Lorian''s expression was grim as he faced 3 snow wolves. He knew this wouldn''t be easy.
| Snow Wolf |
| Mortal (500/10,000) |
| Skills: Evasion, Frostbite |
Being encircled by three hungry beasts was nerve-wracking.
- WOOO~
- Grrr!~
The three of them struck simultaneously.
Lorian slashed at one, which jumped back. He ran in the direction of an opened up path, but in mid-sprint, he realized his leg was caught.
He fell in the snow and three hungry beasts started gnawing at his flesh, drinking his blood. Though no pain could be felt, it was traumatizing.
He started attacking like a crazed person, but soon he felt there was no more strength remaining to him.
- Exit! Out!
Lorian yelled in panic, but there was no response.
- NOOOOOOOOOO~
Sometime later, he lost his consciousness.
...
- AAAAAAHHHHHHH~huff, huff...huff, I''m alive...huff...
Lorian jumped up in his cave with an ashen face.
Good thing was that he was alive and the death in instances meant no death in real life. It was a lesson learned the hard way. The bad thing was...Stolen story; please report.
- Never, never again!
Lorian was mumbling to himself like a madman.
Today''s instances attempt was lost, but Lorian couldn''t care less. It took him quite some time to calm himself. The psychological impact this death had left would definitely fuel his obsession to become stronger.
...
- Achoo...
Lorian was faintly shivering as he was sharpening his sword with a whetstone.
Having no other choice, Lorian went out to find some wood to light a fire. Where would he find a dry wood in such a crazy snowstorm? He could only bring random branches. When there was enough he used the lighter to make some fire. Unfortunately, the wood was too wet to catch fire.
- Fuck!
He could only sacrifice some piece of second-hand clothing from his bag and warmed himself up.
Having ventured outside several times, his clothes were wet and he was worried he would catch cold, hence he changed his inner clothes, but donned the same brown robes.
Lorian didn''t dare venture deep inside the cave. It was dark and who knows which monster was living there. These days he couldn''t sleep well due to being fearful of an unknown that might be residing deep inside the cave. Fortunately, the cave was quiet, seemingly empty, but it wasn''t completely certain.
Lorian gritted his teeth and decided to find out what''s inside.
- I''m so thoughtful.
Lorian thought self-satisfied, as he took out a torch and lighter. Soon, oil started burning on the torch, illuminating the cave.
Taking a deep breath, Lorian kept the sword in the right-hand while torch in his left and slowly disappeared inside the cave.
There was nothing spectacular inside, just some uneven cave walls and stray bats here and there. Of course, Lorian wouldn''t feel safe until he explored until the end of the tunnel.
Wolf mask that he kept on his face was another layer of reassurance as his 5 senses were stained to the max. Even the smallest of movements wouldn''t escape his perception.
- A dead end?
Lorian heaved a sigh of relief as he stared at the end of the cave.
As he was about to turn around, Lorian noticed a box near the dark corner of the cave. Frowning, he approached slowly and took it in his hands.
Suddenly, a burst of coldness invaded his body. This was no simple cold, but chilling, eerie coldness radiating evil aura.
- Aaah~
Lorian dropped the box in panic and took a step back...nothing else happened.
With a fast-beating heart, Lorian observed the box. It was intricate looking with strange runic patterns engraved on top of it.
Lorian felt conflicted, unsure of what to do. Should he just walk away or take the box? It would be safe as long as he kept this thing in inventory, but was it worth the risk?
In the end, after some deliberating, Lorian decided it''s better to take than to leave it.
He commanded system to keep it in inventory, but the result...scared him.
| The item contains a living creature, unable to be stored |
Living creature?! This thing is dangerous!
Alarms rang in Lorian''s head as he hurriedly went back, leaving the box in the original place.
After several minutes of his departure, the small cracking sound went off at the end of the cave.
A cold gust of wind blew, bringing chills to the heart, foretelling the beginning of the restless night.
Chapter 17 Awakened (2)
The night arrived.
Since long time ago, the night brought the feeling of desolateness and loneliness.
Lorian wrapped himself snuggly, but this brought no feeling of safety. Feeling that having a fire lit throughout the night would be too high profile, Lorian decisively extinguished it and moved further into the cave.
- I can''t always keep myself awake, sigh, this is the only safety measure I can think of...
Lorian slept wearing the wolf mask. This was more of a consolation than an actual dependable measure. No matter how high one''s perception is, if one''s not being vigilant one can be easily caught off guard.
Constant sounds of wind howling outside were like a lullaby sang to a baby. Unknowingly, Lorian drifted to sleep.
...
- Haa, haa~
His sleep didn''t last long.
He woke up in the middle of the night.
Feeling unease, Lorian could no longer sleep.
- It was just a nightmare. Maybe I''m overthinking things.
- #@$%^~~
Lorian shuddered. A distant voice of someone shrieking echoed in his ears.
- What''s happening? This can''t be my imagination playing tricks on me.
''Is this trip taking its toll on me? I know I was afraid of darkness in childhood, but I never hallucinated.
- !#@%$#@@$%
Lorian''s gaze turned solemn. He perked up his ears to focus on the distant sound. It sounded like woman''s shriek one hears in the horror movies, but it was more melodious. It sounded from time to time. Gradually, Lorian got used to it.
''As long as it doesn''t harm me...''This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
*Swoosh!
Lorian abruptly swung his sword. It was nothing. Only a cold gust of wind blew. The distant shrieking voice was gone. This silence brought more pressure to him...
''I definitely felt something there!''
Lorian''s face was pale.
- Come out!
Lorian spat in a growl.
There was no response.
...
The night passed slowly, without Lorian pooling all-nighter. The following day, he looked haggard with red eyes.
Finally, the light broke the dark of the night.
- Fuck it! I must be getting paranoid.
Lorian''s mood was terrible after getting no wink of sleep.
He entered the instances realm, the first-floor, easy mode to farm some battle Exp. This time he didn''t immediately kill the 2 wolves but killed one and played around with the remaining one to get more practical experience.
This way, general exp started accumulating. Though kills in the instances realm brought several times lower battle exp than in real life, the general exp accumulated all the same, which brought a sense of happiness to Lorian.
Finally, after tiring himself with the fight, Lorian planned to finish off the snow wolf.
After allocating all battle exp and general exp, his progression bar reached 316/10,000.
But as he was about to finish off the snow wolf...
- Aaaah!
Lorian''s sword fell on the ground. Massive, splitting headache assaulted his senses and piercing coldness seeped into his body. His intuition screamed danger.
|
Warning! Outside interference!
Commencing withdrawal from instances...
|
Lorian''s dull eyes shot open in the cave. A splitting headache was still there. Now the shriek from the last night was ringing right in his head, bringing a swirl of negative emotions, threatening his sanity.
- Aaaah, get away from me!
Lorian swung his sword around like a madman, but it was useless. The enemy was invisible.
The eerie coldness started to make Lorian feel numb and dumb. He knew that if he didn''t do something, he would die here. His body felt it no longer belonged to him. His left hand started scratching his face on its own and his body flailed on the ground, like a possessed person.
Abruptly, Lorian took out a bottle from his inventory and sprayed half of its contents on himself
*Sizzle
- SSSSHHHHRRRRIIIIIEEEEKKK!!!!!!~~~
- @#$%$^$%&#@$@#$!@#$#%%^$%^%$@$$%$#
''As I thought!''
Lorian grinned as the feeling of control returned to him.
He poured the remaining contents of diluted holy water on his sword and cut through the invisible entity locating it with his perception.
Another round of screams was issued.
The sword slash proved effective as almost see through gray-blue humanoid, floating figure with a mangled abominated face appeared in and out of existence.
- Die!
Lorian slashed over and over with bloodshot eyes.
Finally, the ghost issued the last shriek and burned in the blue fire.
| The 2nd floor of the instances realm has been constructed. |
Lorian plopped down on an icy rock, panting with exhaustion.
- Finally over...
Chapter 18 Scheme
Elaine lay in the dark alleyway, slumped lifelessly. Her small frame was covered in injuries, her eyes lifeless.
The memories of that day were still vivid in her mind.
She could never forget that kind eyes of the stranger. She had seen many eyes, but none of them were that pure, untainted. Probably it was her imagination, but...it doesn''t matter anymore.
She was happy that day. Finally, she could afford the medicine for her little sister, Lilian, but when she went to the place that they called home...she doesn''t even want to remember.
But the eyes of her only relative were forever branded in her mind. Lifeless, despaired, pained...
- She suffered a lot, she was waiting for me, yet I let her down...
She blamed herself, but more than that, she hated the Grey gang, a local band of rotten people, the culprits of the siblings'' despair.
It was at that time, she felt something snap in her mind. The dagger danced in the night, drawing blood. The screams of her enemies were muffled in the dark on the night. That very night, the demon was awakened...
Grey gang, by a single 6-7-year-old kid, single-handedly annihilated...
The news shook the city. Now there was 1 silver coin as a bounty placed on her head. Soldiers seeking some easy money patrolled and ventured in the alleyways.
- Does it all have a meaning anymore? Should I join you in heavens, Lilian?
A tear trickled down her cheek. There was nothing to live for, the life was full of so much suffering, she was just tired, very tired...
But then an image of the stranger resurfaced in her mind...No, she cannot die, not until she repays his kindness, then probably she can rest, rest forever...
* * *
- Cough, cough...
The sickly old man with a handful of white hair sat near his desk, reviewing the reports.
He wore a bright sophisticated yellow-white gown and elongated hat, indicating his position as a priest.
Tobias frowned as he read on the vague report
''Edmond, 1-star warrior and 2-star mage went to investigate the circus case in Rosewood city, never to return.''
His eyes flashed as he read the report. Hesitating for a moment, he lightly shook the bells near his table.
Gallant looking paladin with deep black eyes appeared from the door, bowing to a degree. He was Garibaldi, apostle rank paladin, acting as his personal bodyguard.
- Father Tobias...
Tobias nodded his head and went straight to the point.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
- See the papers, tell me your opinion.
Garibaldi nodded his head and proceeded to read the report.
- Speak.
He urged him.
Garibaldi''s brows were furrowed as he answered.
- Supposedly this has something to do with the case of desolate villages. I don''t know who the culprit is, but they are a way to brazen to think, that they can hop on our necks and start annihilating cities. Though Rosewood is very backwater place, city lord being a mere 4th rank veteran, it''s still a city. Its population is more than 10 times that of massacred villages. I don''t understand why we let these devils roam.
Tobias listened on the following hot-headed statements of his bodyguard calmly, without a change in his expression.
- You can go now.
He ordered in a monotone voice when Garibaldi was done.
The bodyguard bowed and left the room.
Tobias closed his eyes, his thoughts unknown.
Suddenly he felt the presence of someone in the room, but he wasn''t concerned as he already deduced as to who it was.
Opening his eyes, Tobias saw a thin old man in beggar''s clothes ''reading'' a report. His face was full of wrinkles and he wore a silly smile. What stood out the most was his unfocused, colorless eyes, indicating his blindness. This old man wore a conical hat, but as he was leaning over the table, his facial features became visible.
- What are you doing here, Kirin?
Tobias frowned. It was a wonder how he infiltrated this place.
- Ai, Tobias, you''re going senile, forgetting to greet your old pal...
Kirin had this dumb smile plastered on his face as he commented while straightening his back like a javelin. He put one hand over his conical hat, slightly lowering it. It was his favorite pose, thinking it was cool...
Tobias just shook his head, not playing along with this naughty old man.
- Don''t be stingy, bring out some good wine, I''ve been really tight on coins lately.
''As if I would believe that!''
Tobias commented in his mind, but his face remained ignorant. He flicked his hand and a jug of wine appeared out of nowhere.
- Oh, much appreciated, your heart hadn''t grown that cold...Terror Bird...
Kirin said as he gulped down the jug of wine hungrily while spilling some on his shirt and floor.
Tobias frowned.
- At least don''t use the code names here!
He received no response. With brows twitching, Tobias tried to maintain his indifference, while hearing the sound of big gulps.
- Jaaaah, good, that''s some good stuff...
Kirin hiccuped unceremoniously.
- Why''re you here?
Kirin''s body wobbled, as if drunk, but the things he said wouldn''t be uttered by a drunk man.
- This old man never liked Mantis'' ideology. To directly kill innocents, that''s a bit uncultured, hic...
Tobias sneered in response.
- The result will still be the same, no matter the method used.
Kirin wobbled his finger.
- Tut, tut, I say he''s useless, this old man''s got a wiser plan. If this is successful the Salamander kingdom and the holy church will begin the all-out war, weakening the forces of both our enemies. He will be delighted, haha, you''ll see, that''s a genius plan...but I need your help.
Tobias frowned as he listened on. It was true that Kirin liked to joke around, but when it came to important matters, he never did so. In fact, his schemes were something, that even the royalty would never fathom.
- What do you want me to do?
Tobias asked seriously, indicating his full support.
*Bang
Kirin had his back facing him as he was looking out of the window. Outside the lightning was flashing from time to time. Heavy rain poured down the snow, which started melting.
His silly smile seemed especially frightening.
- I want the holy maiden to visit Salamander...is that doable?
Tobias frowned and shook his head.
- I know what you''re trying to do, but she is much more powerful than us. Don''t forget you are the weakest of us. Besides, do you think she will come unprotected?
Kirin chuckled sinisterly.
- Don''t worry, I have an insider information. The plan is perfect. Faceless has already approved of this, you don''t have a say in this, Terror Bird. You just need to make that happen.
Tobias had his wrinkles scrunched up, contemplating the implications, but in the end, sighed.
- Do what you want, just don''t say I didn''t warn you. I''ll try my best, but I need some time...
Kirin lowered the conical hat with his left hand as he said the last piece.
- You have a year''s time.
*Bang
The lightning flickered like a snake outside.
Kirin was gone.
When he was gone, Tobias''s face turned ugly to behold.
''They''re no longer trusting me...I need to relocate my base. This country''s going to hell.''
Chapter 19 Gray wolves
- Such a close call...
Lorian was still fearful of what happened. If not for his wits and timely action, he would have already been possessed by a ghost.
He had his suspicions, hence once again entered the depths of the cave.
As expected, the sealed box was broken. The ghost should have been awakened by his presence and somehow broke the seals, trying to possess him.
Luckily, he came prepared with holy water. However, his purpose of bringing it was for healing. Now, the most of it was wasted with only 1/10th remaining.
Lorian deeply sighed at this loss. He had gained a significant amount of exp and 2nd floor of instances was also constructed as a result, but it''s not like he could challenge it for now.
Though instances realm shouldn''t be real, if he spent his remaining holy water in there to clear the 2nd floor, the holy water would be gone in real life too. Consumables expanded in instances weren''t restored after exiting it.
Instances had another restriction. The enemies inside would turn into dust after death, disallowing gathering of raw materials from the corpses. This was why Lorian''s task to gather snow wolf pelts, was still incomplete.
Exp gained from instances was also lower than IRL, while there was only a single attempt to be used in a day, making rapid improvements impossible.
Counting in the life and death experiences one had to go through and possibly experience multiple deaths, instances realm wasn''t really a pleasant place to train in.
However, there was no actual threat to his life and since he could acquire power this way much quicker than others, Lorian had little to complain about. There is no free meal in this world.
In fact, others would be endlessly jealous to have such way to quickly grow. Growing at a fast pace by experiencing life and death battles and killing was simply preposterous. True, some people would have their potential pushed to limits and immensely benefit from such experiences, but the benefits were limited and mostly one wouldn''t really profit from disasters, but suffer from it.
Obviously, Lorian wasn''t exempted from such things too. If he chose the wrong opponent, being disabled was already a good outcome, while death would be the worst one. However, if he overcame such an opponent, his profits would also be greater than any other in his situation.
Lorian approached the broken box and exclaimed in shock as he stared at content inside.
|
Yin Pearl
Remark: The result of the accumulation of negative miasma, generated by a ghostly entity. Contains deep resentment and chilling coldness.
|
The item looked like a white pearl. It was cold to the touch and being close to it would cause one to become uncomfortable due to the creepy aura that seeped from it.
Wearing the wolf mask, Lorian''s senses were enchanted, which allowed him to sense this ethereal feeling more clearly.
Lorian sighed as he kept the item in inventory. It was already generous of the system to add the remark, but it simply didn''t state its uses, so he could only keep it for now.
Afterward, he went outside to collect some snow, next placed it in a container and melted it under bonfire. After refilling his water reserves, he munched on the tasteless, preserved meat and fell asleep, tired.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
When he woke up, the sun was shining brightly. Pure snow glittered under its illumination.
- Good, snowstorm''s finally over.
Lorian smiled and proceeded to prepare to go out for hunting.
This time, he came across 3 gray wolves.
The gray wolves were weaker than snow wolves but bolder in their assault.
Lorian was confident in handling these guys, so he didn''t panic this time. Instead, he was a bit excited.
- Awooo~
- Grrr!!!
| Gray wolf |
| Mortal (220/10,000) |
| Skills: Lunge, Bite |
...
The beasts didn''t think much and ran in his direction.
Lorian was surprised by how natural his movements had become. He easily dodged their mindless charge with simple side-steps, then followed up with a swift and decisive slash, beheading the wolf.
Lorian felt, that these beasts were barely better than rabid dogs. They only knew how to bully some herbivores like deer, wild chicken, and bunnies with their numbers. They loved hunting for livestock in the villages and didn''t actively hunt humans, but winter was different. There was a lack of food in this cold season. Only those, who had the capability to hunt for food would live to see the following spring.
After playing around with them, Lorian killed another one and choked the last one to death with bare hands. It felt unusually satisfying.
A human could rarely use their body''s true capability to the maximum. The deterring factors when facing beasts would be intimidation and fear. Lorian was glad to have gotten over this stage.
Standing while wearing white wolf mask, facing the sun, surrounded by dead wolves and snow painted red, he felt an unusual feeling of satisfaction well inside him. He wanted to roar to the heavens but didn''t as it might attract some unwanted things.
Even in the outer area of Undying forest, gray wolves were at the bottom of the food chain. It wouldn''t be wise to feel invincible because of beating some dogs and alert something formidable.
New instances realm floor didn''t unlock. Lorian guessed these guys didn''t meet the requirements of 3rd floor as they were weaker than previous 2 floors residents.
After collecting their fangs, Lorian rolled around in the snow to clean himself of blood and went back to his cave.
Wolf meat didn''t taste good, he''s heard from adventurers, so he didn''t bother to bring their corpses with him. Its pelt had some uses but wasn''t really worth space in his inventory. However, he wanted to practice his dismantling skills and skinned one before leaving the place.
By the end of finishing the dismantling, his clumsy skills grew somewhat acceptable and he decided to bring this one pelt back as a trophy. If nothing, it could be used to warm himself up.
Lorian spent his days this way. He went out to hunt occasionally while farming experiences in instances.
Once, he managed to kill a wild boar and had a great feast over it. Only, he felt it was a waste that he had no companions to share his meat with.
Now he was only a month away from set time requirement.
There were some changes in his status. The more his warrior progression bar grew, more he experienced an overall improvement in his physical abilities. There was no way to actually quantify them, but he felt his stamina was improved a little, he could jump higher, lasted longer in his exercises and performed them better. He could also run faster and act swifter. If one had to absolutely calculate it, his overall performance grew by about 10-15%
It didn''t feel like getting much stronger but more of a feeling of being more complete.
There was no change in spirit attribute. There was no change in the anti-poison body''s level. There was no title that he gained, but his basic sword mastery broke through 2nd level. Now he felt more familiar with it and was no longer awkward or uncomfortable when using it. There was no longer that feeling of alienation.
Another change would be, that he was initiated in basic dagger mastery. Getting some sort of skill would require training in it, but there was no way to measure when one would acquire said skill. It was dependent on lack and talent.
As a result of another 2 weeks of hunting in the wilderness, his status showed massive improvement.
| Lorian Ellins |
| Warrior (Level 0) (1356/10,000) |
| General Exp: 0 |
| Battle Exp: 0 |
| Titles: - |
| Innate trait: Anti-poison body (Level 0) |
|
Skills: Basic sword mastery (Level 2) (4109/15,000)
Basic dagger mastery (Level 1) (789/10,000)
|
|
Attributes:
Spirit: 1.1
|
Chapter 20 Beast tide (1)
These few days the weather changed many times.
As a result, there was only a pitiful amount of snow left, covered in mud, littered all over the place.
Lorian decided to move out to a nearby village. Living in the cave was simply too inconvenient. He managed to deduce his rough position on the map, so was more at ease.
- I just need to follow this direction, until I reach this river. Then I will just have to follow the current and will reach, err...Bluehorn village. What kind of name''s this?
Lorian traveled at a seemingly leisurely pace, but in fact, he was keeping track of strong beast scents to avoid venturing in their respective territories. These beasts used their feces and urine as a deterrence. Beasts would immediately sense it, but an ordinary human would have a hard time discerning these scents if he/she wasn''t an experienced hunter. However, Lorian wore white wolf mask, which helped him perceive more and to navigate through the forest.
This artifact didn''t directly increase his strength but surely enchanted his survival in many ways. Lorian was tempted to clear new instances floors in order to acquire more artifacts, but he hadn''t even stepped on normal mode of the first floor since that tragic incident. Probably he was already experienced enough and strong enough to handle that difficulty, but he was still unwilling due to the mental scar it had left...
After walking for 3 hours, Lorian finally heard the distant sound of flowing water. Elated, he increased his pace.
Magnificent view of raging currents appeared in Lorian''s sight. The river was quite volatile.
After traveling for another few hours, Lorian finally caught the sight of the village. It was situated in the valley below.
Lorian could see the whole village like his own palm. The houses were simple, made out of wood. There were many huge fields, where crops were grown. Different types of trees swayed under the evening breeze, creating a healthy and peaceful atmosphere.
- It''d be great to live one''s older days in such peace.
Lorian sighed with emotion. Unfortunately, he had no time to spend his time in leisure as the world was full of danger. Living a comfortable life without sufficient strength was like being a chicken ready to be slaughtered anytime.
A brown-robed figure wearing a white wolf mask slowly descended the path, which led down to the peaceful village.
* * *
- You lost bro, just accept it.
Serene faced man in his late twenties grinned at the person sitting opposite of him, who had his face flushed in indignance. The duo''s facial features resembled each other.
The duo sat near the gates, which led to the village. Outside the gates was a path surrounded by vegetation on both sides.
- Jedy, you bastard! What kind of dog shit luck do you have? Come, let''s have another go!
Judy complained and reassembled the figures on the board.
- As you wish.
Jedy smiled indifferently, but then showed startled expression and yelled
- Who goes there?
Lorian had already taken off the mask as it would gather more attention. His figure slowly neared the gates as he followed the path.
When he got close, he flicked his hand and showed a soldier''s badge.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
The duo''s face showed happiness.
- An aide? Come, come, we were already having troubles with the last wave of beast tide several days ago. If beasts continue their fierce attacks and no helping hand showed up, we might have had to abandon the village.
Jedy exclaimed.
Lorian was startled. He just wanted a place to stay while hunting daily. Helping them in dealing with beast tide wasn''t in his plans. It was unknown what kind of attitude the duo would show if he told them the truth, so he neither agreed nor denied. He just nodded to them and without further elaboration entered the gates.
- Judy, you stay here. I''ll help the fellow brother settle down.
Along the way, Jedy talked like chatterbox with a huge smile plastered on his face, however, his words went to deaf ears.
Lorian was deeply frowning as he walked past several houses.
There was no cheerful laughter of the kids. Instead, they hid behind adults. Adults themselves showed the fearful and respectful attitude towards them. Some of the men even hid hostility in their eyes.
The atmosphere seemed somewhat oppressive and stifling.
- Come, I''ll bring you to the chief.
Seeing Lorian not giving him any attention, Jedy said his last piece and led the way, no longer disturbing his ears.
''What''s wrong with this place?''
Lorian wondered in his heart. He felt uncomfortable in his heart and had second thoughts about staying here.
- Here we are.
Jedy said while leading the way to the garden. He unceremoniously opened the gates and went in.
Both of them saw, that there were people outside the wooden shack split into two sides and were having a dispute.
Lorian was startled and decided to quietly watch the show to understand what''s going on.
The middle-aged man with a huge build and messy beard stood in front of 10 or so men with similarly hostile expressions as he sneered at two people opposed to him.
- Old Chief, think about it carefully, don''t regret your decision. You''ve seen the last tide got 5 of our men injured. The frustration is building up. At this rate, we might be forced to give up on this village. However, if you allowed your pretty granddaughter to service us, we might help you survive this year...
The middle-aged man licked his lips as he shot a lecherous gaze at shaking a young girl, hiding behind the old man whose face was ashen, seething with anger.
- Is this how you esteemed soldiers treat us, commoners, after we fulfilled your every unreasonable demand? You''re taking this bullying too far!
The middle-aged man showed twisted expression as he snarled in anger.
- Old bastard! If not for our sacrifice how would this village be standing? Truly short-sighted old goat, unable to see the bigger picture. What''s your daughter worth if you can save the village in exchange? Or is that you don''t care about your people at all?
Old Chief trembled in anger as his face paled.
- You...
- Know what''s good for you.
The middle-aged man sneered and moved in direction of the old man.
- STAY YOUR HAND!
*Bam
The old man erupted like a tsunami and threw the middle-aged man with a single punch. The punch landed on a middle-aged man''s chest as he spat blood and fell on his back.
Undoubtedly, the old man was a 1-star warrior. However, he would not be able to defend the whole village on his own. Besides, because of old age, he would tire fast. That''s why he needed the soldiers'' help, but after tending to their every unreasonable demand they grew bolder and bolder in their actions. The old man could no longer tolerate it anymore.
- Grandpa...
The young girl cried out as tears streaked down her face. She felt guilty as grandpa was doing this all for her, but if they lost the cordiality, the soldiers would just leave and the village would be destroyed, her friends, aunties, and uncles, his grandpa, everyone, everything would be gone. If her sacrifice can save the village, then...
She walked out from behind old man''s back and stood in front of men, who were starting to get angry due to the old chief''s actions.
Her expression was grief-stricken but resolute, ready to make a sacrifice.
- Elise, No!
Grandpa grabbed her wrist to stop her. Elise turned around and smiled at the old man with her tear-stricken face.
Old man trembled as his body became soft.
- Haha, wise old man indeed.
Other middle-aged man mocked, while his eyes showed lust and excitement as he stared at Elise''s full figure up and down.
- I WILL KILL YOU ALL!!!
The old man raged and rushed towards 10 middle-aged men, whose faces turned pale. They drew their weapons and would surely be able to kill the old man, but the insane old thing would pull several of them in his grave.
- We quit! We''re leaving!
The leader exclaimed fearfully as he knew that most of the old man''s wrath would be directed to him.
Old Chief managed to find some reasoning and stopped mid-track, but his terrifying expression hadn''t subsided.
- Let''s leave!
The men started leaving with ugly faces.
- Prepare your and your village''s grave, old dog!
One of them said venomously before departing.
Jedy showed a complicated expression and decided to follow the crowd, but noticing Lorian didn''t follow them, he turned around with surprised expression.
- Aren''t you coming?
Lorian shook his head.
- Without the soldiers, the village''s going to fall. You''ll die for nothing.
Jedy looked at him weirdly. Seeing no further response, he shrugged and walked with the crowd.
- Grandpa, are you alright?
Elise tended to the old man, who had fallen on his knees and was trembling. The duo didn''t notice Lorian, who hadn''t said a thing from start to finish.
Chapter 21 Beast tide (2)
After old chief calmed down, he raised his head, stared at unmoving Lorian and asked coldly.
- Why are you still here?
He frowned as he found Lorian unfamiliar.
- I''m not with them.
Lorian answered calmly.
- Why did you stay behind?
The old man stood up as he further inquired, his gaze deep and profound.
Elise stood by side, staring between his grandpa and Lorian with a nervous expression.
- I might help.
Lorian chose his words.
Old Chief shook his head in response.
- It''s useless. Us alone can''t change anything. We can only...migrate the whole village.
He mumbled the last part to himself with his head lowered.
- Grandpa...
Elise paled upon hearing this. To abandon their land, which was established by blood and sweat of their ancestors, kept alive by their hard work...to abandon the place they were born, grew up in was painful. Where would they go? How many would die in jaws of beasts? Won''t beasts find a group of helpless humans appetizing? Their survival chances were very, very low, but waiting here would also mean death.
- You''re wrong. I want to see the number of able men, their expertize and skills. We can make traps and barricades. If there are troops to deploy, items to use and tactics to utilize, what is there to be afraid of? Is there even need of these half-hearted, half-baked soldiers? This is your land and yours to protect.
Lorian stated calmly, but his words shook the old man''s soul. That''s right! Why did they not think of this before? But time after time, they grew to be afraid of the beast tides, they grew to fawn on the soldiers, they got used to being protected. Soldiers would rather make friends of them and come here to rest in other seasons when they could relax and be treated like kings. But this year they were unlucky...
Old Chief was not a fool. Every year, the kingdom only sent trash soldiers. Their village was small and population low, barely reaching thousand. If only their village was worth more in the kingdom''s eyes...the treatment would be different.
''That''s right. Who can protect our homes and loved ones except for us? I, we were cowards, unable to face the truth. When did it all start?''
The old man reminisced the past and started trembling. He remembered. Decades ago they actively trained the younger generation for them to grow as backbones of the village...but after that year...his son died along with many others. The scars of the past have not healed.
''Now, would the power of village be enough to prevail over this disaster? How many will die? Are they ready to face the reality? Haha, this old man can see once again. This burden of leading the village is for me to bear, as I am the chief!''
The old chief seemed to have gained enlightenment as a multitude of expressions flashed by his face. In the end, he straightened his back and asked in a deep voice.
- What do you need? As long as your request isn''t excessive and you help us get over this catastrophe, we will definitely fulfill it.
Lorian sneered in his heart. Though the old chief''s words seemed submissive and sincere, he left too much room for discussion for himself. Crafty old fox, indeed. However, Lorian wasn''t planning on requesting anything excessive in the first place.
- Well, bring out your treasures. I''ll choose from them, but if your treasures are too disappointing, I''ll leave.
Old chief''s eyes flashed as he nodded and wordlessly entered his shack.
Realizing she was left behind with a stranger, Elise panicked, bowed her head and followed her grandpa in hurry.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The duo didn''t come out for a long time, to the point where Lorian grew impatient and started having thoughts of leaving.
Just then, the wooden door of the shack was opened and chief walked out with several items in his hands.
After appraising the items, Lorian shook with anger. All the items were insignificant. The old chief had already been inspired with his suggestion and found no more use for him. This was indirectly indicating he was no longer needed anymore.
Lorian narrowed his eyes and spat.
- Do you think you can get through this without my help?
Old man sneered in his mind.
''Here''s experienced old me and there''s this little arrogant youngster. Why would I need your ideas anymore?''
The chief retained innocent, indifferent and somewhat cold attitude as he answered.
- These are my most precious treasures. If they aren''t to your liking, then I''m afraid there''s nothing else I can offer.
''Ungrateful bastard!''
Lorian cursed in his mind, but there was nothing else he could do.
''Haha, I guess it was too much to ask for the scenario like saving the village and everyone worshipping me while gaining treasures. I was an idiot.''
Lorian couldn''t help but make a reference, though he was not expecting that. He turned back and was about to get out of this damned village when the shack door was once again opened. Elise came out as she carried something with great difficulty. Seeing Lorian about to leave, she yelled.
- Sir, please wait.
Lorian turned around and grinned inwardly while the chief''s expression turned ugly.
- Elise, go back to your room, there''s no need for that, we don''t need him anymore.
Elise glared at his grandpa fiercely with puffed cheeks, appearing more cute than intimidating and continued dragging the item, ignoring the old man.
The poor chief couldn''t find it in himself to further displease his dear granddaughter, the only one he had left.
''Why are you so stubborn you brat?! I clearly warned you, but you... Ah, it''s my fault, I''ve spoiled you too much.''
Old chief grumbled in his heart but made no further moves.
Elise approached Lorian with great difficulty, while lightly panting, light perspiration glistening on her forehead under the dying light. Lorian couldn''t help but take a second look at her.
Elise was in the prime of her life, emanating youthful charisma and innocence. Her looks were enchanting with long, slim legs, fair, tender skin, and a pretty face. Her glossy, long, blonde hair reached down her waist. The 16-17-year-old girl was wearing a simple white dress, giving her etherial feeling like a fairy.
Upon approaching him she bowed her head and said crisply.
- Sir, please help us save the village.
Lorian grinned as he appraised the sword Elise had been dragging.
| Fanar''s legacy (Low-grade artifact) |
| + 3 Physical attack power |
- I accept.
Lorian took the sword in his hands unceremoniously. He felt his whole body experience sudden power-up, but this feeling was coming from this sword and seemed foreign to his body. He was sure he would lose this feeling if he let go of the sword.
The sword was almost 3 foot long, looking like any other sword forged from steel, but it gave very solid and threatening feeling. The hilt had a comfortable grip. The weight of the sword was 20-30% more than the sword Lorian was currently using, despite looking a bit smaller than it. The hilt was bronze and had intricate patterns carved on it. The scabbard was a bit rusted, but still functioning.
Lorian really wasn''t expecting this poor village to have something like that. This was a top-level low-grade artifact.
- Stinky brat, it''s getting late, you can go rest now, I''ll deal with the rest.
Old chief sighed and instructed Elise.
- Grandpa, you can''t bully him okay?
Elise smiled naughtily and turned to Lorian with a mischievous smile, her eyes resembling crescents.
- You can''t run off with the treasure, okay?
Lorian was left speechless and blushed a bit, unaccustomed to the company of the beautiful girl.
- Well, I promise.
Elise giggled.
- A man should keep to their promises, good night.
Saying this, she skipped away to the shack, secretly showing her small pink tongue to her grandpa, who had black lines showing on his face.
The atmosphere turned stifling as Lorian was left alone with the unfriendly grandpa.
- Humph, I hope you make yourself useful when the time comes.
The chief commented unfriendlily as he walked out of the gates.
- Follow me, you''re not going to spend the night on the field, right?
Lorian was left with no choice, but to follow him. From the old man''s attitude, it was obvious that he was still not reconciled with his presence and wasn''t really expecting much from him. In short, he was being looked down upon, which made him uncomfortable, so he retorted in revenge.
- I''d rather spend the night with your beautiful granddaughter.
The chief gave him a fierce stare and commented.
- In that case, you''ll be spending the following night in the soil, 3 inches below the earth.
Lorian received goosebumps from old man''s come back and decided to keep quiet.
Old man obviously knew he was merely joking and was displeased with his ungratefulness, so he didn''t take him seriously. In fact, he found the youngster more pleasing to the eyes as he showed his courage by provoking him. He wasn''t afraid he would run off with the treasure as he gave her beautiful granddaughter promise as a man.
''Let''s see what you''ve got, young man.''
The duo walked in silence and though none of them found each other''s company pleasing, they had tacit-understanding between each other.
The old man settled him down in an old couple''s house. Lorian didn''t complain. The sun had already gone down, but he wasn''t sleepy yet.
He grabbed his new sword and tried to familiarize himself with it. After making sure he was safe, he lied down on the mattress and silently chanted instances. He was ready to challenge the normal mode of the first floor once again.
Chapter 22 Beast tide (3)
| Instances |
|
First floor: Snow Wolf
Difficulties:
Easy
Normal
Hard
Nightmare
Hell
|
|
Second floor: Resentment ghost
Difficulties:
Easy
Normal
Hard
Nightmare
Hell
|
Upon entering the normal mode of the first floor, Lorian opened his eyes.
He slowly retrieved the wolf mask and Fanar''s legacy and equipped them under the watchful eyes of 3 snow wolves, which were staring down at him from 3 snowy hills.
The same way as before, they rushed down the hills with light steps, but this time, they didn''t immediately attack as they sensed a threat from him.
Lorian didn''t move and waited. In the end, the snow wolves surrounded him and were running circles around him, but they couldn''t delay forever.
The wolf situated right behind Lorian lunged from behind, but its movements made no noise.
Lorian''s eyes flashed and his body swayed to a direction, while his elbow connected with the lunging wolf''s jaw. He didn''t delay and before the wolf was flung away, followed up with a hack.
He felt how Fanar''s legacy almost split the whole wolf at waist and was amazed by its power, but he wasn''t distracted.
The snow wolf whimpered for a few seconds and didn''t move anymore as blood started gushing out of its split waist. Soon after, its corpse turned into dust.
The other 2 wolves didn''t move even until now. They were alarmed by Lorian''s strength. Unfortunately, they were designed to fight and had no option to flee, so the two beasts came to a mutual understanding. In order to kill the human, they need to act together.
The two of them lunged at the same time. Lorian grinned under his mask.
- It''s useless.
He drew the second sword and did the same motion with both swords in hands while jumping right at them.
Though the wolves were good at evasion, they couldn''t retreat in mid-lunge. Both of them met their end at Lorian''s hands.
|
1st Floor, normal mode clearedIf you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Reward: Frostbite (Skill book)
Today''s attempt: 0/1
|
Lorian exited the realm and opened his eyes wide in surprise.
- Did I get the skill book?
He immediately retrieved the silver book with about a dozen pages.
|
Do you wish to learn the skill ''Frostbite''?
Yes/No
|
Lorian accepted excitedly.
The book disappeared and his head started aching as the influx of information was forcibly stuffed in his mind. His body started radiating the chilling coldness. When he came to conscious his whole body was shivering and the beddings were covered in thin layer of frost here and there.
Lorian subconsciously retracted the chilling coldness, that emanated from his body. Next, he forced his mind to calm down and sat down with eyes closed, reviewing the knowledge about the skill and how to control it.
- Amazing. I wonder if it''s added in my status?
| Lorian Ellins |
| Warrior (Level 0) (1356/10,000) |
| General Exp: 3 |
| Battle Exp: 18 |
| Titles: - |
| Innate trait: Anti-poison body (Level 0) |
|
Skills: Basic sword mastery (Level 2) (4114/15,000)
Basic dagger mastery (Level 1) (789/10,000)
Frostbite (Level 1)(0/20)
|
|
Attributes:
Spirit: 1.1
|
- It''s there!
Grinning to himself, Lorian grabbed his new sword and once again activated the chilling energy in his body, directing it in his sword. The sword''s body started giving out chilling mist and quiet ice crackling sounds emerged from it as a thin layer of ice covered it. Lorian focused even more and directed the coldness to the edge of the sword, shaping it so its sharpness would rise. The thin layer of ice moved to the edge of the sword but moved around messily. After fiddling with it for a while, Lorian found himself exhausted.
Having no option, he rested to recover lost stamina and continued practicing. He had no idea where the source of the coldness was and blamed it on mysterious skill book. Lorian practiced for the whole night and got better at controlling the skill.
- Ah, time for for the test.
It was probably well past 00:00, which was when the instances attempt was reset.
Lorian hesitated for a while and entered the hard mode of the first floor.
Cold sweat trickled down his forehead as he saw 9 pairs of cold eyes focusing on him at the same time. All these snow wolves also had enchanted, 120% of original attributes.
Lorian killed 5 of them before going down, gaining 35 more Battle Exp, and 6 more General Exp.
Despite experiencing what he didn''t wish to ever experience again, Lorian managed to test the frostbite skill.
Upon contact with the enemy, the biting chill would invade its body and slow down its movements over time, but this effect was limited on snow wolves as they had high cold resistance and possessed the same skill themselves, so Lorian deduced this skill would be more effective on other beasts.
However, continuous usage would drain him faster of his stamina.
As stated in the skill book, which was stored in his mind, the skill couldn''t be upgraded with normal means. To upgrade it, he had to hunt snow wolves, gouge out their blue eyes and eat it raw. Lorian was depressed to even think about doing it...
- Sigh, so tired...
Poor, tired Lorian soon drifted to sleep but had another nightmare. He was woken up by rustling sounds that old couple made.
He grumbled in his heart and blinked his reddened eyes. People got up early in the villages as they had many things to take care of.
- Yawn~
With his sleep gone, Lorian had no choice but to get up. He dined with the old couple in silence, which somehow made him depressed. He decided to slightly change his plans.
- Thanks for the meal.
He bid his goodbye and went out to meet the old chief.
Night had barely passed. It was cold in the morning. Roosters stained their vocal chords to wake up the village. The sun wasn''t up yet.
Lorian went past chief''s metal gates and entered his garden.
- I thought city folk didn''t wake up this early.
The old chief was crouching down and watering the flowers, that didn''t seem to be in good shape.
Chief was facing Lorian with his back.
He didn''t mind it much and said.
- Change in plans.
Chief''s expression showed fluctuation as he turned around. He showed surprised expression as he saw Lorian wearing the mask.
- I''m not welcome here. They won''t listen to me. You should change my introduction and give me new clothes. Some of them had already seen my face, after all.
This way, villagers wouldn''t recognize him, even with his voice as he hadn''t said much in their presence.
Chief seemed confused.
- Do they need to listen to you? I''m the chief boy, not you.
Lorian shrugged.
- Anyway, they don''t like the soldiers, so let''s pretend I''m not a soldier.
Chief got up from crouching position and viewed him from up to down.
- Alright then. Give me a second. I''ll find you a set of clothes.
The chief went into his house and came out with a set of new clothes. Lorian nodded.
- Did you keep your old clothes?
Lorian asked incredulously as he found the clothes fitting.
Pain flashed past chief''s eyes as his eyes blurred with emotion.
- It belonged to my deceased son...
Lorian turned silent.
- I see. I''m sorry.
Saying this, he turned back to find a comfortable place to change, leaving the lonely hunched figure of the old chief in the garden.
Chapter 23 Beast tide (4)
*Bluuuuurp~
When the sun rose, the deep sound of horn reverberated throughout the village.
Men and women, young and old, everyone gathered in the village center.
The old chief stood in front of the century-old oak tree, facing the crowd, which increased in number as villagers gathered. Elise and Lorian stood behind the chief. Lorian''s face was covered by the wolf mask. He wore a new set of clothes and appeared carefree, calm and mysterious with hands crossed behind his back.
The villagers took curious glances at him from time to time as they didn''t recognize him, but nobody commented. The fact that ancestral horn was blown meant that something important was happening and chief would clear their doubts soon.
Lorian was a bit bored as chief started his never-ending awe-inspiring speech. He vividly drew the whole situation to the villagers and riled them up so they would fight against the beast tide.
Village folk is more simple by nature and the chief wasn''t an inexperienced leader. He easily convinced everyone in following him. By the end of the long 1-hour speech, he introduced Lorian as a hunter who would help them in overcoming the beast tide. In short, he was introduced as trustworthy, yet second rate character, which was probably true, because he wasn''t that powerful.
Some bold villagers asked about his mask, but he refused to take it off, but this didn''t cause any dissatisfaction. The villagers received him as strange, but interesting fellow. Lorian couldn''t easily acquire their trust, but he didn''t care about that.
Nothing else, which was noteworthy happened, except for the killing intent he felt from a certain individual in the crowd. However, this feeling quickly vanished and couldn''t locate him. He was quite confused. He didn''t offend anybody, right?
''At most I''ll be more vigilant.''
Lorian thought to himself.
After the gathering ended, the village became very active.
The 150 or so abled man starting working and sweating. The spiked fences were being constructed, pitfalls were being dug and covered. Dozens of men were sent to chop the trees to bring more materials. Some people went to the extent of demolishing their houses to support the traps and barricades that were being built.
Lorian didn''t shy away from the work and actively helped them. His white shirt was stained with sweat by afternoon. The simple village guys quickly got cozy with him and accepted him, because of his diligence.
Old blacksmith didn''t have too much time to forge weapons and crafted simple spears to equip everyone. Some talented youngsters were proficient in archery and were reading their bows. Some old adventurers grabbed their rusty swords and started sharpening them. The women did the chores, made delicious meals and supported them from behind. There were also some women who helped men in physical labor and did even better than others.
All in all, everyone worked hard and while everybody seemed in a cheerful mood, it seemed a bit forced. After all, nobody knew when the beasts would strike.
- Lorian, please don''t embarrass us. We''ve made our guest work for a whole day. This old man is dying of shame.
The middle-aged man stared at hardworking Lorian awkwardly.
- Don''t say that, uncle Tom I''m still young and have a lot of energy.
Though he said that, his hands were already trembling from overexertion. There were some new small cuts carved on his palms.
There were too many people, so he couldn''t remember everyone''s names so he called them uncles and aunties. However, Uncle Tom was the one who kept him the company most of the time for a whole day, so he remembered him.
- Old bag is right. Go, go, we don''t need you here anymore. Leave us, old people here and get along with youngsters.
Auntie Rose waved him off in pretend-cold tone. Though her name was Rose, she was anything, but beautiful. Her arms were as thick as his thighs and she did 3 men''s work.
- Alright then.
Lorian smiled under the mask. He really needed to rest as his performance was dropping.
- Hohoho, young man, you don''t have a lover yet, right?
Auntie Rose laughed exaggeratedly.
Lorian grunted as he had a bad feeling about this.
- N, no.
- That''s great. I''ll introduce you to my niece, she''s a sweet girl, you''ll see.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
- Ah right, till tomorrow.
Lorian hurriedly ran off from devious auntie Rose''s schemes.
He walked around aimlessly for a while until catching something interesting. There were a small, artificial archery training grounds set near the edge of the village, which was surrounded by fences. Several trees had round boards attached to it, which was divided into circle areas. This was for practicing hitting targets with a bow.
Young, 17-year-old girl with short hair was lightly panting as she aimed at the target with trembling hands. She should have been practicing for a while now. Her aim was off, but she still hit the edge of the board. Lorian admired her skills. If she was in top condition, her accuracy shouldn''t be bad.
- Oh, it''s the hunter.
The girl giggled as she noticed his presence.
- You''re good at that.
Lorian said as he approached. The girl blushed, then smiled and said.
- I wonder whether mister hunter knows archery?
Lorian felt awkward but shook his head.
The girl laughed in response as she held her stomach.
- What kind of hunter doesn''t know archery? Hahaha...want to try?
She kindly offered the bow.
- Sure, why not?
Lorian took the wooden bow in hands.
- That''s not how it works silly, here, let me help you.
The girl supported him in grasping the bow right, then explained her insights excitedly.
- Like that?
Lorian asked while sweating. His hands were stained as he''s been corrected for his posture multiple times and was tired before he even shot once.
- Perfect, now aim and shoot.
The short haired girl laughed as she cheered.
*Whoosh.
...
- That was terrible.
...
- Hahahahaha~
They both laughed. Lorian felt relaxed and comfortable.
- What''s your name, little girl?
- I''m not a little girl! And you, you only just remember to ask my name, humph.
The girl pouted.
- I''m Lorian, nice to meet you.
The girl was pretending to be angry, but when she heard Lorian introducing himself, she also smiled and shook his hand.
- Ania, my name is Ania.
- It''s a nice name.
- Right? *Giggle
* * *
The day ended. The villagers had a huge feast over a bonfire. Lorian was even forced to dance, but wasn''t able to and was laughed at. Fortunately, Ania saved the day and danced with him while teaching some basic moves. Lorian only had to follow her directing.
Lorian was still embarrassed to remember that. He wasn''t as sociable as he pretended to be. In fact, he was more of an introverted type.
Even now, he was lying on his bed. His expression was dazed. Who knew what he was thinking about?
Closing his eyes, Lorian entered the instances. This time, he chose the hard mode once again.
Out of 9 wolves, this time he managed to kill 6 before going down. This time, he was clever and plunged the dagger into his heart before being eaten alive. He wouldn''t feel pain either way, but he preferred to not experience his flesh being eaten and blood drank.
After allocating all the Exp, his warrior progression bar reached 1,465/10,000 mark.
Lorian unwrapped the paper, which was written by the old chief. There was a list of monsters that appeared in the last wave. Lorian took out a booklet from his inventory, where detailed information of monsters was written and read it before going to sleep.
The following day everyone woke up early. The last wave happened just 2 days ago and it was expected, that they had at least 1 more day. Unfortunately, things didn''t go their way.
Suddenly chief, who was watching at villagers working, paled. He bent down and put his ear on the ground. His face turned even paler and gloomy.
- They are coming! We''ve only got less than half an hour.
He informed everyone.
The atmosphere turned tense.
Taking a deep breath, Lorian couldn''t help but take a glance at everyone''s expressions. Worry, fear, resoluteness was what he saw in their eyes...
- Haha, don''t be afraid everyone. We fight for the right cause, for our families, for our children''s future. What do we have to fear? If our blood can save our loved ones, blood shall we spill. We, can not afford to lose, WE CAN ONLY WIN!
Uncle tom held his huge hammer up as he roared. Instantly, the morale shot up to the maximum.
*Krrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeee~
Distant, chilling voice interrupted everyone''s heroic thoughts.
Old chief walked forward as he said.
- It''s the Oculus, the one who controls the tide. It feeds on negative emotions and turns one''s fears into inner demons and illusions. The monsters are bewitched, so their intelligence is low, however, we had less time to prepare than needed. Our pitfalls won''t be enough to win this battle. Vanguards, follow me, archers, support us from the rear. Hide behind the spike fences and retreat to another spike fence behind if the pressure becomes unbearable. May God bless us all!
As he finished his speech, first traces of rushing monsters appeared in the vicinity, from the forest in front of them.
- Those who fear can leave, as if your mind isn''t strong enough, you will only burden us.
Some people''s eyes flashed and faces changed, but nobody left. They have long made their decision.
The beast wave was approaching and was getting bigger in their sight. The ground was trembling from the incessant stomping. When the beasts got in range, the chief bellowed.
- Archers, fire!
30 or so people drew the arrows and shot.
- Get in positions. Prepare for the first collision!
The chief yelled as he stood behind the spiked fence in front. 4 burly middle-aged men followed him and stood by his side.
- ROAR!
Lorian also hid behind the spiked fence and waited for the prey to arrive.
There were about 100 beasts charging in total, but due to their varying sizes and the spread out formation, they left the illusion of being superior in numbers.
Old chief grumbled in his heart. The previous wave had only about 30 or so monsters. The numbers more than tripled this time. Seems the Oculus was going all out to destroy the village.
Suddenly, a system notification rang in Lorian''s ears, surprising him.
| Optional quests available. |
|
Quest 1: Prevent the village from being destroyed.
Reward: 300 General Exp
|
|
Quest 2: Kill as many monsters, as possible.
Receive 10 bonus Battle Exp for each kill.
Receive extra 200 General Exp for killing more than 10 monsters.
|
|
Quest 3: Save the villagers
Receive 1 General Exp for every villager alive.
Current count: 874/874
|
|
Quest 4: Kill the Oculus
Reward: 500 battle Exp, 1 bronze chest
|
Chapter 24 Backstabbed
Lorian''s memories involuntarily reverted back to circus incident.
20 beasts were enough to instigate massacre and keep several 1-star warriors busy.
However, obviously these beasts had power level close to peak mortal realm, hence they were harder to deal with.
In comparison to that incident, the current situation was different. Most likely the majority of the beasts would be at earlier stages of the mortal realm, else the village would truly be done for...
The villagers had the advantage of having been more or less prepared and aware of the attack and beasts were brainwashed into having little to no intelligence by higher tier monster.
The villagers, who would defend the lines of defense were more numerous than the beasts, but their individual power was lacking. The beasts had high vitality and wouldn''t be easy to take down, but villagers had their stock of diluted holy water and could fight the prolonged battles. As long as they aimed for vitals and kept the beasts thrashing outside the spike fence, it would be fine.
The traps were capable of capturing about a fifth of the raiding beasts as a conservative estimate. The rest would have to be dealt with personally. The spike fences also weren''t enough to hold some of the bigger and ferocious beasts.
However, the vanguards team would ensure to deal with stronger ones, so they wouldn''t break through the lines and make a gap in their formation, where beasts would flow in.
Most important of all, Oculus was the biggest problem. This sneaky instigator of a beast was very troublesome to deal with and had a fair amount of intelligence.
''This is the bigger picture of the situation. Despite it being dangerous, I don''t think the villagers have no chance at all.''
Lorian thought and waited to welcome the beast tide, which was getting bigger and bigger in their eyes.
The visual effect of dozens of ferocious beasts approaching for slaughter was stimulating. The faint trembling was issued beneath everyone''s feet as the ground quaked. Lorian''s blood started pumping faster as his adrenaline was instigated.
- Kill!
The chief roared as he stomped his feet and bent his body to gather the momentum. Next, his arm let go of the spear he was holding, which then tore through the air. The spear lodged itself in the massive beast''s skull, which was in the lead. Its robust charge was interrupted as its feet buckled and fell over with its massive body, issuing ground-shaking sounds.
Lorian''s eyes flashed as he watched the chief in action.
The path of gaining power was an arduous process. Majority of the people could only reach the peak of the mortal realm if they tried hard enough. At this stage, their constitution would become more sturdy, more immune to weather and illnesses. Their recovery speed would increase by a fold as their whole body and its inner structure would experience step by step upgrade. Their physical strength would almost double and one would look in his fifties in his sixties. Though their longevity wouldn''t increase by much, they would keep their bodily functions at peak for a longer period of time. Only agility would experience the smallest increase, about 10% or so. Of course one could utilize their strength for short time bursts, but it couldn''t be used constantly. As for flexibility and dexterity, this needed practice.
In short, if a normal human was expected to match 1 normal human in the battlefield, peak mortal realm human was expected to match about 3-5 of them.
Ascending from mortal to star warrior was more complicated. Nobody knows the reason, but there was a strange set of rules one needed to obey in order to rank up. In fact, this rule comes from ancient times and thus wasn''t even questioned as it was useless to ponder over it.
For humans to rank up once they reached bottleneck, they would need to personally kill the monster, which was 1 rank higher than them. For example, if mortal at its peak wanted to ascend, they would have to kill 1-star monster. If 1-star warrior wanted to ascend, he had to kill 2-star monster and so on. It doesn''t matter the method used, but requirements had to be met.
After killing the chosen monster, the human would automatically learn its skill.
Because of this, the interest in monsters was high and there were many books, which described beasts, their rarity, the locations of where they resided and their trademark skills, which would be transferred to human''s knowledge upon elimination.
The old chief should have had his own story, as greenhouse kid wouldn''t be able to become a star warrior. The chief''s strength was at the peak of 1-star. Lorian didn''t know what kind of concept was that and how powerful it was compared to a normal mortal, but he was amazed by chief''s power throw. The way his hands glowed weakly for a moment meant, that he was using the skill. The combination of his strength and the skill resulted in an excellent output of power despite his old age.
This power throw served as a motivation to everyone too and they toughened up to deal with the first collision.
- ROAAR!~
Countless beasts stormed over with their bodies of different sizes. There were not many aerial type ones, only about 5 of them. They became the first targets of the archers as they got in range.
Meanwhile, the vanguards took the biggest brunt of the clash, but they held their grounds. Other beasts were scattered and mindlessly charged at spike fences. Their bodies were impaled and blood dyed the ground in an instant, however, this didn''t deter them from violently thrashing around.
Lorian''s eyes flashed coldly. A thin layer of ice accumulated on the edge of his new sword, the peak level low-grade artifact. Faint crackling sounds of ice were issued in the process as white mist started raising from the sword.
*Pssht!
Lorian mercilessly pierced the eye socket of the hound-like beast, which was skewered on spike fence. The sword pierced its brain and ended its struggles.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
*Bang
Another beast collided against Lorian''s spike fence, which was overturned. Lorian jumped back in fright. The beast had the massive physique.
- Hold it down!
The thin, cactus-bearded middle-aged man hollered beside him and bravely charged at the huge beast, which was now bleeding from its limbs but was still roaring intimidatingly.
Several men went to confront it.
- Come back!
Someone yelled, but it was too late. The claws of over 4-meters tall beast slashed apart the brave middle-aged man.
- Fuck, archers attack its eyes!
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~
The arrows rained down on the beast.
- Watch out!
Another beast broke through the barrier.
Lorian jabbed the charging tiger-like beast from the side and skewered it on his sword. No blood overflowed as the wounded area was frozen.
The beast fell down as its veins on its neck were cut.
Lorian didn''t stop and jumped on fallen tiger''s back, used it as his stepping stone and jumped at massive beast''s direction.
Concentrating until his head ached, Lorian concentrated the chilling energy on the tip of the sword as he impaled huge monster''s eye with unrivaled momentum.
The sword continued and reached its skull, which was unusually tough. After it barely cracked the skull, the sword''s momentum fell. The beast wasn''t eliminated in one shot as Lorian planned.
- ROAR!!!
The roar almost made his eardrums bleed. Lorian''s face paled as he saw massive claw swatting as his direction, stirring the wind. He awkwardly hung on his sword, which was struck in huge beast''s eyes. He would be torn in a matter of seconds. He decisively let go of the sword and fell from 3 meters height, spraining his leg in the process.
Lorian hurriedly withdrew the bottle of holy water and hurriedly sprayed some of it on the wounded area. The pain was soothed somewhat, but it wouldn''t heal that fast, especially when the wound was internal, while holy water was only applied externally and would take some time to sip in.
*Swoosh
An arrow nailed the approaching beast on the ground. Lorian''s mind shook as he realized that the beast was aiming for his life when he was in the dangerous situation. His gaze landed on Ania who had just saved him. Lorian nodded in gratitude as he scrambled on his feet, limping away from the huge beast, which went in a frenzy.
- GRRRAAAAAGGGHHHH~
The huge beast issued the last howl, before falling down with a deafening thud. Lorian barely managed to dodge its huge body.
He grinned at the sight.
''Coldness sipped in its brain after all.''
| 3rd floor of instances has been constructed. |
Lorian retrieved his sword while surveying the situation. His mind shook as he saw the sight of carnage. The cries of battle and mourning wails were mashed into different deafening sounds of beasts. The ground was painted red. Several spike fences have been overturned.
More than 10 or so beasts were buried in the pits in the distance, roaring madly, which were of least concern.
The beasts hadn''t yet breached the last line of defense, but about 20 or so people have died, while monsters'' number didn''t seem to decrease despite the fact that many of them were killed. The pressure they brought was just immense. The ones in the front cut somewhat sorry figure as they retreated to middle lines.
- Help!
The shrill cry of a woman came from behind. Most of the people were absorbed in the battle and didn''t notice it, but more observant ones were shocked as they realized the sound was coming from behind the last line of defense. Turning around, the villagers saw a dirty middle-aged woman running in their direction. Her brown dress had tints of red. It was unknown who the blood belonged to.
- MY DAUGHTER, WAAAH, THE SOLDIERS HADN''T LEFT! THEY''RE BACK! THEY''VE CAPTURED OUR DAUGHTERS, YOUR WIVES!!!
The middle-aged woman broke down as she yelled incoherently.
Lorian''s brain churned as he remembered the killing intent that he felt from the crowd.
''So that''s what it was about. They hadn''t left and must have guessed my identity as that guy must have revealed it.
Meanwhile, the chief''s mind shook as his thoughts turned chaotic.
- THOSE BASTARDS!
He bellowed as he cracked the beast''s skull with his eagle claw-like palm. They were backstabbed in such a moment.
''Who are we even protecting then?!''The chief bellowed in his mind.
''I had to know these animals wouldn''t let this grudge go, but unexpectedly they...good, good! I''m not the chief if I don''t kill you all!
Some people were enraged by the news and were about to leave the battlefield to kill the backstabbing soldiers.
- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! COME BACK!
Chief yelled until his voice turned hoarse. If they don''t maintain the formation, the beasts would breakthrough and kill everyone. Then, it will be too late.
Only one man, that woman''s husband didn''t pay attention to the chief''s yell as he wordlessly retreated with terrifying expression. He swung his muscular arms vigorously as his ax hacked through several beasts while he was sprinting back.
The chief was immensely worried, especially about Elise, but he knew the consequences of retreat. There was no going back now.
- But...
Middle-aged men were stopped in their tracks. Their complexions were ugly. Meanwhile, the monsters have broken through several more front lines and were rushing through like mad beasts, seeking carnage, blood, and destruction.
- Krrrrrreeeeee~~
The strange sound was issued as people started bleeding from seven orifices.
Lorian trembled as he saw a huge eyeball materialize in the air, blotting the sky. It had a grotesque body as several thick tentacles grew from its body, which was just one gigantic eye. The tentacles were deep red in color and short. The harm they could bring was limited. The main issue was its eye and its mental attacks! Unexpectedly, it struck when they were at their weakest, in emotional upheaval.
- Aaaah!
People''s eyes turned bloodshot.
- What are you, GAAAAH~
Most of the people had their emotions upturned. The Oculus trapped them in their illusions and some people started mercilessly hacking their comrades.
The situation stagnated on the villagers'' side while the beasts started massacring more vigorously.
Lorian''s expression was ugly. Even with the wolf mask and heightened perception, he couldn''t detect the enemy''s presence until it revealed itself. Now its shadow was blotting out the sky, staring down with its chilling eye. Just looking at it would cause an immense headache and disorientation.
He barely managed to keep his emotions in check and stabilized his body.
The situation turned extremely unfavorable. Lorian felt a pang of regret attack his heart. If things continued like that, he would have to flee. It was extremely regretful, that this peaceful village would disappear, but staying here would only add one more corpse to the party. There was no meaning to it.
Lorian involuntarily drew his gaze on Annie whose face was pale and tears had stricken corners of her eyes as she frantically shot the arrows from the safe distance, which was also the last line of defense. However, the beasts have already come close. It would also be broken soon.
Lorian took in a deep breath as his eyes turned determined. This was no game. Just because he received quests didn''t mean he could complete it. This was real life and death was irreversible. It was better to act sensibly. The soldiers backstabbed at the crucial moment and Oculus used this opportunity well. His power wasn''t strong enough to save everyone. However, the situation wasn''t yet that hopeless yet. His mind had already formulated the plan.
Though he had no strong emotional attachment to the villagers, he still found it piteous to see them die. As long as there was a faint hope for success, he wouldn''t abandon them and lend his strength. Besides, he wanted to push himself to life or death situation in order to become more powerful.
The decision was made.
Chapter 25 I wont die here!
*VRRMMM~
The eye of the Oculus glowed brightly, following which the red half-transparent beam of light descended upon defenders.
- AAAAAAAAHHHH~
- Noooooo!!!!
*PSSST
Several middle-aged men were fried alive. The spectators were horrified.
Upon seeing the hopeless situation, villagers further descended into the abyss of hopelessness, but their families were waiting for their return. They couldn''t fall here!
- Bro, wake up!
The middle-aged man smacked the back of the head of his friend, who had lost his mind. Unfortunately, those who had lost their minds wouldn''t awaken this easily. Their eyes seemed empty and desolate as they swung their weapons at their comrades.
- Damn it, archers, bring down this vile creature!
The chief roared.
Tens of arrows started raining down upon Oculus, but when the arrows reached it, their momentum was half dissipated due to the distance.
When the arrows reached its body, the tentacles would wrap around them and snap them in half.
The Oculus was gliding in the air while shooting down red beams of light.
- Die!
The chief roared as he threw the spear at Oculus. The spear flew at high velocity.
- Skreeeee~
The Oculus gave one last shout, which attacked everyone''s mind and then it vanished in mid-air.
The spear passed through the empty air and disappeared in the Horizon.
- Fuck! Come out!
The chief hollered but to no avail. He knew the Oculus was still here but in stealth mode. Even he couldn''t detect its presence anymore.
Seeing chief''s failure, Lorian cursed in his mind and decisively ran in his direction.
His mind was highly alert as he avoided the strong monsters along the way, while finished off the weakened ones, harvesting some Battle Exp.
- Chief!
Lorian yelled. The old man was surprised to see him running in his direction, which was basically the front lines.
- You brat, what are you doing here?
He yelled while clutching the head of the ferocious beast and smashed it down, then stomped on it. Next, he used its head as a stepping stone to jump back and avoid the sweeping, dangerous paw of the huge monkey-like beast.
- Catch it!
Lorian threw his mask at the chief. The old man involuntarily grasped it with his hand.
- It''s an artifact. See if you can feel Oculus'' presence after equipping it.
Lorian explained shortly and rolled to avoid the massive beast, which smashed on where he stood moments ago.
- Roar!
The beast rolled around and came to halt, glaring at Lorian in anger. Lorian ignored it and continued running forward.
Chief''s eyes flashed as he understood Lorian''s meaning. He instantly realized that mask was an artifact, which would raise his perception. He was astonished to find out that youngster possessed such a thing. Earlier, he thought it was just a normal mask.
He equipped it and focused wholeheartedly.
The artifact would raise one''s attribute by percentage. The wolf mask had 5 units of increase in perception, which was equivalent to a 50% boost. The chief was at a higher level and possessed much higher perception than the average human. If he was given such an artifact, the benefits it would bring would naturally be better.
- Well?
Lorian asked impatiently.
- Good, I can vaguely feel its location.
He drew another spear and was going to throw it, but Lorian stopped him.
- Wait, can you throw me up instead?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
His intentions were to kill the Oculus on his own as the system would reward him greatly.
- Are you crazy?
The chief yelled in impatience and looked at him like he was a madman.
- Yes or no?
Lorian chose to ignore his gaze.
The chief hesitated.
- I can, but your bones will be crushed upon collision, also, have you thought about the landing? You''ll die. Why are you risking it anyway? I can bring it down on my own. You are wasting my time! The people are dying.
Lorian was also afraid of it, but he was resolute enough to ignore his fears. By his estimates, the Oculus wouldn''t instantly crash down upon being impaled by his sword, but float down, slowly losing strength, so the landing wouldn''t bring his demise.
- Throw me up! I have the confidence to kill it in one blow.
Lorian didn''t give in and bullshitted his way in.
- You...fine. I can only throw you up in its direction, the rest is up to you.
- Return the mask first.
- ...Right.
After retreating at a safe distance, the chief grabbed Lorian and held him up like a spear.
A massive surge of strength invaded chief''s arms as his hands bulged and veins wriggled above it.
- Haaaa, kill it!
Lorian was catapulted through the air. He concentrated with all his might and gathered the coldness on the tip of his sword. Lorian resisted the air pressure while flying like a rocket.
He also started sensing Oculus'' presence as he got in closer proximity.
- Die!
His eyes shone with crazed glint as he tore through the air and aimed the sword right at the eye of the Oculus.
- Huh?
Lorian was dumbfounded as he felt no resistance when he pierced the Oculus. Dread filled his mind as his mind screamed alert. Now he was flying 10 meters above ground and the fall would kill him.
''It was an illusion?!''
''No, no, no! It''s not a star monster yet, why does it possess such high control of psychic sense? This wasn''t written in the monster index!''
The Oculus reappeared in the sky, but it wasn''t in the place it ought to be. It made a terrible noise and shot the red beam of light at Lorian.
- Am I going to die here?
Despaired, Lorian started falling in midst of the beast horde.
The beam of light missed him as he was falling at high speeds, but this brought him no comfort.
He regretted it. He was greedy and wanted to kill the Oculus.
...
- No, I don''t want to die!
His potential was aroused before he fell to his death.
| Learned skill: Force step |
Lorian channeled his whole strength in his right leg and concentrated his whole power to create small, thin layer of ice as a foothold.
*Snap
*Bang
Unimaginable pain coursed through his knee as he felt something broke.
- Aaaah!
He created a small platform of ice in mid-air right before fall and stomped with his right leg to lessen the momentum. Unfortunately, the fall was too vicious. Not only did his right leg''s bones shattered, his internal organs were shaken as he vomited blood.
The only thing to rejoice about was that he was alive.
- Grrr!
- Roar!
But he fell right in the middle of 5 ferocious beasts.
Lorian''s eyes were bloodshot as he downed the bottle of holy water with trembling hands.
He was sprawled on the ground, bloodied all over, barely able to move, while 5 pairs of vicious eyes stared at him, ready to pounce and tear him apart. They were some distance away from him and were running in his direction.
In this place, he was forsaken. No aide would come.
- No, I don''t want to die!
In the moments of despair, Lorian used frostbite skill to the maximum. The human was over 70% consisting of water. The frostbite allowed him to use the limited amount of liquid in his body as a catalyst to create ice and draw it out of his body for different purposes. This time, he used holy water to replenish his injuries, but unexpectedly, it was much, much better catalyst than the normal water.
Not only did he control its flow to accelerate the process of the holy water spreading throughout his body, he used it as a medium to activate frostbite inside his body.
His internal injuries were severe, but he froze them to some extent to delay its effects.
If anybody else was in his place, along with usage of skill in this manner, their biological inner cycle would be disrupted and they would die anyway. Luckily, Lorian possessed an anti-poison body, which didn''t exactly work as its name stated. The anti-poison body was kind of immunity, which accommodated unknown in the body and created anti-bodies if this unknown energy was harmful. This would, in turn, raise his overall resistance and immunity. His body was working on its own to not make the freezing of his internal organs deadly.
This was the sole reason why Lorian''s crazy last ditch effort worked...and it worked perfectly.
As for holy water, Lorian pestered chief to give him some. He wanted to use it to cheat his way through the 2nd floor of instances as it was very effective against ghosts. Who knew this would come in handy here? The chief was stingy at first, but with Elise''s interference, Lorian secured a whole jug of holy water!
*Sssssssss~
A huge amount of cold mist started radiating from Lorian''s body. As he used the holy water as a catalyst this time, the effect of his frostbite skill increased several times over.
His eyes turned blue as they radiated coldness and ferociousness.
The pain he was experiencing from his whole body was so immense, that his neuro system turned numb. It was a feat that he hadn''t passed out. But how could he? He was in grave danger and he knew, the help wouldn''t come.
His right leg was thoroughly broken, but Lorian had no time to think about that. He was unable to stand up as he was fallen on his face. He painfully wriggled his body and managed to land his left leg on the ground while still lying on the ground.
- Grrraaarrr!
The monster which looked like kobold approached with a huge club in hands and intended to smash it on his already beaten body.
- I. Won''t. Die. Here!
Lorian growled as he unexpectedly grinned savagely under his mask.
*Bang
The new skill he learned, force step came to him like an instinct. He used the scattered strength of his whole body, concentrating it solely on his left foot. He was propelled in the air as he somersaulted in the air while slashing kobold''s neck with a sword, which was radiating a large amount of coldness. It was thoroughly frozen in ice.
Lorian had no time to pay any attention to the system. 4 other monsters were approaching with savage expressions.
After killing the kobold, he slammed on the ground heavily, but a layer of ice which was created around his body lessened the fall. Still, he was once again sprawled on the ground. Only his left leg was bent, ready to stomp and jump away. His right hand was clutching his sword tremblingly.
- I won''t die here!
He growled once again while struggling to raise his body in kowtowing position.
The holy water was being circulated at great speed with the aid of his frostbite skill. His frozen wounds were being healed, but it wouldn''t take immediate effect.
He was still in great danger, but his cold eyes showed, he wasn''t going to give up.
Everything else was gone and only instincts remained.
He was like a beast, with only a few thoughts going around in his subconsciousness.
To kill.
To survive.
Chapter 26 Dread
''This can''t be happening. I, I won''t let our home be destroyed, even if it costs my life.''
Annie was brought to the verge of tears as she loosened bowstrings at an increased pace. She even forgot the pain as she did her utmost.
Suddenly, a figure flew in the sky. The scene would have been a bit comical, but nobody would even curve their mouths upwards in such a desperate situation.
- He, he...what''s he doing?!
She was dumbfounded to have realized the identity of the flying figure. It was a hunter, who came to visit a day ago. Her heart skipped a beat when the rough outline of the Oculus flashed in the sky. The hunter was about to kill their nemesis, their horror, their terror. However, her heart instantly sank, when the outline of Oculus flickered and reappeared in a different place. She didn''t know why her heart was feeling sorrow for a man she barely knew for a day.
Was it because she found him mysterious? Probably she was letting her thoughts go wild to have developed faith in him. But now, seeing his failed attempt at bringing an end to their suffering, realizing he would be dead for their sake, guilt and pain couldn''t help but sprout in her heart. She silently wept as she continued fending off the beast tide with her bow and arrows. The death of the mysterious hunter was solely small part of pain she was experiencing right now, because of the bloody scene in front. The people she knew for a lifetime were nothing but motionless, cold corpses right now. And maybe, soon it would be her turn.
* * *
- Huff, huff, that reckless brat...
Old chief shook his head in regret. But that was the end of it. Lorian was a stranger, an outsider. He wouldn''t get emotional for his death, especially because it was caused by his own recklessness. Because of that, it was hard for the old man to feel guilty. Besides, he had no time for that. As a chief, as the strongest warrior in the village, as a grandfather...A huge responsibility burdened him.
Using the skill consecutively greatly burdened his old body. Oculus was forced out of stealth mode, probably because it couldn''t always maintain it at its current strength.
- Your sacrifice won''t go in vain.
Old chief mumbled as he deduced several things. The fact, that the enemy used that illusion skill meant one thing - its power had already reached the one-star warrior realm. Usually, the chief would have felt appropriate fluctuation from the fellow 1-star warrior. Unfortunately, Oculus was one of a kind monster, a rare one. Despite decent knowledge of the chief, he had limited information about this type of monster.
Lorian''s reckless move made Oculus reveal itself and as its skill was disrupted from the passive mode, it was bound to lose some energy. It was not possible to use strong skills consecutively as they expanded stamina.
Chief gritted his teeth and borrowed another bloodied wooden pole from spike fence.
- That''s the last one, I''ve reached my limit.
Chief mumbled solemnly and used his last bits of strength.
The sharpened wooden pole whistled through the air.
- KRRRRREEEEEEEEEEE~~~~
The Oculus didn''t manage to dodge this time, because chief''s timing was accurate. The pole struck its iris and blood sprouted as it tumbled in the air. The beasts paused for a second. The Oculus lost control over the tide.
- Growl!
- Roar!
Upon regaining freedom, some beasts chose to flee, while some continued with their massacre. The attacking beasts'' numbers halved, but those, who remained regained their intelligence. Meanwhile, the villagers have been forced out of the illusions. The situation of the battle changed once again.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
- Finish them off!
The chief roared with authority. The villagers rejoiced as they found the small respite. They continued with greater spirits, ignoring the fatigue and injuries.
- Kill!
The battle cries revitalized the villagers. However, the intensity of the battle didn''t decrease in the slightest. The remaining 40 or so beasts was still a force to be reckoned with, especially when they regained their intelligence and wouldn''t get themselves killed recklessly.
* * *
- Hehe, now-now, don''t struggle, you''re making this uncle angry and when this uncle gets angry, even I am afraid of myself.
The middle-aged man grinned at 8 or so women, who were tied like rice dumplings and hung over their horses.
- Mmmphh~
The women had their mouths shut by cloth and could only answer with incoherent whimpers. Their eyes were filled with despair.
These women were the most beautiful they could find in the village.
- Stop thinking with your dicks, you all will share in my glory after I breakthrough. What kind of women will you lack then?
The middle-aged man, who was holding the monocular yelled in displeasure. The displeased subordinates grumbled in dejection.
- You''re right, boss. When do we act?
The bald soldier fawned. Obviously, he was the clever one.
The middle-aged man grinned.
- Judy, lead the horses out. Rest of you, follow me. This is the perfect opportunity to strike. Hehe, we get to kill with the borrowed knife, but landing a hand isn''t a bad idea either. Remember, I need to deal the last blow to the Oculus, no matter what!
The middle-aged man kept the monocular as he led the soldiers towards the battlefield. The ground was littered with corpses of the villagers. Most of them were hiding though, scared of the massacre they orchestrated to snatch the pretty girls, when the capable men were out, fighting with the monsters. The soldiers didn''t bother with the rest as the monsters would finish their job, but until then, they would make sure the villagers lost by striking at the appropriate time.
The silent weeping of the women could be heard from the houses, but they didn''t dare to come out.
- No, please, why are you doing this? What did we ever do to you?
One bold middle-aged woman couldn''t sit any longer and blocked their path.
- You''re in the way.
The blood sprouted. No mercy was shown.
The man referred as the boss grinned savagely.
- Leave the chief alive. I need to fuck his granddaughter in front of his eyes. Hehe, you dare hit this daddy, Pui! I''ll show you hell.
* * *
- Die! Die! Die! Die!
The old man repeatedly struck down with his hammer, turning the beast''s head into a meat pulp.
The battle reached the critical point where beast or human fought with tooth and nail. The chief has killed about 10 beasts on his own and injured the big boss. His appearance was haggard as he was currently on the defensive as he gave the orders.
- Aaaaah~
The anguished scream came from the last rows of spike fence.
- Gaaah~
The chief''s face turned furious as he noticed the soldiers, that started slaughtering the back lines.
- You!
Annie drew the arrow and hit the soldier''s thigh.
- Agh, you fucking bitch!
She was slapped and sent flying, unconscious as she landed.
The injured soldier was about to teach her a lesson when their boss spoke up.
- Kill the capable ones. The monsters will do the rest. Don''t waste time. Disperse!
The injured soldier snorted coldly and grit his teeth, took out an arrow with an ashen face and sprayed some holy water on the wound.
- Damn you!
The chief''s eyes reddened as he fended off the monster while glaring at the soldiers hatefully.
It was at that time, something caught his attention. The chief''s eyes widened as his body trembled at the scene.
*Hisssss, crackle~
A figure could be seen clawing his way at their direction. His left hand and leg could be seen moving as he crawled his way towards them. His right hand was dragging a sword, while his right leg was motionless and dragged as he crawled forward.
The figure was covered in frost and blood. Chilling coldness emanated from his body as it dispersed in the surroundings. Cold, blue eyes could be seen from the bloodied wolf mask he was wearing.
- Roar!
A beast stomped on his leg and rushed at the figure''s direction.
Suddenly, the crawling figure miraculously pushed himself with the left leg and sprung in the air, appearing in front of monster''s face.
His hand grabbed the monster''s head.
*Crackle, crackle, crackle, Hisssss~
The head of the monster was frozen in ice.
*Bang
The monster''s body toppled as the figure also fell on the ground. His hand pushed on the monster''s head and shattered its head into ice shards.
*Hiss
The old chief inhaled cold breath as his body trembled. ''He...survived?!''
The fallen figure once again sprung in the air and swung with his right hand. The sword flashed as another beast''s head flew in the air.
The figure once again fell on the ground and continued crawling forward, but this time, not even the monsters dared to rashly engage in battle against him.
Instead, surroundings seemed to have frozen as a monster and human alike halted what they were doing.
The sound of the sword being dragged across the ground clearly echoed in everyone''s mind. This sound was somewhat dreadful.
Chapter 27 Clash
*Hissss~
The chilling mist was spreading from the figure''s body, obscuring his white, bloodstained frame. His pace was extremely slow as he crawled forward, but he never stopped.
In fact, he couldn''t stop. If he let his battered body slacken for a second, he would fall in eternal slumber. The holy water was revolving around his whole body crazily, fixing up the badly mangled internal organs. The frost dulled his pain and stopped the internal bleeding.
- Haaaaa~
The figure exhaled white, chilly mist. The blood leaked from his mouth as he did that motion, but it quickly froze on the ground.
- Life...Give me...
His whole body suddenly sprang in the air once more, dropping on centipede monster''s back
- Keeeeekkk~
The monster screeched as part of its back was encased in ice.
*Crack
Lorian''s frozen sword plunged the frozen spot, which exploded into ice pieces.
The monster was severed into two and soon stopped moving.
Lorian noticed the chief and slammed on the monster in front of him after using force step.
He encased the monster''s body parts in ice, helping the chief in the fight. The monster was somewhat strong, but its movements were reduced, which in turn helped the chief to deal the deadly blow. Lorian wouldn''t let the opportunity slip and dealt the last blow himself. The monster''s body went down with a bang.
He dropped from monster''s back and somewhat straightened his body as he knelt on his sword and mumbled
- Holy. Water. Give.
The chief''s mind was still in chaos.
''My god, how did he survive the fall from such high altitude? And the place, where he dropped...was the exact direction where dozens of monsters were fleeing at when the Oculus lost control over them. They might have been scared of us, but would they be scared of a single, injured human? Does that mean that he...''
Chief looked at the specific direction and his heart beat like drums. Dozens of mutilated and frozen corpses could be seen in the distance. In the fire of the battle, the chief had no time to care about the fleeing monsters. But now that he''s seen them dead, he couldn''t help, but be scared.
- Give. Holy. Water.
Lorian''s head was dropped as he repeated in a low and feeble tone.
The chief woke up from his daze and complied, giving a bottle of holy water.
Lorian poured the entire content into his belly. In response, his body started producing more mist.
Next, Lorian continued crawling forward and harvesting the lives like a reaper. His body was operating solely on instinct, willpower and a little bit of consciousness he had left.
The more Exp he gained, the more his body was strengthened, increasing his chances of coping with his deadly injuries.
- Is it that brat?
Zenos exclaimed, alarmed.
Jedy nodded his head, somewhat shaken.
- Hmm, the brat''s at death''s door, he''ll die on his own. Resume slaughtering the villagers.
He gave orders as he frowned.
- Gyaah~
- Ah, stay away, aaaaaah, die!
*Splash
The soldiers continued ruthlessly slaughtering worn out villagers.
- I''ll kill you!
The chief roared as he finally got his hands free of monsters and appeared in front of Zenos, panting in rage. His eyes were bloodshot as he attacked without restraint.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Zenos was weaker than him, but after this battle, the chief was exhausted and Zenos managed to resist the chief''s assault.
- Dance with this daddy, old lunatic, see who tires first.
The chief''s attacks were very fierce, demanding flesh for flesh, blood for blood, so Zenos had no choice but to resort to being passive, in defensive mode.
His eyes narrowed as he saw the Oculus was about to land on the ground.
- Out of my way!
He threw a ruthless kick at the chief, who had no choice but to dodge. Zenos used this opportunity to escape. The chief wanted to follow him but hesitated.
- Encircle it!
Zenos'' eyes grew fervent as he rushed at descending, bloodied Oculus.
Seeing, that soldiers'' target change, the chief didn''t hesitate anymore. Killing the monsters was the most important currently.
''I will avenge you all.'' He vowed in his heart and continued fighting the monsters.
Other than soldiers, there was somebody else, whose target was the exact same monster.
Lorian was the first to reach the dying Oculus, which crashed down near the trees. Its body was sure to give a lot of Exp, strengthening his physique, increasing his chances of survival.
- Courting death!
3 soldiers appeared from behind. Lorian''s eyes flashed, knowing he couldn''t kill the Oculus in a short time. Meanwhile, others could kill him several times over, so he had to deal with the soldiers first. At his current condition, he didn''t even bother to think he would be taking the lives of actual humans.
*Bam
Lorian''s body bounced in the air, at low altitude, recklessly flying at soldier''s direction.
*Clank!!!
The unpleasant sound of sword meeting sword screeched as Lorian''s body came to halt.
- Scram!
*Bang
His body was kicked away. Meanwhile, the other soldiers were approaching.
Lorian''s expression turned sinister underneath the mask as he swept his sword at the approaching soldier''s legs. The soldier was surprised, not expecting the fallen, bloodied Lorian to still be able of movement. He couldn''t jump in time and Lorian''s artifact sword severed his leg.
- AAAAAAAAGGHHHH!!!
His throat issued bloodcurdling scream as he fell backward.
- Bastard!
Another soldier hacked down viciously. Meanwhile, 7 other soldiers made their way to here.
Lorian allowed the sword to hack his shoulder but froze it in ice. The soldier was dumbfounded. Lorian pushed the ground and bit on the stupefied soldier''s exposed neck, biting off the chunk of flesh. The blood sprouted but soon ceased as the wounded area froze and invaded from soldier''s neck. The soldier howled in pain and then fainted on the spot.
- Die!
Before he knew it, Lorian was cornered. He jumped back, exposing his back to the unconscious Oculus as he faced 8 soldiers. However, he was on guard against the monster too.
He grinned as he took out the spare sword and froze it into ice.
The soldiers stood in a circle, cautious of his actions.
He ignored 2 arrows, which were shot by soldiers and threw the frozen sword at their direction.
*Boom
The sword exploded into metallic ice shards, injuring them before they could flee.
- Aaaah, bastard!
Pieces of metal were lodged in some of their bodies. 1 of them even died and 3 more were seriously injured.
- Haaaaaa~
Lorian spat icy mist at their direction after secretly gulping down several mouthfuls of holy water.
The ground froze and the soldiers'' bodies turned rigid.
- What fucking monster is this?
One of them cursed as fear sprouted in his heart. He didn''t dare get close to the lunatic.
- Useless pieces of shit.
Zenos walked out with sinister expression.
He was gloomy in his heart. The kid was obviously was not a star warrior, then how did he acquire the skill which controls the ice element? Was he a mage? but it didn''t seem like it.
Lorian sensed the approach of Zenos. His perception told him, that the opponent was stronger than him, so he skimmed through system notifications, trying to find important ones, which might help in battle.
| Anti-poison body has become level 1 |
| 4th stage of instances has been constructed |
|
Quest 2 complete
+ 200 General Exp
|
|
Title gained: Returnee
Remark: For escaping the clutches of death. For rising where a million others would fall.
Effects:
+ 1 affinity with negative alignment
+ 1 all resistance value
+ 1 killing intent
|
| Lorian Ellins (???) |
| Warrior (Level 0) (5,118/10,000) |
| General Exp: 0 |
| Battle Exp: 0 |
|
Titles: Returnee
|
| Innate trait: Anti-poison body (Level 1) |
|
Skills: Basic sword mastery (Level 2) (7,916/15,000)
Basic dagger mastery (Level 1) (792/10,000)
Frostbite (Level 1)(0/20)
Force step (Level 1)(134/1,000)
|
|
Attributes:
Spirit: 1.2
Attunement: 1.1
|
Lorian fixed his posture into kneeling on sword position.
*Hissssss~
The amount of mist his body exuded increased.
Zenos grinned as he unwrapped jagged longsword.
Lorian''s piercing blue eyes were fixed on him.
- Little shit, did nobody teach you, the good dog doesn''t block the way. Scram and I might let you live.
Lorian didn''t answer.
*Bam
Suddenly his body jumped to the left, revealing a beam of light, which originated from fallen Oculus.
- Damn you!
Zenos'' eyes widened and then contorted in hatred. He grabbed the nearby soldier and positioned him in front of him.
- Nooo~ AHHHHHH~
Zenos discarded the fried soldier like a piece of garbage as he stared at Lorian with a sinister expression.
- Let this daddy make a mincemeat out of you.
He charged at Lorian with heavy steps, while the jagged longsword was hung on his shoulder.
- Die!
In a blink of an eye, the longsword appeared right in front of Lorian''s body, ready to slice him into pieces.
Chapter 28 Vicious
The soldiers were horrified by Zenos'' ruthlessness.
''He didn''t hesitate to use his comrade as a meatshield. This...''
Suddenly, they started having second thoughts, but they soon realized it was too late now. Their talent was below mediocre, but their boss was different. If their boss could become a star warrior, they wouldn''t have any misgivings about being his lackeys as they would have great backing. They didn''t have much of a choice. At least being Zenos'' underling was much better than being filthy officials'' disposable lapdogs.
Zenos started chasing after Lorian. His every move was aggressive and deadly. Lorian continuously used force step to make some distance. He realized his power level wasn''t enough and the artifact sword could barely make up for it, but it was still lacking. However, Zenos was already middle-aged and had honed his skills. His sword mastery was already great, which further increased his deadliness.
- What''s that mask for? Did you escape the party of nobles? Heh, how about joining the underworld party of corpses?
Zenos taunted as he waved his sword with terrifying momentum, enough to split tree trunk.
Lorian could only use the run and weaken tactics. He would freeze the ground to get him stuck, but Zenos'' stomps shattered his newly-made ice effortlessly. Lorian''s control wasn''t that great as his ice making was basically a borrowed power. It was not his mastery, but the effect of holy water. He couldn''t make ground smooth to make Zenos slip or something alike. He could only coat his body or objects he touched into a layer of ice in a primitive way.
Also, every movement was at the cost of feeling the immense piercing pain. His condition was truly terrifying. If not for the pain-numbing effect of ice and his willpower, he would have entered a coma.
*Bang
The mud flew in the air as Zenos'' longsword landed on the place, where Lorian was previously at. But this time he didn''t dodge by jumping back, but rolled to the side and grabbed Zenos'' knee to freeze it.
Zenos was a veteran. His reaction was fast and realized Lorian''s trick. He sneered as he kicked away Lorian like a beaten dog, causing his chest to invert and vomit mouthful of blood. However, as Lorian was kicked, Zenos also felt pull on his knee and staggered forward.
*Crackle, crackle~
Zenos'' eyes widened as he realized the rope had been wrapped around his knee and its other end was in Lorian''s hands. Moreover, ice was spreading around the rope. Cold sweat poured down his head as he remembered the sword, that Lorian exploded, killing and injuring the soldiers in the process. He quickly lifted his sword to break the ice. In fact, he was overestimating Lorian. He had the ability to self-destruct his ice, but its effects would be minimal if he did it on the rope. As for the sword, it was made out of metal and could be tampered, corroded by ice, then broken if the metal was of low quality. The resulting explosion would be deadly, but Lorian had no ability to make it work on a rope. It was a mere distraction.
Zenos'' reaction gave him a split second of advantage. Lorian pounced at him with force step, his figure resembling an injured beast.
Lorian grabbed his wrists and started freezing them.
- Scram!
He was once again kicked away, but the deed was done.
Zenos'' expression was ugly as his hands trembled.
*Clank
His sword dropped to the ground.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
- Fucking morons, come and kill this bastard!
Zenos shouted to still dumbfounded soldiers. Only 3 of them were in a condition to fight. The soldiers finally came out of the stupor of their comrade''s death by their boss'' hands and unsheathed their swords, surrounding Lorian.
Lorian grinned as he said in a low tone
- Boom
- Aaaaah~
Zenos screamed as the ice on his hands exploded. His wrists were dyed red. Unexpectedly, he gritted his teeth and didn''t scream a second longer. His pale face radiated wrath. The frozen rope also exploded on him, but it didn''t injure him as his knee wasn''t exposed. However, it was bound to become numb and slower as a result.
*Bzzztt~
Suddenly, everyone started feeling dizzy.
''That monster again!''
- Kreeeee~
The Oculus thrashed around and screamed in its weird voice. However, it was useless. Its injuries made sure it wouldn''t fly up anytime soon and its power was also weakened. Its attacks weren''t suitable for direct confrontation, but it was still a 1-star monster and an intelligent one at that. It realized that these people possessed a threat to its life and used its last bits of strength.
Soon, 3 bewitched monsters appeared and madly rushed at Lorian, Zenos, and others.
- Boss, help me!
The previously injured soldiers yelled, but Zenos didn''t dare as he was afraid Lorian would steal his kill.
- Go help them, I don''t need hands to beat this cripple bastard.
Zenos spat with ashen expression.
So Zenos and Lorian were left facing each other, once again.
- You''re good, but not good enough.
Zenos rushed at Lorian. Even as his hands were badly injured, Lorian didn''t dare belittle him. An example was his own self. The more he was cornered and beaten, the harder he struggled to survive.
And he was right. Damn, he was right. This guy was much better at kicks than with swords.
Straight kicks, feint kicks, roundhouse kicks. Zenos chased Lorian with impressive foot technique.
- Fuck, are you monkey, bastard?
Lorian couldn''t help but curse.
His body was overstained from overusing force steps in his condition and at least he required a breather between previous and next force steps. Unfortunately, Zenos chased him like crazy.
Finally, he was swept in his pace and got hit in the chest when he was using force step to back off.
*Bang
Terrible hitting sound was issued.
His chest indented as he flew up in mid-air. Zenos backflipped in the air and kicked down on his spine.
Lorian pitifully crashed on the ground, devastated. Then his right leg, the broken one was grabbed by Zenos'' bloodied hands.
''His hands are still working?''
Lorian was horrified, on the verge of a physical and mental breakdown.
Grabbing his right leg, Zenos swept Lorian''s body in the air and crashed him down to his opposite side.
*Crack, rattle
- Snotty lad, you want to steal from this daddy? Go ahead.
It had to be said that Zenos was very vicious. Even if Lorian was in top condition, these sets of attacks would have left him devastated.
- Fuck you!
Lorian hugged his leg like a leech and started freezing it in maddened rage.
- Get off me you crazy, Aaah, son of a...
Lorian bit down on Zenos'' thigh and started freezing it. He refused to let go no matter how he was beaten down. He was confident in taking a barehanded beating as Zenos had dropped his sword and wouldn''t be able to use it again, but he underestimated the veteran soldier.
Suddenly, he felt alarmed, as if death was coming. He moved his head to the side, only to see dagger dropping viciously where his head was previously at. Lorian almost pissed his pants from the scare, then rage overcame him.
He bit on his palm, causing Zenos to let go of the dagger.
*Crunch
- Pui!
Lorian ate away a chunk of flesh and bone from his palm and spat it out, causing Zenos to scream like a bitch.
Zenos was cursing Lorian''s 9 generations, crying in his mind.
''How can someone be this vicious?''
- I''ll get you later.
Lorian issued a threat as he jumped away.
- Aaaah~
Zenos could no longer hear him. His hand was bleeding and his leg was frozen in ice, stuck to the ground.
Lorian approached the seemingly motionless Oculus, but when he was 2 meters away, the tentacles awakened to strangle him to death.
Soon, Lorian found himself breathless as countless tentacles wrapped around his body, not letting even a millimeter of flesh to be seen from the outside. They started suffocating him, crushing him.
Though the Oculus wasn''t close combat oriented monster, it was still a 1-star monster and had considerable strength. It was a rare type of monster, which was a very valuable kill for ascendants.
But Lorian only cared about Exp.
Lorian didn''t panic even in this situation. Having consumed the last couple of mouthfuls of holy water, he started freezing wriggling tentacles around him, that looked like sinister, big worms.
*Boom
The frozen tentacles exploded. Lorian wasn''t injured much, because he covered his whole body in a thin 2-centimeter thick layer of ice, before exploding frozen tentacles around him
*Ksshh~
- Kreeeee~
The ice crumbled and freed Lorian pounced at Oculus like a vicious beast.
The victory was at hand.
Chapter 29 Peaceful night
|
Quest 1 complete
300 general Exp awarded
|
|
Quest 3 complete
Villagers alive: 781/874
781 general Exp awarded
|
Lorian grinned upon receiving the notifications. Seems the villagers have dealt with the remnants of the beast tide and he benefitted from it.
He quickly dumped the Exp in his warrior profession bar and felt his condition become better.
The Oculus was also lying defenseless. Nobody was in the way to obstruct him.
The Oculus used mind attack as a last-ditch effort, but it was useless.
In the end, it met its end by Lorian''s hands.
| +998 (Doubled) Battle Exp for killing 1 rank higher enemy |
|
Quest 4 complete
500 general Exp and 1 bronze chest awarded
|
| 5th floor of the instances has been constructed |
A wave of fatigue started overcoming him. Lorian forced himself awake and dumped all the Exp to strengthen his physique, so he would survive. He wanted to finish off Zenos and others, but his body had long since reached its limits.
*Plop
He embraced the darkness, entering a coma.
* * *
''Huh? Where am I?''
Lorian felt weak, dizzy and confused as he woke up in an unfamiliar bed.
- Mr. Hunter, you''re awake.
A joyous voice rang in Lorian''s mind from close by.
He turned his head and recognized Ania. Her face conveyed her surprise, joy and there was a hint of fatigue.
Lorian''s mind spun and asked
- How long have I been out for?
- You''ve been in a coma for over 1 month. Your injuries were...terrible, but they are healed, except for...
She hung her head low. Lorian''s eyes flashed as he tried moving his right leg, but waves of pain gushed in his mind. He failed. He smiled bitterly.
- So I''ve been...crippled?
Ania panicked as she hurriedly said
- Don''t say that. You''ll get better. The treatment isn''t impossible, but...
Lorian didn''t need to hear the rest. He guessed, that treatment would cost a lot of money.
- Right, who''s been taking care of me all this time?
Lorian asked, half guessing the answer. Ania hung her head low as her earlobes turned red.
Lorian laughed hollowly, embarrassed.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
- Thank you.
Lorian closed his eyes, still feeling very weak.
- Umm, are you hungry?
He heard Ania''s mosquito-like voice.
- Haha, indeed.
- Then...let me feed you.
Ania beamed. Lorian was dumbfounded.
- That, I can do it myself.
He replied embarrassedly.
- No, let me do it.
Ania insisted. Lorian could only comply, helpless.
She fed him spoonful after spoonful with care. Lorian''s heart warmed as he felt overwhelmed. He always felt empty, as if he didn''t belong here. But now...he was grateful.
- Thank you.
He smiled sincerely.
- Ok, rest well, I''ll be back.
Ania stood up, somewhat embarrassed and happy.
- Take care.
She left. Lorian closed his eyes.
Did he regret? Probably. A moment of greed cost him a lot. Life was no fiction. Turning every adversary into a benefit was impossible.
Frustration and depression overcame him. Fatigued, he drifted to sleep once again.
* * *
1 week later, Bluehorn village, evening
The thin layer of snow has covered the whole village. It was a beautiful sight. The children were lively as they made a snowman and laughed as they threw snowballs at each other.
In the distance, a middle-aged man could be seen chopping the wood. The young wife was reprimanding her child to not catch a cold. Some people laughed at her overprotectiveness. The child was wrapped in winter clothes like a dumpling, only showing his big cute eyes and chubby cheeks.
Several middle-aged women could be seen gathered in the balcony of the shack, doing the chores while gossipping in low voice.
The men had just returned from the forest, showing off the hunted boar with proud, broad chests.
graveyard could be seen in the distance. The feeling of desolateness could be felt from it. Several old and middle-aged women were gathered there, weeping silently.
A lonely figure sat on the wheelchair. His gaze was somewhat absentminded. He gave one the feeling of melancholy and desolateness. The young woman could be seen standing behind him. They silently accompanied each other, neither saying a word.
- I need to talk to the chief.
Lorian spoke softly. Ania nodded her head and gently pushed the wheelchair.
The duo moved at a slow pace. Evening breeze ruffled Lorian''s hair.
The chief sat under the naked tree. His eyes were closed. The flowers he took care off had withered.
- You''ve woken up. Good.
The chief muttered as his eyes opened. Lorian pushed the wheels and got near the old man.
- I''ve not been much of a help. I don''t deserve this reward.
Lorian stretched his hand, which was holding Fanar''s legacy.
The chief showed a surprised expression but soon hid it.
- You risked the life for the village. The reward was well deserved.
Lorian shook his head and plunged the sword in the ground.
- What happened to the soldiers?
The chief furrowed his eyebrows. A hint of worry and anger flashed in his eyes.
- They abducted the girls. Fortunately, the abductor hadn''t gone far, probably waiting for Zenos and others. We managed to track them down and retrieve the girls, but the abductor escaped. Zenos and one other soldier also escaped...We''ll get in a lot of trouble later...
Lorian sighed.
- I see.
After a round of silence, the chief spoke up.
- I''ll be gone for a week. I''ll leave everyone in your care.
Lorian was startled.
- Leaving them in my care? Isn''t it in reverse? Are you mocking me, chief?
Lorian spoke with a hint of anger.
The chief stared at him. Lorian wouldn''t imagine how much of an impact he had left in chief''s mind.
The chief stood up and patted dust off his butt, then walked with hunched back, hands crossed behind his hands.
- I''ve seen your type. It''ll be a waste to keep you here. I''ll do my best, but I can''t guarantee anything.
He left these words behind.
Lorian''s eyes widened and reddened a bit. He clenched his fists with emotion, then muttered.
- Thank you, chief...
- It''s a small favor. Haha, this old man has not much time left, I won''t ask for much, I just want the village to live on.
Leaving these words, his figure disappeared in the horizon.
* * *
Ania pushed the wheelchair and took Lorian home. There were only a few villagers left outside as the night was approaching.
She proceeded to take him out of the wheelchair so he would lay down on the bed.
- No, let me.
Lorian pushed himself up. His strength was nearly 2 times more than average adult after that battle. He bent to take off his socks, but waves of pain made his face turn pale.
- Don''t push yourself. I''m here, aren''t I?
Ania said with panic. Lorian just sighed and allowed her to help him.
- I''ve become so useless.
Lorian sighed.
- Don''t say that. You shouldn''t give up. I, I won''t leave you, so don''t show me such face, ok?
Ania said with a hint of fake anger and care.
Lorian went in bed and pulled bed sheets over himself. Somehow, his chest felt stuffed and grabbed Ania''s hand as she was about to leave.
- Don''t leave me.
Ania''s face turned red as she looked like panicked deer.
- What are you saying? Let me go.
- Just for a while, I''m cold.
She hesitated for a while but found Lorian''s eyes pitiful so she jumped in the bed with clothes on.
Lorian hugged her. Ania struggled in his embrace but then quietened down, feeling Lorian''s state of mind.
- You''re so warm. You are real. Everything is real. I could have died. I could have. I won''t do it again. I''ve had my doubts, but now I''m sure. Everything is real...everything is real...
Lorian whispered like a madman. Ania felt scared as she didn''t understand.
- Thanks for being here. You can go now. I...I''m very tired.
Ania left his embrace. A hint of disappointment couldn''t help but flash in her heart. She looked at Lorian who had fallen asleep. She caressed his face with love and left after making sure he wouldn''t feel cold.
- Good night...
Her soft voice sounded in the darkroom, then it was silence.
This was the first night Lorian slept so soundly after transmigration. His doubts and fears, which lingered in his heart finally vanished.
Chapter 30 Clearing floors, rewards
Next few days passed uneventfully. Lorian tended to sit in his wheelchair, gazing at the falling snow in silence. His mentality has undergone change. He became calmer and more reserved in his speech.
One would feel comfortable calm, steady, peaceful tranquil aura around him.
However, the change in his temperament was in no way detrimental. This peaceful, frail youngster was capable of becoming more dangerous than the most ferocious of beasts. His willpower and determination knew no bounds when his life was in danger.
The village had also become peaceful. The villagers didn''t regard him as a hero, but they showed him a friendly attitude.
Lorian silently admired the resilient villagers. The pain of losing loved ones didn''t break them. Was it a sort of tradition or conviction, they started working harder, looking forward to future even more. The broad backs of those, who sacrificed their lives and allowed them to live on became their backbone and source of motivation.
Many silent tears were shed, but they never gave up on themselves.
After the chief''s departure, Elise also started interacting with Lorian. They would have some short conversations and Lorian never refused her company, however, he was inwardly not happy with her, since he read pity in her eyes.
He didn''t need anyone''s pity.
Ania was different. She was always cheering him on to never lose hope and look forward to the future. He liked her more and more, but he never made a move to advance their relationship.
Lorian was an inwardly prideful individual. He wouldn''t allow himself to have a relationship in his current condition, because at present he wouldn''t be able to provide her the happiness she deserved. However, Ania had already taken a place in his heart.
Still, these feelings bordered deep affection and nothing more. He was still a cold person. This didn''t change.
As a human, one would always have a soft spot. A woman was always one of them. It was a weakness and source of motivation at the same time.
Considering his character, Lorian wouldn''t allow himself to have this weakness at this early a stage.
Though he spent his days idly, he never forgot to continue farming Exp in the instances.
After this major power-up, Lorian cleared the hard mode of the first floor easily.
The rewards were handsome, as expected.
| Silver cape (Middle-grade artifact) |
| +5 cold resistance |
| Engraved skill: Trace erasion |
This cape was made out of snow wolf fur and gave satisfying silver-white sheen. It was warm and cool looking. The outer cover was fluffy, while the inner layer was silky smooth.
It was extremely useful for Lorian, who would no longer be afraid of backlashes from overusing frostbite.
Lorian had no way to measure the trace erasion skill in his current condition, so he allowed Ania to test it.
They were both dumbfounded when Ania''s footprints on the snow were erased as she walked.
Lorian was reminded of fox, as their tails would erase their footprints as they moved around. This cape had the same effect. It was amazing.
Lorian temporarily decided against trying the nightmare mode and went to test out other floors.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
His disability was not much of a deterrence in the instances as he fought in a similar manner he fought in the beast tide. Besides, there was no feeling of pain in instances and he could fight more unrestrained. Also, he was much stronger than last time.
Lorian knew that huge amount of holy water was spent to save his life, so he had no cheek to ask for more, even if it would help him easily pass the 2nd floor. Hence, without holy water, he could only temporarily ignore the 2nd floor. He couldn''t hurt the ghost of the second floor with mere physical damages, after all.
The 3rd floor''s resident became that robust monster.
Though it was merely at the middle stages of the mortal realm, its innate physique and vitality were very high. Its single strike was enough to flatten his virtual self. However, it was a bit clumsy and this could be exploited.
In his current condition, Lorian wasn''t particularly flexible either, so his advantage to exploit the monster''s clumsiness was gone. He could no longer use holy water as a catalyst in battles, so his battle power dropped further. He didn''t have Fanar''s legacy either.
However, his warrior profession bar reached up to nearly 8000/10000 Exp, which made him 1.8 times stronger than the average human. This was more than enough to make up for the losses and deal with the monster of the 3rd floor. At least enough for easy mode, which had 1 monster with reduced attributes.
The monster turned out to be variant of a troll as system revealed.
Clearing the easy mode with 70% of original attributes was no problem when he had already beat the original version.
After the giant dropped dead and turned into particles, a flask full of some kind of orange liquid dropped to the ground. Lorian was pleasantly surprised by the drop.
|
Strength Potion (Consumable)
Effect: Doubles strength for 10 minutes
Usage limit: 3
|
Though it was a consumable item, it was a life saving one. It could boost his strength to the point where he could challenge 1-star warriors. It could be used thrice.
Lorian was tempted to enter the normal mode, but he had no confidence to beat 3 variant trolls with original attributes, so he decided to play it safe at first and challenged 4th floor''s easy mode.
The 4th floor''s inhabitant was earth scorpion. It was one of the tougher fleeing monsters he has killed in the beast tide.
Its outer shell was very tough and tail shot venom. Despite that, beating it in easy mode was no problem. This time, the reward was another consumable item.
|
Flask of earth scorpion poison (Consumable)
Effect: Corrosion, paralysis
|
A thought flashed in his mind. He could use this poison to temper his anti-poison body. He would consume it in small doses.
Though it wouldn''t be a pleasant experience, his resistance would rise, making this whole ordeal worth it.
After all the same floors were challenged successfully, Lorian decided to go back to the first floor and challenge the nightmare mode.
He was a bit nervous as the nightmare mode sounded very intimidating, but he was reassuring himself.
''No matter how much the difficulty rises, it won''t be too bad, right? The earth scorpion I just beat could easily wipe tens of snow wolves. They wouldn''t even be able to breach its defenses. Yeah, what''s there to fear?''
Lorian secretly burned with excitement. His only worry was, that he would be drowned in tens of snow wolves. He wasn''t afraid of their individual power, but the strong pack was much harder to deal with.
Before entering, he had made preparations and drank a huge amount of water to use as a fuel for frostbite skill.
|
Defeat snow wolf king to clear the floor
Nightmare mode (Enemy has 100% of original attributes)
|
The battling ground was no longer the forest.
It was the night. Moon hung in the air, radiating menacing, cold light. On both sides of the street were seemingly quiet, dead buildings. The wind was blowing. The snow had covered the street and the buildings.
A huge figure with deep blue eyes stood opposite to him, facing him silently. Its shadow overshadowed Lorian''s figure.
The snow wolf king was at least 3 times bigger than the original snow wolf. Its mere presence gave one feeling of inferiority. Its smooth white fur ruffled gently in the snowy wind.
- Awooo~
The snow wolf king raised its head and 2 snow wolves materialized on its left and right.
Lorian burned with excitement as he appraised the snow wolf king
| Snow wolf king (Sub-elite) |
| Mortal (2500/10000) |
| Skills: Summon, Command, Frostbite, Slash Flurry, Freezing Howl, Chilling fury |
''This won''t be an easy fight.''
Lorian thought. His right leg didn''t work so he had to fight in the similar style as before.
He was kneeling on the sword, staring right at the snow wolf king''s radiating blue eyes unwaveringly. He was wearing the wolf mask, like usual and the majestic silver cape was draped over his shoulders, slightly waving along with the movement of wind.
- Bring it on...
Lorian whispered.
At the same time, the snow wolf king burst into motion.
Chapter 31 Snow wolf king
Lorian''s body temperature rapidly fell as frostbite skill activated. It didn''t cause his body any discomfort though, all because of anti-poison body''s adapting properties.
Though there was no holy water as a catalyst this time, Lorian still felt a special feeling as he activated the skill.
Upon further inspecting, he realized he felt resonance from the falling snow around him.
The street was frozen. The wind blew and thick lumps of falling snow obstructed the vision.
Water, snow, ice...this was basically his domain.
Snowflakes started swirling around him. He actually managed to control the snowflakes!
Lorian felt there was another reason for it.
''Attunement''
This attribute most likely had something to do with the control of the elements. Otherwise, his improved control couldn''t be explained as frostbite still remained level 1.
It was a strange and wonderful feeling. As if the falling snow had a close affinity towards him.
''Maybe I can do more than to just manipulate it.''
The snow wolf king pressed on its huge limbs and pounced at Lorian, menacing cold light flashing in its eyes.
*Crackle, crackle
Under Lorian''s control the falling snow, which started swirling around him started congealing, congregating and solidifying into ice cones in the air.
The sweeping claw was met with sharp ice cones.
The snow wolf king whimpered as blood started trickling down its paw. Despite its majestic stature and physique, there was a gap between Lorian and itself. The snow wolf king was weaker.
However, it possessed skills and overbearing physique to its advantage. It was not a common monster, but a sub-elite. Lorian still didn''t know the difference, but soon he would find out.
The snow wolf king''s figure blurred as its blurry silhouette advanced at Lorian''s direction at terrific speed. Lorian felt alarmed and lifted his new greatsword to parry, but the blurry silhouette abruptly vanished and he felt danger coming from his back.
''So fast!''
Lorian''s eyes widened in shock as he tried to twist his body to meet the attack, but he was too slow.
An attack containing huge power was transmitted from his back. The cape was an artifact and wouldn''t be damaged that easily, but it didn''t possess much of a defensive property. The claw attack transmitted the wave of wrecking physical power as he was thrown up in the air.
''Slash flurry''
The wolf''s shadow once again emerged but from a different angle. Lorian was suspended in air, helpless to block the shadow of pouncing snow wolf king''s fierce slash flurry.
*Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash~
Bloody claw marks accumulated around his body and the attacks from different angles landed in merely less than 2 seconds. He was thrashed in the air before snow wolf king''s blurry figure appeared a distance away from him.
*Plop
His wounded body dropped to the ground.
- Grrrrr! Growl!
- Growl!If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The summoned snow wolves pounced at his beaten body. Lorian was already more than 50% stronger than these wolves he previously had a hard time to face. He grabbed their throats and smashed their skulls on the icy pavement.
The wolves whimpered a little before turning into particles, deader than dead.
They didn''t give any experience as they were just summoned beasts.
Lorian lifted his head and fixed his eyes on calmly standing snow wolf king''s chilling blue eyes.
- Interesting. Now it''s my turn.
Grinning, Lorian activated force step and flew at snow wolf king, dragging his new greatsword on the way.
The snow wolf king raised its head and let out a peculiar howl.
Lorian''s body stiffened but resumed its previous action.
- Freezing howl? Useless on me.
He muttered smugly as he shot up in the air with another force step and waved his great sword at the snow wolf king''s head.
*Clang
The snow wolf king met the greatsword with its claw and unexpectedly...it was a stalemate. Lorian dropped back on the ground.
- Beast is a beast indeed. Its physique is always higher than a human.
But he didn''t grow disheartened. Instead, he was excited as he continued exchanging blows with the wolf. Sometimes the snow wolf king would twist its head at a peculiar angle aiming its fangs on his body. Its claws were as tough as steel, capable of contending against his greatsword and injuring him.
Lorian dodged another chill-raising claw swipe, then activated force step, positioning him under its belly.
After putting his hand on the ground and activating frostbite, the ice started encasing snow wolf king''s forelimbs before it could jump back in response.
- Now you''re stuck.
Lorian grinned and shot up and waved the greatsword under snow wolf king''s belly.
Using this vulnerable state of the opponent, Lorian struck hard.
*Kshhh~Crumble~
The ice shattered as snow wolf king''s figure once again blurred. Lorian''s attack missed.
- This again!
*Clang
Lorian managed to repel the first attack of the slash flurry but was unable to deal with the rest. After being thrashed once again the snow wolf king pounced when he was beaten down, intending to finish him off.
- Not today!
Lorian grinned and channeled the freezing coldness in the ice of the street.
The ice spikes rose from the ground and nailed the enemy.
- Awooo!
The snow wolf king gave a long howl as blue fire flickered around its body. Its fur started giving off the more glossy sheen. Lorian shuddered as he felt changes in the enemy. It has become much more dangerous.
|
The enemy has activated chilling fury
+30% agility, strength, dexterity, reflex for 3 minutes
|
- What kind of broken skill is this?!
Lorian cursed loudly as he retreated continuously with force step.
- Howl!
The snow wolf king sprinted in his direction like a giant bulldozer.
- So fast!
One had to know, that agility was the hardest attribute to increase. Snow wolf king''s agility would put many 1-star warriors to shame.
Lorian could only respond with enemy''s vigorous forelimb swipe with positioning greatsword in defensive position and parrying.
*Bang
His body was thrown like a broken kite and crashed into the nearby building''s wall.
- Cough, cough, son of a bitch!
Lorian spat and activated force step over and over, avoiding several deadly strokes.
A few moments later Lorian lay sprawled on the ground, gripping the greatsword while panting and facing the ferocious snow wolf king, which had toyed with him.
- Haaa~
The icy breath left Lorian''s mouth as he started crawling at snow wolf king''s direction, dragging his greatsword while giving off a menacing beastly aura.
Grinning, he took out a barrel of water he had prepared and grinned.
- Seems I''ll have to play a bit dirty. Please don''t mind.
Snow wolf king''s figure blurred, while Lorian''s brows furrowed. He pushed the barrel, causing the water to spill.
Shadow was inching closer from his back. The power its claws contained was much more deadly than before.
The water acted against the laws of the world and rose around him, then froze into ice.
*Kshhh~
The ice wall almost crumbled, but it managed to hold on.
Lorian slammed his hands down. Ice spikes rose all around him.
- Beat it!
He howled as he waited for a barrage of the slash flurry to continue.
*Bang, bang, bang, bang!
- Fuck!
In the end, his barriers were broken and the last claw slash hit his chest, causing a deep gash to appear as his body was once again thrown back, which then pathetically rolled on the ground. He was lying motionless, seemingly waiting for his death.
The menacing figure approached him and stomped down with its claws.
Motionless Lorian activated force step and flew right at the claw, aiming his greatsword at its paw.
His body crashed down and was pathetically flattened on the ground, then his body was grabbed by merciless sharp and huge teeth and snapped into two.
His vision grew blurry as he was forced out of the instances.
After coming out of the instances, his mind was still feeling agitated, but he was not indignant. He wouldn''t be able to kill the snow wolf king as he was now. He was crippled and lacked attack power to injure the huge beast.
As for vitals, the snow wolf king wasn''t any average joe, unable to defend its vital points. It was not so easy to land a hit on its eyes, neck or belly.
- This was a great fight, I''ve so much to learn. My practical experience is still close to nill. Haha, I found a great training partner.
The target of abuse was bound to change in no time.
Chapter 32 Treatment, departure
- Did something good happen?
Ania blinked her eyes with curiosity as she noticed, that always deadpan Lorian''s lips were slightly curved up.
- Nah, it''s nothing.
Lorian shrugged.
- You should smile more, otherwise, girls won''t like you.
Ania giggled and joked.
- At least you like me.
Lorian grinned. Ania''s face turned red as a tomato as she stamped her foot.
- You bully, humph, who said I like you?
Lorian gave a hollow laughter and rolled his wheelchair.
- Where are you going?
- There''s a bit of a commotion outside, let''s go out.
- Ok.
Ania positioned herself behind Lorian and pushed the wheelchair.
- Oh, the chief is back. Oh, who''s that white old man? What''s with his attitude? He looks like a proud peacock.
Ania commented in low voice. Lorian felt nervousness as he guessed visitor''s identity.
The chief was following behind the white-gowned old man, acting subservient. The old man had a silky white beard and gave a feeling of an accomplished scholar. His head was raised high in the air as if everyone else was beneath him.
His eyes locked onto Lorian''s figure and scrutinized him.
- Is this the patient you spoke of, old fart?
The villagers have crowded around but didn''t dare join in their conversation.
- Yes, miracle doctor Jun.
- Humph, using my favor on this hairless brat? Are you looking down on me? My favor is worth in golds!
The referred miracle doctor stared at the chief angrily. The chief couldn''t help but sweat coldly.
- No, sir, he, he''s someone who...
- Bah, whatever. Let''s get this over with.
The eccentric old man quickly got bored and walked up to Lorian. He bent down and grabbed his right knee like a hawk.
Lorian sweated profusely as pain transmitted right to his brain.
- Res, respected doctor, it hurts...a lot.
Lorian spat with gritted teeth. Suddenly he felt pessimistic about the treatment and was somewhat scared.
''What will this eccentric old man do to me? Well, as long as I can recover...I''ll endure, whatever it is...''
The old man''s grip got fiercer and Lorian couldn''t help but grunt out in pain.
- Disrespectful brat, who''s a doctor, I''m a miracle doctor, know the difference, humph, humph.
The old man was somehow offended by his harmless words.
''Miracle doctor my ass, you look like a hoodlum.''
The old man finally eased the grip and straightened his back. His head was still high up in the air as he commented.
- Your condition is terrible, brat. I can heal you, but you won''t recover completely. You will be able to walk, but your right leg will become lame.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Lorian felt disappointed in his heart but was nonetheless happy his condition could be improved. His evaluation of the so-called miracle doctor increased as well as his tone was confident as if the results couldn''t deviate from his foresight.
- Is there a hope of full recovery?
He asked nervously.
Old Jun narrowed his eyes and snorted.
- Fountain of life can fully heal you. Genuine holy water can also do the job. A high-grade healing potion is also a viable option, but...brat, I don''t want to crush your hopes, but...you get the point.
The old man looked at him with pity.
Lorian clenched his fists. He wouldn''t give up as long as there was some hope left.
- Alright old fart, bring me to a clean room. I''ll deal with the rest.
- Yes, yes, follow me, please.
The chief took the initiative to lead the way.
The treatment lasted for 3 full days. Lorian went through excruciating pain, which was worse than death. He fainted multiple times.
The hands of the old Jun glowed with white light as he channeled the pure power of a light element in his leg. The fractured and broken bones started mending. The snapped tendons began reconnecting. It was a very slow and painful process.
However, the pain was good. As old Jun said, if Lorian felt no pain, it meant he was thoroughly crippled and had no hopes of recovery and he would also be hopeless. Fortunately, this was not the case.
The old doctor perspired a lot and by the end of the treatment, his hands and face looked like withered old tree bark. The lively light in his eyes also diminished a lot. He obviously hadn''t held back.
- Don''t move around too much first few days. You''ll be fine and adapt soon. Don''t give up hope, boy. You can still lead a simple life. Don''t listen to others'' ridicule.
The old doctor left these words before departure. Lorian was quite puzzled about the last part but soon forgot about it.
The task deadline had long since passed, so there was no need to hurry back.
Lorian stayed in the village for a couple more days.
The day of his departure came.
He was reluctant to leave since the hospitality he received wasn''t small. He even developed a faint sense of belonging to these people, but such life was dull to his taste. His blood was itching for some action, hence he loitered no longer.
He was the most reluctant to leave Ania, who he grew increasingly close to.
- I''ll come back for you.
He whispered in tearful Ania''s ears and turned around to hop on his horse, never looking back.
- Have a safe travel.
The villagers have gathered around the gates and said their goodbyes.
It was once again snowing. Lorian looked quite amazing with majestic silver robes and wolf mask on. It was only...his right leg was limping a little as he walked.
He took one last glance at the partying villagers when he hopped on the horse.
''Still as cold.''
He thought to himself as he sighed inwardly. He only felt his heart move a little when he laid his eyes on Ania''s figure. She was gently waving her hand. The corners of her eyes were a little red.
The snow was trampled. The figure of departing Lorian disappeared in the horizon.
The villagers went back to their daily lives.
Only a single silhouette stared at the empty road for a long, long time.
* * *
In the woods.
A mounted figure advanced in the forest.
Suddenly, Lorian stopped and dismounted.
- I know you''re here. You can come out now.
He stated calmly.
There was no response.
The air whistled from behind. Lorian merely repositioned his body slightly and allowed the arrow to pass by him.
Lorian''s eyes narrowed as he walked towards the specific direction.
The sound of twigs snapping rang.
- You''re not half bad, cripple.
A low voice filled with malice rang as a young man equipped with bow and fur clothes revealed himself.
Lorian smiled.
He knew this person. He was Elise''s childhood friend, Ben.
- I don''t remember ever offending you.
Lorian stated calmly.
- Haha, I don''t understand why everyone thinks so highly of you. You''re just a cripple and an outsider. What kind of qualifications do you have to court my woman?
Lorian felt a headache as he answered patiently.
- You must have misunderstood. There''s nothing going on between us.
The young man sneered.
- Of course there''s nothing, otherwise, I would have killed you back in the village, no matter the consequences.
This guy didn''t participate in the battle against the beast tide, so he was clueless about his performance. Having a narrow mind, he must have become jealous of others'' treatment towards Lorian and misunderstood his and Elise''s relationship.
- You''re going to kill me?
The young man grinned as he pulled the arrow.
- Drop dead, bastard.
*Whoosh
Lorian caught the incoming arrow with his bare hand and snapped it into two. Considering his power level and perception and the fact that the attack was expected, it was not a hard thing to pull off.
- You...how?
The young man was astonished as he fired off several arrows consecutively.
Lorian advanced at low pace as the opponent retreated.
Finally, Elise''s small-minded, jealous childhood friend dropped to the ground.
- I, I''m sorry. Gah...
Lorian clutched his neck with a single hand and lifted him in the air. Ben flailed and struggled. His hands attempted to make Lorian ease his grip but in vain. His complexion reddened as he was out of breath.
In the end, he struggled like a dying fish and begged with his eyes.
Coldness couldn''t help but invade his mind as he saw Lorian''s cold eyes behind the mask. This was the last thing he would see. He regretted, but it was too late.
The dead corpse dropped on the ground motionlessly.
Lorian didn''t feel even a bit of guilt. This twerp wanted to take his life, so he had to be prepared for the reverse consequences. What did it have to do with him if he was Elise''s childhood friend? He was nothing but a dead dog now.
Lorian covered the corpse in snow and dropped it in the woods, then mounted and disappeared from sight.
Chapter 33 Forsaken
On the return trip, Lorian was filled with anticipation. How were things back in Rosewood? How was everybody else doing, He wondered.
This small adventure turned out quite fruitful to him. His power level shot up to all the way to the peak of the mortal realm.
After hunting beasts along the way, he finally reached the bottleneck. Unfortunately, he wasn''t sure which monster was suitable for him for his first ascension. He needed more information to choose a target, which would reward him with the most suitable skill, complementing his abilities.
Killing normal beasts at his current level was walk in the park for him, but these beasts also awarded him with much fewer experience points. Improving at later stages required more effort, he guessed.
Lorian didn''t forget to seek out the snow wolves. After hunting and eating their eyeballs, the frostbite leveled up to 2. Though the whole process was unpleasant, the results were worth it.
There was a noticeable change in the skill operation. The skill took less toll on him and casting was smoother. Its effect was also somewhat strengthened. However, the next level''s requirements shot up from 20 to 400. This meant he required to kill 200 snow wolves, which wasn''t something he could do on this trip.
The day before, he had also already defeated nightmare mode of the first floor. The rewards were more generous than last time.
| Ice Fang (Middle-grade artifact) |
|
+2 Physical attack power
+3 Dexterity
|
| Property: Ice poison |
Lorian was not sure about the bloodline. It looked like a drop of blood, which maintained its form on its own. Since it was ranked F, he guessed its rank was pretty low, so he wasn''t sure whether to merge with it or not.
As for the dagger, Ice Fang, it would be wasted in his hands as he was not proficient in daggers and daggers were usually much harder to master than swords. One couldn''t just practice with daggers at dummies. They needed to be honed in hand to hand combat.
So the rewards weren''t that satisfactory for him, but they were things that countless people would covet, nonetheless.
There were also the rewards from the bronze chest, the quest reward.
| Arcane burst scroll (¡ï¡ï) (Consumable) |
| Description: Scroll inscribed with the second circle spell - Arcane burst. |
| Spell range: 10 diameters |
| Damage output: 2-star |
| Minor Rune of Brutality (Consumable) |
| Description: Runic symbol, containing brutal physical power |
| Effect: Covers host''s body with runes and brings out the body''s physical potential. +20% physical attack power for 5 minutes. |
| Backlash: Exhaustion lasting for 30 minutes |
These were already considered Lorian''s trump cards, so he was more at ease, but he didn''t become overconfident. After all, these were just consumables. The only real dependable thing was his own, raw ability, which wasn''t that great for now.
* * *
The sky was almost falling as heavy rain poured down, making the ground muddy. However, this didn''t deter others from doing their business. A big line of merchant carriages waswaiting behind the city gates. They moved at turtle pace as the guards did their job to check their identities and goods so no mishaps would occur.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
- Make way!
Somebody yelled in high pitched voice.
The merchants were angry, but seeing the exquisite noble carriage moving their way, they didn''t dare let out a fart and unwillingly moved out of the way.
The deadpan faced city gate guards also seemingly stiffened, donned a flattering smile and did their best not to deserve the nobleman''s ire. The carriage didn''t even stop as it went past the gates.
The guards silently wiped the cold sweat and continued with the procedure.
- Halt!
Finally, it came Lorian''s turn. He had donned normal robes to look less high profile. His appearance suggested he was beaten by the weather.
- Papers, please.
Another guard unceremoniously stretched out his hand, demanding the identity card.
Fortunately, Loki helped him with getting one much earlier.
After checking the card, the guards nodded their heads, allowing him to pass.
As the rain was pouring, the fewer people could be seen out on the streets. Lorian had to dismount as per rules. This rather sturdy horse was the gift from the villagers. Having nowhere to place it, Lorian could only have it follow him.
Soon, the outline of Genos'' inn appeared in the vicinity. Lorian was also excited, but the closer he got, the more he realized something wasn''t right.
A few minutes later he stood right outside the inn with an ashen face.
- What happened here?
The inn was broken down, almost fully demolished and charred. It seems the place was burned down.
Lorian was taken by anxiety. There were no strangers on the street for him to ask.
Lorian''s heart was telling him, that this was not the result of the simple accident. This thought made him more bitter. The memory of everyone dining and joking carefreely flashed in his mind. For a lone transmigrator like him, this place was his home.
The cold light flashed past his eyes as he silently left under the deafening voice of a heavy downpour.
- I''ll get to the bottom of this.
* * *
Lorian stationed the horse outside the barracks gates and entered himself.
The barracks was full of people, like always.
His mind was full of grief and chaos and didn''t manage to notice secret disdainful glances other people were giving him.
Lorian banged on the counter and asked hoarsely.
- I''m here to report.
The robust receptionist frowned but still allowed him to talk freely.
After listening to the whole story, the receptionist shot him a disdainful glance and mocked.
- Couldn''t even complete a single task, what a useless fellow. And now you have the guts to demand the monthly pay?
Lorian frowned as he finally noticed the strange atmosphere.
His mood wasn''t good in the first place, so now he flared up.
- The task failure has nothing to do with the monthly payments, doesn''t it? Everyone is getting their basic salary even if they do nothing, so why can''t I?
The receptionist''s face turned sinister as he received the indirect berating.
- Alright, show me your soldier token.
Lorian felt something was wrong with receptionist''s response but still handed over the token.
The receptionist crushed the token in his huge hand, then grinned at him.
- You no longer qualify as a soldier.
Lorian finally snapped.
- What do you mean by this?!
*Bang
Before he knew it, an unexpected fist had struck his chest and caused him to fly out of the door, rolling in the mud.
- Cough, cough...
Lorian sprouted mouthful of blood as he tried to support his body with trembling hands.
- Why...why...
Then it downed to him.
This world respected the strong but disdained the weak. Especially in such a place.
The problem was not his lack of power, but the fact...that he was limping. These seasoned soldiers easily realized it was not a simple wound, which was easy to heal.
What did this mean? This meant his potential was nill in their eyes. No matter how strong he got, he would always be a cripple. And with a leg like that, could he even advance and get stronger? If it was a normal person, it would be almost impossible, but Lorian had a system, which others didn''t.
- Damn it, cough, cough...
Lorian didn''t say a word more. He left the barracks like a beaten dog under the mocking gazes of others.
Lorian''s eyes radiated an unprecedented amount of coldness.
The place he considered home, his sanctuary was burned down.
The kingdom he wanted to serve threw him out like a useless garbage.
What was left for him? Where could he go?
The world was a cruel place. If you fell down, you shouldn''t expect others to help you up, instead, you should be grateful if they don''t beat you down instead.
Now after he''s seen the true colors of the world, Lorian''s mindset also drastically changed.
Lorian was a petty person, but he was bound to become even more extreme after this humiliation. Even the smallest of grievances would mark the offender with a death sentence.
Lorian barely mounted himself after several failures and disappeared in the horizon under the mocking laughter of others.
However, Lorian''s ears didn''t register the mocking laughter. The only thing he heard was crying of the dead.
Chapter 34 Undercurrents
A young man with ruffled hair and sunken eyes was sitting and scribbling something on his desk. The light stone lamp barely gave off enough light to lighten up the stack of papers, but the young man didn''t seem to mind.
Suddenly, a fat middle-aged man strode into the silent room without knocking on the door and screeched unpleasantly. His coat was soaked in rainwater and was dripping on the uneven floor.
- Why are you taking so long? Am I paying you for nothing?
Pedro stopped scribbling and silently stood up, unceremoniously grabbing his hat and coat.
- Hey, where are you going?!
The middle-aged man roared, appearing displeased.
- It''s done.
The middle-aged man gnashed his teeth as a young man brushed past him.
- Humph.
It was raining cats and dogs outside. Once Pedro opened the door, the heavy sound of huge raindrops hitting ground resounded, before somewhat quietening down as the door was closed.
Once he was gone, the middle-aged man grabbed the stack of papers, then his furrowed brows relaxed a bit. It was a pity that his employee had fled before he could vent his spleen, accumulated throughout the shitty day.
He fell heavily on the chair and made a comparison between the original and rewritten. He grew increasingly satisfied. The majority of the common people were illiterate, so finding somebody from commoners, who were literate and that good in calligraphy wasn''t easy.
- Sigh.
The middle-aged man bundled up the stack of scattered papers and then left the room after locking it with the key.
* * *
Another unpleasant day has passed. Pedro was soaked in a matter of seconds after going outside. The wind slowed his walking speed. The ground was muddy, so he had to choose his steps.
- Hmm?
He was surprised to see a figure slumped on the back of a horse.
- Isn''t that...?
He recognized this person! After nearing him, he was astonished to find bloodstains on him.
After thinking for some time, he made a decision.
Their figures disappeared in the messy rainstorm.
* * *
- Where am I? Ugh...
Lorian felt pain course throughout his chest as soon as he regained the awareness.
He surveyed the dark room but found nothing noteworthy.
- You''re awake.
Pedro entered the door.
- Thank you.
- It''s nothing...I''ve heard you''ve been gone for a while. You are in the dark of the recent happenings, I presume?
Pedro''s eyes flashed.
Lorian nodded his head and attempted to get out from the bed. He found this manageable.
- Do you know who Santos is?
- The city lord''s son?
Pedro nodded his head and continued.
- He came to cause trouble. It wasn''t the first time, but he went too far at that time. Genos was angered and beat him up.
Lorian''s heart tensed as he listened.
- The city lord''s response was expected. The army of soldiers surrounded the inn. There''s some insider story. The city lord and Genos were love rivals. In the end, the woman they fought over was forcibly taken by the city lord. Genos was mortally wounded. The years passed. Genos was suppressed and stagnated while the city lord got his position. Even then, Genos wasn''t let off and the feud continued, to the next generation...
Lorian felt pity for Genos. He didn''t know that guy hid such a tragic story.
- What happened next? Did they...burn down the inn?
Pedro shook his head.
- Of course not. Everyone didn''t back down and stood on Genos'' side. Afraid of the riot, the city lord could only back down, but Genos wasn''t let off and was humiliated very badly. That should have been the end of it. However, the following day, the city lord''s son was murdered.
Lorian''s heart fluctuated.
- Was it Genos?
Pedro shook his head.
- It''s unlikely, but the city lord lost all reasoning, flew into a rage and burned down the inn. Genos fled along with his daughter after being notified.
Lorian contemplated. This event seemed to be orchestrated from the shadows. Suddenly, he remembered the circus incident. For reasons unknown, somebody was seeking chaos.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
- Since then, our life got worse. We are being silently suppressed.
Lorian closed his eyes.
- I see. So we won''t be let off, huh?
- Yes. We were the frequent costumers. The city lord won''t hesitate to make our lives miserable. Our life is hanging by a thread. One of his whims and we and our families will be no more. We are in the same boat now.
Lorian thought for a while, then remembered something important.
- Where is Loki?
Pedro looked at him in the eyes, sighed and shook his head.
- He''s disappeared.
Lorian trembled and clenched his fists, then loosened them.
- Are you guys going to go down without a fight?
Pedro didn''t answer.
- ...When the sun no longer warms us up, we can only embrace the darkness.
Lorian mumbled in low voice.
- You mean...?
Pedro''s gaze turned solemn.
- Are you willing to listen to my plan?
* * *
One month later...
The city lord was a middle-aged man with a robust figure. His broad shoulders, bulky frame and inherent arrogance he gave off made others fear and respect him. His head was a bit elongated. Some wrinkles had appeared on his face. His expression was pale and eyes lively and scary as they darted around from place to place. The long silver hair was scattered across his face.
- My lord...
A person entered his study room with a bent back, silently quivering. Everybody knew that city lord''s temper changed for the worst in the last month.
- Speak.
The city lord, Morses ordered in a low voice.
The informant trembled as he recounted the recent happenings.
- Yes, my lord. The citizens are acting low key due to the recent influx of influential figures. The auction house had done its best to publicize the matter, but in the end, only 3 barons, 11 wealthy merchants and 4 low standing officials have been attracted.
Morses mumbled something for a while, before asking
- Are there any movements from the Unlaughing gang?
- Not, my lord. After that incident, they have gone quiet.
The city lord squinted his eyes.
- Their timing was too good. I can''t help but think the appearance of the drop of snow wolf bloodline has something to do with them. Or at least their information network is not worse than ours. Keep an eye on them. You can leave now.
The informant bowed and left the room.
The city lord showed a wretched smile when he was left alone.
- I can''t act rashly for now. But this is my domain. Homeless dogs, you have miscalculated. When the new faces are gone, there won''t be anyone left to stop me from erasing you.
* * *
In the rundown castle
Two figures wearing masks could be seen approaching the castle, which seemed to have been abandoned for ages.
They were members of the recently established gang, Unlaughing.
This name came in a unique way. Everybody was discussing as to how to name their new alliance. Many opinions were raised and all of them were refuted.
Their leader had suggested for all of them to wear masks. Everyone bought at random, but somebody noticed, that none of the masks they had bought conveyed a happy mood. Hence, he suggested naming the gang Unlaughing. Everyone liked the idea.
- Hey Boris, do you think it will work?
One of them asked another with a bit of uncertainty and worry in his voice.
- Everything''ll be fine. The kid''s judgment''s been great so far. We''ve got nothing to lose. It''s better to resist than to silently await the reaper''s scythe. We''ve been marked, but our legs are tied. We can only follow him, I believe he won''t let us down.
Karl sighed and shook his head. He was feeling bitter in his heart. Their loved ones were being killed. They were being silently devoured, but they couldn''t retaliate. The enemy left no clues, hence there was no evidence to rile up the crowd for the riot. Many of them were already going insane with rage and hatred.
There were only about 30 of them with 12 being at the peak of mortal realm and 3 at 1-star realm. Karl and Boris were also 1-star warriors. Unfortunately, they couldn''t openly oppose the city lord, because they were simply too weak.
They could only scheme in the dark. They had been silently contacting city lord''s enemies. Enemy of my enemy is my friend. It was the same principle. They had also been causing some small-scale mischiefs, but this was nowhere near enough. Two days ago, they finally exposed themselves somewhat and annihilated the gang, which had been acting upon city lord''s instructions. The gang was secretly smuggling silver from another territory. They also had a foot in shady works like illegal slave trading. Their annihilation should have caused the city lord painful loss.
City lord couldn''t openly retaliate either, especially when the auction had garnered so much attention of the big shots, that didn''t necessarily have a good relationship with the city lord and were waiting for an excuse to appear.
*Knock, knock
The duo entered the castle and knocked on the certain door.
- Come in...cough, cough...
A hoarse voice came from the room the inside.
They entered and saw youngster wearing a wolf mask and silver robes sitting on the wheelchair. He was intently staring at the stack of papers on the desk.
- Is there any news?
- Everything''s according to plan. The coliseum''s staff has been bribed. The revolt is inevitable. Our spies have also been silently spreading the right information. All the people need is the spark to ignite.
Lorian nodded his head.
- Cough, cough, cough...
He started intently coughing afterward. After receiving that hit a month ago, his hidden injuries were aggravated and his health deteriorated. Even the holy water couldn''t heal these hidden injuries.
- Kiddo, are you alright?
Karl panicked. His heart was feeling pained as he knew how hard Lorian had been working recently. He was thoroughly acknowledged and respected in the gang.
Lorian raised his hand. The blood had covered his hand. He quickly wiped it with a towel and said.
- Prepare an invitation card.
Boris'' expression changed.
- You mean...you are going to attend the auction?
Lorian nodded solemnly.
- The main dish came from me, so I can raise the price as much as I want. I want to milk him of as much money as possible, after all, these funds are crucial for the success of our plan. There can''t be any mishaps. The outsider bigshots might act cowardly, who knows. I can''t let the item be sold at dirt cheap price.
Lorian truthfully spilled his thoughts.
- But...won''t you be exposing yourself?
Lorian smiled under the mask.
- It''s fine. We''ll have to clash sooner or later. He won''t dare do something to me for the time being, but when he will dare...it will be too late.
A cold smile surfaced on his lips.
- Oh, how about that mysterious robed person?
Lorian couldn''t help but ask once again.
Karl''s expression sank as he recounted.
- We found the clues. He''s dead...
Lorian''s mind trembled. He remembered his words - ''''Here''s some friendly advice...don''t bite more than you can chew. The more you know, the less safe you are.''''
He must have known what he shouldn''t have, but what exactly?
- Right, boss, about the circus incident, the underground finally agreed to share some information after we paid a hefty sum.
Lorian''s ears perked up.
Karl solemnly continued.
- The culprit is suspected to be a member of mysterious organization Devil''s Candle. They don''t have many members, but all of them has a bounty over 1000 golds! Their leader is internationally wanted by the holy church and 3 kingdoms.
Lorian tensed up. The waters in the world were too deep. He was still weak and should tread carefully, lest he is swallowed by the tide.
- The member who''s behind the scenes is most likely...Mantis.
Lorian''s eyes flashed as he contemplated in silence.
- Continue.
Karl nodded his head.
- The members of the devil''s candle have two subordinates, called left and right hands. The circus massacre''s most likely been staged by the member, but executed by his left or right hand.
...
- Anything else?
Lorian asked, thirsty to learn more.
Karl shook his head.
Lorian sighed and spoke.
- Alright, you can leave.
The duobid farewells and left the room.
Lorian fell deep into contemplation. His brows were creased.
- Any new targets?
A bit immature voice sounded in the room. Unexpectedly there was somebody else in the room and the duo hadn''t even noticed even at their power level.
Lorian smiled in response to the voice.
Chapter 35 Elaine
The stranger once again appeared in little girl''s life, who didn''t have any reason left to live. She was just following the flow. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow, she would fall.
- Follow me and I''ll bring the light of your eyes back to you.
The stranger was dressed weirdly, but she could recognize him. This was the promise that he made.
Her will to live, could he really bring it back? Elaine knew it was not possible. Then why was she still clinging on this worthless life of hers even until now? It was because of him. She didn''t want to owe anyone. She couldn''t close her eyes peacefully for this sole reason.
''I''ll be on my way once I''ve paid this debt, Lilian. Don''t be lonely, I''ll be joining you soon.''
She followed the stranger absentmindedly. His broad shoulders and dependable back made her remember things.
How good it would be if she had met him earlier? How good would it be if she and her sister could laugh carefreely like other kids? How good it would be to have parents, somebody to depend on, somebody who cares about your well being, somebody who spoils you, somebody who you can trust...Alas, she used to think that way. Now, everything had already lost its meaning. The world is no longer colorful, but ash grey.
* * *
20 silvers!
Lorian was shaken by this number. How did 7 years old kid have such high bounty?
He had to recruit her at all costs.
He managed to do it personally, two weeks ago. The Unlaughing gang helped to remove her bounty too.
He could still walk freely back then. His current condition was caused by completely new injury. It should have healed easily, but since his body received many serious injuries over and over, it became somewhat of a bigger problem...
He succeeded. Elaine showed shocking talent. She was a natural born assassin, possessing formless intent.
She could be smiling at you, standing in front of you, slitting your throat, but you won''t suspect a thing until you feel coldness seep into your body. Regardless of a person''s perception and intuition, they wouldn''t be able to detect her killing intent. This is how scary she was.
Unfortunately, her eyes were dead. She didn''t talk much. She didn''t have any desire left to live. Lorian was pained to see this. He had already investigated her past and felt pity towards her.
Hence he decided on a different approach. If she doesn''t have any reason to live, then why not give her one?
He started treating her like his own child, conversing warmly, dining with her and so on. He started spending his time with her. He wasn''t deterred by her silence and ever so indifferent expression.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Nothing seemed to have changed nevertheless, but Lorian knew this wasn''t the case. His actions clearly conveyed his feelings: I would be sad if you were gone.
Lorian unequipped his mask and answered smilingly
- Don''t always bring that up. You still don''t like meeting with strangers?
A petite figure dressed casually revealed herself from the dark corner of the room. Her face was immature, but her expression serious and eyes intelligent, a bit contrasting. She had brown hair and a cute face with healthy rosy cheeks. Her eyes, however, looked like an abyss, cold and uncaring.
Lorian could only smile wryly to her lack of response.
- You''ve been silently practicing a lot lately. You don''t have to force yourself too much.
....Still no answer. Lorian kneaded his forehead helplessly and said.
- Alright, you can show me what you''ve learned then.
Having heard that, Elaine''s eyes lit up a bit. She retrieved a dagger and started moving around obscurely.
''Dance of death'' - was the only evaluation Lorian could give. This child was dangerous. He was sure he would die 100% if he was silently ambushed, but obviously, she wouldn''t do that...thankfully.
Her footwork was excellent, her small hands moved dexterously, changing reverse grips to straight ones in less than half a second. The dagger''s edge shone dangerously from time to time.
She had survived the months of pursuit from soldiers, from gangs and other enemies. The fact that she managed to stay alive spoke for itself.
*Crack
A fickle object couple of meters away showed a crack on its own. This was one of Elaine''s skills, extended slash. This made up for the limited range the assassins had. However, as the distance increased, her attack power was weakened.
Lorian was satisfied to see her progress. Elaine also seemed a bit happy, but one couldn''t tell easily. Her eyes were glimmering differently was all. Lorian found this kind of cute.
- You''ve done well.
Lorian patted her head and ruffled her hair into a mess. Seeing her lost expression, he couldn''t help but burst into laughter. Feeling her intent stare, he found the situation awkward and changed his laughter into coughs.
- Take this.
Lorian spoke as he retrieved an object and handed it over to her.
- What''s this?
Elaine''s expression changed as she grabbed the exquisite dagger in her hands.
- A gift, you''re not allowed to decline.
Lorian smiled warmly.
Elaine appeared mesmerized by the dagger. It was Ice Fang, a middle-grade artifact, fairly uncommon and precious weapon.
- A gift?
She softly mumbled and stared at him blankly.
Lorian patted her head and said
- I see you like it. You must be eager to test it out. Go practice, familiarize yourself to it. Don''t go too far though. You can come back to me when you get bored.
Elaine stared at him for a while, then looked down at the dagger in her hands, then nodded and silently left the room.
Lorian sighed. He was left alone with his guilt. Encouraging child to learn to kill, he felt like a deceiving uncle. But he''s tried his best. Nothing else interested her. She was a natural born killer...Also, the main reason he kept her was that he needed her. He didn''t have the urge or ability to open a charity. There were millions upon millions of people suffering in the world, what did this have to do with him?
However, that didn''t mean he didn''t cherish her...
Lorian put her matter at the back of his hand for now. He had many other things to care about.
After tidying his thoughts, Lorian closed his eyes. Soon, the air around him stirred and fluctuated. Some formless energy started gathering and converging around his body, only to be merged into his body thereafter.
The process was slow. Once Lorian opened his eyes, it was already dark. The coldness dispersed in the air and everything turned back to normal.
Lorian felt loneliness as he gazed the moon that shone from the huge window. He rolled the wheelchair wheels and stationed himself close to the window.
- Where are you, my friend? Are you really dead?
Thinking further, his mood soured and cold glimmer flashed in his eyes.
Chapter 36 The night attack
The castle was located in an isolated area, surrounded by thick vegetation. The ancient building was covered in rust and vines. Despite the passage of time, it stood proudly as a silent bearer of the history.
The night is the time when one''s inner demons awaken. Even a familiar place becomes different at night. The dark shades, vague contours, strange silhouettes...the forested zone seemed especially dangerous now. Maybe it''s all an illusion...who knows?
The Bushes slightly ruffled as several shadowy silhouettes moved forward stealthily. The amount of sound they made was enough to determine, they were being cautious and sneaky.
The lanky, short man with an unshaved beard in the lead raised his hand, signaling to others to stop.
- Are we really doing this, boss?
The towering, bear-like man, whose frame couldn''t be hidden by bushes asked the lanky man with a dumb expression.
- Hushh! you fucking moron, don''t be so loud!
The lanky man yelled in a whisper and gestured exaggeratedly.
Dozens of people behind didn''t dare breathe too loudly.
- Hehe, the city lord will greatly reward us. The riches, the women, and especially...status! We, the Scarlet gang won''t lack anything!
The lanky man showed a dreamy expression as if everything he desired would soon be in his grasp. Obviously, this whole thing was his ''genius'' idea.
- But boss...
- Husshh, what did I say? What did I say, I tell you?! Listen up maggots, the enemy isn''t wet behind ears. They are retired soldiers and adventurers but fret not, we aren''t pushovers either. Besides, how can 150 men fail to capture a mere 30 or so unsuspecting bunch? That''s right, capture! You can break their legs, but don''t kill them. They need to be handed over to the city lord. Is everything clear?
Everyone nodded their heads.
- Oh, right, Blazer! Don''t touch the castle! This is an order! These bastards possess the title deed, so we''ll be beaten like dogs later if we touch the property! Am I clear?
The bear-like man nodded with a serious, but still dumb expression.
- Alright, Seizer bro, I won''t do it.
- Really?
- You can count on me.
Blazer drummed a fist on his huge chest loudly as a sign of reassurance. The sound reverberated across the forest...
- You fucking bastard, what did I say? I will fucking kill you!
- Ow, ow, I''m so sorry boss, I won''t do it again...
The sneaky bunch didn''t move for a while and stayed low, so the people in the castle wouldn''t get suspicious.
When the time was ripe, Seizer showed a ruthless expression and bit off a chunk of apple and crunched nastily.
- Let''s crush them!
As he gave a command, his hand involuntarily crushed the apple in his hands...
- Son of a bitch! someone, give me a towel! Right now!
Seizer once again yelled in a whisper. The gang was helpless in dealing with their bosses, but one thing was clear. The Duo, Blazer, and Seizer were not to be underestimated, in combat at least.
* * *
Lorian''s ears perked up as his closed eyes shot open, glimmering with a blue sheen.
Sleeping with a mask became a habit. Who knew it would really show its use...
- Oh? We have some uninvited guests, huh? What time is it? How rude...What do you say, little one, should we greet them?
Lorian grinned as a petite shadowy figure appeared behind him.
Elaine cutely nodded her head.
- A pity I can''t wake the others in this condition. I''ll have to trouble you with this, oh, and tell them this...
After receiving Lorian''s instructions, Elaine left the room like a wind.
Lorian sighed as he lamented about the downstairs trip. Some icy-slidey trick did the job, but bumps along the way were annoying.
Before long, Lorian was outside the castle, sitting in his wheelchair in the open field, appearing at ease. The chilly wind didn''t make him feel a thing anymore. The moonlight stretched his shadow on the field. Elaine stood behind him expressionlessly, holding a dagger. Its edge shone dangerously.
Thirty or so men stood about ten meters behind them, covered by the shadow of the castle. Their expressions hid caution under their leisurely expression. However, they didn''t seem tense or worried at all.
The sound of movement could be heard in the front, from the trees, which encircled the castle.
Before long, dozens of people were revealed under the moonlight.
The lanky, short bearded, short man in the front had sneer plastered on his face as he spat some saliva, appearing disgruntled.
- Your caution doesn''t fall behind that of rats. I''ll give you that. But to greet us brothers with a cripple and a kid? Tch, how stingy, how overconfident.
Seizer growled with an angry expression. Clearly, they were being underestimated...and he didn''t like that feeling.
Lorian smiled under his mask as he spoke in a ''humble'' tone.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
- Brother''s overthinking things. We''ve already shown so much courtesy by greeting you here. One can''t be too greedy. Have you ever visited noble houses? They find a single butler sufficient as a guide to the guest. How can we be considered rude then? After all, there''s two of us here.
His meaning was full of sarcasm, meaning not to mention ''the cripple and a kid,'' even one of them would be enough to deal with them all...
Realizing the meaning behind his words, Seizer seethed in anger and showed a wretched smile.
- Big words. I wonder if you can back it up, cripple? Archers!
The Scarlet gang hesitated a little, but still followed his order. Didn''t he just say to not kill them? Wouldn''t the rain of arrows to finish a kid and a cripple be an overkill and a waste? But it made sense. Seizer hated it the most when people belittled him. He could also be thinking of scaring them, who knows?
But Seizer was serious. His arms were gripped as he showed a grin and ordered
- Fire!
The twanging sound echoed collectively. The air whistled as countless steel arrows whistled in the air. The rain of arrows was about to descend upon Lorian and Elaine with the purpose of ending their lives in an ugly way.
The Unlaughing gang tensed up. They had long since been convinced by Lorian, but they couldn''t help but worry.
- Boss!
Karl stopped the man who was about to jump about to join the battle. His expression showed determination and a strong belief.
- We need to follow the orders.
- But...will he be fine?
Someone asked anxiously.
Boris, who stood in the front, unmoving smiled wryly. If only this much was enough to deal with that monster...
Lorian faced the menacing descend of arrows unflinchingly, wearing a slight smile.
- Hide behind me.
He whispered gently as chilly mist started spreading around him. The ice crackling sounds filled the air. Thin ice threads started wriggling around his whole body like snakes.
- Ice thread: Cocoon!
Soon his body was fully covered in icy armor made out of thin ice threads. Only his cold, blue eyes were left uncovered. He crossed his hands to cover his face and prepared for the impact.
The heavy sound of metallic arrowheads colliding with something hard filled the air. The rain of arrows even pushed his wheelchair back couple of centimeters.
Seizer''s eyes changed as the alarm rang in his mind.
''These fluctuations...a mage?!''
The heavy steel arrows, which were strong enough to tear flesh and break bone continued being rebounded from Lorian''s icy armor.
Seizer''s brows tightened as he thought of something.
''No...a combat mage? Such terrific control. There''s something strange about his ice too. He''s...dangerous.''
Finally, the sounds stopped and the ice receded from Lorian''s body, revealing his wholly unharmed self.
- Everyone, charge!
Seizer realized, that his enemy didn''t have a large pool of world essence. The spell he had cast was terrific, increasing one''s defense and offense to the new level. Such spells couldn''t be cast by any random mage as without sufficient resistance against said element, high precision, talent, affinity and attunement it was impossible. He had to quickly finish him off before the aid would come.
The scarlet gang roared as they drew different menacing weapons and charged at Lorian.
Lorian himself revealed a ridiculing smile, then whispered gently.
- You can play with the back row.
Elaine obediently nodded her head and vanished like a wisp of smoke. Seconds later, the desperate yells and startled shrieks could be heard. The archers were being slaughtered like chicken by a small shadowy figure.
She was like a tiger in a flock of sheep. The peak mortal realm at such a young age. Terrifying killing skills and battle sense...she truly was a monster.
- Die!
Meanwhile, Lorian was surrounded by people who were a second away from hacking him with their blades.
Smiling coldly, chilly mist once again gathered and burst from his chest.
- Ice block: Repel!
Icy shockwave threw the attackers meters away. Their movements became rigid as a thin layer of ice had spread around their skin.
- Aaaah!
And their skin started cracking under the chilly ice.
Another row of people, who were ready to charge at him hesitated upon seeing the sight. Fear was apparent in their eyes
- Idiots! He''s a spent force. Finish him!
Seizer yelled hoarsely.
- Bastard, die!
Suddenly the man, whose brother was swept in Lorian''s previous attack took the initiative and charged at Lorian and lifted his blade to gather the momentum. The others followed his lead with a loud shout.
Lorian cursed under his breath. He was already running low on mana.
Without enough money, he could only be satisfied with self-study from the library of the castle. However, such method was way too dangerous. His recent injury was the result of his failure in his spell experimentation. This new injury stacked with the old ones, which weren''t healed properly. This is why he was in such state once again...
''Force step''
His left leg pushed on the ground and propelled his wheelchair to roll backward. The ice floor was being created underneath as the wheelchair rolled at high speeds. The figures of the attackers were getting smaller in his eyes...but he wasn''t done.
He withdrew several flying daggers, froze them and flung his hand.
The frozen daggers exploded into ice metal shards and embedded into dozens of people from the Scarlet gang.
Karl caught Lorian''s wheelchair which was sliding on the newly created ice path in their direction.
- Impressive.
He said with a smile. The people from the Unlaughing wore reverent expressions as they looked at Lorian.
- Your turn, everyone. Don''t show mercy.
Lorian spoke softly. The Unlaughing gang roared vigorously as they charged at the enemy, which was thoroughly disoriented from Lorian''s and Elaine''s assault.
- Leave it to us, Boss!
- Yeah, let''s show them what Unlaughing gang is made of!
- Beat them, boys!
The full-scale battle unfolded. Though Unlaughing gang was inferior in numbers, their battle strength was preserved, while the majority of the enemies were injured and disorganized. The Unlaughing gang''s people were mostly near the peak stage of the mortal realm, which means their all-out punch could fracture normal person''s bones. Their battle experience wasn''t lacking either, so they easily dominated the battle from the first moment, but as soon as they engaged with 2-3 enemies, they were being held down.
Seizer was at the brink of insanity as he charged at Unlaughing gang with a menacing look, ready to drink their blood.
- Not so fast.
Karl descended down with his greatsword and flung Seizer couple of meters away. He could only stabilize his body after taking several steps back.
Seizer sneered and didn''t back off, unafraid of Karl''s huge frame.
Meanwhile, Blazer''s muscles bulged as his cudgel was raised in the air.
- Your opponent is me!
Boris yelled and stood in front of him, wielding double maces.
- Flaming strike!
Blazer yelled as his cudgel caught fire. Boris met the attack by crossing the maces above his head.
*BANG!!!
His feet sunk in the ground as his bulky feet almost crumbled then and there.
Boris didn''t seem to mind at all as he pushed back with his double maces.
Boris yelled and the top of his maces buzzed with electricity. Blazer''s grip weakened as his hands were numbed. Then, he was pushed back.
- Thunderclap!
Boris hit two maces on each other. The shockwave numbed over dozen men, giving his allies opportunity to finish them off.
Seizer was having an upper hand as he sneaked around Karl like a fox and attacked here and there, weakening him. However, seeing the dire situation he could only grit his teeth and order.
- Retreat!
The Scarlet gang fled like beaten dogs, leaving 3 to 4 dozen dead comrades behind.
- You''ll pay for this!
Seizer left these words while showing wretched expression and fled without looking back.
Lorian was silently watching from a distance as the things unfolded.
A robust figure appeared behind him.
- Do you think it was his doing?
It was Genos!
Lorian shook his head.
- Unlikely, city lord''s going to be pissed I guess. He''ll be pressured in the auction. That''s not a bad thing.
Genos stood in silence as he stared at him.
- I don''t know what you''re thinking. We are still too weak to face them...no, we never had a chance. Once the auction ends, the city lord will no longer hold back.
Lorian smiled as he asked.
- And you''re still willing to follow me?
- I''ll do everything to have my revenge, even if the chances are low.
- What about your daughter?
- She''s in safe hands. Now that I''m alone, I''m free to get everything back owed with interest.
Genos spoke unhurriedly, but his eyes revealed suppressed flames, which would one day burst out.
Lorian pushed the wheels and slid towards the castle''s door''s direction.
- Very well, I''ll try my best to not disappoint.
Genos remained standing with tranquil expression, watching the gang gather the spoils of battle. Their moods seemed great as they were being loud.
However, Genos couldn''t share with their happiness. There was no lack of worries burdening his heart.
Chapter 37 All attributes
It was already midnight, but sleep didn''t come to Lorian. He was still feeling a bit weak, but fortunately, he received no more injuries in the battle, so a little rest would be sufficient for recovery.
Lorian lit up the lamp and searched for some book to read. Finally, he found one in the small hill of books, that were messily scattered on the table. The book cover was rusty and unadorned, while the papers were thick and coarse.
Unknowingly, he was absorbed in reading.
''''The magic has two main characteristics: Polarity and alignment.''''
This book was like a hidden gem, containing inspiring and enlightening basic information about magic, narrated in a simple and easy to understand way. Lorian was fascinated as he read on.
The world was based on laws. The people who were talented could gather ''world essence,'' a type of energy that existed in the world to use it as a medium to control the minimal fraction of world''s laws according to their understanding and insight.
Lorian''s anti-poison body accommodated ice into his body so he developed resistance and affinity towards the ice element. This allowed him to start on the path of magic. He could now absorb ice element from meditation and turn it into world essence. As a result, the synergy of frostbite and magic gave birth to ice, which was much more potent.
Besides, ice element was of negative polarity, which became more active (stronger) at night.
The elements of water, earth, fire, and wind were called basic elements because they were everywhere. Hence, their laws were easier to grasp at the basic level. As for more complicated laws, the training in them was harder, butcorrespondingly, their spells were more unique.
Pyromancers, necromancers, priests, arcanists...though their path differed, the stages they had to go through in world essence cultivation was the same. Hence, the mage was their collective name.
The world was harsher on people, who used dark magic. They were labeled as heretics and condemned by the holy church. It couldn''t be helped. The dark magic was of the evil alignment. Dark spells were stronger and harder to defend against. Of course, it was harder to advance in the corrupted path.
Like magic, the warrior was collective name of people, who developed their physique. Archers, guardians, assassins...their battle style and skills didn''t matter. They were still called warriors. People''s training methods and innate genes would determine slight variations in physique.
Lorian found more time to dive into books, so he became more knowledgeable about things he was previously ignorant about. For example, he didn''t know, that after ascending to 1-star warrior rank, normal exercises wouldn''t help one advance any longer. No matter how many push-ups he did, his strength wouldn''t grow. Of course, exercises could help his body stay in peak condition, but that was about it...
To advance, one had to practice a set of skills. Such skills were long since acquired and monopolized by higher-ups. Many were unwilling to become slaves of noble families and chose to sacrifice their future, forever stagnating at a 1-star level. The people at the top had many harsh ways to manipulate and control pitiful commoners, who desired stronger power...this is why people were reluctant, but this wasn''t the case for everyone. Ambitions and greed were human nature, after all.
Fortunately, Lorian didn''t need to worry about allegiance. With the help of the system, he could become stronger simply by killing.
''''I''ve stagnated for a long while now. Fortunately, I found the suitable monster and its location, but the way I am now, I have no chance at beating it. I need to recover first. I''ll need high-grade holy water for that, which requires a lot of money. Because of that, auction can''t go wrong.''''
The person, who submitted the item could also bid for the same item to increase the price, but if something went wrong and the last bidder became the submitter of said item and didn''t have the money, he would have to publically announce that he was the seller and the item would return to the previous bidder. The repercussions of such mishap were tripled commision fee, which was quite harsh. To avoid such embarrassment, the information about the bidders couldn''t be lacking. Lorian knew city lord''s capital, the value of the item in his eyes and other small details, that needed to be noted. He also required accurate judgment in case variations occurred.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.
Lorian continued reading and committing the important details in mind. He would sometimes experiment after reading a certain paragraph. His experiments were docile in nature as he focused on precision and control of magic, rather than explosiveness.
To be blunt, his magic was already quite formidable if he used holy water as a catalyst, so he needed to focus on reducing the usage of world essence by sheer control.
Just as he turned over the new page, his mind trembled as information was stuffed in his mind.
Looking down, he read
''''6 paths of ascension''''
Then came a system notification.
|
World ascension knowledge gained.
The attributes have been finalized.
Title gained: Maven of truth
+0.1 vision
|
Lorian''s mind trembled as he processed the information gained. He closed his eyes, then opened them and started appraising his 6 attributes. The system didn''t give a stingy answer this time.
''''So that''s how it was. I needed to find about them on my own. Well, I think I found about it much earlier than expected.''''
| Spirit - Power of soul. Affects willpower (Mental resistance) and talent. Leads to the path of Celestials. |
| Attunement - Affinity with world essence, laws and elements. The attuned host has a higher chance of gaining enlightenment and can deal higher elemental damage. The purity of world essence is more compact and vibrant for those with high attunement. Leads to the path of Transcendents. |
| Vision - Increases perception, insight, and foresight. Leads to the path of Sages. |
| Faith - Belief has become mysteriously powerful law under the influence of gods. Those who believe can even perform miracles throughout life. Leads to the path of Saints. |
| Bloodline - The ancestral heritage of high entities left in their descendants. Leads to the path of Ancestors. |
| Physique - Increases overall physical capabilities. Easily the hardest attribute to raise. Leads to the path of Asura. |
These attributes weren''t as simple as Lorian had imagined. According to information stuffed in his head, these attributes remain 1.0 for the majority of the people, regardless of how powerful they become. It was a rarity to find someone, who raised even one attribute beyond 2.0. Obviously, some people were born with superior attributes. The world wasn''t fair, after all.
What did it mean to have 2.0 physique for example? It meant that you were two times physically more powerful than someone on the same level as you, regardless of which stage you were at. This was simply an overwhelming advantage.
The way to raise the attributes wasn''t set, but Lorian guessed one way was through consuming natural worldly treasures, which could thoroughly reconstruct and change the person. However, obviously, despite high demand, there would be the scarce stock of such items. After all, who in the right mind would sell something like that?
Another way to increase attributes would be some special circumstances, where one broke through one''s limits as it happened to Lorian. The third, the most obvious way was gaining various titles. There was no 4th way Lorian knew of.
''''Status''''
Lorian opened his status window to see whether other attributes appeared or not...they did, but they were set at 1.0
| Lorian Ellins |
|
Warrior (Level 0) (10000/10000)
Mage (Level 0) (1450/10000)
|
| General Exp: 321 |
| Battle Exp: 887 |
|
Titles: Returnee (+ 1 affinity with negative alignment,+ 1 all resistance value,+ 1 killing intent)
Maven of truth (+0.1 vision)
|
| Innate trait: Anti-poison body (Level 2) |
|
Skills: Basic sword mastery (Level 3) (1600/20000)
Basic dagger mastery (Level 1) (1100/10000)
Frostbite (Level 2)(0/400)
Force step (Level 1)(430/1000)
Spells: Ice thread: Cocoon (1st incomplete circle)
Ice block: Repel (1st incomplete circle)
|
|
Attributes:
Spirit: 1.2
Attunement: 1.1
Vision: 1.1
Faith: 1.0
Bloodline: 1.0
Physique: 1.0
|
There were some changes in his status. The anti-poison body reached level 2, but it seemed to have reached the bottleneck. Constant use of frostbite no longer seemed to be affecting it. The two magic spells were created by himself through trial and error, so they were a bit unstable and inefficient in usage. However, they weren''t basic spells, but 1st circle incomplete ones. Hence, the world essence consumption for them was enormous for current him. He could only use the two spells once in battle before he ran out of world essence.
...
*Yawn
After all that, Lorian''s eyelids started feeling heavy. He fell asleep in the pile of books.
Chapter 38 Auction
The auction house was crowded with people. The mixed voices could be heard.
- So annoying.
An extremely handsome man commented from his lounge as he sipped his wine.
4 beautiful girls could be seen standing around him. All of them had their own unique charms and were absolutely top-notch beauties. However, what was queer was none of them were talking and their eyes seemed a bit hollow.
- Hmm?
The young man smiled as a new person appeared in the nearby lounge.
There were only 10 lounges in the auction room, built several meters above the floor. The lounges were small but luxurious and exquisite. The walls were made out of crystal clear glass.
Any single man, who could appear in these lounges had great authority, so Erik was a bit startled when he saw an unfamiliar strange man appear.
The newly arrived was dressed strangely and sat in a wheelchair. He was accompanied by 3 men.
- Hey neighbor, I''ll toast you.
Erik gave a friendly smile as he raised the wine cup in Lorian''s direction.
Lorian gave the strange young man an indifferent glance and then ignored him.
Erik sighed and downed the cup, feeling bored.
- Early bird gets the worm, bullshit! All this early bird got was a boredom...little flower, can you give me a little massage? This young master is feeling so stiff down there.
The young man laughed in a perverted way.
No objections rose. The young master started having a great time.
* * *
Lorian gave the handsome young master a bewildered gaze.
''''He sure knows how to enjoy himself...geez, how shameless, go get a room.''''
He cursed in his mind and tension he felt alleviated a little bit.
Looking down, the seats were already crowded, but only 2/10 VIPs have appeared thus far, him and that strange young man.
He wasn''t some kind of bigshot to get this seat, but since he was the seller of the most important item of this auction, he was given the privilege.
Soon, even these VIPs appeared one by one. There were 3 barons, middle-aged scholars and fat, crafty merchants among them. The last one to appear was gallant looking city lord with an elongated head and a handful of silver hair. He radiated dominance, confidence, and majesty.
The crowd below rose from their seats and sang their praises, but not everyone was that bootlicking and respectful to the city lord...
- Un! Believable! Morses, you old bastard, irresponsible dog! Is this how you control a city? Every place is full of gangs and thugs. See that empty seat? Ronelle was murdered this morning! How do you explain this, huh? No, I can''t leave this be, I''ll report everything to his majesty so incompetent, irresponsible people like you can get lost!
The thin old official dressed in scholar robes fumed as he reprimanded in a harsh tone.
Lorian was quite surprised.
''''This old thing hassuch guts.''''
City lord Morses remained indifferent as he answered.
- Old rats who can only fart out of their stinky mouth, so what if one or two of you old things die? All you do is brainfuck the palace with your conservant ideas. What use is that?Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
The city lord cursed with a straight face and calm tone.
Lorian was speechless as he listened to this person of authority curse like a thug with elegant poise.
- You...you...
The old official was livid with anger as he pointed his wrinkled trembling finger at city lord, but he choked on his words from anger.
- Haha, so glad to see you old ones so boisterous even at this age. Even young people would be envious of your liveliness.
Kind looking fat merchant chuckled as fats on his belly flopped up and down. His eyes turned into slits as he smiled.
- What bunch of clowns, so disappointing. You old people don''t even care about face. It''s nothing unexpected, I guess. How can rural local overlords and ragtag clowns understand the dignity of a ruler?
The young baron mercilessly criticized them. His fearless demeanor was truly something else.
- You know what? I like here. The authorities in the royal capital have their heads held up like peacocks. Even the smallest offense won''t be pardoned. It''s so stressful.
Another young baron chimed in.
- Humph.
The representative of last baron''s house snorted with disdain as if it was beneath him to argue with a bunch of kids.
The other two were unhappy, but even barons had a hierarchy and even if they looked ignorant, they knew where they stood, who can''t be offended, who they should distance themselves from and what is in their sphere of influence.
- The auction is starting.
The city lord looked quite calm and nonchalant in face of criticism.
In VIP lounges, some people had more, while others less authority than the city lord. However, even more, influential barons didn''t dare anger the local lord too much in his own domain. Their arrogance couldn''t help but inflate though, seeing so many people of lower status,so they established dominance from the start.
- Welcome lads and ladies. Today, this old one has the honor to host this auction.
The old auctioneer''s magnetic voice calmed the crowd down.
The city lord secretly glanced at Lorian and Erik, coldness in his eyes.
The duo felt the passing fiery gaze, which was gone in a second.
Lorian couldn''t help but feel uncomfortable. That man was several times stronger than him and didn''t have any good intentions towards him. He quickly got over it though and feigned ignorance. He wasn''t here to cause trouble. He would remain low key if circumstances allowed it. Having felt a competitive atmosphere, he couldn''t help, but think him coming here held no meaning, but everything happens. In case of emergency, he needs to be here to raise the price.
As for Erik, he continued smiling, as if he didn''t feel the ill-intended gaze.
The auction moved at a slow pace. Some decent items - useful herbs, rare medicines, decent weapons and so on appeared. Even 3 first circle magic scrolled made its appearance, which went to the fat merchant in the end.
Finally, after over an hour, the main dish appeared...
The auctioneer coughed and cleared his voice, then announced the following item.
- I guess everyone''s been waiting for this moment. Bloodlines! We know how rare and useful they are. Even the weakest bloodline owner can sweep the floor with people at the same level. Today we''ll be auctioning a drop of snow wolf bloodline!
The auctioneer intentionally paused. The commotion rose as not everyone was informed of today''s main item. They only knew something extraordinary was auctioned off.
The atmosphere visibly tensed in the lounges too. Erik''s sleepy countenance quickly disappeared. City lord''s eyes flashed with a strange glint. The young barons also revealed excitement from their eyes. How great would it be if their trusted strong subordinates got the bloodline? It would be an immense boost to their house.
- The snow wolves are noble hunters, disdaining hunting in packs. The person who inherits the bloodline will have his physique risen by 20% of the base. Their attacks will also contain rare ice attribute.
Everyone''s blood surged as they heard this. Their power level didn''t matter. As long as they consumed this drop of bloodline, they would permanently become superior to thousands upon thousands of people.
The auctioneer smiled as he continued.
- Everyone knows how thin normal monster''s bloodline is compared to their ancestor''s. There''s virtually no chance to extract it even after tens of thousands of attempts. The drop of bloodline from low-level monsters is even rarer than bloodline from high-level monsters, but, let''s be honest, nobody here can afford the bloodline of high-level monster.
Even the city lord clenched his teeth and tightened his fists after hearing this. It was true. And this drop of bloodline was the best option to permanently raise his strength.
The barons'' breathing also got rushed as they heard this. This opportunity was simply too rare and they absolutely couldn''t afford to pass it.
The auctioneer was smiling all along.
The alluring young girl entered the stage and handed over the exquisite vial to the auctioneer.
Everyone''s breathing got hurried as they stared at lively, slithering drop of blood in the exquisite vial.
- The starting price is 20 gold coins. The smallest bid increment - 500 silvers. The auctioning of snow wolf bloodline...begins!
Lorian was excited as he listened to auctioneer''s advertisement. He didn''t feel regret selling it as one could only possess a limited amount of bloodlines and his ambitions weren''t low enough to consume F grade bloodline. He could give it to his subordinates, but now he needed the money the most.
Lorian looked at formidable auctioneer''s smiling face and couldn''t help, but wonder as to who was this old man, who could tame the crowd this easily. Eloquence wasn''t enough to deal with people. Strength was required. Lorian only knew this auction house had a great background, but wasn''t awareof its extent and didn''t know which representative they would send either.
He scrutinized the old man with his high perception, but still got the feeling of a normal old man from him. This couldn''t help but make him more cautious. There were some people he couldn''t offend currently. He had to be clear about this fact.
Chapter 39 Youre free now (1)
*BOOM! CRASH!
The muffled sound of thunder rang from the outside. The windows revealed a gloomy sky and grey clouds. The heavy rain poured on the windows, giving soft sounds. One would unconsciously feel safer in the building in such weather, but instead, everybody was feeling tense now, the reason being...
- 25 gold!
The city lord thundered. The strike of thunder and the city lord''s voice rang at the same time, causing everyone to unconsciously fear this unyielding figure.
Threatening was prohibited in the auction as it would get you banned, but clever people could use other methods as a force of deterrence.
The loud and unyielding voice made it clear, he was determined to get the item and those who would stand in his way wouldn''t come off too well. To emphasize his forceful stance, he even rose the price by a whole 5 gold coins!
Who would dare to anger the local lord in his own domain? No wise would, hence the silence descended.
Lorian''s heart sank as the thing that he was afraid of happened. If no cannon fodder appeared, he would be forced to take it upon himself and enter indirect confrontation much earlier than intended.
- Humph, 26 gold.
Lorian''s heart eased upon hearing the sneering voice.
The voice belonged to Keles, the middle-aged representative of Baron Mollie''s house. Clearly, he wasn''t the least bit afraid of the city lord.
''''Seems my interference is no longer required.''''
Lorian silently heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed in his seat.
As for the city lord, his expression couldn''t help but sour as he glared at Keles angrily.
Keles glared back with a gaze full of ridicule, then completely ignored him.
The city lord forced down his rage and restored the calm expression. Since the opponent wasn''t subdued with authority, he could only compete with money. However, the grudge took shape in his heart.
- 27.
- 28.
- 29.
The voice of the duo rang one after another. They seemed like bickering children.They were having a competition of wealth and patience. None of them rose the price by multiple tens even if they could afford it.
- 78.
A hint of impatience could already be detected in the city lord''s voice. He already cursed the middle-aged bastard''s eighteen generations in his mind. His heart bled as the price long since surpassed the reasonable amount.
Life is as such. One weeps, while others are joyful.
Lorian couldn''t be more happy with the happenings.
- It seems the lord is really determined. This old one admires the city lord''s determination, hence I can only step down. Take it as a favor granted from the house of Mollie.
The middle-aged man, Keles chirped ''sincerely.''
The city lord almost spat blood from anger. He was thoroughly played with, while the thick-skinned bastard dared to sound magnanimous to his face as if giving a favor.
''''Well, fucking thank you, I''m your grandchild.''''
The city lord jested in his heart but stayed indifferent from the outside. However, his twitching eyebrow and flame-shooting eyes revealed, he was thoroughly offended.
Fortunately, his objective was achieved. He would soon receive a massive boost in strength and then, things would change.
- Anybody else?
The auctioneer smiled as he asked out of obligation. As expected, nobody else competed. After counting to three, the auctioneer congratulated the city lord as he declared him the winner.
The city lord was feeling happy he achieved his goal.
*Whoosh, whoosh~
The momentof distraction wasn''t wasted.
- You dare?!
The city lord came to sense and roared as mighty aura was unleashed from his body...but it was too late.
- Agghgg~
The young son of baron desperately clutched his neck, but couldn''t stop the overflowing blood. He gurgled and choked on his blood and...
*Plop
Fell down, dead. His eyes were still wide open with despair and disbelief. His life ended then and there, just like that. His status didn''t matter. His strength didn''t matter. His arrogance, his dreams, nothing held meaning anymore.
- YOUNG MASTER!
The bodyguard, who couldn''t react in time roared, maddened and checked on the unmoving body of a bright looking teenager. However, no matter how hard he shook him, it was too late. He was already dead.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
The young baron''s son wasn''t the only victim.
The commotion rose instantly as 5 main people died from VIP lounges.
The auctioneer''s eyes flashed as he spotted the suspicious man in the crowd. His thoughts unknown, he chose to remain standing.
Lorian, Erik, city lord, 3 representatives from baron houses, 2 wealthy merchants and 1 official took the VIP places. The last spot, where another official should have been was absent as he was murdered some time ago.
That was already more than enough to give the city lord more than a headache, but now...
The sons of 2 different barons, 2 wealthy merchants and the remaining official also died in his city. The consequences would be...he didn''t even want to think about it.
He ignored the mourning and panicked voices and...
*KSHHH~
His punch broke the glass wall of the luxurious lounge.
- Die!
He descended in the crowd of people like a mighty falcon, locking on the rapidly fleeing cloaked figure.
- Easy there.
The smiling face of handsome Erik appeared in front of city lord.
- Scram!
The city lord roared as he intended to grab Erik''s neck with his claw-shaped palm.
Erik sneered as 4 beauties appeared around him.
City lord''s eyes widened as he hastily retreated.
He barely dodged the black missile, fluctuating sword slashes and assassinating dagger to his throat.
Erik sneered in his heart.
''''So what if you are stronger than me? Aren''t the humans able to kill beasts several times stronger than them? No matter how good your defenses are, are your eyeballs as tough as your skin? The human is made out of flesh and blood and is full of weaknesses.''''
- Shit! Let''s go.
Lorian and his small group quickly left for safety. Reclaiming the gold coins would have to wait until later. As for the ongoing fight, it had nothing to do with him...
Seeing the culprit fleeing out of his sight and auctioneer not making his move, the city lord raged as he shouted
- Guards!
*Bang!
The auction''s huge door shattered as 10 figures armed to the teeth appeared to intercept the culprit.
*Hong!
The armored guard withdrew enormous sword from his back and hacked the culprit.
The cloaked figure was forced to sidestep and angle his small round shield perfectly to avoid dying in guard''s hands, unable to stop his fleeing momentum.
But he soon found himself surrounded.
He was horrified as he realized the power of the armored guards. 3-star!
The city lord indeed hid his forces well.
- If you''ve come, why not stay?
The armored guard spoke icily.
The cloaked figure held crossbow in one hand and a small round shield in another.
- Aegis!
Under the barrage of countless attacks, he was forced to use his precious life-saving skill.
The yellow transparent sphere appeared around him, which cracked under the combined assault of the ten 3-star warriors.
However, he won enough time to perform the following action. He withdrew dark red arrow and quickly reloaded the crossbow. The arrow was aimed at the nearby armored guard. The distance was too close, so evasion was impossible.
However, the guard managed to cross his arms in order to reduce the damage just in time. He was feeling unprecedented danger from the incoming arrow.
*BOOM!
The trail of blood sprouted in the air as the deafening explosion occurred. The armored guards were catapulted in different directions and crashed into many things along the way. The one who was struck by the explosive arrow was charred like a charcoal. The parts of his metal chainmail had been melted. Bones and internal organs were revealed on his body in different places. His eyes were rolled backward. His state, dead or alive, unknown.
The others didn''t come out unscathed either as damage dealt varied.
The fleeing crowd panicked even more and ignored the consequences while clawing their way out of the building.
Meanwhile, the hurried steps of approaching soldiers neared the auction house.
- Detain him!
The city lord howled as he dealt with Erik and his harem.
The cloaked culprit could only use his shield to block the explosion and only managed to defend the important vitals. Otherwise, he was also heavily injured. He didn''t delay though and activated another life-saving skill. His figure appeared to be fading in and out of existence as it darted between the platoon of soldiers.
The dispersing crowd looked really miserable. The aftershocks and maniacal fleeing caused few casualties. But, would the city lord care about more casualties when the responsibility of several big shots'' death already fell in his hands?
- You won''t leave here alive.
He growled as he confronted Erik. His heart was feeling heavy as the culprit already escaped. So he decided to vent his venom on Erik. He knew it too well, this smiling youngster was also one of the conspirators.
Tens of highly ranked soldiers had already surrounded the auction house meanwhile. They tightly locked down the place.
- I''ll have to disappoint you.
Erik smiled as he dashed away along with his harem, slaughtering anyone in his way at astonishing speed.
He looked like a demon as he harvested lives with his short sword. His attacks never missed the weak point. One shot, one kill.
But as he was fleeing, the queer voice rang in his ears.
- Delay him.
Erik''s face turned pale.
- For how long?
He transmitted the voice. Delaying the city lord, whose strength was several times higher than his was no easy task. Besides, there were ten 3-star warriors and several dozen 2-star warriors in his way.
- For as long as it takes. Devil''s candle doesn''t have useless people, right hand.
After hearing the chilling voice, heart-piercing pain transmitted in his brain.
- Mmffgghh!!!
Erik''s handsome face contorted as the brand of ash shone from his neck.
- Very well.
Erik gritted his teeth and stopped fleeing. His harem quickly surrounded him, looking cautious and protective.
*Step, step, step...
The soldiers split and gave way to the city lord, who was approaching unhurriedly.
- What''s wrong? Why are you not fleeing? Could it be that you are thinking you can beat me?
The city lord asked, puzzled. His hands were crossed behind his back, appearing as majestic as ever. His gown didn''t get wet from pouring rain. Evidently, a decent enchantment was inscribed on it.
Erik just stood there, unmoving, refusing to even turn around and face the lord.
- Are you interested in my story?
Erik''s desolate and bleak voice entered the city lord''s ears.
The eyes of Morses shone. It was really a great temptation. Who wouldn''t like to know and hear more about the mysterious Devil''s Candle, even if it wasn''t directly related to it? However, he quickly regained his composure. There was simply no reason for Erik to tell him anything.
- Are you tasked to win some time?
The city lord smiled.
- Hahahaha~
Erik turned around and started laughing exaggeratedly, holding his face in his hands.
Just as the city lord was getting impatient and was on the verge of ordering his soldiers, Erik started speaking.
- Indeed, old fox''s not so easily fooled. Well then, all I can do now is to get serious about this.
Erik winked and nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders, then shook his head.
He looked up at the gloomy sky with smiling expression. The wind blew. The fickle leaves split off from tree branches and drifted in the air.
But the leaves didn''t fall to the ground, as if unwilling to admit they''ve lost their life and vitality and would wither in the mud.
The city lord''s expression turned solemn.
The falling leaves started dancing around Erik''s body harmoniously.
Erik grabbed the small falling leaf between his fingers and muttered.
- Life is so frail and feeble. And yet, why does it have to be so cruel to us? Before we know it, we became what we originally weren''t meant to be, what we are now. How many untold sorrows did the mud burry? Did they hold any meaning? Is it gone? Has it become karma? And so then, will I also be part of it when the time runs out?
The wind howled. The feeble leaf drifted from Erik''s hand.
*Plop
The sound of a heavy body falling andmetal armor clanking rang in the midst of rain eerily.
The soldiers felt chill on their backs as some of them unconsciously took a step back.
Erik''s face had turned savage as he muttered his last words
- Life itself...is the greatest sorrow of life.
Chapter 40 Youre free now (2)
The city lord''s expression soured as he saw the scene in front. It was a massacre and one-sided one at that.
Hundreds of leaves danced around Erik''s body and fluttered as they intercepted arrows, blocked swords and took lives. He never knew the thin leaf blade could be so sharp. The impressive armor the soldiers wore was a paper defense against these fluttering leaves, which slit throats all around.
Finally, the city lord couldn''t watch the meaningless slaughter and raised his hand.
- All of you, retreat.
The soldiers obeyed unconditionally. Nobody rose an objection. They were thoroughly scared. No matter how many came, they would just be foolishly throwing their lives away.
The smile lingered on Erik''s handsome face as he stopped slaughtering.
- You guys retreat as well.
The beauties nodded their heads and left their master and the city lord facing each other.
- You''ve got quite a heartless followers there.
The city lord taunted.
Erik grinned in response.
- You''re wrong, I''m the heartless one. They''re just obedient.
Morses''s ring flashed and two brown leathered gauntlet adorned with red gems on top appeared in the air. He put the gauntlets on with a single motion and clutched a fist. The bone crackling sound rang.
- It''s been a while since I''ve gone all out.
Erik responded with disdainful words.
- Even tigers go all out to hunt rabbits, is it? How unimpressive, this young master is disappointed.
The city lord didn''t take it to heart.
- I wouldn''t dare underestimate someone from The Devil''s Candle.
Erik didn''t dally any longer and jumped back, but the fluttering leaves flew forward. The surface of the leaves started reddening.
- Summer leaf: Incinerate!
*Boom!
In split second, the city lord was enveloped in hundreds of leaves, which exploded into dark red flames.
Erik didn''t dare slacken his focus as he watched the smoke and the flame disperse.
The fire caught the nearby trees but didn''t manage to spread far as the heavy rain quickly put the flames down.
The faint humanoid figure could be seen walking out of the subsiding flames.
*Crack, crumble~
The layer of earth shell crumbled away from the city lord''s skin. He didn''t seem injured in any way.
Sensing the dangerous fluctuation around the city lord, Erik quickly dashed away into the forest.
The city lord grinned like a predator and clutched his fist, which was enveloped in the brown glow.
- Earthern dust: Molding coffin!
- Huh?
Erik''s body felt as heavy as a lead. His eyes widened when his magic perception noticed unnoticeably small specs of earth dust started covering the surface of his body.
''''That''s bad!''''
He thought alarmed and chanted the skill before he was completely petrified.
- Autumn leaf: Wither!
The nearby leaves detached themselves from trees and fluttered in Erik''s direction. The leaves changed colors and took reddish-yellowish glow. Hundreds of leaves quickly covered his whole body.
The earth dust quickly crumbled under the withering aura of hundreds of leaves and soon, he was freed.
- Too slow.
The figure of grinning city lord appeared right in front of him. Erik''s eyes constricted and made the nearby leaves intercept the city lord''s closing fist.
*Bang!
However, the leaves couldn''t intercept the city lord''s heavy strike and were quickly tore through. The hammer-like fist struck his chest and made him fly several meters away. His body flew like a kite, tearing through 2 tree trunks along the way.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
- Guh, cough, cough, cough~
He started vomiting blood upon coming to stop. He felt his whole ribcage was shattered. The city lord was truly a monster of his own realm.
Erik''s trembling hand clutched the grass as he forced himself to stand.
''''I can''t die, not yet!''
- Spring leaf: Rejuvenate!
The light green glowing leaves enveloped him and started healing his wounds, but they weren''t quick enough.
The demonic figure of city lord was approaching unhurriedly.
Erik wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and straightened his trembling body up.
''''Will I be able to hold out long enough?''''
He thought bitterly.
- Winter leaf: Death!
The surrounding vegetation started decayed and shriveling. The city lord stopped mid-track and didn''t dare advance carelessly.
Erik grinned as gloomy aura started to spread around the area.
* * *
The city looked gloomy. The streets were full of blood and corpses. The eerie silence enveloped the houses. No sound could be heard, except for the creepy howling of the wind and the sound of rain.
The demonic figure enveloped in dark green light flashed from house to house.
Everything ended in split second. No commotion rose, because nobody had the time to react.
The city was dying.
The dual blades of Mantis shook as he finally finished slaughtering greater half of the city.
Silence!
His ring flashed and several grotesque items appeared around him.
*CHI
The blood sprouted from his finger and dripped to the ground. The creepy items gave a dark glow and the dark formation circle started taking shape on the ground below.
The river of blood started moving towards the formation and disappeared inside. The corpses scattered all around the city had their blood awakened. The blood moved like an endless tide.
The ghostly shrieks could be heard from around the formation.
Mantis felt his soul shake as he turned pale, but grit his teeth and held on.
Finally, it was done. The formation disappeared without a trace. Only the bloodless corpses were left in the city.
*Clank
Antique looking small metal fragment appeared in place of formation.
Mantis picked up the fragment and felt his blood turn cold.
''''Hell gates key fragment.''''
He thought solemnly.
- Dark ritual, success. Good, the quality was high enough this time.
The eerie voice sounded from behind.
- I''ll take that.
The fragment disappeared from Mantis'' hands.
- Faceless.
Mantis muttered solemnly.
- The big shots will be drawn out, but no worries, there''s no need to flee.
Faceless laughed hoarsely.
- Isn''t it useless? There''s no way the upper echelon will come. What''s the point then?
Two indents and the creepy line appeared on Faceless'' empty grey face. He shook the fragment in his hand.
- At least we got this.
Mantis sighed with dejection.
- Who will be sent?
The creepy smiley line widened on Faceless'' grey face.
- Crane.
Mantis flinched, then started trembling.
- Fuck! Are they really sending that crazy woman?
- That''s not for us to decide.
Faceless faded into nothingness. However, it''s creepy smile lingered even after its disappearance.
* * *
- Go back.
The order was transmitted to him.
He could only smile wryly in response.
His body was sprawled on the ground. Blood covered his clothes and face. The city lord was unhurriedly approaching. His gauntlet was covered in blood.
Erik forced his trembling hands to push his body up a little. However, there wasn''t much strength in them.
He could only lean against the tree while taking big gulps of air.
- Any last words?
The city lord asked with a stoic face.
Erik grinned as he panted with less sound.
- You...can''t kill me.
The city lord gave him a look of pity.
- Are you dreaming?
Erik smiled a little and stared back at city lord''s gaze.
- I can''t die in...your hands. I...I can''t break...my promise.
His breathing got weaker as he said these words.
- The ones who...hate me the most should be the ones giving an end to my life. Huff, huff, won''t you grant a dying man''s wish?
Erik looked at him pitifully. The city lord''s expression fluctuated as he thought of something. He closed his eyes and nodded his head.
- Very well. However, I''ll see you to the end.
- Haha...
Erik laughed weakly and attempted to stand up, but failed.
- Can you give me a hand?
The city lord looked at him strangely, but seeing his expression, he helped him up in the end.
- Thank you.
Erik spoke sincerely and started walking slowly. The city lord was following him from behind. A strange sense of sorrow enveloped his heart as he saw the young man, who could barely hang on life moved forward in the woods. The sound of heavy rain also increased the gloom.
The city lord could leave him alone and Erik would survive, but he couldn''t do that.
The death of several big shots weighted down his back. The only way to survive the wrath of higher-ups was by killing this young man, which would be a huge merit.
Erik also knew his position. He could no longer be saved.
- Don''t you resent me?
The city lord spoke up with guilt.
- Haha...You''ve listened to my last wish, what more can I ask?
The sound of rain once again enveloped the surroundings. Theduo advanced slowly.
- Can I ask for a favor?
The city lord nodded his head.
- Take care of my loved ones. They''re not branded like I am.
Morses nodded his head.
He had a strange feeling that the young man walking in front wasn''t there. He seemed transcendent, otherworldly as if he...no longer belonged here.
Finally, a bare hill appeared in sight. The surrounding area was devoid of trees. Only gloomy sky could be seen looking down from above.
Erik''s face brightened as he saw his beautiful harem standing on a hill, waiting for him. Their beauty seemed even more transcendent than before.
Erikhugged and kissed the girls one by one. His eyes were full of tender love.
- You''re free now.
* Splat, splat
4 blades pierced his chest. The blood leaked and joined the rainwater.
Such was the last order of slavemaster Erik.
The hollow eyes of the girls regained color.
Erik''s pale face still had a lingering smile left. His eyes slowly closed. He could no longer support the weight of his body.
The city lord also couldn''t help, but tear up a little.
''''Death in lovers'' embrace, what a way to die.''''
This was the end of the nightmares of the poor girls. However, the horrifying things he did were forgotten at this moment. They held Erik''s corpse and mourned. Their wailing was heart-wrenching.
The brand of ash glowed on Erik''s neck. His body faded into ashes and turned into nothingness.
The city lord sighed as he approached the mourning girls, who have dropped to their knees with a heavy heart.
''''Life itself is the greatest sorrow of life. What great words. Hopefully, you can find peace in death.''''
Chapter 41 Journey
Like a chilly nightmare, the recent massacre shook everyone''s souls to the core.
When something goes wrong, people tend to complain to the higher-ups, but nobody complained about the lack of security this time.
The streets instantly turned busy. You could see people selling their properties at a dirt-cheap price, but...nobody was buying it. Everybody was evacuating, everybody was migrating, everybody wanted to escape from this city of horrors, that it turned in a single day.
Thousands of people dying soundlessly, bloodlessly, who could explain that? This was the story of ghosts and demons - utterly unexplainable. This crumbled the common knowledge of the people.
There were stories of strong ones, heroes, demons, and people of unimaginable powers, but in the end, something so creepily mysterious needed no questions, because nobody could answer to them and that was horrifying.
The city lord didn''t stop anyone. It was rumored he had also fled.
The crumbling of the city''s internal structure marked the foil of Unlaughing gang''s plans. They silently dispersed to relocate in the Flamestone city and remained low key as they could no longer oppose the city lord.
The city lord himself was summoned to explain and deal with the mess his city was in. The Rosewood became deserted in a matter of weeks. The grand Mashal of Salamander locked down the Rosewood in search for the culprits. Even some paladin envoys and emissaries were dispatched from the holy church, led by Apostle knight Rodrick.
Lorian himself managed to act in time.
After getting the gold coins, he stocked the healing potions, huge quantity of holy water of high concentration, some decent low-grade artifacts to enhance his battle strength and precious materials for practicing magic.
His ailments were gone, except for the limping leg, which wouldn''t heal lest he ingested some miracle medicines.
Fishing in troubled waters wasn''t hard either. Elaineavenged his grudges for him and assassinated his past offenders.
Following that, the duo also vanished from the dying city.
* * *
Lorian and Elaine sat in their cabins, feeling bored. It''s already been about 3 weeks since their departure.
The ship sailed at snail pace. Nothing particular was going on.
Elaine would practice with her daggers while Lorian was focused on magic.
''''What''s the difference between 1st circle magic and higher tier ones? It all comes down to the magic particle and its activity.''''
Lorian urged an ice particle to appear on the tip of his finger.
''''The magic particle takes the form of the element the host is attuned with and gains sustenance from user''s mana pool. The elemental density and magic volatility determines the potential power of the particle. However, it''s hard to control this volatility, which can harm the host. This is especially the case for negative alignment magic, where the energy is so berserk, it sometimes consumes the host. Greater power comes with greater responsibility, that''s for sure. To control the element, one needs affinity, attunement, and practice. There''s no shortcut to rising precision. It needs constant repetition and study.''''
Lorian sighed as he finished reading another book. He hesitated for a while, but in the end, decided to go along with it.
''''The world is nothing, but the well-constructed system. It doesn''t matter whether the god created it or nature is the god itself, but one thing is for sure, there''s a pattern to anything. Take the sun for example. It has its own system and sustains its own existence. I don''t believe I can''t create the mini system of my own with the help of magic.''''
If he succeeded in creating the mini system in his own body, he could always derive power from it, which would greatly boost his strength in dangerous situations.
Determined, Lorian decided to repeat the experiment that had previously costhim his health. It was safer now since he had a huge quantity of healing liquids and his comprehension was somewhat higher too.
Lorian sat in a meditative posture and cycled cold energy throughout his body. Cold strands of ice started accumulating in his own Dantian. His body experienced unprecedented coldness, but he grit his teeth to hang on.
''''That''s not right. To create a mini system, self-sustaining cycle needs to be created. The energy loss should be nill so the energy rotation ensures constant and permanency.''''
He controlled the strands of ice to revolve around, which dropped his body temperature at an all-time low. His muscles felt rigid and his head felt dizzy. The amount of control required to sustain the cycle was terrifying. The energy the mini-coregenerated in his Dantian was destructive and berserk. It threatened to collapse like last time.
Lorian grit his teeth and tried to incorporate every single bit of knowledge he had to guide the particles in a way, they would remain stable, but the pattern was not so easily drawn out. It was easy to envision it, but to control and make it work was impossibly hard.
*Bang
Something exploded in his body as he collapsed and convulsed on the ground.
''''I failed again.''''
Lorian thought bitterly and forced himself awake and withdrew a potion from his inventory, which grew in size by about 70% after his spirit attribute rose to 1.2
Soon, he had recovered. He closed his eyes and dwelled on his mistakes. He tried to remember the feeling of disorder and searched for ways to correct them. However, his insight wasn''t that great yet. He was still a novice, so he went back on his books and continued his research.
When the time came, he stopped his research and entered the Instances realm. In the last couple of days, he entered the new floors of the instances and cleared them one by one. After acquiring the high potency holy water and adding it to the picture along with his frostbite skill boosted by magic became incredibly destructive.
He was still halfway through becoming a First circle, 1-star mage, so the boost magic gave wasn''t that great, but it was certainly not negligible either.
Being at the peak of the mortal realm, his physical power wasn''t that great, only reaching up to roughly 250 pounds at all out punch. His deadliness didn''t lie in his raw strength though, but his ice control.
After clearing the several floors in instances, he received many new, surprising rewards, which greatly boosted his strength directly or indirectly.
The nightmare mode of the first floor was pretty challenging and the hell mode, even more so.
However, holy water of high concentration as a catalyst created ice of much higher destructive and restrictive power. The boss of the hell mode was...
| Frozen wolf sovereignFarax (Elite) |
| Mortal (5000/10000) |
| Skills: Frostbite, Chilling fury, Ice domain, Slash flurry, Freezing howl, Lockdown |
Though its skills were less, their power was scary. If his ice resistance wasn''t so high, he would have frozen to death way before he got the chance to fight.
Lorian''s ice was even more dominant and deadly, so this elite boss died in his hands.
The rewards were astonishingly handsome.
|
Frozen wolf sovereignFarax (Elite) Card
Description: The monster card can be summoned for 1 hour a day. The card disappears if the monster dies. The host can also morph into the card monster for 5 minutes and can have access to said monster''s skills. Host''s power level remains unchanged in the morphed state.
|
|
Monster realm: Mortal (5000/10000)Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Stats:
? 540
? 27-33
Skills:
Frostbite (Open wounds get invaded by chilling coldness)
Chilling fury (+30% agility, strength, dexterity, reflex for 3 minutes)
Ice domain (Reduces movement speed and reaction speed of foes in the range of ice domain)
Slash flurry (Accelerates in speed 5x, locks on target and slashes the target from different directions)
Freezing howl (Directly attacks foe''s mind, reducing his reaction speed and movement speed)
Lockdown (Pressures the foe with intimidating aura, decreasing chance to dodge or evade by 50%)
|
Lorian was over the moon due to receiving this great aide. He personally experienced the ferociousness of this wolf. Though it was a pity it had a single life...He could also morph into it, but unfortunately, he couldn''t test it out now.
Other than the monster card, there was also a skill book - Chilling fury! Although it was a nerfed version, increasing physical abilities by only 12% for 1 minute. It could also be leveled up, so it would get stronger over time!
And this was only the first floor. Lorian finally had the ability to sweep through the 2nd floor too and he did it.
The ghost on the second floor wasn''t invisible, but half-transparent, which made things much easier. Holy water had enchanted effect on it, so this floor was the easiest pass overall.
| Sentiment ghost |
| ??? |
| Skills:Invade, Shriek, confusion, ghostly glide |
For some reason, the power level wasn''t shown. Lorian was really confused about it but didn''t mind since it was an easy kill.
In easy mode he was awarded x3 yin pearls, making 4 in total in his possession. He still had no idea as to how to use it.
Normal mode was rewarded with purification talismans x3
Hard mode - Minion ghost card x3. These ghosts didn''t have morphing option. Lorian guessed only sub-elites or elite cards had such availability.
Nightmare mode - Low-grade artifact: Invisibility Cloak. Unfortunately, he could only go invisible for 5 seconds a day, so it wasn''t enough to peep in women''s bath...
...
The hell mode took horror at another level. The disgusting and terrifying ghost he had to face would give kids nightmares for years. It also used mind attacks, but in the end, it was a paper tiger and died just as easily due to vulnerability against holy water. The reward was skill: Ghostly glide and Elite ghost king Hosar card, which had a morphing option too.
The third floor was where the variant troll resided with its huge physical power, troublesome regenerative ability, and immense size. This is where Lorian had to tread carefully, especially when the trolls came in groups. Fortunately, they weren''t bright creatures and their immense strength could be used against them. With force step, he was very slippery and made the trolls accidentally hit each other. Though it took a lot of time to hunt them down, they were easily exterminated until the nightmare mode.
He had beat the easy mode some time ago already.
The normal mode awarded 5x regeneration potions, which was very disappointing. After all, Lorian had a lot of healing potions stocked.
The hard mode - 3x physique strengthening potions, which he still hadn''t consumed. The appraisal said it would permanently raise his physique, but the effect would be lower if he took the potions continuously.
This wasn''t the only thing that dropped in the hard mode. Along with the strengthening potions, dropped a piece of yellow paper. When he appraised it, Lorian was astonished.
- What''s this?
|
Page 36 of the book of sages
The world is vast and full of variabilities, but the great sages managed to orderly classify these variables with their wisdom.
The ''secret classification'' of sages divides the organisms into 9 different stages started with existence, creature, entity...
Existences are the organisms of the lowest level. They are enormous in number, but their chance of survival is also abysmally low.
Creatures are born with bigger advantages. They are more gregarious in nature and follow the powerful of their species.
Humans are classified as entities. They commonly use star classification to describe the level of power of their kind. Powerful monsters are also considered entities.
Every organism has infinite growth potential.
Species of lower tier organisms, which break through constraints of their class and evolve, tend to become more frightening, then others at their level. For example, if a parasite, existence level organism evolves and reaches entity level, it is likely to overpower thousands of entities at the same level. The comparison can be made between 2 nobles. 1 - who gained the title through heritage and 2 - one who worked his way up to become one. If the two are compared, the 2nd one will definitely overpower the first one. The principle of evolution is the same.
|
After reading through this interesting piece of information, Lorian felt somewhat enlightened and he gained the system notification.
- Good stuff.
He was happy with the increase in the attribute. Unfortunately, there was nothing said about organisms at a level higher than an entity. He was feeling quite curious now, but there was nothing he could do.
He guessed, he couldn''t perceive the ghost''s power level because it wasn''t at the same level. It could be on the same level as a creature, which would apparently have another type of power level structure he wasn''t aware of. It made sense now. The ghost was very weak in itself if not for its soul and mind type attacks, which was harder to defend against.
The nightmare mode of the third floor was much more troublesome. He had to fight a huge club-wielding troll for over an hour to slowly chip away its vitality. He gained (E) rank troll''s bloodline.
After the auction, Lorian had some ideas about bloodline. According to the troll''s nature, this drop of bloodline would definitely give a boost in physique and regeneration, but he was still reluctant to consume it as it was of low rank. His fighting style wasn''t that much dependant on strength and regeneration wasn''t that useful either since he had a lot of healing potions and holy water.
The hell mode was even more difficult. The huge troll gained a bunch of new AOE destructive skills, which were rather hard to defend against. The damage dealt was lower than healing power of the enemy too, which made the progress rather difficult. In the end, Lorian had to give up on it since he was just wasting his stock.
He entered the 4th floor''s normal mode and acquired scroll: Scorpion''s shell, which increased physical defense by the factor of 4 for 30 minutes.
The hard mode gave the 4 potions of toughness, which had the similar effect as the strengthening potions but was supposedly weaker in effect.
The nightmare mode was impossible to beat at his current stage as he couldn''t pass through the scorpion''s outer defense, so he similarly gave up on it.
The fifth floor was occupied by Oculus, but the nerfed version of it. He managed to take it down in easy mode by jumping through the air through force step and creating ice platforms in the air. He couldn''t pull this trick more than twice consecutively and the platforms crumbled easily, but they were enough to reach the flying Oculus.
Through beating the easy mode he gained the rather useful Rune of Chaos, consumable item.
The normal mode also appeared beatable and obtained 1x spirit potion and the eye of illusion, a skill book. The rewards on this floor appeared more useful and extravagant.
Hard mode was rather troublesome, but he managed to beat it by luck and obtained stealth skill book.
Now, he reached the bottleneck. None of the monsters in the instances were at 1-star, but they were rather unique and troublesome to deal with. Lorian was sure he could currently overpower many 1-star warriors and even challenge 2-star ones, but he still couldn''t beat these monsters.
Still, after clearing these floors, his status thoroughly changed for the better and his inventory was filled to the brim with luxurious items.
Lorian called for Elaine and gave her 2 skill books: Eye of illusion and stealth, as well as 1 strengthening potions and 1 potion of toughness. He received a same cute wordless glare from her as a response, which brought asmile to his face.
Lorian felt a bit guilty as he didn''t have resources to develop this godly assassin who possessed formless intent and wonderful innate skill - Grey world.
He personally experienced her deadliness when she used her innate skill...
As for Lorian, he also sat down cross-legged and started consuming the potions, which strengthened physique.
After consuming the strengthening potion, which tasted like a vomit, he received notification.
It worked at least, so he consumed the last one too.
The effect lessened by half, but it was still a great deal. His physical abilities were boosted by about 10%. One had to know, physique attribute was hardest to raise by normal means, so it was a great deal of improvement.
Next, he consumed 3 potions of toughness consecutively.
''''At least they taste better.'''' Lorian mused.
He also consumed the sweet spirit potion.
Lorian once again opened his status window to see the changes.
| Lorian Ellins |
|
Warrior (Level 0) (10000/10000)
Mage (Level 0) (4150/10000)
|
| General Exp: 1105 |
| Battle Exp: 3417 |
|
Titles: Returnee (+ 1 affinity with negative alignment,+ 1 all resistance value,+ 1 killing intent)
Maven of truth (+0.1 vision)
|
| Innate trait: Anti-poison body (Level 2) |
|
Skills: Basic sword mastery (Level 6) (3807/35000)
Basic dagger mastery (Level 1) (8620/10000)
Frostbite (Level 2)(0/400)
Force step (Level 2)(830/1500)
Chilling fury (Level 1)(0/500)
Ghostly glide (Level 1)(0/4000)
Spells: Ice thread: Cocoon (1st incomplete circle)
Ice block: Repel (1st incomplete circle)
|
|
Attributes:
Spirit: 1.25
Attunement: 1.1
Vision: 1.2
Faith: 1.0
Bloodline: 1.0
Physique: 1.16
|
Just as he was admiring his status, the cabin shook and yells could be heard from above.
Elaine quickly appeared behind him.
- Let''s go out. I feel my bones are rusting.
Lorian grinned.
- You talk like an old man.
Elaine emotionlessly commented from behind.
- I feel I''ll become one if I don''t exercise a little, let''s go.
She nodded her head and followed him like a ghost.
When the duo stepped out on the deck, they saw the panicking sailors dealing with a bunch of sea monsters.
- Sirens? Ah, they are troublesome...Elaine, you stay here and kill any sirens that drop on the deck. The sea isn''t the safe terrain for you to fight.
Like always, she nodded her head and entered the stealth.
Lorian himself looked at the situation and contemplated whether to reveal his full strength or not. He thought it wasn''t worth it, but it wouldn''t hurt to help a little.
Chapter 42 Sea battle (1)
The ship was quite old as it made creaking noises on every step. A damp and musty scent lingered in the air.
''''Smells like fish, sweat and...blood.'''' Lorian thought as he looked around.
The sailors were swinging their weapons, trying to drive away the ugly sea monsters, that burst out from water from time to time and landed on deck, attacking the sailors.
Lorian observed the sirens. Male or female, they were both ugly. Their bodies were covered in filthy mucus, that gave out rotting stench.
They had a lower body of a fish and the upper body of a human. Their faces were especially frightening with shark-like teeth, red beady eyes, lack of nose and scaled protrusions above their head.
The sirens had particularly strong arms. Their tail was also a weapon, that also had to be noted.
It was hard to injure or even land a hit on them due to slippery secreted liquid covering their bodies. In case they were seriously injured, they moved haphazardly on the deck in order to flee to the sea.
They harassed the sailors and dragged some of them to the sea. It was a disturbing sight.
Lorian lifted his hand and urged for ice bullets to shape from the air.
*Pew, Pew, Pew~
*Puff, Puff, Puff~
...
The ice bullets accurately embedded into Sirens'' foreheads and took their life by destroying their brain.
Lorian sighed. Months ago, killing these guys would reward him with at least 5x more Exp.
The sailors who were previously having a hard time looked at him gratefully as they panted heavily, but there was no time to rest. The sea monsters didn''t cease their assault just because a couple of their kin died.
*Bang
The deck shook and many people staggered, falling to the floor.
The captain''s face was ugly as he despaired.
''''How could these plagues appear on the safe route? What is happening? We''re doomed! They''re hitting from below. The ship won''t hold out for more than 10 minutes...''''
Lorian also felt the threat. He couldn''t have the ship sinking in the middle of the sea in the middle of nowhere full of sea monsters. This was a sure dead end. He had to do something, but what?
*CHIRP~
The high pitched screeching voice came from the distance. Everyone''s faces changed as they saw approaching black dots in the sky.
- Harpies...
The sailor dropped to his knees.
At this moment, everyone realized, they were doomed.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
*Clank
- How could this happen?
The captain unconsciously dropped the jagged sword.
The noises coming from the sky were getting louder and louder, while the ship was constantly shaking as banging sounds constantly rang from below.
Elaine silently appeared behind Lorian, waiting for his decision.
- Hey, you.
''''Hmm?''''
Lorian turned his head only to see somebody approaching him. The guy had thick brown hair covering his forehead. His face was freckled and he wore glasses. His looks were below average and he was a head shorter than him. He looked like a typical introverted nerd that would get bullied at school. But...looks can sometimes be deceptive.
- What is it?
Lorian asked impatiently. The situation was quite urgent right now. Every second, the death was approaching.
- Can you freeze theship down below?
Lorian frowned.
The nerdy looking guy fixed his glasses and pointed down.
- If you freeze the surface of the sea around the ship the ship won''t sink anymore.
Lorian was quite surprised this guy knew he was proficient in ice creation, but on second thoughts, he just killed a couple of Sirens using ice bullets, so it wasn''t that surprising if he observed him.
- I was also thinking the same, but what about the birds up there?
The ship was attacked from both the air and the sea. One had to think realistically. He wouldn''t be able to save the ship from being destroyed all alone and the sailors seemed kind of useless as they had only enough strength to barely defend themselves.
- I''ll deal with the birds up there.
The nerdy guy turned his head and glared at the approaching tide of harpies while fixing his glasses. The sunray was reflected from the surface of his glasses.
Lorian looked at him strangely.
- Are you sure about that?
The nerd nodded his head.
Lorian was skeptical, but he didn''t have better options. He looked back at Elaine and ordered.
- Your only task is to survive, I''ll be back in a while.
He jumped from the deck right into the sea. His figure grew blurry as he used the ghostly glide, which reduced his weight.
*Crackle~
His feet lightly dropped on the surface of the water, which instantly started freezing under his feet. He swallowed several drops of holy water of high concentration, accelerating the speed of freezing the water and the ship in a fixed place.
Several Sirens emerged from the water and screeched unpleasantly as they threw their bodies at him, but he quickly shot them down.
Back on the deck, the nerd started giving off terrific fluctuations of mana. Even Elaine took a step back.
His eyes glowed with bright silver and electrical snakes started dancing around his whole body. His hair rose in the air as if there was some air conditioner on the floor. He looked quite intimidating and savage with his serious face.
*CHIRP! CHIRP!~
The harpies were very fast and soon neared the ship.
- Rumble: Electric discharge!
He chanted in a deep voice.
The sound of a deafening explosion rang from his body as blue berserk shockwave passed through dozens of harpies in the air.
They screeched unpleasantly and were fried and stunned, helplessly falling into the sea. The other harpies didn''t seem afraid, but angry as they dived from the air, aiming their deadly talons at the sailors.
The harpies had feet of a bird, arms covered in feather and body and the head of a human.
Hearing the voice of thunder and seeing the falling harpies, Lorian was quite surprised.
''''That plain guy was a thunder mage? He even concealed it so well.''''
Thunder was a rare choice for mages because of how dangerous it was. Without high affinity, it was simply courting death to learn even the simplest of thunder spells.
Lorian was a bit reassured and continued freezing the area around the ship, which was already getting stuck in his ice field.
Suddenly, a whirlpool emerged nearby. A golden scaled buff Siren emerged from it. This Siren was holding a dangerous trident in his hand and stared at Lorian with his blood-red eyes, which gave him creeps.
*Hua, Crack!
The Siren swung down his trident and pierced the ice surface Lorian had just created. The cracks started spreading on the ice.
Lorian''s heart sank as he felt the troublesome enemy emerge, but he was also a bit excited.
The golden scaled Siren was one of the most desired monsters for his rank-up. His target was another, but he couldn''t believe his luck was so good he encountered even more precious variant specimen of Sirens.
At the same time, he was also scared. This monster was very strong and hard to deal with. He didn''t have the confidence to beat it with normal means, but he had many trump cards, so he didn''t back down from the challenge.
He silently appraised the enemy. After some interaction with the system, it allowed him to see through enemy''s life force and attack power range.
| Golden-scaled Siren (Sub-Elite) |
| ¡ï Warrior (30000/50000) |
| Skills:??? |
|
? 794/800
? 44-62
|
Chapter 43 Sea battle (2)
The golden-scaled siren unfolded his left palm, revealing thin skin layers between his fingers like an amphibian. The palm was dripping with murky green liquid. The sirenswung its hand horizontally, causing liquid droplets to be shot at Lorian at high velocity.
Lorian''s split-second reaction was to jump up with a force step. Random sidestepping wouldn''t be fast enough.
- Ice thread: Cocoon!
He didn''t forget to chant while in mid-air, because he was almost defenseless in the air.
The thin white-silver ice threads wrapped around his body, giving out chilliness.
As expected, while in mid-air, another wave of liquid droplets came shooting at him at breakneck speed.
*Pew, Pew, Pew~
*Puff~
His armor he was so proud of was pierced through while his body was catapulted several meters backward. He felt pain in his abdomen as tiny holes appeared on it, where blood sprouted out. Lorian coughed as he crashed on the ice floor, then quickly stabilized his body. His innards felt like burning and had to be suppressed by coldness.
The air whistled as more poisonous tiny liquid droplets were shot at him.
Lorian bent down and stood on four. His perception was barely enough to keep up with incoming attacks. He activated force step over and over, while barely dodging the incoming projectiles. He quickly shortened the distance between them this way. The golden-scaled siren also stopped shooting long ranged attacks and lifted up the trident, preparing for the close combat.
The golden-scaled siren''s lower body moved left and right fast and moved in Lorian''s direction while slithering at astonishing speed. It gave a disturbing screech and lifted up the trident, ready to pierce down through Lorian''s brain.
- Chilling fury!
Lorian growled in a low voice. His eyes glowed with a silver sheen.
Lorian made a split-second decision. He even accelerated his momentum, ready to collide with the enemy upfront.
After equipping the low-grade sword artifact and activating chilling fury, his attack power was barely reaching up to 30 points, while the enemy''s casual attack was at least half times more powerful, according to system''s estimation, but life isn''t all about numbers. Even if his life force was about 230, while the enemy had more than 3 times as much, Lorian didn''t feel it was beyond manageable to beat such an opponent.
However, in order to do so, he had to make the right decisions in the fight. Being hesitantwould cost him his life.
Lorian withdrew the low-grade sword and shield artifacts from inventory.
*CLANK!!!
The deafeningsound of metals colliding rang. Lorian''s shield was angled in a way, the trident slid past the shield while making heavy metallic noise. Meanwhile, Lorian used the momentum gathered before the collision and made a piercing motion with the sword.
- KEEEEK!
The golden-scaled siren shrieked painfully.
The scaleswere pierced through and the sword slid halfway through the enemy''s flesh, causing blood to overflow.
Lorian grinned as he channeled frostbite through the sword artifact.
However, the enemy swatted down with its bulky hand. Lorian had no choice, but to let go of the sword and step back, but not until he caused the chill invading in the enemy''s body to explode.
*Splash
The golden-scaled siren grabbed the sword pierced in his chest andmercilessly took it out, causing the blood to splash on the ice.
Lorian didn''t let the enemy have a rest and bombarded it with the ice bullets, but to his dismay, they were all deflected by its scales.
It was okay, though. The enemy was injured and would lose more energy as it fought. Meanwhile, he was still fine, except for the numbness in his body the collisionhad brought. As for his previously received wound, he quickly froze it and wouldn''t hinder him too much.
Lorian took the initiative and neared the enemy, which was panting. He lifted up his leg and swept it, aiming at the enemy''s face.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.
The golden-scaled siren lifted its hand and met the sweeping leg with an arm, trying to defend.
Lorian grinned. His leg got covered in a layer of frost, which exploded right upon collision. The enemy was once again injured, especially as the ice exploded very close to its face. Its body slid back for about a meter.
Lorian once again closed the distance, but the sub-elite siren pierced the ice with a trident, grabbed it and lifted up its body, then swept with its tail.
Lorian had no choice, but to retreat. Sidestepping or ducking wouldn''t be enough to dodgethe vertical sweeping attack.
The sub-elite siren seemed to have gone berserk as it grabbed the trident and started madly pursuing him, while smashing down with the trident, causing cracks to appear on the ice floor. Lorian was having a hard time keeping up with its speed. He could only respond with minimal movement in order to not get pierced in the following attack.
He also supported himself with the shield quite often, but at a glance, it was easy to see, he was having a hard time, but wouldn''t lose any time soon, lest his concentration lapsed.
Instead, the sub-elite siren was losing more blood and its attacks were getting weaker. Frostbite invading through its flesh also hindered its speed.
*Hua
The air was torn as the sub-elite siren swept with a trident, which Lorian easily dodged by falling back with force step.
The siren once again screeched, but this sound was a bit different.
Soon, the flopping noises came from the sea and sirens started encircling the fighting duo.
''''Shit!''''
Lorian wouldn''t be able to fight so many at once. He would be screwed.
And that wasn''t the worst part. The sub-elite siren started fleeing.
Lorian turned anxious, but then grew determined. There was nobody else here, so there was no need to hold back.
*Bang
The ice below his feet exploded as he shot through the air through force step. His figure grew blurry as he used ghostly glide at the same time, which reduced his weight.
*Kshh~
Another glass shattering sound rang as he created a small ice platform in the air. He once again shot up and forward in the air for about 5 meters.
*Bang
He used the falling Harpie''s body as a stepping stone and once again flew up.
The silver card was withdrawn, which glowed, then his whole body turned into a gigantic silver wolf - Farax.
''''Chilling fury!''''
His eyes glowed dangerously as his bodystarted shooting down, his shadow covering the fleeing sub-elite siren.
Suddenly, the siren stopped fleeing and turned around, lifted up its bulging arm and threw the trident at him.
The trident was quickly approaching like death scythe.
- Growl!
Lorian in Farax''s form gave a growl as his silhouette grew blurry.
The blood red eyes of the golden-scaled siren bulged as it felt its life under threat.
''''Slash flurry''''
Coupled with descending pace and 30% bonus agility from chilling fury, along with short time speed buff, his body sped up by about 10 times!
The sub-elite siren couldn''t even react as its body was slashed by 5 deadly claws and catapulted backward while spitting blood.
- 292
But...it wasn''t over.
The silver shadow approached from behind.
*Slash
- 120
The blood overflowed as its back was also slashed open.
*Slash, slash, slash!
- 46
- 22
- 21
The claw marks painted the sub-elite siren''s body. Though Lorian lost his momentum on the following slashes, they dealt quite a heavy damage overall, especially the first slash with many stacked boosts.
Meanwhile, tens of sirens were approaching from all sides. There was no time left to lose. He didn''t let the sub-elite siren recover and caught it with fangs and chewed down.
The golden scales weren''t enough to resist Farax''s sharp teeth. The poor golden-scaled siren was ground to death.
The sirens stopped midtrack, feeling terrified as theywatched their leader being chewed down.
Lorian transmitted the force on his hind legs and flew through the air, but force step didn''t activate.
''''Seems I can''t use my other skills in morphed mode.'''' He thought silently.
His body glowed and returned to human form prematurely.
Lifting his hand, ice bullets materialized in the air and bombarded the sirens, that started fleeing into the sea like headless chickens.
Meanwhile, the system notification rang in his mind.
| +1234 (Doubled) Battle Exp for killing 1 rank higher enemy |
|
Requirements for level up met.
Commencing rank up.
|
Lorian''s whole body felt agitated and full of bursting energy. Bone crackling sounds rang. The muscle fibers contracted. The blood was pumping through his veins at an accelerated speed.
- Roar!
He couldn''t help but give out a beastly roar.
''''Finally, 1-star warrior!''''
Lorian excitedly clenched his fists. His strength grew by at least 100 pounds while his other attributes also had a significant upgrade.
But it wasn''t over. Another melodious system sound rang in his mind.
| 6th floor of the instances has been constructed. |
|
The monster choice for ascension - Golden-scaled Siren (Sub-elite)
Skills extracted: (Please choose one of the following)
Poison secretion, golden scales, water manipulation
|
- Water manipulation.
Lorian chose without hesitation.
Ding!
|
You have learned Water manipulation (Passive)
Underwater breathing time extended.
Underwater vision extended.
Increased affinity with water.
Increased attunement with water.
Water elemental spells deal +5% damage.
Water elemental skills deal +5% damage.
Water elemental damage resistance +5%
|
- Well, the ice is also a type of water.
Lorian grinned. The effects of his passive would also apply on his ice spells and skills.
- Ah, I''ve ditched them for too long. I have to go back.
Lorian looked up worriedly. The sound of thunder would occasionally ring, but the number of Harpies above was overwhelming. The situation wasn''t reassuring at all. He was worried about Elaine.
When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. The sirens were already gone. His job was done here.
Chapter 44 Besieged
It wasn''t hard for Lorian to get back on the deck with his skills.
When he got back up, the gory sight greeted him.
The dismembered corpses of the sailors were sprawled all over the floor. The picture of scattered innards and bloody bits and pieces was nightmarish and unsightly. It was a wonder since when did he grow numb to such sights, or was he innately uncaring and detached...
His only concern was the wellbeing of Elaine.
Lorian quickly scanned the deck. Except for the dead, others should have found the temporary refugee inside the ship. However, not everyone has fled.
The captain, for example, had regained his cool and despite the wounds accumulated on his body, was swinging the jagged sword, hacking through Harpies'' waists.
Another valiantsailor with bulky build and headwear was swinging the wooden log, smashing the birdmen around with beastly shouts.
The deck was thoroughly wrecked with pieces of wood and barrels scattered around. There were less powerful sailors, who hadn''t fled yet and were hiding in the advantageous terrain, between broken down areas, dealing with 1-2 Harpies at a time.
The nerdy guy from before appeared wounded but was still shooting out bolts from time to time. The electric sphere around his body was fluctuating, appearing weak.
It wasn''t surprising. Although the lightning attribute had great destructive power, the mana consumption for casting was just as high.
Lorian quickly noticed the presence of Elaine. She was cooperating with the nerdy guy, slitting throats of the zapped Harpies. She was also small and quite agile, having no trouble evading the birdmen''s assault.
Seeing her fine, he silently heaved a sigh of relief.
*Crunch
The sound of bone-crushing rang from nearby. Lorian turned his head and saw the crouching Harpy feasting upon dead sailor''s corpse. Its mouth was covered in blood and flesh pieces. The way it crushed the dead sailor''s bones with teeth spoke of its sharpness.
The Harpy raised its head and gave a low pitched hoarse sound.
Lorian jumped up a bit, then glided down, his silhouette blurry.
- Force step!
Before the Harpy could react, Lorian''s leg was just inches away from its face.
*Bang
Caught off guard, the kick sunk the Harpy''s face and the burst impact made the birdman hurl backward. The Harpy heavily bounced off the wooden floor while rolling, then crashed into the edge of the deck. Its bloodied body no longer moved and lied motionless.
- 78
The distinct skull cracking sound rang. The Harpie''s life force was about 150, but receiving a critical hit worth more than half of its life force on the head was more than deadly enough. Besides, Lorian''s kick was enforced with force step, which was burst type skill usable not only for quick movement but offense too.
Lorian backflipped and safely landed on the ground.
...
''''Seems killing the small fries is no longer an efficient way to progress.''''
Lorian sighed helplessly.
If he wanted to get stronger at a decent pace, he would have to kill 1-star warrior level monsters at a minimum, which wasn''t that impossible now since his power level dramatically increased.
Now his life force was about 350, while his raw attack power was at 35.
This meant, his fist''s strength was about 160 kg and kick strength about 20% higher -190 kg.
On earth, such level of fitness would put him near the top, but here, it was merely average.
Of course, adding his skills to the picture could make a huge difference.
As for life force, it wasn''t too dependable to count on. True, he wouldn''t die from wounds that could be considered mortal for a normal person and his resilience was on the whole new level, but attack in critical areas could cause instant death.
After the fast inner monologue, Lorian quickly returned to reality. The matter at hand wasn''t so easy to deal with. There were simply too many Harpies flying around the ship like flies.
''''Are they merely a ragtag bunch? If not, where''s their leader?
It was an unspoken rule of the war, killing the commander was equal to half-winning the war.
The problem was, he couldn''t find one.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
- You''re back so early? What about the sirens?
The nerdy guy spoke with concern while sweating, seeing Lorian kicking his way in. He either killed on his way or was limping forward with a calm face.
*Screech!
The Harpie struggled under Lorian''s feet, but...
*Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew~
Lorian mercilessly stoned it with ice bullets to the face.
- All clear.
An astonishment flashed past Aaron''s eyes, then doubt surfaced on his face, but seeing Lorian''s calm expression, he somehow believed it and sighed in relief.
Lorian slowly made his way to the duo.
- Are you alright, little one?
He asked concernedly.
Elaine finished backstabbing the Harpie from her side, then reappeared from stealth, nodding her head.
- Aaron''s been a great help.
She stared at the nerdy guy with secret admiration in her eyes. Her face was deadpan as always though.
''''So Aaron''s his name? I didn''t have the time to ask.''''
Lorian mused while looking up Aaron from top to bottom. No matter how you looked at him, he was physically weak, but volatile fluctuation around his body was enough to give one fright.
- Any long-term solutions for this mess?
Lorian inquired while dragging down two Harpies and smashing their heads at each other.
Aaron fixed his glasses, pointed his finger in the air and said.
- Look at that cluster of Harpies.
- Hmm?
Lorian''s eyes shone. Strangely, there were a lot of Harpies gathered around at that place. Putting two and two together, Lorian realized a commander level Harpy must be there.
Aaron guessed his thoughts from his expression and added.
- It''s more complicated. I''ve caught the sight of their leader. It''s not what you''d expect.
*Bzzt
The bolt electrocuted the diving Harpie, which followingly fell in Elaine''s hands.
*Screech! Screech! ~
- What do you mean?
Lorian asked with a bit of impatience.
- Fledgling, that''s who they follow. I guess even if we kill it, the Harpies won''t be demoralized but enraged instead.
Lorian''s expression changed as he guessed his meaning.
- Fuck, so it''s a talented one of their species out for experience? Damn, that''s more troublesome than I thought. Hey, can''t we just drag things out?
Lorian was lacking in real-life experience and wisdom.
Aaron shook his head solemnly.
- They will harass us to no end, so we''ll have to stagnate here, unable to progress in our travels. The rations are limited. They won''t let us fish either. There are many examples of ships meeting tragical ends in harpies'' treacherous hands.
- How about the hit and run tactics? It won''t be tough for us to slowly grind them to oblivion.
Aaron looked at him with disdain.
- These birds aren''t as simple as they look. The sky is their domain. We are at a disadvantage. Mind you, humans aren''t the only ones who learn from mistakes.
Listening to the answer, Lorian felt annoyed and conflicted at the same time.
- What do we do, then? Just wait for our deaths?
It was understandable. There were hundreds of Harpies scattered all around in the sky. They didn''t seem to be taking things seriously as only the weaker ones were sent down, which was more than enough to deal with the majority of the ship''s travelers and the sailors.
The way they treated their kin as cannon fodders spoke of their harsh nature.
Aaron didn''t speak for a long while, then finally broke the cacophony of fighting noises.
- Don''t expect some genius plan. We don''t have an option. Let''s go back to cabins and recover. Guerilla warfare is our best option.
- Hey, didn''t you turn down that idea of mine just now?
Lorian sounded a bit annoyed.
Aaron fixed his glasses.
- You don''t understand. I feel the strong ones nearby, but they''re not making their move. That means the fledgling is playing the game with us, the general being her and pawns - her army. All we have to do is amuse the fledgling and give her some challenge. Then, she won''t easily get bored and just order everyone to just overwhelm us with numbers, in which case, we won''t have a chance at all.
Lorian''s eyes lit up in understanding. He looked at the nerdy guy with newfound respect.
- Good, you''re not as useless as you look.
Lorian grinned, wanting to see the always calm Aaron lose his cool.
- What was that?
Aaron gave him an unhappy look.
- I said look at how useless these birds are.
Lorian feigned ignorance.
- Father, you are excited.
Elaine commented in a monotone voice.
Lorian grinned.
Right, he was a bit excited. It''s been a while since he felt challenged.
''''Wait, father? Ah, right, she started calling me that a while ago. It feels strange, but I don''t mind. As long as she feels happy...She''s really like a family to me now, and only one at that. She''s the only one I can unconditionally trust my back with.''''
- Captain, order everyone to return to the cabins. Any more manpower can''t be lost!
Aaron suddenly yelled. His voice woke up the butchering captain.
''''The ship''s not made of such fickle materials. It will hold out for a while and probably a couple of weeks if these hateful birds don''t go all out...We''ll be screwed in the end, but oh well, a day longer to live is better than dying earlier.''''
Having made up his mind, he ordered in a loud voice.
- Everyone, we withdraw to the cabins.
- Boss, we''re stuck here.
- Yeah, we can''t leave. Help us out, please, captain.
Seeing some of his men in the perilous situation the captain yelled.
- Brendan, you go help the duo, I''ll help the others. Don''t let there be any more casualties. We''ll come back to avenge our fallen brothers.
Seeing their lifelong comrades dying with incomplete corpses, they were naturally furious, but trading their lives with the stupid birds wasn''t clever either.
Seeing the captain do the right thing, Aaron felt relieved.
- Huff, I''m out of mana. I''ll be leaving first.
Lorian nodded.
- Elaine, you rest too. I''ll be back in a while.
Elaine nodded.
- Don''t overdo it. We''ll have to surprise the fledgling tonight and you can''t be missing.
Aaron reminded. Lorian just waved his hand. Aaron sighed and made a tactical retreat along with Elaine.
- Fledgling, huh? Know your enemy, know yourself. I need to find you.
Lorian laughed and continued slaughtering the Harpies while making his way closer to the cluster of Harpies.
His perception was locked on that place and soon noticed a different Harpy among the flock.
| Novice Harpy Commander, Engel (Elite) |
|
¡ï Warrior (2000/50000)
¡ï Mage ( 8000/50000)
|
|
Skills:???
Spells: ???
|
|
? 650/650
? 13-78
|
She looked very delicate, a little shorter than other Harpies. The glossy white wings sprouting from her shoulders made her look like an angel. Her face was also pretty with white hair reaching down her shoulders. And...her naked body was like a piece of art, able to mesmerize every man.
- Damn, what a hottie. The bird''s legs below knees kill the mood though, but not by much. Hehehe, so we are at your mercy then?
The gaze of the two met. A slight smile hung on her face, while her eyes revealed a curious glint.
- Not killing us while still can, what an idiot. I shall exact retribution for your wild curiosity.
Lorian smiled under the mask and departed while limping. The courageous Harpies blocking his path met their maker at his hands.
Chapter 45 Playing war
The gloomy silence enveloped the spacious cabinfilled with sailors and the ship''s crew.
The cabin was dimly lit with the light stones.
Lorian was sitting at the table, spacing out, apprehensive about the upcoming battle. He wore casual clothes, looking like any other random young sailor.
Aaron sat at his right, observing the chef, who was distributing the soup in everyone''s bowls, with a faint smile.
He was a clever man, knowing nothing happens without a reason. If there were no strong travelers among them, the captain wouldn''t dare be so generous and open-handed.
A man acts for his benefit. If one doesn''t want to be taken advantage of, it''s essential to always ask - why? What''s there in for him? What does he gain in doing that?
And then,the whole outlook of the world changes.
But nothing is absolute. You can''t so easily see through 4 types of people: the madmen, the eccentric, the geniuses and the wise...
Meanwhile, Elaine sat at Lorian''s left side. Her head was lowered as she was looking at an apple in her small hand with tearful eyes. The painful memories were flashing by her brain.
The memories of her and her sister scavenging for leftoverswas so vivid in her mind. She remembered that one time, how much beating she took for such piece of rotten apple and how Lilian cried and refused to eat her piece, taking care of her beaten body.
Reminded of the miserable memory made it hard for her to swallow the food. Now her little sister was no longer alive. She felt a huge lump of sadness and misery stuck in her throat when about to eat something.
Suddenly, she felt the familiar feeling on her head. She turned her gaze to the side and saw Lorian Looking at her with empathy while gently ruffling her hair. He seemed to have felt her sadness and was silently consoling her.
Elaine lowered her head and tried her best not to cry, but she wasn''t able to.She felt grateful, yet guilty at the same time.
The sisters grew up in the cold world, without a place to return to. She felt guilty and undeserving of what she had now. Without Lilian, everything was colorless, except for him...
- Is she alright? Did she hurt herself?
Aaron asked with concern, seeing Elaine''s shoulders trembling and silently weeping with the head lowered.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
- It''s alright.
Lorian looked at him meaningfully. Aaron realized it wasn''t his place to further inquire and shut up.
Meanwhile, the chef had already approached their seat and poured the soup in their bowls. Feeling Elaine''s sadness, Lorian also lost his appetite and the excitement for upcoming battle also dyed down in his heart.
The fate of the weak was miserable in this world.
He clenched his fists. He swore to would get stronger and never let his loved ones get hurt, then lead the most leisurely life he could. He would create his sanctuary, where he and those around him would be happy. This was his goal and the dream.
After eating their fills, everyone dispersed to have a rest. They needed to be in an optimal condition before the fight.
Everything wasn''t that orderly in the morning though. Everyone was panicking, fearing for their lives. The captain took the helm of the situation and shared Aaron''s plan to others. The crew was with him, but a few travelers protested the participation in the battle.
Brendan, the log-swinging sailor, who had a brash personality quickly criticized them.
- Cowards, you want us to fight to the death, protecting your families while you just stand there? Ptui, a bunch of spineless wimps, why don''t you give us your wives and children to care for, then?
...
The fight broke out and the rebels were taught a lesson. The captain once again convinced them. This time, they had to listen to the reason and accept their fates.
Meanwhile, the Harpies were a bit more passive, but some of them were wrecking the ship, giving everyone more pressure.
Engel was resting on the mast, having fun hatching the plans with her bird''s brain...which worked surprisingly well. Her bloodline was a lot purer than others, hence she was smarter and stronger than others. She was destined to be a wonderful Harpy queen in the future.
''''I''ll force the humans out. Mommy said they struggle desperately near the end of their lives. I''ll have to see it for myself, hehe...''''
She giggled while covering her mouth with her wing, which was covered in fluffy, delicate white feathers.
The mast shook as two relatively huge Harpies landed to her left and right.
- My lady, the humans have sneaked out of hiding. What are your orders?
The larger Harpy bowed his head.
- Interesting. How many are there?
Engel''s eyes flashed with a glint of curiosity.
- 5 groups of 5-10 people, armed for the battle. Their aim is tonight''s patrol. Shall we alert them?
The Harpy giggled, then shook her wing while graciously swinging her waist, making a cute pose.
- Mmm, leave it, give them a false hope of victory. Tonight shall be their win.
The large harpy contemplated for a while then said.
- My lady, please mind the casualties. They can''t exceed 30% as per her highness'' command.
An excited look of Engel was replaced with annoyed one as she pouted.
- I know, I know. Just don''t bring that up.
She chirped melodiously.
The bodyguard sighed, then looked at the patrolling Harpies impassively. Nobody would care if they died. They should only blame themselves for being weak.
The territorial wars in the forest were much harsher and more direct.The current game of war was just a child''s play. Survival of the strongest was the unwritten rule of nature.
As expected, the battle broke out. The patrol Harpies were annihilated without any suspense.
Engel was merely observing the humans. Only 3-5 of them caught her picky eyes. She was excited to play with them at later date, but for now, she''d let them revel in victory. Then, it''d be more fun to crush their ignited hope all at once.
Chapter 46 Three days blockade
While everyone was cheering because of the victory, Lorian was disgruntled.
- They were just small fries.
He mumbled discontentedly.
Aaron was also frowning.
''''It was too easy a win, well, at least their numbers were reduced by 30 or so, better than nothing.''''
After having a refreshing bath, the majority slept, while a few stayed up.
Lorian put the blanket on Elaine, who was snuggled in small bed, then sat down cross-legged. Withdrawing a silver card, he appraised it
|
Sentiment ghost king, Hosar (Elite) Card
Description: The monster card can be summoned for 1 hour a day. The card disappears if the monster dies. The host can also morph into the card monster for 5 minutes and can have access to said monster''s skills. Host''s power level remains unchanged in the morphed state.
Details: As a non-dimensional being, the ghost king has 80-95% physical and 50% magical immunity. The defense is negative in a single digit. Agility is boosted by 300%, dexterity by 150%, strength decreased by 90%.
|
|
Monster realm: Mortal (7500/10000)
Stats:
? 175
? 1-75
Skills:
Consume (Passively feeds on negative emotions and gets stronger)
Invade (Penetrates foe''s mind and soul, filling it with negative emotions. The skill effectiveness depends on foe''s mental fortitude)
Shriek (AOE debuff skill. Demoralizes foes and has a small chance to cause fear, stun, anda hallucination. 5% chance to reduce foes'' stats by 5% for 5 seconds)
Ravaging claws (Uses clawing attacks at high frequency on a single target. A chance to inflict random debuff and poison the enemy)
Sap (Passively consumes foe''s mental energy and stamina)
|
This ghost wasn''t so deadly, but its mental attacks would be excellent for the current situation.
''''If I were to constantly wear them down, they won''t be in a top condition in our last battle. Hehehe, Tonight is going to be entertaining.''''
Dozens of people died today, so the resentment and negative emotions would be plenty to strengthen the ghost''s mental attacks.
The Harpies were bound to have sleepless nights.
''''I wonder if they are afraid of ghosts, though? Hmm, let''s see their reactions. Hmm, a brief entrance should be enough for today. I''ll also morph into it, making the ghost king much stronger. Though I''ll be risking my life this way, it''s not a problem. The ghost can pass through things and has tripled agility, so I''ll be fine.''''
Lorian grinned as the silver card in his hand flashed with light.
* * *
Engel was dozing off, inspecting her beautiful feathers when she felt chill from somewhere and instantly got battle-ready, alerted.
''''Huh? There''s nothing?''''Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Her guards also seemed uncomfortable, looking around in alert.
Suddenly, a ghostly shriek echoed in the dead of the night.
Engel felt chills as fear sprouted in her heart.
- W, wh, what was this?!
...
The guards stared into the distance solemnly. One to the right finally spoke up.
- I think this place is haunted, my lady.
- H..haunted? Nooo~ What to do? I...I don''t want to see a ghost.
Engel fretted.
- There''s no need to fear, my lady. We will handle the ghost. We won''t let a single feather be harmed on our future queen and hope.
The guard said determinedly.
- No, no, no...let''s just finish them off, I don''t want to stay here a second longer.
Engel spoke meekly, her voice sounding as weak as a buzz of a mosquito.
The guard shook his head and said.
- Sorry, my lady, we were instructed to oversee your battle ability and battle intellect. The challenges we have to face back home will not be such walk in a park, but truly life-threatening. The future majesty needs to hone both her abilities, intellect, and mentality.
Engel hesitated a bit but still wasn''t convinced by the persuasion.
- We can find another ship. Please, I don''t want to stay here anymore.
The guards hesitated. They didn''t want to offend the future queen, but couldn''t oppose the Harpy queen''s orders either. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place.
- My lady, how about...let''s flee the second things seem even a bit awry. I''ll make sure my lady gets away safely. I''ll put my life on the line for this cause. Please trust this servant of yours.
The guard bowed his head in submission. He was surprisingly clever for being a bird. With this sentence, he offended neither the queen nor the future one. Instead, he might have won the admiration of the latter.
Engel hesitated as she was moved this time.
Pouting, she said.
- Fine. But the moment something is off, I''ll escape at top speed. You need to shield me from lady mother''s wrath later if that happens.
The guard smiled wryly but still made a vow.
After this, Engel''s mood seemed to improve, which quickly soured as she felt another chilling shriek, then it quieted down.
The scouts returned empty-handed, claiming there was nothing there.
Engel couldn''t sleep at all. Though she could last without sleep for a couple of days, she would be fatigued the following day.
Harpies weren''t the only ones having a sleepless night. Even the sailors and the travelers were afraid, but Lorian decided against explaining things. He didn''t want to reveal his trump cards.
Another few skirmishes happened the following day. This time, they managed to kill 26 Harpies, but 2 of the travelers died while 3 were injured. Their morale wasn''t that good, but the situation was contained by the captain.
At night, the ghost shrieks once again disturbed everyone''s sleep, but the Harpy scouts couldn''t find anything this time either.
The following day the casualties on their side dramatically increased. The Harpies were no longer holding back, appearing impatient.
It was no longer that easy to contain the situation, but it once again stabilized simply because everyone didn''t have another option. Their morale was low. They lacked sleep. The violent inner skirmishes also increased.
Feeling the impatience of the Harpies, Lorian was long since convinced of the scare the ghost was giving them. He could see every third of them had a lasting negative effect because of it, but he decided to push it no longer. He wouldn''t send out the ghost that night. Being on edge, most probably they wouldn''t sleep well either way, but they wouldn''t make any dramatical decisions.
That night, only a small group of them went out to fight: Lorian, captain, Brendan, Elaine, and Aaron.
They were the strongest of the bunch so they brought a lot of destruction on the Harpies'' side. They killed a whole 58 of them, but as a result, some of them were injured too. Brendan was especially, heavily injured. He would most probably be unable to continue fighting.
The situation was turning tense every passing second. The Harpies were no longer holding back that much. That night, Lorian harrassed the Harpies with the ghost king''s shouts fora whole hour, while controlling the ghost king to hide from the Harpies'' detection.
The last fight was bound to happen tomorrow, so he had to reduce their fighting capability as much as possible. Appraising the Harpies, Lorian was satisfied to see almost every Harpy had at least 1 debuff. Some of them even had 2 and more. They wouldn''t wear off that soon.
The Harpies wouldn''t go for an all-out war at night, so they were safe for now.
The crew and the travelers gathered and discussed tomorrow''s fight. The situation wasn''t great for them, but nobody was willing to go down without a fight. They swore to bring down the cruel birdmen to their graves.
Lorian shared the page of the book of sages to Elaine, successfully increasing her vision attribute, which included an increase in perception, which was crucial for assassins. Lorian also grew quite friendly with Aaron, but he was hesitant to share that page with him. He didn''t know him well enough to trust him with his secrets.
The morning rays of the sun broke out the darkness of the night.
The atmosphere was tense as everyone was preparing for the last battle, where both sides would fight to the death.
The Harpies numbered almost 500, while only 50 were battle capable on their side. There were also 150 or so civilians incapable of the fight. They were being outnumbered 10:1
Finally, the crew and the travelers unitedly came out of the cabins, facing the Harpies, who were blotting out the sky with their numbers.
- Kill everyone. Destroy the ship.
Engel gave the command and the flock of birdmen descended from the skies with terrifying momentum.
Chapter 47 The final battle (Teaser)
The Harpies rained down like meteors, ready to tear the small group of humans apart.
- Rumble: Electric discharge!
But their courageous assault was met by utter failure. The electrocuted Harpies dropped like flies, only to be later finished off by the crew and the travelers.
Engel bit her lips. She was too impatient to leave and made a mistake, forgetting the electro guy. It was okay though, she was learning from her mistakes. So what if a few more Harpies were sacrificed? It didn''t make much of a difference.
- I''m summoningmypet.
Before the battle, Lorian deceived others, telling them he''d be summoning his pet while he would be gone to make some traps. In reality, he would be morphing into Farax. His power level didn''t drop in the morphed state, which meant the wolf king would bemore than twice as strong as an original.
The silver card glowed in his hand and he turned into a gigantic silver wolf. He wasn''t stingy and consumed the strength potion, which turned his silver fur reddish. He also activated the rune of brutality, which also increased his strength. Golden linings appeared all over his body, which glowed with bright light.
- ROAR!
Even his roar was strong enough to push the Harpies back in 10 meters radius.
Ice domain spread out, enveloping the Harpies. Their reaction speed and agility noticeablydulled in his presence.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
There was no time to lose as this mode only lasted for 5 minutes.
Under the effect of integrating his power level with Farax, his attack power increased from 27-33 to 54-66. It was further enhanced by 2 due to strength potion making it 108-132, which further increased to 130-158 with the effect of brutality rune.
''''Chilling fury!''''
His eyes glowed with silver sheen, further increasing his base damage to 170-206!
His random bite or slash would have unimaginable 800-970 kgs of strength, which was about 1750-2150 pounds!
Even the guards, peak 2-star sub-elite warriors who were by Engel''s side wereshuddering in fear due to the power radiating from his body.
Even though Farax''s body was massive, even it had trouble accumulating so much explosive influx of power as every muscle felt like bursting. He was even losing life force at a constant rate. Seems, he would not even last 5 minutes in this mode.
He gave a dreadful wolf howl, then turned into a blur as he started brutally slaughtering the Harpies.
Every claw swipe, lunge or bite took the lives of 3-5 Harpies. With his power, he could even jump up real high and easily crush anything in his way.
Engel was frightened by the bloody display and tugged on her guard''s feather.
- I...I want to go. Let''s leave, ok?
The guard was about to nod his head, but another guard quickly interjected.
- This thing''s very strong but got a low vitality. There''s no need to panic. I''ll finish it off on my own.
Saying this, the guard took off.
- Arax! Come back right now! Our mission is to protect little queen! I''ll tell the empress about your irresponsible behavior!
The guard to Engel''s side screeched in Harpy''s language, but Arax didn''t go back.
He waspeak 2-star sub-elite monster. He was above thousands and below tens in his circle. He genuinely looked down upon this monster with fake power level.
He flew in the sky at the speed of an arrow in a zigzagging pattern. When he found the right positioning, he acrobatically spun while his body glowed with green light.
The wind was stirred as tens of wind blades were consecutively generated, aiming at Lorian''s morphed body.
So what if his strength was about half of this monster? His barrage of wind blades would be more than enough to dice it up into bloody pieces!
The wind blades flew unimaginably fast.