. ¡®What did I do to deserve this? I was so happy, why couldn¡¯t things have just stayed how they were? Why¡­¡¯ I continued to cry while calling for Arty. The guild was a giant skull with a pathway leading underground. My cage was unloaded and they brought me through dark stone hallways until I was in a room with a metal table in the middle. Once I was placed down the white chains moved and wrapped themselves around the table. ¡°How do you like your new home? We¡¯re going to learn so much together!¡± The old man walked in holding Arty¡¯s unmoving body. ¡°Mr. Velmor it wasn¡¯t me or Arty who hurt people! I will tell you everything! Please believe me!¡± ¡°There is no need to worry Ellie. I believe you, in fact, I was the one who set up the entire thing! It''s amazing what some experts at the Mind guild will fake for a full sack of gold. You should be proud, what we will learn here could push the Death magic into an era of greatness or at least myself!¡± He began laughing. ¡°Besides, there is no reason for a little girl to waste all of this on cooking. Oh, you can stop attempting to disable the skill, my death manipulation has made sure it won¡¯t be turned off anytime soon.¡± ¡®Skill store open!¡¯ -ERROR: Skill Store and Skill use is blocked due to legendary skill Chains of Eternal Light.- ¡®No, no, no, no, no, no, please no! I was just free, not this, please not this!¡¯ I kept crying. There was nothing I could do. I begged the heavens for the first time since Robert¡¯s but there was no answer. Arty was sent away with an assistant. ¡°For the first test, we are going to see how your body reacts to having a part removed while this skill active.¡± A man walked in with a glowing white saw and placed it over my left shoulder. I looked up at him and begged but he ignored me. The chains rearranged so that I couldn¡¯t move my arms or legs. ¡°You there, write this down! Experiment log one, removal of arm with unknown skill active. Start.¡± The pain was unlike anything I¡¯d ever experienced. I did the only thing I could which was scream and beg for it to end. -Congratulations! Slashing Damage Resistance has increased to 8/10!-The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. -Congratulations! Slashing Damage Resistance has increased to 9/10!- -Congratulations! Slashing Damage Resistance has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 5 skill points!- -Congratulations! Slashing Damage Resistance has evolved into Slashing Damage Resistance II!- -Congratulations! Pain Resistance III has increased to 9/10!- -Congratulations! You have earned Light Resistance!- Not long after I passed out, almost every day was a new horrible experiment. After a year I stopped eating and tried to kill myself, I would hit my head against the metal for days, but my blunt damage resistance made the damage minimal. I was caught not long after and force-fed from that point forward. ¡®Why was it so much worse this time?¡¯ I was able to continue living at Robert¡¯s but here I just wanted it to end. It wasn¡¯t the pain, like Robert¡¯s it slowly became numb. ¡®Could it be the taste of freedom I had?¡¯ That was probably it, knowing I would never experience happiness like that again, knowing I lost Arty, and knowing those I cared for thought I was a monster. I prayed to the heavens for my life to end. Three more years of experiments passed. I felt Touch of the Abyss changing me or maybe I just became crazy. ¡®I think it was crazy, probably crazy, yea crazy.¡¯ I took up singing lessons with myself and gained the skill after a while. Kendra showed up to my concert that night and laughed at me so I asked security to escort her out. I shut myself inside my own world where no one could hurt me. A while later someone came in and disturbed my bird watching. ¡°Ellie are you cheating on me with another owner? You made such a scene at the mansion but now look at you!¡± A laughing man and three ghost women were standing around my metal table. ¡°Hero King Robert the worst hero of all heroes is here! Kendra, Stacy, Hailey you all look ugly. You¡¯re not cute ghosts like Arty, just ugly ghosts.¡± ¡°You insult me after forcing me back into this world!?!¡± Hailey started choking me and freezing my throat. After a few seconds, Robert ordered her to stop and Morfran walked in. ¡°Hero King, it is my honor to have you visit our humble guild. I was quite surprised to learn you owned this girl however I¡¯m sure we can both come to an agreement.¡± They began discussing ownership, business, and research agreements. In the end Robert agreed to keep me here in exchange for some added experiments and all the data being shared. During this discussion, I learned Morfran was also a legendary class holder. Safe Haven had two with the other being Lesley Light who I learned was the one ensuring my white chains stayed in place. After they finished, Robert returned to my metal table. ¡°Do you remember that storybook you had Ellie? It looks like part of it came true, an ¡°evil¡± wizard is holding you captive and a hero arrived! I mean some details are different like being in a basement and the hero not saving you but close enough right? Look at this place! My torture room was a luxury resort compared to here!¡± He began laughing again, Robert still liked his own garbage jokes. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be staying for a few days to finalize some contacts. I look forward to ¡°reminiscing¡± with you.¡± Robert used our time together to test a bunch of skills and study the ones I had with his Hero¡¯s Gaze skill. A few days of torture later Robert came to say his goodbyes. ¡°Our time together was short but it made me feel like a youthful 40-year-old again! Stacy will remain to keep me up to date on everything and I will also be arranging a special gift for you. Until we meet again Ellie.¡± Robert waved as he took his leave. Seeing Robert and other familiar faces brought me back to reality. I just wanted to stay inside my fantasy where everything was okay, where I was happy. It had no pain and Arty was there! I screamed and cried until I returned to the land inside my head. -Congratulations! Mind Resistance III has increased to 2/10!- Five years passed as I slowly became more and more insane. It gave me a sense of peace being lost in my brain. I was as happy as someone chained to a metal table for nine years could be, well at least until a certain notification popped up. -Congratulations! Mind Resistance IV has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 40 skill points!- -Congratulations! Mind Resistance IV has evolved into Mind Immunity!- [Divine] Mind Immunity ¨C Your mind has endured torment beyond comprehension yet it has not broken. Immune to Mind and Mental damage. Your mind absorbs 1% of attempted mind damage converting it to mana. An additional 1% per level of this skill. Current Total: 1% Passive Source: Evolved from Mind Resistance IV. Skill levels: 10 -Status effect ¡®Insanity¡¯ has been cleared by Mind Immunity.- My mind immediately became clear and I was thrown out of my fantasy world. I reviewed the notification in anger. ¡®My mind did break and I liked it that way!¡¯ I stared at the stone ceiling trying to figure out why everything was always taken from me. I couldn¡¯t even go insane without it somehow being ruined. I had no choice but to daydream of finally dying. ¡°Not singing today Ellie?¡± Morfran was carrying in today¡¯s experiment. I ignored him and continued staring at the ceiling. ¡°We have a very special gift from the Teller Kingdom. We¡¯ll be seeing what happens when a Light Dragon¡¯s blood is pumped right into you!¡± More people entered the room including Stacy the ugly ghost. ¡°Would you like to know something interesting Ellie? When it comes to affinities, some have opposing elements such as light and dark. If you had a 100% dark affinity it would be 100% harder to work with and learn magic of the light affinity. Our fire and electric experiments were able to forcefully increase your affinity so what about light? Could we create the first monster of both light and darkness? Experiment log 2447, injecting light dragon¡¯s blood into Abyssal test subject. Start.¡± White blood was pumped into my arm and I felt my insides burn. I closed my eyes as tears flowed down my face. It had been a long time since my mind was fully here for an experiment. -Congratulations! Pain Immunity has increased to 6/10!- -Congratulations! Fear Immunity has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! Light Resistance II has increased to 3/10!- -Congratulations! You have earned Draconic Resistance!- I couldn¡¯t pass out from the trauma thanks to Mind Immunity so it felt like hours. When Morfran finished only Stacy remained watching me with hatred-filled eyes. She was see-through and her flesh looked rotten. I was happy Arty didn¡¯t look like that but then I remembered Arty was gone, everything was gone. I thought back on the desires that kept me going when I climbed out of the Abyss. I was such a greedy fool. ¡®Why would my dreams make this horrible world any different?¡¯ I was so caught up in the happiness of being free that I allowed myself to believe the sadness was finally over. ¡®I understood now, the only way to live freely is if you have the strength to take it, no promise, ¡°friend,¡± or teacher will save you, only your power will.¡¯ Since I was lucid all the time I began counting the days. It had been over a year since I gained Mind Immunity and my 10-year anniversary for living on this table should have passed. Supposedly a huge experiment was planned for tonight and I was hopeful it would be the last. Sometime later the room filled with people. ¡°Good afternoon Ellie! Today is an exciting day but it¡¯s not all good news, we will be parting ways. This experiment requires your life.¡± There wasn¡¯t an ounce of sympathy in his voice. As he was speaking a large metal container was carried in by two people in purple robes. ¡°We¡¯ve obtained a mythical treasure, the right eye of a dead Light Elemental Lord! It is said that if the eye or core of an elemental is implanted into a powerful living creature the elemental will take over the body and be reborn! So, what happens when its new body is death and darkness?! I¡¯ve been holding onto a legendary item that will forcefully enslave one elemental. If all goes well I¡¯ll be the owner of the first Light and Dark Elemental Lord! A mythical companion, possibly even divine! With this power, everything will be mine, not even that Hero King will be able to stop me!¡± He began laughing menacingly. Stacy who was in the room attempted to flee but was quickly caught and restrained. The metal case was carried to my right side and a man with a small glowing knife stood over me. ¡°Ellie your last job is to let the elemental take your soul. May death be kinder to you then life was. Experiment log 2621, the creation of a Light and Dark Elemental Lord. Start.¡± I could no longer feel pain or fear it was just a warmth letting me know something was wrong. I watched as fingers gripped my eye and pulled until it left the socket. The experience made me throw up; I just wanted this horrid life to end. As I begged for death a glowing blue eye was placed in my eye socket. My vision went black and I woke up in a giant glowing white room that was one-third darkness. ¡°It will take over 100 years to cleanse the filth from this vessel.¡± An ambiguous voice complained. It was a large cloudy figure made of bright light with sky blue eyes glowing where its head should be. I couldn¡¯t look directly at it. ¡®This is where I will finally die?¡¯ I fell to my knees and stared at my only hand. It was the first time in 10 years I¡¯d seen myself without Touch of the Abyss active. I wanted to do one last kindness before I died and warn the Elemental Lord since we were both forced into this. ¡°Elemental, they¡¯re planning on enslaving y¡ª¡±A wave of light hit me and I was thrown back. ¡°Did I allow your tainted existence to speak to me?¡± ¡®This horrible creature will be the one that lives while I fade away?¡¯ After lifting myself back up, I tried again. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help y¡ª¡± Another wave of light hit me. -Congratulations! Light Resistance II has increased to 8/10!- ¡°Does it look like I need the help of a lesser existence?! You and all the fools waiting to restrain me will know the wrath of an Elemental Lord!¡± I didn¡¯t try to get up. ¡®What¡¯s the point of living in a world like this?¡¯ I felt my eyes become heavy. ¡®I¡¯m sorry I was so weak Arty. I hope you can forgive me for being selfish. I just can¡¯t do this anymore¡­¡¯ I closed my eyes and I felt myself vanishing. I was finally free. ¡°Who permitted you to die? You will suffer for leaving me with this foul vessel! Soul Fire!¡± I was pulled back from death. ¡®I wasn¡¯t even allowed to die?!¡¯ Before I could complain any further my body was engulfed in a white flame and I felt my chest burning. It wasn¡¯t a normal pain it was as if my very existence was burning away, I screamed out in pain. -Congratulations! You have earned life Resistance!- -Congratulations! Life Resistance has increased to 2/10!- -Congratulations! Life Resistance has increased to 3/10!- -Congratulations! Life Resistance has increased to 4/10!- ¡°Please¡­ please just let me die¡­¡± ¡°You will suffer just like those waiting outside! You can die when I allow it.¡± ¡®Even death is taken from me!¡¯ I cursed the god that created this world. ¡®Why is it always me who must suffer?!?¡¯ My sadness and despair turned to hatred, I no longer wanted freedom, I want them all to know what I felt like. ¡®Over and over I¡¯m tossed around like nothing, how many people have seen me dragged to a life of hell and did nothing? How many of these disgusting people have fallen for lies in front of me?! How many have turned their head while I begged and cried?!? How many have caused me pain!?!?!¡¯ An anger surpassing anything I¡¯d ever experienced rose up inside me. ¡°Is that the will to fight I sense?¡± I still couldn¡¯t access the class stores however there was one thing I hadn¡¯t used yet. ¡°Summon Hero¡¯s Weapon!¡± -Generating Legendary Hero¡¯s Weapon with 110% Generosity Bonus- -Congratulations! The Divine Dagger ¡°Knife of the Cursed Mirror¡± has been granted!- A large butcher knife appeared in my hand. It had a handle made of black metal and the blade was a broken piece of mirror. During a quick glance terrifying monsters charged towards my reflection. ¡°That cursed blade is powerful but it won''t affect a lord of light! It''s time to end th--¡± ¡°You plan to end it once I start fighting back!?¡± The elemental was caught off guard by my immediate lunge which sadly did nothing to its body. It shot another wave of light at me throwing me back. I got up as a second wave was about to hit and quickly turned the knife so that it hit the reflection. The wave was shot back however my goal was keeping the creature within the blade¡¯s reflection. Soon after it started crying out in pain, I could see blood covered monsters attacking the light lord¡¯s reflection. My small victory was unfortunately short-lived since it now saw me as an actual threat. The Elemental Lord shot an insanely fast beam of light which pierced my chest. ¡°YOU DARE CAUSE ME DAMAGE!?¡± The elemental started gathering an immense amount of light. ¡®I¡¯m still too weak, at least I tried.¡¯ I knelt to accept my fate however a ridiculous idea entered my head. ¡°Touch of the Abyss.¡± I activated the skill while dropping my new knife. Once covered in abyssal energy, I grabbed the floor. If this was a soul battle the last thing I will do is turn it into my very own Abyss. Manipulating the abyssal energy from Touch of the Abyss I flowed it towards my right hand. Using all my mana and every bit of the abyss I could gather I activated my final skill. ¡°Abyssal Infusion!¡± Darkness rapidly spread from my position. When just over half of the room became darkness the Light elemental sent forth a massive beam of light which destroyed my body, I was dead. ~~~ I awoke to find myself slowly floating down in familiar darkness. I looked at my hand and I was able to see it fading away into light. The creature was taking my soul. ¡°Willing¡­ to give up¡­ your humanity¡­? Willing¡­ to give up¡­ everything¡­?¡± A slow whisper like voice entered my ears. I looked up and saw two massive white eyes floating in the darkness. It was like a very large version of Touch of the Abyss. The Abyss was the only place which granted me true kindness so even if it was a trick I didn¡¯t care. ¡°You can take whatever you like.¡± ¡°It is¡­ done¡­¡± I felt the abyss cover my body and I was swiftly devoured by it. -The race ¡°Fallen¡± has evolved into ¡°Nightmare.¡± All racial bonuses retained or upgraded.- -The race ¡°Human¡± has been devoured by ¡°Nightmare.¡± All racial bonuses lost.- -The class ¡°Fallen¡± has evolved into ¡°Nightmare.¡± All class bonuses retained or upgraded.- -Racial Class Granted- [??] Nightmare ¨C Make them know your pain. All death and dark damage done is now a unique variant ¡°Abyssal¡± which uses the affinity bonuses of both death and dark. Abyssal Damage increased by 100%. Grants max Abyssal affinity. Grants ?? skill Nightmare. Grants Divine skill Abyssal Immunity. Grants Legendary skill Abyssal Manipulation. Nightmare Class receives its own Origin Class Slot. 1 Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Endurance, and Perception attributes every 10 levels. 5 Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/?? [??] Nightmare ¨C Allow the Abyss to consume you. Abyssal damage done to anything that touches your body or weapons. Abyssal Claws granted. 100% increased melee damage. 100% increased speed. Every kill restores 10% of health and stamina. WARNING: Overuse of Abyssal/Dark skills will forcefully activate Nightmare. When forcefully activated your inner desires are set free. Cost: N/A Source: Free skill of the Nightmare class. Skill levels: 1/1 ~~~=--^--=~~~ ¡®This vessel is now mine! Even if it takes 1000 years to cleanse I will be able to serve the Highest Light once more!¡¯ At the last second I was rejected. The pile of charred flesh turned to darkness and started gathering together. This alone would not be an issue but something I¡¯d never seen before occurred. ¡®Her soul¡­ it''s turning into a black vortex¡­¡¯ ¡°I-Impossible, what have you become?¡± I felt fear for the second time in my long life. This energy was fouler than the dragon aspect of death which killed me originally. It stood giving off an aura of fear, its eyes were pure white circles, and its body was blackish purple emitting particles of death and rays of darkness. Its fingers became claws and it had a large curved black horn on both sides of its head pointing to the sky. Once it saw me it fell to a quadrupedal position and smiled showing off its terrifying white mouth. I noticed one final thing, the creature¡¯s right eye, my eye, was sucking in the light around it. ¡®Even if an elemental lost the soul battle their power should dissipate yet this monster is somehow using my eye?!¡¯ I desperately thought the situation over. The creature stayed put as if waiting for me to figure what was happening, then it hit me. ¡®I already lost.¡¯ The black vortex was a new soul forming using her original soul and a new terrible darkness. If I died here my soul would join in this monstrosity¡¯s creation. This creature would become an entity with a soul made of light and darkness. My time was done and I would not escape this place. ¡®I can¡¯t allow this monster to exist.¡¯ The soul room turned black. The only things that could be seen were me and the eyes and mouth of that foul creature. I prepared a spell that would destroy us both however it jumped at me with impossible speed. Looking down I saw the creature with its claw sticking through my core and my very existence was being sucked into its eye. This once pathetic child defeated me instantly. ¡®May the Highest Light forgive this foolish servant, I have allowed an abomination to be created.¡¯ With the last of my life, I prayed that the divine elementals would stop this monster before it was too late. ~~~=--^--=~~~ ¡®All of them will know what its like to suffer! Every one of them will pay!¡¯ -ERROR: A second soul has interfered with Soul creation.- -ERROR: Adjusting¡­- -Race has been updated to Nightmare/Seraph- -Racial Class Granted- [??] Seraph ¨C They are nothing to you. All life and light damage done is now a unique variant ¡°Serenity¡± which uses the affinity bonuses of both life and light. Serenity Damage increased by 100%. Grants max Serenity affinity. Grants ?? skill Seraph. Grants Divine skill Serenity Immunity. Grants Legendary skill Serenity Manipulation. Seraph Class receives its own Origin Class Slot. 3 Intelligence and 2 Wisdom attributes every 10 levels. 5 Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/?? -The class ¡°Hero of Darkness¡± has evolved into ¡°Hero of Twilight.¡± All class bonuses retained or upgraded.- [??] Hero of Twilight ¨C There is a beauty in finding balance. When alternating between light and dark attacks damage is increased by 100%. Some skills will cause unique variant ¡°Twilight¡± damage which uses both Serenity and Abyssal affinities. Grants Divine skill Shattered Light. Grants Divine skill Consuming Darkness. Grants ?? skill Brilliant Dawn. Hero of Twilight Class receives its own Origin Class Slot. 5 free attributes every 10 levels. 5 Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/?? I stood alone in the now twilight colored room. It felt like I had been reborn. Watching the Elemental fall into despair felt¡­ amazing. ¡®More! I need more! All of them will feel my sorrow, all of them will know my pain!¡¯ I awoke to the metal table and familiar faces. Morfran stood to my right. ¡°The elemental has awakened! Everyone get ready!¡± The chain of light that was holding me decayed and I looked at my right hand which had become different from in the soul room. I was still covered in purplish darkness however cracks of light were all over me. I got up from the table and took in the fear and panic. ¡®Kill them all, make them suffer!¡¯ Some people were attempted to flee while Morfran tried to activate his elemental enslavement item. Using my new form I cleared the room of life while leaving Morfran for last. Each of their chests had a hole where their heart should be and every death brought me immeasurable joy. ¡°Morfran your attacks are healing me.¡± My voice was whisper like and horrifying. I coldly smiled as he fell to the ground and started crawling backward. ¡®This pathetic man is the one who had caused me so much pain?¡¯ I grabbed him by his eye sockets and decayed those gross eyes that have bugged me for the last 10 years. ¡°Where¡¯s Arty?¡± He pissed himself while begging for his life but after a bit of ¡°encouragement¡± he started to talking. I learned a cloaked person offered very rare items for Arty. He didn¡¯t know the person or how they knew Arty was here so in other words he was useless. ¡°Abyssal Infusion.¡± I manipulated the energy to ensure his death was long and painful. -Congratulations! Nightmare has leveled up to 2/??!- -Congratulations! You have earned the title ¡°Legend Slayer¡±!- -Congratulations! ¡°Legend Slayer¡± has granted 3 free attributes!- Exiting the room two more guards lost their lives and I found Stacy chained up on the ground. I was about to kill her but to my displeasure she looked happy about dying, so instead I broke her chains. ¡°Tell Robert that Morfran¡¯s dead and it was me who killed him.¡± I pictured Robert¡¯s anger upon learning that and it made me very happy. ¡°You won¡¯t kill me?¡± The defeat on her face was obvious. ¡°You should be happy, you get to serve your master.¡± My already horrifying voice was cold and the joy I got from her torment was comparable to killing her. Her face turned to anger as she vanished into the wall. I killed my way out of the guild and saw the sky for the first time in ten years. It was a beautiful sunset just like the first time I died. People in the streets panicked and ran as they saw me. ¡°Should I kill them? I really want to¡­¡± I wanted to stay and kill all the people who didn¡¯t help me but I could feel my body becoming tired. I ran as fast as I could to the Potomac River and broke through a blue barrier. In this form running on all fours would be faster however my missing arm would not allow for it. I dove in and did my best to swim. I was struggling however the skill would appear shortly. -Congratulations! You have earned Swim!- -Congratulations! Swim has increased to 5/10!- The river was really big but I kept at it. Halfway through something grabbed my leg and I was pulled under only to see it was stupid looking fish who died instantly from touching me. There were massive fish and some ugly looking slime creatures along the bottom but after killing the fish they realized I wasn¡¯t food and kept their distance. ¡®It¡¯s a good thing Arty told me not to swim when I first arrived.¡¯ I continued forward until I reached the shore. It was a forest however the remains of an old-world road were still visible. I did not know where Arty was nor did I have a set destination, so I began following it until it was dark. -Congratulations! Path Finding has increased to 5/10!- I picked a secluded spot not far from the road. After deactivating Nightmare I immediately passed out. Chapter 6 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 6 I awoke to something biting my leg. When I looked down three black fawns covered in red stripes were chewing on my shin. Behind them was a buck covered in antlers with peeling skin, from the looks of it they acted as armor. When it noticed me moving it showed its razor sharp teeth and started walking towards me. ¡°Touch of the Abyss!¡± I yelled out my go-to skill, but nothing happened. Hearing my attempted defense, the Buck increased its speed and dove for my neck. ¡°Aura of Divinity!¡± -Congratulations! Aura of Divinity has increased to 5/10!- My mana ran out immediately but it was enough to save me. The buck stopped and sprinted off into the forest leaving behind its children who were now passed or maybe dead, I couldn¡¯t tell. I sat up trying to remember what happened and why I was here, then, like a flood, memories entered my mind. I sat in silence reviewing everything that happened. ¡®I killed so many people, why do I feel nothing for them?¡¯ I wanted to lie to myself and blame Nightmare but I understood whose fault it was. The skill didn¡¯t force me to do those things; it just allowed the hatred inside of me to surface. I remembered the joy of killing, the warmth of their blood, and my desire to slaughter. I wanted more of it. ¡®What have I become?¡¯ While rubbing a few tears away I hit something very hard¡­ ¡®Horns?¡¯ They were on both sides of my head and felt the same. I followed one with my fingers. It grew downwards becoming a single spiral that ended in a point just above my head reminding me of ram horns. They were large however the single spiral was compacted, so they felt like two big earmuffs. Examining myself further I found many more changes, my ears below now ended in a point but were not long like Aurora¡¯s, my skin and hair became snow white, and I even grew taller. The final change was the most alarming. I had two wings on my back which I could move like I would my arm or legs! They were very large and each one was the length of my arm if I pointed it straight out to the side. My feathers were very soft and I was even able to use them as a way to keep warm by wrapping them around myself. The pattern on them was also beautiful, they were white in the middle and faded to black as it neared the edges. I stood up looking over the new me. Overall, I felt indifferent about it. I willingly gave up my humanity so there was no one to blame but myself. Well, I did have one complaint¡­ My gown no longer fit and I looked like a pervert. ¡®I¡¯ll have to worry about it later. I need to go over my status and skills.¡¯ HP: 75/75 (0.75/H) STM: 75/75 (0.75/M) MP: 10/10 (0.20/M) DP: 3/?? (??) Active Level: 32 Total Level: 32 Title: N/A Name: Ellie Noir Race: Nightmare/Seraph Age: 20 Gender: Female Mana Affinity: [Abyssal: 200%], [Serenity: 200%], [Electricity: 11%], [Fire: 14%], [Unaspected: 75%], Origin Classes: [Nightmare Lvl: 2], [Seraph Lvl: 1], [Hero of Twilight Lvl: 1] Classes: [~L~ Starlight Chef Lvl: 23/50], [~V~ Slave Lvl: 5/5] Sub Classes: Attribute Points: 3 Skill Points: 549 Companions: [X - Artel Noir Lvl: 1], Attributes: Attribute Enhancements: [Enhanced Constitution], [Enhanced Endurance], EXP Bonus: 9000% (91x) EXP Bonus to Skill level 0-5: 129,000% (1291x) [Origin ?? 3/3] [Origin Divine 10/10], [Origin Mythical 5/5], [Power of the Fallen Abyss 5/5], [Power of the Fallen Abyss 5/5], [Power of the Radiant Sky 5/5], Titles: [Nightmare], [Seraph], [Divinity], [Legend Slayer], ?? Skills: [Nightmare 1/1], [Seraph 1/1], [Brilliant Dawn 1/1] Combat Skills: [Combat Medic 2/10], Passive Combat Skills: [Dagger Mastery 2/10], Passive Combat Defence Skills: [Pain Immunity 8/10], [Fear Immunity 7/10], [Blunt Damage Resistance III 6/10], [Slashing Damage Resistance III 3/10], [Piercing Damage Resistance II 9/10], Magic Skills: [Aura of Divinity 5/10], [Abyssal Infusion 6/10], [Unaspected Infusion 5/10] Passive Magic Skills: [Soul Link 5/10], [Eyes of the Abyss 5/10], [Abyssal Manipulation 5/10], [Serenity Manipulation 1/10], Passive Magic Defence Skills: [Abyssal Immunity 5/10], [Serenity Immunity 2/10], [Mind Immunity 1/10], [Electricity Resistance II 2/10], [Fire Resistance II 6/10], [Draconic Resistance 3/10], Survival Skills: [Climb 9/10], [Sprint 5/10] [Jump 5/10], [Swim 5/10], Passive Survival Skills: [Hunger Nullification 5/10], [Emotion Suppression 7/10], [Survivalist 2/10], [Pathfinding 5/10], [Stealth 2/10], Life Skills: Passive Life Skills: [English 5/10], [Reading 5/10], [Noble Etiquette 5/10], [Housekeeping 4/10], [Singing 5/10], Crafting Skills: [Starlight Kitchen 1/10], [Hasty Touch 3/10], Passive Crafting Skills: [Starlight Cooking 5/10], [First Aid 5/10], ¡®There is a lot to go over. I guess my races and then ?? skills are the best place to start.¡¯ Nightmare ¨C Grants ¡°Nightmare¡± Title. Grants the ?? Class Nightmare. Grants divine power resource. 1 free attribute every 10 class levels. Grants Nightmare skill. Grants Power of the Fallen Abyss skill. Average lifespan: Immortal. Birth Rate: Infertile Seraph ¨C Grants ¡°Seraph¡± Title. Grants the ?? Class Seraph. Grants divine power resource. 1 free attribute every 10 class levels. Grants Seraph skill. Grants Power of the Radiant Sky skill. Average lifespan: Immortal. Birth Rate: Infertile ¡®I wonder what the Radiant Sky is, maybe somewhere like the Fallen Abyss?¡¯ [??] Nightmare ¨C Allow the Abyss to consume you. Abyssal damage done to anything that touches your body or weapons. Abyssal Claws granted. 100% increased melee damage. 100% increased speed. Every kill restores 10% of health and stamina. WARNING: Overuse of Abyssal/Dark skills will forcefully activate Nightmare. When forcefully activated your inner desires are set free. Cost: N/A Source: Free skill of the Nightmare class. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] Seraph ¨C Surpass the highest light. Serenity damage done to anything that touches your body or weapons. Staff of Serenity granted. 100% increase to magic damage. 100% increase to mana regeneration. WARNING: Overuse of Serenity/Light skills will forcefully activate Seraph. When forcefully activated your inner desires are set free. Cost: N/A Source: Free skill of the Seraph class. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] Brilliant Dawn ¨C After balancing a sufficient number of Light and Dark skills unleash a powerful area of effect Twilight attack. Cost: N/A Source: Free skill of the Hero of Twilight class. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] Origin ?? - ??. Completes all other EXP skills and multiplies the combined total by 10 per level of this skill. Current Total: 30x Passive Source: ?? Skill level: 3/3 ¡®I need to learn how to use Hero of Twilight so I don¡¯t have to activate Nightmare or Seraph.¡¯ Shattered Light and Consuming Darkness from the Hero of Twilight class were skills that could be used as a ranged attack or to enhance my melee fighting. Strangely the cost was also N/A. ¡°Shattered Light!¡± -Congratulations! Shattered Light has increased to 5/10!- Glowing shards of glass shredded the tree I aimed at but my attention switched to my arm. Just below my shoulder all the way to my hand became a shining white light with occasional waves of darkness flowing through it. ¡®I-it feels amazing! I need more! This power, why should I deny it? Its only natural that people know their place when standing before me!¡¯ I struggled to overcome my desire for power and a pride I never knew I had. After a couple of seconds I activated the second skill. ¡°Consuming Darkness!¡± -Congratulations! Consuming Darkness has increased to 5/10!- Another tree met a gruesome fate, this time being devoured by smog like darkness. Just like before my arm was transformed, this time it was in Nightmare form. ¡®That buck thinks it can just attack me and run?!¡¯ I looked down at the fawns and felt myself reaching for them. With everything I had I forced myself to sit down and waited for Nightmare to fade. -Congratulations! Emotion Suppression has increased to 8/10!- ¡®How was a single light or dark skill overuse?! Each time I switch its a fresh assault on my mind¡­¡¯ My options were to fully use Nightmare or Seraph, learn to control myself during the partial transformations, or begin studying a new fighting style. I had no other combat classes, so I was left with Hero of Twilight and partial transformations. ¡®Maybe I have something that won¡¯t activate them in my class shops.¡¯ Nightmare and Seraph said abilities were granted based on level however the Fallen class store was still present. ¡®I won¡¯t be getting cooking skills, so I¡¯ll skip that one for now.¡¯ -Fallen Class Store- [Divine] Grasp of the Abyss ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Passage ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Summon Abyssal ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Reality Shift ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Extinguish Life ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Requiem of the Fallen ¨C 100 SP [Divine] Land of Death, Sky of Darkness ¨C 100 SP [Title] Ruler of the Fallen Abyss ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 549 -Hero of Twilight Class Store- [Mythical] Shadow Fade ¨C 40 SP [Divine] Darkness Unending ¨C 40 SP [Mythical] Shimmer ¨C 40 SP [Divine] Light Eternal ¨C 40 SP [Divine] Barrier of Twilight ¨C 40 SP [??] Dusk of a Thousand Shifting Rays ¨C 80 SP [Legendary] Hero¡¯s Refuge ¨C 20 SP [Legendary] Analyze ¨C 20 SP [Legendary] Limit Break ¨C 40 SP [Companion] ¨C 40 SP [Weapon] ¨C 100 SP [Title] Hero of Twilight ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 549 -Slave Class Store- [Very Common] Labourer ¨C 2 SP [Title] Slave ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 549 -Attribute Store- ~ Store Updates based on Attributes ~ Available Skill Points: 549 -Affinity Store- [Rare] Generate Random Dark Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Death Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Light Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Life Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Unaspected Skill ¨C 10 SP ~ Store Updates based on Attributes ~ Available Skill Points: 549 Checking the notification log I learned my absurd amount of skill points were from a lot of skills evolving and completing during the ten years I was held captive. In the end, I picked Passage, Reality Shift, Barrier of Twilight, Dusk of a Thousand Shifting Rays, Hero¡¯s Refuge, Analyze, Limit Break, and Labourer. It was a grand total of 302 skill points. After purchasing I was met with a flood of notifications. [Divine] Passage ¨C Create a passage through the Abyss to a marked location. This skill is channeled and takes time to open. One location per skill level. Location #1: None Mana Cost: 100 Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 ¡®I can¡¯t use this to get back to the Fallen Abyss until I mark it...¡¯ My hopes fell considerably, it was the only skill that sounded like a way back. [Divine] Reality Shift ¨C Swap locations with another living creature within eyesight. Mana Cost: 25 Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Barrier of Twilight ¨C Alternating between Light and Dark attacks generates a barrier of twilight around you. Passive Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [??] Dusk of a Thousand Shifting Rays ¨C After balancing a sufficient number of Light and Dark skills unleash a powerful single target Twilight attack. Cost: N/A Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/1 [Legendary] Hero¡¯s Refuge ¨C This skill will generate a portable home which you may summon and dismiss. This skill is channeled and takes time to activate. One house upgrade per skill level. Mana Cost: 100 Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Legendary] Analyze ¨C You may touch items or creatures to analyze them. Mana Cost: 10 Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 -Analyze has merged with Eyes of the Abyss granting one skill level and 10 skill points.- [Legendary] Limit Break ¨C Go beyond your limits while causing severe damage to your body. Increases Attributes by 100%. Cost: Damage & Exhaustion. Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Very Common] Labourer ¨C Carrying heavy items is slightly easier. Passive Source: Slave Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 -Congratulations! You have completed the Slave Class Store! Title ¡°Slave¡± has been granted!- -Congratulations! ¡°Slave¡± has granted the skill Exhaust Suppression!- I unfortunately lacked the mana to use most of my new skills however Analyze was free thanks to the merge and only required me to look at the target. Before closing my status I set my title to Divinity. I stood up and changed focus to my new wings. I was able to jump higher with their help but I couldn¡¯t get anywhere near flying. ¡®I¡¯ll have to jump from somewhere high like one of these trees.¡¯ I climbed one of the nearby trees and jumped out landing face first in the dirt below.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Flight!- -Congratulations! Flight has increased to 5/10!- The skill made flying no different from moving my arm or walking. With the next jump I took off into the sky. Once high up I looked down at the world below and then forward into the endless sky in front me. ¡®I¡¯m truly free.¡¯ I flew up above the clouds, it started to get colder, but I didn¡¯t mind. I was finally having a bit of fun for the first time in ten years, the only thing that would make this better was Arty being with me. As I was flying through the sky a large creature exited the cloud next to me. It was white and blue with feathers all over its body. When it passed a magic wind picked me up and placed me on its back. ¡°This is unexpected. It''s not often I find someone else dancing in the clouds.¡± A feminine voice rumbled from the creature below me. ¡°You speak English?¡± ¡°Dragons speak a magic tongue which is easy to manipulate so you can understand. I shall take a turn asking a question now. You speak the main tongue of humanity, fly with the wings of an angel, and wear the horns of a demon, yet you are none of these races. What race joins me in the unending skies?¡± ¡°Do you have the analyze skill? You¡¯re free to look.¡± ¡°You speak as though the skill of heroes is common child. Is it perhaps a skill you possess?¡± I wouldn¡¯t hide my power from those who asked. It only helped people who wished to harm me anyway. ¡°Yes, could I try it on you?¡± I was curious what dragon¡¯s status looked like but I wouldn¡¯t check unless I had to or they permitted me. I knew what it felt like to be watched with that skill. It left you feeling violated. ¡°To inspect the soul of someone else requires an advanced form of Analyze. For seeing basic information that should not be an issue. You are free to try in exchange for naming your race.¡± I didn¡¯t need to say the skill name since Eyes of the Abyss was passive. Active Level: 100 Total Level: 130 Title: Wind Dragon Name: Aella Race: Wind Dragon Age: 1654 Gender: Female ¡°I can feel you inspecting me but I did not hear you cast the skill. Do you posses silent casting as well?¡± ¡°No, it just merged with another skill that¡¯s passive. I have two races Nightmare and Seraph.¡± ¡°You are a powerful deceiver or something very unique. Either way, I look forward to sharing this with other wandering dragons.¡± ¡®I think Hysa was a wandering Dragon, maybe Aella knows her?¡¯ ¡°Do you know a Dragon named Hysa Ash?¡± Aella stopped and hovered in the air. ¡°Where did you hear that name child? It is forbidden to speak it. Not even an Aspect would go against this rule. If you know something¡­¡± Her tone changed drastically and was now serious. ¡°She¡¯s my friend.¡± I would never deny knowing one of the few people that were kind to me. A gust of wind picked me up and brought me in front of the dragon. ¡°The Cursed Aspect is your ¡°friend¡±!? Tell me everything and I may spare your life!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be doing anything unless I choose to nor will I betray a friend. Let me go.¡± I spoke firmly while anger began to rise inside me. I didn¡¯t want to use Nightmare or Seraph but to save my freedom I will gladly do so. No one would imprison me again. ¡°That is unfortunate. It pains me to not only to kill a unique race but have to ask a Death Dragon to interrogate your soul. As thanks your corpse will be buried in the ash of the Draconic Mountains, that is an honor mortals rarely receive.¡± The air jail I was stuck in started to crush me. I had once again been too carefree and trusting. ¡®I should have killed this dragon the moment it forced me on its back.¡¯ ¡°Seraph!¡± ~~~=--^--=~~~ ¡®My first E rank adventurer mission from Camp Freedom has finally begun! They¡¯re paying a hefty sum of 5 bronze for every pair of blood deer eyes I hand in, with a few well-placed arrows I could bring back a fortune!¡¯ I had just finished crossing the old-world Richmond Highway bridge that passes over the 495 when I spotted a group of Blood deer on the left side of the highway. ¡®Three adults¡­ Not bad! If my luck keeps up, I¡¯ll make it all the way to George Washington¡¯s Port Vernon with at least 40 eyes. I¡¯m definitely stopping at the Culinary Guild¡¯s restaurant after crossing over!¡¯ I took out my bow and aimed the shot. ¡®A Steady Shot will get me one. The last two will put my Bow Mastery to the te-¡® The sky rumbled causing the deer to flee and my arrow to fly off into the forested ruins. I was about to start complaining but a bright light covered the area around me. When I looked up I saw a sight you would only hear of in tall tales at adventurer bars. The clouds were circling above the old-world residential area and in the middle was a wind dragon next to something that could only be a Light Elemental Lord with giant wings. ¡°Far Sight!¡± My vision greatly enhanced and I zoomed in to get a better look. The creature was hard to look at but what I saw was unexplainable. Its eyes glowed like a beautiful blue sky while rays of darkness would occasionally ripple through its body of light, and floating above its head was a halo of darkness. I changed to the dragon who was¡­ ¡®It''s attempting to flee¡­ A Dragon is attempting to flee!?¡¯ Dragons were known for their pride and greed. It¡¯s said they never run from battle, hell, they even come back with an army and wipe out your country for even trying to fight them. I zoomed back out expecting it to be the end but the sky itself shattered into thousands of glowing white shards and flew towards the dragon¡¯s wings. The Dragon attempted to go faster but the glowing shards caught up and shredded the wings leaving nothing but two stomps. ¡°I-It cut the wings off a dragon¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but say those words out loud. This wasn¡¯t something that should be possible. The dragon began falling yet this creature still wasn¡¯t done and slowly flew above it. The Dragon didn¡¯t have a chance. It was like watching a noble beating the shit out of a street rat. When it arrived over the location that the dragon crash landed it summoned a staff made of bright light with two black wings at the top of it. At the bottom blue light started to gather forming what appeared to be a spear tip. Once it was as bright as the sun, it threw it towards the ground. When it hit the earth shook and an explosion of light began consuming everything in the surroundings. I ran the fastest I¡¯d ever run. ¡®That was a divine class nothing else could have that power! God, please spare me!¡¯ I didn¡¯t care much for the church, but in that moment, I prayed to whatever was listening. ~~~=--^--=~~~ -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Serenity Infusion!- -Congratulations! Serenity Infusion has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! Serenity Manipulation has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Wind Resistance!- -Congratulations! Wind Resistance has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! Shattered Light has increased to 6/10!- -Congratulations! Draconic Resistance has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! Seraph has leveled up to 3/??!- -Congratulations! You have earned the title ¡°Dragon Slayer¡±!- -Congratulations! ¡°Dragon Slayer¡± has granted 3 free attributes!- A massive crater was all that was left of the land below me. ¡°Pathetic! That was an all-powerful dragon? How am I supposed to become stronger when trash like this only granted me two Seraph levels?!¡± The use of Limit break and pulling Serenity magic from the Radiant Sky had taken its toll on me. As much as I wanted to head to Safe Haven or wherever that human was going, I needed to recover first. ¡®Hopefully when the skill deactivates I remember the importance of what I did here. They will all know their place.¡¯ I was able to make it to the highway before passing out and falling to the ground. ~~~ ¡°¡ªwhat exactly is this creature, a half breed?¡± I awoke to the sound of footsteps and voices around me. My body was severely damaged from Limit Break but I was able to sit up. As I took in my surroundings I loudly sighed causing the group of adventurers to stop and stare. There were six in total, one was in the cart with my cage, another was at the front leading the horse, and the rest were guarding the cart. ¡®How many times must I deal with this? I¡¯ve been free for one day and there have already been two attempts to take it away. Where is the kindness my luck stat was supposed to provide?¡¯ -Please confirm free attribute placement: 6 Luck Attributes (Y/N)- After clicking Yes, my luck stat became 9. ¡®The perk for 10 luck better be a direct apology from God.¡¯ I turned my attention back to the adventurers who were still quiet. ¡°Look at her eyes! They glow like a sunset! If they put her to death do you think I could buy them?¡± The fat man next to me was giving me perverted stares. ¡°We hired you for your cage. Anything else needs to be discussed with the guild.¡± ¡®My eyes changed as well? Did sunset mean they were a dark yellowish orange?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not a creature you can sell for parts. I¡¯m a member of an intelligent race. I assume this is still the territory of Safe Haven so may I ask why I¡¯m in a cage?¡± After another moment of awkward silence the older man on the right side of the cart spoke up. ¡°There was an incident in the area so we are bringing you to Camp Freedom for questioning. You match the description from a witness. He said it had wings and we found you right next to the crater.¡± ¡°The incident was a dragon trying to kill me. I defended myself.¡± ¡°Y-You made that crater?¡± The fat man next to my cage spoke with a panicked voice. ¡°Yes, so let me out of this cage or I will force my way out.¡± My demand caused the other group members to laugh. ¡°This cage is made to absorb mana and hold the most powerful monsters. You¡¯re not going anywhere. As for whatever you have to say save it for when we get to Camp Freedom. Our job was only to scout and bring back whatever we could find.¡± The old man spoke again however unlike his companions his tone was still serious. It was true. The cage was absorbing my mana which would be troublesome if my attack spells weren¡¯t free. I touched the blue bars of the cage and activated consuming darkness causing them to vanish in seconds and my arm turned to Nightmare form. As I stood up but my damaged body was telling me not to continue. ¡°I gave you all a chance and you chose to laugh.¡± No one will take my freedom, never again. ¡°I-It destroyed an anti-magic cage!¡± The fat man next to me yelled while jumping off the cart and running. ¡°Shattered Light.¡± He was shredded into a pile of flesh causing the rest of the party to stare in fear. ¡°W-What level are you?¡± A girl holding a bow asked as she backed away. ¡°34 but most of those are cooking levels. Consuming Darkness.¡± The girl vanished in a black cloud leaving nothing but the bow she dropped. A man in a robe screamed out her name as he threw a fireball at me. I was expecting to take damage however a twilight barrier blocked it. -Congratulations! Barrier of Twilight has increased to 5/10!- ¡°Run! It''s too powerful! We need to warn Camp Freedom!¡± The old man yelled out his order, and everyone began running. ¡®I need enough shards of light to kill them all at once.¡¯ ¡°Serenity Infusion, Shattered Light!¡± The spell was the same but it now included many more shards than normal. With ease it shredded the three who were running down the highway. All that remained was the angry magic caster. He fell to his knees and began crying while calling out the girl¡¯s name. I stood on the cart and watched, a sense of guilt rose up inside me. ¡°Starly! Oh God why¡­ Why!¡± ¡®Did I take away the person he cared for?¡¯ Since my escape, I¡¯ve killed quite a few people however this was the first time I felt anything for one of them. ¡®I took away someone important to this man like Morfran took Arty away from me.¡¯ I raised my hand towards him and spoke a few final words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what I¡¯ve done. I forgot that those I kill are all people with their own lives and loved ones. I will try to kill groups at the same time from now on. Consuming Darkness.¡± The man vanished in a cloud of darkness just like the girl. -Congratulations! Hero of Twilight has leveled up to 2/??!- ¡®I never would have felt guilty if I didn¡¯t see him crying out her name¡­ They¡¯re the ones that put me in a cage so why should I have to feel bad anyway?!¡¯ I pushed the cage off the cart in anger and laid down staring at the sky. I used my wings to hug myself as I started crying. ¡°Arty what should I do? This group and all the others deserved it, I know they did, but why do I feel like this?¡± I waited for a reply inside my head, of course none came. The sadness I had been bottled up poured out. The guilt from this situation seemed to be the last crack that caused it to shatter. After some time, the horse began walking forward. I didn¡¯t have a destination, so I just let it take me to wherever it was heading. ~~~ The sky was beautiful, watching it pass as I traveled into the unknown calmed me down. With a clear mind, I went over everything that happened. ¡®At what point did the life of others stop meaning anything to me?¡¯ I was unable to tell if it was my time with Morfran or Nightmare and Seraph, maybe it was both. I lifted my hand into the air and looked at my new snow-white skin. ¡®I won''t stop killing those who attempt to take away my freedom but what if I tried to be a little less noticeable so people leave me alone? I could also try to help if I come across someone in need to make up for all the death.¡¯ I smiled to myself and put my arm back down. ¡®This could work.¡¯ The bloodlust of Nightmare and the pride of Seraph would still be there but found a little peace with who I was now. Feeling better I got up and looked around the wooden cart. There was food, clothing, various travel supplies, hay for the horse, and some weapons. I quickly ate the various preserved foods until I was full, I wasn¡¯t hungry thanks to Hunger Nullification, but I wanted comfort food. Next was clothing, my gown was way to small and made me look like a pervert, so I was excited to be rid of it. I found leather boots, pants, a shirt, long gloves, and a hooded cloak that were all common rarity. ¡®The clothing is for a woman so it probably belonged to the archer I killed¡­¡¯ The outfit and cloak were all black. ¡®With the hood up no one should bother me.¡¯ I soon realized how much more difficult it was to dress myself with wings, just to get it on I had to put two holes in the shirt and cloak. Once finished I put a common one-handed sword on my right hip and a common short staff on my left. ¡®I¡¯m happy it all fits well, now, where am I?¡¯ I was on an old-world highway titled ¡°1¡±, to my left were forested ruins and to my right was a large concrete field with old vehicles and large old-world stores. -Congratulations! Path Finding has increased to 6/10!- I looked over at the horse who was pulling the cart. ¡®I don¡¯t need to get anywhere fast maybe I could travel by cart for now? I¡¯d get to watch the sky and lay around which is nice.¡¯ I moved to the front and watched her walking along the old highway. She was black with a small white patch on her forehead. ¡®I wonder if you¡¯ve already picked our destination.¡¯ ¡°Do you like the name Luna? Your little patch reminds me of a moon. I don¡¯t know when to feed you, I¡¯ve never had a horse before.¡± I went over to the hay to see if there was maybe a note. -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Animal Husbandry!- -Congratulations! Animal Husbandry has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Taming!- -Congratulations! Taming has increased to 5/10!- ¡°Oh, it appears I know now. Let¡¯s stop at these ruins where there is lots of shade.¡± I set out hay and water for Luna and then looked around while I waited for her to rest. It was a large ruin like the many of the others we passed and the only interesting part was a road leading underground from the parking lot. When I walked towards it to peek in I heard an infant crying in the distance. ¡®A baby?¡¯ I moved forward into the dark, thanks to Eyes of the Abyss I could see everything perfectly. After a couple of minutes the smell of rusted metal and stagnant water were all I ended up finding in the flooded parking lot. I turned to leave but just then the crying returned right behind me. I turned again preparing to cast a spell but the only thing there was a baby on top of a rusted car crying. I slowly approached looking for whatever placed it there, when I arrived next to the vehicle nothing happened so I picked him up and did my best to comfort him. ¡°Its okay now, did you lose your family?¡± As I rocked him back and forth I heard crying behind me again. On a vehicle I passed earlier was another ba¡ª Before I could react I was pierced with sharp claws and teeth, the baby¡¯s fingers had become like needles, and it was biting into my arm. Active Level: 17 Total Level: 17 Title: Tiyanak Name: N/A Race: Tiyanak Age: 14 ¡°It was a monster!¡¯ I attempted to throw it, but it clung to me. ¡°Consuming Darkness!¡± I shot the dark cloud at the second Tiyanak that was now crawling towards me and killed it instantly. My arm turned to Nightmare form causing the one clinging to me to scream and lose most of its flesh. I waved my arm and its dead body fell to the ground. In its normal form the arms and legs were longer with needle-like claws, its mouth had spikey teeth, and its eyes were black. If I were able to feel fear I would probably be shaking but the only thing I felt was Nightmare urging me to travel deeper and slaughter them all. I held back my desires and returned to the exit. ¡°Luna it was some monsters but I took¡ªLuna!¡± She was surrounded by Blood Deer but she was thankfully still alive. Active Level: 12 Total Level: 12 Title: Blood Deer Name: N/A Race: Blood Deer Age: 4 ¡°Serenity Infusion, Shattered Light!¡± I manipulated the shards to fly around Luna and take out the Blood Deer but just as I finished a roar was heard from a distant ruin scaring her. ¡°Luna stop!¡± She galloped down an unkept old-world side street and as she passed a pile of debris a massive trapdoor spider popped out and dragged her into a hole. Active Level: 40 Total Level: 40 Title: Trapdoor Tunneler Name: N/A Race: Trapdoor Tunneler Age: 34 I cried out to my new friend who I failed to protect. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Luna. Please forgive me, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± ¡®No, I failed her like I failed Arty and nothing can change that.¡¯ I wiped away my tears. ¡°I will kill them all Luna. I will make them pay. Nightmare.¡± A slaughter began and nothing I came across would survive. I started with the spider, then the Tiyanak, and then whatever else I could find. I crawled through ruins and went deep underground, nothing was going to live. It wasn¡¯t until late into the night that my rampage finished. -Congratulations! Nightmare has leveled up to 4/??!- Nightmare faded and I fell over next to an old-world mall that was now void of life. I was extremely tired, but I forced myself to stay awake. I was lucky the first few times I passed out but I wouldn¡¯t risk it anymore. Not after what happened to Luna. I flew to the top of the mall and laid down on a part that was still intact before falling asleep. -Congratulations! Exhaust Suppression has increased to 5/10!- ~~~ The morning arrived uneventfully which I was grateful for. I looked at the wide world around me before flying north, the same direction Luna was going. Not long after taking flight I noticed many people and buildings in the parking lot of a pentagon-shaped old-world ruin. I planned on ignoring the settlement but an unexpected notification altered my plans. -You have entered the dungeon: [Legendary] Remnants of a Fallen Nation.- -You must enter from the dungeon portal! Teleporting to entrance area¡­- I appeared in the parking lot town outside the ruin, in front of me was a regular looking old-world door. ¡°Hey! How did you get past the gua¡ª Wait are you an angel?¡± A young man in a set of brown leather armor called out. ¡°Sorry, I was flying over when it said I entered a dungeon. I¡¯ll just be on my way¡­¡± ¡°Wait! Please! I have never seen a traveling angel! I was even told your race never leaves the Seven Heavens! If you¡¯d be willing to answer some questions for the Adventurers Guild, we will definitely repay you! Little is known about Angels after all.¡± ¡®I could see if they have any information on the visitor Morfran mentioned but for that I would have to rejoin the guild¡­ I could also learn about this dungeon.¡¯ I knew about dungeons from my adventurer training. The rules were unchanging however the theme and dungeon style could vary greatly. What didn¡¯t change were the rarity tiers which told you their general difficulty, monsters and boss monsters were continuously born due to the dungeon core, there was a final boss who always guarded the core, and you obtained loot from God for killing boss monsters. If you beat a dungeon, you are given a reward alongside the dungeon core. Once it has been beaten the dungeon vanishes and the area it was in returns to normal. What changed was the theme and style. For example, a water dungeon would have water-related loot and monsters or a puzzle-focused dungeon would have fewer monsters and more traps. ¡°In exchange for information and money, I will agree.¡± ¡°Consider it done! We don¡¯t have a guild branch here in Dungeon Town but Camp Freedom is just across Memorial Bridge! I will tell you all about it! My shift is done in 20 minutes, the dungeon checkpoint where you can wait is just ahead. If any other guards try to scoop you up tell them you¡¯re with Derik!¡± Derik was not even attempting to hide his excitement. I had concerns about going to Camp Freedom after what I did but information on Arty was more important than my comfort or safety. I walked past a stone wall and gate into a large plaza filled with adventurer parties. In the surroundings were various stores and an inn. I walked to the fountain and took a seat waiting for Derik. ¡°Is that an angel? What happened to her arm?¡± ¡°Wow her wings look soft!¡± ¡°Do you think she would let me touch them?¡± Various whispers spread around the plaza. I didn¡¯t care if people were staring however one rude muscle head crossed the line and grabbed my wing. He was bald, covered in muscle, wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt, and had brass knuckles on. ¡°Hey there, miss. Interested in joining my party? I enjoy demi humans quite a bit if you know what I mean.¡± He was laughing alongside his party members. ¡°Let go of me or I will kill you.¡± ¡°HAHAHA, the little angel that¡¯s missing an arm is going to kill a rare class holder?! Your lucky we¡¯re in Safe Haven otherwise I would already have a collar around your neck.¡± He was still holding my left wing. ¡°Aron let go of her! Why are you always harassing the demi-humans that appear here!? We only see one every few months!¡± ¡°Shove it Derik. This one insulted a B rank adventurer. I¡¯ll be teaching her a little respect.¡± I felt him pull on my feathers. ¡°This is your final warning. Unhand me.¡± ¡°How about you come say that to my face!¡± He pulled my wing causing me to fall towards him. As I stood up he still didn¡¯t let go. I wanted to kill him but I would probably be chased out of Safe Haven for it. ¡®I guess this is a good chance to work on my mercy.¡¯ ¡°Aura of Divinity.¡± I used an area of effect skill however focused it on him. His face changed to fear and he fell into the fountain while crying. His party and the surrounding adventurers were rendered speechless by the pathetic display. ¡°If I ever see you again, you will die. Get out of my sight.¡± ¡°T-thank you!¡± He ran out of the plaza leaving everyone¡¯s attention on me. -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Intimidation!- -Congratulations! Intimidation has increased to 5/10!- ¡°Is there a problem Derik or can we be going?¡± ¡°OH, umm, yea that¡¯s probably best.¡± No one made a sound as we left the plaza, even Derik had become quiet. After some walking things returned to normal and the regular stares and whispers resumed. Derik had changed out of his leather armor and was now wearing cloth gear with a sword on his waist. He appeared to be in his early twenties and had a toned body. His head was covered in dark brown curls, his skin was very tanned, and he had brown eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a rare class holder then?¡± He spoke in a much more formal tone when asking that question. ¡°My main classes don¡¯t have ranks. Otherwise I have a legendary and very common class.¡± ¡°No rank? They didn¡¯t teach me anything about that but it''s not my job to worry about it. Based on whatever you did back there I¡¯ll believe you about the legendary class, that man may be an asshole, but he has the power to back it up. He has a rare melee class alongside an uncommon class that heavily compliments it. I never expected to see him like that but I¡¯m sure it made quite a few people happy. I won¡¯t ask about the specific skill details, adventurers code and all.¡± The Adventurers code was a set of loose rules everyone in the Guild followed. Generally, people liked to keep their skills secret. The only reason they would share is if you were close allies, the situation required it, or you wanted to brag. We continued in silence for a while so I took the time to enjoy the lively surroundings. It was very similar to the residential district in Safe Haven. The houses were no higher than two stories and looked like they were a mix between old-world and medieval however the ground was all concrete since it was a parking lot. ¡°Miss, can we touch your wings?¡± Two children who looked to be an older brother and younger sister asked as we passed by. I was surprised that they were brave enough considering I was wearing an all-black outfit with my hood up. I knelt and told them it was fine as long as they didn¡¯t pull my feathers. Derik looked like he wanted to say something but kept quiet. ¡°They''re so soft! Can my friend pet them too?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± I became a petting zoo attraction for all the nearby children. I didn¡¯t mind since I asked Poko something similar when I was younger. After a few minutes, the children began thanking me and parents pulled the more determined ones away while apologizing for the trouble. I smiled and waved goodbye. The interaction made me wish for a world where everyone could remain kind and innocent like those children. ¡°Are Angels okay with people touching their wings? I could have chased them off for you.¡± Derek was super formal now. ¡®I¡¯d rather fly if he¡¯s going to be like that.¡¯ ¡°I grew up alongside humans so I wouldn¡¯t know the normal customs of an Angel. What happened to the excitement from earlier? You seem more like a hired guard now.¡± ¡°If you have a legendary class that would make you an S rank adventurer. People with S, A, B, and C rank are shown great respect, and can get away with a lot, its why I was unable to do anything about Aron. If you made a single complaint I could lose more then my job, especially since you¡¯re the first of your kind to visit the Guild.¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you be casual. I don¡¯t require a guard since I could just fly to Camp Freedom.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief! I was getting all stressed out; I suck at being formal! Feel free to ask any questions and I will tell you about Dungeon Town.¡± His excited attitude quickly returned. ¡°Outside of the plaza is mostly residential buildings for Camp Freedom. They planned on extending the city here but it turns out Dungeons prevent cities from expanding their borders near them. As a result, people started calling it Dungeon Town.¡± ¡°I know harder dungeons can take a long time to clear but this seems a bit extensive. Is it that hard to beat?¡± Derik started laughing before he continued. ¡°We get that every time a traveler gets here. Old Remy is an unbeatable dungeon and no one has ever found the core or final boss. The 25 Heroes, Teller Kingdom¡¯s Hero King, and even a Demon Lord tried, but all of them could not beat it. ¡®A Demon Lord? That may be who I¡¯m looking for.¡¯ ¡°People travel from all over to try their luck or train inside. Its become a source of income for many families and is a major part of Safe Haven¡¯s economy. My Dad sold roasted meat as a vendor outside that dungeon every night until he could afford a sword for me. Our family was quite poor, but I was a greedy little bastard who had big dreams of traveling the world. He¡¯s was lot better then I deserved.¡± He finished while tapping the sword on his waist. ¡®I guess every family is different. Some love their children and others sell them for drug money.¡¯ ¡°Speaking of family, you said humans raised you? How did that happen? It must have been trouble for your step parents when you started flying!¡± ¡°My mother sold me, I was bought and kept in a cage, escaped for a month, and then I was captured by a new owner for ten more years.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ um¡­ sorry to hear that. We get escaped slaves a lot, so you¡¯re not alone. The good news is nothing like that will ever happen to you within Safe Haven¡¯s borders! I was going to ask about the whole emotionless voice thing you have going on but I will give you a pass on it now.¡± He patted my back shoulder to comfort me. I decided to keep the part about it happening in Safe Haven to myself. ¡°My voice is not emotionless!¡± I did my best to sound pouty but even I realized it didn¡¯t work out. ¡°That was pathetic but at least you tried!¡± He laughed as we continued forward. After crossing a highway that had become part of the town and then a smaller parking lot we made it to the front gates. Derik waved and the guards let us through without any issues. ¡°The road along the river here will bring us to Memorial Highway and not long after that we will pass through Liberty Wall.¡± Along the river was a large wall similar to Safe Haven¡¯s. ¡°A lot of Camp Freedom is around the Potomac so very early on this wall was constructed to keep the river monsters out. It keeps everyone safe but it unfortunately means wherever there is coast there is a wall blocking the view. The only places you will see water is Independence Basin which the Water Guild keeps clear for us and from the bridges.¡± Derik flashed his Adventurers Card and we were let through. -You have entered the Country: ''Safe Haven,'' City: ''Camp Freedom.''- Before the bridge went over the water it passed over a forested old-world road with lots of workers going along it. ¡°The area below is all forest and the road passing through is an old coastal road. We maintain the parts within Camp Freedom however it is unused otherwise. Coastal roads are very dangerous and hard to keep safe due to the water monsters but thankfully most weaker monsters will avoid city borders. All the workers on it are heading south to an area the old world called an ¡°Airport.¡± It sounds a bit crazy, but supposedly Humans used to have giant metal machines that could fly across the world. They want to expand the city limits and wall to make it the next Residential area of Camp Freedom.¡± After making our way onto the bridge, a beautiful view came into sight. ¡®When you¡¯re not swimming in it the Potomac is very pretty.¡¯ Large walls lined the coast as far as I could see and collapsed bridges gave it an interesting look. ¡°Ms. Angel could you step aside with me? It looks like they''re already sending out some of the Army.¡± Derik pulled my arm and we stood at the side of the bridge. Many armored and robed soldiers were passing us. ¡°An adventurer came back raving about seeing a divine class Elemental kill a Dragon. People took it like a drunk¡¯s tale until the scouting party never reported back. After that a C rank beast tamer who owns a griffin was sent and reported a massive crater alongside hundreds of monster corpses in the ruins south of Dungeon Town. Everyone is saying it¡¯s a new world boss so we can¡¯t risk sending out a small force.¡± ¡®Whoops.¡¯ After waiting for the army to pass we finished crossing the bridge and entered the wall. ¡°Welcome to downtown Camp Freedom formerly known as Washington DC!¡± Chapter 7 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 7 The gate opened to a bustling military district. The old-world roads were beautifully maintained and new world buildings made of white stone lined all of them. If you looked to the sides new world cobble roads led off in between the densely packed buildings. It was the most amazing city I had ever seen exceeding even Safe Haven regarding beauty. Strangely the area to my left still had grass and trees and something was being maintained in the middle of it. ¡°This island is the adventurer and military ward. If you''re looking for weapons, enchants, armor, or a rowdy inn this is the place to be! Just don¡¯t head to far to our right since it becomes all official military buildings.¡± He noticed me staring at the untouched area. ¡°Ah, you noticed the old-world memorial! There are a lot of them which have been maintained. The 25 Heroes said they were important to the old-world country that used to be here so they are still looked after out of respect. Most people don¡¯t know much about the ¡°USA¡± anymore however a lot of their history is kept in a museum if you are ever interested. This memorial is really little but you will see some cool ones soon.¡± ¡°What are the buildings made of? They look nothing like the wall or buildings we have seen so far.¡± ¡°That¡¯s Magic Marble, one of the 25 Heroes was an alchemist with a rare class who could convert stone to a few other types of stone. This was done so Camp Freedom would match the old-world monuments and give people hope. She turned an entire mountain into marble so that downtown Camp Freedom would never run out.¡± Derik recommended shops as we made our way down a road called Ohio Drive, this area was the crafting ward. Many guilds had stores here and there were lots of different restaurants. ¡®This is where chefs went to become famous according to my old teacher.¡¯ ¡°This is the place to be if you have gold and silver falling from your pockets! Fancy food, fancy clothing, and fancy items, all stuff no one needs but it costs a fortune anyway. There is one memorial I want you to see up ahead and then we will head to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡± When we reached a road called Independence Avenue the new world buildings came to an end and we entered an old-world park. This area made it look like you stepped back in time, they perfectly maintained it and even had some restored cars on the road for people to look at. A little further in we stopped at a huge marble memorial which looked like its own building. It had big white pillars, fancy designs, and a big walkway and staircase in front of it. Once inside I saw a giant statue of a bearded man sitting in a chair and a smaller statue of a man wearing a suit to its right. ¡°This is the most famous spot in all of Safe Haven. The big guy outlawed slavery long before the world ended however the reason it''s famous today is because of the smaller statue next to him. There was a faction in Safe Haven that wanted the slavery of Demihumans to be legal. The leader of the 25 Heroes was retired at this point and almost never made appearances but he announced he would be giving a speech here to address the matter. When the day came there was a terrible storm yet he showed up anyway in his old-world suit and told everyone why this country was founded.¡± Derek stood next to it mimicking the statue¡¯s elegant poise. ¡°Like the fallen country Safe Haven was built over we are a bastion of freedom, equality, and peace. So long as you dream of a better world Safe Haven will welcome you.¡± He was forced away from the statue by a security guard. ¡°Not long after the counsel of 25 voted to purchase a perk on the Country¡¯s core which made any slave magic or collars instantly be dispelled the moment they step foot in any of Safe Haven¡¯s cities. No one, not even Demi-humans, would be slaves here. It gets me all teared up talking about it! Tons of former slaves leave flowers here on the anniversary of his death.¡± I looked up at the big statue and the smaller one to the right. I should¡¯ve been happy with what these two stood for but I was only able to find anger. ¡®Where were the people with these ideals when I needed them?¡¯ I turned and walked out leaving behind Derik who was still going on about the 25 Heroes. After realizing I left he caught up behind me. ¡°Hey, is everything all right? Sorry, I got carried away with the history lesson, please don¡¯t fly away! Please!¡± His begging calmed me down a bit. It reminded me of Arty when I used to act mad after something silly. ¡°Sorry, let''s continue to the guild. I don¡¯t mind the history.¡± ¡°I can never tell with your voice, was that sarcasm? If I had to describe your voice it would be¡­ cute wet towel.¡± He was poking my arm with a stupid smile. This was probably his horrible way of trying to cheer me up. ¡°What does that even mean? How can I sound like a towel?¡± ¡°Imagine a short girl with a cute voice but the voice is always in this depressing, serious tone. Cute wet towel.¡± ¡°...¡± I pretended to fly away and he clung to my leg. ¡°Sorry! It was a bad joke! Your voice is great! Come back!¡± People in the surroundings were laughing at the scene. After landing he apologized and told me we would be walking through the park to the tall pointed tower in the distance. There was an old-world rectangle pond that went all the way through the park and inside it you could see the reflection of the pointed tower. Around the pond old and new world memorials could be found, with the exception of new memorials this area was kept the same out of respect. After passing a large war memorial and 17th street the park ended and densely packed marble buildings returned. ¡°This area is all educational buildings and guilds who want to recruit here. The Adventurers Guild is the circular one around the Washington Monument. We won¡¯t have time to tour it today but to the north is the White House where the leader of the 25 heroes lived. Today it¡¯s a museum about the 25 Heroes and the USA. To the south is Independence Port and to the east is all government buildings. If you ever want a tour again just let me know!¡± We finally made it to the guild. Like Derik said it was circular and followed the theme of white pillars and marble. Inside was very spacious and much fancier then what most Adventurer Guilds would look like however the standard sign which had food and beer carved into it pointing to the other side of the building. We made our way to the marble desk and were greeted by a dark-haired woman in modern business attire. Derik asked to see the branch manager since I was the first ¡°Angel¡± they had the chance to recruit. ¡°It''s always nice to have new Demihumans in the guild! Her office is just down the hall. I will notify her right away.¡± She walked off and left me with Derik. ¡°I never got your name by the way or is that a secret you plan to keep from me?¡± ¡°You never asked, its El--¡± I paused as a familiar face and busty chest walked towards us. She looked older but it was definitely Charlotte, not many people had purple hair. ¡°It is nice to meet you; my name is Charlotte Milton. I have been told you have interest in joining the guild.¡± ¡°I was promised compensation in exchange for doing so.¡± I calmly replied, she didn¡¯t seem to recognize me, not that it would have mattered. ¡°We will discuss everything in my office, both of you please come this way.¡± I wasn¡¯t used to her speaking so formally since she was always flirty or joked around when I was younger. We were led down the white hallway to a large door and inside was a normal looking office outside of the white walls and floor. We sat at a small marble table which had a blue sofa on both sides. Before sitting down herself she offered tea then sat opposite of Derik and me. ¡°What the guild is requesting is your racial description and in exchange we can offer payment in magic coins alongside waving the fee for membership.¡± ¡°The fee would already be waved Ms. Milton. She has a legendary class.¡± ¡°After its confirmed in a test I will add a bonus to the coins then.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t require the bonus, what I need is information. Derik said a powerful Demon Lord challenged the nearby dungeon. I want everything you have on this person alongside the date the visit took place.¡± ¡°I should have assumed it was a Demon and Angel conflict, I have heard you¡¯re races are always at war with each other. You are aware that the Adventurer Guild has a neutral stance on all conflicts, correct? Your membership is nulled if you get involved with wars or politics.¡± ¡°Its fine, I just need the information.¡± ¡°Then it is a deal. To join I will need you to hold an appraisal stone which will show active level, total level, Title, Name, Race, and age.¡± I didn¡¯t care if she knew who I was, all that mattered was getting what I needed to save Arty. She got up and grabbed a stone from a locked box before handing it to me. I put mana into the stone and a small screen appeared above my hand. Active Level: 36 Total Level: 36 Title: Divinity Name: Ellie Noir Race: Nightmare/Seraph Age: 20 ¡°E-Ellie, it couldn¡¯t be¡­ Is it truly you? That title¡­ Y-You were telling the truth...¡± Charlotte¡¯s face turned to a mix of sadness and surprise. ¡°I¡¯m a Seraph which is related to Angels as for Nightmare that is likely related to Demons.¡± I didn¡¯t know for sure but it made sense based on how I looked. ¡°The Death Guild¡¯s master had three different Mind Guild experts confirm you were a high-ranking death variant doppelganger. With all the killings and the form Will described it¡­ it just made sense. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re alive but if it means anything I am so, so sorry. I transferred here because I couldn¡¯t get over the entire situation, it never felt right to me.¡± Tears were rolling down her face but I had no sympathy to spare. ¡°Your apology doesn¡¯t mean anything. You and everyone else stood by and did nothing as I suffered. If it''s still a mystery to you, it was Morfran who had those people killed and set the entire thing up.¡± ¡°Y-Your arm, did he do that to you?¡± ¡°What does it matter? Is this deal going to happen or not?¡± ¡°Ummm, what¡¯s going on?¡± Derik asked confused but he was promptly ignored. ¡°Ellie we can go back to Safe Haven and use this appraisal to prove what he did! We can bring him to justice! Will has never been the same since then and your party has become famous, but I¡¯m sure they will welcome you back. We could fix everything!¡± She lost control of her emotions and was suggesting things I had no desire to peruse. Their lives meant nothing to me. I just wanted to get this deal over with. Her ¡°regret¡± was only making me angry. ¡°There is no justice left to bring and you can never fix what you all did. Can you bring Arty back or undo ten years of torture!? NO? Then let¡¯s get this over with!¡± During my rage I slammed the table with my fist causing the tea to spill. In silence, Charlotte went to her desk and filled out three papers before handing them to me. ¡°X rank certification, access to the information you wanted, and a gold coin for¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter. I-If there is anything I can ever do, please do not hesitate to ask.¡± She stopped crying but it was clear she was emotionally distraught. I took the papers and left the room without saying anything, Derik followed behind. ¡°Ellie what the hell was that?! What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I was enslaved in Safe Haven because of a disgusting old man¡¯s schemes. All the people I trusted, including Charlotte, left me when I needed them most.¡± I kept walking as I answered Derik¡¯s question. I didn¡¯t want to dwell on this matter. ¡°Wait!¡± Derik grabbed my arm forcing me to stop. ¡°She wanted to make things right Ellie! It''s not possible to undo everything you went through but are you really going to throw away your chance at having them back?!¡± I turned and looked at him, for some reason he was crying ¡®What does any of this matter to him?¡¯ ¡°You''re saying I should just forgive them? I was locked in a torture room on a metal table for ten years! My arm was sawed off and they ripped out my right eye with their fingers!¡± I was getting angry again but before I could start yelling more he cut me off. ¡°My Dad, the last night I ever saw him we had just fought. I was so angry that I went out and drunk myself to sleep. Later that night he went out looking for me and was killed in a stupid street mugging. I will never have the chance to fix things, but you can still make up with them, you can have your old life back! Don¡¯t lose that chance!¡± ¡°YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME! Don¡¯t ever try to tell me what I want, that¡¯s for me to decide! Your job is done, get out of my sight!¡± I was furious and it only increased because he was right about one thing. I desperately wanted that happiness back but it would never be with those who betrayed me. Derik stared at the floor in silence. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I went too far and assumed too much.¡± Before leaving I said one final thing. ¡°If they ever come to you for information, tell them the Ellie they knew died in the Death Guild¡¯s torture chamber.¡± As I walked away Derik went back to Charlotte¡¯s office without a word. I made my way down the hall to the front desk where the receptionist and a few adventurers in the lobby were silently staring. It seems they heard the yelling. ¡°Three papers, please prepare all of them. For my rank confirmation give me the highest-ranking quest you have.¡± ¡°R-Right away!¡± She ran off, not long after she returned shaking. ¡°X rank card for Ellie Noir, one gold coin, and a copy of the reports from the Demon Lord¡¯s visit. P-Please confirm everything is correct while I grab the quests!¡± -Congratulations! Intimidation has increased to 6/10!- ¡®I was not actively trying to intimidate her. I guess I earn exp for the skill regardless of if it''s intentional or not.¡¯ After hearing my rank a group of three started talking loudly from the seats along the wall. ¡°What¡¯s an X rank?¡± ¡°Never heard of it, do you keep the guidebook in your bag?¡± ¡°I know the ranks like the back of my hand and X is not one of them. It¡¯s probably some bogus rank made up for a rich family.¡± ¡°Ahh, it explains all the yelling.¡± As long as this rank gave me access to money and information that¡¯s all I cared about. ¡°T-The highest we have at this time is clearing the nearby legendary dungeon. I-It is considered impossible, are you sure you would like to accept this one?¡± ¡°Its fine, what¡¯s the reward?¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°They have left three extremely rare items in our care which you may choose one of upon completion. The item¡¯s rarities are certified by the guild however we can not show you them until it is complete. There is also an extra offer from the client who published this mission, in exchange for the dungeon core all three items will be given to you.¡± The young receptionist had finally gotten over her fear since I was being calm with her. ¡°Hahaha! Some rich Demihuman thinks she can clear the impossible dungeon!¡± The surrounding adventurers started laughing. I asked the receptionist where I could find preserved food and water for my time in the dungeon and she suggested a few shops in the military ward. Done with everything I needed I gave a proper thank you and exited the building. The sky was starting to dim so I decided to find an inn in the military ward where I would be shopping. Getting emotional left me stressed out so I just wanted to take a bath then lay on something comfortable while I looked over the reports. I eventually came across medium-sized inn titled ¡°The Fox and the Fiddle¡± which had a cartoon fox holding a fiddle on the sign and advertised public baths. When I walked in was I greeted by a humanoid fox in a business suit. ¡°Welcome to the Fox and the Fiddle! It''s rare that we get races besides humans here, what can I do for you?¡± He was like Poko but instead of just the ears and tail he was fully covered in fur and looked like a red fox mixed with a human. ¡°A room for the night, access to the baths, and a meal would be good. If I may ask, are you a Beast-kin?¡± ¡°Close, I¡¯m a beast-kith we¡¯re from the same continent though. As a favor to a fellow outsider I will keep the baths open an extra 30 minutes just for you. It can get annoying having people stare while you try to relax. We¡¯re serving dinner now so I will have my daughter send it to your room, ah, sorry, a regular room or are you looking for something bigger?¡± ¡°A regular is fine and thank you for your offer regarding the baths. I will gladly accept.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have my daughter let you know when its open for you. The cost will be two silver for the room and eight bronze for the meal and bath.¡± ¡°My apologies, would you happen to have change for one gold?¡± ¡®Magic Coins were the currency for the entire world. They were generated randomly in treasure chests by God¡¯s Guidance when the world ended. These chests can still appear anywhere in the wilderness but most generated gold comes from Killing boss monsters now and even then it''s not guaranteed. Wilderness chests were common for a year after the world ended and then became extremely rare. It is believed God did this to get the new economy going. 10 Copper equals 1 Bronze, 10 Bronze equals 1 Silver, 10 Silver equals 1 Gold, 10 Gold equals 1 Platinum, 10 Platinum equals 1 Mithril, and 10 Mithril equals 1 Adamantine. I never experienced Humanity¡¯s currency but 1 Bronze is said to be the equivalent of what 1 USD was worth.¡¯ ¡°It is no issue at all! I needed to exchange some silver for gold at the Merchant¡¯s Guild anyway. Being the only respectable inn in the military ward has been good for business. Here is your key and your room is the last one on the left, if you require anything else please do not hesitate to ask.¡± I bowed and thanked him before making my way up the stairs and down the hall. My room was clean and had a very comforting atmosphere. A light stone sat on a desk next to the bed so I put the papers down and let myself fall face first into fluffy sheets. It was a very comfortable mattress and blankets similar to the Culinary Guild¡¯s beds. ~~~ *Knock* *Knock* *Knock* I got up and opened the door. A female Beast-kith stood holding a plate of roasted meat, steamed vegetables, and a loaded baked potato. She was a red fox like her father but had a feminine figure and chest covered by a modest green dress. ¡°Father didn¡¯t think to ask about your diet so I tried to include more vegetables in case you don¡¯t eat meat. I will be back to get the dishes and take you to the bath in about an hour. Please enjoy!¡± I thanked her and sat at the desk while eating and reviewing the reports. The food was surprisingly delicious for the low cost. It was definitely made by someone with at least the first skill level of Cooking. The reports on the other hand were unfortunately disappointing, the visit took place five years ago and he only publicly appeared at the dungeon. It¡¯s believed he was using a disguise for all other business so only speculations were listed. ¡®If I¡¯m unable to find any other leads I will make my way to the Demon continent.¡¯ After finishing the meal I laid down on the bed waiting for the Beast-kith woman to return. ~~~=--^--=~~~ It''s been a long time since we had a race other than Humans stay with us. After she went upstairs I had to scold my father for not asking about her diet, different races ate different things, so you always needed to ask. I personally put together her meal and brought it upstairs. When she answered the door she was still wearing her black cloak and hood so I was a little nervous. ¡°Father didn¡¯t think to ask about your diet so I tried to include more vegetables in case you don¡¯t eat meat. I will be back to get the dishes and take you to the bath in about an hour. Please enjoy!¡± She gave a bow and thanked me in the same sad and serious tone she used downstairs. ¡®I wonder if she is from an important family.¡¯ I returned to the kitchen and began helping with the dishes. The hour quickly passed and father told me the baths were open for us. *Knock* *Knock* *Knock* The Angel opened the door holding an empty plate. ¡°Thank you. The food was delicious. If you serve breakfast I would like to have it added to my bill.¡± Her tone was still the same. ¡°Of course, it is three bronze for breakfast. I will pass it to my father as I drop the dishes off in the kitchen. The baths are open for us so please meet me at the front desk when you''re ready.¡± She handed me three bronze and followed me down the stairs. I thought she would put her cloak and weapons in her room but she left them on. She stood silently by the front desk while I handed the plate and coins to my father and then followed me again. The bath¡¯s doors were locked at this hour so we did not need to worry about anyone besides us coming in. ¡°The baths follow the traditional style from our homeland. After undressing you wash yourself down before entering the bath.¡± As we entered the change room I began undressing however she was hesitating. ¡°Is there any trouble miss?¡± I asked concerned. The missing arm may not be her only scar. ¡°May I make a request? Please keep my appearance between us.¡± She did a formal bow with the request. ¡°Of course, I will not say a word not even to my father.¡± She thanked me and started undressing. Long messy hair as a white as snow fell from the hood and underneath skin just as white came into view. Her body and chest were small and her white wings with black edges were full of very soft looking feathers. I couldn¡¯t tell if her hair and skin were normal for Angels but there was one feature I knew didn¡¯t belong. On the sides of her head were two compact spiral horns as black as the night sky. They reminded me of two large ¡°earmuffs¡± which some Humans used during the winter. When she turned around slightly glowing eyes that looked like a beautiful sunset stared at me as if waiting for a comment on her appearance. ¡°The baths are just through the door. I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± We made our way to the wash area by the bath, she looked a bit confused but she quickly figured it out. She washed her body without issue however the limitation of her single arm on the already hard to reach places of her wings were causing her to struggle. ¡°Would you like help with your wings?¡± She shyly agreed and apologized for the trouble. It was my first time hearing a different tone of voice from her. ¡°It''s normal for Beast-kin and Beast-kith to bathe together since some have areas that are too hard to reach by themselves. I thought it might be the same for your people.¡± She did not reply and stared silently at the reflection in front of her. While washing her wings I was trying to figure out what this girl¡¯s age was. In Human and Beast-kin standards she looked around 15 or 16 but even then she would be considered small for her age. ¡°All done, I will join you in the bath shortly.¡± ¡°It would be unfair of me not to offer you the same help.¡± I accepted and she helped me wash my back. Once in the bath we relaxed in silence but she suddenly asked a strange question. ¡°Do you like this country?¡± ¡®Is she considering settling down here?¡¯ ¡°I do, Father and I traveled here based on rumors while in search of a better life. All the money we save from the inn goes towards paying for the safe transport of my mother and clan. The looks and comments from humans can get annoying but my father and I support everything this country stands for. My home continent has its ups and downs but this is the only country in the world with such unique values. The council of 25 work for the people, there are no nobles, lords, or kings and everyone, no matter the race, is welcomed. There is even a Wood Elf set to be the first nonhuman on the council. He gathered three rare items from other continents and is offering them in exchange for a legendary dungeon core. He wants to start a city within Safe Haven that specializes in the magic and crafting techniques of other races while also providing a safe place for other races to settle. The last bonus about Safe Haven is the Ancient human crafting methods. This is the only country which is attempting to recreate ancient human items on a wide scale. Our own beds are the hard work of many different guilds!¡± She was looking at me with her usual blank stare. ¡®I hope I didn¡¯t bore her after all that.¡¯ ¡°Sorry I went a bit overboard, it''s just¡­ after what I saw while traveling I lost faith in the world until we found Safe Haven.¡± I looked down at the water remembering the horrors my father and I faced on the way here. The line between monster and intelligent race blurred at so many points. ¡°I see, that potential city and Elf do sound nice.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re considering staying I am sure we could find work for you at the Inn.¡± A slight smile appeared on her face when I offered but the sadness hidden behind it was obvious. ¡°I will get the Wood Elf his legendary dungeon core but I will not be staying, not now at least. I need to find someone who was taken from me. After that¡­ I¡¯ll consider the Elf¡¯s city as a possible new home.¡± ¡®She would get the core? Is this small girl someone that powerful?¡¯ ¡°My name is Ellie. Thank you for everything tonight. Its given me a chance to help create something good.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Flora Aka. It''s nice to meet you Ellie.¡± After those words we sat in silence enjoying the bath. ~~~=--^--=~~~ Following a good night¡¯s rest and another delicious meal I made my way to the front of the inn. ¡®The girl I met here was kind and she went out of her way for me like Derik did. I¡¯ll apologize to Derik next time I see him¡­ In the end he was wrong but he was only trying to help¡­¡¯ Safe Haven was becoming a complicated subject for me. For Derik and Flora this place was a beacon of hope but I could find little love for it. ¡®The values they so dearly preach were tossed aside when I needed them. When I get this core I will speak to the Wood Elf directly. If Arty and I are going to call this place home there will be many changes starting with culling the rats like Morfran.¡¯ ¡°Ellie!!¡± Not long after leaving the inn I heard my name called from behind. Flora was running to catch up to me. ¡°Sorry, I wanted to see you off and give you something. It''s not very strong but I did my best to make this charm. I hope in some way its able to help you during your time in the dungeon!¡± It was a small cloth charm I could hang from my wrist or a bag. Name: Spiritual Friendship Charm Rarity: Uncommon Equip Effect: Increases Spiritual Affinity by 1%. Description: A friendship charm enchanted with weak spiritual mana. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to give you in return though.¡± I felt guilty for not even thinking to say goodbye at the inn. ¡°It¡¯s a gift. You don¡¯t need to give me anything.¡± She was wearing a kind smile overflowing with sincerity. ¡°Then I will gratefully accept it, thank you Flora.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be heading back to the inn now. If I leave my father alone for too long the place will start falling apart. Good luck Ellie, I¡¯ll be cheering for you!¡± She waved as she made her way back to the inn. Still standing in the street I looked down at the charm. In terms of power it was useless to me however I couldn¡¯t help but treasure it. It brought me hope for a happy future. I bought a bag, lots of preserved foods, and a big plastic water container. The bag was designed for your waist since regular backpacks and wings don¡¯t work well together. It all cost me two silver which was a pretty good deal. Done with shopping I took to the sky and flew to the pentagon-shaped dungeon. -Congratulations! Flight has increased to 6/10!- I landed in the plaza causing all the adventurers to turn their attention to me. Ignoring them, I went to the checkpoint and looked for Derik who was unfortunately nowhere to be seen. Instead, a short-haired older woman in leather armor greeted me. ¡°You can¡¯t enter without your group. Waiting inside would get you killed.¡± ¡°Its fine, I¡¯m going in alone.¡± ¡°Entering alone requires S rank otherwise you¡¯re just throwing your life away.¡± She quickly retorted. I handed her my card and she looked at it in confusion. ¡°Your trying to use a fake ID but don¡¯t even know the ranks? I should let you walk in there and learn your lesson but I don¡¯t want the paperwork for a missing Demihuman! If you¡¯re that desperate to get in go beg one of the stronger parties to take you.¡± ¡®I thought Charlotte was trying to make amends with this new rank not piss me off more¡­¡¯ I took the sky and flew over the top of the dungeon after the same notification appeared I was teleported to the entrance portal. It was a normal looking old-world door, as I approached a message appeared. -Warning: You are attempting to enter a [Legendary] dungeon, would you like to proceed? Y/N- I clicked the ¡°Yes¡± and was teleported inside. -You have entered the dungeon: [Legendary] Remnants of a Fallen Nation.- The dark halls of a perfectly preserved old-world building appeared around me. The floors were a polished stone with a repeating pattern and the walls were beige. Relics representing a nation that no longer existed were all around me and it caused me to wonder how they remained untouched by the other Adventurers. I went to the nearest door to look inside. It was a normal office except for the see-through man in a suit staring at the corner. Through the back of his head I could see two green clouds where his eyes should be but all his other features were blurry. I raised my hand to cast Shattered Light but a loud popping sound from behind caught me off guard. Another ghost, this time a female, was standing in the door on the opposite side of the hall. -Congratulations! Piercing Damage Resistance II has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 10 skill points!- -Congratulations! Piercing Damage Resistance II has evolved into Piercing Damage Resistance III!- -Congratulations! Piercing Damage Resistance III has increased to 5/10!- I jumped into the office and cast consuming darkness on the room. Everything started to decay and the male ghost was instantly killed. I felt a warmth on my side letting me know there was damage. Looking down I could see blood flowing from a gunshot wound. ¡®Ghosts with spectral guns!? How am I supposed to deal with that!¡¯ I underestimated the dungeon. ¡®Unless I want to use Nightmare or Seraph right away this will be troublesome.¡¯ While thinking the situation over gunshots started raining in and I could hear countless ghostly voices wailing. ¡®I need my Twilight Barrier up.¡¯ ¡°Serenity Infusion, Shattered Light!¡± Seraph grew covering just over half my body. My mind struggled however the extra power was able to destroy the wall and everything behind it. I sat on the ground and ripped a piece of my cloak to use as a bandage. ¡°Combat Medic.¡± -Congratulations! Combat Medic has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! First Aid has increased to 6/10!- I activated a first aid skill I learned during my adventurer training. It greatly increased the speed and effectiveness of my bandaging for a short time. ¡®I was overconfident in myself. I should have bought actual bandages.¡¯ With the wound patched I peaked my head into the hall. *POP* I quickly pulled my head back into the room and sat against the wall while breathing heavily. There was a long bullet sticking through the twilight barrier in front of my left eye. ¡°That¡­ That would have killed me in one hit.¡± I was just shot in the side and a spectral bullet was now staring me in the eye. I became frustrated with my lack of ability. I grabbed the spectral bullet and watched as it slowly vanished. ¡®If I want to be strong without Nightmare and Seraph I need a better foundation. My skills may be powerful but body is most definitely not.¡¯ I set a restriction for myself, until all three of my Origin classes were at least level 10 I would not leave this place or kill the final boss. Along the way I would level up Hunger Nullification, Exhaust Suppression, Shattered Light, and Consuming Darkness. If there was a suppression skill for thirst I would get that as well. ¡°Nightmare.¡± An odd happiness spread through me. I was going to slaughter purely for my own benefit, no self-defense, no revenge, just death because I could. ¡®First, the one who shot at my head.¡¯ ¡°Sprint.¡± With my 100% speed increase and sprint I was going at unimaginable speeds. Bullets flew at me but I was able to dodge most without issue. -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Evasion!- -Congratulations! Evasion has increased to 5/10!- I reached a rotting human in combat gear holding a spectral sniper rifle. Active Level: 80 Total Level: 80 Title: Remnant Sniper Name: N/A Race: Ghoul Age: N/A It went for a combat knife on its waist, but it was already too late, my claw pierced its head. I continued down the hall and met many Remnants. The weakest were the ghost people with handguns and the most difficult were soldiers with machine guns and assault rifles. Even with my speed I was hit multiple times but Nightmare¡¯s regeneration capabilities quickly healed the damage. I began going days without food, water, or breaks. There was just so much to kill, hordes of remnants came like ants. I never felt more alive. -Congratulations! You have earned the title ¡°Undead Slayer¡±!- -Congratulations! ¡°Undead Slayer¡± has granted 3 free attributes!- I finished clearing the area of remnants and checked the new title I received. Undead Slayer ¨C Slayer of over 1000 undead. Grants: 10% increased damage towards Undead. 3 free attributes. Source: Slay 1000 Undead. ¡®Titles offer more benefits then I assumed. I will need to review my other ones.¡¯ Divinity - You stand before Divinity. Grants: Increase the level cap of one class to 100. Grants divine skill Aura of Divinity. Source: Divine Class holder. 5 divine skills. Dragon Slayer ¨C Slayer of a Dragon. Grants: 10% increased damage towards Dragons. 3 free attributes. Source: Slay 1 Dragon. Legend Slayer ¨C Slayer of a legendary Class holder. Grants: 10% increased damage towards Legendary Class holders. 3 free attributes. Source: Slay 1 Legendary Class holder. Slave ¨C Completed the Slave Class Shop. Grants: 20% increase in the effectiveness of all Slave skills. Grants one unique slave skill to suit the user. Source: Complete the Slave Class Store. ¡®I will hold off on using the Divine level cap bonus until I have a class that¡¯s worth it. The other bonuses are a welcome surprise.¡¯ I already distracted myself from the killing so I set up camp in an office and rested. After some sleep, food, and water, I returned to the slaughter. Days passed as I continued killing the remnants but I soon achieved the first step of my goal. -Congratulations! Nightmare has leveled up to 10/??!- -Level 10 Attribute and Skill Point bonuses have been granted.- Without hesitation I continued. ¡°Seraph.¡± Seraph was more difficult to use in small places. My much larger Serenity filled wings dragged on the walls causing them to burn. Soon a serenity fire broke out and I started getting exp for everything the fire was killing. I was currently on the 5th floor and the dungeon separated each one so it was unlikely it would spread down however this floor was turning into an exp oven. Using much stronger versions of Shattered Light and consuming Darkness I quickly cleared the floor but the downsides compared to Nightmare were clear to me now. Nightmare excelled at long-term battles against multiple enemies. My health and stamina constantly being replenished by those I killed made it so I could go long periods of time without resting. Seraph excelled at doing a massive amount of damage very quickly but once my stamina ran out or I took to much damage I would need to rest. I sat on a metal chair surrounded by white flames watching my combat log. Countless remnants were dying as they spawned in but I realized why so much killing was giving little experience, the dungeon had diminishing returns. ¡®This horrible dungeon should be rewarding my superiority not punishing me for it!¡¯ I was becoming bored and I already ate all the snacks out this break room vending machine. ¡®Might as well change the environment up¡­¡¯ When my stamina was full I made my way through the white flames to the fourth floor. Upon arriving a notification appeared. -5th Floor has now been reset due to excessive damage.- I repeated the pattern of destroying a floor, resting, and then going back to the previous floor. The diminishing returns didn¡¯t reset but at least I got to move around¡­ -Congratulations! Seraph has leveled up to 10/??!- -Level 10 Attribute and Skill Point bonuses have been granted.- After the notification appeared I went to the 5th floor and disabled Seraph. It was time for me to do the rest of this dungeon with Hero of Twilight. Chapter 8 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 8 I was shot so many times as Nightmare I ended up getting Piercing Damage Immunity, so now bullets just bounced off leaving a bruise and causing blunt damage. After clearing an office of ghosts, I rested for the first time in four days. I didn¡¯t require much food, water, or sleep anymore, so the only thing that would slow me down was my stamina falling too low. While eating, I looked over everything I¡¯d gained so far which was quite a bit. I wanted to save my free attributes and skill points until the end, but I couldn¡¯t help myself and put one into luck. -Please confirm free attribute placement: 1 Luck Attributes (Y/N)- I clicked yes and my luck became 10. After that I checked my Attribute Store. -Attribute Store- [A] Wheel of Fate ¨C 20 SP ~ Store Updates based on Attributes ~ Available Skill Points: 366 When I purchased the ¡°skill¡± a big wheel divided into tiny wedges appeared in front of me. It was glowing like a cheap carnival game and had a huge sign which read ¡°PULL ME¡± above the handle. On the board itself a small arrow sat at the top pointing to the wedge below it, there were hundreds of little wedges and every single one was different. ¡®+1 to all Attributes, Random Fire Skill, +1 luck, 100,000,000 Gold, Random Class, 1 copper, Companion, Rare Item, Pet Mouse, Rare Armor.¡¯ Everything seemed great but I didn¡¯t trust the world being kind to me. ¡®When have I ever been lucky?¡¯ ¡°I decline.¡± 20 Skill Points wasn¡¯t many so I didn¡¯t mind missing out. The handle pulled itself down and the wheel started spinning while playing a creepy carnival tune. ¡®What!?! I didn¡¯t even pull it!?!¡¯ After 10 or so seconds passed the tune slowed down and the arrow pointed to what I would get. -Congratulations! You have won Death!- I looked at the wheel, under the small arrow was a wedge which simply read death. I began frantically looking over the board; I could not find another wedge with something negative. ¡°I-It was the only bad one.¡± I whispered to myself in despair. Not only did I not spin in the first place I got the only bad wedge on the wheel. ¡®Whatever comes for me will not take away my life without a fight.¡¯ ¡°Nightma¡ª¡± Before I could finish I fell to the ground landing on my back. In front of me was a pair of legs which had started to fall over. ¡®Whose legs are¡­¡¯ I coughed up blood interrupting the thought. When I looked down I could see half of me was missing. My head fell back and I saw a huge person wearing a tattered black robe and holding a bloody scythe standing above me. I became cold as my blood pooled around me. I desperately tried to say Nightmare or Seraph but blood was the only thing that came out of my mouth. Tears fell from my eyes as I lost consciousness and died. ~~~ ¡°Wake up silly!¡± The giggling voice of a young girl woke me up. I was sitting in a moonlit plain filled with wildflowers. Standing in front of me was a small girl with brown hair and brown eyes¡­ ¡°Y-Your me?¡± The smiling girl was me when I was younger. I or she was wearing the blue dress Hamilton Hall purchased for me. ¡°Yep and I¡¯m also you!¡± She cheerfully replied. The answer didn¡¯t help me. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, where are we?¡± ¡°The Land of the Dead. Its different from the Fallen Abyss so don¡¯t get them mixed up!¡± ¡°Why am I speaking to a younger me?¡± ¡°Do you remember when we gave up everything? I¡¯m what¡¯s left of that everything.¡± ¡°What do you mean, what was everything?¡± The younger me giggled before running over and hugging me. ¡°It was a choice we made to live. You don¡¯t need to worry about the rest.¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say so I put my arm around the younger me and hugged her back. ¡°Can you make me a promise?¡± Without waiting for me to respond, she continued. ¡°Live as happily as possible alright?¡± With those words her grip tightened and I felt tears soaking through my clothing. I held her as she silently cried. ¡°Its time to go Ellie.¡± Not long after the robed figure appeared in front of us. He was two or three times the height of a normal person, wore a tattered black robe, and had a scythe on his back. ¡°Coming Mr. Death.¡± The girl got up from my lap and ran over to Death but Just in front of him she turned back to me. With tears falling from her eyes and a kind smile she yelled. ¡°Don¡¯t die again! I won¡¯t be there to save you next time!¡± She waved before turning around and taking his skeletal hand. ¡°Wait! Come back! I still don¡¯t understand! Please come back!¡± I desperately called out to them as they slowly walked away together. When they crossed the horizon, I felt my chest become cold, like something important was taken from me. I tried to move but I was frozen in place. ¡®What had I given up? How did she save me?¡¯ Death appeared in front of me. ¡°There is no need to worry child of twilight. I guided her to the Great Sea of Mana where she will rest until the cycle of rebirth takes her.¡± ¡°Who was she?! I don¡¯t understand any of this!¡± ¡°What she did not tell you is not for me to say. Find solace in the fact that she granted you another attempt at life and heed her warning well. There will be no fourth chance Ellie Noir.¡± "Can I take her place so that she can live?¡± ¡°All power comes at a cost. Your soul is no longer one that can be reborn, the only thing awaiting you after your final death is a darkness far greater than even your Abyss. Be happy knowing she will live another life far from the sorrow of yours.¡± After those words I found myself back in the office. There was no blood so the floor must have reset while I was away. -Congratulations! Slashing Damage Resistance III has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 20 skill points!- -Congratulations! Slashing Damage Resistance III has evolved into Slashing Damage Resistance IV!- -Congratulations! Slashing Damage Resistance IV has increased to 8/10!- -Congratulations! Abyssal Immunity has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 40 skill points!- -Congratulations! You have earned the title ¡°The Undying¡±!- The Undying ¨C Three times death has taken me, three times I have returned. Grants: Grants ¡°Immortal¡± regardless of race. Grants divine skill Undying. Grants 5 Endurance. Source: Die three times and by your own will return three times. [Divine] Undying ¨C Once a day an attack which would otherwise kill you instead places you at 10% HP. Passive Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill level: 1/10 I obtained many great bonuses but none of it made me feel any better. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the younger me. ¡®What had I given up? If she was Ellie who was I?¡¯ The question plagued my mind but there was no way for me to know. ¡°None of this makes any sense!¡± ¡®Nothing has changed, I¡¯m me! I know I¡¯m me¡­ I¡¯ll save Arty, everyone at the table, and even the younger me! After that I will find a place where we can all be happy.¡¯ I wiped away my tears. ¡°To do any of that I need to become stronger.¡± I didn¡¯t waste anymore time and got back into the combat. My Blunt damage resistance started going up and the damage from bullets bouncing off became less and less. While I was dealing with a group of ghosts I was attacked by a Remnant Sniper. The first spectral bullet got stuck in my barrier and I was able to roll out of the way for the next one. -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Dodge!- -Congratulations! Dodge has increased to 5/10!- This was an active skill like sprint, swim, and flight. I am perfectly capable of running, flying, swimming, and dodging without them but these active skills gave me an enhanced version of each one. Flight for example let me maneuver and fly much faster at the cost of stamina and Jump let me do a much higher jump than normal. They also came with some passive knowledge, Swim had taught me how to swim and Flight taught me how to fly.¡¯ I sent shattered Light down the hall which killed the sniper. -Congratulations! Shattered Light has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 40 skill points!- -Congratulations! Shattered Light has derived Hallowed Ground!- [Divine] Hallowed Ground ¨C Peirce the target with Light causing it to erupt. The remains or ruptured earth become Hallowed Ground damaging anything you deem unworthy. Cost: N/A Source: Derived from Shattered Light. Skill level: 1/10 ¡®It looks like I¡¯ll finally use this iron sword.¡¯ I took the sword from my waist and swung it around. -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Short Sword Mastery!- -Congratulations! Short Sword Mastery has increased to 5/10!- While trying to get the 6th level of Sword Mastery I was knocked back by an explosion. Unless you were hiding in an office there were very few breaks from the combat. Active Level: 100 Total Level: 100 Title: Remnant Juggernaut Name: N/A Race: Ghoul Age: N/A The new monster that joined the fight was the highest level I had seen in the dungeon. It was wearing a bunch of heavy looking old-world armor and was holding two spectral grenade Launchers. Using Sprint, Dodge, and passive Evasion I quickly closed the gap between us. -Congratulations! Sprint has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 3 skill points!- -Congratulations! Sprint has evolved into Flash Step!- I attempted to stab the Juggernaut and use Hallowed Ground but my sword stab bounced off the armor. Taking advantage of my failed attack, the Juggernaut shot a grenade point blank causing me to fly back through a wall. I quickly got up and used Flash Step which allowed a single step to send me forward extremely fast. -Congratulations! Flash Step has increased to 5/10!- I was right in front of the juggernaut again but this time I only touched him with the sword. ¡°Hallowed Ground!¡± Light rushed through my blade flowing into the Juggernaut causing it to drop the grenade launchers and start grabbing its armor. Cracks of blueish light spread through its body before blue light exploded outward. -Congratulations! You have defeated a boss monster. Bonus exp has been granted!- -Congratulations! Hallowed Ground has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! Hero of Twilight has leveled up to 10/??!- -Level 10 Attribute and Skill Point bonuses have been granted.- -Generating loot with 10% luck bonus.- -Congratulations! You have received the book ¡°How to Train your Pet Ghost¡±!- This was the first boss I had come across so I immediately analyzed the item I received. Name: How to Train your Pet Ghost Rarity: Legendary Use Effect: Grants one Legendary Class to a permanent undead companion. Restrictions: Companion must be permanent. Companion must be an undead race or have an undead body. Description: The must-have guide for any ghost lover! I pictured Arty holding a sword which put a smile on my face and took my mind off younger me for a little bit. ¡®My goals have been reached!¡¯ It felt like a month passed, I was excited to be done with this place. ¡®Now to find the core...¡¯ I explored the first five floors plenty of times already but I had not gone to the basement levels. I made my way down and started my search. Unlike the first five floors the basement was in horrible condition yet it was definitely still part of the dungeon since remnants were appearing. -Congratulations! Consuming Darkness has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 40 skill points!- -Congratulations! Consuming Darkness has derived Scars of Despair!- [Divine] Scars of Despair ¨C Your next 10 melee attacks do no damage but ignore all defenses while leaving black scars. When 10 have been placed all scars activate at once dealing 200% of the melee damage otherwise dealt and an additional 100% darkness damage. Cost: N/A Source: Derived from Consuming Darkness. Skill level: 1/10 My new skill was interesting, for sword use it was great but if I was in a rush it would slow me down. After another hour of searching I made it to the second basement level. It was in even worse shape and there were still no hints for where the boss could be.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°One whose fate¡­ lays in darkness¡­ Slumbers below¡­¡± The whisper-like voice appeared around me. ¡°What was the deal we made, what was ¡°everything¡±!? How do I return to the Fallen Abyss!?!¡± I called out to the empty room around me. Darkness appeared next to me creating a tunnel downwards. With no reply to my questions I used my wings to glide down the tunnel safely. It ended in a metal old world room covered in dusty desks, computers, and a big glass window on the other side of the room. I felt something urging me towards the glass, when I arrived I saw an old-world soldier chained to the wall and in front of him was a floating core. -Congratulations! Pathfinding has increased to 7/10!- Active Level: 110 Total Level: 110 Title: Force of a Fallen Nation Name: Kenneth Porter Race: Pure Vampire Age: 171 He had dark blonde hair in a short-textured hairstyle, appeared to be in his late thirties, and had a lightly muscled body. His gear was decaying but it was clearly old-world combat gear. I used Abyssal energy to open a large hole in the glass and climbed through. As I approached he looked up showing his blood red eyes. His face was clean shaven and if he weren¡¯t viciously trying to eat me he would be very good looking. ¡°Can you understand me?¡± He lunged at me while growling and showing his fangs. I raised my sword to try my new skill but I suddenly felt anger, sadness, and loss. It was a connection to the person in front of me. I put my blade away and watched him. ¡®Was the whisper-like voice referring to this man?¡¯ I focused on the connection and closed my eyes. I was in the floating part of the Abyss which I knew all too well but instead of myself floating down the man was there instead. ¡°Like the table¡­ sanctuary for those I could¡­ lack power¡­ unlike you¡­ unlike Radiant Night¡­¡± Next to me were two massive white eyes staring. I had questions I that needed to be answered but whatever was happening now had to be taken care of. I floated towards the man. ¡°Saving him¡­ will bind¡­ his soul¡­¡± ¡°Is there any other way to save him?¡± ¡°None¡­¡± ¡°Then it will be his choice.¡± I wouldn¡¯t force anyone to serve me. If he wanted to die, I would grant it. ¡°Wake up.¡± He opened his eyes and looked over at me. ¡°Angels? I take it I¡¯m dead then.¡± His voice was filled with regret and sadness. ¡°Not quite, you¡¯re a boss monster in a dungeon. I can kill you or set you free however that freedom comes at a cost, your soul will be bound to me.¡± ¡°Freedom comes at a cost¡­ I¡¯ve heard that line many times. What exactly does it mean for me?¡± ¡°Eternal service¡­ to Radiant Night¡­¡± ¡®I guess Radiant Night is me then.¡¯ ¡°Radiant Night, how many years has it been since the world ended?¡± ¡°Over 120 years most likely.¡± The answer made him close his eyes and frown. ¡°I¡¯ll agree to serve you on three conditions. Help me find my children and friends, grant them your full protection without any conditions, and assist us all in finding blood so we can remain in a human state. If all of those are met, I will be your loyal soldier.¡± ¡°I accept your terms.¡± I was conflicted. I considered this similar to slavery but at the same time it brought me comfort knowing this person could never betray me. I returned to the room where Kenneth was still chained to the wall. Swirling darkness ate away his chains causing him to fall to the ground and then went inside his chest. -Congratulations! You have defeated the final boss. Bonus exp has been granted!- -Congratulations! Hero of Twilight has leveled up to 12/??!- -Congratulations! Nightmare has leveled up to 12/??!- -Congratulations! Seraph has leveled up to 12/??!- -Congratulations! Starlight Chef has leveled up to 25/50!- -Total Level 60 racial attribute bonuses have been granted.- -Generating loot with 11% luck bonus.- -Congratulations! You have received Force of a Fallen Nation Gear and Weapons Chest!- -Congratulations! You have earned the title ¡°Dungeoneer¡±!- Dungeoneer ¨C Defeated a Legendary Dungeon. Grants: Damage done within dungeons, ruins, and caves increased by 10%. Grants 3 Free Attributes. Source: Defeat the final boss of a Legendary+ Dungeon. -Congratulations! You have earned the title ¡°Soloer¡±!- Soloist ¨C Defeated a Legendary Dungeon alone. Grants: +1 to all attributes. Source: Defeat the final boss of a Legendary+ Dungeon alone. After a couple of seconds he lifted himself onto his hands and knees but then stopped moving. I noticed tears falling from his face as he stared at the dusty metal floor below him but he quickly wiped them away and stood up. Despite crying just moments before he was giving me a kind smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you saved me, but I am grateful. My name is Kenneth Porter it is nice to meet you.¡± He stuck his hand out for a handshake which I accepted. ¡°What should I call you then? Radiant Night?¡± ¡°Ellie is fine. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m being called Radiant Night.¡± ¡°So Ellie, when did Angels start showing up in North America?¡± ¡°I was Human before I became like this, I should probably tell you about myself.¡± I told him about my past and everything that happened. Two things about my past caused him to react both of which I did not expect. The first was knowing that I was a slave before the world ended, this caused him to look down and apologize. ¡°It had nothing to do with you. You don¡¯t need to apologize.¡± ¡°I am likely one of the last people officially from the USA so it falls on me to take responsibility for our failures. That should never have happened, not in the United States. I¡¯m sorry Ellie.¡± I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it was forgiven. ¡°You can make it up to me while we work together then.¡± The second thing that caused a reaction was my age. It looked like it made him sad but he didn¡¯t say anything about it. ¡°We¡¯re both looking for people then¡ª¡± He brought his hand up to his head in pain. ¡°Sorry, the bloodthirst never relents, we¡¯ll need to find some blood for me.¡± ¡°You are free to try my blood. My endurance is very high so it shouldn¡¯t be an issue.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not worried I will try turning you into a vampire?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t work, one of my races eats other ones.¡± ¡°One of your races? I thought you could only have one?¡± I lowered my hood revealing my horns. ¡°I have two, hurry up and try eating.¡± He hesitated while looking at my arm but then bit into it. I could feel warmth letting me know there was an issue but it did not bother me much. After a minute he let go and fell back. ¡°This power, it maxed out my legendary vampire class in a single feeding! Wait, I just realized you updated my race and gave me a class¡­¡± He was scrolling through the invisible screen in front of him. ¡°A legendary origin class from being the final dungeon boss, a divine origin class ¡°Fallen,¡± my Pure Vampire class, and my rare class Marine. Ellie, give me a few minutes to go through all of this. I should have played more RPG games with my son¡­¡± While he looked over his classes I grabbed the core. -WARNING: You are attempting to claim a Legendary Dungeon Core. Only the first owner will receive the Claimer¡¯s Bonus. Would you like to proceed? Y/N- I clicked Yes. -Congratulations! The Legendary Dungeon Core is now under your ownership.- -Congratulations! You have been granted the Class [Legendary] Ancient Engineer!- Ancient Engineer ¨C You walk the path of forgotten Engineers. The secrets of old technologies reveal themselves to you. If a crafting plan has been lost in any way your ability to recreate it is increased by 1000%. Crafting speed and quality of all engineering items made increased by 100%. Grants high unaspected mana affinity. Grants Legendary skill Ancient Engineering. Grants Legendary skill Inspect. Grants 1 free Strength, Perception, Wisdom, Craftsmanship, and Control Attributes. 1 Wisdom, 1 Craftsmanship, and 1 Control every 10 levels. 3 Bonus Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/50 -[Legendary] Inspect has merged with [Divine] Eyes of the Abyss. One skill level and 10 skill points have been granted.- I replaced slave with my new crafting class. I didn¡¯t expect to make use of it anytime soon however the skill inspect was very interesting. I could look at something and it would tell me its uses for crafting or general information about it. After reviewing his status Kenneth began rummaging through the loot chest. ¡°Ellie, are you going to use the gear in this chest? It looks like modified versions of weapons I used before the world ended.¡± I walked over and looked in. Name: M16 Magitek Custom Rarity: Legendary Equip Effect: Magitek Aim Assist. Dexterity +3. Enchant: Mana Bullets Description: A modern take on an ancient human weapon. Name: M1911 Magitek Custom Rarity: Legendary Equip Effect: Magitek Aim Assist. Dexterity +3. Enchant: Mana Bullets Description: A modern take on an ancient human weapon. Name: Adamantite Combat Knife Rarity: Legendary Equip Effect: Perception +3. Description: A modern take on an ancient human weapon. Name: Spectral Grenades Rarity: Legendary Equip Effect: Regenerating Supply. Multitype Grenades. Description: An Undead take on an ancient human weapon. Name: Solider¡¯s Gear Magitek Custom Rarity: Legendary Set Bonus: Magitek Barrier Enchant: Auto Repair Description: A modern take on ancient human combat gear. ¡°They''re all yours. I mainly use magic.¡± ¡°Will the guns work? Anything that relied on an energy source or a chemical reaction stopped working a day after God¡¯s Guidance arrived.¡± He was inspecting the parts of the different weapons. ¡°Those are Magitek versions. They also use mana bullets so there should be no issues.¡± ¡°Magitek huh¡­¡± He picked up the pistol and aimed it in front of him. ¡°The aim assist makes the range and accuracy absurd. I doubt I¡¯ll ever miss a shot.¡± While Kenneth changed and looked over each item, I asked him about his past. ¡°Kenneth, what did you do before the world ended?¡± ¡°I was a soldier who had a talent for being quiet, following orders, and getting rid of people so I ended up doing unique work for the government.¡± Even with that reply I was nervous about Kenneth¡¯s opinion on killing people. ¡°We might have to kill people. If you don¡¯t want to I¡ª" He placed his hand on my left shoulder as he walked past now fully geared and ready to go. ¡°I can take care of anyone who troubles you Ellie. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± We made our way up the tunnel and then headed for the exit. I thought I would have to carry Kenneth, but he was able to turn into a bat and fly with me. ¡°The country outside is built on the values of the USA. I think you will like it.¡± ¡°I look forward to seeing it then.¡± The exit didn¡¯t have a notification for leaving and when we arrived outside it was different. The female guard near the gate was in purple and red partial plate armor that had a black vulture painted on the front. ¡°A Demihuman and Vampire? How the hell did you both get into the dungeon?¡± ¡°The dungeon¡¯s gone, I cleared it. We¡¯re heading to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild to complete the job now.¡± I took the core out and showed it to her. ¡°I need backup at the gate! The dungeon has been cleared and a Demihuman has the core! We need arrows!¡± The entrance area started filling with guards wearing similar armor. Pushing his way to the front was a familiar bald head, he looked a lot older though. ¡°Y-Your alive! You need to fly away now!¡± He had a face of panic. ¡°Aron do you want to die? I told you to get lost.¡± ¡°You¡¯re seriously holding onto that still?! You¡¯ve been in there for 12 years! Safe Haven¡¯s gone!¡± ¡°Hey, are you with the Demihuman?!¡± He started panicking looking at us then back at the guards. ¡°You need to let her leave! She¡¯s been in there for 12 years and she was already powerful before that!¡± ¡®How was I in there for 12 years? During adventurer training they specified time in the dungeon passed the same as it did outside.¡¯ ¡°Are you implying trained guards of Vranoris Empire can¡¯t handle one Demihuman and a monster?!¡± ¡°Not this one! Good luck Ellie, I gotta run!¡± Aron took off with his party. ¡°It seems the country I knew is gone. Sorry Kenneth, I got your hopes up for it too.¡± He laughed. ¡°It''s not a problem; nothing can compare to the original anyway. Still, it¡¯s a shame it fell.¡± The guards were beginning to approach. I readied my wings and Kenneth turned into a bat while grabbing onto my cloak. ¡°We need to make two stops before we head out. Flight!¡± I took off into the sky as fast as possible. ¡°Ellie what¡¯s a Demihuman?¡± ¡°I think its what Humans call any intelligent race that looks similar to a Human.¡± We arrived at the Fox and the Fiddle however the sign had been replaced. It now read The Caged Fox. ¡°Kenneth keep the front clear, I need to find two people. We will have to go on foot to protect them.¡± ¡°Got it, take your time.¡± Kenneth took out his M16 and I went inside. At the counter was a skinny old guy. ¡°We don¡¯t serve Demihumans here! Get out before I call the guards!¡± ¡°Aura of Divinity.¡± The skinny old man and his patrons in the restaurant area to my left fell back in fear. Some started crying, others screamed, and a few were begging for their lives. ¡°Where are the original owners?¡± The old man raised his shaking hand and pointed to the restaurant. I expected to see them doing slave labor but that was not the case. On the left side of the room a humanoid fox pelt hung from the wall and in the cage next to it was flora silently staring towards me. ¡®I¡¯m not too late!¡¯ I ran over and opened the cage door. ¡°Flora! It''s me, its Ellie! We have to go now!¡± She was not responding so I pulled her, with a light thud she fell over in the same position. ¡°Flora!? What have they done to you? ¡®It must be a paralyzation skill of some kind!¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll carry you, don¡¯t worry we¡¯ll get out of here.¡± I lifted her light body and made my way to the door. Just before exiting a young girl called out from the stairs. ¡°Grandpa she¡¯s stealing our stuffed fox!¡± ¡®Stuffed?¡¯ I looked down at Flora¡¯s face. It should have been obvious but I didn¡¯t want it to be true. Dead plastic eyes were the only thing staring back at me. ¡°Tully, no! Go back upstairs now!¡± The young girl ignored him and ran to my side. ¡°Give back Foxy and get out you bad Demihuman!¡± -Congratulations! Emotion Suppression has increased to 9/10!- I ignored her and knelt next to flora. Tears fell from my eyes as I looked over her stuffed body. ¡°The charm helped flora. It made me very happy. I will make sure your clan knows everything you and your father worked for. If I am able, I will help them in your place. Goodnight Flora, thank you for being kind to me.¡± The old man ran over and grabbed the young girl. I looked at him and asked one question. ¡°Was it you?¡± ¡°Please leave us. We just want to¡ª¡± ¡°ANSWER!¡± ¡°Y-Yes, please leave my granddaughter she had no part in it. This was all my doing!¡± ¡°Father what¡¯s going on, I was in the bath and heard yelling?¡± A woman walked in from the bathing area. ¡°Quickly, take Tully and go upstairs now!¡± The woman immediately complied. ¡®All of them deserve to die.¡¯ I desperately wanted to activate Nightmare and slaughter them. I stood and took out my iron sword. ¡°Scars of despair.¡± The skill caused a dark red glow to appear on the blade. ¡®Why are you being merciful?¡¯ I did the first slash through his body. It passed without resistance leaving a black scar with glowing red edges overtop of his clothing and skin. ¡®Did they show mercy to Flora?¡¯ The third slash passed through. ¡®Would they show mercy to you?¡¯ The sixth slash passed through. ¡®Your weakness is why you repeatedly lose everything.¡¯ When I got to the ninth slash I waited. Even if I was being merciful I wanted everyone in the restaurant to watch him suffer. ¡°The tenth slash will kill you. I am destroying this place when we are done so go and do one final job, tell everyone to get the hell out! If you try to flee, you will watch everything you love die before I finally finish you.¡± With the mention of his family he did as he was told. Everyone saw the nine black and red scars across his body. ¡°Grandpa! I don¡¯t wanna go without grandpa!¡± ¡°I love you Dad, I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± With those parting words they both left. ¡°I love you t¡ª" After completing the last slash all 10 scars glowed dark red and cut through him at once. Nothing but a pile of blood and flesh remained. I silently walked outside closing the door behind me. ¡°A few guards have noticed and are on their way. Did you find them?¡± I placed my hand on the closed door. ¡°I did. Abyssal infusion, Consuming Darkness.¡± A cloud of darkness devoured the inn leaving no trace of the building behind. -Congratulations! Emotion Suppression has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 3 skill points!- -Congratulations! Emotion Suppression has evolved into Emotion Nullification!- -Congratulations! Emotion Nullification has increased to 5/10!- [Rare] Emotion Nullification ¨C 6% reduction to maximum emotion capabilities. An additional 6% per level of this skill. Current Total: 30% Passive Source: Evolved from Emotion Suppression. Skill level: 5/10 ~~~=--^--=~~~ ¡°Living under the Vranoris Empire is not so bad, assuming you¡¯re a Human of course! I was promoted to manager when the old one fled the country seven years ago.¡± My life had gone well after Safe Haven lost the war. So many adventurers left the country that the guild was desperate for workers and as a result, someone as weak as me became a branch manager! I assumed it would be short-lived and the Adventurers Guild would get dismantled like every other guild but being a neutral entity paid off! As my friend and I were having dinner in my office the new girl who should be working at the front desk ran in without knocking. ¡°Ms. Williams! I-I need you at the front desk, p-please!¡± I gave her an angry look. ¡°This better be worth my time¡­¡± We walked down the hall to the reception area. I was expecting some rowdy morons but instead an eerie silence had taken over the entire room. ¡°M-Ms. Noir the branch manager is here to assist you.¡± The Angel girl from 12 years ago returned and half of her had become something terrifying. Beginning at her arm and spreading across her body and head was purplish darkness with cracks of light throughout it. Her right eye was a white circle and a large horn curved above her head. Her left side was otherwise the same as 12 years ago. To add to the tension her party member was a Vampire with blood red eyes, in full old-world army gear, and holding a large gun. There were many guns in the Human continent but none of them worked. ¡®Some people collect them but why is this guy carrying it around?!¡¯ I walked behind the desk and put on my best customer service face like the first time I saw her. Every adventurer was eyeing the situation. ¡°Y-Your guild card please.¡± She reached into her bag with dark claw-like fingers and placed it on the desk. The dreaded X rank card was now sitting in front of me. 12 years ago, a new rank was created for Divine class holders however when the supposed divine Angel never returned from her job people assumed it was all a scam. By this point the darkness on her body started dissipating. I could hardly imagine the kind of skill which could create something so scary. ¡°X Rank Ellie Noir, the guild is happy to learn you survived! Have you come to update us on your current Job¡¯s status?¡± The mention of X rank caused everyone to stare more intently. It was considered a joke amongst adventurers since no one could receive it. ¡°The dungeon is gone, I cleared it.¡± With her unchanging emotionless voice she said the impossible. I looked into her glowing eyes hidden in the darkness of her hood waiting for a laugh, but she just stared back waiting. ¡°P-Proof, we umm, need proof, the core for example!¡± She reached into her bag and placed the most valuable object I had ever seen in front of me. This was a Legendary Dungeon core, the power to make a country or city blessed by God sat right there. ¡°Is the Wood Elf still alive?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid he fled this country however the rewards are still present.¡± I turned and ordered one of the higher-ranking receptionists to get it. The three items which Mr. Basswood intended to trade for the core were famous. It was through the combined effort of Safe Haven¡¯s Demihumans that they were able to collect them all. When Safe Haven fell, the Vranoris Empire demanded the items however they were already under the guilds protection so there was nothing they could do unless they cleared the dungeon themselves. ¡°Here they are Ms. Williams!¡± A chest was placed on the counter between us. It contained a sphere which could increase Fire Affinity by 20%, a potion of ancient knowledge said to raise intellect by 3, and finally an uncommon class book for the Electricity Mage. Any of these items could completely change someone¡¯s future. ¡°All attempts to contact Mr. Basswood regarding the reward have failed. It was decided internally that all three items would be given to whoever completes the request.¡± The Angel looked inside glancing at the items and then turned to the Vampire. ¡°None of the items are anything special. Its an affinity increase for fire, +3 intellect, and an uncommon mage class. Care for any of these? I¡¯ll use what you don¡¯t want.¡± ¡°I believe my Mana Bullets can take on affinities so I¡¯ll take the orb. You¡¯re the magic caster so it''s better for you to have Intellect and magic classes.¡± ¡®None of the items are anything special¡­ Is this girl insane!? And what¡¯s this Vampire on about, does that gun actually work?!¡¯ The other adventures and I watched with blank stares as the ridiculous conversation continued. After they used all three items like they were nothing, I had to finalize her membership. ¡°The Guild is grateful for your 12 years of hard work! I am happy to tell you that your trial is officially complete. Your card can now be used at any branch of the Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡± ¡°Thank you. I require some information as well. 12 years ago I arrived here with a man named Derik, is he alive?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, he went off to war and has not returned, his family also vanished shortly after the war ended. He used to visit the old manager a lot and the famous adventurer party Northwind also visited him a few times. If anyone knows it would be them.¡± Without giving me a chance to catch my breath she continued with another question. ¡°Do you have any information on Pure Vampires?¡± ¡°Very little, they are the origin of all vampires and have a legendary racial class. They supposedly have a country in the old-world city of San Francisco however most who travel to the west coast don¡¯t make it back alive. There are scouting jobs available if you are interested.¡± ¡°No that will be everything, thank you for your time.¡± She gave an elegant bow and returned the dungeon core to her bag. As they were about to leave the front doors flew open. Vranoris guards and an official knight in full red plate armor walked in. ¡°Demihuman, you are under arrest for the murder of The Caged Fox¡¯s owner! This is why we don¡¯t let your filthy kind run wild!¡± He spit with the last words. ¡°Kenneth, please clear the way.¡± She coldly ordered. The vampire nodded and pointed his gun towards the group of guards. ¡°This is your only warning. Get out of the way or die.¡± ¡°What are you going to do? Shoot me?¡± The knight began laughing and the guards all joined in shortly after. *POP**POP**POP**POP* Horrible popping sounds I never heard before rang out, in an instant all the guards and even the knight fell to the ground dead. The surrounding adventurers were all frozen in fear. Everyone heard stories about guns but no one truly believed how powerful they used to be. My ears kept ringing as I fell to the floor myself. ¡®An uncommon class holder was killed like he was nothing. How many could that Vampire kill before they even touch him?¡¯ It was a horrifying thought, an Angel and Vampire somehow obtained Humanity¡¯s forgotten power. After regaining my senses I slowly rose up from behind the counter, the Angel and Vampire were gone. Chapter 9 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 9 Under the twilight sky, we drank next to a fire and three fading gravestones. We ended up going north to Kenneth¡¯s parent''s house where he originally left his kids. The house had long since decayed, but Kenneth was able to find his Father¡¯s stash of looted alcohol in a fallout shelter on the property. -Congratulations! Poison Resistance II has increased to 8/10!- I was attempting to drown out the world, but my skills were working against me. ¡°Are we going to talk about it?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°The inn.¡± ¡°I told you that there would be killing, there¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡± I turned away from the fire and kept drinking. ¡°I take it you made a hard choice in there so I won¡¯t push the matter. Just know I¡¯m here to listen.¡± I stayed quiet for a couple of minutes before realizing I was declining someone¡¯s kindness which caused more regret to build up inside. Not long after I broke and started talking. ¡°Fine. They skinned her, stuffed her, and then kept her as a dining area decoration. I wanted to kill them all. I wanted them to suffer like she did but I showed mercy and only killed the old man.¡± ¡°There is nothing wrong with showing mercy, Ellie.¡± ¡°They didn¡¯t deserve mercy! T-They didn¡¯t deserve it¡­¡± I started crying. -Congratulations! Emotion Nullification has increased to 6/10!- ¡®You failed her. It won¡¯t be long before Kenneth dies too.¡¯ ¡°To be kind after everything you¡¯ve been through is an impressive feat, not something to look down on yourself for. I think she would be proud of that.¡± ¡®You¡¯ll never know because you already let her die.¡¯ I was still troubled by the events, but Kenneth¡¯s kindness helped. ¡°For someone that offers to listen, you don¡¯t talk about yourself much.¡± I pulled my knees in and held the bottle against my chest while waiting for Kenneth¡¯s reply. He laughed. ¡°I¡¯m okay, thank you for worrying about me though.¡± ¡°Just know I¡¯m here to listen¡­¡± I mockingly mumbled those words while looking away. ¡°Hey! Are you making fun of me?!¡± He teasingly replied. It was nice being able to open up to someone even if it was just a little bit. ~~~ The night arrived as we silently drank listening to the calming crackle of the fire. While emptying a bottle of rum into my mouth, a notification appeared. -Congratulations! Poison Resistance II has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 10 skill points!- -Congratulations! Poison Resistance II has evolved into Poison Resistance III!- -Congratulations! Poison Resistance III has increased to 5/10!- ¡°Why can¡¯t you just let me get drunk!?¡± I threw the bottle off into the field. -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Throwing Mastery!- -Congratulations! Throwing Mastery has increased to 5/10!- ¡°Pure Vampires are immune to Poison and Disease thanks to a racial ability. I completely understand how you feel.¡± Kenneth opened another bottle for himself, and I continued with the pile I was hoarding next to me. ¡°Kenneth, how did you become a Vampire? If your son and daughter are still alive, they must be Vampires too.¡± ¡°I suppose I should tell you about that. I apologize ahead of time¡­ I¡¯m generally not one to talk about my past.¡± I opened another bottle, this time vodka. ¡°When the world ended I was on a group trip with my family, two friends from the military, and their families. We were on our way back to the hotel from Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles, California when God visited. After that monsters started appearing and chaos began. I saw a couple get pulled into the sewers by some hairy creature, there was a bloodbath on the beach, and larger monsters were running rampant in the streets. My friends and I were armed so we guided our families to a stronghold that the military was setting up. Things went smoothly for us the first day but the second was when everything came crashing down. Any power source or advanced chemical reaction stopped working. Electricity, bullets, gasoline, all of it was gone, so we had to switch to combat knives which made things even harder.¡± He became silent for a second and downed the bottle he was holding. ¡°Have you ever seen the person you love most in the world look at you like you¡¯re a monster?¡± His comment caused me to think about myself. ¡®What would Arty or the table members think of me now?¡¯ ¡°I never let my family see the side of me that comes out during work but people were desperate, and I had kill to protect my wife, even if she hated me for it. From the start, all the death was taking its toll on her but what pushed her over the edge was seeing me kill a man who was trying to open the gate for looters. I slit his throat from behind without even thinking, it was just natural. After that, she stopped talking and looked at me with such a horrified expression anytime I came near. Not even our kids could bring her out of the state she was left in. She was too good for this world¡­ too good for me¡­¡± He looked back at the gravestone with his wife¡¯s name on it. He told me his children must have made them. ¡°Our kids took to the new world surprisingly well. My 13-year-old daughter became the star monster killer and saw the new world as nothing but a game. She obtained the Legendary Class ¡°Mystic Blade Dancer¡± and wiped out entire waves of enemies on her own. I had rare Marine as my origin class, my son had common Student, and my wife had common Florist.¡± ¡°Were rare and legendary classes common?¡± ¡°No, not at all, we were just very lucky. Both of my friends got uncommon solider classes and civilians rarely got combat-related origin classes. On the third day, we were scouting the stronghold perimeter when a pack of wolf-like creatures attacked us from over the hill. It was my friends, a few of their kids, and my two children. We were struggling, but we were going to make it until a fat guy wearing trench coat showed up. He started doing some monologue about being our savior and then announced he had the legendary class Plague Master. He casted ¡°Zombie Plague¡± on the wolves which killed them instantly, but he was not a necromancer, so when the now legendary zombie wolves rose from the dead they went straight for the stronghold. The moron started to panic and told us he would grant us his blessing which was ¡°Vampiric Plague.¡± The last thing I saw was the guy getting torn apart by his own zombies as we passed out from our changing bodies.¡± ¡®I wonder what Plague Master¡¯s class shop looked like. That was a dangerous class with those two skills alone.¡¯ ¡°We woke up sometime later surrounded by undead. Zombies, skeletons, ghosts, every undead you could imagine. It turns out those zombies could infect corpses, and as you could imagine there were a lot of corpses. My son said that the land was probably tainted with undeath which was causing the other types to appear naturally. We went back to the stronghold to find almost everyone dead, only the people who made it to the panic room were alive. It turns out it had been a week, and we were all hoping our families were in there.¡± ¡°The undead didn¡¯t kill you while you were sleeping for a week?¡± ¡°Undead see vampires as one of their own, so the mindless ones ignore us completely. We cleared the area and forced open the door only to find the most horrible scene you could imagine. A group took advantage of the soldiers who died protecting them and deemed themselves the leaders. To save food and water, they started killing anyone who resisted. Next, they focused on killing the men and then finally the woman who would not ¡°join¡± them. I found my wife¡¯s body piled in the freezer and I killed them all for it. Every last one that joined them died and became food for us. Thinking back on it now there were many I should have spared, but at that moment none of them deserved to live. Its why I don¡¯t think your mercy and kindness is a bad thing, Ellie.¡± I stayed quiet as he continued. ¡°After that we split up, my kids and I went to Washington to see if the government fell and the rest stayed. The entire west coast was death and undead all because of a single idiot, but the rest of the nation was not much better. If it wasn¡¯t monsters, it was disgusting people taking advantage of the situation. The land of freedom I fought for was gone, but I still held some hope for Washington. After checking on my parents and leaving my kids to protect them, I went to Washington alone where what was left of the government imprisoned me and started doing tests. I slowly went insane from not feeding and became a monster, before I knew it I was the bloodthirsty boss of a dungeon. That¡¯s the just of it.¡± -Congratulations! English has increased to 6/10!- It was now late into the night, the fire was dying down, and I was out of alcohol. Kenneth offered to take first watch, but I no longer slept, so I told him it was fine. Using the spare time I decided to manage my Status. ¡®With everything that¡¯s happening, I probably shouldn¡¯t be so stingy with my Free Attributes and Skill Points.¡¯ ¡°Status.¡± HP: 90/90 (1.27/H) STM: 90/90 (1.27/M) MP: 45/45 (0.40/M) DP: 3/?? (??) Active Level: 62 Total Level: 68 Title: [Divinity] Name: Ellie Noir Race: Nightmare/Seraph Age: 20 Gender: Female Mana Affinity: [Abyssal: 200%], [Serenity: 200%], [Electricity: 11%], [Fire: 14%], [Unaspected: 93%], Origin Classes: [Nightmare Lvl: 12], [Seraph Lvl: 12], [Hero of Twilight Lvl: 12] Classes: [~L~ Starlight Chef Lvl: 25/50], [~U~ Electricity Mage 1/20] Sub Classes: [~L~ Ancient Engineer Lvl: 1/50], [~V~ Slave Lvl: 5/5], Attribute Points: 16 Skill Points: 561 Companions: [X - Artel Noir Lvl: 1], Attributes: Attribute Enhancements: [Enhanced Constitution], [Enhanced Endurance], EXP Bonus: 9000% (91x) EXP Bonus to Skill level 0-5: 129,000% (1291x) [Origin ?? 3/3] [Origin Divine 10/10], [Origin Mythical 5/5], [Power of the Fallen Abyss 5/5], [Power of the Fallen Abyss 5/5], [Power of the Radiant Sky 5/5], Titles: [Nightmare], [Seraph], [Divinity], [Legend Slayer], [Slave], [Dragon Slayer], [Undead Slayer], [The Undying], [Dungeoneer], [Soloer], ?? Skills: [Nightmare 1/1], [Seraph 1/1], [Brilliant Dawn 1/1], [Dusk of a Thousand Shifting Rays 1/1], Combat Skills: [Combat Medic 5/10], [Limit Break 5/10], [Hallowed Ground 5/10], [Scars of Despair 1/10], Passive Combat Skills: [Dagger Mastery 2/10], [Short Sword Mastery 5/10], [Throwing Mastery 5/10], Passive Combat Defence Skills: [Pain Immunity 8/10], [Fear Immunity 7/10], [Blunt Damage Resistance IV 5/10], [Slashing Damage Resistance IV 8/10], [Piercing Damage Immunity 6/10], [Evasion 5/10], [Undying 1/10], [Poison Resistance III 8/10], Magic Skills: [Aura of Divinity 5/10], [Abyssal Infusion 6/10], [Unaspected Infusion 5/10], [Shattered Light 10/10], [Consuming Darkness 10/10], [Passage 1/10], [Reality Shift 1/10], [Serenity Infusion 5/10], [Shock 1/10], Passive Magic Skills: [Soul Link 5/10], [Eyes of the Abyss 6/10], [Abyssal Manipulation 5/10], [Serenity Manipulation 5/10], Passive Magic Defence Skills: [Abyssal Immunity 10/10], [Serenity Immunity 2/10], [Mind Immunity 1/10], [Electricity Resistance II 2/10], [Fire Resistance II 6/10], [Draconic Resistance 5/10], [Barrier of Twilight 5/10], [Wind Resistance 5/10], Survival Skills: [Climb 9/10], [Flash Steps 5/10], [Jump 5/10], [Swim 5/10], [Flight 9/10], [Dodge 5/10], Passive Survival Skills: [Hunger Nullification 10/10], [Emotion Nullification 6/10], [Exhaust Nullification 9/10], [Thirst Nullification 9/10], [Survivalist 2/10], [Pathfinding 6/10], [Taming 5/10], [Stealth 2/10], Life Skills: [Hero¡¯s Refuge 1/10], [Fear 5/10], Passive Life Skills: [English 6/10], [Reading 5/10], [Noble Etiquette 5/10], [Housekeeping 4/10], [Singing 5/10], [Labourer 1/10], [Bartering 6/10], Crafting Skills: [Starlight Kitchen 1/10], [Hasty Touch 3/10], Passive Crafting Skills: [Starlight Cooking 5/10], [First Aid 6/10], [Animal Husbandry 5/10], [Ancient Engineering 1/10], ¡®I¡¯m just going to stack Intelligence.¡¯ -Please confirm free attribute placement: 16 Intelligence Attributes (Y/N)-This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. I clicked Yes and I felt my magic power sky rocket. The first shop I checked was the Attribute Shop for Enhanced Intelligence and after purchasing I was surprised to see Enhanced Intelligence II for 20 skill points appear which pushed my magic power even further. Enhanced Intelligence II replaced the ¡°I¡± version and increased the bonuses from Intelligence by 100%. I now had 250 mana and each point granted 10. ¡®My next goal is getting Wisdom to 25 then.¡¯ With the obvious choice out of the way I opened all my Class Shops and started browsing. -Fallen Class Store- [Divine] Grasp of the Abyss ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Summon Abyssal ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Extinguish Life ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Requiem of the Fallen ¨C 100 SP [Divine] Land of Death, Sky of Darkness ¨C 100 SP [Title] Ruler of the Fallen Abyss ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 521 -Hero of Twilight Class Store- [Mythical] Shadow Fade ¨C 40 SP [Divine] Darkness Unending ¨C 40 SP [Mythical] Shimmer ¨C 40 SP [Divine] Light Eternal ¨C 40 SP [Companion] ¨C 40 SP [Weapon] ¨C 100 SP [Title] Hero of Twilight ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 521 -Electricity Mage- [Uncommon] Static Touch ¨C 5 SP [Uncommon] Shock Armour ¨C 5 SP [Uncommon] Lightning Bolt ¨C 10 SP [Title] Electricity Mage ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 521 -Attribute Store- ~ Store Updates based on Attributes ~ Available Skill Points: 521 -Affinity Store- [Rare] Generate Random Dark Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Death Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Light Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Life Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Unaspected Skill ¨C 10 SP ~ Store Updates based on Attributes ~ Available Skill Points: 521 I eventually picked Grasp of the Abyss, Extinguish Life, ¡®Land of Death, Sky of Darkness,¡¯ Shadow Fade, Shimmer, Weapon, Static Touch, Shock Armour, and Lightning Bolt. [Divine] Grasp of the Abyss ¨C Summon an abyssal arm at the desired location. The arm always has Touch of the Abyss active however the damage can be toggled on or off. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Extinguish Life ¨C Attempt to destroy a target¡¯s soul. Powerful souls will be able to resist this skill. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [??] Land of Death, Sky of Darkness ¨C Remove the border between this world and the Fallen Abyss. Mana Cost: N/A Restrictions: Can only be used once a day. Source: Fallen Class Store Source: Adjusted by Nightmare. Skill levels: 1/1 [Mythical] Shadow Fade ¨C Fade to the realm of shadows. While within you can not be seen or attacked. Attacking removes you from the shadows. Cost: 100/M Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Mythical] Shimmer ¨C Sparkling lights surround your body allowing for gravity-defying bursts of speed. Mana Cost: 25 Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 -Dodge has merged with Shimmer granting one skill level and 1 skill point.- -Generating ?? Hero¡¯s Weapon with 11% Luck Bonus- -Congratulations! The ?? sword ¡°Setting Sun¡± has been granted!- Name: Setting Sun Rarity: ?? Equip Effect: All melee damage causes additional Twilight damage. Twilight builds at twice the normal rate allowing for more frequent use of ?? twilight skills. Description: A blade containing the power of a star. [Uncommon] Static Touch ¨C The next target you touch is stunned for a short time. Mana Cost: 3 Source: Electricity Mage Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Uncommon] Shock Armour ¨C A small amount of electricity surrounds you causing slight electric damage attackers within melee range. Mana Cost: 3/M Source: Electricity Mage Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Uncommon] Lighting Bolt ¨C Shoot a bolt of Lightning at the target. Mana Cost: 5 Source: Electricity Mage Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 -Congratulations! You have completed the Electricity Mage Class Store! Title ¡°Electricity Mage¡± has been granted!- -Congratulations! ¡°Electricity Mage¡± has granted the skill Electrify!- [Uncommon] Electrify ¨C Channel electricity into a target within arms reach. Mana Cost: 1/M Source: Electricity Mage bonus skill. Skill levels: 1/10 I was only able to glance at the passing notifications before my attention turned to the sword floating in front of me. It was lighting up the entire field as if it were day and even caused Kenneth to wake up startled. The sword¡¯s hilt was a twilight orange with the symbol of a setting sun just before the blade, the handle was designed to look like twilight flames, and the blade itself had light yellow edges surrounding moving flames almost as if the sun itself was trapped inside. ¡°Ellie what is that!? The heat is burning everything around it!¡± Kenneth who was now standing with his gun ready yelled. ¡®Now that he mentions it everything around it is burning. How come I can¡¯t feel the heat?¡¯ ¡°Sorry for waking you. It¡¯s a weapon from one of my class stores. I didn¡¯t expect it to be so bright or hot.¡± I walked over and grabbed the handle causing the blade to dim. It was still glowing and emitting a gentle warmth, but it wouldn¡¯t interrupt anyone sleeping now. I removed my old iron sword and placed Setting Sun on my side. ¡°Consuming Darkness.¡± The fires vanished into the darkness. ¡°I was worried it was a monster. The light was preventing me from getting a shot so I would have been useless. Even like that, I can still feel the warmth coming from it. Are you okay with having it right on your side?¡± ¡°It''s not hot for me maybe it only affects others. Want to try holding it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take your word for it. Next time you¡¯re summoning otherworldly weapons please give me a heads up.¡± He waved as he walked off back to his side of the campfire and I returned to my notifications. ¡®Shadow Fade and Shimmer have a mana cost, so I¡¯ll assume they don¡¯t activate Nightmare or Seraph. As for my new electricity skills¡­ They all look weak, but at least I have options now.¡¯ I reviewed my status once more and realized I now had the required mana for some older skills. In particular, I wanted to try Hero¡¯s Refuge since I never had a home. Even if the skill only gave me a small room I would be happy. -Generating Hero¡¯s Refuge with 11% Luck Bonus- -Congratulations! The Divine skill ¡°Snowy Nights¡± has replaced Hero¡¯s Refuge!- [Divine] Snowy Nights ¨C Summon a doorway to your personal pocket dimension. Each skill level allows the selection of a new perk. Mana Cost: 100 Source: Generated by Hero¡¯s Refuge. Skill levels: 1/10 ¡°Snowy Nights¡± -Congratulations! Snowy Nights has increased to 5/10!- A screen popped up with the options Personal Entrance or Customer Entrance. Not understanding why there would be one for customers I clicked personal causing a fancy door to appear in front of me. It was black with a large cloudy design on the upper half, piled snow and ice on the bottom, and in-between were small falling snowflakes. I wanted to go in and explore, but I already said I would keep watch. I walked over to Kenneth who was sleeping again and poked his shoulder. ¡°Kenneth, I summoned a door. Want to go inside with me?¡± He woke up and quickly grabbed my hand. At first, I thought it was defense, but it seemed more like preventing someone from going. When he realized it was me, he let go and apologized. ¡°I¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯ve slept in much more dangerous areas than this.¡± ¡°Thanks Kenneth, I will try not to be too long.¡± The door opened to a snowy pine forest path that had an occasional lamppost and bench as it went off into the distance. It was a beautiful calm night with light snow falling, and the only sound was the untouched snow crunching beneath my feet. I walked slowly down the path, not due to fear or caution, but the feeling of peace that was rising inside me. ¡°It''s beautiful¡­¡± I whispered to myself only to be surprised by my breath made visible by the cold air. Not far down the path was a large building covered in snow. It looked like a house mixed with a castle that was made of dark stone materials. I reached a black stone fence that surrounded what looked like a front garden and in the middle was an archway which had ¡°Chateau Noir¡± carved into the stone at the top. The path then continued to a set of black double doors with glass around it. Since it was my personal dimension, I opened the door without knocking and stepped inside. The stones beneath my feet absorbed the snow that was on my boots, but I still took them off at the door. The entrance way was not grand like Robert¡¯s and instead gave a cozier feeling. The floor changed to heated wood, and most of the building¡¯s interior walls appeared to be made of stone. The entrance room had glow stone lights which turned on when the door opened making the painting lined walls visible. They all seemed to be of different locations but the weather and time were calm snowy nights in each one. At the back of the entrance room was a large staircase and a wooden door next to it. There were also some tables and chairs, a closet near the entrance, and two rooms to my left and right. The room to my right looked like a living room with a fireplace already burning and it even had a bay window with cushions on it which looked perfect for reading. To my left was a large dining area with a grand chandelier, a big wooden table, and its own fireplace. ¡°Is this really all mine?¡± I asked out loud amazed by the outcome of a skill I originally thought nothing of. ¡°It is, we hope you like it Radiant Night!¡± Three voices said simultaneously from behind. I turned to find three¡­ Pixies? The one in front wore a black fur coat, had long styled now-white hair, and matching snow-white eyes. To her left was another Pixie in an ice blue robe. She had ice blue eyes and matching hair which hung just over her left eye. On top of her head was even a small wizards¡¯ hat of the same color and she had a tiny staff with a snowflake on top. Finally, there was a male Pixie who was wearing a standard black suit with short storm grey hair and black eyes. All of them were young looking, no bigger than my hand, and had butterfly wings with matching colors. ¡°You¡¯re all Pixies?¡± ¡°We are your house Pixies! It is an honor to serve you Radiant Night!¡± They spoke at the same time again. ¡°My name is Snowy. I am here to help with anything you desire as well as managing the house. The shy girl behind me is Icy. She manages the perks you can pick and all the magic within your home. Last is the serious one Cloudy. He ensures everything remains clean and helps as a server in the restaurant and bar when it¡¯s open.¡± They all bowed after the explanation finished. ¡°How did you all end up here? Are you from the Fallen Abyss?¡± ¡°Your magic made everything here including us! This pocket dimension was created based on the desires of your heart.¡± ¡°So, its an illusion?¡± This question caused Icy to speak up from behind Snowy¡¯s back. ¡°I-Its real. Normally the skill would make a single room, but with your power it made a very large dimension and even granted us life. T-Thank you, I very much like being alive so far.¡± ¡°We will do our best to serve you forever.¡± Cloudy added which caused the other Pixies to nod in agreement. ¡°I made you? If you are alive, you don¡¯t have to serve me, and I won¡¯t force you to stay here.¡± A look of despair spread across their faces. ¡°I-If Radiant Night orders us to leave we will, but if we are given a choice, please let us serve you! You granted us life, your Radiant Night, please don¡¯t make us go!¡± Icy begged with tears forming in her eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what Radiant Night is, but I will not turn you away if this is what you all desire.¡± ¡°Thank you, Radiant Night!¡± They bowed and spoke simultaneously. ¡°If you will allow us we would like to show you around. Icy also needs to speak with you regarding the perk choices.¡± They began the tour starting with the upstairs. It had many rooms all seemingly guest bedrooms and one large bedroom which was mine. Despite being the usual dark colors, it was unexpectedly cute. It was filled with stuffed animals, a big snowflake covered black bed, a desk with dolls sitting on top, an empty bookshelf, and an empty walk-in closet. At the back of the room was even a balcony that overlooked a stream passing behind the house. There were however two things I didn¡¯t know how to feel about. The first was the photos of myself and people from my memories found around my new room. Some were sad memories like Robert¡¯s and others were me smiling alongside my old friends, sleeping with Arty in my arms, and even a recent one of Flora handing me her charm. Then there was a certain plushy on my bed. It was of the cartoon ghost from the wrapper which looked a lot like Arty. ¡°Is everything alright Radiant Night? We can remove the photos and plushy if you do not like them.¡± Snowy asked. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let''s continue the tour.¡± We went back downstairs, through the living room, and then into a large empty library. Shelves lined all the walls, and cozy seats were near the windows. ¡°There are some books on the shelf over here Radiant Night.¡± Cloudy brought me to a shelf in the corner. Sitting on it were copies of the books I read during my time at the orphanage. As I reached the beginning of the row, I saw one I was very familiar with. ¡°My old storybook¡­¡± It was in perfect condition. I opened it up and sat near the window while reading through it slowly. I didn¡¯t know how to feel about it anymore. ¡®My mother sold me, do I really want a gift from her?¡¯ When I reached the final page even the note was there however there was a big difference. Above it was a small picture taped in of a brown-haired woman in a hospital bed holding a baby close to her chest. Her hair was short like mine used to be, her face was gentle, and she was crying with a smile as she held me. I sat silently staring at my mother. This was the woman who sold me, who started every bit of suffering I¡¯ve faced, yet I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hate her. ¡°Cloudy please take this book to my room and place it on the shelf there.¡± Cloudy went off with the book as we were brought to the room in the middle of my house. It was an exact copy of the marble washrooms, change rooms, and bath from Flora¡¯s Inn. We returned to the library and went through a small wooden door leading to the back of the house. The room spanned the entire back of the house and had many glass cases reminding of a museum. There was also a glass door and large glass windows all along the back wall granting a view of a small yard and the stream. Cloudy who had just returned began an explanation. ¡°This area is your museum which patrons of your restaurant and bar may browse. It is one of the three areas in the Chateau that customers may go. Your armory and item storage covers the entire basement, so you needn¡¯t worry about keeping everything here. It is only the things you wish to show. Currently, there are a few items here, your knife, the legendary pendent of elemental enslavement, and a pile of white children¡¯s gowns which I have cleaned. For the divine and legendary item, I have listed the analyze screen in front so everyone can see what they are.¡± ¡°Please burn the gowns. The dagger and pendant can stay for now.¡± The pile quickly burned and vanished like it was never there. ¡°If you would follow me, the next area is the bar and restaurant which I am in charge of.¡± Cloudy lead us through the long museum to the left side of the house and then through the restaurant to a door like the one I entered originally. Facing towards the back of the house the restaurant and bar covered two thirds of the left side, and I assumed the dining room I saw earlier was behind us taking up the remaining one third. Like the museum, the left side was large windows with a big glass door in the middle, and outside there was a patio with many tables and chairs. Inside there were lots of decorated tables with fancy cushioned wooden chairs and each looking like a small throne fit for a king. The right side had the bar, and many different bottles lined the wall behind it. All along the roof of this room and the museum were very pretty glow stone chandeliers. ¡°This is Snowy Nights¡¯ Restaurant and Bar, and the door behind us is the customer entrance. This area and the outdoor seating are the other two places which patrons may go. As you can see the bar and kitchen are on the right, the seating is in the middle, and the patio is on our left. The patio is fully enchanted for warmth should anyone choose to eat outdoors. The ingredients and alcohol we have at this time is everything you have personally tasted before. You can grow our selection by bringing items back or simply eating them. This is all due to the first perk called ¡°Restaurant and Bar¡± which supplies everything you need including the food and Alcohol. Generally, there would be a limit based on your mana pool, but drawing power from the Fallen Abyss and Radiant Sky has made everything quite limitless.¡± ¡°Did I accidentally pick this perk?¡± Icy spoke up. ¡°T-This perk was picked a-automatically.¡± After that, we went through the kitchen which had everything I knew from the Cooking Guild and looked like a high tech old-world kitchen and the basement which was a massive storage area. We ended the tour back in the entrance area. ¡°This concludes the tour. We hope that everything has met your requirements.¡± They all bowed once again. ¡°Thank you, its nice knowing I have a place to call home. If you three ever want to see the outside world, please don¡¯t hesitate to ask.¡± ¡°We are grateful Radiant Night!¡± ¡°Before I head out, Icy let¡¯s sit in the living room and go over the perk options.¡± ¡°O-Of course! I will meet you there.¡± Cloudy quickly prepared tea for everyone, and I couldn¡¯t help but think their tiny cups were adorable. ¡°I will bring the screen up for you now; please take your time!¡± -Snowy Nights- Owned: Available: ¡°Are there descriptions for these?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure Radiant Night, I believe it''s like the class shop. Forgive me for being so useless.¡± Icy started tearing up again. ¡°It''s not your fault Icy, don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s start with Pocket Portals, Door Upgrade, Power Pixies, and Crafter¡¯s Cathedral.¡± ¡°Radiant Night you''re so kind! I promise I won¡¯t let you down again! So it was¡­ umm¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you forgot Radiant Night¡¯s order that quickly Icy!? Pocket Portals, Door Upgrade, Power Pixies, and Crafter¡¯s Cathedral.¡± Snowy scolded Icy while Cloudy nodded his head repeatedly. ¡°She won¡¯t forget again. Please forgive us Radiant Night!¡± They all bowed. ¡°Its really not an issue¡­¡± ¡°This one, this one, I think this one, and this one. Done!¡± Icy exclaimed looking proud. ¡®If I ever open the restaurant she is definitely not taking any orders¡­¡¯ ¡°Wow! They all did so much! The first one makes it so you can access the storage from tiny portals! You think of the item you want and pull it out, or you can also put stuff in and we will organize it! The doors have lots of new options and no longer cost mana!¡± ¡°I can explain the next one Icy. Power Pixies seems to have granted us each a unique fully leveled Mythical class so now we can help you fight or kick out annoying customers! Mine is Power Pixie of Snow!¡± ¡°M-Mines Power Pixie of Ice.¡± ¡°Mine is Power Pixie of Clouds.¡± ¡°T-The last one is a Cathedral which has everything you need for your crafting classes in it. I think it¡¯s a separate big building that you will need to go to. I¡¯ll do my best to lead the way!¡± After putting my boots back on, I followed Icy down the snow-covered path. About halfway between where I entered from and the house was a new path leading to my left. After a few minutes, we arrived at a plaza with a large frozen fountain in the middle. ¡®It¡¯s the fountain plaza from Dungeon Town with snow and ice all over it.¡¯ To the left of the plaza was a massive gothic cathedral made of dark stone and stained glass. I felt like an ant standing in front of a giant work of art. ¡°Radiant Night, your heart likes scary things¡­¡± Icy who was seemingly scared by the many statues and stone depictions on the building muttered. Hesitantly she flew over and opened the door that was three times my height with ease. The inside consisted of the standard cross-shaped layout of a cathedral, beautiful stain glass, and an altar. Where the pews should be instead had rows of chests, the two sides of the cross layout seemed to be a work area, and the altar had a single podium with a glowing book on it. ¡°The chests are empty, but you can set materials to generate automatically over time. Rarer ones will take longer to make so please choose carefully!¡± While the three Pixies explored, I walked to the altar and opened the glowing book. -Congratulations! You have earned the title ¡°Divine Crafter!¡±- -Congratulations! ¡°Divine Crafter¡± has granted 3 Craftsmanship and 2 Control!- Divine Crafter ¨C Creator of divine items and owner of a divine workshop. Grants: Grants a separate category for crafting class slots. All crafting classes receive their full bonus however they no longer count towards active level. Craftsmanship +3, Control +2. Source: Create a divine level item or own a divine workshop. My two crafting classes moved to the new ¡°Crafting Classes¡± area of my status while Slave returned to the now open active class slot. I knew I was nitpicking a great bonus but having Slave in an active slot really bugged me. ¡®More attributes are always welcome at least.¡¯ I returned my attention to the book, inside only the first two pages had anything on them. The first page was an illustration of a kitchen and the second page was a workshop with lots of machines. I tried looking for ways to activate the book, but nothing was happening. ¡°R-Radiant Night I think you put it back down and open it to the page you want.¡± Icy who joined me again suggested. Following her advice, I placed the book down and opened it to the page showing a kitchen. The empty alter shined bright and turned into a kitchen with every tool and cooking device imaginable. ¡°The quality surpasses our own kitchen!¡± Cloudy exclaimed. ¡®I should get Kenneth. He could sleep in an actual bed and then we can discuss what to do in the morning.¡¯ ¡°Everyone, I will be heading out to bring someone here with me. I am very grateful for the tour and your kindness. I look forward to spending more time with you all.¡± All three Pixies flew in front of me teary-eyed and bowed. ¡°We don¡¯t deserve such kind words Radiant Night! We are happy just serving you!¡± Snowy exclaimed. ¡°Please call me Ellie. I head down the path I came in from to leave, right?¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s correct. We will come with you to wave goodbye!¡± I returned to the path I entered from. With everything I¡¯ve experienced thus far having such a beautiful home and three kind Pixies brought me great comfort. ¡®I can¡¯t wait to share it with you Arty.¡¯ At the end of the forested path was a dark tunnel. When I entered, I appeared back in the dark field with the moon high in the sky. ¡°Kenneth wake up, one of my new skil¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry Ellie¡­ I was¡­ to weak...¡± He coughed up blood while trying to speak. ¡°Please run¡­ I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡± In front of me, held within an air prison, was Kenneth¡¯s mangled and bloody body. ¡°Did you truly think you could kill one my daughters and get away with it?! Today, aftertwelve long years of searching, justice shall be served.¡± A deep male voice rang out shaking the sky itself. When I looked up, I saw an army of different colored dragons. Chapter 10 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 10 I stared into the starry night sky where over one hundred of Dragons gathered. In the middle was a white and blue feathered Dragon and to his right was a thin white scaled Dragon. Active Level: 140 Total Level: 245 Title: Ancient Wind Dragon Name: Allikair Race: Wind Dragon Age: 5156 Active Level: 140 Total Level: 353 Title: Ancient Life Dragon Name: Zoe Race: Life Dragon Age: 7156 The situation was bad, but Kenneth was still alive, I could still save him. I ran over the wind prison, and in my panicked state, I did the first thing that came to mind. I stuck my arm into the wind. I could feel my flesh being shredded, but I could also feel the mana flowing through. ¡®Treat it like the Abyss, focus on the mana, control it.¡¯ -Congratulations! You have earned Wind Manipulation!- -Congratulations! Wind Manipulation has increased to 5/10!- The wind prison broke apart as my mana interfered with the skill. Kenneth fell, but I caught him just before reaching the ground. ¡°You should have run¡­ I would have been fine¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re a liar. I¡¯ve known you for one day I can already tell you just don¡¯t want anyone worrying about you.¡± ¡°My wife¡­ said the same thing¡­ when we first met¡­¡± He weakly laughed coughing up a bit of blood ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡­ just need time¡­ to regenerate¡­¡± His eyes closed but he was still breathing, I wasn¡¯t too late. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you Kenneth, I promise.¡± I was about to use limit break to run away with Kenneth in my arms, but my thoughts started assaulting me so strongly that I became frozen in place. ¡®Your weakness almost killed him and now you''re going to run?¡¯ ¡®Shutup!¡¯ I needed to save Kenneth. My pride didn¡¯t matter. -Congratulations! Emotion Nullification has increased to 7/10!- ¡®How many people do you plan on failing? Are you going to run every time Kenneth almost dies protecting someone as worthless as you? You may as well abandon Arty. He¡¯d be better off without you.¡¯ ¡®SHUTUP!¡¯ -Congratulations! Emotion Nullification has increased to 8/10!- ¡®The answer is so simple. Kill them. Show this world what happens when they try to take away those you love.¡¯ I was shaking as tears fell from my eyes. ¡®Why are my own thoughts torturing me?!¡¯ ¡°Stopping my Wind Prison was impressive, but it seems you understand there is no future left for you.¡± ¡®Teach them what its like to suffer.¡¯ ¡°You will pay a price far greater than death for killing one of my grandchildren.¡± ¡®The power you could gain here would allow you to protect anyone you desire.¡¯ The air around me compressed causing Kenneth to fall from my arms. Multiple Wind Dragons were using Wind Prison to drag me into the sky. The Dragons circled around and waited for the leader to speak once more. ¡°You will die by the breath of 100 Dragons. No defense in the world can stop our combined might. When all that¡¯s left is your soul, I will ensure you never see rebirth.¡± ¡°I killed your granddaughter in self-defense. Let us go, or I will be forced to kill you too.¡± ¡®This world never showed you kindness. Why should you have to do the same for anyone else?¡¯ ¡°Such arrogance! You float before two Ancients and an Army of Dragons. The only deaths today will be yours and that Vampire.¡± ¡®Kill them.¡¯ ¡®Will it really protect Kenneth and Arty?¡¯ ¡®It will protect everyone you love.¡¯ ¡®Even if it makes me a monster?¡¯ ¡®You¡¯re already a monster.¡¯ The dragons who were circling me opened their jaws and started preparing their breath attack. A few seconds later a spectrum of colorful elements shot towards me. ¡°Reality Shift.¡± -Congratulations! Reality Shift has increased to 5/10!- An earth-shattering roar exploded from where I once was, and a corpse damaged by many elements fell to the earth below. Roars of hatred and despair filled the air. -Congratulations! You have earned the title ¡°Myth Slayer¡±!- -Congratulations! ¡°Myth Slayer¡± has granted 4 free attributes!- Myth Slayer ¨C Slayer of a Mythical Class holder. Grants: 10% increased damage towards Mythical Class holders. 4 free attributes. Source: Slay 1 Mythical Class holder. ¡®¡¯I gave you all a chance, and you declined. None of you will live.¡± The life Dragon did not attack and instead landed on the ground. I had questions I wanted answers to so delaying her death didn¡¯t bother me. As for the rest of the Dragons, they had already begun their attacks. I used flight to close in on the first and slashed its wing with my new sword which cut through like butter and even caused a twilight fire to engulf the body. I continued to the next using flight once more, and this time I stabbed the dragon with Hallowed Ground causing its body to explode. Another flew towards me, and I used Consuming Darkness to destroy its wings and legs. I kept killing constantly encouraged by the thoughts inside my head. -Congratulations! Sword Mastery has increased to 6/10!- -Congratulations! Hallowed Ground has increased to 6/10!- -Congratulations! Emotion Nullification has increased to 9/10!- -Congratulations! Flight has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill competition has granted 1 Skill Point!- -Congratulations! Flight has evolved into Arc Flight!- -Congratulations! Arc Flight has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! Abyssal Manipulation has increased to 6/10!- -Congratulations! Hero of Twilight has leveled up to 13/??!- Dragons continued to die by my repeated attacks, and with each of those kills, my body grew brighter until I was fully covered in Twilight mana. It was time for them to all die. ~~~=--^--=~~~ The mortal we thought a Mythical class holder turned out to be something more, something terrifying. Young Dragons fell from the sky one after another. You would need multiple Aspects to stand a chance against this Angel. The young ones so blinded by rage did not even realize I had already surrendered, I would not complete my job of resurrecting Allikair. Instead, I protected the body of the Vampire from a distance, the same one we just worked so hard to kill. I looked up at the batt-, no, I looked up at the slaughter once more and realized the Angel was now radiating yellow and orange mana. In the middle of combat she stopped and pointed her hand out towards the sky. ¡°Limit Break, Brilliant Dawn.¡± A Hero¡¯s skill and a skill I never heard of left her mouth. The earth and sky started to shake and at 3:31 AM the sun rose in the east. Daybreak came like a tsunami of fire destroying the landscape. Everything the light touched burned in twilight flames, no plant, animal, or passerby was spared from this monster¡¯s wrath. It was like witnessing the end of the world for the second time. I watched as every Dragon realized death had truly come. Their desperate cries of fear filled the air as they fled in all directions, but nothing could escape the light of the sun. Their deaths were all slow, not because the ability lacked power, the Angel manipulated it to be so. As the world below burned, she emotionlessly floated in front of the rising sun casting her shadow of death upon the dying Dragons below. I closed my eyes and endured the desperate roars. I heard some call out to me, but I did not move, I did not dare to look at their dying faces. Fifteen minutes later when the sun finished rising, it vanished and the night returned as if it was never gone. I checked my surroundings, there was nothing left but scorched earth, myself, three graves, and the Vampire¡¯s body. -Global Warning: A ¡®Calamity of Legends¡¯ has appeared!- -Global Warning: A ¡®Calamity of Dragons¡¯ has appeared!- I looked up at the Angel and watched her cold twilight eyes turn to me. The way she flew was similar to a Paladin of Holy Light which means she was definitely an Angel of high standing, but even for them, this was impossible. When she landed I was assaulted by a wave of heat like the sun itself was growing closer and closer. My scales began to crack, but just in time, she put the sword at her side causing it to emit a gentle warmth instead. ¡°You protected him while he recovered so I will give you one chance to explain why.¡± A cold and emotionless voice came from within her dark hood. ¡®Recover? He is most definitely dead. He passed away right after she left his side.¡¯ I bowed my head and made the only proposal that would let me live. ¡°I am an Ancient Dragon of Life. Our kind has a skill called ¡°Lesser Resurrection¡± which can restore a single person to life once every ten years. It reduces their power by 50% however it is a price far less than death. All I request of your greatness is that you spare my life.¡± ¡°Are there limits to this Resurrection skill? Can you bring anyone back?¡± My hopes rose with this question. I may live to see another day. ¡°There are limits I¡¯m afraid. You must have their body or at the very least what¡¯s left of it, and their soul must not have returned to the Great Sea of Mana which happens 30 days after death.¡± ¡°Then I have no use for it?¡± This all-powerful angel didn¡¯t know her Vampire servant died. ¡°Please use your Hero skill on his body.¡± She gave me a confused glance before looking over. When she realized the vampire was dead, she finally showed emotion and rushed to his side. She held his corpse while crying out the Vampire¡¯s name and apologizing. I took a Humanoid form and walked over to her, my life was assured. ¡°Do we have a deal?¡± She looked up at me with tear covered eyes but just as she was about to speak someone new appeared. ¡°Radiant Night, there is no need to make deals with such a pitiful and desperate creature.¡± A woman¡¯s voice came from behind the Angel. It was a saintly and gentle voice, like that of a loving mother, but the words she used did not match it in the slightest. I slowly raised my head and saw yet another impossibility. A white void was torn in reality, and a glowing Angel with three sets of wings bowed towards the one she called Radiant Night. She was made entirely out of mana that mixed Life and Light, her eyes were sky blue, and an outline of the same color surrounded her body. Such an existence was bowing to the Angel before me. As I watched in fear, she continued. ¡°You have my sincerest apologies for the severe delay in contacting you. I was completing three tasks that I hope you will approve of. For acting on my own I will accept any punishment.¡± ¡°You¡¯re from the Radiant sky? Can you really help Kenneth?¡± The young Angel was a ruler of powers and places I had no knowledge of. I kept quiet hoping I would still somehow live. ¡°That is correct, the name I once went by is Divina. Please permit me to grant you the Radiant Class Store. It will explain my rude interruption.¡± That name, I knew it from my time studying Angel¡¯s racial mana ¡°Holy Light.¡± It is an ancient legend about a Heavenly Angel with unimaginable healing powers, but one day the great saint houses of the Holy Mountain discovered she was taking years of each person¡¯s life as payment for her services. When she refused to return the stolen life, the great saint houses gathered an army to face her. After catastrophic losses they were successful, but a year later Divina vanished and was never seen again. Today it¡¯s used as a tale amongst Angels to teach that nothing is given for free. ¡°Please go ahead.¡± The Angel made of Light put her hands in a praying position while still kneeling. When she was done, the other Angel began reviewing the air in front of her, likely her status screen. ¡°Thank you, Divina. Thank you so, so much.¡± Tears were still falling from her eyes, but they were clearly because of happiness. ¡°Perfect Resurrection.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be! There is no resurrection skill above Resurrection!¡± I accidentally spoke those words out loud, but my presence was ignored. A beam of powerful white light shot up from where the Vampire¡¯s body. When the light dissipated the Vampire, and all his equipment were fully restored. The first action he took upon walking the earth once more was to apologize. ¡°Ellie, I failed to eliminate a threat which came to harm you. I wasn¡¯t able to keep my end of the deal. Forgive me.¡± She hugged him tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t care about that! I thought I lost you¡­ You should have run or entered the door I went into!¡± ¡°I¡­ Thank you.¡± She let go, and they both got up. After wiping away her tears, she introduced the Vampire to Divina. ¡®There having such a casual discussion in the battlefield of so much death¡­¡¯ Almost like I jinxed myself she turned to me after that thought. ¡°I¡¯m afraid your offer is no longer required. You¡¯d only cause me trouble later if I let you live, goodbye Zoe.¡± ¡°I can serve! My undying loyalty, I beg you!¡± I bowed my head once more. ¡°Why would I want a Dragon who so willingly betrays her own people?¡± I felt the heat of the sword. My long life was at its end. ¡®Forgive me Aspect of Life; I¡¯ve failed to return to you.¡¯ ¡°Radiant Night may I make a suggestion?¡± The voice of Divina cut in. ¡°There are ways to ensure she keeps her word and it would also be useful having a Life Dragon lead your new Radiant Dragon Army.¡± The Angel put away her blade. ¡°Radiant Dragon Army?¡± ¡°The souls here can be used in the creation of new Radiant monsters that will protect those you care for. Dragons are merely my recommendation.¡± She looked conflicted. ¡°I¡¯d rather not enslave their souls¡­ Zoe if you want to accept Divina¡¯s offer you can do so.¡± ¡®Dammit!¡¯ ¡°As you assumed ¡°Radiant Night¡± I was only waiting for my chance to escape. If it means losing my will, I¡¯ll take death. Please know that the Aspects will never allow you to get away with this.¡± Her face changed to anger; I made a mistake. ¡°If you just said death, I would have killed you, and let all these dragons rest, but now you¡¯re making threats. You and your dead kin will be the ones who ensure I get away with this then. Divina when you¡¯re done, please meet me within my Pocket Dimension.¡± I roared at her as she entered the indestructible door with the vampire. When it was just myself and the glowing Angel I made my last attempt at escape. ¡°If you let me go I can have the Aspects find a way to break whatever binds you to her service. You can be free!¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. She gently chuckled in response to my offer. ¡°Thanks to Radiant Night I am free, I will never be alone again, and I¡¯ll get my revenge. You will serve an absolute power as the leader of her Radiant Dragons. It is a great honor.¡± ¡°I will never serve under such a horrid monster!¡± The souls of my dead kin gathered in the sky above us and started turning into glowing white dragons with blue eyes. ¡°In the end whoever she desires will serve her.¡± ~~~=--^--=~~~ ¡°Snowy, Icy, Cloudy please prepare for multiple people visiting and treat them as you would myself. In the meantime if¡­ you¡­ co¡ª¡± When I was about to finish speaking the damage from limit break and a skill that required sleep before it could evolve forced me to pass out. ~~~ When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the twilight room where I originally killed the Light Elemental. I stood up and noticed two creatures standing in front of me on my left and right. One was my younger self with Touch of the Abyss active, and the other was the Light Elemental. ¡°Who are you?¡± There was no answer, but a smile grew across the girl¡¯s face as they slowly reached their hands out towards me. Just before we touched I woke up. ~~~ ¡°¡ªHero skill Limit Break and some changes within her body. Radiant Night will recover shortly.¡± The voice of Divina was coming from my bedside. ¡°Radiant Night! Thank goodness your alright!¡± A crying Icy flew over and clung to my shirt. ¡°Icy you can¡¯t touch Radiant Night without permission!¡± Snowy began scolding Icy while Cloudy nodded next to her. ¡°It''s okay. Divina has there been any issues since I passed out?¡± ¡°Zoe has taken nicely to her new role, and your army of Radiant Dragons will be ready soon. After you¡¯ve had time to recover there are matters I hope to discuss with you.¡± ¡°I will meet you in the living room shortly. Thank you for all of your help Divina.¡± ¡°I was merely fulfilling my duties. I am unworthy of your kind words.¡± She along with the fairies bowed and left me alone in the master bedroom. The decision I made to enslave those dead dragons was a hard one, but when she threatened me, I pictured Kenneth being hurt and couldn¡¯t bear the idea of it happening again. I don¡¯t know if it was the right choice, but I would be lying to myself if I said it didn¡¯t bring me comfort. Regardless, the previous fight granted two titles, lots of exp, and quite a few skill evolutions. [Uncommon] Prediction ¨C The ability to predict and evade attacks. Passive Source: Evolved from Evasion. Skill levels: 8/10 [Legendary] Elemental Core ¨C The Elemental Essence found within your soul has allowed it to transform. Your body no longer requires nourishment, water, air, or rest and performing any of these tasks will now restore mana instead. Unnecessary internal organs have been replaced with a Twilight Core. +3 Intellect and Wisdom. Passive Source: Elemental Essence within soul. Merging of completed Hunger, Thirst, and Exhaust Nullification. Skill levels: 6/10 [Legendary] Dragon Heart ¨C The Draconic Essence found within your blood has allowed it to transform. Your body ages at a much slower pace and your desire to collect valuables has increased. Your heart and blood have been replaced with a Twilight Dragon¡¯s heart and blood. +3 Strength and Endurance. Passive Source: Draconic Essence within blood. Draconic Essence absorbed from other Dragons. Skill levels: 6/10 [Rare] Holy Ascent ¨C Empower your wings with Holy light granting powerful maneuvering abilities and speed. While Holy Ascent is in use a slight boost to Holy Light damage is granted. Mana Cost: 2/M Stamina Cost: 2/M Source: Evolved from Arc Flight. Skill levels: 7/10 [Divine] Absolute Judgement ¨C Tear open the Radiant Sky and send its judgment crashing down on the target. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Derived from Hallowed Ground. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Perfect Resurrection ¨C Resurrect a single target. No power is lost, and all belongings still present on the body are restored. Mana Cost: N/A Restrictions: Use limited to one soul a day. Souls that have already returned to the sea of mana cannot be resurrected. Source: Radiant Class Store. Skill levels: 5/10 Calamity of Dragons ¨C Slayer of over 100 Dragons. Grants: Grants 25% increased damage to Dragons. +1 All Attributes. Source: Slay 100 Dragons. Calamity of Legends ¨C Slayer of over 100 Legendary Class Holders. Grants: 25% increased damage to Legendary Class Holders. +4 Free Attributes. Source: Slay 100 Legendary Class Holders. During the battle, my level also increased dramatically for Hero of Twilight. Active Level: 61 Total Level: 87 Origin Classes: [Nightmare Lvl: 12], [Seraph Lvl: 12], [Hero of Twilight Lvl: 31] With my 22 free attributes, I used 4 to get Endurance to 25, 13 to get wisdom to 25, and put the remaining 5 into perception to get it to 10. I then used 120 skill points to get Enhanced Endurance II, Enhanced Perception I, Enhanced Wisdom I & II, Enhanced Craftsmanship I, and Enhanced Control I. All of them did the standard 50% and 100% increases. HP: 97/97 (25/H) STM: 97/97 (25/M) MP: 290/290 (25/M) DP: 3/?? (??) Attributes: The boost in perception was the most noticeable. My vision was now crystal clear, I could hear the slightest noises, follow specific scents, and even sense movements around me. I quickly adapted to my improved senses and went downstairs. As I entered the living room, I saw a strange but happy group sitting together, laughing, and talking. ¡®Arty, once we¡¯re together again I hope we can laugh and smile alongside them.¡¯ This was my first chance to get a good look at Divina. She looked similar to Seraph but lacked the halo and had more wings. Her body was all white including her hair, and the only differing parts were her sky-blue eyes and the sky-blue outline around her body. Her voice was kind and gentle, and it looked like she was wearing nun¡¯s robe but the body of light made it hard to tell. When Kenneth noticed me, he walked over. ¡°Thank you for resurrecting me¡­ I won¡¯t forget this Ellie, and I won¡¯t fail you again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just glad that you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°If you need someone to talk to about what happened, well, you know the line. I won¡¯t let you make fun of me for it again.¡± I slightly smiled. ¡°Thanks, Kenneth.¡± Unlike the inn or the girl I killed on the cart, I felt nothing for Dragons, so there wasn¡¯t anything I needed to talk about. Divina was waiting for me so I told him we would talk more later. When we entered the library, the first thing she did was bow. ¡°Divina please stop bowing.¡± ¡°I will do my best to complete your request however I must insist on calling you Radiant Night.¡± ¡°I guess just that is fine then.¡± ¡°There are three matters I have been managing which caused my delay in properly serving you.¡± She handed me a small bottle with a white worm inside and continued. ¡°Your arm has been sealed and can not be tracked, so this worm offers an alternative option. It is one of the rarest existences in the Radiant Sky, a soul worm. It will enter through your mouth and bind itself to your soul while also granting a new arm and providing other benefits to you. It pains me to have to suggest this however it is the only way to grant something more powerful than having your original arm back. Once the binding is complete, it can never be undone.¡± I hesitated since I just met Divina but with how much shes already helped me I couldn¡¯t bring myself to decline. ¡°Divina, please allow me to analyze and inspect the worm beforehand.¡± ¡°My apologies, I may have been too hasty. Please forgive my rudeness.¡± Active Level: 1 Total Level: 1 Title: Soul Worm Name: N/A Race: Soul Worm Age: 97,471 Name: Soul Worm Rarity: Divine Type: Monster Intelligence: Low Uses: If eaten it will merge with your soul. Description: The soul worm is an immortal monster from the brightest parts of the Radiant Sky. Only one exists eternally waiting for the master it deems worthy. If eaten the worm will test your worth, and if you fail, it will devour your soul. ¡®I have never been lucky, but if Divina wanted to kill me, she could have done so while I was sleeping. I don¡¯t believe she would propose this if she weren¡¯t sure if it would work.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t the first worm I¡¯ve eaten, so I dropped it in my mouth and swallowed. Pain Immunity caused a warmth letting me know damage was occurring however I was surprised to feel an actual very intense pain growing. I did my best to endure quietly and eventually, it ended. After a few moments of nothing happening the skin where my arm used to be burst open causing twilight colored blood to get all over the couch and floor. I watched as a massive black worm extended from my shoulder and then slowly turn into a snow-white arm and hand. I gained full control of its movements, but I knew the worm was still present because it was now listed as my companion. ¡°RaDiaNt¡­ NigHt¡­¡± A garbled voice came from my arm. A part of it turned into Darkness. Within it were two spiraling white eyes and a large smiling mouth filled with white teeth. ¡°Those are the only words it can say so you don¡¯t need to worry about it pestering you. The worm is your arm and will work in the same way your normal one would however it offers different bonuses such as devouring annoyances that get to close or altering its form.¡± ¡°I see, thank you Divina. This will make things much easier.¡± ¡°It is my pleasure to serve.¡± She went to bow but stopped midway through remembering what I just told her. ¡°Next is about your first companion, Artel Noir. I have been able to pinpoint his location to within the Demon Lord¡¯s Capital however his condition is unknown.¡± Seeing my reaction she stopped for a while before continuing. ¡®Arty I will be there as soon as I can.¡¯ ¡°The last matter is the remnants of your old soul. When she was taken to the Great Sea of Mana, I intervened, but Death was not willing to play along, so things became more complicated. I believe he held back your resurrection because of this, but it was nothing I couldn¡¯t correct once I completed my initial task. Due to these actions, the soul never dissipated within the sea of mana like it was supposed to and this caused her to be reborn while still, in part, being your old self. It is these three reasons that have kept me in the Radiant Sky. The third specifically required my direct attention for years.¡± ¡®I will find both of you. Please hold on a little longer.¡¯ ¡°You¡¯ve helped me so much, and I¡¯ve only known you for a short while. I¡¯m extremely grateful.¡± She smiled. ¡°I am happy to help.¡± ¡°I do have three questions for you. The first is why are you so dedicated to me? As I said, I¡¯m grateful for your help, but if you were forced into this, you do not have to stay.¡± ¡°I did my best to be a good person at one point in my life, but it only brought me over 10,000 years trapped within the Radiant Sky. I gave up hope and wished to die, but one day a soul as bright as the sun changed everything. Even if I can¡¯t go far from you, I¡¯m now free. Radiant Night, the power above all else, will bring a future where those she cares for never have to suffer again! You are the reason I wish to keep living.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond to what was basically this woman worshiping me. ¡°Is there anything I can do to thank you for everything?¡± ¡°One day I will make a personal request, and at that time I hope you will accept. That is all I desire besides serving you.¡± ¡°I will do my best to fulfill it when that time comes.¡± She went to bow but caught herself again. ¡°The second and third are about me. I gave up everything but what exactly was it? Why am I being called Radiant Night?¡± ¡°Your soul is divided into three parts. Abyssal, Radiant, and ¡°Ellie.¡± The part of Ellie that remains within you is her despair, anger, hatred, and desire for power. Everything else was removed, but part of it was quite stubborn and clung on. This altered your soul and as a result, you still have access to all your normal Human emotions. Since she took your place in death, those emotions should be gone, but it seems she left one final gift while right under Death¡¯s nose. It is very slight, but there is still a fragment of her within your soul granting you access to those emotions.¡± I didn¡¯t know if that fragment could hear me, but I decided to say thank you inside my head just in case. ¡°Why would the Abyssal Lord take away my emotions?¡± ¡°I believe he was trying to help you, but everything he does and how he acts is a mystery to me. It is my guess that the Abyssal lord may not even understand himself or his power which is why he struggles to speak and does not properly follow orders. This likely has something to do with who he was before becoming the Abyssal Lord. As for Radiant Night, it is the name of an old god from my home continent. He was the god of Abyssal and Serenity mana and created both Angels and Demons. It is said his kindness knew no bounds, but when his children did nothing but kill one another, he slaughtered their armies. Sometime later Angels and Demons, for the only time in history, joined together to face Radiant Night. He was so happy to see his children working together that he accepted death and allowed them to win. My people do not speak much of this legend, and it was not even taught to children anymore 10,000 years ago. I doubt it is remembered today.¡± ¡®So, you see me as that¡­¡¯ ¡°Have you been able to speak to him, the Abyssal Lord?¡± ¡°We have spoken, but it is only for brief moments. I will continue my work on making contact and gaining access to the Fallen Abyss.¡± ¡°Thank you again, Divina.¡± ¡°It is an honor to serve you Radiant Night.¡± We returned to the living room where Kenneth was fighting off a flirty Snowy. ¡°Radiant Night, your arm is healed! Divina your healing magic is amazing!¡± Icy was the first to notice my new arm, so she flew over and started examining it. ¡°RaDiaNt¡­ NigHt¡­¡± The scary face appeared and said my title again. ¡°AHHH, A-A monster has Radiant Night¡¯s arm!¡± Icy was now clinging to my opposite arm. ¡°Its okay Icy, he¡¯s my new companion. I guess he was saying hi.¡± ¡°O-Oh, that¡¯s okay then¡­¡± ¡°I want to head out right away. Kenneth are you okay with putting the search for your kids on hold until I recover Artel and one other?¡± ¡°If my kids are still out there they have safely set themselves up in that undead city. A little longer won¡¯t be an issue and I also owe you for being alive after all.¡± ¡°Radiant Night please head out in the morning! You need time to allow those new body altering skills and the soul worm to stabilize.¡± I wasn¡¯t happy about having to wait, but if Divina was insisting for my safety, I would not argue. Kenneth started walking towards the baths. ¡°In that case, I¡¯m going to take a bath and prepare for tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to join Kenneth in the baths!¡± Snowy clung to his shoulder. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be serving Ellie while she¡¯s here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m on break!¡± ¡°Snowy you can¡¯t go into the boy¡¯s area! You''re being unprofessional!¡± Icy was scolding Snowy which was a funny sight, and cloudy was nodding his head behind her. ¡°Sorry Icy¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to try cooking dinner for us. I¡¯ll call everyone when its ready. Cloudy if you could assist me I would be grateful.¡± ¡°Radiant Night, none of us require food and the Pixies eat Snow Berries from the yard. There is no need to do such a task for us nor do we deserve such kindness.¡± Divina cut in. ¡°Cooking was one of the things that used to make me happy. I¡¯ve wanted to get back into it especially since Arty will be here soon.¡± ¡°Oh, my apologies. In that case, I am looking forward to it.¡± Cloudy and I went through the dining room to the kitchen. Since it wasn¡¯t an actual dinner, I was just going to do dessert. ¡°Which recipe¡­. Cloudy do Pixies eat baked goods?¡± ¡°We eat anything but meat; it gives us stomach aches.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ In that case, I will do a Strawberry Dream Cake with my blood on Kenneth¡¯s Piece.¡± My new arm and dexterity combined with Hasty Touch and Starlight Cooking made the process very fast. When it was finished and loaded with fresh strawberries, I called everyone. -Congratulations! Hasty Touch has increased to 6/10!- -Congratulations! Starlight Cooking has increased to 6/10!- -Congratulations! Starlight Chef has leveled up to 26/50!- ¡°Not the healthiest dinner but it looks good!¡± Kenneth was laughing. ¡°It''s so big and red!¡± The three pixies were staring with eyes full of joy at the strawberry on top of their shared slice. ¡°Thank you, Radiant Night. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this even when I lived in amongst Angels.¡± Everyone sat down and dug into their slices. I analyzed mine to see what it would show. Name: Slice of Strawberry Dream Cake Rarity: Legendary Consumption Effect: +3 Charisma (8 Hours) Description: A legendary cake slice. Seeing ¡°legendary¡± used to describe my cake left me quite happy. I looked around at everyone enjoying the food I made. ¡®I still love cooking Arty. Let''s make lots of different things when your back.¡¯ ¡°Is this your blood on mine? It''s so much tastier than last time!?¡± ¡°My blood changed to be more like a dragon. I¡¯m glad it tastes better.¡± The night went by quickly after that. I took a long bath with Icy and Snowy and then laid in my room while holding my Marshmallow ghost plushie and thinking of Arty. ~~~ ¡°Radiant Night this passage will take you to the general location of your old soul. The Angels have never been kind to outsiders, especially demons, please be prepared to kill any who disrespect you.¡± Hearing such a kind and gentle voice say things like that was off-putting, but I was happy she was worried about me. ¡°Thank you, Divina. If you could make sure the Pixies don¡¯t bring food into the bath while I¡¯m away that would be great. They keep sneaking snowberries in.¡± The Pixies all pretended not to hear while looking away. ¡°Passage.¡± -Congratulations! Passage has increased to 5/10!- -Location #1 has now been marked and titled ¡°Dawn Wastes.¡±- I marked the charred wasteland and entered Divina¡¯s Passage with Kenneth. Inside was a tunnel surrounded by light and we exited in an alleyway. -You Have Entered the Country: ¡®Seven Heavens,¡¯ Capital City: ¡®Holy Mountain¡¯- -Congratulations! Pathfinding has increased to 8/10!- Every building in sight resembled elaborate roman catholic architecture, and every window was stained glass. Statues and murals depicting angels were everywhere, and I could not find a single building that did not look like its own work of art. ¡°I thought Vatican City was impressive, but this is on an entirely different level. If it weren¡¯t a low-profile mission, I¡¯d ask for a walking tour. Ellie, how¡¯s your stealth skill?¡± ¡°I can completely vanish for about three minutes before my mana runs out. As for the passive skill¡­ one second.¡± I went up against the wall and did my best to blend in. -Congratulations! Stealth has increased to 6/10!- ¡°It''s six out of ten now. it should go up pretty quick as I use it.¡± ¡°Good, the next rank is Camouflage followed by Shadow. Most Angels are flying, and I have not seen any guards so let''s find someone who will tell us what we need to know... Follow my lead.¡± We started traveling down dark alleys. After some time we made it to a more run-down part of the city. The architecture was just as beautiful but you could see the years of neglect. -Congratulations! Stealth has increased to 8/10!- ¡°How were you able to find this area, Kenneth?¡± ¡°One place you can find in any city is the slums, but I will admit I was slightly worried. With the race here being Angels I thought they might have cared about the poor. There is almost no air traffic and none of the people here have wings. Could you analyze the old one who¡¯s going to be walking past us?¡± An old man who was nothing but skin and bones wearing a dirt-covered robe was the man Kenneth pointed out. I used Analyze causing his wrinkly face to show panic. After which he put his head down and sped up. Active Level: 4 Total Level: 4 Title: Angel Name: Habert Laurus Race: Angel Age: 986 -Congratulations! Eyes of the Abyss has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 40 skill points!- -Congratulations! Eyes of the Abyss has multiple evolution paths. Please select one when you are next available to do so.- ¡°Level 4, racial title, Angel.¡± Kenneth nodded and gave me the signal to wait while he readied his combat knife. When the old man passed, he masterfully pulled him into the alley. He had one hand covering the old man¡¯s mouth and the other holding a knife to his throat. ¡°We need information. If you value your life I recommend answering.¡± The old man tried to speak, but I soon learned the reason we couldn¡¯t understand. -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Angelic!- -Congratulations! Angelic has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! English has increased to 9/10!- I didn¡¯t know why English went up but now was not the time to question it. I repeated the statement in Angelic and the old Angel nodded. Kenneth released him and he fell on mud covered ground. ¡°Anything I should ask Kenneth?¡± ¡°Divina told me she could be anywhere between one and six years old and she will possibly have fame due to unique abilities or a powerful class. Ask for a person who can help us locate her or a town hall we can loot for records. Rumors over the last six years about powerful kids can help as well. I¡¯ll watch the surroundings. It''s your call if he lives or dies after.¡± I repeated the questions Kenneth told me to ask about. ¡°I will answer everything you desire but may I ask what has caused a member of the holy family to do such things?¡± ¡°Holy family?¡± ¡°White wings are only possible for someone of the highest bloodline. To have such a unique pattern of black and white surely means you are someone important.¡± ¡°I have no relation to the Holy Family or this nation. I¡¯m here to recover someone important to me and nothing more. She should be between one and six years old.¡± ¡°What unfortunate times we live in¡­ Is the little one you are searching for of the holy bloodline as well?¡± ¡°We may have a similar wing pattern.¡± ¡°Around three years ago a woman not far from here gave birth to a member of the holy bloodline. She claimed to have never conceived with someone of such status and attempted to trade the baby for those God¡¯s Guidance gold coins but was caught by the guards. Not long after the baby was deemed unholy for an unknown reason. I have only heard it in passing, but it is rumored the baby held a power that would threaten the current Heavenly Angel. Never has a child, let alone baby, of the holy bloodline been deemed unholy in such a way. I can only weep for the younger generations. If she is still alive, she would be within the Unholy Halls, the dark green fortress to the north.¡± ¡°Thank you, that is exactly what we needed. I do have one more question. What happened to the wings of all the people living here?¡± ¡°Our wings are our pride. Each feather and pattern reflects who we are, our greatness and freedom. The people here have been deemed ¡°Unworthy¡± a step below ¡°Unholy.¡± I lost my wings for trying to protect a young starving angel that was going to lose his for taking a small fruit. Any who try to flee the Seven Heavens are also deemed unworthy and lose their wings. Once they¡¯re gone, you can wait for death or struggle as someone who is seen as less than nothing.¡± ¡°Why not heal them?¡± ¡°If only we could child¡­ Our racial healing powers cannot be used to heal sealed limbs. The Unholy Halls contain much more than just the Unholy. Every pair of wings is sealed and kept their as well.¡± ¡°I see, in that case I will make sure the Unholy Halls are nothing but rubble before I leave.¡± ¡°Such fantasies are not worth your wings or life! None return from that horrid place!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a kind, old man. I will ensure that does not go unrewarded.¡± I turned back to Kenneth. ¡°We have the location; stealth is over. We¡¯re going to recover her and destroy the dark green fortress to the north.¡± ¡°What about the old man?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t be an issue.¡± As we were about to take off the old man grabbed the back of my cloak. ¡°If you will truly face death for our sake at least show me your face so I can remember it.¡± I lowered my hood. ¡°It''s for my own sake. Destroying the fortress and your sealed wings is something I can easily do before leaving.¡± ¡®A kindness to make up for all the killing.¡¯ ¡°Horns¡­ You have both...¡± ¡°I do. If you heal your wings fast enough, you may be able to use the chaos to escape.¡± After putting my hood back on, I took off into the sky with Kenneth. Just like the old man said there was a dark green fortress to the north. Guards flew in formation over the city but Kenneth, now in his bat form on my back, told me we should be able to blend in and get close before dealing with anyone. ¡®This time someone will save you.¡¯ Chapter 11 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 11 ¡°I¡¯ll hold them here. The aim assist on my rifle makes it the best anti-air weapon on the market.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kenneth. If something you can¡¯t handle shows up its an absolute order that you retreat to me.¡± We made it to the fortress without issue but as soon as we landed the flying guards swarmed us like bees. Thankfully Kenneth was able to wipe them out with ease. ¡°Consuming Darkness.¡± I made a hole in the roof and jumped inside. The wall was enchanted with some kind of protection magic, but it didn¡¯t stand a chance against Consuming Darkness. The room I landed in was a conference room and I seemingly interrupted a meeting of green cloaked Angels. The one at the front had a white wing pattern, so I instantly knew my target. ¡°Scars of Despair.¡± Half of my body was in Nightmare form from using two dark skills in a row, and I could feel the desire to slaughter rising, but with Emotion Nullification I could handle this much. I quickly completed nine slashes to make sure he understood death was about to come. ¡°D-Demon, how do you have wings of the holy bloodline?¡± The fear on his face clear but he was doing a good job of acting like someone in charge. I looked to the others sitting and made an offer. ¡°I¡¯m here for the ¡°Unholy¡± girl with a wing pattern like my own. This guy¡¯s life is already at its end, but you all have a chance to flee assuming someone tells me what I need to know.¡± Everyone in the room readied their weapons except one Angel who remained seated. ¡°Demon you will rot within these halls!¡± The leader with nine scars attempted to lead an attack, but it was pointless. I completed the last slash causing his body to fall apart. Gore rained down in the once clean conference room causing the rest to lose their former confidence. -Congratulations! Scars of Despair has increased to 6/10!- -Congratulations! Fear has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill competition has granted 3 Skill Point!- -Congratulations! Fear has evolved into Terrifying Presence!- -Congratulations! Terrifying Presence has increased to 5/10!- ¡°Shattered Light.¡± Thanks to Radiant Manipulation I was able to guide the shards of light around the room quickly killing everyone except the Angel who kept quiet. ¡°I know the location of the girl you are looking for. Her wing pattern is the same as yours but with brown edges instead of black. You also do not need to be wary of me as I am happy to say we are on the same side. I don¡¯t usually take such a¡­¡± He looked around the blood covered room. ¡°Unique, approach but my name is Gabriel Anelo, a member of The New Heavenly Order.¡± He lowered his green hood revealing a young male Angel. He had light blue hair, a childlike face, yellow eyes, and his wings were a mix of light yellow and light blue. ¡°My friend is holding off your Angels from the roof, so I don¡¯t have much time. Take me to the girl and flee after that.¡± While we were talking the sound of gunfire and explosions rang out from above us. ¡°What kind of magic causes such horrid sounds? Wait¡­ Just one friend?! There are only two of you?!? You just killed the Heavenly Angel¡¯s brother! I don¡¯t question your power, but the entire might of the Seven Heavens will soon be here! I thought you brought an army! How did you even break the barrier?! To forcefully destroy it requires a ritual of 10 Archangels.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care who comes just hurry up and show me the way.¡± ¡°Wait! There is a vault which contains the sealed wings of every ¡°unworthy¡± please use your magic to open it. I need to destroy at least a few specific ones held in the innermost part of the vault. I¡¯ve been working here undercover for years trying to get in there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m wiping this entire fortress from existence before I leave. Every pair of wings will be destroyed.¡± His face became a mix of disbelief, but after looking around the room again, he made a request. ¡°¡­There is another Unholy set to be executed in 200 years, and if what your saying is true then we have to save him. He is the founder of our order and a member of the holy bloodline. The New Heavenly Order will be in your debt, I beg you.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask me to save him first?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware you¡¯d be killing him! My operation was to destroy the sealed wings of our strongest members and then we would break him out using their power. The barrier on his cell was set personally by the Heavenly Angel so not just anyone can break it!¡± ¡°Point to where his cell is from where we are standing.¡± Looking confused he pointed down toward the right corner of the fortress. ¡°Abyssal Infusion, Consuming Darkness.¡± -Congratulations! Abyssal Infusion has increased to 7/10!- -Congratulations! Abyssal Manipulation has increased to 6/10!- Consuming Darkness quickly made its way through the building to the cell. Once it destroyed the wall I stopped it. ¡°Tell me exactly where the girl is and then your free to go get your leader. Make sure you flee after, I will not wait to destroy this building.¡± ¡°The young girl¡¯s power required specific protections, so a room on the highest level was adjusted for it. If you exit into the hall and go as far as you can to the left, you will find a regular looking door with a soundproof barrier on it. She is within that room. Before I go, may I ask two things? What is your name so we can properly give thanks and are you really an angel?¡± ¡°My name is Ellie Noir. I¡¯m not an Angel or a Demon just a regular outsider here to save someone important.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the farthest thing from regular Ellie¡­ You have my Order¡¯s thanks.¡± He gave a bow before flying down the tunnel I made. When I opened the hallway door, some guards fell in. It appears this room was sealed during meetings and even they couldn¡¯t open it. ¡°It¡¯s a Demon!¡± ¡°By the Heavenly Angel, what have you done!?!¡± One of the guards began throwing up after seeing the bloody mess. ¡°Serenity Infusion, Shattered Light.¡± The annoyances were quickly dispatched, and I flew down the hall using Holy Ascent. ¡°Watch out she is a member of the Holy Maidens!¡± ¡°Dammit, a rare class holder!¡± ¡°She has to be Legendary! I have never seen magic like that light on her body!¡± ¡°Abyssal Infusion, Consuming Darkness.¡± The adjacent hall was now clear leaving me alone with the door I needed to get through. Before entering I made sure to lower my hood. ¡®I just used two Darkness abilities, so I will have to balance it out.¡¯ I stuck my sword through the door and activated Hallowed Ground causing it to crumble in an explosion of light. Inside was another set of doors however it was only soundproof enchants this time. They opened to a small room with a single glow stone light on the ceiling and a little girl who looked exactly like me at the age of three. She sat chained to the wall and was in horrible condition. Her wings were the same pattern as my own but brown lined the edges instead of black, she wore a tattered gown, and her brown hair was roughly cut short like mine used to be. As I approached her face turned to fear and tears fell from her eyes. She started backing up until she hit the corner, but even then she kept pushing against the ground. I kneeled in front of her and destroyed the chains and cuffs using a little serenity mana. Being close to her I could see that her body was skin and bones, brutally scarred, her small wings were broken and bent at impossible angles, and her tongue was cut out. ¡®Radiant class store.¡¯ -Radiant Class Store- [Divine] Radiant Heal ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Radiant Light ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Summon Radiant ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Dominion ¨C 50 SP [Divine] The Book of Revelation ¨C 100 SP [Divine] Land of Life, Sky of Light ¨C 100 SP [Title] Ruler of the Radiant Sky ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 83 I purchased Radiant Heal which thankfully was an extremely powerful single target healing skill. As I reached out to place my hand on her head, she lifted her thin impoverished arms to block what she thought was an attack. She was shaking and mumbling something but I couldn¡¯t understand what. I gently placed my hand on her head and used the new skill. ¡°Radiant Heal.¡± -Congratulations! Radiant Heal has increased to 5/10!- Her body was completely healed and no scars remained. The skill even returned her body weight to a healthy state. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m Sorry¡ª¡± In a shaky voice, she was quietly apologizing over and over again while continuing to hold her arms up in defense. I did the only thing I could think of, the one thing I always wanted, I reached over and pulled her into a hug. ¡°Everything is okay now. No one will hurt you ever again.¡± ¡®Even after rebirth this world is not kind to us, but this time things would be different.¡¯ She seemed to be in shock at first, but after realizing I was hugging her and it wasn¡¯t a trick, I felt her hug me back. ¡°I¡¯m going to be looking after you from now on. We have a home with a big bath, yummy food, and lots of kind friends that I am sure you will like.¡± I felt her grip tighten around me. ¡°If you¡¯re ever bored we can go on adventures, we can read together, or we can play in the snow.¡± She buried her head in my shirt and started crying. ¡°Most importantly, when your sad and need to cry, I will be there to hold you close. To tell you everything is okay.¡± Through her tears, she asked a single question. ¡°P-Promise?¡± ¡°I promise.¡± She cried in my arms until there were no tears left. Everything I told her was what I always dreamed of hearing. I would ensure she finds happiness even if it was at the cost of my own. It was this little girl who saved me from Death, and it was her who worked so hard to let me keep my emotions. I would repay every ounce of that kindness and so much more. ¡®Our fate is one that always leads to suffering, but you can smile, I¡¯ll shoulder everything else.¡¯ ¡°My name is Ellie, what¡¯s yours?¡± ¡°Heavenly Angel said unholy people don¡¯t get names.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re not Unholy then, how about Elsie?¡± It was the first thing that came to mind. I wanted something close to Ellie since that was our original name. With her head still buried in my shirt she nodded and made a small cute noise ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Are you ready to leave this place?¡± She answered with another nod. ¡°Mm.¡± I knelt so she could climb up onto my back. Elsie was small enough that she could fit just in-between my wings without causing much interference. ¡°Elsie when I use some skills they make me look scary. I will make sure it doesn¡¯t hurt you though.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡®She doesn¡¯t like to say much. I¡¯ll find out more when we¡¯re out of here.¡¯ We exited the still empty halls and returned to the roof where Kenneth was waiting. ¡°The guards retreated, but they are regrouping just out of range. It looks like military forces are joining too. All set to go?¡± ¡°Yes, the Demon Capital to the south is our next target.¡± Since Divina was from here, she was able to give me the directions I needed. ¡°I take it the little girl peeking over your shoulder is who we came here for?¡± Elsie immediately hid her head in my hair. ¡°This is Elsie; she is pretty shy. Elsie this is Kenneth, he is someone very kind and a person you can trust.¡± ¡°H-Hello.¡± She didn¡¯t look and kept her head buried in my hair. ¡°It''s nice to meet you Elsie. You can take your time before coming out. Ellie will make sure no one hurts you.¡± I repeated what Kenneth said in Angelic so she would understand. ¡°Mm.¡± Kenneth turned into a bat and clung to the top of my head. ¡°It''s rare that I see you with your hood down, I almost forgot you had horns.¡± ¡°I guess I don¡¯t need to keep my hood on all the time since I¡¯m not hiding from anyone.¡± We took off into the sky far from the fortress. Guards and stronger looking angels started to pursue, but they would be distracted soon enough. ¡°Elsie, watch the Unholy Halls.¡± She peeked over my shoulder and looked the at the dark green fortress. ¡°Serenity Infusion, Absolute Judgement.¡± -Congratulations! Serenity Infusion has increased to 9/10!- -Congratulations! Serenity Manipulation has increased to 7/10!- -Congratulations! Absolute Judgement has increased to 5/10!- Above the Fortress the sky tore open revealing a white void and a few seconds later a beam of white light surrounded by thinner lines of blue light shot down causing the world below to shake. ¡°So pretty!¡± Elsie exclaimed. ¡°If we ever need to perform a siege I will end up feeling bad for the enemy!¡± Kenneth began laughing. When it finished nothing but a deep hole, and beautiful white and blue sparkles remained. The angels stopped chasing and stared at the crater in awe or despair, not that it mattered. ¡°Let¡¯s get going. Holy Ascent.¡± My wings filled with holy power as we quickly left towards the south. My flight speed was absurdly fast, so I was worried about Elsie and Kenneth, but both said they were okay. Not long after the reason no one was able to escape Seven Heavens became clear, a golden barrier surrounded the border. I was about to use Consuming Darkness to open a hole for us, but then I remembered what I told the old man. ¡®It wouldn¡¯t sit right with me if my suggestions couldn¡¯t be taken seriously.¡¯ Not far to our right was a large golden pillar that looked to be powering the barrier. ¡°Abyssal Infusion, Consuming Darkness.¡± A massive cloud of Consuming Darkness ate away the base of the pillar causing it to fall down the mountainside. After that, the barrier started shattering we took off into the sky. ¡®Arty I¡¯m on my way.¡¯ ~~~ I stopped on the outskirts of a small village to allow Kenneth and Elsie some time to rest. While we were sitting, I started to get worried about Elsie seeing me kill people. It was not something I wanted to expose her to. I asked her if she would be okay with heading to Snowy Nights, but she was adamant on staying with me even if it would only be a short time apart. ¡°You promised.¡± She gave me a tearful look as I kneeled in front of her. ¡°I did, that is why I won¡¯t force you to go. If you come, you have to make me some promises, alright?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°First, if I must fight you will stay with Kenneth or hide in my hair. Second, never put yourself in danger and if you think we¡¯re in trouble let me or Kenneth deal with it. Third, if you¡¯re ever hurt, even the smallest scratch, you must tell me right away. Got it?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Kenneth, I¡¯m going to prepare a simple dinner for Elsie do you want something with my blood on it?¡± ¡°Hmmm, I haven¡¯t had a good clubhouse sandwich in a while. Replace the mayo with blood for me.¡± ¡®That¡¯s not exactly what I would call simple¡­¡¯ ¡°Elsie what would you like for dinner?¡± She looked down with a sad expression. ¡°Its okay to eat?¡± ¡°You can eat anytime your hungry.¡± ¡°Hard bread?¡± ¡°Only yummy foods, I don¡¯t offer hard bread.¡± ¡°Water soup?¡± ¡°How about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Arty and I used to make these for ourselves all the time.¡± ¡°Sandwich?¡± ¡°Its something yummy. Starlight Kitchen.¡± -Congratulations! Starlight Kitchen has increased to 5/10!- A kitchen made of the night sky appeared in front of us. Elsie was frightened by its sudden appearance and hid behind my leg. Using pocket portals, I quickly obtained the ingredients I needed and got to work. Shortly after Kenneth¡¯s legendary clubhouse, two legendary peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and three glasses of juice were completed. I canceled Starlight Kitchen, and we all sat down on the grass. ¡°This is delicious Ellie! I expected the bread to be soggy, but you made the blood the same consistency as mayo! honestly, that¡¯s the most amazing thing I¡¯ve seen since God¡¯s Guidance.¡± Kenneth¡¯s stupid comment made me smile a bit, but I turned my attention to Elsie who was staring at the slice in her hands. ¡°Elsie if you don¡¯t like it just let me know, I can make you something new.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. She watched as I took a bite of my own before doing so herself and just like I did all those years ago, she cried tears of joy as she quickly ate the sandwich and drank her juice. ¡°Was it good?¡± Instead of an answer she hugged me and started crying even more. ¡°I-I can eat yummy food again?¡± ¡°Anytime you want.¡± I held her in my arms until she fell asleep. ¡°Kenneth, I don¡¯t like that she¡¯s stuck in this gown, so I¡¯m going to check if this town offers any clothing. If she wakes up hand her this.¡± It was a small note that said ¡®Buying you a gift, I¡¯ll be back soon. ¨C Ellie.¡¯ The language barrier was annoying but I didn¡¯t have any solutions currently. The place we were on the outskirts of looked to be a small farming town in the middle of nowhere. Most houses resembled medieval frontier buildings at best, but I was able to find a tailor towards the center of the town. Along the way, I was getting looks from the local inhabitants, and just before entering the tailor¡¯s shop a male Demon threw a rock at me from behind. -Congratulations! You have earned the skill Demonic!- -Congratulations! Demonic has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! Angelic has increased to 9/10!- -Congratulations! English has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill competition has granted 1 Skill Point!- ¡°Get out of here you half breed!¡± A few others joined in with the same sentiment. ¡°Aura of Divinity.¡± -Congratulations! Aura of Divinity has increased to 8/10!- I targeted it towards the group, mainly on the ones who threw the rocks. ¡°M-Monster!¡± Those that were still conscious after I canceled the skill took off running. ¡®The skill has gotten stronger. Almost half were rendered unconscious.¡¯ I entered the Tailor and an old demon greeted me. He was wearing a dark purple suit reminiscent of medieval nobles from Human history and the shop was surprisingly fancy. He had grey hair, purple eyes, and purple horns that did a single twirl before pointing upwards. ¡°My lady, may this lowly Demon ask if those outside are, well, dead?¡± ¡°They¡¯re just unconscious.¡± His face changed to relief. ¡°That is a good thing to hear. Our town is quite remote, so superstition can run rampant although that does not excuse their behavior. What can this humble servant help you with?¡± ¡°I need clothing for a three-year-old Angel; a simple dress would do. I would also like a tailors kit and material if you have any to spare.¡± ¡°Do you have measurements for the young lady? I have never adjusted a dress to fit the wings of an Angel but I assume the back would need to be modified.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t sadly. In that case, some material and the kit would be a welcome alternative.¡± ¡°Ellie!¡± The door swung open, and Elsie ran over and hugged my leg. ¡°Sorry Ellie! She woke up right after you left and nothing was stopping her from finding you.¡± Her small wings were fluttering as she tried to jump up to my back. I picked her up and she hugged me tightly. ¡°There will be times where I need to go for a little bit. I know it can be scary, but Kenneth will keep you safe.¡± ¡°You promised.¡± ¡®I have a feeling this promise will be causing me some troubles¡­¡¯ ¡°Anyway, this man is going to measure you for a new clean outfit. I¡¯ll be right here the whole time.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I switched back to Demonic. ¡°My apologies for the commotion, this is the girl I will be getting the clothing for. If you could measure her, I would be grateful.¡± ¡°It is no trouble at all madam. I have a dress and other necessities about her size that should work well with a few adjustments.¡± Elsie stepped onto a small platform while measurements were taken and not long after the Demon returned with a light-blue commoner¡¯s dress. He gave me the instructions on how to put them on and left me alone with Elsie. ¡°How does it feel?¡± ¡°Comfy.¡± It wasn¡¯t a clothing style I was used to, but as long as it was comfortable, that¡¯s all that mattered. ¡°I have arranged the tailoring kit at the front alongside the bill.¡± The bill came to 1 silver and 5 bronze for the outfit and 6 silver for the kit and raw materials. ¡°I have included the three types of fabric we carry. Kilthorn wool from the farms, Suntide linen prepared here, and our most valuable material Giant Worm Weave. It is quite a lot. Do you have a caravan that will be taking care of it?¡± ¡°No, I will be putting it away now.¡± I opened my bag and started shoving overside items into it. At first, the old demon''s face was filled with confusion, but amazement followed soon after. ¡°I have never seen such magic! If you were to join a trading company you could make a fortune carrying items by flight.¡± ¡®If I¡¯m ever desperate for money I guess I could.¡¯ ¡°Thank you for your time and the suggestion.¡± ¡°It was my pleasure.¡± He gave a respectful bow as we left the building. Outside some of the town¡¯s folk were carrying the unconscious bodies away. This time no one made a peep when they saw us but just as we were about to leave a woman''s voice called out to us. ¡°Please forgive our foolish town members!¡± A tough looking woman was on the ground bowing behind us. Her skin was tanned, she had red hair, dark red eyes, and her horns pointed straight up from the sides of her head. ¡°It''s okay.¡± No one I cared about was hurt so it didn¡¯t matter. The woman got up with the help of the man next to her. The bottom half of her left leg was missing, and her crutches were behind her. With his help, she limped over to us. ¡°It''s not okay. My father would be frowning down on me if I allowed a traveler to be disrespected in such a way. We are on the unofficial border between Seven Heavens and Deminicous so seeing wings in town causes people to be frightened.¡± ¡°I truly wasn¡¯t an issue.¡± ¡°I know you are not a normal traveler. I¡¯ve never seen a Demon and Angel half breed, not to mention that sword. It may have little use for you but please accept this basket of Crackle Rock as an apology, it is our towns main produce.¡± I used Inspect to see what its uses were. Name: Crackle Rock Rarity: Common Source: The area¡¯s surrounding the Demon Continent¡¯s large mountains. Uses: Increases Fire Affinity and resistance when ground to dust and used in crafting. Description: A red powdery stone said to be the left over from the great fire and earth magic that rose the mountains. Since she was insisting, I accepted. ¡°Is your leg sealed, why haven¡¯t you healed it?¡± ¡°Healing spells that can restore limbs are only found in specialized rare classes and up. Even if I traveled to the capital, I wouldn¡¯t be able to afford such a luxury.¡± I stuck my hand out towards her leg. ¡°Radiant Heal.¡± The bone and then flesh grew back like it was never gone. ¡°Thank you for the rocks.¡± ¡®Another kindness to make up for all the death.¡¯ ¡°Such healing power and so fast¡­ I can never repay this kindness! Thank you!¡± She bowed until we were out of sight. Once on the outskirts of town, I dumped the rocks into my bag sending it through the pocket portal and let Elsie down from my back. ¡°Elsie before we take off again I want to talk to you about the skill you have.¡± She looked down and grabbed her new dress. It was a pose I once did when I was very nervous. ¡°No matter what you say it won¡¯t change our promise.¡± I picked her up and hugged her so she felt more comfortable. ¡°Divine class Commandments.¡± I was surprised to hear Divine Class or a class at all considering you shouldn¡¯t be able to get one until the age of ten. ¡®Why would the Heavenly Angel not try to make use of that?¡¯ ¡°What does it do?¡± She buried her head into my shoulder. ¡°I tell people to do things and they do it even if its bad things.¡± She started crying. ¡°I-I won¡¯t tell you to do things. I promise I won¡¯t!¡± ¡°Try commanding me to put you down.¡± Her head popped up with a scared and confused look, but after seeing my face, she nodded. ¡°P-Put me down please.¡± I hugged her in response. ¡°I will always be here for you. Not even your divine commands can forcefully separate us.¡± Like I expected the command did nothing, I had Mind Immunity after all. ¡°It didn¡¯t work?¡± ¡°Nope, so there is no need to be scared of talking.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Her response was still the small cute sound. ¡®Its something we can work on¡­¡¯ With everything set, we took off into the sky and headed south. A few hours into the flight I received a welcomed notification. -Congratulations! Holy Ascent has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill competition has granted 5 Skill Points!- -Congratulations! Holy Ascent has evolved into Heavenly Arrival!- -Congratulations! Heavenly Arrival has increased to 5/10!- Holy light enveloped my wings causing them to appear much larger than they actually were. To my surprise, my outfit and those I was carrying were also covered in it. The speed at which we could travel increased substantially, Kenneth said I was faster than a jet plane. With the skill¡¯s new speed our trip only took an hour. -You Have Entered Country: ¡®Deminicous,¡¯ Capital City: ¡®Deminicous¡¯- -Congratulations! Pathfinding has increased to 9/10!- ¡®I feel him, its slight but I can feel his presence! Arty I will be there soon!¡¯ A city made of dark metals stretched as far as the eye could see. The architecture of the Demon Capital was beautiful. They used dark materials to make manors almost like my house but with a lot more metal and emphasized spiky points. To add the visual yellow glow stones were used everywhere giving the builds an interesting contrast and glow. To our right in the western area, I felt his presence growing stronger. I kept flying until we were over a manor on the boundary of the city and behind it was a wedding ceremony on the edge of a large forested lake. ¡°Arty is somewhere down there. Kenneth when we land keep Elsie safe.¡± ¡°The little VIP, it seems my job will be protecting you from now on.¡± He laughed, but Elsie was unable to understand. I raised my hood; I didn¡¯t want Arty to see me until I explained everything. Using Heavenly Arrival, I quickly landed interrupting the ceremony. ¡°Heavenly Angel? No, you¡¯re not her. What idiotic Angel has flown into Deminicous and interrupted my wedding?¡± The room filled with silence as the overly large Demon complained. He was at least 7 feet tall, made entirely of muscle, his hair and eyes were dark blue, and his beige horns stuck outwards from the side like a bull. Next to him was a female Demon who would be tall in her own right but looked small next to the mass of muscle. She had black hair that was done in a longer Pixie cut, dark eyes, and two small white horns on the side of her head that pointed back in a wave. ¡°Where is Artel Noi¡ª¡± -Connection to Companion ¡°Artel Noir¡± has been established.- -Companion Artel Noir died 15 years, 5 Months, and 28 days ago. Last shared skill has been made permanent.- ¡®No¡­ No¡­ t-this isn¡¯t possible¡­ it''s lying¡­ it must be lying!¡¯ I fell to my knees. ¡®In the end, you were too weak. You failed him.¡¯ ¡°Artel, the youngest of the Noir family? That¡¯s who you''re looking for? That useless ghost failed in transferring his bloodline to me now I¡¯m stuck marrying his rebellious sister. At least today won¡¯t be a complete waste of time since I can give a powerful Angel¡¯s head to the Demon Lord as a gift. Are you the next in line to be Heavenly Angel? How do you have that Legendary skill?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a lie! It must be! Arty! Its Ellie, please come out! I¡¯m sorry I took so long!¡± ¡®You failed him.¡¯ ¡°This Angel has lost her mind. Guards kill the two standing behind her!¡± *POP**POP* The two guards fell to the ground after bullets pierced their skulls. ¡°Arty we can cook together like we use to! I¡¯m strong enough to protect us now! Please come out!¡± Guests in the seats behind us were panicking, but for some reason, none would flee. ¡°Does the general of the Demon Lord¡¯s Army have to deal with this at his own wedding? How useless are you lot?¡± More guards ran over, but they met the same fate. ¡®He would have been better off never meeting you.¡¯ -Congratulations! Emotion Nullification has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill competition has granted 5 Skill Points!- -Congratulations! Emotion Nullification has evolved into Nightmare¡¯s Rage!- [??] Nightmare¡¯s Rage ¨C Emotions have a soft cap of 40%. Strong emotions which bypass the soft cap such as despair, anger, and hatred will forcefully activate Nightmare setting your inner desires free. Passive Source: Evolved from Emotion Nullification. Exclusive to Nightmare. Skill level: 1/1 As tears fell from my eyes, I felt Nightmare taking hold. All over my body patches of darkness were spreading and Nightmare¡¯s signature horns grew from my head. With what little control I had left I turned to Kenneth and Elsie. ¡°Kenneth take her to Snowy Nights. Passage.¡± Elsie ran over. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave! I don¡¯t want to!¡± ¡®How long will it be before you fail her too?¡¯ ¡°I promise I will come back.¡± She hesitated and then sadly nodded. Kenneth picked her up and ran through the tunnel of darkness. ~~~=--^--=~~~ An Angel looking for my dead little brother dropped in from the sky using a skill exclusive to the Heavenly Angel. After learning of Artel¡¯s death, she fell to her knee¡¯s in grief. Her companion killed many guards but as soon as the General was about to take action a terrifying power started emanating from the Angel. She opened a portal of darkness and sent her companions through and then turned back to us. She was now a Demon the likes of which I had never seen before, her body was darkness with cracks of light pulsing all over it, her eyes were white circles, and two long horns of darkness pointed into the air. With unimaginable speed, she stabbed the General in the stomach and lifted him into the air using his spine. ¡°W-What are you?!¡± ¡°You will suffer. You will pay a price far beyond death.¡± ¡°AHHH!¡± The fear of the general was surpassed by the fear of this Demon causing many guests to try and flee. ¡°Annoying. Abyssal Infusion, Consuming Darkness.¡± A cloud of darkness burst forth from her other hand eating away everyone and everything. Using this chance I ran off to the side. ¡°Let''s see¡­ Your name, Ozarik. Arty died for your experiment, so please pardon my rudeness while I conduct my own. Electrify.¡± She used an uncommon electricity spell. It was one I had seen before but this would not kill a legendary class holder like the General. ¡°You think that will kill me!? Herculean Strength!¡± He used both hands to grab the Demon¡¯s arm, but whatever the flesh was made of melted his hands away in an instant. ¡°Electricity Infusion, Electrify.¡± ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± The same uncommon skill was used, but even I could see its massive power difference. The general¡¯s body spasmed for over five minutes before finally falling limp. ¡®Infusion Spells are a mythical ranked ability! Artel was friends with someone like this?¡¯ ¡°Dead already? One evolution is all your life was worth?¡± She killed the General who stood against countless Armies like he was nothing. ¡°Perfect Resurrection.¡± ¡°I-Impossible.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but mutter those words as the general returned to a living state before my own eyes. The Heavenly Angel was said to have a skill called Holy Resurrection, but I never imagined seeing one with such power. ¡°W-What have you done to me?¡± ¡°Greater Electrify.¡± She used the rare version of the skill. ¡®She evolved an uncommon skill just like that?!¡¯ ¡°Still not enough to kill you? Electricity Infusion, Greater Electrify.¡± Just like before his body spasmed and eventually fell limp. ¡°Hmmm¡­. It would appear I can use perfect resurrection multiple times in the same day as long as it¡¯s the same soul. How convenient. Perfect Resurrection.¡± ¡°H-How¡­¡± The general¡¯s strong deminer was vanishing. Being tortured to death and then getting pulled back from the afterlife was not something someone of even his caliber could endure. ¡°Electricity Infusion, Greater Electrify.¡± As horrifying as the scene before me was it would be a lie to say we didn¡¯t take pleasure in it. When Artel was announced captured, the hiding remnants of the Noir family, including myself, launched an attack to try and save him but it failed, I failed. Those loyal to the true heir, my little brother, were executed and I would be used to grant power to the Demon Lord¡¯s General. The killing and resurrecting continued, 3 times, 11 times, 34 times, 50 times, the girl persisted while General begged to die. ¡°Please¡­ Kill me¡­.¡± ¡°I will, many, many more times. Its unfortunate that you stopped giving any exp for my class and skills after the first death, this would be a wonderful way to level up.¡± ¡°Greater Electrify.¡± ¡°AHHHHHH!¡± He went limb once again. ¡°Perfect Resu¡ª¡± From a dark portal behind her, a tall person in tattered black robes appeared and pierced the Demon with a scythe causing her to drop the General. ¡°Is this how you are fulfilling that girl¡¯s promise? This is your happiness?¡± ¡°My happiness is dead.¡± The Demon grabbed the scythe¡¯s handle causing it to break. ¡°Why have you come?¡± ¡°Your actions are interfering with the Land of the Dead, and it ends now.¡± ¡°Tell me, is there any way to save Artel Noir?¡± ¡°His soul has already dissipated within the Great Sea of Mana.¡± ¡°Then this is far from over.¡± She pulled the Scythe from her stomach. ¡°Perfect Resu---¡± The robed figure used the scythe¡¯s broken handle to smack the girl far across the lake. At the other side, an explosion from the impact took out part of the forest. He picked up the body and opened a new portal of darkness, but just as he was about to enter, the girl returned with wings of Holy Darkness and smashed into the robed figure. ¡°His soul is mine! Scars of Despair!¡± Ten slashes were dealt with her claws causing the robed figure to erupt into a mist of darkness. She got up and walked to the body she had killed many times. ¡°Perfect Resurrection.¡± The general returned from the dead once again, but before she could continue her torture, three figures in tattered robes appeared around her. Each one stabbed her in different locations with a scythe. Finally, a fourth appeared and began speaking to her. ¡°You overestimate yourself Ellie Noir.¡± ¡°Once more. Let me kill him once more. After which I agree not to use the skill in such a manner ever again.¡± ¡°Making deals with Death from the position you''re currently in? At the very least you never fail to intrigue me. As a reward for killing one of my avatars, I¡¯ll allow you to take his life one final time. Don¡¯t make me return.¡± The robed figures vanished, and the demon walked over to the once proud man crying on the ground. ¡°As your final punishment, I will ensure your soul ends here.¡± The Demon¡¯s right-hand glowed white before piercing the General¡¯s chest. When she pulled her claw back out a glowing white ball was within her hand. ¡°Extinguish Life.¡± In a puff of Darkness, the soul was gone. -Activating Soul Link¡¯s ¡°Final Goodbye¡±- -Skill ¡°Soul Link¡± has now been removed from Ellie Noir.- ~~~=--^--=~~~ -Activating Soul Link¡¯s ¡°Final Goodbye¡±- -Skill ¡°Soul Link¡± has now been removed.- On the ruined altar a young transparent Demon appeared sitting on the ground. He was shaking, looked about 12 years old, wore noble¡¯s attire, had black hair, and had two horns which looked exactly like my own. Despite only seeing Arty as a ghost I knew exactly who it was. Nightmare faded as I slowly walked towards him and lowered my hood. ¡°Arty, it''s me, its Ellie, we have the same horns. There is so much I want to tell you about.¡± -30 Seconds Remaining- ¡°You¡¯re not Ellie! Your soul is nothing but hatred and anger! Ellie¡¯s was full of kindness and love!¡± ¡°I¡¯m still me! I promise I¡¯m still me!¡± He placed his hands on his head while struggling to respond. -20 Seconds Remaining- ¡°Y-You¡¯re a monster pretending to be her! Another trick!¡± I reached out to him, but he slapped my hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I want to be with her! I want to be with Ellie!¡± -10 Seconds Remaining- He turned to his sister. ¡°Valora please help me find her! She needs my help!¡± ¡°Arty so much has happened, but I¡¯m truly Ellie! Please believe me! -5 Seconds Remaining- ¡°You¡¯re just a monster! A lying monster!¡± -0 Seconds Remaining. Final Goodbye has concluded. Lingering essence has dissipated.- I fell to my knees and stared at the location Arty once was. ¡°Artel was not thinking straight! The distress of horrific final moments has always caused soul link¡¯s final goodbyes to end up like this! I saw how much you cared about him. You¡¯re not a monster! You saved me!¡± It was Artel¡¯s sister who was attempting to comfort me. ¡°Passage.¡± A portal of darkness to the Dawn Wastes opened underneath her feet causing her to fall through. Once I was alone, I cried the hardest I had ever cried. ¡®Forgive me Arty.¡¯ ¡®Will you fail his sister as you did him?¡¯ ¡®Forgive me.¡¯ ¡®How will you make amends for everything you¡¯ve done?¡¯ ¡®Forgive me.¡¯ ¡®Stop holding back, free yourself and show this world the true depths of despair.¡¯ ¡®Forgive me.¡¯ ¡®Kill them.¡¯ ¡®Forgive me.¡¯ ¡®Kill everyone who stands against you.¡¯ Next to me still laying on the ground was the blade of Death¡¯s scythe and a little bit of the handle. ¡®This blade was able to pass through my immunities. It made me feel pain.¡¯ I picked it up and felt it burning me with the power of Death. Since its handle was broken, it looked more like a sickle with a large blade. With a shaking hand, I put the blade to my neck. ¡®Are you going to abandon everyone you promised to protect?¡¯ I hesitated at the thought of leaving Elsie behind. ¡®Show this world suffering. Make them fear you, make them understand what happens when they stand against you. It''s not you who should die¡­¡¯ My arm fell to my side. ¡°¡­Its everyone else that should suffer.¡± My mind was taken by despair while my thoughts assaulted me. The Demon Lord was behind this, so I would kill him. I walked along the black cobble streets of Deminicous painting them red with my broken scythe. Any who tried to stop me from reaching the Demon Lord died. -Congratulations! Scythe Mastery has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill competition has granted 5 Skill Points!- Just ahead of me was the gates to the palace. I walked to them slowly while covered in blood. ¡°Make the pain go away¡­ Kill them¡­¡± A group of 50 guards gathered to stop me, but they didn¡¯t stand a chance against me or the broken scythe. After getting inside, I learned only the Queen was here but no matter how many I interrogated they wouldn¡¯t tell me where. ¡°Her room was next to Artel¡¯s! It''s down the hall! Please spare me!¡± ¡®Arty has a room in the palace?¡¯ After killing the palace guard, I made my way to a room that used to be Arty¡¯s. Inside the room on the bedside table was a small painted frame of him and his two sisters. ¡®Arty¡­¡¯ Seeing his face made me start crying again. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a sad sight.¡± A beautiful woman walked in. She had flowing long black hair with horns that looked like white roses, a black dress, and a mature body and chest. She was the oldest girl in the picture I was holding. She appeared next to me on the bed like a ghost. ¡°I can see your sorrow Ellie. I¡¯m here to help you.¡± ¡°How?¡± She appeared in front of me placing one hand under my chin while wiping my tears away with the other. ¡°I can send you to a place with Arty and your parents. Somewhere you can be happy.¡± ¡°I can be with Arty?¡± ¡®He¡¯s dead. You already failed him.¡¯ ¡°Forever and ever.¡± I thought of Elsie. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°This world has been so cruel to you, its only fair that you should be happy too.¡± ¡®You don¡¯t deserve to be happy.¡¯ ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Shhh¡­ Just let go, close your eyes, and I will send you to them.¡± ¡°Mind Immunity will block it¡­¡± ¡°It''s not an attack, just a beautiful dream. Close your eyes and say your innermost desire.¡± ¡®Are you leaving Elsie for dead? Abandoning everyone?¡¯ ¡°I can feel your mind raging like a storm. Close your eyes and all shall be calm.¡± My tear-soaked eyes slowly fell shut. ¡®I¡­ I want to be happy¡­¡¯ ~~~ ¡°See you tomorrow Ellie!¡± I waved to my friends from class as the bus drove away. ¡®I wonder what mom is making for dinner tonight?¡¯ I ran up to our house on a cozy street with lots of trees. It was white with a back roof, two stories tall, and had a big backyard with a pound. ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± ¡°Welcome home Ellie! Dinner is ready. We¡¯re just waiting for your father.¡± My mother was in the kitchen at the back of the house. She had short brown hair in the same cut as my own, was short like me, and today she was wearing a pink dress that was her favorite. I ran over and gave her a hug. ¡°Is Arty home yet?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the yard playing with the wooden swords again.¡± I ran outside to see my big brother. He¡¯d always let me play with him. ¡°Arty I¡¯m home!¡± ¡°Just in time for today¡¯s adventure!¡± Arty started explaining our mission for the day, but he was cut off halfway through. ¡°Dinners ready!¡± Our Dad, who must have just walked in, called out to us. He wasn¡¯t much taller than my mom, had dark brown hair, brown eyes, and wore glasses. He was very thin and would sometimes get sad about it, but Mom says he¡¯s super smart, so he didn¡¯t need to be strong which always made him feel better. ¡°We were just about to go on an adventure!¡± ¡°You and your sister can adventure all you want after you eat. That includes the vegetables Artel!¡± I was giggling behind Arty while Dad yelled at him. ¡°Ellie our adventure to the secret fort is postponed until after dinner¡­¡± ¡°It will be our best adventure yet!¡± Together as a family, we enjoyed dinner. Days continued like this and I was so happy. I had the best parents and big brother in the whole world! School was super fun as well! I had lots of friends that were all very kind to me, and my teacher taught me lots of different things. After a month I started having nightmares about a horrible monster made of darkness and a scary glowing angel but luckily when I woke up in the middle of the night crying Arty would always let me sleep with him. ~~~ ¡°Today¡¯s adventure is finding a fish in the pond!¡± ¡°Arty, Dad will get mad if we bug the fish again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s a stealth mission!¡± I went to walk over to him, but I tripped over a stick and fell. My hand got a small scrape on it, and I started crying. ¡°Ellie!¡± Arty ran over and hugged me before looking at my hand. ¡°It''s bleeding a little bit, let me go grab you a bandage.¡± Through my sniffles, I thanked my brother. He gave me a thumbs up. ¡°That¡¯s what big brothers are for!¡± Then ran off into the house. I looked down at my hand. ¡®Why is my blood that color?¡¯ It was like a sunset. I waited outside for 10 minutes but he never came back, and dinner should have been ready soon too. I went towards the back door but as soon as I walked in, I stepped in something wet. ¡°Arty?¡± On the floor was my big brothers¡¯ body in a pool of his own blood. ¡°Mom, Dad! Arty¡¯s hurt! Please help him! Please call for help!¡± I knelt in the pool of blood and held him in my arms. ¡°They won¡¯t be coming Ellie.¡± Sitting on the kitchen counter was a girl made of darkness. She appeared to be the same height as me and would even look like me if it wasn¡¯t for the darkness on her body. ¡°W-Who are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re you.¡± Just behind me was a big person made of bright light with sky blue eyes looking down at me. The glowing person and girl made of darkness always spoke at the same time saying the same things. ¡°Mommy! Daddy!¡± I cried out in fear for my parents. ¡°They''re already gone.¡± ¡°W-Where did they go?¡± ¡°They sold us. We were too much of a burden.¡± ¡°They sold me?¡± ¡°Sold us and left. Everyone leaves us.¡± ¡°Then Arty is¡­¡± My tears were falling onto his face. ¡°Dead. You failed him, remember?¡± Horrifying memories flowed into my head. Images of everyone I lost flashed by one by one. ¡°No!¡± I held the sides of my head. Next was everyone who betrayed and hurt me. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back!¡± ¡°What about those you still have left?¡± Memories again entered my mind, but this time it was of people that were still alive and relied on me. ¡°Giving in will save them and you.¡± ¡®Elsie¡­¡¯ The name appeared in my head. ¡°Give in.¡± They reached their hands out toward me. I desperately wanted to accept, to put this horrible nightmare behind me, but I couldn¡¯t leave this world yet. As my memories continued to return, I realized that this was my life, an endless cycle of despair. If I wanted things to be different, I would have to let go of my weakness, of who I was. My happiness was gone, but it wasn¡¯t too late for everyone else. I could become someone who could protect them and grant them every happiness they desired. Looking down at Arty I hugged him one last time. ¡®Thank you for being my friend Arty. You were the first person to ever care about someone as worthless as me. I wish we could have been together forever.¡¯ I gently laid him down and stood to face the girl with Touch of the Abyss active. ¡®I will show this world what it means to stand against me on my own terms.¡¯ ¡°Give in Ellie.¡± Just as they were about to touch me, I hit their hands away. I would not be a slave to the monsters inside my soul, not anymore. ¡°No¡­ It''s you two who will serve me.¡± Her face turned to anger. ¡°You¡¯ll fail everyone without our guidance!¡± ¡°I will never fail them again.¡± I grabbed the Elemental¡¯s core and the girl¡¯s neck and felt their power rushing around inside me. My soul was currently divided into three parts and the fragment of my younger self, but now it would finally become whole. ¡®I will carry everyone else¡¯s struggles so that they can be happy. Elsie, Kenneth, Artel¡¯s sister, the Fallen, Divina, the Pixies, and their loved ones. I will make a place they can all live without pain or sadness. That¡¯s all this monster can do.¡¯ As the final tears left my eyes, I felt myself fade away into light and darkness. -Congratulations! You have earned the title Radiant Night! Radiant Night ¨C ?? Grants: ?? Source:?? Chapter 12 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 12 I awoke to a weird feeling on my body, looking down I saw I was wearing a new outfit. It was a twilight colored ball dress and shoes. ¡°Good morning! I hope you like my dress and shoes! I thought it matched your eyes so consider it a gift. The hairpin was actually something Artel bought, I think it was a gift for a girl, but it only seems right that you should get it now.¡± The voice sounded like it was coming from all around the room and then near the door, Arty¡¯s sister appeared. I summoned my sword, and with a single flash step, I stabbed her right through the chest. As her head fell on my shoulder, she laughed. ¡°Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.¡± After those words, she vanished, and I could no longer find her. I sat back down on the bed and examined who I was. I felt nothing but misery and despair, but it was apart of me, my natural state. Thinking about others, I could divide the world into two groups, those I promised to protect and those that didn¡¯t matter. As I stood up, I saw the photo of Arty now laying on the ground. I felt sadness build up inside me, but my face didn¡¯t change, this world had already taken every tear I had. Near the balcony was a mirror and through it, I could see the hairpin shaped like a rising sun on the right side of my head. ¡®He wouldn¡¯t want me to have this.¡¯ I took it off and put it into my bag alongside my old outfit, the broken scythe, and the painting of Arty. Once packed up I walked out onto the balcony. The sun was rising, and the city was still in a panic, so I had only been dreaming for one night. My reason for living was clear to me now, I would exist for those I love and grant them every happiness, but to do that I needed to create somewhere larger than my pocket dimension to call home. I removed the Dungeon Core from my bag and held it in front of me. ¡®A country like Safe Haven? ¡­No, why should I protect anyone who wouldn¡¯t do the same for me? When I make a country, it will be for those I love, and anyone else who wants to live in it will personally explain to me why they should be welcomed.¡¯ I used Analyze on the core to see if it would show anything. Name: Dungeon Core Rarity: Legendary Consumption Effect: +5 Free Attributes +50 Skill Points Country/Dungeon Consumption: +1 Country Perk and City Perk Founder Options: Unique Owner Options: Core Bonus: If a Country/City is founded over the ruins of an Ancient Human City multiple unique bonuses are granted. This bonus is applied for free to the second city within a country founded by this core. Description: The Dungeon Core from [Legendary] Remnants of a Fallen Nation. ¡®I will have to discuss the best locations with Kenneth¡­¡¯ ¡°Mark, Passage.¡± -Congratulations! Passage has increased to 6/10!- -Location #2 has now been marked and titled ¡°Deminicous.¡±- A tunnel of darkness opened in the sky above me and after a short flight, I was back. Through the door a calm snowy night welcomed me until I was home. ¡°Welcome home Radiant Night!¡± ¡°Welcome back Ellie.¡± Divina, the Pixies, and Kenneth were all waiting for me despite how long I took. I could tell Kenneth was surprised by the elegant dress, but he didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°Thank you, everyone. How was Elsie?¡± ¡°She waited as long as she could, but the lack of sleep caught up with her.¡± In the living room, Elsie fell asleep waiting for me in the bay window. I walked over and picked her up. ¡°I¡¯m going to lay Elsie down in my bed. In the meantime, I recommend resting up. There will be a meeting in the dining room at noon.¡± I carried Elsie upstairs and tucked her into my bed next to the marshmallow ghost plushie that looked like Arty. I was about to put it aside with the other plushies, but Elsie grabbed onto it in her sleep and hugged it. ¡°Goodnight Elsie.¡± I made my way to the outdoor seating area of the restaurant and sat down. The cold air and snow calmed me, and I had a lot I needed to review before the meeting. In terms of combat I learned many things from this encounter, the most important was that there were beings like Death who ignored my resistances completely. ¡®If Undying did not activate when the three avatars attacked I would have died. More importantly, I would have broken my promise to Elsie and failed everyone who relies on me.¡¯ The other was that Perfect Resurrection wasn¡¯t so perfect. My Extinguish Life skill didn¡¯t just kill the target, it destroyed their soul, and nothing could bring you back after that. The same went for anything that seals or takes the soul. With no soul, I could not resurrect them. The peace the skill brought me completely faded, the risk of losing those I cared for was still very much there. As for skills, many leveled up. Death¡¯s attacks capped out all my physical resistance skills and killing the Avatar not only granted me a new title but also completed Scars of Despair and leveled Nightmare all the way to 24. My newest derived skill was called Darkest Depths and was essentially the opposite of Absolute Judgement. A hole in the ground is torn open and it sucked everything into the Abyss. The next skill was Eyes of the Abyss. Previously this skill stated it had multiple evolution paths Eyes of the Abyss evolution options: All merged bonuses are retained. Unselected routes are granted at random each time the selected route is completed. I wanted Hero of Twilight to be my strongest class, so the option with twilight was the obvious pick. ¡°Eyes of Twilight.¡± [Divine] Eyes of Twilight ¨C You are Radiant Night, a power beyond mortal comprehension. Twilight power increases twice as fast. Those who serve you are refreshed by your twilight gaze and those who stand against you are burned. Sub Abilities: Passive Source: Evolved from Eyes of the Abyss Skill level: 1/10 -Congratulations! Eyes of Twilight has increased to 5/10!- Moving onto my attributes, I gained 5 Free Attributes from Avatar Slayer and 6 Free Attributes from my racial level bonuses. I put two into Strength and four into Dexterity to reach the ten point mark and then I put the remaining five into Constitution. I was ignoring health due to my immunities and Barrier of Twilight, but the recent battle showed it was foolish. ¡®Now class shops.¡¯ -Fallen Class Store- [Divine] Summon Abyssal ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Requiem of the Fallen ¨C 100 SP [Title] Ruler of the Fallen Abyss ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 516 -Radiant Class Store- [Divine] Radiant Light ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Summon Radiant ¨C 50 SP [Divine] Dominion ¨C 50 SP [Divine] The Book of Revelation ¨C 100 SP [Divine] Land of Life, Sky of Light ¨C 100 SP [Title] Ruler of the Radiant Sky ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 516 -Hero of Twilight Class Store- [Divine] Darkness Unending ¨C 40 SP [Divine] Light Eternal ¨C 40 SP [Companion] ¨C 40 SP [Title] Hero of Twilight ¨C Store Completion Bonus Available Skill Points: 516 -Attribute Store- [A] Enhanced Strength ¨C 20 SP [A] Enhanced Dexterity ¨C 20 SP ~ Store Updates based on Attributes ~ Available Skill Points: 516 -Affinity Store- [Rare] Generate Random Dark Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Death Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Light Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Life Skill ¨C 10 SP [Rare] Generate Random Unaspected Skill ¨C 10 SP ~ Store Updates based on Affinities ~ Available Skill Points: 516 I started with the two Attribute Enhancing skills. Like usual they were a 50% increase. ¡®I¡¯ll complete Hero of Twilight and then Fallen.¡¯ [Divine] Darkness Unending ¨C Send an explosion of darkness in the targeted direction. This skill can be sent forth in a wave from bladed weapons or used directly. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Light Eternal ¨C Send an explosion of light in the targeted direction. This skill can be sent forth in a wave from bladed weapons or used directly. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Hero of Twilight Class Shop. Skill levels: 1/10 The final thing in the Hero of Twilight class store was a companion. I had no desire for one but to complete the store I had little choice. -Congratulations! You have completed the Hero of Twilight Class Store! Title ¡°Hero of Twilight¡± has been granted!- -Congratulations! ¡°Hero of Twilight¡± has granted 5 Free Attributes and Hero¡¯s Soul Armour!- The dress I was wearing was sent to the storage area and a dark cloud covered me. When it cleared, I was wearing a new hooded outfit. My boots were black leather with grey outlines, fit much better, and went just below my knee. The top part of my left boot had a black rune with a white outline, and the top part of my right boot had a white rune with a black outline. Above the boots were well fitting pants with the same patterns and colors but instead of leather, they were made of thick cloth. Around my waist was a small belt and in the center was a belt buckle with a twilight colored rune. My new upper wear consisted of two cloth layers. The first layer was a grey sleeveless shirt that zipped up at the front and the second layer was a thin black half sleeveless jacket. Like the other parts so far it was black, outlined in grey, and the inside of it was also grey. My left arm had nothing on it except for a small fingerless glove that covered my hand and on the top part of that glove was another white rune outlined in black. My right arm had a sleeve that went inside a long glove. The glove ended just below my elbow, and it followed the same pattern of black with gray outlines. Like the other glove it had a rune on the top of my hand, but this time it was black with a white outline. Finally, over top of my head was a hood. It was short enough that my face could be seen, but it cast a dark shadow over it. Unlike the previous hood it was more fitting and both my horns were outside of it. The front of the hood came to a point instead of being the regular circle and just above the point I could feel a rune similar to the one on the belt. ¡°RaDiaNt¡­ NigHt¡­¡± The face appeared on my left arm before traveling onto my new outfit. It seemed my soul worm was able to move around freely on it. ¡°I¡¯ll just call you Worm from now on.¡± Speaking of companions, I still had a second one I needed to meet. ¡°Companion.¡± -Generating Hero of Twilight companion¡­- -Congratulations! [??] Typhoeus Lvl: 999+ has been granted.- My pocket dimension started to tremble as I fell to my knees holding my head in pain. ¡°Abyssal Infusion, Passage!¡± I opened a massive passage beneath us pulling in both myself and the forming companion. -Congratulations! Passage has increased to 8/10!- I was thrown into the Dawn Wastes and landed on the shaking ground. I could barely open my eyes let alone stand however the longer I didn¡¯t move the faster my health points dropped. I slowly stood as blood fell from my eyes and nose. When I finally looked up, a saw a monster unlike anything I had ever seen before. Its legs, if you could call them that, were two snake bodies no less then the size of a skyscraper each. Its torso was that of a giant, but it was covered in dark scales that reflected sunlight. The muscled arms, also covered in dark scales, could each be called mountains and every one of its fingers were the maw of a dragon spitting out a different element. On its back, it had two different black wings, one of feathers and one of flesh that blocked out the sun. Where a head should be were thousands upon thousands of monster and animal heads with twilight eyes. Looking into them I felt my body burn, fire resistance started rising rapidly, but it did nothing to prevent the pain or damage. I stood, refusing to fall, I would not fail everyone again. ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡± The voices pierced my ears causing blood to flow from them. It was whispers, screams, cries, yelling, and roaring, all being sent directly at me while still being burned by the eyes. A new resistance called sonic resistance started rising alongside Fire resistance. I stood enduring the pain and torment. ¡®I will not fall to my own companion after everything I¡¯ve been through!¡¯ When my health hit one health point, it became quiet, and the pain stopped. I stayed standing never looking away, and after ten minutes a monstrous voice appeared just outside my left ear and whispered one word. ¡°Worthy.¡± When I turned, there was nothing, and during that moment the monster vanished. ¡°Radiant Heal.¡± I was brought back to full health, and my new outfit was restored. ¡®Its still listed as my companion but I doubt it would follow my orders. I can¡¯t risk angering it right now.¡¯ I stared off into the morning sky. ¡®I almost died again¡­¡¯ I was angry at myself. It hadn¡¯t even been a day, yet I ran into two existences who treated me like I was nothing. ¡®I couldn¡¯t lift a finger against them¡­ How weak and useless am I?¡¯ I slapped my expressionless face with both hands. ¡°The answer is simple. I have to stop being so pathetic. There are people who rely on me, and I can not fail them.¡± I returned to my Class Shops and status. During the encounter, my Fire Resistance and Sonic Resistance both reached Immunity and Sonic, Fear, and Pain Immunity merged into Sensory Damage Immunity. I found it a bit strange something related to my eyes was not required, but then I remembered Eyes of the Abyss had always included immunity to that. Next, I spent 150 Skill Points on the last two skills of the Fallen Class Store. [Divine] Summon Abyssal ¨C Call forth monsters of the Fallen Abyss. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [??] Requiem of the Fallen ¨C Grant ¡®Touch of the Abyss¡¯ and ¡®Abyssal Empowerment¡¯ to your army for one hour. Mana Cost: N/A Restrictions: Can only be used once a day. Source: Fallen Class Store Source: Adjusted by Nightmare. Skill levels: 1/1 -Congratulations! You have completed the Fallen Class Store! Title ¡°Ruler of the Fallen Abyss¡± has been granted!- -Congratulations! ¡°Ruler of the Fallen Abyss¡± has granted Nightmare¡¯s 10 level Attribute bonus and the skill Darkness of the Abyss!- Ruler of the Fallen Abyss ¨C The highest power within the Fallen Abyss. Grants: 20% increase to Fallen class skills. Grants divine skill Darkness of the Abyss. Grants 10 level Attribute bonus once for free. Grants full control over the Fallen Abyss. Source: Complete Fallen Class Shop. Have ?? Nightmare class. [Divine] Darkness of the Abyss ¨C Status is always concealed unless you will otherwise. Those who attempt to peer into the Abyss are trapped within it. Passive. Source: Ruler of the Fallen Abyss Title. Skill levels: 1/10 ¡®Let¡¯s finish Radiant next¡­¡¯ [Divine] Radiant Light ¨C Light shines down upon the targeted area healing any allies within it. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Radiant Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Summon Radiant ¨C Call forth monsters of the Radiant Sky. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Radiant Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Dominion ¨C Control everything in the surrounding area. Mana Cost: 100/M Source: Radiant Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [??] The Book of Revelation ¨C Summon the Book of Revelation causing it to open to a random page. Your enemies experience the randomly selected apocalypse. Mana Cost: N/A Restrictions: Can only be used once a day. Source: Radiant Class Store Source: Adjusted by Seraph. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] Land of Life, Sky of Light ¨C Remove the border between this world and the Radiant Sky. Mana Cost: N/A Restrictions: Can only be used once a day. Source: Radiant Class Store Source: Adjusted by Seraph. Skill levels: 1/1 -Congratulations! You have completed the Radiant Class Store! Title ¡°Ruler of the Radiant Sky¡± has been granted!- -Congratulations! ¡°Ruler of the Radiant Sky¡± has granted Seraph¡¯s 10 level Attribute bonus and the skill Elemental Release!- -Congratulations! Limit Break has merged with Elemental Release granting 10 skill points!- [??] Elemental Release ¨C Increase attributes, magic damage, and melee damage by 100%. In dire situations, Elemental Release is forcefully activated. Overuse of Elemental Release will activate Seraph. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Ruler of the Radiant Sky Title. Elemental Soul. Skill levels: 1/1 Ruler of the Radiant Sky ¨C The highest power within the Radiant Sky. Grants: 20% increase to Radiant class skills. Grants divine skill Elemental Release. Grants 10 level Attribute bonus once for free. Grants full control over the Radiant Sky. Source: Complete Radiant Class Shop. Have ?? Seraph class. Elemental Soul. To end my status update, I added the five new free attributes to Constitution leaving it at 24 and changed my title to Radiant Night. ¡®After I get Constitution to 25 I will focus on Intelligence and Wisdom again.¡¯ HP: 180/180 (2.6/H) STM: 180/180 (2.6/M) MP: 320/320 (2.7/M) DP: 3/?? (??) Active Level: 92 Total Level: 119 Title: [Radiant Night] Name: Ellie Noir Race: Nightmare/Seraph Age: 20 Gender: Female Mana Affinity: [Abyssal: 200%], [Serenity: 200%], [Electricity: 18%], [Fire: 26%], [Unaspected: 93%], Origin Classes: [Nightmare Lvl: 24], [Seraph Lvl: 12], [Hero of Twilight Lvl: 31] Classes: [~U~ Electricity Mage 20/20], [~V~ Slave Lvl: 5/5] Crafting Classes: [~L~ Starlight Chef Lvl: 26/50], [~L~ Ancient Engineer Lvl: 1/50] Sub Classes: Attribute Points: 0 Skill Points: 131 Companions: [Soul Worm Lvl: ??], [Typhoeus Lvl: 999+], Attributes: Attribute Enhancements: [Enhanced Strength], [Enhanced Dexterity], [Enhanced Constitution], [Enhanced Endurance II], [Enhanced Perception I], [Enhanced Intelligence II], [Enhanced Wisdom II], [Enhanced Craftsmanship I], [Enhanced Control I], EXP Bonus: 9000% (91x) EXP Bonus to Skill level 0-5: 129,000% (1291x) [Origin ?? 3/3] [Origin Divine 10/10], [Origin Mythical 5/5], [Power of the Fallen Abyss 5/5], [Power of the Fallen Abyss 5/5], [Power of the Radiant Sky 5/5], Titles: [Nightmare], [Seraph], [Divinity], [Calamity of Legends], [Slave], [Calamity of Dragons], [Undead Slayer], [The Undying], [Dungeoneer], [Soloer], [Divine Crafter], [Avatar Slayer], [Radiant Night], [Hero of Twilight], [Ruler of the Fallen Abyss], [Ruler of the Radiant Sky], ?? Skills: [Nightmare 1/1], [Seraph 1/1], [Brilliant Dawn 1/1], [Dusk of a Thousand Shifting Rays 1/1], [Land of Death, Sky of Darkness 1/1], [Requiem of the Fallen], [Land of Life, Sky of Light 1/1], [The Book of Revelation 1/1], [Nightmare¡¯s Rage 1/1], [Elemental Release 1/1], Combat Skills: [Combat Medic 5/10], [Hallowed Ground 10/10], [Scars of Despair 10/10], [Darkness Unending 1/10], [Light Eternal 1/10], Passive Combat Skills: [Dagger Mastery 2/10], [Short Sword Mastery 10/10], [Throwing Mastery 5/10], [Prediction 8/10], [Scythe Mastery 10/10], Passive Combat Defence Skills: [Sensory Damage Immunity 10/10], [Physical Damage Immunity 10/10], [Undying 5/10], Magic Skills: [Aura of Divinity 8/10], [Abyssal Infusion 6/10], [Unaspected Infusion 5/10], [Shattered Light 10/10], [Consuming Darkness 10/10], [Passage 8/10], [Reality Shift 5/10], [Serenity Infusion 9/10], [Grasp of the Abyss 1/10], [Extinguish Life 5/10], [Static Shock 1/10], [Shock Armour 1/10], [Lightning Bolt 1/10], [Greater Electrify 5/10], [Absolute Judgement 5/10], [Radiant Heal 5/10 ], [Perfect Resurrection 10/10], [Electricity Infusion 6/10], [Darkest Depths 1/10], [Summon Abyssal 1/10], [Radiant Light 1/10], [Summon Radiant 1/10], Passive Magic Skills: [Eyes of Twilight 10/10], [Abyssal Manipulation 8/10], [Serenity Manipulation 8/10], [Electricity Manipulation 6/10], [Darkness of the Abyss 1/10], Passive Magic Defence Skills: [Abyssal Immunity 10/10], [Serenity Immunity 2/10], [Mind Immunity 5/10], [Electricity Resistance II 2/10], [Fire Immunity 10/10], [Draconic Resistance II 8/10], [Barrier of Twilight 10/10], [Wind Resistance 8/10], [Poison Resistance III 8/10], Survival Skills: [Climb 9/10], [Flash Steps 7/10], [Jump 8/10], [Swim 5/10], [Heavenly Arrival 9/10], [Shimmer 2/10], [Shadow Fade 1/10], Passive Survival Skills: [Elemental Core 8/10], [Dragon Heart 8/10], [Survivalist 2/10], [Pathfinding 9/10], [Taming 5/10], [Stealth 8/10], Life Skills: [Snowy Nights 6/10], [Terrifying Presence 6/10], Passive Life Skills: [English 10/10], [Angelic 9/10], [Demonic 5/10], [Reading 5/10], [Noble Etiquette 8/10], [Housekeeping 5/10], [Singing 5/10], [Labourer 1/10], [Bartering 6/10], Crafting Skills: [Starlight Kitchen 5/10], [Hasty Touch 6/10], [Dominion 1/10], Passive Crafting Skills: [Starlight Cooking 6/10], [First Aid 6/10], [Animal Husbandry 5/10], [Ancient Engineering 1/10], I got up and made my way to the door since it was almost noon. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be late for a meeting I called.¡¯ When I arrived in the dining room, everyone was present and standing behind their seats except Valora who was standing off to the side. Upon noticing me, she bowed and began speaking. ¡°Ellie Noir, you saved my life and did your best to protect Artel. I am all that remains of House Noir, but I will work day and night to repay the great debt my house owes you.¡± She was very serious in all her movements and speaking. ¡°My best resulted in the death of Artel. I failed him and you, there is nothing to repay.¡± I explained how I lost Arty and ended up in the Death Guild¡¯s basement for ten years. ¡°You were ten! There was nothing you or Artel could have done to change that. I will not accept such an answer.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there? Arty was forced along with my greed. If I focused on powering up my skills and classes instead of trying to live a life I was never supposed to have he would be present right now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She clenched her fist and looked down at the ground. ¡°Ellie!¡± Elsie ran into the room from upstairs and gestured for me to pick her up. ¡°Hello Elsie, how did you sleep?¡± ¡°Good. Ellie, you look sad, you¡¯re not sad right?¡± ¡°Are you happy?¡± She nodded. ¡°Then I am very happy.¡± It was a half-truth. While I didn¡¯t actually feel happy, her being happy was everything I desired. She wasn¡¯t pleased with my answer, so I hugged her before placing her in the seat nearest to me. ¡°Valora, please join us.¡± She bowed before standing behind an open seat, and after I sat down at the head of the table, everyone else did. Cloudy already prepared food for everyone to pick at but no one besides the three pixies were eating. I knew Elsie was nervous to eat when I wasn¡¯t so I handed her a new raspberry every time she finished one. ¡°There is a lot we need to discuss. Divina did my new companion cause any damage to the pocket dimension? I¡¯d also like to know why there are no language barriers within Snowy Nights.¡± She stood before speaking. ¡°Your quick actions avoided any trouble. As for the lack of language barriers, there are two reasons. Fallen and Radiant can communicate regardless of language and the Snowy Night¡¯s Restaurant perk also allows you to hear any spoken language as your main tongue within its borders.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Returning to the companion, if any of you come across Typhoeus let me deal with him. His active level is above 999.¡± ¡°A level above 1000?! Something like that is your companion?¡± Valora spoke up in surprise. ¡°He is a companion only in status. It is a dangerous monster off doing whatever it likes.¡± ¡°Ellie Noir may I ask your active level?¡± ¡°It is only 92. I am unfortunately very weak.¡± ¡°Only¡­¡± She looked depressed now. I returned to Divina who was still standing. ¡°I am also the ruler of the Radiant Sky and Fallen Abyss. It states I have full control over them although it didn¡¯t specify what that entailed.¡± ¡°I am a lord of the Radiant Sky and have partial control. It allows me to open passages to the Radiant sky and grants me the power to create and control Radiant Monsters. As the ruler, I can only assume it is that and much more. This also resolves the issue of you returning to the Fallen Abyss.¡± I nodded and thanked her. ¡®I failed Arty, and even if they hate me for it, I will ensure they are at least free.¡¯ ¡°The next is an announcement. I will be creating a country. It will be ruled by me, and it will be a place strictly for those I welcome personally. That will, of course, includes all of you should you wish to join. The dungeon core I will be using grants bonuses for creating the first and second city within Human Ruins, as such, I want cities with status. Kenneth any suggestions?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend anything on the west coast, and we know Washington¡¯s occupied. Hmmm¡­ Will the cities need to be close to each other?¡± ¡°No, using Passage we can all move between them without worrying about distance. I would prefer every city we create to provide an actual benefit.¡± ¡°In that case, I recommend New York for the capital. If we can occupy Manhattan, we will be surrounded by water and rivers making it easily defendable. It was also a very famous human city before the world ended. As for the second city, I have a slightly outlandish idea that depends heavily on what the bonuses from the core are. In the case that they help fix the place up, I think it should be Las Vegas. It is in the desert, but if we can control the strip and restore it to working order, we could get all the income we would ever need. I doubt there would be any place like it in the world today.¡± ¡°A money-making city¡­ That would be very good. For now, we will focus on New York then. The final thing I would like to address is, do any of you desire anything?¡± ¡°To serve you forever and all we can eat berries!¡± The Pixies were the first to speak up. ¡°You all have full access to the kitchen. You can take as many as you like already¡­¡± ¡°Yea!!!¡± They all started high fiving each other. Divina stood up next. ¡°I wish to serve you and make your name reach every corner of the world. The day the world bows before you will be when I feel fulfilled.¡± Her gentle and kind voice was saying scary things again. ¡°I have no intention of ruling the world. I¡¯m sorry Divina.¡± She chuckled. ¡°We don¡¯t need to rule them to make them bow in fear.¡± ¡°¡­We¡¯ll start with making the country.¡± Kenneth followed after. ¡°Just the deal we already agreed on.¡± ¡°We will head there before starting the country.¡± Valora was next. ¡°It is unprofessional of me to make requests after being saved however there are two things I desire. The first is power. I want to bring justice upon my older sister and the Demon Lord. I want them to pay for what they did to my house and Artel!¡± ¡°I can give you a Divine origin class but it will bound you to me for eternity.¡± ¡°D-Divine and Origin!? I graciously accept!¡± Valora was quiet for a little bit before continuing. ¡°My second request is to serve you directly as Artel did.¡± She got out of her chair and went down on one knee. ¡°I beg you to accept me as your shield. I am good with a sword, and I also work fast in armor. I won¡¯t be a burden!¡± ¡°Traveling with me will put you in danger.¡± ¡°I still want to! Like Artel did¡­¡± ¡°Then I accept. Kenneth, you will oversee the group so please help her prepare.¡± ¡°They used to call me the rookie breaker, so I hope you¡¯re ready Valora!¡± I¡¯m pretty sure Kenneth was making a joke, but Valora took it seriously. ¡°I will accept any test and prove my worth!¡± ¡°Elsie is there anything you want?¡± She nodded her head. ¡°Its okay to tell me what it is.¡± ¡°A hug.¡± I gave her a big hug. ¡°That covers everything. I can grant one of two Divine classes so, please choose wisely. Fallen is Death and Darkness oriented and Radiant is Light and life, come to me when you have decided.¡± ¡®As ruler, I should be able to grant those classes.¡¯ ¡°Divina, Icy, I need to speak with both of you. Everyone else is dismissed.¡± The other two pixies bowed alongside Valora. Kenneth waved while saying he would be in the living room. ¡°Icy I should have one more perk for Snowy Nights.¡± ¡°T-That¡¯s right! I completely forgot!¡± ¡°Its okay, show me the available options.¡± -Snowy Nights- Owned: Available: ¡°Frozen Mage tower seems like it will be most useful right now.¡± ¡°R-Right away!¡± Icy began tapping the invisible screen and then froze in place. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry!!!¡± She started crying. ¡°Icy calm down, tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°I clicked the wrong one!¡± ¡°¡­Which one did you click?¡± ¡°T-The one a little above it¡­ Ancient Human Necessities.¡± She spoke while sniffling. Elsie ran over from my side and put her hands out for Icy to land on. ¡°It''s alright Icy, Ellie won¡¯t be mad.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Divina cut in before I could reply. ¡°Icy just remember if you ever mess up Radiant Nights order again I will ensure you only get sour berries for a week.¡± Every word was said with a gentle smile. ¡°Its really not an issue¡­¡± I¡¯d get all ten ranks at some point, so I truly didn¡¯t care. ¡°When did we get a working flat screen!? Its got everything on demand!!!¡± Kenneth was yelling from the living room now. ¡®¡­¡¯ The silly turn of events should have made me happy, but I didn¡¯t feel anything. ¡®As long as they¡¯re able to smile that¡¯s all that matters.¡¯ ¡°Elsie take Icy to the living room and stay with Kenneth. I have something important to attend to with Divina.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± She was sad, but in such a short time she was able to be without me. ¡°Divina I¡¯d like you to join me in the Fallen Abyss. While we are there see if you can get into contact with the Abyssal Lord.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± She bowed. I focused on the Fallen Abyss and a black void opened in front of us. Inside the familiar calming darkness soothed me and in the center of the island was the same table from over 22 years ago. I approached and sat in my chair silently. Before they could speak, I said what I needed to. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I took so long to return. Events that were my fault resulted in not only the delay but Arty¡¯s death. I know you all must hate me or see me as a monster, I would not blame any of you for that judgment, Arty thought the same. Regardless, I will still ensure you can leave this place.¡± Aurora stood, I was expecting words similar to Arty¡¯s, but instead she hit me on the head. ¡°You stupid girl, we would never hate you!¡± She was looking down at me with tears in her eyes. ¡°Welcome back.¡± ¡®¡­She scolded me again.¡¯ Zurik spoke up next. ¡°Everyone at this table has lived a life of pain and suffering and has done things they regret. We will always help a fellow member.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ A lot has changed¡­ I¡¯ve changed¡­ I didn¡¯t expect to be welcomed back.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve grown up and been through many hardships, of course a lot has changed.¡± Hysa said. ¡°Then you already knew about Arty?¡± ¡°The Abyssal lord provided us with updates on you and Artel every so often. Although he is elusive and hard to understand he was always worried about both of you. After Artel¡¯s death, his updates became much less frequent. We all spent a lot of time grieving.¡± I explained that Divina would be searching for the Abyssal Lord and allowed her to introduce herself. ¡°I am Divina, a Radiant lord and loyal servant of Radiant Night. The Radiant Sky is a domain similar to the Fallen Abyss however it is made up of Life and Light mana. I look forward to exploring and understanding this realm more.¡± She turned to Aurora. ¡°¡­Aurora, was it? I politely request that you refrain from hitting Radiant Night in the future.¡± ¡°If she is misbehaving, I¡¯m going to scold her, that¡¯s never going to change.¡± They started glaring at each other. Hysa clapped her hands causing an extremely loud noise. ¡°Let¡¯s not ruin the reunion. Should we call you Radiant Night now or treat you differently?¡± ¡°Please treat me the same way you always have.¡± ¡°In that case Ellie, please tell us everything that happened.¡± Divina stood at my side while I told them everything. How Arty did his best to protect me, my time locked away, my revival taking 12 years, and the final farewell. After the past was covered, I told them about my plans to make a country. ¡°Ruling a country is not easy, so it¡¯s a good thing you have me.¡± Aurora crossed her arms and had a proud look on her face. ¡°You¡¯ve led a country before?¡± I realized just how little I knew about all of them. ¡°I was the Empress who united the Elves, so I know a thing or two about ruling.¡± ¡°Then how¡¯d you end up here?¡± Old man Snaps mocked before laughing. ¡°Shut up you tiny geezer!¡± They still joked around just like I remembered. ¡°Radiant Night, they are likely bound to this realm in a similar fashion to me. With your grace, they should be able to travel to Snowy Nights and eventually your Country. In the meantime, I would like your permission to explore the Abyss.¡± ¡°When you find the Abyssal Lord contact me right away.¡± ¡°Leave it to me.¡± She bowed before flying off into the darkness. After Divina was gone, I changed focus to the table which kept them all here. A short time later, I understood exactly what the Abyssal Lord created. This table pulled in damaged and sealed souls that could not return to the sea of mana and stabilized them. I focused on the energy inside and transferred it to me. ¡°She did it! I knew you were something special the moment I first laid eyes on ya!¡± Old Man Snapp¡¯s exclaimed. They all got up and stretched. ¡°It looks like we¡¯re bound to you now Ellie.¡± Hysa said with a smile. I told them where the portal was and started leading them there, but when I turned back around, they were all kneeling. ¡°You¡¯ve kept the promise you made us 22 years ago, granted us a second chance at life, and became a budding ruler worthy of following. I, Zurik, first of the Earth Ogres pledge my allegiance to Radiant Night.¡± ¡°I, Hysa Ash, the Dragon of Knowledge and Aspect of Fire pledge my allegiance to Radiant Night.¡± ¡°I, Aurora Silverleaf, first Empress of the United Eleven Empire and High Priestess of the Silver Tree pledge my allegiance to Radiant Night.¡± ¡°I, Snaps Magee, Omni Crafter of the Gnomes pledge my allegiance to Radiant Night.¡± I stood silently surprised by their unending kindness before finally replying. ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡± Their support caused my resolve to grow stronger. ¡®All of you will never have to suffer again.¡¯ ~~~=--^--=~~~ -Location: Snowy Nights- After 132 years we were free. The first thing I did was enter my true form and stretch my wings while exploring the beautiful dimension Ellie created. When my flight concluded I joined Zurik who was meditating in the snowy forest. ¡°The cold air reminds me of home. I hope my people are well.¡± ¡°You could always ask Ellie, we both know she would take you there without hesitation.¡± ¡°The young girl has enough to worry about. Could you feel it Hysa Ash?¡± I clenched my side in anger and regret. ¡°Yes¡­ I can¡¯t tell whether her fate or Artel¡¯s is worse.¡± ¡°Is life even worth living if your soul becomes nothing but hatred and despair?¡± ¡°She¡¯s found a reason to keep going. It amazes me that her kindness can still shine through.¡± ¡°She deserved every happiness.¡± I looked off into the snowy night sky picturing the little girl hugging her marshmallow ghost. ¡°They both did.¡± ¡®No matter the path you walk Ellie we will always be there.¡¯ Chapter 13 The Girl in the Abyss Chapter 13 ¡°This is the part, shh, everyone quiet!¡± An explosion occurred in the show Kenneth, Old Man Snaps, and Aurora were watching. ¡°Humans had technology of this level with no magic!?¡± The old gnome exclaimed. ¡°Hmph, nothing a large-scale spell couldn¡¯t accomplish.¡± ¡°Wait until you see the bomb in the third episode. My buddies and I consider it the best one!¡± Kenneth and Old Man Snaps were completely absorbed in the newest perk. It had every form of old-world entertainment you could imagine, Magitek power systems, random human devices, and a lot of junk food. The others were off doing various things, Hysa and Zurik spent most of their time outdoors, Elsie followed me around with Icy, and Valora spent every second training. Seeing everyone settling in and enjoying themselves was a wonderful sight. ¡°Ellie Noir, do you have a few minutes?¡± Valora caught up with me while I was walking to the kitchen where I personally spent most of my time. ¡°What can I help with?¡± ¡°After thinking about it, I have decided on the Radiant class. It allows me to heal and protect everyone while also complimenting my Guardian class.¡± ¡°This can never be changed and you will be bound to me. Are you completely sure?¡± ¡°I¡¯m positive. I¡¯ll take my brother''s place and fulfill the role in his name.¡± She kneeled in front of me and I placed my hand above her head. A white light surrounded her body and flowed into it. ¡°I thought it was only one class?!¡± ¡°It should be. Did you get another?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Radiant Paladin. My resolve has already been rewarded! I will not fail you!¡± ¡°Once Old Man Snaps finishes your armor we will be heading out. Please make sure to review the new class before then since I won¡¯t be able to tell you what any of the skills do.¡± ¡°I will, thank you Ellie Noir!¡± Once in the kitchen, I reviewed the money we earned from the opening the restaurant which wasn¡¯t a lot, but I didn¡¯t care. The only reason I opened it was for myself, cooking allowed my mind to go blank and made me feel calm. The door upgrade could send a door to a random location in the world where there were people in search of food. The first night sent a door to a festival somewhere in the Beast-kin continent. ~~~=--^--=~~~ ¡°Mom, Dad, it''s over here!¡± It was the night of our village¡¯s Spirit Festival, a time of year where everyone comes together to celebrate the Rabbit-kin Clan and the spirit who protects it. I was feeling sick and almost stayed home, but this year there was a strange rumor going around, and I didn¡¯t want to miss it! Everyone was saying if you go to the back of the festival grounds there was a magic foreigner who came to celebrate with us. ¡°My friend said that the food was super good! We need to get there before it runs out!¡± My Dad was a worry wart with long pointed dark brown ears that matched his eyes and fluffy hair. He assisted the clan elder in political affairs which there was a lot of lately. Because of this, he was worried that the foreigner was someone important or that it was a scheme. Mom thought it was just a nice traveler, but Mom was kind to everyone. She had floppy ears that were a mix of very light brown and white which matched her soft hair and light brown eyes. I looked a lot like my Mom even though I was a boy, so people were always mistaking me for a girl or did it on purposes to pick on me. ¡°Look I can see it!¡± On an old shed, the door turned into a magical looking one. It was covered in snowflakes and a sign at the top read ¡°Snowy Nights Restaurant and Bar.¡± When I opened the door, it felt like I crossed into another world! Inside was just like the rumors said, it was like a Lord¡¯s manor, no, even greater than that! The floor was shiny and sparkled, big dazzling lights hung from the ceiling, and the chairs looked like thrones! ¡°Welcome to Snowy Nights young Rabbit-Kin, will you be dining alone?¡± A small person wearing a black outfit floated in front of me. ¡°Wow, a tiny foreigner! My parents are just outside so it will be three. Could we sit by the window?!¡± There were a lot of people from town here. They were all looking around in amazement or eating foods I had never seen before. ¡°Of course, it looks like your parents are here now.¡± My dad was looking around nervously but Mom was amazed and began pointing at the lights. We were led to a table next to a big glass window that was so clear it looked like there was nothing between us and the snow falling outside. ¡°The glass work¡­ Not even the Lord¡¯s castle has glass like this and the metal work on these utensils!? Our clan couldn¡¯t afford a single set!¡± ¡°I have never sat on such a comfortable chair before!¡± ¡®I knew Mom and Dad would love it!¡¯ ¡°I am glad it is to your liking. Allow me to start you off with drinks.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the colorful drinks they have over there?¡± They looked so yummy!¡± ¡°We offer a variety of juice, ancient human fizzle drinks, Human alcohol, specialty drinks, and water. The specific drinks at the other table are fizzle drinks.¡± ¡°Let''s all get fizzle drinks! Can be we get the orange one Dad?!¡± ¡°Sir, I must ask, what will the cost of these luxuries be?¡± ¡°Drinks are one Bronze, meals are three Bronze, and Dessert is two Bronze.¡± ¡°So little?! How does the owner make any profit?! These utensils alone would go for multiple gold coins!¡± ¡°You needn¡¯t worry about the low costs. The owner opens this place to calm her mind, not for profit.¡± ¡°This woman handles an entire kitchen alone and it calms her mind?¡± ¡°The Empress I serve is quite powerful. Managing a kitchen is of little stress to her.¡± ¡°E¡­ Empress?!¡± Dad looked like he was about to have a panic attack. ¡°Honey lets just enjoy it. I doubt there will be another opportunity to eat like this.¡± Dad was pale like a Spirit just ate his soul so Mom took over. ¡°We¡¯ll all have the orange fizzle drinks, please. We would also like a meal and dessert.¡± ¡°The menus in front of you include the meal options and desserts. When you are ready, tap ¡°Server¡± on the menu and myself or another Pixie will be here to assist.¡± Three menus appeared in front of us just like a status screen would. It was in a language I didn¡¯t recognize yet I somehow understood it. ¡°Every item has a picture if you click it! They all look like real life!¡± ¡°They must have been painted by a powerful spirit...¡± Dad, who had returned to normal, was lost in the menu as well. ¡°I couldn¡¯t imagine knowing how to make all of these. Is it really one woman?¡± There were lots of things on the menu and to my surprise there was even an entire section just for food with no meats! Rabbit-kin didn¡¯t eat meat, so I only expected a few options to pick from, but there were so many here! ¡°We should have the Vegetable Curry. I had some with the Elder when we visited the Lord to pay respects. I want to compare the taste.¡± ¡®Curry, what¡¯s that?¡¯ I clicked on the picture, and it showed rice with a sauce and stuff on to the right of it. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to try something new?¡± ¡°Things can taste completely different depending on how they¡¯re prepared. The curry I ate held flavors and spices I could never begin to guess.¡± ¡°Here are your drinks, please enjoy.¡± ¡°We¡¯re ready to order! Dad said we¡¯re having Vegetable Curry.¡± ¡°Very Good choice, they will be out shortly.¡± The Pixie went off to other tables while we all stared at the orange drink with ice cubes floating around in it. ¡°The glass work on these cups¡­ I¡¯m scared to even touch it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go first!¡± I immediately understood why they were called fizzle drinks! It felt like lots of bubbles were popping in my mouth and it tasted so good! ¡°Dear, what kind of drinks are these?¡± Mom asked. ¡°He said it was an ancient human drink¡­ Maybe it¡¯s a fruit from the Human Continent?¡± Humans were from one of the other continents. Supposedly they had powerful magic but none it worked anymore. ¡°Your order is ready; please enjoy. When you would like dessert, you can select it directly or call me using the menu.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been 2 minutes. How could she prepare three so quickly!?¡± ¡°He already said she¡¯s an Empress Dad, why is it strange if she makes food super quick?¡± Mom chuckled at my comment. ¡°Your son is correct. Many things are possible for the Empress I serve.¡± He left to help others again. The plate in front of me was larger then what our entire family shared on a regular day! Each of our plates had rice and a large amount sauce both on it and next to it, and inside the sauce, I could see a variety of vegetables. Dad was the first to take a spoonful causing his eyes to open wide as he chewed it slowly. ¡°These¡­ These must be ingredients from the rarest vegetables in the world¡­¡± I took a spoonful of mine. The rice was soft and fluffy while the sauce was spicy and delicious! ¡°It so good!¡± My dad stopped eating to look at his status. ¡°It increased strength by three for eight hours! Attribute enhancing food like this should be multiple gold coins for a single bite!¡± ¡°Mine as well, I feel so strong!¡± My strength went from one to four! ¡°The monsters who attack our village would not stand a chance if we had this food all the time¡­¡± After that, we ate the food in silence savoring the magical flavor. ¡°I¡¯m so full! I want dessert but I don¡¯t think it would fit¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know it was possible to eat so much food! ¡°The amount was very generous for the already low price.¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting dessert! We¡¯ll share one if we have too!¡± To both of our surprise, Dad was the one demanding dessert. ¡°To think you would be the one asking.¡± Mom said with a chuckle. Dad started scrolling through the menu. ¡°Family Sized Ice Cream Sundae!¡± ¡°An ice food?¡± ¡°Wait until you see it!¡± Not long after a bowl that looked like a long boat came out. It had a crescent moon shaped fruit on the bottom, three big white humps covered in a brown syrup, a red berry on top, and then the whole thing had colorful specs everywhere. My second wind came, I knew I had to eat this or I would regret it for the rest of my life! ¡°So cold yet so yummy!¡± Mom had her hand on her cheek as she enjoyed the flavor. As quickly as it appeared it was gone, we all devoured it. ¡°Dad convince the food Empress to stay! Tell her we will build a shrine!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t convince an Empress to do anything. I do however want to give proper thanks on behalf of the clan. This will surely be a festival no one forgets.¡± ¡°I want to give thanks too!¡± ¡°Remember this person is higher than a Lord. If you do not show proper respect, bad things can happen.¡± ¡°I will behave!¡± Dad was training me to take over his position, so I knew how to be polite. The Pixie returned to collect the payment. ¡°Sir on behalf of the clan I would like an audience with the Empress to personally thank her for joining our festival.¡± ¡°I will ask if she wants to see anyone.¡± He flew off and returned not long after. ¡°She said it was okay. Please follow me to the kitchen.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± I followed next to father through a hall ending in a bright room. It had lots of metal and magic items running at the same time. ¡®These are for cooking?¡¯ In the middle leaning over a large book was a short girl with wings and horns. ¡®She doesn''t look very old for an Empress?¡¯ She wore a strange hooded outfit that glowed in six different places and from inside of the hood long messy white hair hung to just above her chest. ¡°Empress, on behalf of the Rabbit-kin Clan I thank you for attending our festival. We will record this and celebrate it at every future Spirit Festival!¡± We both bowed. ¡°I do this for myself since cooking calms my mind. There is no need to thank me for it.¡± She didn¡¯t look at us while we spoke. ¡°We are still grateful, should you ever return to our clan we will honor you. Please accept this pendant. It is powerless compared to the magical items in this room alone, but it will prove to any member of the Rabbit-kin clan that you are welcome among us.¡± She looked up from the book and stared emotionlessly. After a couple of seconds, she had the small person accept it.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°I will keep this then, thank you.¡± She looked down at me. ¡°Is it normal amongst your people to have black blobs sucking the life out of your back?¡± ¡°A black blob?¡± I tried turning around but I didn¡¯t see anything on my back. ¡°Dominion.¡± An invisible force grabbed something and I felt a huge weight lifted off me. ¡®I thought I was just feeling sick this whole time!¡¯ ¡°Empress you can see the spirits!? To think an evil one was on my son. Thank you!¡± Dad bowed again. ¡°It''s not an issue, I¡¯ve already killed it. The stolen life has been returned.¡± After that, she leaned back over her book and the Pixie returned to lead us out. ¡°Thank you, food Empress!¡± I waved but she didn¡¯t respond. ¡®I¡¯ll make sure we build you the best shrine ever!¡¯ ~~~=--^--=~~~ ¡°Ellie!¡± ¡°There you are, were you playing with Icy again?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to see you¡¯ve become good friends with her. Let¡¯s get started on cooking. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be making yummy food in no time.¡± She grabbed my pant leg and stood quietly looking at the ground. I was surprised by the sudden change in attitude. ¡°You said lying¡¯s bad.¡± I¡¯ve started viewing myself as her parent but I have no idea how to be one. I just said what came to mind about being kind and not lying. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°You lied! You¡¯re not happy!¡± ¡®Ah, to think that would be picked up by her Truth Detection skill¡­¡¯ I knelt in front of her. ¡°Elsie my happiness is making sure you and everyone else is happy.¡± ¡°Not a lie¡­¡± She was puffing her cheeks out, clearly displeased with the answer. ¡°Now, how about we start cooking?¡± Her face changed to a sad expression. ¡°I want to go too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be going somewhere scary and dangerous, but I will be visiting every day. When I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll be all yours.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± ¡°Promise.¡± ¡°Pinky promise?¡± ¡°Pinky promise.¡± I wiped away a few tears from her eyes before standing back up. ¡°Let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ~~~ ¡°This here is an ore from my homeland. You would never see more than a chunk every hundred years, but Radiant Night has made this genius idea possible!¡± After a couple of days, Crafter¡¯s Cathedral finished generating the last of the ore needed for Valora¡¯s new armor allowing Old Man Snaps to finish it. The armor was made from a magic metal called Shine Ore that could absorb and release light. He explained that in Dwarven and Gnomish history only the dwarven High King¡¯s strongest paladin would have a weapon made of this ore but thanks to Crafter¡¯s Cathedral it wasn¡¯t much of an issue to get what we needed. The armor was a dazzling white with gold outlines, very fitting, and covered her entire body. In the center of the chest piece and shield was the symbol of a setting sun and to add to the sight, Old Man Snap¡¯s made a sword out of the same material. ¡°Now, the final piece.¡± Old Man Snaps took out a white Circlet with a twilight colored gem on the front. ¡°Not a helmet?¡± ¡°This is stronger than any helmet. If I am correct, this will draw upon Radiant Night¡¯s Twilight mana allowing your armor and weapon to make use of it for a short time.¡± ¡°Ms. Valora looks like a princess.¡± Elsie¡¯s eyes were shining just as bright as the armor while she hid behind my leg. ¡°I¡¯m not anything like that¡­¡± She was blushing and looking away like Arty used to do. ¡°Kenneth and I will head out then. You should have a couple of hours to get used to it before we reach the West Coast.¡± ¡°Please forgive me for being a flightless burden.¡± ¡°Its okay, I intended to save one of my passage slots for moving around anyway.¡± I gave Elsie a big hug. ¡°Be good for Aurora and listen to everything they teach you. I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± Once in the Dawn Wastes Kenneth turned into his bat form and sat on my hood while I flew us to our destination. ¡°Thank you Ellie. I truly appreciate this.¡± ¡°It''s not an issue. I promised to help.¡± He was quiet before asking his next question. ¡°Are you alright? Hysa and Zurik told everyone you might be a little different, but you were still you. If it was the loss of Artel, I know that pa¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m grateful for your concern Kenneth but what I am now can never be changed.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re just going to be emotionless forever?¡± ¡°As long as everyone else is happy that¡¯s all that matters.¡± ¡°How is that fair?¡± ¡°Its how it has to be.¡± ¡°¡­I shouldn¡¯t have left you alone.¡± The flight continued in silence for some time after that. ¡°I¡¯d like to ask you about Elsie since you¡¯re a father. What do you think she sees me as?¡± ¡°I would say she already sees you as her mother.¡± ¡°My Mother sold me for drug money¡­ I have no idea how to be a Mother to her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s already very well behaved. In the world today just being there for her is more than enough.¡± Kenneth told me a lot about raising kids in the old world. After that, we switched subjects to schools, then old-world countries, and that turned into how big Human civilization was. ¡°What happened to the Humans who lived on other continents?¡± ¡°According to someone I met on the way to DC they all ended up in random locations on this continent. A few groups we encountered were made up of citizens from different nations sticking together. Unfortunately, like most of the Human population, they were killed off by monsters. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there were a few countries made in the images of their homes though.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the city up ahead? Was the giant floating castle always there?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± -You Have Entered the Country: ¡®Demise,¡¯ City: ¡®San Francisco¡¯- -Congratulations! Pathfinding has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 5 skill points!- -Congratulations! Pathfinding has evolved into Mapping!- -Congratulations! Mapping has increased to 5/10!- In my status screen, there was now a mini-map and a world map however only locations I visited were visible. The coast was dark and cloudy, I couldn¡¯t see any green on the land below, and the water was dark red. The castle city looked like it was ripped right out of the ground and remnants of land were still attached to the bottom. It was floating above water and had four large chains attached to the surrounding coasts holding it in place, and according to Kenneth, the chains went to Golden Gate National Park, Richmond, Oakland, and the San Francisco. ¡°It¡¯s blocking the view of the Golden Gate Bridge but at least we know where to start looking.¡± ¡°Should we stealth again?¡± ¡°No, if it¡¯s a city of undeath then I should be able to enter.¡± We followed a flow of bats to a landing area where they turned into vampires and entered the city. Upon landing, I was given a lot of hungry looks, but when Kenneth appeared from his bat form they continued about their business. We moved off to the side and I opened a small passage for Valora. ¡°Reporting for duty Empress! Due to the environment, I have released the light from my armor so I don¡¯t stand out as much.¡± She did a Demon salute which was placing your right hand on your right horn while standing straight. ¡°You do not need to be so formal Valora.¡± Empress was a lie I used so people wouldn¡¯t bug me while I cooked, but Valora took a liking to it. ¡°I am representing house Noir, my brother, and the Empress I serve. It would dishonor all of you if I acted casually in public.¡± We made our way to the entrance which was a stone arch with a burly human vampire sitting in a booth next to it. His skin was a dark grey, his eyes were red, and he looked malnourished. ¡°Returning with two blood slaves? Registrations for both please, if you are selling them to the blood farms papers are still required.¡± I ignored the comments and glares. None of these people or their words mattered. ¡°Blood slaves? They¡¯re my traveling companions.¡± The vampire looked Kenneth up and down. ¡°No vampire is keeping a body like that without Blood Slaves. Look, I get that your probably some high blood with those outfits but I got a job to do buddy. Carrying around guns like they even work¡­ As per the laws papers or get lost.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not from around here, is there any way we can all register?¡± The guard sighed. ¡°Last name?¡± ¡°Porter.¡± The attitude of the guard and the surrounding vampires changed drastically. ¡°The porter bloodline does not have any descendants so you can not be a High Vampire. Impersonation of the Pure Bloodlines is punishable by death!¡± ¡°Then my kids are here!? I¡¯m Sophia Porter and Liam Porter¡¯s father! I¡¯m a Pure Vampire, my Kids and friends should be the other Pure Vampires!¡± He frantically started searching through the desk until a picture was pulled out. His hand started shaking as he looked at Kenneth and then the picture multiple times. ¡°F-Forgive me, p-please, I beg you not to report this to the Lady Sophia!¡± He started crying as he begged. ¡°Just take me to my family and we can forget everything.¡± ¡°Thank you! I¡¯ll never forget this mercy!¡± He called over another guard who took over the booth. ¡°I am grateful for this kindness sir. The job supports my family, and since we¡¯re not hunters, this is how we get all our blood.¡± The city was like an Angel city, the same even. Any statues that would have been angels had their wings smashed off and the windows were all red stained glass. We continued down streets filled with vampires, amongst them, you would even see different races. As we grew closer to the city center the streets became cleaner, the vampires had more natural skin tones, and everyone was much better dressed. Eventually, we made it to the center where a massive cathedral made of black and red stone stood. ¡°This is where the Pure Bloodlines meet alongside King Abaddon¡¯s overseer. The surrounding manors each belong to a Pure or High Bloodline, and the one to the back right of the Cathedral is Porter Manor.¡± ¡°Thank you, that will be everything.¡± ¡°An honor to serve a Pure Vampire sir and allow me to return this.¡± He handed Kenneth the picture before bowing and speed walking off. ¡°They must have given photos of me to all of the gates¡­ They¡¯ve been waiting for me all this time...¡± He clenched the picture of himself and took a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s go see them.¡± This area was empty so we continued down the concrete road on the right side of the Cathedral. At the end was a large blood red manor with ¡°Porter¡± in metal above the front gate. The building itself looked like a modern mansion compared to the Angel architecture everywhere else. At the large wooden front door, Kenneth took another deep breath before finally knocking. ¡°Can I help you?¡± A 13-year-old girl with curly black hair, red eyes, dark skin, and a green Victorian style dress opened the door. ¡°Jackie? It''s me Kenneth, Sophia¡¯s Dad.¡± ¡°Mr. Porter!? Please come in!¡± She led us to a nicely decorated living room and left to find Kenneth¡¯s kids. On the wall above a fireplace was an old-world family portrait. ¡°It''s from our house¡­¡± It was Kenneth, his wife, his son, and his daughter. In the photo Kenneth was much younger, his son looked three, and his daughter was a baby. His wife was very pretty and had light blonde hair and blue eyes. His son had the same dirty blond hair as Kenneth but was wearing glasses. ¡°Father?¡± A boy who was about sixteen years old walked in. He looked like a younger more well-kept version of Kenneth. His hair was in a professional business cut and he wore a student¡¯s uniform with glasses. ¡°Liam!¡± He ran over and hugged his son. ¡°How are you still alive? I thought¡­¡± ¡°So much has happened¡­. I will explain everything. Where is Sophia?¡± ¡°About her, there are some things you shou¡ª" ¡°Dad¡¯s back from the dead!¡± A girl about thirteen years of age who looked like the woman in the photo joined Kenneth and Liam in the hug. She was wearing a red Victorian style dress and had her hair done up in pigtails. ¡°Sophia, Liam, you''re both alright! Thank God, I was so worried!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve managed to keep your appearance the same! Are the two girls over our new blood banks? I¡¯ve never tasted an Angel before, I¡¯ve had a few demons though. Wait why does she have horns too?¡± Sophia spoke in a high-pitched excited tone all the time. ¡°According to God¡¯s Guidance that¡¯s not possible. You¡¯ve found some interesting food or perhaps slaves, love slaves even? Hmmm both their armors are peculiar too, we have magic armor, but these are definitely unique.¡± His son on the other hand was calm and collected. ¡°You stand before an Empr--¡± I put my hand on Valora¡¯s shoulder and told her it was fine. ¡°Valora is right, the girl with horns and wings is Ellie Noir. She is an Empress who I am willingly bound to and serve. The one in armor is Valora, a noble from the Demon continent who also serves Ellie.¡± At an alarming speed, Sophia appeared in front of me and licked my neck. ¡°No taste? I can¡¯t even smell your flavor, how about a teensy tiny nibble?¡± ¡°Sophia!¡± Kenneth yelled at his daughter who was about to bite me, and I had already put my hand out to stop Valora. ¡°What, you don¡¯t want me to offend your new Empress? Is she more important than your kids?¡± ¡°We just got back together, let¡¯s not fight, alright?¡± Sophia crossed her arms and pouted. ¡°I have an idea, how about a duel with the all-powerful Empress? If I win, both of you will be my blood slaves.¡± ¡°Kenneth?¡± I didn¡¯t care if she wanted to fight however it was Kenneth¡¯s daughter so I would leave the choice to him. ¡°Sophi¡ª¡± Before Kenneth could finish Liam cut in. ¡°It''s probably best to let it happen and get this over with.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry for the trouble Ellie.¡± ¡°It''s okay.¡± We moved to the backyard where there was a small arena not far from the door. It was made of normal grey stone and filled with dried blood. I stood on one side and Sophia was on the other, spectating was Kenneth, Liam, Valora, and a bunch of people Sophia¡¯s age. ¡°Since I am the lady of the house I will let you attack first.¡± She gave an exaggerated bow. ¡°The duel will be over instantly, are you sure?¡± ¡°So full of yourself, I love it!¡± She rushed towards me with multiple daggers in hand. The cuts were extremely fast, clearly someone who passed ten dexterity, but it didn¡¯t matter how fast the cuts were since I was immune to the damage. ¡®Something that won¡¯t kill her instantly...¡¯ ¡°Your strong but every defense breaks eventually! Blood Dance!¡± She shot forward for another round of slashes. ¡°Dominion.¡± She froze in place, but I allowed her face to move. ¡°What the hell is this!? I can¡¯t use any skills or move!?¡± ¡°Its one of my crafting skills. I use it to make food faster.¡± I summoned the broken scythe and walked towards her. ¡°This isn¡¯t a crafting skill! Are you insane?!¡± ¡°I¡¯d agree but it''s under crafting in my status.¡± I lifted the scythe. ¡°If you kill me my Dad will never forgive you.¡± ¡°I never intended to kill you, only to show you the difference between us.¡± I cut the palm of my hand allowing blood to flow and with Dominion, I opened her mouth allowing a few drops to fall in. Her face went blank, enthralled by taste. I canceled the skill so she could sit in silence. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere in your Family¡¯s problems, but if you continue insulting your father because of me, I¡¯ll have someone make it so you can only compliment him for the rest of eternity.¡± She nodded, still taken aback by the blood. ¡°The duel is over, E-Ellie Noir has won!¡± One of the 13-year-old kids called out. I left the arena and met up with Valora who had a smug look on her face. ¡°You should receive proper respect from now on.¡± ¡°I doesn''t matter. I don¡¯t care about respect from people I don¡¯t know.¡± A few minutes later Liam came over to talk to us. ¡°Sophia ran off to her room. She has not faced a loss this severe in some time so I will go speak to her. For now, please allow one of Sophia¡¯s friends to escort you inside.¡± ¡°Kenneth won¡¯t be going with you?¡± ¡°No¡­ I think it''s better that I handle this.¡± A boy about Sophia¡¯s age lead us inside to the same living room from earlier and shortly after Kenneth joined us as well. ¡°They wouldn¡¯t let me in¡­¡± ¡°Sir Porter was your daughter always so¡­¡± ¡°Stubborn and hotheaded? Absolutely, but she was never that aggressive. The thirst for blood changes you and causes you to become violent and uncaring so it may have taken its toll on her. ¡°I¡¯ve only known you for a short time but that surely can¡¯t be the case for you?¡± ¡°I have Ellie to thank for that. After drinking her blood, I have not felt an ounce of thirst or bloodlust.¡± ¡°Y-You drank her blood?¡± She was blushing and getting weird ideas. ¡°It was from my arm Valora.¡± ¡°Of course! I wasn¡¯t thinking otherwise¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t making eye contact. Kenneth was staring at the ground with a defeated face. ¡°It might have been better for me not to come here. I¡¯ve only caused them trouble. I have to remember that it''s been over 100 years, they¡¯ve moved on.¡± ¡°Mr. Porter, I can assure you that¡¯s not the case.¡± He looked up surprised. ¡°Sorry Jackie, I didn¡¯t mean for any of Sophia¡¯s friends to hear that.¡± She ignored him and sat in one of the chairs. ¡°When the world ended our class was on the school camping trip. It was the one that ended up on the same date as your family trip.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right I completely forgot, did Sophia go and find you?¡± ¡°She did, we were living together in the camp fighting off monsters. At first, we were waiting for help to come but when our teachers didn¡¯t return, we realized the world had truly ended. We were doing our best to survive and become strong but we were losing hope. One day when a massive wave of monsters was about to break our makeshift wall, someone said a blood covered girl holding knives was clearing a path through them. We thought she was another monster but it turned out to be Sophia who came to save us. If it weren¡¯t for her, we all would have died. She likes to fight and gets angry a lot, but she¡¯s still Sophia and I know she misses you more than anything. I saw her hand out the photos to each guard station and she sometimes cries while looking at a photo of you and Ms. Porter when she''s alone.¡± Tears were in Kenneth¡¯s eyes. It was the second time I¡¯d seen him cry. ¡°Thank you, Jackie. I¡¯ll do my best to work everything out with her.¡± ¡°Oh, one last thing.¡± She looked over to me. ¡°Ms. Noir, be wary of the other Pure Vampires, I doubt they¡¯ll allow such a¡­ potent source of blood to go free.¡± We were surprised by the warning, especially since they were Kenneth¡¯s friends. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It''s better that you see for yourself tonight. There is a dinner meeting with King Abaddon¡¯s Overseer in the cathedral regarding the blood farms and city status. If you would excuse me, I will be off to eat dinner myself. It was good seeing you again Mr. Porter.¡± ¡°Jackie wait, did your parents make it?¡± ¡°Liam helped me look for them, but their car was gone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that, your Father was a great man. He was always making something on the barbeque to share with everyone.¡± She smiled. ¡°I hated that stupid barbeque¡­ I¡¯d give anything to have it again.¡± After Jackie left, Kenneth returned to staring at the ground. ¡°My friends were very good people. We fought together countless times and I know they wouldn¡¯t do anything like that.¡± ¡°They would, and I fully expect them to act against all three of you.¡± Liam returned with an angry Sophia. When she saw me sitting, she rushed over and stood right in front of me. ¡°I¡¯ll never accept you as my new mother!¡± ¡°Sophia will warm up to you with time Ellie. I am grateful someone strong is looking after my Father.¡± ¡°¡­I think you are both mistaken.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what this has all been about? I swear to both of you that I am just serving her.¡± He pulled a locket out from his bag and opened it revealing the same family photo that was on the wall. ¡°Nothing will ever replace your mother or both of you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re in such a healthy state, I just assumed¡­¡± ¡°He drank from her arm!¡± Valora spoke in Kenneth¡¯s defense with a red face. Upon seeing the pendant, Sophia started crying and leaped at Kenneth. ¡°I-I was angry that you were with two random girls instead of being with us. T-Then when Liam said love slaves, I-I thought you were trying to replace mom. I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± She continued crying in his arms. Liam came over and joined them in a second group hug. Kenneth held them both as tightly as he could a while all three cried. ~~~ The afternoon passed as Kenneth and his children happily reconnected. At one point Sophia and Liam both came over and apologized to me as well. I was glad everything worked out even if it started as a bumpy reunion. While we were waiting to head to dinner, Sophia made her choice. ¡°Liam lets go with Dad and his Empress. We¡¯d never have to worry about blood again and I¡¯m already feeling much calmer thanks to the blood she gave me.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten the contract, Sophia? I was a fool to have us sign it¡­ There were just no other options to keep you all safe¡­ I¡¯ll head to the meeting early, and I¡¯ll try to get you and your friends out of it at least.¡± ¡°Liam, wait!¡± Before Kenneth could stop him, he rushed out the door. ¡°He¡¯s been looking after all of us this entire time. I do the killing because its fun but all the politics are handled by him. He changed when you didn¡¯t come back and then when Gram and Gramps passed away he started trying to handle everything himself. Your friends don¡¯t make it easier, they treat him like garbage, and I had to kill 97 assassins in the last 100 years.¡± ¡®Liam is not much different from his father then.¡¯ ¡°They send assassins after you two!?¡± ¡°They''re mad because the King gave us 50% of the San Francisco blood farms.¡± ¡°Those bastards¡­ I¡¯ll never forgive them.¡± Kenneth looked over to me. ¡°Ellie, can I ask a favor of you for my family? I know its not part of our deal¡ª" ¡°I¡¯ll always help you. It doesn¡¯t matter if it was in the deal.¡± ¡°Thank you. Please find a way to remove the contracts binding them.¡± ¡°Sophia where is this King?¡± ¡°The capital of Demise called Ruin. It''s in the middle of Los Angeles along the coast to the south.¡± ¡°Kenneth attend the meeting with Liam and Sophia. Valora I¡¯m counting on you to keep them safe.¡± She gave a demon salute. ¡°Empress, the King and some of his guards are the only ones who have ever beaten me beside you. You better not lose to them!¡± I marked the current location and left for Ruin. Chapter 14 The girl in the Abyss Chapter 14 It was coming close to a week of being with Ellie. I felt responsible for her at first, but that night when she brought me back from the dead, I realized things weren¡¯t that simple. She was a girl with a dark past who obtained great power, far more than I originally imagined, but at the time I could still see the young girl struggling inside. I saw her mercy and kindness on multiple occasions but when she lost Artel everything changed, and I failed her. My priority was Elsie, but it should have been her, I should never have left her side. When I next saw her in that beautiful gown, I couldn¡¯t help but think of it as funeral wear, the young girl struggling inside was dead. Aurora and Hysa claim there is nothing that can bring her back, but she brought me back, and that should be proof enough that its possible. It''s for this reason that I will do my best to be there for her and never stop fighting to save her. Until that time its another regret to add to the ever-growing pile. ~~~ Inside the Cathedral, I heard Liam arguing with someone sitting at the head of the table. I knew the monster quite well from my time as a Dungeon boss; it was a Ghoul. His flesh was torn and looked rotten, half his face was bandaged, and the only things he was wearing were swim trunks, flipflops, and sunglasses. ¡°A deals, a deal, you can''t go back on a magic contract.¡± ¡°Just my sister and her classmates, there must be a way!¡± ¡°Liam, my man, what do you want from me? I¡¯m here to make sure things run smooth. I don¡¯t control the King¡¯s contract magic.¡± ¡°Father? You don¡¯t need to be here. This is my responsibility.¡± ¡°Are you wearing old-world army gear and carrying guns? That¡¯s just as weird as my outfit!¡± The ghoul started laughing. ¡°Liam we¡¯re family, you don¡¯t need to do everything yourself.¡± ¡°This is a problem I caused!¡± ¡°No, if I just listened to you and my parents, I never would have gone to DC, and none of this would have happened. I was stubborn and felt the same way you do right now. You don¡¯t need to handle this alone, neither of us does, I know that now.¡± ¡®Otherwise, you¡¯ll end up like Ellie.¡¯ ¡°How touching. Unfortunately, family time is not on the agenda for tonight but you¡¯re welcome to stay.¡± Liam walked over. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry Dad, its--¡± I put my arm around him and pulled him to my side. ¡°We can save the mushy stuff for after.¡± ¡°Your right, I need to look professional for Bree and Asher.¡± While Liam wiped away his tears, Sophia began teasing him. ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen cry baby Liam in a while.¡± ¡°It''s better than being an immature child all the time.¡± ¡®That¡¯s the fighting I remember. I never thought I would miss that¡­¡¯ ¡°Yes, yes, take your seats please.¡± I sat in-between Liam and Sophia, and Valora stood behind as our guard. I didn¡¯t think we needed one, but I wouldn¡¯t trouble Ellie any further by attempting to decline. Not long after a familiar face entered. ¡°If it isn¡¯t Kenneth back from the grave.¡± Asher¡¯s style changed, he was thin, had parted long brown hair, a mustache, and a suit. ¡°Came to mooch like your kids did?¡± Bree followed behind looking the same except for the new axe on her back. She had tanned brown skin and long curly back hair in a ponytail. Her clothing was baggy pants, a t-shirt, and two fingerless gloves. It took all my effort to not pull my gun on them right away but after they were seated my anger flooded out. ¡°You two are supposed to be my best friends and now I learn that your sending assassins after my kids?!¡± ¡°Those are serious accusations, Kenneth. If assassins are going after your kids its probably one of my or Bree¡¯s decedents being upset that two strays were given 50% of OUR blood farms because the King likes them.¡± ¡°So, you tried to have them killed?!¡± Bree put her feet up on the table. ¡°You show up after 100 years and act like the same ignorant do-gooder, Asher and I starved as we built this society! A few years after when we finally started reaping its rewards a group of brats show up, so we gave them blood and place to stay. How did they repay that? They had the king give them 50% of our blood farm!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you we never asked for it! Our 50% goes towards everyone in the city. We¡¯ve never once hoarded it for ourselves unlike you two!¡± ¡°It should be Bree and I who decide, that¡¯s the point. It''s unfortunate that your brain never had the chance to finish developing.¡± ¡°Over something so petty? Are you even the Bree and Asher I knew?¡± ¡°Starvation, your entire family dying, and time changes people. We always took the backseat to your glory anyway. We owed you nothing.¡± Bree smirked. ¡°He has his own blood slave standing behind him, a replacement for your dead wife maybe?¡± ¡°Leave my wif¡ª" Just then a cloaked vampire jumped down from the pillar behind us heading straight for my neck. ¡°Intercept!¡± Valora appeared in-between us, and before the assassin had the chance to react, she smashed forward with her glowing shield sending him flying into the wall. His front was reduced to charred bones and his back splattered. It was like an explosion hit him. ¡°Valora that¡¯s my job!¡± ¡°Sorry Ms. Sophia, Empress¡¯ orders.¡± ¡°Booo.¡± Sophia slumped forward onto the table. I stood up and pointed my pistol at Asher who was sitting with his arms and legs crossed. ¡°You tried to kill my kids, you insult my wife, and then you try to kill me? Give me a reason I shouldn¡¯t pull the trigger right now.¡± Bree burst into laughter. ¡°I was wondering why you were wearing that shit. It seems you¡¯re just delusional.¡± I pointed the pistol in the air and fired. The smiles were wiped off their faces, and both Asher and Bree jumped back from their seats and pulled their weapons. ¡°H-How, I¡¯ve had people researching guns for 50 years and nothing worked?!¡± Asher growled. I pointed the pistol back at Asher. ¡°I serve an Empress who can make much of the impossible, possible. I don¡¯t even thirst for blood anymore, one feeding and I was cured. I wanted you to beg her for it so that my friends would be free as well, but now I¡¯d rather see you both dead.¡± ¡°Lies! Nothing can stop the thirst for blood!¡± ¡°She put a few drops in my mouth and I haven¡¯t wanted any since¡­¡± ¡°I witnessed it as well.¡± A clap of moist hands was heard from the head of the table. ¡°Okay, I wanted to eat like five minutes ago. Kenneth, was it? Could you put the gun away and sit?¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to report it to the King which means everyone you love would die.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smirk. ¡®Your king wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.¡¯ ¡°Asher, look into my eyes.¡± ¡°You seriously think I¡¯m going to fall for the that¡ª¡± His eyes opened wide and stared back into mine which caused Bree to panic. ¡°How?! You didn¡¯t say the skill name!¡± ¡°It merged with a passive skill I have. It''s already too late the moment you make eye contact.¡± Vampire¡¯s Charm was a skill that allowed you to, as the title suggests, charm people when they look into your eyes. It can be used for information gathering or altering memories. When I purchased it, I was surprised to see it merge with my passive skill ¡°Eyes of the Abyss¡± from the Fallen Race. ¡°You bastard! How many skills do you have from the Pure Vampire class shop?!¡± ¡°Almost all of them, as I said before the Empress makes the impossible possible. Those who serve her gain a skill point for every other skill point she gains, and she gains an absurd amount of skill points.¡± It started when she returned from the Demon Continent. According to Divina, it may be related to her being the Ruler of the Fallen Abyss and Radiant Sky or something else she obtained. ¡°Asher who is sending the Assassins after my children?¡± Asher who was silently staring forward this whole time answered my question. ¡°It is a joint effort between my and Bree¡¯s Bloodlines.¡± I released him from the charm. I wanted him to see the bullet entering his skull. ¡°Kenneth wait!¡± Bree jumped in front of him. My friends were gone, people who held so much courage and honor reduced to spouting bullshit. I pulled the trigger, Bree¡¯s attempt to block it only made it so I didn¡¯t have to waste a second bullet. ¡°Ah jeez, you¡¯ve really done it now¡­¡± The Overseer pulled out a quill and paper. When whatever he was writing was complete a big fly appeared and carried it away. ¡°Well, that concludes the meeting¡­ Now I have to go hire their Pure Vampire kids¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going to try and act on your threat?¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m an Idiot? You just killed two legendary Pure Vampires with one bullet, fuck that. The King will decide, this isn¡¯t in my job description.¡± He walked out of the Cathedral grumbling. ¡°Dad¡¯s ruthless, I knew I took after him!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the manor.¡± I sat with Liam and Sophia spending the rest of the night talking about our pasts and the future, how Ellie would free them, and her goal of making a country. As it passed, I couldn¡¯t help but remember the good times with my now dead friends. I killed them and I didn¡¯t regret that, but I couldn¡¯t help but dream of a reality where my friends were still who I remembered. ¡®Two more faces to haunt me when I close my eyes.¡¯ ~~~=--^--=~~~ This land was filled with despair. I could feel it emanating from the earth itself. As far as the eye could see undead monsters roamed, the plant life was dark and monstrous or simply dead, and the clouds always blocked out the sky. Near the city, I felt a connection to a specific location. Cries were all I could hear from it as I approached. It looked like a large walled area filled with warehouses, the stench was bad, but due to my immunities, it didn¡¯t bug me. ¡°Hey you! Half Breed!¡± A scratchy voice called out from behind me. A large black upright beetle flew over to me. Based on its decaying body it was undead. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t just fly over a blood farm as a member of the living! What are you here for? Better not be a break out attempt!¡± ¡°I¡¯m on my way to speak with the King. I heard the cries here and decided to stop.¡± ¡°Of course you would hear that! It¡¯s a blood farm! That outfits pretty magic looking so maybe you really are¡­ Come down to my office and I will get you an escort.¡± We landed inside the blood farm. The various undead were performing jobs in the surroundings. ¡°My office is in Warehouse one. It¡¯s the one at the end.¡± The warehouses were built using parts of old-world buildings, mostly scrap metal. Screams were all around us although I couldn¡¯t see why yet. We entered through a small door on the warehouse and I was met with a house of horrors. Cages upon cages were filled with Humans and Dwarves, and in-between those cages were tables where they would drain blood or cut off limbs entirely. We stopped in front of a cage with an old human woman and a young red-bearded male dwarf. The beetle opened the gate. ¡°Okay get in, this is your cage.¡± ¡°There was no escort?¡± ¡°Of course not! Why would there be an escort for livestock? Your just an idiot that followed me, I¡¯ll happily take that magic gear though.¡± He came over to push me in, but Worm wasn¡¯t very fond of that, so a mass of darkness and jagged teeth appeared from my left arm. Tentacles of flesh grabbed onto the bug and pulled him in to the large mouth, and after a few crunches, there was nothing left. Others working in the surroundings noticed the commotion, to ensure I got my point across I activated Terrifying Presence. -Congratulations! Terrifying Presence has increased to 8/10!- The undead backed up understanding the power difference. With my curiosity quenched and no escort, I would continue on my own. -Congratulations! Dwarvish has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! Angelic has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Angelic has granted 1 Skill Point for skill completion.- -Congratulations! Demonic has increased to 9/10!- ¡°Wait! Girl ain''t ya going to save us?¡± It was the Dwarf standing in the now open cage. ¡°I plan to meet with the King of this Country. Destroying his farms or assisting you would hinder that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a member of the living! Even if you¡¯re a monster how could ya let this stand!?¡± I coldly stared down at him. ¡°Because none of you would do the same for me.¡± I left the warehouse and flew above the skyscrapers until I received the notification for entering the city. -You Have Entered the Country: ¡®Demise,¡¯ Capital City: ¡®Ruin¡¯- -Congratulations! Mapping has increased to 6/10!- Interestingly they were demolishing the ruins and using it as parts of their new buildings. As I moved towards the center very little remained of the once Human city. The architecture was pointy and bones were used to decorate a lot of the buildings. Nothing looked higher than a story or two except for a castle covered in bones that stood in the middle. I landed in front of the bone covered staircase leading to the front entrance. ¡°Halt! You stand before the King of Undeath¡¯s castle! What business do you have?¡± A Demon with glowing blue eyes and armor decorated in bones stopped me. ¡°I need to speak with the King.¡± ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Ellie.¡± ¡°Well, ¡°Ellie¡± you don¡¯t just meet with the king.¡± ¡°Grasp of the Abyss.¡± A massive arm like Nightmare¡¯s appeared from a black void and grabbed the guard. -Congratulations! Grasp of the Abyss has increased to 5/10!- ¡°I am sure your King will be quite interested in speaking with me. I¡¯ll give you a second chance at not wasting my time.¡± I threw him towards the front entrance after which he ran inside. Not long after a new human guard with blue eyes ran out and greeted me. ¡°The King wishes to speak with you. Please follow me to the throne room.¡± We walked through hallways decorated in dark metals shaped like bones and bugs. The walls had collection skeletal wings decorating them, paintings of bugs, and the lighting was blue flames. We passed servants of many races, and I even saw an elf. However, all of them were clearly undead. We came to a large metal door depicting Angels throwing an old Angel with no feathers into a pit filled with bugs. On both sides of the door were skeletal dragons staring intently ready to take action. The large doors opened slowly to a throne room, along the sides of the room were blue flames and in the back was a massive moving throne. It was white and looked like it was made of maggots. ¡®This smell¡­ It could probably kill someone.¡¯ The most concerning part was the smell within the room. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was supposed to be an attack or it just naturally smelled this bad. ¡°Its been a long time since someone could withstand my stench. I¡¯m King Abaddon. It is nice to meet you young Angel¡­ No, something far more interesting¡­ A half breed? Either way, you stand before the King of Undeath.¡± ¡®He doesn''t look undead?¡¯ He was a hairless wrinkly old Angel with two featherless wings on his back who wore a shiny grey robe decorated in black skulls. His flesh was greenish grey and it looked wet with slime or sweat. The visual of two fleshy limbs sticking out of his back grossed me out too. ¡®I¡¯d rather cut them off at that point¡­¡¯ ¡°I am Ellie Noir.¡± ¡°What brings someone as powerful as yourself before me?¡± ¡°I need the contracts for the Porter Pure Vampire¡¯s and their companions nullified.¡± He leaned forward on his throne of bugs. I could hear the popping of squished bugs as he did so. ¡°They are important for the Vampire city I set up over there, not to mention someone just killed two other Pure Vampires¡­ That would be a loss of four Legendary class holders and many Rare class holders. What are you offering in return?¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Keeping your life is not enough?¡± He began laughing. ¡°I¡¯d be offended if I didn¡¯t know how true that statement was. I¡¯ve had Aura of Divinity active this entire time yet you have not reacted in the slightest. You are strong, but I still can¡¯t part with them so simply¡­ How about this? Marry me and we will share this Kingdom. You will have full control alongside me.¡± ¡°You do not meet the criteria for being my daughter¡¯s father nor could you benefit the country I am making enough for me to consider marriage.¡± He was laughing again. ¡°To think, the first woman who does not care about my smell or looks declines me because I am too weak for her! I truly can¡¯t win with the other gender! You say you''re making a country, how about being allies? If you agree I will not only cancel the contracts but also provide you with any undead you require alongside control over them.¡± ¡°What can your undead and an alliance do for me?¡± ¡°The undead can work endlessly. Manual labor, farming, and mining to name a few. As for the alliance, should you require an undead army it will be at your call, assuming you would do the same for me. You see I have a bit of a dwarf problem¡­ They keep trying to set up a city alongside the Human Continent¡¯s coast, my coast, and their landing parties keep getting larger. It would be nice know I have some backup.¡± ¡®What he was offering really does benefit me far more. I could easily send the Radiant Dragons to deal with anything bugging him¡­¡¯ ¡°I am considering the offer but I have another question. What are you doing in the Human continent?¡± ¡°I came for the free army of undead and stayed for the land of undeath. Human Ruins also fascinate me since they are impossibly large.¡± ¡°So, the Vampire city was an Angel city?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the fourth heaven within the Seven Heavens! I stole it a long, long time ago and they still haven¡¯t forgiven me for it.¡± ¡°We have a deal however the two legendary vampires probably died at my companion¡¯s hand. I will offer some compensation as a sign of good faith.¡± I removed the legendary Class book I got from the dungeon and threw it towards Abaddon. ¡®I no longer have an undead companion to give this to anyway.¡¯ ¡°This is quite the rare find¡­ You can even select from some really good Legendary classes¡­ Our alliance is already paying off! It will be official with a handshake.¡± He got up and walked down the living steps, the sound of crunching and squishing bugs followed all the way. ¡°To a grand alliance.¡± I shook his slimy hand and a paper formed between us. ¡°A copy for both of us, you can see the terms are exactly as stated. Should you require undead, I will send one of my skeletal dragons to fly them over. For now, please take this item.¡± He handed me a skull with two glowing blue eyes. ¡°Holding this you can command my undead.¡± ¡°Thank you. I will be in contact after I create the country.¡± I gave him a respectful bow. He was an ally now, and I would treat him and his subordinates as such. ¡°Such a change in tone!¡± He started laughing again. ¡°I look forward to it Ellie. I¡¯m sure things will be very interesting for both of us.¡± ¡°Mark, Passage.¡± I opened a passage back to the manor and appeared in the living room. ¡®Where are they¡­¡¯ I opened my map. It had a feature to show people around me, but the range was dependant on my Perception. ¡®Ah, the dining room.¡¯ I made my way to a very large dining room. If you removed the table, it would be a beautiful ballroom. ¡°Empress! I am happy to see your safe return!¡± Valora was the first to greet me however she was looking a bit queasy. ¡°Is something the matter Valora?¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ I''m just not used to, um, that kind of eating.¡± She was probably referring to the group of 13-year-old High Vampires feasting on bowls of warm blood like it was soup. ¡°They won¡¯t require blood after I give them some of my own.¡± ¡°That means you broke the contracts!?¡± Hearing Valora¡¯s commotion, Kenneth came over with his children. ¡°Is it true Ellie, did the King cancel them?!¡± Liam had tears in his eyes as he asked. ¡°He did. He is also my ally and will be supporting the country I am making.¡± ¡°Thank you! You saved our father, and now you saved us, I will never be able to repay you.¡± ¡°It was your father¡¯s request, so nothing is owed to me.¡± ¡°Where are you making this new country anyway?¡± Sophia asked. ¡°Sophia are you ready?¡± ¡°What do you mean Dad?¡± ¡°New York, New York!¡± She covered her mouth and started jumping up and down. ¡°We¡¯re going to rule New York!!! Are we rebuilding it!?¡± ¡°We have a core that gives bonuses for founding a city within ruins. We don¡¯t know what they are yet.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t wait!!! Liam this is the best thing ever! Jackie!!!!¡± She ran off looking for her best friend. ¡°The amount of people here is rather large. I will return with a passage once the city is founded.¡± ¡°Sophia and I will watch over everyone until then.¡± ¡°Good, then the last thing we need is to cure their thirst for blood. Liam, Kenneth, have them line up, it will be a couple drops each.¡± ~~~ ¡°Welcome home Ellie.¡± ¡°Thank you, Aurora. How was Elsie?¡± ¡°She unfortunately came down with a fever, so I prepared a healing tea which took care of it. She is just resting in your room now.¡± After thanking her, I rushed upstairs to my room where Elsie was cuddling with the ghost plushie. When she heard me walking over, she attempted to get up. ¡°Ellie.¡± Her eyes looked tired. ¡°Stay laying down. I¡¯ll come to you, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°My head got hot today.¡± ¡°Aurora told me. Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Radiant Heal.¡± I healed her again. I completely trusted Aurora¡¯s ability to cure it, but I wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable until I personally handled it. ¡°Can we play now?¡± ¡°I want you to lay down for tonight.¡± ¡°You said¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right here, my work for today is done. How about I read you some of the books we have?¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I don¡¯t think she minded what we did as long as we were together. When she fell asleep, I took off my boots and crawled into bed with her. I laid on my side rubbing her head as she slept. ¡°Ellie?¡± ¡°I thought you were sleeping. Did I wake you?¡± She shook her head. I could feel her shaking, so I sat up and lifted her onto my lap. I was worried her fever came back, but it turns out she was nervous. ¡°Can I call you Mommy?¡± ¡°You''re my daughter, of course you can.¡± She clung to me and silently criedin my arms until she fell asleep. ~~~ Late into the night I couldn¡¯t help but think of my mother. The very thought of Elsie being sold brought an anger that risked activating Nightmare. ¡®Did my mother care so little for me?¡¯ ~~~ The dining room was filled with people. It was nice seeing everyone together. ¡°Today we are going to New York to create my country. The first thing we need to discuss is the name.¡± ¡°I believe it should be named after the founder, Radiant Night.¡± Zurik suggested. ¡°I¡¯d have to agree, but I think it should be something different from her title.¡± Hysa added her opinion. ¡°Radiant Berries!¡± Icy clapped for Snowy while Cloudy nodded silently. ¡°I¡¯ve never been any good at naming things¡­¡± Old Man Snaps said. ¡°How about Evenfall? It means dusk.¡± Aurora said. Everyone started speaking in agreement. ¡°Next is the Capital¡¯s name.¡± ¡°It should be City of Lights. It¡¯s a nickname for it from the old world.¡± Kenneth quickly suggested. ¡°Good, I like it, next is scouting the area.¡± ¡°Radiant Night, I apologize for the interruption.¡± A kind and gentle voice came from behind me, Divina was back. ¡°How did things go with the Abyssal Lord?¡± ¡°Very well, he shouldn¡¯t run off again.¡± ¡°Radiant¡­ Night¡­¡± From the dining room window, a giant Nightmare like creature was staring in. ¡®I haven¡¯t seen him outside of the Abyss before.¡¯ ¡°There are a few things he wants to say, isn¡¯t that right Abyssal Lord?¡± ¡°Tried to help¡­ only brings more pain¡­¡± ¡®He was hiding for such a silly reason?¡¯ ¡°You¡¯ve helped me and everyone at the table. My failures are my own, not yours.¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡­¡± ¡°If you still feel like you need to make it up to me then help protect the country I am making and don¡¯t run away again.¡± ¡°Name¡­ Behemoth¡­ will do better¡­ for Radiant Night¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll head there with Kenneth and Divina now. Upon arrival, I will open a passage.¡± I hugged Elsie and told her I would see her soon. ¡°Bye-bye Mommy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be with her until you call us.¡± Aurora picked her up. ¡°Thank you.¡± We left to the Dawn Wastes and followed Kenneth¡¯s directions and not long after we were over top of a large flooded human ruin. ¡°This size and in every direction¡­ Did humans truly build cities like this?¡± ¡°We called places like this urban jungles.¡± Kenneth laughed in his bat form. ¡°This is the farthest thing from a jungle, Kenneth.¡± ¡°Where should we put the core?¡± ¡°The Empire State Building. Its right in the middle of Manhattan so it should work well with whatever the bonuses are.¡± We landed in a swampy street, most of the skyscrapers had collapsed or fallen over yet this one still stood tall. ¡°I never imagined New York looking like this.¡± It was beautiful in a way. Rusted cars lined the roads, plants grew uncontrolled, and streams flowed down the once bustling streets. While I was admiring the surroundings, I kept noticing large eyes watching from the corner of my vision. Anytime you would try to look at them directly they would vanish into the darkness of the ruins. ¡°We¡¯re being watched.¡± I waited until I noticed a set of eyes. ¡°Dominion.¡± -Congratulations! Dominion has increased to 8/10!- I grabbed hold of the creature and pulled it from the ruins. It had a long body like a stick bug with four lanky limbs, and its head was very large. It had two massive eyes, a long tongue it was trying to whip around, and a big mouth. ¡®Inspect.¡¯ -Congratulations! Eyes of Twilight has increased to 6/10!- Name: Lanky Lurkers Rarity: Common Type: Monster Intelligence: Low Uses: Eyes and Tongue have a variety of uses. Please inspect individual parts for more information. Description: A monster that lurks just out of sight in ruins and caves. If you venture close enough, it will pull you in with its long tongue and eat your juices. I cut it in half with my sword. ¡°A pity, souls are wasted on such pathetic creatures.¡± ¡°Divina you say scary things.¡± ¡°Oops, sometimes I speak my thoughts out loud, please don¡¯t mind it, Kenneth.¡± ¡°Mark, Passage.¡± -Congratulations! Passage has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 40 skill points!- -Congratulations! Passage has evolved into Gate!- -Congratulations! Gate has increased to 5/10!- [Divine] Gate ¨C Create a Gate between your location and place you have been prior. Gates can be made permanent for 100 extra mana however it must be maintained. Mana Cost: 150 (250) Source: Evolved from Passage. Skill level: 5/10 An Abyssal Gate covered in spiraling patterns appeared in the middle of the street. When the two sides slowly opened it revealed a stone bridge passing through an ocean of darkness and on the other side was Snowy Nights front yard. ¡°Mommy!¡± Aurora put Elsie down and she ran over and hugged me. After picking her up, she started looking at the surroundings. ¡°So tall.¡± ¡°Seeing Human ruins in person¡­ I need to study it!¡± Old Man Snaps was inspecting a rusted car. ¡°This place is unlike any nation I have ever seen¡­¡± Hysa was also very interested. ¡°Even a High Elf would have a fit seeing so much stone and metal.¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡­¡± Behemoth was here as well. He was standing on the next street looking over the collapsed buildings. ¡°Hysa, Divina please log every monster and race you can find on this island. If their capable of speaking bring them here.¡± ¡°Yes, Radiant Night!¡± ¡°I wonder if I will find anything interesting.¡± They both flew off. ¡°Behemoth your able to travel long distances without Gates or Passage. Please check for surrounding settlements and countries.¡± ¡°Will not fail¡­¡± Behemoth vanished. ¡°Valora, I¡¯d like you to escort Kenneth into the building and Zurik, please ensure it does not collapse on them. Once you find a suitable location for the core report it to me.¡± ¡°The earth will not falter.¡± ¡°I know just the spot.¡± Kenneth and Valora entered the building while Zurik placed his hands on it and focused. ¡°Old Man Snaps your free to start studying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m in heaven!¡± He leaped into a nearby ruin. ¡°Aurora you¡¯re with me, we need to check the waterfront. You¡¯ll be on my back Elsie.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± I was concerned about the water. It was such a large problem for Camp Freedom that they built walls all around the river. ¡°Aurora I will open a Ga¡ª Never mind, I didn¡¯t know leaves like that existed.¡± Aurora was sitting on top of a floating silver leaf. -Congratulations! You have earned the Skill Leadership!- -Congratulations! Leadership has increased to 5/10!- ¡°The Silver Tree was superior the tree, things like this are to be expected.¡± The east side of the island had strange little seaweed huts on it. ¡°These creatures are from my home continent. They must have migrated here.¡± Moving piles of seaweed began exiting the water and huts. They were up to my nee in size and had two yellow eyes peeking out from the seaweed. For some reason they were flailing their seaweed arms above them but when we didn¡¯t leave they gathered together and started making slimy scratching noises. -Congratulations! You have earned the Skill Seawedish!- -Congratulations! Seawedish has increased to 5/10!- -Congratulations! All language skills have merged to form Linguist- -Congratulations! You have earned the title Linguist!- Linguist ¨C Speaker of many languages. Grants: Grants the rare skill Linguist. You teach known languages 100% faster. Grants 2 Intelligence. Source: 5 Language skills above 5/10 including one exotic language. [Rare] Linguist ¨C All language skills are merged into this skill upon hitting 5/10. Learning new Languages is slightly easier. Languages: Passive Source: Title Linguist. Skill level: 5/10 ¡°Powerful¡± ¡°Strong¡± ¡°Scary¡± ¡°Give up?¡± ¡°Give up.¡± One of the seaweed creatures slowly approached while holding a purple strand of seaweed which caused Aurora to laugh. ¡°They¡¯ve given up and surrendered from just looking at you! Only the most powerful Sea Elf was able to do that!¡± ¡°Is that what this seaweed means?¡± ¡°Their tribe leader holds that strand of seaweed. It''s actually something they made, and they''re hoping you will spare them.¡± ¡°Is there any benefit in doing so?¡± ¡°Giving them orders is difficult, no one has ever deciphered their language before. They usually keep away troublesome sea monsters from the rivers and coasts they inhabit but will attack anything that gets close.¡± I knelt and looked at the shaking pile of seaweed. ¡°You and your tribe will serve me?¡± I had no idea how I was making the sounds required to speak like this. It jumped back after hearing its language. ¡°You speak?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°We serve, no kill.¡± ¡°This place will be my new country. If you keep the rivers clear, we will get along just fine however if you betray me.¡± I activated Terrifying Presence. ¡°None of your tribe will survive.¡± ¡°Never betray!¡± ¡°Good, I look forward to working with you.¡± I took the seaweed and put it into my bag. ¡°Have your tribe spread out and surround this island¡¯s rivers. If you require anything let me know.¡± ¡°Yes! We obey!¡± -Congratulations! Terrifying Presence has increased to 10/10!- -Congratulations! Skill completion has granted 5 skill points!- -Congratulations! Terrifying Presence has evolved into Monstrous Presence!- -Congratulations! Monstrous Presence has increased to 5/10!- [Legendary] Monstrous Presence ¨C A skill which induces monstrous amounts of fear. Toggle Ability Source: Evolved from Terrifying Presence. Skill level: 5/10 They ran off to their huts and began organizing. ¡°Mommy you sound silly.¡± Elsie was giggling on my back. ¡°Learning languages and working with different races is an important part of leading. You¡¯re already doing well, as expected of my student.¡± Aurora rubbed my head like when I was little which caused Elsie to join in too. ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the building Kenneth picked.¡± Back in front of the Empire State Building, everyone except Behemoth and Old Man Snaps were waiting. ¡°Radiant Night only Blood Deer, Lanky Lurkers, Lingering Souls, and Seaweeders are present on this island. The Seaweeders have already submitted to you so I have not brought one.¡± ¡°Thank you, Divina.¡± ¡°It was my honor.¡± She bowed. ¡°It was the same for me. I did find many libraries, but the books were unfortunately ruined. So much knowledge lost¡­¡± ¡°Radiant Night¡­¡± ¡°Welcome back Behemoth.¡± ¡°Many Countries¡­ many settlements¡­ South, East, West, North¡­.¡± ¡°Which are closest?¡± ¡°North¡­ South¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯ll send someone to make sure they stay away.¡¯ ¡°Kenneth, how did it go inside?¡± ¡°I believe the ground level would be the best place for it. If we make this a government building and fix it up, it will be one of the most guarded places. Higher floors would be vulnerable to air attacks, and I considered the basement, but Zurik told me many underground monsters and races could take advantage of that.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll do that. Let¡¯s head inside and create our country.¡± Standing in the middle of the lobby surrounded by the people I held dear I removed the Dungeon Core from my bag. ¡®I will never let anyone take this away from us.¡¯ I activated the Core. First, it asked for a country name, then the city name, before showing a menu. -Country Type-
  1. Kingdom:
  1. Empire:
  1. Council:
Exclusive Options:
  1. ?? Dungeon:
¡®The ?? Dungeon is definitely the best option. It comes with downsides however I would never allow anyone to make use of them.¡¯ I selected ?? Dungeon which prompted a confirmation message. -Are you sure you want to proceed with the selected options? Y/N- I clicked the Yes. -Global Announcement: ?? Dungeon ¡°Evenfall¡± has been founded in the Human Continent. Unparalleled EXP and Divine+ rewards await those who can conquer it.- ¡®A global message was not listed on the screen?!¡¯ Nightmare began rising due to my anger however a squeeze of my hand brought me back. I looked down at Elsie who was smiling at me. ¡®Fine, let them come. I¡¯ll show this horrible world what it means to stand against me.¡¯ ~~~=--^--=~~~ ¡°Do you think it''s her?¡± ¡°Little Ellie off doing big things! She really was my best investment.¡± ¡°Honey she¡¯s not exactly little anymore¡­ What happened to Morfran is not something just anyone could do.¡± ¡°Sharron dearest you have to think outside the box, our little Ellie is an emotionally unstable monster. She¡¯ll play right into our hands, and our secret weapon will give me more than enough time for me to use all three miracles.¡± A few minutes later, while Sharron and I enjoyed tea and cookies, Hailey the Ghost rushed through the wall. ¡°Hero King! Jason has captured the target.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it wonderful when a good plan comes together? Ellie¡¯s face is going to be amazing! Hailey, arrange a painter to be there, I want to keep it forever.¡± ¡°As you command, Hero King.¡± ¡®So ignorant to the ways of the world. Put on a good show as you decimate all my enemies Ellie.¡¯ ~~~ ¡°Great Grandfather!¡± Just as a golden piece of fruit was about to reach my mouth, an annoying voice made me put it down. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I shipped you off to¡­ Where did I ship you off to again?¡± ¡°After my husband from the Maya Empire died, I fled back here. You then gave me to the nobles as a mistress¡­¡± ¡°Ahh that¡¯s right, noble mistress, so what do you want?¡± ¡°I beg you to reconsider your great granddaughters¡¯ fate. She is only 12.¡± I haven¡¯t cared about any of these ¡°family¡± members for a few generations. ¡°How many greats is before that Granddaughter? Be happy I let you both live after you made a mess of our relations with the Maya Empire.¡± ¡°They were going to bury us alive with my husband!¡± ¡°Yes, and I would still have a safe trade route to the Sky Tower but now its guarded by a bunch of savages worshiping a calendar.¡± ¡°I will not allow my only daughter to be a plaything for some perverted men!¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice.¡± ~~~=--^--=~~~ ¡°Any more troops landing on that coast is madness!¡± The King of all the dwarven clans slammed his fist down upon the High Throne causing the city to rumble. ¡°We can not allow another country to claim that dungeon¡¯s resources! I want everything sent to our successful landings in the north, have scouts locate it and then get a bloody army on that place before it''s looted to the ground!¡± I trembled as I looked at his red face filled with anger. He was the most powerful Dwarf to ever sit upon that throne and also the most aggressive. He wore the High King¡¯s armor which was the greatest crafting achievement of any Gno¡ªmy apologies, Dwarf. It was a blue adamantine armor covered in the furs of five legendary creatures however the most impressive piece was the helm. On top of its dazzling, blue helmet were two antlers said to be from an ancient beast surpassing divine. The king himself was impressive as well, winning best beard every year at the crafting festival. It was an unmistakable red that matched his hair and eyes. He was stronger than any dwarf in an arm wrestle, and he still had all his teeth after getting into at least 1000 bar fights. ¡°Son, anything else?¡± ¡°Oh, umm, yes sir!¡± ¡°Then spit it out!¡± ¡°Older Broth- Your third son escaped from the blood farms and was found just off the coast.¡± ¡°The little bastard lives? Get him sent back here. For his mother¡¯s sake, I won¡¯t beat him to death for his failures on that dam coast.¡± ¡°Y-Yes, sir!¡± ~~~=--^--=~~~ ¡°A Calamity of Dragons.¡± ¡°An unknown dungeon.¡± ¡°The silver tree sprouts again.¡± ¡°The world is becoming more fun, brother.¡± ¡°Much more fun, sister.¡± ¡°Do you think the elves will gather in the ruins of Silver City, brother?¡± ¡°Only to fight, sister.¡± ¡°Too many types.¡± ¡°Too many opinions.¡± ¡°Being a fairy of the withered tree is much better, the dead cant be mean.¡± ¡°I agree, sister.¡± ¡°Still¡­ I wish I wasn¡¯t alone.¡± My brother¡¯s corpse fell to the ground. I was done playing with him for now. ~~~=--^--=~~~ ¡°Should I lead a group to attack, Baku?¡± ¡°I can not protect you from the nightmares if you go.¡± ¡°But the benefits it would bring my people¡­¡± As I contemplated the idea, a beautiful white fox-kith appeared. She wore a shrine maidens¡¯ outfit however just like I remembered the bottoms were black and a slightly glowing fox mask covered her face. ¡°An attack would not bear fruit.¡± ¡°Celestial guardian, you¡¯ve returned!?¡± ¡°I told you before that is no longer my duty, I serve you now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I still haven¡¯t gotten used to that. How was your time in the human continent, I take it you know of the dungeon?¡± ¡°I followed two Fox-kith on their journey. They found a promising home, one worthy of being your ally, but the tides of war are just the same and that nation was lost.¡± ¡°What of the two Fox-kith?¡± ¡°A death most horrid. Humanity is diverse, but many are still unkind to other races.¡± ¡°I am sorry to hear that, what about the dungeon then?¡± ¡°Its protected by a group who have forsaken this world in favor of a monster.¡± ¡°Then we should keep our distance¡­¡± ¡°The opposite my lord, send a diplomat with this nation¡¯s greatest gifts.¡± ¡°To a monster?¡± ¡°The Empress of Twilight, Radiant Night.¡± ~~~=--^--=~~~ The Heavenly Angel landed wearing her standard white and gold priest outfit. Her hair was a very long mix of gold and white and on her back were three sets of gold and white wings. ¡°How many years has it been since the Heavenly Angel and the Demon Lord met on this sacred ground?¡± I gave a bow. ¡°Not enough.¡± Her smug attitude was already showing. ¡°Time is strange, yet some things never change, like you being a complete bitch.¡± ¡°I agree, you are still a vulgar degenerate like the rest of your race.¡± We stood in a gazebo floating over a chasm said to be created by a Demon Lord and Heavenly Angel of legend. A few generations back it was declared the only place a Demon Lord and Heavenly Angel wouldn¡¯t fight to the death upon seeing each other. ¡°And here we are¡­ Both with important things stolen from us.¡± ¡°So, we agree. Until we get rid of the half breed its an alliance?¡± ¡°The very first of its kind! Should we hug each other to commemorate it?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be burning these clothes simply because of the thought.¡± -Global Announcement: ?? Dungeon ¡°Evenfall¡± has been founded in the Human Continent. Unparalleled EXP and Divine+ rewards await those who can conquer it.- ¡°Since we are already doing an alliance, how about we add one more thing to the menu?¡± ¡°Who gets the core?¡± ¡°We could do loot one way and core for the other. Ten coin flips, five by you and five by me.¡± ¡°Fine then. Heads is core and tails is loot, but what if it is a tie?¡± ¡°You get everything including my life.¡± She smirked at me. It was well known my highest Attribute was luck. Spoilers: Ellie鈥檚 Diary 1 (Lore Glossary) The Girl in the Abyss Spoilers: Ellie¡¯s Diary 1 (Lore Glossary) Lumia¡¯s Note: This lore book contains spoilers for my entire first volume. Please do not read this unless you have finished Volume One. In my twenty years of life I have experienced and learned many things, so I have decided to use this diary to note stuff of importance. If anyone ever reads this, I hope you weren¡¯t expecting anything interesting. ~~~ I guess the best place to start is the world as I know It¡­ World North America Teller Kingdom ¨C A kingdom Ruled by Robert Teller. His people see him as the hope for Humanity¡¯s future. Safe Haven ¨C A country founded by the 25 heroes after the world ended. It¡¯s based heavily on the values of the United States and strived to create a bastion of freedom in this horrible world. They failed. Vranoris Empire - An empire with strong racism towards new-world races. They value power over all else and actively start wars for leveling their armies. This Empire currently occupies Safe Haven and it supposedly quite large. Demise ¨C A kingdom or Empire ruled by the self-proclaimed King of Undeath. This country is one of the largest I know, spanning almost the entire West Coast. They are currently our allies. Evenfall ¨C The ?? Dungeon founded by me. Maya Empire - ?? The Demon Continent Seven Heavens ¨C A country consisting of seven Angel cities, well, it was seven until Demise stole one. It is led by the Heavenly Angel and is the only country you will find Angels in assuming none escaped after I left. Deminicous ¨C A country of Demons lead by the Demon Lord. Formerly it was ruled by the House Noir however Arty¡¯s oldest sister sided with the current Demon Lord ending that. There are other Demon countries, but Deminicous is the most powerful. The Elf Continent Silver City ¨C One of many Elven City States. This one was the home of the High Elves before they were wiped out. The Dwarf Continent ?? The Beast-kin Continent ?? Other The Sky Tower ¨C The center of all five continents where you can find a stone tower that pierces the sky. Valora says it¡¯s a massive trading city, but she has never been there herself. The Draconic Mountains ¨C Home of the Dragons. According to Hysa, it was from the same world as the Dwarf Continent however it was located quite far from that specific land mass. How it still exists is currently unknown. Separate Planes of Existence The Fallen Abyss ¨C A land of Death and Darkness. There are many monsters within the Abyss however I have not explored much of it. The Radiant Sky ¨C A land of Life and Light. There are many monsters within it, but like the Fallen Abyss, I have not explored it. The Land of the Dead ¨C A place ruled by Death who is seemingly the manager of the afterlife. The Great Sea of Mana ¨C Where Souls go to be reborn. ~~~ I should note all the people I¡¯ve met as well¡­ How should I categorize them? Nevermind, that was a silly thought. People Those Who Matter Arty ¨C The person I treasured most in the world. The person I failed. Elsie Noir ¨C My adopted daughter who is a fragment of my Soul reborn as a separate person. This is generally impossible and required Divina¡¯s direct attention for years. Kenneth Porter ¨C An old-world solider who served the United States and was turned into a Pure Vampire. Kenneth is one of the people I trust most. Snowy ¨C The first of the three Pixies who serve me. Snowy manages Snowy Nights and assists in the restaurant when it is open. Icy ¨C The second of the three Pixies who serve me. Icy Manages Snowy Night¡¯s perks and magic however she is Elsie''s friend, and that takes priority over her other jobs. Cloudy ¨C The third of the three Pixies who serve me. Cloudy keeps everything clean, cooks, does laundry, helps in the restaurant¡­ I really should thank him more. Valora Noir ¨C The last recognized member of House Noir and Arty¡¯s older sister who pledged to protect me. Like myself, Valora desires revenge against her older sister and the Demon Lord. When she is embarrassed, she does many of the same facial expressions Arty used to do. Even if I don¡¯t require protection, it comforts me having her around. Divina ¨C She was the Heavenly Angel at one point and is currently a Radiant Lord who serves me. She can be scary but with her past and being trapped in the Radiant Sky for 10000 years it makes sense. Behemoth ¨C Someone who was trapped within the Fallen Abyss for an unknown amount of time. He struggles with speaking and thinking, likely due to who he was before being an Abyssal Lord. I try to keep his jobs simple such as looking for things. Hysa Ash ¨C The Dragon of knowledge and Aspect of Fire. She likes to read and often recommends me books that we don¡¯t have. She reads stories to Elsie when I am away and has always been extremely kind. Today she is referred to as the Cursed Aspect although I am not sure why. Aurora Silverleaf ¨C First Empress of The United Elven Empire and High Priestess of the Silver tree. She is a High Elf which is a type of Elf. She teaches Elsie writing, but it turns out they¡¯re Elven letters so now Elsie speaks Angelic and writes in Elven¡­ When I am not away, she teaches me about leadership. Zurik ¨C The first Earth Ogre. He does not say much about himself, but he is very kind and looks out for all the table members. Snaps Magee - Omni Crafter of the Gnomes. His nickname is Old Man Snaps, and he is really good at making things. He likes to joke around with the other table members. Flora Aka ¨C A Fox-kith that was kind to me. She died because of the Vranoris Empire. Derik ¨C A man who was kind to me when I arrived at Dungeon Town. He is currently missing. Companions Excluding Arty Luna ¨C A horse that was kind to me but died due to my failures. Worm ¨C A soul Worm from the Radiant Sky that took the place of my arm. Typhoeus ¨C My level 999+ companion. An uncontrollable monster off doing whatever it likes. Allies Abaddon ¨C Self-proclaimed King of Undeath and a Divine Class holder. We made a contract for an alliance between Demise and Evenfall. Zoe ¨C The leader of my Radiant Dragons. She was¡­ persuaded by Divina to join us. Those Who Don¡¯t Matter Ellie Noir ¨C Me. Jason Bright ¨C The man who owned me prior to Robert. Robert Teller ¨C My second owner and the man who tortured me for five years. Sharron Teller ¨C Wife of Robert and the woman who fed me gross food for five years. Kendra ¨C My former cell companion and current slave of Robert¡¯s who is now a ghost. Stacy ¨C My former cell companion and current slave of Robert¡¯s who is now a ghost. Hailey ¨C A woman who was kind to me but later buried me alive. She is a slave of Robert¡¯s who is now a ghost. King Nicholas Teller ¨C The King of Teller Kingdom 22 years ago. Queen Maria Teller ¨C The Queen of the Teller Kingdom 22 years ago. Crown Prince Robert Jr. Teller ¨C The perverted and fat Robert. Prince of the Teller Kingdom 22 years ago. Princess Sariah Teller ¨C A princess who looks like Sharron. She was kind to me when I met her 22 years ago. I still don¡¯t know how to feel about her. Carl Stalic ¨C An old C rank Adventurer who visited the orphanage to teach the children 22 years ago. Lesly Light ¨C A woman who runs the third districts orphanage and has a legendary class. She was kind to me and then powered the chains that held me to metal torture table for over ten years. Poku ¨C A young Cat-kin whose parents were killed by a Doppelganger. She was my friend until she fell for Morfran¡¯s tricks. Mitsu ¨C A human girl from a country to the west of Safe Haven. She leads the party Northwind and was my friend until she fell for Morfran¡¯s tricks. David ¨C A human boy from a caravan that was destroyed. He was my friend until he fell for Morfran¡¯s tricks. Harrison Hall ¨C Son of Hamilton Hall. A human boy from the Culinary Guild who had a crush on me. He joined our party and was my friend until he was tricked like the others. Will Novak ¨C My former Adventuring Chef teacher and the person who taught my former adventuring party. Charlotte Milton ¨C Former Manager of the N Rank missions building in Safe Haven. I saw her again ten years later in Camp Freedom as the Branch Manager. Hamilton Hall ¨C Head of the Culinary Guild 22 years ago. Ms. Powder ¨C A ¡°teacher¡± in the one cooking class I attended. All she did was eat and read. Morfran Velmor ¨C My third owner and the man who experimented on me for ten years. I killed him while using Nightmare. Aella ¨C A wind Dragon I killed in self-defense. Aron ¨C The bald adventurer who grabbed my wing and made rude comments. 12 years later her warned me about the Empire in the same plaza. Tully ¨C The Granddaughter of the Inn Keeper I killed. Death ¨C I¡¯ve met him twice and killed one of his avatars. Our relationship is complicated, but he stays out of my business if I don¡¯t anger him. Olivia Williams ¨C The Current Branch Manager in Camp Freedom. Mr. Basswood ¨C A Wood Elf who was set to be the first non-human on Safe Haven''s council. He created the mission for the legendary dungeon core in hopes of founding a new city in Safe Haven. Allikair ¨C An Ancient Wind Dragon and the Grandfather of Aella. He came for revenge with an army of Dragons. That army now serves me. Habert Laurus ¨C The old Angel who told me where Elsie was. Gabriel Anelo ¨C A member of The New Heavenly Order who claimed to be on the same side as me while I saved Elise. I helped free his leader. Ozarik ¨C The former General of the Demon Lord¡¯s armies. I killed him many times for his involvement in Arty¡¯s death. Overseer ¨C The person sent by Abaddon to oversee San Francisco. Kenneth told me he likes to swear and wears beach attire. Asher ¨C Kenneth¡¯s former friend. Bree ¨C Kenneth¡¯s other former friend. ~~~ Lumia¡¯s Note: Only skills/classes/titles/etc that have been displayed in the story will appear here. Any I have not shown will not be listed. (In most cases.) For the sake of sharing everything I¡¯ve learned about God¡¯s Guidance, I am going to give a brief overview of it alongside some of my past and current status stuff. Status General HP ¨C Health points. One constitution grants 5 HP. One endurance grants 0.05/H HP regen. STM ¨C Stamina Points. One constitution grants 5 STM. One endurance grants 0.05/M STM regen. MP ¨C Mana Points. One Intelligence grants 5 MP. One Wisdom Grants 0.05/M MP regen. DP ¨C Divine Points. ?? Active Level ¨C Combined level of Origin and active classes. Total Level ¨C Combined level of all classes. Title ¨C Meeting specific criteria grants a title. Titles can grant a variety of bonuses. Name ¨C The name you were given at birth. Name cannot be changed however meeting specific criteria such as marriage, being adopted, etc will show a drop-down menu for last name. There may be ways to change first name, but the criteria is unknown. Race ¨C Your species. Half breeds are not possible. The child of two different intelligent races will be one or the other. Age ¨C Your age. Gender ¨C Gender. Mana Affinity ¨C A % increase to specific mana types. Some are born with Mana Affinity, classes can grant it, or you can slowly increase it by using the mana type. Some Mana Types conflict with each other. Origin Classes ¨C A bonus given to humans 10+ when the world ended. Some very high-ranking classes will grant themselves an origin slot. Active Classes ¨C A maximum of two active class slots can be obtained. The second slot costs five skill points. Changing your active class does not take effect until a long rest is completed. Crafting Classes ¨C A unique category granted by Divine Crafter. Sub Classes ¨C Classes you are not using go into sub classes. They only grant a fraction of their bonus, but skills from it can be used like normal. Attribute Points ¨C How many free attributes you have currently. Skill Points ¨C How many skill points you have currently. Companions ¨C Creatures that are connected to you. AttributesThis tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Strength - The physical power of your body. Melee combat, carry weight, heavy weaponry, etc. Dexterity - The speed, flexibility, and accuracy of your body. Ranged physical weapons, sneak, movement speed, attack speed, etc. Constitution - The health of your body. Health and Stamina pools, resistance to status effects, natural armor, etc. Endurance - Your body¡¯s ability to persevere. Health and Stamina regeneration, withstanding harsh conditions, willpower, etc. Perception - The ability of your body¡¯s senses. Eyesight, hearing, sensing those around you, etc. Intelligence - Your mind¡¯s ability to comprehend both knowledge and magic. The strength of the mana within your body. Magic attack power, mana pool, understanding, etc. Wisdom - Your mind''s ability to retain and use knowledge. Your body¡¯s ability to use mana. Mana regeneration, mana control, memory, problem-solving, etc. Charisma - Your ability to influence others. Intimidation, barter, leadership, etc. Luck - The world¡¯s kindness to you. Better odds for anything regarding chance, random events in your favor, breakthroughs, etc. Craftsmanship - The ability to create using your hands, skills, and mana. Crafting, enhancement, enchanting, etc. Control - Your ability to focus and control the crafting process. Quality, success rate, rarity, etc Skills and Skill Points Skills are obtained through hard work, titles, races, class shops, etc. When a skill is completed, it grants a set amount of skill points depending on its rarity tier. Completed skills can evolve, derive, or merge with other skills. Skill points are obtained through completing skills and leveling classes. Each level grants one skill point and for uncommon classes and up a bonus is given every 10 levels. Very Common - Level cap 5. No Attribute or Skill Points every 10 levels. Common - Level cap 5. No Attribute or Skill Points every 10 levels. Uncommon - Level cap 20. 1 Attribute and Skill Point every 10 levels. Rare - Level cap 30. 2 Attributes and Skill Points every 10 levels. Legendary - Level cap 50. 3 Attributes and Skill Points every 10 levels. Mythical - Level cap 70. 4 Attributes and Skill Points every 10 levels. Divine - Level cap 100. 5 Attributes and Skill Points every 10 levels. Very Common Skill - 1 Skill Point. Common Skill - 1 Skill Point. Uncommon Skill - 3 Skill Points. Rare Skill - 5 Skill Points. Legendary Skill - 10 Skill Points. Mythical Skill - 20 Skill Points. Divine Skill - 40 Skill Points. Races Human ¨C Grants ¡°Human¡± Title. Grants +4 free attributes at age 10. Grants 1 free attribute for every 10 class levels earned. Grants 10% exp increase for all skills and classes. Average lifespan: 80 - 100 years. Birth Rate: Normal. Fallen ¨C Grants ¡°Fallen¡± Title. Grants Divine Class Fallen. Grants access to the Divine Power resource. Grants 1 free attribute every 10 class levels earned. Grants Power of the Fallen Abyss EXP skill. Average lifespan: Immortal. Birth Rate: Infertile. Nightmare ¨C Grants ¡°Nightmare¡± Title. Grants the ?? Class Nightmare. Grants divine power resource. 1 free attribute every 10 class levels. Grants Nightmare skill. Grants Power of the Fallen Abyss skill. Average lifespan: Immortal. Birth Rate: Infertile Seraph ¨C Grants ¡°Seraph¡± Title. Grants the ?? Class Seraph. Grants divine power resource. 1 free attribute every 10 class levels. Grants Seraph skill. Grants Power of the Radiant Sky skill. Average lifespan: Immortal. Birth Rate: Infertile Titles Undead Slayer ¨C Slayer of over 1000 undead. Grants: 10% increased damage towards Undead. +3 free attributes. Source: Slay 1000 Undead. Dragon Slayer ¨C Slayer of a Dragon. Grants: 10% increased damage towards Dragons. +3 free attributes. Source: Slay 1 Dragon. Legend Slayer ¨C Slayer of a legendary Class holder. Grants: 10% increased damage towards Legendary Class holders. +3 free attributes. Source: Slay 1 Legendary Class holder. Slave ¨C Completed the Slave Class Shop. Grants: 20% increase in the effectiveness of all Slave skills. Grants one unique slave skill to suit the user. Source: Complete the Slave Class Store. The Undying ¨C Three times death has taken me, three times I have returned. Grants: Grants ¡°Immortal¡± regardless of race. Grants divine skill Undying. Grants 5 Endurance. Source: Die three times and by your own will return three times. Dungeoneer ¨C Defeated a Legendary Dungeon. Grants: Damage done within dungeons, ruins, and caves increased by 10%. Grants 3 Free Attributes. Source: Defeat the final boss of a Legendary+ Dungeon. Soloer ¨C Defeated a Legendary Dungeon alone. Grants: +1 to all attributes. Source: Defeat the final boss of a Legendary+ Dungeon alone. Divine Crafter ¨C Creator of divine items and owner of a divine workshop. Grants: Grants a separate category for crafting class slots. All crafting classes receive their full bonus however they no longer count towards active level. Craftsmanship +3, Control +2. Source: Create a divine level item or own a divine workshop. Myth Slayer ¨C Slayer of a Mythical Class holder. Grants: 10% increased damage towards Mythical Class holders. 4 free attributes. Source: Slay 1 Mythical Class holder. Calamity of Dragons ¨C Slayer of over 100 Dragons. Grants: Grants 25% increased damage to Dragons. +1 All Attributes. Source: Slay 100 Dragons. Calamity of Legends ¨C Slayer of over 100 Legendary Class Holders. Grants: 25% increased damage to Legendary Class Holders. +4 Free Attributes. Source: Slay 100 Legendary Class Holders. Radiant Night ¨C ?? Grants: ?? Source: ?? Ruler of the Fallen Abyss ¨C The highest power within the Fallen Abyss. Grants: 20% increase to Fallen class skills. Grants divine skill Darkness of the Abyss. Grants 10 level Attribute bonus once for free. Grants full control over the Fallen Abyss. Source: Complete Fallen Class Shop. Have ?? Nightmare class. Ruler of the Radiant Sky ¨C The highest power within the Radiant Sky. Grants: 20% increase to Radiant class skills. Grants divine skill Elemental Release. Grants 10 level Attribute bonus once for free. Grants full control over the Radiant Sky. Source: Complete Radiant Class Shop. Have ?? Seraph class. Elemental Soul. Linguist ¨C Speaker of many languages. Grants: Grants the rare skill Linguist. You teach known languages 100% faster. Grants 2 Intelligence. Source: 5 Language skills above 5/10 including one exotic language. Classes [Divine] Fallen - The Fallen Abyss is a land of Death and Darkness which none may return from, you are something that has crawled out of it. All death and dark damage done is now a unique variant ¡°Abyssal¡± which uses the affinity bonuses of both death and dark. Grants high death affinity. Grants high dark affinity. Grants divine skill Touch of the Abyss. Grants divine skill Eyes of the Abyss. Grants Mythical skill death Resistance III. *Unique* Grants a random companion from the Fallen Abyss. Fallen Class receives its own Origin Class Slot. 1 Dexterity, Constitution, Endurance, Intelligence, and Wisdom every 10 levels. 5 Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/100 [Mythical] Hero of Darkness - Hero''s are those who save the weak but why should you care about that? When you were suffering they looked away, when you were tortured they pretended not to hear, and when you were being buried alive none of them gave you a second thought. Let the world know what suffering is; you are the hero of no one but yourself. All damage done does additional dark damage. Grants high darkness affinity. Grants mythical skill Darkness Infusion. Grants Mythical skill Darkness Resistance III. Grants a Hero¡¯s Weapon to fit the user. 1 Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Endurance every 10 levels. 4 Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/70 [Very Common] Slave - You''d probably have to ask your owner to see the class description anyway. Effectiveness of all Slave skills increased by 20%. Level: 1/5 Starlight Chef ¨C You have discovered a path walked by few. Using Death to control the ingredient¡¯s condition, Darkness to consume the impurities, and mythical control of mana infusion you can create true food for the soul. You cook 100% faster and your food buffs last 100% longer. Grants high unaspected mana affinity. Grants Legendary skill starlight cooking. Grants legendary skill starlight kitchen. Grants 1 free Wisdom, Craftsmanship, and Control Attributes. 1 Wisdom, 1 Craftsmanship, and 1 Control every 10 levels. 3 Bonus Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/50 [??] Nightmare ¨C Make them know your pain. All death and dark damage done is now a unique variant ¡°Abyssal¡± which uses the affinity bonuses of both death and dark. Abyssal Damage increased by 100%. Grants max Abyssal affinity. Grants ?? skill Nightmare. Grants Divine skill Abyssal Immunity. Grants Legendary skill Abyssal Manipulation. Nightmare Class receives its own Origin Class Slot. 1 Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Endurance, and Perception attributes every 10 levels. 5 Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/?? [??] Seraph ¨C They are nothing to you. All life and light damage done is now a unique variant ¡°Serenity¡± which uses the affinity bonuses of both life and light. Serenity Damage increased by 100%. Grants max Serenity affinity. Grants ?? skill Seraph. Grants Divine skill Serenity Immunity. Grants Legendary skill Serenity Manipulation. Seraph Class receives its own Origin Class Slot. 3 Intelligence and 2 Wisdom attributes every 10 levels. 5 Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/?? [??] Hero of Twilight ¨C There is a beauty in finding balance. When alternating between light and dark attacks damage is increased by 100%. Some skills will cause unique variant ¡°Twilight¡± damage which uses both Serenity and Abyssal affinities. Grants Divine skill Shattered Light. Grants Divine skill Consuming Darkness. Grants ?? skill Brilliant Dawn. Hero of Twilight Class receives its own Origin Class Slot. 5 free attributes every 10 levels. 5 Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/?? [Legendary] Ancient Engineer ¨C You walk the path of forgotten Engineers. The secrets of old technologies reveal themselves to you. If a crafting plan has been lost in any way your ability to recreate it is increased by 1000%. Crafting speed and quality of all engineering items made increased by 100%. Grants high unaspected mana affinity. Grants Legendary skill Ancient Engineering. Grants Legendary skill Inspect. Grants 1 free Strength, Perception, Wisdom, Craftsmanship, and Control Attributes. 1 Wisdom, 1 Craftsmanship, and 1 Control every 10 levels. 3 Bonus Skill Points every 10 levels. Level: 1/50 Racial Skills [Racial] Human - Humans are versatile creatures. Exp bonus of 10%. Passive Source: Human Race. Skill levels: 1/1 [Racial] Soul Link - For the Noir demon bloodline love is a power far stronger than any magic. You and your partner may both share one skill with each other. Passive Source: Artel Noir Skill Level: 1/10 Attribute Skills [A] Enhanced Constitution ¨C All constitution bonuses increased by 50%. Passive Source: 10 Constitution & 20 SP Skill level: 1/1 [A] Enhanced Endurance ¨C All Endurance bonuses increased by 50%. Passive Source: 10 Endurance & 20 SP Skill level: 1/1 ?? Skills [??] Nightmare ¨C Allow the Abyss to consume you. Abyssal damage done to anything that touches your body or weapons. Abyssal Claws granted. 100% increased melee damage. 100% increased speed. Every kill restores 10% of health and stamina. WARNING: Overuse of Abyssal/Dark skills will forcefully activate Nightmare. When forcefully activated your inner desires are set free. Cost: N/A Source: Free skill of the Nightmare class. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] Seraph ¨C Surpass the highest light. Serenity damage done to anything that touches your body or weapons. Staff of Serenity granted. 100% increase to magic damage. 100% increase to mana regeneration. WARNING: Overuse of Serenity/Light skills will forcefully activate Seraph. When forcefully activated your inner desires are set free. Cost: N/A Source: Free skill of the Seraph class. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] Brilliant Dawn ¨C After balancing a sufficient number of Light and Dark skills unleash a powerful area of effect Twilight attack. Cost: N/A Source: Free skill of the Hero of Twilight class. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] Dusk of a Thousand Shifting Rays ¨C After balancing a sufficient number of Light and Dark skills unleash a powerful single target Twilight attack. Cost: N/A Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] Land of Death, Sky of Darkness ¨C Remove the border between this world and the Fallen Abyss. Mana Cost: N/A Restrictions: Can only be used once a day. Source: Fallen Class Store Source: Adjusted by Nightmare. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] Nightmare¡¯s Rage ¨C Emotions have a soft cap of 40%. Strong emotions which bypass the soft cap such as despair, anger, and hatred will forcefully activate Nightmare setting your inner desires free. Passive Source: Evolved from Emotion Nullification. Exclusive to Nightmare. Skill level: 1/1 [??] Requiem of the Fallen ¨C Grant ¡®Touch of the Abyss¡¯ and ¡®Abyssal Empowerment¡¯ to your army for one hour. Mana Cost: N/A Restrictions: Can only be used once a day. Source: Fallen Class Store Source: Adjusted by Nightmare. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] The Book of Revelation ¨C Summon the Book of Revelation causing it to open to a random page. Your enemies experience the randomly selected apocalypse. Mana Cost: N/A Restrictions: Can only be used once a day. Source: Radiant Class Store Source: Adjusted by Seraph. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] Land of Life, Sky of Light ¨C Remove the border between this world and the Radiant Sky. Mana Cost: N/A Restrictions: Can only be used once a day. Source: Radiant Class Store Source: Adjusted by Seraph. Skill levels: 1/1 [??] Elemental Release ¨C Increase attributes, magic damage, and melee damage by 100%. In dire situations, Elemental Release is forcefully activated. Overuse of Elemental Release will activate Seraph. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Ruler of the Radiant Sky Title. Elemental Soul. Skill levels: 1/1 Divine Skills [Divine] Touch of the Abyss ¨C Allow Abyssal energies to flow through your body. Abyssal damage done to anything that touches your body or weapons. MP Cost: 6000/M Source: Free skill of the Fallen class. Skill level: 1/10 [Divine] Aura of Divinity - An aura of divinity surrounds you causing anyone within range to feel awe or fear. MP: 120/M Source: Divinity Title Skill Level: 1/10 [Divine] Origin Divine - You have obtained a Divine Origin class. Prove to the world why you are superior. Exp bonus of 10% per level of this skill. Current Total: 10% Passive Source: Have a Divine Origin Class. Skill level: 1/10 [Divine] Power of the Fallen Abyss - You have become a member of the Fallen Abyss, its power flows through you. Exp bonus of 10% per level of this skill. Current Total: 10%. Exp bonus of 200% for the first level of all skills. Exp and skill level bonus increases per level of this skill. Current Total: 200% Passive Source: Fallen Race. Skill level: 1/5 [Divine] Mind Immunity ¨C Your mind has endured torment beyond comprehension yet it has not broken. Immune to Mind and Mental damage. Your mind absorbs 1% of attempted mind damage converting it to mana. An additional 1% per level of this skill. Current Total: 1% Passive Source: Evolved from Mind Resistance IV. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Passage ¨C Create a passage through the Abyss to a marked location. This skill is channeled and takes time to open. One location per skill level. Location #1: None Mana Cost: 100 Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Reality Shift ¨C Swap locations with another living creature within eyesight. Mana Cost: 25 Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Barrier of Twilight ¨C Alternating between Light and Dark attacks generates a barrier of twilight around you. Passive Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Undying ¨C Once a day an attack which would otherwise kill you instead places you at 10% HP. Passive Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill level: 1/10 [Divine] Hallowed Ground ¨C Peirce the target with Light causing it to erupt. The remains or ruptured earth become Hallowed Ground damaging anything you deem unworthy. Cost: N/A Source: Derived from Shattered Light. Skill level: 1/10 [Divine] Scars of Despair ¨C Your next 10 melee attacks do no damage but ignore all defenses while leaving black scars. When 10 have been placed all scars activate at once dealing 200% of the melee damage otherwise dealt and an additional 100% darkness damage. Cost: N/A Source: Derived from Consuming Darkness. Skill level: 1/10 [Divine] Grasp of the Abyss ¨C Summon an abyssal arm at the desired location. The arm always has Touch of the Abyss active however the damage can be toggled on or off. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Extinguish Life ¨C Attempt to destroy a target¡¯s soul. Powerful souls will be able to resist this skill. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Snowy Nights ¨C Summon a doorway to your personal pocket dimension. Each skill level allows the selection of a new perk. Mana Cost: 100 Source: Generated by Hero¡¯s Refuge. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Absolute Judgement ¨C Tear open the Radiant Sky and send its judgment crashing down on the target. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Derived from Hallowed Ground. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Perfect Resurrection ¨C Resurrect a single target. No power is lost, and all belongings still present on the body are restored. Mana Cost: N/A Restrictions: Use limited to one soul a day. Souls that have already returned to the sea of mana cannot be resurrected. Source: Radiant Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Eyes of Twilight ¨C You are Radiant Night, a power beyond mortal comprehension. Twilight power increases twice as fast. Those who serve you are refreshed by your twilight gaze and those who stand against you are burned. Sub Abilities: Passive Source: Evolved from Eyes of the Abyss Skill level: 1/10 [Divine] Darkness Unending ¨C Send an explosion of darkness in the targeted direction. This skill can be sent forth in a wave from bladed weapons or used directly. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Light Eternal ¨C Send an explosion of light in the targeted direction. This skill can be sent forth in a wave from bladed weapons or used directly. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Hero of Twilight Class Shop. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Summon Abyssal ¨C Call forth monsters of the Fallen Abyss. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Fallen Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Darkness of the Abyss ¨C Status is always concealed unless you will otherwise. Those who attempt to peer into the Abyss are trapped within it. Passive. Source: Ruler of the Fallen Abyss Title. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Radiant Light ¨C Light shines down upon the targeted area healing any allies within it. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Radiant Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Summon Radiant ¨C Call forth monsters of the Radiant Sky. Mana Cost: N/A Source: Radiant Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Dominion ¨C Control everything in the surrounding area. Mana Cost: 100/M Source: Radiant Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Divine] Gate ¨C Create a Gate between your location and place you have been prior. Gates can be made permanent for 100 extra mana however it must be maintained. Mana Cost: 150 (250) Source: Evolved from Passage. Skill level: 1/10 Mythical Skills [Mythical] Abyssal Infusion ¨C Infuse Abyssal mana into your attack, spell, skill, or target. Cost: Varies depending on amount infused. Source: Free skill of the Hero of Darkness class. Source: Skill adjusted by Fallen Class. Skill level: 1/10 [Mythical] Origin Mythical - You have obtained a Mythical Origin class. Prove to the world why you are superior. Exp bonus of 10% per level of this skill. Current Total: 10% Passive Source: Have a Mythical Origin Class. Skill level: 1/5 [Mythical] Shadow Fade ¨C Fade to the realm of shadows. While within you can not be seen or attacked. Attacking removes you from the shadows. Cost: 100/M Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Mythical] Shimmer ¨C Sparkling lights surround your body allowing for gravity-defying bursts of speed. Mana Cost: 25 Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 Legendary Skills [Legendary] Starlight Cooking - You have learned to use death and dark mana to cook while infusing unaspected mana into the food you make! Increases cooking ability, cooking speed, reduces cooking mana use, and Increases attributes granted by your food. Passive Source: Free skill of the Starlight Chef class. Skill level: 1/10 [Legendary] Starlight Kitchen ¨C Summon astral cooking devices and tools. Cooking with astral devices and tools greatly increases cooking speed, flavor, and quality. MP Cost: 60/M Source: Free skill of the Starlight Chef class. Skill level: 1/10 [Legendary] Hero¡¯s Refuge ¨C This skill will generate a portable home which you may summon and dismiss. This skill is channeled and takes time to activate. One house upgrade per skill level. Mana Cost: 100 Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Legendary] Analyze ¨C You may touch items or creatures to analyze them. Mana Cost: 10 Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Legendary] Limit Break ¨C Go beyond your limits while causing severe damage to your body. Increases Attributes by 100%. Cost: Damage & Exhaustion. Source: Hero of Twilight Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Legendary] Elemental Core ¨C The Elemental Essence found within your soul has allowed it to transform. Your body no longer requires nourishment, water, air, or rest and performing any of these tasks will now restore mana instead. Unnecessary internal organs have been replaced with a Twilight Core. +3 Intellect and Wisdom. Passive Source: Elemental Essence within soul. Merging of completed Hunger, Thirst, and Exhaust Nullification. Skill levels: 1/10 [Legendary] Dragon Heart ¨C The Draconic Essence found within your blood has allowed it to transform. Your body ages at a much slower pace and your desire to collect valuables has increased. Your heart and blood have been replaced with a Twilight Dragon¡¯s heart and blood. +3 Strength and Endurance. Passive Source: Draconic Essence within blood. Draconic Essence absorbed from other Dragons. Skill levels: 1/10 [Legendary] Monstrous Presence ¨C A skill which induces monstrous amounts of fear. Toggle Ability Source: Evolved from Terrifying Presence. Skill level: 1/10 Rare Skills [Rare] Emotion Nullification ¨C 6% reduction to maximum emotion capabilities. An additional 6% per level of this skill. Current Total: 6% Passive Source: Evolved from Emotion Suppression. Skill level: 1/10 [Rare] Holy Accent ¨C Empower your wings with Holy light granting powerful maneuvering abilities and speed. While Holy Accent is in use a slight boost to Holy Light damage is granted. Mana Cost: 2/M Stamina Cost: 2/M Source: Evolved from Arc Flight. Skill levels: 1/10 [Rare] Linguist ¨C All language skills are merged into this skill upon hitting 5/10. Learning new Languages is slightly easier. Languages: Passive Source: Title Linguist. Skill level: 1/10 Uncommon Skills [Uncommon] Hunger Suppression ¨C It is easier to ignore hunger and you can go slightly longer without food. Passive Source: Granted by God¡¯s Guidance based on life lived until that point. Skill level: 1/10 [Uncommon] Static Touch ¨C The next target you touch is stunned for a short time. Mana Cost: 3 Source: Electricity Mage Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Uncommon] Shock Armour ¨C A small amount of electricity surrounds you causing slight electric damage attackers within melee range. Mana Cost: 3/M Source: Electricity Mage Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Uncommon] Lighting Bolt ¨C Shoot a bolt of Lightning at the target. Mana Cost: 5 Source: Electricity Mage Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 [Uncommon] Electrify ¨C Channel electricity into a target within arms reach. Mana Cost: 1/S Source: Electricity Mage bonus skill. Skill levels: 1/10 [Uncommon] Prediction ¨C The ability to predict and evade attacks. Passive Source: Evolved from Evasion. Skill levels: 1/10 Common Skills [Common] Reading - Slightly increases reading speed. Passive Source: Earned by reading. Skill level: 1/10 Very Common Skills [Very Common] House Keeping ¨C Cleaning speed and quality slightly increased. Passive Source: Granted by God¡¯s Guidance based on life lived until that point. Skill level: 1/10 [Very Common] Labourer ¨C Carrying heavy items is slightly easier. Passive Source: Slave Class Store. Skill levels: 1/10 Update Update Since reaching trending my story has received a lot of feedback. I¡¯ve been struggling with writing now that such glaring issues have been pointed out, so I have decided I will do a lot of changes. I¡¯m hoping to take this time to ask those who have read my story to point out things that should be addressed. My current to-do list can be found below. In the meantime, I am going to do a simple story with 2k word chapters to try and improve before returning to ¡®The Girl in the Abyss.¡¯ This story is very precious to me, and I want the changes to make it the best it can be.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Thank you for reading my story, Lumia / Amber